Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

In my ongoing obsession with all things canine, I was interested to see that Wellington has a problem at the moment with uncontrolled dogs. It was reported in a Wellington City Council dog control report, that “the number of uncontrolled dogs has increased by 26 percent in the last year. Sixty-five attacks on people, 78 on animals, and 697 uncontrolled dogs were reported.” Not only that, but disturbingly ‘the report suggested the high number of attacks and aggressive dog behaviour appeared to be a nationwide issue.’ And I’m not surprised. The number of people who let their dogs off leash in parks or public spaces —who then run rampant menacing people— and other dogs is outrageous. And it’s not even the dog’s fault half the time, it’s poor ownership. I was at a park the other day with my dog and an owner drove up, flicked open her car boot and two huge unleashed dogs leapt out and just went beserk all over the place running up to people and their dogs and bothering them, jumping up on them, running at other dogs, all the while the owner carried on with her takeaway coffee like she was oblivious. She looked completely disinterested in the fact her dogs were going crazy bothering other dogs. This is despite very clear rules around dogs on leashes in public spaces. So what can you do? I’m not sure dog patrol officers are that interested unless there’s an actual attack. Travelling overseas in places where dogs in pubs and shops is commonplace, I notice that given those privileges afforded to dogs and their owners, the dogs seem better behaved. They have fewer violent incidents or out of control dogs. It’s unheard of to see a dog walking down the street without a leash. Owners seem to have them in check and under close and careful watch. The dogs behave accordingly. We were talking about this recently in London. The dogs were just so docile, same in New York. Dogs everywhere but not a single one bothered you as they were all well contained and well behaved. One of the excuses given up here for our increasingly badly behaved dogs is that Covid and lockdown meant dogs were less socialized. I have no idea how that’s true given people walked their dogs like there was no tomorrow during lockdowns. It’s the one thing people did do – lots of dog walking and you had way more people at home with their dogs. But an out of control dog is not just a problem for other dogs, but also people. Dog attacks can be absolutely vicious, and in some cases fatal. I’ve been bitten by a dog – it’s nasty. Not to mention all the faff that goes with it of antibiotics, tetanus injections, and a long slow healing process. But they also attack wildlife, that’s been an issue in Wellington too. “Several little blue penguins were killed by dogs in the Wellington region”.. reports said coastal areas could be extremely dangerous places to have a dog off a lead. Yet we see it all the time don’t we? Every time I raise the issue of dogs people always contact me saying it’s the owner, the owner, the owner, it’s not the dog. Yes and no. There are some dodgy backroom breeds out there from some dodgy operators or illegal breeders who make a lot of money out of putting pesky dogs out into the world. I’m sure solutions to this problem are multifaceted, but we need to clamp down on it because badly behaved aggressive dogs being on the increase is not a good thing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dairy prices have risen for the first time in four months. Overall prices are up 2.7% at this morning's latest Global Dairy Trade auction, making up slightly for a 7.4% fall at the last auction three weeks ago. The news is even better for the all-important Whole Milk Powder price, which is up 5.3%. HighGround Dairy consultant Stu Davison told Kate Hawkesby that it's too early to say whether this is a turn-around in the trend, or a one-off. He says it's positive news nonetheless. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having witnessed a supermarket theft the other day, as we all probably have by now, I was not surprised to see that supermarket crime ‘has surged’. In just Foodstuffs North Island stores, it's reported there are ‘more than a thousand incidents a month.’ And the thefts are brazen. There was one video of a man ‘armed with a screwdriver stealing nine legs of lamb’. Foodstuffs say that in more than a third of these crimes, it’s repeat offenders. So it’s not surprising they’re taking matters into their own hands and 'investing 45 million in security measures.’ They’ve had a ‘jump of more than 300 percent in assaults and thefts over the past six years'. And that's just physical assaults and thefts. In terms of security incidents in general, they're up more than 800 percent, reportedly. I mean that's untenable as a business to have to put up with that. And so unfair on staff. They shouldn’t have to deal with the sort of crap they're now dealing with. 'Knives were a common weapon to be pulled on staff, and even handguns..' according to supermarket execs. They also said that people stealing groceries was happening daily, sometimes 'multiple times a day'.. which is what I've heard from check out operators too. And the staff are unable to stop it. This 45 million Countdown wants to spend on security, that'll take a while to trickle through to implement all the security changes needed. They're going to spread it over 3 years, spread it around stores, and try different things. One of them, the trolley locking system, which a check out operator told me about the other day, is good in theory. It’s basically a smart technology system whereby the trolley locks up automatically, so if the trolley hasn't stopped long enough at the exit - long enough to go through a checkout, then it will automatically lock. The idea being this prevents the thief running out with a full trolley of groceries. But what this check out operator told me was that in trials of it, although effective at stopping the trolley, it didn't stop the thieves. In fact it made them more angry. So once the trolley locked up and they realised they couldn't move it, they started grabbing items inside the trolley and running out with armfuls of whatever they could carry. On top of that they'd use some of the groceries as weapons - she'd seen thieves grabbing things like cans or wine bottles and throwing them at staff to deter them from chasing them. It also creates a good distraction and makes a hell of a mess. So, she said, it’s actually quite scary. You then also have the problem of what about the trolley's locking up which aren't being used in thefts? What if you're just quick through the check out with a few items and then your trolley decides you must be a thief and it locks up? They have to do something though - but adding new camera technology and trolley technology is all well and good but I think they need to be able to do more with their people. Equip and enable security staff to actually be able to do something about thefts. Currently all they can do is watch them leave the supermarket with stolen goods, follow them to their car and take a licence plate, they can’t physically stop them. They then have to rely on Police following all these nuisances up and then rely on the courts do something about it. So you can see why there’re so many repeat offenders. It’s good Foodstuffs is trying to fix the problem, but it’s 45 million wasted dollars if the courts and police don’t back up this kind of crackdown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Experts are warning against relying on Facebook Marketplace for your livelihood. A New Plymouth couple has been locked out of their business account without explanation, cutting them from their income. Social media expert Vaughan Davis told Kate Hawkesby that putting all your eggs in this basket is risky. Davis says it means hitching your wagon to an offshore company who can change the rules at any moment. He says the issue is becoming more common. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior doctors and dentists say they don't want to see anyone harmed by today's strike. Members of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists will strike for two hours from midday after rejecting Te Whatu Ora's latest offer. Around 250 planned procedures are being changed as a result. Executive Director Sarah Dalton says there are contingency plans. She told Kate Hawkesby that she's been taking calls in the last few days about surgeries that can't be delayed, and they've approved staffing for that. But Dalton says many procedures are currently postponed or cancelled across the country every day due to a lack of staffing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tourism is making a comeback and people are deciding to spend more time here. Before Covid it was our largest export. It's clambered back up to number three on the list, with visitors spending 2.1 billion dollars in the last quarter. Tourism Holdings Limited Chief Executive Grant Webster told Kate Hawkesby that it's recovering faster than he anticipated, partly down to a good ski season and the Fifa World Cup. He says we saw a lot of people visiting over winter, and the attractions in the regions played a big part. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A fascinating insight into what it’s like to move countries —which I think is timely given how many Kiwis are doing it right now— appeared on social media the last couple of days from an ex-pat living here. It was reported that a British native said they were moving back home to England from NZ, because Kiwis lack interest in other people’s lives, and we’re short on banter. That part made me laugh to be honest because I think it depends who you hang with and where you are. This person lives in Wellington so I can understand how people may be a lot more serious and intense in the political capital than they are other places. They’re more likely to be wokesters who easily take offence, that could be part of the problem. But this person said they’d not been able to form ‘fulfilling friendships’ in the 4 years they’ve been here, and that Kiwis take themselves too seriously. I think we might take ourselves more seriously now, but we didn’t use to. But again it depends who you’re surrounded by and what your experiences are. Many of us are still traumatized by years of lockdowns, harrowing weather events, economic disarray and a crippling cost of living crisis... so there’s no question humour has become a distant memory for many. Also, I think people do in general take themselves too seriously these days, by and large we’re not as light of foot as we used to be. The current climate – predominantly on social media especially, is to look for offence everywhere. But I’d argue that’s not just a Kiwi thing. The UK has its fair share of righteous and indignant wokesters not seeing the humour in anything anymore too. Just ask Ricky Gervais. He calls it out all the time. But it was reported that this person’s given up on NZ and is moving back to the UK, which had the comments section awash with arguments for and against staying versus moving back. What grabbed me though was the ex-pats who agreed with them. “You do lose yourself here, no sense of humour or banter..." said one in the report, “Our humour is wasted here. My belly laughs are few and far between... “ said another. Now having lived in both the UK and NZ, I find that bit pretty hard to swallow, because I always found the biggest thing we had in common was our senses of humour. The British banter married up beautifully with Kiwi banter and there seemed an overall understanding between the two cultures that certainly superseded any American humour. But time’s have changed and I don’t doubt now that in parts of NZ where we may take ourselves a bit too seriously, that this has diluted that commonality. However this ex pat’s been here four years and during that time the whole world has grappled with a pandemic and the whole world has changed because of it. I don’t doubt the UK they left behind 4 years ago is a very different one to what it is now. The grass isn’t always as green somewhere else, is probably the real lesson here. It’s hard to move countries and have it feel like home. But I would like to apologise to this ex pat for our lack of banter and humour, because the one thing we Kiwis used to be really good at, is having a laugh. We’ve lost a lot of things as a country these past few years, but let’s not ever lose our sense of humour. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gin-lovers rejoice! The number of distilleries creating gin in New Zealand has shot up from just 15 to more than 150 in recent years. So what are the challenges for owners working in a now-saturated market? Mt Fyffe Distillery owner Justine Shroder joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said Sunday that disposable vapes will soon be banned in the country as part of a national anti-smoking plan. Borne, speaking on RTL radio, did not say when the ban would enter into force. She said the government would soon unveil its new plan to combat smoking, which she said is the cause of 75,000 deaths a year in the country. It will include a ban on disposable vapes, which she said “are giving bad habits to young people.” “It’s a reflex and a gesture that young people get used to. That’s how they get into smoking,” she added. Most of the disposable e-cigarettes, which are thrown away after they’re used up, come in sweet and fruity flavors like pink lemonade, gummy bear and watermelon that makes them attractive to teenagers. They are sold in France usually at a price of between 8 euros ($8.7) and 12 euros ($13). An existing ban on the sale of electronic cigarette devices to those under 18 is not widely respected. Promoting or advertising such products is also banned. - APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So a weekend chocka of political campaigning as the parties hit the ground running in the lead-up to the election. I don’t know about you but I’m finding the whole lead-up so far a bit low rent. As in, a lot of gutter politics, name-calling, misinformation tactics, and a lot of needless disruption and chaos. And I reckon that puts voters off, so I’m not sure why political parties do it. It has the opposite effect of engaging people, I think what it does is make people think they’re all a bunch of clowns and they don’t want to vote for any of them. Brian Tamaki’s Freedoms party has already said it hopes to cause ‘a massive political earthquake’ this election, and they seem intent on doing this by crashing other parties' campaign announcements. Newsflash to Brian Tamaki, that’s not how you win friends and influence people. It certainly won’t win them anywhere near the pie-in-the-sky aim they have of getting 15 to 16 percent of votes. Freedoms NZ protestors disrupted Labour’s campaign launch Saturday, about 50 of them heckling Hipkins and Helen Clark. That’s after they’d heckled Luxon at a press conference last week, not to mention the hijacking of Hipkins on another walkabout a couple of weeks ago. But Tamaki defends all of this – of course. He said, “he doesn't believe people are tired of his party's disruptions.” I think a lot of New Zealanders are quite happy that we're standing up for people's rights, for family,” he told reporters. Really? He thinks a lot of New Zealanders are happy about that? I think after the fiasco of the last few years what New Zealanders are really desperate for is some common sense, some grown-ups, some solid sensible behaviour and some decent leadership. I think circus acts are the last thing New Zealanders want right now. When I heard the Freedoms Party were looking to disrupt the National Party’s campaign launch yesterday, and that protestors were already gathering hours in advance, I thought uh oh, another shit show. But kudos to National, they got that cleaned up pretty swiftly, there appeared to be no disruptions inside. The protestors did not manage to breach the building, Luxon said they worked hard on their security and registration process, obviously harder than Labour worked given protestors did manage to infiltrate their launch. But keeping them out of National’s launch enabled Luxon to make an uninterrupted speech announcing their 8-point pledge. Lowering inflation, growing the economy, tax cuts, building infrastructure, introducing boot camps for serious young offenders, stronger sentencing, lifting school achievement, cutting health wait times, increased support for the elderly - basically assuring people that help is on the way, making the sort of reassuring noises voters may be looking to hear. That’s if anyone can hear them over and above the cacophony of sideshows, and some of the sneering media coverage they receive. I think Luxon’s best line actually yesterday was that they as a party can handle 41 more days of attacks, but the country can’t handle three more years under Labour. So the Nats seem buoyant – certainly evidenced by their launch yesterday. If they can keep up that momentum, they may yet be able to drown out all the noise from the sidelines. But I have the feeling that for us voters and observers, this is going to feel like a very long 41 days. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liam Lawson’s Formula One stocks continue to rise. After impressing in his debut last weekend, the 21-year-old Kiwi posted a new season’s best result for the second AlphaTauri car with an 11th-placed finish in the Italian Grand Prix. In just two races since replacing the injured Daniel Ricciardo, Lawson has come away with better results than the Aussie (two races) and teammate Nyck de Vries (10 races), proving he is ready for the top level of the sport, while he equalled the best qualifying performance of the second AlphaTauri car this season by putting it 12th on the grid at Monza. After the race, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner confirmed Ricciardo (broken arm) is unlikely to return for the Singapore Grand Prix or the following week in Japan, meaning another few races for the Kiwi. “Singapore, I don’t think there’s any chance he’ll be ready for then. It would be optimistic for Japan,” said Horner of Ricciardo. There was a delay of about 20 minutes following the formation lap at Monza, as Lawson’s AlphaTauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who was due to start 11th on the grid - was forced to withdraw on the formation lap due to a power unit failure, with smoke billowing up from his steering wheel. Once Tsunoda’s car had been cleared, pole driver Carlos Sainz led the group on a second formation lap in his Ferrari, before racing finally began. Whether it was due to the delay or the initial strategy, Lawson was among the minority of drivers to take a two pit stop approach to the 51-lap race, switching from medium to hard tyres early, before switching back to mediums late in the race in the hopes of finding some late pace. Lawson drove a clean race, spending most of it just outside the top 10 and was ultimately left hoping for an error from a driver ahead of him if he was to secure points. It wasn’t to be, but he fought until the end, missing out on his first points by one position. AlphaTauri are yet to confirm their driver lineup for 2024 and, with Ricciardo only with the team on loan from Red Bull until the end of this season, the young Kiwi has certainly given the powers that be plenty to consider as he looks for a fulltime opportunity next year and could get two more chances to impress at Singapore and Japan. The race was won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who became the first driver to win 10th straight grand prix races. It also set a new team record, with Red Bull having won the last 15 consecutive GPs. Verstappen has won 12 of the 14 races this season, with his teammate Sergio Perez winning the other two. The last time a non-Red Bull car won a race was in Brazil last November, where Mercedes’ Geroge Russell stood atop the podium. Perez finished second in Italy, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz beating out teammate Charles Leclerc for the last spot on the podium. - by Christopher Reive, NZ HeraldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Very different campaign launches by the two major parties over the weekend. Chris Hipkins launched Labour's in Auckland on Saturday, with the promise of free basic dental care for those under 30 by 2030. The following day, in the same city, Chris Luxon went with an eight-point pledge card to voters, but no new policy. Newstalk ZB Political editor Jason Walls told Kate Hawkesby Luxon didn't want to take the focus away from the party's just-released tax plan. But he says people are starting to poke holes in it. Walls says the issue of the foreign buyers' tax has started to rear its head, and Luxon and finance spokesperson Nicola Willis have had to answer many questions about that. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I am on what seems a never-ending quest to find a good fruit and vege supplier - and it’s not the supermarket. I’m so sick of soft old apples and wilted lettuce on supermarket shelves, I’m hankering for a good farmers market vibe to get fresh produce into the house. I’ve tried many of the online ones, the companies who purport to pick it fresh that morning and deliver straight to your door. But so far not great, they’re average, but not as fresh as you might hope. Bit hit and miss. You may get a dodgy bunch of bananas and a questionable cucumber, the salad greens are OK - but it’s consistency I’m looking for. My husband and I often talk about growing our own, the problem though with country living is that unless you have a greenhouse or a raised covered vege bed, you’re going to get attacked by pests. My parents raised their vege gardens on Waiheke, then put extra fencing around them, the rabbits still found a way in. A whole family of them. Any rural vege patch is usually taken over by small furry (unwanted) friends. I’ve tried pots, I’ve tried raised troughs, but I only manage to keep things alive and growing for a short time though. And that’s before we get to the elements - a big gust of wind and some torrential rain makes sure anything you thought you might have hope in growing is decimated before you can say ‘green thumb’. I think the costs of veges these days, and the increasingly dodgy quality of them only exacerbates consumer annoyance with this particular food group. Also having been in Australia, seeing so much bountiful fresh produce available – and so much cheaper – really makes you feel ripped off here in NZ. The things we do manage to grow at home – easy things like grapefruit, lemons, feijoas, figs, oranges and mandarins.. they’re all fantastic – but they require very little of us. They grow in spite of us. Any vege or fruit that needs a lot of nurturing tends to become a fulltime job, like the avocado trees which are yet to produce any fruit despite my determination to persist with them. So I have huge admiration for the growers who are doing it and doing it well – but something happens between them harvesting it, and it reaching us. It’s not exactly garden to table. It’s garden to store house to conveyor belt to bag to truck to more storage facilities, to supermarket fridges to supermarket shelves. Which is why it’s not surprising that half the stuff you see on supermarket shelves has virtually wilted before you’ve even driven it home and unpacked it. Any time I raise this people tell me to ‘buy in season’ and ‘grow your own’ and we do try where we can. I mean the $20 a punnet blueberries I saw the other day are a joke and I'm not sure who's buying those, but you can at least get decent strawberries at the moment for a quarter of that price. But I just wonder why it’s so hard to consistently get good produce – even when it is in season. When fruit and veges were cheaper, you could understand why people would be less fussy about it, but the way fruit and vege is priced these days, means if you have to chuck out a whole lettuce or bunch of silverbeet because it's lifespan was half an hour, then that’s cost you dearly. And that’s before you even get to whether it’s organic or not. A bunch of organic silver beet the other day was $10 at my local supermarket. Ten dollars, for about eight leaves of silver beet. You can see why people say it’s hard – and expensive – to eat healthy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The review into New Zealand Rugby is being labelled a step in the right direction. It found rugby unions constitution and structures 'are not fit for purpose in the modern era.' And there's questions being raised of how to ensure change is made moving forward. New Zealand Rugby Players' Association CEO Rob Nichol joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Air New Zealand is expected to follow suit and ditch expiry dates on Covid travel credits. Qantas is removing the expiration dates for the credits that were due to run out at the end of the year. Customers with these credits can request a cash refund, while Jetstar customers can use their vouchers for flights indefinitely. Aviation commentator, Irene King, told Kate Hawkesby copying the idea would make a lot of sense. She says it's a competitive market, particularly across the Tasman, so we're going to see change. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conflicting reports have emerged of how business owners are feeling about the state of the economy. ANZ's latest business outlook survey shows business confidence has lifted another nine points in August, with inflationary expectations down. But, Canterbury Business Chamber CEO Leeann Watson told Kate Hawkesby they've done their own survey - which paints a different picture. She says 58 percent of businesses expect the economy to get moderately or significantly worse, compared with just 39 percent last quarter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hurricane Idalia has thrashed Florida’s Gulf Coast, sparking the evacuation of millions of residents as they hunker down for a surge of tidal water. At least two storm-related deaths have been reported. US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Kate Hawkesby says more than 300,000 residents in Florida and Georgia are without power. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A foodbank owner says National's tax plan does a lot for middle income earners, but not much for those really struggling. It's promising a $14.6 billion package - adjusting income tax brackets for inflation and expanding tax credits. Community leader David Letele told Kate Hawkesby if we can help people, we should. He says they're seeing more and more starving children, and some who haven't gone to school since March because they're in emergency housing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So the Nat’s tax plan – is good – and we know it’s good for two reasons, one, because of all the positive feedback it’s had, and two, because of how ropeable the Government are about it. They are dark on it because they know they’ve been badly exposed here, by a sensible party doing sensible things, which reeks of common sense. It reminds us just what common sense feels like - a distant memory for most of us politically these days let’s be honest. But the left are increasingly angry – they’re on the ropes and you can feel it. They’re alleging all sorts of crazy and negative claims against the right, they’re starting to look unhinged. Cue the government’s cheerleaders stage left - the Unions. Now here’s where this whole thing’s going to come unstuck and it’s all going to backfire on them. Yesterday the CTU launched an attack ad on Luxon – by mistake, it apparently got launched early by mistake. But it was a digital billboard with a big close-up picture of an angry looking Luxon, with the caption, ‘Out of touch, too much risk.’ The ad has since been removed – but it’s a signal of what’s to come and where the left’s heads are at; fighting dirty. NZ Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff authorized the billboard, but the ad agency put it up before the Union itself had signed it off. It’s scheduled to run next week. And here’s what voters should be worried about, undecided voters, of which there are tons, don’t tend to like dirty tactics - women in particular don’t like it. They don’t like personal attacks and name calling, and this is what this whole campaign is. If you are someone who’s paying union fees to the CTU, how do you feel about them spending money on this sort of negative highly personal style attack? How do you feel about the Unions tight and perhaps now blind allegiance to a government that’s pumped up your cost of living and delivered you very little? The CTU’s time and energy and money would surely be better spent on initiatives, ideas or policies that could advance the plight of its members. There seems increasingly no separation between the Labour government and the CTU - both seem blinded by the same ideology, both seem out of step with the people who prop up their coffers. Why are members fees not being sheeted towards billboards demanding better working conditions, policies that work better for them, new ideas around how to get real traction on solutions around pay and conditions. For a government that campaigned last time on kindness and hugs and teddy bears, how do they justify this time round going so rogue? So gutter? So scrappy? Even members of Labour’s own support base are abandoning them. As the left’s very own Chris Trotter pointed out the other day, this government has been so divisive, that it refuses to now work with anyone who ‘doesn’t embrace Labour’s radical social agenda.’ Trotter wrote, ‘once celebrated for its broad inclusiveness, Hipkins’ party has opted to greet potential supporters with a grim pair of ideological bouncers.’ Trotter suggests that ‘those who balk at co-governance, or reject trans women competing against biological women in sport’, are ‘no longer welcome inside Labour’s ‘big tent’. The party’s broadchurch is increasingly, I reckon, looking like a narrow field of radical ideologues and rabid attack dogs, who when cornered, can only bite back and fight dirty. If this election is a fight for the middle swing voter, then I think this tactic of the left is a sure-fire way to lose them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KiwiSaver investments in companies that cause social and environmental harm have reached a record high. Charity Mindful Money has found 8.9 percent of KiwiSaver funds go into companies the public generally want to avoid. Mindful Money Chief Executive, Barry Coates, told Kate Hawkesby climate change is a major concern, but investment in fossil fuels by KiwiSaver is at a record high. He says they're worried about climate change, animal cruelty, and human rights. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our national health service is being accused of structural imbalance. New documents reveal Te Whatu Ora's contractor workforce may not have earned their high wages. The number of contractors has dropped from more than 1,000 to just over 600 - after the audit found significant deficiencies in the agency's recruitment processes. The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Executive Director Sarah Dalton told Kate Hawkesby bringing 20 DHBs together was always going to be challenging. She says the agency has things the wrong way round and the focus needs to be on clinical services. Dalton says health professionals should be allowed to drive the system. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour announced yesterday that ‘bottom trawling and Danish seining will be banned in most of the Hauraki Gulf as part of a plan to better protect the 1.2-million-hectare marine park.’ They have four options going for public consultation next week, one of them stipulating that ‘bottom-trawling would be banned from 89 per cent of the Gulf. Currently, 27 per cent of the Gulf is closed to bottom trawling and Danish seining fishing methods.’ Bottom trawling involves dragging weighted nets over the seafloor to catch fish. Danish seining, I had to look up because I had no idea what that was, but it’s apparently ‘similar to a small trawl net, but the wire warps are much longer and there are no otter boards. The seine boat drags the warps and the net in a circle around the fish. The motion of the warps herds the fish into the central net,’ according to Wikipedia. So is the Government’s announcement yesterday of looking to ban this in most of the Hauraki Gulf, too little too late though? Because we have a massive problem in the Gulf that the Government’s arguably dropped the ball on, and it’s not trawlers, it’s seaweed. Two years ago an invasive and destructive seaweed named Caulerpa, you may've heard about it already, was detected around Great Barrier Island. It reportedly spreads rapidly and suffocates the seabed, resulting in a loss of 50 percent of our fish biomass and 30 percent of our marine biodiversity. So what did the government do about this? Well, MPI implemented a monitor and observe strategy, despite Caulerpa causing catastrophic and irreversible marine damage in different parts of the world, the Ministry responsible for our oceans' biosecurity, have spent two years ‘aggressively monitoring’.. as it’s spread rapidly