The local body election is in full swing, and plenty of people have observed that the voter turnout is lower than the previous elections, despite campaigns attempting to fix these numbers.

Senior writer at the NZ Herald, Simon Wilson is saying the low voter turnout is a sign people are happy with our councils.

Simon Wilson joins us now to explain his thought process and why he has come to this conclusion.

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The local body election is in full swing, and plenty of people have observed that the voter turnout is lower than the previous elections, despite campaigns attempting to fix these numbers.
Senior writer at the NZ Herald, Simon Wilson is saying the low voter turnout is a sign people are happy with our councils.
Simon Wilson joins us now to explain his thought process and why he has come to this conclusion.
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

Simon Wilson: NZ Herald senior writer on why people aren't voting in local body election

We have a young producer working on this show called Jack, who’s recently moved over from London.

He asked us today why we're all so worked up about this one shooting on Ponsonby Road - and why if you open any of the local newspapers' websites today, it’s right there at the top of the front page.

As Jack says, this happens all the time in London, it's no big deal. He even watched a guy get knifed in a park in front of him while he was out having a durry not long before he moved here. He then went back inside to work at the radio station - and the knifing wasn’t even worth putting in the bulletin.

I can answer that question for Jack - the reason we are so worked up about this is because this is still new to us.

We can all remember a time when this kind of thing didn’t happen in nice places like Ponsonby. And it wasn’t that long ago - five years ago, maybe?

But then in the last few years, there was the shooting in Dr Rudi's on the Viaduct in Auckland, and the shooting in the Sofitel lobby in Wynyard Quarter, and there was the guy on the scooter who shot the other guy on Queen Street, and then the guy who took a gun to work and shot his co-workers on the construction site in Auckland CBD.

And it's still rare enough that the significant shootings in Auckland can still be recalled and counted on a hand - but I think we suspect that those, by contrast, innocent days are over.

We now have guys going out for a drink on a Sunday night with a firearm in a Guess manbag draped over their shoulder.

And I think we know why this has happened - because the Australians have deported hundreds, if not thousands of criminals, that are way harder and way more trigger happy than the ones we’ve gotten used to.

And unfortunately for us, they like going to the bars we go to. Nice people go to those bars - and so do these guys with the guns in their manbags. It's a bit freaky, isn’t it? 

And the most honest amongst us will admit it’s probably only a matter of years before we have the same reaction as Jack - and don't find it scary or interesting anymore.

LISTEN ABOVE

We have a young producer working on this show called Jack, who’s recently moved over from London.
He asked us today why we're all so worked up about this one shooting on Ponsonby Road - and why if you open any of the local newspapers' websites today, it’s right there at the top of the front page. As Jack says, this happens all the time in London, it's no big deal. He even watched a guy get knifed in a park in front of him while he was out having a durry not long before he moved here. He then went back inside to work at the radio station - and the knifing wasn’t even worth putting in the bulletin. I can answer that question for Jack - the reason we are so worked up about this is because this is still new to us.
We can all remember a time when this kind of thing didn’t happen in nice places like Ponsonby. And it wasn’t that long ago - five years ago, maybe? But then in the last few years, there was the shooting in Dr Rudi's on the Viaduct in Auckland, and the shooting in the Sofitel lobby in Wynyard Quarter, and there was the guy on the scooter who shot the other guy on Queen Street, and then the guy who took a gun to work and shot his co-workers on the construction site in Auckland CBD. And it's still rare enough that the significant shootings in Auckland can still be recalled and counted on a hand - but I think we suspect that those, by contrast, innocent days are over.
We now have guys going out for a drink on a Sunday night with a firearm in a Guess manbag draped over their shoulder. And I think we know why this has happened - because the Australians have deported hundreds, if not thousands of criminals, that are way harder and way more trigger happy than the ones we’ve gotten used to.
And unfortunately for us, they like going to the bars we go to. Nice people go to those bars - and so do these guys with the guns in their manbags. It's a bit freaky, isn’t it? And the most honest amongst us will admit it’s probably only a matter of years before we have the same reaction as Jack - and don't find it scary or interesting anymore.
LISTEN ABOVE

Heather du Plessis-Allan: Should we expect all this violence to be the new normal?

Political Correspondent Barry Soper wraps the political week.

The Deputy Prime Minister's facing defamation accusations from former Australia Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr, following comments Peters made about Carr's relationship with China.

Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan ‘Winston has been terribly diplomatic overseas, and maybe the diplomacy has gotten too much for him.

Peters says he was simply defending NZ’s foreign policy.

LISTEN ABOVE.

Political Correspondent Barry Soper wraps the political week.
The Deputy Prime Minister's facing defamation accusations from former Australia Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr, following comments Peters made about Carr's relationship with China.
Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan ‘Winston has been terribly diplomatic overseas, and maybe the diplomacy has gotten too much for him.
Peters says he was simply defending NZ’s foreign policy.
LISTEN ABOVE.

Political Correspondent Barry Soper wraps the political week

Wellington's Victoria University's controversial free speech debate is back on, with more speakers added. 

A panel discussion around the role of universities in free speech was meant to be held on Monday, but it was pushed to the end of May, after opposition from some students.

Victoria University Vice Chancellor Nic Smith told Heather du Plessis-Allan they've added more people than anticipated.

Smith said there’s now two debates - “People with a viewpoint, and people who are more interested in the principles and regulations of what speech is.”

LISTEN ABOVE.

Wellington's Victoria University's controversial free speech debate is back on, with more speakers added.  
A panel discussion around the role of universities in free speech was meant to be held on Monday, but it was pushed to the end of May, after opposition from some students. 
Victoria University Vice Chancellor Nic Smith told Heather du Plessis-Allan they've added more people than anticipated. 
Smith said there’s now two debates - “People with a viewpoint, and people who are more interested in the principles and regulations of what speech is.” 
LISTEN ABOVE.

Simon Wilson: NZ Herald senior writer on why people aren't voting in local body election

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