Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Small businesses are hoping to enact change in this year's local body elections. More than nine in 10 small to medium sized business owners are planning to vote next month, with one in three believing council support for them is worse than three years ago. Business NZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope told Kate Hawkesby he's not surprised by the numbers. He says if you think about the worsening of CBDs around the country it's no wonder businesses want to try to make a difference. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A call for an inquiry over mistakes made during our Covid-19 response. Northland was plunged into level three after two women travelled to the region and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19. Officials originally said they had provided false information to get travel permits, but it's been revealed they were issued in error instead. Former New Zealand First Northland MP Shane Jones told Kate Hawkesby their refusal to hold an inquiry is due to overconfidence. He thinks the Government thinks it will win the election without having to care about the north. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a legal victory for former President Donald Trump, a federal judge on Monday granted his request for a special master to review documents seized by the FBI from his Florida home and temporarily halted the Justice Department's use of the records for investigative purposes. The decision by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon authorizes an outside legal expert to review the records taken during the Aug. 8 search and to weed out from the rest of the investigation any that might be protected by claims of attorney-client privilege or executive privilege. Some of those records may ultimately be returned to Trump, but the judge put off a ruling on that question. The order came despite the strenuous objections of the Justice Department, which said a special master was not necessary in part because officials had already completed their review of potentially privileged documents. The department said Monday that it was reviewing the decision but did not indicate if and when it might appeal. The order almost certainly slows the pace of the department's investigation into the presence of top-secret information at Mar-a-Lago, particularly given the judge's directive that the Justice Department may not for the moment use any of the seized materials as part of its investigation into the storage of government secrets at the Florida property. The injunction is in place until the yet-to-be-named special master completes his or her work, or until "further court order." "The Court is mindful that restraints on criminal prosecutions are disfavored, but finds that these unprecedented circumstances call for a brief pause to allow for neutral, third-party review to ensure a just process with adequate safeguards," Cannon, a Trump appointee, wrote in her 24-page order. Even so, it is not clear that the decision will present a long-term impediment to the investigation's progress or significantly affect investigative decisions or the ultimate outcome of the probe. And a separate assessment by the U.S. intelligence community of the risk posed by the apparent mishandling of classified records will continue under the judge's order. "While this is a victory for the former President, it is by no means an overwhelming win for him," David Weinstein, a Florida criminal defense lawyer and former Justice Department prosecutor, said in an email. "While it is a setback for the government, it is also not a devastating loss for them." He noted, for instance, that the judge did not immediately order the seized documents returned to Trump or suppress any of the evidence. Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley said Monday that "the United States is examining the opinion and will consider appropriate next steps in the ongoing litigation." A lawyer for Trump did not respond to a request for comment. The department and Trump's lawyers are to submit by Friday a list of proposed special master candidates. FBI agents in August seized roughly 11,000 documents and 1,800 other items from Mar-a-Lago as part of a criminal investigation into the retention of national defense information there, as well as into efforts to obstruct the probe. About 100 of the documents contained classification markings. Trump's lawyers had argued that a special master, usually an outside lawyer or former judge, was necessary to ensure an independent review of records taken during the search and so that any personal information or documents could be filtered out and returned to Trump. In this case, the seized records "include medical documents, correspondence related to taxes, and accounting information," the judge's order said. Cannon said it was too soon to know whether Trump will be entitled to the return of any of the records, but "for now, the circumstances surrounding the seizure in this case and the associated need for adequate procedural safeguards are sufficiently compelling to at least get Plaintiff past the courthouse doors." She also said she found persuasive his lawyers' arguments that he faced potentially "irreparable injury" by being denied access to records that might be of significant personal interest to him. She said the investigative process had, so far, been "closed off" to him. "As a function of Plaintiff's former position as President of the United States, the stigma associated with the subject seizure is in a league of its own," Cannon wrote. "A future indictment, based to any degree on property that ought to be returned, would result in reputational harm of a decidedly different order of magnitude." The Justice Department had argued against the appointment, saying it was unnecessary because it had already reviewed potentially privileged documents and identified a limited subset that could be covered by attorney-client privilege. The department had been using a separate "privilege review team" for that work, but Cannon cited at least two instances in which members of the investigative team were "exposed" to potentially privileged material, something she sai

It appears advocates of legalising cannabis in this country are still smarting over having lost that referendum. This was a referendum we shouldn’t have even been having in the first place when you look at all the other things needing sorting in this country. Decriminalizing weed shouldn’t be top of the priority list. The fact it ever was, and that millions were spent on a referendum on it, speaks volumes about this Government and where it sees value. Kids in poverty, people sleeping cars, mental health, housing, health and education would be good starting points for a government who promised a lot on that and have delivered nothing. My bad, sorry, they have delivered something on that – worse stats in every single category. But back to weed. Not content with having lost that debate, they’re now looking at decriminalizing meth. This insane idea comes from none other than the Helen Clark Foundation. They want a health based approach to everything, seemingly ignoring the fact our health system is in crisis, and sending all the meth addicts there probably isn’t going to help anyone. Again, before anything becomes a health approach we surely should be looking at nurses (getting some), resources (getting some of those too) and actually having a few GPs available in more areas than just central cities. But that aside, not only does the Helen Clark Foundation want meth fully decriminalized, but any hard drugs in small quantities. They also want addicts given places where they’re given the drugs in controlled circumstances. This is if rehab – two goes at rehab, hasn’t worked. So to be clear, if you’re peddling or imbibing meth or other hard drugs, the Foundation wants it to be legal, and wants clinics to have some meth dished up to you if rehab didn't work. When Helen Clark’s crowd put out this report, the Health Minister, instead of saying, ‘look Helen, not sure what you’ve been smoking but dream on’ and throwing the report in the bin, said he’ll look into it. Andrew Little wants to look at this idea, while in the same breath acknowledging that there’s no appetite in NZ for decriminalization of drugs given the referendum result. But this Government clearly knows better than us, so despite the fact we didn’t want weed shops on every street corner, and we probably don’t want meth clinics around the place peddling meth to users out in the community either, they’ll still look at it because they know best. Little said the Government’s focused on efforts to support addiction recovery and funding addiction recovery programs like the one for gang members on meth. And they’re ‘willing to take bold steps’ to ‘develop this further and expand it’. He was reported saying that the Government’s poured ‘a lot of resources into health responses for drugs over the past five years’ .. with ‘a lot more money going in’. Is that reassuring to you as a taxpayer? Does that sound like a Health Minister with his priorities in the right place? Call me crazy, but I reckon we could start with some nurses, some GPs, some rural healthcare, some midwives and some decent ED resources.. rather than handing out more money to meth addicts at this point.