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May 22, 2025 116 mins

On the Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons Full Show Podcast for the 22nd of May 2025 - with the imminent closure of Smith & Caughey's Auckland department store we asked how we energise our Central Business Districts right around the country.

The Budget 2025 – Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls & Infometrics Chief Executive and Principal Economist Brad Olsen discuss the announcement.

And then to finish the show what our listeners thought of the budget, particularly the changes to benefits.

Get the Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons Podcast every weekday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk zed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Hello you, great new Zielers. Welcome to Meton Tyler Afternoon's
full show podcast number one, one hundred and thirty. We
go hard on the budget today. In fact, if you
only want budget, there's a special podcast that is just
Brad Olson, Jason Walls, Tyler Adams and myself met Heith
talking about the budget. If you just want that pure
one hour budget chat.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
Hour of power of budget, it is good and we
break it all down.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
If you just want to mainline the budget twenty twenty
five straight into your veins, the nobs budget, depending on
which side you said on the situation, then and you
can do that. Otherwise, we've got a nice leisurely podcast
that includes some chat on CBDs and also some people
calling in with their thoughts on the budget. And I
thought it was great chat, it was great, great three

(01:02):
hours of radio. Give them taste ski wee all right, then.

Speaker 3 (01:05):
Download, subscribe, give us a review.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
All that good stuff, all right, love you.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
The big stories, the big issues, the big trends, and
everything in between. Matt heat and Taylor Adams afternoons News.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Talk said, be.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
Good afternoon, Welcome into the show. Huge show for you today,
budget day. We're all excited.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Get a man so excited. It's bring partner to workday today.
I bought my partner, Tracy. She's in the studio. Hey, Tracy,
hid Tracy, come on over to the mic.

Speaker 4 (01:34):
Good day.

Speaker 3 (01:34):
How are you nice to see you. What do you
reckon about the studio?

Speaker 5 (01:38):
It's pretty fancy.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah, the Mike Rosky Memorial studio is pretty nice. Tyler's
lee is a but messy. That wasn't he. I'd say
the matt he sides there, so he always liked you,
always liked you. But isn't it. I mean, this is
why you gets in trouble with Mike Coskin. Anyway, welcome in. Yeah,
nice to see you. You'll be with us for the
rest of the afternoon.

Speaker 6 (01:59):
Until I get bored with you both.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Okay, Yeah, that's fair enough to well expect you leaving
about thirteen seconds then now we crack in before we
crack out. Yes, I was just going to say, Tyler,
listening to the news so good that zb's ratings are up,
and if you're listening to the Afternoon, thank you so
much because more people than ever listening to the afternoon
SHOWP so thank you for tuning in. Exaggiate it, yep,

(02:21):
we don't take it lightly. Thank you very much to
all our listeners. We're very chuffed and across the board
for new stalks HEREB. Now, before we get into we
menu today, you just wanted to have a we chat
about something budget related. Yeah, that's right. So yesterday we
were talking about AI and what jobs it was taking
and I just said an off hand comment, I wonder
if the government has put the budget through AIS chat GPT,

(02:44):
what it thinks the budget should be in. And Ryan
Bridge was listening and he was driving and he was
expecting us to do it and come back after the break,
which would have been a great idea. For some reason,
we didn't think to do it. So I threw I
threw this into the budget. I threw, please create a
budget for the New zeal It for New Zealand that

(03:07):
is growth oriented it because the government said that they
wanted to growth orientated budget. They've called it the NOBS
budget and the Growth Budget. So this is what it
came back with. This is what AI suggests. So we'll
match that up with what the government does later on today,
I've came out with twenty pages, so I've cut this
down to ten bullet points.

Speaker 3 (03:25):
Did you cut it down or did you ask AI
to cut it down.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
To cut it spart? Yeah. Invest in major transport, freight
and housing related infrastructure to poost productivity. You can get
behind that, yep. Expand trades, training, apprenticeships and the line
immigration with skill shortages sounds good. Cut rear tape and
lower compliance costs for small and medium sized businesses. Maintain
competitive income and corporate tax rates. Incentivized capital investment, grow

(03:51):
exports through targeted trade deals and support for primary sector exporters.
Look at this. Reform zoning and unlocked land to enable
more private sector housing development. This is the AI budgets.
If you've just tuned in, keep a government debt and
check and reduce low value public spell Yeah, that's clever
cat public sector growth and this and tie agency funding

(04:13):
to performance improvements. Strengthen policing and justice system efficiency, to
support safer communities, Refocus welfare on work incentives and support
private delivery of social services. That's what the that's what
the AI says.

Speaker 3 (04:27):
All right, So we're going to measure that up worth
the National Acts New Zealand first budget after two o'clock
and see how close they are to being better than AI.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
While the reviews are in, someone's called that asshole intelligence.
I don't know. I think that's unfair. Welcome Tracy, you
have had you have only had one opportunity to speak,
and I am certain the ratings will soar after hearing
your lovely voice as that text.

Speaker 3 (04:49):
Here we all agree. Thank you very much, Tracy. Right
on to today's show coming up very soon. We do
want to have a chat about the sad closing of
Smith and Coey's and a little bit of audio or
something that Vive bec she is of course heard of
the city chief executive what she said to Mike Hoskin
in relation to that closure. But after two o'clock, of
course we've got our full coverage of the budget, will

(05:11):
be joined by our political editor Jason Wills and Infometric
CEO and principal economists Brad Olsen will be breaking down
all those key elements and explaining what it means for you,
and we'll also be putting some of your questions to
those experts after two o'clock, so looking forward to that
and after three o'clock, will be taking your calls on
the budgets, So once we get some analysis, will zero

(05:33):
in on some of those major announcement. Speculation has been
high that there will be some changes the key we
save tax changes potentially for businesses to boost confidence, and
will there be a return to surplus mapped outs. So
we'll be taking your calls on that after three o'clock.

Speaker 2 (05:48):
Yeah, we certainly will looking forward to that. It's my
first budget, zeb I'm excited. There's a lot going on,
a lot of moving wheels, a lot of resources being
deployed this afternoon and making sure we have the best
coverage of the budget for you possible.

Speaker 3 (05:59):
Yeap, perfectly said. But right now, let's have a chat
about CBD. So the city's most iconic department store is
closing its store after one hundred and forty five years,
with the loss of almost one hundred.

Speaker 2 (06:09):
Jobs, which is extremely gutting. Yeah, especially for Tracy's mum, Rosy,
she's a huge smith and Coe's fan. But it is gutting.
This history there, It's this solid thing that you would
imagine would last for ever, and for it to just
go that quickly as gutting. We thought it might come back.
There was a plan to keep it going, but no,
it is going. And we had Vivebek on the Breakfast

(06:31):
show this morning and this is what she had to
say about it.

Speaker 3 (06:36):
Right, we're going to come back to that audio. But
the closure, the closure comes down to increase competition, economic
hardship and the state of the central city. And here's
the points she made.

Speaker 7 (06:45):
We know the things that need to change. There are
some fantastic things here and we've just had thousands of
people for the Writers Festival, but there are fundamental flaws
in the way this is being managed and it has
to stop. There's been an obsession with getting cars out.
We've already lost forty four percent of them. So it
was twenty fifteen, and yet Auckland Transport seems to think

(07:07):
finding people in our nighttime district in Queen Street is acceptable.
The ideology has to be replaced by common sense, economic viability,
operational functionality and has to meet Auckland as realistic transport needs.
I've got a whole other story to talk about another
day about the safety and what we're trying to get
counsel to do on that. Not just counsel, but there

(07:29):
is more They can do, and we're determined to keep
on that.

Speaker 8 (07:32):
But the reality is we've got so much.

Speaker 7 (07:34):
Good stuff and it is a positive future. The City
rail Link will make access easier, but we cannot tolerate
this behavior anymore.

Speaker 9 (07:42):
It has to stop.

Speaker 2 (07:43):
Spot on, isn't it.

Speaker 3 (07:44):
I mean, I can't disagree with anything that she listed there.
I would go further to say the antisocial behavior, yes,
it's a problem, But to me, the bigger problem is
being an unfriendly area to cars that's a personal transport,
trying to get into the city and make it easy
for people to park up, spend their money and make

(08:04):
it an enjoyable experience all around.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
That to me is the critical. It's stressful to even
think about going into the CBD. Yeah, and that's a
terrible place to start if you're trying to run a business.
If people go, oh, that shop is down on Queen Street,
I can't be bothered. I'll go somewherehere it's easier. Yeah,
that's a terrible situation to be in. And she put
the blame on Smith and Coey's closing down squarely on

(08:29):
what's happening down there from the council, and you know,
also the city railingk.

Speaker 3 (08:34):
Oh one hundred and eighty ten eighty. What are we
going to do to energize CBDs? And it's not just Auckland.
Christ Church has been facing this, Wellington has been facing this.
Tod on Hamilton. The list goes on, what do we
need to do to energize CBDs up and down the country?
Is it the fact that it has become an unfriendly
place for personal vehicles to get enter and by extension,
you to try and get into the city to park up,

(08:56):
to spend money.

Speaker 2 (08:56):
It's easier just to go to our mall. This is
a funny text on nine two nine two. You guys
in Auckland are only starting to wing about your CBD.
Come take a drive through Wellington. It's a moronic hellhole.
You No, We've been mining for a while in Aukland
about our CBD, as as Wellington, as has Totalonger and
christ Church and christ Church and look Dunedin said a
bit of a wine about it as well. So nine

(09:18):
two nine two oh eight one hundred eighty ten eighty
what can we do about our CBDs?

Speaker 3 (09:23):
It is fourteen past one, beg free shortly here on
NEWSTALKSB the.

Speaker 1 (09:27):
Big stories, the big issues, the big trends and everything
in between. Matt Heath and Tayler Adams Afternoons used talks, AB.

Speaker 3 (09:36):
Very good afternoon to you, seventeen past one. How do
we energize and revitalize our CBDs. It's on the back
of the sad closing of Smith and Curwey closing it
stores after one hundred and forty five years.

Speaker 2 (09:48):
And Ah, Tyler, do we just giver and throw our
hands in the air and say that they have been destroyed,
they are gone forever and head out to your latest
local Westfield. It's what a lot of people are doing.
I think, Matt and Tyler, having spent decades in retail,
the biggest killer of CBD trading has been counselors being
persuaded by retail consultants developed these massive suburban shopping centers

(10:08):
which have drag shoppers away from these city centers. Yeah yeah,
well well, I mean it is a lot easier because
it's got parking ready to go.

Speaker 3 (10:16):
You don't have to pay anything. A lot of those
malls of everything you need. The antisocial behavior is arguably
a lot less out in those city malls. I mean,
it's got everything going for it, right, whereas the CBD
at the moment has buggerall going for.

Speaker 2 (10:28):
Yeah, but if you want your CBD to fire, then
you have to what with this person suggesting is shut
down the options. I know they've done that in Topol.
They haven't allowed big malls to open, so people still
have to come into the town to do this shopp
bang Tony, you're from Wellington, how do we fix the CBDs?

Speaker 10 (10:46):
Oh, well it's Smiths and Wonnington, Cambridge terroristic can fly
a dcken down and land I've put the bike lanes
as how why they are what co would be? Come
off the motorway, go one way all the way through
to the airport and then loop back around and back
out again. And then give all the plant boxes on
these small streets. And there's a lot of these good

(11:09):
small shops, boutique shops that do a lot of funky
stuff with the make wine and a west Field bill
not going. And bring in the concerts again, bring in
the people lost the sevens. We've got home Guard. We've
lost so much in one Eton that one engin that's
really tuning into a neighborhood also in the city, So
you need to bring people into the city make it

(11:31):
more violent. Corney Place behaves start, give it a giver
her of a homeless because when you walk down the
shops that smells to your eye. And lower the rates
so the bars can actually make a living in there.

Speaker 11 (11:44):
So you bring it in.

Speaker 10 (11:45):
And you've got to like a red old red light district,
but like a district right that where people come in,
especially down the end of Courtney Place, and make a
vibrant make people come out they used to.

Speaker 2 (11:56):
So Tony Tony in Wellington. Are people going elsewhere other
than the CBD or are people just not going out
and to stores or restaurants at all?

Speaker 10 (12:08):
Restaurants to do an okay, but you know it starts
to shopping. Got there's no parking on Wasnington All going
out to Tony to do the shopping. That's crazy.

Speaker 2 (12:18):
Yeah, you know.

Speaker 10 (12:19):
I mean Washington is such a cool I was going
to last home Grown. I was sitting here watching it.
It was a beautiful day. I was watching at Seaha.
The night was going you had the harbor lting Man
this place. I've done a lot of traveling. It doesn't
even better than this, And the problem was that it's
not consistent and you're good on making system.

Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (12:40):
The last time I was in Wellington, Tony we were
driving there to catch the Entro Islander to get over
to the South Island. But we had about five hours
in Wellington, and I agree with you. We were going
to do some shopping and go to a nice restaurant
in the in the inner city and it was a
nightmare and stressful, and I said, bugger this, We're going
out to potty do it because it's you know, easier

(13:00):
to park out there and there's just no stress. And
that was so much nicer. But that is a big
problem for the likes of Wellington if people like us
just turning around to say we'll just go to Lower
Heart or Poddy Door.

Speaker 12 (13:12):
Well.

Speaker 10 (13:13):
The only thing tho is that the white lanes are huge.
Don't need to be there. But when I was down
in christ Church, you're gonna I went to a pub.
I went down to christ Church, but I was going
to the pubs having lost round and the fountains was
something I amen who since the eighties so I make
it too casual.

Speaker 13 (13:32):
I loved it.

Speaker 10 (13:32):
And I was like, yes, make people dress up, make
people put a new foot when they come out. You
bring pride the street. I remember it's been said to
me when I was I make too casual.

Speaker 2 (13:45):
I remember that really, well, sorry, makee two casuals. It's
true though in christ Church when you go outdate is
that there's some rules on how casual things are, and.

Speaker 3 (13:54):
You I think some of them still demand collars. Yeah,
which brings it right back to the to the early
two thousands.

Speaker 2 (13:59):
Isn't that?

Speaker 3 (14:00):
No, Kyla, get out of here. You can't have cross
trainers on. I want to see those shoes nice and shiny.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
I remember when I was a kid with some days
go down to the cargo to go to bars and
you'd be you'd be denied entry to the worst bar
you've ever seen because you didn't have a tie on. Yeah,
and you'd see these locals just a most horrific shirt
with the most terrible tie, but they're allowed. And also
I was t esteemed. Yeah that sounds about right, Tony.

Speaker 3 (14:23):
Thank you very much, mate, appreciate you giving us a
BARZH eight hundred eighty ten eighty is the number to call.
What do we do to revitalize our CBDs or are
they done for? Do we just need to accept that
it's long gone? And retail was incredibly tough in our
CBDs O eight hundred eighty ten eighty. It's twenty two
past one.

Speaker 1 (14:41):
Putting the tough questions to the newspeakers the Mike Asking Breakfast, which.

Speaker 2 (14:46):
Even Joyce, former Finance Minister, is with, is this how
economies work? From your financial experience? In other words, at
any given point in time, somebody somewhere is doing well.
Thank the Good Lord for that.

Speaker 14 (14:55):
Yeah, well you'd hope so, wouldn't you, Because after a
top three years, it feels good to see somebody doing well.
I think what we're seeing is probably the beginning of
an export lead recovery, which is domestically, people are spending
a lot of money so important coming in but fortunately
leave for us. The world is buying our stuff and
it's not a subsidy, just a memo for the US president,
but it'll be making people nervous. Still is the potential

(15:16):
for a rapid policy change out of the US.

Speaker 2 (15:19):
Back tomorrow at six am the Mike Hosking Breakfast with
Adda News Talk ZB.

Speaker 3 (15:26):
Very good afternoon to you, and we have asked the question,
how do we revitalize our CBDs on the back of
the sad news that Smith and Coey is closing its
doors Vive bec She is the CEO of Heart of
the City in Auckland. She told Mike Costking that one
of the key reasons that business has had to close
its doors is because of stupid policies by the council.
Do you agree, o eight one hundred and eighty ten
eighty some good techs coming.

Speaker 2 (15:46):
Through the central city is a complete pain in the ass.
Give me an open plan shopping center with heaps of
parking and outside something any day.

Speaker 15 (15:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (15:57):
Look, I go to a mall because it's easier, But
I hate being inside a morn shopping and it's being
under the strip lights. I hate the vibe in there.
I mean, if you've got a lovely you know. I
was in Greytown the other day and it's just you know,
this is near Wellington. Everyone's complaining about Wellington. Greaytown's brilliant.
You walk down the street, those beautiful little shops doing

(16:18):
little little things, lovely, you know, lovely bookshop there, that's fantastic.
I'm much rather do that. But if you have to
go through a living hell to park there, you're just
going to go to them, moll, aren't you.

Speaker 3 (16:28):
But interesting you say that because when we talk about
pedestrianizing CBDs, I don't particularly mind that, But where the
crux comes into it is the lack of parking. I
mean like Nelson for example, And to be fair, Nelson's
CBD has got some problems, but they pedestrianize the top
of Trafalgar Street lovely. You've got bars out there, they
got tables in the top of the street, fantastic. But

(16:51):
you've got to give people easy access to park just
on the outskirts.

Speaker 2 (16:54):
That isn't going to cost them an amine leck. Then
it starts to work.

Speaker 3 (16:57):
Then you can pedestrianize parts of the CBD.

Speaker 2 (16:59):
But what you're missing there in that tyler is that
the whole point is there's an ideology against cars. So
they're not trying to facilitate you to park cars, or
find a way for you to park cars, or maybe
build a high rise parking building that means you can
go down there. They the people making these plans, want
to get you out of cars. I'm talking about it
for it's called push politics, yep. They think cars are

(17:21):
inherently evil. You deserve to go to hell for driving
into town in a car, and they will create a
hell for you if you try.

Speaker 3 (17:30):
To and those people were idiots. But what do you say?
I one hundred and eighty ten eighty as the number
to call Rob. How are you hey?

Speaker 9 (17:37):
Guys?

Speaker 16 (17:38):
You, in my humble opinion, you guys have hit a
ride on the head. You can't change anything, and nothing's
going to change until well, at least just quot about Auckland,
until you get those idiots out of Auckland transport you. Unfortunately,
a few years ago I had the unfortunate pleasure of
meeting one of these consultants and just listening to how

(18:03):
he felt that Auckland should be run in terms of transport.
It was just a nightmare. I had to finish the
conversation and walk away, otherwise they would have done maybe
committed violence on the guy. And they just don't want
Tarsan there. He was blatant about that. And so nothing's

(18:25):
going to change, like because the often transports full of
these guys or girls, and then you know also coming
up as the congestion tax for the CVD. So does
the big think anything's going to change anytime soon? I
don't think so.

Speaker 2 (18:42):
What I'm in their belief is that there's a world
where everyone walks and rides bikes in and takes buses
in and walks around on the streets and it's fantastic.
But that doesn't seem to ever eventuate. What happens as
no one goes into these places and the shops go
out of business and people lose their jobs, and you

(19:03):
create slums essentially boarded up horrible areas that no one
wants to go to. So if your idea, you have
this beautiful vision of what a town could be like
and you draw pictures of it and it's in the
Osborne Guide to the Future, But if it just over
and over again proves that that's not what's going to happen,
and people want to drive their cars, and then's who's

(19:24):
right who's wrong. I mean, your solution has to has
to end up in people going to these businesses or
it's not a solution.

Speaker 3 (19:30):
Yeah, I mean just an example of that. In public transport.
We know up and down the country is a basket case.
But in christ Church, for example, when we moved out
maybe fifteen minute drive at the most out of the
CBD and decided to try and look at catching a bus.
I had to catch three different buses and it was
going to take me an hour and twenty minutes to
get to my place of work. So clearly that is

(19:51):
just ludicrous. Oh eight one hundred eighty ten eighty is
the number to call.

Speaker 2 (19:55):
Hey and seeing as sadly Smith and Coey has gone
out of business for good. A legend dairy department store
in Auckland said nineteen ninety two, what's this theme tune?
What is this? It's an absolute banger. I have never

(20:17):
heard this of my life. Doesn't do anything for you?
Oh it sounds pretty good. It's making me feel good.

Speaker 3 (20:24):
Right O one hundred and eighty ten eighty and nineteen
nine two. If you know where that the song is wrong,
let us know.

Speaker 2 (20:29):
Headlines with Raylene coming.

Speaker 6 (20:31):
Up us talk said the headlines with blue bubble taxis
it's no trouble with a blue bubble. Anticipations growing ahead
of the government budget being delivered in half an hour,
tagged both as being about growth and having no frills.
Nearly two billion dollars of new spending has already been announced,

(20:54):
but the operational funding is tight. Workers, community groups and
the public are rallying now on Parliament's grounds before the announcement.
Protesting changes rush through under urgency to help the figures
by canceling pay equi, he claims. Far North police are
investigating a three year old girl's unexplained death in kai

(21:14):
Koe last night. Meanwhile, they've also launched a homicide investigation
over a man's death in Jordeke north of Kaikohe. One
person's died and two others are injured, one seriously following
a crash on Danzy Road in Longtaha Valley north of
Ruta Duu around eight this morning. Foodstuffs plans to knock

(21:35):
down two central Dunedin buildings on Hanover and Great King
Streets to improve parking at the city's flagship supermarket. Most
significant thing I'll ever do the photo sessions capturing memories
for bereaved families. See more at Ends and Herald Premium.
Back to Matteth and Tyler Adams.

Speaker 2 (21:53):
Thank you very much, Raylene. It was, of course the
theme to the TV show Are You Being Served? Which
was set in the department store.

Speaker 3 (22:04):
So many text thousands of texts saying great show, mayor
are you said missus Slocan.

Speaker 2 (22:10):
Yeah, mister Slocan, mister Henry, mister Spooner. There was there
was a peacock in there. Somewhere I forget his name,
and there was a guy with a crazy forgears, mister
Cuthbert Ramboled.

Speaker 3 (22:21):
So it was like a Smith and Coey type operation,
was it, Yeah right? It was a high end department store.

Speaker 2 (22:25):
Yeah, yeah, so anyway, and some Shenanigans. So whenever I
was in Smith and Coey, I always thought of athing said, anyway, moving.

Speaker 3 (22:33):
On, Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is the
number to call. We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Speaker 2 (22:37):
Sorry, very good, do that one again.

Speaker 3 (22:39):
No, we'd love to hear your thoughts about how do
you revitalize CBDs up and down the country. Auckland, of course,
is getting a bit of stick at the moment from
Heart of the City, chief executive of BETS. She thinks
that the Auckland Council policies around anti car has a
big part to play with Smith and Coey closing down.

Speaker 2 (22:58):
Matt, it's the UN's agenda thirty to fifteen minute smart
cities for everyone. There you go, sho, Barna, how are
you good?

Speaker 12 (23:08):
Good afternoon?

Speaker 8 (23:09):
Yeah, not so good. We're hearing Smith and Coe's is
finally going three floors to one floor now, no flaws.

Speaker 2 (23:18):
It is very sad.

Speaker 3 (23:19):
In one hundred and forty five years of business in
New Zealand, you know, it doesn't get more long serving
or entrench than that.

Speaker 2 (23:25):
It's incredibly sad.

Speaker 8 (23:27):
Absolutely. Yeah, we've had a lot of problems with talking
to council to represented.

Speaker 2 (23:34):
Small So you're so you're a you're just.

Speaker 8 (23:37):
To im a small business in the CBD.

Speaker 2 (23:39):
Yeah, you running? What kind of business do you run
in the CBD?

Speaker 8 (23:42):
I'm a florist?

Speaker 2 (23:43):
Okay, what's your florist called?

Speaker 8 (23:46):
Roma Blooms?

Speaker 2 (23:47):
Roma Blooms? All right, a lovely name. We're going to
look at what right now? What kind of struggle? What
are you facing? And what have you talked to council about?

Speaker 8 (23:57):
It's is it is the direction of the traffic. It
is the congestion. We've we had a perfectly round circle working.
This city was working beautifully and they created a square wheel.
A square wheel does not work. However, all of our
concerns back five, five, ten years ago were on death

(24:21):
is and now they see the problems. They did not
want to listen to businesses of what the needs are
and what their plans would do. And you know, you
can't blame anyone. It's just that they had no idea
not being in business. So maybe they needed people from
a business point of view to be a part of

(24:44):
that team that was sitting around that table and said, hey,
these are the things that we might need to look
out for, steer them in directions that they may never
have seen before.

Speaker 2 (24:55):
Do you think when the city ralling comes in things
will be better for you? I?

Speaker 8 (25:00):
Firstly, for me, no, not at all. I can't see
the city ratling bringing in any more people than that
brings in right now. The public transport.

Speaker 2 (25:11):
Yeah, well, I mean that'll be an absolute disaster because
we've spent just if we spend close to six billion
dollars and then the two hundred plus million dollars a
year that it's going to cost to run the city
rail Link, even I think it's far more than that. Yeah, well,
I mean, yeah, I got to figure it's over two
hundred million after costing a five point eight billion I

(25:31):
believe it is once it's finished. So better bring some
people under or us who gets blamed for that?

Speaker 8 (25:37):
Yes, you just got to go right back there and
you just say who made those plans? Yeah, because we
were there yelling and screaming of what this is going
to do and have fast forwarded.

Speaker 3 (25:50):
So, Shabana, the state of your business at the moment,
are you going to be able to keep going? Do
you think you'll get through this or what's the future.

Speaker 8 (25:56):
We've been through everything we've been through. We've been on
the city rolling store step for eight years. We gave
up everything to be in business. We Yeah, what every
business in this area went through is being horrific. No
one in the hole of has been through what we've
been through. And we've stayed here, you know, we've we've
gone without to be here and not That's just not me,

(26:19):
that's every business in this area.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
Yeah. Hey, Shabana, my partner Tracy's in the studio here
with me today. What what what flowers do you think
I should get?

Speaker 10 (26:28):
It?

Speaker 2 (26:29):
Do you think I should get the voluptuous seasonal balloon?

Speaker 8 (26:31):
Depends on the occasion. What about what's the occasion?

Speaker 2 (26:34):
On the occasion? Is just you know, being a nice guy, been.

Speaker 4 (26:37):
A nice guy?

Speaker 8 (26:38):
Well, I would suggest I would, I would ask for
your budget and then I'd recommend you what you'd like.
What would be nice?

Speaker 2 (26:45):
I'm looking at the voluptuous seasonal blooms from your website
and I'm thinking they look pretty good.

Speaker 17 (26:51):
They are pretty good.

Speaker 3 (26:53):
Well, Tracy is right here. I mean, Tracy, do you
want to give any any hints to Shabana? Do you
like some roses?

Speaker 5 (27:00):
There is no budget?

Speaker 18 (27:03):
Oh wow, the sky.

Speaker 8 (27:04):
Is a litit you'll get premium flowers.

Speaker 2 (27:06):
Then, Barna, you're great, you so much. You call a
good luck out there.

Speaker 3 (27:12):
Thank you, and go and support Shobarna and her business
Roma Blooms if you can. As she said, they've been
through a lot of challenges and they'll keep fighting and
keep going. But absolutely go and support them.

Speaker 2 (27:22):
Yeah, not a lot of love for this sort of
city rail link coming through here.

Speaker 3 (27:26):
Not surprising, right, Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty is
the number to call love to hear your thoughts on this.
Coming up, we're gonna have a chat to a gentleman
who was on the Council Advisory Board, so very interesting
on what he's got to say about this. It is
twenty one to two.

Speaker 2 (27:39):
But it's not just Auckland's. There's CBDs all over the
country that are struggling. So eight hundred eighty ten eighty
what should we do?

Speaker 1 (27:47):
Have a chat with the lads on eight hundred eighty
ten eighty Matt Heath and Tyler Adams afternoons us talk,
sa'd be very.

Speaker 3 (27:55):
Good afternoon to you. And the question of asked is
what do we do about our CBDs up and down
the country?

Speaker 2 (27:59):
They are dying.

Speaker 3 (28:00):
They aren't basket cases on the back of Smith and
Koe sadly closing down after one hundred and forty five years.
The heart of the city in Auckland, vivbek Ceo sere's
a lot of that is to do with council decisions
and me and Andy cant.

Speaker 2 (28:12):
And talking about Smith and Cooe. This text here Matt's
side night after hearing the theme to are you being served?
Do you remember that great shop on the corner of
a road in main Street in Dunedin which had the
old money system in which the money went into a pipe,
then around the shop and came back down with your change.
I do, Tracy, I do, but I can't remember the

(28:32):
name of the store. It wasn't the Dice, was it
the d C. It wasn't Arthur Barnett's. Anyway, people from
Dunedan will remember what the name of it had this
old tube system, those things. There's actually a cafe in
christ Church that has reinstitute the tube thing see four.

Speaker 3 (28:47):
I think where you get your chips through? Yeah, I
love those things.

Speaker 2 (28:50):
So back in the day, you know, you buy something
at the counter at this department store in Dunedin. They
probably had it at Smith and Coe at one point,
but they put it in a little all the stuff
in and the change we go sucked upstairs and someone
put it together and the change would come back down
this cool tube.

Speaker 3 (29:04):
So new madic tubes. Yees, see one. I apologize see one.
Express on chrostches does that.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
Matt and Tyler City rail Link will bring zero people
into the CBD. It just moves people around in the CBD.
Want to deal with the traffic position, work out how
to move people from Odiwa, Deiry Flat, Cleveland, et cetera,
in and out.

Speaker 3 (29:21):
Okay, yep, fair enough too, right now, Dick, good to
chat with you. So you were on the Council advisory board,
is that right?

Speaker 15 (29:29):
Yeah, that's right, Yes, Yes, I was a founding member
of the City Center Residence Group and I represented them
on the advisory board for a while and I even
actually stood for council at one stage before the supercity
was formed. So I've lived in the city for twenty

(29:51):
five years, and my main concern is that every conversation
I hear is about getting people into Auckland. What they
all overlook is there's about I don't know, the figure
is never finalized between thirty and fifty people of actually
live in the CBD, and no reference is made to

(30:15):
making it more amenable for them to use the CBD. Now,
there's a lot of reasons that you know that come up.
I mean, there's such a diversity of people. I mean,
we've got from students to old people like me and
you know, and there's just I don't know. Everything is

(30:40):
about getting more people into the city. And that used
to be the day when we lived in the suburbs.
But now people live in the city. We've got a
cater for them.

Speaker 2 (30:51):
How would you cater for them day?

Speaker 15 (30:53):
Well, it's to make footpaths usable, is to I mean,
as an old person, Fortunately I live in Hobson Street,
I'm able to come up via the Crown Plus escalators
and the Council escalators to get up the hill. But

(31:14):
you know, if I had to go up Victoria Street
or other streets these it's not easy. So maybe some
easier form of transport for older people and also to
just make shops more friendly. I mean, just across the
road there's the Albion Hotel. If you go in there

(31:37):
for a beer, you can't even hear yourself, think the noise.
They've all played this loud music. You ask them to
turn it down, they say, oh no, it's our policy.
You go into a cafe and they're blaring out music.
So there's no sort of comfort, there's no sort of
communal feel about any places that we go to.

Speaker 2 (31:55):
Now, thank you for your called day. Yeah, I mean absolutely.
If you want the CBD to work, it has to
work for the thirty thousand people that live in the CBD.
We're talking about, I mean Auckland specifically, because there's a
lot of towns in New Zealand don't have thirty thousand
people at all. Yep, spot on now lords, that's it.
Penroses was the name of the store that had the tubes,

(32:17):
and apparently there's a few suction tubes around the country.
Ceec Wards and New Plymouth had the suction tubes. There
was one in Timuru that had the suction tubes for.

Speaker 3 (32:27):
Bring those back numeric tubes.

Speaker 2 (32:30):
That's the solution to our CBDs. We need more pneumatic
tube bringing the suction numatic tubes. Get your change. Oh
eight hundred eighty God. I love the music cat I
talk about it constantly and my mum took about that's
all I talk about. We're going into town to see
these tubes through the cheops, even the choops.

Speaker 3 (32:46):
Such a little happy child in my twenties watching those
chips come through the tubes. That's see one expresso on
Gross Church Carol, Good afternoon, guys.

Speaker 18 (32:54):
I mean, there's a lot to be said, but I
just want to make three points, which hopefully maybe thought provoking.
Is First of all, who is the city?

Speaker 7 (33:03):
Four?

Speaker 18 (33:03):
Is it for the council or is it for the
people meaning tourists, people who live in their retailers hospitality.
So that's the first thing, because it would appear that
the city is for the council. Second point, participation in
local body elections, now we all know that are pitifully low.

(33:25):
So if you're not going to participate, you can't grizzle
and grumble. And there is a ten year plan now
they call for submissions on the ten year plan or
five year plan or whatever. And once again, like the
participation in the local body elections. The submissions there's a
few and far between, are based on population, so once

(33:46):
again you're probably going to get decisions made based on
a minority of people. So, Raley, three things are outstanding
and not answered. I mean you've got problems to start
off with.

Speaker 2 (33:59):
Yeah, absolutely, So who is the city for your first point?
I mean that's a really interesting question, and I would
say that the idea of a city is obviously to
facilitate business and to facility you know, the idea of
a CBD right absoletely facilitate business and make it as

(34:20):
easy as possible for companies to go to those businesses.
And that's any solution that you have has to have
that at the core. And you can have a bunch
of other ideologies that you think about, that you care about.
Maybe maybe it's environmental, maybe you just hate cars, which
these people do. But in the end, if your solution
doesn't bring people to the businesses in the city, then
whatever your solution is isn't isn't a thing. It's not

(34:44):
going to work.

Speaker 18 (34:45):
I lived in Sydney for thirty odd years. George Street
and you guys will probably know, was one of the
main streets there and in recent times that made that
light rail, but of course took away all the parking
or what have you. But the light rail was there,
it was in place, it was done very quickly and
it is a good trip. But in Auckland nothing's happening,
and nothing's been happening for years. I live out and

(35:09):
how it I don't come into the city and this
I absolutely have to. And that's very rare because one
of the main issues I prefer to drive. I'm not
interested in catching a bus from how to Pama and
then from Pama onto a train and the reverse coming
back again. I just want to drive and get parking
and do what I want to do I need to do.

(35:29):
But I don't do that because all the parkings go on,
all the roads have changed or the now one way.
So this is not a city for the people. This
is the city for the council and the people who've
got different ideologies on that council, of which, as you say,
getting out of cars is one of the main things
pushing people out of cars. Well they're not pushing people

(35:49):
out of cars, they're pushing people elsewhere.

Speaker 2 (35:53):
That's on Carol.

Speaker 3 (35:55):
That's ninety five percent of other people who want to
get into the CBD. Absolutely right, lambs and tubes.

Speaker 2 (36:02):
People are saying those things are called the pneumatic tubes. Well,
new meditubes may describe them, but I think the company
he was lengthen tubes.

Speaker 3 (36:09):
All right, We're going to do a deep dive on
these tubes now I can feel it. Oh, eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty is the number.

Speaker 2 (36:14):
Call coming up. There's someone who's he's from wangan Win.

Speaker 3 (36:17):
He's sent through a text. It's some pretty egregious advice
for Aucklanders. I've got to say we may or may
not read that out. It is nine minutes to two.

Speaker 2 (36:26):
Read it out, Tyler, all.

Speaker 1 (36:27):
Right, Matt Heath, Taylor Adams taking your calls on eight
hundred and eighty ten eighty. It's Matt Heath and Tylor Adams.
Afternoons News Talks.

Speaker 3 (36:37):
EDB, News Talks EDB. It is seven to two. So
this text that came in from Paul in Wanganui. He says,
I've got some fitting advice for Aucklander's leave. Leave the city.
The money from the sale of any property there will
most likely afford a mansion in a place like Wanganui.
Also access to some of the best hunting and fishing

(36:58):
in New Zealand. There's so much room to move in
this country. Aucklanders, get out of Auckland and find yourself
a real city.

Speaker 2 (37:04):
Well, how do you know Marcus lash Night's fantastic show
on side? Yeah, I often find that I'm in sync
with his thoughts because how often do I bring something
up and they say that was on Marcus Lush last night. Obviously,
you fellas don't listen to Marcus Lush. He did a
deep dive into lambson tubes last night.

Speaker 3 (37:20):
Yesday, Christina, Well, nice of you know, Marcus should have
told us that he's already done the research. We could
have saved some time. Lambson Tubes was at DIC in
Kirk Caddy Stains had them in Wellington, George and Georgia
and New Town. They were all the rage.

Speaker 2 (37:37):
Yeah, bring them back, Bob. Your thoughts on what we
can do about our CBDs?

Speaker 19 (37:44):
Ah, Yeah, I firmly believe that the councils have a
far too much involved in them, and what I would
recommend is that they've set up an overside committee, a
central one, but all councils have to put forward their
propositions for expenditure over a certain amount of money before

(38:07):
they can see it. The committee can be made up
of people with knowledge or all different aspects of what's required.
And instead of these people in councils, so we know
nothing really about anything other than giving a ways factor

(38:28):
from the council every month enough too.

Speaker 2 (38:30):
Yeah sounds like Singapore.

Speaker 3 (38:32):
Yeah, And I've got to say with the election coming
up in October, you know you've got an opportunity there
to voting councilors that may set up committees such as those.

Speaker 2 (38:42):
Wow, I'm going to go and listen to the podcast
of Marcus the show. Is that lambs and tube stuff
that interests me?

Speaker 3 (38:48):
Yeah, I need to find out more about these tubes
as well. Right, there has been a great discussion, thank
you very much, and wish we could carry it on.
But coming up very shortly the budget twenty twenty five
or will be Knowing and we will be joined by
Jason Walls, our political editor and Brad Olsen's CEO of Informetrics.
So we're going to break down all the key elements
out of the budget and as the hour goes along,

(39:10):
if you've got a question for Brad or Jason, you
can text that question through to nine to nine two.
But the budget twenty twenty five coverage starts in about
four minutes. Time, news, sport and weather on its way.
You're listening to Matt and Tyler. Very good afternoon to you.
So you're on the other side.

Speaker 2 (39:25):
They could do run it straight down Queen Street. That'll
get people involved.

Speaker 1 (39:56):
Talking with you all afternoon. It's Matt Heathen, Taylor Adams
Afternoons used talks.

Speaker 6 (40:01):
It be.

Speaker 2 (40:03):
Well, the wait is over.

Speaker 3 (40:05):
No more sleeps until budget day because it is here
right now, and there are some changes within that budget,
as you can expect.

Speaker 2 (40:13):
Key we save it included.

Speaker 3 (40:15):
But to have a quick analysis and break down some
of the key highlights, we are joined by our political
editor Jason Wills.

Speaker 2 (40:21):
Jason Ghetto mates.

Speaker 5 (40:22):
Good afternoon boys. How you doing. Happy budget afternoon. I
know we already said happy budget day, but happy after
budget afternoon. We've just come out of the most stressful
ten minutes of the year for a reporter. Basically, we
have this ten minute window where we're allowed to file stories,
so we're making sure the logistics of what happens in
terms of that news bulletin that you just heard and

(40:43):
the incredible, magnanimous, Sophie, trigger hustling as always from the
governments or from the budget lock up room down to
zb's offices.

Speaker 2 (40:52):
So we're ready to go.

Speaker 5 (40:52):
How are you feeling, Brad.

Speaker 2 (40:54):
I'm feeling good.

Speaker 20 (40:54):
I mean, there's a lot of detail to go through,
but I think we're pretty well across at some big
stuff that we sort of knew about, some stuff we
probably didn't think would come through, but then a whole
lot of other small details that we're still going to
have to get wrap our heads around for the next hour.

Speaker 2 (41:06):
Well, what of the highlights should we should we kick
right into the highlights.

Speaker 5 (41:10):
We'll kick right into the highlights. I would have to say.
Probably the one thing in here that you're going to
be hearing about for the rest of today and potentially
the next couple of years is those changes to Kiwi Saver.
We knew that this was coming, but we've got some
confirmation today. Budget twenty twenty five improves ki We Save
us to encourage Kiwis to save more for their first

(41:30):
home and retirement while making the scheme more fiscally sustainable. Now,
how's Nikola Willis going to do this? Well, she is
raising the default rate of employees and matching employer KIWI
saver contributions from three to four percent of salary and
wages and that's phased in over three years, so the
default rage way the default rate before was three percent.

(41:52):
That is being lifted progressively to four percent. They're also
doing a number of other things and a lot of areas,
and you're going to hear us go through those in
the coming hour. But you know, in terms of other
major highlights, I mean, going into the budget, Brad, we
heard a lot about the reprioritysition in terms of the
PA equity changes, and we've seen those numbers today.

Speaker 20 (42:13):
Indeed, I mean, the government's looking to save nearly thirteen
billion dollars from not proceeding with the previous PA equity
changes that we're going to come through. That is a
substantial amount of the total savings. That is funding or
allowing that funding for other initiatives. And Budget twenty twenty five,
there is still money that the government has kept aside
for pay equity claims into the future, but they're not
telling us about it at the moment. They call that

(42:33):
commercially sensitive and they think it will threaten those future conversations.
But there is money set aside.

Speaker 5 (42:38):
Indeed, and Nikola Willis has called this the growth budget,
She's called it the nobs B budget. Brad, what are
you calling it?

Speaker 20 (42:45):
I'm calling this the switch at budget because you've seen
a lot of initiatives here that you're getting more from. Great,
but at the same time something's got to pay for it.
Other stuff as being cut out, so you're getting a
switch from one thing to another when it comes to
government spending.

Speaker 3 (42:56):
This time, well, as this is incredibly interesting, what we're
going to do. We're going to play some messages and
then come back because we really want to zero went
on that key WE saver and those changes that will
be significant for a lot of businesses. So just hold
there and we're going to have some fun with it.
It is ten past two. We're joined by our chief
political reporter, Jason Wolves and CEO of Infometrics Brad Olson.

(43:17):
If you've got any questions throughout this hour about the budget,
text them through nine two ninety two back fore shortly
here on News Talks edb W.

Speaker 1 (43:26):
Your home of afternoon talk Mad Heathen Taylor Adams afternoons,
call oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty News Talks.

Speaker 3 (43:33):
Edb Good afternoon, and we are breaking down budget twenty
twenty five with our chief political editor, Jason wolves Kidd. Jason,
welcome back in good afternoon, and we've also got CEO
of Infometrics and principal economist Brad Olsen.

Speaker 2 (43:49):
Great too, have you as well. Brad. It's great to
be here. So let's break down.

Speaker 3 (43:53):
Keep you say it because this will be big for
a lot of people, affecting a lot of New Zealanders
and also a lot of businesses. So Brad, just a
question for you. How do you think this will land
for businesses having to increase that contribution rate another percent?
Is that going to worry some of them?

