Checkpoint for Thursday 22 May 2025

5:40 PM.Heather Roy, the former deputy leader of the ACT party, Stuart Nash a former Labour MP, who was Minister for Police, Tourism and Economic and Regional Development in the last Labour government and… Read more Audio

5:33 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:31 PM.For people with long-term health conditions - like asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure - renewing a prescription will get easier and cheaper. From next year doctors can prescribe medication for… Read more Audio

5:31 PM.Swimmers, runners and weight-lifters who are using banned performance-enhancing drugs will take part in the first Enhanced Games next year. The controversial event will take place in Las Vegas and has… Read more Audio

5:24 PM.Returning to our top story on the budget labour's finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds joins us now. Audio

5:10 PM.The government is halving its contribution to Kiwisaver shifting the financial load onto business. The change will be phased. At the moment people over 18 can get up to $521 in government… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.Nearly 13 billion dollars has been clawed back from pay equity changes over four years, the Government contribution to KiwiSaver has been halved, tweaks to BestStart payments have been made and a tax… Read more Audio

4:54 PM.It's all over for Auckland's iconic department store Smith and Caughey's. Last year, the store permanently closed its Newmarket location and reduced its flagship Queen Street store to a single floor… Read more Audio

4:47 PM.Out of work 18 to 19 year olds may be forced to rely on mum and dad for financial support with the government planning to effectively means test parents of unemployed teenagers before allowing young… Read more Audio

4:40 PM.United States President Donald Trump has ambushed South Africa's President Cyril Rama-phosa during a meeting in the oval office, by playing a video that  he claimed proved genocide was being carried… Read more Audio

4:33 PM.The amount the government adds to Kiwisaver accounts is being halved to a maximum of 260 dollars a year. People earning more than $180,000 a year will receive no government contribution at all from… Read more Audio

4:17 PM.The government's halving its contribution to kiwisaver. Businesses will have to up theirs from 3 to 4 percent over time. They get a tax break in return. Theres an average $14 a fortnight increase to… Read more Audio

4:17 PM.Out of work 18 to 19 year olds may be forced to rely on mum and dad for financial support with the government planning to effectively means test parents of unemployed teenagers before allowing young… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.In its budget the coalition's clawed back money from three main areas - Pay equity, Kiwisaver and Best Start payments. The bulk of the 5.3 billion dollars saved - in fact about half of it - has come… Read more Audio