Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

A new survey has revealed a majority of people think contributing to KiwiSaver should be compulsory.

Data from financial advice firm National Capital shows 62 percent of Kiwis are in favour of mandatory KiwiSaver contributions.

Director Clive Fernandes says younger people in particular are getting more financially savvy and learning the importance of saving.

"We've done quite well in the last few years in financial education, especially with the young ones. I think financial education and financial advice is not reaching the people who most need it, and that's the middle group."

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There's growing evidence Kiwis are embracing US-style tipping culture.

New data from financial information site, Banked, says 47 Kiwis approve of tipping- and at least 60 percent of Kiwis sometimes leave tips.

Restaurant Association President and Monsoon Poon owner Mike Egan says customers like to show appreciation for enthusiastic or knowledgeable workers. 

"When you give good service, you sort of invoke the emotional reciprocation. They thought the staff member knew all about the menu, and was great, and made everyone laugh, and was on to it- and they wanted to reciprocate."

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Australian researchers are calling for a new approach to addressing menopause, amid concerns about 'over-medicalisation'.

New research published by the Lancet Series argues for a broader model to support women through this life stage, instead of treating individual symptoms.

Nutritional biochemist and author Dr Libby Weaver says women process menopause differently, and not all of them suffer debilitating medical complications. 

"There are many women who don't suffer at all across the menopausal transition, and some do very mildly, so I think we need a broader conversation about the best ways to support women."

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The Broadcasting Minister is staying tight-lipped about the future of TVNZ.

It is understood TVNZ newsroom staff are bracing for a meeting tomorrow about the future of news operations - which will include job cuts.

Minister Melissa Lee says she spoke with TVNZ bosses on Friday about how they plan to remain financially viable.

"They did not tell me that they were cutting staff on news- they were talking about programming they will have to consider."

It will come a week since Newshub announced its closure, and when asked if she will help the industry, Lee says she doesn't have many levers.

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An increase in international cocaine production has spiked use of the drug on New Zealand shores.

The Drug Use in Aotearoa report shows use grew by 93 percent over 2022 and 2023, compared to the previous three years’ average.

Its use is still relatively uncommon compared to other countries, with 1.3 percent of adults here using it in the past year.

Drug Foundation Executive Director Sarah Helm says the UN warned that more countries could expect use of the drug to skyrocket.

"1.3 percent of adults is nothing to be sneezed at, it's more than the number of people who used methamphetamine last year, for example."

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Over in the US, the biggest day of this year's primary campaign is under way as 16 states cast their votes.

Strong performances from Donald Trump and Joe Biden indicate that the two front-runners for president have been determined.

American pollster Henry Olsen says Nikki Haley has no hope left of becoming the Republican nominee.

"This was actually a collection of states that she could have done well in if she had strength, but the fact that she lost most of them- that shows this is a campaign that should be over." 

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Former president Donald Trump has dominated Super Tuesday in the US, as voters pick their preferred presidential candidate.

Reports are projecting he's won the Republican Primary in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Maine, Arkansas, Alabama and Texas - beating rival Nikki Haley in each.

US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says support is still running high among Trump's base- there's nothing that could deter prospective voters.

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Kane Williamson is shouldering arms to suggestions of unrest in the Black Caps camp ahead of the second cricket test against Australia.

Former skipper Ross Taylor has caused a stir with comments concerning now-retired seamer Neil Wagner and his international retirement.

Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further.

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Spark customers with Xtra Mail accounts will have to pay $5.95 a month to use them from mid-May.

It's citing rising maintenance costs as the reason.

Spark product director Tessa Tierney says the company considered scrapping the service altogether.

She says it's hard to say what its future will be.

"So it'll be interesting to see over the next few weeks - and months - what decisions customers make. But at this stage, I couldn't tell you how many will decide to leave."

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Just listening to the commentary on the women’s 'redneck' haka in the last day, I don't think people quite understand what this debate is really about.

This isn’t a debate about whether politicians just need to suck the criticism up, it isn’t about whether haka are supposed to be challenging.

This is a debate about money. Super Rugby is financially stuffed, and even more so the women’s side of it.

Did you see the crowd in the background of the footage of the haka?

That's right- there was no crowd, there were just empty yellow seats. That's not a good sign.

Super Rugby cannot afford to lose any more viewers or any sponsors from the game, and what the rugby bosses will probably be worried about more than anything right now is that there are viewers of the women’s game who are so annoyed by the politics of that team that they stop watching.

Or worse, that it infects opinions of the men’s Hurricanes team as well. Or even worse, that it taints their perception of New Zealand rugby altogether.

Also, they’ll be worried about the prospect that enough annoyed people will email sponsors demanding that they take a position.

More than any time I can think of, consumers on both sides of the woke debate are making their dollars talk.

For ages, there was a time where brands could get away with being a bit wokey for a bit of street cred.

But not anymore, particularly since the Bud Light debacle where the company used the transgender actor, provoked a backlash and then suffered a 25 percent fall in sales.

Consumers who don’t like the wokey stuff have started punishing brands for it. So quite rightly, the rugby bosses want to stay right out of politics and not annoy either side- and who can blame them?

And it’s worth pointing out, they are not taking a side here.

Three years ago, former Hurricanes shareholder Troy Bowker made some comments opposed to what he called the ‘left Māori agenda’ and he ended up having to sell his shares and step down as a director. So it's cutting both ways.

There is no indication yet of what those women in the team will do, but judging by the haka leader’s comments yesterday- there is a chance that they feel very righteous about this. And if they do, they to need get real.

They are clearly heavily subsidised by the men’s game at the moment, and if they want that to continue, if they want the money to keep coming in so they can keep playing their game, they’re gonna have to understand this isn’t about politics and having your say- it’s about money.

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