Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

National Party leader Christopher Luxon has been talking about a social investment policy.It's an area that he has pinpointed as a priority and he's put his deputy Nicola Willis in charge.It's an idea that Sir Bill English championed when he was in office.In a nutshell, it was to invest in children and families who were clearly going to become problems later on and break the cycle.Invest early and save the taxpayer money in the end.Chief Executive of Frank Advice and co-founder and Director at Impact Lab Emily Mason joined Kerre McIvor.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, piece of news yesterday, people under 14 won't be able to buy cigarettes. And I thought when I saw the headline well what's new, they can't now anyway.  People 14 and under will never, ever, ever be able to buy cigarettes in their lifetime. The ban will increase as they age. Very, very interesting. Successive governments have tried to target smoking. I think the Clark government was the most vehement in trying to get the number of smokers down, but Governments understand that smoking is not good for its population.  Here are the stats:  464,000 New Zealand adults still smoke daily.  25 to 34 year olds have the highest smoking rate.  Māori women have the highest smoking rate. 32% of the population of Māori woman smoke. Māori men it’s 25%.  Smokers are more likely to have poor mental health than nonsmokers.  Smokers are more likely to binge drink.  The average age of starting smoking is 14.8 years old.   And adults living in the most socio economically deprived areas are four and a half times as likely to be current smokers as adults in the least deprived areas.  So, the richer you are, the less likely you are to smoke.  The better off you are, the better educated you are, the less likely you are to smoke.  The good news is that 1,041,000 people have given up smoking. 65% of New Zealanders have never smoked regularly, and that is a big turnaround from even 20 years ago.  And now the government wants to bring it down even further, and do so in quite a radical fashion.  It intends to create the first smoke free generation with a lifetime tobacco ban; noble ambitions.  And undoubtedly with the wellbeing of Kiwis at heart. But I am a wee bit conflicted on this.  I mean, I was never a huge smoker. I smoked probably for 10 years.  Starting with the Sobranies, the cocktail cigarettes, because I thought that made me look sophisticated. And then the Dunhills. And then phased out to 5 rollies a day that my old producer Jimmy used to roll for me and I'd have one an hour when I was on talk back at nights, and then one day I went to take a puff and just felt so sick like the first time you've ever smoked a cigarette in your life when you're 12. Felt so ill and even the thought of it now still makes me ill. It was like aversion therapy; except I hadn't heard of aversion therapy.  So, I guarantee there would be very few smokers who would want their children or grandchildren to take up the habit. Even if you're a 2 pack a dayer do you really want your children doing the same? It's expensive, hideously expensive, and it is damaging to your health.  On the other hand, once something’s forbidden, it's all the more exciting and I hate the idea that the gangs will be able to mine another lucrative vein of income. Cigs are ideal to illegally import, smuggle and move around the country. And we're also pretty handy at growing tobacco here in this country too. So, it gives the gang something else to sell.  There's also the argument that people are entitled to go to hell by their own route. What do we do next? You know when you have free will, you can exercise it for good or bad. If the government removes smoking, there's still plenty of other health issues they could look at.  Will we only allow people an allocation? It'll come to your door of the health department's recommended alcohol allowance.  It's it. It's all you're allowed. It's given out by the state.  Do we have scales at the door of a bakery? And only allow those were the BMI under 26 into the shop to buy the pies.  I would certainly be healthier if I had somebody telling me what I could eat, limiting my drink, compelling me to exercise them, prohibiting me from smoking and drug taking.  Would I be happier? I don't think so. What about you?  I think it's bold. I think it could work.  The vast majority of people, if you've...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Transport is being criticised for a cycleway plan costing $8m per kilometre. More than $144 million out of a billion-dollar city Council climate package will go on 18 kilometres of cycle infrastructure. It's much pricier than Wellington's bike cycle plans at 1.5 million dollars a kilometre. Greater Auckland advocacy website’s editor, Matt Lowrie joined Kerre McIvor. “This 18 kilometres which is also on top of other things that they’re rolling out is really just a drop in the bucket of what’s needed to make a safe cycling city.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tobacco control expert says she has serious concerns about new smokefree 2025 policies. They will reduce the amount of nicotine allowed in cigarettes and limit the number of retailers who can sell them.  Director of the Centre of Research Excellence, Dr Marewa Glover, says the new measure will demonise smokers and discriminate against the most vulnerable.  She told Kerre McIvor, forcing people to deal with less nicotine will have negative unintended consequences. Dr Marewa Glover joined Kerre McIvor. “Concerned about increased suicide rates, increased psychosis, smoking among people with severe mental health conditions is very high.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand is a nation of small and medium businesses. 97 percent of all firms are classified as SMEs. They account for 28 percent of employment and contribute more than 1/4 of New Zealand gross domestic product. It has never ever been easy to be a small to medium business owner. These days I don't know how you’re all surviving, what with lockdowns vaccine issues for both staff and customers, the extra holidays that have been introduced, the extra leave allowances.  Now we have the fair pay agreements. In principle, the aim of sector wide agreements is to strengthen bargaining power for workers, and regulate things like base wages, working hours, overtime penalty rates - this comes from human resources directors. We've been looking at them across different countries, so that's what they're intended to do. Just like the old unions used to do.   