Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

"They were wild, it was petrifying," those were the words of the woman who witnessed the brutal gang attack on the Waikato expressway on Friday. Police are now investigating after gang members drove erratically on both sides of the road before a man was dragged from his car and attacked. He was left lying on the road, his face covered in blood, his shirt off and his pants half down. People thought he was dead. There was a convoy of gang members on motorbikes. The witness described them as 'very aggressive', they brought traffic to a standstill, she said it was 'terrifying.'She's not the first person to witness gang intimidation on our streets and motorways, nor will she be the last, and that's the problem. Where are the police? And more than just the thin blue line, where is the hard-line on gangs that lets them know this is not how we behave in a civilised society? Why have gangs been handled so softly softly, that they now believe they own the road? Why do they think it's acceptable to carry out their unciv

Queen Elizabeth will not attend the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey this week.People has reported the Queen's absence is not due to illness but comfort around travel as her majesty has been using a walking cane since October last year and has recently complained of mobility issues.In a statement issued by Buckingham Palace, it was revealed the monarch, who has recently recovered from Covid, will instead be represented by her son and heir, Prince Charles."After discussing the arrangements with the Royal Household, The Queen has asked The Prince of Wales to represent Her Majesty at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on Monday,"The statement continued, "The Queen will continue with other planned engagements, including in-person audiences, in the week ahead."Prince Charles will be accompanied by his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Queen's first cousin, Princess Alexandra.Unfortunately, after a Covid diagnosis, the Queen's cousin, the

Russia's war on Ukraine is not helping the fuel industry's recovery from the pandemic.With global tensions putting pressure on crude oil prices, the AA is warning petrol prices could hit $4 a litre. Motor Trades Association Energy Manager Ian Baggott told Kate Hawkesby the fuel industry works well when all things are working according to plan.“The impact of Covid with the refineries shutting down, the oil producers can't match the supply vs demand. They're just getting back on their feet with the economies around the world open up and then what happens in Ukraine is just adding pressure.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Small businesses want the red tape cut out of the economy. A new survey of Australian and New Zealand sole traders found a growing number of traders concerned about the health of the economy. It also suggests people want simpler rules around doing business rather than additional government support or extra funding. Hnry Chief Executive James Fuller told Kate Hawkesby small operators want change. “I think of late, the last 6 to 12 months, there’s been an increase in red tape. There’s also a lot of talk about simplifications to the tax system.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More calls for pregnant women to get the Covid jab.  Thirty per cent of women giving birth at Middlemore Hospital have Covid-19.  They're being recommended to wear masks in labour.  Auckland University researcher Dr Michelle Wise told Kate Hawkesby the vaccinated and boosted rate for pregnant women is lower than for the general population. “Every study that’s come out in the last couple of years, shows that the vaccine is safe in pregnancy.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sadly, no detail on the Government's RNZ/TVNZ merger but let's start with the very brutal truth – it’s going to be about as exciting as watching paint dry.  It’s going to apparently ‘better reach those groups who aren't currently well served; such as our various ethnic communities and cultures,’ Faafoi said, so in other words, kissing a mainstream audience goodbye. Here’s the first problem – it’s going to operate under a charter. That’s been tried before – and failed – it was disastrous because it was invented by boffins all based on theory and PC BS, with no regard for the realities of the real world and what audiences actually want to see and hear.  On paper, some sneering academics may jot down their wish list of ‘Kiwi’ content to ‘reflect us back to ourselves’.. but in all reality the only thing being reflected back is their own Twitterverse echo chamber. What they think we want to see, and what we actually want to see, are two very different things. Issue number two – it’ll have a - quote unquote- trustw

A political expert says it could be a tough year for Labour.  The 1News Kantar Public Poll has National polling higher than Labour for the first time since the pandemic.  National is on 39 percent while Labour's dropped to 37. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's still the pick for preferred Prime Minister - polling nine percentage points ahead of National's Chris Luxon.  Massey University's Grant Duncan told Kate Hawkesby the high result Labour got in the last election was unusual and it's returning to a closer two horse race. “Certainly a lot of discontent about the Covid restrictions and the rising cost of living.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Online shopping isn't just more convenient, but lighter on your pocket. Australian research shows consumers can save more than $1300 a year on groceries by shopping online, rather than in person.  Auckland University associate professor in marketing, Karen Fernandez told Kate Hawkesby going online eliminates impulse buying. “There’s another little cute thing that happens in online shopping, you can see your total mount up. Then you think, do I really need this?” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A juror told a judge Tuesday that failing to disclose his child abuse history during jury selection at the trial of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was one of the biggest mistakes of his life — but an unintentional one. "I didn't lie in order to get on this jury," the juror said. A U.S. judge questioned the juror extensively as part of an effort to decide whether the revelation about his personal history as a sex abuse survivor will spoil the verdict in the sex trafficking trial. Lawyers for Maxwell — who was present in the courtroom, clad in a dark blue jail smock — say the verdict should be thrown out. Maxwell's lawyers potentially could have objected to the man's presence on the jury, on the grounds that he might not be fair to a person accused of a similar crime. Maxwell, 60, was convicted in late December of helping financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse multiple teenage girls from 1994 to 2004. Sitting in a courtroom witness box, the juror repeatedly expressed regret as U.S. District Judge Alison

