Checkpoint for Wednesday 4 May 2022

5:07 PM.The government's introducing a 'high powered task force' to tackle the issue of ballooning waitlists for hospital operations and appointments.

There are 27,000 people who've been waiting four months… Read more Audio

5:11 PM.Southland man Blair Vining was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer in 2018 and given just weeks to live.

He sought treatment privately after being told there would be an eight to ten week wait… Read more Video, Audio

5:16 PM.The government's introducing a 'high-powered task force' to tackle the issue of ballooning waitlists for hospital operations and appointments.

There are 27,000 people who've been waiting four months… Read more Video, Audio

5:22 PM.Parliament's Speaker has performed a major about-turn, dropping the trespass orders he'd slapped on Winston Peters and four other former MPs.

The former Deputy Prime Minister yesterday revealed he'd… Read more Audio

5:25 PM.Just over a month since the government scrapped low-use power plans, charities say they're being inundated with people struggling to power their electricity bills.

The change means 60 percent of… Read more Audio

5:29 PM.Former National leader Simon Bridges is farewelling Parliament this evening, after 14 years as an MP.

Bridges announced in March he was bowing out - and gives his final speech in the house tonight -… Read more Audio

5:34 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6305587271112 Video, Audio

5:40 PM.Time is putting pressure on local authorities around the country, after recent warnings that they have less than 20 years to confront decisions about low lying communities and rising sea levels.

… Read more Audio

5:44 PM.What can you do with 50kg of bronze? Thieves will be figuring it out after an early morning heist from Pah Homestead in Auckland.

They made off with a bronze sculpture, and the Wallace Arts Trust… Read more Video, Audio

5:54 PM.The last remaining member of the 28th Māori Battalion has been knighted by Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro this morning.

[embed]… Read more Video, Audio

6:06 PM.A severe shortage of specialists is the elephant in the room when it comes to clearing patient backlogs for surgery and hospital appointments.

That's according to the Association of Salaried Medical… Read more Video, Audio

6:13 PM.Major omissions, a new captain and a debut call-up for an Olympic gold medalist are the features of the first Black Ferns squad of 2022.

With New Zealand getting set to host the World Cup in five… Read more Audio

6:17 PM.Former National leader Simon Bridges has just delivered his final speech at Parliament - marking the end of his 14 year political career.

He called for less poll-driven politics, more diversity of… Read more Audio

6:19 PM.Sub-contractors working for the collapsed construction company Armstrong Downes Commercial are already out of pocket and worried about what lies ahead.

The Wellington firm has suffered substantial… Read more Audio

6:21 PM.New Zealand's first qualified Pacific Island Funeral Director is calling for better cultural understanding if there's ever a return to lockdown restrictions.

Ese Tatupu says grieving Pacific… Read more Audio