Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

Watching Chris Hipkins igniting the bonfire of Labour's vanity projects when he took office earlier this year reminded me of the old Groucho Marx quote: “These are my principles, and if you don't like them, well, I have others.” I was reminded of this again when I heard Chris Hipkins rule out a wealth tax and capital gains tax as long as he is leader of the Labour Party. This had been something that dyed in the wool Labourites had prepared to die in a ditch for, until it looks like it's going to cost them votes. Labour had a plan to introduce a wealth tax in the May budget to pay for a tax free threshold for New Zealanders, and in the discussions they some were very strong about wanting this wealth tax but Hipkins pulled the pin at the last minute. And why did he do that? Not because he'd had a road to Damascus conversion and decided that a wealth tax was not the right tool to bring about a fairer, more equitable society. Not because he had something up his sleeve that was better than a wealth tax, and would bring about that fairer, more equitable society. But because Labour has taken a deep dive on the polls and he knew a wealth tax would cost them votes.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister is putting on a brave face after news his work on a wealth tax won't come to fruition. Although proposals were considered by Cabinet, Chris Hipkins ruled out introducing a wealth tax or a capital gains tax while Prime Minister. To discuss, Dentons Kensington Swan Partner and tax expert, Bruce Bernacchi joined Kerre Woodham. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finally, finally, it appears that the motley, bedraggled, half plucked chickens that are Labour policies are coming home to roost. For me, my belief has been beggared that there is still people who will say, when asked by pollsters, ’why yes, I do believe Labour is the party for me when it comes to managing the economy and the country.’ When, surely, they have shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that the job of running the country is simply beyond them. If the inability to deliver on the vast majority of their election promises wasn't proof enough for you. Surely the sight of the little rodent scuttling off the leaking ship or being made to walk the plank or going AWOL when they're supposed to be on duty because it’s all a bit hard, is an indication that all is not well on the SS Labour. The Herald Poll of Polls shows a National ACT mash-up as the most likely government, after the Talbot Mills poll results were leaked yesterday. That poll showed Labour returning its lowest result since 2019, its support slumped five points to 31 per cent of voters, but still 31 per cent. Chris Hipkins says he's received the message that New Zealanders don't feel the government has been focused on the issues that matter to them. And he's promised the Government will do that, will focus on issues that matter to voters over the next 90 something days till the election. Too little, too late, one would think. Christopher Luxon, the National Party leader, has echoed that old war horse Winston Peters in saying the only poll that matters is the one on October 14, and he is quite right.   I was talking to a mate last night who has worked around Parliament for years and we were both saying that all we want to see from the next government, whoever it may be, is a boring capable government. Make ordinary great again!   We want to see basics done well. Money put into programs that will improve the economy, the nation's health, children's education, social housing, crime reduction. And oh, I don't know, here's a novel idea Labour, have targets to show if those programs are working. If they are, carry on, if they're not, stop spending money on them, stop spending money on vanity or legacy programs, especially when you have no idea how to implement them - and you're not entirely sure that they're going to work anyway. We'd love to see a government that will be clear and transparent, not obstructive and masters in the out of gas lighting, and hiding behind the OIA at every single request for information.  We would love, and who would ever have thought it, to see a Government that is beige and unremarkable in every way, but that knows how to deliver and respects every dollar they take off the people that work in this country. A government that understands those tax dollars are not theirs to squander but to spend wisely -  with the objective of meeting the greatest need. Is that too much to ask?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A high-level meeting between New Zealand and the UN nuclear watchdog took place on Monday, after a controversial go-ahead for dumping treated nuclear radioactive water into the Pacific. After a two-year review, the International Atomic Energy Agency have given it the green light - stating the release - over 30 to 40 years - will have a negligible impact on the environment. The water was tainted during the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta sat down with International Atomic Agency Director General, Rafael Grossi, but the meeting was closed to the media. Senior lecturer at Auckland University, Dr David Krofcheck, joined Kerre Woodham to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new poll shows the gap between Parliament's left and the right wing blocs is the biggest it's been since 2017. Talbot Mills numbers show National and Act have a commanding lead over Labour and the Greens. Labour is down five points to 31 per cent support, with National and Act on 36 and 12 respectively. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls joined Kerre Woodham to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The election is just a matter of months away, and although nothing is certain, one thing we can be fairly sure of is that no one party will win a majority the size Labour did last time round, and that the next New Zealand Government will be cobbled together with minor parties. We'll either see a National/ACT, maybe another minor party coalition government or a Labour/Greens/Te Pati Maori kind of government. So when the minor parties come out with their manifestos and public pledges, it's worth listening to what they have to say, as these policies may well become part of the makeup of the next government. The ACT party came out all guns blazing when David Seymour launched ACT’s election campaign in Auckland over the weekend. They want all 17 year old defendants to face trial in the District Court, not the youth court and believe corrections should take over management of youth justice residences. At the moment, young people appear in the youth court until 17, and that had been a policy borne out of the theory that if young offenders were treated more kindly, there would be less crime. Since coming into force, one of two things has happened since the 1st of July 2019, either 17 year olds have halved their offending rate, or they kept on offending and are only prosecuted by police half as often. David Seymour told Mike Hosking on the Mike Hosking breakfast this morning ACT’s policy would focus on victims rather than the offenders. The Greens too were busy. They released their election manifesto over the weekend and it was the usual stuff. An extra week of annual leave for all! Yay! Free lunches in every school. Extend citizenship to all Maori born overseas, and allow councils to introduce new taxes, and funding, music and community venues so organisations didn't have to rely on dirty pub charity grants to function. All good. Couldn't argue with much of it.   