Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

A rural community on the Forgotten World Highway has received high international praise as a tourist destination.Whangamomona is probably most famous for declaring independence from New Zealand over a regional boundary dispute.Well it has been featured on BBC Travel, which has an audience of around 3 million people worldwide.John Herlihy, President of the Republic of Whangamomona, joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States is in political uproar over a leaked document from its Supreme Court, which indicates abortion rights are about to be rolled back across much of the country.Overnight the court's Chief Justice, John Roberts, confirmed a draft opinion published by the news website Politico yesterday was "authentic".He described the leak as a "betrayal of the confidences of the court" and "an egregious breach of trust", and said there would be an investigation.The draft, written by conservative Justice Samuel Alito, would overrule the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe vs Wade, which has underpinned abortion rights in the US for the past 50 years.Under the precedent set by Roe, and a subsequent decision in the 1992 case Planned Parenthood vs Casey, governments across the US can only ban abortion from the point of "viability" onwards, meaning the time at which a foetus can realistically survive outside the womb. That threshold is reached at about 23 or 24 weeks of pregnancy.Overturning those rulings would allow state governments to ban abortion far earlier. Some states already have laws on the books – currently unenforceable – that will trigger bans from 15 weeks, or even as early as six weeks, when many women don't know they're pregnant."Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," Justice Alito writes in the draft opinion."Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. Far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have inflamed debate and deepened division."It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives."We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled.- Sam Clench and Brooke Rolfe, news.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Government has an image problem and that may be partially reflected in their poll result.It's the bury the head in the sand approach - 'I reject the premise of the question', nothing to see here.But worse than that now I think, is this push back we're seeing where the Government is gas lighting its critics.If you dare to question co-governance, you are racist.If you criticise a female minister you are sexist.And now, Poto Williams has taken it next level - she's claiming that saying the Government is 'soft on crime' is a gendered issue and an attack on her, because she's female. Are you serious?That one is a such a stretch it's hard to believe she even said it out loud, but then she did also call the Police's handling of the Parliamentary protest "fabulous".That was her word - "fabulous".I can think of a lot of other words to describe how Police handled the Parliamentary protest but 'fabulous' isn’t one of them.But to think that soft on crime is a personal attack on her for being a woman? That's madness.I mean, if she was paying attention, and thinking rationally, she'd know the person most in the spotlight as being soft on crime is the Police Commissioner Andy Coster, widely known as ‘Cuddles Coster' because he is so soft on crime.So how can she claim it's a gendered or sexist issue against her, because she's a woman, if the person in for that criticism the most - is in fact a man? It makes literally no sense.And this is the new low of worryingly low bars inside this Government.To question or criticise anything they suggest or do, is to be 'attacking them'. In a position of public office you need to be accountable, you need to be up for robust debate, you need to be able to defend your policies and your decisions, without descending into name calling of anyone who questions it.This gas lighting shows an immaturity and naivety, but also an unwillingness to accept that they're paid by us, to work for us, and to be accountable to us. It's public service.They are not there to arrogantly stand at pulpits and declare that anyone who disagrees with them must be crazy or sexist or racist or fascist. It's just not how it works.Simon Bridges made a very good point in his valedictory last night when he said politicians have to watch that debates don't become too narrow, too watered down, just because people get scared to have them. We have got to be able to be honest as a democracy and have robust exchange of ideas, without feeling like we're going to be sidelined or ostracised or labelled, just because what we said doesn't match their ideology. We are allowed to question, we are allowed to hold them to account, we are allowed to have opinions and views on their policies and ideas because I'm sorry Poto, but that's how democracy works.Not every criticism is 'gendered' just because you're a woman.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Stats NZ will be releasing unemployment figures for the first quarter.Economists are predicting it will fall to a new record low, just three percent.So with a lack of workers, and wage inflations, what can businesses do?For some in the primary sector, they are using AI, robotics and automation tech to do the jobs instead.Robotics is a kiwi-based world class company in robotics technology.Founder and CEO Steve Saunders joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's hard to find any supporters for Trevor Mallard's move against Winston Peters.The Speaker of the House has trespassed Peters from Parliament for two years, - along with former National MP Matt King - after they visited the anti-mandate occupation in February.A political commentator says it reaffirms Mallard's unfit for the role.Victoria University's Bryce Edwards says it's likely the New Zealand First leader will be launching legal action over the decision.He adds it gives Peters great publicity, and potentially a launching pad for a comeback in the Tauranga by-election.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Researchers have pinned down exactly how much Vitamin C is needed to maximise immune health.New Otago University, Christchurch research has found for every 10kg over the baseline of 60kg a person weighs - their body needs an extra 10 milligrams.That means if you weigh 90 kilos, you need an extra 30 milligrams over the daily 110 milligrams of Vitamin C.Associate Professor Anitra Carr says overweight people may be more susceptible to getting severe Covid, because their Vitamin C levels are lower.She says many don't realise the bigger someone is, the more Vitamin C they should consume. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a rare day I find myself agreeing with Winston Peters, in fact I’d go so far as to say it’s never happened. But given the circumstances of yesterday, I’d have to agree with Winnie; Trevor Mallard has lost the plot. I mean I have actually used those exact words about Trevor Mallard before. When he spent half a million taxpayer dollars on a playground slide at Parliament, when he played the protestors the Macarena and set sprinklers in them, when he made false rape allegations and then used taxpayer money to fund his legal defence.Also when he kept leaping to Ardern’s defence when she was a newly appointed PM and he seemingly thought it was the 1800’s as he constantly spoke on her behalf, all the times he’s thrown people out of the House for no reason other than a pet peeve with them. I mean the list is endless. This guy is well past his use by date and I have no idea how he still gets to be there at all, let alone in charge of anything. If anyone should be banned it should be him. So if you’re not up with Mallard’s latest losing of the plot, he’s banned Winston Peters from parliament. Just like he’s banned Matt King, and every other person who turned up to the protest. Banned them for two years. Winston Peters has labelled this move ‘dictatorial’ and in line with ‘a banana republic’. It’s hard to argue.Peters also says New Zealanders should not put up with such "totalitarian behaviour". I find myself still agreeing with him.He also points out the PM shouldn’t put up with it either, but as we know, she tends to put up with everything, sack no one, hold no one accountable and when it comes to Mallard in particular, manages to turn a blind eye. What's the deal with her and Mallard? Does he have something on her? She seems so powerless around him.So Winston’s taking legal advice, and knowing how litigious he is, this may cause pause for thought on Mallard’s part. Has he been too hasty here? Is it going to cost him a fortune in a legal drama? Whose money will he use to fight that drama if and when it does unfold? How much of a headache does that give the Government? How many bad headlines do they want?Crucially, I think Mallard has to ask himself, why does he behave this way? Why is he so driven by anger? Is he spending too much time on Twitter? Because I can tell you from out here in the real world, his antics are going down like a cup of cold sick. And the one thing Winston is good at – and remember I’m no Winston fan – but the one thing he is good at, is zeroing in on stuff the public hates. He’s got a good sense of this stuff.David Seymour’s called Mallard ‘petulant’ and says it’ll wind up in court, it’s petty and gets us nowhere (again). Luxon has been more diplomatic and said it’s a matter for the Speaker, in fact he echoed the PM who said the same thing.Which brings me to my next question, why is Luxon being so soft? Opposition is where you land the big hits and be bold. “A matter for the Speaker” sounds like a pass on a really simple question. But then again the Nats don’t have a lot of love for Winston so they probably don’t care.But power hungry, plot-losing Mallard is a worry.. and what’s also a worry, is that I’m now agreeing with Winston Peters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amber Heard has replaced her entire public relations team.Former husband Johnny Depp is taking her to court in a civil defamation suit.She's said to be frustrated by the negative press she's receiving - coming just days before the star is due to give her testimony in court.Red Banyon PR's Evan Nierman told Kate Hawkesby Heard needs to stay focussed.He says regardless of the trial's outcome - she's going to need proper reputation rehabilitation.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As house prices continue to climb, Kiwibank have set up an alternative to the traditional home ownership model, to help kiwis break into the housing market.Kiwibank say the new "co-own" scheme is hoped to streamline the process of buying into property with friends or family.Mobile mortgage manager at Kiwibank Madeleine Allen joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former National party minister says it's risky for politicians to rule things out at any stage.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has ruled out introducing a wealth tax this term or next, if Labour is re-elected.Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Kate Hawkesby if she happens to change approach, the public will question her word.He says sometimes politicians rule something out because the public is worried about it, and if you rule it out then do it anyway, there a real issue from a public trust perspective. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So do we have a big backflip from the PM coming? The Heralds Political Editor Claire Trevett reminded us all yesterday of Ardern’s words regarding a wealth tax during the 2020 election campaign, remember that? It seems not even the PM recalled what she'd said, given she’s now saying something different. So back in 2020, as Claire reminds us, Ardern not only ruled out a wealth tax - but said she would not allow it to happen while she was PM. Not on her watch, not happening. She was definitive. Fast forward to yesterday morning when she was asked again - is a wealth tax coming? Well now, now she’s not so sure. But by yesterday afternoon when asked again, she was back to, "not this term."So does that mean we can expect a wealth tax as part of the 2023 campaign?She certainly didn’t rule it out. She said Labour was “yet to form its tax policy for 2023” which sounds a lot like fudging the answer.But at the moment, on top of David Parker snooping into the IRD info on what taxes the country’s wealthiest are paying, he's also proposed a new Tax Principles Act. In other words, he is looking at how tax policies are assessed and whether that could be changed. The Government says it wants to know if it’s “fair.”They’re talking up the fairness aspect of it a lot. And here’s what I find ironic about that, how fair is it to be definitive on something during an election campaign when it suits you, and then backflip when it doesn’t? And it’s not even that there’s an obvious backflip and something tangible we can hang our hat on. This is just a dodging of a question that suddenly doesn't suit them anymore.It’s potentially a fishing expedition on two fronts. One, suss what the wealthy are indeed paying in tax, that’s the obvious up front part of this sham, but two, suss the reaction. What is the public making of this conversation? How’s it playing out? What are the focus groups saying? They’ll be gauging it, just as they'll be courting the Greens, who they'll have figured out by now they're going to need next year if they want to be in government again. All of this though takes us back to the same place, which is the disingenuousness of all this. Rule something out, and then don't rule it out. Strong leadership is actually about clear decisive communication and goal posts that don't shift.When you start shifting the goalposts, but at the same time pretending you’re not shifting them at all, you’re just creating mistrust. And you’re deluding yourself that people will be so bamboozled by your smoke and mirrors that they won't question it. That’s not living up to your promised mantra, which was to be the most open honest and transparent government ever. I would have thought by now, especially given what’s happening in the polls, that the Labour party would be a tad more savvy with people, and a tad less waffly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Warriors were able to bounce back from last week's trouncing to the Melbourne Storm this weekend.This time against the Canberra Raiders, Shaun Johnson once again kicked another golden-point as they came back to win 21-20.Australian sides were successful in this weekend's Super Rugby.Although the Blues, Highlanders and Chiefs were able to get wins over the Force, Fijian Drua and Reds respectively, the Waratahs, Brumbies and Rebels recorded victories over the Crusaders, Hurricanes and Moana Pasifika over the weekend.Shane van Gisbergen was able to finally get a weekend in Perth.He won 2 out of 3 races at the weekend and is 164 points clear in the standings.