Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

LISTEN TO KERRE MCIVOR TALK WITH CODY WEDDLE, VENEZUELAN CORRESPONDENT FROM SAN ANTONIO DEL TACHIRAOppositionleader Juan Guaido has called on the international community to consider "all options" to resolve Venezuela's crisis, a dramatic escalation in rhetoric that echoes comments from the Trump administration hinting at potential U.S. military involvement.Guaido's comments late Saturday came after a tumultuous day that saw President Nicolas Maduro's forces fire tear gas and buckshot on activists trying to deliver humanitarian aid in violent clashes that left two people dead and some 300 injured.For weeks, the U.S. and regional allies had been amassing emergency food and medical kits on Venezuela's borders in anticipation of carrying out a "humanitarian avalanche" by land and sea to undermine Maduro's rule.With activists failing to penetrate government blockades and deliver the aid, Guaido announced late Saturday that he would escalate his appeal to the international community — beginning with a meeting Monday in Colombia's capital with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on the sidelines of an emergency summit of leaders of the so-called Lima Group to discuss Venezuela's crisis.He said he would urge the international community to keep "all options open" in the fight to restore Venezuela's democracy, using identical language to that of President Donald Trump, who in his public statements has repeatedly refused to rule out force and reportedly even secretly pressed aides as early as 2017 about the possibility of a military incursion.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also stepped up the belligerent rhetoric, saying on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that Maduro's "days are numbered."A close Guadio ally, Julio Borges, the exiled leader of congress who is Guaido's ambassador to the Lima Group, was even more explicit in urging a military option. "We are going to demand an escalation of diplomatic pressure ... and the use of force against Nicolas Maduro's dictatorship," he said Sunday.It's a prospect that analysts warn risks fracturing a hard-won coalition of Latin American nations who've come together to pressure Maduro's socialist government. Most Latin American governments, even conservative ones like those in neighboring Colombia and Brazil, are on the record opposing a military solution and would face huge dissent should they back any military action led by the U.S., whose interventions in the region during the Cold War remain an open wound."These governments know they would face a huge tide of internal opinion greatly offended by a US-led invasion for historical and political reasons," said Ivan Briscoe, the Latin America director for the Crisis Group, a Belgium-based think tank.At the same time, though polls say Venezuelans overwhelmingly want Maduro to resign, almost an equal number reject the possibility of a foreign invasion to resolve the political impasse.Resting at the foot of the Simon Bolivar bridge as work crews in Colombia began removing debris left by the unrest, Claudia Aguilar said she would support a military invasion but worries it would lead to more bloodshed.The 29-year-old pregnant mother of three said she crossed illegally into Colombia on Sunday to buy a bag of rice and pasta for her family after Maduro ordered a partial closure of the border two days earlier."We're with fear, dear God, of what will happen," she said standing near the dirt trail she took to sneak across the border. "More blood, more deaths. The president of Venezuela does whatever he wants."In addition to weakening multilateral pressure against Maduro, analysts say the opposition saber rattling also risks undermining Guaido's goal of peeling off support from the military, the country's crucial powerbroker.The 35-year-old Guaido has won the backing of more than 50 governments around the world since declaring himself interim president at a rally in...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sir Michael Cullen's working group has today recommended a swathe of changes to New Zealand's tax system. Here they are in a nutshell:Capital gains tax (CGT) to apply after the sale of residential property, businesses, shares, all land and buildings except the family home, and intangibles such as intellectual property and goodwill.Tax rate to be set at the income-earner's top tax rate, likely to be 33 per cent for most.Calculation of gains to not to be retrospective - tax to be applied to gains made after April 2021.Art, boats, cars, bikes, jewellery, personal household items and the family home to be exempt.Losses on the sale of assets bought before April 2021 will generally be able to be used to reduce paid on gains from other assets.Increase the threshold of the lowest tax rate (10.5 per cent), allowing more income to be taxed at the lower rate.Increase social welfare net benefits to allow similar benefits as low-income earners post tax threshold adjustments.House on farms and surrounding land up to 4500 sq metres exempt from CGT, calculated as a percentage of total farm value.CGT on small businesses can be deferred (roll