Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

The Greens trying to roll James Shaw is about the most active thing I can think of that the Greens have done during this whole electoral cycle. As a party you don't hear much about them doing anything, in part I guess because they're so wrapped up with the Labour party now that there's less theatrics and vocal opposition to things. So it’s good to see them exercised about something - although a party in disunity is never a great sign. I’m wondering if part of James Shaw’s problem is actually the aforementioned - the Greens have become too cosy with Labour for many hardcore Greens liking. And on top of that, James Shaw is actually very likeable. He seems about the most reasonable and rational of all of them, which is possibly why a portion of the party’s trying to roll him. They seem to prefer radicals and activists. People more on the fringe - people who are more vocal and edgy - like Chlöe Swarbrick. I think if Chlöe throws her hat in the ring it will be game over for Shaw. But she’d have to be keen to make her leadership run now - which she may not – and if she doesn’t, then I can’t see who else is a contender. Former Greens MP Catherine Delahunty has given some good insights already into what’s going on from the activists’ point of view. Shaw is too agreeable. He doesn’t rark it up enough, he doesn’t hold Labour to account enough, he doesn’t agitate strongly enough. Delahunty sees Shaw as ‘weak’, but she wouldn’t speculate on other potential leaders, and that’s the problem, are there any? Apart from Swarbrick, probably not. And this is where the Green obsession with ideology comes unstuck. According to Delahunty, the Greens need to focus on ‘vision,’ rather than individuals. She told a reporter yesterday that, “it was important to focus on the vision other potential leaders offered, rather than speculating on which individual.” So she wants “transformative policies to stop climate change, defend the vulnerable in society, and improve social justice”, but admits she can’t think of anyone who could do that. So maybe that’s where James keeps his leadership role. In wanting more, or different, or better, many Greens don’t even know what that is or could look like. If they’re just looking for ‘vision’ then the foundation of their search is all a bit vague. Anyone can offer ‘vision’, what you need is runs on the board, progress and collaboration. James Shaw managed to get the Greens into a government Cabinet, he's made huge strides on climate change, he shepherded through the Emissions Trading Scheme. He's gotten things done. But that’s not what activist fringe Greenies want; they want social engineering, they want ‘vision,’ they want noise for noise’s sake, and they seemingly want the opposite of all that James Shaw represents. Delahunty said, “It's got to be different from a middle-class, middle-age party just propping up the Labour government." Is that the tired old woke catch cry of getting rid of middle aged white men? Because if it’s just about ‘not wanting James’, but they don’t know what they want instead, then I’d say the whole exercise seems futile, pointless and a waste of everybody’s time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Green MP is pulling no punches with her opinion of James Shaw's leadership. The Party was thrown into disarray on Saturday when the co-leader was not re-elected at its AGM. Any potential contenders now have a week to confirm a challenge against Shaw, who's indicated he is likely to run again. Former Green MP Catherine Delahunty told Kate Hawkesby he's not what the Greens are about. She says the party needs someone in Parliament who's willing to stand up on vital issues, and not just be a lap dog to Labour. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Blacks head coach Ian Foster has confirmed he has the support of the dressing room after asking senior players to assess the current situation the team find themselves in and how to turn it around. After dropping a series at home for the first time in almost three decades with their loss to Ireland earlier this month, the team announced they have parted ways with forwards coach John Plumtree and backs coach Brad Mooar on Sunday – a move Foster said "we all feel we need for this team". Speaking on Sky Sport's The Breakdown, Foster revealed the message he gave to his players after the series against Ireland, and what that led to. "That's one of the questions that I got them to talk about," Foster said when asked if he was confident he still had the support of the dressing room. "I'm not in the room; it was just them and with all the noise around – there's been a lot of people putting me under pressure for a long, long time so in many ways this is not new to the group. But part of my job is to go back and get an honest appraisal out of them about how I'm going and getting the belief factor. "I've had it loud and clear from them, but I also know with that comes a massive responsibility. That's only one variable. I believe I've got the group; now I've got to deliver the plan. Part of the changes we've made are about making sure I'm not taking for granted their belief in the direction I'm heading, but I'm also listening to them and making the changes we all feel we need for this team." Crusaders forwards coach Jason Ryan will join the team in Plumtree's place, while Foster himself will work with the backs in the short-term. Joe Schmidt will also be involved in the group, working with Foster when it comes to the side's overall strategy and attack play. The side is set to gather in Wellington on Monday ahead of the start of the Rugby Championship and, with a little more than a year to go until the Rugby World