Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

The NZ Blood Service is encouraging people to donate, saying the demand doesn’t stop. 

Although the amount of hospital activity and the number of surgeries slow down over the holiday period, CEO Sam Cliffe says things like accidents, births, and long-term conditions are still prevalent.  

He told Kerre Woodham that they try to over-collect in the two weeks up to Christmas and for a little bit after, as their stocks tend t...

A year into the job Health Minister Simeon Brown is celebrating early signs of success on reducing wait times. 

He took over the heath portfolio in January of this year, succeeding Dr Shane Reti. 

Brown told Kerre Woodham he attributes reinstated health targets as one aspect that's made a difference. 

He says the number one focus remains improved access to health care. 

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At least 16 people are dead and 38 others injured in a terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

Hundreds of people had gathered at Bondi for an event to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah, when gunmen opened fire.

Massey University Centre for Defence and Security Studies Senior Fellow John Battersby told Kerre Woodham that police responded as quick as they could, but it can be difficult to predict these attacks. 

"Law enfor...

A New Plymouth lake is being drained in an effort to stop invasive clams. 

Lake Rotomanu's been closed to motorised watercraft since the gold clams were found there last month, marking the first discovery of the species outside of the Waikato River. 

The lake's outlet was opened yesterday, and it will take about four days to drain completely. 

Dave Cade told Kerre Woodham it’s the worst biosecurity threat to New Zeal...

Nicola Willis is defending her economic track record in the face of a lobby-group's satirical campaign. 

The Taxpayers' Union has sent MPs Nicola Willis-branded fudge, claiming she favours treats today and taxes tomorrow. 

It suggests Willis should cut spending more. 

Willis says the Government has reduced taxes and delivered significant cost savings while keeping frontline services. 

Kiwiblog author and co-foun...

Do you see any advantage or benefit to the country in having a former Finance Minister and the current one debating fiscal policy? 

The current Finance Minister, Nicola Willis, has challenged the former Finance Minister, Ruth Richardson, to a debate. Now, that is misguided in my view, but to be fair, she was grievously provoked. Ruth Richardson is the chair of the Taxpayers' Union. The Taxpayers' Union is a pressure group, a g...

Whenever I hear or read news headlines these days, I know that the headlines will be just that for so many people. Headlines. People won't hear or they won't read beyond the headline, and then they'll form their own opinions based on nothing more than 20 words or fewer. I've got numerous examples of that. Even people that I would have thought would understand the media, like journalists, they'll look at a headline and think, "Oh, y...

Efforts to stamp out yellow-legged hornets in New Zealand are widening. 

Biodiversity New Zealand is expanding the 5-kilometre surveillance zone in Glenfield and Birkdale on Auckland's North Shore further out to 11-kilometres, to ensure only one population is at large. 

Victoria University Ecology and Entomology Professor Phil Lester told Kerre Woodham hornets target worker bees one by one and will hurt more than our hone...

The Street Smart programme is a hands-on, one-day driver training course for young drivers, teaching crucial real-world skills beyond basic testing, helping reduce road deaths across New Zealand. 

The course focuses on decision-making, hazard perception (like "rabbits" on the road), distraction management, peer pressure, and emergency manoeuvres in a controlled environment with professional coaches. 

Highlands Motorsport ...

An urban planner says the Government’s RMA reforms are well overdue.  

It's unveiled plans to replace current Resource Management Act laws with two new pieces of legislation, one for the environment and one for planning.  

It sets clear limits on council regulations and is expected to save $13 billion in consenting costs. 

Mt Hobson Group Director Hamish Firth told Kerre Woodham we’ve been bungling along with a syste...

Two parents who care for their severely disabled adult children have been recognised as homeworkers and are now entitled to receive the minimum wage, along with other associated employment conditions, after a landmark ruling yesterday from the country's highest court. They're now deemed to be employees of disability support services. And the families who battled to be recognised for the work that they do are hopeful the Supreme Cou...

2024 was an epic annus horribilis for the Greens - you remember Golriz Ghahraman, Darleen Tana, Julie Anne Genter, et al. It went on and on. It was arguably the worst year on record for any political party in this country ever. But wait, hold my beer – we have a new champion. 

2025 is shaping up to be an even more horribilis of an annus for Te Pāti Māori, who may well factionalise themselves into extinction. It all started so ...

Whether-or-not you saw former police commissioner Andrew Coster’s TV interview yesterday, you’ll know about the allegations he’s making.

He thinks people are running for the hills after the Jevon McSkimming scandal and aren’t telling the whole story in terms of what they knew and when they knew it.

Especially current police minister Mark Mitchell and former police minister Chris Hipkins.

Isn’t it weird that someone who served in th...

This morning, I'm going to pretty much let Toss Grumley do the opener for me.  

Who's Toss Grumley? Well, Toss is a New Zealand business advisor and investor. The Post has run an editorial he wrote, bemoaning the Christmas shutdown. In it he said New Zealand's Christmas break has started to become way too extreme, and it's impacting our productivity on an individual business level and at the level of the economy. 

The sum...

Now, surely, it should be a straightforward exercise. You're about to embark on a relationship with someone, and you want to do a police check. Does this person have previous convictions for violence? Seems charming, seems a lovely, but you hear horror stories. So, why wouldn't you want to check on somebody before you invite them into your life? Why can't you know? Surely, once you have a conviction for an offence, it becomes a mat...

It's been 12 months since Richard Chambers became New Zealand's Police Commissioner. And by crikey, he's had a busy old time of it, a little bit of a poisoned chalice. There's been the clean out of the police hierarchy following the McSkimming scandal – or really, scandals. And two months after his appointment, police officer Lynn Fleming was killed in the line of duty in Nelson on New Year's Day. 

Back in March of this year, ...

Calls to expand the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court across the country.

AODTC was launched in New Zealand in 2012 as a pilot to steer high-risk, high-need offenders away from prison.

Offenders must plead guilty and face a likely prison term of up to three years for drug offences, committing to a tough 12- to 18-month program including regular drug testing, AA or NA meetings, and counselling.

The courts are incredibly success...

Auckland households face a 7.9% rate rise next year, primarily to fund the operating costs for the $5.5 billion City Rail Link, which is nearly finished. It's a reality, it's going to open for passengers next year – woo! The increase will cover the $235 million annual cost of operating the new underground rail service. It's the largest rates rise since Auckland Council as a super city was formed in 2010. For the average household w...

Hundreds of the Labour Party faithful gathered over the weekend in Auckland to begin the march back to Parliament's government benches. Council of Trade Unions head Sandra Gray was preaching to the converted when she told the crowd that New Zealand's Pavlova paradise has been eaten up by the rich. She said Labour needed to give workers a reason to vote for them and to deliver fundamental and systemic change. Yay! Cue loud rapturous...