Podcast appearances and mentions of andrew dickens

A small business advocate says a Government grant must do more than throw money at a problem. The Taxpayers' Union has revealed the business start up grant has dished out $38 million with little to show for it. Documents retrieved through the Official Information Act show hundreds of the recipients struggled and returned to a benefit within two years. Small Business New Zealand Founder Phil Wicks told Andrew Dickens the recipients are the furthest people away from the labour market. He says they can still succeed but need more mentoring, structure, and clear expectations. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A warning our major political parties need to display more bipartisan planning so we don't buckle to a dwindling population and economic growth. Business NZ's report warns a labour shortage of at least a quarter of a million is expected before 2050, and there's also a one in four chance the population doesn't grow. Business Canterbury Chief Executive Leeann Watson told Andrew Dickens says major parties need to reach a certain level of bipartisan agreement on the country's big decisions She says businesses want to see steady incremental progress not a pendulum shift which potentially puts us backwards. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's controversy in the Ockham Book Awards as two books by notable authors are withdrawn from competition because their covers were created using AI. Stephanie Johnson's collection of short stories 'Obligate Carnivore' and Elizabeth Smither's collection of novellas 'Angel Train' are the two books cancelled. Their covers were created using AI and the book awards are on high alert for anything that takes the place of human activity. The decision to amend the criteria around AI was spurred by a desire to support creative and copyright interests of the country's writers and illustrators. So I understand the concern from the creative industries about the rise of AI, but I wonder if they really understand how AI was used in these circumstances. Covers are created by graphic designers. Sometimes they may commission an artist to draw the cover, but more often they've been creating images using computer programmes like Photoshop and various Adobe programmes. But in all cases a human is in charge, and there's no difference here. Elizabeth Smither's team had a specific image in mind combining a steam locomotive and an Angel inspired by Marc Chagall. A human asked AI to do it. It popped it out and the human refined it. Is that any different to a graphic designer pulling it together in Adobe? AI has spooked the creatives. AI bands have had hit albums. Now Paul McCartney is releasing a single that is silent in protest at AI stealing his sound. Morgan Freeman is railing against AI copy of his distinctive voice. But Elizabeth Smithers and Stephanie Johnson wrote their books. In Stephanie's case the short stories have been written over 20 years. But now her work has been cancelled because of a virtue signalling protest against progress. AI is out of the genie's bottle. It's important that it's influence is credited, but it still can't do it's own thing. It still needs a human to guide it and so it is like any other tool, including a pen and a piece of paper. Meanwhile Thursday we hear the Nvidia result. The bellwether stock of AI. There are bears and bulls and people talking about the bursting of the AI tech bubble as being a thing. I just want to warn that AI is still in it's infancy and there's a long way to go before it becomes a Terminator film. But what interesting times we live in See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns over the fact that more than half of trainees aren't completing their apprenticeships. Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds is seeking extra funding so new industry bodies can investigate low apprenticeship completion rates. She says the government could help through policy settings and funding, but the nature of the problem was likely to vary between industries. Te Pūkenga Chief Executive Gus Gilmore told Andrew Dickens things like training wage rates, low pay, and the economic downturn causing them to lose their job. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A warning our major political parties need to display more bipartisan planning so we don't buckle to a dwindling population and economic growth. Business NZ's report warns a labour shortage of at least a quarter of a million is expected before 2050, and there's also a one in four chance the population doesn't grow. Business Canterbury Chief Executive Leeann Watson told Andrew Dickens says major parties need to reach a certain level of bipartisan agreement on the country's big decisions She says businesses want to see steady incremental progress not a pendulum shift which potentially puts us backwards. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So the latest plan to fix central Wellington traffic has been released for consultation, and it's a monster. There's a couple of tunnels. A new one at the Terrace end of the motorway and another new tunnel through Mount Victoria. Land and houses will be taken out of the town belt at Mount Victoria and parkland at the Terrace There will be a major redesign of the Basin Reserve roundabout and a bridge near the airport. And the price tag? 3 billion dollars. Ironically the same sort of cost for two ports and two ferries to cross Cook Strait, that was thought to be wildly expensive at the time. So the immediate reaction is that this plan is wildly expensive. Which it is. Wildly expensive and totally predictable. The Rongotai Airport was opened in 1959 and from day one it was dependent on the Mount Vic tunnel, which opened in 1931. It should have been expanded then. It's Wellington's Auckland Harbour Bridge moment - a piece of insufficient infrastructure that only got worse. You could argue the same thing about the Terrace tunnel that was built ending abruptly in tiny urban streets designed before the rise of the automobile. Meanwhile some of Mount Vic's funky houses are going to be destroyed, and that gets right up the inner-city residents noses - the ones who don't have to drive far at all. So consultation is open now and I'm expecting it to be rancorous. But it's the bed Wellington chose to lie in when building an inner city airport and not making the hard calls earlier. And that also means strife for the good people of Khandallah who are complaining about the plane noise over their suburb after the flight paths changed in 2022. They'd rather the flights went over Newlands, who love the flight path change. As soon as you put your airport at Rongotai this was bound to happen. So you can't really complain about the bill you've inherited from your forebears who lacked foresight. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recall of coloured play-sand products - potentially contaminated with asbestos - is continuing to cause disruption on both sides of the Tasman. A recall notice was issued last week for EC Rainbow Sand 1.3 kilos and Creatistics Coloured Sand, 1 kilo. More than 20 schools and early learning centres are temporarily closed. Australia correspondent Lesley Yeomans told Andrew Dickens schools and centres across Australia are also impacted. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The police union is confident the health sector can pick up the remainder of mental health callouts. Now there's new guidance to determine if Police are needed when health workers request non-emergency assistance or when people go missing from health facilities. It will free up roughly half-a-million policing hours every year. Police Association President Steve Watt told Andrew Dickens the new approach has been introduced in phases. He says it gives Health New Zealand the time to ensure it can fill in the gaps Police leave. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The struggling car industry is looking forward to some much needed relief. The Government's confirmed its slashing charges on importers who don't meet carbon targets by almost 80% and launching a full review. It's expected to save about $264 million in cost to consumers and will keep imported cars cheaper. Imported Vehicles Association Chief Executive Greig Epps told Andrew Dickens the target was difficult for many businesses to reach. He says this isn't going backwards, it is being realistic about encouraging the use of clean cars. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the front page of the New Zealand Herald today there was a poll, and it shows that we're split as a nation on the issue of capital gains tax. So, the question for us here in this room and you in your room and all of us together is, should we have another discussion on the CGT? And my answer to that is, of course not. And why? We have no real idea of what it looks like, so we don't know what we're talking about. People who have assets that are accruing capital do not want it because they've never had to pay tax on it before, and no one likes paying more tax. People who do want a capital gains tax might want it if it means there's more money for health and education or benefits, but then if they start getting assets, will they be happy paying more tax? All the policies we've had so far on capital gains tax are so wishy-washy and indeterminate, we have no idea what it means. When will the valuations be calculated? Will we pay tax on mythical unrealized gains? How much money will it really raise? Have we had any answers to any of those questions? No, we have not. Could we have answers to those questions? Maybe. David Parker, before the last election, apparently came up with a comprehensive capital gains tax plan, but we never saw it. So how can we debate it? Labour's policy is such a once over lightly, we can't answer any of this. We are split on the general concept of capital gains tax and always have been, so why discuss it? It is a ridiculous Russian doll situation, and we go round and round, and we've decided let's not talk about that today. But we can talk about real taxes. And real taxes are increasing. And if you don't believe me, take a look at your rates bill, because rates are a tax. There are all sorts of different taxes in this world. And it's the sneaky ones that don't call themselves taxes that are the really sneaky ones. We had a real tax come at us, a couple of them actually, over the weekend. On Saturday, the front page was all about the legislation that's been introduced, meaning that councils can charge congestion taxes in the future. Awesome. So we'll be paying taxes on roads we already paid taxes to build. And if not taxes, then rates, because the council builds a lot of our roads. And of course, as I've said already, rates are also taxes. Talk about double jeopardy. We're paying taxes on taxes. It's two bites of the pie. And then you have to wonder why the National-led coalition wants to increase our taxes when their mission has always been to reduce them. They hate taxes, they say. Some of them say we're overtaxed. They want them gone.So the motivation for taxes has many faces. They're used to punish the rich because of the politics of envy, I get that. They're used to redistribute wealth because some people are poor and some people are not. And of course, they're all used to fund health and education systems. And we also use taxes to punish or to change behaviour. So I guess if we're talking about congestion taxes in this instance, we're talking about changing our behaviour. Is that enough reason for National to want to do this? The behaviour they're trying to change is to make more of us drive off-peak and less of us on-peak, making the roads flow better. I say good luck with that. Good luck with your tax, because in this age of cost of living increases and rate rises and water costs, I believe that no one at this moment wants to pay more tax. And no wonder Wayne Brown in the paper on Saturday said the council is not going to use this new power anytime soon, because he knows a vote killer