Full Show Podcast: 02 September 2026

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from Newstalk ZB. Follow this
and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio. The
big stories, the big issues, the big trends, and everything
in between.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons. Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
A very, very good afternoon to you. Welcome into today's show.
Really great to have you company this afternoon, and thank
you very much for giving us a listen. Matt Heath, hello.

Speaker 4 (00:36):
Hello, Tyler Adams. Hello, everyone.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
0800 80 1080 is our number, don't you know?

Speaker 5 (00:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
Now, just before we get into the show, Matt Heath,
a little bit worried about you, mate.

Speaker 6 (00:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Because I saw when you were walking in, bit of
a limp, bit of a limp on.

Speaker 4 (00:51):
Yeah, stretching the old Achilles in the doorway there. Yeah,
I've got... I've got this Dunedin Hearth Marathon that I'm running.
Emerson's Dunedin Marathon on Sunday the 13th, I believe it is.
So that is, what are we looking at here?

Speaker 3 (01:06):
If I get my wee calendar up, a week and
a half.

Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 3 (01:09):
And it's go time.

Speaker 7 (01:10):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:11):
So I've got a bit of a... You've got some
stretching to do. I'm still going to do it.

Speaker 5 (01:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:16):
But the Achilles, there's always something, eh, when you're running.

Speaker 8 (01:19):
Mm.

Speaker 4 (01:20):
There's always a little niggle going on.

Speaker 3 (01:23):
What's the other thing that you've got? The cleft foot? No, the,
what is it?

Speaker 4 (01:27):
Haglund's deformity.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
Haglund's deformity.

Speaker 4 (01:29):
That's all related to my Achilles being too tight and
it pulled a bit of bone out of my heel. Oh, jeepers.
Which actually is interesting for people that want to, because
there's this running the half, the Emerson's Knee and Half Marathon.
On Sunday the 13th of September it is, yes, and
there's the Team Beat Heath thing going on.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Yes.

Speaker 4 (01:48):
So if you go to the Dunedin Marathon website, dunedinmarathon.co.nz,
there's a picture of me, you know, on the front page.
Scroll down to that and it tells you how you
can join my team and how you can win this
Emerson's Prize Pack by beating me and just by joining
Team Beat Heath. And if you use BEATHEATH, no gaps,

(02:09):
all caps, as your code, then you'll get 25% off
the entry fee. But anyway, the point is, that's good
information in terms of beating me.

Speaker 6 (02:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (02:20):
It's that I'm harbouring an injury.

Speaker 3 (02:22):
He's easy to beat at this stage.

Speaker 4 (02:23):
Yeah, very easy.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
And he might need you, you know, the more the merrier,
to carry him across that finish line maybe.

Speaker 4 (02:28):
You might be able to beat me at walking pace
at this stage. But yeah, so the Dunedin Marathon, go
to the website, dunedinmarathon.co.nz.

Speaker 3 (02:36):
And that's a great discount with the code BEATHEATH, 25% off.

Speaker 8 (02:38):
Yeah, BEATHEATH.

Speaker 4 (02:41):
All caps, no gaps.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
Yep, and that prize pack looks awesome as well, so
get amongst it.

Speaker 4 (02:46):
Got quite a few people on my team now. It's
quite good. It's going to be a cool little team.
I'll probably come last in my team, actually. Talk yourself up, mate.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
Talk yourself up.

Speaker 4 (02:55):
You'll push through.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
Remember when you did that marathon and you ended up
breaking your foot and you didn't even know about it until.

Speaker 9 (02:59):
You came back?

Speaker 4 (03:00):
Oh, that's right. I did break my foot running the marathon.

Speaker 3 (03:02):
You put your body on the line.

Speaker 4 (03:03):
It's going to go well, mate. Well, it's 10 days
and 17 hours away, this run, so surely that's enough
time to... grow another Achilles heel.

Speaker 3 (03:10):
Plenty of time. All right, get amongst, it's going to
be a great event. But let's have this discussion. So
we want to talk about superannuation, but this is a
new idea that's been brought to the table by a
group representing chartered accountants. So the new idea, they say,
will cut the cost of New Zealand superannuation by billions
while keeping it universal. So NZIER, that's New Zealand Institute

(03:30):
of Economic Research, they ran the numbers, looked at a
TED system where the amount people receive would depend on
when they choose to to start claiming super. So between
the ages of 65 and 70, under one proposal, someone
who starts at 65 would receive 90% of the standard
rate for life, while the payment would increase each year.

Speaker 4 (03:48):
And if you.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
Decide to wait until 70 before you take it, you
would get 130% of the regular rate for your service
of holding off for five years.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (03:58):
So it's kind of the gamification of superannuation. So for
it to work, when you take the 130... You want
to be living quite a few years after you take
the 130, right?

Speaker 3 (04:07):
Definitely.

Speaker 5 (04:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (04:08):
You want to get at least 10 years out of it.

Speaker 8 (04:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (04:10):
So every year you keep living, then you're going, yes,
this is working out. This is great. This is great.
I think, do we all agree that something has to
happen with superannuation at some point? That eventually it'll become unaffordable?

Speaker 10 (04:24):
I do.

Speaker 4 (04:25):
And eventually politically younger people will just shut it down?

Speaker 3 (04:29):
Because that's the real threat, right? And I think that
is very valid that at some stage, you know, the
Gen Zs or even the millennials who probably won't get
super are going to become the majority in terms of
the voting public. So they're going to be deciding, give
or take, who the government will be. And it could
become a point where they say, we're not going to
get it by the time we hit 65. We're still
paying into the system for those who are taking advantage

(04:50):
of it. It's costing us $ 50 billion a year by 2050.

Speaker 4 (04:53):
Get rid of it.

Speaker 3 (04:54):
Cut it. It's gone.

Speaker 8 (04:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (04:56):
Well, yeah, and so maybe the better option is to do,
you know, it's political suicide for parties to go too
hard on it, especially if you want to get New
Zealand First in on your coalition. But maybe something could
be done like this. This isn't just moving it. It's

(05:16):
not doing this. It sort of would seem like something
was happening.

Speaker 10 (05:20):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (05:20):
It would seem like something was changing. Because if you
have someone that's on Super Now from 1965, And they–
until 95. So they're receiving super for 30 years. And
so you might work for 45 and receive super for 30. Yeah,
that's right.

Speaker 2 (05:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (05:37):
Which is a long time to be tapping into that pension.

Speaker 4 (05:40):
Yeah, and I think a lot of people like me
would go, my kids are never going to get it.
At this rate, we'll never be able to afford it
by the time they're old enough to get it.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (05:48):
In, you know, 50 years.

Speaker 10 (05:51):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 (05:52):
I mean, to me– I mean, do you think you'll
get it?

Speaker 3 (05:56):
No, no, not a chance. By the time I hit 65,
it's about 25 years away. There's no way I'm going
to get it. So what do you say on this?
I mean, to me, this solves a lot of the
problems and the fishhooks people see. What about tradies whose
bodies break down by 65? You can still take it.
You just take it at a lower rate. It saves,
they reckon, 8.1%, about $ 5. 9 billion by 2048. That's not

(06:17):
chump change. That's some good money right there.

Speaker 4 (06:20):
So what do you reckon?

Speaker 3 (06:20):
Is this the right move to be looking at for
a superannuation? or do you think it's okay as it is,
and maybe someday the whole thing just gets binned because
Gen Z have had enough?

Speaker 4 (06:30):
Would you take it? That's the question. Would you hold
off and wait for the 130%, or would you take
the 90% at 65?

Speaker 3 (06:38):
0800 80 1080 is that number to call, and 9292
is the text number. Tell us what you think. But
coming up next, we are going to have a chat
with Wellington business editor, Janaye Tibshirani, who's run some numbers
on this proposal as well. That's coming up next. It
is 13 past one.

Speaker 1 (06:53):
The big stories, the big issues, the big trends, and
everything in between.

Speaker 2 (06:58):

Speaker 3 (07:03):
It is a quarter past one, so a group representing
chartered accountants is floating a new idea for cutting the
cost of New Zealand superannuation while still keeping it universal.
They've modelled a tiered system, but to discuss further, and
someone who's run the numbers on this, is New Zealand
here of Wellington business editor, Janaye Tibshirani, who joins us now.

Speaker 4 (07:20):
G'day, Janaye.

Speaker 11 (07:22):
G'day, how's it going?

Speaker 4 (07:24):
Could you explain the proposal as simply as possible? So
under this system, a person turns 65 and then what
choices do they have?

Speaker 11 (07:34):
Yeah, look, under the proposal, you can choose when you
start receiving super from the government. So if you want
to get it at 65, then you might get a
little bit less than the normal rate. Whereas if you
choose to get it when you're older, so 67 or
70 even, you might get super at a higher rate.

(07:56):
So if you get it at 65, you get a
lower rate, but you get it from 65.

Speaker 6 (07:59):
Until you die.

Speaker 11 (08:01):
If you wait until 70, you get a higher rate
from the time you're 70 until you die, to put
it crudely. And look, the point of this is to
try to save money. Superannuation costs us about $ 26 billion
a year. And the big discussion at the moment is,

(08:22):
how do we keep providing people with super, but reduce
the cost of it? So under this proposal, ultimately, Less
money would go towards super, so some people would miss out.
They'd get less than what they'd get under the current system,
but maybe the system would be made more sustainable.

Speaker 4 (08:39):
So there's talks of claims of $ 5. 9 billion in annual
savings to the country. Does this come from the people
delaying the payments, the people getting a lower pension, or
is it people dying before they've recovered what they gave up,
if you see what I mean? They hold off until
they're 70%. hoping to get the 130 and then die
at 71. Is that where the saving comes in?

Speaker 11 (09:01):
Yeah, look, I mean, the saving would depend on how
you set the system up. So, you know, if you
have a big difference between the amount that you'd get
if you get it at 65 versus at 70, and
they've done some modelling around this, and the only way
it would really work is if there was a big difference.
So if there really was an incentive for you to
hold off getting super, you know, with the idea that

(09:23):
you'd then get more if you hold off. But the
issue with the system doing it this way is that
you could argue it's unfair. So according to the math
I did, it could hurt people who perhaps die younger
or people who have to– you know, take it at

(09:43):
65 and can't wait till 70 and then live long. So,
you know, I guess it's like anything, if you're going
to change the system to try to save the government money,
you have to think about where does the cost of
that fall? Who really gets hurt the most? And in
my view, it could be people who die younger and
people who get it when they're 65 rather than waiting.

Speaker 3 (10:06):
Is this a way to effectively try and break the
political stalemate, Janaye, that this has been talked about for
a long time? We know the problems we're facing with
the cost of super down the track. I think it
was estimated at $ 70 billion by 2048. That's not sustainable.
So is this an attempt to try and get some
movement on it because we haven't seen much lately?

Speaker 7 (10:25):
Yeah, look, I think so.

Speaker 11 (10:26):
I mean, the accountants are looking at the government's books
and they're thinking, oh, man, this is, you know, this
cost of super is rising a lot. And the pool
of working people is shrinking in comparison to the pool
of aging people. But the political debate that we're seeing
at the moment is largely around, you know, do we
raise the cost of eligibility for super? So do we
all get it at 67 rather than at 65? Also,

(10:49):
there's talk at the moment about, do we increase the
amount of super you get every year by a smaller amount?
So you know that the amount that they pay out
ultimately is not as high. I guess the chartered accountants
are putting a totally different idea out there, this whole
tearing idea that we've just discussed. But in each debate,
whenever we discuss this, I think fairness is really important.

(11:11):
And in my view, the accountant's idea probably falls short
when it comes to fairness because it gets rather complicated.
And maybe it might just be easier if you just
lift the age for everyone. But, you know, these are
the issues to debate probably ahead of the election. It's
a good time to have the debate.

Speaker 4 (11:30):
It's kind of fun, though, in a way, isn't it?
Sort of the gamification of superannuation. And the big winners financially,
if you want to roll the dice, would be the
people that can afford to keep working until they get
the higher amount at 70 to 130. And then it's
all about living as long as you can to maximize
that 130 percent. and offset giving up taking the 90%

(11:51):
at 65%.

Speaker 8 (11:51):
Exactly.

Speaker 4 (11:51):
So it's... gamification really isn't it i.

Speaker 3 (11:57):
Mean if you back yourself and you think that you're
pretty healthy and you know accidents can happen but on
a percentage rise you might think you can make it
to 80 because you're fit and healthy at 70 the
doctor gives you the sign off then roll that dice.

Speaker 4 (12:07):
Meanwhile the government's hoping that you uh defer it at
65 and then die at 69 some.

Speaker 11 (12:13):
Good savings yeah oh look exactly and i mean that
would be the thing you and i guess that's why
if you were to do this tiered thing you'd have
to set it up right because if there wasn't enough
of an incentive for you to wait then everyone would
just get it at 65 anyway and the whole thing
wouldn't work so I mean it does get tricky and

(12:35):
you know you do wonder whether maybe just keeping it
simple would be best Do you.

Speaker 4 (12:40):
Think, and this is sort of off topic a little
bit do you think eventually millennials, Gen Zers and Gen
Elfers will just throw it all out because they're going
well hang on a minute I'm paying into this It's unsustainable.
I'm never going to get it. Unless there's some political
moves made, even sort of a tricky one like this,
then they're just going to go, what's in it for me?
I'm out and start voting that way.

Speaker 11 (13:00):
Oh, I mean, of course, if you like, for example,
currently super is costing $ 26 billion a year. In about
two decades, it's due to almost triple. So the amount
of money that the government gets from tax is not
going to rise at the same rate. So if you
are like myself, a millennial looking at this, I'm going, oh, man,
unless something changes, there's not going to be as much

(13:22):
money available for me when I retire. So I need
to do what I can to save up and do enough,
which is.

Speaker 10 (13:29):
Tough.

Speaker 11 (13:30):
You know, you can only do what you can do.
But I suspect other people my age and younger might
be thinking, man, I really need to sort this out
myself because I'm not sure how much support will be
available from this stage in the future.

Speaker 4 (13:42):
So you're sorting yourself out for the future whilst currently
paying for other people that are in the system. So
paying for it whilst never expecting to get it. So politically,
I think eventually, there'll be some kind of big change.
I think it's kind of inevitable whether people think it's
right or wrong. I think that's what's going to happen,
but we'll see.

Speaker 3 (14:01):
Yeah, interesting idea. And Janae, thank you very much for
your analysis on that. You have a great afternoon. We'll
catch up again soon.

Speaker 10 (14:08):
Thank you, you too.

Speaker 3 (14:09):
That is Janaye Tibshirani, New Zealand, here at Wellington Business Editor.

Speaker 4 (14:12):
So what do you say?

Speaker 3 (14:13):
Do you like this idea for dealing with the issues
we will have with super in the next couple of decades?
Would you wait until 70 years old to get a
bigger slice of the pie when it comes to super
for the rest of your life, however long that may be?
Would you roll the dice? Look, generally, if it exists
when I'm still 65, I think I'd take a punt.
I think I could say right here, right now, it's

(14:33):
very easy for me to do, but I would take
a punt.

Speaker 4 (14:36):
You'd back yourself.

Speaker 3 (14:38):
Well, actually, I'm going downhill pretty fast, so maybe by
the time I hit 65, I might change my tune.

Speaker 4 (14:42):
Well, you defer till you're 70 and then use that
as sort of motivation to live a very healthy life
so you can maximise your profits by living to 95.

Speaker 3 (14:53):
Sounds like a win-win, doesn't it?

Speaker 4 (14:55):
What do you say?

