Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

As debate continues about Luxon's political future following last week's MMP reform comments, there's growing discussion about whether a referendum is needed.

In a piece in Newsroom, Otago University political commentator Dr Michael Swanson argues MMP has delivered fairer representation and coalition Governments are doing exactly what proportional representation was designed to do.
He joined Kerre Woodham to outline New Zealand's possible options amid the ongoing election season.

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Well, this Orewa development's giving fast-track consenting a very bad name, isn't it? I am absolutely gobsmacked. I am no property developer, but I would have thought you wouldn't apply to put up hundreds and hundreds of houses before you had, if you’ll excuse me, your shit together, quite literally. The decision to greenlight a 1,217 home development on the outskirts of Orewa has attracted heavy criticism from the Auckland mayor, the council, local residents, and just about everybody you speak to. And deservedly so. Vineway Limited plans to build the homes, a commercial area, two neighbourhood parks, some ec...

A developer says controversy around a housing build near Orewa in north Auckland should prompt a rethink.

The 1200 home Delmore development —now fast-track-approved— can't be connected to wastewater infrastructure until at least 2033. 

Waste will have to be trucked out.

Urban Planning Specialist Hamish Firth told Kerre Woodham it highlights a lack of support for infrastructure providers.

He says we need to be getting this infrastructure into areas where housing is likely to go.

However, Firth says the land has been zoned for housing since 2016 – so maybe Watercare should have planned...

Today, the 111 call out and the fact that St John is absolutely under the pump and has been for quite some time and they're not expecting it to finish anytime soon. On Saturday, 2,562 calls came into the ambulance through 111 the highest number received ever in a single day. But then that was the third time the daily record had been broken in a week.

Just last week, the record number of 111 calls was set, then surpassed, then surpassed, then surpassed again and they're not expecting that to go anytime soon. A mate of mine pretty much saved...

In the first episode of the 100 Years of ZB Podcast, Mike Hosking takes you through the birth of the iconic 1ZB in 1926. 

The episode takes you through the history of the station from 1926 until the beginning of 1987. You'll hear snippets from the iconic names  - like Phil Shone, Aunt Daisy, Selwyn Toogood, Merv Smith and Marina (Jocelyn Parr). 

Mike Hosking will also take you back in time to the famous moments from the 1ZB Theatre in Auckland - and the radio dramas that made the station an unmissable listen. 

You'll also hear how 1ZB c...

Christopher Luxon says he supports having another referendum on the MMP voting system if he’s re-elected as he encourages greater support for National so the party can avoid working with “some yahoo and numpty” in Cabinet.

Act leader David Seymour says he’s not opposed to another referendum but suggests Luxon “may not have thought through what he’s saying” regarding ministers from other parties, noting the number of National ministers who had been dismissed this term.

Speaking on Newstalk ZB this morning, Luxon made the statement in response to a listener who had texted in aski...

So, the Corrections Minister has halted a $9 million plan, as you will have heard this morning, to provide Rongoa Māori healthcare in prisons, including giving prisoners traditional massages called mirimiri, after questions were asked about the programme. Mark Mitchell said, first I heard of it. But Corrections launched a procurement process for the services in all New Zealand prisons in July, after a trial was run in a couple of prisons. Seemed to work well.  

Rongoa is traditional Māori medicine, including herbal remedies, physical therapies, and spiritual healing. The listing from correction details the plans, inc...

Unemployment's reached the highest level in 11 years.  

Stats NZ data shows the rate reached 5.6% in the June quarter, up from 5.3% in the March quarter.  

Of the 166 thousand unemployed in this year's second quarter, almost a-fifth had been without work for more than a year.  

Herald Business Editor at Large Liam Dann told Kerre Woodham some economists think the rate won't fall again any time soon.  

He says some predict it'll increase to 5.7% and hang around at high levels into next year.  

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As the election draws closer, many people are struggling to decide who to vote for. 

There’s a concern that politics have become too divided, and people are becoming disillusioned with the parties they’ve supported in the past.  

At the same time, there are concerns about the more extreme views of minor parties, and the impact they have when forming coalitions. 

Political analyst and Director of Victoria University’s Democracy Project Bryce Edwards told Kerre Woodham there’s no scientific answer that will tell you who to vote for, but there are a few quest...

