MORENA. ARE WE ON THE TELLY? (LAUGHTER) YOU SEE THE CLOCK? THE SHOW STARTS EVERY MORNING AT SIX. WE ARE SO DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU WITH US. ARE YOU NOT READY? NO. WHY ARE YOU UP NOW? DO THE KIDS LIVE A LONG WAY FROM SCHOOL? DO YOU HAVE EARLY JOBS? ARE YOU BAD SLEEPERS? WHY ARE YOU HERE AT 6 AM? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO IS OUT THERE. EMAIL US, AND WE WILL CELEBRATE YOU TODAY. WE WILL CELEBRATE YOU WITH GRATITUDE FOR BEING HERE TO SEE OUR CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONALISM EVERY MORNING AT 6 AM. WE ARE ALWAYS GRATEFUL. WE KNOW A LOT OF YOU OTHERS EARLY WHEN WE BUMP INTO YOU IN PUBLIC. SOME OF YOU WATCHING IN BED AND YOU TEXT US YOUR FEEDBACK. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. I'M GLAD IT IS FRIDAY. WE HAVE THREE HOURS TO GO. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WEEKEND. NOW MELISSA WITH THE NEWS. SOME IN THE INDIAN COMMUNITY ARE DESCRIBING THE GOVERNMENT'S BAN ON TRAVEL FROM INDIA AS RACIST. THE TWO-WEEK BAN HALTING ALL INCOMING FLIGHTS FROM INDIA COMES INTO EFFECT THIS SUNDAY. IT COMES AFTER HIGH RATES OF INFECTIOUS TRAVELLERS FROM INDIA HAVE ARRIVED INTO NEW ZEALAND. BUT SOME SAY THE UNPRECEDENTED POLICY IS UNFAIR. FROM WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD CONTINUOUSLY BY THE NEW ZEALAND COMMUNITY AROUND THE COUNTRY, THEY ARE ALSO EQUALLY INCENSED AGGRIEVED AND SHOCKED WITH THE DECISION. EVEN NEW ZEALAND CITIZENS ARE BLOCKED. SOME TRAVELLERS IN INDIA DISAGREE WITH THE MOVE. TRANSLATOR: IF NEW ZEALAND HAS BANNED TRAVEL DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, THEN INDIANS HAVE TO COOPERATE WITH IT. BUT THE NEW ZEALAND CITIZENS OF INDIAN ORIGIN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL, AS THEY HAVE THEIR JOBS THERE. OVERNIGHT, INDIA'S REPORTED A RECORD 126,000 CASES AS SEVERAL STATES STRUGGLE WITH A SURGE. DAILY INFECTIONS WENT OVER THE 100,000 MARK FOR THE FIRST TIME ON MONDAY. IT'S UNDERSTOOD A BORDER WORKER WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 MISSED SCHEDULED VACCINATION APPOINTMENTS DUE TO PERSONAL REASONS. THE SECURITY GUARD AT THE GRAND MILLENNIUM WAS INFECTIOUS AFTER ROUTINE TESTING ON TUESDAY. A CO-WORKER WHO OFTEN DROVE THE CASE TO AND FROM WORK HAS RETURNED A NEGATIVE RESULT AS WELL AS FOUR MEMBERS OF AN ADJOINING HOUSE. THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH SAYS THERE ARE NO LOCATIONS OF INTEREST TO REPORT AT THIS STAGE AND THE RISK TO THE WIDER COMMUNITY IS LOW. AUSTRALIA HAS RECOMMENDED THE PFIZER VACCINE OVER ASTRAZENECA FOR THOSE UNDER 50 IN THE COUNTRY. THE CHANGE COMES AFTER MULTIPLE REPORTS LINKED THE ASTRAZENECA JAB TO RARE BUT POTENTIALLY FATAL BLOOD CLOTS. IT WOULD MEAN A COMPLETE OVERHAUL FOR AUSTRALIA'S VACCINE ROLL OUT. PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON SAYS THE DECISION WAS BASED ON EXPERT MEDICAL ADVICE. I AM SAYING TO AUSTRALIANS THAT WE'RE BEING VERY UPFRONT WITH YOU. THERE IS THIS ISSUE, IT IS AN ISSUE OF I WOULD SAY LOW RISK IN TERMS OF ITS INCIDENCE, 4 TO 6 OUT OF A MILLION. IT WOULD NOT BE THE RIGHT THING TO NOT SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH AUSTRALIANS. THE UK YESTERDAY ANNOUNCED IT WOULD NOT BE OFFERING THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE TO THOSE UNDER 30. THOUSANDS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO MARCH IN THE SECOND SCHOOL STRIKE FOR CLIMATE ACROSS AOTEAROA TODAY. THE LAST STRIKE WAS IN 2019, WHICH SAW 170 THOUSAND PEOPLE TURN OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS YEAR, STUDENTS ARE CALLING FOR MORE ACTION AGAINST THE CLIMATE CRISIS, SAYING COVID-19 PROVIDES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE. TO SPORT, AND BENJI MARSHALL CONTINUES TO ROLL BACK THE YEARS IN THE NRL, PUTTING ON A MASTERCLASS FOR THE RABBITOHS. UP AGAINST HIS FORMER SIDE THE BRISBANE BRONCOS, THE 36-YEAR-OLD SCORED HIS FIRST TRY FOR THE BUNNIES. ...WITH THE CATCH. BIG FLICK! JUGGLED THERE! THEN BACK TO MARSHALL TO SCORE FOR THE RABBITS! WELL, THAT WASN'T IN THE SCRIPT! THE PLAYMAKER MARSHALLING SOUTH SYDNEY'S ATTACK ALONG WITH SKIPPER ADAM REYNOLDS, WHO NAILED THE FIRST-EVER TWO-POINT FIELD GOAL FROM BEHIND THE 40m MARK. CHRISTCHURCH-BORN FULLBACK JAMAYNE ISAAKO SCORING THE BRONCOS' ONLY POINTS IN THE 35-6 DEFEAT. I THINK BENJI WAS OUTSTANDING. HE DID A GREAT JOB FOR US, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT. IT'S NOT ONLY WHAT YOU SEE ON THE FIELD WITH HIM. IT'S WHAT HE DOES OFF THE FIELD AS WELL, YOU KNOW? HE'S QUITE OUTSTANDING. SO I JUST CAN'T GET MY HEAD AROUND WHY CLUBS` YOU KNOW, WHY WE WERE SO LUCKY TO GET HIM. TO TENNIS, AND THE FRENCH OPEN HAS BEEN POSTPONED BY A WEEK IN THE HOPE THAT MORE SPECTATORS WILL BE PERMITTED TO ATTEND. FRANCE IS IN A THIRD NATIONWIDE LOCKDOWN AFTER A RISE IN COVID-19 CASES AND IS EXPECTED TO END IN MID-MAY. THE GRAND SLAM TOURNAMENT AT ROLAND GARROS WILL NOW RUN FROM 30 MAY TO 13 JUNE, WITH QUALIFYING THE WEEK BEFORE. AND FINALLY, HUNDREDS OF PERFORMERS WILL TAKE PART IN THE PASIFIKA FESTIVAL IN AUCKLAND THIS WEEKEND. THOUSANDS ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND THE EVENT WHICH HAS BEEN POSTPONED FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS BECAUSE OF COVID AND THE CHRISTCHURCH TERROR ATTACK. THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL WILL FEATURE EIGHT DIFFERENT VILLAGES, AND NINE PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS WILL BE REPRESENTED. PEOPLE CAN HEAD ALONG TO MT SMART STADIUM FROM TOMORROW. I THOUGHT I WAS NOT READY. THEN THERE WAS A SCURRYING ACROSS THE FLOOR. THIS MORNING, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CHATTER, I THINK BECAUSE IT IS FRIDAY AND EVERYONE IS IN AN EXCITABLE MOOD. I LOST MY WAY EVER SO SLIGHTLY AND FORGOT TO LOAD THE WEATHER. IT IS HERE. IT WAS VERY FUNNY. VERY FLEETFOOTED. HE GOT UP AND JUST SPRINTED OUT. I HAVE MATTY'S COMPUTER HERE, BECAUSE HE HAS OUR EMAILS AND I AM GETTING A LOVELY INSIGHT INTO WHO IS WATCHING. YOU ARE WATCHING BECAUSE YOU ARE SHIFT WORKERS, AND YOU HAVE LITTLE KIDS, AND IT IS DELIGHTFUL. IT IS ACTUALLY KIND OF LIFE AFFIRMING. WE ARE GETTING REALLY NICE PHOTOS. I'M SORRY WE ARE SO UNPROFESSIONAL MOST MORNINGS. 'I HAVE TWO AUTISTIC BOYS, AND ONE IS ALWAYS UP AT 5 AM.' YOU ARE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB. WE HAVE A LOVELY PHOTO FROM TALIA. WE SHOULD GET THAT UP. THEY LOOK LIKE A GREAT DUO. SOMETIMES YOU THINK YOU ARE TALKING DOWN A BLACK HOLE INTO THE CAMERA, BUT IT REALLY IS NICE TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE THERE, AND NICE TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE LISTENING AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING. CONCERNING, SOMETIMES. THERE ARE MOMENTS WHERE YOU THINK, WOULDN'T MIND IF NO ONE WAS WATCHING RIGHT NOW. OH, WE LIVE (?) IT IS BOWTIE FRIDAY. IT'S FRIDAY. CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE. IT IS A GOOD TIME TO BE ALIVE. SANTA IS ON HIS WAY. CAT STEVENS? YES. I LISTENED TO HIM ALL THE TIME IN THE CAR ON ROAD TRIPS. IT TAKES ME BACK TO MY CHILDHOOD. WHEN HE SANG AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE IN CHRISTCHURCH, YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP. EXTRAORDINARY. NICE. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT THE WEATHER IS DOING AND WE WILL HAVE SOME CAT STEVENS UNDER THAT. IT'S LOOKING OVERCAST IN THE UPPER NORTH WITH THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF SHOWERS FOR ALL OF YOU, MORE LIKELY INTO THE AFTERNOON. WATCH OUT FOR THOSE NOR-EASTERLY WINDS PICKING UP LATER ON. 22 DEGREES IN AUCKLAND AND KAITAIA, 23 FOR THOSE OF YOU IN WHANGAREI. THERE'S LOW CLOUD THROUGH HERE TO START WITH, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S DRIZZLE ATTACHED TO THAT FOR MOST PLACES. BUT THAT SHOULD ALL CLEAR AWAY WITH A FINER AFTERNOON. BUT THERE IS STILL THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF BRIEF SHOWERS LATER IN THE DAY. 18 DEGREES IN ROTORUA, 21 FOR WHAKATANE AND TAURANGA. YOU'RE IN FOR A MOSTLY FINE FRIDAY FURTHER EAST ONCE THE LOW MORNING CLOUD LIFTS WITH SUNNIER SKIES FOLLOWING BEHIND. JUST THOSE SLIGHTLY STRONGER NOR-EASTERLIES. 24 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON, 22 FOR THE REST. IT'S MOSTLY OVERCAST SHIFTING WEST, AND THERE COULD BE SOME BRIEF LIGHT RAIN FOR WELLINGTON AND NEW PLYMOUTH THIS MORNING, POSSIBLY REACHING TAUMARUNUI AFTER LUNCH. 19 DEGREES IN THE CAPITAL, WITH TEMPS IN THE EARLY 20S FOR THE REST OF YOU. THE DAY'S A BIT CLOUDY FOR MOST ACROSS THE COOK STRAIT, BUT WITH FINE SPELLS IN AMONGST ALL THAT, ALTHOUGH BLENHEIM LOOKS NICE AND SUNNY. WHEREAS NELSON CAN EXPECT THE ODD SHOWER DURING THE DAY, TURNING TO RAIN AT NIGHT, AND THAT RAIN WILL SPREAD DOWN THE COAST TONIGHT AS WELL. 19 DEGREES IN GREYMOUTH AND HOKITIKA, EARLY 20S FOR THE REST. ONCE THAT LOW CLOUD FIRST THING CLEARS FOR THOSE OUT EAST, THERE'S LOVELY BLUE SKIES FOR THE REST OF THE DAY WITH JUST SOME LIGHT WINDS. 18 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN OAMARU, 23 IF YOU'RE IN CHRISTCHURCH OR ASHBURTON. AND THERE'S GREY SKIES IN MILFORD SOUND WITH A BIT OF DRIZZLE, BUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE IN THE LOWER SOUTH, IT'S LOOKING NICE AND SUNNY ONCE THAT LOW MORNING CLOUD'S DISAPPEARED. 19 DEGREES IN QUEENSTOWN, DUNEDIN AND GORE. AND THEN CHECKING OUT YOUR WEEKEND, IT'S A BIT WET. TOMORROW, THERE'S SHOWERS IN THE NORTH AND WEST OF BOTH ISLANDS, TURNING TO HEAVIER RAIN AS THE DAY PROGRESSES, WITH LIGHTER, MORE SCATTERED FALLS FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. AND ON SUNDAY, THE NORTH ISLAND'S RAIN SHOULD CLEAR PRETTY EARLY, BUT THOSE IN THE NORTH AND WEST WILL STILL SEE THE ODD ISOLATED SHOWER. THERE'S RAIN IN THE SOUTH ISLAND, ALTHOUGH THAT SHOULD EASE AS THE DAY PROGRESSES, OR EVEN CLEAR ALTOGETHER IN THE NORTH AND IN CANTERBURY. A BIT WET OVER THE WEEKEND. THAT IS OKAY. AUTUMN, RIGHT? IT IS WHAT WE CAN EXPECT. THAT WAS LOVELY. CAT STEVENS UNDERNEATH. A GOOD SONG FOR THE MORNING TO BREAK. DID YOU SEE CAT STEVENS WHEN YOU WERE...? THINKING A FEW SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES AS WELL. I ALWAYS REMEMBER TOUCH THE WIND. DID ANYONE THINK THAT? I WILL NOT SING IT. WE ALWAYS USED TO SING IT AT SCHOOL. PRIMARY AND INTERMEDIATE I REMEMBER IT. IT DOES NOT RING A BELL WITH ME, MELISSA. AT COLLEGE, WE SANG A SONG CALLED 40 YEARS ON. A MEMBER THINKING, 40 YEARS ON, WHO IS GOING TO BE` WHO IS GOING TO BE ALIVE IN 40 YEARS TIME? YOU THINK WELL, 40 YEARS HAS GONE. WELCOME BACK TO BREAKFAST. IF YOU'RE UP WATCHING BREAKFAST AT THIS HOUR, YOU PROBABLY WON'T HAVE LEFT THE HOUSE, AND THEREFORE NOT SCANNED IN ANYWHERE YET. BUT ONCE YOU DO, YOU MIGHT NOTICE A FEW CHANGES TO THE NZ COVID TRACER APP. WILSON LONGHURST SCANNED INTO TVNZ THIS MORNING AND JOINS US NOW FOR DETAILS. WILSON, WHAT'S NEW? THE NEW ZEALAND COBRA TRACER APP HAS HAD A BIT OF A MAKEOVER IN THE PAST DAY OR SO. THE FIRST THING YOU'RE GOING TO NOTICE IS THAT WHEN YOU GO TO SCANLON, THERE IS NOW A FLASHLIGHT FUNCTION. YOU CAN SCAN INTO PLACES THAT PERHAPS, LIKE A TAXI, WHEN THINGS ARE DARK. THE UPDATE ALSO MEANS THAT MORE PHONES SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE IT, AND IF YOU ARE AN ANDROID USER, YOU MIGHT SEE THAT THE APP IS NOW A BIT FASTER FOR YOU. ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS I THINK NOW IS THAT THERE ARE SOME LIVE STATISTICS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SCANNED IN THIS MORNING. IF I REFRESH IT NOW, I CAN SEE IN THE PAST COUPLE OF MINUTES THERE HAVE BEEN 200 SCANS AND ALMOST 5800 SCANS JUST TODAY. 500 MANUAL ENTRIES, AND THERE ARE MORE THAN 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE USING THE APP. SOME NEW FUNCTIONS THERE. THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH ALSO WANTS YOU TO LOG IN ANY DAYS THAT YOU STAY AT HOME AND YOU DO NOT SCANLON ANYWHERE, SO YOU CAN CONTINUE WHAT THEY ARE CALLING STREAKS, KIND OF LIKE SNAPCHAT. THEY ARE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO STRING TOGETHER TWO WEEKS OF WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN. SO A NEW LICK OF PAINT, YOU COULD SAY FOR THE APP TODAY. IT IS ONLY 6:15, AND OVER 5000 PEOPLE HAVE SCANNED THIS MORNING. DECENT EFFORT. WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN THIS MORNING IN SAMOA, WHERE VOTERS ARE GOING TO THE POLLS TODAY TO VOTE IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ELECTION IN THE COUNTRY FOR MANY YEARS. TO PUT THIS IN CONTEXT, SAMOA HAS HAD THE SAME PRIME MINISTER SINCE 1998, IN THAT TIME WE'VE HAD JENNY SHIPLEY, HELEN CLARK, JOHN KEY, BILL ENGLISH AND JACINDA ARDERN. THIS ENTIRE CENTURY, SAMOA HAS HAD TUILAEPA SAILELE MALIELENGAOI TOWERING OVER THE COUNTRY, KEEPING HIS FRIENDS CLOSE AND HIS ENEMIES CLOSER AND ENDURING TO BECOME THE SECOND LONGEST-SERVING PRIME MINISTER IN THE WORLD. BUT NOW HIS 'HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION PARTY' IS BEING CHALLENGED, BY HIS FORMER DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, AND THERE'S A SENSE THAT THIS CHALLENGE, UNLIKE SO MANY OTHERS, HAS GENUINE STRENGTH. FIAME NAOMI MATA'AFA IS THE DAUGHTER OF SAMOA'S FIRST PRIME MINISTER AND HAD BEEN WITH THE 'HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION PARTY' FOR DECADES, BUT SHE'S NOW THE LEADER OF THE FA'ATUATUA I LE ATUA SAMOA UA TASI PARTY ` OR FAST. IF SHE WINS, SHE'LL BE THE NATION'S FIRST FEMALE LEADER, AND IT WILL BE AN EXTRAORDINARY CHANGING OF THE GUARD. WE ARE REALLY DELIGHTED TO WELCOME DR DAMON SALESA, THE PRO VICE-CHANCELLOR PACIFIC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND, WHERE HE IS ALSO THE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PACIFIC STUDIES. AFIO MAI. TALOFA LAVA. THANK YOU FOR COMING IN. THIS IS FASCINATING, ISN'T IT? IT IS ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING. THIS IS THE FIRST SAMOAN ELECTION IN MY ADULT LIFETIME. MOST SAMOANS HAVE ONLY KNOWN ONE PRIME MINISTER. HE IS PROBABLY THE DEFINING FIGURE OF SAMOAN HISTORY SINCE INDEPENDENCE. AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE HAVE A VIABLE