Larry Williams Drive

There are questions as to whether a Far North highway is ever going to be fixed. State Highway One from Whangarei to Kaitaia through Mangamuka Gorge has been closed since August. There is still no timeline from Waka Kotahi when it will be fixed, but it's hoping to apply for funding. Kaitaia Business Association Chair Andrea Panther says it could take a while to find out what's going to happen. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Friday shopping mania is expected to be clouded by the nation's dark economic outlook. The Reserve Bank has hiked the Official Cash Rate up 75 basis points to 4.25 percent - and is forecasting a recession will strike midway through next year. The governor has urged people to reign in on spending. Infometrics principle economist Brad Olsen says consumers will be more careful, knowing their mortgages are about to go up. He says that doesn't have to mean putting your wallet in the freezer - but maybe just doing two sales today, rather than three or four online. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT says dairy owners could start taking matters into their own hands if the Government doesn't come to the table. Police are still looking for the offender who stabbed a dairy worker to death outside Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham on Wednesday night. It took place in Jacinda Ardern's Mt Albert electorate, but she hasn't visited the community yet. ACT Leader David Seymour says she needs to tell them the incident will be a turning point. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A survey by the Institute of Directors has found company leaders are pessimistic about the economy. Two thirds of directors are expecting the country's economic performance to slide over the next year. But 50 percent are optimistic their organisations will be fine over the same period. Institute of Directors General Manager Guy Beatson says staffing is a major concern. He says 67 percent say labour quality and capability are the biggest risk - and when unemployment is so low and immigration policy tight, attention on the issue is important. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The shooter who killed six people at a Walmart in Virginia on Tuesday was targeting co-workers. Survivors and investigators are now spending the Thanksgiving holiday questioning the motive of the employee who opened fire on co-workers, before fatally turning the gun on himself. Two people are in hospital in a critical condition. International Correspondent Kathryn Firkin says one witness saw the gunman pick people out one by one.  She says it's the third mass shooting in Virginia this month. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mining company in Perth is hoping to lure Kiwi workers over. Mineral Resources has launched an advertising campaign targeting New Zealanders...and is offering salaries of $150-thousand for some roles. Chief Executive Mike Grey told Heather du Plessis Allan that New Zealand has a high cost of living and wages that aren't great. He says this gives people who are willing to take a new lease on life the opportunity to get ahead - and they can take the money home. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in the UK, the latest group of workers announcing a strike is postal workers. Workers from the UK's Royal Mail have decided to strike over pay and working conditions. These strikes started in November and will continue into December.  UK correspondent Enda Brady explains why the postal workers are feeling the need to protest their working conditions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr stated that New Zealand's relatively strict border rules were a handbrake on his ability to rein in inflation. Adrian Orr said that the border restrictions and subsequent immigration reset forced him to raise the mortgage rates higher than he otherwise would have gone for. Immigration Minister Michael Wood says that the immigration reset represents practical steps towards getting the economy out of a tough spot, and that they've issued thousands of work visas to fill the gaps. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fieldays is set to happen in Mystery Creek, Hamilton from November 30th to December 3rd 2022, after being postponed due to Covid-19. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been a regular fixture at Fieldays in previous years, but it's unknown if she'll be turning up this time round. Jacinda Ardern and Labour have expressed discomfort about going on public walkabouts, but Jamie Mackay says that Damien O'Connor is confirmed to appear, so it's not out of the realm of possibility for Jacinda to show up. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recent OCR hike by 75 basis points to 4.25 percent may spell out a concerning future for the economy, especially when paired with predictions for 2023. But NZ Herald business editor Liam Dann isn't too concerned about these statistics because these rates going high isn't exactly new territory. Liam Dann says a recession, or at least an economic downturn is looking likely, but economists have made incorrect forecasts and predictions before. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on The Huddle: David Farrar, Kiwiblog writer and Curia pollster and Ali Jones from Red PR joined Heather du Plessis-Allan for a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The fatal stabbing of a dairy shopkeeper in Sandringham was terrible- but with the state of crime in this country, was an attack like this inevitable? How does this look for the Government, by the way? This dairy has asked for security measures to be installed over the last few year, and this incident can't be a good look. What do you think? Adrian Orr from the Reserve Bank has recently blamed the Government for their immigration reset and cited that as a factor in putting mortgage rates up this high. Was this a fair thing for him to say? Are crocs in school really that bad? Surely they can't be less appropriate than roman sandals, right? LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Act Party wants to slash red tape around immigration. It's proposing a raft of policies- including changes to parent visas, and ensuring a cost benefit analysis for major policy decisions. Leader David Seymour also wants demand-based pricing of temporary work visas. He claims that's instead of letting bureaucracy decide who gets work in New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Road rage is on the rise in New Zealand , as new data from an AA Insurance study indicates. The study says that at least a third of Kiwi drivers have been involved in a road rage incident in the past year.  Beau Paparoa, Head of AA motor claims says that the results of the study may seem quite high, as the term 'road rage' covers a broad range of incidents. Beau Paparoa knows there's a big gap between small confrontations and gestures and physical altercations, but the study has covered a wider range of these incidents over the last couple of years. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A high school has stopped a student from wearing crocs as school shoes. A woman bought a pair of plain black crocs for her son, who attends Whangarei Boys' High School, after the roman sandals she initially purchased fell apart within a few weeks. Principal Karen Gilbert-Smith says they don't comply with their uniform policy. She says they don't change their uniform policy every time something comes into fashion and it already has enough flexibility. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Optimism from one economist, New Zealand will narrowly miss a recession. The Reserve Bank forecasts the nation will hit a period of negative GDP growth about midway through 2023. Its raised the the Official Cash Rate 75 basis points to 4.25 percent - and expects it will peak at 5.5 percent next year. But independent economist Tony Alexander says if there is a recession at all, it will be very shallow. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 'please explain' from our Police Minister, after a fatal dairy stabbing in Auckland. A man is on the run, after allegedly entering the Rose College Superette with a knife and killing a shopkeeper. The Sandringham Neighbourhood Support Group says the store's owners have tried for years for support to get security measures installed. Chris Hipkins says it's not clear to him why the dairy wasn't approved for a fog cannon, and wants to know why. He says at this stage, it's important to leave the Police to do their job. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A dairy worker in Sandringham, Auckland, was fatally stabbed in an aggravated robbery last night. This event has captured the attention of everyone, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern offering her condolences to the family and community affected by the loss.  However, political editor Barry Soper is among the many asking if Jacinda Ardern's doing enough, considering her connection to this community. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over in Australia, an inquiry that had been ongoing for the past eighteen months has finally paid off with an international drug ring being brought to justice. Six men, five operating out of Australia and one operating out of Los Angeles, have been arrested, and millions of dollars worth of drugs, cash, and assets have been seized in the process.  Australian correspondent Murray Olds explained how the police carried out this investigation and that more drug gangs may be connected to this group. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2022 Fifa World Cup carries on, with today's big surprise being that Japan got a 2-1 victory against Germany.  Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave joins in on the surprise that Japan managed to get a come-from-behind lead over Germany. D'Arcy also confirms that everyone loves a surprise in events like this, and that Germany has nothing to worry about- for now. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new union representing the athletes competing in Olympic sports has launched employment proceedings against High Performance Sport NZ. This group, The Athletes’ Cooperative, was established in June of this year and it represents several former Olympic cyclists and rowers, two sports New Zealand does well at in the Olympics. This group is asking the Employment Relations court to recognise that these union members are employees of High Performance Sport, and that they should get all the benefits collective bargaining allows. Mahe Drysdale, Olympic rower and co-chair of this union says that the athletes should get a seat at the table when it comes to negotiating fair and equitable treatment. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.