Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

The red meat sector is urging the Government to support the alternative to the Emissions Trading Scheme.Overseen by He Waka Eke Noa, it would see those in the agricultural sector assess their own liability for levies.It also looks at rebates for any effort to reduce emissions for things like planting trees.Meat Industry Association Chief Executive Sirma Karapeeva told Tim Dower the ETS treats everything in the same way.She says with the ETS, there are no incentives, no encouragement and no ability to tweak operations to do better and adjust.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rush to home school our children that happened during the pandemic seems to be running out of steam.Applications peaked last November, now though; rural schools are seeing enrolment applications bounce back.Principal at Tauriko School just outside Tauranga is Suzanne Billington who joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The idea of remote earning is being expanded to overseas.Tech companies overseas already hire remote workers to take advantage of lower pay rates, but this is being expanded into sectors like law and accounting.Immigration lawyer Aaron Martin says there are trained lawyers working remotely here for British law firms, to take advantage of time zone differences.He told Tim Dower that it creates an entrepreneurial bent to people's lifestyles, and if people want to get involved, they can find it lucrative, diverse and rewarding.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a sense of if you can't beat them join them about this He Waka Eke Noa scenario.Farmers don't like it much, but they do know they're not going to be excused from facing up to agricultural emissions forever.Sooner or later, regulation is coming, so it makes sense to be proactive and try to influence things as much as you can.The alternative is to have some bureaucrat in Wellington who doesn't even own gumboots conjure up something crazy that'll cost a fortune, and won't make any difference.The bare bones of this system is that every farm that's GST registered and has more than 550 animals; or 50 dairy cattle; or 700 swine; or 50,000 poultry will be liable.It's a self-assessment system and it recognises carbon sequestration on the farm and any other emissions cutting efforts.To me, this represents a turning point in the relationship and confirms the agricultural sector has recognised it needs to get on the front foot here.There's still a long way to go. We don't know what the Government thinks yet and already people like Greenpeace are dissing these ideas.You get the impression they want us to stop farming altogether and just grow native trees, maybe they'll grow money on these trees one day.Bottom line; He Waka Eke Noa isn't necessarily perfect, but it's a stake in the ground.And I'm always mindful of what my Mum said about bashing farmers; something along the lines of it being rude to talk with your mouth full.In our case it's not just full mouths. It's exports and a viable economy, farming is New Zealand's bread and butter and it doesn't hurt us to remember that.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's 501 deportation policy will be back under the spotlight when the Prime Minister heads across the Tasman.Jacinda Ardern will travel across the ditch to meet with new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tomorrow.Otago University international relations expert Robert Patman told Tim Dower the Prime Minister has a fighting chance at getting change.He says Albanese has already indicated he won't be changing the policy per se, but he might be open to looking - in greater depth - at individual circumstances.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a long weekend, the idea of a regular four day working week often sounds more tempting.In the UK, more than 3000 workers are taking part in the world's largest trial of the four day week.They'll get their normal pay, as long as they can maintain productivity.Andrew Barnes is the Kiwi that helped launch The 4 Day Week global movement and he joined Kate Hawkesby from the UK.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We don't need to revisit the injustice of Australia's 501 deportation policy - and how destructive it's been on this side of the Tasman.It's eight years now since the deportations began, it applies to any foreign citizen who gets a jail sentence of a year or more.The vast majority have been New Zealanders, well into the thousands now - and of course Australia's not just deporting the people, it's deporting the crime they commit.Our police attribute more than criminal 8000 offences to 501s so far including violence, drugs, dishonesty and even sexual crimes.And that’s to say nothing of the explosion in the gangs.It all began when John Key was Prime Minister, he tried to fight it, saying it goes against the "Anzac bond and Anzac spirit".And while his government was more ideologically aligned with the Aussie regime at the time, he got nowhere.The problem for us is that the Australian public really likes the 501 policy.Scott Morrison was looking at making the rules even tougher, just ahead of their election.Now, Anthony Albanese may be cut from a different political cloth, but he too knows it's a big vote winner.You've seen the TV coverage ‘taking out the trash’, that's how it's perceived by the Aussie public.A Prime Minister who was seen to be dialling back on that would be seen as 'soft on crime'.Australian Prime Ministers know it's not good to be seen as 'soft on crime'.Now, Jacinda Ardern has called the 501 policy 'corrosive' in the past - most of us would agree with that.But the PM got nothing out of Scott Morrison and I suspect she knows in her heart she won't get much, if anything, out of Albanese.So why bother?Well, it comes back to that perception of being 'soft' - the PM knows she has to work on that.But is it cynical on her part, to raise hopes here of getting some kind of concession this time around? Well, that's for you to decide.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nathan Brown and his family live by a golden rule: stick together. It saw them relocate several times in Brown's 20-year career as a rugby league head coach, and ultimately saw his tenure as head coach of the Warriors come to an end.Brown was relieved of his role with the club earlier this week after he informed them he would not be able to move to New Zealand to see out the final year of his contract in 2023. The revelation came following a discussion with his family more than a month ago.Speaking on Fox Sports' NRL 360, Brown said while his son was happy to move anywhere, his daughters did not want to move away from their current home in Sydney and that made the next move in his career an easy one."My wife informed me that my two oldest daughters weren't prepared to move to New Zealand and my youngest daughter said she wanted to live with her sisters," Brown said. "Basically, I said to them 'well, that's pretty much the end of my coaching career.'"We're a family that have done everything together...we've always operated together and that's been our golden rule. There are a lot of people in professional sport; head coaches I suppose all over the world that relationships become a bit of a statistic because work becomes more important, and I'm just not prepared to do that."Brown informed the club of his position about a fortnight ago and after thinking things over the club ultimately decided that parting ways immediately was what was best for them, promoting assistant coach Stacey Jones in the interim as they begin their search for a new permanent head coach.The decision did not come as a surprise to Brown, who admitted he told his family that the club would likely move quickly after learning he wouldn't be around in 2023."Whether I had won the last two games or not, the news would have come as it was because they're really good people, they know what they want and they're a club that's moving forward."After taking over the struggling club in 2021, Brown had some work to do in order to try turn the team around. In two seasons at the helm, he coached the team to a 12-25 record; finishing 12th in 2021 and currently sitting 13th this season.However, looking further afield than the on-field performances of the club, Brown is leaving the team in a better position than when he inherited it in terms of talent. While the Warriors have had some misses with the recruitment in the past couple of seasons – with Matt Lodge and Euan Aitken both