Well after a wonderful weekend, a fabulous weekend, the incidents on Saturday afternoon and Saturday night were really disappointing.  Increasingly, New Zealand is starting to feel like 1970’s New Zealand, but without the good bits. We've got the racism, we've got the homophobia, but we don't have the housing affordability and the excellent education system. It's the 70s gone wrong. What is it with some people? Do we have to fight the good fight every single generation? A group of smug, righteous, deluded members of Destiny Church, led by that oleaginous, self-aggrandising, self appointed bishop Tamaki, pushed, shoved, and punched their way inside the Te Atatu Community Centre where a drag artist was hosting a child's science show. Nobody had been forced to take their children to the drag queen’s science show. Classrooms weren't herded up and put on buses and made to go. This was a free choice made by parents who knew their children would enjoy seeing a Unicorn on two feet. Which is what drag artists look like. The children were not frightened by sequins and rainbows and colour, but they would have been terrified by thugs and yelling, shoving and crashing their way into the building. About 30 toddlers, young children and their parents sought refuge within the community centre by barricading themselves inside. Hours later, the same group broke through police barricades at the Auckland Rainbow Parade. There they made a complete nuisance of themselves and held up the parade with a haka. Destiny Church are perfectly free to protest. If they want to ignore the teachings of the New Testament, as I understand them - we all have our different readings of the Bible – but as I understand it, if Tamaki wants to instruct his followers to follow some interpretive dance version of the fire and brimstone Old Testament according to Tamaki, they want to hold up their signs and chant their slogans, fill your jackboots, do what you will. Everyone has the right to protest peacefully but storming into a community library, imposing their own version of how to live on others. No. Tamaki said there may have been some pushing and shoving, but that he would smack anyone who was trying to pervert his child in a room. Oh really? I wasn't going to go there, but seeing as Tamaki has, you'll have probably seen the posting that's been doing the rounds for some time now, the post that shows a chart: Two different groups have been convicted of sexually abusing children in New Zealand between 1990 and 2022. Drag Queens on one side, church leaders and members on the other. Number of drag Queens have been convicted of the sexual abuse of children over 32 years. None. Not one. Number of church members have been convicted of the sexual abuse of children over 32 years. 22. That is the tip of the iceberg. So yeah, when it comes to perversion, Tamaki might want to have a long look at the history of church groups over the past few years.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister says anti-LGBTQ protestors linked to Destiny Church, went too far in disruptions yesterday. Members of the church's Man Up and Legacy groups, stormed a children's drag event at a west Auckland library - where about 30 people had to be barricaded inside. Later, police intervened, when the the same group also disrupted Pride Parade festivities, on Ponsonby Road, with a haka. The Topp Twins also made a statement on their social media saying “We will not be intimidated. We will not stand for violence. We are vibrant, strong, beautiful and loving. We will not go away."  Dame Jools Topp joins the show. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says he's aware there's strong interest in the outcomes of his China visit, and will share details in the coming days.   Foreign Minister Winston Peters has expressed concern the Cook Islands didn't properly consult New Zealand on its proposed agreements with China.    Brown says he's engaged in critical discussions over the past days, opening the door to such collaboration as expanding marine research, and improving climate resilience.    He says every conversation is guided by what's best for the Cook Islands.  Dr Lachlan McNamee, Lecturer of Politics at Monash University, told Kerre Woodham that since the agreement is likely be focusing on things like fishing and deep sea mining, you can see why Brown may not have thought it was necessary to consult New Zealand.  However, he says, it’s still a bit impolite, and is probably a legacy of the bad blood that was created last year when the proposal to create a separate Cook Islands passport was vetoed.  McNamee says the situation is certainly not something you would expect between close diplomatic partners like New Zealand and the Cook Islands.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It may be Valentine's Day but not everything in love is chocolates and roses.  Romance scams are affecting an increasing number of Kiwis, fraudsters crafting elaborate fake relationships and emotional connections in order to convince their victims to send money.   Last week the Herald reported on a woman who wasted two years and more than $375,000 on what turned out to be a romance scam with an impersonation of actor Martin Henderson.  ANZ’s Head of Customer Protection Alan Thomsen told Kerre Woodham that there’s a misconception that those who fall victim to romance scams are all over the age of 60, but a third of their victims are under the age of 45.   He says that many victims are in a vulnerable state, and it’s important for people to stop and pause before committing to anything.  ANZ is also making an effort to educate and raise awareness around romance scams, creating a unique rose. The “Scammers Bloom”, is a beautiful long-stemmed rose - the ultimate symbol of love - and while it looks beautiful, once you get closer you realise it smells fishy. The special blooms will be available at their pop-up shop 'Love Stinks' in Ponsonby, Auckland.  The bouquets come with a charming collection of Valentine’s Day cards which help normalise talking about romance scams, and give people the tips to help look out for and avoid romance scams. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've seen floods in Europe, fires in California and in the last couple of years, weather events here at home. As of the 1st of September 2023, insurers had paid out $2.053 billion on claims relating to the Auckland Anniversary flood and Cyclone Gabrielle. That's expected to increase to $3.5 billion once all claims are settled. Two weather events, one small country, $3.5 billion. And represents the vast majority of insured losses recorded in the Asia Pacific region for the first half of 2023. Insurers keep announcing they've broken new records for pay-outs. Data released by the Insurance Council of Australia last year shows that the impact of extreme weather on the Australian economy has more than tripled over the last three decades. A couple of years ago, the Insurance Council of New Zealand reported that the total amount paid out by insurers for weather related claims in 2022 had reached a record-breaking $335.58 million. A staggering sum, a huge amount. And then along came the Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle and made the previous year's payouts look like chump change. $335.58 million - staggering amount of money - hello $3.5 billion. It can't go on, its unsustainable. Insurers can and have put up their premiums, but there comes a point where people can't or won't pay those premiums. Home insurance premiums rose by an average of 21.2 percent between September 2022 and 2023 quarters. Should home insurance become unaffordable, and this has happened in other parts of the world, both unaffordable and unavailable - there may be pressure for Government intervention. That's already happened in the UK and in parts of the US, for risks that private insurers have come to regard as unaffordable in certain areas.  Mind you, I don't know how willing the taxpayer would be to insure homeowners whose homes have been deemed uninsurable by private companies. That's just your home insurance. What about the rising cost of health insurance? Income protection insurance? Life insurance? Car insurance? A story out today shows more people are considering changing their car insurance policy or switching to third-party coverage as premiums continue to rise.  The latest data from insurance comparison website Quashed shows the average quote for comprehensive car insurance has increased 41 percent in two years. Average quotes for home and contents insurance have risen 31 percent over the same period. And according to Quashed, more users are looking into other options, including third-party as they face a conundrum between cheaper premiums and greater coverage. So what do you do when the household budget is tight? Or when there are increasing pressures upon it, what gives? Say you're a young couple, two kids, car and a big mortgage. What do you do? What insurances do you pay - or what has to give? Do you keep up the life insurance payments so that if heaven forfend one of you dies, the other isn't left with dreadful grief, parentless children and a $500K mortgage? Do you keep up the income protection, which is incredibly expensive? So that if you get ill and you can't work, you won't lose your home and your business? Do you give up the health insurance because you're a young couple and you've got two young kids and hopefully you'll be fine? Do you go to third party with the car? When you retire, you don't have to pay income protection anymore - so do you keep up the life insurance? Do you pay the premiums as a gift to the next generation coming up? Or do you spend it in the here and now? What do you do? Insurance is there just in case, it's an investment that you hope you never have to cash in on for most of it. If you have to cash in on your insurance policies, chances are something's gone badly wrong. Is it a nice to have or a must have?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government this morning laid out it's intentions to tackle New Zealand's two-horse supermarket race.  Economic Growth and Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the Government has the power to make the market more attractive and encourage a third player.  