Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

You know you're getting down to the rats and mice when you've got a major political party promising to change speed limits, if only we'll vote for them. Now I'm not saying National's wrong about a lot of those 30k zones especially, some of them are probably really daft but others might make sense. I guess the point is we're down to fairly trivial stuff now and the election campaign is limping into a petty bidding war. Where is the meaningful debate about political ideas? Where is the serious discussion about where we see ourselves in five, ten years from now? Where is the vision of a better New Zealand for our children, our grandchildren? I guess we only have ourselves to blame, because when it comes to ticking the box on the day, what's going to motivate most of us? I'll go out on a limb and say it's money. Most of us are going to vote for the party which will either improve our lot in life, or at least not make it any worse. Some of us may be contemplating what we're leaving for the kids, some may even think a little more broadly than that: what's going to make for a better New Zealand overall? I don't know that changing speed limits, or even how many new state houses are coming will figure that high in the calculation. And I guess the political parties know how fickle we are, and how easily swayed. So in case you missed it, this is actually a really important election. But it's not about speed limits or public housing or special visas for overstayers or how much we spend getting gang tatts off prisoners' faces. It's about two distinctly different directions we could take the country in. Do we go further down the disastrous track we've been on this past six years: dismantling law and order, widening dependency on the state, dishing out favours based on race? Or do we hope it's not too late to fix some of the problems and try to turn this ship around? This election should not – and hopefully will not – come down to who lets us drive fastest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

London’s police force said Sunday that some officers are refusing to conduct armed patrols after a colleague was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black man. A Metropolitan Police marksman was charged Wednesday over the September 2022 death of Chris Kaba, 24. Kaba was killed after officers in an unmarked vehicle pursued and stopped the car he was driving. He was struck by a single bullet fired through the windshield as he sat in the Audi car. The case renewed allegations of institutional racism within the London police department. Kaba’s family welcomed the murder charge against the officer, who has not been publicly named. He was granted conditional bail and is expected to stand trial next year. Only about one in 10 of London’s police officers carry firearms, and the ones that do undergo special training. The Metropolitan Police force said Sunday that “a number of officers have taken the decision to step back from armed duties while they consider their position.” It said officers were concerned that the murder charge “signals a shift in the way the decisions they make in the most challenging circumstances will be judged.” The BBC said more than 100 officers had turned in their firearm permits and that police from neighboring forces were called in to help patrol London on Saturday night. The force said it still had “significant firearms capability," but had asked the Ministry of Defense to provide assistance with “counterterrorism support should it be needed.” The request means soldiers could be called on to do specific tasks the police are unable to perform, but they won't perform routine police work or have the power of arrest. Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who is in charge of policing for the U.K.’s Conservative government, said she would review armed policing to ensure that armed officers “have the confidence to do their jobs.” “In the interest of public safety, they have to make split-second decisions under extraordinary pressures,” Braverman posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “They mustn’t fear ending up in the dock for carrying out their duties. Officers risking their lives to keep us safe have my full backing, and I will do everything in my power to support them.” Fatal shootings by police in the U.K. are rare. In the year to March 2022, armed officers in England and Wales fired weapons at people four times, according to official statistics. It is also extremely rare for British police officers to be charged with murder or manslaughter over actions performed while they were on duty. In one of the few cases in recent years, a police constable was sentenced in 2021 to eight years in prison for the killing of Dalian Atkinson, a former professional soccer player who died after being shot by a stun gun and kicked in the head during an altercation. The officer, Benjamin Monk, was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter. Kaba's shooting came amid intense scrutiny of the Metropolitan Police. In 2021, an officer pleaded guilty to kidnapping, raping, kidnapping and killing Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old woman who disappeared while walking home from visiting a friend. Another officer, who worked in the same parliamentary and diplomatic protection unit, pleaded guilty in January to committing dozens of rapes between 2003 and 2020. In March an independent review found the London force had lost public confidence because of deep-seated racism, misogyny and homophobia. The force says it is committed to rooting out misconduct, and has dismissed about 100 officers for gross misconduct over the past year. But it said last week it could take years to remove all corrupt officers. - by Jill Lawless, APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not the best of weekends for New Zealand sport. The Warriors bandwagon has come to a grinding halt, after the Kiwi side’s 42-12 defeat in Brisbane to the Broncos. But the Warriors have a lot to celebrate regardless, having gone from wooden spoon candidates to one game away from the big dance. The Silver Ferns’ post-World Cup hoodoo remains, after their 55-54 loss to England’s B team. Despite a last-quarter fightback, the young England side proved too strong in both attack and defence in the first three. Newstalk ZB Wellington sports reader Adam Cooper joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Automobile Association is expressing its support for some of National's speed reduction promises. National's announced it'll return many state highways to 100 km/h from 80, and many local roads to 50. AA Policy Manager Dylan Thomsen told Tim Dower they like the idea of increasing expressway speeds, having more variable speed limits near schools, and fewer unmanned roadwork sites. “That’s an area that’s a common frustration for a lot of people, so if we can improve that and have less of that, that’d be great.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's deputy has confirmed the party would work with New Zealand First - if it came to it. It's understood leader Chris Luxon will confirm in a social media video today that he's willing to work with Winston Peters if necessary. It comes after weeks of questions. Nicola Willis told Tim Dower their preference is to form a two-party coalition government of National and ACT. “Realistically, if New Zealand First is to return to Parliament and we need to pick up the phone to Mr Peters to keep Labour out, to keep the coalition of chaos of Te Pati Maori and the Greens out.” LISTEN ABOUTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chief Children's Commissioner has labelled the latest review of Oranga Tamariki shocking. The latest probe into the government agency has found that there needs to be urgent change to fix major issues, including those related to staffing and capacity. Judge Frances Eivers told Francesca Rudkin that it's not good enough and our children in care deserve better. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as head of Fox and News Corp. The 92-year-old media mogul has been an influential figure in the US, UK, and Australia for decades, owning numerous tabloids, newspapers and TV channels. He's passing the baton to his son Lachlan but will remain with both companies as chairman emeritus. UK correspondent Vincent McAviney told Francesca Rudkin that Murdoch's age is a factor in him stepping down, with some reports of health problems in recent years. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So on Tuesday evening I was quite excited about the first Leaders Debate. It was a funny old evening. I thought Jessica Mutch McKay did a good job moving things along but the two Chris’s energy wanned, and so did mine. It wasn’t a dynamic debate. There wasn’t actually a lot of debate. So, after a solid, but slightly disappointing Leaders Debate, I then turned my attention to the Newshub Nation Powerbrokers' Debate featuring Minor party leaders, which took place last night on Three. Surely this was going to be more entertaining? It did after all feature David Seymour, who put in a sharp and humorous performance at the ASB Great Debate last week in Queenstown. And it was set in a pub. Joining him was New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, and Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. Rebecca Wright was the moderator and she did a commendable job keeping this lot under control, although it was a challenge and there was plenty of spirited bickering. They covered off race issues, tax reform, law and order, and coalition plans. If you are a politics’ nerd, you probably didn’t learn anything new from the candidates, with each repeating their party’s already known policies. For others though, this debate likely provided more exposure to the minor parties and some clarity on their values and a few of their policies. Performance wise Marama and Debbie managed to get their messages across crisply and put on a good double act. Marama in particular was ‘on’ and didn’t take any nonsense. David Seymour and Winston Peters in contrast tended to ramble and didn’t always deliver a clear message. But there was plenty of fun as well. Especially when Rebecca Wright asked each party for their bottom lines in possible coalition negotiations. While Greens and Te Pati Maori spoke simply —wealth tax and poverty— Winston Peters and David Seymour put on a show over whether they could work together that gave you a glimpse of what Luxon may have to deal with... Firemen and adults with trousers on is what to expect folks! Rebecca Wright probably summed that up well when she said, I’m beginning to pity Christopher Luxon. So what do you think? Can they work together? Of course they will if they have to right - but it might be like herding cats. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I see it reported that 'the Auckland restaurateur whose close to the site of Monday’s fatal bus stop stabbing is worried “people are afraid to come out to the area to eat” after the second violent attack on innocent members of the public in Albany in months.' The other one was the axe wieldng man attacking diners back in June. But also at the the Albany bus stop, a 16-year-old told the Police that she was randomly attacked there, getting punched in the head and having her shoes stolen. And they wonder why we don't take public transport in Auckland. But it made me think about the suburbs versus the CBD, because Auckland city's struggling too apparently. A bar and restaurant owner in the CBD told Mike's show this week that the change in our behaviours heading to town are dramatically different to what they once were. Fewer people in the office, fewer people in town, work functions starting earlier, or on work time, like 4 o’clock, so the function’s over by 6.30 and people can go home. She reckons part of its corporate driven – firms don’t want to be seen to be spending too much money on this kind of thing so they’re reigning it in, and employees less likely these days to want to ‘waste time’ on work functions. People would rather go home to their families. I mean she added the obvious point that Auckland city feels dangerous to a lot of people these days, plus it’s largely inaccessible by car so you’re on foot – which means in the rain you’re not bothering. In fact she said when it rains, 50% of RSVP’s don’t turn up to the function, they’re too worried the train or ferry will be cancelled, or the Harbour Bridge shut, which is a good point. The public transport system in Auckland has become so obsessed with shutting or not running that it’s a real turn off for people. Likewise the rise in violent incidents is a turn off too. But this bar owner sounded depressed about the outlook for Hospo. She said they’re barely hanging in there, it’s gotten that bad. She’s suspicious after work drinks may be a thing of the past – it’s too much of a liability for companies – they don’t want the hassle of any scandals or issues, and employees increasingly can’t be bothered. None of this surprises me about Auckland, but I wonder about other CBDs. I often hear from people saying the problem in other CBDs is not so much the patronage, but more so the ownership - bar or restaurant owners wanting people out by 9pm because the owner wants to shut up, or staff need to get home. We had a 1pm lunch in Christchurch the other day, for 4 of us, and at 2.30pm the waitress put the bill on the table and said, “we’re closing now". But I reckon the post lockdown bounce back for us is taking so much longer than other countries. You go to Europe, London, parts of America, even Australia, and you’ll see CBDs have bounced back to a far more vibrant scene than what we have going on here. Which makes me wonder if we’ve actually changed for good now. Is this who we are now? People who just want to go home, stay home, drink at home, socialize at home? Suburban bars and cafes must be benefitting from all this. People seem happy to stay local, so maybe that’s where the trend’s gone. But if our CBDs have seen their best days and this is it now, then I reckon that’s quite sad. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economists are expecting the latest GDP figures to have risen in the second quarter. The numbers will be released this morning. After two drops, the country entered a technical recession in the first quarter of the year. ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley told Kate Hawkesby that things are likely to get a bit more challenging again later on this year. He said that there’s a risk of a double dip back into some negatives. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT is promising a huge shake-up to the education system, aiming to hold underperforming schools to account. Its new education policy would crack down on ECE providers that don't teach children the basics. The party would increase surprise visits to early childhood providers and penalise those failing standards. Leader David Seymour told Kate Hawkesby that they need to start thinking out of the box and find new ways to make the education system work. He said that if they don’t, New Zealand runs the risk of losing its first world status. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's announced changes for migrant workers are being described as a soft cushion at the bottom of a cliff. The package includes basic financial support to help with accommodation and essential living costs. The Government also plans to remove 90-day trial periods for employers utilising the Accredited Employer Work Visa. Employment lawyer Aaron Martin told Kate Hawkesby that the changes won't be much help at all, as most migrants arrive with no job. He says the 90-day trial period isn't the problem, the problem is the Government's visa system. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amid the recent allegations against Russell Brand, the BBC has announced an internal review of the comedian's time with them. Brand hosted a series of programs on BBC 6 Music and Radio 2 between 2006 and 2008 as well as being a guest on other shows, overlapping with the period of time the allegations fall within. The BBC has now removed programming featuring Brand from their streaming services, saying it now “falls below public expectation.” UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Kate Hawkesby that the BBC may have more to answer for, as one of the victims alleges that she was picked up by a chauffeur driven car provided to Brand by the BBC, who brought her to his house. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The events of the past few years are having a major impact on young kiwis. Extreme weather and economic uncertainty have become a source of concern and anxiety for young people, with social media and vaping being other common stressors. Youthline’s ‘State of the Generation’ report found that a quarter of those surveyed had been impacted by extreme weather events, and half of that group’s mental health suffered as a result. Youthline CEO, Shae Ronald, told Kate Hawkesby that there is a range of reactions within that group. She said that for some, especially those directly impacted, it's really increased their rates of anxiety, whereas for others its resulted in an underlying sense of unease and fear for the future. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says it's taking a long-term approach to reducing youth crime. In Auckland, a 16-year-old boy has been charged over Monday's fatal bus station attack, the victim's family revealing he was a 24-year-old alleged 501 deportee from Australia. And in Christchurch, an 18-year-old learner driver is facing charges over Sunday's fatal Rangiora crash, with new figures revealing Canterbury has been facing a sharp rise in serious boy racer incidents. Labour's Carmel Sepuloni told Kate Hawkesby that she understands community concerns about youth crime, but there is no easy short-term fix. She says the Government has to continue to do what works to reduce crime over the long term. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How over all the violence are we right now? I can’t tell you how over it I am. I’m sure you are too. It’s actually getting ridiculous and what I’m worried about now is that not even a change of government is going to stop it. A stabbing murder at an Albany bus stop in Auckland Monday, another knife incident 30 minutes later in Auckland’s Waterview, the next day, Tuesday, a person taken into custody after a knife found Kepa Road, in Auckland’s Orakei. That same day a shooting at a Rotorua intersection. And it’s not just Auckland and Rotorua, the night before in Christchurch ten youths went on a crime spree, breaking into shops to steal stuff, also stealing cars. The week prior there were three aggravated robberies across Auckland’s Point Chevalier and Mt Albert... a gang member was rounded up for those. These are just the ones that make the news. And don’t get me started on all the people out on ankle bracelets on home detention who’re committing crimes and absconding from Police. The level of crime, particularly youth crime, is a major issue... we know it, we’ve had years of it building to this point. It’s one of the things politicians argue about at length in terms of how to solve. Is it absent disinterested parents? Is it gang households? Is it gang recruiters? Is it school absenteeism and boredom from disengaged youths who’ve dropped out of school? Is it addiction issues... alcohol, drugs, vapes? Is it poverty? Is it cost of living? Is it Tik Tok? Is it Kelvin Davis’ genius plan to empty the prisons? A plan they’re now resiling from, surprise surprise. How much can we pin on that particular disastrous policy? Probably quite a lot to be honest. Consider the irony, when the new Labour government back in 2017, promised to reduce the prison population by 30% over 15 years. Commentators at the time said, “the last thing any Government wants is to look soft on crime.” Fast forward to 2023 and what do we have here? An election about to be lost by the government based on exactly that. They've looked too soft on crime. Endless soft on crime decisions, which have seen us end up where we are. So given all that, what are the solutions? The criminals and the gangs already running amok. The horse has bolted. So how to turn this around? It's complex, complex, complex, they keep telling us. And to be fair, I think it is. So are the solutions community based? Do offenders need to face tougher penalties? Should we lock more young people up? Should we invest more in their education? Should we work with parents more? Are schools doing enough? Are the Police well enough resourced to deal with it? Last night at the leaders debate Chris Hipkins said he wants to 'turn young people's lives around'. That's a bit rich when you've had 6 years to do that, and you didn't. Luxon said they'll tackle the gangs and back the Police. Hipkins then said they'll go after gangs too. But all the tough talk doesn't mean much if the reality doesn't match. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some are picking Chris Luxon as narrowly taking the crown in last night's leaders’ debate. The National Party Leader went head to head with Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins in the first of three debates ahead of the election. Newstalk ZB Political Editor, Jason Walls, told Kate Hawkesby who he thought came out on top. He says Luxon was more passionate and had a better plan on law and order, whereas he believes Hipkins couldn't defend the Government's record on that issue. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former MP has some advice for both candidates in tonight’s leaders’ debate. Labour's Chris Hipkins will face off against National’s Chris Luxon on TVNZ. Peter Dunne mastered the crowd reactor tool the Worm during TV debates in the 2000s, and says Hipkins should control his words to avoid seeming snide. But, he told Kate Hawkesby, there are traps for Luxon too. He says Luxon needs to avoid management language and really connect with people. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour said yesterday that the media can’t be trusted to fairly carry ACT’s message. Based on the texts we got yesterday from people who attended the ACT launch rally, there may be some truth in that. In general, I don’t think we’re being well served by election coverage at the moment... but from all sides. The annoying disruptors, the shadow boxing politicians, the agenda driven clickbait media who proclaim not to have any agenda at all. Give it up, we can see your agenda, it’s plain as day. When you start insinuating someone is racist because someone else disrupted their campaign launch when that same person is a serial disruptor at multiple political party events, then you’ve lost the plot. I think it’s just disingenuous all round. There is so much sideline noise this election campaign that it’s very difficult to actually hear any policy or detail over the hubbub of accusations and claims and counter claims. The hysteria around the coverage is drowning out any facts. I don’t know if it’s because the media are desperately trying to keep people engaged in the campaign and keep it interesting, therefore beating things up? Or are they worried about engagement dropping off now that the polls show a clear mood for change? Or are they doggedly trying to change people’s views in the hope a left-leaning government is restored? Either way, this ain’t it. Which brings me to tonight. Tonight is the first televised leaders' debate, on TV One. All eyes will be on Christopher Luxon... the newbie, the rookie, they’ll be watching his every move and breath. That’s a lot of pressure on his shoulders, maybe he should’ve asked Shaun Johnson for some tips on how to carry a lot of pressure. I spoke to Nicola Willis on the show yesterday and asked her if he’s up for it and if we’re going to see him fire up a bit. She reckons he’s passionate and set to go.. the proof will be in the pudding. Because an area ACT is getting cut through is on is their messaging that the Nat’s are just Labour Lite. We’re hearing that a lot from people at the moment. That Luxon needs more mongrel, he’s not hungry enough, not strong enough, he’s too corporate and soft. So, it’s a fine line isn’t it for him tonight. He’s got to balance those who want to see a bit of a harder edge and a real difference between National and Labour, with those soft middle swing voters who may be scared off by too much mongrel. He’ll be walking that line in a difficult setting, live TV, maybe a studio audience, every commentator in the country watching him, up against a seasoned debater and scrapper who we know will be throwing everything at it. I’m not sure what to expect, I suspect Luxon’s been doing his homework and prepping for this as much as he can, but all the prep in the world can’t prepare you for what can go down on live TV or what a moderator may choose to pick up on. By contrast, Hipkins doesn’t go into this with underdog status, but the expectations from within his party for him to perform are immense... he is currently dead man walking. Tonight either flicks Hipkins to life in stupendous fashion and silences his internal party critics, or it’s the death knell for him. High stakes for both. How many of us will actually be watching though? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand is making a comeback on the world hospo map as new overseas arrivals drive up demand. ABC Business Sales says enquiries from potential hospo owners is nearly twice that compared to 2019. It shows that's due to migrants filling staff and ownership shortages. Hospitality NZ CEO Steve Armitage told Kate Hawkesby that the country is viewed overseas as a safe place to do business, and customers here love to have cuisine experiences from around the world. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's latest energy package is copping flack from some of those in the sector. It includes a rebate of up to $4000 for installing solar panels and will provide $20 million for community energy projects. Energy Resources Aotearoa CEO John Carnegie told Kate Hawkesby that its not the right move. He says they should lay off picking winners in the energy sector and rely on the emission trading scheme and the sense of consumers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's made a suite of announcements targeting women. The party's released its first women's manifesto promising improved endometriosis care and extended breast cancer screening. It'd also introduce gender pay gap reporting and establish an innovation and entrepreneurship scholarship programme for low to middle-income women. Employment lawyer Jennifer Mills told Kate Hawkesby New Zealand rates well on gender equality, but there is pay inequality. “I’m not sure that frankly an entrepreneurial mentorship programme will go far in addressing the problem, but at least it’s a good start.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wasn’t the Warriors game just the much-needed boost we all needed? Amazing scenes on Saturday night, a wild home crowd, as raucous as any I’ve seen. I mean that was ebullient and electric – how awesome to have been there for those who were. I was so thrilled for Shaun Johnson – a last-minute bounce back from injury and what a superb performance he gave right up until his final minutes on the field, which was a lot longer than I think any of us anticipated. One reporter described it as a masterclass and it really was. He’s a leader and just such a great performer – so deserving of the standing ovation he got as he left the field. But seeing how far the Warriors have come, watching them progress to this end of the competition and to look like such a class act with it – confident, strong, bulletproof. Whatever happens, this team under Andrew Webster have grabbed us all like nothing else. My sister-in-law was bemoaning the fact her family had to leave their restaurant dinner early Saturday night as my niece – who was watching the Warriors game on her phone at the table got so excited at the game, she made them all hurry up and finish eating so they could head home and watch it on the big screen. No time for dessert, they all had to run. She’s now trying to convince my sister that tickets to Brisbane this weekend are essential. Although flights look like an issue there - apparently if you don’t already have a ticket booked you may not get one now. My sister was asking whether they’d failed as Kiwi parents, that both their kids are obsessed with league and F1 as opposed to rugby. I just think it’s that so much about the spirit of what’s happening with the Warriors – and with Liam Lawson at the F1 for that matter, has captured us and enraptured us. Maybe it’s the underdog thing? Maybe it’s the small player taking on the big guns? Whatever it is we are mesmerized by it. Young people love it, whereas much of what rugby stands for these days is older tropes that no longer serve young sports fans. Although to be fair to the AB’s, we are not yet at the business end of the World Cup, so it’s understandable that people aren’t that enthused yet. But even the anticipation, on Friday’s show last week, people were texting me “let’s just focus on the really important issues.. up the Wahs.” So the anticipation was there, and the Warriors certainly delivered. I mean the pressure Shaun Johnson was under – and the way he just took that and ran with it – and exceeded probably everybody’s expectations. I mean you can’t bottle that. The place they’ve gotten to as a team, especially with him on the field, it’s just magic. Likewise, Liam Lawson is blowing everyone’s minds at the F1, another fantastic story. A rookie who doesn’t even have an F1 seat, just a young guy being thrown an opportunity, grabbing it with both hands and laser-focused on nailing it. He said to Mike a couple of weeks ago after the Dutch Grand Prix that all they’d really hoped from him as a fill-in reserve driver is that he didn’t crash the car. And now look at him. Holland, to Italy, to Singapore – outclassing even top drivers, points for AlphaTauri – unbelievable – and next week Japan. He feels unstoppable, in the same way the Warriors do at the moment. And I reckon it’s that kind of momentum, energy and focus that grabs us, enthuses us, and keeps us absolutely riveted. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As policies fly about here and there in these last 4 weeks heading into the election, Labour's deputy prime minister and National's deputy leader will join once a week to gain insight into all things party-related. National’s Nicola Willis joined Kate Hawkesby to discuss any fiscal plans, Act vowing to end co-governance and Labour supposedly turning down proposals to stop gang funding. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police in the UK are approaching the paper which brought allegations to light against Russell Brand and one of his former employers. The comedian has been accused of rape and sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013. Police have gone to Channel 4 and The Sunday Times to make sure any victims of crime can be made aware of how they can report it to police. UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Kate Hawkesby Brand is denying the accusations and isn't stepping out of the spotlight. “He went ahead with a scheduled gig on Saturday night. He started an hour late – people thought he wasn’t going to turn up but he did. He received a very warm response.” Meanwhile, the Trevi Women & Children's Charity in the UK has announced it has ended its association with the star. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liam Lawson continues to press his case for a fulltime Formula One seat in the 2024 season. In just his third race of deputising for injured AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo, the 21-year-old Kiwi has earned his first two points in Formula One with a ninth-placed finish at the Singapore Grand Prix. Not only was it his first finish in the points, it was the best result any AlphaTauri driver had achieved all season. Red Bull’s sister team are yet to confirm their driver lineup for the 2024 season as Ricciardo is only on loan from Red Bull until the end of 2023, and Lawson has well and truly put his hand up after missing out on a fulltime seat coming into this season. Lawson caught plenty of attention in qualifying for the event when he made it through to the third session – being the only Red Bull-affiliated driver to do so; keeping reigning World Champion Max Verstappen out of the final session in qualifying. It was a sign of things to come from Lawson, who ultimately qualified to start the race 10th on the grid. After qualifying, Lawson noted it would be a challenging race but he drove a solid and clean race despite losing a couple of spots immediately off the starting line. While AlphaTauri drivers have struggled with the package they have been given this year, that hasn’t been the case for Lawson, who has consistently found the pace to be competitive. At the front of the pack, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz converted qualifying in pole position into a race win, with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton rounding out the podium. Lawson also finished second in voting for the Driver of the Day award behind race winner Sainz. “I’m pretty tired right now,” Lawson told Sky Sports. “The race was long, it was hot. We didn’t quite have the speed for the guys in front, so that was a bit tricky, but on my side I need to sort these starts. It’s two weeks in a row now that I’ve lost two spots off the starting line and making our life more difficult. “We did the hard work yesterday to put ourselves in Q3 and to lose those two spots off the line is tricky. For the rest of the race I gave it everything.” Lawson was overlooked for