Larry Williams Drive

The Government's opted not to move the country into the red setting, despite increasing daily cases, hospitalisations and deaths.Instead, Covid Minister Ayesha Verrall is making more free masks and RATs available, in an attempt to slow the spread.She's also calling on people to keep wearing masks when possible, and to get boosted. Covid-19 response minister Ayesha Verrall joined Andrew Dickens.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ngāi Te Rangi is threatening to blockade Tauranga Port in protest over dredging and expansion plans.The Port says the 14.4ha extension involves dredging up to nearly two million cubic metres of sand from the seabed.Iwi chief executive, Paora Stanley told Andrew Dickens when the port took out two million cubic tonnes in 2015, it drastically changed the harbour.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US nosing its way into the Pacific Islands Forum has raised eyebrows.Vice President Kamala Harris addressed forum leaders virtually today, promising to deepen America's ties with the region.The US plans to increase its funding to 600-million dollars over ten years, assign an envoy to the forum and set up embassies in Tonga and Kiribati.Victoria University international relations Dr Iati Iati told Andrew Dickens the US clearly doesn't understand the principle of respect in the Pacific.He says the Pacific Islands Forum made it clear it wanted space to discuss the geopolitical tensions - but that space was not given.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB sports journalist Kate Wells joined Andrew Dickens for a wrap of today's sporting news and look ahead to the Silver Ferns clash with the New Zealand A side.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Tai Tokerau's Principal's Association is having to tell schools to not reduce staff levels, despite a drop in attendance numbers, saying that the kids will return to the classroom.Pat Newman, president of Te Tai Tokerau Principals Association, joined Andrew Dickens.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's talk about crime, because all the politicians are as they often do as election time approaches.Nothing unnerves an electorate like a crime wave and the party that seems the toughest to fight a crime threat gets a boost in the polls.Right now National and ACT are running the line that Labour is soft on crime.Yesterday, Chris Hipkins the Police Minister reiterated that the tough on crime rhetoric is exactly that, rhetoric.This morning Mark Mitchell said that Hipkins refusal to say whether they are either tough or soft on crime is evidence that they are in fact soft on crime.So today, Labour has unveiled what they call a gang crackdown.It's a spruce up of the rules.  Toughening some, closing loopholes, plugging gaps.The overwhelming feeling I had was that I couldn't believe that some of these new offences weren't already offences.Previously under the Crimes Act the crime of threatening with a firearm only applied if you were inside the same house as the good folk you were threatening.So driving by and shoo

By RNZThe number of leaders attending the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) summit has dropped further, with both the President of the Marshall Islands and the Cook Islands prime minister pulling out.It was revealed at the weekend that the Kiribati president Taneti Maamau was not attending the gathering, and his nation had formally withdrawn from the Forum.Nauru's Lionel Aingimea was also understood to not be attending, ostensibly because of the soaring levels of Covid-19 in his country.Now, Cook Islands prime minister Mark Brown has also pulled out, and said he wants to focus on the election, which is to be held in three weeks.And Marshall Islands president David Kabua has said he would have attended the summit, but was not able to because of a legislatively-binding action to terminate the country's membership in the forum.That legislation had resulted from the five Micronesian leaders threatening to pull out 18 months ago over the failure of their nominee to be given the secretary generalship.A forum committee an

