Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

The cyber-attack that's crippling Waikato District Health Board services could go on for days.The DHB's entire IT service was brought down by hackers yesterday morning, crashing phone lines, email and computers.All clinical services at Waikato, Thames, Tokoroa, Te Kuiti and Taumarunui hospitals are affected to varying degrees.Elective surgeries have been postponed and patient notes can't be accessed.It's similar to an attack on Ireland's Department of Health last week by a group named Conti.Ireland was hit with a demand for 20-million US Dollars to get their IT system back and the problem is ongoing.AUT's Professor Dave Parry for the Department of Computer Science told Kerre McIvor when something like this happens, it helps better prepare defence against future attacks."The one good thing is, that every time there is a successful attack, then the agencies and the organisations that share information about defence learn more about how that's being attacked and will fix that particular problem, and often look to see potential similar problems as well and close those off before they happen."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Auditor General has taken a proactive approach to New Zealand's vaccination rollout, and taken a long hard look at whether the health sector could meet the government's goal of vaccinating as many people as possible over the age of 16 by the end of the year. And in news that won't surprise you, the Auditor General has found the process wanting.  There was some good early progress, in that at the time of the audit; nearly 400 thousand doses had been administered. But John Ryan, the Auditor General, says what is in place right now won't be nearly enough when the programme is ramped up. He found that the Health Ministry had an awful lot of work to do. Some aspects of the plan weren't fully developed, information systems are still being worked on, there are concerns about the number of vaccinators and also concerns about the distribution model. Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins did a good job defending the programme, I thought, when he came on the MHB this morning.But ultimately, none of this is new is it? Yet again, it’s an example of people on the ground knowing exactly what's happening and months later, a report comes out confirming it. Remember the people who rang in and the texts I read out from people who had applied to be vaccinators? They were trained nurses either working or retired, who'd put up their hands to help and had heard nothing, zilch, back. And yet again, it's a case of over promising and under delivering, gold standard?  Not even gold plated. Look, plenty of countries are struggling to get their vaccination programmes right. The UK has provided a first vaccination to more than 40% of its population, whereas the EU is stuck around 12-14%.  Japan's Covid-19 vaccine chief has blamed a rigid drug approval system for a slow inoculation campaign that is relying on only one approved shot. The delay, along with a host of logistical problems, has meant Japan has inoculated just 2.9% of its population, the lowest rate among wealthy countries. So we're not alone in struggling to roll out the programme quickly and efficiently, but could we do better?  Of course we could, and there's no problem in pointing that out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an ideal world, every New Zealander who could be employed would be employed. He, she or they would skip off to work, a spring in their step and a song in their heart, happy in the knowledge that they were well remunerated for the job they were about to do, and knowing that should they wish to move up the corporate ladder, say from caregiver to rest home manager, there was a clear path there for the aspirational worker. But that's not what happens.There are some jobs Kiwis won't do and so employers are forced to attract hard workers from other countries. And now the Economic Development Minister wants a reset on our immigration policy.  In effect, he only wants highly skilled and high net worth individuals coming to our land of milk and honey and, if companies need workers, well, they're just going to have to pay New Zealanders more and offer better conditions. While Stuart Nash conceded to Mike Hosking this morning that some limited migration of lowly skilled workers might be allowed, it would be a measure of last resort.Nash.We are a nation of five million people.  If we want to box above our weight, productivity wise, we need to attract people from other countries to come and work here.  And we have to accept there are some jobs New Zealanders simply do not want to do. Hence the reason for Pacific Island immigration to Aotearoa New Zealand.  They did the jobs Kiwis didn't want to do and in return, Pacifica men and women received job opportunities, money that allowed them to support family back in the islands and education for their children. We didn't treat our Pacifica workforce terribly well. When we needed them all was well, when the economy took a couple of hits in the seventies, with the oil price shock and Britain joining the EU, unemployment rose and these people who'd helped create our booming economy of the fifties and sixties were told to go home. Anywho, I digress. It's a lovely idea to think that we will return to a time where a worker, no matter how lowly they are perceived to be on the corporate ladder, would be able to live in dignity and raise a family without depending on the state for a handout. I'm old enough to remember a time when that was so.  Whether the school principal or the school caretaker, you were able to live on your wage. And maybe it is time for a complete reset.  But how do we do that? Not everybody has the ability to be an engineer or an internet entrepreneur.  Some people are really good at making vulnerable people feel safe and nurtured, who can create a pleasant environment for someone suffering - and sadly, those are skills that don't earn you the big bucks.But should you be denied the opportunity to make a living because those skills aren't valued.  What will this mean for the hospitality industries, the aged care homes, the orchardists, the farmers?  Will prices go up?  Will business go offshore or shut up shop altogether? Or do we create a utopian New Zealand where every Kiwi not only has the dignity of work, but is happy and valued in what they do.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

