Clinicians across the country are reportedly drawing on COVID-era measures as influenza cases surge.

Respiratory illness have reached their highest numbers since 2015 - with 177 people hospitalised in Auckland last week.

Health NZ is urging people to save emergency departments for emergencies, as ambulance services struggle to meet demand.

University of Canterbury Biological Mathematician Michael Plank tells Heather du Plessis-Allan that hospitalisations could increase as the flu takes hold.

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Clinicians across the country are reportedly drawing on COVID-era measures as influenza cases surge.
Respiratory illness have reached their highest numbers since 2015 - with 177 people hospitalised in Auckland last week.
Health NZ is urging people to save emergency departments for emergencies, as ambulance services struggle to meet demand.
University of Canterbury Biological Mathematician Michael Plank tells Heather du Plessis-Allan that hospitalisations could increase as the flu takes hold.
LISTEN ABOVE

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Professor Michael Plank: Biological Mathematician on how hospitals are fearing as the worst flu in years hits our health system

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/840864a2-daa4-4325-85a4-b4ad0057655a/transcript

Tonight on The Huddle, Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani and Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

The Government has confirmed it's moving forward with the under-16 social media ban - and tougher measures will be put on the big tech companies to protect children and young people online. Do we see this working out?

Labour has unveiled their new political slogan ahead of the election - Better Starts Now. What do we make of this? How can National fire back?

National has officially confirmed they won't be introducing any new taxes ahead of the election. Do we think this is the right move? Is this too focus-group driven? 

LISTEN ABOVE

Tonight on The Huddle, Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani and Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
The Government has confirmed it's moving forward with the under-16 social media ban - and tougher measures will be put on the big tech companies to protect children and young people online. Do we see this working out?
Labour has unveiled their new political slogan ahead of the election - Better Starts Now. What do we make of this? How can National fire back?
National has officially confirmed they won't be introducing any new taxes ahead of the election. Do we think this is the right move? Is this too focus-group driven?&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

The Huddle: What do we make of Labour's election slogan?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/1979f026-941c-4f37-91c9-b4b0007bb32a/transcript

Okay, if you voted in the last election to see a tidy-up of the creep of Treaty principles throughout our statute books, you should be very disappointed by what ACT did when it basically walked away from Treaty principles altogether.

ACT announced it's going to change the Constitution Act instead of trying to pass the Treaty Principles Bill again.

It's going to add three principles to the Constitution Act:
Parliament is sovereign.
The rule of law is fundamental.
All New Zealanders are equal before the law.

ACT seems to think this will largely achieve the same outcome, but without the drama of starting another Treaty debate and having a hīkoi to Parliament.

Now, maybe they're right. But my suspicion is that this will be of no consequence whatsoever - because just because you say in a piece of legislation that all New Zealanders are equal before the law doesn't mean that's what Health New Zealand is going to do when it decides, once again, to roll out free GP visits in Hawke's Bay to people from only two ethnic groups.

But it gets even worse, because it has now become abundantly clear that the Government, and by that I mean all three coalition parties, are deliberately moving at a snail's pace, in my opinion, on the other Treaty principles issue: the promise to delete or amend all the Treaty-principles clauses in 19 pieces of legislation.

Paul Goldsmith has been working on that for an extraordinarily long time and still hasn't managed to get it before Parliament. 

It may not even receive a first reading before the election, which means that after the next election, whatever Government takes office can simply dump it, say they've moved on and claim they have other priorities.

Which means that if you didn't like the idea of school boards being forced to give effect to the Treaty, tough luck.

They still have to and they probably still will have to indefinitely because National, New Zealand First and ACT have basically decided this is all just a little too hard.

So, as I say, if you voted in 2023 ...

LISTEN ABOVE

Okay, if you voted in the last election to see a tidy-up of the creep of Treaty principles throughout our statute books, you should be very disappointed by what ACT did when it basically walked away from Treaty principles altogether.
ACT announced it's going to change the Constitution Act instead of trying to pass the Treaty Principles Bill again.
It's going to add three principles to the Constitution Act:
<ol>
<li>Parliament is sovereign.</li>
<li>The rule of law is fundamental.</li>
<li>All New Zealanders are equal before the law.</li>
</ol>
ACT seems to think this will largely achieve the same outcome, but without the drama of starting another Treaty debate and having a hīkoi to Parliament.
Now, maybe they're right. But my suspicion is that this will be of no consequence whatsoever - because just because you say in a piece of legislation that all New Zealanders are equal before the law doesn't mean that's what Health New Zealand is going to do when it decides, once again, to roll out free GP visits in Hawke's Bay to people from only two ethnic groups.
But it gets even worse, because it has now become abundantly clear that the Government, and by that I mean all three coalition parties, are deliberately moving at a snail's pace, in my opinion, on the other Treaty principles issue: the promise to delete or amend all the Treaty-principles clauses in 19 pieces of legislation.
Paul Goldsmith has been working on that for an extraordinarily long time and still hasn't managed to get it before Parliament.&nbsp;
It may not even receive a first reading before the election, which means that after the next election, whatever Government takes office can simply dump it, say they've moved on and claim they have other priorities.
Which means that if you didn't like the idea of school boards being forced to give effect to the Treaty, tough luck.
They still have to and they probably still will have to indefinitely because National, New Zealand First and ACT have basically decided this is all just a little too hard.
So, as I say, if you voted in 2023 ...
LISTEN ABOVE

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: How disappointing is ACT's Constitution Act proposal?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/675dd58c-c868-4143-b13a-b4b00071fbbf/transcript

The National Party has confirmed it's not going to introduce any new taxes if elected for a second term.

Earlier this month, it indicated  it was looking at new bank tax settings and progressing a bed tax, but they've ruled those out.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the party was very clear two weeks ago - and they've clarified these new taxes have been ruled out.

"The three parties of the coalition - National, New Zealand Fist and ACT - agreed to explore it, only explore it...and we've come to our campaign position, which is that we will not do it." 

LISTEN ABOVE

The National Party has confirmed it's not going to introduce any new taxes if elected for a second term.
Earlier this month, it indicated &nbsp;it was looking at new bank tax settings and progressing a bed tax, but they've ruled those out.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the party was very clear two weeks ago - and they've clarified these new taxes have been ruled out.
"The three parties of the coalition - National, New Zealand Fist and ACT - agreed to explore it, only explore it...and we've come to our campaign position, which is that we will not do it."&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Nicola Willis: Finance Minister on National promising not to introduce new taxes if elected for a second term

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/34ce137d-7702-4c5b-b850-b4b000708fe1/transcript

Professor Michael Plank: Biological Mathematician on how hospitals are fearing as the worst flu in years hits our health system

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