Episodes
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Frankie McNair is an up-and-coming Australian comedian who won best comedy award at Melbourne Fringe 2018 and best newcomer and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2022.
Her critically acclaimed one-woman show, ‘An Intimate Evening with Tabitha Booth’ is coming to Q Theatre – starting tomorrow evening – and runs until July 6th.
She plays ‘medicated lounge singer’, Tabitha Booth in an intimate evening of unhinged comedy.
McNair joined Tim Beveridge on Newstalk ZB’s Holiday Breakfast.
“I won one of the biggest awards in Melbourne and I started panicking – thinking, I don’t know how to follow this up!”
McNair describes her 50s, Munroe era character: “I do go for that Trans-Atlantic, old-school Hollywood accent.”
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The fifth annual dolphin and whale count is taking place nation-wide this weekend.
The count contributes both a snapshot at the same time every year, and information about the marine mammals close to shore across time.
Whale and Dolphin Count Organiser, Christine Rose, told Tim Beveridge “We encourage people to go to the coastline and stare out to sea for a couple hours and report what you see.”
Rose said “It’s a celebration of the marine life we share our world with.”
She said “We want people to be aware of the whales and dolphins that are in New Zealand – at this time of year humpbacks and Southern right whales are migrating from Antarctica to the tropics.”
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Te Anau-born Swiss-Kiwi tennis player Lulu Sun has qualified for the ladies singles at Wimbledon.
Sun is placed 123rd in world rankings - she eased past Filipino, Alexandra Eala, in the third round of qualifying.
We’ll find out who she'll face when the draw is made overnight.
Newstalk ZB Sports Journalist, Dean McLachlan, told Tim Beveridge “It’ll be her second Grand Slam appearance after playing at the Aussie Open earlier this year.”
McLachlan said “She’s just switched allegiance from Switzerland to New Zealand.”
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A new Uber-style app for truckies is launching nationally next week after being trialled in Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
The Road Ninja app - dubbed the "Uber for truck drivers" will match businesses to truckies in their area.
Road Ninja Founder Bodhi Vette told Tim Beveridge drivers can set their own rates and get paid what they’re worth.
Vette said “It’s a driver-first platform.”
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The latest Crime and Victims survey reveals New Zealand's most common offence is fraud.
The Ministry of Justice has surveyed more than seven-thousand people, and it shows 10% have experienced fraud in the year to October 2023.
66% have been scammed by unauthorised bank transactions, and 20% were scammed making online purchases.
Cyber-security company Aura’s Principal Advisory Consultant, Alistair Miller, told Tim Beveridge “Because it’s seen as quite shameful – we ignore the statistics, don’t talk about it with our friends and family and keep quiet about it.”
Miller said “It’s become an industrialised process – there's call centres with hundreds of people working to defraud people – and now there’s A.I to make it even more automated.”
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Wellington Council’s decision to sell its 34% share in Wellington Airport may put rates up in the future.
The highly contested decision to sell the shares has passed - and the proceeds will be invested in a perpetual fund.
At least three councillors, who previously agreed to sell the shares, now say they've changed their minds - and the move to sell would fail if a vote happened today.
Mayor Tory Whanau has been criticised from fellow left-leaning councillors for supporting the sale.
Wellington Councillor for Takapu/Northern Ward, Ben McNulty, told Tim Beveridge “My progressive colleagues ran on a platform on opposing the privatisation of our assets.”
McNulty said “Wellington is not a very diversified city compared to Auckland and Christchurch.”
He said “We have rates, parking and the airport.”
“The investment fund will not return anywhere close to the airport, because it has to be a green fund.”
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Transporting New Zealand says the Government's struck a good spending balance – with investment in the future.
The government's announced the finalisation of its Policy Statement on Land Transport, to the tune of $22 billion.
It'll be used to improve road maintenance, build roads of national significance, improve public transport, and bring in roadside drug testing.
Transporting NZ Policy Lead, Billy Clemens, told Tim Beveridge “This will ensure roads work for New Zealanders.”
Clemens said “Truck operators pay a lot toward roads, but as long as there’s good maintenance, they’re happy to pay.”
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Self-taught rocket scientist Sir Peter Beck had humble beginnings as a Fisher & Paykel Appliances apprentice.
Since 2006, he’s been chief executive of Rocket Lab – which has been pivotal in growing New Zealand’s $1.69 billion space industry.
