Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

First up today, a suite of announcements around the media. Paul Goldsmith, Minister for Broadcasting, thank heavens, has agreed to progress the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill. This was a bill initially proposed by Labour and rejected by National. Now, however, the coalition government, minus one of its partners, is progressing with amendments to support our local media companies to earn revenue for the news they produce and in effect, throw them a lifeline, help them survive. Paul Goldsmith says the key change, the reason why they are now supporting the bill, is adopting a ministerial designation framework. This will enable the Minister to decide which digital platforms are captured by the bill, allowing the government to manage unintended consequences.   The unintended consequences are part of why ACT are not supporting the bill as David Seymour explained to Mike Hosking this morning.    “It's not always obvious who needs who the most, and when it comes to digital media, whether it's the Herald online, or Stuff, or whatever, they are benefiting from being able to be found on Google, from having their stories shared on Facebook and Instagram, and I've heard from people who work on those companies, that they're trained to help enhance their visibility on these internet platforms so they get more readers.   “Now, if you're going to try and strike a deal it's not actually obvious who should be paying who, for what service. But to put a politician in the middle trying to figure that out, well, that's the kind of policy we expect from the Labour Party and of course, the, the origin of it is a Labour policy, and I just think we’ve got to be honest about, you know, the problems with the media actually relate to the product. It's never been easier to share news, you know, it's not like you have to pay a network of thousands of school kids to deliver papers every morning. Anyone can start a media company. It's easy to communicate. The issue is, I don't think people want the product. And if you start trying to subsidise by pulling down other companies that are doing, well, you're just delaying the change that needs to happen that we need more journalism we can actually trust.”    And therein lies the point really, is it just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic? One of the unintended consequences they were concerned about was that in Canada, Meta blocked users’ ability to share or view news content. And that led to a significant reduction in traffic to smaller independent media websites and the government having to bail them out. And if news disappears from social media platforms there's fears misinformation will take its place. Well, that's already alive and well and thriving in different corners of the Internet.   Goldsmith says, however, they will ensure an appropriate independent regulator is appointed as the Bills authority. In addition, he points out much of the legislation underpinning the media landscape is outdated and stifling innovation. While full legislative review does take time, Paul Goldsmith said we're starting by removing outdated advertising restrictions for Sundays and public holidays. So basically, that means you can see your KFC, and McDonald's, and your Beds R US, and Tina from Turners on Sundays now, Christmas Day, and Easter.   And don't you dare complain because nobody's watching terrestrial television anymore, or certainly not in the numbers to warrant any complaints to be taken seriously. The government's also going to tweak the eligibility criteria for the New Zealand's Screen Production Rebate for local shows with strong industry and cultural value. Why should international film producers get their rebate when local producers don't? So, Shortland Street gets a lifeline. Does this mean it adds so much cultural value that it can justify being publicly funded rather than standing on its own two feet? It's an adult now. It's been around for long enough. Should it still be living at home with the government, getting funded by the government?   I don't know that giving television the ability to advertise on Sundays and public holidays is going to save it either. I'm not sure the revenue that's going to come in is even remotely going to help in terms of keeping traditional media, mainstream media, alive. Is it simply delaying the inevitable?   Where do you get your news from? Where do you get trusted sources of information? Do you also go to places where you find yourself railing at either the announcer or the tenor of the interview, or the information just so you can hear another side?  Or do you prefer to hear your own views reinforced? Do you still check in with the mainstream media websites? Is there anyone still getting a newspaper delivered? When my mum gave up her subscription, I thought well, that's it. That's the end of that, I thought to myself. Is it just going to have to transform itself completely in terms of not only how it delivers news, but what it delivers? What sort of information you want? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wairoa's getting another funding boost of half-a-million-dollars for recovery from last week's major flooding.  More than 100 properties were badly damaged in a district still recovering from last year's Cyclone Gabrielle.  It brings Mayoral Relief Funding allocated so far to $600 thousand.  Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell says it'll go into pressing and immediate needs in the community.  He says it'll ensure ongoing support for clean-up costs such as drying houses and removing damaged materials from homes.  