Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The father of one of five teens killed in a crash near Timaru, at Washdyke, has spoken about the driver responsible.

Tyreese Fleming, now 21, was on a restricted licence and had been drinking.

Although sentenced in June last year to two-and-a-half years in prison, he walked free yesterday.

He'll live in Christchurch, with conditions including not entering Timaru and Temuka.

Stephen Drummond, whose son Javarney, died in the crash, says there's nothing he can do about it.

"It's the police system, it's the way it is. He only served less than three months for each kid, basically."

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Could National's approach to gangs bring needed change?

A Mongrel Mob president has claimed the party's gang policy would breach human rights.

It includes banning patches in public spaces, and making membership an aggravating factor in sentencing.

Black Power member Denis O'Reilly says he welcomes potential benefits of the harsher regime.

"As long as stuff is done within the law and within the Bill of Rights, why not have some upside-down thinking?"

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You want an example of bizarre stuff happening at council level? Take a look at the Reading Cinema deal Wellington City Council is trying to stitch together 

The context here is that Reading Cinema is on Wellington’s Courtenay Place party strip, but it is closed and has been since 2019 because it is a quake risk- and now it’s becoming an eyesore.

But apparently, the council is trying to help the owners pay for the strengthening.

What it is reportedly offering to do is buy the land under the building for $32 million, which the owners can then use to strengthen the building. And then, those owners can buy the land back in ten years for $32 million.

How nuts is that? 

That land will undoubtedly value up in ten years, and yet, the Council wants to sell it back for exactly the same amount.

So basically, it’s just a complicated way of providing a loan of $32 million to the owners of Reading Cinema.

Now, ratepayers are going to have some opinions on this, because they are struggling to fund the earthquake strengthening of buildings like Town Hall, which they own and the repair of water pipes, which they own.

And that’s without helping pay for the renovation of a cinema owned by a company listed on the NASDAQ.

But here’s the really wacky thing- ratepayers are not supposed to know about this.

The details of this were supposed to be kept confidential, the deal was supposed to be struck without their knowledge, because it’s ‘commercially sensitive’, apparently.

And that is why the mayor has called in lawyer Linda Clark, to try to shut up the councillors who opposed this, because someone leaked the details to the media.

How outrageous is this?

To (A), stitch up a deal that uses what little debt allowance Wellington City Council has left to subsidise an US listed company.

To (B), try to keep it a secret from the ratepayers who just got hit with a 12 percent rates rise.

And then (C), try to shut down any public dissent.

Find me something more bizarre at council level this week and I'll buy you a ticket to the cinema, once Wellingtonians subsidise its reopening.

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The head of MI5 has warned Chinese espionage is on an 'epic scale' in the UK.

Director General Ken McCallum has claimed over 20,000 people have been approached covertly online by Chinese spies.

This warning comes amid a new warning to thousands of British businesses of the risk of having their innovation stolen.

UK correspondent Gavin Grey says more Chinese companies are working to get access to small companies, start-ups and universities, who were largely unaware of security risks.  

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Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Infrastructure NZ Chief Executive Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more!

A hospital in Gaza is the latest to have been hit by bombs, with about 500 feared dead. The humanitarian situation in Gaza has turned from bad to catastrophic - has Israel gone too far now, is the situation in Gaza too dire?

Winston Peters has touched down in Wellington, and has refused to answer questions from the media. Should Christopher Luxon do the same, rather than defend each day why he's not talking about the negotiations?

An investigation into the Ranfurly Shield accident has found that it really was dropped, but NZ Rugby couldn't confirm what the white substance was. Do we believe any of this?

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New Zealanders will get extra insight into the cost of living, as Stats NZ promises to release more up-to-date inflation data.

Stats NZ will now publish monthly price changes for alcohol, fuel, tobacco, air and travel costs, in addition to regular data for food and rent prices.

The CPI data will continue to be published every three months.

Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen says this will allow people to see 44 percent of the CPI on a monthly basis and keep better track of that data.

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2023 is a big year for organised labour action.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans have walked off their jobs at a rate not seen in decades, with new data claiming over 18 million days have been lost to strikes so far this year.

Back on New Zealand shores, 850,000 workdays have been lost to strikes between January and May, according to MBIE reports.

Milford Asset Management's Deborah Lambie says unionised workers receive pay reviews less frequently, and low unemployment gives these workers extra leverage in negotiations.

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Insurance premiums are going through the roof, and Kiwis are feeling the pinch.

All types of insurance costs rose by 9.6 per cent between the September 2022 and 2023 quarters, according to new data.

Dwelling insurance costs led the jump, rising 21.2 percent, and contents and car insurance premiums went up by 18.8 and 10.2 percent, respectively.

NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains the factors driving these hikes.

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Plumbers, drain layers and gas fitters have expressed disappointment with the training their apprentices are getting from Te Pūkenga.

Reports have surfaced of poor training facilities, students' work getting lost, and apprentices taking longer than expected to finish their programs as they wait for block courses to open up.

Dave Strong from Morrinsville Plumbing and Gas says one of his apprentices will have to wait an extra 8 months to finish their program, because key block courses weren't available.

"If you don't make some available, then it's smoke and mirrors. If you don't put courses on because you can't run them, then you don't have to cancel them."

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Kiri Allan is being criticised for jumping from the Beehive into a consultancy firm, a manoeuvre the ex-Justice Minister once launched a review on.

Justice officials were asked to look into lobbying in April, over controversy sparked by former MP Kris Faafoi starting a firm less than three months after resigning.

Allan registered her new consultancy business two weeks after losing the justice portfolio, while she was still an MP.

Victoria University political analyst Bryce Edwards says Allan is clearing trying to leverage her time in the public service, for money.

"She's talking about being a Cabinet minister, and her extensive networks from Government, and so forth. That's her marketing pitch."

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