February 25, 2025 • 34 mins
On the Early Edition with Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 26th of February 2025, Violent crime has increased by 2% for the first time since 2018, Dairy Business Owners Group Chairperson Sunny Kahsual shares the experience of business owners.
The Drug Detection Agency has found use of the drugs amphetamines and opioids is on the rise.
Infrastructure NZ Michelle Mccormick shares how the Government can speed up our infrastructure pipeline.
UK Prime Minister announces biggest rise in defence spending since the Cold War, UK/ Europe Correspondent Wesley Smith tells Andrew Dickens the latest.
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 (00:02):
The issues, the interviews and the inside Andrew Dickens on
early edition with one roof make your property search simple
news talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be hey, goodboying to you. It's hump Day Wednesday
at Amandrew Dickens. And in the next sixty minutes New
Zealand is experiencing an explosion of opioid use, So what's
causing it and how can we stop it? We'll have
that story for you. In five our infrastructure pipeline has
grown by sixty billion dollars, so how many projects are
(00:32):
actually underway? We'll have that story. In ten Keir Starmer
increases the UK's defense budget. We'll go to London for
the latest on that. And retail crime is down and
now the dairy owners happy sunny Koushal. Just before six o'clock,
we'll have correspondence from right around New Zealand and the
world and news as it breaks, and you can comment
by texting me. The number is ninety two ninety two.
A small charge does apply, or you can email me
(00:55):
Dickens at Newstalk zeb dot co dot nz. It's seven
after five.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
The agenda.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
It is Wednesday, the sixteenth of February. UK Prime Minister
t Kiir Stamer has announced the UK will increase defense
spending to two point five percent of GDP by twenty
twenty seven. Currently, their defense spending is two point three
percent of GDP. This announcement comes ahead of his visit
to Washington. He's going there on Thursday to meet with
President Donald Trump.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
I can announce this government will begin the biggest sustained
increase in defense spending since the.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
End of the Cold War.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
And let me spell that out in mister speaker. That
means spending thirteen point four billion pounds more on defense
every year from twenty twenty seven.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
More on that throughout the program. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel
Mcron has already met with President Donald Trump, and after
his meeting, Macron suggested a truce in Ukraine might only
be a few weeks away.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
We want this and I think the initiative of President
Trump is a very positive one. Be careful because we
need something substantial Foy Crane, but for the security of
Europe and France. And second, let's work together on the
future to preserve security guarantees, meaning to be sure that
this piece will be respected by Rissa.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
And Emmanuel Macron also touched Donald Trump on the arm,
but he did not resign like Andrew Bailey. And finally,
the story there's been making talkback all night long. Qatar
Airways has apologized to an Australian couple after Cavin Cruz
sat a recently deceased passenger next to them while on
a long haul flight to Doha. What a nightmare. Mitchell
Ring and Jennifer Collins were flying from Melbourne to Rome
(02:32):
when a fellow traveler passed away mid flight. So the
Cavin crew initially wanted to move the passenger's body into
business class. They would have loved that, but struggled to
transport the woman up the aisle and therefore they put
the dead woman next to the Aussie seats despite there
being free seats all around them.
Speaker 6 (02:48):
And there was another situation at the end when we land,
they told us in our area to stay in our seats,
and then the ambulance officers and the police came in,
and then the ambulance officers started pulling the blankets off
the lady beside, and I was there and I got
to see her face. Yeah, it wasn't nice.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Oh oh oh oh. It is nine after five.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
News and Views.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
You Trust to start your day. It's early edition with
Andrew Dickens and one roof Make your Property Search Simple.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
You talk said, be so all.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Of a sudden, the whole world is talking about defense budgets,
even us here. We've heard that the forthcoming budget will
start an increase in defense spending that will mean will
hit two percent of GDP in fifteen years time. We're
going to double the budget. It is low and it
is slow because that's all we can afford. And even then,
I'm not sure if it's that affordable in the first place,
(03:40):
but you know, you've got to start somewhere. Meanwhile, the
big story around the world is that the UK is
also ramping up the defense. You've already heard that. UKPM
Kiir Starmer has just announced a far more ambitious target.
His defense spending will rise to two point five percent
of GDP from twenty twenty seven, that's just two years away.
He told the country that you must change your national
(04:02):
security posture. It will be the biggest sustained increase in
defense spending since the end of the Cold War, and
will involve spending an extra thirteen point four billion pounds
on defense every year from twenty twenty seven, and he
has a clear ambition to get it to three percent
in the next term and to find all the money
he will slash AID projects, which is causing coniptions amongst
(04:23):
AID agencies. But what's the point exporting money to struggling
nations when you can't afford to defend your own borders?
And this is a sign of how long so many
countries in the West have allowed national interests to slide
in the mistaken belief that the world is still as
safe as it was at the end of say, the
fall of.
Speaker 7 (04:40):
The Bourbin Wall.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
And the thing about our competitors and the bad actors
in this world is that they've never stopped investing in
their security. And so this is an admission that we
let the game get away on USUS big drama yesterday
between New Zealand Rugby and Sky Sport. So then Goo
to over all Blacks broadcasting rights between twenty six and
(05:03):
twenty thirty. It's going to go on, or has been
going on for a couple of months, but it's currently
on a bit of a pause. So Sky reduced its
offer to eighty five million dollars for the four years because,
as they argue, there is no competition for the New
Zealand rights ever since Sparks Sport collapsed. They used to
pay by the way one hundred and eleven million, now
down to eighty five million. But now it's been revealed
(05:24):
that New Zealand by B is talking to a company
called doa Zone spelt daz N. They're British and they've
made a lot of money with pay per view fights
and they're buying foxtail in Australia. So this cycle will
include a six week tour of South Africa by the
All Blacks, the twenty twenty seven World Cup, a Lions
tour of New Zealand and twenty nine and another six
week visit by the spring Box in twenty thirty. Plus
(05:48):
of course also Super Rugby Pacific, which even though it's
only two games in, appears to have its mojo back.
So this is pretty sexy, really, this is a pretty sexy,
right schedule. So do Zone is loaded and backed by
Ukrainian billionaire and Saudi interests, and you have to ask
if that buying Foxdell, well why don't they just buy
all of Sky? And this may just be a New
(06:09):
Zealand ruby bluff to force Sky's hand, and I don't
mind that because I think the Sky was low balling
New Zealand Roby in the first place, and I hope
that Sky comes up to the mark because they're still
the best model for a country like ours. You deny
rural New Zealand, they're all blacks at their peril and
with the state of rural broadband, that means Sky's satellite
(06:29):
model is the best delivery option. So we wait to
see it. Is thirteen after.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Five Andrew Dickens.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
So they've been looking at our waste water again and
seeing what drugs we take. And the thing that's causing
the most concern is we're taking a whole heap more opioids.
So why is that happening and can we do anything
about that? Glenn Dobson from the Drug Detection Agency is next.
It's thirteen after five.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
The News you Need this morning and the in Depth
Analysis Early edition with Andrew Dickens and one roof Make
Your Property Search Simple News Talk Sidy.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
This is fifteen out to five. I've got some news
about zero and it's big backer Peter Teel. I might
get that into the program a bit later on, but
right now, the Drug Detection Agency has just released the
latest workplace drug detection data and it's taken a different
trend in the last quarter. Cannabis use is down four
point seven percent, and phetamines are up and opioids are
(07:23):
on the rise. Opioid use up twelve percent. So Drug
Detection Agency CEO Glenn Dobson is with me now, hullo
Glenn won Andrew. So our opioid use it's up. Is
this because we're sicker or are we more addicted?
Speaker 7 (07:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (07:40):
Good question, And look, these stats probably don't tell us
exactly the reason why it. That's why we track it quarterly,
seeing it's concerned. One of the big questions that we've
got and we'll continue to trackers. Are we starting to
follow the US and global trends? Hearing Zealand in ration
to the big increase in the problems that synthetic opioids
can cause both in the community and from our perspective
(08:01):
and work based safety.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Because of course, as prescription medications have the opioids in it,
so can you correlate the use of prescriptions and the
actual use of opioids in the waste water and figure
out if there's an excess which proves the addiction.
