Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

A new survey has revealed that Kiwis are fearful of a more visible gang presence in public spaces. A man died following a shooting in Auckland's Ōtāhuhu in the early hours of Sunday morning, in Rotorua members of the public were caught up in the bedlam near the Rotorua Sports bar, and two people were seriously injured in fighting as well.60 per cent of the 1000 respondents in the Research NZ Crime and Safety survey said an increase in people with alcohol and drug problems contributed to more New Zealanders being assaulted or feeling unsafe. We had the stabbings in Dunedin, yesterday a young man was stabbed on a bus in West Auckland and it does feel a little out of control.  As texters have said constantly since the gun buyback, what happened to New Zealand being a safer place?Remember Operation Tauwhiro?  The operation focused on investigating and disrupting the illegal supply of firearms to gangs.It was to be a long-term, nationally-coordinated operation that would see each police district run their own "tailored initiative" alongside iwi and community groups to offer support that can help address the underlying causes of violence. Since the operation was launched in February, 350 firearms and $2.4 million in cash have been seized, and 378 people have been arrested on firearms offences.  But how many young people have had their life of crime nipped in the bud after being offered support? And are now law abiding members of the community, stacking shelves at their local supermarket, which was one of the clear aims of Operation Tauwhiro.Not many, if any I'll be bound.  Still, it's early days, and I guess, while I myself prefer the stick, stick approach, if the police hierarchy want to try a carrot and stick approach, knock yourself out. In the past, I've seen gang violence as God's little pruning fork. For the most part, gang members doing harm to other gang members. But their reckless and cavalier disregard for our laws and the public’s safety means it's only a matter of time before innocents become collateral damage in their stupid turf wars. Still, when it comes to public safety, I have for concerns about the halt, the lame and the dispossessed roaming the streets with unaddressed addictions and no structure or support around them. We might live in Paradise, but there's trouble in Paradise and it behoves this government to look after the very people they said they would. They might not have campaigned on the law and order card, but they did on homelessness and mental health support.  There is going to have to be an urgent focus on these issues, often one and the same for many people, if people are to feel safe in their communities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dame Cindy Kiro says she hopes to inspire young wāhine to aim for the "very top" after being named New Zealand's first wāhine Māori Governor-General.Shortly after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the announcement today, Kiro reflected on her own "very poor" upbringing, and the "incredible" journey to get there."I really hope it is seen as a positive thing, you can reach the very top, and remember not only Māori and a woman, but pōhara, very poor, from a humble background."It truly is incredible standing here with this opportunity, and I hope young Māori girls, no matter where they come from in life, and all girls, take some inspiration from that."Kiro will take over the role in October from Dame Patsy Reddy, who will have reached the end of her five-year term.Kiro will become the country's fourth female in the role, and the first with Māori whakapapa.Kiro has spent much of her career in the tertiary sector, holding a PhD in Social Policy and an MBA (Exec) in Business Administration.She has held various professorships at multiple New Zealand universities, and most recently was Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori at the University of Auckland before taking up her current role as chief executive at the Royal Society Te Apārangi.She has also advised multiple governments and various ministries.She served as Children's Commissioner from 2003 to 2009, from 2014 to 2018 she was a member of the Ministerial Cross-Sector Forum for the Ministry of Education, and from 2018 to 2019 she chaired the Welfare Expert Advisory Group.This year she was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to child wellbeing and education in the 2021 New Year Honours.When she was asked by Ardern to consider the Governor-General role, she said it was a "shock", sending her back "slumped" into her chair.But after the initial emotion, and "huge sense of gratitude and humility" and support from husband Dr Richard Davies, she saw it as "an opportunity to really serve our country".This notion of service had "gone to the heart" of everything she had done through her life, particularly around children, young people and those who didn't have a voice to speak for themselves, she said."Service is an old-fashioned idea but still an important one."She was born in Whangārei in 1958, the eldest of six children, into a "very poor family"."My mother was born in a nīkau hut with a mud floor in the Far North. My father was born in the north of England in coal mining town."I know what it takes, hard work dedication and perseverance to actually succeed in life."I have used that academic success as way of progressing through life, while raising a family and trying to contribute to my community."She said her heritage was a "unique marriage", being of Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kahu and British descent."I am proudly Māori, and part British," she said,"So I bring with this a unique marriage, an understanding of the foundational basis of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its place in our history."Asked what she thought of race relations today in New Zealand, Kiro said New Zealand had "done a pretty good job, but we have got some way to go".The Governor-General role came with the patronage of many organisations, including working with children, young people, mental health, innovation and education, homelessness and those with complex needs, she said.These were all areas she had "championed and worked on" in the past, and she hoped to be able to continue to do so, she said.Asked what she thought of the role of the monarchy in New Zealand in 2021 and her views on calls for the country to become a republic, she said "clearly" she accepted the Queen as head of state."I am here to support her and act in the role of Governor-General, perform a duty around uniting the country."text by Michael Neilson, NZ HeraldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I know the argument for paying teachers on performance has been around for years - ever since I've been hosting a talkback show.  