when he sees one. I mean, who's going to vote for that? Turkeys do not vote for Christmas. And you have to ask, would it actually work? It might make mums on the school run think twice about using a motorway at peak hour. But, you know, tradies and the people who carry all our goods and the transporters, they won't have the option. They'll have to pay, and that is a further cost on their bottom line. And whenever a business gets a further cost on the bottom line, you know what they do? They pass it on. Who to? You and I, increasing the costs of services. The very fact, and I said this yesterday, the very fact that a young modern city like Auckland or Tauranga or Wellington, well, let's say Auckland, just over 1 and a half million people, it's a small city internationally, has got itself into a position where a centre-right government thinks the answer is a congestion tax is a complete and utter failure of our civil planning over the last generations. Sure, I understand congestion taxes in London. I mean, that built and built and built, and there's no more room for roads, and they've got undergrounds, and they've got buses, and they've got trains, and they've got everything, and still they're congested. So sure, put a congestion tax on in London. But really, Auckland? Hello? Really? Tauranga? Tauranga is our most taxed roading system. Got a couple of them there. You had the K-Road ages ago. Did it work? Or Wellington. And I'll talk more about Wellington later because today is a big day for Wellington transport.The fact of the matter, if you don't like the congestion taxes, all we had to do was provide alternatives to the car that were affordable and efficient. Every time we talked about public transport options or alternate modes or God forbid cycleways, they've always been shouted down by people who think we still live in a rural village and not a modern cities, and we should all have the human right to drive from doorstep to doorstep. Well, that's a lack of foresight, is it not? Because we kept on growing and growing. Unfortunately, transportation, like public transport, is the answer, because there's very little room for more roads. But then again, we'll have to figure out how to pay for that transport system, and again, that will fall on you and me and our wallets, just the same as it would with any tax. At the moment, unbelievably, under a National-led coalition, another tax is coming, and do you think our roads are going to suddenly clear out? I don't. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I had a lovely Saturday morning. Lying in bed, drinking a coffee, reading the weekend Herald and listening to Jack on ZB say that he'll ditch his wallet by next year as everything he needs will be on his phone. I was thinking - keep up, lad. I ditched the wallet during Covid. The phone has become ubiquitous and if not the phone, then a card in a pocket in the phone. It's debatable whether this is a good thing considering how compromised phones are and how reliant they are on cell towers, software and power supply, but hey. Meanwhile, on the front page of the Herald was the legislation meaning that councils could charge congestion taxes in the future. Now this is dodgy. The taxes will be on roads that we already paid taxes to build. And if not taxes then rates, which after all, are also taxes. Talk about double jeopardy - taxes on taxes And then, you have to wonder if the National-led coalition really is the tax cut party. Surely introducing a new tax is still a new tax, which is something they say is what the socialists do. But everyone is doing it - rates are up, water rates are up. And under this coalition, the reality is our taxes are going up. No matter what their semantics suggest. But they have to do it to get some cars off some roads that are so congested that they're costing our productivity. The motivation for taxes has many faces - they're used to punish the rich, they're used to redistribute wealth, they're used to fund health and education systems and they're used to punish or change behaviour. So they're trying to change our behaviour to make more of us drive off peak and less of us on peak. Good luck with that. Good luck with your tax. No wonder Wayne Brown said they're not going to use the new power any time soon, he knows a vote killer when he sees one. But the fact that a young modern city of just over one and a half million people has got itself in a position where a centre-right Government thinks the answer is a congestion tax is a complete and utter failure of civic planning. Sure, I can understand congestion taxes in London, which has had centuries of development. But Auckland? Or Tauranga? Or Wellington? All we had to do was provide alternatives to the car that were affordable and efficient. But everytime public transport options and alternate modes have been suggested, they've been shouted down by people who think they live in rural villages and not modern cities and they should drive from doorstep to doorstep. Thanks for your lack of foresight - it means another tax is coming and our roads will still be chocka. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Fire and Emergency manager believes public fireworks sales should be banned as Guy Fawkes looms. It's currently restricted to just four days a year, this year from November 2nd until Guy Fawkes. It's one of the busiest periods of the year for firefighters, who had about 20 fireworks-related callouts in the 48 hours since sales began. Community Safety Manager Adrian Nacey told Andrew Dickens they get between 150 and 200 fireworks related calls each year, and they're not all necessarily caused by recklessness. He says little things like wind can cause issues, so they'd prefer fireworks were kept in the hands of professionals. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our red meat sector's continuing to see strong international demand. Latest data from the Meat Industry Association shows the value of our red meat exports in September was up 29% on September last year. Exports to the US were up 25%, despite the introduction of Donald Trump's tariffs. Association Chair Nathan Guy told Andrew Dickens that while they thought the tariffs would be problematic, in reality, demand has been really strong. He says there's a strong hamburger market in the States and New Zealand exporters are filling that market with quality product. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pensioners marched on Parliament yesterday, demanding that politicians remember them. And one of the biggest things on their mind is the rules around retirement villages. Here's an example: A couple had been in their retirement village for 10 years. Needing more care, they decide to move out and find a more appropriate place to live. They'd bought their villa for $600,000, but under the current situation they'll get just $400,000 of that money back. So, no capital gain at all. The village is then free to on sell the villa say for $1.2 million, and they don't have to pay the couples $400,000 back until they find some to take over the licence. In some cases that may take two years. So, no capital gain, in fact a loss, and then no funds at all in the bank until the village decides to re-licence The only way a village works for you is if you stay in it until the day you die. But you will not be passing on any capital gains to your kids, you're going to lose half your capital. That's the deal. Labour's Ingrid Leary promised to do something about this but lost the mandate. Now the Government continues to say they support our seniors, and they are also railing against taxes on capital gains. But our seniors are being hit with a defacto capital gains tax that far exceeds anything Labour has suggested. I think it may be time to walk the walk that you've been walking and talking but not doing. Let's not ruin our seniors' last days by taking too much of the money they spent their whole life working to have. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unemployment has hopefully almost reached its peak. Latest Stats NZ data is expected to show unemployment has reached 5.3% in the September quarter. That's up from 5.2% in the June quarter. BNZ Chief Economist Mike Jones told Andrew Dickens they expect another rise in the December quarter, before the job market starts to recover next year. He says there's still a bit of slog ahead of us, but there's encouraging signs, like job ads lifting and businesses wanting to increase employment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's concern our cemeteries are running out of space, with some councils taking too long to secure new land. The Cemeteries and Crematoria Collective says many graveyards are already at or near capacity, forcing delays and limiting burial options. It warns too many councils are failing to plan far enough ahead, and many are excluding cemeteries from urban growth strategies that often focus narrowly on housing. Collective Chair Daniel Chrisp told Andrew Dickens that while 70-75% of New Zealanders prefer cremation now, there are still many communities and cultures that prefer burial. He says the option needs to be provided, so councils need to think strategically and proactively about it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The GP Owners' Association's backing calls for the Government to make better use of primary care data. A New Zealand Initiative report says information from GP clinics isn't being systematically collected, unlike hospital and prescription data. It argues the information could help identify prescribing issues and prevent unnecessary hospital admissions. Association Chair Angus Chambers told Andrew Dickens this has been an acknowledged gap for a long time. He says it has been collected individually before, but not systematically, which requires investment. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rain's on the forecast for today's 165th running of the Melbourne Cup. There are no New Zealand-trained runners this year, but Smokin Romans and Torranzino were both bred here. Newstalk ZB's Melbourne Cup correspondent Donna Demaio says those heading to Flemington will need to pack their brollies and coats. She told Andrew Dickens the weather is dominating much of the conversation. Demaio says it's expected to rain all day and even during the race. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consumer confidence could be turning around as borrowing rises. Latest data from credit bureau service Centrix shows residential mortgage and household lending have both increased more than 20% year-on-year. Personal loan and Buy Now Pay Later applications and business borrowing are also up. Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold told Andrew Dickens we're heading in the right direction, but it's still early days. He says many of the indicators for growth are still subpar but lower interest rates are starting to flow through. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast 2025, the Government's adding 140 new hospital beds across five hospitals from mid next year Health Minister Simeon Brown tells Andrew Dickens the difference it'll make to capacity. Andrew Alderson has the latest on the weekends sport. The PSA's taking ACC to the employment relations authority, PSA National Secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons says workers have been blindsided over new work-from-home rules. Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on two people in critical condition after ten were injured by two men with knives on a train heading to London from Doncater Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Friday I interviewed a representative of oyster farmers in the Mahurangi area who were outraged at a wastewater dump by Watercare that had poisoned their oysters. They have to close for 28 days. One farmer has to dump 80,000 oysters. That's not good for business or their cashflow. As the interview went on I found out that this is not an isolated incident. It's already happened 39 times before this year. And even worse Watercare has the right to do a dump like this 200 times every year. I was flabbergasted. That seems like an awful lot of dumping. Then in the weekend I got a call from a local MP. She told me Watercare basically wrote their own consent. They needed to involve public consultation yet all they did was drop some leaflets at the Warkworth library. She's raised the issue with the mayor, the man who wants to make Auckland a global city, and Mr Fix it doesn't seem at all interested in fixing it. And now they dump the regions wastewater into the Mahurangi River and they're allowed to do that 200 times a year. It's killing the river. It's destroying the oyster business. It's decimated commercial fishing in the area. It's a symptom of intensification in the area. It's a symptom of the infrastructure being unable to cope with the new demand. And it's a symptom of the Council not having enough money to fix the problem and no desire to help the affected businesses and to rescue a wrecked river. Honestly, I'd rather swim in the Thames or the Seine than swim in the Mahurangi in rural North Auckland. The issue has been swept under the carpet by Watercare and the authorities and it's frankly just not good enough. Day by day clean green New Zealand is becoming a myth and a lie we like to tell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Attracting the extra staff needed for 140 new hospital beds could be a challenge. The Government's announced new wards for Middlemore, Waikato, Wellington and Nelson hospitals, in addition to a new Hawke's Bay ward announced earlier this year. Health Minister Simeon Brown told Andrew Dickens funding has been approved to recruit the additional 350 staff needed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The public service union says ACC has breached employee contracts with its working-from-home rule change. The PSA's taking the agency to the Employment Relations Authority. It says ACC gave the union only one hour's notice when it told staff four weeks ago they would have to come into work three days a week - up from two. PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons told Andrew Dickens that ACC promoted jobs with three working-from-home days. She says workers who got the roles now feel deceived. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9 people were left in a critical condition after a knife attack on a train in the UK. It is believed that a man on the train, which was moving from Peterborough to London on a fast-track line, pulled out knives and started attacking passengers once it was on the move. UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Andrew Dickens that the incident was not terror related. 'Originally counterterrorism police were investigating this. We are now being told it is likely not to be terror related.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Okava has been investigating the use of GLP-1 receptors in cats and found it has similar effects to weight-loss drugs on humans. The San Francisco-based company is hoping to develop a long-acting implant as opposed to regular injections. But, Healthy Pets New Zealand trustee and vet Dr Cath Watson says weight loss drugs should not be the first option for pets. Watson told Andrew Dickens that pet obesity levels are "pretty bad and getting worse". LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns over potential US nuclear tests have arisen after Donald Trump posted on X saying 'I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis'. The announcement left questions about whether the US President meant testing weapons systems or actually conducting test explosions, which the United States has not done since 1992. Vice-President JD Vance failed to provide any clarification, telling reporters the President's statement “speaks for itself". US Correspondent Dan Mitchinson told Andrew Dickens he wasn't convinced the threats will be followed through- "as we know, the president tends to speak first sometimes and think after he has spoken". LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Chase UK star Shaun Wallace, aka Dark Destroyer, is touring New Zealand hosting quiz events to raise money for Cure Kids. The Chaser will also host the 25th New Zealand Quiz Championships in Eden Park on November 8. Wallace is not a Chaser for soon-to-debut The Chase NZ but he told Andrew Dickens, "I would really like to see a New Zealand chaser, because there's some very, very good quizzers over here". LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A pump station overflow north of Auckland has resulted in the temporary closure of Oyster farms and the destruction of thousands of contaminated oysters. In an email sent on Thursday, Watercare said the pump station overflowed at about 2.30pm to the stormwater pond and wastewater began entering the Mahurangi River but the overflow was not stopped until 8am the next day. Chair of the Mahurangi Oyster Farms Association, Lynette Dunn, said to Andrew Dickens that this was far from the first time this type of incident had occurred. "I think by recording, we might be up to about 38 or 39 times for the whole year," she said. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last year the World Health Organisation warned New Zealand about the "alarming" gap in its measles immunisation. Today news of two more measles cases in New Zealand was released bringing the total known measles cases to ten. Dr Angus Chambers said to Andrew Dickens that low immunisation rates can be partially attributed to Covid and systematic issues. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland-based Samoan artist Lou'ana Whitney Pereira, who performs under her first name, chats to Andrew Dickens about her upcoming album titled 'Disco Witch'. The album was divided into two parts titled 'AS ABOVE' and 'SO BELOW'. The latter was released in June but the release of 'AS ABOVE' this week will complete the album. Lou'ana is a trained jazz singer obtaining a Bachelor of Jazz Performance from the New Zealand School of Music. She won the 2021 Best Pacific Female Artist Award with her debut album 'Moonlight Madness'. Lou'ana's album 'Disco Witch' will be released on October 31. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon arrived in Malaysia this morning, along with other world leaders, for the start of the East Asia Summit. US President Donald Trump will also be in attendance meaning a potential face-to-face meeting with Luxon. Geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller told Andrew Dickens, "They do need to keep their heads down a little bit because they can't risk antagonising Donald Trump." This weekend the US President raised Canada's tariffs by an extra 10% after being angered at an anti-tariff advertisement. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's an action packed weekend, with the final clashes of the Rugby Championship and the NRL Grand Final kicking off. Jason Pine joined Andrew Dickens to give his insight into how it'll all play out. Will the All Blacks break their inconsistent streak and claim a second victory over Australia? And who will claim the victory in the NRL - the Broncos or the Storm? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns are being raised now that people can put groceries and petrol on Afterpay. The popular buy now, pay later scheme is allowing people to buy petrol and grocery items up to $500 without an up-front payment – to be paid back in instalments. FinCap Senior Policy Advisor Jake Lilley told Andrew Dickens it is a real worry for financial mentors. He says people are desperate to make ends meet and unfortunately schemes like this can put people in a cycle of debt. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A view mass layoffs are imminent as the US Federal Government shutdown nears its third day. Democrats and Republicans failed to get their respective bills through the senate, suspending thousands of government workers without pay. US President Donald Trump's called it an unprecedented opportunity to slash spending. US Correspondent Jonathan Kearsley told Andrew Dickens layoffs are coming, it's just a question of how deep and wide they are. He says we know they're looking to slash spending to save billions, but the shutdown is also hurting the economy every day. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A separate argument against major tech firms paying more tax. A report from tax expert Nick Miller says companies like Google are able to skirt their dues by taking payments from New Zealand subsidiaries, listed as service fees. He says they could be seen as royalties, which come under a withholding tax. However, another independent expert in the field, Geof Nightingale, told Andrew Dickens the Trump administration would push the cost back onto New Zealand businesses and consumers. If we were to tax the US tech giants more, we'd be slapped with a higher tariff on exports. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now seeing as I am a 60 year old white guy, some will consider my comments inherently racist, but I am allowed my opinion just as you are allowed yours. Opinions are like bums - we all have one, so why fight it? Firstly, the coming out of the Māori Queen. One thing is for sure, Māori do this customary and ceremonial stuff well. The attendees are seeing history, a young Queen about to take leadership. But I'm always amazed at the one year silence thing. Sure you're getting the lay of the land and forming your ideas for your reign and paying respect to your predecessor, but come on. It seems to me that the year's silence gives the courtiers more power over affairs of state. When the cats away the mice will play. Now to the Tamaki Makaurau by-election. I couldn't believe how many voters got the City Council Elections and the by-election to be a Member of Parliament confused. One person on telly wondered if Oriini Kaipara was running for Mayor. And you wonder why we get strange governments and councils. The candidates also ran chaotic campaigns. Oriini Kaipara had a shocker. Claiming her party, who have not been in government since 2017, had repealed laws. No they did not - back then they were support partners and so not able to repeal laws. Then she had to grab her phone to check policy while Jack Tame looked on quizzically. Then she said her Labour opponent should be Prime Minister of New Zealand, which must have raised the eyebrows of Rawiri and Debbie. I understand Oriini's appeal. She's young and smart. She was a respected journalist, and she has the Māori Party sartorial style. Fine alternative statement clothes - they always looked like they've been styled by Zambesi. But it's not what you look like or seem, it's what you say. She seems underdone and would get better with more time. Then there's Peeni Henare. A product of Māori's hierarchical society where a lot of weight is given to your family, your whakapapa, and your journey. He's always been mentioned as a future Prime Minister. It seems like it's owed and not to be earned. If he loses this one it's over, because you can't be a Prime Minister if you couldn't win a Māori electorate. Twice. He also had a shocker going against the gang patch law having to be corrected by Chippy. Also I didn't need to see him working out with David Letele, I want to know what he thinks, not how he sweats You know I don't think I could vote for either if I could. But I can't. I'm not allowed to. And that seems to be how the electorate feel with indications of a terrible turnout this weekend. And that's a bad thing. If you respect the treaty, if you've chosen to be on a Māori roll, then you owe your people to use that privilege, or right if you prefer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's world No 1 v No 2, a repeat of the World Cup final, two of the great sporting rivals squaring off once again. It might just be the biggest test for the All Blacks this year. Scott Robertson's side look to continue a proud record at Eden Park stretching back to 1994, while also needing to bounce back from a defeat to Argentina. The All Blacks have remained undefeated at the Fortress for over 30 years – a record that could be tested tomorrow. Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner is nervous about the record being broken, telling Andrew Dickens that they want it to continue, and are confident it will. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What could be a reactive move - as Immigration Minister Erica Stanford sends a clear message to immigrants, to obey the law. Criminals with New Zealand residency could now face deportation if they've been here for less than 20 years. That's double the current limit of under 10 years. Immigration lawyer Simon Laurent told Andrew Dickens this is a response to an overall mood that's surfacing, particularly in the UK and Australia. He says it's an approach that's been sweeping through other democracies, for the past few years. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Truck drivers are feeling increased pressure to deliver on time – even breaking the law to do so. The Workers First Union believes the timeframes set up for drivers to complete jobs within allocated driving hours is unachievable. The union signed up to support the Safe Rates international labour campaign, which makes employers and customers responsible for the financial pressures put on drivers. Union organiser Lance Gush told Andrew Dickens the campaign makes a level playing field for those fighting for contracts. He says companies are dropping vehicles out of their fleets in order to try to keep up with contract costs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Optimism in the education sector as the number of people studying to be a teacher rises. There's been about 3,500 new domestic enrolments to initial teacher training this year – up 30% on the same time last year. Primary education's grown by 31%, while enrolments in secondary are up 28%, and 24% for ECE. PPTA President Chris Abercrombie told Andrew Dickens that doesn't reflect the need, in terms of shortages. He says in secondary education, they are often short of subject specialists. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The game of rugby this weekend is starting to take on a life of it's own. Some have called it the biggest game of rugby since the last World Cup Final featuring the same two teams - and this is even though the Lions have just toured Australia in a record-breaking financial success. But it is going to be a cracker. It's been fortified by Eden Park's record as a fortress - 30 years and 50 games where the All Blacks have not been defeated. We're vulnerable as the last test against Argentina showed, meanwhile the South Africans seem genuinely inspired by playing at Eden Park. It's been 8 years since they have done that. The revenue is generated by them, and I wonder if it's been purposeful to keep them away from it for so long. And the French have been in the media as they were the last to beat New Zealand at the Garden of Eden way back in 1994. Interestingly the first time I went to an All Blacks game, only to see them lose. They too have been rhapsodising about the mythical qualities of what is a pretty patchy stadium. There's a very real chance we're going to lose this one. Graham Henry has been quoted as saying there's something not quite right with the team's mentality. Yet it's a reminder that if the biggest game of rugby in the world is to be played, it had to played at Eden Park. The good people of Christchurch who are about to take possession of a spiffing new stadium will argue that Eden Park's self declaration that the park is our national stadium is misplaced. But that's not true. Eden Park is sacred ground and Auckland still needs to figure out how to make it better, because it's the best place for what is about to happen this weekend. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Complex cases appear to be clogging up our justice system, with manslaughter and murder offences making up more than 70% of all High Court trials. Chief Justice Dame Helen Winkelmann says the system is struggling to keep pace, in her latest Annual Report. Her report reveals a mix of delays, burnout, safety issues, and under-funding. Former High Court Judge and Parole Board Chair Sir Ron Young told Andrew Dickens it's horrifying that manslaughter and murder trials are taking 17 days or more. He says in the 1970s and 80s, murder trials took about three to five days. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pulling out of the Paris Climate agreement has got the backing of ACT and New Zealand First, who say we're overdoing it. And my first reaction is yes. The thing isn't working. It's never worked. It has always felt like something the world does to make itself feel like it's doing something, even though it's doing nothing When you combine it with the Emissions Trading Scheme —which is a giant Ponzi scheme made to make Coldplay feel better about touring the world in jet planes, meanwhile filling our pastures with trees— then the whole thing seems useless, so why be involved? And we're so little. New Zealand's biggest contribution to CO2 numbers is our farming, which is fairly benign polluter, because the world needs food. The world doesn't need more cheap jeans and plastic crap, but the people who make that stuff are merrily pumping rubbish into our atmosphere. So why should we be punishing the cornerstone of our economy when in the scheme of things, it contributes so little while the real polluters keep on polluting? So yeah, let's stand up. Tell the world they're in a fool's paradise of virtue signalling and get on with feeding the people we can. But. The rest of world, with the exception of the United States, still believe in this mirage. And they're the ones buying our food, and they're also the ones who will find any way to blacklist our awesome agricultural products. So pulling out of the charade may see us cutting our nose off to spite our face. It may reduce the compliance costs on our farmers in the first instance, but what's the point of that if it makes the rest of