23 May 2025

Midday Report Essentials for Friday 23 May 2025

From Midday Report, 1:45 pm on 23 May 2025

In today's episode, we speak to beneficiary advocate Kay Brereton about means-testing parents of 18- and 19-year-olds on the jobseeker support benefit. We also speak with Stephanie Pow, parental leave expert, on the changes to the Best Start payments. Victoria University of Wellington's Provost, Professor Bryony James, gives her reaction to the Trump administration barring foreign students from enrolling at Harvard, and we speak to sports broadcaster Rikki Swannell about US rugby superstar Ilona Maher.