Afternoon Edition: 13 May 2025

The Afternoon Edition of News Fix for 13 May 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 Wendy Petrie and this is your afternoon
newsfexport Tuesday, the thirteenth of May. Health New Zealand's leaning
on the private sector to reduce surgery wait times. Guaranteed
low complexity cases have been outsourced to private hospitals since
February and more complex cases done in public hospitals. Health
New Zealand said by the end of this month, more

(00:25):
than ten thousand surgeries will have been done in private
hospitals or insourced. Patient Voice Altiro At chair Malcolma Holland
says it's a good move short term.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
We still need a longer term plan.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Something never sustainable for our health workforce and patients.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
The Greens are standing up against plans to cull diversity
requirements from the Public Service Act. Public Service Minister Judith
Collins is planning to put for draft legislation in July
cutting requirements for the chief executives to promote diversity. Political
reporter Azariah Howell has the story.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
The bills good on a coalition promise between National and Act.
Green Party Public Service spokesperson Francisco Hernandez says the government
is importing Trump style attacks on the public service He
says it's punching down on working people.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
The Health Minister says no more measles cases have been
reported today. A new Land pharmacy and Mount Albert's supermarket
among sites in Auckland linked to a recent case. The
infectious person also visited Woolworth's Colston and worked on Fuller's
three sixty ferries. Simon Brown says Health New Zealand has
contact tracing teams if needed. He says the goal is

(01:36):
to stamp for highly infectious disease out as quickly as
possible and it encourages anyone vaccinated to do so. Beliso
the Firearms Registry is vital for tackling illegal gun markets,
despite political disagreement. Act Parties says a recent registry review
fell short of its coalition agreement, but Nationals refused to
its request for another, saying it would add no value.

(01:59):
Jordan dunn Has.

Speaker 3 (02:00):
Police Superintendent Richard Wilson says a Ministry of Justice review
showed the registry helps protect the public from harm. He
says more than one third of all license holders have
signed into the registry less than two years into the program.
Wilson says it's a cost effective initiative and also mitigates
the flow of black market firearms.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
Police are appealing for information on the assault of a
fifty year old in Lower Hut last night. Emergency services
found the man in a critical condition at a Randwick
home at eight pm. The scene was guarded overnight and
is being examined today. Policing or asking for CCTV or
dashcam footage and reports of any suspicious activity. In the
past few days. The new Pope spoken at the Vatican

(02:43):
event for journalists, expressing support for news media and its
role on democracy and maintaining peace. Leo the fourteenth reiterated
the Catholic Church solidarity with imprisoned reporters and called for
their release. He called on media to highlight the voices
of the week who have no voice. To sport. A
pair of key warriors in line to return to Saturday

(03:05):
nights NRL clash against the Dolphins in Brisbane. Coach Andrew
Webster says co captains James Fisher Harris is set to
come back from a pectorial injury. Yet Fish'll be known
this week and be given up to kickoff. Webster says.
Outside back Roger to E Varsa Scheck is also in
line for a return from a hamstring issue. After being
named in the reserves last week, he'll be named.

Speaker 3 (03:25):
He was close last week and he's a lot closer
this week.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
Meanwhile, front rower Jackson Ford will miss this week's contest
after suffering a head knock. And the winds over the
Dragons and that's your latest news fix. We'll be back
with the next update tomorrow morning from the news Talk
set B Newsroom.