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So term goes back today for schools, and as we enter the winter months many seem nervous about colds and flu viruses and winter bugs. But I was hoping that sense would prevail at this point and most would realise that we are a highly vaccinated country, past the peak of the pandemic, and that life returning to normal is actually really important for everyone’s wellbeing and mental health. So it was with disappointment I read an email from our school stating that for this term, they’ve decided to continue with masks.Not even the Ministry of Education is pushing that barrow anymore – they’ve said it’s up to individual schools, essentially that’s the Ministry passing the buck so they don’t have to have any responsibility for it of course. But it’s left schools in the invidious position of 1, trying to please everyone, and 2, do their best for their school community.So what is best? I would've argued at this point of young people’s lives, a return to normality would be a good start. To have fear messaging still being communicated is I think a shame. I mean of course, I get it, there’ll be some teachers still nervous about kids spreading germs, there’ll be children inevitably coming down with sniffles who’ll potentially come to school when they shouldn’t. There’ll be questionable hygiene practices, there’ll be parents worried that those who haven’t caught Covid will catch it in the winter months. Plus I fully get their desire to keep school environments healthy and well, given all the disruption and upset of the past two years with lockdowns and remote learning. I know no one wants to go back to that again. So I get all the projected anxiety around keeping Covid at bay, but I still found myself disappointed that the school said it was “concerned that students and staff be safe”. What is this obsession with the word ‘safe’ and that we’re all ‘unsafe’ if we’re not in a mask? I know of vaccinated people in masks who still got Covid, likewise, I know of masked people at crowded events where it later transpired Covid was present, who never got Covid. At this point, I’d argue it’s a crapshoot whether you’re going to get it or not.But most of all, I’d argue we have to stop pushing this anxiety, draped in the word ‘concerned’ onto our young people. They’re already so scarred by all this fear-mongering and all the lockdowns. They’ve missed out on so much, had to do so much learning under trying conditions, and now they’re being told they have to keep their faces covered up for another whole term at least. Six and a half hours a day, 5 days a week, breathing in carbon dioxide, unable to see teachers' faces or make out words clearly, blocking their ability to learn unencumbered by the constant reminder that we should all be terrified of Covid. Part of learning to live with it, and be normal again – which by the way even the PM has said we need to do – is surely moving past all the fear rhetoric and scaremongering of masks. Surely school needs to feel like a progressive place? So I personally just don’t think throwing in another term of mask use is necessary.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Major players from the Biden Administration are joining the Prime Minister and other business leaders for the US Business Summit in Auckland today.It's organised by the Auckland Business Chamber and business intelligence firm NZINC.The summit comes as the US is doubling down on efforts to enhance its alliances and partnerships as it sets out its plan to compete with China.NZUS Council Executive Director Jordan Small says told Kate Hawkesby it will be interesting getting US perspectives on current issues as well as hearing from local business owners on how they're faring.“So getting their views and perspectives on how they’re seeing the landscape, where they’re seeing the challenges, where they’re seeing the opportunities will be really valuable.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britain's Parliamentary Speaker has ordered a major review of the work culture of the House of Commons after a series of scandals in the past month.Conservative MP Neil Parish has resigned after viewing porn in the Commons Chamber.UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Kate Hawkesby MPs have also been accused of physical assaults and bullying.“I think plenty of people think enough is enough.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand is moving into the next stage of our border reopening plan.Vaccinated tourists from around 60 visa waiver countries can now come here, as long as they do Covid pre-departure and arrival tests.Air New Zealand Chief Executive Greg Foran told Kate Hawkesby passengers from all over the globe are expected to touch down in the country today.“We’ve got flights coming in from the United States and from Nadi coming in, so about 1000 people arriving today and it’s pretty steady right through.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the last couple of years, DoC figures show three out of four kiwis visited outdoor conversation areas like campgrounds and our great walks.It's not all good news though, we're still not as good as protecting the sites as we should be.DoCc's figures show 2 out of 5 visitors to protected areas in the last 2 years noticed damage from others.Tim Bamford, DoC's Heritage and Visitors Director joined Roman Travers.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Families may not be the only ones to blame for a rise in youth crime.There's been a string of retail robberies. with the latest involving four children aged between seven and 12, who were found by police holding stolen toys in a Hamilton mall early yesterday morning.The 11-year-old fell eight metres as they tried to run off, hurting their arm.Glen Innes Family Centre manager, Chris Makoare told Roman Travers the child may be led astray by an older relative or friend.He says someone else is influencing that child, because not every family has no values in the home.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rotorua councillors have been left shocked after one of their own suddenly quit in a fiery exchange with mayor Steve Chadwick.Peter Bentley resigned, effective immediately, in a public council meeting during a discussion about the council's controversial Māori wards bill, which was put on pause just hours later.Other councillors have criticised the mayor's handling of the meeting.Chadwick says she is "disappointed" Bentley quit, and takes exception to what she believes were "disrespectful" accusations he made about her.In the full Rotorua Lakes Council meeting, Chadwick moved to include a confidential discussion about the Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill.She said it was to "enable us all as council, together, to have a free and frank discussion in response to the attorney general's request for further information needed to develop policy work".Attorney General David Parker last week found the bill would breach the Bill of Rights Act, but that more information may be needed for a full assessment.Chadwick's motion drew a point of order from councillor Reynold Macpherson to ask if her motion could be discussed.Chadwick said no, it was the chair's ruling."I have ruled."Bentley then raised an urgent item not on the agenda.Expressing his opinion, Bentley said: "The mayor found out very early that I would not be one to merely follow her and her radical and blatant racist ideas."Therefore, she has shunned me and not sought the practical advice I bring to this table."Chadwick interrupted Bentley with a point of order, but he continued to speak as Chadwick again made a point of order and stood up.Under standing orders for council meetings, when a chairperson stands during debate, members should sit down and be silent.Bentley also stood and councillor Mercia Yates called a point of order to which he said: "Who's that?".Chadwick, still standing, asked Bentley to "withdraw and apologise or leave the meeting".Bentley sat and said: "Well, my final statement, madam mayor -" before he was interrupted by Chadwick."No, there's no final say Councillor Bentley, I take exception to your ... "Bentley continued to speak, saying: "I have no longer confidence in this council and thereby tender my resignation effective immediately."Chadwick continued to speak as Bentley did, saying: "Councillor Bentley, I ask you to leave the meeting please, I've so ruled. Councillor Bentley, just leave the meeting."Bentley: "I have resigned, madam mayor."Chadwick: "Oh, well, there we are."Macpherson shook Bentley's hand as he left the table saying, "ka kite, e hoa".As Bentley left the council chamber, Chadwick said again she "took exception" to Bentley's remarks.Councillor Raj Kumar said he believed there was "a lot of public discontentment" surrounding the council's bill."For us to engage in confidential on this matter excludes them [from] what we have heard all over the media, it's very contentious and it would have been very fair and democratic to discuss this in public."Chadwick said she had made her ruling and there would be a public statement issued after the council's confidential discussion."I'm saddened that Councillor Bentley feels that way and has resigned."Deputy mayor Dave Donaldson asked if the council would vote on moving the discussion into confidential, and Chadwick said it didn't need to."I've made a chair's ruling."Councillor Reynold Macpherson said "very intense feelings" had been "generated" about the bill."For it to be moved into confidential will be regarded by ... "He was then interrupted with points of order from Chadwick and Yates, with Yates saying it had already been ruled.Chadwick said "thank you" to Yates.The council meeting continued, with Chadwick later moving it into a public-excluded section.Later,...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The global pandemic has made many people who are able to look elsewhere for the promised land; some cornucopia; a veritable Garden of Eden with grass that is a whole lot greener than here - commit to plans to export themselves.The problem that's possibly going to confront them is the stark reality that the grass is possibly not that green, in fact, in some parts of the world there will be no grass.Have a look at what’s happening in Australia just a couple of weeks out from their election. Financially things are not looking as rosy as they once did in their backyard.Wednesday's inflation data was a shock to both the Australian government and their reserve bank. They were expecting a figure with a 4 at the front - but instead it’s 5.1 percent, another blow to the coalition campaign.With interest rates rising and inflation figures creeping up on them, along with the possibility of more Scott Morrison, you'd have to be pretty sure that the promised land you’ve envisaged will be a great deal better than what you already have here.I never take for granted what it is that I’m entitled to receive as a New Zealand citizen living in my own country. The temptation to look elsewhere for greener lawns is not something that appeals to me.I sincerely hope that anyone looking for the Promised Land does their due diligence before packing up and leaving what must be one of the best places in the world to be, in these unstable and uncertain times.That foreign grass may be more appealing, but it will still need mowing and the cost of doing so may well prove to be much the same.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday the coronavirus is under better control in the United States. but the pandemic isn't over — and the challenge is how to keep improving the situation."We are in a different moment of the pandemic," said Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, in an interview with The Associated Press.After a brutal winter surge, "we've now decelerated and transitioned into more of a controlled phase," he said. "By no means does that mean the pandemic is over."His comments came a day after he said on the PBS "NewsHour" that the U.S. was "out of the pandemic phase" and also told The Washington Post that the country was finally "out of the full-blown explosive pandemic phase."Fauci's remarks reflect how health authorities are wrestling with the next stage of the pandemic — how to keep COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations manageable and learn to live with what's still a mutating and unpredictable virus.Fauci said the U.S. appears to be out of what he called the "fulminant phase" of the pandemic, huge variant surges that at their worst sparked hundreds of thousands of infections daily, along with tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths.COVID-19 cases are at a lower point than they've been in months and two-thirds of the U.S. population is vaccinated. Nearly half of those who need a booster dose have gotten the extra shot, and effective treatments are available."We are much, much better off than we were a year ago," he said.Still, there have been lulls before, and while cases are low, they are increasing in many parts of the country. Vaccination rates worldwide are far lower, especially in developing countries.To keep improving, Fauci ticked off a to-do list: Get more people fully vaccinated; develop even better vaccines; figure out the best booster strategy to counter variants; and make sure people can access treatment as soon as they need it."We can't take our foot off the pedal," Fauci said. "There's a lot of viral dynamics throughout the world and we still may get another variant which could lead to another potential surge."- By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical WriterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Young people are being encouraged to take baby steps when socialising again.The Graeme Dingle Foundation has found 14 to 24 year-olds doing its programmes are disengaging from their peers, education and society.Victoria University clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland told Kate Hawkesby many people are used to interacting over Zoom, so jumping in at the deep end socially, can make them want to stay home more.He suggests reconnecting with one or two people you know well, before going out into big groups.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is trying to get more older workers to stay in the workforce and not retire.They say they have an employment action plan to try and achieve this.It comes as one third of our workforce are considered older workers.CEO of Age Concern Karen Billings-Jensen joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hopes the Government will take some responsibility and acknowledge the issues within MIQ.A High Court decision found the lottery system to get a spot was unfair, and the criteria for emergency vouchers, too narrow.Journalist Charlotte Bellis made headlines when she initially couldn't get home from Afghanistan while pregnant.She told Kate Hawkesby to hear the Government say it will do better, and not be defensive, would go a long way for a lot of people.Bellis says no one expects people to be perfect, but the Government should appreciate there are always things to learn from emergency situations.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I know many of you will have gone away for Easter holidays or school holidays, or perhaps be planning to go away soon given we are now finally free and able to travel. But I’m shocked at how expensive it is – and how under staffed many areas still are.My sister took her kids to the Gold Coast – paid way too much money in my opinion for flights to Brisbane – more than 8 grand for 4 people, and she then paid way too much for some 4 star accommodation which when she got there, told her they weren’t servicing rooms because they had no staff to do that. So you pay a fortune to travel and support struggling sectors, but the reality is they’re still struggling themselves, and therefore many of the services you might expect at that level or at that expense, are gone. So is that satisfactory if you’re parting with your hard earned money right now?As the price of everything is rocketing up, should we expect lower prices and poorer service? And if so, for how long?My sister said all the restaurants they went to were way up on pre Covid prices. Entrees 30 dollars and mains at 50 bucks.And this is just for your standard bistro type bar restaurant. So it’s big, big dollars to travel right now.I know of someone else who travelled and got to Auckland Airport only to find most of the shops, I think bar about two, were closed. Why? Can the airport not get their shops staffed either? My brother had a similar experience flying to the States, Air NZ air crew telling him they’ve come back to worse conditions and they’re still woefully under staffed, some said it was shambolic. He certainly experienced that at check in which took just shy of two hours standing in a queue waiting, only to be told there was only going to be one check in line for everyone that night. I know of someone else who bought two glasses of wine and two sausage rolls at the Auckland airport bar and was charged 74 dollars for the pleasure. 25 dollars per glass of wine, 12 dollars per sausage roll.Surely that’s taking the mickey?So here’s the alternative. Instead of burning up your hard earned cash on expensive but unsatisfactory overseas experiences, how about staying local? My girlfriend based in Sydney came over to Queenstown for Easter, she could not speak highly enough of her experience there. She said everyone was just so grateful to have visitors; they just couldn’t do enough for them. They’d call to book a jet boat ride or to go quad biking and the response was invariably, “We can take you now? Would you like to go now?”She said business owners were stepping in and doing long hours if they couldn’t find staff and just making it happen. In fact they had such a good time they’ve booked to go back again. She said the service was brilliant. I was so relieved to hear that, because a place so low on staff like Queenstown could easily have left a bad taste for guests, but tourist operators there are pushing through. They’re going above and beyond, they’re pulling out all the stops, and I reckon that’s the sort of attitude that deserves our support.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Party thinks Labour just wants to tax people more.Revenue Minister David Parker is introducing a new bill focussing on principles of fairness in our tax system.He says the data on tax paid by New Zealand's wealthiest is close to useless, with a lot on low or middle incomes and very little on the wealthy.National Party finance spokesperson and deputy leader, Nicola Willis, told Kate Hawkesby if IRD has concerns about someone not paying enough tax, it can audit them.She says Parker's looking for tools to dream up new ways to tax people.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions around why a creature from the deep has washed up in Otago.The 3.6 metre oarfish was found on Aramoana Beach on Monday afternoon.The species was last spotted around Dunedin in 2015.Otago University marine biologist Bridie Allan told Kate Hawkesby the fish caught the attention of everyone on the beach.She considers herself lucky to have seen it in the flesh.The oarfish died after failed attempts to put it back to sea, and its body washed away.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter has been met with cheers - and jeers.The billionaire added the social media giant to his empire in a deal worth $66 billion.While some have welcomed the move, others are worried that misinformation and hate speech will be allowed to thrive.Former White House Senior Cybersecurity Director Samir Jain says some people have already started leaving the site.He told Kate Hawkesby we will have to wait for the dust to settle to see his impact on the site.Jain says while there may be a knee jerk reaction to the purchase, we don't know what he'll do with the site.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I see gangs are now ruffling the feathers of Wellingtonians. It was only a matter of time.Ask anyone in Auckland, the Waikato, the Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Northland.. gangs are a scourge at the moment so no surprises they’ve started to upset those in the capital. One Wellington Councillor was reported calling it “unacceptable” and “scary.” Well yes it is. And it’s something we’ve been banging on about for a while now.Wellington’s incident involved a shooting in the inner city. Not just one, but two shooting incidents, two people wound up in hospital critically injured, and Police arrested seven people.They’ve said there may be even more arrests.So this Wellington City councillor has asked a great question - why is there gang warfare in central Wellington? Well I can answer that for her; because there’s gang warfare everywhere in this country these days.Her solution? She wants to get the gangs round the table in some Jada Pinkett-Smith style chat fest.And while I’m all for trying to hear people out, I really think we’re at the stage where we need more dooey, less hooey, actually.We just need some consequences, some boundaries, some enforcement of rules, some semblance of expectation around acceptable social norms and behaviour.Because it feels like we’ve lost a lot of that. It feels like we’ve lost the plot a bit on gangs and ram raiders and trouble makers in general. And for all the people offering to chat with gangs and hear them out, and have them as part of the solution, has it ever worked? Are we in any better shape? Plenty would argue gang crime and culture is currently the worst it’s ever been. It doesn’t help to downplay the seriousness of what they’re up to either. And there’s been plenty of that over the years.. oh they’re harmless, oh they’re about community, oh they’re just one big family, they’re doing a lot of good stuff it’s not all bad stuff.Well, actions speak louder than words. It was disappointing to hear Wellington’s Mayor Andy Foster try to take that line of dismissing the seriousness of it. He put on his best optimistic voice and called them ‘isolated incidents’. To be honest, that’s irrelevant. It's still two shooting incidents in one city in one weekend. I think it’s disingenuous to put your head in the sand on it. Foster did accept, however, that more needs to be done. But alongside the hopeful Councillor, he also thought sitting around a table talking to gangs would be useful. I just don’t believe there’s much merit to that at all. I think we’re way past pleasantries and polite chat with these thugs. Let’s see it for what it is, and call it what it is.Intimidation and thuggery, on our main streets, in our CBDs, on our motorways, in front of our children, and at an increasing and I’d say alarming, rate. If you think a pow-wow with these guys around a council table with some instant coffee and some round wine biscuits is going to solve anything, then I think you’re dreaming.