Speaker 8 (08:16):
Look, you're seeing the can and obviously the health side
of New Zealand can comment on prescription usage and so forth.
You know, University of Auckland Effacty of Medical Health Sciences
only a couple of years ago released to papers. They
were concerned about the potential over prescription of tremadol, which
is obviously a synthetic opuwoord as well, so that there's
(08:36):
ways to track that. But there's also a huge issue
globally around the illicit use of opioids as well. From
the criminal gangs perspective, they're cheap to make, they're easy
to make in the labs, and because they're very powerful,
you don't need as much and so they're easy to
move around globally.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Meanwhile, with other drugs, we're not smoking as much weed.
Speaker 8 (08:56):
Yeah, I mean, if there's a positive cannabis uses down that,
it's really good from a safety perspective. Cannabis is always
one of our higher drugs. And the other concern I
guess is that methan phenamine is up as well, and
obviously we know how the base of that drug is.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Yeah, that's up to twenty four point four percent. That's
up from eighteen point eight percent in the previous quarter
or the quarter in twenty twenty three. So we're not
winning that battle, are we.
Speaker 8 (09:23):
No, Look, we're not. You know, I know you mentioned
before the wastewater stance. We know that we've seen a
real increase in wastewater stance as well. Now from our statistics,
we know we're looking at a slightly different population base.
We're looking at workplaces as opposed to the entire population
from a wasteworth perspective. But from our issue, it's all
around safety, and it's a real concern.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Well, looking at the workplace, what sort of industries are
you testing the most and who's using the most drugs?
Speaker 8 (09:49):
But it's right across the board. Predominantly workplace drug testing
is traditionally than what you consider blue collar workplaces, but
now it's right across the board. Obviously, safety is the
main reason around drug tests in the workplace, but also
a lot of companies are doing it from a reputational
risk perspective, making sure they've got no issues within their
workplace that will affect their reputation. You know, we've seen
(10:11):
recently over the years issues around drugs in our cool
and workplaces and what color industries like the legal fraternity
and from the issues that they cause.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
And when you show employers this sort of data, what
do they say.
Speaker 8 (10:25):
Well, first and foremost, it's really interesting. It's good to
be aware of what trends we're seeing and see if
it increases. They are very keen to understand what it
may mean for them in the workplace and also to
hold really good, strong conversations with their employees. It's around
create a culture of openness, the culture of understanding what
the issues are and discussing them openly so that everyone's
(10:45):
aware and ultimately iring it's own safe to their families.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
At the end of the day, Absolutely, the drugs don't work,
and they really don't work at work. Glenn Dobson, you're
doing great work. Can I thank you for your time today?
Glenn's the CEO of the Drug Detection Agency. About infrastructure
at the moment as well, isn't it? That's what we
need to bring up our productivity. So we've got some
good news in terms of the amount of money that's
been committed to infrastructure, But the question is how much
(11:12):
earth is actually being turned. We'll answer that for you next.
It is now five twenty.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
The first word on the News of the Day Early
edition with Andrew Dickens and One Room, Make your property
Surgeon simple.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
You talk sippy five twenty two on a Wednesday, and
all is well, and my text number is ninety two
ninety two. Now there's a bit of news realm when
it comes to infrastructure. Last quarter's Infrastructure Commission update shows
an increase of sixty point four billion dollars since the
previous quarter. The total value of projects now set at
two hundred and four billion dollars. That's a lot of money.
(11:47):
That's a lot of projects, but how many have broken ground? Meanwhile,
the governments announced an overhaul of the Public Works Act,
which will aim to speed up infrastructure processes. Infrastructure New
Zealand Policy Director Michelle McCormick is with me. Now, Hello Michelle,
good morning Andrew. So how many have broken ground? Do
you know?
Speaker 9 (12:06):
We've got fifteen hundred in underway under contract, so that's
forty eight point six billion dollars, which is quite significant.
But yeah, we've still got a wee way to go,
so there's still you know, out of a total of
seven six hundred projects in the pipeline, just over half
actually have funding. Committed, so there's a bit of work
(12:27):
to do before we actually get all those into construction.
And I mean also just because they're in the pipeline
also means that, you know, there's a lot of work
to do in terms of getting consenting as well as
the funding aligned. So what is good news though, is
that we've got a lot more organizations contributing to the
pipeline information. So that's not only the government, local government,
(12:49):
but also the private sector. So the value of having
the pipeline and it's been visible both right across New
Zealands to know what work force we need, but also
internationally too to see what opportunities there are.
Speaker 10 (13:02):
Now.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
I know that the construction industry has complained about the
fact that the government canceled a lot of the projects
and their bid to actually cut government spending. So have
we canceled a lot?
Speaker 9 (13:13):
Yeah, things did stop, that is very true, and things
are taking a while to get going. As I said,
just because it's in the pipeline doesn't mean there's shovels
in the ground, so all their pre work. You can
take several years actually to get consents to acquire properties.
So maintaining a workforce here have definitely been challenging over
(13:34):
the last couple of years. There haven't been that level
of activity to keep people active, and we have seen
people go after or.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Unfortunately exactly of course, if we don't give them work,
they go and find it, and they find it overseas.
I talked in my intro about the overhaul of the
Public Works Act that's going to allow agencies like NCTA
to enter into acquisition agreements with landowners and enable collaboration
between agencies. You've got to buy the land before you
can start building on this. Is this making a difference
or will it make it?
Speaker 11 (14:02):
Hope?
Speaker 9 (14:03):
Yeah, it definitely should help speed things up. So we're
looking at legislation being introduced the middle of the year,
but what has been signaled is really promising. It will
cut some of the red tape at the moment MDTA
has to go through the Minister to get those final
approvals once you know they are negotiations. But also when
we've got some complicated development space where you know you
(14:27):
might have one agency doing the roading, others providing telecommunications,
you know, each of them had to go through their
own process and now we can actually see that group
together and acquired for one purpose, So that just makes
total sense.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Well, bring it on, Michelle. We love the work. Michelle McCormack,
the policy director Infrastructure in New Zealand. News Talks here
be it is five twenty five Camslators back in writing,
and he's writing quite well.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
More on the CineMo, the early edition full the show
podcast on iHeartRadio. Now it by news Talks at B.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
There's talks that B. Good morning to you. I'm Andrew
Dickinson for Ryan Bridge. So Cam Slater say what you
like about him. He can certainly write. His head is
ups and downs. He's paid for some bad behavior, but
he has good flow in his writing. He always had
a good contact book. But whether those contacts still talk
to him as anybody's guess. But anyway, he's now renamed
Whale Oil to a website called Good Oil, and yesterday
(15:20):
he wrote a think piece called the Coming National Coup.
He reckons Christopher Luckson's are continued bad numbers means the
National Party is now seriously talking about replacing him as leader,
even cams and on game these days, he claims. Sources
inside caucus say that Luxon has three months to turn
around his numbers He claims that women doesn't don't like Luxon,
(15:42):
people who believe in anything don't like Christopher because nobody
knows what he believes. Kam Sater says his coalition partners
know what they believe, and he says, the free marketeers
can go with Act, the nationalists can go with New
Zealand first, So who's going to go with Christopher? He says,
the opposition can smell blood, and then he lumps the
media into the opposition care even though of course he
is acting like an opposition right now with this opinion.
(16:04):
But slowly, Christopher Luxon seems to be losing the support
of the center right, according to cam Slater, not that
he had much in the first place. To be fair,
he was never given a honeymoon period. I think the
electric could see that he had a very performative nature
in his politics. But these are easy editorials to write,
and everyone can point out the flaws and the problems
(16:25):
with anything. Only the truly talented can provide a solution.
So if the problem is Christopher Luxen, what is the answer?
