There are hopes thawing our frosty relationship with the Cook Islands shouldn't be too tough for the Foreign Minister. 

Winston Peters is meeting Prime Minister Mark Brown on his home turf after an Auckland meeting last month. 

Relations have been tense since the Cooks didn't consult with New Zealand on a partnership deal with China, despite our free association arrangement. 

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff told Ryan Bridge Peters should have the upper hand. 

He says Brown has an election this November and it's really unpopular among Cook Islanders to think they'd lose their New Zealand passports. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

There are hopes thawing our frosty relationship with the Cook Islands shouldn't be too tough for the Foreign Minister.&nbsp;
Winston Peters is meeting Prime Minister Mark Brown on his home turf after an Auckland meeting last month.&nbsp;
Relations have been tense since the Cooks didn't consult with New Zealand on a partnership deal with China, despite our free association arrangement.&nbsp;
Former Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff told Ryan Bridge Peters should have the upper hand.&nbsp;
He says Brown has an election this November and it's really unpopular among Cook Islanders to think they'd lose their New Zealand passports.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Phil Goff: Former Foreign Affairs Minister on the meeting between Winston Peters and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/41de17e6-5aea-4cd6-8723-b41e0164e15f/transcript

An Auckland councillor says people shouldn't read too much into yet another change to Auckland's density plan. 

The Government revised the Super-city's minimum housing capacity for a second time yesterday, settling on 1.4 million after continued push-back in some suburbs. 

Last month it reduced it from two-million homes to 1.6-million.  

Councillor Richard Hills told Ryan Bridge the latest number just feels like political game playing. 

He says legal requirements mean it'll likely end up near 1.6 million regardless. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

An Auckland councillor says people shouldn't read too much into yet another change to Auckland's density plan.&nbsp;
The Government revised the Super-city's minimum housing capacity for a second time yesterday, settling on 1.4 million after continued push-back in some suburbs.&nbsp;
Last month it reduced it from two-million homes to 1.6-million. &nbsp;
Councillor Richard Hills told Ryan Bridge the latest number just feels like political game playing.&nbsp;
He says legal requirements mean it'll likely end up near 1.6 million regardless.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Richard Hills: Auckland Councillor on the Government watering down the Auckland housing intensification plan

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/812a401b-1286-485a-9a35-b41e016f5e6d/transcript

All signs are pointing towards inflation going up - as the Middle East conflict causes business confidence to plummet. 

ANZ's latest Business Outlook survey shows most firms expect costs to increase as economic insecurity sets in. 

Most anticipate they'll raise prices in the next three months.

Retail and construction had the sharpest slides in confidence. 

Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive Simon Bridges told Ryan Bridge after the tariffs last year, this feels like a sense of deja vu.

He says this survey was from early days of the war - so things will likely get worse.

All signs are pointing towards inflation going up - as the Middle East conflict causes business confidence to plummet.&nbsp;
ANZ's latest Business Outlook survey shows most firms expect costs to increase as economic insecurity sets in.&nbsp;
Most anticipate they'll raise prices in the next three months.
Retail and construction had the sharpest slides in confidence.&nbsp;
Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive Simon Bridges told Ryan Bridge after the tariffs last year, this feels like a sense of deja vu.
He says this survey was from early days of the war - so things will likely get worse.

Simon Bridges: Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive on business confidence slumping amid oil shock

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/523f7d3d-a65e-4792-8d20-b41e011e036b/transcript

Remember the outrage over bureaucrats working for home, even though Covid was a distant memory? 

The Government came in and said they should all pack their lunch and go back to work. Problem is, this isn't happening. 

As you'll know from listening to this show, ACC has already staged a backdown, now MBIE is doing the same. 

To her credit, Fleur Fitzsimons at the PSA union, has lawyered up and successfully argued workers' collective contacts allowed them to work from home. Now, the policy to restrict WFH, or what they call 'flexible work', is heading for the bin.

Some ACC staff only have to be in the office two days a week - the equivalent of a weekend at the office. Days off, or at home, are usually Fridays and Mondays, conveniently. 

This is all in spite of the fact management at ACC said staff are less productive and it's a culture killer. 

Now I don't blame the workers here, or the Union. They're exercising their rights and won before it even got to Employment Relations Authority. 

Good on them. 

But for anyone who runs a business in the private sector, or works in one, this sort of stuff makes your blood boil. 

If it's good enough for us, why not them? Do they really work as much or efficiently at home?

Why was this clause written into their collective contracts the first place? Surely, once they expire, the next offer of work might require workers to actually turn up for work.

Remember the outrage over bureaucrats working for home, even though Covid was a distant memory?&nbsp;
The Government came in and said they should all pack their lunch and go back to work. Problem is, this isn't happening.&nbsp;
As you'll know from listening to this show, ACC has already staged a backdown, now MBIE is doing the same.&nbsp;
To her credit, Fleur Fitzsimons at the PSA union, has lawyered up and successfully argued workers' collective contacts allowed them to work from home. Now, the policy to restrict WFH, or what they call 'flexible work', is heading for the bin.
Some ACC staff only have to be in the office two days a week - the equivalent of a weekend at the office.&nbsp;Days off, or at home, are usually Fridays and Mondays, conveniently.&nbsp;
This is all in spite of the fact management at ACC said staff are less productive and it's a culture killer.&nbsp;
Now I don't blame the workers here, or the Union. They're exercising their rights and won before it even got to Employment Relations Authority.&nbsp;
Good on them.&nbsp;
But for anyone who runs a business in the private sector, or works in one, this sort of stuff makes your blood boil.&nbsp;
If it's good enough for us, why not them?&nbsp;Do they really work as much or efficiently at home?
Why was this clause written into their collective contracts the first place?&nbsp;Surely, once they expire, the next offer of work might require workers to actually turn up for work.

Ryan Bridge: Bureaucrats shouldn't get work from home flexibility

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/7537acb5-b157-45fb-8753-b41e011d47c5/transcript

Phil Goff: Former Foreign Affairs Minister on the meeting between Winston Peters and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown

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