Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

So the South Korean show Squid Game has taken the world by storm. Despite being a Korean speaking show, it's number one in Netflix in 90 countries, and is soon to become the most popular show ever on Netflix. The show is about people who face severe debt play a series of deadly children's games to win a cash prize. If you lose, you're dead. There have been roll on affects from the show, sales for white Vans that the contestants wear has jumped over 7000%. Lecturer in Korean studies at University of Sheffield Dr Sarah Son joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's something to look out for in the next few months, or perhaps on the last day of Parliament before Christmas. Today's Herald reports there's about four billion dollars in debt on the Government's books. This is money owed by New Zealanders to the Crown, for a whole bunch of different reasons. About half of it is due to MSD, the Ministry of Social Development, that comes down to overpaid benefits essentially. Bottom line, about four billion, which is owed by the least well-off people in the country, people in no realistic position to ever pay it back. Now, cast your mind back to the start of the pandemic when benefits went up $25-a-week just like that, overnight. Since then, there's been another $20 a week since July this year, and by April next year some beneficiaries will be up as much as $55 a week. All up, we're putting another $3.3 billion into benefits, over four years. Which might sound like largesse when you're paying your tax, or seeing how much GST you've handed over in your grocery bill or petrol receipt. But the reality is we've still got people trying to feed themselves and raise a child on less than $500 a week. So don't be in the least bit surprised to see that four billion I mentioned before, written off. And you know what, I won't object. I've got no time for bludgers who won't even try. But I do care about people who are down, or just can't help themselves. And lumbering someone with a debt they'll never be able to pay back just crushes their spirit. Give people a boost and for some, it's a chance to pick themselves up, and start over again.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You'll be aware Chinese warplanes have been flying sorties into Taiwan's air defence zone. Naturally, Taiwan is a bit stressed by all this, saying military tensions are the most serious in 40 years. Its defence minister says China could be capable of a full scale invasion by 2025. From the research house Rand Corporation in Washington, Scott Harold joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cancellation of Canterbury's A and P show is a huge economic loss for the region. Three Cup and Show events - the Agricultural Show, Addington Cup Week and Riccarton Park Races - were expected to generate more than four million dollars of visitor spend. Christchurch Deputy Mayor Andrew Turner told Tim Dower Christchurch NZ is looking at other events which could mitigate the loss of visitors. "Very difficult to see what could replace that large number of visitors that normally would be in town." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National MP Chris Bishop is feeling vindicated by the Government's decision to introduce rapid antigen tests in some hospitals. He told Tim Dower it's something he's been calling for, for some time. "Other countries have them, they use them. They are a useful tool to pick up Covid in the community and we should be using them." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Great to see the TV news last night, and clips of Auckland people so relieved to get out into the park and meet a few friends. Ordinary, working people finally getting permission to enjoy a sniff of normality. And for the most part, they're diligently doing all the right things; wearing their masks and keeping their distance. Meanwhile, the outlaw element has apparently been carrying on as normal. Today we can confirm that the index case in the Hamilton outbreak is a drug deal dealer, with a long criminal history and gang affiliations. There are suggestions they crossed the Auckland boundary to buy drugs, and then delivered those drugs in the Waikato. Chris Hipkins has publicly confirmed that - quote - "quite a number" of people in the latest outbreak are gang members. So, while people who just want to get on with making an honest living and provide for their families suffer, people with a contempt for that way of life just carry on as they please. Naturally, we'll pick up the pieces, as we always do. We'll provide the healthcare and social support to people who actively undermine our society. And once we get them well again will they thank us? What do you think? I guess most of us have no dealing with the gangs; we know they're there and we don't like them, but they don't impact directly on us, so we grumble, and we kind of shrug it off. Maybe, if lockdown extensions, or worse, a return to tighter restrictions end up being sheeted home to gang activity, maybe that'll change. Maybe we'll actually demand some serious action.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid-19 has sneaked through the Auckland boundary. In Kawhia and Karapiro the finger's been pointed at outsiders sneaking to their holiday places. Some say the gangs have brought it in with their Methamphetamine deliveries. The mayor of Waipa Jim Mylchreest has called for all the North Island to go back at level 3 with Auckland. Immunologist Dr Dianne Sika Paotonu joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frustration from businesses that want to do more to help, during the Covid-19 crisis. The Herald's Mood of the Boardroom survey shows CEOs rate Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's ability to build confidence with business, a 1.97 out of five. Employers and Manufacturers' Association Chief Executive Brett O'Riley told Tim Dower businesses feel grumpy, sombre and frustrated. "And really looking to work much more closely with government to be part of the solution; rather than relying on daily press conferences to find out what's going." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A PR expert says the Government needs to attract more people if they want to get vaccination rates up. Just over 20 percent of New Zealanders still haven't had a single dose of the vaccine. Pead PR chief executive Deborah Pead says the Government is making steps in the right direction with the national day of vaccination on October 16th. But she told Tim Dower certain groups have been demonised. "The enemy is not the anti-vaxxers, the enemy is Covid. And so they need a campaign that unites us against a common foe." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vaccine passports are on the way. The Government wants a system up and running from November in time for the summer event season. They'd be both printable and in digital form, although you wouldn't need one for the pharmacy for example, or the supermarket. OK, on the face of it, so far so good. Especially in places where there's close contact. There is a growing expectation among customers that people working in hospitality, people operating taxis and buses and on planes will be vaccinated. Businesses see this and some are already moving towards no-jab no job, and they want to be able to display the fact that their staff are vaccinated. Now, the vast majority of us accept we have a responsibility to others to avoid spreading this virus. We'll wear a mask in a shop or on public transport no problem. So vaccinations, and vaccination passports, a card if you like that says 'I'm clean' don't seem too much of a stretch. The problem comes when you start saying people CAN'T go somewhere without the right document. We haven't had that need to carry documents since what, about 1945? Suddenly that's changing. Now don't get me wrong, I've had both vaccinations and I guess I'll get one of these certificates, eventually you'll need one to travel overseas, and to come back home. But some people won't want to, for whatever reason, and that surely has to be up to them. The Bill of Rights does allow limitations on people's freedom of movement and public health is a sound rationale to restrict movement. The tricky bit here is that once again, we're rushing this stuff at the last minute, and that never makes for good legislation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like a good supporting act, one of the country's biggest summer festivals is supporting the Government's vaccine certificate. Festival and concert-goers will need to be fully vaccinated this summer in order to attend large scale events. A printable digital Covid-19 vaccine certificate is expected to be available from November Rhythm & Vines co-founder Hamish Pinkham told Tim Dower it's a good move. "That's the new push, that's what we need to get behind and it's certainly going to be no jab, no entry and Rhythm and Vines this summer from all accounts." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Job listings are continuing to rise, despite the Covid-19 restrictions and Auckland's lockdown. Trade Me job listings are up by nearly a half in the third quarter Enterprise Recruitment chief operating officer Ian McPherson told Tim Dower there's a shortage of supply in most sectors, at most levels. He says that's because the borders are shut, and international students and travellers can't come in. "The lack of ability to bring in skills, it's all creating this storm of demand outstripping supply." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank makes its monetary policy review announcement this afternoon. The guts of it is the Official Cash Rate, which is still at 0.25 percent. Inflation is outside the target range right now at 3.3 percent; so what should we expect? ASB's chief economist, Nick Tuffley, joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It won't have been a surprise to see Auckland still locked down pretty tight, after yesterday's Cabinet meeting. The PM talked about this so-called road map, and about going safely and carefully. But reading between the lines, I don't think she's especially comfortable with even these tiny little changes. As I said yesterday, we are stuck between a rock and a hard place; we can't go forward with less than half the country vaccinated. And we can't stand still because the people just won't have it, they're climbing the walls. So the freedom, such as it is, of being able to gather in groups of 10 outdoors with no more than two households, is a very reluctant relaxation. And it's one that could be snatched away with a moment's notice if this thing gets away on us again. This, and all the other changes, will be reviewed on a weekly basis. When you hear that, you might think that in maybe three weeks or so we're starting to see some normality. But you'd be wrong; 20-odd minutes into media conference the truth emerged from Dr Bloomfield, when he said we'd be in this phase for another four to eight weeks. Which could mean it's the end of November before hospitality gets anywhere near normal, hopefully a bit sooner for shops to be able to open again. But already we're being told even this tiny little loosening of the noose could be enough to see the virus get away on us. And if that happens, we'll all be wondering why we went along with this massive sacrifice, only to delay what's perhaps been inevitable since the very beginning. We had an amazing run of luck. Is it over? Let's hope not, and I truly do hope not. But as time goes on and we keep seeing 20s and 30s of new cases every day, I'm beginning to feel a sense of futility.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disappointment from Auckland early childhood centres they weren't consulted about phase one of the region's road map out of Covid-19 restrictions. They'll be able to open to all children from tomorrow, not just those of essential workers. However, there'll still be bubbles of 10, and infection control processes. Early Childhood Council acting CEO, Sue Kurtovich, told Tim Dower families are calling to get spaces but most centres are already at capacity. "It’s rather unfortunate that the sector was not involved at all in this announcement, or having any discussion about it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland University Covid modeller Dion O'Neale says being fully vaccinated, wearing a mask and staying outdoors reduces the risk at gatherings. But he told Tim Dower even allowing ten-person two-household gatherings is risky at this stage in the outbreak. "The concerning part about that if that's happening at a point that we still do have ongoing community spread, this change definitely increases the risk that community spread can go much further, much quicker." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's ten years since the container ship Rena smashed into Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga, causing New Zealand's worst ever environmental disaster. Hundreds of tonnes of oil and cargo were spilled and kilometres of coastline was polluted. In the decade since, researchers have been monitoring the effects. Marine ecologist at Waikato University Dr Phil Ross has done hundreds of dives onto the wreck. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calls for the business community to lead the way on vaccination.The head of a travel company wants a logo which indicates when an staff's entire business is vaccinated. Unvaccinated international travellers will be banned from flying with Air New Zealand, from February. Southern Crossings Chief Executive Sarah Farag told Tim Dower vaccination needs to be incentivised. "I think soon enough we've got to see that actually being fully vaccinated does mean something." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're stuck now, a Level 3 lockdown in Auckland that's starting to fragment, and frankly no chance of that being eased today. And now cases in Waikato, no proven link yet to the Auckland outbreak, but if not there, where did it come from? Weeks of restrictions, and yet still Delta is still spreading. What does that tell you? It tells me that not everyone has been playing the game and as time goes on and people go out protesting in the streets, it's going to get away again. Even the Prime Minister admits that locking down Hamilton can't be done. There will be spot checks, but the bottom line is it's up to the general population to please co-operate. Fingers crossed, in other words. I'm lucky I live in a Level 2 region; I'd have probably gone around the bend in Auckland. People I hear on ZB and people I'm in touch with personally are trying to keep chipper but it's exhausting, and I really, sincerely feel for you; you must be so over it. You need your freedom back, but with vaccinations where they are and this virus behaving like, what did Dr B call it? A heat-seeking missile, the consequences would be serious. We haven't got the facilities or the people to treat all the people who'd get sick. And we haven't got the stomach to accept the number of people who wouldn't make it. So we're stuck; a lockdown that isn't working and less than half of us fully vaccinated. Are we supposed to wait till Christmas? Or the 90 percent we're not going to get, before we ease up? Sooner or later we're going to have to accept the trade-off between our freedom, and the consequences of that. And we'll have to navigate our own way through, as individuals. If you want to isolate your way through this that's your call. But as a nation, it's just not working for us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamilton is waking up back in lockdown -- following the confirmation of two new cases in Waikato. As well as the city, Tamahere, Raglan, Ngāruāwahia, Huntly and the rest of the Waikato District have moved to Alert Level Three. Other towns, including Cambridge and Te Awamutu remain in Level Two. Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate told Tim Dower everyone is being trusted to play their part. "Hamiltonians, people passing through Hamilton, people living on the outskirts of Hamilton, they've all got the pay their part. Because if they don't this, won't work as soon as we'd like it to." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I won’t be here next week because I’m off for a week of the school holidays; to my living room, like every other Aucklander, but before I go, I thought I’d make a prediction for Monday. I still think, as I said the other day, that we’ll go to Level 2 in Auckland and Level 1 for the rest of the country. But it won’t be called Level 2, it’ll be a new bespoke arrangement, some version of a 2 with a cutesy catchphrase they’ll think up to try to make it sound fun; like Delta 2.5+ or something. They'll just want to give us the illusion we're not in 3 anymore. It’ll include a hard boundary around Auckland, as we know already. But, we will get hairdressers open and a few shops, the idea being that we feel so grateful and appreciative for that, that we forget about how long we’ve had our freedoms taken off us. I know people tend to predict things they hope will happen, and I’m guilty of this too, this may be my hope overriding my common sense, but I just can’t see how they keep Auckland in 3 and the rest of the country in 2. When in the same breath they keep saying they’ve got control of this, that there’s no widespread transmission, and that they’re not worried about case numbers. Of course, if that’s the case, then what the hell have we been doing locked up all this time? But logic is not their strong suit, nor reason, they’ll simply look for appropriate spin, and hope we suck it down like Kool Aid. I’m finding fewer and fewer people around these days who find lockdowns a good idea. You’ve got the odd retired person, or those who’ve swallowed the fear messaging who seem to enjoy it, but anyone with a business, a young family, teenagers, students, or half a brain about the country’s economy and debt levels, are over it. We don’t have the same novelty around it this time, it’s been longer and more painful, we’ve had less clarity (if that’s even possible), there’s been no plan, and the ultimate sting that much of this could've been avoided, had we made a decent and timely vaccine order back when everyone else did. Every tunnel needs a light at the end to drag us through it. This one has just felt like a long dark tunnel. A torch flickers on and off periodically when they talk about vaccination rates, but then they back peddle and say ‘oh actually vaccinations are not the only thing that’ll get us out of lockdowns’. So how much is on us and how much is on them? It’s their job to sort ICU nurses and ventilators and vaccines and access to vaccines, all we can do is get vaccinated. Given this Government’s addicted to good press, I reckon we’ll see a political decision made Monday to appease people; a drop of sorts, a bone thrown. I don’t even care anymore, as long as they open the hairdressers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Phillips investigation will need to approach the kids in a way that works for them. Tom Phillips and his three young children Jayda, Maverick and Ember turned up at the family farm at Marokopa yesterday. They hadn't been seen for almost three weeks, and many feared they've been lost at sea. Child psychologist Kathryn Berkett told Kate Hawkesby the way children are approached differs from adults. "We have to sit back, just make them feel safe and let them tell us, and come through with what they need. That's actually the best therapy that we could do for them." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mayors up and down the country are still far from convinced over the Government's three waters reform programme. The plan is for the sixty-seven local and regional councils' drinking, waste and storm water to be absorbed by four entities. Consultation with the councils ends today after eight weeks, and now Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta will present advice to cabinet about the next steps. Local Government New Zealand president, Stuart Crosby joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The school holidays start today, but it may not provide much relief to struggling businesses around the country. The Prime Minister signalled that Auckland's border will probably stay closed, even if the city moves down to Alert Level Two. It's not the news many businesses dependent on Aucklanders wanted to hear. Blenheim's Phoenix Inn owner Marty Kennedy told Kate Hawkesby the situation is tough. "When you hear those numbers in Auckland going up... you just shake your head and wonder when they're going to get out of this in any great hurry." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could we see football players playing against robots? Well that's the aim of a group of robotic scientists. The Robot Soccer World Cup or Robo-Cup has been going for nearly twenty five years. It involves human shaped robots playing against each other in a game of football. But now they've set a goal, they want their robots to win a game against the winners of the real FIFA World Cup by 2050. Robo-Cup president Peter Stone joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 45 cases yesterday disrupted a gradual decline many of us were getting quite used to. Dr Ashley Bloomfield says many of the cases this week have been in large households, and those in emergency or transitional housing. We also got confirmation the outbreak is within our gangs, and among the homeless. Lieutenant Colonel Lynette Hudson, head of social services at the Salvation Army joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m trying not to write about lockdown every day. And Covid, and case numbers, and gang members, but can I just say to everyone outside of Auckland, please understand that we are living a wildly unpleasant emotional rollercoaster ride right now and it’s not easy. I’d like to know how anyone comes out of this not being 10 kilos heavier and not having aged about 100 years. That being said, I did notice the Police 10-7 review is out. See, I’m looking for things that take my mind off the seemingly never-ending lockdown we’re in. Remember how Police 10-7 was accused of being racist? Well, the review’s out and it basically says the previous host may've been a bit ‘blunt’ with his words, but that the show’s new approach these days, with a new host, is an improvement. Apparently the old original version with Detective Inspector Graham Bell as host promoted a bit too much ‘old school’ policing. He also used phrases that these days would be regarded as, unsavoury, shall we say? Stuff like calling suspects ‘gutless goons’, ‘vicious morons’, and ‘lunatic scumbags’. I mean personally I like calling a spade a spade. It’s like the Government constantly using the term ‘marginalised groups’ recently for what we all knew was their PC term for ‘gangs’. Just say it, we are grownups, we can handle it. I notice now they’ve actually come out and said it’s gangs, but anyway back to Police 10-7. The new host apparently has a slightly more PC turn of phrase, and the show itself has less of a ‘goodie versus baddie’ vibe. There’s a suggestion the promos department runs its promos past the bosses in future, and doesn’t just take the most dramatic clips – or clips involving brown faces. Unfortunately, the point of promos is to grab the most dramatic bit of a show to entice the viewer to watch it, the same way newspapers put up salacious clickbait headlines to grab attention and entice readers to click on and read. It’s the way of the world. But not the 2021 world apparently. The review also recommended that TVNZ ‘formalise policies for cultural integrity and teach staff about Te Tiriti o Waitangi and racism’. So good luck to the people on that show who’re now undergoing some lessons on racism and the Treaty, because at the end of the day that’s all that’s happening. The show, as we said all along, goes on, it’s not getting cancelled, it makes the network big bucks, and it’s going nowhere. A few salient memos or PowerPoints on the Treaty, asking themselves now and again if it’s ‘mana enhancing’ and the producers will also look to make other ‘positive changes’. Whether any of this will be evident on screens remains to be seen, but if you’re a fan of this show and you notice you’re now getting watered down versions of it.. then that’s why.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Demand to be part of the home isolation trial is expected to be high. It will allow 150 people to travel overseas and self-isolate for a fortnight when returning. Business travellers will be able to submit expressions of interest from 9am today - but they need to be within 50 kilometres of Auckland or Christchurch airports. Enztec CEO Iain McMillan told Kate Hawkesby they're hopeful the trial will become a full rollout early next year. "The demand is no different to the demand for MIQ spots, where there is 10s of thousands of people." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you noticed the announcement blitz the Government is on ever since John Key’s piece got massive coverage? Hit a nerve anyone? I found it amusing how on the one hand, they called it insulting and simplistic, while on the other hand saying they were implementing a lot of his ideas. So, which is it? Simplistic and insulting, or good enough for you to go ahead with? Either way, they’ve been dragging the chain on the ideas for so long, that if anything, at least his piece elicited some action. Because this Government is reactive, it hates bad press. It'll be alarmed to have had a swing taken at it, given it's become used to a fawning compliant media. The fact commentators are turning will be new and startling territory. Combine Key’s critique of them with a bad poll result, and whammo, they’re going to start announcing some stuff. Watch all the announcements roll out this week; we’ve already had RSE workers, private quarantine for business trials, vaccine passport ideas and boundary exemptions for Aucklanders. The announcement I’m personally waiting for is the school holidays one. They surely have a plan by now, they must know what they’re doing. Here’s what I reckon will happen. Ideally, in their perfect ‘health first’ world, they’d want to keep Auckland in Level 3. Had they got the ongoing buy-in of lockdowns that they enjoyed last time, they would’ve gleefully kept us all locked up to keep attempting to achieve their fictitious elimination strategy. But polls show they’re taking a hit over it, people are sick of it, movement around Auckland shows just how over it people are, and so, I reckon they’ll drop us. Reluctantly and with caveats. I think we’ll go to Level 2 with masks, social distancing, scanning in, and the big one – no travelling. They won’t want Aucklanders roaming off around the countryside, they’ll want Tamaki Macovid staying put. They’ll want to give the illusion of freedom, like a trip to the hairdressers, and a few shops open, but they won’t want us to get too carried away. I could be wrong of course, but if that does happen, then what a bunch of hypocrites they'll be. Suddenly it won’t be about the science, it’ll be all about the sentiment. Picking and choosing when you listen to science is no way to treat people or their livelihoods, and hopefully people will see the charade for what it is. The elimination strategy they’ve fancifully been chasing will suddenly not be so important anymore; they’ll spin us a yarn about how it’s worked out just as they wanted it to, but the numbers will tell the real story. Watch them spin how they don’t need zero cases and they’re comfortable with a few unlinked, and all of a sudden everything we’ve been locked down for amounts to conveniently being of no importance anymore. It’s amazing what can happen when you know you’ve lost the room.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage has confirmed construction on the controversial Mt. Erebus memorial will start shortly. Protestors have delayed the memorial for over two hundred days by camping on the land, which is in Parnell's Dove-Myer Robinson Park. Those opposed insist it's on a former pā site, it will damage a giant pōhutukawa and turn a place of joy into mourning. Waitemata local board member Sarah Trotman who voted against memorial, joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National has a plan to reunite New Zealand families for Christmas It's set to unveil a new 50-page plan this morning to allow safe travel in and out of New Zealand by December Leader Judith Collins says the current MIQ system is a "dreadful lottery". She told Kate Hawkesby the new system is the first immediate step towards reopening New Zealand to the rest of the world "It covers all of the aspects that we need to make sure that we have in place for the next twelve months at least, it is absolutely something the Government could start right now.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Low satisfaction levels for the new MIQ booking system. It had its first run at the start of last week, and will be in action again this evening In a Grounded Kiwis survey about 900 respondents gave the new system an overall rating of 3 point 6 out of 10. A quarter of them say they had technical difficulties. AUT computer scientist Ken Johnson told Kate Hawkesby the lobby system was developed in response to automated scripts and bots. "In a way, the lobby system is much fairer, of course. But it does have its own problems." The next tranche of spots will be released this evening from 5pm. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I wonder whether Greta Thunberg has been burnt by her moment in the sun. Small time young climate crusader makes huge splash onto international stage, gets lauded across the globe and becomes a big star and icon for young people. And then, well, what happens next? Swiping and sniping at world leaders is nothing new, she had a few goes at Trump. But then, who didn’t? But now, now, she’s had the audacity to come for our great leader. Our revered saviour and high priestess, our beloved Jacinda who claimed climate change was our nuclear moment. She possibly did not imagine when she said that, that it would include Greta Thunberg going nuclear on her. Thunberg has said Ardern “knows nothing” about climate change. She says Ardern’s doing nothing, and that our greenhouse gas emissions have not fallen under Ardern’s watch. Whatever would Greta think if she knew of our recalcitrant high flying Green MP James Shaw? What if she knew the co-leader of our Greenest party of them all, was zipping round the globe to talk about climate change, while adding to carbon emissions? No doubt he’d be lambasted too. But neither Shaw nor Ardern have any cause to take anything Greta says personally of course, given she’s lashed out at every politician around the world, and basically thinks none of them are doing a good enough job. Which begs the question, what is good enough? Ardern has called the climate emergency ‘life or death’ but also, that 'these things take time'. James Shaw, the Climate Change Minister, says our emissions haven’t decreased yet, but it’s “a marathon effort”. There’s a detailed plan coming apparently, but not until 2022, it’s been reported. There’ll also be plans to meet goals of the Paris Agreement. But back to Thunberg. The past three years have been spent dedicating her life, words and time to the climate crisis. She says of that, that she thinks, ‘naivety and childishness are sometimes a good thing. The great thing about youth, she says, “is you’re not blinded by realpolitik and the assumption of compromise. I do think older people make things more complicated than they actually are,” she told The Guardian. Is that true though? The exuberance of youth is one thing, but age and experience are sometimes another very necessary tool. Yes, it may complicate things, but sometimes life is complex. When we think of Greta, we probably still imagine her sitting on footpaths with cardboard signs, but these days she lives in her own apartment in Stockholm, as an independent 18-year-old, basically being a celebrity. “Twice nominated for the Nobel Peace prize, addressing the UN and being thanked by the Pope”, are not your average 18-year-old’s day out. So how do we take her latest jibe in our PM’s direction? I’d say we take it on the chin and move on.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concern that outcomes for New Zealanders living with dementia are going downhill, fast. Alzheimers NZ's Dementia Economic Impact Report shows dementia among Māori, Pasifika and Asian communities will more than double by 2050. It also estimates dementia will cost us nearly six-billion dollars a year by then too -- and one in four Kiwis will die with the condition. Chief executive Catherine Hall says our support services for those living with dementia are woefully inadequate. "We need to be getting ready and starting to tackle this big and growing challenge now, because it isn't going anywhere and it is only going to get worse." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One-way quarantine free travel for seasonal workers from a handful of Pacific countries, starts next week. Workers from Vanuatu will begin arriving on Monday, and Samoan and Tongan workers the following Tuesday. They'll have to have a vaccine dose before they come, self-isolate and be tested on day zero and five. Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor told Kate Hawkesby there'll be health measures in place. "It won't be easy; it will require people to keep an eye on things. They'll be checked out by health to make sure it's suitable. We have to make sure there are people available that will be doing the testing." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sir John Key’s piece yesterday was so good it ran front-page across two rival news websites. If you haven’t read it, look it up. It’s refreshing. You can’t argue with common sense, and it was so fortifying to see someone being ambitious for our country, someone being sensible and forward-thinking and optimistic, someone not bogged down with fear and a hermit mentality.It laid bare what we’ve been missing all this time. Grown-ups. People with proper ideas and tangible solutions.When inexperience is at the helm, you get bogged down in the minutiae of laborious detail. The same way you get dragged into an argument with a toddler who refuses to put clothes on to go out into the cold. You find yourself pointlessly arguing at their level a thousand different ways. And I feel like that’s what’s been happening in the last few weeks with our Covid response. We’ve been getting bogged down in flawed ideology peddled by an inexperienced unambitious government, which has left us dissecting and debating stuff that isn’t even worth the effort.When a grown-up steps in and says, ‘cut the crap, this is the way forward’ and it makes sense, it’s like a light goes on.Both Key and Michael Baker say it’s a ‘marginalised’ group holding us back. That’s politically correct speak for ‘gangs’ and people who can’t be bothered. Those people are costing us mentally, psychologically, economically, and they’re threatening our health system. So drill down on it. Forget the 1 pm sermons to the converted, forget the expensive ad campaigns on mainstream media outlets that these people will never tune into. ‘Get into the weeds’ as they say in the corporate world.Most of the preaching about vaccinations is into the ears of the 80 per cent. We need to get into hard and fast detail on who this 20 per cent is, and target them at grassroots level. How old are they, where do they live, what’s their level of education, are they in paid employment, do they have a criminal record, what’s their health status, are they anti-vax, vaccine-hesitant, apathetic, afraid, anti-social?Use carrots not sticks. Punishment and fear is not working, and we’re sick of it. Give them money. Look at what this is costing the country every day we’re locked down. Estimates say Level 3 costs Auckland 350 million dollars per week. You can take your Shot Bro bus anywhere you like, it’s not going to cut the mustard. We need more.So what’s the government doing about it? How much research are they doing into who these people are and how to target them? Asking the hard questions and doing the hard work is our only way out of this. The time for spin, feel good cliches, cutesy bus names and modellers waving alarmist horror graphs is over. It shouldn’t have ever got the airtime it did. The only way out of this is to wake up, get detailed, and get serious.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Mental Health Awareness Week kicking off today businesses are being told to take note.The event aims to get more Kiwis talking about how they feel in the hopes to raise awareness and combat the mental health crisis.Randstad New Zealand Director Katherine Swan told Kate Hawkesby workplaces should make the most of it, especially with what research is indicating.“Work-life balance is ranked the number one driver for people when they're looking for a new role, and people are ranking that over salary benefits, so they're saying ‘this is actually very important to us’.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support for the views of Sir John Key.Some have labelled the former Prime Minister's assessment of the Government's Covid-19 response as naive and out of touch.But an outspoken critic of the Government's Covid response is backing Key's views.Auckland University Emeritus Professor of Medicine Des Gorman told Kate Hawkesby the Government is relying too much on fear to get people vaccinated.“Fear’s not the way you get sustainable changes in human behaviour. Fear makes people unwell. We need to demonstrate to people what the rewards and privileges are of vaccination and complying with public health measures.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Germany's center-left Social Democrats were locked in a very close race Sunday with outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right bloc, which is heading toward its worst-ever result in the country's parliamentary election, projections showed.Top officials from both parties said they hope to lead Germany's next government and have their candidates succeed Merkel, who has been in power since 2005.Projections for ARD public television, based on exit polls and early counting, put voters' support at 24.9% for the Social Democrats — which is putting forth outgoing Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz for chancellor — and 24.7% for Merkel’s Union bloc under would-be successor state governor Armin Laschet.Separate projections for ZDF public television put the Social Democrats ahead by 25.6% to 24.4%. Both put the environmentalist Greens in third place with about 15% support.Those results would be the worst for the Union bloc in post-World War II Germany.The electoral system typically produces coalition governments but post-war Germany has never previously seen a winning party take less than the 31% of the vote that the Union won in 1949. That was also the center-right bloc's worst result until now.Given the exit poll predictions, putting together the next coalition government for Europe’s biggest economy could be a lengthy and complicated process. Merkel will remain as a caretaker leader until a new government is in place. In German elections, the party that finishes first is best-placed, but not guaranteed, to provide the next chancellor.The projections also put support for the business-friendly Free Democrats at about 11% and the Left Party at 5%. The far-right Alternative for Germany party — which no other party wants to work with — was seen winning around 11% of the vote.Surrounded by Merkel and his party's top brass, Laschet said “we can’t be satisfied with the result” predicted by the exit polls. The Union took 32.9% of the vote four years ago. He said “the result puts Germany, the Union, all democratic parties, before big challenges.”