Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Support continues for first responders who attended the head on crash south of Picton.Seven people were killed in a collision between a van and a truck on State Highway 1 on Sunday morning - two others from the van have serious and critical injuries.The Pukekohe family was on their way home after attending a funeral in Dunedin.St John Wellbeing Manager Adele Saunders told Tim Dower first responders are resilient but human emotion always comes through.She says every crash scene emergency staff go to has a different effect on people.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's pretty tough in the emergency departments right now. Hospitals all over the country are pleading with people to leave the ED for life and death situations only.I guess those of us who are lucky enough to enjoy pretty good health don't need to be told that; it says emergency in the name doesn't it?Unfortunately for emergency departments, their front doors are open to all and anyone who turns up asking for treatment is eventually going to get seen.And of course it's free, so it's the doctor's clinic of choice for people who either can't afford a GP, or can't get an appointment when they want, or prefer to spend the money on something else.It's the busiest time of the year right now and Counties Manukau DHB is so strapped, it's offering cash to local GPs to take patients off their hands.$250 for each Middlemore patient they see on a Friday night, or in the day on weekends.And $350 a pop on weekend nights when the ED is flooded out with drunks, and people who've got into fights with drunks.It's just crazy, isn't it?The way our system works right now, with GPs charging $30, $40 or $50 for an appointment, a lot of people can't afford to see a primary care doctor.So instead of a 15 minute consultation, a prescription and off home, people can end up in an expensive hospital bed costing upwards of a grand a night.Primary care really is the poor cousin of our health system; it's potentially the fence at the top of the cliff.GPs are undervalued and underpaid, and a properly functioning primary system, with cheap if not free access, would not only save us a fortune it would save a lot of grief too.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Ferns 50United States 6The Black Ferns saved their best for last.While they began their Pacific Four series with two double-digit wins, the Black Ferns' 50-6 victory over the United States in Whangārei on Saturday afternoon showed exactly what they are capable of.While they had been slow to put the foot down in their previous two matches against Australia and Canada, there was no such issue in Whangārei - which will be a beautiful sight to Wayne Smith and his coaching staff, with limited opportunities on the pitch before October's Rugby World Cup."We've got some tough decisions coming up. There are some very good players coming back for trials, Sevens players will become available, so there's going to be some pretty tough moments for the selectors," Smith said looking ahead to the World Cup."But there's only one group of girls at the moment who have put their form on the paddock and that's this group."Despite rain falling from start to finish – only getting heavier as the match progressed – the Black Ferns attack flowed frequently. They had no issues with moving the ball through the hands and asking questions of the US defensive line.That allowed Ayesha Leti-I'iga to put on an exhibition of speed, power and footwork, with the Black Ferns left wing often on the end of a backline move – scoring three tries and drawing a giant roar from the crowd whenever she came into the play. Any time Leti-I'iga got her hands on the ball, she caused problems for the defence – even on the multitude of occasions when the US kicked high in her direction, a tactic they continued despite Leti-I'iga showing a safe pair of hands.There were performances to catch the eye across the board for the New Zealand team. In particular, locking duo Joanah Ngan-Woo and Chelsea Bremner were impressive in the carry and both showed their offloading ability under good defensive pressure; Kendra Reynolds and Liana Mikaele-Tu'u also had a massive impact with ball in hand, while halfback Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu was terrific in her first start.performance, though. The Black Ferns welcomed pressure early in the contest by knocking on from restarts, while goal kicking remains an issue. Through the three-match series, the Black Ferns kickers converted just six of 16 tries – though Hazel Tubic was on song when she took over the goal kicking against the US.The Black Ferns took just two minutes to open the scoring. A backline move launched from a lineout about 40m out quickly saw the ball moved to the opposite side of the park, where Leti-I'iga enjoyed some space to move and didn't waste it.While the US hit back immediately with a penalty, it wasn't long before a good offload from Ngan-Woo saw Marino-Tauhinu score by the posts.The tactic from the US was clear in the first half. When they had possession, they would often kick high to the wings and play the territory game. That gave the Black Ferns a significant possession