also telling the club they would not move to New Zealand – the have inked several exciting talents under Brown's watch.With young players oozing potential in Reece Walsh and Ronald Volkman, to the established first-graders Marata Niukore (Parramatta Eels), Mitchell Barnett (Newcastle Knights), Luke Metcalf (Cronulla Sharks) and Dylan Walker (Manly Sea Eagles) joining the team next season, there will be a bit more to work with for whoever might take the reins from 2023 onwards."It wasn't a hard job from the point of view of where we were salary cup-wise...it's a hard point in actually recruiting. Getting players to come to a club when you're down low – and the Warriors have been down low for about 10 or 11 years – so that's not easy," Brown told NRL 360."I feel really good that we've got the right players coming to help the Warriors. Unfortunately, I won't be there to coach them, but I think the next coach is going to get a good job and, at the end of the day, for me personally, that's an important thing."At every club I've been at, the new coach has got a far better job than I got given and that's important for me. That's the kind of coach I am. Not all of us can win premierships; some just help clubs and that's the way it is. You have to be comfortable with who you are."Despite vacancies opening up with two of the Sydney-based clubs (Wests Tigers, Canterbury Bulldogs) Brown confirmed his career as a head coach had...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Central businesses feel let down by the targeted hardship fund.Only just over half of applications to the CRL Targeted Hardship Fund has been paid or accepted.Auckland Council and The Crown set up the fund in September last year to help inner-city businesses affected by City Rail Link construction.The fund has paid out more than $1 million as of last Friday.Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive Michael Barnett told Tim Dower the environment businesses operate in has been taken away from them.“They deserve support and instead, they’ve had hope dangled in front of them and then taken away.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The misfiring Warriors are set for another significant blow amid reports coach Nathan Brown could quit the NRL club as early as today.According to The Daily Telegraph, Brown is on the verge of resigning despite having another year left on his contract after telling the club he won't relocate to Auckland permanently.The 48-year-old lives in Australia, where the Warriors have been based for the past two seasons due to earlier Covid-enforced travel restrictions between the two countries.The Warriors are expected to return to New Zealand in two weeks for their first home game since August 2019. Brown's current deal expires at the end of 2023.The Daily Telegraph reports Brown has called an emergency meeting with Warriors owner Mark Robinson and CEO Cameron George at 11am today.The newspaper reports assistant coach and Kiwis great Stacey Jones is in line to take over as a replacement.If Jones takes over he would become the Warriors' fourth coach in three years.Brown, who took over from Todd Payten last year, has endured a nightmare run as head coach this season with the team slumping to a fifth straight defeat with their 44-12 to the Sea Eagles at the weekend.The club is currently languishing in 14th place on the table, with only four victories in 13 games.The Warriors have a 35.4 percent winning record under Brown but all of those games have been played in Australia. He didn't exactly bring a winning pedigree to the role. He was fired by the Newcastle Knights, with a 26 percent winning record, near the end of the 2019 season after also going through a five-game losing streak.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Health Ministry is in the spotlight this morning, over the database it used to keep tabs on Covid vaccinations.Apparently, the Ministry went with its usual 'we know best' approach.At the time, the guys over at Stats NZ were saying, “here, use this database, it's much more up to date”.Health of course said, “nah nah, we're good, we've got this one, we know best”.End of the day, it looks like we've overstated the national Covid vaccination rate, although the Ministry says it's confident we'll still come out at more than 90 per cent.Now I'll bet most people hearing this will be saying “well, so what does it really matter if we got to 95 per cent or 90 per cent?”Didn't stop the virus getting in, didn't stop it spreading, and so far-reaching more than a million of us.Anyway, now we've got Stats NZ telling the Health Ministry they've stuffed up the data.Stats NZ of course being the government department that stuffed up the 2018 census so badly, the chief executive had to fall on her sword.You know, the department that basically has one job once every five years and by its own admission, couldn't get that right.But back to the Covid jabs.Does it matter if we got 95 per cent, 90 per cent, or less than that?I don't think it's that important.What does matter is that anyone who wanted to get a jab could get a jab, there was ample opportunity to do so, and it cost the patient nothing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stats NZ will conduct a peer review of our vaccine numbers as questions are asked about their accuracy.The vaccination rate for people aged over 12 is calculated on those who were that age prior to June 30 2020 and had accessed health services that year.That means anyone any age might not have been counted in the early numbers if they didn't access the health system that year.National Māori Authority Chair Matthew Tukaki told Tim Dower we need to get a handle on what this means.“What does our health system look like in terms of the collection of this data to make rapid-fire decisions?”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boris Johnson is facing a challenge for his leadership.The British Prime Minister is facing a no-confidence vote in the coming hours, with a growing number of Conservative MPs concerned about the Partygate scandal.UK correspondent Gavin Grey says it's a blow for Johnson's mandate to govern.He told Tim Dower while Johnson's expected to survive today's vote, there's no guarantee he will.“Apparently on street polls, about 60 per cent of people think Boris Johnson should resign, and of course, the MPs worried about getting re-elected at some point.”We're expecting the outcome of the vote at about 8am.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's Newtown cycleway is back in the news.This is the cycleway already under construction from Newtown to Courtenay Place - and it's getting rid of some carparks in the process.Six car companies are now trying to fight the progress by bringing a legal case, according to transport advocates.Laura Newcombe, owner of Four Seasons Florist says her business will be heavily impacted if the car parks outside her shop getting taken away.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Praise for the NZ Rugby and Silver Lakes deal two years in the making.New Zealand's 26 provincial rugby unions have voted 89 votes to one to accept the $200 million investment.The American private equity firm will control all revenue-generating assets of NZR.Halo Sports Management Chief Executive Simon Porter told Kate Hawkesby he never doubted the deal would eventually go through.“It’s got everyone’s consent, so everyone has signed up to this thing now so everyone’s got to focus on working together and making it work.