Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

A Wellington chef says it hurts to see high profile local restaurants closing.

In the past fortnight, Field and Green and Shepherd have announced they'll be shutting at the end of the year.

Logan Brown chef Shaun Clousten says hospitality is the heart and soul of the city.

He says times are tough and he doesn't think the problem is too many restaurants.

"We know there's a lot of restaurants, and I can tell you right now that you really don't want to be putting a cap on things and saying- no, you can't do that because somebody else is already doing that."

He says restaurants are likely to need to up their prices.

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I'm not about to tell Chlöe Swarbrick that she shouldn't have used that phrase.

Right-minded people don't make a habit of policing what people say, I don't think it crosses the line at all or incites people into violence, so it's not going to break the law and she can technically say it if she want to.

But she might want to really consider whether she wants to be saying that phrase.

Chlöe, as a New Zealand-based politician, is probably not going to change what's happening in Israel. So heading off to the domain in Auckland and chanting that phrase is probably not going to affect what's happening in the Middle East.

But it does have the power to affect what's happening here in New Zealand.

We have got both Palestinian and Jewish communities in the region who are hurting, and many members of those communities will be quite angry about the situation at the moment.

You don't have to look far to see evidence of that. The graffiti on the fence on the synagogue in Epsom that popped up in the news today? That's some evidence.

The anger at the pro-Palestinian rally on Saturday? That's obvious evidence.

The apparent boycotting of Jewish businesses in New Zealand? That's evidence.

You've got the level of vitriol on social media, which is genuinely surprising to some people when they weigh in on the subject and see what comes back at them.

People are clearly feeling strongly about this, and what they don't need is a political leader in this country with a high profile jumping on stage and whipping up that anger or that fear.

That's exactly what Chlöe did by using that phrase. She might argue she didn't whip up any anger and we can't argue against her because we can't measure it- but I can tell you for certain that she whipped up fear.

The Jewish community, who heard what she said, had members saying that it made them feel scared. That is objectively the opposite of calming things down- which is what Chlöe should be using her position for.

Chlöe doesn't need to apologise if she doesn't want to, doesn't have to back down if she doesn't want to, she can defend the phrase and she can keep saying it- but if she cared about the New Zealand Jewish and Palestinian communities, she shouldn't say it.

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Harry and Meghan were the subject of another royal family controversy, over claims they snubbed King Charles.

The monarch is celebrating his 75th birthday next week, and reports claimed Harry - and possibly Meghan - rejected his invitation.

The pair have since responded, claiming they had never received an invitation to the event.

UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's unlikely Harry would have forgotten this event, and it's likely he was left off the list altogether.

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Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Kiwiblog contributor and Curia pollster David Farrar joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! 

Chris Hipkins will remain leader of the Labour party after securing a vote of confidence from his caucus. Hipkins intends to run again in 2026- and capital gains and wealth taxes are back on the table again. Could these polices help Labour in the future? Is Chris Hipkins the future of the Labour party?

NZ Rugby has released a study into concussion among community rugby players, showing the impact on 94 percent of players is lower than on people jumping on trampolines. Does this make you keen to have your kids play rugby?

The Melbourne Cup has updated their dress code to allow men to wear shorts- what do we think of this?

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Former Prime Minister John Key is taking Zespri's kiwifruit fight straight to top Chinese politicians.

Zespri filed a civil case in China's Intellectual Property Court in August, against parties it claims are growing unlicensed golden kiwifruit.

Key has since spoken with China's foreign affairs minister Wang Yi on a business trip to Beijing to ensure Kiwi farmers have confidence their intellectual property is protected.

The Country's Jamie Mackay says China's unlicensed growth is a threat to Zespri's sales, as 25 percent of their total sales come from the region.

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Time is running out for National's proposed pre-Christmas mini-budget.

Prime Minister-elect Chris Luxon and his new Finance Minister Nicola Willis promised to create a scaled-down budget by the end of 2023 back in September.

ANZ's latest economic outlook has cast doubt on whether the incoming Government can deliver on this promise.

BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie explains the roadblocks National will need to take into account while crafting a mini-budget in this timeframe.

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Foodstuffs is set to apply to the Commerce Commission to merge its North Island and South Island co-operatives into one national business.

The company is half of New Zealand’s supermarket duopoly - and expected to spark big debate on competition issues.

Foodstuffs North Island CEO Chris Quin says this merger is part of a strategy focused on creating better value to customers.

"Like any business, we have to look harder at our cost base- and also where our energy and efforts are going."

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New research on concussions has shed light on how rugby head collisions affect community players.

The collaborative study includes research by Otago University and data from local and international rugby governing bodies.

It used smart mouthguard technology - obligatory in training and elite matches from next year.

Research scientist Janelle Romanchuk says it measured 17,000 incidents across 300 players.

"86 percent of that data would be relative to what you might experience jumping on a trampoline or what you might experience on a roller coaster."

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Chlöe Swarbrick says it's abhorrent to suggest she supports the destruction of Israel.

The Green MP is under fire for chanting 'from the river to the sea' at a pro-Palestine rally on the weekend.

The phrase has been used since the 1960s to advocate for freeing Palestine from Israel's occupation.

The Jewish Council says it's anti-Semitic.

Swarbrick says she decries anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and violence in all forms.

"The pathway forward for ongoing peace means justice. That means an immediate ceasefire, a return of hostages on all side and a recognition of humanity and shared rights of Palestinians."   

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A former Labour Minister says the Party's Caucus has made the right move in re-selecting Chris Hipkins as its leader this morning.

Hipkins says he plans to stay on as leader until the next election.

Former Cabinet Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says Hipkins is the right choice, for now.

"Labour needs to spend the time taking stock of the election results- and how they got there."

Lees-Galloway says Hipkins has 18 months to prove he's the right man, or someone else will need to step up.

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