Morning Report Essentials for Wednesday 26 November 2025

Nicola Willis and Carmel Sepuloni joined Morning Report this morning for the Weekly Political Panel; Regional Development Minister and NZ First Deputy Leader Shane Jones has been one of the strongest critics of regional government, previously saying there is "less and less of a justifiable purpose" for keeping regional councils under the new RMA system; The owners of a property prone to severe flash flooding are taking Auckland Council to court for designating their house safe to live in; There's very little wiggle room when it comes to the rights and regulations around annual leave, according to an employment law expert; Kiwis are knocking back more lower-alcohol beers, but it's less about the alcohol and more about their waistlines, says one expert.