Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Monkey Pox is not as much of a concern as some might think. The World Health Organisation has identified more than 90 cases of the disease across the US, England, Australia and Canada Belgium has put in place a 21-day quarantine period for people who catch it. Canterbury University Professor of Epidemiology Arindam Basu says told Kate Hawkesby we are in danger of over-hyping this. He says rather than let people panic, we need to say it's a problem, but it's probably not going to kill people like Covid can. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While media were quick to report that a win for Albanese and the independents was a win for climate change and a more liberal approach to governance, I think there was a chunk of voters who just voted for change. In other words – anyone but Morrison. It’s a story the world over and one our government will be acutely aware of. Regimes who presided over the pandemic, who locked down their citizens, who exerted a lot of power and control over people, are getting tossed out. It's a vote against status quo. People are fed up, they’re sick of fear, sick of feeling anxious, sick of the division. So, in that regard, Morrison had no chance. If you look at Albanese as a campaigner and a candidate for PM, he wasn’t exactly smooth. He botched his way through it, did not work as hard as Morrison, did not know his stuff enough, had a campaign loaded with gaffes. But none of that mattered at the end of the day. Australians clearly didn’t care about the detail or how much the potential new PM knew or didn’t know, they just knew they didn’t want Morrison anymore. Australian commentators said of Morrison that, “his failures as a crisis manager with vaccines, RAT tests, fires and floods made him unattractive.” That’s likely true. He certainly seemed to lose women, and he lost young people. Commentary out of Australia also said that “by presiding over a fast-rising cost of living and higher interest rates, Morrison delivered the final insult to people on low and middle incomes. He wasn’t responsible for global inflation, but Australian voters held him accountable nonetheless.” And therein lies the lesson for our government. Blaming everything else except themselves for inflation and a cost-of-living crisis may play well to the Government’s base who’ll want to believe that, but they’ll potentially get punished nonetheless. They’ll likely be held accountable for all the things they’ve presided over. Look at our polls here, they reflect an international trend. Ardern tanking as preferred PM is no different to what’s happened to Morrison, and then further afield to Boris Johnson and Joe Biden. The popularity of leaders who’ve led through these times, who oversaw lockdowns and vaccine procurement, who exerted maximum control over their citizens, has plummeted. So what can our government do to redeem themselves? How do they fight against the collective mood for change? The collective frustration? How can they secure themselves another term? Do they have the luxury of time on their side? We are still a long way out – a good 17 to 18 months out from an election – is that enough time for the voting public to forgive and forget? Will the Covid era be so much in the rearview mirror by then that voters no longer care about it? Or will the hangover from this period still be coming home to roost? Voters traditionally have short memories, but two years of a pandemic – all we lost, all we had to give up – will that be just too hard to forget?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese are doing a last-minute blitz of marginal seats, ahead of tomorrow's Australian election.2GB's Michael McLaren told Kate Hawkesby the vote could still to go either way.“I think it will be closer than opinion polls and in fact a lot of people suggest it might be.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time will tell how many people will actually benefit from changes to help first home buyers.House price caps for the First Home Grant have been lifted in many parts of the country, while the caps for the First Home Loans scheme will be removed entirely.First Home Buyers' Club Director Lesley Harris told Kate Hawkesby the bank's criteria is key.She says they're stress-testing people at a much higher rate, and interest rates are climbing up, there are no guarantees that just because these things are available that people will be able to get the lending.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A rare moment of agreement across the political divide as National's Leader says he's supportive of the idea to scrap the school decile system.Christopher Luxon told Kate Hawkesby deciles were too broad.He says what they proposed was to use data which highlights the families who are doing it tough, and schools are allocated money in an anonymised way, based on the families at their school.The Government will implement a new Equity Index to replace the decile system.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group of people unsoothed at yesterday's Budget is of course the nurses - who've been crying out for support for ages - yet got nothing.And this comes as our number of Covid deaths passed the milestone of a thousand this week, just as a new round of Covid seems to be slowly taking hold of our colleagues here, and some family and friends too.You can see why the push is on to get flu jabs before winter really kicks in. With the borders opening and international foot traffic increasing, so too will the traffic of new viruses, according to the experts.We know already that in Dunedin there’s a nasty bout of flu plus Covid going around, seeing many students hospitalized because of it. A mate of my son’s studying at Otago reckons it’s the sickest he’s ever felt – in fact he said Covid seemed a breeze compared to the flu he’s got. And this Covid surge happening around us in Auckland at the moment will be the case in other centres too eventually, so it’s something we all need to be aware of.But at the same time, the health sector we locked down for so long to protect, is saying it’s not ready. The Nurses Union says the public health system is short of four thousand nurses, and they warn the worst is yet to come. They were stretched they say during Omicron, to breaking point, and they haven’t had time to regroup or get ready yet for winter and the influx of patients that may bring. In fact, many say the hospitals are already busy and resources already tight. The big problem of course is not just now or this winter, but long term how we attract nurses back into the profession here. We are competing with higher wages being offered across the ditch – albeit the working conditions may be similar, but with fatter pay packets in Australia, it’s hard to keep nurses here.And that’s before we get to the cost of living crisis and other barriers like the competence assessment programme we run. That’s a programme for out of practice nurses or those who’ve trained overseas, they have to take a fresh competency assessment and that’s not cheap – it costs hundreds of dollars to do it. So we’re up against it. And it’s a real bind for nurses and other health sector workers because they’re there because they want to help – yet they’re obviously feeling so stretched and burnt out they can’t, or not to the best of their ability anyway. Many are putting in huge amounts of hours over and above what they’re being correctly remunerated for, just because they don’t want to see their patients suffer. They take their duty of care very seriously, but that doesn’t appear to match the Ministry’s sense of duty to care for them.We are heading for crunch time with winter ills and chills, and with Covid still at play too, it'd be a crying shame if we spent all that time locking everyone down, closing all those businesses, sealing up our borders and locking out our citizens.. all to protect our health system, only to see it come crashing down come winter. The nursing staffing issue is acute, nurses are already flagging it as a crisis, it's just a shame none of that was recognised by government yesterday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Wellington City Council data suggests the capital is losing its sense of mojo, and the city’s water woes could be to blame. Wellbeing indicators show a sense of community and pride have fallen in the capital over the past four years. Council member Fleur Fitzsimons told Kate Hawkesby the city’s under-investment in water systems is taking a toll. She’s says it’s not uncommon for the water to be out and pipes to be leaking and that Wellingtonians are fed up. The most important thing the council does is bring water into people’s homes, which hasn’t been invested in for years.Fitzsimons says we are now seeing the cost of that. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concern drivers are becoming increasingly cavalier around road works.Road work contractors in Bay of Plenty are reporting an increase in speeds near their vehicles, raising major safety concerns.Three road workers were killed near Whakatane in 2019 in a truck crash at a work site.AA Road Safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen said it's no surprise to hear motorists are ignoring the temporary speed signs, and its been a long-standing issue.“My experience is it’s very seldom that people get down to that 30km/h level if they’re going through an active worksite.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Salvation Army says getting housing under control is the first step towards solving deeper poverty issues.It's calling for a mix of immediate rent assistance and longer term efforts to get people into affordable housing in today's Budget.Senior Policy Analyst Paul Barber says clothing and food for struggling children are essentials.He told Kate Hawkesby we need to be bolder.Barber says we should be trying to eradicate child poverty before the 2028 goal.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s the big day and I can’t help feeling the Government is going to miss the mark here given their obsessive focus on climate change and Māori health. Add to that their inability to listen, or tune into where the real world is at, and you’ve got a cocktail for disappointment for the average New Zealander. But then again, it feels like the average New Zealander is not in their sights at all, in general. The ‘squeezed middle’ as the opposition calls them, are used to being ignored by this government by now.But none of that excuses what will likely happen today. Which will be billions sheeted to climate, and hundreds of millions to Māori heath. This country is in dire straits. The labour market is a shambles, immigration is stuck and faltering, inflation’s through the roof, we have a cost of living crisis, there’s no growth, we’re forecasted for a recession and house prices are flagged to tank.There’s social division and disharmony, crime is surging, young people are outsmarting Police, we have 15 year olds ram raiding shops and saying they do it because they know they can get away with it and the Police will “do nothing” quote unquote. We lack Police and the ones we do have are frustrated they can’t do their job properly anymore. Mental health is a train wreck, the health workforce is striking due to pay and conditions, the nurses say they’re at crisis point too; rural GP’s and dentists are barely existent. Emergency housing’s a mess, we’re on the cusp of a brain drain and are already losing our best and brightest to overseas.Infrastructure is woeful, we still have a teacher shortage, rest homes are crying out for staff, as is hospo. Confidence is down across all sectors, even the commodity prices like meat and dairy are coming off their highs. Volume and value is down.Productivity is in the toilet. The service sector, manufacturing, business outlook, it’s doom and gloom wherever you turn. It’s an ugly picture to have to paint when you have to be honest about the real state of things.We’ve been fed the warm and fluffies for so long this is all a bitter pill to have to swallow, as reality dawns and looks to bite us in the bum, because guess what? We apparently didn’t see any of this coming. And by we, I mean they, the Government. There was no forward planning. Nothing other than printing money.So given all of that, and given how unpalatable that picture of this country is, the government’s focus today should be very clear and very concise. But it isn’t. It’s still got its head in the clouds. Pie in the sky ideology like emissions targets and carbon footprints are a nice to have, but not a need to have right now. And that’s where this government’s out of touch and out of good ideas. And that’s why today is going to be a big let down. We need to rein in spending, curb inflation, get productivity firing again. We need to reward hard work not penalize it. Tax relief would help. Improving education would help. Being bold and decisive and laser focused on what matters to New Zealanders would help. Sadly though, I don’t think we’re going to get any of those things today. I hope I'm wrong.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another surprise public appearance by the Queen - this time at Paddington Station.She's attended the opening of the Elizabeth Line, a new train line on the London Underground that opens to the public next week.UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Kate Hawkesby the project is well over budget and well behind schedule.He says it was due to open in 2010 with a budget of NZD$30 billion, which has now risen to NZD$40 billion.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some alarming figures out around flu jabs.Running the numbers, only around one in five people are eligible for a free one, despite the Government saying they are prepared.Official numbers out from the Ministry of Heath also show a low uptake in vaccines with only 736,000 jabs being administered. That's again not even a fifth of the population.Questions are being raised as to why it isn't free for everyone and do we have an issue waiting to happen.Royal NZ College of GP's Medical Director Dr. Bryan Betty joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So it seems the internet is killing the television star.New research out from Canstar shows more than a third of Kiwis no longer watch traditional television - up 20 percent over the past year.Along with that, nearly 80 percent of people get their entertainment mainly through the internet.Tech commentator Jordan Tini joined Kate Hawkesby to discuss how television remains hanging in there.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk may be getting cold feet about buying Twitter.The Tesla CEO says the deal can't move forward unless Twitter shows public proof that fewer than 5 per cent of its accounts are fake or spam.Wedbush Security managing director Dan Ives says these accounts are undoubtedly an issue.He told Kate Hawkesby the issue could be more of an escape clause for Musk, if he's looking for a way out of the deal.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This time yesterday I was talking about divorce – not mine, but whether or not we were collectively as a voting public slowly divorcing ourselves from this government or not. Well today I’m talking marriage. Again, not mine, but why science says that according to data, we are not dating properly.. or dating to marry. I only know this because Glenn shoved this piece of research in my face yesterday and so I thought I’d share it with you. It’s the kind of research dating websites live for. Everyone wants to know the key to a happy relationship or the key to finding the perfect mate – but turns out we do a lot of it wrong. It’s not as simplistic as we think it should be.For example, you’d think having similar values, preferences and being of similar demographics like age, stage, education or status, might be an obvious road to happy co-existence.. but that’s not true. Data surprisingly showed that happy relationships are unpredictable – they have very little to do with any of that stuff. In fact the variables that predict a couple’s happiness are surprisingly small. And here’s the irony – the stuff you may look for in a dating scenario, is not the stuff long term happy couples claimed made them any happier in their long terms relationships.So for example, people on dating websites are looking for a lot of aesthetics.. attractiveness, success, a good occupation, similarities to oneself, ethnicity, and when it comes to women looking for men – height apparently. Yet long term happy couples reported none of those things correlated with their enduring relationship happiness. So the researchers concluded that in fact, “in the dating market, people compete ferociously for mates with qualities that do not increase one’s chances of romantic happiness.” They refer to those qualities dating singles are looking for as ‘shiny qualities that immediately grab our attention,’ but actually make no difference to our long term happiness. In other words, romantic partners we might desire may not actually be that good for us long term. And bear in mind, on the list of desirable attributes daters look for alongside height or attractiveness, are also ‘people with sexy names and people who may share our initials.’It doesn’t get wackier than that, surely?So if that short term shallow stuff is tricking us into thinking it’s true love, when it’s not going to be, then what does make for a happy long term relationship? Well, I’d say of course in my very unscientific opinion – marry your best friend. But the researchers say actually in order to find happiness inside our relationships, we need to find happiness firstly outside of the relationship too. So our pre-existing mental state is what drives our mental state inside relationship.Apparently, if we are someone who’d say our life was happy single, then we’re more likely to say we’re happy inside a relationship too. So if you’re wondering if your relationship's a long term happy one, apparently, the question is not – are you happy as a couple, but, are you happy with yourself?