Midday Edition: 23 November 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 23 November 2025, 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 (00:04):
From the news talks had been Newsroom this is newsfacs.
In this update, National leader Christopher Luxens revealed his party's
first election promise a lift to default Kiwi Saver contribution rates.
If re elected, the party will make the changes to
allow savers to contribute twelve percent of their earnings to Kiwisaver,
a level to match Australia's Superannuation contribution rate. The figure

(00:28):
would come from hiking the default contribution rate for employers
and employees from the current three percent to six percent
by twenty thirty two. Christopher Luxon says a twenty one
year old earning sixty five thousand dollars currently would retire
with a KEII Saver balance of around one million.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Following National's proposed changes, that same individual could expect their
Kiwi Saver balance to be around about four hundred thousand
dollars larger.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Donald Trump's plan for peace between Russia and Ukraine had
set dangerous precedent for New Zealand. The Kremlins backing the
plan that would see Ukraine seed territory to Russia, reduce
its military and ditch efforts to join NATO Otiga University
politics professor Robert Patman says Trump's treating both sides as
moral equivalents and suggesting the victims should be giving land

(01:17):
to the aggressor. He says that could destabilize the whole
of Europe and beyond. If let's get accepted that outcome,
that would mean that Mike is right. Well, that's not
the world that New Zealands want the living. We believe
in a rule spaced international order. Drug dealers are using
dating apps to scout out potential buyers. A New Zealand
Drug Trends survey released this year found five percent of

(01:38):
respondents who had purchased drugs via social media had done
so via dating apps. It found some drug users were
once using Tinder to source drugs, not for dates. Researcher
Robin van Dersanden says there's the potential buyers could put
themselves at risk, but many report feeling dating apps are
a safer option. It's a way into your local market

(02:00):
through informal channels, rather than that it's organized crime actively
facilitating this kind of transaction. Consultation on the future of
Auckland's af Thomas Park closes today. The council is considering
options to prevent the area from flooding. That's news. In sport,
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson believes he's still the man

(02:20):
for the job. To years out from the Rugby World Cup,
Robertson and his coaching staff have come under increased scrutiny
following the Grand Slam failure. After signing off the year
with a fifty two to twenty six win over Whales,
Robertson says he's in a good frame of mind about
where he and the side are at.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
They're taking me in a four year contract in belief.
This group has got some great young players coming through.
There's going to be some learning along the way. Look,
I'm excited. Got some great backing from David and the board,
a good crew behind us here. I'm excited thanks.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
In other international results, France has ended Joe Schmid's Wallaby
Rain with a forty eight to thirty three win in Paris,
while the Spring Box have beaten Ireland twenty four thirteen
in Dublin and Italy's down Chile thirty four nineteen in Genova.
That's sports. I'm Sandy Hodge. For more news, listen to
News Talk Said Be Live on iHeartRadio.