Larry Williams Drive

After spending two years in custody awaiting trial, a man has been found not guilty by a jury in less than an hour. Barney Mackie of Kaipara was charged with one count of rape and one of administering ecstasy following an alleged incident in Paparoa in 2021. Criminal Defence Lawyer Steve Cullen says he doubts he is entitled to compensation. "He would have had multiple bail hearings, but the only time I've ever come across people staying in custody for that length or period of time is when they're chosen to, because they know they're facing a significant jail term." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The economy's slightly weaker than economists and the Reserve Bank expected. New GDP figures show a 0.6 percent contraction for the December quarter, compared to a two percent increase for September's. All major banks predicted a slump despite the Central Bank predicting a 0.7 lift. ASB economist Nathaniel Keall says the warning signs were there. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I don’t understand why Chris Hipkins didn’t just fire Stuart Nash from all of his portfolios yesterday. He should’ve.  I have not seen anyone else defending Nash, every single commentator I've seen and heard on the radio and in the papers this morning has said the same thing: He’s got to lose all the portfolios.  When he breached the cabinet manual he didn’t breach it as Police Minister, he breached it as a Minister. No Minister should call the police commissioner. No Minister should have a crack at judges. Absolutely it’s not okay for the Police Minister to take a crack at a judge, but it’s also not okay for the Fisheries Minister. Or the Forestry Minister. Or the Economic Development Minister, all of which he is. Because all Ministers have power and that power can’t be used to try to influence judges. Sacking him altogether would’ve been the easy option, that way the story would be over in a day. But instead, Chippy’s defending him for a second day, and if this drags into tomorrow, a third day. It’s possibl

Auckland's Mayor doesn't want to go halves on the bill for Auckland's City Rail link cost blowout. The team's asked for an extra billion dollars, to be split evenly by Council and Government. Wayne Brown says he want to get as much out of the Government as he can. He told Heather du Plessis-Allan that he's not keen for the Council to pony up. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National says there's no way Stuart Nash can keep his ministerial warrant with the reveal of another historical botch-up. Deputy leader Nicola Willis told Heather Du-Plessis Allan that it's clear what needs to happen now. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a squabble among former and current Australian Labour MPs over the country's AUKUS deal. It's buying three US nuclear submarines under its new deal with the US and the UK. Former Prime Minister Paul Keating is labelling the deal the worst international decision since trying to bring in conscription. Australian correspondent Murray Olds told Heather du Plessis-Allan that Keating is arguing that China wants to be their friend. He says Keating claims that as far as China's concerned, Australia is a giant mine and grain-producing country. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cabinet minister Stuart Nash is set to come under further pressure amid revelations the Solicitor General had considered prosecuting him for contempt over public comments he had made after the arrest of Eli Epiha in the case of the killing of police constable Matthew Hunt. Newstalk ZB Senior Political correspondent Barry Soper exclusively revealed the earlier occasion, which led to Nash being formally reprimanded for comments he had made on the Mike Hosking Breakfast show in June 2020. Nash resigned as Police Minister yesterday for comments he made to Hosking, in which he said he had once called up Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to discuss a sentence of home detention handed out to a Southland farmer for illegal firearms. Nash told Hosking he had said to Coster that surely police would appeal the sentence. The second, earlier instance revealed today was within days of the fatal shooting of Constable Hunt - and Nash said the police had arrested the man responsible and he hoped he’d get a long prison sentenc