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is rejecting calls to review tax brackets amid rising inflation. New Zealand’s marginal tax rate system means higher rates of tax are applied as someone earns more income. Stats NZ data shows median weekly earnings increased 8.8 percent in the year to the June quarter, the biggest jump since records began. Tax expert Terry Baucher says told Kate Hawkesby tax brackets have not changed in more than a decade and action is needed urgently. He says people are being squeezed as their incomes rise rapidly, alongside their tax brackets. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Rotorua mayoral candidate says the city needs to urgently shift away from emergency housing motels. National and Te Pati Maori are calling for an inquiry into the system after a TVNZ report exposed tenants in poor conditions. Some residents housed under the charity Visions of a Helping Hand are accusing that group of intimidation and abuse of power by staff and security workers. Rotorua District Council member and mayoral candidate Tania Tapsell says told Kate Hawkesby we need to focus on long term solutions. She says we need to build social housing not rely on emergency housing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Act says it's time the Government got serious with ram-raiders. Police Minister Chris Hipkins this morning unveiled a plan to refer any child under 14 caught ram-raiding to a cross-agency board, to prevent repeat offending. But Act Leader David Seymour says anyone aged 11-to-14 caught raiding should be forced to wear an ankle monitoring bracelet, so police know where they are at all times. He says it's tragic that New Zealand is in this state of affairs - and this is the consequence of having no consequences for crime. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Potential job losses at AUT are being seen as a tragedy for staff and students. Up to 230 staff could be cut. A drop in student numbers and growing economic pressures are being cited as the reason for the proposed restructure. The Tertiary Education Union says there seems to be too much focus on business outcomes rather than academic ones. President Tina Smith told Kate Hawkesby this isn't the right time to be doing it. She says with our skill shortage at the moment we need educated people. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fears for the impact inflation could have on those saving for retirement. Massey University research shows the savings needed for retirees to fund a basic household living, with few luxuries, sits at $191,000 dollars in the city, and $77,000 in the provinces. A more comfortable living standard in the city requires $755,000 dollars, while a provincial household needs $480,000. It shows many Kiwis in retirement will also need to supplement their super. Author, Associate Professor Claire Matthews says one reason inflation hits those in and nearing retirement harder, is due to their spending habits. She says transport costs are a big factor, as well as housing and utilities. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz Truss has been elected as the Conservative Party's new leader, the party announced Monday, and she will take office Tuesday as Britain's new prime minister to steer the country through an acute cost-of-living crisis. The 47-year-old Truss, who is currently foreign secretary, beat former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak after a leadership contest in which only about 170,000 dues-paying members of the Conservative Party were allowed to vote. Truss received 81,326 votes, compared with Sunak's 60,399. She faces immediate pressure to deliver on her promises to tackle the cost-of-living crisis walloping the U.K. and an economy heading into a potentially lengthy recession. Queen Elizabeth II is scheduled to formally appoint Truss as Britain's prime minister on Tuesday. The ceremony will take place at the queen's Balmoral estate in Scotland, where the monarch is spending her summer, rather than Buckingham Palace in London. The two-month leadership contest left Britain with a power vacuum at a time of growing discontent across the country amid spiraling energy and food costs. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made no major policy decisions since he announced he was stepping down on July 7, and officials insisted that measures to address the energy cost crisis would be deferred until his successor is in place. Meanwhile tens of thousands of workers have gone on strike to demand better pay to keep up with relentlessly rising costs. Inflation is above 10% for the first time since the 1980s, and the Bank of England has forecast that will reach a 42-year high of 13.3% in October. That's largely driven by soaring energy bills, which will jump 80% for the average household starting next month. "I will deliver a bold plan to cut taxes and grow our economy. I will deliver on the energy crisis, dealing with people's energy bills, but also dealing with the long term issues we have on energy supply," Truss told party members after she was elected. "I know that our beliefs resonate with the British people: Our beliefs in freedom, in the ability to control your own life, in low taxes, in personal responsibility," she added. "I know that's why people voted for us in such numbers in 2019 and as your party leader I intend to deliver what we promised those voters right across our great country." Truss has won the support of many Conservatives with her zeal in rolling back state intervention and slashing taxes. Both she and her rival Sunak have spoken of their admiration for Margaret Thatcher, who was prime minister from 1979 to 1990, and her free-market, small-government economics. But it's not clear how Truss's right-wing brand of conservatism, which played so well with party members — who represent far less than 1% of the U.K.'s adult population — will go down with the wider British public, especially those most in need of government relief to afford essentials like heating their homes this winter. Truss has promised to act "immediately" to tackle soaring energy bills, but declined to give any details so far. "The Conservative Party members wanted that message of tax cutting. The country, I would guess, less so," said Bronwen Maddox, director of London's Chatham House think tank. "At the moment you've got people deeply rattled, many very, very afraid going into a year where all they can see are rising costs," Maddox added. "Until she's got an answer on that, she doesn't have a claim to the popularity of the country, I think." While the economy is certain to dominate the first months of the new premier's term, Truss will also have to steer the U.K. on the international stage in the face of Russia's war in Ukraine, an increasingly assertive China and ongoing tensions with the European Union over the aftermath of Brexit — especially in Northern Ireland. Truss will be the U.K.'s fourth Conservative prime minister in six years, entering Downing Street following Johnson, Theresa May and David Cameron. Johnson was forced to resign after a series of ethics scandals that peaked in July, when dozens of cabinet ministers and lower-level officials quit in protest over his handling of allegations of sexual misconduct by a senior member of his government. Both Truss and Sunak were key players within Johnson's Cabinet, though Sunak resigned in the last days of Johnson's time in office. A Truss government may not sit well with many because it reminds voters too much of Johnson's misdeeds, said Steven Fielding, a professor of political history at Nottingham University. "She's basically been elected as Boris Johnson 2.0 by Conservative members — she's made it very clear that she is a loyal Boris Johnson supporter," he said. "I think she's going to find it very difficult to disentangle herself from the whole Johnson shadow." Truss and Sunak were the final two candidates whittled down from an initial field of 11 leadership hopefuls. Under Britain's parliamentary system of government, the center-right Conservative Party was allowed to hold an internal ele

