The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Kiwi soap Shortland Street last week confronted an issue that likely resonated with many Kiwi parents - what to do if you catch your teen sexting.

During Friday's episode, one of the show's veteran characters, Dr Chris Warner, found naked photos of his teenage son Harry saved on the family iPad.

"Please tell me that is not your penis?" he yells as he shows the photo to a bewildered Harry.

The prevalence of digital devices in Kiwi homes has led to more Kiwi parents having to deal with this delicate and awkward issue.

In light of the Shortland Street episode, Youthline chief executive Stephen Bell talked to Newstalk ZB about the best way for parents to talk to their kids about the possible consequences of sending potential love interests naked photos of themselves.

Although it was an awkard topic to broach it was important for parents who discovered their child's naked selfies to stay calm and have an open discussion with the teenager, Bell told Mike Hosking Breakfast.

"It's one of those cringe moments when you think 'Oh my God, how could my beautiful child be doing this crazy thing?' [But] I think you have to actually engage with them."

Teenagers pushing the boundaries by sending naked photos needed to be made aware of the risks doing so posed to both themselves and the intended recipients, Bell said.

"I think there is the potential for harm."

By sending naked photos of themselves teenagers could actually be breaking the law, Bell said, and it was important for parents to let them know this was a risk.

However, preserving the relationship between the parent and child, he said, was the most important thing when confronting the issue.

WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE HEARD (highlights from Tuesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Well... Let's Hope It's Special/The Hosk Achieves a Double-Good Question

WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE HEARD (highlights from Monday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Better Tell the P.M./Back to Trump's Drawing Board/Don't Take Ads Literally/Spice-Date/Pizza Price Wars

Hollywood star Reese Witherspoon and talk show queen Oprah Winfrey are headed to New Zealand.

They're destined for Queenstown on a two-week filming trip.

Local Mayor Jim Boult said it was an "enormous opportunity for free marketing." 

"If we were to going to buy this sort of publicity, it would cost millions." 

The two stars are set for a fortnight of shooting on location near Lake Hawea in central Otago on a $143 million movie called A Wrinkle in Time, made by a company owned by Disney.

The celebrities will be housed at a private residence in Wanaka, with the filming at Hunter Valley Station, which is close to Lake Hawea.

The Prime Minister is meeting with the Pike River families on Wednesday.

Bill English said they have some points they want to make to the Government and he's happy to meet with them.

However, he told Mike Hosking it's not a matter of him changing his mind.

English said a decision has to be made by people who have expertise and will take responsibility under New Zealand safety law.

He said at the moment, that's Solid Energy.

"It's not a political decision. It would be unlawful for me to instruct someone to go and do it."

He said he's not taking opposition parties - like Labour and New Zealand First - seriously when it comes to Pike River.

Hosking asked the Prime Minister about the call for an apology for state care abuse victims.

English acknowledges stories of abuse in state care are real, but said it's about priorities.

He said he'll look at the letter but said an overhaul of the system looking after our most vulnerable children, begins on April 1st.

"It would be a shame to take all the energy away from actually changing the system, to go back over the history again."

Rape, babies taken from families, electro-convulsive therapy as punishment and LSD experimentation are among the abuse that's alleged to have happened in state care from the 1950s to the 90s.

The Human Rights Commission's calling for an independent inquiry into the claims of sexual and physical abuse of children in state care during that period.

An open letter's been signed by 29 prominent Kiwis who agree the Government let down those who were abused.

Disability Rights Commissioner Paul Gibson signed it and told Mike Hosking there needs to be an apology, not just for the perpetrators' actions but for the Government's systemic failures.

"And we want to see the people who are still alive today supported. Also that we would want to learn so that nothing like this ever happens again."

Mr Gibson said the abuse included rape and babies being taken from their families.

"And living lives with no family. Lonely lives devoid of any love. It's about ECT [Electro-Convulsive Therapy] being used as punishment, LSD experimentation."

WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE HEARD (highlights from Friday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Petrol Won't Change/Mark the Week/Things That Make You Go Ow/Self Checkout Woes/Amazon Update

Search and rescue drones could become first responders in the event of a natural disaster.

Canterbury University and Yokohama National University are working on developing technologies to detect people under rubble with drones.

Senior Research Engineer Kelvin Barnsdale told Mike Hosking the technology will allow drones to hone in on mobile devices such as phones.

But he said they're also developing new intelligence and sensory technologies for the flying rescuers to navigate through beams and fallen debris.

The drones may even be able to tell the emergency status of a person buried in rubble thanks to phones and fitbits.

"These devices talk to each other through radio connections and we're hoping to be able to pick up those signals from underneath the rubble, and detect not only the person being there but the biometric condition," he said.

LISTEN ABOVE AS KELVIN BARNSDALE SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING

A kidney transplant is looking likely for Georgina Beyer.

New Zealand's first transgender mayor has to have dialysis three days a week for five hours at a time to treat kidney disease.

Georgina Beyer told Mike Hosking she saw a doctor in Auckland yesterday and it looks like a transplant's in the offing.

She developed a heart issue - which held things up - but that's come right.

Beyer said things are "back on track". She was about a year behind getting the transplant but now it's all looking positive.

She's hosting tonight's gala event at the Auckland Pride Festival.

LISTEN ABOVE AS GEORGINA BEYER SPOKE WITH MIKE HOSKING

Labour, the Green Party and Grey Power have launched an inquiry into aged care, following concerns older people aren't getting the care they need.

Health spokesperson Annette King says older people are struggling to live at home, due to cuts in the hours provided by carers.

She told Mike Hosking they're bypassing care providers and going straight to Grey Power meetings to find out what's going on.

"I'm going out and saying this is what's been implemented, this is what hasn't, and what would we need to change, and it can form the backbone of an aged care policy."

King said older people are struggling to live at home due to cuts in the hours provided from carers. She said previous recommendations haven't been taken up.

"We set out a number of recommendations for change - 14 recommendations - but there have been other reports as well."

LISTEN ABOVE AS ANNETTE KING SPEAKS WITH MIKE HOSKING