A Russian aircraft has been intercepted by the RAF and German air force in a joint NATO mission. This was the first mission of its kind after the Russian jet was intercepted near NATO airspace. This interception comes after a Russian fighter jet collided with a US drone, causing conflict between both nations. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the relationship between NATO and Russia had been more tense then ever before the interception. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on the Huddle, David Farrar from Kiwiblog and Curia and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day: Stuart Nash has resigned from his role as Police Minister following his comments about our justice system's response to crime on Newstalk ZB. Was this the right decision? Who do we think should take over as Police Minister? Auckland Transport has announced they need some extra time and a further $1 billion to complete the construction of the Auckland City Rail Link. Is it time to sell the Auckland Airport shares? Te Pūkenga has written a list for academics of words they can no longer use, including staff, students, and Treaty of Waitangi. What do we think of this?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fourth quarter GDP figures are set to be released by Stats NZ tomorrow. After the third quarter's 2 percent growth, the Reserve Bank is forecasting the next quarterly GDP growth to be at 0.7 percent. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen is among the many economists predicting a drop in growth instead. Brad Olsen says growth will have stayed flat or dropped as low as -0.2 percent, as retail and construction activity have declined from September figures.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has sparked concerns about the banking sector. The US Federal Reserve has stepped in to ensure depositors are protected from losing their assets, but people still have long-term fears about the banks. Milford Asset Management Portfolio Manager Frances Sweetman says this collapse was likely a one-off issue with this specific bank. Frances Sweetman says a combination of concentration on tech, poor management and unhedged investments contributed to the collapse. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced Monday that a public consultation to clarify the difference between contractors employees would be deferred. The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) is disappointed, with CTU secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges saying it would harm misclassified contractors struggling with the cost of living crisis. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says the unions are worried about the contractors who work enough hours to be classified as employees without the extra benefits. Jenee Tibshraeny says the Government plans to wait until the legal battle between Uber and their drivers has gone through the courts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stuart Nash has resigned his police portfolio after revealing he'd called the Commissioner to ask about appealing a court case. In an interview with Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking, Stuart Nash referenced the conversation with Andrew Coster while addressing the need for appropriate punishments for offenders. ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper says that Chris Hipkins was 'puffing his chest' in Parliament after Stuart Nash emailed his resignation. Barry Soper noted Chris Hipkins' use of the word 'removing' in his statement, suggesting the Prime Minister may have played a larger role in Nash's departure. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Joe Biden aims to reassure customers that the US banking system is safe after Silicon Valley Bank collapsed. Joe Biden said that Silicon Valley Bank customers were protected by the Deposit Insurance Fund, but investors would get the same guarantee. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says that investors have been very concerned about the state of SVB and withdrew $42 billion dollars, or a quarter of the bank's profits. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Breakers are set to play against the Sydney Kings in a matter of hours. Tonight's long-anticipated NBL championship decider game is expected to draw thousands of fans to Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave said this match will be long and intense with the potential to go into double overtime. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's all go on a teaching mega-strike tomorrow, despite eleventh hour meetings between unions and the Education Ministry. About 50,000 kindergarten, primary and secondary teachers and principals are walking off the job nationwide. NZEI President Mark Potter says the primary teachers' negotiation team and the Ministry discussed a wide range of teacher claims yesterday. He says discussions were worthwhile but no offer was tabled. Education Minister Jan Tinnetti says she feels progress is being made. "I have met with both unions, I know that my officials have told me that they've met with both of the unions, and they feel like we're moving in the right direction. I'm really positive we're going to get there very soon." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch Hospital has recently slashed one out of four planned surgeries. 30 anaesthetic technicians have quit between now and 2022 and these roles have yet to be replaced, leading to a reduction in planned procedures. Christchurch Hospital surgeon Frank Frizelle says surgical procedures across multiple disciplines have been hit, from cancer treatments to orthopaedic surgery. Frank Frizelle says the lack of planning and increased demand during the post-Covid period has put extra pressure on strained resources. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight's championship-deciding Breakers game is hours away. They're facing the Kings in Sydney, hoping to score their first NBL title since 2015. NZ Breakers owner Matt Walsh is excited for tonight's game, and admitted to feeling more nervous before Sunday's game at Spark Arena. Matt Walsh says the team's been great on the road all year and predicts a good night for the Breakers. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frustration over a blowout of Auckland's City Rail link build cost. It's asking for another billion dollars, half each from Auckland Council and the Government. The completion date for stations and supporting rail infrastructure has also been pushed back to November 2025. Heart of the City Chief Executive, Viv Beck, says it's a big blow for businesses in construction zones. She says some businesses will have been dealing with the problem for 10 years. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins looks to be taking a tough stance against MPs stepping over the line. The Police Minister resigned his portfolio today over revelations he asked the Police Commissioner if he would appeal a court decision. Stuart Nash was not the responsible minister at the time of the 2021 conversation. Former Labour staffer Kaine Thompson says Hipkins' style of premiership is a change. "He is absolutely clear about his direction and his decisions, and he's also putting his ministers up front, so there is an added pressure here that may not have been there for the last couple of years."  Megan Woods has stepped in as acting Police Minister. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.