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was just last week that urgent calls were made for an inquiry into the safety of port workers.Another port worker has been killed, this time at Lyttelton.The man was believed to be crushed by coal, and is our second port death in less than a week.Merchant Service Guild vice president Iain MacLeod joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you want to get close to the Melbourne Storm, everything has to go right.At AAMI Park on Monday night, just about everything went wrong for the Warriors – after a promising first half – as they fell to a record defeat in the Anzac clash, eventually losing 70-10.They conceded a staggering thirteen tries, in what ended up as the biggest loss and worst humiliation in the club's history.The Warriors had only trailed 16-10 at halftime, but three tries in six minutes early in the second half ended their resistance.The Storm disappeared out of sight after that, as the Warriors could barely completed a set in the second half.The visitors were left to rue costly errors in the first half, which gifted two tries to the Melbourne team when the contest was still in the balance.To compound their nightmare, the Warriors also lost Josh Curran and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak to serious injuries.It was the Storm's 12th successive win over the Auckland team, a run that dates back to 2015.The manner of the defeat will be a hammer blow for Nathan Brown's team, after they competed well in the first period before completely falling away in the second.The Storm are a brutally efficient machine and once they clicked into gear, there was no respite for the Warriors.There was a late switch before kick-off, with Jazz Tevaga moving to lock, Josh Curran to the right edge and Bayley Sironen supplanting Eliesa Katoa on the bench.After a wonderful, poignant Anzac ceremony, the Warriors made a solid start, before an oh-so-typical Melbourne Storm try out of nothing, with Jahrome Hughes finishing a 90 metre counter attack after an unfortunate Ed Kosi spill, with the visitors hot on attack.That was tough to take, but the Warriors rebounded quickly and a superb flat ball from Chanel Harris-Tavita sent Dallin Watene-Zelezniak across in the corner.The Warriors then enjoyed their best period of the first half – with some flat passes and dynamic offloads – but an impetuous Reece Walsh kick released some pressure, then another Kosi fumble gifted Xavier Coates a try.The same unfortunate pattern continued, with Nick Meaney intercepting a risky Shaun Johnson no-look pass, to extend Melbourne's lead.But the Warriors didn't buckle and a superb Johnson chip – and devilish bounce – put Wayde Egan in beside the posts on the half hour mark.That lifted the Auckland team, though they needed some impressive scrambling defence, with Harris-Tavita then Euan Aitken coming up with vital stops on a flying Ryan Papenhuyzen.Papenhuyzen penalties either side of halftime extended the Storm's lead, before Curran limped off with a knee injury.Things got much worse quickly, as Watene-Zelezniak was stretchered off after an awful collision with Nelson Asofa-Solomona, as he unsuccessfully tried to defuse the prop's bomb, which was instead collected by Papenhuyzen.That double blow felt like the end of the road and that was confirmed by Nick Meaney's try three minutes later, after Walsh had – for the second successive game – sent the kick off long.Harry Grant powered over, before Coates grabbed three more tries, as things started to get embarrassing, with the Warriors shellshocked and their edges all at sea, before Hughes, then Bromwich, then Justin Olam completed the rout.Warriors 10 (Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Wayde Egan tries; Reece Walsh goal)Storm 70 (Jahrome Hughes 2, Xavier Coates 4, Nick Meaney 2, Ryan Papenhuyzen 2, Harry Grant, Jesse Bromwich, Justin Olam tries; Ryan Papenhuyzen 7 goals, Nick Meaney 2 goals)Halftime: 16-10- Michael Burgess, NZ HeraldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emmanuel Macron is promising to reunite France.He's made history by becoming the first president in 20 years to win a second term.Paris correspondent for the Guardian, Angelique Chrisafis says far right opponent Marine Le Pen took more than 13 million votes, but around the same number refused to vote.She told Kate Hawkesby Macron's promising a new way of working.Chrisafis says one of his priorities is the cost of living crisis in France, which Le Pen capitalised on.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I want to pay tribute to our beloved colleague Bruce Russell .. who died Sunday night – at work.. ironically, I can’t think of a time he wasn’t at work. I don’t think anyone worked longer hours than Bruce. He seemed omnipresent here. From news reading, to overnights, to his show ’In My Day’.. he was part of the fabric of this place. But he was very beloved not just because he was part of the furniture here, but because he had such a loyal and dedicated following of listeners, many of you whom I'm sure are still reeling from the news this morning. His listeners were fierce in their loyalty to him; they truly felt part of his community and his conversations. And he was loyal back to them. And I know many of them – there’s a crossover between his show and mine in that I come on right after him, so there’ll be those who were tuned into Bruce who'll still be tuned in at 5am when I come on, and I know how devoted to Bruce they are. My condolences to not just his family this morning, but all those who'll really feel his loss here. And that’s in large part his huge following who tuned in to chat to him, feed back to him, ask his opinions or advice.Bruce was a stickler for history and information, and in that he was a true old school broadcaster, he knew his stuff. He had institutional knowledge. He was also very sceptical about newcomers here. You had to prove yourself to Bruce. When I first started here many moons ago as a newsreader on the then Paul Holmes Breakfast, he was very sceptical of me, another TV person coming to radio, he wasn't sure. Years later, when I started this show, as a host coming on right after him, we were in studios side by side so as he left his studio, I’d be walking into mine and we’d have a brief chat, but he was still quite sceptical of me. And then one day – Meghan Markle blew onto the scene – and I was – it felt like at the time, the only person saying I don’t trust her, something’s not right .. and that was it. That was the moment Bruce decided - I think - that he liked me. I got such serious heat for saying what I thought about Markle, but Bruce agreed with me. He saw what I saw. I’ll never forget the day he bowled into my studio just before my show started and said – “Meghan Markle... you’re onto it!”I told him I was getting serious backlash for saying I didn’t trust her.. and he said, “don’t pay any attention to it – stick to your guns.” So I felt I had his seal of approval at that point, and from then on he would chat to me about the royals on a regular basis, he would sometimes come out into the newsroom in his breaks and show me texts he’d printed off about subjects he thought I’d like or laugh at, he always asked my thoughts on any unfolding Harry and Meghan drama.He was very supportive of our show and very kind to us. It can be a very lonely place pre-dawn in a newsroom, so the small team who work these crazy hours have a natural affinity for each other, we’re all in the same boat – limited sleep, wacky work hours. So I will miss our morning chats as we passed the baton between our shows. He will be extremely hard to replace, and he'll be sorely missed by his loyal listeners. So my condolences to all those feeling his loss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Queen has marked another milestone in what has been a tumultuous year for the royal family.After 70 years on the throne, the Queen is quietly celebrating her 96th birthday with a private gathering at her country retreat, Sandringham, in Norfolk.Royal Correspondent Phil Dampier joined Roman Travers.