Morning Report

It's Friday so we cross the ditch to Canberra to talk to our correspondent Kerry-Anne Walsh.

In what some critics are calling an unnecessarily steady-as-she goes approach, new All Blacks coach Ian Foster has named his coaching team.

Just as Foster's appointment to replace Steve Hansen was not a shock, neither are the new coach's selections.

He's picked former Hurricanes head coach John Plumtree and former All Black prop and Ireland scrum coach Greg Feek to join the incumbent defence coach, Scott McLeod.

Former Crusaders assistant coach Brad Mooar will complete the lineup, if New Zealand Rugby can successfully negotiate his release from his contract with Welsh side Scarlets.

Will this be the team to put the All Blacks back on the top of the world?

Corin Dann speaks to sports correspondent Hamish Bidwell.

Former Christchurch mayoral candidate John Minto is continuing his campaign against mayor Lianne Dalziel over undeclared election donations.

He has asked the city's electoral officer to investigate and is the second person to do so.

On Wednesday, Ms Dalziel revealed for the first time the identities of six donors who each donated more than $1500 to her campaign through an auction run by her husband.

She says her husband believed the six donors did not need to be declared, and she acted on his advice.

She says she regrets that decision and has apologised for not taking independent advice.

Mr Minto speaks to Susie Ferguson.

We invited Lianne Dalziel to respond to John Minto but she was unavailable at this time.

A brief update on the movements in the financial sector.

Donald Trump has become the third US president in history to be impeached by the House of Representatives.

The House voted on two charges - that the president had abused his power and that he had obstructed Congress. Nearly all Democrats voted for the charges and every Republican against.

The impeachment proceedings now shift to the Senate, where a trial is expected in January.

Lenny McAllister is a Republican Party commentator.

Drones are being flown among the gannets at Auckland's Muriwai Beach, much to the alarm of birdwatchers and conservationists.

Permits are needed to fly drones on conservation land and in Auckland's regional parks, but some people appear to be oblivious to the rules.

That's a major headache for the Department of Conservation, which says drones can cause serious harm to some of the country's most precious wildlife.

Sarah Robson has more.

The police buy-back for now-illegal firearms ends at midnight on Friday, and with less than a day to go about 50,000 guns have been handed in.

Hamish Bruce is one of the gunsmiths approved by police to modify guns so they comply with the law - he speaks to Susie Ferguson from Ashburton.

Police didn't want to be interviewed about the buyback today but said every police district has at least one collection event open until 8pm on Friday and guns can also be surrendered at police stations.

The Christmas holiday road jam is expected to strike earlier than usual this year, with the Transport Agency warning motorists to expect queues and delays out of the main centres from as early as Friday morning.

The heavy traffic flows won't be made any easier by more road works than usual on state highways.

For more of what to expect, Corin Dann speaks to NZTA's Mark Owen.

The former New Zealand captain Ken Rutherford says the Black Caps selectors haven't helped themselves when it comes to the situation with struggling opening batsman Jeet Raval.

We're only days away from Christmas - and a lot of people are beginning their holiday break on Saturday, so what might the weather be like?

Will we be able to enjoy barbecues and the beach?

NIWA meteorologist Chris Brandolino told Corin Dann it will be a bit of a mixed bag.

"Christmas morning... generally a good day now there will be some showers around the country during the day on Christmas, it's not going to be everywhere.

"I think we start the day as we're opening up gifts with some showers potentially for Otago, lower Canterbury, parts of Southland, Bay of Plenty, some scattered showers, then those showers become more widespread during the afternoon.

"So if you're going to be say, over toward Taupo, over toward interior Hawke's Bay, central plateau, interior say Bay of Plenty interior, Gizzy there will likely be some showers maybe a few odd downpours during the day on on Christmas Day, and then Boxing Day things should start to settle down again."