September 3, 2024 • 33 mins
On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 4th of September, visitors to the country will soon have to start paying a $100 levy, up from $35. Eve Lawrence from Intrepid Travel talks to Ryan about what it means for the tourism industry.
The SIS has released its second annual report detailing security threats to New Zealand. Massey University’s John Battersby joins the show to discuss the findings.
Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
The issues, the interviews and the inside Ryan Bridge new
for twenty twenty four on an early edition with Smith City,
New Zealand's furniture vans and a play at store news talks,
he'd be.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Good morning, it is six after five news. Excuse me,
Newstalks said, be well, it was a great start. The
terrorist tax. Is it going to cost us more than
we actually gain from it? We'll look at that just
before six this morning. Is your phone giving you brain cancer?
We've all wondered it. A new study is definitive on
an answer. A terror expert says, we should be screening
(00:39):
security screening at our regional airports and for regional flights.
Plus can the police implement the new Gang's Bill. We'll
look at that just before five thirty as well.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
The agenda.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
It is Wednesday, the fourth of September. Fifty one people
have died in the Ukrainian city of put Lava, one
of the deadliest russiattar since the start of the war.
Eighteen people are still reportedly trapped under rubble following the
missile strikes. The target was a military institute where Kiev
says cadets were training.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
The time range for the ballistic missiles to reach the
target was very short and the only way to intercept
them was to have a Patriot system or Sempty Air
defense system because they're the only one capable of intercepting
ballistic missiles.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
A Greek flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea is
still on fire almost two weeks after being attacked by
Hooti rebels. It's carrying about a million barrels of oil,
which if spelt, could cause an environmental disaster and be
one of the worst oil legs from a tanker. In
other news, twelve people have died asylum seekers after a
boat sank crossing the English Channel. Twenty one thousand people
(01:49):
make that journey each year, and we'll have Gavin Gray
on that just before six back here. A new study
from Otarga University has found evening screen use only begins
to impact sleep if it's done from bed, not in
the hours before that. The lead author, Dr Bradley Brosnan
says this goes against current guidelines and is recommending people
(02:12):
start to keep devices out of the bedroom.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
Just even being a bit more mindful. If you can't
put your devices away. How much time am I spending
on screens in the bed would be something to think about.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
The first word on the News of the Day early.
Speaker 6 (02:27):
Edition with Ryan Bridge and Smith City, New Zealand's furniture
beds at a play at store news talks.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
That'd be some good news this morning. On electricity, the
wholesale prices have plummeted the energy this is energy linked
data around three dollars twenty per megawatt hour. In mid August,
the average was eight hundred dollars per megawat hours. So
when I say the word plummet, I mean it. Lake
Pukhaki apparently is up a meter water levels, that is
(02:55):
on two weeks ago. This was always going to happen,
wasn't it. I mean, the experts told us that it
would eventually rain, all the snow would melt and we
would get out of this particular problem. But it will
happen again, and we've got no bridging finance. Really that's
the problem, you know. Unless Shane gets his wish and
they dig baby dig for some more coal, or we
(03:18):
have a gas an interim gas solution, the problem will
return next year. But it is good to see that,
at least in the immediate term. The wholesale prices have
gone down. Looking at the global dairy trade auction down
point four percent on a fortnight ago. You remember we
told you last time it was up five point five.
The most important numbers really for us are the whole
(03:40):
milk and whole milk powder was down two point five percent.
Skim milk powder was up four point five percent. It
is our largest export commodity, that's milk powder, largest export commodity,
worth ten billion dollars to our economy. We send most
of it to China. Weirdly. The second place was Algeria,
(04:01):
and they put it in their products and feed it
to their masses or send it around the world. It's
just gone ten minutes after five, Ryan Bridge, Now the phone.
Second bit of phone news for you this morning. This
is a new study of studies. Is one of those.
So sixty three studies from nineteen ninety four to twenty
twenty two have been analyzed by Australian researchers. Mobile phones
(04:24):
don't give you brain cancer. There you go in case
you were worried about that. This is from the Australian
Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency or ARPENZA. They've reviewed
studies and they say, irrespective of the time how long
you spend on calls, how many calls you make, irrespective
of how long you've had a phone for Why are
(04:46):
they so confident? Well, it's simple, really, mobile phone US
is skyrocketed, brain cancer hasn't. So I guess that figures,
doesn't it. The big question really is what about male
fertility when you put your phone in your pocket? That's
what they say, is your iPhone killing your swimmers? Eleven
(05:07):
after five.
Speaker 6 (05:16):
On your radio and online on iHeartRadio Early Edition with
Ryan Bridge and Smith City, New Zealand's Furniture Beds and
applying store news Talk zed B.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Good Morning. Fourteen after five nine two is the number
to text in a second. We're going to look at
that sas reporting to our terar threat in New Zealand.
But first, this Gang's Bill is expected to pass its
third reading this year. It'll come into force by November.
This is the search powers for police being able to
disperse gang members if they're congregating together, banning the gang patches,
(05:53):
all that stuff. Z B has obtained a police briefing
and they don't think they'll be ready in time to
actually implement the law. And there's a practical problem here.
I mean if you think about it, how if you
are in wide Or, for example, this is what the
Police Association says, if you're in wide Or and you've
got two cops and twenty gang members, how are you
going to tell them to take their patches off and
(06:13):
actually practically enforce the law. I suppose it's not a
reason not to do it, you know, And it's not
really if you think about it. This measure aimed at
policing gangs. I think probably more about society feeling like
we're fighting back against the crime that has been, you know,
skyrocketing over the last week while, so perhaps that's less important. Anyway.
(06:38):
It should be coming into force by November to go
one quarter past five. Cran Bridge, a terrorism expert, says
everybody boarding a plane in New Zealand, including regional flights,
should go through security screening. It comes after the release
of a new assessment of the country's security threat. This
is by the SIS the Security Intelligence Service. It says
there's a realistic possibility of a terrorist attack in New Zealand,
(07:02):
most likely a lone actor attack, but the terror threat
level hasn't changed. John Battersby is massive University Center for
Defense and Security studies expect with us this morning. John,
good morning, good morning, Thanks for being with me. How
you reckon the regional flights? It is always weird when
you go get on the plane and you haven't been screened.
(07:23):
Do you think it's time we look at that.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
Yeah, I think the Essays report hasn't really said anything
that's terribly different from the risk that has existed now
for let's say the last fifty years. Airports have been
a vulnerable point for quis some time now, and what
New Zealand needs to do is start to look at
(07:47):
where the opportunities could be taken by an individual perpetrator
wishing to do harm to a group of people. And
that's one area to me that seems an obvious point
at which we could just strengthen our security consciousness and
eliminate another option that would be there.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
What's the difference between a bus and a plane. I mean,
if you're thinking about a regional flight to Pame from Auckland,
for example, I don't know how many you'd have on there.
I do that flight quite often. You probably have twenty
thirty forty people on there. You know, what is the
difference between that and somebody getting a knife out on
a bus.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
Oh look, you're absolutely right. The risk that it's there
are with anywhere where there are people in a confined space,
that risk is there, and it overseas terrorist organizations have
used those options. They tend to use those options slightly
less than they're doing acraft for some reason. But yeah, no, look,
(08:47):
you're absolutely right, and you know, the realistic possibility idea
is it's there. It's not a high risk. It's not
like you know, it's going to happen tomorrow, and we
know that it's just a risk that's sitting there and
just a reminder for us to be a little bit
more security conscious about things. So yeah, look we can't
(09:09):
we can't change absolutely everything we do. We just got
a little more security conscious about how we do it.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I think what the report more generally talks about the
threat of radicalization of people here in New Zealand online
over issues like Palestine, and we've seen lots of protests
about that. Is that a big worry for you?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (09:28):
I don't think anything's a bit worry. It's it's just
a lacent risk that's sitting there all the time. As
if you look back across these industry sometimes these international
events do seep through interaction here. So yeah, where we
have a strongly emotive issue that can motivate people to
(09:48):
do something, there's always that elevated risk that something might occur.