Is it willis is it Bishop? Is it Stamford or
is it Simeon? There the next four on the list
you want to go deeper. Would Mitchell, Goldsmith or Collins
(16:46):
be any better than Christopher Luxon Fkam is correct and
a coup is coming inside the next three months. Could
that be National shooting itself in the foot well?
Speaker 7 (16:57):
Of course it is.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Did they learn nothing from all the long years in
opposition where they chopped and changed their leaders without going
forward in any way, shape or form. Andrew Dickens, Wayne
Brown hates Cones. Wayne Brown knows that if he says
I hate Cones, people vote for him this election year
for the Auka mayor. I'm going to tell you what
Wayne Brown has said in just a few moments time
(17:21):
and before six Sunny Cashale, because look at that retail
crime figures are down, which is great news for dairy owners.
So Sonny is joining me just before six here on
News Talks it.
Speaker 12 (17:31):
Be I say for Foo only you'll never.
Speaker 13 (17:41):
Life is much better.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Just stash with me, get ahead of the headlines on
early edition Andrew Dickens and one Roof make your property
search simple News Talks. It be.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Good mon here, I'm at that and for yan Bridgehill
were doing the drive show today. Thank you for choosing us.
I hope you're having a great day so far. So
a lot of people don't trust camp Slater. Andrew says, Chris,
I would trust one thing that Cameron say. It has
to say. Most people I know light the way Christopher
Luxon is working, Hugh says Andrew Slater hasn't liked a
(18:31):
National leader since Muller, and look how well that turned out.
Slater and Houghton have a busy subverting the nets again.
It's the same old, same old, But then we've got
John and John says I cannot wait for Erica Stamford
to be National's leader. Yesterday's interview with Mike Hosking typified
Christopher Luxon's inability to answer a simple yes no question,
which is true. However, here's my question that I put
(18:51):
to you. If Christopher Luxen is the problem, what is
the answer? And I can't see an answer, So let's
give the PMR support now. Oh Ukham Mayor Wayne Brown
says he wants to pause work on the Victoria Street
Linear Park in the Central City, much to the relief
of all Orchanders. The park's idea is that it's a
green path park from Albert Park to Victoria Park. It's
(19:13):
got some footpaths in it's some cycle lanes, and they
reduce the road from four lanes of traffic to two.
Now he's sick of the cost and the disruptions. He
wants at to tidy the side up and work to
improve the flow of traffic from east to west through
the city, and just to stop. He's not alone. Councilor
Ken Turner calls the street a quote bugger's muddle. He
claims it takes them thirty minutes to travel the two
(19:34):
hundred meters length of the street, and Orchanders will understand
the mayor's concerned because though work has taken seemingly forever,
and maybe that's the real issue. It's not the work,
but why it's taken so long. But there we go
to stop a job when we're in the home stretch.
Is that a waste of all the time and money
we've already spent. Imagine when Paris was building the Champs
of liz in the sixteen hundreds and somebody said, it
(19:55):
takes me forever to get a horse down that road.
Let's just stop that, and they stop work on the
shams of leagues. Then the world would be denied one
of the great boulevards. Now, I am not saying the
Victoria Street is anything like the Songs of Ease, but
I think I would be a bit hacked off if
we've lived through all the mess so far only to
find that we're left with a half finished dog's breakfast. Well, man,
(20:20):
I'll be happy about this. Is Sonny Kashal, the champion
of the small business world who hated what happened on
Albert Street. He's routed against CRL work since day one.
He joins me just before six. But right now, let's
go round the regions and Callum Proctor joins me from
Dunedin Haller. Callum Hi, right, Andrew talk me through this
subregional deal for Otago and the Central Lakes.
Speaker 7 (20:42):
Well, it's a step closer to becoming a reality. The
Queenstown Lakes District Council has voted in favor of adopting
this framework, working alongside Central Otago and Otago Regional Councils.
So this would see the Council's deliver a range of
initiatives to address critical needs in the reas with the
help of the government's Regional Deals program. Amir Glenn Lewis
(21:04):
says it's a chance, so even the power dynamic of
central and local government. He says, this will allow them
to achieve things they've talked about for the last six years. O.
This proposal now goes to the other two councils before
it's sent to the Department of Internal Affairs.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
How's your weather?
Speaker 7 (21:19):
It's good right around Otago Queenstown twenty two today janeedin
a high of twenty Thank.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
You, calam Proctor Claire shere, well, good morning to you
from christ Church. Good morning, So the mayor is talking
about alcohol.
Speaker 14 (21:30):
Yeah, well, everyone here in Christchurch in terms of the
council is talking about alcohol this week and there's a
focus or a hope to ensure that we can address
alcohol harm here while not impacting upon our hospitality sector.
Public feedback on the draft annual plan will officially begin today.
That includes a potential local alcohol policy that would set
(21:50):
rules around the number, the location and the opening hours
of licensed premises, as well as some other regulations. Now
our Mayor Film Major says there is six policies being considered,
but some may not make it to that consultation phase.
He says, they don't want to kill hospitality here as
people come to christ church for that. As we know,
we just looked at the weekend with Electric Avenue. How's
(22:12):
your weather mostly cloudy with a few spots of brizzle
about today, then becoming fine southerles and a high eighteen.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Good day for a beer, But I probably shouldn't say that.
Max coll from Wellington, Good morning, Good morning, Another person
hit by a bus?
Speaker 13 (22:26):
Yeah, this really is a notorious stretch of central Wellington.
For the second time in a week, if funnily enough,
people had to rush to the aid of a pedestrian
critically injured in central Wellington, this time on Manors Street
just after four thirty yesterday afternoon. Earlier this week, a
sixty six year old German woman badly hit by a
car on Courtney Place, both taking the hospital in a
(22:47):
critical condition. Last night, a witness told us a pedestrian
stepped out onto the road on Manners and was hit
between Victoria and Cuba Street's first aid was delivered until
ambulances arrived. A double deck of us remained parked on
the street. Buses last night diverted to other parts of
the CBD. This part of Wellington just the terrible record.
It's baffling, in fact to see the chances people take
(23:10):
crossing the road away from the lights, because it seems
every few months a bus hit someone. It's mostly buses
that go along. There dozens of accidents in the past
fifteen twenty years.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
I don't want to be self righteous, but we've paid
an awful lot of money for some pedestrian crossings with
lights that actually keep you safe. So why don't you
use those anyway? How's your weather?
Speaker 13 (23:28):
Yeah, some early rain clearing this morning twenty the high
Central And to welcome.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
We go neither write a matter, Hello, good morning. So
a police station which closed ten years ago is being reopened.
Speaker 12 (23:39):
That's right, Andrew. Now look it's a police station custody unit. Now,
that's the one that's been reopened on the north Shore.
This is after being decommissioned for a decade ago. Actually,
so police say it's opening. That's going to support the
operations right across north Shore and Rodney, reducing the time
take and transporting people in custody. So the Wiamata East
District Council or East District Custody Unit, that's a big
(24:01):
enough thing to say. Based on the north Shore Policing
Center unit that's accepted its first attainees since twenty thirteen,
just yesterday morning. So Richard Chambers, the Police Commissioner, says,
this facility's really advanced technically and technologically and future focus
for custody staff.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
So it's all good, fabulous.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
How's the weather, well, cloudy conditions.
Speaker 12 (24:21):
We've got isolated light showers this morning, but then it's clearing.
Is going to be fine, fine, fine, high twenty.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Five, Thank you, Neva. It is seventeen to six. So
Peter Teal, you know, the US billionaire, the tech bro
who's right behind Donald Trump. He's winding down his New
Zealand business interests. He has wound down his company called Vala,
that was his only remaining connection to New Zealand apart
from his passport. He's still got a stake in a
(24:48):
Wellington based audiobook production outfit called book Track, and he
still has that one hundred and ninety hectare block of
farmland on the shores of Lake Wonica that he can't develop.
But here's the thing, Peter Teal, right, billionaire, he once
claimed he would turbo charge our tech sector, and he
found that no other country aligned more with my view
of the future than New Zealand. But obviously that's not true.