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone’s chucked in their two cents worth over the Johnny Depp win in his defamation case against Amber Heard, but here’s a couple of things that resonated for me.One, we have come so far down a dangerous and slippery slope on judging people guilty until proven innocent, that it’s actually devastating for those accused who are innocent. Many of them would not have the wherewithal, money or ability to seek truth in court like Depp did, and I’m glad he did it. We have a society where the court of public opinion reigns supreme. You are cancelled within about ten minutes of an allegation, and that’s a very dangerous precedent, which must terrify a lot of men. So in taking this case through an actual court, Johnny both won there, and in the court of public opinion, which is a testament to the power of truth.Secondly, the ‘believe ALL women’ slogan needs a rethink.It seems obnoxious to blanketly say, “believe all women,” just because women say so.Does that not demean all women? Are we not allowed to make up our own minds based on evidence and facts presented? Why should we just believe everybody – when clearly not everybody, is actually telling the truth. And before the Feminazi rain down all over me, I’m not saying don’t believe all women, I’m just saying let’s look at the evidence and run an innocent until proven guilty approach first... rather than the other way around. This trial, even by the main players own admissions, was sordid and ugly. It was such a disgusting train wreck of tittle tattle it had the world gripped. But what it did in the end was show that truth wins. And for that Johnny Depp has done many wrongly accused a favour.He’s also obviously done himself a favour in that he’s managed to restore much of his reputation, garner support, and by the looks of things, get a whole new lease on life. I don’t begrudge him that, he deserves it.Even Amber Heard said she just wished he’d get on with his life, although I’m sure now that he is, there’ll be more pot shots lobbed and more to come from her over the coming weeks as she probably unloads her side of the story to a scintillated media.Disney clearly won’t be getting Depp back, there appears no love lost there, so whether he can resurrect some kind of movie career remains to be seen, but there’ll potentially be other networks who snap him up.A comeback and a second chance seems only fair.But the other disturbing thing I found was, in Amber Heard’s post-verdict press statement, she said that this was a setback for ALL women. It's not. But it’s definitely something the ardent feminists will grab onto. They will push that narrative because it’s rooted in hatred and distrust of men, rather than any sense of justice or having an open mind. I’ll tell you what is a setback for all women, Amber Heard making up lies and making serious criminal allegations of domestic abuse, which just don’t stack up.That’s what’s not only a setback for women, but deeply insulting to every real victim of abuse.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand have surged back from adversity on the opening day of the first test against England at Lord's.The visitors were dismissed for 132 and looked to have conceded first innings honours to the hosts who reached 59 without loss and kept the momentum going to 92 for two.Then, in the space of 28 balls, the world champions took five wickets for eight runs to reshape the balance of the match.England were 116 for seven at stumps with Ben Foakes and Stuart Broad the not-out batsmen.The attack of Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme and Kyle Jamieson shared the spoils by bowling in attacking partnerships.Initially, the value of a first-class diet leading into the test series made a robust case.The host XI featured 10 players – with Jonny Bairstow the Indian Premier League returning exception – who have toiled in white through the English autumn.The visitors had two – Will Young for Northamptonshire and Colin de Grandhomme for Surrey – slotting into that category.De Grandhomme top-scoring with 42 not out felt like no accident. The Black Caps' anaemic effort was riddled with tentativeness and indecision, which saw the top four each offer spoils to the slip cordon to reduce them to 12 for four.Captain Kane Williamson won the toss and made what appeared a logical decision to bat. The taupe pitch looked ripe for runs, on the proviso the first session could be negotiated.England's pace bowler custodians James Anderson and Broad, along with debutant Matthew Potts, ensured it couldn't. Youngster Matthew Potts took four wickets on debut for England. Photo / PhotosportSmarting from recent dubious handling by the selectors, the rhythm of Anderson and tenacity of Broad unleashed contagion on the New Zealand dressing room before Potts brought unbridled bustle.The instruction from the new coach-captain combination of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes to play with freedom helped release any pent-up tactical confusion - although the same policy had limits with the bat.Bairstow contributed to the domination with three catches at third slip as part of a cordon which eventually peaked at five slips and a gully. A leg slip also cameoed at one point as the attacking umbrella bloomed.One can only imagine the rustling of gear bags, crackling of velcro and the clattering of spikes down the home and visitors' stairwells in the pavilion across the day with 17 wickets falling and players turning the bacon-and-egg tie clad Long Room into a revolving door.Tellingly in the Black Caps innings, 59 of the first 66 balls leading to the first drinks were dots or wickets. New Zealand's batting was guilty of hesitancy outside off stump, but England executed their bowling and fielding with precision.The Black Caps top order formed what resembled a Fibonacci sequence – Will Young 1, Tom Latham 1, Kane Williamson 2, Devon Conway 3. Oh, the relief when Daryl Mitchell moved from five to nine with a rare boundary.That joy was brief.The knowledgeable Lord's crowd had just finished a round of applause as New Zealand moved to 27 for four – past their own world record lowest score of 26 from 1955 - when Mitchell chopped on to Potts for 13.The right-armer also had Williamson caught behind by Ben Foakes. The captain's soft hands failed him once too often.Potts also seared through Tom Blundell's stumps for 14 and pouched two catches at long leg off Anderson before an adoring Mound Stand.He took four for 13 from 9.2 overs before suffering cramp. Anderson finished with four for 66 from 16 overs.New Zealand had already endured what they hoped was a cosmetic blemish, slipping to 19 for six against the First-Class Counties XI at Chelmsford, so this presented a further blow to their batting credibility.The argument that McCullum's appointment might have spooked the visitors is also too simplistic.In a global cricketing...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research shows taxes on sugary drinks, result in a drop in sales by 15 per cent.AUT Emeritus Professor of Nutrition Elaine Rush told Kate Hawkesby how much things cost matters.She says price is the biggest factor in most purchasing decisions.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More money to go down the drain, as Christchurch City Council prepares for another round of consultation over the city's costly stadium.Some Cantabrians are angered by the latest setback, with the budget's blow out up to $150 million.The projected new price tag is now at least $673 million.Christchurch Central Business Association chair Annabel Turley told Kate Hawkesby they've been given a large chunk of funding by the Government for the project.She says if a person was given a big sum of money to buy a new home, they wouldn't wait and put it out for consultation as the price goes up.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My brother travels a lot, both for work and to visit family – my nephew's studying in the US. So he’s made about three trips during the pandemic, done MIQ twice, and since MIQ was dropped he’s made about three more trips, he left again on another one yesterday. Given I’m not flying anywhere I always appreciate the update on his experiences. Yesterday, he sends me a text from the airport, he’s mad. Mad because all the stuff he’s moaned about on all his previous trips are still not fixed or addressed, in fact he reckons it’s the worst it’s ever been. How’s that possible? Given we keep hearing from Auckland airport that they’re stepping up their game, given we keep hearing from Air NZ that they’re looking to streamline services, given we keep hearing from the Government that they want to make it smoother for people to travel. Newsflash – it’s still not any of those things. My brother got to the airport to discover, one, that all the retail is still shut, it’s a ghost town. Why?And two, that the Koru lounge is still heaving, but lacking the food and drinks to accommodate all the people.The people travelling are not business people either, he says they’re old people, young families and young couples, in other words, pent up holiday makers heading off probably to the islands to sit in some sun and feel like they’ve had a break outside of New Zealand. They’re obviously people not worried about having to pay increasingly expensive mortgages, or not in the so called ‘squeezed middle’. The queues are still too long, he says, the airport is still woefully under staffed. And yet, there are fewer people travelling than pre-Covid. How is this still possible? He gets to his plane, he’s flying business class on