The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Has Government support for tourism gone on a tiki-tour?
It's hoped a package will go before Cabinet by the end of the month, but Tourism Minister Stuart Nash won't say when, or what it will entail.
He told Mike Hosking they're re-imagining tourism in a post-covid world, and how to support the industry until the borders open.
"We can’t save every business, that just not viable. But we do want vibrant tourism and the industry to come out of this for a post-Covid world."
National MP Mark Mitchell is challenging the delay, saying owners desperately need a timeframe.
"It’s not good enough to say it’s going to Cabinet, we don’t know when. They need to provide some definite plans and dates."
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Because the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd's death is being held during the coronavirus pandemic, the courtroom has been overhauled for safety.
Gone are the traditional jury box and gallery, replaced with widely spaced seats and desks for a limited contingent of attorneys, jurors and media. Plexiglas barriers and hand sanitizer are everywhere, and the participants – even the judge – wear masks.
The pandemic has upended court systems across the country, delaying jury trials and creating huge backlogs of cases. Video and teleconference hearings have allowed judges to keep the wheels of justice grinding, albeit slowly. Many courts have installed barriers or moved jury orientation and even trials themselves to bigger spaces such as convention centers to get at least some jury trials going again.
In Minnesota, in-person criminal jury trials have been mostly on hold since November. Chief Justice Lorie Gildea last month allowed them to resume effective March 15, with proper safety protocols consistent with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Minnesota Department of Health. Most other proceedings will continue to be held remotely through April 30. A handful of exceptions have been allowed, including for the trial of Derek Chauvin’s trial, the former Minneapolis officer charged in Floyd's death.
“We are gradually increasing in-person activities in court facilities in a safe and responsible manner that will allow the courts to fulfill our constitutional obligation, while we continue to do all that we can to protect public health and safety,” Gildea said in a statement.
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Floyd was declared dead May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against the Black man’s neck for about nine minutes, holding his position even after Floyd went limp. Floyd’s death sparked sometimes violent protests in Minneapolis and beyond, leading to a nationwide reckoning on race and one of the highest-profile trials of a police officer in U.S. history.
Citing the need to comply with social distancing and other safety rules, Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill separated Chauvin’s case from that of the three other ex-officers charged in Floyd's death, who are set for trial in August. Among other things, Cahill concluded in January, no courtroom in the building was big enough to safely accommodate four defense teams and the prosecution team all at once.
Prosecutors tried unsuccessfully to persuade Cahill to reconsider his decision to hold two trials. They argued instead for holding a single joint trial sometime this summer when they hoped enough Minnesotans would have been vaccinated to reduce the risk of any participants getting COVID-19.
They submitted an affidavit from prominent University of Minnesota epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, who warned that it could be “extremely dangerous” to try Chauvin this month, with “potentially catastrophic consequences for public heath." He expressed fear that it could become a “superspreader event," given the large number of protesters and out-of-town journalists it was likely to draw, especially if more-contagious coronavirus variants cause a spike in cases.
But Cahill provided little explanation for rejecting those arguments, having already ruled that the proceedings would comply with court safety rules, and he kept the case on course for the trial's opening on Monday.
The 18th-floor courtroom Cahill borrowed is the largest in the Hennepin County Government Center, and it has been overhauled for the purposes of Chauvin’s trial. The seating capacity was sharply reduced in the remodeling. The theater-style seating in what was the gallery was removed to create space. Tall plexiglass dividers separate the judge and court staffers from the limited number of other people in the courtroom. Clear plastic sheets also run down the...

This could be your one and only chance to own a pair of original Sir Peter Blake's lucky red socks from 1995.
Owned by her partner Dave Ness, Karen Brown, has posted the socks up for sale on a local Facebook trading page.
Ness said they put them up for sale at the start of the America's Cup this year.
"They've been in the sock drawer since 1995 basically and then of course we remembered that they were in there. We thought 'oh well someone might want to buy them'."
The Queenstown couple said they bring the socks out during every America's Cup but have never worn them.
"We think they're luckier intact," Brown said.
"We've been using them as a good luck charm, we must have missed taking them out of the drawer one year though."
The red socks saga started when Blake wore a pair for each race of the 1995 Cup. Every time he wore his socks, the black boat was victorious.
Even now, the Sir Peter Blake Trust continues to ask Kiwis to buy replicas of his socks and host an annual Red Socks Day to raise awareness about the importance of leadership.
Ness' socks are still in great condition, with the tags attached, after 26 years, he said.
"I'd be surprised if we weren't one of few to have them. Over the years people who had them have probably just worn them."
When asked if they consider themselves big America's Cup fans, Ness said they are as much as any other Kiwi.
"You get caught up in the hype definitely but we aren't sailing people."
The couple is not sure exactly how much they want for the socks but are open to offers.
"Maybe we might have to give them to Glen Ashby if things don't go their way."
Text by Devon Bolger, NZ Herald

All you need to know ahead of day one of the America's Cup match between Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa:
Racing in the 36th match for sailing's America's Cup between defender Team New Zealand and Italian challenger Luna Rossa will begin today after the relaxation of Covid-19 lockdown regulations in Auckland.
The cup match was due to begin on Saturday but was pushed back to Wednesday when Auckland moved to alert level 3 after a small community outbreak.
The outbreak is now thought to be contained and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Auckland's move to alert level 2 last week. That will allow racing to take place in the best-of-13 race match, albeit without crowds at the cup village or fan zones ashore.
Two races will be sailed today with an off-day Thursday. Racing will continue on the following four days — March 12 to 15 — and continue each day afterwards until one team has won seven races.
Team NZ will go into the clash as favourites, being the defenders and host, but Luna Rossa will be no pushovers having dominated the Prada Cup final 7-1 against Ineos Team UK.
Speaking at the press conference on Tuesday ahead of the first race, Luna Rossa skipper Max Sirena said his team was determined to prove the doubters wrong.
"We took the experience of the past campaign and try and build something different from the past," Sirena said. "Work out where we failed in the past. You really see the changes from the Christmas Cup to the Prada Cup final. We've had a big up and down.
"In the past we never really reacted enough to criticism. People wrote us off every stage. Now we are in the final. People are saying we will need a miracle to beat Team New Zealand. Let's race tomorrow and see what happens."
Team NZ helmsman Peter Burling said he had no regrets in the build-up to the cup match in what has been challenging circumstances.
"I don't have any regrets on what we've done along the way. Incredible campaign," he said. "A lot of changes with Covid, not having the warm-up events. At the end of the day, we're here now and tomorrow we get to race and find out for real."
"Everyone is really ready to go out and race tomorrow," Sirena added. "I said to the team we have nothing to lose. Only to win. I don't know if they are going to be a surprise. But I am more confident than ever going into a race against them."
Schedule
The America's Cup match is a best of 13 series, with the winner being crowned champions and awarded the Auld Mug. The racing window for each race day will be around 4pm-6pm, with the first race of each day scheduled for 4.15pm.
Mar 10: Race 1 and 2Mar 12: Race 3 and 4Mar 13: Race 5 and 6Mar 14: Race 7 and 8*Mar 15: Race 9* and 10*Mar 16: Race 11* and 12*Mar 17: Race 13*
* if necessary.
Odds
To win Race 1:
Team New Zealand - $1.30Luna Rossa - $3.20
Overall winner of the America's Cup:
Team New Zealand - $1.25Luna Rossa - $3.50

Is there the seed of an idea for places like Glacier Country that comes to us out of Queensland?
They have launched the Cairns Holiday Dollars Programme. You apply and you get vouchers for specific attractions in the far north of Queensland. It's an area that hasn’t bounced back, or got the benefit of interstate travellers, the way areas like the Gold and Sunshine Coasts have.
You get a 50 percent discount, you have to commit to a certain spend, vouchers can only be used once, and cannot be split. But the point is, it’s a specifically targeted programme designed to help a specific part of the country.
Why wouldn’t we look at something similar here?
The government looked at, and rejected, the British "Eat Out to Help Out" campaign. Figures show it boosted eating out by six percent, which given the cost, is hardly bang for pound. And it only boosted it on the days the vouchers were applicable. So, value is critical.
The days are fast ending of open cheque books. QE programmes have written trillions.
Our own STAPP programme for tourism was a disaster and is now being investigated by the Auditor General. But that doesn't mean there isn't pain, and it certainly shouldn’t mean that help isn't available, if a smart plan can be enacted.
What we have seen domestically is that certain regions have seen more locals than ever before. Places like Whanganui, that have never really been part of the international tourist map, have had a real windfall. More people than ever have seen the region.
But we know that a domestic tourist isn't as valuable as an international one, and not all regions have benefited when we have hit the road on the school or Christmas holidays.
So why not have a look at the north Queensland model? Why not look to the possibility of actually putting a bit of spade work in? After all, I think most of us would agree that the business that simply hasn’t been allowed to operate because of government orders is owed some help.
This plan gets around Grant Robertson's issue of what's a tourist business is and what isn't. You target them.
No, we can't help everyone and save every job. But there is no shortage of businesses that were helped with things like the wage subsidy and went on to do very nicely.
Let's level that playing field with good ideas.

High-profile broadcaster Piers Morgan has quit his UK breakfast TV show as the fallout continues over the Harry and Meghan interview.
In a statement this morning (NZT), ITV said that following discussions, Morgan had decided now was the time to leave Good Morning Britain. "ITV has accepted this decision and has nothing further to add."
Morgan stormed off the set of the show yesterday ahead of his interview with Thomas Markle, after a presenter condemned his treatment of Harry and Meghan.

Piers Morgan just walked off the Good Morning Britain set (!!!) after co-presenter Alex Beresford defended Harry and Meghan and condemned Piers' treatment of them in yesterday's programming pic.twitter.com/mH75J8ND4O— Chris Rickett (@chrisrickett) March 9, 2021

The tension in the studio was palpable between Morgan – a frequent critic of Meghan in particular – and co-presenter Alex Beresford.
"I watched the programme yesterday and yes they had some great press around the wedding, but what press is going to trash someone's special day?" Beresford said.
"There was bad press around the engagement, before the engagement and everything that has followed since has been incredibly damaging – quite clearly, to Meghan's mental health and also to Harry – and I hear Piers say that William has gone through the same thing, but do you know what, siblings experience tragedy in their life and one will be absolutely fine and brush it off and the other will not be able to deal with it so strongly.
"And that's clearly what's happened to Harry in this situation. He walked behind his mother's coffin at a tender, tender age in front of the globe. That is going to shape a young boy for the rest of his life. So I think that we all need to take a step back."
Speaking directly to Morgan, Beresford said he "understands" that Morgan doesn't like Meghan, telling him "you've made it so clear a number of times on this programme, a number of times".
"And I understand that you've got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle, or had one and she cut you off. She's entitled to cut you off if she wants to.
"Has she said anything about you since she cut you off? I don't think she has, yet you continue to trash her."
Morgan got up and left his chair, saying he was "done with this" before storming out of the studio.

Open the transtasman bubble - that is the call from National Party leader Judith Collins, who says New Zealand's tourism sector is "desperate".
Collins this morning said New Zealand and Australia had done well to reduce the threat of Covid-19.
"We should take the logical next step and get the travel bubble up and running," she said.
"Both countries have a similar Covid profile and Australia has proven a bubble can work."
Australia had opened its border to Kiwis last October and had adopted a flexible approach whenever community cases were identified here.
"We should take the same approach."
Collins said people travelling from across the Tasman should have to show a negative pre-departure test within 72 hours of travelling.
But they should not have to go into mandatory 14-day managed isolation on arrival, she said.
Collins acknowledged a one-way travel system could work - as seen with travellers coming into New Zealand from the Cook Islands.
"The Government has indicated that a travel bubble is possible in the current settings by allowing quarantine-free travel from the Cook Islands, since January.
"Managed isolation is overrun with long delays because places are being taken up by Kiwis returning from Australia when there is little - if any - risk of Covid-19," she said.
Those sought-after spots in managed isolation and quarantine could be given to people who are returning from other parts of the world or workers and families of those needed to return to work here.
She said the public had been told for months that a transtasman bubble was on the cards. However, the borders remained closed.
"The Government must make this a priority. New Zealanders deserve action now."