Cup, Foster said he believed the team were not far off being in a position to be a contender for the title. However, he admitted they needed to put their foot down and make the progress he believes they are capable of in their opportunities before then. "We're connecting the dots. We've got to do it quicker," Foster admitted. "There are a couple of Achilles heels in our game that we dealt with well in the Irish series but they came to bite us in that third test. We've got to sort those things out and if we can – and I have utter belief in the direction this group is going. But we have the Rugby Championship; we've got to hoe into our work, we've got to get away from feeling oppressed by all the tension that's out there and we understand that people are frustrated but at the end of the day that doesn't help us. We need clear heads, a desire to go and play, and fundamentally start doing the things we know we're good at." Their first opportunity to do so comes when they travel to South Africa to begin their Rugby Championship campaign in a two-test tilt with the Springboks, with the first test at Mbombela Stadium on August 7, before a visit to Ellis Park the following week. "It's not the first time we've been slow starters in July. I hate saying that, but it is reality," Foster said. "We've got to speed up the gains we want. We're a wounded All Blacks team. We've got a job to do over there and we actually want to play a game New Zealanders are proud of."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Water Safety New Zealand says it would be wrong to blame lifeguards and coastguard staff for the uptick in drownings. It's released its updated final report into drownings last year, with 90 people dying in the water. It's the worst year since 2011, when 91 people died. Water Safety New Zealand chief Daniel Gerrard told Kate Hawkesby there are real challenges, but front line services aren't the problem. He says we need more investment in prevention, to move people away from the edge of the cliff, rather than relying on them being rescued. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big things are happening in the small west coast town of Reefton. An economic boom has increased demand for housing, but zero rentals are available and few houses are for sale. Buller District mayor Jamie Cleine joined Roman Travers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kmart is shifting south. The retail giant is moving its distribution centre from Auckland to the Ruakura Superhub in Hamilton. It will be a bigger and better facility that spans four rugby fields and is set to open late next year. Chris Wilkinson, Managing Director of consultancy company First Retail Group joined Roman Travers. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A call for the Government to show more restraint, with its spending on advertising. Newstalk ZB can reveal advertising spending by public sector and Crown agencies has increased 122 percent since 2017. The Government says the spending is needed to provide critical information about issues like Covid. But National's Public Services Spokesperson Simeon Brown told Roman Travers much of the increased spending has nothing to do with the pandemic. He says a lot of the money is being used to sell Government policies, like the Three Waters reforms and Road to Zero initiative. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One thing many of us have in common because of the global pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns is the ability to watch endless episodes of quality drama or movies on demand. Sadly, that may well be about to change. Soon we might be paying more for fewer good options. You might recall earlier this year when Netflix disclosed that it lost subscribers for the first time in a decade. When the streaming leader started to stumble, it set off a mass questioning about streaming services in general. Although streaming entertainment remains viable, the way we receive it and how it’s paid for will undoubtedly change. Streaming platform commentators believe the total potential market for Netflix might be 400 million customers worldwide, rather than one billion, which Netflix had long said it was reaching for. You might wonder why Netflix and some other streaming services are releasing episodes of series one at a time or in batches rather than all at once for our bingeing pleasure, that’s partly a result of growth concerns. Netflix wants you to subscribe for months to watch the new season of ‘Stranger Things’ instead of watching all new episodes in a weekend and then cancelling. Netflix is beginning to push what they call ‘Paid Sharing Subscriptions’ or charging extra to those people who now share a single Netflix password with others. When Netflix was confident about its growth, it mostly ignored account sharing. But those days are gone. It also seems that the 'all you can watch buffet' of endless entertainment available on streaming platforms like Netflix without advertising, may well soon be over too. You and I might think that we are paying enough as users of these platforms but when they’re not making a profit the only option is to provide cheaper content or to charge you and I more for the privilege of being a customer. I just hope I can get through the entire six seasons of The Sopranos before things change. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wayne Naylor: Hospice NZ acting CEO says there could be issues if euthanasia rules are alteredSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim Alpe: Jucy Managing Director on their opening of a 300-bed pod hotel in AucklandSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phil O'Reilly: Former Immigration NZ boss on changes to migrant investor visasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roman Travers: What is holding us back from further limits on firearms?