Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Council of Trade Unions has fired back against Brooke van Velden, claiming she shared false information.

This dispute is centred around the Government's proposed repeal of Fair Pay Agreements, a promise they campaigned on during the election.

CTU President Richard Wagstaff says van Velden never had a proper consultation on repealing Fair Pay Agreements.

"We had no idea she had a Cabinet paper, she'd had official advice, there was a hold of issues- she never raised anything."

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Air New Zealand's new battery-powered plane won't carry any passengers.

The airline's bought an electric Alia aircraft, which is expected to join the fleet from 2026.

The aircraft weighs three tonnes and its battery takes about an hour to charge.

Chief sustainability officer Kiri Hannifin says they'll fly Alia on routes of about 150km and it'll be cargo only.

"We just want to do smaller routes- this is all a big learning exercise for us, so we're going to keep it small to start with."

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New data shows Kiwi households aren't drawn to their food scrap bins.

A food waste survey of 3,000 New Zealanders revealed that two thirds of respondents found them unappealing- citing cost and smell as the key reasons.

The professional engineer behind the survey, John Mackie, says he's shared this data with the new Government to find a solution. 

"Putting the food waste down the insinkerator, like I do, is equally as good a solution- in fact, it was argued that it was more carbon-efficient."

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The Māori King has called for a national hui between iwi to unify their voices in holding the new Government to account.

Kiingi Tuheitia has announced he will host the meeting at Turangawaewae Marae in Waikato's Ngāruawāhia, on January 20.

His chief of staff, Ngira Simmonds, says the Māori community has had grievances with every Government and unity is essential.

"Some of the plans the Government have released are of significant concern. I think it's fair to say I don't want to pre-determine any outcomes from the hui, but what I'm hearing is the primary concern."

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Belief our poor PISA results stem from our high child poverty.

Scores from 2022 in the international OECD test of student achievement show a big fall in Kiwi maths ability since 2018 - a continuing trend.

Average reading and science scores aren't significantly different, but have also declined over time.

NZEI President Mark Potter says what goes on at home has a huge impact on children's learning.

"We've got a higher than OECD average number of children who don't eat on a regular basis at home, and there's a direct correlation with maths achievement. And that's found around the globe."

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Nearly two months on from polling day, Chris Luxon and Chris Hipkins went head-to-head in their first Parliament debate.

Hipkins had strong words for the Prime Minister, and labelled the new Government  'pathetic' and a 'disgrace' that lacked a vision for the country.

He also accused Luxon of being beholden to Winston Peters and criticised National's decision to roll back Labour's smokefree policy.

ZB political editor Jason Walls says Luxon and Hipkins both got some licks in, but Rangitata MP James Meager's speech won the day.

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Ex-Republican congresswoman and vocal Trump critic Liz Cheney is contemplating a third-party presidential run.

She's said she plans to do 'whatever it takes' to thwart Trump from taking office for another term.

US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says Cheney runs the risk of dividing her party's loyalties ahead of the 2024 election.

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New Zealand have lost the toss and will bowl first in the second cricket test against Bangladesh.

Coming in the wake of the Black Caps 150-run loss in test number one - the second game is getting set to start in Dhaka.

Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains what can be expected.

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Sky Television is putting up the price of its Neon streaming platform next year.

From January 11, a standard monthly plan will go up $2 - to $20 - and ads will now show during pauses.

Sky Sport Now prices will also rise for the second time this year.

Gorilla Technology commentator Paul Spain says it's not a sweet deal.

"Any time you mount these sorts of changes, there will be some people that will exit, particularly when you've got so many streaming options now- is it worth paying multiple subscriptions?"

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Rishi Sunak's popularity amongst his party has sunk to an all time low, according to new data.

The Prime Minister's approval rating from his fellow Tories has dropped to -25.4, according to Conservative Home. 

UK correspondent Enda Brady says this score is among the lowest on record, and he's faring worse than Liz Truss.

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