Midday Edition: 19 September 2024

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 19 September 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 Malcolm Jordan and this is your midday
news facts for Thursday, the nineteenth of September. The economy
has weakened in this year's second quarter. Just released stats
n Z figures show GDP contracted zero point two percent
in the three months to June, matching predictions Lachlan Rennie
has more.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
This follows the March twenty twenty four quarter showing zero
point one percent growth. Today's figures make it the fifth
quarterly contraction out of the past seven quarters. The Reserve
Bank forecasts the country's heading for a triple procession with
negative growth in the current third quarter.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
The threshold at which a defendant has a right to
trial by jury could change in a bid to improve
court timeliness. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says in the five
years to twenty twenty three, jury trials increased from two
thousand active cases to three thousand, four hundred and is
one of the biggest drivers of court delay. Heres senior

(01:01):
political reporter Sophie Trigger.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
Defendants can currently choose between a jury or judge alone
trial in cases which carry a maximum penalty of two
or more years in jail. The government's now seeking public
feedback on whether this threshold should increase, and on a
proposal to allow more time for when a defendant muster side.
Goldsmith says some people elect jury trials by defaults because
it's easier to change their mind later.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
Lebanese media reports electronic devices like phones and laptops detonated
in a second wave of country wide explosions. At least
twenty people died when his BLA member's devices blew up today. Yesterday,
thousands of pages detonated, killing at least twelve. His BILA
is blaming Israel correspondent Humdar Salute told Al Jazeera Israel's

(01:48):
Prime Minister has just released a ten second video.

Speaker 4 (01:51):
With one single sentence that said quote, we will return.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
The evacuated Israelis to the north seafeleet.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
We will do exactly that. A ban on gang patches
is a step closer to reality, with a last minute
amendment now passed in the House. The bills set to
pass this afternoon, but the recently added amendment ensures that
patches can't be visibly displayed in cars. Labour MP Willie
Jackson questioned how it would apply at a mariah where

(02:19):
Maori have a treaty, right to tenor ranga terra tanga.

Speaker 4 (02:23):
Get the patches thick heads and understand the wider argument.
Mary must have opportunity, must have the right to decide.
We are not supporters of gangs. We facilitate conferences from morons.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
The Sikh New Zealand Employment Report continues to paint a
worsening picture for workers. It shows job ads fell one
percent in August, while at the same time applications per
ad increased three percent. Seek Country manager Rob Clark says
it looks as if this could be the worst it gets,
with signs the job market could pick up, with the OCR.

Speaker 3 (02:58):
Rate coming down a bit, more confidence out there and
people feeling better about hiring new staff, then hopefully we
see a bit of a bounce.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
The jury is now deliberating in Philip Polkinghorn's murder trial,
the Auckland Ice surgeons accused of killing his wife, Pauline Hannah.
Polkinghorn sobbed loudly this morning as the one one one
call after Hannah's death was replayed before the jury retired
to sport. Another rejig of the All Blacks back three
for the Bledisloe Cup opener against the Wallabies in Sydney

(03:28):
on Saturday. Boden Barrett returns to fall back, Will Jordan
moves to the right wing and Caleb Clark slots in
on the left, and retired Warriors halfback Shawn Johnson would
consider a Kiwis League swan song in the Pacific Championships
if incumbent Jerome Hughes is unavailable. I'm Malcolm Jordan. That's
your latest news fix. We'll be back with the next

(03:50):
update at five pm from the news Talk zb newsroom.