Larry Williams Drive

Air New Zealand entered the G-string debate and added 41,000 more seats to the Pacific this summer. The move comes after a New Plymouth swimming pool considered banning g-string bikinis following a petition from a concerned mum. Air New Zealand Chief Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty says they saw an opportunity and took it, claiming customers should have freedom of choice when it comes to swimwear. "We were just having a little bit of cheeky fun - we're not going to try and offend anyone, but we think it's a great way to highlight all the fabulous island destinations we have on the network." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Chris Luxon's enjoyed a variety of discussions with fellow leaders in Washington DC for the NATO Summit. President Joe Biden has hosted a White House dinner with NATO partners. ZB political editor Jason Walls is travelling with the Prime Minister. He says Luxon described meeting Biden, and some other interactions, in a statement to media. "He didn't go into detail in the statement as to what they talked about - but it did go on to say that he talked all things Hobbit with the Prime Minister of Italy." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interislander executives are waiting for results of full investigations into Aratere's grounding near Picton last month, and aren't being drawn on speculation. The Aratere has now arrived in Wellington, with its post grounding detention notice lifted. A leaked safety bulletin suggests the ship was accidentally put in auto-pilot before running aground. Interislander Executive General Manager Duncan Roy says he expects to hear back within the next couple of weeks. "We've had the black box which has told us the facts - and the fact is the button was pushed,  that's what what we know. We'll wait for the rest of the investigation to go on, so that we know what occurred factually." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A good outcome for the Prime Minister at NATO, as he rubbed shoulders with several world leaders. Chris Luxon has met US President Joe Biden, while he hosted NATO partners at the White House. He's also spoken with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Luxon talking with Starmer has weight. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A father in Sydney has been charged with murder for allegedly setting the house fire that killed three of his children. Two boys, aged two and six, and a five-month-old baby girl died in their Lalor Park family home last Sunday. The man allegedly blocked the children from leaving the home as it burned, stopping them from running to safety. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says the man was charged with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder after coming out of an induced coma. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has declared Cortez Ratima ready for a test debut on Saturday night. There's just one change to the side that pipped England by a point for the Eden Park rematch, with Ratima named in jersey 21 to back up Finlay Christie who replaces the crocked TJ Perenara. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains what this means for the upcoming test match. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has launched a new initiative designed to reduce the impact of retail crime. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith confirmed the Ministerial Advisory Group will speak with victims and business owners to form proposals on reducing offending. This will be led by Dairy and Business Owners Group chair Sunny Kaushal - who says he's grateful the Government is taking the issue seriously. "No one deserves to go to work and end up in hospital - or much worse - so we believe this is something that can be solved." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK has a 'cast iron commitment' to spending 2.5 percent of national income on defence - but won't attach a timeline to that promise. Starmer has travelled to Washington for NATO's annual summit days after he won the general election. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says there's concern a proposed review could delay these plans. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank's decision to leave the OCR in place was in line with expectations - but their tone caught markets by surprise. The Bank indicated inflation could return to the one-to-three percent threshold by the end of the year, and cuts could be coming sooner than predicted. Milford Asset Management's Katlyn Parker explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The light at the end of the tunnel could be in sight for mortgage holders after today's OCR update. The Reserve Bank left rates unchanged at 5.5 percent - but the bank has hinted cuts could be coming sooner than initially predicted.  NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains how the Reserve Bank's change in tone could impact borrowers.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden's appearance at this week's NATO summit came with additional pressures ahead of the US election. Less than two weeks after Biden's shaky debate performance, Biden was under extra scrutiny on the world stage. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Biden sounded better during his first address - but he still has to contend with further global exposure. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Council has confirmed the venue for next year's SailGP. It's hosting the start of the Australasian leg in January after Christchurch proved too problematic and it was moved. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave addressed some concerns ahead of the event. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Otago University is signalling it has the backs of staff and students when it comes to free speech. The University Council has confirmed its new Free Speech Statement, which aims to enable diverse idea exploration and encourage open exchanges. Otago University Emeritus Professor James Maclaurin says this statement was 'absolutely essential'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 10 July 2024, a lawyer acting for some of the Aratere crew is refuting the suggestion they were getting coffee when the Interislander ferry ran aground. Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr tells Heather why he's so upbeat about the Reserve Bank's OCR statement. Will we actually see interest rates drop this year? Darleen Tana breaks her silence - saying the leaks of the report against her were designed to "pressure" her. Plus the Huddle debates whether all universities should adopt a free speech approach like Otago University's. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! NZ First has been making headlines over their claims the crew on the Interislander's Aratere ducked out to get coffee and didn't turn the auto-pilot off. Were these comments out of line?  The University of Otago has been praised over their new Free Speech Statement, which aimed to enable diverse idea exploration and encourage open exchanges. Is this the right move? How ridiculous is the proposed closure of Manawatu's Country Kindy? Have regulations and red tape gone too far? How long do we think it will be until Darleen Tana quits Parliament for good?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has agreed New Zealand's dairy sector is 'capped out' - and investing in aquaculture is the way to go. In an interview with Newsroom, Jones claimed the aquaculture sector faced fewer barriers and offered more opportunities than other primary industries- including wool, dairy and meat. Mark Hopper from Federated Farmers says there's opportunity in aquaculture, but we shouldn't give up on the dairy sector. "We really want to get back into a position where we can see some positive growth happening across all the primary sub-sectors - they're critical for our economy." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour says early childhood centres are being held back by 'extraordinary' regulatory compliance standards. The Associate Education Minister issued a 'please explain' to the Ministry of Education, after Manawatu's Country Kindy faced closure. It has since been granted a 12-week continuation of operations from the Ministry. Seymour says children weren't at danger. "There's no question here that any student is in any danger, there's no health or safety issue. It all relates effectively to paperwork and compliance around the curriculum." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's promised an extra financial boost to help Coromandel’s closed Cathedral Cove track open up by summer. The popular beach has been inaccessible by land since February last year, after being damaged by landslides caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. DOC has been allocated $5 million to plan, build, reopen and maintain walking access to the cove. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says they've done their due diligence to create the perfect short-term fix. "The first part is to get the short-term fix for Christmas this year, so we can be down there in December. The long-term fix might take a couple years to work through and figure out how to make it sustainable." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One legal expert is challenging Winston Peters' speculation about what happened to the Interislander's Aratere. The ferry ran aground near Picton in June, and its detention notice has officially lifted this afternoon. The Aratere has had inspections and tests and will make a graduated return to service - beginning with freight, then trucks, then passengers. This week, NZ First asked if someone left the ship on auto-pilot while getting a coffee - then couldn't turn it off. Maritime Union lawyer Troy Stade says the crew absolutely didn't duck out for a coffee. "And it astounds me that the acting Prime Minister would raise unsubstantiated rumour and conjecture in the middle of an active investigation."  UPDATE- a leaked document revealed the autopilot button was mistakenly pressed by the crew. To learn more, click here. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's some potential light at the end of the tunnel for mortgage holders after today's Reserve Bank update. The OCR's been held in place at 5.5 percent - the eighth pause in a row. However, the Bank's tone has softened, with experts predicting inflation will make the one-to-three percent target by the end of this year. Kiwibank Chief Economist Jarrod Kerr says his bank's sticking to its November forecast for an OCR reduction. "The commentary that we saw out of the Reserve Bank today suggests they're opening the door to a rate cut earlier than they had expected." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.