advantage, which showed in the scoreline.The Black Ferns scored five first-half tries to lead 29-6 at the break and delivered much the same in the second. Renee Holmes scores for the Black Ferns. Photo / Michael CunninghamThe US were starved of possession. Even when the Black Ferns coughed up the ball through an error or kicked off, they would soon find themselves back with ball in hand as the US struggled to execute at their set pieces and had handling errors.As the Black Ferns continued to hammer away, more gaps showed in the opposition defence. They ran in another three tries in the second half – including Leti-I'iga finishing off her hat-trick – without conceding a point, saving their best for last to close out the tournament in style."With weather like that, to put 50 points on the board – that's attacking intent," Smith said of the performance. "It wasn't perfect, obviously, but we have to be proud of that."Black Ferns 50 (Ayesha...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matariki is about resetting and remembering those who have died in the past year.Chief Executive of Tātou - a Māori cultural marketing and communications agency, Skye Kimura doesn't want Matariki to be used as an excuse for sales.Matariki will be marked as a public holiday for the first time this Friday.Kimura told Tim Dower we should learn what Matariki is about.She says she sees Matariki as being different to other holidays.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What a pointless exercise the Tauranga by-election was and what a waste of taxpayers' money.National is keeping the seat, hardly a surprise.But the turnout was awful.40 percent, about 20,000 votes cast and cost the taxpayer - roughly $50 a vote according to the Electoral Commission's figure of about a million to run a by-election.Of course, we wouldn't have needed to go through that whole process if Simon Bridges had been a list MP, just ring up the next person on the party list.And maybe, maybe that could work in constituencies too, given we have a general election every three years.Do we really need to go through all that process just to find someone for the seat for say, half a term?Here are some of the characters who've snuck into Parliament in by-elections the last few years:David Shearer, Kris Faafoi, Jami-Lee Ross that name alone shows you what a shonky process it is. Poto Williams, Winston, the Prime Minister and a few others.Now, if we just left it to the party of the outgoing MP to pick a successor, we'd save all that money and aggravation...you'd get some continuity on the ground locally, and it wouldn't change the proportionality of Parliament.Or maybe, maybe as a way of discouraging MPs from walking out on their contracts part way through, whoever came second at the previous election could be offered the seat.That might save us a few million.In saying that, we've had about ten by-elections in the last decade, so does it really matter?To me it does, waste is waste after all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So who's in the right at Bethlehem College?One the one hand, the school's Statement of Beliefs is pretty up-front about matters of sexuality.Example: biological pronouns will be used for students, him and her, a student's name is expected to align with their biological sex.In other words, the school does not acknowledge such a thing as a transgender person.And to be absolutely clear, it goes on to talk about toilets, wearing a male or female uniform, and male and female sports teams.So, at the outset, it's clear what's expected of you when you enroll.Now, independent schools are to a certain extent, able to hold their own views and make their own rules.People sign their kids up to that kind of an education because they want a particular kind of schooling and providing it's not actively teaching anything illegal, that's OK, isn't it?As a private school, Bethlehem College could make pretty much whatever rules it wanted.But the thing is, it's not private any longer.Since 1999 it's been a State Integrated School, aka, a Special Character School, meaning it gets state funding for teachers.The Education Ministry, that is, the taxpayer, provides those dollars.So, when the College became an integrated school, it included a Statement of Beliefs with the caveat that changes had to be signed off by the Ministry.Problem is, the stance on same-sex marriage, trans students and the like was added in, without the Ministry's knowledge.So in essence, the school's tried to pull a fast one, and it's been called out.He who pays the piper calls the tune and we know what tune the Education Ministry wants.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A leaked document from Tauranga's Bethlehem College is raising concern about its stance on gender.It includes a number of prerequisites for students, including the school using biological pronouns' for pupils, and students needing to adhere to practices according to their birth gender.Tauranga Pride Advocate Gordy Lockhart told Tim Dower the stance the document takes will have a negative impact on the children there.He says the trauma that students will face at the school is absolutely appalling.