Holiday Breakfast

The working class man and one of Australia's most beloved musicians, Jimmy Barnes, is heading back to our shores for his 'Hell of a Time' tour.    Over the length of his career Barnes has achieved 15 solo number-one albums in Australia, becoming 21 when combined with the five earned as the lead singer of ‘Cold Chisel’, resulting in him having the highest number of any artist, including the Beatles and Taylor Swift.  Late last year the musician underwent a health scare, sending him under a surgeon’s knife and leading him to cancel the rest of his shows for the year.  He revealed on Instagram that the bacterial infection he was battling had spread to an already-weakened valve of his heart and was undergoing open heart surgery.  Barnes told Newstalk ZB’s Roman Travers that there were a few points where he felt like he wouldn’t make it through.  “It was pretty drastic.”   He’s happy to report that he’s now feeling “fighting fit”, having come through the worst of it and is now back swimming, singing, and training once more.  “I remember just literally lying in the hospital bed and thinking that, you know, I might not make it,” Barnes said.  “And I just figured that when I came through it and I was okay, I figured that, you know, I’ve got to enjoy every moment of life, you know?”  He decided to treasure all the little moments, particularly with his loved ones, making a point to call his kids and tell him he loves them if he ever feels the urge.  “I savour every moment.”  Barnes has returned to playing live, celebrating the anniversary of his 1993 ‘Flesh and Wood’ album with a self-described ‘intimate experience’ on his ‘Hell of a Time’ tour.  “It’s a joy to be doing shows,” he told Travers.  “It’s a joy to be playing live.”  The New Zealand leg of his tour gets underway in July, with tickets still available for Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin.  Some artists are incredibly picky when they perform, liking to have control of everything down to the minutiae. Jimmy Barnes likes to be ‘across it’, saying that you have to have an eye for details.  “My job is to make sure I get out and do the best show for the public,” he said.  “To do that I don’t just look after what I do, I gotta look after what the band does, what my band are playing, who I’m gonna work with."  “The show starts as soon as the door opens up.”  Barnes is picky with his opening act, telling Travers that he wants people to come in and see a good opener, someone who’s exciting to see.  “From the minute people walk into the auditorium to the minute they leave, they’re entertained, then that’s me doing my job.”  Every show on the ‘Hell of a Time’ tour is an ‘intimate experience’, Barnes forgoing the traditional rock concert, stripping it right back and digging into the stories behind the songs.  “It’s quite interactive with the crowd,” he revealed, promising chats, laughs, and interactions with the entire Barnes family.  ‘My wife, and my daughter, two daughters, are actually on stage with us.”  “It’s quite unique.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dawn services have been held around the country this morning. On ANZAC Day, thousands of soldiers who fought for New Zealand in the great World Wars are remembered.  Winston Peters and the Kiwi Defence Force contingent are at the Gallipoli Dawn Service. The Defence Force had a rocky start to the visit, with lost bags amid the chaos of Dubai’s floods meaning they will now play a reduced role in the service.  Defence Force Chief, Air Marshal Kevin Short tells Roman Travers thousands were in Wellington this morning making for a very moving dawn service.   The Defence Force has assisted RSAs throughout New Zealand to put on commemorative services in small towns and cities.   Short says the government can always do a bit more to support veterans, even while acknowledging dollar-based limits.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins says yesterday’s cabinet reshuffle shows “the wheels are falling off already”.   Paul Goldsmith will take over Melissa Lee’s role as Broadcasting Minister and Louise Upston will take over from Penny Simmonds as Disability Issues Minister.  Hipkins tells Roman Travers Lee didn’t come up with a single new idea on how to deal with the changing media landscape in her six years as broadcasting spokesperson in opposition. He says one of the main problems for media is companies like Google and Facebook profiting from content that they don’t actually produce.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors are dusting themselves off from last week’s shocking loss to the Dragons. The team are looking to hit back hard in today’s ANZAC Day clash against the Gold Coast Titans.   Former Warriors player and commentator Adam Blair tells Roman Travers the Warriors need to bounce back after letting themselves down defensively last week.   The Warriors have lost their past eight ANZAC Day games but Blair says facing a different team this year may put something on our side of the waters.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced a cabinet reshuffle, dropping Melissa Lee from the Media and Communications portfolio. Paul Goldsmith will take over the role.  