Larry Williams Drive

No arrests or issues of note for police at today's mass protests. Streets in towns and cities across the country were filled with the sounds of chanting and waiata, as thousands marched against the Government's stance on Māori issues. Police Minister Mark Mitchell says the protests were peaceful - and wrapped up relatively quickly. "They came along, they were peaceful, and they've left - so it seems to have gone well. There was a very good police presence there monitoring it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No praise from opposition leader Chris Hipkins, who claims this budget will only take New Zealand backwards. The Labour Party has unleashed a torrent of criticism over the Government's spending plans, including a lack of new cancer drugs, climate funding, and initiatives for Māori. Chris Hipkins says this Budget is a 'missed opportunity' to provide meaningful relief to struggling Kiwis. "The tax cuts that are being delivered for, say, someone on a minimum wage would be less than what they would have got if the Government had increased the minimum wage by the rate of inflation." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister admits the Budget could have gone further on tax cuts, but it wouldn't have been responsible. Today's documents included the Government's long anticipated tax package, at a cost of $3.68 billion. Funded through a suite of scrapped spending initiatives, all workers on more than $14,000 a year will receive between $4 - $40 dollars a fortnight. Nicola Willis says she was determined that every dollar of tax relief would be fully funded. "But we also needed to find a lot of money for frontline services. For hospitals, for the Pharmac budget, for our police, for schools - this was the tax reduction that we felt was prudent."  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB's Barry Soper says the 2024 Budget's unsurprising, as everyone was prepared for tax cuts. Although, he says it's more like attacking an unruly hedge with clippers rather than a chainsaw. "Further down the track, you'll see more cutting, there'll be many more people aggrieved - but when they look at tax and money in their pocket, then they'll be rather happy." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was no room in today's Budget to fund the cancer drugs National promised during the election campaign. Patient Advocacy Aotearoa's Malcolm Mulholland says he's disappointed. "There are patients right now with terminal cancer who are waiting for these medicines to be funded - if they're not funded, to be perfectly blunt, some will die." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Changes to tax thresholds will help deliver tax relief to three and a half million people from the end of July. Tax expert Robin Oliver says the brackets haven't moved enough. "They're nowhere near where they would be if the tax brackets were indexed for inflation - or for wages." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three police officers have been injured during a demonstration in Westminster organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and other groups. One officer suffered a serious facial injury, and 40 arrests related to assaults on emergency workers, obstruction of the highway and public order act breaches were made. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says investigations are still ongoing into the incident. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland University has released a draft policy regarding academic freedom and freedom of expression. As written, the policy will enable the university to establish regulations around the speech used by staff, students and visitors - if it's necessary to safeguard the well-being of others. Professor Natasha Hamilton-Hart has expressed concern with this draft policy. "I think it's a backwards step, and it will kill the atmosphere when it comes to expressing contentious or unpopular views." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global logistics company Mainfreight is still meeting investor expectations, despite suffering drops in profit. It's been revealed the company posted a 33 per cent fall in profit before tax to $395.4 million for FY24. Milford Asset Management's Sam Trethewey explains these figures further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr has stepped up his verbal war against the big four banks. It's been revealed Orr sent a letter using 'colourful' language to defend the amount of capital the Reserve Bank requires these banks to hold. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains the issue further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MPs are pushing back against the Speaker's ruling on the treatment of a Maori elder in House. Assistant Speaker Maureen Pugh demanded the Whakatohea kaumatua stop - as he tried to introduce a waiata. Speaker Gerry Brownlee has supported Pugh - but Labour leader Chris Hipkins says a karakia's often given before waiata - and he's never seen a Speaker interrupt. ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacked the controversy here today.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 29 May 2024, Te Kāhui Raraunga Chair, Rahui Papa unpacks the new Census data revealing nearly one million Kiwis identify as Māori. Flagship Auckland department store Smith and Caughey's is set to close in 2025, following a five-year rough patch. Chair Tony Caughey justifies the decisions he needed to make for the business. The Commerce Commission's Vhari McWha also warned that households could expect an increase in their power bills by next year.  Plus, the Huddle debates what the closure of Smith and Caughey's means for the state of the economy - and Auckland's Queen Street. 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! It's been confirmed Smith & Caughey's will close for good by next year. Is this due to the ongoing economic downturn - or is it a sign of bigger problems for the retail sector?  The Commerce Commission has revealed it plans to raise power bills to pay for work on the lines next year. Is this a necessity we have to accept? A lobby group has urged MPs to tighten their travel spending as many people are forced to cut costs in their own lives. Is this a fair call? It's Budget Day tomorrow - what are we looking out for? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's downturn and conflict in the Middle East remain front of mind for Fonterra. The dairy co-op is forecasting a Farmgate Milk Price midpoint of $8 next season, just up from its current season forecast of $7.80. It says global conditions remain volatile, and demand from China is taking a while to recover. Fonterra Chief Executive Miles Hurrell says Middle Eastern markets increased their stockpiles last year and won't be buying as much this year. "We're talking geopolitics here - things aren't getting any easier out there, you just read that in the headlines or any of the international press that's out there. We need to be mindful of that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition parties are calling on Assistant Speaker Maureen Pugh to apologise for interrupting a rangatira in Parliament.  Pugh faced backlash after she told Te Kahautu Maxwell to stop his brief speech ahead of the planned waiata. Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee says permission was given for a waiata - but not a karakia. "We can scramble round all the stuff all we like, but Maureen Pugh did what was right, according to the standing order." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asthma hospitalisations have fallen 20 percent in four years. Asthma affects one in eight New Zealanders - and more than 500,000 take medication for their symptoms. Asthma and Respiratory Foundation CEO Letitia Harding says the drop in hospitalisations is mostly due to a new medication. "This has actually really been down to a new type of inhaler, which is what we call your two-in-one combination inhaler." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Households can expect to pay an extra $15 per month for their power bills if a Commerce Commission proposal is confirmed. The commission regulates prices and performance standards for the national grid operator, and says these higher prices are necessary to fund investment in the electricity network. Commissioner Vhari McWha says they're being mindful of the possible effect this could have on consumers. "One of the things that we have done in order to try and mitigate that a little bit is to smooth the increase over a five-year period." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flagship Auckland department store Smith and Caughey's will close down next year, after 144 years. This closure comes off the back of a 40 percent drop in revenue drop across their Queen Street and Newmarket stores in the past five years. Chair Tony Caughey says they tried to find a way through the rough patch two years ago - but there was no solution. "We really turned over every stone we could find to see if we could see a way through it. We had independent professional advisors in, we really worked hard to find a solution - we couldn't find one." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions are being raised about the next steps after Donald Trump's hush money trial. After nearly five weeks, the prosecution and the defence have rested before the jury starts deliberations. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says if Trump is found guilty, he could face a large fine, house arrest or community service.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hurricanes hooker Raymond Tuputupu has been handed a three-week suspension for a high shot on Chiefs lock Tupou Vaa'i in the win over the Chiefs. His high shot connected with Tupou Vai'i's head - he was yellow-carded, which was upgraded to red. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains the controversy further.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.