The Panel

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan. Then: is it okay to drink alcohol in front of your kids? That was the research question posed by Sergey Alexeev, a senior fellow at the University of Sydney. Tune in to hear the verdict.

In part two, do Brooke Van Velden's pay equity changes comply with human rights requirements? Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner, Gail Pacheco, thinks not. Then, Tottenham Hotspurs are coming to town to face Auckland FC at Eden Park. There's potentially no one more excited than Richard Stafford, the chairman of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Club NZ.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Heather Roy and Andie McCombs. First up, with much of the nation keeping close track of fuel stocks, the government has started publishing a twice-weekly update. More has arrived as of today's update, but Edward Miller of the International Corporate Tax and Accountability Research Centre, says New Zealand is dangerously vulnerable. Then, in an abrupt U-turn, a new International Olympic Committee policy will ban transgender athletes from competing in women's events. CQ University law lecturer Matt Nichol takes a look at this legal can of worms.

Wallace Chapman and producer José Barbosa preview tonight's edition of The Panel.

In part two, Watties has confirmed it will close manufacturing sites in Christchurch, Dunedin and Auckland, as well as the frozen packing lines in Hastings. This comes after McCains said it is proposing to close its frozen food plant in Hastings. The Panel talks to Farmer Hugh Ritchie about the impact of this and the fuel crisis on the horticulture industry. Then, he pulled his parachute strap and nothing happened. At that point Adrian was hurtling towards the ground on his first skydive. The Panel hears this amazing story of cheating death.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Claire Amos and Martin Bosley. First up, we catch up on where the heavy rain and wind will head next over the weekend with an update from Metservice. Then, the government has outlined its plan should the country's supply of fuel putter out. It consists of Covid-syle alert levels - bookmarked by where we are now in phase one all the way to phase four which would see strict interventions on fuel distribution. The Panel talks to David Boyce, CEO of the NZ Trucking Association about how this will impact his industry. And finally, a proposal to turn Lake Onslow into a giant "battery" for the national grid is back in play, after being accepted into the government's fast-track approvals process. Dr Jen Purdie, an energy expert, explains what the project is designed to do.

Wallace Chapman previews tonight's instalment of The Panel.

An extra half hour of The Panel with Wallace Chapman, where to begin, he's joined by Nights host Emile Donovan. Then: many of us will be familiar with the annual sit down with the boss for a performance review. For some there's hope it will include talk of a pay rise. But is the annual performance review outdated? Jeremy Morrow, senior lecturer and the Auckland University of Technology Business School think so and he tells the Panel why.

In part two, we return to the musical instrument that people love to hate: the recorder. After dumping on the venerable instrument last week, Roger Palmer, president of the New Zealand Recorders and Early Music Union, comes on to defend and protect. Then, this weekend sees an introduction to fly fishing for women workshop taking place. The Panel talks to Leigh Johnson, National Coordinator of Women on The Fly NZ, about the efforts to get more women involved in fly fishing.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Patrick Phelps and Jennie Moreton. First up, amid the weather warnings in Northland we talk to two affected residents waiting to see what the weather brings. Then, Meta and YouTube have been found liable in a landmark social media addiction trial in the US. The online behemoths have been ordered to pay 5.1 million NZ dollars to a young woman for her childhood addiction to social media. Jurors found that Meta and YouTube intentionally built addictive platforms that harmed her mental health. The Panel discusses what about this case makes it so important. And the Action Plan to Prevent and Reduce Substance Harm 2026 - 2029 was released recently. Meanwhile cocaine use has reached an all time high. Sarah Helm from the NZ Drug foundation talks to the Panel about where our drug policies work and where they don't.