25 Jun 2019

The Panel with Russell Brown and Alexia Russell (Part 1)

From The Panel, 4:03 pm on 25 June 2019

Senior National MP Amy Adams will retire from politics at the 2020 election. The Selwyn MP has decided to step down form her spokesperson roles in the meantime. Just 45 minutes later, a second National MP, Alastair Scott, also announced he'd also be retiring at the election. The Council of Trade Unions released a report this morning calling on the Government to honour a pre-election promise to introduce fair pay agreements. Supporters say an across industry agreement will halt a so-called "race to the bottom" among employers aiming to minimise costs. Others say a FPA isn't business friendly. We talk to CTU President Richard Wagstaff about the report. The government will introduce a bank deposit guarantee scheme, to give customers better protection if their bank was to go under. It is part of the review of the Reserve Bank Act which is looking at whether the 30 year old laws regulating the banking system are up to scratch. We ask David Tripe, Head of Finance and economics at Massey University, whether it goes far enough. The gender-reveal cake gained traction in 2009 with reality TV stars and everyday couples cutting open cakes dyed pink or blue - which apparently denotes sexuality. But no more! The gimmick is waning - mainly because our ideas of gender identity are changing. The panellists tell us what they think of the gender reveal idea.