Andrew Dickens Afternoons

The Press is breathlessly reporting that a homeowner in the Christchurch suburb of Strowan Merivale has just received his latest insurance bill from Tower and his premiums have been increased near enough five-fold.
The bill has gone from $2300 to near enough $13,000 a year. The bill is more than $1000 a month. The insurance company is Tower, the first New Zealand company to go to a fully risk-based approach.
The owner obviously freaked out and moved to another insurer who charged a more modest amount. But even still premiums are on the way up as other firms move to partial risk-based cover.
This has been signalled for a while and it comes after a string of events that have hit the insurance sector. Earthquakes in Christchurch have cost insurers $21 billion and that doesn’t include the $12 billion EQC has paid out.
The fully risk-based approach means that from now on the insurance liability will no longer be spread across the whole country. So Mr Insurance Man believes that is places like Christchurch, Napier, Wellington and Gisborne you are more likely to make a big claim because of earthquakes so your premium is going up.
Perversely the premiums in Auckland will go down even though the city sits on top of a volcanic field that was active just 5000 years ago. Presumably, if a volcano blows in our biggest city you might find the burden moving.
I can see the insurance companies’ reasoning but it’s too selective. The fact is that we’re all sitting on a very precarious piece of real estate. We didn’t get the nickname the Shaky Isles for nothing and having colonised this country I think it’s best that we stay all in this together.
There’s another downside about this regional variance. If it all gets too expensive there’s a very real risk that people will stop insuring altogether which will hit us all as taxpayers if something goes wrong.
But it’s not just earthquakes that concern the companies, its weather events as well. So if you’ve got a beachfront property or live in a flood prone area or an area that attracts wildfires then brace yourself for some big bills. We’ve already seen settlements in the Bay of Plenty effectively declared unliveable by insurance companies
The most expensive year for insurers for storm damage was 2017 at $243 million so compared to the earthquake bill it’s relatively small. But what matters here is the insurer’s opinion of risk.
And whether you believe it or not, the insurance companies are factoring climate change into your bills.
Now, I know many people get exercised about Government’s commitment to climate change and the worldwide schemes to cope. But for many that stuff seems out of arms reach. It doesn’t really concern them and they just crack on with their day to day life.
But nothing will concentrate your mind more than when the private economy starts charging for future climate change and hits you directly in your pocket. Tower has fired the opening shot. Brace yourself. Others will follow as the whole thing suddenly becomes real.

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Public street-facing urinals are causing a stir along pavements across Paris, with urinals disguised as flower-boxes and cropping up in some of the city's more glamorous quarters.
One eco-friendly "urinoir" deemed to be particularly offensive is painted in letterbox red and topped with a flower-box in the chic neighbourhood of Île Saint-Louis, just a stones throw from Notre Dame.
Local shopkeepers and residents in the tourist hot spot are protesting for the "immodest and ugly' urinal's removal and fear the city "is making itself ridiculous".
"There's no need to put something so immodest and ugly in such an historic spot," said Paola Pellizzari, 68, owner of a Venetian art store.
"It's beside the most beautiful townhouse on the island, the Hotel de Lauzun, where Baudelaire lived," she said, referring to the 19th-century French poet.
She feared the urinal, installed around 22 yards from a primary school, "incites exhibitionism".
Ile Saint-Louis locals said the receptacle, with no stall around it of any kind, could blight their ultra-chic neighbourhood.
"It's horrible," said the 50-year-old owner of a nearby art gallery, who declined to give his name.

"We're told we have to accept this but this is absolutely unacceptable. It's destroying the legacy of the island. Can't people behave?"
"People urinating on the streets of France is a serious problem and we knew there was a demand for a solution, so we've come up with one," Victor Massip, the inventor of the red flower-box model said.
"Uritrottoir" is a combination of the French words for urinal and pavement and is said to offer an 'eco solution to public peeing".
The device is essentially a box with an opening in the front and a floral display on top, containing straw which transforms into compost for use in parks and gardens.
The manufacturer, the Faltazi design agency, says it "stores urine in a bed of dry material, straw, which is then used as compost for the flowers".
The straw reduces odour and eliminates the need for the urinal to be connected to the sewer.
Local mayor Ariel Weil has insisted the devices were necessary and Paris authorities have rolled out four more of the stand-up urinals in places where public peeing has been a problem.
A fifth is planned for next week.
"If we don't do anything, then men are just going to pee in the streets," Mr Weil said.
"If it is really bothering people, we will find another location."
Some have even branded their installation discriminatory.
"They have been installed on a sexist proposition: men cannot control themselves (from the bladder point of view) and so all of society has to adapt," said Gwendoline Coipeault of French feminist group Femmes Solidaires.
"The public space must be transformed to cause them minimum discomfort."
"It's absurd, no one needs to urinate in the street."

Public street-facing urinals are causing a stir along pavements across Paris, with urinals disguised as flower-boxes and cropping up in some of the city's more glamorous quarters.
One eco-friendly "urinoir" deemed to be particularly offensive is painted in letterbox red and topped with a flower-box in the chic neighbourhood of Île Saint-Louis, just a stones throw from Notre Dame.
Local shopkeepers and residents in the tourist hot spot are protesting for the "immodest and ugly' urinal's removal and fear the city "is making itself ridiculous".
"There's no need to put something so immodest and ugly in such an historic spot," said Paola Pellizzari, 68, owner of a Venetian art store.
"It's beside the most beautiful townhouse on the island, the Hotel de Lauzun, where Baudelaire lived," she said, referring to the 19th-century French poet.
She feared the urinal, installed around 22 yards from a primary school, "incites exhibitionism".
Ile Saint-Louis locals said the receptacle, with no stall around it of any kind, could blight their ultra-chic neighbourhood.
"It's horrible," said the 50-year-old owner of a nearby art gallery, who declined to give his name.

"We're told we have to accept this but this is absolutely unacceptable. It's destroying the legacy of the island. Can't people behave?"
"People urinating on the streets of France is a serious problem and we knew there was a demand for a solution, so we've come up with one," Victor Massip, the inventor of the red flower-box model said.
"Uritrottoir" is a combination of the French words for urinal and pavement and is said to offer an 'eco solution to public peeing".
The device is essentially a box with an opening in the front and a floral display on top, containing straw which transforms into compost for use in parks and gardens.
The manufacturer, the Faltazi design agency, says it "stores urine in a bed of dry material, straw, which is then used as compost for the flowers".
The straw reduces odour and eliminates the need for the urinal to be connected to the sewer.
Local mayor Ariel Weil has insisted the devices were necessary and Paris authorities have rolled out four more of the stand-up urinals in places where public peeing has been a problem.
A fifth is planned for next week.
"If we don't do anything, then men are just going to pee in the streets," Mr Weil said.
"If it is really bothering people, we will find another location."
Some have even branded their installation discriminatory.
"They have been installed on a sexist proposition: men cannot control themselves (from the bladder point of view) and so all of society has to adapt," said Gwendoline Coipeault of French feminist group Femmes Solidaires.
"The public space must be transformed to cause them minimum discomfort."
"It's absurd, no one needs to urinate in the street."

A historical theme park in France plans to use six trained crows to pick up cigarette butts and other rubbish, according to its president.
The birds will be praised with treats every time they successfully bring an item back, the Daily Mail reports
'The goal is not just to clear up, because the visitors are generally careful to keep things clean' but also to show that 'nature itself can teach us to take care of the environment', said Nicolas de Villiers of the Puy du Fou park, in the western Vendee region.
Rooks, a member of the crow family of birds, are considered to be 'particularly intelligent' and in the right circumstances 'like to communicate with humans and establish a relationship through play', Villiers said.
The crows will be encouraged to clean the park by the use of a small box which will deliver a snack of bird food each time the rook places a piece of rubbish inside.
And the crow family is not the only types of birds found to have potential for intelligent roles.
Australian magpies are apparently able to understand what other birds are saying to one another, reported the Guardian.
The wild magpie has learned the meanings of different calls by the noisy miner and essentially eavesdrops to find out which predators are close by, research published by the journal Animal Behaviour in May showed.
The small native honeyeaters have different calls for ground-based and aerial predators, and when recordings of these were played, wild magpies would raise their beaks towards the sky or bow their heads.

