Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

So they did it, they dropped us to level 3, which they were always going to, despite case numbers and mystery cases looking pretty much the same, if not worse, than they have the past two weeks. Which begs the question, what the hell have we been doing in level 4 all this time if that was the case? Have they suddenly woken up to the fact elimination is out of reach and we are changing tack? If so, why aren’t they just honest about it? I think I know why. This Government is about popularity. It’s about polling and focus groups and positive trending on Twitter. This decision yesterday was a political one. How can you explain it any other way? Never has ‘lockdown fatigue’ been such a big consideration. Why is it now? Because Aucklanders were over it. They knew they’d lost the buy in, and keeping it going any longer would've been – God forbid – unpopular. So they’ve given us a breather. For how long? That’s the horrible question we don’t want to really ask.. how long ‘til the breather’s over and we’re back in Level 4? I’d hazard a guess not long. So in the interim, what have they done here? They’ve gone from telling us two weeks ago that Delta was bad and deadly and we need to absolutely lock down and stay indoors, only to now, with worse numbers, drop a level. People have every right to feel confused, angry, anxious and dicked around. The Government’s been disingenuous. This is nothing more than an abject abandonment of the elimination strategy. And here’s what’s so disingenuous about it.. they’re denying it. They’re spinning it, selling it through a ‘caring’ public health lens, knowing it’s entirely political. Which leads me to our neighbours and what I like about Australia. At least they’re honest. At least they call a spade a spade. At least they admit when they get it wrong, take the public with them, apologise for the stuff ups, and keep moving forward. Compare that to what we get here; spoken to like toddlers, lied to, spun yarns that suit the politics and the polls, and get dished up bare faced denials. All they can say is that no, this isn’t about abandoning elimination, no we are not worried about the Waikato cases, no we are not worried about our new MIQ booking system being a bust. All lies. As David Seymour said yesterday, “this Government makes a big show of following the science, there is no science [here]. It’s all politics.” He also said the Government needs to ‘get the rules of the game straight’. And that’s sadly the crux of it, this is a political game being played with us. It’s not about our wellbeing and survival, it’s about theirs.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Out in the big space that is the internet there is a lot of misinformation when it comes to Covid-19. But an investigation has revealed dozens of the world's biggest brands including Amazon, Nike, Ted Barker and ASOS have been advertising on websites that spread Covid-19 misinformation and conspiracy theories. The ads are helping fund these websites that include claims powerful people engineered the pandemic, and that vaccines have caused thousands of deaths. Investigative journalist Jasper Jackson joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland University public health expert Colin Tukuitonga told Kate Hawkesby case numbers are too high to be easing restrictions. "I would have preferred the number of new cases to be in single digits and for our vaccination coverage to be ramped up even further.' New restrictions have been put in place around northern Hauraki, after three cases were found in Whakatīwai. The rest of the country remains at Level Two, but the gathering limit has been increased to a hundred people. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's disbelief James Shaw wants to go to a climate change conference in Scotland with an entourage of 14 people. The United Nations summit, dubbed Cop26, is due to start at the end of the month. The Climate Change Minister intends to take nine people from New Zealand and five people from overseas. National Party climate change spokesperson Stuart Smith told Kate Hawkesby Shaw thought it was too dangerous to go to Parliament under level four but is going to Scotland, which has a lot of Covid-19. "So if New Zealand's too dangerous with about 30 cases a day, why is Scotland not dangerous at all with 3833?" LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I know the rest of the country is sick of hearing about this, but for the 1.6 million people who live in Auckland, we're into day 34 of level 4. Since the start of the pandemic that means Aucklanders have spent “6 extra weeks at levels 3 and 4” than the rest of the country, and there’s more to come.Stuff reported that, “over the 2020 and 2021 school years, Auckland students have now missed 69 days of in person schooling, and counting, compared with 39 days for their peers elsewhere, a whole additional month of learning gone.” That’s before we even get to the mental, psychological and financial toll on Aucklanders. So for all those outside of Auckland saying, stop whining, get over it, just think about that from your perceived Level 2 luxury for a moment. It sucks.The fact we're seeing more arrests for people bailing, trying to leave Auckland during this, says all you need to know — Aucklanders are over it.The appetite for lockdown has gone, the buy in is over. We don’t remotely feel like any part of any team of 5 million. In fact that terms makes us cringe, along with the gratuitous thank you’s from the PM as she sits comfortably in Level 2.So I think today they have no choice but to drop us into Level 3. Forget case numbers, they could hit 30 today and it won’t change a thing.None of the stuff they banged on about in the beginning matters anymore. They’re even playing down the mystery unlinked cases now. They know they’re not going to achieve zero cases, they know they can’t keep us locked down forever, they know we’re over it. Compliance is fading, people are at their wits end.Robertson knows, he all but confirmed the Level 3 move last Friday. Even Michael Baker, who they clearly got to, had changed his tune between Friday morning and Friday night. Did you notice that? Suddenly he went from saying in the morning, ‘at least another week in Level 4’ to ‘oh actually, we could probably risk Level 3 now’. They know. They don’t have the buy in. Hence the huge pressure to vaccinate everyone – and why I think they should’ve prioritized Aucklanders for the vaccine — like literally taken vaccine buses out to every street in South Auckland for a start.They’ve put enormous energy, money and pressure into ‘asking’ Aucklanders to go get vaccinated, but if you’re not tuned into any media channels, you’re not hearing that. So they should’ve taken the vaccine to people sooner and in greater numbers. But here we are, D-day, and possibly the day we see the government sheepishly admit, without looking like they’re admitting it, (stand by for the spin that lockdown worked blah blah) that we’re going to have to live with Delta. We are going to shift down levels despite case numbers I reckon, the only question is, how long are we in Level 3 for?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

France would have known Australia had “deep and grave concerns” that a submarine fleet the French were building would not meet Australian needs, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Sunday after the contract's cancellation set off a diplomatic crisis.France accused Australia of concealing its intentions to back out of the 90 billion Australian dollar ($66 billion) contract for French majority state-owned Naval Group to build 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines.President Joe Biden revealed last week a new alliance including Australia and Britain that would deliver an Australian fleet of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines.Morrison blamed the switch on a deteriorating strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific. He has not specifically referred to China’s massive military buildup, which has gained pace in recent years.“The capability that the Attack class submarines were going to provide was not what Australia needed to protect our sovereign interests,” Morrison said.