Larry Williams Drive

Immigration was the hot topic at a meeting between Auckland business leaders and the new Prime Minister today. Chris Hipkins sat down with Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges and key members of the Auckland business community for a roundtable talk this morning. Simon Bridges says immigration and the labour shortage were front of mind for most there. He says New Zealand needs to be attractive to overseas workers and immigration laws need to be addressed to boost the workforce. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins began his first full day on the job by meeting with members of the Auckland business community. Hipkins attended a gathering in Auckland Central, where he spoke to a set of business leaders to address their current concerns. Barry Soper, ZB's senior political correspondent says that business owners were primarily concerned with the labour shortage, with restaurants and hospitality suffering the most. Barry Soper also suggests that the Prime Ministers' statements from today indicate immigration regulations could be relaxed in the coming months. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of Australians attended 'Invasion Day' protests today to support Indigenous Australians during the controversial public holiday. Australia Day has a controversial history among the Indigenous community, and many people and establishments boycott the holiday. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the biggest protest of the day happened in Sydney, with thousands of people gathering in Belmore Park to call for the abolition of Australia Day. Murray Olds also said that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has refused to comment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Silver Ferns ended up losing the Quad Series final to Australia. There was a controversial incident in which captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio scored a goal, but neither umpire saw it because they were distracted by a tussle between Grace Nweke and Courtney Bruce. Because neither umpire saw the goal and there was no VAR replay system available, they said they couldn't count it, leading to a toss-up. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave says it was one of the most bizarre moments in netball history. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Nelson family is considering selling their home as they struggle to cope with mortgage interest rate rises. They bought their home for $1.2 million in 2021, with a loan topping $1 million. They were initially paying $4,000 a month, but that's set to become more than $6,000 a month in March, on the bank's new 6.49 percent fixed term. Homeowner Aaron Rubin says the rising interest rates will drain all their household income and they'll be forced to cut back. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are growing concerns that a number of UK-based companies may be forced to collapse in the coming months. The current cost of living crisis has led to an increase in companies getting closer to shutting their doors, with that number having gone up since the end of 2022. UK correspondent Kay Oliver describes the predicted shutdown of these businesses will have a snowball effect on the economy, as thousands of jobs will be lost. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) has remained steady this December quarter, leading banks to believe inflation may have peaked. ANZ, Kiwibank, and Westpac have rethought their OCR outlooks ahead of February's OCR movement, according to NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeney. Jenee Tibshraeney says that economists from these leading banks now believe the Reserve Bank might not need to hike the OCR as aggressively as predicted, which could be easier on Kiwi households. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington startup Fussy Catering is designed to offer workplace events more choices in the 'new normal'. Fussy is a digital platform that allows all registered attendees at an event to pre-select a meal from a range of participating eateries.  Co-founder Bobby Lloyd explained that Fussy is designed to make workplace catering an easier process for event organisers and attendees.  Lloyd says that allowing consumers to order will save time in planning the event and attendees with allergies and dietary needs will have options that suit their needs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute and Mike Munroe, former Labour chief of staff and current director at Mike Munroe Communications joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day: Prime Minister Chris Hipkins delivered his first post-Cabinet address today- what did we think of it? Should there have been more announcements attached to it?  Did Jacinda Ardern make the right decision in resigning? Did the mass backlash and decline in popularity make in inevitable? Should Chris Hipkins have called a snap election, or can he give Labour a boost in the polls by October? The newly installed signs in Pākaraka (formerly Maxwell in Whanganui) only lasted a few hours before being torn down. Are these the actions of a loud minority against the change? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwifruit marketer Zespri has shocked growers with an announcement that they won't be paying them out for February.  Zespri stated that fruit quality issues from the 2022 season created additional costs for them to factor in. Zespri Chief Grower Carol Ward says that 2022 has been a challenging season for kiwifruit and other produce, and the fruit quality issues impacted on their returns. Carol says Zespri released this statement as a message to growers that they expect returns to drop and that they plan to have a board meeting in February to discuss results. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwifruit marketer Zespri has shocked growers with an announcement that they won't be paying them out for February.  