Midday Report Podcast Options

12:11 PM.Parliament's launched an inquiry into the so-called truancy crisis. Official figures in May showed more than 60,000 students are classified as chronically absent, missing at least three days of school… Read more Audio

12:00 PM.Parliament takes action on the truancy crisis and Fiji's Covid cases smash new records. Audio

12:42 PM.A Northland kaumatua wants the Crown to buy an island in Northland's Matauri Bay. The only privately owned island in the Cavalli group, Motukawaiti, is for sale for $22 million. The island - known as… Read more Audio

12:36 PM.Rural contractors are struggling to secure places in MIQ. The sector says if spots in MIQ aren't made available urgently, they'll be facing a labour crisis this Spring. Audio

12:20 PM.A strong rebound in capital markets and the country's containment of Covid-19 has lifted investor confidence in the past year. Audio

12:20 PM.New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox says his game is a lot better than it was five years ago and feels he's a genuine medal chance at this month's Olympics. Audio

12:18 PM.The New Plymouth community has again found itself at the centre of a covid scare after two infected fishermen boarded a ship at the city's port. Nine foreign sailors flew into Auckland on Monday, and… Read more Audio

12:14 PM.Kennedy Point Boat Harbour Ltd director Kitt Littlejohn is concerned about the increasing violence at the construction site. But he says the protesters should accept the Supreme Court ruling, and let… Read more Audio

12:11 PM.Violence is escalating as work progresses on the new Kennedy Point marina at Waiheke Island, with footage emerging of a protester holding onto buoys in the water and being hit repeatedly with a boat… Read more Audio

12:00 PM.Violence escalates over construction at Putiki Bay and Covid cases at sea. Audio

12:46 PM.Samoa's constitutional quagmire has been dragging on for months. That's despite Samoa's FAST party having a clear majority with 26 seats in the parliament, while HRPP -- the so-called caretaker… Read more Audio

12:43 PM.A lower North Island museum is labelling it scandalous they have not had a Māori curator. The Whanganui Regional Museum says the need for a dedicated curator has become more pressing as the museum… Read more Audio

12:35 PM.A farming family in the Far North say they're living a nightmare, with feral dogs killing more than 100 of their livestock in the last week. Audio

12:28 PM.Silver Fern Maia Wilson reveals her inner demons over self image. Audio

12:20 PM.Business confidence goes through the roof. Audio

12:17 PM.Babies on oxygen and feeding tubes are flooding hospitals as RSV -- a potentially deadly respiratory virus -- runs rampant across the country. Wellington hospital has more than 20 babies in its… Read more Audio

12:13 PM.A legal challenge against the country's level 3 and 4 Covid-19 lockdowns is underway in the Court of Appeal today. Former parliamentary counsel and law drafter Andrew Borrowdale is appealing parts of… Read more Audio

12:11 PM.The government is considering longer term options for managed isolation and quarantine - including new facilities. The Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins told Morning Report the government will… Read more Audio

12:00 PM.Are MIQ facilities here to stay? Nurses are expected to announce early this afternoon whether they will go on strike three more times in the coming months. Government forces in Afghanistan are… Read more Audio

12:46 PM.Samoa's politics are deadlocked again, after the Head of State late last night reprimanded the country's Supreme Court, claiming it has no authority over him. The Court had directed parliament to sit… Read more Audio

12:44 PM.Environmental groups are telling the government it is imperative to lower the limit on the amount of nitrate pollution allowed in New Zealand's waterways. They say restricting nitrate levels to under… Read more Audio

12:35 PM.Despite wet weather slowing things down about 177 million trays of kiwifruit have now been picked, making this the biggest harvest ever. Audio

12:28 PM.The All Blacks call in replacement hooker for Fiji Test. Audio

12:20 PM.Regulator seeks hefty penalty for money laundering breaches. Audio