They’re planning to remove regulations discouraging other supermarkets competing.  Foodstuffs North Island CEO Chris Quin told Kerre Woodham that it’s not a surprise.  He says competition is good for the supermarket sector, and the actions they took were always with the assumption that new competition could come at any time.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s growing potential for a new player to tackle New Zealand's two-horse supermarket race.  The Government's laying out intentions to encourage a third player to challenge the two incumbents of Foodstuffs and Woolworths.  It's planning to remove regulations discouraging other supermarkets competing.  Economic Growth and Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Kerre Woodham the Government has the power to make the market more attractive.  She confirms there's interest, and says she’s been informed there has been a proposal.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As you will have heard, the Salvation Army has released its 18th State of the Nation report and it paints a grim picture. New Zealanders are worse off than they were a year ago in terms of food security, employment, and housing, according to the data. Mike Hosking made the point this morning that the Sallies report seldom makes for good news. It's not often you're cracking the champagne going ‘well that’s sorted child poverty – done, homelessness solved’. The Sallies are focused on caring for those who are struggling for whatever reason – for those who have slipped through the cracks, for those whose needs are complex and varied. But according to the report author, it's the worst set of results he's seen in six years of writing the report.   This doesn't surprise me. Times are tough for people with jobs, without drug and alcohol addictions, with homes and children in education, you can only imagine how tough it is for people who have limited choices. The cruel reality of a recession is that when more people than ever before are looking for help, fewer people are able to give it. Government funding has been reduced, and people are finding it more difficult to contribute to charitable organisations. The number of people receiving income support in 2024 exceeded 400,000 —a record high— and unemployment returned to levels seen at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.   Yes, it's called chickens coming home to roost. This is what happens after soaring inflation and enormous budget blowouts. It's awful, and it's hard, and it's painful, and those who are struggling already suffered disproportionately. Salvation Army Principal Social Policy Analyst and the report author Paul Barber spoke to Mike Hosking this morning and said a stable home is vital to the well-being of a community.   “We've seen a really mixed story around homelessness and housing. We've seen a fantastic increase in the number of public houses, so social housing available to help people who are waiting for or need a home. But on the other hand, we've also seen a disturbing rise in the street homelessness, as people's emergency housing support’s been ended.   “Our view is it's important to be beside people, to help them get stability in their lives and to help people have their lives transformed. And what we see when social housing is doing well, that's exactly what happens, and in fact, that's why we strongly support increasing community and Kainga Ora government owned public housing, so that we can actually help people, help end homelessness. That's the dream and we've seen a lot of progress in that space, and we'd really like to see that continue.”  Yes, we certainly saw Labour pushing out as many state houses as Kainga Ora could build in the last years of its government, and hopefully Paul Barber heard Simon Moutter when he came in to explain the vision of Kainga Ora last week. That they want to have a sustained building program that's not subject to ebbs and flows, that it's a sustained building program that will allow houses to be built for those who need them.   Paul Barber said what we need is more compassion and more help for those people who are really, really struggling, and that is a lovely sentiment and what you would expect from the Salvation Army. But ultimately, it is not terribly helpful. Compassion doesn't feed a family. You can have all the compassion in the world for people who are doing it tough, but if you haven't got any money leftover in your pocket at the end of the week you can't do anything about it.   And yes, of course more help is needed for people who are struggling, but help costs money, and where does that help come from? When a country is in recession, when people who do have jobs and pay cheques have less in their pockets every week, there isn't the money to fund the sort of programmes that Paul Barber is talking about. It didn't just happen. It's not as though there's been a change of government and all of a sudden there have been resets and we've decided that we don't care about people, and that we don't care about social housing, and that we don't care about homelessness.   