I saw a story yesterday that caught my eye because it was positive and seemed to be offering up a solution by way of cleaning up truancy rates. It’s a campaign being run in Northland, and according to the story I saw, it’s having great success at stopping kids from wagging school. "Let's Get to School Tai Tokerau" is running in 150 schools across the region and at its heart are messages from children explaining why the classroom is a good place to be,” the story said. So it’s student-driven which makes sense, and it’s putting fun back into learning, and viewing school as something you don’t want to miss, rather than a chore or a punishment. The story said kids came up with slogans of stuff they like doing, like, playing with their friends, learning about new things, and on top of this the schools run fun competitions like MasterChef for example. There’s also an incentive scheme like earning points for days attended and.. “at the end of the term depending on their attendance they may get some grocery vouchers.” Now as ludicrous as that might sound, that we have to incentivise kids with grocery vouchers these days to attend school, if it works, who are we to criticise? Surely by now, with truancy levels where they’re at, whatever works, works. And this one maybe works because it’s got kids at the heart of it, coming up with the solutions themselves. It was the students apparently who came up with the slogan for the campaign of, ‘'let's get back to school Te Tai Tokerau.’ And it’s working. One school quoted said they’ve seen ‘for the first time this year, 100 percent attendance in some of the classrooms - and that just happened overnight as a result of the children talking about all the positive things that are happening at school.’ How cool is that. Using carrots not sticks, encouraging kids rather than looking to penalise them. Now this approach doesn’t always work, but in this case it is working– and if tangible results like that keep coming in, then it’s a great example of a community solving its own problems. Sadly it’s not always the case though, and that’s why measures to combat truancy need to keep evolving and seeping into every level of the school community. The teachers, the principals, the parents, the students. And I love the idea of flipping the approach on its head and trying something new. Especially when it’s student led. I think therein lies many of the problems with our education system actually these days, it’s old school stuff that’s always been done the same way and doesn’t evolve or modernise as kids needs change. Too often students are told, ‘this is just how it’s always been done’, instead of asking them how it could be done better. So big ups to Northland schools and communities having success with this approach. I hope other schools and communities are paying attention and taking note, and I hope more student driven solutions find their way into schools eventually too. Sometimes the best people to fix the problems are actually those affected most by them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a job market severely short of labour, it seems the winner in all this are temp workers. They’re making a killing as employers are wanting them to fill the holes left by the absent migrant workers. Add to that ongoing staff sicknesses. This means pay rates for temps have gone up considerably, with a temp executive assistant now able to charge as much as $60 an hour. Beyond Recruitment CEO Liza Viz joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NSW government has confirmed that speed camera operators will no longer be able to “hide” behind other vehicles or bushes to catch out unsuspecting motorists. It comes after infuriated drivers accused speed camera operators of deliberately hiding or not displaying their warning signs throughout the year, particularly on rural and regional roads across the state. The NSW government announced that from February this year every mobile speed camera vehicle would have a large double-sided sign on top, but there have been numerous reports of this not happening or the signs being obscured. These concerns were raised at last Wednesday’s budget estimates hearings, with Transport for NSW deputy secretary Tara McCarthy confirming they received complaints about these issues. “The government gave a commitment that from April 1 of this year all vehicles undertaking enforcement of mobile speed cameras would have signs installed. Those vehicles can only be in operation if the sign is in the upright position,” she said. “We have received a number of reports, not that the sign was in the upright position but, because of growth of foliage, for example, or parking of vehicles in front or behind, at times those signs were not visible at a distance to motorists.” Ms McCarthy then subsequently revealed that new rules have been introduced to stop this from happening. Under the new protocols, a speed camera operator must be parked 10 to 15 metres from another vehicle. They must also send a photo back to prove they are correctly positioned in relation to their surroundings. “In response to those issues that have been raised, we have been working very closely with the two vendors and we have developed a number of protocols that are now very clear that they are to ensure that those vehicles are parked in a manner where the sign is visible,” Ms McCarthy said. “They need to look at the foliage, for example; they need to look at any signs that might obscure them; they need to consider the distance that they park in front of or behind vehicles; and a number of other protocols. “They need to report that back to their base as a verification check that the vehicle is correctly positioned. “If the site that we have allocated to them is unsuitable because, for example, the foliage has become overgrown, they are not to operate from that site and they are to report that to us. “It wasn’t in place on April 1. We have responded to community concerns,” Ms McCarthy said. But she made it clear that even if a speed camera sign was hidden or not displayed, it did not mean a fine would necessarily be waved. “At the end of the day, if a person commits an offence, then they have committed an offence,” Ms McCarthy said. “They always have the ability to ask for that offence to be reviewed and individual cases will be considered.” Data from Revenue NSW shows $75m from all speeding offences past financial year, with $47m of that coming from low-range speeding fine offences (travelling less than 10km over the limit). This money goes towards road safety and maintenance initiatives. The NSW government has made it clear camera advisory signs are not legally required in the state but they are a part of a Transport for NSW policy. Orange MP Philip Donato has previously slammed the government after he received reports of speed cameras operating without signs in his electorate. “There’s no deterrence in this covert practice, where drivers receive infringements in the mail up to a month after a speeding offence and left to potentially continue driving in excess of the speed limit,” he said. “The continued use of unmarked mobile speed cameras is a revenue raising exercise – plain and simple.” State opposition roads spokesman John Graham has called for warning signs to be brought back before and after speed camera vehicles. “The government has now spent millions of dollars on pop up signs, and introduced new rules to stop covert cameras, but why not just bring back these warning signs,” he said. “This could have been so much simpler if they had asked the community before they removed these warning signs.” - by Hamish Spence, news.