Under the system, a union would be able to begin the process with the agreement of 10% of the workforce or 1000 employees, and that would begin a period of bargaining between the union and the peak body representing employers within that industry. If both sides agree on the terms of the fair pay agreement, it will go to a vote among employers and employees. A simple majority from both groups as needed before the agreements ratified. If it fails, bargaining begins again, but if it fails twice, the Employment Relations Authority will be called in to make the final decision.  Now the Government says FPAs are needed to create a stronger ground floor for wages and prevent businesses from undercutting their competitors by paying staff less contributing to a low wage, low value economy, which many believe has happened as a result of great deal of immigration within these country, and unscrupulous employers underpaying migrants who desperately need the job. So, people who are paying their employees fairly can't win the contracts because they're being undercut time and time again.  However, is the FPA too much of a blunt tool? To rectify that situation, business groups believe FPAs will strangle employers, hampering their ability to hire new staff and grow, if they can't afford the industrywide pay rates.  Business New Zealand has confirmed it's refusing to be the Government’s nominated partner in implementing the national pay agreements. Business NZ CEO Kirk Hope told Mike Hosking on the Mike Hosking Breakfast this morning that the FPA, the Fair Pay Agreement, should not be called an agreement at all.  I'd be interested to find out what you think on this, to the SMEs I think Kurt was talking about an employer in Te Awamutu who might have to pay the same rate as somebody in Auckland, and there's no kind of flexibility around conditions and around pay.  So that I would have thought that might be difficult for employers, but it also might be difficult for employees who want a little bit of flexibility in perhaps the hours they work, how they work, do they do some from home, some from the office, and in that case, you negotiate a different pay rate.  Do we need that kind of blunt tool? I know there have been cases because people have told me so of people being able to undercut those employers who pay their employees good wages. Unfortunately, there are always going to be customers and consumers who just go for the cheapest deal. They won't ask the questions that really need to be asked. Are your employees getting the living wage?  And hospo and construction, in just about all of the trades, you will find unscrupulous employers who are not doing the right thing by their employees. They're the minority, but it happens. And the good employers miss out. Because, of course, the unscrupulous ones are cheaper. Is the FPA going to fix that though? Or is it going to create more problem than it solves?   The unintended consequences of what the Government legislates for and brings in as a way of fixing a problem, seems to cause of many more than...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour and National are making changes to their controversial housing bill which is being rushed through Parliament before Christmas. The two parties came together for the bill to make it easier to build three buildings, of three storeys, on most sections in our biggest cities. Initially, the bill allowed height to boundary ratios of 6m at the side and rear boundaries, but concerns over sunlight loss saw the environment select committee recommend this be reduced to 5 metres as of last Thursday. Now, an amendment from the Government, which National has indicated it is likely to support, has watered that down to 4 metres with the same recessionary plane. Town Planning consultancy company Sentinel Planning says it's being rushed through before Christmas without considering the impact on communities.  Managing Director Simon O'Connor told Kerre McIvor it would be radical. "It's a massive change, it's going to cause a lot of stress and concern for people who enjoy their outdoor space as it is." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How you feeling waking up this morning knowing that the Ministry of Health thought it was a good idea for Auckland boundary restrictions to be lifted and the whole country should have been in orange, bar Auckland and Northland. Apparently, in the recommendations to the government, there was even a wild and crazy public servant who thought it would be a great idea to start some of the South Island in green, but then, of course, he or she was pulled back into line and reminded of vulnerable Maori and the Delta spread so official health advice was to put the whole country in orange bar Auckland and Northland and to lift the Auckland boundary restrictions. Now, this is official health advice from a ministry not known for its cavalier hoots wahay, damn the torpedoes, attitude towards public health. This was that the border, the much-loathed border keeping us from family and friends, should be lifted because there was no reason to have it still there once we move to the traffic light phase. But oh no, no, no, no, no, no Ms all abundance and caution herself put a number of regions in red, not just Auckland and Northland for at least two weeks. No regions in green and the border has to stay around Auckland until December 15. She has, I suppose, the Prime Minister, being consistent in her cautious approach. She has pinned her colours to the Covid mast and does not want to see a single Covid death on her watch, and it must be really difficult juggling peoples morbid fear of the virus with common sense. But when the Director-General of Health says there is no public health justification to maintain a boundary around Auckland, once we move to the traffic light system, when the boundary around Auckland has served its purpose as Ashley Bloomfield said, and greatly reducing the risk of the virus escaping Auckland, thus giving the rest of the country the opportunity to vaccinate. Why the hell are vital policemen and women still stuck on the borders? People still stuck in traffic waiting to get through the much-loathed borders and others stuck in the hell of waiting for official permission to cross the border that is not deemed to be necessary by the Director-General of Health to see sick and dying relatives?  