Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

The Government was warned in 2018 it would run out of money to fund the Clean Car Discount scheme. Due to its success, it is having to lower the threshold for higher emitting vehicles, increase the fees on those vehicles and change rebates for zero emissions imports. Vehicle Import Association Chief Executive David Vinsen told Kate Hawkesby this is an artificial process to accelerate the uptake of EVs. He says all the scheme does is bring forward a move towards lower emitting vehicles by two or three years. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's nursing and midwife policy might need to pivot if it wants to complete what it aims to achieve. In a bid to grow the workforce, the party's promising to pay nurses and midwives 22 and a half thousand dollars back on their student loans. But, they'll have to agree to work here for five years. College of Nurses Executive Director Kate Weston says the policy targets graduates, rather than the loss of experienced nurses. She says that focus is needed on workplace issues driving nurses away such as unsafe staffing, and they're worried about their patients. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time, the public will be asked to say a pledge of allegiance to the King at the Coronation. King Charles' coronation will be held Saturday night, our time. The Archbishop of Canterbury will ask people in the UK and other Realms and Territories to pay homage to the King. UK Correspondent Gavin Grey says that it's one of several changes to the ancient ceremony. He says female clergy will have a prominent role, the King will pray out loud, and religious leaders from different faiths will also play a part — all for the first time. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Excitement is ramping up ahead of King Charles' Coronation. It will be held this Saturday night, New Zealand time. Royal correspondent Robert Hardman says told Kate Hawkesby that Friday is when all the world leaders will start to arrive. He says there's a special event at Buckingham Palace on Friday, and the New Zealand Governor-General and key representatives of all the realms will be there. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Had a great chat with a London cabbie yesterday. I love how knowledgeable they are about everything, and they’re super chatty and friendly. It’s a Bank holiday here tomorrow —Monday here our time— then of course they get another Bank holiday the following Monday for the Coronation, so they’re drowning in long weekends here at the moment. I asked him if that meant everything would be shut, no he said, everything stays open just like any other day – in fact he said the only day you will find everything closed in London is Easter Sunday. I asked about whether the huge volume of people in town was unusual or whether London was just this busy these days. I‘m trying to work out if this is an influx for the Coronation, or if I’m just not used to this many people everywhere all the time, but it’s definitely busier than we were last here, which was Harry and Meghan’s wedding. He said it’s definitely busier, they’ve had an influx last week for the London marathon – which was the day we arrived, and it was heaving. Then this week is the Coronation – another influx, then after that it’s the Chelsea flower show, which he reckoned would be the busiest of all. So the place is flooded with people and getting more so. Great business for the cabbies and the hotels. I asked him why the London cabbies famously don’t work in the rain. He said it’s two fold. One, because they have a daily target and if it’s raining way more people use cabs so they hit their targets early then knock off… so there are fewer on the road. And two, because London is a tube and train town, but in the rain, everyone wants a black cab because they want to go door to door, but the Ubers have surge pricing, so the cabs are all snapped up. Which is true, the other night it was pouring and I was trying organize a cab home for Mike who finishes at 10pm our time —when cabs are few and far between anyway— and I couldn’t even book one on the taxi app, there just were none available, so I tried an Uber. Surge pricing, at 10pm. It was 5 times the cost of usually getting home. So an eleven pound ride was 55 pounds all of a sudden. So you can see why the taxis are in such high demand. Anyway he was saying they’ve gone all out for this coronation. They’re double barricading – so the barricades everywhere to keep the public back off the streets and segregated from the Abbey, and the Mall, and the Palace, etc are already being erected, but they’re doubling it this time round, which means one barricade for public, then another line for Police and military to stand behind. So there’ll be two layers of security between the public and event pageantry. Six thousand military personnel he said are being deployed to guard and monitor the whole thing, flags are all up on the main streets, and even along the Mall, on every lamppost they’ve put up not only a flag but screwed little ceremonial crowns on top too. Huge amount of effort has gone in to making London sparkle for the event. Anyway he gave me the top tip that roads will be closed Tuesday for a full rehearsal, so I’ll be keeping my beady eyes out for that. The excitement here’s definitely building. They love their pomp and ceremony and they’re proud... even the ones who aren’t necessarily big fans of the Royals, they’re proud of how London puts on a show and they’re made us so welcome, they’re thrilled to have all the tourists in town.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the things I like about London is the infrastructure works. The buses, the trains, the tube, the taxis all work. It’s a systems place, it’s got the population to support it, and it works, so people use it. The other thing I’ve found on our travels both here and in the States, is that service culture is huge. It’s a career. At home it feels a bit more of a transient option for school leavers or students or those who want to dabble in something for a while. Waiting tables or working in a hotel is an in between gig on the way to or from something else. In the States at the hotel we stayed in in New York for nine days, same staff every day. We had the same people working the same shifts – breakfast, lunch, dinner, reception, concierge, housekeeping, doormen, bell hops. All the same people all the time. All older people, it’s a career, they love it, they’re stayers. We spoke to them, most of them have been there for years. In fact, one of them was telling us he got Covid and left for a while, because he lived two hours commute out of New York, so thought he’d try working closer to home for a while, but he missed the hotel and the city so much that he returned.. And has never looked back. Even though it takes him two hours to get to work! They take pride in the jobs, they love it. Yes, I get they have a tipping system and that’s enticing in America, but London IS the same thing. Service culture jobs carry some sort of kudos. I’ve talked to the hotel receptionist here, and some restaurant staff, they said they’re all long term. They wouldn’t consider doing anything else. It’s a career for them. The cabbies too know how important their job is. They fill you in on what’s going on, why, how, have all the updates about the place, they seek to make your experience in their city as informed as it can be. They’ve been enormously helpful in terms of explaining what’s going on at any given time. They’re tapped into the heartbeat of the place. And there’s this natural inclination it seems, to want to help tourists and give you as many tips as they can for you to enjoy your stay. Which all got me