Checkpoint

The ACT party wants to freeze the minimum wage for three years - and slash the training wage for under-20 year olds to about $14 - touting it as a win for struggling small businesses, and youngsters struggling to find work. Its policy was announced as political leaders spent the day selling their parties to the business worlds as they get set to step on the election campaign trail. Political reporter Lauren Crimp has more.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The hottest tickets in town have been snapped up in a matter of minutes. It may be a bigger venue, but it was the same scramble to secure seats to the Warriors vs Knights at Eden Park on Sunday. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

Raglan is back on The World Surf League championship tour for next year. There were doubts the seaside town could cope with the swell of crowds when it hosted the world's best surfers for the first time in May, but it impressed the League with its deep surfing heritage, world class waves and passionate locals. Chair of Surfing NZ Jimi Higgins spoke to Lisa Owen.

A public inquiry has found authorities could have prevented Tom Phillips from disappearing with his children - or brought them home sooner. The report, by former High Court judge Simon Moore, says agencies missed crucial chances to protect the children and repeatedly downplayed or overlooked the harm they faced. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch reports, and Police Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers spoke to Lisa Owen.

A business owner on the South Island's West Coast says State Highway 6 closures are costing him thousands of dollars a day as tourists cancel, turn around or avoid the area. The highway was closed late last month, when heavy rain caused slips, washouts and rockfalls. A few days later it partially opened, for three daily escorted convoys. Haast locals are questioning why it's taking so long to restore the route, while the Transport Agency says the scale of the clean up is unprecedented and there's no quick fix. Tourism reporter Tess Brunton has more.

As many of us enjoyed the final days of summer, communities on Tairawhiti's East Cape were inundated with torrential rain, causing widespread flooding. The destructive storm triggered more than 11,000 landslips, blocking the coastal road at several places and blocking off residents. Seven months on, the road is still getting fixed as the clean up continues, and locals are dealing with multiple other problems, leaving them wondering about their futures on the land. Teuila Fuatai reports.

The first All Whites squad since their Football World Cup exit in June has been named for an expanded FIFA international window. This year September and October international windows have been combined, meaning more matches than ever before. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Amateur bird-watchers are being called on to help with the great Bittern bird count. The Bittern Matuku-hurepo lives in wetlands around the motu and is one of New Zealand's most endangered birds. Every year there is a head count to see how the Bittern is tracking. The Love Bittern project co-ordinates the great Matuku-Hurepo muster to avoid the birds being double counted. Project founder, Wendy Ambury spoke to Lisa Owen.

United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about the president's son, Donald Trump Jr, confirming part of his wedding celebrations were paid for by a Russian oligarch with ties to Vladimir Putin.