What we need far more than compassion is a productive, thriving economy so that people who can, can look after themselves. And people who can't, will benefit from assistance provided by a government that's got plenty of money flowing into its coffers through exports, through increased taxation, and from caring donors who've got more than enough and are happy to share. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A belief economic pain is driving a dip in the polls for the right, rather than Coalition dynamics.  Two polls out yesterday showed support dropping for Christopher Luxon as preferred Prime Minister, and the figures would let the left bloc form a Government.  Luxon told reporters his team is focused on the job at hand, prioritising economic growth.  He has rejected calls to act more like Donald Trump in signing executive orders, saying we have a different political system.  University of Otago Law Professor Andrew Geddis told Kerre Woodham the US President is elected on a separate basis and has powers specific to the role that allow things like executive orders.  He says that in New Zealand, the Prime Minister is the head of the executive branch but only insofar as Parliament lets them be.   Geddis also notes that many of the things Trump is doing are flat out illegal, as he can’t use executive orders to overturn the Constitution.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two new political polls out show Labour, the Greens and Te Pati Māori would have enough support to form the next government, should an election be held tomorrow, while also suggesting more people believe the country's headed in the wrong direction.   The latest 1News-Verian poll found support had dipped for the coalition government who could only muster 60 seats in Parliament, not enough to meet the 61-seat majority required. A combination, however, of Labour, the Greens and Te Pati Māori did reach the 61-seat threshold. And that follows a Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll that also found the left bloc could form a government.   Does that mean that you and I, that New Zealanders, want to see a government installed tomorrow comprised of Labour, the Greens and Te Pati Māori? I don't believe so. I think what the polls are telling us is that people want to see action, they want to see results. Like kids in the back of the car on a long, hot summer roadie, we want to know if we're there yet.   For those with mortgages and children and businesses to run, it has been a long, tough three years. We're tired of scrimping. We're tired of barely getting by and making do. We're tired of having a knot of tension constantly in our stomachs that comes from living so precariously.   The Prime Minister keeps telling us economic growth is the key to turning things around. We're going as fast as we can. But things are changing, things are going to get better. Just like Dad driving the car, he's sick of telling us that yes, we're nearly there but we’ve still got a nasty, windy bit to come. For God's sake, kids. I'm going as bloody fast as I can, as safely as I can. And what thanks does he get from the whining kids in the back? None.   National issued a pledge card in the lead up to the ‘23 election. Lower inflation and grow the economy. Check and in progress. Tax cuts. Check. Build new roads. Yep. Tackle gangs, introduce boot camps. Yep. Lift school achievement. Well TBC but certainly making the right noises and going in the right direction with the new school curriculum. Cut health waiting times, give Kiwis access to more cancer treatments. Don't know about the waiting times, but the new cancer treatments have been signed off. Support seniors and deliver net zero by 2025. So far on track.   And Luxon can say for heaven's sake, people, I'm doing the best I can, I'm doing what I said I would do. But then we have all the distractions and the simmering resentments. The Treaty Principles Bill, that ferry debacle, I mean, we used to give Labour gyp for announcements of announcements – that was the king of all announcements of announcements. We've got David Seymour and then we've got the platitudes from the Prime Minister.   I don't know how many times he can say I get it, it's tough, I hear you, we're working on it, we've got a really good discussion group coming. Then you see Trump come into office and then with a couple of hours, he does what we wanted the new government to do. They still haven't done it and it's been over a year – Trump does it in a matter of hours.   And so we grizzle. And so we moan like the kids in the back of the car. And the Prime Minister, dad the driver, seethes with resentment. I'm going as fast as I can and it'll be great when we get there, you ungrateful wretches. And in the meantime, the opposition parties, who if I'm going to stretch the analogy even further, are the hoons in the lane outside of us, in their unregistered car, not licensed to drive. They toot the horn, give us the fingers and think I wonder when those kids will want to get in the car with us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.