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eden Park is making extra tickets available for tomorrow night's sold-out Super Rugby final.The Blues will take on the Crusaders in front of a home crowd.Eden Park Chief Executive Nick Sautner has confirmed to Newstalk ZB, extra tickets will be made available this afternoon, for about $120 each.He told Tim Dower it's taken some doing, but demand is extremely high.“We’ve implemented a standing room area on the field of play, something unique given that the demand for the event has been unprecedented.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patrick Gower did not expect to give up drinking on TV.On Booze explores New Zealand's drinking culture through the lens of Gower's own relationship with alcohol.The Newshub National Correspondent is frank about about how much he drinks.Gower told Early Edition it required an intervention from fellow journalist Corrin Dan.He now confirms he is six months sober.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A not-for-profit leadership group says legislation may be to blame for the sector's increasing vulnerability.It comes as a new report from Grant Thornton warns they'll soon be at breaking point if they don't adapt.The report shows there's little understanding for law changes, while maintaining staff and financing are top concerns for the sector.Garth Nowland-Foreman - director of Centre for Not For Profit Government and Leadership told Tim Dower the Government hasn't been very good at engaging with the sector about these changes.He says they seem to find more in additional compliance requirements put upon these groups each year, many of which are unnecessary.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Wairarapa secondary school says its plan for random drug searches is about identifying issues students may have and nipping them in the bud.Kuranui College in Greytown will have handlers and their dogs sweep the property during school time, including classrooms and lockers - but won't search students themselves.Principal Simon Fuller says it's not about kicking students out of school, but rather part of a wider education initiative.He says they're not immune to outside society influences and are trying to take a more proactive and rigorous approach to teaching students.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've talked a lot about the 501 deportations lately and how unjust and downright grubby that Australian policy is.Just a week ago the Prime Minister was in Australia and most New Zealanders backed what she was saying, how it's wrong, immoral even, for the Aussies to send back crims when they've got no connections here, and haven't lived here since they were tiny kids.Here’s a bit of a tricky situation.A former inmate here is due to be deported back to Samoa.Immigration was actually serving Mose Vaipapa with deportation papers at the same time Jacinda Ardern was in Australia, putting our case to Anthony Albanese.Open Justice reports he's a 29-year-old, originally from Samoa, who came here at the age of four.Now he's done 15 years for two rapes he committed at the age of 14.While he was inside he seriously assaulted two guards, and got his sentence extended.He's done his time like the 501s and because he's not a New Zealand citizen and there's obviously nothing desirable about his character, we want him gone.But Porirua Community Law Centre is saying hang on a minute.Like the 501s, he hasn't lived in Samoa since he was four, doesn't speak the language and has no connections.Vaipapa says he'd rather go back to jail than Samoa, and personally, I wouldn't object to that.But is he right to be calling the Government out for hypocrisy?Is it really true there'd be nowhere and no one for him to go to in Samoa?If that's really the case, much as it sticks in my throat to say it, New Zealand can't have it both ways.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Markets see, markets do.Global markets have been following US stock market trends, which investors say has gone down because of worse than expected US inflation rates.The NZX was down 2.6 percent yesterday, and over the last 100 days has gone down by 20 percent.Harbour Asset Management Portfolio Manager Shane Solly told Tim Dower the NZX is heavily influenced by the US.He says the US federal reserve, the US central bank, are likely to put in a point 75 increase in the next few days, which will push interest rates to the highest they've been since 1994.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A report into ACC has found privacy issues among staff.The independent review found the agency doesn't adequately monitor and audit staff access and use of client information.It follows the revelation last October, that more than a dozen employees were sharing private client details on social media app Snapchat.Auckland University commercial law expert Gehan Gunasekara told Tim Dower the sharing of personal information is appalling.He says it's very sensitive health information that ACC's clients would expect to be the object of social derision.