Andrew Dickens Afternoons

So is it time to stop harping on that we’re going to hell in a handcart?The past few months have been dubbed the winter of discontent as business confidence dropped and the most strident critics of the government said they were wrecking everything.  But while that narrative flowed conflicting data kept coming out suggesting the New Zealand train was still chuffing along happily in its tracks.  Whether it was the growing tax revenue from greater activity or historically low unemployment rates, there was a succession of cold hard facts that stood at odds to the sentiments and feelings of the business community.Today we hear that nearly two-thirds of small businesses are expecting to grow over the next 12 months. The Xero survey says our small businesses are  keen to take on more staff, invest in technology, introduce environmentally conscious initiatives, and tap into overseas markets. Two-thirds or 64 per cent are looking to grow in the next 12 months. I call that a pretty confident outlook.Which is not to say

Well another day and another set of examples that display that discrimination and unconscious bias is a fundamental part of the human psyche and we’ll never be rid of it.A week or two ago we heard about the café that demanded to know a job applicants medication. Considering the applicants medication was for treating ADHD and anxiety the applicant felt as though this would prejudice her application, so she lied.We had quite a conversation about it on the radio. Firstly there was the point of the employer. Several people said that it was the employers right to know itf there was any impediment to the applicant doing the job.That was countered by many who said that the medication was to treat the condition which might impact on the job, and so the condition no longer existed, so it was not the right of the employer to know.Many said these are the sorts of conversations that need to be had as part of the negotiation around the job and not at the application level.We wondered at the time whether this practice was

After 27 years, an independent bookstore in England has finally parted with one of its longest serving residents.A children's biography on William the Conqueror has sat on the shelves at Broadhurts Bookshop in Southport since May 1991. A staff member excitedly announced on Twitter this week that they have finally managed to sell it. Staff member Joanne Ball told The Guardian that they always had faith the book would sell.She says they normally return books that aren't sold within 12 months, but they sometimes keep books that are on rarer subjects or one that are personal favourites.LISTEN TO RAYLENE TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS ABOVEI have just sold a book that we have had in stock since May 1991. We always knew its day would come.— Broadhursts Bookshop (@BroadhurstBooks) November 17, 2018See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is there anyone out there who is not fascinated by the story of John Chau.The 26 year old missionary who glibly invaded an island in the Indian Ocean to convert a stone age tribe to Christianity, only to find they weren’t very welcoming.  In fact they shot him with arrows, tied a rope round his neck and then threw the body on the beach as a warning to others.It’s not like John Chau was not forewarned.  These guys on the Sentinel Islands have been repelling the 21st Century since the day they were first discovered.  There was the epic TV shots back in the day when an islander spent some time one sunny afternoon shooting arrows at a circling helicopter.John Chau’s family has asked that the islanders are not prosecuted for the so called crime, which shows that the arrogance of the missionary extends to his family. Chau was trying to enter a prohibited island.  He was not only breaking the Indian law but the law of the people of Sentinel Islands.  Which they then enforced.  With their arrows. They upheld their so

Wanting to splurge on Black Friday tomorrow? Think again.The American holiday tradition, held the day after Thanksgiving when everyone is off work, has travelled to all parts of the world, including New Zealand. It is now seen as the start of the holiday shopping season. However, research from the UK found that the sale isn't as good as it seems.Many big chain stores there offered similar or cheap sale prices at various other times throughout the year.Researchers warn to be careful before adding items to your cart.LISTEN TO RAYLENE TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local media has made much of the fact only one All Black has made a United Kingdom media outlet's World XV – all except ZB’s own D’Arcy Waldegrave/Lock Brodie Retallick, the standout player for Steve Hansen's men at Twickenham, is the only All Black selected in the XV but even he failed to back-up in Dublin.Six Irishmen have made the Wales Online's form XV, including left wing Jacob Stockdale, who scored the only try of the 16-9 victory over the All Blacks in Dublin, the first time Ireland have beaten New Zealand on home soil.Retallick is one of only three Southern Hemisphere players in the XV; the others are Australia No8 David Pocock and Boks loosehead prop Steven Kitschoff.New Zealand media have labelled the decision a ‘snub’, but as D’Arcy told Andrew Dickens, these types of lists aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.Wales Online's November series World XV 15. Rob Kearney (Ireland)14. Teddy Thomas (France)13. Jonathan Davies (Wales)12. Owen Farrell (England)11. Jacob Stockdale (Ireland)10. Johnny Sex