Air New Zealand, and the first thing he has to do when he gets to his seat is remove the half eaten pastry replete with crumbs left on it. He assumes the plane’s been cleaned but it doesn’t look like it. Certainly the seats weren’t freshened up if the last flight’s pastry is still sitting there. The flight’s chocka, which is not surprising given how few flights are on at the moment, the crew is under staffed and appear to be struggling he said. He reckons Air New Zealand is no longer the personable sanctuary of the sky it used to be, but instead an awkward under resourced threadbare operation. Gone is the airline's quintessentially Kiwi culture of fun, innovation and pride, and instead he says, it’s just cringe. That’s not a ringing endorsement from a regular business traveller, and that’s before we even get to the palaver you have to go through to get back into the country with all the Government’s RAT rules and regulations. And if you think my brother may’ve just been a one-off traveller having a bad experience, think again. I was talking to café owner yesterday who’s cooking in her own kitchen because she still can’t get a chef, and she tells me she had to travel overseas for a wedding and she couldn’t believe the state of, one, the airport, and two, the plane. I said that’s funny my brother said exactly the same thing. So the airport and Air NZ are still not up to scratch, yet the prices are through the roof. So my question is, how long are we expected to wait, for them to sort this out?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The wellness industry is very much a booming sector overseas, with studies showing more people have experienced unwanted weight changes and are wanting to move on from the stress of the pandemic.But it's an industry that's still building here in New Zealand.Australia's largest body shaping and wellness company Body Catalyst has this week opened its first clinic in New Zealand.Founder and CEO Samantha Barakat-Light joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns that despite the resignation of two senior leaders at Gloriavale, there's been no real change at the top.Fervent Stedfast and Faithful Pilgrim have both left their leadership roles.It follows an unprecedented public apology last Friday.Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust's Liz Gregory says it's a good start, but the two senior leaders were clearly asked to do it.She told Kate Hawkesby Overseeing Shepherd Howard Temple hasn't gone anywhere.Gregory says he's still in authority and everyone submits to him - so there's no change.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gun control is very much on the agenda, both locally and globally.The Police Commissioner says the spree of drive-by shootings in Auckland is partly due to our relaxed gun laws.He said Police's long-term goal is to tighten up gun control.We also had the school shooting in Texas, and now Canada’s Prime Minister wants to ban the sales of guns altogether.Spokesperson for the Council of Licensed Firearms Owners Hugh Devereux-Mack joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Santamaria scandal at TVNZ and the information that keeps seeping out over this is increasingly disturbing.Last night two more women came forward with allegations of inappropriate online conduct. It's also emerged from a woman who worked with him at Al Jazeera that there were lewd emails, kissing attempts, objectification, inappropriate texts and a power imbalance. She was not the only woman there to experience this apparently. But she said she was so ‘mortified and terrified’, that she took to hiding in the work bathroom to avoid him.That’s how bad it got.This information was all passed on to Al Jazeera newsroom management, she says, to the executive producer, by way of complaint.How then, we must all ask ourselves, was fellow Al Jazeera colleague and now Head of News and Current Affairs at TVNZ, Paul Yurisich, able to hire Santamaria and bring his allegedly creepy behaviour here?It’s a question so glaring even the Government woke up to ask it. Where was the correct protocol around Santamaria’s recruitment and hiring? Where were the checks and balances? Did Yurisich do any checking or engage in any scrutiny around his new hire? Or was it just a job for a mate?Late yesterday afternoon TVNZ’s CEO also woke up and realised this is serious and needs addressing - he's hired a lawyer and ordered an external review of the recruitment process.So I think we can read between the lines here - this is TVNZ getting ahead of the inevitable next announcement which will be the ‘resignation’ of Paul Yurisich.It’s the only right thing to do; Yurisich has to exit stage right.How does he maintain the confidence of his newsroom, the confidence of the management and the board, how does he stay in that role? It’s irresponsible at best, to bring this kind of allegedly predatory behaviour into a newsroom in New Zealand when Al Jazeera’s EP could have warned him. It’s incompetent, at worst, if Yurisich didn’t even bother to ask.Either way, Yurisich has to go. Red flags are waving all over the place – journalists inside TVNZ’s newsroom who were getting no answers from Yurisich or TVNZ management had to hire an independent lawyer. That in and of itself tells you how bad this is. It’s a powder keg in there we hear.Internal emails are being leaked, including the ones asking staff not to leak emails, but staff are rightfully upset.The Breakfast show, which apparently has had a revolving door of hosts anyway, has a reputation to repair, journalists are angry, and that’s before we even get to the poor women who’ve been at the centre of this alleged sleaze.All this inside a government owned enterprise which is having hundreds of millions spent on it to merge with state radio, to become one giant state entity.Surely the last thing the Government needs there is a perception that managers are precariously ignoring correct recruitment procedures, thus endangering fellow colleagues.As for TVNZ, for a communications business, it's been doing a crap job of communicating to not just us the stakeholders, but its very own people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's offering reassurances about its step-by-step move into the Pacific.Foreign Minister Wang Yi has failed to convince Pacific countries to sign up to a new wide-ranging trade and security pact, but has struck an agreement on areas of cooperation.He's also urging us not to be too "anxious" or "nervous" about China's plans to play a greater role in our region.Democracy Project international analyst Geoffrey Miller told Kate Hawkesby China is starting a long-term push for influence in the Pacific.He says there's a growing polarisation between the east and west that will only continue to grow.China has reached some wins, signing new economic development agreements with Fiji.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Banks are starting to lift mortgage and deposit rates following last week's OCR hike.Kiwibank has lifted its headline rate for a two-year fixed mortgage to 5.19 per cent and ANZ has signalled changes to its interest rates.Mortgage broker Marcus Hull told Kate Hawkesby people are feeling the pinch.People look to tighten the belt and find ways to do a better budget, so brokers are seeing an increase in demand for their services.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is confidence the Government's moves to tackle the supermarket duopoly will increase competition.It's matched 12 of the 14 Commerce Commission recommendations, and gone further on two of them.It's going to do annual competition checks on supermarkets instead of the report's suggested checks every three years.Night 'n Day is our third biggest grocery retailer, and General Manager Matthew Lane told Kate Hawkesby the yearly check-ups make sense.He says it will keep the supermarkets on notice, and ensure they're following the rules.