Checkpoint Podcast Options

5:46 PM.The government has pointed the finger at Tonga saying it is a key transit route for methamphetamine and other drugs coming to New Zealand. Political reporter Benedict Collins reports. Video, Audio

5:38 PM.Housing Minister Phil Twyford says the shortage of homes especially in Auckland will get worse, despite what he calls the biggest investment yet in public housing. He met today with 100… Read more Audio

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

5:24 PM.Thousands of royal fans are pouring into Windsor to secure a spot for tomorrow's Royal Wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. CNN's Anna Stewart is outside Windsor Castle and joins us live. Audio

5:16 PM.Teachers say Labour has broken promises to fix education in New Zealand, because the Budget has done nothing to help retain teachers, or bring them back to the workforce. Video, Audio

5:13 PM.Accusations over which political party spent more and how it was spent have been flying back and forth in the post-Budget mop-up. Political reporter Craig McCulloch reports. Video, Audio

5:09 PM.Colin Jack Mitchell, 60, has been sentenced to preventative detention for abducting and attacking a woman in Auckland last year. He won't be released until he proves he's no longer a threat to… Read more Video, Audio

6:25 PM.Donna Werner has flown from the US to the UK for Prince Andrew and Prince William's weddings, and she won't be missing Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle either. Video, Audio

6:21 PM.Activist Penny Bright has reluctantly accepted Auckland Council's longstanding offer to postpone the payment of her unpaid rates until she sells her home or dies. Video, Audio

6:17 PM.People working in the housing, education and health sectors - outside of Parliament - respond to today's Budget, including whether new funding will be enough. Audio

6:08 PM.Health Minister David Clark tells John Campbell he can't hide his excitement about the $3.2 billion funding boost to health, announced in today's Budget. Video, Audio

5:47 PM.A new entrance teacher at Gladstone Primary School in Mt Albert in Auckland says she was hoping to see more in the budget for her and her peers. Video, Audio

5:41 PM.National's finance spokesperson Amy Adams responds to the 2018 Budget, saying Labour could use its balance sheets far more effectively, such as forming public-private partnerships. Video, Audio

5:35 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Video, Audio

5:27 PM.Christchurch businessman Paul Kelly took all 45 of his staff to Las Vegas this week as a reward for all their hard work. He told John Campbell he did it "because it's the right thing to do". Video, Audio

5:20 PM.A former Auckland librarian says she was never paid for cashing up and tidying after closing time. Zac Fleming continues his investigation into companies that are making their staff work for free. Read more Audio

5:19 PM.Auckland Council underpaid 17,500 current and former employees when it bungled annual leave, sick leave and public holiday entitlements dating back to 2010. Read more Audio

5:14 PM.Grant Robertson talks to John Campbell about Budget 2018, which he says forms the "foundations not just for this term of government but for the next 30 years for New Zealand." Video, Audio

5:09 PM.The Labour-led government has delivered a restrained and cautious Budget in its first year - keeping money in the kitty instead of a major spend-up. Political reporter Craig McCulloch reports. Video, Audio