Early Edition on Newstalk ZB

A new bill to create more flexible parental leave.

National MP Nicola Willis's members' bill has been drawn from the biscuit tin for a proposal to allow a baby's parents to both take maternity leave, simultaneously or one at a time.

Willis says she's hoping for cross-party support, saying it's a simple legislative change to support families.

She says it's a total no brainer and parents should be able to take their leave when and how they need to.

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It's thought Harry and Meghan's new Netflix series is unlikely to ruffle too many feathers.

The first three episodes of the pair's long-awaited docu-series dropped last night, after weeks of rumour about the content.

Royal Correspondent Robert Hardman told Tim Dower there's nothing terribly surprising in there.

He says the rest of the family will just roll their eyes and get on with it.

Hardman says it's an extended version of the complaints we heard in the Oprah Winfrey interview last March.

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Young criminals will now have a support plan put in place within 48 hours of offending.

The Government is launching a $2 million youth crime package to fund locally-led solutions in Auckland, Waikato, Northland and Bay of Plenty.

A new, fast-tracked intervention approach will be taken for children aged 10 to 13 - dubbed serious or persistent offenders.

Youth worker Aaron Hendry told Tim Dower it's important children who offend get support as soon as possible.

He says they need to be told the repercussions of what they've done and how it will be dealt with it.

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A barrister says there was potential for a dangerous precedent, had the judge ruled in favour of the parents of a six-month-old who needs heart surgery.

Doctors at Starship Hospital have been granted medical responsibility of the baby until the surgery is complete, and he recovers.

His parents won't let doctors use donations from the Blood Service for the surgery - over claims it's all tainted by the Covid vaccine.

Barrister Simon Judd told Tim Dower there could be a slippery slope if individual patients could pick and choose the services they receive, or control how a treatment is delivered.

He says you could imagine the administrative difficulties and time all of that would take.

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A new and efficient way of getting across the Hauraki Gulf.

Fullers has teamed up with sustainable boat company SeaChange, to bring a zero-emission hydrofoil onto Auckland's waters from next year.

The boat is fully electric, carries 10 passengers and can reach a top speed of 55 km/h.

SeaChange founder and CEO Max Olson told Tim Dower they're much more efficient than the ferries currently on the water.

He says they make them out of high performance materials like carbon fibre which gets better shapes, and they have much better control strategy than normal ferries.

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