Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Small businesses are hoping to enact change in this year's local body elections. More than nine in 10 small to medium sized business owners are planning to vote next month, with one in three believing council support for them is worse than three years ago. Business NZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope told Kate Hawkesby he's not surprised by the numbers. He says if you think about the worsening of CBDs around the country it's no wonder businesses want to try to make a difference. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A call for an inquiry over mistakes made during our Covid-19 response. Northland was plunged into level three after two women travelled to the region and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19. Officials originally said they had provided false information to get travel permits, but it's been revealed they were issued in error instead. Former New Zealand First Northland MP Shane Jones told Kate Hawkesby their refusal to hold an inquiry is due to overconfidence. He thinks the Government thinks it will win the election without having to care about the north. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a legal victory for former President Donald Trump, a federal judge on Monday granted his request for a special master to review documents seized by the FBI from his Florida home and temporarily halted the Justice Department's use of the records for investigative purposes. The decision by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon authorizes an outside legal expert to review the records taken during the Aug. 8 search and to weed out from the rest of the investigation any that might be protected by claims of attorney-client privilege or executive privilege. Some of those records may ultimately be returned to Trump, but the judge put off a ruling on that question. The order came despite the strenuous objections of the Justice Department, which said a special master was not necessary in part because officials had already completed their review of potentially privileged documents. The department said Monday that it was reviewing the decision but did not indicate if and when it might appeal. The order almost certainly sl

It appears advocates of legalising cannabis in this country are still smarting over having lost that referendum. This was a referendum we shouldn’t have even been having in the first place when you look at all the other things needing sorting in this country. Decriminalizing weed shouldn’t be top of the priority list. The fact it ever was, and that millions were spent on a referendum on it, speaks volumes about this Government and where it sees value.  Kids in poverty, people sleeping cars, mental health, housing, health and education would be good starting points for a government who promised a lot on that and have delivered nothing. My bad, sorry, they have delivered something on that – worse stats in every single category. But back to weed. Not content with having lost that debate, they’re now looking at decriminalizing meth.  This insane idea comes from none other than the Helen Clark Foundation. They want a health based approach to everything, seemingly ignoring the fact our health system is in crisis, a

The Government is rejecting calls to review tax brackets amid rising inflation. New Zealand’s marginal tax rate system means higher rates of tax are applied as someone earns more income. Stats NZ data shows median weekly earnings increased 8.8 percent in the year to the June quarter, the biggest jump since records began. Tax expert Terry Baucher says told Kate Hawkesby tax brackets have not changed in more than a decade and action is needed urgently. He says people are being squeezed as their incomes rise rapidly, alongside their tax brackets. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Rotorua mayoral candidate says the city needs to urgently shift away from emergency housing motels. National and Te Pati Maori are calling for an inquiry into the system after a TVNZ report exposed tenants in poor conditions. Some residents housed under the charity Visions of a Helping Hand are accusing that group of intimidation and abuse of power by staff and security workers. Rotorua District Council member and mayoral candidate Tania Tapsell says told Kate Hawkesby we need to focus on long term solutions. She says we need to build social housing not rely on emergency housing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Act says it's time the Government got serious with ram-raiders. Police Minister Chris Hipkins this morning unveiled a plan to refer any child under 14 caught ram-raiding to a cross-agency board, to prevent repeat offending. But Act Leader David Seymour says anyone aged 11-to-14 caught raiding should be forced to wear an ankle monitoring bracelet, so police know where they are at all times. He says it's tragic that New Zealand is in this state of affairs - and this is the consequence of having no consequences for crime.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Potential job losses at AUT are being seen as a tragedy for staff and students. Up to 230 staff could be cut. A drop in student numbers and growing economic pressures are being cited as the reason for the proposed restructure. The Tertiary Education Union says there seems to be too much focus on business outcomes rather than academic ones. President Tina Smith told Kate Hawkesby this isn't the right time to be doing it. She says with our skill shortage at the moment we need educated people. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fears for the impact inflation could have on those saving for retirement. Massey University research shows the savings needed for retirees to fund a basic household living, with few luxuries, sits at $191,000 dollars in the city, and $77,000 in the provinces. A more comfortable living standard in the city requires $755,000 dollars, while a provincial household needs $480,000. It shows many Kiwis in retirement will also need to supplement their super. Author, Associate Professor Claire Matthews says one reason inflation hits those in and nearing retirement harder, is due to their spending habits. She says transport costs are a big factor, as well as housing and utilities. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz Truss has been elected as the Conservative Party's new leader, the party announced Monday, and she will take office Tuesday as Britain's new prime minister to steer the country through an acute cost-of-living crisis. The 47-year-old Truss, who is currently foreign secretary, beat former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak after a leadership contest in which only about 170,000 dues-paying members of the Conservative Party were allowed to vote. Truss received 81,326 votes, compared with Sunak's 60,399. She faces immediate pressure to deliver on her promises to tackle the cost-of-living crisis walloping the U.K. and an economy heading into a potentially lengthy recession. Queen Elizabeth II is scheduled to formally appoint Truss as Britain's prime minister on Tuesday. The ceremony will take place at the queen's Balmoral estate in Scotland, where the monarch is spending her summer, rather than Buckingham Palace in London. The two-month leadership contest left Britain with a power vacuum at a time of growing discontent

