Politics Central

Australia correspondent Murray Olds talks to Tim Roxborogh about the task force NSW police have set up to target anti-lockdown protestors.

Australia correspondent Murray Olds talks to Tim Roxborogh about the task force NSW police have set up to target anti-lockdown protestors.

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Government ministers have arrived in flood-stricken Westport to see the damage to the region firsthand.
Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi, Agriculture Minister and West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O'Connor, joined by Buller District mayor Jamie Cleine, are currently carrying out a flyover of the area to assess the situation before evaluating the flood damage on the ground.
Speaking at this afternoon's press conference, Faafoi thanked the efforts of emergency groups including the Defence Force and police as they work around the clock to help residents.
The Government would offer $300,000 in the form of a mayoral relief fund, he said, as well as $100,000 for the Blenheim-Marlborough region.

Cars and vehicles remain submerged in the Buller District. Photo / George Heard
Faafoi said limited rentals in Westport continued to be a challenge, and as flood waters receded, welfare issues would become "more apparent".
There were still about 1000 people who were still evacuated in Westport, with about 500 of them who still need welfare support, possibly for weeks and months. Many of them were in Kainga Ora housing.
The mayoral relief fund would help those people, Cleine said.
He said the welfare centres that had been set up were so far coping well.
"It's not a long term solution, but they're safe."
Faafoi added there would be challenges for people "for some time yet".
"We do want to send a message to people that if they do need help, they can get it," Faafoi said.
This afternoon more NZDF troops arrived to help with cordons and accessing hard-to-reach houses.
Yesterday 14 personnel from Burnham Military Camp were sent and another 10 arrived today.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopter landed in Westport just before 1pm to assist in the region.
Water boil notices remain in place for the district.

Much of central Westport is still under water. Photo / George Heard
Most houses in central Westport are under water up to window-level.
Murky brown floodwater covers many properties, entire streets are submerged and paddocks are awash.
Cleine said the "massive quantity of water" gushing out of the Buller Gorge breached a river into the township.
"Last night was awful... this morning, although the rain stopped, the water was about the same as it was when I left at midnight last night."
It was hard to see the people in his district struggling.
"It's upsetting. people take a lot of pride in their property," he said.
"It's the uncertainty it creates, we don't have all the answers people are looking for... the people aspect, it's really hard on everybody."
He said recovery was now in full swing and urged people to be patient.

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Government ministers have arrived in flood-stricken Westport to see the damage to the region firsthand.
Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi, Agriculture Minister and West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O'Connor, joined by Buller District mayor Jamie Cleine, are currently carrying out a flyover of the area to assess the situation before evaluating the flood damage on the ground.
Speaking at this afternoon's press conference, Faafoi thanked the efforts of emergency groups including the Defence Force and police as they work around the clock to help residents.
The Government would offer $300,000 in the form of a mayoral relief fund, he said, as well as $100,000 for the Blenheim-Marlborough region.

Cars and vehicles remain submerged in the Buller District. Photo / George Heard
Faafoi said limited rentals in Westport continued to be a challenge, and as flood waters receded, welfare issues would become "more apparent".
There were still about 1000 people who were still evacuated in Westport, with about 500 of them who still need welfare support, possibly for weeks and months. Many of them were in Kainga Ora housing.
The mayoral relief fund would help those people, Cleine said.
He said the welfare centres that had been set up were so far coping well.
"It's not a long term solution, but they're safe."
Faafoi added there would be challenges for people "for some time yet".
"We do want to send a message to people that if they do need help, they can get it," Faafoi said.
This afternoon more NZDF troops arrived to help with cordons and accessing hard-to-reach houses.
Yesterday 14 personnel from Burnham Military Camp were sent and another 10 arrived today.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopter landed in Westport just before 1pm to assist in the region.
Water boil notices remain in place for the district.

Much of central Westport is still under water. Photo / George Heard
Most houses in central Westport are under water up to window-level.
Murky brown floodwater covers many properties, entire streets are submerged and paddocks are awash.
Cleine said the "massive quantity of water" gushing out of the Buller Gorge breached a river into the township.
"Last night was awful... this morning, although the rain stopped, the water was about the same as it was when I left at midnight last night."
It was hard to see the people in his district struggling.
"It's upsetting. people take a lot of pride in their property," he said.
"It's the uncertainty it creates, we don't have all the answers people are looking for... the people aspect, it's really hard on everybody."
He said recovery was now in full swing and urged people to be patient.

A former MP's backing for a new Opposition campaign comes with a stern warning. 
National has launched an electronic billboard drive, with the first highlighting the controversial He Puapua report.
Former Minister Peter Dunne told The Weekend Collective that there is fertile ground National can tap into over these problems, such as hate speech.
However, National has to be cautious about how it handles the debate. 
"It doesn't become tinged with things like the race debate or other things that make it look like some form of naked populism."
He says the one thing that gives him doubt is that their approach to He Puapua is "populist racism" and a "cheap shot", which doesn't inspire optimism about the campaign's success.  
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Judith Collins isn't phased about the Act party's increasing support.
A recent UMR poll has put David Seymour ahead of the National leader, by two percent.
Together the two parties have 35-percent of the vote, while Labour and the Greens have 55 percent.
Collins told The Weekend Collective she isn't concerned about it.
"We're just really working well and I just think we've been through a tough couple of weeks, and I feel really good about where we are now."
In a potential counter effort, National is launching a billboard campaign to "demand the debate" for all New Zealanders.
She says Kiwis are being left out of important policy decisions by the Government which she says they didn't campaign on.
She says some include the car tax, Auckland's cycle bridge, changes to Maori wards - while at the same time thousands of children are growing up in motels, and mental health services are in crisis.
Collins says that they need to allow people to have a debate on things such as constitutional issues. 
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The National Party's leader has high hopes about her "demand the debate" campaign. National has launched an electronic billboard drive, with the first highlighting the controversial He Puapua report.
Former Minister Peter Dunne told The Weekend Collective that there is fertile ground National can tap into over these problems, such as hate speech.
However, National has to be cautious about how it handles the debate. 
"It doesn't become tinged with things like the race debate or other things that make it look like some form of naked populism."
He says the one thing that gives him doubt is that their approach to He Puapua is "populist racism" and a "cheap shot", which doesn't inspire optimism. 
LISTEN ABOVE

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NSW has recorded 77 new community Covid-19 cases and one death due to the virus - and Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned the numbers are only going to get worse.
Of the new locally acquired infections, 55 are linked to a known case or cluster – 39 are household contacts and 16 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 22 cases remains under investigation.
At a press conference this afternoon, Berejiklian said the person who died - a woman in her 90s - acquired the virus through a household contact.
"Tragically we've seen one older person die and I want to extend my deepest condolences to their families and loved ones and [NSW chief health officer] Dr [Kerry] Chant will provide further details," she said.
"Regrettably, that person did acquire it within the household, within the home setting."
She added that she expected tomorrow's numbers to be even worse.
"I'll be shocked if it's less than 100 this time tomorrow, of additional new cases," Berejiklian said. "So we can't stress enough the importance of not only following the rules but also realising the risk that the people who will suffer the most."
The Premier urged everyone in Sydney to assume they had the virus and act accordingly to stem the spread of the state's Delta strain outbreak.
There have been 566 community cases reported since June 16, 2021, when the first case in the Bondi cluster was reported.
The state yesterday recorded 50 new locally acquired cases. Of those 50 cases, 26 were infectious in the community prior to their diagnosis.

NSW has recorded 77 new community Covid-19 cases and one death due to the virus - and Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned the numbers are only going to get worse.
Of the new locally acquired infections, 55 are linked to a known case or cluster – 39 are household contacts and 16 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 22 cases remains under investigation.
At a press conference this afternoon, Berejiklian said the person who died - a woman in her 90s - acquired the virus through a household contact.
"Tragically we've seen one older person die and I want to extend my deepest condolences to their families and loved ones and [NSW chief health officer] Dr [Kerry] Chant will provide further details," she said.
"Regrettably, that person did acquire it within the household, within the home setting."
She added that she expected tomorrow's numbers to be even worse.
"I'll be shocked if it's less than 100 this time tomorrow, of additional new cases," Berejiklian said. "So we can't stress enough the importance of not only following the rules but also realising the risk that the people who will suffer the most."
The Premier urged everyone in Sydney to assume they had the virus and act accordingly to stem the spread of the state's Delta strain outbreak.
There have been 566 community cases reported since June 16, 2021, when the first case in the Bondi cluster was reported.
The state yesterday recorded 50 new locally acquired cases. Of those 50 cases, 26 were infectious in the community prior to their diagnosis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Judith Collins isn't phased about the Act party's increasing support.
A recent UMR poll has put David Seymour ahead of the National leader, by two percent.
Together the two parties have 35-percent of the vote, while Labour and the Greens have 55 percent.
Collins told The Weekend Collective she isn't concerned about it.
"We're just really working well and I just think we've been through a tough couple of weeks, and I feel really good about where we are now."
In a potential counter effort, National is launching a billboard campaign to "demand the debate" for all New Zealanders.
She says Kiwis are being left out of important policy decisions by the Government which she says they didn't campaign on.
She says some include the car tax, Auckland's cycle bridge, changes to Maori wards - while at the same time thousands of children are growing up in motels, and mental health services are in crisis.
Collins says that they need to allow people to have a debate on things such as constitutional issues. 
LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.