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roman Travers: How do we encourage people to vote in local body elections?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gavin Grey: UK correspondent as nation breaks record for highest temperature as Europe sizzlesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sheryl Mai: Whāngarei Mayor says govt cash injection won't cover full costs of Three Waters systemSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barry Williamson: Recruitment specialist says resignations forcing counter offers are inflating wagesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duane Mutu: Director of LetsPlay.Live on Sam Kerr becoming first female footballer on the cover of FifaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roman Travers: We are being conditioned to accept mediocritySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kay Gregory: Marriage celebrant on Jennifer Lopez reportedly changing her surname to AffleckSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis: National Finance Spokesperson names five ways govt could stop prices from spiralling out of controlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rosann Connolly George: Travel agency owner on AirAsia's return to New ZealandSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roman Travers: Tangible aspects are what will make us vote one way or anotherSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Bennetts: Z Energy CEO says fuel sector is supportive of govt's transport cost reliefSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finn Robinson: ANZ economist says the inflation rate isn't likely to get any higherSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ivan Lawrie: Foundation for Arable Research general manager on bread prices expected to get worseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim Dower: Even Govt knows they've lost the room when it comes to CovidSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Fitzpatrick: Former All Blacks captain on this weekend's decider between the All Blacks and IrelandSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aaron Martin: Immigration lawyer on some immigration application fees set to increase by more than 130 percentSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a saying about having nothing to fear, as long as you have nothing to hide.It's been used to justify increasingly intrusive data gathering, especially by government departments, and various infringements on our personal privacy.Crustier listeners this morning will remember the fuss over digitised photos on our driving licences.in the day that was pretty controversial, your driving licence becoming a de facto identity card.It would prevent fraud and stop people stealing our identities, so, we went along with it.Four years ago the police got live access to that system, mmm, seems logical. They should be able to check you are who you say you are, so, OK.Now there's a further extension of that; bringing in the Department of Internal Affairs so it can access drivers' photos.But the Transport Agency says oh, this is just so the DIA can use the licence photo to verify a person's identity, and only if the person agrees to it.And it denies there's been any kind of data dump of images to Internal Affairs or any other government agency.Oh, OK.But what is happening, and there's legislation in the pipeline, is a project to build an all-of-government digital identity system.So, Inland Revenue, Social Welfare, the Health Ministry and Immigration all with access to one very big database...and your photo.Still comfortable with that?All sorts of promises are being made about data security, but how many times have databases leaked or been raided in the past? Too many times.I'm by no means a conspiracy theorist, and I'm a law abiding taxpayer, so I don't think I have anything to hide.But I'm beginning to think I may have something to fear.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

British Conservative MPs have cast their votes in the first round of their leadership race.Candidates needed 30 votes to secure their place in the next round, with Nadhim Zahawi and Jeremy Hunt both dropping out of the race.Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the frontrunner, with 88 votes, followed by Penny Mordaunt on 67.King's College London politics expert Rod Dacombe told Tim Dower she's run an interesting campaign.He says Mordaunt is not pushing too much against Boris Johnson's legacy, but equally not tapping too much to the right with her policies.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Christchurch City Councillor says it would be a travesty if they don't push ahead with the stadium.The future of the controversial facility will be decided in a meeting starting at 10am.The lead contractor has agreed to a fixed price, $683 million, for Te Kaha, meaning the average Christchurch ratepayer will initially pay $144 a year for the stadium.Sam MacDonald told Tim Dower they're in this position now because of indecision.He says if it doesn't go ahead, Christchurch residents will be disappointed, and re-litigating it may not get them any further ahead over the next ten years.LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A call for evidence-based policy to guide decisions aiming to tackle gangs.The Government's new measures have given police greater powers to search, seize weapons and cash, and impound vehicles.Firing a gun to intimidate will become an offence punishable by up to five years in jail.Lifetime Black Power member Denis O'Reilly agrees some gun laws needed adjusting.But told Tim Dower some of the decisions aren't specifically targeting gangs or getting to the root of the issue.He says it's frustrating to be tinkering around with peripheral issues, instead of focusing on creating proper social change.O'Reilly would've liked former police officers, pro-social gang members, and agencies involved in the decision making process.