Zespri stated that fruit quality issues from the 2022 season created additional costs for them to factor in. Zespri Chief Grower Carol Ward says that 2022 has been a challenging season for kiwifruit and other produce, and the fruit quality issues impacted on their returns. Carol says Zespri released this statement as a message to growers that they expect returns to drop and that they plan to have a board meeting in February to discuss results. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Signs re-establishing the former Whanganui town of Maxwell as Pākaraka were torn down hours after their installation. The Whanganui District Council supported the application and assisted with community consultation after the change was proposed, as the name Maxwell had a controversial history.  The signs were put up following a ceremony last Saturday, but were found ripped down hours after the fact. Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe wasn't surprised about the backlash, but suspects the negative responses didn't reflect the majority of the community. "There's a very small minority who disagreed with the change. And at the end of the day, this is probably an act of one or two individuals who have run the sign down, and that's certainly not what the view of the majority is." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2023 Oscar nominations were released today, and six Kiwis are currently up for awards. Sound engineer Michael Hedges is among them, having been nominated for the 'Best Sound' award for Avatar: The Way Of Water. Hedges says he and the rest of the Avatar sound team have spent the day celebrating and receiving support from well-wishers and they look forward to the ceremony. "It's amazing, you get dressed up, you see the stars, you walk the red carpet, it's a night of celebration. And we should all celebrate on such successes, and Kiwis celebrate so well." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A young person living in Oranga Tamariki's care was discovered to have been living in a motel for 600 days.  Further reporting has also revealed other young people in state care were living in motels for up to 200 days, as no suitable alternatives could be found. Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency Chair, Merepeka Raukawa-Tait, says that allowing these young people to live in motels is not the ideal solution and they will need a better long-term alternative. "There are not all that many, but there are a certain number that will need safe accommodation and skilled care. Get to them as soon as possible, that's the other thing as well. But you can't tell me, after 100 days, no alternative other than a motel could be found." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An economist says the only good news on today's inflation rate is it didn't rise higher. Consumer Price Index data for the final quarter of 2022 shows inflation rose 7.2 percent annually, unchanged from the September quarter. Housing and household utilities, followed by food, were the largest contributors. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says it's a surprise the rate didn't fall. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former US President Donald Trump holds the lead over President Joe Biden, according to a hypothetical poll released by Emerson College. 44 percent of voters have stood behind Trump, as opposed to the 41 percent who backed Joe Biden. The remaining voters didn't favour either candidate. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says this poll doesn't prove much for the state of the 2024 election, as more Republican voters are in favour of Ron DeSantis as the future of the party.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Fern Ruby Tui won't return for the upcoming Super Rugby Aupiki, which kicks off in a month. Ruby Tui's manager has confirmed Ruby Tui plans on being behind the commentators microphone working for Sky Sport for the time being. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave says that Ruby Tui hasn't announced if she plans on quitting the sport or if this is just a temporary break.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calls for harsher alcohol restrictions in Australia's Northern Territory. Reports of domestic violence and crime have soared since a law banning alcohol consumption in town camps in Alice Springs expired last July. Australian PM Anthony Albanese has recently banned selling takeaway booze on Monday and Tuesday and restricted sales hours for the rest of the week. Alice Springs mayor, Matt Paterson says these restrictions won't be enough to curb crime and violence. "We've got an alcohol problem and an anti-social behaviour problem. And so we can't say they're intertwined with alcohol, they're two separate issues. And we've just had the alcohol restrictions." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has orderd an investigation into Tory chair Nadhim Zahawi's tax affairs. Nadhim Zahawi sold his former polling company YouGov several years ago and pocketed millions of pounds in shares, but it came to light that he never put the shares on his tax return. He eventually settled the amount last weekend and paid the additional fines, but Rishi Sunak has ordered an investigation into Nadhim Zahawi's tax affairs. UK correspondent Enda Brady says this isn't a good look for the Sunak Government as the UK is gripped by a cost of living crisis. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Country's Jamie Mackay hiked the Milford Track last Thursday- as Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation. Jamie Mackay described this experience as an interesting one, as the group of 50 hikers entered a point of 'digital darkness' 20 minutes after the initial announcement. By the time the group had made it to Milford Sound on Sunday, Chris Hipkins was confirmed to be replacing Jacinda Ardern as Prime Minister. Jamie Mackay said after the fact that the reactions among his group were divided, as there was a mix of Wellington public servants and Southland sheep farmers among the group. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.