Full Show Podcast: 28 August 2026

On the Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons Full Show Podcast for Air NZ ‘s massive loss – should the Government sell its 52% shareholding.

And - Suggestions a shake-up in the structure of NZ rugby would benefit the game. 

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

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from Newstalk ZB. Follow this
and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio. The
big stories, the big issues, the big trends, and everything
in between. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons. Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Very good afternoon to you. Welcome into the show. It
is seven past one on a Friday afternoon. Hope you're
doing well and thanks very much for giving us a listen.
G'day Matt Heath.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
G'day Tyler Adams. G'day everyone. 0800 8010 80. Give us
a ring and let's have a chat. Got three hours
of talkback radio.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
We certainly do.

Speaker 4 (00:48):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
We've already done one.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
We have.

Speaker 3 (00:51):
We've got three to go.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
We're 25% down?

Speaker 5 (00:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (00:54):
And another 75% of absolute magic to go.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
Well, see, that would be a mystery for some people
because we're not nationwide from 12.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Oh, good point.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
It's just some lucky areas that get us.

Speaker 6 (01:04):
Yep, yep.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
You lucky, lucky people get an extra 25% of Matt
Heath and Tyler Adams' afternoons. Right, great to have you listening,
but let's get into this conversation because it is going
to be interesting. So, Air New Zealand has had another
really tough year. I think that won't surprise many of us,
but it is interesting. Down $ 336 million before tax. That's
in the last financial year. So its results to the

(01:26):
year to June 30 were announced today, and it was
widely expected to face a loss of about $ 350 million,
and it was pretty close to that. The airline says
higher jet fuel prices, engine availability issues. Lifecycle maintenance costs,
extra maintenance costs on leased engines and aviation system costs,
we're largely to blame for that loss. But it all
comes as its rival Qantas reported a more than $ 1. 5

(01:49):
billion profit after tax yesterday. And with Air New Zealand
not paying a dividend, that means the government, us as taxpayers,
miss out on $ 41. 2 million this financial year. But independent
commentator Irene King, she says the business is too complex

(02:09):
to sustain at the moment.

Speaker 7 (02:10):
They really have to think about how are you going
to sustain the New Zealand customer base.

Speaker 4 (02:16):
Because that is so pivotal. Keeping your home market stable.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
So it does come, as we know, on a pretty
tough couple of years for Air New Zealand. It suspended
its earnings guidance. It's raised airfares, had to raise airfares,
they say, and also cut domestic and international services over
the past 12 months. And Forthside Bar believes, or they've forecasted,
that they're going to face another loss next year as well.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yes, so we own 52% of them as New Zealanders,
as the government, as taxpayers. We own 52% of them.
They're not paying a dividend, obviously, if they're losing... hundreds
of millions of dollars. So, should we buff him? Do
we need to own Air New Zealand?

Speaker 2 (03:00):
It's an interesting question. 880, 1080, is that number to call?
Do you think we should, as Matt Heath says, buff him?
Sell him? Get rid of him?

Speaker 3 (03:07):
See what we can get from them and spend that
money on, I don't know, paying down debt. Because we
We owe a lot of money.

Speaker 4 (03:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:14):
You know, we're borrowing money to pay interest on debt,
so maybe sell there in New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
Have some money on top of the debt, lower the
interest rates, let's go. I mean, I don't know how
much you'd get for them.

Speaker 8 (03:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:25):
I mean, they've got billions and billions and billions of
dollars worth of aircraft.

Speaker 5 (03:28):
Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
So those who are in favour of selling say it
is a commercial business, but taxpayers, they say, shouldn't carry
the risk of losses or subsidise an airline... while fare
rise and routes are cut at the same time. It's
a double whammy, they say. And they also make the
point selling could make it more commercially focused and reduce
that political influence. But obviously, on the other side, which

(03:49):
includes Winston Peters, they say that Air New Zealand is
a critical national infrastructure. It supports tourism, exports, jobs and
regional connections. And they argue government ownership provides stability through
downturns and ensures the airline serves the national interest, not
just shareholders.

Speaker 3 (04:05):
This texter says, imagine having pretty much a monopoly and
still losing money. Air New Zealand is just a bottomless pit.
They have had, to quote the name of the Wolfgang
Peterson movie, a perfect storm of problems they've faced, haven't they?
They have, yeah. You've got the problems with the engines,

(04:27):
problems with the fleet, you've got the fuel problems, you know.
Engine availability for the longest time, the unexpected fuel shock.
I mean, those two things alone are about $ 400 million.
And I know that you've got their fleet back now.

Speaker 4 (04:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (04:44):
But that was a long time. And when you didn't
have your fleet, you're still having to put planes in
the air.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
So what do you say? Do we help them through
these tough years and hopefully they get back into profit
in the next two or three years? Or is it
time for the government to seriously look at whether we
actually need this to own? majority own this airline.

Speaker 3 (05:04):
Well, this texter says, chuckle, people who expect airlines to
make money are naive. Qantas made money.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
They made a lot of money.

Speaker 3 (05:11):
Qantas made, what was their profit?

Speaker 2 (05:14):
$ 1. 5 billion.

Speaker 3 (05:15):
Yeah, $ 1. 5 billion profit.

Speaker 5 (05:16):
Well, Air New Zealand is losing hundreds of millions.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, so it can be done. Obviously, that is their
closest rival when it comes to airlines. But what do
you say? 0800 80 1080 is the number to call.
Is it time to sell off Air New Zealand? Or
do you think it is important to keep it? Tell us.
It is 12 past one.

Speaker 3 (05:33):
The big stories.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
The big issues. The big trends. And everything in between.
Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.

Speaker 9 (05:40):
Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (05:41):
14 past 1, so on the back of another substantial
loss in the financial year for Air New Zealand, down
$ 336 million. The question has again popped up, is it
time for the government to consider selling off Air New Zealand,
its majority share, to improve its commercial value within this country?

(06:01):
What do you say?

Speaker 3 (06:02):
If Air New Zealand aren't going to pay us a dividend,
they should at least show us the respect of not
wasting our time with their brutal safety videos. They have
the eighth wonder of the world on at the moment.
The eighth wonder of the world, that one.

Speaker 4 (06:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (06:17):
That's a brutal one.

Speaker 5 (06:18):
I had that.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
I flow up and down the country twice in 24
hours last week, and I had that twice. That is
a brutal. That's a difficult one to get through. Brutal
is the right word. The six says, oh, this person
saw it four times this week.

Speaker 10 (06:37):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (06:37):
Any loyalty I have to the airline is eroded by
those safety videos. They're so long. I love my country,
but their videos make me a little embarrassed in front
of the Aussies sitting beside me on my last flight.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
Do you agree with that? I mean, that's hard to
argue with. I mean, look, I'd take the takahē over
the eighth wonder of the world, and that's saying something.
The takahē is pretty punishing.

Speaker 8 (06:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (06:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (06:59):
I think the eighth wonder of the world is the
most insulting one to make you sit through. Just the
quickest you can possibly get through the safety information.

Speaker 4 (07:07):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (07:07):
Just get through there really, really quick.

Speaker 2 (07:10):
30 seconds, bada bing, bada doo, like the Chinese airlines do.
That's like less than 30 seconds.

Speaker 3 (07:14):
It's just information we need.

Speaker 4 (07:15):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (07:16):
You don't need to run a whole celebration of yourself
in the safety video.

Speaker 4 (07:21):
Mm-hmm.

Speaker 2 (07:23):
Self-sourcing.

Speaker 3 (07:23):
Yeah, it's a massive, the hubris of the whole situation
sitting there watching. It is quite, I mean, that sounds,
it's clearly a first world problem. But they tell you,
they look at you and they make you watch.

Speaker 2 (07:35):
They do. And if you've got one earplug in and
you're trying to watch and say, excuse me, sir, can
you just remove your earplug? So I'm still listening.

Speaker 3 (07:42):
Yeah. Even if you travel with us often.

Speaker 2 (07:46):
You can memorise that line now. 0800 80 1080 is
the number to call. G'day, Trevor. Hey, guys, how are you?
Very good. What do you reckon?

Speaker 10 (07:55):
Well, just on safety videos, I mean, the old late,
great Bob Jones, he actually bought a private jet.

Speaker 11 (08:00):
He actually said the reason he bought it is.

Speaker 10 (08:03):
Because he got stuck in the bloody safety video.

Speaker 4 (08:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (08:06):
No, I don't know if that was entirely true, but
I had a bit of a giggle.

Speaker 3 (08:09):
Yeah, because he started wearing, like, taking earmuffs on so
we didn't have to listen to them, and then they
were forcing him to take the earmuffs off, and he
was like, he got marched off the plane, I believe.
And they went, that's it, I'm buying a private jet.
I can't take this anymore.

Speaker 2 (08:21):
What a legend.

Speaker 3 (08:22):
I mean, not all of us have that option.

Speaker 10 (08:24):
No.

Speaker 3 (08:24):
I don't have the option to buy a private jet.

Speaker 10 (08:27):
No, you did right. Look, I've been a bit lucky,
and I've just come back from around Asia and that,
and went to the old famous Changi Airport. And, man,
have you ever seen that? It's mind-blowing to go into planes.
But you never see an Air New Zealand plane anywhere.
And I just want to know this emphasis we have
on Air New Zealand. Everybody sees it. They relate it
to Air New Zealand. I find it interesting, Qantas, Australian

(08:51):
government's got no shares at all in Qantas, but everybody
knows Qantas is Australia. And this sort of talk of
being linked to the government and our country and that,
I just don't think it matters. I really don't. And
I just think we should get an independent company, a
financial company, and just give us the true facts and

(09:12):
figures about, you know, Air New Zealand is always, how
much money do we have to give them over COVID?

Speaker 7 (09:18):
A lot.

Speaker 2 (09:19):
I don't have the figures, but yeah, it was a
lot to keep them going.

Speaker 10 (09:24):
Yeah, and look, I don't know whether people, what percentage
of overseas tourists Air New Zealand brings, and you know
all the facts and figures, but as I say, you know,
when you travel around some of those airports, went into
the old Denpaso one there, and you never see an
Air New Zealand plane, you go to America, you never
see an Air New Zealand plane. So I'm just wondering
if it's overstated about all these people who see Air

(09:46):
New Zealand and want to go to New Zealand for
a holiday. I don't think it's actually related, to tell
you the truth, Air New Zealand with tourism.

