Larry Williams Drive

Defensive attitudes in the health system may risk slowing down reforms. The chair of the nation's new centralised service - Health New Zealand - has described the sector has being more dysfunctional than expected. Rob Campbell says all of the now former District Health Board operated differently with varied outcomes, making it hard to compile information. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Labour’s biggest problems right now is that Dr Gaurav Sharma seems like a nice man. I’ve watched his TV interview from last night.  I listened to two radio interviews he gave today.  He’s calm, confident and warm.    That makes this battle against him harder for Labour because this might ultimately all come down to who you trust the most. And that's because both sides are firing shots but neither side is really backing up the claims with evidence.  Labour says he’s a bully and that he’s misrepresenting the messages of support and solidarity he’s had from other Labour MP's but they don’t provide any evidence to prove he’s a bully or that he’s lying.  All we know is three anonymous staffers are unhappy, one was in tears, and there was a hiring freeze on his office, but why?  We don’t know.  He said he complained about a staff member drunk at work, that it’s the Labour whips who are bullies and  that Kieran McAnulty yelled at him. He also said the Prime Minister’s office is deliberately hiding official in

Auckland International Airport said Covid-19 travel restrictions were responsible for an 80.9 per cent decline in its net profit to $28.1 million for the six months to December 31. The company, in its earnings outlook for the full year to June 30, said it expects to report a net loss of between $35m and $55m. Revenue for the six months fell by 64.9 per cent to $131.5m and its operating profit dropped by 68.4 per cent to $88.2m. The company's earnings per share fell by 84.1 per cent to 1.91 cents. Auckland Airport said its net underlying loss for the half came to $10.5m. CEO of Auckland Airport Carrie Hurihanganui joined Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive to discuss its decline in profit. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 200 thousand dollar boost for storm-ravaged Nelson region. The Government's pumping cash into the Nelson Tasman and Marlborough area - for immediate help after prolonged heavy rain, flooding and high winds. Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty says the weather's caused considerable damage and been extremely disruptive. He says it's still too early to know the full cost but this first contribution to the Mayoral Relief Fund is a start and will ensure there's little delay in getting immediate support. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have I got my hands on something good for you. Now, you know how we're constantly told by the authorities that there's all this public support for cycleways? And you sit there thinking, well, nobody I know likes the cycleways, so what's going? Where can this possibly go? What?Well, here's the answer: Looks like they're fudging the numbers. There isn't majority support for cycleways at all. Today, the Ratepayers Alliance has released a public survey conducted by Auckland Transport that I think might be the first real insight that we've had into what Aucklander’s  actually think about cycleways. And let's have a little guessing game on this one, right?The majority of Aucklander’s want Auckland council to stop investing in cycleways immediately. So guess what proportion of Aucklander’s actually support the funding of cycleways in the city in the short term? 40%, no, 30%, no, 20%, no, not even 15%, 12%. 12% support the funding of cycleways in the city in the short term. That's fewer than one in eight Aucklander’s

The Electricity Authority says it's made urgent changes today, to make sure consumers aren't disadvantaged by big deals. The amendment to the Electricity Industry Participation Code means that deals for more than 150 megawatts, can only go ahead if they meet specific criteria. It impacts powercos' ability to strike a deal with Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, as it works on plans to stay operating beyond 2024. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A major blow to Upper Hutt. St Joseph’s Home of Compassion elder care facility will shut down because it can't get enough nurses. The 87 bed facility will start moving residents to new home in the coming months. Aged Care Association Chief Executive Simon Wallace said it reflects the wider health worker crisis. Co-Executive director of the Sisters of Compassion group Dr Chris Gallivan joined Heather du Plessis Allan Drive to discuss the decision to shut down.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By RNZ National polytechnic Te Pūkenga's chief executive, Stephen Town, has resigned with effect from yesterday. Te Pūkenga has been beset with difficulties as it works to bring polytechnics, institutes of technology and Industry Training Organisations together by January 1. The new mega polytechnic is facing a $100 million deficit this year and criticism that it has not done enough to prepare for taking over industry training and polytechnics in 2023. Town had been on personal leave from his job which pays up to $13,000 a week. Chairman Murray Strong and acting chief executive Peter Winder appeared before Parliament's education select committee in early August where they were questioned about the problems with the transition and what they were doing to cut costs and to work more constructively with staff. Strong said the organisation had apologised to the Minister of Education and the staff of Te Pūkenga for not making the expected progress. Former Deputy CEO Merran Davis joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LIS

