Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.