The Panel

The Prime Minister says wealthy New Zealanders can opt out of the Government's Winter Energy Payment, which will see those on a benefit, NZ Superannuation or a Veterans Pension get an extra boost due the winter season.

The Prime Minister Jainda Ardern says the Government's new families package will reduce child poverty in the country by 48 per cent. We ask the panellists whether this is realistic or if there are other, more entrenched impediments to lowering poverty in New Zealand.

Kaikoura residents and businesses are celebrating the re-opening of State Highway 1 north following a year of earthquake repairs.

Rocket Lab's Electron rocket launch today on the Mahia Peninsula has been scrubbed again, sadly. A power fault this time.

New reasearch studying supercentarians, those who sidestep disability and disease and live to more than 110 do so by eating well and getting plenty of excercise but the belief that the older you get, the sickeryou get is a myth. By looking at what ailed you ancestors, you can attempt to head off specific illness. The panellists giev their views on living well and living long. What the panellists Emma Espiner and Jonathan Krebs want to talk about. Toni Street and Mike Hosking announced yesterday that they are leaving their primetime TV 1 show Seven Sharp. The news has come as a surprise to viewers, and now debate turns to who will replace the pair. The panellists weigh in on whether TV has lost it's shine for broadcasters now with waning viewship. Christmas can be a hard time for struggling families and with the Government's families package not set to kick in until mid-next year, many are having difficulty putting food on the table this holiday season. In Australia, a new study has found that the rising cost of living has put a dampener on Christmas for many. We talk to Wellington City Missioner Rev Tric Malcolm about how they're coping this year and whether they have seen a rise in need for the mission's services.

Rocket Lab's Electron rocket launch today on the Mahia Peninsula has been scrubbed again, sadly. A power fault this time. Kaikoura residents and businesses are celebrating the re-opening of State Highway 1 north following a year of earthquake repairs. The coastal highway link between Picton and Christchurch was badly damaged during the November 2016 quake but will now re-open during the day from 7am. It will close at 8:30 each night so more repairs and assesments can be done. Kaikoura Top Ten Holiday Park co-owner Ed Nolan tells us what this means for his business and others in the town. The Prime Minister Jainda Ardern says the Government's new families package will reduce child poverty in the country by 48 per cent. We ask the panellists whether this is realistic or if there are other, more entrenched imprediments to lowering poverty in New Zealand. The panellists also discuss the state of the books, and discuss if they worry about national debt iincreasing, as the opposition has warned. The Prime Minister says wealthy New Zealanders can opt out of the Government's Winter Energy Payment, which will see those on a benefit, NZ Superannuation or a Veterans Pension get an extra boost due the winter season. Many are doubtful that will happen though. The panellists discuss why some wealthy people have missed out on tax cuts only to be able to reap the reward of this package. We also ask if they suspect this money will be used for heating purposes. The University of Otago has a new degree which brings science and art together, the BaSc. It aims to break down barriers between the two disciplines. Two students are graduating the degree this week. We talk to Eirenie Taua'i who has been studying Pacific Studies and Neuroscience. We aslk her what careers she is considering now and what it was like to study to very different courses. The families of those who died in the CTV building collapse in Christchurch's 2011 earthquake say they will continue to fight for justice. Police announced earlier this month they won't be prosecuting the engineers of the building after a three-year long investigation. The families met with police to ask and why say they aren't convinced all has been done. We ask panellist, barrister Jonathan Krebs, if other charges could and should be laid.

Your feedback, and a preview of the guests and topics on The Panel. Story of the day today is about joint pain and the weather - are they connected?

We find the answers to any queries you can think up. Today we answered John's question about sight and Karen's query about violence.

'Tgoma' is this year's hot Chritsmas trend. It stands for 'take games outside and make them active'. It aims to get children outside in nature, but connecting their outside fun to their inside fun, like a new trampoline that shows on your ipad how high you've jumped. Exaserbating the problem or a good solution? The panellists decide.

Yesterday we discussed the State Services Commissioner, Peter Hughes, cracking down on Crown entity boards hiking the salaries of their bosses. Today we go through the responses from our listeners, and the panellists weigh in with their opinions.