Afternoon Edition: 04 August 2026

The Afternoon Edition of News Fix for 04 August 2026, straight from the Newstalk ZB newsroom - bringing you everything you need to know in news, politics, business, entertainment and sport.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Good afternoon. I'm railing Ramsey. This is your afternoon news
fix for Tuesday, the fourth of August. Snow's coated the
South Island today and dusted parts of the North in
an icy blast set to deepen overnight. Central Wellington's had
snow flurries, cooked straight fairies are canceled and snow warnings
remain for that Emma Taka Hill, Desert and Napier Topol roads.

(00:26):
For the South. Christ Church is preparing for its coldest
morning yet forecast at minus five Duneda heights have been
told to avoid travel, with part of State Highway eighty
seven still closed. Met services some calom Maguala says southerly
winds are making things feel extra cold. We have this
huge high pressure which is fetching cold air from the

(00:50):
polarity in transporting it to New Zealand. A pay equity
case is kicked off in the High Court in Wellington today.
Five unions and the Human Rights Commission are challenging the
government overhaul of equity legislation. It canceled thirty four active
claims and tightened the rules for taking a case. In
z EI Support staff leader Ali Kinghey says the change

(01:13):
is affected about one hundred and eighty thousand workers. So
what's at stake in court today is the future of
working women in our country. Is the future of them
being paid equitably with having good conditions. The Green Party
has written to Speaker Jerry brownly reminding him of his
responsibility to uphold Parliament's standards and safety. During a debate

(01:34):
last week, Enzed First leader Winston Peters told Chinese born
Green MP Lawrence Zu Nan to go back to his
own country. MPs, including the Prime Minister have labeled the
comment racist. Green's co leader Madam Davidson says the party's
outlined racism is not acceptable in the House and that
at the very least mister Peters should withdraw and apologize.

(01:57):
And Green's co leader Chloe Swarbrick was booted from Parliament
this afternoon after saying the Speaker had double standards for
not making Peters apologize for accusing Labour's leader of lying.
She also raised Peter's interjections in question time. Retailian z
says workers won't get a big payday until the economy

(02:18):
picks up. Its Fresh data finds the average retail wage
has top thirty dollars an hour that's up one percent annually.
In twenty twenty five data it went up three point
four percent. Retailian ZED CEO Carolyn Young says, we now
need an economic turnaround. We'll see consumers spending more of
the be higher demand in retail. We'll need to recruit

(02:40):
more people and that will raise her average wage in
retail as the demand starts to increase. Medical Radiation and
Imaging Technologist PSA members have settled their collective agreement with
Health end Z. It gives about one hundred workers a
two point five percent pay increase starting last month and
more next July. Staff will also transition to a seven

(03:03):
day service in sports insistence from the All Blacks. They
are preparing for Saturday's opening match of their South African
tour against the Stormers in Cape Town. With the utmost
diligence departing New Zealand Football boss Andrew Pragnell's pointing to
the upheaval surrounding the football Fern's coaching change is one

(03:24):
of the toughest tests of his tenure. Pragnell will step
down from his role in early twenty twenty seven after
more than eight years. New Blues State of Origin League
coach Matt King is outlining his credentials as a true
blue New South Welshman. That is your latest news fix.
We'll be back with the next update tomorrow morning from

(03:45):
the news Talk Seed b newsroom