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As I got woken by the not so dulcet tones of the Police helicopter at 2 o'clock this morning, I wondered when the crime spree this country is experiencing might come to an end, or even if it can?Are we so far down the road now on lack of consequences that people feel entitled to behave any way they like with no fear of punishment?Has mob rule replaced any authority Police once had? Headlines these days make for sobering reading; 'Woman killed in West Auckland shooting ‘or ‘Woman dies after being assaulted’, that was in broad daylight by the way.Crimes are no longer for after dark, we seem to be a 24/7 business now in this country of vicious criminal behaviour. ‘Gang brawl – person hit by car in Whangarei’ or ‘Man seriously hurt after being shot in Rolleston’.You’ll note the crime is no longer just limited to Auckland by the way. I had a couple of people message me last week saying ‘you can keep your crime in Auckland, we don’t want knives and guns here thanks ‘and yet, time to get your head out of the sand, crime and guns and gangs and knives are everywhere now.As a parent, it makes you think twice. Do your kids really need to be in a mall on their own? Should they really be in town at night? But then even walking down the street in broad daylight these days seems it could be dodgy. There’s been a shift in the balance of what’s acceptable and what isn’t when it comes to socially acceptable behaviour I reckon. Seemingly, carrying knives is just something that happens now with many young people.Hooded thugs armed with baseball bats smashing into jewellery stores and robbing them in about 30 seconds flat then taking off, like the burglary the other day at Auckland’s Westfield mall, seem impossible to stop.Even if security or Police had been near, can you stop 5 determined robbers with bats? And is that part of the problem? They know that. They know they won’t be stopped. It’s like the teens who were interviewed after the ram raiding about why they do it. And they said - because they know they’ll get away with it and that Police will do nothing.I mean, good on them for their honesty, but how depressing. There’s been a gradual, which is now seismic, shift away from policing and enforcement, towards crime and violence. And turning that around seems nigh on impossible. New Police Minister Chris Hipkins says he’s not interested in the ‘tough on crime’ debate. Probably because he knows they’ve lost it.They’re not tough on anything. Soft on crime is their problem. National’s Police Spokesperson Mark Mitchell jumped on this as soon as Hipkins said it. "If his initial response.. [is].. to say that he doesn't want to be seen as tough on crime, then it doesn't seem like he's had a very good start,” he was reported as saying.And here’s the worry, crime is beyond a problem now, it’s an attitude. And the attitude is, ‘I’ll get away with it.’That’s a really hard thing to turn around. And even harder, when you’ve got a series of police ministers who say they’re not interested in any talk about being ‘tough on crime.’See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

London's Heathrow Airport is capping daily passenger numbers for the summer and telling airlines to stop selling tickets as it steps up efforts to quell travel chaos caused by soaring travel demand and staff shortages.Britain's busiest airport said Tuesday that it's setting a limit of 100,000 passengers that it can handle each day through Sept. 11. The restriction is likely to result in more canceled flights even after airlines already slashed thousands of flights from their summer schedules.U.K. aviation authorities demanded that airlines ensure they can operate without disruption over the summer, with carriers not punished for not using their valuable takeoff and landing slots. They were responding to chaotic airport scenes as passengers complained about long lineups at security, lost luggage and lengthy flight delays.Even with that allowance, Heathrow, which had warned a day earlier that it may ask airlines to cut flights further, said it still expected more passengers than airport ground staff could handle."Some airlines have taken significant action, but others have not, and we believe that further action is needed now to ensure passengers have a safe and reliable journey," Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said in an open letter to passengers.Airlines are expected to operate flights over the summer with an overall daily capacity of 104,000 seats, or 4,000 more than Heathrow can handle, the airport said. Only about 1,500 of the 4,000 extra daily seats have been sold to passengers."So we are asking our airline partners to stop selling summer tickets to limit the impact on passengers," Holland-Kaye said.British Airways, the airline with the biggest presence at Heathrow, has already cut 11% of its scheduled flights between April and October. It didn't respond to a request for comment Tuesday on whether it would cancel more.Virgin Atlantic, which is also based at Heathrow, said it's "ready to deliver its full schedule this summer" but supported the airport's "proactive measures" to reduce disruption, as long they don't have an outsized impact on its home carriers.Other European airports have imposed