Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

We are one of just 19 nations out of 197 that does not have an armed police force. Most are island nations like the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Samoa, Fiji, Tuvalu and the like.But Norway, the UK, with the exception of Northern Island, Iceland and New Zealand are the outliers in more developed nations who have decided that they will police by consent and not force. However, times change, communities change and attitudes change.   For a long time, the police themselves did not want to be armed. The most recent survey of police showed 69 per cent wanted to have guns on them at all times, not just in the boot of their cars. This is up considerably from 2008, when just 48 per cent of officers wanted to carry firearms. I don't blame police one little bit for wanting the added assurance of having a firearm. A significant number of the crims they're dealing with have guns, and more importantly they're not afraid to use them - against each other, against members of the public and against police. A survey in 2017 found a 38 per cent increase in the number of staff who'd been threatened with a firearm compared to two years previously.Of frontline staff, 21 per cent had been threatened with a gun, 40 per cent of those more than once.Of course, that number will be up considerably given the shootings over the past four years. However, Police Minister Poto Williams, who was on with Mike Yardley this morning, says the people she represents are dead against routinely arming police.We did ask for clarification from the Minister as to who exactly her people are.She is a New Zealander of Cook Island descent, the MP for Christchurch East and the Police Minister.However, in the interview, the people she says she represents appear to be exclusively Māori and Pacific Islanders from south Auckland.Not Christchurch, not New Zealanders as a whole, and not the police. So, a rather small sample size to make a decision that the police should not be routinely armed in the face of the dangers they are exposed to on a daily basis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We were going to talk about the rise in violence on Friday given the incident in Auckland that saw some oik hold a gun to the head of two members of the public after stealing a car from a local car dealership - before we were overwhelmed with stories from farmers and their supporters heading to rallies around the country - and the sad thing is I knew it would only be a matter of time before the topic was in the news again.Another weekend. Another weekend of aggravated assaults, and attacks on police, and liquor stores being robbed, and the rates of gun crime last year being the highest in nearly ten years.And this from a Government that is trying desperately to nurture people and raise them up and from a police commissioner who wants to take a collaborative approach to offending, and who says we can't arrest our way out of the gang problem. And he may well be right.There has to be a two-pronged approach to gangs - I've always said that if kids choose to join a gang, it says more about how ghastly the place they came from is than how attractive the gang is. But according to the same police commissioner, violent criminal behaviour directed at police is ramping up like never before.Andrew Coster's comments came in the wake of the latest assault on police which left an officer with minor injuries. He said policing has always been a dangerous job but there has been an escalation in offenders' willingness to use violence towards police. He said he was unable to put his finger on the reason but he said generally, offenders who attack police are not making the sort of sound decisions that a sober person would.A caller to the show last week wondered if the huge drug bust New Zealand police were involved in, Operation Trojan Shield, could have seen drugs dry up on the street and that might be the reason for rising anger and violence on our streets but really - is mano a mano violence begets violence doesn't work and kindness and compassion doesn't work, what do we have left?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Act Party, as part of their Law and Order Policy, want gang members to receive their benefits on a card, which would restrict spending on alcohol, gambling and tobacco.However, it doesn't address why young people are still being drawn into gang life.Patched member of the Mongrel Mob Aotearoa Wairoa chapter and youth worker Bronson Tither, is trying to redefine what it means to be in a gang.Bronson Tither told Kerre McIvor he knows many gang members who don't use drugs, alcohol or gamble and singling them out isn't the solution."The solution needs to be more focused around doing the type of mahi with the gang members to change their mindset, so that they want to not be on the unemployment benefit and they can be supported into another pathway, another way of thinking."LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you were listening here on Friday, you'll have heard how riled up farmers around the country are.It wasn't just farmers, they also had support from urban dwellers - aka townies, as well.In an opinion piece on Stuff, Daniel Eb, founder of Open Farms praised the protest and the farmers for finding their voice but says the real test now, is where to from here?How do Farmers channel Friday's energy and influence towards progress?Eb said he thinks Kiwis understand where the farmers are coming from, as reflected by the turnout."When farmers say quite openly and honestly that we have a problem, and that we're struggling and that we feel this pressure, Kiwis hear that and acknowledge that and say this is an issue we need to take seriously."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A claim the health system needs to do more to help Maori parents get their children vaccinated.In Counties Manukau, on-time immunisation coverage for Maori eight-month-olds fell from 85-percent last May to 68-percent this year.A report found racism and cultural incompetence in the health system were barriers to immunisation.National Hauora Coalition Clinical Director Rawiri Jansen believes told Mike Yardley this morning, Plunket should also take some blame."The organisation was started by white supremacists, and we've got evidence that it still does this differential of its clients so that's problematic."Plunket Chief Executive Amanda Malu says Plunket totally rejects Mr Jansen’s assessment.“He's describing our founder, Truby King, and we're very clear in our own communication that we do not subscribe to his views around white supremacy and eugenics at all.