Andrew Dickens Afternoons

Christchurch's Mayor is vowing the city won't be caught out by ex-cyclone Gita.
Lianne Dalziel told Andrew Dickens heavy rain is due to set in any time between 5pm and last until 1am.
She says the city's been caught out by an unpredictable storm event before.
"And I'd much rather send the message that this is serious, we're taking it seriously. It doesn't mean that it's going to be as bad as it was in July, but it could, and what's worse is that it could be worse."
She is urging people to get off the roads and to a safe place before darkness falls, which was one reason for declaring the state of emergency now.
That particularly goes for people living along the Heathcote River.
"If you've flooded before or it got close to flooding before, you really ought to think about heading out and staying with family and friends. We will be setting up a welfare centre at Pioneer Stadium just in case."

​
LISTEN TO LIANNE DALZIEL TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So the baby shower in parliament is becoming a down pour. Yesterday the Greens Julie Anne Genter announced she's having a baby, she called a press conference at midday. It would be nice to say these sorts of things don't matter so much anymore in 2018 but in calling a press conference to announce a piece of family news Julie Anne Genter was admitting that for many people this is still a big deal. It bugs a lot of people who believe that when you get into politics you're there to serve the people 365 days a year and you're not supposed to disappear for a few months to have children and those people are wondering why it seems to be happening more often. For them, I have a few observations. First of all, Parliament is becoming younger. At the last election, the average age of our politicians was just a nick below 50. While the 50s to 60s were the most represented there's a bubble of of MPs aged 30 to 50. Not surprisingly these people are at baby making age. There are more MPs aged 20 to 40 too. The left-leaning parties, in particular, have been recruiting youth, the Chloe Swarbricks and Golriz Ghahramans of this world.
So we have more younger MPs than ever before. But conversely, we have a drastic reduction of MPs over 60. Name one if you can, leaving out Winston Peters. Considering we have a baby boom bulge that's surprising and possibly concerning And this is a big change. It used to be that people entered parliamentary politics in their 50s or even 60s after careers in other areas, whether farming, teaching, unions or whatever. Philip Burdon was a mushroom millionaire. Jim Anderton was a grocer and manufacturer before giving back to society. Amongst women, they had already had their children and careers before Parliament. Think Shipley, Richardson, Tirikatene-Sullivan, Fitzsimons. And with the trend for people to go into politics at a much earlier age, we're getting more MPs who have chosen politics as a career. Think Jacinda Ardern, Helen Clark and even Bill English who was never a farmer but a Treasury official for a few years and a professional politician for 27 years. This trend means there's a lack of diversity of skills. The National Partly leadership race is between a lawyer, a lawyer and a lawyer. Name one builder or plumber in parliament. The current Minister for Construction worked in the Pacific Island tertiary education sector. So while you could argue that the baby boom in parliament shows a House that reflects greater New Zealand better, I'd argue that our House of Representatives is becoming less and less representative of New Zealand at large.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So the baby shower in parliament is becoming a down pour. Yesterday the Greens Julie Anne Genter announced she's having a baby, she called a press conference at midday. It would be nice to say these sorts of things don't matter so much anymore in 2018 but in calling a press conference to announce a piece of family news Julie Anne Genter was admitting that for many people this is still a big deal. It bugs a lot of people who believe that when you get into politics you're there to serve the people 365 days a year and you're not supposed to disappear for a few months to have children and those people are wondering why it seems to be happening more often. For them, I have a few observations. First of all, Parliament is becoming younger. At the last election, the average age of our politicians was just a nick below 50. While the 50s to 60s were the most represented there's a bubble of of MPs aged 30 to 50. Not surprisingly these people are at baby making age. There are more MPs aged 20 to 40 too. The left-leaning parties, in particular, have been recruiting youth, the Chloe Swarbricks and Golriz Ghahramans of this world.
So we have more younger MPs than ever before. But conversely, we have a drastic reduction of MPs over 60. Name one if you can, leaving out Winston Peters. Considering we have a baby boom bulge that's surprising and possibly concerning And this is a big change. It used to be that people entered parliamentary politics in their 50s or even 60s after careers in other areas, whether farming, teaching, unions or whatever. Philip Burdon was a mushroom millionaire. Jim Anderton was a grocer and manufacturer before giving back to society. Amongst women, they had already had their children and careers before Parliament. Think Shipley, Richardson, Tirikatene-Sullivan, Fitzsimons. And with the trend for people to go into politics at a much earlier age, we're getting more MPs who have chosen politics as a career. Think Jacinda Ardern, Helen Clark and even Bill English who was never a farmer but a Treasury official for a few years and a professional politician for 27 years. This trend means there's a lack of diversity of skills. The National Partly leadership race is between a lawyer, a lawyer and a lawyer. Name one builder or plumber in parliament. The current Minister for Construction worked in the Pacific Island tertiary education sector. So while you could argue that the baby boom in parliament shows a House that reflects greater New Zealand better, I'd argue that our House of Representatives is becoming less and less representative of New Zealand at large.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper says Bill English's resignation as National leader was absolutely his own decision and he was not pushed.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper says Bill English's resignation as National leader was absolutely his own decision and he was not pushed.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the party that won the most vote lose it’s leader so soon. Surely he had a mandate, surely he had support. Why did it happen?