Speaker 2 (09:53):
Yeah, I don't know about that, Trevor. I think once
upon a time we were, you know, when we were
winning those awards, and I know people say awards, who
cares about those apart from those who are taking part,
but I think once upon a time we were seen
as one of the best airlines in the world, and
that no doubt has some value to us as a country.
but I think you're right are we still up there
at the top I don't know I think we lost
that crown some time ago.

Speaker 3 (10:13):
What happens Trevor if it just isn't profitable to run
domestic airlines in New Zealand and so a company comes
in and then companies keep going bust trying to do
it then what do we do No.

Speaker 10 (10:29):
You're dead right. I mean, this is the whole thing
about it. It would be just good to have, I
know that lady Irene, she is, I don't know how
deep she is into financials, but it would just be,
I'd love to know the real monetary facts and what
would happen. I mean, I think Jetstar would just climb
into New Zealand. You know, if Air New Zealand wasn't
in New Zealand, you know, they're lucky they're helped by Qantas.

(10:51):
They have to stand by themselves, but they're helped by Qantas.
And I just think if Air New Zealand went, for
internal travel, I just think Jetstar would just step right
in and provide what we want. You know, I know
it's nice to go on a plane and you might
do premium quantity or your lucky business class, but they're
all much and much, really, different air companies. I mean,
I find it incredible how they rate sort of Air

(11:13):
New Zealand better than Qantas. I mean, when you go on,
they all seem very equal. You know, the food's okay, the...
stuff like that. So I'd love to know the true
financial importance of there being an Air New Zealand because,
you know, internal travel, I've got no doubt Jetstar would
jump in and do everything in New Zealand that's needed
if there was no Air New Zealand.

Speaker 3 (11:33):
But then if there was no Air New Zealand, would
they just start ramping up the price because there's no competition?

Speaker 10 (11:40):
No, no, no. I don't think they would because they
sell themselves, and they are, a budget airline, right? They,
you know, even in New Zealand, nine times out of 10,
they'll be cheaper than in New Zealand. And, you know,
they're getting better there. They're not as late as they
used to be. New Zealand is late sometimes. And I
think they will keep, I mean, they're going to bring
Qantas in and, you know, charge those prices. I think

(12:03):
they'd be very happy to have budget airlines throughout New
Zealand and, if there was no Air New Zealand, whether
people in New Zealand are paying or not getting any
money and it's costing them a lot of money, I
still think that Jetstar would stay a budget airline in
New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (12:19):
Yeah, Trevor, thank you very much for your call. Yeah,
whether that's true, I think I'd lean more to what
you were saying, Matt, that if it's just Jetstar or
a really you know, they don't have too much competition,
then that's the inshittification of the airline in this country.
Would they keep trying to do better? I think if
they had a monopoly, they would just say, well, we'll
just go back to how we originally started. We're not

(12:41):
going to turn up on time. We're going to raise
our prices. They don't care about us.

Speaker 12 (12:45):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (12:46):
Someone's saying that, you know, we've bailed out Air New
Zealand a bunch of times and, you know, there was
the 2020-2022 sort of COVID rescue support package from the government,
wasn't there?

Speaker 4 (12:56):
Mm-hmm.

Speaker 3 (12:57):
And I think they initially offered $ 900 million Crown loan facility.
They expanded it for $ 1.

Speaker 9 (13:03):
5 billion.

Speaker 3 (13:04):
I'm not sure how much of that Air New Zealand
drew upon. I think it was less than a billion.

Speaker 4 (13:10):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (13:11):
But have Air New Zealand paid that back? I mean,
of course, we supported them in other ways, didn't we?
So wage subsidies. There was a bunch of other ways
we supported them outside of that loan during the time.
But have they paid that back?

Speaker 2 (13:27):
It's a good question. I don't know the answer to that.
I mean, they haven't had the ability to pay much.

Speaker 3 (13:32):
Because when they're not paying a dividend here and they've
got this loss, that loss isn't actually costing the taxpayer anything.

Speaker 13 (13:38):
At the moment.

Speaker 4 (13:39):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (13:39):
They're just borrowing it, right?

Speaker 10 (13:40):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (13:41):
But that's if they've paid back what they, you know.
Pay back what was lent to them in the COVID times.

Speaker 15 (13:49):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (13:50):
I've just had a wee look here and it appears
that they did repay the $ 850 million that they drew down.
So they paid that back in 2022. They managed to
pay that back using funds from a $ 2. 2 billion recapitalisation package.

Speaker 1 (14:03):
Right.

Speaker 2 (14:03):
So they had to push to pay it back, but
they did pay it back.

Speaker 3 (14:05):
So you could argue if they've paid that back, and
then of course it was the massive bailout in 2001.
But if they've paid that back and, you know, we
may not be getting a dividend, but we're not actually
losing money from having them. So, you know, and I
guess we're losing money in that we own 52% of
them and they may have value. that we could capitalize that.

(14:30):
We could sell them and get that money and spend
it on other things.

Speaker 2 (14:33):
That's the other part of it. What do you say, though?
0800 80 1080. With the problems that Air New Zealand
is facing at the moment, is it time the government
seriously looks at selling its share, our share, of that airline?
What do you say? 0800 80 1080 is the number,
and 9292 is the text number. It is 23 past 1.
Newstalk ZP, it is 26 past one. And if you're

(14:56):
running a business with vehicles on the road, you'll know
how quickly fuel costs can add up and how much
time disappears sorting out receipts, reimbursements and figuring out who
filled up where. and how much it all costs. But
the Z business fuel card takes care of all of that.
It's accepted at Z plus Caltex and Challenge stations right
across New Zealand.

Speaker 3 (15:16):
So wherever your business is going, whether your team is
working locally or covering the whole country, there's always a
station on the way. You're genuinely never far from a fill.

Speaker 2 (15:25):
And with the Z business, you get fuel savings that
truly add up.

Speaker 3 (15:28):
Less time managing fuel admin, less time chasing paperwork, more
time actually running your business the way you want to.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
It's one of those changes that seems small on paper,
but as we know, makes a real difference once you've
made it. It is simple to apply, super easy to use,
and it works everywhere your business needs to go.

Speaker 3 (15:44):
Apply easily online now. Go to z.co.nz slash business.

Speaker 12 (15:50):
Fearless.

Speaker 5 (15:51):
Focused.

Speaker 1 (15:52):
Informed. It's the Mike Hosking Breakfast.

Speaker 16 (15:55):
The Labour Party perhaps accidentally yesterday announced there will be
no fuel excise increase for their whole term should they
get one.

Speaker 3 (16:01):
Nicola Willis is with us.

Speaker 17 (16:02):
We've been saying for some months, given the heightened fuel
price with events in the Middle East, it seems unlikely
we would want to do a big hike to the
fuel tax on the 1st of January. Cabinet does need
to discuss that overall position.

Speaker 16 (16:14):
We can't forever not increase or pay for roads, can we?

Speaker 17 (16:18):
No, we can't forever put it off. We are still
recovering from that heightened inflation that the oil price has
come on. And we recognise that things are still very
challenging for people.

Speaker 16 (16:28):
Back Monday from 6am, the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Avida,
Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (16:33):
27 past 1, so calls have reignited for the government
to seriously look at selling off Air New Zealand in
light of another tough year for them. They had a
loss of $ 336 million in the last financial year. What
do you say? 0800 80 1080 is the number to call. G'day, Kath.

Speaker 10 (16:50):
Oh, hi.

Speaker 4 (16:51):
I just wanted to just, on that comment about Air
New Zealand being subsidised, it's not subsidised. I mean, it
makes a profit or loss. like any other company that's
listed on the stock exchange. So I don't really know
why this rhetoric of being subsidised keeps popping up.

Speaker 3 (17:09):
Well, at one point it had to be because the
government had to bail them out, right? And that's why
we own 51% of them.

Speaker 4 (17:15):
Well, it wasn't a bailout. They purchased the shares, right?
I mean, what would.

Speaker 3 (17:19):
Have happened otherwise? I mean, they had to purchase the
shares or else it would disappear.

Speaker 2 (17:23):
Well, exactly.

Speaker 4 (17:25):
So what do you want? You want it to disappear, right?
like it could do if, you know, if you're saying
sell it off, like if somebody was going to buy it,
someone else, you'd be like, you know, foreign interest, for
want of a better word. You're just at the mercy
of where they want their airline to operate and fly to,
and it may not.

Speaker 10 (17:43):
Help the exporters.

Speaker 4 (17:45):
Domestically, you've got that important infrastructure, right? It's kind of
in that aim.

Speaker 3 (17:50):
Do you think Air New Zealand's doing enough in that area?
I mean, the domestic flights are... Crazy expensive right now.

Speaker 4 (17:58):
Yeah, yeah, they are. But on that point, I mean, Jetstar,
what are they doing? We have open skies policy.

Speaker 10 (18:05):
Right, New Zealand.

Speaker 4 (18:06):
Any airline can fly here. And Jetstar did try regionals,
a big song and dance of regionals, and they pulled
out after, what, six months?

Speaker 9 (18:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (18:17):
Because it wasn't profitable for them. So I know where
people are getting at. It's a fine balance.

Speaker 7 (18:24):
Mm-hmm.

Speaker 4 (18:26):
In a way, because it's an emotive thing, Air New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (18:29):
But isn't that, you know, just go back to the
use of the word subsidy again. I don't think it's
unreasonable to say that the reality is most of us
who use Air New Zealand, we're probably subsidising some of
those regional routes. If they're not, if they don't make
sense on a commercial basis for the likes of Jetstar,
they don't make sense for Air New Zealand.

Speaker 3 (18:46):
So you're saying if you're flying Auckland to Wellington, then
you're subsidising other routes?

Speaker 4 (18:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (18:53):
I think there's evidence for that, that that is actually
a profitable route and there's unprofitable routes. But the point
is that Air New Zealand keeps those going because it's
part of their charter and the national interest, right? And
is that the right move, Kath? Do you think that
is right?

Speaker 4 (19:08):
Yeah, that's a good question. Yeah, because I know when
they try to sort of cut back, there's a big
public outcry of that too, though, right? And so then,
you know, with the other routes that don't fly anymore,
you know, like Wanganui, I think, in Wakatane, that's gone
to Chatham Airlines. And so then, you know, they're responsible

(19:29):
to help them establish a network and have connections there. So, yeah,
there is a bit of a moral responsibility as well
that may not look right on the balance sheet. Yeah.
But I guess there's the tricks like you're either a
commercial airline or you're subsidised, you know, and it's, you know,

(19:51):
the way the market goes, it's hard for a company
like that. You're in a rock and a hard place. Yeah.

Speaker 15 (19:58):
Know.

Speaker 4 (19:58):
But I understand your point with that whole, sorry to
cut you off, that whole point of that whole emotive
attachment of Air New Zealand and New Zealand. Yes, I
do think that's a bit overdone.

Speaker 3 (20:09):
Do you think there's anything Air New Zealand could do better?
So you want us to keep hold of them? What
do you think they could do better?

Speaker 4 (20:16):
Well, if you're talking about profitability, which is what shareholders need,
I think they can need to perhaps go back to
some basics and how things are run, like councils, stick
to basics, do that well, stop all the sort of
a bit of the woke nonsense kind of stuff. I

(20:38):
would say there's perhaps a case to look internally of
running things in a different way, perhaps.

Speaker 3 (20:47):
Yeah, thank you for your call, Kath.

Speaker 18 (20:49):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (20:50):
Yeah, I mean, after the news headlines, you know, it
is a little bit unfair as a bunch of people
are texting through to compare New Zealand to Qantas because
the Qantas domestic market in Australia, you know, flying between Sydney,
Melbourne and Brisbane, it's a bit different. You know, we're
in a very strange, long, skinny country where there's these
huge flights between not that bigger population centres.

Speaker 4 (21:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (21:12):
I mean, the populations of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane You're
basically flying domestically between three New Zealands, aren't you?

Speaker 9 (21:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (21:18):
They've got a much easier business model, no doubt about it,
and economies of scale as well. That is part of it.

Speaker 3 (21:22):
Oh, there's 27 million Australians.

Speaker 2 (21:25):
That helps.

Speaker 10 (21:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (21:26):
That helps a lot.

Speaker 4 (21:26):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (21:27):
Right.

Speaker 2 (21:27):
Taking your calls on that, 0800 80 10 80, 9292
is the text. Should the government consider selling off Air
New Zealand, or is that crazy talk? Tell us. It
is 28 to 2.

Speaker 9 (21:38):
Newstalk ZB headlines.

Speaker 8 (21:40):
With Your Ride, New Zealand's number one taxi app. Download
Your Ride today. Manslaughter charges are being considered in the
Pike River mine disaster investigation begun in 2018. Our newsroom
understands it's reached closing stages with Crown prosecutors studying possible
police charge recommendations. As the Lower South moves into recovery

(22:04):
mode following record heavy rain, MetService has issued weather.

Speaker 3 (22:07):
Warnings for the north.

Speaker 8 (22:09):
Heavy rain watches are now in place for Auckland, including
Aotea Great Barrier Island and Northland from tomorrow morning. An
Auckland school principal says he's never seen school illness on
this scale. Remuera Intermediate has half of its teaching team
off at work due to sickness and told parents to
keep their children home today. This comes as respiratory illness

(22:32):
reaches its highest number since 2015. A search is underway
for a man who was swept down a river in
Selwyn's Craigieburn Forest Park yesterday afternoon. He was hiking with
a friend. Sky scores English football rights for an extended
six years and a strong profit. Read more at nzherald.co.nz.

(22:54):
Back to Matt Heath and Tyler Adams.

Speaker 2 (22:56):
Thank you very much, Raylene. It is 24 to 1,
and we've raised the question, should the government consider selling
off Air New Zealand as it continues to struggle? It
had a loss of $ 336 million. before tax in the
last financial year. But there's some questions raised around Qantas,
and of course yesterday they announced a profit of more
than $ 1. 5 billion, independent aviation commentator, that's big bucks. Irene

(23:20):
King did say to our newsroom, while Qantas' profit is
down on the year before, they had more buffer to
work with.

Speaker 4 (23:26):
They've buffered the same problems that Air New Zealand's got.
It's just Air New Zealand had less headroom.

Speaker 2 (23:33):
Right, that didn't explain too much, but I think if
we extrapolated that out, it's only a five-second clip there
from Irene. But the more buffer, I think to your
point before the headlines, Matt Heath, is that buffer is
their business model is, I don't even think it's arguable,
their business model seems to be a lot easier than
Air New Zealand's business model.

Speaker 3 (23:50):
Yeah, and Air New Zealand actually increased revenue. Its expenses
are just so huge at the moment. But, yeah, it's
pretty tough comparing them to Qantas, you know, flying around Australia.
They've got that, as I was saying before, the Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane,
back and forth, all over the shop. And I wonder

(24:14):
if this helps them as well. Qantas also own Jetstar,
don't they?

Speaker 4 (24:17):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (24:18):
So if, you know, if you run the budget option
as well, if prices go up or the economy's down
and people don't want to buy expensive products, tickets they
might still be buying Qantas tickets just under the name
Jetstar so they've got they're just bigger and they've got
more avenues to make money Qantas.

Speaker 2 (24:38):
Yeah haven't they yeah but that is an interesting angle
there and I'll look at whether Jetstar arm of Qantas
was profitable and you imagine with 1.5 billion dollar profit
it probably was.

Speaker 3 (24:49):
This is someone pushing back on your subsidies thing Tyler
oh yes nothing wrong with one product subsidizing another When
you buy a $ 12 chicken parmigiana at the pub, the
beer you buy is subsidising that chicken parmigiana.

Speaker 2 (25:03):
That is a great point, dear Texter. I think you've
said that very well. I mean, but what if I
don't want the chicken parm? What if I just want
the beer? I just want to head in and have
a couple of pints and I don't want your cheap
chicken parm.

Speaker 3 (25:16):
I have enough chicken parm at home. So that's the
person that's only flying Auckland to Wellington.

Speaker 9 (25:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (25:22):
They're not even getting the chicken parmigiana.

Speaker 4 (25:23):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (25:24):
But they're partially paying for the chicken parmigiana.

Speaker 2 (25:26):
They're sculling down $ 15 points.

Speaker 4 (25:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (25:28):
So you can have a cheap chicken parm.

Speaker 4 (25:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (25:30):
And you may never want to fly anywhere else. You
may never want to have the chicken parmigiana, but you're
always paying for it. And, you know, Qantas in Australia–
They're not selling the chicken parmesan.

Speaker 7 (25:43):
No.

Speaker 2 (25:44):
Maybe on some of the international routes. Who knows?

Speaker 3 (25:46):
In Australia, you're more likely to be selling a chicken schnitty.

Speaker 2 (25:48):
Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 12 (25:49):
All right.

Speaker 2 (25:50):
Keep those texts coming through on 9292 and your calls
0800 80 1080. Karam, how are you?

Speaker 1 (25:57):
Yes, good.

Speaker 14 (25:57):
Thank you. Yeah, absolutely supported selling off here in New Zealand.
You know, totally lost trust. in the airline, so-called national airline,
since COVID.

Speaker 4 (26:14):
Why?

Speaker 2 (26:15):
What happened? This is the service that you're getting now?

Speaker 14 (26:20):
Yes, because the thing is, you know, if they are 51%
or whatever, half state-owned, the way they behaved during COVID, yes,
it was tough times for everybody. Um, but all they
did was they said, oh, well, we'll just give you
credits and, you know, we're not going to refund your
fees and whatnot. And they had all these stupid rules
going on. Um, so I think they lost, you know, um,

(26:43):
the goodwill of the New Zealand, um, public where a
lot of Kiwis were kind of backing the national airline
and being proud of, you know, your New Zealand and everything.
I think that's another consequence. What happened, um, of how
they treated their customers during COVID, um, I think that's
where it started. They started going downhill because before that,

(27:04):
let's face it, you know, they were one of the
best airlines. You know, they were coming on top, you know,
in safety and you name it, customer service and everything
for years.

Speaker 3 (27:14):
They were up there with the All Blacks in terms
of national pride, weren't they? We were like the All
Blacks here in New Zealand. We're kicking ass globally.

Speaker 10 (27:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (27:22):
Yeah, so I don't acknowledge that, you know, but I
think a lot of Kiwis, I mean, I can only
speak on my behalf, but Um, that's, that's how I
feel that I don't have any affinity towards New Zealand.
And of course, you know, just like, um, most people
we shop around and yes, if Jetstar gives a better deal,
you go on Jetstar. Um, yes, I do like the

(27:43):
flexible fares on New Zealand, you know, so sometimes I
fly them because you can book it in and change
it on the day. And, you know, um, so there
are certain things that are good. Um, the air points
is okay, you know, um, But I think that loyalty
from majority of Kiwis, I don't think it would be

(28:04):
at the same levels. I would love to see a
survey where, you know, people ask, you know, whether they're
still loyal to their national airline. So, yeah, I think,
you know, it's time to just sell it and, you know,
just privatise it fully.

Speaker 3 (28:25):
But what happens... We're a country surrounded by water. If
we're going to go anywhere, we basically have to go
there by plane. We've got to get around our country.
We don't have sensible train options. We don't have bullet trains.
We need an airline, and if we hand it over

(28:49):
completely and utterly just to market forces and every airline
goes under, then where would we be? Where would we be, Karam?

Speaker 14 (29:00):
I mean, I'm sure the market will find, you know,
the right model. You know, I don't think government should
be running everything and subsidising half of it or whatever and,
you know, just having 51%. Because it doesn't actually serve,
you know, any purpose. Like I said, going back to
COVID times, you know, they behaved like they were not

(29:24):
half-state owned. They didn't behave... you know, a state-owned, half-state-owned
company shouldn't be behaving like that and treating their customers
so badly. And they took years to clean up their mess. Like,
they went from one of the best to the worst,
you know, in terms of, you know, they became like Jetstar. Like,
the timings they were taking off and safety things and

(29:45):
flight cancellations happening. I mean, all of this has happened
in the last five years.

Speaker 3 (29:49):
Thank you for your call.

Speaker 5 (29:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (29:52):
I mean, is that kind of a problem if you're,
you know, this person does point something out. You guys
obviously don't know how a rights issue works. That's a
nice way to start your text, Nigel. You obviously don't
know how a Brexit ship works. To pay that money
back in 2022, the government had to buy more shares
just to keep its 52%. So another bailout. You'd hope
that you'd make some money back by owning at some point,

(30:12):
wouldn't you?

Speaker 2 (30:13):
Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 3 (30:13):
By owning shares in a company.

Speaker 4 (30:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (30:15):
And to Nigel, that is exactly what was said. So, Nigel,
don't start off a text like that, mate, on a
Friday afternoon. Do better.

Speaker 3 (30:22):
We're only making plans for an angel.