similar caps this summer. London's Gatwick has limited daily flight numbers, while Amsterdam's Schiphol cut its maximum daily passenger numbers by 13,500.Booming demand for summer travel after two years of COVID-19 travel restrictions have overwhelmed European airlines and airports that had laid off tens of thousands of pilots, cabin crew, check-in staff, ground crew and baggage handlers amid the depths of the pandemic.Heathrow has said it started a recruiting drive in November and expects security staffing to be back to pre-pandemic levels by the end of July."However, there are some critical functions in the airport which are still significantly under-resourced, in particular ground handlers, who are contracted by airlines to provide check-in staff, load and unload bags and turnaround aircraft," making it a "significant constraint" to overall capacity, Holland-Kaye said.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An aviation expert says changes are needed to Air New Zealand's customer service.The airline is facing significant challenges as it gears up for its busiest month since the start of the pandemic.Along with flights being delayed or cancelled, some customers have complained they're waiting for hours to get through to the call centre.Aviation commentator Irene King told Kate Hawkesby they need to be more responsive to their customers.She's concerned Air New Zealand never tells you how much credit you have, and how much of your money is sitting in its coffers.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Things don’t appear to be looking good for US President Joe Biden.A very damaging poll has come out from the New York Times.His overall approval rating is at 33 percent.But what's worse, 64 percent of democrats don't want Biden to be their candidate again in the next election.Consultant for the Democrats Tracy Sefl joined Kate HawkesbyLISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Expect another rise in interest rates.The Reserve Bank is expected to increase the OCR by 50 basis points this afternoon, to 2.5 percent.Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Kate Hawkesby while some parts of the economy are struggling, inflation remains high.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A different approach to filling nursing shortages.Health New Zealand is going to meet with nine nursing schools as they call for more funding.Perpetual Guardian Foundation is a charitable organisation which gives scholarships to nurses to advance their training via private donors.Foundation Philanthropy Manager Kirsten Killian-Taylor told Kate Hawkesby they want to help.She says the charity sector can do its bit as funding is tight in many government departments.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 51st Pacific Islands Forum is now underway in the Fijian capital Suva.Drama has already unfolded with the Kiribati Government pulling out, while China's role in the Pacific is expected to be a hot topic.Professor Steven Ratuva is the MacMillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies director at Canterbury University and joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shares of Twitter slid more than 11% in the first day of trading after billionaire Elon Musk said that he was abandoning his $44 billion bid for the company and the social media platform vowed to challenge Musk in court to uphold the agreement.Twitter is now preparing to sue Musk in Delaware where the company is incorporated. While the outcome is uncertain, both sides are preparing for a long court battle.Musk alleged Friday that Twitter has failed to provide enough information about the number of fake accounts on its service. Twitter responded in a weekend letter disclosed Monday that his "purported termination is invalid and wrongful" and that the company has continued to provide the information he "reasonably requested."Twitter said last month that it was making available to Musk a " fire hose " of raw data on hundreds of millions of daily tweets.The company has said for years in regulatory filings that it believes about 5% of the accounts on the platform are fake. But on Monday Musk continued to taunt the company, using Twitter, over what he has described as a lack of data. In addition, Musk is also alleging that Twitter broke the acquisition agreement when it fired two top managers and laid off a third of its talent-acquisition team.Musk agreed to a $1 billion breakup fee as part of the buyout agreement, although it appears Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and the company are settling in for a legal fight to force the sale."For Twitter this fiasco is a nightmare scenario," Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, who follows the company, wrote Monday. He said the result would be "an Everest-like uphill climb for Parag & Co." given concerns over employee morale and retention, advertiser concerns and other challenges.The sell-off in Twitter shares pushed the share price below $34, far from the $54.20 that Musk agreed to pay for the company. That suggests Wall Street has very serious doubts that the deal will go forward.Many experts in the legal and business sectors believe Twitter likely has a stronger case.Morningstar analyst Ali Mogharabi noted that Twitter has described its estimate of fake and spam accounts for years in regulatory filings while explicitly noting that the number might not be accurate given the use of data samples and interpretation.Given current market conditions, Mogharabi said, Twitter may also have a solid argument that the layoffs and firings of the past weeks represent "an ordinary course of business.""Many technology firms have begun to control costs by reducing headcount