Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

The All Blacks have responded to last week’s 38-30 defeat to Argentina at Sky Stadium by making major changes to their squad for the rematch at Eden Park.  Four changes in the starting XV see Tamaiti Williams start in the front row with Ethan de Groot (neck) out injured, Rieko Ioane returns at centre and a new wing combination sees Caleb Clarke and Will Jordan move into the starting roles.  Former captain Sam Cane is in line to make his return to test rugby from the bench, with Anton Lienert-Brown and Mark Tele’a both moving back to the reserves after starting last weekend.  “We’ve reflected deeply on our performance and our preparation individually and collectively is something we have all owned,” All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said.  “Our intent and focus has shifted solely to Eden Park.”  Newstalk ZB Sport Reporter Nathan Limm told Francesca Rudkin he’s excited to see how Sam Cane goes, since he’ll be going straight from club rugby into a test match, having missed Super Rugby due to being in Japan, and then being off with a back injury.  He said that Cane’s got more than enough experience to pull it off, but it’ll be interesting to see his impact when he does come onto the field.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the 2002 election campaign, New Zealand was having a major debate about the safety of genetically modified food. One memory you might have from this time is a televised interview between 3 News’s John Campbell, and Prime Minister Helen Clark. Campbell, fired up and informed by Nicky Hager's yet-to-be-published book Seeds of Distrust, alleged there had been a cover-up over the suspected release of GE corn seed in 2000. The tension was palpable. Clark was furious about being ambushed by Campbell, later labelling him a “sanctimonious little creep”. Remember that? It was an extraordinary interview, and it marked the beginning of Corngate, and it also made genetic engineering a politically untouchable subject.    But that is all about to change.    Yesterday the Government announced it is moving forward on its intentions to overhaul restrictions on the use of gene editing and other genetic technologies in New Zealand and establish a dedicated regulator. A regulator is being put in place to give the public confidence in this new approach.    Legislation is expected to go to Parliament by the end of the year, removing regulatory hurdles on developing genetic technology beyond the lab that has been in place for the last 30 years. These new regulations will put us in line with the approach that Australia is taking.  Back in 2002, like a lot of people, I was interested in the Royal Commission of Inquiry and Corngate scandal and concerned about the potential impact of releasing GM crops into the environment.    But like all technology – so much as changed over the last couple of decades, and if we don’t readdress these regulations then, as former chief scientist Professor Sir Peter Gluckman has warned NZ runs the risk of becoming a biotech backwater.  We can already buy products on our shelves that are genetically modified – they must be labelled, and we have a choice as to whether we buy them, but I can understand why some people are still concerned about the environmental releases of GE crops. Therefore, the government needs to make sure they get this piece of legislation right. It’s good to see robust risk assessments will be in place, which may also include public consultation before the regulator is satisfied with the risks can be managed.    But there is so much more we can do with GE than just grow food. Over the last few decades, we have seen what GE can contribute to medicine, agriculture and the environment. As Science reporter Jamies Morton pointed out in the NZ Herald today.  Look at Wellington’s Malaghan Institute and its development of CAR T-cell cancer therapies that involves collecting a patient’s immune cells, genetically modifying the cells to recognise and kill their cancer and returning the cells to the patient as treatment. Current restrictions around research like this have proven challenging for scientists to work with.  Another company is developing gene-edited sterile Douglas fir trees as a way to help tackle the spread of wilding pines across our landscapes, but is having to conduct field trials in the US.  At AgResearch, scientists have been looking at whether gene editing might unlock a pathway in white clover leading to specific compounds that might also help cut methane and nitrogen pollution. The new laws would make it easier for the agency to run controlled field trials here in New Zealand  Implanting genetically modified sperm, eggs and embryos will remain prohibited.  So, is it something to still be afraid of?    A survey on 1029 people run by Primary Purpose, a research firm specializing in primary industries discovered that attitudes on using genetic tech in food were approximately split into thirds: 34 percent support, 31 percent opposition and 34 percent were unsure. So how do you feel about it?    This is new territory for New Zealand – it's a move away from a cautionary approach. But are we at the point now whereby the benefits for society outweigh the risks.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday the Prime Minister said that the vast amount of people on Jobseeker Benefits were trying hard to find a job and meet their obligations, and before we have a conversation about changes to the Jobseeker Benefit, that is important to remember.    But we do have a problem with the number of people on the Jobseeker Benefit, and how long they are on it.    According to the current government, the number of people on Jobseeker Support increased by 70,000 under the previous government as the use of sanctions significantly decreased, and almost two-thirds of the people receiving this benefit have been for over a year.   The Government’s plan clarifies what they see as the deal between the government and the Jobseeker beneficiary. They have basically said, there are some responsibilities you must meet to receive this benefit, and if you take those responsibilities seriously, then life goes on.    The changes Cabinet have agreed to include:  Requiring Jobseeker Support recipients to reapply every six months, instead of annually – sensible.    Requiring all beneficiaries with work obligations to have a jobseeker profile before receiving a benefit – I would have thought that was already in place!    The introduction of a traffic light system that informs people what is required of them and alerts them if they are not keeping up with their requirements – which is a fair move as it gives people the chance to get back on track.   Those who aren’t interested in fulfilling their obligations could face sanctions such as money management, where half of the benefit goes onto a payment card that can only be used for a limited range of essential products and services.    Social Development and Employment Minister Louse Upston explained this to Heather du Pleiss-Allen last night:  “So the traffic light system: green, you're complying; orange, you've got a warning; red, there's a sanction. So, at the moment the sanctions are either a 50% reduction in the benefit or a cancellation completely. We want to introduce for parents, in particular, a maximum reduction of 50%, but instead of going to that straight away, we could then use a non-financial measure like money management, so they still get the same amount of money but less choice over how they use it.”  Surely this is a better alternative to outright cutting of the benefit? But it is one measure which comes with some risk – the last thing we want to see is the welfare of children or family affected by this sanction.    There is also a new community work sanction requiring beneficiaries to "build skills and confidence", and they have extended the period a failure to meet obligations counts against a beneficiary from one year to two years, which seems a bit petty.    All in all, these are the checks and balances we would expect for people on a benefit, and hopefully they will be delivered with respect.    But will these measures get people back into work? Alongside these obligations, we still need to keep working on breaking down barriers that prevent people finding work – especially with our young people.    Former welfare expert advisory group member and also former BusinessNZ CEO Phil O'Reilly spoke to the Mike Hosking Breakfast this morning about the importance of this:   “One thing that was happening very well under the last government was the idea of at least building some work capable skills. So the idea of getting people a driver's licence and a site safety certificate and so on, just so they could go get a job in construction, for example. All of that, I think, is a really important part of building the capacity for people to move off welfare. So most people do want to do that. I mean, there are some people who just want to sit around and do nothing, and they should be sanctioned, of course, but most people want a job, so we should have a bit of yin and yang in this about making sure we can do both.”  While the Government says it has seen enough evidence more sanctions will be effective in getting people into work, Greens and Labour have argued the opposite, echoing findings from the Welfare Expert Advisory Group who deemed sanctions to be “problematic” and ineffective at getting beneficiaries into work.   But it’s a step forward, it’s worth a try and maybe a wakeup call for younger people who have found themselves on the Jobseeker Benefit and discovered they quite like it.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some good news and some not-so-good news for retail crime.   Let’s start with the good news – it’s Monday after all.   Police data reveals that the figures are down for burglaries in Auckland.   They are also down for abductions.   Ram raids have continued to trend down to the lowest number of 15  percent in April this year compared to a high of 86 percent in 2022.  Maybe those bollards and interventions have worked their magic and made it less fun to video a car crashing into shop, or maybe boot camp doesn’t sound like a great way to spend 3 months.   But the Dairy and Business Owners’ Group is still very concerned about the statistics because we have seen an increase in acts that are likely to cause injury – they are up 4 percent.   On the rise, we have assaults, sexual assault, robbery, and theft.   And the retail sector is paying the price for this.   The owner of a South Auckland 24/7 diary is feeling helpless and scared after being robbed twice in the last week. Having fog cannons and panic alarms didn’t deter the robbers – who were targeting the till, cigarettes and vapes.   Also, just recently a security guard was bashed in the head with a hammer by armed assailants during a robbery of a jewellery store, and the owner of another jewellery store in South Auckland suffered a skull fracture and cuts after teenage robbers used a hammer and knife to stab him.   It’s clear to see why retail workers are still scared to go to work and do their jobs.   In July, the Coalition Government announced they were establishing a Ministry Advisory Group for the victims of crime as part of its plan to restore law and order- they want this group of business owners, retail experts, and advocacy groups to provide the Government specific proposals to address urgent challenges in retail crime – over the next two years.   The intention is that this group will help ensure there are 20,000 fewer victims of violent crime by 2029 and reduce serious youth offending by 15 percent.  