Wairoa Mayor Craig Little told Kerre Woodham that while $500k won’t go far, at the end of the day, the government didn’t create this mess.  He said that this was not a big rain event, and the regional council need to come out and apologise, otherwise they’re going nowhere.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“A successful second quarter Action Plan shows the coalition Government has continued to build on the momentum of its first 100 days”, says the press release from the Prime Minister's office. Well, Christopher Luxon would say that wouldn’t he?   The Press release continues: “Actions the coalition government has taken this quarter include:   - Deliver tax relief to hardworking New Zealanders.   - Support young families with the cost of childcare through the Family Boost tax credit.    - Set ambitious Government Targets to improve the lives of New Zealanders   - Restore Three Strikes and establish a Young Serious Offender category to hold serious, persistent offenders to account.”  It goes on. Certainly, it appears the tougher stance on crime and giving police permission to police seems to be working. I’m not entirely sure there's wholesale relief after the tax relief, and the government really does need to sort out their boot camps and who's running them before they can claim to be sorting out the young, serious, persistent offenders. But nonetheless, whether you agree with what the coalition government is doing or not, at least you know what they're doing. They set out the plans. They then report back as to whether they've achieved them, and they let us know.   The Prime Minister told Mike Hosking this morning that his way of doing things is that they have a different way of running things from previous governments, but they're trying to be transparent.   “I publish these quarterly plans and people will say to me, you know, why do you do that? Well, I'm doing it because I'm trying to be transparent about what we're working on as a government in the next 13 weeks, and some of it is taking decisions and making sure we get alignment inside our government and our coalition to do those programmes. A lot of it's introducing legislation. This August, you're going to see all our gang laws get actually passed into law. That's a six month process, we kicked that off in that first 100 days. Now that's going to be law. That will be picked up by police in October and away we go. So it does take time, but it's really at the moment, it's the turn around. You've got to just be what's the problem I'm trying to solve? What's the common sense solution that deals with that? Right, is that moving forward in the next 13 weeks or not? And it's focusing tremendously a public service that hasn't had direction and it's also focusing my ministers and my conversations with them about what I'm expecting from each of them. And it's always done through the mantra of rebuild the economy, restore law and order, deliver better public services, particularly health and education.”  So that was the Prime Minister with Mike Hosking this morning. And sure, as some of the things might be a bit Betty Basic on the Q3 40 point plan that's just been released. Take cabinet decisions. Well, basically that means holding cabinet meetings, hold public consultations. Yeah, good on ya.  And probably, the action on gangs that featured in Q1. So that features in Q3, so a bit of a double up, but that's what I'd do with the big To Do List as well. Write down the really easy things that I was going to do anyway, so I can cross them off and it makes the list look less daunting. And if you can double up... sometimes I'll do bathrooms, and then I'll do polished glass, which includes the bathroom, and I can do 2 ticks off my list, which is a little bit, I think, what the Prime Minister is doing.   But who can blame them? It's a daunting list. And when it's a great big scary list, you need to have a few things you can tick off. Governments love to think that they're all about transparency. Remember the last lot? But this one does appear to be transparent. If you want to have a look at what the government intends to do, you can see it online. If you want to look at how well they have done, you can see it online and then you can make your own judgments as well. I feel they are being transparent. I feel they are giving us something against which we can measure them. Is that how you feel? Whether you like what they're doing or not, then at least we know what they're doing and then we can think, okay, they're doing a good job/they're not doing a good job.   So far, so good. They've listed what they intend to do, they're following through on their plans, we can see that with the gangs. They've said that Q3 is where they're going to be focusing on the gangs and clamping down on gang activity. The way gangs advertise themselves through the patches, through the gatherings, and we can judge whether they're having any effect or not. So yes, I think they are being transparent, might be a slightly more business-like way of doing things by setting out a list or a 40 point plan. The stats seemed to be coming through and that was always something I wanted the last lot to do. Show me. If your ideas are that great, show me they're working, give me some numbers, and that was something that the last lot failed to do. So, so far, so good. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big day today. Paid parental leave increases in line with increases to the average weekly earnings, so if you're about to go off on maternity leave, you will have an increase in parental pay for up to 26 weeks. Regional fuel and diesel taxes gone, saving the drivers of Toyota Corollas - those fairies of the land, the wakas of the whenua – about $6 every time they fill up, but you will need that $6 because that's going to go somewhere else. Higher rates are kicking in. In Auckland, Watercare is raising water bills by 7.2 percent, so that's going to hit households and the $5 prescription charges are back for those who are eligible. And I saw a lot of woe is me, end the world stuff. Honestly, watch the Biden-Trump debate, that is the end of the world. The prescription charges at $5, not so much because there are exemptions for people 13 and under. There are exemptions for people holding a community services card or a dependent child of a community services card holder. If you're 65 and over, you get an exemption and if you hold a prescription subsidy card you don't have to pay. And once you hit twenty prescription items that you have to pay for in a year, you don't have to pay any more. So the end of the world as we know it and the decline of health of all New Zealanders - no, unlikely. And there are plenty of places where you don't have to pay, where the chemists will absorb the charges, so I don't think it's quite worth the hysterical column inches that have been written about it. What else changes today? We've got the reduced brightline test kicking in, meaning people who sell residential investment properties within two years of purchasing will have to pay tax on any gains receive. After two years, you're sweet. If you sell after three years, you won't be taxed on any profits. Try and make a profit in this particular climate, and you'll be doing well. Also new rules for property loans apply as of today. Under the new Reserve Bank, debt to income rules, the majority of property buyers can only borrow up to six times their annual income from banks. If you're an investor at 7 times. So what is that going to mean for you, if you are looking to buy a property? Yes, houses have come down in price, they're not at that those ridiculously overinflated prices they were immediately after Covid. And yes, the average wage has gone up. Is that going to be enough for you to be able to get into your own home? I really do think this is a good investment in families having the parental leave. They get precious little, you know, by the time you've paid off student loans and you're trying to save for your deposit on your house and what have you. We need new babies, otherwise we have to import them from overseas. So we either grow our own or import them, and we need more because the numbers of older people are growing and growing and growing and there aren't going to be the young workers, the tax base, to support all of these people who are now out of work. And who will need care and who will need health care. So I'm all for the parental payments. Brightline tests -does that seem reasonable? Let get you back into the market. The prescription charges, I mean that was such a nonsense, the hoohah over that really and truly. You would have to work quite hard to find a chemist where you had to pay. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More people are turning away from drinking alcohol than ever, according to new data. Premium Kiwi winemaker, Giesen, has invested over a million dollars into removing alcohol from their wine, to keep up with demand. Chief winemaker Duncan Shouler says consumers have always wanted an alternative, but the quality and product choice wasn't there previously. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BrainFit Coach Jude Walter is here to talk us through staying on top of your brain health.  Is it really a case of use it or lose it when it comes to our brains? Spoiler alert – it is!   Click here to order the Brainfit Book Worm Winter Bundle ( 2x best selling books) for just $65 (ex. postage) when you use the promo code: bookworm   Click here to enroll in the Memory Tune online course. Just $100 (ex. postage of supporting workbook) when you use the promo code: memory  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A familiar voice is back with us...  Allyson Gofton!    Allyson Gofton has been cooking for New Zealanders for nearly 30 years. She is known for her recipes and columns in magazines.  We are constantly talking about the cost of living and grocery prices going up – Allyson will have some tips and tricks to make your dollars go further at the supermarket.    LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Vette is an internationally renowned animal behaviourist, trainer, educator, author and TV personality.  He’s also the founder of Dog Zen, a dog training programme.   Mark joins Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB to take your calls about your pet’s behaviour.  LISTEN ABOVE.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I thought we'd have a look at the plans to amend New Zealand sentencing laws.   National, ACT, and New Zealand First campaigned on the law-and-order ticket. Tougher sentences, consequences for serial youth offenders, safer communities. It is their thing, all of their parties, this is what they do. Let's get tough on crime whenever there's an election campaign. But given that there had been an increase in crime during the last six years, crime had been steadily going down and then it did not. There was a 70% increase in gang membership, violent crime was up by a third, 100% increase in retail crime, and I would venture to suggest even more than that, just people weren't reporting it.   