Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

The National Excavator Championships are taking place today at Central Districts Field Days. Joining the show from the Field Days is the local chair at Civil Contractors NZ, Greg Lumsden. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine getting up in the morning and having to make a decision about whether someone will live or die.  Christchurch surgeons were so outraged by Te Whatu Ora's statement that it was delivering 73% of planned care surgeries in Canterbury in the year to date, that they have broken ranks and called BS on that.  Remember back in 2022, when then Health Minister Andrew Little said EDs are “totally safe”. “For the month of August over 100,000 patients went to an ED. Some people are waiting longer for treatment … they're not neglected and ignored, they get care and attention until their bed is freed up or they get the treatment that they need.”  The head of ED surgeons said he nearly swerved off the road when he heard that.  Clinicians said they had serious concerns about system-wide hospital issues decades in the making, which they say are worsening as the sector grapples with widespread staffing shortages. Delays in treatment increase the likelihood of a mistake, they say.  Now we have the DHB by another name saying surgeries are being performed at a rate of 73 per cent - the surgeons themselves are saying its closer to 50% or less. They say that they are having to go from crisis to crisis, that they've been cancelling cancer surgeries, that they're having to choose who has the worst cancer and who won't survive unless there's surgical intervention - that's a terrible strain on professionals and will inevitably take its toll.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New Zealand Educational Institute’s primary teachers negotiating team gave it one more whirl on Tuesday to come to an agreement with the Ministry of Education. The Union President Mark Potter said conversations were worthwhile, that the Government and Ministry are better at understanding the issues that need to be addressed, but the Ministry did not make an official offer. So today, many primary school teachers, along with kindergarten and secondary school teachers who are represented by the PPTA are on strike across the country as they demand salary offers which meet inflation and conditions that encourage educators to stay in the industry.If you have kindy, primary or intermediate aged children – and a job, let’s be honest no matter how much you respect teachers, it’s inconvenient. If you have older children at high school, they can generally look after themselves, although if our household is anything to go by, there is quite a bit of pressure to get NCEA internals complete at the moment, so a day away from teachers for senior students isn’t ideal either.There have been different messages coming through from union reps and teachers over the last few weeks. Some have said, it’s not about the money, it’s about the conditions. Others have been frank about the impact the rising cost of living is having on them, and the need for better pay. I completely understand the call for new teachers to be paid better - earning a $1.99 above minimum wage as of 1st April isn't going to encourage someone into a life of teaching. But let's not forget that a pay increase in line with inflation is inflationary - and not what the country needs right now even if it does sound like a fair thing to do.So at the end of the day – it is always about pay to some extent. No one ventures into a contract negotiation without discussing pay – the one tangible reward that makes people feel valued and appreciated.While the question of pay is always on the table, I can understand the minimising of it. The public are aware that the teachers only three years ago negotiated what was a much needed pay increase, but not everyone is getting a pay rise just because life has become more expensive. Apparently 35 percent of New Zealanders have not had pay rises over the last year.So striking for pay at the moment, when already this year, some children have missed school due to floods, cyclones, and union meetings isn’t going to garner the same sympathy as it has before. We’ve even had a teacher’s only day thrown in too… the cynic in me wonders whether the organisers are aware of the bad timing of this strike and are using it to force the Government’s hand.However, I do think teachers have a point when it comes to talking about the school system in general: the conditions, the structure of our classrooms and a lack of resources. A system, which from my experience puts budget before the welfare of children.If you listen to teachers, and many have come forward to articulate well what their concerns are, it’s about classroom numbers, it's about having an appropriate amount of planning time, the lack of teachers, it’s about having the skills and resources to teach a range of children with various neuro diversity, and learning difficulties, it’s about learning how to deal with and teach children with mental health or domestic issues which come to play in the classroom.It’s about resources and time; that is what a lot of teachers are bringing to the fore. The time and resources to do their job well and therefore be encouraged to stay in the job. And it's hard to argue against that - as it benefits all our children.  I have seen first-hand schools decide to move to modern learning environments, whereby two teachers are responsible for 55 kids. This was a decision made by the school - to make the most of the Ministry's funding system. I’ve seen the impact on both teachers and students - and it was loud and chaotic and not pretty. I’ve been told there are red flags in one of my child’s learning, and yet the school wouldn’t test any further to reveal if there is an issue there because those red flags weren’t big enough, and even if an issue was detected, the school didn’t have the capacity to offer any extra help. Turns out there was a quite a big issue, and the person affected the most by no one picking it up, was the child.  