Sounds great. A good step forward. But what about today? What about the worker who has to go to work in the 24/7 dairy tonight?   Auckland’s CBD has been crying out for more police on the streets to make the inner city safe again and crack down on violence and antisocial behaviour – and the police have responded. It’s great to see cops walking the streets – being part of the community. Their presence is reassuring.   But what about other areas of Auckland – do we have enough police to make all neighbourhoods feel that same sense of security? So what do we do about retail crime? We have a group that will kick into gear at some point with some new suggestions. We have put physical deterrents into shops and shopping areas. We have more cops out on the street in certain areas. We have a government that is keen on real consequences to crime – stronger sentences for convicted criminals.   But is this enough? What is it going to take to stop there being around 11 assaults every day? Life isn’t getting any easier out there for some people - times are still tough. Hopefully, some of these solutions will have an impact long term – but is there anything left that we could do short term to solve this issue? Because you should be able to go to work in the morning, and not worry about someone coming at you with a hammer.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anger from transport operators who say something needs to change with the Interislander's Cook Strait ferry service.  The provider is only operating one ferry currently after the Aratere suffered damage hitting a linkspan when docking in Wellington yesterday.  The issue is under investigation by Interislander.  KAM Transport manager Bill Bamber told Kerre Woodham it's not good enough.  He says it's frustrating, and to describe it as a shambles would be an understatement.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If it wasn't so vitally important, so serious, and so expensive, you would have to laugh, wouldn't you? Interislander’s Aratere ferry will be out of action today after it hit a linkspan coming into a berth in Wellington, damaging its hull.   This is not their first rodeo when it comes to making mistakes. A string of incidents, if you will. Aratere suffered a reported staring failure on June 21st and ran aground in Picton shortly afterwards. It had only returned to full service late last month. What do you know? 9th of August, out of action for a couple of days. The Harbour Master Grant Nalder told the New Zealand Herald the ferry had made contact with a linkspan, which is the dock ramp that allows vehicles to access the ferry. The hull was damaged, but well above the water line, there were no injuries and no oil leaks. So, let's be grateful for small blessings,   Transport Minister Simeon Brown spoke to Heather du Plessis-Allan last night and said at this stage they don't know what caused the ferry to bang into the Wharf and yes, there was a strong wind, but hey, you get those in Wellington.   SB: Ultimately, they'll be looking into that and have more to say about that shortly, but there are high wind conditions here in Wellington right now.   HDPA: Yeah, but that's normal Simeon, that's not really a surprise, is it?   SB: We've been making our point very clearly around the operations of that organisation that they need to be lifting the game, and that's why we're refreshing the board and we're setting very clear expectations.   HDPA: Stoked you’re doing it, but they, they keep on crashing the boat in the meantime, don’t they?    SB: I want to make it very clear to the public that we have been unimpressed with the way KiwiRail has been managing its assets and operations.   HDPA: But this is not an asset management problem, is it Simeon? I mean this is just somebody being dumb.   SB: Well, we don't know all the answers yet.    HDPA: Yes, well, possibly I should say, possibly being dumb. How long is this thing going to be out of commission for?    SB: I think a couple of days is what I’ve been advised.   HDPA: Man alive. Are you just pulling your hair out at these people?   SB: Ah, well, yes.   “Ah, well, yes.” Well, you would, wouldn't you?  We've had issue, after issue, after issue. I mean is this normal? Is this just part of the process of sailing a great big ferry? That seas are uncertain, and winds are unpredictable. I mean, you would expect the odd strong zephyr blowing up your jacksie if you were sailing in Wellington, but you know, are they unpredictable? Do they need to hang a tennis ball at the end of the Wharf the way older people do to make sure they don't go into the end of the garage? Would that be helpful? Perhaps a big orange buoy suspended from a crane, so they know how far they've got before they hit the dock perhaps? I don't know. Trying to be helpful, because it is part of State Highway 1, and we've said this before, if freight can't get across, that's a problem. If people can't get across, that's a problem. At this rate, because I know our athletes are forever looking for part-time gigs in between the Olympics, maybe we could harness up the women's gold winning K4 team to tow the bloody freight across the Cook Strait because they would get it there faster and they would be more reliable I’m picking, than KiwiRail and the Interislander.   Because how hard is it to run a ferry service? Clearly it is very, very difficult. I mean, we've even got dear old Bluebridge who had a few oopsies in ‘23. Thinking back when I was growing up, the only thing that stopped the ferries back in the day were the unions, who went on strike every school holidays. So, our bi-annual trips to the South Island were all very touch and go. We weren't quite sure if the ferries were going to sail, but that was because the unions went on strike, not because a ferry had run itself into a wharf, or run aground, or had automatic pilot put on, or there was no question that the ship was seaworthy. Perhaps that's why we had unions, they'd go on strike until they were certain that the ships were seaworthy.   