Prime Minister Chris Luxon has pulled no punches in his first Cabinet reshuffle during his tenure.

Media Minister Melissa Lee and Disabilities Minister Penny Simmonds have both been dropped from their portfolios, after a string of controversies surrounding them.

ZB political editor Jason Walls says Luxon has acted on the number one rule in politics to remove all distractions.

But he says he has a bit more sympathy for Lee, where the Government was hamstrung on what they could do amid the media's woes.

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Prime Minister Chris Luxon has pulled no punches in his first Cabinet reshuffle during his tenure.
Media Minister Melissa Lee and Disabilities Minister Penny Simmonds have both been dropped from their portfolios, after a string of controversies surrounding them.
ZB political editor Jason Walls says Luxon has acted on the number one rule in politics to remove all distractions.
But he says he has a bit more sympathy for Lee, where the Government was hamstrung on what they could do amid the media's woes.
LISTEN ABOVE

News, opinion, analysis, lifestyle and entertainment – we’ve got your Sunday morning listening covered with The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB.

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Jason Walls: ZB political editor on Prime Minister Luxon removing portfolios from Melissa Lee and Penny Simmonds

Long Island by Colm Toibin. It’s a sequel to the book Brooklyn which came out a few years ago and was made into a terrific movie – though this can easily be read on its own. Eilis moved to NYC from Ireland and married an Italian guy in Brooklyn. Twenty years later she’s living claustrophobically with her husband Tony’s family deeply embedded in her life. A stranger arrives to say that Tony has fathered a child with his wife and when the baby comes he intends to dump it on their doorstep. She retreats home to Ireland and while there, reconnects with a man she’d loved and left behind. The nuance of relationships and the sense of place are really powerful – Colm Toibin is a master of both and this book is a joy to read.

Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians. This is similar, in that he writes about very, very rich people – and others masquerading a wealthy when in fact they’re hiding behind a pile of debt. Rufus Leung Gresham is the future Duke of Greshamsbury and has a lifestyle to maintain – but in fact he’s desperate for financial help and his mother decides the best way out of the mess is for him to attend his sister’s wedding at a luxury eco-resort and find a rich woman there to marry – what could possibly go wrong? If you liked Crazy Rich Asians – and who didn’t – you’ll love this. Full of big brand names (most of which I’d never heard of and had to keep googling) and the lifestyles of the fabulously wealthy (or those who just wish they were).

LISTEN ABOVE

Long Island by Colm Toibin. It’s a sequel to the book Brooklyn which came out a few years ago and was made into a terrific movie – though this can easily be read on its own. Eilis moved to NYC from Ireland and married an Italian guy in Brooklyn. Twenty years later she’s living claustrophobically with her husband Tony’s family deeply embedded in her life. A stranger arrives to say that Tony has fathered a child with his wife and when the baby comes he intends to dump it on their doorstep. She retreats home to Ireland and while there, reconnects with a man she’d loved and left behind. The nuance of relationships and the sense of place are really powerful – Colm Toibin is a master of both and this book is a joy to read.
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians. This is similar, in that he writes about very, very rich people – and others masquerading a wealthy when in fact they’re hiding behind a pile of debt. Rufus Leung Gresham is the future Duke of Greshamsbury and has a lifestyle to maintain – but in fact he’s desperate for financial help and his mother decides the best way out of the mess is for him to attend his sister’s wedding at a luxury eco-resort and find a rich woman there to marry – what could possibly go wrong? If you liked Crazy Rich Asians – and who didn’t – you’ll love this. Full of big brand names (most of which I’d never heard of and had to keep googling) and the lifestyles of the fabulously wealthy (or those who just wish they were).
LISTEN ABOVE

Joan's picks: Long Island and Lies and Weddings

If you're travelling through the US, travel expert Megan Singleton recommends Tupelo as a day trip spot.

The small American town is best known as the birthplace of Elvis, with his original home and church and the store where he got his first guitar visible for tourists to explore.

BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton explains why this town is worth adding to your itinerary for an American road trip.

Read more about Megan's experience here.

LISTEN ABOVE

If you're travelling through the US, travel expert Megan Singleton recommends Tupelo as a day trip spot.
The small American town is best known as the birthplace of Elvis, with his original home and church and the store where he got his first guitar visible for tourists to explore.
BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton explains why this town is worth adding to your itinerary for an American road trip.
Read more about Megan's experience <a href="https://www.bloggeratlarge.com/graceland-oak-tree-sapling-story/">here</a>.
LISTEN ABOVE

Megan Singleton: BloggerAtLarge writer explains why it's worth seeing Tupelo

This week on the Sunday Panel, Coast day host Lorna Riley and Capital director, Ben Thomas joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more!

We're less than a week from Budget 2024- what can we expect? What areas does it need to focus on? What problems do we expect it to address?

Are children and teens becoming more violent? A 13-year-old has been charged with stabbing and killing a 16-year-old, a 14 and 17-year-old have been convicted of murdering someone in Beach Haven and one school principal has expressed concern about kids becoming more aggressive. How can we prevent this?

LISTEN ABOVE

This week on the Sunday Panel, Coast day host Lorna Riley and Capital director, Ben Thomas joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more!
We're less than a week from Budget 2024- what can we expect? What areas does it need to focus on? What problems do we expect it to address?
Are children and teens becoming more violent? A 13-year-old has been charged with stabbing and killing a 16-year-old, a 14 and 17-year-old have been convicted of murdering someone in Beach Haven and one school principal has expressed concern about kids becoming more aggressive. How can we prevent this?
LISTEN ABOVE

Jason Walls: ZB political editor on Prime Minister Luxon removing portfolios from Melissa Lee and Penny Simmonds

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