We know the value and importance of education, but we don't budget like we do. If there was ever a time we took a people-first attitude - surely it's children's education. It's time to stop educating on the cheap.I don't want teachers out of the classroom today. But if they can drive a broader change towards how we improve our education system, it might just be worth the pain for all of us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The economy has contracted slightly more than predicted by economists and the banks. Latest GDP figures from Stats NZ show a 0.6 percent decline in the three months to December and compares to a two percent increase in the three months to September. Herald Business Editor Liam Dann told Francesca Rudkin if the next quarter is also negative, we could already be in a technical recession. He says economists often say the "on the street definition" of a recession is people losing jobs, but most people's jobs are still secure. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know the Bonfire of the Vanities was an actual thing?  Not just a very good book written in the 1980s that was later turned into a film. The bonfire of the vanities was a religious command to destroy objects that might tempt one to sin, including vanity items such as mirrors, cosmetics, fine dresses, playing cards, and musical instruments. Other targets included books manuscripts of secular songs, and artworks, including paintings and sculpture that were deemed immoral.  We saw our own bonfire of the vanities at Parliament last night.  Vanity projects that millions of taxpayers’ dollars had been spent on up in smoke because they have been deemed unpopular in the eyes of the voter - sinful, in fact - and this government will get rid of them however painful it may be to the champions of these vainglorious policies. They are doing it because they will get back into power and they're willing to sacrifice visionary policies, nuclear moments and transformational change to just become another political party desperate to stay in power for another three years.  So, clean car upgrade gone. Social car leasing gone. Deferred work on the container return scheme. Delayed advice on alcohol sponsorship in sport to April next year.  As well as policies being scrapped - for now - there was an absolute lolly scramble for many kiwis.  Nothing there for overweight, overpaid middle-aged talkback hosts, but hey. The day I depend on the government to get my jollies will be a very sad one indeed.  However, plenty there for students, beneficiaries, including families with children, sole parents, and superannuitants.  We've had a number of calls over the past few months asking what was to be done for those on the super - now you now.  A bit more than a hundy a fortnight for a couple, $66.86 for a person living alone.  There will probably be something announced on taxes in the Budget and you can bet your bippy it will hit the high earners - so with these announcements Chris Hipkins has announced that having arrived in the PM's office, he finds it very much to his liking and he jolly well intends to stay there.  And voters like him. The latest 1News Kantar poll shows Chris Hipkins is leading the way as preferred Prime Minister, while support for National leader Chris Luxon has tumbled. Hipkins rose four points to 27 per cent as the preferred, while Luxon dropped five to 17 per cent - his lowest since taking on the role at the end of 2021.   Based on the results, Labour could form a government with the support of the Greens and Te Pāti Māori.   The Green Party meanwhile was the big winner, rising four points and reversing a recent declining trend, while Te Pāti Māori also got a bump rising two points to three per cent.  The Greens now sit on 11 per cent, while Act was up one to also sit on 11 per cent.  The results would give Labour and the Greens 60 seats - and National and Act 57. It is game on this election year - let the lolly scramble begin.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before I launch into the usual litany of woe, and really, the stories making the news headlines are indeed indicative of a woeful state of affairs, I do think we should acknowledge some of the good news around.  Zoe Hobbs was magnificent in Sydney over the weekend; the Tarankai raised, Auckland based sprinter has officially become the first New Zealand woman to run under 11 seconds for the 100 metres. Hobbs created history at the Sydney Track Classic by running 10.97 to scalp one-tenth of a second from her Oceania women’s 100m record with an exhilarating performance. Sticking with sport, in the third game of their second season in Super Rugby Pacific, the Fijian Drua have claimed one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history beating the Crusaders 25-24 which has to be good news for rugby full stop. We also had three sold out concerts on Saturday night showcasing New Zealanders eclectic music tastes: BackStreet Boys, Snoop Dogg, and My Chemical Romance. So many beautiful emos in the central city on Sunday… and there's a great exhibition from the Tate Gallery on at the Auckland Art Gallery which is a must see.  There was sunshine and people flocking to beaches, and I could pretend for just a moment that we'd had a summer up north. So that's the good news. We return now to our regular scheduled programming. How on earth is the government and Andrew Coster going to spin this? Retail crime is up nearly 40 per cent —nearly 300 incidents every single day— and that's just the reported crime. 292 incidents every day in 2022, up from 140 per day in 2018. Why? Because the crims know they'll get away with it.  There's been a 400 per cent increase in ram raids in five years, 76 per cent of those caught under the age of 18. Why? Because the crims know they'll get away with it.  If you're on any neighbourhood FB page you'll see the footage of crims coming up driveways looking for homes to break into, cars to steal, opportunties to take stuff they're not willing to work for - why? Because they know they'll get away with it.  Violent gun crime is on the rise. Police data reveals that while the number of firearm offences has risen and fallen over the past 15 years, 2021 was the worst over that period with 1,308 firearms offences recorded. It surpassed 2019 when there were 1,142 incidents, including the mosque terror attacks. So 2021 worst year in 15 years - until 2022.  That was on track for being the worst year ever.   