LABOUR'S PROMISING TO TRAIN AN EXTRA 335 DOCTORS A YEAR ON THE SAME DAY SENIOR DOCTORS WARN WE COULD LOSE MORE HEALTH WORKERS OVERSEAS. IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME FOR TAX CUTS? FIND OUT WHAT VOTERS THINK IN OUR LATEST POLL. THE MOMENT A WALL OF WATER WASHED THROUGH A LIBYAN CITY WHERE 10,000 PEOPLE REMAIN MISSING. AND A GLIMMER OF HOPE THE COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS COULD BE EASING ` BUT WILL THE MIGRATION BOOM KEEP PRICES SOARING? CAPTIONS BY KATE HARRIS, MAEVE KELLY AND FAITH HAMBLYN. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2023 TENA TATOU KATOA, NAU MAI RA ` GOOD EVENING. THE COUNTRY HAS SPOKEN, AND IT WANTS TAX CUTS. OUR LATEST NEWSHUB-REID RESEARCH POLL FOUND A MAJORITY OF VOTERS ARE KEEN ON AN INCOME TAX CUT. POLITICAL EDITOR JENNA LYNCH JOINS US NOW WITH THE NUMBERS. TAX, TAX, TAX ` IT'S THE TALK OF THE TOWN THIS ELECTION. NATIONAL'S PROPOSING INCOME TAX CUTS PAID FOR BY CUTS TO GOVERNMENT SPENDING AS WELL AS NEW TAXES ON ONLINE GAMBLING AND OVERSEAS BUYERS. ITS BEEN CALLED 'IRRESPONSIBLE' BY LABOUR AND SOME ECONOMISTS; THEY SAY IT'LL ADD FUEL TO THE INFLATION FIRE. SO WE ASKED YOU ` IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME FOR INCOME TAX CUTS? 51% SAID, 'YES! NOW! GIVE US THE MONEY!' WHILE JUST 36.1% SAID NO. SO THE NATIONAL PARTY'S MAIN PITCH THIS ELECTION IS A CLEAR WINNER WITH VOTERS. BUT HOW DID IT STACK UP AGAINST LABOUR'S GST-FREE FRUIT-AND-VEG PLEDGE? THE WAY TO A STUDENT'S HEART IS NOT HARD TO FIND. CHIPPY BROUGHT US DONUTS. NO CHICKEN ON RICE TONIGHT. SUGARY, SWEET AND TOTALLY IRRESISTABLE, ESPECIALLY TO THE FOOD-LOVING LABOUR LEADER. YOU GUYS SHOULD DO, LIKE, A COMPILATION OF CHIPPY EATS THINGS. WELL, SIR, IF YOU INSIST ` MUFFINS, A BIG BREKKY, ICE CREAM, A PIE. MMM. GOOD, VERY GOOD. LOOK, ITS NOT EXHAUSTIVE, BUT THE CONSPICUOUS ABSENCE FRUIT AND VEG ` WEIRD, GIVEN HIS GST PLEDGE. THE STUDENTS HE VISITED HAVE TAKEN TO GROWING THEIR OWN, AS THE COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS CHEWS THROUGH THEIR MINIMAL BUDGETS. YEAH! SO THEY'RE QUITE INTO HIS GST OFF FRUIT AND VEG POLICY. I DON'T NOTICE THE TAX, BUT I JUST DON'T BUY VEGETABLES. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT PUSH OFFPUTTING HEALTHY FOODS. WE WON'T NOTICE THE TAX CUT. BUT ONE SWAYED BY THE OTHER TEAM' TAX CUT. IT SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD TO ME. AND SHE'S NO THE ONLY ONE ` WE ASKED IN OUR LATEST NEWSHUB REID RESEARCH POLL, WHICH TEAM' TAX POLICY VOTERS PREFER, AND MORE 43% SAID THEY WANT A TAX CUT, VS THE 37.3% THAT LIKE THE IDEA OF CHEAPER FRUIT AND VEG. 15.9% SAID NEITHER WERE GOOD; THE REST DIDN'T KNOW. NEW ZEALANDERS DO NOT VOTE ON SINGLE ISSUES. THEY WILL LOOK AT THE BALANCE OF WHAT POLITICAL PARTIES ARE OFFERING. BUT HIPKINS KNOWS THE TAX CUTS A WINNER ON FACE VALUE ` HE WANTS VOTERS TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER. THE NATIONAL PARTY SHOULD RELEASE THEIR SECRET COSTINGS. THEY SHOULD OFFER NEW ZEALANDERS HOW THEY ARE GOING TO PAY FOR COMMITMENTS THEY ARE MAKING. ASIDE FROM HOW TO PAY FOR IT, THE BIG UNANSWERED QUESTION ` WILL TAX CUTS MAKE THE COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS WORSE? AS WE HAVE SAID BEFORE, NO, WE ARE CUTTING GOVERNMENT SPENDING TO PAY FOR IT. IT WOULD DO DAMAGE TO NEW ZEALAND'S ECONOMY. ARE YOU RELYING ON PEOPLE PUTTING IT ON THEIR MORTGAGE TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE NOT INFLATIONARY? NO. BUT LUXON CAN'T EXPLAIN HOW ELSE FUNNELLING BILLIONS OF EXTRA CASH INTO THE ECONOMY ` FUNDED PARTLY THROUGH NEW MONEY FROM NEW TAXES ` WILL NOT DO SO. PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS FACTORY, WHO WOKE AT 7 AM THIS MORNING, GOT THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL, AND STILL CAN'T GET AHEAD, THIS WILL GIVE THEM RELIEF TO DO THAT. HOPE IS ON THE WAY. IMMEDIATE RELIEF, PERHAPS, BUT AT WHAT COST? JENNA, LABOUR'S OFFERING IS NOT AS POPULAR; ARE WE LIKELY TO SEE THEM GO ON THE ATTACK MORE? THE PARTIES HAVE BEEN OUT CAMPAIGNING FOR JUST OVER A WEEK NOW, AND WE'VE SEEN LABOUR LURCH AWAY FROM THE POLITICS OF KINDNESS, TAKING AIM AT THE NATS AND TRYING THEIR HAND AT ATTACKS. SO WE ASKED VOTERS WHETHER THEY THOUGHT EACH OF THE LEADERS WAS RUNNING A POSITIVE OR A NEGATIVE ELECTION CAMPAIGN. THE VERDICT? 43% OF PEOPLE THOUGHT CHRIS HIPKINS WAS RUNNING A POSITIVE CAMPAIGN; MORE PEOPLE ` 47.9% ` THOUGHT CHRISTOPHER LUXON WAS. WHEN IT CAME TO WHO WAS RUNNING A NEGATIVE CAMPAIGN, 36.6% FELT HIPKINS WAS; 33.7% SAID LUXON. HIPKINS WAS AGAIN OUT ON THE ATTACK TODAY, CASTING DOUBT ABOUT NATIONAL'S COSTINGS ` AND WITH A MAJORITY RESPONDING THAT THEY WANT A TAX CUT, EXPECT HIM TO KEEP LASHING NATIONAL ABOUT THEIR NUMBERS. TENA KOE, JENNA. OUR LATEST NEWSHUB REID-RESEARCH POLL SHOWS MOST KIWIS LIKE NATIONAL'S PLAN TO TAX FOREIGNERS BUYING LUXURY HOMES. BUT WE'VE ALSO OBTAINED TREASURY ADVICE WARNING AGAINST SUCH A MOVE, SAYING IT WOULD DRIVE UP HOUSE PRICES. HERE'S POLITICAL REPORTER AMELIA WADE. IN THE OLD DAYS, YOU WOULD'VE HAD SOMEONE DOING THIS WORK, RIGHT? YEAH. AFTER CEMENTING HIS PLANS FOR TAX CUTS, CHRISTOPHER LUXON IS NOW UNDER PRESSURE TO GIVE KIWIS HARD EVIDENCE IT STACKS UP ` AND WHAT IMPACT IT WILL HAVE ON HOUSE PRICES. DID YOU GET ANY ADVICE ON WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO TO THE HOUSING MARKET? LOOK, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS TAXING FOREIGN BUYERS ON LUXURY PROPERTIES, WEALTHY NEW ZEALANDERS` UH, WEALTHY OVERSEAS FOREIGNERS WANTING TO BUY A LUXURY PROPERTY IN NEW ZEALAND AND GIVING THAT MONEY TO LOW- AND MIDDLE- INCOME NEW ZEALANDERS ` BRILLIANT IDEA. IT'S A PLAN THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY COSTINGS, IS GOING TO LEAD TO INFLATION AND IS GOING TO INCREASE THE COST OF HOUSING FOR NEW ZEALANDERS. THAT AIN'T BRILLIANT. BACK WHEN THE GOVERNMENT BROUGHT IN THE FOREIGN BUYERS BAN, THERE WERE REQUESTS FROM FOREIGNERS TO EXEMPT LUXURY HOMES BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T COMPETING WITH FIRST-HOME BUYERS. NEWSHUB HAS OBTAINED TREASURY ADVICE FROM 2019 WHICH EXPLICITLY TELLS MINISTERS NOT TO DO IT BECAUSE DEMAND FOR LAND TO DEVELOP LUXURY HOMES DRIVES UP PRICES OF LAND FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. DO YOU THINK IT IS GOING TO DRAG HOUSE PRICES UP? I WOULD SAY TO YOU WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WEALTHY FOREIGNERS WANTING TO BUY LUXURY PROPERTIES ` $10m, $15m, $20m, $30m PROPERTIES ` HERE IN NEW ZEALAND, THEY CAN PAY A 15% TAX. STILL NO ANSWER, BUT TREASURY'S WARNING GOES ON, SAYING FURTHERMORE THAT STRONG FOREIGN ACTIVITY IN THE TOP-END OF THE MARKET DISPLACES NEW ZEALANDERS FROM BEING ABLE TO PURCHASE THESE HOMES AND SO PLACES FURTHER DEMAND PRESSURES IN OTHER SEGMENTS OF THE MARKET. THE HOUSING MARKET'S AN ECOSYSTEM. IF YOU PUSH IT AT ONE END, IT WILL PROD OUT AT THE OTHER. WHAT IS IT GOING TO DO TO THE HOUSING MARKET? I TELL YOU WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO IS BE ABLE TO OPEN UP AND ATTRACT TALENT AND INVESTMENT TO NEW ZEALAND. BUT THE HOUSING MARKET? WHAT IS IT GONNA DO TO IT? WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT WE NEED, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE WORLD OF TECH ` TO HAVE A TECH ENTREPRENEUR SITTING SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR IN SAN FRANCISCO, SIX MONTHS HERE IN NEW ZEALAND... LUXON JUST STRAIGHT-UP REFUSING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. ...ECONOMY GO AHEAD. THAT'S NOT THE QUESTION. THE QUESTION IS WHAT IS IT GOING TO DO TO THE HOUSING MARKET? ...CONFIDENT IN IS OUR PLAN, AND IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE GIVING RELIEF TO LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME WORKERS. BUT WHAT IS IT GOING TO DO TO THE HOUSING MARKET? KATIE... EVERYONE LIKES A SUNNY WORK LUNCHBREAK; IT SEEMS A LOT OF KIWIS ALSO LIKE LUXON'S FOREIGN BUYERS TAX. IN OUR LATEST NEWSHUB-REID RESEARCH POLL, WE ASKED... MORE THAN HALF ` 53% ` SAID YES; 36% SAID NO. I THINK THEY SUPPORT US TAXING WEALTHY FOREIGNERS WHO WANT TO PURCHASE A HOUSE IN NEW ZEALAND AND TO GIVE THEM THAT MONEY IN TAX RELIEF. A TAX RELIEF PACKAGE WHICH STILL HAS SERIOUS QUESTIONS HANGING OVER IT. AND AMELIA, TOMORROW, THE NATS ARE GOING TO BE PUT UNDER EVEN MORE PRESSURE ON THIS POLICY? THEY SURE WILL. NATIONAL HAS SO FAR BEEN REFUSING TO RELEASE THE MODELLING WHICH SHOWS HOW MANY LUXURY HOMES THEY NEED TO SELL IN ORDER TO MAKE UP OF THE MORE THAN $700 MILLION A YEAR THEY NEED TO PAY FOR THEIR TAX CUTS. IN LIEU OF THAT MODELLING, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THREE ECONOMISTS HAVE DONE THAT MODELLING FOR THEM, AND WILL BE RELEASING IT TOMORROW, AND IT WILL SHOW THAT THE NATIONAL PLAN COMES UP HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SHORT. CHRISTOPHER LUXON WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DISMISS SUCH HARD EVIDENCE. HE WILL HAVE TO SHOW HIS WORKINGS FOR THE SAKE OF HIS OWN ECONOMIC CREDIBILITY. LABOUR'S PROMISING TO TRAIN AN EXTRA 335 DOCTORS EVERY YEAR IF IT'S RE-ELECTED. THEY'D BE SPLIT ACROSS THE MEDICAL SCHOOLS AT BOTH OTAGO AND AUCKLAND UNIVERSITIES. BUT AS POLITICAL REPORTER LLOYD BURR EXPLAINS, IT WON'T FULLY COME INTO EFFECT UNTIL 2027. IT WASN'T THE BIGGEST WELCOMING COMMITTEE. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD TO SEE YOU GUYS. WHILE HIS SUPPORTERS COULD DO WITH A BOOST IN NUMBERS, IT WAS A BOOST IN THE NUMBER OF DOCTORS THAT BROUGHT HIPKINS TO OTAGO'S MEDICAL SCHOOL. 335, WHICH IS THE LARGEST INCREASE THAT WE'VE EVER MADE. IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY. IN FACT, IT WOULDN'T BE FULLY IMPLEMENTED UNTIL TWO ELECTIONS' TIME. BUT WE BELIEVE IT'S ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL WE DO THIS. WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO NEED MORE DOCTORS. IT WOULD START NEXT YEAR WITH AN ADDITIONAL 50 MEDICAL SCHOOL PLACES; THEN, IN 2025, ANOTHER 95 SPOTS ON TOP OF THAT; THE SAME AGAIN IN 2026; AND IN 2027, TAKING THE TOTAL ANNUAL INCREASE TO 335. 335 NEW OVERALL DOCTORS BY 2027. YOU'RE CELEBRATING SOMETHING THAT'S TWO ELECTIONS AWAY. THE REASON WE'VE STEPPED IT OUT THAT IS WE NEED TO SCALE UP. THE INCREASE WILL BE SPLIT BETWEEN THE MEDICAL SCHOOL HERE AT OTAGO UNIVERSITY, AND THE ONE IN AUCKLAND. AND IT DOESN'T COME CHEAP. THE PRICE TAG OVER 10 YEARS IS NEARLY A BILLION DOLLARS. IF FUNDING WASN'T AN ISSUE, WOULD YOU HAVE DONE IT FASTER? AGAIN, THAT'S ABOUT SCALING THE SYSTEM UP. WE ARE 31 DAYS OUT FROM AN ELECTION. THEY HAVE HAD SIX YEARS IN POWER, AND THEY'VE ONLY JUST STARTED TO WORK OUT WE HAVE A HEALTH WORKFORCE PROBLEM HERE IN NEW ZEALAND. NATIONAL'S PLAN TO SOLVE THE DOCTOR SHORTAGE IS TO BUILD AN ENTIRE NEW MEDICAL SCHOOL IN HAMILTON. ISN'T THEIR PLAN BETTER? NO, BECAUSE WE OPEN UP 100 EXTRA MEDICAL PLACES AT AUCKLAND AND OTAGO IN 2025, AND THE MEDICAL SCHOOL OPENS UP IN 2027. THEY STILL DON'T HAVE A PLAN TO FULLY FUND IT. TALKING OF FUNDING, PHARMAC NEEDS A $181M ANNUAL BOOST JUST TO MAINTAIN ITS CURRENT LEVEL OF FUNDING. I CAN ABSOLUTELY COMMIT THAT PHARMAC WILL CONTINUE TO GET AT LEAST AS MUCH FUNDING AS THEY ARE GETTING. MORE MONEY FOR PHARMAC ON THE CARDS, THEN, AND MORE DOCTORS PROMISED TODAY. BUT THERE'S THIS ELECTION, AND THE ONE AFTER THAT, BEFORE HE'D HAVE A CHANCE TO CUT THE RIBBON ON THOSE 335 NEW GRADUATES. LLOYD BURR, NEWSHUB. THE FORMER HEAD OF TE WHATU ORA SAYS LABOUR'S POLICY IS PROOF THE DOCTORS' STRIKES ARE WORKING, BUT ROB CAMPBELL SAYS THE FACT THE DOCTORS ARE STILL PROTESTING FOR BETTER PAY IS A MORAL FAILURE. ALEXA COOK REPORTS. AMONG THE CROWDS OF PROTESTING DOCTORS ARE GRIM REAPERS, WITH A STARK MESSAGE ABOUT PATIENTS DYING. WE'RE AT A DIRE SITUATION NOW IN NZ, WHERE WE'VE NOT GOT ENOUGH DOCTORS TO ADEQUATELY STAFF OUR HOSPITALS. PAY TALKS WITH TE WHATU ORA FAILED LAST WEEK, SO 5500 OF OUR MOST SENIOR DOCTORS AND DENTISTS ARE BACK ON THE PICKET LINE. PEOPLE JUST THINK IT'S BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA INCREASE OUR SALARY, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT WHAT IT'S ABOUT. THIS IS ACTUALLY ABOUT SAVING OUR HEALTH SYSTEM. THEY'RE CALLING FOR BETTER PAY TO STOP THE HAEMORRHAGING OF HEALTH WORKERS TO HIGHER PAYING COUNTRIES LIKE AUSTRALIA. OUR HIGHEST SALARY LEVEL HERE IS THE STARTING SALARY IN AUSTRALIA. IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. WE ARE LOSING DOCTORS EVERY WEEK TO AUSTRALIA ` BOTH SENIOR DOCTORS AND RMOs. THERE ARE SERVICES WHICH ARE FAILING ALL OVER THE PLACE. WARNING PATIENTS' SAFETY IS SUFFERING BECAUSE DOCTORS ARE SO BURNT OUT. THEY'RE NOT GONNA GIVE YOU SAFE CARE ` THEY'LL TRY THEIR BEST. IN ALL MY YEARS, I'VE NEVER BEEN AS WORRIED ABOUT THE STATE OF THE HEALTH SYSTEM AS I AM TODAY. LABOUR'S PROPOSAL TO TRAIN HUNDREDS MORE DOCTORS IS A POLICY THAT FORMER TE WHATU ORA CHAIR ROB CAMPBELL SEES IS THE DIRECT RESULT OF INDUSTRIAL ACTION. THAT'S NOT AN ACCIDENT ` IT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE THE NURSES, AND NOW THE SENIOR DOCTORS ARE TAKING THESE ACTIONS. BUT HE'S APPALLED TO SEE DOCTORS WITH PLACARDS, RATHER THAN PATIENTS. IT'S A MORAL FAILURE OF OUR SOCIETY, TO BE HONEST, ALEXA. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. THE DOCTORS WILL ENTER PAY TALKS WITH TE WHATU ORA ON MONDAY, AND IF THOSE FAIL AGAIN, THEN THERE'LL BE ANOTHER STRIKE NEXT THURSDAY. BUT THIS TIME, IT'LL BE FOR FOUR HOURS. TE WHATU ORA SAYS IT'S HOPING TO AVOID FURTHER PROTESTS, BECAUSE IT'S COMMITTED TO REACHING AN AGREEMENT NEXT WEEK. ALEXA COOK, NEWSHUB. TO THE UNFOLDING DISASTER IN LIBYA NOW, WHERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE REPORTED TO HAVE DIED IN A CATASTROPHIC FLOOD WHEN TWO DAMS BURST. THE TORRENT OF WATER IS SAID TO HAVE SWEPT MANY MORE INTO THE SEA, WITH ANOTHER 10,000 MISSING. EUROPE CORRESPONDENT LISETTE REYMER REPORTS. (URGENT SHOUTING) LIBYA IS THE LATEST VICTIM OF NATURE'S ROULETTE. THIS A SNAPSHOT OF THE CATASTROPHE UNLEASHED HERE ` A WALL OF WATER SURGING WITH UNSTOPPABLE FORCE UNTIL THE BANKS OF THE RIVER BURST WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THE WATER FINALLY SUBSIDES, A QUARTER OF THE CITY OF DERNA HAS BEEN WIPED AWAY WITH IT. (MAN SPEAKS ARABIC) THIS IS ALL THAT NOW REMAINS OF ONE OF THE NEAR-50m-HIGH DAMS THAT SHOULD HAVE PROTECTED THE CITY AND ITS PEOPLE. TRANSLATOR: THE FIRST AND SECOND DAMS COLLAPSED IN THE SOUTH OF DERNA AND CAUSED WATER TO FLOW INSIDE THE CITY. THREE BRIDGES COLLAPSED COMPLETELY, AND WATER SPREAD INSIDE THE DISTRICT, AND THERE ARE ENTIRE NEIGHBOURHOODS THAT MOVED INTO THE SEA ` INCLUDING THEIR RESIDENTS. LIBYA'S INFRASTRUCTURE WAS ALREADY CRUMBLING UNDER MORE THAN A DECADE OF WAR; IT STOOD NO CHANCE AGAINST THE FORCE OF STORM DANIEL, AND THE COUNTRY'S PEOPLE HAVE PAID WITH THEIR LIVES ONCE AGAIN. THE BODIES ARE NOW FILLING MASS GRAVES. THE HEARTBREAK IS MOUNTING BY THE HOUR. WE CAN CONFIRM NOW THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES, AND THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES ARE STRANDED OR LOST. TURKEY TODAY BECAME THE FIRST TO DELIVER AID TO THE COUNTRY, BUT RESCUE EFFORTS ARE BEING COMPLICATED BY THE EVER-WARRING GOVERNMENTS. THE PRIME MINISTER SAYING DON'T BOTHER SENDING AMBULANCES; IT'S WAY TOO LATE FOR THEM. (SPEAKS ARABIC) 'WHAT WE NEED MOST URGENTLY 'IS HELP RETRIEVING BODIES FROM THE SEA,' HE ANNOUNCED. A COUNTRY THAT'S BEEN GUTTED BY YEARS OF DIVISION NOW MORE BROKEN THAN EVER. IN LONDON, LISETTE REYMER, NEWSHUB. IN MOROCCO, THE NUMBER OF DEAD FROM THE 6.8 EARTHQUAKE IS NOW ALMOST 3000 ` AND WITH MANY VILLAGES IN THE MOUNTAINS ENTIRELY DESTROYED, THAT FIGURE WILL KEEP GOING UP. HERE'S CHANNEL 7'S ASHLEE MULLANY. IMIN-TALA IS A HEARTBREAKING STORY. THIS IS A VILLAGE OF JUST 300 PEOPLE. OF THOSE, 160 PEOPLE WERE KILLED WHEN THIS EARTHQUAKE STRUCK; 40 PEOPLE ARE STILL MISSING, FEARED DEAD UNDER THE RUBBLE. THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A MASS GRAVE IN IMIN-TALA. THE COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS IS SHOWING SIGNS OF EASING, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE ` PRICES ARE STILL SOARING. FOOD PRICES INCREASED BY 8.9% IN AUGUST, COMPARED TO THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR, DOWN FROM A 9.6% RISE IN JULY. GROCERY ITEMS ` FOODS LIKE EGGS AND POTATO CHIPS AND DAIRY PRODUCTS ` WERE THE MAIN CULPRIT, UP 10.6%. RENTS WERE UP 4.1%, AND AS ZANE SMALL REPORTS, SOARING IMMIGRATION COULD ADD EVEN MORE PRESSURE. THE RISING COST OF LIVING WEIGHS HEAVY ON THE MIND OF YOUNG MUM ANGEL KAUR. JUST THE, UM, NECESSITIES. EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP. ESPECIALLY THE PRICE OF GROCERIES. MEAT, SHAMPOO, CONDITIONER... EVEN MILK, EGGS... SHE HAS A TEENAGER TO PROVIDE FOR. IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO MEET THE FOOD COSTS, AND THEN TO HAVE TO MEET HER PERSONAL ITEMS AND STUFF, IT'S VERY HARD. IN A NEW SURVEY OF 1200 KIWI PARENTS, 95% SAID THEY WERE STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY, AND MORE THAN HALF WERE EATING LESS OR DIFFERENTLY. 