Denmark has agreed on how to implement the world’s first tax on agricultural emissions - including flatulence/farting/burping by livestock. This comes after months of negotiations between the country’s major parties, farmers, the industry, trade unions and environmental groups. From 2030, farmers will have to pay a levy of 300 kroner per tonne of methane (as per carbon dioxide equivalent) on emissions from livestock including cows and pigs, which will rise to 750 kroner in 2035.  The...

The Reserve Bank is set to meet for the last time this year to review the Official Cash Rate. Economists predict a cut will come - but it's unclear if the Bank will cut as high as 75 percent. NZ Herald business editor at large Liam Dann unpacks the odds. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and former Health NZ chair Rob Campbell joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Erica Stanford raised a few eyebrows after she allegedly called Labour's Jan Tinetti a 'stupid b....' in Parliament. Jan Tinetti says this is proof the rules of the House need to be enforced. What do we make of this? The gang patch ban is officially in force today - do we think this will make a difference?  15 economists have...

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 21 November 2024, the Director-General of Health Dr Diana Sarfati speaks to Heather about new advice on the use of puberty blockers - essentially there's no evidence they're safe or effective. "Stupid b***"! Labour MP Jan Tinetti tells Heather why she decided to complain about Education Minister Erica Stanford calling her a bitch in Parliament. Westpac CEO Catherine McGrath on whether it's hypocritical to invest in fossil...

Westpac has been accused of hypocrisy over punishing Kiwi farmers for their emissions while investing in fossil fuels. Westpac is among the major banks that introduced emissions reduction targets for farmers - including reducing the emissions intensity of the dairy farms it finances in Australia and New Zealand. However, these targets translate into Westpac Australia allowing Australian dairy farmers to continue producing more CO2-equivalent emissions per tonne of milk than New Zealand...

As social media advances, some parenting influencers have pulled back on posting their kids for fear of their digital footprint and other safety concerns. The founder of Happy Mum Happy Child, Maria Foy, revealed she's pivoted from her 'mumfluencer' brand and stopped posting her kids as they've gotten older and voiced concern about the consequences. Foy says kids deserve their privacy - and she doesn't feel comfortable sharing their intimate moments as teenagers.  "Now they're coming up to...

Labour's Jan Tinetti says consequences for rule-breaking in the House should apply across the aisle. Tinetti claims Education Minister Erica Stanford called her a 'stupid b....' after a fiery exchange during Question Time.  Stanford withdrew and apologised.  Last week, Labour's Willie Jackson was forced to leave the House when he wouldn't apologise for calling David Seymour a liar.  Tinetti says it's fair to also call out Stanford. "Willie got thrown out of the House by the Speaker for...

Experts are warning the Government's policies designed to reduce the deficit and bring down inflation are worsening the impact of the recession on households and businesses. Former Productivity Commission Chair Ganesh Nana has led group of 15 economists who've written to the Prime Minister claiming spending cuts are harming the economy. Nana explained that fiscal policy should not be targeting inflation. "We want fiscal policies to do other things, which is to focus on that external debt...

The Director-General of Health says she expects puberty blocker prescriptions to continue to fall.  The Ministry of Health has released an evidence brief showing a lack of quality evidence backing their effectiveness and safety for gender dysphoria. It says they should be prescribed by a clinician experienced in gender-affirming care, in a team offering wide support. Dr Diana Sarfati says use was already declining.  "The peak prescription for puberty blockers was around 2021- and in the...

Labour's Jan Tinetti has accused Education Minister Erica Stanford of using derogatory language in the House.  Stanford was forced to apologise, after the Speaker was made aware of the minister using unparliamentary language. Tinetti claimed to reporters Stanford called her a stupid B-word. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Stanford withdrew and apologised - a clear admission of guilt. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Melbourne teen has died in Thailand after drinking a suspected methanol-laced cocktail in Laos. Bianca Jones is the fourth person to die associated with the poisoning, along with one American and two Danish tourists. Her friend is still critically ill. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says reports claim the liquor bottles may have been topped up with methanol as a cost-saving measure. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's plenty for Scott Robertson to ponder ahead of the final All Blacks team naming of the year. The New Zealand side is expected to face off against Italy this coming Sunday. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Australian school is taking a unique approach to educating students about social media and internet safety. Pymble Ladies’ College has launched a 'Wise Phones' initiative that gives students in Years 4 to 8 age-appropriate smartphones that block social media and the internet until they reach Year 10 or 16 years of age. Principal Dr Kate Hadwen says it's important to teach kids about the technology slowly as they age - rather than banning phones outright. "It's a little bit like learning...