Police Minister Chris Hipkins said the Government wants to hit gangs "where it hurts:by taking their guns, cars and motorbikes and making it harder to launder money – while also responding to increasing incidents of intimidation and violence on our roads and streets and in our homes".Chris Hipkins joined Andrew Dickens.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A damning report has come out this week, revealing what can only be described as financial meltdown at the new polytech mega-merger.Pattrick Smellie from Business Desk who has been looking into this joined Andrew Dickens.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A movement to lower the voting age has its day Supreme Court.Make It 16 claims preventing 16 and 17-year-olds from voting is age discrimination and a breach of human rights.The group's efforts previously failed in the High Court in 2020 and Court of Appeal last year.Co-director Cate Tipler says they hope the Supreme Court will issue a formal declaration of inconsistency - something the Court of Appeal wouldn't do last year.They say the Crown's arguing it's a political issue for Parliament - but they're at the Supreme Court because it's a human rights issue, and the court ruling in their favour would show that.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB's Chief Political Reporter is travelling with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to the Pacific Islands Forum in Suva and he joined Andrew Dickens to debrief the day.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Māori All Blacks will be hoping to repeat their heroics of the first instalment as they face the Irish for a second time in Wellington tonight. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave joined Andrew Dickens for a preview of the match, and to look ahead to the series decider between the All Blacks and Ireland on Saturday.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leaked documents show Kainga Ora is facing 60 years of unmanageable debt.For that reason, the documents also show Housing Minister Megan Woods has been urged to reject new funding requests from Kainga Ora.Megan Woods was unavailable to speak, but says no decisions have been made on the recommendations.Lawyer Adina Thorn, who has been taking on Kainga Ora and how they operate for a while now joined Andrew Dickens.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a sobering listen this morning hearing Kerre Woodham's callers list crisis after crisis after crisis in the Health and Education sectorsIt was nothing we didn't already know, we've been talking about this for decades.A lack of funding for training, l lack of funding for pay, iniquitous pay relativity which sees junior engineers receiving more money than a junior doctor for far less responsibility and hours. We set ourselves up for failure. And we've been doing it for years.It comes on the same day the New Zealand Women in Medicine survey of 900 clinicians is released.93.5 per cent saying we are in crisis with our healthcare workforce and with a conclusion that “we are at risk of a catastrophic collapse of the healthcare workforce".These are big structural problems that will be fixed over a time scale of decades, not years and the Government is putting aside billions for the process.But in between the big bad news you hear little stories of stupidity that could be fixed quickly and relatively cheaply.Th

Detailed reports on the future of Christchurch's stalled stadium have been made public -including the successful negotiation of fixed-price contract for its construction.And it has emerged that if the project is stopped, $40 million in "sunk costs" will be lost entirely and the budget will rise further if there is any pause on the build.The Christchurch City Council today confirmed the total budget for the project will sit at $683 million.Rates in the city will need to increase by 1.24 per cent to cover the cost of what the CCC will need to borrow to fund the project.In 2010 and 2011 the Christchurch quakes irreparably damaged AMI Stadium - formerly Lancaster Park.The plan to create a covered multi-use arena was put forward by a Government panel in 2012.That plan detailed how both local and central government would foot the bill.The projected cost was $470 million.But that rose to $533m, and in recent months the Christchurch City Council revealed the proposed design for the stadium, Te Kaha, had blown its bud

Sky Stadium may be running short of up to 200 staff during its biggest event in years this weekend.The All Blacks vs Ireland match on Saturday has sold out the stadium, which hasn't happened in three years, chief executive Shane Harmon said.But Harmon asked fans to be patient and kind with staff, who were likely to be operating under capacity this weekend."The stadium has had the same issues that the rest of the hospitality industry has had, particularly with illness," he said."Traditionally we would have a large number of international students and backpackers on our books, which isn't there at the moment."He was putting the word out asking for workers for the weekend.For a day like Saturday they would normally have about 1000 people working in some capacity in the stadium, but he believed they would be down 10 or 20 per cent. Hello Wellington. Huge weekend at @skystadium this weekend with the most anticipated match in years between the All Blacks & Ireland. We’re still seeking bartenders and

The race for UK Prime Minister is heating up, with 11 candidates in the running.New files have been revealed about Uber courting top politicians, including French President Emmanuel Macron.And the UK is expected to experience its hottest day of the year.UK correspondent Gavin Grey joined Andrew Dickens.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conservation groups have concerns a new fisheries bill will rule out public consultation when it comes to decisions made about fishing by MPI.The new reforms would mean that MPI can make decisions about any fishing rule without input from the public.MPI will only have to give an update to the public without including them in discussion.Deep Sea Conservation Coalition spokesperson Karli Thomas joined Andrew Dickens.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The dust has settled on Jacinda Ardern's trip to Australia.The initial signs are that the trip went well for both sides due to the commonality between both governments.Australia has also pledged an easier path to citizenship for Kiwis by Anzac Day next year.Both leaders now head to the Pacific Islands Forum this week.The forum is not off to the best of starts with Kiribati already pulling out.NZME Business Commentator Fran O'Sullivan joined Andrew Dickens.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cost of fuel is hitting the trucking industry.The industry body for trucking says the rise in cost of fuel has put a number of businesses on the verge of collapse.Transporting NZ surveyed 400 transport companies and found that a fifth of them are unable to pass any more of their fuel costs onto customers. Transporting NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined Andrew Dickens.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.