95% IS, LIKE, BASICALLY EVERYBODY ` EVERYBODY'S FEELING PRESSURE. YOU KNOW, THAT'S` WHEN WE STARTED THE SURVEY, IT WAS ABOUT HALF OF THAT. DESPITE ALL THAT FINANCIAL PRESSURE, OVERALL RETAIL SPENDING INCREASED IN AUGUST BY ALMOST 1% COMPARED TO JULY. FOR EXAMPLE, FUEL SPENDING SURGED BY 13.5% LAST MONTH, BUT THAT FOLLOWED A 13.8% RISE IN THE PRICE OF PETROL. SO PEOPLE ARE BEING FORCED TO SPEND MORE OF THEIR MONEY, AND ECONOMISTS ARE WARNING THAT SOARING MIGRATION COULD ADD EVEN MORE PRESSURE. MORE PEOPLE MEANS MORE DEMAND, PUSHING UP ALREADY HIGH PRICES AND RENTS AND ADDING TO THE STRAIN ON ALREADY STRETCHED PUBLIC SERVICES. THIS GRAPH SHOWS HOW THE NUMBER OF NON-NZ CITIZENS ARRIVING HERE TO WORK HAS SPIKED IN THE WAKE OF COVID. I THINK IT'S STILL AN ONGOING CHALLENGE TO PROVIDE ENOUGH HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE TO MEET THE DEMAND THAT THERE WILL BE FROM A GROWING POPULATION, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD STEP AWAY FROM THAT. PAUL BLOXHAM SAYS POPULATION GROWTH CAN HELP FUEL A GROWING ECONOMY AND THAT IF DONE SUCCESSFULLY, IT COULD ALSO HELP NEW ZEALAND REGAIN ITS ROCK-STAR ECONOMY STATUS ` A TITLE HE COINED HIMSELF. NEW ZEALAND WAS THE ROCK-STAR ECONOMY OF 2014, AS I SAID. UH... BUT I FEAR THAT` THE CONCERN IS THAT IF YOU DON'T DEAL WITH A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE RIGHT NOW, YOU MIGHT TURN OUT TO BE A ONE-HIT-WONDER. AND ANGEL WORRIES WE CAN'T EVEN CARE FOR THE PEOPLE ALREADY HERE. WE NEED TO LOOK AFTER OUR OWN PEOPLE BEFORE WE GO OUT AND LOOK AFTER OTHERS. BECAUSE WITH POLITICAL PROMISES COMING AT HER LEFT, RIGHT AND CENTRE, ANGEL JUST WANTS A PATH TO A MORE AFFORDABLE FUTURE. ZANE SMALL, NEWSHUB. NA HEI KONEI A HEATHER ` HEATHER'S HERE NOW WITH NGA TOHU HUARERE, THE WEATHER. AND HOW CUTE IS SPRING? SO MANY BABY ANIMALS! LIKE THE LITTLE LAMBIES AND THE MINI WHITE GALLOWAY COWS ` THEY'RE LOVING THE SPRING WEATHER... BUT SOME HUMANS NOT SO MUCH. IT'S BEEN WINDY, THE CLASSIC SPRING WESTERLY PUSHING SHOWERS ON TO THE DEEP SOUTH TODAY; AND IT'S ABOUT TO GET WORSE, WITH GALE NOR'WESTERS AND HEAVY RAIN FOR TOMORROW. THOSE DETAILS AFTER SPORT. BURN-OFFS AROUND SYDNEY HAVE LEFT THE CITY CHOKING IN SMOKE, WITH AIR QUALITY READINGS WORSE THAN THE WORLD'S MOST POLLUTED CITIES. FORMER CABINET MINISTER KIRI ALLAN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO CHARGES RELATING TO THE LATE-NIGHT CAR CRASH THAT ENDED HER POLITICAL CAREER. AND SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT A NEW COVID VARIANT THAT'S CAUSED AN INCREASE IN CASES IN THE UK? HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU REPLACE COMMON HOUSEHOLD ITEMS LIKE THESE? YOU COULD BE LIVING IN A HOUSE OF PESTILENCE AND NOT EVEN KNOW IT. (CHUCKLES) PLUS, COTERIE ARE HERE TO TELL US ABOUT TEAMING UP WITH DAVE DOBBIN TO REMIX A KIWI CLASSIC ` AT 7. SPECIALIST SEARCH GROUPS HAVE RETURNED TO THE SUBURB OF GREENPARK IN THE SEARCH FOR CHRISTCHURCH REAL ESTATE AGENT YANFEI BAO. POLICE METHODICALLY COMBED NEARLY 2km OF GRASS VERGES AND BUSH ALONG THE SIDE OF HUDSON'S RD. THEY'RE ALSO USING METAL DETECTORS TO EXAMINE DRAINAGE DITCHES BUT HAVE SO FAR FOUND ONLY RUBBISH. YANFEI BAO HAS BEEN MISSING FOR EIGHT WEEKS, AND WHILE HER BODY IS YET TO BE FOUND, A MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH HER MURDER. KIRI ALLAN HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO REFUSING TO ACCOMPANY POLICE AFTER CRASHING HER CAR IN WELLINGTON. THE FORMER JUSTICE MINISTER WAS CHARGED IN JULY AND WAS DUE TO BE CALLED IN THE WELLINGTON DISTRICT COURT TOMORROW. BUT A REGISTRAR HAS CONFIRMED ALLAN'S LEGAL TEAM ENTERED A NOT GUILTY PLEA ON ONE OF HER CHARGES. THE CASE HAS BEEN MOVED TO EARLY NOVEMBER. RUSSIA'S PRESIDENT PUTIN AND NORTH KOREA'S LEADER, KIM JONG-UN, ARE MEETING RIGHT NOW AT A SPACE ROCKET DEVELOPMENT SITE. PUTIN HAD ALREADY CONFIRMED HE'D BE VISITING THE VOSTOCHNY COSMODROME SITE BUT WOULDN'T SAY IF KIM WOULD BE THERE TOO ` BUT IN THE LAST FEW MINUTES, LIVE TV PICTURES HAVE SHOWN THEM TOGETHER. IT'S THOUGHT THEY'LL AGREE AN ARMS DEAL FOR RUSSIA IN EXCHANGE FOR NUCLEAR AND SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY FOR NORTH KOREA. PEOPLE ARE BEING URGED TO STAY INDOORS IN SYDNEY, WHERE IN RECENT DAYS THE AIR QUALITY HAS BEEN WORSE THAN SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST POLLUTED CITIES. THE CITY'S CHOKING IN SMOKE FROM DELIBERATELY LIT FIRES AS IT PREPARES FOR ITS FIRST BUSHFIRE SEASON IN YEARS. AUSTRALIA CORRESPONDENT EMMA CROPPER REPORTS. SYDNEY SKYLINE BARELY VISIBLE THROUGH THE HAZE CHOKING THE CITY. THICK SMOKE HAS BEEN BLANKETING IT FOR DAYS, MAKING IT HARD TO SEE AND EVEN HARDER TO BREATHE. BECAUSE I'M ASTHMATIC, STRUGGLING TO BREATHE. IT'S BEEN WORSE AT NIGHT, TRIGGERING FIRE ALARMS IN MANY SUBURBS. AT TIMES, SYDNEY'S AIR QUALITY HAS BEEN WORSE THAN MUMBAI, SHANGHAI, SEOUL, NEW YORK AND L.A. BUT THE SMOKE IS COMING FROM DELIBERATELY LIT FIRES CLOSE TO HOMES. AFTER THREE YEARS OF LA NINA FLOODS THIS SUMMER, AUSTRALIA FACES ITS BIGGEST RISK OF BUSHFIRES SINCE THE DEADLY FIRES OF 2020. THE GOOD THING IS WE'RE NOT ON THE BACK OF A FOUR-YEAR DROUGHT, WHICH IS WHAT WE WERE GOING INTO THAT FIRE SEASON, BUT THE BAD SIDE OF IT IS WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GROWTH THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PREPARE, THEY'RE BURNING IT OFF. I'D RATHER BE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF HAZARD SMOKE RATHER THAN TELLING PEOPLE WE'RE REALLY SORRY, BUT YOU NEED TO EVACUATE YOUR HOMES. WITH WARM WEATHER FORECAST THIS WEEKEND, IT COULD BE ITS FIRST TEST OF JUST HOW PREPARED THE CITY IS. EMMA, WHY IS THE SMOKE SO BAD THIS YEAR? IT IS A RACE AGAINST