The funeral of former One Direction star Liam Payne will be held in a private ceremony in the Midlands, UK. Payne died on October 16th after falling from a hotel balcony in  Buenos Aries. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says Payne's former bandmates will make an appearance - but his family have kept the details private so the fans don't gatecrash.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More and more surgical procedures around the world are being carried out by trained robots. The latest field to benefit from the use of robotic technology is orthopaedic surgery - an area with plenty of room for growth as the population ages. Milford Asset Management analyst Deborah Lambie explains further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A senior Reserve Bank official has taken aim at the big banks and accused them of stifling innovation and competition by underinvesting in technology. Addressing delegates at a Payments NZ conference on Tuesday, the banking regulator’s director of money and cash, Ian Woolford, claimed there was a role for better regulation to push banks to keep up with their peers overseas. But the banks have pushed back - with Westpac head Catherine McGrath saying regulations were holding the banks back. ...

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  Richard Chambers is set to take over as New Zealand's new Police Commissioner. Do we expect any new changes? Will we get more old-school policing under Chambers' watch. Should Auckland Transport stop fining people for parking in their own driveways? What do we make of this?  It's been revealed NZTA...

ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions have surged around the world - but there's concern from experts that we might be overdoing it. In New Zealand, prescriptions for the relevant medication have increased tenfold since 2006 and Pharmac has reported a 140 percent rise in demand for these medications. General Practice NZ chair Dr Bryan Betty says it's a complex diagnosis - and there are several conditions that can mimic ADHD symptoms. "ADHD is very complex, there's a list of diagnostic criteria....

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 20 November 2024, the new Police Commissioner Richard Chambers tells Heather he will bring a different style to police leadership than his predecessor. Transport Minister Simeon Brown reveals the Transport Agency has spent almost $800 million on road cones and traffic management over the past three years. Heather reckons we need to be careful when celebrating the drop of alcohol consumption among young people. Plus the...

There's more power pain to come next year - as Kiwi households can expect a slight increase to their bills come April. The Commerce Commission has warned the average power bill will go up by $10, and there's room for additional increases to come. Commissioner Vhari McWha says additional funding is needed to create a safe and reliable power network. "For Transpower in particular, some of their assets are quite old and they need to be replaced - and some of them are less old and they'll be...

New Zealand has pledged $10 million to a global fund to help developing countries respond to climate change damage.  Minister-in-charge, Simon Watts has made the commitment at the UN Climate Change Summit in Azerbaijan. Watts says the contribution will help deliver effective support to help people in the most-affected regions build stronger communities. He explained that this will come out of New Zealand's overseas aid budget. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concern for hundreds of Kiwi workers as one of New Zealand's biggest pulp and paper mills looks to halt production. Tokoroa's Kinleith Mill plans to halt paper processing by June 2025 - with 230 jobs on the line. E tū negotiations specialist Joe Gallagher says these jobs cuts will have a ripple effect that impacts the rest of Tokoroa. "Tokoroa was born out of the fact that a lot of people migrated to the area to work at Kinleith - a lot of people rely on Kinleith. 230 jobs is not...

There's proof regulating children's screen time can reduce the risk of childhood obesity. An Auckland University study has found cutting young children's device use and ensuring they get enough sleep both lower obesity risk. Professor Boyd Swinburn says it used data from more than 5,000 children aged between two to four-and-a-half He says the World Health Organisation recommends pre-schoolers have less than an hour of screentime a day. "In this cohort, 70 percent of them actually had more...

New Zealand's new Police Commissioner is keeping an open mind about arming front line staff.  Deputy Commissioner Richard Chambers is replacing Andrew Coster - and has just returned from secondment with Interpol in France.  He says he's worked with many jurisdictions over the years, and hopes New Zealand doesn't get the point of arming cops.  But Chambers says policing is complex and volatile, and he'll do all he can to protect his staff.  "I've got to keep an open mind -what do my staff...