Larry Williams Drive

Poor trading conditions, intense price competition and lower building product sales have prompted Fletcher Building to downgrade its profit forecast. The forecast has been downgraded $640 million to $540 million - move that caused stock to sink 15 percent. Milford Asset Management's Mark Riggall explains what's causing Fletcher Building's economic woes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of the May Budget, experts have noticed the Reserve Bank's balance sheet has grown over the years. The value of assets held by the RBNZ has has quadrupled since 2019, peaking at $104 billion in February 2023. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains what's causing all this. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New South Wales is pulling out all the stops to entice Kiwi cops across the ditch. Training requirements have been cut down and New Zealand officers can keep their ranks - on top of receiving higher pay. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this offer will be attractive to many New Zealand-based police officers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump's legal team are still working tirelessly to dismantle Michael Cohen's legal credibility. Cohen, Trump's former attorney and a key witness in the ongoing hush money trial, has been called to the stand for a second day. He remained calm - and expressed hope the former President would be found guilty of fraud. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Michael Cohen has also recently taken to TikTok to voice his issues. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Expect a different look on attack for the Warriors for Sunday's NRL magic round clash against the Panthers in Brisbane. A makeshift spine will see Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad at five-eighth, alongside halfback Te Maire Martin, who replaces the injured Shaun Johnson. Taine Tuaupiki will slot in at fullback. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains what this means for the team. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Foodstuffs is raising the alarm about an increase in retail crime throughout their stores. New data shows over 5000 incidents were reported in the first quarter of this year at 320 New World, Pak n' Save and Four Square stores. Foodstuffs North Island general counsel Julian Benefield says a number of these incidents were caused by repeat offenders. "As we've seen with the data that we're reporting, there's clearly a huge increase - and a large increase in the violent, aggressive offences, which is really concerning for us. It makes us really concerned about our team members." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Restaurant Association has voiced disappointment with Auckland Transport's move to charge for parking. AT will delay their 24/7 parking fees in the CBD until October - though charges on Sundays and public holidays will still kick in from July.  CEO Marisa Bidois says Auckland Transport still needs to hear what the business community has to say first. "We're talking 15,000 businesses that are potentially impacted by this, and I think that they need to be heard about their opinions on what's happening here." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 15 May 2024, New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley has launched a huge offensive to poach Kiwi cops to Australia. And she tells Heather she's not sorry at all! Hollywood's favourite new weight loss drug might be even more amazing than previously thought - now it's thought to dramatically lower the risk of having a heart attack. The Huddle can't agree whether King Charles' new portrait is great art or horrific - and would you believe it.... real life Martha from Baby Reindeer is now threatening Piers Morgan with legal action! 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, Matt Heath from Radio Hauraki and David Farrar, Kiwiblog contributor and Curia pollster joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! King Charles' portrait has divided the world, with some labelling it bold - or horrifying. What do we think? NSW officials have launched a recruitment drive to poach Kiwi police. Can New Zealand compete with Australia? How do we keep our skilled workers in the country? Foodstuffs has voiced concerns with the state of retail crime as incidents keep happening. What's the solution here? How can we keep crime down? LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's looking increasingly likely that the Wellington Phoenix will sell out Sky Stadium for their hotly-anticipated match. The team are set to host the Melbourne Victory for Saturday's A-League semi-final second leg - and tickets are going fast. Wellington Phoenix General Manager David Dome reckons tickets could sell out as soon as tonight. "We're doing about a thousand every couple of hours at the moment, so we might churn through those tonight." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WorkSafe's calling for businesses to boost safety standards as more workers lose fingers on unsafe machinery. The courts have issued more than half a million dollars worth of fines to three manufacturing businesses, since mid-March. They involve three people who lost multiple fingers in 2022. WorkSafe Principal Inspector Mark Donaghue says these companies should have had more safety precautions in place. "What we do find is that some safety systems can be bypassed - or may not be in place at all - for various reasons." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland art expert is calling King Charles' first post coronation portrait 'striking and interesting'. The painting, unveiled at Buckingham Palace, depicts the King in Welsh military regalia, with a butterfly on his shoulder, against a vibrant red background. The Head of Art at Webb's, Tasha Jenkins, says it was a surprise at first sight. "They really wanted it to be something bold and striking and different from what people would expect. We're all talking about it, so I'm sure that's a plus for them." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New South Wales government feels no guilt for attempting to poach Kiwi police. The state is 1500 officers short, and it today announced it'll fast-track New Zealand officers as recruits. Training requirements will be shortened and Kiwis can keep their current rank - up to senior constable. Police Minister Yasmin Catley says it's just another measure to bolster numbers. "Queensland's been doing it, Victoria's been doing it - this has been going on for quite some time." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been a clinical breakthrough with Hollywood's new favourite drug, which could work for more than weight loss. Research has found semaglutide, known by brand name Ozempic, could reduce heart attack risk by 20 percent. It also could improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. But Auckland University Molecular medicine professor Peter Shepherd says it takes years of real-life usage to see the effects of a new drug. "For a lot of people, this is really good long-term. But there is 20 - 25 percent of people who start off on this drug, and it doesn't work and they have too many side effects and they've gotta stop." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've got to talk about the brain drain that’s going on.Today, the NSW Government has announced it is going to come for our Kiwi cops. It's got a shortage of 1500 police, and they're extremely worried about it. So the Chris Minns Government has announced it’s going to slash red tape, cut down the course time required by more than half and fast-track Kiwi cops into their force. And Kiwi cops will leave. Because unless they win the pay arbitration they’re about to go into, they will take a pay offer from our Government that we can see is pretty poor. So they'll all head overseas for better pay.These are people we can’t afford to lose. Because we need police too, we're short on police as well. And we are losing a lot of these kinds of people. The immigration figures out yesterday were pretty rough. In just a year, we’ve lost a net 52,500 Kiwis - mostly to Australia. What we're talking about here is that these are our best and brightest. They are our skilled workers choosing to leave the country.Now, part of the

Researchers have found the injectable weight-loss treatment Ozempic could reduce the risk of heart attacks across the UK. A study revealed semaglutide, a key ingredient in treatments including Wegovy and Ozempic could likely boost the cardiovascular health of millions. UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's likely Ozempic will be routinely prescribed in the UK by the end of the decade.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Government has opted to ban live sheep exports from 2028 onward, a move that has farmers disappointed. The Government as promised a $107 million transition package to support the sector over the next five years. The Country's Jamie Mackay explains why farmers disapprove of this decision. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian treasurer Jim Chalmers is set to deliver the 2024 Budget tonight, and economists are raising their eyebrows at some promises. The reworked stage 3 tax cuts and energy bill relief are expected to be included in a set of nationwide cost-of-living support measures, but Chalmers is insistent they won't fuel inflation. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham is sceptical these measures won't add to Australia's inflation woes.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A record number of New Zealanders have left the country, according to new data. Stats NZ says the nation had a net migration loss of over 52,500 citizens in the year ending March. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen suspects concerning economic figures are driving young Kiwis to find greener pastures overseas, particularly Australia. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taxpayer support for the Christchurch Call will soon end, as it transitions to being a non-governmental foundation. Prime Minister Chris Luxon says the Call's work will continue, but it now has a new structure and will be self-funded. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says founder Jacinda Ardern's intentions were noble - but it wasn't enough. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.