/on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/rss ¾ÅÒ»ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ Fri, 31 Jan 2025 04:42:09 Z en /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-can-the-government-get-tourism-numbers-back-up/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-can-the-government-get-tourism-numbers-back-up/ As you probably picked up from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s State of the Nation speech on Thursday, 2025 is apparently all about financial growth and saying ‘yes’. Those are two trends I am trying to adopt in our house for 2025 as well, especially saying ‘yes’ when I ask someone to do something...    I digress, back to the nation.    Before COVID-19, tourism was New Zealand's largest export industry, so it’s clear why the Prime Minister and his newly minted Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis have identified it as a priority area for the country to earn more.  Data released in January reveals that in the year ending November 2024, visitor numbers increased to 3.26 million, an increase of 360,000 from the previous year, and 86 percent of pre-pandemic levels.    So, the numbers are going in the right direction, but international tourism still remains our second highest export. There is more work to do!   New Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston is the fifth minister to hold the portfolio in five years - so some stability in the portfolio is a good place to start.  Nicola Willis has suggested the new Minister will look at how funding is currently being used, the visa processing system, and marketing campaigns. All good places to start - although you’d have hoped this happened when the coalition came to power over a year ago.   The Minister will also be looking at how funding from the international visitor levy is being spent, after the levy increased from $35 to $100 in October last year.  Increasing levies, adding user charges and targeted taxes on visitors has been recommended by MBIE in the past as a way to fund tourism - and we have seen DOC increase hut and campsite fees and the trialling of car parking charges at Punakaiki, Franz Josef Glacier, and Aoraki Mount Cook.   But what about the visitor bed tax? Perhaps a crude idea in 2020 when hotels were empty; but with the industry recovering - is it time to resurrect the idea? Auckland Council has long advocated to central Government that some form of bed night levy or tax is required to support funding major events, destination marketing and visitor attractions. If one is not implemented by the middle of this year, there will be a budget gap to fund major events.  The Government is not buying into the idea that tourism needs infrastructure support. In their view, if regions get more tourists then they can deal with it themselves.   When it comes to one of our busiest tourist spots, the Government is very quick to point out that Queenstown is getting a $250 million roading upgrade.   But that’s not enough. As Queenstown mayor Glyn Lewers told me on Early Edition this week - “I’d welcome more tourists if there is a proviso that the infrastructure to support and accommodate more tourists and visitors is accounted for”. He pointed out Queenstown’s airport needs to be better staffed with more customs and security staff to function well as an international airport.    We all want growth and a thriving tourism industry. But we also want it to be sustainable - avoiding the degradation and overcrowding of our wilderness, pressure on infrastructure, and communities carrying the cost.   So, if the Government wants growth - and tourism back in the number 1 export earner spot - it should perhaps consider putting in a little bit more so it can get more out.    LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 25 Jan 2025 21:34:33 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-turns-out-the-aussies-are-dealing-with-the-same-challenges-as-us/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-turns-out-the-aussies-are-dealing-with-the-same-challenges-as-us/ Over summer, the news cycle slows as much as the days do - and there’s more time to mix and mingle on news sites. A few weeks back, the discussion about New Zealanders skipping over the ditch for better opportunities came up again after the Western Australian Government announced it would offer New Zealand tradies $10,000 to make the move.  They need more houses in the west and want Kiwis to help build them.   $10,000 is some distraction from the fact you’ll be working in crazy hot temperatures. I have no issue with New Zealander’s wanting to advance their careers, have new experiences or grow as a person by heading off for a new phase of their lives somewhere else. When you live at the bottom of the world, the call to experience the rest of the world is strong. Australia is an obvious place to start. It’s different but as familiar as you can get. But as I scrolled my way through the Aussie news websites, I noticed they’re dealing with the same challenges as us.   