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New findings show autistic children are three times more likely to be stood down or suspended from school, than other students.These levels reverted back to the general population average, when autistic students received high-needs funding.Principals' Federation President Cherie Taylor-Patel told Kate Hawkesby suspension can be a strategy for schools to push the Ministry of Education to support students in need.She says it's clear that when autistic children have the right levels of funding and support, they're more likely to experience success.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are predictions of a few hiccups in getting more electric vehicles on our roads.The Government wants total driving cut by a fifth, and 30 percent of people driving zero emission cars by 2035.Manufacturer Singer Electrical says home charging units haven't been subsidised, and can cost up to $5,000.Marketing Manager Finn McLaren told Kate Hawkesby that's not the only issue.He says supply issues mean people could be in for a six month wait for a unit.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand On Air has been slammed, over the awarding of 200-thousand dollars for a documentary about Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick.The project, Being Chlöe, looks to explore the political and personal life of New Zealand's youngest MP.Swarbrick wasn't involved in pitching the project.Former Arts Minister Chris Finlayson told Kate Hawkesby it's a misuse of taxpayers' money.He says New Zealand On Air shouldn't show political favouritism and that's exactly what they're doing.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m enjoying the politicians who’ve stepped away from politics long enough to be able to look back in on it with fresh eyes and with wisdom, and then write about it. Paula Bennett has a column in the Herald on Sunday which is always a good read, Steven Joyce writes for the Herald and his pieces always make sense too. Part of it may be that it reminds me of what it was like when grown-ups were in charge. But Joyce’s piece this weekend if you didn’t read it, look it up, is good because he talked about the Government not listening to the public, and it struck a nerve because – he’s right. Time and time again we have people on this show from various industries and sectors in strife, who’re pleading with the Government over something, and time and time again when you ask them what the response has been from government, the answer is invariably – ‘we haven’t heard’, or ‘they’re not listening’, or ‘they never got back to us.’Yesterday we had Peter Dunne on the show talking about the latest poll putting the Nats and Act ahead of Labour, and again he said Labour's problem may be - they're just not listening. Steven Joyce points out the gap is getting wider between the planet the Government lives on, and the one we inhabit. He also points out, “The first rule in politics is the public is almost always right. That means the one that has to do the listening is the Government.”But they’re not. Why not?Has so much arrogance crept in that they no longer care? Is it because they believe they’re right, irrespective of what we think? Is it because they’re not focussed on the right things or they’re spending too much time on social media and not enough time out in the real world? Is it because they don’t have the answers so they’d rather ignore the questions? Or is it just because they don't care?Steven Joyce says, “Ministers are clearly focused on growing the public service, doling out a big climate change slush fund.. implementing co-governance of public assets, and pouring another massive dollop of borrowed cash into the hungry maw that is their giant new health bureaucracy”.While the public he says, “on the other hand, are dealing with a runaway cost of living, shrinking household budgets, rising mortgage rates, diminishing asset values, a surge in aggressive criminal activity, long queues at the local hospital, and a declining education sector..” That’s tough to disagree with isn’t it?He says with the Government and the public talking past each other, “we are heading towards a messy divorce.”I wonder if that's true.Joyce's point is that they're propped up by their fellow ideologues.. “The anti-car crowd, the co-governance crowd, and the identity politics crowd..” they’re all egging them on. So where is this all headed?Divorce come Sept/Oct next year? Or can they close the divide and win us back?At this stage, I’d put my money on a divorce.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Better investment in public transport is being seen as the key to making a congestion charge work.Plans for a charging regime are expected as part of the Government's Emissions Reduction Plan, which comes out at midday.Mevo CEO Erik Zydervelt says in the past in cities like Auckland there was a feeling you needed a car to get around.He told Kate Hawkesby that's changing.“We’re right at the stage where we’re really starting to wake up as a country and go: public transport is actually, if you invest in it, really good.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A wayward final stretch has cost Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox a second win on the DP Tour this year, finishing in a share of second at the Soudal Open in Belgium.Fox blew a three-shot lead with 11 holes to play, losing a head-to-head battle with England's Sam Horsfield who captured his third DP World Tour title.Horsfield shot a final round 68 to finish at 13-under, two shots clear of Fox and German Yannick Paul who both took home €166,385 ($NZ277,043) for second.It was there for the taking for Fox who went into the final round with a one-shot lead, and stretched it to three after bouncing back from a second hole bogey with three straight birdies.With Fox and Horsfield tied at the 16th tee, the Kiwi went bogey-birdie-bogey to card an even par 71 and finish two shots behind the Englishman.Fox will now head jets to the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Oklahoma for his 12th major appearance. A consolation from today's result is that the second placing secures him a spot in next month's US Open at The Country Club in Massachusetts.The Kiwi world number 106 could also jump back into the world top 100 tomorrow as he takes plenty of form into the second major of the year and his first since last year's Open Championship.It's been an impressive run of form for Fox since returning to Europe following a two-month break in New Zealand in the wake of his victory at the Ras al Khaimah Classic in February.Today's result at the Rinkven International Golf Club in Antwerp was his third straight top 10 finish and places him sixth on the DP World Tour standings. Fox has already amassed €566,439 (NZ$943,160) in prizemoney in 2022 as he heads to the lucrative US PGA Championship where first place earns US$2,160,000.But there will probably be a feeling on that flight across the Atlantic Ocean that he let one get away leading what wasn't the strongest chasing pack with a three-shot lead and 11 holes to play.Starting with a one-shot lead, Fox lipped out a par putt at the second hole