Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

Finally, Kainga Ora have outlined their eviction policy!  There will be a warnings process, effectively letting them end a tenancy, if it's triggered three serious incidents in a 90-day period.  It's a story we have championed for upset neighbours of Kainga Ora tenants throughout last year.  Kainga Ora General Manager of National Services Nick Maling joined Kerre McIvor.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystud...

People are questioning how and why health modellers were able to influence government policy to such an extraordinary extent. Remember the 50,000 cases predicted for New Zealand by Waitangi Day?   Around the world, people are questioning how and why health modellers were able to influence government policy to such an extraordinary extent when seriously, they are no more than modern-day augers.  Sl...

Residents of West Auckland are once again complaining that they are being tortured by the sound of Celine blasting through loudspeakers while they try to sleep.  The reason? Siren Battles.  Siren Kings is a street subculture devoted to the volume and clarity of music, channelled through emergency-evacuation sirens that are attached to cars or bicycles.  Soni Taufa features in the documentary Young...

About one dollar for every litre of fuel bought at the pump in Auckland is tax.  91 is currently at almost three dollars per litre, with the Prime Minister blaming the tough international market for higher prices at the pump.  The National Party is calling for the regional fuel tax in Auckland to be scrapped in order to give motorists in that region some relief.  Gull New Zealand Chief Executive D...

I find it remarkable 30% of Kiwis cannot swim or float in the ocean for more than a few minutes.  Although, I'm a confident swimmer, I think it's far better to take my grandchildren for lessons, rather than try to teach them myself. But what happens if you don't have a spare $40 odd per week to enrol your two children into lessons? They are expensive and they deserve to be so given the quality of...

There are renewed calls for pregnant New Zealanders overseas to be given MIQ spots. These calls come amid New Zealand-born journalist Charlotte Bellis’ attempts to come back to New Zealand from Afghanistan for her child’s birth. National MP Erica Stanford raised this issue with Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins back in October. Erica Stanford joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.co...

Yet again, the cruel and unnatural Hunger Games-style MIQ lottery has been in the spotlight. This time because a high profile journalist has been denied permission to return home so she can have her baby.   Christchurch native and former journalist at Al Jazeera, Charlotte Bellis, has made headlines around the world after she revealed that the Taliban offered her asylum in Afghanistan - when New Z...

Finally, businesses receive approval to bring RATs into the country and they have been operating very well. Until, the ministry decides to play catch up and has consolidated orders into this country. They call it consolidate, others say, requisition.  Even if there was a problem, what in the name of all that is holy makes the Ministry of Health think it can rollout Rapid Antigen Tests? Show me the...

Annual inflation has reached 5.9 percent - the highest in more than three decades.  It's the biggest movement since a 7.6 percent annual increase in the year to June 1990.  However, it's lower than many economists were predicting.  NZ Herald Business Editor at Large Liam Dann joined Kerre McIvor.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new mask mandates, the increased use of RATs and the continuing saga of MIQ .  People who are essential workers in vaccine-mandated jobs must wear medical-grade masks.  This is where the Government is going to have to come to the party and pay for them as many of these workers are essential but low paid. They haven't got the money to be forking out on medical-grade masks, even if they could fi...

It's been extraordinary times absolutely, but especially for those who are trying to stay productive while looking after the children. Young people are set to return to school next week. While some schools are going back January 31, latest February the 8th for others. Chris Hipkins says he is painfully aware that Covid has meant children have missed out on months of face-to-face learning, and that...

Te Puea Marae in South Auckland has been preparing for an Omicron outbreak. They've been stocking up on supplies for whanau who need to isolate at home and creating a dedicated isolation facility on the marae grounds. Te Puea Marae chair Hurimoana Dennis joined Kerre McIvor. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's interesting to see what the Ministry of Health deems to be essentials to stock up on in your home care kit.  Most of us will have it on hand. The nasal sprays, the lozenges, the paracetamol, the ibuprofen, the cough mixtures, the masks even sacked the tissues hand sanitisers. All the usual symptom relievers you would have in your medicine cabinet for the times we've had colds and flus in the...

