Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Nicola Willis: National Finance Spokesperson names five ways govt could stop prices from spiralling out of controlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rosann Connolly George: Travel agency owner on AirAsia's return to New ZealandSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roman Travers: Tangible aspects are what will make us vote one way or anotherSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Bennetts: Z Energy CEO says fuel sector is supportive of govt's transport cost reliefSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finn Robinson: ANZ economist says the inflation rate isn't likely to get any higherSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ivan Lawrie: Foundation for Arable Research general manager on bread prices expected to get worseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim Dower: Even Govt knows they've lost the room when it comes to CovidSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Fitzpatrick: Former All Blacks captain on this weekend's decider between the All Blacks and IrelandSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aaron Martin: Immigration lawyer on some immigration application fees set to increase by more than 130 percentSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a saying about having nothing to fear, as long as you have nothing to hide.It's been used to justify increasingly intrusive data gathering, especially by government departments, and various infringements on our personal privacy.Crustier listeners this morning will remember the fuss over digitised photos on our driving licences.in the day that was pretty controversial, your driving licence becoming a de facto identity card.It would prevent fraud and stop people stealing our identities, so, we went along with it.Four years ago the police got live access to that system, mmm, seems logical. They should be able to check you are who you say you are, so, OK.Now there's a further extension of that; bringing in the Department of Internal Affairs so it can access drivers' photos.But the Transport Agency says oh, this is just so the DIA can use the licence photo to verify a person's identity, and only if the person agrees to it.And it denies there's been any kind of data dump of images to Internal Affairs or any

British Conservative MPs have cast their votes in the first round of their leadership race.Candidates needed 30 votes to secure their place in the next round, with Nadhim Zahawi and Jeremy Hunt both dropping out of the race.Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak is the frontrunner, with 88 votes, followed by Penny Mordaunt on 67.King's College London politics expert Rod Dacombe told Tim Dower she's run an interesting campaign.He says Mordaunt is not pushing too much against Boris Johnson's legacy, but equally not tapping too much to the right with her policies.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Christchurch City Councillor says it would be a travesty if they don't push ahead with the stadium.The future of the controversial facility will be decided in a meeting starting at 10am.The lead contractor has agreed to a fixed price, $683 million, for Te Kaha, meaning the average Christchurch ratepayer will initially pay $144 a year for the stadium.Sam MacDonald told Tim Dower they're in this position now because of indecision.He says if it doesn't go ahead, Christchurch residents will be disappointed, and re-litigating it may not get them any further ahead  over the next ten years.LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A call for evidence-based policy to guide decisions aiming to tackle gangs.The Government's new measures have given police greater powers to search, seize weapons and cash, and impound vehicles.Firing a gun to intimidate will become an offence punishable by up to five years in jail.Lifetime Black Power member Denis O'Reilly agrees some gun laws needed adjusting.But told Tim Dower some of the decisions aren't specifically targeting gangs or getting to the root of the issue.He says it's frustrating to be tinkering around with peripheral issues, instead of focusing on creating proper social change.O'Reilly would've liked former police officers, pro-social gang members, and agencies involved in the decision making process.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As I got woken by the not so dulcet tones of the Police helicopter at 2 o'clock this morning, I wondered when the crime spree this country is experiencing might come to an end, or even if it can?Are we so far down the road now on lack of consequences that people feel entitled to behave any way they like with no fear of punishment?Has mob rule replaced any authority Police once had? Headlines these days make for sobering reading; 'Woman killed in West Auckland shooting ‘or ‘Woman dies after being assaulted’, that was in broad daylight by the way.Crimes are no longer for after dark, we seem to be a 24/7 business now in this country of vicious criminal behaviour. ‘Gang brawl – person hit by car in Whangarei’ or ‘Man seriously hurt after being shot in Rolleston’.You’ll note the crime is no longer just limited to Auckland by the way. I had a couple of people message me last week saying ‘you can keep your crime in Auckland, we don’t want knives and guns here thanks ‘and yet, time to get your head out of the sand, c

London's Heathrow Airport is capping daily passenger numbers for the summer and telling airlines to stop selling tickets as it steps up efforts to quell travel chaos caused by soaring travel demand and staff shortages.Britain's busiest airport said Tuesday that it's setting a limit of 100,000 passengers that it can handle each day through Sept. 11. The restriction is likely to result in more canceled flights even after airlines already slashed thousands of flights from their summer schedules.U.K. aviation authorities demanded that airlines ensure they can operate without disruption over the summer, with carriers not punished for not using their valuable takeoff and landing slots. They were responding to chaotic airport scenes as passengers complained about long lineups at security, lost luggage and lengthy flight delays.Even with that allowance, Heathrow, which had warned a day earlier that it may ask airlines to cut flights further, said it still expected more passengers than airport ground staff could handl

An aviation expert says changes are needed to Air New Zealand's customer service.The airline is facing significant challenges as it gears up for its busiest month since the start of the pandemic.Along with flights being delayed or cancelled, some customers have complained they're waiting for hours to get through to the call centre.Aviation commentator Irene King told Kate Hawkesby they need to be more responsive to their customers.She's concerned Air New Zealand never tells you how much credit you have, and how much of your money is sitting in its coffers.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Things don’t appear to be looking good for US President Joe Biden.A very damaging poll has come out from the New York Times.His overall approval rating is at 33 percent.But what's worse, 64 percent of democrats don't want Biden to be their candidate again in the next election.Consultant for the Democrats Tracy Sefl joined Kate HawkesbyLISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Expect another rise in interest rates.The Reserve Bank is expected to increase the OCR by 50 basis points this afternoon, to 2.5 percent.Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Kate Hawkesby while some parts of the economy are struggling, inflation remains high.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A different approach to filling nursing shortages.Health New Zealand is going to meet with nine nursing schools as they call for more funding.Perpetual Guardian Foundation is a charitable organisation which gives scholarships to nurses to advance their training via private donors.Foundation Philanthropy Manager Kirsten Killian-Taylor told Kate Hawkesby they want to help.She says the charity sector can do its bit as funding is tight in many government departments.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 51st Pacific Islands Forum is now underway in the Fijian capital Suva.Drama has already unfolded with the Kiribati Government pulling out, while China's role in the Pacific is expected to be a hot topic.Professor Steven Ratuva is the MacMillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies director at Canterbury University and joined Kate Hawkesby.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.