(25:10):
And for love inures. By the way, he made a
lot of money with that. He did a play into
zero right at the very beginning, back in two thousand
and seven. He bought into the company when the shares
were at one dollar. They then soared to more than
ninety dollars. So Peter Teel is out of here, but
he made a lot of money, speaking money, a lot
of money being spent on defense in the UK. We're
(25:31):
off to our correspondent, where's the kutter in just a
few moments time here on news Talk se B it's
sixteen to.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Six international correspondence with ends and eye insurance, Peace of
mind for New Zealand business.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Yeah, the time is how thirteen minutes to six were
off to the UK and we're joined now by Wesley
Smith Heller Wesley moy going to do how are you
very good? The big story right around the world is
seeing that Kirs Starmer wants to spend more on defense.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Yeah, you know, if his intention to make the nations
sit up and listen, he certainly succeeded. Today. This speech,
which I listened to live, sounded to say that the
UK is on a war footing He described Russia as
a menace and said the UK needs a sharper focus
on defense, enhancing intelligence budgets too. Probably no coincidence had
caused Andrew that all this comes just ahead of his
(26:19):
trip to Washington to meet President Trump, who has raised
more than a few eyebrows with his recent comments on
the Ukraine War, appearing somewhat warmer should we say in
his approach to Vladimir Putin was Wastarmer spoke of his
visits to Ukraine and how he felt personally affected by
what he'd seen and said we must stand by its people.
So he needs to show now he means business in Washington,
(26:40):
but has a huge diplomatic to achieve. So he made
a point of underlining the UK's decades long mutually supportive
relationship with the US and said it must continue to
go from strength to strength. So in the comments he
pledged what he calls the biggest increase in defense spending
since the end of the Cold War, thirteen point four
billion pounds a year. I guess around thirty billion New
(27:01):
Zealand dollars from twenty to twenty seven. But on the
day householders here had energy prices will rise again from
April secure. Starmer said, we all have to shoulder some
of the burden through hard choices. Much of the funding
will come at the cost of international aid, although that's
a budget cut to almost half that and very much
to the disquiet of some who fear it will dentile
(27:21):
global reputation. He did say, however, he hoped it could
eventually be restored.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Yes, yes, the squeaking from aid agencies has you can
hear it over here in New Zealand, that's for sure.
They're really complaining about the whole thing. But at the
same time, it has been a very long time when
that any country has been on what you call war footing,
and that war footing all through the ages has always
meant hardships. So what interesting times we live in? Such
interesting times that apparently there is a solid gold toilet
(27:49):
seat worth what six million New Zealand dollars and it's
now been stolen it.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
It was an art installation, fully functioning eighteen carrot solid
gold toilet called America Make of that what you will,
by the artist Barizio Catalan. It was on display at
Blenham Palace, one of England's most lavish stately homes. Birthplace
of the wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill. Now it's taken
a while for this case to come to Oxford Crown Court,
as the said gold's toilet seat disappeared back in September
(28:18):
twenty nineteen, when ninety eight kilograms the gold alone was
valued at two point eight million pounds. It's never been recovered.
The court heard it had most likely been split up
into smaller amounts of gold. It only been on display
for a day when the overnight raid happened. Whoever removed
it used sledgehammers which were left at the sea with
water pouring out of the pipes. The entire operation, Andrew
(28:39):
only took about five minutes well, the prosecution claimed, in
a couple of days contact was made with a jeweler
in London's famous Hatton Garden, and the court heard a
lot of preparation must have happened before the raid, and
claim one of the men acused of the theft had
visited the exhibit and taken a photo just hours before
that raid. What three men are up in court and
the trial continues.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
When you have to go, you really have to go,
it seams and I thank you. That is Wesley Smith
that is ten to six. Andrew Diggers, there's some good
news for us on this Wednesday. Violent crime has increased
by has increased by two percent. Sorry, this is not
good news. Well would you say decrease? It should be
decreased by two percent for the first time since twenty eighteen.
New police data shows RAM raids down fifty eight percent.
(29:23):
Serious assaults were down one percent. Sorry, Retail crime itself
has trended upwards with a twelve percent increaset of theft.
So dairy business Owners Group Champis and Sunny Kassell joins
you right now. Hello, Sonny Cure, Andrew, how are you good?
So with the RAM raids down and the serious assaults down,
can we say that the tough on crime approach has worked.
Speaker 11 (29:45):
Well, it's a great beginning and a relief for retailers
and dairy owners. As you know, they lived in fear
every day for years, you know, and people are feeling
the difference between the two governments that you know are
soft on crime up versus getting tough on crime. So,
as you rightly said, the RAM rates are down. The
(30:05):
violent crime, which was increased fifty one percent between twenty
eighteen and twenty twenty three has a first time since
twenty eighteen. And also the back to basics model in
the policing model, it is working. As you could see
now the aggravator robberies are popped and you could see
Auckland CVD. It's you know, looks much safer than it
(30:28):
used to be. And here is also a difference I
guess between two police ministers, you know, Ginny Anderson until
twenty twenty three, who basically did nothing and it was
all talks, but versus Mark Mitchell who is making a difference.
So but there's a lot more to be done, and
I think there's a broad beginning.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Could we argue that with the violent climb down, the
ram rates down, the serious assaults down, those things that
has happened, But those bag dectors, those bad dudes now
actually going back to the old things, doing burglaries, that
they're doing theft and they're doing shoplifting.
Speaker 11 (31:03):
Well, look, this will take time and also there are
new solutions which would be required. You know, one side,
police are doing good job operationally, it's making a difference,
but we need to make sure that justice system also delivers.
The justice system need to be overhauled. They need to
(31:24):
get tough, and they need to be consequences. You know,
it's a time for a zero tolerance approach to crime offenders.
Regardless of their age, they must face real consequences for
the actions.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Sonny, thank you so much for your work and your advocacy,
and I thank you for your time. Today's Sunnykashaw from
the Dairy and Business Owners Group. It is now coming
up seven minutes to.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
Six on your radio and online on iHeartRadio Early Edition
with Andrew Dickens and One Roof. To make your property
search simple if you talk, said the.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Thank you if you take thirty two ninety two, and
yes it's true. When you're starting looking at statistick sometimes
they say one thing and they actually meet another. Texas says,
I think retail crime has probably gone up because police
are actually doing something about it. And that's true. They're
catching them, so therefore the numbers will go up. But
that doesn't necessarily mean the crime itself is going up.
But there we go. Show business US you two. Matt
(32:16):
the third anniversary of Russian's evasion of Ukraine with a
release of a reading of a poem called My Friendly
Epistle from our nineteenth century. Part read by Bono and
a company by a piano. I can think of nothing worse.
And Mega Markle has been dropped by her talent agency.
In news to warm Kate Hawksby's heart, and Mike Hasking
(32:36):
joins me.
Speaker 10 (32:36):
Now, morning, there's an announcement coming today. You'll be pleased
to know from the Retail Crime group. Remember Sunny Koschel
and his mates were just talk to them. Oh good,
So did he tell you what he's announcing? Well, they're
not announced citizens arrest. Yeah, and so it's got weird.
Did he say they're announcing, No, we didn't get there personally. No,
we'll see the gold the announced Justice Minister's coming to
(32:59):
you anyway. They go, that's what they're announcing today. So
along with the violent crime stats. So that's all good
because he's getting paid hundreds of dollars a day and
millions are not that I'm against some good luck, but
they've taken a long time to come up with all
the stuff they thought of at the very beginning.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
If you go back to you know, let's go back
to citizens arrest though. You know, that's great when it works,
but it's terrible when it doesn't. Well, it's not you
and me well, why where a citizen? Why can't we arrest?
Speaker 10 (33:22):
Well, yeah, but you know what I'm saying, it'll be
security guards and stuff. I mean, I'm not arresting anybody.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
I mean you will, You're very arresting.
Speaker 10 (33:29):
Maybe once maybe once. Maybe you do it once, see
if you're any good, and if you're good, you go.
Actually I might try another one if you live and
see see how it. Anyways, and economic zones that they're
looking at now they can't have Mars and place.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Good show and arm and Defense. I thank you, my
thanks to producer Kenzie, and I'm Andrew. I can see
you again tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live
to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
The issues, the interviews and the inside Andrew Dickens on
early edition with one roof make your property search simple
news talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be hey, goodboying to you. It's hump Day Wednesday
at Amandrew Dickens. And in the next sixty minutes New
Zealand is experiencing an explosion of opioid use, So what's
causing it and how can we stop it? We'll have
that story for you. In five our infrastructure pipeline has
grown by sixty billion dollars, so how many projects are
(00:32):
actually underway? We'll have that story. In ten Keir Starmer
increases the UK's defense budget. We'll go to London for
the latest on that. And retail crime is down and
now the dairy owners happy sunny Koushal. Just before six o'clock,
we'll have correspondence from right around New Zealand and the
world and news as it breaks, and you can comment
by texting me. The number is ninety two ninety two.
A small charge does apply, or you can email me
(00:55):
Dickens at Newstalk zeb dot co dot nz. It's seven
after five.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
The agenda.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
It is Wednesday, the sixteenth of February. UK Prime Minister
t Kiir Stamer has announced the UK will increase defense
spending to two point five percent of GDP by twenty
twenty seven. Currently, their defense spending is two point three
percent of GDP. This announcement comes ahead of his visit
to Washington. He's going there on Thursday to meet with
President Donald Trump.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
I can announce this government will begin the biggest sustained
increase in defense spending since the.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
End of the Cold War.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
And let me spell that out in mister speaker. That
means spending thirteen point four billion pounds more on defense
every year from twenty twenty seven.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
More on that throughout the program. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel
Mcron has already met with President Donald Trump, and after
his meeting, Macron suggested a truce in Ukraine might only
be a few weeks away.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
We want this and I think the initiative of President
Trump is a very positive one. Be careful because we
need something substantial Foy Crane, but for the security of
Europe and France. And second, let's work together on the
future to preserve security guarantees, meaning to be sure that
this piece will be respected by Rissa.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
And Emmanuel Macron also touched Donald Trump on the arm,
but he did not resign like Andrew Bailey. And finally,
the story there's been making talkback all night long. Qatar
Airways has apologized to an Australian couple after Cavin Cruz
sat a recently deceased passenger next to them while on
a long haul flight to Doha. What a nightmare. Mitchell
Ring and Jennifer Collins were flying from Melbourne to Rome
(02:32):
when a fellow traveler passed away mid flight. So the
Cavin crew initially wanted to move the passenger's body into
business class. They would have loved that, but struggled to
transport the woman up the aisle and therefore they put
the dead woman next to the Aussie seats despite there
being free seats all around them.
Speaker 6 (02:48):
And there was another situation at the end when we land,
they told us in our area to stay in our seats,
and then the ambulance officers and the police came in,
and then the ambulance officers started pulling the blankets off
the lady beside, and I was there and I got
to see her face. Yeah, it wasn't nice.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Oh oh oh oh. It is nine after five.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
News and Views.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
You Trust to start your day. It's early edition with
Andrew Dickens and one roof Make your Property Search Simple.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
You talk said, be so all.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Of a sudden, the whole world is talking about defense budgets,
even us here. We've heard that the forthcoming budget will
start an increase in defense spending that will mean will
hit two percent of GDP in fifteen years time. We're
going to double the budget. It is low and it
is slow because that's all we can afford. And even then,
I'm not sure if it's that affordable in the first place,
(03:40):
but you know, you've got to start somewhere. Meanwhile, the
big story around the world is that the UK is
also ramping up the defense. You've already heard that. UKPM
Kiir Starmer has just announced a far more ambitious target.
His defense spending will rise to two point five percent
of GDP from twenty twenty seven, that's just two years away.
He told the country that you must change your national
(04:02):
security posture. It will be the biggest sustained increase in
defense spending since the end of the Cold War, and
will involve spending an extra thirteen point four billion pounds
on defense every year from twenty twenty seven, and he
has a clear ambition to get it to three percent
in the next term and to find all the money
he will slash AID projects, which is causing coniptions amongst
(04:23):
AID agencies. But what's the point exporting money to struggling
nations when you can't afford to defend your own borders?
And this is a sign of how long so many
countries in the West have allowed national interests to slide
in the mistaken belief that the world is still as
safe as it was at the end of say, the
fall of.
Speaker 7 (04:40):
The Bourbin Wall.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
And the thing about our competitors and the bad actors
in this world is that they've never stopped investing in
their security. And so this is an admission that we
let the game get away on USUS big drama yesterday
between New Zealand Rugby and Sky Sport. So then Goo
to over all Blacks broadcasting rights between twenty six and
(05:03):
twenty thirty. It's going to go on, or has been
going on for a couple of months, but it's currently
on a bit of a pause. So Sky reduced its
offer to eighty five million dollars for the four years because,
as they argue, there is no competition for the New
Zealand rights ever since Sparks Sport collapsed. They used to
pay by the way one hundred and eleven million, now
down to eighty five million. But now it's been revealed
(05:24):
that New Zealand by B is talking to a company
called doa Zone spelt daz N. They're British and they've
made a lot of money with pay per view fights
and they're buying foxtail in Australia. So this cycle will
include a six week tour of South Africa by the
All Blacks, the twenty twenty seven World Cup, a Lions
tour of New Zealand and twenty nine and another six
week visit by the spring Box in twenty thirty. Plus
(05:48):
of course also Super Rugby Pacific, which even though it's
only two games in, appears to have its mojo back.
So this is pretty sexy, really, this is a pretty sexy,
right schedule. So do Zone is loaded and backed by
Ukrainian billionaire and Saudi interests, and you have to ask
if that buying Foxdell, well why don't they just buy
all of Sky? And this may just be a New
(06:09):
Zealand ruby bluff to force Sky's hand, and I don't
mind that because I think the Sky was low balling
New Zealand Roby in the first place, and I hope
that Sky comes up to the mark because they're still
the best model for a country like ours. You deny
rural New Zealand, they're all blacks at their peril and
with the state of rural broadband, that means Sky's satellite
(06:29):
model is the best delivery option. So we wait to
see it. Is thirteen after.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Five Andrew Dickens.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
So they've been looking at our waste water again and
seeing what drugs we take. And the thing that's causing
the most concern is we're taking a whole heap more opioids.
So why is that happening and can we do anything
about that? Glenn Dobson from the Drug Detection Agency is next.
It's thirteen after five.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
The News you Need this morning and the in Depth
Analysis Early edition with Andrew Dickens and one roof Make
Your Property Search Simple News Talk Sidy.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
This is fifteen out to five. I've got some news
about zero and it's big backer Peter Teel. I might
get that into the program a bit later on, but
right now, the Drug Detection Agency has just released the
latest workplace drug detection data and it's taken a different
trend in the last quarter. Cannabis use is down four
point seven percent, and phetamines are up and opioids are
(07:23):
on the rise. Opioid use up twelve percent. So Drug
Detection Agency CEO Glenn Dobson is with me now, hullo
Glenn won Andrew. So our opioid use it's up. Is
this because we're sicker or are we more addicted?
Speaker 7 (07:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (07:40):
Good question, And look, these stats probably don't tell us
exactly the reason why it. That's why we track it quarterly,
seeing it's concerned. One of the big questions that we've
got and we'll continue to trackers. Are we starting to
follow the US and global trends? Hearing Zealand in ration
to the big increase in the problems that synthetic opioids
can cause both in the community and from our perspective
(08:01):
and work based safety.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Because of course, as prescription medications have the opioids in it,
so can you correlate the use of prescriptions and the
actual use of opioids in the waste water and figure
out if there's an excess which proves the addiction.
Speaker 8 (08:16):
Look, you're seeing the can and obviously the health side
of New Zealand can comment on prescription usage and so forth.
You know, University of Auckland Effacty of Medical Health Sciences
only a couple of years ago released to papers. They
were concerned about the potential over prescription of tremadol, which
is obviously a synthetic opuwoord as well, so that there's
(08:36):
ways to track that. But there's also a huge issue
globally around the illicit use of opioids as well. From
the criminal gangs perspective, they're cheap to make, they're easy
to make in the labs, and because they're very powerful,
you don't need as much and so they're easy to
move around globally.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Meanwhile, with other drugs, we're not smoking as much weed.
Speaker 8 (08:56):
Yeah, I mean, if there's a positive cannabis uses down that,
it's really good from a safety perspective. Cannabis is always
one of our higher drugs. And the other concern I
guess is that methan phenamine is up as well, and
obviously we know how the base of that drug is.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Yeah, that's up to twenty four point four percent. That's
up from eighteen point eight percent in the previous quarter
or the quarter in twenty twenty three. So we're not
winning that battle, are we.
Speaker 8 (09:23):
No, Look, we're not. You know, I know you mentioned
before the wastewater stance. We know that we've seen a
real increase in wastewater stance as well. Now from our statistics,
we know we're looking at a slightly different population base.
We're looking at workplaces as opposed to the entire population
from a wasteworth perspective. But from our issue, it's all
around safety, and it's a real concern.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Well, looking at the workplace, what sort of industries are
you testing the most and who's using the most drugs?
Speaker 8 (09:49):
But it's right across the board. Predominantly workplace drug testing
is traditionally than what you consider blue collar workplaces, but
now it's right across the board. Obviously, safety is the
main reason around drug tests in the workplace, but also
a lot of companies are doing it from a reputational
risk perspective, making sure they've got no issues within their
workplace that will affect their reputation. You know, we've seen
(10:11):
recently over the years issues around drugs in our cool
and workplaces and what color industries like the legal fraternity
and from the issues that they cause.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
And when you show employers this sort of data, what
do they say.
Speaker 8 (10:25):
Well, first and foremost, it's really interesting. It's good to
be aware of what trends we're seeing and see if
it increases. They are very keen to understand what it
may mean for them in the workplace and also to
hold really good, strong conversations with their employees. It's around
create a culture of openness, the culture of understanding what
the issues are and discussing them openly so that everyone's
(10:45):
aware and ultimately iring it's own safe to their families.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
At the end of the day, Absolutely, the drugs don't work,
and they really don't work at work. Glenn Dobson, you're
doing great work. Can I thank you for your time today?
Glenn's the CEO of the Drug Detection Agency. About infrastructure
at the moment as well, isn't it? That's what we
need to bring up our productivity. So we've got some
good news in terms of the amount of money that's
been committed to infrastructure, But the question is how much
(11:12):
earth is actually being turned. We'll answer that for you next.
It is now five twenty.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
The first word on the News of the Day Early
edition with Andrew Dickens and One Room, Make your property
Surgeon simple.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
You talk sippy five twenty two on a Wednesday, and
all is well, and my text number is ninety two
ninety two. Now there's a bit of news realm when
it comes to infrastructure. Last quarter's Infrastructure Commission update shows
an increase of sixty point four billion dollars since the
previous quarter. The total value of projects now set at
two hundred and four billion dollars. That's a lot of money.
(11:47):
That's a lot of projects, but how many have broken ground? Meanwhile,
the governments announced an overhaul of the Public Works Act,
which will aim to speed up infrastructure processes. Infrastructure New
Zealand Policy Director Michelle McCormick is with me. Now, Hello Michelle,
good morning Andrew. So how many have broken ground? Do
you know?
Speaker 9 (12:06):
We've got fifteen hundred in underway under contract, so that's
forty eight point six billion dollars, which is quite significant.
But yeah, we've still got a wee way to go,
so there's still you know, out of a total of
seven six hundred projects in the pipeline, just over half
actually have funding. Committed, so there's a bit of work
(12:27):
to do before we actually get all those into construction.
And I mean also just because they're in the pipeline
also means that, you know, there's a lot of work
to do in terms of getting consenting as well as
the funding aligned. So what is good news though, is
that we've got a lot more organizations contributing to the
pipeline information. So that's not only the government, local government,
(12:49):
but also the private sector. So the value of having
the pipeline and it's been visible both right across New
Zealands to know what work force we need, but also
internationally too to see what opportunities there are.
Speaker 10 (13:02):
Now.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
I know that the construction industry has complained about the
fact that the government canceled a lot of the projects
and their bid to actually cut government spending. So have
we canceled a lot?
Speaker 9 (13:13):
Yeah, things did stop, that is very true, and things
are taking a while to get going. As I said,
just because it's in the pipeline doesn't mean there's shovels
in the ground, so all their pre work. You can
take several years actually to get consents to acquire properties.
So maintaining a workforce here have definitely been challenging over
(13:34):
the last couple of years. There haven't been that level
of activity to keep people active, and we have seen
people go after or.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Unfortunately exactly of course, if we don't give them work,
they go and find it, and they find it overseas.
I talked in my intro about the overhaul of the
Public Works Act that's going to allow agencies like NCTA
to enter into acquisition agreements with landowners and enable collaboration
between agencies. You've got to buy the land before you
can start building on this. Is this making a difference
or will it make it?
Speaker 11 (14:02):
Hope?
Speaker 9 (14:03):
Yeah, it definitely should help speed things up. So we're
looking at legislation being introduced the middle of the year,
but what has been signaled is really promising. It will
cut some of the red tape at the moment MDTA
has to go through the Minister to get those final
approvals once you know they are negotiations. But also when
we've got some complicated development space where you know you
(14:27):
might have one agency doing the roading, others providing telecommunications,
you know, each of them had to go through their
own process and now we can actually see that group
together and acquired for one purpose, So that just makes
total sense.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Well, bring it on, Michelle. We love the work. Michelle McCormack,
the policy director Infrastructure in New Zealand. News Talks here
be it is five twenty five Camslators back in writing,
and he's writing quite well.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
More on the CineMo, the early edition full the show
podcast on iHeartRadio. Now it by news Talks at B.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
There's talks that B. Good morning to you. I'm Andrew
Dickinson for Ryan Bridge. So Cam Slater say what you
like about him. He can certainly write. His head is
ups and downs. He's paid for some bad behavior, but
he has good flow in his writing. He always had
a good contact book. But whether those contacts still talk
to him as anybody's guess. But anyway, he's now renamed
Whale Oil to a website called Good Oil, and yesterday
(15:20):
he wrote a think piece called the Coming National Coup.
He reckons Christopher Luckson's are continued bad numbers means the
National Party is now seriously talking about replacing him as leader,
even cams and on game these days, he claims. Sources
inside caucus say that Luxon has three months to turn
around his numbers He claims that women doesn't don't like Luxon,
(15:42):
people who believe in anything don't like Christopher because nobody
knows what he believes. Kam Sater says his coalition partners
know what they believe, and he says, the free marketeers
can go with Act, the nationalists can go with New
Zealand first, So who's going to go with Christopher? He says,
the opposition can smell blood, and then he lumps the
media into the opposition care even though of course he
is acting like an opposition right now with this opinion.
(16:04):
But slowly, Christopher Luxon seems to be losing the support
of the center right, according to cam Slater, not that
he had much in the first place. To be fair,
he was never given a honeymoon period. I think the
electric could see that he had a very performative nature
in his politics. But these are easy editorials to write,
and everyone can point out the flaws and the problems
(16:25):
with anything. Only the truly talented can provide a solution.
So if the problem is Christopher Luxen, what is the answer?
Is it willis is it Bishop? Is it Stamford or
is it Simeon? There the next four on the list
you want to go deeper. Would Mitchell, Goldsmith or Collins
(16:46):
be any better than Christopher Luxon Fkam is correct and
a coup is coming inside the next three months. Could
that be National shooting itself in the foot well?