CHALLENGER, WHO WAS HIS FORMER DEPUTY. THEY ARE CONTRASTING. HE IS FROM A WELL-KNOWN FAMILY, BUT SHE IS FROM ONE OF THE GREAT SAMOAN FAMILIES. SHE IS IN A POWERFUL PLACE. SHE HAS CALLED THE QUESTION OF SOME OF THE BIG CHANGES HE HAS BROUGHT THROUGH. HE HAS BROUGHT THROUGH SOME ENORMOUS CHANGES, BUT PARTICULARLY IN THIS LAST ELECTORAL CYCLE. THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES. THAT IS WITH A SPLIT BETWEEN THESE TWO IS. GIVEN THAT SHE WAS PART OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION PARTY, IS THERE REAL ETHICAL AND POLITICAL MERIT UNDERSTAND SHE IS TAKEN AGAINST HER FORMER COLLEAGUES? THEY WERE VERY DIVERSE OF POLICIES IN SAMOA. PARTICULARLY AMONGST A CERTAIN KIND OF SAMOAN, WHICH PROBABLY IS WEIGHTED TOWARDS EDUCATED SAMOANS AND THOSE OVERSEAS. THEY HAVE SEEN A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE SAMOANS OVERSEAS. SHE HAS INTRODUCED A NEW WAY OF POLITICS AND SAMOA. THEY PUT UP BILLBOARDS. THEY ARE USING FACEBOOK REALLY EFFECTIVELY. THEY ARE CONNECTING WITH SAMOANS ABROAD, BUT SAMOANS IN NEW ZEALAND CANNOT VOTE. ONE OF THE MANY INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT SAMOAN POLITICS IS YOU HAVE TO BE A RESIDENT. THERE ARE FAR MORE SAMOANS LIVING OUTSIDE OF SAMOA THAN INSIDE IT. IF SAMOANS FROM OVERSEAS WERE ABLE TO VOTE, THEY WOULD SKEW THE WHOLE DEMOGRAPHIC AND PROBABLY THE POLICIES AS WELL. THEY WILL BE VERY INFLUENTIAL, AND PARTICULARLY BECAUSE A LOT OF SAMOANS ARE USED TO SENDING MONEY BACK HOME, AND HAS BEEN A LOT OF FUNDRAISING AND AUCKLAND AND IN SYDNEY TO BACK THE PARTIES OF CHOICE. BECAUSE IT IS SAMOA, TO REALLY BACK FAMILIES. IT IS UNUSUAL. ON THE FACE OF IT, LOOKS LIKE PARTY POLITICS, BUT ON THE GROUND IT IS ALSO FAMILY POLITICS AND VILLAGE POLITICS. IT IS VERY HARD TO PREDICT. THERE IS NO POLLING. IT IS FIRST PAST THE POST. WE DO NOT HAVE REALLY GOOD INSIGHT INTO INDIVIDUAL CONSTITUENT RACES. PROBABLY ON THE FACE OF IT, IT LOOKS LIKE THE FAVOURITES ARE THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT, BUT CERTAINLY JUST A FEW RACES NEED TO BREAK THE OTHER WAY, AND I THINK IT COULD BE VERY DIFFERENT. AND EVEN IF FASTER DOES NOT WHEN, HAVING AN EFFECTIVE OPPOSITION LED BY THIS EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN WILL BE GRATEFUL SAMOAN POLITICS. ABSOLUTELY. IT IS HARD FOR NEW ZEALANDERS TO IMAGINE, BUT IN VARIOUS TERMS INCLUDING THE LAST ONE, THERE WAS NOT AN OFFICIAL OPPOSITION PARTY. SAMOA HAS SOME OTHER THINGS WERE OFTEN THERE IS A HIGH NUMBER OF INDEPENDENCE WHO SIDE WITH THE GOVERNMENT. TO BE IN GOVERNMENT IS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT MONEY. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS BEEN EXTRAORDINARY. HE KEEPS HIS FRIENDS CLOSE AND ENEMIES CLOSER. HE HAS BEEN A MASTER PUPPETEER IN TERMS OF SAMOAN POLITICS. HE IS VERY CUTTING AND ABRASIVE. BUT MOST SAMOANS HAVE AN EXPERIENCE WITH HIM THAT HAS A RELATIONSHIP THAT MAKE SURE THAT IT IS QUITE PERSONAL. HE HAS BEEN VERY MASTERFUL AT THAT AS WELL. HE IS VERY FUNNY. HE SAYS THINGS THAT MOST PRIME MINISTERS WILL NEVER SAY. HE WAS CALL ME STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. IT WAS THE FRONT PAGE OF THE PAPER. IT WAS ONE OF THE PROUDEST MOMENTS OF MY JOURNALISM CAREER. YOU DO NOT DIE WONDERING WHERE YOU STAND WITH HIM, DO YOU? NEW ZEALAND POLITICIANS MICHAEL YOU THERE, BUT NOT YOUR FACE. HE HAS HAD A PUBLIC SPIRIT WHICH IS WELL-KNOWN WITH THE PRIME MINISTER OF FIJI, AND THIS IS AN ELECTION THAT SHOULD HAVE NEW ZEALANDERS RIVETED TO IT. IT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTIONS NEW ZEALAND HAS EVER SEEN. I AM STAGGERED BY HOW LITTLE COVERAGE THIS HAS HAD. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT, NOT ONLY IN THE CONTEXT OF REGIONAL POLITICS, AND LET'S CONSIDER SOME OLD RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA, THE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR A LOT OF NEW ZEALANDERS. THERE ARE 200,000 NEW ZEALANDERS THAT ARE SAMOAN. WE BEQUEATH THAT ELECTORAL SYSTEM TO THEM. IT IS NEVER REALLY WORKED VERY WELL. WE SHOULD BE WATCHING THIS AND REFLECTING ON OUR OWN PLACE IN THE PACIFIC AND THE WORLD AND OUR HISTORY. AND ALSO WATCHING WHAT IS AN ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING POLITICAL RACE, BUT INSTEAD IT IS BURIED. I WANT YOU TO CHOOSE THE WORDS HERE, BUT THERE HAS BEEN A SYSTEM OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO GET PEOPLE OUT TO VOTE AND THEN REWARD AFTER THEY HAD VOTED. CAN YOU DESCRIBE HOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INCENTIVISED TO VOTE AND THEN REWARDED AFTER-THE-FACT AND THE FACT THAT THE SAMOAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION ARE SAYING WE ARE DRAWING A LINE IN THE SAND? THAT IS A BIG CHANGE. THE TRADITIONAL WAYS OF BEING IN SAMOA HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED DURING POLLING DAY BECAUSE DO NOT DO SO, PARTICULARLY IF YOU ARE A CHIEF, WAS TO BE SEEN AS UNBECOMING, AS UNGENEROUS, WHY WOULD YOU TRUST SOMEONE LIKE THAT IF THEY CAN'T PERFORM THE DUTIES? IT IS PUT A LOT OF PRESSURE ON CANDIDATES TO BEHAVE IN CERTAIN WAYS THAT IN A DIFFERENT CONTEXT ARE INAPPROPRIATE AND MIGHT BE CALLED CORRUPTION. MAYBE SOME OF THOSE PRACTICES CROSSED OVER. IN THE PAST, THE AZORES BEEN A PERIOD AFTER THE ELECTION WITH INTENT TO BE QUITE A FEW COURT CASES WHERE UNHAPPY LOSERS LITIGATE THE BEHAVIOUR THAT THEY OFTEN WERE DOING THEMSELVES. I THINK THE THING THAT SHOWS IT WAS NOT CORRUPTION, AT LEAST AT THE VILLAGE LEVEL, WAS THAT EVERYONE WAS DOING IT. ABSOLUTELY. WHEN YOU'RE USING GOVERNMENT RESOURCES TO SWAY PEOPLE'S VOTES, THAT IS CLEARLY CROSSED THE THRESHOLD. BUT THE WAYS OF SHOWING RESPECT AND HONOURING THE DIGNITY WAS JUST A HAD TO DO. FINAL QUESTION ` THIS IS A FASCINATING CONVERSATION. YOU ARE A GOOD GUEST. CAN FAST DO IT? I THINK MOST PEOPLE HAVE ROLLED HER OUT. I THINK IT IS A REAL-LIFE GAME. SHE IS SUCH A POWERFUL INFLUENCE. SOMETHING VERY STRANGE HAPPENS IN SAMOA WHERE A PARTY, THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT, HAS MULTIPLE CANDIDATES AND MANY CONSTITUENCIES. THEY ACTUALLY SPLIT THEIR OWN VOTE. I THINK HAVING A CONSOLIDATED PARTY TICKETS, WE HAVE NOT REALLY SEEN THAT IN SAMOA IN THIS WAY ACROSS ALL OF THE CONSTITUENCIES WHERE YOU HAVE A PLATFORM AND POLICIES ANNOUNCED AND YOU HAVE A STRONG LEADER. I THINK WE DO NOT KNOW HOW THAT PLAYS IN SAMOA UNTIL REALLY TODAY. GOSH, IT IS FASCINATING. I WISH I WAS THERE. DO YOU WISH YOU WERE? I DO. I OFTEN WISH I WAS IN SAMOA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EXPERTISE AND INSIGHT THIS MORNING. IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING POLITICAL CONVERSATIONS I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN SOME TIME. MAY THE BEST PARTY AND BEST POLITICIAN WHEN. INDEED. REALLY LOVELY TO SEE YOU. MAKING NEWS THIS MORNING ` WHY THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WILL NEED TO OVERHAUL THEIR VACCINE ROLLOUT. MORE ON THAT AT 6.30. ALSO AHEAD, THE BORDER HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY SHUT TO NEW ARRIVALS FROM INDIA. IS IT THE RIGHT MOVE AND DO WE NEED TO PAUSE ANY OTHER HOT SPOTS? AND WHY THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE COULD SPELL TROUBLE FOR OUR CONSTRUCTION SECTOR. INDIA'S REPORTED A RECORD 126,000 CASES OVERNIGHT AS SEVERAL STATES STRUGGLE WITH A SURGE. IT COMES AS THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT IMPOSES A TWO-WEEK BAN ON ALL INBOUND FLIGHTS FROM INDIA. PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN SAYS IT'LL 'BUY US TIME' FOLLOWING A SURGE OF INFECTIOUS TRAVELLERS FROM INDIA IN MIQ FACILITIES. BUT SOME IN OUR INDIAN COMMUNITY ARE CALLING THE TRAVEL BAN UNFAIR. THEY'RE INCENSED WITH AN ELEMENT OF RACISM, I WOULD SAY. THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SAY ` THAT THIS DECISION COULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY AVOIDED. IT'S NOT BASED ON ACTUAL SCIENCE, AND IT IS MORE A POPULISTIC MEASURE. 17 OF THE 19 REPORTED CASES OF COVID-19 CASES IN MIQ YESTERDAY TRAVELLED FROM INDIA. THE GOVERNMENT WILL NEXT WEEK START TO MOVE FRONTLINE BORDER WORKERS INTO 'LOW RISK' ROLES IF THEY REFUSE THE COVID-19 VACCINATION. IT WAS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY AN UNVACCINATED SECURITY GUARD FROM A MANAGED ISOLATION FACILITY IN AUCKLAND HAD TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS. IT'S UNDERSTOOD HE MISSED SCHEDULED VACCINATION APPOINTMENTS FOR PERSONAL REASONS. SO FAR, MORE THAN 80% OF FRONTLINE WORKERS HAVE HAD THE JAB. AUSTRALIA'S HOPES OF GETTING EVERYONE VACCINATED BY OCTOBER LOOK TO BE DASHED AFTER THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE ASTRAZENECA JAB. IN A LATE-NIGHT MEDIA CONFERENCE, OFFICIALS ADVISED THE PFIZER VACCINE SHOULD NOW BE GIVEN TO AUSTRALIANS UNDER THE AGE OF 50 RATHER THAN ASTRAZENECA. IT'S OVER CONCERNS OF RARE BLOOD CLOTS POSSIBLY LINKED TO THE VACCINE. BUT THE CHOICE IS WITH THE PATIENT. AS ALWAYS, WE ENCOURAGE AUSTRALIANS TO SEEK OUT THE ADVICE OF THEIR OWN DOCTOR IN RELATION TO THESE ISSUES. AUSTRALIANS MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR OWN HEALTH, AND THEY WILL ADVISE THEM ON THESE DECISIONS WITH THEIR OWN GP. AUSTRALIA'S PRODUCING THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE LOCALLY. THE JAB'S UNDERGOING AN APPROVALS PROCESS HERE. GLOBAL WARMING'S IMPACT ON OUR PACIFIC NEIGHBOURS WILL BE FRONT AND CENTRE DURING TODAY'S SCHOOL STRIKE FOR CLIMATE. 170,000 PEOPLE TURNED OUT FOR THE LAST STRIKE IN SEPTEMBER 2019. PARTICULAR ATTENTION WILL BE GIVEN TO SEA LEVEL RISE AND IT'S NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON CORAL REEFS. STUDENTS ARE DEMANDING THE GOVERNMENT MAKE THE MOST OF THE COVID CRISIS AND THE OPPORTUNITY IT COULD PROVIDE FOR CHANGE. SAMOAN CITIZENS ARE GOING TO THE POLLS TODAY TO VOTE FOR THEIR NEXT PRIME MINISTER. TUILAEPA SAILELE MALIELENGAOI HAS BEEN SAMOA'S LEADER SINCE 1998, BECOMING THE SECOND LONGEST SERVING PRIME MINISTER IN THE WORLD BUT IS NOW BEING CHALLENGED BY FIAME NAOMI MATA'AFA, THE DAUGHTER OF THE COUNTRY'S FIRST PRIME MINISTER. UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND'S DR DAMON SALESA SAYS ITS A SIGNIFICANT DAY FOR SAMOA. THIS IS THE FIRST SAMOAN ELECTION WHICH IS REALLY A LIVE ELECTION IN MY LIFETIME, SO IN MY, SORT OF, ADULT LIFETIME. MOST SAMOANS HAVE ONLY EVER KNOWN ONE PRIME MINISTER. EVERYONE JUST CALLS HIM PALI MEA. I MEAN, HE'S A POWERFUL FIGURE, PROBABLY THE DEFINING FIGURE OF SAMOAN HISTORY SINCE INDEPENDENCE. AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE'VE GOT A VIABLE CHALLENGER, WHO, OF COURSE, AS YOU POINTED OUT WAS HIS FORMER DEPUTY. TO SPORT, AND THE FIRST MEN'S GOLF MAJOR OF THE YEAR, THE MASTERS, IS UNDERWAY AT AUGUSTA. HIDEKI MATSUYAMA LEADS THE FIRST ROUNF AT FOUR-UNDER. HE'S FAIRING FAR BETTER THAN RORY MCILROY, WHO IS FOUR-OVER AND EVEN MANAGED TO HIT HIS FATHER WITH A WAYWARD SHOT ON THE 7TH. GERRY MCILROY IS OK. DEFENDING CHAMPION DUSTIN JOHNSON IS CURRENTLY ON EVEN PAR. CHINA HAS FIRED BACK AT WASHINGTON WARNING THE US NOT TO BOYCOTT NEXT YEAR'S WINTER OLYMPICS, REJECTING ACCUSATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AGAINST MINORITIES. THE US STATE DEPARTMENT RECENTLY SAID IT WOULD CONSULT WITH OTHER NATIONS ABOUT A JOINT APPROACH. CHINA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON WARNED OF AN UNSPECIFIED 'ROBUST CHINESE RESPONSE' SHOULD IT COME TO FRUITION. OH, DEAR. AT 6 O'CLOCK, WE ASKED WHO WAS WATCHING BECAUSE WE WERE JUST FASCINATED BY WHO WAS HERE WHEN WE START EACH MORNING, AND IT IS JUST LOVELY. MORNING, GUYS, YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF MY DAY. SHE LIVES IN KATIKATI AND ALWAYS UP IN THE MORNING TO JOIN US. LYNN, WE ARE SENDING A LOT OUT TO YOU. IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE WITH YOU. THERE ARE SOME REALLY NICE FEEDBACK, AND IT WARMS MY HEART. ROBIN, 70 YEAR OLD WHO LIVES ALONE, I LOVE YOUR PRANKS, YOUR TEASING, AND YOUR LAUGHTER. THAT IS SO LOVELY. WE HAVE A PHOTO OF THOSE NURSES FROM CHRISTCHURCH WHO I BELIEVE ARE GETTING THE VACCINE TODAY. SEND US PHOTOS OF WHO WAS WATCHING AT 6 AM, THESE NURSES WORKING IN MIQ. GETTING YOUR VACCINATIONS TODAY, GO YOU TWO. THANK YOU TO MIQ WORKERS, WE APPRECIATE YOU. TARANAKI BASED HOSPITAL NURSE. WE LOVE HEARING ABOUT IT. NO. WE DID HAVE SOMEONE OBJECTIFYING MAGIC, SAYING THEY WATCHED` NO, THEY JUST WANTED A WEATHER REPORT. THEY WANTED A VERY SPECIFIC WEATHER REPORT FROM MATTY, THEY ARE ONLY HUMAN. HERE IS THE GENERAL, FAMILY FRIENDLY WEATHER. I FEEL LIKE WE NEED A BIT OF BARRY WHITE UNDER THIS. HERE IS HOW YOUR FRIDAY IS LOOKING, I WILL GIVE YOU A SNEAK PEEK AT THE WEEKEND SHORTLY. THIS IS WHAT YOUR FRIDAY'S LOOKING LIKE. IT'S LOOKING OVERCAST IN THE UPPER NORTH WITH THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF SHOWERS FOR ALL OF YOU, MORE LIKELY INTO THE AFTERNOON. WATCH OUT FOR THOSE NOR-EASTERLY WINDS PICKING UP LATER ON. 22 DEGREES IN AUCKLAND AND KAITAIA, 23 FOR THOSE OF YOU IN WHANGAREI. THERE'S LOW CLOUD THROUGH HERE TO START WITH, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S DRIZZLE ATTACHED TO THAT FOR MOST PLACES. BUT THAT SHOULD ALL CLEAR AWAY WITH A FINER AFTERNOON. BUT THERE IS STILL THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF BRIEF SHOWERS LATER IN THE DAY. 18 DEGREES IN ROTORUA, 21 FOR WHAKATANE AND TAURANGA. YOU'RE IN FOR A MOSTLY FINE FRIDAY FURTHER EAST ONCE THE LOW MORNING CLOUD LIFTS WITH SUNNIER SKIES FOLLOWING BEHIND. JUST THOSE SLIGHTLY STRONGER NOR-EASTERLIES. 24 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON, 22 FOR THE REST. IT'S MOSTLY OVERCAST SHIFTING WEST, AND THERE COULD BE SOME BRIEF LIGHT RAIN FOR WELLINGTON AND NEW PLYMOUTH THIS MORNING, POSSIBLY REACHING TAUMARUNUI AFTER LUNCH. 19 DEGREES IN THE CAPITAL, WITH TEMPS IN THE EARLY 20S FOR THE REST OF YOU. THE DAY'S A BIT CLOUDY FOR MOST ACROSS THE COOK STRAIT, BUT WITH FINE SPELLS IN AMONGST ALL THAT, ALTHOUGH BLENHEIM LOOKS NICE AND SUNNY, WHEREAS NELSON CAN EXPECT THE ODD SHOWER DURING THE DAY, TURNING TO RAIN AT NIGHT, AND THAT RAIN WILL SPREAD DOWN THE COAST TONIGHT AS WELL. 19 DEGREES IN GREYMOUTH AND HOKITIKA. EARLY 20S FOR THE REST. ONCE THAT LOW CLOUD FIRST THING CLEARS FOR THOSE OUT EAST, THERE'S LOVELY BLUE SKIES FOR THE REST OF THE DAY WITH JUST SOME LIGHT WINDS. 