Larry Williams Drive

Questions arise over Wellington City Council's plans for water services. Wellington City Council has declined Wellington Water's $10 million dollar funding request, dishing out $2.3 million dollars instead. Wellington Council believes Wellington Water won't be able to spend $10 million dollars because they won't have the resources for it. Nicola Young, a Wellington City councillor says Wellington Water wouldn't have asked for the funding if they couldn't do the work needed. "It's a lot of money, but they need it because of all the cost escalations. Effectively, we're not giving them the money, we're giving them a decrease in their operational funding. And operational funding is what fixes the leaks."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of people are protesting in Greece after last week's deadly rail disaster. People are blaming the rail company, the current Government and several successive Governments for the 57 deaths caused by the incident. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says that people have been driven to anger over perceived Government incompetence, and ineptitude and corruption played a role in the disaster.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute and Kaine Thompson, former Labour Press Secretary joined in on a discussion about the following topics:  Should Christchurch become a super city? Is Auckland a better city because of it? Michael Wood launched a new emissions-focused transport scheme to boost buses and cycleways- and walked it back to focus on an emergency-style policy in a matter of hours. How does this make the Government look? Ministry of Education and NZQA are at odds over the literacy and numeracy tests, with the Ministry of Education wanting tests to be simplified and spell-check to be implemented to boost the grades. Is this the best way to improve our exam results? National's Chris Luxon announced in his State of the Nation speech that Family Boost would give a rebate of up to $75 dollars a week for families earning up to $180,000 dollars a year. Is this a good idea? LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ardie Savea is set to face disciplinary action from the Sanzaar Foul Play Review Committee. The Hurricanes captain was cited after making a throat-slitting gesture to Melbourne Rebels halfback Ryan Louwrens after an altercation last Friday. Weekend Sport host Jason Pine says Ardie Savea will face some sort of sanction for his actions, but he believes the citation is 'ridiculous'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a growing desire to tighten up access to vaping and find a better middle ground. In Australia, nicotine vapes have been classified as prescription medicines since October 2021. Royal NZ College of GP's medical director Bryan Betty says he wants them only available here through pharmacies, or through Quitline. Bryan Betty says an unintended consequence of vapes being readily available is more young people becoming addicted to nicotine products and suffering long-term health effects. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Both Hipkins and Luxon have had eventful weeks in their political careers. Chris Hipkins delivered his State of the Nation address and proposed the FamilyBoost childcare tax scheme, which would give families a 25 percent rebate on their early childhood education expenses. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says Luxon's proposed FamilyBoost childcare tax scheme was a smart drive into Labour's territory, but the State of the Nation address left a lot to be desired. Fran O'Sullivan says the events of this week demonstrated both Chris's leadership techniques, with Chris Hipkins' handling of the Rob Campbell saga being more nuanced than Ardern's would have been. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transport Minister Michael Wood infamously released details about an emissions-focused transport plan. Hours later, Wood walked back on the scheme to focus on a new "emergency style" government policy following Cyclone Gabrielle. Finance Minister Grant Robertson says the Government definitely won't be increasing fuel taxes now that the scheme is scrapped. "In the future, some future Government will no doubt take a look at fuel exercise duty and road user charges, given that they are the way that we largely fund our roading network." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Georgina Beyer - the world's first openly transgender MP - is being remembered as a "force to be reckoned with". The 65-year-old died this afternoon in hospice care in Wellington. She was elected as Mayor of Carterton in 1995 and entered Parliament for Wairarapa as a Labour MP in 1999. ZB's senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Beyer had a great sense of humour. "Her friends who were with her say that she accepted what was happening and was cracking jokes and had a twinkle in her eye right until the final moments."  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Qantas workers at Melbourne Airport are planning to strike for 24 hours this week. Staff are threatening to not re-fuel planes as they advocate for better pay and working conditions. International correspondent Oliver Peterson says this could cause chaos. "This could obviously cause massive issues, particularly for Qantas being the biggest tenant of the airport. But you imagine the flow-on effect here from any airline that flies into Melbourne." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's opposition to making Christchurch a super city. Moves to overhaul New Zealand’s local body system has prompted a submission from the City Council calling for a new structure for the city. City councillors unanimously agreed to the submission, although two disagreed with the bid to become a super city, known in legislation as a unitary authority. Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton says it sounds like imposing the Auckland model on Canterbury. "I don't know that super city in Auckland's done local particularly well, and I would hate to lose the local play that we've got in greater Christchurch by thinking about moving to a super city." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Transport is assuring cyclists a traffic light in the middle of a cycle lane on Tamaki Drive is only temporary. Deputy mayor Desley Simpson has expressed anger at the signals in the $14 million dollar cycle lane. But Infrastructure Project Delivery Group Manager David Nelson says the cycle lane will close soon to give workers space to widen nearby Ngapipi Bridge. But he's conceded communication could have been better. "When the temporary signals went in, it came as a bit of a surprise to people and we could have communicated the temporary nature of those works to the deputy mayor a little bit better." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Ministry's considering changes to new literacy and numeracy tests like fewer questions, simpler language and letting students use spell-check. Documents obtained by RNZ show the Education Ministry and Qualifications Authority have been at odds about the tests' high failure rates. In a pilot last year, there was a 34 percent pass rate in writing, 56 percent in maths, and 64 percent in reading. NZ Initiative Senior Fellow Michael Johnston says the Ministry's clutching at straws. He says it's spent decades presiding over declining standards while ignoring science on the best way to teach those key skills. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Claims the Government is backpedalling on policies so quickly... it might end up with a speeding ticket. The Prime Minister's clarified the focus for funding transport projects will be on rebuilding infrastructure, after Cyclone Gabrielle. It's a U-turn from revelations made by our newsroom today that a new transport strategy would prioritise cutting down emissions. National's transport spokesman Simeon Brown says there's no time for it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Early Childhood NZ have suggested now could be the right time to remodel the sector. Yesterday, National's Chris Luxon proposed new 'Family Boost' policy, which would give working families a 25% rebate on childcare expenses. Early Childhood NZ Chief Executive Kathy Wolfe says early childhood education needs to be fully accessible for all households. Kathy Wolfe says there's a big affordability conversation around early learning programs and all families should have access to them. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

