Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Well what a weekend. From the nail biter of a fantastic AB’s game, which, for the record, I was never in any doubt of. For those of you who were still listening to our election night coverage at midnight Saturday night you would have heard me say I picked the AB’s to win – so you know, never in any doubt from me, just saying. Just so happy for Fozzie to be honest. I feel like he deserved that. Likewise I thought the Nats deserved to win Saturday night like they did. You can’t take away from Luxon what he was up against... from a shambolic leaking party at the start, to some in house scandals, to an unsympathetic media, to constant grilling about how unliked and unpopular he was, to a gruelling and nasty campaign against him from Labour and their Union mates at the CTU. He had it all thrown at him, and he just kept going. Slow and steady wins the race. On reflection, personally, if we made one mistake it was getting sucked in by the polls, we started to believe them. I did anyway. I think questions need to be asked now about how pollsters are conducting these in this post-landline age. They seemed ropey at the beginning, but then as they stacked up and up and up – and we sure weren’t short of polls— they seemed to all be telling a similar story. Turns out, they were wrong. Worst culprits were obviously Newshub, where an excited Jenna Lynch breathlessly announced just a couple of days out from election day that ‘the Nats had crashed’. It really got to the point of crazy at the end there. Maybe we all just went nuts because it was such a long campaign, we were all delirious by then. But I don’t think we as voters were well served by the so called non-biased press gallery reporting, and by sideshows like whether Chris Luxon believed in dinosaurs. I think what the wipe out for Labour very clearly points to is a rejection of Jacinda – particularly in Auckland where National did so well. I mean Chloe won the electorate seat of Auckland Central, but Auckland had a massive blue wave. And I actually put Chloe’s win down to name recognition and just being a face of Auckland for so long. Mahesh came dangerously close there and I think he'll be a force to be reckoned with next time – he just needs more time and more name recognition. But Hipkins got a hospital pass from Jacinda of the very worst kind, I felt bad for him in the end. Voters rejected lockdowns and her sneering treatment of them and the fact her very own Mt Albert electorate is so close to flipping blue for the first time in history, speaks volumes about how toxic the Jacinda brand had become. International coverage leapt on it, one headline calling it a ‘devastating verdict on Jacinda Ardern as New Zealand votes out Labour party in 'bloodbath'. CNN said: "New Zealand shifts right as voters punish ruling party". And I do think it was the party getting punished —and Jacinda— more so than Chris Hipkins himself. So look it’s all on for Luxon now. After an exhausting campaign it now seems the nitty gritty of the hard work really starts for him: how he cobbles together his government, who gets what, does he need Winston after specials are counted or not, and how the heck does he make it all work. All I can say at this point is thank god the All Blacks won, thank goodness the election campaign is over, now all we need is for the sun to keep shining. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Party says it's keeping the special votes in mind as it starts working out how it will form government. Deputy Leader Nicola Willis says they won't be doing any negotiating via the media because they want to respect the privacy of prospective coalition partners. She told Kate Hawkesby that work is going on. Willis says they're progressing relationships with parties they want arrangements with. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks have made it to the quarter-finals, facing Ireland on Sunday morning. The team for the match has officially been named, and Mark Telea is out for disciplinary reasons. Irish Rugby Commentator, Michael Corcoran, told Kate Hawkesby that it’s finals footy from here on in. He feels that whoever wins this match will go all the way to the finals. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A number of airlines have suspended their services out of Israel, leaving hundreds of thousands of people stranded. As a result, the UK arranging special flights to get British nationals out of the country. Europe Correspondent, Vincent McAviney, told Kate Hawkesby that they are commercial flights, and as a result people will have to pay for them. But, he said, this will allow them to flee the conflict and get back to the UK. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A catch 22 for a West Coast town facing a daunting prospect of eventually being washed away. The Waiho River has been changing its course and rising due to sediment build up. If nothing's done, it's feared the township of Franz Josef could be gone in 20 years. The West Coast Regional Council put forward a 10-year plan to sacrifice the southern stopbanks protecting farmland and properties. Chairman Peter Haddock told Kate Hawkesby that the community has been aware of the build-up of the river for the last 20 years. He says the council has a responsibility to act now, because if it does nothing they'll end up like Hawke's Bay's Esk Valley, which has seen devastating flooding. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well this is the last time I talk to you before Saturday... although we’ll all be here Saturday night. Mike, me, Heather, and Barry, if you want to tune into ZB’s election coverage or watch it live streamed on the ZB or Herald websites, we’ll be here. Depending on how it goes if you look closely on the livestream you may see me tearing my hair out. Honestly, I’ll be glad to see the back of it. It’s been too long, too divisive, too feisty, too nasty. I think that’s all been a turn off for voters and it may go towards explaining the current apathy. If the polls don’t pick up Saturday, then I think that says something about how this whole campaign —from every side— has been run. The sniping, accusations and insults has been gross. The misinformation that’s been allowed to run unchecked, fuelled by media, has been a disappointment. Christopher Luxon said on this station yesterday when Kerre asked him what’s true and what isn’t given all these attack ads that he was grateful to be given the opportunity to clarify that, given no journalist had asked him that yet. Can you believe that? All the disinformation out there and not one journalist stopping to ask if it’s even true. Luxon says he’s confused as to why the media waste time asking random inane questions like, ’do you believe in dinosaurs?’ which then becomes a feature on the 6 o’clock news over and above policy that will impact the daily lives of New Zealanders. Labour has a high-powered machine of negative publicity blitzing National these last couple of days, making claims that simply are not true. Attacks is all they have, but the sad thing is how many people may fall for it without checking for themselves or reading the policy. How many believe the attacks and think National will cut their winter energy payments? (Not true) Or sack teachers (not true), add interest to student loans (not true), drop University fees free (not true), the list is endless. Luxon says they’ve tried to counter all this misinformation, but if the media won’t cover it, how do they get cut through? But the key thing we as voters need to start doing I think, alongside understanding MMP better, is think more big picture. We’re so in the weeds now and into the micro, that we’re not pulling back and looking at the bigger picture. A change of government is one thing, but it’s not enough – that government needs to be able to act decisively to elicit wholesale change to turn around the direction of this country. If it can’t do that, if it's encumbered by in fighting, hobbled by the handbrake that is Winston and his petty demands, or him siphoning off money for side shows like the provincial growth fund, then they achieve nothing. They’re ineffective, and we don’t get the change we need. And then come 2026, they’re potentially out. The country lurches left again – probably with a new iteration of a fresh version of a Jacinda, and with a greater push to move further left, back to all the things Hipkins shelved like a wealth tax and a capital gains tax. We don’t want to waste 3 years on a circus act. We need proper government that can be bold decisive and effective, and if there are too many pieces in that puzzle, then it won’t be real impactful change. Anyway we’ll know, hopefully tomorrow night just how messy or otherwise it’s looking. And if you haven't voted already just remember, your most important vote is your party vote. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins and Chris Luxon went head-to-head last night in their final debate before polling day tomorrow. Political Editor, Jason Walls, told Kate Hawkesby that he agrees with commentators who described the tone as 'cranky'. He says it was clear Hipkins' tactic was to try get under Luxon's skin which worked for the most part. Walls says he found Hipkins to be quite aggressive during the debate. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on his way to Israel. Once there, he'll meet with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz have formed an emergency government and war cabinet. US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Kate Hawkesby that they will only deal with bills and government decisions regarding the conflict. He said that it’s Israel’s latest step, and it’s predicted they’re preparing for a ground attack on Hamas. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tale of two polls - but there's just one answer. Newshub-Reid Research and 1News-Verian have released their last opinion surveys before election night on Saturday. Both suggest the only viable coalition is National, paired with New Zealand First and ACT - but the margins are narrowing. Political Commentator Brigette Morton told Kate Hawkesby that the election is shaping up to be about getting the vote out. Advanced numbers are currently sitting behind what was predicted, and there’s been much discussion about the soft and undecided votes. The problem with the polls, Morton said, is that for them to actually matter the parties have to get out and get every single vote they can. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Incoming migrants are giving the New Zealand workforce a boost. Stats NZ has revealed the year to August saw record high net-migration, with 110,000 more people moving to New Zealand than leaving. Westpac Senior Economist, Satish Ranchhod, told Kate Hawkesby that part of the reason job ads have come down is because businesses are able to find staff more easily. He said that without migrants, they had to advertise much more widely and were still unable to find the workers they needed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two Ws are potentially going to ruin our weekend: Winston and Wayne. Winston could kill all the fun Saturday night by holding the whole country to ransom and not forming a government. Wayne Barnes could ruin Sunday morning with his calls against the AB’s... we are potentially in for a rocky weekend of woe and misery leaving us all with a collective hangover Monday. The country could sink into a deep depression. More so than it already is. Yikes. I’m still aghast at how many people don’t understand MMP. I know someone who went to vote yesterday, the person next to them said to the volunteer at the polling station – ‘so wait a minute have we got two votes?’ The volunteer said, ‘yes one is party vote one is electorate vote.’ He replied, “what’s electorate vote?” I know of another person who wants to change the government, hates the way the country’s going, wants change, but in the booth decided they were fed up with all the politicians and so did a “protest vote” and voted Green. Now Green doesn’t change the government. Protest votes don’t work, there’s no such thing. It’s just a vote. Your party vote is the most important one. Where you put it matters. It changes the government or it doesn’t. We still as a country do not seem to understand this. After all these years of MMP, we still don’t know what we’re doing which worries me no end. I’m also worried about the polls, the lack of enthusiasm and engagement, and the difficulties I’m hearing about with overseas voting —links not working, papers not uploading or downloading— because when it’s too hard people give up. If I had a magic wand, I would change the voting system. MMP doesn’t work, I regret voting for it. In my defence, I had no idea what I was voting for. It seems now 25 years on, many of us still don’t get it. That’s a shame. Because if you think about it, why don’t we educate ourselves on this stuff? We can cite exactly the machinations of how the World Cup works, who's in what draw playing what side and where they’ll end up after pool games, who gets who in the quarters and what that means for the semis and whose refereeing, we can tell you everything about that and educate ourselves happily on that. But on one of the single most important things we will ever do, every 3 years, we can’t be bothered working out how it works. Is it that we don’t fully understand how important government is? Is it a slow boil lobster in a pot situation? We don’t wake up to how bad it is until it’s too late and then we get all mad and hate what’s happened but when we get our chance to have our say, we don’t understand it, so we just tick any box. Or worse, don’t vote at all. The people who don’t vote and see that as a protest, again, it’s not, it’s just a wasted vote and a missed opportunity to participate in democracy. If you don’t vote, you can’t complain about what New Zealand chooses for you. But is politics so boring that we just switch off, and then when it comes to voting we can’t really be bothered finding out how it works? So we just moan a lot but don’t make any effort to fix anything. I know well educated people who still don’t know how it works and haven’t bothered trying to find out. Last night’s polls —if we believe the polls— tells us Winston is likely kingmaker. And then if Wayne Barnes buggers it up for us at the quarter final, don’t be surprised if I sound depressed Monday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research shows rural kids are less likely to gain University Entrance than urban counterparts. An Auckland University study's found rural students had a 15% lower university entrance rate, creating barriers for them to get into courses like medicine. Area Schools Association President Louisa Barham told Kate Hawkesby that it doesn't surprise her or concern her. She said that there’s a difference in pathways and curriculum between urban and rural schools, as the environment influences what is focused on and what students are likely to do once completing their education. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m just not sure how —in this day and age— we’re still doing hazing rituals at Uni initiations. I know it’s huge in America, but like all the US’s bad habits, why’s it come here? It seems particularly prevalent in Otago. So far this week we’ve heard of horrific initiations, one involving biting the legs off a live duck, I mean I can’t even believe we’re saying that in a sentence it’s so barbaric. The other one being where two students allegedly got told to strip down to their underwear only to be called “piggies”. It was reported they were told “to strip to their underwear and stand in the centre of the room while 30 men and women watched on.” The second-year students who’d asked them to do this, then ‘used marker pens to circle parts of the young women’s bodies deemed to be “fat” and called them “the piggies” during the evening.’ I mean how is this happening in 2023? How is this possible that women could do this to other women? The idea was to humiliate them, which was very effective. It’s disgusting. Other initiation incidents apparently include ‘a group of women who were made to chain smoke inside wheelie bins, which then filled with carbon monoxide, causing one of them to pass out.’ I mean shame on the people demanding other students do this kind of thing, but also shame on the participants for doing it. How is this a thing? The duck leg thing was horrific enough, the students who allegedly ‘were forced to bite the legs off a live duck as part of a “sick and twisted” flat initiation, along with binge drinking games that involved eating their own vomit.’ I mean when it’s that sick and twisted, why are you participating? And whose overseeing all this? Who at the initiation end of the Otago Uni experience is not warning newcomers about these sick grotesque rituals and letting them know they don’t have to do it? Where’s the heads up? Where’s the duty of care to these students? Stuff like this could scar you for life. It’s an impressionable age, kids just want to fit it in, they obviously believe they’ve got to do it.. so why is the University not more on top of this stuff? Embarrassing people as a means to have them secure a place in a flat by making them do horrific things may seem outside of the University’s remit, but it’s not. This is their students, in their student town, being forced to indulge in dumb student rituals that can have dangerous and lasting consequences. The Otago Student’s Association claims these are ‘pretty isolated incidents’ and not part of the culture there. But the people who were humiliated of them claim it is part of the culture. So whose right? Otago Uni for its part had sent the proctor ‘to ‘flats identified as likely to host events and providing face-to-face information, followed by specific targeted email advice’ in a bid to crack down on initiations apparently, but that clearly didn’t work, the message did not get through. Their warnings were ignored. I just think emails and warnings and claiming its ‘pretty isolated’ actually has zero effect on the perpetrators. There needs to be a zero-tolerance approach to students who want to behave like barbarians. I’m not sure how Otago Uni gets that message through, but they need to work a bit harder at it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The death toll in the Middle East conflict continues to rise. A thousand Israeli people have died since Hamas' surprise attack, while retaliatory attacks in Gaza have killed more than 800. Up to 150 Israelis are believed to be held hostage currently, with Hamas saying it won't negotiate over them 'until the end of the battle'. US President Joe Biden will address the American people shortly about the conflict. Washington Post Foreign Affairs Columnist, Ishaan Tharoor, told Kate Hawkesby that there are questions of how Biden defuses a crisis like this — one which potentially may reach a scale never seen before. He says he'll have to articulate some form of vision beyond his already pledged 'unwavering support'. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas rages on. Israel's death toll has surpassed 1000 people since Hamas' attack, while more than 800 are dead in Gaza following retaliatory strikes. Up to 150 Israelis are being held hostage currently. Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni told Kate Hawkesby that they're waiting on the next steps and will provide humanitarian support when the opportunity arises. She says those kinds of measures take time, but New Zealand is always quick to provide support and will do so when possible. US President Joe Biden will address the American people about the conflict shortly. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think what stood out for me yesterday when Chris Hipkins was in the studio with Mike for a couple of hours, was how relaxed Hipkins was. As the two hours slipped by, he seemed to get more relaxed, leaning back in his chair more and more, taking it easy. I wondered if the Coke Zero hadn’t kicked in, or maybe he was just tired, or maybe he’s just given up. I mean don’t get me wrong, I thought he came across well, I think relaxed is good. But I was interested to hear what he backs about his government, and what he was less proud of. MIQ, the debt still owed to them over that and their handling of how to manage that, he thinks they could’ve done that better or differently. As an Aucklander who felt like they got locked down for way too long I can tell you from where I sit, I’d have liked to think he would have felt they could have handled that better. He didn’t mention any regrets around slow procurement of PPE or RAT tests or locking Kiwis out of their own country for so long, or having the borders shut seemingly forever, but he did think they could've managed the costs owed for MIQ better. He still doesn’t know how much money is owed from that, interestingly. But he does back his government’s approach to crime, co-governance, and management of the economy. He puts a lot of the criticism of his government’s performance down to international headwinds or global pressures, doesn’t take much responsibility for what their part in it all has been. But when asked if he backed his Foreign Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, he said he did. Now her appointment was odd from the get-go. She was a Jacinda appointment that left people scratching their heads, she had no background in foreign affairs whatsoever, she didn’t like travel, she hadn’t held senior roles at cabinet level before... it didn’t make a lot of sense. She also yesterday put her foot in it when she didn’t condemn the attacks on Israel. While other international leaders condemned them, she described it as ‘an outbreak of violence between Israel and Gaza...’ and called for ‘an immediate end to all violence.’ Now alongside being so embarrassing that the PM and leader of the opposition had to jump in immediately and correct that statement, it also got picked up by overseas media. Sky News Australia reported that she failed to condemn the attack. Nicola Willis, who we had on the show yesterday, said Mahuta’s statement was so weak, that Christopher Luxon had to speak up and condemn the attacks on Israel, followed by the PM. So does the PM feel Mahuta is out of her depth as Foreign Minister or does he support her? Well he told Mike yesterday he supports her and thinks she’s doing a great job, although he said he thought her words ‘could have been stronger’. But here’s the weird thing, she didn’t even run that statement past him, they didn’t even talk before it went out. Hence he had to put out another one straight after it. But he backs her on the international stage, said he has absolute confidence in her. Which I think helps explain why his party is so often accused of not reading the room. If you think that’s an acceptable offering from your foreign minister, and you don't even want to pick up a phone to each other beforehand, then you’re probably not aware of how low the bar has sunk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's thought that up to 1,300 have died in the conflict between Israel and Hamas so far. Around 800 Israeli people have been killed since the Palestinian militant group launched its attack, and almost 500 have died in Gaza after Israel retaliated. It's thought up to 100 Israeli citizens have been taken hostage. Israel is cutting off all electricity, food, and fuel to the Gaza Strip. Victoria University international relations expert, Alexander Bukh grew up in Israel. He told Kate Hawkesby that citizens are in a state of shock and pain. Bukh says the Israeli Government is punishing Hamas and unfortunately Palestinian civilians also living in Gaza. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pleas from Massey University's science faculty seem to have fallen on deaf ears. The university is forecasting a loss of more than $50 million, well up from last year's deficit of around $8.8 million. It plans to slash around 100 science jobs and stop teaching engineering at Albany. Tertiary Education Union organiser Ben Schmidt told Kate Hawkesby that Vice-Chancellor Jan Thomas seems determined to push through with it. He says she needs to slow down, listen to staff and work for better funding, maintaining these services and access to education. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the many things that are hopefully on the new government’s radar come October 15 is the state of our cities. I mean yes our communities and our suburbs are in dire straits too getting ravaged by crime and unruly gangs in many places, but our CBDs are a mess - they’re unsavoury places. They don’t feel safe anymore. I get people messaging me every day about the CBD, particularly Auckland, and what a mess it is, or how embarrassed they are of it. Which is a shame because parts of it are really cool. There are cute little precincts and awesome little shopping areas which have been hijacked by dickheads and losers. Two messages I got just this week, from two completely different people, travelling in Australia at the moment. The first one said, “In Sydney, not a road cone in sight, streets are clean, everyone looks lovely, don’t feel unsafe at all, city is buzzing, Michael Hill don’t have security guards.. didn’t realise how bad NZ was til we left.” Another one said, “Hi Kate I’m in Sydney. What I have learnt being here only two days is they know how to do things right, and clearly NZ doesn’t. The city also has a vibe and you can feel it. Auckland city feels like a morgue.” Now these messages make me sad, as a born and bred Aucklander, who was once a proud participant in city life, it’s heartbreaking to see what it’s come to. It’s a crying shame the very same streets I frequented as a teenager at night, I now warn my own children not to go anywhere near. But the vibe thing that second texter sent me really resonated. The vibe is actually so important, it’s not ethereal, I think it’s true to say you can feel the vibe of a city. I felt it myself recently in Sydney. Clear as a bell, it felt awake and buzzy and energized. And yes, markedly different to Auckland city. I’ve thought about this a lot, because the easy answer is just leave, which actually isn’t all that easy. It’s easy to say, but pretty hard to do. Not everybody can just pack up and leave and haul kids out of school or move away from family and friends and commitments. You build a life in your community and in your area. I mean I admire the people that can and do, do it, successfully, but it’s not easy. Having said that, I have an increasing number of friends who are selling up their big Auckland houses and moving out, not necessarily overseas, but just out of Auckland given it’s become so hard to live in these days. If it’s not crime it’s sink holes, or traffic, or lack of decent public transport, or supermarket thefts or the odd car jacking. I mean people do wonder how bad it’s going to get, how much more we have to put up with. But I continue – perhaps naively – to have faith that we can turn it around. Looking at what Sydney does would be a good place to start. The same way Auckland airport should look at Singapore’s Changi as a role model of how to do things properly, we should be looking to Sydney. There’s much we could learn from how they do it. I think a big part of it is making people feel safe, is to clean up the CBDs, and I know with the number of cruise ships expected in this summer - bringing with them hundreds of thousands of new tourists, that we just have to do better and be smarter than we currently are. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calls have come for New Zealand to use its voice as a war breaks out in the Middle East. Dozens are believed to have been captured by Palestinian militant group Hamas which has launched an attack on Gaza. The Government says more than 600 Israelis have been killed in attacks from Gaza. It's believed that as many as 100 soldiers and civilians were kidnapped when Palestinian fighters crossed the border and raided communities. Palestinian officials say retaliatory Israeli air strikes have killed at least 370 people in the Gaza Strip, with 2,200 wounded. Democracy Project Geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller says it was appropriate for Chris Hipkins to condemned the attacks. He says there was no condemnation in the Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta's earlier statement. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's Deputy Leader Nicola Willis is defending the party warning of a second election. The party has ramped up efforts to keep New Zealand First out of the mix - warning there's a growing possibility National wouldn't be able to get a deal done. Willis told Kate Hawkesby there's always a risk they won't get enough support. She says a lot of people already believe there's going to be a change - but they have to vote. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we reflect on the —let’s be frank— end of this government’s tenure, I can’t help thinking about all the stuff they dropped the ball on, that I wonder if they regret. Mental health, the $1.9 billion none of us know where it is. Light rail. Child poverty. Kiwibuild, a tangible disaster. Not taking the country with them when they had a majority, an unheard of opportunity to take us with them, and they blew it. The MIQ shenanigans, the shutting of the borders for so long, the crime levels, the co-governance, three waters, they had so much promise, and they just dropped the ball on it all. Too many consultants, too many reviews, too many ministers with scandals and issues that saw them off one by one, just too much chaos. But I wonder if we only feel acutely about the stuff that affects us directly. I was in the car yesterday and heard a caller ring Kerre when she had Hipkins on. He had a question for the PM, who was sitting in his hotel room, doing the interview over Zoom. But this guy sounded really mad, he sounded emotional and he sounded angry, and you just got the sense he was speaking from the heart. And his question was about vaping. Now I don’t know for sure if he was the Dad of some young vapers, but he sounded like he might be. He sounded personally affected by it. He started by saying to the PM – “I really don’t think you or your party have any idea what goes on in the real world.” So, a bold start to the question. He told the PM he thought he was “detached from reality”. He went on to say that one of the things that “disgusted and perplexed him the most about the Labour party was the lack of will to follow Australia’s lead around hardening up on vaping.” He said it was “akin to child abuse” in his view. He said the “fluffy regulations” they’d put in place were “a detachment from reality.” You’ve got to ask yourself at this point if Hipkins is thinking twice about doing Zoom interviews from isolation. I mean personally if I was him and tanking in the polls like they are, and stuck in a hotel room isolating with Covid, I’d just hunker down and watch the Beckham doco on Netflix and be done with it. So you’ve got to hand it to him that he’s even still bothering turning up virtually for this stuff. But this caller said he reckoned they’d ‘passed the buck here —passed the responsibility onto others— palming it off to retailers,’ he said. Hipkins replied with Labour’s policy on it – limit the number of vape stores nationwide to 600, and keep them away from schools etc. But he then defended not going any harder than that because he said he didn’t want people going back to smoking tobacco. I think Hipkins missed the point, in that this caller was talking about youth access to vapes, the epidemic now so prevalent among that cohort who’re taking up vaping. So maybe they were talking at cross purposes, the PM was more interested in adults who’re giving up smoking and switching to vaping. Which perhaps made this caller’s point. A slight detachment from reality here in terms of who vaping is really harming. And it made me think about how much of this stuff the government’s misread. And whether in their quiet moments they regret not doing more with the mandate they had from this country in 2020. If being in politics is all about legacy, I just wonder what this past term government’s really is. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pay equity for care and support workers has been halted. Te Whatu Ora's called for a review as the claim process nears the end, much to the disappointment of unions and employers. Aged Care Association Chief Executive, Katherine Rich told Kate Hawkesby that she believes the health agency halted the process as the cost was more than anticipated. She says they're calling foul as it impacts the most vulnerable and lowly-paid workers in the sector. Te Whatu Ora says the review seeks further assurance on specific technical questions, and once answered they'll progress to the next stage. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queenstown's mayor is raising concerns over the country's water supply crackdown. Water regulator Taumata Arowai has sent a letter to 27 councils lacking in a sufficient protozoa barrier, informing them they have till mid next year to get a plan in place. Queenstown Mayor Glyn Lewers told Kate Hawkesby that when it comes to enforcement, the regulator has teeth, with fines and jail time both being a possibility. He believes he's under-mining the industry they're trying to regulate. He says rates will likely increase as councils compete for resources, which have largely been sucked out of the country thanks to Queenstown's cryptosporidium infection outbreak. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A bumper summer is expected ahead of the cruise ship season. A total of 54 ships will make 1,000 visits to New Zealand shores this season, expecting to bring around 350,000 passengers. Kaikōura and Bluff both have forward bookings, and Lyttelton is back on the calendar following upgrades. But Tourism Holding Limited CEO Grant Webster warns that infrastructure issues will eventually come into play. He says we need a quality international cruise port, and we'll lose the cruise ships to Australia if we don't invest in that. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m rallying the troops at the moment to early vote. By troops I mean family members, but also anyone who’ll listen. So far I think just my husband, my sister and I have early voted. Others are waiting til the last minute. I’m not sure what might happen last minute that could change your mind, short of a scandal of some kind I guess. But you either like the direction the country is going and want to keep it this way, or you don’t. At the heart of it we’re essentially voting for change or more of the same. My concern is the short memories of Kiwis as I said the other day, and how many will try to justify pepper potting their vote around like some kind of MMP pick and mix. That’ll only end in tears, probably mine if Winston has anything to do with it. I do worry about people’s understanding of how government works that they want to appoint a troublemaker to the mix and think that’ll elicit change for this country, It won’t. it’ll just elicit chaos. And surely we’ve had enough of that. But, democracy is democracy, and we deserve what we vote for. But I am getting a small understanding of why people aren’t enthused and maybe don’t want to vote. They’re fed up. Sick of the negativity and angst and politicians bashing between themselves. Sick of the media attempting endless gotcha moments, sick of the aggressiveness, just sick of all of it. My sister was saying she went out to vote yesterday and there were five lovely people working at the polling station so delighted to see her because she was the only one there. Not another soul in sight, she’s in Christchurch. She felt like the only person early voting in her area. She said they couldn’t thank her enough for coming in. But she’s sick to the back teeth of all of it and has tuned out. She says this campaign feels like the comments section on Facebook, and reminds her why she’s not on Facebook. She said it’s just dissolved into a name calling, back stabbing, petty little hate fest, full of bitterness and negativity and it’s a total turn off. She can’t wait for it to be over, she said they’re all acting like children. The politicians that is, and the media. She said they’re all as bad as each other and she’s sick of them. And that sort of helps explain the disconnect by those who’re not engaged and not enthused. I mean I genuinely hope early voting numbers pick up, and people do exercise their right to vote, but I can see how the acrimony is a turn off. I think most campaigns descend into this kind of stupidity and pettiness but we’re so far into the weeds now and I just don’t think people care about the minutiae, I don’t think they care who did or didn’t turn up for a debate, or who said what about who, they just don’t care. They want to know how they’re going to pay their mortgage and how much petrol’s going to cost, and whether their local Dairy will continue to get ram raided and if their streets will ever feel safe again and whether they’ll ever get seen at A&E, or their kids will get a good education. They want the fundamentals to be right and the direction and vision for the country to be heading in the right way. But with this endless bickering and noise, all it does is drive people to the fringes – to the old punishment vote, or the ‘I’ll show them!’ vote, and those are all wasted votes. They’re not votes that’ll elicit fundamental change. So, 9 days out, it’s safe to say I still feel none the wiser as to how this could go. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marlborough residents could be in for an expensive few years, with millions more needed for road repairs than first thought. Fixing the flood damaged transport system is expected to cost $74 million more, totalling $234 million. Marlborough District Council Chief Executive Mark Wheeler told Kate Hawkesby that their cost estimates were cautious but reflect the current reality. He says construction cost, inflation, and contractor shortages have also added to the expense. Wheeler says rates are expected to rise by 10%, assuming Waka Kotahi provides financial assistance. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank is tipped to keep the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 5.5% when it comes up for review this afternoon. Westpac's Kelly Eckhold told Kate Hawkesby that a change is unlikely so close to an election. However, she said, the markets are looking at a 50-60% rate increase in November, earlier than the Reserve Bank had previously indicated. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A year of wet weather has taken its toll on some in the veggie industry. New data from NIWA shows that in September, areas like Otago, Southland, Canterbury, Wairarapa, and Auckland received well above normal rainfall. But last month was also the warmest September on record. Leaderbrand Chief Executive, Richard Burke told Kate Hawkesby that recent rainfall has been difficult. He says it's been the hardest 18 months they've seen from the growers right through to sales, with outages and a lack of product. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I come to you today with – fingers crossed – great news. I say fingers crossed because let’s hope it lasts, I don’t want to be accused of speaking too soon, but I’m hearing reports that Auckland airport is on the improve. For starters, it’s opened an express lane. Very heartened by the headline yesterday which read, “Auckland Airport trials screening Express Lane to cut down unacceptable wait times”. I mean is that not music to all of our ears? I was reading a text to you guys yesterday about the listener who had paid extra to fly home via Christchurch airport purely to avoid travelling through Auckland. We’ve been aghast at the number of messages, emails, texts and complaints from people saying how chaotic Auckland airport is. How long it takes, how shambolic it is, how disorganised... not enough staff, staff who don’t know what they’re doing, lack of communication, just general mayhem. And this has been going on for months. So if they’re onto sorting that already, fantastic. Because don’t forget Greg Foran from Air NZ even got involved and said he'd have it sorted by Xmas, which at the time, seemed nigh on impossible given the state of it. And also, not his problem, but obviously he has a vested interest in it working smoothly. But I’m hearing already, things are on the improve. To a point. Depends when you travel. A couple of people messaged me yesterday saying they’d come in through Auckland Airport this week with absolutely no issues and in good quick time. But my brother and sister-in-law came through it yesterday and said it’s still hit and miss. The new trials of things are underway, but not all seamless yet. So while screening may have an express lane to speed things up and move a bit quicker, customs can still be a bit cumbersome. The trial of the new digitised arrival cards works for some people, but not others. I’ve heard mixed reports on those – sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. I also hear they’re