Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

It is election year, of course, and I reckon we should get this thing over and done with quickly.

Let's rip the band-aid off - Luxon should go to the polls early.

The argument's always been - and we talked about this a lot last year -  that they should wait till November, go late, let the economy recover.

Make sure people feel the recovery and not just hear about it and read about it in the newspapers, but I think the politica...

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has outlined her goals for the new year, as the Government prepares for the upcoming 2026 election.

Willis is hoping Kiwi voters will see the benefits of re-electing a National-led Government so that they can feel rewarded for their hard work.

She says the economy grew as a whole last year, and voters can hope to see more in 2026.

"So we see more job creation, more opportunities for Kiwis to get ahead...

Thousands of blue collar and working class New Zealanders have expressed clear disapproval for this Government. 

The Council of Trade Unions' Mood of the Workforce survey this month asked more than 3500 people about the past year.

More than 90 percent rated the Government performance at one - or two - out of five. 

CTU President Sandra Grey says people feel exceptionally let down by the current Government - and that they ...

Chocolate products could be in for a shake-up, as manufacturers race to develop cocoa alternatives.

A Rabobank report shows food companies are looking into new technologies to substitute traditional beans.

Climate-related pressures are driving up global cocoa prices, and disrupting supply chains.

RaboResearch analyst Paul Joules says companies will look into fermenting plants like oats and seeds for an alternative - to use in produ...

New drug data shows a fall in the cost of methamphetamine seems to relate to increased consumption.

The New Zealand Drug Trends Survey reveals a gram cost about $334 last year - compared to $563 in 2017. 

Over the same period, the proportion of respondents using the drug every week rose from 27 percent to 57.

Massey University drug researcher Chris Wilkins says that like with any commodity, people will consume more when the pr...

Criticism over a lack of detail - as the Prime Minister delivered his State of the Nation address to business leaders in Auckland today at the International Convention Centre's first event.

Chris Luxon says two years of hard work by Government and business owners will pay off this year, with more jobs and growing incomes. 

Business Chamber head, Simon Bridges, says he'd have liked more vision in the speech.

"For not just sort ...

The Prime Minister says voters shouldn't expect any big election promises this year, as the Government looks to keep the books in order.

Chris Luxon's given his State of the Nation speech in Auckland before 600 business leaders.

Luxon declared the economic recovery is here, and pointed to Kiwisaver, RMA and education reforms as this year's policy planks.

NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says the Government's dialled back ...

Scott Robertson's axing as All Blacks coach has prompted speculation about who will replace him in the top job.

Robertson was relieved of his duties two years into a four-year contract, following a scathing review that found multiple frailties within the team and reports of player unrest.

Sportstalk host Jason Pine weighed in on what we know so far, and addressed the rumours that Jamie Joseph  could replace Razor.

LISTEN ABOVE

...

There's hopes the Government will slap a two-year ban on collecting shellfish and marine life from rockpools on Auckland's Whangaparāoa Peninsula. 

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says he's seeking advice on protecting the area. 

Protect Whangaparāoa Rockpools founder, Mark Lenton, says there's been an increase in people removing sea life from the area over the last couple of years.

"As a long-term local of this...

First of all, can I start by offering an apology to TVNZ? I gave them a bit of grief last night for starting the news bulletin with the peaches, but it turns out I was wrong and they were right.

This has sparked a flurry of debate over whether we prefer our Wattie's peaches from Hawke's Bay or whether we don't really care if it comes from China or not. 

It's also prompted a statement from Wattie's asking us to support loc...

Let's talk about this business with the pension age.

Chris Luxon has said twice today that he wants the pension age to go up to 67.

He said it once on Kerre’s show this morning, and then at a post-Budget lunch speaking to business leaders, he repeated it and he told them that this is basically going to be election policy for National next year.

Now, regardless of how you may feel about this, I mean, you'd have to be coming around t...

'Rotten, corrupt': Tiki Taane takes aim at Spotify as Kiwi artists boycott platform

Many of New Zealand's biggest musicians are boycotting Spotify and ditching the platform amid accusations of exploitation.

Tiki Taane and The Bats are among the big names getting behind Boycott Spotify NZ and other Kiwi bands like Carb on Carb, Synthetic Children and Recitals have signed the statement calling for better treatment. 

Taa...

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

There's growing calls to scrap NCEA - and the Government is looking to make some changes to the qualification. What do we make of this?

Coldplay's Chris Martin is now warning adulterers to disentangle before the kiss cam comes on. What do we think of this saga? Shoul...

France has sentenced a doctor to death after he poisoned 30 patients, killing 12.

The EU has agreed to provide Ukraine more money after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged leaders to use frozen Russian assets to fund Kyiv.

But, the money may not be enough.

"Bit by bit it's getting worse and worse for Ukraine, no matter what support they've got," Gavin Grey told Andrew Dickens.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

The government has approved OceanaGold’s Waihi North mining project, extending gold and silver extraction in the Waihi area until 2043, delighting the pro-mining crowd.

It's a decision I agree with.

Waihi has already been extensively mined and the environment beaten up.

The decision will keep the town alive and provide hundreds of jobs. But make no mistake, this will not be an El Dorado for the whole country.

The royalties are stil...

Kiwibank has scrapped it's plans for partial privatisation after the Reserve Bank announced it's reduction of the amount of capital it requires banks to hold to protect their depositors in the event of a crisis.

The bank had been talking to investors, seeking a $500 million capital raise after the Government gave it the green light to raise money to become more competitive. 

Kiwibank CEO Steve Jurkovich talked to Andrew Dicken...