The Panel for Friday 27 February 2026

The Panel with Heather Roy and Claire Amos, Part 1  

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Heather Roy and Claire Amos.  

First up, it turns out that MPs can claim from Internal Affairs 20 percent of their base salary for KiwiSaver. That's well above the 3 percent contribution paid out to other employees. The PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says this is a double standard. Do MPs deserve the tax payer top up?

Then, people who volunteer in emergency services are not covered by ACC for mental trauma. They can't be counted as a workplace incident because they are not employees. Wendy Wright, Chief Executive of New Zealand Land Search and Rescue says it's a longstanding issue.

Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The Panel with Heather Roy and Claire Amos, Part 2  

In part two, a recent Environment Southland report has shown widespread degradation of Southlands drinking water. Nitrates are a risk to human health. The higher the nitrate, the greater the health risk.

Then, finally, Wallace has to eat humble pie. After decrying the practice of reversing into car parks, a road safety advocate schools him on why it's the safest option.  

Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon