Midday Edition: 15 July 2025

The Midday Edition of News Fix for 15 July 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 this is your midday
news fix for Tuesday, the fifteenth of July. Labour's leader
admits getting tetpou Kinger off the ground took far too long,
but he still believes it's the best option. Labor merged
all polytechnics into one centralized body, but this government is
now reverting ten of the sixteen to becoming standalone regional entities.

(00:26):
Chris Hopkins says tetpoo Kinger was just starting to make
progress and turned a surplus last year. The irony is
just as they were starting to achieve those things, the
whole thing's being turned upside down again, and it's right
at the time when we desperately need more training. The
Commerce Commission is taking action against food Stuff's North Island
and Gilmore's Wholesale, alleging cartel behavior. Foodstuff says, rejecting the claim.

(00:49):
Business reporter Michael Sergel has the details.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
The Competition watchdog is accusing the companies of persuading a
major supplier to reroot business through them to a major
hospitality customer. Chir John Small says the Commerce Commission won't
tolerate such behavior. Foodstuffs North Island says it's fully cooperating
with the investigation and denies any wrongdoing.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
The Ambulance Union says it's not unusual for Auckland ambulances
to be redirected from EDS. The emergency Department's at Middlemoor
and Auckland City Hospital were so busy yesterday some patients
were taken to other clinics or assessed via telehealth. Ambulance
Association National Secretary Mark Quinn says not everyone needs ed care.

Speaker 3 (01:30):
Amblet staff have been well versed over a number of
years in accessing when possible auxiliary care pathways is opposed
to just rocking up and presenting to the emergency Department.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
The government's crediting a small improvement in NCEEA co requisite
assessments to its reforms. In total, fifty seven percent of
students achieved the numeracy standard, sixty one percent the reading
standard and fifty five percent the writing standard. Albany Senior
High Principal Clear Amos says it's a fairly negligible change

(02:03):
and the results are disappointing. She says we don't have
enough evidence yet to explain the uplift. You've got to
see year on year improvements to be able to hand
on Heart argue that a change in practice is what's
resulted in the change of outcome. Wellington house prices have
dropped by more than a quarter in the past four years,
and Auckland has also seen a huge fall. The latest

(02:25):
Real Estate Institute House Price in the X shows prices
are rising but are still sixteen point three percent below
their peak. Business reporter Michael Sergele breaks down the numbers.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Canterbury's prices are only four point one percent lower than
four years ago and a rising steadily. Auckland's are twenty
two point three percent lower but are starting to pick
up again. However, Wellington's prices are twenty five point six
percent lower and are still continuing to steadily fall.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
An anti child abuse group says pornography laws need coordinated strengthening,
with a loophole letting childlike sex dolls into the country
in parts or disguised as small adult dolls. To sport,
the West Indies have avoided sharing the mantle with New
Zealand for the lowest completed Test cricket innings by one run.

(03:12):
During their third match against Australia in Jamaica. They were
dismissed for twenty seven in a one hundred and seventy
six run loss. The Phoenix Men have signed Nigerian striker
e Fine Ease for the A League, and the Spanish
government has demanded an investigation into footballer La mien yamal
mafia themed eighteenth birthday party, amid claims that dwarfs and

(03:37):
twelve women with blonde hair and specific measurements were exploited.
I'm Malcolm Jordan. That's your latest news fix. We'll be
back with the next update at five pm from the
news Talk ZB newsroom.