Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Business owners are being forced to take matters into their own hands as the level of retail crime continues to soar. Latest figures show there's been a 39-percent surge in retail crime since last year, with much higher rises in Canterbury and South Auckland. Newmarket Business Association Chief Executive Mark Knoff-Thomas told Kate Hawkesby that they're particularly concerned by the level of juvenile crime and are calling for more police. He says there are some stores trading with their doors locked and only letting customers in one-by-one due to the scale of crime. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So we learn this week what we already knew, but now have confirmation of - our health system is in dire straits. And it's only March. It's not even winter yet. I worry that we've dropped the ball on fixing it by being too slow to react when staffing, in particular, was first being flagged as an issue. We took far too long to get midwives, nurses and doctors onto the residency green list. And by the time we did, guess what? No one wanted to come. They'd already gone elsewhere, found other jobs, other countries that did have their doors open in time, other markets where health care systems, pay, and conditions were preferable. So we are crying out for midwives, nurses and doctors.  We are facing overloaded and overworked ED's and Hospitals, and that's before the winter bugs even strike. Doctors, nurses and midwives are rightfully tearing their hair out with frustration.  And then yesterday – news that the Ministry of Health is spouting incorrect numbers anyway. They don’t even have their stats right. They admit

National says compounding issues in the health sector are coming to a head in emergency departments. Figures released to Newstalk ZB show over the past five years, 32 of the country's 37 main public hospitals recorded an increase in ED wait times. National Health Spokesperson Shane Reti says it's an ongoing trend. He told Kate Hawkesby too many people are ending up in ED for issues that should have been resolved much earlier. Reti says emergency departments are tired, exhausted, and understaffed, with people turning up with issues that could have been dealt with in primary care. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frustration between education unions and the Government has boiled over. 50,000 educators will down tools next Thursday in what's set to be one of the country's biggest ever strikes. Both secondary and primary unions have voted to take the action. Te Tai Tokerau Principals Association President Pat Newman told Kate Hawkesby poor conditions are causing massive issues for the workforce. He says people are leaving the profession in droves and it's hard to get any new staff on board. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A shockingly low number of nurses, midwives and doctors have entered the country. That's despite changes to the immigration green list last year aimed to plug skilled labour shortages. Out of 200 healthcare workers granted residency, most were already here and only one has entered the country. Questions have been asked as to whether has anything changed. Kate Weston, Executive Director of the College of Nurses, joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your Instagram food pictures may be influencing more people than you think. In a bid to be ahead of food trends and expectations, researchers are using your hot takes to look at customer preferences and food production. AgResearch is leading the study into it and science team leader Dr Marlon dos Reis joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As I tried to wade through Auckland traffic yesterday on a simple 15 minute journey which took three times that long, I asked myself again, why do I live in Auckland?  I asked myself a second time when I saw the Herald headline, ‘Auckland residents violently attacked on street by large mob.’ A resident in the story was quoted saying she’s from the Middle East and would rather be in her country than have to deal with all this violence.  The problem is, I love Auckland because I’m a born and bred Aucklander and I think there’s something about where you come from that always tugs at your heartstrings and pulls you back in. It’s like a bad ex-boyfriend that you take back one too many times. You forgive all the bad stuff and only remember the good things; until you’re reminded again of why you broke up in the first place.  My point is, I want to love Auckland, but I’m running out of puff.  It doesn’t help that my Southern-born husband increasingly feels the pull back to his hometown of Christchurch and is running

House prices are down, but still not to pre-pandemic levels, according to QV's latest report. It shows prices have fallen 12.6 percent in the last year, but on average they are still 24.5 percent higher than February 2020. QV communications manager, Simon Petersen joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harry and Meghan have rarked me up more than usual lately. I think it’s because the delusion now seems so embedded, that their lost grip on reality has lost more and more of us along the way. I mean, how do we keep up?   People often misinterpret me when I comment on Harry and Meghan, so let me be as clear as I can. I wish them no ill will. I, like many others was happy for them to pull the plug on royal life and disappear into the private quiet life they said they so desperately craved. No problem with that at all. My problem with them stems from all the hypocrisy that followed.  It turned out it wasn’t so much a private life they were after, but a very publicised lucrative flogging of the royal family to anyone who would listen and pay top dollar. But the spleen venting has gone on and on and on to the point now where the Prince is even doing live on-air diagnoses with a trauma specialist. This is where Chris Rock comes in.  For the second time in a month, Harry and Meghan have been ridiculed on television

Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust have almost got the formula for reintroducing kiwi to areas with otherwise low populations. The trust has improved numbers so much that the kiwi population is able to increase significantly on their own. Save the Kiwi has been steadfast in supporting this project, and chief executive Michelle Impey joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Government debt is lower than forecast, but financial pressures loom on the horizon. The Government's interim financial statement shows net debt is at $70.5 billion in the seven months to the end of January. It's $3.5 billion less than expected, mostly due to the Super Fund gaining value. Infometrics Chief Economist Brad Olsen told Kate Hawkesby it might be time to rein in the spending due to material shortages and inflation. He says the Government has to make a clear list of its financial priorities and potentially re-shuffle or scale back the spending. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There has been disappointment Waka Kotahi is slipping behind in installing median barriers, while surpassing speed targets. A Road to Zero target aims to have 1000km of median barriers by 2030, but is projected to fall short by half. Meanwhile, the agency has exceeded its target of assessing speeds on 10,000km of road. AA Road Safety Spokesperson Dylan Thompson told Kate Hawkesby 100km of barriers should be installed every year. He says they didn't think it was a hugely ambitious target when it was set, but they haven't managed to get close to it so far.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I just wonder how, almost a month on since the cyclone, there are some pockets of small communities around the country still struggling with absolutely no assistance or help from anyone.  I heard some callers to this station yesterday saying how abandoned they feel, or how left out their area feels. No council, no government ministers, no police, nothing. No resources, no manpower, no input. Some orchardist’s say they feel completely bereft of any support. And I can't understand it.. millions of dollars have been raised, donations were sent in their droves, people flooded into the area to help. So, how is it possible there are some people still without any support at all?  Where has all the money and resources gone? Who's running the show on the ground? How much are people still relying on friends, family, and neighbours instead of professional resources? How are all the tonnes of silt going to get cleared? How have more diggers and trucks not been brought in? Where is the practical assistance? How are orchar

Changes are on the way to manage overcrowding at the Cardrona and Treble Cone ski fields. The changes include a multi-day pass, where visitors will be asked to choose which day and time they'll visit the mountain. If the mountain is full, they'll be denied access. General Manager Laura Hedley says the aim is to improve the experience for everyone. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The trucking sector says transport decisions are never a black and white either/or situation. Newstalk ZB's newsroom yesterday revealed officials were thrashing out a plan to put emissions reduction as their top priority. Hours later, the Government announced the focus would instead be on rebuilding the roading network, following Cyclone Gabrielle. Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Nick Leggett told Kate Hawkesby he's heartened to see the government commitment to restoring roads. He says we need both good roads and good public transport. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't forget to fill out your Census today - if you haven't already. Everyone staying in New Zealand tonight is required by law to complete the form. The Census helps create a clear picture of community needs so government agencies, councils, iwi, community groups and businesses can respond. However, Massey University's Emeritus Paul Spoonley told Kate Hawkesby there are some groups that aren't willing to give up any information.  He says officials are working to convince them otherwise.  The collection period has been extended for cyclone-impacted areas until June first. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most people are picking a further fall in house prices. In the latest ASB Housing Confidence Survey, 43-percent of respondents expect house prices to fall in the coming year. People living outside Auckland and Canterbury are particularly pessimistic. ASB Senior Economist Kim Mundy says this is a shift, as Aucklanders and Cantabrians were previously more pessimistic. The survey also found three quarters of respondents expect higher interest rates over the coming year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think what Luxon did right in his State of the Nation, was to remind us of all the wastefulness of this government.  One of the things I worry about is that we have short memories; you know come October 14th do we still remember MIQ, inaccessibility to RAT tests, multiple lockdowns, or thousands of cancelled surgeries? Do people still care – or will they have they moved on by then?  It’s a fine line of course for an opposition party. On the one hand you don’t want to be seen as too negative or whiney, you have to be seen to offer up new policies and new ideas but it is still important to remind voters why there’s a choice. After all, governments get voted out, oppositions don't get voted in.  So reminding people of all the billions on consultants, a bloated public service, a cost of living crisis, rising interest rates, woeful education stats, and a ballooning hospital waiting list has merit. I mean we already know, but it’s confronting when you hear it all laid out and that’s what the Nats will be banking

National is labelling the Government's new transport strategy as "absolute madness". The plan –which is still being worked on– puts climate change as the top priority and dictates where tens of billions of dollars will be spent in the next three years. It will go out for consultation this year. The proposed changes will see two billion dollars of maintenance money spent on the likes of bus lanes and cycleways, rather than fixing potholes. National Transport Spokesperson Simeon Brown told Kate Hawkesby that money for maintenance should be spent on just that. He says we have potholes peppering our highways and those need fixing, rather than work being done on cycleways. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Banks. They're a nice, big, slow moving target, so it's pretty easy to throw mud and have at least some of it stick. Right now, with higher interest rates and more importantly fat margins between what they pay us for our deposits, and what we pay them for our mortgages. The sun is shining for the Banks and they're making' hay. And the numbers are pretty big. Westpac's most recent result was $1.16 billion for the year, up 12 percent. ANZ was at $2.3 billion and increased of 20, yeah 20, percent. You're probably aware from what we've heard his past few days, that if you shop around you don't have to pay the published mortgage rate. If you tell them such and such bank down the road is offering a fraction less, you'll be surprised how quickly they'll drop their pants. Same too, by the way, with term deposits.   Rather than just let those roll over, you simply have to ask and they'll grudgingly give you a little more.  Not much, but it's the principle of the thing. So are the banks being greedy. Well, yes, of