Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

Principals are unhappy with a plan to restrict young foreign students from enrolling at schools.The Ministry of Education is asking primary and intermediate principals for their views on hosting international fee-paying students. It's proposing to restrict or stop some international students under Year Nine from coming here to learn. The Ministry's consultation document says it's unfair on schools that did not enrol foreign students, added to pressure on the housing market and to teacher supply and could distract schools from focusing on Kiwi kids. Remuera Intermediate Principal Kyle Brewerton joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone agrees it's not a matter of if, but of by how much, the Reserve Bank raises its official cash rate today. Commentators are picking a rise of 25 basis points, which means rising a quarter of a percentage point to 1%. However, others wouldn't be surprised to see a rise of 50 basis points, I think, bookies are putting it around 30%. The reason is that we have inflation galloping away on us, and the Reserve Banks remit requires the bank to keep inflation between 1% and 3% on average over the medium term, and that's achieved by setting the official cash rate, which is reviewed about seven times a year. However, since 2018, when the Labour New Zealand First Coalition became Government, the Reserve Bank was given another mandate and under the so-called dual mandate, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has to aim for price stability and full employment. In an opinion piece by Dr. Oliver Hartwich in the New Zealand Herald this morning, and he says, as any economist will tell you, you can temporarily reduce unemployment with lower interest rates. But you can't do it forever. As with anything, there's always a trade-off and he sees any such activism will come at the expense of higher prices and voila, here we are! Once you start tinkering, then really the Government does have to take some culpability in what happens as a result.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has today launched the Road to Zero public awareness campaign, which sets a target of zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2050, and a 40 per cent reduction by 2030. Across the Road to Zero programme there is significant work planned for 2022 to improve road safety, including the finalisation of drug-driving legislation; improved vehicle safety standards and a review of fines and penalties. Transport Minister Michael Wood joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Thursday we spent most of the morning talking to small and medium business owners who were really doing it tough. It was really hard hearing their stories. Their stories of uncertainty, financial insecurity and fear of the future. They couldn't keep going, but they simply had to. They had employees whose livelihoods depended on them. They were in too deep. No one would buy their businesses and many of them had their family homes tied to their means of earning a living. It was really tough and listening to the reality of being one of the backbones of businesses in this country was pretty gruelling. Now the Finance Minister has announced a new Omicron support payment for struggling businesses. The Omicron peak should be over in 6 to 8 weeks and then we'll see restrictions gradually loosen, allowing businesses that have scraped through to be able to breathe again. There are strict criteria around who can apply for the loan and Mike touched on that too when he was talking to Grant Robertson. If you're already down 50% and then you have to show a 40% drop in turnover, how do you do that? Firms must show a 40% revenue drop in seven consecutive days since the country moved to phase two of the Omicron response, compared with seven days in the six weeks immediately before the move to phase two. So strict timelines. Those that qualify will get $4000 per business plus $400 for each full-time employee up to a maximum of 50 staff, firms that meet the criteria could get a maximum payment of $24,000 each fortnight for the next six weeks, which is when they expect to see the Omicron peak. The government is also topping up the loans available under the small business cash flow loan scheme and Inland Revenue is providing more flexibility on tax payments and terms. So really the question is, has the government listened to the needs of small and medium businesses? Is this the lifeline you desperately need, as it can vaguely sense that the end is nigh?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister has reiterated that the protesters have had their say and it's time to go home and again stressed she would not be meeting them because she says the pandemic is still top of mind. The Council of Medical Colleges Chair John Bonning is calling for the isolation period to be reduced from the current 10 days for household contacts to just three days. He says combined with high vaccination rates, Omicron was causing much less serious illness among vaccinated people and that meant some changes could be made. He said he was very clear that many public health measures needed to stay and the changes should be step by step. But he said there was some sensible middle ground that could help to keep the country moving and prevent workplace’s having a quarter of their staff at home isolating, which is just brutal for business, is brutal for supply chains. You've got people who know what they're talking about, saying for most people, it will be a mild to moderate illness. So, time to end the mandates? Yes - put a time frame on it because we can now. Prime Minister Ardern told the Breakfast show this morning that her job is to think about the elderly, the immuno-compromised and other vulnerable Kiwis who will be hugely affected by an ongoing Omicron outbreak. That's her job, and that's her front of mind. Is that really her job now and should that be front of mind? Do we not all have the information we need to look after ourselves? Surely, with the best medical advice indicating that this variant is of the cold and flu variety and severity, can she not get on with looking at some of the many, many other issues that we have in New Zealand rather than micromanaging their health care of a small number of New Zealanders?