Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Could your FIFA office sweepstake be illegal?

The Department of Internal Affairs says prize money can't exceed $500 and sweepstake organisers shouldn't profit from entries.

Illegal gambling operations could land a person an up-to-$20,000 fine.

Regulatory Services Manager, John Sneyd says it's taken seriously.

"Office sweepstakes can be fun, but we've just got to make sure we keep it within the boundaries that keep it as a fun activity."

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It’s hard to believe it’s possible, but Labour’s week just got even worse- because their tax policy just got leaked.

National's Nicola Willis says she’s got a source who told her Labour is planning to announce it’ll take the GST off fresh fruit and veges, which immediately got headlines because her sources have proved pretty solid.

Remember, she got the tip-off that Labour was working on a wealth tax-tax switch, and it turned out they were.

The Prime Minister was asked about the GST plan today and didn’t deny it. So I'd say there’s a pretty good chance it’s on.

This is actually a rubbish policy. I mean, if you’re having a hard time paying the bills, this is a massive step down from the tax switch Labour was working on, because that would've given you $1050 extra a year.

You're not gonna get that much back from the GST scrap unless you’re spending $7000 a year on fresh fruit and veges, which most of us would not. 

This is hardy going to convince punters that Labour really is dealing with the bread and butter issues of the cost of living crisis.

And it’s old. This is a reheated policy from 2011. We debated it then, we shot it down then. 12 years between then and now hasn’t made it a better idea. 

Labour will be gutted that National leaked the news, because they’ve lost the chance to announce it on their terms and try to sell this idea to us as something better than it is. That opportunity’s gone.

And I don’t think they had all their ducks in a row to be ready to announce this. We were told they would have announced their tax policy by now- so the fact they haven’t suggests there was more work to do.

Or they were hoping to announce at a time when they weren’t bogged down with a man who shot and killed his workers in Auckland Central and a minster who got behind the wheel after drinking, crashed the car and then left the scene.

Remember, just a couple of months ago, we were talking about Labour’s tax policy as being one of the last things they had up their sleeve to try to win the election.

But now we probably know what it is, and it’s a bit of a damp squib. 

So, they’ll be gutted. Just like a whole bunch of Labour voters will be gutted that that’s the best the bread and butter party can do. 

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The resumption of train services between Auckland and Hamilton is being marked as an 'excellent outcome'.

Waka Kotahi has lifted its ban on Te Huia trains entering metro Auckland, accepting Kiwirail's alternative safety proposals.

Trains will again be able to continue into The Strand in Parnell from August 7.

Waikato Regional Councillor Angela Strange says there'll be free fares for a week when it returns.

She says it's to acknowledge the disruption to passengers.

"So we've costed that investment at around $12,000 for the whole week, which is pretty small given the total running costs."

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Over 40 people have been killed in the wildfires threatening villages and holiday resorts across the Mediterranean.

Greece is preparing for more evacuation flights from Rhodes, as fires also rage on the islands of Corfu and Evia.

UK correspondent Gavin Grey says temperatures are expected to rise above 44C in parts of Greece and the heatwave shows no signs of letting up.

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Tonight on The Huddle, STILL Director of Projects Sam Johnson and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more!

The Post is reporting one first-term MP allegedly told colleagues they had been bullied and yelled at by Kiri Allan. Meanwhile, David Parker says he didn't want to be Revenue Minister anymore because he didn't want to ditch the Wealth Tax. Are Labour MPs starting to turn against each other?

James Shaw has increased the price of carbon by 44 percent, despite the Government earlier stating they didn't want to do that because it would add to cost of living pressures. What do we make of this move?

65 percent of shoppers prefer homebrand products- or at least agree that they're just as good as branded products according to a new EY survey. Do we agree?

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Chris Hipkins and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will explore ways to simplify travel across the ditch.

The two leaders met in Wellington today, and they agreed to put together a joint expert group to make the journey across the Tasman more seamless.

Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen says his concern is that New Zealand isn't taking their connection with Australia seriously and trans-Tasman travel needs to be improved.

"We should aspire, at some point, to have a dual trans-Tasman visa. If you're coming for FIFA, for example, you don't have to flap around with two different bits of paperwork."

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Former Reserve Bank governor Don Brash believes the RBNZ should be empowered to lift fuel taxes to fight inflation.

He stated in a blog post that increased fuel taxes would encourage people to to reduce their spending elsewhere- meaning inflation would fall.

NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says Don Brash's proposed solution is 'messy', and it would impact people differently.

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New research shows consumers are gravitating towards home brand products due to the rising cost of living.

EY data indicates that 65 percent of people believe these home brand products satisfy their needs as much as branded products.

The data also shows Gen Z are less willing to buy private label products than Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials.

Massey University marketing professor Bodo Lang says the cost of living is definitely a factor- but notes that retailer marketing has gotten more sophisticated.

"They're segmenting the market, they're targeting different groups of consumers. They've learned a lot of tricks from the established brands."

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The Government has boosted the Emissions Trading Scheme’s auction reserve price- and increased the overall price of carbon by 44 percent.

It's also raising trigger prices for the cost containment reserve in the scheme, meaning there will be 17.6 million fewer units to be auctioned.

ACT Environment spokesperson Simon Court says this change is a sign James Shaw is failing to take what's important to New Zealanders into account.

"By adopting the Climate Change Commission's recommendations to jack up the carbon price from $50 to $80 to $100 to even $200 a ton in a short space of time- that's going to add a significant weight to the cost of living."

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Lauren Dickason’s mother has taken the stand to give evidence at her triple murder trial.

She's accused of murdering her three young daughters in Timaru in 2021.

Her defence opened its case today - painting Dickason as a mentally disturbed woman in the depths of postpartum depression.

The Herald's Anna Leask says her mother Wendy Fawkes told the court Dickason loved her kids, but she was concerned she'd have a 'breakdown'.

"Well, her mum has spoken today about what Lauren was like as a parent. She said she was paranoid and over-protective, but there's no doubt in her mind that she loved those children."

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