Roger Gray: Port of Auckland CEO on whether New Zealand suffers from a culture of saying no

The Port of Auckland's CEO says a 'no' culture has permeated New Zealand. 

Roger Gray says a cruise ship representative he spoke to in the US labelled our country 'No Zealand'.

Gray says they claimed excessive regulation made things too difficult for them.

He says he doesn't think it's the case in Australia.

"I think Australians are a bit more optimistic and go - yeah, let's have a crack. We're a bit more sit back and a bit more conservative." 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
The Ports of Auckland boss Roger Gray has called out
the key we know culture. He's given a speech in
Auckland saying we're apparently referred to as no Zealand when overseas,
there's plenty of business to be done in the country.
We just need to start saying yes to it. So
let's talk to him. Hi, Roger, Hi, Heather, Who are
these people you've been speaking to who called us no Zealand?

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Well that was about nine months ago. I was in
Miami talking to the cruise lines to try and understand
why they were dropping off their bookings, and the feedback
across the whole lot of the four cruise lines I
went to was they felt that New Zealand was just
simply too hard to deal with because people were so
negative about things.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
They're onto something. Ah.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
Well, what I think is interesting is that's where we
were and that was their perception. But the cool thing
is now, I think there's a real change going on
amongst people. There's a real starting to be a positivity
amongst a lot of people and you know, I think
the bledderzone north Wharf is a great example if you
can just get on and do stuff. We've created two
hundred and fifty new jobs for Aucklanders and that wolf

(01:22):
will be finished by the end of next year.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah, I think you're onto something. I think that we
I think it is changing. I hate to always, you know,
take everything back to politics, but I think it is
in part because we have some courageous political leaders who
are prepared to just kind of go against the flow,
like Wayne Brown for example. The guys in government at
the moment. Would you put it down to.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
That, I think that's right. People are seeing that occasionally
you need someone to specify a vision and simply make
the hard call. And I think the mayor is a
great example of someone who just gets on, articulates what
he wants and then just gets it done. And business
needs to follow that example.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
But what about the rest of us. I mean, as
you say business needs to follow that example, what about
the rest of us? The unions who say no, the
locals who say no to gold mines, the rest of
us who just constantly don't want to say yes to things.
How do we change our attitude?

Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, look, I think there's no doubt that people have
been doing it tough for the last couple of years.
Absolutely no doubt. But what I've got is great trust
in New Zealanders towards the fact that we are at
heart a logical, smart community. I think the economy is
actually better than people are actually saying. Most people are conservative,

(02:35):
they don't want to jinx the return. But you know,
we're seeing we unloaded eight thousand cars in the last
five days. Three thousand more arrive later this week. We've
had records container volume for the highest for nine years
last month. The economy has turned. I think everybody feels it,
but what they're saying is they don't want to jinx it.

(02:55):
So yeah, maybe I think.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
Don't you think though, this is actually part of our culture,
Like I think that we have a certain level of
complacency because life is actually pretty good in New Zealand
most of the time, so we're just pretty relaxed out
things and therefore we say, no, what do you think?

Speaker 3 (03:11):
Yeah, I do think there's a little bit of that.
I think there's also a natural conservativeness amongst New Zealanders.
And you know, if I was asked, what's the difference
between Australia and New Zealand. I'd say, well, let's take
a leaf out of their optimism book. I think Australians
are a bit more optimistic. Yeah, let's have a crack.
We're a bit more sit back and more conservative.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
Now, Roger, I thought, jeez, I read this in the
paper this morning. I thought, Roger, you're Australian and you're
saying this about the Kiwis. Do you know what? Is
everyone going to give you a hard time for this?

Speaker 3 (03:43):
Now, I'm sure they will have it, but you know,
I am in New Zealand now. I did do my citizenship,
so I've signed up. I'm a full fledged Kiwi now, Okay.

Speaker 2 (03:53):
Well, beast of luck with that, Roger. Roger Gray, Chief
Executive Ports of Auckland.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
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