Does it worry me a great deal?
Speaker 3 (09:54):
No?
Speaker 5 (09:54):
I think what worries me more is that the zenders
tend to not take these kinds of seriously and we
just need to wake up a little bit so to
the risk that is the that's only one to shoot,
there are the others.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
John, thank you very much for your time. John badisbey
Massi University's Center for Defense and Security Studies with us
talking about that report from the SAS yesterday. We don't
really take things too seriously, do we? And it is
nice getting on a regional flight. Oh that's right. I
don't have to go through security. I mean, it's all
rainbows and butterflies until someone takes the plane down. I suppose,
isn't it.
Speaker 6 (10:30):
News and Views you trust to start your day, It's
early edition with Ryan Bridge and Smith City, New Zealand's
Furniture Beds and a Flying Store.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
News Talk said, be.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Just gone twenty one minutes after five. We're going to
Gavin Gray over in the UK just after the five
point thirty news, I should say the large search and
rescue operation underway in the English channel. This is a
boat carrying migrants is capsized off the French coast. Twelve
people have died, there are two missing at the moment.
More than twenty thousand people make that journey every year,
(11:01):
so we'll talk to Gavin Gray about that, and just
to set well. Just after the news in the US
this morning, the slow down fears are creeping back. This
is a Wall Street Journal reports the worst day on
the Stock exchange since August fifth. Remember that was the
day of the panic attack, where all the traders went,
what's going to happen to the economy. We're worried about
a slowdown, So this is the latest shock. Is off
(11:22):
the back of manufacturing data which was showing contraction, and
the traders are sweating bullets because Friday night, our time
is when we get the monthly jobs report, which will
help inform the Federal Reserve decision on whether to cut
rates and if so, by how much. Which is happening
this month, So a bit jittery on Wall Street this morning.
Twenty two minutes after five really weird story about toilets
(11:47):
out of the whited upper, which we'll get to in
a second. The Twitter issue. So Brazil has banned x
largely over fake news stuff like that, and some Democrats
in the US now want it gone from the Land
of Three in the Home of the Brave, Yes, they
want to ban Twitter. Musk owns it. He's rich and
(12:07):
he's supporting a lot of conservatives, so perhaps that's why
they're doing it. I hate these platforms, so I'm not
gonna stand here and sort of espouse the virtues of them,
because I don't think there are many keyboard warriors, brain
rot etc. However, here are five reasons to not ban it. China, Iran,
North Korea, Russia and Venezuela. They are countries who have
(12:31):
banned it. Is that the kind of company you want
to keep? I wouldn't think so. Twenty three after five
the early.
Speaker 6 (12:38):
Edition Full The Show podcast on iHeartRadio powered by NEWSTALKSB.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Twenty five after five NEWSTALKSB. I have zero issues with
foreign visitors paying more to visit New Zealand. The tax
hike that is being touted is big, thirty five dollars
up to one hundred dollars per visitor that is substantial. Crucially, though,
our Aussie mates are execs and they make up forty
percent of our market, so that's a good chunk who
(13:04):
won't be contributing, so shouldn't be affected in terms of
numbers visiting us here. The impact overall impact still quite unclear.
The government, on one hand says they've got MB advice,
which is always good advice, saying that it won't be
a significant impact. The industry says, we will have forty
eight thousand fewer visitors coming here and they'll take their
(13:27):
almost three hundred million dollars spend elsewhere, thank you very much.
The industry says this is alarming. It's possible they're both
right here. The total tourist numbers visiting in the year
to June three point two million, so forty eight thousand
is both not significant if you're the government, but alarming
(13:48):
if you're the industry. The cold, hard reality is we're
not as hot as we used to be when it
comes to a New Zealand as a destination, not as sexy,
you could say, post COVID our recovery has story. I
think we're at about seventy three percent of pre COVID
levels in terms of visitors. Largely this is about costs,
not because our mountains are any less beautiful, our lakes
(14:09):
less attractive, Largely about the cost of getting here. But
those issues, you know, the plane supply, the roots, et cetera,
should subside. And when that happens, don't we want the
extra money to maintain our walking tracks and to give
the Germans somewhere to go to the loop? I would
have thought so. And if it's going to put anyone off,
wouldn't it be the low spending, high infrastructure, using smelly
(14:33):
backpacker variety of which I have been one, of which
I have been one. I'm not disparaging them. Well, I
suppose I am a little disparaging myself. But don't we
want sort of higher spending, higher yield tourists coming here
using less of the country and less of its resources
(14:55):
and infrastructure, but spending more. Nine n seven after five,
Ryan Bridge Karmala Harris. We've got some time here. So
Carmala Harris is being accused, and you can be the judge.
I'll play you the audio. But is being accused of
using accents wherever she goes. She's been at a Labor
Day rally in Detroit. This is a blue collar area,
(15:17):
union workers, auto workers, It's a battleground state, so crucial,
and the Republicans are saying, this is a woman who
grew up in Canada and California. Why is she talking
like this? Have listened to this what the Republicans are
calling a phony accent?
Speaker 3 (15:32):
You better thank a union member.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
One of five day walk we You better thank our
union member for sick leave.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
You better thank a.
Speaker 7 (15:44):
Union member for paid leave.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Yeah, ill better thank It's not the first time. Politicians
do this all the time, don't they, where they try
to appeal to whoever's in front of them. Remember Hillary Clinton,
She was on a black radio show, a breakfast radio show,
and they asked her what do you always have with
you on your person? And she said this, that's us.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Really yes, I want you to know.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
People are gonna see it and say, Okay, she's paying
her and to black people.
Speaker 8 (16:11):
Yeah, okay, is it working?
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Oh so cringe. Biden, less schmoozy, more aggressive in trying
to win the black vote. If you have a problem
figuring out whether you're PREMI or Trump and you ain't
black Trump, let's get to him. This is the doozy.
He said. This is just recently actually that his criminal
(16:37):
convictions enhanced his appeal to black voters.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
The black people are so much on my side now
because they see what's happening to me happens to them.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
I built a lot of buildings, and I want to
tell you a black worker is a great worker.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
You've done an incredible.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Job, right, Okay, let's move on from that. Twenty nine
minutes after five nine to ninety two is the number
to text. We're going to to Gavin Gray, our UK
europe correspondent just after the news at five point thirty.
We'll have our wrap from our reporters around the country,
plus we will speak to Intrepid Travel. They do lower
(17:12):
cost travel options. You could save four people coming to
New Zealand. Do they think it'll cost us tourists?
Speaker 6 (17:22):
Ryan Bridge New for twenty twenty four on early edition
with Smith City, New Zealand's furniture, beds and a playing store.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
News Talk Siddy, Good.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Morning, it is twenty four away from the sixth Wednesday,
the fourth of September. You're on news Talk, said b.
This is early edition on rhan Bridge. Great to be
with you this morning. We'll get to our reporters around
the country in just a second. Your feedback right now, though,
this is about the tourist tax going up from thirty
five bucks per person to one hundred.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Ryan.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
The tourist tax going up, my opinion is we will
end up with just wealthy people visiting. I would have
thought that was a good thing. Nothing wrong with the backpackers,
but they're not spending as much, and they are quite
high intensity on our resources and our national parks, et cetera. Ryan,
(18:23):
this extra tax on tourists is nothing apart from the
reporters digging deep for the negative here. It should be
seen as a positive. More money for upgraded tracks in
our conservation state, et cetera. Graham, I agree with you there.