Speaker 20 (44:09):
Look, I think it will be a question for particularly
some of the smaller businesses around how they achieve that.
I mean, they're going to have to They're going to
have to figure out, of course, a way to make
it work. But I think that will then come down
to the conversation that they'll have with employees. You know,
do they just top it up in general? Does that
mean that you might have a little bit less take
home pay and a bit more that goes into the
Kei we saver? Most most importantly, the government's also given

(44:30):
this a bit of time to bed and so it's
not coming through late to night on budget nights. That
four percent contribution rate not coming through until twenty twenty eight,
so a bit of time for businesses to figure out
how they pay for it. At the same time, and
probably most importantly, yes, you might have to pay a
bit more on key we Saver, but at the same
time you're now able to have a much more greater
level of advanced appreciation. So I feel like from a

(44:52):
net business point of view, yep, you'll have to make
some key we sav changes, but you're probably happy enough overall.

Speaker 2 (44:57):
So with that sort of a rollout time, I guess
people a lot a lot of it will be done
in contract negotiations going forward, as opposed to just happening
right now and being taken out of people's wages.

Speaker 5 (45:08):
Well, that was the impression that Nicola Willis gave, because
that was one of the questions that I asked her
in the budget lock up. I mean, she was at
pains to talk about growth. This is the growth budget,
and I'm thinking, hang on a second, doesn't sound very
growth inducive for a company, a small company that's having
to ratchet up those key we Save A contributions, so exactly,
so this is gonna be the time when you're gonna

(45:28):
if you're out there and you're talking to your employer
right now, this is the time to have those conversations
about with you actually or how this works within your
employment contribution as well. I mean, there's a number of
other things that happened in the Key we Save A space,
and Nicola Willis was quite keen to point out that
this was and she even referenced Michael Collin when she
was in there talking about something. She'd been rereading some

(45:49):
of his speeches and she we just have this overall
sense that superannuation and retirement in New Zealand is it's
a bit risky. We've got some problems into the future,
and this is the government tackling it head on. And
there's also another component of this. The annual government contribution
will be halfed from twenty five cents for every dollar

(46:09):
a member contributes each year up to a maximum of
two hundred and sixty dollars. Members with an income of
more than one hundred and eighty thousand dollars will no
longer receive the government contribution, so they're taking a bit
of liability off their rond books here.

Speaker 2 (46:23):
Yees, So I mean what percentage of the people is
that going to affect that one hundred and eighty k.
That's not going to save them a lot of money,
is it?

Speaker 20 (46:29):
Well, it saves them a bit over time, But I
think importantly it's one of those areas where it's just
pretty hard to defend these days and say, look, we're
government's going to give five hundred and twenty one bucks
every year to everyone, including those earning over one hundred
and eighty k. It just seems sort of, you know,
unreasonable and unsustainable. But I mean the question I think
going forward will be will this sort of change how
people save and somemer I mean, guys, you guys probably
are a presumer and key we saver as well. I mean,

(46:51):
what's your initial.

Speaker 2 (46:52):
Reaction to it?

Speaker 20 (46:53):
Is it going to shift what you do with your
key saver or are you just going to sort of
plod along?

Speaker 2 (46:58):
Look, I'm pretty I'm pretty bullished Key we save a
kind of guy. I pump in a lot more than
I need to. And yeah, I'm the same, I mean
too much away, but yeah, but yes, some of it
I don't.

Speaker 3 (47:10):
Tell us more, tell us more, man, I say, I've
got to say, Fellows an extra one percent, is it
going to be a game changer?

Speaker 2 (47:15):
No, not for me.

Speaker 3 (47:16):
Will it be an extra incentive for perhaps younger workers
to stay in that scheme which is better for them
and better for us as a country. If we up
those saving levels, then I think that is a good thing.
But I do worry again about the extra pressure on
businesses at a time when they need all the help
they can get to boost that confidence to get us
out of the rut we're in at the moment. But
as you say, Brad, moving it over the space of

(47:39):
three years, next year going to three point five and
then on April the first moving up to four percent
will give them time to adjust, right.

Speaker 20 (47:47):
Definitely, But I think as well, I mean, don't discount
how much of an impact it could have.

Speaker 6 (47:50):
It.

Speaker 20 (47:51):
I mean I know that you know, if you've been
and keep you save for a while, it might not
sound like a lot. But one of the scenarios that
comes through here, Let's assume that you've got a working parent, right,
they're currently earning about sixty thousand dollars they've got they're
going to have a child at say twenty eight, and
then another one at thirty one. They're going to take
some savings out when they're thirty or so they need
a purchase a home. That means that before they were
going to have about fifteen thousand, eight hundred bucks for

(48:13):
the first home deposit. Under these changes, for someone who
is starting to move through from age twenty five today,
they'll be now nine percent better off, up to seventeen thousand,
two hundred from fifteen eight hundred.

Speaker 2 (48:24):
So it does.

Speaker 20 (48:25):
It makes a difference in terms of the house to posit.
More importantly, you go out to sixty five when you're
needing to use your Kiwi Saver. Previously, that working parent
would have had just under four hundred k of ki
We Saver to use. Now under this it'll be over
five hundred k. That's a big saving.

Speaker 5 (48:39):
And the other side of this, of course is that
big Kiwi Saver capital pool in terms of how much
money there is therein to invest in. Nikola Willis is
really wanting to drive that to sort of Kiwi assets.
I mean, at the moment, Key we Save a membership
is three point three million people with a total of
one hundred and eleven point eight billion dollars in funds
under management. Even this small ratcheting up of three to

(49:00):
four is going to see that pie grow a lot bigger,
and Nicola Willis is helping a lot of that could
be used on funding some Kiwi infrastructure, qui assets.

Speaker 2 (49:09):
Any mention of all at all around Super.

Speaker 20 (49:13):
Not directly. I think, in fact, that's probably the one
area the government doesn't want to.

Speaker 2 (49:17):
Talk about that.

Speaker 20 (49:18):
I have looked at the numbers and I can tell
you that in the current fiscal year, New Zealand's going
to be spending twenty three billion dollars on New Zealand Super,
fourteen percent of total crown spending more than the education budget.
I mean, the numbers are starting to get a little
bit worrying in terms of just how big they are.
So look, every time we talk about Jesus the government
living within its means or not, remember that fourteen fifteen

(49:40):
percent of every single dollar that you were contributing through
in your text is going straight to Super and nothing else.

Speaker 3 (49:45):
Yeah, very very nicely said hey, there's a question here,
Hey guys, could you please ask your experts. Would it
not have made more sense for the government or the
employee contribution to go up to four percent, and then
they remove the tax on the three percent from the
employer contribution.

Speaker 20 (50:00):
Yeah, there is a part of that that's come through.
The government I think is actually booking a little bit
of that additional text revenue that they're getting. So, because
they need to sort of make the scheme sustainable, they're
actually now booking some of that additional revenue base maintaining
the tax on the employer contribution they're bringing forward. I
think it's something like half a billion dollars or so
that comes through. So that they could have, but it

(50:21):
would have meant that the change was not only affecting
households and businesses, but also would have been affecting the
government's own spending. And I just don't think they were
quite as willing to let that one happen.

Speaker 2 (50:31):
Yeah, very good fellows.

Speaker 3 (50:32):
We're going to take a break, but when we come back,
let's have a chat about where the money is coming from.
That has been a big question with this budget, so
stand by for that. We're joined by Jason Walls, our
political editor and CEO of Infometrics, Brad Olson. It is
twenty past two.

Speaker 1 (50:50):
Who's getting paid and what's going on? The back burner
Budget twenty twenty five with Matt Heath and Tyler Adams
News Dogs.

Speaker 2 (50:57):
There'd be yes.

Speaker 3 (50:58):
We are analyzing budget twenty twenty five with our political
editor Jason Walls and CEO of Informetrics Brad Olson Fellers.

Speaker 2 (51:06):
Great to have you with us. Thank you so much,
Ta Tame. The big question always is where is the
money coming from?

Speaker 5 (51:12):
Show me the money. That was Nikola Willis in the
house yesterday and you'll remember she learned at the feet
of John Key because she was in his office and
that was his iconic blind back in twenty eleven. But yes,
of course a Nicola Willis budget is going to be
all about where does the money come from? And of
course I mentioned it at the top, the changes tourd
to pay equity and to run you through those again,

(51:34):
eleven billion dollars operating over the forecast period that is
four years, and an additional one point eight billion allocated
for capital investments. Or take those two together you're looking
at thirteen billion dollars extra over the forecast period over
the next four years. Now, before the budget, there was
this interesting back and forth, wasn't there between the likes
of the Act parties Brook van Velden and David Seymour

(51:56):
and the Prime Minister and Nicola Willis. In fact that
David Seymour said that Brooke had quote saved the budget
with this amount of money, and Brad looking at us,
I don't think there's any way they could have got
anywhere near what they wanted to do with out this money.

Speaker 2 (52:09):
No, that's true.

Speaker 20 (52:10):
I mean the government could not have balanced the books
that they've got today. They couldn't have announced a lot
of these further initiatives. I think realistically, what would have
happened if they didn't as a government make these pay
equity changes. You wouldn't have seen some of those other
bigger announcements, in particular the likes of the you know,
one point seven billion dollars or so for the investment
boost like that would have been just completely impossible to
even provide for. Government only had one point three billion

(52:32):
dollars of operating allowance. It's found it committed an extra
six point seven billion dollars in this budget of new spending.
But to sort of make all the numbers work, it's
had to find over five point three billion dollars worth
of savings. A lot of that coming from the pay
equity changes.

Speaker 2 (52:46):
But some pay equity deals are still going to go through.

Speaker 5 (52:50):
I believe, well that's the government's priority on this. They've
said from the outset that you know, they're not canceling
women's pay, as has been sort of the tagline and
the attack line from the opposition. In fact, Nikola Willis
actually while we were in there encouraged unions to continue
prosecuting pay equity various different arrangements that they've gotten pay

(53:11):
equity cases going forward as well. But I mean Nicola
Willis did outline the magnitude of the increased amount of
liability on the books from these pay equity changes. I
mean back into twenty twenty they were in sort of
the low billions, and she wouldn't give us the exact
number now because there was still a number of them
that are still being worked out and there's some commercial

(53:34):
sensitivity there. But the fact that they were able to
essentially cut thirteen billion dollars over four years shows how
big this thing had actually got.

Speaker 2 (53:44):
Yeah. Massive. I had no idea how big that was.
Moving on to health is some news around prescriptions.

Speaker 5 (53:52):
Indeed, the record investment in health delivery is the title
of the press release, which I always have to laugh
at because every single government since government started always talk
about how they've committed record amounts of money and health,
and technically every single time it's true, because you've got
to account for a fla, you've got to account for
population growth, and if you weren't doing it, you'd be
going backwards. And you don't want to be the government

(54:14):
that can't say record investment and health. But essentially what
we've got here is we've got Budget twenty twenty five
providing seven billion dollar vote increase to vote health, so
that is the health service in general, and that's over
the forecast period again four years includes one hundred one
point thirty seven billion per year to Health New Zealand's baseline,

(54:34):
so just to help with the normal running the day
to day cost of hospitals and whatnot. But there's a
new initiative that I thought find quite interesting that is
to include ninety one million dollars to increase prescription lengths
and four hundred and forty seven million dollars to support
increased access to primary care. So there's actually quite a
few new little initiatives going on as well as this

(54:57):
record investment there's the little bits of funding along the way.

Speaker 3 (55:02):
And I note also there's some big investments to allow
a new emergency department in Wellington and a one hundred
eight bed building in Nelson, So good for those cities
and communities. Nothing in there for Dunedin, nothing additional, I
think probably importantly, and this was actually a question that
we did get into a little bit as we're going
through the budget. Of course, there's a lot of other
announcements that have already been made. They're not part of

(55:23):
Budget twenty twenty five, but they remain around, so the
likes of the huge amount of funding that is still
going towards Dunedin, some of the investments that are still
going into the likes of fungaed.

Speaker 20 (55:32):
A hospital up north. But there were sort of further
and more specific announcements this time around the likes of Nelson,
around Wellington, but also coming through for the likes of
Palmeston North and parts of Auckland as well. So people
should be feeling that there is more money. More importantly,
especially for Nelson, that that build is now expected to
i think be two years further ahead of schedule. That's

(55:52):
good because normally infrastructure pressures means that stuff move out
and blow out and push out. These ones are actually
being brought forward. So important to see that level of investment.
Let's be clear that stuff is vitally needed across the country.

Speaker 5 (56:04):
And just back on what I was saying about prescriptions
very quickly, so a little bit more detail on that. Currently,
doctors and others another prescribers can only prescribe most medicines
from maximum of three months at a time. Patients must
then pay their GP for follow up appointments. Now that's
been we've done to twelve months. So that's something like
if you're getting prescriptions often, it's going to be quite.

Speaker 2 (56:23):
Helpful for you. Yeah, that seems sensible to me absolutely.

Speaker 3 (56:26):
I mean there's been a lot of talk about our
health system being in critical condition over the past couple
of the years. How do you think staff members the
unions will respond to the investment and health fellas?

Speaker 5 (56:35):
Oh, you know what, I think the unions are going
to look at this budget and say, you know what,
it's great, I love it, I love everything this government started.

Speaker 2 (56:43):
To line out the window.

Speaker 5 (56:45):
In fact, as we speak, there about as I was
walking past, about a couple thousand people outside from unions
protesting the budget already. I mean they saw, well maybe
they saw an advanced copy that I hadn't seen, but
they're not happy yet.

Speaker 3 (56:59):
Yeah, fellas, stick around because we're going to have a
chat about education next and the overall state of the economy.
Plenty to chat about there. Joined by Jason Wills, our
political editor and CEO of Infometrics Brad Olsen.

Speaker 2 (57:13):
It is twenty eight past two.

Speaker 6 (57:17):
Deuce talks at be headlines with blue bubble taxis It's
no trouble with a blue bubble. The Finance Minister has
released Budget twenty twenty five. It includes key we saver changes,
the government harving its yearly contribution amount and introducing an
income cap, seven billions going into health and two point

(57:37):
five billion into education over four years. A business tax
incentive will let twenty percent of a new assets value
be deducted from annual taxable income. About five billion dollars
has been found through rep prioritizations. The recent changes to
the pay equity regime have saved the government nearly thirteen

(57:58):
billion over four years. Unemployed eighteen and nineteen year olds
won't be eligible for job seeker leaving parents to fund
them except some without family support and the best Start
tax credit will be means tested from April twenty twenty six.
The government oh's one hundred and eighty five billion dollars
expected to near two hundred and forty billion in the

(58:20):
next four years. Really disappointing. The one thing that scares
Rugby Star Hoya Miller. You can find out more at
zaid Herald Premium. Back to Matte from Tyler Adams.

