Afternoon Edition: 16 December 2025

The Afternoon Edition of News Fix for 16 December 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 Raylen Ramsey. This is your afternoon news
fixed for Tuesday, the sixteenth of December. Labour's blasting the
coalition's economic track record with more doom and gloom and
new financial figures. Treasury's half year Economic and Fiscal update shows,
including ACC's spending, no forecast surplus is anywhere in sight.

(00:26):
It also shows debt will increase to forty six point
nine percent of GDP in the twenty twenty seven twenty
eight financial year, staying the same in twenty twenty nine
before decreasing. Labour leader Chris Hopkins says the government should
accept responsibility for these figures.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Since Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxen took over, government borrowing
has increased, government deficits have increased, Unemployment projections have now increased,
economic growth forecasts have decreased.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Inframetric's economist Brad Olson says some costs massively out wwhoned
other areas.

Speaker 3 (01:01):
Trusiuries forecast today say that New Zealand will spend an
extra seven point seven billion dollars on paying for New
Zealand superannuation alone. That's more than the increase to the
entire health and education budgets combined.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
A judge has voided a South Auckland local body election
result after claims of voter fraud. Judge Richard mcelraith is
founder of Regularities Materially Affected Results and the UTATA puppetoy
Toy Local Boards. Puppetoy Toy Subdivision Council. Reporter Jacob Jones
has more.

Speaker 4 (01:32):
A new election must be completed by April nine. There
had been accusations of widespread theft of voting papers and
fraudulent use of stolen voting papers. The three AUTATA board
members will stay on but won't have the authority to
make decisions until the elections completed.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
The government says creating a new mega Ministry for Cities, Environment,
Regions and Transport will reduce duplication and complex city infrastructure.
Minister Chris Bishop says any role reduction will be up
to the new CEO.

Speaker 4 (02:05):
There will be efficiencies on their way through, of course,
there will be. We're merging four or three and a
half agencies together and then's theayble got their own.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Payrolls, controleances and support from New Zealand NPS for Australia's
Jewish community. Parliaments held a moment's silence marking the fifteen
people killed when gunman opened fire at Harneker's celebrations at
Bondai Beach. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says this is
a moment of deep pain.

Speaker 5 (02:32):
We cannot be complacant. We two in the past few
years have witnessed our own incidents and examples of anti
Semitism and we should have absolutely no tolerance at all
for it.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
A New South Wales police of this afternoon confirmed two
homemade ISIS flags were found in the car of the
twenty four year old shooter and improvised explosive devices. Two
sport veteran Australian Open wasman Kwaja has missed selection for
the third Ashes cricket Test against England starting tomorrow in Adelaide.

(03:05):
Skipper Pat Cummens, whose returning from injury has confirmed Travis
Head and Jake Weatherold will be retained at the top
of the order. Nral rugby league clubs, the Warriors and
Rabbitos are joining forces of depending a new Women's Pathways
partnership agreement for in a row for American golfer Scottish Scheffler,

(03:26):
after yet again being named the PGA Tours Player of
the Year and that is your latest news fix. We'll
have another update for you tomorrow morning from the newstalk
z B newsroom