Four doubles in a row, he OCR has risen another 50 basis points today. We're now sitting at 3 percent, as expected by most commentators. The Reserve Bank thinks we'll peak at 4.1 percent. Gareth Kiernan, Infometrics Chief Forecaster joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After weeks of speculation Ian foster has been given the full backing of the NZR board to continue as the All Blacks head coach through to the World Cup in 2023. Former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has also been elevated and will now lead as the All Blacks' attack coach. Former All Black Justin Marshall joined Heather du Plessis-Allan LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank has lifted the Official Cash Rate by 50 basis points to 3 per cent - its highest level since 2015. The RBNZ now sees the OCR peaking at 4.1 per cent as it fights inflation pressure. Previously it had forecast a peak of 3.95 per cent. Labour has overtaken National again in the latest Curia-Taxpayers Union poll which saw National and its leader Christopher Luxon take a dive in popularity. There is more bad news for Luxon, whose favourability had just dropped into negatives for the first time since becoming National leader - his favourability of -1 per cent is now closer to Act leader David Seymour's than Labour leader Jacinda Ardern's. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Barry Soper joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss as well as today's developments in the Dr. Gaurav Sharma saga. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions have been asked as to whether the criteria for being on a school board of trustees need tightening. White supremacist Philip Arps is currently standing for the board of Linwood College, who spent six months in jail for sharing footage of the March 15 terror attacks. Vaughan Couillault, Secondary Principals Association President, joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heather du Plessis-Allan has talked this week on being worried about three of Auckland mayoral candidate Efeso Collins' policies. They were that he supports giving a lane on the Auckland Harbour Bridge to cyclists, that he supports a second harbour crossing that doesn't allow cars, and that he supports light rail. His team have reached and Efeso would like a right of reply. Efeso Collins joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why won’t Labour order an investigation into the bullying Dr Gaurav Sharma claims has happened?  Clearly, on the balance of probability, he is not an innocent here. He has three staff members complaining to the media about him  But just because he might have behavioural issues, it doesn’t absolve the Labour Party of the allegations he’s laying.  He claims to have been bullied by former senior whip Kieran McAnulty and by current senior whip Duncan Webb and that the Prime Minister's office did nothing to stop it. He claims that he asked them to investigate his complaints and they wouldn’t’  Why?  Any good operator would’ve ordered an investigation by now for two reasons: First; you shut the story down. Look at what happened to the Nats with the Sam Uffindell stuff. Those allegations were in the news for two days, the Nats ordered an investigation, and the stories stopped because we all knew we’d find out the truth in 2-3 weeks.   Now compare that to Labour's handling of this mess. This is the sixth news day abo

Labour MP Gaurav Sharma has been suspended from caucus effective immediately, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced. It is the "most appropriate" response to "repeated breaches of trust" committed by the MP, Ardern said after a special party caucus meeting today. Sharma, who did not attend the meeting, was phoned, texted and emailed to join today's meeting but did not join, Ardern said. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis Allan Sharma's being given a second chance of sorts. “He’s on a good behaviour bond, even though they won’t call it that. So, he’s been suspended and that what means is Labour will continue to get his vote, if they’d expelled him from caucus they wouldn’t get that, not that they’d need it anyway.” The decision will be reviewed in December. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed Scott Morrison secretly held five additional portfolios between March 2020 and May 2021 during his time as prime minister – in some cases without the existing ministers' knowledge. Between March 2020 and May 2021, Morrison took control of the Departments of Health, Finance, Resources, Home Affairs and Treasury. The bombshell revelation has sparked calls for him to resign and leave Australia's federal parliament. Former Australian Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews told news.com.au she had "no idea" the former prime minister had sworn himself into her portfolio. "I am going to ask him to resign and leave Parliament,'' she said. "I have nothing to say to him. "This is totally unacceptable, For a prime minister to behave in this manner undermines everything that a federal government constitutionally should stand for." Albanese called him a "stealth bulldozer" and said that Morrison and those in his government need to be "held to account". "This has been go

Dame Lynda Topp says her bid to become an Ashburton District councillor - is about giving back to her supportive community. She's one half of the Topp Twins musical comedy duo - and will run in the western ward against incumbent Rodger Letham and deputy mayor, Liz McMillan. Dame Lynda told Heather Du Plessis-Allan she's just gone through months of chemo, but she's ready for a challenge. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Salman Rushdie's son gives a positive update on his condition after his horrific stabbing in New York. The UK's Labour Party is proposing an extension of a tax on oil and gas firms. A town in Germany is allowed to let its cats back outside after three months to protect an endangered bird. UK correspondent Gavin Grey joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I sort of hate saying this because I actually really like Viv Beck, but I do think she needs to think very seriously about throwing in the towel in the Auckland mayoral race for the sake of the city. John Banks has got a point in what he was saying in the Herald this morning. At this rate, she can’t win. Her polls are slipping, her campaign is not good enough to lift those polls. All she’s doing right now is splitting the vote between the two candidates on the right — herself and Wayne Brown — and ensuring Efeso Collins on the left gets into the mayoralty. Have you seen Efeso Collins’ policies? Are you sure this is the guy you want as the mayor of Auckland? There are three things I worry about: 1. He supports giving a lane on the Harbour Bridge to cyclists. Permanently. That’s gonna screw the traffic coming in from the North Shore big time when it’s already screwed up enough. 2. He supports building another harbour crossing that doesn’t allow cars on it. So just for the climate friendly transport. That’s not

Messy is an appropriate word to describe the bullying accusations within the Labour Party. Gaurav Sharma potentially made it worse for Jacinda Ardern by putting screenshots on Facebook of bullying just as she was about to speak to media. A caucus meeting will be held to resolve the issue. NZME Business Commentator Fran O’Sullivan joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.