thinking about New Zealand, and how vital those who interface with our tourists are. We maybe don’t give enough kudos or credit to the person working the front desk at the local hotel or motel – that’s often the first person a tourist will interact with in our country, (bar airport staff or an Uber driver). The wait staff working hospo serving tourists are crucial ambassadors for our country, and can sometimes make the difference to how their experience is going. The bus drivers, the cafe owners, the restaurant staff, all the people who are not necessarily in the tourism sector per se, but whose interaction with tourists can help form their view of our country. Even those in retail. Anyone who interacts with a visitor, is in a small way playing an ambassador role for New Zealand. So full credit to the ones who do that job with pride and professionalism, we should value it more. There should be more kudos placed on those jobs given how important they really are. And to all those thanklessly already doing it, we’re very grateful to you. Any public interfacing job can make or break someone else’s day, so it’s actually a really important one, and I think we should value it more than we currently do.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland primary school is boasting big improvements in literacy with its different way of teaching. Willow Park School has adopted a structured literacy approach after a trial proved successful. It means early intervention for any kids struggling from Year One. Principal Duncan Millward joined Kate Hawkesby to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's hoped a new fund will unleash opportunities for New Zealand's domestic wood processing sector. Government is putting $57 million into the industry, aiming to process more logs onshore, create high-wage jobs and aid climate change goals. Forest Industry Contractors Association Chief Executive Prue Younger told Kate Hawkesby the problem the industry is facing is heavy reliance on export markets. She says when those markets are down, the workforce is significantly impacted and not only are the trees not being sold, but contractors are losing days at work. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is being called on to invest any money it may borrow, into things that create a stronger economy. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has confirmed no major tax overhaul will be made this term, including on capital gains or a cyclone levy. Council of Trade Unions economist Craig Renney told Kate Hawkesby if we borrow for things like roads, schools and hospitals, we're all better off as a society. He says if we don't borrow or invest, simply to reduce debt, we will find ourselves in a situation where the infrastructure we want or need isn't there. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With all this tax the rich talk and naysayers wanting punitive measures dished out to anyone showing signs of success or ambition, I just wonder if we're shooting ourselves in the foot here. Are we not at peak tall poppy syndrome now? Because where does all this "it's not fair, woe is me" whining actually get us? So far all I can see is that it sends our best and brightest off elsewhere. We have the 5000 nurses who've registered to work in Australia, the net migration loss of more than 8000 Kiwis to Australia just last year, we have those who've discovered cost of living is actually cheaper overseas. I mean, gosh, even our former Prime Minister is off to the States for a semester there. She had said she was looking forward to more time at home and getting her daughter off to school. But when push comes to shove, being away from New Zealand was too tempting, even for one of our greatest cheerleaders. We all know dozens of families whose kids have chosen a life outside of New Zealand. They've left for opportunity, better pay, and a more positive way of life. I think we have to adjust this complacent mentality we have that we're the best little country in the world and we're invincible. As Richard Prebble said yesterday in his Herald column, we're actually not, if you look at the facts. He says that "New Zealand is becoming a third world country." He points out that in just five years, net core Crown debt to GDP has doubled to 40 percent, food prices have increased at the fastest pace in 30 years, the trade deficit is at 9 percent of GDP, benefit numbers are up by 50,000, and our health and education systems are in dire trouble. When we count our unfunded liabilities in superannuation and health, the country is bankrupt. Now I'm sure many will say "he's just a right wing whinger being negative." But look at the facts. A head in the sand approach to what is going on around us is not going to help. We need to recognise what's on in order to be able to act. I know locally, for example, the head of the Newmarket Business Association in Auckland. He's been campaigning and complaining to Police and government ministers for months, if not years, about the state of youth crime and how bad it's getting and how much more we should be doing about it. He's been forecasting things would get worse, and he was right. Just the other day, allegedly about 8 or 9 bored youths set fire to rubbish in an apartment building carpark causing millions worth of damage. People were evacuated from their homes, 145 apartments left without running water or power, and several shops shut due to major damage. How bad are we going to let things get? And how much do we want to give our country up to the lowest common denominator? We have to admit that we need to flip it - we need to shift the focus to productive aspects of the economy. We need less David Parker driven ideological tax attacks on those who are productive, employ people, and get this economy going. Because guess what? They'll just leave top. You can't keep propping up the bottom end, reducing penalties for crime, and ignoring all the stats going against us. Because by ignoring it, we run the risk of waking up when it's all too late.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WARNING: This story discusses rape and may be distressing. A writer suing Donald Trump has taken the stand to tell jurors that the future president raped her after she accompanied him into a department store fitting room in 1996. “I’m here because Donald Trump raped me, and when I wrote about it, he said it didn’t happen. He lied and shattered my reputation, and I’m here to try and get my life back,” E. Jean Carroll testified. Former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll claims former President Donald Trump raped her in a department store dressing room. Photo / AP From afar, Trump repeated his insistence that Carroll’s allegations are fiction, writing on his social media site that the case “is a made-up scam”, and more. His comments prompted the judge to warn Trump’s lawyers that he could bring more legal problems upon himself. Trump hasn’t attended the trial thus far, but his lawyers said Tuesday it’s still possible he could decide to testify. The trial comes as Trump again seeks the Republican nomination for president, and weeks after he pleaded not guilty to unrelated criminal charges that involve payments made to silence a porn actor who said she had a sexual encounter with him. Carroll, 79, has said she crossed paths with Trump at the revolving door to Bergdorf Goodman on an unspecified Thursday evening in spring 1996. At the time, she was writing a long-running advice column in Elle magazine. Trump was a real estate magnate and social figure in New York. Former President Donald Trump's lawyer Susan Necheles walks into the courthouse. Photo / AP She has said he asked her advice about selecting a gift for a woman, and she went