But I mean, how hard can it be to go from point A to point B? To go across a channel that we've been going across for more than 100 years. Is it the quality of the ships we have, the quality of the workmanship from the people who work on these ferries? What's gone so horribly, horribly wrong? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm not drinking at the moment, but that doesn't mean I think everybody should give it up. People can go to hell in their own way, and while there are a small number of people who cause disproportionate, dreadful harm because they don't know how to drink, the majority of New Zealanders can enjoy a tipple and go about their business without smashing up people, property, or themselves. So, if you like a drink, fill your boots, sláinte, cheers.   But at the same time, I have no problem at all with the Auckland Council introducing stricter trading hours and a two-year freeze on new liquor licences. Currently, alcohol can be sold until 11pm in offies, including bottle stores and supermarkets.  So, they're not saying you can't buy alcohol. They're saying you can, you just have to get to the offie before 9, be a bit organised. Applications for new bottle shops in the city centre and 23 other suburbs will also very likely be rejected for the next two years, unless an extraordinarily high threshold is met, which is jolly good news for those who've got existing licenses. There's an old saying that suburbs are on the decline when bottle stores open up, suburbs are on the rise when coffee shops open up, and that's probably true.   But we can booze every day if we wish. We can buy it from supermarkets, dairies in some places, bottle stores, restaurants, bars, and we can buy it online. So nobody's saying you can't buy booze, they're just restricting the hours when you can buy it. They're saying, you know what we think we've got enough bottle stores around the city, you can walk to your nearest one, you'll be fine. Josephine Bartley, the Council spokesperson, said it's not a ban on drinking, it's about working together to create a thriving, safe and healthy region for everybody. Is it going to stop those who can't handle their drink getting completely smashed and doing terrible damage? Sadly it won't, they'll still get their hands on the booze. Is it going to stop underage drinking? Sadly, it's not. If young kids want to get their hands on booze, they will find a way of doing so, either through mates, nicking it. Is it going to stop people who like to have a drink with their dinner being able to access a nice bottle of red or white depending on what's on the menu that night? No, it's not.   So not much has changed in terms of people's ability to access alcohol, other than reducing the hours. It would probably be a good thing to see a sinking lid right around the country, whereas if you leave a licensed establishment you can't go into another one. Because really, what good comes between the hours of 2am and 4am? Very little, even with the best of intentions. I guess the only question around this, given that really is anything going to change is, should they be stricter? Should it be 9am to 5pm and that's that? Should you only be able to access alcohol like car-less days, you've got one day to top up and that's the end of that, the rest of the time, no. No, that would just create another thriving form of income for gangs. Restrict the hours till further, have the sinking lid when it comes to licensed establishments, encourage people to drink at licensed restaurants and bars where there's an onus of responsibility on the managers to ensure that people don't get completely and utterly off their chops, and that might work.   Surely we've got enough bottle stores, surely we've got enough places to buy alcohol. And if you can't stagger up the hill to your nearest coffee, you can order online. If you just can't face that walk, order online. Sensible. Normal. We don't want to make it something glamorous and something prohibited because that would just make it more attractive. Just bring the number of places you can buy it down and the hours in which you can buy it, reduced. Encourage people to go to bars and restaurants. It's too expensive. Yes, therefore, you'll drink less. Don't have a problem with that at all.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're talking energy today, or rather the lack of it. New Zealand seems to have sleepwalked into an energy crisis, according to the Chairman of Open Country Dairy, the second biggest player in New Zealand's dairy export industry. Laurie Margrain said in a story the crisis is not coming, it's here. He said an example of its arrival is that the factory has had to incorporate standby coal-fired boilers into its brand-new Southland alternative-powered cheese factory, because of the certain risk of insufficient electricity generation.   Another story out within the same 24 hours, the largest employer in the Ruapehu district has paused operations at its pulp mill and sawmill sites after a nearly 600% increase in energy costs since 2021. Wholesale prices have risen from $100 per megawatt hour (MWh) to an average of around $700 per MWh this week. The Chief Executive at Winstone Pulp International said the company has to think about its future now that energy costs have risen from 15% of total production to an excess of 40%. You cannot plan for that. They've done everything they can. They say they can't pass on the increases to customers because they sell into a commodity market where the price is the price.   So this is affecting New Zealand. The overseas buyers don't give a fat rat's bum that we're being held over a barrel by the electricity generators and the retailers, the Gentailers. They don't care, they just want to look at the price. And so if they can't compete because energy costs have risen through the roof, what is their future? As a business, Mike Ryan says we've invested tens of millions into CapEx to improve production and energy efficiency. So they've reduced their energy use by 20 to 30% for every ton produced, they have done everything they can do and yet their future is uncertain.   Minister for Regional Development and Associate Minister for Energy Shane Jones told Heather du Plessis-Allan last night that if prices of electricity are inordinately high, then there needs to be more electricity generated.   “The difficulty is if we have a continually rising cost of electricity, then the only way to deal with that problem is to rapidly expand supply. And that's why the fast track legislation, I've no doubt in my mind, will prove to be incredibly useful so we can accelerate the development of wind farms, solar farms, hopefully some more hydro. And you know we have an inordinately rich resource in New Zealand, which is the geothermal energy, and geothermal energy drilling in other countries goes down 5 or 6 kilometres into the earth and you tap into what's called hot rock, not quite at the magma and that is a profound geothermal resource, but it will probably require the crown and the science institute owned by the Crown to do the exploratory work.”  But for how long? I love the way he just casually says yes, hopefully another hydro dam. Hopefully another hydro dam?! How long would that take? How long would it take to get through even with the fast-track legislation? How long would it take to get through the red tape before there was a spade in the ground? We, along with just about every other nation, signed up to the Paris Accord to reduce emissions or face fines and sanctions, and that's fine. Let's look at alternative ways of doing things, better ways of doing things. But we can't just move away from traditional energy sources until we have another form of renewable, socially acceptable energy that is reliable.   So the power companies say they're investing in alternatives and renewables, every single cent they have is being put back into investing in alternative sources of power. And that's one of the reasons why power is so expensive. But in the meantime, what are manufacturers to do while they wait for Shane Jones hydro dam to be built? I wonder if I'd even be alive to see it? While we wait for offshore wind farms to arrive and start spinning, I mean this is pie in the sky. You can want something, you can wish for something, you can hope for something, you can even plan for something, but if it’s not here, how do the manufacturers switch on the lights and turn on the machines? The manufacturing sector has maintained a contribution to GDP of about 11% since 2013.   Do you know how New Zealand makes money? And no, it doesn't print it. No, no, we've seen that that doesn't work. It sells stuff and people buy it, and that gives us an income. So for those of us who work, we sell our services, we sell our goods, we get money, and we can pay the mortgage, and we can buy nice things if there's money left over. And that's how a country works. We sell stuff. The world buys it. We pay our bills and if we've got enough leftover, we can all pay police more and build new hospitals and do all those lovely things that civilized countries do.   So if the manufacturing sector isn't guaranteed a supply of energy, it's going to lose production, it's going to lose customers, and we're going to lose money. We're also going to lose jobs. $9.4 billion worth of exports and the sector employs nearly 1/4 of a million people. It's a big deal. And Shane Jones talked about sweetheart deals, and yes, the power companies could play nice and give the big manufacturers a deal as well. Why would they? They have people to answer to as well. All of these companies are responsible to their shareholders. They can't be doing sweetheart deals and investing in new power new sources of supply. It's a bloody mess. Shane Jones saying hydrothermal, how long is it going to take? The lovely people at the pulp mill need to turn the lights on now and they can't, it is simply unsustainable given the increase in price, so where do we go from here? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand seems to have “sleepwalked” its way into an energy crisis.  Both Winstone's Ohakune pulp and timber mills could shut, putting 300 jobs in the small central North Island town on the line.  This is due to their energy bills have increased significantly for the company in recent years.  John Harbord, Chair of the Major Electricity Users Group, told Kerre Woodham that if you go back six years, the price for a megawatt hour of electricity was about $75-80, and for the majority of the recent years, it’s been around $150 on average.   He said that for some businesses they’re not paying 40% more, but rather four times as much as they used to pay, and when one of your three biggest costs quadruples, it has a significant impact on your business.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New unemployment figures make a change in the Official Cash Rate now less likely.  Stats NZ numbers out today show unemployment hit 4.6% in the June quarter, up from 4.3% in the March quarter.  It's what the Reserve Bank predicted, although economists were forecasting 4.7%.  Herald Business Editor at Large Liam Dann told Kerre Woodham any number above expectations would've made a cut more likely.  He says it could still happen, but the interest markets that predict OCR changes had a cut next week priced in.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.