Aaron Dahmen

Co-governance could be in for a re-branding from the new Prime Minister. Chris Hipkins met with the Iwi Chair forum this morning at Waitangi, and told reporters there had been a lack of clarity around co-governance. Hipkins says he likes to think of it as mahitahi: working together. Newstalk ZB's Chief Political Reporter Aaron Dahmen told Heather du-Plessis Allan that it could be a way to introduce a new word into the political conversation. He suspects Hipkins will stick to the idea of co-governance, but won't call it that. Instead it may be called mahitahi, or "working together". LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Beehive Buzz with Newstalk ZB Political Reporter Aaron Dahmen: Parliament ressumes this week in small numbers despite Covid-19 lockdowns, the demand and supply debate over vaccines, why does the Prime Minister hold up charts during the 1pm press conference and the social media splash they are making.

Cabinet ministers are spending their Sunday deciding whether Wellington's Covid-19 restrictions should ease tonight.The region's been in Alert Level Two since Wednesday but community swabs and wastewater testing has turned up no trace of the virus.Newstalk ZB political reporter Aaron Dahmen told Francesca Rudkin ministers are virtually discussing it this morning, and we'll hear the decision at 1PM."With no community cases, with a raft of testing having been done, really ramping up here in Wellington, you have to say that, bar a major development, we'll be back to Level 2 - or at least a Level 1.5."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year's Budget will be on Thursday, May 20 as announced by Grant Robertson last month.Little is known about what will be in the Budget, with more announcements expected as we lead up to Thursday.What is known is that the Government has set aside a significant amount of money for its housing supply announcement.But Newstalk ZB political reporter, Aaron Dahmen, told Francesca Rudkin he doesn't expect big cuts or spending, rather a more balanced approach from Labour."I've already got a name for this spend up, it's the Limbo Budget,' we're not out of the Covid woods yet but there are also pressing issues compounding this government."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Waitangi Tribunal has called on the Crown to step down after a report found state care provider Oranga Tamariki to be a foundation of structural racism.The Tribunal now recommends that a Māori Transition Authority be established and is calling on the Crown to support this establishment for Māori to lead the way.The Tribunal's Oranga Tamariki Urgent Inquiry Report, released today, said the state care provider had a poor cultural understanding and had created distrust throughout the care and protection system."They accepted that the broader forces of colonisation and structural racism, alongside the ongoing effect of historical injustices on whānau, hapū and iwi, contributed to this disparity," the report says.The findings come after five inquiries were launched into Oranga Tamariki under former chief executive Graine Moss' leadership, when a Hastings incident revealed Oranga Tamariki social workers repeatedly trying to uplift a Māori baby from hospital despite the mother's objection.The probes included an internal review, inquiries by Whānau Ora, the Chief Ombudsman, the Children's Commissioner and the Waitangi Tribunal.This led to Moss' resignation earlier this year, which Māori political leaders Kelvin Davis and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said was "the right thing to do".The Tribunal said it was time for Māori to "reclaim their space" to make decisions in what was best suited for tamariki Māori, and that the Crown stepped back from making "further intrusion".The Children's Commissioner and Assistant Māori Commissioner said the inquiry outlined the failure of Oranga Tamariki and its current approach to protect Māori children."The Tribunal's comprehensive report is the latest evidence that the state care and protection system is not working for Māori and must be completely transformed," Children's Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft said.Becroft said a "for Māori, by Māori" approach is a "once-in-a-generation opportunity to get it right for mokopuna and whānau Māori"."We urge the Government to take it.""The 'child rescue' model inherited by Oranga Tamariki has for decades failed to work for mokopuna Māori, and it never will."Too often it has severed the links between mokopuna and their whānau, hapū and iwi, damaging their lifelong connections, identity and wellbeing."The Tribunal said there was "a pressing national issue for many Māori and there is a risk of significant and irreversible prejudice to whānau, hapū and iwi".The report found that prior to the highly publicised Hastings uplift in mid-2019, Oranga Tamariki routinely failed to follow its own policies, with structural racism at the forefront.Māori are more likely to end up in Oranga Tamariki care, accounting for 61.2 per cent of children in 2017, the report found.In 2018, five babies a week were being separated from their mothers, majority of which were Māori. In 2019, the number of newborn babies taken into custody dropped to 248 but were also predominantly Māori.Tamariki Māori were suffering or likely to suffer significant and irreversible prejudice as a result of the current or pending actions of Oranga Tamariki, for which there was no alternative remedy bar an immediate inquiry.The report said the Crown acknowledged that there was a significant disparity between the number of tamariki Māori and non-Māori being taken into care.The Crown accepted that the impacts of colonisation, structural racism and the ongoing effect of historical injustices on whānau, hapū and iwi, contributed to this disparity.The Tribunal said the Crown must support the transformation to come, but it is not one that it can or should lead.LISTEN ABOVE

The countdown is on to the opening of our trans-Tasman bubble.It officially begins at 11.59pm tonight -- with the first quarantine-free flights expected from Australia tomorrow afternoon.NewstalkZB political reporter Aaron Dahmen told Francesca Rudkin when opening the bubble, the Government considered whether Kiwis may become stranded."They've basically thrown that plan out the window and gone 'we're going to open this up, but it's up to you if you want to travelor not."Auckland's Sky Tower will shine green and gold today, to welcome the first quarantine-free flights from Australia.SkyCity CEO Michael Ahearne says it's exciting for both countries to kickstart tourism at a time when it's needed more than ever.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Bugger it" were the Prime Minister's first thoughts when she was jolted awake by an earthquake on the same day she would decide whether Auckland's Covid outbreak was contained and the city could come out of lockdown.Ardern felt the 7.1 east coast quake which rattled many New Zealanders awake at 2.27am on Friday. She texted Emergency Management Minister Kiri Allan at 2.29am.It sparked an eventful 14 hours in New Zealand, with two more major earthquakes in the Pacific, numerous tsunami alerts and evacuations along large parts of the North Island coast - and eventually the Cabinet meeting and decision to ease Covid alert levels from 6am on Sunday."Bugger it - pretty much what everyone else thought at that time, but as the minister (Allan) has said - we are the Shaky Isles," Ardern said, when asked how she reacted at 2.27am.Allan added, laughing: "She sent me a text message to make sure I was going to be doing my job."The Beehive emergency bunker sprang into action to manage the tsunami threat from the swarm of earthquakes in the Pacific, which passed without injury or damage.Later in the day, nine floors above the bunker, Cabinet decided to lift Auckland's alert level 3 lockdown and to ease restrictions across the rest of Aotearoa from 6am tomorrow.It was a busy day for the Prime Minister - but she still couldn't shake questions about comments she's made about Covid cases and their alert level rule-breaking.Jacinda Ardern's come under fire this week after claiming a KFC employee was told to isolate - before recording a positive test.But the case says she was never given that guidance - and has asked for an apology.Ardern's reiterating that she doesn't believe anyone broke the rules on purpose."I don't think anyone's gone out to deliberately act against advice or instructions or to create the situation we're in. I don't believe that for a moment." Newstalk ZB political reporter Aaron Dahmen joins Francesca Rudkin to discuss the week's political eventsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Climate Change Minister says we're learning to deal with the slow-moving nature of the climate crisis.James Shaw is looking forward to today's first-ever draft advice from the Climate Change Commission.It'll include three emissions budgets, projecting ahead for the next 15 years.Shaw says when you think about human evolution - we're well equipped to deal with clear and present dangers.Meanwhile, the future of the trans-Tasman travel bubble has taken another hit.Quarantine-free travel from New Zealand to Australia was suspended for 72-hours from Monday after confirmation of a case of the highly-contagious South African Covid-19 variant.The suspension was extended for another 72-hours, until 2pm on Sunday, after further cases were detected.Australia's acting chief medical officer Michael Kidd said a decision on ending the New Zealand travel suspension will be made on Sunday.Listen above as Aaron Dahmen talks with Tim BeveridgeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Connor and Aaron discuss the Wellington Phoenix, NZ Football, Project Restart and Mainz. Follow us or send us a message on Instagram: instagram.com/bywnewzealand or get in touch with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BYWNewZealand, or by email bywnewzealand@gmail.com or listen at https://www.patreon.com/BlackYellowWhiteNZ

Aaron's message: September 2015. Connor Clements and I met for the first time. Previously, we had been doing on-air work from different cities.It was then, in an Auckland flat, where we decided to start Black Yellow White - the Fastest Footy Podcast on the Net. That kicked off an exciting journey, from being pitch-side at the All Whites World Cup qualifier with Peru, to meeting a host of Kiwi football stars. Over four years later, I can truly say, I’ve loved it all.As Black Yellow White pushes forward into the future, it will do so without me. Yes. Today, I’m standing down as co-host of the show. It’s a decision I haven’t taken lightly, but one I feel is right at this time.I am unbelievably grateful to Connor, for his passion, energy, and support over the years. To Matt, for getting on board, and supporting the deliverance of a high-quality product to the football community.Above all, I thank you, the listeners. For tuning in each week, for sharing, and for believing in the work we do.In the reshuffle, I’ll still be a correspondent for the pod now and again, but my time waving lyrical each week about Mainz 05, Manchester United, the All Whites and, of course, our beloved Wellington Phoenix, has come to end.Thank you. Thank you. And thank you again. Go well.