U-turns this fast are very rare, but we've got one.  Transport Minister Michael Wood is already backpedalling on his plan to spend more of our pothole repair money on cycleways.  The first we heard about this was in the Herald this morning. Michael Wood's plan was to use the draft policy statement on land transport to make emissions reductions his biggest transport goal for the next ten years. That means, as I say, more pothole repair money going into cycleways, pushing up fuel taxes and ultimately forcing us to drive less in order to emit less. He was still standing by it at 5 minutes past 7 this morning when he was on with Mike, but already backpedalling before 2pm, saying in a statement that climate goal will change now because of the cyclone taking out so many roads. But he backpedalled so fast, he left mistakes all over the media statement. Petrol exercise tax: We are still work through the full extent investment in transport infrastructure to in order to catch up. That’s the haste with which they wrote

The Ministry for the Environment says that public transport is not always an option. It comes after findings reveal that it spent $900,000 on flights over 11 months, but only $250 on public transport. Chief Executive James Palmer says that they've reduced air travel by 66% and they encourage alternative modes where possible. He says for Ministry staff travelling around New Zealand, public transport is not possible in many places. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions are being asked about where hundreds of jobs could be cut at Te Whatu Ora. Former Board chair Rob Campbell —who was sacked by Health Minister Ayesha Verrall this week— says the agency is heading towards a massive restructure. Health Commentator Ian Powell says told Heather du Plessis-Allan that Te Whatu Ora's workforce is largely in hospitals, so the number of people that could be caught up in this proportionally small. He says that for example, some of them will be in payroll and the last thing we want is downsizing payroll services and having people not being paid. Te Whatu Ora says this year they'll be working to deliver on the promise of reforms by continuing to unify, simplify, and integrate their teams. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aucklanders that are still out of their homes could be waiting years before they can safely live in them again. Hundreds of furious Muriwai residents were left frustrated at a meeting with council staff yesterday, because they couldn't say when they could return. The residents have been out for three weeks already. Auckland Council director of regulatory services Craig Hobbs told Heather du-Plessis Allan that it could be a matter of months before they can return, or a wait of up to two years to make sure it’s safe. Auckland Emergency Management says it's transitioning from response to recovery, as the National State of Emergency ends for the city. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Police have found remains in the search for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon's missing baby. The pair were arrested on suspicion of of child neglect and later gross negligence manslaughter after they were tracked down in a 53-day nationwide search. UK correspondent Enda Brady says hundreds of officers searched an area of 90 square miles in Sussex after the pair were arrested without their missing child. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following topics: Australia's Northern Territory Police Force has placed an ad in the Herald to poach New Zealand officers. The ad includes an offer of $100,000 a year and rent-free housing. What does New Zealand need to work on to keep quality talent? Former EPA and Health NZ chair Robert Campbell has accused his former employers of 'Muldoonism' after his dismissal. Are these complaints fair? The Environment Ministry are being labelled 'hypocrites' for spending $913,000 on flights and a further $97,225 on taxis, shuttles and Ubers. Only $251 was spent on public transport in the past 11 months. What happened to leading by example? Eleanor Catton has taken aim at Jacinda Ardern over the rising inequality in New Zealand? Is she right to come out and make these criticisms?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.