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think the only feasible thing that can happen now with the mask mandate is that they get rid of it. When even the Government’s favourite boffin (Michael Baker) says masks aren’t that essential anymore, you’ve got to wonder whose left supporting them. Add to that the fact they’re even up for discussion – the fact they’re now being talked about by the PM herself as something we may be able to review – and you can kiss the mandate goodbye. Because what happens when people in high places start questioning stuff, is that the general public get a whiff of it, and just go ahead and ditch them anyway. Where we live rurally, masks have been a distant memory for a while now. Most of our local shops don’t bother, it’s rare to see people in them, I’m not sure if other rural parts of the country are the same but I think it’s largely a city thing these days. Wellington I hear, (unsurprisingly) is still hot on masks, Auckland is hit and miss, some parts of the city still do them, others don’t bother. You certainly don’t get told off anymore if you wander into a shop without one. In fact more often than not if it’s an owner operated store the staff aren’t wearing them either, it’s just the chains and franchises like supermarkets who’re still having to wear them. But I was in a supermarket yesterday and the majority of shoppers were not in masks. And no one told them to put one on either. Schools are over it, both the teachers and the kids. The students are sick of wearing them, the teachers are sick of enforcing the wearing of them. I’m glad we’ve finally reached this point where losing the masks has gained momentum. I think it’s a lot to do with the borders opening and so many Kiwis getting out to travel and seeing for themselves that the rest of the world has moved on from Covid. Travelling around without a mask and then coming back to New Zealand and suddenly everyone has them on, feels weird, and more people are now realising that. That’s before we get to the tourists who arrive and go – what the heck's happening here. It makes us look backward and what we now know is that it is a factor in putting international visitors off. In fact our whole orange light is. I argued a couple of weeks ago that we needed to go to a green light and someone texted me and rightly said – why a green light? There should be no light system at all. And that’s true. It’s no longer relevant. And it feels like the Government’s finally getting to that point too. That coupled with the fact that all their polling will be telling them how over it people are. I think we, like Australia, will ditch the masks apart from places like maybe hospitals or rest homes and other high risk areas. But the decision won’t be because of health reasons or because Michael Baker said so, it’ll be because it’s politically advantageous to the Government to do so. When you’ve had a few weeks like this government's having, and momentum is slipping away from you at the pace it currently is, ditching masks and traffic lights suddenly becomes very politically attractive. The country needs some much needed positivity.. and a boost in our freedoms may be just the tonic needed for the Government to claw back a wee bit of support.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A claim tightening the Proceeds of Crime Act isn't the right way to deal with gangs. It's understood the Government will announce a law change which will make it easier for police to seize gang assets held under associate's names. The law will also make it harder for criminals to shelter money with KiwiSaver. National Party Police spokesperson Mark Mitchell told Kate Hawkesby while it's good to go after assets, it misses the bigger issue. “They are not going to make any tangible impact right now on the amount of gang violence and gun violence that we’re currently experiencing.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local Government New Zealand is hoping voters will get to know the candidates in the upcoming local body elections. It's an unprecedented move and comes amid reports of conspiracy theorists and extremists looking to get elected. Grant Duncan is an associate professor at Massey University, he joined Kate Hawkesby on Early Edition. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local body elections are upon us and there's concern at the number of so-called fringe candidates looking to get elected. Now the club for councils, Local Government New Zealand, is so worried about this, it's launched a campaign to get voters more engaged with the process. Which sounds a bit like they're saying ‘Hey, make sure you pick one of our approved people.’ And what is a fringe candidate anyway? Who is an extremist? Go back 25 years or so, and people were calling the ACT Party extreme right wingers; last election they got 10 seats, and these days they talk more sense than a lot of others. Go back 30 years and people were calling the Greens extreme lefties, some of them still are, but again, last election, they got 10 seats. Point is, everyone is entitled to have a shot at getting elected, pretty much anyone is entitled to stand. And when it comes to local bodies, if you stand, you have a fairly decent chance of getting elected. On average, across the country, the number of candidates per seat last time around was just over two, so if you stand, you've got a 50/50 shot. Turnouts are the issue with local elections. Only about 40 percent of us actually bother to vote and rural communities generally go better than the big centres. So does it matter if a few fringe people sneak onto local bodies, well, yes if they've lied to get in. But can they do much damage? Well, potentially, yes, local bodies have big budgets and they're responsible for some pretty important functions. And maybe if the mainstream parties had taken a little more interest in local politics, they might not be so worried now. If the so-called extremists start intruding on their turf, they have only themselves to blame.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Bill which would require public sector agencies to use clear and concise language is making progress in Parliament. Labour's Nelson MP Rachel Boyack's Plain Language Bill would require agencies to have a designated plain language officer. Rachel Boyack joined Kate Hawkesby on Early Edition. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So we've talked a bit about high absence rates among teachers and students at schools. This is due to Covid and other winter illnesses. We also know our literacy and numeracy rates are pretty appalling. So what are some solutions? Learncoach is a kiwi business that are launching its’ anti-cheating software, that allows students to do their assessments digitally and remotely. Founder and CEO David Cameron explains “There’s a surprising range of software, they need to have a camera and microphone on. But there’s also things measuring how they type compared to how they type beforehand.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A survey in the UK has found the majority of actors and voice talent feel that artificial intelligence is a threat to employment opportunities. This comes as more companies are using AI for voiceover work, instead of an actual person. More AI start-ups are developing tools for use in film and audio, including making AI voices that can be used for marketing campaigns. Toby Ricketts is an award winning voice artist and has recorded for some of the biggest businesses worldwide, such as Microsoft, Google, and even the United Nations. Toby knows the threat AI may pose going forward. “It’s kind of getting better every day. It’s not good at acting still and most of us can kind of tell an AI voice now, but it’s probably going to change soon.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s becoming more apparent every day that this Government is on its way out and I just wonder whether that’s why they’re spiralling now into the realm of the nutty. The KiwiSaver tax announcement certainly looked like it. And now the embarrassment of axing that within about 5 minutes of announcing it due to such widespread backlash. What a cluster. This is a government in real trouble, it's figured out opposition benches are calling them so they’re just going for broke on everything - until it gets enough backlash for them to pull a hard U-turn. It makes me wonder if any thought goes into any policy at all, ever. I just don't know how they’re so tone deaf. Their ability to try to barrel through policy that negatively impacts us, instead of doing anything that’s actually useful, is worrying. The KiwiSaver debacle was just the latest in the line-up of madness and it’s a long line. I was pleased Luxon said they’d repeal it and it should never see the light of day. It seems National’s reading the room a hell of a lot more accurately than Labour are. And it’s not like Labour’s not polling up the wazoo. The dollars on their polling are eye-watering, so for a party that spends that much time finding out what people think, you’d think they’d do better than throwing out policy ideas so bad they get wrenched back within 24 hours. And this one was a no brainer. How they didn't see the negative optics on it is beyond me. I mean what’s the one thing we’ve been told beyond a shadow of a doubt to do in this country? Save for retirement. Put money away, invest in KiwiSaver, save, save, save. Don’t be an unnecessary burden on society, squirrel it away for a rainy day and be proactive. And so we did. We responsibly worked and put aside money for retirement, only to have the ‘no new taxes’ crowd come along and go, oh actually, we’ll have a piece of that. So the hard working saver was going to get less in their back pocket, while the Government creamed off some more. Worse than the ridiculous idea in the first place, is the fact they clearly don’t think through the big picture. The optics of this were terrible from the get go. All it made people want to do was cancel their Kiwisaver. They would have had fewer people signing up for it, or people opting out, and boom it would have been an even bigger headache down the track with not enough people saving for retirement after all. The Nats called it as they saw it; a government addicted to spending, and we know this with the free-for-all spray around treatment of the cost of living payment. But trying to devalue our retirement savings was never a good plan, it was tacky and heartless. The Financial Services Council called the move ‘sub optimal’, and asked the Government to ‘rethink and re-consult’. But why didn't it consult properly in the first place? The arrogance with which this Government is behaving smacks of a third-term Helen Clark government telling us how much water we can have in our showers. When these muppets slid into power in 2020 with their huge ‘mandate’, could we ever have foreseen how out of control they would get in such a short time? They’re lucky to be a two-term government – thanks to Covid – but at this stage I don't think even another pandemic could save them. This is a circus that fewer and fewer of us want tickets to.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia has announced an update to their Covid isolation requirements- people will now only be required to isolate for 5 days instead of 7. Australian correspondent shares the public reaction and mass confusion with Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's still room for improvement when it comes to taxing investment fund fees... despite the Government pulling the pin on its GST on KiwiSaver fees proposal. The plan was axed less than 24 hours after it came to light following a wave of opposition. Deloitte tax partner Allan Bullot says there are two buckets here -- the KiwiSaver one, and the non-KiwiSaver one. He says the non-KiwiSaver side is messy - with swings and roundabouts on the tax front.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A theory the outpouring of grief would be much larger if Princess Diana died today. It's 25 years since the 36-year-old died in that Paris car crash. Her death highlights the relationship between the crowd and the Crown, and how that has evolved with the Royal Family today. Otago University anthropologist Dr Susan Wardell says social media might've enabled a more coordinated response en masse. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland mayoral candidate Wayne Brown is continuing to cast doubts on the value of the City Rail Link. He says the 4.4-billion dollar project was designed for a pre-Covid world, and won't deliver the benefits originally promised. “I think you’ll find when the city rail finishes, when the costs have gone up, the times have gone up, and the passengers will go down.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apparently a quarter of us intend to change jobs over the next 12 months. This would come as a shock to my dearly departed grandfather who worked at the Post Office his entire life and would never have dreamed of changing jobs. Back then when you had a job, it was for life. Not anymore. A workplace wellbeing survey of 1200 workers showed a large chunk of us feel undervalued, under supported, and under staffed at work. I can believe it. I don’t know anywhere that isn’t under staffed right now, we’re under staffed in here at the moment. It’s been a perfect storm for many employers- Covid, winter ills, long overdue trips overseas for people finally taking some annual leave and able to get out of the country. What it means for those left behind of course, is they have to pick up the slack, more work for them, fewer people to carry the load, and perhaps at a time where they're feeling fatigued with this post-Covid malaise we all seem to be suffering. External circumstances right now like a cost of living crisis and a looming recession puts a lot of pressure on people before they even get into their workplace, let’s be honest. And we know how hard it is to get staff right now, every sector in this country is crying out for help. Yet despite borders being open, help’s not coming. Add to this that the newer younger workforce coming through which simply expects more from their work. According to the survey, “78 per cent of respondents say flexible hours or hybrid working was most important." But how do already under the pump employers offer more flexi work schedules if they’re struggling for staff in the first place? Hybrid working is a by-product of Covid too. Getting to work from home was good for lots of people, many want that model to continue. In fact in the UK it’s been so hard to get people back into the office that the government’s faced with selling off whole office blocks now, as more public servants opt to work from home. Everybody wants wellbeing, but how do you define it? That’s a slippery slope many employers must be traversing at the moment. How much wellbeing is enough? How much is too much? And then if you don’t get enough wellbeing are you ‘quietly quitting’? I heard one commentator suggest quietly quitting is basically just adding some work life balance, working at a slower pace for your mental health. But if everybody just did the bare minimum and checked out mentally from their jobs we really would be in a race to the bottom, which is what it feels like in this country at the moment anyway. But is quiet quitting worse or better than actually quitting? Is an employee sitting there doing the bare minimum better than no employee at all? It’s sad if that’s what we’ve come to, just weighing up the lesser of two evils. I like that people care more about their wellbeing these days, but not if it ends up down a rabbit hole of never ending ‘wellbeing’ over and above doing any work. There’s a fine line. So with a quarter of us apparently changing jobs in the next year, I just wonder if we stay in that job, or if it's just a case of the grass is always greener and we're just going to rotate jobs more often now than we ever have? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An attempt to tidy up the GST charged on different investment products. The Government is planning to impose GST on Kiwisaver fees, which will give it an extra $225 million a year. Kiwisaver provider Pathfinder's Chief Executive John Berry told Kate Hawkesby unfortunately for investors, the tidy up is quite brutal. Modelling suggests it will raise fees and mean $103 billion fewer saved in accounts by 2070. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tweaks are being made to the cost of living payments. It comes after the Auditor-General wrote a scathing letter to Inland Revenue. The letter has essentially told IRD to get their act together, saying the process has been rushed, which resulted in compromised certainty and accuracy. With the next payments due on Thursday, questions have been asked as to whether enough has been done to solve the issues. National's spokesperson for finance Nicola Willis joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ram raids and joyrides are thought to be why car theft insurance claims are up. AA Insurance reveals car theft and attempted theft have increased by 36.5 percent nationally, and 43 percent in Auckland over the last 12 months. Head of motor claims Beau Paparoa says vehicles targeted tend to be of lower value, more than five years old and often parked on the street. He says it appears to be consistent with the increase in ramraids, but data also shows people are stealing cars simply to get from A to B. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Thomas Phillips first went missing into dense bush with his kids back in 2021, I wrote an editorial at the time saying police and welfare agencies weren’t taking it seriously enough in my view. There was a lot of talk at the time about leaving it to the community, leaving it to the family, trying to understand that rural New Zealand is different to what those of us in cities are used to. I was criticized by people who said worrying about three kids in the bush with their Dad was over the top, it was middle class angst, that the kids were “probably fine” and that they’d be used to being in the bush with their Dad. I argued that no matter how used to pig hunting or going bush with your Dad you are, being taken from your family against your will and without your Mum or anyone else’s knowledge was akin to kidnapping. That there should be more alarm around finding them, securing their safety, making sure they were well, and that was before we even got to the fact that these kids should be in school not sleeping rough in a bush. And not to forget all the police time and resources wasted looking for him, the local lives jeopardized by becoming bush hunters themselves looking for them all. But the chorus of those criticising me for being over the top was loud, and so they were very smug when he wandered out of the bush 17 days later with the kids seemingly fine, physically, anyway. So all’s well as can be, they assumed. But I argued at the time that agencies needed to step in and do more, that 17 days is in the bush was still potentially traumatic, that something was off here and that Tom Phillips should face some sort of consequence. ‘The family will sort it out’, many argued back. And here we are now. A couple of months later he was gone again - disappearing with the children a second time - and this time not for a few weeks, but for so far seven months and counting. The family are beside themselves. They’ve been searching, pleading with locals to search as well, they launched a petition asking for Police and Oranga Tamariki to step up their efforts. They’re worried the kids will be malnourished and say they’re “not used to that life”. Oh, so it turns out just because kids grow up in a rural area, they’re not “used to that life”.. as those sitting pretty in the city wrongly assumed they might be. The mother, who’s desperate, said it’s hard to believe they’re back in the same situation. I bet. But also, where was the wrap around service and care for this family after the first disappearance? Why were agencies so reluctant to step in and get amongst this? Why did Police just lay a ‘wasting our time’ charge and sit around waiting for a court date, which by the time it rolled around he’d vanished for anyway. When this family’s vanishing act presented itself first time round, many wanted to believe it was just a rural adventure and we shouldn’t worry about it. The tone from people was to just calm down, leave it to them and stay out of their business. That ‘she’ll be right mate’ attitude, may well be what got us to where we are now. With three kids missing (again) and their mother beside herself. So I said it last time and I’ll say it again, this is not a ‘rural’ issue, this is a parenting issue. This is a parent failing his kids. Police and other agencies need to get involved – and fast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA's mission control will meet tomorrow to discuss their next moves, if they can get the engine problems under control. The next-generation rocket programme was meant to blast off last night from Florida's Cape Canaveral, but was delayed due to an engine bleed. US correspondent Anna Burns-Francis told Kate Hawkesby it doesn't look like this will be an easy fix. She says NASA has four days to make a decision, but there is no word yet on whether they'll go ahead with the save the date on Saturday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB sports reader Kate Wells joined Kate Hawkesby for a wrap of the weekend's sporting action. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Waikato horse riders are continuing their fight to be able to ride their animals on Raglan's beaches. In 2020, the local council began enforcing a by-law banning horses and vehicles on the main beach, but a procedural error means it's not legal. The council is now planning to create a new by-law to rectify its mistake, and block horse access to beaches again. Horse Advocates Access Waikato Secretary Sarah McKinlay says it's a blow to local riders. She told Kate Hawkesby it's estimated 20 percent of the country's equine population is in the Waikato region. McKinlay says there's a lack of safe spaces for the public to ride their horses, despite the massive figure. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A victims' advocate is joining calls for an overhaul of the youth-justice system. National wants tougher penalties for young people who commit robberies and ram raids. It says while there's been a halving of prosecutions of young people since 2017 – ram raids have increased 518 percent under Labour's watch. Ruth Money told Kate Hawkesby tougher punishments aren't the solution, as there are major systemic issues in the way young offenders are dealt with. She says better resourcing is needed, and it's not as simple as putting offenders through an Oranga Tamariki-run family group conference. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“All I do is cry” was the quote that broke my heart over the weekend. The ODT had a story about the state of Queenstown at the moment, and it talked to café and restaurant owners who’re still in dire straits over lack of staff. They claim there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, and that this is worse than Covid was. Hospitality NZ’s regional manager was quoted as saying that it’s such a pressure cooker situation that, ''It's becoming a luxury for our operators to open at the moment.'' Imagine that. A luxury to even open your doors. As a business, that has to be soul destroying. They’re over worked, under staffed and burning out. And I feel for them. Because they’ve been promised time and time again that it will get fixed, and it just isn’t getting fixed. So much so, that some operators are leaving hospo altogether. One café operator said that .. ''chefs don't want to be chefs anymore — [they’ll] go work as a labourer instead, and they get paid really, really well to do that.'' Even though this café owner argues she still pays top end. Famous Queenstown establishment The Cow, it’s co-owner said the same thing, ..”there are no new people at all, you could put an ad out, '$100 an hour, they're not going to turn up… in 21 years ''I've never seen anything like this before..” He’s apparently now having to close two nights a week. And that’s a familiar story for many operators, not just hospo. I heard from friends returning from Queenstown the other day that they were shocked at how much was shut, how many cafes were closed, or operating at half steam still, how many shops had staff wanted signs in their windows, how down and out many of the business owners were. The vibe had changed they said, it felt different and it felt desperate. And that’s because they are desperate. And they don’t see an end in sight. One of the café owners said.. ''We've got people that want to come and work for us but they can't find anywhere to live, so they're now looking for jobs that have accommodation with them.'' She said it’s ‘more stressful than Covid 'because at least [with Covid] you knew when you were going to get out of it, but this, you just don't know.'' So they’re at breaking point many of them, without a way out. They’re not the Government’s biggest fans, as you can imagine. Lone Star’s owner slammed the Government for its ''lack of conviction to try and fix it''. And that’s got to