It begs the question whether the National Party has lost its way.
And, of course, the big question is who is next.
But I want to take this moment to congratulate Bill English for his service. There is no shame in today’s developments. 
He has been the 2IC impeccably. As the second most important person in government for nine years he steered the economy as well as anyone could hope for. His has had a very competent political career.
As a former Treasury official, as a man who spent 27 years in parliament, as a Minister of Finance, and as Prime Minister, his CV is fantastic and there will be no end of governance jobs offered to him as he begins his third age, where he will spend his time pursuing his own personal goals, and spending time with his familiy. Who he thanked, and in that thanking of his family, he was close to tears. Politician's families make enormous sacrifices, and it is fair to say that Bill English's family has been supremely supportive.
Again, I’d like to thank Bill English, I'd like to thank Bill English's family, for his service to this nation. He has done extremely well, and I think we all wish him well.
It now lies to the National Party to demonstrate that they also have a vision for the future.  Because a misstep here just as we saw from the Labour Party a decade ago could result in a long time in opposition.
I'll take you back 10 years ago to when Helen Clark resigned on the election night, taking everyone by surprise. 
Back then we felt that leaders stayed in the position a long time, but Clark resigned on election night. She lost, she resigned, bang.
I think what happened then for the Labour Party is a lesson for the National Party.
They put in Goff, the sure hand, but he proved to be yesterday's man.
They went for Shearer, the underdone and the underprepared. He had promise, but it was too soon.
They put in Cunliffe, the mongrel, at the same time too philosophically driven, too red, too angry. 
Andrew Little, again, the angry man.
Until they finally found Jacinda Ardern, the new hope. The person who took the philosophy that the Labour Party believed in and made it aspirational as opposed to being an oppositional leader always against the incumbent Government. 
My feeling is that the next National Party Prime Minister will be found further down the list. Think about the names that we already have. The list is 75 people long. Who there could be the next National Party Prime Minister, because, at the end of the day, that's the game that all politicians play.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did the party that won the most vote lose it’s leader so soon. Surely he had a mandate, surely he had support. Why did it happen?
It begs the question whether the National Party has lost its way.
And, of course, the big question is who is next.
But I want to take this moment to congratulate Bill English for his service. There is no shame in today’s developments. 
He has been the 2IC impeccably. As the second most important person in government for nine years he steered the economy as well as anyone could hope for. His has had a very competent political career.
As a former Treasury official, as a man who spent 27 years in parliament, as a Minister of Finance, and as Prime Minister, his CV is fantastic and there will be no end of governance jobs offered to him as he begins his third age, where he will spend his time pursuing his own personal goals, and spending time with his familiy. Who he thanked, and in that thanking of his family, he was close to tears. Politician's families make enormous sacrifices, and it is fair to say that Bill English's family has been supremely supportive.
Again, I’d like to thank Bill English, I'd like to thank Bill English's family, for his service to this nation. He has done extremely well, and I think we all wish him well.
It now lies to the National Party to demonstrate that they also have a vision for the future.  Because a misstep here just as we saw from the Labour Party a decade ago could result in a long time in opposition.
I'll take you back 10 years ago to when Helen Clark resigned on the election night, taking everyone by surprise. 
Back then we felt that leaders stayed in the position a long time, but Clark resigned on election night. She lost, she resigned, bang.
I think what happened then for the Labour Party is a lesson for the National Party.
They put in Goff, the sure hand, but he proved to be yesterday's man.
They went for Shearer, the underdone and the underprepared. He had promise, but it was too soon.
They put in Cunliffe, the mongrel, at the same time too philosophically driven, too red, too angry. 
Andrew Little, again, the angry man.
Until they finally found Jacinda Ardern, the new hope. The person who took the philosophy that the Labour Party believed in and made it aspirational as opposed to being an oppositional leader always against the incumbent Government. 
My feeling is that the next National Party Prime Minister will be found further down the list. Think about the names that we already have. The list is 75 people long. Who there could be the next National Party Prime Minister, because, at the end of the day, that's the game that all politicians play.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is our National Day.  It has been for a very long time and it will continue to be for a very long time ahead.