and/or delaying adding employees," he said. "The resignations of Twitter employees cannot with certainty be attributed to any change in how Twitter has operated since Musk's offer was accepted by the board and shareholders."Tech industry analysts say Musk's interlude leaves behind a more vulnerable company with demoralized employees."With Musk officially walking away from the deal, we think business prospects and stock valuation are in a precarious situation," wrote CFRA Analyst Angelo Zino. "(Twitter) will now need to go at it as a standalone company and contend with an uncertain advertising market, a damaged employee base, and concerns about the status of fake accounts/strategic direction."The uncertainty surrounding who will run Twitter, Mogharabi said, could lead wary advertisers to curtail their spending on the platform.But the drama surrounding the deal, he added, will also likely attract new users to the platform and increase engagement, particularly given the upcoming midterm elections. That, he said, could convince advertisers to cut a bit less. In the long run, he said, "we think Twitter will remain one of the top five social media platforms for advertisers." ___This summary of this story has been corrected to reflect Elon Musk's agreement to pay $54.20 a share for Twitter, not $53.40.- APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The health system crisis is the cost of living crisis all over again isn't it?Doesn't this have a familiar ring to it?A government in denial of something existing, which is laid bare for all to see, in broad daylight, in every part of our community, and yet politicians heads are firmly in the sand.Nothing to see here.Governments are always reluctant to use the word crisis, but our health system has been gradually falling apart for so long that it's now gotten to the point where those working in it are crying out for help at every level.Hospitals, GP's, nurses, doctors, midwives, health staff across the board are all saying it's an issue, they're over worked, under staffed, under resourced, under paid, exhausted, burning out and yet, somehow, the Government manages to have its fingers in its ears on this.The headlines have persisted nonetheless. The stories have gotten worse and yet, the Government can't or won’t see it.Well surely they must see it, they just won't acknowledge it.Health minister Andrew Little, infamously said it was a system that was "coping" when asked if the health workforce was in crisis.He still won’t admit it’s in crisis even though he must know that it clearly is.The Prime Minister was asked about it yesterday and told media that the health workforce was working really hard and doing a great job.That wasn’t the question, and no one doubts they’re not working really hard, or doing a great job. But it's easier to ignore the question and answer something different than it is to face facts. Maybe by pretending she's misinterpreted the question she's hoping it'll go away.But it hasn't and it won't.It's getting worse. There are surgery cancellations, delays and months long waiting lists to see GPs in some areas. In other areas, there's just no GP at all.Nurses are at their wits end, they're scarpering for better pay and conditions and a quieter life elsewhere. We're losing them and we can't replace them. Nursing schools came up with an idea to fix the nursing shortage but got shot down by government.I mean why look at a tangible solution being offered up when it's easier to just reject that there's a problem?Regional GPs have offered up ideas for how to fix the regional GP problems, again, ignored.Ideas from within the sector itself seem to either get rejected outright or fall on deaf ears. The first part of fixing a crisis is admitting we actually have one. If politicians can’t face the reality, or admit it, how do they even begin to fix it? We know it’s not an easy fix, but there’s no weakness in admitting that your health professionals are struggling with overload and at least looking like you’re interested in helping to sort it. A lack of any government interest, empathy or honesty means the sector continues to languish and without any hope.Which I would've thought at this time of year, with all this sickness swirling around us, is beyond remiss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So if the rumours are true, I personally don’t think they are, today we go into a red light.I first heard this rumour last Friday. A worried retailer told my husband he’d heard from ‘someone very reliable’ (isn’t it always?) that Monday was going to see an announcement of a red light. I was immediately suspicious. It reminded me of all those times over the past couple of years when rumours ran rife that we’d be going into a lockdown, because they’d heard it from ‘a reputable source’. The source was always someone’s friend or partner who worked ‘deep inside the Beehive’, ‘so they knew’.This also reminds me of all the rumours we got fed on high rotate about Clarke Gayford for a while there. That rumour cycle went for months, and it was always from ‘a reliable source’ or someone who knew someone who worked in the Police, or the Prison, or the Court. In fact, those rumours got so out of control the unusual step was taken by Police to shut them down by denying them. This was unusual because 101 of rumours is ignoring them and never addressing them because you only give them oxygen. But when they gain momentum, big momentum, it becomes impossible to ignore I guess.So by Saturday I had contacts in the South Island messaging me saying they’d heard ‘from a really reliable source’ that we were going into a red light Monday.By Sunday, more texts and messages rolled in. ‘Red light Monday’, they told me. This even got conflated by some people who had confused a red light with a lockdown. ‘Better get to the hairdresser before Monday,’ one text to me said.Here’s the thing, the more I got messaged about it, the more I felt it was untrue. How was it possible that on Friday last week, a decision had been made to go into a red light. Three days later, and that decision had been leaked so far and wide that basically everyone was talking about it. Three days before it even got announced. Three days before they would have had current case numbers to work with.Not possible. Now I don’t doubt that if cases keep spiralling up and hospitals get more and more swamped with flu, and nurses and doctors off sick, then a red light may well come into play.But I don’t think the first week of the school holidays is the time we’ll see it. Think about it logically. They’re looking for these holidays to be a circuit breaker, kids out of school, people taking a break. It would surely be premature to throw us into a red light when what you want is for everything to be open and pumping to help our struggling little economy.Imagine the businesses, the events, the sports fixtures, and the clubs. All having to grind to a halt in terms of crowd sizes right on school holidays. I doubt it. Add to that a PM flittering around the international stage telling everyone we're open for business. There’s no way she's going to plunge us into a red light at that point, far less while she's not even in the country.But those who’ve heard the rumour are adamant. It’s happening, they tell me. So today we’ll know for sure. We either go into a red light and I’m completely wrong. Or I'm right, and the 'reliable sources' are proven not all that reliable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Businesses are being pushed to the brink as staff sickness upsets workplace rosters.Flu season is in full swing, combining with a spike in Covid-19 case numbers and hospitalisations.Global modelling suggests up to 45 percent of new Covid cases could be re-infections, thanks to the virulent BA5 Omicron strain.Employers and Manufacturers' Association Chief Executive Brett O'Riley told Kate Hawkesby 2022 is by far the most unpredictable year of the pandemic for businesses.He says the economy is seeing more disruption than ever, making it a tough time for employers and their workers.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legal action against rodeos.Advocacy group SAFE is taking the Government to the High Court in Wellington today saying rodeos violate the Animal Welfare Act, and that there's been not enough action to stop them.Group chief Executive Debra Ashton told Kate Hawkesby there's a lot of support behind their case.She says there's been growing concern in the public arena since they and other groups took a petition to Parliament in 2016.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Potential successors to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson rushed to differentiate themselves from an increasingly crowded field on Sunday as the governing Conservative Party was expected to set a tight timetable for the election.Candidates released slick campaign videos on social media and appeared on Sunday morning political talk shows to make their cases to the public. Several promised tax cuts, appealing to rank-and-file Conservative party members for whom low taxes are a mantra.Johnson announced his resignation on Thursday after more than 50 members of his Cabinet and lower level officials resigned from his government, many citing concerns that his ethical lapses had undermined the government's credibility.That triggered the internal Conservative Party contest to pick a new party leader. Under Britain's parliamentary government, the next party leader will automatically become prime minister without the need for a general election.International Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt was the latest to announce her bid on Sunday, saying the U.K. "needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship." Former health secretaries Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt joined one of the most open leadership races in recent history late Saturday.Other contenders include frontrunner Rishi Sunak, the former Treasury chief, and Nadim Zahawi, who took Sunak's job as chancellor of the exchequer last week. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss hasn't formally announced but is expected to join the race.The race comes after Johnson, 58, was brought down by a series of scandals, the most recent involving his decision to promote a lawmaker who had been accused of sexual misconduct to a senior position in his government.An influential Conservative party committee is expected to lay out the rules for the leadership contest on Monday, with news reports suggesting that Conservative lawmakers will narrow the field to two before Parliament breaks for its summer recess on July 21. Party members around the country will then vote on the final choice before the end of August, the Times of London reported.Johnson has said he will remain prime minister until his successor is chosen. But many want him to go now, with even some Conservative politicians worried that he could do mischief even as a caretaker prime minister.As politicians took to the airwaves to endorse candidates on Sunday, many sought to distance their favorites from the turmoil of the Johnson years by stressing traits such as "integrity'' and "honesty."Karan Bilimoria, the former president of the Confederation of British Industry, said the decision should be made as quickly as possible because businesses that are still struggling to overcome the impact of the pandemic and are now facing the growing possibility of a recession need help now."We have got to get through this period as quickly as possible and find a good leader who can then rebuild trust,'' he told Times Radio. "It is rebuilding the trust with the country as well. The country has lost that trust and business is very worried."