Full Show Podcast: 14 August 2026

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from news Talk, said Bee.
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Speaker 2 (00:17):
The big stories, the big issues, the big trends and
everything in between.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Matt Heath and Taylor Adams Afternoons news Talk said, be
a very very good afternoon to you.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Welcome into Friday show. Really good to have your company.
Matt Heath is off today, he's been on holiday this week,
but he will be back with us on Monday. Very
much looking forward to having my mate back then. But
thank you very much for your company today and for
the rest of the week. Is well, right, Let's get
into this topic. So, the South Island has been thrown
a pretty significant bone by the National Party this morning,

(00:51):
with the government announcing a series of new investments and
structural changes aimed at boosting the region's economy. So, speaking
at a business event in christ Church, Prime Minister Christopher
Lucksen outlined the package hereriers.

Speaker 4 (01:06):
It's a big plan of practical steps that are re
elected National government will take first in developing modern, reliable
infrastructure and transport connections that the South Island needs to
continue to thrive because when a bridge closes, a community
is actually cut off when a freight route fails. A
businesses pay for that, and that is why we've already

(01:26):
lifted the South Islands transport funding by forty two percent,
and a re elected National Government will make a series
of investments and priority South Island projects, including fifty million
dollars of road and rail improvements for the Rolston Intermodal
freight Hub and congestion easing transport investments in Queenstown. Second,
we're backing the industries that really drive the South agriculture, tourism,

(01:48):
mining and resources that generate the jobs, exports and opportunities
right across the South Island. And we want to go
even further, and that's why a re elected National government
will complete the replacement of the Resource Management Act. We're
going to give farmers and growers and businesses the certainty
that they need to invest and to expand, and we'll

(02:09):
also issue a new Government policy statement under the Fast
Track legislation specifically designed for mining and extraction to provide
even more certainty for the mining sector on the West Coast. Thirdly,
we're backing the South Island's enormous energy potential because some
of the best renewable opportunities anywhere in New Zealand are
here and we want to unlock as much of it

(02:31):
as we possibly can, and we're doing that through our
RMA reform. And we've also seen the impact of fast
Track where we've had I think four projects already approved
here in the South Island. And a re elected National
government will require new data center developments to bring new
firmed generation with them so that growth doesn't come at
the expense of higher power bills and households and for

(02:54):
our businesses. And finally, we're also going to be investing
in the frontline services that growing South Island communities really
rely on, which is why today I can confirm a
re elected National government will complete Tower three at christ
each Old Hospital, delivering an extra ninety six additional beds
as Canterbury continues to grow. Now there's a lot more

(03:14):
on the plan and I encourage you all to read it,
and more again will be announced as we get closer
to the election.

Speaker 3 (03:21):
So there you go. So the highlights are fifty million
dollars for the sheared road and rail connections needed for
the proposed Roliston Freighthub. They've promised to complete christ Church's
third tower if re elected, and they'll also make sure
proposed gondola projects designed to reduce road congestion in Queenstown
can access existing public transport funding. It's also committing twenty

(03:41):
five million to four lane the remaining section from Hanson
Road down to the five mile roundabout in Queenstown. There's
also a commitment to work on improving state highway bridges
across the South Island. Are commitments at this stage, no
money allocated to that, but this all comes as the
South Island leaders have been pushing hard for more investments
across the border. Report released earlier this week found that

(04:02):
just one dollar and every nine dollars of government road
roading funds is spent in the South Island, despite the
region accounting for almost a quarter of the country's population,
twenty two percent of GDP, a third of our goods exports,
and forty percent of international visitor spending. So, if you're
listening from the South Island right now, are you starting
to feel the love? Do you think this is genuine
from the National Party. It's long been pushed for that

(04:25):
the South Island has felt forgotten about from this particular
government and previous governments. Does this go some way to
start to alleviate that feeling of not being loved. Oar
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty as the number to call.
A nine two ninety two is the text number. But
when it comes to Queenstown, and we know if you've
been down there recently or in the past two three,
four years, you know that the congestion and traffic in

(04:47):
Queenstown is an absolute mess. Often it can take up
to an hour during peak times just to get from
Frankton into the CBD, which is insane. I believe that
is around about three kilometers and I was down there
about a month ago. Desperately beautiful place. We all know
that remarkables in the distance, but it is absolutely bursting
at the seams. If you think park in Auckland is bad,

(05:09):
you come away from trying to navigate Queenstown with PDSD.
So the question for you is, when it comes to
the likes of Queenstown, is it up to all of
us to help sort out that particular town and region.
Do we need to be pumping more tax par money
into gondolas and four lane highways in an area that
arguably does need to start to figure out how to

(05:29):
manage its own growth. It has been an issue for
a long long time, and I say it's been poorly
managed by the local councils down there on how they
actually fund that particular growth. It is our biggest tourism mecca.
Should that mean it gets more tax payer money to
deal with those infrastructure pressures created by that success? There
is plenty as we know, local investment down there. The

(05:50):
gondola proposal already has private banking, including from the likes
of Rod Jury. And what about the rest of the
South Island Nelson, Blenheim to muru Ashburd and plenty of
other regions have their own infrastructure and investment problems, but
they weren't mentioned in this particular announcement. So what do
you say it Does government money naturally gravitate towards the

(06:11):
shiny projects because that's where the investment and the economic
growth is. And if you're in the North Islands, are
you happy that it seems like the South Island is
starting to get some love here? That was quite a
profound report that only one dollar out of every nine
dollars of government funding for RHADS is spent in the
South Island. Considering the number of people down there, considering

(06:34):
what they contribute to the GDP and considering the state
of some of those highways and roads. But what do
you say, Oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty is that
number to call? Nine two nine two is the text number?
Tell me what you think? You're happy? And is this
a wise place to be put in this government money?
Tell me what you think?

Speaker 5 (06:51):
It is?

Speaker 3 (06:51):
Thirteen past one, bag free surely the.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
Big stories, the big issues, the big trends and everything
in between.

Speaker 6 (06:59):
Matt Heath and Tyler Adams afternoons used talks.

Speaker 5 (07:02):
That'd be.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
It is a quarter past one and we're talking about
National's promise of big investment in the South Island. So
the package includes fifteen million dollars for the Rodston freight Hub.
They've also promised to complete christ Church's third tower, Chross
Use Hospital's third tower, I should say, if re elected,
that would include an extra ninety six beds. And they've
also said it will make sure the proposed gondola projects

(07:25):
in Queenstown, designed to reduce road congestion, can access existing
public transport funding. It's also committing twenty five million to
four lane the remaining section from Hanson Road down to
the five mile roundabout. There's also commitment to work on
improving state higher bridges across the South Island. So if
you're in the South right now, does this start to
go some way to show that the right that the

(07:47):
government actually knows you exist and is starting to show
you some love. I mentioned that report that came out
a little bit earlier this week that only one dollar
at every nine dollars the government spends on roads is
actually spent in the South Island, considering it's got twenty
five percent of the population. And when it comes to Queenstown,
is that something you can get behind? Do we need

(08:07):
to ensure the likes of Queenstown? It is our biggest
tourism mech and no doubt about that that we all
need to ensure Queenstown is a livable and fun experience
for tourisms and also the residents when you look at
the congestion issues and the growth issues they are experiencing
right now. Our eight one hundred and eighty ten eighty
is that number to call, and nine two ninety two
if you want to send a text, plenty of texts
coming through. I'll get to some of those in a moment,

(08:29):
but in the meantime, Ryan, what's your thoughts.

Speaker 7 (08:34):
I think the gondola is a good thing to help
the congestion, But like that person of the text it earlier
for Open Book, can't hide behind the commercial commercial sensitivity
because with our money, we're entitled to know how it's
been spent, how much everything costs, and just to stop
all the ridiculous over procing that these contractors do, and

(08:56):
to minimize blowouts, and also some responsibility.

Speaker 3 (09:00):
I think you're right right, because it's a scary part
a Ryan, that when you look at the likes of
this gondola project as it stands, it's been priced at
about four hundred million dollars. Do we really believe it's
going to stop at four hundred million? You know, knowing
our reputation for building infrastructure, isn't it going to be
closer to a billion by the time it's finished.

Speaker 7 (09:17):
Yep, it'll be a billion, and it'll be oh, these
five or six contractors all have brand new Sybney nine
series land cruisers, brand new diggers, brand new Batchers. They've
all gone for a holiday every year, and the budget
will still well out of give.

Speaker 3 (09:32):
Yeah, what I kind of understand about pumping some money
into this gondla project, and I think it's needed. You know,
clearly something needs to happen down in Queenstown. But there's
a lot of private investment there. There was already already
talk about some big backers behind this particular gondola, And
if it is privately backed, then they can sort out
how much they charge for tourists or locals to use
that particular service. When you start pumping tax payer money

(09:54):
into it, then at that point you need to subsidize
the use of it. Right, if we're all paying into
a gondola in Queenstown, next time we go down there,
we're not going to be paying forty dollars for a
ride into the CBD. Yet you're gonna have to subsidize
it because it's government property at that point, is it not?

Speaker 8 (10:10):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (10:10):
Yeah?

Speaker 7 (10:11):
Or if it's privately back to a deal where it's
I don't know, they get to recoup their costs. Then
it becomes a government owned and they get year something
I figured something out so that it can be paid for.
They still profit out of it, yeah, and it doesn't
doesn't cost more because if you're doing if you're funding

(10:32):
something privately, you're going to be crossing every line. You know,
you're going to be watching what every dollar is going
not right here, it's just like here's a bazooka for cash.

Speaker 10 (10:41):
Boom reload it.

Speaker 3 (10:42):
Let's go what's going to be future proofd as well? Ryan,
and again, you know, I beck an idea of sorting
out a solution, but at the rate that Queenstown in
Central Target is growing, I just don't see this as
being a solution for the next thirty years. They've got
to come up with a smarter plan because this is
going to keep happening again and again and again, and
Queenstown is going to keep going cap in hands to

(11:03):
the government saying we need more help. There's got to
be a longer term plan in place that they can
figure out how to handle this growth. Doesn't that Oh definitely?

Speaker 7 (11:11):
Like I know that no one likes the whole Let's
get stock cars from getting a queens down or into
the cities and make it all public transport. But it
is going to get to the point where we're going
to have to have a solution for getting people in
and out without the vehicles, but making it easy.

Speaker 3 (11:28):
Yeah, right, maybe lot of golf cuss Yeah, maybe maybe
they do it elsewhere. Ryan, great points, thank you very
much for giving me a call. So are you with
Ryan O. Eight one hundred and eighty ten eighty. If
the government is going to start getting involved in Gondola's
and four lane highways to help out Queenstown's massive growth
growth due to the visitor influx, do they need to

(11:49):
start being more transparent and do you think that the
government is best place to make sure that project is
implemented at the cost that they originally say, rather than
blowing out I mean CRL anyone. So what do you say, oh,
eight hundred eighty ten eighty, if you want to send
six nine to nine two. And if you're in the
South Islands, you know there's been a lot of cries
for more government assistant and assistance rather into South Island roads.

(12:12):
How do you feel about this coming from the South Island?
And I know that christ Church in particular got a
lot of government money after the earthquakes. We needed it.
It devastated that city and Cantabrians were very thankful for that.
But once that money had been allocated and started to
be spent, and those new convention centers and the swimming
pools and other things started to emerge. My feeling in

(12:35):
christ Church was that it was kind of accepted that
they weren't ever going to get parity when it came
to the roads and the infrastructure, and that was okay.
As long as the road was viable, as long as
it wasn't gravel, as long as the potholes weren't too significant.
Then South Island has kind of just got on with
it and accepted that is the situation, because the roads

(12:55):
are longer and a lot more expensive to try an
upgrade than those in the North. But what do you say, Oh,
one hundred and eighty ten eighty is the number to
call and nine two, niney two is the text. It
is twenty one past one, back in a few moments.

Speaker 1 (13:09):
Fearless, focused, informed, It's the make Hosking breakfast.

Speaker 11 (13:14):
James Dolan is the strategic director of the Hotel Councils.
Whether so someone turns up in a hotel room and pace,
it doesn't matter what you call it or how you
do it, does it acts.

Speaker 6 (13:22):
Doing something a little bit different.

Speaker 12 (13:23):
They're not creating a new tax, but they're the first
party to acknowledge the fundamental problem. We have a huge
amount of tax is collected from tourists, but not enough
of it goes back to the local communities that.

Speaker 6 (13:35):
Host the tourists.

Speaker 12 (13:35):
So Actor saying they're not going to create a new
one dollar charge, they're just going to share out some
of the central government tax i. Welcome the idea, isn't
there the first major political party to acknowledge the problem.

Speaker 11 (13:47):
Back Monday from six am the Mike Hosking Breakfast with
a Vida News Talk.

Speaker 3 (13:52):
ZB twenty four past one. So christ Church and Queenstown
are the big winners from the National Party policy of
a significant investment into the South Island. Part of the
investment of the Queenstown is money set aside or access
to the public Infrastructure Fund for the new proposed gondola,
also finishing a four lane highway from the Henson Roads

(14:13):
to the five Mile Roundabout. The question I've got for
you is, if you're in the South Island, is this
investment badly needed? How happy are you that the central
government has started to look at South Island and say, hey, yeah,
maybe you weren't getting your fear share of central government money.
And also, if you're in Queenstown, how badly does the
government need to come in there to try and alleviate

(14:33):
some of the growth pains that you are experiencing right now.
Our one hundred and eighty ten eighty is a number
to call. Get a Richard here, going very good. You're
in Queenstown, yes, yeah.

Speaker 13 (14:44):
Yeah, And the gondola is a hot topic on everyone's
everyone's face down here.

Speaker 3 (14:50):
I bet it.

Speaker 13 (14:51):
I think the biggest problem is that it's not actually
relieving the actual main driver of why everyone needs a car.
So a tourist Lands and Queenstown to access the likes
of are in Queenstown for a day, then they go
to one Aca and they go to ourtown and then
Glen Orky. They need to high a car because there's
not accessed easily for people to get there. So not

(15:13):
alleviating that and what it's caused in Queenstown. The biggest
concern is that now living in actual Queenstown itself is
so expensive it's pushed all the people that actually need
to operate in that city out to the suburbs of
the likes of Hanley's and DA's point. But the actual
local population that needs to commute and daily to perform
the duties to then look after these tourists are still

(15:34):
having to drive and the gondola doesn't actually service them,
you know it would where the actual base building will be.
Is mean that someone will land in Queenstown, needs to
take either a bus or a taxi to the gondola
station which is in behind the substation in Queenstown, and
then spend forty minutes to then go into town. It's

(15:54):
I just don't see how you're going to drive tourists
in there. Yeah, and locals won't use it because you
can't as it from where they actually live.

Speaker 3 (16:04):
It's what a ware about, Richard that it sounds like
a nice solution for the for the very very short
term and particularly the tourists, but as you say, the
longer term ramifications and the problems that Queenstown are facing.
It's a band aid.

Speaker 13 (16:17):
It's a band aid solution. And the thing is that
everyone here is where everyone's joking. It's like that Simpsons
episode where they got promised the monorail and it's just
going to be this thing that just hangs up there
that it's only going to be used at peak times.
None of the stations are accessible really easily from town
because of the access issues that everyone's got there, and

(16:38):
simply you know, and then you look at the operating parameters,
which a lot of people don't see. If you've got
that whole thing filled with people and there's an issue
like windage and you have to remove all those people
have to be evacuated from those gondolas. So the actual
op X costs of having that many staff available to
then remove all those people from the gondola line becomes

(17:01):
like this inherent problem that you have to have all
these overstaffing. You know, the fundamental things is all Vocal says.
You buy up Franklin Road a little bit more, and
but a tramline that runs down the middle of it
to Franklin into the airport. You can still run a
two lane road and have you know, they're not looking.
I just don't think the feasibility on any other options

(17:22):
being looked at it. It sounds like a certain billionaire
got in with the right people and wants to build
a gondola, and so that's where it's all hitting.

Speaker 3 (17:30):
Has anyone suggested what you've just said, Richard, you know,
the likes of a tram or some other options rather
than the gondola, and it just hasn't got traction or
that's not even in the conversation at this point, it's
just the gondola, that's the only option, and we've got to.

Speaker 13 (17:44):
Go for it. It's well, the gonds has been pushed
by a consorting down here. Yeah, and it's just got
the back ends of mister zero behind them, and so
that are in the public face and the councils, And
because the council will go with it because effectively they
say it's public. You know, it's going to be privately funded,

(18:05):
but end of the day, that cost us will sit
with the public once it's operational.

Speaker 3 (18:09):
Well, how much do you expected to pay for it? Richard?
You know that's my worry here is when this gondola,
if it does get across the line and it does
get built, is it really there for the locals or
is this a tourist aspect that you're going to be
paying thirty bucks each way? You know that's not viable
for people working and living in Queenstown, right, And you.

Speaker 13 (18:27):
Know we live in a place where it snows and
it's really cold, so that you haven't changed the locals
on how we access the town. You know, no one's
going to you know, drive to a park to then
get on a gondola, the drive in the town. It's
that New Zealand adage of that we don't like using
public transports, career the path of least resistance, and unfortunately
still in every single New Zealand town is it's easier

(18:49):
to drive, right, Yeah, yeah, So you know, dropping kids
off at school and they're driving into work for someone
that's going to do that, they're still going to do that.
So if you're not going to change the mindset and
make it easier for people to commute in from the
likes of Jack's point Handley's, it's and all that out
towards Kingston is now proposed on the other side of
the road towards Kingston, there's more developments happening, So the

(19:11):
populations moving out of Queenstown but still in its commuision's
account in the town for work. Yeah, so about alleviating
that you're still going to have the same traffic problems.

Speaker 3 (19:21):
Yep, spot on Richard, thank you very much for your call.
When he's not wrong. And a friend down in Queenstown,
he's a plasterer. They were living in a narrowtown, realized
they couldn't buy an narrowtown and moved out to Kingston.
But as he said last time I put up with him,
they don't go into Queenstown anymore, and very few locals
go into anywhere near Queenstown because they can't deal with
it. It's bursting at the seams, the traffic congestions, it's overcrowded.

(19:43):
But they have to for work, you know, that's where
he gets the bulk of his contracts. But they hate it.
They actually hate going into Queenstown and are very happy
out in Kingston. But something needs to be done to
alleviate the pressures for those living and working in Queenstown,
not just the tourists. Right, But what do you say, oh,
eight hundred and eighty teen eighty, is the gondola going
to be the silver bullet needed for that particular region?

(20:04):
What do you say is bang on hop ass one
headlines with Rayling coming.

Speaker 14 (20:09):
You've talk zedb headlines with your Ride, New Zealand's number
one taxi app. Download your Ride today. National's promising to
fund an urban queenstownt Gondolin network, which would connect the
city's airport to its town center if it's re elected.
Net migration continues to rise as more people move to
New Zealand and fewer kiwis leave later. STATSNZ data shows

(20:33):
net migration reached seventeen thousand, six hundred in the year
to June. That's up from ten thousand, three hundred in
the previous year. The Police Minister says questions need to
be asked about how a man stole a firearm before
he was fatally shot outside Auckland Sylvia Park shopping mall.
Australia has reaffirmed its allegiance with the United States on

(20:55):
a controversial multi billion dollar submarine deal. More than one
hundred firefighters are battling multiple blazers in the UK's West
Midlands after recording its hottest day of the year and
fifth hottest on record. Why one dairy owner set up
a cryptocurrency atm on the East Coast. You can see
the full story at nzidherld dot co dot nz. Now

(21:17):
back to Matt Heath and Tyler Adams.

Speaker 3 (21:19):
Thank you very much. Ray Lean. So we're talking about
the National Party pledge for significant investment in the South Island.
A big part of that pledge is investment into Queenstown,
the Gondola. They're going to open up the public funding,
infrastructure funding, I should say for that Gondola project, which
as it stands is estimated about four hundred million dollars
as well as twenty five million dollars to try and

(21:41):
ease traffic congestion elsewhere. But what do you say, oh,
eight one hundred and eighty ten eighty plenty of texts
coming through about this particular gondola this Texas is the
gondola is a privately owned tourist attraction disguised as a
traffic solution. And as Richard said before, it kind of
makes him think a little bit of this from the Simpsons.

Speaker 15 (22:03):
You know, at Town with Money is a little like
the mule with a spinning wear. No one knows how
we got it, and Dangavi knows how to use it.
The name's Lanley, Lyle Lanley, and I come before you,
good people tonight with an idea, probably the greatest. Oh

(22:23):
it's not for you. It's more of a Shelbyville idea.

Speaker 16 (22:28):
I'll wait just a minute.

Speaker 3 (22:29):
We'll twice is mon as the people of Shelbyville. Josh,
tell us your idea and we'll vote for it.

Speaker 15 (22:34):
All right, I tell you what I'll do. I'll show
you my idea. I give you the Springfield monorail. I've
sold montor rails to Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook and
by gum it put them on the map. Well, sir,
there's nothing on earth like a genuine bona fide electrified

(22:54):
six car monorail. What I say monorail. What's it called Montorreil?
That's right, monorail.

Speaker 3 (23:04):
So hey, you see this condola? Is it like the
Montareil on the Simpsons on hundred and eighteen eighty? Is
the number two? Call clean your thoughts.

Speaker 17 (23:13):
I've been thinking about the mono rail song all day.

Speaker 3 (23:16):
I get stuck in your head, man, it gets stuck
in your head.

Speaker 17 (23:19):
Awhere. So this is a this is a good investment, sorry,
into the South Oland. So it's it's it's good. I'm
not totally the monorail, but I think we don't need
to be away at keypul that we did get a
lot of money when Crosses found over. There is now
a South Island Minister, which is good. And I think

(23:40):
that there's Queenstown as a doctor Brickers and no doubt
about it. Anywhere where you've got a really pacifitous cliff
with water right there, it's really difficult to get lots
of lots of traffic around us and Queenstown is one.
But also you know, let's not forget north of Colacura
is exactly the same as well. You know, the hair
oft in the state Higher one closed there. There's all
those ones up on the east coast of the North

(24:01):
Island which have those problems as well. So you know,
I'm all for it. Like I'm from Central Lakes men,
and I was reading the pay the other day was
by twenty four there's going to be more people living
in the Central Lakes than Yeah, so that comes with
infrastructure needs. So I'm glad that someone's twigged it. But
we're not the only We're not the only cav in
ten Obviously I want to spend the more back, yea,

(24:22):
but everyone else needs some as well. So I hope
that hope that basically anyway that's going to a windy
snake cramping around the side of a cliff trends that's
gone in there to fiction them because how many times
in the last four years have towns been cut off
because of a slope or a slaugh you exidents and

(24:42):
on that.

Speaker 3 (24:43):
And that's that's a big part of it. In the
South right, Glen. You know, arguably, you know, when you
look at that report, one dollar thirty nine dollars has
spent in the South Island despite having twenty five percent
of the population. But that to me is beside the point.
I actually think when you look at the vulnerability of
the infrastructure downtown, logically it probably should be around the
other way. But would you agree that there is a

(25:04):
mentality in the South Island. We know that the roads
are a lot dangerous. We know that we don't get
quite as much money as they do in the North Island,
and that was just kind of accepted with the reviso
that if something gets cut cut off, we need that
investment pretty quick. But you know, day to day we
just accept that it's a bit more dangerous and we
put up with it.

Speaker 17 (25:24):
Yeah, I think we probably do. I know a lot
more kids playing since playing in the Tiger Ward, you know,
under toward Down rugby tournament. So he'll leave Toned at
seven o'clock on Saturday morning to have a game at
one o'clock in Queenstown, So the kids are sitting in
the vans from for six hours. Yeah, that's just the

(25:46):
way the raining is. And we're a sparse area with
lots and lozza roads. So yeah, I welcome the investment,
but I just hope someone's someone's looking far enough ahead
because if you look at Queenstown, era Town, crom Wannaka,
every single one of them has a gorge cream around
side of the hill somewhere.

Speaker 3 (26:04):
So yeah, yeah, exactly, you can't escape it down there,
I mean on the gondola. We can make Joe about
the monorail situation on the Simpsons, but is it Is
it better than nothing? You know, for all the options
that may have been put on the table, is it
at least something to try and alleviate it while a
larger plan is thought about at the local level. No,

(26:24):
don't like it, nicely said Glenn. Always good to chat
with you, mate, Thank you very much for give me
a call. Oh one hundred and eighty ten eighty. So
on this gondoler idea, are you with Glenn and Ann Richard?
Do you think it is a tourist attraction dressed up
as a solution to the traffic woes in Queenstown or
do you think it is a legitimate option to try

(26:46):
and solve the growth pains that are happening down in Queenstown.
What else do you do when it comes to the
likes of Queenstown Because you can't tell the tourists to
stop coming, can you? So you've got to continue to
promote it. It is our biggest tourism mecca. Do you try
and redirect them to the likes of Wanaka and Milford Sound?
How does that look? Because what other options do you
have to try and get people in an out of

(27:08):
the Queenstown CBD. I mean, do you just start to
reinvest into into Frankton that has become a bit of
a boom recently. It's a lot easier to get in
and out of Frankton than it is to get into
the Queenstown CBD. But what are the solutions on the
table here when it comes to that growth in Queenstown
and also the rest of the Central Otago. Tell me, oh,

(27:29):
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is that number in
nineteen nine? Two is the text number? It is twenty
to two. When we come back, we have a chat
with Scott he's in christ Church. We'll get his thoughts
back in a month.

Speaker 6 (27:39):
A fresh take on talk Back.

Speaker 1 (27:41):
It's Matt Heathen Taylor Adams Afternoons have your say on
eight hundred eighty ten eighty Youth Talks.

Speaker 3 (27:47):
B seventeen to two. So the National Party has promised
a big boost for the South Island when it comes
to infrastructure. What do you say, Oh, eight hundred eighty
ten eighty is that number to call? Scott? You're in
christ Church?

Speaker 18 (27:59):
Yeah, good Tyler, A brilliant Dayian. Well up here down
here where where you're from? I mean, I know you're
from christ Church. I am currently you're about seventeen degree
at the moment.

Speaker 17 (28:09):
I'm sitting an ambly.

Speaker 18 (28:10):
Beautiful, I'm sitting an ambly about forty five minutes north
of cross Church. But that's just because I've been out
for a drive.

Speaker 3 (28:16):
Anyway.

Speaker 18 (28:17):
I don't know Queenstown at all. I've never been there.
I do want to go there to have a look around,
But two to four hundred million dollars seems a bit
excessive for a gondola that, yes, potentially is just Churist attraction,
but like you know, it's like Kross Church. So yes,

(28:39):
Christ Judge went through the earthquakes that went through the
mosques and the moss shooting and all that sort of stuff,
and yes we got christ Church got given a whole
lot of government money to rebuild. Now all those of
the store major anchor projects as you can say, have
all been completed, but christ Church has lost its vibe.

(29:01):
So you know, hundreds of millions of dollars have been
spent in Chriss Church for the stadium and the pools
and the you know upgrades and whatever have you, but
it's lost its vue. The infrastructure that needs fixing is
the roading right throughout the whole of the South Island
from picked In all the way through the probably them
for cargo, all the way through to Queenstown to the
West coast. Surely there has to be better ways of

(29:26):
spending two to four hundred million dollars rather than put
it on one project and fix the South Island roads.
Like as you say, one on every nine dollars or
ten dollars gets spent in the South Island. Yes, is
only what one point two five or three or five
million people live in the South Island in total. But
I mean our roads are suffering, er infrastructures, suffering our

(29:48):
you know, the community. So if you drive between christ
Eatchinish Curtain, it's roughly an hour forty five minutes to
an hour's drive. But the roads are literally falling apart
under your wheels is driving down the road?

Speaker 3 (29:59):
Is that right? I mean, that was the question I
was going to put out there, scott As. The last
time I went down to christ Chutch was about a
year ago, and in the in christ Choots city there's
been a lot of work done to infrastructure, as we know,
and even out east there's still some grumblings. I get that,
and there's a bit of work to do. But the
infrastructure to me was pretty okay. But you know, the
last time I drove down to Dunedin was some time ago,

(30:20):
but I thought the road was not in bad shape.

Speaker 9 (30:22):
There is.

Speaker 3 (30:23):
It's starting to fall apart pretty well.

Speaker 18 (30:26):
So the Crossier city central roads there the pope to
be polite and honest, like you drive down some of
the major roads in some parts of it have sugg
up to one hundred and fifty mil or six inches
of old measurements. Yeah, they are getting around and they're
trying to, you know, mel out Nashville. Some of the

(30:48):
problem areas, but that only is a temporary solution. If
the road's going to think, the road's going to think.
But as I say, driving south and even just driving north.
So today I've been for a drive to on our Beach,
which is about now and a half north of christ Church,
just to get it out of the city, and driving
up State Hiowa North there's still patches of the road

(31:09):
that are just falling apart and it's just lack of maintenance.
And excuse me, but going south as a state Ashburton
or even Tomorrow or further south. I last went to
the need And roughly twelve months ago myself, and once
you got sort of past that tomorrow, getting south I
wasn't so bad. But between christ Churches, Burton and Tomorrow

(31:31):
there are parts of the road that, as I say,
you drive over it and it's literally falling apart, or
there's at one stage there were almost three hundred mil
deep potholes on the side of the road that were
encroaching to about a meter wide.

Speaker 3 (31:44):
I mean, so you think at this time, are you
what you're saying? Scott? As I mentioned before, I know
that a lot of those state highways are cooked. You know,
you talk about driving up to north from christ Church
and if you try and go over the hundred lees
to Kai Quarter, you know it's not the best. It's
certainly not the best road in New Zealand. It's pretty rough,
but South Island is kind of expected that they lived
with it, right, We lived with it, that we knew

(32:06):
our road was pretty dangerous. But you're saying that South
Island shouldn't have to live with it.

Speaker 18 (32:11):
Well, no, we shouldn't. I mean, yeah, there's the Northern
and Southern Corridor in and out of christ Church and
they're talking about bypass around the back of wood End
through the ambelieve where I'm sitting at the moment. But
we shouldn't have to put up with roads that are
literally crumbling as you walk or drive over them. I
mean so even in and around Christier. So I don't

(32:32):
know whether all the listeners that are listening at the moment.
Chrossier City Council is looking to spend two hundred million
dollars to try and bring a league team to chross
Church to join the n r L against the bid
from Syagram Low that's trying to fundraise the same money
three hundred million dollars that the Christier City Council could
be putting into fixing the infrastructure or doing up the

(32:55):
infrastructure around the city. Or you know, alleviating out to
the further reachions like Rolliston and Sellyn or ring Eure
in North Canterbury to help fix the infrastructure or expand
the infrastructure in those particular townships as well. I mean
the infrastructure and Rolliston, for example, Roliston has grown at
such an exponential rate that the infrastructure is now not

(33:18):
keeping up. Apparently they're having to send surge trucks out
to the serag treatment plant to bring surge away from
Rolliston township to christ Church. So why do we need
to spend four hundred million dollars on gondola versus folks
infrastructure in a town?

Speaker 3 (33:39):
Yeah, you've said that very well, Scott. I didn't realize
it was two hundred million dollars potentially of rate payer
money going into the NRL team for christ Church. That
will won't sit well with with a lot of people
in christ Church if the roads are buggered where they live.

Speaker 18 (33:53):
No, and that's it, Like you know, it's millions and
millions of dollars that, yeah, is going in the wrong place.
That's crazy money.

Speaker 3 (34:02):
Yeah, fair enough to Scott. Thank you very much for
your call. What do you say, oh, eight hundred and
eighty ten eighty. If you're down in the South, are
you happy with the government or the National Party at
least recognizing that some significant investment needs to come your way.
Do you think it has been evenly spread? And if
you're in Queenstown, the idea of this gondola or public
money going into the gondola is that the best move

(34:22):
to try and alleviate the traffic congestion issues there. Now,
I just need to clarify that the estimated cost for
the gondola was around four hundred million dollars. The government
hasn't said they're going to put in all of that
four hundred million dollars. They've just said they will open
up access to the public funding poll for that gondola.
They haven't given a number, but just needed to clarify that.
But what do you say, Oh, eight hundred and eighty

(34:43):
ten eighty is the number to call and if you
want to send a text, nine two ninety two is
that number. Couple of texts before the break, Getta Tyler
sounds like an election bribe. They should be doing it
right now. Gett Tyler ree Queenstown, ring fence Queenstown and
make it a tax aven like Monaco. Not a silly idea, Hi, Tyler.
Not sure how they would widen. The Franklin Road to
Queenstown was built out on both sides of the road

(35:06):
last time I looked at it and took the contractors
about three years in about three thousand row codes to
get aroundabout done. Yeah, that's part of the problem. You
know that Frankton Road into Queenstown CBD. There's no room
on either side. You've got a mountain, then you've got
a lake. So what else do you do? Tell me
your thoughts? Right? It is nine minutes to two.

Speaker 1 (35:25):
Beg for it shortly, mad Heath Tyler Adams taking your
calls on eight hundred and eighty ten eighty.

Speaker 6 (35:31):
It's mad Heath and Tyler Adams afternoons.

Speaker 3 (35:34):
Newstalksv newstalks there be. It is seven to to get
a murray? Yeah mate, what's your thought?

Speaker 19 (35:42):
They do before they do anything with anything with the
roads who stuff, They have to get rid of all
the or get rid of all the heavy.

Speaker 20 (35:54):
Trucks on the roads of pur on rail, all of them.

Speaker 19 (35:58):
Because it's the road. Bases are never designed for the
waits they tearry.

Speaker 3 (36:04):
I'll just get you to turn that radio down in
the background if you can murry, because I'm hearing both
of us come back.

Speaker 19 (36:09):
Through that my Nintendo skills on vas.

Speaker 3 (36:12):
That's all right, mate, that's all right. So yeah, look,
I mean the situation as it stands, and I know
Whinston Peters is very keen on on an investment into
into rail, but you do still need to have trucks
exporting or moving a lot of those goods, right. That's
just the nature of how we are geographically is it'd

(36:33):
be nice to get a lot more on rail, but
you still need trucks to move goods to and from
the South Island to the North and vice versa. Or Murray,
your phone line is just cut out, mate, But thank
you very much. Get your point, Craig. What do you reckon?

Speaker 21 (36:49):
That guy that was just on so bad it floads
me away. I don't live down there that I'm keen
motorcyclists and we've done the South Island and whatnot, and
all of all the guys I know on the bike thing,
they just can't to get down to side the South

(37:10):
Island biggause the boats are just so good compared to
the North Island.

Speaker 3 (37:14):
Really interesting you say that Craig and I haven't driven
everywhere in the North Island, but when I've driven from
Auckland to Wellington to get on the ferry to go
back down to christ Church, I noticed a marked difference between,
you know, the roading infrastructure up here versus the South.
And as I said before, a lot of people just
accept that the South Island geographically is a lot more challenging,

(37:35):
so you put up with more dangerous roads.

Speaker 22 (37:37):
But interesting you say that, Yeah, we find Hey, these
new expressways to be involved, you know along St Iowan
won they're fantastic, but when you get down and sort
of the further south you go, the better they get.

Speaker 21 (37:52):
So I don't know if it's the altern routes that
guys that are falling apart, but the motorcycle fraternity they
just love the South Island homes right.

Speaker 3 (38:03):
Interesting, yeah, Craig, thank you very much. Mate. We're out
of time because the news is hot on our but
appreciate your thoughts. That is Craig's thoughts here, reckons the
motorcycle Fraternity thinks at the South Island roads tip top.
I think some of them are. You know, the last
time I went from christ Church down to Dunedin, long
straight roads and I thought it was doing it pretty well,
but our previous call had disagreed with that. Thank you

(38:25):
to everybody who teakes through and called up on that.
So a big promise from the National Party for more
investment in the South Island. Many will be happy down there.
Whether the gondola gets across the line, we will wait
and see all on the proviso National gets back in
of course, but thank you very much. Right coming up
after two o'clock. Have you had to give up health
insurance or is it worth keeping it no matter the price?

(38:48):
Or tee you more very shortly, but taking your calls
on that our eighte hundred and eighty ten eighty and
if you want to send to text nine two nine
two is that number? New Sport and Weather with railing
Ramsey on its way. I'll be back in a few moments.

Speaker 2 (39:04):

Speaker 1 (39:10):
Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons News Talk said, be a.

Speaker 3 (39:14):
Very good afternoon here, welcome back into the program. Great
to have your company. It is seven of past to
so this is concerning more than one hundred and twenty
thousand New Zealanders canceled some form of private health insurance
in twenty twenty five. That as as premiums became increasingly
difficult to afford, so around eighty thousand dropped medical major

(39:35):
medical cover, thirty six thousand canceled comprehensive cover, and nearly
five eight hundred dropped minor medical cover. So health insurance
costs have risen seventy four percent over the past five
years compared with twenty five percent overall inflation. That is
a big increase, while the average claim paid per member
has almost doubled from one thousand and ninety seven dollars

(39:57):
and twenty twenty one to almost two thousand dollars last year.
And the big concern is this could become a bit
of a vicious cycle. As more people drop private cover,
more pressure ends up on the public health system, doesn't it,
which is already facing rising costs As New Zealand's population ages,
and health insurance is also increasingly becoming something perhaps only

(40:20):
wealthier New Zealanders can afford, with almost half of the
people in the country's most affluent areas compared with just
eighteen percent in the most deprived areas. But the big
question I've got for you is whether private health insurance
is still worth paying for, particularly when premiums keep rising,
or whether people are better off taking their chances with

(40:40):
the public system. Have you had to ditch particular policies
or your health insurance entirely because of the cost, or
have you done everything you can to try and keep
a hold of it. I personally would put it right
up there as one of the most important insurances house,
right up there, of course health, and then for me

(41:01):
coming in third place is probably car insurance. I think
of push came to shove, I would get rid of
the car insurance for the health potentially go to third party.
But I would be lying if I said I hadn't
looked at it closely over the past few years because
it is not cheap. Obviously, it keeps going up, and
I have questioned at the age of forty whether maybe

(41:23):
I should be rolling the dice. But at this point
I've decided I don't want to take the risk. But
that could change is those premiums start to climb higher
and higher, and for me as a forty year old,
it is a slightly tricky place to be in one
that if you ditch your health insurance and you try
to get back in it costs a heck of a
lot of money. But also looking at the odds of

(41:46):
the next ten years, hopefully my health will be okay.
But at this point I've decided that it is not
worth the risk. But what are you doing when it
comes to private health insurance? Is that something that you've
had to let go because those premiums have just got
too much for you? Or have you tried to cut
out everything else you can in the hopes of keeping
that because when you need it, as many people listening

(42:09):
who have had to tap into that is such peace
of mind rather than have to go in the waiting
game of the public service. But tell me your situation.
I eight hundred eighty ten eighty is health insurance become unaffordable?
Too unaffordable for a lot of kiwis? And are you
rolling the dice with a public service or are you
keeping it above many other things in your life? Tell

(42:32):
me nine two ninety two is the text number, and
I eight hundred eighty ten eighty is that number to call?
It is ten pass two Bagary, surely your home.

Speaker 1 (42:40):
Of afternoon talk. Mad Heathen Taylor Adams afternoons. Call Oh,
eight hundred eighty ten eighty, youth talk.

Speaker 9 (42:47):
Said, be.

Speaker 3 (42:49):
Thirteen past two. So is private health insurance still worth it?
With those premium skyrocketing in recent years? I eight hundred
eighty ten eighty have you ditched it and are rolling
the dice with the public health service? Bearing in mind
that there was a story yesterday that the government has
spent close to three hundred million dollars utilizing the private
health network to try alleviate the strain in the public service.

(43:10):
So that does bring to mind is it actually worth
it in the first place? Of the government are doing
deals with the private sector, then do you need to
be spending so much money or on your own private
health insurance? So one hundred and eighty ten eighty is
that number to call? Geto Philip?

Speaker 23 (43:23):
Yeah?

Speaker 10 (43:23):
Good eight Kyler.

Speaker 3 (43:25):
So what's the story with you? You have you had
to ditch your health insurance?

