Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Auckland Council is launching a new campaign to drive down dog attacks.  Research reveals around 2700 related injuries each year, with just under 300 of those to babies and children under 14 years old.   The campaign will include radio advertising, street posters and community papers promoting ways people can keep themselves safe around dogs.  Auckland Council’s Animal Management Manager Elly Waitoa tells Mike Hosking there has been a 28 percent increase in attacks in the past year – compared to the 6 percent increase to the dog population.  Waitoa says the problem comes down to irresponsible dog owners being complacent.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney brings us the latest on the UK local elections and from London’s fatal sword attack.   McAviney told Mike Hosking “If things are really bad for the Prime Minister, it could see a mutiny on his back benches.”   McAviney said Rishi Sunak is expected to lose around half of their councillors in England and Wales.   McAviney says the only thing that might stop his party from replacing him is that the British public don't want a sixth conservative Prime Minister in fourteen years.   In other news, a man has been charged with murder for the sword attack on a fourteen-year-old boy.   LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it time to review the attitudes of MPs inside parliament?  Political commentator Brigette Morten told Mike Hosking that in a week with MP pay rises and James Shaw’s exit - it has become all about her outburst.   “It looks like there’s been a pattern of behaviour,” Morten said.  House Speaker Gerry Brownlee said there’s a justice process, during which Genter can make representations to the Speaker by midday Monday.   Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson told reporters that Genter was currently working from home.  LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are kiwis uninterested in New Zealand Fashion?  New Zealand Fashion Week has been cancelled this August and has decided to shift into a two-yearly schedule.  Owner Feroz Ali says there weren't enough designers to commit to the weeklong event because they're focused on the survival of their businesses.  Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young told Mike Hosking that it's not that people don't want to buy local.  She says the biggest factor is that people don't have disposable income to spend on discretionary items.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hopes a new policy around education won't be a one-size-fits-all approach.  The Government's committing $67 million in the upcoming Budget for teacher training and resources on what's called structured literacy.  It aims to go 'back to basics', teaching kids how to read with sounds and phonics.  Auckland Primary Principals' Association President Kyle Brewerton told Mike Hosking that this approach works well for underachievers but it's not helpful to those who already can read.  He says we want to make sure we continue to extend and grow their performance.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economic pain is being felt in the latest employment numbers.  The unemployment rate is 4.3%, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from the December quarter.  ANZ economist Henry Russell told Mike Hosking that we've come out of a period of intense labour shortages, with migration doing the heavy lifting.  He says skill shortages remain and that's why we continue to import people into New Zealand.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patience has run out for the authorities cracking down on student protests across the United States.  Pro-Palestinian protests at multiple colleges have broken out into violence and property destruction.   US correspondent Mitch McCann told Mike Hosking that police were called to clear out students in New York’s Columbia University.  He says up to 300 people were arrested as a result.  This morning there have been violent clashes between pro-Palestine and pro-Israel demonstrators at UCLA, with reports of fireworks, projectiles, and physical violence.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's continuing discussions around potential future cooperation with AUKUS but it's still a long way off.   Foreign Minister Winston Peters outlined New Zealand's position to the Institute of International Affairs at Parliament last night.   He says we should be considering exploring Pillar 2 —the technology leg— but we'd first need to be invited to join.  Former Defence Minister Wayne Mapp agrees, telling Mike Hosking that if we didn't join, we'd be turning our back on our traditional allies. He said it's a pretty deep decision to make. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been found the blame lies at NZQA’s feet for a number of digital exam assessment glitches.  An independent review found last year's issues —which included trouble saving exam work and lagging— was down to a number of safeguards failing.  Avonside Girls' High School Principal Catherine Law told Mike Hosking that it wasn't catastrophic from their perspective, but some students would've felt that way.  She says the vision for going digital is great but current issues make it difficult.  Law says she's unsure whether we're as prepared for it as previously thought.  NZQA's accepted the findings and apologised.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unemployment is continuing to rise.  New figures from Stats NZ show the unemployment rate was 4.3% in the March quarter, up 0.3 percentage points from 4% in the December quarter.  The unemployment rate has been steadily rising since reaching a record low of 3.2% in the December 2021 quarter.  Business NZ Director of Advocacy Catherine Beard told Mike Hosking that the biggest problems businesses are seeing is a slowdown in demand from consumers as opposed to unemployment.  It’s a bit of a crunchy time we’re going through, she said.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions are arising around the Police response to a fatal sword attack in London.  A 36-year-old man has been arrested after a 14-year-old boy was killed in the incident near the suburb of Hainault.  Four other people were injured including two officers.  UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking that the Police's response time will likely be looked at.  He says it took officers 22 minutes to arrive at the scene and taser the man. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s unfortunate but hardly surprising.  Around 10km of highway through Northland's Brynderwyn Hills has been closed since February for repair work.  It had been due to reopen in a couple of weeks, but a slip has put paid to that.  Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo told Mike Hosking that delays had to be expected.  He says around 40-thousand cubic metres of soil will now have to be moved, and it's currently moving as if it was sand.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's looking like an MP pay rise is going ahead this time around.  The Remuneration Authority's set to increase salaries 2.8% backdated to October, followed by further increases out to 2026.  Ministers inside Cabinet will take home just over $304k a year and those outside Cabinet, nearly $257k.   Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls told Mike Hosking there hasn't been a pay rise since 2017 - because Parliament can overrule it.   He says the last time MPs were in line for a pay rise, former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern decided to freeze salaries due to the cost of living at the time.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queensland’s abuse support services are receiving a financial boost.  The state government has announced an additional $36 million in funding that will go to frontline domestic, family, and sexual violence support services over the next 12 months.  Premier Steven Miles said the figure was an increase of 20% of the current funding, calling on the federal government to match it.   Donna Demaio, Australian Correspondent, told Mike Hosking that the Prime Minister has called a national Cabinet meeting tomorrow to discuss the call to action.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Household spending seems to be rising faster than inflation.  Data from Stats NZ showed that it rose an average of 6.2% in the year to March, reflecting the average person’s overall costs across the board.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Mike Hosking that part of the big difference between inflation sitting at 4% and this figure is that inflation doesn’t include interest rates.  He said that interest rates have gone up about 28% over the last year, which households are seeing a lot more.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pharmac's record funding-boost will fill a fiscal hole to ensure it can keep funding the treatments currently on offer.  The drug-buying agency is being promised an additional $1.7 billion over four years in the upcoming Budget.  Medicines NZ Chief Executive, Graeme Jarvis told Mike Hosking that without it, some patients would have lost out on medicines paid for by time-limited funding.  He says while it sounds like a lot of money, it's being spread over four years and simply keeps things as they are.  LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government may need to re-consider its stance on healthcare in the upcoming budget.   An OIA has discovered the current health minister’s initial surgery wait list targets are estimated to have a $723 million price tag, over two years.  Christchurch colorectal surgeon Chris Wakeman tells Mike Hosking the biggest hurdle is the lack of people and facilities.  “This is a much bigger picture problem than just a budgetary allotment.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

British troops could be deployed on the ground in Gaza to help deliver aid via a new sea route. The US has said no American forces would go ashore from a floating pontoon – a “third party” will drive trucks along a causeway onto the beach. Britain has been closely involved in planning the sea-bourne aid operation.  Europe correspondent Gavin Grey tells Mike Hosking the task is risky due to the accidental killings of aid workers by Israel Defence Forces.  Meanwhile, the UK’s largest cider maker has chopped down a huge orchard, sparking fears for wildlife.   Lower demand for cider meant Bulmer’s Cider, owned by Heineken, had an excess of apples and uprooted thousands of trees.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Super Rugby fans saw some high quality action over the weekend.   The Blues v Reds clash was decided dramatically after the siren and the Hurricanes had their unbeaten streak ended, being smothered into submission by the Brumbies.  Meanwhile, Scott McLaughlin took pole position for Monday morning’s IndyCar Grand Prix of Alabama.  And, crowds are flocking to LIV Golf across the Tasman.  ZB Sport’s Elliott Smith wraps the weekend in sport.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professional driving instructors are suffering an unexpected consequence of last year’s change to free re-sits for driving tests.  Since fees for re-sitting practical driving tests were scrapped in October, delays to licence booking times have grown as a result of a surge in demand.  There were 2000 booked no-shows last month alone through VTNZ.  President of the New Zealand Institute of Driving Educators Mark Revill-Johnson tells Mike Hosking that funding training gets better outcomes as people are well prepared when turning up for tests.  Instead, people are using the test as an opportunity for a free lesson, affecting business for professional instructors across the country.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.