Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

We have three ongoing investigations into three separate shooting incidents resulting in death. You have to say that Deputy Police Commissioner Mike Clements’ comments haven't aged all that well, have they? Back in 2019, just four years ago, he said during the first weekend of the gun buyback scheme, if we take tens of thousands of firearms off the streets during the next six months, then absolutely New Zealand has to be a safer place. Jump forward four years; the stats don't really say that, do they? The Deputy Police commissioner was wrong and those who said gun buybacks wouldn't have any real impact on public health and safety are right. ACT leader David Seymour was one of them at the time. He said it wasn't going to make a blind bit of difference. Researchers from Australia, where there had been a similar gun buyback scheme, said much the same. And the stats have proved it. When the Government clamped down on firearms and seized high-powered semi-automatic weapons, they wanted to see a reduction in violent gun crime. They wanted to make New Zealand a safer place. I have absolutely no doubt about that. But facts are facts, and there has been no impact on the rise in gun crime and violence in New Zealand as a result of the gun buyback.   Jacinda Ardern and her party believed absolutely in the rightness of the gun buyback. They truly believed they would be making New Zealand a safer place, and I'm sure many other New Zealanders believed it too. Is New Zealand a safer place? It's not. It's worse than it's ever been for many, many reasons. I do believe that kindness and goodness can work but only when those who exploit that, only when people who deliberately choose to stick two fingers to society, to the community, continue to put others at risk, only when they understand that exploiting goodness will have consequences.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was 10 years and about a month ago that John Key, then Prime Minister of New Zealand, got up on his hind legs at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and laid out the National Party's plan for a new harbour crossing. There was going to be a freight corridor in Onehunga mooted, as was an inner-city rail link, a cost of $2.86 billion. Two options were floated: tunnels near the existing harbour bridge or another bridge. A road bridge would cost $3.9 billion to build. In this day and age, $3.9 billion is like pocket change, the sort of money that Grant Robertson seems to regularly find or lose down the back of the couch. Tunnels would cost up to $5.3 billion. That was the plan, they were going to get onto it. It was going to start in 2026. And fast forward 10 years to today, nothing happened. And $5.3 billion? If only! The Government yesterday announced a multibillion dollar harbour tunnel plan incorporating light rail, and the cost was estimated to be around $45 billion. $5.3 to $45 billion. And really, if anyone expects it to come in on budget tell them they're dreaming! Transport Minister David Parker told the Mike Hosking Breakfast that when it comes to paying for it, because that's the big question, he says they're leaving their options open. He said, it would be easier to fund from within rather than going cap in hand to China to take part in the Belt and Road scheme that many impoverished nations take advantage of. I tend to agree. There's other ways of finding the money and all options will be explored. But do you agree? That we just have to bite the bullet. That you just have to be able to provide an alternative to an aging piece of infrastructure that is long past its use by date and is not really able to deliver for all transport options. We just have to do it, don't we? If we can go from $5 billion to $45 billion in 10 years, if we hold off another 10 years, how much more is it going to cost?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand’s aged care sector is in crisis. Aged care has been chronically underfunded by successive governments, resulting in a lack of capital investment in facilities. This comes as the sector grapples with rising costs and an acute shortage of 1200 registered nurses. Many providers have had no option but to close beds, with a number closing their doors for good. In the past year, over 1000 beds have closed permanently and 1200 closed temporarily due to staff shortages. More closures are expected to follow. In an effort to get the Government to listen and take action, the Aged Care Association is launching a campaign today, titled ‘The Domino Effect’. Interim chief executive of the Aged Care Association Katherine Rich Kerre Woodham to talk about the situation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2013 Sir John Key announced a second harbour crossing at an Auckland Chamber of Commerce meeting when he was outlining the then-National Government's transport policy. A decade later Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Transport Minister David Parker announced the proposal for a second Waitematā crossing: two three lane tunnels and a light rail linking Albany to the CBD. Sir John Key joined Kerre Woodham to discuss the proposal. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Criticism is coming in thick and fast for the Government's plan for a second Waitemata Harbour crossing. It wants to build two three-lane tunnels for vehicles and a light rail tunnel, with a route eventually linking Albany and the CBD. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown claims both National and Labour have failed to cooperate with the Council on big transport plans. He says it's exploring better, faster and cheaper plans. Wayne Brown joined Kerre Woodham to discuss the proposal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bleak news has come for dairy farmers this morning. Fonterra has drastically reduced its forecast Farmgate Milk Price for the current season due to ongoing reduced demand from China. The midpoint has plummeted from $8/kg of milk solids, to just $7. Fonterra boss Miles Hurrell is blaming a recent 12 percent drop in the price of whole milk powder, due to much lower than expected demand from China. The Country host Jamie McKay says this will be make-or-break for many farmers. Jamie McKay joined Kerre Woodham Mornings. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Act’s Deputy leader Brooke van Velden, gave the Government’s Willow Jean Prime  an uncomfortable few moments in Parliament yesterday. She questioned her on the fact that pregnant mothers are receiving $50 Prezzy cards simply for turning up to pregnancy assessments, and then when the child is born, the six week assessment. The catch? You have to identify as Maori to get the Prezzy card. Van Velden said the funding for this devise of policy has been taken from Community Services card funding. Labour is taking money from a scheme which benefits the economically vulnerable to give it to a scheme which exclusively benefits mothers from one ethnic group. As you can imagine, outrage and ensued in some quarters, especially when you then add in the bribes for participating in the census. 12,000 people received $934,000 worth of supermarket, petrol and movie vouchers and thousands more were offered Warriors tickets at a cost of $96,000 simply for doing what is required by them by law, the rest of us just ticked away merrily without a word of thanks, not so much as a free coffee for filling in the census form. Kebabs, burgers and vouchers were offered to encourage people to get vaccinated. Remember the huge parties that were put on to encourage people to get vaccinated? Who could forget the sight of Doctor Ashley Bloomfield dancing in the streets at the carnival atmosphere designed to get people vaccinated. That would it cost a bit. Anybody who’s worked in health for a decade or more, anyone with a memory for news stories will know that there is nothing new in this. This is no new policy on the part of the Labour government to bribe people to try and get results. People have been offered incentives slash bribes for years and years and years now.   Is it about the Ministry itself trying to meet targets? Do they work? I would love to know if they work. Is it a matter of breaking down barriers? There's a mistrust of institutions and once you get people who have been on the margins of community, once they see that actually you're there for their own well-being and their own good, they keep coming. They become part of the system and they know there's nothing to be feared. Are there any results to show that this works? Anyone who's worked in health will back me up, won't you? For years and years and years, I'm going to say 25 years that I can think of, incentives or bribes have been offered so bureaucrats can box tick and say yes we've reached the required percentage. Does it help? Who knows? Love to see the results.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a new documentary that screens tonight, community leader Dave Letele explores the impact of alcohol and addiction in Aotearoa New Zealand. Heavyweight with Dave Letele retraces his own personal journey of gangs, addiction and alcohol and looks at the issues facing communities now. Whether it's pokies, fast food, drugs or alcohol, Dave says to create change and break cycles, we all need to have some heavy conversations. Dave Letele joined Kerre Woodham. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we all know there are lies, damn lies and statistics. Just read the New Zealand Herald series on the claims and counter claims being made by National and Labour around crime and you'll be left none the wiser as to whether crime is indeed out of control in New Zealand and whether Labour is indeed soft on crime. For example, Labour has claimed youth offending is down 60 percent over the past decade, the data used to make that claim is from the Ministry of Justice, looking at the total number of children and young people charged in court. While it does indeed show a significant drop over the past decade, it's also a measure of how often police choose to prosecute. So rather than show that youth offending has decreased. It shows how few times police are choosing to prosecute. There’s a big difference.   Sunny Kaushal, chair of the Dairy and Business Owners Group says this year already, and we're only at the beginning of August,  a massive of 45,046 offences have been reported to police to by retailers and they've made just over 1000 arrests. So, 45,046 offences reported leading to just over 1,000 arrests at 2.3 percent. He says it's out of control and he's seen that coming for a while. Watching people march out with this righteous kind of, ‘you can't touch me and entitled attitude’. Watching them March out with a trolley full of goods, with their entitled bloody attitude, ignoring common decency and the ties that bind us, and indeed the rules of the land leaves me feeling powerless. When they aren't even brought to account for their crimes, that leaves me bloody angry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A slighter higher rise to the unemployment rate than expected. Stats NZ figures show it reached 3.6 percent for the three months to June. That's up point-two percent, on the preceding quarter. Most economists were predicting a point-one increase. Herald Business Editor at Large, Liam Dann, told Kerre Woodham it means there's more tension in the labour market. He says it's been seen through more people applying for fewer job ads - which makes life easier for employers. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.