to move back to 10-under and a tie at the front with what was just his second three-putt of the week.He then took the solo lead straight back with a 26-footer for birdie at the third and followed that up with a brilliant approach at the fourth to get within five feet and another birdie. Fox then nearly chipped in for eagle at the fifth and rolled in a third straight birdie to take a three-shot lead.Horsfield made an impressive 33-foot birdie to cut the lead to two at the seventh hole before Fox picked up another shot with a nine-foot birdie putt at the eighth.The lead was reduced to two at the turn when Fox found the trees on the par fourth ninth, and then stuck by a tent for his third shot and needed a drop. A brilliant chip gave Fox a chance to save par but he walked away with bogey.Fox still had a two-shot lead on the 12th tee but a birdie for Horsfield on the par three and a bogey for Fox at the 13th saw the two players level with five to play.The Kiwi gave up the lead for the first time since the third round on the 16th hole with his fourth bogey of the final round but rebounded with an eagle putt on the penultimate hole, getting to within two feet to take birdie. Horsfield however responded with a birdie putt to retain a one-shot lead heading to the last.The Englishman found a sandy path with his tee shot on the last but hit a brilliant approach to the green while Fox mis-hit his second from the rough and found the greenside bunker, all but conceding the tournament.- by Cameron McMillan, NZ HeraldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Having lived in London I feel like something of an expert on public transport because in London it’s the only way you travel.Unless you have millions of dollars to burn up, in which case you might take a black cab, but for most of us, the Tube and the train and the bus, is it. And it works. It’s efficient, it’s modern, it’s pleasant, it can be convivial, it carries every cross-section of society imaginable, it’s cool. You can hop on the Tube with business people, dog walkers, students, tourists, elderly, the edgy fashionistas, families, the works. I mean there were times when trains didn’t go due to weather preventing the tracks being used, or the Tube station you wanted to stop at had an issue so you just went to the next one, but by and large it runs smoothly so everybody uses it. They also have the population to use it, the networks to make it viable, and the infrastructure to make it sing.Which leads me to New Zealand. We don’t have the same experience here because we don’t have the infrastructure, we don’t have the slick networks, we don’t have the population volume to use it and we have an image problem with it. Case and point the Tauranga bus driver this weekend ‘left "emotionally distraught" after a group of youths forced their way onboard and began smashing the rearview mirror.’ This was not a one-off either. It was reported as ‘the latest in a series of violent incidents at city bus interchanges that have prompted drivers to bypass stops if they felt their safety was at risk.’ So what is going on here? How do we recruit bus drivers, entice people to take the bus, and encourage public transport use, if this is the experience? In the instance of this bus driver, he was apparently “left shaken and stranded as the broken mirror meant the bus could not be legally driven, so he had to wait for a mechanic to come and repair it.” The problem is chicken and egg I think. On the one hand, we need more people to use public transport, and then when and if they do, it gets busier and more capable, it attracts a wider variety of riders, it means more people can be employed to police it, like monitors at stops or onboard, it makes for a safer experience. But you need the numbers for that.And you don’t get the numbers if parents are too scared to encourage their young kids onto the bus for fear they wind up front row at an incident like this one in Tauranga. Or when elderly people don’t want to take it for the same reasons, or when business people decide it’s just safer simpler and more efficient to take the car. We need to be thinking long and hard about how our public transport functions in this country because with Waka Kotahi flagging more major pushes away from cars, and with the Government bringing in congestion charges, it'll be a reality more of us have to consider. So how do we make it good enough to warrant our patronage? Do we just support it and hope that by doing so it eventually gets up and running smoothly? Or do the public transport providers make a bigger effort to get it running smoothly first? I’m not sure which way round it goes but I know that as time marches on, it’s something we have to sort out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finland's government declared a “new era” is underway as it inches closer to seeking NATO membership, hours before Sweden's governing party on Sunday backed a plan to join the trans-Atlantic alliance amid Russia's war in Ukraine.Russia has long bristled about NATO moving closer to its borders, so the developments will be sure to further anger Moscow. President Vladimir Putin has already warned his Finnish counterpart on Saturday that relations would be “negatively affected.”NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Sunday the process for Finland and Sweden to join could be very quick. He also didn't expect Turkey to hold up the process.Speaking after top diplomats from the alliance’s 30 member states met in Berlin, Stoltenberg also expressed his hope that Ukraine could win the war as Russian military advances appear to be faltering.In Finland, President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin confirmed earlier statements that their country would seek membership in NATO during a joint news conference at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki. The Nordic country, which was nonaligned before changing its stance on NATO, shares a long border with Russia.“This is a historic day. A new era begins,” Niinisto said.The Finnish Parliament is expected to endorse the decision in the coming days. A formal membership application will then be submitted to NATO headquarters in Brussels, most likely at some point next week.Sweden, also nonaligned, moved a step closer to applying for NATO membership after the governing Social Democratic party met Sunday and backed joining the trans-Atlantic alliance.The plan to join the alliance will be discussed in Sweden’s parliament on Monday, and Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson’s Cabinet will make an announcement later that day.The decision by the Social Democrats breaks with the party’s long-standing position that Sweden must remain nonaligned and means there’s a clear majority for NATO membership in Parliament.Sweden has not been a member of a military alliance since the Napoleonic Wars. Finland adopted neutrality after being defeated by the Red Army in World War II and losing about 10% of its territory.“Our 200-year-long standing policy of military nonalignment has served Sweden well,” Andersson said during a news conference in Stockholm late Sunday. “But the issue at hand is whether military nonalignment will keep serving us well?”“We’re now facing a fundamentally changed security environment in Europe.”Finland and Sweden abandoned traditional neutrality by joining the European Union in 1995.Public opinion in both countries was firmly against joining NATO until the Russian invasion on Ukraine on Feb. 24, when support for membership surged almost overnight, first in Finland and later in Sweden.NATO's secretary-general, meanwhile, sought to highlight Russian military setbacks.“Russia’s war in Ukraine is not going as Moscow had planned,” Stoltenberg said by video link to the NATO meeting in Berlin as he recovers from a COVID-19 infection." “They failed to take Kyiv. They are pulling back from around Kharkiv. Their major offensive in Donbas has stalled. Russia is not achieving its strategic objectives.”“Ukraine can win this war," he said, adding that NATO must continue to step up its military support to the country.The ex-Soviet republic of Georgia's bid to join NATO is again being discussed despite dire warnings from Moscow about the consequences. Both countries fought a brief war in 2008 over Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia.Nordic NATO member Norway said it strongly welcomed Finland’s decision to seek membership. Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt described Helsinki’s move as “a turning point” for the Nordic region's defense and security policies.Stoltenberg said he was confident the accession process for Finland and Sweden could be expedited. In the...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A bad start to a crucial week for the Government.Jacinda Ardern is too sick with Covid to speak at today's Emissions Reduction Plan announcement and will be in isolation for the release of the Budget on Thursday.Cabinet Minister Phil Twyford has had to cancel a planned trip to Timor-Leste, also due to Covid.Political commentator Peter Dunne told Kate Hawkesby the Government is also grappling with a new poll, suggesting National and Act have the numbers to form a government.“I don’t think we’re jumping the gun in terms of reshuffling the Cabinet, I mean, I think that’s been signalled already as being a likely possibility. I suspect there will be some retirements announced over the next few months.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our lab workers have had to go to Parliament for the first time in 75 years to have their voices heard, saying the industry is in crisis.The NZ Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences delivered a petition to Health Minister Andrew Little, wanting a full and comprehensive review of their profession.President Terry Taylor joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So some schools are getting fed up with the lack of progress in replacing the decile system.For years, schools have been told the decile system would be replaced with an equity index, but progress seems to be slow.Now it's hoped government will finally introduce the index at next week's Budget.Oropi School Principal Andrew King joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wairoa hasn't had an adult dental service for two years, when the one private provider in the town closed.But a temporary solution has finally been worked out, with the Hawkes Bay DHB funding a dental service that will operate once a week, for a year until a new permanent solution is found.Wairoa Mayor, Craig Little joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I see another wave of Covid going though Auckland – which is ironic because I said to my husband the other day – it feels like there’s more Covid around us at the moment. And he poo pooed it as grandmother research and me being paranoid.But I was watching colleagues, our boss, a couple of our kids, all drop like flies with Covid, slowly our newsroom started emptying out, it felt like there was a spate of Covid cases lurching back into action. And then I see the stats and sure enough, cases in Auckland are up 50 percent. And this week we learn one Auckland High School has even had to go back to online learning given 200 students have been affected by it. So not grandmother research as it turn out after all – but actual facts.The schools are definitely seeing it, despite their continued mask use – my daughter’s winter sports team couldn’t get their first game away because they had to default due to numbers of kids sick with Covid and the teacher herself having Covid.Local cafes have signs going back up saying limited hours or closing early due to staff being down because of Covid.And many of the cases we’re hearing about are a lot worse than a mild cold or a light flu. Some of them are really, really sick. One of our work colleagues said he’s never felt so ill and the only reason he didn’t go to the emergency room was he didn’t want to be around people who might be as sick as him, he felt dreadful.The other thing is, all of these people I know are all vaccinated and / or boosted, have been wearing masks where and when required, and yet still have gone down like a sack of hammers. I can’t work out if it’s the new variant giving people more grief, or if it’s a combination of Delta and Omicron, or whether it’s just winter flus, ills and chills compounding the severity of the Covid.Either way it makes me even more determined not to get it – I mean how have those of us who haven’t had it yet, got this far without getting it? It's a total crap shoot I guess. I was hoping to come out the other side of this pandemic able to say – I never got it – but it’s looking less and less likely. Although my husband's theory is maybe we had a mild dose early on and didn't even know we had it - you know before RAT testing came in and before the first bug wave.The experts say while Auckland’s experiencing an increase in cases, the rest of the country’s plateauing – but, that the rest of the country will follow suit. So it seems you have your plateau - and then another peak, and maybe we just go in cycles like that from now on? I hope not, I really had hoped it was behind us. But it seems the cases we’re aware of are nasty ones, the only upside being that they’ll potentially now be protected against it into the winter months now that they’ve had it. So I guess it’s a case of just keeping up the Vitamin C and the Zinc and the Vitamin D - and all the other stuff they advise us to take to keep our immune systems in good shape.But it’s been a good wake up call to not get too bullish about beating Covid, because it looks like it may well come for us yet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has laid out a raft of new changes to our immigration and border rules.Urgently needed workers will now be allowed to come through a green list system, designed to fast track residency, for hard to fill jobs.While other industries not on the list can apply for residency after two years.Phil O'Reilly is the former Business New Zealand boss and he joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is currently reviewing our pig farming practices and wants to tighten the welfare requirements for our local pork.NZ Pork has made it clear they are not happy about this.But they have also just presented a petition asking for imported pork to be required to meet the same welfare standards as local pork.Chief executive of NZ Pork Brent Kleiss joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A warning has come that kiwis in their 30's are set to run out of cash less than four years into their retirement.The findings are based on people who are currently in ‘balanced’ KiwiSaver funds, earning the average wage, have average household expenditure as well as having the ‘average’ KiwiSaver balance.Essentially working off the model that we will retire at 65 and go back to work at 68, according to these figures.Better Saver founder and chief executive, Joe Taylor, has run the numbers and joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a lot to unpack with Simon Henry and his attempt at an apology to Nadia Lim. I don’t know if two minutes on the radio will do justice to how much there is to unpack here, it may need a counsellor with a lot of time on their hands to help Simon get to the bottom of what on earth is going on with him, suffice to say, it’s embarrassing. I mean why’d he even bother? Two lines, in a token email, sent by his office manager, six days after the event, and days after he said he’d apologized. How awkward. The email said, “Please take this letter as my sincere and formal apology for my inappropriate language in relation to you used in the interview.” That’s it. Are you kidding me? You can’t make this stuff up.He also alleged he’d made several attempts to call Lim on her cell phone, but Nadia says she has no missed calls or voicemails, so that’s awkward as well. How a guy this high up the food chain has cocked this up so badly beggars belief, but it also calls into question those around him. Who’s advising this guy? Why hasn’t he enlisted any decent PR or damage control? Who’s telling him this is acceptable?I mean, take the temperature. It’s gone down like a lead balloon, it’s dominated headlines for days, it’s seen stocks dropping, reputation getting trashed, negative publicity, how bad do you want it to get?His one shot at redemption was a fulsome, sincere and at this point grovelling apology. He should've been on bended knee by now asking for forgiveness, acknowledging the mistake he made, acknowledging his misogyny and racism and promising to work on it. He should have apologized to more than just Nadia – but also her family, her kids, her parents, all women of Asian descent offended by this, her work colleagues, his work colleagues. There was so much more he could've done, and yet, he’s done the bare minimum.He seems completely without remorse. Does he even see how bad this looks? When will the penny drop?And I don’t doubt that in Henry’s corporate bubble they’d have workshopped this apology knowing full well it’d be made public, so to think a bunch of corporate lackeys sat around finessing this to the two line disgrace that is, makes me wonder what the hell goes on at this company and how out of touch they all really are. Is there anyone in there thinking clearly?Henry was the one lacking judgement and making the initial blunder – which quite apart from the misogyny and the racism, shows he did not have the foresight to think about who he was messing with. Nadia Lim is a national treasure for goodness sake. A smart, savvy and successful business woman but also a wholesome and much loved upstanding New Zealander.You don’t lash out at any woman like that, but certainly not Nadia Lim, without the wrath of women everywhere coming down on you.So that was his bad – but from then onwards his company knew what was up – or going down - as the case may be – and yet this is still the best they could come up with? It's pathetic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