sting because it’s not like they haven’t been banging on about how bad it is for a long time, it’s not like Ministers don’t know what’s happening in Queenstown. ‘Restricting the labour market to drive up wages’, as Lone Star’s owner accuses the Government of doing, isn’t working. As The Cow’s co-owner said, it’s not about how much you pay, it’s the fact there’s nobody there to pay it to. There’s just no workforce. So how bad does it have to get, before the Government actually gets more people into this country? Not just 'opening up opportunities’ for them to come, but actually getting them in. Aged care, tourism and the health sector I'm sure would love to know the answer to that question too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Toni Street has a brand new podcast called We Need To Talk. I was a guest on the first episode of the season, and this is the conversation Toni and I had about recovering from Covid, Dogs and Nutrition. I hope you enjoy it! If you like what you hear, follow We Need To Talk With Toni Street here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you know we can start voting for our mayors and local councillors in about a month's time? Are you going to? Apathy is the problem with local body elections. Always has been. We don’t know who anyone is, we can’t be bothered, we don’t care. But actually, we do care about our communities don't we? Don’t we care about what's happening to our local shops and our streets at the moment? I know particularly for Auckland, it's so depressing watching the decline of our city, the ram raids, the graffiti, the closed up shops, the struggling cafes, the road works, OMG the road works - you can’t move around Auckland without encountering road cones. All the new sets of traffic lights going in, new speed humps, new elongated pedestrian areas are an absolute cluster - makes the city impossible to drive around. And they seem to be never ending in every city – digging up more road to take it off cars and give it to pedestrians or bikes. I wish they’d fix the potholes and the terrible state of our roads before they did all that, but priorities seem a little off. This is why it’s so important to vote. I had to drop my daughter three suburbs away the other day - usually a 20 minute drive, it took 40 minutes... to cross three suburbs. Who has time for this? It’s so unproductive. The roadworks, the congestion, the new road layouts which mean fewer spaces for cars is making it really hard to get around. Which is what they want of course, they want us all out of our cars. But it’s a gnarly way of doing it. And I haven’t really seen enough from candidates objecting to all this and speaking out against what Waka Kotahi’s doing, there seems either a malaise or a general acceptance that this is just how it is now. I’d vote for whoever came out and said you know what? The traffic and the congestion and the road layouts suck. We will do better, we will fix the roads for motorists. But no one will say that because it's sacrilege these days to defend cars. And it’s not even like they’re doing a good job of all these road and pavement changes. A new set of traffic lights is currently going into Auckland’s busy Newmarket – these new lights are about 200 metres from another set of traffic lights – go figure. It'll unquestionably bring a busy shopping precinct to a halt traffic-wise. But when AT first cut up the road and started laying their new foundations, local businesses said wait a minute, that doesn’t look right – where’s the run off for rain, what if water pools into shops? AT had a look at it apparently and said, nope, she’s all good mate, modelling shows it’ll be fine. (Good old modelling). First big downpour came and what do you reckon happened? Water pooling everywhere and now AT has to cut the pavement back up and re-lay it properly. This is time and money-wasting bollocks. So we want to vote for people who'll get vocal on stuff like this, people who'll be proactive on things like the potholes in our rural communities. But how do we vote for people who'll get vocal on our behalf? Hard when no one wants to stand for Council. So the same old candidates get voted in unopposed. Those of us who can need to, 1) stand for council if we're able, and 2) at the very least, vote.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doom and gloom is on the economic horizon. Higher interest rates, lower spending and low population growth are all pointing towards a higher chance of recession for the first two quarters of the year. Westpac Senior Economist Satish Ranchhod says while he thinks there won't be a recession, our growth will be soft. He told Kate Hawkesby he's expecting a pretty weak end to the year in retail spending. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dairy owners fear someone will die as ram raids surge. There's been a 400 percent increase in the crime in the last five years, with the Police Minister revealing it's happened 129 times since May. Chris Hipkins has also confirmed almost all of these people are under 18 years old, with the median age being 15. Dairy and Business Owners Group Chair Sunny Kaushal told Kate Hawkesby we need a solution now. He says if we don't get on top of this soon, we will create a generation where crime is normalised. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is Daffodil Day. And for the first time in two years, the famous Daffodil Day street collections will be making a comeback. And with more Kiwis getting cancer this year than ever before, there's an increased need for support. Cancer Society NZ National chief executive Lucy Elwood joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the wake of a couple of revealing surveys, I’m pleased to see businesses agitating for change a bit more. I’m talking about the traffic light system. Two surveys recently showed how much we’re fed up with all this. TV1 had a survey showing 65 percent of us want all Covid restrictions dropped, not surprising at all. Then a survey the Government did showed them the reality of what’s going on – fewer of us are wearing masks, fewer of us are reporting RAT results, fewer of us are willing to isolate for seven days. So given that, why are we still sitting in Orange with all these restrictions? We’re over it. And so it turns out are international tourists. If we truly want to be an open country, ready for business and tourism and holiday makers, then we need to unshackle ourselves from all this ideology keeping us looking like a hermit kingdom. “Global hotels and management operator Accor wants New Zealand to move to a green light setting as the industry works to bring international tourism back to pre-pandemic levels..” it was reported yesterday, they want to get the message out that we are indeed “fully completely open” for business. Accor Pacific’s Chief Exec was reported as saying that ‘green is that signal.’ She also said that, “some tourists were cautious about travelling to New Zealand under the orange light status.” And I’m not surprised, it’s out of kilter with where the rest of the world is at, it makes it look like we have a problem, which we don’t, it makes us look backward and introspective. No one feels that more acutely than the Kiwis currently all returning from their overseas jaunts to Europe or warmer climes. Having gallivanted around the world mask-less and without any news of Covid interrupting them, they come home only to be greeted by a bunch of people in masks handing them RATs. One to do straight away and one to do in seven more days’ time and to self-report on. How many do you reckon are doing that? My hunch is zero. Not even the acolytes are doing it. But if we are trying to be truly competitive and get back to pre-pandemic levels with tourism and travel, then surely we have no choice but to remove all this bureaucracy and BS. Accor for their part [were reported saying] that, we’re “competing with the rest of the world for international tourists and [we] needed to make it clear that it was easy for tourists to come and go.” We’re not though. We’re flagging impediments like RATs on arrival and masking up and being in an Orange setting – and that’s before we get to the part where many people won’t have a clue what that is, all they’ll know is that it doesn’t sound fully open. Two of our kids are travelling right now, one in the States, one in Europe, both say when people hear they’re Kiwis their first response is ‘oh you guys have been locked down for ages right?’