Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

Deborah was by far one of our most popular callers in the last while!  LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're fat - unhealthily overweight - is it a matter of personal responsibility or because you're a victim of a toxic food culture?Judith Collins was speaking to Chris Lynch in Christchurch yesterday and pooh poohed the idea of an obesity epidemic saying it was time for people to take personal responsibility if they were fat.  I tend to be of that school of thought myself - but speaking purely for myself.  If I pile on the lard, it's because I'm making too many poor choices about what I put in my mouth - mainly alcohol - and not doing enough exercise.  And I think most of us feel that way don't we?  If we look in the mirror or see fatties on the street, we don't see them as prisoners of their DNA or collateral damage in the junk food wars - we see lazy ill-disciplined greedy people.But bariatric surgeon Dr Richard Barbour says obesity is not a moral failing. He us adamant that the science says it comes down to our genetic makeup and the food environment in which we live.If you want to lose weight and you want to lose it permanently the most effective way to do that is surgery.According to specialists, bariatric surgery leads to lasting weight lost, improved quality of life, remission of type 2 diabetes and reduced heart disease and cancer risk.  But whether or not you get that surgery depends very much on where you live.Compare these two DHBs – Canterbury DHB to Waitematā DHB. Both regions have a similar population and morbid obesity rate, but the number of surgeries being done at Waitematā is far higher.  In 2017, 478 people had publicly funded gastric bypass surgery. Since the launch of the Ministry of Health's bariatric initiative in 2010, public funding for procedures reached $18 million.But the surgeries are not keeping pace with demand. I don't know – I can gain and lose fifteen kilos over a year to eighteen months. I have friends, mostly male, who have stayed exactly the same weight for twenty odd years, give or take half a kilo.  I have no idea how they do it. But what I do know is that if I reduce my alcohol intake, and regularly exercise, the kilos start to drop off.  And that says that for me, I'm not a victim of anyone or anything.  In my case Judith Collins is right, it’s all about personal responsibility.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Greens don't have a bottom line for forming a coalition in parliament.Co-leader James Shaw reveals instead the party has six top priorities it's taking into this election.He told Kerre McIvor those include income support, transport, housing, the marine environment, clean energy and the future of farming.Shaw says they're not going to get everything they've laid out - but they want to make progress across all six packages.Watch the video aboveSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I have been banging on about this for years.  A new report from the New Zealand Initiative backs up everything I've ever thought of about our education system.What it says is that New Zealand’s education system is a mess, riddled with unscientific ideas and seduced by child-centred orthodoxy, according to the new research.Amen. I have said that before but not as eloquently.Falling from its height as the envy of the world just twenty years ago, the Ministry of Education has let New Zealand’s education system unravel by turning the focus away from teaching knowledge and on to 21st-century “competencies.”Author Briar Lipson outlined just what's gone wrong in the Mike Hosking Breakfast this morning. She said that New Zealand has gone from being the envy to“Our 15year olds perform the way 13 ½ year olds did in maths 20 years ago.”Lipson says that the pendulum has swung too far to letting kids have more of a say in their education, while other countries have realised their mistakes.“We’re just gone too far in the other direction,” she says.This is everything I've always thought. There was a time when a child could come into New Zealand's education system and it wouldn't matter where they were in the country or how poorly prepared they were when they came into the new entrants - they had a chance. Education was a way up and a way out.A New Zealand education could set a child up for life.  I know of so many scientists and artists and writers who came from tiny rural schools who were inspired by their teachers, who didn't just believe they could foot it amongst the best in the world, they actually could.  I have been appalled at education being hijacked by ideologues - education shouldn't be about fashion.  It shouldn't be about academics egos, fighting to get their particular view entrenched in the education system. It should never be about the subject of competing theories. You don't have fashions in medicine.  You have advances - but you don't have fashions.  Medicine too isn't patient led.  It's about best practice.  And that's what education should be about.