How would they fund it? Taxing the Super rich of course. ‘A tax on the richest few will raise money we can use to build a climate-friendly, wiser and more prepared Aotearoa that we can all be proud of’ said Marama Davidson, co-leader of the Greens. So looking at ACT, looking at the Greens, are you paying attention to the policies that they are putting out? Or are you still going to vote for who you always voted for because really, it doesn't really matter. I cannot tell you how much it does matter. Just listening to people over the past couple of weeks going uh, whatever. It's not “uh, whatever.” We have an obligation to vote in a way that we believe is going to make a great New Zealand for our children and grandchildren. It's not all about us. And whichever side you go for, you've got to go in with the mindset that it's not about you, and it's not about the next three years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's an election year, so of course the law and order drum is being beaten. It's beaten every time there's an election, with one side saying the other isn't doing a good job - but it's not just because it's an election. The law and order drum is being beaten because innocent New Zealanders are being beaten in their homes and their places of work, in the street. The hammer attack on a woman behind the counter of her dairy in broad daylight this week is yet another example, as if we needed any more of the brutality and lack of humanity we've seen so much of in the past few years. We've got dairy owners now serving from within cages in their own shops, security guards outside so many stores, security camera footage of children, some in their pyjamas being driven round homes by adults, by their caregivers, to steal whatever they can find from their neighbours’ homes and backyards.   This is not a New Zealand to be proud of.   New Zealand doesn't feel as safe as it used to, and the Police Minister confirmed that on Newshub this morning. Crime has risen exponentially and violent crime is up. She is right that family harm incidents have pushed up the violent crime stats, but the retail crime is real. Finally, the one good take out from that interview is that finally, at last, you've got a government minister who is not gaslighting us, who is not saying no, no, no, it's all in your heads. No, it's the hammer that's in my head. Not some kind of fearful fantasy of my own imagination. Somebody from the government is finally telling the truth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At least 20% of New Zealanders are believed to be neurodivergent, but there is very little awareness, understanding and support for people with conditions such as ADHD, Autism and Dyslexia. Sonia Gray has a neurodivergent daughter and is an ADHDer herself. In a 10-part series she talks to dozens of experts and people with a lived-experience of neurodiversity to better understand how we can support and celebrate those whose brains are wired differently.  No Such Thing as Normal is brought to you by NZ Herald and Team Uniform, with support from NZ on Air and launched June 10th. New episodes are available every Saturday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are fears students won't be taught relevant science knowledge after a leaked copy of the proposed new science curriculum was released. The new draft focuses on contexts - the Earth system, biodiversity, food-energy-water, and infectious diseases. The writers argue they are going for a holistic approach, and that basic physics, chemistry and biology haven't gone ignored. Crimson Global Academy Principal Mark Phillips is concerned that this curriculum discourages Kiwi students from aspiring and achieving.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newsroom reported on its website yesterday that targets or output measures for issues such as the time taken for police to respond to traffic emergencies and burglaries have been dramatically adjusted. Police have twice as long to get to emergency events in urban areas, 45 minutes in town, 60 minutes in rural areas, and they are required to respond to fewer burglaries within 48 hours. In a briefing from police provided to then Police Minister Stuart Nash, the Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming said demands on the force had grown, therefore the targets needed to be readjusted. The time taken to attend emergency events in urban areas 90 percent of the time has been increased to less than 45 minutes because last year's target of 20 to 25 minutes wasn't met. For rural events, the measure was increased to less than 60 minutes from 45 minutes last year. Last year’s standard was that 98 percent of burglaries would be attended by police within 48 hours. This year, that's been reduced to greater than 85 per cent. Police dubbed the previous standard aspirational. Police have been warning demand is outstripping their resources with increased mental health and family violence callouts alongside emerging crimes such as cyber-crime taking up far more time. As well, there are easier and more diverse ways to report crime, but it really is the mental health and the family violence that's taking up police time as the Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming told Tim Dower this morning. Honestly, when you think of the waste of money and the opportunities lost and the flow and effect - as Jevon McSkimming said - of police having to deal with it because there hasn't been an increase in the workforce to enable the burden of assisting those with mental health conditions to be spread across many more shoulders. We had the lovely young woman who rang and who said she can only take Maori and Pasifika patients now, and those under 18, because there aren't enough counsellors available for the need - and even if you wanted to go private, you couldn't because there aren't any private ones as well.  I am not going to be bashing the police for having to reconsider their response times. If anybody thinks for one wild second that the response times haven't been met because the police have had their feet up on the table, back at base eating doughnuts, watching Netflix, you are delusional. These men and women are working every hour God sent doing their job, doing this job of social workers, doing the job of mental health counsellors, doing the job of bloody parents who are woefully failing their own children. So anybody who wants to put the boot into police for failing to meet their target times, don't ring me.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.