Holiday Breakfast

Have the standards in New Zealand’s Parliament been slipping? 

Between constant interruptions and heckling, name calling, and a haka towards the end of last year, 2024 was filled with events that drew concern about the behaviour of our MPs. 

Speaker of the House, Gerry Brownlee, told Tim Beveridge that since there is now a party of reasonable size that wants to make cultural expressions that recognise their voters, they n...

There’s multiple debuts happening at this weekend’s SailGP regatta.  

Not only is it Auckland’s hosting debut, but it’s also the first time the new high-speed titanium T-Foils will be seen in action, having been trialled for the last two years.  

Nat Fortier, SailGP’s Global Director of Communications, told Tim Beveridge that the last speed record was under 100kph an hour, but now they’re seeing the boats hit just over 10...

Winds have briefly eased in LA but the battle continues for firefighters trying to contain deadly wildfires.  

Whole neighbourhoods have burned to the ground and many evacuated families don't know when they can return home.  

Meanwhile, local authorities warn the gusts could pick up again next week.  

Fire and Emergency New Zealand's Thomas Harre has worked in California.  

He told Tim Beveridge the environment'...

The forecast isn't looking too bad for what's arguably Auckland's biggest events weekend of the summer. 

Thousands are expected to descend on Eden Park over the next two nights, to see country music star Luke Combs. 

The city's also placing host to Sail GP over the next two days and Auckland FC is taking on Melbourne FC at Mount Smart Stadium tomorrow night. 

MetService forecaster Hordur Thordarson told Tim Beveridge...

The banks are at it again. 

ASB is slashing its rates this morning following a move by Westpac yesterday afternoon. 

Many borrowers have been moving to floating or short-term fixed rates, anticipating further OCR cuts. 

But latest forecasts show bank economists now expect the Reserve Bank to start hiking the OCR again next year. 

Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Tim Beveridge the latest changes to...

There's determination from the Education Minister to continue focusing on literacy and numeracy in schools. 

New data shows 70% of Level 1 students passed NCEA last year, down from 82% the previous year. 

It's partly due to the new 20-credit foundational literacy and numeracy requirement. 

Erica Stanford told Tim Beveridge there was a cohort of students who were getting enough credits but couldn't pass the requiremen...

The Green Party had a rough time in 2024, dealing with their fair share of scandals and tragedies.  

From Darleen Tana’s dramatic exit and Golriz Ghahraman’s shoplifting scandal, to the death of Efeso Collins and Marama Davidson’s cancer diagnosis.  

Co-Leader Chlöe Swarbrick told Tim Beveridge that it’s been tough. 

“I do spend a lot of time reflecting on the actions that I take, and whether I’m the best person...

Police officer Lyn Fleming's life will be remembered at a full police funeral today in Nelson.  

She died after she was run over while carrying out patrols in the city on New Year's Day.  

The funeral will be held at the Trafalgar Centre and livestreamed on the Police website and Facebook page.  

Police Association President Chris Cahill says there are unique features to a police funeral, including the police flag dr...

The ACT Party argues the re-election of Donald Trump is another reason for New Zealand to ramp up its Defence spend.  

It's proposing an investment of at least 2% of GDP, with the current spend sitting at 0.9%. 

ACT's defence spokesperson Mark Cameron says the world is becoming a less safe and predictable place, and New Zealand needs to pull its weight in traditional alliances.  

He told Tim Beveridge that its incumb...

An overhaul of how obesity is diagnosed could be on the way. 

The Global Commission on Clinical Obesity has made recommendations that diagnosis is focused on measures of total body fat, not just BMI. 

The paper says current practices rely too heavily on body-mass indexes. 

Endocrinologist Rinki Murphy told Tim Beveridge it won't mean people can just diagnose obesity by standing in front of the mirror. 

She says ...

Another sign of hope on the horizon for jobseekers. 

The latest quarterly Westpac-McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index has risen for the first time in over two years, off the back of a three-and-a-half-year low. 

Public sector workers are more pessimistic than private sector workers about their earning prospects. 

But there's growing confidence, across the board, about the availability of jobs. 

Infometr...

Celebrations in the streets of Israel and Gaza, with reports of ceasefire being reached. 

More than 46-thousand people have been killed in the region and nearly two million people have been displaced since the conflict began in October. 

BBC reports the first phase of the deal will see a six-week ceasefire and 33 of the hostages held by Hamas exchanged for hundreds Palestinian prisoners. 

Foreign Affairs Corresponden...

Businesses are feeling optimistic they could be in for a better 2025.  

The latest Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion from the Institute of Economic Research reveals a net 9% of firms are expecting general economic conditions to improve.  

This is a jump from a net 4% feeling downbeat three months prior. 

Infometrics’ Brad Olsen told Tim Beveridge that it’s definitely a good sign, however at the same time, around 2...

Ziggy Alberts is as dedicated to song-writing as they come. 

The Australian musician picked up the guitar when he was 17, releasing his first EP the following year in 2012.  

He’s best known for his studio album ‘Laps Around the Sun’, which peaked at number 2 on the ARIA charts.  

Alberts told Tim Beveridge that when it comes to creating his music, the first step is relative insanity, the second is all the voices in ...

A humanitarian worker says a ceasefire in Gaza is desperately needed, with negotiations reaching the final stages. 

The conflict has killed more than 46-thousand people in the region since the wars began with the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7. 

CNN reports the agreement would see a phased release of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. 

Doctors Without Borders Head of Programmes Simo...

It's thought consistency is key as the Government moves to ban all under 18s from buying all Lotto products. 

Currently, only Instant Kiwi products have an age limit. 

Internal Affairs Minister Brooke Van Velden says neither Lotto nor retailers want to sell its products to children, but it's a legally grey area right now. 

She told Tim Beveridge she expects little resistance to the change. 

Van Velden says Lotto...

LA officials say the destruction caused by the deadly wildfires is "massive", "unimaginable" and unprecedented. 

Firefighters are a long way off containing the largest Palisades blaze, with 86% of it thought to be burning out of control. 

The death toll remains at 24, while another 23 people are still missing. 

Char Miller —a Professor of Environmental Analysis at LA's Pomona College— told Tim Beveridge the firestorm...

It's likely to be an anxious morning for 160-thousand secondary school students, who soon receive their NCEA exam results. 

NZQA will upload the outcomes online, with students able to check if they've passed and if they've received Course and Certificate Endorsements or University Entrance.  

PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Tim Beveridge for those disappointed with their results, it's not the end of the world. 

Intense winds are once again fanning the flames of the LA wildfires. 

Newstalk ZB's California correspondent Richard Arnold told Tim Beveridge it comes as officials are ramping up the emergency response. 

He says there's an "army" of about 15 thousand firefighters on the frontline and he's never seen anything quite like it. 

Arnold says it’s hard to stop embers from spreading in the blustery conditions.  

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