A friend of mine said to me the other day, “do you have the cliff notes of Labour's policies going into the election? I haven't heard much from Chris Hipkins.” I said, “well, you haven't heard much from Chris Hipkins because he doesn't need to say much.” The best tactic for Labour right now, and they've they copped onto that very early, was to stay shtum and let National and its coalition partners do their very best to lose the election. Christopher Luxon's suck it up cupcake to business owners in Rotorua and then the subsequent apology was yet another...

We opted to go with Act wanting to give teachers the legal power to remove seriously or persistently disruptive students from a classroom. Now in an election year with parties struggling to get airtime and oxygen, you have to wonder how much of this is serious policy, how much they seriously think they can get pushed through in a coalition, how much is just to generate headlines.

I'd venture to suggest this falls into that category, the headline grabbing one. The party's new policy would allow teachers to send disruptive students to a supervised space and staff...

ACT wants teachers to have the legal power to remove disruptive students from classrooms and, in some cases, use reasonable force if they refuse to leave.

The party is also proposing fines of up to $3,000 for parents who fail to address ongoing behaviour problems.

They argue classroom disruption is harming student achievement and teacher retention, citing Education Review Office findings that many teachers deal with disruptive behaviour daily and lose significant teaching time managing it.

President of the New Zealand Principals' Federation Jason Miles joined Kerre Woodham to discuss the proposed policy. 

From good news to bad news really – a growing number of pensioners are turning to the Government's hardship support network as a last resort as the cost of living crisis grinds on. Applications for temporary additional support from New Zealand super recipients have almost tripled since 2020, rising from around about 22,000 per year to more than 61,000 in 2025.  

Retirement Commission research revealed to Newstalk ZB highlights older renters as one of New Zealand's most financially vulnerable groups. 80% of renters aged 65 and over are financially uncomfortable. 80%. That's up from 66% who were uncomfortable in 21/22. Mortgage free home ownership among older people has...

One district is crediting its proactive programme for its top water ranking.  

The Water Services Authority's latest report suggests Grey District, the Far North, Queenstown, Ashburton, and Clutha councils are the worst for leakages.  

Meanwhile the place with the least leakages is Hauraki District Council.  

Mayor Toby Adams told Kerre Woodham the District has invested heavily in ensuring local dairy farms have reliable access to water.  

He says it wants to get it right, ensuring there are no disruptions and there is enough to go around.  

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The first national picture of our water networks has revealed severe and immense pressures, with an average of 31 wastewater overflows across New Zealand every single day given as an example of how it's failing. In total, about 15% of our pipes are in poor or very poor condition – and that’s likely to be understating it, given that the pipes are under the ground and we only know there's a problem when there's a problem, like a sinkhole – good morning St Marys Bay, hello Wellington. Or when there's a major sewage overflow – good morning again Wellington, and looking at you, Queensto...

Now in any recession, it's the young ones who are going to find it hardest to get jobs, and this recession is no different. Student Job Search says many students and graduates are really struggling to find jobs, part time, full time, which means they're also finding it tough to pay the rent and to put food on the table. And just looking at the story, it seems that many young people who've followed their passions are finding it the most difficult to get work. They've taken out student loans to get degrees in fields like screen production or...

A big job to hire the next float builder for the country's biggest Christmas parade. 

Auckland's Farmers Santa Parade's long-time elf is retiring his paintbrush - after five decades of building iconic floats. 
Applications are open for his replacement - requiring artistry and carpentry to take on a few new editions each year. 

Children's Christmas Parade Trust Chair Simon Bridges told Kerre Woodham they aren't restricting the search to just Auckland. 

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Now it's just over three months till the election. It is a really important election. New Zealand is struggling to get back on its feet economically. A lot of Kiwis are hurting, and they've been hurting for a long, long time. And they have to decide between a party that gives them stuff, “Oh look, we've got free stuff for you," or a party that is promised to fix things, “Hey, we're in charge here," but is still in the process of fixing things and hasn't fixed a great deal yet, “Oh, it takes time.” Or even whether they should g...

Taxing the super-rich has been tried overseas and hasn't always worked out, one expert says. 

The Greens have set their wealth tax rate at 2.5%, but Treasury modelling suggests it could shrink the taxable wealth base by more than 40%.  

The party's own modelling puts the reduction at about 28%.  

Dentons tax partner Bruce Bernacchi told Kerre Woodham if introduced, we'd be only one of five countries that have it. 

He says in 1990 there were 12 countries in the OECD that had a wealth tax, and there are just four today. 

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Borrowers' pockets may feel the most impact from more regular inflation reports.  