“They would have had every reason to know that we have deep and grave concerns that the capability being delivered by the Attack class submarine was not going to meet our strategic interests and we have made very clear that we would be making a decision based on our strategic national interest,” he added, referring to the French government.France responded to the contract cancellation, which Morrison has said will cost his government at least AU$2.4 billion ($1.7 billion), by recalling its ambassadors from Australia and the United States.French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Saturday denounced what he called the “duplicity, disdain and lies” surrounding the sudden end of the contract and said France was now questioning the strength of the alliance.On Sunday, the French government spokesman said President Emmanuel Macron will speak in the coming days with Biden in what will be their first contact since the crisis erupted.The phone call is at the request of Biden, spokesman Gabriel Attal said, adding that there was “shock” and “anger” at first. But now it’s time to try to move forward, he said.China has denounced the sharing of such U.S. and British nuclear technology as irresponsible.France won the contract in 2016 over offers from Germany and Japan. The Shortfin Barracuda was to be a nuclear submarine design adapted to be powered by diesel on the surface and battery underwater.Japan was particularly disappointed because then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott had promised the close defense ally the contract before he was deposed by his own party in 2015.The government has talked down media reports of ructions between the partners in the French submarine project and delays on the original delivery date of 2027.There have been concerns of a defense capability gap emerging that the aging Australia-made Collins class conventional submarines could not fill.Australia’s first nuclear submarines are not expected to be delivered until close to 2040.Defense Minister Peter Dutton said his government was prepared to lease nuclear submarines from the United States while Australia’s fleet was being built.Dutton and Foreign Minister Marise Payne are in the United States for annual meetings with their U.S. counterparts and their first with the Biden administration.Morrison flies to the United States on Monday for a meeting with Biden and the leaders of India and Japan that make up the Quad security forum.Text by Rod McGuirk, APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coromandel MP Scott Simpson says the cases are worrying for the small tight-knit community.He told Kate Hawkesby people should take advantage of the pop-up testing centre being set up at Wharekawa Marae in Whakatīwai this morning.“Anyone that is feeling unwell, anyone with symptoms, anyone that feels that they want to get tested — my advice is absolutely do get tested.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cricket legend Chris Cairns says he is ready to tackle the greatest challenge he has ever faced as he begins rehabilitation following a serious health scare.The former Black Cap, 51, collapsed in Canberra last month after suffering a massive heart attack, resulting in an aortic dissection, or a tear in the inner layer of the body's main artery.During life-saving emergency heart surgery in Sydney, Cairns then suffered a stroke in his spine, resulting in paralysis in his legs.Cairns' family said last month that he would be undertaking a significant rehabilitation process at a specialist spinal hospital, and tonight the former all-rounder posted a video on social media to update fans on his condition."Just over six weeks ago I suffered a type A aortic dissection, which essentially means there's a tear in one of the major arteries of the heart," Cairns said. "I had several surgeries and grafts and, very thankfully, the specialists were able to save the heart itself."One of the complications that arose was a spinal stroke, which in itself will provide me with possibly the greatest challenge I've ever faced in rehab going forward."Cairns thanked fans for the "uplifting, humble and special" messages he had been sent in the last six weeks and paid particular tribute to those who had treated him."A huge thanks to the team here in Canberra, at Canberra hospital, to St Vincent's in Sydney, the surgeons, the doctors, the nurses, the specialists - you saved my life. Thanks also for all the well wishes that have been sent through to my wife Mel and I." It’s been a big 6 wks. On 4th August I suffered a Type A aortic dissection, a rare but serious condition. I required emergency surgery and from there a range of complications ensued and I ended up suffering a spinal stroke. A long road ahead, but I’m grateful to be here. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ylRoz2HmPF— Chris Cairns (@chriscairns168) September 19, 2021 Cairns said he would continue to post and keep fans updated on the rigorous journey he was about to begin.The son of Black Cap legend Lance Cairns, Chris was a right-hand batsman and fast-medium bowler, known as one of the finest all-rounders of his generation.He has been living and working in Canberra with his wife Melanie and their children for several years.Cairns had to rebuild his life after walking out of Southwark Crown Court in London in 2015 after being found not guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice charges in relation to match-fixing allegations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new managed isolation system hopes to beat some of the bots.At 8am a virtual lobby will open, placing people in a queue for 3000 managed isolation vouchers released at 9am.Alexandra Birt of Grounded Kiwis told Kate Hawkesby there are some positives to the new system.“It definitely will affect the bots in the sense that, the ones that would notify you the times that the release would occur obviously won’t need those anymore, because we know that the release will occur at 9am New Zealand time, so from that perspective, there's definitely greater transparency.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

These days there seems to be a reality tv show about anything, but this really takes the cake. CBS have made "The Activist" which involves so-called activists competing against each other to go to the G20. They compete in challenges where they're judged back on how much online engagement they get. Judges include activist icons like Usher and Priyanka Chopra- Jonas. With us now is Forbes senior contributor and diversity and inclusion consultant, Dr Janice Gassama Asare. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day 31 in Level 4 for Aucklanders, and boy, are we over it. There’s actually a word for how we’re all feeling and it’s been called the dominant emotion of 2021. It’s called languishing. Psychologist Dougal Sutherland, who we had on the show recently, says "the psychological toll of Delta may start to show, even for those out of lockdown now." He said recently that apparently even people with no existing or underlying mental health concerns can feel this languishing. Languishing is basically just feeling like life is dull and meaningless, you can feel stagnant and empty. Everything seems foggy, Groundhog Day. I mean hello? Does that not sum up everyone in Auckland right now or what? This lockdown has felt harder, it's certainly been longer. But from the get go, we've been less enthusiastic about baking banana bread and doing home workouts, and we just seem more.. blah. Like we're over it. Sutherland says that "in the UK, increased levels of languishing were reported as lockdowns continued", and he says that Aucklanders "are at risk of experiencing a similar decline in their mental health as the groundhog days of an extended lockdown continue". Languishing is one thing.. but at the extreme end, of course, there's burnout and that's the worry for frontline health workers and other essential workers. Sutherland notes Andrew Little's comments recently around the high level of stress nurses and doctors are under in these trying circumstances. If you think back to just prior to lockdown, nurses were already exhausted and on the brink of further strike action, they were already, in many cases, experiencing burnout. So that's a much tougher road for them. If we look at it like a scale or a continuum, you've got flourishing up the top and languishing is the neglected middle child. According to American psychologist Adam Grant, it's the void between depression and flourishing. He describes it as basically the absence of wellbeing; you're just not functioning at full capacity. There is hope though, well mainly that coming out of lockdown cheers us all up immeasurably, but also that increasing vaccination rates eases our fear around Covid. For those feeling anxious, Sutherland says anxiety levels are likely to diminish as more people get vaccinated because the threat of an outbreak diminishes. Not that we won't necessarily get further outbreaks, but we will be learning to live with Covid more fearlessly by then with vaccination rates up. So, if you're feeling a bit 'blah', turns out there's a reason for it, a word for it, it's not uncommon, and you may just be perfectly healthy fit and well, you're just languishing right now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A foreign policy expert says New Zealand being left out in the cold in a new security pact could be a benefit. The three-way deal between the UK, the US and Australia aims to limit China's might in the Asia Pacific by sharing military technology. Democracy Project International Analyst Geoffrey Miller says New Zealand is highly dependent on China for exports and should keep up current relations. He told Kate Hawkesby the pact is already provoking anger from the Chinese government. "In the Global Times, which is Chinese state media, and uses more colourful language... they said Australia could be a potential target for a nuclear strike." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National is calling on the Government to explain why there aren't more Auckland GPs administering the Covid vaccine. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's indicated that about 113 GP practices are administering the vaccine across the region. Health spokesperson Shane Reti told Kate Hawkesby it isn't good enough, considering there around 400 practices in the city overall. "Why are we making it so hard, these are the people we trust who do 100 percent of vaccines in New Zealand anyway." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand schools are missing their international students, and not just because of the money they bring in. Primary, intermediate and secondary schools lost 40 million dollars in revenue between 2019 and last year, because of foreign students returning home Figures will be worse this year, with enrolments tipped to be lowest next year. Secondary Principals' Association president, Vaughan Couillault told Kate Hawkesby there's a cultural aspect to the students' stay as well. "We get to experience and be part of the learning from different cultures. At my school, the Vietnamese community really adds value to our school culture." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bit of a worry that in these already stressful times for young people, they have an additional worry gnawing away at them; the destruction of the planet and their fear of humanity being doomed. Eco-anxiety is huge. The BBC recently reported a “new global survey which illustrates the depth of anxiety many young people feel about climate change. Nearly 60 percent of young people felt very worried or extremely worried. More than 45 percent said feelings about the climate affected their daily lives, three quarters said they thought the future was frightening. Over half, 56 percent, thought humanity was doomed.” That’s disturbing, isn’t it? Imagine growing in a world where you think humanity is doomed? Having said that, we grew up with a fear of nuclear war wiping us all out, and we were told robots would take over the world, so I guess there’s always been a niggling fear that humanity is doomed. The climate change worry is serious because it’s having a knock-on effect on young people’s plans for the future. Apart from feeling worried, sad and anxious, which is bad enough, they’re also feeling afraid to have children. 4 out of 10 told the survey they’re ‘hesitant’ to have kids. Researchers said they were “moved by the scale of distress” of these young people. One young person said, “I don’t want to die, but I don’t want to live in a world that doesn’t care for children and animals.” So that’s the blunt edge of this anxiety. Chronic stress over climate is being compounded by the perception that governments can’t be trusted to act on it effectively enough. So, you add into that stress, the worry or distrust of governments, and you can see how these young people claim it’s creating mental health problems. How on earth do you begin to arrest that decline in their faith in the world? And how do you do that when most of the saturation coverage of the world right now is bad news and misery? Because, as we know, bad news gets the clicks. Add to that, the fact that all around the world young people have been locked down, isolated, kept away from school and friends, they’ve already endured huge challenges to their mental fitness. But to be this worried about the world ending on top of all that, must be enormously stressful. So how much of that collective angst and fear, is related to their inability to travel and get out and about these days? If you think back to the days of OEs and carefree intrepid adventures round the world, which is how it was when we were growing up, it’s all different now isn’t it. There’re so many more barriers for young people now. If they just can’t get out and see how beautiful the rest of the world is, it’s no wonder many think it’s all doom and gloom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lifetime gang member has concerns, about Covid-19 spreading within gang communities. Some members of an Auckland Mongrel Mob chapter are isolating, after a woman visited the Mongrel Mob Pasifika pad in Takanini while positive with the virus. Ashley Bloomfield says he's not concerned about the situation. But lifetime Black Power member Denis O'Reilly told Kate Hawkesby he should be. "We are many in number, highly mobile and disobedient. Just like certain Aucklanders going to Wānaka." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's Level Four lockdown could be making the grass even greener on the other side. Real estate agents in regions such as Tauranga are reporting record levels of interest from Auckland home buyers. Some are even making lockdown sales where the buyers haven't been able to see the property. Valocity valuation director James Wilson told Kate Hawkesby it was already happening pre-lockdown, but now it's coming to a head. "We've now seeing and hearing those stories around interest levels spiking, you look at agencies reporting massive interest for listings that do come up." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As tough as this lockdown is for many people, it’s really tough for the kids having to do school work from home, and for their parents who may be trying to juggle work, while also keeping their kids focused on learning. It’s a juggling act we’ve been keeping up for 4 weeks now, and as Aucklanders enter a fifth week of it, it’s understandable the wheels are starting to fall off a bit. Reality is biting, this is a really long time to have kids away from class. There’s something irreplaceable about that level of engagement from a teacher face to face, as opposed to online lessons or worksheet instructions. There is huge pressure on students to stay motivated for their at home learning, yet they’re being deprived of their usual tools in a classroom environment, their mates, their sense of purpose, their teacher front and centre. The younger they are, the tougher it is for them to grasp and stay with this. And tough for working parents too. The juggle adds enormous amounts of pressure to households. In fact, it’s so tough that many are asking the Government to bring school holidays forward. That’s because by the time Auckland comes out of all this, school students will have spent a total of 9 weeks away from the classroom. Think about it. We’re having five weeks in level 4, if we come out and move to level 3 next week and do a two-week cycle in level 3, then that’s 7 weeks off school for kids, only to return to school in time for school holidays. That’s another two weeks. So, nine weeks in total. The impact to their learning of that, given term 3 is an intense term with a high level of output, is concerning. But will the Ministry of Education move the dates? Teachers Unions hope not, they say it’s too logistically challenging and too much to ask of teachers. Hipkins said he’d make a decision sooner rather than later but we are of course still waiting for that. Some clarity is badly needed, for parents who’ll need to plan childcare, for teachers, for the students themselves, and also, for the all-important regional tourist operators. Think about the implications for them if school holidays get moved forward into level 3 lockdown time, then what does that mean for any domestic travel plans for Aucklanders? And what do we know about Aucklanders not travelling? It has a devastating knock-on effect for tourist operators throughout the whole country. So, a lot weighs in the balance here as we wait, and wait, for the Government to answer. My pick? School holidays are going nowhere, they'll stick with the original dates.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A suggestion changes being agreed to by one of our major supermarket chains don't go far enough. It comes after a report by the Commerce Commission found competition was lacking in the grocery sector. Foodstuffs North Island, which owns New World, Four Square and Pak'nSave, says it's now willing to support a consumer-focused code of conduct that aims to treat suppliers better. It adds it'll look at simplifying promotions and loyalty schemes. Consumer NZ Chief Executive Jon Duffy says told Kate Hawkesby the company is doing the bare minimum. "This was inevitable, that the code of conduct for suppliers is very much the low-hanging fruit in the analysis that's being done, it was going to happen." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The idea of a student loan-type scheme is expected to be a win-win for businesses and the Government. Treasury's being asked to introduce it to help companies get through the economic impact of Covid-19. The idea's come from Cognitus Economic Insight principal economist, Richard Meade. He told Kate Hawkesby the Government would have about 14 percent less debt, if the scheme was put in place. "But the level of support offered is about two and a half times higher than wage subsidies, because you're ensuring businesses revenue lines, not just one of the cost lines."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce says New Zealand is too reliant on Auckland. The capital has been in Alert Level Two for a week now...but with Auckland still in Alert Level Four...paused supply chains are leaving businesses vulnerable. Chamber CEO Simon Arcus told Kate Hawkesby the reliance needs to end. "We need to think differently about the way we're building New Zealand cities. Things like warehousing, logistics, modern e-commerce should be driving our thinking when we're planning our cities." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, although we were delivered the worst kept secret that Auckland’s staying in Level 4 another week, I'm not convinced that'll be it. The PM said cabinet had made an ‘in principle’ decision that Auckland would move to Level 3 next Tuesday midnight, but an in-principle decision is not a final decision. As always, they’ll make the actual decision based on the latest available data, and who knows what this week brings, and what that data might be. We are of course in a bit of a game here of PR spin: 'pretend and extend' is their current mantra. Pretend lockdown's working, and extend it. The idea being, that way you'll get more buy in. How much are we buying in though? If it was working, we wouldn't still be getting cases and we'd be out of this by now. As of last weekend, there'd already been more than 7 thousand lockdown breaches reported: 141 people formally warned, 71 people charged with a total of 75 offences. We've also had the MIQ escapee, the drunk driver turning up at the border trying to get through, the two essential workers with two kilos of cannabis in their car trying to get through the border, the man running along train tracks with meth to avoid a Northland checkpoint, the two sisters who abused Police as they tried to break through the Northland border, the alleged sex in the hospital by visitors, the couple who fled to Hamilton and flew on to Wānaka. I mean we're a compliant bunch, but not all of us are following the rules here. And I haven't even included the PM's mate Siouxsie Wiles, who likes long bike rides to the beach. In reality, this is less about lockdown working (and therefore us having to stay in it), and more about the fact that not enough of us are vaccinated yet, our health system couldn't cope with a large outbreak, and the Government's hell bent on an elimination strategy. So, the reason we keep hearing them repeat "lockdown is working" is to keep us under the delusion that the path they've chosen is the right one. And when the PM was challenged on why she told us at the start of all this that lockdown would be 'short and sharp'.. she obfuscated and got tetchy. She tried to redefine what short and sharp means. She said she meant 'lockdown would come hard and early'. Was anyone buying that? When the reporter quoted the PM back to herself “We want lockdown to be short and sharp not light and long”, which were her exact words, she was visibly annoyed. He asked what sort of mental gymnastics she was expecting us all to perform. She got flushed out on saying one thing and doing another. Which is why I don’t take too much notice of them saying Auckland 'in principle' will be into Level 3 by next Wednesday. Will it though?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another week of level 4 for Auckland and level 2 for the rest of the country. The longer this goes on; the more questions are being raised about at what point elimination strategy becomes socially and economically unviable. Professor Robert MacCulloch, from Auckland University's faculty of Business and Economics discussed with Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A drive to get more disabled people vaccinated. The Taikura Trust is launching Tiaki, a Covid-19 campaign aiming to break down barriers to access for Auckland's disabled community. Barriers include transportation to vaccine centres and communication not being catered to them. Minister for Disability issues Carmel Sepuloni told Kate Hawkesby there is vaccine hesitancy too. "People may have had negative experiences with the health system with previous situations, so that may extend to vaccinations. We need to do whatever we can to promote vaccination amongst disabled people." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As you'll be aware we're in Te Wiki o te reo Māori at the moment - Māori Language Week. And today is the day the Māori Language Commission want us to get together at midday today and set a record. They're calling it the Māori Language Moment, and are hoping to set the world record for most people speaking an endangered, indigenous language at the same time. Māori Language Commissioner, Rawinia Higgins, joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“We need to stay the course. We don’t want to yo yo in and out of lockdowns. We don’t want to waste our hard fought gains thus far. We have to stay vigilant. We don’t want to be Australia. We need to stay focused on the end goal here. Auckland is doing the heavy lifting but we know Aucklanders can do a little bit more.”That’s just some of the rhetoric well get dished out today. Expect any or all of these things to be rolled out.My guess - and I’m no expert or epidemiologist - I’m just another Aucklander staring at the 4 walls of my house sick and tired of cooking all day - but my guess from here is we are not coming out of level 4 this week.And that’s not so much to do with case numbers or testing numbers - as we’ve been led to believe. It’s about the mystery cases. Something the government purposely didn’t talk about early on but you’ll notice is now talking about. Because they have to.Because they’re the crux of this thing. It’s not the numbers of infected people inside bubbles and families - it’s the mystery ones they can’t trace. That’s the real worry. Because those are the ones that could still be out there transmitting the virus - and if we spring out of lockdown now, the concern will be that numbers spike. And we become Australia. We are looking at what the PM said she didn’t want to see - a long tail.When we first went into lockdown level 4 I said to my husband we’d be in it for 6 weeks. He said I was being overly dramatic. Who moi?! I said it because I was looking at Australia and how much once Delta’s in, it wreaks havoc.I hope I’m proven wrong but my hunch today is they won’t want to crush our hopes too brutally. So they’ll play us.They’ll say they need another few days just to be sure - they’ll tell us what a great job we are doing and how we just need to stay the course a wee bit longer to get this right and finish it.So I think today they’ll say - level 4 will be reassessed Friday (best case scenario) and on Friday they’ll say look we need another week (which they’ll have planned for all along but they won’t want to hit us with that up front). They’ll eek it out for us in dribs and drab’s.A few more days here, a few more there - and ultimately we’ll do another two weeks in level 4.I may just be another brow beaten locked down miserable Aucklander seeing only worst case scenarios right now.And I hope I’m wrong.But my gut says get used to being stuck at home a bit longer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some good news over the weekend with Denmark sending half a million Pfizer vaccines to New Zealand.But this comes as Denmark is completely getting rid of its own Covid restrictions.What makes their situation interesting is how they have a similar population to us.So what have they done right and could we learn a thing or two from Denmark?Professor of Viral Diseases at Copenhagen University Hospital Jens Lundgren joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Among all the air fryer chat, there is confirmation that buying one is a real trend this lockdown.New Zealand PriceSpy data shows interest in an air fryer has gone up by 285 percent year on year.Are they a lockdown fad or on track to replace ovens?Celebrity chef Allyson Gofton from Food In A Minute joins Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Authorities in Britain have decided not to require vaccine passports for entry into nightclubs and other crowded events in England, Britain's health secretary said Sunday, reversing course amid opposition from some of the Conservative government’s supporters in Parliament.Health Minister Sajid Javid said the government has shelved the idea of vaccine passports for now but could reconsider the decision if COVID-19 cases rise exponentially once again.“We’ve looked at it properly and whilst we should keep it in reserve as a potential option, I’m pleased to say that we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports,’’ Javid told the BBC.The U-turn came just days after both the government’s vaccines minister and the culture secretary suggested that vaccine passports would still be necessary, despite growing opposition from lawmakers.In particular, members of the governing Conservative Party have objected to such passports as an unacceptable burden on businesses and an infringement on residents' human rights.The idea of requiring people to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test for COVID-19 has been uncomfortable for many in Britain, where people generally aren’t required to carry identification documents.Other European nations are using similar documents showing peoples' vaccination status as a way to re-open society — although the rules vary widely. Each of Germany’s 16 states has slightly different rules on what is required, but in general, people are required to show a negative test, vaccine or recovery certificate before being allowed to participate in indoor dining, drinking or dancing.Passes are required in France when frequenting bars, cafes, restaurants, museums and other places where the public gathers and for long-distance travel on buses, trains and planes. In Italy, where discos have not re-opened since the start of the pandemic, so-called Green Passes are required to dine indoors, attend a concert or for domestic travel by trains, buses, planes or ferries, although local transport is exempt.- APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another week, another commanding bonus-point victory for the All Blacks. Each more impressive than the last, too.After three comfortable wins against the Wallabies, the last two ensconcing the All Blacks atop the Rugby Championship table, Ian Foster's men held the Pumas to the open flame grill and then uncorked Mendoza's best Malbec with one stunning second-half try.The All Blacks enjoyed total control on the Gold Coast – so much so it was no surprise the Pumas were held scoreless. The imagination and attacking potential between the two teams was poles apart as the All Blacks' freedom of expression and variety blew the Argentines away.A change in style was supposed to restrict the All Blacks more than in recent weeks. After a Wallabies team that, like the All Blacks, embraces pace and width, the Pumas' confrontational approach, their suffocating defence, would present a different challenge. That theory was true for brief periods, but not nearly long enough.With five more in this match the All Blacks have now scored 19 tries in their past three tests – a warning shot of their potent attacking weaponry. Beauden Barrett's magic flick ball for Luke Jacobson's first try will have the world in awe yet similar interchanges are becoming frequent between the All Blacks big men up the middle.As was the case in Perth last week, this is where the All Blacks again did the business with first time captain Brodie Retallick, Nepo Laulala and Jacobson - the Chiefs No 8 nailing his chance with two tries - all prominent.The physicality from their forward pack was evident from opening tackle when Laulala flatted inspirational Pumas captain Pablo Matera. From then on, the All Blacks never shied away from the confrontation to win several breakdown penalties – Retallick claiming two, TJ Perenara, Dalton Papalii, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Quinn Tupaea one each – and lay a platform to unleash their brilliant backline.Outside Barrett, regaining his dynamic running game with each outing, the midfield pairing of David Havili and Rieko Ioane shone. Havili continues to prove a steadying influence, showing his nous to make sound decisions about when to tuck the ball and take contract, pass or kick.With ample time and space Ioane proved as threatening from centre, where he stepped in late for Anton Lienert-Brown, as he was from the wing in Perth last week.Such was the supreme All Blacks dominance Foster had the luxury of replacing Barrett and Havili after 49 minutes, with Damian McKenzie coming into No 10 and Tupaea slotting outside him.Despite missing Richie Mo'unga, Sam Whitelock, Aaron Smith, Ardie Savea, Codie Taylor, Dane Coles and Lienert-Brown, the All Blacks took another major step forward in this match. They continue to build depth - the performances of Taukei'aho and Tupou Vaa'i off the bench cases in point – and progress their game in different situations.Since shocking the All Blacks for the first time in Sydney last year the Pumas have now conceded 77 points and scored none in the two return tests. With poor discipline and conceding two yellow cards, they were never in this contest.By way of comparison, the world champion Springboks defeated the Pumas 32-12 and 29-10 in much less emphatic fashion in South Africa.Scott and Jordie Barrett on the attack for the All Blacks. Photo / PhotosportTo view the scoreline in isolation is to believe the All Blacks ran rampant from the opening whistle when, in fact, they were made to work incredibly hard for their points at times.While the Pumas attack and clearance kicking left a lot of be desired, their defence brought its usual commitment to the cause – the All Blacks forcing them to make almost 200 tackles.The All Blacks savoured 70 per cent possession and 73 per cent territory in the first half yet they often found cracking the Pumas tryline difficult.Jordie Barrett couldn't quite finish two kicks...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a government obsessed with optics, it beggars' belief that more thought wasn’t given to James Shaw’s decision to travel all the way to Scotland for a climate change conference in 8 weeks' time. I mean, let’s get past the glaring carbon footprint of all that travel and look at the other hypocritical aspects of this. This is a party who objected so strongly to Parliament being resumed in person that they refused to attend; such was their horror that travel should take place during Delta. That same sentiment seems to have conveniently been overlooked in this case. Add to this, the fact that he will take up an MIQ spot which has magically appeared for him at the end of it all. So that’s a spot he’s taking that could have gone to someone else. There are people in virtual queues for months on end with a variety of excellent reasons as to why they should get an MIQ spot, yet James Shaw just magically jumps the queue and gets one. Optics? Not good. But then, for a bright guy, James Shaw seems to make a lot of bizarre choices. Remember the Green school debacle? That controversy raged last year after he supported handing millions of taxpayer dollars to a private "green school", much to the alarm of his own base. And surely that same base is aware that lowering carbon emissions is a tenet of Green party politics, as opposed to increasing them by zipping round the world for, of all ironies, a climate change conference? On top of that, optics wise, is the fact that we have been locked down or closed in with shut borders for so long now, that it’s a rare day politicians rub it in our faces by gallivanting overseas. Trade Minister Damien O'Connor travelled to the UK and Europe this year, he’s the only one. The PM was meant to go to Australia, but that trip got canned, and her upcoming sojourn to the UN in New York looks unlikely too. So why is James Shaw so special? Why does he deserve privileges here? How does he justify being only the second Minister to depart our borders since the government slammed them shut? But actually, prior to them being shut, he was a big fan of the international travel too. Data from 2019 showed Shaw spent more on international air travel than any other minister, more than even the Prime Minister. No other minister's international travel expenses came close to Shaw's total, it was reported at the time. So, we know he likes a jet ride, and let’s be frank, like many of us he’s probably been itching to get on a plane and get somewhere. But you can’t have it both ways. It’s got a touch of Harry and Meghan about it. You can’t be an active and vocal campaigner against the stuff you then go and do. It looks, and is, hypocritical.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One man is on a mission to feed the homeless in lockdown. Hangi Master's Rewi Spraggon says he and his son have given out about three thousand hangi to Tamaki Makaurau's homeless and food banks. The caterer told Kate Hawkesby lockdown has affected the homeless. "A lot of them usually eat in the back of restaurants, in the rubbish cans behind the restaurants. But with no restaurants open, there's no food, so there's a huge struggle." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This weekend will mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Most of us remember where we were that fateful day, watching those horrific images coming out of New York and Washington DC. It changed the world forever, and the challenge is how to make sure future generations don't forget the lessons learned from 9/11. Director of tourism at 9/11 memorial and museum in New York Isaac Pacheco joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Auckland tourism operator says international tourists will be needed to help keep local businesses afloat. Bush and Beach Tour Company's Ben Thornton says most Kiwis see the region as the epicentre of Covid outbreaks. He argues the 17 MIQ facilities scattered throughout the city, will put other New Zealanders off wanting to visit. Thornton told Kate Hawkesby international tourists will be the key to survival. "The only glimmer of hope I have is, because the Government have left it so long it's now too late. Potentially, once they've got the vaccination numbers up they'll be able to help in the new year, that's what we're hoping for and praying for." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It feels like a raw deal doesn’t it? We’re locked down, grocery prices are creeping up and up and up, and then we get the news that we’re in for an expensive Christmas. Shipping lines have announced a ‘peak season surcharge’ on containers coming in from China and Singapore, and other shipping lines will likely follow suit. So, when the cost goes up for them to ship stuff to us, they’re going to pass that cost on to us, and yet again, the consumer gets pinged. Kiwibank’s chief economist said in one report that we can expect higher prices this Christmas, and potentially even some empty shelves. There may also be deliveries that just don’t show up in time due to delays. He says that ‘significant delays and disruptions in the supply chain don’t seem to have abated since last year’ when we had ‘a shocking whiplash in global logistics’. If we haven’t caught up this year, then we know it’s not great news for the Christmas shopping. And Christmas, by the way, just to freak you out, is just over a hundred days away. Here’s the thing we’re learning in lockdowns, though, aren’t we? The simple life is where it’s at; gratitude for the little things. Suddenly we are zeroing in on the small pleasures in life and realising, do we really need the big things? (Although I am debating whether or not I need an air fryer, but that’s another story) It’s Catch-22, though, isn’t it. Businesses need us to come out of lockdown and spend, spend, spend like last time and get the economy booming again, but many who’ve been badly financially impacted by lockdown may be a bit more wary this time round. I just don’t know whether we’ll be so loose with the purse strings after this one because as they keep telling us, Delta has changed the game. And there’s that prickly little fear that even if we get rid of it, it’ll be back and we’ll potentially be in lockdown again, so I’m not sure we’ll feel as carefree as we did last time. I could be wrong, but I don’t see the surge in spending being as massive, especially with inflation and rising costs of living. If you’ve been locked out of work unable to pull in your usual revenue, as well as had to keep staff afloat and pay increasing costs for food and rent, then are you really in a position to fritter money away on extras? And is it going to get worse from a supply chain point of view? It was reported yesterday that the ‘shippers who’re being forced to swallow massive freight cost increases, have become increasingly concerned about the market power wielded by the global shipping lines.’ And it’s a double edge sword – fees on containers are a cost bump, plus access is a problem; can you even get a container for your goods in the first place? So sorry to sound like the Grinch here, but when they say Christmas may be a bit tough this year, I think they're probably right.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It turns out herbicide resistance is a far bigger problem in New Zealand than anyone thought. Scientists have just completed the first nationwide survey on resistance. Instead of finding the expected 5 percent of arable farms and vineyards being resistant to common herbicides, they found 50 percent are. Agresearch senior scientist, Dr. Trevor James joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we approach the twenty-year anniversary of the 9/11 disaster one of the key masterminds of the attack has still yet to face trial. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is known as the principal architect of the attacks. He has been kept in Guantanamo Bay since 2006. But his pre-trial has been going on for nine years, with no set date yet for when the actual trial will begin, where he could face the death penalty for his crimes. Kevin Powers, a national security expert at Boston College, who previously advised the Pentagon on Guantanamo issues, joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest Delta outbreak has forced a Government rethink, on recently announced plans to reopen the border. The Government still intends to go ahead with a trial, to allow some fully vaccinated overseas travellers from low-risk countries to self-isolate at home upon arrival. But the plans on how to reopen borders early next year will have to be completely rew Auckland University Emeritus Professor of Medicine Des Gorman told Kate Hawkesby Delta strain seems to have caught the Government by surprise. "We've known abut Delta since late last year, yet when this outbreak occurred we simply weren't ready, 80 percent of us weren't vaccinated." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I know this move today to Level 2 is a step in the right direction; God only knows we all want to get down this level slide ASAP and back to some kind of normality. But I hear the businesses who're saying this Delta 2, the heavier version of Level 2 with new mask rules and capped numbers on indoor venues, is actually really tough. Many say they're just not profitable this way, small cafes and bars for example. By the time they socially distance the tables, mask up all their staff and cap their patronage at 50, it's barely worth opening the doors. Then you've got gyms, with people expected to sweat and pump iron while stringently remaining 2 metres away from any other gym goers or an instructor. Yoga classes with mats separated 2 metres, that doesn't leave you much room unless you have a huge yoga studio. How this plays out inside hairdressers who'll have to leave gaps in chair space, cinemas, churches, it's still a juggle for them, and many won't be making anywhere near the money they'd expect to be making in a regular level 2. You've also got compulsory scanning in, so that's an extra challenge for staff at venues to police, and is this the job of retailers and hospo workers? To enforce you wearing your mask and that you've scanned in? How do they deal with the odd person who refuses or doesn't want to? Wellington's Chamber of Commerce is reported as saying three quarters of businesses could operate at this new version of level 2, but not all of them. The challenge? The 50-person limit. A director of several hospitality businesses in Wellington was reported as saying the new Level 2 rules would have "a huge effect" on businesses, some would not open at all given it would not be financially viable. He said in one report that, "100 people was tough but having to make 50 work is a million times more difficult." Like many other businesses, he's just hoping for a fast transition to Level 1. But will it be a regular Level 1? Or can we expect a Delta Level 1 with additional restrictions? The Government hasn't given any detail on that yet. Nor do we know when a Level 1 might be in sight. For those of us still in Level 4 in Auckland, having a shop or a cafe even open would be a thrill, even if you do have to mask up and socially distance. At least in Level 2 you have access to a hairdresser, and some food you haven't had to cook yourself, and a cafe coffee. I mean these are things Aucklanders would kill for right now, so while a lot of New Zealand is whining about the restrictiveness of Delta Level 2, just remember those of us still languishing in Level 4 would trade places with you in a heartbeat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Delta Level 2. Well, for most of the country, Auckland still has work to do. For a lot of Kiwis, the last few weeks have involved plenty of time in front of the television, with some even complaining they have run out of content to watch. Sky owns streaming service Neon and Head of Entertainment Programming Kristen Prendergast joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Northland has become an island under the new Level Two restrictions. While many businesses can reopen, travel between Northland and the rest of the country through Auckland is restricted to approved essential travel. That means the crucial tourism sector remains in hibernation for now. Jereon Jongejans from Dive Tutukaka told Kate Hawkesby everyone hopes the restrictions can be safely removed soon. "I sort of agree with being a bit cautious. Tt would be nice to have a kōrero in there, but to organise all of that in the mayhem we've got at the moment is a bit tricky." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relief in the construction industry. The Government's agreed to allow manufacturing of some building products to restart in Auckland during level 4. There's been a supply chain issue looming because those in level 2, in the rest of the country, can resume construction. Construction Industry Council chair Graham Burke told Kate Hawkesby it's a problem they'd been talking with the Government about before the dual Alert Levels were announced. "Obviously quite complex, and we're very pleased we've come out with an approach that will hopefully work." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stoked for everyone, bar Auckland, who gets to wake up tomorrow morning in Level 2. A few changes, but hey, at least you’re in level 2. Or ‘Delta 2’ as they’re calling it. Always a catchphrase. The new rules include recommending mask use in schools, especially in secondary school settings, not compulsory, but recommended. So how does this transpire? Leaving it up to schools, who’s monitoring or enforcing that? Parents? Schools? I’m sure we'll soon find out after schools go back Thursday. The other potential prickly one is surveillance testing of any essential workers crossing the Auckland border. How this takes shape I’m not exactly sure, we know it’ll be free, and you don’t have to isolate while you’re waiting on results unless you have symptoms. But how much does it inconvenience companies and how much hold up will there be at the border? Again, time will tell. The PM acknowledged these changes would be tough, which is about as useful as her expressing her frustration on things. It doesn’t change anything for the people and businesses involved. Despite coming in late and taking a good fifteen minutes to get to the actual level adjustment announcement at the post-cab presser yesterday, the glaring omission for me was no vaccine supply announcement. Another day has ticked by, and still no deal. Robertson said yesterday they were ‘working on it’.. what I’d like to know is - whose working on it? Has anyone at the top level of government actually picked up a phone? Who is negotiating this deal? Why is it taking so long? Why do they keep saying an announcement is imminent any day now, when the days just keep ticking into weeks and no announcement gets made? To make matters worse, we’re being shown up across the Tasman. ScoMo now has double the doses this month for his rollout, simply by hustling for it, and making deals with three countries. While he’s sewn up deals with Poland, Singapore and the UK, what have we been doing? Robertson claims ‘these things take time’, but awkwardly for him, that doesn’t appear true; ScoMo wrapped up the UK deal in just over two weeks. How he did it wasn’t rocket science either. He got the departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade to scour the world for jabs, High Commissioners making phone calls to counterparts, then ScoMo got involved at the top level; making phone calls to Boris to get the deal moving. It's been reported that because the two worked around the clock, the deal ‘assumed a pace and scale that surprised both sides’. That’s what happens when you hustle, so why aren’t we? Have we tasked our embassies and MFAT to scour the world for Pfizer? Have we picked up a phone to another country’s leader? Or are we just sitting back waiting on yet more advice?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Missing boy Anthony "AJ" Elfalak has been found alive after a desperate three-day search, NSW Police have confirmed. Anthony, or "AJ", who is autistic and non-verbal, had last been seen at about 11.45am on Friday. A widespread search of the family's 650-acre property at Putty, west of Newcastle, had lasted for almost 72 hours and included police, emergency services and volunteers when the miraculous discovery was made. "Missing 3-year-old boy Anthony 'AJ' Elfalak has been located a short time ago. He is yet to be assessed by NSW Ambulance paramedics. More info to come," NSW Police posted to Twitter. It is understood AJ was found by a rescue helicopter at a creek within the property, several kilometres from the family home. Police and family raced on foot to the creek and after several minutes of commotion, police confirmed they had found AJ. A widespread search of the family's 650-acre property at Putty, west of Newcastle, had lasted for almost 72 hours when the miraculous discovery was made. Photo / Google The circumstances of AJ's disappearance remain at this point a mystery, with several suspicious findings made in connection with the search. Before the discovery was confirmed, NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian was asked about the good news at her Covid-19 update in Sydney. "I don't know if that's the case, but if it is, I would be absolutely delighted," she said. "I mean, I think all of us have been crossing everything to make sure AJ is brought back safely. And if that's the case, it's much-needed good news in otherwise difficult circumstances." On Friday, the family had noted seeing a "suspicious" white ute on the property, which was then seized from a property at Bulga – 78km northeast of where Anthony was last seen. And just hours before AJ was found on Monday, family friend Alan Hashem told the Today show CCTV footage from around the time of Anthony's disappearance had gone missing. Anthony, or "AJ", who is autistic and non-verbal, was last seen at about 11.45am on Friday. Today he was found alive. Photo / NSW Police "There's one key factor and this is probably the first time I've actually mentioned this, I installed cameras on that post right there," Hashem said. "There's footage missing, unexplained. Days before, days after, but not during the time. "You know what's more alarming? We installed it so high you can't tamper with it and we had two mechanisms of storage, cloud storage and physical storage, and there's no data in that timeslot. "We provided the user name and password to the police, we provided them the actual original memory card. There's a lot of explaining to do." Appearing on Sunrise moments later, he elaborated more on the grim discovery. "We did have CCTV footage, I (installed) it myself as a matter of fact, I put it high up, so high in the tree that when the (Fire Brigade) said, 'Let me get the CCTV footage,' we went in there and I can't explain it, the window in which he went missing (is gone)," he said. "Probably a much greater, larger window, about four hours, there is footage missing. "We do have two mechanisms in which we store it, through cloud-based, which is obviously internet-based, and we have also got the physical memory cards, both have been provided to police and they are investigating further." At the time, Hashem said he feared Anthony was abducted. "Without a doubt; for the simple reason he is on the spectrum of autism but he is always quite afraid and attached to his mum," he said. Family's joy after hearing AJ was found News crews at the property captured the moment the family found out he had been located. There were emotional scenes at the property as family members threw their hands in the air, screaming and crying from happiness and relief. AJ's father hugging his other two children after hearing his...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Confidence teachers will be able to navigate the issues around mask wearing at schools. It's recommended for over 12s but not required, when school begins for most of the country on Thursday. Clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland told Kate Hawkesby schools should make a clear decision about mask-wearing, with exceptions for children with communication difficulties. He says it could be a bit tricky because of peer pressure. "I think, though, we should have faith in our teaching staff. Teachers, their job is to engage kids, they know how to engage kids in learning and, yes, this is another barrier, but actually these guys are professionals." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Māori leader is outraged after David Seymour tweeted a Māori only vaccine code. The code allows people to book in or turn up without an appointment at a drive through clinic in West Auckland. The Act Party leader argues getting vaccinated shouldn't be a race-based issue. The National Māori Authority Chair Matthew Tukaki told Kate Hawkesby his rhetoric is unhelpful. "David has completely lost the plot on this, we are trying very, very hard to get the Māori vaccination rate up, as we are trying to get the vaccination rate up for the country more generally." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Otis, the first New Zealand oat milk brand to grow its own oats, is wanting some company.Its launching the 1 percent fund today where one percent of its sales will be dedicated to funding projects and initiatives to make oats a viable alternative for farmers.Otis co-founder Chris Wilkie told Kate Hawkesby they deliberately set out to be both pro-farmer and pro-environment and believe the two don't contradict."We've always and we will always sing the praises of New Zealand farmers because they're the best in the world, but at the same time, we're conscious that farmers might say 'well that's all very well and good Otis, but talk's cheap' and well we agree."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How you holding up there Auckland? As the meme says, what a year last week has been. A Level 4 lockdown, an escapee from MIQ, flooding in West Auckland, and a terrorist attack. I mean you wouldn’t read about it. Except that we have. How’s everyone’s nerves?I have so many questions.Why was someone on a terror watchlist out in the community? Why was someone known to the PM at the highest level of office, as a serious threat to Kiwis, and yet the law was never changed to get him in jail? Why, after Christchurch, has nothing been learned? Why wasn’t this aspect of the terror laws tightened up? Why did they not act faster to fix the legal loopholes? Why did Police wait for him to not just grab a knife, but then go on and stab 6 people before shooting him? Can we believe in a socially distanced supermarket that he was able to stab one person every ten seconds? Six people in 60 seconds? Really? How much has been spent on surveillance of this guy 24/7 for the past 5 years? Reports of up to 30 people surveying him. That bill must be enormous. And how do you justify that amount of money and manpower when you could have just changed the law?Why after he was released from jail and ordered to attend rehabilitative services and never did, why was that not followed up? How many dangerous prisoners are released from jail and ordered to do rehabilitation programmes and never do? Why did he never undertake the psychological assessment as ordered by the courts? How many people get ordered to do these and never do? Whose job is it to follow up on this stuff? What’s the point in ordering people on terror watchlists to do anything if no one’s going to bother following it up and making it happen? How was he able to keep buying large hunting knives? Why is someone who commits violent offences allowed to keep their New Zealand citizenship? Why wasn’t he stripped of that sooner? How did Immigration NZ not have a system in place to vet his fraudulent refugee application at the time? How many fraudulent refugee applications are there?Why did the government spend so many years ‘waiting for advice’? How much did those housing him in the Mosque know about his motives and intentions? How does the Police Commissioner justify his confidence that police did "everything they could" to prevent what happened? Why did he say there was ‘nothing to prevent him from being in the community’ when the guy was on a terror watch list and a known violent offender and ISIS sympathizer? Is that not enough justification to keep someone out of the community?Since the Christchurch attack the government had one job – secure the terror laws to keep Kiwis safe. They knew about this man, they knew about the potential for violence and terror, and yet, again, they’ve been caught napping. ‘Seeking advice’ for years is not good enough.When will this government learn actions speak louder than words?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How things can change in just three games.After an embarrassing first-up capitulation and the last-ball loss that followed, the Black Caps have gone full circle to spin their way to a crunching 52-run win in their third Twenty20 against Bangladesh, and stay alive in the five-match series.A rapid adaption to the conditions in Dhaka has caused the drastic turnaround, and after the bowlers showed promise in the first two clashes on the slow spinning wickets, this time the batsmen and the fielders backed them up in a display that earned Rachin Ravindra and Cole McConchie their first international victories.They were key contributors to the win as well, with Ravindra hitting 20 before taking a miserly 1-13 from his four overs, while McConchie returned his best T20 figures in his professional career with 3-15.Add in the star turn of Ajaz Patel, with 4-16, and the Black Caps ripped through Bangladesh for 76, a statement performance from a second-string team against a full-strength Bangladeshi side in their home conditions, and a result that continues a terrific turnaround.Playing on the same pitch that saw them routed for 60 in the opener, the Black Caps batsmen showed sharper skills to compile a total that looked maybe a touch below par, but still competitive.Coach Glenn Pocknall made the correct call by bringing in explosive opener Finn Allen at the expense of one of the many seamers in the squad, and after being 9-4 in the first match, in the third match the Black Caps had bashed 11 off the opening over.Allen's innings only lasted 10 balls, but he still showcased the immense promise he has as New Zealand's long-term opener in his breezy 15, while Ravindra and Will Young (both hitting 20 at a run-a-ball) managed to provide the Black Caps with their first platform of the tour.It nearly went to waste. Colin de Grandhomme and Tom Latham both departed cheaply, before Henry Nicholls and Tom Blundell attempted a dangerous rebuild, with the Black Caps going 45 balls between boundaries as they creaked to 88-5 with just four overs remaining.It was a mighty risk – with the big-hitting talents of McConchie and Scott Kuggeleijn still to come and more than capable of scoring quickly, it seemed a classic case of senior batsmen overestimating the importance of their wicket, and playing too conservatively.Had things gone awry with Blundell on 12 off 19 balls, the game may have shifted, but Nicholls and Blundell managed to execute their plan to near-perfection, smashing 40 off the last four overs in a 66-run stand off 57 balls that dragged the Black Caps to a defendable total.Henry Nicholls and Tom Blundell battled through for a pivotal partnership. Photo / PhotosportA loose start with the ball had Bangladesh well on their way at 23-0 after just 2.3 overs, but Liton Das was trapped lbw by McConchie, and from there it was remarkably one-way traffic.Patel leaked seven runs from his first over but took two wickets in his second, including the prized scalp of Shakib Al Hasan, who took a wild slog off the second ball he saw and was caught at long-on.Under fairly limited run-rate pressure, some of the early Bangladeshi batting was a bit baffling, but unlike in the second T20, this time the fielders didn't let the bowlers down, and made the hosts pay.Nicholls took two sharp low catches inside the circle, one of them to remove Mahmudullah as Patel took two wickets in two balls, reducing Bangladesh to 44-6 after 10 overs.From there, the result was never in doubt, and perhaps the greatest sign of New Zealand's all-around improvements came from Blundell, who made amends for his Friday fielding foibles with a superb tumbling catch in the deep, as the Black Caps cruised to a victory that has reignited the series.Text by Niall Anderson, NZ HeraldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former close aide to Prince Charles stepped down temporarily from his role as chief executive of a royal charity amid reports that he helped secure an honor for a Saudi donor.The Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday newspapers reported that Michael Fawcett coordinated support for an honor for Saudi businessman Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz.The Times said the businessman donated sums of more than 1.5 million pounds ($2.1 million) to The Prince’s Foundation to fund heritage restoration projects of interest to Charles, including residences Charles used.The report said Charles gave Mahfouz an honorary CBE, or Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, at a private ceremony in 2016. The Saudi denies wrongdoing.The Prince’s Foundation said in a statement that Fawcett offered to temporarily step down from active duties as the organization’s chief executive while an investigation takes place. It said Fawcett will assist the investigation.Fawcett began his royal service in 1981 as a footman to Queen Elizabeth II and later became Charles’ assistant valet.In 2003, he was accused of selling unwanted royal gifts but was cleared of financial misconduct allegations. He resigned from his position as valet but continued to work in other roles including as Charles’ events planner.Text by APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.