Speaker 3 (58:32):
Thank you very much, Raylan, and we are breaking down
the NOBS budget budget twenty twenty five with our political
editor Jason Walls and Infometric CEO brad Olsen fell As.
Lets of a chat about education.

Speaker 5 (58:45):
Yes, education, I mean, honestly, there's always lots of money
in education as well, but this didn't really take a
sort of a precedent that it didn't take a higher
standing than other places in the budget. I mean, there's
always lots of money for education every time around. In fact,
there was three hundred and eighty one million dollars in
new spending on in education this year. We got the

(59:06):
largest boost according to Erica stam for the largest boost
to learning support in a generation. They're good at writing
the press releases, aren't they Erica says the government has
been delivering the most significant investments in learning support in
a generation to better support keep kids, and then she
goes on to talk about Budget twenty twenty five investing
two point five billion dollars over four years in education

(59:29):
with a focus on delivering transformational boosts to learning support funding.
And we do know that there is money in there
for other lakes of teacher aids and other things like that.

Speaker 20 (59:39):
All right, I think as well with that learning support,
I mean, the reason that's so important this is a
part of the government's focus on social investment. They've identified
that these are some of the learners that if you
don't help them, you don't support them, will at school.
They're not going to be able to reach their full potential.
So I do think in terms of yes, there's some
more money going into it, but the potential for change
is quite important. Shows as well that government is wanting
to target the spending a lot more. They've done the

(01:00:01):
same thing in tertiary education, where they're putting some additional
money into support not every university course, but very specifically
the STEM subject science, Technology, engineering and maths, so that
we can get some of that smarter more productive people
out there on the tools.

Speaker 2 (01:00:16):
So nothing for my degree in philosophy, Corrections and police.
There's been a bit of movement there.

Speaker 20 (01:00:22):
Indeed, we've seen a fair bit of funding that's come
through there from the government. More money going into the
likes of the court systems to ensure that there's better
legal aid and probably in a sense looking likely to
be more judges and similar coming through two hundred and
forty six million dollars more into the court system there,
four hundred and eighty directly into police. That helps some

(01:00:43):
of the frontline salaries from the extra police that they're
trying to bring forward, and some other changes because at
the moment the police are sometimes operating with some rubbish
backroom systems and if we can spend more time having
them out on the beat and less time doing paperwork,
that seems to be a good one. Probably the biggest
change though coming in the correction space government adding an
extra three hundred and sixty eight new corrections offices coming

(01:01:07):
through that's worth four hundred and seventy two million dollars
over the four years, and a two hundred and forty
bid extension for new high security bids at christ Church
Men's Prison, clearly showing that the government is expecting to
have more high security offenders to lock up.

Speaker 5 (01:01:22):
And I'll tell you what, boys, this isn't the first
time the government has had to pour more money into
the correction's budget. You'll remember that was one of the
key areas of the budget last year. And interestingly, Herald
Political editor Thomas Coglan asked the Prime Minister this very question,
Finance Minister, this very question. Essentially, are you comfortable with
the fact that you continue having to pour money into corrections?

(01:01:42):
And Nikola Willis, I don't know about what you thought, Brad,
but I thought her answer was. I mean, it was
very National Party ask and I'm not saying there's anything
wrong with it, but it was essentially, if people keep
committing crimes, we're going to keep locking them up. That's
just the way that it is. Keeping key we safe
is more important than saving a few pennies when it
comes to prisons.

Speaker 2 (01:01:58):
Yeah, well, I think as well.

Speaker 20 (01:02:00):
We met that. That's the sentiment you get from people though,
writers that they are really focused on law and order.
They are expecting that you know, when they go out
that they are able to who remain safe, that their
businesses aren't going to get robbed and some of all
the time. So there does seem to be a real
level of focus from the public over wanting this law
and order play area of government to be funded a
lot higher. Yeah, so that's funding for the police that

(01:02:21):
almost half a billion over four years to maintain the
frontline services. Is that going to help Mark Mitchell reach
his numbers that were promised before the election? He said
to answer a few questions on that. Will this help
him get a bit closer to that? That does seem
to be the sort of focus coming through from Minister Mitchell.
He's highlighted that this additional funding quote remedies an underfunding

(01:02:43):
increase to police numbers inherited from the previous government, so
there is more money that's coming through. What's also clear though,
is that even when you start to pour in more
money for the people, you need the associated kit, you
need the police cars and everything else that comes through.
So government is trying to do a bit more of
that over time. Look, I think they're probably up against
it in terms of being able to deliver all of

(01:03:04):
those police quite as quickly, but there is certainly money
in the budget to provide it. So when they're able
to recruit, they should be able to bring them through
to the beak sooner rather than later.

Speaker 2 (01:03:12):
Yeah, all right, let's move on to the big one.
What is the state of our economy according to this budget?

Speaker 5 (01:03:19):
Well, you'll be less than sorry to jump in before
you on this one, Brad. You are the economic expert.
I'm just a political talking head. But what we can
see is that you know it's This was probably the
least surprising part of the budget for me. You may
every budget I do the same thing. Our good friend
Craig Rennie, who works at the CTU now as their economists,
you would always tell me the same thing, that you

(01:03:40):
have to start the budget by turning to the back
of the budget and looking ahead as to what the
predictions were. And we're looking at it right now and
it's about as grim as we expected it to be, right, Brad,
I mean I wasn't particularly surprised by the fact that
the surplus is twenty twenty nine, it's wafitin at two
hundred and fourteen million dollars. Anything catch you on the hoop.

Speaker 20 (01:03:59):
No, I mean, very much on the economic side as expected.
Of course, the government's advisors Treasury have highlighted that things
are going to be tougher. The global economic environment is
not quite as good, Trading partner growth is going to
be lower than before. All of that means that there's
just not going to be quite as much economic momentum
in the system. So very much I think as expected,

(01:04:19):
although the challenge a little bit is that you've got
so many moving parts. You've got the changes in the
global settings that are coming through. You've got a number
of these budget proposals which should be trying to stimulate
a bit of growth. But I think for the government,
they'll be looking that for over time better of visions.
If they can start to get some better economic numbers
coming through, the Treasury can book those, they can expect
some high texts coming through. But for the moment, things

(01:04:41):
still remaining fairly grim. There is a recovery underway, but
it is going to be a slower slog and I.

Speaker 5 (01:04:47):
Was actually, I mean, I guess I'm not that surprised,
but the debt numbers are still looking pretty grim. I mean,
we're at about one hundred and eighty five billion dollars
in terms of the debt level of the government has
now that balloons up to two hundred and thirty eight
billion dollars by twenty twenty nine. Now, the government does
measure its debt as a proportion of GDP, and their
argument is essentially, as the economy rows, that level of

(01:05:09):
that proportionality actually either remains the same or goes down,
but it's staying pretty stagnant. And Nikola Willis was really
waxing lyrical about what the Treasury advice to her has been,
and she accepted it that she thought that we shouldn't
go over fifty percent of a debt to GDP, and
it just doesn't seem like there's any impetus to get

(01:05:30):
that debt down to a more manageable level. What do
you think, Brad?

Speaker 20 (01:05:33):
I mean, look, the government would have to just slash
so much more spending, even out at the end of
the forecast period. We're talking twenty twenty nine. At this point,
government expenses as proportion of GDP only just slipped below
thirty one percent. They weren't even at thirty before the pandemic.
So it's going to take a long time to unwind this.
But I think below the surface, what was different for
me is that normally, when we go into these economic

(01:05:54):
updates they come through every six months or so. We
always see that the government is going to bring in
a whole bunch less revenue, but they're going to spend
a whole bunch more. That is what we've seen like
the last three four years. This time for the first
time we've seen that Yep, again, revenue is going to
be lower, the economy sucks bit more, but there was
also lower spending that the government is going to make
under budget twenty twenty five compared to the half year.

(01:06:15):
It shows that slowly, but surely, very slowly, they are
trying to get those fiscal settings under control.

Speaker 2 (01:06:21):
You've got to say, two hundred and forty billion is
a terrifying number, as it certainly is, a lot of
people are texting us through. And I know this is
a long question, but so many people text it through
that I have to ask of you guys, of you, Brad,
who do we owe the money to? Who do we
owe that one hundred and eighty five billion dollars to?

Speaker 20 (01:06:38):
Yeah, it's a great question. We owe it to a
whole bunch of people. Sometimes we effectively owe it to
ourselves or the likes of New Zealand retail banks will
own some of those IOUs with the government where you
know they've exchanged cash for an expectation that government will
pay them back in the future.

Speaker 2 (01:06:53):
Some of its overseas.

Speaker 20 (01:06:54):
Everyone likes to hold some government bonds. They think that
New Zealand's pretty stable. In fact, I think our credit
rating is now better than the US government, so people
trust us a bit more to.

Speaker 2 (01:07:03):
Pay it back.

Speaker 3 (01:07:04):
Very interesting, right stick around after we play some messages.
There's some major changes around benefits, so we'll get into that.
Then we're going to get a rating from you fellows
about the NOBS budget, maybe a bit rating rating, so
look forward to that. We are joined, of course by
our political editor Jason Willson, Infometric CEO brad Olsen. It

(01:07:25):
is nineteen to three, going.

Speaker 1 (01:07:28):
Through the budget with a fine toothcol It's budget twenty
twenty five with Matt Heath and Tyler Adams news talks.

Speaker 3 (01:07:34):
That'd be it certainly is, and we're joined by our
political editor Jason Willson, Infometrics CEO Brad Olson.

Speaker 2 (01:07:41):
Before we get to benefit changees. It was being bandied
around as the growth budget. What do we have in
there that supports growth in the country.

Speaker 20 (01:07:49):
Yeah, the biggest one coming through from the government was
the new policy, the Investment Boost Scheme.

Speaker 2 (01:07:55):
That's where it's a big.

Speaker 20 (01:07:56):
New taxan center for businesses where effectively, you buy some
new kit, you can immediately deduct twenty percent of the
cost of that new asset on top of normal depreciation,
meaning you've got a lower tax bill after at the
same year that you buy that new purchase.

Speaker 2 (01:08:10):
So long story short.

Speaker 20 (01:08:11):
You're going to see a whole bunch of businesses that
are quite keen to go and invest in some new kit.
That should means that they make not only high profits
over time, but they'll be more productive. A few other
specifics here and there. Probably the most interesting one was
that the government has set aside two hundred million dollars
for a Crown stake in a new gas field if
they can find it, so Shane Jones as Resource Minister
looking to do a bit more gas activity. Probably the

(01:08:34):
most interesting that businesses might not like but it's probably
still pretty important, is that id gets an additional thirty
five million dollars a year to go and claw back
some of the text debt that people haven't paid, and
given that they've found something like three billion dollars already.
It's probably not a bad investment.

Speaker 3 (01:08:49):
Yeah, that will make a few people nervous to get
your books done, people, exactly. Hey, just going back to
the text break, So the government forecast that could boost
GDP by one percent in wages by one point five
percent over the next two decades. Does that sound optimistic
or about rite?

Speaker 2 (01:09:04):
It's probably about right.

Speaker 20 (01:09:05):
I mean, I think a lot of people listening will
be going, hold on, only get one percent over the
next like ten twenty years, is that really worth it?
Which is understandable. I mean, it's sort of hard for
government to massively massively increase GDP growth without like fundamentally
finding a whole new pot of gold that we never
thought about before. So these aren't too bad, especially because yep,
it takes you know, twenty years to get that one

(01:09:26):
percent increase, but about half of that GDP increase coming
just in the next five years, so it's not massive massive,
But I do think it just shifts the dial a
little bit so that businesses are able to invest a
bit more. And I think that geez, you think of
some of the old kits that New Zealand businesses seem
to have across the country. I think this will convince
a few more people to dip into their back pockets
make that big investment up because they can actually claim

(01:09:46):
it back on the tax.

Speaker 2 (01:09:47):
Yeah, very good. Speaking of big investments. What's the benefit
changes that we've seen in the budget.

Speaker 5 (01:09:54):
This is quite a fascinating one. And I say fascinating
for you guys, because this is going to make some
great talk back parents. Rather than the STAG will be
responsible for unemployed eighteen and nineteen year olds who cannot
support themselves under planned benefits, and that's been announced in
the budget today. Employment Minister Louis Ubstince says the purpose
of the welfare system is to support those who need

(01:10:16):
it the most. Our government is taking steps to make
sure work or study is the focus for young people
rather than being on welfare and where it says that
they're clearly signaling that if you're eighteen and nineteen and
you don't study or you're not in work, and you're
and you can't support yourself financially, you should be looking
for a job and you shouldn't be, as Nikola Willis said,
sitting at home playing PlayStation and this should be giving

(01:10:38):
you some incentive to get out there and actually try
and find a job just.

Speaker 3 (01:10:42):
On the I mean, it is a surprising announcement that
the eighteen and nineteen year olds will have their job
secret and emergency benefits tested against the appearance income. What
is that income set at?

Speaker 2 (01:10:52):
Do we know?

Speaker 20 (01:10:53):
There's no announcements yet. Kevinet hasn't made those decisions by
sounds of it. They'll be making those over the next
couple of weeks. But a pretty i think strong intention
from government that looks in the first case, it should
be your family that's looking after you, and only after
that will you sort of see that support from government,
similar I think in a sense to what you see
with some of the student loan supports and similar that

(01:11:13):
come through. But again this is a sort of wider
change I think where the government is going. Look, it
is going to be less money coming from the government,
more for households, businesses, organizations to sort of do it
themselves and you do sort of again see this bit
of a switch around. It was interesting. One of the
other changes that the government announced in the sort of
benefits and social support areas was that they are expanding

(01:11:35):
working for families. They're changing their abatement thresholds so that
about one hundred and forty two thousand families will get
an extra three hundred and sixty odd dollars a year
from working for families. But at the same time, the
best text credit for when you have a new child
that's going to bebita that you're going to lose some
money straight away if you're on higher income. So much

(01:11:56):
greater focus on means testing across the board.

Speaker 2 (01:11:58):
Yeah, yeah, that's for sure. Right, let's have a chat
about reaction.

Speaker 3 (01:12:01):
We'll start on the political side, Jason, what has been
the reaction from the various parties.

Speaker 5 (01:12:06):
Well, I can tell you right now. Let's cross live
into the how US where Chris Hepkins is giving a
speech in reply to the budget. Have a listen.

Speaker 17 (01:12:13):
She was talking about nobs while she was being clear
is the budget had no bold solutions. The budget had
no bread and shelter for vulnerable New Zealanders. The budget
had no back paid settlements for women who have been
fighting to have fair pay for far too long.

