Larry Williams Drive

The Silver Ferns haven't won any of their last five netball tests- and captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio is sick of the feeling. A month on from New Zealand's worst performance at a World Cup, the Silver Ferns suffered a shock defeat to a second-tier England side in Christchurch last night. ZB's Jason Pine recaps the loss here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's Associate Finance spokesperson is looking on the bright side of the latest poll. The party has fallen a further 0.3 points to 26.5 and National's dropped 1.8 points to 39.1 percent. NZ First is up 1.9 points to 5.2 percent, reaching the necessary threshold to enter Parliament. David Parker says it appears the left has stabilised - while National and ACT have peaked early. "I think it's the good economic news- not just unemployment being low, but those growth figures that came out recently were higher than people expected." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gisborne District Council says a beloved family dog should've never been put down under its watch. An investigation has been launched after Sarge was taken from his property on Friday and mistakenly euthanised by an animal control officer. According to the family's social media post, he was fully chipped and in a fenced-in area. Gisborne District Council's Nedine Thatcher-Swann says she wants to unpack exactly what's happened. "To the whānau, we have failed them. And we sincerely apologise- and to our community, for this." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Z Energy says demand for petrol is falling substantially, due to fuel price spikes and lifestyle changes among Kiwis. Brent crude oil prices are at a 10-month high, with 91 fuel reaching $3.20 a litre in some parts of the country. Retail General Manager, Andy Baird says demand for jet fuel remains strong, while the consumer market is under pressure. "And that's, we think, just a factor of the pre-Covid piece. Consumers can work from home and they're doing that, so that's 2 or 3 trips a week they're now not taking. And of course, the weather hasn't been great either, so those weekend trips are down as well." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters says he doesn't feel snubbed by being the National leader's last resort. Chris Luxon today confirmed he would work with New Zealand First post-election if absolutely necessary- but reiterates his preference is a National-Act Government. Peters says Luxon's been under media pressure to make a call and has taken the time to make the right decision. He says he'd be happy to take Luxon's call post-election. "I'm a courteous person, as you know. Of course I'll talk to people when they want to talk to me for the right reasons- and for the country's interests." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every Monday until the election The Front Bench will take on the biggest talking points of the election campaign. Heather du Plessis-Allan, Newstalk ZB Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper, former Business NZ CEO Phil O’Reilly and Auckland Councillor Richard Hills have the insight word and analysis.  This week, the Executive Director of the Taxpayer’s Union Jordan Williams steps in for Barry Soper. Our expert panel discusses Christopher Luxon confirming he’ll form a Government with Winston Peters if he has to. Does it give New Zealand First more credibility? Could National lose support because of this?   They also dissect Chris Hipkins getting into attack mode but ask, is it simply too late to make a difference in the polls? Heather asks the panel what they made of the debates last week and whether they’ll change any minds. Plus, they take a deep dive into the latest policy announcements – including National’s speed limits promise and Labour’s climate manifesto.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener

Further allegations against Russell Brand have emerged. A new accuser has claimed the actor, comedian and radio host exposed himself to her in a lift in 2008, who then joked about it on his radio show. And Sweden’s minority-coalition government is facing backlash after following in the UK’s footsteps in slashing its climate budget. It expects to miss its 2030 transport targets and has cut funding by around NZ$40 million. The climate minister has since been threatened with no-confidence votes. UK correspondent Gavin Grey joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The allegation of India’s involvement in the killing of a Sikh Canadian is based on surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, including intelligence provided by a major ally, a Canadian official told The Associated Press on Thursday. The official said the communications involved Indian officials and Indian diplomats in Canada and that some of the intelligence was provided by a member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes the U.S., Britain, Australia and New Zealand, in addition to Canada. The official did not say which ally provided intelligence or give details of what was contained in the communications or how they were obtained. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation first reported the intelligence. The revelation came as India stopped issuing visas to Canadian citizens and told Canada to reduce its diplomatic staff as the rift widened over allegations by Prime Minister J

