Morning Report for Wednesday 9 March 2022

8:56 AM.National Party leader Christopher Luxon told RNZ he would scrap what he's calling the 'ute tax' if his party runs the next government.

Under the clean car subsidy the cleanest new cars, such as… Read more Audio

8:52 AM.Flung from space in a molten ball of fire, a 4.5-billion-years-old piece of rock now resides in the Massey University earth sciences department in Palmerston North.

The Kimbolton meteorite is one of… Read more Audio

8:49 AM.To Australia, where record-breaking rainfall has flooded towns and cities across Queensland and New South Wales.

Flash flooding was recorded in parts of Sydney yesterday, and there are warnings of… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.Children who were in state care have described being used as slave labour instead of going to school.

Yesterday was the second day of a hearing of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry into… Read more Audio

8:23 AM.Consumer NZ says the Commerce Commission's recommendations on supermarket competition are disappointing and should have gone much further.

The commission recommended making more land available for… Read more Audio

8:14 AM.New rules mean critical healthcare workers can return to work six days after being diagnosed with Covid-19 if they return two negative RAT tests.

And infected staff will be able to work on wards if… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.A luxury retreat owned by a Russian oligarch is dividing a coastal community in Northland.

In peak season, the Helena Bay Lodge charges $7,000 a night per room.

The buildings, worth tens of millions… Read more Audio

7:50 AM.Opposition leader Christopher Luxon is continuing to flag tax cuts and government spending as two of the battleground subjects for the next election.

The government is weighing in, too, with Grant… Read more Audio

7:46 AM.Tourism businesses in the five regions hit hardest by the pandemic say targeted government funding has been a boon but not a silver bullet.

Last year, Minister Stuart Nash unveiled a $200 million… Read more Audio

7:42 AM.Omicron has brought a grinding halt to a giant tunnelling machine boring its way under Auckland.

The hold-up at Watercare's massive new Interceptor tunnel is just one casualty from the virus variant… Read more Audio

7:37 AM.A working group commissioned to report back on the Government's controversial three waters reforms has proposed a public shareholding model.

The reports makes 47 recommendations that address council… Read more Audio

7:27 AM.Is National facing a second, dreaded fiscal hole - like the $4 billion budget mistake that blew up in the last election campaign.

The party said no, arguing the tax cut policy released at the weekend… Read more Audio

7:23 AM.US President Joe Biden has announced he's banning all imports of Russian oil as countries worldwide continue to tighten sanctions on Moscow.

The UK said it will phase out Russian oil imports entirely… Read more Audio

7:20 AM.Ukranians have been packing their bags in a hurry to escape their devastated homes, after Russia agreed to a pause attacks in some areas.

A convoy of buses and cars carrying mostly foreign students… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.The country's third largest grocery company says the Commerce Commission isn't taking tough enough action against the supermarket duopoly.

The commission recommended making more land available for… Read more Audio

6:53 AM.News from the business sector, including a market report with Gyles Beckford. Read more Audio

6:49 AM.The anti-mandate protestors in Christchurch's Cranmer Square have reportedly agreed to leave by Wednesday evening.

The group have been there for just over three weeks.

Christchurch City Council… Read more Audio

6:46 AM.National wants the Immigration Minister to boost his response to the Ukraine crisis.

The Government on Wednesday will rush through legislation to impose more sanctions on Russia and individuals… Read more Audio

6:40 AM.Russia's swathe of restrictions on media has stoked concerns it's preparing to disconnect from the global internet.

It's reportedly instructed all state-owned websites and services to switch to the… Read more Audio

6:37 AM.A brief update from the RNZ sports team with Joe Porter  Read more Audio

6:26 AM.News from the rural and farming sector with Sally Murphy. Read more Audio

6:23 AM.A brief update from the business sector with Gyles Beckford. Read more Audio

6:18 AM.The Queen will spend the final years of her reign at Windsor Castle, after nearly seven decades of calling Buckingham Palace her home.

It's understood the 95-year-old monarch has come to prefer life… Read more Audio

6:15 AM.A luxury retreat owned by a Russian oligarch is causing unease in an isolated coastal community in Te Tai Tokerau.

In peak season, the Helena Bay Lodge charges $7,000 a night per room.

The… Read more Audio