Morning Edition: 19 May 2026

The Morning Edition of News Fix for 19 May 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 (00:03):
Good morning, I'm never ready, Manu, and this is your
morning news books for Tuesday, nineteenth of May. In this update,
Principles are welcoming new investment in literacy and maths ahead
of the budget. Education Minister Ericus Stanford has announced a
new one hundred and thirty one million dollar package which
includes spending on workbooks, more maths, intervention teachers and additional testing.

(00:28):
It marks the next stage of the government's wider program
teaching the basics brilliantly. Principals Federation President Jason Miles says
more resources are always appreciated and reading, writing and maths
should always be high priorities. The Finance Minister is set
to unveil further plans for public sector reform in a

(00:49):
pre budget speech today. Nikola Willis is delivering the speech
at lunchtime on Auckland's north shore ahead of Budget day
next week. Her plan will include amalgamate and govern departments,
digitization and AI, and reducing the number of public servants.
Willis says the government should always be striving to get
better value for money, and she wants to reduce the

(01:11):
number of public servants from one point two percent of
the workforce to one percent by twenty twenty nine. New
Attorney General Chris Bishop has notified the government of some
risks regarding move on orders. The government's giving police the
power to make people leave a specific area for up
to twenty four hours if the begging, sleeping, rough or

(01:33):
breaching the peace. Bishop's report has found aspects of the
legislation may be inconsistent with the Bill of Rights. He's
questioning whether restricting begging limits freedom of expression and suggests
the scope goes too far. Bishop's also found the proposed
law limits people's freedom of movement, but finds it justified
and proportionate when there's disorder or aggression. Senior Sergeant Lynn

(01:58):
Fleming's family says they knew so it wasn't going to
be a happy ending after receiving the news about her condition.
A jury yesterday found Hayden Tasker guilty of her murder
and of wounding Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay after he rammed
his car into them in Nelson on New Year's Day
twenty twenty five. Speaking after the verdict, younger sister Joe

(02:19):
Brown says the manner in which he died was nothing
short of barbaric. Lynn's son Aaron Olsen says the verdict
won't bring back his mum, but at least there's now accountability.
A new report shows one in five GP referrals are
being declined. The paper from the Association of Salary Medical
Specialists looks at data from seven districts from twenty twenty

(02:41):
three to twenty twenty five. It suggests the rate is
due to chronic public health workface shortages at a recent
increase in acute admissions, but senior policy and research advisor
Virginia Mill says the full extent of the issue is
unknown because Health New Zealand doesn't collect national data. In sport,
a resurrection for Jose Mourinho. He will reportedly manage the

(03:05):
Real Madrid football side next season, thirteen years after leaving.
A sellout looks imminent for Auckland's FC's A League final
against Sydney FC on Saturday at Mount Smart. All general
tickets are gone, but one last seating window might come
up Today. World Gymnastics has decided to lift all restrictions

(03:25):
applicable to Russian and Belarusian athlete since the start of
the war in Ukraine during twenty twenty two, vaulting them
into Los Angeles Olympics contention, I never ready, Mano, and
then your latest news fix. We'll be back with the
next update at midday from the newstalk ZB news room