School Uniforms Cost

Can the government reduce the insane costs of school uniforms? Later, government agencies are being urged to use more AI in official information act requests as costs saw. So we're going to talk to a constitutional lawyer about the pros and cons of that. Speaking of which, we're also going to tell you about Anthropic's plans, including a powerful new AI called Mythos that is freaking the world out. And we're going to take you to Florida before the all whites historic game against England. We've got the sports huddle. You can have your say on the text 9292. A small charge applies. It is eight after four. So obviously, this is the night after the radio awards him with all this talk about awards around today. I'd like to congratulate a winner in my community. And his name is Rob Drent. He is the editor and publisher of uh the Devonport Flagstaff and the Rangy Toto Observer. This is on the North Shore of Auckland. Rob was recently named. Uh the best senior news journalist at the New Zealand Community Newspaper Awards, and it's well deserved, because it's good. And I love my local rag. It's home delivered, 30 odd pages of local news that you don't get anywhere else. Rob employs nine people, they're all locals. But like all media, it's a struggle. So in this week's issue, which came in yesterday, there is an open letter from Rob asking for donations to keep the Devonport Flagstaff on track. You can become a supporter on their website. Devonport Flagstaff.co.nz if you believe in local media. Uh so last night we got the issue. The front page lead was after an official information act request by Rob. It's about a long-running saga around escape park in Narrow Neck. This is the second crack at making the skate park because the council scaled down the size because of ratepayer concerns. So, yeah, this is part two. And Rob has found that more than 100,000 has been spent and not a single sod of earth has been turned. Four consultants got $90,000 for all the designs and the renders and the geotech and the drainage. Another $25,000 was spent on public consultation and internal counsel of vice. So what's that? 115,000. Rob's article goes on to say that the new plan still needs a new resource consent. Because it's in a flood zone. Of course it's in a flood zone. They don't call Lake Road Lake Road for nothing. But it's escape park, and who cares if escape park is in a flood zone? You just sweep it out afterwards. Anyway, the consultants' fees. Just incredible, eh? They should surely go to one firm who specializes in skate parks instead of four different outfits. Surely there's a skate park design you can buy off the shelf. And while I understand that all the consultants need to make a living and that they are rate payers, so they will contribute to the program. So thank you, Rob, and thank you for your local media for showing me the waste that happens in my own backyard. Dickens. So the Act Party is oh yes, there's music. So the Act Party is planning to make school uniforms more affordable. It says it'll put a cap on compulsory branded items and allow more generic options that can be bought from normal shops like the warehouse or Kmark. Uh school board association president, Meredith Kenneth joins us now. Good afternoon, Meredith. I'm very good. Uh it's true. The cost of uniforms insane. A thousand dollars in some cases.