Larry Williams Drive

If you want to watch ratepayers completely ignore and defy their council, watch the water drama in Wellington unfold. Wellington - as you know - has major water issues.  There are pipes busting in the centre of the city on a regular basis. On the street that I live, we have a regular leak. It plays out like this: The leak starts. We call the council. Nothing happens. Us neighbours talk to each and decide amongst ourselves to all call the council again. We do. The council sends some guys in high vis vests around, they tow some cars and take a look, they leave.   The water still flows. It gets worse over the next few weeks (yes, weeks) until it’s actually running so fast you could fill a bath in half an hour.   We call the council again, properly angry this time. They come around and finally fix it. But by the time they fix it, we have lost so much of the city’s water it’s infuriating. That’s happened about three times in the last four or five years. That’s just one leak in one street. There have been more than

What's going on with National's tax policy? Labour has been raising questions over whether National is going to stick to the policy of indexing the income tax threshold. National MP Chris Bishop joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to explain. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neale Jones and David Farrar joined Heather du Plessis-Allan on The Huddle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just one Accredited Employer Work Visa has been processed in the month since the category opened. The National Party has got hold of a leaked Immigration New Zealand paper, and the Party's calling the log-jam disastrous. Applicants must submit a job-check to obtain the visa - showing the employer couldn't fill the role with a New Zealand worker. Since job-checks opened six weeks ago, three-thousand-321 have been submitted, but just 817 approved. Managing Director of Building Recruitment, Kevin Everett joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government hopes the Commerce Commission drafts report on building supplies will be the first step towards greater competition. It's found it's too difficult for innovative products to enter the market and expand their share of it. Submissions from the public will be open until September, the final report will be delivered in December. Housing Minister Megan Woods says it's the beginning of a longer process. She says it would be inappropriate for the Government to make any changes without more information. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A counter-protest supporting democracy is planned to go head-to-head with a rally led by Brian Tamaki's Freedoms & Rights Coalition in Auckland this weekend. Counter protest organiser Mark Graham said it was a spur of the moment decision to show up and "save the nation's democracy". "The coalition and Brian Tamaki are not calling for freedom and rights, they want things to be done the way they want. That's just selfish. "He is throwing a tantrum because he is not getting what he wants. This is not democratic." Graham said their group was building in numbers since last night's decision to head to Auckland Domain on Saturday. "It is an important issue for us. We do not like what the coalition is doing, it is just not right. "We hope more people will show up to save our nation's democracy." Police have confirmed they are in talks with organisers of this weekend's anti-Government protest in and around Auckland Domain, which organisers threaten will be "impactive". A police spokesperson said they were discussi

The Department of Conservation has been forced to issue a warning to visitors to national parks after staff found Aucklanders carrying pet cats up Mt Taranaki in backpacks. The extraordinary alert was prompted by a bizarre feline incident but a spokesman said cats are not the only animals straying into some of our most pristine wilderness. DoC senior ranger Dave Rogers said staff saw the cats, who were rugged up against the cold in their own little jackets, being loaded into backpacks in a car park at Egmont National Park. "Cats and all other domestic animals are not allowed in the National Park as they pose a threat to endangered birds such as kiwi and whio, and other native species including geckos and insects," Rogers said. When approached, the owners, who were visiting from Auckland, said they weren't aware of the rules, which prohibit pets in the National Park. Photo / DOC "Bringing a pet into the park may seem a harmless thing to do," Rogers added, noting that dogs, rabbits and even a parrot have been

Newstalk ZB Political Editor joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. On the agenda was the cost of living payment, today's unemployment figure and Nanaia Mahuta copping criticism over claims councils will continue to own infrastructure in the Three Waters reform. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We now have a got a long-term strategy on how New Zealand will deal with the impacts of climate change. It says climate resilience will be embedded in all government policies from now on. It talks about how entire towns and communities will likely need to abandoned due to climate change - and laws on how to guide that will need to be in place by the end of next year. Questions have been asked as to who will be fronting the bill for the new policy. Climate Change Minister James Shaw joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research has found that gambling is more common in New Zealand’s most deprived communities. According to DOT Loves Data, the poorest ten percent of the country spend almost three times as much on gambling as the richest ten per cent. Pokie machines are also almost ten times as common in deprived areas, and the Problem Gambling Foundation says this causes a lot of harm. Peter Dengate-Thrush is the chairman of the Gaming Machine Association, he joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meeting leaders in Taiwan despite warnings from China, said Wednesday that she and other members of Congress in a visiting delegation are showing they will not abandon their commitment to the self-governing island. "Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy," she said in a short speech during a meeting with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen. "America's determination to preserve democracy, here in Taiwan and around the world, remains ironclad." China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes any engagement by Taiwanese officials with foreign governments, announced multiple military exercises around the island and issued a series of harsh statements after the delegation touched down in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei, on Tuesday night. Pelosi's trip has heightened U.S.-China tensions more than visits by other members of Congress because of her high-level position as leader of the House of Representatives. She is the first speaker of the house to come to

Tiger Woods turned down an offer worth approximately US$700-$800 million to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series, according to the tour's CEO Greg Norman. During an interview on Fox News that aired on Monday, former world No. 1 Norman was asked by Tucker Carlson if it was true that Woods was offered $700-$800 million to join the LIV Golf series. "That number was out there before I became CEO," Norman replied. "So, that number's been out there, yes. Look, Tiger's a needle mover, right? "So, of course, you're going to look at the best of the best. They had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO, so, yes, that number is somewhere in that neighbourhood." Previously, Norman had told the Washington Post in June that Woods was offered huge money to participate but turned it down. Norman said the Woods proposal was "mind-blowingly enormous; we're talking about high nine digits." The controversial tour has attracted some big names from the golfing world to leave the established PGA Tour and the DP World Tour

A top historian believes the Alexander Turnbull Library has another fake on its hands. Paul Moon has been researching British painter Augustus Eearle, who painted scenes of Māori life when visiting New Zealand in 1827. He thinks a painting held by the library called against truth is a forgery. Paul Moon joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Africa is planning to tell the world in three months that they want to start drilling for their vast reserves of oil and gas  Never mind the climate, they need the resources. The Guardian is reporting that the leaders of African countries are planning to make the announcement at COP27, the global climate change meeting in November in Egypt.  If they do this, it apparently makes it close to impossible for the world to keep temperature increases to below 1.5 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels. But the African leaders reputedly argue that they should be allowed to do what the rest of developed countries have done, and build their nations on the back of fossil fuels. They say if we care so much about the climate then we developed countries should go ahead and take the lead on sharp cuts to our emissions.  This means China, India and Africa are potentially burning way, way more than little old New Zealand could ever reduce. So answer me this: do you really think we’re doing the right thing spending so much m

More than 70 percent of diesel drivers buying up large amounts of discounted fuel are thought to be rorting the system. Purchasers were only meant to buy the number of units they'd typically use over a three-month period. But spot checks by Waka Kotahi on large purchases reveals 73 percent are likely to be excessive. Transporting NZ CEO, Nick Leggett joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A full review will investigate an overnight rooftop protest by six teen inmates at Hawke's Bay Regional Prison. Two climbed down this morning, and the last four finally surrendered to corrections officers. The stand off apparently kicked off when the group weren't allowed in the sports area yesterday. There is damage - including broken windows. Corrections Chief Custodial Officer Neale Beales told Heather du Plessis-Allan the prison negotiation team talked the young men down without further intervention. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The dust has now settled on Andrew Little's healthcare workforce announcement. The industry have come out strongly, saying more financial support is needed to keep nurses and doctors here as well. None of the announced measures solve the problem of being able to earn significantly more in places like Australia.  Jenny Carryer, executive director of the NZ College of Nurses joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prince Charles is facing more questions over his charities after a newspaper reported that one of his funds accepted a £1 million ($1.96m) donation from relatives of Osama bin Laden. The Sunday Times reported that the Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund received the money in 2013 from Bakr bin Laden, patriarch of the large and wealthy Saudi family, and his brother Shafiq. Both are half-brothers of the former al-Qaida leader, who was killed by US special forces in Pakistan in 2011. The newspaper said advisers had urged the heir to the throne not to take the donation. Charles' Clarence House office disputed that but confirmed the donation had been made. It said the decision to accept the money was taken by the charity's trustees, not the prince, and "thorough due diligence was undertaken in accepting this donation." The fund's chairman, Ian Cheshire, also said the donation was agreed "wholly" by the five trustees at the time, and "any attempt to suggest otherwise is misleading and inaccurate". The Prince of Wales

Michael Hill has become the first major retailer in Australasia to become an accredited seller of lab-grown diamonds. The jewellery chain has been selling synthetic diamonds since 2020. But now they can officially say they are carbon neutral and be accurately traced back to their source of manufacturing. First Retail Group managing director Chris Wilkinson joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacinda Ardern has spoken at the China Business Summit this morning. She said she is looking forward to the resumption of ministerial visits with China as Covid allows, and she hoped to lead a business delegation herself "to renew and refresh in-person connections”. She’s also called for "diplomacy, de-escalation and dialogue”, which comes after Chinese threats to US Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. NZME Business Commentator Fran O’Sullivan joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.