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First is promising that introducing a "coward Punch" law will be a major priority in any post-election deals with other political parties.And, speaking to Newstalk ZB this morning, NZ First leader Winston Peters revealed that he thought it is much more likely that Labour will be able to form a Government after the election than National."I can see the outcome of this election at the moment – the National Party and the Act Party are miles away from being able to make it; it's simple mathematics."His comments came before he unveiled his party's law and order policy, where Peters said his party's policy would put victims first.NZ First would push for the training of 1000 new cops and for a law which aims to protect first responders from assaults while on the job.The last policy is one NZ First tried to get through in the previous term of Government but – despite being introduced in early 2018 – it is still languishing in a select committee and is nowhere near becoming law."Creating 'safer Kiwi communities' can only occur with robust and balanced justice and corrections systems," Peters told media today.He made the announcement in front of a central Auckland Police station."These policies announced today will go a long way to ensuring the fundamental focus of our justice and corrections systems is the ultimate safety and protection of our communities."The policy to recruit a further 1000 new frontline police officers was released in NZ First's policy manifesto last week.But today was the first time Peters has spoken about his party's plans to introduce a "Coward Punch" law – a piece of legislation which he said would reduce "gutless acts of violence".A coward punch, according to Peters, is when someone is blindsided with a blow usually from behind – also called a "sucker punch".He said there was an "alarming" number of these types of punches being thrown."[The law] would ensure harsher penalties for those who are found guilty of the offence."This includes a mandatory six months in prison for anyone who throws a coward's punch and causes injury and a mandatory eight-year jail sentence for anyone who kills someone using this method of assault.Peters also wants to introduce what he has called a "degrees of murder legislation," whereby those who commit the most violent and premeditated crimes would face harsher sentences."The highest degree of murder will carry a minimum sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole."The only person in New Zealand's legal history to receive a life sentence with no parole is convicted mass murderer and terrorist, Brenton Tarrant – who murdered 51 people on March 15, 2019.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeremy called into Kerre McIvor to discuss the panic around Covid-19 and says there is no risk/benefit analysis that stacks up. If we are not prepared to take risks with a travel bubble, we'll never be prepared to take any risk.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Act Party leader David Seymour says being Deputy Prime Minister isn't out of the question - but it's unlikely.During last night's second leaders' debate, National's Judith Collins said he'd be excellent in the role if her party won the election.Seymour told Kerre McIvor it's not on his mind."Act has always been more focused on policies and what we can leave behind to make this a better place, than any particular job".He says John Key offered him the opportunity to be a minister in the past, which he turned down."I thought, look there's the limo, a pay rise, the title and everything else but at the end of the day, there are lots of people who've been ministers and they can't point to something they've done for New Zealand"."I'm really proud we got End of Life Choice across the line by me turning down being a minister and I'm pretty prepared to make that sort of decision again".Seymour's meteoric rise in the 1News/Colmar Brunton poll this week put Act up to 8 per cent, 1 per cent above the Greens. It means the party would secure 10 seats in Parliament.From a one-man band to potentially bringing nine other MPs back to Parliament with him, it could mean the biggest caucus for Act since 2002, when it had nine MPs under leader Richard Prebble.Seymour is live on NewstalkZB with Kerre McIvor for an hour from 10.07am.Seymour himself was at 2 per cent as preferred Prime Minister, ahead of Winston Peters' 2 per cent in the TVNZ poll.National leader Judith Collins said this morning she'd have no problem appointing Seymour as Deputy PM should a National-Act alliance hit the 51 per cent party-vote mark on election day.Collins told Mike Hosking this morning she thought Seymour would make an "excellent" Deputy Prime Minister in her government which was met with a "jeepers" from Jacinda Ardern during last night's MediaWorks leaders debate."David Seymour is a principled person in my experience and he and I have worked together before. I'd rather have him any day than what Miss Ardern has had," Collins said.Sunday's Newshub Reid Research poll put Act up three points to 6.3, which would give the party eight seats in Parliament.The stars have aligned for the party that's battled through successive leaders and scandals, to now be polling as the third-largest party behind National.In the past the focus on Act, come election time, has been whether or not it would get the nod from National in Epsom - the electorate seat that's been the party's lifeline for a number of election cycles.Seymour now mounts the argument he's able to secure that seat under his own steam.Not only that, but Act, as one of the smaller parties, has been polling over the 5 per cent threshold in recent months, meaning the Epsom seat is a "good to have" for Seymour, but not as crucial for the party's survival.The combination of Seymour's consistent and persistent campaign on the End of Life Choice Act, his sole opposition to the first tranche of firearms reforms and the woes of political ally National, mean Act is sitting pretty for the first time in two decades.