Data released by police under the Official Information Act shows 10 murder or manslaughter deaths in 2022, up until 31 July. There were 11 in total in 2021. Injuries are also running at a record rate, on track to exceed 300 firearm-related injuries for the first time. In 2021, there were 298 gun-related injuries recorded by police, the highest ever.  Why?  You know the chorus - repeat after me. Because they know they'll get away with it.  And all we get from the Police Commissioner and this government is gaslighting: New Zealand is a safer place because of the gun buyback. There is no increase in crime.  Ram raids have decreased since I became PM. There are more police on the streets. Fog cannons will make a difference. Utter, utter BS from a government that will not draw a line in the sand and say enough. No more. In a civilised society this is simply not acceptable and those who transgress, those who don't or won't observe the rules of civilised society need to be punished. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To start with we're going to look at the latest announcement from teachers that they're taking strike action to force the Government's hand in their pay negotiations. It is the last thing that parents and kids need to hear. Primary school teachers have announced they too will be joining their secondary school teaching colleagues in strike action across the country. The press release from the NZEI said this is a combined work force of 50,000 people together, our voices will be loud. This is our opportunity to act collectively, to tell the Government that their offers are not good enough they must do better to show they value educators. We are strongest when we act collectively, make a plan with your colleagues about what you will do on strike day. Rallies and marches across the country have been planned for next Thursday. And sure, we are agreed that the conditions are far from ideal, that much more could be done to ensure that teachers are there and able to do the job that they love.  For many it is a job they love, but they're finding increasingly difficult to do. And I do have sympathy for them. Up to a point, but come on. Teacher only days school holidays, public holidays. The possibility of floods. Actual floods. The pandemic. Yes, preventing the spread of a virus is important. Yes, there's a chance that bad weather might turn into something more. Yes, teachers are valued. The work they do is important. All of these things are important. You know who's not important? The kids. That's the clear message I'm getting. Maybe I'm absolutely too one eyed to have any kind of perspective on this because one thing I am absolutely passionate about is that education gives children the chance to level the playing field.  There's justification for every single time schools have been closed. But in the order of priorities, the message that's been coming through loud and clear for the past five years is that young people simply do not rate and I despair. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says he doesn’t see his kids “anywhere near enough” and is grateful for their sacrifice so he can hold the country’s top job. Speaking on Newstalk ZB this morning, he said he made an effort to treasure what time he did have with them, leaving his phone in the next room, but he recognised the sacrifice of his two young children. “They ultimately make a big sacrifice for me to be able to do the job that I do.” It comes as Hipkins has weighed in on Te Whatu Ora’s publishing of incorrect emergency department wait-time data, saying it was “unacceptable”, while maintaining that mistakes do happen. Hipkins joined Newstalk ZB’s Kerre Woodham for a one-hour session, including taking listeners’ questions. “My feet have barely hit the ground,” Hipkins told Woodham about how it’s been going as Prime Minister since Jacinda Ardern resigned earlier this year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's talk tax. It is an election year, which means a number of key policies are coming under the spotlight. All the usual suspects - health, law and order, welfare and tax. A Newsroom article has proposed a fairer tax system that would, the author posits, bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Inequality is the enemy of society. It's fine if we're all poor and fine if we're all rich. Where you run into problems is where you have a divide between those who don't have and those who do. At the moment, according to the Newsroom article, our tax system depends heavily on income and consumption. So GST grabs us with consumption, PAYE and business income tax gets the tax there. Wealth, as such, is not taxed apart from rates. The author argues that by leaving wealth and capital gains untaxed, the Government has less funding than it should have to spend on the common good. New Zealand spends about 30 percent of our GDP annually. A number of Scandinavian countries, who top the polls in just about every kind of happiness survey and well-being survey, spend more than 40 percent and that, the author says, provides their citizens with better public services and lower levels of health and social problems.  I have to say, over the recent years I've started to resent paying as much tax as I do. Before, I didn't mind it at all. Having been someone who was on a low wage, I was never on a benefit, but I had been on a low wage. I'd been a single mum. The fact that I could pay more in tax meant that I was doing better. And I didn't mind redistributing at all, because I could see where it was going. Now, not so much, when you see the waste of money - that really rips my nighty and it makes me resentful. And I don't like feeling like that. I'm proud of earning my keep in society. I'm proud of working extra jobs, earning extra money, paying extra taxes. Or at least I used to be. So what's fair? And what ensures we all have the best chance of success and the best chance of thriving and what really is a beautiful country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The author of the Newsroom piece, 'How to make New Zealand's Tax System Fairer?' says our tax policies need to change. This is especially if we want to do something serious about intergenerational inequalities, poverty, and inadequacies in our health and other social services. Louise Delany is a senior lecturer in the Department of Public Health at Otago University and is also a member of Tax Justice Aotearoa New Zealand. Delany joined Kerre Woodham. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.