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LISTEN TO SIENA YATES TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS ABOVE
Seeing Celine Dion live was nothing short of a religious experience - or at least, that's the phrase that was on many fans' lips as the iconic singer took to the stage.
Spark Arena was packed full of thousands of fans, warmed up by impressionist Veronic DiClaire, whose renditions of hits by the likes of Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera earned her a standing ovation and raucous applause.
But when Celine took to the stage in a golden suit, silhouetted in a single spotlight for her opener The Power of Love, the entire mood shifted.
Religious experience or not, people certainly started acting like we were in church, raising and waving their hands as she hit one power note after the next with ease. As she spoke, fans shouted "yes Celine!" like they were supporting a passionate preacher.
And boy did she preach; at one point she gave what must have been a 10-minute monologue about Ryan Reynolds which was utterly nonsensical in the most endearing way. She also spoke at length about her children, her late husband and her tour, and about her long absence from New Zealand.
"Well, we made it. We made it back here and it feels so amazing. I cannot believe it's been 22 years since our last trip in New Zealand...way too long," she said. "That's unacceptable, I'm sorry. I'm so happy to be back. Tonight, what do you say we make up for all that lost time?"
She sure as hell gave it her best shot, launching into a set-list full of iconic hits including It's All Coming Back to Me Now, Because You Loved Me (complete with audience sing along), Beauty and the Beast (with stunning duet partner Barnev Valsaint) and Ashes (from the Deadpool 2 soundtrack). The latter won extra applause when Kiwi star Julian Dennison appeared on the massive screen behind Celine.
But it wasn't just her own hits, the superstar and her band covered artists from John Farnham to Prince to Bruno Mars, even doing a Tina Turner shimmy during a cover of River Deep, Mountain High.
Even while speaking she would throw in musical asides, like a brief cover of Rihanna's Work or singing "Auckland is on fire" to the tune of Alicia Keys' Girl on Fire.
A highlight - if you can even pick just one - was a pared-back acoustic performance with her string quartet, and of course, her encore; a stunning and flawless rendition of My Heart Will Go On for which we all stood as if for the national anthem.
Celine is an extraordinary powerhouse, an incredible entertainer and one of the most genuine artists I've seen take the stage, even when she's so obviously showing off - and why shouldn't she?
She didn't miss a beat or flub a note and she made it all look effortless. Everything from her band to her wardrobe to her set, visuals and lighting were world class.
As the packed out crowd stood and cheered at the end of the show, Celine looked genuinely awed, shaking her head and covering her face as if she may cry. Around me, people were already in tears.
"I'm sorry that it took me 22 years to come back...I hope it never happens again because what you gave tonight, we are going home with this in [our hearts]. We will never forget what you gave to us...thank you so very much," she said.
Celine Dion will play two more shows on Sunday and Tuesday at Auckland's Spark Arena, marking the end of her world tour.