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It seems all those Kiwis wanting to bail and go live and work overseas are having trouble even getting on flights.A travel agency was reported yesterday saying flights are just so hard to get. “We have so many people wanting to leave the country to work abroad but there just aren't any seats on direct flights to the USA or to Australia until the end of July," the agent was reported saying. And we know this first hand, one of our kids is headed to the US but securing a flight is proving tricky - and expensive. There are barely any seats, and what is there will cost you an arm and a leg. Not great for young people who’re already going to almost halve their savings when they convert their currency anyway. Leaving New Zealand is proving very costly.Part of it is air capacity – we still don’t have enough. Many of the carriers who were here back in the good old pre-Covid days have not come back yet, and despite all Air New Zealand’s promises of putting on extra flights, there’s still a woeful lack of them.So, young people are a bit hamstrung getting out right now. And that’s just the OE crowd; there are also the brain drainers – off to Australia or Canada or greener pastures elsewhere for bigger pay checks. And then there are the ex-pats who came home during the pandemic thinking they were coming back to the promised land, only to discover New Zealand is not quite the New Zealand they fondly remember. We have developed, as one ex-pat put it, a ‘lockdown mentality’ and they find it all a bit oppressive. That is not surprising if you’ve been living and working in places with broader mindsets and more freedoms like the UK or the US, both of which are back travelling at pre Covid levels by the way for both leisure and business.But we are the slowest to get international travel back up and running here in our hermit kingdom, mainly because we did lock down for so long, we were too slow to open back up, and our national carrier couldn’t gear up in time for reopening because our government was too slow to give them any certainty on dates.Australia, by comparison, its government gave Qantas a heads up on opening in plenty of time – made it a priority, which it should be, and dealt with the whole thing more efficiently hence they got routes and flights humming way quicker.We dropped the ball, and it’s still dropped. It’s likely we won’t be in full swing until later in the year when other carriers return like American Airlines, Air Canada, Latin Air - and when the likes of Emirates and Singapore Airlines gear up more flights.But for now, if you’re a Kiwi wanting to head off and get out, you need to either pay through the nose for whatever flight you can possibly get on over the next two months, or wait until the end of the year for competition to heat back up.Let’s hope by about October, which seems a ridiculously long time to have to wait, but let's hope by then, we might just get some normality back.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We want to bring your attention to the idea of 3D printed schools.Thinking Huts, a non-profit dedicated to making education more accessible, has just opened a 3D printed school in Madagascar.The most amazing bit? Founder and CEO Maggie Grout is just 22-years-old.Maggie Grout joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For those of you who don’t live in Auckland, I’ll just paint a picture of my weekend so you get the gist.Saturday we go to lunch at a suburban café, sitting outside, minding our own business, eating lunch, and this extremely large woman – I’m telling you about her size because it’s significant in terms of what she said. She’s extremely large, and she walks slowly and unevenly - seemingly struggling to carry her own weight. And she comes right up to our table, leans in close to us, interrupts and says: “Can you help me?” We are sitting there thinking what are we helping her with? Directions? Is she lost? She says, “I need money… I need money for food, I haven’t eaten in a week or two, my family hasn’t eaten either, we need money.”So my first thought is that she doesn’t look like she hasn’t eaten in a week or two, but also, is it one week or two? Like there’s a big difference there if you’re starving for one week versus two. You’d probably know exactly, so for a couple of reasons her story doesn’t add up. I tell her we don’t carry cash – which is true, who carries cash these days? She doesn’t say ‘no worries’ or ‘thanks anyway’ - she just huffs and puffs like we’ve really pissed her off, and she lunges off to the next table. So that’s your al fresco lunch.Later I go to the supermarket, I’m coming out with my trolley of groceries, looking for my car keys and a young woman – maybe in her 20’s, leans into me from around the corner of the exit as I’m leaving. She’s so far into me I apologise, assuming I’ve blocked her way or something, but she’s in my face and doesn’t budge. “I need money,” she says. I stop and tell her the truth, which is I don’t carry cash. She rolls her eyes and goes to the next person. As I unpack my groceries and return my trolley I observe her hitting up about 15 more people leaving the supermarket asking them for cash.Sunday morning I wake up to read the story of an Aucklander riddled with lead bullets and still traumatised by a gun attack in the CBD which has left him unable to work, his kids too afraid to visit him in Auckland from their home in Christchurch. Auckland resident Paula Bennett’s column is in the paper too, the headline is “I’m scared”. She’s scared about the gang gun violence happening. She says loaded guns are putting innocent lives at risk, shooting up our neighbourhoods.There’s also the story naming the homicide victim from a fatal violent attack of an innocent 25-year-old in Mount Albert, killed as he walked home from Uni.By Sunday afternoon it’s reported another 20 bullets have been fired into a house in South Auckland.My sons wake up from their big night on the town, I ask them how it went – I worry when my kids are in town, I hate them going in there. They tell me town was OK, “only about 3 fights,” that they witnessed.So just the 20 bullet holes, the 3 fights (that we know of), and the suburbs filled with opportunists hitting people up for cash.Welcome to Auckland - what a cool place to live.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez held on to win today's rain-marred and chaotic Monaco Grand Prix.The race was red flagged after Mick Schumacher slammed into the barriers at the swimming pool area in a scary incident.Schumacher lost control of his car and his Haas car split in half, such was the impact of the crash.Thankfully he walked away from the incident unharmed. 🚩 Red flag after Mick Schumacher's big crash 💥#MonacoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/R2FbT9WOq6— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) May 29, 2022 Perez rebounded from Red Bull team orders that denied him a chance to race for the win one week ago to pick up his first Formula One victory of the season.Perez earned his third career F1 victory after a questionable strategy call by Ferrari cost pole-sitter Charles Leclerc a win on his home circuit.Although Leclerc finished the race for the first time in four tries, he finished fourth and allowed reigning world champion Max Verstappen to extend his lead in the points standings. Carlos Sainz Jr. finished second for Ferrari and Verstappen was third for Red Bull.Verstappen now leads Leclerc by nine points in the standings; Leclerc has two wins this season, Verstappen and Perez have combined for five victories as Red Bull and Ferrari have claimed all seven races.But the win on the slick city streets of Monaco went to Verstappen's teammate just one week after Perez was ordered to cede the lead to Verstappen during the Spanish Grand Prix. Leclerc had dropped out of the race with an engine failure and Red Bull chose to capitalize by manipulating the finish to get Verstappen the win in Spain.The team promised Perez he'd be allowed to race for wins and held its word Sunday."You dream of winning this, and after your home race, there is no place more special to win," Perez said after waving the Mexican flag. He is third in the standings and only six points behind Leclerc.Red Bull team principal Christian Horner patted Perez on the back as he walked alongside the driver following the race. Perez is in a contract year and both Red Bull and Perez have said discussions on an extension would ramp up over the summer months."Checo was sensational," Horner said. "It's very tough in conditions like that but we got the calls right."Horner joined Perez on the podium and Perez struggled to hold back tears as he puffed his cheeks and wiped his eyes while the Mexican anthem played."It's a massive day for myself and my country. I am very happy. I was wearing a Pedro Rodriguez helmet," Perez said. "I am sure he was looking down on me and hopefully he would be very proud."Rodriguez, a Mexican driver who won two F1 races, died in 1971.Verstappen celebrated with Perez, whom he considers the best teammate of his career."Amazing result for Checo," he said. "Very pleased for him."Red Bull driver Sergio Perez of Mexico celebrates on the podium after winning the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix. Photo / APLeclerc led from the pole and screamed in rage when told to pit for a second tire change on Lap 22 — at the same time as Sainz. His engineer realized the mistake and yelled "stay out!" but it was too late and Leclerc returned to the track in fourth."What are you doing?" Leclerc shouted.After the race, he lectured Ferrari again."No words, no words. We cannot do that," he radioed.Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto accepted the team made the wrong call for Leclerc."I know he's not happy. It's normal that he's not happy because we only made mistakes. If you're first and end up fourth it's obvious something didn't work," Binotto said. "We should have stayed out. We'll look at why we made that decision."Leclerc also won the pole a year ago but never got to start because he crashed at the end of qualifying, and the car's gearbox failed moments before the start. In 2018 and 2019,...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tear gas fired indiscriminately around children and the elderly. Pepper spray unleashed at close-range on frustrated fans. Ticket holders blamed for delaying kickoff when they’d spent hours trying to enter the stadium in bottlenecks in tight spaces.Liverpool supporters have been defending themselves against accusations by French authorities they were responsible for the unrest at the Champions League final amid overcrowding outside the Stade de France caused by operational failings on Saturday.The British government called the treatment of the fans "deeply concerning."UEFA officials spent the hours after Liverpool lost 1-0 to Real Madrid in talks about the chaotic scenes that delayed the start of the final for 37 minutes in the biggest club match of the year.Even as the final started, riot police were firing rounds of tear gas immediately outside the stadium doors into wide open spaces to disperse any lingering people around Gate U.The French ministers for the interior and sports blamed ticketless Liverpool fans trying to force their way into the stadium, contrary to the scenes witnessed by reporters of people who appeared to be local youths climbing over fences. “Get down,” Liverpool supporters could be heard shouting.“The stigma around English fans is being used by the French public authorities for cheap political gain,” Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, told The Associated Press on Sunday.The closing of gates sparked concerns among hundreds of fans outside the Liverpool section but little obvious aggression from them. Hostility by police appeared to inflame frustrations.Problems had been encountered even before getting to the final turnstiles with entry points into the wider perimeter blocked off, forcing fans through narrow passages that caused bottlenecks.While UEFA blamed fans arriving late for delaying kickoff in stadium announcements greeted by jeers, thousands from Liverpool were seen arriving hours before the game to be greeted by organizational disarray in the heat of the late afternoon.The congestion was partly caused by fans being diverted to a small entrance rather than a bigger one 150 meters away, said Evain, who advises UEFA on supporter issues.“There have always been mobility problems around the Stade de France,” Evain said.“We are appalled by the communication by the French public authorities. Liverpool and Real Madrid fans are the victims of yesterday’s fiasco and are not the culprits here.“Tear gassing people trying to enter the stadium is insane.”The British government called on UEFA to launch a formal investigation into what went wrong with officials from the stadium and French authorities.“The footage and accounts from Liverpool fans and the media on their entry to the Stade de France last night are deeply concerning,” Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said.“It is in the interests of everyone involved to understand what happened and to learn lessons from these events.”- by Rob Harris, APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwis who came home at the beginning of the Covid outbreak are now taking a one-way ticket back overseas.Some reasons are believed to be employers being closed off to the idea of global experience and recruiters not being able to translate people's specific skills to roles here.Tribe Recruitment's Sarah White told Kate Hawkesby many people who came home when the pandemic struck weren't in a position to properly settle back into New Zealand.“They can’t put their roots down like a lot of people have here, so it’s best to go back overseas, do a couple of years and come back with a bit more in the bank.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's hard not to feel helpless, and a whole lot more, watching the news stories out of Ukraine.There is something you can do to show solidarity that won't break the bank and there's something in it for you.You have the opportunity to see a film, or a couple of films, even a Ukrainian film in Auckland.The Ukrainian Film Festival starts this weekend in Devonport.Filmmaker Dasha Volga joined Tim Dower.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disagreement between National and the construction industry, over the pressures facing the industry.The recent liquidation of Tauranga's Oceanside Homes and Wellington's Armstrong Downes has exposed the pressures the multi-billion dollar industry is under.But Construction Industry Council Chair Graham Burke told Tim Dower talking about a recession, is the right way to go about making one happen.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacinda Ardern has taken a swipe at keyboard warriors.The Prime Minister gave the commencement speech at Harvard this morning, speaking to roughly 8,000 graduates and their families.A key theme of her speech was rallying against misinformation and calling out social media to do its part to shut it down.She also took a swipe at those who deliberately peddle misinformation, the 'keyboard warriors'.Jacinda Ardern says when she sees abusive comments online she imagines it's written by a lone person unacquainted with personal hygiene practices, dressed in a poorly fitting super hero costume.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I really feel for these guys throwing in the towel on their construction businesses, there's been a spate in the past couple of weeks.Most recently, not a big one, a firm in Tauranga but bad enough if you're one of the creditors, who won't be seeing any of that half million shortfall.Since the start of the year, nearly 100 construction companies have gone unde, .nearly 1 in five of all business failures.When your company folds with a half a million shortfall that's pretty devastating.It has a ripple effect; the suppliers and the taxman and workers and all the others who don't get paid.But the likelihood is that's gonna be a Mum and Pop sized operation, so what you don't see is the impact on them, their money is the first to go.The house might well be on the line, other assets too. The wheels, the tools and any cash the business owes them, all gone.The half-point hike in the OCR comes as no surprise, but it'll be a death knell for some.These businesses are the canaries in the coal mine, just think back a year to how pleased we all were with ourselves.When they start to go over, we know things are turning and these 90 collapses so far this year should be a big flashing red light.Not only are things going south, they are going south in a hurry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New guidelines for school uniforms are being praised as a step in the right direction .The Human Rights Commission has released non-binding standards, to help schools align their policies with the Bill of Rights.It includes consistency with the Treaty of Waitangi and consideration of non-gendered uniforms.Otago University public health researcher Johanna Reidy told Kate Hawkesby treating everyone the same, isn’t treating everyone fairly.She says these guidelines help create uniforms that are inclusive and flexible.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A differing of opinions from Auckland's mayoral candidates, on the latest spate of gang activity in Auckland.Police have been called to about a dozen gang incidents in recent days.It includes seven gang shootings on Tuesday night, and two firearms incidents in Mellons Bay and Massey last night.Viv Beck says told Kate Hawkesby she wants a tough, urgent response from law enforcement.