along, thinking the experience would be funny. According to Carroll, they ended up in a lingerie department, joked with each other about who should try on a bodysuit, and went to a dressing room. Then, she alleges, Trump slammed her against a wall, yanked down her tights, and raped her while she struggled against him. She has said she finally kneed him off her and fled. Trump, 76, has said he wasn’t at the store with Carroll and had no clue who she was when she first aired the story publicly in a 2019 memoir and accompanying magazine excerpt. As court was about to begin Wednesday, Trump vented his feelings about it on his Truth Social platform. Among other remarks, he called Carroll’s lawyer “a political operative” and alluded to a DNA issue that Judge Lewis A. Kaplan has ruled can’t be part of the case. Former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll (second from right) arrives at federal court. Photo / AP “This is a fraudulent & false story — Witch Hunt!” Trump wrote. Lawyers for Carroll — whose suit includes claims that Trump previously defamed her by publicly calling her case a “hoax”, “scam”, “lie” and “complete con job” — mentioned his new statement to Kaplan. He wasn’t pleased. “What seems to be the case is that your client is basically endeavouring, certainly to speak to his quote-unquote public — but, more troubling, the jury in this case — about stuff that has no business being spoken about,” the judge told Trump’s lawyers. He called Trump’s post “a public statement that, on the face of it, seems entirely inappropriate”. Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina noted that jurors are told not to follow any news or online commentary about the case. But he said he would ask Trump “to refrain from any further posts about this case”. “I hope you’re more successful,” Kaplan said, adding that Trump “may or may not be tampering with a new source of potential liability”. Carroll’s federal lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and a retraction of his allegedly defamatory comments. The suit was filed under a New York law that temporarily lets decades-old sexual abuse claims go to civil court. She never pursued criminal charges. The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Carroll has done. - Jennifer Peltz & Michael R. Sisak, AP SEXUAL HARM Where to get help:If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:• Call 0800 044 334• Text 4334• Email [email protected]• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nzAlternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the fallout for the Super Rugby teams with Scott Robertson pinching their coaches for the All Blacks? All Blacks assistant coach Jason Ryan will be joined by Blues coach Leon MacDonald, Hurricanes coach Jason Holland and Scott Hansen from the Crusaders. Newstalk ZB rugby commentator Elliot Smith joined Kate Hawkesby to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National says the Government needs to front up on whether it'll tax people more. Inland Revenue research shows the top one percent of earners pay a median effective tax rate of 9.4 percent, when including capital gains on investments. Meanwhile, Treasury estimates a comparable tax rate for a "middle wealth" Kiwi is roughly 20 percent. National Party Finance Spokesperson Nicola Willis told Kate Hawkesby there's no doubt Labour want more taxes. “This is a government that is spending $1 billion more every week, they can’t get the books to add up, they are desperately searching for more places to find money.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Potential policy changes from the Reserve Bank could provide a helping hand to first home buyers. It's looking at tweaking the rule by which banks can only give 10 percent of new loans to borrowers with deposits under 20 percent. The Reserve Bank wants to increase that to 15 percent of new lending from the start of June. Mortgage Supply Co-Director David Windler told Kate Hawkesby it's good news for first home buyers. He says it's a small difference but its heading in the right direction, as finding the funding for first home buyers has been tough for a while. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Western countries are racing to get their citizens out of Sudan, as conflict in the country continues to escalate. UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Kate Hawkesby the UK has just carried out the first of several flights to evacuate hundreds of British nationals. “There are dozens of British NHS doctors currently trapped in Khartoum and sadly the militia there are actually going to try and round up doctors.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As school goes back today, for how long who knows given the looming strikes, but as we head back to the office and to school, it’s been interesting to reflect on the past two weeks. We headed away for the first time in three years – we hadn’t left the country since Covid and closed borders, but we’d heard from everybody who had, how refreshing it is to get out of NZ. How inspiring it is to see how much the rest of the world has moved on. How blinkered and parochial we have become in our own little hermit kingdom. Our first stop was San Francisco, a lost city full of drugs and homeless people and not much to enthuse a tourist to be honest. It felt edgy and unsafe and made me worried about our next stop – New York – and how much more dangerous and unsafe that may feel. But how wrong I was. New York is incredible. It feels super safe due to the fact the place is flooded with cops – Police on every corner, and lots of them. The place moves at a cracking pace, people are focused on what they’re doing and they’re going places. No one gives a crap about what you’re doing or where you’re going, individualism and the pursuit of happiness and success is embraced. A refreshing change to NZ? Hell yes. I loved every second of it. In fact we extended our stay by double the nights we’d originally booked. And even then there was still so much more to see and do. It’s an exhilarating city that feels exciting and inspiring all at once. It has get up and go. It’s not introspective and naval gazing. I appreciated the outward focus. I also like how informed New Yorkers are. They were curious like most Americans about how young our politicians are – given theirs are so elderly. But one cabbie said to us, “your lady leader, the young one, she quit, she couldn’t hack it.. how old’s the new one?” We said, “oh he’s young too..” The cab driver replied, “yeah but can he hack it?” We explained that he was so far ‘hacking it’ but that an election was coming. He asked what Kiwis thought of Trump. I said ‘well more importantly what do New Yorkers think of Trump?” He said, “oh they hate him, we all hate him.” Which is not hard to see why, given Trump Tower and the surrounding streets are all cordoned off and crawling with cops and their NYPD cars, making getting down 5th Avenue just that little bit harder. But I loved New York with a passion, as anyone following my Instagram would’ve seen, I was obsessed with its energy and vibrancy, it makes you feel like anything is possible. And then we get to London. London has my heart because I lived here and have always loved it and it feels like a second home. I married a Brit, have 3 of his half English children who are all desperate to live here too, it’s spacious and well mannered (mostly) and always such a good time. They are so amped already for the Coronation, the bunting is going up, the shop windows all have framed portraits of Charles in them, streets have been cordoned off to practice parade routes, it’s got a buzz already. So I am very happy to be here, very grateful to be here, and all the people who said leaving NZ is good for