the world turn their back on our milk and butter and meat? ACT and New Zealand First may think that this posturing is helping our farmers, but in fact it could be penalising them even more heavily And maybe ACT and New Zealand first are playacting this for votes just as much as the Paris Climate Accords are playacting for the environment So let's call this thing for what it is, and rather than just pulling our in a flounce, advocate for real change to the Accords and the policies and actually get on with helping the environment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's tertiary refresh has sparked conversation around whether the country's dumbing down the sector. Universities Minister Shane Reti's announced a package of initiatives, including a new education strategy and updated governance rules. He decided against making university entrance harder. Universities NZ chair Grant Edwards told Andrew Dickens there's no need for more limits on who can hand out the top academic qualifications. He says universities are the only institutions to do research-led teaching in the country, so research-led Masters and PhDs should be awarded within them. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers are pushing ACT and New Zealand First for less politicking and more action. The two parties have expressed interest in withdrawing from the global Paris Agreement unless more realistic emissions targets are produced to fight climate change. But Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says they're in government and could be resolving the problems creating uncertainty for farmers now. He told Andrew Dickens the Paris Agreement in itself isn't necessarily the problem. Langford says we need to dig deeper and look at what's setting Paris back, because it's actually what we're setting on ourselves as a government. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Overseas visitors are back and here to spend, with tourism hotspots like Queenstown reaping the benefits. The latest International Visitor Survey results show a 5% increase in international tourists over the past year. Spending has increased by more than 4%, but still remains at 86% of pre-pandemic levels. Hospitality New Zealand spokesperson Sam Mackinnon told Andrew Dickens he's hoping the spending will soon become more regionally dispersed. He says councils across the country are working on their destination management plans, so they can get a slice of the tourism pie. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A drive to attract foreign investors could deliver more than just financial gain. The Government's tweaking visa rules, letting Active Investor Plus holders buy or build one New Zealand home worth at least $5 million. This is on top of the minimum $5 million investment pledge needed to get the visa. Former Labour Cabinet minister Stuart Nash told Andrew Dickens these investors will bring experience, contacts, and networks with them. He says they'll bring in a whole mix of different skills and competencies - which will create a lot of value LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So the national emergency alarm that bugged a nation was the big talking point in New Zealand today. There's a million stories about the alarm, and here's mine: The first alarm yesterday afternoon at 4:30pm I welcomed. I'd been out and about and didn't know about the Russian earthquake. So I looked up the story and quickly ascertained there were hours before this could become a problem. This was important because my partner was commuting home on a ferry at 5:40pm and we needed to know if anything would happen. I checked the AT app and phoned her and the day continued on as normal. The next alarm this morning was interesting. We knew of the threat and we knew that it was around about then that waves would arrive. So I expected an update on the wave strength after tsunami monitoring across the oceans. None of that info was there. It was the same alert as last night. So, again, we looked up the story and again, we decided it would be fine so Helen went off to catch the 8am ferry. As she left, she said if there's going to be a wave then she'd rather be on a big boat than on the esplanade. I think that was a joke. As it turned out everybody ignored the alert this morning. People walked dogs on beaches. The north-western motorway causeway did not close. Nor did Tamaki Drive. Then the Minister came on with Kerre to explain why we had these alarms. I thought the main takeaway from that was so that we could make an informed decision. Which my family did. So I don't mind the alerts. I'd rather have a false alarm than no alarm at all in a dangerous decision. But the fear here is that people will begin to ignore all alerts and not make informed decisions - and that could end badly. But my main concern is that the information did not seem to be updated in the 12 hours after the earthquake hit. I wonder if our ocean monitoring is working - and if it isn't, then that's the real concern. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, the Government's KiwiSaver contribution was halved under budget changes. Employers will also have to fork out a mandatory 4% contribution to adjust for the deficit left by the Government's contibution. That bump's expected to stifle potential salary increases, and in turn, our retirement funds - leading many to question what changes we really need, and what we can do for ourselves, to support our golden years. Retired financial advisor and writer Martin Hawes joins Andrew Dickens for Smart Money... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apartment blocks are being heralded as the best way to get on the property-ladder, but is there a better route? Will these properties be worth it? How confident can we feel with where the market's heading with intensification? Additionally: Wellington house prices are dropping, but what risks are there for buyers? Andrew Dickens is joined by Property Expert Nichole Lewis... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.