over relief) if annual turnover is less than $5 million and sale proceeds are reinvested in similar asset class.No support to make company tax progressive ie smaller companies paying less than 28 per cent.Capital gains tax estimated to raise $8.3 billion over five years.Expand coverage and rate of Waste Disposal Levy, expand the ETS and use congestion charging.Better tax benefits for Kiwsavers on low and middle incomes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Britain has found a loophole to deny an Islamic bride access back to the UK.19-year-old Shamima Begum wants to return home after giving birth at a Syrian refugee camp.But Home Secretary Sajid Javid has blocked her request by revoking her British citizenship.BBC diplomacy specialist Stuart Hughes told Kerre McIvor she appears to have inherited Bangladeshi citizenship through her parents."A person can be deprived of their citizenship if Javid was satisfied it could be conducive to the public good, but they can't leave someone stateless."Hughes says that the UK government seems to believe that they are on a legal right foot. He says that Begum did seem relatively unrepentant about what she had done."She said she was heavily pregnant and wanted to return to Britain."Hughes says that the debate in the UK has focused on whether she is innocent or a threat to national safety. "Some people are saying she was 15 and had no idea what she was doing. Others are saying that most 15-year-olds would know that ISIS is bad." Begum's family said through their lawyer that they are disappointed by the decision, and are planning to appeal the decision.Due to the crisis in Syria, Begum's family have to inform their daughter of the decision themselves as there is no UK consulate in the country.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are growing international concerns that Russia will attempt to absbrb Belarus as part of Vladimir Putin's plans to hold on to power. Moscow Times declared over the weekend that Belarus is ready to become part of the superpower, the latest in Putin's long-running goal to acquire the neighbouring country.The comments come after a three day summit between the President and his Belarusian counterpart Alexsander Lukashenka, where Lukashenkna was reportedly attempting to assert his dominance and independence. However, whether that stops an apparently desperate Putin is up for debate. International relations expert Dr Robert Patman told Kerre McIvor that Putin clearly wants to stay in power as long as possible. "He has a constitutional problem as he can't run two consecutive terms as President, and he is now one year into his final five year term." Patman says that Putin is facing backlash over rising inequality in the country and the suppression of independent and opposition voices. "I think one of the reasons he's fearful of losing power is the ramifications if he can't determine his successor, as clearly his regime has engaged in activities which may be repugnant to a successor." Putin therefore wants to merge with Belarus, which would create a new nation state that could allow him to assume a new leadership role and carry on in power.  Patman says that it would mean that he would not have to exit the political world in 2024, when his term is currently Russia is Belarus's closest ally and the two have long since formed a nominal "union" with close trade and military co-operation.In December, Russia's largely irrelevant Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow was ready for closer integration with Belarus.According to him, this would include a common currency, shared customs services and courts. He said this was in line with a 1999 agreement to create a "union state."That agreement, signed by both Lukashenko and Putin's predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, outlines a full federation, including a new common flag, national symbols and a unified judiciary.However, Patman says that Putin risks isolating himself further if he goes through with the plan. "When he annexed in Crimea in neighbouring Ukraine, that actually made Russia more isolated in Europe than ever before."He says that Putin is likely more concerned with how a transfer of ideas to Russia's youth could affect him. That has seen Putin initiate plans to turn off the internet as a means of shutting out new information. "He doesn't want democracies to work. What he worries about is that the ideas represented by a liberal democracies will infect his own society and people will wonder why he has to be running the country for so long."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kerre talks to mental health advocate Mike King, who was last night named Kiwibank 2019 New Zealander of the Year.Drawing from his own personal experiences, King has bought the serious issues of depression, alcohol and drug abuse and suicide to public attention.Working alongside other mental health professionals, King has been the driving force of many initiatives to shift the way we think about mental health including with the Key to Life Charitable Trust and The Nutters Club.