From next July, Stats NZ will phase in monthly Consumer Price Index reporting on top the current quarterly reports.  

Statistics Minister Scott Simpson says it'll keep businesses, households, and decision-makers, like the Reserve Bank, better-informed.  

The Herald's Liam Dann told Kerre Woodham it will also mean interest rates can be more up-to-date.  

He says the Reserve Bank currently decide rates on a three-month lag. 

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Dear oh dear oh dear oh dear. You do have to wonder whether Stuart Nash is employable in this country. He might have to head over to Oz and join forces with Tory Whanau – they can set up their own consultancy on what not to do if you want a job in the public eye. For those who don't know, and I can't imagine there's anyone in the country who doesn't, but let's recap: Stuart Nash has resigned as a New Zealand First candidate after yet another ill-advised reckon came back to bite him in the bum. In a la...

One of the country’s most influential GPs is flagging an issue with the health system’s focus. 

Dr Bryan Betty signing off as General Practice NZ Chair this week after more than three years in the role to join the Health NZ Board. 

He believes New Zealand has reached a pivotal moment in how it plans and delivers healthcare. 

Betty told Kerre Woodham that conversations around healthcare often centre around emergency departments and hospitals, while the primary care system and general practices receive little focus. 

He says early intervention, and access t...

The changes to the way we vote. Voters will no longer be able to rock up on election day and register to vote thanks to a law change made last year, and Chris Hipkins isn't happy. The Labour Leader says the Electoral Commission isn't doing enough to make sure New Zealanders are enrolled to vote, and he's concerned that people will turn up on Election Day and find that their votes won't be counted because they're not on the electoral roll. In the past, they could see all the flags, think, “Oh, what's that all about?", wander into a vo...

I have so many questions around the Government bailout of Golden Bay Cement, which is not in fact manufactured in Golden Bay, but in Northland.  

Fletcher owns the company and they said Golden Bay Cement operates New Zealand's only domestic cement manufacturing facility at Portland near Whangarei. It supplies nearly 60% of the cement used in New Zealand – about 95% of its output is sold domestically. Golden Bay Cement took a long hard look at the account books and participated in an independent assessment which confirmed that without support, rising costs —including carbon costs— would force the closure of the com...

New Zealand First had its own little party on the weekend. It's going to campaign on funding a $1 billion survey of offshore oil and gas reserves that it says would lead to the country owning its own supply and reducing power prices. Hello, 1972!

However, it is unclear how many years it would take for Kiwis to feel the benefits, if any, as Winston said it was expected it could take six years just to establish a pathway forward.

Party leader Winston Peters announced the policy in his speech to the faithful in Auckland as he...

Rotorua's iconic Prince's Gate Archway, built in 1901, is set to be dismantled after engineers warned it could be unsafe in extreme winds, but locals and heritage advocates are pushing for the landmark to be strengthened and restored instead.

However, the council says public safety comes first, but any long-term decision will need to balance heritage value, cost and practicality.

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell told Kerre Woodham that there is still a possibility to replace the structure.

"So the big question that our community is asking is can we replace them? That's where we h...

Councils are reportedly signing on to new iwi partnership agreements before the Resource Management Act is replaced.

In the Government’s currently drafted RMA reform, councils won’t be able to enter into new Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements which outline how councils and iwi work together on resource management matters. 

Taxpayers Union Executive Director Jordan Williams joined Kerre Woodham to discuss.

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Should we be looking at banning youth from owning smartphones instead of banning them from social media? 

ACT Leader David Seymour has suggested that under-16s should be limited to “dumbphones” that can’t access the internet, but can text and call. 

While not suggesting it as official policy yet, he says social media has caused anxiety, depression, self-harm, poor body image, loneliness, and declining life satisfaction. 

President of the New Zealand Principals' Federation, Jason Miles told Kerre Woodham he would recommend parents give their kids a dumb phone – the practical elements are appealing. ...

The ACT Party's not really a “ban” sort of a party. I've always thought they supported the idea of letting people go to hell in their own way. If you want to make your own decisions, fill your boots – if they're bad ones, live with the consequences. And perhaps they do still support the idea of adults going to hell in their own way, but not when it comes to kids.  

Leader David Seymour did not support the National Party ban getting kids off social media. They've said that's a dumb idea, there's no way you can police...

