Midday Edition: 26 May 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 26 May 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):
Good afternoon. I'm Malcolm Jordan and this is your midday
news fix for Monday, the twenty sixth of May. The
government's playing down concerns from health officials about the outsourcing
of more elective surgeries. Private hospitals are being contracted to
perform simpler procedures to speed up wait times. Documents obtained
by r n Z show officials warned Health Minister Simeon

(00:25):
Brown that doing so would limit training opportunities, but Finance
Minister Nikola Willis told Mike Hosking Brown's focus is on
healthcare delivery. I think most New Zealanders just want to
get their hip operation or their cataract operation sooner. Meanwhile,
Willis says National hasn't made any final decisions on its
approach to superannuation for the next election. She says the

(00:47):
government currently remains committed to universal superannuation and keeping eligibility
at sixty five years for now. Willis told Herald Now's
Ryan Bridge she can't say what policy Notional will push
beyond next year. You have to phase it in over
quite a long period of time, so people had time
to put so you'd be open to phasing and means

(01:08):
testing Minister I prefer Universal. Canterbury Regional Council has issued
a flood warning after heavy overnight rainfall in the headwaters
of the weimakiliy Rakaya and Hulanui rivers. It says people
should be aware of increased flows in the rivers, particularly
if working or recreating on the river beds. Meanwhile, floodings

(01:28):
impacting the South Island's West coast fire and emergency has
been called to two Westport homes where water was starting
to enter. The Transport Agency has closed State Highway six
lower Baller Gorge to Inangahua because of flooding and slips.
A group of former women MPs are scrutinizing the recent
rush to pay equity changes. Parliament passed the changes under

(01:52):
urgency with no public consultation, canceling current claims and raising
the bar and saving itself about thirteen billion dollars over
four years. Ten former politicians are setting up what they
call a people Select Committee to make up for the
lack of a committee process. X National MP Maryland Wearing
says the changes have a significant impact, but there wasn't

(02:15):
much evidence applied for making them. The Social Development Minister
says new sanctions might impact only a small minority of
job seeker beneficiaries kicking in from today. It includes money management,
with half their benefit loaded onto a dedicated payment card
for using only at approved stores. But Louise Upston says

(02:36):
ninety eight percent of people are on the green level
in the government's traffic light system and only one point
two are in red, so less than four thousand people
are in red, which means they face consequences. The government's
Maori Health of approach is coming under the microscope this week.
Whitungui Tribunal's Priority hearing begins today with claimants Lady two

(02:58):
to eighty Moxin and Janie Kook presenting evidence and a
number of witnesses. It's looking into how the government has
replaced the functions of the Maldi Health Authority, which it
disestablished last year. To sport. The New Zealanders have struggled
in a rain hampered Indy five hundred one by Alex
Plow at the Brickyard. Marcus Armstrong was best placed in

(03:19):
twenty first, Scott Dixon finished at twenty third and Scott
McLaughlin crashed out in the warm up. The last three
Champions League places have been confirmed on the final day
of the Premier League football season. Chelsea, Manchester City and
Newcastle have joined Liverpool and Arsenal in advancing to Europe,
and high jumper Hamish Kerr has won the latest Diamond

(03:40):
League meet on countback in Morocco. I'm Malcolm Jordan. That's
your latest news fix. We'll be back with the next
update at five pm from the newstalk ZB newsroom.