But its been around for even longer than that. An article in the Harvard School of Education said that, as early as 1710 said that in England, teachers were paid based on their students' test scores in reading, writing, and arithmetic.But problems with this approach quickly became apparent, the author wrote. The curriculum narrowed as arts and science classes were no longer taught. Teachers focused on drills aimed at improving test scores, and "teaching to the test" was born. There were even scandals with teachers faking test scores.For these reasons, pay for performance -- also known as merit pay -- was abandoned.Over the past three centuries, it has been resurrected numerous times, and in each instance, according to a Harvard educator, it has failed to improve education and was eventually dropped. This cycle has been repeated each time a merit pay system has been launched, including one championed by President Richard Nixon but declared a failure not long afterwards. Just about every country in the world has had the debate and will continue to do so because it matters.  Because we care about our kids and we want them to do well. I understand that you want to reward the people who do the best, but who do you define the best? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, we were right to be waiting in anticipation. In Grant Robertson's first budget unfettered by New Zealand First, he delivered a true Labour budget, with money for beneficiaries and students, money for Kiwi Rail, more money in the coffers for Pharmac and $1.1 billion in initiatives for Māori and reinstating training allowances for single parents, yep, it had it all. This was a budget that should have been printed in red ink. The Finance Minister has defended his budget and says he's tried to strike a balance between helping those who most need it and being fiscally responsible.And Grant Robertson seems to have got it pretty much right.  He's been criticised by the left for not going far enough and criticised by the right for not looking after the average Kiwi worker or business owner.But the PM says the $15 billion earmarked for infrastructure will create jobs and stimulate the economy. So where would you like to start?   In the biggest lift in benefits in more than a generation, welfare payments were yesterday increased significantly, with the Government injecting a massive $3.3 billion into social spending. Beneficiary payments are set to be boosted by up to $55 a week come next April, potentially lifting tens of thousands of children out of poverty.  The increases will be implemented in two stages, the first taking place from July 1 and the second, by the following April.  Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni said this would mean 109,000 families with children would be, on average, better off by $40 a week and 263,000 individuals and couples without children would be better off by $42 a week.It's seen qualified praise from the social service sector and beneficiaries alike, who say while a raise is great news, it is not necessarily enough to live on and this should be seen as a starting point. If this is going to raise children out of poverty as the PM believes it will, well and good. It's money well spent. But will it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, has lambasted the BBC for contributing "significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation" felt by his late mother, Princess Diana, in the years before her death, in a rare emotionally charged statement by a royal against the public broadcaster.The Duke's comments come after the BBC offered an unconditional apology over the controversial 1995 interview by BBC journalist Martin Bashir with Diana, in which she detailed the breakdown of her relationship with Prince Charles. An inquiry had found that he used "deceitful" methods to secure the landmark interview.The Duke also accused the BBC of commercializing a "false narrative" about his mother."But what saddens me most, is that if the BBC had properly investigated the complaints and concerns first raised in 1995, my mother would have known that she had been deceived. She was failed not just by a rogue reporter, but by leaders at the BBC who looked the other way rather than asking the tough questions," he said."It is my firm view that this Panorama programme holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again. It effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialized by the BBC and others."The original interview was featured on Panorama, which is still on air and showed a documentary about the controversy on Thursday.William's brother -- Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex -- issued an equally emotional statement after the report, saying, "The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life."Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have fought battles of their own against British tabloids in court."To those who have taken some form of accountability, thank you for owning it. That is the first step towards justice and truth. Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these— and even worse—are still widespread today. Then, and now, it's bigger than one outlet, one network, or one publication," he said."Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed. By protecting her legacy, we protect everyone, and uphold the dignity with which she lived her life. Let's remember who she was and what she stood for."BBC makes a 'full and unconditional apology'BBC Director-General Tim Davie said Thursday the interview "fell far short of what audiences have a right to expect.""While the BBC cannot turn back the clock after a quarter of a century, we can make a full and unconditional apology. The BBC offers that today," Davie said.Bashir responded in a statement Thursday that it was "saddening" the controversy had "been allowed to overshadow the princess' brave decision to tell her story," according to PA Media news agency.Bashir stepped down from his role as the BBC's religion editor last week, citing health reasons.The journalist apologized Thursday for using the fake bank statements but said they had no bearing on Diana's decision to take part in the interview."It was a stupid thing to do and was an action I deeply regret," Bashir said in a statement. "But I absolutely stand by the evidence I gave a quarter of a century ago, and again more recently.""I also reiterate that the bank statements had no bearing whatsoever on the personal choice by Princess Diana to take part in the interview."Bashir added that he remained proud of the interview.The Dyson report comes at a highly volatile moment for the BBC, which is a giant of public broadcasting but increasingly under pressure from politicians.Its publicly funded model faces growing scrutiny from the government, including from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.What did the report find?The report was commissioned by the BBC and written by retired high court judge Lord Dyson. It found that Bashir had shown fake bank statements to Diana's brother Charles...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greens MP Julie Anne Genter wants this government to spend like there’s no tomorrow. She reckons this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to borrow cheap money and invest in climate change technology and reducing child poverty, and tackle the really big issues that governments have been too politically chary of to invest in. The argument seems to be, that in the midst of a pandemic, we can reset the world and create a New Zealand that is a Utopian paradise. Andrew Kelleher on the other hand, said on the Mike Hosking Breakfast now is the time to reduce debt and keep some money in the coffers for another rainy day. Goodness knows we've needed those reserves over the decades; the GFC, Christchurch rebuild and now the pandemic. Simon Wilson from the NZ Herald wants benefits raised by 50 per cent, he says benefits should be a measure of financial security and opportunity and he's backed in this by the Children's Commissioner. And transport and infrastructure consultant Barney Irvine told Mike Hosking he'd also like to see more investment in roading from today’s budget.Matthew Tukaki wants to see something for your average worker, the guy and girl that get squeezed every which way with little relief.So there we go, everyone wants something from this budget and it's hardly surprising, given this government has shaken the money tree at every opportunity. I get that this government is behaving like a Labour government.  Now that they don't have the constraints of a New Zealand First handbrake, they plan on introducing the sort of policies they have studied, theorised about and dreamed of since this cabinet entered politics twenty odd years ago. This is their time to put into practice everything they've studied and everything they believe.  Yet again, a Labour government is going to use the country as a social experiment just like the Lange-Douglas did all those years ago. So, all those industries and business sector spokespeople looking, not for handouts, but for investment in their sectors so they can become more productive?Yeah, nah.  I wouldn't be holding my breath.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cyber-attack that's crippling Waikato District Health Board services could go on for days.The DHB's entire IT service was brought down by hackers yesterday morning, crashing phone lines, email and computers.All clinical services at Waikato, Thames, Tokoroa, Te Kuiti and Taumarunui hospitals are affected to varying degrees.Elective surgeries have been postponed and patient notes can't be accessed.It's similar to an attack on Ireland's Department of Health last week by a group named Conti.Ireland was hit with a demand for 20-million US Dollars to get their IT system back and the problem is ongoing.AUT's Professor Dave Parry for the Department of Computer Science told Kerre McIvor when something like this happens, it helps better prepare defence against future attacks."The one good thing is, that every time there is a successful attack, then the agencies and the organisations that share information about defence learn more about how that's being attacked and will fix that particular problem, and often look to see potential similar problems as well and close those off before they happen."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Auditor General has taken a proactive approach to New Zealand's vaccination rollout, and taken a long hard look at whether the health sector could meet the government's goal of vaccinating as many people as possible over the age of 16 by the end of the year. And in news that won't surprise you, the Auditor General has found the process wanting.  There was some good early progress, in that at the time of the audit; nearly 400 thousand doses had been administered. But John Ryan, the Auditor General, says what is in place right now won't be nearly enough when the programme is ramped up. He found that the Health Ministry had an awful lot of work to do. Some aspects of the plan weren't fully developed, information systems are still being worked on, there are concerns about the number of vaccinators and also concerns about the distribution model. Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins did a good job defending the programme, I thought, when he came on the MHB this morning.But ultimately, none of this is new is it? Yet again, it’s an example of people on the ground knowing exactly what's happening and months later, a report comes out confirming it. Remember the people who rang in and the texts I read out from people who had applied to be vaccinators? They were trained nurses either working or retired, who'd put up their hands to help and had heard nothing, zilch, back. And yet again, it's a case of over promising and under delivering, gold standard?  Not even gold plated. Look, plenty of countries are struggling to get their vaccination programmes right. The UK has provided a first vaccination to more than 40% of its population, whereas the EU is stuck around 12-14%.  Japan's Covid-19 vaccine chief has blamed a rigid drug approval system for a slow inoculation campaign that is relying on only one approved shot. The delay, along with a host of logistical problems, has meant Japan has inoculated just 2.9% of its population, the lowest rate among wealthy countries. So we're not alone in struggling to roll out the programme quickly and efficiently, but could we do better?  Of course we could, and there's no problem in pointing that out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an ideal world, every New Zealander who could be employed would be employed. He, she or they would skip off to work, a spring in their step and a song in their heart, happy in the knowledge that they were well remunerated for the job they were about to do, and knowing that should they wish to move up the corporate ladder, say from caregiver to rest home manager, there was a clear path there for the aspirational worker. But that's not what happens.There are some jobs Kiwis won't do and so employers are forced to attract hard workers from other countries. And now the Economic Development Minister wants a reset on our immigration policy.  In effect, he only wants highly skilled and high net worth individuals coming to our land of milk and honey and, if companies need workers, well, they're just going to have to pay New Zealanders more and offer better conditions. While Stuart Nash conceded to Mike Hosking this morning that some limited migration of lowly skilled workers might be allowed, it would be a measure of last resort.Nash.We are a nation of five million people.  If we want to box above our weight, productivity wise, we need to attract people from other countries to come and work here.  And we have to accept there are some jobs New Zealanders simply do not want to do. Hence the reason for Pacific Island immigration to Aotearoa New Zealand.  They did the jobs Kiwis didn't want to do and in return, Pacifica men and women received job opportunities, money that allowed them to support family back in the islands and education for their children. We didn't treat our Pacifica workforce terribly well. When we needed them all was well, when the economy took a couple of hits in the seventies, with the oil price shock and Britain joining the EU, unemployment rose and these people who'd helped create our booming economy of the fifties and sixties were told to go home. Anywho, I digress. It's a lovely idea to think that we will return to a time where a worker, no matter how lowly they are perceived to be on the corporate ladder, would be able to live in dignity and raise a family without depending on the state for a handout. I'm old enough to remember a time when that was so.  Whether the school principal or the school caretaker, you were able to live on your wage. And maybe it is time for a complete reset.  But how do we do that? Not everybody has the ability to be an engineer or an internet entrepreneur.  Some people are really good at making vulnerable people feel safe and nurtured, who can create a pleasant environment for someone suffering - and sadly, those are skills that don't earn you the big bucks.But should you be denied the opportunity to make a living because those skills aren't valued.  What will this mean for the hospitality industries, the aged care homes, the orchardists, the farmers?  Will prices go up?  Will business go offshore or shut up shop altogether? Or do we create a utopian New Zealand where every Kiwi not only has the dignity of work, but is happy and valued in what they do.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

She might not believe the numbers.  She might claim that no-one in her party is out to roll her.  But National party leader Judith Collins would not have enjoyed hearing the results of the latest Newshub-Reid Research Poll that shows her falling even further in popularity. The latest poll shows Jacinda Arden streets ahead in the preferred PM stakes at 48.1 per cent, although she is down 4.5 percentage points, Judith Collins was at 5.6 percent, down 12 percentage points. Judith Collins says at this point in the election cycle she simply doesn't care.But seriously how long can she expect to remain leader with those sorts of figures? Simon Bridges was rolled in part for leading National to a shocking low of 30 percent in 2020.  Judith Collins had an unenviable task leading a hapless hopeless party into the 2020 election but since that time she's failed to fire. She was a strong and powerful figure in Opposition but as leader she has been somewhat muted.  ACT is doing a better job leading the opposition although Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis are making inroads in their respective portfolios. The answer is if not her, who?  Until the National caucus knows the answer to that, Judith Collins is safe.  But once a viable alternative presents themselves, she'll be gone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.