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If someone in your family suggests you have a look at Patrick Gower's alcohol documentary, perhaps you should take the hint.I watched it before coming to work this morning and I've read some of what's been written about it online.The way I understand it, Gower didn't set out on a journey of self-discovery.The plan to begin with was a serious investigation of New Zealanders' relationship with alcohol, and why we're some of the heaviest boozers on the planet.But it became very personal.Now, I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but the are some very candid, revealing, awkward and downright embarrassing scenes of Patrick Gower off his face.So what's the value of that you might ask? You can walk around any main centre of any town in the country at night and you'll see that.I think the value of it was to show very bluntly, and in a way anyone can understand, how normal it is for us to see alcohol being used to excess, even if we don't do it ourselves.And for the most part, we think it's funny.So while people might criticise the first part of the exercise for treating it all too lightly, what it's designed to do is hook us in for part two tonight.That promises to be a blunt and serious debate about where we are.The harsh realities about the long-term effects of heavy drinking aren't something many of us want to face up to.So often we get preached about the dangers of alcohol, we hear the message time and time again, but most of us get bored and switch off.What Gower does is use humour to present a hard topic, in a realistic way, by bringing it to himself.I doubt there are many of us that haven't seen how badly booze can affect people. I've seen it in my own life and it's not just the person drinking that suffers.Some may say it's self-serving, but Gower's presented a wake-up call in a way that cuts through more than any number of pieces with well meaning, well intentioned experts.What a great bit of television.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Football fans will be up early to see if New Zealand can book a spot in the Fifa World Cup.The All Whites are taking on Costa Rica and the score is 1-0 to the South Americans at halftime in Doha.If they pull it off, they'll be in the World Cup for only the third time.Ricki Herbert coached the team into their last World Cup run in 2010.Herbert joined Early Edition.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High demand is expected to drive up the cost of flights.Air New Zealand is warning it's going to have to hike fares due to rising fuel costs, as more people start to fly again.One aviation industry expert has compared our air fares to the same expensive prices we saw in the 1970sFormer aviation boss Irene King told Andrew Dickens Air New Zealand has a lot of cost pressures on them.She says this is a classic supply and demand problem, underpinned by fairly savage price increases in their basic inputs.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Association hopes the new minister will listen to those on the front line.Chris Hipkins replaces Poto Williams as Police Minister after she faced strong criticism.Jacinda Ardern says she and Williams agreed the focus of the portfolio wasn't where it needed to be.Association president Chris Cahill told Andrew Dickens he thinks Hipkins will be more directBut he says they'd be naïve to think he can solve gang problems and drive by shootings in Auckland overnight.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A push to prioritise people over cars on Auckland's main street.Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick and the City Centre Residents' Group are calling for the council to pedestrianise Queen Street, changing it from a thoroughfare to a destination.They say it will transform the area into a cultural hub and living space for 40,000 residents.Chlöe Swarbrick told Andrew Dickens you only have to look at George Street in Sydney to see how the idea can succeed.She says they closed four and half thousand square metres to traffic.Swarbrick says they committed to their plan and it got even better - and no one can imagine it going back to the way it was.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday's minor cabinet shuffle became a major one after two resignations.Trevor Mallard steps down as speaker, much to everyone’s relief. Laughingly one of the least diplomatic members of Parliament is moving into a diplomatic position in Europe. Cynics, like ACT, have suggested that it’s so he can get a knighthood before the Government changes at the next election.Meanwhile, Kris Faa’foi steps down to spend more time with his family. Cynics would say he checked out a while back and I think that’s true. Immigration in particular has been bogged down and needs a strong hand to whip it back into action and Kris wasn’t that man.I wish he’d admitted his priorities earlier but he goes with my support and good wishes.So those two big moves gave the Prime Minister the chance to attack some glaring weaknesses.Most notably, Poto Williams, who loses Police to Chris Hipkins.Poto Williams was immensely unsuited to the Police role. She lacked confidence and the ability to speak straight. Like many in Labour’s caucus she speaks in what I call ‘universitese’. “I reject the premise of that question” is a classic. Academic speak that has too much “on the one hand and yet on the other” in it.Once you spend the time to translate the gobbledygook you find she wasn’t wrong. Serous violent crime is down but there is a particular gang war and a trend of teenage ramraids that need dealing to.Poto couldn’t deal to anyone. She’s far better off waxing lyrical about conservation.So the job goes to Chris Hipkins. Clearly the party’s star and clear number three. And one of the few who can fight in the trenches and speak plainlyAnd here’s my real problem.After the big election win last time, this was the largest caucus that any party has ever had. And yet here is a party who seems to have few choices when it comes to frontline staff. It’s Chris or Chris and maybe Michael and Megan.If the All Blacks had a similar lack of depth we’d all give up the game.