Midday Report

More than 3-thousand people are petitioning the government to urgently fix staffing shortages on the West Coast. Patient Voice Aotearoa says Buller Hospital's Acute Stabilisation Unit, which opened its doors in May last year, has been closed for jclose to a month because of staffing shortages. This comes as Nurses are accusing Health NZ of cutting frontline positions, by not replacing staff who go on leave or resign. Chair of Patient Voice Aotearoa, Malcolm Mulholland spoke to Charlotte Cook

Midday Sport for 17 September 2024

News from the rural farming sector.

Midday Business News for 17 September 2024

The crown has called a former Auckland eye surgeon a master manipulator who had the time and knowledge to stage his wife's death. The public gallery at the Auckland High Court is full for the final days of the trial of Philip Polkinghorne, who is accused of murdering Pauline Hanna in 2021. Maia Ingoe spoke to Charlotte Cook from court

An alcohol watchdog says most New World supermarkets in the South Island being suspended from selling booze is a huge warning to other retailers. 35 New Worlds will have their off-licences suspended for 48 hours, after breaching online alcohol advertising rules. Police applied to the authority to stop their liquor licenses for 5 days after advertising a 26-point-1 percent discount of its DB Export Beer - the maximum discount is 25 percent. Alcohol Healthwatch Executive Director, Andrew Galloway spoke to Charlotte Cook

On today's episode, our correspondent in the USA provides the latest on an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump; Workplace Relations and Safety Minister, Brooke van Velden, says planned changes to clarify whether a worker is an employee or a contractor will be good for both workers and employees; a coalition of leading academics, health professionals and road safety experts have issued an open letter to the Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, urging them to reconsider plans to increase speed limits; and international flights are returning to Dunedin, with flights to the Gold Coast launching next June.

International flights are returning to Dunedin, with flights to the Gold Coast launching next June. Jetstar will operate three flights a week between Dunedin and Coolangatta, Queensland, and tickets went on sale at midday. The city has been without international flights since March 2020. Joining us now is the airport's chief executive, Daniel De Bono.

A coalition of leading academics, health professionals and road safety experts from New Zealand have issued an open letter to the Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, urging them to reconsider plans to increase speed limits. The letter is co-authored by Dave Cliff, Chief Executive of the Global Road Safety Partnership, and Professor Simon Kingham of the University of Canterbury, who's the former chief science advisor to the Ministry of Transport. Simon Kingham spoke to Ben Strang.

News from the rural farming sector.