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first international tourists in two years have touched down in Sydney to be greeted by jubilant well-wishers waving Tim-Tams, jars of Vegemite and stuffed koalas.Qantas is bringing in people from eight overseas destinations including Vancouver, Singapore, London, and Delhi.Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday was an important day that all Australians had looked forward to.It's a bitter pill to swallow for our own tourism industry though. Tourism Industry Aotearoa spokesperson Ann-Marie Johnson joined Kerre McIvor.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now I know that there are a lot of people who think that this Government has done and is doing a good job - look at the polls. I would ask them to explain this to me then, how is it that this Government can say that teachers are not critical workers? Principals are astonished and furious that schools won't have access to rapid antigen tests to help protect their staff and keep classrooms open during the Omicron outbreak. They want, everybody wants, parents want and the community wants teachers to be included in an exemption scheme that lets some critical workers bypass close contact isolation requirements if they return daily negative rapid antigen tests. How was it that teachers are not included in that list? Chris Hipkins, the Covid-19 Minister and the Education Minister said at the start of the year he wanted stability and full attendance at schools to be the norm. With disruptive measures like alternating days at school, only used on a local level in case of an outbreak, Hipkins said he was hoping that getting kids back into school would help remedy issues like the digital divide, which he said had been made worse by Covid. And teachers whom he acknowledged were stressed and tired, had found hybrid learning was almost impossible. That was in an interview with the New Zealand Herald, so the Education Minister is very clear that getting children and teachers back together in classrooms is vitally important. So how the hell can the Government explain why teachers aren't considered worthy of the basic protection? Right?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queenstown is the epicenter of Omicron in the South Island, with dozens of businesses and hospo venues having to shut their doors because of self-isolation and close contact rules.   Queenstown is a prime example of just how tough the tourism and hospitality sectors are doing, all businesses are doing it tough.  Frequently, the family home is holding up the family business, so any failure of a business has huge far-reaching ramifications that go way beyond the immediate family. Julie White, Hospitality NZ CEO says, with Omicron, the end is in sight. They just need a bit of support from the Government and the taxpayer to get them to the finish line. If you're in hospo or tourism, are you still hanging in there? Can you keep going? Do you bite the bullet now or should the support keep going?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The protest at Parliament faces a challenge today as fed-up locals, university students, retailers and parliamentary staff have demanded that their right to freedom of movement, their right to attend lectures and their right to trade. These rights actually trump that of a group of people with various grievances who've been camped outside parliament for the last week. Yes, they have a right to protest. They do not have a right to impede the rights of others.  As for the protesters demanding they will not leave until they've had contact with the Prime Minister or a member of the cabinet.  According to New Zealand Herald political reporter Thomas Coughlin, prime ministers don't usually come out to respond to protests, even when it's something they agree with.  He points out Jacinda Ardern didn't visit the climate strike protest despite climate change action being something she strongly supports. And he also points out there's the issue of the threats being made by some people, by an ugly element who do not represent all of the protesters.  But the threats to hang her from her heels, and you know the usual nonsense, gives her a very good reason for staying away.  Nobody wants to see violence and interestingly enough, it's mainly the two groups facing each other on either side of the fence that are both the groups who least want to see violence.  The protesters and the police. I think it's fair to say the protesters have made their point. That mandates are harming people that mandates must have an end point, as Omicron makes its way through the community, vaccinated and unvaccinated.  So, a week on, point made.   Isn't it time you packed up your tent and went home before everything turns nasty?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Salvation Army has released its annual State of the Nation report. This year’s report highlights the continued impact of Covid-19 on the most vulnerable people across Aotearoa New Zealand, with incidences of family violence, housing struggles and inequalities for Māori wellbeing on the rise. When it comes to housing, they say it is more than a housing crisis, it's a catastrophe as house prices and rents continue to soar. Senior social policy analyst Paul Barber says there are real challenges for people at the sharper end of the housing crisis with the number of people on the social housing register now more than 25,000. Senior social policy analyst Paul Barber joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.