The Weekend Collective

Most of us have spent the past few days daydreaming about what we would spend $55 million on. Pay off the mortgage, book a holiday, send some off to charity, throw the rest in a term deposit. Three lucky punters each one a share of the jackpot last night - $18.3 million each. Not many of us will have the chance to come across tens of millions in our lives, but most of us will at some point get a large some from inheritance or a bonus or the likes. So what's the smart thing to do when you get a big windfall, before the excitement takes over? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up here in Auckland we've been having some very, very hot and humid nights. The kind of nights that make it impossible to get comfortable, where you just keep tossing and turning until you eventually give up and add an extra fan to your direction. And it's only going to get worse as we head into summer - so how do we actually get a decent night's sleep when the weather's working against us? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The IPCA released a scathing review laying out out a chain of senior-level failures around the McSkimming scandal. The question now is whether the public can have any confidence in the police in general and in its leadership. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this year, the United States imposed a 15% tariff on a range of New Zealand exports, most notably beef. It was a huge blow, as beef is a major export for New Zealand - especially to the States. The tariffs have cost the country over $300 million since they were introduced in April. This weekend, President Donald Trump signed an executive order removing that extra 15% on beef, coffee, and tropical fruits, among others. The move brings us back down to a tariff of less than 1%. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We live in a near cashless world these days. Hardly anyone has anything further than a couple cards, or even just Apple Pay. We all remember a time we'd get a gold coin for washing mum's car, or a couple notes for chopping wood, but those days seem to be gone. How are parents going about pocket money without cash? Are we really giving our kids bank cards, and how young is too young? And if money's not the right reward, are things a better deal for our children? Is it acceptable to fill up their gas tank in return for chores? And going a bit deeper into this - what counts as a chore that should be compensated for, and what are the jobs they should be doing simply for being a part of the household? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're ready to sell our getting your final bits in order to get your property on the market. You don't have the time nor energy to give the whole house, inside and out, a lick of fresh paint, or redo your landscaping, or renovate your slightly out of date kitchen. So what are the areas that are most important to get sorted before listing your property? And for the buyers - what are you better off ignoring when it comes to property marketing? It could be the features that look grand in the listing photos but mean very little in real life, or scuffed flooring that may just need a polish. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Panel, Tim Beveridge is joined by Crane Brothers founder Murray Crane, and Councillor for Waitakere Shane Henderson, to discuss the biggest stories from the week that was. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank shocked a lot of us last month when it cut the OCR by 50 basis points down to 2.5%. Analysts have said that the RBNZ was reading the room and giving kiwis a much needed breather after years of high rates. Early signs are showing it's starting to have an effect - with the GDP estimate for the September quarter pointing to 0.6% growth and many banks forecasting an optimistic remainder of the year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The weather has been warming up recently and it might be time to get working on the summer bod before beach season - but are we too late in the game to get going? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has confirmed they're considering action to move rough sleepers out of Auckland's city centre. Mayor Wayne Brown has given his go ahead, but the opposition as well as housing advocates have said a policy like this would just move the problem elsewhere and end up creating more harm. No details have been released yet, ministers say they are still working through the issues and how to deal with them, but that hasn't stopped the controversy. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has released an action plan to deal with the growing issue of methamphetamine use in New Zealand. They're investing $30 million over four years into the hardest hit communities, increasing maritime operations to stop it before it gets into the country, and we'll soon see a nationwide media campaign to raise awareness - among other policies. The amount of meth seized both in the country and offshore has increased 266% over the past five years, and the estimated social harm from meth use was $1.5 billion last year. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're on the brink of exam season and a lot of families are feeling the pressure. As parents we can prepare our kids to study as much as we want, but there are other areas they will need support in. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a lot of uncertainty around the property market at the moment. In the past decade alone, we've seen the introduction of the brightline test, the relaxing of the brightline test, countless policies making life harder for investors and landlords, and now the looming question of capital gains tax. But how much does the government actually influence whether we buy and sell, and at what price? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on The Panel, Tim Beveridge is joined by National Fieldays Society Chief Executive Richard Lindroos, and presenter Mark Crysell, to discuss the biggest stories from the week that was. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dame Noeline Taurua was stood down as the coach of the Silver Ferns in September due to 'significant issues' in the team. After many public statements and interviews, she was reinstated at the end of last month. Netball NZ, her employer, remained just vague enough that the public could allow their imaginations to run wild about what had happened. Andrew Bayly, MP for Port Waikato, resigned as a Minister after an 'animated discussion' during which he placed his hand on a staffers arm. He said he was led to believe a complaint had been laid, and his resignation was in response to that - but he very recently discovered that no formal complaint was made. Luxon has since said about Bayly, that he would have sacked him if he hadn't resigned first. But what is the right way to go about an employment dispute like these? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Doocey joins Tim Beveridge on The Weekend Collective to discuss what has changed in the space of mental health over recent years, and where more work is needed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has announced 140 new hospital beds across the country to ease pressure on emergency departments. These beds will be part of new wards in Middlemore, Waikato, Wellington, and Nelson hospitals, alongside the new Hawke's Bay ward announced earlier in the year. Health Minister Simeon Brown says operational funding for the 350 extra staff that will be needed, has already been approved. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon is wrapping up his trip to APEC and ASEAN today. The Prime Minister met with a range of world leaders, even having his hair complimented by Donald Trump, and having dinner with the Canadian and Australian Prime Ministers and the South Korean president. APEC and ASEAN represent about 60 to 70% of the world's economy, so even casual meeting would have been significant for Luxon and New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know the dangers of tech these days, but it's unavoidable. Our kids need a laptop for school, an iPad to pass the time, and a phone for parents to reach them on. There are positives to technology, we just need to teach our children to take advantage of the good things their devices have to offer. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour has introduced their Capital Gains Tax policy after it was leaked to the media last week. If implemented, it would mean a 28% tax on any profits made from house sales excluding the family home. So what would a tax like this do to the property and rental markets? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.