Brad says, since July the Aussies tax us to visit,
so why let them off the hook when they come
here because this tax won't apply to the Aussies. Actually, Brad,
(18:46):
they did hike their tourist tax in July, but we
are exempt, so we exempt each other from the charges.
Twenty three away from six Ryan Bridge, and we're going
to have reporters. Jamie Cunningham is in dneed in this
wor Jamie, good morning. You've got an update. Actually we
mentioned this earlier, but for those who might have missed it.
Screen devices and what time we should be watching?
Speaker 9 (19:09):
Yeah, good morning. So we've found out that they may
not be impacting people in the same way as originally thought.
A new Otago University study looked at device use by
teenagers and found evening's screen use only begins to impact
sleep if it's done from bed and not the hours before.
Lead author doctor Bradley Brosnan. This goes against current sleep
(19:31):
hygiene guidelines. He sees basically, everyone uses screens before going
to bed and this is okay because their tests show
little effect. He sees the issue is about creating healthier
habits when in bed by removing screens for that period.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
All right, how's your weather in Dunedin today, Jamie.
Speaker 9 (19:50):
Well it's fine and there's a bit of high cloud
this afternoon and a high of fourteen.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Thank you. Claire Schubert is in christ Church this morning. Claire,
you guys gonna host the Calm Games?
Speaker 10 (20:00):
Well, put simply no, Ryan, that's the answer. The report
into the feasibility of christ Church hosting a comm Games
is back and it says we shouldn't be throwing any
more money at that idea. This comes after me fil
Major requested a report back in January on the viability
of hosting. Twenty thirty ten councilors voted in favor of
(20:20):
going ahead and doing this report. That report is now back.
News Talks Edb's.
Speaker 7 (20:25):
First to have it.
Speaker 10 (20:25):
It recommends that christ Church puts the brakes on the
idea of hosting stand alone. It does say that, you know,
maybe at such a time as a national bit is
put forward, then we join in. At that time, it
did consider the opportunities for christ Church if New Zealand
was to host, including things like return on investments, showcasing
the city, and benefits to our local clubs and organizations.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Right well, at least I've made a decision. I guess clear.
How's your weather today?
Speaker 10 (20:50):
Rain clearing this morning, should become a bit finer by afternoon.
Southwesterlies are high of thirteen.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Thank you, Max Toles and Wellington Max the Expressway Company.
Expressway get a bit quicker.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
That's right.
Speaker 8 (21:01):
Yeah, one hundred to one hundred and ten for about
twenty five kilometers of the State Highway from about the
Lomati interchange around pram To south of Ortaki. Transport Minister
Simeon Brown says nz TA consulted on this ninety three
percent of responses did want a faster speed. It'll be
in place by the end of November. Transmission Gully is
(21:22):
really the big one for the region that seems almost
destined to be one ten, but there are niggally reasons
why it can't be just yet. Specifically, parts of Transmission
Gully aren't technically finished and is the subject of a
dispute between nz TA and the builder. The Autachy to
north of Levin Motorway will have a one ten speed
limit once built, so it's gonna be pretty quick getting
(21:44):
up and down the coast soon.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Yeah, that transmission Gully gets quite steep there, doesn't it.
If you're going if you're going one hundred and ten,
you might actually take off, you know that's right.
Speaker 8 (21:53):
I think my car would just about blow up if
it tried to go one ten up that hill.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
What are you peckin? Max? What are you driving?
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Two?
Speaker 2 (22:00):
And Hondo Accord? Thank you Max? Very you're we with
it today? How's you wear that?
Speaker 3 (22:07):
It's not so exciting?
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Does a Honda Accord leg it does everything. Anything a
car do, it'll do it.
Speaker 8 (22:13):
Early showers, fairly clear this afternoon. Southerly's eleven, the high Central, brilliant.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Thank you nevers, giggling away and all goody.
Speaker 11 (22:19):
Now I'm laughing when Mix said about his Honda Accord,
because I'm drive in a Sentita, so mine would definitely
blow up. I wouldn't even reach a hundred of the gully.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Hey, I tell you who won't be driving in a Sanita,
and that is the Auckland Transport CEO, Dean Kimpton. What's
his celary?
Speaker 11 (22:34):
Well, he's been reappointed. He's going to keep his six
hundred and twenty thousand dollars salary plus plus a possible bonus.
Now this bonus is dependent on meeting the key performance indicators,
so it's up to fifteen percent. So as you can imagine,
this goes against me and Wayne Brown's wishes that no
CCO boss owns more than Auckland Council Chief Executive Phil Wilson.
(22:55):
So Richard Leggett, he's the at board chairs, he's not
given the size of the role. The boards deemed it
fair to give him the salary. So as you can imagine,
John Reeves. Who's the Public Transport Users Association guy.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
He's come out. He says, hey, hey, hey.
Speaker 11 (23:11):
Doesn't seem right during cost of living crisis rates rises,
He goes, I don't think people Aucklander's commuters will be
keen to be giving him a bit of a pay rise.
So this is back and forth, back and forth.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Yeah, the performance bonus thing, I kind of understand. I mean,
if he actually affects change and buses turn up on time, etc.
Then maybe that's a good way to incentivize him.
Speaker 11 (23:32):
That's right, you know, So let's see if he does that.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Let's see the weather today, nev We've got.
Speaker 11 (23:36):
Showers, some heavy thunderstorms, hail possible from afternoon. So yesterday
we had that high, beautiful spring weather of twenty one.
Today the southerlyes whipping in and the high sixty bit.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Cooler, bit cooler, thank you, and even eighteen minutes away
from six. She's off on her little teeter. She goes,
you're riving away, zipping away, eighteen minutes away from six
news talks. He'd been since nineteen eighteen. Smith City has
served communities throughout New Zealand with quality furniture, beds and
home appliances, all at great prices. Over one hundred years later,
(24:05):
the flagship store is still in its original location and
still one hundred percent New Zealand owned and operated, so
shopping with smith City supports chevy business. They boast eighteen
stores across the country, including the new Wido Park Outlet
store in Auckland which is open now. They stop everything
you need for your home, including beds, furniture appliances from
the world's leading brand Samsung, alg Bosh Fisher and pike
Ll Lazyboys, Sleepy Head, just to name a few. Don't
(24:28):
worry about getting the best deal. They've got you back
with a price promise which they'll match any competitors price,
so why would you shop anywhere else. They've also teamed
up with their mates at Air New Zealand to bring
you Airpoints to smith City so you can start making
plans for your next holiday and earn Airpoints dollars while
you shop. It is a win win. Smith City can
deliver anywhere in New Zealand. They've got finance options and
(24:48):
flexible payment options to suit any budget. Experience their legendary
in store service or shop online Smithcity dot co dot.
Speaker 6 (24:56):
NZ International correspondence with z Insurance for New Zealand Business.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Devin g At, UK europe correspondent, Live search and rescue
operation underwe in the English Channel. Devin, what's happened?
Speaker 12 (25:10):
Yeah, Ryan, I'm afraid another boat carrying migrants trying to
cross the English Channel to enter the UK illegally has capsized.
More than fifty people have been rescued, according to the
French Coastguard, but twelve people, including we now believe a
pregnant woman has died. This is the deadliest disaster this
year in the Channel. Indeed, some are suggesting it's probably
(25:31):
the biggest single fatality for several years within the Channel.
Downing Street here in the UK saying the news is
truly horrific. More than twenty thousand people have made the
crossing from France to the UK so far this year,
but the numbers of deaths has also risen significantly in
this last year alone, and they're saying that's because quite simply,
(25:53):
the people smugglers are getting more ruthless. They're using boats
that simply aren't capable of carrying people and certainly are
not seaworthy. Indeed, this boat was seven meters long, which
are sunk and it was overloaded with seventy people, and
quite simply, I'm afraid it seemed to go under. We
have had some windier rougher seas and I'm afraid it
(26:15):
just looks like this boat simply capsized.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Terrible. The former boss of Volkswagen has appeared in court.
This is the well huge scandal, but years and years
ago now taken a while to get to court.
Speaker 12 (26:27):
Yes, it sure has.
Speaker 10 (26:28):
So.
Speaker 12 (26:28):
Nine years after the cow maker was found to have
rigged the missions tests, the former boss of Volkswagen, Martin Vintercon,
chief executive company in twenty fifteen, is on trial. He
denies the charges. We've just had the first day of
the so called diesel Gate trial, and if found guilty,
the seventy seven year old could face up to ten
(26:49):
years in prison. Now you'll remember the diesel Gate scandal
erupted in September twenty fifteen, and that was because American
environmental protection agencies accused Volkswagen of installing illegal software on cars,
so called defeat devices. And what that member was software
within the car recognized that the vehicle was being tested
(27:10):
in a laboratory and managed to turn on emissions control
so that it would pass the tests. As soon as
it was outside the laboratory, it would turn them on
again in order to boost performance. And of course it
became a scandal which engulfed Audi, Porsche, Sayout and Scoda
as well as Volkswagen itself. And indeed the scandal is
(27:31):
said to cost more than fifty five billion New Zealand
dollars in fines to Volkswagen.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Kevin, thank you for that, Kevin Gray, UK europe correspondent.
I did notice, actually that Volkswagen is going to be
closing one of its factories in Germany. We might ask
motoring expert Mike Hosking about it. Shortly just gone to
living away from six Bryan Bridge, right. The tourist debate.
It's raging this morning over how many tourists this new
(27:59):
text hike will turn off a visit to Middle Earth.
The international tourist levy is currently thirty five dollars, but
from the start of next month it'll cost visitors arriving
here one hundred dollars. The tourism industry says forty eight
thousand fewer tourists will come here as a result, and
they spend almost three hundred million dollars So who's right
(28:20):
who's wrong? Eve Lawrence is with Intrepid Travel New Zealand. Eve,
good morning, Good morning. Do you who do you think
is right here? Do you think, you know, the numbers
being banded about are possible that we could lose fifty
thousand tourists a year?
Speaker 7 (28:35):
Yeah, I absolutely do. I think New Zealand is losing
competitiveness in the tourism landscape and I think it's absolutely
possible we could lose a lot of revenue to New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
What types of tourists would be affected most? Do you think?
Speaker 7 (28:49):
Well, when you think about the recent increases in visa fees,
we're talking about the Asian market as well. Here, if
you look at a family of four coming over to
New Zealand from China, that already now going to be
looking at around two thousand dollars just to choose New
Zealand as a holiday destination, and that's before they even
think about booking flights or coming here and paying for
on ground services.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Is that two thousand extra on top of what they
were paying because of recent heights or that's two thousand total,
that's two thousand total.
Speaker 7 (29:19):
So the visa fees of doubled and the IVL has
now increased by one hundred and eighty five percent.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
How does that compare to similar markets that they might
otherwise go to. I saw Australia put their livy up,
albeit only ten bucks in July.
Speaker 7 (29:33):
Yeah, they absolutely did. But the reality is we are
still lagging far behind a lot of other nations in
terms of our recovery from pre COVID. We're only sitting
at eighty percent visitation of pre COVID numbers, whereas Australia
are going to recover to one hundred percent in a
round about the next three months. We're lagging behind in
air connectivity and we're also lagging behind now on price.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
So would you argue now's not the right time. Do
you can see that we do need at some point
to increase this levy because it pays for the upkeep
of our national parks, et cetera.
Speaker 7 (30:05):
Yeah, one hundred percent. But that's also something that hasn't
been given to us or hasn't been discussed, is what
this funding mechanism is actually going to be going towards
and how it's going to be distributed. So we need
to understand what's going to go towards tourism and what's
going to be pushed towards conservation.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
I've seen fifty to fifty split.
Speaker 7 (30:24):
Yeah, but who's that going to go to and how's
that going to be distributed? And of course we support
an increase, but a three week window in order for
us to push this out to travel agent market is
not long enough. So October twenty twenty five would have
been a more reasonable timeframe.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Actually, I suppose people have already booked. Well, if you've
already booked, whatuld you have already paid and therefore you
wouldn't be affected from next month?
Speaker 5 (30:49):
But who knows?
Speaker 7 (30:50):
I think is it for new applications or are people
that have already submitted then their ETA going to be
expected to increase their fee if they arrive after the
first of October.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
It's a good question, you see, couldn't Eve thank you
for that, Eve Lawrence, Intrepid Travel, New Zealand. It is
eight minutes away from six nine to nine two the
number to text. Ryan. Backpackers spend a lot, particularly in
our regions, so let's not discount them. They are important
labor source for us as well. Ryan next one hundred
dollars to visit here is nothing. We need quality big spenders,
(31:21):
not quantity who are here on the cheap causing problems.
That's from Polly eight to six.
Speaker 6 (31:28):
The News you Need this morning and the in depth
analysis early edition with Ryan Bridge and Smith City, New
Zealand's furniture beds and a playing store News Talk.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Sai'd be five to six, Peter says Ryan. The cost
to come to New Zealand is far larger than Australia
and Canada, et cetera. We need our fees to be
cheaper than theirs. Mike Hosking is here next. Hey Mike.
Speaker 13 (31:49):
I'm in a real quandary over it, because in theory
I would argue it's bollocks. One hundred dollars is fifty pounds,
it's sixty US dollars, it's nothing. But all the people
I've talked to in the industry argue against it. Where
they've been hoisted. I suspect is that when Doucy yesterday
said ninety three percent or whatever the number was, said
(32:09):
they want an increase. So the consultation was do you
want an increase? Most people actually said yes. Where it's
fallen apart is the increases to one hundred dollars. Most
people said make it fifty or whatever, but they all
say it is material. But then again, you go back
to your question. If one hundred dollars as you hurdle,
fifty pounds as you hurdle, sixty bucks as you hurdle,
do you really want those people in the country If
(32:29):
suddenly you're going sixty US dollars, Oh my god, I
don't know if I'm.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Going to go to New Zealand. How t A.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
It's mainly backpackers. Were you ever backpacked? I was wondering
that before, because a ridiculous question. Do I look like
I've ever backed?
Speaker 3 (32:42):
No?
Speaker 2 (32:42):
But do we young?
Speaker 13 (32:43):
I own a backpack?
Speaker 2 (32:44):
You were young? Once? I thought, well, then when I
was young, I looked like this, and that's very sad.
Speaker 13 (32:53):
And get this, of course it's sad, but it didn't
mean a backpacked And so that that's not not against backpackers.
But at the end of day, the end of the day,
I mean, so I can't with the real issue is
the fundamental issue, which is the people have not come
back to this country. We're at eighty percent of where
we were, and I think we killed our reputation when
we closed the borders and was so slow.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
We're not as sexy now, and it's expensive to get here,
it is, and you've got plane supply issues, and you've
got root issues, and we're stuck.
Speaker 13 (33:21):
We're stuck a bit at the bottom of the world.
And we shouldn't be arguing about one hundred dollars. Really,
we got bigger fish to for I agree, so to speak.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
All right, well, you'll be doing lots on that this morning.
I'm sure MIKE'SI the next I will see you tomorrow.
Thank you for listening three to six.
Speaker 6 (33:44):
For more from News Talks B listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on IR Radio
The issues, the interviews and the inside Ryan Bridge new
for twenty twenty four on an early edition with Smith City,
New Zealand's furniture vans and a play at store news talks,
he'd be.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Good morning, it is six after five news. Excuse me,
Newstalks said, be well, it was a great start. The
terrorist tax. Is it going to cost us more than
we actually gain from it? We'll look at that just
before six this morning. Is your phone giving you brain cancer?
We've all wondered it. A new study is definitive on
an answer. A terror expert says, we should be screening
(00:39):
security screening at our regional airports and for regional flights.
Plus can the police implement the new Gang's Bill. We'll
look at that just before five thirty as well.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
The agenda.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
It is Wednesday, the fourth of September. Fifty one people
have died in the Ukrainian city of put Lava, one
of the deadliest russiattar since the start of the war.
Eighteen people are still reportedly trapped under rubble following the
missile strikes. The target was a military institute where Kiev
says cadets were training.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
The time range for the ballistic missiles to reach the
target was very short and the only way to intercept
them was to have a Patriot system or Sempty Air
defense system because they're the only one capable of intercepting
ballistic missiles.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
A Greek flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea is
still on fire almost two weeks after being attacked by
Hooti rebels. It's carrying about a million barrels of oil,
which if spelt, could cause an environmental disaster and be
one of the worst oil legs from a tanker. In
other news, twelve people have died asylum seekers after a
boat sank crossing the English Channel. Twenty one thousand people
(01:49):
make that journey each year, and we'll have Gavin Gray
on that just before six back here. A new study
from Otarga University has found evening screen use only begins
to impact sleep if it's done from bed, not in
the hours before that. The lead author, Dr Bradley Brosnan
says this goes against current guidelines and is recommending people
(02:12):
start to keep devices out of the bedroom.
Speaker 5 (02:14):
Just even being a bit more mindful. If you can't
put your devices away. How much time am I spending
on screens in the bed would be something to think about.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
The first word on the News of the Day early.
Speaker 6 (02:27):
Edition with Ryan Bridge and Smith City, New Zealand's furniture
beds at a play at store news talks.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
That'd be some good news this morning. On electricity, the
wholesale prices have plummeted the energy this is energy linked
data around three dollars twenty per megawatt hour. In mid August,
the average was eight hundred dollars per megawat hours. So
when I say the word plummet, I mean it. Lake
Pukhaki apparently is up a meter water levels, that is
(02:55):
on two weeks ago. This was always going to happen,
wasn't it. I mean, the experts told us that it
would eventually rain, all the snow would melt and we
would get out of this particular problem. But it will
happen again, and we've got no bridging finance. Really that's
the problem, you know. Unless Shane gets his wish and
they dig baby dig for some more coal, or we
(03:18):
have a gas an interim gas solution, the problem will
return next year. But it is good to see that,
at least in the immediate term. The wholesale prices have
gone down. Looking at the global dairy trade auction down
point four percent on a fortnight ago. You remember we
told you last time it was up five point five.
The most important numbers really for us are the whole
(03:40):
milk and whole milk powder was down two point five percent.
Skim milk powder was up four point five percent. It
is our largest export commodity, that's milk powder, largest export commodity,
worth ten billion dollars to our economy. We send most
of it to China. Weirdly. The second place was Algeria,
(04:01):
and they put it in their products and feed it
to their masses or send it around the world. It's
just gone ten minutes after five, Ryan Bridge, Now the phone.
Second bit of phone news for you this morning. This
is a new study of studies. Is one of those.
So sixty three studies from nineteen ninety four to twenty
twenty two have been analyzed by Australian researchers. Mobile phones
(04:24):
don't give you brain cancer. There you go in case
you were worried about that. This is from the Australian
Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency or ARPENZA. They've reviewed
studies and they say, irrespective of the time how long
you spend on calls, how many calls you make, irrespective
of how long you've had a phone for Why are
(04:46):
they so confident? Well, it's simple, really, mobile phone US
is skyrocketed, brain cancer hasn't. So I guess that figures,
doesn't it. The big question really is what about male
fertility when you put your phone in your pocket? That's
what they say, is your iPhone killing your swimmers? Eleven
(05:07):
after five.
Speaker 6 (05:16):
On your radio and online on iHeartRadio Early Edition with
Ryan Bridge and Smith City, New Zealand's Furniture Beds and
applying store news Talk zed B.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Good Morning. Fourteen after five nine two is the number
to text in a second. We're going to look at
that sas reporting to our terar threat in New Zealand.
But first, this Gang's Bill is expected to pass its
third reading this year. It'll come into force by November.
This is the search powers for police being able to
disperse gang members if they're congregating together, banning the gang patches,
(05:53):
all that stuff. Z B has obtained a police briefing
and they don't think they'll be ready in time to
actually implement the law. And there's a practical problem here.
I mean if you think about it, how if you
are in wide Or, for example, this is what the
Police Association says, if you're in wide Or and you've
got two cops and twenty gang members, how are you
going to tell them to take their patches off and
(06:13):
actually practically enforce the law. I suppose it's not a
reason not to do it, you know, And it's not
really if you think about it. This measure aimed at
policing gangs. I think probably more about society feeling like
we're fighting back against the crime that has been, you know,
skyrocketing over the last week while, so perhaps that's less important. Anyway.
(06:38):
It should be coming into force by November to go
one quarter past five. Cran Bridge, a terrorism expert, says
everybody boarding a plane in New Zealand, including regional flights,
should go through security screening. It comes after the release
of a new assessment of the country's security threat. This
is by the SIS the Security Intelligence Service. It says
there's a realistic possibility of a terrorist attack in New Zealand,
(07:02):
most likely a lone actor attack, but the terror threat
level hasn't changed. John Battersby is massive University Center for
Defense and Security studies expect with us this morning. John,
good morning, good morning, Thanks for being with me. How
you reckon the regional flights? It is always weird when
you go get on the plane and you haven't been screened.
(07:23):
Do you think it's time we look at that.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
Yeah, I think the Essays report hasn't really said anything
that's terribly different from the risk that has existed now
for let's say the last fifty years. Airports have been
a vulnerable point for quis some time now, and what
New Zealand needs to do is start to look at
(07:47):
where the opportunities could be taken by an individual perpetrator
wishing to do harm to a group of people. And
that's one area to me that seems an obvious point
at which we could just strengthen our security consciousness and
eliminate another option that would be there.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
What's the difference between a bus and a plane. I mean,
if you're thinking about a regional flight to Pame from Auckland,
for example, I don't know how many you'd have on there.
I do that flight quite often. You probably have twenty
thirty forty people on there. You know, what is the
difference between that and somebody getting a knife out on
a bus.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
Oh look, you're absolutely right. The risk that it's there
are with anywhere where there are people in a confined space,
that risk is there, and it overseas terrorist organizations have
used those options. They tend to use those options slightly
less than they're doing acraft for some reason. But yeah, no, look,
(08:47):
you're absolutely right, and you know, the realistic possibility idea
is it's there. It's not a high risk. It's not
like you know, it's going to happen tomorrow, and we
know that it's just a risk that's sitting there and
just a reminder for us to be a little bit
more security conscious about things. So yeah, look we can't
(09:09):
we can't change absolutely everything we do. We just got
a little more security conscious about how we do it.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I think what the report more generally talks about the
threat of radicalization of people here in New Zealand online
over issues like Palestine, and we've seen lots of protests
about that. Is that a big worry for you?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (09:28):
I don't think anything's a bit worry. It's it's just
a lacent risk that's sitting there all the time. As
if you look back across these industry sometimes these international
events do seep through interaction here. So yeah, where we
have a strongly emotive issue that can motivate people to
(09:48):
do something, there's always that elevated risk that something might occur.
Does it worry me a great deal?
Speaker 3 (09:54):
No?
Speaker 5 (09:54):
I think what worries me more is that the zenders
tend to not take these kinds of seriously and we
just need to wake up a little bit so to
the risk that is the that's only one to shoot,
there are the others.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
John, thank you very much for your time. John badisbey
Massi University's Center for Defense and Security Studies with us
talking about that report from the SAS yesterday. We don't
really take things too seriously, do we? And it is
nice getting on a regional flight. Oh that's right. I
don't have to go through security. I mean, it's all
rainbows and butterflies until someone takes the plane down. I suppose,
isn't it.
Speaker 6 (10:30):
News and Views you trust to start your day, It's
early edition with Ryan Bridge and Smith City, New Zealand's
Furniture Beds and a Flying Store.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
News Talk said, be.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Just gone twenty one minutes after five. We're going to
Gavin Gray over in the UK just after the five
point thirty news, I should say the large search and
rescue operation underway in the English channel. This is a
boat carrying migrants is capsized off the French coast. Twelve
people have died, there are two missing at the moment.
More than twenty thousand people make that journey every year,
(11:01):
so we'll talk to Gavin Gray about that, and just
to set well. Just after the news in the US
this morning, the slow down fears are creeping back. This
is a Wall Street Journal reports the worst day on
the Stock exchange since August fifth. Remember that was the
day of the panic attack, where all the traders went,
what's going to happen to the economy. We're worried about
a slowdown, So this is the latest shock. Is off
(11:22):
the back of manufacturing data which was showing contraction, and
the traders are sweating bullets because Friday night, our time
is when we get the monthly jobs report, which will
help inform the Federal Reserve decision on whether to cut
rates and if so, by how much. Which is happening
this month, So a bit jittery on Wall Street this morning.
Twenty two minutes after five really weird story about toilets
(11:47):
out of the whited upper, which we'll get to in
a second. The Twitter issue. So Brazil has banned x
largely over fake news stuff like that, and some Democrats
in the US now want it gone from the Land
of Three in the Home of the Brave, Yes, they
want to ban Twitter. Musk owns it. He's rich and
(12:07):
he's supporting a lot of conservatives, so perhaps that's why
they're doing it. I hate these platforms, so I'm not
gonna stand here and sort of espouse the virtues of them,
because I don't think there are many keyboard warriors, brain
rot etc. However, here are five reasons to not ban it. China, Iran,
North Korea, Russia and Venezuela. They are countries who have
(12:31):
banned it. Is that the kind of company you want
to keep? I wouldn't think so. Twenty three after five
the early.
Speaker 6 (12:38):
Edition Full The Show podcast on iHeartRadio powered by NEWSTALKSB.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Twenty five after five NEWSTALKSB. I have zero issues with
foreign visitors paying more to visit New Zealand. The tax
hike that is being touted is big, thirty five dollars
up to one hundred dollars per visitor that is substantial. Crucially, though,
our Aussie mates are execs and they make up forty
percent of our market, so that's a good chunk who
(13:04):
won't be contributing, so shouldn't be affected in terms of
numbers visiting us here. The impact overall impact still quite unclear.
The government, on one hand says they've got MB advice,
which is always good advice, saying that it won't be
a significant impact. The industry says, we will have forty
eight thousand fewer visitors coming here and they'll take their
(13:27):
almost three hundred million dollars spend elsewhere, thank you very much.
The industry says this is alarming. It's possible they're both
right here. The total tourist numbers visiting in the year
to June three point two million, so forty eight thousand
is both not significant if you're the government, but alarming
(13:48):
if you're the industry. The cold, hard reality is we're
not as hot as we used to be when it
comes to a New Zealand as a destination, not as sexy,
you could say, post COVID our recovery has story. I
think we're at about seventy three percent of pre COVID
levels in terms of visitors. Largely this is about costs,
not because our mountains are any less beautiful, our lakes
(14:09):
less attractive, Largely about the cost of getting here. But
those issues, you know, the plane supply, the roots, et cetera,
should subside. And when that happens, don't we want the
extra money to maintain our walking tracks and to give
the Germans somewhere to go to the loop? I would
have thought so. And if it's going to put anyone off,
wouldn't it be the low spending, high infrastructure, using smelly
(14:33):
backpacker variety of which I have been one, of which
I have been one. I'm not disparaging them. Well, I
suppose I am a little disparaging myself. But don't we
want sort of higher spending, higher yield tourists coming here
using less of the country and less of its resources
(14:55):
and infrastructure, but spending more. Nine n seven after five,
Ryan Bridge Karmala Harris. We've got some time here. So
Carmala Harris is being accused, and you can be the judge.
I'll play you the audio. But is being accused of
using accents wherever she goes. She's been at a Labor
Day rally in Detroit. This is a blue collar area,
(15:17):
union workers, auto workers, It's a battleground state, so crucial,
and the Republicans are saying, this is a woman who
grew up in Canada and California. Why is she talking
like this? Have listened to this what the Republicans are
calling a phony accent?
Speaker 3 (15:32):
You better thank a union member.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
One of five day walk we You better thank our
union member for sick leave.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
You better thank a.
Speaker 7 (15:44):
Union member for paid leave.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Yeah, ill better thank It's not the first time. Politicians
do this all the time, don't they, where they try
to appeal to whoever's in front of them. Remember Hillary Clinton,
She was on a black radio show, a breakfast radio show,
and they asked her what do you always have with
you on your person? And she said this, that's us.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Really yes, I want you to know.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
People are gonna see it and say, Okay, she's paying
her and to black people.
Speaker 8 (16:11):
Yeah, okay, is it working?
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Oh so cringe. Biden, less schmoozy, more aggressive in trying
to win the black vote. If you have a problem
figuring out whether you're PREMI or Trump and you ain't
black Trump, let's get to him. This is the doozy.
He said. This is just recently actually that his criminal
(16:37):
convictions enhanced his appeal to black voters.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
The black people are so much on my side now
because they see what's happening to me happens to them.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
I built a lot of buildings, and I want to
tell you a black worker is a great worker.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
You've done an incredible.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Job, right, Okay, let's move on from that. Twenty nine
minutes after five nine to ninety two is the number
to text. We're going to to Gavin Gray, our UK
europe correspondent just after the news at five point thirty.
We'll have our wrap from our reporters around the country,
plus we will speak to Intrepid Travel. They do lower
(17:12):
cost travel options. You could save four people coming to
New Zealand. Do they think it'll cost us tourists?
Speaker 6 (17:22):
Ryan Bridge New for twenty twenty four on early edition
with Smith City, New Zealand's furniture, beds and a playing store.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
News Talk Siddy, Good.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Morning, it is twenty four away from the sixth Wednesday,
the fourth of September. You're on news Talk, said b.
This is early edition on rhan Bridge. Great to be
with you this morning. We'll get to our reporters around
the country in just a second. Your feedback right now, though,
this is about the tourist tax going up from thirty
five bucks per person to one hundred.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Ryan.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
The tourist tax going up, my opinion is we will
end up with just wealthy people visiting. I would have
thought that was a good thing. Nothing wrong with the backpackers,
but they're not spending as much, and they are quite
high intensity on our resources and our national parks, et cetera. Ryan,
(18:23):
this extra tax on tourists is nothing apart from the
reporters digging deep for the negative here. It should be
seen as a positive. More money for upgraded tracks in
our conservation state, et cetera. Graham, I agree with you there.
Brad says, since July the Aussies tax us to visit,
so why let them off the hook when they come
here because this tax won't apply to the Aussies. Actually, Brad,
(18:46):
they did hike their tourist tax in July, but we
are exempt, so we exempt each other from the charges.
Twenty three away from six Ryan Bridge, and we're going
to have reporters. Jamie Cunningham is in dneed in this
wor Jamie, good morning. You've got an update. Actually we
mentioned this earlier, but for those who might have missed it.
Screen devices and what time we should be watching?
Speaker 9 (19:09):
Yeah, good morning. So we've found out that they may
not be impacting people in the same way as originally thought.
A new Otago University study looked at device use by
teenagers and found evening's screen use only begins to impact
sleep if it's done from bed and not the hours before.
Lead author doctor Bradley Brosnan. This goes against current sleep
(19:31):
hygiene guidelines. He sees basically, everyone uses screens before going
to bed and this is okay because their tests show
little effect. He sees the issue is about creating healthier
habits when in bed by removing screens for that period.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
All right, how's your weather in Dunedin today, Jamie.
Speaker 9 (19:50):
Well it's fine and there's a bit of high cloud
this afternoon and a high of fourteen.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Thank you. Claire Schubert is in christ Church this morning. Claire,
you guys gonna host the Calm Games?
Speaker 10 (20:00):
Well, put simply no, Ryan, that's the answer. The report
into the feasibility of christ Church hosting a comm Games
is back and it says we shouldn't be throwing any
more money at that idea. This comes after me fil
Major requested a report back in January on the viability
of hosting. Twenty thirty ten councilors voted in favor of
(20:20):
going ahead and doing this report. That report is now back.
News Talks Edb's.
Speaker 7 (20:25):
First to have it.
Speaker 10 (20:25):
It recommends that christ Church puts the brakes on the
idea of hosting stand alone. It does say that, you know,
maybe at such a time as a national bit is
put forward, then we join in. At that time, it
did consider the opportunities for christ Church if New Zealand
was to host, including things like return on investments, showcasing
the city, and benefits to our local clubs and organizations.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
Right well, at least I've made a decision. I guess clear.
How's your weather today?
Speaker 10 (20:50):
Rain clearing this morning, should become a bit finer by afternoon.
Southwesterlies are high of thirteen.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Thank you, Max Toles and Wellington Max the Expressway Company.
Expressway get a bit quicker.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
That's right.
Speaker 8 (21:01):
Yeah, one hundred to one hundred and ten for about
twenty five kilometers of the State Highway from about the
Lomati interchange around pram To south of Ortaki. Transport Minister
Simeon Brown says nz TA consulted on this ninety three
percent of responses did want a faster speed. It'll be
in place by the end of November. Transmission Gully is
(21:22):
really the big one for the region that seems almost
destined to be one ten, but there are niggally reasons
why it can't be just yet. Specifically, parts of Transmission
Gully aren't technically finished and is the subject of a
dispute between nz TA and the builder. The Autachy to
north of Levin Motorway will have a one ten speed
limit once built, so it's gonna be pretty quick getting
(21:44):
up and down the coast soon.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Yeah, that transmission Gully gets quite steep there, doesn't it.
If you're going if you're going one hundred and ten,
you might actually take off, you know that's right.
Speaker 8 (21:53):
I think my car would just about blow up if
it tried to go one ten up that hill.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
What are you peckin? Max? What are you driving?
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Two?
Speaker 2 (22:00):
And Hondo Accord? Thank you Max? Very you're we with
it today? How's you wear that?
Speaker 3 (22:07):
It's not so exciting?
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Does a Honda Accord leg it does everything. Anything a
car do, it'll do it.
Speaker 8 (22:13):
Early showers, fairly clear this afternoon. Southerly's eleven, the high Central, brilliant.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Thank you nevers, giggling away and all goody.
Speaker 11 (22:19):
Now I'm laughing when Mix said about his Honda Accord,
because I'm drive in a Sentita, so mine would definitely
blow up. I wouldn't even reach a hundred of the gully.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Hey, I tell you who won't be driving in a Sanita,
and that is the Auckland Transport CEO, Dean Kimpton. What's
his celary?
Speaker 11 (22:34):
Well, he's been reappointed. He's going to keep his six
hundred and twenty thousand dollars salary plus plus a possible bonus.
Now this bonus is dependent on meeting the key performance indicators,
so it's up to fifteen percent. So as you can imagine,
this goes against me and Wayne Brown's wishes that no
CCO boss owns more than Auckland Council Chief Executive Phil Wilson.
(22:55):
So Richard Leggett, he's the at board chairs, he's not
given the size of the role. The boards deemed it
fair to give him the salary. So as you can imagine,
John Reeves. Who's the Public Transport Users Association guy.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
He's come out. He says, hey, hey, hey.
Speaker 11 (23:11):
Doesn't seem right during cost of living crisis rates rises,
He goes, I don't think people Aucklander's commuters will be
keen to be giving him a bit of a pay rise.
So this is back and forth, back and forth.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Yeah, the performance bonus thing, I kind of understand. I mean,
if he actually affects change and buses turn up on time, etc.
Then maybe that's a good way to incentivize him.
Speaker 11 (23:32):
That's right, you know, So let's see if he does that.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Let's see the weather today, nev We've got.
Speaker 11 (23:36):
Showers, some heavy thunderstorms, hail possible from afternoon. So yesterday
we had that high, beautiful spring weather of twenty one.
Today the southerlyes whipping in and the high sixty bit.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Cooler, bit cooler, thank you, and even eighteen minutes away
from six. She's off on her little teeter. She goes,
you're riving away, zipping away, eighteen minutes away from six
news talks. He'd been since nineteen eighteen. Smith City has
served communities throughout New Zealand with quality furniture, beds and
home appliances, all at great prices. Over one hundred years later,
(24:05):
the flagship store is still in its original location and
still one hundred percent New Zealand owned and operated, so
shopping with smith City supports chevy business. They boast eighteen
stores across the country, including the new Wido Park Outlet
store in Auckland which is open now. They stop everything
you need for your home, including beds, furniture appliances from
the world's leading brand Samsung, alg Bosh Fisher and pike
Ll Lazyboys, Sleepy Head, just to name a few. Don't
(24:28):
worry about getting the best deal. They've got you back
with a price promise which they'll match any competitors price,
so why would you shop anywhere else. They've also teamed
up with their mates at Air New Zealand to bring
you Airpoints to smith City so you can start making
plans for your next holiday and earn Airpoints dollars while
you shop. It is a win win. Smith City can
deliver anywhere in New Zealand. They've got finance options and
(24:48):
flexible payment options to suit any budget. Experience their legendary
in store service or shop online Smithcity dot co dot.
Speaker 6 (24:56):
NZ International correspondence with z Insurance for New Zealand Business.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Devin g At, UK europe correspondent, Live search and rescue
operation underwe in the English Channel. Devin, what's happened?
Speaker 12 (25:10):
Yeah, Ryan, I'm afraid another boat carrying migrants trying to
cross the English Channel to enter the UK illegally has capsized.
More than fifty people have been rescued, according to the
French Coastguard, but twelve people, including we now believe a
pregnant woman has died. This is the deadliest disaster this
year in the Channel. Indeed, some are suggesting it's probably
(25:31):
the biggest single fatality for several years within the Channel.
Downing Street here in the UK saying the news is
truly horrific. More than twenty thousand people have made the
crossing from France to the UK so far this year,
but the numbers of deaths has also risen significantly in
this last year alone, and they're saying that's because quite simply,
(25:53):
the people smugglers are getting more ruthless. They're using boats
that simply aren't capable of carrying people and certainly are
not seaworthy. Indeed, this boat was seven meters long, which
are sunk and it was overloaded with seventy people, and
quite simply, I'm afraid it seemed to go under. We
have had some windier rougher seas and I'm afraid it
(26:15):
just looks like this boat simply capsized.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Terrible. The former boss of Volkswagen has appeared in court.
