Larry Williams Drive

More details have come to light about the trio behind the Queensland police shooting. Brothers Nathaniel and Gareth Train were accompanied by Gareth's wife Stacey Train, who was previously married to Nathaniel, in their mission to kill these police officers. The trio were all involved in the Queensland education sector before they left their jobs and were all following online conspiracy theories. Nathaniel was the victim of a heart attack and Stacey resigned over a disagreement about Covid-19 vaccination requirements. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the motive behind their execution plan is still unknown. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kane Williamson has stepped down from his role as Black Caps test captain. Williamson made the announcement on Thursday morning and said the he didn't want to worry about the workload of captaincy. He has stepped down into a batsman role for test matches, and Tim Southee will take his place. Weekend Sport host Jason Pine says these athletes have a great working relationship and Tim Southee won't face any challenges in the role. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thirty percent of people who should pay child support aren't, and 70 percent are in arrears and the IRD isn't enforcing it. IRD manages the payments, and is owed $1.2 billion dollars in child support. Lady Deborah Chambers KC says the parents who owed money are working and already struggling. She says it's not fair one parent isn't contributing towards paying for their kids. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A critical incident has been declared in the Shetland region as thousands of homes are without power in the winter. Temperature levels have dropped down further and 3,800 homes don't have power or heating to handle the severe weather. The Scottish Government is working to get these households back on the grid but warns this may not be possible until the end of the week. UK correspondent Gavin Grey put these warnings into context and explained the nature of this weather emergency. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The non-banking finance sector has had a profitable year, but they expect to face an uncertain future in 2023. A new survey out of KPMG states that credit unions, finance companies and other non-bank lenders saw profits increase by 56 percent in the year to September. However, the report says these companies should expect to prepare for a slowing economy and tougher regulations in 2023, especially when factoring in the expected recession. KPMG's head of banking and finance, John Kensington, says that rising inflation and interest rates have gone on a lot longer than predicted and the rising costs will impact household in some capacity. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US CPI data for November has been released, and it indicates inflation may be on its way down. The CPI has dropped down to 7.1 percent, which is a step down from 7.7 percent in October and below the peak of 91 percent in June 2022.  This indicates that inflation is past its peak and is coming down to a more manageable level in the US. Deborah Lambie, Investment Analyst at Milford Asset Management says the markets are responding well, but the US Federal Reserve may hike up the OCR by 50 basis points to be safe. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and ZB Host Tim Beveridge joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day:  NZ Rugby is reconsidering their sponsorship arrangement with Altrad after their owner Mohed Altrad was handed an 18-month suspended jail sentence for being found guilty of corruption. How should NZ Rugby proceed, and will rugby supporters care? The Government has announced they will end the fuel excise tax cut and half priced public transport on March 31st 2023. Is this really the best move, at a time where we're heading into winter, a recession, and an election?  The Government has opened up their books to showcase the state of their earnings and planned spending for the coming months- what kind of challenge does the Finance Minister have on his hands? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an address to parliament asking them to think about the environmental toll the invasion and war are having on the region. Does New Zealand seem like they

Finance Minister Grant Robertson says the Government is still committed to implementing an income insurance scheme. The aim of this scheme is to create an economic safety net for people who lose their jobs due to redundancy or illness instead of having to rely on the standard welfare (if they qualify). All employers and employees would be required to pay premiums out of their earnings. The Minister for Social Development and Employment, Carmel Sepuloni says the scheme is “very high” on her priority list as well.  NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeney says this is an ambitious and costly scheme to bring into an election year, but they could use it to their advantage in the expected 2023 recession. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commerce Commission is set to launch its third investigation into Fletcher Building over GIB. The investigation will focus on Fletcher's stronghold of the GIB market and its impact on competition. This announcement was made around the same time Fletcher Building announced they were going to pull back their rebate scheme. AUT construction professor John Tookey says it's hard to determine what the Commerce Commission's long-term goal is with this investigation. "It serves a great narrative when you've got this highly successful company that's doing very, very well and has a strong market position that's been generated over an extensive period of time though extensive investment. It's great to be able to see the story of it being an exercise in crushing all competition."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ Rugby may need to find a new lucrative sponsorship that aligns with their values. NZ Rugby is reconsidering their sponsorship with French construction company Altrad following owner Mohed Altrad receiving an 18-month suspended jail term after being found guilty of corruption. This has put NZ Rugby in a difficult position and they are seeking urgent meeting with Altrad about the state of their sponsorship deal.  