News of a full border re-opening is being met with a warm welcome.Our newsroom understands Jacinda Ardern will announce an early border opening for July, three months ahead of schedule.It's also thought the Prime Minister will lay out new immigration settings, favouring high skilled workers.D&L Law Partner Pooja Sundar told Kate Hawkesby says the skill shortage isn't just being affected by people not being able to get in.She says we also have to be concerned with people leaving the country who we haven't been able to replace.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The spotlight is turning to other cases at Gloriavale which could be described as forced labour.The Employment Court has ruled three ex-residents were employees from the age of six, not volunteers.It found the work can't be described as chores or education, because of the commercial nature.Gloriavale Leavers Support Trust Manager Liz Gregory told Kate Hawkesby there's now the opportunity for others, with a second case already set down for September.She says it's set a precedent for how future cases are decided.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In another case of theory versus reality, Tourism Minister Stuart Nash is telling us we’re open as a country, but tourism groups and others will tell you – we’re not really.The thing holding us up? The Covid testing regime our government insists on keeping in place. The problem with it is twofold.One, we are one of the few countries left in the world still doing this, and two, it’s bureaucratically heavy and administratively cumbersome. Travel is logistically challenging enough, we don’t need additional barriers and hoops to jump through. I don’t know of anyone who has travelled recently whose come back and had a favourable word to say about it, in fact quite the opposite. They say it’s a nightmare and given that, we’re not really fully ‘open’ are we?Open means door open, come on in, no barriers. This is more a case of – hey we’re open but if you could just get this supervised Covid test, download this result, add this app, load it in there, send it to the other app, keep a QR code handy, take these RAT’s for some more testing while you’re here, and yep.. come on in. Not quite how it works.My brother has travelled three times internationally since the border opened, and he says New Zealand is by far the worst country to get into in terms of its complicated entry requirement system. He said he didn’t know how anyone over 50 years old could work it out it’s so convoluted, you virtually need a degree in IT to decipher it.He also said the bureaucracy around it seems to be getting worse not better. As in, they haven’t streamlined it or responded to customer complaints to change it or simplify it.There are also several forms needed to fill out before you even board your plane, all adding to your time and stress to just get in or out of the country. And that’s before we get to people who may be travelling long haul and find their expensive supervised negative test is no longer valid once they actually touch down in New Zealand. It makes no sense.I interviewed Air NZ's Greg Foran the other day, he described our border entry requirements as a hassle and an impediment to travellers, and he hopes the Government gets rid of it soon. Unfortunately, though, the Government’s timeframe is never really in line with commercial imperatives, it moves at a somewhat glacial pace.. and though it says it will consider removing the barriers ‘at some point’, no one knows when that is. The PM says it's ‘constantly under review’, but then she also said that about our never-ending lockdowns and traffic lights. David Seymour was not wrong when he said everything this Government does takes an ‘Ardernity’. So if you’re banking on this Government moving faster to help business and travellers, then you’re going to be disappointed.In the meantime, if you were weighing up coming here, versus say Fiji or Australia where there’re no entry requirements, and you knew getting into New Zealand involved a strict and costly testing regime, within a strict timeframe, which would you choose?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unmanaged emergency housing facilities are said to be causing significant social issues in Rotorua.A council committee meeting has revealed a third of family harm calls each week in the city, are to emergency housing motels.District Councillor Tania Tapsell told Kate Hawkesby the Government promised to find a better system a year ago - but they're still waiting for action.She says people and families are suffering, many of whom are likely to be escaping domestic violence - and the Government needs to do better.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been revealed nearly fifty percent of our jobs were protected by the Government’s wage subsidies at some point last year.This resulted in less people losing their jobs during the pandemic and less businesses going under.But now, as wage subsidies are gone and businesses need to fend for themselves again, one economist says we could see a wave of "zombie" businesses closing.Shamubeel Eaqub from Sense Partners joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The construction industry is ageing more quickly than new people coming on board.The Government's Apprenticeship Boost scheme, which supports trades training programmes, will now run until the end of next year.The funding goes towards trades training programmes, and will support an additional 24,000 apprentices.Construction Industry Council Chair Graham Burke told Kate Hawkesby it's a good start but it won't fix the skills shortage.He says the number of people retiring is increasing at a rapid pace.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So just when I was giving them the benefit of the doubt, the Government showed its true colours again yesterday and went back to its head in the sand approach. They’re not soft on crime after all, according to them. I thought all this money being thrown at crime was admission crime is a problem, and their dealing with it hasn’t been flash, but alas, wrong. The PM came out and said yesterday nope, they’re not soft on crime. She also denied this funding announcement was a rushed reaction to bad polls and bad headlines.As for Poto Williams, yesterday she was bluffing her way around what they’re doing about ram raids, she didn’t sound any clearer than she did when she first announced it. Essentially, they’re not sure how they’re going to help businesses deal with ram raiders, but they’ll consult. Of course they will. As for whether they’re soft on crime, she was singing from the same song sheet as the Prime Minster. When it was put to her that a Newshub poll showed 70% of New Zealanders think they're soft on crime, she denied it.