Checkpoint Podcast Options

5:24 PM.Of the 200,000 people issued work visas last year, 266 were hairdressers, 104 dairy farmers, 17 sales and marketing managers and 42 cafe managers. Opposition parties are outraged. Audio

5:20 PM.Vincent Skeen has been sentenced to five years and two months in jail after he fatally stabbed Luke Tipene several times with a broken beer bottle in 2014. Audio

5:08 PM.Civil Defence and Red Cross workers took to the streets of Havelock North today to try to find out how many people are sick, while businesses say they're seriously out of pocket. Audio

6:25 PM.Hastings water supply has been chlorinated and as long as it is boiled it should be safe to drink, Hawke's Bay Public Medical Officer of Health Dr Nick Jones says. Audio

6:22 PM.Canoe sprinter Lisa Carrington begins her Olympic campaign tomorrow morning as she seeks to cement her place as the world's most dominant female paddler. Audio

6:20 PM.Wellington's mayoral candidates are back-pedalling on whether the city should stump up $90 million for the airport's runway extension. Audio

6:18 PM.Thousands of school office workers, teacher aides, technicians and caretakers face reduced hours and pay cuts unless the government boosts school funding. Audio

6:11 PM.Havelock North locals are furious their council didn't warn them about the gastro outbreak earlier, as medical centres and pharmacies struggle to keep up with demand. Audio

6:09 PM.The seemingly never-ending story is finally over with Auckland's Unitary Plan signed off, setting a path for the future development of the city. Todd Niall talks to deputy mayor Penny Hulse. Audio

5:55 PM.New Zealand trampolinist Dylan Schmidt may be one of the least well known names in New Zealand's Olympic team, but the 19-year-old trampolinist made the Olympic final - and finished seventh. Audio

5:51 PM.Questions are being asked about oversight the Canterbury Regional Council has of a subsidised taxi scheme, after the council identified cab drivers may have claimed $420,000 for trips that never… Read more Audio

5:47 PM.The Morgan Foundation has accused New Zealand Steel, Fonterra and three other companies of buying cheap overseas emission units to offset their pollution. Audio

5:44 PM.A new survey has shown more people than ever before are in favour of legalising or decriminalising cannabis, but the Prime Minister is ruling out any law changes. Audio

5:43 PM.Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett says she rejected Collier International's suggestion of homing the homeless in warehouses and tents. Audio

5:40 PM.Real estate giant Colliers International suggested the government house homeless people in tents and warehouses, in an urgent report commissioned by the Ministry of Social Development. Audio

5:19 PM.Hastings District Mayor Lawrence Yule is dealing with an outbreak of what is believed to be campylobacter in Havelock North. He tells Checkpoint how the council is responding. Audio

5:14 PM.Hastings District councillor Adrienne Pierce bought and delivered groceries to Kayla Vivian, who is struggling financially after her son fell ill in Havelock North. Audio

5:11 PM.Associate Minister of Health Peter Dunne says Hastings District Council is working hard to find the cause of the gastro outbreak in Havelock North. Audio

5:07 PM.Hastings district councillor Wayne Bradshaw is livid the council didn't act sooner to prevent the gastro outbreak in Havelock North from spreading. Audio

6:38 PM.Record immigration levels have reignited debate in Parliament over whether it's time to put a cap on numbers. The new arrivals put stresses on the nation, and that can cause dangerous resentments… Read more Audio

6:25 PM.The New Zealand premiere of Disney's Pete's Dragon is being held at Wellington's Embassy theatre tonight. NZ Film Commission CEO Dave Gibson talks to Checkpoint from the red carpet. Audio