TIME, TO BE PREPARED FOR THE BUSHFIRES HERE IN AUSTRALIA. THERE IS ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF DAYS WHERE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE PERFECT TO UNDERTAKE THESE HAZARD BURNS, AND THIS WEEK HAS BEEN PERFECT CONDITIONS EVERY DAY. BUT IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO LIVE IN. IF YOU WALK DOWN THE STREET IN THE MORNING, IT IS REALLY BAD. MANY PEOPLE ARE WEARING MASKS AND COUGHING AND STROKING AS THEY WALK THROUGH THE SMOKE. I MYSELF WOKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT LAST NIGHT AND THOUGHT MY APARTMENT WAS ON FIRE, THAT IS HOW STRONG IT IS. BUT THEY ARE VERY WORRIED ABOUT IT. THIS WEEKEND, THE SYDNEY MARATHON IS TAKING PLACE. THE FIRE SERVICE HAS TRIED TO MAKE THE HAZARD BURNS TAKE PLACE BEFORE THAT, SO THAT RUNNERS CAN TAKE PLACE IN THE CITY. NICKY'S IN LATER, WITH SPORT. AND DANE COLES AND SIR STEVE HANSEN HAVE KISSED AND MADE UP? YES, SIR STEVE'S BRIEF TIME IN THE WALLABIES CAMP RUFFLED A FEW FEATHERS ` ESPECIALLY WITH DANE COLES. HANSEN'S SMOOTHED THAT OVER WITH A VISIT TO THE ALL BLACKS IN LYON, ALTHOUGH THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE RILING COLES UP. AND A CAREER-BEST FINISH FOR KIWI CYCLIST FINN FISHER-BLACK IN ONE OF THE BIGGEST RACES IN THE WORLD. AND WE'RE DONE WITH COVID, BUT THERE'S BEEN A REMINDER TODAY THAT COVID ISN'T DONE WITH US ` REVELATIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING LONG COVID OFF THEIR THIRD OR FOURTH INFECTION. IT'S TE WIKI O TE REO MAORI, MAORI LANGUAGE WEEK, BUT MIKE'S IN THE MIDDLE OF MAORI LANGUAGE YEAR ` FIND OUT HOW HE'S GOING. WILLIAM IS SHAVING HIS HEAD TO SUPPORT WIG WEDNESDAY. LET'S DO THIS. THERE IT IS ` RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. WILLIAM, YOU'VE RAISED MORE THAN $30,000 TODAY ALONE FOR THE CHILD CANCER FOUNDATION. YEAH, WE DID IT! COMMENTATOR: Here we are with the first half. VOICEOVER: Introducing... ..the most epic Sports Combo. Any Footlong Sub, any two cookies and a drink. Delivered to your door from the Subway app. LAST YEAR FOR TE WIKI O TE REO MAORI, MIKE SHARED HIS OWN PERSONAL JOURNEY OF LEARNING TE REO WITH HIS DOCUMENTARY 'KIA ORA, GOOD EVENING'. SINCE THEN, HE'S EMBARKED ON A YEAR OF FULL-TIME, FULL-IMMERSION STUDY AT TE WANANGA TAKIURA IN TAMAKI MAKAURAU. WELL, KIA ORA, MIKE. KORERO MAI, KEI TE PEHEA KOE I ROTO I TO HAERENGA? TENA KOE, SAM. ME KI PENEI, HE NUI NGA WERO, ENGARI HE NUI KE ATU NGA HUA. KO TE HUA MATUA, KO TE ORA. KUA WHAKA-KIIA TOKU NGAKAU KI NGA TAONGA O TE REO ME TE AO MAORI. I USED TO GET ANXIETY ABOUT EVEN SAYING 'KIA ORA, GOOD EVENING,' IN CASE I GOT IT WRONG. IN TE REO MAORI: (LAUGHTER) (LAUGHTER, APPLAUSE) ALL: # KI AHAU! # CHOICE! (CHEERFUL CHATTER) HEALTH EXPERTS ARE WARNING THE NEW COVID VARIANT DUBBED 'PIROLA' MIGHT ALREADY BE IN NEW ZEALAND ` BUT SAY IT'S A VARIANT OF INTEREST AND NOT YET OF CONCERN. THAT'S DESPITE HEALTH OFFICIALS IN THE UK DESCRIBING BA.2.86 AS THE MOST WORRYING SINCE OMICRON. LUCY THOMSON REPORTS. PREPARING TO TAKE ON A FAMILIAR FOE ` HEALTH EXPERTS IN NEW ZEALAND ARE BRACING FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEW COVID VARIANT. IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE THIS NEW LINEAGE IS ALREADY IN NEW ZEALAND AND WE HAVEN'T PICKED IT UP YET. THE SUBVARIANT, DUBBED 'PIROLA' ONLINE, HAS BEEN CIRCULATING OVERSEAS SINCE LATE JULY. THIS NEW VARIANT HAS CAUSED A GREAT DEAL OF CONCERN GLOBALLY, AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S SO MUTATED. AND IN FACT, THE JUMP IS AS BIG AS THE JUMP FROM DELTA TO OMICRON. SO I THINK THAT'S A REMINDER THE PANDEMIC IS NOT OVER. BUT PEOPLE HERE ARE... PRETTY UNCONCERNED. SEEMS LIKE WE'VE BEEN THERE AND IT'S... RUN ITS COURSE. I'M FROM KOREA. MOST PEOPLE STILL WEAR MASKS. PROFESSOR MICHAEL BAKER SAYS ALTHOUGH HIGHLY MUTATED, PIROLA'S NOT DEMONSTRATING SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT ABILITIES ` YET. IF BECAME REALLY DOMINANT IN THE WAY OMICRON DID, THEN IT WOULD BECOME A VARIANT OF CONCERN, AND THAT, OBVIOUSLY, WOULD BE A WORRY, BECAUSE THAT WOULD MEAN, FOR INSTANCE, THAT THE VACCINE WOULD NEED TO BE UPDATED. IN THE UK, HEALTH AUTHORITIES ARE RAMPING UP THEIR VACCINATION EFFORTS. THEIR COVID CASES ROSE 15% LAST WEEK ALONE. AND BACK HERE, EMERGENCY DOCTORS ARE URGING PEOPLE TO DO THE SAME. PATIENTS THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE COMMONLY SEEN GETTING ILL WE'RE NOW SEEING DEVELOP MULTILOBAR PNEUMONIAS AND SOMETIMES END UP IN ICU. HE SAYS WE'RE STILL YEARS AWAY FROM UNDERSTANDING THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS BUT THAT ANECDOTALLY, THEY'RE SEEING MORE SEVERE ILLNESSES ACROSS THE BOARD POST-COVID. THERE'S ALSO INCREASES IN STROKES AND DBT, BLOOD CLOTS AND CARDIAC EVENTS. DOCTORS SAY PATIENTS ARE CATCHING LONG COVID ON THEIR THIRD OR FOURTH INFECTION, AND THESE PATIENTS SAY THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT COULD HAPPEN. ANOTHER REMINDER COVID ISN'T DONE WITH US YET. LUCY THOMSON, NEWSHUB. THE iPHONE 15 HAS JUST BEEN RELEASED IN CALIFORNIA ` THE FAITHFUL LOVED IT, BUT THEY WOULD; WHAT DID OUR OWN DANIEL RUTLEDGE MAKE OF THE NEW GADGET? AND NASA'S JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE HAS DISCOVERED TENTATIVE EVIDENCE OF LIFE ON A PLANET 120 LIGHT YEARS AWAY. AN UPDATE ON SHAUN JOHNSON'S CALF AHEAD OF SATURDAY'S PLAYOFF MATCH AGAINST THE KNIGHTS. IAN FOSTER GETS THE OLD GANG BACK TOGETHER AT ALL BLACKS TRAINING IN LYON. DELIGHTED TO BE BACK IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA, BUT WHAT IRKED TRENT BOULT UPON HIS RETURN TO THE BLACKCAPS? YOU MIGHT THINK YOU'RE FUNNY, BUT TONIGHT YOU'LL LEARN HOW TO BE HILARIOUS IN TE REO