Afternoon Edition: 08 August 2024

The Afternoon Edition of News Fix for 08 August 2024, 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 Rayleene Ramsey. This is your afternoon news
fix for Thursday, the eighth of August. The government is
thinking of bringing in more liquid gas to deal with
exorbitant power prices. The Energy Minister says he's asked the
Electricity Authority and Commerce Commission to investigate possible price gouging
as businesses grapple with cost spikes. Simeon Brown says importing

(00:28):
liquid gas could be a short to medium term solution.
We've got a dry years, we've a dry hydrological year,
and we've had the last government which demonized gas. Green
MP Ricardo Menandez March says the better solution is investing
in renewable energy and improving competition.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
What we need to do is ensure that smaller competitors
in the market have more ability to enter the market altogether.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
Local Government New Zealand says the effects will become clear
to rate payers over time of the new Water Done
Well scheme. Council controlled water organizations will now be allowed
to double their borrowing for infrastructure. Lgn's ad vice president,
Campbell Barry says that will still create debt needing servicing
and won't necessarily bring rates down.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
It means that we can spread the cost over a
long period of time and not see that some of
the types of rate increases that have been proposed social workers.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
So new expectations of or Aga tamariki leave much to
be desired. The Children's Ministers requiring the agency to report
quarterly on youth offending rates and the frequency of chickens
for children and care social services providers. Altoua says it's
good for expectations to be in the public domain, but
head Melinda Hemianna worries the emphasis on youth justice will

(01:45):
affect other areas.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
We are seeing a removal of early intervention and prevention services,
which is very distressing and will impact on children and
their parno and the support they need.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
The Law Society says it's unlikely the renewed three strikes
legislation will deter offenders. The government's reintroducing the law labor repealed,
making a prison sentence mandatory for a third violent offense.
Lawyer Thomas Hardy has told a select committee there's little
evidence it will factor into offender's choices.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
We're dealing with highly charged motive environments, impulsive decision making
and not a situation where the offender is thinking to themselves, well,
what's the sentencing outcome going to be if I go
through with what I'm about to do.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
Two astronauts stuck in space for sixty three days after
problems with Boeing starline of spacecraft could have to stay
there six more months. They got to the International Space Station,
but the vessel has propulsion issues and helium leaks. NASA
is now suggesting they may have to hitch home in
February on a SpaceX craft. Former astronoid astronaut I should

(02:54):
say make mussy menor told Cianena decision will be made soon.
The spaceship's coming back one way or the other, and
is pretty confidently that they'll be able to get it back.
Whether or not the crew will be inside, they're not
sure about that at this point. To Sport and All
Black's coach Scott Robertson is happy fielding and an experienced
locking combination against Argentina in Wellington on Saturday, With the

(03:18):
injuries forcing the inclusion of Sam Darry alongside Tupovai. Warrior's
coach Andrew Webster has admitted Shawn Johnson will be missed
both on and off the pitch when he retires at
the end of the season, revealing he's value Johnson's opinion
on key issues and Olympic bronze and silver medalist Lydia
Coe will head into the twelfth second round. I should

(03:40):
say of the golf in Paris, tied for twelfth, seven
strokes off the lead. I'm Rayleian Ramsay. That is your
latest news fix. We'll be back with the next update
tomorrow morning. From the news talks'd Be Newsroom.