Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Pope Francis has suggested he would be open to having the Catholic Church bless same-sex couples on a 'case-by-case' basis.

This was in response to a number of requests sent to the Pope ahead of a global gathering about the Church's future.

When asked to clarify, the Pope stated any request for a blessing should be treated with 'pastoral charity'.

UK correspondent Gavin Grey says there's debate as to whether this stance is progressive, as the Pope said same-sex relationships were 'objectively sinful'.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Curia pollster David Farrar 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!

Deputy National leader Nicola Willis has criticised former National minister Paula Bennett for posting a public photo with ACT's Brooke van Velden. Is this an endorsement, or are we overthinking this?

Nanaia Mahuta is facing a threat from Maori Party candidate Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke - do you reckon it's possible Mahuta gets kicked out by a 20-year old?

Richard Prebble made a case for Jacinda Ardern getting involved in Labour's campaign to give it an extra boost- is this a good idea?

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

House prices are in recovery mode after a 18-month slump, according to new data.

The Reserve Bank's today held the Official Cash Rate at 5.5 percent- with the next review of monetary policy late November.

Infometrics chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan says increased interest rates are still a concern for prospective buyers, but an uptick in migration has added to demand.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Little surprise the Official Cash Rate remains unchanged- for the time being.

The Reserve Bank has today held the OCR at 5.5 percent, claiming interest rates are constraining economic activity as required.

Milford Asset Management's Katlyn Parker says there's a lot of uncertainty around this point in the election campaign, and the RBNZ will be waiting for a change.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Goldman Sachs analysts have warned National's proposed tax cuts could risk worsening existing economic pressures.

Andrew Boak and William Nixon believe National's plan could exacerbate inflation, and therefore cause interest rates to remain higher for longer.

NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny agrees, claiming National's proposed foreign buyers tax and increased immigration fees won't offset the stimulatory impact of the cuts.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grant Robertson's reflected on his Government's record on student poverty, after a confrontation at a Wellington university today.

After Robertson cast his vote at Victoria University, a student initiated a testy exchange, asking about Labour's rejection of a universal student allowance.

ZB political editor Jason Walls says Grant Robertson's defence was fair, as Labour removed first-year fees during their term.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest One News/ Verian poll shows NZ First still holds the balance of power.

Labour is stagnant at 26 percent, National's leading with 36 percent- but ACT has dropped two points to 10 percent, meaning they'll need NZ First to reach the threshold.

National finance spokesperson Nicola Willis isn't confident Winston Peters will stand by a possible National/ACT coalition.

"It's been 27 years since he's gone with us, so we've said- look, that's a last resort phone call we're prepared to make, but our message is really clear. If you want a change in Government, cast your vote for National."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A popular Auckland walkway has been partially closed following a spat between some property owners and the council.

The dispute is centred around a around a seaside cottage with heritage status, with the owners requesting the status be removed.

The cottage used to belong to Kiwi artist and photographer Clifton Firth​.

Their lawyer, Alex Witten-Hannah, says the owners want to knock the 'derelict' cottage down, but Auckland Council hasn't moved.

"We need assurance from the council that they are taking all appropriate steps in a timely way to lift the heritage listing."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An internal police review paints a broken picture of New Zealand's bail system.

The report shows 0.4 percent of offenders - one in 250 - are automatically flagged as high risk, while low risk offenders are needlessly targeted, because police IT systems aren't fit for purpose.

Police Deputy Commissioner Naila Hassan acknowledges the current bail management application system isn't fit for purpose by today's standards.

"The IT system first came in about 10 years ago, and we know technology turns back a long time ago. So the bail management application isn't fit for purpose today in order to prioritise offenders on bail."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suggestions the wheels are falling off the economy faster than expected.

The Reserve Bank today held the Official Cash Rate at 5.5 percent, with the next review of monetary policy happening in late November.

There's no saying whether the OCR will rise again, but the central bank is signalling it doesn't expect it to drop until early 2025.

But BNZ's head of research, Stephen Toplis, says he predicts unemployment will rise above five percent next year.

"You'll see inflation out of the system, you'll see wage growth markedly lower than where it is- and the economy is still bouncing along the bottom."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.