“We’ve got to have much stronger Police presence, we’ve got to have the resource focused on the right things.”Leo Molloy says the shootings need to be considered in context.“This latest little spate is a one-off between two gangs with a deeply entrenched hatred for eachother.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police say they’re disgusted by the shootings happening in Auckland. They can join the club, we all are.And although it’s believed to be gangs feuding in some kind of reignited turf war, two of the houses shot at had no gang links whatsoever, Police revealed.How disturbing, and as Police say, disgusting. Police also say they’ll be increasing their presence in the area, they’re worried it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or killed. The community is worried too and rightly so. The question is – how did it even get this far? And the answer to that, sadly, is it got this far because it was able to.Gangs have not been stood up to for the bullies, criminals and reprobates they are. They have been pandered to and curried favour with, and time and time again been given the benefit of the doubt by a naïve government soft on crime. I’m not interested in these gang members back stories and how tough their childhoods’ may have been, or whatever other excuses are being offered up, they’re not living in a civilized way inside a civilized society. They’re wreaking havoc, displaying criminal intent, malicious illegal behaviour and now endangering innocent lives. When is it enough?Law abiding, decent Kiwis have watched them take over the streets for tangi and convoys wherever and whenever they fancy, including during lockdowns. We have witnessed them terrorize communities with stand over tactics and intimidating behaviour, we have seen them make endless excuses as to why they should be allowed to do whatever they want. We have watched a government stand by, inept and incompetent, and do nothing.I don’t blame the Police, we know from many who’ve contacted us how infuriated they are that their hands are tied, that they’re so bogged down in bureaucracy they can’t even act if they wanted to. There are administrative hurdles, and committees, and rules to jump through, there’s investigative work and community work, and allowances made to be sensitive to circumstances.But there appears very little action. Words, concern, meetings, chat.. all hui no dooey. It’s top down of course, and a head in the sand approach from a government who refuses to accept that it’s soft on crime approach doesn’t help. It doesn’t help us and it doesn’t help them. We can all see it for what it is, so why can’t they? And in refusing to see it they look foolish because there’s no pulling the wool over our eyes on this one. They can’t spin their way out of it. Cuddles Coster has given an overarching impression that Police will turn a blind eye, certainly the recalcitrant ram raiders know that. Two of the teens quoted recently on why they repeatedly ram raid, said it’s because they know the cops will do nothing.Charming. I don’t doubt it’s a sentiment shared by gangs too, who’ve been emboldened by this government, and who bank on its lack of action. And don’t even get me started on the types of guns used, high powered rifles Police reckon. So a perfect storm of terrifying high powered weapons, brazen gang members, and a slow to act soft on crime government.What a mess.And worse, what a crying shame it’s all been allowed to get this far.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some consumers are fizzed up over Cocoa-Cola's decision to axe two of its soft drink flavours.Coke Zero and Coke No Sugar will soon be merged into one new flavour, Coke Zero Sugar.Auckland University marketing expert Bodo Lang told Kate Hawkesby outrage caused by the move shows how attached people become to brands.He says you'd expect the criticism over a change to a product such as a car, but it's surprising to see it happen over a soft drink.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank is expected to lift the OCR to its highest level again since 2016.Economists are predicting a lift of another 50 basis points, trying to cool demand while we deal with rising inflation.It's also predicted all mortgage rates will be above 6 percent over the coming year.John Bolton is the founder of mortgage broker Squirrel and he joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New data suggests our shopping habits have changed for the long term.NZ Post's e-Commerce Spotlight report says online shopping was up 31 percent this quarter, compared to the previous year.To put it in context, it's up 86 percent compared to 2020.Even though we're out of Covid lockdowns, questions are being raised as to whether shoppers and businesses chosen a "new normal" of predominantly shopping online.Retail NZ CEO Greg Harford joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hands up if you had no idea yesterday was a traffic light announcement day.My hand is up. I was so oblivious, it was like stepping back in time, I thought the Herald had the wrong headline up when it ran front page news that Chris Hipkins had announced we were staying in an Orange light. Really? No kidding. Didn’t even know the prospect of coming out of that was on the cards. That’s how brow-beaten we all are by now. We don’t even expect our full freedoms back do we?But it seems we're staying in Orange not just due to Covid - but the flu too.There seems to be a very nasty flu hitting Australia, we’ve had some of it here in Dunedin already, I know there're many families back to isolating and staying home with sickness. Auckland's seeing resurgence in Covid cases – up 75 percent. In fact both the shops I visited yesterday had signs up saying, ‘please be patient, we have many staff away due to Covid.’ So it appears we’re not out of the woods yet, and is worse yet to come in the form of flu?And is it that this year's flu is expected to be really bad, hence we're staying in masks, or is that the norm now, that every winter we'll go to an Orange light and stay in masks?Has Covid and the pandemic powers exerted by governments brought with it a change to life as we know it forever?Will there be a time that we once again go maskless in winter? Or will they just be the bad old days?Once the border fully opens in July and more Kiwis are travelling for school holidays and winter escapes, we will be back to circulating the usual bugs and viruses. And our immune systems will be unprepared having been locked down as a country for two years, and staying in our little bubbles.But in terms of ever getting back to Green light life? I don’t see the return to freedom happening before Christmas.But who amongst us would be brazen enough to predict anything these days? God forbid we start thinking we know what might happen or how it might unfold. Largely we just plan for the worst these days don’t we? Do we have collective PTSD from Covid? I mean Monkeypox reared its head with a handful of cases and the global panic looked to be back on immediately.We are so scarred aren’t we? I was in a lift yesterday and a woman came to hop in behind me and then she paused, neither of us were wearing masks, and she said, ‘do you mind me hopping in with you without a mask?’It’s a fair question I guess, it’s the new normal, we are paranoid about tight spaces with each other, well not all of us, but many of us. She went on to tell me she’s not had Covid, we didn’t know how we’d both dodged it so far but no one wants to be smug about that anymore given it may still come for us.The other thing I find people volunteering is their vaccination status. I was in close proximity with a stranger in a queue the other day and they turned to me and randomly volunteered, “Oh I’m double jabbed and boosted don’t worry.”Assuming that everyone is worried!It’s a wacky old world we’re living in these days, when chit chat with strangers turns into volunteering vaccination status. I guess come winter we'll just be adding in the new one .. 'don't worry I've had the flu jab.'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It might be hard to catch people using their phones when they're driving.Waka Kotahi is starting a six-month trial in Auckland, with cameras set up to detect people using their mobiles.The Agency says it wants to find out how widespread the problem is.Crash investigator Hamish Piercy told Kate Hawkesby it could be challenging to make images from the system enforceable.He says the cameras will use a form of AI to identify people breaking the law, but it's always possible the technology might get confused.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With our mental health rates looking pretty dire, we need to think outside the box to try different treatment methods.Over in the UK, they're trying stand-up comedy.Comedy on Referral is a course for trauma survivors to try stand-up.It's been so successful, it now has NHS funding to expand the programme to men at risk of suicide.Comedian and founder of Comedy on Referral Angie Belcher joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A helping hand to ensure residents near Christchurch's wastewater plant can get their clothes dried in fresh air.The city's Student Volunteer Army has launched a new service, offering to pick up and dry clean laundry for people suffering from the stench.Founder and CEO Sam Johnson told Kate Hawkesby the service will be needed over the coming months - especially with winter on the way.He says it's important to have it operating when rotting material is removed from the plant, as the smell is then expected to get even worse.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I note the Greens are back at it with their ‘lower the voting age’ routine. And by Greens, I mean Golriz Ghahraman.She’s calling for the voting age to be lowered to 16. Here’s the problem with that – it’s never going to happen. It’s a waste of time and energy. Golriz says that, “16 to 17-year-olds are a very engaged group and have stood for what they believe in, which has been demonstrated by the school climate strikes. They can leave school, they can work, they pay taxem, but they don't have this one right. And it's just one vote."So that’s her pitch, that’s her rationale. The thing is, those of us who’ve had 16 year olds, who’ve raised them and watch them grow up, know, that 16 and even 17, is still very young. It doesn’t sound young if you’ve got babies or toddlers right now, to those parents 16 does sound grown up, but take it from parents who’ve raised teenagers, there’s a lot 16 years olds don’t know and don’t understand.Oh they’ve got opinions alright, and they know how to strike, and they know how to make their voices heard, and don’t get me wrong, many are intelligent and informed and well educated and aware of how the world works.But they lack the experience. They don’t have mortgages and hold down full time jobs by and large. They’re not raising families, they’re not paying bills, they’re not awash with life experience. Yes many may be bright and astute, but many are not. Many as we know, are just out ram raiding, or wagging school. And on that note, surely the priority for young people should be re-engaging them with school and teaching them how to contribute to a civilised society, over and above giving them the right to vote? The numbers of young people not attending school is up, we have problems with literacy, and as many Police will tell you, issues with respect from youth who don’t even know how to be a part of a civilised society, far less make an educated vote on it.The Make it 16 crowd argue for more civics to be taught in school and that in doing so, it will help educate young people more, thus enabling them to make more informed votes. My argument would be let’s try to get those 16 year olds back in school, for a start.With more and more of them not even attending, how does changing the curriculum help? And how do you teach civics in a way that’s independent of unconscious or even conscious political bias? Anyone with kids at High School or Uni these days knows there’s so much bias in what’s taught, that it’d be very hard to find any High School civics without bias clouding it.Ghahraman argues a lower voting age would increase voter turnout. I’m not sure how she reaches that conclusion with a major problem facing this country right now being the number of 16 years olds not even turning up for school.So, they’re not happy to attend school, but they’re more than happy to turn out to vote? It feels a bit cart before horse to me.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All eyes on what incoming Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will do around 501 deportees. He took a softer stance on key issues throughout the campaign, including opposing the Morrison government's bid to increase 501 deportations 501 Support Advocate and Iwi in Aus co-founder Filipa Payne told Kate Hawkesby the policy has been a point of tension for the past seven years. She says it's had a huge impact on society, and a ghastly impact on the people who have been through the detention centres in Australia. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Manchester City clinched a sixth Premier League title in 11 seasons today by scoring three times in five minutes to come from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-2 in the finale to avoid being toppled by challenger Liverpool. City was trailing 2-0 to Villa until İlkay Gündoğan began the comeback in the 76th. Rodri equalised two minutes later and Gündoğan put City in front in the 81st. At one point even when City was losing, it was still set to defend the title as Liverpool was only drawing 1-1 to Wolverhampton. But Mohamed Salah then put the second-place side in front in the 84th minute, which would have taken Liverpool into first place had City not mounted its fightback at the Etihad Stadium. Andy Robertson then sealed Liverpool's 3-1 win. Had City conceded a late equaliser, Liverpool would have snatched the trophy away but Pep Guardiola's side held on for the win in a thrilling climax. Pep Guardiola's defense of the trophy was secured on the final day in a more jittery way than expected when City briefly had a 14-point lead in January. City's fourth championship success in five seasons produced a first for Guardiola. It's the first time City has sealed the title in front of its own fans who spilled onto the field in their thousands at the final whistle against Villa. Although it went down to the wire, this one came without any of the anguish of 10 years ago when City's first Premier League title was only clinched in the final minutes of the season. That success, which produced City's first championship crown in 44 years — with Roberto Mancini as manager — ushered in the era of dominance enjoyed by a club transformed by the influx of investment from Abu Dhabi. City is now enjoying the steady stream of titles it once had to watch crosstown rival United sweep up under Alex Ferguson. The rise of City has coincided with the retirement of the Scot — who won the Premier League 13 times from 1993 to 2013 — and the decline of Manchester United. The teams entered the final round on Sunday with City 32 points ahead of United and with Liverpool the greater threat to Guardiola's side. In the last five seasons, the only time City didn't win the trophy was when Liverpool's 30-year title drought ended in 2020. But it will be another season ending with City unable to win the biggest prize in European football — the Champions League — while Liverpool will be contesting the final against Real Madrid on May 28. While Liverpool's net spending on transfers has been around US$250 million in the last five years, City's has been more than US$530 million. City's financial might wasn't enough to convince Tottenham to sell Harry Kane ahead of this season, leaving Guardiola to achieve this title without a recognizable striker. Yet, City was able to break the British transfer record to sign Jack Grealish for 100 million pounds (US$139 million) even though the midfielder only started sparingly. City has already reinforced its attack for next season, with a deal clinched with Borussia Dortmund to sign Erling Haaland for 60 million euros (US$63 million), adding one of Europe's most exciting young forwards into the squad. Still, concerns remain for human rights activists and less wealthy rivals about the club's Abu Dhabi ownership and its actions. Human rights violations by the United Arab Emirates are glossed over by City fans who largely overlook how their club has been used by a state as a tool of soft power that exploits the glamour of the world's biggest sport to cleanse its image. City owner Sheikh Mansour has only been seen at one game during his 14 years as owner. Mansour, who is deputy prime minister of the UAE, was condemned by the British government for recently hosting Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. City was fined €10 million (US$12 million) in 2020 for obstructing a UEFA investigation into its finances following leaks of internal correspondence...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.