Speaker 7 (16:57):
Of course it is.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Did they learn nothing from all the long years in
opposition where they chopped and changed their leaders without going
forward in any way, shape or form. Andrew Dickens, Wayne
Brown hates Cones. Wayne Brown knows that if he says
I hate Cones, people vote for him this election year
for the Auka mayor. I'm going to tell you what
Wayne Brown has said in just a few moments time
(17:21):
and before six Sunny Cashale, because look at that retail
crime figures are down, which is great news for dairy owners.
So Sonny is joining me just before six here on
News Talks it.
Speaker 12 (17:31):
Be I say for Foo only you'll never.
Speaker 13 (17:41):
Life is much better.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Just stash with me, get ahead of the headlines on
early edition Andrew Dickens and one Roof make your property
search simple News Talks. It be.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Good mon here, I'm at that and for yan Bridgehill
were doing the drive show today. Thank you for choosing us.
I hope you're having a great day so far. So
a lot of people don't trust camp Slater. Andrew says, Chris,
I would trust one thing that Cameron say. It has
to say. Most people I know light the way Christopher
Luxon is working, Hugh says Andrew Slater hasn't liked a
(18:31):
National leader since Muller, and look how well that turned out.
Slater and Houghton have a busy subverting the nets again.
It's the same old, same old, But then we've got
John and John says I cannot wait for Erica Stamford
to be National's leader. Yesterday's interview with Mike Hosking typified
Christopher Luxon's inability to answer a simple yes no question,
which is true. However, here's my question that I put
(18:51):
to you. If Christopher Luxen is the problem, what is
the answer? And I can't see an answer, So let's
give the PMR support now. Oh Ukham Mayor Wayne Brown
says he wants to pause work on the Victoria Street
Linear Park in the Central City, much to the relief
of all Orchanders. The park's idea is that it's a
green path park from Albert Park to Victoria Park. It's
(19:13):
got some footpaths in it's some cycle lanes, and they
reduce the road from four lanes of traffic to two.
Now he's sick of the cost and the disruptions. He
wants at to tidy the side up and work to
improve the flow of traffic from east to west through
the city, and just to stop. He's not alone. Councilor
Ken Turner calls the street a quote bugger's muddle. He
claims it takes them thirty minutes to travel the two
(19:34):
hundred meters length of the street, and Orchanders will understand
the mayor's concerned because though work has taken seemingly forever,
and maybe that's the real issue. It's not the work,
but why it's taken so long. But there we go
to stop a job when we're in the home stretch.
Is that a waste of all the time and money
we've already spent. Imagine when Paris was building the Champs
of liz in the sixteen hundreds and somebody said, it
(19:55):
takes me forever to get a horse down that road.
Let's just stop that, and they stop work on the
shams of leagues. Then the world would be denied one
of the great boulevards. Now, I am not saying the
Victoria Street is anything like the Songs of Ease, but
I think I would be a bit hacked off if
we've lived through all the mess so far only to
find that we're left with a half finished dog's breakfast. Well, man,
(20:20):
I'll be happy about this. Is Sonny Kashal, the champion
of the small business world who hated what happened on
Albert Street. He's routed against CRL work since day one.
He joins me just before six. But right now, let's
go round the regions and Callum Proctor joins me from
Dunedin Haller. Callum Hi, right, Andrew talk me through this
subregional deal for Otago and the Central Lakes.
Speaker 7 (20:42):
Well, it's a step closer to becoming a reality. The
Queenstown Lakes District Council has voted in favor of adopting
this framework, working alongside Central Otago and Otago Regional Councils.
So this would see the Council's deliver a range of
initiatives to address critical needs in the reas with the
help of the government's Regional Deals program. Amir Glenn Lewis
(21:04):
says it's a chance, so even the power dynamic of
central and local government. He says, this will allow them
to achieve things they've talked about for the last six years. O.
This proposal now goes to the other two councils before
it's sent to the Department of Internal Affairs.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
How's your weather?
Speaker 7 (21:19):
It's good right around Otago Queenstown twenty two today janeedin
a high of twenty Thank.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
You, calam Proctor Claire shere, well, good morning to you
from christ Church. Good morning, So the mayor is talking
about alcohol.
Speaker 14 (21:30):
Yeah, well, everyone here in Christchurch in terms of the
council is talking about alcohol this week and there's a
focus or a hope to ensure that we can address
alcohol harm here while not impacting upon our hospitality sector.
Public feedback on the draft annual plan will officially begin today.
That includes a potential local alcohol policy that would set
(21:50):
rules around the number, the location and the opening hours
of licensed premises, as well as some other regulations. Now
our Mayor Film Major says there is six policies being considered,
but some may not make it to that consultation phase.
He says, they don't want to kill hospitality here as
people come to christ church for that. As we know,
we just looked at the weekend with Electric Avenue. How's
(22:12):
your weather mostly cloudy with a few spots of brizzle
about today, then becoming fine southerles and a high eighteen.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Good day for a beer, But I probably shouldn't say that.
Max coll from Wellington, Good morning, Good morning, Another person
hit by a bus?
Speaker 13 (22:26):
Yeah, this really is a notorious stretch of central Wellington.
For the second time in a week, if funnily enough,
people had to rush to the aid of a pedestrian
critically injured in central Wellington, this time on Manors Street
just after four thirty yesterday afternoon. Earlier this week, a
sixty six year old German woman badly hit by a
car on Courtney Place, both taking the hospital in a
(22:47):
critical condition. Last night, a witness told us a pedestrian
stepped out onto the road on Manners and was hit
between Victoria and Cuba Street's first aid was delivered until
ambulances arrived. A double deck of us remained parked on
the street. Buses last night diverted to other parts of
the CBD. This part of Wellington just the terrible record.
It's baffling, in fact to see the chances people take
(23:10):
crossing the road away from the lights, because it seems
every few months a bus hit someone. It's mostly buses
that go along. There dozens of accidents in the past
fifteen twenty years.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
I don't want to be self righteous, but we've paid
an awful lot of money for some pedestrian crossings with
lights that actually keep you safe. So why don't you
use those anyway? How's your weather?
Speaker 13 (23:28):
Yeah, some early rain clearing this morning twenty the high
Central And to welcome.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
We go neither write a matter, Hello, good morning. So
a police station which closed ten years ago is being reopened.
Speaker 12 (23:39):
That's right, Andrew. Now look it's a police station custody unit. Now,
that's the one that's been reopened on the north Shore.
This is after being decommissioned for a decade ago. Actually,
so police say it's opening. That's going to support the
operations right across north Shore and Rodney, reducing the time
take and transporting people in custody. So the Wiamata East
District Council or East District Custody Unit, that's a big
(24:01):
enough thing to say. Based on the north Shore Policing
Center unit that's accepted its first attainees since twenty thirteen,
just yesterday morning. So Richard Chambers, the Police Commissioner, says,
this facility's really advanced technically and technologically and future focus
for custody staff.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
So it's all good, fabulous.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
How's the weather, well, cloudy conditions.
Speaker 12 (24:21):
We've got isolated light showers this morning, but then it's clearing.
Is going to be fine, fine, fine, high twenty.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Five, Thank you, Neva. It is seventeen to six. So
Peter Teal, you know, the US billionaire, the tech bro
who's right behind Donald Trump. He's winding down his New
Zealand business interests. He has wound down his company called Vala,
that was his only remaining connection to New Zealand apart
from his passport. He's still got a stake in a
(24:48):
Wellington based audiobook production outfit called book Track, and he
still has that one hundred and ninety hectare block of
farmland on the shores of Lake Wonica that he can't develop.
But here's the thing, Peter Teal, right, billionaire, he once
claimed he would turbo charge our tech sector, and he
found that no other country aligned more with my view
of the future than New Zealand. But obviously that's not true.