- Additional reporting, Jo Moir RNZSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Act Party leader David Seymour says being Deputy Prime Minister isn't out of the question - but it's unlikely.During last night's second leaders' debate, National's Judith Collins said he'd be excellent in the role if her party won the election.Seymour says [told Kerre McIvor] it's not on his mind."Act has always been more focused on policies and what we can leave behind to make this a better place, than any particular job".He says John Key offered him the opportunity to be a minister in the past, which he turned down."I thought, look there's the limo, a pay rise, the title and everything else but at the end of the day, there are lots of people who've been ministers and they can't point to something they've done for New Zealand"."I'm really proud we got End of Life Choice across the line by me turning down being a minister and I'm pretty prepared to make that sort of decision again".Seymour's meteoric rise in the 1News/Colmar Brunton poll this week put Act up to 8 per cent, 1 per cent above the Greens. It means the party would secure 10 seats in Parliament.From a one-man band to potentially bringing nine other MPs back to Parliament with him, it could mean the biggest caucus for Act since 2002, when it had nine MPs under leader Richard Prebble.Seymour is live on NewstalkZB with Kerre McIvor for an hour from 10.07am.Seymour himself was at 2 per cent as preferred Prime Minister, ahead of Winston Peters' 2 per cent in the TVNZ poll.National leader Judith Collins said this morning she'd have no problem appointing Seymour as Deputy PM should a National-Act alliance hit the 51 per cent party-vote mark on election day.Collins told Mike Hosking this morning she thought Seymour would make an "excellent" Deputy Prime Minister in her government which was met with a "jeepers" from Jacinda Ardern during last night's MediaWorks leaders debate."David Seymour is a principled person in my experience and he and I have worked together before. I'd rather have him any day than what Miss Ardern has had," Collins said.Sunday's Newshub Reid Research poll put Act up three points to 6.3, which would give the party eight seats in Parliament.The stars have aligned for the party that's battled through successive leaders and scandals, to now be polling as the third-largest party behind National.In the past the focus on Act, come election time, has been whether or not it would get the nod from National in Epsom - the electorate seat that's been the party's lifeline for a number of election cycles.Seymour now mounts the argument he's able to secure that seat under his own steam.Not only that, but Act, as one of the smaller parties, has been polling over the 5 per cent threshold in recent months, meaning the Epsom seat is a "good to have" for Seymour, but not as crucial for the party's survival.The combination of Seymour's consistent and persistent campaign on the End of Life Choice Act, his sole opposition to the first tranche of firearms reforms and the woes of political ally National, mean Act is sitting pretty for the first time in two decades.- Additional reporting, Jo Moir RNZSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A rare indoor plant has been stolen from the Christchurch Botanic Gardens amid the current craze over house plants.The variegated monstera is hard to come by here due to our biosecurity laws, making it prized by houseplant lovers.It's estimated that a cutting of the plant could be worth $3000.The increasing interest in indoor plants has seen a rise in price - Trade Me recently hit a new record for house plant prices – a variegated minima that sold for $8150.Gardening journalist Lynda Hallinan joined Kerre McIvor to share her knowledge on the rare plant.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Prime Minister Sir John Key reckons the time is now to build a second harbour bridge in Auckland, amid the ongoing troubles with the current crossing.Motorists are being warned to stay way from the bridge, with heavy winds buffeting the super city and making for hazardous driving conditions.NZTA says it may close some lanes of the bridge if wind gusts exceed 80 kilometres per hour, and motorbikes, trucks and tall vehicles should use the Western Ring Route.As it is, motorists continue to face delays during peak time traffic, with the two middle lanes closed.Sir John Key told Kerre McIvor there will never be an optimum time to build a second bridge."The problem we're dealing with is... [it] take a lot of time, costs a lot of money. But it's a bit like the CBD rail tunnel, we backed that in the end not because we thought it was value for money... but it ultimately unlocked infrastructure opportunities in Auckland."Tell me it's ever going to get cheaper... it's not, so you may as well get on with it."Key adds the reality is, things always take time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.