A majority of people were feeling less safe on the streets, in their businesses, in their homes. It was a safe bet that voters would respond to a let's get tough on crime stance and now the coalition government is delivering on its campaign promises. They will cap sentence discounts that judges can apply to 40% of the maximum unless it results in manifestly unjust sentencing outcomes. Prevent repeat discounts for youth and remorse. That's good. Introduce a new aggravating factor to address offences against sole charge workers and those whose home and businesses are interconnected (that would be the dairy owners). Encouraging the use of cumulative sentencing for offences committed while on bail, in custody or on parole, so rather than it being three sentences of six years and they're all served concurrently, it would be 18 years, not three lots of six.    At the moment a lot of concurrent is done. A maximum sentence discount of 25% for early guilty pleas, reducing to 5% if a guilty plea is entered once the trials begun. And adding a requirement for judges to take information about the victim's interests into account. Convener of the Law Society's Criminal Committee, Chris Macklin, sounded a note of caution on the Mike Hosking Breakfast this morning.   “Oh well look, it's early days. You say these things are coming and of course they are, they do still need to go through Select Committee. The signal is clear that tougher sentences are coming, whether that achieves exactly what people want will be the acid test, and that will be reducing people's experience of crime. There's a worry that some areas of offending might be less accurately reported if tougher sentences appeared. I think there's a concern about undermining restorative and rehabilitative purposes of sentencing.  And the profession probably needs to highlight as well to the extent it can, it's by no means clear the tougher things to do to effectively some of the crimes we're talking about.”   I don't know about you. But I am not supportive of these raft of measures because I think it will bring down crime. That will have to happen in other areas. More support for at risk families, getting kids back into school and actually teaching them something to give them more options, that sort of thing. Alcohol and drug rehabilitation. Mr Macklin, I am not naïve. I know criminals won't suddenly stop and go, well best not beat up that pensioner because I'm going to spend longer in jail. I support the tougher sentences because I am sick and tired of the hurt perpetuated by people who do it time and time, and crime and crime again. I want to see them punished for that.   There's a million cases we can point to but remember the case of the teen Mongrel Mob member who broke into the home of a pregnant woman and indecently assaulted her and the bed she was sharing with her child? He was sentenced for breaking into a home and then sexually assaulting a pregnant woman. He was sentenced to 12 months home detention. And as Stevie Taunoa, 19, thanked the judge and walked from the dock and to the police cells, he yelled, “cracked it”. So, the discount he got for his youth and remorse doesn't seem to be very genuine, does it? I don't want to see gangsters gloating about how they've gamed the system. I don't want to see offenders be allowed to use their youth or their dreadful backgrounds to get lesser sentences time after time, crime after crime. When the person responsible for attacking an 85-year-old woman on a walker as she walked up the side of her house - when they are caught, I don't want to hear about how sorry they are. I want to see someone responsible for an 85-year-old woman who's now got a broken nose, facial bruising, a broken wrist and bruising to her fingers, who has been stalked as she has made her way home from withdrawing money from the ASB Bank, I want to see them punished. We can get to the rehabilitation and yes, I'm very sorry and gosh, I had a terrible background later. But as the police said, it was a gutless and cowardly attack. So let's see a sentence that reflects that. Not oh, that poor offender, look at where they've come from. Look at what has forced them to attack a frail old woman on a bloody walker, in her home.   So, Mr. Macklin, you might think that we're all a bit stupid and maybe there are some people who think all with these harsher sentences by crikey, we'll see those criminals quaking in their boots and not offending. They will continue to offend, of that, I am certain. It's not going to mean an end to crime. It's not going to mean an end to cowardly and gutless attacks. It's not going to mean an end to gang membership. And we certainly can't resolve societal issues by just locking up people for longer. There has to be early intervention. There has to be the opportunity for rehabilitation, but there also has to be consequences for crime. I do expect, and call me old fashioned, to see criminals punished for the crimes that they do. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's estimated New Zealand throws away $3.2 billion of food every year.  The Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor, Dame Juliet Gerrard, has issued 27 recommendations to the Government.  It calls for a national plan and target, smarter monitoring, better strategies to tackle food loss at source, promoting food rescue and upcycling to ensure edible food isn’t thrown out.  KiwiHarvest is a food rescue business, taking food that is still perfectly usable so it doesn’t get thrown away and giving it to charities and institutions where it would be of use.  CEO Angela Calver told Kerre Woodham that the best way to stop wastage in your home is to meal plan and plan ahead.  She said that a lot of waste happens because of demand, supermarkets doing their best to ensure that if you buy a loaf of bread today, that loaf of bread will be on the shelf tomorrow as well.  Calver said that planning and not over-buying food will help further down the supply chain and reduce waste.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.