HOW GOOD IS THAT? BEAUTIFUL. PARIS IN THE BACKGROUND, GORGEOUS LIGHTS. IT IS A DREAM. WELCOME INTO BREAKFAST. IT'S FRIDAY, THE 26TH OF JULY. IT IS GOOD TO HAVE YOUR COMPANY ON THIS FRIDAY. THE END OF THE WEEK! COMING UP ` MORE THAN A BILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ARE EXPECTED TO TUNE IN TO THE OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY IN PARIS TOMORROW MORNING OUR TIME. WE HAVE AN ALL-STAR TEAM OF OUR OWN ON THE GROUND, INCLUDING SOMEONE A LITTLE BIT FAMILIAR TO BREAKFAST VIEWERS ` BONJOUR, CHRIS CHANG. WELCOME TO THE VERY BOUJEE NEW ZEALAND HOTEL. PRIME REAL ESTATE. WE HAVE RESULTS COMING UP FOR YOU. CAN I JUST SAY, NICE TO SEE YOU, IT HAS BEEN A WHILE. YOU ARE LOOKING A BIT BRONZE THERE, CROSS. NICE TO SEE YOU, MY FRIEND. WE WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU SHORTLY. SPEAKING OF THE OLYMPICS, E-SPORTS ARE COMING TO THE OLYMPICS, WHICH HAS GOT US TALKING ` ARE E-SPORTS A SPORT? breakfast@tvnz.co.nz. ALSO COMING UP ON THE SHOW ` THE PRIME MINISTER DEFENDS BOOT CAMPS, DESPITE THE IMPACT IT HAD ON A CASE STUDY HIGHLIGHTED IN THE ABUSE IN CARE REPORT. WHY SOME SAY THE GOVERNMENT'S BOOT CAMP POLICY IS DETRIMENTAL AHEAD OF THE FIRST PILOT PROGRAMME STARTING ON MONDAY. THAT CHAT FROM SEVEN O'CLOCK. AND COMING UP THIS HOUR ` IS THIS THE FUTURE OF FARMING? A KILLER ROBOT WITH AN AI BRAIN, BUT WAIT, IT KILLS WEEDS. WATCH THIS. THERE IT IS. THE LASER MACHINE THAT DOES THE WORK OF DOZENS OF PEOPLE, BUT HOW ACCURATE IS IT AND WHAT HARM IS THERE ON OUR ENVIRONMENT? THAT LOOKS WEIRD. IT IS THE FUTURE, JENNY MAY. IT IS WHAT IS AHEAD. SAILOR JO ALEH AND CYCLIST AARON GATE WILL CARRY THE NEW ZEALAND FLAG AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE PARIS OLYMPICS. THE PAIR NAMED FLAGBEARERS AT A NEW ZEALAND TEAM FUNCTION IN PARIS THIS MORNING. ALEH WILL COMPETE IN THE 49ER FX CLASS AT THESE OLYMPICS, LOOKING TO ADD TO A GOLD MEDAL FROM THE LONDON GAMES AND A SILVER IN RIO. I'VE OBVIOUSLY BEEN A PART OF THE OLYMPIC JOURNEY FOR A LONG TIME. BY THE TIME YOU GET TO FOUR OLYMPICS ` AND I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN TO FIVE, ONE AS A COACH ` I'VE BEEN IN THIS LIFE FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS 10 YEARS OLD WATCHING BARBARA KENDALL LEAD THE TEAM INTO THE GAMES AND, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS ONE OF MY IDOLS AND TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD YOU ALL IN TOMORROW NIGHT IS INCREDIBLE. GATE IS NEW ZEALAND'S MOST SUCCESSFUL COMMONWEALTH GAMES ATHLETE AND ALSO CLAIMED BRONZE IN THE TEAM PURSUIT IN LONDON 2012. A VERY SPECIAL MOMENT, AND ONE THAT DEFINITELY TOOK ME BY SURPRISE. IT DOESN'T FEEL THAT LONG AGO THAT I WAS RACING IN LONDON. IT'S BEEN A BIT OF A JOURNEY, AND THIS IS A NICE TOKEN FOR ME PERSONALLY, AND I WILL VERY PROUDLY CARRY THIS FLAG FOR NEW ZEALAND AS WE START THE OLYMPICS, AND GO WITH HOPEFULLY OUR STRONGEST EVER TEAM TO THE PARIS OLYMPICS. WE LOVE HIS COMMITMENT TO THE MULLET. THE CEREMONY TO OFFICIALLY OPEN THE PARIS GAMES WILL TAKE PLACE EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. AFTER A BUILD-UP DOMINATED BY ALLEGATIONS OF SPYING THAT SAW CANADIAN OFFICIALS KICKED OUT OF THE GAMES, THE FOOTBALL FERNS HAVE FALLEN TO CANADA 2-1 IN THEIR FIRST GAME OF THEIR OLYMPIC CAMPAIGN. MACKENZIE BARRY SURPRISING THE DEFENDING OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS WITH THE FIRST GOAL, BUT CANADA HIT BACK TO TAKE THE WIN. NEW ZEALAND'S NEXT MATCH IS AGAINST COLOMBIA ON MONDAY. THE MEN'S SEVENS TEAM WILL PLAY SOUTH AFRICA LATER THIS MORNING FOR A PLACE IN THE SEMI-FINALS. NEW ZEALAND BEATING IRELAND IN THEIR LAST POOL GAME, COMING BACK FROM 12-0 DOWN. COOK-SAVAGE, JUST SHORT OF THE LINE BUT... MCGARVEY-BLACK DOTS IT DOWN! THE CONVERSION ON THE LAST MINUTE TRY MAKING IT 14-12 TO THE KIWIS. TO OTHER NEWS NOW, AND THE CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER IS SLAMMING THE GOVERNMENT'S MOVE TO REDUCE CHILD POVERTY REDUCTION TARGETS, LABELLING IT 'UNACCEPTABLE'. THE COALITION HAS SET TWO OF ITS THREE REDUCTION TARGETS LESS AMBITIOUS THAN PREVIOUS GOALS, WITH CRITICS SAYING IT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAVE 24,000 CHILDREN IN MATERIAL HARDSHIP. CHIEF CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER DR CLAIRE ACHMAD WASN'T TOLD OF THE CHANGES AND SAYS IT'S A MOVE BACKWARDS. I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT WHAT I AM SEEING HERE, IN TERMS OF THESE TARGETS HAVING ACTUALLY BEEN RAISED, WHICH MEANS THAT AMBITION IS LOW WHEN IT COMES TO REDUCING CHILD POVERTY. IN A CHILD POVERTY REPORT RELEASED THIS YEAR, HARDSHIP STATISTICS WERE SITTING AT 12.5%, WHICH IS ABOVE THE NEW TARGETS. AN EXPLOSION AT A TEQUILA PLANT IN CENTRAL MEXICO HAS LEFT 6 WORKERS DEAD. THE BLAST HAPPENED IN A 500,000L TANK AT THE FACILITY, LOCATED IN THE LIQUOR'S HOME TOWN OF TEQUILA. AT LEAST TWO OTHER TANKS COLLAPSED, AND SEVERAL OTHER STAFF MEMBERS WERE INJURED. THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION REMAINS UNKNOWN. AUTHORITIES ARE DESPERATELY TRYING TO CONTAIN AN OIL SPILL OFF THE PHILIPPINES COAST AFTER TYPHOON GAEMI CAUSED A TANKER TO SINK IN MANILA BAY. THE TANKER WAS CARRYING 1.5m TONNES OF FUEL AND THE RESULTING OIL SLICK HAS ALREADY SPREAD 4km. EFFORTS TO CONTAIN THE SPILL HAVE BEEN HAMPERED BY HIGH WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS. GAEMI HAS NOW MADE LANDFALL IN MAINLAND CHINA AFTER LEAVING WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION ACROSS THE PHILIPPINES AND TAIWAN. AND FINALLY, THE WORLD'S LARGEST PLATYPUS CENTRE HAS WELCOMED ITS FOUNDING POPULATION. TWO MALES AND TWO FEMALES HAVE BEEN RELEASED INTO THEIR ENCLOSURES AT PLATYPUS RESCUE HQ IN NEW SOUTH WALES. THE FACILITY IS DESIGNED TO MIMIC THE NATURAL HABITAT OF THE PLATYPUS. FOR SCIENTISTS TO OBSERVE HOW THE CREATURES WOULD BEHAVE IN THE WILD. THE CONSERVATION CENTRE IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND AS PART OF RESEARCH INTO HOW THE SPECIES REPRODUCES AND HOW TO PROTECT THEM FROM CLIMATE CHANGE. QUITE CUTE. VERY CUTE. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE MARKETS. (GROOVY MUSIC) AND TAKING A LOOK AT YOUR WEATHER THIS MORNING ` TO THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY, A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR MOST OF THE REGION. KAITAIA AND AUCKLAND, EXPECT SOME EARLY SHOWERS CLEARING TO SUNNY SKIES. 16 THE HIGH FOR THE REGION. FURTHER SOUTH ` TAURANGA AND WHAKATANE, YOU'RE IN FOR SUNSHINE ALL DAY. ELSEWHERE, MORNING FOG TO START YOUR FRIDAY, BUT YOU WILL BE TREATED TO BLUE SKIES IN THE AFTERNOON. 14 THE HIGH FOR ROTORUA, HAMILTON AND TOKOROA. TO THE EAST COAST ` IT'S GLORIOUS START TO THE WEEKEND FOR THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY. WARM, SUNNY SKIES FOR YOUR FRIDAY. 17 THE HIGH FOR GISBORNE. OVER TO THE WEST ` SCATTERED CLOUDS TO START THE MORNING FOR MOST OF THE REGION, CLEARING TO SUNSHINE IN THE AFTERNOON. TAUMARUNUI, YOU'LL GET SOME SUN TOO BUT NOT BEFORE SOME MORNING FOG. 17 THE HIGH FOR WHANGANUI. TO THE SOUTH ISLAND ` NELSON, BLENHEIM AND KAIKOURA, A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY FOR YOU. GREYMOUTH, HOKITIKA, EXPECT SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. A HIGH OF 14 FOR WESTPORT. 13 IN GREYMOUTH. HEADING SOUTH ` A BEAUTIFUL DAY ON THIS SIDE OF THE SOUTH ISLAND. SUNNY, BLUE SKIES FOR MOST OF THE REGION. OAMARU AND ALEXANDRA, YOU WILL HAVE SCATTERED CLOUDS THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY. 16 IS THE HIGH AND ASHBURTON. 18 IT LOOKED LIKE. TO THE DEEP SOUTH ` MILFORD SOUND, GRAB A UMBRELLA. HEAVY SHOWERS TO START YOUR WEEKEND. DUNEDIN, YOU'LL GET SOME SUN, FOLLOWED BY CLOUDS IN THE AFTERNOON. LOOK AT THESE HIGHS, 17 IN INVERCARGILL. LOOKING AHEAD TO YOUR WEEKEND. FOR YOUR SATURDAY, IT'S LOOKING TO BE A FINE DAY FOR THE COUNTRY. SUNNY SKIES, WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS FOR MOST OF AOTEAROA. TARANAKI, YOU CAN EXPECT SOME LIGHT SHOWERS. AND LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT YOUR SUNDAY ` FOR THE NORTH ISLAND, MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SUN THROUGHOUT THE DAY. FOR THE SOUTH, HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED FOR THE WEST COAST, ELSEWHERE, A CLOUDY DAY FOR MOST. THANK YOU, MELISSA. WE ARE JUST ONE DAY OUT FROM THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES. OVERNIGHT THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM HAVE GATHERED TOGETHER FOR THE OFFICIAL WELCOME AT THE HOUSE IN PARIS. AND IT'S WHERE WE START OUR COVERAGE THIS MORNING. CHRIS CHANG JOINS US. WE HAVE NOT SEEN YOU FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE MISSED YOU. I HAVE BEEN TRAINING IN PREPARATION FOR THE OLYMPICS MAKING SURE I AM READY TO BRING YOU THE COVERAGE. HOW MANY BEERS HAVE YOU HAD? I CANNOT TELL YOU. WHAT HAPPENS IN BELGIUM STAYS IN BELGIUM. A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT HERE IN PARIS. WE HAVE JUST HAD THE FLAG BEARER ANNOUNCEMENT OF JO AND AARON. STRANGELY, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WEARING MASKS AND PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT NEW ZEALAND IS THE ONLY COUNTRY THAT IS WEARING MASKS A LOT FROM THE FOOD HALL TO THE VILLAGE. WORK FROM A COUPLE OF BETH LIZZA IS THERE IS A BIT OF SICKNESS GOING AROUND. IT IS A WEIRD COVID HANGOVER. HOW ARE YOU GUYS? HAVE YOU BEEN WELL? LIVING THE DREAM (!) I'LL TAKE YOU TO ANOTHER PLACE OF DREAMS. MEI, WHEREABOUTS ARE YOU? ARE YOU WITH THE FANS WHERE IT IS HAPPENING? YES, HI, CHRIS. I AM WITH THE FANS, I'VE JUST SHIFTED AROUND A BIT. THE OLYMPIC FLAG CAME ABOUT HALF AN HOUR AGO AND LIT ITS LAST CAULDRON BEFORE IT HEADS OFF TO THE OPENING CEREMONY WHERE IT WILL KICK OFF THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE GAMES. RIGHT NOW, I AM IN THE BIGGEST FANS OWN THAT OPEN TODAY. I'LL GIVE YOU A BIT OF A TOUR. IS A MASSIVE 80 M TALL VIEWING PLATFORM THAT YOU CAN GO UP. AS YOU CAN ALSO SEE, THERE IS A MASSIVE CONCERT GOING ON AT THE MOMENT. THE WHOLE AIM IS TO BRING THE VIBE THE NIGHT BEFORE THE OPENING CEREMONY AND ORGANISERS SAY HAVING EVENTS LIKE THIS IS A NEW INITIATIVE FOR THE OLYMPICS TO MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR THE PEOPLE. NICE. SORRY, GUYS, I JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU, BEING ABLE TO COME OUT HERE IN THE EVENING BEFORE THE OLYMPIC GAMES. YOU CONTRAST THIS TO 3 YEARS AGO AT TOKYO, VENUE, HOTEL, VENUE, HOTEL. THIS IS WHAT THIS ALL ABOUT, IT IS AN AWESOME BUZZ. WE HAVE SOME OTHER STUFF COMING UP. I LOVE THAT SHOT. THIS IS THE BUZZ I'VE HAVING SUCH A MAJOR EVENT HAPPENING IN YOUR REGION. HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CATCH UP WITH ANY OF THE FAMILY OF THE ATHLETES? WHO HAS BEEN COMING AND GOING AT NEW ZEALAND HOUSE? WAS PRETTY QUIET. A LOT OF SPONSORS AND IMPORTANT PEOPLE. NOT TOO MANY FAMILY MEMBERS BECAUSE IT IS A SMALL GROUP HERE. WE WILL HOPEFULLY SEE SOME OF THOSE FAMILIES COME DOWN TO NEW ZEALAND HOUSE. HAVE A LOOK, AT IS VERY FANCY. PLENTY TO CHOOSE FROM. WHO ARE YOUR MATES BEHIND YOU? I THINK THAT ITCHING TO BE ON CAMERA. WHERE YOU GUYS FROM? WHERE FROM NASHVILLE TENNESSEE. HAVE YOU COME HERE FOR THE OLYMPICS? YES WE HAVE. DO YOU HAVE TICKETS FOR THE GAMES? WE ARE GOING TO SWIMMING, RUGBY. WE WENT TO RUGBY TODAY, AND SOCKET YESTERDAY. WE ARE GOING TO SWIMMING AND BEACH VOLLEYBALL. WHAT ARE PRODUCERS WILL BE BASED AT BEACH VOLLEYBALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US. I SAW A GUY BEFORE, HE HAD CYCLED FROM GERMANY TO BE HERE FOR THE OLYMPICS. IT IS NICE TO SEE PEOPLE. GOOD TO SEE YOU. HAVE YOU FOUND ANY KIWIS? I HAVEN'T FOUND ANY KIWIS SO FAR. I FOUND SOME AMERICANS, MUCH LIKE CHRIS. I THINK THERE ARE PLENTY OF AMERICANS AROUND. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CHRIS MENTIONED BEFORE, IT IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE HAVING FUN. IT IS SUCH A COMMUNITY VIBE HERE. THE LAST OLYMPICS WERE NOT HELD IN CONDITIONS LIKE THIS, SO THE OLYMPICS THIS TIME ARE GOING TO FEEL DIFFERENT. NO DOUBT WE WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU LATER THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM. THAT VIBE IS DEFINITELY THERE. JUST UNDER 24-HOUR IS OUT FROM THE OPENING CEREMONY. CHRIS WAS TALKING ABOUT THE MASKS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT BEFORE THE TEAM LEFT, IT WAS LIKE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY RISKS. THESE ATHLETES HAVE TRAINED FOR YEARS, SOME OF THEM EIGHT, 10 YEARS TO GET TO THIS ONE MOMENT SO THEY NOT GOING TO RISK ANY SICKNESS THAT WOULD HIJACK THEIR GAME. I READ SOME ARTICLES OF THE AUSTRALIAN TEAM ALREADY HIT BY COVID. I LOVE THEM BEING THERE, THERE IS THE VIBE AND FEELING, AND EXCITEMENT OF ATHLETES. I SHOULD BE THERE. NOT ABOUT ME, FOLKS. E WHAI AKE NEI ` IT SOUNDS LIKE A GARDENER'S SCI-FI DREAM, BUT AI-POWERED LASER WEEDING COULD SOON BE A REALITY. WELCOME BACK TO BREAKFAST. ANYONE TRYING TO GROW ANY KIND OF PLANT WILL KNOW THE HASSLE OF TRYING TO KEEP THE WEEDS AT BAY. NONE MORE SO THAN COMMERCIAL FARMERS AND GROWERS ` WEEDS ARE ESTIMATED TO COST THE ECONOMY MORE THAN $1.7bn A YEAR. BUT A NEW WEEDING PROTOTYPE COULD BE THE ANSWER. 'MAP AND ZAP' USES AI TO IDENTIFY UNWANTED WEEDS AMONG CROPS, AND KILL THEM WITH A LASER. FOR MORE, WE'RE JOINED BY FOUNDER KIOUMARS GHAMKAR. MORENA! GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, DANIEL. GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US. EXPLAINS US HOW THIS WORKS. IT IS USING THE PRINCIPLES OF AI, WHICH IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, IDENTIFYING WEEDS AT SPECIES LEVEL OR TYPE LEVEL TO EXCLUDE IT FROM GRASS OR WILD CARROT, AND THEN LEADS THE LASER TO IT. THE LASER GOES DIRECTLY TO THE POINT AND KILLS THE WEED. SO IT CAN DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN A CLOVER TO A WEED. WATCHING THE PICTURES NOW, DOES THE LASER LEAVE A BURNING SMELL? YOU DO NOT SMELL THE BURNING, BUT YOU SEE IT. YOU CAN SEE THE CHARGE WEED AFTER ZAPPING IT. THAT IS THE COOLNESS OF IT. HAD KILLS IT WITH MORE THAN A 90% ACCURACY. THIS IS INCREDIBLE. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS BETWEEN USING THIS LASER TO CHEMICALS? WHAT WE HAVE TRIED TO DO IS REDUCE THE FOOTPRINT OF AGRICULTURE, WHICH IS USING CHEMICALS. WHICH TRYING TO DRAMATICALLY DECREASE THE USE. IF YOU CAN DETECT WEEDS AT AN EARLY GROWTH STAGE, IT MEANS THAT YOU DO NOT NEED TO USE CHEMICALS ANY MORE. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GROWTH, YOU MIGHT STILL NEED TO USE CHEMICALS. IF THEY GERMINATE AND COME BACK, YOU USE LASERS TO ELIMINATE THEM. THIS ROBOT CAN DETECT A WEED WHEN IT IS REALLY SMALL? ABSOLUTELY. WE FIND HARD TO PICK IT OUT BECAUSE IT IS SO SMALL. THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF IT. NOT WHEN THEY ARE 30 OR 40 CM. WHEN THEY ARE TWO LEAVES ONLY AND NO ONE WANTS TO PICK THE LEAVES, WE CAN DO THAT USING LASERS. NOT ONLY IS SUSTAINABILITY THE CORE PURPOSE, IT ALSO INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY. COULD WE SEE A DROP IN FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRICES? WE ARE GOING TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF THEM, FOR SURE. PEOPLE CAN HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE IN WHAT THEY ARE EATING. IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, BUT THAT IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL. THE USE OF CHEMICALS IS NOT GOING TO DISAPPEAR TOMORROW, BUT WE CAN START REDUCING IT FROM TOMORROW. ASKING FOR A FRIEND, WHAT IS THE COST? I AM NOT SURE IF I CAN GIVE YOU AN ACCURATE NUMBER. WHAT ABOUT A BALLPARK FIGURE? I CAN JUST GUARANTEE THIS ` IT IS GOING TO COMPETE WITH CHEMICALS. AROUND THE SAME PRICE AS CHEMICALS, BUT OTHER COMPETITORS SUCH AS ELECTRIC WEEDING WE ARE MORE AFFORDABLE. WHERE TO NEXT IS TO GET INVESTMENT. WE ARE LOOKING FOR INVESTMENT BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT HAS SUPPORTED US TO GET THIS CRAZY IDEA TO REALITY. WHAT IS BETTER TO KILL THAN WEEDS? I WOULD HOPE THAT PEOPLE USE LASERS TO ONLY KILL WEEDS. THE NEXT STEP IS TO GET INVESTMENT AND BE ABLE TO CHALLENGE NEW ZEALAND FARMING PROBLEMS AND BEYOND THAT, WE WOULD LIKE TO GO OVERSEAS AND A LARGER SCALE. SCALING IS IMPORTANT, AND MANY PRIVATE INVESTMENT. MY FRIEND ARE STILL NUDGING, A BALLPARK FIGURE? I'M NOT SURE I CAN GIVE YOU THAT, BUT THE UNIT MIGHT BE ABOUT 100,000. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, IT WAS GREAT TO CHAT WITH YOU. ME U TONU MAI ` WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THE BREAK WITH YOUR 6.30 NEWS PLUS, WE LIKE TO JOKE THAT MATT GIBB IS ALWAYS ON HOLIDAY, BUT HE'S LITERALLY MAKING BURGERS THIS MORNING. I MEAN, COME ON, MATT. IT IS A PRETTY SWEET GIG THIS MORNING. I AM AT THE AUT MILLENNIUM WITH A VERY SPECIAL GUEST. WHAT ARE WE DOING THIS MORNING? YOU SAID IT, WE ARE COOKING BURGERS. AMAZING, IT IS GOING TO BE SUCH A GREAT MORNING. YOU CAN WIN AS WELL TO GET YOURSELF IN THE DRAW FOR MY FOOD BACKPACK. NOW OVER TO NEWS, SPORT AND WHETHER. THAT WILL DO. # I SAID A HIP, HOP. # YOU DON'T STOP THE ROCKING. WELCOME BACK. MANY DIFFERENT NEW ZEALAND SPORTS STARS ARE IN PARIS TO CHEER ON THE TEAM. THE ALL BLACKS SEVENS TEAM ARE SET TO TAKE ON SOUTH AFRICA IN THE QUARTER-FINAL THIS MORNING. A FORMER ALL BLACK HAS TURNED UP TO NEW ZEALAND HOUSE. WHO IS WITH YOU, CHRIS? HOW GOOD, BRAD WEBBER! WHAT BRINGS YOU DOWN THIS EVENING? I'M LIVING AND PLAYING HERE IN PARIS. JUST FINISHED PRE-SEASON, AND I LOOKED LIVE CLOSE BY SO I THOUGHT WHY NOT COME ALONG AND GET AMONGST A FEW KIWIS? THERE ARE NO KIWIS AT MY CLUB SO IT IS NICE TO GET AROUND NEW ZEALANDERS AGAIN. A GOING TO GO TO ANY EVENTS? YES, THE OTHER LETTERS 100 M FINAL, TEAM USA BASKETBALL ON SUNDAY WHICH I'M PRETTY EXCITED FOR. I CAN SEE JENNY MAY TURNING GREEN WITH ENVY. SERIOUSLY, SO GOOD. AT A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN A CITY THAT IS HOSTING THE OLYMPICS, BUT IT IS WORTH IT. HOW YOU SEEN THE CITY CHANGE? IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, IT HAS BEEN CRAZY. MY PLACE IS RIGHT ON THE RIVER SEINE, AN OPEN CLEARING EVERYTHING OUT FOR THE OPENINGS ARE MONEY, I CAN'T EVEN WALK INTO MY OWN APARTMENT WITHOUT HAVING TO SHOW POLICEMAN MY ID. SO THEY TAKE IT PRETTY SERIOUSLY, ALL THE ANTI-TERRORISM STUFF, AT THE OPENING CEREMONY IS SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT. YOU CAN CRACK OPEN THE WINDOW AND WATCH IT FROM HOME? THAT'S THE PLAN. I BOUGHT SOME NEW ZEALAND FLAGS, I'M GETTING PRETTY PATRIOTIC. PRETTY PROUD KIWIS SITTING HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF PARIS. SO LOVELY TO SEE, ENJOY THOSE EVENTS. LEBRON JAMES, STEPH CURRY, THE GUYS THAT ARE, AT THE TOP. WHILE YOU ARE IN PARIS, TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY, I LOVE IT! HOPEFULLY WE WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU SOON. IT IS OPEN TO SEE NEW ZEALANDERS OVER THERE SUPPORTING THEIR FELLOW ATHLETES. NOW MELISSA WITH THE NEWS. NEW ZEALAND'S MOST SUCCESSFUL COMMONWEALTH GAMES ATHLETE AND A TWO-TIME OLYMPIC MEDALLIST WILL BOTH CARRY THE NEW ZEALAND FLAG AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE PARIS GAMES. CYCLIST AARON GATE AND SAILOR JO ALEH NAMED FLAGBEARERS AT A NEW ZEALAND TEAM FUNCTION IN PARIS THIS MORNING. GATE CLAIMED BRONZE WITH THE MEN'S TEAM PURSUIT IN LONDON 12 YEARS AGO, WHERE ALEH ALSO WON GOLD IN THE WOMEN'S 470 CLASS. SHE ALSO HAS A SILVER FROM THE RIO GAMES AND WILL THIS TIME LINE-UP IN THE 49er FX. THE FOOTBALL FERNS HAVE FALLEN TO CANADA IN THE OPENING GAME OF THEIR OLYMPIC CAMPAIGN. JORDAN OPPERT JOINS US NOW FROM SAINT ETIENNE. GOOD MORNING, JORDAN. KIA ORA MELISSA. THE WORLD MEDIA ASCENDED HERE TODAY OF WHAT WAS A RATHER IN THE MISMATCH FOR THE NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL FERNS AND CANADA, WHO ARE THE DEFENDING OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS AT THE CENTRE OF A MAJOR SCANDAL HERE FOR POPPING UP A DRONE GETTING CAUGHT TWICE OVER THE NEW ZEALANDERS WHO WERE TRAINING. YOU CAN IMAGINE THE RECEPTION WHEN NEW ZEALAND SAW THEIR FIRST GOAL, BUT SALT ON THE WOUND WHEN CANADA BOUNCED BACK. THE CANADA COACH STOOD BACK IN THE SCAM, AND THERE IS MOUNTING CALLS AND PRESSURE FOR HER TO STEP ASIDE FOR THE REST THE TOURNAMENT. THEY HAVE RECEIVED THE HARSHEST PENALTY, TENSELY DOCKING THEN POINTS TO THE TOURNAMENT. SPEAKING TO THE PLAYER AFTERWARDS, THEY WERE DISAPPOINTED AND UPSET AND GUTTED, NOT JUST AT THE RESULT BUT OVER WHAT HAS UNFOLDED HIM. ONE OF THE BIGGEST OLYMPIC VALUES HE HAS INTEGRITY, AND AS KIWI PLAYERS, THE MEN'S SEVENS TEAM'S A WIN AWAY FROM THE MEDALS AFTER A TIGHT WIN OVER IRELAND THIS MORNING. GUY HEVELDT JOINS US NOW FROM PARIS. HOW ARE THEY LOOKING? BONJOUR. BONJOUR. KIA ORA, MELISSA. LOOKING PRETTY GOOD, I WOULD SAY. THEY DID BEAT IRELAND 14.212, THEY WERE TRAILING AT HALF-TIME, GOT HIM THROUGH FOR THAT VICTORIA COUPLE OF GOOD CONVERSIONS AND THEN AS WELL. THEY PLAYED SOUTH AFRICA IN PULL PLAY S TODAY, AND SOUTH AFRICA GOT THROUGH HAVING BEEN ONE OF THE LUCKY LOSERS IN THE GROUP. NEW ZEALAND WEAR THEM 17.25. HONESTLY, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. IS PUT THEM INTO A SEMI-FINAL, WHICH WOULD MEAN A GOOD CHANCE AT A MIDDLE AND THEY WILL PLAY EITHER ARGENTINA OR FRANCE. THE OTHER GOOD THING ABOUT BEING AN ISLAND WILL MEAN THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO PLAY FIJI, WHO ARE, OF COURSE, TWO-TIME DEFENDING CHAMPIONS AND HAVE NEVER LOST A GAME AT THE OLYMPICS. I BACK OUTSIDE THE STADIUM IN ABOUT AN HOURS TIME TO GIVE YOU THE RESULTS OF THAT MATCH. THE GOVERNMENT'S BEING CALLED OUT FOR LOWERING ITS AMBITION ON CHILD POVERTY REDUCTION TARGETS. THE COALITION HAS SET TWO OF ITS THREE REDUCTION TARGETS LESS AMBITIOUS THAN PREVIOUS GOAL, WITH CRITICS SAYING IT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAVE 24,000 CHILDREN IN MATERIAL HARDSHIP. THE CHIEF CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER LABELLING THE MOVE 'DISAPPOINTING'. SO IN REAL TERMS, THAT MEANS WE ARE POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT ALMOST 24,000 MORE CHILDREN LIVING IN MATERIAL HARDSHIP BASED ON THIS MEASURE. THAT'S SIGNIFICANT AND IT'S UNACCEPTABLE. SHE SAYS IT MAKES IT HARDER TO REACH THE GOAL OF HALVING CHILD POVERTY BY 2028. TYPHOON GAEMI HAS MADE LANDFALL IN MAINLAND CHINA AFTER WREAKING HAVOC ACROSS THE PHILIPPINES AND TAIWAN. GAEMI PROMPTED AUTHORITIES TO ACTIVATE THE HIGHEST DISASTER WARNING AS IT BORE DOWN ON THE COAST. MORE THAN 150,000 PEOPLE IN THE PROVINCE OF FUJAN HAVE BEEN FORCED TO EVACUATE. AT LEAST 21 PEOPLE ACROSS TAIWAN AND THE PHILIPPINES HAVE DIED DURING THE STORM, WHICH HAS CAUSED WIDESPREAD FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES. AI TECHNOLOGY IS BEING USED TO REDUCE THE USE OF HARMFUL CHEMICALS TO CONTROL WEEDS. FOLLOWING SUCCESSFUL TRIALS, THERE ARE HIGH HOPES FOR A LASER WEEDING SYSTEM, THAT USES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO HUNT OUT WEEDS AND ZAP THEM. THE PROTOTYPE, DESIGNED BY A GROUP OF LOCAL AG RESEARCH SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS WAS RECENTLY TRIALLED IN CANTERBURY AND HAD A 90% HIT RATE ON ACCURACY AND EFFICIENCY. IF YOU CAN DETECT WEEDS AT THE EARLY GROWTH STAGE, IT MEANS THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO USE CHEMICALS ANY MORE. SO, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GROWTH, WHEN THEY'RE BIGGER AND LARGER, YOU STILL MIGHT NEED TO USE CHEMICALS, YOU DEFINITELY NEED TO DO THAT, BUT AT THE LATER STAGES WHEN THEY GERMINATE, THEY COME BACK, THEN YOU USE LASERS. THE METHOD IS BEING PRAISED BY INDUSTRY LEADERS FOR ITS USE OF 'CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES'. AND FINALLY, THOUSANDS OF ENTHUSIASTS HAVE GATHERED TO WATCH THE ANNUAL WILD PONY SWIM IN THE U.S. STATE OF VIRGINIA. IT'S THE 99th YEAR OF THE EVENT, WHICH SEES THE CHINCOTEAGUE WILD PONIES SWIM ACROSS THE ASSATEAGUE CHANNEL. LOCAL MEDIA HAVE REPORTED SPECTATORS ARRIVING AS EARLY AS 5am FOR THE SWIM, WHICH DIDN'T TAKE PLACE UNTIL LUNCH TIME. (LAUGHTER) OLYMPICS, PONY SWIMMING. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE MARKETS. (GROOVY MUSIC) (GROOVY MUSIC) AND TAKING A LOOK AT YOUR WEATHER THIS MORNING ` TO THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY, A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR MOST OF THE REGION. KAITAIA AND AUCKLAND, EXPECT SOME EARLY SHOWERS CLEARING TO SUNNY SKIES. 16 THE HIGH FOR THE REGION. FURTHER SOUTH ` TAURANGA AND WHAKATANE, YOU'RE IN FOR SUNSHINE ALL DAY. ELSEWHERE, MORNING FOG TO START YOUR FRIDAY, BUT YOU WILL BE TREATED TO BLUE SKIES IN THE AFTERNOON. 14 THE HIGH FOR ROTORUA, HAMILTON AND TOKOROA. TO THE EAST COAST ` IT'S GLORIOUS START TO THE WEEKEND FOR THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY. WARM, SUNNY SKIES FOR YOUR FRIDAY. 17 THE HIGH FOR GISBORNE. OVER TO THE WEST ` SCATTERED CLOUDS TO START THE MORNING FOR MOST OF THE REGION, CLEARING TO SUNSHINE IN THE AFTERNOON. TAUMARUNUI, YOU'LL GET SOME SUN TOO BUT NOT BEFORE SOME MORNING FOG. 17 THE HIGH FOR WHANGANUI. TO THE SOUTH ISLAND ` NELSON, BLENHEIM AND KAIKOURA, A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY FOR YOU. GREYMOUTH, HOKITIKA, EXPECT SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. A HIGH OF 14 FOR WESTPORT. HEADING SOUTH ` A BEAUTIFUL DAY ON THIS SIDE OF THE SOUTH ISLAND. SUNNY, BLUE SKIES FOR MOST OF THE REGION. OAMARU AND ALEXANDRA, YOU WILL HAVE SCATTERED CLOUDS THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY. 18 THE HIGH IN ASHBURTON. TO THE DEEP SOUTH ` MILFORD SOUND, GRAB A UMBRELLA. HEAVY SHOWERS TO START YOUR WEEKEND. DUNEDIN, YOU'LL GET SOME SUN, FOLLOWED BY CLOUDS IN THE AFTERNOON. 17 THE HIGH FOR INVERCARGILL. LOOKING AHEAD TO YOUR WEEKEND. FOR YOUR SATURDAY, IT'S LOOKING TO BE A FINE DAY FOR THE COUNTRY. SUNNY SKIES, WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS FOR MOST OF AOTEAROA. TARANAKI, YOU CAN EXPECT SOME LIGHT SHOWERS. AND LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT YOUR SUNDAY ` FOR THE NORTH ISLAND, MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SUN THROUGHOUT THE DAY. FOR THE SOUTH, HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED FOR THE WEST COAST, ELSEWHERE A CLOUDY DAY FOR MOST. THANKS, MELISSA. MYFOODBAG IS SUPPORTING THE NEW ZEALAND OLYMPICS TEAM AS AN OFFICIAL PARTNER, SO WE SENT MATT GIBB TO THE AUT MILLENNIUM TO SERVE UP SOME BURGERS FOR SOME ATHLETES AND SUPPORTERS. MORENA, MATT. MORENA! YOU KNOW HOW EXCITED I GOT JUST THEN, DANIEL? THEN YOU TOOK ME BACK DOWN TO SIZE. NADIA IS STOKED ABOUT THAT. YOU GET A BURGER, DANIEL, I AM GOING TO MAKE SURE HE DOESN'T GET A BURGER. LET'S TELL YOU WHY WE'RE HERE. MY FEEDBACK ARE AN OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF THE OLYMPIC TEAM, HOW EXCITING IS THIS? VERY EXCITING, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO TOMORROW MORNING. TWO WEEKS OF GETTING TO WATCH NEW ZEALAND TO DO THEIR THING. YOU NEED A GOOD BREAKFAST WHILE YOU ARE WATCHING IT THOUGH. YES, WE'LL BE UP AT STRANGE TIMES AND THE NIGHTS ARE BILL NEEDS GOOD FOOD. WE HAVE CREATED THESE TWO AMAZING BURGERS AVAILABLE WHILE THE OLYMPICS IS ON, SO WE HAVE THE BEEF ONE AND THE BREAKFAST ONE, AND WE ARE COOKING THE LATTER NOW. LOOK AT THIS GRILL. STARTING OFF WITH A POTATO RUSTIC, BACON, ALUMINA, FRIED EGG, SO A CHARCOAL BUN, BLACK FOR NEW ZEALAND. THIS IS GOING TO BE DELICIOUS, WE HAVE DANNY ON THE GRILL THIS MORNING DOING A GREAT JOB. YOU CAN WHEN ALL OF THIS THANKS TO MY FOOD BAG LATER ON. WE ARE TALKING TO THE MARKETING MANAGER. TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOU DO HERE. WE ARE WHOLE FACILITY AROUND FITNESS AND HEALTH, SO WE HAVE TWO OLYMPICS IN PULL, TRACK AND FIELD, ATHLETE DEVELOPMENTS, WE ALSO THE NATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE OF A HIGH-PERFORMANCE NEW ZEALAND IS THAT WE HAVE AMAZING ATHLETES THAT COME HERE AS WELL. AND THE TEAM OVER IN PARIS RIGHT NOW, QUITE A FEW OTHERS ATHLETES HAVE COME THROUGH HERE. YES, ABOUT 30. TRAINING ON THE REGULAR SO IT IS NICE TO SEE THEM OVER THERE. ANY PARTICULAR SPORT YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO? ANYTHING THAT HAS BEEN TRAINED HERE, SO WEIGHTLIFTING, SWIMMING. IT'S GOING TO BE SO EXCITING TO WATCH. I CAN'T WAIT. TO STICK AROUND AND HAVE SOME BURGERS WITH US, AND WE HAVE SOME AMAZING SPORTS PEOPLE COMING TO A LETTER IN THE MORNING. THE YOUNG ATHLETES ARE RECITED TO COME THROUGH WASN'T BURGERS. THE IRONY OF ME BEING AT A HIGH-PERFORMANCE SPORTS INSTITUTE AND HAVING THE WORST BACK FROM PLAYING ONE GAME OF CRICKET LAST NIGHT ` I CAN'T EVEN BENT DOWN THIS MORNING, BUT NOTHING A BURGER CAN'T FIX. JUST HAD TO WINWITHBREAKFAST.CO.NZ, THAT COMPETITION RUNS UNTIL WEDNESDAY. HOW IS THAT TASTING, NADIA? WE WILL SEE YOU IN ABOUT AN HOUR. IS NADIA TRADITIONAL LIKE ME, SHE THOUGH THE MATTRESSES IN THE LIVING ROOM AND THE KIDS THERE? WHAT WILL YOU BE MAKING? A PROBABLY WILL MAKE THEM THESE BURGERS, THEY WILL BE SOAKED. THEY WILL BE LIKE, WHAT HAPPENS TO MUM, SHE IS GIVING US BURGERS FOR BREAKFAST?! WE WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU LATER ON. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN DANIEL, MY BACK IS FINE. I AM THINKING ABOUT YOU, MATT. ME U TONU MAI ` COULD MEMES BE THE KEY TO KAMALA HARRIS BEATING DONALD TRUMP? WE'LL EXPLAIN THE COCONUT AND BRAT CRAZE BEHIND HER STARDOM NEXT. # MICHAEL JORDAN, 23... (PHONE CHIMES) SONG: # You # You've got what I need... # Thank you, Sam! You're welcome, Wendy. # You're like medicine to me... # VOICEOVER: Wonderful stories enter our stores every day. Find your wonderful. New World. HOKI MAI ANO, WELCOME BACK. IT IS 14 MINUTES TO 7. WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A QUICK CHAT ABOUT THE OLYMPICS, BUT NOW LET'S GO TO THIS INTERVIEW. KAMALA HARRIS HAS BEEN IN THE RUNNING FOR U.S. PRESIDENT FOR JUST FOUR DAYS, BUT HER RISE IN ONLINE POPULARITY HAS BEEN METEORIC. MEMES AND CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS ARE SETTING THE TONE FOR HER CAMPAIGN. HARRIS IS LEANING INTO THE MEMES ABOUT HER, THE CLIPPED-UP AWKWARD SPEECHES AND QUIRKY DANCES FROM HER PAST, NOW THE FACE OF HER BID FOR ELECTION. YOU THINK YOU JUST FELL OUT OF A COCONUT TREE? (LAUGHS) YOU EXIST IN THE CONTEXT... OF ALL IN WHICH YOU LIVE AND WHAT CAME BEFORE YOU. # I'M JUST LIVING THAT LIFE. # VON DUTCH, CULT CLASSIC BUT I STILL POP. HER CAMPAIGN ACCOUNTS ARE SPLASHED WITH A NEON GREEN, FOLLOWING THE ENDORSEMENT OF POP-STAR CHARLI XCX, WHOSE NEW ALBUM IS 'BRAT'. I DON'T KNOW THAT IS. AND THE COMMENT SECTIONS ARE FLOODED WITH COCONUTS, A NOD TO HER NOW-FAMOUS LINE. HER ONLINE APPEAL HAS RE-ENERGISED THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AND MIGHT JUST WIN HER THE PRESIDENCY. FOR MORE, I'M JOINED NOW BY FORMER SPEECHWRITER TO KAMALA HARRIS, GEVIN REYNOLDS. SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON THE PROGRAM! SHE HAS AN ONLINE SINCE ASIAN WITH THE YOUNGER GENERATION, HOW GOOD IS THIS FOR HER CAMPAIGN? THINK IS A MUCH MORE HAVING ME, JENNY MAY! I WAS A BE WITH YOU ALL IN THE STUDIO IN NEW ZEALAND, HAD I HAVE NEVER VISITED BEFORE BUT IT IS MY LIST. BEFORE THE VP ASCENDED TO THE TOP OF THE TICKETS BEFORE GERMANE STEP *JOE BIDEN STEPPED ASIDDE, THEY WERE STRUGGLING WITH VOTERS, BUT NOW NOT SO MUCH. SHE IS REALLY SMART TO BE LEANING INTO THIS SOCIAL MEDIA CRAZE. YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T GET THEIR NEWS ON THE SAME PLACE AS OLDER PEOPLE DO. THE FUNNY THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT THE CONTENT ONLINE WAS POSTED BY THE REPUBLICANS, AND IT WAS MEANT TO BE CRITICAL OF HER AWKWARD PUBLIC APPEARANCES, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE GEN X IS EMBRACING IT. KEEPING THAT GENERATION ENGAGED, THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT, RIGHT? SO MANY YOUNG VOTERS, WHAT DO THEY WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING? THEY WANT TO BEAT DONALD TRUMP. THERE IS A BIG ISSUES THAT RESONATE WITH VOTERS, SUCH AS THE COST OF LIVING, CLIMATE CRISIS, JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. IT IS REALLY ABOUT CAPITALISING RIGHT NOW. NOW SHE HAS TO BUILD ON THIS ATTENTION, GET OUT THERE IN PERSON AND GET OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. YOU SAID ABOUT KAMALA, SHE KNOWS WHAT TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO TALK ABOUT IT. SOME FIND HER PUBLIC APPEARANCES AWKWARD, THERE ARE A FEW NERVOUS LAUGHS. AS ONE OF HER FORMER WRITERS, WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE EFFECTIVENESS? I THINK SHE IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS AND SPEAKERS THAT WE HAVE AN POLITICS IN AMERICA TODAY. FOR EXAMPLE, REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM. IS UNDER ATTACK, BUT WHEN YOU HEAR HER SPEAK ABOUT THE ISSUE, SHE TALKS ABOUT THE STANCE OF FREEDOM, ABOUT HAVING THE RIGHT TO THEIR OWN DECISIONS AND I THINK THAT RESONATES NOT ONLY WITH MORE PROGRESSIVE LEFT-LEANING VOTERS WHO FEEL THAT WAY, BUT MAYBE THERE IS MORE MODERATE SWING VOTERS WHO, WHEN THEY HEAR THAT ISSUE TALKED ABOUT IN THAT WAY, AS A FREEDOM ISSUE RATHER THAN 'MY BODY MY CHOICE', I THINK IT IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO FRAME THE ISSUE. HOW IS SHE DOING IN THE POLLS? AS YOU POINTED OUT, EVERYTHING IS MOVING VERY QUICKLY RIGHT NOW ` THE PRESIDENTS JUST STEPPED ASIDE A NUMBER OF DAYS AGO. THIS HAPPENED VERY RECENTLY. DEPOSITED TELLING A MIXED STORY, IT IS COMPLICATED. POLLS SHOWING THAT THE VICE PRESIDENT IS RUNNING SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF PRES BIDEN, AND THAT INCLUDES SOME REALLY CRITICAL VOTING BLOCKS, INCLUDING YOUNGER VOTERS, FEMALE VOTERS. WE ARE CENTURY MENACE ENTHUSIASM FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT AS MEASURED ON A NUMBER OF WAYS. NEW VOLUNTEERS TO KNOCK ON DOORS, SO MUCH MONEY RAISED IN 24-HOURS. ONLINE ENGAGEMENT, OTHER METRICS. IT'S REALLY ELECTRIFYING. FORMER SPEECHWRITER TO HARRIS, SOGO TO HAVE YOU ON OUR PROGRAM THIS MORNING, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INSIGHTS! ABSOLUTELY. TAKE CARE. E HAERE AKE NEI ` A NEW KIND OF OLYMPIC GAMES IS SET TO BE HELD NEXT YEAR. E-SPORTS PLAYERS WILL NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT THEIR COUNTRY. WE'LL FIND OUT WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO WIN GOLD. # I DON'T WANT TO FEEL... YOU'VE HEARD OF THE ALL BLACKS, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE E-BLACKS? THEY'RE OUR NATIONAL E-SPORT TEAM, AND THEY'LL BE HEADING TO SAUDI ARABIA NEXT YEAR FOR THE FIRST EVER OLYMPIC E-SPORT GAMES. THE CREATION OF THOSE GAMES, JUST FORMALISED BY THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, MARK A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN THE INTEGRATION OF COMPETITIVE GAMING IN THE GLOBAL SPORTS ARENA. PRESIDENT OF NEW ZEALAND E-SPORTS CONOR ENGLISH JOINS US NOW. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. THIS IS A MASSIVE DEAL FOR THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT, BECAUSE IT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE THEY HAVE MADE SINCE THE PARALYMPICS AND FOR THE EXPORTED COMMUNITY, IT IS REALLY MASSIVE. I HAVE A NEPHEW THAT IS ROWING IN THE PHYSICAL OLYMPICS. AT THE MOMENT, WE'RE GOING OVER TO SEE HIM IN PARIS. I COULD HAVE A SON OR DAUGHTER OR NIECE AND NEPHEW THAT COULD WIN A GOLD MEDAL IN SAUDI ARABIA NEXT YEAR. I NEED TO GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY, DO WE NEED TO GET OVER EAST SPORTS NOT BEING A REAL SPORT ARGUMENT? THE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE OF GOT OVER IT, AND I THINK WE HAVE. FULL STOP! WE WILL LEAVE IT THERE. IF YOU'RE UNHAPPY WITH THEM, GO HAVE A CHAT WITH THEM. HOW WILL WE PICK A TEAM OR DECIDER TEAM? THE GREAT THING IN NEW ZEALAND IS THAT WE ARE AHEAD OF THE CURVE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE NEW ZEALAND HE SPORTS FEDERATION. WE WERE RECOGNISED BACK IN THE GOVERNMENT IN 2020. WE ARE AHEAD OF A LOT OF OTHER COUNTRIES. AUSTRALIA DO NOT HAVE THE NATIONAL SPORTING ORGANISATION. WE BEEN RUNNING COMPETITIONS, AND THEIR ARRANGER COMPETITIONS BROUGHT ON BY GAMING PUBLISHERS AND VARIOUS OTHER PEOPLE. WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT THIS NOW WILL BE ABLE TO USE THE FRAMING WE HAVE BUILT FOR QUALIFYING ROUNDS AND SELECTING A TEAM. WE HAD E-BLACKS COMPETING INTERNATIONALLY, AND THEY HAVE DONE PRETTY WELL. IT IS A COMPETITIVE AREA. THAT IS SPORT, ISN'T IT? CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT SORT OF GAMES THEY WILL BE PICKING? IS THERE ONE GAME THAT IS THE FOCUS? HOW DOES IT WORK? THAT WORKS JUST LIKE THE OTHER OLYMPICS WHERE THEY PICK TITLES. YOU WILL PICK I RACING OR NBA 2K, OR YOU MIGHT PICK FORTNITE OR DOTA 2. THAT PROCESS WILL BE DRIVEN BY THE MOST POPULAR ONES. WE HAD OUR MBA TEAM WHO WENT TO THE WORLD GAMES IN SWEDEN LAST YEAR, AND THEY CAME SEVENTH IN THE WORLD. THAT IS A MASSIVE EFFORT BECAUSE YOU ARE COMPETING AGAINST PEOPLE GLOBALLY. THE PARTICIPATION IN ANY SPORTS IS HUGE. THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN ANY SPORTS THAN ANY OTHER SPORT. TO COME SEVENTH, YOU HAVE TO BE GOOD. HOW BIG OF A DEAL IT TO REPRESENT YOUR COUNTRY? IT IS MASSIVE. OUR DOTA 2 TEAM WAS IN RIYADH LAST YEAR REPRESENTING NEW ZEALAND. LIKE ANYONE REPRESENTING THEIR TEAM, YOU WANT TO DO THE BEST THAT YOU CAN FOR YOUR COUNTRY. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE GAME? I AM NOT THE WORLD'S GREATEST GAMER, I AM NOT EXPECTING TO ANY METALS. DON'T SERVICE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME PERSONALLY. I HAVE PLAYED A LITTLE BIT OF FORTNITE AND I LIKE THE RACING ONES. THANKS SO MUCH, CONNOR. I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT AND SUCCESSFUL TRIP TO PARIS. THANKS VERY MUCH. THE DEFINITION OF A SPORT, IT HAS TO BE A GAME, THERE HAS TO BE PHYSICAL EXERCISE. THAT COULD BE ENDURANCE, THAT COULD BE SKILL, THERE HAS TO BE COMPETITIVE PART SO IT. TECHNICALLY, AND HE WAS GOING TO ARGUE WITH THE OLYMPICS? SO GOOD. MY BOYS WILL BE SIGNING UP. BEFORE WE GET TO YOUR NEWS, HERE'S WHAT'S COMING UP AFTER 7 O'CLOCK ` THE THREE-MONTH LONG BOOT CAMP TRIAL IS SET TO START NEXT WEEK. BUT THERE ARE CALLS TO STOP THE CAMPS BEFORE THEY'VE EVEN BEGUN. WHY A MAORI EDUCATION EXPERT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT IT COULD HAVE ON TAMARIKI. THAT CONVERSATION IN 20 MINUTES TIME. THEY ARE OUR FIRST MEDAL CHANCE THESE OLYMPICS. THE ALL BLACKS SEVENS ARE SET TO KICK OFF ANY MOMENT NOW IN THEIR QUARTER-FINAL CLASH AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA. THEY'LL BE HOPING FOR A REPEAT OF YESTERDAY'S VICTORY OVER THE BOKS. WE'LL BRING YOU LIVE UPDATES AS THEY HAPPEN. AND ` IT'S THE DATING APP HELPING NEURODIVERGENT PEOPLE TO FIND A MATCH. WE'LL FIND OUT ALL ABOUT WABLE AND HOW IT WORKS A LITTLE BIT LATER. BUT FOR NOW, IT'S 7 O'CLOCK. HERE'S MELISSA WITH THE NEWS. CYCLIST AARON GATE AND SAILOR JO ALEH HAVE BEEN NAMED NEW ZEALAND'S FLAGBEARERS FOR THE PARIS OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY. THE PAIR ANNOUNCED AT NEW ZEALAND TEAM FUNCTION IN PARIS THIS MORNING. THOUGH GATE MISSED THE EVENT, HE'S WITH THE CYCLING TEAM TRAINING IN SWITZERLAND. ALEH WILL BE LOOK TO ADD A THIRD MEDAL IN PARIS, TO GO ALONG WITH GOLD IN LONDON AND SILVER IN RIO. I'VE OBVIOUSLY BEEN PART OF THE OLYMPIC JOURNEY FOR A LONG TIME. BY THE TIME YOU GET TO FOUR OLYMPICS, AND I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN TO FIVE, ONE AS A COACH. I'VE BEEN IN THIS LIFE FOR A WHILE. I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS TEN YEARS OLD WATCHING BARBARA KENDALL LEAD THE TEAM INTO THE GAMES. SHE WAS ONE OF MY IDOLS. TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD YOU ALL IN TOMORROW NIGHT IS INCREDIBLE. AND WE'LL HAVE MORE FROM THE FLAGBEARERS RIGHT AFTER THE NEWS AND WEATHER. THE FOOTBALL FERNS HAVE OPENED THEIR OLYMPIC CAMPAIGN WITH A LOSS, GOING DOWN 2-1 TO CANADA. JORDAN OPPERT JOINS US NOW. MORENA AND BONJOUR, JORDAN. HOW ARE THINGS GOING? THE SUN IS SETTING ON A MASSIVE DAY IN THE OLYMPIC OPENER FOR OUR FOOTBALL FERNS. THE WORLD'S MEDIA DESCENDED FOR A FIXTURE BETWEEN THEM IN CANADA. THERE WAS A MASSIVE RECEPTION. NEW ZEALAND SCORE THE OPENING GOAL 13 MINUTES AND, THAT CANADA DID BOUNCE BACK TWICE TO WIN TWO GOALS TO ONE. THE STORY IS FAR FROM OVER. TWO OF CANADA'S STAFF OF BEEN SENT HOME. THE HEAD COACH STEPPED ASIDE FOR TODAY. THERE ARE CALLS TODAY AND MOUNTING PRESSURE TO PULL OUT OF THE TOURNAMENT AND STEPPED DOWN AS HEAD COACH, THE MEDIA WAS TELLING ME FROM CANADA TODAY. NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON FIFA TO PLACE SERIOUS SANCTIONS. NOT ONLY ARE THEY GUTTED AT THE RESULTS HAVING LED FOR A SHORT WHILE, BUT ALSO WHAT HAS UNFOLDED OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS. ONE OF THE VALUES OF THE OLYMPICS'S INTEGRITY, AND AS A CAPTAIN OF THE FOOTBALL FERNS SAID, THAT THERE ARE NOT SANCTIONS FOR THIS, IT IS A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT TO SET. THERE WILL BE PLENTY MORE TO COME FROM THE STORY. WE WILL TALK TO YOU SOON. THE MEN'S SEVENS TEAM HAVE JUST KICKED OFF THEIR QUARTER FINAL AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA, AFTER EARLIER BEATING IRELAND 14-12 IN THEIR FINAL POOL GAME. NEW ZEALAND LEFT IT LATE, ONLY HITTING THE FRONT WITH A CONVERTED TRY IN THE FINAL MINUTE. JUST SHORT OF THE LINE. BUT, HE DUCKS IT DOWN. AND THERE IS NOT YET A SCORE IN THE QUARTER-FINAL. TO SOME OTHER NEWS NOW, AND THE GOVERNMENT'S WATERING DOWN EXPECTATIONS FOR REDUCING CHILD POVERTY IN NEW ZEALAND, PROMPTING CRITICISM FOR A LACK OF AMBITION. THE COALITION HAS LOWERED TWO OF ITS THREE REDUCTION TARGETS, WITH SOME SAYING IT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAVE 24,000 CHILDREN IN MATERIAL HARDSHIP. THE CHIEF CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER SAYS SHE WASN'T CONSULTED AND IS CALLING FOR MORE CHANGE. WHAT I'M SEEING HERE IS A LOWERING OF AMBITION WHEN IT COMES TO REDUCING CHILD POVERTY IN THIS COUNTRY. I WANT US TO BE PUSHING FOR THE HIGHEST AMBITION FOR CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WE KNOW ARE EXPERIENCING THE MOST DISADVANTAGE. DR ACHMAD SAYS IT WILL MAKE IT HARDER TO REACH THE GOAL OF HALVING CHILD POVERTY BY 2028. U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS WELCOMED ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU TO THE WHITE HOUSE THIS MORNING. THE TWO LEADERS MEETING AT A CRITICAL TIME FOR U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONS, WITH NETANYAHU HOPING TO BOLSTER AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR THE ONGOING WAR IN GAZA. IN THE MEETING, NETANYAHU THANKED PRESIDENT BIDEN FOR HIS CONTINUED SUPPORT OF ISRAEL. FROM A PROUD JEW ZIONIST TO A PROUD IRISH-AMERICAN ZIONIST, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR 50 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND 50 YEARS OF SUPPORT FOR THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING WITH YOU TODAY AND WORKING WITH YOU IN THE MONTHS AHEAD ON THE GREAT ISSUES BEFORE US. NETANYAHU WILL MEET WITH VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS LATER TODAY. AND PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL HARRIS ALREADY HAS THE ENDORSEMENT OF MOST OF HER PARTY, BUT HER ONLINE PRESENCE IS EARNING HER CLOUT WITH YOUNG VOTERS. SOCIAL MEDIA HAS BEEN FLOODED WITH MEMES ABOUT COCONUT TREES AND BRAT SUMMER ` A REFERENCE TO AN OLD SPEECH AND SUPPORT FROM POPSTAR CHARLI XCX. HARRIS' FORMER SPEECHWRITER SAYS IT'S A SMART POLITICAL MOVE TO EMBRACE THE MEME. JOE BIDEN STEPPED ASIDE, WE ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH YOUNGER VOTERS. HIS AGE HAD A LOT TO DO WITH THAT. THE FACT THAT KEMAL HARRIS, WHO WAS 59 YEARS OLD AND RESONATES MORE WITH YOUNGER VOTERS, I THINK SHE IS SMART TO BE LEANING INTO THE SOCIAL MEDIA CRAZE, BECAUSE WE ARE A YOUNG PEOPLE THESE DAYS? THEY ARE ONLINE, THEY GO ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THEY DO NOT GET NEWS FROM THE SAME PLACES ALL THE VOTERS. THE LATEST POLL FROM REUTERS HAS HARRIS TWO POINTS AHEAD OF DONALD TRUMP. AND TAKING A LOOK AT YOUR WEATHER THIS MORNING ` TO THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY, A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR MOST OF THE REGION. KAITAIA AND AUCKLAND, EXPECT SOME EARLY SHOWERS CLEARING TO SUNNY SKIES. 