Larry Williams Drive

More numbers today showing just how prevalent ram raids have become. Police have revealed since 2017 - there's been more than a thousand ram raids and 770 prosecutions. One business that seems to keep getting hit is Michael Hill. Its Queen Street store was hit again this week - but today police have made an arrest. Chair of the company’s board, Rob Fyfe says “I guess we feature as a consequence, but we’re a small fraction of those ram raids, it’s a scourge across the whole of the retail sector at the moment.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another push for New Zealanders to change their attitudes to apartment and vertical living. Businessman and brand developer Brian Richards reckons we need to do more to actually promote apartment and vertical living. His argument centres around "affordable apartments" that bring young people into CBDs and build a healthier central city community. “If you look at cities like Neom and other cities like Tokyo and Amsterdam, Tokyo has 37 million people living in it, they have some lovely green spaces where people can recreate.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is a good day in New Zealand. The Government has backed down on their plans to tax your Kiwisaver.  Is this the fastest back down in the history of backdowns in this country?  Somebody needs to check David Parker for whiplash, such is the force with which he slammed the brakes on his own tax plan. It’s amazing what the team of five million can do if we work together.  From the tax experts to the fund managers to the texters on this station and the opposition parties, we have all collectively said no to Labour.  And a good bloody thing too, because had they gone through with the IR plans, we would have ended up with less money for our retirement. Individual savers with $100K in their pot would’ve lost about $20K over 25 years. Over 45 years we would’ve collectively lost $103 billion to the Government’s grasping. Yes, it is a tax on the management fee of Kiwisaver rather than the funds in Kiwisaver, but the point is the same: we end up each accumulating less to retire on.  And when you think of it like that,

Calls for New Zealand to emulate a US student debt write off. President Joe Biden is planning to forgive some student debt for workers earning less than $125,000. Kiwi Student Union Association President, Andrew Lessells told Heather du Plessis-Allan there's merit in doing it here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Claims the Government can't back up claims systemic racism is to blame for poor Māori health outcomes. Think tank the New Zealand Initiative's, latest report argues health funding should be assigned regardless of race. Author, Bryce Wilkinson told Heather du Plessis-Allan he believes poor Māori health can be attributed more to socio-economic factors. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Defence Minister Ron Mark says if Dominic Abelen's body is with the Russians, it's not pleasant to think about what they could do with it. The New Zealand soldier was on leave from the Defence Force when killed fighting in Ukraine. Mr Mark told Heather du Plessis-Allan from reports he's read, Mr Abelen fought like a lion, saving fellow troops and killing some they were fighting against. Mark says Russia could use the body for propaganda, as a bargaining tool, or to make a political point. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christchurch locals are upset a suburban lake has turned lime-green. Water in the pond at Te Korari and Te Rito Streets is covered with a bright green film, but the council has no plans to get rid of it. Residents have now asked local representatives to look into it. Burwood council candidate Kelly Barber told Heather Du Plessis-Allan the lake's condition has deteriorated over the last few years. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Countdown workers say body cameras for staff aren't a silver bullet. The supermarket giant is considering trialling them to discourage verbal and physical abuse from customers. Video and audio from team safety cameras can be legally gathered by the company from tomorrow. First Union retail secretary Ben Peterson told Heather du Plessis Allan they're open to experimenting, but want effective solutions to the problem. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fixed term mortgage rates may already have peaked according to Kiwibank's latest forecasts. It also says the Reserve Bank may start lowering interest rates in the second half of next year. Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philanthropist Sir Ray Avery is packing his bags for Australia. He says he's sick of the tall poppy syndrome here, whereas Australians hold their high achievers in high regard. He also claims the Government refused to listen to his ideas on how to make New Zealand a better place. NZME Business Commentator Fran O'Sullivan joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand is shutting out the public from its monthly board meetings. Chair Rob Campbell has defended the decision, saying the former DHBs were required by legislation to have open meetings but also had private ones. Jan Tinetti has hinted at changes to how kids are taught how to read. Appearing on TVNZ's Q+A, she made clear her support of reverting back to phonics (sounding out the letters to make the word) like New South Wales has. Trevor Mallard has said that he would accept a knighthood if offered one. Despite his republican leanings, Mallard made the comments in an interview when discussing his Dublin appointment. The Government has made changes to the cost of living payments ahead of the second one coming this week. Revenue Minister David Parker made changes to the scheme after Auditor-General John Ryan slammed the first round in a letter to Inland Revenue Commissioner Peter Mersi. Hayden Munro and David Farrar joined Heather du Plessis-Allan on The HuddleSee omnystudio.com/listene

