Strong wind warnings have been issued for the Auckland Harbour Bridge with reduced speed limits in place and motorists urged to take extra care.And Aucklanders who have enjoyed settled weather this Easter weekend can expect rain…
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Anne Ruston to be new Federal Health Minister if Coalition re-elected
As Greg Hunt's days as Federal Health Minister are fast approaching their end, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced his pick for the position if his government were to be re-elected – Anne Ruston.
If the Coalition is re-elected the South Australian senator will take over as Federal Health and Aged Care Minister.
Mr Hunt announced his intention to retire at the next federal election on December 1 last year, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.
ANALYSIS: Morrison clearly buoyed by Albanese stumble but trust, integrity issues still surround PM
At the moment Senator Ruston is South Australia's Families and Social Services Minister.
She said she was honoured to be chosen as the new Health Minister if the Morrison government was re-elected.
"Healthcare has been a part of my life ever since I was born as my mum was a nurse in our regional town, which also gave me great insight into the vital role country hospitals play in the lives of their communities," Senator Ruston said.
Mr Morrison says Senator Ruston's experience as a senior minister who managed a complex portfolio made her "the right pick".
READ MORE: Greens Leader Adam Bandt says climate change and cost of living will be his top election priorities
"I know she'll bring that ability to understand complex issues, and her compassion to the health portfolio," Mr Morrison said.
He also thanked Mr Hunt again for his time in the role.
"He has helped ensure Australia has one of the lowest death rates from COVID and highest vaccination rates…for his years of advocacy in the portfolio on mental health, making telehealth permanent and delivering a record number of medicines listings on the PBS."
New app, Grocer, helps Kiwi shoppers compare grocery prices from different supermarkets
A New Zealand developer has created an app to help Kiwi shoppers find the best deals on groceries, as the cost of living skyrockets in the country.Grocer.nz is a new web app where people can input their preferred stores to find…
Arise Church founding pastor resigns from board following allegations from interns
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Greens Leader Adam Bandt speaks with Chris Uhlmann
Greens Leader Adam Bandt says his party will prioritise issues such as climate action, improving the cost of living, and not trading off trans right as part of his election plan.
Nine Political Editor Chris Uhlmann spoke to Mr Bandt on Today, asking him about all things policy ahead of the upcoming May 21 federal election.
Mr Bandt told Uhlmann a priority of his party if they held balance in both the Upper and Lower Houses of parliament was "tackling the climate crisis by putting a stop to new coal and gas projects".
READ MORE: Clive Palmer 'knocked unconscious' in UAP campaign launch rehearsal fall
"I think we can all agree that we shouldn't be able to put petrol on the fire when we are trying to put it out," he said.
Mr Bandt added that tackling the cost of living was another major priority for him.
"We want to do that by getting dental and mental health into Medicare, fixing the housing affordability crisis, wiping student debt and also push for free childcare," he said.
When Uhlmann asked how Mr Bandt planned on paying for the above-mentioned initiatives, he said it came down to "corporations and billionaires".
READ MORE: Albanese vows to create federal ICAC by end of 2022 if Labor wins election
"By making the corporations and billionaires pay their fair share of tax. At the moment, [some] big corporations in this country pays no tax at all. So just by closing a lot of the loopholes, making them pay their fair share we can do things, get dental into Medicare that will make a difference to a lot of people.
"We are talking big corporations like the banks and Apple that in many instances make massive profits here and send."
profits offshore and don't pay their fair share of tax.
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Mr Bandt also touched on the topic of transgender rights.
Mr Bandt said that when it comes to trans rights and women's rights he "doesn't accept the solution is you trade one group off against another".
"What really concerns me, and I have seen this with the marriage equality debate, I am seeing it again now, when you have conservative governments that are behind in the polls because they are pushing up the cost of housing; they are failing to deal with the cost of living. What they do is always try to switch it on to something else.
"They try to find a group in need of support and pit the group against another," he said.
Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: 5933 community cases, 10 deaths today
There are ten new Covid-19 deaths in New Zealand.The country has recorded 5933 new cases in the last 24 hours.There are 537 people in hospital with Covid, 20 of those in ICU.The latest numbers mean that the seven-day rolling…
Morrison buoyed by Albanese stumble but trust, issues still surround PM
The 9NEWS Federal Political reporting team take a look back at the first week of the campaign.
ANALYSIS: Albanese stumbles but Morrison carrying the scars of office
Scott Morrison won the first week of the six-week election campaign, while Anthony Albanese boosted the Coalition's confidence and raised anxiety levels in his ranks.
The spiral began on day one, with the Labor leader not being able to name the unemployment rate or the Reserve Bank's official cash rate.
There was no excuse, the Labor leader knew it, Scott Morrison knew it, too, and promptly campaigned on jobs policy to keep attention on the issue.'

As Nine Political Editor Chris Uhlmann summed up "I can't remember a worse first day to a campaign than the one Anthony Albanese just had."
By the end of the week the list of blunders had broadened; initially saying there was no need for offshore processing of refugees, before being forced to clarify statements he'd made earlier in the week over the costings of one his major policies, Labor's urgent care plan.
Scott Morrison's troubles are different. He is carrying the scars of office, the weight of people's anger and things promised but not delivered.
This week he was forced to fend off questions about his record on the pledge to set up an national integrity commission, and on failing to deliver building projects from the last election.
There is no doubt creeping into Labor minds. Anthony Albanese is still the favourite to win this election, but Scott Morrison has seen the frontrunner stumble.
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On the road: Morrison team buoyant after week one but questions of integrity and trust hover
The Prime Minister started the campaign with a clear nod to the past, a visit to the bushfire-hit electorate of Gilmore on the New South Wales south coast, writes Jonathan Kearsley, who spent the week following Scott Morrison.
He appeared with by his prize pick as candidate, former New South Wales state minister and a face of the bushfire recovery, Andrew Constance.
A small contingent of protesters gathered outside the gates of a cannery business playing the ukulele and singing "April Sun", a reference to the Prime Minister's appearance on 60 Minutes.
https://twitter.com/jekearsley/status/1513327016862711810
Inside, the Prime Minister's focus was on the economy, but questions circled around whether Mr Constance stood by comments made in the wake of the fires, that the Prime Minister "got the welcome he deserved" when Scott Morrison visited the town of Cobargo.
It was set to be a bumpy start to the campaign, but it was superseded by Opposition leader Anthony Albanese being unable to say the unemployment rate, or Reserve Bank's cash rate on interest rates, which the Prime Minister initially tentatively weight into.
But by Tuesday, when he flew to Sydney to campaign in the Labor seat of Parramatta, the language was stronger, "he didn't miss it by that much, he missed it by THAT much", the Prime Minister emphasised.

Scott Morrison continued his campaign offensive in Labor's seat of Macquarie before trying to defend the Liberal held seat of Lindsay with a local announcement to invest in a training centre for assistance dogs.
Wednesday took the Prime Minister to Victoria and the Viva Refinery outside Geelong, again in Labor territory in Deputy Labor Leader Richard Marles' seat of Corio, but appearing publicly alongside the candidate for neighbouring Corangamite, a seat the government believes it can win from Labor.
READ MORE: The Federal Election in interactive charts
Scott Morrison didn't want to be knocked off his feet, but his glasses were knocked off his face during an afternoon visit to a sports stadium in Torquay on Victoria's surf coast.
This was clearly about localised campaigning.
The Prime Minister promised $500,000 to upgrade a sports stadium that was only opened in January last year.
The campaign then took him to Tasmania and the most testing day of the Prime Minister's campaign so far.
EXPLAINER: How the Australian government is elected
Scott Morrison faced a series of questions over broken promises on small-scale infrastructure and road projects, and the lack a National Integrity Commission.
