Andrew Dickens Afternoons

A campaign's been launched against changing the school system. The Government last year launched a discussion around their Tomorrow's Schools plan, which proposes replacing community leadership such as school boards with regional 'hubs'. Today, 43 of the country's nearly 2500 schools announced that they have formed the Community Schools Alliance. Auckland Grammar Principal Tim O'Connor, who is one member of the Alliance, told Mike Hosking a new model won't work for every school.Andrew Dickens agrees. He thinks that the schools that are in trouble could go for this collective model, but 95% of the schools seem to be doing fine. "The schools that are not should not be forced into this system of one size fits all." Talkback callers were in agreement about the flaws in the system. One of the proposals would see principals hired on five year terms. Richard, who sits on a Catholic school board in Wellington, says that it's already difficult enough trying to find a Catholic principal at the moment as it is. "I'm not

Isn’t it great when you hear grown-ups talking about the issues of the day and making sense? It’s something you don’t hear too often in our media, which is full of simplified slogan shouting in 10-second soundbites.So this is what I was thinking about listening to the Auckland Grammar school headmaster, Tim O’Connor, talking on Newstalk ZB this morning. He is part of a group called the Community Schools Alliance made up of principals from 42 schools around the country.The group is opposing proposals made by the Tomorrow's Schools Review taskforce, which has recommended a system of hubs to oversee groups of schools and take over many of the responsibilities of school trustees.This centralisation of school management has been described as ideologically driven by the current government and therefore a bad idea.What I liked about Tim O’Connor is that he didn’t get into Government or Working Group bashing at all, despite being pushed to do so. While he admitted the hub plan was ideologically driven, he didn’t dism

New data showing that more than 43,000 Aucklanders are directly threatened by rising seas has prompted warnings that home insurers may be forced in future to hike prices - or withdraw coverage altogether.An Auckland Council report gauged the region's exposure to varying scenarios of climate change-driven sea level rise – notably the 25cm projected for 2045, 50cm by 2060, 1m by 2100, 2m by 2160 and up to 3m beyond next century.Already, between 1.5 per cent and 4.5 per cent of the city's land area now sat in low-lying coastal areas that could be vulnerable.And the report found how, over the past decade, the population boomed in those areas vulnerable to sea level rise more than in the region overall, now leaving about three per cent of Aucklanders exposed.That equated to about 43,000 people - up from 34,700 people in 2001.By the end of the century, the report warned, up to 2.5 per cent of the Auckland region might be affected, with a further 3.7 per cent at risk being swamped by inundation from storm surge, hig

A Whangārei man says Air New Zealand is being hypocritical after turning him down for a role because of his tā moko while covering their uniforms and planes with koru designs.Sydney Heremaia, 36, had applied for a customer service agent role last month with the national carrier at Whangārei Airport.While applying online he disclosed that he had a tā moko on his left shoulder, and tatau, a Samoan form of skin art, on his right forearm. Both were not visible while wearing a corporate shirt.Heremaia said he was then asked to provide photos and to explain the cultural significance of them, which he did.An Air New Zealand representative then sent him an email, viewed by the Herald, that said he was being turned down for the job because "the body art you have declared does not comply with our Uniform Standards for roles wearing the Koru Uniform".It was suggested he could apply for other roles that did not require the Koru uniform, but did not say if the tā moko and tatau would be an issue.Heremaia told the Herald t

All military-style semi-automatic rifles are being banned.The ban will also cover all assault rifles, high capacity magazine and parts that can convert a semi-automatic weapon to a military-style semi-automatic firearm.The Prime Minister says, in short, every semi-automatic weapon used in the terrorist attack on Friday will be banned in this country.And Jacinda Ardern says it will happen immediately, with her Government implementing a measure to stop the weapons being sold until the new laws can be implemented.Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper told Andrew Dickens he thought the decision from the government was the right one and will have strong public support."This is a tougher stance than many people expected but I totally agree they should be outlawed. It's not just because of the horrible events last Friday. For the last 25 years, they have grappled about doing something with these weapons."National says it will support the changes announced by the Prime Minister.Leader Simon Bridges says the public

It’s been a long week. One of the longest I’ve ever experienced in talkback because of the roller coaster ride of our feelings that have triggered by the events of less than a week ago.In each three hour session, the basic topic has been the same, the Christchurch Mosque Massacre. But under that broad headline has been a myriad of big topics. It’s been rugged.The last half hour of yesterday’s show is a case in point.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had given her daily press conference announcing two minutes of silence to be held on Friday, and then took questions from the media which has now be swollen by foreign correspondents. A British voice asked her to criticise Donald Trump. She refused, saying it was about New Zealand and the victims and Christchurch.Then she was asked to answer back to the words of President Erdoğan of Turkey. Again she demurred, saying her focus was Christchurch. It was a moment when a wee bit of the shine went off our glittering PM. All of a sudden the talkback turned and we had calls

So yesterday the Prime Minister stole my line. But she said it better."He sought many things from his act of terror, but one was notoriety. And that is why you will never hear me mention his name.He is a terrorist. He is a criminal. He is an extremist. But he will, when I speak, be nameless.And to others, I implore you. Speak the names of those who were lost, rather than the name of the man who took them."I’ve been saying that sort of thing since Friday when we learnt he planned to plead not guilty and I just knew he was going to take the chance to preach from the witness box to inspire others and to build a cult of personality around his name. But since then a number of people have been criticising the stance the Prime Minister and I have taken. As they say, justice needs to be seen to be done not just done, even though it will be brutal for the victims and carry its risks of perpetuating the violence. He needs to be named and he needs to present his defence and it has to be in public. Therefore in the media

Dame Anne Salmond, the historian and New Zealander of the Year in 2013, has come out with an opinion piece today in response to Friday's atrocity. It has been published by both the NZ Herald and Fairfax so she obviously wants it widely debated.In it, she says that white supremacy is part of us and she says in its soft version it can look bland and reasonable. A person saying that te reo Māori is a dead language, for instance. Of course, when you say that to Māori family who are fluent across generations then you’ve lost the high ground.It’s important to say this because the horrors of extremism are built on top of a base of smaller slights. And if there is is an undercurrent the extremists feel as though there are supporters out there waiting to be mobilised by their insane actions.A small example of this happened over the weekend when a well known, intelligent, conservative female blogger posted in social media. She said that no matter what you think of her, Jacinda Ardern is doing a great job. So far so goo

So it comes to my time to give thoughts on the terrible events that started on Friday. There are two ways to do this. One is to talk about my feelings, but that seems redundant because we know how we all feel. Just because I have a microphone, I don’t have a monopoly on feeling. And those feelings could be a number of things including anger.On this day. Two and a half days on, it is the time to keep a lid on our most emotional impulses and begin a slower process towards coming to terms with this stuffThe other thing to do is look at what’s next. Gun laws, Monitoring of loose units. To me, it still seems too soon but it is at least a concrete angle to concentrate our minds.I’m still thinking about the victimsI was listening to the Jacinda Ardern’s interview this morning and I noticed that there was not one mention of the victims. There was talk about the impossibility of monitoring lone wolves, the strengthening of gun laws, even strengthening of security on regional flights. But nothing about the Muslim commu

Despite being found guilty of sexually abusing two 13-year-old boys, Cardinal George Pell was today sentenced to just six years in prison.The light sentence has sparked division, with talkback callers firing up over the prominent Catholic's sentence. In his hour-long sentencing, Judge Peter Kidd revealed the three key factors he considered the 77-year-old's sentence. When outlining Pell's case for retribution, the judge noted while there was "no evidence of his remorse", the cardinal had "experienced an exceptional career within the Catholic Church".Judge Kidd said Pell's age and health status had particularly affected the his decision."Your age is a significant factor in my sentencing exercise," he said. "As I have indicated before, you are now in your late 70s. It is relevant in a number of ways."Of some real importance in my sentencing exercise is the fact that each year you spend in custody will represent a substantial portion of your remaining life expectancy."While it is a matter of speculation as to ho