Speaker 3 (14:55):
0800 80 1080 is the number to call and 9292
is the text.

Speaker 4 (14:58):
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Speaker 2 (15:57):
Fearless. Focused. Informed. It's the Mike Hosking Breakfast.

Speaker 12 (16:01):
Mark, it seems to think the cash rate moves today.
Take us to 275. Mike Jones, BNZ's Chief Economist, is
back with us. Stephen Topless, who works in your bank,
he's got it ending up at about 4% in the
middle part of next year.

Speaker 13 (16:11):
We've never had really high conviction that 4% exactly is
the number.

Speaker 2 (16:16):
It's basically just a bit of risk management that says.

Speaker 13 (16:19):
Well, when the Reserve Bank starts lifting the OCS, forecast
horizon estimate for the neutral rate at three and a half.

Speaker 3 (16:30):
So we've basically said, well, you know, four could be
the number, but open to conjecture.

Speaker 12 (16:34):
Back tomorrow at 6am, the Mike Hosking breakfast with Bailey's
Real Estate.

Speaker 4 (16:38):
News Talk ZB.

Speaker 3 (16:39):
27 past one, so a new idea has been floated
when it comes to superannuation.

Speaker 4 (16:44):
A tiered system.

Speaker 3 (16:45):
Effectively, the longer you wait to tap into super, the
more they will pay you for the rest of your life,
however long that may be. Is that a good idea?

Speaker 9 (16:52):
0800 80 1080.

Speaker 3 (16:53):
This text says cut it all now.

Speaker 7 (16:55):
Ooh.

Speaker 4 (16:57):
I'll never get it, but pay 39% tax. So expected
to pay for my own retirement while paying for other people's.
Cut it right now. That would cause some problems.

Speaker 3 (17:09):
That's a Gen Z right there, surely. Maybe a millennial.

Speaker 8 (17:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (17:12):
Cut it right now.

Speaker 3 (17:13):
No more super.

Speaker 4 (17:14):
I mean, that would be bold. Paying 39% tax. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (17:18):
Cut it now.

Speaker 4 (17:19):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (17:19):
It's another bold move.

Speaker 4 (17:20):
But that's kind of what you've got to remember is
the cut it now people. are going to get more
political power as time goes on. That's right. So you
may need to sort out a situation at some point
where it's not as onerous a cost.

Speaker 3 (17:34):
Yep, that is a real risk. Chris, you reckon it's
an OK idea?

Speaker 14 (17:41):
Oh, hey, guys, great show. I think the debate's a
bit ironic, really, because... I've seen a lot of summers
and this debate comes up every time we have an election.

Speaker 2 (17:53):
Yes.

Speaker 14 (17:55):
Like a lot of other things come up every time
we have an election. I think we... Got rid of
half of the politicians, not the population, we need them.
You know, that's the problem. I mean, this idea these
accountants have come up with is nothing new. This is

(18:15):
what Peter Dunn came up with about two years ago.

Speaker 8 (18:18):
Hmm.

Speaker 14 (18:20):
And I think it's quite a good idea, really, that
it can be sort of tiered like that. I've had
quite a lot of thought about it over the years,
and a lot of people don't think about the people
who never pick it up. I've had a lot of
mates over the years who never got there. They got 63, 64,

(18:41):
and that was their number. And we've got the... Tangata whenua,
you know, a lot of them, you know, in the 50s,
you know, that's it.

Speaker 10 (18:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (18:55):
So, you know, there's a heck of a debate down
that line. But the thing that I think is totally
wrong with the super, and I'd like to see it
change yesterday, was that you shouldn't be getting it if
you're working. And there's a lot of people who are
in their 70s and 80s who are still working and

(19:17):
picking the super up.

Speaker 4 (19:19):
Yeah, you mean like working full-time and making a good wage? Because,
I mean, you don't have a problem with Chris. Like,
I got an Uber with Wayne the other day. He
was driving, but he was still on the super, and
there's no way he was rich. He was just getting
by with a bit of driving and a bit of super.

Speaker 14 (19:40):
I know that industry pretty well and he was working
because he has to work because he's not making a
heck of a lot of money there and he's picking
up the super at the same time. There's a hell
of a lot of anomalies there. I don't know how
you guys are employed, but if you're employed by an employer,
he makes a contribution towards your superannuation in percentage terms

(20:04):
to your KiwiSaver. But if you're self-employed, and there's a
lot of self-employed people in New Zealand, they get no
contribution because they employ themselves.

Speaker 5 (20:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (20:14):
So these people have got to provide over and above. And,
you know, if you're in an industry like the guy
you were saying who's the Uber driver, Uber's not contributing
towards his KiwiSaver, so he's got to provide for himself.

Speaker 6 (20:26):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (20:27):
But would it be easy just on that thought, Chris, to,
you know, that they track how much you're earning if
you're on super and over a certain amount you can't
tap into it. So if it's under $ 30, 000 per year
because you're doing side hustles just to top you up,
then that can be covered under that sort of system.

Speaker 4 (20:44):
Means testing, I suppose, yeah.

Speaker 14 (21:06):
You know, I think I'll just leave you with, you know,
I think the problem, people are just making it bigger
than what it is, and I'll leave you with a
thought of what Elon Musk said. I mean, Elon Musk
said with AI in the future, no one will have
to work because there's going to be money everywhere.

Speaker 4 (21:21):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I wonder how a society like
that functions, though. in terms of meaning in life? And
are we all just, what are we doing? Is that
a bit of a Wally situation? We're all lying around
on our backs, sunbathing?

Speaker 14 (21:35):
Well, we're probably down the bottom of the barrel of
countries with our productivity. So with AI, that's the big hope,
that productivity is going to go through the roof. And
as he said, and he's sort of the Einstein of
our generation, is that in the future, people won't have
to work.

Speaker 4 (21:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (21:56):
But there is some complications with that utopia.

Speaker 4 (21:58):
I find it slightly hard to believe that, because the AI,
I know we've talked about this on the show, but
the AI productivity that has been promised hasn't really eventuated.
But anyway, that's an interesting side topic.

Speaker 5 (22:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (22:16):
So this isn't, as he was just saying, this isn't
a completely original idea.

Speaker 8 (22:22):
No.

Speaker 4 (22:22):
I mean, in the United States, the Pretty much got
that system. Someone born in 1960 or later receives 100%
of their Social Security retirement benefit at 67, but 124%
if they wait until 70 and payments stop increasing after 70.
So they sort of do that there. And in Britain,
a person who delays the new state pension receives roughly 5.8%

(22:44):
more for every year they defer. The UK government says
it takes more than 15 years of higher payments to
recover one year's foregone pension.

Speaker 3 (22:54):
So it's not that radical that other countries are implementing
similar tiered systems.

Speaker 4 (22:58):
It's just kind of, I guess the thing about it
is it makes its money in you gambling and losing.

Speaker 15 (23:07):
Yes.

Speaker 4 (23:08):
So you think that you're going to get the 130
and you're going to get it back.

Speaker 3 (23:12):
Yeah, whereas Tony text a little bit earlier, I've lost that,
but effectively it was, so if you decide to wait
till 70 and you cark it at 69, what do
you get? Well, the answer to that, Tony, is nothing.
You get nothing in that scenario because you tried to
play the game and you lost.

Speaker 4 (23:26):
But what do you say?

Speaker 3 (23:27):
Is this a good way to shift the conversation when
it comes to the problems with super? 0800 80 1080
is that number to call 26 to 2.

Speaker 4 (23:33):
And are you a millennial that thinks you're going to
get any super?

Speaker 3 (23:36):
Come on through, tell us.

Speaker 2 (23:38):
Newstalk ZB headlines.

Speaker 15 (23:40):
With Your Ride, New Zealand's number one taxi app. Download
Your Ride today. An ACT MP and two more from
National are denying a Green MP's claims in a Parliament debate.
They profited from housing changes brought in by their government.
A police employee is facing nearly 40 charges including rape,
indecent assault and kidnapping after investigations by the National Integrity Unit.

(24:06):
Economists expect another hike to the official cash rate at 2,
with the current 2.5% tip to rise to 2.75%. Reviews
found failures in governance and risk assessment over 30 years
from Wellington City Council, Water Company and operator Veolia at
its Moor Point wastewater plant, leading to its catastrophic breakdown.

(24:29):
The Government's planned Council Rates Cap Bill has passed its
first reading. Southland's venerable Mataura Railway Station is getting a
makeover to restore it to how it looked when it
was built in 1921. Right to bear arms? Concerns raised
over decriminalising carrying a gun. You can read more at nzherald.co.nz.

(24:50):
Back to Matt Heath and Tyler Adams.

Speaker 4 (24:52):
Thank you, Raylene.

Speaker 3 (24:53):
22 to 2.

Speaker 4 (24:55):
So quite a few texts back on the text that
said cut it now. Because this person, I'm trying to
find the text here, but this person was saying that
they're going to be paying it for their whole life
and they'll never get any. They're paying 39% tax and
paying for other people's super whilst not believing that they'll

(25:16):
ever get it. And a lot of people texting back,
these people who say cut it now forget that the
people receiving it now have paid into it all their
working lives. Yeah. So it's an interesting one, isn't it? Because...
That wouldn't seem very fair. You've paid superannuation. We didn't
save for it, though, but you've paid superannuation. You're getting
it now, and you've paid tax for your life for it,

(25:39):
and you're getting it now, right? So that seems fair.

Speaker 10 (25:41):
Yes.

Speaker 4 (25:41):
But this guy's point, who's in his 20s, I presume,
by his text, is that he'll pay for it for
a very long time but does not believe he'll ever
get it.

Speaker 2 (25:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (25:50):
So at some point, it's unfair on both sides, right?

Speaker 3 (25:55):
Well, that's right.

Speaker 4 (25:55):
So if you paid your whole life and then it
got cut, that wouldn't be fair. but if you're forced
to pay for it for a very long period of
time knowing that you'll never get it, that is also
not fair.

Speaker 3 (26:03):
But who's that unfair to? So that text is saying
those people say cut it, forget about the people receiving
it now, et cetera, et cetera. But effectively, you paying
your tax, you were paying for those above you that
were receiving the pension. So you were paying for your parents.
Now this person is paying for you, so it's kind
of really unfair on your parents who have probably long past.
They took it, you paid for them, and now you're

(26:25):
hoping to get it, and the next generation doesn't want
to pay for you.

Speaker 4 (26:29):
It gets complicated. It gets very complicated. Dallas, your thoughts
on this?

Speaker 5 (26:34):
Hi, guys. How about this? My scheme would be fairer
to Maori who die early and also fairer to those
who still want to work after 65. They shouldn't be
punished for trying, you know, extra work.

Speaker 3 (26:50):
Okay.

Speaker 5 (26:50):
So what I would do, I would make a basic
rate of $ 300 for everyone at 65.

Speaker 15 (26:53):
Then.

Speaker 5 (26:58):
If you need extra, say you need an extra $ 300,
you pay your mortgage or the rent or whatever it is,
because it's very hard to... A lot of pensioners are
struggling on the $ 500 or whatever it is a week.
So you get $ 300. Then if you need an extra $ 300,
that is means-tested. You can apply for that extra $ 300.

Speaker 4 (27:19):
So you're sort of suggesting a universal basic superannuation, and then...
entitlements on top of that or, you know, the equivalent
of an accommodation supplement, all those kind of other things
that you get in unemployment benefits.

Speaker 5 (27:36):
Yeah, exactly. So it's a fairer system, I think.

Speaker 1 (27:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (27:39):
I mean, that's an interesting one, isn't it?

Speaker 3 (27:41):
Would the admin be complicated, do you think, Dallas? Like,
I don't know, but that's always what you hear from
critics when you start adding in entitlements and etc., I mean,
maybe it could be pretty simplified, but the onus is
on the people who need it to apply.

Speaker 4 (27:52):
Yeah, so say you get this universal basic super, but
you're paying rent or whatever, then you go and say,
I need more money. But if you're not, if you're
living mortgage-free or whatever, not that any house is free
to live in with rates and all the other crazy
expenses we have, then you apply. I could see that working.

(28:17):
I don't think it would be that complex, would.

Speaker 10 (28:18):
It, Dallas?

Speaker 5 (28:20):
Well, nothing's perfect, you know, so you've got to choose
the least worst system. But we don't want to punish
Maori who die, definitely die earlier. Or, as I said,
we don't want to punish people who still want to work.
I mean, why would you punish people who want to
work after 65?

Speaker 4 (28:37):
Well, I think it's more the people that die younger,
you know, it's more to do with your income, isn't it?
So it's like, you know, lower income people die younger.

Speaker 8 (28:49):
Mm-hmm.

Speaker 4 (28:50):
Generally speaking, and physical labour. I mean, that's always the
problem with the argument with super, isn't it? It's like
some people can keep working until they're 75 in their jobs.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
That's right.

Speaker 4 (29:01):
Some people just physically can't, like a nurse. It's pretty
hard to remain being a nurse until you're 75, isn't it?

Speaker 2 (29:06):
Yeah, heck yeah.

Speaker 4 (29:07):
Yeah, hard physical job. Yeah. Hey, thanks for your call, Dallas.

Speaker 3 (29:10):
Appreciate it. 0800 80 1080 is the number to call.
And if you're a millennial or Gen Xer or Gen Z,
I mean, what do you think about the superannuation conversation?
I mean, do you generally think you're not going to
get it? How do you feel about it? about the
policies that are getting chucked out there, and do you
think this is a way to start to shift it
in the right direction if you are not going to

(29:30):
get it? But I do wonder whether that is a
widely thought idea, that if you are under 50, let's
say under 45, that you kind of know deep within
your heart that you're not going to get the pension
by it by the time you hit 65 or or
at all i mean i certainly feel that way but
i wonder if that's a widespread feeling or do you
generally think it's going to be there for you by

(29:51):
the time you you get to retirement.

Speaker 4 (29:52):
So you happy to continue paying for the current system
until it eventually gets shut down.

Speaker 3 (29:59):
Yeah i don't want to take the first move to
shut it down but if someone starts that maybe i'll
get on board 9292 is the text number.

Speaker 4 (30:06):
So many people are texting in, how about we keep
superannuation and cut the doll? What about if we cut
all of it? Cut superannuation and the doll? Save a
lot of money.

Speaker 3 (30:15):
Could cause a few problems.

Speaker 4 (30:18):
Is it one or the other?

Speaker 15 (30:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (30:19):
What do you reckon? 0800 80 1080 is that number
to call 1722.

Speaker 1 (30:21):
The issues that affect you and a bit of fun
along the way. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons. Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 3 (30:31):
News Talk ZB. Welcome back. It is 14 to 2,
and we're talking about a new idea for superannuation. In
this country, anyway, it's a tiered system. Effectively, the Chartered
Accountants Group has suggested that if we tier it and
you hold off until 70, then you'll get a bigger
slice of your superannuation until the day you die. If
you take it at 65, you will get less with

(30:52):
the idea that it's going to save billions down the track.
Is that a good idea?

Speaker 16 (30:55):
Oh, 180, 1080.

Speaker 10 (30:55):
G'day, Peter.

Speaker 8 (30:55):
Hello.

Speaker 3 (30:55):
I'm 85.

Speaker 17 (31:02):
And somebody was talking about not having to work because
of the AI.

Speaker 7 (31:10):
Mm-hmm.

Speaker 17 (31:12):
When I was at school, a teacher came in and
wrote on the blackboard, there's a new word, and it's
called automation. And you better watch your leisure time because
you won't have to work when you get older.

Speaker 4 (31:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 17 (31:26):
I worked more hours than my father ever did.

