More Aucklanders are hopping on bikes. 

According to Auckland Transport, the city is quickly becoming the cycling mecca of the South Pacific, with a huge surge in cyclists - May the busiest month in decades. 

They say trips are up more than 14% on last year – driven by new cycleways, high fuel costs, and growing demand for cheaper, healthier travel. 

AT's Head of Active Modes Tania Loveridge told Kerre Woodham the key routes they’re starting to see high volumes of cyclists are the big commuter ways that connect into the city centre. 

She says the intention is to create a connected network, not just for cycling, but also into the wider public transport network, so people can take their bike and then jump on the train, for example.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

More Aucklanders are hopping on bikes.&nbsp;
According to Auckland Transport, the city is quickly becoming the cycling mecca of the South Pacific, with a huge surge in cyclists - May the busiest month in decades.&nbsp;
They say trips are up more than 14% on last year – driven by new cycleways, high fuel costs, and growing demand for cheaper, healthier travel.&nbsp;
AT's Head of Active Modes Tania Loveridge told Kerre Woodham the key routes they’re starting to see high volumes of cyclists are the big commuter ways that connect into the city centre.&nbsp;
She says the intention is to create a connected network, not just for cycling, but also into the wider public transport network, so people can take their bike and then jump on the train, for example. &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Join Kerre Woodham one of New Zealand’s best loved personalities as she dishes up a bold, sharp and energetic show Monday to Friday 9am-12md on Newstalk ZB. News, opinion, analysis, lifestyle and entertainment – we’ve got your morning listening covered.

Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

Tania Loveridge: Auckland Transport Head of Active Modes on the growing number of Aucklanders cycling

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/24c26295-fdf1-4682-bffa-b4720017720d/transcript

Now I mentioned Thomas Coughlan's excellent piece in the Herald yesterday. He looked at the costings for Labour's policies so far. He got the Treasury costings for them, got Nicola Willis, the Finance Minister's accusations about lack of detail, crunched it right down to give us the best possible chance of getting a real world look at the numbers and whether Labour will be able to afford the policies. It is well worth a read if you haven't already. We'll talk to Thomas tomorrow about the importance of costing all of the parties' different promises. It's not just Labour's, it's just that they've released probably the most policy thus far, shockingly, given how late they were to the party. 

But all the mainstream media seem to be producing excellent analyses of the different parties' pledges and promises, and we have to read them as we go up to the election. It is so important that we know what we're voting for, what the implications will be if our party of choice is elected. And it doesn't really matter whether you're voting out of self-interest, what's in it for me, whether you're voting for tomorrow's New Zealanders, you have to understand what you're voting for, how it will be paid for, how far in the future the payments are going to be if it's a very expensive promise and pledge, what the bottom lines are. We have to know what we're voting for. 

Radio New Zealand's looked at the different new taxes being proposed by different parties. Basically, they've looked at the capital gains tax from Labour with comment from economists. They've looked at the land value tax from the Opportunity Party and the Green Party's capital acquisition tax, which is essentially an inheritance tax. And oops on the accounting error from the Greens. What's $800 million here and there, really? Not a great start, but there we go.  

Newsroom has an opinion piece from Sir Geoffrey Palmer and Andrew Butler claiming that the current Government has enacted laws far too quickly with inadequate consultation or analysis before they're enacted. And they have exhorted people to ask the different parties before the election what the party's attitude is towards the taking of urgency on legislation. The present coalition government has taken record amounts, they say, of urgency and has also avoided select committee scrutiny altogether on some important bills. That's where you get to ask questions of it and test the bill, really. And it's true that the coalition National government has passed more than 90 unique bills using parliamentary urgency since coming to office, nearly half of all the bills passed. 

Palmer and Butler have a point that it is not good for democracy when the normal protocols are bypassed. But Sir Geoffrey has either forgotten or learned from his mistakes – he was a senior member of the fourth Labour Government, which accorded urgency to a total of 152 bills. Of that total, 107 passed through all the stages under urgency during their term. The paper that the bills were written on was coming off and before the ink was even dry, people were voting on them. Sir Geoffrey is no stranger to urgency and perhaps he's learned that it's wiser to take time before you pass laws. 

There's a lot that we can do to keep ourselves informed. There's a lot that we can do to understand the implications of what we're voting for. There's a lot that we can do to make politicians more accountable. But what the politicians are relying on is that this stuff is really hard, and it is. And they're making it even harder. Both Labour and the Coalition Government have been very slow to respond to requests for official information. Some of it is vexatious, some of the requests are vexatious and just designed to really annoy and take up the time of the people in charge, but a lot of it is not. It is hard to find the information, to get the information, to compare the information with other information from different agencies and then be able to form a conclusion from it. It's really difficult. 

But our media's trying to do that on our behalf, and I think thus far they are doing a pretty good job. The politicians and the public service are relying on people to be as complacent as possible. Too busy, too busy working hard, too busy working hard with the kids. You do the thinking for me, you make the decisions for me, and then we moan when we don't like them. I mean, you look at Sir Keir Starmer – gone. Six Prime Ministers in Britain since Brexit because people don't like the news that they're getting. They want somebody to tell them it's going to be all right, and it's not. The world is in a parlous state, and we either have to cut our spending dramatically, and this is the Western world over, or increase taxes or some other way of revenue, getting revenue. It's really difficult. And so we have to know what we're voting for. The onus is on us starting from this election onwards to be informed as we possibly can. Democracy, from the Greek, rule by the people. Let us put the 'demos', the people, back into democracy. 

Now I mentioned Thomas Coughlan's excellent piece in the Herald yesterday. He looked at the costings for Labour's policies so far. He got the Treasury costings for them, got Nicola Willis, the Finance Minister's accusations about lack of detail, crunched it right down to give us the best possible chance of getting a real world look at the numbers and whether Labour will be able to afford the policies. It is well worth a read if you haven't already. We'll talk to Thomas tomorrow about the importance of costing all of the parties' different promises. It's not just Labour's, it's just that they've released probably the most policy thus far, shockingly, given how late they were to the party.&nbsp;
But all the mainstream media seem to be producing excellent analyses of the different parties' pledges and promises, and we have to read them as we go up to the election. It is so important that we know what we're voting for, what the implications will be if our party of choice is elected. And it doesn't really matter whether you're voting out of self-interest, what's in it for me, whether you're voting for tomorrow's New Zealanders, you have to understand what you're voting for, how it will be paid for, how far in the future the payments are going to be if it's a very expensive promise and pledge, what the bottom lines are. We have to know what we're voting for.&nbsp;
Radio New Zealand's looked at the different new taxes being proposed by different parties. Basically, they've looked at the capital gains tax from Labour with comment from economists. They've looked at the land value tax from the Opportunity Party and the Green Party's capital acquisition tax, which is essentially an inheritance tax. And oops on the accounting error from the Greens. What's $800 million here and there, really? Not a great start, but there we go. &nbsp;
Newsroom has an opinion piece from Sir Geoffrey Palmer and Andrew Butler claiming that the current Government has enacted laws far too quickly with inadequate consultation or analysis before they're enacted. And they have exhorted people to ask the different parties before the election what the party's attitude is towards the taking of urgency on legislation. The present coalition government has taken record amounts, they say, of urgency and has also avoided select committee scrutiny altogether on some important bills. That's where you get to ask questions of it and test the bill, really. And it's true that the coalition National government has passed more than 90 unique bills using parliamentary urgency since coming to office, nearly half of all the bills passed.&nbsp;
Palmer and Butler have a point that it is not good for democracy when the normal protocols are bypassed. But Sir Geoffrey has either forgotten or learned from his mistakes – he was a senior member of the fourth Labour Government, which accorded urgency to a total of 152 bills. Of that total, 107 passed through all the stages under urgency during their term. The paper that the bills were written on was coming off and before the ink was even dry, people were voting on them. Sir Geoffrey is no stranger to urgency and perhaps he's learned that it's wiser to take time before you pass laws.&nbsp;
There's a lot that we can do to keep ourselves informed. There's a lot that we can do to understand the implications of what we're voting for. There's a lot that we can do to make politicians more accountable. But what the politicians are relying on is that this stuff is really hard, and it is. And they're making it even harder. Both Labour and the Coalition Government have been very slow to respond to requests for official information. Some of it is vexatious, some of the requests are vexatious and just designed to really annoy and take up the time of the people in charge, but a lot of it is not. It is hard to find the information, to get the information, to compare the information with other information from different agencies and then be able to form a conclusion from it. It's really difficult.&nbsp;
But our media's trying to do that on our behalf, and I think thus far they are doing a pretty good job. The politicians and the public service are relying on people to be as complacent as possible. Too busy, too busy working hard, too busy working hard with the kids. You do the thinking for me, you make the decisions for me, and then we moan when we don't like them. I mean, you look at Sir Keir Starmer – gone. Six Prime Ministers in Britain since Brexit because people don't like the news that they're getting. They want somebody to tell them it's going to be all right, and it's not. The world is in a parlous state, and we either have to cut our spending dramatically, and this is the Western world over, or increase taxes or some other way of revenue, getting revenue. It's really difficult. And so we have to know what we're voting for. The onus is on us starting from this election onwards to be informed as we possibly can. Democracy, from the Greek, rule by the people. Let us put the 'demos', the people, back into democracy.&nbsp;