While we have similar economic conditions, Australia has been able to weather them better than we have, but it hasn’t been a breeze. Last week, the Sydney Morning Herald ran stories on Sydney’s housing crisis, and on the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ increasingly being tapped to help younger people through the cost-of-living crisis. Their trains don’t run too often either, their beaches are shut due to pollution and effluent waste, they have race issues, and the weather - 70,000 lightning strikes were reported on Wednesday.   Australia’s construction industry is suffering like ours, with Melbourne’s Herald Sun reporting on a property giant’s collapse, that Australia is grappling with a mortgage-led surge in calls to the National Debt Helpline, and there’s a shocking rise in hospital workers being attacked. Sound familiar?   On Brisbane’s Courier Mail there were stories about TikTok stars and NRL players' drink driving charges, snakebites, fire bombings and infrastructure woes. There was some good news though - Brissie debuted on Time Out’s Best 50 Cities in the World List for 2025.   Credit where credit is due - none of our cities made the list.   All-in-all, it was a reminder that the grass may not be much greener on the other side of the ditch. For sure, you can make Australia work to your advantage - just the size of the place means more jobs. But to make the move work, you need to end up in the right place for your circumstances, with the right job and affordable living which allows you to get ahead. As one of my talkback callers said to me during Summer Afternoons - you might be able to have a BBQ any night of the week because you know the weather will be great - but there’s more to consider.   But if Kiwis decide to make the move, they'll feel right at home. Reading all these papers, I learned the Aussies whine about stuff as much as we do. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 18 Jan 2025 21:18:19 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-a-fascinating-year-for-democracy/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-a-fascinating-year-for-democracy/ 2024 has been a fascinating year for democracy with more than 60 countries holding elections. It's been the biggest election year in global history, with around half the world's population having the opportunity to vote in local, regional, legislative, or presidential elections. Democracy was tested as countries dealt with voter apathy, attempts to suppress opposition groups, and the impact of sophisticated disinformation campaigns. Let's just say, not all the elections were equal, but the results were equally important, locally and globally. The results impact the world's complicated web of geopolitical linkages and issues and tensions. So, what have we learned from these elections in a year of political disruption? Pew Research Center identified four trends. A tough year for incumbents, the staying power of right-wing populism, polarised battles over tradition and change, and international conflicts with political implications. It certainly was a tough year for incumbents. The Democrats, of course, in the US lost the presidency, Congress and the Senate. In the United Kingdom, 14 years of Conservative Party rule came to an end - which is nothing compared to the upheaval in Botswana, where the Democratic Party lost power for the first time in 60 years. There was a change of government in South Korea in April as a means to keep the president in check, and we've seen how that's played out. Roughly 85% of incumbents lost power this year. Those left in power suffered setbacks, such as in India, Japan, South Africa, and France... and we're seeing how that's played out. One of the main underlying issues was economic challenges, such as rising costs, low production, and the general state of economies. Post-pandemic voters have less patience. If they don't like the direction their country is going in, they're not holding back.They're whipping up a storm on social media and voting for change, often for change's sake. It's something that should be front of mind for our leaders of the coalition government as they head into 2025. As the year has drawn to a close, update on the economies have been gloomy. Low productivity, a drop in GDP, a deep recession that's as bad as the 2020 COVID-related slump, a forecast surplus that has been pushed out, job losses and families struggling to get ahead. The government keeps reminding us how dire things were before they arrived. Admittedly, there is a bit of luck in the timing of when your government takes over, but equally, if things are already going great, you're less likely to have won the election. It was never going to be easy to right the books and we're far from the only country struggling, but strong promises were made. And if they can't be achieved in three years, voters will judge them for it. The government has a lot of work to do in 2025 to show voters it is turning the direction of the country around. Otherwise, the incumbent curse may continue. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 21 Dec 2024 21:52:09 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-whats-with-all-the-press-releases/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-whats-with-all-the-press-releases/ As we close in on the summer break, many of us are rushing to tidy up loose ends - and for the Government this week, it resulted in a swag of media releases. On Friday afternoon they put out 18!  