Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

National is promising a radical shake-up of roading priorities if it wins the election. Leader Christopher Luxon said that the party will prioritise 13 roads of national significance, including the previously announced four-lane highways between Tauranga and Whangārei. He reckons the projects can be fully funded without raising fuel excise taxes. Labour has slammed the Nat's transport projects as "laughable at best". Transport Minister David Parker says the costs are as woefully light, as is the explanation of how it would be funded. Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined Kerre Woodham to discuss the policy and its viability. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was about to write my opener this morning on Labour's widely anticipated move to announce the removal of GST on fruit and veg, when an ACT party press release landed in my inbox and I thought David Seymour said it best: “If Labour announces a policy to remove GST from fruit and vegetables, that's not a sign they want to address the cost of living. It's a sign of a truly desperate political party willing to throw any semblance of sensible policy making out the window to snare some votes.”  Absolutely right. I thought that Labour had shown desperation when both Kelvin Davis and Chris Hipkins stood there and said that they would build youth prisons. Neither of them believes in that at all. They are vehemently opposed to locking anybody up, far less kids. But no, quite willing to make an announcement and a statement on that if it's going to get them some middle ground voters and the same is true with the removal of GST from fruit and veg.   And probably, if somebody phoned me out of the blue and said would you like to see GST removed off fruit and veg Kerre?  I'd say, yes, I would. But there's no point to it. It's a slippery slope as well, to other products that people need. Why not just take the GST off power in winter? Why not take the GST off fuel so you can fill up the car and drive to work.  Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's claiming Labour is poised to announce scrapping GST from fruit and vegetables, however, Labour won't confirm or deny, saying we all have to wait for their announcement. Is it just a vote buying exercise or does it have merit? Dentons Kensington Swan Partner and tax expert, Bruce Bernacchi spoke to Kerre Woodham.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National is labelling emergency housing as a social and economic disaster. Since Labour came to office in 2017, $1.4 billion has been spent on putting people up temporarily in motels. National's Housing spokesman Chris Bishop told Kerre Woodham it's an extraordinary sum of money - an average of nearly a million dollars a day being paid to motel owners. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yet again, unintended consequences have put the kibosh on the Government's best intentions. A loophole in a law designed to curb youth vaping will allow dairies and supermarkets to avoid the new proximity rule, and they'll be able to start selling vapes within 300 metres of schools and marae. Special vape retailers - basically, they're just little holes in the wall - they have been banned from selling the addictive little suckers, but dairies and supermarkets have not. General retailers like the dairies and supermarkets who do not currently sell vapes,  can still set up after October 1st, but interestingly they will be restricted to mint, menthol and tobacco flavours. I think that's a good move.   Vape Free Kids New Zealand spokesperson Marnie Wilton says the new rules from the Government are not doing enough to protect children by allowing the general retailers to set up shop. So you know, yet again it's poorly thought-out legislation. Should we go the way of Australia? I rather think we should. If the health impacts are proven, and known to be harmful, ban it and put it on prescription. Call it out for what it is, if it's a smoking cessation tool, make it available on prescription.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tammy, a board member and parent at Parakai School called in to Kerre Woodham Mornings with concerns over a new vape shop opening beside their primary school. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What I did want to talk to you about this morning was prompted by a piece written by Rob Campbell in Newsroom, talking about the dire state of aged care in this country. Aged care providers have warned the shortage of rest homes is leading to longer wait times for elective surgery, overcrowded emergency departments and other pressures on the health system. The Aged Care Deputy Chair Warrick Dunn said the rest home sector was currently short about 1000 to 1200 nurses, from a total work force of over 5000, so they need a fifth more than what they have. As a consequence, there are 1200 beds across the sector that have had to be closed, either total closures or partial and providers have had to do that to keep staff and residents safe. Put another way, last year we saw about 20 rest homes close because of a nursing shortage. So that means that these elderly, vulnerable people have to basically pick up their beds and move to a completely different environment. That's if they can find one.   The inability to provide for our elderly affects us all. Older people in the right environment can live rich and full lives right up to the bitter end. I remember emceeing an aged care conference some years ago - and the incredible initiatives being undertaken by so many providers, not-for-profit providers as well as the for profit, to give their people the best possible life right around the country, was staggering and inspirational. Done right you can live a great life. But right now there seems to be more votes in potholes than pensioners.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former head of Te Whatu Ora, Rob Campbell believes the lack of attention given to aged care is yet another example of politicians kicking the can down the road. In an opinion piece in Newsroom, Campbell writes that chronic underfunding by successive governments, has meant there has not been enough capital or operational investment in aged care facilities. Estimates indicate that by 2040 there will be 230,000 people over 85, and that on current trends, there will be about half or less the aged care beds available to meet demand. Chancellor of AUT and former Chair of Te Whatu Ora Rob Campbell joined Kerre Woodham. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You have to feel for Chris Hipkins as a person, don't you? As a boss, fresh from dealing with the shootings in downtown Auckland on the eve of the FIFA Women's World Cup, a few days later he then has to deal with one of the few remaining ministers formally known to be competent, self-destructing in spectacular fashion. The former Justice Minister Kiri Allan resigned this morning, after being charged with reckless driving and resisting arrest in Wellington last night.   Now, I know it's probably an unpopular thing to say, but I really liked the cut of Kiri Allan’s gib. I only had dealings with her through the wireless and conducting interviews with her, but she was so refreshing. After one interview, I was moved to say my God, it's just so wonderful to deal with somebody who answers questions, who doesn't do the whole bureau speak. I think that was when she was Civil Defence Minister. I have no idea what it would be like to report to her or clearly some people within the public service found it difficult, and it's also clear that she has been struggling with her job or succession of ministerial portfolios for some time.   Does anyone have confidence in this Government? I mean, even members of the Government must be starting to lack confidence in their own management. If I was Hipkins, I'd throw in the towel and say, you know what? We're not doing this right. I don't have enough good people to steer the good ship New Zealand. It does feel like a rudderless ship, lurching and listing towards the election. Who would you describe as competent enough to be in charge of multi-billion dollar portfolios? I know it's only a few months to the election, but there's no guarantees that any one party is going to form the next Government. It just seems in the last few years that people are being elected to Parliament who are really struggling, and that's on all sides of the House, not just this lot. Is that the nature of the job, the nature of people right now?  Social media?   How many months to the election? Three? A rudderless ship for three months. What could possibly go wrong?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiri Allan has resigned from Cabinet after being charged by Police over a crash in Wellington overnight. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has confirmed the Justice Minister was taken into custody after the crash on Evans Bay Parade in Roseneath just after 9pm. She was charged with reckless driving and resisting arrest, and was released about 1am. Newstalk ZB Political Commentator Barry Soper joined Kerre Woodham to discuss the situation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.