This is the well huge scandal, but years and years
ago now taken a while to get to court.
Speaker 12 (26:27):
Yes, it sure has.
Speaker 10 (26:28):
So.
Speaker 12 (26:28):
Nine years after the cow maker was found to have
rigged the missions tests, the former boss of Volkswagen, Martin Vintercon,
chief executive company in twenty fifteen, is on trial. He
denies the charges. We've just had the first day of
the so called diesel Gate trial, and if found guilty,
the seventy seven year old could face up to ten
(26:49):
years in prison. Now you'll remember the diesel Gate scandal
erupted in September twenty fifteen, and that was because American
environmental protection agencies accused Volkswagen of installing illegal software on cars,
so called defeat devices. And what that member was software
within the car recognized that the vehicle was being tested
(27:10):
in a laboratory and managed to turn on emissions control
so that it would pass the tests. As soon as
it was outside the laboratory, it would turn them on
again in order to boost performance. And of course it
became a scandal which engulfed Audi, Porsche, Sayout and Scoda
as well as Volkswagen itself. And indeed the scandal is
(27:31):
said to cost more than fifty five billion New Zealand
dollars in fines to Volkswagen.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Kevin, thank you for that, Kevin Gray, UK europe correspondent.
I did notice, actually that Volkswagen is going to be
closing one of its factories in Germany. We might ask
motoring expert Mike Hosking about it. Shortly just gone to
living away from six Bryan Bridge, right. The tourist debate.
It's raging this morning over how many tourists this new
(27:59):
text hike will turn off a visit to Middle Earth.
The international tourist levy is currently thirty five dollars, but
from the start of next month it'll cost visitors arriving
here one hundred dollars. The tourism industry says forty eight
thousand fewer tourists will come here as a result, and
they spend almost three hundred million dollars So who's right
(28:20):
who's wrong? Eve Lawrence is with Intrepid Travel New Zealand. Eve,
good morning, Good morning. Do you who do you think
is right here? Do you think, you know, the numbers
being banded about are possible that we could lose fifty
thousand tourists a year?
Speaker 7 (28:35):
Yeah, I absolutely do. I think New Zealand is losing
competitiveness in the tourism landscape and I think it's absolutely
possible we could lose a lot of revenue to New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
What types of tourists would be affected most? Do you think?
Speaker 7 (28:49):
Well, when you think about the recent increases in visa fees,
we're talking about the Asian market as well. Here, if
you look at a family of four coming over to
New Zealand from China, that already now going to be
looking at around two thousand dollars just to choose New
Zealand as a holiday destination, and that's before they even
think about booking flights or coming here and paying for
on ground services.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
Is that two thousand extra on top of what they
were paying because of recent heights or that's two thousand total,
that's two thousand total.
Speaker 7 (29:19):
So the visa fees of doubled and the IVL has
now increased by one hundred and eighty five percent.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
How does that compare to similar markets that they might
otherwise go to. I saw Australia put their livy up,
albeit only ten bucks in July.
Speaker 7 (29:33):
Yeah, they absolutely did. But the reality is we are
still lagging far behind a lot of other nations in
terms of our recovery from pre COVID. We're only sitting
at eighty percent visitation of pre COVID numbers, whereas Australia
are going to recover to one hundred percent in a
round about the next three months. We're lagging behind in
air connectivity and we're also lagging behind now on price.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
So would you argue now's not the right time. Do
you can see that we do need at some point
to increase this levy because it pays for the upkeep
of our national parks, et cetera.
Speaker 7 (30:05):
Yeah, one hundred percent. But that's also something that hasn't
been given to us or hasn't been discussed, is what
this funding mechanism is actually going to be going towards
and how it's going to be distributed. So we need
to understand what's going to go towards tourism and what's
going to be pushed towards conservation.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
I've seen fifty to fifty split.
Speaker 7 (30:24):
Yeah, but who's that going to go to and how's
that going to be distributed? And of course we support
an increase, but a three week window in order for
us to push this out to travel agent market is
not long enough. So October twenty twenty five would have
been a more reasonable timeframe.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Actually, I suppose people have already booked. Well, if you've
already booked, whatuld you have already paid and therefore you
wouldn't be affected from next month?
Speaker 5 (30:49):
But who knows?
Speaker 7 (30:50):
I think is it for new applications or are people
that have already submitted then their ETA going to be
expected to increase their fee if they arrive after the
first of October.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
It's a good question, you see, couldn't Eve thank you
for that, Eve Lawrence, Intrepid Travel, New Zealand. It is
eight minutes away from six nine to nine two the
number to text. Ryan. Backpackers spend a lot, particularly in
our regions, so let's not discount them. They are important
labor source for us as well. Ryan next one hundred
dollars to visit here is nothing. We need quality big spenders,
(31:21):
not quantity who are here on the cheap causing problems.
That's from Polly eight to six.
Speaker 6 (31:28):
The News you Need this morning and the in depth
analysis early edition with Ryan Bridge and Smith City, New
Zealand's furniture beds and a playing store News Talk.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Sai'd be five to six, Peter says Ryan. The cost
to come to New Zealand is far larger than Australia
and Canada, et cetera. We need our fees to be
cheaper than theirs. Mike Hosking is here next. Hey Mike.
Speaker 13 (31:49):
I'm in a real quandary over it, because in theory
I would argue it's bollocks. One hundred dollars is fifty pounds,
it's sixty US dollars, it's nothing. But all the people
I've talked to in the industry argue against it. Where
they've been hoisted. I suspect is that when Doucy yesterday
said ninety three percent or whatever the number was, said
(32:09):
they want an increase. So the consultation was do you
want an increase? Most people actually said yes. Where it's
fallen apart is the increases to one hundred dollars. Most
people said make it fifty or whatever, but they all
say it is material. But then again, you go back
to your question. If one hundred dollars as you hurdle,
fifty pounds as you hurdle, sixty bucks as you hurdle,
do you really want those people in the country If
(32:29):
suddenly you're going sixty US dollars, Oh my god, I
don't know if I'm.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Going to go to New Zealand. How t A.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
It's mainly backpackers. Were you ever backpacked? I was wondering
that before, because a ridiculous question. Do I look like
I've ever backed?
Speaker 3 (32:42):
No?
Speaker 2 (32:42):
But do we young?
Speaker 13 (32:43):
I own a backpack?
Speaker 2 (32:44):
You were young? Once? I thought, well, then when I
was young, I looked like this, and that's very sad.
Speaker 13 (32:53):
And get this, of course it's sad, but it didn't
mean a backpacked And so that that's not not against backpackers.
But at the end of day, the end of the day,
I mean, so I can't with the real issue is
the fundamental issue, which is the people have not come
back to this country. We're at eighty percent of where
we were, and I think we killed our reputation when
we closed the borders and was so slow.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
We're not as sexy now, and it's expensive to get here,
it is, and you've got plane supply issues, and you've
got root issues, and we're stuck.
Speaker 13 (33:21):
We're stuck a bit at the bottom of the world.
And we shouldn't be arguing about one hundred dollars. Really,
we got bigger fish to for I agree, so to speak.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
All right, well, you'll be doing lots on that this morning.
I'm sure MIKE'SI the next I will see you tomorrow.
Thank you for listening three to six.
Speaker 6 (33:44):
For more from News Talks B listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on IR Radio
Popular Podcasts
40s and Free Agents: NFL Draft Season
Daniel Jeremiah of Move the Sticks and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Daily join forces to break down every team's needs this offseason.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.