Friday afternoons are a popular time to release average or bad news. The idea being that the media are beginning to clock off for the week and there is less ‘live’ news over the weekend, so hopefully less advantageous information will slip through the cracks. Or by the time it catches someone’s eye on Monday, more important things will have captured the media’s attention.  Clearly the pressure of Christmas has not yet hit me - I read all the releases. I was intrigued to see whether the Government was burying news, sharing important information, or just making a show of being busy - you know, ticking a box or KPI off the promise list.   And it was a mix. There were celebratory ones. There were vague ones, and there were a number of boring ones. It seems politicians are wrapping up their to-do lists for the year.   There were three releases announcing appointments, a collection of releases updating on work in fisheries sustainability, the Therapeutic Products Act, the safe, secure, responsible use of space, and the Holidays Act. In summary, messages reassuring us that they’ve ‘got this'.  There was a hint of celebration. We killed a record number of goats in the annual wild goat hunting competition - 12,935 goats were killed in the name of conservation. Issues relating to the Kaitaia airport have been resolved and its future secured. New Zealand and Thailand have agreed to upgrade the relationship to a strategic partnership by 2026. The Three Strikes Bill passed its third reading, and ground was broken on a new child health centre at Whangarei Hospital.   In summary, messages reassuring us that progress is being made.    As you’d expect from a Government obsessed with targets, there were a few press releases about targets for mental health and child poverty. Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston’s release stated the Government had set a target to lift 15,000 children out of persistent child poverty by 2035 – the first time a NZ Government had set this specific target. I have no issue with the target, but there was little further information on how this would be achieved, raising only what has been mentioned before.  The best press release of Friday afternoon came from NZ Herald’s Claire Trevett’s choice for Politician of the Year - Transport Minister Simeon Brown. His media release was about changes for the tolling of roads, and in particular for the Roads of National Significance. What make his release such good reading was it actually had some detail - the toll rates, the roads affected, and information on how it impacts different vehicles. I shouldn’t sound surprised, but after trying to imagine how the Government was going to reduce child poverty the presence of detail was startling.   After a riotous afternoon of reading, it occurred to me that the flurry of media releases provides a pretty neat summary for the Government’s year in politics. Lots of sound and fury, some ministers having more to show that others, some big wins, some small wins. But in politics, any win counts - particularly when there is no silver bullet.   With one more week of Parliament, I expect another week filled with media releases as the Government looks to prove they are delivering and succeeding.  LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 14 Dec 2024 21:33:28 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-why-are-christmas-movies-all-rom-coms/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-why-are-christmas-movies-all-rom-coms/ Last year, there were 116 new Christmas holiday movies released on TV and streaming streaming services in the US. I have watched very few of them, but enough to say with confidence that the majority - were average. Yesterday, filling in on Jack Tame’s show, Chris Schulz spoke about a new Lindsay Lohan film on Netflix. It’s called Our Little Secret, and it’s currently the 2nd most watched film on Netflix in NZ, so you may have seen it. It’s a perfect example of the holiday film you can expect at this time of year, throwing together a heap of holiday film tropes and hoping for the best - all in the name of Christmas entertainment.   So when and why did Christmas and holiday movies become all about romance? When did they become all about cute meets? About career women finally meeting ‘the one’ in quirky circumstances; cueing a series of misunderstandings to be rectified in a predictable third act? These films have become less about family, and more to do with having a date to meet the family.   The first Christmas film was released in 1898. It was made in the UK and is 2 minutes long - you can watch it online. It shows children being put to bed, and Santa coming down the chimney and leaving them toys. Apart from the fact Santa brought a Christmas tree with him, little has changed with this traditional Christmas story.  Throughout the years Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol has become one of the most adapted books and inspiration for Christmas films - over 38 have been based on this novella from 1843.   Christmas movies also used to be about Jesus or stories from the bible, but as we’ve become more secular, they’ve become films to search out rather than dominating streaming services.   It turns out though that Christmas films have included romance since the late 1930s. Bachelor Mother, The Shop Around the Corner and Holiday Inn are all  films made between 1939 and 1942, with romance at their heart. But after Love Actually in 2003, Christmas viewing changed forever and the romantic comedy has become a staple. Four Christmases, The Holiday, and The Family Stone were predictable, but well cast and remain firm favourites today.   So why has Christmas become so much about coupleness? It is OK to be single at Christmas. But the answer is simply because the audience decided it’s what they want.   After a long stressful year (topped off by preparing for the holidays) a lot of us are up for some easy, enjoyable and improbable escapism - with a happy ending.   We’ve earned it.  LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 07 Dec 2024 21:09:17 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-is-it-too-late-for-the-aussie-social-media-ban/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-is-it-too-late-for-the-aussie-social-media-ban/ Go the Aussies!   They have drawn a line in the sand and done what no other Government has been brave enough to do. They’re standing up to global social media companies to protect their young people by introducing a social media ban for those under 16.    The intention is good. The intention is excellent. What parent doesn’t want to protect their young adult from inappropriate or harmful online material? But the legislation is rushed. It was passed just a couple of days after a 1-day inquiry was held to consider 15,000 submissions. So it looks and sounds good, it feels morally right - but is it going to be a nightmare to enforce?  So far, social media companies such as Meta have agreed to comply with the ban - failure to do so will result in a fine of $50 million  - but they’ve also expressed concern about how it will be enforced.  If you’ve bought alcohol or a vape online, you’ll know that you simply click a button to claim you’re 18. How will these social media apps confirm a user is legitimate or not? Who knows? But if they do, then hopefully they can put an end to catfishing, hacking, and identity theft while they’re at it.    I wonder if this is similar to the school phone ban in NZ. It gave schools without a ban the backing to implement one. Is this legislation aimed at giving parents more clout to help them prevent their child from signing onto social media apps - and allowing them to check their phones and devices regularly?   Most likely. A Horizon Research survey out this week shows 74 percent of over 1500 adults polled say there should be an age limit for accessing social media, with age 16 the most popular threshold for respondents.   Doing things by the book did work - sort of - in our house. We said no SM until 13 - as recommended by the SM companies - but it probably only worked because our kids weren’t that interested. They were more into group chats on messaging apps - which are exempt from this law. We should definitely be questioning how healthy messaging apps are for young people’s mental health too.   And this is the problem. Our children are growing up in a new digital world  - be it the internet, social media, or messaging apps - and we’re still learning about the impact.   So anything that delays the age teenagers are exposed to social media is a good thing, but they will join later and the key is using the extra time before they do to educate them about the positives and perils they will encounter. It's naïve to think that having an age restriction would take away the risk of children seeing harmful content online - and we want them to be good content providers when they do get involved.   I love that the Aussies are trying to get this bolted horse back in the stable. Governments around the world will be watching to see how it goes. However it turns out, online companies will never take the care we’d like them to.   So as always it fall on the parents to step up - to get off our own phones, set an example and set some boundaries. Parenting, after all, is only really done well by parents.  LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 30 Nov 2024 22:59:42 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-we-all-want-new-infrastructure-but-this-is-getting-frustrating/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-we-all-want-new-infrastructure-but-this-is-getting-frustrating/ It’s understandable Auckland CBD's retail and hospitality businesses' initial reaction was one of concern after learning Auckland’s train network will close for 96 days in the final push to get the City Rail Link open in 2026. Devastated even. In years to come, we will take the CRL for granted as a valuable, normal part of a functioning, modern city. But almost a decade of disruption has taken a toll. This latest news will be triggering for those impacted. Yes, the rail network upgrades have to be done. Yes, better to bite the bullet now than drag this out for even longer. We are all desperate to cut the ribbon on the CRL and get on with life. But this news came out of the blue. It’s only 7 weeks until the first shut down - from 27th December to 28th January. This is very short notice for businesses preparing for what they hope will be a busy summer season.   