Stop the press, the media has a new darling. Chlöe Swarbrick and the Opportunity Party can have a breather this week, a bit of downtime, because there's only one show in town and it's Paul Henry. The self-made millionaire, the former broadcaster, has thrown his hat into the political ring again. He wants to become a polly, and not just any old polly. He has no interest in sitting on the back benches, cooling his heels, learning the ropes. He is not there to shag spiders. He's made it perfectly plain that he wants to be a minister i...

I would like to get your feedback on whether or not we should be upgrading our warships. New Zealand's two main warships will reach the end of their working lives within about a decade, and Cabinet must decide by 2027 what should replace them. 

The way we're going it'd be a fleet of jet skis. The choice will shape the country's ability to help keep its trade routes open for a generation, according to retired Major General John Howard, who's a Senior Fellow at the New Zealand Initiative. He argues the decision about what to buy, if to b...

The Defence Minister says we can't just follow Australia's footsteps as the time for replacing our two ageing warships nears. 

The NZ Initiative says the frigates need to retire within a decade, with complex geopolitics adding urgency. 

It says the replacements will impact our status as a maritime nation, and our trade routes and defence capabilities for the next generation. 

Minister Chris Penk told Kerre Woodham we want to be able to coordinate with Australia but have other needs. 

He says it might come down to cost, different capability needs, or want...

The editorial this morning goes out to all the small and medium business people. Those of you who are starting the work week looking to earn your own keep, employ some New Zealanders, pay your taxes, and provide a product or service that people want or need. You don't want luxury yachts and private jets. You just want to work hard, be rewarded fairly, have people get out of your way, not be strangled by red tape. Seems a fairly reasonable state of being.

But as we know, small and medium enterprises are struggling and have been...

There's positive movement in the club rugby refereeing stand-down in the capital.

Referees will still boycott all club matches this weekend, after 19 reported incidents of verbal abuse towards Wellington whistlers, but they are working with Wellington Rugby to be back officiating the following weekend.

Wellington Rugby Referees Association president Ben van Berkel says things won't change completely in a week - but they had to stand by their referees.

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Both National and Labour are rolling out new solar power proposals ahead of the election, and it's clear there's mood for change. 

Current WorkSafe rules prohibit the use of certain plug-in solar systems because connecting solar panels directly to standard household plugs is considered a safety risk.

Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey says most political parties are getting behind new proposed energy changes and it's very exciting for the sector. 

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Everybody's into the solar energy now. National announced its solar energy policy last week and most people thought it was a sound idea, good common-sense idea. The party, if elected, would launch the Home Energy Fund by tweaking the Local Government Act and committing a one-off $7 million equity investment to secure a 20% shareholding in the new entity with the balance funded by participating councils. The Home Energy Fund, inspired by Local Government New Zealand's ratepayer assistance scheme, would allow property owners to obtain low interest loans secured against their property to be paid off over time through their rates...

What makes a city liveable? The Economist Intelligence Unit, which is such a grand name, has released its latest list of the most liveable cities. There are 173. Three Australian cities are in the top 10 – Melbourne third, Sydney fourth, and Adelaide eighth. For all the bad press Melbourne gets for its crime, it's doing pretty jolly well to be there in the top three. Auckland came in at 12th place, down five – one of the biggest downward movers, along with the Gulf state cities. We all know why they lost their lustre, but we haven't got a war to blame that...

What would you rather? Would you rather toll roads and shiny new roads, or would you rather waiting for NZTA to put you on the list of priorities and potholes up your ying yang?  

New Zealand has just three toll roads right now throughout the country, and two of them are in Tauranga. There are also two more planned on Bay of Plenty roads – not surprisingly, residents are up in arms. Yes, there are workarounds for them under National Land Transport legislation. If you're going to bung a toll on a road, then a viable toll-free route mus...

Yes, it's election year. How can you tell? They're all coming up with policies now, aren't they, designed to appeal to their core constituency.

Winston Peters played a blinder by announcing to the party faithful at a campaign meeting in Warkworth over the weekend that he wants to see voting rights reserved for citizens of this country only.

If his party is returned to Parliament, he will move to reform voting rights. Current electoral law allows some non citizens to vote after 12 months continuous residence if they are lawfully in New Zealand and not required...

ACT wants to grant security guards more powers, with industry concerns not many would want the extra abilities

The Party says police are overstretched and security staff can fill the gap - protecting retailers, transport hubs and businesses.

They'd like them allowed to detain and remove people, issue exclusion notices, and use force.

Security Association chief executive Gary Morrison says he doubts most security staff would want to be in that situation.

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