Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced yesterday the country would be moving to Phase 2 of the Omicron plan. Phase 2 reduces isolation periods for contacts from 10 days to 7 and means the focus of contact tracing will shift to high-risk exposure events and, effectively, everyone must do their own contact tracing. Phase 2 also places a greater reliance on rapid antigen tests (RATS) to reduce the burden on the health service and the economy. Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking this morning that if he was on the job RATs would be available. They're not on the shelves, so we have to rely on the Government to dole out the supplies to those they deem worthy and we just have to accept that. There is good news; that is that the isolation period is being shortened and that of the five and a half thousand people with Covid in the community and at the border, there are just 37 in hospital none are in ICU.So, can we all hold on to that fact?  Even Jacinda Ardern managed to choke out the words that you know, you can manage this yourself. So yes, you may very well catch Omicron over the next few weeks and I'm sorry if there are people who are very frightened about that. I'm sorry if you are still feeling very nervous after the constant bombardment of messages you've received over the past two years, but you are unlikely to need hospital treatment, far less intensive care nursing.  So please don't live an absolute terror of waiting for this virus to catch you.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The protest in front of Parliament continues today despite the storm, despite the sprinklers being turned on, despite music from the most hated list being blasted at the men, women and children who have gathered together over the past few days to protest all sorts of things.There was some interesting reading in the media over the weekend, journos went down and spoke to the people who make up the protest and found a disparate group. Some were men and women who were jobless as a result of the vaccination mandate, a mandate they feel is desperately unfair. Others were so far down the rabbit hole it seems impossible that they'll ever come back. Most were in favour of peaceful protests, a couple used vile and violent rhetoric. And some of the typical renter protester who turned up to protest over anything, just add their flag and their banner and their placard to whatever protest is going.The only thing we can be sure of is that we don't know when the protest will end and that Trevor Mallard has handled the situation badly very badly.I can understand being affronted that a ragtag group of malcontents has kept on your front lawn. It must be very difficult for a government used to basking and adulation and public approval to have very real evidence that not everybody sees them as Flash Gordon's Saviours of the Universe. Mallard really does need to leave operational matters, i.e., getting rid of the protesters to the Police.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick Maling, Kāinga Ora General Manager of Services, told me yesterday that making people and whānau homeless creates a revolving door for housing which only sees the problems compound and perpetuate. Look, I get that they're trying to repair the damage caused by generations of issues, alcohol and drug abuse, welfare dependency, physical and mental health conditions within families. I know that it means that it's a long-term incremental process to turn the lives of people around and good on the Government. But what about the other vulnerable people? The 30,000 people, the 5000 families living in motels right now who are desperate for a home? The need has never been greater and when those people living a precarious existence in motels know that their situation will be made even more precarious.  What will happen to the 30,000 people who are currently living in motels and some have been there for more than two years?  It does seem that behaving in the worst possible way basically earns you a home for life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is stepping up work to address long-standing problems in conservation law while laying the foundations for future reform. It is a complex web of 24 Acts, developed largely on an ad-hoc basis over a span of nearly 70 years. Concerns have been raised that there are too many outdated, confusing and inconsistent rules and that the system that was created is out of step with current values and priorities. Giles Dobson is a Senior Lecturer at Massey University and he joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has announced it will lift the minimum wage to $21.20 from April 1st. Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Michael Wood says amounts to an extra $48 a week for someone working 40-hour weeks. Business New Zealand Chief Executive Kirk Hope says it's a big increase at such short notice and a slap in the face for struggling businesses. Kirk Hope joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the One Choice Kiwi Education Repor, 3 in 10 Kiwi parents are very strongly concerned that their children have fallen behind at school due to COVID-19; 1 in 3 felt that COVID-19 lockdowns had a solely negative impact on their kids' education. To be frank, I would have thought the numbers would be higher than that. I would have thought easily 5 in 10 Kiwi parents would feel that their children had fallen behind at school, but no according to the report 3 in 10.  I suppose that goes to show what a jolly good job, parents and teachers have done to shore up all of the failings that come from trying to do classrooms by Zoom. They've shored up the gaps in the kids' education and have kept them motivated and interested.  The experiences of home-schooling seem to differ between parents of private school and public school students. 29% of private school parents described their experience is excellent, which is pretty powerful. 12% of public school parents said the same. So, you get what you pay for. The survey showed, however, that eight and 10 parents don't feel they can afford to send their kids to private school of their choice. Half of the parents surveyed who'd like to send their kids to private schools say they can't afford it. It is the young people that have been most massively impacted, I believe by this and, you know, we're going to see those results and years to come, either for the good or for the bad. I don't necessarily see it as being a wholey negative experience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's frustration from the events industry, and from the public wanting to have some fun, at the number of festivals and events that are being cancelled. From the Wanaka A&P show to New Plymouth's Womad Festival to the Auckland Arts Festival cancelling all 51 of their live events. There’s also fear our biggest and brightest music stars, frustrated by a lack of events at home, will venture overseas to perform – Six60 is a good example of that – they've been playing in the USA. Brent Eccles from Eccles Entertainment joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Critical business workers will no longer have to isolate if they are identified as a close contact. That's if they return daily negative rapid antigen tests. It's part of a new exemption scheme that aims to keep critical supply chains running through the Omicron outbreak. Our Chief Political Reporter Jason Walls has been at the Critical workforce announcement with Ministers Chris Hipkins and Dr Ayesha Verrall. Jason Walls joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finally, Kainga Ora have outlined their eviction policy! There will be a warnings process, effectively letting them end a tenancy, if it's triggered three serious incidents in a 90-day period. It's a story we have championed for upset neighbours of Kainga Ora tenants throughout last year. Kainga Ora General Manager of National Services Nick Maling joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People are questioning how and why health modellers were able to influence government policy to such an extraordinary extent. Remember the 50,000 cases predicted for New Zealand by Waitangi Day?  Around the world, people are questioning how and why health modellers were able to influence government policy to such an extraordinary extent when seriously, they are no more than modern-day augers.  Slaughter a chicken, throw out its entrails, see how they fall and make your prediction from there. Even our own health minister, our sensible Health Minister, takes modelling predictions with a grain of salt.  For those who have underlying health conditions, who fear they might be at risk of grave illness as a result of any virus, do yourselves a favour.  Take advantage of the meds, and take advantage of the science. But otherwise, ignore the modellers. prepare for winter and much the same way as we always have, and let's get on with life. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.