It always intrigues me when people rail on about our current government by calling it a socialist one because at its most basic, all governments are socialist.In essence they tax us all, if there is a progressive tax system that means they take more money from the rich and then they redistribute it to the poor.So all our governments are socialist. We just have rightish and leftish versions of the same thing. Which is why over the past 30 odd years since Rogernomics we have had basically the same system. The deckchairs are just moved about on the Titanic.This government is more leftish than the last more rightish socialist government. Some say they tax more which if you consider the regional fuel tax rises is true. But it’s also worth noting that the basic tax system is unchanged from the previous governments.Certainly the very first thing they did was give more money to beneficiaries and Working for Families which is classic re-distribution of wealth. But other than the budget the benefit system is unchanged

The next time you are stuck in traffic, chances are you will be close to a Betty.It's the most popular name given to cars by owners, according to a GAS nationwide survey.Betsy was also up there, mirroring trends in the US and UK.Kermit was second, with Bob and various names involving the word ‘little’ also being crowd favourites.Some other noteworthy names to appear were ‘Mazdarati’, ‘Stella McCARtney’, and ‘Lancer Armstrong.’LISTEN TO CALLERS TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS ABOUT THEIR CAR NAMES ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland churches are getting a one-year breather before Auckland Council brings in higher rates on facilities not used for religious purposes.Three months ago the council contacted hundreds of churches telling them to ignore big rates increases, which came into effect this financial year without political input.Many churches were shocked to receive big rates rises, including the Birkenhead Baptist Church which received a bill of $1080 after previously only paying a waste management charge of about $150. Other churches received increases of up to $20,000.After council officers reviewed the new policy, councillors have adopted a revised policy to reduce the overall rates bill for churches.Councillors have also accepted a recommendation from officers not to introduce the new rates until the next financial year, starting in July 2019.Several church leaders told today's finance committee that rate exemptions should be applied to religious and connected activities, given the role of churches today was broader than

We talk a lot these days about resilience.There’s a feeling abroad that new generations don’t have much of it. That after a privileged childhood full of comforts that prosperity and technological advancement has brought, young people these days find setbacks and disappointments extremely hard to cope with.Deborah Hill Cone this week extended that to shame in her column. That while good people spend their life trying to avoid shame, it is actually something that needs to be experienced and learnt from. To acknowledge you have done something wrong. That your standing amongst others has fallen. That there’s something for you to atone for.Well on a lighter note I acknowledge that I failed to show resilience last night. It was late and I turned on the cricket. New Zealand versus Pakistan. I had already lost hope but I watched Babar run out by Ish Sodhi. A small flame of hope flickered and I flirted with staying awake on a school night. But I didn’t. Going to bed just as one of the most remarkable test victories ca

WARNING: SENSITIVE CONTENT Social media and a lack of available help are being blamed for a rise in young Kiwi girls cutting themselves.A Stuff investigation has found a number of 'cutting groups' across social media, where girls between 11 and 14 take photos of their slit wrists and share them online. Statistics show that girls and young women are twice as likely to go down this route than boys, and there has been a 20 per cent increase in self-inflicted injuries nationwide. The disparity is particularly high amongst those under 30.One caller to Andrew Dickens Afternoons, Victoria, says that she engaged in this behaviour when she was young. She says her parents were unsure what to say or how to help her when she opened up to them, but she still appreciated their views.Two parents, Mary and Amanda, revealed that their daughters and their circle of friends have engaged in this behaviour. Amanda says she struggled to know what to say when her daughter spoke about her actions.LISTEN TO THE TALKBACK FEEDBACK ABOV

The Government's plan to offer free driving lessons as part of the school curriculum may be extended to other family members.Luke called into The Andrew Dickens Afternoon Show and explained that getting a full license was never a priority for himself, a theme which is getting more and more common with the convenience of public transport and ride sharing alternatives"The community I was brought up in didn't really make it worthwhile, and also the waiting period combined with the expensive costs."LISTEN ABOVE AS LUKE SPEAKS TO ANDREW DICKENSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'Forget real estate. You can't afford it anyway'. A game where you move around the board might not seem very relevant, given the current real estate market.Hasbro has accepted that, and has refreshed Monopoly for the millennial generation. The hip new version of the popular board game will allow players to buy 'experiences' rather than real estate, with a much smaller pool of money than the classic game.  Destinations range from your parent's basement to yoga retreats, while chance cards include such gems as 'Your mum posted bail' and 'Your lifestyle vlog reaches one million views'. The player with the most experiences at the end wins the game. Predictably, the game has annoyed some millennials who think the game belittles the hard-done-by generation, while others are taking it on the chin. While the humor is a little on the nose, my only real complaint about Monopoly for Millennials is that the dollar denominations are too high. I can't remember the last time I had a hundred dollar bill in my wallet. pic.twi

