Andrew Dickens Afternoons

It was a very entertaining morning listening to our breakfast host lose a significant part of his rag over the well-meaning twaddle that comes out of the clean green mob.
It started early just after the 6.30am news, when a hapless solar power enthusiast got a little casual with his language. He called an increase in sales of electric vehicles a “rapid uptake”.
🠶 Mike's Minute: Why the lobbyists are wrong about EVs
Mike wasn’t having that. Electric Vehicle fleet numbers in New Zealand are still around 12,000.  Yes, that’s doubled but from a low base. He doesn’t call that a rapid uptake.
That said to go from 6000 last year, to 12,000 this year is still not nothing.  And if you stuck those 12,000 vehicles in a line at a service station waiting for a fill up you wouldn’t call that a line little.
So let’s just get accurate and call it what it is. It’s two per cent of our fleet that has been chosen by people because it fits their needs and outlooks and on the whole, all the EV owners feel very satisfied with their decision.
It’s become an issue because yesterday, the government announced an $11 million increase in funding to support the EV fleet lifting their total commitment to around $60 million.
What’s interesting about that is the funding of recharge stations around the country and the increase in funding will provide recharge stations in more remote locations like right through the MacKenzie Country and up to Mount Cook.
I, like Mike, wonder why the funding of recharge stations is the taxpayers' responsibility. When cars took over from horses did the government fund service stations? If the EV industry can’t fund its own basic infrastructure then that’s a worry for its sustainability.
One could say the same of public transport which cannot fund itself by fares alone. However, the governmental subsidies public transport receives is an investment that saves on the productivity costs. If everyone abandoned public transport and used their own transport, this country would grind to a halt.  I don’t think there’s the same imperative with EV charging stations.
And the new age of renewable energy transport has to be able to stand on its own feet.
I’ll give you an example, everyone knows I’m a bike riding hipster who’s used bicycles to commute with since I was 10.  I love the freedom from congestion and the freedom from parking hassles.  For journeys of five to 10 kilometres, I am substantially quicker than a car and it's fun
So you’d think that I would be a prime contender for the electric bicycle revolution. Yet recently when faced with the need to get another form of transport due to a household capacity issue I did not buy an electric bike.
Instead, I bought an emission belching, two-stroke, 50cc scooter, which, by the way, I’m loving. Why? Well, I picked up a doozy for $2000. To get a decent electric bike I’d have to spend considerably more than that. If I could have found a $1000 electric bike I would have been in like Flynn.
So a message to the renewable energy transport people. 
It’s not happening until the cost of the clean vehicles is no more than the dirty ones.  And that’s not the government’s responsibility.  It’s the people who make the things in the first place.

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Yesterday we discovered that the eighth most expensive city for housing in the world is Tauranga, where it takes more than nine times the median annual income to buy the median house. We also heard that Auckland was not too far behind. The lowest was Manawatu where the ration was five. 
Now, by the way, it was not widely reported that using the demographic rating system it is believed that the affordable level is three times and under.  Anything over five they class as severely unaffordable. Just about everywhere in this beautiful country is severely unaffordable. 
So the headlines were full of New Zealand’s housing affordability crisis.
And then just like that, as I left the studio, I discovered that an Auckland councillor had come into our building and dropped off a copy of his book to every on-air staff member.
The councillor’s name is Greg Sayers and his book is called "How to Fix Auckland’s Housing Crisis". But the problems he documents are spreading so I’d rename it New Zealand’s Housing crisis if you’re doing a reprint.
It’s a pretty good read actually. In 166 pages it highlights the problems that have been caused by population growth, both natural and immigrated. The lack of foresight with planning and the excessive bureaucracy at both national and local level, that has made things so expensive. It also documents the social problems that come with it in terms of poverty, the elderly and the transport problems.
But I think we’ve all become pretty good at talking about the problems. What we really need is a genius with some answers.
So Greg’s book has four solutions in its conclusion. He wants homebuyers to be able to insure their property against poor workmanship. Which makes sense. At the moment the cautiousness of our councils over standards and consents is because they hold all the risk management.
He would like to see developers given the option of developing their own infrastructure, rather than having to connect to the Council’s monopoly on services. In other words, deregulation. Whether that would create a workable citywide system is a little debatable and the other issue is whether you trust developers. Nothing personal but some developers might have been known, from time to time, to shave a little off budgets to help their margins.
He’d like to see user pays infrastructure development such as at the Milldale suburb where homeowners pay a little off yearly for infrastructure to new builds rather than having it all piled onto initial purchase price. That’s a good idea. So good it’s already happening.
But his main thing is getting rid of the rural-urban boundary. And that’s where he loses me. I’ve heard this trumpeted through the ages. 
That would make for sprawling raggedy development. Yes, it would give some short term relief but it would create long term problems. In fact, I’d argue that the transport problems we have in a number of our cities is entirely because of unfettered sprawl at the edges.  
But good on Greg for raising the issues again. Councils have taken advantage of Phil Twyford’s desire to solve our housing woes singlehandedly and debates about their performance has ebbed away. The one thing I definitely know about our housing affordability crisis is that not one person caused it and not one person will solve it.