Speaker 4 (31:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 17 (31:30):
Until I was 81. And I had to change. I
was in the building industry. I had to change and
retrain for something else to carry on longer. So, you know,
there are things that people speak of.

Speaker 4 (31:47):
That was the big belief, wasn't it? And I saw
a documentary on it made back in the day that
people were just going to be doing nothing. But then
people ended up working longer and longer hours, as you say, Peter.
And it's sort of happening with AI at the moment.
People are going, oh, I don't seem to be working
less hours with AI. It seems to be creating a
lot of extra stuff I have to do. But so, Peter,
did you say that you were– did you retire.

Speaker 17 (32:09):
At– I retired at– well, I didn't– I retired at 81.
I stopped working at 81. I'm 85 now.

Speaker 4 (32:16):
And did you start getting the pension at 65? Yeah. Yeah.
And do you think– did you– did you think it
was fair to keep taking the pension while you were
still working? Was that something you ever thought about?

Speaker 17 (32:31):
We didn't think about it in those days. And I
think now, if we can get this KiwiSaver going properly,
that people get their own money, I think that's probably
better than everybody relying on the state all the time.

Speaker 4 (32:48):
Yeah, but I guess the problem, Peter, is... I guess
the problem is, Peter, that people are pointing out is
that millennials and younger and young Gen Xers or whatever
are having to pay into KiwiSaver because they don't believe
they're going to get a retirement. They're not going to
get superannuation. At the same time, they're still paying for
a superannuation that they won't get. Do you see what

(33:10):
I'm saying, Peter?

Speaker 7 (33:13):
I know.

Speaker 17 (33:13):
I've got 10 grandchildren.

Speaker 8 (33:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 18 (33:15):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (33:15):
Congratulations.

Speaker 17 (33:16):
And most of them are studying overseas because the country's
not in that good of state.

Speaker 8 (33:22):
Well, six of them are.

Speaker 7 (33:25):
Anyway, it's.

Speaker 17 (33:28):
Much better, I think, if we can organise something so
that people can look after their own things.

Speaker 4 (33:37):
Yeah, well, thank you so much for your call, Peter.

Speaker 17 (33:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (33:40):
I mean, it would be great.

Speaker 3 (33:43):
It would be.

Speaker 4 (33:44):
And I think a lot of people that get the KiwiSaver,
I mean, when you're paying into KiwiSaver, you're also... expecting
to get super as well. So it's just a more
comfortable retirement, right?

Speaker 3 (33:56):
Yeah, yeah, that's what we're all hoping. 0800 80 1080
is that number to call, and 9292 is the text number.
Plenty of text coming through, but we'll go to Simon
very quickly. G'day, Simon, your thoughts?

Speaker 5 (34:08):
G'day, guys.

Speaker 16 (34:09):
Yeah, I started work in the 70s, mid-70s, in engineering,
and very physical, you know, lots of heavy lifting jobs,
Lots of, you know, big work. And I probably wouldn't
have been able to work past 65. I did retire

(34:31):
at 65. And the back and the knees and eyesight
and things like that was just getting to a point
where I couldn't keep going.

Speaker 2 (34:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 16 (34:44):
So, you know, you've got to be aware that there's
going to be people in that situation as well They
aren't going to be able to work past 65.

Speaker 3 (34:52):
So you'd still get it under the system, Simon. You'd
just get 10% less. So do you think, I mean,
there's still that fairness there? Because I get what you're saying,
that you've had a very physical job. Your body was buggered.
You needed to wrap it up by 65, and a
lot of people are in that boat. So you still
get it, and it might even be under this system
a better way to play it because there might be
some people waiting until 70. They don't make it until 70.

(35:14):
They get nothing. You take it as soon as you can.
You know, it is, as Matt said, the gamification, but
it might actually work in favour of people with physical jobs.

Speaker 8 (35:23):
Yeah, I think if I.

Speaker 16 (35:24):
Retrained and did something else, I could have carried on.

Speaker 4 (35:29):
Oh, thank you for your thoughts, Simon, and thank you
for ringing in. Hey, guys, as a millennial, says this text,
I'm absolutely expected to receive the pension or at least
a portion of it that aligns with the years that
I've already paid tax. If they want to steal our money,
I can guarantee you there will be a revolution.

Speaker 3 (35:45):
Oh, OK, revolution. Is that true, millennials? If you don't
get it, it's all on.

Speaker 4 (35:50):
Millennials aren't up to a revolution. Millennials.

Speaker 3 (35:54):
There'll be a couple out there that'll give it a
good go.

Speaker 4 (35:57):
Imagine the meetings before they try to go out and
start the revolution. All the different rules they put on
each other and what they're allowed to say. You're going
to rack them up.

Speaker 3 (36:04):
They're getting started now.

Speaker 4 (36:06):
All right, it is nine minutes to two.

Speaker 3 (36:07):
Back very shortly.

Speaker 1 (36:09):
Matt Heath, Tyler Adams, taking your calls on 0800 80 1080.
It's Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.

Speaker 2 (36:16):
Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 4 (36:19):
It is six minutes to two. Mickey says, so we
are in our 60s, mortgage free, a few mil in
the bank. No way we should be getting the pension.
It needs to be means tested. You could get it
and give it away or not get it. I mean,
you can just not get it, right? I think so.

Speaker 3 (36:34):
Yeah, I think you can opt out of it if
you so choose.

Speaker 4 (36:36):
Tyler! Of course you're going to get it, says this texter.
Do you honestly believe that in 25 years, New Zealand
will just let hundreds of thousands of elderly people just
starve to death on the streets with no income, Craig? Well,
most countries in the world do that. It's very rare
to live in a country that has things like unemployment
benefits and superannuation. It's very rare.

Speaker 3 (36:57):
We are very generous as a country. Compared to most
of the world, we are incredibly generous.

Speaker 4 (37:02):
Travel the world. And, you know, if our country continues
to have the low productivity that it does and continues
to have to borrow just to keep the lights on,
as they say, then in 25 years, things could be
pretty dire.

Speaker 5 (37:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (37:16):
And maybe you simply cannot afford to have all this
safety net that we have in this country. Yep, exactly.
There's lots of countries where if... I mean, family have
to look after the old people, basically.

Speaker 3 (37:31):
Yep, 100%. This text says, so to make it fair,
put a lump sum amount into the KiwiSaver fund for
each year tax was paid. Excludes years where people lived
overseas and paid no tax from the retirement fund. As
a millennial, if they did that, I'd be happy that
there's no pension because I back myself to look after
my KiwiSaver.

Speaker 4 (37:49):
Very interesting. And this one says, G'day, guys.

Speaker 3 (37:51):
I'm a Gen Z-er, and no, I don't think there's
going to be any pension for me, along with a
lot of other entitlements that the boomers get, that I
will never see the light of day. Something needs to
happen very fast, or we will, as Matt said, become
the biggest voting bloc in New Zealand and take out
the lot of it. Fighting words there.

Speaker 8 (38:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (38:10):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (38:10):
Well, I mean, there's a bit of discontent about it,
isn't there? There is, yeah.

Speaker 3 (38:13):
Well, there'll be plenty more to come on that discussion
as we get closer to the election, if anything happens.
Who knows, but great discussion. Thank you to everyone who
called in.

Speaker 4 (38:21):
This texter says, shut up, Winnie won't let you do
any of this. It's not us.

Speaker 19 (38:25):
Mm.

Speaker 4 (38:26):
It's not, it was the Chanted Accountants of Australia and
New Zealand. Yeah, it's a bunch of accountants. Yeah, it
wasn't us.

Speaker 3 (38:32):
Yeah, they run the numbers.

Speaker 15 (38:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (38:34):
Great, great discussion. Thank you to everyone who texted as well.

Speaker 3 (38:36):
Right, coming up, after two o'clock, New Zealanders, Kiwis are
drinking less alcohol than ever before, with consumption falling to
its lowest since records began.

Speaker 4 (38:46):
Some say it's because of the economy, but is it really?

Speaker 3 (38:49):
Because we're all getting into health. What do you say?

Speaker 4 (38:51):
Oh, 880, 1080?

Speaker 3 (38:53):
And 9292 is the text news. Fordham Weather coming up.
You're listening to Matt Heath and Tyler Adams.

Speaker 2 (38:58):
The big stories. The big issues. The big trends. And
everything in between. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons. Newstalk ZV.

Speaker 20 (39:15):
G'day to you.

Speaker 4 (39:15):
Welcome back into the show. Six past two.

Speaker 3 (39:18):
Great to have you listening in and thank you very
much for your company. Just before we get into the
next topic, something I want to mention to you, Matt Heath,
and to our audience as well. So this morning I
was talking to you about a story that popped up
on Stuff that I kind of liked the cut of
the jib originally. The headline was, what is the happiest
place in New Zealand? And the reason I liked it
was that Dunedin, out of the seven cities that were measured,

(39:39):
came out on top.

Speaker 1 (39:40):
My hometown.

Speaker 3 (39:41):
Yeah, 83% of residents rate their quality of life as good,
very good, or extremely good. Good old Dunedinites.

Speaker 4 (39:47):
I'm flying there on Saturday.

Speaker 3 (39:48):
Yeah, how good. So just to give it context, Wellington
was about 80%, Tauranga on 78%, Porirua on 77%, Hamilton
on 75%, Auckland on 74%, Hutt City on 73%. So
even on those numbers, everyone's pretty happy. Pretty good quality
of life. But the reason I bring this up, so
this morning it said, where's the happiest place? Within the
space of a couple of hours, they've now changed the headline.

Speaker 4 (40:09):
What is it now? Where is the saddest place in
New Zealand?

Speaker 15 (40:12):
Dirty.

Speaker 4 (40:13):
So dirty. Pumping misery for clicks.

Speaker 3 (40:16):
They weren't getting enough clicks on the happy, so then
they've reversed it and said, where's the saddest place in
New Zealand?

Speaker 4 (40:21):
That's dirty. That is dirty.

Speaker 3 (40:23):
That's the problem with the likes of stuff.

Speaker 4 (40:24):
So if you're going to change that headline just to get...
more clicks then do you ever stop and go I
am making the world a better place because I've taken
a positive story I'm making the world a worse place
because I've taken a positive story and I've flipped it
into a negative story.

Speaker 3 (40:38):
I hope so that person needs to be shamed yeah
and I think that's what we've done right here right now.

Speaker 4 (40:42):
Is it AI does AI just scan and go it's
not flip it.

Speaker 3 (40:45):
They haven't named the reporter in question so maybe it's
just AI.

Speaker 4 (40:48):
Well to be fair the reporters aren't generally speaking responsible
for the headlines are they.

Speaker 3 (40:52):
No good point there are headline writers or maybe AI
headline writers.

Speaker 4 (40:56):
Yeah yeah But that's dirty. So a positive story, let's
flip it to a negative story and see if we
can get more clicks.

Speaker 3 (41:03):
Doom and gloom merchants sometimes.

Speaker 4 (41:05):
Yeah, dirty. Anyway, go Dunedin.

Speaker 3 (41:07):
Go Dunedin. That was a positive out of that story.

Speaker 5 (41:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (41:10):
I mean, the positive out of it is how positive
nearly everyone is. Because all we hear these days is
that everyone's miserable and such. But then you do a
survey and it finds out that everyone's generally pretty happy.

Speaker 3 (41:22):
Three out of four people. Good quality of life.

Speaker 10 (41:24):
Good.

Speaker 5 (41:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (41:25):
Go New Zealand.

Speaker 4 (41:26):
So the headline could have been New Zealand is a
happy place. Two thumbs up. Could have been. Wouldn't that
be nice?

Speaker 3 (41:34):
Bit of positivity in this world. Anyway, if you want
to go read it and join the misery brigade, it's
on stuff if you so choose.

Speaker 4 (41:41):
Right, let's get into this one.

Speaker 3 (41:42):
So Kiwis are drinking less alcohol than ever before, with
consumption falling to its lowest since records began. So recently
released stats, New Zealand data shows alcohol consumption per capita
has fallen to just under six litres of pure alcohol
per person in the country. That's down roughly a third
since 2011.

Speaker 4 (42:01):
Six litres of pure alcohol is a big night out.
That is a huge night out.

Speaker 3 (42:05):
You done that before?

Speaker 4 (42:06):
Six litres of pure alcohol.

Speaker 3 (42:06):
Got on the methylated spirits? I've seen the videos, mate.

Speaker 4 (42:10):
I don't think you should drink any more than a
thimble full of pure alcohol.

Speaker 3 (42:14):
I think that's good advice. So that is down roughly
a third since 2011, 15 years, with New Zealand's consumption
now amongst the lowest in the OECD countries. So according
to Brewers Association executive Dylan Firth, It's a sign of
changing times. Economically, here he was on Mike's show this morning.

Speaker 9 (42:32):
It's a bit of a tough economic story, I think,
is the biggest one, and one of changing kind of
generational trends. Look, I mean, in terms of health-wise, most
New Zealanders drink monetarily anyway, so it's not really about that.
What we're seeing is that people are looking to maybe
spend a little bit less money in tough economic times,
and also the cost of production has definitely gone up
over that time as well.

Speaker 4 (42:50):
So you would argue it's economic, not health-related?

Speaker 2 (42:53):
Oh, look, I mean, there's a bit of both.

Speaker 9 (42:54):
Like you're seeing a generational shift where younger people are
kind of less likely to go out to the pub,
maybe more likely to go out for a run. You know,
a few different things in that space. So people are
making different decisions around consumption. But also, you know, I
think we do see potential kind of balancing out over
the next few years. It's been tough economically as things
kind of settle down and people have a few more
dollars in their pocket.

Speaker 2 (43:14):
We'll see hopefully a bit of growth again.

Speaker 4 (43:16):
You know, I just don't think it would be, I
don't think the economic part of it is a huge
part of it personally. People often... drink more alcohol historically
in tough times, don't they?

Speaker 3 (43:27):
Well, the Great Depression, as you mentioned earlier this morning,
I think they were sinking some booze back then.

Speaker 4 (43:32):
I think there's a lot of stuff going on. I
think that focus on health is a big part of it.
I think social media is a big part of it.
Kids not going out because they're doom-scrolling or socialising on Discord,
getting that social... part of their brain scratched on the devices.
I think people are going out less in the hope
of meeting someone. I think a lot of people just

(43:54):
went out because they wanted to meet someone out on
the town, so they'd go out in a group. But now,
because of the apps, they don't go out in a
group looking for action anymore. They just match with someone
and meet up, you know? I think it's a big
part of it. And I think a lot of these
things that are stopping people drinking, I think there's a
lot of them– I think a lot of them are

(44:16):
on the pingers as well.

Speaker 10 (44:19):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (44:19):
I think a lot of kids are more focused on
taking illegal substances than they are alcohol. You know? And so...
So these lower drinking stats, they might mean less socialising
and they might mean more drug taking. So is that
necessarily a good thing? I don't know. What do you
say on this?

Speaker 3 (44:37):
0800 80 1080. So for you, are you drinking less
because of health or money? And what do you think
is behind that trend of Kiwis per capita drinking less booze?

Speaker 4 (44:46):
Tell us.

Speaker 8 (44:46):
0800 80 1080.

Speaker 3 (44:46):
Is that number to call? And 9292 is the text.

Speaker 4 (44:50):
Yeah, Grant says, hey, lads, there's a common reason alcohol
consumption has dropped. It's due to higher use of drugs.
More pingas. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (44:58):
Do you agree?

Speaker 4 (44:58):
Tell us. Why are you drinking less if you're drinking less?

Speaker 8 (45:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (45:01):
Are you on the pingas?