Speaker 2 (30:25):
Karam, thank you very much for your call. Do you
agree with Karam? Oh, 880, 1080. Do you think the
government should look at selling off Air New Zealand, or
do you think it's crazy? We need it. It is
a national airline, and if we put it to commercial,
they could say, see you later, New Zealand.

Speaker 3 (30:41):
And if you're 52% owned, even though you might be
making some pretty rubbish decisions around COVID, and I think
people will accept that they didn't necessarily treat us that
well at that point. They were desperate times. But there
is sort of moral obligation to not make a straight
up and down business decision on some of the routes, right?

Speaker 5 (31:01):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (31:01):
That's part of it. Because you've got the government in there.
You've got the New Zealand taxpayer in there.

Speaker 2 (31:07):
What do you say? Tell us. 9292 is that text number.
It is 16 to 2. 13 to 1 should the
government consider selling its majority share in Air New Zealand
as it reports another big loss in the last financial year.

(31:29):
0800 80 1080 is that number to call. And 9292
is the text number. Plenty of text coming through. This
one says, I work for Air New Zealand and I
can tell you the company was being stripped to maximise
profits at any expense before COVID-19. by a previous CEO.
Once Foreign came in, we were on an absolute hiding
to nothing.

Speaker 3 (31:48):
That's from Anonymous. The sector says Air New Zealand was
profitable every year between 2012 and 2019, whilst the king,
Christopher Luxon, was CEO. Interesting.

Speaker 2 (31:57):
There we go. Two sides of that.

Speaker 3 (31:59):
Opposing opinions. The sector says the government needs to stand
over them and make them stop the safety videos. Change
the law that safety videos cannot involve cringe stories.

Speaker 2 (32:10):
And that would be It's hard to get into legislation,
but I see where they're going with that.

Speaker 12 (32:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (32:16):
The aviation governing body say these cringe stories are making
people stressed.

Speaker 2 (32:23):
You'll need a cringe panel, a panel of people to say, right,
does that meet the cringe factor?

Speaker 3 (32:27):
Well, it's never cringe if you just give the details, right?

Speaker 15 (32:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (32:30):
Here's where the exits are.

Speaker 4 (32:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (32:33):
This is where you're… Yeah, oxygen is.

Speaker 2 (32:36):
This is the way that you bend down if you're
going to have a crash.

Speaker 3 (32:40):
You're not risking cringe with that. No. But when you
do the eight wonders of the world, you are risking
making people feel very uncomfortable before they fly. They're very embarrassed.

Speaker 4 (32:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (32:52):
Would you be behind that legislation, anti-cringe on the videos? Oh, 880,
1080 is the number. Peter, what's your thoughts on this one?

Speaker 19 (33:02):
I'm kind of sitting on the fence in a small way.
I think the government should still maintain what's profitable in it,
whether that's the international or the domestic, not both. So
if the domestic is there where the government's going to

(33:23):
make money or a dividend given back, they should put
all their experience into that online. Dropping the cost where
they can, i.e. the stupid videos, you know, just a
no basics flight. Like every other domestic airline, get on
the plane, get off the plane, plane takes off at

(33:45):
the right time, lands at the right time, there's no BS, right?
And that's what you want. You know, you don't want
to look at, Like I did last week, booking for
airlines for a sales trip, and it's going to be
$ 600 just on airline flights. It's just, it's crazy. But
if international weather money is, put all the effort into

(34:06):
international and then privatise domestic. Change the name to Aotea Airlines.

Speaker 20 (34:12):
Who cares?

Speaker 19 (34:13):
Just do one or the other that's going to be
profitable for New Zealanders.

Speaker 3 (34:22):
Do you think Air New Zealand owes the country a
level of service, you know, in the way, like an infrastructural,
you know?

Speaker 14 (34:31):
Hello, Westport.

Speaker 19 (34:41):
Yeah, if it's not financial feasible to go to those areas,
why go? Why make it hard?

Speaker 3 (34:49):
Because I guess people live there and business gets done
there and we're a rural country where sometimes small population
areas are actually making huge profits for our country. So
you might be flying one or two people into an
area that is contributing... You're flying less people into an

(35:09):
area that's contributing a lot of money to the country,
and if people can't fly there, we may not be
able to get anyone to go to these rural areas,
and therefore our economy collapses, Peter.

Speaker 19 (35:19):
Yeah, I don't think that would actually happen. I think
certain areas in New Zealand aren't probable to go there,
or the work that's being done there is going to
be enough to subsidise other areas like You know when
you're paying $ 500 for a ticket, you're helping out Harawai Airlines, right?

(35:41):
You're just doing, hopefully a plane will land in Danny
Burke or something. But I just think we need to
be smart, be back to basics, and what works, stick
with it, and get rid of those stupid touchy-feely ads.

Speaker 3 (35:59):
It's amazing how much negativity the safety videos generate. And
I'm sure that's not the bottom line, right? So everyone says, like,
New Zealand needs to get back to the focus of
what they're doing. But, I mean, the fluffy stuff that
they pull around it that people complain about, right?

Speaker 2 (36:15):
Yeah, like the sustainable cups and that sort of nonsense,
you know.

Speaker 3 (36:19):
It's stupid and insulting, but it doesn't– it can't be
the bottom line. That can't really be affecting the bottom line, right?
Because it's kind of like when an airline's doing really,
really well, you're like, oh, you have your fun, you
do your little vanity projects, that's fine.

Speaker 15 (36:30):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (36:30):
People get annoyed when they're paying a lot. And the
airline's losing money, don't they?

Speaker 4 (36:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (36:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (36:36):
And at that point, I think it's fair enough to
get rid of your stupid videos and your reusable cups.
Just get back to basics until you're making money again.
Then go for gold.

Speaker 4 (36:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (36:43):
That's why you don't have a spectacular party when your
company's doing that well. The Christmas party gets shrunk. Yeah.
So Air New Zealand's been doing a lot of parties
for itself, you know, with its safety videos and all
the different little things it does.

Speaker 12 (36:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (36:57):
You pull those back when you're in tough times because
people feel like they're getting stuff being spent on things
that they don't want to pay for.

Speaker 2 (37:06):
The optics looks weird, yeah. Tell us what you think
9292 is, that text number.

Speaker 3 (37:11):
All our studies are connected by roads and rail, so
no need for Air New Zealand to carry the unprofitable.
Cut all unprofitable flights and reduce flights to manageable level
to full planes. Let the government decide how... Sorry, let...
Let the government decide how they wish to connect our
cities in a profitable manner. See, I would say that

(37:31):
whilst that is technically true, technically true, all our cities
are connected by roads and rail. Well, not all of
them by rail, but not practically. You can't practically get
from Auckland and Wellington to do business. You'd have to
get the train down and be there for a week.

Speaker 2 (37:48):
Oh, it's a pain in the ass. Right, back in
a moment, it is six to two.

Speaker 1 (37:52):
Matt Heath, Tyler Adams, taking your calls on 0800 80 1080.
It's Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.

Speaker 9 (38:00):
Newstalk ZV.

Speaker 2 (38:02):
Four to two.

Speaker 3 (38:03):
This is stupid, says this text. The safety videos are
rough and they may push people to other airlines, but
complaining about them is ridiculous. That doesn't change their profits.
You're flying the length of the North Island in an
hour and you can't handle a short video. Painful as
they are, they aren't a horse and cart. It used
to take weeks at one point to get to Wellington
from Auckland, let alone Auckland to Christchurch. That's actually the

(38:26):
biggest brutal takedown of the video. So that's why you're
trying to took them up.

Speaker 2 (38:30):
Yeah, still mental torture. But yeah, you're right. It's not
a horse and cart. Perspective matters. We're going to keep
this going after two o'clock. And there's a big call
here on text about the drinks and snacks when it
comes to Air New Zealand. We'll mention that next.

Speaker 1 (38:45):
The big stories, the big issues, the big trends, and
everything in between. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.

Speaker 9 (38:54):
Newstalk ZV.

Speaker 2 (38:55):
Very good afternoon to you. Welcome back into the programme.
It is seven past two, and great to have your
company on this Friday afternoon. And we have been talking
about Air New Zealand. It's had another rough year financially.
It's lost $ 336 million before tax.

Speaker 9 (39:10):
Woo!

Speaker 2 (39:11):
Big loss.

Speaker 3 (39:12):
But its revenue is up 3.9%, Tyler. So if your
revenue is up 3.9%, you're doing something right. But the
war in Iran, they've had some, pardon the pun, headwinds,
haven't they?

Speaker 2 (39:26):
Dirty old Rolls-Royce engine problems.

Speaker 15 (39:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:29):
Something that Qantas haven't had to deal with.

Speaker 3 (39:31):
Crazy shaped country with a strange population density and different
weird areas and a bunch of unprofitable routes that they
have to fly.

Speaker 2 (39:41):
I'm glad you said density after strange population. That's good.

Speaker 4 (39:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:44):
I mean, there are some strange people out there on
one of them, but.

Speaker 3 (39:46):
Well, this text that just came through here, New Zealand
have made it pretty clear that they are not for
people like me. People like who? People like... What are
you like? Can you add to that, please, Texter? New
Zealand have made it pretty clear that they are not
for people like this person.

Speaker 2 (40:03):
It's a strange text to put out there. I mean,
what would that person be like? Who is New Zealand
not for? Are they saying that they're not a regular flyer?

Speaker 3 (40:12):
Does this person not fit in the seat? Potentially. I'm
just trying to work out what they mean. It's made
it pretty clear that they're not for people like me.

Speaker 4 (40:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (40:24):
We need some more information there, dear texter. Mysterious, but
maybe it's got some truth to it. 9292 is the
text number and 0800 80 1080 is the number.

Speaker 3 (40:34):
Now, I believe that Christopher Luxon, famously ex-CEO of Air
New Zealand and current Prime Minister of New Zealand, has
made a statement on this issue. Air New Zealand lost.

Speaker 2 (40:47):
He certainly has, and it is somewhat unusual for the
Prime Minister to come out and potentially have a go
at Air New Zealand on this loss. We're just getting
that audio ready to fly, and we will bring that
to you as soon as we have it. But in
the meantime, we are asking you whether the government should
seriously look at selling Air New Zealand. It's got a 52%
share in the business, a majority share, of course. Is

(41:09):
it time to sell up? Oh, wait, 180, 1080.