a fulltime role with AlphaTauri for the 2023 season due to a lack of experience, and has spent most of this year racing in the Japanese Super Formula competition – where he remains in title contention with two races to go. However, has only taken forward steps since getting his chance to show he is ready for the top level since making his Formula One race debut at the Dutch Grand Prix late last month. After missing out on points by just one place at the Italian Grand Prix last weekend, Lawson wouldn’t be denied in Singapore – a race known for being one of the toughest of the series both physically and mentally given the length, the fact it’s contested at night under lights and the added elements of the heat and humidity. “I’ve been beating the drum since before driving in F1, trying to get this shot. Now I have this opportunity I’m just trying to maximise it,” Lawson said. “I have this very short window. I basically want to get to the end of it and look back and know I’d done everything I could. “It’s tricky to get a fulltime seat in this sport but rather than looking at all those external things, for me it’s focusing on every session, trying to maximise each time I’m in the car and show what I can.” - by Christopher Reive, NZ HeraldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another exciting weekend of Rugby kicks off tomorrow, as the All Blacks face Namibia in their second World Cup pool match. Newstalk ZB’s rugby commentator, Elliott Smith, told Kate Hawkesby that they can be fairly confident in winning. He said that it should be a comfortable win tomorrow and a good chance to build some confidence back. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consumer NZ is backing Labour's policy to shake up the legal system to make class action lawsuits easier. Labour says it will establish a formal class actions regime, allowing groups of people to band together to sue. Leader Chris Hipkins says people are blocked out of justice due to costs or system delays. Consumer NZ Chief Executive John Duffy told Kate Hawkesby that class action lawsuits are rare in New Zealand. He says they're very common overseas, and often used for consumer rights, health and safety, and environmental issues. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s funny as we get to the sharp end of the election campaign, what exercises people and what doesn’t. The media are exercised by the Nats tax cut plan. They’re exercised by it largely I assume because the Labour party are exercised about it. And the Labour party are exercised about it because they hate it because it’s popular. It’s seen poll surges for National, and they’ll do anything to try to stem that tide. Problem is, as the feedback I’ve received this week would attest, and as the polls would suggest too, it is popular. And people seemingly do not care how it’s costed, or what a handful of economists say about it, or how much Grant Robertson bangs on about it being flawed. The reality is, this government can’t really talk smack about costings to anyone given the state they’re leaving the economy in. They can’t really talk costings when they’re the government who oversaw wasteful spending like we’ve never seen, money poured into mad ideology that went nowhere like bike bridges and light rail, and a general mismanagement of our economy including bloating the public service and taking away targets for anything. So in a nutshell – bit rich from a government who didn’t even hold themselves accountable on anything, to now throw stones at the opposition. It’s not credible, the criticism is falling on deaf ears. Unless you’re the media of course, who love it and will run with anything this deep in the weeds if the Labour party tells them to. My point is – it’s of no interest to the average voter. People are looking at the mood, the state of their bank accounts, the state of their mortgages, the state of the country in general, and they’re saying, no thanks. Time for change. Now, whether they think that change is ACT or the Nats or Winston or any of the other minor parties, that’s an MMP roller-coaster we’ll probably be on for the next few weeks. But the upshot is, it ain’t Labour. So no amount of haranguing Luxon and co over tax cut costings is going to move the needle in my opinion. Too much is going in the wrong direction to turn the truck around now. I guess attacking all the Nats policies is all they’ve got though – because Labour releasing policy now just looks kind of desperate. Suddenly they’re waking up to a whole bunch of stuff they had six whole years to fix. Suddenly they’re realising we need more doctors, we need better qualified teachers, we need better healthcare, we need more Police, they’re suddenly coming up with policy promises around all these things. It’s just too little too late. All that time spent naval gazing about how low speed limits should be and how many judder bars to put in, all that time spent wondering how to go easier on criminals, facilitate gang convoys, where to put up more Maori signs, all that time on stuff that in the end got us nowhere and just infuriated everyone. It didn’t advance us economically, or productively, or in terms of our enthusiasm and motivation, it just saw our best and brightest wave ta-ta. So as frustrating as it must be for Labour and for the media, who are so determined to run the ‘we want costings!’ rhetoric —which by the way they pick and choose when they ask for it, think of all the stuff they’ve not asked for costings on— but as determined as they are about hammering this one, the reality, as the polls suggest, is that voters just don’t care. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Central Otago residents fighting to stop the planned Tarras Airport are doing all they can to make their voices heard. A new survey has slammed Christchurch Airport's plans with more than 80% of the region's surveyed residents and businesses in opposition. The study has found opposition has risen by nearly 10% compared to two years earlier. Wanaka Stakeholders Group Chair Meg Taylor told Kate Hawkesby that it will have a major impact on their region. She says almost 96% of respondents say Wanaka and the Upper Clutha should or must be involved in the decision-making process. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A health commentator says it'll be over a decade before new medical school students make an impact. If elected, Labour's promised to train an additional 335 doctors every year from 2027, with medical school numbers increasing from next year. National's previously announced a new medical school at Waikato University, which would provide 220 extra places by 2030. Ian Powell told Kate Hawkesby that we need international recruitment, and Australia offering more pay isn't being acknowledged. He says when competing with Australia internationally, New Zealand's only advantage is not having snakes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A criminal barrister says our current approach to crime is working. ACT Party leader David Seymour's pledging to boost prison capacity by 500 beds and toughen sentencing for offending against vulnerable workers. The party also wants new youth justice beds under Corrections and ankle bracelets on youth offenders. Criminal Barrister, Tony Bouchier told Kate Hawkesby that crime is becoming too much of a political football. He says on the whole things are working, and politicians aren't the experts on this. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ve been obsessed with grocery prices this year – I mean, haven’t we all? Anyone who does the shopping knows what a shock it can be when you see the prices of some things literally quadruple right in front of you. I have an ongoing debate with the person in our household who does not do the groceries about this. His solution is: if you don’t want to pay $20 for blueberries, shop around. Now, that’s all well and good if you have lots of time on your hands and all day to trawl through supermarkets and greengrocers all over the city, but most of us don’t. You’ve also got to ask yourself how much you want to be inconvenienced by the whole experience, how long you want to sit in traffic for, and how much money you’re actually spending on petrol driving around all these places. But if you do shop around, you'll see the disparities. The other day for example, a stick of celery was 4 different prices at 4 different places. $3.49 at Pak n’Save, $3.99 at Fruit World, $5.79 at New World, Countdown... $6.99! For a stick of celery you can get at half the price at Pak n’Save. Now when you look at it like that – it’s hair raising and a bit of a no brainer... maybe we should shop around. But you can’t do half your groceries somewhere, a few somewhere else, then go somewhere else for your broccoli and celery can you? Do you? I’d love to know how many people do do that. I actually did find blueberries the other day down to the bargain price of $10.00 a punnet, having been $20 a punnet at Farro the other day, so a whole 10 dollar difference, but still way too high in my opinion. And yes, don’t text me telling me to buy frozen ones, or grow my own, I’m talking retail prices here on fresh stuff. Anyway Infometrics data shows food prices have again increased last month by 6.6%. Groceries went up 7.5% in July and 8.3% in June, so technically the trend is downwards, but as Infometrics Brad Olsen warned, our groceries aren’t getting cheaper anytime soon. We’re still paying way too much for groceries basically, as any of us who’ve recently travelled overseas and compared, knows full well. And for all those who like to message me about buying frozen, well interestingly, frozen foods ‘saw the largest monthly increase in supplier costs and have increased on an annual basis more than produce.’ Ouch. That used to be the cheaper way to go, now it’s not. And here’s the other rub, Brad Olsen said he, ‘worries the "new normal" might be more intense inflation than what New Zealand is used to: “when we've looked at the latest data... there are some areas where there's a little bit more pressure than we'd like to see, “ he said he’s, "still worried that ... that sort of new normal might still be more intense inflation than we've previously been accustomed to." So that’s unfortunate isn’t it. I mean try as we might, we can’t seem to stop the inflation juggernaut continuing to come right at us, and it looks like it’s going to keep smacking us in the face for a while yet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's migration figures are above pre-pandemic levels. There was a net gain of 96,200 people in the year to July, with 135,000 non-citizens arriving, and 39,400 New Zealanders leaving. Demographer Paul Spoonley says the Productivity Commission says we need to align the number of immigrants with the infrastructure and services we can provide. He says we're back in high annual population growth rates but with the same problem we've had for 10 or 20 years: an inability to keep up. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are calls for a cluster of international investment scams to come under scrutiny. Financial expert Janine Starks wants a banking ombudsman to launch an investigation after accusing banks of corporate failure. She says there's systemic failures with foreign scams estimated to be stealing up to $200 million a year from New Zealanders. Massey University banking expert Claire Matthews told Kate Hawkesby that it's difficult to know what an investigation might show. She says it may reveal banks are doing everything they can, or it may show there are things they could be doing better. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm just wondering if there's a big box of prezzy cards stashed somewhere inside the Beehive, or somewhere all the bureaucrats can go, to just bundle up endless prezzy cards to hand out to people. In the latest prezzy card scandal —and let's not forget there've been a few— 'defendants on serious charges', it was reported, got $75 dollar prezzy cards to attend meetings. These were meetings in Hawke's Bay at the courts, and it was reportedly to ‘share ideas and court experiences.'’ So the news report said 'about 50 people attended the meetings'. This was at the start of the month, a couple of weeks ago, and they were held in Napier and Hastings. So who held these meetings and were handing out the prezzy cards? ‘Ministry of Justice Chief Operating Officer Carl Crafar..' alongside 'Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated, and supported by the Ministry.' The story said the meetings 'were held in order to gain a deeper understanding of the local community’s aspirations for Te Ao Mārama.' Which means enhancing justice for all. Which starts with prezzy cards it seems. The Ministry of Justice's COO was reported saying, "the vision for the District Court, [was] a journey towards a more enlightened justice system, in response to repeated calls for transformative change." Now here's the key point: the story says the Ministry of Justice claims it didn't know how many attendees at these meetings were defendants or victims. Why not? Why didn't they measure that? Surely that helps inform what they're trying to do in terms of how to improve the experience. Don't you need to know who people are in regards what end of the court system they were dealing with? But it gets worse, Stuff said one attendee was someone currently on bail 'while facing various charges of assault including a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.' So a very serious charge, an offender still before the courts, on bail, getting handed a prezzy card to the value of 75 dollars so he can buy himself something nice for the trouble of his time to tell the Ministry how his experience before the court could have been better. Are you kidding me? The Ministry's chief operating officer was quoted saying 'the knowledge shared at the wānanga was invaluable for all those involved, and many participants expressed their appreciation at the opportunity to share their views.' I bet they did. I just don't know how or why this prezzy card reward system has grown into such a big thing for government departments, and why they're so happy to spend our taxpayer dollars on token rewards for anyone and everyone they want information out of. Including alleged offenders. There has become this general acceptance it would appear, that the best way to entice people to do stuff, is to hand them prezzy cards, or KFC, or takeaways, or any token gesture that gets them over the line... at our expense. I mean I guess it's cheaper than millions on consultants, but how much is being spent on prezzy cards by government? How deep is the prezzy card pot? And why is there no vetting of whose getting them and who isn't and why and how even offenders can get them? It just feels like more reward-based politics, based on little fact, and using our hard earned money to achieve... what? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s been a 900% increase in the number of prospective tenants viewing an Auckland rental property in just six months. Impression Real Estate data shows on average, more than 50 people attend each viewing in the city. Chief Executive, Rishabh Kapoor says demand comes from those who lost their homes in the January floods, and recent migrants. He says property managers are seeing more cases of people offering to pay more for rent, or offering bribes. Kapoor says it's concerning for two reasons —the first being that it's illegal— and the second being it speaks to the desperation among people for rentals. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour has plunged 5.5% in the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll, taking the party to just under 27% support. National has shot up to 40.9%, while ACT's on 10%, the Greens 12.3% and New Zealand First is tip-toeing up to the threshold at 4.6%. Former Senior Ministerial Advisor for the National Party Brigitte Morton told Kate Hawkesby that it’s a significant swing and is likely to stabilize back. She said that this is probably the most significant downfalls in popularity that the Labour Government has seen. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m wondering at this point who’s more obsessed with the election, the media, the politicians, or the voters. The bulk of the feedback I’m getting at the moment is: we’re over it, open early voting, let’s get on with it, we just want change and a new direction. So as the politicians ramp up the campaigns and the polling starts spewing out percentages, and we begin crunching numbers and policy's getting released... who’s listening and watching? Over the weekend several policies got released - how many can you name or do you care about? The people caring deeply right about now will be the Labour party’s strategists. Last night’s Newshub Reid research poll had Labour tumbling further, it’s tanked to a result not seen since Andrew Little was leader, and you know what happened then. Newshub called it ‘a crisis poll’. 