Morning Briefing Dec 9: The wounds of 2019's dual tragedies reopened

Jacinda Ardern hugs a Whakaari/White Island eruption first responder during a visit to Whakatāne

A private dawn ceremony has just been held in Whakatāne to mark one year since Whakaari/White Island erupted, killing 22 people and injuring 25 others.

A public memorial will take place later this morning at the town’s Mataatua Reserve, while survivors, family members and emergency responders will also be joined by the Prime Minister at Te Mānuka Tūtahi marae this afternoon. The events have been downscaled given international visitors are unable to attend.

1 NEWS last night spoke to the nephew of two of the victims, who has helped take on three children after their parents died of their injuries sustained on the volcano.

Vick Singh says the seven-year-old twin daughters of Paul and Mary Singh still ask if their parents are coming back

Whakatāne residents have also been looking back at a tough year that’s seen it grappling with the trauma of the tragedy and the “double whammy” economic fallout of Covid-19 and the immediate halt in tourism operations to Whakaari following the eruption.

RNZ has spoken to experts this week who aren’t convinced tourists should ever be allowed back at the volcano. 

But today’s focus will be on the 47 people who were on the island last year when it erupted, with a moment of silence held at 2.11pm to mark what’s become one of New Zealand’s worst natural disasters.

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Police promise to do better

A review into the police handling of the Christchurch terror attack is set to be released later today, following on from yesterday’s 800-page Royal Commission report.

That inquiry identified failings which allowed the shooter to obtain a gun licence. Police have since issued an apology to families, pledging their commitment to do better.

The Government was also apologising yesterday , with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern committing to working on the 44 recommendations made by the Royal Commission.

The Government is promising changes to anti-terrorism laws, new legislation to criminalise planning or preparing a terrorist attack, and the strengthening of laws around hate speech and hate crime. Ardern has also pledged to go the head of YouTube over the terrorist’s use of the platform.

A mandatory reporting of firearm injuries by health professionals will also be implemented after an investigation into the Christchurch terrorist’s preparations for the mosque attacks revealed he was treated for gunshot wounds several months beforehand.

The full Royal Commission report can be found here , while Ardern’s response to its recommendations is here .

Community reacts to report

“We should have been safe here.”

That’s the response from Christchurch’s Muslim community to the Royal Commission’s review.

They also say “institutional prejudice and unconscious bias” within Government agencies needs to change, with intelligence services too focused on the threat posed by Islamic extremists rather than the far right. 

As RNZ reports, the inquiry found those affected by the attacks have felt let down by officials multiple times since the March 15 tragedy.

Amongst other things, the report details death certificates with spelling errors, family members having to work as translators for police interviews and further trauma when they weren’t told where their loved ones were in the direct aftermath of the attack. 

Families and victims of the terrorist attack say the inquiry still leaves them without many answers .

'V-Day' arrives in UK

A 90-year-old woman has become the first person in the world to receive Pfizer’s Covid vaccine.

Margaret Keenan received the shot at University Hospital Coventry overnight, marking the beginning of the UK’s vaccine drive. 

Meanwhile, back in New Zealand a major update of the Ministry of Health’s Covid Tracer app comes into effect tomorrow, with Bluetooth tracing being added to the software.

The update means it can record close contacts, even when the app is closed, and alert users if they’ve been near someone who later tests positive for the virus.

The Ministry of Health says users’ privacy will still be protected – and the need to scan QR codes remains. 

Home ownership at 70-year low

With New Zealand’s housing market still running red-hot, new figures show home ownership has fallen to its lowest rate in almost 70 years , dropping significantly for younger Kiwis.

The Housing in Aotearoa report shows more people are renting and that, on average, those who rent spend a higher amount of their income on housing costs than those who own their home. 

The Reserve Bank yesterday confirmed its plans to reinstate loan-to-value ratio (LVR) restrictions on high-risk lending from March, however it’s not expected to have much impact on house prices.  

Meanwhile, the issue of accessible state homes was also in the spotlight yesterday , with more than 1000 Kiwis currently on the waiting list for one.

Green Party Disability spokesperson Jan Logie says the situation is “unacceptable” and is calling on Kāinga Ora to build more accessible state homes and to change the Building Code for private homes. 

Waititi takes stand against ties

Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi has been told he will not be allowed to speak in Parliament again until he wears a tie, something he calls a "colonial noose" .

But despite that ultimatum, Waititi says he will continue his stand against ties in Parliament.

The rules around business attire in the House are currently being looked at after Greens co-leader James Shaw asked to get rid of the tie requirement last month.  

Other news of note this morning:

- The man who murdered Australian tourist Sean McKinnon in a campervan near Raglan is due to be sentenced today .

- Speaker Trevor Mallard has apologised and accepted he was incorrect to describe allegations made in Parliament's 2019 bullying review as rape.

- An Auckland school is closed today after a raging fire damaged one of its buildings yesterday afternoon.

- Former All Blacks are involved in a pending lawsuit against World Rugby and other unions, claiming negligence from authorities has left them with permanent brain damage.

- Efforts to safeguard Auckland early childhood centres against Covid-19 may have inadvertently led to a huge surge in norovirus .

- Police say there was no "criminal offending" at The Safety Warehouse's controversial fake money drop in Auckland this weekend.

- And Coronation Street has marked 60 years on air

And finally...

Relatives can sometimes ask rather uncomfortable questions and air annoying points of view.

Christmas Day is rife for potential pitfalls.

And following the hot mess 2020 has been, the opportunities for disagreements over Christmas lunch appear even greater.

So, Seven Sharp has some tips for what to do if you get stuck sitting next to a drunk, aggressive relative who believes elections have been rigged and that Covid is a hoax this year.

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