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A story about the country's southernmost bach has sparked a discussion on the necessity of a holiday property.
Kidney Fern, a Stewart Island bach only accessible by water or by a lengthy hike, has gone on sale and could be yours for $500,000.
However, Andrew Dickens asked baches are still worth the cost. When they are only used several days a year and come with the added taxes, is the idea of a Kiwi bach a thing of the past?
Caller Neville shared his story of how owning one simply proved too costly for his family, due to issues like maintenance, and they ended up selling it off.
LISTEN TO THE TALKBACK ABOVE

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It's usually women who are accused of dressing the same, but one shirt has proved the old theory wrong.
An orange striped shirt has shown up at music festivals all across Australia, sparking much hilarity on social media.
The men's shirt, ironically enough called 'Festival Shirt', costs just AU$29.99 from Cotton On, and is seemingly quite popular. 
One writer for website Junkee went out to find the shirt at the FOMO Festival, and came across dozens of people all adorned in the uniform-like shirt












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The unfortunate fashion trend sparked some debate between Tim and Raylene about festival culture and youth fashion. 
LISTEN TO RAYLENE TALK WITH TIM ROXBOROGH ABOVE

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LISTEN TO MIKE KERNAGHAN TALK WITH TIM ROXBOROGH ABOVE
Allergic reactions could be one reason why Cancer Society sunscreen didn't work on a young child, the organisation says. 
The mother of four-month-old baby Noah Watson went public about her son's severe burns over the weekend; even after his mother generously applied Cancer Society SPF50 sunscreen on him.
Cancer Society NZ chief Mike Kernaghan said they were in the process of investigating up to 30 complaints from people and were also speaking with Noah’s family.
.Up to 60 complaints were received by the Cancer Society each year.
The process investigated the complaint itself in the first instance, he said, rather than the product.
Kernaghan told Tim Roxborogh that his gut response is that could have been some sort of allergic reaction.
While he has no certainity around it, Kernaghan says that the fact the sunscreen is manufactured in Australia, where it is classed as a medicine, could have had an effect.
“There are strict manufacturing processes around any medicine.”
Kernaghan says that the sunscreen Lyndall Watson has complained about was recently tested and came back with positive results.
"We've very confident that we meet the SPF claims on the label."
Four-month-old baby Noah suffered blister burns despite using SPF50 Cancer Society sunscreen. Photo / Supplied
Kernaghan stressed they took every complaint seriously, but acknowledged that they were very confident with their available products and the SPF protection levels they carried.
He says he wants to reassure everyone that Cancer Society sunscreen that it will provide the protection.
“However, we are not all the same. Some of us have skin allergies that others don’t.”
Kernaghan says that sunscreen is only one part of the process, and that wearing appropriate clothing and hats and finding shade.
Noah’s experience has sparked many readers of the New Zealand Herald to come forward with their own experiences.
Among some of the products blasted by readers are those from top brands Cancer Society, Banana Boat - which has a range specifically for children - Neutrogena and Coola.
Larissa Thompson said her family had been put off using Cancer Society sunscreen products in future after her teenage daughter suffered burns to her back.
"I have had [to] apologise to my 15-year-old daughter, who came back from the beach looking like a pink flamingo, as I accused her of not using sunscreen.
"Lizzy has pale skin and very conscious of her susceptibility to being burnt if she didn't cover up.
"So she was applying thickly every half hour but it was completely useless. She may as well have applied moisturiser for all the good it did.
Thompson said she had bought her girl a tube of the Cancer Society's SPF50+ sunscreen just before Christmas. It was a brand the family had always used and with no problems.
A teenager shows off the aftermath of a day at the beach while wearing Cancer Society SPF50+ sunscreen. Photo / Supplied
"She had very bad sunburn with a patch on her shoulder going down a few layers of skin.''
Thompson said the family would not be using that brand of sunscreen again.
Kelly Ryan, said she had been "burned like a crisp'' after applying Banana Boat sunscreen.
"It was almost as if I did the opposite and attracted the sun to my skin."
She did not specify what SPF protection level her sunscreen had, but acknowledged she had not been out in the sun long enough to do that much damage.
"I was holidaying in Fiji and was only outside for an hour, as I had to catch a flight, so there wasn't any need to reapply.''
Another woman, Lisa Bolt, said she was left severely burnt, blistered and peeled through three layers of skin over the Christmas holidays.
"As a nurse, I was horrified! I now have freckles all over the areas that weren't there before Christmas and the skin is now a...

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How do you get your life back on track when everything seems set against you?
That's the question Tim Roxborogh put to listeners today, after the tragic story of the fatal police pursuit crash in Christchurch.
The three victims were all teenagers, two of them just 13. They died after fleeing police in a stolen car, their lives coming to a fiery end after crashing into a tree.
An article today suggested that the one of the boys, Brooklyn Taylor, had his life course pre-determined from the age of four.
Roxborogh asked listeners if their life had gone down the wrong path at any point, and how they got out of it. 
Multiple callers shared their stories of how they turned their lives around.
Amongst them was Steve told of how he stopped fighting and stealing thanks to a generous man who took many troublesome youth under his wings, while Paul was taken off a similar path after meeting the love of his life. 
It was motherhood that helped Robyn, even though her child was conceived through sexual assault. She says she gained a lot of strength from her experiences. 
LISTEN TO THE TALKBACK FEEDBACK ABOVE
Where to get help:
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.
Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.
Or if you need to talk to someone else:
Lifeline – 0800 543 354Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)Youthline – 0800 376 633 or free text 234Kidsline – 0800 54 37 54 (for under 18s)What's Up – 0800 942 8787 (for 5–18 year olds 1pm–10pm weekdays and 3pm–10pm weekends)Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202Samaritans – 0800 726 666OUTLine NZ – 0800 688 5463Healthline – 0800 611 116

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There is much confusion on what the role of a god parent should involve.
The boundaries of spoiling your godchildren  compared to keeping a respectable distance can often be blurred.
The official definition of a godparent is person who presents a child at baptism and promises to take responsibility for their religious education.
Prince Charles has at least 30 godchildren, while Sir Elton John has 10, including Brooklyn and Romeo Beckham and Liz Hurley's son, Damian. Prince Louis, fifth in line to the throne, has six godparents.
Talkback callers told Tim Roxborogh it was usually a case by case basis, with different families requiring different styles.
One caller said she and her husband were asked 13 years ago to be godparents, and they accepted but were not quite sure what was expected of them.
"Being a godparent is quite a difficult, especially when it comes to religion. When you have multiple religions in the family, the role of a godparent can become very confusing."
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO ABOVE

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Concertgoers have faced backlash over drunken behaviour at a Toto concert.
The American soft rockers are in New Zealand for a series 'A Summer's Day Live' concerts.
The Africa hitmakers were in New Plymouth on Friday, but their songs were overshadowed by the alcohol-fuelled antics of those in the crowd. 
Stuff reports that around 20 men were seen groping and pushing women in the crowd, with one women claiming she had to fight the men off.
The behaviour became so messy that guitarist Steve Lukather called out the behaviour from the stage. 
Tim Roxborogh asked listeners if this is a sign that middle aged people are the ones we should be concerned about at concerts, rather than teenagers and young adults.
He says that it could spark concerns that see venues adopting a dry policy.
LISTEN TO THE TALKBACK ABOVE

