Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Former Chef and Restaurateur Adam Dickson is unimpressed with the Government's treatment of the hospitality sector. He's behind 'Hands up for Hospo'. An initiative designed to help those struggling, stay afloat, by way of an online fundraising auction. Dickson told Tim Dower this is designed to help business owners who are having to shell out for lots of hidden costs. “A little from a lot of people will hopefully see us straight.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some hard data has confirmed the devastating effects lockdown has been having on people's mental health. Police have been too busy to attend half the mental health callouts in the past year – 140,000 of them overall.   Newstalk ZB can report a 55% increase in events in August and September, compared to the same months in 2019. Dr. Angela Lim, Chief of Clearhead, an online mental health platform, told Tim Dower they’ve noticed a dramatic increase in distress that they can connect directly to lockdown. She said people need to have some hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's not just businesses trying to navigate the new traffic light system. Catholic churches are planning to hold mass for people with vaccination passes, and a separate service with limited numbers for unvaccinated worshippers. A date on when the country will move into the new framework will be decided on November 29. The Anglican Bishop of Auckland Ross Bay told Tim Dower he's consulting with his community on what to do moving forward. “We are committed to doing our best to continue ministering to all people.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It feels weird to stop and think what’s become of our lives these days and how basic things like leaving your city or walking into a café, now require passes, proof and a QR code. It’s like a futuristic movie, but sadly without the hovercraft. Hovercraft would come in handy right now come to think of it, if it meant getting across borders without checkpoints.  But here we are. Regimented, archived, coded, scannable. Yesterday I spent the endless time refreshing the My Covid Record site to log on to request my vaccine pass, to then download it to my phone to then upload it to my Apple wallet and then print off a hard copy just in case.  That will only of course get us into venues domestically and will only be valid for 6 months, whereby we’ll need a booster shot and a new pass. If we want to travel internationally, we need to apply for a separate vaccine certificate. Why they can’t be simpler and the same thing is beyond me. We also of course have our vaccine cards, which you would’ve got when you got jabbed,

The move from a hard border to a soft border around Auckland is being welcomed by trucking operators. Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Nick Leggett told Kate Hawkesby it would have made a chaotic summer period even worse. “Kiwirail is going to have its network out, it’s peak season. You’ve got to get food, gifts, everything else on the back of the truck. Added to that, we’ve got a shortage of drivers because the borders aren’t open internationally.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of us are aware now of how brutal the MIQ system has been in restricting people coming home, and separating families and friends from each other. But this story is particularly tragic. Shelley Grierson is currently stuck in MIQ and is desperately trying to get a compassionate exemption to self-isolate at home. Her sister has terminal leukaemia and has been given days to live. Despite her sister's health, a doctor’s letter to support this, and multiple negative tests, she keeps being declined. Shelley joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I spoke yesterday to a construction consultant about the housing building boom going on right now and how it’s hampered by supply chain interruptions and inflationary pressures.  Basically, the cost of building is doubling. And as inflation creeps, its tentacles are hitting everywhere and everyone. Auckland City Mission says it's seen the highest demand for its services over the past three months, in all of its 100-year history. Tens of thousands of families are needing food, it’s handing out 16,000 food parcels a week, which is double pre-Covid amounts. The trouble is not just Covid and lockdowns creating more need, but the cost of living. Food, power, water, rent. And here’s the rub, we’ve never had more money pumped into the economy, yet thousands upon thousands are struggling. Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce pointed out at the weekend that “pumping more money into a country than it has capacity for,” means “that money ends up chasing too few goods and services and that means inflation.” It’s not just

Retirees say they've had a gutsful. This is on the back of the Retirement Commissioner saying back in June, that there needs to be an urgent review into the retirement villages act. Research showed low satisfaction around village contracts. Associate Minister for housing Poto Williams says a review was warranted, but may take time. And now it's taking too much time, and the Retirement Village Residents Association has had enough. President Peter Carr joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are safeguards in place in My Vaccine Pass to prevent fraud. People can log in or call My Covid Record to request their pass, which will be in the form of a QR code, from later this morning. Once the traffic light system's in place, the pass will give double-jabbed people access to all sorts of things such as gyms, bars and sporting events. AUT computer science expert Ken Johnson told Kate Hawkesby it will have the person's name, date of birth, and the expiry date of the pass. “Venues can ask to cross-reference that information with an official ID like your license and passport, so that’s an important message to reduce the pass forgery.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland's Mayor says there's no way the Government is keeping a hard border around the region this summer. The Government will make an announcement today about the plan for Covid borders. Our newsroom understands Aucklanders will be locked in by the borders for the next month, before travel restrictions are eased in time for Christmas. Mayor Phil Goff told Kate Hawkesby a hard border, with checks on every traveller, simply wouldn't work. “I can’t see that they can have a hard border, you imagine Boxing Day, 60,000 people travelling south from Auckland, you just couldn’t do it.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, as I said last week with the other two polls, what you look for is a trend. And multiple polls showing the same thing is a trend. And the trend’s not good.  Not surprisingly, with the shambolic vaccine rollout, the cluster that is MIQ, divisive policies and controversial mandates. Three waters, He Pua Pua, a never-ending lockdown for Auckland, businesses going belly up, a token insulting ultra-curated stopover in Auckland and inauthentically calling that “a visit”.  And zooming in and out by way of private jet when climate change was going to be her ‘nuclear moment’. Hard to fathom that one from the inside of the Airforce jet whizzing back and forward, that’s a lot of carbon miles. I said last week this was a ‘let them eat cake’ approach and the clanger here is how disingenuous that is, when this is the Government that promised to govern for everybody.  Poverty, gang problems, gun violence, inadequate leadership, lack of accountability, flip flopping, protests, these things are all becoming part of this r