Mark Manson is the author of two great books I’ve read.. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k, and Everything Is F**ked: A Book About Hope. They were New York Times bestsellers, which sold over 13 million copies. These days, like everyone else, he podcasts, and he has an interesting take on social media - which intrigued me given my recent battle with Facebook and how annoying I think tech giants are.  I am deeply suspect of their algorithms which just capture people into their own little echo chambers. Anyway, Manson argues that everything we say about social media being bad - is not actually social media’s fault. He reckons it’s the user's problem.  He says it’s about how we use it. So is this true? Can we dip in and out as we please, set personal boundaries, limit our exposure and keep social media a healthy space? It might be a good time to reassess this given how much awful news we’re consuming online at the moment. I for one, cannot read enough on Ukraine, it absolutely breaks my heart, it leaves me deva

A new startup company considers themselves the "Tinder for barns" Called Heybarn, the idea is that rural and lifestyle property owners that have free shed space, can rent out that space for Kiwis who need more room. They can "match" online, and despite being early days, the startup is seen as a world first. Heybarn co-founder Tom Brownlie joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The culture of New Zealand’s law profession may need an overhaul if it wants to stop burn out.  The Aotearoa Legal Workers Union has found 74 percent of lawyers feel their work is causing their mental health to suffer, with 83 percent believing it's doing the same to their colleagues.  It identifies a range of causes from unmanageable workloads, subject matter of the work, poor or no supervision and feeling undervalued. President Tess Upperton told Kate Hawkesby what people get paid is also a big contributor.   “People at the younger end who are earning not much above minimum wage and then when you take into account the sheer volume of hours they are working unpaid they are dropping below minimum wage sometimes.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A suggestion there's not too much of an appetite for an even shorter isolation period. Covid cases and household contacts only have to isolate for seven days, from midnight Friday - with contacts testing on day three and seven. EMA Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald told Kate Hawkesby while the business community would like it to be less, there's a large chunk of the population still worried about living with the virus. “The other issue is I don’t think yet we've seen a peak through the health system and the Government has always taken a health approach, quite rightly, and I think until we see reach peak through the health system you’re not likely to see more change.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I find the debate about whether we’re in a cost of living crisis at the moment fascinating, because it’s exactly the sort of thing Ardern would’ve argued vehemently when in opposition – yet because she’s currently in government, is denying.  No cost of living crisis, according to her.  Yet as the Wellington City Missioner said yesterday, anyone who says there isn’t one, is someone who’s doing OK. It’s easy to get removed from that kind of reality when you’re someone on the PM’s wages driving an electric car and never pushing your own trolley round a supermarket wondering how you’ll pay for your groceries. But this crisis is being borne out, if not to you personally, then certainly all around you - and maybe we should be a bit more mindful of it. Which is why I beat myself up yesterday after my petrol station hustle. Well, I thought it was a hustle – and that’s part of the problem.  With increasing desperation comes increasing crime, and that makes people wary. Having had our garage broken into twice, and seei

The Nurses’ Organisation is unhappy with changes allowing staff with Covid to return to work.  The Ministry of Health is now allowing infected staff to return early if their absence means the service couldn't run. It means healthcare workers can leave isolation on day six if they test negative twice. If they still test positive, they can work on Covid wards. Nurses Organisation President Kerri Nuku told Kate Hawkesby it puts everyone at risk. “It puts patients and staff at risk because the risk is if you don’t have a well-staffed ward, the quality of care on patients is compromised.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns at the length of time it may take for changes to the supermarket industry to bring prices down. The Commerce Commission's final report recommends Woolworths and Foodstuffs offer wholesale supply to other grocery retailers on a voluntary basis. It also recommends helping consumers make more informed purchasing decisions and enhance competition at the retail level, by introducing mandatory unit pricing. Registered dietitian and nutrition researcher Leanne Young told Kate Hawkesby what's recommended is a relatively slow way of driving down prices. “We would like to have seen something more structural that would give consumers confidence that prices would go down.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s pretty quiet in Auckland at the moment, with what feels like everyone isolating. The roads are not as congested with traffic, the malls are quiet, cafes are either shut or operating at reduced hours, it's all a bit sad. How many of those isolating actually have Covid though? Because it seems like an awful lot of people are at home, and I just wonder how many of them actually need to be. There’s definitely still confusion out there as to what the rules are. Who should isolate and for how long. To do a RAT or not, to register it or not. There are those still paralysed with fear, those still doggedly scanning in. What for? You’re not being contact traced. There is no point. And yet, two years of fear messaging has left people unable to think for themselves, apply logic, or just own their own lives. It’s a tough reality for some to accept that the Government isn't that interested in a prescriptive day in day out Covid response anymore. Yet there are still some among us terrified of not being told what to do.

The Government is urgently passing a new bill specifically targeting the Russia-Ukraine conflict.  New Zealand has been criticised for not having sanctions as strong as some other countries. It includes freezing assets in New Zealand, a travel ban on more than 100 people and the economic targeting of people supporting the invasion, including oligarchs.  Democracy Project international analyst Geoffrey Miller told Kate Hawkesby it's taken a while to be introduced. “You had everyone from Switzerland and Monaco to Singapore and Japan and all of those countries traditionally have been reluctant to impose sanctions.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the last two years, we've heard countless stories about businesses needing to do business travel. When it comes to making deals and trades, doing it on Zoom with dodgy Wi-Fi often doesn't cut it. But economists are forecasting that business travel will resume at barely half the rate they once were. General manager of corporate brands at Flight Centre Keely Alton joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's supermarket industry could be in for a major overhaul today. The Commerce Commission will release its final report from its market study of the industry this morning. Last year's draft found a lack of competition between supermarkets. The commission could make a range of recommendations, including asking supermarkets to divest their wholesale divisions. Auckland University Marketing Lecturer Bodo Lang told Kate Hawkesby he's expecting meaningful change to come from this. “I think we will see something that is a fairly deep restructuring of the sector, otherwise a lot of people will say ‘why didn’t we do more?’ We had the study conducted, a lot of investigation.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.