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Wednesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Upheld/Piers Pulled/Incentivised to Have Fun/Nothng Z Can't Do/Ashley at the Cricket

It was a roller coaster, wasn’t it?
I have seen and heard all I need of the Harry and Meghan business. I watched and read because that’s what I do, not because I wanted to.
The reality of news is a lot of news is not the stuff you’re actually interested in. But to dismiss the interview is to pretend something big didn’t happen because essentially you’re a snob and you find it beneath you.
The numbers will tell the story. CBS was claiming it will be bigger than the Super Bowl and that’s as big as it gets – well, for sport anyway.
Not that this was sport, or was it?
Meghan was suicidal at one point of her pregnancy, that can’t be dismissed. The fact Harry didn’t really know what to do can’t be dismissed either.
And the fact ‘The Firm’, the family, didn’t seem to know what to do comes I am sure as no real surprise, sadly.
The queen is spoken of highly at all points. It appears the queen is amazing, but the rest of them not quite so much.
Charles not taking Harry’s calls is super uncool. I can say without a shadow of a doubt as a dad that you never stop talking to your kids.
But having flown with Charles once for 11 hours from London to Singapore, he's weird when you see him in the flesh. He’s surrounded by weird people so in a sense that doesn’t surprise me either.
We got into the tragic: ‘Kate made me cry or I made Kate cry and someone sent flowers’ - are you serious?
There was the bit where she didn’t have a clue what she was getting into with the Royal Family. That’s on her and her husband, given he might have been able to give her a bit of a heads up.
The claim 'The Firm' were worried about Archie’s skin colour is about as disturbing as you get, but once again, I’m not in shock.
The unfairness of all this is what ever was said the royal family can’t fight back. Perhaps more importantly, nor should they or, nor would they want to.
This has been a tragic and undignified spectacle by a couple who, for whatever reason, felt shunned or alone or bewildered or lost, and basically gave up and ran away.
And if giving up and running away brings you happiness, then all power to you.
The thing about the monarchy is it’s been around 1000 years. The queen’s been the head of it for 70 years. They’ve have seen it all, and a lot worse than this.
This will not even register in the annals of history, no matter how many people sat down to drool over it.
Harry and Meghan have got their day in the sun. I lost about two hours I can’t get back, but by next week we won’t even remember what was said.
 
 

It looks like early weather advantage to the challengers two days out from the America's Cup.
Luna Rossa will be greatly encouraged by the predictions for the first day of racing.
The battle looks sure to commence on the outer harbour Course A. The general weather predictions – which tend to use the higher readings produced by various models - indicate 15 knots of wind. But more specific readings used by the racing fraternity suggest the winds will be lower than that on Wednesday.
The Italians will want a fast start to the best-of-13 series, which involves two races a day. And with unpredictable wind likely on Wednesday, the conditions look perfect for Jimmy Spithill and co. to launch a tactical blitz aimed at putting Team New Zealand on the back foot.
AUT sailing professor Mark Orams said Luna Rossa will be pleased with the predictions he has seen, of winds around 11 to 13 knots.
"These conditions are made for Spithill if he can get in front," said Orams, NZME's lead America's Cup analyst.
"This wind direction is quite unstable sometimes coming off the land and sometimes along the coast.
"It is quite tricky tactically and also at the cross over for when the boats are fully powered up or looking for more power.
"TNZ will not be too concerned (but) the forecast is not in the slot where they are expected to have a significant boat speed advantage.
"What the Italians wouldn't want to see is a prediction of 15 – 18 knots.
"It looks like there are going to be a lot of manoeuvres. Luna Rossa will want to get in front and defend like crazy."
Heading into the Cup racing?• Give yourself plenty of time and think about catching a ferry, train or bus to watch the Cup.• Make sure your AT HOP card is in your pocket. It's the best way to ride.• Don't forget to scan QR codes with the NZ COVID Tracer app when on public transport and entering the America's Cup Village.• For more ways to enjoy race day, visit at.govt.nz/americascup.