Some cheeky shoppers could be in to make a killing - reselling supermarket collectables at an eye-watering price.  They're using the launch of Countdown's Lego-like brick collection to their advantage - re-selling the items on Trade Me for as high as $200.  Trade Me spokesperson Ruby Topzand says told Kate Hawkesby it's not something new.    She says the most recent craze was the New World SMEG Knife collection. “In the three months that that campaign ran, we saw over 600,000 searches for Smeg on site and it was consistently one of our most searched items.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's relief for doctors at news they'll be able to get a booster shot from the end of this month. Anyone over 18 who's been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 for six months will be able to get a third jab. Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director, Sarah Dalton, told Kate Hawkesby she heard from a lot of members who were concerned it wouldn't be until next year. “Certainly, some of our members, particularly working in EDs who are seeing Covid-positive people every day were talking about getting the third shot privately.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The cost of materials for house construction continue to climb.  The Cordell Construction Cost Index shows a 1.6 percent increase in the three months to September- almost twice the expected increase.  Disruptions to the supply chain, and increased demand for housing are being blamed for the price jumps.  Construction Management consultant Mike Blackburn told Kate Hawkesby the industry has been flat out. “We’re building more houses in New Zealand than we’ve ever built in history.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Absolute downbuzz on Freedom Day plans from Andrew Little this weekend. He called our much anticipated ‘Freedom Day’ “nothing of the sort.” Just when we thought escape to a red traffic light was coming November 29th, Little told Newshub, “You might have misunderstood what the Prime Minister has been saying, the Prime Minister said on the 29th of November Cabinet will do a significant check-in on the state of the system…" but.. “It won't be introduced from the 29th of November - that is the point at which a decision should be expected to be made, but it won't be introduced straight away."  He claims they’ll want to wait longer to get our vaccination coverage up, “particularly for lagging groups like Māori.” So, if not the end of this month, then when? Little claims it’ll be by Christmas, but that doesn’t give much hope to those of us languishing in day 90 of one of the world’s strictest lockdowns. I mean come on. Surely enough is enough. By November 29th, Aucklanders will have spent more than a hundred days lo

Taylor Swift once again caused some frenzy over the weekend when she released a re-recording of one of her albums. She's re-recording her first six albums, after a dispute with her old record label. But despite being originally released nearly ten years ago, Red has become the most streamed female album in a single day on Spotify. We have been able to track down a Swiftie, one of Taylor's biggest fans in New Zealand, if not her biggest fan, Helena Goldsmith who joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Principals are being urged to do all they can to encourage unvaccinated staff members to get the Covid-jab.  All education workers who have contact with students must have their first jab by the end of today.  Those who don't comply will be barred from entering school grounds. Auckland University's Head of Initial Teacher Education Paul Heyward, told Kate Hawkesby school leaders shouldn't be giving up on their unvaccinated staff members just yet. “Let's begin the conversation, rather than seeing all anti-vax teaches as a kind of lunatic fringe, which they’re not. We could lose some very talented teachers.” Staff must be fully vaccinated by January 1st. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queen Elizabeth II missed out on the Remembrance Sunday service in London to pay tribute to Britain's war dead because she sprained her back, Buckingham Palace said Sunday.  The service is one of the most important events on the 95-year-old monarch's calendar, and was meant to be her first public appearance after taking a few weeks off to rest under doctor's orders. British media reported that the back sprain was not believed to be related to the recent medical advice to rest that prompted other cancellations. "The Queen, having sprained her back, has decided this morning with great regret that she will not be able to attend today's Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph," officials said just hours ahead of the ceremony. "Her Majesty is disappointed that she will miss the service." The queen spent a night in a London hospital last month after being admitted for medical tests. It was her first such stay in eight years. On Oct. 29, the palace said she had been told by doctors to rest for two weeks and only

The world’s top carbon polluters, China and the United States, agreed Wednesday to increase their cooperation and speed up action to rein in climate-damaging emissions, signalling a mutual effort on global warming at a time of tension over their other disputes. In back-to-back news conferences at U.N. climate talks in Glasgow, Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and U.S. counterpart John Kerry said the two countries would work together to accelerate the emissions reductions required to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. “It’s beneficial not only to our two countries but the world as a whole that two major powers in the world, China and the U.S., shoulder special international responsibilities and obligations,” Xie told reporters. “We need to think big and be responsible.” "The steps we're taking ... can answer questions people have about the pace at which China is going, and help China and us to be able to accelerate our efforts," Kerry said. China also agreed for the first time to cr

The Duchess of Sussex has apologised for misleading a British court about the extent of her cooperation with the authors of a sympathetic book about her and Prince Harry. The former Meghan Markle, 40, is embroiled in a court battle in London over a British newspaper’s publication of portions of a letter she wrote to her estranged father after her 2018 marriage to Harry, a grandson of Queen Elizabeth II. She sued the publisher of the Mail on Sunday and the MailOnline website for breach of privacy and copyright. A High Court judge ruled in her favour in February, saying publication of the letter Meghan wrote to her father, Thomas Markle, was “manifestly excessive and hence unlawful.” Publisher Associated Newspapers is trying to overturn that decision at the Court of Appeal. The publisher argues that Meghan wrote the letter knowing it might be published, and made private information public by cooperating with Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, authors of “Finding Freedom.” The duchess’ lawyers have previously denie