It has been endorsed by multiple governments and generations.  I’ve heard the old debate again, that it isn’t our national day and perhaps Anzac Day should be instead and that argument belongs to people with different barrows to push than this day and it’s significance.
Anzac Day is an enormously important day, laden with much emotion and meaning and as such it doesn’t need to saddled with the added responsibility of the national day. Anzac Day is a day to look back, but Waitangi is a day to look forward as our original peoples and our newest arrivals get together and celebrate and pledge unity and progress
And Waitangi Day is a good day and always has been. 
I was in Australia this year for Australia Day. There, three Melbourne Councils chose not to celebrate the day.  Some call it Invasion Day because it only commemorates the arrival of European settlers.  Our Day commemorates when Maori and the settlers chose to work together to forge a nation which is far more positive.  That said, I watched an Australia Day parade down Swanston Street in Melbourne which crackled with positivity and I lost count of all the different ethnic groups who marched in the culture’s clothes under a banner of one country.
My Waitangi Days have been uniformly excellent.  I’ve spent it with family, or at festivals and once at the Treaty Grounds. I’ve seen no nastiness only positivity.
So February 6 is the day that we chose to forge a nation in 1840.  Sure there are people on both sides that have problems with its implementation.  But fundamentally it is the soundest and best day to have as a national day
Jacinda Ardern is spending 5 days in the North.  Today Dr Aroha Harris has written this.  “One hundred and seventy-seven years after the signing of Te Tiriti, I wish that a Prime Minister – any Prime Minister – taking the time to pause among Māori and other New Zealanders, in Māori territories, on Waitangi Day or any other day, wasn’t a thing, wasn’t a cause for opinion or comment or media attention.”
It’s hard not to agree. The argy-bargy that is credited to Waitangi Day through the years came from one place.  Te Tii Marae. That marae had a special privilege granted to it purely down to its geographical location as the closest marae to the treaty grounds. That marae misused that privilege.  Not by protesting or bringing up concerns.  It was the mud-slinging, the sex toy chucking, the name calling and the jostling that did their chips.
When Bill English refused to go North all he did was discredit the day.  Either he should have sucked it up and stood up to the ratbags or he should have just crossed Te Tii off the agenda.  That’s what Jacinda Ardern has done and well done too.  I’m amazed it took so long to figure out a logical answer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is our National Day.  It has been for a very long time and it will continue to be for a very long time ahead.
It has been endorsed by multiple governments and generations.  I’ve heard the old debate again, that it isn’t our national day and perhaps Anzac Day should be instead and that argument belongs to people with different barrows to push than this day and it’s significance.
Anzac Day is an enormously important day, laden with much emotion and meaning and as such it doesn’t need to saddled with the added responsibility of the national day. Anzac Day is a day to look back, but Waitangi is a day to look forward as our original peoples and our newest arrivals get together and celebrate and pledge unity and progress
And Waitangi Day is a good day and always has been. 
I was in Australia this year for Australia Day. There, three Melbourne Councils chose not to celebrate the day.  Some call it Invasion Day because it only commemorates the arrival of European settlers.  Our Day commemorates when Maori and the settlers chose to work together to forge a nation which is far more positive.  That said, I watched an Australia Day parade down Swanston Street in Melbourne which crackled with positivity and I lost count of all the different ethnic groups who marched in the culture’s clothes under a banner of one country.
My Waitangi Days have been uniformly excellent.  I’ve spent it with family, or at festivals and once at the Treaty Grounds. I’ve seen no nastiness only positivity.
So February 6 is the day that we chose to forge a nation in 1840.  Sure there are people on both sides that have problems with its implementation.  But fundamentally it is the soundest and best day to have as a national day
Jacinda Ardern is spending 5 days in the North.  Today Dr Aroha Harris has written this.  “One hundred and seventy-seven years after the signing of Te Tiriti, I wish that a Prime Minister – any Prime Minister – taking the time to pause among Māori and other New Zealanders, in Māori territories, on Waitangi Day or any other day, wasn’t a thing, wasn’t a cause for opinion or comment or media attention.”
It’s hard not to agree. The argy-bargy that is credited to Waitangi Day through the years came from one place.  Te Tii Marae. That marae had a special privilege granted to it purely down to its geographical location as the closest marae to the treaty grounds. That marae misused that privilege.  Not by protesting or bringing up concerns.  It was the mud-slinging, the sex toy chucking, the name calling and the jostling that did their chips.
When Bill English refused to go North all he did was discredit the day.  Either he should have sucked it up and stood up to the ratbags or he should have just crossed Te Tii off the agenda.  That’s what Jacinda Ardern has done and well done too.  I’m amazed it took so long to figure out a logical answer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.