Speaker 5 (01:12:29):
And that's the sort of reaction you would expect from
the lakes of Chris Hepkins. We've seen the unions come
out basically saying the same thing. The PSA says the
budget confirms twelve point six billion dollar theft of wages
from women pay equity betrayal. Lead Bear said the headline there.

Speaker 2 (01:12:46):
Were they ware, you know, when they started this process
and move things around a bit labor that it was
going to be twelve point six billion dollars.

Speaker 5 (01:12:54):
I don't think that they were. I mean, what we're
hearing from Nikola Willis is that this whole thing blew
up to a degree that nobody was expecting. I mean,
Treasury seems to be really caught on the fly on
this one to see how big this got. And but now,
I mean there's some serious questions that needs to be
asked to the likes of Chris Hipkins and to I

(01:13:15):
mean Grant Robertson if you would return a call about
how they saw this getting so big and or did
they foresee this getting so big? And I'd like to
see sort of where they thought it was.

Speaker 2 (01:13:25):
What were they going to cut to come up with
that twelve point six billion?

Speaker 3 (01:13:27):
Yeah, great question. And the reaction from the business world.
Have we got any reaction coming at this stage on
some of those text breaks and this growth budget?

Speaker 5 (01:13:36):
Well, I tell you what, my favorite thing about budget
day is when I get back and the explosion of
my inbox of press releases, so we can go through
and find a few. I mean, the first one that
I've clicked on now is the Taxpayers Union, who were
also in the lock up. Remember there were him, them
and the CTU were going to get barred.

Speaker 2 (01:13:52):
But they say that.

Speaker 5 (01:13:53):
Essentially National delivers another Labor Party budget and they said
so much for a growth budget, so they're not really
happy with the level of spending. I'll tell you what though, boys,
there was an interesting detail that we saw in the lockup,
and I'm sure Brad will be quite agrieved about this
because it hit him personally. Nicola Willis only took questions
from the journalist journalists. Usually she kind of canvas as

(01:14:13):
the room and takes some from economists or some analysts,
and she didn't do it this time.

Speaker 2 (01:14:17):
It was us.

Speaker 5 (01:14:17):
Did you feel personally attacked? Brad?

Speaker 20 (01:14:19):
Look, as someone who has this is my tenth budget
in a row that I have attended lock up for,
I've asked a question of every finance minister and all
of those up until today, I don't feel personally aggrieved.
I don't think it was personal to me. I just
think that the focus was a lot more on ensuring
that people could understand it, But it would have been helpful,
I think for a few questions to come over to
the endless side.

Speaker 12 (01:14:39):
We do.

Speaker 20 (01:14:40):
I think we try and do a good job of
helping everyone else understand it.

Speaker 2 (01:14:43):
But here's the rub.

Speaker 20 (01:14:44):
Of course, there are going to be some people in
the lockup in the endless area that are going to
ask gotcha questions and similar they're not going to try
and aid in the understanding. And so I can sort
of understand why the Finance Minister isn't keen.

Speaker 2 (01:14:54):
To go near it. Did you have some gotcha questions
in your back pocket that you missed out on asking?

Speaker 20 (01:14:58):
No, I had a very sensible question, while I thought,
at least in terms of some of the spending that's
going on, I mean, this is a very different budget approach.
Like previously, the government for years has always sort of
taken last year's budget as a given and added some
more stuff in. That's what the operating allowance was. This
time around, you saw six point seven billion dollars of
new spending five over five billion dollars worth of savings

(01:15:19):
come through. So like whatever happened last year. We cannot
assume it happens into the future. That's not a bad
place because it says that everything is up on the table.
But of course I'll have to try and relay that
to the Finance Minister via the airwaves of Newsts.

Speaker 2 (01:15:31):
He'd be rather than otherwise.

Speaker 3 (01:15:33):
Yeah, what we could do. We'll pass it on to Hither. Actually,
I think she'll have the Finance Minister on her show
after four o'clock, so we will do that for you.
Brad stick around after we play some messages. We're going
to get your guys' ratings for budget twenty twenty five.
It is eight to three, the issues that affect you
and a bit of fun along the way.

Speaker 1 (01:15:52):
Matt Heath and Tyler Adams. Afternoons News talks'd be news Talk.

Speaker 2 (01:15:58):
As he'd be.

Speaker 3 (01:15:58):
The final few minutes, we're joined by political editor Jason
Walls and Informetrix Brad Olsen.

Speaker 2 (01:16:04):
I guess the final questions around fiscal impulse. The balance
is the doing enough to lower debt without stalling the economy,
storing stalling growth.

Speaker 20 (01:16:13):
Look, I think it is closely balanced. The government still
running a structural death sit going into the future, so
they're still spending consistently more than they're able to earn
in That's still not the greatest position, but the gap
is closing over time. So I think, on balance, not
the worst outcome you could have had. People on one
side of politics will say it should have gone a
lot harder. Others will say it should have gone the
other direction, heaps more spending. I think the government's gone

(01:16:35):
through a narrow balancing act here.

Speaker 2 (01:16:37):
Jeez, I'm glad you got that question.

Speaker 3 (01:16:39):
All right, So both of you, Jason will start with you.
Out of ten, how would you rate this budget? Part
of ten, I'm going to give it all. What about
out of twenty?

Speaker 5 (01:16:47):
I'm going to give it a thirteen out of twenty
because it's thirteen billion that the government was able to
take from these pay equity changes. No matter what you
think of the government's moves around these, that's a heck
of a lot of cheese. You know, maybe Broke, maybe
Seymour was right, Maybe.

Speaker 2 (01:17:02):
Brooke did save the budget six and a half then.

Speaker 20 (01:17:06):
And bread I feel like, you know, down the middle
a little bit the average seven that you always world
of given something not too hot, not too cold, because this,
in my mind.

Speaker 2 (01:17:14):
Is the switch at budget.

Speaker 20 (01:17:16):
You get a bit of something, but you also lose
a bit of something, and so I think people will
be both please, displease, and everything else. But we'll probably
we'll be talking about something completely different in a week's time.

Speaker 5 (01:17:25):
God, he's good, isn't he?

Speaker 2 (01:17:26):
Was there any bsn't it? Oh? I couldn't possibly comment.
Put it this way.

Speaker 20 (01:17:31):
There's a lot of bs and hotti that comes around
all the time when it comes to budget and reaction.
You've heard of some of it here from me this afternoon,
but I think some other good stuff coming out as
we continue to unpack the budget.

Speaker 2 (01:17:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:17:43):
Well, I mean a lot of people are asking what
was the lock up lunch?

Speaker 2 (01:17:46):
Like fellas, just what.

Speaker 16 (01:17:47):
Work will you do?

Speaker 2 (01:17:48):
I didn't get any lunch.

Speaker 20 (01:17:49):
I was busy looking at the budget.

Speaker 5 (01:17:50):
You clearly just eat an editor, I delegate and eat.
That's my job.

Speaker 2 (01:17:54):
There's a milk sushi.

Speaker 5 (01:17:56):
There was some sausage rolls, a bit of fruits.

Speaker 3 (01:17:58):
Yeah, not too bad, very good, love it. Fowlers really
enjoyed this hour. Thank you very much. We will let
you get on because you've got a big afternoon ahead
of you, but we'll catch you again soon. That is Jason
Wall's our political editor and CEO of Infometrics, Brad Alsome.
We're going to open up the phone lines now, keen
to get your thoughts about budget twenty twenty five and

(01:18:18):
will zero in on some of those highlights you're listening to.
Matt and Tyler. Very very good afternoons you news coming.

Speaker 1 (01:18:24):
Up the switch at budget? Do you come out better off?
Call eight hundred and eighty ten eighty and have your
say Budget twenty twenty five on Matt Heath and Tyler
Adams Afternoons Youth Talk.

Speaker 14 (01:18:37):
Ze'd be.

Speaker 3 (01:18:39):
Very good afternoon cheer, welcome back into the show and
love to hear your thoughts about budget twenty twenty five.
The government has made cuts the key we Saver, slash
pet start payments and unveiled a six point six billion
dollar tax and center for businesses.

Speaker 2 (01:18:53):
Well it's been pile drived into our heads over the
last hour. Interesting. The things that jump out for me
are the key WE Saver, the changing of the default
employer contribution rate from three to four percent, and also
capping government contributions from people earning more than one hundred
and eighty k year.

Speaker 3 (01:19:08):
Yeah, I mean it is that will be of interest
to a lot of people. There are many many New
Zealanders in Key we save and you as a business,
how would you be feeling about that increase to four percent?
Currently mandatory that you match that contribution at three percent.
That extra percent, even though it is over the space
of three three years, would still be of concern to

(01:19:30):
some businesses, particularly if they've got a large staff. That is,
for a lot of businesses, their biggest expense.

Speaker 2 (01:19:36):
Right, Cleer, there's another percent.

Speaker 3 (01:19:38):
So can you hear from you on eight hundred eighty
ten eighty But overall, whether you want to talk about health, education,
the state of the economy, the benefit changes are very
interesting as well. Can you get your thoughts on eight
hundred eighty ten eighty What would you rate it out
of ten?

Speaker 2 (01:19:54):
From my own thinking, and.

Speaker 3 (01:19:56):
I'm still analyzing some of these bits and pieces, I
think I would give it a seven, maybe a six
point five.

Speaker 2 (01:20:04):
That's that that's a number you give when you have
you're refusing to refusing to really have an opinion.

Speaker 3 (01:20:09):
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's solid and I get what
this government says it's trying to do, and she touted
it as the Nobs budget, But the very fact that
there is bugger all in there for anybody. I get
we're in a difficult position at the moment, but you
expect a few lollies in there.

Speaker 2 (01:20:27):
Just to keep some optimism and confidence in the market. Yeah,
I waite hundred to eighty ten eighty. What do you
think about these KII savor changes? Something else of interest
to me was the benefit changes. Those who are eighteen
or nineteen will not be eligible for the benefit unless
their parents are unable to support them, So that'll be
means tested. Which is an interesting idea, isn't it Between
eighteen and nineteen It sort of collect. You know, what

(01:20:49):
I've always said to my kids is that once you're eighteen,
you have to listen to me until you're eighteen. Then
when you're eighteen, then you can make your own decisions
in life. But that means you get your own responsibilities. Yeah, argue,
Look this is saying now, is that that extends to nineteen?

Speaker 3 (01:21:02):
Yeah, I mean that is a very That was a
surprising announcement in the budget that those who are eighteen
and nineteen will not be eligible for the benefit unless
their parents are unable to financially support them. And I
don't know about the fairness of that to be frank
that if your parents, if you're an eighteen or nineteen
year old and you're out of a job, but because
your parents have done well in life and are earning

(01:21:23):
a good income, you're not going to, you know, get
that safetynit from the government. Is that safetynit is there
for everybody and the appearance have paid into, you know,
taxes throughout their career. But by the very fact that
they are earning too much money that they have to
support the eighteen and nineteen year olds out of a job.

Speaker 2 (01:21:41):
How is that fair? Well, I guess the argument is
that you want those people either looking for work or
in some kind of education, and you want the parents
to apply that pressure because but you know me, boy,
it's going to be a lot of arguments, isn't it. Yeah,
get off the couch.

Speaker 3 (01:21:56):
Well, you are a parent, and I think one of
your children is pretty close to eighteen, right if he's
not eighteen and so how would you feel about that?
So if he was out of work and then the
government says to you, I'm sorry, Matt, you earn too
much money. It's up to you who support your child,
and he's not going to be able to tap into
any sort of job seeker allowance. How would you feel
about that, as someone who's done pretty well in your life.

Speaker 2 (01:22:17):
Well, well, I would hope that I brought up my
kid in such a way that he'd be looking for
a job or doing some education rights. That's what I
would hope for. But I have said to him and
both my kids, and it's been a way, as I
was just saying before, it's been a way that I've
kind of seen that there's an end to me telling
them what to do. I've always said, you have to
do what I tell you to do while you're a kid,

(01:22:39):
and that ends at eighteen. When you're eighteen, you can
make all your decisions in life. Yeah, And so you
know that they could push that back on me. If
you wanted to go on an unemployment benefit. It'd be like, well, no,
I can't make I can't I'm coming back. I'm dead.

Speaker 14 (01:22:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:22:54):
Oh, eight one hundred eighty ten eighty is the number
to call. Let's get into this.

Speaker 2 (01:22:57):
It is eleven past three.

Speaker 3 (01:23:01):
Very good afternoon to you, and we are talking about
budget twenty twenty five. Of course, your reaction to what
was in that budget, and we have focused on what
was a surprising announcement within that budget that eighteen to
nineteen year olds who find themselves out of work if
their parents earn a certain amount of money, they will
not be supported by any sort of benefit.

Speaker 2 (01:23:23):
My nineteen year old is studying full time away from home.
Student allowances is means tested, So why shouldn't unemployment be
and job seeker be? Yeah, glad you mentioned that. I
think it's crap. A look at parents who have separated.
A child is still at UNI, is away from home,
but still has to pay for a house to rent
during holidays, and student loan is succeeded due to holidays.

(01:23:45):
Then what if they can't get a job and therefore
don't qualify who pays? Just a scenario most likely not
thought through.

Speaker 3 (01:23:52):
Yeah, oh, eight one hundred and eighty teen eighty is
the number to call.

Speaker 2 (01:23:55):
Greg. What's your thoughts?

Speaker 13 (01:23:58):
Oh?

Speaker 11 (01:23:59):
Get it, guys. I think it's one of the best
things that I've heard in a very long time. And
I'm usually pretty left leaning in terms of my approach
to politics and finances and so forth. But I'll say
these two things. As a country, financially, we're not in

(01:24:19):
great shape, and I'm not trying to point figures why
we're there. It's just that is a statement of fact.
We need people to support themselves. I think as a culture,
as a country, we have this idea that if something's
wrong in our environment, then the government's going to front
up with some money to pay for it. And I

(01:24:42):
have to say I'm well overhearing that from individuals and
interest groups and sports clubs. If you want something, get
off your butt and go and get it, don't need
to be the government to pay for here.

Speaker 2 (01:24:55):
So if you had a child that was nineteen and
wasn't studying, and it wasn't didn't have a job, you
think that that is your responsibility to cover him or.

Speaker 11 (01:25:09):
Her, absolutely, And I'll take it just one step further.
I think it's your family's responsibility to look after that situation.
And part of doing that is to get that person
into a situation where they're doing something constructive, whether it
is further learning, whether it's in terms of a study,

(01:25:33):
or it's paid learning in terms of an apprenticeship, or
it's actually you've got a job. I know a couple
of young guys who were in that situation and they
come out of school with no real qualifications didn't look
like a great future for themselves, and so what they
did instead of sitting around and expecting the government to

(01:25:54):
hand amount money, they've started up a little gardening business
and they've got more work than they can possibly handle.
And now they're at the stage where they've bought a
lower cost rental property somewhere else in the country that
they're renting out. And I'm going that's the sort of
people what we need in our society, and no more
of this. The government's going to pay for everything that's

(01:26:16):
wrong with us.

Speaker 3 (01:26:17):
Greg, I agree with what you're saying, but where I
have a problem is the means testing element. Surely it
would make more sense to incentivize across the board. It
doesn't matter what you're earning as a family or what
your parents are earning. If you're in that position and
your child is out of work at eighteen or nineteen,
there's got to be incentives across the board, because as
I read it now, it just means that that parents
who have done well for themselves will not have any

(01:26:39):
sort of safety net for their children at that stage
of their life, whereas those who are at the bottom
end of the scale.

Speaker 2 (01:26:45):
It is status quo.

Speaker 12 (01:26:47):
I look, I.

Speaker 11 (01:26:48):
Actually agree with you. It shouldn't be means tested. And
I know where we have that very egalitarian approach to society.
I think in this case it's wrong. It sends all
the wrong messages. It's about family. Take control and get
your family members into a situation where they can see
a future for them.

Speaker 2 (01:27:10):
Yeah, and I thank you for you cool Greg. This
text is the job seeker is means tested already. If
you have cash or assets, you'll get nothing until those
are depleted. Yeah, but that's not the case if you
are eighteen between eighteen and nineteen, because you don't have
any assets at this point. But they're saying that they're
going to means test your parents.

Speaker 3 (01:27:28):
That's the change. We also are keen to get your
thoughts on changes to the Best Start credit. So the
best start credit, if you don't know, is payments that
give extra support to your family over the first three
years of a child's life. So the best Start text
credit will also be means tested. A lot of means
testing coming into this budget from April twenty twenty six,
with payments starting to decline above a family income of

(01:27:51):
seventy nine thousand dollars A year and cut all together
for incomes above ninety seven thousand dollars. When you look
at a family income of ninety seven thousand dollars, so
if you've got two parents, that is not a hell
of a lot of money.

Speaker 2 (01:28:03):
Yeah. Well, we've got to ask ourselves do we want
more children in this country? And I think we desperately
need more child Our replacement rate is dire and so
you know, I don't know, you know, we can't support
absolutely everything, but personally, I feel like something that we
need to support is getting people to be able to
have as many children as we can get people to have. Yeah,

(01:28:24):
I think that's somewhere in terms of growth and in
terms of our economy going forward, in terms of paying
super going forward. We need some more people coming through.
We need more babies. Invest in growing babies. You get them,
get them in the ground, get them growing.

Speaker 3 (01:28:38):
Nicely said, Oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty is the
number to call love to hear your thoughts about the budget.

Speaker 2 (01:28:43):
It is nineteen past three. Bag very shortly.

Speaker 1 (01:28:47):
What's your take? Call Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty,
and have yours stay on budget of twenty twenty five.
Matt Heath and Taylor Adams afternoons on news talks.

Speaker 3 (01:28:55):
That'd be very good afternoon to you, and we are
talking about budget twenty twenty five, of course, and getting
your thoughts on it on O eight hundred eighty ten
eighty some good techs coming through.

Speaker 2 (01:29:03):
Hi there, guys. I can't believe young adults of eighteen
and nineteen are on the benefit. I see so many
of my friends slash clients, kids just doing what they
like and sponging off their parents even when their parents
aren't well off, not even pulling their weight in the house.
They say they have no money, then go out to concerts, parties,
et cetera, and don't contribute to food, then saying that
they don't have any money and spending their benefit on themselves.

(01:29:26):
There are jobs, but sometimes you have to do any
job until the right one comes along. So many young
ones doing degrees and getting in debt, and their degree
won't even get them a job in the real world
as it hasn't translated into a job, as it's a
degree that it isn't ever going to lead to a job,
says this text.

Speaker 3 (01:29:43):
Yeap, So that is in relation to an announcement in
the budget that those who are eighteen or nineteen will
not be eligible for the benefit unless their parents are
unable to financially support them.

Speaker 2 (01:29:54):
So can you get your view on that? Oh, one
hundred and eighty ten eighty, And of course perhaps people
text in what are these people going to do? As
another text to says, well, you know there's provisions there
for special circumstances where people can apply for support, but
obviously need to be investigated and legit as George says, yeah,
so it's not you know, if there's problems with the

(01:30:15):
family or you know, estranged, whatever has happened. Dean, welcome
to the show your thoughts on on budget twenty twenty five.

Speaker 9 (01:30:24):
Yday, guys, and thanks for having me look for my position,
I give it a strong seven, but like your previous
caller from the no nonsense policy and ensuring that defense
and crime and education, health and governance, I give it

(01:30:49):
a nine out of ten. But for me, why it's
seven is that there was enough focus on the export orientation,
which is going to drive US as as a country
to increase our GDP. So that's and I can give
you an example, but I'm just waiting for your thoughts.

Speaker 3 (01:31:11):
Well, we'd love to hear the examples. You're talking about
export businesses, you think they needed some more incentives.

Speaker 9 (01:31:19):
Look, from my point of view, if you look at Ireland,
which is the ECOD population of five point three million,
five point four million, such as US Ireland and bess
And through their enterprise island into two point one billion
dollars in New Zealand a year across their sneeze and

(01:31:40):
to grow sneeze AI enterprises and their export focus New
Zealand Trade and Enterprise we spend two hundred and fifty million,
So that's the island with the same population spends ten
times to grow their exporters and focus. From not just

(01:32:01):
the top twenty which we hear about all the time,
the pointers and all that, it's how to drive the
amazing sneeze that Rezulders have to export overseason. We're at
the end of the we're at the end of the world.
We need help to grow. And it wasn't enough that.
Now I know there's changes in Callahan, what they're going

(01:32:24):
to do. There's going to be some kind of enterprise
use dealer. We have not seen it. So they got
to what's going to drive this come be forwards? And exporters.
The bulk of the kiwis that actually U sport are
not the top ten in terms of the in terms
of the numbers. It's a smeeeze.

Speaker 2 (01:32:45):
Yeah, it wasn't.

Speaker 3 (01:32:47):
So that tax incentive for businesses that was announced. You
think it doesn't go far enough and you're I mean,
would you have preferred to see There was some talk
around cutting the rate of corporate tax and you mentioned
Ireland there, and we know Ireland certainly has a small
rate of corporate tax at twelve point five percent, and
many argue that that helped turn the Ireland Irish economy around.

(01:33:07):
Was that more what you were hoping to see rather
than this tax and center for this tax break on machinery.

Speaker 9 (01:33:14):
I look at spot on what the government's done. That's
what I've said. I've given it nine out of ten
of what is motive. What's missing is the end to end.
What's needed to take a speeze going forward. SNAE need expertise, knowledge, advice, markets, pricing,
technology incentives. How would you grow out businesses overseas? That

(01:33:37):
was what's missing in terms of the machinery end, which
is a back end. Great, but you kind of best
unless you can find the focus that we're going to
build a business too, and that was missing.

Speaker 3 (01:33:51):
Yeah, right, nicely, said Dane. Very interesting. Yeah, there's some
great texts coming through on nine two nine two, but
just on the you know, there was a lot of
noise around that corporate tax discussion and that's a difficult
one for any government to start to x write because
they need that revenue coming in. And to Doane's point,
and he's in the industry and obviously very knowledgeable about it,

(01:34:12):
more incentive on the ability for New Zealand companies to
do business off shore. But do you think they made
a mistake not looking at that corporate tech side of things?

Speaker 2 (01:34:22):
Yeah, eight one hundred and eighty ten eighty. What do
you think BArch and check texts coming through Matt and Tyler.
You mentioned about your kids being eighteen or nineteen and
not having a jobs. These are not kids, these are adults.
Start treating them like adults. Yeah. My daughter was twenty
three years old and had been driving trucks for four
years and was on thirty seven dollars an hour. At
thirteen years old, she booked herself into a sharing school

(01:34:44):
and learned how to share sheep. They are all good
practical skills that a lot of the young ones lack.
That's from Mark. Yeah, I mean, so that's that's two
sides of it, isn't it. So eighteen and nineteen, they
aren't really kids anymore, but the governments saying that by
means testing the parents that they are still kids. Yeah,

(01:35:07):
So you're a you're elongating their childhood. Yeah, and so
you're sort of looking at that way way at the
same time, you're thinking, get off, you know, go and
get a job, get into some training, be an adult. Yeah,
but we are kind of saying that they're not adults yet.

Speaker 3 (01:35:23):
Well, that's why I'm taught on it, because I absolutely
get the argument of parental responsibility and encouraging your kids
to do what's needed to be successful in life. But
the idea of means testing, and there's a lot of
policies that talk about means testing, and we've long we've
long been told that means testing is a very inefficient
way to make changes, that universal is an easy way

(01:35:46):
to do it and more effective, that when you start
means testing it can cost a lot of money at
the Edmond side of things.

Speaker 2 (01:35:51):
But ken on your thoughts.

Speaker 3 (01:35:52):
Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty. It is twenty eight
past three. Headlines with railing coming.

Speaker 6 (01:35:56):
Up you talk sa'd be headlines with blue bubble taxes.
It's no trouble with a blue bubble. The finance ministers
delivered Budget twenty twenty five. The government's found four point
eight billion dollars a year in cost saving and cuts
much from pay equity changes. Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmond

(01:36:19):
says this budget is built on the back of working women.

Speaker 13 (01:36:22):
This government has clearly said that you're not worth it.

Speaker 6 (01:36:25):
However, GUS subsidies are worth it. Tobacco companies are worth it,
landlords are worth it. Multinational companies are worth it. Government
Keiwi Savior contributions are being capped to earners under one
hundred and eighty thousand a year and half to two
hundred and sixty dollars each a year. The best start
weekly payment for parents will be means tested, and eighteen

(01:36:48):
and nineteen year olds can only get welfare if parents
can't support them. That comes in from mid twenty twenty seven.
Healthcare and hospital infrastructure are getting a boost, and prescriptions
will be extended to a twelve month maximum businesses will
now be able to deduct twenty percent of a new
assets value from taxable income. Impossible position principles alarmed by

(01:37:11):
cuts to youth mental health service. You can read more
at ends at Herald Premium. Now back to matt Ethan
Tyler Adams.

Speaker 3 (01:37:18):
Thank you very much, Raylean, and we're getting your thoughts
on budget twenty twenty five.

Speaker 2 (01:37:23):
I wonder if Labor had budget in that. I asked
that question before. If Brad Olson and Jason Walls, but
you know, Labor are talking about this thirteen billion dollars
for their changes to the pay equity that they brought in,
did they know that it was going to blow out
to thirteen billion dollars. I'd like to have an honest
answer from them, or was that unforeseen circumstances from the

(01:37:45):
changes that they made in the legislation. And in fact,
if Labor were currently in charge of the budget, would
they be looking at that number and going, oh my god,
we need to do something about it. I'll just be
interested for the honest answer from them on it, because
when they were first talking about making those changes, they
weren't saying they weren't banning about thirteen billion dollars.

Speaker 3 (01:38:04):
Yeah, I mean it's a good question and someone needs
to put that to the Chris Hopkins. And we're also
being talking about the changes to the benefit system. So
many unemployed teams who do not study will not be
eligible from mid twenty twenty seven for the benefit. As
the government says these people should be supported by their
parents or guardians, not the taxpayer.

Speaker 2 (01:38:22):
Rachel, you want to talk about this. You've got an
eighteen year old.

Speaker 12 (01:38:26):
Hey, guys, enjoying your show.

Speaker 2 (01:38:28):
Thank you, thank you for reading.

Speaker 12 (01:38:30):
Yes, we do have an eighteen year old who has
left school and he didn't want to go on the benefit,
so he found a job. But unfortunately that job didn't
work out. So he's been temping and trying to get
in roads that way, which is great. He just started
going slatting and the temping has kind of not worked
out particularly well, so he's living pretty much hand to mouth.

(01:38:54):
He did ask us for a loan, because you know,
rent is jeew and power is due and all those
good things. And I know this might sound harsh, but
we've actually said no, and we're thinking that perhaps a
bit of hardship might push or you know, give him
a little bit more motivation, and I said to him,

(01:39:15):
I said, you know, obviously we love you, but there's
two reasons why I'm going to say no. One, we've
always said be the lender, not the borrower, so getting
in debt is not a good option. But two, are
you doing everything absolutely possible, like are you spending eight
hours a day looking for a job because your full
time job is getting a job? And he understood that

(01:39:37):
and as hard as it as a parent, and we
can't afford to help him, but we've also got other
children too, and they're all out of home. So where
do you draw the line?

Speaker 2 (01:39:49):
You know, so, but of course you are the backstop
of things got incredibly bad for him.

Speaker 21 (01:39:57):
Absolutely, yeah, absolutely, I've got a lot of sympathy for
this because, as I've said on this program before, there
was a period of time when I was on the
job seeker benefit and staying it at mum's place.

Speaker 3 (01:40:07):
But the very fact that it was it was bugger
all money as it should be gave me the motivation
to keep going, even though it was a tough space
after the GFC that mum wasn't going to bail me
out with extra money to go out with my mates.
She said, no, you're not bringing in any money, and
until you do, you're not going to do those fun things.

Speaker 2 (01:40:26):
That is part of it.

Speaker 3 (01:40:27):
So being on that the hardship allowance of the jobs
to go allowance when it's bugger all money and you
can say, as a parent that is what you were
living on.

Speaker 2 (01:40:34):
That is the net for you.

Speaker 3 (01:40:36):
Would hope that would give young people more motivation to
get employed or go into study.

Speaker 12 (01:40:43):
Perhaps I think you go both ways. I know I
was on a benefit when I at one point in
my life and I did everything possible to get the
hell off of it because I wanted more. But parents,
shelling out, shelling out, it's a cushy it's a cushy number.
Why wouldn't you want to stay at home or why
wouldn't you want to just sponge off your parents?

Speaker 2 (01:41:03):
Well we had a text Rachel through that you know, said,
these aren't kids eighteen and nineteen, they're not kids anymore,
they're adults. What age do you think that you're an
adult and you're in charge of your own life.

Speaker 12 (01:41:18):
Well, that's a tough one. It depends on the maturity
of the eighteen or nineteen year old and how they
handle responsibility. And you know, we talk with our kids
and we say, okay, are you ready for flashing? Let's
talk about that. What does it entailed? Da? Da da?
And you know, sometimes they may they may fail at
theirs and they may have to come home. But look
at all the learning that they're doing at the same

(01:41:38):
time and getting into a flat, being responsible for your
own rent and your own food, getting out from under
your parents. You know, it could go to those ways.

Speaker 2 (01:41:47):
Yeah, well, at that time when you first move out
of home. When I moved out when I was seventeen
and eighteen and nineteen, I was so broke, the level
of broke I was, but it was kind of it
was okay, didn't you.

Speaker 3 (01:42:01):
Live in a shack that had no insulation?

Speaker 2 (01:42:03):
And I lived I lived in a bank vault in
an abandoned bank for a while, and then moved into
a shed out the back of that's an upgrade. But
they were good times. They were good times.

Speaker 12 (01:42:13):
Were crying crying walls and crying windows.

Speaker 2 (01:42:16):
Remember those days, which is a lot about life. Rachel. Yeah,
is a living off chip Buddies, two middle Noodle sandwiches
and yep, boy.

Speaker 19 (01:42:31):
All.

Speaker 2 (01:42:32):
Thank you so much for your call. Rachel. You sound
like a great parent. Appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (01:42:36):
Interesting, Thank you very much. Yeah, interesting. I think she
put that very well. One hundred and eighty ten eighty
is the number to call hate. What's your view on
the budget the benefit changes there?

Speaker 22 (01:42:48):
You going je me one hundred percent agree. What they're
doing is now, it's about responsibility. If you've got kids,
the days are over that you're not going to get
a handout from the government pretty much, so it's up
to you. They got two years basically from now, hadn't
they twenty seven to basically when the know this is coming.
So you got kids to the home planning videos or

(01:43:08):
whatever they're doing slagging around the culture. What are they're
doing is well the parents got to say that's like
the previous lady just said, it's time to kids to
get out there. You know, it's not easy for young ones.
We've got to admit that. You know, I was in
my myne I got no kids myself, but I nieces
and nephews.

Speaker 11 (01:43:26):
And all that.

Speaker 22 (01:43:27):
They all went to two markets. They're all gone through
pre training courses and they're all done well. And I
wasn't given to them their parents. It's all about basically
their parents educating their kids.

Speaker 10 (01:43:41):
They know the kids has got that.

Speaker 22 (01:43:42):
Who can leave school in their seventy and soa wait,
what do you do when leave school? It's about the
parents to start teaching their kids. We're not going to
get the sport from the government anymore, so it's up
to the parents to do something.

Speaker 2 (01:43:54):
Yeah, fair enough, Pete, I would say, adding to what
I was talking to Rachel about, the best time to
be completely broken your life. A fantastic time to be
broke is when you're eighteen in nineteen twenty. Yeah, that
is when you want to be broke. Your body's in
good condition. You can handle it. You can handle terrible
cheap food. Yep, you can. You can handle it.

Speaker 3 (01:44:16):
You can go a couple of days without eating too much.
If you just want to eat eggs for a week,
absolutely you can do that.

Speaker 2 (01:44:21):
That's what I did. A terrible time to be broke
is when you're in your sixties and seventies. That's the time.
You don't want to be absolutely broke in your fifties,
And you also don't want to be really broke when
you've got cats.

Speaker 3 (01:44:31):
No or a mortgage, or responsibilities or bills.

Speaker 2 (01:44:35):
But when you're eighteen and nineteen and you've just left home.
You are a resilient human being that can be can
be brocass and you'll tell the stories with pride for
the rest of your life of how broke you like
living in a bank Voulta then a shit.

Speaker 3 (01:44:48):
Oh, one hundred and eighty ten eighty is the number
to call where we're taking your thoughts on budget twenty
twenty five, So really keen to get your thoughts. Scott's
been hanging on the line for some time. Scott, thanks
for hanging on.

Speaker 13 (01:45:02):
Yeah, no problem to my thoughts around the budget is
on the best they can without ripping the guts out
of everything and giving a few things that can make
life a little bit easier for a few people and
also for businesses, especially with that plant and stuff like that,
that'll make a big difference to a lot of people.

(01:45:23):
My thoughts around it would be what what are we
doing to increase revenue? A gentleman a few times a
few back raise this issue as well. Is they can't
slash everything because obviously, well you know, we don't when
we don't want to tax everyone either, because that's not
going to help the economy.

Speaker 11 (01:45:42):
Doesn't help businesses.

Speaker 13 (01:45:43):
As what we're doing is playing the government not actually helping,
you know, with small businesses or medium businesses by spending
money in their workplaces. We need to look at how
we're going to go about it. So like a budget,
I'd like to see a national growth budget. If you
like it, how are we going to grow? I'd like

(01:46:04):
to see a day where the government come to the
come to you all and say, hey, we're going to
do this, this and this and this and that's going
to generate this explos So for example, let's say.

Speaker 11 (01:46:14):
These are oil and gas.

Speaker 13 (01:46:15):
Now, Greens came out and said they wanted to increase
I can't believe them saying this increase increase royalties on
oil and gas expiration to four percent or whatever. It
was like, Now, that's not a bad idea, and I
believe I said that.

Speaker 9 (01:46:30):
But you have to give incentive.

Speaker 13 (01:46:33):
You have to give them. You have to give them
something so you can get something, if you know what
I mean. So you want to, you want to, you
want to bring them into the country to dig it
up and go hard whatever, So you give them. Let's
say we go to ten percent royalties and I think
Norway for examples fifteen.

Speaker 3 (01:46:49):
Oh, Scott, we've just lost year, but hopefully it'll come back.

Speaker 2 (01:46:53):
To you bet yeah.

Speaker 22 (01:46:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:46:54):
What you're saying there is if they're going to increase
the royalty, Scott, what you're saying is they have to
have a runway. You have to and interesting that the
Greens are putting that forward, but for that royalty to realize,
you would have to be able to confirm who these
people investing in that industry, that they can do it
for ten, fifteen, twenty thirty years and actually make money,

(01:47:16):
and then they will invest and then we can get
the money back. Is that what you're saying, Scott, Yes, correct.

Speaker 13 (01:47:21):
Yes, So right now we get about one point five
billion in revenue from royalties out of oil and gas,
which of course is dropp dramatically because of what's happened
in the last you know, let's say ten years are
with these termits not being able to be unlocked. For example,
Now if we raise that to four percent, you know,
you're obviously doubling the money in the jazz blah blah blah.
So we're going to generate more. But if you could

(01:47:42):
turn that into tenfolds, right, because there's plenty to go
look for, and there's plenty of coal. Then there's plenty
of goals and whatnot. We can definitely turn ourselves around
from one hion, one hundred and ninety billion dollars deficit.
What's it blowing out to two hundred and.

Speaker 2 (01:47:56):
Forty Yeah, forty in the next four years.

Speaker 5 (01:48:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 13 (01:48:00):
We can't keep taxing ourselves to get there, and we
can't keep cussing things either, because today's modern world requires
a lot of the stuff that we have. And I
don't want to see, you know, people going hard either.
But you know, sometimes you have to think of a
bit of hard love. But we need to find ways
to generate it instead of saving it, you know, and

(01:48:21):
pulling it from somewhere else to make the books look good.
And I skid scares me whenever I hear can say
we can borrow more. Dude, we got here because we
borrowed more. Like don't whoever is the pr person for
labor needs to probably say to them, don't use those words broke.

Speaker 4 (01:48:35):
Yeah, they're not good.

Speaker 13 (01:48:37):
They're not good. There's a lot of people who are
hurting because of that. So I just want to hear
how they're going to change our lives, how they're going
to change this country. How are they going to go
about getting their infrastructure. Don't tell me you're going to
do it. Show me how you're going to do it.
Who are you going to go see? How is it
going to happen? We're Fall Lane road to Todoga from Auckland. Okay,

(01:48:59):
When is it going to start? And who's investing in it?
That's what I want to know. Is it going to
be told? When's it start? I don't We're done with
the spin, done with the media just attacking whichever party
it is. I want to hear real things that are
going to change New Zealanders' lives. I'm done with the rest.

Speaker 2 (01:49:18):
Right. What do you think? What about the investment boost
is that? Are you excited about that? The depreciation changes?
Do you think that'll lift grey?

Speaker 13 (01:49:26):
I think yes, I think it'll it'll do some. I
don't know if it'll do enough, but we'll see. I
guess proof being the putting one at for yeah, I'd
like to see more of that side of things. And
you know, the key we save at one percent. I
don't think that's going to make much difference. It's not
a bad thing to do it. It'll it'll it'll grow
like that. Gentleman, said earlier brand I think it was

(01:49:50):
a I think I think it was that makes a
big difference over the lifespan of your policy.

Speaker 3 (01:49:55):
Yeah, and a percent over three years gives businesses time
to adjust. Yep, Scott, thank you very much. Keen to
get your views on our eight hundred and eighty ten
eighty it is quartered a four.

Speaker 2 (01:50:06):
And cash injection.

Speaker 1 (01:50:08):
Who's getting what? On twenty five with Matt Heath and
Tyler Adams News Talks that.

Speaker 3 (01:50:13):
Be good afternoon. Getting your thoughts on budget twenty twenty.

Speaker 2 (01:50:16):
Five, can I Andrew delay good to change? What's your thoughts?

Speaker 3 (01:50:23):
You want to talk about the changes to benefits?

Speaker 23 (01:50:26):
Yeah, yeah, I've been hanging around for a while, so
it's a bit of a surprise.

Speaker 3 (01:50:30):
She's a popular hour, Andrew. But what what's you take
on it?

Speaker 2 (01:50:33):
It's great to hear.

Speaker 23 (01:50:34):
In your popular shows. My thoughts have been replicated of
huge time, so I'm not you know, you know, reinrogate
the past. But I think there's a couple of callers
that have talked about how to get New Zealand sort

(01:50:57):
of in sort a phase where it's actually creating jobs
apart from just you know, everything else. And I think
that you know, when you're talk about exporting, I don't
think that's the final solution on exporting. I hope. Well,

(01:51:19):
I've got a lot of creative people here in New
Zealand and yeah, and the businesses to get brought up
and sold.

Speaker 2 (01:51:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:51:31):
Yeah, a lot of people would agree with that, Andrew.
But to your point about the benefits, that yet may
cause some consternation and somehouseholds.

Speaker 2 (01:51:38):
But you think it's a fair thing to do.

Speaker 23 (01:51:42):
Oh, the benefits okay, so the benefits are.

Speaker 19 (01:51:49):
Let them go.

Speaker 3 (01:51:53):
Yep, all right, thank you, yeah, thank you very much,
and good to get you on. Really appreciate it. Oh,
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is the number to call.
There's a truckload of texts that have come through. We
might try and get to a few of those.

Speaker 2 (01:52:04):
What a load of crap. I was not asked to
be born. It's hard out there. Perhaps businesses should not
be able to claim GST and interest extra money. I
remember having that argument with my parents once when they
were telling me off, and I said, I never asked
to be born. To hell of an argument, doesn't I mean,
there's the logic, is there?

Speaker 9 (01:52:20):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:52:20):
But also life is good when you're a kid. Yeah,
and my parents said, well, we never planned to have
you either. That's good because a good answer.

Speaker 3 (01:52:29):
All right, well you're going to play some messages, but
we're going to come back very shortly.

Speaker 2 (01:52:33):
It is tender for.

Speaker 1 (01:52:36):
The big stories, the big issues, the big trends and
everything in between. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams afternoons used
Talk SEDB News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 3 (01:52:46):
She sounds excited, doesn't she. That is coming up very shortly.
But Carl, you want to have a chat about being
on the benefit?

Speaker 24 (01:52:54):
Yeah, to the point. A bit of a dark side
of my family. But when I was eighteen, I remember
my parents telling me, you know, what are you doing?
If you like mate, you're leaving school? You got anything
lined up? I just had nothing lined up. Just go
Stratton a doll, just on the doll, get paid by
the government. And that's what That's what my parents there. Man,

(01:53:16):
don't I'm happy to say it now because I've looked
back and gone, how wrong was that message? You know,
that's just not the not the right way. And I'll
bet you there's a lot out there pretty similar. You know,
it can't be can't be sure. But if that's the case,
this is going to help a heap of that. I
think it's silly. Yeah, it's pretty silly, you know. And
and I did go on the doll and I was

(01:53:37):
only for nine months, but I definitely knew you can't
live on it, and I had an inkling that I'm.

Speaker 9 (01:53:45):
Better than that.

Speaker 24 (01:53:46):
And you just have to go through that process. If
you're in that environment, it's hard to think out of it.
It's not you know what I mean. So you really
have to sort of figure it out yourself and just
get some life experience. And thankfully I did. But I
just had a good attitude. And I think that's the
biggest part too.

Speaker 16 (01:54:03):
You got it.

Speaker 24 (01:54:04):
You can't just look at that as the system is
going to get through. It's just not designed for that.

Speaker 2 (01:54:10):
Yeah, very well, said Carl.

Speaker 3 (01:54:11):
Yeah, and look, let's changed my thinking on that particular policy,
because Carl's quite right that if there are families out
there that just see us as an easy option you
don't know what to do, just go on the benefit,
then there is the wrong way of thinking.

Speaker 2 (01:54:24):
Absolutely. Well, thank you so much with your great New
Zealanders for listening to the show. We had a great time.
Hope you did the Mattila Afnows podcast will be out
in about an hour. If you missed any of our
excellent chats on how to save our CBDs and an
in depth budget analysis from Brad Olsen and Jason Walls.
That was a great chat, so jump on our podcast
where you get your pods. The Great Heather Duplea c

(01:54:45):
Ellen coming up next Live to you from Wellington with
Nichola Willis, and we're going to finish with a song
from Kiwi band Voom, the new album Something Good is Happening.
I got the album on the weekend. It was fantastic.
I got it on vinyl, so I'm playing a song
to finish the show. And a great band boom Ah.
They're my favorite New Zealand band, so I'm playing a
track off the album every day this week to celebrate them.

(01:55:07):
All right, thanks so much for listening to you all
Tomorrow I have I Until then, where if you are,
what are you doing this afternoon? Give him a taste
of keywee.

Speaker 9 (01:55:20):
Sure?

Speaker 4 (01:55:34):
And every time then look at kill An every time.
Let see.

Speaker 1 (01:55:50):
Last look.

Speaker 15 (01:56:25):
Madam tailand.

Speaker 1 (01:56:27):
For more from News Talks at b Listen live on
air or online and keep our shows with you Wherever
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