Skifields in Queenstown have got the chair lifts turning ahead of opening day tomorrow.

NZ Ski Chief Executive Paul Anderson says the Remarkables and Coronet Peak have had eight solid days of snow making, mixed in with natural snowfall.

He says there's more than a metre of snow on the main trails and both skifields should have their main chairlifts running, providing a chance at top to bottom skiing across the mountain.

Mount Hutt attempted to open this morning but rainfall caused the snowpack to become unstable, pushing launch day to tomorrow.

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Helen Clark says the future of the AUKUS security pact remains very uncertain.

The Pentagon's reviewing the agreement between Australia, the UK, and the US to ensure it meets Donald Trump's America First agenda.

It's still unclear what that might mean for New Zealand's potential involvement.

But Clark —the former Prime Minister and UNDP Head— told Ryan Bridge there's a chance Trump could scrap the pact altogether.

She says the leaders of all three countries have changed since the agreement was signed, and the US has become increasingly unpredictable.

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The corrections minister believes our prisons will be ready for an increase in demand.

The Ministry of Justice expects the prison population will increase 36 percent by 2035 to more than 14-thousand people.

It's prompted concerns for the country's ability to cope with demand.

Mark Mitchell says the Waikeria prison expansion will help provide enough beds.

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