Industrial action in the UK may get even worse this summer. Belgium's energy minister is warning the EU of "terrible winters" if there is no price cap on gas. Enquiries into building solar panels have risen as energy bills soar. UK correspondent Gavin Grey joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New screening measures have been launched ahead of the second cost of living payment. The next $116 payment is due out on Thursday. The Auditor-General says the payment should have been rolled out more carefully to stop ineligible people living overseas getting it again. 31,000 people won't get the second payment until they confirm they're in New Zealand. Finance Minister Grant Robertson told Heather du Plessis-Allan since the first payments there have been conversations with Inland Revenue around what can be done to make sure criteria is properly implemented. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If Jan Tinetti changes the way we teach kids to read in the way she's hinting she might do, I will rate her as one of the most important ministers in this Government, just for doing the right thing and for the consequence of that. We’ve been having a debate for years now about what the heck is going wrong with our kids’ ability to read in this country. It used to be that Kiwi kids led the world in reading. Now almost half of our kids are below their expected reading level when they finish primary school. Increasing numbers of academics, teachers and schools are blaming the way we teach kids to read because we stopped teaching phonics (which is sounding out the letters to make the word) and increasing numbers of them want to go back to teaching phonics like New South Wales has. Jan Tinetti has just hinted that we might do that. She appeared on Q+A yesterday and made it very clear the evidence points to phonics – or a related form of learning called structured literacy — being the best approach. That hints very

Former Speaker Trevor Mallard has said he would accept a knighthood if offered one despite his republican leanings. He made the comments in an interview over the weekend when discussing his appointment to Dublin, but Ardern would not say if he would be offered one. The Government has tightened up on the cost of living payments. Ahead of the second payment, Revenue Minister David Parker made changes to the scheme after Auditor-General John Ryan slammed the first round in a letter to Inland Revenue Commissioner Peter Mersi. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Barry Soper joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand chair Rob Campbell is calling complaints over meetings a storm in a teacup. The new centralised health agency is shutting the public out of its monthly board meeting. Campbell says it's not a DHB. He says the former Heath Boards were required by legislation to have open meetings but also had private ones. Campbell told Heather du Plessis-Allan creating access on a national basis is quite different to allowing a reporter at a local meeting. “The pure logistics of it are hard, we’re not required to hold our meetings in public, and indeed, other crown entities like us don’t hold their meetings in public.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland principal says a pedestrian crossing outside his school is so dangerous he's had to leap onto the road to stop students from getting hit. He's had to take students off road patrol duty and has appealed to Auckland Transport for help. Glenavon School Principal John Hunte joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The pressure is on All Blacks coach Ian Foster again. The NZR board had unanimously decided to keep him until the 2023 Rugby World Cup as announced in a press conference two weeks ago. It came after the team beat the Springboks 35-23 in Johannesburg, but since then the All Blacks followed it up by losing to Argentina 25-18 on Saturday. Sky Sport rugby commentator Tony Johnson joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions over where the All Blacks go from here after Saturday's defeat to Argentina. The All Blacks go to next weekend's test in Hamilton having dropped back into fifth on the World Rugby rankings. There has also been harsh criticism of the NZR board over their decision to keep Ian Foster until the 2023 World Cup, despite winning 2 of the last 8 tests. The NZR board unanimously decided to keep Foster after their 35-23 victory against South Africa in Johannesburg. Weekend Sport host Jason Pine joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KEY POINTS: Group of ex-Gloriavale women claiming they were subjected to life of servitude Women seeking ruling in Employment Court that they were not volunteers Case follows similar proceedings by group of ex-Gloriavale men earlier in 2022 Court to hear "scandalous" evidence of forced labour and "abuse" at Christian community The first woman in a group of Gloriavale leavers claiming they were subjected to a life of servitude and forced labour says there were two options in the community - "work or get in trouble". "We had no choices … none, we went to work every day," said Serenity Pilgrim. "You just sucked it up … There was never an option of being sick … you just got used to it and that's what you did.' Pilgrim is one of six women taking their case to the Employment Court seeking a ruling that they were employees and not volunteers during their time at the secretive West Coast Christian community. Pilgrim was born at Gloriavale and spent her life there with her parents and siblings until she was 16. "As