David Trewavas: Taupo Mayor ahead of the Supercar events kicking off this weekend

The Supercar Sprints are kicking off in Taupo this weekend. The event is expected to bring up to 70,000 attendees, giving a significant boost to the city and surrounding region. Mayor David Trewavas told Mike Hosking that the town is absolutely buzzing. He said they had the parade through the C…

Vincent McAviney: UK Correspondent on Prince William's return to royal duties since Kate's cancer diagnosis

Prince William has made his first return to royal duties since Kate's cancer diagnosis went public. Last month the Princess of Wales revealed she's been receiving treatment amid wild internet speculation. The family has been away from the public eye but the Prince has returned to show support for…

Jennifer Mills: Employment specialist on the low availability of jobs for those trying to get off the JobSeeker benefit

The turn of the economy could make it tricky for those on JobSeekers to find employment. New Social Development figures reveal just under 188,000 people are on JobSeeker, up almost 20,000 people from last year. Employment specialist Jennifer Mills told Mike Hosking that she's sure many on the b…

Gareth Kiernan: Infometrics Chief Forecaster says financial pressures are expected to continue into late 2025

Experts are forecasting more financial pressure for households, continuing into late next year. The Infometrics data expects the annual GDP to dip into the negatives mid 2024, meaning slower growth than had previously been expected. Infometrics Chief Forecaster Gareth Kiernan told Mike Hosking th…

Mitch McCann: US Correspondent on the progression of Donald Trump's criminal trial and the continuing jury selection

Seven jurors have officially been selected for Donald Trump’s ‘hush money’ trial, leaving eleven more still to come. Despite the trouble they’re facing, US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Mike Hosking that it is moving faster than people expected. He said it could have taken up to 22 weeks to sel…

Emily Heazlewood: Christchurch entrepreneur on the creating of new dating app Amor

A Christchurch entrepreneur is attempting to break into the dating app market. ‘Amor’ is trying to bring something fresh, only giving four matches a week and refusing to show profile photos for the first 2024 hours. Creator Emily Heazlewood told Mike Hosking that although the market is quite satu…

Kelvin Davidson: CoreLogic Chief Property Economist on homeowners choosing short term loans in anticipation of cuts to the OCR

As inflation cools down, homeowners are starting to hold out for cuts to the OCR. The CoreLogic April Housing report shows 56% of new loans taken out in February were on one-year fixed terms compared to 36% in December. Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson says that's a pretty strong indica…

Mark Potter: NZEI President says the new Government health guidance for children could impact employer attitudes to parents

There are concerns the Government's new health guidance for children could impact employer attitudes towards parents. The guidelines say kids with a mild cough, headache, or runny nose should go to school, provided they don't have Covid-19 or other symptoms like a fever or vomiting. This move is …

Gary Morrison: Security Association CEO on the powers of Security Guards in the aftermath of the Bondi Junction stabbing

Security guards have no more power than a regular citizen when it comes to a threat of danger. They're expected to be more visible in malls around Australia and New Zealand following the stabbing at Bondi Junction in Sydney on Saturday afternoon. Forty-year-old Queensland man Joel Cauchi stabbed …

Nick Tuffley: ASB Chief Economist predicts that inflation will drop to 4.1%

Banks are picking inflation to continue falling. ASB is expecting today's figures to show annual inflation falling to 4.1%, the lowest since June 2021. ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley told Mike Hosking that things like rates, rents, and insurance are going the wrong way. But, he says, it's sti…