A chance for the Warriors to reach their first NRL Grand Final since 2011. But they'll have to get past a formidable Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium to get to the final on October 1. A huge clash in the Rugby World Cup this weekend. The All Blacks - who have a bye week - will be watching South Africa vs Ireland with a very close eye to see who their potential quarter-final opponents will be.  Liam Lawson continues to push for a full-time driver spot in Formula 1. The 21-year-old is racing in Japan this weekend for AlphaTauri one week on from his first Formula 1 points in Singapore. Andrew Gourdie and Jason Pine joined Tim Dower to discuss the week's sports newsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up to 23 cryptosporidium cases have been confirmed in Queenstown due to poor drinking water. Water regulator Taumata Arowai has ordered the council to install a parasite barrier hoping to stop the problem. Water New Zealand says about 20 percent of Kiwis drink water without this barrier. Acting Technical Manager Lesley Smith joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A spectacular weekend awaits Warriors fans. Victory against the Brisbane Broncos on enemy turf will see the Kiwi outfit qualify for their first NRL Grand Final since 2011. Warriors assistant coach Richard Agar joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rupert Murdoch is stepping down from the role of chairman of News Corp and Fox at 92. The immediate successor appears to be his son Lachlan, but there are other family members and all sorts of other behind-the-scenes stuff going on. Monash University Head of Journalism Johan Lidberg joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another allegation of bullying in the Labour Party. MP Shanan Halbert has been accused of bullying by several former staff dating back more than a year, labelling him “manipulative”, “scheming” and “a narcissist”. Minor party leaders have had their say in the latest election debate. Act’s David Seymour, the Green’s Marama Davidson, NZ First’s Winston Peters and Te Pati Maori’s Debbie Ngawera-Packer all squared off in last night’s debate on Newshub Nation. And all parties have committed to keep school lunches going. It’s only funded out to the end of the year, but Labour and National have expressed interest in keeping it going. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Airlines say they share customers' frustration at Auckland Airport's passenger congestion woes. Thousands are expected to fly in and out of the airport tomorrow as it continues to deal with big Customs wait times during busy periods. The Board of Airline Representatives claim the airport says it has capacity for just over 2000 passengers an hour on a rolling 5-minute basis. However, congestion's occurring well below that level. Executive Director Cath O'Brien told Tim Dower it's frustrating to see the airport blame airlines because of slightly early or late flights – which is expected. “When in fact what we would look for is that they would manage their airport well, and frankly as of late that’s not been happening.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says efforts to crack down on ram raids are working. The party's police spokesperson is hitting back at claims by National Leader Chris Luxon that there are two ram raids a day. Ginny Andersen told Tim Dower data released by Police shows a 70 percent reduction in ram raids from their peak of 116 a month in August last year. “While the numbers are a bit noisy, they have been in decline generally since that point where they peaked. So they reached 35, which is the lowest we’ve had over a two-year period.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has worked to shore up US support for Ukraine on a whirlwind visit to Washington this week, delivering an upbeat message on the war’s progress while facing new questions about the flow of American dollars that for 19 months has helped keep his troops in the fight against Russian forces. The Ukrainian leader received a far quieter reception than the hero’s welcome he got last year, but also won generally favorable comments on the aid he says he needs to stave off defeat. His arrival was treated with more pomp at the White House, where a red carpet arrival on the South Lawn, followed by time in the Oval Office, an expanded gathering in the East Room and one-on-one time for the two first ladies, was a more grand reception than world leaders typically get. Zelenskyy, in long-sleeve olive drab, went to the Capitol with a firm message in private talks with Republican and Democratic leaders. The Ukrainians have a solid war plan, and “they are winning,” lawmakers quoted him as assuring t

Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave joined Tim Dower to discuss France halfback Antoine Dupont's facial injury in the 96-0 win over Namibia, the Warriors' do-or-die finals clash against the Brisbane Broncos, and Liam Lawson in the Japanese Grand Prix. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An increase in employees testing positive for cannabis. The Drug Detection Agency is attributing the rise to the proliferation of medicinal cannabis and easier access. New Zealand’s Medicinal Cannabis Act came into effect in 2020. CEO Glenn Dobson told Tim Dower there is a risk people are impaired at work. “When the patient first goes to have a conversation or consultation with their GP or their doctor, they should be advising with their doctor when they’re prescribed the type of role they’re doing.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The powerbrokers’ debate last night – you learn anything from it? Your impression of anyone improve, or did you feel the shine coming off someone by the way they conducted themselves? I thought it was bloody awful myself, but I stuck with it because I kinda had to. Let's forget the weird pub beer garden look of the whole thing, I just want to think about the substance of the, er, “debate” and the performance of the players. From right to left on your screen: Winston Peters - seemed to treat the whole thing as a bit of a joke...wasn't taking it at all seriously. Didn't do himself any good.  Almost like it was a rehearsal.  Nothing useful to say. Debbie Ngarewa-Packer - Awful, just awful, so, pretty much as expected.  Behaved like a silly third-former – the patronising way she referred to Mr Peters as Matua obviously intended as a put-down, but water off a duck's back to Peters. Marama Davidson - not a lot better than Packer banged on and on about a wealth tax that's not going to happen being the answer to, wel

The UK is set to overturn several policies aimed at achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with Prime Minister Sunak promising a 'pragmatic' solution. Sunak confirmed that the ban on on the sale of petrol and diesel cars would be pushed back from 2030 to 2035- bringing it in line with France and Germany. The Prime Minister also announced energy efficiency targets for rental properties would be reduced and backtracked on requiring homeowners to replace gas boilers with heat pumps. UK correspondent Enda Brady says Sunak is clearly seeking a second term ahead of the next general election- but Labour and Keir Starmer hold a lead in the polls. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.