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Companies are being warned they could go out of business, if they don't lift prices.Annual inflation's hit 6.9 percent - a 30-year high.Auckland Business Chamber CEO, Michael Barnett, says businesses are paying more for shipping, fuel, and transport and have higher staff costs.He told Roman Travers consumers will have less money in their pockets, so businesses need to ensure their products have the necessary margin for them to survive.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Kiwi oil company is hoping to meet the demand for sunflower oil in New Zealand, which would usually be meeting by imports from Ukraine.Pure Oil currently grow 300 to 400 hectares of sunflowers a year, but would like to expand that up to 1000 hectares while supplies are short.Pure Oil Managing Director Nick Murney joined Roman Travers.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s hard to believe that we’re nearly at another ANZAC Day commemoration. I can still remember when annual events like this seemed to take forever to get to.When I was 21 I spent a month travelling through Turkey and went over to Gallipoli for the day. It was a day I’ll never forget. What I saw, I never want to see again. I have never seen so many headstones for so many people in one place.It’s also hard to believe that large parts of Europe are once again dealing with a maniacal, megalomaniac with strong narcissistic traits seemingly undeterred by some of the strongest sanctions ever imposed.How can it be possible that all these years after the First World War and then the second, that we are once again faced with an event that in this day and age should be foreseen and resolved behind the scenes with high-level diplomacy.Like me, you are probably eternally grateful to have a life with such incredible freedom. I will always remember those who have so much so that we’re able to have what we have now.There wouldn’t be many generations surviving today that know what it’s like to sacrifice so much of your life for so many. Many of those that were lucky enough to come back, went on to live lives of physical and mental suffering with little significant recompense.The terminology may have changed from shellshock to post-traumatic stress disorder, but the level of suffering was visceral and unforgiving. Both for the ANZACs and families they returned to.I hope you manage to find some time to find serenity and silence and remember those who gave so much for us. We will always remember them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So while the property market might be cooling in some parts of the country, this might make your eyes water this morning.A new record has been set in Tauranga, where a penthouse apartment at Mount Manganui has sold for $10.2m.To put in context, the rateable value was only about $6 million. Questions are being raised as to how a such a big purchase is justified.Bayleys luxury home and apartment specialist in Tauranga Peter Clarke joined Roman Travers.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon has been dubbed out of touch following his comments on axing a public holiday.The National party leader made calls to scrap Labour Day to make way for Matariki yesterday.But he has since back-pedalled, saying he was being facetious, and doesn't care what day gets cancelled to make way for it.Council of Trade Unions Policy Director Craig Renney told Roman Travers no public holiday should be cancelled - especially Labour Day.He says Labour Day commemorates the struggle for an eight-hour working day, won in New Zealand back in 1840.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This morning's inflation rate will be historically high - but economists are divided on how high inflation will be, and how long it will last.Stats NZ will release its latest Consumer Price Index data just before 11am.ASB Economist Mark Smith told Roman Travers the big uncertainty is whether the high inflation continues into next year.“The longer these prices stay up, the more the cost of high inflation becomes embedded in the economy and the more work the Reserve Bank will have to do to try and raise interest rates.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I often wonder how different things would be for myself if I didn’t listen to the news, the news makers and those with editorial licence. Do you sometimes find yourself buying into impending doom and global catastrophe only to find that things don’t change for you personally?The past few years has been like living through an incredibly drawn out and poorly directed Netflix series that’s sucked you in for every episode of every season.There have been times when I’ve been very down about the pandemic, the uncertainty, the way it’s been managed, job security and then there’s inflation and CPI. We are completely at the will of The Reserve Bank and our commercial trading banks… and like you, there is virtually nothing I can do to change what they decide.What I hate to see is the level of genuine anguish our children are now experiencing. At a time in their lives when the future should be exciting and one awesome adventure; they are now faced with a whopping nations debt that will have a huge impact upon how New Zealand will look when they get to my age.ASB economists are tipping that New Zealand mortgage rates will peak higher and earlier than previously thought as the Reserve Bank of New Zealand hikes the Official Cash Rate to counter rising inflation.The ASB forecasts that The Reserve Bank will whack on 50 basis-points to the OCR next month taking it to 2.0%, followed by a sequence of hikes getting to a 3.25% OCR peak in early 2023.If ASB’s 3.25% OCR forecasts come to fruition and are passed onto New Zealand mortgage holders, then the average floating mortgage rate would rise to 7.33%.Perhaps there is little this or any government can do to curb this grotesque barrier to progress, but like many of our unforeseen hurdles in life; I genuinely hope that this one isn’t insurmountable - for us and those that come after.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Veterans Affairs Minister is preparing to fly to Turkey, after two years of missed Anzac commemorations at Gallipoli.Meka Whaitiri will visit Commonwealth and Turkish memorial sites and tour battlefields on the peninsula.She is scheduled to meet the Governor of Canakkale and attend a castle opening - before hosting a New Zealand trade and enterprise event in Istanbul.Whaitiri says it's wonderful to be going back, as New Zealand is reconnects with the world.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been revealed top health officials agreed last November MIQ was no longer justified.A memo from the Director of Public Health to Dr Ashley Bloomfield, said the risk posed by international arrivals transmitting Covid-19, was no longer higher than the risk of domestic transmission.MIQ was kept open for another three and a half months.Travel technology consultant Mike Moore told Roman Travers he's not surprised.He says it's an extension of what he calls the deception that's maintained the ongoing climate of fear and control for a terribly long time.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you still have concerns about the high numbers of CCTV cameras throughout the country that, in some communities, film your every move once you're on the road or just wandering about town?When New Zealand began installing security cameras en masse, there was an initial outcry from some sectors of society more than others, of 'this is an invasion of privacy' but perhaps the reasoning offered by civil libertarians was justified. We now have more than 10,000 CCTV cameras looking at you and me in our public outdoor spaces; along with a plethora of other cameras owned by local or central government agencies.In Auckland alone, Auckland Transport and Auckland Council own 5685 cameras. Over the top, perhaps? Overkill, without question when the level of crime in Auckland appears to be rapidly on the rise.You might think that spending millions of hard-earned dollars in central government tax and our council rates was justified through a demonstrable reduction in crime, right? I don't think you'd find many opposed to the ongoing expansion of CCTV in our lives if that was a proven outcome. But sadly, it isn't.A senior lecturer at Victoria University specialising in crime says there is very little evidence that CCTV deters crime. The only place they look to be effective is in car parks.Those of us that remain rational would never think to commit a crime, but those that do are often fuelled by alcohol and other drugs or acting under the direction of one of the seriously unstable gangs who often operate with impunity. Come the election, I'll be eyeing up a political party that promises to vastly increase our police numbers and provide us with a greater police presence. Keep the cameras - but only if they can be proven to assist the police to do the job we expect of them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister re-starts in-person trade negotiations today.Jacinda Ardern sits down with Singapore's Prime Minister this afternoon.It's her first meeting with a foreign leader overseas since the pandemic began.A delegation of trade and business leaders are with her, including Zespri.The company's External Relations Director Michael Fox told Roman Travers the Asian market is incredibly important.He says Japan is their second largest market and one of the fastest growing - and Singapore is also important with a number of global team members there, including their CEO.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Central Pulse have won all four quarters of an ANZ Premiership netball game for the first time this season, defeating the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic 52-39 in Rotorua.The Pulse letting the same 11-goal three-quarter lead slip in their extra time loss to the Southern Steel last week.Relief for Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire after his side won their first NRL league game of the season.Halfback Jackson Hastings has kicked the match-winning field goal to snatch a 21-20 win over Parramatta.Maguire and his team had suffered five straight losses.Joelle King has won squash's Manchester Open for a second time - she's beaten number one seed Sarah-Jane Perry in straight games.A trifecta of suspensions from the latest round of Super Rugby - Highlanders lock Josh Dickson and Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua are out for three weeks but Crusaders captain Scott Barrett is banned for four.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Russia’s war with Ukraine enters the third month, with no end in sight, many of the Russians who fled Russia at the start of the war, are now heading back.Part of this is said to be due to many Russians having hit the hard realities of emigration abroad.Questions are being raised as to how much of this can also be owed to Russian government influence.Senior political scientist at Rand Corporation Elina Treyger joined Roman Travers.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I hope you managed to get out and do some of the things you love to do over the delightfully long Easter weekend. Or perhaps you’ve tried something completely new.I’ve been a cyclist since I can remember, which is a very long time; so this weekend I got out and rode my bike every day, clocking up 240 kilometres over the whole long weekend. Not bad for a middle aged burnt out man in lycra.But as much as I love cycling, I usually avoid the designated cycle lanes. That’s because they’re usually filled with life’s little crap. It’s the little things that make a big difference and I’m talking glass, staples, pieces of metal and nails. All of that stuff naturally drifts from the main lanes to the sides where the cycling lanes are.Designated cycling lanes very rarely - if ever - seem to be cleaned and after many punctures over a short period of time, I tend to avoid them like Covid-19.Like many cyclists who also drive a car, I often look at the absolute dogs breakfast of ubiquitous signage, traffic lights and cycle lanes crossing main roads and pedestrian ways and wonder who won earth designed them.I also often wonder why we spend millions of dollars building cycleways but very rarely if ever free them of the debris that causes many riders to avoid using them.It’s one thing to renew all of the delightful green paint and signage but unless cycleways are cleaned then all you can expect is more cyclists to avoid them.That old adage of ‘build it and they will come’ is certainly true apropos New Zealand cycleways and we are seeing cycling going off like a dog in a butchers shop, especially in Christchurch where cycling has always been big and Wellington has a plethora of pathways in the planning.But nothing will make the general motoring public fizz at the bung more than seeing cyclists navigating through the texting traffic and not using these incredibly expensive designated cycleways.Continuous punctures trying to do the right thing leaves me feeling incredibly deflated. Why spend millions on cycle lanes and not maintain them?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One economist says the Reserve Bank has needed to increase the Official Cash Rate for a while. It's gone from one to 1.5 percent. Infometrics Chief Economist, Gareth Kiernan, welcomes the central bank coming to the party, and realising we don't need interest levels so low. He told Kate Hawkesby the housing market's been running rampant and there's been strong household spending. Kiernan says that was great when we thought Covid was going to hammer the economy, but that hasn't happened. He's been looking at the low unemployment rate and the housing market for the last nine months or so, saying something's got to change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns have been raised about masks not needing to be worn at schools. Now in Orange, masks are still compulsory at retail stores, public transport and planes or when visiting a public or healthcare facility. But they're dropped for hospitality patrons and in schools. Developmental paediatrician Jin Russell told Kate Hawkesby while it's not mandatory - it's still strongly recommended. She says the pandemic's not over - there are still thousands of Omicron cases circulating in the community and some of those will pop up at schools. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.