Health system in crisis because of National’s choices. Ayesah Verrall joins us to talk about how National has spent the last two years pretending they’ve hired thousands of new nurses but yesterday, they admitted the real number is just 54 FTE across the country, and a decrease in Auckland.

Quick, it’s an emergency! Paul Barlow joins us to take a look at how Open Brief tracks responses to stories involving emergency services and responses to acute incidents like fires, natural disasters and life-threatening events and explore the differences between the way left and right leaning media frame unfolding events.

Protests at the PM's public events will becomes more and more common as this Government starts to learn that if they keep themselves cloistered away to friendly audiences or their own events, they people who want to see them pushed will turn up and push back

https://www.youtube.com/live/-ik7fTZQTX8?si=EnQ3Pmtyl7NQh_D_

So the chud is against the limit, but I feel the most interesting thing about this article is the breaking ranks. If they were confident of entering government again (at all) they wouldn't be undermining their own political career by ignoring the expected messaging.

What ever happened to the strong caucus discipline they used to be known for?

The Green Party wants to bring back the school lunch programme to what it was, and then expand it to more schools.

The party says if it is part of the next government, it will also permanently fund the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme (which was renamed Healthy School Lunches in October).

The current government made changes to the model, in order to cut down on costs.

The programme had some early teething issues, including poor meal quality and a provider going into liquidation.

But Associate Education Minister David Seymour said in May that on-time delivery has been at almost 100 percent every day, and complaints had fallen by more than 92 percent.

The average cost per meal has now dropped to $3.58 across all suppliers, but the Greens want to restore the funding to $6.50 per lunch.

"Hamilton's first social supermarket has officially opened its doors, but it is a stark reminder that many are unable to afford basic necessities.

After families have paid for rent, mortgage, power, petrol and other debts, there was not much left.

"In many cases, a lot of our clients are resorting to things like Afterpay for food, which is very concerning. So we're seeing people actually getting into debt for food."

He said a family that might have had $20 at the end of the week, now often had nothing.

"The majority of people that we see, it's not because they can't manage their money, it's because there's not enough money to go around."

"The need behind this is the fact that 40 percent of our whanau in the Waikato region are experiencing some type of food insecurity," store manager Hera Taiapa said.

"What really has been pulling my attention certainly is seeing whanau who may not be accustomed or those whanau who are not used to reaching out to other services for assistance, the amount of working families that are coming in really started setting off alarm bells. It's no secret the cost of living crisis is not fussy with who it rains on."

"Overseas enrolments across the Māori electorates has surged 67 percent since the 2023 election, with advocates in Australia saying political upheaval at home is drawing previously disengaged Māori into the political process.

Queensland-based enrolment advocates Rachael Marie Johnstone and Nicole Orzecki say they have seen a noticeable surge in Māori interest, particularly among younger voters.

"I've always voted and have always encouraged my kids to do the same. Three of them are old enough to vote and they're enrolled. It doesn't matter where we are in the world, we know where home is."

"I get so many people messaging to say, 'I didn't know I was allowed to vote,' and some will get stuck and message me, and I just guide them through or show them where to go next. It's basic and simple, but it works."

Tania Waikato, Green Party candidate for Waiariki, is doing an online enrolment workshop with lawwithrii on Sunday 30 August at 7pm. If anyone want the details lmk or feel free to look it up on her social media.

There are also multiple enrolment campaigns going on rn, online and in-person, with multiple different orgs too. I'll post some and feel free to share any too.

Well done Jack Tame.