Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Jacinda Ardern is being urged to confront the frustrations of Auckland business owners during her visit to the city today. The Prime Minister is expected to attend a couple of events under tight security. Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive Michael Barnett told Kate Hawkesby she needs to be willing to have some confronting conversations. “Talk to businesses that aren’t allowed to open, who are sitting there asking ‘why the hell not?’ He said she needs to listen to the messages businesses have been sending for the last three months. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It won't quite be business as usual for Auckland's public facilities on the first day of Step Two restrictions. Libraries will only be open for contactless click and collect pick-up. Some visitor centres, galleries and museums will be gradually reopening over the coming days, but Auckland Zoo will only be open for existing annual pass holders with confirmed booking slots. Motat Museum Experience Manager Sally Manuireva told Kate Hawkesby it will open, but it could be a bit quieter than normal. “Ordinarily, we have a lot of school groups so we’ve been sad that so many of our groups have to had to cancel.”  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Those in Level 2 who can't imagine what this must be like today for Aucklanders.  Try to imagine 3 long months, 12 whole weeks - in fact we're now into week 13 - of absolutely no shops open. You can't buy your printer ink, new shoes for your growing child, you haven't been able to try on jeans, no new socks, no ability to just whip to the shops and grab birthday presents or any little things you suddenly realise you need. Nope, three long months of having to order that online, if it's available, and then wait the sometimes 3 weeks for the backlogged courier to deliver it. Some shops have offered click and collect, but again, on a schedule that suits them, not you. So the convenience is missing. But as of today, doors are open. Big question is- will Aucklanders go nuts? Actually, several questions. Will they go nuts initially and then stop? Because what retailers need is spending all the way through to Xmas to stop the haemorrhaging. So will Aucklanders head out in droves initially, then freak out when cases s

The Foreign Minister's expected to try to put New Zealand's eggs in more than one basket as she visits six countries. Nanaia Mahuta leaves tomorrow for her first overseas foray in the job.  She'll be heading to six nations; Australia, Indonesia, the UAE, Qatar, the US and Canada.  Otago University International Relations Professor Robert Patman told Kate Hawkesby the Government's trying to increase New Zealand's economic links. “China’s our number one export destination. I think there’s been a determination by the Foreign Minister, expressed many times, that we need to diversify.” He said Mahuta would have had a lot of Zoom calls with them already but, that's no substitute for in-person links. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well done Auckland.  The high vax rates have led us to where we are now – getting shops open come Wednesday. It’s several weeks too late, but we’ll take it.  Key takeaways from yesterday’s announcement - it’s no longer about Covid and cases, it’s about, as I said yesterday, length of lockdown, lack of compliance. The ‘health response’ for all that the Rod Jackson’s want to squeal about it, is over. Ardern did make mention of mental health though, about time. What an unnecessary strain this has been. Northland goes to Level 2 later this week, the traffic light system will be in place by the start of next month, the PM sounded super keen for a summer, and why wouldn’t she be, she’s got a wedding to get underway.   And call me cynical, but her choosing Wednesday as the day to visit Auckland is not lost on anyone. How convenient. The day the shops open up, she’s suddenly able to waft into town... are you kidding me?  If anyone was in any doubt that this is a ‘good vibes only’ PM, there’s your confirmation. We won