She might not believe the numbers.  She might claim that no-one in her party is out to roll her.  But National party leader Judith Collins would not have enjoyed hearing the results of the latest Newshub-Reid Research Poll that shows her falling even further in popularity. The latest poll shows Jacinda Arden streets ahead in the preferred PM stakes at 48.1 per cent, although she is down 4.5 percentage points, Judith Collins was at 5.6 percent, down 12 percentage points. Judith Collins says at this point in the election cycle she simply doesn't care.But seriously how long can she expect to remain leader with those sorts of figures? Simon Bridges was rolled in part for leading National to a shocking low of 30 percent in 2020.  Judith Collins had an unenviable task leading a hapless hopeless party into the 2020 election but since that time she's failed to fire. She was a strong and powerful figure in Opposition but as leader she has been somewhat muted.  ACT is doing a better job leading the opposition although Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis are making inroads in their respective portfolios. The answer is if not her, who?  Until the National caucus knows the answer to that, Judith Collins is safe.  But once a viable alternative presents themselves, she'll be gone.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has shut down the idea that New Zealand will return to life under Covid-19 alert level 2.5 when the borders open.It comes after director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield yesterday floated the vision that opening up the border to vaccinated tourists could require Kiwis to return to alert level 2.5.Speaking on Kerre McIvor Mornings on Newstalk ZB, Ardern said it would more likely be a "1.5 environment"."I spoke to [Bloomfield] and he said he was referencing more a 1.5 environment with things like QR code scanning, those kind of things we need to be aware of on a day to day in that transition period," Ardern said.The Prime Minister's comments came in response to a caller who was worried the country was now being restricted to gatherings of ten.Ardern was quick to say that was not the case, saying it was a discussion about creating extra "buffers" when we do open the borders which could be at the end of this year.She said there was no suggestion that for three to five years New Zealand will be in a constant level of a 2.5 environment."A lot of it is going to come down to how many people we have vaccinated, the more people we have vaccinated the more freedom we can have.She said in the same way we have immunisations for measles we do still have outbreaks from time to time and we have to make sure we contain those.Ardern dedicated an hour to answering questions from Newstalk ZB callers.It is the first time this year the Prime Minister has been in studio with McIvor.She will also be answering questions from McIvor about child poverty, homelessness, the public sector pay freeze and District Health Boards.Ardern speaks ahead of Budget 2021, which will be announced next Thursday, May 20.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You'd like to think you'd be the first to rush in if someone was being threatened, but there is a very real risk in these mad and crazy times that you could literally be putting your life on the line to help. In the wake of the Dunedin Countdown stabbings, there are stories of tremendous courage on the part of the store manager and bystanders who are now in hospital recovering from their injuries. Others said they just froze, they saw what was happening, they knew people were in trouble but they did nothing. People who failed to step in are being told they shouldn't feel guilty, remember Austin Hemmings? He was the father of three, the devoted husband and the incredible colleague who was coming out of his workplace when he saw a man assaulting a woman and stepped in to help her escape. He was stabbed and fatally injured; he paid the ultimate price for being a Good Samaritan. If you've ever been in that situation I'd love to know how you handled it. Does it help if you have been trained for a conflict situation?Say, if you've been in the army or you were a police officer or a corrections officer? Does it help if you know first aid?One of the reasons I did a first aid course a couple of years ago because I felt it was almost inevitable I'll come across an accident? In these mad and crazy times, we ask the question ‘will people step in?’The answer is yes, and we saw that in Dunedin yesterday.If you've ever been in that situation I'd love to hear your story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government's making space in managed isolation to get skilled and critical workers into the country.Over the next 10 months, 500 spaces per fortnight will be allocated to support New Zealand's economic recovery.Three hundred seasonal workers will be able to arrive each month from June, 2400 in total by next March.There's also an allocation for construction workers, international students and refugees.COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says they need to balance seasonal and strategic skills shortages, using spaces freed up by the trans-Tasman bubble.But dairy farmers and the hospitality sector are disappointed the government is not allocating MIQ spaces to workers who could help.Federated Farmers Immigration spokesman Chris Lewis and restaurateurs Chand Sahrawat and her husband Sid, told Kerre McIvor they’re disappointed with the announcement.