Former Newshub Head of News Mark Jennings tells Roman Travers when it came to the crunch, Lee didn’t deliver. A major factor in Lee’s removal was her failure to present a coherent plan or solution for problems currently facing the media.  Jennings says Goldsmith has a challenge in making a difference in New Zealand media, due to different companies in many different mediums.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon dropped a shocking cabinet reshuffle yesterday, stripping two ministers of their portfolios.   Melissa Lee is out of cabinet and lost the Media and Communications portfolio and Penny Simmonds has been dropped as Disability Issues Minister.  Luxon tells Roman Travers the complexity of the two portfolios has increased dramatically over the last few months and he wants them handled by more senior Cabinet ministers.  Paul Goldsmith will take over Media and Communications, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio. Luxon says these ministers have good synergies in their respective portfolios to take these new roles on board. Goldsmith currently looks after Arts, Culture and Heritage and Upston is Minister for Social Development.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britain will boost its defence spending to 2.5 percent of national output by the end of the decade.  UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made the pledge when meeting with secretary general of NATO Jens Stoltenberg. The rise in spending will equate to £78 billion and dwarfs NATO contributions from countries like Germany, France, Italy and Spain.   UK correspondent Rod Liddle tells Roman Travers that Sunak prefaced his arguments saying we live in an “increasingly dangerous world”.  Meanwhile, deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner faces more trouble as deputy PM Oliver Dowden has suggested she resign over the row surrounding her council house.  Rayner has been accused of lying about her former home, which she bought using a right to buy scheme before selling it eight years later for a £48,500 profit. There is confusion over whether the property was indeed her principal residence, leading to questions over whether she avoided capital gains tax.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Venice, Italy will introduce a tax for day trippers to enter the city.   Italian correspondent Jo McKenna tells Roman Travers the tax’s introduction could cause chaos due to the lack of awareness about it. Day trippers can register online, stating their intention to go to Venice. The tax will cost New Zealand visitors €10 per person.   Meanwhile, a 13 month old baby boy has been killed by two pitbull terriers in the southern Italian town of Campo Longo sparking calls for more serious controls around dogs.  And, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni has addressed the European Conservatives and Reformists caucus ahead of the EU elections in June. Meloni has said they must “defend our nations”.   Strongly aligned with Spain’s Vox party, the French Reconquest party and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party, Meloni is looking for a strong sweep of the right wing when the EU elections take place.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As interest rates globally have risen significantly in recent weeks, many investors are pushing back the timing for interest rate cuts.  Yesterday, Australia saw a falling annual inflation rate. Annual inflation in the year to March was 3.6 percent – less than the hoped-for 3.4 percent, which the Reserve Bank had indicated would be the level needed to cut interest rates later in the year.  Meanwhile, banks in New Zealand have released a preview of the first quarter labour market data.   Unemployment levels have risen to 4.2 percent and markets are keenly watching for signs that wage growth is easing.   Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold tells Roman Travers the unemployment level is a useful step on the path of 5 percent that the Reserve Bank is looking for.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big changes for the Reserve Bank, as it appoints new members to its Monetary Policy Committee. University of Auckland macroeconomics professor Prasanna Gai and former Electricity Authority chief executive Carl Hansen will take up their posts later in the year. Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold explains what these new changes could mean for the future of the OCR. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors played in front of a sold-out crowd at Auckland's own Mt Smart stadium- and were rewarded with a win. Despite a leg injury taking down Luke Metcalf in the first 10 minutes, the team beat the Newcastle Knights 20-12. ZB sport commentator Elliot Smith recaps the team's second victory of the season. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors have made it two wins in a row, after beating the Newcastle Knights 20-12 at a sold-out Mount Smart. Jackson Ford, Chanel Harris-Tavita and Marcelo Montoya all bagged tries for the hosts, with Shaun Johnson's penalty enough to secure the win. Team CEO Cameron George was stoked to help create an environment where fans could fill up one of New Zealand's biggest stadiums on a long weekend. "It's been work in progress for a long time- these things don't happen overnight. We've got a terrific team in the office that put together such a fantastic event." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Less money in the wallets of EV owners, but more money in the budget for fixing our roads. Owners of EVs and plug-in hybrids are no longer exempt from road user charges. From today, EV owners will need to pay $76 per 1000 kilometres, while plug-in hybrids will need to pay $38. AA's Principal Policy Advisor for Motoring Affairs Terry Collins says the change has been a long time coming. "The current Government discontinued the previous Government's announcement, so there's been plenty of indication that this was going to happen." Collins says the money will go straight towards building roads and repairing potholes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles has shaken hands with members of the public, in his first significant public appearance since being diagnosed with cancer. He's attended the annual Easter Sunday service in Windsor with his wife Queen Camilla. Prince William, Princess Catherine and their children weren't in attendance, due to Catherine's ongoing cancer battle. Royal correspondent Russell Myers says it was a slimmed down congregation. "Very much in keeping with the King's desire to try and keep up with duties, he's had a scaled-down schedule and that's definitely to minimise the risk of infection." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Current Tenancy Tribunal processes are failing to get some tenants to pay what they owe. The Herald's Open Justice reports landlords have been chasing $1.3 million of unpaid rent through the tribunal in just the first two months of this year. Auckland Property Investors' Federation Vice President Peter Lewis says bonds don't cover the cost. "Often you find that you have a bond that's, say, $2000. But by the time a deal is made, the debt can be more that $4000-$5000." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hope a $100 million industrial complex under construction in Auckland will create a new standard for sustainable goods distribution. Argosy Property's 3.5 hectare development on Neilson Street in Onehunga is expected to be completed late next year. It will have large rainwater tanks, will accommodate EV truck charging and will have solar panels for electrified vehicles, industrial processes and logistics. Argosy Property Head of Development Marilyn Storey says they've just broken ground at the site. "We are creating a lower carbon footprint building, we're targeting much lower emissions." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Easter trading rules are back in the spotlight, with two Wānaka supermarkets facing potential fines for remaining open throughout the long weekend. So-called 'non-essential businesses' need an exemption to open on Good Friday or Easter Sunday. Dairies, restaurants, cafes and pharmacies are currently considered essential, but Wānaka Business Chamber General Manager Glenn Peat says supermarkets could argue they're essential too. "It is breaking the law, and we just have to look at it from the perspective of what the community may need at that particular time." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Associate Finance Minister says the minimum wage isn't designed to be a way of raising income, and the Government has to consider its effect on employers. The minimum wage increases to$23.15 an hour from today, with the Family Tax Credit, Best Start tax credit and Job Seeker Support benefit also increasing. Labour says the increase won't be enough for some struggling households. But Minister David Seymour says there are very few minimum wage workers leading a household. "Often they'll be students, often they'll be a partner who works part-time but has a full-time breadwinner elsewhere in the household." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Days before judgement was set to be handed down, Australian broadcaster Network 10 has new evidence to add to Bruce Lehrmann's case. The network has applied to submit this new evidence - the details of which are currently unknown - with a hearing listed for Tuesday afternoon. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says it's unclear if Network 10 is legally allowed to submit evidence this late into proceedings. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Work is underway to rebuild Baltimore Key Bridge, which collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship last week. The White House has poured millions of into fixing the port, which brings in billions of dollars of revenue annually. US Correspondent Richard Arnold says authorities have a long process ahead. "They have only recovered the remains of two of the six bridge workers who were killed when it all collapsed- the cargo ship and the crew were stuck in the tangle, just sitting on board there." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.