18 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN OAMARU, 23 IF YOU'RE IN CHRISTCHURCH OR ASHBURTON. AND THERE'S GREY SKIES IN MILFORD SOUND WITH A BIT OF DRIZZLE, BUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE IN THE LOWER SOUTH, IT'S LOOKING NICE AND SUNNY ONCE THAT LOW MORNING CLOUD'S DISAPPEARED. 19 DEGREES IN QUEENSTOWN, DUNEDIN AND GORE. AND THEN CHECKING OUT YOUR WEEKEND, IT'S A BIT WET. TOMORROW, THERE'S SHOWERS IN THE NORTH AND WEST OF BOTH ISLANDS, TURNING TO HEAVIER RAIN AS THE DAY PROGRESSES, WITH LIGHTER, MORE SCATTERED FALLS FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. AND ON SUNDAY, THE NORTH ISLAND'S RAIN SHOULD CLEAR PRETTY EARLY, BUT THOSE IN THE NORTH AND WEST WILL STILL SEE THE ODD ISOLATED SHOWER. THERE'S RAIN IN THE SOUTH ISLAND, ALTHOUGH THAT SHOULD EASE AS THE DAY PROGRESSES, OR EVEN CLEAR ALTOGETHER IN THE NORTH AND IN CANTERBURY. DON'T FORGET BESPOKE WEATHER JUST AFTER 8 O'CLOCK. WE WILL CELEBRATE WHAT MAKES YOUR PLACE SPECIAL. I THINK ELAINE WOULD LIKE A BESPOKE WEATHER, SHE KNOWS WHO SHE IS. OH MY GIDDY AUNT. GO YOU, ELAINE. ELAINE IS AN EXCELLENT VIEWER. COMING UP, THE WORRYING PROSPECT OF TRADIES, NOT TOURISTS, HEADING FOR OZ WHEN THE BUBBLE BEGINS. ARE WE GOING TO LOSE THAT SKILLED WORKERS BECAUSE THEY CAN GO NOW? AS REPORTED BY 1 NEWS LAST NIGHT, THERE ARE GROWING CONCERNS THAT WHEN THE QUARANTINE-FREE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE BEGINS ON THE 19TH OF APRIL, OUR CONSTRUCTION SECTOR'S SKILLS SHORTAGE WILL GET EVEN WORSE AS TRADIES RATHER THAN TOURISTS DECIDE TO MAKE THE JUMP ACROSS THE DITCH. JOINING US FROM SYDNEY TO EXPLAIN WHY HE HOPES THOSE FEARS COME TRUE WHICH MIGHT BE A NIGHTMARE FOR US IS MKGS CONSTRUCTION'S MANAGING DIRECTOR MATT SHERMAN, WHO REMARKABLY IS ALREADY ON-SITE AT 4.40 AM SYDNEY TIME. MATT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP SO EARLY? TRUTH BE TOLD, WE HAVE A LABOUR SHORTAGE AND I AM UP AND MOVING RUBBISH TODAY BECAUSE IF WE DO NOT REMOVE IT AT 440, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT UNTIL NEXT WEEK. OBVIOUSLY A REFLECTION THAT THERE IS SO MUCH WORK AND A CONSTRUCTION BOOM THAT IS HAPPENING, I KNOW IT WAS BREAKING PRE-COVID-19, BUT NOW IT HAS SPIKED FURTHER THAN THAT, WHAT IS GOING ON? WHERE IS THE DEMAND, IS A RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL? THERE IS A COMBINATION, SO THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING VERY GOOD GRASS AT THE MOMENT, COMMERCIAL ITSELF IS GOING BANANAS. WE HAVE DONE TO HUNDREDS COMMERCIAL CONTRACTS THIS YEAR ALONE COMPARE TO 160 LAST YEAR, OBVIOUSLY YOU WANT SOME WORKERS HERE FROM ACROSS THE DATES, I AM A BIT TENTATIVE ABOUT THIS SO BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TO LOSE OUR KIWIS. YOU HAVE SOME OF OUR NRL PLAYERS OUT THERE, WHY DO YOU WANT SOME OF OUR WORKERS? HAVE YOU EMPLOYED KIWIS BEFORE? GOOD WORK IS HARD TO FIND, AND WE NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO WORK. THE UNFORTUNATE THING WITH THE PANDEMIC WAS THERE WERE A LOT OF GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND SOME PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO WORK, THEY ARE HAPPY TO SET AT HOME TO GET THE GRANTS, AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS NEW ZEALANDERS LIKE TO WORK AND THEY GET STUCK IN AND WORK FOR THE MONEY. WE KNOW THAT WELL. THE EXPECTATION I SUPPOSE WITH THE WORKERS THAT YOU ARE WANTING TO GET OVER THERE, WE KNOW HOW MUCH KIWI CONSTRUCTION WORKERS GENERALLY EARN AROUND HERE, BUT WHAT ARE YOU GENERALLY PAYING IN OUR FOR A CONSTRUCTION WORKER ON AVERAGE? THERE ARE DIFFERENT SITES, DIFFERENT UNITS, BUT A RULE OF THUMB, AS A GENERAL LABOURER, THAT PROPERLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE ON SITE, THEY DEMAND BETWEEN 60 AND $75 AN HOUR. YOU ARE JOKING. KNOW, AND THAT IS SOMEBODY WHO IS STARTING IN THE INDUSTRY, I AM NOT GOING TO SAVE OUR OWN SKILL, BUT THEY ARE THE BOTTOM RUNG TO START, BUT THEY ARE THE ESSENTIAL PART, THE CLEANUP SITES, CLEANUP RUBBISH, MATERIAL HANDLING AND HELP. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE PAYING AT THE MOMENT, AND IF YOU GO ON TO A UNION SITE, THEY ARE GETTING MORE. YOU ARE REALLY SELLING IT TO US ALREADY, BUT I KNOW THAT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY THERE IN AUSTRALIA, QUITE A LOT OF IT IS MADE UP OF SMALL BUSINESSES OR SOLE TRADERS. DOES THAT GIVE APPRENTICES THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE FULL GENERAL SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO FULFIL AN APPRENTICESHIP? I BELIEVE YES, WE ARE A SMALL BUSINESS, WE HAVE SEVEN FULL-TIME STAFF, AND THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE TAKEN ON AS APPRENTICES HAVE LEARNED QUICKER BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT IN A LARGE COMPANY WHEN I GET LOST. I KNOW YOU HAD A NEW ZEALAND ARM BEFORE, ARE YOU LOOKING AT STARTING UP AGAIN? I WOULD LOVE TO, WHEN COVID-19 HIT, THE AWKWARD ARM OF OUR BUSINESS STOPPED IMMEDIATELY, AND I WOULD LOVE TO START AGAIN, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING NEXT WITH LOCKDOWNS. QUEENSLAND GOT LOCKED DOWN FOR ONLY THREE DAYS, BUT I COULD NOT GET UP THERE FOR OUR QUEENSLAND PROJECTS. HERE IS A SUGGESTION, AND I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS WOULD WORK, BUT COULD YOU TAKE SOME PROJECTS HERE AND SPLIT THE WORK BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, AND THAT WHY YOU WOULD BE EMPLOYING SOME OF OUR WORKERS WHO BE ABLE TO STAY HOME, WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET MUCH NEEDED WORK DONE, YOU WOULD STILL GET THE GIG AND MONEY, WOULD THAT WORK? IN WORDS, BUT I AM A BIT OF A CONTROL FREAK, AND I LIKE TO BE ABLE TO OVERSEE ALL OF OUR JOBS. THEY DEFINITELY WOULD WORK. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, MATT, AND WE HOPE THE REST OF YOUR DAY DOES NOT PAN OUT TOO LONG, WE APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US AT THIS HOUR. GOOD LUCK FOR TAKING OUT THE RUBBISH THIS MORNING. THANK YOU, HAVE A GOOD DAY. MAKING NEWS THIS MORNING ` THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS ARE SET TO MARCH ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN PROTESTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE INACTION. MORE ON THAT AT 7. ALSO AHEAD, THE FINE BALANCE BETWEEN REDUCING THE RISK AT THE BORDER AND RECOGNISING HUMANITARIAN ISSUES. THIS IS ABOUT THE TEMPORARY INDIA BAN. THAT IS COMING UP. AND AN MIQ WORKER HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID. EPIDEMIOLOGIST PROFESSOR MICHAEL BAKER JOINS US NEXT. HAVE A LOOK AT CHRISTCHURCH THIS MORNING, BLANKETED BY THE SLOW CLOUD OR FOG. THERE IS A BIT OF THAT THIS MORNING, WAS THAT LEFT, SOME MORE CLEAR SKIES. YOUR WEEKEND IS LOOKING A BIT WETTER, I HAVE DETAILS COMING UP SHORTLY. WELCOME BACK TO BREAKFAST. FLIGHTS FROM INDIA HAVE BEEN TEMPORARILY BANNED AFTER 17 NEW CASES OF COVID-19 IN MANAGED ISOLATION HAD ARRIVED FROM INDIA. THAT'S OUT OF A TOTAL OF 23 NEW CASES IN MANAGED ISOLATION ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY. THE PAUSE ON ARRIVALS WILL BE BETWEEN APRIL 11 AND APRIL 28. THE ANNOUNCEMENT ALSO FOLLOWS THE NEWS OF A WORKER AT THE GRAND MILLENNIUM HOTEL IN AUCKLAND TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19. THE WORKER WAS YET TO RECEIVE A VACCINE. SO DID THE PRIME MINISTER MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION? FOR MORE, WE'RE JOINED BY OTAGO UNIVERSITY EPIDEMIOLOGIST MICHAEL BAKER. MORENA. MORENA, INDIRA. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS DECISION? I THINK IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. NO ONE WANTS TO SEE THESE EXTREME MEASURES. THE PANDEMIC IS CAUSING MISERY, AND THIS WILL ADD TO THAT ` SUSPENDING TRAVEL FROM SOME COUNTRIES. BUT IT IS NECESSARY, AND IT IS A LAST RESORT. THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS WE COULD DO BEFORE THIS. WE ACTUALLY RAISE THIS IDEA LAST YEAR. IN THAT CONTEXT, IT WAS ABOUT REDUCING AFFECTED PEOPLE ARRIVING FROM THE UK WHO WERE BRINGING THE MORE INFECTIOUS UK VARIANT. SO I DO NOT THINK IT IS DISCRIMINATORY. I THINK THIS IS THE NATURE OF THE TRAFFIC LIGHT APPROACH TO MANAGING OUR BORDERS. WE WERE OPENING UP A GREEN ZONE WITH AUSTRALIA AND HOPEFULLY THE PACIFIC ISLANDS. AT THE SAME TIME, THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT IS TURNING DOWN THE RISK OF IMPORTED CASES FROM THE RED ZONE COUNTRIES. YOU SAID THIS IS A LAST RESORT. THE PRIME MINISTER YESTERDAY DID SAY THEY ARE LOOKING AT SUSPENDING FLIGHTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES AS WELL. IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR FOR SOME TIME. IF IT IS A LAST RESORT, WHAT ARE THE OTHER WAYS OF MANAGING THE RISKS FROM THESE AT HIGH RISK COUNTRIES? THE GOVERNMENT HAS TALKED ABOUT RAPID TESTING PREDEPARTURE, A COHORT, SO PUTTING THE PASSENGERS THAT COME FROM HIGH RISK COUNTRIES ALL IN THE SAME FACILITIES, BUT IS THAT ENOUGH TO STRENGTHEN OUR LINE OF DEFENCE? ONE THING IS TO ACTUALLY WORK WITH THESE POPULATIONS OF TRAVELLERS. NONE OF THEM WANT TO BE INFECTED AND BRING THE VIRUS INTO NEW ZEALAND. I THINK IT WOULD BE DOING SOME BASIC RESEARCH INTO WHY PEOPLE ARE GETTING EFFECTIVE. THE GENOMICS TESTING IS VERY HELPFUL. IT IS SHOWN PEOPLE ARE BEING EVICTED BEFORE THEY GET ON THE FLIGHTS. ONE THING IS TO THINK ABOUT THAT ONE OR TWO WEEKS BEFORE THESE TRAVELLERS GET ON THE FLIGHT, PERHAPS ARRANGING FOR THEM TO SPEND A WEEK IN A HOTEL AT ONE OF THESE BIG HUB AIRPORTS IN DELHI OR MUMBAI AND USE OUR BOOKING SYSTEM AND A FAR MORE SOPHISTICATED WAY. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE ARE KNOWN TO NEW ZEALAND. WE SHOULD BE WORKING WITH THEM. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS IS THAT NOW WE HAVE A GREEN ZONE WITH AUSTRALIA, THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS WE DO. THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE IMPORTING INFECTED PEOPLE EITHER. WE COULD BE COMBINING FORCES. BETWEEN US, WE HAVE LARGE DIPLOMATIC CORPS IN THESE MAJOR HUBS OVERSEAS. WE COULD BE WORKING WITH THE AUSTRALIANS IN BENCHMARKING AND HARMONISING OUR APPROACH IS TO MANAGE THIS PROBLEM. IT IS VERY SOLUBLE. THE PREDEPARTURE TESTING WHICH WAS INTRODUCED, IT IS NO SILVER BULLET. BUT IT HAS REDUCED THE NUMBER OF COVID CASES COMING FROM OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD. EXCEPT FROM INDIA. DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS OF THE VALIDITY OF THE TESTING THERE? I THINK THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE GET THE TEST AND MAY BE GETTING INFECTED AFTER THAT, BUT HAVING PEOPLE STAY AT ONE OF THESE HUB AIRPORTS MAY BE FOR A WEEK OR SO AND HAVING A TEST DURING THAT PERIOD, I THINK IT WOULD REDUCE THE RISK. AT THE MOMENT, PEOPLE DO A LOT OF THEIR TRAVELLING AND MIXING IN THOSE FEW DAYS BEFORE THEY GET ON THE FLIGHT, AND THAT IS MAYBE THE PERIOD WHERE THEY ARE GETTING INFECTED. IT IS ALL ABOUT TAKING A SYSTEMS APPROACH. THAT IS WHAT HAS PROTECTED NEW ZEALAND SO FAR. THEY ARE BEING VERY SYSTEMATIC AND USING THE BEST SILENCE WE CAN. THE MIQ WORKER WHO WAS NOT VACCINATED WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, THIS IS A BIT OF A TRICKY SITUATION WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO ENFORCE VACCINATIONS. BUT HOW MANY CHANCES DO YOU THINK SOMEONE AT THE BORDER SHOULD BE GIVEN TO VACCINATE BEFORE THEY SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THAT LINE OF DEFENCE? IT DEFEATS THE POINT OF VACCINATING BORDER WORKERS IF THEY ARE NOT ALL VACCINATED. THIS LOOKS LIKE A GLITCH, BUT CLEARLY, THIS IS WHEN THE GROUP THAT HAS BEEN HIGHLY PRIORITISED. IT IS A KEY DEFENCE FOR NEW ZEALAND. YOU CANNOT REALLY HAVE ANY BORDER WORKERS OR ANY AIRCREW WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED NOW. I THINK PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED NEED TO BE REDEPLOYED TO OTHER JOBS THAT DO NOT INVOLVE CONTACT WITH INFECTED PEOPLE RETURNING INTO NEW ZEALAND. CHRIS HIPKINS HAS SAID ABOUT 80% OF THE BORDER WORKFORCE HAS BEEN VACCINATED. IS THAT ACCEPTABLE TO YOU? SHOULD THIS WORKER ALONG WITH THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED YET, SHOULD HE HAVE BEEN REMOVED SOONER? I THINK THEY HAVE TO BE REDEPLOYED NOW, BECAUSE I THINK THEY ARE ALL MEANT TO HAVE BEEN VACCINATED. CLEARLY, IF PEOPLE ARE NOT VACCINATED, THEY NEED TO BE WORKING SOMEWHERE ELSE OTHER THAN IN THAT FRONT FACING ROLE. PROF MICHAEL BAKER, WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. I THINK WE ALL FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT THIS. I SENSE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL STAGGERED THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT HAD A VACCINATION, GIVEN THE PRIORITISING OF THE BORDER WORKERS STILL WORKING AT THE FRONTLINE. WITH A HIGH RISK. THIS IS THE RISK. THE BOARD IS THE RISK. THERE IS NO OTHER RISK. COVID-19 DOES NOT GENERATE ITSELF TO NEW ZEALAND. THE OTHER THING WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS IS WHETHER OR NOT IT IS FAIR TO PICK ON INDIA. WHETHER OR NOT IT IS APPROPRIATE. IT WAS INTERESTING TO HEAR HIM SAY IN TERMS OF A GREEN LIGHT, RED LIGHT SYSTEM. WE WILL HAVE A CONVERSATION AFTER THE NEWS. BUT, IT IS, GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME, ALMOST EXACTLY 7 O'CLOCK. INDIA'S RECORDED 802 COVID-19 DEATHS OVERNIGHT ` THE HIGHEST THE COUNTRY HAS SEEN SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN. 126,000 INFECTIONS WERE ALSO REPORTED AS SEVERAL STATES STRUGGLE WITH A SURGE. IT COMES AS THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT IMPOSES A TWO-WEEK BAN ON ARRIVALS FROM INDIA. PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN SAYS IT'LL 'BUY US TIME' FOLLOWING A SURGE OF INFECTIOUS TRAVELLERS FROM INDIA IN MIQ FACILITIES. SHE ALSO HASN'T RULED OUT A TRAVEL BAN FROM OTHER HIGH-RISK COUNTRIES. BUT SOME IN OUR INDIAN COMMUNITY ARE CALLING THE TRAVEL BAN UNFAIR. GRAB NOT IN VIRUS INDIA GRAB 0600 A0904 FROM WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD, CONTINUOUSLY BY OUR INDIAN COMMUNITY, THEY ARE ALSO EQUALLY INCENSED AND SHOCKED WITH THE DECISION BUT EPIDEMIOLOGIST MICHAEL BAKER SAYS IT'S THE RIGHT MOVE. NO ONE WANTS TO SEE THESE EXTREME METHODS, SUSPENDING TRAVEL FROM COUNTRIES. IT IS NECESSARY AND A LAST RESORT OF COURSE. WE ACTUALLY RAISED THIS IDEA LAST YEAR AND IN THAT CONTEXT IT WAS ABOUT REDUCING IN INFECTED PEOPLE FROM THE UK IT'S UNDERSTOOD A BORDER WORKER WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 MISSED SCHEDULED VACCINATION APPOINTMENTS DUE TO PERSONAL REASONS. THE SECURITY GUARD AT THE GRAND MILLENIUM WAS INFECTIOUS AFTER ROUTINE TESTING ON TUESDAY. A CO-WORKER WHO OFTEN DROVE THE CASE TO AND FROM WORK HAS RETURNED A NEGATIVE RESULT, AS FOUR MEMBERS OF AN ADJOINING HOUSE. THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH SAYS THERE ARE NO LOCATIONS OF INTEREST TO REPORT AT THIS STAGE, AND THE RISK TO THE WIDER COMMUNITY IS LOW. AUSTRALIA HAS RECOMMENDED THE PFIZER VACCINE OVER ASTRAZENECA FOR THOSE UNDER 50 IN THE COUNTRY. THE CHANGE COMES AFTER MULTIPLE REPORTS LINKED THE ASTRAZENECA JAB TO RARE, BUT POTENTIALLY FATAL, BLOOD CLOTS. IT WOULD MEAN A COMPLETE OVERHAUL FOR AUSTRALIA'S VACCINE ROLLOUT. PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON SAYS THE DECISION WAS BASED ON EXPERT MEDICAL ADVICE. THOUSANDS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO MARCH IN THE SECOND SCHOOL STRIKE FOR CLIMATE ACROSS AOTEAROA TODAY. THE LAST STRIKE WAS IN 2019, WHICH SAW 170,000 PEOPLE TURN OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS YEAR, STUDENTS ARE CALLING FOR MORE ACTION AGAINST THE CLIMATE CRISIS, SAYING COVID-19 PROVIDES A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE. TO SPORT, AND BENJI MARSHALL CONTINUES TO ROLL BACK THE YEARS IN THE NRL, PUTTING ON A MASTERCLASS FOR THE RABBITOHS. UP AGAINST ONE OF HIS FORMER SIDES THE BRISBANE BRONCOS, THE 36-YEAR-OLD SCORED HIS FIRST TRY FOR THE BUNNIES. ...WITH THE CATCH. BIG FLICK! JUGGLED THERE! THEN BACK TO MARSHALL TO SCORE FOR THE RABBITS! WELL, THAT WASN'T IN THE SCRIPT! THE PLAYMAKER MARSHALLING SOUTH SYDNEY'S ATTACK, ALONG WITH SKIPPER ADAM REYNOLDS, WHO NAILED THE FIRST-EVER TWO-POINT FIELD GOAL FROM BEHIND THE 40m MARK. CHRISTCHURCH-BORN FULLBACK JAMAYNE ISAAKO SCORING THE BRONCOS' ONLY POINTS IN THE 35-6 DEFEAT. HOW OLD WAS HE WHEN HE LEFT CHRISTCHURCH ABOUT TWO OR SOMETHING. DID YOU SEE THOSE QUADS? I DIDN'T SEE THEM. NOT OBJECTIFYING JUST AN ANALYSIS. AND THAT'S YOUR NEWS. THIS IS A BIT AWARE WHETHER COMING OVER THE WEEKEND. A FEW PEOPLE GET WET, ACTUALLY. THIS IS WHAT YOUR FRIDAY'S LOOKING LIKE. IT'S LOOKING OVERCAST IN THE UPPER NORTH, WITH THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF SHOWERS FOR ALL OF YOU, MORE LIKELY INTO THE AFTERNOON. WATCH OUT FOR THOSE NOR-EASTERLY WINDS PICKING UP LATER ON. 22 DEGREES IN AUCKLAND AND KAITAIA, 23 FOR THOSE OF YOU IN WHANGAREI. THERE'S LOW CLOUD THROUGH HERE TO START WITH, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S DRIZZLE ATTACHED TO THAT FOR MOST PLACES, BUT THAT SHOULD ALL CLEAR AWAY WITH A FINER AFTERNOON. BUT THERE IS STILL THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF BRIEF SHOWERS LATER IN THE DAY. 18 DEGREES IN ROTORUA, 21 FOR WHAKATANE AND TAURANGA. YOU'RE IN FOR A MOSTLY FINE FRIDAY FURTHER EAST ONCE THE LOW MORNING CLOUD LIFTS, WITH SUNNIER SKIES FOLLOWING BEHIND. JUST THOSE SLIGHTLY STRONGER NOR-EASTERLIES. 24 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON, 22 FOR THE REST. IT'S MOSTLY OVERCAST SHIFTING WEST, AND THERE COULD BE SOME BRIEF LIGHT RAIN FOR WELLINGTON AND NEW PLYMOUTH THIS MORNING, POSSIBLY REACHING TAUMARUNUI AFTER LUNCH. 19 DEGREES IN THE CAPITAL, WITH TEMPS IN THE EARLY 20s FOR THE REST OF YOU. THE DAY'S A BIT CLOUDY FOR MOST ACROSS THE COOK STRAIT, BUT WITH FINE SPELLS IN AMONGST ALL THAT. ALTHOUGH BLENHEIM LOOKS NICE AND SUNNY, WHEREAS NELSON CAN EXPECT THE ODD SHOWER DURING THE DAY, TURNING TO RAIN AT NIGHT, AND THAT RAIN WILL SPREAD DOWN THE COAST TONIGHT AS WELL. 19 DEGREES IN GREYMOUTH AND HOKITIKA. EARLY 20s FOR THE REST. ONCE THAT LOW CLOUD FIRST THING CLEARS FOR THOSE OUT EAST, THERE'S LOVELY BLUE SKIES FOR THE REST OF THE DAY WITH JUST SOME LIGHT WINDS. 18 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN OAMARU, 23 IF YOU'RE IN CHRISTCHURCH OR ASHBURTON. AND THERE'S GREY SKIES IN MILFORD SOUND WITH A BIT OF DRIZZLE, BUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE IN THE LOWER SOUTH, IT'S LOOKING NICE AND SUNNY ONCE THAT LOW MORNING CLOUD HAS DISAPPEARED. 19 DEGREES IN QUEENSTOWN, DUNEDIN AND GORE. AND THEN CHECKING OUT YOUR WEEKEND ` IT'S A BIT WET. TOMORROW, THERE'S SHOWERS IN THE NORTH AND WEST OF BOTH ISLANDS, TURNING TO HEAVIER RAIN AS THE DAY PROGRESSES, WITH LIGHTER, MORE SCATTERED FALLS FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. AND ON SUNDAY, THE NORTH ISLAND'S RAIN SHOULD CLEAR PRETTY EARLY, BUT THOSE IN THE NORTH AND WEST WILL STILL SEE THE ODD ISOLATED SHOWER. THERE'S RAIN IN THE SOUTH ISLAND, ALTHOUGH THAT SHOULD EASE AS THE DAY PROGRESSES, OR EVEN CLEAR ALTOGETHER IN THE NORTH AND IN CANTERBURY. THANK YOU MEHDI, WE APPRECIATE IT. AS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY, TRAVELLERS FROM INDIA TO NEW ZEALAND WILL BE SUSPENDED FOR TWO WEEKS STARTING ON SUNDAY. WHEN MAKING THE ANNOUNCEMENT, PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN IN PART PITCHED THE DECISION AS A HUMANITARIAN ONE, NOTING THAT HEALTH OFFICIALS BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE CATCHING COVID IN INDIA ON THEIR WAY TO THE AIRPORT AND SAYING 'I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE THAT RISK'. BUT ACCORDING TO OUR TWO NEXT GUESTS, SUCH CONCERN IS LESS THAN CONVINCING GIVEN THE NEW, IF APPARENTLY TEMPORARY, BAN ONLY EXACERBATES ISSUES THAT MANY PEOPLE ELIGIBLE TO ENTER NEW ZEALAND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING FOR THE PAST YEAR. WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO WELCOME TO BREAKFAST IMMIGRATION ADVISOR KATY ARMSTRONG ZOOMING IN FROM RAGLAN, AND HERE IN OUR AUCKLAND STUDIO, NIKHIL, WHO HAS ASKED US NOT TO USE HIS SURNAME. THANK YOU BOTH. WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL. YOU ARE A NEW ZEALAND. WHERE ARE YOUR WIFE AND DAUGHTER? THEY ARE BACK IN INDIA. DELHI. IT'S BEEN AROUND 14 MONTHS THAT I CAME TO NEW ZEALAND AND I HAVEN'T SEEN THEM FOR ALL THESE MONTHS. I LEFT MY DAUGHTER WHEN SHE WAS AROUND FIVE YEARS OLD, AND NOW SHE'S SIX I HAVE MISSED HER BIRTHDAYS AND HER TEETH FALLING OUT. SHE SAID PUP I WISH I COULD JUST SLEEP WITH YOU ONE NIGHT. AND YOU ARE HERE ABSOLUTELY WITH THE APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK AND ET CETERA FOR WORK, AND IT'S GOOD WORK, AND ITS MEANINGFUL WORK. YOU ARE DESPERATE FOR YOUR WIFE AND DAUGHTER TO BE ABLE TO JOIN YOU. AND THEY ARE ABLE TO JOIN YOU WITH APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK. I HAD A PRETTY DECENT JOB AND DECIDED TO COME OVER HERE. I GOT ALL THE VALID VISAS. THE ONLY THING ` MY WIFE IS ALSO A SOFTWARE WORKER AND WE THOUGHT SHE SHOULD STAY BACK FOR TWO MONTHS, AND THEN WILL BE HERE TOGETHER. I HAVE TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO GET AN EXCEPTION, BUT IT'S NEVER BEEN APPROVED. KATIE, IT'S VERY NICE HAPPY WITH THIS. THE SITUATION IS IN PARTICULAR TO PEOPLE FROM INDIA, AND WE ARE ONLY TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WITH APPROPRIATE VISAS AND RESIDENCIES. IT IS NOT PARTICULAR TO INDIA, BUT YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT IT FEELS VERY PARTICULAR NOW. WHEN YOU'VE GOT A VAN LIKE THIS THE PEOPLE DIRECTLY AFFECTED ADDITIONALLY GET A FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING ` I'M TALKING ABOUT THE SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE CAN'T GET INTO THE I THINK PEOPLE FROM INDIA, WHEN I SAW THE SOCIAL COMMNETARIES' THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE IN ANY WAY INTERPRETED AS WANTING TO ENDANGER THE BORDER, ABSOLUTELY NOT. BUT YES OF COURSE THEY ARE FEELING SINGLED OUT BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN HIGH NUMBERS IN OTHER COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. THERE HAVE BEEN AMAZING NUMBERS OF CASES FROM THE UNITED STATES AND THE UK. AN HUGE NUMBERS FROM THE BRAZIL. IS THAT A FAIR POINT? I THINK IT IS A FAIR POINT. AND I THINK IT IS A POINT BEING MADE FOR MONTHS NOW, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IS JUST COME UPON US. ONE OF THE ROUGH FRUSTRATIONS IS THAT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SITUATION COMPARED TO THE OTHERS IN THE SAME SITUATION, WHAT WE HAVE BEEN REALLY CRAVING IS FOR SOME SORT OF CAN-DO SOLUTIONS BASED APPROACH AS OPPOSED TO SORT OF BLOCKADE. THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY MORE WAYS IN WHICH THIS KIND OF RISK CAN BE MANAGED. IT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT FROM THE FRINGES FOR MONTHS, BUT BUT NOTHING'S HAPPENED. WHY ARE WE NOT USING OUR OWN PANEL OF APPROVED DOCTORS, BECAUSE ALL MIGRANTS HAVE TO GO THROUGH MEDICALS. COULD WE NOT BE BALANCING THEM HUMANITARIAN ASPECT WITH SOLUTIONS LIKE FLYING DIRECT? NOBODY GOT OFF THE PLANE WITH THESE REPATRIATION FLIGHTS LAST YEAR. WE NEED TO SEE SOLUTIONS, JON. THEY'VE IMPATIENTLY WAITING FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. AND THEY JUST KEEP HEARING NO. WE ARE WAITING FOR THE SOLUTION. IT'S SUCH A BALANCING ACT, ISN'T IT? DO YOU THINK THEY ARE ACHIEVING THE HUMANITARIAN ASPECT? I THINK WE HAVE HAD A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS SINCE MARCH LAST YEAR. I WOULD SAY WE HAVE SQUANDERED. WHEN I HEAR YESTERDAY THAT ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WAS A BORDER WORKER THAT WAS NOT VACCINATED, YOU LITERALLY WONDER WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON. WHY HAVE WE REACHED THIS POINT IN APRIL 2021 THAT WE STILL HAVE A BORDER WORKER? WE HAVE A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS ON OUR HANDS. YOUR WIFE AND DAUGHTER, WHERE ARE THEY IN INDIA? THEY ARE BASED IN DELHI. SEE KEEP APPLYING AND APPLYING, WAITING TO BE REUNITED AFTER 14 MONTHS. THEY JUST CAN'T GET MIQ BITS. FIRSTLY, WE NEED TO APPLY FOR THE GET PERMISSION FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO APPLY FOR THE MIQ. WITH THE CURRENT SET OF RULES THAT THEY HAVE, ALL OF THEM WERE REJECTED. WHEN THEY REJECTED YOU, WHAT WERE THEIR EXPLANATIONS? THERE ARE CERTAIN CONDITIONS, A WORK VISA PERMIT HOLDER LIKE ME CAN COME BACK INTO NEW ZEALAND, BUT THE ONLY CONDITION WAS THAT MY FAMILY COULD TRAVEL IF THEY WERE OVER HERE. BECAUSE THEY'RE TRAVELLING FOR THE FIRST TIME THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED IN. I'M A BIT CONFUSED ABOUT THIS. IS THAT FEASIBLE? THAT'S CORRECT. SO THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN'T ` TEMPORARY VISAS THAT CAN COME IN AT NEED TO BE ON THE LIST. AN EXCEPTION CATEGORY WAS NEVER EVER MADE FOR PEOPLE IN HIS SITUATION. THAT'S WHY THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE ANY IDEA WHAT THE NUMBER IS? FROM OFFICIAL INFORMATION, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE 1092 DEPENDENCE OF WORK VISA HOLDERS WHO HAVE VISAS BUT NEVER GOT ACTIVATE THEM. SO IN THIS SITUATION, THERE ARE ROUGHLY 1090 OTHER PEOPLE IN THAT SAME SITUATION? CORRECT. SINCE A BORDER CLOSURES THAT VISA DOESN'T REALLY MEAN ANYTHING. THEY CANNOT GET ON THE PLANE. THAT PLACE WOULDN'T BE REALISTIC THEY WOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO TRAVEL. SO THAT'S WHAT BEEN ASKING FOR. I CAN HEAR PEOPLE WATCHING AND SAYING ' IT MUST BE AWFUL TO BE APART FROM WIFE AND DAUGHTER, BUT ' THESE ARE UNUSUAL TIMES. AN UNUSUAL TIMES CALL FOR UNUSUAL AND RIGOUROUS AND UNSENTIMENTAL MEASURES.' THIS IS COME BACK TO HOW THE HELL DO WE ACHIEVE THAT BALANCE? WHEN WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHTS FOR FAMILIES TO BE REUNITED, AT NO POINT HAVE WE WANTED BORDER TO BE PLACED IN JEOPARDY. IT JUST SHOWS A COMMITMENT TO THESE PEOPLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS. THIS IS GOING TO BE OF SOME FLOWS, BUT IF SOMEBODY GETS A BORDER EXEMPTION FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IS VALID FOR SIX MONTHS. THAT ALLOWS THEM TO START MAKING PLANS WITH SOME CERTAINTY AND BOOKING SPACES. WE HAVE NEVER SAID THAT THE FAMILY SHOULD ALL COME AT ONCE, AND SOMEHOW OVERWHELM THE SYSTEM. WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO GOVERNMENT LOCAL TO MARK WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO CHANGE LANGUAGE RING, AND TO THINK ABOUT THE FAMILIES THAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE. IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE COMING INTO NEW ZEALAND. WE HAVE ALL THE ENTERTAINERS AND THE SPORTS PEOPLE COMING IN OVER THE HEAD AND THEY ARE FEELING VERY DIVIDED AT THIS POINT IN TIME. THAT'S WHAT WE WANT. WE WANT TO CAN-DO SOLUTION THAT RECOGNISES AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO NEW ZEALAND AND THE SUFFERING THEY ARE GOING THROUGH. THIS IS ALL A POINT SYSTEM, THANK YOU KATIE. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAUGHTER. SHE IS SIX NOW. BUT FOR ME SHE IS STILL FIVE. THE VEHICLE IS OKAY, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT SHE'LL BE LOOKING LIKE WHEN I MEET HER AFTER A YEAR OR MORE. HOW IS YOUR FAMILY BACK IN INDIA? A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK, MY WIFE ACTUALLY CONTRACTED COVID. AND HOW IS SHE? SHE IS FINE, IT'S BEEN MONTHS. I DON'T HAVE A JOB KNOWN INDIA, SO I CAN'T GO BACK. JUST THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT I GO BACK I WILL NOT HAVE A JOB SO COULD I PROVIDE THE FUTURE TO MY DAUGHTER THAT I ALWAYS WANTED? IT WAS ONLY HOPE THAT I WAS CLINGING ON. I FEEL LIKE THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MEASURES TO HELP REUNITE THE FAMILIES. AND THERE ARE MANY OTHERS IN THE SAME SITUATION AS ME. THANK YOU WE REALLY WISH YOU WELL WE'RE GOING TO PUT SOME OF THAT TO CHRIS HIPKINS. COMING UP ` DO OTHER HOTSPOTS NEED TIGHTER BORDER RESTRICTIONS? COVID RESPONSE MINISTER CHRIS HIPKINS IS WITH US NEXT. RIGHT, LET'S RETURN TO COVID-19, WHICH IS HAVING TERRIBLE RESURGENCES IN PARTS OF THE WORLD JUST AS WE DARED TO HOPE IT WAS ABATING. ON THE 22ND OF FEBRUARY, THERE WERE 349,000 NEW CASES GLOBALLY. IT'S NOW WELL OVER 500,000 AND RISING, WHICH MAKES THE ONE COMMUNITY CASE ANNOUNCED HERE, YESTERDAY, SEEM REMARKABLY INCONSEQUENTIAL. BUT, AGAIN, IT'S A WORKER AT THE GRAND MELLENIUM HOTEL IN AUCKLAND. AND THIS WORKER WASN'T VACCINATED. WHY? HOW? THESE QUESTIONS, PLUS WHAT WE'VE JUST BEEN DISCUSSING, WHICH IS INDIA AND THE TEMPORARY BAN ON KIWIS ARRIVING FROM THERE. WE'RE GRATEFUL TO WELCOME BACK TO BREAKFAST, COVID-19 RESPONSE MINISTER CHRIS HIPKINS. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US ON THE PROGRAM, NICE TO HAVE YOU WITH US. THERE IS A LOT TO TAKE OFF THIS MORNING, WHY WAS THIS WORK ARE NOT VACCINATED? WE ARE LOOKING THROUGH THAT, WHETHER IT WAS A CASE OF THEM NOT TURNING DOWN THE VACCINE, THERE WERE REASONS WHY THEY WOULD NOT TAKE UP THE OFFER OF THE VACCINE, I HAVE NOT HAD FINAL OF THE NATION ON THAT YET I AM HOPING TO GET THAT LATER THIS MORNING, BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS WE ARE IN THE PROCESS NOW, THE CLOSING STAGES OF THAT PROCESS, OF LITERALLY GOING THROUGH LINE BY LINE EVERYBODY WHO IS WORKING AT THE BORDER TO WORK OUT WHO HAS NOT BEEN VACCINATED AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE NOT STILL WORKING AT HIGH RISK POINTS, AND IT MAY BE BECAUSE THEY ARE NO LONGER WORKING AT THE BORDER, SO IF YOU COMPARE THE TWO DATASETS FOR EXAMPLE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN TESTED AND HAD BEEN VACCINATED, THIS IS QUITE A FLUID WORKFORCE, SO THERE WILL BE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THERE WHO NO LONGER WORK AT THE BORDER. ONCE YOU ESTABLISH WHO HAS AND HAS NOT BEEN VACCINATED, IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU DO NOT GET TO WORK AT THE BORDER ANY LONGER FULL STOP. YOU DO NOT GET TO WORK IN A FRONT-LINE HIGH-RISK ROLE AT THE BORDER, BUT WE ARE DEALING WITH A LOT OF EMPLOYERS HERE, SOME OF WHOM WILL BE ABLE TO REDEPLOY THEM TO OTHER ROLES AND OTHERS WHO WOULD STRUGGLE TO DO THAT, SO THAT IS THE PROCESS THAT OVER THE LAST WEEK OR TWO WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING WITH THEM. WE HAVE NOT QUITE COMPLETED THAT YET AS YOU CAN SEE, BUT WE ARE PLANNING TO COMPLETE IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO. CAN YOU GIVE US A TIMELINE, YOU SAY THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO, WHEN YOU WANT TO HAVE THIS FINISHED BY? I WANT TO FINISHED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT THERE ARE EMPLOYMENT AND CONTRACTUAL ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH. A THESE CASUAL AND CONTRACT WORKERS AS WELL? DO WE KNOW ABSOLUTELY WHO WE ARE WORKING WITH IN SOME CASES? FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS, WE HAVE HIGH RATES, DEFENCE FORCE IS 100%, THE POLICE IS AROUND 94%, AVIATION IS 96%. WE SEE LOWER RATES AND THE HOTEL WORKFORCES AND THE CONTRACTED SECURITY GUARD WORKFORCES, AND IN SOME CASES THAT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE USING QUITE A LARGE WORKFORCE AND ROSTERING PEOPLE AND OUTCOMES OF SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE MIGHT BE SHOWING UP AND AN HONOURS BUT THEY MAY NOT BE WORKING ON THOSE FROM MY ROLES ON THIS POINT, SO WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT POINT AT THE MOMENT, AND THERE IS SOME COMPLEXITY TO IT, BUT WE WANT TO GET THAT CERTAINTY IS QUICK AS WE CAN. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE LEAKED MINISTRY OF HEALTH DOCUMENTS, SAYING WE ARE ABOUT 90,000 VACCINATIONS, WHY THE DIFFERENCE? THAT WAS AN EARLY ROLLOUT MODEL THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER WAY BACK IN JANUARY BEFORE WE HAD CONFIRMED WHICH VACCINES WE WERE GOING TO BE USING, SO AT THAT POINT, THE MODEL WAS PROBABLY BASED ON USING FOUR DIFFERENT VACCINES, FOR EXAMPLE, AND WE ARE NOW USING WIND, WHICH IS THE PFIZER VACCINE. WHEN WE MADE THE DECISION TO SWITCH THAT CAMPAIGN, WHEN YOU WILL BE PUSHING TOWARDS THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR, AND THE VACCINES THAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO USE IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE YEAR, WE WERE NOT NOW ABLE TO BE USING. I YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO BE, AND ARE YOU WHERE WE SHOULD BE WITH THE VACCINE PROGRAM? WE ARE ON TRACK BROADLY, AND THAT DELIVERY MODEL IS BASED ON GETTING THROUGH EVERYBODY BY THE END OF THE YEAR. WHERE IS THAT DELIVERY MODEL? IS THAT A PFIZER DELIVERY MODEL DATING FROM WHEN OR IS IT A MODEL THAT HAS BEEN REACHED FOR OUT OF THIN AIR IN THE PAST WEEK SINCE THE FEBRUARY DOCUMENT CAME UP FROM THE NATS? THIS IS A MODEL THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED IN NEW ZEALAND, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN REFINING AND MONITORING AS WE GOT ALONG. THAT SOUND LIKE POLITICS TO ME, AND I WANT TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT, HAVE YOU BEEN MONITORING IT FOR HEALTH REASONS OR BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT BEEN DELIVERING VACCINES MUST NOT YOU WANT TO FIT YOUR OWN DELIVERY? IS BASED ON SIZE AND LOGISTICS, SUCH AS HOW MANY VACCINES CAN ONE WORKER GET THROUGH FULL-TIME, AND THEREFORE HAPPY VACCINATORS DO WE NEED, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH SUPPLY TO GET THROUGH THE SECOND DOSE, WHAT IS THE WORKFORCE WE NEED AROUND ALL OF THAT, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE DOING THE INJECTIONS ON THE VACCINATIONS ARE FOCUSED ON THAT AND NOT BEING DISTRACTED BY OTHER THINGS. ALL OF THAT WORK IS STUFF THAT HAS BEEN REFINED, AND IT HAS HELPED US TO IMPROVE THE MODEL. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE TEMPORARY BAN ON TRAVELLERS FROM INDIA. WHEN THE BAN IS LIFTED, WHAT WILL BE DIFFERENT? WHAT WILL WE DO DIFFERENTLY WITH PEOPLE FROM HIGH RISK PLACES AND IN THIS CASE SPECIFICALLY INDIA TO MITIGATE THE RISK? THAT IS WHAT WE WILL BE WORKING THROUGH, SO THERE ARE TWO THINGS WE WILL BE LOOKING AT, HOW CAN WE REDUCE THE RISK AT THE INDIA SIDE SO THAT WE KNOW PREDEPARTURE TESTING HAS HELPED REDUCE THE RISK AROUND THE WORLD. THE US ARE EXPERIENCING A SIMILAR RESURGENCE TO WHAT WE SEEN IT AND ANDY ARE, BUT WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT TRANSLATED AND PEOPLE COMING FROM THE US TO NEW ZEALAND TESTING POSITIVE WHEN THEY GET HERE, BUT WE ARE SEEING THAT FROM INDIA. WE'LL BE LOOKING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THAT SIDE, AND WHAT MORE CAN WE DO TO REDUCE THAT. DO WE CHANGE THE WAY WE DO PREDEPARTURE TESTING AND WHAT OUR OPTIONS FOR THAT, AS WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT. THE SECOND THING IS HOW DO WE MANAGE THE RISK ON THE NEW ZEALAND SIDES, SO IS THERE MORE WE CAN DO WHEN THE PLANES LAND IN NEW ZEALAND JUST TO ADD EXTRA LAYERS OF PROTECTION, RECOGNISING AT THE MOMENT THAT THEY ARE CARRYING A RELATIVELY HIGH CONCENTRATION OF PEOPLE WITH COVID-19. WHY ARE WE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION NOW GIVEN THE SPIKES WE HAVE HAD PREVIOUSLY SEEN FROM ASTLEY, THE UK, THE NEW VARIANT, WHY ARE WE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE DEAL WITH SPECIFIC HIGH-RISK SOURCES OF ARRIVALS NOW? BECAUSE OUR PREDEPARTURE AND VARIOUS REGIMES AT THE BORDER HAVE PROVEN TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE, PREDEPARTURE TESTING WAS SOMETHING WE INTRODUCED AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME, OVER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK, TO RECOGNISE THE SURGE AROUND THE REST OF THE WORLD, TO RECOGNISE THE NEW VARIANTS, AND SO ON. FROM MOST COUNTRIES, THAT HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE, BUT FROM INDIA HAS BEEN NOT AS EFFECTIVE, SO WE NEED TO WORK OUT WHY THAT IS. WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME, WE APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US, WE WOULD LOVE TO GET YOU BACK IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO OF THAT IS POSSIBLE. THAT IS PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE ME TO ASK YOU ON AIR, BUT WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. MY PEOPLE CAN TALK TO YOUR PEOPLE, JOHN. CHRIS HIPKINS, COVID-19 RESPONSE MINISTER, THE GOVERNMENT WILL NEXT WEEK START TO MOVE FRONTLINE BORDER WORKERS INTO 'LOW RISK' ROLES IF THEY REFUSE THE COVID-19 VACCINATION. IT COMES AFTER AN UNVACCINATED SECURITY GUARD FROM A MANAGED ISOLATION FACILITY IN AUCKLAND HAD TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS. THAT WAS A CASE OF THEM TURNING DOWN THE VACCINE FOR SOME REASON, WHY THEY WERE UNABLE TO TAKE THE VACCINE, I AM TRYING TO GET THAT INFORMATION LATER THIS MORNING. WE ARE IN THE CLOSING STAGES OF GOING THROUGH EVERY PERSON WHO IS WORKING AT THE BORDER TO IDENTIFY THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN BACK LATER TO UNDERSTAND WHY THAT IS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE NOT STILL WORKING ON HIGH-RISK ROLES. SOME OF NEW ZEALAND'S INDIAN COMMUNITY ARE CALLING THE GOVERNMENT'S LATEST TRAVEL BAN ON ARRIVALS FROM INDIA AS UNFAIR. IT COMES AFTER A SURGE IN MIQ COVID-19 CASES, WITH FLIGHTS FROM INDIA TO NEW ZEALAND BEING SUSPENDED FOR TWO WEEKS STARTING THIS SUNDAY. IMMIGRATION ADVISOR KATY ARMSTRONG SAYS THERE NEEDS TO BE A HUMANITARIAN BALANCE IN THIS DECISION. WE WOULD LIKE THE GOVERNMENT, FIRST AND FOREMOST, TO CHANGE THE LANGUAGING, AND ACTUALLY RECOGNISED THE VALUE THAT THESE MIGRANTS HAVE, AND COMMIT TO FINDING THE SOLUTION AS OPPOSSED TO TELLING THEM CONSTANTLY THAT THERE REALLY ISN'T ONE, AND THAT EVERYONE ELSE CAN COME IN OVER THEIR HEADS. LET'S NOT FORGET ` IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN TO NEW ZEALAND. WE HAVE ALL THOSE ENTERTAINERS AND SPORTSPEOPLE. THEY HAVE WATCHED THOSE PEOPLE COME IN OVER THEIR HEADS, AND THEY ARE FEELING VERY DEVALUED AT THIS POINT IN TIME. A SYDNEY CONSTRUCTION DIRECTOR HOPES KIWI WORKERS WILL BE AMONG THOSE FLYING IN ON APRIL 19TH. IT COMES AMID GROWING CONCERNS THE TRANS-TASMAN BUBBLE WILL WORSEN OUR CONSTRUCTION SECTOR'S SKILL SHORTAGE IF TRADIES GO IN SEARCH OF BETTER PAY AND OPPORTUNITIES. AS A RULE OF THUMB, A GENERAL LABOURER ` THEY'RE PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTED PERSON ON SITE, THEY DEMAND $60-75 PER HOUR, AND THAT IS SOMEONE STARTING IN THE INDUSTRY THAT` I'M NOT GONNA SAY THEY'RE UNSKILLED, BUT THEY'RE THE BOTTON RUNG TO START. BUT THEY'RE THE ESSENTIAL PART. AUSTRALIA'S HOPES OF GETTING EVERYONE VACCINATED BY OCTOBER LOOK TO BE DASHED AFTER THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE ASTRAZENECA JAB. IN A LATE NIGHT MEDIA CONFERENCE, OFFICIALS ADVISED THE PFIZER VACCINE SHOULD NOW BE GIVEN TO AUSTRALIANS UNDER THE AGE OF 50, RATHER THAN ASTRAZENECA. IT'S OVER CONCERNS OF RARE BLOOD CLOTS POSSIBLY LINKED TO THE VACCINE. BUT THE CHOICE IS WITH THE PATIENT. AS ALWAYS, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE AUSTRALIANS TO SEEK OUT THE ADVICE OF THEIR OWN DOCTOR IN RELATION TO THESE ISSUES. AUSTRALIANS MAKE CHOICES ABOUT THEIR OWN HEALTH, AND THE BEST PEOPLE TO ADVISE THEM ON THOSE DECISIONS IS THEIR OWN GP. AUSTRALIA'S PRODUCING THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE LOCALLY. THE JAB'S UNDERGOING AN APPROVALS PROCESS HERE. SAMOAN CITIZENS ARE GOING TO THE POLLS TODAY TO VOTE FOR THEIR NEXT PRIME MINISTER. TUILAEPA SAILELE MALIELENGAOI HAS BEEN SAMOA'S LEADER SINCE 1998, BECOMING THE SECOND-LONGEST-SERVING PRIME MINISTER IN THE WORLD. BUT IS NOW BEING CHALLENGED BY FIAME NAOMI MATA'AFA, THE DAUGHTER OF THE COUNTRY'S FIRST PRIME MINISTER. UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND'S DR DAMON SALESA SAYS IT'S A SIGNIFICANT DAY FOR SAMOA. THIS IS THE FIRST SAMOAN ELECTION WHICH IS REALLY A LIVE ELECTION IN MY LIFETIME. SO, IN MY SORT OF ADULT LIFETIME, MOST SAMOANS HAVE ONLY EVER KNOWN ONE PRIME MINISTER. EVERYONE JUST CALLS HIM PALEMIA. I MEAN, HE'S A POWERFUL FIGURE ` PROBABLY THE DEFINING FIGURE OF SAMOAN HISTORY SINCE INDEPENDENCE, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE'VE GOT A VIABLE CHALLENGER WHO, OF COURSE, AS YOU POINTED OUT, WAS HIS FORMER DEPUTY. THE FIRST MEN'S GOLF MAJOR OF THE YEAR, THE MASTERS, IS UNDERWAY AT AUGUSTA. HIDEKI MATSUYAMA LEADS THE FIRST ROUND AT FOUR UNDER. THE LEADER'S FAIRING FAR BETTER THAN RORY MCILROY, WHO IS FOUR OVER AND EVEN MANAGED TO HIT HIS OWN FATHER WITH A WAYWARD SHOT ON THE 7TH. GERRY MCILROY IS OK. DEFENDING CHAMPION DUSTIN JOHNSON IS CURRENTLY ON EVEN PAR. TO TENNIS, AND THE FRENCH OPEN HAS BEEN POSTPONED BY A WEEK IN THE HOPE THAT MORE SPECTATORS WILL BE PERMITTED TO ATTEND. FRANCE IS IN A THIRD NATIONWIDE LOCKDOWN, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO END IN MID-MAY. THE GRAND SLAM TOURNAMENT AT ROLAND GARROS WILL NOW RUN FROM THE END OF MAY TO MID-JUNE, WITH QUALIFYING THE WEEK BEFORE. THANK YOU, MELISSA. APPRECIATE IT. JB, CAMERA ONE, THAT IS A CODE THAT SUGGEST THAT WE NEED SOME BACON AND EGG PIE. KNOWING OUR FAITHFUL, LOYAL VIEWERS, I KNOW SOMEONE WILL SEND US SOME IN. IS IMPORTANT TO DOES NOT HAVE TOMATOES OR PEAS AND IT, IT IS CALLED BACON AND EGG PIE FOR A REASON. I AM NOT OPPOSED TO A PEA. I COULD DO A PORK BELLY PIE. OH, FANCY AS. I WOULD LOVE A POTATO TOP PIE. EAT ALL THE MEAT INSIDE, PUT THE CHIPS AND, PUT THE PASTRY ON TOP, AND THEN EAT THE PIE. AS ENDORSED BY THE NATIONAL HEART FOUNDATION. BRILLIANT. GOOD, THOUGH. THAT IS WHY I'M NOT NEW ZEALAND'S NEXT TOP MODEL. YOU ARE, STOP IT. THIS IS WHAT YOUR FRIDAY'S LOOKING LIKE. IT'S LOOKING OVERCAST IN THE UPPER NORTH WITH THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF SHOWERS FOR ALL OF YOU, MORE LIKELY INTO THE AFTERNOON. WATCH OUT FOR THOSE NOR-EASTERLY WINDS PICKING UP LATER ON. 22 DEGREES IN AUCKLAND AND KAITAIA, 23 FOR THOSE OF YOU IN WHANGAREI. THERE'S LOW CLOUD THROUGH HERE TO START WITH, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S DRIZZLE ATTACHED TO THAT FOR MOST PLACES. BUT THAT SHOULD ALL CLEAR AWAY WITH A FINER AFTERNOON. BUT THERE IS STILL THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF BRIEF SHOWERS LATER IN THE DAY. 18 DEGREES IN ROTORUA, 21 FOR WHAKATANE AND TAURANGA. YOU'RE IN FOR A MOSTLY FINE FRIDAY FURTHER EAST ONCE THE LOW MORNING CLOUD LIFTS WITH SUNNIER SKIES FOLLOWING BEHIND. JUST THOSE SLIGHTLY STRONGER NOR-EASTERLIES. 