along our North Eastern coastline. So have they shown enough readiness and urgency in tackling this? Given it’s one of the most harmful species to take up residence on our coastlines, I’d argue not. Caulerpa is now so widespread on the western coast of Great Barrier Island, that it’s spread to the Mercury Islands, Bay of Islands and Waiheke Island. That’s a huge amount of coverage in an area described as Auckland’s ‘jewel in the crown’. And bear in mind, they’ve known about this for more than two years. So arguably we’re now at a critical point - a three month window before summer arrives - water temperature increases and boat and fishing activity peaks - all of which is a perfect storm for the seaweed to flourish and entirely smother our ocean seabed. Internationally, if you look at experience from North America where the weed’s been suppressed, contained and eradicated, it shows that immediate action between government and communities delivered a successful result. Here, mana whenua, community groups, local and international scientists have all voiced their concerns about the extreme threat Caulerpa poses to our coastline's biodiversity and ecosystems. They’ve even offered up a range of solutions that they all agree on, despite their frustrations at how slow government has been to act on this in any decisive fashion. They’ve agreed on how to combat it, ways to suppress the spread, investment that will enable community to take a localised approach to dealing with surveillance, extraction and monitoring. And yet what’s the Government doing? Monitoring and observing - and at this rate, all that's doing is allowing the killer algae to spread. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is expected to announce a mental health co-response model between Police and health today. Psychologist Sara Chatwin says it's a nice notion, but when it comes to mental health you need to tread lightly. Chatwin joined Kate Hawkesby on Early Edition. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fears have come that new legalisation aimed at taxing multinational companies that provide digital services might not be as effective as hoped. The Government has unveiled the Digital Services Tax, which will slap three percent on New Zealand revenue of companies like Amazon, Meta and Google. It's expected to bring in $222 million over four years. However, Tech Commentator Paul Spain told Kate Hawkesby some companies may simply put up their New Zealand prices to cover the difference. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National is expected to make tax bracket changes to keep up with inflation. It'll unveil its policy in a few hours, with Finance Spokesperson Nicola Willis saying it'll be funded through a mix of spending cuts and "targeted" revenue tools. She's long talked about the "squeezed middle", meaning as much relief for middle income earners as higher income earners. Auckland University tax expert Craig Elliffe told Kate Hawkesby changing the brackets is a good idea for middle New Zealand. He says the fiscal drag caused by inflation means there's more tax on them right now, so it's a sensible signal of a policy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a lot of sport going on at the moment – school sport I mean - and I’m always amazed at how dedicated and committed parents and volunteer coaches are to these school teams. Having had kids as players, and later on as coaches, having seen how much work goes into it all, it’s very impressive. Especially in terrible weather and especially in a cost of living crisis where things like sports gear, shoes and uniforms are not cheap. Some families are paying a fortune for their kids to do sport – and I’m always amazed at how many prioritise it. It takes up weekends and evenings too, so it’s very time and finance heavy. But it’s those sports teams and club games which often spark real enthusiasm for kids, not to mention set them up with a lifetime of friendship or a good foundation for fitness. Both of which are crucial for mental health, so it’s got to be good for them, even if they’re pretty average at it. I remember when my husband was the girls’ netball manager back in their primary school days, and it was so intense, the planning, the practices, the draws, the matches. But it bonded a lot of kids together, and it gave them a real sense of achievement whenever they won – which my husband will happily tell you was always - they had an undefeated run while he was in charge, he likes to remind us. But it was always fun first and foremost. This week is the big Secondary Schools Winter Tournament Week, so there are kids and parents heading off all over the country to compete. My daughter’s school, like I suppose many others, sent an email home saying that as a ‘fair play school’, they want to remind participants of their aims. That it’s enjoyable and rewarding for all involved, that they compete with fairness, respect the rules and abide by them. That they respect the role of officials and abide their rules, that they respect opponents and value the spirit of sportsmanship, and to accept victory or loss with equal dignity. So that was the message for players - but what was more telling was the message to parents and supporters. Spectators were asked by the school to ‘focus on effort and performance, not the outcome of the event, to help the child set realistic goals and reduce the emphasis on winning.’ This reduction on the emphasis of winning is increasingly a thing these days. When our kids were little, parents used to shout on the sideline of a cross country race until they were almost hoarse. It was about winning. Gradually over time, it got to be more about participation though.. and everyone getting a prize. Being first was not so highly prized anymore - just being involved was key. But these days the other creeping social construct is making sure parents don’t get too carried away. The school’s email went on to say, ‘remember children are involved in organized sport for their enjoyment not yours,’ ‘applaud good play by both teams’.. ‘if you disagree with an official, raise it through the appropriate channels rather than question an official’s judgment in public.’ Now our school’s not unique here, you can see where the vibe for school sport is at these days. Tone it down, just have fun and compete, nobody get too carried away. As valiant as it is for schools to promote this kind of thing, you only need to be on any rugby sideline any Saturday morning, to see that despite all that, there’re still bucket loads of kids and parents who are in it to win it - and they’re pretty loud about it too. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand Fashion Week is being refreshed after three years away from the catwalk. Starting today Kiwi designers will have their talent showcased across more than 50 runway shows, talks, and workshops. Owner Feroz Ali told Kate Hawkesby this time round there's greater opportunity for the public to see work from a more diverse pool of designers. Ali says there are a lot more indigenous and emerging designers coming through. He says the new talent will be shepherded by stewards like Kate Sylvester, who is celebrating 30 years in the local industry. The event is partnering with Ngāti Whātua. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are fears unemployment could rise as many businesses look to restructure. Seek's latest report for July shows job ad volumes dropped four percent month-on-month and are 26 percent lower year-on-year. They're now just one percent higher than in July 2019 - while applications per job have risen by 11 percent - the highest level on record. Employers and Manufacturers Association Head of Strategy Alan McDonald told Kate Hawkesby many businesses are looking to cut costs rather than take on more people. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National says Grant Robertson can't deliver on the savings he's announced by slashing public contractors and consultants' spending. The Finance Minister says the move will mean savings of almost $4 billion over the next four years. He's also announced a trimming back of programmes and a limit on future budget allowances. National Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis told Kate Hawkesby this won't make any difference. She says the Government has thrown billions at growing the bureaucracy and this kind of spending - so it's too little, too late. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Cabinet Minister believes Chris Hipkins has snookered Luxon very cleverly. The Labour leader has ruled out working with New Zealand First, saying Winston Peters no longer holds policies fit to run the country. Hipkins has labelled Peters a force of instability and chaos. Former MP Peter Dunne told Kate Hawkesby that he's reinforced in people's minds that a vote for New Zealand First is a vote for National. He says National's hand has been forced to make clear whether he'll work with Peters, which could be risky. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report reveals that the majority of New Zealand employers are contributing the minimum 3% towards their employees Kiwi Saver. The latest Value for Money Report by KiwiSaver watchdog, National Capital, shows the average contribution rate for all New Zealanders is 4.3%. Director and KiwiSaver expert Clive Fernandes told Kate Hawkesby that based on the average contribution rate, retirement expenses, and inflation the contribution rate average should be 6.3% . He says the extra money saved now will take a lot more pressure off when it comes to retirement. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We went to Christchurch at the weekend, and we were waiting to board the plane and a woman comes up to us and says to Mike, “Just wanted to say I love your show, I listen all the time, but I have to say I think you’re wrong about Winston.” First things first, this woman was under 70 years old. She looked about mid-40’s I guess, so not your average Winston supporter. Mike replies, “What do you mean?”. She says, “You’re wrong about him not having enough support, I reckon he’ll be in government, he’s going to get at least 5 percent.” Mike replies, “Are you insane?” Which, personally, I’ve always thought is a weird way to address your listeners in public, by asking them if they’re insane, but hey, who am I to judge. So she goes on to point out all the reasons why she thinks Winston’s in: ‘he’s getting lots of talk,’ ‘people are listening to him,’ ‘there’s buzz,’ etc. All the stuff that on a statistical graph ranks absolutely nowhere; it’s more a ‘feeling’ than anything logical or statistically based, but she's adamant. So Mike goes on to debate with her the reasons why he thinks Winston won’t make it, and I’m just sitting there hoping they call our flight soon... but she’s not buying it, she’s clearly into Winston. Here’s the thing though – in order to get to be in government and achieve any of the things his fan base are liking the sound of, a major player, as in a main political party, has to want him there, and offer him a seat at the table. And so far, that’s not happening. Yesterday even Labour ruled him out. Which, to be fair, didn’t make a lot of sense given he’s already ruled out working with them anyway– but no one believed that given last time, so to now have Hipkins not just rule him out but also chastise his party as being a bit obsessed with toilets, not real issues, could mean any prospective partnership there is really over. Although never rule out Winston changing his mind. But here’s the thing with all this – has Hipkins snookered Luxon here? Luxon had ample opportunity to rule Winston out months ago and never did, has he now left it too late? Is he now looking like the only leader left who's possibly going to get lumped with Winston? And if he doesn’t rule him out now, does Winston continue to gain traction in the polls? My husband during his random conversation the airport with the total stranger did point out that Winston tends to poll higher than he gets on the night – much like the Greens, but as the pundits always say – can we really ever rule Winston out? So is Luxon left in a quandary now? If he doesn’t rule him out is he leaving the door open for a possible coalition containing two parties who hate each other – ACT and NZ First? Or does he rule him out now and run the risk of not having enough numbers on the night and finding he actually needs him? So I get the dilemma he’s facing, it’s an unenviable position to be in. I’d be bullish though if it were me, I’d rule Winston out, on principle, and be confident I could get the numbers in the night. But does Luxon have the backbone? That’s the question... and we may not get an answer for a while yet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister may not have been able to articulate whether he had or had not started campaigning for the election earlier this week - but we all know he started campaigning the minute he was confirmed as the new Labour Party leader and Prime Minister on 22nd January. What is clear is that campaigning has stepped up a gear. If the antics of this week are any indication of what’s to come then we should buckle up – I think we’re in for a messy and potentially nasty seven-week ride to the election. This is largely a cost-of-living election. The major parties are doing their best to convince us they’re the most credible party to manage the economy. They’re both focused on ‘bread and butter’ issues and helping the “squeezed middle” and “hard-working New Zealanders”. The minor parties are offering more extreme versions of the same policies - and in the process look like they’re offering action and a real alternative. But this week any hope the election would be focused on having constructive debates about front of mind issues was dented as our politicians instead focused on discrediting each other. Te Pati Maori leader Rawiri Waititi went all out, appearing to substantially breach a name suppression order in Parliament’s debating chamber. The well-preforming ACT party came under scrutiny for some interesting candidate selections – including one candidate who had made a comment in the past comparing vaccine mandates to Nazi concentration camps. Once this was revealed she promptly resigned, which Seymour sensible accepted, even if he couldn’t stop making jokes about blowing things up. National’s had to deal with bullying claims, with Tim van de Molen stood down from his portfolios after a Privileges Committee report found his behaviour towards Labour MP Shanan Halbert was threatening and that he was in contempt of Parliament. He was swiftly rolled out to offer an apology and accepted all the findings. Former Minister Michael Wood likely hoped all this drama would mean everyone would forget his shares kerfuffle, but the Privileges Committee recommended he offer an apology for being asked at least 12 times to deal with a perceived conflict of interest and not doing so. Oh, and let’s not forget National had to deny having a ‘man-ban’ after it was reported MP Michael Woodhouse had suggested he was the victim of diversity. The Privileges Committee has been busy and it doesn’t feel like the complaints and reports are going to end anytime soon. Let’s hope these are balanced by at least some informative and constructive conversations breaking out during the grubby hit fest. Seven more weeks. Honestly. Give me strength. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes will be on the television tomorrow morning for the final All Blacks test before the World Cup. They remain undefeated so far this year beating all they have come up against including an emphatic win against long-time opponents South Africa. They're taking on the Springboks at Twickenham in front of a sell-out crowd of 82,000 - kicking off at 6.30am New Zealand time. Former All Black captain and Sky Sports commentator Sean Fitzpatrick joined Francesca Rudkin out of the UK. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A West Auckland councillor sees hope for the community in a new flood recovery deal. The Council will share the $2 billion cost of recovery and resilience works with central government. It includes $774 million to purchase about 700 Category 3 residential properties and $820 million for resilience against future flooding. Waitākere ward councillor Shane Henderson told Francesca Rudkin it includes engineering solutions like raising roads - so communities can continue living near streams. He says that's important for a lot of communities - including those in West Auckland that were particularly slammed by rising floodwaters. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National leader Chris Luxon had little choice in the way he responded to an MP's conduct. Tim Van de Molen has been stripped of all his portfolios after the Privileges Committee found him in contempt of the House for threatening behaviour against Labour's Shanan Halbert. Former National Party advisor Brigette Morten told Francesca Rudkin people are unlikely to change their vote purely because of this. She says people's view of Luxon won't change based entirely on yesterday's events - but multiple issues could have an effect as it has on Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About five years ago we started talking about how school pools where being closed. 165 school pools had closed in the previous five years and more were at risk of closing due of health and safety or maintenance costs. The big losers were, of course, the kids. We want our children to know how to be safe around water, especially with our drowning figures. But with schools struggling to build enough classrooms, let alone manage a pool only used for part of the year, it wasn’t a surprise to see schools find alternative ways to teach children water safety. Even more appallingly, a recent Listener article in the NZ Herald tells how schools are now sacrificing libraries too. First pools, now libraries – where’s the fun in going to school?! So here’s the thing, libraries are not mandated. It’s up to the school’s management and board of trustees to decide whether they have the space and resources for a library, maybe even a librarian, or whether they need that space or budget for something else. It’s a fascinating article by Paul Little and I encourage you to read it. In it Little writes “New Zealand has 2,434 state and state integrated schools. The School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa estimates 900 of them do not have a library...”. I found that number confronting. We have plummeting literacy rates, and many schools do not have a library. Apparently, research shows schools that have “libraries with librarians have higher reading test scores, academic achievement and positive attitudes towards learning.” Basically, they do better. I’m not saying a library is the silver bullet to solving our low literacy standards (and not all schools are big enough to justify a library) but libraries do play a part, even if it’s just a small corner filled with books and a few bean bags. If you’ve had a child go through school you will have seen how reading impacts their learning - kids who read tend to flourish. The benefits though are more than that - it’s so much more fun being allowed to choose your own book rather than the dry ones you’re made to read in class. It’s good to get out of the classroom and learn in a different environment. It’s a place of sanctuary for many children who need a moment's respite from the chaos of the playground. For many it is the only opportunity to access books, and for others marks the beginning of being a lifelong library user. So as we head into this election, it’s excellent to hear all this policy about how we get back to teaching the basics and focusing on reading, writing and maths. Over the next few months we’ll see lots of political posturing, positioning, announcements and kneeling for photos with kids. Sometimes, though, the things that help aren’t that hard – like money for school libraries so our kids have something to read.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Select Committee is wanting to see greater legislative change around defining sexual consent. It's asking the next government to lawfully outline what consent is in sexual offences - like many other countries have. Current New Zealand laws only state what is not. HELP executive director Kathryn Phillips joined Francesca Rudkin. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OneRoof figures show the house price slump is over in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. The quarterly rises show a 0.3 percent increase in the value of Auckland properties, a 2 percent increase for Christchurch properties and 0.1 percent decrease in Wellington properties - but One Roof believes that will rise again shortly too. Editor Owen Vaughan says it's not a large increase but it's still significant - he joined Francesca Rudkin. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food and fibre export revenue has hit new heights. It's drawn $57.4 billion for the year to June 30, bringing $1.2 billion more into the economy than was originally forecast. Dairy, horticulture, seafood and processed food exports have driven the record increases. Business NZ chief executive Kirk Hope told Francesca Rudkin these are good headline numbers, but there are underlying factors. He says, for example, while dairy by value is up the milk price is down by what was forecast from $8.30 to between $7 and $7.75. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So our post-pandemic dining behaviours, according to this Herald article I read, talked about how much more expensive dining out is these days - $50 mains it quoted. The upshot is we appear to be getting less food for more money, restaurants are getting tougher on turning tables, and people are dining earlier. The reporter asked, ‘what’s happened to hospitality?’ and I take her point. It can feel like it’s not all that hospitable anymore. The last time we dined in Auckland’s CBD at a well-known well-regarded restaurant we felt something was amiss - a new kind of disinterest in diners, a slackening of service, an unapologetic approach to it all, and just not that much of a pleasant experience, for quite a lot of money. Like many diners, I don’t mind parting with hard-earned cash for an experience when it’s good, not so much when it’s below par. We thought maybe we’d just struck this particular restaurant on a bad night, but have since been told by others their experience replicated ours. So how do they get away with it and how do they continue to profit from an increasingly poor experience? Many restaurateurs would argue it’s not that profitable for them anymore, and that may be part of the problem. I’d also hazard a guess our lengthy closed border and a lack of access to staff has had a huge impact. The other Covid – induced side effect is we got used to eating at home, we got good at sourcing our own food, making it ourselves, we also got enthused about ‘supporting local’ and dining in our local hood more. On top of that, I’d also argue that especially in main centres like Auckland and Wellington, there are more people who can’t be bothered with the drama of the CBD. Too hard to get into, no access, no parking, too many homeless, too much violence, not worth the hassle. A nice night out at a restaurant kind of loses its gloss if you have run for your life at the end of it. Increasing costs for the hospo industry in terms of labour and food I don’t doubt is horrendous for them – and they’ll of course be passing it on. But another thing we’re doing apparently now is dining earlier. Now I know this to be the case, because we are early diners ourselves due to our crazy early work hours, and increasingly we’re finding restaurants are fuller earlier. People tell me they sometimes can’t even get a 5.30pm booking anymore, because there’s an increase in ‘demand for 5pm tables.’ I actually think that’s good and could mean a lot of things. One, we’re maybe dining with our young kids more, like Europeans do, therefore we're after earlier tables, two, we're perhaps more educated on health and wellness these days and know the importance of digesting food early and not eating late into the night before bed. Three, we want to get ahead of any 7.30pm potential rush when service can slow down to a snail’s pace, and four, maybe it’s older people are the only ones left with any disposable income these days to spend on eating out, and they’re habitually earlier eaters. I don’t know, but I’d say there’s a lot at play in terms of how the dining experience has changed - not always for the better. I don’t envy hard working restaurateurs trying to keep up with it all, but I’d like to think the good ones know that to keep people returning, you have to keep offering up a good experience. Especially given the cost of it these days.