Holiday Breakfast

The Taxpayers Union wants the Government to remove all additional leave entitlements for public servants.

It comes as fresh data has revealed Kiwis are shelling out more than $75 million per year on additional days of paid leave for Government workers, excluding the four entitled weeks off and public holidays.

The Union says the worst offenders are the Social Development Ministry and MBIE, who spent more than $14 million and $12 million dollars respectively.

Taxpayers Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says the money should be spent bolstering up health care workers instead.

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A big day ahead for retailers who prepare to face the boxing day sales chaos.

Data from PriceSpy shows the 26th of December last year outperformed any other day in 2021.

Retail NZ Chief Executive Greg Harford says it's been one of the biggest shopping days in New Zealand for a number of years.

He says it's a good opportunity to buy some things you need, or pick up some more presents.

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Despite soaring mortgage rates and economic concerns taking hold in Australia, consumers are expected to spend money at the Boxing Day sales.

According to the Australian Retailers Association, Australian shoppers are expected to spend the most on Boxing Day. Speculation predicts that Australians will spend over $3 billion dollars in these sale.

This will equal $23 billion spent during this Christmas season across Australian households, which is up by 8 percent from 2021. Clothing and electronics are expected to be the top sellers among consumers.

Australian correspondent Murray Olds says that Australian shoppers are looking to treat themselves after three years of rising costs, economic uncertainty, and natural disasters. 

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Shock in a northwest England after a gunman opened fire in a bar on Christmas Eve.

A 26 year old woman was shot in the head and died in hospital, another young man is in a critical condition and two other men are also injured.

UK Correspondent Gavin Grey says investigators are looking at cellphone video and CCTV footage to figure out what happened.

He says people are shocked as to why someone would walk into a bar with a gun and shoot people, and police remain open minded about a motive.

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The next stop on ZB's Summer with the Mayors tour is Waitomo, and the attractions there need no introduction.

Waitomo is well-known for its' black water rafting, abseiling, caving, and glow-worm boat tours. In addition to the obvious draws, Waitomo offers walking tours such as the Waitomo Walkway and the historic Opapaka Pa Walk.

The Marokopa Falls, Kawhia Hot Springs and the shearing capital of the world, Te Kuiti are all also a short drive away from the region, proving there's no shortage of places to visit.

Waitomo mayor John Robertson says the region is expecting a surge of tourists in the coming weeks thanks to the borders being open this summer, but he's not expecting the figures to match pre-Covid rates right away.

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The extraordinary story of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s life, 70-year reign, and the many world events she was on the throne for has been honoured in a special Christmas Day broadcast on Newstalk ZB.

In a documentary feature voiced by ZB Breakfast host Mike Hosking, the monarch was remembered through the lens of her much-loved Christmas messages, which inspired hope across seven decades.

Queen Elizabeth, who died in September at the age of 96, delivered a Christmas Day message from the beginning of her reign in 1952, right up until her final Christmas last year.

The first of her Christmas speeches came as a 26-year-old, as she nervously broadcast live over the radio from her residence in Sandringham.

Shifting away from the modus operandi of her father, King George VI, she eschewed the assistance of a ghostwriter and penned the message to the Commonwealth herself – something she’d continue to do in every Christmas speech until her death.

In 1953, the Queen and Prince Philip found themselves on a Royal Tour of New Zealand over the Christmas period. It was a time of great excitement for Kiwis, with as many as three in four coming out to see the royals as they visited 46 towns and cities across the motu.

But her speech this year was tinged with sadness, as she reflected on many tragic deaths – not just in her homeland but in Aotearoa too, with 151 people dying in the unspeakably awful Tangiwai train disaster on Christmas Eve.

Over the ensuing seven decades of Christmases, the Queen would again and again use her broadcasts to respond to countless global events – spanning the Vietnam War in the ‘60s and ‘70s to the arrival of Princess Diana in the ‘80s, to 9/11 in 2001, the nuptials of Will and Kate in 2011, and numerous conflicts and famines over the intervening years.

Despite the subject matter often being of a sombre nature, the Queen had an uncanny ability to offer those listening a poignant message of hope heading into the New Year.

This was a reflection of her own deep faith, from which she derived hope and which she spoke candidly about in many of her Christmas speeches, particularly after the turn of the millennium.

“Billions of people now follow [Christ’s] teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives,” she said in her 2016 speech. “I am one of them, because Christ’s example helps me see the value of doing small things with great love, whoever does them and whatever they themselves believe.”

In her years on the throne, the Queen swapped the microphone for a camera, and the words she spoke were no longer on a piece of paper but on a screen in front of her – but they were no less her own, and no less from her heart.

However, on the day of her final Christmas message in 2021, her heart was heavy as she marked the first time she’d celebrate the holiday without her dear husband by her side.

In this speech, she paid tribute to Philip, offered sympathy to those for whom Christmas would be a difficult time, and spoke frankly about the true Christmas message.

Then, she signed off for one final time, wishing her people “a very Merry Christmas”.

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Everyone wants to experience an authentic New York Christmas season, but author Annabelle White joined Tim Beveridge to highlight what a brief train trip to Washington may offer while you're in the region.

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A television Show, judging MasterChef, and a new children's book. Nadia Lim joined us to discuss the ups and downs of 2022 and food in a cost of living crisis.

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DOC marine expert Gabrielle Goodin joined us to discuss the concern about infringements on marine reserves, dogs in national parks and other do's and don'ts for conservation estate.

“We’re just trying to put a message out, just make sure you’re following the rules and you know what to do in the parks”  

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Lower Hutt mayor Barry Campbell joined us to discuss Hutt Hospital's earthquake risk and conflicting engineering reports. 

“We're getting quite frustrated, I think people are just wanting to understand what's going on”  

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