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Don't miss a thing while you're on holiday, with Newstalk ZB Holiday Breakfast. We deliver the best in news, views and opinion to keep Kiwis informed and entertained while you're on the road, at the bach, or relaxing at home.
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Australia’s new hate speech laws have hit a speedbump. Parliament was recalled early to pass reform that would create serious offences for hate in the wake of the Bondi terror attack. However, the Opposition and the Greens are refusing to accept the laws in their current form. Australia Correspondent Murray Olds told Andrew Dickens the Opposition is saying the timeline is ridiculous, and that the bill is unsalvageable in its current form. He says everyone was in favour of fighting antisemitism as hard as they could, but it's now dissolved into a political bunfight. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For many, Six60 is an undeniable part of the New Zealand summer soundscape. Their classics such as ‘Don’t Forget Your Roots’, ‘The Greatest’, and ‘Please Don’t Go’ are a staple of every backyard barbeque summer get together, and soon a few new songs will be joining the playlists. Their fifth studio album ‘Right Here Right Now’ is set to be released in February, but two new singles are already available. Frontman Matiu Walters told Andrew Dickens that hands down, it’s their best music ever. “Quite often music can get quite tedious and boring if you’re just trying to plough through it all.” “But the time feels right and we have some stories to tell, and it’s all captured in this new album and this new music.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A tourism leader in Kaikoura says they're having their busiest summer season since a major earthquake almost a decade ago. Visitor numbers reached about 220 thousand in November, up nearly 30 thousand on the year before. Destination Kaikoura Chair Chris Sturgeon told Andrew Dickens tourism and hospitality players says things are booming. He says there's a positive feeling throughout the town, and says Kaikoura's beautiful landscape offers tourists a true New Zealand location. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
President Donald Trump is threatening to deploy troops to Minnesota, with heated clashes on the streets over the presence of ICE. US Homeland Security says a federal officer has shot a man in the leg in Minneapolis after being attacked with a shovel as he tried to make an arrest. Protests have erupted in the city since an anti-immigration officer shot a woman dead last week. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Andrew Dickens things are very intense. He says Minneapolis’ Mayor, Jacob Frey, says the city’s being put in an impossible situation. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Online hate speech in New Zealand is becoming more targeted and our system can't keep pace. Netsafe's latest survey shows since 2018, the proportion of ethnicity-based hate speech has risen from 18% to 36%, becoming the most common reason people are targeted. Political-based hate has also increased to 25%. Netsafe Chief Online Safety Officer Sean Lyons told Andrew Dickens regulation is a really important part of dealing with it. He says that when people clearly understand where the laws sit and there’s a framework to deal with that harmful content, then the platforms can better deal with it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Calls for the Government to force streaming giants to invest in New Zealand content as local productions struggle. The Screen Producers' Association says Netflix, Disney, Apple and Amazon should be forced to commission local programmes or pay into a fund from their local revenue President Irene Gardiner says declining ad revenue means TVNZ and Three have cut local productions by $50 million dollars, and Kiwis are missing out on their own stories. She told Andrew Dickens that streaming services have completely broken the traditional business model, so they’re looking to them to be part of the solution. Gardiner says they’re not asking for charity, just fairness and a level playing ground. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Questions continue to swirl over Scott Robertson’s departure as All Blacks coach. He's left halfway through his four-year deal after player frustration simmered and boiled over in a scathing internal review late last year. NZ Rugby Chair David Kirk denies a player revolt forced Robertson out. But former Chief Executive David Moffett told Andrew Dickens the organisation's a bit of a mess. He says you're going to get bigger problems if players get to determine who their boss is. Moffett says told Dickens he’s given up trying to understand the organisation’s strategy or purpose. He says they currently don't have a chief executive, a coach, and are missing some senior leaders. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fonterra's boss says farmers are used to volatility in prices and payouts. Its midpoint forecast farmgate milk price for this season now sits at $9 after a string of falls in global dairy prices. That's more than 10% lower than last season's final payout. Chief Executive Miles Hurrell told Andrew Dickens most farms are intergenerational, so farmers understand the ups and downs of the commodity cycle. He says the pace of the northern hemisphere increase in supply may have caught some people out. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Another tourism announcement is set to come – another round in the Regional Tourism Boost plan. The goal is to get international travellers out of the main centres to explore all that New Zealand has to offer. Round two will focus on the April to June season, when there’s typically fewer travellers and less activity. Tourism Minister Louise Upston told Andrew Dickens it’s about spreading visitors throughout the country, making sure they stay in different places and sample our amazing food and wine. It’s part of the $10 million fund they announced last year as part of the overall $70 million major events and tourism boost, she said, to the tune of $3.69 million. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If you haven’t heard the name Gianmarco Soresi, you may have seen his clips. The American stand up comedian is a staple of shortform video platforms, with over two million follows across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. He’s become known for his crowd work and his distinctive physicality, clambering over chairs and folding himself up as he performs. And he’s bringing it to New Zealand, performing two shows at the Sky City Theatre in Auckland tomorrow night. Soresi’s style leans towards “wholesome boundary-pushing", which he told Andrew Dickens he plans to push as many as he can whilst performing in New Zealand. “Some of it’s traditional, the edgy, the political, but some of it’s emotional, some of it’s like, oh you, you don’t talk about people’s dads like that.” These days you’ll see plenty of comedians complaining they can’t joke about anything anymore, but Soresi is among those proving otherwise. “I honestly think it’s what I talk about,” he told Dickens. “Even when it’s about edgy things or whatever, it’s usually like me, it’s making fun of myself or using myself as the ruler to examine other things.” You have to bring your own humanity into it, Soresi explains. “I find that if you’re honest about how you fit into the world, you find people aren’t necessarily mad, they might disagree with you, but as long as you’re like, taking in your own foibles as you discuss the topic, you can talk about anything you want.