26.8% Labour’s dropped to a ‘catastrophic’, as the reporter called it, 5.5% fall. The gap’s widening with the Nats up to a whopping 40.9%, which is up another 4.3%. The Greens were on 12.3%, Act was down to 10.1%, so they’re down 2%. But NZ First’s still not quite making the 5% threshold, they were on 4.6%. So based on that poll, the Nats and Act would have 66 seats and comfortably govern. Newshub’s reporter said this is Labour in a death spiral. On top of that, Hipkins is no longer the most preferred PM. Luxon has jumped up 6.6% to be level pegging with him as most preferred. It’ll surely only be a matter of time before Luxon overtakes him. So the energy Luxon's exuding is paying off. He says he’s “bouncing out of bed at 4.30 every morning” and he’s ‘wanting to get on with the job of the new National led government.’ Does he have it in the bag though? There’s no question both Luxon and the Nats have momentum, but four weeks is a long time in politics. A lot can happen between now and then. And don't forget the debates coming up. How prepared they all are for this is beyond me - I’d argue Hipkins is not a prepper, doesn’t appear to read much or get into the finer details, but he’s a scrapper and a fighter and will no doubt give it his all because he’s got nothing to lose. He'll throw everything at it. If he throws too much negativity and shade though, it could backfire. Luxon on the other hand is the big unknown in that setting. He’s corporate, polite and moderate. Whether he can be deft on his feet remains to be seen. It’s not something you can prep too much in advance for either - what people want to see is whether he can come to life in a spontaneous fashion or at least sound a bit human. I hope he can just talk. Sound normal, not too rehearsed or staged, but also, arc up if need be. Passion is good, someone as upset and angry about what’s happened to this country as we are. Can he do all those things? I don’t know. There're some who say it could be a vote loser for him if his debate performance is bad, but that brings me back to my original question: how engaged are we? How much do we care about all these things? Do people really change their mind on how they’ll vote, based on some bad TV? But then again, stranger things have happened. Momentum is everything right now and all Luxon has to do is keep it up. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chastised China’s premier on Sunday for “unacceptable” interference in British democracy, after a newspaper reported that a researcher in Parliament was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of spying for Beijing. Sunak said he raised the issue with Premier Li Qiang when the two met at a Group of 20 summit in India. He told British broadcasters in New Delhi that he’d expressed “my very strong concerns about any interference in our parliamentary democracy, which is obviously unacceptable.” The two men met after the Metropolitan Police force confirmed that a man in his 20s and a man in his 30s were arrested in March under the Official Secrets Act. Neither has been charged and both were bailed until October pending further inquiries. The Sunday Times reported that the younger man was a parliamentary researcher who worked with senior lawmakers from the governing Conservatives, including Alicia Kearns, who now heads the powerful Foreign Affairs Committee, and her predecessor in that role, Tom Tugendhat, who is now security minister. The newspaper said the suspect held a pass that allows full access to the Parliament buildings, issued to lawmakers, staff and journalists after security vetting. Tensions between Britain and China have risen in recent years over accusations of economic subterfuge, human rights abuses and Beijing’s crackdown on civil liberties in the former British colony of Hong Kong. Britain’s Conservatives are divided on how tough a line to take with Beijing and on how much access Chinese firms should have to the U.K. economy. More hawkish Tories want Beijing declared a threat, but Sunak has referred to China’s growing power as a “challenge.” Former U.K. Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said news of the March arrests “gives the lie to the government’s attempt not to see China as a systemic threat.” U.K. spy services have sounded ever-louder warnings about Beijing’s covert activities. In November, the head of the MI5 domestic intelligence agency, Ken McCallum, said “the activities of the Chinese Communist Party pose the most game-changing strategic challenge to the U.K.” Foreign intelligence chief Richard Moore of MI6 said in July that China was his agency’s “single most important strategic focus.” In January 2022, MI5 issued a rare public alert, saying a London-based lawyer was trying to “covertly interfere in U.K. politics” on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party. It alleged attorney Christine Lee was acting in coordination with the Chinese ruling party’s United Front Work Department, an organization known to exert Chinese influence abroad. An opposition Labour Party lawmaker, Barry Gardiner, received more than 500,000 pounds ($685,000) from Lee between 2015 and 2020, mostly for office costs, and her son worked in Gardiner’s office. Lee and the Chinese government both deny wrongdoing. China has repeatedly criticized what it calls British interference in its internal affairs and denied meddling in the politics of foreign nations. Sunak and Li met days after Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visited Beijing, the highest-level trip by a British politician to China for several years. Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend the G20 meeting in India. Sunak defended his approach of cautious engagement, saying “there’s no point carping from the sidelines – I’d rather be in there directly expressing my concerns, and that’s what I did today.” - by Jill Lawless, APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A view ACT's new housing policy sounds good in theory - but is a step too far in reality. The party's unveiled its housing policy - which would see builders able to use insurance companies as an alternative authority for consenting - to speed up the process. It aims to cut local councils out of the consenting process. Property commentator Ashley Church told Kate Hawkesby he believes in getting rid of bureaucracy - but this policy is all over the place. “I think there’s a risk with this that you’ll end up with shoddy housing – you'll end up with some equivalent of what happened with leaky homes back in the late 90s and we’ll be right back in that space again.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like many of us, I was hoping for a triumphant Saturday of wins - the AB’s against France and the Warriors against the Panthers. OK fair enough that was probably a tougher call the latter one, but a double win would have been a much-needed morale boost for a country in the doldrums at the moment. Sadly it was not to be. And after some fleeting optimism and pre-emptive excitement - we are all back in the doldrums again. And our mood or collective funk is not only annoying, but it must be worrying politicians. Because when we are grumpy we are likely to go one of two ways. Apathy - can’t be bothered - there’s no light at end of tunnel, everything sucks. Or two, the current situation sucks so bad we simply have to blow it up and start over. That option is bad news for Labour. Mind you apathy’s not a great option for them either. I think we may be on track for setting a record for gloom in this country, in terms of how long it’s lasting, so I’m looking for silver linings. I was thrilled to see some hope potentially on the horizon in the form of the weather. El Niño is coming! Apparently a hot dry summer is on the way, which is just in the nick of time given we all feel totally rained out and over the wet. Also given we feel short-changed from not getting much of a summer last year. We all badly need some sunshine, some warmth and some longer days. It’s good for morale and it’s good to lift general mood. But I also think we need to get back some pride in where we live - some pride in our country and our environment. We want our streets and CBDs cleaned up, our oceans cleaned up, our walkways rejuvenated, our roads fixed. Our neighbourhoods to feel safe again, our grocery trolley to not cost so damn much every time. That’s not going to happen overnight sadly - but