- By DANICA KIRKA Associated PressSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All rounder Michael Bracewell has saved the Black Caps from their first defeat to Ireland with some remarkable late hitting, denying the hosts a famous win in Dublin.In one of the great match-saving innings for New Zealand, Bracewell pretty much singlehandedly won the game for the Black Caps with 127 not out including all of the required 20 off the final over to pull off a one-wicket victory.Ireland looked set to match their rugby counterparts and pull off a convincing win over the Black Caps in the first ODI.At 217 for eight chasing 301 for victory, it looked a formality only for Bracewell to smash his maiden ODI century and secure a famous win.Bracewell finished with 127 off 82 balls with seven sixes.Needing 20 off the final over, with New Zealand down to their last wicket, Bracewell went four, four, six, four, six to win it with a ball to spare.But there was also all the work that Bracewell did just to get New Zealand in that final over position.New Zealand looked out of the match at 120 for five and equally so at 217 for eight before Bracewell and Lockie Ferguson put on 64 for the ninth wicket. Curtis Campher of Ireland celebrates after claiming the wicket of New Zealand's Martin Guptill. Photo / GettyBefore today, not only had the Black Caps never lost to Ireland, it had never been close in the previous four meetings.New Zealand went into the series without Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Devon Conway and coach Gary Stead, while Adam Milne suffered an injury on the eve of the first game and Mitchell Santner was unavailable due to Covid.Batting first, Ireland lost early wickets with experienced opener Paul Stirling bowled by Ferguson for just five before fellow opener and skipper Andrew Balbirnie was caught behind off Matt Henry, leaving the hosts 26-2 in the seventh over.That brought Harry Tector to the crease who led Ireland with his maiden century. Playing his in 21st ODI, the 22-year-old brought up the ton in style with four consecutive fours off Blair Tickner to convert his fourth straight half century.Tector had support from Andy McBrine (39) and Curtis Campher (43) with some late runs from number 10 Simi Singh (30) getting Ireland to 300 for nine.Their previous highest against New Zealand was 238 in a 57-run defeat in 2017.Ferguson, Tickner and Ish Sodhi all finished with two wickets each.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Performance reviews for a lot of businesses this week and 87 percent of workers expect to discuss money.42 percent of companies say salary reviews are the most anticipated method to combat staff leaving.Sandy Gibbs is head of People and Culture at Tribe Recruitment, who joined Tim Dower.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He was the mayor who basked in the glory of hosting the 2012 London Olympics and the man who led the Conservatives to a thumping election victory on the back of his promise to "get Brexit done".But Boris Johnson's time as prime minister was marred by his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and a steady stream of ethics allegations, from alcohol-fuelled government parties that broke lockdown rules to how he handled a sexual misconduct scandal involving a senior party lawmaker.Otago University international relations expert Robert Patman told Tim Dower the change of leadership won't change much about New Zealand's relationship to the UK.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police officers in the Far North say they're ready to walk off the job.According to the New Zealand Herald, there are only seven officers covering the mid and far north regions.Police Association President Chris Cahill told Tim Dower the police feel the communities are missing out.He says when there are only one or two staff working the whole of Kaitaia on a night shift, being backed up by Kerikeri, it puts immense pressure on those communities.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boris Johnson.Charismatic, almost a cartoon figure, bit of a clown, instantly recognisable and right out of the likeable toff mould.But that's really about as far as comparisons between him and Conservative leaders past really goes.They've fallen on their swords with a degree of grace, even occasionally a little humility. What's different about Boris is even at the end he's blaming everyone else.So it's the herd's fault, if only they'd stuck with me it would all have worked out.The hallmark of the Boris Johnson brand has been that boyish cheekiness, even when you knew he was lying through his teeth there was something, well, just likeable about him.So he remains at number 10 for now, and for quite a while, at least a couple of months longer as Prime Minister.Is this even remotely feasible?Boris in office, on his best behaviour, but with one hand tied behind his back at a time his country, like ours, is facing massive challenges not least the war in Ukraine.A crippled leader, more liability than asset probably, a toxic brand destined for the TV chat show circuit or maybe a diplomatic role somewhere?Is there a lesson for us in all this?Maybe, maybe it's a warning about getting sucked in by the cult of personality.Maybe a reminder about the difference between substance and showmanship.Not thinking of anyone in particular.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.