Dr Mike Lee, an associate professor of marketing at Auckland University, says NZ Rugby have to walk away from their sponsorship because taking Altrad's money will only look worse the longer they stay. Dr Mike Lee says that NZ Rugby will have a better chance of maintaining brand equity if they find another sponsor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's no free lunch in the economy. Today's Treasury forecasts show New Zealand will slip into a recession next year. Treasury boss Caralee McLiesh, is also warning unemployment will go up, but inflation will start to head back down. And Finance Minister Grant Robertson is warning that a challenging 2023 lies ahead. Independent Economist Cameron Bagrie says there's a big economic cost to taming inflation. "If you scroll those numbers into what it means for the number of people on a benefit in New Zealand, we're likely to see the number of people on a benefit in New Zealand go from 340,000-350,000 up in excess of 400,000. That's more than one tenth of the population going to be on a benefit." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Christmas just around the corner, some post offices are short on stamps. NZ Post says it's the busiest time of year, and with so many items being shipped, stamps urgently need restocking. One used for international letters has essentially sold out forcing the use of multiples to make up the amount, draining supplies. Postal Workers Union National President John Maynard says it's one of several issues affecting the mail service industry.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister says targeting Kiwis' supports is the best way to get through a difficult period. The Government has announced half price transport and the fuel excise tax cuts will finish at the end of March, as Treasury predicts a recession and continued high inflation next year. For public transport, Michael Wood says they're directing help where it's most needed. "It's very clear that as we head into 2023, there will continue to be real pressure on cost of living for people here in New Zealand and around the world. We've had to make some decisions today about the ongoing discounts on fuel and public transport." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's finances are expected to hold up and stay strong as strong tax revenue is set to support higher levels of spending.  The Government is reporting a smaller budget deficit and employment figures are contributing to a steady stream of income tax. Political editor Barry Soper says that this data is painting a false picture of what's to come, as inflation is set to peak at 7 percent in the coming months, forcing interest rates up. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump has announced his intention to run for President again, but the polls are showing his moment may be over. Republican voters are favouring Governor Ron DeSantis over Trump, according to new data. 61 percent of Republican voters have voted in favour of Ron DeSantis as a presidential candidate. Dan Mitchinson says that Ron DeSantis appears to be the future of the Republican party, but it's too early to say Trump's political career is over as he could still make a comeback. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ Rugby is seeking meetings with French construction company Altrad after their owner was given an 18 month suspened prison sentence. Mohed Altrad was found guilty of corruption in connection with French rugby federation president Bernard Laporte. This case has made NZ Rugby aim to seek meetings with Altrad about the sponsorship deal. Weekend Sport host Jason Pine says this situation is tricky for NZ Rugby, as six year deals of this size don't come around very often for NZ Rugby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds gathered on Wednesday morning to protest the mayor of Kaipara banning karakia in council meetings. The protests in Dargaville happened today, despite mayor Craig Jepson changing his stance on karakia in council meetings. He now permits them at the opening and closing of meetings. One of the protest organisers, Paturiri Toautu says he was happy with today's turnout, as he worked hard to get the word out to a wide range of people. He believed this protest was necessary, despite Craig Jepson reversing his stance. "What people don't understand is that karakia belongs to tikanga Maori, it belongs to us as Maori. And it's also basically the only tikanga Maori that we had. We had that one minute karakia in Te Reo Maori and that's all we had." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, the winter cold is forcing up people's energy bills. UK correspondent Enda Brady says that UK households are looking at spending $40 dollars a day on heating their homes as cold temperatures and snow sweep the nation. Enda also says that people have had months of warning to save for an expected energy crisis in the winter, but the prices are still soaring above what most households can afford. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ASB Bank has predicted a fall of 25 percent in the housing market, but it could go to to 40 percent when adjusted for inflation. This is in contrast to ANZ's prediction of a 32 percent market drop. House prices are already dropping by 11 percent, according to new data. HSBC Chief Economist Paul Bloxham says that these forecasts are accurate and that broader inflation is a key indicator in house prices. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veteran broadcaster Sir Ian Taylor recently wrote a disparaging opinion piece about the current state of the Labour Party. The piece focused on the political blunders Labour has been wrapped up in, the highlights being the Royal Commission inquiry on the Covid-19 response, Willie Jackson's infamous interview about the TVNZ-RNZ merger, and the mishandling of Three Waters. Sir Ian Taylor also contrasted the image of Jacinda Ardern's glamorous Women's Weekly cover with the supermarket shoppers who were struggling to afford the food in their baskets in a separate interview with Jamie Mackay. Jamie Mackay addressed the content of the interview today. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.