24 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON, 22 FOR THE REST. IT'S MOSTLY OVERCAST SHIFTING WEST, AND THERE COULD BE SOME BRIEF LIGHT RAIN FOR WELLINGTON AND NEW PLYMOUTH THIS MORNING, POSSIBLY REACHING TAUMARUNUI AFTER LUNCH. 19 DEGREES IN THE CAPITAL, WITH TEMPS IN THE EARLY 20S FOR THE REST OF YOU. THE DAY'S A BIT CLOUDY FOR MOST ACROSS THE COOK STRAIT, BUT WITH FINE SPELLS IN AMONGST ALL THAT, ALTHOUGH BLENHEIM LOOKS NICE AND SUNNY. WHEREAS NELSON CAN EXPECT THE ODD SHOWER DURING THE DAY, TURNING TO RAIN AT NIGHT, AND THAT RAIN WILL SPREAD DOWN THE COAST TONIGHT AS WELL. 19 DEGREES IN GREYMOUTH AND HOKITIKA. EARLY 20'S FOR THE REST. ONCE THAT LOW CLOUD FIRST THING CLEARS FOR THOSE OUT EAST, THERE'S LOVELY BLUE SKIES FOR THE REST OF THE DAY WITH JUST SOME LIGHT WINDS. 18 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN OAMARU, 23 IF YOU'RE IN CHRISTCHURCH OR ASHBURTON. AND THERE'S GREY SKIES IN MILFORD SOUND WITH A BIT OF DRIZZLE. BUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE IN THE LOWER SOUTH, IT'S LOOKING NICE AND SUNNY ONCE THAT LOW MORNING CLOUD'S DISAPPEARED. 19 DEGREES IN QUEENSTOWN, DUNEDIN AND GORE. AND THEN CHECKING OUT YOUR WEEKEND, IT'S A BIT WET. TOMORROW, THERE'S SHOWERS IN THE NORTH AND WEST OF BOTH ISLANDS, TURNING TO HEAVIER RAIN AS THE DAY PROGRESSES, WITH LIGHTER, MORE SCATTERED FALLS FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. AND ON SUNDAY, THE NORTH ISLAND'S RAIN SHOULD CLEAR PRETTY EARLY, BUT THOSE IN THE NORTH AND WEST WILL STILL SEE THE ODD ISOLATED SHOWER. THERE'S RAIN IN THE SOUTH ISLAND, ALTHOUGH THAT SHOULD EASE AS THE DAY PROGRESSES, OR EVEN CLEAR ALTOGETHER IN THE NORTH AND IN CANTERBURY. THAT IS YOUR WEATHER. THANK YOU, MATTY. YOU ARE WELCOME. COMING UP, THE SCHOOL STRIKE FOR CLIMATE IS HAPPENING AGAIN TODAY. I AM NOT LAUGHING AT THE SCHOOL STRIKE, I SUPPORT THAT 100%, I AM LAUGHING AT MELISSA. I AM TRYING TO ORGANISE MY CHILDREN AND I HAVE TO DRESS UP TONIGHT. ANYWAY, SCHOOL STRIKE FOR CLIMATE. NEXT, WHY THEY'RE CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT TO PICK UP THE PACE IN OUR CLIMATE RESPONSE. WELCOME BACK TO BREAKFAST. TODAY, THOUSANDS OF YOUNG KIWIS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WILL BE MARCHING IN THE LATEST SCHOOL STRIKE FOR CLIMATE. THE IMPACTS OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS ARE UNDENIABLE AND GROWING, AND IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE CLEAR THAT THOSE WHO WILL REALLY BEAR THE BRUNT OF IT ARE OUR YOUNGER GENERATIONS ` OUR RANGATAHI AND TAMARIKI. THEY KNOW IT TOO, AND THEY'VE HAD ENOUGH. WE'RE SO THRILLED TO BE JOINED BY THREE REALLY REMARKABLE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WILL BE RIGHT THERE AMONGST IT. SCHOOL STRIKE 4 CLIMATE ORGANISERS JACK BARLOW HERE IN TAMAKI MAKAURAU, RHIANNON MACKIE IN WELLINGTON, AND LUCY GRAY BEAMING IN FROM OTAUTAHI/CHRISTCHURCH. MORENA! AND IS GREAT TO HAVE THE THREE OF YOU ON THIS MORNING, I WILL START WITH YOU, JACK. WHY ARE YOU GUYS ARE STRIKING TODAY? WE ARE STRIKING BECAUSE WE'RE NOT SEEING ENOUGH ACTION AT THE MOMENT. IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, THE GOVERNMENT DECLARED A CLIMATE EMERGENCY, AND HAS BEEN DESCRIBED BY THE PRIME MINISTER AS THIS GENERATION IS NUCLEAR FREE MOMENT, YET WE ARE NOT SEEING ACTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT THAT REFLECTS THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CRISIS AND THEIR OWN WORDS, AND THE SCIENCE IS WELL BEHIND THE CLIMATE CRISIS. WE ARE STRIKING TODAY TO PUT PRESSURE ON OUR GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AS WELL TO TAKE MORE ACTION. I WILL COME TO YOU, RHIANNON, BECAUSE WE DID SEE THE CLIMATE COMMISSION REPORT THAT CAME OUT EARLIER WITH SOME CRUCIAL RECOMMENDATIONS IN THERE, WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED TO SEE? WHAT IS MISSING FROM THERE? IS IT TOO SLOW AND THAT ACTION IS NOT MOVING FAST ENOUGH? THE CLIMATE COMMISSION REPORT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND IT IS SO CRUCIAL THAT THE GOVERNMENT FOLLOWS ALL OF THE ADVICE SET OUT IN THAT REPORT, BUT JUST BECAUSE THAT REPORT IS COMING OUT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT ALSO TAKE ACTION IN OTHER WAYS AND PUT INTO PLACE POLICIES NOW THAT REFLECTS THE URGENCY OF THIS CRISIS. I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE REFLECTED WITHIN THE CLIMATE COMMISSION'S FINAL ADVICE, HOW URGENT THINGS ARE AND HOW FAST WE NEED TO BE MOVING ON THIS. AND IS NOT JUST THE FUTURE THAT IS AT RISK, BUT ALSO OUR FRONTLINE COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD ARE ALREADY FACING THE BRUNT OF THIS CRISIS EVERY DAY. LUCY, ON THAT CLIMATE COMMISSION REPORT, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS THE BANNING OF PETROL AND DIESEL CARS BY 2035, AND NEW ZEALAND IS THE FOURTH HIGHEST RATE PER CAPITA OF CAR OWNERSHIP COMPARE TO OTHER COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, ISN'T FAST ENOUGH? AS IT URGENT ACTION THAT IS FAST ENOUGH? WHAT POLICIES DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE ACTED ON TODAY? IN TERMS OF THE OIL AND GAS AND CARS ON THE ROAD, I THINK THAT IS IMPORTANT, BUT AS RHIANNON HAS BEEN SAYING, IT IS NOT FAST ENOUGH, WE NEED TO BE MOVING A LOT MORE URGENTLY, AND I KNOW NATIONALLY, WE HAVE DEMANDS AND WE WANT TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FUTURES ARE SAFE AND THAT THEY ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS HONOURING THE TREATY WHAT THEY ARE DOING ALL OF THIS. I KNOW ONE SPECIFIC DEMAND IN CHRISTCHURCH IS FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT, AND THAT WOULD REALLY HELP THE GOVERNMENT REACH THEIR GOALS, AND IT WILL BE HELD ON THE BASIS OF CLIMATE CHANGE BUT ALSO ON THE BASIS OF A LOT OF OTHER ISSUES. I KNOW THE THREE OF YOU ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT ADVOCATING FOR THIS, AND ALSO JUST REMARKABLE YOUNG LEADERS ON YOUR GENERATION. THE LAST SCHOOL CLIMATE STRIKE, 170,000 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS THAT SHOWED UP, WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF THE TURNOUT TODAY? WHEN WE WERE ASKED IN SEPTEMBER 2019 TO ESTIMATE HOW PEOPLE WOULD SHOW UP, WE SUGGESTED MAYBE 10 IF WE'RE LUCKY, AND THEN THEY SAID 80,000 PEOPLE SHOWED UP, SO WE HAVE GIVEN UP ON TRYING TO PROPERLY GUESS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE THERE TODAY, BUT WE ARE HOPING FOR A GOOD ENOUGH TURNOUT TO REALLY PROVE THAT THIS WAS NOT A ONE-TIME THING, IT IS NOT ONE AND DONE IN 2019, TOOK A DAY OFF SCHOOL AND THAT WAS THE END OF IT, THIS IS A SERIOUS THING AND WE'RE NOT DONE, AND THAT IS ALSO WHY WE ARE ENCOURAGING NOT JUST STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, BUT EVERYONE WHO CAN TO GET OUT THERE TODAY, GO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT, FOR YOUR CHILDREN, WHOEVER YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE WHO WILL BE AFFECTED, AND ALSO IT IS AN ISSUE THAT WILL AFFECT EVERYONE, SO GET OUT THERE TODAY IF YOU ARE ABLE TO, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR. RHIANNON, I WILL COME TO YOU. THIS IS AN INTERGENERATIONAL MARCH, YOU'RE ASKING EVERYONE TO COME OUT THERE, BUT WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOME OF THE OLDER GENERATIONS WHO DO NOT SEE THIS ISSUE AS A CONCERN OR WORTH STRIKING FOR RIGHT NOW? I WOULD SAY WE ARE ALREADY SEEING THE IMPACTS OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS TODAY, AND THOSE ARE ONLY GOING TO GET MORE AND MORE FREQUENT AND MORE AND MORE SEVERE EVERY DAY THAT WE DO NOT TAKE ACTION. I WOULD SAY DO NOT JUST GO ON STRIKE FOR YOURSELVES, BUT FOR YOUR CHILDREN OR FOR YOUR GRANDCHILDREN OR FOR THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE CLIMATE CRISIS IN THEIR OWN LIVES. IF YOU DO NOT SEE THIS IMPACTING YOURSELF DIRECTLY, TAKE A LOOK AROUND YOU, BECAUSE IT WILL IMPACT THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE WHO YOU LOVE. PLEASE JOIN US TODAY, NOT JUST FOR YOURSELF, BUT FOR THOSE PEOPLE AS WELL. LUCY, I WILL FINISH OFF WITH YOU, BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH UNITY AND PASSION AND THE NUMBERS OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING BEHIND THIS. WHAT MADE YOU SPECIFICALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CAUSE OF CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION AND GETTING BEHIND THE CAUSE? WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS OR FEARS OR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE? I THINK I AM REALLY ANGRY, I AM SCARED FOR MY FUTURE, BUT I THINK A LOT OF US GOT OVER OUR FEAR TO PROTEST, AND I THINK A LOT OF WHAT IS LEFT IS JUST ANGER, WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR TWO YEARS NOW AND THE GOVERNMENT STILL IS NOT REALLY TAKING ACTION ENOUGH TO PROTECT OUR FUTURES, AND IT IS KIND OF LIKE` I GOT INVOLVED WHEN I WAS 12, AND I COULD SEE THEM QUITE CLEARLY, AND I HAVE A LOT OF YOUNGER FRIENDS WHO CAN SEE QUITE CLEARLY WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND THE GOVERNMENT WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TRAINED AND WHAT THEY DO, AND THIS IS THEIR JOB, THIS IS NOT OUR JOB. THEY STILL ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH, SO I THINK THAT MAKES ME REALLY ANGRY. YOU GOT INVOLVED WHEN YOU ARE 12, HOW OLD ARE YOU NOW? I AM 14. WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE IN YOUR GENERATION BACK YOU AND GET BEHIND THESE STRIKES, EVEN SOME OF THE TEACHERS AND PARENTS THAT COME TO THIS? THOSE ARE HUGE NUMBERS. IT IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE, AND IN SEPTEMBER 2019, WE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE, AND I THINK THAT REALLY PROVED THAT THIS IS POSSIBLE. WE CAN DO THIS. WE JUST NEED EVERYBODY BEHIND US, AND IF WE CAN CONVINCE EVERYBODY THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE, WHAT WE COULD ACHIEVE, IT IS INCREDIBLE. THE FUTURE THAT WE COULD HAVE IF WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN, IT IS JUST LIKE A UTOPIA. IF WE DO THIS, IT IS GOING TO BE AMAZING. BUT WE HAVE TO START ACTING YESTERDAY. IT IS SO URGENT. LUCY, JACK, RHIANNON, THANK YOU SO MUCH ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. WE NEED EVERYONE TO GET BEHIND THIS, THOSE ARE STRONG WORDS THERE FROM LUCY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MAKING NEWS THIS MORNING ` AUSTRALIA'S NEW STANCE ON THE ASTRAZENECA COVID-19 VACCINE. MORE ON THAT AT 8. WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE HALF A MILLION MEMBERS AND KEPT NEARLY $1.8 MILLION IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY. NEXT, A SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS STORY. THE DIFFERENCE THAT THEY MAKE IN THE LIVES OF OUR COUNTRY. ALSO, WAIT FOR THIS, MATTY. DO YOU WANT TO DO IT? LOOK AT THAT! YOU CANNOT BEAT IT ON A GOOD DAY, IS IT A GOOD DAY? A BIT OF CLOUD AND SOME RAIN OVER THE WEEKEND, I HAVE ALL YOUR WEATHER YOU ARE WITH BREAKFAST. WHEN WE WERE SLIGHTLY'S CAUGHT OFF GUARD WHEN THE SHOW STARTED AT 6 O'CLOCK, AND WE SAID WHO WAS WATCHING? WE HAD THE MOST BEAUTIFUL INSIGHT INTO WHO YOU ARE. IN THE TWO HOURS SINCE THEN. THE STORIES YOU HAVE SENT US ABOUT YOUR CELLS ARE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. AND YOU ARE ALL AGES, AND ALL RANGES OF PEOPLE. SOME OF YOU HAVE LITTLE KIDS AND SOME OF YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN. SHE'S JUST PAINTED HER DOGS ROOM AND ARE COVERED UNDER THE STAIRS. PEOPLE HAVE DONE QUARANTINING ARRIVED IN NEW ZEALAND. MEGAN HAS ON HER LAST DAY AT THE HOTEL. SHE WANTS I THINK THE MIQ STAFF ARE HARD WORK . THE MORNING TEAM, I WATCH EVERY DAY SPECIOUS EXAM BECAUSE I LIKE IT WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING LATE AND TRY TO GET ORGANISED. AND YOU ARE LIKE US, HUMAN. JC SAYS TO GET DOWN TO THE PUKEKOHE EDINBURGH DERRY FOR A BACON AND EGG PIE. IT DOESN'T STOP IT PUKEKOHE. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT IT. MY MUM MAKES A BANGER OF A BACON AND EGG PIE. MY FRIEND LISA MAKES A BANGER. SHADE OUT TO THOSE KIDS THAT WE HAD ON. JACK IS 16, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW OLD RHIANNA WAS. IS NOT WONDERFUL TO SEE TEENAGERS GIVING A DAMN. SOMETIMES THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO PUT CRITICISED THE CLIMATE STRIKERS, I JUST LOVE THE FACT THAT THEY CARE. AND THEY WANT TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. I HOPE THEY DO. EMBARRASSINGLY PROBABLY DIDN'T GIVE MUCH ABOUT ANYTHING EXCEPT MYSELF. DOING YOUR HERE IN THE MORNING WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST STRESSES ON THE DAY BACK THEN. BUT THESE GUYS` ANYWAY, SO CLIMATE STREAK AT MIDDAY AROUND THE COUNTRY TODAY. AND WE ARE ON TIME FOR THE NEWS. IT'S 8 O'CLOCK. HERE'S MELISSA WITH THE NEWS. AN IMMIGRATION ADVISOR'S CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT TO HAVE HUMANITARIAN BALANCE WITH THE INDIA TRAVEL BAN. THE TWO-WEEK TRAVEL BAN STARTING THIS SUNDAY COMES AMID A SURGE IN MIQ COVID-19 CASES FROM PASSENGERS FROM THE COUNTRY. IMMIGRATION ADVISOR KATY ARMSTRONG SAYS SOME OF THE INDIAN COMMUNITY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE BEING SINGLED OUT. WHAT WE HAVE BEEN REALLY CRAVING IS FOR SOME SORT OF CAN-DO, SOLUTIONS-BASED APPROACH AS OPPOSED TO A SORT OF BLOCKADE. THERE ARE, OBVIOUSLY, WAYS IN WHICH THIS KIND OF RISK CAN BE MANAGED. IT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT FROM THE FRINGES FOR MONTHS, BUT IT'S AS IF NOTHING HAS HAPPENED ON IT. BUT EPIDEMIOLOGIST MICHAEL BAKER SAYS THE GOVERNMENT HAS MADE THE RIGHT CALL. OBVIOUSLY NO ONE WANTS TO SEE THESE EXTREME MEASURES. I MEAN, THE PANDEMIC IS CAUSING MISERY AND THIS WILL ADD TO THAT, SUSPENDING TRAVEL FROM SOME COUNTRIES, BUT IT IS NECESSARY, AND IT'S A LAST RESORT OF COURSE. THE GOVERNMENT WILL NEXT WEEK START TO MOVE FRONT LINE BORDER WORKERS INTO 'LOW-RISK' ROLES IF THEY REFUSE THE COVID-19 VACCINATION. IT WAS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY AN UNVACCINATED SECURITY GUARD FROM A MANAGED ISOLATION FACILITY IN AUCKLAND HAD TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS. IT'S UNDERSTOOD HE MISSED SCHEDULED VACCINATION APPOINTMENTS FOR PERSONAL REASONS. SO FAR, MORE THAN 80% OF FRONT LINE WORKERS HAVE HAD AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF THE JAB. AUSTRALIA HAS RECOMMENDED THE PFIZER VACCINE OVER ASTRAZENECA FOR THOSE UNDER 50 IN THE COUNTRY. THE CHANGE COMES AFTER MULTIPLE REPORTS LINKED THE ASTRAZENECA JAB TO RARE, BUT POTENTIALLY FATAL BLOOD CLOTS. IT WOULD MEAN A COMPLETE OVERHAUL FOR AUSTRALIA'S VACCINE ROLLOUT. PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON SAYS THE DECISION WAS BASED ON EXPERT MEDICAL ADVICE. THAT IS A VERY LOW INCIDENCE. BUT IT WOULD BE NOT BE APPROPRIATE, IT WOULD NOT BE THE RIGHT THING TO DO TO NOT SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH AUSTRALIANS. THE UK YESTERDAY ANNOUNCED IT WOULD NOT BE OFFERING THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE TO THOSE UNDER 30. 