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An All Blacks bombshell to start the New Year. The Herald has detailed elements of a 'scathing' internal review into the side's 2025 season, with critical feedback on the coaching, culture, and environment. Head coach Scott Robertson and his lead assistant Scott Hansen are believed to be at the centre of the critical feedback. All Blacks player of the year for the 2025 season Ardie Savea is reported to be seriously unhappy. Former All Black Justin Marshall told Andrew Dickens what we want out of the All Blacks is consistency, and everyone can see that there are too many fluctuations, and the results are reflective of that. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Don Brash says everyone should be concerned about political interference regarding matters at America's central bank. US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says he's now embroiled in a criminal investigation because he didn't cut interest rates as much as Donald Trump wanted. Trump denies involvement but is standing by calls for Powell to be replaced. RBNZ Governor Anna Breman signed a joint statement in support of Powell, saying he's highly respected, with an unwavering commitment to the public interest. But Winston Peters rebuked her for it, saying she needs to stay in her New Zealand lane and stick to domestic monetary policy. But Brash, a former New Zealand Reserve Bank Governor, strongly backs Breman, saying that Peters is in the wrong in this situation. He told Andrew Dickens it's in everyone's interests for the Federal Reserve to be able to make its own independent decisions, free from interference. Brash says the US dollar is the backbone of the world economy and the world monetary policy system, and anything that jeopardises that affects everyone. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The UK will be deciding this week whether or not to allow the construction of a Chinese ‘mega’ embassy in London. The project has been debated for years, with concerns over the potential security risks it could pose for the UK. Critics fear the embassy, which would be located close to London’s financial district and crucial data cables, would be used as a base for espionage. UK Correspondent Rod Liddle told Andrew Dickens he doesn’t think the embassy will get the go ahead in the end. The argument in favour, he says, is that the UK needs a good relationship with China to get money and investment, but this is a bridge too far. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
At least 500 buildings have been destroyed as wildfires continue to tear through Victoria. Multiple fires have ravaged 404,000 hectares of land – an area more than five times the size of Singapore. Thousands of properties remain without power, and television and radio services to areas like Bendigo and Castlemaine have been knocked out. Australian Correspondent Murray Olds told Andrew Dickens it’s unknown how long transmission services will be down, and how big the damage bill will be. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Winston Peters says sticking to the basics has led to NZ First’s position in the polls. Based on current polling, the party is set for another term in government, one of the first times it will have a consecutive run. Peters told Andrew Dickens that there’s a whole lot of things going on in New Zealand that New Zealanders do not like, and they’ve sought a voice to express their concerns – NZ First. He their position has been on the rise in other parties’ internal polls is because they’ve stuck to the basics and the essentials. Peters says they’re focusing on trying to get the economy turned around while still remembering that the country is comprised of all sorts of workers, all of whom need to have a future in New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The UK is introducing a law making it illegal to create non-consensual intimate images following growing concern over Elon Musk's AI chatbot. Officials in countless countries are condemning the lack of regulation of sexualised content on the app X, formerly known as Twitter, including depictions of children. ACT MP Laura McClure, author of the Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill, told Andrew Dickens she’s glad to see some action being taken, but the problem is far wider than X and Grok. She says there’s hundreds of websites that can do this, so the first thing we need to do as a government or society is make this behaviour illegal. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Donald Trump is risking further inflaming matters in Iran, urging anti-government demonstrators to keep protesting, adding "help is on its way". The US President has raised the possibility of intervention in Iran, and his national security team meets today to discuss its options. Thousands are feared dead, as the country's regime violently cracks down on anti-government protests. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Andrew Dickens military operations are being considered, including a strike on Iran’s missile programme, or strikes against security services or directly against Iranian leadership. He says Iran is publicly threatening retaliation for any military action, which the White House has called laughable. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tougher penalties for energy companies caught breaking the rules. From next year the Electricity Authority will be able to order fines of up to $10 million, or 10% of a company's turnover – up from the current $2 million. The fines can be issued if companies distort the market or take advantage of customers. Octopus Energy CEO Margaret Cooney told Andrew Dickens one of the issues with lower fines is that players decide whether or not to comply since they could meet the low-level fine. She says it's a high value sector, so it’s totally appropriate that fines have increased. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
'Deliberately absurd' is how a Christchurch mountain biker describes his idea to cycle around a McDonald's drive-thru for 24 hours. 21-year-old Matthew Fairbrother clocked up 500 kilometres on the ride on Christmas Day. Fairbrother told Andrew Dickens it may be a world record of some sort, as he's not aware of anyone doing something similar. He concedes the idea was a bit pointless, but was to put himself to the test and see what he could achieve when his mind was put to something. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A spotlight on student achievement, with NCEA results now available nationwide. About 158 thousand Year 11 to 13 students can access their exam results, including Course Endorsements and University Entrance. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Andrew Dickens literacy and numeracy co-requisites are now incredibly important. He says students can't get NCEA without those, which has changed how schools operate. Students can also request a review or reconsideration from next month. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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