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I always wondered when the searchers and rescuers in this country would finally snap.It appears that time has come.Queenstown's harbour master and a rescue helicopter pilot based in the South, have come out and said what so many of us have been thinking for years - if people need to be rescued through their own incredibly stupid actions, they should pay for it.Two men were rescued on Sunday night after heading out onto the Kawerau River on an inflatable mattress.Marty Black, the harbour master, refused to send out a jet ski to rescue the idiots as it was too dangerous and would put rescuers at risk.Instead, a helicopter search and rescue team went out and picked up the pair at about 11 o'clock.The harbour master said he was dead against the public having to foot the bill when those who needed rescuing were at fault. He said he wasn't against rescuing them - but they needed to take responsibility for their actions.Otago Rescue Helicopters chief pilot backed up Marty Black's comments - if it's your stupidity that put you in that situation, if you were doing something that was ridiculous, then you should pay. Hear, hear.Look, accidents happen. Even the best prepared and most experienced adventurers in this country can come unstuck through pure bad luck. And search and rescue personnel are willing to put their own lives at risk in those circumstances because they know that one day, they might be the ones setting off the emergency signals.We all do stupid things - especially when we're young - and generally live to tell the tale. But personal accountability people!I was told by one of our surf lifesavers that most people, when they're rescued, walk away with barely a thank you. Very seldom do they receive a tangible expression of gratitude in the form of a donation. And that's just unacceptable. You do something so incredibly stupid that other people risk their own lives to save your sorry skin - the very least you can do is pay for the cost of your rescue.Speaking of paying, it's an outrage that a woman who the court has accepted was most likely abused, has to pay the legal costs of a convicted rapist. Mariya Taylor was driven out of the Defence Force when she was victimised by her boss.She took a claim against the Defence Force but legal niceties meant she lost the case and the rapist sued her for his legal costs. The Defence Force was going to go after her too but Jacinda Ardern stepped in and dissuaded the Force from doing so. Yes, it's his legal right to go his victim for costs and yes, the courts have to follow the rule of law, but this is - yet again -an example of the law not being justice.And finally, and I do apologise for going on, but a lot's got right up my snozz this morning, why isn't Andrew Little back in New Zealand sorting out this country's justice system and failure to protect women. He appeared at the United Nation's Universal Periodic Review in Geneva last night confessing all New Zealand's sins to the rest of the world and mea culpa-ing like the most sorrowful penitent.New Zealand's justice system is broken he said and we're failing New Zealand women. Quite right, said the rest of the countries there, pursing their lips.Shocking carry on. Dreadful treatment of Māori said Egypt, Indonesia and Russia. Sort yourselves out. Russia, for heaven's sake. Taking the moral high ground. It's a wonder the roof didn't cave in.This country isn't perfect - and certainly, we can make improvements. But what on earth is a group counselling session among UN nations doing to fix things? Hi I'm Andrew, I'm from New Zealand and we lock too many people up. Hi Andrew, you're safe here. A load of well-meaning tosh.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the audio above as BBC producer Stuart Hughes explains to Kerre McIvor what will happen next following today's defeat of the British PM's Brexit deal.The crushing defeat of Theresa May's EU withdrawal deal make a deadline extension inevitable and a soft Brexit more likely.Even a Brexit cancellation swims into view.In her response after the 432 -202 vote, the British Prime Minister said she would hold cross-party talks on Brexit if she survives a motion of no confidence tomorrow tabled by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.She is expected to do so — Conservative MPs and Tory allies the DUP are highly unlikely to join Labour in voting against her and the Government. May also - crucially - has protection from her own side: After a failed no-confidence vote in her leadership last month, she can't be challenged as party leader for a year.May said that she would return to the House of Commons next week with an alternative plan and would discuss any ideas from the cross-party talks with the EU.The decision to hold talks with other parties is significant.May's only way of getting some type of Brexit deal through is with the help of Labour MPs to counter the hardline Brexiteers.She has previously resisted building support on the other side of the fence.Before the vote, EU officials hinted that they expected Britain to request an extension to the Brexit deadline. That seems certain now.MPs have just gained more clout in the Brexit battle.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.