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And so the messy two year saga that has been the appointment of Wally Haumaha to the #2 cop job in the country slithered back into the headlines one more time.
This time the Independent Police Conduct Authority has upheld complaints from people under his command that he used bullying behaviour in the workplace. This sparked another round of people demanding he stand down from his job as Deputy Commissior, most vocally from Chris Bishop and the National Party.
After consideration by the Government’s legal beagles Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern decided to take no action but expressed her disappointment in Wally’s behaviour. It was an understandable decision as the Commissioners behaviour was on a threshold and any attempt to remove him would have become an employment matter, which would have resulted in the loss of many taxpayer’s dollars into lawyer’s pockets, and you have to wonder the worth of that.
I’ve always been torn about Wally Haumaha.  He is one of the last remaining echoes from the days when men were men, cops were cops, and crims were crims, and the lines between them were blurred. When there was only a sliver of moral difference between the good guys and the bad guys.
I remember talking to a gang member in the 80s in the Fosters Tavern by the Whanganui River and the guy telling me the gangs thought the cops were just another gang running their own rackets.
The cops are our last defence line for civil order and in such a cauldron the men and women involved used whatever means necessary to uphold that order, and sometimes they got it wrong.  And while this moral and physical battle raged the general law abiding population had no idea.
During the Louise Nicholas saga most didn’t know that police involved were turning up to court from a jail cell.  That case unveiled the culture of the police that seemed to come straight out of a gritty Chicago crime movie.
From the latest allegations, you can almost visualise the scene where Wally bellowed at people while thumping his foot up on a chair being enacted by Robert De Niro highlighting that this was a tough man not to be trifled with.
Since yesterday, I have had a steady stream of correspondence from people disappointed that Wally still has the job. They include all sorts of allegations about him, his wife and his involvement in politics.
Here’s the thing.  Wally was forged in tough times.  He has worked his way up from the street beat to the back offices and now the top floor. He is now in charge of a highly complex multi-million dollar business under intense scrutiny.  He’s done will.  He’s worked hard and he’s been determined.  So now it’s time to leave the street behind and win the battles not with your body but with your mind.
It’s a tough transition but it has to happen.  But yesterday Wally’s lawyer was asked if Haumaha was apologetic for the bullying described in the report. He said: "I am able to say he's been bewildered by the events as they have unfolded."
Well, it’s time to de-bewilder yourself, Commissioner.  You’re in the big leagues now and there will be no second chances.

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A friend of Nathan Kraatskow's family has fired back at the lawyer of the woman charged with his death.
Rouxle Le Roux was sentenced to home detention last week for killing the 15-year-old hit and run earlier this year.
Kraatskow was riding his bike when he was hit by Le Roux, who was driving over the limit.
The sentencing has proved controversial, with over 140,000 people signing a petition calling for the Crown to appeal the sentence.
However, they announced today that they won't be pursuing the case.
Adrian, who says he is friends with Nathan's parent, called Andrew Dickens to share his reaction. 
"It's their view that it's time to heal now. No one's giving any further thought to the matter."
However, he wanted to hit back at comments made by Le Roux's lawyer on Tuesday.
Belinda Sellars told Larry Williams that Le Roux was not solely to blame, pointing out that Nathan had ridden through a red light before the accident. 
Adrian says that the Kraatskow's have never denied that Nathan went through a red light, but it doesn't change what happened.
"He made a mistake, but should he have paid with his life? I don't think so." 
He says that the family's position has originally been that they won't to see two lives ruined and did not want to see Le Roux suffer. 
However, Adrian says that that changed after they learnt of Le Roux's apparent lack of remorse.
The 19-year-old came under fire for posting a photo of herself in an orange jumpsuit with the caption 'Hide your children'. 
"That's not fair on family. They were happy to accept it was an accident, until the facts started to come out. That's when the dynamic changed."
Adrian says he does not know why the witness testimonies never came up in court. 
LISTEN TO ADRIAN TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS ABOVE

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