16 THE HIGH FOR THE REGION. FURTHER SOUTH ` TAURANGA AND WHAKATANE, YOU'RE IN FOR SUNSHINE ALL DAY. ELSEWHERE, MORNING FOG TO START YOUR FRIDAY, BUT YOU WILL BE TREATED TO BLUE SKIES IN THE AFTERNOON. 14 THE HIGH FOR ROTORUA, HAMILTON AND TOKOROA. TO THE EAST COAST ` IT'S GLORIOUS START TO THE WEEKEND FOR THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY. WARM, SUNNY SKIES FOR YOUR FRIDAY. 16 DEGREES IN HAWKE'S BAY. OVER TO THE WEST ` SCATTERED CLOUDS TO START THE MORNING FOR MOST OF THE REGION, CLEARING TO SUNSHINE IN THE AFTERNOON. TAUMARUNUI, YOU'LL GET SOME SUN TOO BUT NOT BEFORE SOME MORNING FOG. YOU ARE SITTING ON 14 DEGREES TODAY. 15 DEGREES IN PALMERSTON NORTH. TO THE SOUTH ISLAND ` NELSON, BLENHEIM AND KAIKOURA, A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY FOR YOU. GREYMOUTH, HOKITIKA, EXPECT SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. A HIGH OF 14 FOR WESTPORT. 16 DEGREES IN BLENHEIM. HEADING SOUTH ` A BEAUTIFUL DAY ON THIS SIDE OF THE SOUTH ISLAND. SUNNY, BLUE SKIES FOR MOST OF THE REGION. OAMARU AND ALEXANDRA, YOU WILL HAVE SCATTERED CLOUDS THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY. 18 THE HIGH IN ASHBURTON. ENJOY IT, 15 IN CHRISTCHURCH. TO THE DEEP SOUTH ` MILFORD SOUND, GRAB A UMBRELLA. HEAVY SHOWERS TO START YOUR WEEKEND. DUNEDIN, YOU'LL GET SOME SUN, FOLLOWED BY CLOUDS IN THE AFTERNOON. 17 THE HIGH FOR INVERCARGILL. 15 IN GORE. I'M STILL GOING. STILL GOING? LOOKING AHEAD TO YOUR WEEKEND. FOR YOUR SATURDAY, IT'S LOOKING TO BE A FINE DAY FOR THE COUNTRY. SUNNY SKIES, WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS FOR MOST OF AOTEAROA. TARANAKI, YOU CAN EXPECT SOME LIGHT SHOWERS. I AM RAPPED THAT YOU ARE READY TO GO, THOUGH. AND LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT YOUR SUNDAY ` FOR THE NORTH ISLAND, MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SUN THROUGHOUT THE DAY. FOR THE SOUTH, HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED FOR THE WEST COAST, ELSEWHERE, A CLOUDY DAY FOR MOST. OVER TO YOU, DANIEL. I AM JUST SO EXCITED. THE EYES OF THE WORLD WILL BE TUNING IN TO THE OPENING OF THE OLYMPICS CEREMONY IN PARIS TOMORROW MORNING OUR TIME. AND IF YOU'VE JUST JOINED US, THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM HAVE NAMED THE FLAGBEARERS REPRESENTING US. CARRYING THE FLAG HAS BEEN ONE OF THE GREAT HONOURS FOR ANY ATHLETE. CHRIS CHANG HAS BEEN SPEAKING TO ONE OF THEM AND HE'S BACK WITH US NOW. MORENA, CHRIS. BONJOUR. I'M JUST OUTSIDE THE NEW ZEALAND HOUSE, WE HAD OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT A FEW HOURS AGO. AARON GATE IS THE FLAG BEARER FOR NEW ZEALAND. IS FINISHING OFF HIS TRAINING CAMP IN SWITZERLAND AT THE MOMENT, THAT WE DID HEAR FROM HIM. HERE IS WHAT HE SAID ABOUT THE HONOUR OF CARRYING THE FLAG INTO THE OPENING CEREMONY. IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY STILL HASN'T REALLY SUNK IN AND PROBABLY WON'T UNTIL I'M ACTUALLY THERE IN THE MOMENT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF DOING FOR MYSELF AND THE WHOLE TEAM. DOESN'T FEEL LIKE LONG AGO THAT I WAS RACING IN LONDON, SO I GUESS IT'S BEEN A BIT OF A JOURNEY, AND THIS IS A NICE BIT OF TOKEN FOR ME PERSONALLY, AND ONE THAT I WILL` YEAH, VERY PROUDLY CARRY THIS FLAG FOR NEW ZEALAND. UH, I WAS DEFINITELY TAKEN ABACK. IT WASN'T SOMETHING I WAS EXPECTING. HE JUST, YEAH, GAVE ME A CALL AND I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE GENERAL CHITCHAT, AND THEN HE DROPPED THAT ON ME. THIS HONOUR BEING STOWED AMONGST OUR CYCLING FRATERNITY, I THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT I WATCHED ON TV AS A KID, AND TO BE A PART OF THAT NOW IS A DREAM COME TRUE. IT IS AN HONOUR TO DO IT WITH YOU, JO. WE HAD SOME GREAT LAUGHS IN LONDON. IT WILL BE CALLED TO BE REUNITED WITH JO. ROBBIE FUNDER SHARE SOME BANTER WITH HER AND DO THE JOB FOR NEW ZEALAND. IT IS ABOUT INSPIRING KIWIS TO HAVE A CRACK THEMSELVES. I WILL TRY TO PUT THE LAST THREE YEARS OF HARD WORK SINCE TOKYO TO GOOD USE. IS ONE OF OUR MOST EXCITING METAL PROSPECTS. HE WON FOUR GOLD MEDALS AT THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES. THE JO HE WAS REFERRING TO WAS A FEMALE FLAG BEARER. SHE HAD A PHOTO SHOOT HERE STRAIGHT AFTER. VERY RELAXED. HERE IS WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE HONOUR ` CONGRATULATIONS, HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED AND EVERYONE GOT TO LEARN WHEN YOU'RE ONE OF THE TWO FLAG BEARERS? I GUESS IT IS VERY REAL NOW. THAT HAS NOT QUITE FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. COMING HERE TODAY, GOING STRAIGHT TO THE CEREMONY, THAT IS PRETTY INCREDIBLE. PUTTING THIS ON HAS REALLY SUNK IN. I AM SUPER PROUD TO JOIN THAT LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LED THE TEAM AND THAT CEREMONY. IT IS NOT SOMETHING I THOUGHT I WOULD DO. THE LIST OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE CARRIED THE FLAG, THE FACT THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE PART OF THAT HISTORY. WHEN PEOPLE ARE BACK AT THE GAMES, THEY GOING TO SEE YOU. IT IS NOT SUNK IN. I REMEMBER BEING 10 YEARS OLD WATCHING BARBARA KENDALL LEAD THE TEAM IN AS A FLAG BEARER. SHE INSPIRED ME TO TAKE UP SAILING. TO ALSO HAVE THE CHANCE TO CARRY THE FLAG IN THESE OLYMPICS IS SOMETHING SO SPECIAL. I WILL RENDER THIS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I LOVE THE FACT THAT THIS IS MY LAST OLYMPICS, SO TO FINISH THIS OFF IN THIS WAY IS VERY SPECIAL. IT IS A VERY DIFFERENT OPENING CEREMONY, I HEARD THERE IS GOING TO BE A NEW ZEALAND BOAT. HOW WAS I GOING TO LOOK? FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, WE ARE ON BARGES GOING DOWN THE RIVER. I WILL SUIT THAT WELL, I'M USED TO BEING ON BOATS. I HOPE WHEN I GO ON MY BOAT, I WILL FEEL EXTRA FAST? HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO YOUR FELLOW FLAG BEARER? HE IS EXCITED AS WELL. WHAT YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? IT IS YOUR FOURTH AS AN ATHLETE. THE TRANSITION FROM A COACH TO AN ATHLETE IS REALLY COOL. I AM NOTICING HOW AWESOME THIS EXPERIENCES. AS AN ATHLETE BEFORE, I WAS FOCUSED ON THE PERFORMANCE. I AM 100%, AND YOU TO LOOK AROUND AND TAKE IT IN AND ENJOY HOW AMAZING THIS IS. YOU DO YEARS AND YEARS OF WORK TO GET TO THIS LEVEL. YOU HAVE TO ENJOY IT. EVERY ATHLETE KNOWS IT IS NOT ALWAYS FUN. THERE ARE A LOT OF HARD TIMES. WHEN YOU'RE AT THE OLYMPICS RUNS BY AMAZING PEOPLE, THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IT. HOW DO YOU FEEL WITH THE FACT THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE AROUND AND THERE IS MORE OF THAT BUZZ? THE LAST OLYMPICS IN TOKYO DID NOT REALLY FEEL I CAN OLYMPICS. I'M HAPPY THAT IN THE SAILING TEAM, WE HAD TO IN THE OLYMPICS. NOW THEY HAVE THE CHANCE HERE TO COME TO PARIS, BECAUSE THIS IS A REAL OLYMPICS. WE HAVE THE OLYMPIC KNOWLEDGE AND AN OPENING CEREMONY. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER AND SEEING WHAT THEY CAN DO ON COMPETITION DAY. CONGRATULATIONS, AND ENJOY YOUR OPENING CEREMONY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THOSE ARE YOUR FLAG BEARERS. AARON WAS ASKED WHETHER HE WOULD CUT HIS FAMOUS MULLET. AS WIFE HAS ENCOURAGED HIM NOT TO MAKE SUCH A DRASTIC CHANGE, EVEN IF THIS IS THAT CHIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. PERHAPS IT WILL CATCH ON. ALL THE NEEDS IS A HAIRTIE. E HAERE AKE NEI ` BOOTCAMPS ARE BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT AGAIN. WHY THERE ARE FRESH CONCERNS ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S UPCOMING TRIAL FOLLOWING THE ABUSE IN STATE CARE REPORT. (DANCE MUSIC) HOKI MAI ANO, WELCOME BACK. THE CONTROVERSIAL THREE MONTH MILITARY-STYLE BOOT CAMP PILOT IS SET TO START ON MONDAY. THE POLICY'S ALREADY FACED A LOT OF FIERCE CRITICISM. BUT ADDING FUEL TO THE FIRE, WEDNESDAY'S ABUSE IN STATE CARE REPORT. ONE CASE STUDY FROM THE REPORT HIGHLIGHTED A BOOT CAMP ON AOTEA GREAT BARRIER ISLAND WHERE CHILDREN WERE SUBJECT TO HORRIFIC SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE, FORCED TO DIG TRENCHES THEY THOUGHT WERE THEIR OWN GRAVES. PRIME MINISTER CHRISTOPHER LUXON SAYS HIS BOOT CAMP POLICY IS VERY, VERY DIFFERENT. FOR MORE WE'RE JOINED BY RANGITANE MAORI EDUCATION EXPERT PROFESSOR. MEIHANA DURIE. MORENA, MEIHANA. THANKS FOR JOINING US. THE FIRST THING WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT IS THE FACT THAT HIS MILITARY STYLE BOOT CAMP IS ACTUALLY BEING SET UP IN YOUR ROHE. HOW MUCH ENGAGEMENT WAS THERE, THEN, BETWEEN MANA WHENUA AND ORANGA TAMARIKI? I THINK THE FIRST THING TO SAY IS THAT THE ENGAGEMENT WITH RANGITANE HAPPENED QUITE LATE IN THE PIECE. HAD WE BEEN ENGAGED EARLIER, WE WOULD HAVE SIGNALLED CONCERNS ABOUT THIS TYPE OF APPROACH TO ENGAGING AND WORKING WITH RANGATAHI. AND ONE OF THE INHERENT RISKS OF A BOOT CAMP STYLE APPROACH IS THAT IT IS ACTUALLY REFLECTED THERE IN IDEOLOGY POPULARISED BY THE US MARINES IN THE 50S AND 60S. THAT PRESENT SIGNIFICANCE CONCERNS FOR US AS RANGITANE. WE ARE THE DESCENDANTS OF TUPUNA HER BROUGHT ABOUT A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF RECONCILIATION, WHICH SPEAKS TO THE KAUPAPA. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF MEASURE THAT IS OBVIOUSLY BEING PLACED UPON THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROGRAM ` 9/10 OF WHOM ARE MAORI, AND I GUESS THE QUESTION THAT WE HAVE AS AN IWI AS A PILOT PROGRAM IS WHAT OF THE PROGRAM IS DEEMED TO BE A FAILURE, WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY OUR RANGATAHI MAORI WHO ARE ALREADY VULNERABLE AND AT RISK. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS RESPONDED TO... SIMILAR COMMENTS LIKE YOURS, POST TO THE RELEASE OF THE ABUSE IN STATE CARE REPORT. HE SAYS WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS EERIE, VERY DIFFERENT. IN THIS CASE, WE HAVE SENIOR PSYCHOLOGISTS. WE INVOLVE THE WHANAU, OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO HIS RESPONSE? I THINK YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT IS TO SAY THAT CENTRAL TO THE PLAN AND DESIGN OF ANY RANGATAHI-CENTERED PROGRAMME IS THE NEED TO HAVE KAUPAPA MAORI EXPERTS. ABSOLUTELY PIVOTAL THAT THE SURVIVORS OF STATE CARE HAVE A HAND IN THE DESIGN AND THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS MIGHT BE. AND THIRDLY, THE VOICES OF RANGATAHI THEMSELVES NEEDS TO BE CLEARLY HEARD. I THINK YOUR GUESTS YESTERDAY WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ` IN ORDER TO REDUCE INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA, WE HAVE TO HAVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOT ONLY ABOUT WHANAU, BUT ALSO, TO A DEGREE, INFORMED BY WHANAU. WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE WORK IN THIS FIELD, WHO HAVE REALLY UNDERTAKEN IN RECENT YEARS SOME AMAZING WORK, ABOUT WHAT A KAUPAPA MAORI APPROACH TO CARE LOOKS LIKE, IT'S IMPORTANT WE DON'T FORGET THE PLACE OF KAUPAPA MAORI. WE KNOW THE ENGAGEMENT OF RANGATAHI MAORI WORKS. WE ALSO KNOW THAT WHAKAMANGA COMES WHAKAMARA - ENLIGHTENMENT. FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF RANGATAHI MAORI, IT IS ABSOLUTE PIVOTAL. GOING TO WRAP THINGS UP BY POSING THE QUESTION ` DO YOU THINK BOOT CAMPS CAN HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT WITHOUT THE HARM? IF WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE EARLY, WE WOULD HAVE SAID NO. THE ONLY PLACE WILL BUT COUNTERS FOR THOSE WHO SEEK TO BECOME PROFESSIONAL SOLDIERS. RANGATAHI HERE WHO ARE PRODUCTS OF THE SYSTEM, ALL OF THE RISKS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THE KAUPAPA MAORI APPROACH. THE PLACE OF MANA WHENUA IN THIS INSTANCE... IT IS TO ENSURE GOOD OUTCOMES FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. MAORI EDUCATION EXPERT, TENA KOE. KIA ORA. IN A STATEMENT, CHIEF CHILDREN?S COMMISSIONER, DR CLAIRE ACHMAD SAYS A MURI I NGA WHAKATAIRANGA ` YOUR 7.30 NEWS, SPORT AND WEATHER. INCLUDING THAT ALL-IMPORTANT ALL BLACKS SEVENS RESULT. STAY WITH US. THERE WILL BE NO MEDAL FOR THE MEN'S SEVENS TEAM IN PARIS, KNOCKED OUT BY SOUTH AFRICA THIS MORNING. GUY HEVELDT JOINS US NOW FROM PARIS. WHAT'S HAPPENED, GUY? BONJOUR, MELISSA. HOW THE BUBBLE CAN BURST ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY. THEY HAVE BEEN BEATEN 14 POINT TOSIMPL INSTANTANEOUSLY. THEY HAVE BEEN 14 POINTS TO 7. THERE WAS SOME MISHANDLING AND SOME BAD TACKLES AS WELL. THEY CAME BACK TO BEAT IRELAND THIS MORNING. THEY HAVE BEEN KNOCKED OUT NOW, AND THEY WILL NOT BE WINNING A MEDAL ` A DISAPPOINTING RESULT FOR 18 THAT FINISHED THIRD IN THE WORLD SERIES AND LOOKED PRETTY GOOD ON DAY ONE, AND THEN SUFFERED A COUPLE OF INJURIES TO 2 PLAYERS WHO DID NOT PLAY TODAY. THE ALL BLACKS SEVENTH ARE OUT OF CONTENTION. NEW ZEALAND WILL HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER DAY FOR A MEDAL OPPORTUNITY. AFTER A BUILD UP DOMINATED BY ALLEGATIONS OF SPYING, THE FOOTBALL FERNS HAVE FALLEN TO CANADA 2-1 IN THEIR FIRST GAME OF THEIR OLYMPIC CAMPAIGN. MACKENZIE BARRY SURPRISING THE DEFENDING OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS WITH THE FIRST GOAL. SWINGER, BROUGHT DOWN NICELY. OH, THAT IS LOVELY. NEW ZEALAND TAKE THE LEAD FROM A SET PIECE. BUT CANADA HIT BACK TO TAKE THE WIN. NEW ZEALAND'S NEXT MATCH IS AGAINST COLOMBIA ON MONDAY. SAILOR JO ALEH AND CYCLIST AARON GATE WILL CARRY THE NEW ZEALAND FLAG AT THE OPENING CEREMONY. THE PAIR NAMED FLAGBEARERS AT A NEW ZEALAND TEAM FUNCTION IN PARIS THIS MORNING. ALEH WILL COMPETE IN THE 49ER FX CLASS AT THESE OLYMPICS, LOOKING TO ADD TO A GOLD MEDAL FROM THE LONDON GAMES I THINK THE TRANSITION FROM COACHING LAST TIME BACK TO BEING AN ATHLETE IS ACTUALLY REALLY COOL. I THINK I CAN TAKE A LOT MORE AND NOW ` JUST NOTICING HOW BIG THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE IS. AS AN ATHLETE, YOU ARE FOCUSED ON THE PERFORMANCE. NOW I CAN TAKE IT IN AND ENJOY HOW AMAZING THIS IS. GATE IS NEW ZEALAND'S MOST SUCCESSFUL COMMONWEALTH GAMES ATHLETE AND ALSO CLAIMED BRONZE IN THE TEAM PURSUIT IN LONDON 2012. A VERY SPECIAL MOMENT, AND ONE THAT DEFINITELY TOOK ME BY SURPRISE. IT DOESN'T FEEL THAT LONG AGO THAT I WAS RACING IN LONDON. IT'S BEEN A BIT OF A JOURNEY, AND THIS IS A NICE TOKEN FOR ME PERSONALLY, AND I WILL VERY PROUDLY CARRY THIS FLAG FOR NEW ZEALAND AS WE START THE OLYMPICS AND GO WITH HOPEFULLY OUR STRONGEST EVER TEAM TO THE PARIS OLYMPICS. THE CEREMONY TO OFFICIALLY OPEN THE PARIS GAMES WILL TAKE PLACE EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. FURTHER CRITICISM IS BEING FIRED TOWARDS THE GOVERNMENT, WITH CONTROVERSIAL MILITARY STYLE BOOT CAMP PILOT STARTING ON MONDAY. THE POLICY IS FACING INCREASING BACKLASH FOLLOWING THIS WEEK'S ABUSE IN STATE CARE REPORT, AFTER A BOOT CAMP WAS HIGHLIGHTED FOR SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE. PRIME MINISTER CHRISTOPHER LUXON IS DEFENDING HIS BOOT CAMP POLICY, SAYING 'IT'S VERY DIFFERENT.' BUT A RANGITANE MAORI EDUCATION EXPERT SAYS THE POLICY IS DETRIMENTAL. WELL, I THINK IF WE HAD HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE EARLY, WE WOULD HAVE SAID NO. AS AN IWI, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A PLACE FOR BOOT CAMPS, AND THAT PLACE IS FOR THOSE WHO SEEK TO BECOME PROFESSIONAL SOLDIERS. HOWEVER, WE'RE DEALING HERE WITH RANGATAHI WHO ARE PRODUCTS OF THE SYSTEM, THE PRODUCTS IN SOME WAYS OF THEIR OWN SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION AND ALL OF THE RISKS THAT ARE ATTRIBUTED TO THAT. 10 YOUNG PEOPLE, NINE OF THEM MAORI, WILL START THE THREE-MONTH MILITARY-STYLE PILOT AT ORANGA TAMARIKI'S NORTH YOUTH JUSTICE RESIDENCE. AN OUT OF CONTROL WILDFIRE IN CALIFORNIA HAS GROWN TO OVER 18,000ha. FIREFIGHTERS HAVE ONLY MANAGED TO CONTAIN 3% OF THE FIRE SO FAR, WHICH HAS BEEN FUELLED BY STRONG WINDS. A MAN (48) HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH STARTING THE FIRE. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO EVACUATE FROM THE AREA. AN EXPLOSION AT A TEQUILA PLANT IN CENTRAL MEXICO HAS LEFT SIX WORKERS DEAD. THE BLAST HAPPENED IN A 500,000-LITRE TANK AT THE FACILITY, LOCATED IN THE LIQUOR'S HOME TOWN OF TEQUILA. AT LEAST TWO OTHER TANKS COLLAPSED, AND SEVERAL OTHER STAFF MEMBERS WERE INJURED. THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION REMAINS UNKNOWN. AUTHORITIES ARE DESPERATELY TRYING TO CONTAIN AN OIL SPILL OFF THE PHILIPPINES COAST AFTER TYPHOON GAEMI CAUSED A TANKER TO SINK IN MANILA BAY. THE TANKER WAS CARRYING 1.5 MILLION TONS OF FUEL, AND THE RESULTING OIL SLICK HAS ALREADY SPREAD 4km. EFFORTS TO CONTAIN THE SPILL HAVE BEEN HAMPERED BY HIGH WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS. GAEMI HAS NOW MADE LANDFALL IN MAINLAND CHINA AFTER LEAVING WIDESPREAD DESTRUCTION ACROSS THE PHILIPPINES AND TAIWAN. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE MARKETS. (FUNKY MUSIC) AND TAKING A LOOK AT YOUR WEATHER THIS MORNING. TO THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY ` A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR MOST OF THE REGION. KAITAIA AND AUCKLAND, EXPECT SOME EARLY SHOWERS CLEARING TO SUNNY SKIES. LOVELY AFTERNOON FOR ALL OF YOU. 16 THE HIGH FOR THE REGION. FURTHER SOUTH ` TAURANGA AND WHAKATANE, YOU'RE IN FOR SUNSHINE ALL DAY. ELSEWHERE, MORNING FOG TO START YOUR FRIDAY, BUT YOU WILL BE TREATED TO BLUE SKIES IN THE AFTERNOON. 14 THE HIGH FOR ROTORUA, HAMILTON AND TOKOROA. TO THE EAST COAST ` IT'S GLORIOUS START TO THE WEEKEND FOR THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY. WARM, SUNNY SKIES FOR YOUR FRIDAY. 17 THE HIGH FOR GISBORNE. 14 IN DANNEVIRKE. OVER TO THE WEST ` SCATTERED CLOUDS TO START THE MORNING FOR MOST OF THE REGION, CLEARING TO SUNSHINE IN THE AFTERNOON. TAUMARUNUI, YOU'LL GET SOME SUN TOO BUT NOT BEFORE SOME MORNING FOG. 17 THE HIGH FOR WHANGANUI. 15 IN NEW PLYMOUTH, PALMERSTON NORTH AND LEVIN. TO THE SOUTH ISLAND ` NELSON, BLENHEIM AND KAIKOURA, A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY FOR YOU. GREYMOUTH, HOKITIKA, EXPECT SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. THE TOP OF THIS REGION LOOKING THE PICK OF THE BUNCH ` 15 IN NELSON. HEADING SOUTH ` A BEAUTIFUL DAY ON THIS SIDE OF THE SOUTH ISLAND. SUNNY, BLUE SKIES FOR MOST OF THE REGION. OAMARU AND ALEXANDRA, YOU WILL HAVE SCATTERED CLOUDS THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY. HEADING FOR A HIGH OF 16 IN OAMARU. TO THE DEEP SOUTH ` MILFORD SOUND, GRAB A UMBRELLA. HEAVY SHOWERS TO START YOUR WEEKEND. DUNEDIN, YOU'LL GET SOME SUN, FOLLOWED BY CLOUDS IN THE AFTERNOON. 15 DEGREES IN GORE AND STEWART ISLAND. LOOKING AHEAD TO YOUR WEEKEND ` FOR YOUR SATURDAY, IT'S LOOKING TO BE A FINE DAY FOR THE COUNTRY. SUNNY SKIES, WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS FOR MOST OF AOTEAROA. TARANAKI, YOU CAN EXPECT SOME LIGHT SHOWERS. AND LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT YOUR SUNDAY ` FOR THE NORTH ISLAND, MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SUN THROUGHOUT THE DAY. FOR THE SOUTH, HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED FOR THE WEST COAST, ELSEWHERE, A CLOUDY DAY FOR MOST. NICE. THANK YOU, MELISSA. IT IS BREAKFAST TIME, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME BREAKFAST KAI. MATT GIBB HAS BEEN COOKING UP A STORM WITH MY FOOD BAG. MORENA, MATT. YET, YOU COULD SAY MATT GIBB HAS BEEN COOKING UP A STORM, BUT TO BE HONEST I HAVEN'T LIFTED A FINGER. IT IS ALL GO. YOU HAVE THE ROSTIS FLIPPING AT THE MOMENT. WE ARE CREATING THEIR MY FOOD BAG BREAKFAST BURGER. WITH THE OLYMPICS KICKING OFF TOMORROW MORNING, MY FOOD BAG ARE PUTTING OUT A SPECIAL RANGE OF BURGERS TO HELP KIWIS GET UP. ARE YOU READY? YOU'VE CREATED THE BURGER. WHAT IS IN HERE? TOMATO RELISH, ROCKET, BACON, HELLO ME AND HOLLANDAISE. AND A SPECIAL BUN FOR THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM. HALOUMI* SHALL BE HAVE A BITE TOGETHER? (LAUGHTER) ONE OF THE WEIRDEST THINGS I'VE EVER DONE ON LIVE TV, BUT DELICIOUS. I WANTED TO PURSUE IN THE POOL. SHE PUSHED A PAVLOVIAN INTO MY FACE LAST YEAR ` YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AROUND HER. THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH EATING ON LIVE TV. HOW ARE YOU GOING, MATE? GOOD THANK YOU. YOU ARE A MAN WHO KNOWS WHAT OUR TEAM... WHAT ARE THEY GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW? THEY ARE FEELING SOME NERVES. THIS IS SOMETHING MOST ATHLETES WILL HAVE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME. THEY WERE KIDS OR SINCE THEY DID AT THE LAST TIME, AND THEY JUST` THEY'VE GOT NERVES, BUT THEY WANT TO GET OUT THERE AND DO THEIR BEST ON THE WORLD STAGE. TELL ME ABOUT HIGH-PERFORMANCE SPORT NEW ZEALAND ` SUCH AN IMPORTANT THING FOR THESE YOUNG ATHLETES LOOKING TO BECOME OLYMPIANS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS SUPPORTING THESE SPORTS ORGANISATIONS, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES WHO PROVIDE THE COACHING, SUPPORT, TRAINING ENVIRONMENTS AND ACCESS TO DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS TO ALLOW THESE ATHLETES TO PROVE THEMSELVES AND CHASE THEIR DREAMS. HOW ARE WE GOING TO GO THIS YEAR? WHAT WILL THE GOLD COUNT BE? I'M NOT SURE IF I CAN TALK ABOUT NUMBERS, BUT WE HAVE SOME AMAZING ATHLETES AND WE WILL DO WELL. HAVE A LITTLE BITE. DANNY'S GOT ONE FOR YOU. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A BITE WITH ME AT THE SAME TIME LIKE ME AND NADIA DID. YOU CAN WIN THIS HUGE PRIZE PACK THANKS TO MY FOOD BAG. WE HAVE THE ULTIMATE MY FOOD BAG SUPPORTERS PACKS TO BE ONE. HEAD TO THE WEBSITE TO GET IN THE DRAWER BEFORE NEXT WEDNESDAY. WE WILL ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS NEXT THURSDAY. YOU'VE GOT YOUR BURGER THERE? YES. AMAZING. IT'S GOT THE SEAL OF APPROVAL FROM THE OLYMPIAN. WE ARE GOING TO STAND HERE AND HAD OUT 100 BURGERS ACROSS THE MORNING. IT DISAPPEARED, MATT GIBB, AFTER ASKING YOU TO SHARE A BURGER. NO MORE BACK PAIN. NOTHING A BREAKFAST BURGER CAN'T FIX. YOU JUST HAVE TO WARM UP THE BODY SOMETIMES. ME U TONU MAI ` WHAT'S BEHIND THE GOVERNMENT'S PLAN TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR MAORI TO MAKE CUSTOMARY CLAIMS ON COASTLINES? # IT'S CHEMICAL. # FEEL GOOD. WELCOME BACK TO BREAKFAST. DESPITE PLANNING TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR MAORI TO PROVE CUSTOMARY CLAIMS ON COASTLINES, THE GOVERNMENT SAYS IT WON'T REOPEN THE FORESHORE AND SEA BED DEBATE. IT WANTS TO TOUGHEN UP THE REQUIREMENT FOR GROUPS TO PROVE THEY'VE HAD 'EXCLUSIVE USE AND OCCUPATION' OF AN AREA SINCE THE TREATY WAS SIGNED. JUSTICE MINISTER PAUL GOLDSMITH SAYS THE HIGHER THRESHOLD REFLECTS THE 'VALUABLE RIGHTS' GIVEN TO CUSTOMARY MARINE TITLE HOLDERS. NATALIE COATES IS A PARTNER AT KAHUI LEGAL AND CO-PRESIDENT OF THE MAORI LAW SOCIETY. AND JOINS ME NOW. GOOD MORNING. MORENA. MORENA, DANIEL. CAN YOU BRIEFLY BREAK DOWN WHAT HAS LED TO THIS POINT? SURE. THE HISTORY OF THE TAKUTAIMOANA IS A LONG ONE. IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO THIS YEAR THAT THE FORESHORE AND SEABED ACT WAS PASSED AND THERE WAS A HUGE HIKOI THAT DESCENDED ON PARLIAMENT AS A RESULT OF THAT. THERE WAS A HUGE STRIPPING OF MAORI RIGHTS BY THE CROWN. FAST FORWARD TO 2011 WHERE THE LAW WAS PASSED AGAIN THAT TRADE TO BALANCE PUBLIC RATES AND INTEREST THROUGH GIVING PUBLIC THAT GUARANTEE OF ACCESS, NAVIGATION AND FISHING IN RELATION TO THE FORESHORE AND SEABED WHILE ALSO PROVIDING A FINAL FOR LIMITED MAORI RIGHTS TO BE RECOGNISED IN THAT AREA. SO MAORI FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS HAVE BEEN REALLY GOING THROUGH A PROCESS OF SEEKING TO HAVE THOSE RIGHTS RECOGNISED BY MEETING CERTAIN THRESHOLD TESTS THROUGH THE COURTS, THROUGH CONVERSATIONS AND GO FOR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT. WE ARE JUMPING THROUGH THOSE HOOPS, AND THE FRUIT IS COMING TO BEAR, AND WE ARE FINDING THAT THE BAR IS BEING LIFTED AGAIN. THAT IS GOING TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR MURRAY TO GAIN THOSE RIGHTS OVER THAT AREA, DESPITE BEING ENGAGED IN THAT PROCESS TO HAVE THOSE RIGHTS. WHEN WE HEAR THE WORDS EXCLUSIVE USE, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? THE CURRENT TEST REQUIRES THAT MAORI SHOW, IN RELATION TO THE MOANA, THAT THEY HOLD THE AREA IN ACCORDANCE WITH TIKANGA AND THAT THEY EXCLUSIVELY USE AND HAVE EXCLUSIVELY USED AND OCCUPIED THAT AREA SINCE 1840. THAT IS THE CURRENT TEST, AND HOPES THAT MAORI HAD BEEN MEETING WITHIN THAT SPACE. THE REACTION THAT IS COMING FROM THE GOVERNMENT IS HOW THOSE TESTS HAVE BEEN INTERPRETED BY THE COURTS. THE LEGISLATION, QUITE FRANKLY, IS A BIT OF A DOG'S BREAKFAST. BECAUSE WHILE YOU HAVE TO SHOW YOUR USE AND OCCUPATION, IT IS A GUARANTEE OF PUBLIC RIGHT. THE COURTS HAVE DONE THAT; THE GOVERNMENT JUST DOESN'T LIKE HOW THEY'VE DONE IT. I'M TRYING TO GET MY HEAD AROUND THAT AND IT IS QUITE TRICKY. PAUL GOLDSMITH SAYS THE THRESHOLD MUST BE HIGH, BECAUSE HOLDERS OF THE LAND TITLES CAN REFUSE RESOURCE CONSENTS. THERE ARE LIMITED RIGHTS THAT ATTACHED TO HAVING TITLES IN THIS AREA ONCE YOU PROVE USING THOSE TESTS. HAVING THE PERMISSION RATE AND BEING ABLE TO SAY NO TO PARTICULAR ACTIVITIES IN THOSE SPACES IS ONE OF THOSE RIGHTS. TO PUT IN PERSPECTIVE, PUBLIC RATES HAVE BEEN BALANCE IN THE SPACE ` PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT, THEY HAVE FISHING RIGHTS. BUT WHEN MAORI ARE ACTUALLY GETTING SOME POWER AND CONTROL THROUGH RECOGNITION, THAT IS SEEN AS A BAD THING. AND SO IN MY MIND WHAT HE IS EFFECTIVELY SAYING IS LET'S PRIORITISE COMMERCIAL RATES IN THAT SPACE, AND LONG HELD MAORI PROPERTY RIGHTS THAT WERE BEGINNING TO BE ESTABLISHED WILL BE PUSHED BACK. IN TERMS OF WHAT IT WILL DO AS YOU HAVE HAD ANOTHER OF IWI ALREADY HEARD. NINE OF THEM. EFFECTIVELY THEY ARE SAYING WE ARE GOING TO RAISE THE BAR FOR EVERYONE ELSE. THERE IS A HUGE INEQUITY NOT ONLY IN THAT, BUT IT WILL STRENGTH THE AREAS OVER WHICH MAORI CAN GET THOSE RIGHTS. THAT IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CONFISCATION BY STEALTH. E WHAI AKE NEI ` THOUSANDS OF NEW ZEALANDERS ARE LIVING WITH HEPATITIS C. HOW A QUICK FINGER PRICK TEST COULD SAVE LIVES. I GOT THERE. (UPBEAT MUSIC) WELCOME BACK TO BREAKFAST. AS MANY AS 25,000 NEW ZEALANDERS ARE LIVING WITH HEPATITIS C. A QUARTER OF THEM DON'T KNOW THEY'RE INFECTED. IT'S WHY, AHEAD OF WORLD HEPATITIS C DAY, POP-UP CLINICS ARE APPEARING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, OFFERING QUICK FINGER PRICK TESTS. WE'RE AT ONE OF THOSE POP-UPS THIS MORNING, JOINED BY CLINICAL HEPATITIS C EXPERT DR ED GANE, ALONGSIDE MIKE PREVEZIOTIS, WHO WAS BEEN CURED OF THE INFECTION. MORENA. THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. TELL ME ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN THAT IS GOING ON AT THE MOMENT. MORENA, JENNY-MAY. THIS CAMPAIGN IS VERY IMPORTANT. WE ARE RELAUNCHING IT AFTER TWO YEARS BECAUSE IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO FIND THOSE 25,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING WITH HEPATITIS C AND DO NOT KNOW IT, BECAUSE WITHOUT DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT, MANY OF THEM WILL GET COMPLICATIONS AND DIE FROM IT. GETTING TESTED LIKE THIS AS THOSE IN BOWL, * IS SO SIMPLE IT IS A FINGER PRICK TEST, AND YOU KNOW THE RESULT IMMEDIATELY. IF IT IS POSITIVE, YOU CAN BE LINKED TO TREATMENT. POSITIVE TESTS ARE A GOOD THING, BECAUSE THERE IS A CURE, AND IT CAN PREVENT NASTY COMPLICATIONS SUCH AS LIVER CANCER. A NEGATIVE TEST IS ALSO REALLY GOOD, BECAUSE YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU CANNOT INFECT OTHERS, AND YOU KNOW YOU CANNOT GET COMPLICATIONS. IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET PEOPLE TO GET TESTED. THE AIM OF THIS CAMPAIGN IS TO REALLY RAISE AWARENESS. MIKE, GOING FROM TALKING ABOUT RAISING AWARENESS, WHETHER WE CAN ACTUALLY HEAR YOUR STORY. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU FOUND OUT YOU HAD HEPATITIS C? SURE. I WAS A MUSICIAN IN AUCKLAND BACK IN THE 80S AND 90S, AND I USED TO GET UP TO A BIT OF RISKY BEHAVIOUR BACK THEN, AND I WAS TESTED A FEW TIMES BACK THEN, AND I WAS CLEAR, BUT I GUESS I TOOK SOME MORE RISKS, AND I KINDA FELT OKAY, I WAS GOING TO THE GYM A LOT AND FEELING GOOD, BUT I WOULD OFTEN GET REALLY HEAVY FATIGUE, AND EVENTUALLY I GOT TESTED AGAIN, AND IT WAS POSITIVE. IT WAS ABOUT 12 YEARS LATER. I GOT THE MEDICATION, AND IT WAS REALLY EFFECTIVE, AND HAD HARDLY ANY SIDE EFFECTS. THEY GOT RID OF IT IN THREE MONTHS, NOW I AM CLEAR AND HEALTHY AGAIN. BRILLIANT. I KNOW WE'RE COMING OUT A LITTLE BIT NOW, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO SEE ONE OF THESE TESTS BEING ADMINISTERED. WHILE WE ARE DOING THAT, I WONDER IF I CAN CONTINUE TO TALK TO YOU, MIKE. HOW DID YOU KNOW IN TERMS OF GETTING THE TEST, WASN'T KNOWN THAT YOU HAD HEPATITIS C? OR DID YOU SUSPECTED? NO. I WAS JUST WORKING AS A COUNSELLOR, AND BRIDGET CAME ALONG, AND SHE WAS DOING RANDOM TESTS, AND I THOUGHT I WOULD GET A TEST, AND I DID NOT THINK IT WOULD BE POSITIVE AT ALL, SO I WAS REALLY SURPRISED. I GOT A TEST, AND SURE ENOUGH IT WAS POSITIVE. THAT WAS THAT. WE HAVE JUST SEEN IT BEING ADMINISTERED. VERY EASY, AS YOU SAID. IT IS JUST A FINGER PRICK TEST, AND THAT IS PRETTY MUCH IT. IN TERMS OF THAT CAMPAIGN, THERE ARE JUST GOING TO BE LITTLE POP-UP PLACES AROUND THE COUNTRY OVER THE WEEKEND, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT IS RIGHT. THERE ARE GOING TO BE POP-UP STATIONS LIKE THIS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. BUT WE HAVE HAD FINGER PRICK TESTING STATIONS ALREADY UP AND RUNNING FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THE LAST 12 MONTHS ALONE, JUST UNDER 11,000 PEOPLE HAVE HAD A FINGER PRICK TEST FOR HEPATITIS C. BUT THEY CAMPAIGN IS GOING TO BE STARTING ON WORLD HEPATITIS DAY, WHICH IS SUNDAY, AND IT WILL BE A MAINSTREAM TELEVISION. IT WILL BE ONLINE AND WITH VIDEOS AND MESSAGING, AND ALSO ON THE RADIO. WE ARE REALLY GOING TO TRY AND RUN THIS FOR SEVEN MONTHS TO TARGET OUR AT-RISK POPULATION AND REALLY HAVE A CALL TO ACTION. WE REALLY WANT TO NORMALISE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT HEPATITIS C, GETTING TESTED AND GETTING TREATED. TODAY HOPEFULLY IS THE START OF THAT. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JENNY-MAY. WORLD HEPATITIS DAY IS ON SUNDAY, AND THEY CAMPAIGN IS STICK IT TO HEP C. ALSO COMING UP NEXT YEAR, A SPORTS ARE GOING TO BE RECOGNISED AS AN OLYMPIC SPORT. IT WILL BE HELD IN SAUDI ARABIA NEXT YEAR. IT IS GOT US TALKING ABOUT WHETHER E SPORTS OUR SPORT. LAUREN SAYS, SHE THINKS AS WELL AS E SPORTS, MOTOR RACING SHOULD BE PART OF THE OLYMPICS. KAREN, YOU ARE SOUNDING LIKE A KAREN, TIDDLYWINKS. IF THAT IS WHAT TAKES YOUR FANCY, WHY DO YOU NOT PUT THAT IN? ANYTHING CAN BE DEEMED AS SPORT. NO, THERE IS A DEFINITION OF SPORT. IT HAS TO HAVE A COMPETITIVE ELEMENT TO IT. IT HAS TO HAVE A SCORE. THERE HAS TO BE PHYSICAL EXERTION. BUT THAT COULD BE SKILL WISE AS WELL. REESE, IF IT IS E SPORTS, CAN THEY NOT DISPLAY THEM ONLINE AT HOME? THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION. WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, AND I KNOW THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN HIGH-LEVEL CONVERSATIONS AROUND WHAT WOULD A FUTURE OLYMPICS LOOK LIKE. WE HAVE AN E BLACKS TEAM. THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN GOLD. IT IS NOT THEN THAT HAVE DECIDED THAT THEY CAN GO TO THE OLYMPICS; THE OLYMPICS HAVE SAID, YES, THIS CAN BE AN OLYMPIC SPORT. THEY WILL PROBABLY HAVE MORE SUCCESS. THAT IS ENOUGH. IT IS DISAPPOINTING. NEW ZEALAND'S BEEN BUNDLED OUT OF THE MEN'S SEVENS IN PARIS, BEATEN BY SOUTH AFRICA IN THE QUARTER-FINALS THIS MORNING. GUY HEVELDT WATCHED IT ALL UNFOLD AND JOINS US NOW. WHAT'S HAPPENED, GUY? NOT SUCH A GOOD NIGHT FOR THE ALL BLACK SEVENS. THEY HAVE BEEN BEATEN BY SOUTH AFRICA IN THE QUARTER-FINALS. THEY LOOKED LIKE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TEAM TODAY. THEY SCRAPED AGAINST IRELAND IN THE EARLIER POOL GAME, AND THIS GAME THEY WERE DOWN 14 POINTS TO NIL. THEY SCORED JUST ON HALF-TIME, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE IMPETUS. THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PACE, THEY WERE VERY POOR AT THEIR HANDS IN TERMS OF HOLDING ONTO THE BALL AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES. THIS IS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ALL BLACKS SEVENS. I SPOKE TO YOU ON DAY ONE, AND THIS IS THE TYPE OF THING THAT COULD WIN GOLD, BUT THEY CAN ALSO BE BUNDLED UP IN THE QUARTER-FINALS. AFTER YESTERDAY'S PERFORMANCE, I WAS NOT ANTICIPATING IT WAS GOING TO BE THE LATTER. NO MEDAL FOR THAT SEVENS TEAM. AFTER A BUILD UP DOMINATED BY ALLEGATIONS OF SPYING, THE FOOTBALL FERNS HAVE LOST TO CANADA 2-1 IN THEIR FIRST GAME OF THEIR OLYMPIC CAMPAIGN. MACKENZIE BARRY SURPRISING THE DEFENDING OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS WITH THE FIRST GOAL. BUT CANADA HIT BACK TO TAKE THE WIN. NEW ZEALAND'S NEXT MATCH IS AGAINST COLOMBIA ON MONDAY. TO OTHER NEWS NOW, AND THE CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER IS SLAMMING THE GOVERNMENT'S MOVE TO REDUCE CHILD POVERTY REDUCTION TARGETS, LABELLING IT 'UNACCEPTABLE'. THE COALITION HAS SET TWO OF ITS THREE REDUCTION TARGETS LESS AMBITIOUS THAN PREVIOUS GOALS, WITH CRITICS SAYING IT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAVE 24,000 CHILDREN IN MATERIAL HARDSHIP. THE CHIEF CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER WASN'T TOLD OF THE CHANGES AND SAYS IT'S A MOVE BACKWARDS. I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT WHAT I AM SEEING HERE, IN TERMS OF THESE TARGETS HAVING ACTUALLY BEEN RAISED, WHICH MEANS THAT AMBITION IS LOW WHEN IT COMES TO REDUCING CHILD POVERTY. IN A CHILD POVERTY REPORT RELEASED THIS YEAR, HARDSHIP STATISTICS WERE SITTING AT 12.5%, WHICH IS ABOVE THE NEW TARGETS. AN IWI LEADER IS CALLING OUT THE GOVERNMENT'S BOOTCAMP POLICY, SAYING IT'S DETRIMENTAL TO WHAKAPAPA. THE POLICY IS FACING INCREASING BACKLASH IN THE WAKE OF THIS WEEK'S ABUSE IN STATE CARE REPORT WHICH HIGHLIGHTED A BOOT CAMP FOR SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE. THE FIRST PILOT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S NEW POLICY BEGINS ON MONDAY, INVOLVING 10 YOUNG PEOPLE, NINE OF THEM MAORI. BUT A RANGITANE MAORI EDUCATION EXPERT SAYS THE CAMPS AREN'T CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE AND IWI WEREN'T CONSULTED. IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T FORGET THE PLACE OF KAUPAPA MAORI, PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF EDUCATION, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH RANGATAHI WORKS. WE ALSO KNOW THAT THROUGH POSTIVE ENGAGEMENT COMES EMPOWERMENT ` WHAKAMANA. AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT THROUGH MANA COMES WHAKAMARAMA ` ENLIGHTENMENT, AND EDUCATION. THE ABUSE IN CARE REPORT REVEALED PEOPLE WITH MILITARY BACKGROUNDS BROUGHT A CULTURE OF CONTROL, PUNISHMENT, PHYSICAL VIOLENCE AND VERBAL ABUSE. A MAORI LAW EXPERT IS WARNING THE GOVERNMENT OF MAJOR BACKLASH IF IT GOES AHEAD WITH PLANS TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR MAORI TO PROVE CUSTOMARY CLAIMS ON COASTLINES. THE COALITION GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN OPEN TO PROPOSING LEGISLATION TO OVERTURN A COURT OF APPEAL DECISION AND AMEND THE MARINE AND COASTAL AREA ACT. IT WANTS TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR GROUPS TO PROVE THEY'VE HAD 'EXCLUSIVE USE AND OCCUPATION' OF AN AREA SINCE THE TREATY WAS SIGNED. SO THE CURRENT TEST REQUIRES THAT MAORI SHOW, IN RELATION TO THE MOANA, THAT THEY HOLD IN ACCORDANCE WITH TIKANGA AND THAT THEY HAVE EXCLUSIVELY USED AND OCCUPIED THAT AREA SINCE 1840. JUSTICE MINISTER PAUL GOLDSMITH SAYS ALL NEW ZEALANDERS HAVE AN INTEREST IN COASTAL WATERS, WHICH IS WHY THE THRESHOLD WAS ALREADY HIGH. U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS WELCOMED ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU TO THE WHITE HOUSE THIS MORNING. THE TWO LEADERS MEETING AT A CRITICAL TIME FOR U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONS, WITH NETANYAHU HOPING TO BOLSTER AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR THE ONGOING WAR IN GAZA. IN THE MEETING, NETANYAHU THANKED PRESIDENT BIDEN FOR HIS CONTINUED SUPPORT OF ISRAEL. AS THE PARIS OLYMPICS RAMP UP, NEW ZEALAND'S PREPARING TO SEND A TEAM TO THE FIRST EVER E-SPORTS GAMES NEXT YEAR. THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY FOR SAUDI ARABIA TO HOST THE GAMES, REFLECTING THE GROWTH AND POPULARITY OF COMPETITIVE GAMING WORLDWIDE. THE PRESIDENT OF NEW ZEALAND E-SPORTS IS PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME, SAYING IT'S INCREDIBLY EXCITING ACTION. IT'S A MASSIVE DEAL FOR THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT, BECAUSE IT'S THE BIGGEST CHANGE THEY'VE MADE SINCE THE PARALYMPICS WERE SORT OF INTEGRATED INTO THE OLYMPICS. AND FOR THE E-SPORT COMMUNITY, IT'S REALLY MASSIVE. E-SPORT NEW ZEALAND WILL PROVIDE FRAMEWORKS AND PATHWAYS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COMPETE. AND FINALLY, 3000 RUBBER DUCKIES HAVE SAILED DOWN A CANAL IN CENTRAL LONDON AS PART OF AN ANNUAL RACE. THE DUCKS WERE LAUNCHED OFF A BRIDGE INTO PADDINGTON BASIN, WHERE THEY BOBBED 100m TOWARDS THE FINISH LINE. SPECTATORS COULD SPONSOR A DUCK IN THE RACE, WITH ALL FUNDS RAISED GOING TO A CHARITY FOR BABIES AND CHILDREN IN INTENSIVE CARE. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR WEATHER THIS MORNING. TO THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY ` A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR MOST OF THE REGION. KAITAIA AND AUCKLAND, EXPECT SOME EARLY SHOWERS CLEARING TO SUNNY SKIES. 16 THE HIGH FOR THE REGION. TAURANGA AND WHAKATANE, YOU'RE IN FOR SUNSHINE ALL DAY. ELSEWHERE, MORNING FOG TO START YOUR FRIDAY, BUT YOU WILL BE TREATED TO BLUE SKIES IN THE AFTERNOON. LOOKING LIKE A GREAT AFTERNOON. IT'S GLORIOUS START TO THE WEEKEND FOR THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY. WARM, SUNNY SKIES FOR YOUR FRIDAY. 17 THE HIGH FOR GISBORNE. OVER TO THE WEST ` SCATTERED CLOUDS TO START THE MORNING FOR MOST OF THE REGION, CLEARING TO SUNSHINE IN THE AFTERNOON. TAUMARUNUI, YOU'LL GET SOME SUN TOO BUT NOT BEFORE SOME MORNING FOG. 15 FOR NEW PLYMOUTH. TO THE SOUTH ISLAND ` NELSON, BLENHEIM AND KAIKOURA, A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY FOR YOU. GREYMOUTH, HOKITIKA, EXPECT SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. 13 ON THE COAST. HEADING SOUTH ` A BEAUTIFUL DAY ON THIS SIDE OF THE SOUTH ISLAND. SUNNY, BLUE SKIES FOR MOST OF THE REGION. OAMARU AND ALEXANDRA, YOU WILL HAVE SCATTERED CLOUDS THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY. TO THE DEEP SOUTH ` MILFORD SOUND, GRAB A UMBRELLA. HEAVY SHOWERS TO START YOUR WEEKEND. DUNEDIN, YOU'LL GET SOME SUN, FOLLOWED BY CLOUDS IN THE AFTERNOON. 17 THE HIGH FOR INVERCARGILL. LOOKING AHEAD TO YOUR WEEKEND ` FOR YOUR SATURDAY, IT'S LOOKING TO BE A FINE DAY FOR THE COUNTRY. SUNNY SKIES, WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS FOR MOST OF AOTEAROA. TARANAKI, YOU CAN EXPECT SOME LIGHT SHOWERS. AND LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT YOUR SUNDAY ` FOR THE NORTH ISLAND, MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SUN THROUGHOUT THE DAY. FOR THE SOUTH, HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED FOR THE WEST COAST, ELSEWHERE A CLOUDY DAY FOR MOST. THANKS, MELISSA. 100 YEARS AGO, A NZ TEAM OF FOUR ATHLETES WERE LED INTO THE 1924 PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES. SIR ARTHUR PORITT CLAIMED BRONZE. NEARLY 200 ATHLETES MAKE UP THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM. SO HOW MANY OF THEM ARE IN WITH A CHANCE OF A MEDAL? THE TOKYO OLYMPICS WERE OUR BEST EVER SHOWING, SO WILL WE GO BETTER? CHRIS CHANG AND MICHELLE PRENDIVILLE HAVE BEEN CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS. BONSOIR DO YOU BOTH. I HAVE NOT BEEN CRUNCHING ANY NUMBERS. I KNOW YOU HAVE. HAVE I? DO WE CALL THIS LOSS FOR THE SEVEN IS A DISASTER? IT IS HARD TO PUT IT INTO WORDS. WE WERE EXPECTING A LOT MORE FROM THIS TEAM. MY INITIAL REACTION WAS, WOW. IT IS PRETTY DISAPPOINTING FOR THIS TEAM. THEY WERE GOING INTO THE MATCH WITH A FEW INJURIES, COULD THEY PUT IT DOWN TO THAT? CHRIS IS NOT HAPPY WITH THAT. THEY GOT SILVER IN TOKYO AND WERE GUTTED ABOUT THAT. THEY WERE LOOKING LIKE GOOD GOLD MEDAL CONTENDERS. THAT HAS BEEN WIPED. CAN YOU LIFT THE MOOD? GIVE US SOME HOPE. I CAN DO JUST THAT. COMING UP THIS WEEKEND, WE HAVE ERIKA FAIRWEATHER IN THE POOL. SHE GOES INTO THIS IS ONE OF THE TOP FOUR. SHE IS RANKED AS ONE OF THE MEDAL CONTENDERS. THIS IS THE 400 M FREESTYLE EVENT. IT IS A REALLY HARD ONE. I JUST THINK ERICA COULD DO IT. SHE IS 0.2 AWAY FROM THOSE TOP SWIMMERS. SHE JUST NEEDS ONE OF THEM TO CRUMBLE. WE ALSO HAVE LEWIS CLAREBURT. ARE YOU HEARING RUMOURS OR WHISPERS ON THE GROUND THAT HE IS HITTING SOME PRETTY REMARKABLE TIMES? I CAUGHT UP WITH HIM EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND HE HAS BEEN TRAINING WITH THE CURRENT WORLD RECORD HOLDER IN THE 400 M INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY. HE HAD BEEN DOING HIS TIMES AM TRYING TO BE THAT WORLD RECORD. THERE ARE MURMURS ON THE GROUND THAT HE IS CLOSE TO IT. IF NOT, HE COULD BEAT IT. WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE TENNIS. LULU HAD AN AMAZING WIMBLEDON. HOW ARE THEY FEELING ABOUT THE PROSPECTS? THIS IS A BRAND-NEW PAIRING. THEY WERE VERY EXCITED THIS MORNING. THEY HAVE ONLY BEEN TOGETHER FOR TWO DAYS. IT IS A TOUGH TASK, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE JUST FOUND OUT WHO THEY ARE UP AGAINST. THE NUMBER ONE SEED AND HER ITALIAN PARTNER. SHE WAS A WIMBLEDON FINALIST. IT IS QUITE HARD. ERIN HAS PLAYED THIS PAIRING BEFORE WITH COCO GAUFF. THEY LOST IN THREE SETS. BUT ROUTLIFFE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THEY COULD PUT UP THE GOOD FIGHT. THIS IS WHAT THEY SAID TO ME. WE ARE GOING TO FIGHT EVERY SINGLE MATCH TO GET TO THAT STAGE. I THINK IT IS TOUGH BECAUSE YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT MEDALS AND WINS, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO STAY PROCESS FOCUS ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE INSTEAD OF THE ULTIMATE GOAL. THE BIG THING I HAVE LEARNED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AS IF YOU DO THIS, THE SUCCESSFUL COME. I THINK WE ARE FOCUSED AND READY, AND WE ARE GOING TO FIGHT TILL THE END. IT WILL BE AN AMAZING STORY IF THEY COULD GO WELL IN THIS COMPETITION, AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN THE MEN'S, POTENTIALLY YOU COULD SEE A SECOND ROUND MATCH UP. THAT IS BETWEEN RAFAEL NADAL AND KNOW THAT DJOKOVIC. THAT WOULD BE A BLOCKBUSTER. IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN BANK ON? YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON DAME LISA CARRINGTON. SHE WILL BE TRYING TO DEFEND HER TITLE BOTH OF HER EVENTS. THEN THE K FOR 500. THESE GUYS GO IN AS WORLD CHAMPIONS. THREE MEDALS FROM LISA CARRINGTON, AND THE FLAG BEARER, AARON GATE. TOKYO WAS DISAPPOINTING FOR HIM. HE CRASHED OUT OF ONE OF HIS EVENTS AND BROKERS COLLARBONE. HE HAS UNFINISHED BUSINESS AT THESE GAMES, AND I THINK WE'LL SEE THAT FLYING MULLET FLY. THE KENTUCKY WATERFALL. IT IS A BIT FACETIOUS, BECAUSE AS YOU HAVE SEEN WITH THE SEVENS, IT TAKES A LITTLE SOMETHING, A CRASH, SOMETHING TO GO WRONG, A PUNCTURED TYRE, AND IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS, IT IS YOUR OLYMPICS OVER. IT IS EASY FOR US ON THE SIDELINES TO TALK ABOUT BANK THAT, BUT, ACTUALLY, WHEN IT COMES TO IT, THE MARGINS ARE SO FINE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYONE YOU ARE PARTICULARLY KEEPING AN ION WHO YOU ARE WANTING TO MEDAL, JENNY-MAY, DANIEL. I AM REALLY INTERESTED IN LISA CARRINGTON. SORRY, DAME LISA CARRINGTON, AND HOW THAT WILL PLAY OUT. WOMEN'S SEVENS. I LOVED MICHELLE'S DIPLOMATIC ANSWER WHEN HE SAID IT WAS A DISASTER THIS MORNING. BREATHE IN AND BREATHE OUT. LET'S NOT BE DIPLOMATIC, MICHELLE. IT WAS A DISASTER AND NOT A GOOD START. ARE YOU GOING TO WATCH THE OPENING CEREMONY? YOU ARE GOING TO GO. I AM HEADING ALONG. SEEING CELINE DION PERFORM, LADY GAGA. I AM VERY EXCITED. WE WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU LATER ON. YOU HAVE JUST HAD YOUR TIME ABOUT THE SEVENS TEAM. YES, IT WAS INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTING, BUT NOBODY GOES TO ANY EVENTS DO NOT PROGRESS THROUGH TO A GOLD-MEDAL. JUST CALM YOUR FARM. PROUD OF THEM. QUESTIONS WILL BE RAISED. ME U TONU MAI ` FROM THE TAURANGA BIRD SHOW TO THE PICKLES AND PRESERVES COMPETITION IN TIMARU, IT'S ALL GO THIS WEEKEND IN YOUR COMMUNITY. OUR COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD IS NEXT. # ROLLING IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. WE ARE IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY. IT'S TIME FOR OUR COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD WHERE WE POP AROUND THE COUNTRY TO SEE WHAT EVENTS ARE HAPPENING NEAR YOU THIS WEEKEND. FIRST UP ` CHIRP, CHIRP! THAT IS ME CALLING ALL BIRD LOVERS IN TAURANGA, THE ONES THAT FLY, NOT THE ONES THAT ARE... BECAUSE OVER 1000 BIRDS WILL BE FLOCKING TO BAY PARK STADIUM FOR THE TOP FLIGHT NATIONAL BIRD SHOW. WE'RE JOINED BY ORGANISER SHERYL BARON. MORENA. TELL US MORE. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT? YOU CAN EXPECT THE BEST BIRD SHOW IN THE COUNTRY FOR A LONG TIME. IT IS A VERY BIG SHOW. 1439 BIRDS ENTERED. LOTS AND LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK FROM A LOCAL SCHOOL ON THE WALLS, AND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE, AS YOU CAN HEAR IN THE BACKGROUND. WE CAN SEE THE BEAUTIFUL ART DISPLAY BEHIND YOU, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE A FRIEND WITH YOU. CAN YOU INTRODUCE THEM? THIS IS MARTIN. HE IS THE COMANAGER AND A LOCAL AVIAN VET. HE IS HERE BECAUSE HE PROBABLY KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE SHOW THEN I DO. HE IS THE SHOW MANAGER. TALK TO US ABOUT THE LOGISTICS BEHIND PLANNING THIS, AND WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO GET OUT OF IT? AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WITH 1400 BIRDS THAT ARE SITTING IN A HALL THAT IS ABOUT HALF THE SIZE OF A RUGBY FIELD, SO WE HAVE TO TRY AND JUGGLE THINGS AROUND TO KEEP ALL OF THE INTERESTING BIRDS ALL IN THE SAME AREA. THERE IS A LOT OF ORGANISING PEOPLE TO GET HERE AND DROP THEM OFF. AND THE WEATHER IS LOVELY AND SUNNY. IT IS PERFECT. YOU HAVE GOT 1400 BIRDS. HOW LOUD DOES IT GET? WE CAME DOWN THE QUIET END WITH THE CANARIES TO DO THIS. AT THE OTHER END, WHETHER PARROTS ARE, WE COULD NOT HEAR YOU. DO YOU ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BRING AIR PLUGS IN CASE IT GETS TOO LOUD? MY SON SAID TO ME YESTERDAY THAT WE SHOULD INSTRUCT THE HELPERS TO WEAR SOME HEARING DEVICES, BECAUSE IT IS LOUD. I LOVE IT. ALL THE BEST FOR THIS WEEKEND. IT'S TIME TO DANCE! BUT IT'S NOT YOUR USUAL DANCING YOU'LL BE DOING IN HAVELOCK NORTH; YOU'LL BE NUTURING YOUR BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT WITH SOME ESTATIC DANCE. SAY WHAT? FOR MORE, WE'RE JOINED BY ORGANISER AMANDA SOWERSBY. WHAT IS ECSTATIC DANCING? THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL, CONSCIOUS DANCE MOVEMENTS. YOU ARE HELD IN A SPACE, THERE IS NO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND ALL AGES CAN COME. YOU GET TAKEN ON THIS REALLY COOL WAY FOR A JOURNEY WITH THE BEAUTIFUL BEATS. YOU START OFF WITH STILLNESS, KIND OF LIKE THE NEW MOON. AND THEN YOU BUILD UP WITH THE TEMPO OF THE BEATS, AND IT STARTS TO WAX UP TO THE FULL MOON, LIKE A WAVE FORMING. YOU REALLY GET INTO IT. YOU CLIMAX WITH SOME FUN BEATS, AND THEN YOU GET TAKEN DOWN SLOWLY. BACK DOWN TO STILLNESS. YOU JUST MOVE YOUR BODY, AND IT CAN RELEASE BLOCKAGES. IT IS FOR ALL AGES. IT IS FUN, BUT YOU FEEL REALLY GOOD MOVING YOUR BODY. I IMAGINE YOU HAVE TO BE SOMEONE WHO JUST CAN KIND OF LET GO. I IMAGINE THAT IS WHERE YOU WANT TO GET TO IN THE END, IF YOU ARE TAKING YOUR BODY THROUGH THIS WAVE OF MOVEMENT FROM JUST GENTLE THROUGH TO, I DON'T KNOW, LETTING YOURSELF GO. HOW LONG DOES IT GO FOR? HOW DO PEOPLE GET INVOLVED? THIS SESSION GOES FOR TWO HOURS. I HAVE SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL TONIGHT. WE HAVE A CEREMONY TONIGHT TO START WITH. IT IS WITH CACAO. WE HAVE SOUND HEALING WITH DRUMS AND FLUTES AND GONGS. IT IS TO RELEASE BLOCKAGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND YOU FEEL REALLY GOOD. AND THEN I WILL DO AND OUR DANCE SET. WE ALLOW PEOPLE JUST TO LET GO WITH THE MUSIC. WHEN THE BEATS GET FASTER, PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO MOVE. AMANDA, I LOVE IT. I REALLY LOVE IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, AMANDA. PICKLES, OR GHERKINS ` YOU EITHER LOVE THEM OR HATE THEM. BUT IF YOU'RE A FAN OF THEM, YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO BE IN TIMARU FOR HECTOR BLACK'S 5th ANNUAL PICKLES AND PRESERVES COMPETITION! WE'RE JOINED BY ORGANISER TIM BLACK. MORENA. TELL US ALL ABOUT IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TELL ME ABOUT THE COMPETITION. THE COMPETITION IS ON SUNDAY. IT IS THE 15 YOUR COMPETITION. SO FAR WE HAVE ABOUT 40 ENTRIES. WE HAD ABOUT 90 LAST YEAR. WE ARE WAITING FOR A FEW MORE TO COME IN. BUT WE HAVE A PRETTY DIVERSE RANGE. TIM, I HAVE TO STOP YOU. I NEED YOU TO COME A BIT CLOSER. WE ARE HAVING A BIT OF TROUBLE WITH YOUR SOUND, SO WE'RE LOSING YOU A BIT. YOU JUST SAID YOU HAVE HAD 40 ENTRIES. YES, AND WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THE FEES AT NIGHT. TIM, I AM SO SORRY. WE ARE HAVING A FEW SOUND ISSUES. THE COMPETITION STARTS TOMORROW AND IS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TRY LOTS OF GHERKINS AND PICKLES. YOU CAN STILL ENTER, I THINK, TONIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SORRY ABOUT THAT. HE WAS IN A BIT OF A PICKLE. THAT IS OKAY. THAT IS A GOOD ONE. I AM ALL ABOUT THE DANCING. AND THE BIRDS. YUCK. WHAT'S HAPPENING NEAR YOU NEXT WEEKEND? LET US KNOW ` MARKETS, EVENTS, FESTIVALS. HEAD TO whatsonbreakfast.co.nz TWEET, TWEET. I DON'T KNOW. I AM TOTALLY INTO THE DANCING. I AM NOT SURE I COULD COMPLETELY LET MYSELF GO TO JUST BE WILD. LIKE MATT GIBB. A MURI I NGA WHAKATAIRANGA ` YOUR 8.30 NEWS, SPORT AND WEATHER. PLUS, MATT GIBB'S BEEN PUTTING TOGETHER THE FINAL TOUCHES TO HIS BURGER. HE HAD A SORE BACK, AND A MIRACLE HAPPENED. WE ARE WARMING UP. THIS IS THE NEW ZEALAND SECONDARY SCHOOLS FORMING CHAMPIONSHIPS. SOME FUTURE OLYMPIANS OUT THERE, YOU RECKON? PROBABLY. NO DOUBT, THEY WILL BE VERY HUNGRY. SWIMMING, TEENAGERS. I THINK WE SHOULD PICK THEM UP SOME BURGERS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO WIN AN INCREDIBLE PRIZE PACK, HEAD TO THE WEBSITE. DO THAT RIGHT NOW DURING THE BREAK. WE WILL SEE YOU AFTER THE NEWS, NEW ZEALAND'S BEEN BUNDLED OUT OF THE MEN'S SEVENS IN PARIS, BEATEN BY SOUTH AFRICA IN THE QUARTER-FINALS. THE SOUTH AFRICANS, WHO ONLY SCRAPED INTO THE KNOCK-OUT ROUNDS AS THE 8th-RANKED TEAM, JUMPED OUT TO A 14-0 LEAD. THE KIWIS COULD PEG THEM BACK, COULDN'T* MEANING NO MEDAL THIS TIME FOR THE TOKYO SILVER MEDALLISTS. CAPTAIN SCOTT CURRY SAYING IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO PROCESS THE DISAPPOINTING RESULT. YEAH. A LOT OF THOSE BOYS ARE, YOU KNOW... (SIGHS) THEY'RE IN TEARS WALKING OFF THERE. GIVE EVERYTHING THEY HAVE FOR FOUR YEARS, TO KNOCK OUT IN THIS QUARTER-FINAL, IT'S TOUGH, MAN, BUT I GUESS THAT'S SEVENS, LIKE... WHEN YOU'RE 1% OFF ON YOUR DAY, YOU GET BEATEN, AND WE JUST WERE TODAY. THE FOOTBALL FERNS HAVE LOST THEIR OPENING MATCH, BEATEN 2-1 BY CANADA. IT FOLLOWS THE SPYING SCANDAL INVOLVING THE TWO TEAMS. JORDAN OPPERT SPOKE WITH THE FERNS AND SENT THIS UPDATE. THE WORLD'S MEDIA DESCENDED HERE TODAY FOR WHAT WILL GO DOWN AS AN INFAMOUS MATCH BETWEEN THE NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL FERNS AND CANADA, THE DEFENDING OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS, WHO ARE AT THE CENTRE OF A MAJOR SCANDAL HERE IN PARIS. AS WE KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN CAUGHT PUTTING A DRONE UP OVER THE NEW ZEALAND TRAINING CAMP, NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE. THE AMAZING SCENE WHEN THE FOOTBALL FERNS SCORED FIRST, ONLY FOR CANADA TO COME BACK SCORING TWO ON THE TROT, BEATING THEM TO-ONE. AS WE KNOW, TWO OF THE OFFICIALS FROM THE CANADA TEAM HAVE BEEN SENT HOME. THEIR HEAD COACH STEPPED ASIDE FOR TODAY'S MATCH, AND THERE ARE CALLS FOR HER TO STEP ASIDE ALTOGETHER. THERE ARE CALLS FOR HER TO BE SACKED. THE FOOTBALL FERNS ARE PUTTING PRESSURE ON FIFA TO BE TOUGHER IN THE WAKE OF THE SCANDAL. THEY ARE HEARTBROKEN AND UPSET. NOT ONLY WITH THE RESULT BEING SO CLOSE TO A FAMOUS VICTORY, BUT ALSO WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS. ONE OF THE OLYMPIC VALUES IS INTEGRITY, AND IF THEY WON'T TAKE SANCTIONS, THERE IS A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT BEING SET. SAILOR JO ALEH AND CYCLIST AARON GATE WILL CARRY THE NEW ZEALAND FLAG AT THE OPENING CEREMONY. THE PAIR NAMED FLAGBEARERS AT A NEW ZEALAND TEAM FUNCTION IN PARIS THIS MORNING. ALEH WILL COMPETE IN THE 49ER FX CLASS AT THESE OLYMPICS, LOOKING TO ADD TO A GOLD MEDAL FROM THE LONDON GAMES AND A SILVER IN RIO. I THINK THE TRANSITION FROM COACHING LAST TIME BACK TO BEING AN ATHLETE IS... IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN REALLY COOL. I THINK I CAN TAKE A LOT MORE AND NOW ` JUST NOTICING HOW AWESOME THIS WHOLE EXPERIENCE IS. AS AN ATHLETE BEFORE, I WAS FOCUSED ON THE SAILING, THE PERFORMANCE. AND OBVIOUSLY I STILL AM 100%, BUT I THINK I KNOW THAT YOU ALSO HAVE TO JUST LOOK AROUND AND TAKE IT IN AND ENJOY HOW AMAZING THIS IS. GATE IS NEW ZEALAND'S MOST SUCCESSFUL COMMONWEALTH GAMES ATHLETE, AND ALSO CLAIMED BRONZE IN THE TEAM PURSUIT IN LONDON 2012. A VERY SPECIAL MOMENT, AND ONE THAT DEFINITELY TOOK ME BY SURPRISE. IT DOESN'T FEEL THAT LONG AGO THAT I WAS RACING IN LONDON. IT'S BEEN A BIT OF A JOURNEY, AND THIS IS A NICE TOKEN FOR ME PERSONALLY, AND I WILL VERY PROUDLY CARRY THIS FLAG FOR NEW ZEALAND AS WE START THE OLYMPICS AND GO WITH HOPEFULLY OUR STRONGEST EVER TEAM TO THE PARIS OLYMPICS. THE CEREMONY TO OFFICIALLY OPEN THE PARIS GAMES WILL TAKE PLACE EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. THE GOVERNMENT'S BEING CALLED OUT FOR LOWERING ITS AMBITION ON CHILD POVERTY REDUCTION TARGETS. THE COALITION HAS INCREASED TWO OF ITS THREE CHILD POVERTY TARGETS, WITH CRITICS SAYING IT COULD POTENTIALLY LEAVE 24,000 CHILDREN IN MATERIAL HARDSHIP. THE CHIEF CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER LABELLING THE MOVE 'DISAPPOINTING'. SO, IN REAL TERMS, THAT MEANS WE ARE POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT ALMOST 24,000 MORE CHILDREN LIVING IN MATERIAL HARDSHIP BASED ON THIS MEASURE. THAT'S SIGNIFICANT AND IT'S UNACCEPTABLE. SHE SAYS IT MAKES IT HARDER TO REACH THE GOAL OF HALVING CHILD POVERTY BY 2028. POLICE ARE CONTINUING INVESTIGATIONS THIS MORNING FOLLOWING A VIOLENT ROBBERY IN AUCKLAND, WHICH HAS LEFT ONE PERSON INJURED. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED IN THE SUBURB OF FLAT BUSH SHORTLY AFTER 10pm LAST NIGHT. POLICE RECEIVED CALLS THAT TWO ARMED MEN HAD SMASHED THEIR WAY INTO A PROPERTY AND ASSAULTED A PERSON INSIDE BEFORE TAKING ITEMS AND FLEEING. THE VICTIM REMAINS IN HOSPITAL WITH MODERATE INJURIES. POLICE ARE APPEALING TO THE PUBLIC FOR INFORMATION. AN OIL SPILL OFF THE PHILIPPINES COAST IS RAPIDLY SPREADING AFTER TYPHOON GAEMI CAUSED A TANKER TO CAPSIZE. THE TANKER WAS CARRYING 1.5 MILLION TONS OF FUEL WHEN IT SANK IN MANILA BAY. THE BODY OF ONE CREW MEMBER WAS LATER FOUND. AUTHORITIES SAY THE FUEL THAT HAS LEAKED SO FAR APPEARS TO BE THE DIESEL USED TO POWER THE VESSEL AND NOT THE CARGO. EFFORTS TO CONTAIN THE SPILL HAVE BEEN HAMPERED BY HIGH WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS. A MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH STARTING A WILDFIRE IN CALIFORNIA, WHICH HAS GROWN TO NEARLY 29,000ha. THE 48-YEAR-OLD HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF PUSHING A BURNING CAR DOWN A GULLY, SPARKING THE BLAZE. FIREFIGHTERS HAVE ONLY MANAGED TO CONTAIN 3% OF THE FIRE, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BURN FOR SEVERAL DAYS, FUELLED BY DRY CONDITIONS AND HIGH WINDS. THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN FORCED TO EVACUATE FROM THE AREA, WITH THE FIRE THREATENING STRUCTURES. AND TAKING A LOOK AT YOUR WEATHER THIS MORNING. TO THE TOP OF THE COUNTRY ` A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR MOST OF THE REGION. KAITAIA AND AUCKLAND, EXPECT SOME EARLY SHOWERS CLEARING TO SUNNY SKIES. 