Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

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.

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.