Remember the call earlier this week with Janine? If you were with me, you won't have forgotten it just yet. Janine was the one who said the hospitals were being overwhelmed with unvaccinated Covid patients who were denying other people the opportunity to receive treatment.   And then we had the febrile Jan yesterday, who was terrified of latte-drinking Aucklanders, coming to the South Island becau...

Gross domestic product has fallen 3.7 percent in the September quarter.  Stats NZ says it's the second largest fall since the current series began in 1986.  It says this reflects a widespread drop in economic activity due to the Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns, in the second half of the quarter.  The fall follows a 2.4 percent rise in the June quarter.  Stats NZ says some industries were more...

You'll remember at the start of November Linda called in, she was trying to cross the border, desperate to see her daughter who had two major surgeries with major complications.  She and her husband were fully vaccinated, both had negative covid tests and they had twice been denied travel exemptions. MP Simeon Brown was trying to help them to no avail.  I advised her to take her negative tests and...

A damning report from the Auditor-General has found significant deficiencies in how the Ministry of Social Development paid for private rental properties to be used as emergency housing.  The report found MSD didn't monitor the quality of accommodation and couldn't show it was receiving value for money, that is, if the rentals were worth the money paid for them or how warm, safe and dry they were....

17 more days in Red for Auckland and the other Red regions. Just doesn't seem to make any sense, and I think that must be my most oft quoted phrase of the year. I get why Northland is in red and has to stay in red. But I don't really understand why Auckland is staying in red.   Red Aucklanders can join Orange New Zealanders as of tomorrow. And indeed, they will be doing so when you look at the fli...

Papa Honez first called into the show at the start of May.   He and his English Rose, Rachel, had started an organisation called One Whanau at a Time that was collecting food and household goods to give away to those in need in the Far North. They had started a Give-a-little to buy goods for struggling families and were overwhelmed by the generosity of our listeners who donated after hearing his s...

On Friday I shared the story of Brittany Kremers, a 25-year-old woman who was denied desperately needed facial surgery at the eleventh hour by the Christchurch DHB. The reason? No funding available. For the past 14 months, Brittany has tightened the screws on her face to realign her jaw in preparation for having a prosthetic jaw fitted.  She had her jaw and skull base removed, along with a life-th...

It is no surprise really, is it, that industries, professions and trades are struggling to fill vacancies in almost every role, every capacity. It was tough this time last year and it's only got worse as our borders stay shut and the MIQ requirements remain.  New Zealand is simply can't be trained up fast enough to fill the vacancies that exist. And again, there simply aren't enough of them that a...

Listener Trevor called into the show at the end of September. He was hurt and frustrated that he hadn't been able to see his wife in her rest home for six weeks.   Despite being double vaccinated -  the staff and his wife were also double vaccinated -  he still wasn't allowed in and his wife was blind and really needed the personal contact as she was unable to watch television or read. They were a...

National Party leader Christopher Luxon has been talking about a social investment policy. It's an area that he has pinpointed as a priority and he's put his deputy Nicola Willis in charge. It's an idea that Sir Bill English championed when he was in office. In a nutshell, it was to invest in children and families who were clearly going to become problems later on and break the cycle. Invest early...

Well, piece of news yesterday, people under 14 won't be able to buy cigarettes. And I thought when I saw the headline well what's new, they can't now anyway.   People 14 and under will never, ever, ever be able to buy cigarettes in their lifetime. The ban will increase as they age. Very, very interesting. Successive governments have tried to target smoking. I think the Clark government was the mos...

A tobacco control expert says she has serious concerns about new smokefree 2025 policies.  They will reduce the amount of nicotine allowed in cigarettes and limit the number of retailers who can sell them.   Director of the Centre of Research Excellence, Dr Marewa Glover, says the new measure will demonise smokers and discriminate against the most vulnerable.   She told Kerre McIvor, forcing peopl...