the hope of it happening will hopefully drive optimism and confidence. I was watching the ‘Blue Zones’ documentary on Netflix over the weekend and one of the commonalities of Blue Zone regions - which by the way are places where people live the longest – so they’re places with the highest number of centenarians in them and one thing they all have in common no matter where in the world they are, is their love of their own environment. They love where they live. How often can we say that? Another factor is that the stresses they feel are stressors they can control or do something about. So they live in a way that they don’t absorb any stressors that are outside out of their control which enables them to actively cope with their stress. For example, their goat is cold, find a way to make the goat warm. The stress is solvable. They’re not consuming global media, social media, large amounts of information that can be overwhelming and out of their control. There are lots of other factors at play of course, like nutrition and exercise and so on, but it’s a good lesson in just managing what you can control, and what’s around you - rather than worrying about all the stuff we have no input on. So I guess my point is, maybe with Spring on the way and a warm summer promised, change potentially on the horizon, and a good dose of optimism and gratitude for what we have, maybe we’ll all cheer up a bit soon, no matter how many times the ABs lose. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan Fox must be wondering when the luck of the Irish will fall his way after finishing just short at the Irish Open for the third time of his career. Fox, playing in his first tournament since the PGA Tour’s 3M Open in July, held a share of the lead midway through the fourth round but dropped a shot on the penultimate hole to end his chance of another victory on the DP World Tour. Fox carded a final round 70 at the K Club to finish two shots (12-under) behind Swede Vincent Norrman at 14-under in a share of third. Norrman had the low round of the day with 65 to win his second tournament of the year. The Kiwi finished runner-up last year behind Adrian Meronk and also in 2018, edged out by Russell Knox. This year he shared third with Grant Forrest (Scotland), Shane Lowry (Ireland), Triston Lawrence (South Africa) and Hurly Long (Germany). Fox earns $315,000 (NZD$535,000) for his third placed finish. He missed a birdie chance at the 16th which would have tied the lead, but the ball held up just short of the hole. An errant drive on the par four 17th left him with a tough approach and he clipped a tree leaving his ball well short of the green. He recovered well to land his third on the edge of the green but his par attempt finished short. Needing an eagle on the par five 18th, Fox’s drive landed in the rough ending any hope of a playoff. Fellow Kiwi Daniel Hillier finished in a share of 13th at 10-under following a final round 69. Next week is the lucrative BMW Championship at Wentworth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's being accused of missing the point with its target for emergency departments. The party's pledging to bring back health targets if elected, including 95 percent of ED patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred within six hours. Northcare Accident and Medical's Peter Boot told Kate Hawkesby they should be thinking about primary care, which is falling over because doctors are either moving offshore or about to retire. “And National’s policy of bolstering up secondary care is completely missing the point. It’s like mopping up the floor when the roof’s leaking.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Party is promising to build a new “Great Walk” as part of its new tourism policy. It's planed an $14m upgrade the 80km Waiau-Toa/Molesworth walking track in Canterbury, creating the 11th Great Walk. Hurunui Mayor Marie Black told Tim Dower that having a track of this distinction in their district would be a significant boost for the local and regional economies. She said that the district would embrace something of this nature, and it could bring in the big spenders. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's law and order policy would allow Police to confiscate cars, motorbikes, and even tractors. Police Minister Ginny Andersen says it's designed for large scale convoys going through public roads, disrupting people's daily lives. Criminal lawyer Steve Cullen told Tim Dower that it appears they'll come at them after the fact. He says they will have to show there's a breach of the road laws by people in two or more vehicles. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Really? New Zealand First... really? I mean, I know it's a pretty desperate time... we're all a bit lost and confused and disappointed, frustrated and seriously peed off at the state of the country right now. But to see a poll showing New Zealand First potentially over the five percent threshold? I guess it shows how desperate things are for a lot of people. It's not my place to tell you how to vote, or how not to vote, but what I will say is: just think of the history. Think of the dramas, the twists and turns, how you thought you had a clear commitment on something, only to see a complete 180 when it comes to the crunch. Think how many times we've been held to ransom, double-crossed, gaslit, and bullshitted... you really wanna go there again? I've heard Chris Luxon saying he's focused on National and getting the best result he can, and I think that's the right tack to take. But I suspect he and other senior figures in the party will be disappointed that they're not yet winning over more of the centre-right or right leaning vote. ACT has been doing well, and while you want your potential coalition partner to be strong and well run, it's not so much fun when they're eating your lunch. The conclusion has to be that National has a way to go in getting its message across properly, hitting the right buttons and doing it convincingly. If it was, what we saw in the Talbot Mills poll last night wouldn't be happening. People whose natural tendency would be to vote for the Nats aren't convinced. They're not happy. This is a disaffected protest vote. There's still a long way to go, five weeks of campaigning yet, and of course people don't necessarily always tell pollsters the truth. To my mind, what we need from this election is a clear decision, one way or the other. There's a lot at stake. It's not a game. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some in the dairy sector are less than convinced by Labour's five economic priorities. The list includes growing an export-led country, boosting renewable energy, enhancing tourism, and focusing on sustainable agriculture technology. Lincoln University Professor Jacqueline Rowarth told Kate Hawkesby she's confused by what the party's trying to achieve. She says New Zealand already is a centre for agricultural sustainability expertise, and that's why delegations from other countries come here to see how we do things. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Automobile Association says when it comes to EV structure, investment needs to happen ahead of demand. The AA's pleased with National's promise of 10-thousand public EV chargers over the next four years, a promise that will cost $257 million. The party would also dump Labour's clean car discount scheme and ute tax. Chief Policy Officer Simon Douglas told Kate Hawkesby that big car manufacturers are beginning to invest in electric cars. He says we'll reach a point where EVs and internal combustion engine cars are equal in price, and things will take off. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The country's big four electricity providers are being accused of abusing their power. Electric Kiwi is taking a complaint to the Commerce Commission, claiming that Meridian, Mercury, Genesis, and Contact are taking advantage of their market dominance and driving out competition. Chief Executive Luke Blincoe told Kate Hawkesby the complaint is extensive. He says there are 37 pages of examples of actual refusal to supply some hedge products and constructive refusal to supply, meaning prices are offered but they're well outside the market. Mercury is rejecting Electric Kiwis' claim, saying it supplies hedge products to Electric Kiwi and other retailers. It claims the electricity market is highly competitive. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.