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is no secret that tourism is struggling to recruit workers, but the extent of the shortage is becoming apparent.The sector lost 65,000 workers at the beginning of the pandemic, and they're not all coming back.Migrants on working holiday visas are not making a difference so far.That creates flow on effects, slower service and shorter opening hours, and some say this could affect our reputation to overseas tourists.Director at Hotel Council Aotearoa James Doolan joined Andrew Dickens.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tech experts say National's proposed plan to stop gang insignia on social media could be tricky to do.If it came to power, the party says it would ban gang patches in public - including online.It would also stop gang members gathering in public and accessing guns.Gorilla Technology chief executive Paul Spain told Andrew Dickens if there's legislation putting pressure on social media companies, they may monitor it themselves.He says there likely wouldn't be enough resources to monitor it in Police - as it would end up needing a huge number of people.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was really disappointed that Christopher Luxon hung his hat on the patch banning gangs policy, mostly because the policy is not new. It's proposed every time a political party want to be perceived as tough on crime - and it has been discredited every time it's been proposed.And it has been tried before in Whanganui. Michael Laws argues it was a success, and yes it kept gang patches out of the city centre for a while. But it didn’t decrease gang crime.Embarrassingly for National, Chester Borrows, who was part of National at the time and argued for its use, stated in the Sunday papers that it never really worked.The former Court Minister and cop and MP for Whanganui passed a Prohibition of Gang Insignia into law 13 years ago.As National calls for a similar law to be introduced nationwide, Chester Borrows was quoted yesterday as saying it would be ineffectual and it's purely designed for big headlines.It's not the answer National makes it out to be.Even more confusingly it saw National Party members who have been critical of moves to regulate freedom of speech leaping in behind a law that curtails freedom of speech on social media and adds in a rule against freedom of association. It is very questionable whether the proposed law complies with our Bill of Rights.Simeon Brown, I'm looking at you.It is what it is, a piece of dog-whistle politics that would achieve nothing except convince some shallow thinkers that National is, as they say, tough on crime.We deserve better than this. Not some reheated ancient policy that if it was so good would have been implemented years ago.Out police deserve better than this. The continued mantra that the police are soft on crime is really offensive to the officers who are actually doing something about gangs. It belittles campaigns like Operation Tauwhiro which has seen 1200 firearms arrests, nearly 1400 guns seized and a small mountain of meth captured in less than a year.And it completely misunderstands what gangs are. You don’t join a gang for a patch. You don’t join a gang for a motorcycle, obviously the spate of drive by shootings have been committed in cars. It’s very hard to shoot and ride a two wheeler.You join a gang after generations of poverty, neglect and violence. For quick money and for fellowship.If National want to be seen as good at dealing with crime they might consider saying something about that.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Queen will skip the upcoming Commonwealth Games, it's been reported today.The Games are set to take place for two weeks from July 28 in Birmingham, two hours north of London. Daily Mail reports that the Queen will not be in attendance, with Prince Charles expected to fill in for her.The outlet reports that the 96-year-old monarch, who has grown increasingly frail, will stay home, with Prince Charles expected to stand in for her during the opening ceremony and other events. Other royals are expected to attend many events, given the Games are happening on home soil.It comes after the Queen sat out many key events at her Platinum Jubilee celebrations last weekend.One royal expert has today suggested there was a selfless reason for the Queen missing several of her own celebrations, claiming the monarch wouldn't have wanted to risk worrying people with a fall or stumble."She would not