The Front Page

Opinions are divided on the Government's new healthy home standards, with landlords saying they need exemptions or will go elsewhere, while renters and advocacy groups applaud it.New Government rules will require every rental home in New Zealand to have a heater in the living room and an extractor fan in the kitchen and bathroom.The standards set minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture and drainage, as well as rules to stop draughts, in all residential rental properties across the country.They'll apply from mid-2021.And the Prime Minister goes on the defensive over capital gains tax, in the process giving a clue about her Government's announcement on it, due in April.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malcolm Rewa, after an almost unprecedented third trial, has been found guilty of murdering Susan Burdett in her South Auckland home in 1992.The jury took just under four hours to return their unanimous verdict today after hearing two weeks of evidence and arguments in the High Court at Auckland.Rewa will now be sentenced on March 26.Burdett was raped and bludgeoned to death in her Papatoetoe house.After some 27 years, 12 New Zealanders today said her killer was Rewa.Infamously, the Crown had also prosecuted Teina Pora for the accounts clerk's murder.When just 17 years old, Pora was arrested and later twice wrongly convicted for murdering Burdett.Also today, a rugby coach has been jailed on 95 charges of sexually abusing young boys. And, we remember the Christchurch earthquake, eight years on.Hosted by Juliette SivertsenSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Tax Working Group has recommended the Government implement a capital gains tax - and use the money gained to lower the personal tax rate.The suggested capital gains tax (CGT) would cover assets such as land, shares, investment properties, business assets and intellectual property.Any profit on the sale of these assets would be added to the seller's overall yearly income, and then be taxed under existing thresholds. Other personal assets – such as the family home, cars, boats and art – would be exempt from a CGT.And in other housing news, new figures show Auckland's first-home buyers need to fork out up to $950 in weekly mortgage repayments for the next 30 years, based on what they're paying to get a foothold in the market.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's announced a new builder for KiwiBuild - and another 100 homes in West Auckland and Christchurch Home builder and developer Mike Greer has been given the contract to build 104 homes, including the first in Canterbury, which are also the cheapest KiwiBuild announced so far. That will include 11 two-bedroom standalone homes in Kaiapoi, for $360,000 dollars each. Other homes will be built in Huapai, Whenuapai, Pukekohe, Kaiapoi, Rolleston, Pegasus, Woodend, Rangiora, Halswell, Marshland and Spreydon.They'll be completed between now and mid-2020 and will be a mix of two and three-bedroom, standalone and terraced homes, ranging from $360,000 to $650,000.Also today, David Bain is 'shocked to the core' on hearing his groomsman Paul Tainui has admitted murdering a woman - Tainui's second murder.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An acknowledgement from the Prime Minister today that there are issues with China.The Chinese ambassador to New Zealand Madam Wu XI said in Wellington last night both countries needed to build a more resilient relationship and handle differences properly to avoid the rocks.Madam Wu Xi alluded to news headlines about strained relations while speaking at a reception hosted by the New Zealand – China Council at Te Papa.She says as our two countries differ in history, culture and social systems, it's only natural for us to have differences.Jacinda Ardern says the relationship's healthy, while recognising the challenges.At last night's reception, neither the Chinese ambassador nor Ardern raised issues that have strained relations most, a preliminary decision in late November by New Zealand's foreign intelligence agency the GCSB to ban Huawei from Spark's 5G plans.Also today, New Zealand's Miniature Horse Association is hoping the perpetrator of a vicious attack is brought to justice, after a horse died after being stabbed 41 times.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Google and Facebook are among the internet giants facing a surprise tax.That's news that has just been broken by the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB, and confirmed by the Prime Minister. The issue is multinational companies selling good or services online, and then running profits through low-tax countries.It's been a looming issue in New Zealand for several years.The Herald tax gap investigation into corporate tax avoidance in 2016 found 20 of the most aggressive multinational companies recorded $10b in annual revenues but collectively paid less than $1.8m in corporate income taxes.And a report set to be released later this week could see the rest of us paying a capital gains tax.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's biggest seafood exporter Sanford is having issues getting salmon through Chinese ports.It comes as suspicions grow that China is turning up the heat on this country because of the Huawei saga.Sanford is not attributing its recent administrative issues getting shipments cleared to the deteriorating New Zealand-China relationship, but chief customer officer Andre Gargiulo says no reason has been given for the issues which have impacted several shipments of fresh salmon since the end of last month.China is the biggest export market for many New Zealand primary products, including dairy, seafood and kiwifruit.The tourism industry is also concerned. The English version of the People's Daily newspaper says New Zealand has fallen out of favour with some Chinese travellers.The paper is regarded as the mouthpiece of the Chinese government.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr is warning the Government's flagship KiwiBuild policy could "crowd out" the private sector.But Finance Minister Grant Robertson disagrees, saying Orr's forecast was "certainly challengeable".This morning, the Reserve Bank published a discussion document. It says KiwiBuild could contribute 100,000 affordable houses over 10 years, but it's unlikely that will be achieved without crowding out a "significant amount of other residential construction activity". And Auckland house sale prices have hit their lowest levels in three years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The country's 16 polytechnics are set to become one, under a radical shake-up of the tertiary sector.Education Minister Chris Hipkins has released a wide-ranging plan, aimed at getting more school leavers into good jobs.It will see a single national body to take over all polytechnics, apprentices and industry trainees.The institutes will merge to form the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology.That new body will take over all of New Zealand's 110-000 polytechnic students and 140,000 apprentices and industry trainees.The institute will also take over programme design and administration for all campuses of what are now 16 separate polytechnics, as well as enrolling and managing apprentices and trainees from the now 11 industry training organisations. Also today, a sterilisation botch-up in Hawke's Bay has left 55 surgical patients potentially being exposed to serious diseases including HIV and hepatitis, and the Salvation Army reveals its annual State of the National report, showing a huge gap between the wealthy and the poor.Hosted by Juliette Sivertsen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New Zealand-China relationship continues to come under the microscope as it's thought diplomatic links have plummeted to a new low. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was scheduled to visit China early this year, but the invitation has been put on hold. And this morning, the Herald revealed the 2019 China-New Zealand Year of Tourism was meant to be launched with great fanfare at Wellington's Te Papa museum next week, but that has been postponed by China.That initiative was announced by the Key Government almost two years ago when Chinese Premier Li Keqiang was in Wellington.The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment says China has advised that this event has had to be postponed due to change of schedule on the Chinese side. Officials are now working with China to reschedule the opening.But it's thought that China sees New Zealand as taking sides with the United States, after the Government's chief spy agency, the GCSB, axed the Chinese telco giant Huawei from the Spark 5G broadband rollout. The Trump Administration publicly asked its Five Eyes partners not to do business with Huawei.Philip Burdon, a former National Government Trade Minister and recently chairman of the Asia New Zealand Foundation, says New Zealand can't afford to take sides.He believes China feels slighted by New Zealand over the decision to block Huawei.Also today, junior doctors go on strike, two men are charged over the December murder of Shannon Baker and Cocksy's last laugh.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.