Larry Williams Drive

Afghanistan refugees, more than 1500 have arrived. Another select committee blocks a Minister from being questioned. Louisa Wall's going and so is Queenstown's tireless mayor Jim Boult. Political editor Barry Soper joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labor is trying to recover/reset after a disastrous first week of the campaign.  Govt accuses Labor of being soft on asylum seeker boats. Sydney Airport struggling on the busiest day in 2 years! Australian correspondent Murray Olds joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim Southee has won a gong. Big homecoming for the Phoenix – first game home in a couple of years is on Sunday. The Blues vs Crusaders is tomorrow. D’Arcy Waldegrave joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been a drop in cancer diagnoses and surgeries this year as Omicron hit. It's hit Māori and Pasifika people especially hard.  There were 16 per cent fewer cancer diagnoses for Māori in January and February compared to last year. Cancer surgeries for Māori were also down 22 per cent.  For the rest of the population, surgeries for the likes of prostate and lung cancer were down by nine per cent.Diana Sarfiti, Head of the Government's Cancer Control Agency, joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I took public transport into town and wandered through the CBD. I was pretty excited. We are now at orange. You can have as many people as you like inside a building.  So, the CBD workers should be streaming back. Everything should be banging. Shops humming and bars thumping. But it wasn't. It was worse than ever. It was deader than a red traffic light Tuesday. Now, this could just be because we're on the edge of Easter. Indeed, the advice from my CEO is that most of our workers will start to return to the office after the holidays. But the question remains after 2 years, how many will want to come back. And with proof that productivity is not affected by their attendance in the office, why should they? The question was asked of Chris Hipkins this morning. If you want to get the nation back and thriving then shouldn't you be ordering civil servants back to the office to kick start a CBD recovery. The question could also have been asked of all our mayors. Let's get the council workers back in the office

Boris Johnson and his chancellor are not going anywhere despite being fined for breaking lockdown rules. The latest record increase in the cost-of-living crisis. How did the Queen manage to avoid lockdown hair at the beginning of the pandemic? UK correspondent Gavin Grey joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An emotional day for both sides of the ditch. Our borders fully reopened today to Australians for the first time since the popping of the trans-Tasman bubble last year. Given the importance of Australian travellers to our tourism sector, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is determined to roll out the welcome mat. As a matter of fact, she's actually at Wellington Airport right now to welcome as many of them personally as she can. Newstalk ZB reporter Nick James is also there. He joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Trethewey from Milford Asset Management joined Andrew Dickens on the local sharemarket after the decision by the RBNZ to lift the official cash rate. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ANZ and BNZ are the first ones out of the block. Both lifting home loan interest rates after the Reserve Bank's OCR call today.  The RBNZ decided to go with a double rate hike to fight inflation. Which is expected to hit 7 percent by the middle of the year.  Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can pash a stranger on the dancefloor but have to wear a mask when at the supermarket, does this make any sense at all?  The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case from a bunch of young people who want to lower the voting age to 16. Do you reckon they'll have a chance? Do you care whether politicians know the unemployment rate and the OCR off the top of their heads? Trish Sherson, Sherson Willis PR, and Simon Wilson, senior writer NZ Herald, joined Andrew Dickens on the Huddle. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Council's running out of money to fund services. Mayor Phil Goff says he has no choice but to cut back services and push back projects due to rising construction costs, supply chain problems and falling revenue.  On the chopping block could be public transport routes, grants for the art sector, and regional sport.  Phil Goff joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Covid Minister Chris Hipkins has apologised for misreading his lines at today's 1pm stand up and causing confusion around mask rules.  He stumbled when asked about which locations required people to be masked up in the new orange setting, which comes into play at midnight. Hipkins told Andrew Dickens he had added to the confusion. “Look, I’ll own that one, I made a mistake today.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The supreme court has agreed to hear the voting age challenge from the Make it 16 group. That group believes it's age discrimination that 16- and 17-year-olds can't vote.  The Court of Appeal actually agreed with that but refused to issue a formal declaration of inconsistency with the Bill of Rights. That's what the group is after from the Supreme Court.Make it 16 spokesperson, Mia Rennie joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank's reacted to rising inflation with a double hike of the Official Cash Rate.  It now sits at 1.5 percent. ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley told Andrew Dickens we have rampant inflation and demand is well outstripping the ability to keep up with that. “The Reserve Bank’s job is to basically pull that demand down, unfortunately, that does mean slowing the economy down to something a lot more sustainable and as we’re already starting to see, one of the casualties of that is the housing market was already softening.” Meanwhile, ANZ's upping rates on its fixed and floating home loans, savings and term investments are on the back of the OCR hike. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bye bye red light, the country is moving on and from midnight tonight we'll be in orange.  This means yes to a boogie on the dance floor and no more mask requirements at schools or at hospitality venues.  But Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins had trouble explaining why you still have to wear a mask at the shops. Greg Harford, Chief Executive of Retail NZ, joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The traffic lights have changed, but does Chris Hipkins know? The OCR, interest rates are expected to rise. Should the Ukrainian President be addressing our Parliament?  Political editor Barry Soper joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest on the subway attack in New York.   The first day of testimony in the Johnny Depp defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard. Inflation is at the highest point in 40 years. US correspondent Katherine Firkin joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RTS returning to the Blues line-up – and this Friday they're hoping to end their Christchurch hoodoo. Panthers have created a cleary super-team, signing Ivan and Nathan for five years. Elliot Smith joined Andrew Dickens. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's recorded its highest annual food price increase in more than a decade. The latest Stats NZ data shows food prices were 7.6 percent higher in March compared with the same time last year – the largest increase since July 2011. Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark told Andrew Dickens the figure highlights the role the grocery sector is playing in driving up prices. “Globally, we know we have inflation going on, that’s true, but what we can see here is that the food price index has gone ahead of inflation.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, congratulations New Zealand.   We're in Orange.   2 years and 1 month after the first lockdown we emerge into the autumn sun. I can go to my Midnight Oil gig I've been holding the tickets for forever. My better half has been looking at the cost of airfares to New York. Everyone in my immediate family has kept their jobs. The vaccine mandates have effectively gone for most. Only 1 person in my extended family has died. High five. Essentially though this will make no difference to the life I'm already living. I've been going to the gym every day. I've been coming to work, I've been using public transport. I've actually been to more restaurants and cafes than ever have as I look to support hospo. But I know that there are many people who haven't been that free and today will be a revolution. Enjoy it. So, to masks. Which remains an area of regulation. Explaining where and when fell to Chris Hipkins today, Despite knowing this would be a thing he managed to fluff it and confuse everyone. Nor did he have a pit