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So I’ve been in a news blackout this weekend and it was lovely.
Into the Central North Island I went. I biked all around Taupo for a look on Saturday and then up Mt Ruapehu on Sunday. The mountain that was closed because it was full by 8.15am each day. It really is booming. Perhaps a bit too much.
My impression of the whole region was one of activity and excitement. No vacancy signs all over Taupo. People skydiving. The roar of engines from the Motorsport Park. The streets buzzing with languages and accents from around the world. She was all go That might also be because the weather was simply superb. I’ve never seen the water of Lake Taupo smoother. It was jaw-droppingly beautiful.
But the upshot was that I was completely deaf to any news. So deaf that even though I was in the town that developed a sinkhole in it I didn’t know.
So this morning I finally turned on the radio to find out what was going on in the world. And the lead story was the New Zealand dollar going lower
For many, this is a bad sign even though it was completely predictable when Adrian Orr said that interest rates weren’t going up any time before 2020. On the other side, the US Fed has increased interest rates seven times in the past three years and is likely to do it two more times before Christmas. That means the US base rate is higher than ours for the first time in two decades.
So any money invested was always going to flow out in search of higher interest rates.
But let’s always remember that these things are relative. While you can say look how well the US is doing you could also say look how badly they’ve been doing for decades. Remember they got so bad that had effectively zero interest rates and they printed money.
Our dollar is now at 66 cents versus the greenback. 12 per cent lower than a year ago. In 2000 it was 39 cents.
Now while the petrol prices and imported goods are going to get more expensive you have to look at the bright side that we have in relative terms.
Yes, America is firing, but our predicted growth rate for the next three years is still better than Europe, Japan and the UK.
Our low-interest rates mean low mortgages, but more importantly, any business doing well can find cheap capital.
The businesses doing well will be those trading overseas who will be getting 12 per cent more than a year ago. And that’s exporters, agriculture and of course tourism. We’ve become 12 per cent cheaper than last year and 25 per cent cheaper than we were in 2014. No wonder Taupo was rocking this weekend with foreign accents.
And there’s more money available for investing in these businesses as private equity investors pull out of fixed terms.
The business confidence figures and a low dollar worry some. But for me, I see this as a cup of tea for six months and the upshot is that we will be well placed to get our second wind.

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One News has been criticised for filming Jacinda Ardern apparently breastfeeding at the back of a news conference.
Ardern today attended the announcement that plastic bags would be banned, and brought her eight week old baby Neve along with her.
While standing at the back of the hall, a One News cameraman turned and filmed Ardern while she was holding Neve.
A blanket is covering Neve, and One News has surmised that she is breastfeeding.
The video has since been taken down.
A TVNZ spokeswoman said the video was removed after they had received a lot of criticism and decided it was wrong.
Raising the issue on talkback, Andrew Dickens says that he is outraged that they would post the video, and asks how it is even allowed given tough rules imposed by speaker Trevor Mallard banning unauthorised video of Neve.
Texters were divided, with several criticising One News for posting it, with some pointing out that she was clearly trying to protect Neve as she had covered her face.
Others questioned why Ardern had even brought Neve with her to the conference, with one person suggesting she was using Neve as a prop.
Dickens pointed out that Neve is eight weeks old and would require breastfeeding, and that she and Ardern were at the back of the room where they were meant to be out of the cameras.
TVNZ has since taken down the footage. LISTEN TO TEXTER FEEDBACk ABOVE

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LISTEN TO CALLER SONJA TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS ABOVE
The Government's goal of one million Kiwis speaking basic te reo by 2040 is achievable but needs the resourcing to back it up, the head of the Māori Language Commission says.
Maihi Karauna, the Crown's draft Māori language strategy, was launched this month and along with boosting widespread reo levels it set targets of 150,000 Māori speaking it as a primary language, and for te reo to become a key element of national identity.
At the 2013 census 148,400 people could hold a basic conversation in te reo, 84.5 percent of whom identified as Māori.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed this week her baby, Neve Te Aroha, would be raised to speak te reo Māori and English.
Ardern said it was important to her and her partner Clarke Gayford that Neve has an understanding of Māori culture and believes speaking Te Reo is the first step.
Te Taura Whiti i te Reo Māori/Māori Language Commission tumuaki (CEO) Ngahiwi Apanui said te reo was increasingly regarded as part of the national identity.
"New Zealanders, whether they are speakers or not are increasingly celebrating te reo Māori as something that sets us apart from other similar nations.
"People have pride in their bilingual passports. Nothing says: 'I am from New Zealand' more than te reo Māori."
The target of one million New Zealanders speaking basic te reo was achievable.
"Many people they find they already have a basic vocabulary – to have basic Māori language only sentence structures and common phrases need to be added."
A 2013 Statistics New Zealand survey found 257,500 (55 percent) of Māori adults were able to speak more than a few words or phrases, up from 153,500 in 2001.
Of those, 50,000 Māori could speak about almost anything, or at least many things in Māori.
"As these people and new graduates of schools, universities, wānanga and community-based courses continue to develop their Māori language skills it is entirely possible the Māori will become their primary language, especially in settings where there are other Māori speakers," Apanui said.
While the goals were achievable, there needed to be a boost in resources.
Many kura and wānanga around the country were at capacity for te reo courses, and even had waiting lists.
"The draft points to the need for increased resources, and we know demand is already stretching what we have," Apanui said.
"More and better teachers and technology and more online audio, video and writing in te reo Māori is what we need.
"In the end it will depend on government decisions and the goodwill and support of the New Zealand people."
Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta said the draft strategy was open for Kiwis to share their views on.
"I encourage everyone to have their say on the future of our language and how the Crown can help to protect, promote and secure its future.
"When I think of my young children growing up it is increasingly important to ensure that more Kiwis connect and reflect our common identity through valuing the indigenous language and culture of our country."

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There is mixed reaction to the government's new "dole for apprenticeship" scheme.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today announced the "Mana in Mahi – Strength in Work" scheme would pay employers who give apprenticeship or traineeships to you people the equivalent of the dole for a year.
They will also get $3000 to $6000 each for the pastoral care of the young people.
It will start with 150 you people, between the ages of 18 to 24, who have been on the benefit for at least six months and will be funded for 4000 people from the middle of next year.
Employers will be required to top up the young people's wages to the minimum wage and help them to achieve a Level 4 qualification such as an apprenticeship.
Talkback reaction to the scheme has been mixed with some callers praising the scheme while others are not convinced.
LISTEN TO ALL THE REACTION ABOVE

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The nurses deal continues to reverberate on.
So to recap the nurses were given a pay increase and an extra $38 million for 500 more nurses. So yesterday, the discussion was on where we could find these 500 nurses
Bringing nurses back to New Zealand was one idea. Health boards' spokesman Jim Green suggested, to boost staffing numbers, alongside getting those who had left the profession to return, getting more new-graduates, and getting others from elsewhere in healthcare.
So let’s look at that. Getting others from elsewhere in healthcare is robbing Peter to pay Paul. Already we’ve heard of aged care staff returning to nursing for more money. Now that might be good for nursing but it’s a blow for aged care which is already in its own staffing crisis.
Getting new graduates means enrolling more students. It might happen but there will be a considerable time lag before they come on stream. Plus there will have to be more investment in training capacity which I’m not sure is budgeted for
Getting those who have left the profession to return is bringing in an older workforce and incurring retraining expenses. And those who left, left not just because of money but their distaste for the profession, its stresses and it’s lack of reward. They’ve also left and found a new happy place. Good luck in getting them back
And finally, bringing back the nurses who left and went overseas. Well, today’s papers are full of stories of expat New Zealand nurses who aren’t coming home. One nurse working in Queensland is getting $5000 a fortnight. Her contemporaries who stayed in New Zealand are getting $1300.
She says the deal is nowhere near enough to bring her home. Friends and family might lure her home but, unless she saves a lot, she won't be able to buy a house.
It appears to me that if we are to find 500 nurses within a year to improve nurses working conditions we going to have to import them. And then the whole immigration band-aid that we’ve put over the economy and our job market is back.
We’re stuck like hamsters in a wheel frantically running to stand still.
The whole thing is to be repeated with the teachers. Their situation is so similar. Not enough pay. Not enough teachers. Let’s pay them more to get more teachers. But where do we magic them up from.
Here’s a teacher fact for you. Did you know the average age of teachers in New Zealand is 57.5? I think that’s the most damning statistic. They’re mostly the people who can afford to be paid so little because of a supportive partner and have a calling. My Mum kept teaching until she was in her mid-seventies. Why? Because her school needed her and couldn’t find anyone else. She said she was a face of the crisis.
Now I haven’t got a silver bullet answer. But I will say that for near enough 30 years we have run our social economy on a shoestring. And that means as we approach 2020 that we don’t have enough doctors, nurses, teachers, police, engineers or builders. But we have heaps and heaps of lawyers, accountants and marketing executives. The shoestring is close to snapping.

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