want to stumble – not for her own sake but for the distress, it would cause other people," royal historian Robert Lacey told People.At the end of the Platinum Jubilee, the Queen did publicly acknowledge her absence throughout the weekend."While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family," she said.Meanwhile, it's been revealed that the Queen enforced one strict rule behind closed doors as she met Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle's daughter Lilibet for the first time.It's been claimed the couple wanted to bring cameras along to capture the meeting for their Netflix reality series – so the Queen's team enforced a strict "no cameras" rule.An insider said: "Harry and Meghan wanted their photographer to capture the moment Lilibet met the Queen. But they were told no chance. It was a private family meeting."Harry and Meghan family flew back to California on Sunday afternoon without a snap.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twitter plans to offer Elon Musk access to its "firehose" of raw data on hundreds of millions of daily tweets in an effort to push forward the Tesla billionaire's agreed-to $44 billion acquisition of the social media platform, according to multiple news reports.Lawyers involved in the deal would not confirm the data sharing agreement. Musk made no comment on Twitter, although he has previously been vocal about various aspects of the deal. Twitter declined to confirm the reports and pointed to a Monday statement in which the company said it is continuing to "co-operatively" share information with Musk.Musk, who struck a legally binding agreement to buy Twitter in April, contends that the deal can't proceed unless the company provides more information about the prevalence of fake accounts on its platform. He has argued, without presenting evidence, that Twitter has significantly underestimated the number of these "spam bots" - automated accounts that typically promote scams and misinformation — on its service.On Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also announced an investigation into Twitter for allegedly failing to disclose the extent of its spam bot and fake accounts, saying his office would look into "potential false reporting" of bots on Twitter.The Washington Post first reported Twitter's plan to provide Musk with full access to the firehose, citing a person familiar with the matter. Other reports suggested the billionaire might only receive partial access.Twitter's reported offer could blunt Musk's attempts to use the spam bot issue to cast doubt on the deal's future. This week, lawyers for Musk accused the company of refusing to surrender information about the true number of bot accounts on Twitter. Mike Ringler, the Palo Alto, California, attorney who signed that Monday letter, told the AP he was not at liberty to speak about the matter when reached Wednesday afternoon.Fake social media accounts have been problematic for years. Advertisers rely on the number of users provided by social media platforms to determine where they will spend money. Spam bots are also used to amplify messages and spread disinformation.The problem of fake accounts is well-known to Twitter and its investors. The company has disclosed its bot estimates to the US Securities and Exchange Commission for years, while also cautioning that its estimate might be too low.Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has said that Twitter has consistently estimated that fewer than 5 per cent of its accounts are spam. But Musk has disputed that figure, contending in a May tweet — without evidence — that 20 per cent or more of Twitter's accounts are bogus.- APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s fair to say I’ve been seething for the past few days since the news that Ports of Auckland’s automation experiment has crashed and burned.This was a story that we knew was happening and yet the people at the centre of it refused to admit it.Time and time again the media and the council put questions to the management of the Port.Time and time again we were told there was no problem and the tone was that we didn’t know what we were talking about so leave us alone.Well it turns out the Ports didn’t know their own business or what they were talking about and the whole country has paid a price.The automation project was cutting edge. It was not best practice. It was a mightily huge experiment that has cost us dearly.The reports we’ve heard is that the scrapping of it will cost $65 million. That’s just the cost of the useless software that we can’t even re-sell.The cost of this screw up is in the billions. The snarling of our major port. The self-inflicted supply chain difficulties in the time of pandemic caused supply chain difficulties.We can all see that the value of the port has declined particularly if compared to the Port of Tauranga.But that’s the tip of the iceberg.Every single importer and exporter and transport firm affected by a non-functioning port. Every single trader dependent of the arrival of a container that never came. All hit.For a trader nation to have its biggest port hobbled in this way for so long is inexcusable.But also inexcusable was its failure to realise the folly of its actions earlier.I