your soul were right. It is. It’s been so refreshing to get out. It makes you realise just how introspective we’ve become. It also makes me hope that we can shake our hermit kingdom shackles soon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tensions between china and the west continue to heat up. The UK foreign secretary is expected to give a major speech this week, which will urge China to come clean about its "biggest military spend up in peacetime." It's thought China will have a stockpile of 1500 nuclear missile warheads by 2030. International relations professor at Otago University, Robert Patman, joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ACT Party is claiming the Government is slamming the brakes on road investment. In 2020, Waka Kotahi identified almost 400 risks on state highways around the country, including major and extreme threats, but has only started work on ten of them. ACT Party Transport spokesperson, Simon Court, told Kate Hawkesby says it demonstrates what the Government wants to focus on. “They are focussed on their ideological priorities, getting people out of cars onto busses and bikes, instead of actually fixing up some of these extreme risks.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research is coming out about how much tax New Zealand's rich are paying. The Inland Revenue report will estimate the effective tax rate of the wealthiest families, taking into account their full economic income, rather than just taxable income. Deloitte Tax Partner Robyn Walker told Kate Hawkesby it's expected to show they're paying tax rates that are lower than marginal tax rates. But she says Treasury is also releasing their report on tax rates of the average New Zealander and expects that to say a large section of that population is also paying below marginal tax rate. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK diplomats and their families have been evacuated from war-torn Sudan. Fighting broke out two weeks ago between Sudan's national army and rival paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces. The two sides have been sharing power since a coup in 2021, but there's been disagreement about how to lead the country. UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Roman Travers that the UK nationals living in Sudan remain in the country. He says they feel abandoned by the British Government, being left there with no power and limited food and water. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some principals begin a two month work ban this morning over a recent pay offer. Those working in primary and area schools will pause the work they do with the Education Ministry, including all work outside of 8am to 5pm weekdays, apart from board meetings. NZEI President Mark Potter says this is about sending a message. He says they need action from the Ministry, because the Ministry needs principals. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Modified technology from the wine industry could potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives every year. New Zealand researchers are developing a medical device in the hopes of preventing about 1.5 million deaths annually caused by surgical complications. Auckland University's Surgical and Translational Research Centre director and professor John Windsor says there's no easy way of measuring oxidative stress; a feature common in many diseases. But he says pilot clinical studies show this technology enables it to be accurately measured at the patient's bedside. Windsor says the challenge is now making the equipment easy to use. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's never been a more important time to introduce a stringent bonding policy to encourage qualified Kiwi's to remain in New Zealand. From July first this year, New Zealanders who've been on the Special Category Visa and who've lived in Australia for at least four years, will be able to gain Australian citizenship. The most ironic outcome from the new immigration policy announced for Australia last week, is that our very own prime minister has become an advocate for more of our highly qualified citizens to make the move across the Tasman. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is quoted as saying that it's a blimmin' good day for Kiwis living in Australia. You may blimmin' well be right Chris, but it doesn't take the leader of a country to realise that it's also not so blimmin' fantastic for people contemplating whether or not they’ll stay here. Perhaps he should've added to that sentence: dear Australia, please let us know if there's anything else we can do to make your lives easier, including not having to train any of the essential workers that we're also bereft of. Australia's prime minister, Anthony Albanese must be ecstatic. You can only imagine what he would have said to his senior ministers over a Four X Lager later that day. Something like; crikey. That was easy. Our prime minister also says that it's something New Zealand governments have argued for, for a very long time and it's fair to say we've had a much more open door for these conversations over the past year. No kidding! The door into Australia isn't just wide open, it now has a great big hunk of eucalyptus wedged under it with a brand-new welcome mat at the entrance. Woven into the welcome mat are the words, thank you New Zealand. You couldn't have made it easier for us. Wouldn't it make sense to adopt the same policy here, so that those qualified doctors and nurses and other experts in their fields from around the world, can make New Zealand their home instead of being put off by the archaic and demonstrably slow process we currently have? This new policy is indeed good news. But it's only good news for Australia and those New Zealanders who've been battling to call Australia home on a permanent basis. I know it's not just our healthcare professionals that are choosing to call Australia home, but the numbers of doctors and nurses working in Australia that we trained here is confronting. Already, 10% of the nurses working in Australia are New Zealand citizens. How high do you think that number will go under this new policy? I've lived and worked in Australia. Victoria is the most beautiful state and looking back, my quality of life was a great deal better over the ditch. But New Zealand will always be my home. I wonder how many New Zealanders will gladly make the move to Australia now that the process is so much easier? Once you realise how much more you're paid for job equivalence, and once you become established, coming home is not always easy. It's as though the suction on Australia's immigration vacuum cleaner has just been turned up to maximum. But ironically, that immigration vacuum cleaner is plugged in and is paid for by New Zealand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I doubt that many of us will ever forget the protest action that took place for three weeks on the grounds of Parliament that began in February last year, lasting 23 days. Apart from the Springbok tour protests back in 1981 that lasted 56 days, I’ve not seen that level of barbaric, dishevelled and uncivilised behaviour in our society before. The protest in Wellington last year was hard to watch and even harder to stop watching. I’m hoping I never see it again, but given the false prophets that maraud maliciously amongst the vulnerable through the internet and organisations claiming to be churches, the reality is likely to be different. The 200 page Independent Police Conduct Authority report that was released yesterday shows that the police handled the situation well faced with extreme provocation. I wonder how many police have rethought their career, given the very poor direction given by senior staff who