Larry Williams Drive

Ivan Vella, the Chief Executive of Aluminium at Rio Tinto is on a visit to New Zealand. He did an interview with BusinessDesk and said that Rio Tinto's aluminium smelters had marginal commercial viability and were unlikely to generate revenue in their own right, but they were still useful as part of Rio Tinto's presence in the aluminium industry.  BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie says that aluminium doesn't make much money in its own right, but it's better for the company to make a constant supply of products. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sweeping changes will be made to emergency housing. The Government will adopt recommendations from a review by the Housing and Social Development Ministries. It includes introducing quality standards for suppliers, expanding support services for tenants and grants to help people into private rentals. Investments will also be made into housing security for Maori and more appropriate supply in Hamilton and Wellington. Housing Minister Megan Woods says like Rotorua, those cities have few affordable houses and a high rate of people in emergency housing. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's edition of The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR joined in on a discussion about the following topics: Jacinda Ardern has come under fire for calling ACT's David Seymour an 'arrogant prick' in Parliament. She has since apologised, but how does this reflect on her? Can David Seymour use this to his advantage? A new study has come out revealing that primary school teachers get anxious about having to teach mathematics. Why does maths inspire this level of fear in people? National's Chris Luxon dealt with a bit of backlash after his comments about South Auckland youth and gangs. He apologised for these comments today, what do we think of his statement?  New data from Consumer NZ says that house and contents insurance has gone up by 150 percent in the last decade. Does this industry need more regulations, especially since more people are opting out due to rising costs? LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A governance expert says Government agencies aren't taking conflicts of interest seriously. The Public Service Commissioner's reviewed contracts between agencies and a consultancy company, both owned by Minister Nanaia Mahuta's husband. It found the ministries didn't properly manage perceived conflicts of interests, but no real conflicts were identified. Victoria University's Max Rashbrooke says Kainga Ora's failure to even ask about conflicts of interest is extraordinary. He says it's worth asking if there's a relation of someone already senior in the department or a minister, because it could create potential problems. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research shows some primary school teachers are suffering from anxiety because they have to teach maths. The study comes from a Te Pukenga lecturer’s doctoral thesis, which followed the lives of 12 primary teacher participants who are self-reported maths anxious. Responses to maths anxiety were wide-ranging and included thought, physical, emotional, and neural reactions. Researcher Julie Whyte says some of the teachers even modified their teaching patterns to skip maths class. The subjects of the study were also reported to not have confidence in their own mathematical skills. "The participants have a low belief or self-efficacy around mathematics, and they also have a low teacher efficacy or belief in their own teaching of mathematics." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former New South Wales School principal is at the centre of a fatal siege in Australia that left two police officers dead. Four others are dead- a neighbour, and three alleged offenders, after a check up by four officers on a missing person report in rural Queensland turned deadly. Courier Mail court and crime editor Kate Kyriacou says Nathaniel Train was a missing person, and that's how this started. The cause of Nathaniel's disappearance is still unknown.  "Police were looking for Nathaniel on behalf of interstate police who asked them to go to the house to see if he was there, and of course when they arrived, they were ambushed."  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT Party leader David Seymour is brushing off an insult from the Prime Minister. Speaking under her breath today in Parliament today, Jacinda Ardern called him an arrogant prick, but it was picked up by Parliament's microphones. Ardern texted Seymour to apologise, saying she shouldn't say such things, and he replied wishing her a Merry Christmas. David Seymour says the comment isn't a big deal in comparison to other things he opposes, like Three Waters. "The great irony is that now I actually have got her to apologise for something, so that's progress. I just wish that she'd apologise for a few other things." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has recently come under fire after calling Act's David Seymour an 'arrogant prick' in Parliament. Ardern has since apologised to David Seymour for her comments via text. This comment was made as David Seymour was asking the Prime Minister about Labour MP Nanaia Mahuta’s performance and hate speech reforms. Political editor Barry Soper observed that David Seymour took the apology well and that this was part of an eventful day in Parliament. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pita Gus Sowakula has signed up with the French rugby club Clermont after not being selected to play with the All Blacks in 2023.  Pita Gus was recently added to the All Blacks line up in July 2022 and debuted in the All Black's test match against Ireland. Despite a successful start, he hasn't been selected for 2023. Pita Gus Sowakula is saying he hasn't given up hope for next season, but Sportstalk host Nick Bewley says he's seen the writing on the wall and has gravitated towards France for that reason. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions continue to swirl over what prompted a deadly attack on police in Queensland. Six people are dead- two officers, a neighbour, and three alleged offenders after a check up by four officers on a missing person report turned fatal. They were looking for a former New South Wales school principal at the property owned by his brother and sister in law, where the shootout took place. Australian Correspondent Murray Olds says little else is known about the case. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consumer NZ is alarmed by how many people are cancelling house insurance because of cost. That's 17 percent of those without contents insurance, and 7 percent of people without house insurance. Consumer NZ's Rebecca Styles says a review of the insurance industry is well overdue to ensure it remains competitive and works for Kiwis. But she says despite the industry's shortfalls, house and contents insurance is still essential. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four children in the UK are in critical condition after falling through an icy lake in Birmingham. The children were reportedly in cardiac arrest after the accident and were taken to hospital shortly after. They were believed to have been playing in the surrounding area. Witnesses say there were six children involved, but only four have made it to hospital and the remaining two have yet to be found. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the temperature in the area had dropped down to -10 Celsius and even the rescuers experienced hypothermia shortly after. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One economist is suggesting that the TVNZ-RNZ merger could be shelved within the next few days. The Government is putting out their budget policy statement on Wednesday, which sets out where the Government wants to spend their money in the coming months.  With the 2023 election in mind, Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says the Government will be prioritising a limited range of interests. Brad Olsen also says the Government might not intetionally shelve the TVNZ-RNZ merger, but put it aside out of necessity. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New moves to get extra cash into the pockets of our nurses. Te Whatu Ora's asking the Employment Relations Authority for interim orders to fix pay equity rates for nurses. It would increase pay for most by more than 14 percent, putting Kiwis on a par, or even above, their Australian counterparts. Health New Zealand's chief executive, Margie Apa says an agreement was settled in principle, to offer three-quarters of nurses the pay bump last December. She says unions then opted out, choosing legal action to fix the rates. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has recently announced Auckland Council's joined-up plan that focuses on shifting the Port of Auckland and building Light Rail. This plan was devised after Wayne Brown and Transport Minister Michael Wood made an agreement to put aside their differences and collaborate on their priorities. NZME business commentator Fran O'Sullivan says this was a pragmatic move on Michael Wood's end and having this quid pro quo arrangement will work out well for the Transport Minister. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Turns out, Wayne Brown is the guy who says one thing before the election and then says something else afterwards. I was a little surprised at the weekend to see Auckland’s mayor has struck a deal with Transport Minister Michael Wood to call a truce on transport, quit the fighting, and let each of them get their pet projects done.  Wayne Brown’s pet project is the Port. He wants to move it, the Government’s not been as keen, but under this truce he’ll be able to work away at that. And what’s Michael Wood’s pet project? Light Rail. Trouble for Wayne is that this is what he said about Light Rail on 16 September: “That’s a project that fails to explain what problem it’s fixing.” “I think the Government will be delighted that I can kill it off.” That’s unequivocal.  He said he was killing off Light Rail and now he’s not doing that. This isn’t a trivial matter, Light Rail is expensive. At last count, it could be headed towards $28 billion dollars. You could build Dunedin’s new hospital twenty times for that amount

Today on The Huddle, former Labour Press Secretary Kaine Thompson and David Farrar, Kiwiblog writer and Curia Pollster joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day: Nurses have finally been added to the Green List and can get immediate residency into New Zealand 7 months after the Green List was first created. Why did it take the Government so long to make this change? Labour's loss at the Hamilton West byelection presents a clear warning for them ahead of 2023, is there a way they can turn themselves around? Tar seal on the newly laid section of State Highway One peeled off and stuck to the wheels of drivers over the weekend, bringing traffic to a halt. Does Waka Kotahi needs to take more responsibility for this? Police are changing the speed limit thresholds without telling drivers the specific changes. Will this be better for road safety?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson still has confidence in Labour for the 2023 election, despite Labour's loss in Hamilton West. National's Tama Potaka beat out Labour candidate Georgie Dansey in the Hamilton West byelection, but Grant Robertson doesn't see this as an indicator for how the 2023 general election will go. Grant Robertson says that the Hamilton West byelection is a different ballgame to the upcoming general election and National's win was just due to the specific circumstances around that. "The result we saw on Saturday night was certainly not the result we're intending next year, nor the one that I think we'll get."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has announced that they will be expanding the Green List to allow nurses, midwives, and specialist doctors immediate residency into New Zealand. The Green List has been around for several months and nurses being excluded from the immediate residency category was the subject of criticism.  Immigration Minister Michael Wood says that the previous two year residency commitment for nurses was a step forward in July, when the borders were open and the Green List was first established. "We've made good progress, we've had about 3400 nurses come into New Zealand since Covid, we've seen the global labour shortage for nurses get worse and worse. We've seen countries around the world continue to make their settings more facilitative and we've always said we would keep an eye out and make changes." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Crusaders have been named the best sporting team in Australasia by Australian analytics firm Gain Line. Gain Line have awarded The Crusaders a $10,000 dollar grant, which they have since donated to charity. Gain Line's General Manager of Sport, Simon Strachan says that Gain Line takes the progress of many teams into account and that long term, consistent success is a defining factor on what makes a team the best. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.