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Break out the bubbly.Well, the bubbly we would have had if our winegrowers had been able to harvest their grapes.From next month around 300 of the country's 6200 MIQ rooms will be allocated to RSE workers every month, meaning 2400 RSE workers are estimated to arrive by March next year. There will also be 400 international students allowed in June for the start of semester two, 240 specialised construction workers will arrive between June and October. The government has also renewed border exceptions for shearers, rural mobile plant machinery operators and essential travellers to and from the Pacific. Oh, and as of July, we'll be getting 100 refugees every six weeks. Sorry?  Yes, that's right, 100 refugees every six weeks. I totally get that we are in a very fortunate position as a country and that we have international obligations; it is utterly incumbent upon us to share our good fortune. But, given that we have 22,521 applicants on the Housing Register as at 31 December 2020, an increase of 51.5 percent compared with the same time last year (i.e. December 2019), given that we're spending more than a million dollars a day on emergency housing grants for 8500 people, many of whom have complex high needs, where are we going to put those refugees?Chris Hipkins’ office didn't know so they referred us to Kris Faafoi's office, who didn't know and they referred us to an immigration manager who is going to get back to us. In an ideal world, religious groups would be sponsoring these refugees and they would be helping provide rentals and jobs and support and all would be well. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that these poor buggers are going to be out of the frying pan that is a UN refugee camp and into the fire that is an emergency housing motel in Rotorua or Hamilton. Hard to be grateful for that.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is hitting gangs where it hurts their pockets.It's amending the Criminal Proceeds Act to allow seizure of assets of people associated with organised crime – for items they couldn't afford with their legal income.Police Association President Chris Cahill told Kerre McIvor this is a positive move for Police - and they could do it with more of their possessions. "If you can take those bikes and say 'you explain to us how you paid for that legally'. If you can, you can have it back, and if you can't, it's getting forfeited, and that can have a real impact."However, Mongrel Mob Kingdom's adviser Louise Hutchinson says it will affect how gang members get kai for families."Hunting is a primary means for them to gather kai for their whanau, especially in our rural areas." Asides from that, she says she doesn't see this making a difference on the ground."There's still huge problems with poverty, the housing crisis. These things aren't being addressed, which is driving the likes of crime in our nation."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well there's a funny old thing. Last week, I received a text from someone saying that we needed to be aware that Māori were being appointed to conservation councils replacing elected councillors and that this was being done without any consultation. I'm pretty sure I read it out - it was a big week and maybe I thought I just did - but we did pass it on to our news room. And then what do you know, on Sunday the National Party releases a document that shows the body tasked with reviewing conservation policies has been recommended that the Conservation Act be reviewed and replaced with a system that better honours the Treaty of Waitangi.   It also suggests that the government reforms all conservation entities including Doc and that the Crown revoke its ownership of indigenous species.  And to provide for the delegation, transfer and devolution of functions and powers within the conservation system to tangata whenua.I get that Māori can make a strong claim that they are better kaitiaki of the environment than the government or local councils when you look at the state of the nation's oceans and rivers. But surely any kind of bold transformation of the Conservation Act should involve all parties concerned.  If 85 per cent of the West Coast is affected, then should Coasters be involved in the decision making? Inter-generational recreational fishers and hunters, professional hunters - shouldn't they too have a right to have their voices heard? I like going for the odd tramp or bush walk and as a family we want to do more of that.  There's no suggestion we won't be able to access DOC parks in the future, no suggestion that parts of New Zealand will be closed off to some New Zealanders and not others. We saw that with the transfer of ownership of mountains to iwi - for example, the 14 tupuna maunga of Auckland that were part of the settlement of 2014 -  technically they are in the custody of their traditional iwi but they are held in trust for the common benefit of the iwi/hapū of Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau and the other people of Auckland.So undoubtedly there will be much comment, much debate - especially as government review committees seem to be recommending Maori have a seat at the table in many areas of government.  We had health last week, conservation this week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.