It's frustrating. What helps manage the pain is how you consult, communicate information, and prepare for the inconvenience. AT said there will be extra buses to accommodate passengers during the rail closures, but acknowledges special events will be challenging. New Year's Eve, Sail GP, and the ASB Classic are all held over summer period when there will be train stoppages. Honestly, and I know it’s hard for some of you to believe, but Auckland is a great place to be over summer. As long as you can get around.   It’s not like a sold out concert at Eden Park isn’t challenging enough now for public transport. Which is something the CRL will improve.  And this is the issue at the heart of it all - new infrastructure can breathe life into a city or region, we just don’t want to live through the nightmare of building it.   This is not just an Auckland problem. The Government has announced its preferred plan for Wellington is to build two new tunnels to funnel large numbers of cars into the central city. Thats going to be disruptive. I was in Christchurch this week, where there is real excitement about the stadium and the growth of the city - but what a ordeal the last 13 years have been.   This week, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop released a discussion document which outlines the Infrastructure Commission’s thinking for developing a 30 year National Infrastructure Plan. The idea is to create a bipartisan approach to infrastructure, to plan, fund and deliver what the country needs - but also what it can afford.   It's a good, forward thinking, organised approach to infrastructure - the plan should be delivered by the end of 2025. It will provide a pipeline, which gives us a much clearer view of upcoming projects and an understanding of what’s involved for those impacted. So, bring on the upgrades and improvements to our infrastructure, but bring the people along with you. It's not that hard, the Government must consult, communicate and - this is a really important bit-  compensate those adversely impacted.  LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 09 Nov 2024 23:19:01 Z /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-can-we-stop-playing-politics-with-youth-mental-health/ /on-air/the-sunday-session/opinion/francesca-rudkin-can-we-stop-playing-politics-with-youth-mental-health/ If you care about the mental health of our young people, if you are a parent of a child who is struggling or advocating to get your child or young adult diagnosed and treated, the last thing you want to hear in the news is more gotcha moments around the I Am Hope charity - and politicians reacting to it.   As someone who has first-hand experience of how overwhelmed our mental health system is, and how long and hard parents must fight and wait for the life changing and often life-saving treatment our children and adolescents need, there is nothing appealing about politicising the issue.   This is not the time for grandstanding. This is not the time for the opposition to count hits against the coalition Government; and this is not the time for the Government to sweep their decision-making under the carpet.   These are children’s lives we are talking about. This is families in distress and disarray. Please, can we do away with the sound bites and headlines and get on with the job? The Prime Minister was right when he said this week: “Do not play politics with youth mental health”. He said this in response to calls for his Government to review funding for Mike King’s mental health charity I Am Hope, in the wake of an ill-considered and out-of-context comment King made about alcohol being a short-term fix for those going through a rough period with their mental health.   But when you grant one charity $24 million over 4 years - more than the whole contestable Mental Health Innovation Fund promised by National - then I am sorry Prime Minister, but you have opened this issue up for scrutiny.   At the beginning of October, the Auditor General raised concerns about the process in which the Ministry of Health allocated the funding, “without an open, transparent, and competitive procurement process”. The ministry took the hit, but the push to do what they did came from the Government.  So it is on the Ministry and the Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey to assure this investment is achieving the performance measures set in place. That it is helping make a difference to the stretched public service by providing support for young people in distress.   And if it is not, to do something about it.   As for Gumboot Friday and I am Hope - forget the commentary and the politicking and get on with what you are so determined to do. Improve the mental health of our young people.  We all need this to work, and we all will benefit when it does. So I strongly suggest everyone stick to their own lanes and get on with it. LISTEN ABOVE Sat, 02 Nov 2024 21:44:50 Z