Speaker 3 (41:12):
Guys, you're all wrong. Wow, it's us? Us two or
all of us? Everyone. Everyone's wrong. Air New Zealand is
more than just an airline for an isolated country like
New Zealand. It's a strategic national infrastructure essential to our economy, tourism, trade,
emergency response, defence and national resilience. We have already seen

(41:32):
the consequences of privatisation. In 2001, the government had to
inject $ 885 million of taxpayer money to save the airlines.
If we privatise it again, we risk repeating that mistake.
The profits may be private, but when a strategically critical
airline gets into trouble, the taxpayer ultimately carries the risk.
And New Zealand is too important to our national security

(41:53):
and resilience to make the same mistake twice. Cheers for
that text.

Speaker 2 (41:58):
Yeah, some interesting points made there. Do you agree?

Speaker 4 (42:02):
0800 80 1080.

Speaker 3 (42:02):
This says, why doesn't Air New Zealand set up a
budget airline in Australia, take on Qantas, to help subsidise
New Zealand's regional flights? Well, famously, they had ANSET in Australia,
didn't they? And that collapsed in 2001. That's right. Remember,
and Helen Clark was, they weren't going to let the

(42:26):
plane with Helen Clark on it take off.

Speaker 2 (42:27):
Yeah, they did.

Speaker 3 (42:28):
Because a bunch of Australians that were losing their jobs
were pretty furious. So the last time Air New Zealand
tried to expand its operations into Australia, it kind of
blew up in its face.

Speaker 2 (42:38):
Yeah, yeah, there is that. Now, we mentioned before the
Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon. has made some comments about this
big loss from Air New Zealand. Here's what he had
to say. Look, pretty poor performance.

Speaker 21 (42:47):
Obviously, there's some real performance challenges with the business, and
it's really up for them to explain what has caused
such a significant loss, but also, more importantly, what are
they going to do to build a better business and
a stronger performance going forward from here. And as a government,
our responsibility is to appoint directors, have influence on directors
as a 51% shareholder, We've got new directors coming on

(43:10):
board with deep aviation experience, which is a positive, and
I think that will help the company strengthen and improve
its performance. Any consideration in the system, sir? No, not
at all. They are a company that stands alone, and
we expect them to be commercial. We expect them to
deal with their issues and to solve their challenges and
to strengthen their own performance. It's clearly a very poor result.

Speaker 3 (43:31):
It's clearly a very.

Speaker 21 (43:32):
Poor performance, even in the context of global aviation and
other airlines as well. So I know it's a new
CEO who's doing a great job.

Speaker 3 (43:39):
There are new board.

Speaker 21 (43:40):
Directors coming in with aviation experience.

Speaker 3 (43:42):
We expect them to very quickly.

Speaker 21 (43:43):
Turn it around and get the company growing again and
performing strongly.

Speaker 2 (43:47):
So that's some pretty significant comments from the Prime Minister
talking about an organisation that the majority shareholder of, and
I'll just repeat that last line again, this is clearly
a very poor result. It's clearly a very poor performance,
even in the context of global aviation and other airlines
as well.

Speaker 5 (44:03):
Wow.

Speaker 4 (44:04):
So.

Speaker 3 (44:05):
As I was saying before, they did lift their revenue
by 3.9%. That's something. Pretty much 4%.

Speaker 10 (44:10):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (44:10):
That's on the right direction.

Speaker 3 (44:11):
So you've lifted your revenue. Your expenses are through the roof.
So is that the situation?

Speaker 2 (44:17):
Are they starting to trend in the right way?

Speaker 3 (44:19):
I mean, if you put in just the increased cost
of fuel, that's a big part of their loss.

Speaker 4 (44:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (44:29):
What do you say, though?

Speaker 15 (44:30):
0800 80 1080.

Speaker 2 (44:30):
Is that number to call? It is 12 past 2.

Speaker 1 (44:36):
Your home of afternoon talk. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.
Call 0800 80 1080. Newstalk ZB. Newstalk ZB. It is
a quarter past two and we're talking about Air New Zealand.
It's had a bad year, another bad financial year. So
it's a time the government looks to sell off its
majority ownership, our majority ownership of this national carrier.

Speaker 3 (44:58):
Now I've just heard that Christopher Luxon comments on this
Air New Zealand loss. But so from what he's saying
there is that they're doing a bad job, but their
CEO is doing a good job.

Speaker 2 (45:12):
That's exactly what he said.

Speaker 3 (45:13):
Is that possible? Can your company be doing a bad job,
but your CEO is doing a good job? I mean,
he's a newish CEO.

Speaker 2 (45:21):
Is he having a crack at the previous CEO? Right.
To say that this guy, how long has Nikhil Ravishankar
been in there for now? Must be a year. So
if he's been in there for the last 12 months,
then surely that loss is purely on him rather than
the previous guy.

Speaker 10 (45:36):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (45:36):
This is an interesting text. Love the show, guys, but
stop comparing Qantas with Air New Zealand, you buggers. Imagine
two restaurants, both experience a massive increase in the price
of food, but one restaurant has five different profitable businesses
attached to it, a much, much larger customer base, and

(45:58):
all its ovens have been working for the last year.
This is a very.

Speaker 2 (46:02):
This is reaching the analogy, but it sounds good.

Speaker 3 (46:04):
I see what you're trying to do with this analogy.
The other has just got its broken ovens back and
has been having to pay for replacement ovens, and its
customers are completely broke. The increase in the food cost
hurts both of them, but one can absorb it, the
other can't. I feel like you could have done that
analogy just by describing both the airlines and their situations.

(46:27):
You didn't need to turn them into restaurants, for the example.
You could have just described what both the airlines were
going through. But I totally get what your point is.

Speaker 5 (46:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (46:35):
And as we were saying before, absolutely. I mean, Australia
has 27 million people. We have 5.3 million people. And
they have cities like Brisbane and Melbourne and Sydney to
fang back and forth between.

Speaker 5 (46:47):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (46:47):
And with these huge population bases. like the size of
New Zealand, each of those population bases are these cities
that they just go, businesses flying back and forth between them.
So that's a huge advantage for Qantas, isn't it?

Speaker 2 (46:58):
Yeah, far less headwinds. But just rowing back to that
analogy that that text was sent through, in that instance,
I'd say to that restaurant, just shut down, mate. Just
shut down. It's not working out for you. The business
is kaput. Your ovens are buggered. Your customers are poor.
They hate you. It's time to wrap it up, man.
Time to wrap it up.

Speaker 3 (47:15):
So you're going to take that guy's... turning into restaurants
and say sell the restaurants.

Speaker 2 (47:20):
Yeah, sell it off. Sell it off to the highest bidder.
What do you say though, Andrew?

Speaker 3 (47:24):
Andrew says no, can't sell it.

Speaker 13 (47:27):
And Andrew says no, don't sell it because it's critical infrastructure,
even though if it looks like a dog and barks
like a dog, it's a dog. The problem for New Zealand,
in my opinion, started when they put a shopkeeper in
charge of it. Shopkeepers regard their products as commodities. And

(47:47):
it's not a commodity industry, it's a service industry. I
don't think Air New Zealand gets any kudos for being
in New Zealand than any other airline gets for being
where they have.

Speaker 19 (47:58):
Every other airline in the world.

Speaker 13 (48:00):
Has faced engine problems and fuel problems and the like.
The problem with Air New Zealand is they just don't care.
They just don't care about you as a customer.

Speaker 19 (48:12):
They're not a service industry.

Speaker 13 (48:13):
They just don't care. But in saying that, we can't
flog them off as much as I'd love to because
we need them.

Speaker 3 (48:25):
Why do we need them, Andrew, specifically? We've talked about
it a bit, but why do you specifically think that
we need Air New Zealand?

Speaker 13 (48:33):
Well, because, like it or not, routes like Auckland to
New Plymouth have to be cross-subsidised by routes like from
Auckland to Wellington. And it's just not commercially viable to
provide an adequate service to some.

Speaker 19 (48:50):
Of our locations.

Speaker 13 (48:52):
And it's been proven in the past. New Zealand's been
sold off and it fell over.

Speaker 14 (48:57):
And look at what's.

Speaker 13 (48:58):
Happened to NZ Rail multiple times. The reality is the
critical infrastructure that we need that are not commercially viable
as a standalone item. But in saying that, a $ 300
million loss when everybody else is making profits is also
not commercially viable.

Speaker 3 (49:20):
So on that, Andrew, what do you think they're doing wrong?

Speaker 2 (49:22):
We know that they had the engine issues with the
Rolls Royce that Qantas didn't have to the same extent.
and Qantas has got a better, easier business model. But
what do you think they can do to turn that around,
if they can? What they need to.

Speaker 13 (49:35):
Do to turn it around is they need to start
giving us stuff about their customers. They just don't. You know,
they just do not care about their customers. Oh, I
have this problem which is caused by your service. Oh,
we don't care. You complain, it's answered by AI. You ring,
it takes two and a half hours to get through,
and then they go, oh, we can't care, we'll get somebody, oh,

(49:56):
we can't answer that, we'll get somebody to ring back,
and they never do.

Speaker 10 (50:00):
They just don't care.

Speaker 13 (50:02):
And that makes, like, I, Air New Zealand used to
be my airline of first choice. If I could fly
Air New Zealand no matter where in the world I
was flying, I'd fly Air New Zealand. Now they're my
airline of last resort. If you see me on an
Air New Zealand plane, you know I have no other choice.

Speaker 11 (50:24):
Right.

Speaker 3 (50:25):
Who's the shopkeeper?

Speaker 20 (50:28):
Greg Foran.

Speaker 15 (50:29):
Right.

Speaker 3 (50:30):
Oh, right, back in the day, yeah. Shopkeeper.

Speaker 10 (50:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 17 (50:33):
Walmart.

Speaker 11 (50:33):
Shopkeeper.

Speaker 3 (50:34):
Yeah, of course.

Speaker 14 (50:35):
That's right.

Speaker 11 (50:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (50:37):
That works. I mean, it's not one for one.

Speaker 3 (50:40):
They didn't grab him out of a, you know, shop
on Ponsonby Road selling, you know, nice dresses and shove
them into the... Yeah, quite a large shop. Yeah. So,
as far as you're concerned, it's catch-22. We need him,
but you don't like him.

Speaker 19 (50:56):
That's correct, you know.

Speaker 8 (50:58):
When.

Speaker 13 (50:59):
I don't like them. I'd love them to go back
to being an airline where they cared about you, where
they delivered a service.

Speaker 14 (51:06):
And when they couldn't.

Speaker 13 (51:07):
Deliver the service, they actually tried to help you. Whereas
now it's like, oh, well, tough luck, really. You know,
I've been stuck in airports around the country. I travel
a lot domestically now. I've been stuck in airports around
the country. I got stuck in one airport early at
their behest, coming early, and then they said, no, well,

(51:29):
tough shit, really.

Speaker 20 (51:30):
You know, they just don't care.

Speaker 3 (51:32):
Do you think it's because it's called Air New Zealand,
so you feel like you should like them and you
feel like they should support you? And, you know, the
government owns 52% of them, so as a taxpayer, you
own part of them. And that's maybe why you feel
a bit more resentful for them? Because, you know, if
you're flying domestically in the United States, those airlines are
horrible and they treat you like absolute, crap but you're
like well you know that's united airlines they've got nothing

(51:53):
to do with me do you think do you think
we expect to be treated better by air new zealand
than we do by other airlines yeah.

Speaker 13 (52:00):
Absolutely air new zealand promotes itself as a premium airline
um but it doesn't behave like a premium airline and
and look if they were paying like i fly jetstar
if i fly if i'm flying um uh domestically now
and i fly jetstar if i'm flying domestically uh And

(52:20):
I don't expect an airline that's going to bend over
backwards for me because I'm only paying half the fare
and it's Jetstar, you know? Whereas with Air New Zealand,
you pay twice the fare and get half the service.

Speaker 4 (52:32):
Mm-hmm.

Speaker 2 (52:33):
Andrew, thank you very much for your thoughts. Really appreciate
your phone call. 0800 80 1080. Are you feeling the
same as Andrew? You used to love Air New Zealand,
but they've let you down too many times and you
just can't go back to them. Tell us about it.
9292 is the text number.

Speaker 3 (52:47):
Now, this person's firing some shots at the, this text
is firing some shots at the Air New Zealand snacks.
And I think that they've made huge strides in their
snacks in recent years.

Speaker 5 (52:58):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (52:59):
Because they used to be selling those unedible cassava chips
for the longest time.

Speaker 2 (53:02):
Oh, you didn't like the cassava?

Speaker 3 (53:04):
Who wants to eat a cassava? Who's even heard of
a cassava?

Speaker 2 (53:07):
I never went for the cassava option, but.

Speaker 3 (53:10):
We have the cookie or the cassava chip. And I
was always like, why don't you have a potato chip?
Why have we got a cassava chip here?

Speaker 2 (53:16):
Yes, yeah.

Speaker 3 (53:17):
Why would you go out of your way to have
a type of chip that no one's ever heard of?

Speaker 2 (53:20):
What is cassava?

Speaker 3 (53:21):
It's some kind of South American root vegetable, I believe.

Speaker 2 (53:25):
Oh, right, okay.

Speaker 3 (53:25):
I'm not 100% sure.

Speaker 2 (53:26):
Some sort of kumara operation.

Speaker 3 (53:28):
But since they've gone for the snapper jangies.
That brings so much joy to me. I just can't wait.
I always ask for two packs.

Speaker 2 (53:36):
Do they give them to you?

Speaker 5 (53:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (53:37):
Do they?

Speaker 3 (53:38):
Yeah, and that's the other thing that people are saying
to staff when Air New Zealand aren't friendly. You know,
I've got my problems with Air New Zealand, and I
find their safety videos to be quite painful to sit through.
I find it quite physically painful because I'm forced to
watch them like it's Clockwork Orange. They basically put the
matchsticks in your eyes to make you watch them. They're

(53:58):
checking you to make you watch them. even if you've
travelled a lot. But I always find the staff really,
really friendly. And particularly when I go, I'm pretty hungry.
Could I please have two packets of snicker changy potato chips, please, ma'am?

Speaker 2 (54:12):
And then they always say yes.

Speaker 3 (54:14):
Yeah, and then I go, can I have a cookie
as well? And they go, yes. And I go, can
I have a coffee and a water? And they say yes.

Speaker 2 (54:18):
I can't believe that wasn't an option. I'm asking for
four next time. All right, keep those things coming through
on 9292 25 past two.

Speaker 1 (54:26):
The big stories, the big issues, the big trends, and
everything in between. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.

Speaker 9 (54:33):
Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 3 (54:35):
Hey, Tyler, are you feeling a little blah this season?

Speaker 9 (54:38):
I am, actually.

Speaker 3 (54:39):
Westpac is turning everyday taps into something a little more, yeah,
with happy taps.

Speaker 2 (54:44):
Oh, that would make me feel good. Every time you
tap your Westpac Mastercard for a purchase, get this, you
could score a cash prize of $ 10, $ 100, or even $ 1, 000.
And it doesn't matter how much you spend, big purchases
or small, every eligible tap or online purchase is a
chance to win. That means the same tap you use
to pay for your morning coffee, put petrol in the car,
grab your groceries or pick up something special could put

(55:06):
money back in your pocket.

Speaker 3 (55:07):
There are more than 200 happy tap prizes being won
every day until 30 September. And if you're lucky enough
to win one day, you can still be in to
win again another day.

Speaker 2 (55:18):
So just tap your Westpac debit or credit mastercard as
you normally would. and begin to win some happy tap cash.

Speaker 3 (55:25):
Search Westpac Happy Taps to find out more about how
you could win. T's and C's apply.

Speaker 9 (55:34):
Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.

Speaker 1 (55:36):
Call 0800 80 1080 on Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (55:39):
28 past 2. We are talking about Air New Zealand.
Bad year for them again. So is it time the
government looks at selling it off to the highest bidder,
0800 80 1080?

Speaker 3 (55:49):
This is someone that hasn't been listening to the show
that's texted through. Right, OK. Why is no one complaining
about those safety videos? They kill me.

Speaker 2 (55:56):
Dear listener, dear listener.

Speaker 3 (55:58):
I guess texting that and you haven't seen the text
machine because we're not reading out all the.
The whole show would be if it was people complaining
about the safety videos. But don't you worry, Texter. People
are complaining about the safety videos. Has anyone come through
on the cassava chips?

Speaker 2 (56:13):
Oh, there we go. Yeah, I agree with you on
the cassava chips. And by the way, they are cooked
in disgusting oil as well.

Speaker 4 (56:19):
Yuck.

Speaker 2 (56:20):
Bring on the snicker-changy.

Speaker 3 (56:21):
There you go.

Speaker 2 (56:22):
Good times.

Speaker 3 (56:22):
Dean, welcome to the show. How are you?

Speaker 9 (56:25):
Are you there?

Speaker 7 (56:26):
Hey, thanks. Thanks, guys. Hey, Matt and Taylor. It's a
great show.

Speaker 3 (56:29):
Oh, thank you, mate. Thanks for calling.

Speaker 7 (56:32):
Look, I fully agree with what Andrew said on everything.
I just want to add a couple of things that
we can't sell New Zealand from another angle is that
it's economic resilience for New Zealand, such as what happened
over the COVID era time. That could happen again tomorrow.
And we need our own national airline that kept us
going as a country over that period. That's one point.

(56:56):
Another point with it, why we don't want to sell it,
is what happened to Brazil. So LATAM did a joint
venture with Brazil, took it over.

Speaker 4 (57:04):
Oh, yes.

Speaker 7 (57:05):
And they buggered Brazil. Yes. They've got no national airline.
They took out the engineering out of Brazil, and it's
all based in Santiago. And they basically, they dropped Sao
Paulo and killed it. So that's why we just cannot
risk all our engineering, all our eggs to go somewhere else.
It could end up all in Brisbane, for instance, instead

(57:26):
of Auckland and Christchurch. On the other side, I just
want to say, It sits Greg Horan. He stuffed it.
He had five years to get it up and running.

Speaker 5 (57:36):
He didn't.

Speaker 7 (57:36):
So it does not sit the finance manager. Hopefully he
can do some stuff around. I'm interested to see. But
definitely it sits Greg Horan. And that's what I just
want to say, guys.

Speaker 2 (57:49):
I mean, what do you think Greg Horan did wrong?
I mean, this is my own personal opinion, but they
seem to go heavily into the sustainability side of that airline,
even when they face those headwinds of COVID-19. They seemed
to hold on to that sort of ideology too long,
and that led to some of their extra losses that
they didn't need to face.

Speaker 7 (58:06):
I'll give you an example. They spent two and a
half years on electrical transmission for a small plane to
go from Eketahuna to Nelson. The whole focus should have
been on the Kiwi focus to the rest of the world,
on who we are, where we're going. We went introverted

(58:27):
through Greg Foran. And we should be extroverted on how
we're going to the rest of the world. And hopefully
we'll see this again.

Speaker 2 (58:36):
Yeah, very fair points. Thank you very much for your call, Dean.

Speaker 3 (58:39):
Guys, when you're managing a business that's losing money, apart
from looking for ways to increase revenue, you also find
ways to cut costs. While incurring ongoing losses, Air New
Zealand is proud of the fact it continues to use
sustainable aviation fuel, which costs it anywhere between two and
five times more than the conventional petroleum-based jet fuel. That's
classic example of airlines preoccupation with pushing ideologies, Warren.

Speaker 2 (59:01):
That's got to be a part of it, right? I mean,
when you hit headwinds, no pun intended, actually pun intended,
you've got to ditch those sort of things. If it's
costing you, if that's true, and I don't know, two
to five times more than conventional jet fuel, then that's
the first thing. You're going through the finances and say,
what the hell are we doing that? Get rid of
that instantly. That's gone. Is cups, gone. Stupid videos, gone.

Speaker 3 (59:23):
Does it really, what's sustainable jet fuel? What's going on here?

Speaker 2 (59:28):
We'll look up this, actually, because that blows my mind.
Two to five times more expensive, and they keep going
with that. We'll find out more about that particular situation,
but thank you very much for your text. 0800 80
1080 is that number to call. Love to hear what
you think about this as well. Headlines with Raylene coming up.

Speaker 9 (59:44):
Newstalk ZB Headlines.

Speaker 8 (59:46):
With your ride, New Zealand's number one taxi app. Download
your ride today. Police have confirmed the two people found
dead at a home in South Auckland's Wattle Downs were
fatally shot. Emergency services discovered the bodies of a man
and woman at a Gambier Place address around 2pm yesterday.
Manslaughter charges are being considered in the Pike River Mine

(01:00:09):
disaster investigation begun in 2018. Our newsroom understands it's reached
closing stages. Crown prosecutors are studying possible police charge recommendations.
Potential for customers to bear the brunt as Air New
Zealand confirms a $ 336 million loss before tax. Aviation commentator

(01:00:31):
Irene King says the airline's likely to be more cautious
now and try to pass costs on to passengers. Another
boost to fuel capacity at Marsden Point. BP signing a
deal for additional diesel and jet fuel storage. Channel Infrastructure.
will invest approximately $ 65 to $ 70 million to bring this

(01:00:51):
storage into service in 2028. Sacred Maunga return tied to
controversial 1600 home fast track plan. You can find out
more at nzherald.co.nz. Back to Matt Heath and Tyler Adams.

Speaker 2 (01:01:07):
Thank you very much, Raylene. Is it time to ditch
Air New Zealand in terms of government majority ownership? And
if it's not, if you think we should keep it,
what does Air New Zealand need to do to turn
things around?

Speaker 3 (01:01:18):
Now, someone's saying that Air New Zealand is proud of
the fact it continues to use sustainable aviation fuel, which
costs anywhere between two and five times more than conventional
petroleum-based jet fuel. That's a classic of the airline's preoccupation
with pushing woke ideologies. That's from Warren. So we looked
into that. So it's a small percentage of the fuel

(01:01:38):
they use, but it is very, very expensive. So in
2005 financial year, 1.7% of its total jet fuel was SAF.
up from 0.4% in 24 and 0.1% in 23. That's
a funny time to be increasing your expenditure on fuel
that could be five times more expensive, isn't it?

Speaker 2 (01:01:58):
Heck yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:01:59):
Because that is just, it's really, and as someone's texting through,
didn't they build a stupid wooden shed? And that's not
a very nice way to describe Air New Zealand's Hangar 4.
It's the airline's large aircraft maintenance hangar at Auckland Airport.

Speaker 4 (01:02:17):
Mm-hmm.

Speaker 3 (01:02:17):
So it was made out of wood, I believe.

Speaker 2 (01:02:20):
It was?

Speaker 4 (01:02:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:02:21):
So it opened in September 2025, and the hangar is
targeting a six green star rating, the highest level awarded
by the New Zealand Green Building Council. It was also
the largest single span timber aircraft hangar in the southern hemisphere,
but it was quite a bit more expensive than if

(01:02:42):
they'd built a, you know, just to heft up some concrete,
you know.

Speaker 2 (01:02:47):
Typical steel hangar. So I've just had a look at
those numbers. So that one, that Hangar 4, costs $ 130 million.
A traditional steel commercial aircraft hangar of a similar size,
which is 10,000 square metres, is about $ 65 million.

Speaker 15 (01:03:01):
Right.

Speaker 7 (01:03:01):
Million.

Speaker 2 (01:03:02):
Yeah, $ 65 million. So more than double.

Speaker 3 (01:03:05):
So they have been spending some money on some luxury items,
haven't they?

Speaker 10 (01:03:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:03:09):
But also I feel like.

Speaker 3 (01:03:10):
It's like Formula 1. No one believes you. So you
can serve meals and hand out cardboard knives and forks
all you want. You can make weird rules about cups
in the Coro Lounge. You can huff up a wooden
shed and you can have 1.7% of your fuel being,
you know, SAFs. But everyone knows that you're sitting on

(01:03:31):
a plane blasting through the air with fuel fanging out
the back.

Speaker 2 (01:03:36):
That's right.

Speaker 3 (01:03:37):
It's like Formula One going 50% hybrid. And then everyone
arriving on private jets and shipping everything around the world
from place to place to do the races. It's like
no one.

Speaker 2 (01:03:49):
If you're trying to have some sort of moral grandstand,
nobody believes it.

Speaker 3 (01:03:53):
It's clearly corporate greenwashing, isn't it?

Speaker 22 (01:03:55):
It is.

Speaker 3 (01:03:55):
So it's to make some people that care about that
kind of thing go, oh no, but they built a
wooden shed. They built a wooden shed. And they do
buy some sustainable aviation fuel.

Speaker 2 (01:04:06):
They do.

Speaker 11 (01:04:06):
They do.

Speaker 10 (01:04:07):
I mean, it's 1.7%.

Speaker 4 (01:04:07):
Yeah. And....

Speaker 3 (01:04:11):
And so they can go, ooh, look at me.

Speaker 2 (01:04:14):
Make the sustainability manager feel good about their job.

Speaker 3 (01:04:16):
They've got an electric plane. I'm not flying on that
electric plane.

Speaker 22 (01:04:20):
Oh.

Speaker 3 (01:04:22):
But they've got an electric plane, you know, and this
knife and fork is sustainable that I'm using here as
I blast across the planet.

Speaker 2 (01:04:30):
Is that a part of it? Tell us your thoughts.
0800 80 1080, it's got to be right. Robert, your thoughts, please.

Speaker 15 (01:04:37):
G'day.

Speaker 6 (01:04:38):
Yeah, go woke, go broke, that's the old saying, isn't it?
Getting mature as time goes along. But what I'd like
to do is give you a bit of a history
lesson from a long-suffering shareholder. Singapore Airlines made a fantastic
offer to buy Air New Zealand, and that would have

(01:05:00):
been a great thing, one, for the shareholders as well
as the government, as well as interconnecting routes all around
the world, globally. And that, I believe, would have helped
out our tourism hugely. But then Helen Clark, she knew better.

(01:05:21):
She turned it down. And then a short amount of
time later, she had to bail Air New Zealand out
for $ 800 million. Now, if Singapore had have owned it,
we wouldn't have had to bail it out for a cent.
And anyway, what that did to my shareholding, it reduced
it by 80%. And so they virtually went bankrupt. And

(01:05:47):
so ever since then, that shareholding has never got back
to where it was. And so it's still pitiful. And
then you come to the point where it had to
be bailed out again during COVID. Now, all we're doing
now is counting down the day when it needs to
get bailed out yet again. So if you want to,

(01:06:11):
as a taxpayer, surely you would want to insulate yourself
from that. And the way to do that is to
have somebody else own it.

Speaker 3 (01:06:23):
Now, if you take it from the wider perspective of
the nation and not just from a shareholder's perspective, do
you think if Singapore Airlines had owned Air New Zealand,
then they would have continued on with some of the
challenging domestic routes that Air New Zealand sticks with, probably
because they fear a moral obligation because of the 52%
ownership of the government?

Speaker 6 (01:06:44):
Oh, they absolutely would have carried on with it. Not
only would they have carried on with it, they would
have expanded it and then been interconnected to the world.
And it would have been a fantastic thing. You know,
it sounds like I'm Singapore shelter, I'm not. I'm just
seeing the facts as to what would have, could have happened.

(01:07:07):
And that was just a foolish thing Helen Clark did.
And why would you expect any more? out of a
lefty that knows nothing about business.

Speaker 2 (01:07:18):
You can see the concern from the government at the time,
you know, even if it was Helen Clark, Robert, that
if they had that 49%, and that's not majority, but
if they got that across the line at the time
and then managed to get majority ownership of the airline
down the track, you never know what Singapore Airlines are
going to do to that particular carrier. It's possible that

(01:07:39):
they would have done it in the best interest of
this country and them as a company, but more likely
that they would have just looked at their own commercial
interests and potentially ditched some of the routes that people
rely on and maybe even shut it down down the
track if it wasn't making money, right?

Speaker 6 (01:07:54):
Yeah, well, that's quite a negative attitude. I don't believe
they would have done that because it's such a competitive
world out there. Had they have done that, Qantas would
have swooped in and filled the gap. You know, that's
how competition works. And the other thing is, too, airlines

(01:08:14):
are a very poor investment worldwide. They are subject to
anything going wrong, the airline, Airline is going to be
the first organisation to be hit badly. And so you're
better to remove yourself from that risk and get out
of it.

Speaker 3 (01:08:35):
Yeah, I mean, they absolutely are. And Air New Zealand,
you've got to say, has been hit with some pretty
big problems, like the engine availability, the unexpected fuel shock
that we've just gone through. You know, there's been a
lot that they've been hit with.

Speaker 7 (01:08:51):
There's a lot of stupid stuff too.

Speaker 6 (01:08:53):
It's like not being able to get the engines fixed
at the home of GE in Los Angeles. The Civil
Aviation wouldn't allow Air New Zealand to get them fixed there.
We had to fly all our engineers over there. And
that's just an example of the stupidity that gets involved

(01:09:16):
with government-owned enterprises. And as far as their safety videos,
the last time I flew on Air New Zealand, they had...
a flying walker. Now, I'm sitting there supposedly taking the
safety video serious, and they're telling me that walkers fly?

(01:09:37):
And I just don't like having propaganda thrown at me,
so I never flew it again.

Speaker 3 (01:09:44):
I'll tell you what, the safety videos are a real
bone of contention for people.

Speaker 2 (01:09:49):
Certainly are, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:09:51):
So if your safety videos, and they must have done,
most people must like them, right? Otherwise, why would you
spend money on these really expensive productions? If people, I mean,
there's been not a kind word said about them in
the text machine. If we read out every bad thing
that people have said about the safety videos, the length
of them, the cringe factor, all that kind of stuff, right?

Speaker 4 (01:10:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:10:12):
I think at one point people loved them.

Speaker 2 (01:10:14):
Absolutely.

Speaker 3 (01:10:14):
I think when it kicked off originally, they were fantastic.
We all thought, wicked, this hasn't been done before.

Speaker 2 (01:10:19):
What a difference, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:10:20):
And they went viral around the world. They were huge
advertising for Air New Zealand initially because people were like, hey,
this crazy little airline from the bottom of the world,
Air New Zealand, it wins these awards and it has
these amazing– I've never seen a safety video like that.
It was a novelty, right?

Speaker 2 (01:10:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:10:36):
And so for a while they were great, but what's
the logic of them now? I mean, the text machine
on the Matt Heath and Tyler Adams afternoons on Newstalk
ZB isn't market research for New Zealand, but if it was,
they'd be … They'd be going back to just the
Stuarts doing the little mime up the front again pretty quickly.

Speaker 2 (01:10:55):
They'll be shutting down those videos ASAP. But yeah, whether
it's catering to the international market, I don't know. If
you've got some thoughts on that, let us know. 9292
is the text number. It is 14 to 3. You're
listening to Matt and Tyler.

Speaker 1 (01:11:07):
Your home of afternoon talk. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.

Speaker 8 (01:11:11):
Call 0800 80 1080.

Speaker 9 (01:11:12):
Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (01:11:16):
It is 12 to 3, and we've been talking about
what to do with Air New Zealand, whether the government
considers selling off their majority shareholding, or what else the
airline needs to do to turn around its tough financial position.
This year alone, they lost $ 336 million.