“We will do everything we can to form a government under the Union’s leadership, because Germany now needs a coalition for the future that modernizes our country,” he promised.Laschet's likeliest route to power is a coalition with the Greens and the Free Democrats.The Social Democrats, meanwhile, celebrated a comeback after polling only 20.5% in 2017 and slipping well below that in recent years. Their general secretary, Lars Klingbeil, said "with this, we have the mission to form a coalition.” He wouldn't say which coalition partners would be approached.Scholz of the Social Democrats could also form a coalition with the Greens and Free Democrats, if the projected results hold up. The Greens traditionally lean toward Scholz's party and the Free Democrats toward Laschet's.Scholz proclaimed the projected result a “great success.” He said many voters chose his party “because they want a change of goverment and because they want this country's next chancellor to be Olaf Scholz.”“Now we will wait for the final election result, but then we will get to work,” he told cheering supporters in Berlin.The Social Democrats have been boosted by Scholz's relative popularity after their long poll slump, and by his rivals' troubled campaigns. The Greens' first candidate for chancellor, Annalena Baerbock, suffered from early gaffes and Laschet, the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia state, struggled to motivate his party's traditional base.The Greens saw their support substantially increase, but had hoped for more."We gained considerably, but it’s hard for me to really enjoy it,” said Greens general secretary, Michael Kellner. He noted that his party has said it prefers to work with the Social Democrats, but added “we are ready to speak with all democratic parties to see what’s possible."Another possible...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The All Blacks are playing arguably their fiercest rivals this weekend; the Springboks. This will be the first time the two teams have met since the 2019 World Cup, where the All Blacks won their pool game, but South Africa took home the trophy. The Boks come to the game after back-to-back losses to the Wallabies, can they bounce back? South African sports correspondent Sias du Plessis joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now we've accepted we're going to have to learn to live with Covid-19, can we please have a clear plan? Listening to the PM and Chris Hipkins and the good Doctor this week, I sense they realise this last lockdown needs to be just that, the last lockdown. We were scared at the beginning, and we've been cowed into compliance over the past couple of years. But I sense now that New Zealanders, Aucklanders for one set of reasons, South Islanders for another set of reasons, are over it. Another lockdown would be the death knell for a lot of businesses and a lot of jobs. And compliance won't come so easily; just look at Melbourne to see what happens when enough people get riled up by enough false information. Right now, we're getting the platitudes and the patronising talk on vaccinations. But there's no target and no plan for what happens once the rush to get jabbed becomes a trickle. We may already be near peak vaccine coverage. So, we need a plan, because we're going to have to live with this. Some people will get sick, some vaccinated people will get sick and some of us will die. The Government's job now is to work out and then explain how we're going to keep those numbers as small as possible. To make a plan. A plan to get managed isolation for returning New Zealanders and eventually, dare I say it, visitors out of our cities. These need to be permanent facilities, not the expensive make-shift and frankly unsafe arrangements we have now. We need a plan for treating the inevitable ongoing cases. We need a plan to tackle the debt we've accumulated. And we need to get back to proper scrutiny and challenging of what the Government's up to behind the scenes, while we're all obsessed with Covid. When you think about it, this kind of planning is what a decent opposition would be working on right now, if it was serious about winning the next election. So maybe what we need, as a country, is just that. A decent opposition, with a plan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retail chain Farmers has told Auckland office staff to go back to the office in Level Three, or be reduced to 80 percent pay. At the same time, the Government line is that if people can work from home at Level Three, they should. First Union organiser Ben Peterson joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People are losing out on money paid for holiday accommodation they can't use in lockdown. Consumer New Zealand has been receiving up to 15 Covid-19 related accommodation complaints a week during Alert Levels Three and Four. Many are from people who can't get refunds for booked accommodation. Spokesperson Gemma Rasmussen told Tim Dower people should check the terms and conditions. "When you look at policies, for example Airbnb, the cancellation policies are really variable, and ultimately you as a consumer are signing up to this." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m feeling for the events industry this morning, another industry left in a holding pattern by the Government, playing a waiting game of will we, won’t we. It’s a familiar game by now for South Islanders and everyone outside of Auckland, and for many hospitality outlets still. Level 2 is still not Level 1. There’s still a big difference. And if you’re looking down the barrel of summer festival season, it’s tough to call at this point. We‘ve been given some incentives of sorts; get vaccinated, and freedoms may come back. But no guarantees. And with the Government still refusing to admit it’s given up on elimination, it leaves room for a lot of doubt as to whether we will ever truly be free this year. If their version of elimination, which Bloomfield says no longer means zero cases, but still includes eradication and stamping it out. Don’t you love how they keep re-defining what elimination means? Anyway, if they keep that up, then is Level 1 really an option until we’re virtually all vaccinated? And look, no one’s saying there’s surety here, because as we know, this changes all the time and they don’t have a crystal ball, but, surely they’re running scenarios and planning for them. For example, Level 2 for Auckland and Level 1 for everyone else in two weeks' time. What are the scenarios? We know they want maximum vaccination coverage, what if they achieve it, but there’re still pockets of communities lower on vaccination rates? Are they factoring in school holidays and opening the country up to that much movement for two weeks? Could there be a scenario whereby regional borders come into play? Is there a level 2.5 plan which may include some extra freedoms but limit travel? How much vaccination coverage do they want to see in general? One dose? Two doses? What about Pacific and Māori communities who’re lagging behind, are they waiting for them to catch up? Surely they’ve played these scenarios out and are not taking a ‘wait and see’ approach. And when it comes to the events sector, what're the plans for what Level 1 might look like in the advent of Auckland still showing cases? What should events companies be preparing for? Can festivals with overseas acts coming in realistically get artists into MIQ between now and Christmas? Telling us simply to vaccinate, vaccinate and vaccinate is one thing, but that’s not the whole picture. Chris Hipkins said yesterday, it’s not the whole picture. So what else makes up the picture? And of those moving parts which bits are the most important? What else may hold us back? With so many livelihoods, businesses, events and holiday plans hanging in the balance, a bit of information by way of a roadmap beyond just two words ‘get vaccinated’ would be a huge help. Share the plan with us, so we can get on board and help make it happen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It seems more and more young people are expecting parents to help buy their first home. But yet young people often still struggle when it comes to financial literacy. 20 percent of those aged between 16 and 24 think Kiwisaver balances can only ever go up in value. That's according to research out by BetterSaver, which also found half of that age bracket expect their parents will gift or loan money for a first house deposit. Mortgage adviser Rupert Gough from Mortgage Lab joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new programme will help prepare police with the various skills they need. The Government is investing $45 million in frontline officer safety - instead of arming police. It includes $15 million for a Tactical Response Model and expansion of the frontline skills course. Former Justice Advisory Group member Chester Borrows, himself a former officer, told Kate Hawkesby police need to have different strategies for today's challenges. "It requires all kinds of strategy and tactics applied to it, as is often said, you can't just arrest your way out of this stuff." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bit of a double-edged sword today, and I’m not sure what we should be worried about more. The hundreds of thousands of extra Aucklanders back at work today all mingling in kitchens, cafes and businesses, or the absconders who continue to flee the border. We’ve had the Hamilton Maccas run cowboys, the gang with the boot load of KFC, the Northland sisters skipping the border, the drug taker running along train tracks to avoid a border, the driver who tore through paddocks to avoid the border, the infamous Wānaka couple, the high-profile Aucklander who went to Queenstown, the man to Whakatane, the Uni students, another school student yesterday who tuned up magically in class in Dunedin after weeks locked down in Auckland Level 4. The other one yesterday, a man who left Auckland for Wellington to pick up a caravan and drive it back to Auckland, we had a man hiding in a car boot, and that’s before we get to the Black Power remand prisoner who breached his bail conditions by making several stops between Mt Eden prison and his home in the Waikato. So what’s the bigger worry for community transmission when we’re looking to stamp it out? Absconders? Or workplaces? Or will it be neighbours and their driveway drinks? Bubble breakers fed up with five weeks of isolation and taking a few calculated risks now? Because that’s the thing about this level change; it’s a risk, and it’s one we have to be vigilant about, but there’s the rub. It’s the Government’s famous high-trust model all over again, and we know from history how those high trust models go. For every compliant, rule abiding responsible citizen, there are always the few who risk ruining it for all of us. So although we are delighted to be in Level 3, purely because we can step out of our kitchens for a minute and grab some takeaways, we’re also slightly trepidatious. Maybe we are war weary from five weeks of Level 4, maybe the Government’s fear-mongering has taken hold and we just can’t shake it, either way, it’s hard to feel completely confident that it’s all plain sailing from here. It will, hopefully, be a good move for the economy. Although economists say we won’t know that for sure for a few weeks. But more than 200,000 Aucklanders back to work today will surely be a boost. And for those of us at home desperate for a night off the cooking, we’ll be trying to do the old ‘support local’ and order up those takeaways. Again, in the hope everyone does their bit in terms of social distancing and playing by the rules. Because the last thing we want right now is to ping back into a Level 4. We’ve come this far; let’s not stuff it up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi e-bike supplier Electrify New Zealand is launching its own e-bike brand in the UK after finding success locally. And more good news for them, a recent survey shows 55 percent of Brits are thinking about buying one. Electrify NZ CEO Michael Tritt joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's mayor isn't entirely sure why the capital's MIQ facilities are being halved. MBIE has decided to stop using one of Wellington's quarantine hotels, leaving just one in operation. MIQ officials say Wellington Airport is not set up to easily cater for red zone flights Andy Foster told Kate Hawkesby he's not sure why returnees aren't being shared around the regions. "Question marks about why a whole lot of people are being accommodated in the centre of our biggest city, but do you want to take the risk of moving people around the country? The Government's made a judgement that's not what they want to do." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite hundreds of thousands of Covid cases every day, and an average of 2000 deaths a day, the US is opening up again. They're opening their borders to vaccinated UK and EU citizens in November. The ban has been in place since March last year, and our tourism industry here will be watching with keen interest. But with the international tourism market opening up, will New Zealand get left behind? Grant Webster, Tourism Holdings Limited CEO joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.