Speaker 3 (45:04):
Be honest about it. There's no judgment here. It is
12 past 2.

Speaker 1 (45:08):
Your home of afternoon talk. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.

Speaker 2 (45:12):
Call 0800 80 1080. Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 4 (45:17):
News talk, ZB.

Speaker 3 (45:18):
It is a quarter past two, so we're drinking less
than we ever had. It has gone to the lowest
since records began. So if you've stopped drinking, what was
the reason for it? Was it due to the economy,
as the Brewers Association believe it is down to? Or
was it something more deep than that?

Speaker 4 (45:34):
This text says it's absolutely nothing to do with the
fact that the cost of beer is $ 15 to $ 20
for a single beer nowadays. Joel, I think it would
have something to do with that. It's not going to
be absolutely nothing to do with that. But the conversation
we're having is.
That there is more to it than that, than just
the cost. And a lot of people seem to be agreeing.
This is interesting. I've heard that the weight loss drug

(45:55):
also reduces your desire to drink alcohol as well as
eat food. Yeah, the weight loss drugs seem to, you know,
this anecdotally reduce your interest in nearly everything. Which is, yeah.

Speaker 3 (46:08):
I mean, is that a win-win? I suppose if you're
losing weight, yeah, that's definitely a win-win.

Speaker 4 (46:12):
It takes your gusto for life out of all of it.

Speaker 8 (46:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (46:14):
Annalise says, How are you?

Speaker 10 (46:18):
Hello.

Speaker 4 (46:18):
Is that me? That is you.

Speaker 8 (46:20):
All right.

Speaker 4 (46:20):
How are you? I'm good.

Speaker 21 (46:24):
I thought it was probably relevant that I gave a
call because I stopped drinking because of how it made
me feel. It made me feel sick, but I thought
it was really cold to drink. Like, I thought, you know,
you go out with the girls and you have a
long lunch and you drink. I discovered that it was just,
I just felt so ill. from that first glass of

(46:48):
wine that I was actually causing myself grief.

Speaker 22 (46:50):
And I just stopped.

Speaker 21 (46:51):
I just didn't. It just didn't happen. And I come
from a long line of heavy drinkers. And it was
a thing my brother and I would actually be alcoholic
in the family because I felt sick when I was drinking.
And it did affect me a little bit. But I
have to say that drinking ginger beer when you go

(47:12):
out now is just as cool as drinking wine, even
though it doesn't look as cool.

Speaker 4 (47:20):
So do you think, generally speaking, that cool is a
part of it? That in New Zealand society, drinking was
just always considered a cool thing to do, and now
it is not as cool as it was, and that's
having an effect on how many people drink?

Speaker 21 (47:37):
Oh, I think that's 100%. 100% the cool factor. Like,
you know, a Friday night after work and you all
go out and you get sloshed and, you know, I'm
of that older age group where Friday nights were a killer. And,
you know, you suffered through the weekend. Well, those weekends,

(47:57):
the suffering then lasted.

Speaker 23 (47:58):
For a week.

Speaker 21 (47:59):
And so you'd start to go, what the hell do
I have to do that's still cool?

Speaker 7 (48:03):
Oh.

Speaker 4 (48:07):
I wonder if that is another part of it, the
aging population, because people tend to drink a lot historically
in their late teens and early 20s. Eventually, when you
hit your 30s, the hangovers do start to become a
little bit harder to deal with, right? Very, very rough, yeah.

Speaker 3 (48:25):
I mean, is that something to it? 0800 80 10 80.
And are you with Annalise that you just woke up
one day and realised that you didn't like it? It
just made you feel a bit sick? And that call
factor as well, has that started to change? 0800 80
10 80 is the number to call and 9292 is
the text number. Tell us your thoughts. It is 18
past two.

Speaker 2 (48:45):
The big stories.

Speaker 1 (48:46):
The big issues. The big trends. And everything in between.
Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.

Speaker 2 (48:52):
Newstalk ZB. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons. Call 0800
80 1080 on Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 3 (49:04):
It is 21 past two, so Kiwis are drinking less
alcohol than ever before consumption has fallen to its lowest
since records began. So question for you is, if you're
drinking less, is it because of health or money? But
you know, on the drugs question, is that a part
of it? If you are someone who's a little bit
younger out there, or older for that matter, is that
a big part of it that you feel that you
get more out of the drugs that you can get

(49:25):
your hands on rather than just going out and spending
500 bucks on a night on the booze?

Speaker 4 (49:31):
Yeah, there's someone here saying that my, where is it,
my daughter's in their 30s, where is it?

Speaker 15 (49:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (49:39):
Damn. Oh, yeah, here we go. My daughter's friends are
all drinking less in their late 30s because ketamine is cheaper.
A lot of people are on the ketamine. And there
was that bar on K Road, neck of the woods,
that was closed down. They said that people were still
coming out, but they weren't coming out and drinking. Yeah, well,
that's a big thing if you're a bar.

Speaker 10 (49:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (49:56):
So if that is true, if that's you, if you're
a fly in those circles, love to hear from you.

Speaker 10 (50:00):
G'day, Jeff.

Speaker 5 (50:02):
Hey, how are you, mate?

Speaker 1 (50:03):
Good.

Speaker 4 (50:04):
What do you reckon?

Speaker 23 (50:06):
I reckon it's a combo, mate. Like, I think it's
the old demerit points, you know? You can't go out
and have half a dozen beers and a steak anymore.
And the city's turned into a constipated bus stop, you know?
So that puts a bit of a brake on going
to town.

Speaker 2 (50:20):
All night, you know?

Speaker 4 (50:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (50:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (50:23):
I mean, and not just in town. So, like, if
you see a rural pub, the rural pubs just used
to have the most huge car parks. Most car parks
are empty now because people can't drive to the pub anymore.

Speaker 24 (50:35):
Exactly, mate.

Speaker 10 (50:36):
And it's a bit of a fluff, you know?

Speaker 7 (50:37):
So you're like, nah, can't be bothered.

Speaker 4 (50:42):
But even like getting an Uber into town, I mean,
in Auckland, my goodness, there's nowhere for them to stop, really.

Speaker 18 (50:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (50:48):
Exactly, mate.

Speaker 23 (50:49):
They've created the town that no one can go to.

Speaker 4 (50:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 23 (50:52):
So good on them.

Speaker 4 (50:54):
Yeah, but do you think you'll get on the, are
you talking about Auckland.

Speaker 10 (50:57):
Here, Jeff?

Speaker 1 (50:59):
Yeah, mate, absolutely.

Speaker 2 (50:59):
Absolutely.

Speaker 5 (51:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (51:01):
Well, do you think people will get it? Do you
think you'll be jumping on the $ 5. 8 billion city rail
link to go into town for a drink now and
get those stats up? Oh, absolutely.

Speaker 23 (51:10):
I'd love to take my girl with me, go for
a blimmin' train ride into the city with a bunch
of others.

Speaker 5 (51:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (51:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (51:17):
Half-cut yahoos.

Speaker 3 (51:18):
That's a good time, isn't it?

Speaker 5 (51:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 23 (51:21):
Mate, they should just block it up with concrete like
they did to the refinery, mate, and move on.

Speaker 4 (51:28):
What about in your experience, roughly how old are you, Geoff?

Speaker 23 (51:33):
In my 50s, mate.

Speaker 4 (51:34):
Oh, you're in your 50s.

Speaker 8 (51:34):
Oh, right.

Speaker 4 (51:35):
You've got a youthful sound to you. You do, Geoff.
I was going to ask if you guys in your 20s,
if it's true you guys are all on the pingers
instead of the beers, but it turns out you're in
your 50s. You just sound like you're in your 20s.
It's youthful.

Speaker 8 (51:47):
Yeah, it's my youthful life, mate.

Speaker 4 (51:49):
Yeah, you sound healthy.

Speaker 3 (51:51):
Good on you, Geoff.

Speaker 4 (51:51):
Keep going hard. Good on you, mate.

Speaker 7 (51:52):
Absolutely.

Speaker 4 (51:54):
I mean, I think we would all agree that the
phones don't work at all here at Newstalk ZB. I
think we'd all agree that. That mouse is giving you
a hard time.

Speaker 3 (52:03):
Yeah, we're just trying to say see you later, Geoff,
because we love you, mate, but we've got to move on,
and the phone system is playing havoc.

Speaker 4 (52:09):
Yeah, no, the phone does not work. Briefly.

Speaker 8 (52:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (52:11):
Now it's gone.

Speaker 6 (52:12):
All right.

Speaker 3 (52:12):
We'll fix that. One of the many problems here in
the Mycoskie Memorial Studio. But I think that is a
fair point. When it comes to the driving, and yeah,
probably that law change has a bit to do with it,
but it is a pain in the ass. When you've
got a night out and you've got to figure out, right,
I can't drive there because I can only have one
before I'm over the limit and I can't drive back.
Then you've got to pick up your car the next day.
Then you've got to work out the Uber situation. As

(52:33):
you say, they drop you off in the middle of
the road most times in the middle of of Auckland City,
then you've got to figure out the Uber back, just
becomes harder than it should be. And quite often I
sit there and think, I kind of want to go out,
but not to the extent that I can be arsed
with all that faff.

Speaker 16 (52:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (52:48):
Yeah, no, I think it's fair enough. I've got another
theory as well.

Speaker 2 (52:50):
Okay.

Speaker 4 (52:51):
I've got another theory as well. Should we go to.

Speaker 3 (52:53):
Yeah, we'll go to Katie.

Speaker 7 (52:54):
Katie.

Speaker 3 (52:54):
Hey, Katie.

Speaker 10 (52:57):
Hello.

Speaker 4 (52:58):
Oh, hello. Are you there?

Speaker 14 (53:00):
Hello.

Speaker 8 (53:00):
Hello.

Speaker 4 (53:01):
So we're just having a few problems with our phones here, Katie,
but I think we've got you loud and clear now.

Speaker 21 (53:05):
All right.

Speaker 5 (53:06):
How are you?

Speaker 4 (53:07):
Yeah, good, good.

Speaker 3 (53:07):
So what's your thoughts? Do you think that it is
true that drugs have overtaken alcohol for many age groups?

Speaker 18 (53:14):
Yeah, I do think that. I think they're more accessible,
they're more acceptable, and for those who can afford probably
the higher.

Speaker 10 (53:22):
End, they're cleaner.

Speaker 18 (53:24):
Therefore, you don't get the hangover and, yeah, you're not
looking at catching a cab into town and spending 500
bucks on.

Speaker 20 (53:33):
A couple of beers.

Speaker 4 (53:34):
And is it, I think it might be true that you,
I don't know, in terms of everyone having a camera, right?
So if you're sloppy drunk doing stupid stuff and can't
remember anything, then you end up being filmed and it's
pretty embarrassing. Whereas whatever the dangers are of drugs, you
don't end up, I don't know, passed out in the
corner of a bar, wetting yourself kind of situation, KT.

Speaker 21 (53:56):
Well, this is true.

Speaker 18 (53:57):
And I think with the younger ones, they tend to
look after each other a lot more than we do
when we were younger and out there drinking. And for
the older ones, you know, they're adults. They know the consequences.
And generally, if you're on the really hard stuff, you'll
have somebody that's sitting there and looking after the team
for you with your partner and you're safe.

Speaker 4 (54:18):
What kind of drugs are you talking about specifically, Katie?

Speaker 18 (54:22):
I think you're looking at, you know, probably the A-class
drugs are very hard to get, but when you do
have access to them and they're from a reliable source,
you would have a cleaner and better time than out
drinking where, you know, if you have too much of
hard liquor, who knows what was going to happen.

Speaker 4 (54:41):
So you're talking about your MDMAs and your cocaine and such?

Speaker 18 (54:45):
Cocaine and, you know, your happy pills, your ecstasy. Yeah,
and I think it's a lot more acceptable These days.

Speaker 3 (55:06):
I think there would be some people looking at that
and saying it's probably overall could be better for my
body as long as I don't overdo it. Because alcohol
is incredibly damaging if you binge it for too long. Where,
you know, it's a fair argument that if you look
at some of those other illicit substances, it might ruin
your life if you get caught. But on a health
side of things, maybe there is something.

Speaker 4 (55:24):
To that, Katie.

Speaker 3 (55:26):
Yeah, it could be.

Speaker 18 (55:26):
And I think some people would go... as far as
to say that they have probably changed their lives and
maybe opened their minds, if you're talking about psychedelics and
the perspective on life and things like that. So it
can be quite an enlightening experience for some people. And look,
at the end of the day, some of the things
that we put in our mouths and into our bodies

(55:48):
are pretty horrible. And sometimes drugs, if you do your
research and you've got a very good resource, can actually
be a bit better for you.

Speaker 4 (55:57):
It's interesting because there's a cliche of gym goers, you know,
hardcore gym goers also being hardcore A-class drugs takers as well. Yeah.
So in their mind, they're very health conscious, but also
illicit drug aficionados as well.

Speaker 8 (56:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (56:17):
The irony.

Speaker 18 (56:17):
The irony of it all.

Speaker 15 (56:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (56:20):
But this text says, I'm 45 and I stopped drinking
years ago because I was getting too maggoted. And it
was not healthy and it wasn't pleasant for anyone around.
So I switched to MDMA. And now if I have
an event on, I'll just have a few bumps of
that throughout the evening. It's way better than being on alcohol.
Alcohol is actually evil and causes fights and it's just yuck.

(56:41):
Having a few lines of MDMA throughout the night, you chill,
you're happy. and you're all actually in control. And depending
on what kind of stuff it is, you don't generally
get a come down the next day. So it's win-win.
All right.

Speaker 3 (56:57):
Thank you for your honesty. I mean, is that text
all right? And Katie as well. Is it the fact that.

Speaker 4 (57:01):
He doesn't reckon he gets his maggoted on the hardcore,
on the A-class.

Speaker 3 (57:05):
I haven't heard that word for a wee while.

Speaker 6 (57:06):
Maggoted.

Speaker 4 (57:07):
Is he right?

Speaker 3 (57:07):
0800 80 1080 is the number to call and 9292
is the text number. Now coming up after the headlines, Matt,
you've got another theory.

Speaker 4 (57:16):
I've got one, yeah.

Speaker 16 (57:16):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (57:17):
Matt will share us another theory about why we're drinking less.
That is coming up next. It is 29 past 2.

Speaker 4 (57:22):
Is MDMA an A-class drug?

Speaker 3 (57:23):
I'm pretty sure it is, yeah.

Speaker 4 (57:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (57:25):
Double-check that.

Speaker 4 (57:26):
All right. I know it's a B.

Speaker 3 (57:28):
Oh, it's a B?

Speaker 4 (57:29):
It's a B-class drug.

Speaker 8 (57:30):
Right.

Speaker 3 (57:31):
Is cocaine A?

Speaker 4 (57:33):
Cocaine's surely A.

Speaker 3 (57:34):
You'd think so.

Speaker 15 (57:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (57:35):
Yeah, that must be high up there.

Speaker 8 (57:36):
Right.

Speaker 3 (57:36):
It is 29 past 2 headlines with Raylene coming up.

Speaker 2 (57:40):

Speaker 15 (57:42):
With Your Ride, New Zealand's number one taxi app, download
Your Ride today. The Reserve Bank has raised the official
cash rate to 2.75% as broadly expected, a lift of
25 basis points. Three more coalition MPs are denying claims
by Green MP Tamatha Paul they took advantage of government

(58:04):
housing changes in a general debate last month. Methanol producer
Methanex has confirmed it's shutting its Taranaki plant from next year.
It employs 300 staff. A police employee is facing dozens
of charges after investigations by the National Integrity Unit, including rape,

(58:24):
indecent assault and kidnapping. Disability advocates say there was a
lack of consultation as a bill overhauling disability support services
legislation passes its final reading. Watercare has opened a registration
of interest process for the $ 1. 7 billion Waikato Water Works.

(58:45):
Rise of a retail Titan Kiwi firm acquires massive Auckland
site in $ 88. 7 million Port of Tauranga deal. You can
see more at nzherald.co.nz. Back to Matt Heath and Tyler Adams.

Speaker 4 (58:59):
Thank you very much, Raylene.

Speaker 3 (59:01):
It is 27 to 3, so Kiwis are drinking less
alcohol than ever before.

Speaker 10 (59:05):
Why?

Speaker 3 (59:06):
If you've changed, what was it that made you change?

Speaker 4 (59:09):
I think there's some work stuff going on as well.

Speaker 8 (59:11):
Okay.

Speaker 4 (59:11):
I think there's more people working from home. I think
Fridays aren't a big drinking day anymore because a lot
of slack people are not coming on on a friday
yep i mean look at this place the desks are
empty on a friday right plus um work drinking culture
has changed you don't have work drinks in the same
level as as you used to do yep you know
you you might have them once a month at the

(59:33):
most um So I think there's a few things there,
and it's just work drinking culture has totally changed, and
that used to be a big part of it.

Speaker 3 (59:43):
I'd agree, yeah. The old Friday drinks, because they used
to have them here. Now I've now moved to a
monthly mingle, I think they call it, which is fair enough.

Speaker 4 (59:49):
You're not even supposed to call them work drinks anymore.
It's just a mingle, because some people don't drink, so
it's a mingle. As if the people that don't drink
would be offended that it was called drinks.

Speaker 3 (59:59):
It used to be common. I mean, as a youngster,
I look forward to the Friday drinks with all uh
talk some some crap around a table and and get
a bit pissed and then see you later uh usually
get jump in a taxi go home happy days get
on with their weekend sometimes you carry on into town
but that started to change about maybe five or six years.

Speaker 4 (01:00:16):
Ago yeah so the work culture in general has become
lesser because because people certain amount of people working from
home and then the problems related around with work drinks
it's all it's all it's all it's all part of it, right?
And so if workplaces aren't buying as much drinks and
that's not leading on to post-workplace drinks, then that's a
little bit less drinks in the system. It's not the

(01:00:39):
cool factor. The science is right there for people to see,
says this text. YouTube podcast, Huberman podcast, Rogan Influencer showing
with good presentation on a scientific level what it does
to you with scientific 3D animations of your brain taking
a beating or scientists articulating what it does. So the
message comes out, Back in the day, you had to

(01:01:00):
go to university or listen to get an idea of
what was actually going on. That's interesting. And successful wealthy
people on YouTube or Facebook talking about how they never
touched a drink. You would never see or read that
in the past unless you were lucky enough to come
across it randomly. Now, all this info is in your face,
daily reels, podcasts, TikTok stories. We are just much better

(01:01:20):
educated nowadays on booze.

Speaker 10 (01:01:22):
Mm-hmm.

Speaker 4 (01:01:23):
Huberman, there's been a bit of pushback on Huberman. Has there?
Because he'll throw around a pretty weak study. And look, definitely,
I listen to his podcast. There's a couple of them
on alcohol, and it's pretty shocking stuff. But he does
go on a zero-risk thing. So he says there's risk
in even a drink of alcohol.

Speaker 10 (01:01:43):
Yes.

Speaker 4 (01:01:44):
But there's a risk in walking to the other side
of the room.

Speaker 3 (01:01:46):
That's right.

Speaker 4 (01:01:46):
There's a risk in being out in the sun. There's
a risk in everything.

Speaker 2 (01:01:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:01:50):
So the idea that anything would be zero-risk. is silly.
I mean, there's not even zero risk in drinking a
glass of water. Obviously, alcohol has its risks. But going
from just the statement that there's no amount of drinking
that is zero risk, it's a funny way to put it.

Speaker 3 (01:02:06):
But there are benefits from having a couple of drinks.
There's social benefits as well. Huberman, he's a scientist. He
looks at the body. But you've got to take that
into it, don't you? Jake, your thoughts?

Speaker 2 (01:02:17):
Hello.

Speaker 22 (01:02:18):
Yeah, I reckon it's a combination of all the three.

Speaker 20 (01:02:21):
100%.

Speaker 4 (01:02:24):
So the health?

Speaker 22 (01:02:26):
Health, finances, and culture, really.

Speaker 4 (01:02:31):
Culture. And also, does culture include a lot of young
people getting on the drugs?

Speaker 15 (01:02:38):
Yes.

Speaker 24 (01:02:39):
Yeah, I would say that's the change of culture.

Speaker 4 (01:02:41):
So how old are you, Jake?

Speaker 22 (01:02:43):
I've just turned 31.

Speaker 4 (01:02:45):
Okay, yeah. And so have you been a big drinker
in the past and aren't now, or has it never
really been a thing for you?

Speaker 22 (01:02:52):
Yeah, so for me, I've definitely decreased my drinking for
all three reasons. So it's definitely in the younger generation,
it's less.

Speaker 24 (01:03:03):
Cool to drink.

Speaker 25 (01:03:05):
That's definitely a factor.

Speaker 17 (01:03:07):
Drugs are cheaper.

Speaker 21 (01:03:09):
People are more informed on the health side of alcohol
like that.

Speaker 22 (01:03:12):
Other texts were saying with the internet and all that.

Speaker 21 (01:03:16):
Now people are a bit more aware of the effects
of alcohol.

Speaker 22 (01:03:20):
And, yeah, can't bloody afford it half the time.

Speaker 4 (01:03:23):
And what do you mean, you know, what springs to
your mind when you say that drinking isn't as cool?

Speaker 22 (01:03:33):
I think it's like you were talking about the, like
the guy said, the maggoted aspect.

Speaker 10 (01:03:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 22 (01:03:38):
I think that's, a lot of young people now just
don't want to be seen as sloshy and, you know,
which is fully understandable, but I think it's also like
what we're talking about.

Speaker 2 (01:03:47):
It's not all bad.

Speaker 26 (01:03:48):
A bit of the fun comes from the slosh.

Speaker 3 (01:03:51):
Just on the cost side, Jake, I mean, would it be,
that's a calculation, right? You go out for a night
with your mates, you know you're going to be out
drinking for maybe six or seven hours, but the reality
is that's going to cost you $ 500 to $ 700 over
a night. Whereas if you go the line of finding
some drugs, it might cost you $ 100 over a night.

Speaker 11 (01:04:09):
Yeah, that's basically it.

Speaker 22 (01:04:11):
And also, if you do your research on your drugs
and you know what you're getting and know your stuff
so you can test your drugs, and all that, and
you're not mixing, making cocktails with the drugs, then you
can actually do it quite in a healthy manner. And
if you're taking a small dose of MDMA, you can
have a really good night on it, have the same

(01:04:32):
sort of social aspects, euphoria and all that, and then
there's not really a come down. You know, you wake
up the next day and you're feeling pretty all right.

Speaker 4 (01:04:42):
This text is, is there some truth to what this
text says, Jake? Getting caught being stupid on camera is
a death sentence nowadays and that could play a part
in it. Do you think that is it? Because people,
you know, every single person's got a phone in their
pocket now that can film anything that you're up to
and then share it around and then that would be.

Speaker 2 (01:04:59):
No, it's... Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:05:01):
Mortifying.

Speaker 7 (01:05:01):
That's an aspect.

Speaker 4 (01:05:03):
Yeah, it's definitely part of it.

Speaker 24 (01:05:04):
I think back in the day you could.

Speaker 22 (01:05:06):
get away you know you get into trouble and no
one would find out about it.

Speaker 4 (01:05:09):
Sort of thing but now it'd just be a story yeah.

Speaker 22 (01:05:12):
And then you lose you know it's a quick way
to lose your.

Speaker 4 (01:05:15):
Job so yeah oh thanks for thanks for your call
jake appreciate it yeah really interesting uh richard you've been
following alcohol consumption for 30 years.

Speaker 19 (01:05:26):
Indeed that's right um i teach wine education for a living.

Speaker 3 (01:05:30):
Wine education uh Yes, indeed.

Speaker 19 (01:05:33):
Sounds like a good job.

Speaker 7 (01:05:33):
I'm very lucky to be in the industry for that long.

Speaker 4 (01:05:35):
Yeah, right. It is indeed.

Speaker 10 (01:05:36):
But, yeah, you're right.

Speaker 19 (01:05:37):
I mean, everything, all the calls have been saying it's,
you know, what my research has come across. But also
there's now, probably in the last five years, a really
explosion into non-alcoholic versions of drinks, especially in the wine industry.

Speaker 8 (01:05:52):
Right.

Speaker 4 (01:05:53):
You're talking about the zero percenters.

Speaker 15 (01:05:55):
Yes, indeed.

Speaker 19 (01:05:56):
So that's also, you know, people talk about that cool fact,
it's still able to look like they're drinking alcohol without
having the effects of it.

Speaker 4 (01:06:06):
Yeah. And what about these, because I had some zero alcohol,
a zero alcohol Pinot the other day, and it's definitely
moved up a notch. Zero alcohol wines back in the
day just tasted like grape ties, and you're like, this
isn't wine at all. but it's kind of the technology's
got better. Would that be right, Richard?

Speaker 19 (01:06:28):
That's correct. It sure has. They now have got techniques
where they basically centrifuge it and are able to take
that alcohol content out but still keep some of the flavor.
I mean, I still don't think the flavor profile is
the same as an alcoholic, but it's getting better.

Speaker 7 (01:06:46):
You're right.

Speaker 4 (01:06:47):
I think it might never get there, but because the
tang or how full on the taste of alcohol is,
it's very, very hard to imitate, isn't it?

Speaker 10 (01:06:59):
It is.

Speaker 19 (01:06:59):
The structure is, you know, alcohol makes up a large
part of that structure. But as I said, it is
there and it is starting to grow in sales.

Speaker 4 (01:07:09):
And where are you doing your wine educating, Richard?

Speaker 14 (01:07:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 19 (01:07:13):
Up and down New Zealand, but I'm also finding that,
you know, probably four or five years ago, I was
doing a lot more with, you know, work, large corporate
groups and work drinks, you know, and that's, it's more
moved into, you know, lesser and, you know, smaller groups,
proper groups.

Speaker 10 (01:07:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (01:07:32):
So that's changed as well.

Speaker 4 (01:07:34):
Yeah, right. So is it kind of just the whole
alcohol thing, even classy stuff, like why not quite as
acceptable in a corporate context? from a corporate perspective anymore.

Speaker 19 (01:07:46):
Well, yes it is. You'll find now, I've done a
couple of corporate events and they had to have, even
with wine tasting, they had to have a nominated sober
person there for the whole night.

Speaker 4 (01:07:57):
Right.

Speaker 19 (01:07:59):
Yeah, because they need to tick that box. That's where
we're at.

Speaker 4 (01:08:06):
It's an interesting one with wine. I'm thinking about wine
tastings and You know, you go to a vineyard and
you're wine tasting. It's always a balance between wine tasting,
especially if you're in the Queenstown area, you know, the
Central Targa area with a lot of Australians around the table.
There's sort of a fine line between wine tasting and

(01:08:27):
going hard, isn't there?

Speaker 7 (01:08:30):
Indeed.

Speaker 19 (01:08:31):
I always say that when you turn the brain on
and when you turn the brain off.

Speaker 4 (01:08:35):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. Thank you for your call, Richard. Yeah,
thank you very much.

Speaker 3 (01:08:40):
0800 80 1080 is the number to call if you
work in the alcohol industry. Do you concur with Richard
that it is just changing to the low or zero
alcohol products?

Speaker 4 (01:08:48):
This says people both over and underestimate the negative effects
of drugs. People scared if they haven't tried them or
had a bad experience. But when you have broken that seal,
it just becomes normalized. $ 50 for a pinger versus two
Long Island Long Islands. I know what I'm doing. I'm
choosing both. Okay, right.

Speaker 3 (01:09:05):
You got us on that last line. Very good. Right,
keep those calls coming through. 0800 80 1080 and 9292
is the text. It is 1723.

Speaker 1 (01:09:15):
Matt heath tyler adams with you as your afternoon rolls
on matt heath and tyler adams afternoons news talk.

Speaker 3 (01:09:22):
Zb 14 to 3 if you're drinking less why tell us.

Speaker 4 (01:09:26):
Um isn't no alcohol wine just grape juice that's from
brian yeah so what they do now is they remove
the article uh the alcohol at the end but you're
quite correct if it's got no alcohol and.

Speaker 3 (01:09:37):
It is effectively just grape juice yeah i don't know
about the cool factor and this This text says, guys,
the flavor of zero wine, zero alcohol wine is awful.

Speaker 4 (01:09:46):
It's got no structure and tastes bland and like glorified
grape juice. Zero beers have nailed it. Wine is light
years behind. That's from Mark. Joe says, hey, guys, last
time I checked, drugs are illegal.

Speaker 2 (01:10:00):
Are they?

Speaker 4 (01:10:00):
Cheers, Joe.

Speaker 18 (01:10:01):
Still?

Speaker 2 (01:10:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:10:02):
I mean, they are illegal, but it doesn't mean you
can't talk about the fact that young people are using
them more and more. If it's happening out there, and
it clearly is. It's not illegal to talk about them.
That's right. Otherwise, you know, police officers would be having
to arrest themselves all the time trying to organise drug busts.
Totally agree. Accommodation health with youngsters not putting on weight,
so utilising low alcohol and low sugar in particular is

(01:10:25):
very much a parent's base now. Have a 24-year-old, 21-year-old
and 20-year-old. Oldest is a professional in Auckland and definitely
drugs used, whereas health nut, middle child, body is a
temple and youngest is second year uni student. and keen
on any form of alcohol.

Speaker 3 (01:10:39):
Right, it's a good mix there.

Speaker 4 (01:10:41):
This text says, what is MDMA? Stop using letters. Tell
us what it is. So MDMA is 3-4-methylenedioxymethanphetamine, isn't it?
That's what the MDMA stands for.

Speaker 3 (01:10:53):
Okay, that's very good. I didn't actually know what it
stood for.

Speaker 4 (01:10:56):
Yeah, but it's also ecstasy.

Speaker 8 (01:10:58):
Yes.

Speaker 4 (01:10:58):
That's what it's sometimes called.

Speaker 8 (01:10:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:11:00):
Glenn, you want to talk about workplaces and booze?

Speaker 6 (01:11:03):
Yeah, well, Matt saw my thunder when he said the
cult has changed. And I think back to the 70s,
my parents were heavy, heavy drinkers. But they were no
different from anyone else. You know, it was Friday and
Saturday night, they'd be at the football club. Monday, they'd
be at the local bar because it was happy hour.
And there'd be a party at our place. And there

(01:11:24):
were stacks of those old lion red crates at our place.
And drunken behavior was fairly acceptable. You know, they weren't
any different from anybody else. They were hard workers. And
I think when I started work back in the 80s,
you had the old Christmas parties and you'd see people
drinking themselves rotten because they'd get free booze and they'd

(01:11:44):
take advantage of it. I think it's a lot more
socially unacceptable to be rotten, to be absolutely drunk. And
I've been there. So I think the whole culture around
drinking has changed. In the 90s, there was a bins
drinking culture when RTDs became available. I don't think that's

(01:12:05):
so much an issue these days because RTDs are associated
with a certain demographic, but not for everybody. So I
really feel there's been a change in culture. And I
don't drink as often as I used to, which for
me is great.

Speaker 4 (01:12:22):
So do you think nowadays if someone gets really, really
sloshed at work drinks or at a work party, then
they'll look down upon everyone? I definitely think that management
and bosses are probably nowadays more careful around that situation. Glenn?

Speaker 6 (01:12:45):
I think so, because they can get into trouble.

Speaker 5 (01:12:47):
It reflects on them.

Speaker 6 (01:12:49):
And I've been to Christmas parties and work do's with management.
They've become absolutely sloshed. And it's also a lot of
companies are operating seven days a week. Back in the 80s,
it was finished on Saturday weekends were yours. These days,
often you're expected to work weekends, especially if you're in
retail or in construction or hospitality. I had a friend

(01:13:12):
who was a building apprentice back in the 80s. At
3 o'clock, they would knock off so the rest of
the gang or the boys could get on the turps.
You just couldn't get away with it now.

Speaker 4 (01:13:24):
Is that a sad thing, do you think, Glenn?

Speaker 3 (01:13:25):
Do you think that is, you know, that's kind of
dropped off the getting to know your mates and workmates
and that socialisation aspect?

Speaker 6 (01:13:33):
Yeah, I don't know because we used to, as you
said before, go off into the city. A whole group
of us would go off night clubbing, but we had
a weekend to recover. So in that respect, yes, I
think it is a little bit sad because I used
to enjoy my Friday night drinks.

Speaker 7 (01:13:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (01:13:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:13:52):
Glenn, thank you very much for your call. I agree
with that. You know, that culture change when they stop
the Friday drinks. I mean, I had some great nights
out on the Friday drinks and got to know people very,
very personally. And it was kind of like what happens
on tour.

Speaker 4 (01:14:03):
It can accelerate your relationships with people in terms of
that kind of talking openly. You know, if you're a
new guy at work and you haven't quite met people yet,
the Friday drinks were a pretty good place to meet people.
But there was always a trap, I reckon, with Friday
drinks in that, you know, you work hard and then
you drink with your buddies at work until late on

(01:14:26):
a Friday, often still in the same place you were working,
so you're now not getting paid, but you're in the workplace,
and then you feel horrific on Saturday.

Speaker 10 (01:14:33):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (01:14:33):
And then you have Sunday off and then you're back
at work again. Yeah, yeah, so true.

Speaker 3 (01:14:37):
Right, keep those things coming through on 9292. It is
9 minutes to 3.

Speaker 1 (01:14:39):
The issues that affect you and a bit of fun
along the way. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.

Speaker 2 (01:14:46):
Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 3 (01:14:49):
It is 6 to 3.

Speaker 4 (01:14:51):
Work drinks are too risky for businesses as the employer
is legally liable if they were to lose your licence
driving home from work drinks. Yeah, that liability to works
for employees' behaviour at work drinks has always seemed so
odd to me. Why is it your workplace's responsibility how
you behave when you're drinking? I've never got that. Anyway, Mark,
welcome to the show.

Speaker 10 (01:15:12):
Good afternoon, lads. Look, I don't have to upset you guys.
I'm a dinosaur. I'm a piss-arse, mate. I've been drinking
for years, and I grew up in a drinking culture,
and I drink every night. But I don't go out
like I used to because it's too bloody expensive. So
I drink at home, which is a lot safer, like,
you know.

Speaker 4 (01:15:29):
How much are you drinking of a night, Mark?

Speaker 10 (01:15:33):
Well, it depends how I feel. Sometimes I might have
eight bottles, nine bottles a night. It depends how I
feel like, you know what I mean?

Speaker 7 (01:15:40):
Bottles of what?

Speaker 15 (01:15:42):
Beer.

Speaker 4 (01:15:43):
Oh, beer, yeah, not wine. Nine bottles of wine will
be a lot. Impressive. And how does that affect your day-to-day?
Are you all right on a hangover? Do you think... Yeah.

Speaker 10 (01:15:52):
I don't suffer from hangovers. Never have done.

Speaker 2 (01:15:54):
Right.

Speaker 10 (01:15:55):
Don't suffer. And I might have a few lemon Cokes
or a couple of gins afterwards, you know, just, yeah.
But that was my... upbringing like you know english upbringing
like yeah you know you you drink you drink you
drink my sister used to drink my younger one but
she doesn't drink anymore like she's in the 60s i'm

(01:16:15):
i'm 67 and uh well i don't go out it's
cheaper to drink at home like you know.

Speaker 4 (01:16:20):
Yeah and it sounds like your brain's fine because it
sounds like you can multitask it sounds like you're talking
to us in and typing at the same time writing
a novel.

Speaker 10 (01:16:29):
So I've been told like I know I should I
know I should write a novel about my life it'd
be a bestseller I was picking a guy last week
on the on the ferries over to Devonport and he
said to me you should write a book we just
talk you know you're an older guy and we had
a good conversation he said your life's interesting you should

(01:16:50):
write a book I said I wouldn't know where to start.

Speaker 4 (01:16:53):
And Mark do you so you're you're happy with your
drinking is there any times when you go I need
to cut back No, no.

Speaker 10 (01:17:01):
Why change a thing of a lifetime? If I stopped,
I'd probably be dead.

Speaker 4 (01:17:06):
What I used to like when I lived in the
UK was I'd get off the tube near my house
and then I'd go to the pub in Highgate and
I'd have a few drinks and I'd know everyone there
and then I'd head home. I'd have my dinner at
the pub and then go home. That was actually quite
a nice community part of the culture over there.

Speaker 10 (01:17:23):
I went back to the UK three years ago for
the first time in 40 years, and a lot of
pubs in the UK have closed down, and a lot
of people are still heavily drinkers, but the pubs are
not there anymore.

Speaker 4 (01:17:37):
Yeah, sorry, Mark, we have to go. We've got the
news coming in hot.

Speaker 3 (01:17:39):
Yeah, but thank you very much for your call. We're
going to carry this on after three o'clock. If you're
drinking less, what are the reasons for that? Is it
that you're getting on the drugs, or is it something
else going on?

Speaker 4 (01:17:49):
Tell us.

Speaker 3 (01:17:49):
It is three minutes to three. News coming up.

Speaker 1 (01:17:54):
Big stories, the big issues, the big trends, and everything
in between.

Speaker 2 (01:18:00):
Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons. Newstalk ZV.

Speaker 4 (01:18:05):
G'day to you.

Speaker 3 (01:18:05):
Welcome back into the show. Six past three and we've
been talking about how much we're drinking. Turns out not
very much. We're drinking less alcohol than ever before with
consumption falling to its lowest level since records began. And
there has been some analysis about why that is. The
Brewers Association thinks it's because it's too expensive. But as

(01:18:26):
we're hearing more and more from Texas, it is more
related to health and sometimes drugs as well. But here's
a little bit of Dylan Firth, who was on with
Mike Hosking this morning from the Brewers Association.

Speaker 9 (01:18:40):
It's a bit of a tough economic story, I think,
is the biggest one, and one of changing kind of
generational trends. Look, I mean, in terms of health-wise, most
New Zealanders drink moderately anyway, so it's not really about that.

Speaker 2 (01:18:51):
What we're seeing is that.

Speaker 9 (01:18:53):
People are looking to maybe spend a little bit less
money in tough economic times, and also the cost of
production has definitely gone up.

Speaker 2 (01:18:58):
Over that time as well.

Speaker 4 (01:18:58):
So you would argue it's economic not health related?

Speaker 8 (01:19:01):
Oh look I mean it's a bit of both.

Speaker 9 (01:19:02):
Like you're seeing a generational shift where younger people are
kind of less likely to go out to the pub,
maybe less likely, more likely to go out for a run.
You know a few different things in that space. So
people are making different decisions around consumption. But also you
know I think we do see potential kind of balancing
out over the next few years. It's And it's been
tough economically. As things kind of settle down and people
have a few more dollars in their pocket, we'll see

(01:19:23):
hopefully a bit of growth again.

Speaker 4 (01:19:24):
I think he's missing some of the biggest ones, like
the cultural shift around workplaces. I think that's a huge one.
I think social media keeping people at home, not going out.
I think dating apps mean that large groups of mates
and of both sexes aren't going out looking for partners.

Speaker 8 (01:19:40):
Mm-hmm.

Speaker 4 (01:19:41):
I think there's a lot going on, but as the
text machine callers are saying, there's the whole drugs part
of it.

Speaker 3 (01:19:49):
Seems to be a large part of it, yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:19:50):
Yeah. This text says, good that people are drinking less. Finally,
we need to illegalise it all.

Speaker 3 (01:19:57):
Illegalise it.

Speaker 4 (01:19:58):
Is it illegalise a word? Make it illegal?

Speaker 3 (01:20:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:20:02):
Why anyone is allowed to drink, I don't know. I
don't drink. Neither does my husband. We never have. Our
neighbours do. They are noisy, and yesterday I looked in
their recycling bin full of wine and beer bottles, nothing,
nearly no cans of food, not even much cardboard, just bottles.
Why are they allowed to live like that?

Speaker 3 (01:20:20):
You keep your neighbor honest. You keep going through their
bins and finding out how much they're drinking.

Speaker 4 (01:20:26):
They went through their, they're noisy. I looked in their
recycling bin. Yeah, surely you didn't sneak over at night
and look in the recycling bin. I mean, sometimes you
might see in someone's recycling bin when they're taking the
recycling out.

Speaker 3 (01:20:38):
Yeah, I mean, it's a whole other step to go
and dig through it and see how much cans of
food versus booze.

Speaker 4 (01:20:43):
You might not have the moral high ground you think
you have if you look through someone's recycling bin to
judge them and notice they didn't have many cans of food,
mainly bowls of wine. There are some impressive recycling bins
out there, though.

Speaker 10 (01:20:58):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:20:58):
That are just You know, student flats, and it's just
completely full of glass.

Speaker 3 (01:21:02):
You hear it clanging down the road. You think, good
on you. Good on you, boys. You had a good weekend.

Speaker 4 (01:21:07):
It's the heaviest recycling bin in town. Dave, welcome to
the show.

Speaker 18 (01:21:13):
How are you?

Speaker 3 (01:21:13):
G'day.

Speaker 2 (01:21:14):
How are you doing?

Speaker 4 (01:21:15):
Good, thanks. Your thoughts on this whole lessening in alcohol
consumption in our country?

Speaker 8 (01:21:21):
Well, it's probably a good thing because there are people
that are not so good on it. I thoroughly enjoy it.
What I did do of recent was did Dry July.
I try and do that every year. Sometimes it carries
on for a little more than a month. And I
tried a beer called State of Play.

Speaker 4 (01:21:41):
State of Play.

Speaker 10 (01:21:43):
Yep.

Speaker 8 (01:21:43):
State of Play. Recommended to it by, I don't know,
a company member, my niece, I think, or something.

Speaker 10 (01:21:50):
And manned.

Speaker 8 (01:21:53):
What a beer. It tastes like beer. I don't know
how they brew it, what they do, but he's one
clever rooster. And it's just, you wouldn't know that you
were not drinking normal alcohol for beer. You know, you
try those Coronas and what else they have about these

(01:22:13):
days at 0%, and they're bloody horrible, to be honest.
So for anyone who's keen, I suggest get stuck in
or give this a throw. And they have all sorts
of flavours. You know, the IPAs, your doubles, your chocolate stouts, everything.

Speaker 3 (01:22:31):
It's not your business, is it, Dave?

Speaker 8 (01:22:32):
I knew you were going to ask that. No, no.

Speaker 4 (01:22:36):
Fair enough, then.

Speaker 8 (01:22:37):
I still enjoy a lovely gin and a pink note,
so no. I just wanted to put it out there.

Speaker 4 (01:22:45):
How are you having your gin, Dave?

Speaker 8 (01:22:48):
Tonic, ice, and a slice. Classic.

Speaker 4 (01:22:51):
Yeah, ice and a slice. Tonic, ice, and a slice.

Speaker 3 (01:22:53):
What sort of gin?

Speaker 8 (01:22:54):
Oh, Escape Grace mainly, or maybe anything like that. I
find with that, not more expensive, but in the middle
of the road, you get what you pay for.

Speaker 4 (01:23:09):
Right, so you're not smashing a 1125 of Gordon's.

Speaker 8 (01:23:15):
Oh, not like the previous Karen texter who's going to
check my bins.

Speaker 4 (01:23:21):
Thanks for your call, Dave. I was out having a
beer with an Aussie mate of mine that was over
from Queensland.

Speaker 10 (01:23:29):
Nice.

Speaker 4 (01:23:30):
A great guy.

Speaker 9 (01:23:30):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (01:23:31):
His name's Brett. And we were having a few beers.
And he was having a beer called the Beer Beer.

Speaker 3 (01:23:38):
The Beer Beer.

Speaker 4 (01:23:39):
Beer Beer. And it had about three or four. And
then he looked down and goes, oh.

Speaker 5 (01:23:44):
Jeez.

Speaker 4 (01:23:46):
These are zero alcohol beers. He was furious. I bet
he was. It's a no alcohol beer from Sawmill. No
alcohol pale ale. But two things I thought about that was, one,
very amusing because he was so angry about it. They
ripped off. Because, you know, beer, beer, B-A-R-E, beer. I

(01:24:09):
guess it's beer of alcohol. But secondly, he didn't notice.
So that's a pretty good zero-alcohol beer if you don't
notice from the flavor for three beers.

Speaker 10 (01:24:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:24:19):
Was it a bit of a placebo effect for him
as well? Did he start getting a little bit more
animated as he was drinking his beer beers?

Speaker 4 (01:24:24):
We were way, way down the track, actually, to be.

Speaker 3 (01:24:26):
Honest, at that point.

Speaker 25 (01:24:28):
Right.

Speaker 4 (01:24:28):
Keep those calls coming through on 0800 8010 80. If
you're drinking less, why?

Speaker 3 (01:24:32):
What are you doing instead, if anything?

Speaker 4 (01:24:34):
Tell us about it. That's weird. I'm drinking more than ever.
I'm not worried about how much I spend nor my health.
You can't take either with you when you die. Don't worry,
be happy. That's from Glenno.

Speaker 3 (01:24:44):
Good on you, Glenno. Right, it is 13 past three.

Speaker 2 (01:24:47):
News Talk ZB.

Speaker 3 (01:24:48):
16 past three. Kiwis aren't drinking nearly as much as
they used to. So if that's you, why? Why did
you stop drinking?

Speaker 4 (01:24:55):
In fact, we're drinking less than ever.

Speaker 3 (01:24:59):
Ever before, since records began.

Speaker 4 (01:25:01):
Yeah, the lowest amount of alcohol consumption since records began.

Speaker 8 (01:25:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:25:05):
Why is that?

Speaker 7 (01:25:06):
Oh, 880, 1080.

Speaker 4 (01:25:06):
Jamie, welcome to the show.

Speaker 25 (01:25:10):
Hi there. I don't know if I've got anything of
value to add, but my perspective, I don't drink and
I'm 30.

Speaker 4 (01:25:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 25 (01:25:16):
I've actually never been drunk yet, which is quite niche
for my age group, I think.

Speaker 4 (01:25:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 25 (01:25:23):
I just felt that growing up, watching all of my
family and friends get quite messily drunk, I was always
making sure that they were all always safe and those
targeted ads growing up were really good, you know, those
ghost tip ones and always wanting to be the sober
driver to make sure that everyone was all right.

Speaker 4 (01:25:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 25 (01:25:39):
But I've noticed over time that each event that I
go to, people are getting less drunk as often. Does
that sort of make sense?

Speaker 5 (01:25:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:25:49):
Now, you say that you've never been drunk, but have
you ever drank?

Speaker 25 (01:25:54):
I have never got past more than maybe half a drink.
I really enjoy the taste of beer. A sip of
wine is totally wasted on me. And anything else I
just feel is like lolly water. You may as well
have a lemonade anyway.

Speaker 4 (01:26:07):
Did you feel pressure to drink? You know, you obviously
felt internal pressure to look after people. Sounds like you're
a fantastic human being. But did you feel peer pressure
to drink, to get drunk?

Speaker 25 (01:26:19):
Definitely, and I definitely still do as well. I think
it definitely makes you a social sore thumb when you
don't drink.

Speaker 8 (01:26:26):
What's your child's name?

Speaker 2 (01:26:27):
That's Chitty. Hey, Teddy.

Speaker 3 (01:26:36):
Oh, gorgeous.

Speaker 4 (01:26:37):
Teddy's annoyed that Mum's on the phone.

Speaker 3 (01:26:38):
Yeah, he wants attention.

Speaker 4 (01:26:41):
And so you think you've missed out on anything, Jamie?
Do you ever look back and go, you know, my
life could have been different in a positive way? Or
do you think it's all good?

Speaker 25 (01:26:52):
I think that there's definitely a lot of FOMO from, like,
fear of missing out from work. probably 16 onwards you
just always feel like oh if I stayed later at
the party I would have enjoyed the you know funnier
stories and the bigger messes and I don't know been more.

Speaker 10 (01:27:10):
A part of the stories.

Speaker 4 (01:27:12):
Yeah because those war stories are quite bonding eh people
you know they have a horror story of how steamed
they are and what they got up to and that's
it's like embarrassing as they are they are kind of
they're like war stories.

Speaker 25 (01:27:24):
Or something definitely and I feel like you end up
being and observe it and just being there for the
sake of not wanting to, I don't know, be an
outcast you have to be social somehow but then when
you go yeah you don't feel like you can fully
relax and enjoy them as much as everyone else and

(01:27:44):
people always ask oh why aren't you drinking you have
to explain yourself yeah um luckily now i'm pregnant and
breastfeeding so that explains itself but otherwise you really have
to i don't know i think there is still a
lot of pressure to drink to some level but i
don't think that people are getting as drunk when they are.

Speaker 4 (01:28:02):
Drinking And do you have a partner, Jamie, if you
don't mind me asking?

Speaker 25 (01:28:07):
Yeah, yeah, so I'm married.

Speaker 4 (01:28:08):
And what's his jam? Does he drink or is he
sober like you?

Speaker 25 (01:28:15):
He used to. He'll have beers with the boys maybe
every few months for us. In that department, it's probably
just a cost thing. And as you get older, he
feels that he doesn't recover as well, so there's no
bloody point. If you've got kids crying in the middle
of the night, it's just annoying.

Speaker 3 (01:28:32):
It's a tough day, yeah. Do you find your friends
that are starting to catch up with you now that
they're drinking less as they get into their 30s and
are starting to go off the alcohol?

Speaker 25 (01:28:42):
I think only the ones that are having kids are
the ones that are slowing down.

Speaker 8 (01:28:47):
Hmm.

Speaker 25 (01:28:48):
Else is sort of the ones that haven't got kids yet.
They're doing the drinks throughout the day, like the morning mimosas,
you know, like the brunches and that sort of thing.
It's more of an elegant and small doses instead of
getting wrecked in the weekend every weekend.

Speaker 8 (01:29:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:29:06):
Yeah, I mean, hangover parenting or hungover parenting is not
a good time.

Speaker 25 (01:29:11):
It doesn't look it, no.

Speaker 2 (01:29:12):
No.

Speaker 4 (01:29:12):
There was a really good ad campaign on many– well,
it was a very effective ad campaign, though, one when
the dad's on the sideline watching sport and he's sitting
under a wine glass and sort of numbs to what's
going on because he's got a terrible hangover. Well, good
on you. But you still have a reasonably wide social circle, do.

Speaker 26 (01:29:35):
You, Jamie?

Speaker 25 (01:29:36):
Yeah, it just looks different now. It's full of people
who are dribbling.

Speaker 7 (01:29:41):
For different reasons.

Speaker 4 (01:29:43):
Well, thank you so much for calling. So, Jamie, never
been drunk?

Speaker 5 (01:29:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:29:46):
Are you like Jamie? You never touched a drop of
alcohol in your life, particularly if you're younger? Oh, 880, 1080.

Speaker 4 (01:29:52):
I went to a bottomless brunch in the weekend, and
I noticed a huge difference between the way It just
so happened there was a men's table of about maybe
10 people, and there was a women's table of about
10 people, maybe 10, 15 people on the two tables.
The men sat at one table, the women sat at another.
And I noticed a huge difference in the way the

(01:30:14):
men approached the bottomless brunch and the alcohol and the women.

Speaker 3 (01:30:21):
So what was the difference with the fellas?

Speaker 4 (01:30:23):
I'll share it next.

Speaker 2 (01:30:24):
Okay.

Speaker 4 (01:30:24):
That's a good tease.

Speaker 3 (01:30:25):
It is 21 past three.

Speaker 4 (01:30:37):
So the difference I noticed at this bottomless brunch between
the men's table and the women's table was that the
women were just getting the mimosas, getting the bubbles through
the system, having cocktails and chatting. And the men were
running it as a business operation. They were trying to
maximise the amount of money, worked out how much everyone
had paid for the bottomless, and then was doing the sums.

(01:30:59):
On how much each drink cost.

Speaker 8 (01:31:01):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (01:31:02):
And how far we were up as a table. So
as soon as we made it over, by the end
of it, we were all going, we're basically making money here.
As we maximized the amount of drinks we could have
compared to how much we paid. It was very different.

Speaker 3 (01:31:14):
I like your thinking.

Speaker 4 (01:31:15):
One table was just a full, it was like a corporation.

Speaker 15 (01:31:18):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (01:31:19):
And the other table was fun.

Speaker 3 (01:31:20):
This is a business deal that we've got going on, fellas.
Did you keep everyone honest? If someone wasn't contributing to
the economic factor, did you keep them honest and say,
come on, mate, you're on four?

Speaker 4 (01:31:28):
Well, at bottomless brunches, they have a thing where they're
not going to bring you another drink until you've finished
your last one, right? Exactly. And also, there's a thing
that happens at bottomless brunches where they don't keep coming
around to the table as much.

Speaker 5 (01:31:40):
Yes.

Speaker 4 (01:31:41):
They choke the supply when they see you getting– close to,
you know, really making a profit on it.

Speaker 16 (01:31:46):
All right.

Speaker 2 (01:31:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:31:46):
There's a strategy to it.

Speaker 5 (01:31:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:31:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (01:31:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:31:48):
So it sounds like you worked it out pretty well.
One table was very focused on the strategy of it all. Tony,
how are you?

Speaker 6 (01:31:53):
Oh, hi.

Speaker 7 (01:31:55):
Hi, guys. An FYI statement. Rog is really bad news
for the body. It's basically poison. I love the taste.
I actually like the feeling. The best thing for your body...
is to have one drink. The body can only process

(01:32:18):
one drink per week. And what it does, it turns alcohol,
which is actually an Arabic word, some mistrue that word
to body spirit, as a spirit actually infuses. It actually
means makeup pigment, something like that. That's where it comes from.

(01:32:39):
It changed in the 1800s. But The body makes alcohol
even into an even more toxic, you know, chemical liquid
to dispel it. And it works over time. Absolutely turbo
light speed to get rid of this chemical because it

(01:33:04):
shouldn't be in there. And we love the feeling. We
love the high. And people are going to other highs.
And young people worldwide, especially in the West, they're getting educated. Everybody,
thanks to the interweb, are getting educated. So once again,
it makes it into an even more toxic liquid to

(01:33:29):
expel it, just to do that. So if you have
too much, like big time, you're literally pausing yourself to death.
But people, the body gets used to the high, like
that bloke before, Oh, I have about, you know, tons
of drinks. He was not.

Speaker 4 (01:33:47):
Are you talking about, was it Dave? Was it Dave
who was having, was it Dave? I'm remembering his name wrong,
but he was having nine.

Speaker 7 (01:33:53):
He sounded like an older guy, yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:33:56):
Nine bottles a night.

Speaker 7 (01:33:58):
Yeah. Hitting them back.

Speaker 2 (01:33:59):
No, that wasn't Dave.

Speaker 7 (01:34:01):
I mean, everything, a lot of people in struggles. It's
just everything is so expensive, and they're trying to cripple
the middle class, so. But, yeah, it's not good for
the body. We weren't designed to.

Speaker 6 (01:34:18):
Drink.

Speaker 7 (01:34:18):
Just drink water.

Speaker 5 (01:34:21):
Water's good.

Speaker 4 (01:34:21):
Do you see any social benefits of alcohol, though, in
terms of fast-forwarding friendships, work drinks where you get to
know everyone at work? Of course I do.

Speaker 7 (01:34:32):
I've done all that. I used to go and just
boogie and just get pretty happy and enhance the dancing.
I'm an old ballroom dancer from the 70s. But, yeah,
just as you get older, I'm 61, as you get older,
you just can't drink it because you're decaying. Your body
decays in your mid-20s. So anything you put, you know,

(01:34:54):
grog is just, it's like trying to lift a container.
It's just you can't do it anymore. You just can't
because you won't be around. Life's short. I've only got
about 25 to 20 years. So you've got to make
hay while it shines. A lot of young ones, they're
on to it. And generally worldwide, yeah. It's interesting what

(01:35:15):
that guy said on the news. Oh, no, it's just money.
It's not. People are getting educated with everything thanks to
the interweb.

Speaker 4 (01:35:23):
Well, are you happy if the young people, though, and
it seems judging from what we're hearing through the text machine, And,
you know, anecdotally, I'm not sure what the stats are.
I mean, the stats are saying that, you know, the
wastewater and stuff, that cocaine consumption and stuff.

Speaker 7 (01:35:37):
Oh, the drugs, yeah, yeah, it is.

Speaker 4 (01:35:38):
So do you think it's worse to be on the
A-class drugs than on alcohol?

Speaker 7 (01:35:45):
It's not good. I'm a Christian boy, a Jesus follower.
It's just not good, you know. It mucks with your mind,
demons and spirits. It really exists there. It's not good.
Just don't do it. We're in a spiritual warfare right now.
until you shoot through. This right now is big warfare
for the good people and the bad people. And right now,

(01:36:11):
big Satan, he's ruling the world.

Speaker 4 (01:36:13):
Well, Jesus wasn't anti-wine though, wasn't he? Because his first
miracle was to rustle up some wine for that wedding.

Speaker 7 (01:36:25):
I got near Cain. I went on a tour there
back in 2012. And it's a fascinating place. And even
in the New Testament, it says medicinally, you know, a
little bit of alcohol is all right. And it's even
in medicines, you know, Benadryl, etc. People are switching it
back to get rid of bugs and that. But if
you're doing it all the time, the body just can't cope.

(01:36:47):
And that goes with anything, you know, too much of anything.
You know, ads, you know, billboards, it's just everywhere. We're
just so bombarded to separate cash. And we want our high,
whether it's a health high or whatever high. Just take
it easy. Just be a normal kind of human.

Speaker 4 (01:37:08):
Yeah, thank you for your call, Tony. I mean, yeah,
I mean, we're advertising everywhere for alcohol.

Speaker 7 (01:37:14):
Absolutely.

Speaker 4 (01:37:15):
That's for sure. One of the weird things about alcohol and,
you know, how you put on weight with it, and
this is something that I only recently learned, was that,
you know, as Tony was saying, your body treats it
as a toxin. but the liver prioritizes breaking down the
alcohol and clearing it from your system before it deals
with anything else because it sees it as a toxin, right?

(01:37:35):
And while your liver is busy processing the alcohol, your
body temporarily stops burning dietary fat and carbohydrates and such.
So the unburned fat is more easily stored in the body.
So not only is alcohol sugary, High in calories. And

(01:37:56):
makes you desire junk food.

Speaker 16 (01:37:59):
All right.

Speaker 4 (01:38:00):
It also makes it more difficult to process that and
just sends it straight through to fat. So it's sort
of a triple whammy of putting on weight.

Speaker 6 (01:38:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:38:09):
All right, keep those calls coming through, 0800 80 1080.
If you're drinking far less than you have in previous years, why?
What was the change?

Speaker 4 (01:38:17):
What happened?

Speaker 3 (01:38:18):
Tell us about it. And 9292 is the text number
as well.

Speaker 4 (01:38:21):
There is no social benefit in drinking water, says this texter.

Speaker 6 (01:38:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:38:26):

Speaker 15 (01:38:28):
With Your Ride, New Zealand's number one taxi app. Download
Your Ride today. The Reserve Bank's cash raised, I'm sorry,
raised the official cash rate. 25 basis points from 2.5%
to 2.75% unanimously from the Monetary Policy Committee. A global

(01:38:50):
ratings agency is warning the government plan to merge councils
risks the separation of debt achieved by its major water reforms.
A 42-year-old Facebook marketplace seller accused of pocketing close to
$ 1, 400 for electronics, fishing reels, sports jerseys and Pokemon cards
that didn't exist is due in court in January. A

(01:39:13):
23-year-old is pleaded not guilty to murdering conservative US activist
Charlie Kirk at a Utah University event last September. Critically
endangered kākāpō populations have reached their highest number in at
least 75 years, with 90 chicks this season bringing the
total to 325 birds. How to build back intimacy in

(01:39:36):
a sexless marriage before it's too late. See the full
column at nzherald.co.nz. Back to Matt Heath and Tyler Adams.

Speaker 3 (01:39:44):
Thank you very much, Raylene. And we're talking about Kiwis
dropping off when it comes to drinking booze. It's the
lowest it's ever been since records began. So overall, per capita,
we're drinking around about 5.98 litres of pure alcohol per day.
Per year, but that's down roughly a third since 2011,
over the last 15 years.

Speaker 4 (01:40:02):
This texter says, I would never have met my hubby
out on the waters. Fortunately, Marg's over a pad thai
five years ago. Now two kids and very happy.

Speaker 10 (01:40:13):
Oh, beautiful.

Speaker 4 (01:40:13):
So don't run down alcohol too much. Might have a wine.

Speaker 3 (01:40:16):
It's nearly four, says this texter. Good on you. That's
a great text. Caleb, you want to have a chat
about drugs and alcohol?

Speaker 24 (01:40:24):
How's it going?

Speaker 4 (01:40:25):
Very good.

Speaker 24 (01:40:27):
Um, so I'm 26. Um, a lot of my mates,
barely any of them drink. All of them just rather, uh,
take a little bit of substance. And not only is
it cheaper, but we just don't really get the same
after effects. It's like drinking.

Speaker 4 (01:40:43):
And what substances are you talking about there, Caleb?

Speaker 24 (01:40:48):
Um, well, uh, that's involved with everything. It's just kind
of dependent on the person. Everyone takes their own poison. Um,
Just a little, little bit of MD. Not often, probably
like two, three times a year, that's it. Yeah, just
to hang out with the boys. Don't really party in

(01:41:08):
town or anything like that anymore. But yeah, for us personally,
it's just every substance has its own personal effect and
it's just what did you choose.

Speaker 4 (01:41:19):
And so in terms of socialising and such, if you're
only doing that every now and then, are you doing
a lot of sober socialising?

Speaker 6 (01:41:28):
Typically, yeah.

Speaker 24 (01:41:31):
If the boys and I go out, I'm personally the
sober driver. I don't mind the effects of alcohol, but
I'm a celiac, so I do definitely feel it the
next day quite heavily. So I don't mind going out
sober with the lads. kind of good to keep them
accountable at the same time.

Speaker 3 (01:41:51):
So the drugs, would that be, so if there's a
big event or, or, you know, you've, you've planned to
have a big night and people are coming into town
or whatever, that would be the opportune moment, right? And
then traditionally you might, you know, those weekends you get
heavily sloshed, but instead you're, you're using a substance of what,
you know, something.

Speaker 24 (01:42:09):
No, even just a house party, just, yeah, obviously you're
going to still be drinking, but, um, just, yeah, pop
a couple of pills with the lads, um, And, yeah,
you're saving so much more money that way.

Speaker 4 (01:42:22):
And are you worried at all about the potentially getting
busted or anything?

Speaker 24 (01:42:29):
No, not really.

Speaker 8 (01:42:30):
Right.

Speaker 24 (01:42:30):
I've been doing it since I was 18. Yeah, there's, like,
none of us have been done with it or anything
like that.

Speaker 4 (01:42:37):
And so you just have your– and, I mean, you
don't have to give me too many details, but, you know,
how are you sourcing the situation?

Speaker 24 (01:42:48):
Um, that's the funny thing. It's extremely easy to sort.
Like if you honestly just went out on a Friday
night and just asked, let's say, up to 10 people, you'll,
you'll be able to get some contact of whatever you want.
It's extremely easy to, and it's getting easier to sort
as time goes by.

Speaker 4 (01:43:04):
And do you find, what about this? So, you know,
you say you go out with your mates like that,
but a lot of the reason why people talk about
alcohol is because, you know, you make friends with people
you don't know. Is that the same situation when you're,
when you're out on the, uh, on the MD that
you go and talk to other people, you meet people,
or is it you sort of end up, you know,

(01:43:25):
having a night out siloed with your mates?

Speaker 24 (01:43:26):
That's actually a good question. It kind of really depends.
I'm not really, I'd say the more socialising would come
to like the after parties. If you're going to go
to a pub once it closes, if you're sitting around
at a table and there's a couple of others there,
then obviously you can invite them back with you. Continue

(01:43:48):
the answer. So I'd say it still continues, just definitely
not as much because you're not going to the pubs
or going to the clubs for the drinking ethics.

Speaker 4 (01:43:57):
So it wouldn't surprise you. How old did you say
you were again?

Speaker 15 (01:44:01):
26.

Speaker 8 (01:44:01):
26.

Speaker 4 (01:44:01):
So it doesn't surprise you at all to hear the
statistics that we are drinking less now in New Zealand
than ever before since they started taking records.

Speaker 2 (01:44:12):
No, not at all.

Speaker 24 (01:44:13):
The way that a couple of the lads said is like.
Drugs were around, like, back in the good old days
as well. And it was, like, made at the same
time as alcohol. What would be legal and what wouldn't? Like,
because both of them are just mind-altering substances.

Speaker 4 (01:44:31):
Obviously, it would be an interesting if, you know, alternative universe,
I think I've talked about this on the show before,
if alcohol didn't exist... and then it was invented as
a new drug, and it was coming out, and you
had one night of the results of alcohol, it would
be all anyone was talking about on the news. Just
turning people into zombies. Oh, the headlines.

Speaker 24 (01:44:51):
Oh, mate, that would be banned just like that. It's
like a class one drug. So it's just because of
the fact that, like, yeah, it's been around so long,
it's been kind of accepted. But simultaneously, like, we're getting
as much slander as it's currently getting when you see
the people just, like off their face on social media

(01:45:13):
or on it, then you can see why it's becoming
less and less popular.

Speaker 4 (01:45:18):
Oh, well, thank you for your call.

Speaker 3 (01:45:19):
Yeah, good to hear from you. Thank you very much. Amber,
how are you?

Speaker 8 (01:45:23):
Hello.

Speaker 4 (01:45:24):
Hello.

Speaker 10 (01:45:25):
Hi.

Speaker 3 (01:45:26):
So I'm just reading a wee note here.

Speaker 4 (01:45:27):
This is incredible.

Speaker 3 (01:45:28):
You lost a heck of a lot of weight when
you stopped drinking.

Speaker 27 (01:45:33):
I did. I'm 43. I've had six children and I've
got two grandchildren and I'm like, I want to live
a little bit longer. So I was just, all right, well,
try and stop drinking, and maybe I won't be pre-diabetic anymore.

Speaker 17 (01:45:50):
And then I.

Speaker 27 (01:45:52):
Haven't drunk for about eight and a half, for two
and a half months, and I've lost 12 kilos. So
it's like, okay, well. It was like cooking dinner, you
have a drink. You hop in the pool, you have
a drink. You mow the lawns, you have a drink.
Hop in the spa, you have a drink. And it's like, well,
I'm going to try and do that stuff without having

(01:46:16):
a drink. And I guess if your mind's set on
wanting to be healthier and to live longer for the
people that you love around you, then it's easy. And
I thought it was going to be the hardest thing ever.

Speaker 4 (01:46:30):
But it hasn't been. And do you put down the
weight loss to the not drinking or the not making
bad eating choices because you've been drinking, if you see
what I'm saying?

Speaker 27 (01:46:42):
Well, because I stopped the drinking, I actually wanted to
eat broccoli. I wanted to eat pan-fried fish. I wanted
to eat salads. because I knew I was doing good
for my body not drinking. I wanted to carry that
on with what I ate as well.

Speaker 4 (01:47:02):
And how much do you think you did drink before
you stopped drinking two and a half months ago, Amber?

Speaker 27 (01:47:09):
Oh, my God. I don't really want to say, but
I like sweet and bubbly. It was like $ 5 a bottle,
and I'd have three bottles a night.

Speaker 4 (01:47:21):
Three bottles a night, right.

Speaker 27 (01:47:24):
Yeah. And that was like for 10 years.

Speaker 4 (01:47:29):
Yeah, right.

Speaker 27 (01:47:29):
And so over the 10 years, I put on like
14 kilos. But in two and a half months, I've
lost 12 kilos from not drinking.

Speaker 24 (01:47:39):
Wow.

Speaker 4 (01:47:40):
And I mean, were you drinking that much? Were you
getting hangovers?

Speaker 8 (01:47:45):
No.

Speaker 4 (01:47:45):
No, you weren't.

Speaker 27 (01:47:47):
I've never even had a cold. I've never even had
a flu. I've never been sick. Amber, I put that
down to I like eating oranges and vitamin C is
good for you. I've got grandchildren now and I don't
want to miss out.

Speaker 5 (01:48:05):
Right.

Speaker 27 (01:48:05):
Yeah, by not being around because of my own stupid
choices of thinking having a drink is going to be
a good time even when you're mowing the lawn.

Speaker 4 (01:48:16):
Yeah. Good on you, Amber. Congratulations.

Speaker 3 (01:48:19):
I mean, eight and a half weeks, she's lost 12 kilos.
And that is a lot of booze per night, but
as Amber said, it didn't really affect her. I mean,
that's lucky for some.

Speaker 4 (01:48:25):
What's the reflux like on three bottles of booze?

Speaker 3 (01:48:28):
Bubbles a night? You'd be chewing through the quickies, wouldn't you?
Thank you very much for your call, Amber. It is
16 to 4. We'll be back very shortly.

Speaker 1 (01:48:38):
Have a chat with the lads on 0800 80 1080.
Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.

Speaker 2 (01:48:44):
Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 3 (01:48:45):
It is 13 to 4, so Kiwis are drinking less
than they ever have since records began. If that's you,
what stopped you drinking? Was it the drugs, health, or
something else? Tell us, 0800 80 1080. G'day, Wayne.

Speaker 4 (01:48:57):
G'day, mate.

Speaker 26 (01:48:59):
Hey, a good mate of mine has been in the
liquor industry owning pubs and stuff for years. And he blames,
well not so much blames, but one of the things
he puts down is the lack of drinking and stuff
is purely the way society is frowned on drinking and

(01:49:20):
driving now. As opposed to when it was, like I'm 68,
so when I was 16, 17, 18, if you didn't
get drunk and drive home, there was something wrong with you.
And today it's totally frowned on.

Speaker 8 (01:49:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 26 (01:49:32):
The little country pubs, if you did a survey and
had a look around the countryside, how many country pubs
have closed down because of a lack of patronage and
no one can afford to bloody get caught drinking and
driving and going home anymore, which, OK, that's a good
thing in some respects, but it certainly hurt the country
hospitality industry, in my opinion, so... That's where I stand

(01:49:54):
on it. I know we're short of time, but that's
just something I wanted to pass on.

Speaker 4 (01:49:59):
Thanks for that, Wayne. We were saying before, you look
at some of those country pubs that you're talking about,
and they had massive car parks that are completely empty now.
Thank you for your call, Wayne.

Speaker 3 (01:50:10):
Empty land. Carl, you'll be an interesting person to chat to.
You're 24 years old. Oh, no, sorry, you've been a
publican for 24 years.

Speaker 8 (01:50:16):
Yes.

Speaker 20 (01:50:19):
Yeah, I wish I was 24 years old.

Speaker 3 (01:50:20):
I was going to say, that's a young publican. So
what's your take on this, mate? Are you seeing this drop-off?

Speaker 6 (01:50:27):
Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 20 (01:50:28):
There's no doubting there's been a drop-off. But a lot
of the reasons are economics, that's for one, and health
and that sort of thing, and the different demographics these days.
But look, comparatively, if we look back, when I was
first working at a pub, 1987, two, started working at

(01:50:49):
a pub and got out of the army. The army
was like, you know, that was a drinking culture. So
I got out of the army, went and worked in
a pub and beer was very expensive then. It was
80 cents a pint and $ 1. 69 a jug. But when
you compare it to wages, and that's the thing now,
when you look at what it costs for a pint
of beer today, and that varies between probably $ 8 and $ 15,

(01:51:13):
depending where you are in the country, and then you
compare the wages. So Back in 1980, I was getting
paid $ 169 to $ 175, depending on what my shift was.
If I split shifts, I got a bit more. And
yet a pint was, you know, basically 70 cents for
a pint. Now, my wages were, compared to that pint, were,

(01:51:33):
you know, the pint was minuscule in relation to that.
So when you look at today, and a pint being
maybe averaging about $ 12 a pint or $ 11 a pint,
you guys probably think that's cheap, but, you know, averaging.
And our wages today haven't gone up in the same scale.
So there's a big thing about economics. Look at that.

(01:51:55):
And the other thing, of course, is 2013, the government
put in a new drink driving legislation so that if
you got caught at a lower level, you got an
instant fine and then eventually you lost your licence. So 2013,
we saw a huge drop in the number of drinkers
coming into bars and to our bar in particular. And

(01:52:16):
that was because they didn't know this new level. They
didn't know how to handle that new level. And we
had an instant drop-off overnight. And then after that, of course,
it got worse. So now in country areas, because we
are in a country area, we've noticed a huge drop-off
in the number of people. In fact, we don't even
open nights very often now. We open three nights a week.

Speaker 10 (01:52:34):
Right.

Speaker 2 (01:52:35):
And that's it.

Speaker 20 (01:52:36):
We used to be seven nights a week.

Speaker 4 (01:52:37):
Whereabouts are you, Carl?

Speaker 20 (01:52:39):
We're in Ohakuni.

Speaker 10 (01:52:41):
Oh, right.

Speaker 3 (01:52:41):
And what's your pub's name?

Speaker 20 (01:52:43):
Mount of the Rocks.

Speaker 6 (01:52:44):
Nice.

Speaker 8 (01:52:44):
Nice.

Speaker 3 (01:52:45):
It's a good place, Owakuni, but, yeah, I can hear
what you're saying. If you've dropped the opening nights down
to three per week, that's definitely a sign. And, yeah,
I mean, on the cost of a drink, I know
that's one factor there, but when someone goes out and
they buy a cocktail for $ 24, you've just got to
think that's, you know, on minimum wage, that's an hour
of your time that you're at work to buy that drink,
you know?

Speaker 20 (01:53:03):
Exactly, you know, and it's the same with a beer.
You know, that's half of your hourly rate, whereas when
I was working, you know, 40-something years ago, it wasn't
that sort of scale. So, you know, for 80 cent
point and you're getting paid $ 170 a week, you know,
it was.

Speaker 6 (01:53:19):
A lot different.

Speaker 20 (01:53:19):
Today, yeah, I mean, $ 5 an hour as opposed to
$ 24. 50 an hour, it was a big difference.

Speaker 4 (01:53:27):
Yeah, the mountain rocks, Noah Kearney, legendary bar. I'd love
to go.

Speaker 3 (01:53:30):
Carl, thank you very much for your call. 9292 is
the text number as well. It is eight minutes to four.

Speaker 1 (01:53:36):
The big stories, the big issues, the big trends, and
everything in between.

Speaker 2 (01:53:41):

Speaker 3 (01:53:46):
Newstalk ZB, it is six to four.

Speaker 4 (01:53:48):
I don't drink, but I'm still a fat prick. Go figure,
says Roger. Sorry about that, Roger. All this talk of beers,
I'm cracking one right now. Cheers, boys. I lose weight
very quickly when I stop drinking. It's amazing how much
money you can save, says this texter. They say if
you don't drink alcohol, you'll live longer, but that's wrong.
It just seems longer. So live it up, says Craig.

Speaker 10 (01:54:10):
Okay.

Speaker 4 (01:54:10):
Yeah. You can't suffer from a hangover if you're permanently drunk.

Speaker 10 (01:54:16):
All right.

Speaker 6 (01:54:16):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (01:54:16):
Yeah, all true.

Speaker 10 (01:54:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:54:17):
I don't know if it's a good message, but yeah,
it's very true.

Speaker 4 (01:54:21):
Anyway, it's been a great conversation around alcohol consumption in
New Zealand. being the lowest ever on record. But that's
the end of the show. Thanks so much for listening,
and thanks for all your calls and your text. Heather
Duplessy-Allen is up next, and after four, she has the
real estate agent who refused to do a 90-minute tikanga

(01:54:41):
course and has run out of legal options and will
lose her licence to sell homes. She talks to Heather
Duplessy-Allen after four, as I said, but right now, Tyler...
Why am I playing the lead single from Muse's fourth
studio album, Black Holes and Revelations, from 2006?

Speaker 3 (01:54:55):
What's the name of the song, Matt Heath? This really
annoys me, this segment. 9292 if you can help me out.

Speaker 4 (01:55:04):
The name of the song is Supermassive Black Hole.

Speaker 3 (01:55:09):
That doesn't actually help.

Speaker 4 (01:55:09):
Me that much. Supermassive black hole. Because we were talking
about a plan for a bonus for deferring New Zealand's super.
This was a plan from the Chartered Accountants of New Zealand.
We were talking about that before in an attempt to
solve the problem of the massive super black hole.

Speaker 10 (01:55:27):
Tenuous.

Speaker 4 (01:55:29):
Expected to hit $ 70 billion by 2028, Tyler. Very tenuous,
Matt Heath, but it's a great song. It's a great tune.
All right, you seem busy, we'll let you go. Bless, bless, bless.
I'm Matt Heath, that's Tyler Adams, and we'll be back
live on your radio tomorrow afternoon. Until then, give them
a taste of Kiwi.

Speaker 1 (01:56:16):
For more from Newstalk ZB, listen live on air or
online and keep our shows with you wherever you go
with our podcasts on iHeart Radio.

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