(25:10):
And for love inures. By the way, he made a
lot of money with that. He did a play into
zero right at the very beginning, back in two thousand
and seven. He bought into the company when the shares
were at one dollar. They then soared to more than
ninety dollars. So Peter Teel is out of here, but
he made a lot of money, speaking money, a lot
of money being spent on defense in the UK. We're
(25:31):
off to our correspondent, where's the kutter in just a
few moments time here on news Talk se B it's
sixteen to.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Six international correspondence with ends and eye insurance, Peace of
mind for New Zealand business.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Yeah, the time is how thirteen minutes to six were
off to the UK and we're joined now by Wesley
Smith Heller Wesley moy going to do how are you
very good? The big story right around the world is
seeing that Kirs Starmer wants to spend more on defense.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
Yeah, you know, if his intention to make the nations
sit up and listen, he certainly succeeded. Today. This speech,
which I listened to live, sounded to say that the
UK is on a war footing He described Russia as
a menace and said the UK needs a sharper focus
on defense, enhancing intelligence budgets too. Probably no coincidence had
caused Andrew that all this comes just ahead of his
(26:19):
trip to Washington to meet President Trump, who has raised
more than a few eyebrows with his recent comments on
the Ukraine War, appearing somewhat warmer should we say in
his approach to Vladimir Putin was Wastarmer spoke of his
visits to Ukraine and how he felt personally affected by
what he'd seen and said we must stand by its people.
So he needs to show now he means business in Washington,
(26:40):
but has a huge diplomatic to achieve. So he made
a point of underlining the UK's decades long mutually supportive
relationship with the US and said it must continue to
go from strength to strength. So in the comments he
pledged what he calls the biggest increase in defense spending
since the end of the Cold War, thirteen point four
billion pounds a year. I guess around thirty billion New
(27:01):
Zealand dollars from twenty to twenty seven. But on the
day householders here had energy prices will rise again from
April secure. Starmer said, we all have to shoulder some
of the burden through hard choices. Much of the funding
will come at the cost of international aid, although that's
a budget cut to almost half that and very much
to the disquiet of some who fear it will dentile
(27:21):
global reputation. He did say, however, he hoped it could
eventually be restored.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Yes, yes, the squeaking from aid agencies has you can
hear it over here in New Zealand, that's for sure.
They're really complaining about the whole thing. But at the
same time, it has been a very long time when
that any country has been on what you call war footing,
and that war footing all through the ages has always
meant hardships. So what interesting times we live in? Such
interesting times that apparently there is a solid gold toilet
(27:49):
seat worth what six million New Zealand dollars and it's
now been stolen it.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
It was an art installation, fully functioning eighteen carrot solid
gold toilet called America Make of that what you will,
by the artist Barizio Catalan. It was on display at
Blenham Palace, one of England's most lavish stately homes. Birthplace
of the wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill. Now it's taken
a while for this case to come to Oxford Crown Court,
as the said gold's toilet seat disappeared back in September
(28:18):
twenty nineteen, when ninety eight kilograms the gold alone was
valued at two point eight million pounds. It's never been recovered.
The court heard it had most likely been split up
into smaller amounts of gold. It only been on display
for a day when the overnight raid happened. Whoever removed
it used sledgehammers which were left at the sea with
water pouring out of the pipes. The entire operation, Andrew
(28:39):
only took about five minutes well, the prosecution claimed, in
a couple of days contact was made with a jeweler
in London's famous Hatton Garden, and the court heard a
lot of preparation must have happened before the raid, and
claim one of the men acused of the theft had
visited the exhibit and taken a photo just hours before
that raid. What three men are up in court and
the trial continues.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
When you have to go, you really have to go,
it seams and I thank you. That is Wesley Smith
that is ten to six. Andrew Diggers, there's some good
news for us on this Wednesday. Violent crime has increased
by has increased by two percent. Sorry, this is not
good news. Well would you say decrease? It should be
decreased by two percent for the first time since twenty eighteen.
New police data shows RAM raids down fifty eight percent.
(29:23):
Serious assaults were down one percent. Sorry, Retail crime itself
has trended upwards with a twelve percent increaset of theft.
So dairy business Owners Group Champis and Sunny Kassell joins
you right now. Hello, Sonny Cure, Andrew, how are you good?
So with the RAM raids down and the serious assaults down,
can we say that the tough on crime approach has worked.
Speaker 11 (29:45):
Well, it's a great beginning and a relief for retailers
and dairy owners. As you know, they lived in fear
every day for years, you know, and people are feeling
the difference between the two governments that you know are
soft on crime up versus getting tough on crime. So,
as you rightly said, the RAM rates are down. The
(30:05):
violent crime, which was increased fifty one percent between twenty
eighteen and twenty twenty three has a first time since
twenty eighteen. And also the back to basics model in
the policing model, it is working. As you could see
now the aggravator robberies are popped and you could see
Auckland CVD. It's you know, looks much safer than it
(30:28):
used to be. And here is also a difference I
guess between two police ministers, you know, Ginny Anderson until
twenty twenty three, who basically did nothing and it was
all talks, but versus Mark Mitchell who is making a difference.
So but there's a lot more to be done, and
I think there's a broad beginning.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Could we argue that with the violent climb down, the
ram rates down, the serious assaults down, those things that
has happened, But those bag dectors, those bad dudes now
actually going back to the old things, doing burglaries, that
they're doing theft and they're doing shoplifting.
Speaker 11 (31:03):
Well, look, this will take time and also there are
new solutions which would be required. You know, one side,
police are doing good job operationally, it's making a difference,
but we need to make sure that justice system also delivers.
The justice system need to be overhauled. They need to
(31:24):
get tough, and they need to be consequences. You know,
it's a time for a zero tolerance approach to crime offenders.
Regardless of their age, they must face real consequences for
the actions.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Sonny, thank you so much for your work and your advocacy,
and I thank you for your time. Today's Sunnykashaw from
the Dairy and Business Owners Group. It is now coming
up seven minutes to.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
Six on your radio and online on iHeartRadio Early Edition
with Andrew Dickens and One Roof. To make your property
search simple if you talk, said the.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Thank you if you take thirty two ninety two, and
yes it's true. When you're starting looking at statistick sometimes
they say one thing and they actually meet another. Texas says,
I think retail crime has probably gone up because police
are actually doing something about it. And that's true. They're
catching them, so therefore the numbers will go up. But
that doesn't necessarily mean the crime itself is going up.
But there we go. Show business US you two. Matt
(32:16):
the third anniversary of Russian's evasion of Ukraine with a
release of a reading of a poem called My Friendly
Epistle from our nineteenth century. Part read by Bono and
a company by a piano. I can think of nothing worse.
And Mega Markle has been dropped by her talent agency.
In news to warm Kate Hawksby's heart, and Mike Hasking
(32:36):
joins me.
Speaker 10 (32:36):
Now, morning, there's an announcement coming today. You'll be pleased
to know from the Retail Crime group. Remember Sunny Koschel
and his mates were just talk to them. Oh good,
So did he tell you what he's announcing? Well, they're
not announced citizens arrest. Yeah, and so it's got weird.
Did he say they're announcing, No, we didn't get there personally. No,
we'll see the gold the announced Justice Minister's coming to
(32:59):
you anyway. They go, that's what they're announcing today. So
along with the violent crime stats. So that's all good
because he's getting paid hundreds of dollars a day and
millions are not that I'm against some good luck, but
they've taken a long time to come up with all
the stuff they thought of at the very beginning.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
If you go back to you know, let's go back
to citizens arrest though. You know, that's great when it works,
but it's terrible when it doesn't. Well, it's not you
and me well, why where a citizen? Why can't we arrest?
Speaker 10 (33:22):
Well, yeah, but you know what I'm saying, it'll be
security guards and stuff. I mean, I'm not arresting anybody.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
I mean you will, You're very arresting.
Speaker 10 (33:29):
Maybe once maybe once. Maybe you do it once, see
if you're any good, and if you're good, you go.
Actually I might try another one if you live and
see see how it. Anyways, and economic zones that they're
looking at now they can't have Mars and place.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Good show and arm and Defense. I thank you, my
thanks to producer Kenzie, and I'm Andrew. I can see
you again tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live
to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
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
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.