.. They go on to ask why NZ is still closed, that’s their impression. We used to be known internationally for the All Blacks or Lord of the Rings, but sadly now when people hear you’re a Kiwi the first thing they mention is Covid and being shut. Cool. Great reputation that is for our little slice of what used to be paradise. It needs to change fast, and I just hope more businesses start to get more vocal with this Government on fixing it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More calls have come for reduced taxes to help ease supermarket prices. The Government will force Foodstuffs and Countdown to sell groceries to competitors at regulated prices, if they don't supply them on the wholesale market fairly. Retail NZ Chief Executive Greg Harford says the real problem is how expensive it is for new businesses to enter the market. He told Kate Hawkesby the best way to reduce supermarket prices, would be to drop GST. Harford says consumers spend an average of four-thousand dollars a year on groceries and very close to that paying the Government in GST. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disturbing figures from the Abuse in Care Inquiry. A report has found one in three children in state care end up in prison later in life. For Māori , 42 percent serve custodial sentences as adults. Voyce Whakarongo Mai advocates for children in care. Spokesperson Tupua Urlich told Kate Hawkesby he's not surprised by the figures. He says if you take a young person and fill their childhood with trauma and abuse, and they go without support, that does show up later in their lives. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Far North health provider has made the "very difficult decision" to close its after-hours services temporarily due to ongoing staff shortages. There will be no doctor available on-site at Rawene Hospital after hours from 5pm to 8am Monday to Sunday, starting next week. Hauora Hokianga announced the planned closure with "great reluctance" on Tuesday morning in a Facebook post by chief executive Margareth Broodkoorn. "Over the past couple of years, Hauora Hokianga has been challenged with the recruitment of our health workforce and more recently is facing critical medical and nursing workforce issues which are impacting our ability to provide services. Rural GP and Associate Dean Rural Health at Auckland University Dr Kyle Eggleton joined Kate Hawkesby to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Windsor has reportedly gone to his mother Queen Elizabeth II and asked for a new role within the royal family. This comes as he retired from official duties in 2019 over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. But now he's apparently informed the Queen that he can't spend the rest of his days sitting around and riding horses. But is there any pathway for him to come back? Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams joined Early Edition. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think what the protesters did yesterday was remind most of us that we’re not interested in going backwards, as a country. And it felt like that’s what yesterday’s protest was doing. Going backwards. Banal pleas like locking up the PM, ‘when I say Cindy, you say jail time’ was one of the chants. And while I’m as sick of the Prime Minister as you are, this ain’t it. This is not how you effect change, this is not how you get people on board. It’s certainly not how you get rid of a Prime Minister. To be a great leader, or to even gather a credible movement, you need to have buy in from a large swathe of people, not just your cultist followers who’d go anywhere and chant anything for you. Which is what the rabble yesterday looked like. It looked like a fringe event, filled with Destiny Church followers who would march anywhere if Bishop Brian was at the front. The annoying thing is, for all the people who say – well you’re the media, you shouldn’t be covering it, why are you giving them airtime?’ The problem is, news likes good pics - and protests, banners, crowds and flags make good pics. They also cause a lot of inconvenience which needs reporting too, like closed roads or diverted bus services. And the fact that it’s at Parliament – it all adds up to newsworthy and they know it. It gets the attention they want it to get, but does it get the results? Will they really get the PM locked up? Of course not. Are they seriously thinking the Government will drop all mandates just because they say so? Again, no. As for the ‘hands off our children’ placards, what hands are on whose children? There’s a lack of clarity in the messaging, shouting ‘freedom’ and ‘enough is enough’.. freedom from what? Masks? Look I agree with them on that front, we need to move on from the traffic light and the mask mandates, the rest of the world has, but I don’t think we have no freedom because of that. And I don’t think this is the way to go about getting rid of them. Other chants included, ‘Beehive bullies must go’… Government must go’.. Trevor Mallard must go too apparently – well he’s already off anyway to his cushy number in Ireland, but Brian Tamaki wants wife Hannah to have that job. Not sure that’s going to take off, but like I said, a lot of messages. They were calling for a snap election – they held a ‘people’s court’ to charge the Government with crimes against humanity. Then Tamaki announced a new umbrella political party and they all dispersed relatively peacefully by mid-afternoon. So let’s hope that’s the end of it. I didn’t appreciate them blocking the motorways in Auckland and cutting off traffic to busy shopping precinct Newmarket a couple of weeks ago, I’m sure Wellingtonians didn’t appreciate the disruption they endured either. And that’s the nub of all this. It really doesn’t affect the politicians who just carried on about their business expelling Sharma, but it did affect commuters, students and local businesses. All that 'people’s court' and trying to get the Prime Minister ‘locked up’ is not effective protesting, it's just a group of disgruntled people letting off steam.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trevor Mallard could go down as one of New Zealand's most contentious Speakers. He's moving on from the post to become Ambassador to Ireland, to be replaced by current deputy Adrian Rurawhe. Newstalk ZB's Deputy political editor Jason Walls told Kate Hawkesby Mallard's tenure has not been without controversy, including making a false rape allegation several years ago. He says a phrase thrown around is "poacher turned gatekeeper" because Mallard went from being one of the worst behaved MPs to being in charge of them all. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not-for-profit organisations running on the smell of an oily rag are taking aim at the Government over a lack of financial support. Plunket is being forced to sell its assets and cut services due to inadequate funding. Outgoing chief executive Amanda Malu has written a scathing op-ed saying not-for-profit services are being deliberately under-funded by successive governments. Grant Thornton Non-For-Profit Services Co-Leader Barry Baker told Kate Hawkesby these services do well managing the finances they have. He says when factors such as inflation are taken into account, organisations have to cut services or they'll fall away altogether. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The amalgamation of Wellington, Porirua and Lower Hutt is being put back on the table. A pre-election Wellington Chamber of Commerce report, released exclusively to our newsroom, reveals business leaders would like the three cities to merge. A previous merger proposal was axed by Wellington in 2015. But Porirua Mayor Anita Baker, a supporter of amalgamation, told Kate Hawkesby it should be revisited. She says with Transmission Gully, the whole region is now very connected, and becoming one city makes a lot of sense. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keeping Kiwibank New Zealand publicly owned has been dubbed a political move. The Government has announced its intent to purchase 100 percent of Kiwibank for $2.1 billion. Massey University banking expert David Tripe told Kate Hawkesby the purchase is a risk. He says many of the state owned banks around the world have been financial failures. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.