Employing 1,800 staff, Beck’s Rocket Lab is second only to Elon Musk’s Space X as the most prolific commercial launch provider globally.
It has worked with Nasa on multiple missions and launched the first rocket in the Southern Hemisphere to reach space in 2009.
Rocket Lab CEO Sir Peter Beck told Tim Beveridge “I was sitting on a place at the time, halfway across the United States. When I received the email, it was unexpected – I'm tremendously humbled.”
Beck said “For all the engineers in the space industry and entrepreneurs of New Zealand – there’s aways a big team and lots of people help. It’s a recognition of those people.”
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Around 70 Kiwis turning 18 from August will become the first cohort legally allowed to seek details about their donor parent from Births, Deaths and Marriages.
As officials prepare for requests about donor-biological parents, a team of University of Auckland researchers are asking their own questions in a new nationwide survey.
Since the Human Assisted Reproductive Technologies (Hart) register began collecting information nearly two decades ago, more than 3,000 donor-conceived people have been born.
Auckland University Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cindy Farquhar, told Tim Beveridge “We’re aware that it’s a delicate situation.”
Farquhar said “Some people make their own private arrangements – same-sex couples may find their own donor outside of the fertility clinic.”
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In 1999, Theresa Gattung became the first female chief executive of a major New Zealand company at Telecom (now Spark).
She broke through a major glass ceiling – paving the way for a prolific corporate career - co-founding My Food Bag, sitting on the board of healthcare start-up Tend, as well as the dating website Compatico.
She’s been named a Dame in this King’s Birthday Honours alongside Joan Withers.
Dame Theresa Gattung told Tim Beveridge “I wasn’t sure if it was a gag or not – 10 years ago when I got my previous honour, it came in the mail.”
Gattung said “Girls looking up have to believe that anything is possible – they could be a Prime Minster, CEO, chair, or philanthropist. That’s what important.”
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The construction of new builds is coming to a halt.
About 35,000 new builds were given consent in the last year – more than a 20% drop from the period ending April 2023.
This is being chalked up to inflation and the cost-of-living crisis.
Chief Executive of Building Industry Federation, Julien Leys, told Tim Beveridge “The Covid building boom is over.”
Leys said “Interestingly enough, the renovation market is doing quite well – and we’ve seen a bit of a boost come through with infrastructure.”
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Prime Minister Chris Luxon will visit Niue and Fiji this week to develop and reaffirm New Zealand's cooperation with the region.
This will be Luxon’s first visit to the Pacific as Prime Minister.
Political Editor Jason Walls told Tim Beveridge “He’s expecting to be received warmly and get a good welcome. It’s a strategic area of the world for New Zealand.”
Walls said “He’s been in the job for about six months, but he hasn’t been jet-setting much - he’s been very focused on the 100-day plan and getting the budget out of the way.”
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Award-winning NZ businesswoman Joan Withers has been made a Dame Companion of the NZ Order of Merit for services to business, government and women.
She’s led many prominent companies, including: The Warehouse, Mercury Energy, Auckland International Airport and TVNZ.
Dame Joan Withers told Tim Beveridge “You’re the first person I've had call me that – it is weird.”
Withers said “People with background like mine don’t expect to get that acknowledgement.”
Dame Joan Withers has a message for younger women: "It doesn't matter where you come from. If you work hard, keep your integrity and do the right thing - you can do many things that you might not have anticipated."
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Australian Defence Minister, Richard Marles, was critical of China's military build-up during his speech at a security conference in Singapore.
Marles later met with his Chinese counterpart to raise his concerns face-to-face.
The Shangri-La Dialogue has continued over the weekend, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to speak on Sunday.
Australian Correspondent Murray Olds told Tim Beveridge “China has become more and more aggressive – publicly aggressive.”
Olds said China has apparently been pumping potentially deadly underwater sonar waves to hit Australian divers in international waters.
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American Public opinion on former US President Donald Trump's guilty verdict has remained mostly unchanged.
The Presidential candidate's been convicted of all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the New York hush money trial.
US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Tim Beveridge “A poll has revealed today that Americans are divided – 50% believe that the verdict is correct, and 27% do not support it.”
Arnold said “Trump’s lawyers are lashing out at the judge – defence lawyers talk big about appeals, yet they rarely succeed.”
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The Government's Budget centrepiece has been passed in the House, meaning tax cuts will become law.
Income tax brackets have been shifted, giving most earners an extra $4-40 take-home pay each fortnight.
Infometrics Principal Economist and CEO Brad Olsen told Tim Beveridge “The IRD estimates there’s around nine thousand people who will get slightly less than a dollar a week over the course of the year.”
Olsen said “The government’s also been challenged for not funding cancer drugs.”
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The working class man and one of Australia's most beloved musicians, Jimmy Barnes, is heading back to our shores for his 'Hell of a Time' tour.
Over the length of his career Barnes has achieved 15 solo number-one albums in Australia, becoming 21 when combined with the five earned as the lead singer of ‘Cold Chisel’, resulting in him having the highest number of any artist, including the Beatles and Taylor Swift.
Late last year the musician underwent a health scare, sending him under a surgeon’s knife and leading him to cancel the rest of his shows for the year.
He revealed on Instagram that the bacterial infection he was battling had spread to an already-weakened valve of his heart and was undergoing open heart surgery.
Barnes told Newstalk ZB’s Roman Travers that there were a few points where he felt like he wouldn’t make it through.
“It was pretty drastic.”
He’s happy to report that he’s now feeling “fighting fit”, having come through the worst of it and is now back swimming, singing, and training once more.
“I remember just literally lying in the hospital bed and thinking that, you know, I might not make it,” Barnes said.
“And I just figured that when I came through it and I was okay, I figured that, you know, I’ve got to enjoy every moment of life, you know?”
He decided to treasure all the little moments, particularly with his loved ones, making a point to call his kids and tell him he loves them if he ever feels the urge.
“I savour every moment.”
Barnes has returned to playing live, celebrating the anniversary of his 1993 ‘Flesh and Wood’ album with a self-described ‘intimate experience’ on his ‘Hell of a Time’ tour.
“It’s a joy to be doing shows,” he told Travers.
“It’s a joy to be playing live.”
The New Zealand leg of his tour gets underway in July, with tickets still available for Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin.
Some artists are incredibly picky when they perform, liking to have control of everything down to the minutiae. Jimmy Barnes likes to be ‘across it’, saying that you have to have an eye for details.
“My job is to make sure I get out and do the best show for the public,” he said.
“To do that I don’t just look after what I do, I gotta look after what the band does, what my band are playing, who I’m gonna work with."
“The show starts as soon as the door opens up.”
Barnes is picky with his opening act, telling Travers that he wants people to come in and see a good opener, someone who’s exciting to see.
“From the minute people walk into the auditorium to the minute they leave, they’re entertained, then that’s me doing my job.”
Every show on the ‘Hell of a Time’ tour is an ‘intimate experience’, Barnes forgoing the traditional rock concert, stripping it right back and digging into the stories behind the songs.
“It’s quite interactive with the crowd,” he revealed, promising chats, laughs, and interactions with the entire Barnes family.
‘My wife, and my daughter, two daughters, are actually on stage with us.”
“It’s quite unique.”
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Dawn services have been held around the country this morning. On ANZAC Day, thousands of soldiers who fought for New Zealand in the great World Wars are remembered.
Winston Peters and the Kiwi Defence Force contingent are at the Gallipoli Dawn Service. The Defence Force had a rocky start to the visit, with lost bags amid the chaos of Dubai’s floods meaning they will now play a reduced role in the service.
Defence Force Chief, Air Marshal Kevin Short tells Roman Travers thousands were in Wellington this morning making for a very moving dawn service.
The Defence Force has assisted RSAs throughout New Zealand to put on commemorative services in small towns and cities.
Short says the government can always do a bit more to support veterans, even while acknowledging dollar-based limits.
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Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins says yesterday’s cabinet reshuffle shows “the wheels are falling off already”.
Paul Goldsmith will take over Melissa Lee’s role as Broadcasting Minister and Louise Upston will take over from Penny Simmonds as Disability Issues Minister.
Hipkins tells Roman Travers Lee didn’t come up with a single new idea on how to deal with the changing media landscape in her six years as broadcasting spokesperson in opposition. He says one of the main problems for media is companies like Google and Facebook profiting from content that they don’t actually produce.
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The Warriors are dusting themselves off from last week’s shocking loss to the Dragons. The team are looking to hit back hard in today’s ANZAC Day clash against the Gold Coast Titans.
Former Warriors player and commentator Adam Blair tells Roman Travers the Warriors need to bounce back after letting themselves down defensively last week.
The Warriors have lost their past eight ANZAC Day games but Blair says facing a different team this year may put something on our side of the waters.
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