Kerre Woodham: Let's put the 'demos' back in democracy

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/46b7959a-2f53-4fa6-9417-b4720009337a/transcript

The Financial Services Council is backing National’s KiwiSaver overhaul, saying it’ll boost long-term savings.

Plans include lifting contribution rates to 12%, making the scheme compulsory, and enrolling Kiwis at birth with a $1500 kickstart — plus extending support for parents and over-65s.

Financial Services Council Chief Executive Kirk Hope joins Kerre Woodham to discuss the changes, and the effect it will have on Kiwis going forward. 

LISTEN ABOVE

The Financial Services Council is backing National’s KiwiSaver overhaul, saying it’ll boost long-term savings.
Plans include lifting contribution rates to 12%, making the scheme compulsory, and enrolling Kiwis at birth with a $1500 kickstart — plus extending support for parents and over-65s.
Financial Services Council Chief Executive Kirk Hope joins Kerre Woodham to discuss the changes, and the effect it will have on Kiwis going forward.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Kirk Hope: Financial Services Council Chief Executive backs National's Kiwisaver overhaul

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/e7637e44-99ab-43ce-b1d9-b4710011278a/transcript

Very shortly public voting will be underway for the Spark Retail NZ's People's Choice award.

The People’s Choice Award recognises a retailer that has made a genuine, positive impact on its customers.

Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young said it's important to allow Kiwis to have a say in who they think deserves the award.

Voting is open from Friday the 26th, and the awards ceremony will be on the 3rd of September.

LISTEN ABOVE

Very shortly public voting will be underway for the Spark Retail NZ's People's Choice award.
The People’s Choice Award recognises a retailer that has made a genuine, positive impact on its customers.
Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young said it's important to allow Kiwis to have a say in who they think deserves the award.
Voting is open from Friday the 26th, and the awards ceremony will be on the 3rd of September.
LISTEN ABOVE

Carolyn Young: Retail NZ Chief Executive discusses the upcoming vote for the Spark Retail NZ's People's Choice award

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/f09e9900-5544-4ea2-8ed9-b46e002ce795/transcript

Tania Loveridge: Auckland Transport Head of Active Modes on the growing number of Aucklanders cycling

In 1 playlist(s)

Kerre Woodham Mornings Podcast

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips