Kerre McIvor Mornings Podcast

Pharmac is struggling to cater to the demand of Kiwis.
Chief executive Sarah Fitt says the drug buying agency works for the best health outcomes for New Zealanders, within its budget.
Ms Fitt told Kerre McIvor they want to fund new medicines, but cannot afford everything.
"Our job is to look at the evidence and make robust evidence-based clinical decision for the best of the whole country."
She adds the demand for a bigger bite...

Housing was a big talking point in this year's election, just as it was in the 2017 election and deservedly so.
There were 19,438 on the State House waiting list, up from 5,844 applicants on the Housing Register at the end of the month before the change of Government. And more than four thousand people are in emergency accommodation in motels. The situation is dire and not helped by the fact that a number of private landlords ha...

The incoming Health Minister is being urged to overhaul the system, in the wake of Covid 19.
Auckland University Emeritus Professor Peter Davis says Jacinda Ardern's appointee to the role has a raft of issues to address.
He says there's an operational gap between ministry bureaucrats in Wellington and healthcare providers.
Davis told Kerre McIvor the pandemic has exposed weaknesses in our digital health infrastructure, and sho...

Well, that's the election done and dusted, and the polls did in fact translate into votes on the day. 
Jacinda Ardern has led Labour to an historic victory and has been given a mandate to deliver the policies she promised three years ago. 
There was a failure to deliver on those three years ago. Excuses can be found and made and accepted for reasons why that was so, but there can simply be no excuses. 
There will be no handbrake i...

The pressure is on Jacinda Ardern to make use of her new mandate to affect real change.
Labour has secured 49.1 percent of the vote in last night's election - with National on 26.8 percent, Act on eight percent and the Greens on 7.6 percent.
Political commentator Shane te Pou told Kerre McIvor there will be huge expectations on Ardern, now that she isn't reliant on New Zealand First.
"If a party is given a mandate like thi...

NZ First leader Winston Peters has thanked voters, volunteers and NZ First staff around New Zealand at the Duke of Marlborough in Russell.
"Ladies and Gentleman elections are bout democracy and what the people wish and we should never stop trusting the people," he said.
"We committed ourselves three year ago to be a constructive partner with government.
"To provide certainty and stability in a fast-changing world.
"...

The country's "unapologetic Māori voice" is returning to Parliament with Rawiri Waititi wresting the Waiariki seat off Labour's Tāmati Coffey.
"The people have spoken and I am absolutely overwhelmed that they have put their trust in me to represent them for the next parliamentary term," Waititi said.
"I cannot thank them enough for having the belief in us as te iwi Māori to champion our own mana motuhake a...

Sir Cullen Michael says Labour's historic victory is a green light for much needed changes in climate action and transport infrastructure.
But it is not a mandate for a lurch to the left in terms of tax or welfare reform, and any attempt to do so quickly could risk "middle-ground voters jumping off a cliff", the former Finance Minister told the Herald.
Last night Labour secured a parliamentary majority with 64 seats, the ...

A former National Finance Minister believes many of those who voted for Labour - will have been holding their noses as they did so.
Steven Joyce told Kerre McIvor he believes a lot of people voted strategically.
"With the discussions around the wealth taxes the past few weeks, I knew some people who are normally National voters saying they will vote for Labour, just to keep the Greens out."
Joyce congratulated Labour on a hist...

Chloe Swarbrick says it's phenomenal to have won Auckland Central.
Special votes haven't been counted but she's leading by 500 votes.
Swarbrick told Kerre McIvor she doesn't want to count her chickens before they hatch, but says it was a very good night.
"When you give every fibre of your being to something, we built up a massive campaign and did things everyone ruled out."
Swarbrick says everyone thought it was...

Act expects to have power in Parliament - even on the opposition benches.
The party is set to go from one MP to ten, after winning Epsom and soaking up eight percent of the party vote.
Leader David Seymour says the defeat of the right overall is disappointing.
But he told Kerre McIvor Act have proven they can still influence government policy from the opposition.
"Labour said they were going to introduce hate speech laws, Act reall...

National's Gerry Brownlee has revealed he's considering his position in the party, after last night's devastating election result.
It's ended up with just 26.8 percent of the party vote, meaning 19 MPs are out of a job.
Brownlee told Kerre McIvor he'll be taking a couple of days to think about his future with the party.
"I'll be speaking to colleagues before making a decision. The party will hold discussion...

Judith Collins has admitted National never expected to win the election.
She's spoken to Newstalk ZB's Kerre McIvor, in her first interview since last night's historic loss.
She says she has no plans to step down.
Collins says the loss is devastating, but it was almost inevitable.
"Nobody expected the miracle that I was trying to work for. People have to be realistic, it was not our time."
"Covid-19 and the secon...

Greens co-leader James Shaw remains hopeful of being part of the next Labour government.
He told Kerre McIvor while Labour doesn't have to include them, there's a good chance they will.
“I guess the question is, what sort of government do they want?
“Jacinda is a consensus builder, she wants to build a broader coalition as possible.”
At this stage, Labour has enough votes to govern alone.
But James Shaw says Labour would want to...

Labour's Grant Robertson is over the moon with last night's election result.
The finance spokesman told Kerre McIvor you never take anything for granted, and he's humbled by the support the party's had.
"I've spent a lot of time travelling around New Zealand the past few weeks. I really felt that on the ground, people were supporting us."
Robertson is confident the party would have won the election - even w...

Seriously, why would you be a police officer?  You're damned if you do, damned if you don't. 
An Independent Police Conduct Authority report has slammed police who pursued a car load of teenagers, a car that ultimately ended up crashing into and killing a Christchurch man who was driving to work. 
The IPCA says the officers should not have started the pursuit and they should have abandoned the pursuit on multiple occasions. 
N...

If you're fat - unhealthily overweight - is it a matter of personal responsibility or because you're a victim of a toxic food culture?
Judith Collins was speaking to Chris Lynch in Christchurch yesterday and pooh poohed the idea of an obesity epidemic saying it was time for people to take personal responsibility if they were fat.  I tend to be of that school of thought myself - but speaking purely for myself.  If I pile on t...