'DON'T JUST STRIKE FOR YOURSELF BUT FOR THOSE AROUND YOU. THAT'S THE MESSAGE FROM STUDENTS STRIKING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE TODAY, AS THOUSANDS WILL EMPTY OUT OF THE CLASSROOM AND ON TO THE STREETS. WE HAVE DEMANDS, AND WE WANT TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND TO MAKE SURE OUR FUTURES ARE SAFE AND THAT THEY ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THE GOVERNMENT IS HONOURING TE TIRITI WHILE THEY'RE DOING ALL OF THIS. TO SPORT, AND THE WELLINGTON SWIMMER LEWIS CLAREBURT HAS CONTINUED HIS IMPRESSIVE FORM AT THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. THE 21-YEAR-OLD BROKE THE OPEN RECORD FOR THE 100 FREESTYLE WHILE SWIMMING THE FIRST LEG OF THE MEN'S 100m RELAY. HIS TIME OF 48.96 JUST A FRACTION OFF THE OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION STANDARD. IN THE WOMEN'S 50m BREASTSTROKE MULTICLASS EVENT, JANE FOX BROKE HER OWN NEW ZEALAND PARA OPEN RECORD WHILE DAVID BECK BROKE THE NEW ZEALAND PARA RECORD IN THE 100m BUTTERFLY. CHINA HAS FIRED BACK AT WASHINGTON, WARNING THE U.S NOT TO BOYCOTT NEXT YEAR'S WINTER OLYMPICS ` REJECTING ACCUSATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AGAINST MINORITIES. THE U.S STATE DEPARTMENT RECENTLY SAID IT WOULD CONSULT WITH OTHER NATIONS ABOUT A JOINT BOYCOTT. CHINA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON WARNED OF AN UNSPECIFIED 'ROBUST CHINESE RESPONSE' SHOULD IT COME TO FRUITION. OH, DEAR. I WAS IN THE FLIGHT RAIDER YESTERDAY. I DIDN'T THINK THERE WOULD BE AS MANY PLANES. AND THERE WERE PLANES EVERYWHERE. WE ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE GOING? WELL DOMESTIC TRAVEL` NOT DOMESTIC, AROUND THE WORLD. CONGESTED. HUGE, I THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE GONE QUITE WELL AND RAINING SOME PEOPLE IN. AND WE FORGET NOT EVERYONE'S BORDERS ARE CLOSE. MADDY IS LEANING ON THE BROOM. WHICH MEANS BESPOKE. I LOVE MY BROOM. I SHOULD SAY, THAT BROOM IS FROM A VIEWER. I DO GET THE OLD QUERY FROM PEOPLE SAYING WHY THE BROOM BECAUSE PEOPLE COME HERE IN AND OUT AND THEY MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE AT HOME AT 8 O'CLOCK SO THEY DON'T KNOW THE STORY OF THE BROOM. BECAUSE WE STARTED THE STOKE WEATHER WE NEEDED TO POINT SOMETHING ON THE MAP AND THERE WAS A BROOM IN THE STUDIO, SO I GRABBED IT. ONE OF OUR VERY DELIGHTFUL VIEWERS DECIDED TO MAKE ME MY OWN BROOM. IT'S WHEN YOU KNOW YOUR STORY IS BORING. MOVE ON. SHE KEEPS IT REAL. WONDER IF SHE DOES AT A DINNER PARTY. WRAP. THAT STARTED THE PICTURES. THEY'LL JUST CUT THE BLACK SOON. ANYWAY IT'S LOOKING OVERCAST IN THE UPPER NORTH WITH THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF SHOWERS FOR ALL OF YOU, MORE LIKELY INTO THE AFTERNOON. WATCH OUT FOR THOSE NOR-EASTERLY WINDS PICKING UP LATER ON. 22 DEGREES IN AUCKLAND AND KAITAIA, 23 FOR THOSE OF YOU IN WHANGAREI. THERE'S LOW CLOUD THROUGH HERE TO START WITH, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S DRIZZLE ATTACHED TO THAT FOR MOST PLACES. BUT THAT SHOULD ALL CLEAR AWAY WITH A FINER AFTERNOON. BUT THERE IS STILL THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF BRIEF SHOWERS LATER IN THE DAY. 18 DEGREES IN ROTORUA, 21 FOR WHAKATANE AND TAURANGA. YOU'RE IN FOR A MOSTLY FINE FRIDAY FURTHER EAST ONCE THE LOW MORNING CLOUD LIFTS WITH SUNNIER SKIES FOLLOWING BEHIND. JUST THOSE SLIGHTLY STRONGER NOR-EASTERLIES. 24 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON, 22 FOR THE REST. IT'S MOSTLY OVERCAST SHIFTING WEST, AND THERE COULD BE SOME BRIEF LIGHT RAIN FOR WELLINGTON AND NEW PLYMOUTH THIS MORNING, POSSIBLY REACHING TAUMARUNUI AFTER LUNCH. 19 DEGREES IN THE CAPITAL, WITH TEMPS IN THE EARLY 20'S FOR THE REST OF YOU. THE DAY'S A BIT CLOUDY FOR MOST ACROSS THE COOK STRAIT, BUT WITH FINE SPELLS IN AMONGST ALL THAT, ALTHOUGH BLENHEIM LOOKS NICE AND SUNNY, WHEREAS NELSON CAN EXPECT THE ODD SHOWER DURING THE DAY, TURNING TO RAIN AT NIGHT, AND THAT RAIN WILL SPREAD DOWN THE COAST TONIGHT AS WELL. 19 DEGREES IN GREYMOUTH AND HOKITIKA, EARLY 20'S FOR THE REST. AND HERE'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TODAY ` KOHAIHAI. KOHAIHAI. IT'S LAST STOP RIGHT AT THE END OF THE ROAD AT THE TOP OF THE WEST COAST, PAST KARAMEA, BEGINNING OF THE HEAPHY TRACK. SO LITERALLY, THE ROAD STOPS. I'VE NEVER BEEN THERE. THAT'S A GOOD WEST COAST BEACH, ISN'T IT? KELLY REEDY SENT THIS IN. SHE GREW UP THERE. SHE WAS THERE OVER EASTER WITH THE KIDS. SHE SAYS IT IS ABSOLUTELY PARADISE. BEAUTIFUL NIKAUS. SANDY BEACHEST, WONDERFUL MILD CLIMATE. IT'S KELLY'S HOMETOWN. SHE SAYS IT'S ABSOLUTELY MAGICAL. THANK YOU, I HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF IT. I'M GOOGLING IT. I JUST WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT. CLOUDY WITH AFTERNOON FINE BREAKS. RAIN DEVELOPING AT NIGHT. NORTH-EASTERLIES DEVELOPING IN THE MORNING. 20 DEGREES. STILL MY SMILE. ONCE THAT LOW CLOUD FIRST THING CLEARS FOR THOSE OUT EAST, THERE'S LOVELY BLUE SKIES FOR THE REST OF THE DAY WITH JUST SOME LIGHT WINDS. 18 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN OAMARU, 23 IF YOU'RE IN CHRISTCHURCH OR ASHBURTON. AND THERE'S GREY SKIES IN MILFORD SOUND WITH A BIT OF DRIZZLE, BUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE IN THE LOWER SOUTH. IT'S LOOKING NICE AND SUNNY ONCE THAT LOW MORNING CLOUD'S DISSAPEARED. 19 DEGREES IN QUEENSTOWN, DUNEDIN AND GORE. AND THEN CHECKING OUT YOUR WEEKEND ` IT'S A BIT WET. TOMORROW THERE'S SHOWERS IN THE NORTH AND WEST OF BOTH ISLANDS, TURNING TO HEAVIER RAIN AS THE DAY PROGRESSES, WITH LIGHTER, MORE SCATTERED FALLS FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. AND ON SUNDAY, THE NORTH ISLAND'S RAIN SHOULD CLEAR PRETTY EARLY, BUT THOSE IN THE NORTH AND WEST WILL STILL SEE THE ODD ISOLATED SHOWER. THERE'S RAIN IN THE SOUTH ISLAND, ALTHOUGH THAT SHOULD EASE AS THE DAY PROGRESSES, OR EVEN CLEAR ALTOGETHER IN THE NORTH AND IN CANTERBURY. BETTER WEATHER. THANK YOU. WE LOVE BESPOKE. I LOVE LEARNING THIS PLACES I'VE NEVER HEARD OF. I NEED TO FIND OUT ABOUT THAT TRACK. COMING UP ` TODAY IS SMALL BUSINESS DAY. NEXT, WE MEET THE BRAINS BEHIND THE MARKETPLACE TAKING NEW ZEALAND-MADE PRODUCTS TO THE WORLD. TODAY IS SMALL BUSINESS DAY, A CELEBRATION OF NEW ZEALAND'S MORE THAN 500,000 SMALL BUSINESS. THE LAST YEAR HASN'T BEEN EASY FOR A LOT OF THEM THANKS TO COVID, AND LOCKDOWN FORCED MANY TO GO ONLINE. ONE PLACE THEY ENDED UP WAS A FACEBOOK GROUP, THE NEW ZEALAND MADE PRODUCTS PAGE. IT NOW BOOSTS MORE THAN 500,000 MEMBERS AND HAS KEPT NEARLY $1.8 MILLION CIRCULATING IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY. IT'S DEVELOPED IN THE CHOICE MARKETPLACE AND EARNED FOUNDER SARAH COLCORD A NOMINATION FOR YOUNG NEW ZEALANDER OF THE YEAR AND TRADE ME INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR. SHE JOINS US NOW. MORENA. WHAT A CRAZY YEAR. AND SO MANY WAYS IT'S BEEN A CRAZY YEAR. FOR YOU, IT'S GONE FROM ONE EXTREME TO THE OTHER RIGHT? IT HAS NEVER BEEN A YEAR SINCE A FACEBOOK GROUP WAS CREATED. TALK TO ME ABOUT THE BEGINNINGS. BECAUSE YOU HAD YOUR OWN SMALL BUSINESS. WHAT WAS YOUR SMALL BUSINESS? I HAD AN EVENT management BUSINESS. I LOST MY CONTRACTS VERY QUICKLY. HOW TOUGH WAS THAT? IT WAS TOUGH. TOUGH ON MY MENTAL HEALTH, AND MY FINANCIAL WELL-BEING AS WELL. IT WAS ACTUALLY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE SAME SITUATION AS MYSELF. YOU KIND OF HAD THE MENTALITY OF WANTING TO DO SOMETHING. YOU NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO GIVE YOU MY BUSY QUESTION MARK TO JUST PROMOTE KIWIS BUSINESSES AND SERVICES. THIS IS WHAT WE ENDED UP CREATING. BEFORE WE KNEW IT, IT TOOK OFF. WE NOW SITTING AT HALF A MILLION MEMBERS. WHEN YOU STARTED AS A HUMBLE FACEBOOK PAGE, DID YOU EXPECTED TO TAKE OFF? I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE THE SMALLEST COMMUNITY. JUST LIKE MANY OTHER FACEBOOK GROUPS UP THERE. HUNDRED 50,000 MEMBERS BY THE THIRD WEEK. SO JUST BEYOND WHAT I COULD HAVE COMPREHENDED. THAT MUST'VE BEEN VERY OVERWHELMING. IT WAS PEOPLE WERE SMALL BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE LOOKING TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES. IT'S ALL ACROSS THE SPECTRUM. PEOPLE WITH SMALL BUSINESSES JUST WANT TO GET SOME SALES DURING THE TIME FINDING THEMSELVES HAVING TO ADAPT TO THIS TIME AND HEADING TO A DIGITAL TIME THEY WERE REALLY FAMILIAR WITH. WE HAD KIWIS HERE AND ABROAD THAT WERE REALLY WANTING TO SUPPORT AND GET BEHIND AND GET SOME MOVEMENT. FOR PEOPLE WHO OWNED A BRICK AND MORTAR STORE, THE IDEA OF MOVING ONLINE WOULD HAVE BEEN QUITE DAUNTING. DEFINITELY. IT WAS QUITE A JOURNEY FOR NOT JUST MYSELF, BUT FOR ALL OF THESE BUSINESSES NOW HAVING TO FIND THEMSELVES IN SOCIAL MEDIA AND UNKNOWN TERRITORY FOR THEM, AND HAVING TO MARKET THEIR BUSINESS IN A NEW WAY.; IT IS NOW TRANSCENDED INTO QUITE THE ORGANISATION. HAS THE IDEA EVOLVED AND CHANGED? OR IS IT THOSE SAME PRINCIPALS OF NEW ZEALANDERS SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES? STILL THE SAME MESSAGE. WE JUST WANT TO BE PIONEERS IN THE SMALL BUSINESS SPACE. WE WILL ADAPT AND GROW HOPEFULLY. AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES, INCLUDING TODAY SMALL BUSINESS DAY. VERY EXCITING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. CHECK IT OUT IF YOUR SMALL BUSINESS OR SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO CELEBRATE SMALL BUSINESSES. IF YOU ARE SMALL BUSINESS, HEAD TO SMALL BUSINESS DAY.CO.NZ OR SHOP WITH A SMALL BUSINESS ON SATURDAY AND YOU COULD WIN $150,000 WORTH OF CASH AND PRIZES. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK. YOU ARE WITH BREAKFAST. IT IS SO NICE TO HAVE YOUR COMPANY, AND IT IS NOW 8:23. I LOVE THAT MATTY KNOWS ALL OF THE LYRICS. IS THIS NEW TAILOR OR OLD TAYLOR? MID RANGE TAYLOR. IT'S THE 9th OF APRIL, AND HERE'S WHAT WE'RE CELEBRATING WITH YOU, AOTEAROA. TODAY'S THE DAY HONEY HOUSTON THE CAVOODLE TURNS 1! GOOD DOG. YOU HAVE GOT A GREAT PAIR OF DADS. YOUR DADS HOPE YOU HAVE FUN AT DAYCARE TODAY. TOMORROW, HONEY WILL ENJOY CELEBRATING WITH A 'DOGS IN TOGS' POOL PARTY! HONEY HASN'T BEEN SUPERIMPOSED THERE? IS THAT PHOTO LEGIT? WHAT A GREAT FAMILY PICTURE. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HONEY! AND A VERY BIG HARI HARITAU TO MAX AND REBECCA, WHO ARE BOTH CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS TODAY. MAX IS TURNING THE BIG 22, AND REBECCA IS TURNING 13. YOUR WHANAU LOVE YOU BOTH VERY VERY MUCH AND HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY WITH LOTS OF KAI, FUN AND AROHA. THAT IS UP THE SKY TOWER. I KNOW MAX. HE USED TO WORK ON WHAT NOW. I WAS A GUEST ON THE A FEW YEARS AGO, AND I SPLIT MY HEAD OPEN ON LIVE TV, ON CHILDREN'S TV. MAX TOOK ME TO THE HOSPITAL. THAT IS A GOOD STORY. YOUR CONNECTIONS TO PEOPLE SOMETIMES... TODAY'S THE DAY KEITH AND LORNA CELEBRATE THEIR 66th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. YOUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN SAY THEY ARE SO GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THIS MILESTONE WITH YOU BOTH. THESE TWO ARE THE BEST OF FRIENDS AND SHOW A GREAT EXAMPLE OF TRUE LOVE. WE ARE TOLD THEY WILL BE WATCHING THE SHOW THIS MORNING WITH A CUP OF TEA. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH! HAVE A FABULOUS DAY. BEAUTIFUL. LOOK AT THOSE SMILES. AND FINALLY, HARI HARITAU TO ONE OF OUR VIEWERS TODAY ` JENNY-MAY. SMOKING IT WITH THE SILVER FERNS. JENNY-MAY IS A FORMER POLICE OFFICER AND A FORMER SILVER FERN! SHE EVEN CLAIMED A SILVER MEDAL AT THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES! SILVER? AND SHE HANGS OUT WITH YOU GUYS EVERY MORNING. SHE IS A WONDERFUL MAMA. OH, AND SHE ALSO MANAGES WORKING WITH US EARLY IN THE MORNING! SHE IS A GLORIOUS MEMBER OF OUR TEAM. WE ALL LOVE YOU SO MUCH, AND WE'VE REALLY BEEN MISSING THE SOUND OF YOUR JANDALS FLIP-FLOPING DOWN THE HALLWAY THIS MORNING. I ALWAYS SAY, NEVER BE A BURGLAR, JENNY MAY. 30 M BEFORE YOU SEE HER. WE HOPE YOU HAVE THE BEST DAY WITH YOUR WHANAU TODAY AND ENJOY YOUR SLEEP IN THIS MORNING. HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM US ALL. YOU DESERVE YOUR SLEEP IN. SEND US YOUR CELEBRATIONS. BREAKFAST@.TVNZ.CO.NZ, AND USE 'TODAY'S THE DAY' IN YOUR SUBJECT LINE. MAKING NEWS THIS MORNING ` SAMOANS ARE HEADING TO THE POLLS TODAY. THE LONG SERVING PRIME MINISTER IS BEING CHALLENGED FOR THE ROLE. MORE ON THAT AT 8.30. ALSO AHEAD ` ALL BLACK JOE MOODY'S HITTING A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE WE JUST HAD THE PICTURE OF JOE MOODY. WE HAVE GONE BACK TO FRONTIER. JOE MOODY IS COMING UP. HE IS NOT GOING TO DANCE FOR US. WE DO HAVE SOME VERY SPECIAL GUESTS WHO ARE. YOU ARE WITH BREAKFAST. FROM NEXT WEEK, FRONTLINE BORDER WORKERS WHO REFUSE A COVID-19 VACCINATION WILL BE MOVED INTO 'LOW RISK' ROLES. IT COMES AFTER AN UNVACCINATED SECURITY GUARD FROM A MANAGED ISOLATION FACILITY AUCKLAND HAD TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS. WE ARE DEALING WITH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT EMPLOYERS HERE. SOME OF WHOM WILL BE ABLE TO REDEPLOY THOSE PEOPLE TO OTHER ROLES WITH THEY ARE NOT AT RISK, AND OTHERS WILL STRUGGLE TO DO THAT. THAT IS A PROCESS THAT OVER THE LAST WEEK OR DO WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING WITH THEM AND WORKING THROUGH WITH THEM. WE HAVE NOT QUITE COMPLETED THAT YET, AS YOU CAN SEE. WE ARE AIMING TO FINISH THAN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE ARE FAR ENOUGH THROUGH THIS PROGRAM NOW THAT WE CAN HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS. SOME OF NEW ZEALAND'S INDIAN COMMUNITY ARE CALLING THE GOVERNMENT'S LATEST TRAVEL BAN ON ARRIVALS FORM INDIA AS UNFAIR. IT COMES AMID A SURGE IN MIQ COVID=19 CASES FROM PASSENGERS FROM THE COUNTRY. IMMIGRATION ADVISOR KATY ARMSTRONG SAYS THERE NEEDS TO BE A HUMANITARIAN BALANCE IN THIS DECISION. WE WOULD LIKE THE GOVERNMENT FIRST AND FOREMOST TO CHANGE THE LANGUAGING AND ACTUALLY RECOGNISE THE VALUE THAT THESE MIGRANTS HAVE AND COMMIT TO FINDING THE SOLUTION AS OPPOSED TO TELLING THEM CONSTANTLY THAT THERE REALLY ISN'T ONE AND THAT EVERYBODY ELSE CAN COME IN OVER THEIR HEADS, COS LET'S NOT FORGET IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE COMING INTO NEW ZEALAND. WE HAVE ALL THOSE ENTERTAINERS AND THOSE SPORTS PEOPLE, AND THEY HAVE WATCHED THOSE PEOPLE COMING IN OVER THEIR HEAD, AND THEY ARE FEELING REALLY DEVALUED IN THIS POINT IN TIME. AUSTRALIA'S HOPES OF GETTING EVERYONE VACCINATED BY OCTOBER LOOK TO BE DASHED AFTER THE LATEST DEVLEOPMENTS WITH THE ASTRAZENECA JAB. IN A LATE-NIGHT MEDIA CONFERENCE, OFFICIALS ADVISED THE PFIZER VACCINE SHOULD NOW BE GIVEN TO AUSTRALIANS UNDER THE AGE OF 50 RATHER THAN ASTRAZENECA. IT'S OVER CONCERNS OF RARE BLOOD CLOTS POSSIBLY LINKED TO THE VACCINE. BUT THE CHOICE IS WITH THE PATIENT. AS ALWAYS, WE WILL ENCOURAGE AUSTRALIANS TO SEEK OUT THE ADVICE OF THEIR OWN DOCTOR IN RELATION TO THESE ISSUES. AUSTRALIANS MAKE CHOICES ABOUT THEIR OWN HEALTH, AND THE BEST PEOPLE TO ADVISE THEM ON THOSE DECISIONS IS THEIR OWN GP. AUSTRALIA'S PRODUCING THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE LOCALLY. THE JAB IS UNDERGOING AN APPROVALS PROCESS HERE. STUDENTS ARE PLEADING FOR NEW ZEALANDERS TO JOIN THEM IN STRIKING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION TODAY. THOUSANDS WILL EMPTY OUT OF THE CLASSROOM TODAY, DEMANDING GREATER ACTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT'S CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE. AND THIS IS THEIR JOB, THIS ISN'T OUR JOB, AND THEY STILL AREN'T DOING ENOUGH. I'M REALLY ANGRY. I'M SCARED FOR MY FUTURE, BUT I THINK A LOT OF US KIND OF GOT OVER OUR FEAR TO PROTEST, AND I THINK A LOT OF WHAT'S LEFT IS JUST ANGER. SAMOAN CITIZENS ARE GOING TO THE POLLS TODAY TO VOTE FOR THEIR NEXT PRIME MINISTER. TUILAEPA SAILELE MALIELENGAOI HAS BEEN SAMOA'S LEADER SINCE 1998, BECOMING THE SECOND LONGEST SERVING PRIME MINISTER IN THE WORLD BUT IS NOW BEING CHALLENGED BY FIAME NAOMI MATA'AFA, THE DAUGHTER OF THE COUNTRY'S FIRST PRIME MINISTER. UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND'S DR DAMON SALESA SAYS IT'S A SIGNIFICANT DAY FOR SAMOA. THIS IS THE FIRST SAMOAN ELECTION WHICH IS REALLY A LIVE ELECTION IN MY LIFETIME, SO IN MY, SORT OF, ADULT LIFETIME. MOST SAMOANS HAVE ONLY EVER KNOWN ONE PRIME MINISTER. EVERYONE JUST CALLS HIM PALI MEA. I MEAN HE'S A POWERFUL FIGURE, PROBABLY THE DEFINING FIGURE OF SAMOAN HISTORY SINCE INDEPENDENCE. AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE'VE GOT A VIABLE CHALLENGER WHO, OF COURSE, AS YOU POINTED OUT, WAS HIS FORMER DEPUTY. TO SPORT, AND BENJI MARSHALL CONTINUES TO ROLL BACK THE YEARS IN THE NRL, PUTTING ON A MASTERCLASS FOR THE RABBITOHS. UP AGAINST ONE OF HIS FORMER SIDES THE BRISBANE BRONCOS, THE 36-YEAR-OLD SCORED HIS FIRST TRY FOR THE BUNNIES. ...WITH THE CATCH. BIG FLICK! JUGGLED THERE! THEN BACK TO MARSHALL TO SCORE FOR THE RABBITS! WELL, THAT WASN'T IN THE SCRIPT! THE PLAYMAKER MARSHALLING SOUTH SYDNEY'S ATTACK, ALONG WITH SKIPPER ADAM REYNOLDS, WHO NAILED THE FIRST-EVER TWO-POINT FIELD GOAL FROM BEHIND THE 40m MARK. CHRISTCHURCH-BORN FULLBACK JAMAYNE ISAAKO SCORING THE BRONCOS' ONLY POINTS IN THE 35-6 DEFEAT. MANCHESTER UNITED IS STRUGGLING TO CLOSE OUT IT'S FIRST LEG EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL AGAINST GRANADA. MARCUS RASHFORD GAVE THE VISITORS AN EARLY ADVANTAGE BUT THEY'VE SINCE BEEN UNABLE TO INCREASE THEIR LEAD. MEANWHILE, ARSENAL'S GAME AGAINST SLAVIA PRAGUE REMAINS GOALLESS. THANKS, MELISSA. ALL OF THAT SPORTS NEWS. ON TOP OF IT. IT HAS BEEN NICE HAVING YOU THIS MORNING. YOU DO A FANTASTIC JOB ON THE WEEKENDS. THANK YOU. IT IS A DELIGHT WHEN YOU COME, BECAUSE I AM LOOKING AT A PRO. A BIT OF SISTER ROMANCE. ONE OF OUR VIEWERS HAS PETITIONED FOR YOU TO GET YOUR OWN MUG. VERY ENOUGH. YOU'RE DRINKING OUT OF MATTY'S MUG. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE. I HAVE BEEN TO SHOW LONGER. SRI LANKA. IT HAS BEEN A COUPLE OF DAYS SINCE YOU MENTIONED THAT. I ALSO RAN THE NEW YORK MARATHON, BEAT RICHIE MCCAW AND A RUNNING RACE. WHO SLID INTO THE DMs? SHE IS JUST SAYING DO THE WEATHER. SHE JUST GOES WEATHER! LIMITATION ABOUT A TIME... (LAUGHTER) THIS IS MY CLICKER. AND I AM IN CONTROL OF THE WEATHER. SHIGA! STOP IT. YOU KNOW MY CLICKER DOES NOT GO BACKWARDS. YOU HAVE TO RESTART THE WHOLE THING. AND WE HAVE THE BLOODY PAMPHLET UNDERNEATH IT. GO BACK. WE HAVE THE PAN FLUTE. IS THIS MY HEART WILL GO ON? TITANIC? NO. IT IS THE LONELY SHEPHERD. EVEN JOHN IS READY. IT'S LOOKING OVERCAST IN THE UPPER NORTH, WITH THE CHANCE OF A COUPLE OF SHOWERS FOR ALL OF YOU, MORE LIKELY INTO THE AFTERNOON. WATCH OUT FOR THOSE NOR-EASTERLY WINDS PICKING UP LATER ON. 22 DEGREES IN AUCKLAND AND KAITAIA, 23 FOR THOSE OF YOU IN WHANGAREI. THERE'S LOW CLOUD THROUGH HERE TO START WITH, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S DRIZZLE ATTACHED TO THAT FOR MOST PLACES, I HAVE JUST WORKED OUT WHY THE SHEPHERD IS LONELY. COME OVER TO MY PLACE. PAN FLUTE! I AM BUSY. SO BAD. THIS MUSIC IS SO BAD. IT IS TERRIBLE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT, WE NEED TO GET SOMEONE WHO PLAYS THE PAN FLUTE I AM PUTTING THE CALLOUT NOW. IF ONE OF OUR VIEWERS PLAYS THE PAN FLUTE, WE WILL SET YOU UP HERE WITH A LITTLE STALL. YOU CAN PLAYS THE PAN FLUTE WHILE I READ THE WEATHER LIVE. YOU'RE IN FOR A MOSTLY FINE FRIDAY FURTHER EAST ONCE THE LOW MORNING CLOUD LIFTS, WITH SUNNIER SKIES FOLLOWING BEHIND. JUST THOSE SLIGHTLY STRONGER NOR-EASTERLIES. 24 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN MASTERTON, 22 FOR THE REST. IT'S MOSTLY OVERCAST SHIFTING WEST, AND THERE COULD BE SOME BRIEF LIGHT RAIN FOR WELLINGTON AND NEW PLYMOUTH THIS MORNING, POSSIBLY REACHING TAUMARUNUI AFTER LUNCH. 19 DEGREES IN THE CAPITAL, WITH TEMPS IN THE EARLY 20s FOR THE REST OF YOU. THE DAY'S A BIT CLOUDY FOR MOST ACROSS THE COOK STRAIT, BUT WITH FINE SPELLS IN AMONGST ALL THAT. ALTHOUGH BLENHEIM LOOKS NICE AND SUNNY, WHEREAS NELSON CAN EXPECT THE ODD SHOWER DURING THE DAY TURNING TO RAIN AT NIGHT, AND THAT RAIN WILL SPREAD DOWN THE COAST TONIGHT AS WELL. 19 DEGREES IN GREYMOUTH AND HOKITIKA, EARLY 20s FOR THE REST. ONCE THAT LOW CLOUD FIRST THING CLEARS FOR THOSE OUT EAST, THERE'S LOVELY BLUE SKIES FOR THE REST OF THE DAY WITH JUST SOME LIGHT WINDS. 18 THE EXPECTED HIGH IN OAMARU, 23 IF YOU'RE IN CHRISTCHURCH OR ASHBURTON. AND THERE'S GREY SKIES IN MILFORD SOUND WITH A BIT OF DRIZZLE, BUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE IN THE LOWER SOUTH, IT'S LOOKING NICE AND SUNNY ONCE THAT LOW MORNING CLOUD HAS DISAPPEARED. 19 DEGREES IN QUEENSTOWN, DUNEDIN AND GORE. AND THEN CHECKING OUT YOUR WEEKEND ` IT'S A BIT WET. TOMORROW, THERE'S SHOWERS IN THE NORTH AND WEST OF BOTH ISLANDS, TURNING TO HEAVIER RAIN AS THE DAY PROGRESSES, WITH LIGHTER, MORE SCATTERED FALLS FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. AND ON SUNDAY, THE NORTH ISLAND'S RAIN SHOULD CLEAR PRETTY EARLY, BUT THOSE IN THE NORTH AND WEST WILL STILL SEE THE ODD ISOLATED SHOWER. THERE'S RAIN IN THE SOUTH ISLAND, ALTHOUGH THAT SHOULD EASE AS THE DAY PROGRESSES OR EVEN CLEAR ALTOGETHER IN THE NORTH AND IN CANTERBURY. IS ANYBODY STILL WATCHING? I FEEL LIKE IT MUST BE TIME TO PICK UP THE KIDS. SO LONG. IMAGINE BEING ONE OF THE SHEEP. THE SHEPHERD IS GETTING HIS PAN FLUTE OUT. SOME YOUNG CHILD AND NEW ZEALANDERS LEVELLING THE PAN FLUTE RIGHT NOW. THE RECORDER WOULD BE NICE (!) WE SHOULD CONTACT THE ORGAN FILL AMMONIA. THE LONELY SHEPHERD IS BEAUTIFUL IF YOU WOULD PIPE DOWN AND LISTEN. THAT VIBRATO IS SHEER CONTROL. IT IS A SKILL. OKAY. CAROLINE SAYS, NOT EVERYONE LIKES YOUR MUSIC EITHER, JOHN. THAT IS WHY YOU LIKE IT. WHEN JOHN CAMPBELL'S FAVORITE SUPER RUGBY TEAM TAKE THE FIELD AGAINST THE HURRICANES THIS WEEKEND. DEFAMATION. MY FAVOURITE TEAM IS THE HURRICANE'S. ONE CRUSADER WILL BRING UP A RATHER SPECIAL MILESTONE AT CRUSADERS HQ WITH ALL THE DETAILS IS SPORTS REPORTER JORDAN OPPERT. MORENA, JORDAN. WELCOME TO RUGBY PARK. A VERY SPECIAL MILESTONE INDEED. ALL BLACK AND CRUSADER JOE MOODY WILL NOT SHUT 100 GAMES IN THE RED AND BLACK. THERE IS A COUPLE OF THINGS TO MARK THIS. HE WILL LEAD THE TEAM OUT WITH JOHN'S FAVOURITE TEAM, THE HURRICANE, AND THE SECOND THING IS HE'S DOING SOMETHING PRETTY SPECIAL WITH HIS PLAYING JERSEY. TELL US WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH YOUR JERSEY. THIS WEEKEND WITH MY 100TH JERSEY, I AM PUTTING IT UP FOR AUCTION FOR PROSTATE CANCER. IT IS UP ON TRADE ME NOW. ANY PROCEEDS THAT WE GET, IT IS ALL GOING TOWARDS THAT. HOPEFULLY RAISE A LITTLE BIT OF AWARENESS AND RAISE SOME IMPORTANT FUNDS FOR THEM. THERE IS A SPECIAL REASON BEHIND THAT, BECAUSE YOU LOST YOUR FATHER LAST YEAR TO PROSTATE CANCER. HOW SPECIAL IS IT TO GIVE BACK IN THIS WAY? UNFORTUNATELY, I LOST MY DAD TO IT LAST YEAR. HE WAS MY BEST MATE AN BIGGEST FAN. TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING, I GUESS IT IS FOR HIM. IT IS PRETTY SPECIAL. WAS HE A BIG CRITIC OF THE GAME? DID HE BECAUSE YOU BEFORE AND AFTER? I HAD DAILY PHONE CALLS FROM HIM AFTER TRAINING AND EVERYTHING TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE TEAM. HE LOVED HIS BODY. HE WAS A MASSIVE CRITIC. BUT AT THE SAME TIME HE WOULD GIVE US A PLUG IF WE WERE GOING WELL. SHOW US THE JERSEY. IT IS UP ON TRADE ME. THE CURRENT BID IS AT ABOUT $3000. IT IS OPEN UNTIL NEXT FRIDAY. WE WILL PUT THE LINK UP ON THE BREAKFAST PAGE SO YOU CAN HAVE A LOOK. JOHN, I THINK YOU SHOULD GET YOUR BURDEN. THEY WOULD LOOK GREAT ON YOU. I WAS GOING TO SAY, HOW DARE YOU. THAT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL STORY. IT IS SUCH A GOOD THING HE IS DOING. IT IS RAISING MONEY FOR SUCH A GOOD CAUSE, THAT I MIGHT ALMOST CONSIDER IT. CAN YOU PLEASE CONGRATULATE JOE FROM US. 100 GAMES FOR THE BEST RUGBY TEAM AND SUPER RUGBY HISTORY IS AN EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT. YOU CAN GO ON TRADE ME TO BID FOR THAT JERSEY. THE FUNDS ARE BEING RAISED TOWARDS PROSTATE CANCER. COMING UP ` PASIFIKA DANCE GROUP URA TABU JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE. THIS WEEKEND, THE PASIFIKA FESTIVAL IS TAKING OVER MT SMART STADIUM! IT'LL BE AWESOME, ESPECIALLY AFTER COVID CANCELLED THE EVENT IN 2020 AND THEN POSTPONED IT THIS YEAR. SO THIRD TIME LUCKY! THERE'S GOING TO BE EIGHT DIFFERENT VILLAGES, NINE PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS WILL BE REPRESENTED, AND INTERNATIONAL LEGENDARY ACT 'FIJI' WILL DEFINITELY NINE PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS WILL BE REPRESENTED, WITH WHAT SOME REALLY SPECIAL PERFORMANCES IN THIS STUDIO. THIS GOING TO BE MAGIC COMING UP. AND INTERNATIONAL LEGENDARY ACT 'FIJI' WILL DEFINITELY BRING IN THE CROWDS TOO. BUT WITH US THIS MORNING IS URA TABU. THEY'VE PERFORMED AT EVERY PASIFIKA FESTIVAL SINCE 2008, AND WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE THEM PERFORM IN THE STUDIO TODAY! BEFORE THAT WE HAVE URA TABU CREATIVE DIRECTOR WITH US FOR A CHAT. CHARLENE TEDROW, MORENA! CHARLENE TEDROW, MORENA! YOUR LEGENDARY DANCER IN THE PACIFIC COMMUNITY AND YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR SOME TIME. IT IS MY BABY. IT'S OBVIOUSLY GROWING, AND IT'S A GROUP THAT STARTED OUT OF ALL OF US WOMANKIND ARE RESPONDING TO TOURIST DANCING AND WE WANT TO BRING SOMETHING THAT IS A BIT MORE AUTHENTIC FOR OURSELVES. IT WAS DEFINITELY A COLLECTIVE RESPONSE. IT JUST CONTINUES TO EVOLVE, AND KINDA REBIRTH. HOW DIFFERENT IS THE CREATIVE STYLE FROM WHAT YOU ARE PERFORMING AS OPPOSED TO PERFORMING IN FRONT OF TOURISTS AND SOME MORE? IT'S VERY DIFFERENT. WE ARE CALLING THE SHOTS AS TO WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE LOOK LIKE AND ACT LIKE ENTRIES LIKE. IT'S TAKING THEIR POWER BACK IN REPRESENTING OURSELVES AS FOR HOW WE SEE FIT. IT ALSO TAKEN OF THE POWER BACK AS WOMAN, RIGHT? YES. TELL ME ABOUT TAKING THE POWER BACK. HOW DOES THAT FEEL? IT FEELS AMAZING. OUR REHEARSAL PROCESS, IT'S A CLEAR LIVING PRACTICE. WE HAVE MOMENTS IN STUDIOS AND OUTSIDE WHERE IT'S REALLY FEEDS US ON THAT DIFFERENT KIND LEVEL. SPIRITUAL LEVEL, EMPOWERING ABSOLUTELY. I LOVE IT. IN RESPONSE TO WHAT YOU CALL TOURIST DANCING, IT KINDA STOPS PEOPLE IN THEIR TRACKS. BECAUSE THEY REALISE YOU'RE SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL ABOUT THIS. ABSOLUTELY. IT'S GROUNDING, AND IT'S THAT CONNECTION. IT'S A DEEPER CONNECTION, SO WE REALLY TRY TO PULL IT OUT. LAST CUSHION FROM ME. HOW HOW FAR BACK ANY TRACE THIS? IS ESPRIT THE ARRIVAL OF THE MISSIONARIES? ALL THE PRECOLONIAL, REALLY OLD SCHOOL CHARTING A WOMAN WE'RE JUST BECAUSE IT CONNECTED US STRAIGHT AWAY AND KEEPS US GROUNDED. EVEN WE HAVE THESE TIES KEEP US REALLY STRONG. YOU DO SOME REALLY IMPORTANT WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY. WHAT IS IT THAT YOU DO? WE ALSO DO FITNESS CLASSES WHICH IS A FULL MIND-BODY CLASS. IT'S VERY FOCUSED ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, THIS NOBODY SHAMING, ENJOYING PACIFIC PRACTICES, WE DO THEATRE WORK AS WELL AND IT SHALL SPACE A SORT OF UNLEASH. AND WE ALSO DO COMMUNITY DANCE CLASSES LIKE WHAT YOU WILL SEE TODAY. STAY WITH US. STAY WITH US BECAUSE WE ARE IN FOR A TREAT.