I saw a story yesterday that caught my eye because it was positive and seemed to be offering up a solution by way of cleaning up truancy rates. It’s a campaign being run in Northland, and according to the story I saw, it’s having great success at stopping kids from wagging school. "Let's Get to School Tai Tokerau" is running in 150 schools across the region and at its heart are messages from children explaining why the classroom is a good place to be,” the story said.  So it’s student-driven which makes sense, and it’s putting fun back into learning, and viewing school as something you don’t want to miss, rather than a chore or a punishment.  The story said kids came up with slogans of stuff they like doing, like, playing with their friends, learning about new things, and on top of this the schools run fun competitions like MasterChef for example. There’s also an incentive scheme like earning points for days attended and.. “at the end of the term depending on their attendance they may get some grocery voucher

In a job market severely short of labour, it seems the winner in all this are temp workers. They’re making a killing as employers are wanting them to fill the holes left by the absent migrant workers. Add to that ongoing staff sicknesses. This means pay rates for temps have gone up considerably, with a temp executive assistant now able to charge as much as $60 an hour. Beyond Recruitment CEO Liza Viz joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NSW government has confirmed that speed camera operators will no longer be able to “hide” behind other vehicles or bushes to catch out unsuspecting motorists. It comes after infuriated drivers accused speed camera operators of deliberately hiding or not displaying their warning signs throughout the year, particularly on rural and regional roads across the state. The NSW government announced that from February this year every mobile speed camera vehicle would have a large double-sided sign on top, but there have been numerous reports of this not happening or the signs being obscured. These concerns were raised at last Wednesday’s budget estimates hearings, with Transport for NSW deputy secretary Tara McCarthy confirming they received complaints about these issues. “The government gave a commitment that from April 1 of this year all vehicles undertaking enforcement of mobile speed cameras would have signs installed. Those vehicles can only be in operation if the sign is in the upright position,” she said. “

I think the only feasible thing that can happen now with the mask mandate is that they get rid of it. When even the Government’s favourite boffin (Michael Baker) says masks aren’t that essential anymore, you’ve got to wonder whose left supporting them. Add to that the fact they’re even up for discussion – the fact they’re now being talked about by the PM herself as something we may be able to review – and you can kiss the mandate goodbye. Because what happens when people in high places start questioning stuff, is that the general public get a whiff of it, and just go ahead and ditch them anyway. Where we live rurally, masks have been a distant memory for a while now. Most of our local shops don’t bother, it’s rare to see people in them, I’m not sure if other rural parts of the country are the same but I think it’s largely a city thing these days. Wellington I hear, (unsurprisingly) is still hot on masks, Auckland is hit and miss, some parts of the city still do them, others don’t bother. You certainly don’t g

A claim tightening the Proceeds of Crime Act isn't the right way to deal with gangs. It's understood the Government will announce a law change which will make it easier for police to seize gang assets held under associate's names. The law will also make it harder for criminals to shelter money with KiwiSaver. National Party Police spokesperson Mark Mitchell told Kate Hawkesby while it's good to go after assets, it misses the bigger issue. “They are not going to make any tangible impact right now on the amount of gang violence and gun violence that we’re currently experiencing.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local Government New Zealand is hoping voters will get to know the candidates in the upcoming local body elections. It's an unprecedented move and comes amid reports of conspiracy theorists and extremists looking to get elected. Grant Duncan is an associate professor at Massey University, he joined Kate Hawkesby on Early Edition. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local body elections are upon us and there's concern at the number of so-called fringe candidates looking to get elected. Now the club for councils, Local Government New Zealand, is so worried about this, it's launched a campaign to get voters more engaged with the process. Which sounds a bit like they're saying ‘Hey, make sure you pick one of our approved people.’ And what is a fringe candidate anyway? Who is an extremist? Go back 25 years or so, and people were calling the ACT Party extreme right wingers; last election they got 10 seats, and these days they talk more sense than a lot of others. Go back 30 years and people were calling the Greens extreme lefties, some of them still are, but again, last election, they got 10 seats. Point is, everyone is entitled to have a shot at getting elected, pretty much anyone is entitled to stand. And when it comes to local bodies, if you stand, you have a fairly decent chance of getting elected. On average, across the country, the number of candidates per seat last tim

A Bill which would require public sector agencies to use clear and concise language is making progress in Parliament. Labour's Nelson MP Rachel Boyack's Plain Language Bill would require agencies to have a designated plain language officer. Rachel Boyack joined Kate Hawkesby on Early Edition. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So we've talked a bit about high absence rates among teachers and students at schools. This is due to Covid and other winter illnesses. We also know our literacy and numeracy rates are pretty appalling. So what are some solutions? Learncoach is a kiwi business that are launching its’ anti-cheating software, that allows students to do their assessments digitally and remotely. Founder and CEO David Cameron explains “There’s a surprising range of software, they need to have a camera and microphone on. But there’s also things measuring how they type compared to how they type beforehand.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A survey in the UK has found the majority of actors and voice talent feel that artificial intelligence is a threat to employment opportunities. This comes as more companies are using AI for voiceover work, instead of an actual person. More AI start-ups are developing tools for use in film and audio, including making AI voices that can be used for marketing campaigns. Toby Ricketts is an award winning voice artist and has recorded for some of the biggest businesses worldwide, such as Microsoft, Google, and even the United Nations. Toby knows the threat AI may pose going forward. “It’s kind of getting better every day. It’s not good at acting still and most of us can kind of tell an AI voice now, but it’s probably going to change soon.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.