Morning Edition: 16 October 2025

The Morning Edition of News Fix for 16 October 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 morning. I'm Wendy Petrie and this is your morning
news fix for Thursday, the sixteenth of October. And this update.
New Zealand's thirty fifth Prime Minister, Jim Bolger has died,
aged ninety. The Catholic farmer first entered Parliament in nineteen
seventy two as MP for Taranaki king Country. He rose
to power in nineteen nineteen with the campaign slogan A

(00:26):
Decent Society. In twenty sixteen he told aarn Zed that
was always his mission. Edition society is one where everybody
gets a fair go see. One of the great ethos
of being a New Zealander is fairness. Americans talk always
about freedom, we talk much more about fearnit Winston Peters
is sharing his condolences, saying Jim Bolger was a proud

(00:47):
New Zealander who served his country during a difficult period
of political transition. He says many will remember they had
their policy differences, but in nineteen ninety six he and
Bolger led New Zealand's first sir OMNP government. Peter says
Bulger was a man of his word, running the coalition
government with integrity, focus and fidelity. Airports and airlines are

(01:10):
pointing fingers at each other as airfare skyrocket. The Global
Airport Group says New Zealand's domestic airfares have shot up
sixty three percent in six years, faster than any other country.
But in New Zealand says its fares are only up
thirty five percent, even though its cost base has risen
more than that since twenty nineteen. Airport's Association Chief Executive

(01:31):
Billy Moore told Ryan Bridge it's a lobbying a strategy
for airlines to target airports as the problem. As airlines
reduce their capacity, they're spreading those costs increases over a
smaller number of passengers. That's why their fears are so
high and we really need to see that start to
tune around. Lawyers. Warrior bill making its way through Parliament

(01:52):
could have a chilling effect on the right to protest.
A bill banning protest outside individuals' homes has currently being
considered by a Select committee. It aims to address unreasonable
protests after the Foreign Minister had a rock thrown through
his window, but Law Association President Tony Hearing says laws
like the Harassment Act and Summary Offenses Act already serve

(02:14):
that purpose. Broadcaster Sean Plunkett isn't going down without a
fight as our broadcasting watchdog claims jurisdiction over his online
only company the Platform. The Broadcasting Standards Authority received a
complaint from a member of the public after the broadcaster
described Maori tic Ganger as mumbo jumbo. It says it

(02:35):
has the power to consider the complaint, but Sean Plunkett
says it doesn't under law as its job is to
monitor television and radio content. The Herald's editor at Lard,
Shane Curry, says a government may consider looking into be
Essay's decision urgently. Sean Pluckt himself says he will fight
on this hill. He will take and defend his position
in a court of law. Affects what it takes. There's

(02:58):
a potential for more than one hundred million dollars worth
of assets sales. Alongside the de merger of Tippukinga Polytechnics
will be regionally run from next year. Churtiary Education Minister
Penny Simon says any decision to potentially sell underutilized or
unused physical assets will be up to the Polytech Council.
She's confirmed this no government led assets sales program to

(03:23):
Sport and the player backlash has begun, questioning the legality
of NRL League threats to punish players with a ten
year ban for moving to the proposed R sixty sixty
union competition. The ASB Tennis Classic have secured Ben Shelton,
the men's sixth ranked player, for his fourth consecutive appearance
at the Auckland Tournament and the Centenary Commonwealth Games in

(03:45):
twenty thirty, looks set to head to Aminabad in India
following an Evaluation Commission recommendation. I'm Wendy Petrie. That's your
latest news fix. Will be back with the next update
at midday from the News Dog ZB newsroom