A nurse has been arrested and charged with falsely giving a teenager the Covid-19 vaccine. The 51-year-old from Western Australia went into her workplace at a Perth medical centre on Sunday. She obtained permission to administer the vaccine to the teenager of someone she knew. Police allege the nurse inserted the needle into their arm but failed to insert any liquid. It’s claimed she then disposed of the vaccine but then falsely claimed in medical records that the teenager had received the vaccine. The woman is also accused of claiming another employee had administered the dose. The nurse, from Byford, was arrested at her house on Sunday after her employer reported the incident to police. She is expected to front court on Monday charged with one count of gaining benefit by fraud. By - Shae McDonald, news.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First home buyers' 26.4 percent market share is the highest on record.  CoreLogic figures show the group's share over the third quarter of 2021 was well above the long-term average of 21.8 percent. Chief property economist, Kelvin Davidson told Kate Hawkesby it goes against the perception of first home buyers struggling. He says people are finding ways in.  “They're using Kiwisaver, the bank of Mum and Dad, and getting in with less than 20 percent deposit as well as looking at different locations, and smaller properties like townhouses.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite ongoing labour and supply challenges, New Zealand's local wine seems to still be in high demand. The value of our wine exports hit $600m in the September quarter - up 9 percent on the same period last year. NZ Winegrowers Chief Executive Philip Gregan told Kate Hawkesby says he’s delighted that their buyers are enjoying our wine.  “We’ve got a good loyal customer base that is growing all the time.” But, he says the labour supply is very tight at the moment.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aucklanders have a path towards freedom and being reunited with the rest of the country. The region will move to Step Two restrictions at midnight, and is set to move to the red level of the traffic light system at the end of the month. It come as a Covid case is reported on Waiheke Island, and Mount Albert Grammar School returns to online classes due to another student testing positive. College of GPs Medical Director Bryan Betty told Kate Hawkesby the Government is trying to chart a middle ground. “The situation in Auckland has obviously reached a point where there has to be an end to this, we have to move on and through it but, it really does put an emphasis on really keeping the vaccination program going.” He says getting vaccination rates higher and hospitalisation rates lower remains the priority in Auckland. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It seems to matter less and less what’s said at these post-cabinet announcements because people are so over it, they’re just getting on with it anyway. The sun came out this weekend in Auckland and the balmy weather saw pretty much everyone head for the beaches, the parks, the backyard BBQ’s. It’s almost like Aucklanders took themselves to Level 2. Likewise, there's a flourishing black market of hair, nails and beauty treatments being done. More and more restaurants are opening up – on the brink of giving up, and just serving anything they can in a takeaway container from their front door. Groups are gathering in larger sizes, it’s as though Aucklanders have made a collective decision not to live in fear anymore. Having such a high double vaxxed rate helps of course. But when I see the fear in the regions where Covid turns up in the wastewater and everyone panics, it seems so foreign to Aucklanders, who’ve been wandering around with more than a hundred cases in the community for ages. Aucklanders are very muc

If you're a Cantabrian, you'll likely be familiar with the Ravenscar House Museum. It's a $16 million art museum in the city centre.  After eight years of planning, a three-year delay in opening and a $3 million budget blow-out, it's officially open to the public today.  Anthony Wright, the Canterbury Museum director joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could New Zealand adopt New South Wales' Covid-19 roadmap? The Australian state is fast tracking new freedoms for fully vaccinated residents from Monday.  It includes removing limit on house gatherings, opening sports stadiums and cinemas, and even allowing dancing in nightclubs.  The unvaccinated people must wait until December 15, or until the state reaches a 95-percent vax rate.  Auckland University Emeritus Professor of Medicine Des Gorman, says it's good plan, that could work here. “People need encouragement, people need some sort of reward and the best way to reward people is for behaviour that actually keeps them safe.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Euthanasia becomes legal this Sunday but the requirements will be strict.  It follows nearly two-thirds of New Zealanders voting to legalise assisted dying last year. The criteria to request it includes being 18 and over, in an advanced state of irreversible physical decline with unbearable suffering, and able to make an informed decision about it.  The Act Party's End of Life Choice spokeswoman Brooke van Velden told Kate Hawkesby at any given time only a handful of New Zealanders will be eligible for assisted dying under the strict criteria. “We expect that, over the first year, about one thousand people will request assisted dying but not all of those people will actually be eligible and be able to go through the process.” She says it's good people who are suffering terribly now have compassion, choice and dignity for their final days. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can always tell when a topic has hit a nerve... The text machine blows up with texts, people email me before, during and after the show has gone to air.  And this was the case yesterday over the latest crazy suggestion from the Government – that Aucklanders could face being set allotted time slots to travel this summer. It was such a stupid idea that no sooner had Chris Hipkins uttered it out loud than Grant Robertson was shooting it down. And therein lies a lot of the problems with this Government’s response to this pandemic. It’s chaotic, all over the show, and smacks of knee jerk reactions. I’m not sure why they say stuff out loud when it hasn’t been given the sniff test but, having Ministers on the hop make stuff up, is sure to backfire. And so it did. And the problem is, this wasn’t just any Minister, this was the Covid-19 Response Minister. It is literally his job to manage this stuff. And sure enough, not long after Chris had said it and Grant had poo-pooed it, Chris was putting it back on the tabl

Deciding on a process for electing Jacinda Ardern's ultimate successor will be up for discussion at the Labour Party's annual conference this weekend. Party members will meet online, to vote on a proposed change to how Labour elects its leaders when the time comes for Ardern to go. It would allow a new leader to be elected by caucus alone if more than two thirds of caucus voted for a new leader within a week of the job coming up. Political commentator Peter Dunne told Kate Hawkesby they'll also be discussing how to sell the party's bold reform agenda. “They’ve got to get out there and try shift the focus off being a ‘Covid Government’ to a government that’s got policies on a whole range of other areas they’re seeking to implement.” The centrepiece of the conference will be Ardern's keynote speech tomorrow afternoon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Keeping Auckland's Covid boundary in place over Christmas could take a huge toll on tourism-dependent regions. The Government is working on plans to require people to prove their vaccination status and provide a negative Covid test each time they cross the border. But Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins says no final decisions have been made on how it will work. Jereon Jongejans, the owner of Northland's Dive Tutukaka, told Kate Hawkesby if Aucklanders can't easily get in and out of the region, the rest of the country will suffer. He says it’s not sustainable. “If we, in Northland, don’t have the Auckland trade, I would say that 50% of the businesses will go broke.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“A small but active group”.  This the new catchphrase we can expect to hear more often from the Government as it faces the reality of popularity slipping. When the chips are down and things don’t look good, it’s important to minimise, diffuse, and distract. That’s why in Northland when the PM was confronted by a heckler, she quickly told the crowd it was “just one person”, in fact there were four of them.  Then in Whanganui, when numbers of hecklers and protesters escalated to about 250, we were told it was “a small but active group”. Like we couldn’t see the throng of people there for ourselves. A second protest saw the PM cancel another press conference, nothing to see here. This is clearly a disconcerting time for our beloved PM because she’s had a golden run, is used to fawning photo ops and easy stand ups, and turning out to adoring crowds on university campuses. Not so much now. The wheels are coming off and it’s not pretty. It doesn’t make for good photos; it doesn’t warm the cockles of the heart.  The

A sociologist says we can expect more protests.  The Prime Minister yesterday abandoned a scheduled press conference in Whanganui after about 250 protesters gathered outside a vaccination centre she planned to visit.  The day before, Ardern had moved a Northland press conference indoors after being heckled by activists. On Saturday about five-thousand people gathered at the Auckland Domain and marched through the streets of Newmarket. Massey University sociology professor Paul Spoonley told Kate Hawkesby as we head towards 90 percent vaccination, protests are becoming more public. “They’re also going to disrupt others to make their point so yes, I think it will escalate.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you want to get in and out of Auckland this Christmas you may have to book in advance, and be prepared to wait. The boundary between Auckland and the rest of the country is likely to remain in place -- with people prevented from travelling if they aren't fully vaccinated, and don't have a negative Covid test. Covid Minister Chris Hipkins says people could be given an allocated time, but it's still likely to be a "time-consuming process". Tech commentator Paul Spain says told Kate Hawkesby the Government will be trying to iron out a system that works and is fair to everyone. “We have seen other areas where the Government has struggled on technology and that’s partly because it takes time to get these systems up and operating.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m not sure what’s worse at COP26, the private jets they all flew in on, the hot air they’re spouting, Greta Thunberg doing her usual spit the dummy routine, or Joe Biden living up to his nickname and falling asleep. I mean it’d be funny if it wasn’t so tragic. UK PM Boris Johnson, having lectured them all on cutting down on travel emissions, then hopped back on his private jet to head back to London. He excused that hypocrisy as being about ‘time constraints’. We get it, you’re so busy saving the planet, you also need to pollute it as you come and go. Ironically, moments before Boris boarded his jet, he told a roundtable of leaders that, “When it comes to tackling climate change, words without action, without deeds, are absolutely pointless.” Then there’s Sleepy Joe. He dozed off during the first few speeches, again showing us that world leaders are really only interested in talk fests if they’re stimulating and perhaps climate ‘blah blah’ as Greta puts it, just isn’t that scintillating. Which leads me to t