And it's not really the end of the boundary even come December 15, because the northern border controls are going to be there. Border controls that iwi want to protect the vulnerable and their communities who haven't had the opportunity to get vaxxed yet. The police don't want to do them, they reckon up to 300 police officers around the country could have their work disrupted and Chris Cahill, the Police Association President, said it's a busy time for police anyway, there'd be far better off in their own districts, policing the higher demands they have at that time of year and all the things you mentioned, you've got the boozy parties over Christmas, you've got the family harm, the mental health, the crime that doesn't take a holiday over Christmas. Shane Jones says the Government bowed to pressure from what he called self-appointed hapu leaders. He says the need for checkpoints has long gone and that the highway should be the freeway. should never ever have elevated iwi to the point of having enforcement powers at the borders. Always good for a sound bite, Shane Jones isn't he, always good for a sound bite! So there is the tension in the North as well from those who were saying no stop wait give us time and that would be the Far North DHB chair, who also chairs Ngāti Kuri trust board, He says we just need time to get more of the people who live rurally, who are disengaged, who just need more time to talk to people they trust.You know, time seriously? Come on now. Come on, Harry.I understand the need to protect the vulnerable, but Shane’s right. Most of us are vaccinated. The vast majority of us are vaccinated. I mean, you'd have to be a pretty loathsome sort of person to...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As you would have heard Mike discussing this morning, Christopher Luxon has announced his shadow ministers.  Audrey Young and the New Zealand Herald has done a great head-to-head with the shadow ministers versus Ardern and her cabinet, and there do appear to be a number of capable spokesmen and women who could ask tough questions of this Government now that the lineups been announced.  I think this has been National’s most egregious failing, to have spent the past 18 months allowing this government to get away with a number of major stuff-ups, and not holding their feet to the fire and holding them to account.  In part Nationals been stymied by lockdowns and Parliament being limited by social distancing rules and skeleton representation, but really and truly an opposition party could, indeed should, have been calling out this government on its failings over the past year.  From memory, even Labour, when it was going through its own musical chairs hunt to find a leader, were better at calling out the Key Government on its failings, remember housing that became such a hot topic, than National have been doing in the past 18 months.  Still, as Christopher Luxon has said time and again, they are looking forward not back and the announcement of the shadow government should give a few Labour ministers a run for their money, looking at you, Michael Wood, Poto Williams, and Khris Faafoi.  Although Labour does have a very, very strong leader and a very capable deputy leader in Grant Robertson, and it'll be hard to remove their shine, I'm absolutely certain Christopher Luxon and Simon Bridges will give it a go.  Christopher Luxon says all of his appointments have been made on merit.  Absolutely, he’s bang on about that. So, looking at the shadow government, at the lineup. Do you think that's what he's been able to achieve?  Todd Muller was asked about the party caucus, and although he hasn't been given a ranking, he says it's a great lineup. You get a real sense of a National Party caucus, chosen very much on performance. People want to see a shadow cabinet of MPs who can run the future Government, and that's what it's starting to feel like. Not a cabal of malcontents. It's actually starting to look like okay on the one hand, you have Labour offering this, on the other, you have National offering that. And we haven't seen that for a while.  So, I'd like to get your feedback on this. Does this look like a party of capable performers who could offer you an alternative? If you don't like the incumbents, does this give you a valid choice? To me looking at it, it does. For the first time in a while, you have a sense that okay here are people who can get things done.  Early days I think you know, even the National Party faithful would probably be holding their breath and just hoping that this gets through Christmas and the first six months of next year.  But it is looking capable in the way that Christopher Luxon was appointed as Leader of National. Shows a party that's unified and on song. Not driven with inner feuding. It looks like a good lineup and it looks like an alternative. Which is the best we've seen for a very long time.  Speaking of Todd Muller, though, he's now decided he will in fact be standing in the Bay of Plenty electorate. After announcing in June that he'd be retiring at the next election. The electorate chair said he had plenty of support stand again, she's delighted. He says he's re-energized and ready to go after his infamous meltdown when he was the National Party leader for a very short time. And I think you should be given a chance to do it again.  I'd be very interested to hear from the people of Bay of Plenty. He’s your MP after all? It'll be up to you whether it gets his job back again. According to the electorate chair, he has plenty of support. Is that among the party faithful in the Bay of Plenty? Or is it among the actual voters?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inland Revenue have undertaken its biggest-ever computer project, switching off its first computer system following a five-year transition to new technology. Unisys last week unplugged the mainframe computers at its data centres in Auckland and on the Kapiti Coast that ran the tax system for more than 20 years. The phased switch to a new software system has gone hand-in-hand with tax rules designed to ensure people and businesses are taxed more accurately through the year. Inland Revenue chief executive Naomi Ferguson joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A solar farm big enough to power 20 percent of residential Christchurch is to be built at the city's airport. Kowhai Park is 400 hectares of land at Christchurch Airport that will be used to generate renewable energy. Phase one will deliver a 220-hectare solar array capable of generating 150 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 30,000 homes, on the airport campus. Australian renewable energy fund, Solar Bay, is committing $100 million to the development of Phase One. They say there is nothing else like this in New Zealand; it’s innovative, far ahead of its time and absolutely world leading in every sense. Solar Bay co-founder Andrew Archibald joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.