Speaker 10 (43:29):
No, I haven't had to ditch it, but I am
in a bit of a dilemmas to the future. I'm
seventy five, a super inuitan obviously, and I'm paying just
to tear it over six hundred a month now, wow,
But I was just saying to your producer, you know,
I've had three hip replacements of quadruple heart bypass in

(43:54):
that time that I've had insurance, and I'm probably up
for cataracts, So you know, do I carry on? Do
I get rid of it? You know, it's a bit
of a hard poll.

Speaker 19 (44:04):
Really.

Speaker 3 (44:05):
It's the cruel thing, isn't it, Philip, is that the
older you get, the more expensive it is, but the
more arguably you need it. And you know, that's what
I see more and more often in my own family
is they get to sixty five seventy and realize that
they can't afford the premiums anymore. And that is the
exact time when you need the health insurance. But that's
that's the cruelty of it.

Speaker 10 (44:27):
Yeah, absolutely, And you know, my experiences in private hospitals
has been tremendous. I've only had one period where I
was in public that was a different experience. Yeah, it's
definitely a dilemma or you just don't know what's going
to be around the corner. Do you hang on to

(44:49):
it or not hang onto it?

Speaker 9 (44:51):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (44:52):
How much it?

Speaker 16 (44:53):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (44:54):
Yeah, so you're seventy five now, I mean does it
start going up? Exponentially.

Speaker 10 (45:00):
Yes, it does, yes, and has been for quite some
time now. So but what you just mentioned before, you
know about the government subsidize the public sector. In utilizing
the private sector, that winds me up a wee bit
because I'm paying huge premiums and yet there's people getting
the brilliant service of the private hospital system that have

(45:24):
contributed nothing then to it, apart from text, which I've
also contributed them to. Yeah, so you know that winds
me up a weavit. I know that you know that
you trying to fit more people through the system. Yeah,
that's I guess something you know we're going.

Speaker 9 (45:37):
To live with.

Speaker 3 (45:38):
Yeah, yeah, I can see that would be salting the
wound for people like yourself, Philip, and anybody else that
has health insurance. I suppose it is important to say
that there was three hundred million dollars and I'll just
read the story here. Health New Zealand signs three hundred
million dollars six year private hospital contracts to treat orthopedic backlog.
So if you need some orthopedic work, you might be

(45:59):
winning the lottery there if you don't have health insurance
and you're using the public sector. But for all other
ailments and issues that may pop up. You're still arguably
going to go on the public waiting list, right and
you've still got to roll that dice to some extent.
Whereas if you've got the private health insurance, it's effectively
a guarantee that something goes wrong and you are covered
for it, they will get you in very very quickly.

(46:22):
But if you've had to get rid of your health insurance,
I eight one hundred and eighty ten eighty. How important
is it? Is it getting too expensive? Tell me your story.
Nine two ninety two is the text number. A couple
of texts before we play some messages. This one says
health and medical is pricey, but something I want to keep.
I also have a mortgage in income protection. I was
looking at canceling and my advisor said, if I want

(46:44):
to revisit cover down the line, my back, which had
a previous injury, would never get covered, and as a builder,
that's a risk I don't want to take. Also, my
son has covered. If we canceled, he would never be
able to get covered again due to having open heart surgery,
but currently is covered during two rather is covered because

(47:05):
they had to cover before he was born. I mean
that is tricky position to be and when your son's
had open heart surgery, yeah, I mean that puts you
in a very difficult place that if you get rid
of your health insurance then he will never be covered
for that ailment again. Oh, one hundred eighty ten eighty
so number get a jen.

Speaker 24 (47:22):
Oh hi, Matt. Yeah, it's so fun you're talking about
that today because I'm in the same situation talking to
my son this week. I'm having to look at tenths
from my insurance. I was in it since I was
nineteen and now seventy one, and when you tune seventy,
it just goes up horrifically. Yes, so I'm paying four

(47:46):
hundred dollars a month. I'm on living a low. I'm
living alone because I lost my husband eight years ago,
so it's a lot of money to come out of
your weekly benefit. I'm having a cat scan on Monday
because I'm we saw surgeon. But if I well, I'm
possibly going to need surgery. But the balance I'm going

(48:07):
to have to pay, I won't have the money to
pay the balance, I mean my balance. I won't be
to afford to pay the balance.

Speaker 3 (48:14):
So one of those copay. Is it one of those
Copey arrangements as a jen Yes, right, okay, gotcha. Yeah,
so you're yeah, so you're you're covered for eighty percent
of the coverage, but you've got to front up the
other twenty percent.

Speaker 24 (48:26):
Yeah, I do, But if you want, you've got to
have made surgery the balance. You've got to pay up to,
say maybe twelve poteen for ten thousand. The difference because
some of those operations are fifty thousand dollars.

Speaker 3 (48:40):
It's where the wasn't a gen Well it's not really
small print. But I hear your frustration that you're paying
so much for these premiums, and many people sign sign
up to these Copey agreements. I've got Copey, I think
with our pet insurance, and it still stings because you
pay so much for it, and I know it lowers
your premium. But then when you're something happens and you've
got to front up thousands of dollars and you think, well,
hang on a minute, I'll pay you thousands of.

Speaker 24 (49:01):
Dollars over the years. One and I've had three operations
in my life, so what.

Speaker 3 (49:10):
Does that mean you can't take them up on it?
If you count if you can't afford that twenty percent.
You can't you can't tap into that claim?

Speaker 24 (49:18):
No, no, well no I can't. Well no, I wait
until I no, I won't. I'll have to count I
web just stop it if I need to see you
because I won't afford the young balance.

Speaker 3 (49:29):
Is there anyone out there that could loan you the money?
I mean, it just seems it seems cruel, Jan, that
you're covered, that you've paid for it, and you're they've
got you ready to go, you know, if you need
it after that scan. But the very facts that you
can't pay that twenty percent means that you can't take
advantage of it.

Speaker 24 (49:46):
It's not right, that's right.

Speaker 3 (49:47):
Yes, well Jene, yeah, Jan, I'm sorry you're going through that,
and really really hope it's successful for you. But that
is tough. And I know what people would be saying
listening that you sign up to the COPAI agreements and
that lowers your premium, but it is particularly cruel when
you've got access, you've got your insurance, the claim has
been accepted, but then they need that extra twenty percent

(50:10):
from you, and if it's significant surgery, that's going to
be significant money. And if you can't pay it, then
you can't tap into the insurance that you're paid for.
But what do you say you in that same situation?
I eight hundred eighty ten eighty or nine two niney
two is the text number? It is twenty past two.

Speaker 2 (50:24):
Back in a few moments, the big stories, the big issues,
the big trends and everything in between.

Speaker 6 (50:31):
Mad Heath and Tyler Adams afternoons used talks EDB.

Speaker 1 (50:38):
Matd Heathen Tyler Adams afternoons call oh, eight hundred eighty
ten eighty on us talks EDB.

Speaker 3 (50:44):
Is it still worth it to have health insurance? This
on the back and news the news. More than one
hundred and twenty thousand New Zealanders have canceled some form
of private health insurance last year as premiums became increasingly
increasingly difficult to afford. If you're on that boat, I
w eatee hundred eighty ten Eightyes the number to call.
Get a rod good Tyler.

Speaker 23 (51:04):
Hi.

Speaker 16 (51:05):
I'll give you a little bit of background. My wife
and I both seventy six. We've had medical health insurance
for decades. My wife has had fairly recently cataract operations
both eyes, and I've had two new knees. So we've
had some benefits obviously, but our premium last year went

(51:28):
from one thousand a month to fifteen hundred a month.

Speaker 25 (51:31):
Wow, and we decided that that was just over the
pot that was for both of you. Rod, Yes, that's
for both of us teen hundred.

Speaker 16 (51:41):
But also you know you've been talking about the co payment. Well,
our insurer only introduced co payment to us last year.
At the renewal time. They suddenly said, well, we'll have
to pay thirty percent of acclaim which before plus the premium.

Speaker 3 (52:00):
So they introduced copay and made you pay more on
your premium despite the fact, sorry you carry.

Speaker 16 (52:07):
On, Well, I looked at excess and we can pushed.

Speaker 3 (52:14):
Or or Rod, there's something. There's something going on with
your phone line there. You're just coming in and out.
I'll put you back to Andrew and hopefully we can
get you back because I want to hear more about that.
In the meantime, there's a chance to Johnny yea, Johnny yay.

Speaker 9 (52:27):
Yes, my appearance were stuffed out of hundreds of thousands
of dollars, not in this country but in Australia, and
probably about one hundred and fifty grand over here with
you know, like pouring money into your health when you're
getting old and you're getting dementia, and so they had

(52:49):
health insurance, but they still ended up and you know,
we lost nearly half a million dollars keeping him alive,
both with dementia, my mum and dad. And the standard
of care was a flute garbage for the money you pay.
But I've got disabilities. I was born affected by Asian

(53:10):
orange because my father's service, I've got brutal Aska, I've
and other stuff going on, and I can't get health
insurance because there's all these exclusion policies. But what I
can tell you is I've tried a number of times
because I've got kids, but I've thought it's important. The
prices are prohibitive and for anyone with respiratory condition like asthma, bronchitis,

(53:34):
think they're going to run into that. People with brain injury,
they don't want to touch you as well, like brain injury.
But what I have found is like public health has
been really good for me. Recently had a heart event.
Hospital treat me really well. I had to go and
get an urgent CT scanned yesterday after developing sphere pain

(53:58):
and I was able to get it within two hours
for free. There's a referral from my doctors up to
a private hospital that contracts to do work for the
DA when they don't have staff, so there's an overflow
system sort of keep coming along the lines of a
lot of us have got this idea that give me
convenience will give me death, you know. And it's a

(54:20):
great album what they did Kennedy's, but it's pretty true. Mate.
A lot of us don't want to wait. So we
have private health insurance. But for those that are really
mentally unwell, they don't have to wait that long. Leave me,
your heart's to absorb. You get bowel issues and stuff
like things are going on, they treat it seriously and

(54:42):
they rush you to hospital.

Speaker 3 (54:43):
So it's right, Johnny, Yeah, if it's critical, absolutely right.
And I just beg Johnny up on that is. I
haven't had any issues with our public health service the
times that I've needed it. But I think when people
run into trouble with the public health service, if it
is significant surgery or an ongoing problem and it's not
a priority, and you keep getting pushed down the list,

(55:05):
that is where you start to run into problems, But
as Johnny right, for the vast majority of people when
it comes to the public health system, ninety nine percent
of the time, you get them pretty quick. They fix
you up the fantastic stuff. Yes, they are overworked, but
it seems to be working pretty well for the vast
majority of people on the on the public. Eight hundred

(55:25):
eighty ten eighty is the number to cour I think
we've got Rod back.

Speaker 16 (55:27):
Get a Rod good o Tyler, can you hear me?

Speaker 3 (55:30):
Okay, gotcha? Perfect. So we're talking about the copay you
you've canceled, But that wasn't before the insurance company came
back to here and said, we're going to introduce the
copey on renewal. Your premiums went up, So why did
they do that? So they did they offer you the
option of copay to try and bring the premiums down.

Speaker 16 (55:48):
No, they didn't. It was purely yet. We'd always had
a situation we're making a claim. We had one hundred
percent of the claim paid. As long as you went
to a surgeon or whatever that was approved by the insurer,
they would pay one hundred percent less the excess. They
then bought in this cope payment business and paying twenty

(56:10):
percent of the claim with the approved surgeon plus the excess,
and the premium went from one thousand to fifteen hundred
a month.

Speaker 3 (56:19):
And that's when you canceled.

Speaker 16 (56:21):
That's when I canceled. I thought, I've had enough of this.
I'll put that money aside, and you know, if I
have another off or whatever, it's only going to take
two or three. A knee costs about thirty thousand. I've
had two of those. Well, at fifteen hundred a month
and a couple of years time, I'll be able to
pay for the knee out of the save premium.

Speaker 3 (56:41):
There feels particularly egregious.

Speaker 5 (56:43):
Rod.

Speaker 3 (56:43):
Are they allowed to do that? I mean maybe they are,
but you signed a particular deal with them, and I
get it. It comes up with renewal, so that's what
we get out of jail card for them. But that
seems really cruel to introduce a system that works far
better for them and still raise your premiums to that level.

Speaker 16 (56:59):
Correct. Yeah, But the problem is Tiler. You probably know that.
You know, when you get an insurance renewal, it's a
new policy, it's a new gain. You're offered whatever the insurance.
We'll ask us for the premium and what you've had
in the past doesn't matter. It's a new story each
year renewal.

Speaker 3 (57:17):
Yeah, Rods, that is really sad to hear. It sucks
that they did that to you, but you know that
is exactly what they can do, as Rod says, when
it comes up for renewal, that's a new policy, that's
a new contract with the insurance company. So does that
make you less likely to stick around for the health insurance?
That if you pay your premiums for twenty thirty years
and you get to a stage where you actually need

(57:38):
them to come on board with the claims and the
health issues you have, and that's when they really start
to try and change the game and move the goalpost.
Oh eight, one hundred eighty ten eighty is the number
to call. Is it still worth it to have health insurance?
Or is it better to roll the dice in the
public system. Nine two ninety two is the text number.
It's bang on two thirty headlines of thralling coming.

Speaker 14 (57:56):
Up, news talks, headlines With your Ride, New Zealand's number
one taxi app. Download your Ride today. An urban Queenstown
gondola network could be funded as a public transport project.
If Nationals re elected, the party's promising to back the project,
which would aim to connect the city's airport to its

(58:16):
town center. A National is banking its pledge to fit
out christ Church Hospital's third tower if it's re elected.
Althen Zed says the tower, announced by the Labor government
in twenty twenty, was already on track to be finished
this year. A post mortem is underway after a man
was fatally shot by police at Auckland Sylvia Park Mall yesterday.

(58:38):
The man's family has been told and is being supported
in christ chur At. Forty nine year old Michael Scott
Roger has been sentenced to life in prison with a
minimum non prole period of seventeen years, the murdering father
of three Richard Lehman in twenty twenty three. International tourism
numbers are recovering. Stats n Z data shows overseas visitor

(59:00):
arrivals reached three point sixty seven million in the year
to June. That's up nine percent on the year before.
Other Power company is set to join the data center club,
but at what cost? You can read more at inset
Herald dot co dot nzet. Back to Matt Heath and
Tyler Adams.

Speaker 3 (59:18):
Thank you very much, Raileen. So we're talking about health insurance.
This is on the news at more than one hundred
and twenty thousand New Zealanders canceled some form of private
health insurance last year of the as premiums became too
difficult to afford. So if that is you, oh, eight
hundred eighty ten eighty. And the question I put you
is is it really worth it anymore considering the amount
you pay in the premiums, considering some companies are coming

(59:39):
in at the late stages with this co payment situation.
When it comes time for renewal, is it better to
just roll the dice and go into the public system
if and when you need that assistance. So eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty is that number?

Speaker 23 (59:53):
Get a London got a Tyler, Happy Friday to you.

Speaker 3 (59:56):
Happy Friday, my friend.

Speaker 20 (59:58):
Just to let you know that we're in the matter
of a two area and I'm self employed. I've been
paying insurance for thirty plus years like many people have,
and then the time I needed to have an off.
You go to a nice pluvate hospital and it's pretty
flash yep, and it's pretty cool, and you get at
and then they say it's a thousand dollars excess, so
I go right, yeah, and then the surgencys, look, I
need you back every every month to keep this procedure

(01:00:20):
going under general an asthetic, so you can be sported
in about ten months. The inn insurance says, no, that's
a thousand dollars every time you come back.

Speaker 17 (01:00:28):
To a private hospital.

Speaker 3 (01:00:28):
Wow.

Speaker 20 (01:00:29):
And then the surgency is lot. To be honest, I
do the public system as well, and because it's an
important that you get done every the procedures carried out
every month, we'll put you into the public system. And
other than the one time I got bumped off the
list because of an emergency that came in, the plums
from the hospital was amazing. For ten months, every four
to five weeks I was slotted in for general anesthetic

(01:00:52):
to get a procedure done. And it was done on
the state and done on my taxes. So really, look
fact and all that insurance it was a waste of money.

Speaker 3 (01:01:01):
Well there has me thinking, Lindon is a forty year
old who's paying quite a lot in premiums already, and
they're going to keep going up and up and up.
I've got a bit to think about. But yeah, on
the public health system, there's been so many headlines and
a lot talked about it, and no doubt about it,
it's under under pressure. But I just I've never had
an issue with the public health service when I've needed them. Clearly,
it was a good service for yourself. And you hear

(01:01:21):
a lot of people who get a really good service
and they're not waiting too long. So you know, maybe
the public health service gets too much of a hard time,
maybe too many headlines of things that are going wrong
rather than things that actually do go right.

Speaker 20 (01:01:34):
I think absolutely that the good news stories and you're
always right to the staff. You're always thanking them for
the efforts they're doing. You also are protecting some of
the staff when they have got grumpy customers in the
bed next year that have given them grief, and you
inclined to want to support the staff on those sort
of people. But yeah, basically the whole experience was weirdly worthwhile.

(01:01:55):
We all know about the food, we will know about
sometimes the wait times and stuff like that, but anerly
the service was top notch.

Speaker 3 (01:02:01):
Yeah, Lindon, thank you very much for your phone call
and stoked it worked out. For you, Linda, you didched
it eighteen months ago.

Speaker 8 (01:02:09):
Yep. I'm sixty seven, my husband is sixty five. Paid
in for about forty five years. We've used what we
had one day surgery each and that's it. So we
were paying one thousand dollars a month at that stage.

Speaker 17 (01:02:27):
Wow.

Speaker 8 (01:02:28):
So yeah, so it was for us. It's just been
a total waste of money.

Speaker 3 (01:02:33):
Are you Are you worry going forward or you've come
to peace with that and maybe there's a bit of
relief that you're not having to spend a thousand bucks
a month now, and you know, bearing in mind you've
got the public system there.

Speaker 8 (01:02:44):
Yeah, And well two years down the track you're you know,
you're twenty five thousand dollars ahead.

Speaker 9 (01:02:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:02:50):
Yeah. Oh, it's a heck of a lot of money.
And then you know that's not the only insurance. I
I mentioned that you're you're spending and when you look
at the house and the car and everything else that
comes into it health obviously it's a massive, a massive
amount amount out of people's you know, whatever they've got,
if it's a paycheck or salary or pinch, there's only
so much you can afford.

Speaker 8 (01:03:10):
Right, Yeah, and ours was hospital only with a thousand
dollars exits, So anything that you needed done, you know,
if you need it, if you had a scan or anything,
you had to pay for that anyway. So yeah, it
was just a total waste money.

Speaker 3 (01:03:26):
It's been contemplating and at a chat with Andrew about this.
The producer you know, for people who are in their
twenties now, whether going the health insurance routers is that
viable or smart. You know, if you're at if you're
twenty years old and you can afford to put a
little bit aside in the funds that you never touch,
an investment fund that just slowly goes up, that might
be a better way to actually fund things that you

(01:03:48):
need later in life when it comes to your health,
rather than spending all this money on premium and then
when you get to a point where you need it
they start to ramp up the cost.

Speaker 8 (01:03:57):
Well, when I started it, it was actually subsidized by
my employer, right, you know, actually you actually lose that
and then there's probably very pure employers actually do that now,
but it was sub dies by them, so that's when
I started.

Speaker 3 (01:04:11):
But yeah, Linda, thank you very much for your phone call.
O eight hundred eighty ten eighty have yet to ditch
your health insurance recently? Is it still worth it to
keep it considering what you're paying and what's your experience
been like in the public health service? A couple of
calls saying that they've had phenomenal service when they've needed it,
haven't had to wait too long. So do you think

(01:04:32):
we are hearing too much of the negative stories and
not enough of the good stories when it comes to
our public health service? And perhaps it's not such a
roll of the dice if you cannot afford health insurance
and you need to rely on public what do you say, Oh,
eight hundred eighty ten eighties? The number it is twenty
one to three.

Speaker 2 (01:04:47):

Speaker 6 (01:04:52):
Matt Heath and Tyler Adams afternoons used talks that'd.

Speaker 3 (01:04:55):
Be eighteen to three. Is health insurance becoming too unaffordable
for you? Do you think it has been a bit
of a ripoff if you've been in the system for
the last twenty five thirty forty years and now the
insurance companies are starting to high up the premiums and
change the goalpost for you oh, eight hundred and eighty
ten eighty is the number, Tony.

Speaker 26 (01:05:13):
What's your thoughts, Tiler, I'm coming up to seventy nine
and my wife's seventy eight. Our premiums have just gone
up to thirty one thousand, six hundred and forty eight.

Speaker 19 (01:05:27):
Yeah, that's just about.

Speaker 3 (01:05:31):
Well, that's a brand new car aage here, isn't it.

Speaker 26 (01:05:34):
Yeah, it's terfect and you know, we've got paid out
on most of what we've slayn. But there's also the
other side of it is that you find that, you know,
you can only claim so many scripts and so much
of this, and so much for eyes and dental, and
it's being eroded, you know, in most areas.

Speaker 3 (01:05:54):
Yeah, so what are your options, Tony? Have you had
to ditch it? I mean, that's an incredible amount of
money to be paid at seventy nine.

Speaker 26 (01:06:01):
We've been thinking for the last three or four years
maybe we have to, but we've struggled on but we
can't afford that anymore. It even needs reducing your cover.
That's probably the only option we've got.

Speaker 3 (01:06:16):
What about the excess? Can you only put that so high, Tony?

Speaker 26 (01:06:20):
Yes, that's right, Yeah, yeah you can. And but like
you know, you do it because you expect you know,
if you ever have a major surgery or something like that,
it could be sixty eighty grand or more. That's right,
and so you keep going in the expectation that could happen.

Speaker 3 (01:06:38):
So what you know, what are you going to do
going forward? Tony, it's a it's a cruel position to be,
and you're going to stick with it for now?

Speaker 26 (01:06:44):
Well, I don't know. I have to discuss it when
the wife, but simply get it got too expensive. We
can't afford it. So it's jumped about twenty percent in
the last twelve months.

Speaker 3 (01:06:55):
Yeah, Tony, Yeah, I mean not too many people out
there could afford thirty two thousand dollars a year for
health insurance, I mean for any sort of insurance.

Speaker 9 (01:07:04):
Right.

Speaker 3 (01:07:04):
That is a really tough position to be. And Tony,
thank you very much and all the best going forward.
Oh one hundred and eighty ten eighty is the number
to call. So many texts similar to Tony's story, Hi, Tyler,
I had to let it go as an older male.
It was hard considering I have health issues. The older
you get and when you need it most, it becomes unaffordable.
After work subsidy. It was still one hundred and ninety

(01:07:26):
nine per fortnite. It was really hard to have to
let it go, but I just couldn't afford it. That's
from Ash And this one Tyler only suckers with more
money than since take out private health insurance. That's from Mike.
Is that really true? Do you think the public health
service is up to scratch that you can rely on
it if you need it if you cannot afford the
private health insurance anymore? Craig, what's your thoughts?

Speaker 5 (01:07:48):
Well, first of all, hey, one hundred years graduations guy,
thank you.

Speaker 3 (01:07:52):
Yeah, huge milestone for ZB And I'm just watching furious
hosts and people of ZIB get prettied up for the
big party tonight.

Speaker 5 (01:08:00):
Oh it's going to be mean, yeah, Billy. Yeah, you've
got couches lined up.

Speaker 3 (01:08:06):
Yeah, I'm sure sure there's a few of them. Yeah.

Speaker 27 (01:08:08):
Yeah, kind of floor to crash out on exactly exactly.

Speaker 5 (01:08:13):
But also one of the things that sort of means
to be said, your producers are amazing too.

Speaker 3 (01:08:20):
Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, there's a lot goes.

Speaker 5 (01:08:23):
On behind you know what you guys have been doing.
And yeah, amazing producers. We've listened to so many really
really cool people over the years doing what you guys
have been doing. But we know the producers are doing
their thing in the background too.

Speaker 3 (01:08:39):
It's a well oiled machine. Craigan, You're right. Without the
producers and eyone else behind the scenes, we'd been nothing.
And I was one of those producers not too long ago.
But yeah, I mean, what a privilege to be a
part of the station, considering the people that have come
before me. And yeah, I mean, what do you say,
one hundred years? Is not too many radio stations in
the world that lasts one hundred years and have the

(01:09:00):
impact that they've had.

Speaker 5 (01:09:02):
Oh, I totally agree with that. You've been a point
for people to express opinions for such an improved long time,
and I think that's more important than anything else.

Speaker 3 (01:09:15):
Boke Frankly, Yeah, yeah, nice to see Craig.

Speaker 19 (01:09:19):
Hey.

Speaker 5 (01:09:19):
Look, but going back to this issue, So we had
a situation last year where my wife we've had some
week we've had private insurance that we've also gone with
the obviously with even on healthcare. She was told she

(01:09:41):
was going to have surgery for a reasonably serious issue
and then they pulled the plug like a week before
the operation and said, oh, I know, you've actually now
gone on the backbenner again. So we decided to talk
our private healthcare company and say, okay, so this is

(01:10:02):
where we're at, what you do, And they said, oh,
we're so flat out right now trying to carry the
weight that's been pushed from public to sorry, from public
health here to private healthcare. She's going to be four
or five months away. So we just decided to fly
to China, got the surgery done, back to New Ziala

(01:10:23):
and twelve bucks and she was back to work in
six weeks.

Speaker 27 (01:10:30):
You know, So.

Speaker 5 (01:10:32):
I don't. So we just we're not paying health care
insurance anymore. We've decided that it's just not worth worth
the cost, like the cost of what we've paid in
a period of the last like ten years and not
needed it, and then when we did need it, it
was going to be a huge wait list. So if

(01:10:57):
you're in a position where you have the ability to
travel over these I highly recommend it for a lot
of people. Obviously you need to do some due diligence,
but yeah, I don't think it's worth because, as we've
sort of discussed, it's when you get older like us,
so retirement age that you need these sort of thing

(01:11:22):
that's done, and quite often they need they need to
be done quite quickly. It wasn't supersient, but we didn't
want to wait until it became a life risk situation,
so we just decided to pay for it ourselves.

Speaker 3 (01:11:38):
And that's, you know, that is a really viable option
for a lot of people that they're looking at now,
Craig As you say, you know, going too China or
Thailand or you know, Turkey. I think is another option
now where people are looking at the cost of really
really high high grade surgery and very very smart doctors
and well trained doctors at a quarter of the cost

(01:12:00):
is what they pay for it here.

Speaker 5 (01:12:03):
Basically, that's what it came down to. So we were
looking at privately, even with medical insurance, having to pay
the the top up, if you like, is going to
be around twelve thousand dollars. We flew to China, had
the surgery done for a round about six thousand dollars,

(01:12:27):
and then if you look at what we've been paying
in health insurance over a peo to ten years, yeah,
that was just a complete waste of money. Yeah, So yeah,
I think people have got to be really really careful
about what's drawn into there when you sign up for
health insurance. A lot of people are finding that there's

(01:12:48):
also a lot of costs that are not going to
be covered by that. So it is a difficult one.
And I'm not saying that that this is something I
recommend to everybody, but yeah, we just found that that
was the way we're going to continue from now on.