applaud the new management for seeing the obvious.But I deplore the former management who felt that their actions were not reviewable by their owners: the people of Auckland.The structure of the Port company was designed to keep politicians’ hands off a business enterprise and yet it seems in the absence of direct accountability the business people went off piste. It is a remarkable arrogance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The building industry will have to think outside the tool box.GIB is still desperately sought after across the country, with reports of it being stockpiled, stolen and sold on Trade Me for six times the retail price.There's only one manufacturer of the plasterboard in New Zealand.Combined Building Supplies Co-op Chair Carl Taylor told Andrew Dickens the industry has to look at alternative methods.He says there are other materials such as plywood, which aren't ideal, but we have to stop relying on just one product.Taylor says there are other products we can get from overseas such as the US, Malaysia and Australia.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A scatter gun approach to the cost of living.The OECD says the Government needs to do more in the inflation fight, arguing for more targeted spending, which could include delaying some infrastructure plans.Economist Cameron Bagrie says we have petrol relief and a transport package for everybody and 2.1 million people getting a cash injection.But he told Andrew Dickens you want assistance to be targeted to those most in need.Bagrie says we need to look at maybe expanding Working for Families, or the timing of construction projects.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and dozens of other women who say they were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar are seeking more than US$1 billion from the FBI for failing to stop the sports doctor when the agency first received allegations against him, lawyers said today.There's no dispute that FBI agents in 2015 knew that Nassar was accused of assaulting gymnasts, but they failed to act, leaving him free to continue to target young women and girls for more than a year. He pleaded guilty in 2017 and is serving decades in prison."It is time for the FBI to be held accountable," said Maggie Nichols, a national champion gymnast at Oklahoma in 2017-19.Under federal law, a government agency has six months to respond to the tort claims filed Wednesday. Lawsuits could follow, depending on the FBI's response. Larry Nassar. Photo / APWhite noted the 2018 massacre at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The FBI received a tip about five weeks before 17 people were killed at the school, but the tip was never forwarded to the FBI's South Florida office. The government agreed to pay US$127.5 million to families of those killed or injured.The approximately 90 claimants include Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney, all Olympic gold medalists, according to Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, a California law firm. Separately, 13 claims were filed by others in April."If the FBI had simply done its job, Nassar would have been stopped before he ever had the chance to abuse hundreds of girls, including me," said former University of Michigan gymnast Samantha Roy.An email seeking comment was sent to the FBI.Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics told local agents in 2015 that three gymnasts said they were assaulted by Nassar, a team doctor. But the FBI did not open a formal investigation or inform federal or state authorities in Michigan, according to the Justice Department's inspector general, an internal watchdog.Los Angeles agents in 2016 began a sexual tourism investigation against Nassar and interviewed several victims but also didn't alert Michigan authorities, the inspector general said.Nassar wasn't arrested until fall 2016 during an investigation by Michigan State University police. He was a doctor at Michigan State.The Michigan attorney general's office ultimately handled the assault charges against Nassar, while federal prosecutors in Grand Rapids, Michigan, filed a child pornography case.In remarks to Congress last year, FBI Director Christopher Wray acknowledged major mistakes."I'm especially sorry that there were people at the FBI who had their own chance to stop this monster back in 2015 and failed. And that's inexcusable," Wray told victims at a Senate hearing.At that same hearing, Biles, widely considered to be the greatest gymnast of all time, said an "entire system" enabled the abuse. Maroney recalled "dead silence" when she talked to FBI agents about Nassar.The Justice Department in May said that it would not pursue criminal charges against former agents who were accused of giving inaccurate or incomplete responses during the inspector general's investigation.Michigan State University, which was also accused of missing chances over many years to stop Nassar, agreed to pay US$500 million to more than 300 women and girls who were assaulted by him. USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee made a US$380 million settlement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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