took too long to decide the best plan of action, tip-toeing around the parliamentary rose gardens and being overly sensitive to the baffled and bewildered assembling, many just looking for a fight. Another fault identified by the report is the lack of adequate law that determines what police can do in situations like this. Once again, pointing to our very inadequate and antiquated judicial system. I have great respect for our police. They were faced with a mob of whom 300 were eventually given criminal charges and there wasn’t enough of the right equipment for the job they had to do. Police officers are just as entitled to be supplied with the correct equipment to do the job as you or me, depending on the job that we do under health and safety laws. The difference between doctors, nurses, teachers, and other professions pushing for better conditions and pay increases, is that you rarely hear anything from the police. Sadly, the numbers that leave, say it at all. We expect to be safe, and to be kept safe in our communities. Anyone still opposed to the action taken by the police in Wellington last year, needs to remember just how vile and volatile the situation was. Here’s hoping that the best outcome from yesterday’s report, is that the pressing need for the police to be equipped for every possibility and some tweaking of the laws required for them to do it - is addressed at speed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Tertiary Education Union is shocked by the number of jobs potentially on the chopping block at Otago University. Several hundred staff could be made redundant as dwindling student numbers takes a toll. They're down by about 670 so the university needs to reduce its annual budget by $60 million. Union National Secretary Sandra Grey joined Roman Travers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victims of retail crime are getting a further $9 million in support. Police minister Ginny Andersen has made the announcement, topping up the crime prevention fund to $15 million . It goes towards the likes of fog cannons, security sirens and CCTV systems. Dairy and Business Owners Group chair Sunny Kaushal joined Tim Dower to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coromandel businesses are crossing fingers for a bumper Anzac weekend after its local economy lost $30-million in the year's first quarter. A driving lottery has begun via the coastal route until Tuesday as State Highway 25A remains closed to vehicles. It features cameras in secret locations from Thames all the way around to Waihi, photographing random vehicles. Prizes include stays at a beach resort, dive trips and dozens of oysters Destination Hauraki Coromandel's Hadley Dryden told Roman Travers January's poor weather made it a tough summer for local operators. He says for a community reliant on tourism and visitors, it's been hugely significant. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The soaring cost of living is pushing every one of us to reconsider which groceries remain a priority. For some, this may mean going without limes in their evening cocktails, but for many, the reality is that fresh fruit, vegetables and many forms of meat are no longer affordable for each and every meal. Adjusting one's intake of the aforementioned will undoubtedly have a negative effect on people's health in time to come. Proof of that can already be seen along with other socioeconomic impacts in areas of the country where people never been able to afford a consistently high standard of food. Many are now buying chooks and learning the finer points of animal husbandry in order to avoid the soaring cost of eggs from supermarkets and other purveyors of these omelette essentials. The move makes a lot of sense - but knowing about your councils' bylaws regarding how our fickle, feathered, fowl friends can be kept is also a major consideration. The last thing you want is your neighbour running foul to the council justifiably, because your feathered eggs Benedict machines have become smelly, or because they’ve begun to attract rodents to your once peaceful collection of backyards in Cashmere. Every council is different, and it’d be well worth while finding out about your bylaws to prevent feeling henpecked by your complaining neighbours. The good people living within the confines of Kawerau District Council are fully aware now of the costs imposed by their leading rooster, or mayor. In Kawerau, there’s an annual fee of $25 to pay along with other requirements that must be met. Kawerau District Council will need to inspect your chickens hotel and exercise facility to ensure that some of the basics are met - so that you'll have happy chooks, willingly providing the key components of your poached eggs. Make sure you find out what your local council requires. Some require you to have a land area greater than 3 metres square, a proper chook house that’s waterproof for sleeping and laying, a chook run attached to the chook house, a secluded nesting area along with perches. The rules that always ruffle feathers if they’re not met, are the ones relating to proximity to boundaries and dwellings: your little scrambled eggs factory must be 3 metres from a neighbour's fence and 10 metres from any occupied dwelling - yours or your neighbours. Keeping chooks is no poultry matter, so if you’re looking into the concept, make sure you know what your council requirements are and then pop around to a neighbour who’s already running a tight chicken ship and get their egg-spirt advice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our current period of high inflation isn't over yet. Latest figures due out this morning are expected to show consumer prices rose between 6.9 percent and 7.2 percent in the year to March. ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith told Roman Travers says two major factors are driving the high inflation rate. "One is food prices really have rocketed and the second thing is housing costs remain really elevated, despite the softer housing market." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions over whether the costs justify hosting the 2034 Commonwealth Games. The New Zealand Olympic Committee has expressed interest in bidding for the event, under a new hosting model which now allows nations to host as a whole. Last year's Games in Birmingham was backed by $1.55 billion New Zealand of public and government funding. Games commentator Brendan Telfer told Roman Travers the costs have seriously escalated since we last hosted in 1990. He reckons given the galloping inflation that by 2034, it'll cost us at least $2 billion. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How many times in recent decades have you heard the call for a better and fairer tax system? How many times have we heard governments saying that the tax system needs to be looked at? Well, I've got some good news for those at the upper end of income earning who may have been wondering when the tax axe was about to fall, forcing them to haemorrhage more. It turns out, our tax system is pretty fair and equitable after all. A new study completed for tax consultancy firm OliverShaw concludes that the wealthy in New Zealand pay most of the tax collected. OliverShaw is headed by the former deputy commissioner at IRD, Robin Oliver. Oliver says that the higher their income, the more they pay. Those earning lower incomes end up paying less tax because of the various tax credits, and other payments they’re eligible to receive. One of the key highlights of this study, is that the highest income earners are often in a better position to minimise their tax through investment in tax friendly assets. When Chris Hipkins took over the role as prime minister, he said we should look at ways to make the tax system fairer. According to this study, that’s not required. The revenue minister, David Parker made similar overtures about a year ago, claiming that data on the level of tax paid by wealthy people would be key to any future political debate on tax reform. By the way, there are no plans for tax reform before the election. The big concern I have is that this government is spending money as if it grows on trees, but their expenditure is now too high compared to the taxation system we currently use. The outcome of the study, maybe reassuring for those with salubrious incomes, but it still leaves one big question unanswered: where do we go to get the money required to lift New Zealand out of the quagmire? Even though the outcome of the study is quite clear, do you really trust any government not to tinker with the taxation dials once the election is won? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has announced new pricing for Kiwis getting their drivers licenses. They will be reducing the cost of resitting tests, reportedly saving new drivers $5.5 million a year. But if you're unlucky enough to pass on your first try, you'll end up paying more. Ōtorohanga mayor Max Baxter has been an advocate for lower fees and joined Roman Travers to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Global Dairy Trade price index has recorded its first increase in two months. This morning's auction showed a 3.2 per cent climb since the last trading event earlier this month, this is the first gain after four consecutive falls. Amy Castleton, dairy analyst at NZX joined Roman Travers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the key benefits of any vehicle that's well branded with company logos, is that when you see appalling acts of stupidity unfolding around you on our roads, created as a by result the selfish acts of drivers in these vehicles, you know exactly who to call. Yesterday I had to drive from central Auckland to one of the southern suburbs and back again. I was surprised at some of the deplorable acts of driving I saw buy those that call themselves professional drivers, as well as those by people who just don't care about anyone else, but themselves. The first incident that captivated me was a bloke on a dirt bike wearing a ski mask; the unsubtle uniform of a potential bank robber, before I realised that there was no helmet in his costume paraphernalia. Another ACC statistic waiting be collated. Given a green light, I moved into the intersection, only to realise that several vehicles were clearly in a rush and proceeded to run the red light. I can only presume that their vehicles contained melting ice cream or women whose waters had broken, and perhaps had babies being delivered on their back seats. On my journey home, I was tailgated by a well sign written commercial truck fully laden with a few tons of topsoil, driving in a similar fashion to Scott Dixon in the Indy cars final lap. Although showing great dexterity, he also displayed great stupidity as he weaved through the traffic, failing to use his indicators, clearly annoyed at the amount of traffic impeding his propensity to win whatever race he thought he was in. I've always thought that sticking to the speed limit and keeping as left as possible is the best way to avoid so-called professional drivers like this bloke. Once I had arrived home, I called the trucking company whose name was hard to miss, and let them know about the driver. I have no idea whether anything was done, but doing nothing never seems to be the right reaction either does it? Whether you're a van driver, a ute driver, a courier driver, a taxi driver, a tiny truck driver or in one of the hugely intimidating truck and trailer units, shouldn't you be setting the standard for all of us to aspire to as drivers? I wonder how many other people are prepared to call the police or the companies advertised on these vehicles, to let them know just how appalling some of their drivers are? Whenever I'm driving, I try to focus on simply surviving, but shouldn't we all aim to be professional drivers regardless of what we're in control of? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National says the move by Labour to tackle class sizes is an attempt to appease unions. The announcement aimed at Years 4 to 8 students, reduces the ratio from one teacher to 29 students, down to 28. It'll be initiated from 2025 and means recruiting 320 more teachers. National Education Spokesperson Erica Stanford told Roman Travers it's less a policy announcement and more a sweetener. She says that's why they did it in the school holidays and if they wanted to make a big announcement, they would have made a big song and dance about it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns as job burnout continues to affect our doctors. Massey University data analysis shows the risk for medical doctors is 22.7 percent, compared to 12.2 percent for other workforces. Burnt out doctors are nearly five times more likely to seriously consider quitting the profession, over their non-burnt-out colleagues. Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Executive Director Sarah Dalton says Roman Travers more needs to be done to retain the workforce. “In order to bring people in, we need to be offering competitive terms and conditions. Compared to Australia, we’re not even in the ballpark.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s looming recession is tipped to be twice as deep as previously thought, with Kiwis being warned to prepare for a tough rest of the year. The bleaker forecast, from economists at ASB, comes as food prices rise at their fastest annual rate in more than 30 years and many struggle to afford the basics. ASB is predicting a 2 per cent contraction to gross domestic product (GDP) by early 2024, which is double the 1 per cent economic shrink that the bank forecast in its last quarterly update. And the country’s expected recession is likely to set in earlier than expected, according to the latest ASB Economic Forecast released today, with GDP falling 0.6 per cent in the December 2022 quarter. Wellington university student Aidan Donoghue said he has hardly bought any fruit or vegetables in the last year. Photo / Mark Mitchell ASB’s chief economist Nick Tuffley said high-interest rates and inflation will continue to restrain consumer spending in the coming year, with homeowners feeling the strain and pain the most. Tuffley claims that the Reserve Bank (RBNZ) is reaching the end of its Official Cash Rate (OCR) rises, despite inflation being anticipated to remain above 7 per cent for the first half of this year. “Things have overheated, and the stimulus to get us through the pandemic has been arguably too successful at keeping the economy running along, so now we’re feeling the effects of that and the economy being stretched,” Tuffley said. “We expect rising living costs to add around $150 a week to household spending this year, and income growth is not likely to keep pace with this, despite another year of strong wage growth. It’s going to be a tough year, and home borrowers will feel these impacts disproportionately.” Treasury economists are also pointing the finger at the Government for at least part of the high inflation the country is experiencing. In research just released, Treasury economists said they could divide New Zealand’s inflation roughly into thirds: One third came from excessive demand caused by government spending and low interest rates, another third came from supply shocks from overseas, and another third was unknown. Last week, official figures showed inflation in the US had dropped to 5 per cent in March. The International Monetary Fund is also warning of a grim outlook for the New Zealand economy. Its 2023 