He would also campaign in the Labor-held seat of Lyons before a horrific crash involving some of his personal protective officers brought a somber end to the day.
A car carrying two Tasmanian and two Australian Federal Police officers was hit by another vehicle and flipped rolling down an embankment near Elizabeth Town.
All four officers were alive, but taken to hospital. The Prime Minister was not been involved in the crash but sent his thoughts to the police and their families as he took his campaign into Victoria.
Good Friday was an unofficial truce on campaigning, but it didn't stop Scott Morrison from heading to church in the marginal Liberal-held seat of Chisholm before visiting children to pledge money for an appeal for Victoria's Royal Children's Hospital.
But Good Friday also coincided with the Jewish festival of Passover and the Prime Minister joined Josh Frydenberg at a synagogue in his electorate as the treasurer faces a challenge from an independent.
On the sixth day of official campaigning the Prime Minister kept an Easter theme again visiting Chisholm, and a shop filled with Easter Bunnies and bilbies.
Again, the pressure was on integrity as Labor announced plans to legislate an integrity commissioner before the end of the year, and faced questions over past tweets from his hand-picked candidate for the Sydney seat of Warringah.
It emerged Katherine Deves had called transgender children "surgically mutilated and sterilised" and NSW Liberal Matt Kean pushed the call for her to be disendorsed.
The Prime Minister has so far resisted that call.
Then came a big risk, a very public appearance at Sydney's Royal Easter Show. Labor had been taunting the Prime Minister accusing him of being unwilling to meet members of the public.
https://twitter.com/jekearsley/status/1515185242696720387
His media visits until this point had been limited to businesses, and work sites.
It would be a test of public perception.
It ended with a moment one of his closest allies said has "put the wind in the sails" of the campaign.
Farmer Rocky Allen approached the Prime Minister, handing him a cap and told him he was from Cobargo.
It's the New South Wales town now synonymous with the Prime Minister's immediate response to the bushfire, where he received a rather uncomfortable welcome.
On Saturday Mr. Allen, who is the son of the mayor who accompanied Scott Morrison on the day after the fires, told the Prime Minister, "You're welcome back to Cobargo anytime".
Given the week was dominated by mistakes and missteps from the Opposition Leader, the Prime Minister and his team are buoyant heading into week two.
But this is a six-week campaign, he starts from a long way behind in the polls, and the spotlight is still on questions of integrity and trust.
One week down. There's five to go.
THEY SAID IT
"Google it, mate" – Greens leader Adam Bandt returns fire after journalist's 'gotcha' question about the current WPI.
SOCIAL CLUB
Fiona Willan take you inside life on the campaign trail.
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Police looking for missing man last seen in Ngāruawāhia carrying backpack and blanket
Police are looking for a missing man who was carrying a small backpack and a blanket when he was last seen. Reece Cameron was seen at his residence on Old Taupiri Rd in Ngāruawāhia at about 4.30pm on Friday. “He was…
Fog blankets Sydney Harbour
A blanket of fog has smothered Sydney Harbour this morning bringing in a chilly start to Easter Sunday.
Like a second city above the clouds, city skyscrapers poked through the heavy fog.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge was completely enveloped in the fog, against the backdrop of a sky filled with pink, yellow and purple hues.
READ MORE: Russia renews strikes on Ukraine's capital Kyiv
And the low-lying cloud cover looked like rolling waves as it moved over the city.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) says after the fog clears up Sydney-siders should expect a mostly dry and relatively sunny day, with temperatures set to reach a maximum of 24C.
A shower or two is forecast for the north coast of New South Wales and cloud is expected to develop over the far southwest later in the day.
Small plane crash-lands in Mapua Estuary, near Nelson
A small plane has crash-landed in the Mapua Estuary, near Nelson.The two occupants have emerged with minor injuries after emergency services were called to the incident at 10.30am.Fire and Emergency shift manager Andrew Norris…