Midday Edition: 03 April 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 03 April 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 afternoon. I'm Malcolm Jordan and missus your midday news
fax four Thursday, the third of April. Donald Trump has
confirmed sweeping tariffs on almost to all goods coming into
the United States. He's announced a ten percent tariff on
most imports, including those from New Zealand, but some countries
and goods will be hit much harder, with twenty five

(00:25):
percent tariffs on vehicles, thirty four percent on China, and
almost fifty percent on some others. The US President has
declared today America's Liberation Day. This is one of the
most important days, in my opinion, in American history. It's
our declaration of economic independence. Associate Finance Minister David Seymour

(00:47):
says there is always a worry when trading arrangements change,
but he says there won't be any panic or knee
jerk reaction from the government. Just go to what happens,
consider carefully our response, and then engage in respectful dialogue
if necessary. Meanwhile, speaking as Associate Health Minister, David Seymour
is announced a cabinet's plan to change medicine approvals, aiming

(01:10):
to cut the time it takes to less than thirty days.
The Medicine's Amendment Bill will let a drug already approved
in specific overseas jurisdictions get the green light in New Zealand.
The policy will start worth Australia, the US, Canada, the UK, EU,
Singapore and Switzerland and should be in operation by early
next year. Seymour says safeguards come from trusting other countries. If,

(01:34):
for example, Switzerland and Australia have both rigorously looked into something,
then I don't think there's any point in US duplicating
for work. New Zealand's Treasury has unveiled an optimistic set
of financial results as budget day draws ever closer, but
the crown's financial statements in the eight months to the

(01:54):
end of February show the government's books are still very
much in the red. Senior political reporter Sophie Trigger has
more the.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Government's tax revenue is about a billion dollars higher than forecast,
and its expenses were around five hundred million dollars less
than what had been anticipated, and although the deficit now
sets at six point six billion dollars, that figure is
actually one point four billion dollars lower than had been expected.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
Fresh weather warnings for much of the North Island as
an atmospheric river starts to dump rain over the country.
New warnings cover Northland residents who could get up to
two hundred millimeters of rain in the next twenty four hours,
and an orange heavy rain warning kicks in for Corimandel
Peninsula at one am tonight. Jamie Cunningham has more.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
Warnings already apply for the ranges of Westland District and
the Upper South Island until midday tomorrow. Meat Service is
expecting more than four hundred and fifty millimeters of rain
in some areas. Bullet Emergency Management is offering residents sandbags
as a preventive measure to sport.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
Four time motocross World World champion Courtney Duncan's been ruled
out of this weekend's opening round in Sardinia with illness.
She's been dealing with chest pains and has been diagnosed
with pericarditis, swelling and irritation of the tissue around the heart.
Premier League Football leaders Liverpool have prevailed one nill over

(03:19):
Everton in the Merseyside Derby, restoring their twelve point buffer
over Arsenal and Newcastle's plans to recruit black Fern Porsche
Woodman Whitcliffe into League's NRL have been bundled into Touch.
I'm Malcolm Jordan. That's your latest news fix. We'll be
back with the next update at five pm from the
newstalk ZB newsroom.