“Not true,” she said. So 70 percent of Kiwis are wrong.This is, of course, the one and only Labour defence move, just deny everything, it’s not happening, not true, I reject the premise of the question. I’m surprised they’re still taking this path; actually, I’d have thought the polls and focus groups would be telling them by now that this blanket denial routine is not working for them. You can’t deny stuff that people know is true, that people are experiencing for themselves, that people are seeing unfold in front of their very eyes. You can’t deny it when even the Police themselves are saying it’s true. That their hands are tied, that they can’t pursue people, that they can’t arrest people and that they can barely get past all their paperwork and bureaucracy these days to even get out on the street and actually be a cop.Anyway, Poto thinks this announcement of money is proof they’re not soft on crime.She’s delusional. All that this announcement is, is a long overdue shot in the arm for law enforcement which has been sadly lacking for too long. And even then, this new funding is going to take four years to trickle through.In regards to our largest city, Poto believes the ‘dynamic in Auckland has changed’ she says due to the loss of international students.In what can only be described as laughable, she didn’t recognize that’s because in place of the students, the Government popped the 501s in there. So she put criminals in town, then says the ‘dynamic has changed’. No kidding, as a direct result of government decision making. Not that they’ll ever see it that way. And that’s part of the problem too, they don’t accept responsibility for anything, everything seems to be somebody else’s fault.It's hard to have faith there will be meaningful change, when the powers that be can’t even acknowledge the reality of the problem.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former community constable says the youth committing ram raids lack respect for their family units.More than $562 million has been promised over four years for more frontline police, a new firearms unit and a package for businesses to protect themselves. Manukau Ward councillor Alf Filipaina told Kate Hawkesby it's a good start, and he's looking forward to seeing its implementation.“We’ve seen the disrespect for not only the family unit at a very young age and also to Police and authority; we’ve seen that happen over many years.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Very pleased to see a crackdown on crime coming in the form of some dollars and sense from the government. The sense to finally recognise we have a major problem with crime in this country. $562 million in funding over four years will see a long-overdue increase in Police numbers and plans to tackle gang violence. More Police is a no brainer and should've happened ages ago, but I’m interested in how they tangibly expect to crack down on gang crime. Because it’s rife now and embedded in virtually every corner of this country. The Police have also announced a new crackdown coming for gangs starting in June, but it raises a few questions. First of all, why would they make a gang crackdown public and essentially give gangs a month or two’s notice? Secondly, what actually does ‘increasing focus on unlawful behaviour’ entail? I mean is that simply a surveillance thing? They’ll watch the gangs and start monitoring what they’re up to? Part of yesterday’s release on tackling gang violence said money would include extensions to ‘successful rehabilitation programmes to break the cycle of offending and entering a life of crime’. I’m not sure that’s the edge of the gang market we need to be focussed on at the moment, the behaviour we tend to see is overtly proud gang members feeling emboldened, not so much those keen for a bit of rehab and turning their life around.Police have said they want to make communities feel safe. We are a long way off that at the moment if you speak to any dairy or liquor store owner fearing for their lives, sleeping in their shop, or having to shell out for bollards and fog canons.It's a very Labour government approach to announce stuff, and we like announcements, the media gets very excited about announcements, but it’s quite another thing to actually produce tangible results. Which is I’m sure what would make communities feel safe – results. It is however a big step forward to get past denial of crime being an issue. (They must’ve had a word with Poto Williams about actually acknowledging that crime is real.) And I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, a government keen to reduce prison populations, reticent to arrest people with a soft approach from the top in the form of Police Commissioner Andy Coster. Plus, that interesting piece of international research which showed violent crime is up globally 35 per cent, and it’s the countries who locked down their citizens, who are now experiencing more violent crime. And that makes sense – you repress people, control them and restrict them for so long, they’re going to go nuts when they're set free. Certainly, we’re seeing that here with violent crime up, gun crime up, 15 to 20 ram raids a week, and according to stats obtained by the National Party, gang recruits now outstripping new Police. So it makes sense to bolster the other side of the equation at long last – it’s going to take 4 years though. Let’s just hope is it’s not too little too late.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allied health workers say they're fed up being overworked and underpaid.They're set to begin industrial action today before a full 24-hour strike next week.After 18 months of negotiations, the Employment Relations Authority made a recommendation last week, which DHBs are yet to act on.PSA organiser Will Matthews told Kate Hawkesby a lot of these workers could head overseas if a new offer isn't put on the table.“We have people being actively targeted by Australian health agencies who can offer tens of thousands of dollars more, even as a starting rate, than an Allied health worker can ever hope to earn in New Zealand.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharks 29Warriors 10One step forward, two big steps back for the Warriors.After their win last week, an unwanted pattern continued on Sunday, with a truly baffling performance against Cronulla as they slumped to an awful 29-10 defeat, despite the Sharks playing more than an hour with only 12 men.Cronulla fullback Will Kennedy was dismissed in the 16th minute, after a terrible high tackle on Reece Walsh, and that should have been a game-changing moment.It was – but for the wrong team. The home side were inspired, digging deep in a magnificent display, even proving resolute when they were down to 11 men for a 10-minute period in the second half, and becoming the first team to win with 12 men against 13 since 2008.In contrast, the Warriors were a muddle; falling short in effort and execution and being let down by a number of poor decisions and a lack of patience.Their attack was too often laboured, and they tried to go east to west too often before they had gone north.The lack of composure and leadership was a worry, given the Warriors won't have too many better chances this season to topple a potential top-four contender.The Sharks enjoyed 59 per cent possession and were ahead with goal-line dropouts (5-1) and line breaks (7-2).Nicho Hynes was sensational for the Sydney team, as they scored a remarkable four tries while undermanned. In contrast Shaun Johnson had a mixed game against his former club, one of many Warriors who couldn't rise to the occasion.In front of a vocal crowd, the Sharks struck first with Hynes finishing off a 70-metre move after an incursion on the right edge, with the Warriors getting their defensive numbers wrong.The flashpoint of the match came ten minutes later, with Kennedy's coat-hanger tackle on Walsh. Whether or not there was intent, the sight of Walsh being thrown into mid-air was unpalatable given recent interpretations, and the referee had no hesitation.The Warriors scored from the resultant penalty, with a Walsh cut-out ball sending Dallin Watene-Zelezniak across in the right corner.It was reward for some sustained pressure, with Matt Lodge and Eliesa Katoa prominent in the early exchanges.William Kennedy catches Reece Walsh around the neck to earn a red card. Photo / GettyLodge was key to the Warriors' next try, with an offload on halfway sending Walsh on an arcing run into open pasture. An audacious flick pass found Daejarn Asi, before Viliami Vailea finished off a perceptive grubber by the five-eighth.At 10-6, the Warriors had a platform to launch but endured a muddled second quarter. They struggled to put any pressure on the undermanned Sharks and were mostly defending, with back rower Teig Wilton's try coming after six successive goal-line sets, while fifth-tackle options were poor.Vailea went close just after halftime – unable to collect an Adam Pompey pass – but the pattern of poverty continued and Connor Tracey crossed from a smart set move, after the Warriors coughed up possession near halfway.The visitors struggled to assert themselves, but got another bonus in the 53rd minute, with Jesse Ramien sinbinned for a shoulder charge on Euan Aitken.But the poor decisions continued, with Watene-Zelezniak ceding possession attempting a low-percentage play, when the Warriors just needed to use their two-man advantage.The frustration continued, as the Sharks defended two successive sets with 11 players, before a Johnson grubber rolled dead.There were some promising moments, but too often any initiative would end with a mistake or a cheap penalty. Tracey's second try in the 66th minute sealed the result against the deflated Warriors, before Ramien's late effort only added to the embarrassment.Sharks 29 (Connor Tracey 2, Nicho Hynes, Teig Wilton, Jesse Ramien tries; Hynes 4 cons, field goal)Warriors 10 (Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Viliami Vailea tries; Reece...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How much longer will the United Kingdom remain "united"?Sinn Féin is calling for a referendum on the reunification of Ireland and Northern Ireland, following its shock success at the Northern Irish election over the weekend.It's won the most seats of any party in the Northern Irish Assembly, a first for a nationalist party.UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Kate Hawkesby that while the UK government is ruling out a vote for now, there's now mounting pressure for change.“Make no mistake. With the Scottish National Party winning seats in Scotland, it’s Scotland and Northern Ireland that is threatening to break away from the United Kingdom.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queen Elizabeth II will miss the traditional royal garden party season, where she would normally meet with hundreds of people on the grounds of her residences in London and Edinburgh, palace officials said.The 96-year-old monarch will be represented instead by other members of her family, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.Before the pandemic, the queen invited over 30,000 people each year to the gardens of Buckingham Palace or the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.The guests, who have all served their community in different ways, have the opportunity to speak with the queen and other royal family members at the parties.The parties were set to return for the first time in three years starting next week.The monarch has missed several major events this year and has been carrying out online engagements instead. She spent a night in the hospital in October and only conducted light duties for several months on her doctors' orders.In March, the queen attended a service honouring the life of her late husband, Prince Philip.She marked her Platinum Jubilee — 70 years on the throne — in February. Large-scale festivities to celebrate that milestone, including concerts and pageants, will take place later this month and in June. - APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More staff is needed to help reduce growing violence at Christchurch Hospital's emergency department.Research in the New Zealand Medical Journal says each and every staff member has experienced the abuse.Emergency medicine specialist Dr John Bonning says more resource is needed across the health sector to reduce waiting times.He told Kate Hawkesby they've produced hospital access targets like shorter stays - but that requires the whole system buying in.Bonning says with the transition into the new health authorities from July - it's still unknown what that means for those on the frontline.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How would you feel about investing your KiwiSaver in Bitcoin?A KiwiSaver scheme is launching the world's second carbon neutral cryptocurrency fund.Koura is launching new specialty funds that will invest in Bitcoin and offset carbon emissions through purchasing carbon offsets.Founder and managing director of Koura Rupert Carlyon joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are hopes newly-approved Auckland cycleway extensions will provide safety for city commuters.Plans for more than $300 million in funding was endorsed by the Auckland Council yesterday.Bike Auckland Chair Tony Mitchell told Kate Hawkesby when you look at major cities like London and Paris - it's clear people don't get on their bikes unless it's safe to do so.He says the main issue with cycleways in the super city is a lack of safety, and people are dying while trying to commute.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was out in Auckland city last night - which if you know me, you know is extremely rare on a weeknight for me to be out anywhere, far less the CBD. But I was driving through downtown Auckland with my kids in the car and I couldn't believe how heaving town was for a Thursday night.Bars and restaurants full, people sitting cheek by jowl at tables both inside and out on the street, it was buzzing. I said to my kids, "look at this! Town's on fire!" and my very wise 22 year old son said, "Mum, you just wait, past 8 o'clock you do not want to be in here, it gets as rough as guts."Luckily I didn't plan on being in town past 8pm, but I knew he was right. Once the post work drinks and dinner crowd go home, Auckland's CBD transforms into a pretty unsavoury place. And I note even during the day it's getting untenable for some retailers.Clothing store Huffer said this week that Auckland’s just not safe anymore, which anyone who lives in Auckland knows. From guns going off, to ram raids, to violent crime, to the CBD full of homeless, to retail theft.. the list is endless. And it’s depressing.Especially if you’re a born and bred Aucklander like me, who’s grown up in this city, loved this city, owns property in it, raised kids in it. I was asking a real estate agent the other day how people live in town, right in the city centre, which should be prime real estate, proximity to great shopping, parks, ferries, buses, great eateries.. but how do they 1) navigate their way round it in a car, and 2) feel safe walking at night? I mean you can’t take a car anywhere because there’s no parking and you’d be congested in traffic forever anyway, so you may as well walk, but if you’re walking, are you taking your life into your hands?It’s noble that Mayoral hopefuls keep saying they’ll fix congestion, and they’ll clean up the city, they’ll crack down on crime, but how are they doing any of that? The problem is the Mayor is just another councillor, and if the Auckland Council hasn’t done any of that yet, what makes you think they’ll start now? A new Mayor is still just as powerless.This is especially true when you’ve got the idealogues at Auckland Transport wanting to turn the city into one giant cycle lane. So it makes me sad what’s happened to Auckland.We’ve got family living in other cities who love where they live. Christchurch, Dunedin, Northland, they love it. They relish their environment and are enjoying the spring back to life post Covid. But Auckland has just not managed that same bounce back.Many shops have closed permanently, the aforementioned Huffer's had two ram raids, another clothing store in town I know of has had to electronically tag every single piece of clothing due to the surge in shoplifting. Not that it changes anything given Police are not that interested. So I’m not sure how we fix Auckland, or what we can do to restore her back to her old glory. Is that even possible now? And if it’s not possible, how many of us stay and just put up with a city in decline, versus actually bailing on it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talk of the aged-care sector cannibalising itself.Survey results from 17 industry Chief Executives show more than two thirds say it's likely they'll have to stop or restrict admissions in the next year.Facility closures could be on the cards too - with more than a third saying it's likely.Radius Care's Michael Parker told Kate Hawkesby staffing shortages are playing a part.He says there's a lot of churn within the industry - with no new nurses coming in.Parker says the sector's in a perfect storm with Covid, immigration settings, and historical under-funding also.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.