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Opposition's blaming Labour's 'soft on crime' approach for an increase in gang members serving home detention. The number of gang-affiliated offenders sentenced to home detention has risen nearly 60 percent in six years. Corrections figures show 623 people with gang-links have been put on home detention in the past financial year. National's justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith told Kate Hawkesby he wants to make sure there are 'real consequences' for crime. He says they want to make being a gang member an aggravating factor at sentencing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A pause has come on using surgical mesh for a common birthing injury. Director-General of Health, Dr Diana Sarfati, maintains it's not a ban but will allow the rolling out of measures to reduce harm linked to surgical mesh used for stress urinary incontinence. These include tailored training for surgeons, and a patient registry. General Practice NZ chair Dr. Bryan Betty told Kate Hawkesby patients will also get clear pros and cons in an amplified consenting process. He says there'd be a team of experts talking about whether it's the right choice for the patient. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns that the Department of Conservation's planned changes after the deaths of 17 kiwi aren't going far enough. An independent review has found the birds' deaths between 2016 and 2017 at Hawke's Bay's Cape Sanctuary were due to staff turnover, a dry summer and predation. DOC has given itself two years to implement changes to documentation, monitoring and complaint management. But former Forest and Bird chief conservation advisor Kevin Hackwell told Kate Hawkesby it doesn't address the conflict between kiwis' welfare and tourism. He says when that conflict arises it's vital that welfare wins over tourism. Note: A claim was made in the interview that Cape Sanctuary staff were told by management not to inform DOC of the Kiwi deaths. Cape Sanctuary denies this and the independent review commissioned by DOC does not refer to this claim.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The same Labour Party that now wants to build roads all of a sudden, also now wants to clamp down on student achievement. It wants to mandate reading writing and maths ‘core teaching requirements’ across all schools. So, in essence, they want to get serious now on education. After six years of abandoning every fundamental core principle there was in regards to student achievement and learning. Two things immediately jump to mind here, one, since when did Labour abandon all its mad cap ideology on what curriculums should look like and decide that the fundamental basics are in fact important in education, and two, what’s with now copying National? The first answer is, after six years of failed experiments, ideological tweaking, and neglect of education, record truancy numbers, teacher shortages, uni drop outs and failed achievement standards - they’ve realised the jig is up. The thought bubbles on rewriting curriculums and forcing Te Reo into every facet of every subject as a priority has left the fundamentals floundering. Discovering how many students can’t pass basic tests, how many can’t read or write, how many can’t do maths, has perhaps focused the mind a bit? Or, does tanking in the polls now focus the mind on aiming at the centre voter? Here’s the other thing with Labour’s latest education announcement, which by the way, I’m not sure how Jan Tinetti pulls off with a straight face, but they now want targets too. Remember those? They were the things this Government abandoned and didn’t seem all that fond of. They want ‘learning progress steps’ to ‘track students’ progress on their core learning.’ Fancy that? Tracking progress?! The Nat’s claim Labour’s stolen their policy, and it’s not an unreasonable claim given it smacks of National rhetoric - fundamentals, basics, progress, tracking achievement - these are all from the Nat’s vernacular on education. You can almost hear Erica Stanford’s voice when you read those words. And yet all of a sudden they’re coming out of Jan Tinetti’s mouth. They’re either stealing National policies to try to win centre voters and they truly believe they’ll get back in that way, or they’re just flying a big kite here in the hope voters may fall for it now, and forget about it later. Like Kiwibuild, light rail, child poverty, and all the other promises they made that went nowhere. What’s easy for political parties to do is spout promises and get headlines and make stuff sound appealing in a generic sense. What’s harder though, is cutting through the spin, and making it a reality. Making it part of the landscape. I can tell you, having spoken many students who’ve looked to go into the education sphere at a tertiary level, that the key message they’re given by school, is that in order to be part of the education sector in any way, the most crucial thing they can do is learn Te Reo. It’s not just students who say that, it’s teachers, careers advisors inside schools, and it’s Universities too. The message current students who want to teach future students are getting, is that the most important thing they can learn, is Te Reo. To have fundamentals and basics taught well, and to get the sort of cut through the Labour party now allegedly wants in education, means they have to look long and hard at where they misdirected that focus the past six years. How they aim to turn that around, is the key question.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The wait could be soon over for new cancer drugs in New Zealand. The National Party's promising to ring fence $280 million over four years to fund 13 new cancer drugs which are used in Australia. It will be funded by restricting fee-free prescriptions to superannuitants and those on low incomes. The Cancer Society's medical director Kate Gregory told Kate Hawkesby this would fill the treatment gap between New Zealand and Australia. She says it can be distressing for someone living here to find out they could have access to different cancer drugs across the Tasman. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Failed promises by Labour may be contributing to their slip in the polls. The latest 1 News Verian poll sees the party drop to 29 percent -- and National rise to 37. The Greens are up two points to 12 percent while Act is up one, to 13. Political commentator Peter Dunne told Kate Hawkesby there's a series of big pledges made before the 2017 election that haven't been fulfilled, like KiwiBuild and Auckland light rail. He says now Labour is making some big aspirational promises and people must be wondering, why should we believe you this time? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The secondary teachers' union is concerned about the Government legislating how some subjects are taught. The Government has announced it'll mandate core teaching requirements in maths, reading and writing. It's been working on a common practice model to ensure nationwide consistency. Post Primary Teachers Association acting president Chris Abercrombie told Kate Hawkesby it could make teachers' jobs harder. He says one size doesn't fit all - so they'll have to think of other ways to teach to support all students. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of Britain's most prolific serial child killers is about to be sentenced. Former nurse Lucy Letby has been convicted of murdering seven babies and found guilty of trying to kill another six. Police believe the 33-year-old may have harmed dozens more infants. UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Kate Hawkesby that it seems she'll refuse to appear for the sentencing, and many are saying she should be made to. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s some concern over Labour's promise to make teaching financial literacy compulsory. The party's vowing to make the change happen from 2025, if it's re-elected. Life Education Trust CEO John O'Connell says it's great it's finally being recognised. But, he told Kate Hawkesby, he's worried about it being taught mainly via the maths and social sciences curriculums. He says we have to shift the mindset of financial literacy being an academic achievement, because it's actually a life skill. O'Connell says until we do that we'll continue to fail. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.