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not such a good morning for the people of Westport many of whom have been left homeless after the devastating floods that swept through the district over the weekend. The clean-up of the town, population 4600, will likely take months and its estimated hundreds of houses have been damaged. Kris Faafoi speaking to Mike Yardley this morning says dozens of Kainga Ora houses have been rendered uninhabitable so the government too is busy trying to find rental accommodation for its tenants and working out whether they repair or rebuild entirely. And where the labour and materials will come from for the rebuild. Many locals will spend the next few days in evacuation centres as authorities wait for the flood waters to recede to get a better idea of what they'd going to be dealing with over the next few months. The government has announced a $300,000 dollar grant to the mayoral relief fund and a further $100,000 for the Blenheim Marlborough region - and a separate $200,000 has been committed for flood affected farmers and growers across both regions. Doubtless there will be people pointing to the farmers protests on Friday and who will deride them for being quick to criticise the government but even quicker to accept a helping hand - but $200,000 is a drop in the bucket compared to the costs faced by farmers and growers in the wake of the floods and a derisory amount when you think what has been granted to former gang members for drug rehabiliation as a for instance.So love to hear from those of you in the district and how you're faring and also how you feel the farmers protests went.We were absolutely inundated with callers on Friday morning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First up: The Good News. The Shorter family, whose son Josh was assaulted in an Auckland bar on Friday night and who is lying in a coma in Auckland Hospital, have been told they can apply for a critical purpose visa and should soon be on their way from the UK to their son's bedside.Immigration New Zealand officials said the family met the very high threshold as we were discussing yesterday. To be fair to Immigration NZ, they hadn't actually said no to the family, they were still processing their application, but time is crucial for this family so it's wonderful to hear that they should soon be travelling across the world. That's that. Now, where to start with the vaccinations?There's the mass vax event to be held in Manukau.  There's the four out of five Kiwis who are now willing to be vaccinated.  There's the dodgy Ministry of Health graph further undermining confidence in the department.  There's the Fiji rugby team who have reluctantly acquiesced to wearing Vaccinate Fiji on their team jerseys this weekend as the death toll rises in the island nation, but have completely and utterly undermined the message by insisting on having Its Your Choice on the jerseys as well.Really where to start?Let’s start with the max vax event, its targeting Manukau Institute of Technology students, staff and family and its aimed to address the failure so far to vaccinate vulnerable groups. Māori are nearly 40 per cent behind Pākehā per capita and Pasifika are 20 per cent, despite both groups being identified as high-risk of Covid. So, will the party atmosphere encourage reluctant groups along to be vaccinated?And how is it that our 21-year-old colleague has been invited along for his vaccination, when those of us who could be considered more at risk have not?Ashley, was it something I said? And then there's the Fijian rugby team.  If they can't get the messaging right, then don't wear the message.  12,032 cases and 59 deaths, highly vulnerable population, and the best the Fijian rugby team can do is ‘Vaccinate Fiji - It's Your Choice.’ Hardly a resounding clarion call to action is it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If we can let in the Wiggles, even though they didn't fill in the paperwork, if we can suddenly find places in MIQ for hundreds of Kiwis who've been in New South Wales, surely to goodness we can find a place for the parents of Josh Storer. Josh is in intensive care after undergoing two brain surgeries and his family, in a zoom call with his doctors, were told there were three options for Josh. One, he could die.  Two he could survive but with brain damage, and three he could recover almost back to his old self.  Josh has been living and working in New Zealand for the past three years - he works for a drainage company - and his family are in the UK.  The family, naturally, is desperate to be by his bedside. We all know the difference it makes having family with you when you're in dire straits, but Immigration New Zealand says their hands are tied. When it comes to granting exemptions on humanitarian grounds, they had to consider a range of factors.Sorry, but come on.As I say, if the bloody Wiggles can be let into the country, surely we can let in a family whose son has been assaulted and left for dead in our country. Dawn, Josh's Mum, says the family is vaccinated, their bags are packed and they're willing to jump through any hoops to be with their boy.At the same time, this very week, we have convicted criminal Karel Sroubek staging a behind closed doors appeal to be allowed to stay in NZ.  So clearly from the Wiggles, to stranded Kiwis, to Czech drug dealers, this government can and will make exceptions to its rules. The Storer family needs to be with their boy and the red tape needs to be cut to allow them to do so.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Orchards across New Zealand are facing worker shortages in the tens of thousands, leaving their fruit to rot on the ground without a labour force to pick it up.There is now the expectation that fruit prices will skyrocket due to the lack of availability.NZ Apples and Pears Chief Executive Alan Pollard spoke to Kerre McIvor about the harsh season they’ve faced.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The not-for-profit housing sector is trying to fill a big whole in New Zealand's property crisis, and is having some success.The Kaitiakitanga Housing Community, one of three new Salvation Army housing projects in Auckland, has 36 two-bedroom units, another 10 single units, all entirely self-contained.The Salvation Army projects were built with a $40 million community bond put together by Community Finance.Investors get a 2 to 3 per cent return, which they know is reliable, and an important bonus; they get to know their money is doing some good in the world. Community Finance CEO James Palmer told Kerre McIvor housing needs to be a collaborative effort.“Housing is a very complicated thing, particularly for those that can’t afford it. So it’s about what is it that government can reasonably do, what is that the private sector can do and what is it that the community housing providers can do.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.