16 THE HIGH FOR THE REGION. FURTHER SOUTH ` TAURANGA AND WHAKATANE, YOU'RE IN FOR SUNSHINE ALL DAY. ELSEWHERE, MORNING FOG TO START YOUR FRIDAY, BUT YOU WILL BE TREATED TO BLUE SKIES IN THE AFTERNOON. 14 THE HIGH FOR ROTORUA, HAMILTON AND TOKOROA. LOOKS LIKE A GLORIOUS AFTERNOON. TO THE EAST COAST ` IT'S GLORIOUS START TO THE WEEKEND FOR THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY. WARM, SUNNY SKIES FOR YOUR FRIDAY. 17 THE HIGH FOR GISBORNE. OVER TO THE WEST ` SCATTERED CLOUDS TO START THE MORNING FOR MOST OF THE REGION, CLEARING TO SUNSHINE IN THE AFTERNOON. TAUMARUNUI, YOU'LL GET SOME SUN TOO BUT NOT BEFORE SOME MORNING FOG. 17 THE HIGH FOR WHANGANUI. TO THE SOUTH ISLAND ` NELSON, BLENHEIM AND KAIKOURA, A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY FOR YOU. GREYMOUTH, HOKITIKA, EXPECT SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. A HIGH OF 14 FOR WESTPORT. HEADING SOUTH ` A BEAUTIFUL DAY ON THIS SIDE OF THE SOUTH ISLAND. SUNNY, BLUE SKIES FOR MOST OF THE REGION. OAMARU AND ALEXANDRA, YOU WILL HAVE SCATTERED CLOUDS THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY. 18 THE HIGH IN ASHBURTON. TO THE DEEP SOUTH ` MILFORD SOUND, GRAB A UMBRELLA. HEAVY SHOWERS TO START YOUR WEEKEND. DUNEDIN, YOU'LL GET SOME SUN, FOLLOWED BY CLOUDS IN THE AFTERNOON. 17 THE HIGH FOR INVERCARGILL. HERE IS HOW IT IS LOOKING ON SATURDAY. PRETTY GOOD FOR MOST. TARANAKI WILL GET A FEW SPOTS OF RAIN. AND INTO SUNDAY ` HEAVY RAIN ON THE WEST COAST AND IN DUNEDIN. OTHERWISE LOOKING LIKE A REALLY CLOUDY AND GLOOMY OLD SUNDAY. THANKS, MELISSA. JUST QUICKLY A SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE SECONDARY STUDENTS AND WELLINGTON WHO ARE TAKING PART IN THE PACIFIKA FESTIVAL. BEST OF LIKE THIS WEEKEND. IF YOU ARE IN WELLINGTON, GET DOWN THERE, PARTICULARLY FOR TOMASI HER IS AN SCOTS COLLEGE GROUP. IT'S TIME FOR A TASTE TEST! LOOK WHAT WE HAVE. MIGHT HAVE ALREADY DONE THAT. MATT GIBB HAS BEEN BUSY THIS MORNING WITH THE TEAM AT 'MY FOOD BAG' AT AUT MILLENIUM. MATT, MORENA. I MIGHT HAVE ALREADY EATEN MINE. I CAN'T SEE YOU, BUT I AM ASSUMING BIG SMILES ON YOUR FACES IN THE STUDIO. YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DON'T SAY I NEVER DO ANYTHING NICE FOR YOU. YOU STATING THOSE AND I WILL CHAT TO THESE PEOPLE HERE. WHO IS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE OLYMPICS? (CHEERING) WE HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF YOUNG ATHLETES WHO YOU COULD BE SEEING AT THE OLYMPICS ONE DAY. WE ARE SUPPORTING THE SUPPORTERS, THAT IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT. WE HAVE DELICIOUS FOOD THAT THEY CAN EAT WHILE YOU ARE ON THE COUCH WATCHING THE REST OF THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM DO THE HARD WORK. MY FOOD BAG ` OFFICIAL PARTNER OF THE OLYMPIC TEAM. YOU CAN CHOOSE THESE BURGERS AND THEN MY FOOD BAG PACKS. YOU CAN CHOOSE THE TEAM WON ALL THE BREAKFAST ONE. WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF NODS AND SMILES. I'M GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE PRIZES SHORTLY, BUT FIRST I WANT TO AND REDUCED SOFIA AND CHARLIE, A COUPLE OF YOUNG ATHLETES. YOU ARE FROM WESTLAKE GIRLS IN THE ROWING SQUAD. OUR OFTEN ARE YOU OUT ON THE WATER? IT IS USUALLY FOUR OR FIVE TIMES A WEEK, MAYBE SIX. THAT IS A LOT OF HARD WORK. YOU'RE IN THE GYM, WORKING HARD. IS IT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO CONTINUE THROUGH AND MAYBE SEE YOURSELVES AVAILABLE EXCELLENT ACT? AT THE OLYMPICS ONE DAY* YES, MAYBE IF I WORK HARD. TELL ME WHAT THIS ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT DOES FOR YOU. WHAT KINDS OF THINGS DOES IT HELP WITH? THEIR HELP WITH OUR PERSONAL TRAINING, WITH OUR STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING, HELPING US BUILD OUR MUSCLES SO WE CAN PUSH TO OUR BIGGEST ABILITY. AUT MILLENNIUM DOING A GREAT JOB. YOU CAN ENJOY YOUR BURGERS. I WANT TO TELL PEOPLE AT HOME ABOUT THE COMPETITION WE ARE RUNNING UNTIL NEXT WEDNESDAY. YOU CAN ENTER ON THE WEBSITE ` WE HAVE THREE ULTIMATE MY FOOD BAG SUPPORTER PACKS TO GIVE AWAY. IT IS ABOUT $1000 WORTH OF DELICIOUS FOOD. WINWITHBREAKFAST.CO.NZ THE OLYMPICS ARE KICKING OFF TOMORROW MORNING. WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? TRACK AND FIELD IS A BIG ONE, BUT ALSO TRAMPOLINING, BECAUSE MY KIDS ARE GOING TO BE WATCHING THAT. AND WE HAVE A CHANCE AT WINNING GOLD. GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE OLYMPICS. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO 2 WEEKS SITTING ON THE COUCH EATING BREAKFAST BURGERS. THANK YOU TO AUT MILLENNIUM FOR LOOKING AFTER US THIS MORNING. WE ARE GOING TO WRAP IT UP FROM OUT HERE, AND THANKS TO YOU AGAIN. ENJOY YOUR BURGERS AND THE STUDIO. OH, 90. NADIA. THANK YOU, NADIA, MY FOOD BAG. I HAVE JUST TAKEN A BIT OF A BITE. YOU CAN SEE THE BLACK BURGER BUN HAS THE BEEF PATTY AND TRUFFLE MARSCAPONE. E WHAI AKE NEI ` HE CAPTURED HEARTS ON 'LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM'. REALITY STAR MICHAEL THEO TELLS US ABOUT A NEW DATING APP FOR THE NEURODIVERGENT COMMUNITY. # ALL THE COLOURS IGNITE TONIGHT. # FEELS LIKE # I AM FALLING IN LOVE. HELLO. IT IS 8:45. MICHAEL THEO'S PURSUIT FOR 'THE ONE' SAW HIM BECOME A BREAKOUT STAR OF DATING SHOW 'LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM'. I WOULD LIKE TO START DATING. I JUST, UM... DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO GET STARTED, BECAUSE I'VE TRIED NUMEROUS WAYS, AND THEY'VE ALL BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. WHAT'S YOUR GREATEST DREAM IN LIFE? TO BECOME A HUSBAND. AND FELLOW AUSTRALIAN HOLLY FOWLER WAS WATCHING AT HOME, SO INSPIRED BY MICHAEL'S ATTITUDE, THAT SHE STARTED WORK ON A SOCIAL NETWORKING APP FOR THE NEURODIVERGENT COMMUNITY. THE DUO JOIN US NOW, FOR MORE ABOUT 'WABLE', HOW DO WE PRONOUNCE IT? IT IS PRONOUNCED AS WAY0BLE. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US, MICHAEL. YOU ARE VERY MUCH LOVED ON THE SHOW. WAY-BLE.* HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT TO FIND YOUR PERSON. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO FIND SOMEONE TO SETTLE DOWN WITH, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I ALWAYS ENVISIONED FOR MYSELF. HAVING A PARTNER IS A LOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING SINGLE. I WANT TO SHARE MY LIFE WITH SOMEONE SPECIAL ` THE RIGHT WOMAN, THAT IS. THAT IS SO BEAUTIFUL, MICHAEL. YOU TRIED THE TRADITIONAL APPS. HOW DID YOU FIND THEM? I TRIED ONE TRADITIONAL DATING AT THAT EXISTED THAT WAS ALREADY AROUND SIX YEARS AGO, BUT I DIDN'T BARELY GET ANYWHERE FOR 12 MONTHS. THAT IS QUITE HARD. I DIDN'T WANT TO USE IT AGAIN. HOLLY, YOU WATCHED THE SHOW INSIDER, I CAN DO SOMETHING HERE FOR PEOPLE LIKE MICHAEL. YES. ABSOLUTELY. I LOVED LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM, AND THE LATEST US SERIES AS WELL, BUT I PARTICULARLY LOVED WATCHING MICHAEL, AND I REACHED OUT TO HIM. HE WAS THE 1ST TO KNOW ABOUT THE IDEA. YOU MADE OUT. HOW'S IT GOING? IS GOING REALLY WELL. WE LAUNCHED IN FEBRUARY HERE IN AUSTRALIA, AND OF COURSE NOW MAKING THE APP AVAILABLE NEXT WEEK IN NEW ZEALAND, WHICH IS A MASSIVE MILESTONE FOR US. ALWAYS EXCITED TO DO THAT. SO YOU ARE GOING GLOBAL. YES. US AND UK IN SEPTEMBER, BUT NEW ZEALAND HAD TO BE NEXT ` OUR FRIENDS, OUR NEIGHBOURS, WE WANTED TO GET THERE SOON AS WE COULD STOP HOW MANY USERS HAVE YOU GOT ON THE APP? WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF YEARS IS CURRENTLY ON THE APP IN AUSTRALIA. WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD USERS ALREADY IN NEW ZEALAND WHO HAVE TRIED TO DOWNLOAD THE APP. WE DON'T WANT TO TURN THEM AWAY FOR MUCH LONGER. PRE-SIGNUPS TO THE APP AS WELL, WHICH IS GREAT, AS WELL AS IN THE US AND THE UK. MICHAEL'S AUDIENCE EXTENDS WORLDWIDE, SO LUCKILY THEY ALSO FOUND OUT ABOUT WABLE. MICHAEL, WHAT MAKES WABLE DIFFERENT? IT IS DIFFERENT TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT DATING APPS BECAUSE IT CATERS TO THE NEURODIVERSE COMMUNITY AND HAS TOOLS SUCH AS VIDEOS WITH PSYCHOLOGISTS NAMED PHOEBE WHICH GIVES STEPS ON FIRST DATE NERVES AND HOW TO HANDLE REJECTION AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND IT ALSO HAS SECURITY TOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE USERS DO NOT GET CATFISHED. WOULD THAT BE RIGHT, HOLLY? YES. ABSOLUTELY. SECURITY WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT DECISION FOR ANY AT PLATE THIS, BUT PARTICULARLY BECAUSE WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO FOSTER A SAFE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY, AND THAT IS WHAT WE TRY TO SET OUT AND DO FROM DAY ONE. THERE ARE SOME GREAT TOOLS IN THERE. MICHAEL, I GUESS THE BIG QUESTION IS, HOW ARE YOU GOING ON THE APP? HAVE YOU BEEN OUT ON SOME DATES? I HAVE ACTUALLY HAD TWO DATES RECENTLY. HOW DID THEY GO? IT WENT VERY WELL. THEY WERE BOTH REALLY LOVELY. I DON'T WANT TO JINX ANYTHING OR GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY, BUT I GUESS YOU CAN SAY THAT THERE IS SOME STRONG POTENTIAL WITH THIS MATCH. WE WILL TAKE STRONG POTENTIAL AND HANG ONTO IT. MICHAEL AND HOLLY FROM WABLE, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US ON. HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY. THANK YOU. AND TO YOU. E HAERE AKE NEI ` THE OLYMPICS ARE NOT JUST BEING HELD IN PARIS; TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY, THE SURFERS ARE COMEPTING, INCLUDING OUR OWN BILLY STAIRMAND. HE'S WITH US NEXT. # I NEED SOMEONE TO HOLD ME CLOSE, # DEEPER THAN I'VE EVER KNOWN, (GURGLING MONSTER ON TV) DAD: Hey, hey, guess what? I just got another scam text from the 'power company'... ...saying I need to pay my bill. $156.32. MOM: What Grant?! Final notice... What? Threatening to cut my power... ...think I came down on the last... (ELECTRICITY CUTS DOWN) Oh, is that a fuse, Grant!? JADE: That might be real Dad. Yes it might. VOICEOVER:We're blocking more scams than ever before. One New Zealand, let's get connected. That bit might be real, Dad. WELCOME BACK TO BREAKFAST. DID YOU KNOW THE OLYMPICS AREN'T ONLY BEING HELD IN FRANCE? THE BEAUTIFUL FRENCH BEACHES MIGHT BE IDEAL FOR GETTING A TAN, BUT THEY AREN'T IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR THE SURFERS, SO THESE EVENTS ARE BEING IN TAHITI TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY. SO GOOD. NEW ZEALAND SURFER BILLY STAIRMAND IS ONE OF THOSE COMPETING. I SPOKE WITH HIM LAST NIGHT AND BEGAN BY ASKING HOW THINGS ARE GOING IN TAHITI. GOOD. VIBES ARE HIGH OVER HERE. WE ARE STAYING ON A CRUISE SHIP, REALLY CLOSE TO THE VENUE. IT HAS BEEN AN AWESOME COUPLE OF TRAINING DAYS. THE WAVES HAVE BEEN FUN. THE WEATHER IS BEAUTIFUL. NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OVER HERE. YOU MENTIONED A CRUISE SHIP. IS THAT WE WERE STAYING? YES, AND IT IS OUR OLYMPIC VILLAGE HERE. IT IS POSTED UP ON ONE OF THE SPOTS JUST DOWN FROM THE BEACH. THE MAJORITY OF THE GAMES ARE IN PARIS, WHICH IS A LONG WAY AWAY, SO WHAT IS THE OLYMPIC VIBE LIKE THERE? EVERYWHERE YOU GO, THERE ARE OLYMPICS EVERYWHERE. THEY HAVE BEEN VERY WELCOMING, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD. THEY HAVE MADE SURE THAT WE ARE VERY COMFORTABLE IN GETTING ALL OF THE COOL THINGS AND BEING PART OF THE GAMES. AS SOON AS YOU LEAVE THE BOAT, WE GO TO THE LAND, WHETHER VENUE IS, AND IT IS ALL OLYMPIC STUFF. WE HAVE THE TENTS. THE VIBE IS HIGH. IT IS EXCITING. IT IS A BIT DIFFERENT TO TOKYO, BUT WE ARE ENJOYING ALL OF IT. YOU ARE A COUPLE OF DAYS OUT FROM COMPETING. 5 O'CLOCK SUNDAY MORNING NEW ZEALAND TIME. HOW ARE YOU FEELING? GOOD, ACTUALLY. VERY EXCITING. THE WAVES HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD. WE HAVE HAD SOME VERY GOOD TRAINING DAYS. THAT IS GOOD. IT IS A POSITIVE. IT CAN BE QUITE DIFFICULT AT TIMES YOU GET WAVES, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MANY OF THE TOP SURFERS IN THE WORLD SURFING ON THE ONE SPOT. FORTUNATELY, WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE, BUT THE BODY AND THE MIND IS FEELING VERY GOOD. THE REPORT LOOKS GOOD FOR DAY ONE. IT IS STILL A FEW DAYS AWAY, BUT IT IS LOOKING VERY GOOD FOR DAY ONE. THIS IS YOUR SECOND GAMES. IS IT THE SAME BUZZ? OBVIOUSLY, IT IS STILL NEW AND EXCITING AND DIFFERENT IN ITS OWN WAY. I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IN THIS ONE. TOKYO, THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS THAT YOU HAD TO WORRY ABOUT FOR THAT GAMES, I FEEL LIKE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HAD BEEN THERE AND IT WAS VERY EXCITING FOR US. I HAD THE BEST EXPERIENCE EVER, BUT THIS ONE IS A BIT MORE COMFORTABLE. THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE. IT IS AWESOME SEEING THE OTHER COMPETITORS AS WELL, BECAUSE WE NORMALLY DO THE SAME EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD. JUST BEING A PART OF THE OLYMPICS AGAIN IS AWESOME, AND BEING OVER HERE IN TAHITI, THE CULTURE OVER HERE IS VERY SIMILAR TO MAORI AT HOME IN NEW ZEALAND, SO AGAIN, WE ARE CULTURALLY CONNECTED IN A WAY, AND WE DEFINITELY ARE FEELING THE MANA AND EMBRACING IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. WE ARE ONLY A FOUR AND A HALF-HOUR FLIGHT AWAY FROM HOME, SO WE ARE FEELING PRETTY COMFORTABLE. I AM A PART OF ANOTHER OLYMPICS, BUT I AM FEELING A BIT MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS ONE. HOPEFULLY I CAN SHOWCASE THAT IN THE COMPETITION. FOR THOSE GATHERING AROUND THE TV, ANY WORDS FOR THEM? THANK YOU TO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR ALWAYS SUPPORTING ME AND BELIEVING IN ME AND GETTING ME TO THIS POINT IN MY CAREER. THANKS TO MY COMMUNITY AND RAGLAN FOR HELPING TO PREPARE ME. ALL OF MY CLOSE FRIENDS AND THE WHOLE COUNTRY AND THE NATION BACK HOME IN NEW ZEALAND. WE REALLY FEEL THE SUPPORT OVER HERE IN TAHITI. WE HAVE TAKEN THAT WITH US OVER HERE. HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO YOU GUYS PROUD. I LOVE IT. ALWAYS DO US PROUD. 5 O'CLOCK SUNDAY MORNING, HE HAS GOT THE FIRST ROUND. GOOD LUCK. THAT IS OUR SHOW FOR FRIDAY. WE WILL SEE YOU ON MONDAY. CAPTIONS BY DREW WELSH, KITTY WASASALA, COURTNEY SOLE AND JULIE TAYLOR. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2024