outlook forecasts Aotearoa will have one of the lowest GDP growth rates and one of the highest inflation rates in the Asia-Pacific region in the coming years. Infometrics chief economist Brad Olsen earlier said this highlighted the vulnerabilities New Zealand faces. “The IMF has highlighted that there are risks, given how much our house prices have gone up in recent times, how much interest rates rising puts our economy in a slightly more challenging position in the years ahead.” Meanwhile, according to ASB’s report, recent extreme weather events, which caused shortages of some fresh food, household goods, and cars, may cause inflation to rise even higher in the near future. Tuffley said the rebuild after events, such as Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods, would help boost the construction sector, however, that “could be some time away”. ”The rebuild will provide a lift in GDP over the coming years but we know infrastructure replacement can take a long time, as we saw with the Christchurch earthquakes, and particularly in cases where location and design need to be rethought to improve resilience,” Tuffley said. ”Overall, we’re going to have to endure a year of things cooling down and that putting a bit of pressure on finances, so people will be putting away their wallets for a period and reining in their spending.” But he said the continuing tourism recovery is positive with two-thirds of pre-pandemic visitor numbers returning to New Zealand. Food prices, meanwhile have had the biggest annual increase since 1989 - up 12.1 per cent in March compared to a year ago, according to Stats NZ. Grocery prices also predictably jumped again in March and shot up by 14 per cent in a year. Stats NZ said grocery food prices rose 2.3 per cent in March, or 2.1 per cent up on February after seasonal adjustment. ‘We don’t get fruit and veg’ Wellington university student Aidan Donoghue said he has hardly bought any fruit or vegetables in the last year. Instead, he and his partner take vitamins and supplements to get nutrients because it’s cheaper. ”There are times when you crave an actual banana rather than something that is banana-flavoured. Since I’ve moved here, we have done big shops and don’t get any fruit and veg. There was a time when I can remember where we got broccoli and potatoes and that was about it.” The 19-year-old works part-time at McDonald’s and relies on the free meals the nights he works. He also receives payments from Studylink. Donoghue said his clothes are thrifted or bought using Afterpay, an interest-free “pay as you go” service. ”It would be nice to live in a world where

The Government is being slammed after some frontline police were told to consider the necessity of arrests, due to Rimutaka Prison nearing capacity. An email to Wellington staff revealed our largest prison is nearing maximum occupancy, and warns repeat breach of bail and warrant offenders may be remanded in custody for longer than usual. It says officers should consider that before making an arrest. Corrections Association President, Floyd Du Plessis told Roman Travers that it's ridiculous and the result of ignored warnings about staffing shortages. He says public safety is coming second to political direction, which is a serious concern. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you live long enough, I guess you’ll get to see everything either change or completely die out. On Friday the news that Wellington’s grand old lady of the fourth estate is to have a makeover was a bit confronting and sad for me and those who’ve grown old with the name of The Dominion Post. The Dominion Post is dropping the word ‘dominion’ from its name - and its parent company is signalling further change is yet to come. Sounding dangerously like something from Italian mafia, ‘The Dom, started 21 years ago as a merger of The Dominion and The Evening Post. In an act reflective of a complete lack of any creativity, the new name will be… are you ready? The Post. I wonder how many creative types with cool cardigans, fridges filled with tofu, eclectic Spotify playlists and electric scooters at reception in some Willis Street creative agency got together to come up with that catchy name? The editor of The Post is Caitlin Cherry and she says that New Zealand's status as a dominion ended in 1945 when it joined the United Nations, so it is time for the word to go. She says they thought carefully about what they wanted The Post to represent now and into the future. For the next fortnight they’ll be having morning teas and ‘farewell to the past’ dinners before launching The Post. The Dominion Post’s former editor Tim Pankhurst says he’s sceptical about the name change saying that when The Dominion and The Evening Post merged the papers, they did market research, and we found those masthead titles were so entrenched in Wellington, they had better brand-name recognition than Coca Cola. Isn’t that incredible? Mind you, when I hear the name Coca Cola, I instantly think diabetes militias, obesity and huge dental bills. There’s a great deal to be said about the name of anything and how well entrenched that branding is. Like Three Waters for example, now to be called Affordable Waters. I guess the premise is that if you say it out loud repetitively for long enough, you’ll begin to believe it. Just like positive affirmations and the power of placebo in a medical trial. Changing the name of a capital institution like The Dominion Post is a move being made for reasons that don’t really seem to make sense. But as their editor says, there’s more change to come. So brace yourself Wellington. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I measure the quality of the summer season by how many swims I have, this summer I managed just one swim. Not my proudest tally, I can assure you. But that sad tally was only diminished by my inability to make time. Being able to find clean water to swim in will increasingly prove to be the main barrier. The environment, Minister David Parker says, some of the statistics I’m about to mention are an indictment on the country and an intergenerational challenge to turn around. 45 percent of lake monitoring sites worsened between 2011 and 2020 with just 36 percent improving. 45 of New Zealand’s total river length is non swimmable due to risk of bacterial infection. 48 percent of our river network is at least partially inaccessible to migratory fish. About two thirds of freshwater native bird species were either threatened with extinction or at risk of becoming threatened in 2021. Minister David Parker is entirely correct. It’s an intergenerational problem that we have largely turned our back to, and yet we should collectively be ashamed of having a get to this stage. This is both a rural and an urban issue, but to put things in perspective, dairy cattle numbers have increased by 82 percent from 3.4 million to 6.4 million between 1990 and 2019. Successive governments have wrung their hands, grimaced like well-paid actors and paid lip service to wanting change; but if they really wanted to change things, then things would be improving across all our waterways. It’s not a question of attributing blame and adding to the futile flurry of finger pointing. Like any waste water testing - this is about determining what’s in the water that shouldn’t be there and going to the source to prevent further degradation of what were once pristine swimming holes and environments for many aquatic species. So me quantifying swims each summer is something I still plan to maintain. Finding lakes and rivers clean enough to increase the tally may prove to be increasingly difficult. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria University of Wellington has announced their nominations to be considered for Earthshot prizes. Earthshot is offering five prizes of £1,000,000 each for projects that drive change and inspire collective action. Andrew Wilks, Director of Sustainability at Victoria University, joined Roman Travers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A children's charity is pleading for sponsors to more than 1,600 Kiwi kids facing poverty. Variety says the kids don't have enough bedding, warm clothes, food and school supplies. CEO Susan Glasgow says it costs the same as eight lattes over a month to make a huge difference and Susan Glasgow joined Roman Travers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Water New Zealand is breathing a sigh of relief and says it now has certainty because of the Three Waters shake up. Instead of four mega-entities for water, the Government has opted for 10 regional groups. It's set to be in place by 2026. Water NZ Chief Executive Gillian Blythe says while the plan's not perfect, it means staff will be able to plan implementation better. She told Roman Travers it's important working with iwi wasn't eliminated. Blythe says it's about finding solutions that work for the whole community. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It can be incredibly difficult not to fall in line with the narrative of doom and gloom, instead of celebrating the good things that come and go so quickly in life for those who work so hard to get there. New Zealand’s very own Finn Fisher-Black scored his first professional win yesterday after the UAE Team Emirates rider triumphed in the opening stage of cycling’s Tour of Sicily. If you haven’t managed to see the footage of just how remarkable the final minutes of this Nelson cyclist’s stage win was, it’s well worth the watch. Finn Fisher-Black rode away from the field on the final climb of the 159km stage to take the win, with teammate and fellow Nelsonian George Bennett coming in ninth. The 21-year-old has had a tough climb to the top having come back to elite level after breaking his leg last year. At my age, I’m freewheeling down the far side of being a middle-aged man in lycra, who still loves to think he can keep up with the peloton on a decent road bike; but Finn is in the upper echelon of cycling with a bright future ahead. I wonder how many talkback calls and conversations at cafes were dominated by the celebration of Finn’s success at the top of the world cycling stage yesterday? It’s hard not to get bogged down with the drudgery of everyday life when that’s all many of us focus on given the reality of living costs in 2023. But isn’t it fantastic to see New Zealand on the world stage in a sport frequently dominated by other nations? Well done Finn Fisher-Black. Here’s hoping that your cycling future is all tail winds, yellow jerseys and slipstream assisted glory from here on! How many of us have become the purveyors of political propaganda, rather than being proponents of what’s good in the world? Why does the impending doom of official cash rate hikes and crystal ball-anticipated recession so easily overpower these moments of sporting glory? It’s hard to not be drawn into the demonstrable downturn in everyday living; and changing that mind-set is easier said than done. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The country's councils are standing by to hear the Government's latest plan for Three Waters reforms. Newstalk ZB understands the plan will be revealed later this morning. Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan told Roman Travers councils are divided on the way forward. He says some councils want to keep control of the infrastructure, but other councils are very worried about rising costs. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week's OCR hike is starting to have some impact with ANZ, the country's largest bank, raising fixed and floating interest rates across the board. Chief Executive Antonia Watson told Roman Travers the one-year lending rate is going up by 20-basis-points. She says the bank is still passing on only a small amount of the OCR increases. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A councillor is looking to reassure those who suffered during Auckland's January flooding. A report into the flood response has made 17 recommendations including developing an IT system for better communication and creating stronger community relationships. Manukau Ward Councillor Alf Filipaina says those who lost their homes or loved ones will still be devastated. He told Roman Travers the council needs to discuss these recommendations so failure doesn't happen again. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the ongoing cost of living crisis confronting us all, there’s greater pressure than ever on parents to help their children get to where they need to be. Confronted by rising mortgage and rent prices, along with those grocery items being pushed onto the luxury side of the shopping list; it’s no wonder that we’re now seeing more tertiary students feeling the financial pinch. Universities and students' associations warn rising living costs are whacking our students especially hard this year. Staff that are left dealing with student welfare say that university financial pressure is causing serious mental health problems. Many students are struggling to afford food, rent and other bills and studying has become harder than ever. At an age where the future should be anything but frightening, it’s so sad to see that financial problems are now the main cause of mental health difficulties for our university students. The last thing we need more of is growing rates of depression, anxiety, despair, low mood and low engagement that are being seen with many of our university students. Stretched finances have always been part of student life, but this increasing challenge goes far beyond anything seen before in New Zealand. Just as one example of the increasing financial stress is the amount of financial assistance students need. In 2022, most students averaged $393 - but in 2023 it's $653. Vastly more students are working and having to work longer hours to make ends meet which of course puts more pressure on them in terms of what they need to do to gain their qualifications and to enjoy healthy aspects of normal life. Is it time to consider going back to a fully funded tertiary education system for those that succeed in gaining their degree? If New Zealand is going to succeed economically and continue to grow, we need our tertiary students to succeed - not to add to the growing numbers relying on a seriously depleted health care system. State funded tertiary education based upon success may well prove the cheaper option. What’s the cost to the country if we let the situation get worse? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Interislander's Kaitaki ferry is back in business today. It lost power and declared mayday in January while sailing across the Cook Strait, then a problem with its gearbox kept it off the water for longer. However, questions remain as to how reassured will passengers be. Todd Valster, acting General Secretary for the Rail and Maritime Transport Union, joined Roman Travers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There has been disappointment New Zealand isn't looking to move away from mandated Covid-19 isolation. The Government is not changing the seven-day isolation requirement for cases for at least two months. It's also asked for more work on whether testing to return to work for mild or asymptomatic cases, would be safe. First Retail Group Managing Director Chris Wilkinson told Roman Travers this will have an impact on retailers. He believes the decision around whether to isolate or not, should be with employers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.