Two national medical organisations have today made a call to ban boxing.It comes following the death of Christchurch man Kain Parsons after a charity boxing match on November 3.Callers to The Andrew Dickens Afternoons Show expressed mixed opinions on whether or not boxing should face stricter regulations.Josh told Andrew Dickens people should be given the choice if they want to participate in the sport, and a blanket ban is not the answer."I have no intentionof boxing as it doesn't appeal to me, but people who want to do it should be allowed to.A medical professional believes Boxing is a crazy sport, and should definitely be banned."It must be one of the only sports where you get points for causing brain damage."LISTEN ABOVE TO THE CALLERS SPEAK WITH ANDREW DICKENSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s times I start wondering why anybody tries to do anything to help people these days when it seems that people are no longer able to help themselves.So this morning I’m reading about the nations before school check programme.When every child in the country turns four they are offered a check up which can help identify health, behavioural, social or developmental issues, such as a hearing problem, which could affect learning. The aim is to help those children access health and learning support.About 55,000 children will be covered this year at a cost of more than $10 million.That sounds good.  But after a review called Welcome to School, there are concerns that the programme isn’t working and in fact making things worse.So how on earth can anyone stuff up a health check. One example given was the eye test. There had been a misunderstanding about what checks covered. Schools thought that the test was a comprehensive one but in fact it was just checking for lazy eye.  So then we have kids at school with vi

Forget about heavy machinery or sharp tools - it turns out the most dangerous item at your local hardware store is hot onion. Bunnings Warehouse is facing backlash over new health and safety rules in Australia and New Zealand that will require any sausage sizzle cook to put the onion underneath the sausage.The intention is to save people from getting serious burns, but the rule has been ridiculed across social media.Caller Declan told Andrew Dickens Afternoons that he only eats sausage sizzles purely because of how dangerous they are!LISTEN TO THE TALKBACK FEEDBACK ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prince Charles has turned 70 - a milestone for many, but when you're the heir to the throne, age is more than just a number.Charles' birthday has raised the question amongst commentators who wonder if he should succeed his mother, The Queen, when she dies or, less likely, abdicates. A new poll released this week ranked Charles as only the seventh most popular royal, behind his two sons and their wives. In the week of his birthday, it has again raised the suggestion that the crown should pass next to Prince William instead of Charles. Having being the heir since he was four years old, Charles holds the record for the longest reign as heir, at 66 years. Andrew Dickens took aim at those who think he should stand aside, arguing that there is no one more experienced for the job. LISTEN TO ANDREW'S TAKE ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new study has found that children are likely to follow their mother’s example when it comes to relationships.The largest ever study of its kinds found that people who enter long term relationships are likely to have had mothers who did the same, while children of women who had multiple partners followed their example.  The research by the University of Ohio, conducted over 24 years and involving 7,000 people, was unable to find any scientific reason for why children behave in this way.Previous research has found that the children of divorcees are likely to divorce themselves.LISTEN TO RAYLENE TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jacinda Ardern will dine with US Vice-President Mike Pence in Singapore this evening.The Prime Minister will be sitting next to the Pence at the leaders' gala dinner at the East Asia Summit in Singapore.It will be her first substantial engagement with the Trump administration. Ardern met Donald Trump at APEC in passing last year, but they did not have any formal meetings.ZB political editor Barry Soper told Andrew Dickens that Pence requested that Ardern be his dinner companion.Ardern says she doesn't plan on raising the CPTPP with Pence."I imagine that we will probably have a conversation about trade issues more generally. I will see where the conversation goes, but I will bring up steel and aluminium tariffs, it's in New Zealand's interests that I do."She says e a date at the White House isn't high on her agenda."That's not something that we're necessarily seeking. There is a strong relationship that will endure regardless of whether or not there are any explicit visits."Soper says that Ardern has a busy sc

Has there been any start up in New Zealand history that has received more free publicity than Lime E-Scooters?Sure, loads of the publicity is bad, but then again, is there anyone in this country that doesn’t know the company’s name and their business model. And that’s despite the fact that the scooters are only in two cities. It's incredible.Now hold on to your hat, Lime is looking to put the squeeze on in Dunedin and Queenstown and, as we heard yesterday, Wellington, with the council already torn as to whether they should let them in or not.Personally I’d say this to those cities.  In the immortal words of Shane Jones, tai-hoa on that. Let Auckland and Christchurch iron out the wrinkles.  And there are plenty of wrinkles that need to be ironed out.  Where can you ride, how fast should you ride, and can we put safety equipment on the scooters?  Should they be parked in designated areas? And most importantly, who’s going to pay for all this?I’ve been thinking that Lime must be loving New Zealand. It’s a Califo