Speaker 3 (01:13:02):
Yeah, good on you, Craig. It is a very viable
option for a lot of people out there. You know,
lot's being made of the cosmetic surgeries that are on
offer in the places like Thailand and Turkey and China
and Singapore and elsewhere, but more and more that is
are certainly an option that if you are paying a
ludicrous amount and premiums for private health cover here and

(01:13:24):
what is on offer in other jurisdictions is a quarter
of the cost, and you have in some cases better
doctors and better hospitals. I mean, why wouldn't you look
at that option? If you've done that, oh, one hundred
and eighty, ten eighty is the number. It is, ten
to three back in a few moments.

Speaker 1 (01:13:42):
The issues that affect you, and a bit of fun
along the way. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams afternoons Newstalks.

Speaker 3 (01:13:48):
They'd be news talks there bet is seven to three
text here Tyler. People do realize that you can still
use a private hospital if really needed in self pay.
These premiums are insane and then they sound like they're
not fully covered egxs five hundred to one thousand. Be
proactive and spend some money on staying healthy, save and
fund if and when need that. That's from Dan and

(01:14:09):
Papa Moha, thank you very much for your text. Dan
get A grunts, Yeah.

Speaker 10 (01:14:14):
Hi, can you hear me?

Speaker 3 (01:14:15):
Gotcha? How are you?

Speaker 16 (01:14:17):
Yeah?

Speaker 27 (01:14:17):
Good mate. I spent eighteen months two years waiting for
bonon burn bone knee surgery after an accident. I went
through to acc to look at claiming on that and
they did a couple of scans. They said, oh, yeah,
you've had an accident, but you had some marth writis
growth in there.

Speaker 3 (01:14:35):
No, go, wouldn't come here acc what I want?

Speaker 16 (01:14:39):
Nope, no any.

Speaker 27 (01:14:41):
Arthritic growths in there.

Speaker 9 (01:14:42):
You're gone.

Speaker 3 (01:14:42):
Okay, right, So that left me with I.

Speaker 27 (01:14:47):
Had a heart attack prior so that the insurance was
simply out of the question because of the costs over
the top. So I waited eighteen months to go through
to Norse or hospital. I can tell you I had
the best service you could ever imagine. Fantastic food, fantastic people,
fantastic doctors. Everything was done on time to the dot.

(01:15:10):
I am now seven weeks recovering and walking without crutches.

Speaker 3 (01:15:15):
Brilliant. And how long did it take you to get in, Grunt?

Speaker 27 (01:15:19):
I had to wait eighteen months, nearly two years. I'll say,
I'll say every step you took got worse because your
bone was for crunching on the bone. There's no the
misgustistic left, no nothing.

Speaker 10 (01:15:33):
I was just grunching.

Speaker 27 (01:15:35):
They tried some injections through to the bone, through the
side of the lee, whatever that stuff like that. That
did absolutely nothing until they took me in and physically.
They took me in on the Friday, on the twentieth,
return at two o'clock and I was virtually out the
door at ten thirty the next morning.

Speaker 5 (01:15:51):
Done well.

Speaker 3 (01:15:53):
Fantastic outcome for you, Grant, and you know glad you
got in there. That's the tricky part, though, right, is
that ACC wasn't going to Covey. You didn't have the
private health insurance. That's part and part bare Yeah, part
of puss of the public is sometimes you got to wait.

Speaker 27 (01:16:08):
Well, this is where it gets people three ways. If
you haven't got insurance, if you've had an accident and
it's not covered by acc then you've got nothing left.
But it's a thirty seven thousand dollars operation.

Speaker 3 (01:16:21):
Yeah, if you can't.

Speaker 27 (01:16:23):
Afford to pay for that yourself, you have no choice
but to wait.

Speaker 3 (01:16:26):
Yeah, grant, thank you very much for your call, and
sorry you had to wait almost two years, but fantastic
that you got that sorted in the end. And again,
once you get into the system, world class. Nobody complaining
about the service and the professionalism they experience once they
get into hospital. But for some it is a bit
of a roll in the dice that if you have
to rely on the public service, then you may need

(01:16:48):
to wait some time. But what is your experience And
have you decided to ditch your health insurance because it's
become too unaffordable. One hundred and twenty thousand New Zealanders
did that in some form or the other last year.
A couple of texts to the news. We're going to
carry this on though, Oh, one hundred and eighty ten
eighty this Texas says, Hi, I canceled my health insurance
after my surgeon told me I couldn't have my hip
replace done privately as I have a heart condition, it

(01:17:11):
would have to be done public. I waited nearly three
years on crutches as a walker and this oh on.
I think private insurance is a ripoff in New Zealand.
The increase in premiums is specifically two very unrealistic amounts.
I think is a trick by these companies to get
the older people off insurance so they can keep the
money when the client is in most need. Keep those

(01:17:32):
texts coming on nine to nine two New Sport and
Weather on its way with Raylen Ramsey. Hope you're having
a great Friday afternoon.

Speaker 2 (01:17:41):
At the big stories, the big issues, the big trends
and everything in between.

Speaker 1 (01:17:48):
Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons News.

Speaker 3 (01:17:51):
Talk said, be a very very good afternoon. Tier seven
past three. I hope you're having a great Friday afternoon.
Thank you very much for your company. And we have
been discussing health insurance. This is on the back of
more than one hundred and twenty thousand New Zealanders. They
canceled some form of private health insurance last year as
premiums became increasingly difficult to afford. So if that is

(01:18:12):
you o e. One hundred and eighty ten eighty, is
it better to just roll the dice and go into
the public health system when and if you need it.
I've been saying roll of the dice because that's traditionally
what we assume it is. But more and more I'm
hearing people who have needed the public health service because
they didn't have private out insurance. And we're seeing relatively quickly,

(01:18:34):
absolutely absolute professional staff, fantastic service, got the best service
in the world, and we're out and recovered in record times.
So is it no more a roll of the dice?
So to speak? Is it maybe more financial sense to
go public rather than spend an immense amount of money
on health insurance? What do you say? Our one hundred

(01:18:54):
and eighty ten eighty is the number to call.

Speaker 5 (01:18:56):
Gide, Phil Gooday Toiler, how about.

Speaker 3 (01:18:58):
You, good mates? What's your thoughts?

Speaker 28 (01:19:01):
Yeah, I think it's better to roll the dice. And
if you can put a bit of money asoi yourself
in a bank account and yeah, accumulated up that way,
I can't afford health and sure, I'm on a benefit
and I don't know even though I'm only fifty nine
and still you know, were away from the retirement. Yeah,

(01:19:23):
I don't know when I'm going to work again, sort
of get in top of these kind of issues that
I have, get back to work. But so I can't
afford health insurance, so I just rely on the public thing.
But I think, like you said, for the vast majority
of people. Anyhow, you hear the odd case every now
and again on the news where somebody you know gets

(01:19:44):
slipped through the system, or than somebody you know unfortunately
doesn't get the care in time. But the vast majority
of times the public health system if you're really in
dire straits and it's really life threatening or you need
you know, flick pretty quickly that it's done sort of thing.
And I think that they're bloody insurance companies made. I

(01:20:05):
think that's that's a real rot. That is when they
charge you the excess and then all of a sudden,
you've got to renew your contract, and they say, oh, well,
not only will your part towards the excess now, but
we're also going to get you to pay twenty percent.
This coach I think I just think that's, like I say,
a real route on their part.

Speaker 3 (01:20:20):
Don't feel all at the end of you know, when
people are getting a bit older and then they change
the rules on them when they've been paying are their
premiums diligently for the previous forty years? I suppose a
health insurance phil you know, when you look at the
other insurances that you should probably have out health insurance,
car insurance, there's no backup LAN. With health insurance, there
is a backup lan. It's the public health service, so

(01:20:42):
you're not going to be completely left out in the cold.

Speaker 6 (01:20:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 28 (01:20:46):
Yeah, well that's exactly sort of my line along my
lines of thinking too that yeah, if you really need
need help, you'll get it, because what you say, does
that backup plan with the public system. And because I
had a situation there it was I suppose you could
say it was health but I paid into an insurance

(01:21:07):
plan that was supposed to covers cover mortgage protection and
loss of income protection, and that when I lost my
job because I think because it was a mental thing
to do with alcohol problems and that as well, they
weren't going to cover that. And I paid into that
for five years. So I thought I would have been
better just to put that money aside of my own
bank account, you know, and do it because that takes

(01:21:29):
out any of that possibility of assurance insurance company being
able to slip out of it, you know, through some
technicality or something that they can pull out of the
hat and say no, nope, we're not covering you. But
like I say, yeah, you got that back up because
it's just so expensive, and it's just so expensive, you know,
and they should rising it up, you know, so put

(01:21:50):
the money away aside. The only thing I think where
it might be where there's a case for the private
health insurance is say you didn't have so much of
a life threatening condition, but you had a condition medical
problem that caused you chronic pain, and you had to
wait for a number of months, you know, before you
could be put on the house system. So in that case,

(01:22:13):
when you're really suffering, that might be the only case
where I'd say, okay, the health insurance private, because you
go immediately and you're you know, you're not going to.

Speaker 23 (01:22:22):
Have to stuffer.

Speaker 3 (01:22:22):
Yeah, exactly, Phil, Thank you very much for your thoughts. Mate,
do you agree with Phil that when it comes to
health insurance you should just self insure. If you're feearly young,
so you're in your twenties and you're looking at protecting
your health going forward, maybe it's a better idea just
to put that money aside, because, unlike other insurances that
you should probably tick up to protect your various assets,

(01:22:43):
health does have a fairly good backup plant that we've
got a public health insurance that if you need it
ninety nine percent of the time, we'll look after you.
But what do you say, oh one hundred and eighty
ten eighty interesting text here. Actually, I'll get to it
very shortly. It's someone who works in medical imaging. Or
get to that text in a few moments. It is
twelve past three neuce talks. It'd be it is fourteen
past three. We're talking about health insurance. Is health insurance

(01:23:06):
still worth the money? Can considering what the premiums go
up to when you start to get a little bit older.
One hundred and eighty ten eighty I mentioned interesting text
here from someone who works in medical imaging, and here
it is kDa Tyler, I work in medical imaging. Imaging
criminal how much taxpayer money is funneled into private healthcare
through outsource scans and surgeries, et cetera. These companies make

(01:23:28):
Keller profits and decimate public health care staffing. How about
regulating this invest in public staffing and facilities. I'd rather
spend my money on a bit more tax on healthcare
than line insurance companies pockets instead. The government of pushing
public private partnerships to continue the route. See the recent
headlines re surgery. That's from George. So what do you
say to that, Nathan? How are you this afternoon?

Speaker 9 (01:23:50):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:23:51):
Good, good mate. Now you're coming from the other side
where the insurance was a bit of a lifeline.

Speaker 29 (01:23:58):
Yeah, I mean I hate paying for insurance.

Speaker 17 (01:24:00):
I mean, who knows exactly.

Speaker 29 (01:24:03):
Had I not done it, public system would have been
too long and answer would have killed me. Right, we
looked at self insuring and the first surgery to remove
the cancer was worth two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
So there's just no way normal people can afford that.

Speaker 3 (01:24:24):
And that's when it comes into play, right, Nathan, is
that you know, you can talk about getting on the
public health waiting list for various different things and maybe
it will go well, But something like cancer, that's when
rubber meets the road and when health insurance does come
into play and, like you say, become a massive lifeline.

Speaker 29 (01:24:45):
And we didn't realize how expensive a surgeon. A single
surgeon for a twelve hour surgery was forty nine thousand
dollars in private. So that again, so one surgeon for
a twelve hour surgery was forty nine thousand dollars, And.

Speaker 3 (01:25:05):
That's just I mean, there's not there's there's very very
few people out there that could pay that off their
own bat right.

Speaker 29 (01:25:12):
Absolutely so lifeline for us, but it is so expensive
and it's getting worse.

Speaker 3 (01:25:20):
How are you going now, Nathan, Oh, it's.

Speaker 29 (01:25:23):
Two years of finding cancer and twenty major surgeries. Plainer,
we're still going, still.

Speaker 3 (01:25:28):
Here, you are still here and the prognosis.

Speaker 29 (01:25:33):
Looking good at the moment.

Speaker 3 (01:25:34):
That's great. Yeah, that's brilliant, Nathan. Thank you very much
for putting some perspective on that. So that is clearly
the other side, right, is that when you've got health insurance,
and many people might be listening and say, yeah, the
premiums are too high on it is a rip off
and I paid for forty years and then they change
the goal posts and yes, that is not right for
when it comes to the insurance companies. They are legally
allowed to do that, but it doesn't seem right. But

(01:25:56):
then when you have a situation like Nathan's head and
the massive, massive cost through that health system, and that
is arguably where the public health system can fall down
when it is something a little bit more complicated than
a broken leg or a new hip, when it is
something like cancer, that is where health insurance can become.

(01:26:19):
In his case, a lifeline. Oh, one hundred and eighty
ten eighty is the number to call, and nineteen nine
to if you want to send a text. I'll get
to a few texts now before we've got to play
some messages, Tyler. People do realize that you can still
use a private hospital if they really need and self pay.
This one, says Hi Tyler. I'm sixty five and my
wife is sixty two. We're in reasonable health at the moment,
except a few small age related things. We pay one

(01:26:42):
thousand dollars a month for my health insurance and both
our life insurance. My wife gave up her health insurance
last year and we are looking at dropping the lot
next year when I retire. Is it just won't be possible?
Love the show that's from Cam. Yes, we have stopped
our contents and house insurance. Also stopped our home contents insurance,
but kept our house insurance. It became unaffordable and if

(01:27:03):
things keep rising we will have to cancel our home
run as well. We haven't had health insurance for many
years as well, so that's insurance across the board. Keep
those things coming through. On nine two ninety two and
taking your calls. Have you had to ditch your health
insurance or have you managed to hold on because you
know that it could become a lifeline in the near future.

(01:27:23):
It is nineteen past three. Back for you surely, Matt.

Speaker 1 (01:27:29):
Heath and Tyler Adams afternoons call oh eight hundred eighty
ten eighty on youth Talk ZV.

Speaker 3 (01:27:35):
It is twenty one past three. Have you decided to
cancel your health insurance because the premium's got too expense
If tell me, oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty
is that number? Text to you, Hi, Tyler, cancel insurance privately.
Get a full body MRI every two years. It's five
thousand bucks eighty percent chance of finding a tumor in
its infancy. So get a private MRI every two years

(01:27:57):
for five grand eighty percent chance of finding a tumor
in its infancy. I mean, that's our of the strategy.

Speaker 6 (01:28:03):
Marie.

Speaker 20 (01:28:03):
How are you, oh M spared yourself good?

Speaker 3 (01:28:06):
What's your story?

Speaker 13 (01:28:08):
I just just have a few.

Speaker 30 (01:28:10):
When my child was quite young, young mom having to
go back to work. So fifteen years ago my daughter
needed surgery. The wedding list in the public was a year.
I was taking constantly a lot of time off work.
So we just got a mortgage to today and we

(01:28:30):
got it the following week going private operation for here right.
So that that's one of the things I just wanted
to say, is that if you need the money, you
do find a way.

Speaker 13 (01:28:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 30 (01:28:44):
And my husband now has insurance and really read those
policies out there. He broke his finger last year and
we didn't know he was covered for a broken singer.
He met his mortgage mortgage broker just because I'm not sorry,
I was mortgage brokers and insurance broker, and he said, oh,

(01:29:07):
you're covered for that, and got ten thousand dollars just
for a finger. But I had to cancel mine because
you used to get very expensive. And I have had
no issues with the with the Public Center when I've
needed things. I've been able to get in quite fast.
It's the waiting period at the beginning, but once you're
in the system, it's a fast turn around and great stuff.

Speaker 3 (01:29:31):
So have you kept have you kept your daughter's insurance?

Speaker 1 (01:29:34):
No?

Speaker 30 (01:29:35):
No, so she's never she's never had it. But because
it's so expensive for children, the premiums are just phenomenal,
especially when they're young. So that was the only way
we could get it was to do this operation and
for me to go back to work because my job
was actually on the line or the amount of time
I had to take off work for her, So mortgage

(01:29:59):
holiday was the only way out for us really to
actually get her at the operation and get it done
and that.

Speaker 3 (01:30:05):
And it was a success. Though she's doing well now.

Speaker 30 (01:30:08):
Oh fantastic, fantastic now not an issue since really, so
it was worth it. It was a struggle eating a
lot of rice in noodles. Yes, yeah, we got it
done in the end.

Speaker 3 (01:30:19):
Yeah, brilliant Ory. Thank you very much for your call
and so glad that worked out for you. As tough
as that was. But as she mentioned on the broker situation,
her has been broker his finger and went to the
broken didn't think he's going to get covered and there
was ten thousand dollars worth of coverage there as going
through a broker, I mean to me, that sounds like
a sensible move. You can obviously just go and pick
up health insurance off your own bet, but it does

(01:30:41):
seem that a broker having a professional there, a middle
person to be able to go through what the policy
actually is and know what you are and are not
covered for seems like a wise strategy if you're a
broker out there, love to hear from you. Oh eight
hundred and eighty ten eighty is the number to call.
Get a Ross, Hello Ross, get it mate?

Speaker 31 (01:31:06):
Sorry that toiler? Yes, yep, on yep, okay. The my
wife and I had insurance, but we canceled and we
were involved with a private surgical hospital and canceled and
after we were retired. It's what we found is the
best way is to still go private, consult a specialist,
get a referral, and then go into the public system

(01:31:28):
after that and he puts you on his list. Okay,
so that you end up getting if you're like, an
accelerated admission into the hospital system.

Speaker 3 (01:31:37):
Seems like a good alternative. So I mean, did that
they're clearly expedited the service that you needed. Was there
any other fishocks in that, No, not.

Speaker 31 (01:31:47):
At all, very much. I mean it's happened a couple
of times, and it's something where you might be waiting
on the public list for months to get that initial consultation.
You pay perhaps five hundred eight hundred bucks or whatever
it might be to get you go and see a
specialist in his rooms, and then as I say, get
referral into the public system of finitely enough. On one occasion,

(01:32:09):
what happened was I ended up because the hospital were
running behind and they get fined if they haven't done
enough operations. We got put into the private sector with
public sector paying for it.

Speaker 3 (01:32:21):
It's a smart alternative ross and I know there's there's
a few people and my family that have done just
that that they don't have health insurance and then they'll
pay extra for a specialist to try and you know,
get that referral into the public health a sector and
expedi expediated. But sometimes that can be a bit of

(01:32:43):
a roll in the dice, right that if you do
go to the specialists and say yes, we need to
get you in, but they could also say you need
to get in, but it's not a priority. We're just
going to put you on the list. Sadly.

Speaker 31 (01:32:54):
Yeah, but if you've gone on to their list, you'll
usually find your you'll go in fairly quick. We've certainly
been our experience.

Speaker 3 (01:33:02):
Yeah, No, good on your ross. That sounds like a
great alternative. Oh eight, one hundred eighty ten eighty is
the number to call?

Speaker 9 (01:33:08):
Is that what you do?

Speaker 3 (01:33:08):
You pay a specialist if you've got some health issue
going on, you just pay the extra five hundred thousand
whatever it is to see a specialist with the hope
that they will get you pretty fast into the public system.
A couple of texts here before we go to the headlines. Hi, Tyler,
I have had health cover for thirty years and have
never claimed. My husband passed away ten years ago. I'm
seventy five, and they just put it up again to

(01:33:30):
seven hundred dollars a month, so I am thinking I
may have to cancel. Interesting conversation. Insurance for kids is
a lot cheaper than for adults. The older you are
the higher risk of head colon check in private with anesthetic,
whereas a friend on public with Crohn's disease was awake
when he had the same checks. Private perks, but you

(01:33:50):
certainly pay for them. And this one again a Tyler
great show. Why are we asked if we have private
medical insurance when making medical dental appointments? We were asked
recently by a cardiologist when he was doing his rounds
at Waikato Hospital. Rude, that's from Max keep those texts
coming through or nine to two as the why you're asked.
I mean, if you've got the medical insurance or the

(01:34:13):
dental insurance, arguably the surgeon's asking that or the cardiologists
to perhaps bump you up the list or get you
the service that you've been paying for those those very
high premiums all those years. But what do you say, Oh,
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is the number to call.
It's twenty eight past three. Headlines with railing coming up.

Speaker 14 (01:34:31):
You've talk said be headlines with your Ride, New Zealand's
number one taxi app.

Speaker 3 (01:34:36):
Download your Ride today.

Speaker 14 (01:34:38):
Nationals are all for financing a Queenstown gondolin network to
reduce congestion if it gets back into government. The party
says it will support the proposal to link the airport
to the town center. By offering public transport funding. Corrections
say the armed man shot dead by officers at Auckland
Sylvia Park shopping center had been serving community detention but

(01:35:01):
hadn't reached his curfew. Incumbent Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark
Brown's expected to keep his job as a action results
flow in. Some nurses at Auckland's white darkety hospitals say
they are unable to give patients the care they deserve
because of chronic underfunding and understaffing.

Speaker 3 (01:35:20):
Reform.

Speaker 14 (01:35:21):
UK's Nigel Farage says he won't attend the results count
at the Clacton by election against count Binface. He says
Essex Police have told him about an organized campaign to
degrade the result and he's refusing to be humiliated. Fresh
electoral fraud claims involving stolen Auckland ballots refer to Serious

(01:35:41):
Fraud Office. You can find out more at inzidherld dot
co dot nz Mactor Matteith and Tyler Adams.

Speaker 3 (01:35:48):
Thank you very much, Rayleen. And we're talking about health
insurance on back of the news that one hundred and
twenty thousand New Zealanders are canceled parts of their health
insurance to some degree mainly because of the cost of
the premium skyrocketing over recent years. So our eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty is health insurance still worth it?
When we do have a public system there are getting

(01:36:08):
too expensive and have you had to cancel your own
health insurance? So one hundred and eighty ten eighty is
the number to call. A couple of texts here before
we go back to the phone calls. Kaday Tyler. I
had medical insurance for thirty years plus. Premium got to
two hundred dollars a fortnight, so took the risk and canceled.
Ten years later, I needed knee replacement. I live in
Southland and couldn't get on the waiting list to do

(01:36:31):
the waiting got told five years plus, so I went
to India brilliant service surgeons so professional walked unaided day
after operation, home two weeks later and would do it again.
That's from d Keep those techs coming through. Get a colin.

Speaker 23 (01:36:46):
Yes, Hi Tyler, I just want to put another of
spin on it. I'm seventy seven and I've had lots
of experience, you know, with hospitals, et cetera, because I
had a few accidents and I've had a major heart
and also back operation, which my argument is that years
ago we Bundie. Years ago I had the insurance, but

(01:37:06):
we dumped it once the kids grew up in gold
obvious reasons because of the cost. You know, last week
I had an experience with my one of my one
of my sons who's got two kids. Their account got
cleaned out. They had automatic payments on health insurance and

(01:37:28):
I had to pack them up last week for sixteen
hundred bucks. And I'm just a pincher it right. I
was quite angry that they didn't monitor it. And that's
the problem with automatic payments. I'll just suck it out
and then you know, he couldn't even buy food, let
alone pay the mortgage. And yeah, so anyway, that's my
experience of it recently. My experience over the years is

(01:37:50):
that the private sector relies upon the public sector. And
that's what makes me quite angry. And I think that's
why a lot of people who are on the waiting
list for the public sector have been held out. They
may sometimes at work you can get a other times
that doesn't. Because I had to get a knee operation,

(01:38:17):
which is not as major as hard and back et cetera.
But and I was told by that particular surgeon, he said,
I can get you an operation tomorrow. All I need
is ten grand for an anthetist. But I need a theater.
Need a theater. Now where does he think he's going
to get that theater from the public system? And that's

(01:38:38):
my argument, what are you paying for? When you with
the private sector, you might get some smaller operations done,
but outside of that, nuh, Well.

Speaker 3 (01:38:49):
There are some big private I will say, Colin, there
are some big private hospitals. I know because I've had
to utilize them or my partner had to utilize them
one very recently. So there are. And they've got their
own theaters, they've got their own doctors. But there is
I get your point, there is a crossover between private
and public. I mean, news out yesterday that the government

(01:39:10):
has signed a contract three hundred million dollars that they're
going to be paying the private hospitals to utilize their surgeons.
Because the public system is facing a lot of strain
at the moment.

Speaker 23 (01:39:21):
Yes, yes, but yeah, but Colin, on both sides. But
you know, for someone that I've never had any problems
with the public system. But I will say that from
country to country it can be quite different. I've got
one boy who's in Australia and he got a hole

(01:39:42):
in the hard operation done within three weeks. My wife
has a similar one up in Green Lane had to
wait twelve months.

Speaker 3 (01:39:48):
Yeah, yep, good cool, Colin, Thank you very much.

Speaker 10 (01:39:51):
Just on that.

Speaker 3 (01:39:51):
Can you tell me?

Speaker 1 (01:39:52):
Is it?

Speaker 3 (01:39:53):
And I'm just putting it out there? Is it younger
people that get prioritized when something goes drastically wrong and
they bumped up the list when it comes to public
because the argument is you know that they if they
get treatment, they are going to be sticking around for
a lot longer. But perhaps that is why I've heard

(01:40:13):
such good stories when it comes to the public health
service that you know, been forty, starting to get into
that upper bracket, well not the upper bracket, but getting
a bit older. But in the younger days I never
had to wait too long to get into the hospital
to get treated for the various things that happened to me.
So perhaps that's the other way. The other aspect of
it as well is that the older you get, depending

(01:40:34):
if it's a hip obviously, if it is life and death,
you get into the hospital and they see you a SAP,
you become a priority. But if it is something like
a hip or a broken bone, sadly maybe you are
put on the list rather than getting seen straight away.
When you're a bit younger. Bruce, what's your story?

Speaker 32 (01:40:51):
Yeah, Hi, I just want to say I've had insurances
in my life and then drop them when they've got
a bit expensive. But having lived with for eleven years
with a terminal terminal illness multiple my loma, whereas work
suddenly said oh we're going to give you guys life
insurance medical insurance, and I thought, well, it wouldn't count

(01:41:14):
for me, but it does when the company applies for it.
There's no pre existing taken into account. So going from
the public system where they looked after me well for
eight years and did a fantastic job, suddenly they run
out of drugs, no more a funder.

Speaker 10 (01:41:32):
So your options are go.

Speaker 32 (01:41:33):
Home and put your feet up and wait to die,
or go overseas at great cost, or go public at
great cost.

Speaker 10 (01:41:41):
There's not many options there, so.

Speaker 3 (01:41:42):
None of them are good options really, so just run
there past me again. So the insurance company that the preconditions,
they didn't take that into account.

Speaker 32 (01:41:53):
No, No, in a company policy. There were no preconditions
required to be divulged. So I sat there on the
zoom with all the other staff and I said, oh,
it's great, but I don't think you'll be ensuring me
and told them what I had and he said, no,
you're you're covered, You're you're pre existing is irrelevant. Yeah,

(01:42:15):
I think they take if a company signs up, they're
thinking everyone's working. Most are going to be pretty well,
and a few might slip through, like myself, which which
is now costing them a lot of money. And but
there are other options like life insurance. I would these days,
I I would go for life insurance and let the

(01:42:36):
wait for the public to do what they do. But
then when you are actually at the end of the
line and you need private, you use your life insurance
because if you are, as a technically public told me,
I was technically terminal, so because I can't do any
more for anything more for me, so straight away, if

(01:42:56):
you've got a life insurance policy, it pays out.

Speaker 27 (01:42:58):
The next day.

Speaker 3 (01:42:58):
Interesting, I didn't realize that. Evan Bruce that yeah, And
I suppose it makes sense that if the doctors have
seen this is terminal, then effectively at that point it
does need to be paid out. But I always assumed,
like I suppose many people that you're dead basically before
they paid out, and the recipients were the family who
may need that extra help when you're gone.

Speaker 32 (01:43:19):
No, no, And if you've got a million dollar medical
life insurance, well it's it's for your life and that's
what it's for.

Speaker 9 (01:43:26):
So that was the result. So it goes on.

Speaker 3 (01:43:29):
Yeah, Bruce, thank you very much for your call, and
really happy it worked out for you. But that sounds
like an incredibly generous insurance scheme that was offered to
you by the company. I mean, no pre existing conditions.
That's got to be red, doesn't it. Oh eight hundred
eighty ten eighty is the number to call. Have you
had to get rid of health insurance or has it
saved your life? Tell me? It is twenty to four.

Speaker 1 (01:43:51):
Mad Heath Taylor Adams taking your calls on Oh eight
hundred eighty ten eighty. It's mad Heathen Taylor Adams afternoons
news talks.

Speaker 3 (01:43:58):
They'd be it is eighteen to four. Hi Bria, Hello,
bre Yeah, Hi, how are you very good? What's your thoughts?

Speaker 9 (01:44:10):
Oh?

Speaker 33 (01:44:10):
I think that insurance is a complete calm in life.

Speaker 27 (01:44:15):
You know, it's a scandal, isn't it.

Speaker 33 (01:44:17):
You know, I'm like your car. You know you're going
to crash, You're going it's going to get stolen. You
have going to go on fire. It's like and especially
with death and human health, they play on they play
on death, and they play on insecurities nowadays, and everyone
has them. And I think that those that can afford

(01:44:39):
it are very comfortable and those that can't. The health system,
I'll tell you, I've had a lot of experience with
Southern Cross and my parents and myself, and as my
parents get older, the pinders went through the roof and
myself and I'm like, the the health system has been

(01:45:02):
very good, That's all I'm in.

Speaker 3 (01:45:04):
Yep, fair enough too. I'm glad the public service has
been good for you. Brih.

Speaker 31 (01:45:08):
Then how are you, yeah, mate, how are you telling?

Speaker 19 (01:45:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:45:12):
Good goods?

Speaker 13 (01:45:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 18 (01:45:14):
Listen, mane.

Speaker 34 (01:45:14):
I'm just sitting there driving away with me and my grandson,
and I listened to the chatter on the line about
the insurance and that I've been probably a member of
something cross into this conception to be honest with you,
in the in the power sector.

Speaker 16 (01:45:28):
And to be honest with you.

Speaker 34 (01:45:29):
We were told right at the front end, you know,
we should be in this policy to look after you
and take care of your house and all the rest
of it. So you know, most of us joined up
with it. I got to say tell her that, you know,
when I needed it for my wife, not so much
for myself. I've been very fortunate in health, but my
wife had to go through some stuff herself, and I think,
you know, and I had I not had that at

(01:45:49):
the time, I think, you know, the circumstances could have
been quite different. We were able to get in to
see the doctors and get into SINGA specialists within a
week or so, you know, which would normally take you
long if you go to the public sector. And she
was then you know, went in private for her, got
her operations done. And that's three times that's happened. And

(01:46:10):
I know you're talking about thirty something plus year. My
son's city six now and he was on my policy
when I started, So you know, there was God sent
for me anyway. But I think I suppose that I
wanted to talk about it, and any seems to get
older and you hit that sixty five markets like the
twitch goes off and then you can't afford it anymore.

Speaker 3 (01:46:30):
Yeah, it seems to be very common.

Speaker 34 (01:46:32):
Yeah, I just don't understand it. That's also where our
life policy we had to come.

Speaker 16 (01:46:35):
Out of that as well.

Speaker 34 (01:46:36):
And I'm one of the one hundred nine thousand that
you're talking about. He pulled out of the insurances. I
just couldn't afford it. And we're talking about seven hundred dollars.

Speaker 16 (01:46:43):
Maybe you just can't do it.

Speaker 3 (01:46:45):
Yeah, So you know, that's and I'm not defending the
insurance companies here, but it's it's the risk portfolio, isn't it.
And that's as the cruelty of something like health insurance
is that when you can afford at the premiums are
a lot lower because arguably your risk of being unhealthy
or something happening to you is a lot lower. And
then when you need it, they've ramped up the premiums

(01:47:07):
to the point that many people cannot afford it anymore.

Speaker 34 (01:47:09):
Yeah, that's exactly right. And you know I had all
these different packages that you could look at and trim
and do whatever, but in the end, I just couldn't
afford it any more. Talus, So you know, we just
had to put the money aside, and I'm still working luckily,
yes for myself, so you know, we just put the
money aside. But I can say that that categorically when
we needed it was there and I never had any

(01:47:33):
issue in terms of getting hold of, you know, whatever
I needed to get done for my wife, and that
that I'm thankful for.

Speaker 3 (01:47:39):
Yeah, absolutely, yeah, Well glad it worked for you at
the time. Room, but absolutely hear what you're saying. As
soon as you got sixty five and certainly seventy and
seventy five, those premiums rarely start to bite, and people
like yourself. You know, there was one hundred and twenty
thousand New Zealanders who said it's getting too expensive for me,
and I'm going to have to roll the dice with
the public service a couple of texts before we've got

(01:48:01):
to play some messages. Get a tyler. The choice isn't
just insurance or public. I gave up my health insurance
when ire and decided not to pay for it. I
now opt for private care and pay for it directly.
So far I am still well ahead financially this one.
Please let your listeners know if they cancel their home
insurance throwing breach of all banks mortgage conditions. Yep, that's

(01:48:22):
a good fyi there. But we are talking about health
insurance and this one right here, Hi Tyler, with AI
and modern imaging becoming more easily accessible. We don't need
heaps of doctors in the middle, get on the front foot.
Maybe maybe we're still a long way away from that though,
aren't we Thank you very much everyone who gave me

(01:48:42):
a call. But coming up, very very shortly, we're going
to have a chat to a gentleman called Adam Batt.
He's done some fantastic work for Movember. He's got a
new event. Actually it's the second time he's running. He's
got another event coming up. It is called the Speak
Easy Gala. So we're going to tell you more about
that very very shortly. It is thirteen to four Back
in the month.

Speaker 2 (01:49:03):

Speaker 6 (01:49:08):
Heath and Taylor Adams Afternoons, Used TALKSB.

Speaker 3 (01:49:11):
News Talks THEB. It is ten to four. So the
Speak Easy Gala is a premium black tie cocktail event
raising awareness and vital funds for November and men's Mental health,
bringing together business leaders, professionals, and members of the community.
Every dollar raised help support November's work and improving men's
mental health, reducing the stigma around seeking help, and creating
lasting change for men and their family. So to chat further,

(01:49:33):
I'm joined by Adam Batt, one of the organizers. Adam,
get out of you many matte?

Speaker 18 (01:49:39):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:49:40):
Good god? Nice to chat. So tell us about that
you speak easy gala. How did it come about?

Speaker 29 (01:49:44):
Yees?

Speaker 35 (01:49:45):
So it came about men. My mate Logan who do it?
We've done quite a lot of in the side of things,
and we just thought we're getting a little bit older
and things getting a little bit tough on the on
the body side. So we thought, what can we do
to bring more people together? What does everyone love to do?
Everyone loves to sort of dress up, have a drink,
get to meet people in a bit of chat, and thought,

(01:50:06):
how why not let's go for a black toy.

Speaker 3 (01:50:09):
Too, Right, you can't go wrong there. So it's the
second year you've run it. But how much did you
raise last year? Last year? And tell us about this
fitness event that you undertook.

Speaker 35 (01:50:18):
Yeah, so last year from mcgala alone, we raised about
fourteen thousand dollars and then at the end of November,
I did a thirty k skier, thirty k rose thirty
k run back to back which raised a bit more
and we got to just shire twenty grand last month
last year.

Speaker 3 (01:50:33):
Did you say a thirty k ski Yeah? Oh mate, jeez,
that is punishing.

Speaker 35 (01:50:39):
Yeah, talk about nine hours and totally complete, all but
supported by a great networking. I think I was only
alone doing it for about two and a half minutes
over as nine hours. I was pretty special.

Speaker 3 (01:50:49):
Yeah, yeah, I bet I bet so. With the money
raised at the Speak Easy Gala, so every dollar goes
back to November, does it?

Speaker 35 (01:50:56):
Yes, all the proceeds from the event that goes back
to November, which sort of helps men's mental health and
suicide prevention and prostate cancer sort of research into prevention,
diagnosis and treatment helps men or through the system.

Speaker 27 (01:51:11):
Really.

Speaker 3 (01:51:11):
Yeah, So we're a couple of months away to the gala.
Are you looking for any businesses to get involved through
sponsorship or donations? What sort of support are you looking for?

Speaker 35 (01:51:20):
Yeah, yeah, we're looking for sort of any support. As
we all know, it's quite tough at the moment, so
when you're trying to run a gala, it's usually not
the cheapest thing to get up and running. So any
support from any businesses that would love to jump on board,
if it's a financial support or if it's for items
or the raffle on the night, would definitely love to
hear from you, because the more support we have, the

(01:51:42):
bigger event.

Speaker 23 (01:51:43):
We can rose.

Speaker 3 (01:51:44):
Absolutely, how can they get a hold of you, Adam.

Speaker 35 (01:51:47):
We have an Instagram page called oh sorry, we'revan Instagram
page which is the state of Us project, or you
can chuck it into Google the speak Easy Gala and
all the contact details will pop up there.

Speaker 3 (01:52:02):
Brilliant. And for those who are looking to get a ticket,
what can they expect on the night? Dinner, entertainment, auctions, raffles, speakers,
the whole shebang.

Speaker 35 (01:52:10):
Yeah yeah, So every ticut is all that closer. So
you get free drinks, free food all nights, sort of
nibbles in canapes throughout the evening. We have a few
live bands and DJs, a few gift speakers that we're
keeping under wraps so now, but they're going to be
pretty special. And it's also getting across the message around

(01:52:30):
mental strength and resilience, not just around the suicide and
mental health side, because health is a very broad term.
Just we need to think about the fitness side. It's
not the strength, it's also the fitness about a run
as well, so we're sort of wrapping that into the
mental health space as well.

Speaker 3 (01:52:46):
Yeah, brilliant, And you've been involved with November for some
time now, What particularly was it about November that was
important to you personally?

Speaker 5 (01:52:55):
In them?

Speaker 35 (01:52:56):
It's just a very sad time in New Zealand and
the world. Really, how much it affects everyone. I think
someone directed affected directly or they know someone that has
been effected. So for me, it's just a passion project.
I just want to see men be health and be
happy and that just makes life go around a lot better.

Speaker 3 (01:53:17):
Absolutely, it's a great organization and a great charity and
you're doing some great work, Adam. Thank you very much
for having a chat. So for anybody out their business
that they've got something to raffle off or they want
to help support it, just give us the details on
how they can get ahold of you again.

Speaker 35 (01:53:32):
So my own number will THET one four three, one
five eight five or an email address is to speak
Easy Gala at gmail dot com. Or we also have
Instagram which is the same one reach out and you
can get in touch with us through there.

Speaker 3 (01:53:51):
Yeah, brilliant, Adam, thank you very much for having a
chat with us, and go well for the Speak Easy
Gala event. If you want to go check it out
and buy tickets, you can get your tickets on Humanitics
just search the Speak Easy Gala twenty twenty six. It's
all for November, which is a fantastic charity and organization.
Right that is us for a Friday and for the week.

(01:54:13):
Thank you to everybody who gave me a call or
text through this week. My mate Matt Heath is back
with us on Monday. I'm very much looking forward to
that and coming up in about two hours time the
beg z B one hundredth birthday celebration, So that is
going to be a doozy as well. Right, coming up
after four o'clock with Andrew Dickens filling in for Heather.

(01:54:34):
High school kids won't learn about climate change until year
eleven under the new science curriculum, so straight after for
Andrew will talk to an education professor who's furious at
the changes. Looking forward to that, but thank you once again,
hope you have a fantastic weekend. We will see you
back here safe and sound at midday on Monday. But

(01:54:55):
going out to the news, we built the SETI starship
National is pumping some money hopefully into christ Church and
the rest of the South Island and building a gondra
at least, so that kind of makes sense, doesn't right.
Thank you once again, have a great weekend. We'll see
thank you soon.

Speaker 9 (01:55:48):
Said B.

Speaker 6 (01:55:52):
For more from News Talk, said B.

Speaker 1 (01:55:54):
Listen live on air or online, and keep our shows
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