Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

A drug that could slow a rare form of lung cancer is out there, but it's not funded by Pharmac and costs around $11,000 a month. A look at the Givealittle pages out there shows there are drugs that cost a way lot more a month than that one, up to $25,000 a month.  The ACT Party has proposed an increase the share of the New Zealand health budget spent on medicines by one percentage point every...

What would you do? I've been thinking about this ever since Paul's phone call yesterday. You might have been listening when he rang in. We were talking about the cost of living and how you can make economies and you can get an extra job and you can do all this and all that and try and get through, unless life throws you a curveball.   And that's exactly what happened to Paul. He and Sandra ha...

There's a story in the New Zealand Herald this morning about a young couple in Hawke's Bay who are earning good coin, above the average between them, but they're barely able to make ends meet. This is the cost of living election – at least that's what the media outlets are telling us. But I don't know if you heard Enda Brady on with Mike this morning. Have a listen to what he had to say around the...

When I look at Labour's campaign and I look at National's campaign, it's like, look, I'll do it for you next time. Seriously, when something is being done so badly, you think, you know what? I can do that so much better. They've had shocking campaigns, both of the main parties. Just negative, silly stuff. And yesterday, Labour had an absolute clanger. Of all the issues and all the policies that La...

The Transport Agency says it needs a long-term plan sooner rather than later for Awakino Gorge, as the vital Taranaki to Waikato link faces more closures.  The stretch of State Highway 3 is closing every night until Thursday next week as transport crews work to restore the road following a slip earlier this year.  It's been closed several times over the last year, causing long detours fo...

The Awakino Gorge on State Highway 3 that connects Waikato to Taranaki will be closed for nine nights as of tonight. Every time there's a major storm it seems Karangahake Gorge between Paeroa and Waihi is closed. It was closed for five days this month. The Waiwera Gorge is open, then closed, then open, then closed. The Brynderwyns are a constant worry. Is it time to revisit our national highways a...

The gangs, as we know, create wholesale damage and destruction in our society through their drug trafficking. Now it looks like they're causing wholesale damage to Labour.   After roundly criticising members of the Greens and Te Pati Māori for visiting a mongrel mob gang pad and posing for photos, putting it on your social media, Labour leader Chris Hipkins ruled out his coalition partners ho...

David Seymour says he won't shy away race relations, despite previous backlash.  The ACT Leader championed the Treaty Principles Bill to its first reading this term, sparking nationwide protests.  This election ACT's promising to “end race-based hiring requirements”, prohibit cultural or spiritual practices in the public service, and to abolish the Waitangi Tribunal once historic claims...

We may be at a turning point when it comes to property investment.  Cotality data shows residential property is worth $1.66 trillion and still accounts for more than 50% of all household assets.   But it also shows property sales and values are largely subdued.   Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson told Kerre Woodham over the last couple of decades, strong capital gains and low...

Inflation is still much higher than it should be, largely because of high global oil prices.  Stats NZ data shows the rate's now on 3.7%, down from 4.1% three months ago.  Domestic non-tradeable inflation —for things like housing, electricity, and healthcare— has been trending down.  Internationally-driven tradeable inflation —for things we import and export— has dipped, after trend...

There's an old saying, "there's money in muck". And that still holds true – waste recovery contributed $3.3 billion to the economy last year. But another old saying, "safe as houses", doesn't ring quite so true. There were just over 6,500 property transactions across New Zealand in September, according to the latest CoreLogic report. And that's around 14% fewer than the same month last year. It's...

There's a text here, "talk about a beat up by ZB on politicians and threats. If you raise the possibility and keep flagging potential problems, you may get what you predict. So stupid to highlight this on your news at this time," says Paul. I don't think that's true. I think there are very, very, very few people worldwide, even with all the problems that abound, that would act in the way that this...

The Greens co-leader says she's not taking anything for granted as the party surges in the polls.  The latest 1News-Verian poll has the Greens up one point to 16% — retaining a record high result— with National on top, rising a huge four points to 32% and Labour dropping one to 27%.  Chlöe Swarbrick told Kerre Woodham people have felt disillusioned by legacy parties, and it's a glob...

Requiring people to have health insurance could take some pressure off our health system.  Chronic underfunding has put the public health system under strain, leading to stretched emergency departments, lengthy wait times, and difficulty accessing care.  The problems are compounded by a shortage of medical staff.  Financial Services Council CEO Kirk Hope told Kerre Woodham that insu...

In light of the Green and Te Pāti Māori MPs' visit to the Mongrel Mob pad and their stated determination to restore the mana of the mob, I read Jamie Ensor's piece in the Herald with interest. According to Jamie, Labour hasn't proposed any specific new law and order policies with just days to go until the election.  Law and order was a big flashpoint at the last election. The cost of living w...

Coming out of a difficult winter period for hospitals, New Zealand’s nursing shortage has become an election issue. New Zealand currently uses Care Capacity Demand Management, which calculates staffing requirements according to patient needs, to determine nursing numbers. But Andrew Jull, Professor of Nursing at the University of Auckland, argues the evidence from NZ and overseas now makes a stron...

National is promising to take away the right to silence in child murder cases if re-elected. Which might be an enormously popular move. Who doesn't want to see somebody held accountable for the deaths of so many babies and children in this country over the years? But I hope they've done their homework on how exactly they're going to force people to speak and what the unintended consequences might...

The Greens are under fire with Marama Davidson doubling down on her desire to work with the mob to get positive health outcomes. First there was the photo in the mob headquarters, cha ching, look at us, woo hoo! That was the Greens and Te Pāti Māori MPs popping along to a health hui.   And when asked about that in faintly judgy tones by the media, Greens co leader Marama Davidson said, "We ar...

The manager of a popular West Auckland campground is claiming a win with its short-term future being saved.  The Waitakere Ranges Local Board will again let people camp overnight at Piha Domain, despite the area being a high flood hazard environment.    It has updated its monitoring and warning systems, occupancy restrictions, evacuation procedures and reporting requirements - with...

Sweet mercy. I don't know about you, but the sight of Green and Te Pāti Māori MPs posturing and posing with members of the Mongrel Mob brought back very bad memories of the bad old days. Remember when gang members were given funding for dubious rehab programs? And when they took over the roads and the streets as they were going to tangihanga or just, you know, going from point A to point B and wan...

Christopher Luxon says National's delivered a lot of what it wanted to this term.   While taking talkback with Kerre Woodham, a supporter asked why he allowed ACT and New Zealand First to veto National promises after the 2023 election.  She pointed out although Luxon had expressed support for capping vape stores at 600, in Coalition negotiations he handed NZ First responsibility for regu...

What would you rather? New Zealand jobs in a premium product or cheap materials? The aluminium extrusion industry says the government's decision not to impose a safeguard on imports may have signed the New Zealand industry's death warrant. Under advice from MBIE, the government has rejected a request to give special temporary protection to the aluminium extrusion industry in the face of growing co...

New Zealand First has confirmed it's not putting out a fiscal plan this election that would detail funding for its promises.  The plans also allocate extra spending during the term.  So far, they've been released by Labour, National, and ACT.   Costly NZ First policies this election include buying the Bank of New Zealand.  Winston Peters says that could cost as much as $15 bill...

I've seen a few posts on my social media over the past month from young people moaning that "they're locking us out of voting". They, presumably being the rich white patriarchal establishment, us, presumably being the 18 to 24 year olds. What absolute hogwash. Yes, the rules around enrolment have changed and same day enrolment is no longer possible, but they are doing everything they can to get yo...

Well, it looks like a matter of when, not if, given that Barbara Edmonds and Nicola Willis, Finance Minister and Finance spokesperson respectively, were appearing on Jack Tame's Q&A yesterday, and they've agreed they'll work together on the future of superannuation in this country. This is Nicola Willis: "We can afford superannuation right now, but in the future the settings are going to have...