trialling a new scheme whereby those digital arrival cards can be scanned a variety of ways on entry, again, it’s hit and miss. But look, any and all attempts to iron out the issues at the gateway to our country are gratefully appreciated. It’s long overdue and it’s so critically important given Auckland is the welcome mat for so many to our country. I did have to laugh when I read the airport spokesperson who said, “the New Zealand arrivals process is a complex one with many moving parts.” I mean is that or is that not directly from the Labour party playbook? It’s all a bit complex. Saying stuff is complex these days will excuse you from just about anything, corporates in particular love saying it. “It’s a bit complex.” The irony there is, it’s no more complex than what every single other airport in the entire world deals with, and some of the busiest airports – way busier than Auckland’s, still manage to pull it off without making people wait two hours. So I live in hope that we are on the way to having Auckland airport fixed for travellers. It’s had a really bad rep, it’s taken a beating, so no doubt they’re keen to have it ironed out too and restore a bit of credibility. I don’t doubt extra resource has been thrown at it to cover off the school holiday period, which ends this weekend, so I guess the real test is whether after that it’s still on the improve. I know you guys will let me know if it’s not. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was too good an opportunity to pass up. Auckland Council has spent more than $12 million expanding its Botanical Gardens. It's bought 1.6 hectares, the size of two soccer pitches, on Hill Road in Manurewa. More than 10 million dollars of the purchase price will be funded by debt. Manurewa-Papakura Ward Councillor, Daniel Newman, says he lobbied hard for the purchase. He knows money's tight, but this was the only time they could buy this particular parcel of land. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s been a mixed response to Labour's pledge to do more to help new supermarket retailers set up shop in New Zealand. While details are in the early stages, help with finances, gaining land space, and making regulator changes are on the cards. New Zealand Initiative's Eric Crampton told Kate Hawkesby that changes to zoning for new supermarkets would be welcomed but warns against subsiding entry for new chains. He says starting new retailers on subsidies could lead to chains asking for more handouts down the line to stay in the market. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I went out in search of some democracy yesterday, trying to early vote. I looked up on the Vote NZ website where in my area had early voting places open and what time. I headed out on a walk confident I’d found the place but as I rocked up there, the lights were out; the first bad sign. Then I saw an actual sign on the ground, blown over in the wind, it said ‘no early voting here until October 9th’. So back to the website I went, determined to find a place. Turns out it couldn’t have been easier, the local Westfield mall had a huge polling station open, lots of bright orange signage and as it turns out, lots of people looking to early vote. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, they say about two thirds of us early vote usually, and they’re expecting more this time round. I think they were saying they're expecting about 80% of Kiwis to early vote this time. We stood in line behind a man in a suit who was talking to another man who’d not even registered to vote but wanted to. So he was in the special vote line, registering and enrolling on the spot so he could cast a vote. The man in the suit said to us he’d been waiting so long for this day and he was so excited to finally get to vote. He wasn’t even in his electorate, but you don’t need to be in your electorate, or even enrolled, or have your voting card on you, just turn up, they sort it. It’s too easy. So don't think you've got to wait for your vote card... you don't. After I did my ticking, it was my husband’s turn. He wasn’t going to vote early, he’s all about tradition and doing it on the day and he had fond memories of walking to the local church with the kids when they were old enough to vote, and us all voting together in a nice big family outing. But these days barely any of our voting age kids live in NZ, or even Auckland, so I reminded him his trip down memory lane while sweet, was not going to be recreated this time. As he went into the booth to cast his vote, a lady in the booth next to him popped her head up over the top and said to him, “Two ticks Chippy?” So shout out to her for being hilarious and making the experience even more fun. And I mean it when I say fun. I actually love voting. I love exercising our right to democracy, I love that we can, I never take it for granted. Every time I’m in the polling station I think of all the places where they can’t do this or can’t do it with any freedom or integrity anyway. I mean it might not always go your way, and you might not like the system, but at least you have the right to do it. Nothing's stopping you from doing it. I can’t understand people who say they don’t vote. It’s a right we fought for and are so lucky to have. It’s one of the few times you get to have a tangible real say in what you want for our country. We get to participate in democracy, we get to have our voice heard. It’s a privilege. I think it’s churlish to snub that privilege and just say you can’t be bothered, or you hate all politicians or there’s no point. There is a point. You get to do something many countries shed blood over, go to war over, but not here. The fact we get a voice, and get to have it heard, is something to be celebrated, and it’s something I will never take for granted. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, I’m so over this election. Please let it be over already. Now that Winston’s crept back into the fray, we've got the old gameplaying of not just the politicians - but the voters now too who seem to believe they can rig MMP in their favour. They want to design their own bespoke government. After all these years, we still don’t seem to get it. Essentially NZ voters are their own worst enemies. Nearly two thirds of New Zealand voters think the country is heading in the wrong direction – but the smorgasbord of wasted votes plays to those who indulge themselves in delusions of grandeur that MMP provides them an ability to vote tactically. They truly believe they can change the direction New Zealand is going with a sprinkling of some self serving bias - but it sadly doesn’t work like that. Believing you can ‘send a message’, or ‘take out some insurance’ or ‘punish’ a party, is deluded. To vote ‘tactically’ against a party you traditionally support or to counter the perceived threat of another minor party, means you’re at the same time ignoring a raft of potentially crazy economic and social policies, to tick a box which you mistakenly believe will ‘hold the new government to account.’ John Key once famously said if you want steak, order steak. And yet still, when we say we want steak, there are some who order mince instead, and with a side of veges, ‘just to keep the chef on his toes.’ It makes no sense. Countless polls have shown the two core issues at stake in New Zealand right now are the cost of living and rampant crime. That’s before you get to our broken health or failing education systems. Yet a large chunk of New Zealand voters, who are desperate to see a change in direction of this country, somehow think they can afford to split their vote and yet still expect to see a change in direction. They are not doing the maths, they are not reading the room. Based on latest polling, a coalition of Labour, Greens and Te Pati Maori gets 45 percent of the seats in Parliament, even though 66 percent of voters think the country is going in the wrong direction. Head scratch. A coalition of National and Act, which would arguably change the direction of this country which two thirds of voters think is heading in the wrong direction, on latest polling has only 50.8 percent of the seats. This makes no sense. Don’t even get me started on Winston. Any government involving NZ First will go in no direction, it will stall as Winston looks to negotiate, grandstand and play games – hauling on the handbrake of progress in any and all directions. Yet in latest polling, with a backdrop of two thirds of New Zealanders thinking the country is heading in the wrong direction, NZ First is on the precipice of holding progress to ransom as kingmaker. This will inevitably put New Zealand into a sleeper hold – right at a point in history where it needs to be taking some deep breaths and big bold steps. Be careful not who you vote for, but WHAT you vote for. Rhis is before we get to the woeful tail of tiny parties like TOPP, Vision NZ, Liz Gunn, Hannah Tamaki and co, the waste of time territory. We either want change or we don’t. The stakes for New Zealand have never been higher, we are at a cross-road – and we cannot afford to stall now in the middle of the intersection.