Well, I hate to hark back to the Michael Jackson documentary one more time but there is one final observation I need to make.Yesterday, I wrote of my feelings after Part one of the doco and why I can no longer listen to Jackson’s music. I posted it online and I was disturbed by a number of comments.Many people questioned how I could declare Jackson guilty of sexual abuse based on a one-sided documentary that didn’t seek the views of Jackson’s side. The problem I have with that is that I never said that.My piece was very carefully worded. Nowhere in the piece did I say I believe that Jackson was guilty. But a grown-up will know that does not mean he’s innocent either. It’s just not proven beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.I spent half of the piece throwing Wade Robson's credibility into doubt just as a journalist on Chris Lynch's programme did. I stressed that everyone in this story, from the kids to their parents to Michael Jackson are seriously screwed up people.But what I know to be a fact, that was

So round one of the Michael Jackson evisceration is over and the nation is collectively having a shower.A nasty, brutal and graphic two hours and now another two hours to go. Imagine watching the whole thing in one go. No wonder people who saw the full doco at Sundance needed support afterwards.And now there’s been the debate. But it’s a complicated debate just like all real life. It’s not a case of arguing if Jackson did it or not, or if the men who were the boys are lying or not.One of the difficulties is that all parties were extremely damaged individuals.Michael Jackson’s abuse at the hands of his father is well documented as was his stolen childhood as his family exploited his incredible talent.The men at the heart of the documentary are also very compromised. It has to be remembered that Wade Robson, in particular, held his tongue for a very long time. I’ve read his testimony from a 2005 court case where he refutes ever being abused. That said the defence lawyer expertly framed the questions around whet

Another week, another litany of examples that we are a terrible country when it comes to forward thinking and planning.So I woke up this morning to Mike Hosking sighing and being concerned. The news that 40,000 people in rural and isolated New Zealand will never be able to stream the Rugby World Cup even if they wanted to. Their broadband is just not good enough.No kidding.Now I’m more confident than Mike about the whole thing. And I’m impressed at the way Crown Infrastructure Partners have been rolling out the ultra-fast broadband around the country because it’s a massive and expensive job.To give you an example just to do Milldale a new suburb for 9000 residents is going to cost $45 million.But the internet and broadband are not the newest technology on the planet. Decisions have been made to base everything on the internet such as the abortive census from last year. So the point is once we decided this is the way then throw everything at it.And here’s a great point. Last century our grandparents took seale

Talkback callers have shared their thoughts on working from home, after one company says they will soon make all employees work at home. BNY Melon in the UK has said they will stop people working from home. They say that if everyone worked in an office, it will lead to "better collaboration and quicker decision making".The company currently has a flexible working policy for their 3,000 workers, but believe that some of those employees working from home are misusing their trust. The move has been met with backlash from employees, with some saying they will have to quit and find a more flexible job, and another saying that it will not benefit people with children or family members to look after.Callers to Andrew Dickens were mostly in favour of working from home.Caller Mike says that he has worked at home for several years and he prefers the environment to being stuck in an office, and his productivity has not suffered.Tania points out that just because people are working in an office it does not mean they are

Well, I have really, really, really tried but I have failed. The same way I failed last year’s Dry July. I had the best intentions but it’s just too tempting. Or maybe I’m too addicted. Or maybe it’s too infuriating.I honestly thought I might get through this week without discussing the recent findings of the Tax Working Group. I imagined and visualised never uttering the words “Capital Gains Tax”. But I have now fallen.I was tempted to talk about it after Jacinda Ardern got stuck into the people who write columns in the Herald. People like me. The inference being that we were all ganging up against the CGT. That the proposals were slowly being picked apart like pulling at a loose thread on a jumper. The tax was dying a death of a thousand cuts. And that was unfair. And of course, this whole thing is about fairness.I took exception to that because what she was really complaining about is that nobody was coming out in favour of the tax. Apart from a few people writing emotional pleas about fairness and how it

Australia's largest airline Qantas says the notice it gives customers as part of its Frequent Flyer programme is adequate and it won't introduce new measures for warnings before air points expire.This despite a number of complaints from customers who claim their points disappeared without warning.Yesterday it was reported a New Plymouth man who had been saving his Qantas air points for 16 years was horrified to discover all 400,000 of them had expired - despite being advised on multiple occasions that they would not.The points he had accumulated, according to Qantas' website, were enough to buy about nine one-way tickets between Melbourne and Los Angeles (excluding taxes).He was frustrated that when he contacted Qantas he was presented the option of being able to "buy back" the points through the further accumulation of points.The Herald's inbox was flooded with complaints and stories of people in similar situations, who claim their air points had expired without warning.Two Qantas Frequent Flyer customers co

You have to wonder at the moment whether all Australian league players do is play with balls and then go home and make sex tapes which they send to their mates.This is after the Penrith Panthers five-eighth Tyrone May became the first player charged by police for his role in a sordid sex tape scandal. That said, he is just the latest in a line of leaguies whose sex tapes have been splashed all over the net.May turned himself into Penrith police station on Tuesday morning after featuring in numerous lurid videos leaked on social media last Friday.He was arrested and charged with two counts of allegedly filming and two counts of disseminating sexual acts with two women without their knowledge and consent.Just yuck. I mean, the sex was consensual but the sharing of the videos with teammates is just strange. Who wants to see your workmates doing the wild thing? Can you imagine Larry getting up to that sort of thing?But it was made even more yuck when his boss, the rugby league legend Phil Gould, then stated that

Volvo Cars says it will limit the top speed of its new cars at 180 kilometres per hours (112 miles per hour) in all markets as of next year because "too many people get seriously injured or even killed because of excessive speeding."CEO Hakan Samuelsson says Monday that "while a speed limitation is not a cure-all, it's worth doing if we can even save one life."He adds there are two other major causes of traffic fatalities — intoxication and distraction.The company cited figures from the U.S. government's highway safety agency showing that 25 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2017 were caused by speeding.Volvo Cars is based in Goteborg, Sweden, but is owned by China's Geely holding company.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A New Zealand man's stint with ISIS has ended in a whimper.Mark Taylor, infamously dubbed the "bumbling Jihadi", has been captured in Northern Syria.Taylor, also known as Mohammad Daniel and Abu Abdul Rahman, burnt his New Zealand passport after going to Syria to fight for Isis.The 42-year-old surrendered to to Kurdish troops and is now in prison.Taylor told ABC news he constantly ran afoul of ISIS rules, and was locked up a number of times."The last time tey put me in prison was for a ridiculous reason, it was because I accused of drinking alcohol and making alcohol and smoking hashish."Taylor, who had two wives, says one of his biggest regrets is that he couldn't afford to buy a slave.The Kiwi gained notoriety after accidentally revealing his location in the Middle East on social media.Newstalk ZB political editor Barry Soper told Andrew Dickens that he surrendered because "there was no food, no money and the basic services were pretty much collapsed in ISIS"."He's a 42-year-old and he's known as a bumbling

So a second summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump has ended before dessert with both parties storming out of Hanoi.I’d love to say I told you so except I didn’t tell you so. That’s because after my cynicism regarding the first summit I got attacked by a lot of you as a warmongering Trump hater who couldn’t bring himself to praise the greatest peacemaker of our time.But the failure of the second summit is proof to me that the first summit was a mistake.Kim came to Hanoi and demanded that sanctions were lifted. Trump said no and they all went home. But the problem is that Kim is framing everything and leading everything. Twice in nine months, he has roused the President of the United States out of the White House to make a sojourn to Asia.Twice Kim has been pictured shaking Trump’s hands and being treated as an equal rather than as the outlier despot he really is. While Kim will never say a bad thing about Trump, the real reflection of his attitude to the States is heard as he roundly slags off lower leve