MAORI. AND YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, BUT WHICH ONES ARE WORN OUT OR RIDDLED WITH GERMS? FIND OUT WHAT TO CHUCK IN THE RUBBISH AT 7. (UPBEAT ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC) You all good, mate? You warm enough? (LAUGHS) SONG: # Like an endless stream... # I spy with my little eye... How good is this? You're not hungry? Nearly there, mate. # Wrap me in your arms... # (PHONE RINGS) GIRL: Ah! So that's the difference between Courier and Economy. Yeah. Something like that. OK. Courier, please. # Wrap me in your arms... # THE ALL BLACKS HAVE LEAPT TO THE DEFENCE OF UNDER-FIRE PROP ETHAN DE GROOT AS THE FORWARD PACK DESPERATELY TRIES TO WRESTLE BACK SOME DOMINANCE. DE GROOT'S HAD A TOUGH TIME OF LATE BUT HAS THE BACKING OF THE ALL BLACKS. AND AS THEY GET AROUND THEIR TEAMMATE, ONE FRONT-ROWER'S HAD A BIT OF A MAKE-UP SESSION WITH HIS FORMER COACH. RUGBY REPORTER OLLIE RITCHIE HAS THE LATEST FROM LYON. SIR STEVE HANSEN'S PRESENCE BACK IN ALL BLACKS CAMP HAS BEEN A WELCOME SIGHT THIS WEEK ` JUST ASK DANE COLES. YEAH, HE GAVE ME A BIT OF STICK YESTERDAY FOR CAUSING A BIT OF A SCENE, BUT, YEAH, NAH, IT'S GOOD. UM... IT'S FUNNY HOW` WHAT THINGS CAN CHANGE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. COLES WAS CRITICAL OF HANSEN'S DECISION TO HELP EDDIE JONES AND THE WALLABIES BEFORE THE WORLD CUP, BUT THE ALL BLACKS HOOKER INSISTS THEY CAN BOTH SEE THE LIGHTER SIDE OF IT NOW. GAVE ME A BIG HUG, AND, UM... YEAH. I WON'T SAY WHAT HE SAID TO ME, BUT, YEAH, IT WAS` IT'S, UM... WAS A GOOD BIT OF HUMOUR. WHILE COLES WAS HAPPY TO MAKE LIGHT OF HANSON'S RETURN, IT'S SERIOUS BUSINESS FOR THE PACK THIS WEEK. THEY'VE BEEN OUTMUSCLED IN THEIR LAST TWO GAMES, THEIR USUAL UPFRONT DOMINANCE DISAPPEARING. WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL AND PUSHING THE PANIC BUTTONS. UH, THERE'S A... THERE'S STILL A GREAT ENERGY AMONGST THE GROUP; THERE'S A WILLINGNESS TO GET US UP THERE TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE. THE SCRUM IN PARTICULAR HAS FACED HEAVY SCRUTINY, AS HAS LOOSE-HEAD PROP ETHAN DE GROOT. DE GROOT HAS STRUGGLED THE PAST TWO TESTS, TWICE PENALISED IN THE WORLD CUP OPENER. COLES SAYS THAT'S SOMETHING EVERY INTERNATIONAL PLAYER EXPERIENCES. AND THAT'S JUST PART OF THE JOURNEY A YOUNG FRONT-ROWER HAS TO TAKE. YOU TALK TO OWEN FRANKS OR KARLE HAMMOND OR ANY TEST PROP ` NO MATTER WHAT POSITION THEY'VE BEEN IN, THERE'S BEEN A FEW MOMENTS IN THEIR CAREER THAT THEY LOOK BACK ON AND IT WAS PROBABLY A TURNING POINT FOR THEM. SET PIECE IS AN AREA NAMIBIA ARE LIKELY TO TRY AND PRESSURE THE ALL BLACKS IN AS WELL. WHILE THEY MIGHT NOT TROUBLE THE SCOREBOARD, THEY BACK THEIR PACK TO AT LEAST GET PARITY AT SET PIECE, AND THE ALL BLACKS ARE BRACING FOR ANOTHER TESTING NIGHT THERE. A LOT OF THEM, ACTUALLY ` THE FRONT-ROW BOYS ` PLAYED FOR THE CHEETAHS. SO IN THEIR LINEOUT, YOU CAN TELL ` IT'S, LIKE, A REAL... KINDA GOT AN AFRICAN KIND OF THEME TO IT, THE WAY THEY'RE DRIVING THAT. SO, YEAH, WE'VE, UM... YEAH, DONE A BIT WORK AROUND THAT AND... WITH FAR MORE IMPOSING CHALLENGES TO COME AT THIS WORLD CUP, THE ALL BLACKS PACK NEED TO FIND THE FASTEST WAY BACK TO DOMINANCE. IN LYON, OLLIE RITCHIE, NEWSHUB. FORMER ALL BLACK JULIAN SAVEA HAS SIGNED WITH MOANA PASIFIKA FOR NEXT YEAR'S SUPER RUGBY SEASON BUT ALSO HAS ANOTHER JERSEY IN HIS SIGHTS. SAVEA, WHO PLAYED 54-TESTS FOR NZ, IS OF SAMOAN HERITAGE, AND AS WELL AS REPRESENTING MOANA PASIFIKA, IS INTERESTED IN TURNING OUT FOR MANU SAMOA. THIS YEAR, I WAS VERY CLOSE TO, SORT OF, PUTTING MY HAND UP FOR MANU. BUT, YOU KNOW, BEING INJURED... I GUESS, YOU KNOW, AROUND THAT TIME ` AT THE END OF THE SEASON ` DIDN'T REALLY HELP. AND... I KNOW MUM AND DAD WILL BE PROUD, AND SO WILL ARDS. THE 33-YEAR-OLD SAYS AGE IS JUST A NUMBER AND PLANS TO EARN A REGULAR SPOT IN TANA UMANGA'S MOANA PASIFIKA SIDE. PROMISING SIGNS OUT OF THE WARRIORS CAMP TODAY, WITH SHAUN JOHNSON PROGRESSING WELL. THE CLUB CONFIRMED THE STAR HALF TRAINED ALONE AND WILL AGAIN TOMORROW IN ORDER TO HAVE THE BEST PREPARATION FOR SATURDAY'S SEMI-FINAL. THEIR OPPOSITION, THE NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS, CERTAINLY AREN'T TAKING THE PLAYMAKER LIGHTLY, SAYING HE'S BEEN THE BEST PLAYER IN THIS YEAR'S COMPETITION. A LOT OF SKILL IN THEIR FORWARD PACK, AND, YEAH, SHAUN JOHNSON, HE'LL PROBABLY GET THE DALLY M THIS YEAR. IF NOT, HE'LL BE VERY, VERY CLOSE. SO HE'S AN ABSOLUTE THREAT. THE KNIGHTS ARE GUNNING FOR A CLUB RECORD ` 11th CONSECUTIVE WIN. KIWI CYCLIST FINN FISHER-BLACK'S RECORDED HIS FIRST PODIUM AT A GRAND TOUR, FINISHING SECOND ON STAGE 16 OF THE VUELTA A ESPANA. THE 21-YEAR-OLD WAS PART OF A LATE BREAKAWAY, CHASING TOUR DE FRANCE CHAMPION JONAS VINGEGAARD. AND WHILE THEY COULDN'T REEL THE DANISH RIDER IN, FISHER-BLACK PULLED CLEAR TO PICK UP SECOND. FISHER-BLACK'S 34th IN THE GENERAL CLASSIFICATION, WHILE VINGEGAARD SECOND ` AND FAVOURED TO ADD THE VUELTA TO HIS TOUR DE FRANCE TITLE. THIS WEEKEND, TEAM NZ WILL TAKE TO THE WATER FOR THEIR FIRST COMPETITIVE RACE SINCE DEFENDING THE AMERICA'S CUP IN 2021. THE PRELIMINARY REGATTA IN BARCELONA WILL FEATURE ALL SIX SYNDICATES SAILING A NEW CLASS OF BOAT ` THE FOUR-PERSON AC-40 MONOHULL. PETER BURLING, BLAIR TUKE, ANDY MALONEY AND NATHAN OUTTERIDGE WILL REPRESENT THE CUP HOLDERS. THIS WEEKEND'S GOING TO BE AWESOME. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING SIX OF THESE AC-40s OUT ON THE START LINE TOGETHER. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE FIRST TIME IN THIS AMERICA'S CUP CYCLE WE'RE ALL RACING TOGETHER, SO JUST SUPER EXCITED TO GET INTO IT. IT'S THE FIRST OF THREE PRELIMINARY REGATTAS USING THE SMALLER AC-40s BEFORE THE 37th EDITION OF THE AMERICA'S CUP IS CONTESTED IN THE AC-75s IN 12 MONTHS' TIME. WHILE HE WAS DELIGHTED TO BE BACK IN BLACK, TRENT BOULT CONCEDES ONE ASPECT OF HIS RETURN TO INTERNATIONAL CRICKET WAS FAR FROM IDEAL ` AND NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE RESULT. THE LEFT-ARM SWING BOWLER MADE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE FOR NEW ZEALAND SINCE LAST NOVEMBER IN THE SECOND ODI AGAINST ENGLAND. BUT AS ALEX CHAPMAN REPORTS, IT WAS MORE WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THE GROUND THAT FRUSTRATED HIM. THE ENGLISH WEATHER WASN'T THE ONLY THING PUTTING A DAMPENER ON TRENT BOULT'S RETURN TO THE BLACK CAPS. IT'S A RAIN DELAY, AND IT'S THE ONLY GAME PLAYING ON THE SCREEN AT THE GROUND, SO... THAT PROBABLY PUSHED ME A LITTLE BIT. NOT JUST ANY GAME, BUT THAT WORLD CUP FINAL. AS THE RAIN FELL ON THE SECOND ODI AGAINST ENGLAND, THE TEAM WAS CONFINED TO THE CHANGING ROOMS, AND THEIR FANS COULDN'T ESCAPE YET ANOTHER REPLAY OF THE NIGHTMARE OF FOUR YEARS AGO. UM, I TRY NOT TO LOOK BACK ON IT. BUT WHEN IT'S BLASTING AND BLARING AROUND THE ROSE BOWL, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT. FAR FROM THE BEST WAY TO CELEBRATE HIS 100th ONE-DAYER, ALMOST A YEAR TO THE DAY SINCE HIS LAST APPEARANCE IN THE FORMAT. ONE PARTICULAR MOMENT OF THE LOSS AT LORD'S STILL PAINS HIM. ALL MY FAULT, WITH THE SENSE THAT I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE BOUNDARY WAS, AND THAT WAS A CRUCIAL MISTAKE. HAVING OPTED OUT OF HIS CENTRAL CONTRACT LAST YEAR, THE SWING BOWLER IMPRESSED ON HIS RETURN IN SOUTHAMPTON, TAKING THREE FOR 37 IN THE 79-RUN LOSS. AND YOU'D THINK HE'LL BE BETTER FOR TONIGHT'S THIRD GAME AT THE OVAL. HE SORT OF STEPPED BACK IN AND` LIKE HE'D NEVER BEEN AWAY FROM PLAYING ODI CRICKET. SO THAT WAS VERY, VERY PLEASING. ESPECIALLY WITH THE BIGGER PICTURE OF THIS YEAR'S WORLD CUP. LOOKING FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY GETTING ONE MORE RUN AND LIFTING THE TROPHY IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS' TIME. IT'S THE BIG FOCUS FOR A LOT OF US. COME FOUR YEARS' TIME, A MORE FAVOURABLE RESULT COULD BE PLAYING DURING RAIN DELAYS. ALEX CHAPMAN, NEWSHUB. I HAVE TO STAY I FEEL A LOT MORE CONFIDENT NOW I KNOW HE IS BACK ON SIDE. HE IS ALL CLASS. SO ARE YOU. THANKS, MIKE. APPLE HAS UNVEILED ITS LATEST MOBILE PHONES AND SMARTWATCHES, WHICH COME WITH A RANGE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES. BUT THEY DON'T COME CHEAP, AND AMID THE COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS, ARE THEY WORTH SHELLING OUT FOR? DANIEL RUTLEDGE TRAVELLED TO CALIFORNIA WITH APPLE TO BE AT THE SHOWCASE EVENT. THE iPHONE 15 RANGE HAS BEEN REVEALED, AND THE FAITHFUL GREETED IT WITH RELIGIOUS FERVOUR. THE FASTEST CHIP EVER IN A SMARTPHONE, A CUSTOMISABLE ACTION BUTTON, AND OUR MOST PRO CAMERA SYSTEM YET, FEATURING A 5X TELEPHOTO CAMERA ` THESE ARE THE BEST AND MOST CAPABLE iPHONES WE'VE EVER MADE. THE BASIC MODELS ARE GETTING MOST OF THE FEATURES ONLY THE PRO MODELS HAD LAST YEAR, SUCH AS THE 48 MEGAPIXEL CAMERA, AND THE ENTIRE iPHONE 15 RANGE HAS SWITCHED TO USB-C PORTS FROM APPLE'S OWN LIGHTNING CABLES AFTER THE EU RULED THEY HAVE TO. THE DECISION, OF COURSE, WAS, WELL, IF YOU'RE GONNA DO IT FOR EUROPE, YOU DO IT FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD, IN WHICH MOST OF THE WORLD HAS ALREADY SHIFTED OVER TO USB-C, SO THIS WAS JUST A NATURAL PROGRESSION. THE LATEST AIRPODS ARE NOW BEING RE-RELEASED, TO HAVE THE SAME USB-C CHARGING PORT. THE LATEST AIRPODS ARE NOW BEING RE-RELEASED TO HAVE THE SAME USB-C CHARGING PORT. AND APPLE ALSO LIFTED THE CURTAIN ON ITS NINTH APPLE WATCH. INTRODUCING DOUBLE TAP. JUST TAP YOUR INDEX FINGER AND THUMB TOGETHER TWICE ` IT'S THAT EASY. BUT THE WATCHES AND AIRPODS ARE MERELY A SIDESHOW TO THEIR MAIN MONEYMAKER ` THE iPHONE. THE NEW TOP-END PRO MAX MODEL HAS THE COMPANY'S BEST-EVER CAMERA, FITTED WITH A FIVE TIMES OPTICAL ZOOM. APPLE WILL BE HOPING THAT THE iPHONE 15 CAMERA UPGRADES, UNVEILED HERE TODAY AT ITS HQ IN CALIFORNIA, WILL APPEAL TO SMARTPHONE CUSTOMERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND ATTRACT THEM AWAY FROM RIVALS LIKE SAMSUNG AND OPPO, AS ALL COMPANIES COMPETE, TRYING TO PRODUCE THE VERY BEST PHOTOS AND VIDEOS WITH THEIR PHONES. THAT TOP-END MODEL STARTS AT A WHOPPING $2500 IN NZ, WHILE THE BASIC iPHONE 15 STARTS AT $1650 ` THAT'S $50 MORE THAN LAST YEAR'S. THEY'LL BE RELEASED IN AOTEAROA ON SEPTEMBER 22nd. DANIEL RUTLEDGE, NEWSHUB. AN OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD DISCOVERY MAY JUST PROVE WE'RE NOT ALONE ` NASA'S JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE HAS DISCOVERED TENTATIVE EVIDENCE OF LIFE ON A PLANET 120 LIGHT YEARS AWAY. IMAGERY HAS PICKED UP A MOLECULE BELIEVED TO BE DIMETHYL SULPHIDE. ON EARTH, THIS IS ONLY PRODUCED BY LIFE. BOTH METHANE AND CO2 HAVE ALSO BEEN DETECTED IN THE PLANET'S ATMOSPHERE, SUGGESTING IT MAY HAVE AN OCEAN. MUSIC SUPERSTAR TAYLOR SWIFT HAD THE MOST NOMINATIONS AND THE BIGGEST WINS AT THE VMA MUSIC AWARDS, INCLUDING 'SONG OF THE YEAR', 'VIDEO OF THE YEAR' AND BEST DIRECTION ` FOR 'ANTIHERO', WHICH ALSO WON THE BEST POP AWARD. # I HAVE THIS THING WHERE I GET OLDER BUT JUST NEVER WISER. # SWIFT NOW HAS 18 OF VMA TROPHIES, PASSING BEYONCE'S 16 ` AND JUST TWO BEHIND MADONNA'S ALL-TIME RECORD. OUR TOP STORIES TONIGHT ` OUR LATEST NEWSHUB-REID RESEARCH POLL FOUND A MAJORITY OF VOTERS ARE KEEN ON AN INCOME TAX CUT. WE ASKED ` IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME FOR INCOME TAX CUTS? 51% SAID, 'YES, NOW, GIVE US THE MONEY!' WHILE JUST 36.1% SAID NO. LABOUR'S PROMISING TO TRAIN AN EXTRA 335 DOCTORS EVERY YEAR IF IT'S RE-ELECTED. E WHAI AKE NEI, KO NGA TOHU HUARERE, COMING UP ` NEWSHUB WEATHER. AND IT'S A STORMY END TO THE WEEK? HEAVY RAIN AND SEVERE GALES, WITH A COUPLE OF FRONTS HITTING TOMORROW, REACHING THE NORTH ISLAND EARLY FRIDAY. SO, FIORDLAND AND WESTLAND SOUTH OF OTIRA IS UNDER AN ORANGE HEAVY RAIN WARNING, AND A HUGE AREA IS NOW UNDER EITHER A WARNING OR WATCH FOR GALE NOR'WESTERLIES. MORE NEXT. AND ON THE PROJECT ` A LOOK AT MAORI HUMOUR. MOST OF US CAN NOW SAY HELLO AND GOODBYE, BUT TONIGHT WE LEARN TO BE FUNNY AS WELL. AND ARE YOU HOLDING ON TO THAT OLD TOOTHBRUSH OR TOILET BRUSH JUST FAR TOO LONG? Well, this is a bit precarious. Yeah. If this was a film, the jacket would probably start to rip at this point. Yeah, but this is a Macpac. Oh, Macpac! WOMAN: Oi, I think someone's coming. WOMAN 2: Ooh, this is a bit precarious. That's what I was saying! Yeah, that's what he was saying! # R-E-S-P-E-C-T. TAKE CARE OF TCB. # TOMORROW'S WEATHER ` BROUGHT TO YOU BY NATURE, TURNED INTO POWER BY MERIDIAN. NAU MAI ANO ` WELCOME BACK. GET SET FOR SOME ROUGH WEATHER, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH TOMORROW. THE NORTH ISLAND LOOKS RELATIVELY FINE, WITH THE HIGH EXTENDING A RIDGE THERE, BUT THE SOUTH ` WELL, THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY. A COUPLE OF FRONTS TRACK UP THE ISLAND. THE FIRST WILL REACH THE LOWER NORTH ISLAND LATE TOMORROW NIGHT. IN FRONT OF IT, STRONG NOR'WESTERS; BEHIND IT, COOLER WEST TO SOU'WEST WINDS, AND THEN A STRONG SOUTHERLY CHANGE FOR THE DEEP SOUTH TOMORROW NIGHT. KI TE WAIPOUNAMU ` TO THE SOUTH ISLAND ` IT IS WET WITH SHOWERS ` TUAUA ` OUT WEST, TURNING TO RAIN ` UA ` WITH A STRONG WEST TO NOR'WEST WIND FOR THE DEEP SOUTH. TOMORROW, HEAVY RAIN MOVES IN STEP WITH THE FRONT. AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE WINDS SHIFT BEHIND IT, SO MORE WEST TO SOU'WEST WINDS LATER IN THE DAY. KI TE IKA A MAUI ` TO THE NORTH ISLAND ` PARTLY CLOUDY TONIGHT, WITH SHOWERS FOR THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN REGIONS. TOMORROW MOST OF THE DAY WILL BE FINE. AGAIN, JUST ISOLATED SHOWERS FOR THE NORTH AND WEST, BUT THEN THE FRONT EVENTUALLY REACHES THE SOUTH AND WILL BRING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND STRONG WESTERLY QUARTER WINDS ` HAUAURU. SO A MIX UP TOP FIRST UP, WITH FINE SPELLS AND THE ODD SHOWER; BUT THE AFTERNOON IS FINE AND DRY, WITH WESTERLIES EVERYWHERE. CLOUD RETURNS FOR NORTHLAND IN THE EVENING. THE DAY STARTS DRY HERE, WITH FINE SPELLS, BUT CLOUD INCREASES TOWARDS THE END OF THE DAY, WITH THE ODD SHOWER AND A FRESH WESTERLY ` HAUAURU. FINE AND WARM FOR TURANGA-NUI-A-KIWA, GISBORNE ` MAINLY FINE, WITH HIGH CLOUD ELSEWHERE. WESTERLIES GUST 100 K'S FROM THE SOUTH LATE AFTERNOON, GUSTING 80 K's FOR HAWKE'S BAY IN THE EVENING. THE MORNING IS THE BETTER HALF HERE, WITH CLOUDY PERIODS ` KAPUAPUA ` AND WEST TO NOR'WEST WINDS. THEN AFTER LUNCH, SHOWERS ROLL THROUGH, AND THE WIND GETS STRONG, RISING TO GALE FORCE FOR WELLINGTON. CROSSING TE MOANA O RAUKAWA, COOK STRAIT ` THE DAY DETERIORATES, WITH SHOWERS TURNING TO RAIN; HEAVY FALLS IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH STRONG WESTERLIES. FINE WITH HIGH CLOUD OVER THE DIVIDE, BUT AGAIN, THE WIND GETS STRONG, WITH WEST TO NOR'WEST WINDS ` GUSTING 100 K'S FOR OTAUTAHI, CHRISTCHURCH, BUT EASING TOMORROW NIGHT. AND RAIN DEVELOPS IN THE MORNING FOR THE DEEP SOUTH. IT'S WINDY EVERYWHERE WITH GALE WESTERLIES GUSTING 120 K'S FOR SOUTHLAND, TURNING TO STRONG SOUTHERLIES TOMORROW NIGHT. OTEPOTI, DUNEDIN ` FINE WITH HIGH CLOUD, BUT THE WIND IS THE DOMINANT ELEMENT TOMORROW. NOR'WESTERS WILL BECOME STRONG IN THE MORNING AND THEN EASE TOMORROW NIGHT. A VERY SIMILAR FORECAST FOR OTAUTAHI, CHRISTCHURCH ` FINE WITH HIGH CLOUD, BUT THE NOR'WESTERLY WILL GUST 100km/h EASING TOMORROW NIGHT. TE WHANGANUI-A-TARA, WELLINGTON ` MAINLY DRY WITH HIGH CLOUD, BUT THE NOR'WESTERLY WILL RISE TO GALE FORCE, GUSTING 120 K'S IN THE AFTERNOON, AND SHOWERS HIT TOMORROW NIGHT. TE MATAU A MAUI, HAWKE'S BAY ` FINE FOR YOU. AGAIN, IT'S THE WIND THAT DOMINATES, WITH NOR'WESTERS GUSTING 100 K'S IN EXPOSED PLACES SOUTH OF AHURIRI NAPIER. MAINLY FINE FOR TAURANGA, WITH FRESH WESTERLIES ` HAUAURU ` ACROSS THE ENTIRE DAY. CLOUD RETURNS TOMORROW NIGHT ` KA KAPUAPUA. FINE SPELLS AROUND THE WAIKATO, WITH THE RISK OF SHOWERS ` TUAUA ` AFTER LUNCH. EXPECT A WESTERLY WIND ` HAUAURU. CHILLY, THOUGH; FEELS-LIKE HIGH OF 11. FINE SPELLS AROUND TAMAKI MAKAURAU, AUCKLAND, WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS ` TUAUA ` AND A FRESH WESTERLY BREEZE ` HAUAURU ` AND A FEELS-LIKE HIGH OF 12. OVER TO OZ ` NOT BAD. JUST A FEW SHOWERS FOR PERTH AGAIN. EVERYONE ELSE IS DRY. KI TE MOANANUI-A-KIWA, TO THE PACIFIC ISLANDS ` A MIX OF SHUNSHINE AND SHOWERS WITH A LOVELY 30-DEGREE HIGH FOR FIJI. WEEKEND TIME, AND IT'S LOOKING WONDERFUL UP TOP. THE WIND AND SHOWERS WILL DIE DOWN ON PARAIRE, FRIDAY. SAME STORY HERE, WITH EVEN THE RETURN OF FROST FOR TAUPO-NUI-A-TIA ON SATURDAY. THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEKEND WILL BE PLEASANT FOR THE REST OF THE NORTH, BUT THERE WILL BE STRONG TO GALE NORTH TO NOR'WEST WINDS ON SUNDAY. WINDY TOO FOR THE TOP HALF OF THE SOUTH ISLAND. RAIN RETURNS ON SATURDAY OUT WEST, WITH HEAVY FALLS LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. AND A MIX OF WIDESPREAD SHOWERS, RAIN, AND STRONG WINDS, PLUS SOME SUN TOO FOR THE LOWER SOUTH. SO TOO WINDY TO DO ANY MOUNTAINEERING, BUT GEORGE CAPTURED A BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE OVER MOUNT SEFTON, KNOWN IN MAORI AS MAUKATUA. ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. IT DOES LOOK VERY COLD, THOUGH. THAT'S NEWSHUB LIVE AT 6 FOR TODAY.