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The property market is experiencing some pre-election jitters. It seems Kiwis are holding off on making big decisions until after D-Day - with the national average asking price staying flat the whole of September - this is according to realestate.co.nz's last report before the election. Vanessa Taylor, head of sales at realestate.co.nz, joined Kate Hawkesby on Early Edition to discuss the report's findings. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's Deputy leader says its economic plan is solid despite widespread doubts. The party released its fiscal plan on Friday, Finance Minister Grant Robertson describing it as being built on sand. A recent Newshub Reid Research poll found 53 percent of respondents don't think National can pay for their tax cuts. The tax plan was also criticised by economists from across the political spectrum. Despite the doubters Nicola Willis told Kate Hawkesby the plan has been carefully put together. She says there are buffers in place in case parts of the plan go over or under expected cost. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Polls are great. I love ‘em and I love the occasional surprise we get from them. They're really useful in providing those snapshots of public opinion at any given moment. And you'll be aware the political parties use them extensively, not just to see how they're tracking but for all sorts of nefarious stuff like testing out our reactions to policy ideas. On top of that there's also a lot of research into the way leading figures are perceived, all part of the process of moulding and shaping them for maximum ballot-box efficiency. But the thing about polls that we rarely take much notice of, and should, is the sampling process. It's vital, if you want accurate answers to your questions, to be scrupulous about the sampling process. Let me explain. Say you're doing a political poll; you want to be sure your respondents match the demographics of the population as a whole. So, you end up having to interview so many men, so many women, and a set number of people in each age group to match the voting population. For example, the 1News poll uses roughly half and half randomly selected people on mobiles and volunteers from a panel; these are people who've done interviews in the past and have agreed to take a phone call from time to time. Like most of the others, a sample of about a thousand people are called up over a two or three-day period. Thing is, no matter how careful you are errors start to creep in. For a poll using a thousand people, even carried out very cautiously, your results are only good to within plus or minus three points. So reporting numbers within that margin —in this example say, how many people are going to vote NZ Loyal— well it's pretty much pointless. What's the point of all this? The point is that I suspect polls influence the way people vote, possibly even whether people bother to vote. And I'm going to suggest that this is such an important election that you can't leave it to the polls to make up your mind. Yet at the same time, we're all voting tactically. We kinda want that extra bit of information. For what it's worth, and again I'm not trying to influence your vote, I've made up my mind on the issues—on the principles, and the issues. I'll vote on Monday and try to forget about it until 14th. Let's just hope we're collectively a little less grumpy once this is all over. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sanitarium has dropped Weet-Bix from the Warehouse stores, blaming supply issues. The Warehouse Group is questioning why only its stores are affected and the Commerce Commission is looking into it. Massey University marketing expert Bodo Lang told Tim Dower that it's unusual to target just one retailer. He says it's something we don't see very often, and the way Sanitarium has handled it doesn't help as it hasn't clarified why only The Warehouse has been shutout. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A young American soldier who ran across the North Korea border is in US custody and heading home. Travis King made a sudden dash from South to North Korea whilst on a civilian tour of the demilitarised zone two months ago. Before he ran to North Korea, the 23-year-old had served in a South Korean prison for assault and was due to be sent home to Texas to face consequences. US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Tim Dower that he's now been flown to China to be held in US custody. He says King will face the consequences of the US military this time. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The chances of Chris Hipkins retaining his role as Prime Minister appears to be fading by the day. The latest One News-Verian result puts National on 36% while Labour sits at 26%. Earlier this week, the Herald's Poll of Polls showed Labour has a 0.2% chance of staying in government, the worst result for any main governing party since the Great Depression. Former National Party advisor and political commentator Brigitte Morton told Tim Dower that the chances Hipkins will continue as Prime Minister are getting down to zero. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trying to pick a winner from a TV debate is a tricky thing to do. First thing I have to bear in mind is that I'm not impartial when I look at these things. I've already decided who I want to win, so that's bound to be an influence. I started going through it round by round, first one to Luxon, even in the second, Hipkins in round three. Four to Luxon, five to Hipkins... overall, I'd have to say Hipkins was the winner on the night. Which you might expect, given he's the career politician. Did Luxon score at all? Well yes actually, he did okay for a comparative beginner. Multi-millionaire he may be, but to my mind Luxon actually came across as the more real of the two. More in touch with what the public is saying and thinking. Hipkins, and again my perception is obviously slanted by my political position, Hipkins was aggressive from the get-go and even looked a bit desperate. Once he'd hit his straps and got a few zingers in he started to look cocky, arrogant, and a bit sneery. His face formed into that 'I know better', pursed-lip, mouth like a cat's bum expression. Luxon, and again, this is tainted by my politics, I thought he actually radiated more warmth and humanity. The way our politics functions now puts a lot more pressure on the party leaders to have all the answers. We didn't elect Labour last time, or the time before, we elected, well, you know who we elected. Point I'm making is that these debates are vote-winning opportunities. Hipkins won the debate and he's probably shored up some Labour supporters who might have been wavering. But Luxon went that little further. There were moments when he showed he's aspirational for the country, not just himself and the party. For the first time since he became leader I felt I could actually see him as Prime Minister. And that's something other people have said about meeting Luxon in the flesh; he's serious about the task and he's come a long way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than $3 billion worth of food waste is filling up New Zealander’s bins every year. Rabobank-KiwiHarvest's survey estimates household's waste 12.2% of groceries yearly, a slight decrease from last year's 13.4%. Gen Z remain the most wasteful age group. KiwiHarvest Food Rescue charity founder Deborah Manning told Tim Dower that one of the problems is consumers demand to see a high quantity of food at stores. She says people want to see full shelves of bread at every hour of the day. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A plea for whoever's in Government next month to address the worrying state of the events sector in Auckland. Auckland Unlimited has revealed to the council that no major events are confirmed in the city beyond August next year due to a lack of funding. Heart of the City Chief Executive Viv Beck told Tim Dower that it's a major international city, so this needs to be resolved. She says there's a big opportunity coming up for the incoming Government to really look at the whole funding mechanism for Auckland. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I guess it had to come at some point in the campaign... National's traditional swipe at the beneficiaries. I really don't know why they do this, sanctions of one kind or another have been tried and tried again, but the fact is they really don't work. This time the formula includes mandatory community work experience, and of course benefit cuts or suspensions. None of its new. We've seen variations of this kind of thing for decades and little ever seems to change. Fact of the matter is we are carrying a cohort of people who are satisfied enough with a life on the bludge. They could work, but that's a mug's game to them when your beer money comes automatically every fortnight on the benefit. You and I know it's their loss. Standing on your own two feet is good for the soul, work is good for the mind and body. But when you lash at them you also hurt a lot of genuine cases, kicking people when they're down basically, and I'm not up for that. Bashing beneficiaries is lowest common denominator stuff. It plays to a certain crowd. It pleases those of us who resent feeding people who could legitimately feed themselves. This time National wants jobseekers to reapply for the benefit every six months, and provide proof they've been out looking for work, to keep getting a benefit. There's no arguing with the numbers: benefit dependency has surged, there's 60 thousand more people on Jobseeker than when Labour took office. And in the latest figures from MSD, everything's gone through the roof. Not just base benefits but things like accommodation supplement, special needs grants, 650 thousand hardship payments in the March quarter alone. Now for sure, the numbers move around a bit, but the fact is we will never change the mindset of those people who just don't want to work. And that element will always be there, they won't change until there's some kind of epiphany, or they just grow out of it. So what do we do? Do we bang about tough new regimes and clampdowns that achieve next to nothing, or do we get on with stuff we can actually change? I say go for the stuff we can change: the economy, law and order, the health system, productivity. And oh, fix the bloody roads will you? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A challenge has been laid down for political parties to act on breast cancer. The Breast Cancer Foundation is releasing election scorecards which shows that all parties want to raise the free mammogram age to 74. Only the Greens, New Zealand First, and TOP would lower the minimum age for higher risk women. Chief Executive Ah-Leen Rayner says there's a willingness to do more, but responses were light on detail or didn't go far enough. She says breast cancer is a human issue not a political issue, but needs political leadership to address it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business New Zealand is predicting a gloomy outlook for the economy. It says economic growth is likely to be marginal over the next year in New Zealand. It's also predicting global growth to be slow over the next few years. Advocacy Director Catherine Beard says that alongside China's economic slowdown, other factors are adding to the disappointing predictions. She says other factors like increasing oil prices and the Reserve Bank's battle with inflation will contribute. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's accusing National of beating up on the vulnerable with its new welfare scheme. The opposition is promising to introduce traffic light style sanctions to those on the dole who aren't meeting Jobseeker requirements. A red light breach could mean reductions, mandatory work experience, and someone's money being managed by WINZ. Labour's Social Development spokesperson Carmel Sepuloni told Tim Dower that it's in line with previous National parties, she's still surprised by the timing. She says given the challenges the country is facing, she was disgusted by the timing of the announcement. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Latest polling shows National will need New Zealand First on board to form a government. The latest Newshub-Reid Research poll shows Labour's fallen slightly to 26.5% and National's dropped to 39.1%. The Greens' boosted to 14.2%. With ACT's 8.8% the right-bloc would have 60 MPs, just below the 61 needed to form a government. New Zealand First's 5.2% would be required. Political commentator Dr Grant Duncan told Tim Dower that Luxon 'had to' end the speculation, because in all likelihood, he may be having to make that call after the election. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of Air Vanuatu passengers have been left frustrated and stranded. The airline's only Boeing 737 is grounded in Brisbane while it waits for parts following a technical fault. Australian correspondent Donna Demaio told Tim Dower that suggestions are being made as to how this could be prevented. She says one travel agent has suggested Air Vanuatu partners with other larger airlines so it can offer more consistent flights. She says it's caused anger and anxiety amongst many passengers, with some first learning of the situation on their way to the airport. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now we've had a day to mull it over... has Christopher Luxon played a smart card or a dopey one? Up until yesterday we were under the impression Luxon wants nothing less than to have to deal with New Zealand First. But this feels like an admission of defeat, as though Luxon has realised NZ First may well hit the threshold, and if they do that's going to drag down the number of seats National can have. He says he'll do whatever it takes to form a coalition and I guess a lot of people will have wanted to hear that, and his reinforcing line about ACT being his preferred coalition partner without New Zealand First. But by putting it on the agenda on a Monday morning less than three weeks before polling day has Luxon gifted a swag of attention, if not votes, to his least preferred coalition partner? With the prospect of seats around the Cabinet table and of course an important job for Winston Peters, that vote looks a lot less like a wasted vote than it might have done. So some right-leaning voters, mentioning no names here, are going to feel cheated and sold down the river. Interesting to see what Sir John Key says about it all. He's been there, done that, and he's pretty much endorsed the Luxon move. That's despite the fact that Key himself did rule out New Zealand First. Key says it's a wise strategy based on simple maths, and there's a very high expectation from New Zealanders that the largest party after an election will do everything it can to put together a government and save us having another election. I guess when you look at it like that, yes, we do expect the biggest party to lead the way towards a coalition. But we expected that six years ago when National won 56 seats and Labour had 46, and what did we get? And why did we get that? Work it out for yourself. What really happens if NZ First hits the threshold? They haven't gone with National in 27 years, is that about to change? Not my place to tell you how to vote. I'll just say this: we're not at a political crossroads in New Zealand, we're at a T-junction Start down either of the roads ahead of us and it's a hard road back if we get it wrong. So, which way are we going? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.