Speaker 3 (01:11:30):
What do you reckon? It says, here comes the tall
poppy machine again. Air New Zealand does very well. Their
safety record is amazing. Just a bunch of miserable haters.
Their safety record is very good.

Speaker 4 (01:11:42):
Hmm.

Speaker 3 (01:11:42):
I feel very safe on an Air New Zealand plane.
I know that they will, they will, they will cross
the eyes and dot the eyes and cross the day.

Speaker 10 (01:11:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:11:51):
Nice.

Speaker 15 (01:11:51):
Good.

Speaker 2 (01:11:51):
I'm glad you're not the pilot.

Speaker 3 (01:11:52):
That's why I'm not in charge of Air New Zealand safety.
But that's the thing. I mean, if I'm flying overseas
and I'm on an Air New Zealand plane, I know
I'm safe.

Speaker 1 (01:12:01):
Yep.

Speaker 10 (01:12:02):
I know.

Speaker 3 (01:12:02):
I mean, the record is absolutely incredible. Um, but when
you say that they're, they're, they're doing very well, um,
I don't know if that's strictly true, is it?

Speaker 2 (01:12:15):
Well, not financially.

Speaker 3 (01:12:16):
I mean, New Zealand does very well. No, we're just
talking about a $ 360 million loss.

Speaker 10 (01:12:20):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:12:20):
So you wouldn't say they're doing very well, but they
do very well at keeping their planes in the air.

Speaker 2 (01:12:24):
That's right, and that is a big consideration. If you're
a traveller, you want to make sure that plane is
not going to go down with you in it.

Speaker 4 (01:12:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:12:30):
I think that's right up there.

Speaker 9 (01:12:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:12:33):
I think hating the videos, says this texter, is a
New Zealand thing. My wife, who is a Kiwi, squeezes
my hand. She finds them so cringe. I'm a saffir,
and I enjoy the little girl with the robot and
the pukeko. I find it charming. Kiwis are so critical
of themselves.

Speaker 2 (01:12:49):
Well, that is interesting, but, you know, say that again
once you've watched it 50 times.

Speaker 3 (01:12:52):
Yeah, it's true.

Speaker 2 (01:12:53):
Will you still find it charming?

Speaker 10 (01:12:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:12:55):
Will you still love the takahē?

Speaker 3 (01:12:57):
Yeah, it's a takahē.

Speaker 1 (01:12:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:12:59):
Which is basically a fat pukeko, isn't it?

Speaker 5 (01:13:01):
Yeah, it is.

Speaker 2 (01:13:02):
Yeah, that's right. Darren, g'day, mate. We've got a couple
of minutes. What do you think?

Speaker 20 (01:13:07):
Guys, I think part of the issue is the leadership
of Air New Zealand. If you look back, starting with Luxon,
then you go to Foreign, then you go to their
current CEO, they don't have airline experience. It's all come
out of Unilever, groceries. Current CEO is the former chief

(01:13:29):
digital officer of Air New Zealand. You look at Fiji
Airways from you know, 10, 12 years ago, they were
pretty much close on a basket case. The CEO ended
up going to Air Mauritius not long ago, but, you know,
even Fiji Airways is profitable. You know, it's much, much smaller,

(01:13:51):
but it brought in somebody who understood the industry, had
the experience, turned it around from an airline that, you know,
couldn't put an airline, couldn't put a plane in the
sky on time to the point where, you know, But
flights were leaving early because they had everybody on board
and it was organized and ready to go. And you
look at their customer service ratings, for example, they're phenomenal

(01:14:14):
now from what they were 10, 12 years ago. I
think they've got a serious, serious leadership problem. And I
think it starts actually right at the CEO position.

Speaker 2 (01:14:23):
Maybe they're listening to you, Darren, because I'm just reading
a story. They've just appointed, he's a Kiwi, Campbell Wilson,
but he was the head of Air India for a
long time. So he's just joined the board. So maybe
they are starting to take notice of that and trying
to get people with actual, you know, airline experience. And
he has certainly got that.

Speaker 20 (01:14:39):
Hopefully, because it's sad what the airline has become. You know,
he's It's become something that people really aren't proud of.
I personally will not fly them unless I absolutely have to,
which means it's generally domestic. If it's international, I won't
because they can't get a flight away on time. They're
always constantly delayed and everything else. And their price is,

(01:15:04):
sometimes their price is 50% more than other airlines. There's
just no justification for it.

Speaker 4 (01:15:10):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:15:10):
Darren, thank you very much for your phone call. Some
good points there. Really appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (01:15:14):
I thought Air New Zealand's delay stats were getting a
lot better. I think they've put a bit of work
into improving those.

Speaker 4 (01:15:21):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:15:21):
I don't have them with me right now. This says,
what about Erebus when you talk about Air New Zealand
having a great safety record? That'd be a half a
century ago, wouldn't it now?

Speaker 11 (01:15:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:15:31):
I mean, that's half a century in aviation. I mean,
how long have we had aviation?

Speaker 4 (01:15:35):
Exactly.

Speaker 5 (01:15:35):
Exactly. Yep, yep.

Speaker 2 (01:15:37):
It was an incident.

Speaker 3 (01:15:38):
40, maybe 48 years?

Speaker 8 (01:15:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:15:40):
When was it?

Speaker 4 (01:15:41):
1979.

Speaker 3 (01:15:41):
46 years. On an overall record. Hang on a minute.

Speaker 2 (01:15:44):
47 years. Yeah, good maths.

Speaker 10 (01:15:45):
Okay.

Speaker 11 (01:15:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:15:46):
It's still a good record, though, overall. What do you say, though?
It is 7-2-3. We'll be back in a few moments.

Speaker 1 (01:15:51):
The issues that affect you and a bit of fun
along the way. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.

Speaker 9 (01:15:57):
Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (01:15:59):
It is five minutes to three. Plenty of text coming through.

Speaker 3 (01:16:03):
Lads, when Air New Zealand had the Lord of the
Rings and All Blacks videos, let alone the swimsuit model edition. Oh,
that's right. You wouldn't see that these days. They were great.
And I think most Kiwis found a sense of fun
and pride in them, even when flying often. Nowadays, they
are cringe and aimed at tourists. Although from recent experience,
they have a different video from international to domestic. Cheers, Peter. Cheers, Peter.

Speaker 10 (01:16:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:16:23):
It is amazing how many people have texted in about
the videos. But I don't think the videos are why they've.

Speaker 2 (01:16:28):
Lost $ 360 million.

Speaker 3 (01:16:30):
And this texter says, how about a bit of positivity
at the end of the hour, eh? This texter says,
I like the monster safety video.

Speaker 2 (01:16:38):
Good on you, texter. You like whatever you want to like.
You're an outlier, but good on you.

Speaker 10 (01:16:44):
Well, I think.

Speaker 3 (01:16:47):
About 50-50 in terms of Matt Heath and Tyler Adams'
afternoons on ZB, callers and texters on whether we should
sell here in New Zealand or not. I mean, if
we're honest, they're a strategic asset. You know, when crap
goes down overseas, you want to have a national carrier.

Speaker 2 (01:17:05):
Yeah, very true.

Speaker 3 (01:17:06):
That isn't owned by, I don't know... The Middle East
or something.

Speaker 2 (01:17:09):
Yeah, exactly. And hopefully better times are ahead for Air
New Zealand. But coming up next, should New Zealand Super
Rugby players be able to cross the ditch without affecting
their test eligibility? That is coming up next. And taking
your thoughts on that, 0800 80 1080. The big stories, the.

Speaker 1 (01:17:27):
Big issues, the big trends, and everything in between. Matt
Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons.

Speaker 9 (01:17:34):
Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (01:17:36):
G'day to you. Welcome back into the show for the
final hour of the Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons
for your Friday.

Speaker 3 (01:17:43):
Hey, you know how I was promoting? I was posting
about me running this Dunedin Marathon.

Speaker 15 (01:17:50):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (01:17:51):
I'm running the half. I can't run the marathon now.

Speaker 2 (01:17:55):
Own it.

Speaker 3 (01:17:55):
Yeah, I've got a problem. Running with my sons and
running with a team. People can join up and run
with me. uh, go to the need marathon Dakota and
Z and, uh, you can join the team beat Heath, uh,
use the code all caps beat Heath and you'll get, um, 25%
off the race entry fee and you can win a
pretty awesome prize pack from Emerson.

Speaker 2 (01:18:16):
It is pretty good.

Speaker 3 (01:18:16):
Yeah. But anyway, I was posting it. I posted that
in my friend who lives in Australia now, he messaged
me and he said, um, he said, Oh, you'll be,
you'll be running past my house. And I was like,
I will be too. Um, The one opposite Pudding Island,
just before Portobello. Anyway, the funny thing about that house.

Speaker 10 (01:18:39):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (01:18:39):
And this is a different time. So in his bedroom,
it just had a toilet in the middle of the room.

Speaker 2 (01:18:47):
How good.

Speaker 3 (01:18:48):
So just like it was like a, what do you
call it? Open plan en suite. Open plan en suite.
So his room, it was quite a big room. It
was like as big as this apartment. Mike Hosking Memorial
Studio here, which is- Sizeable. 10 by 10?

Speaker 1 (01:19:02):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:19:02):
Something like that? It was quite a big room. Maybe
this wouldn't be there. Maybe this is 7 by 7.

Speaker 10 (01:19:07):
Who knows?

Speaker 3 (01:19:08):
It's quite a big room, but right in the middle
of it, it had a bathroom, a toilet.

Speaker 2 (01:19:11):
No shower, no vanity.

Speaker 4 (01:19:13):
No.

Speaker 3 (01:19:15):
But it had like one of those, you know, dressing things.
What are they called? A shield, a dressing.

Speaker 2 (01:19:22):
Like a wee curtain.

Speaker 3 (01:19:23):
Yeah, you know, they're a stand.

Speaker 2 (01:19:24):
Yes, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:19:25):
There's a word for them.

Speaker 7 (01:19:27):
A screen.

Speaker 2 (01:19:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:19:29):
But anyway, it was so awkward because his mum would
come in and do her business in the middle of
the night when I was staying over.

Speaker 2 (01:19:34):
Well, you were in the mirror.

Speaker 12 (01:19:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:19:35):
So she'd just come in and just throw the curtain. What,
so you could see the silhouette? Was there any noises?

Speaker 3 (01:19:41):
I wasn't looking, Tyler.

Speaker 2 (01:19:43):
You weren't looking.

Speaker 3 (01:19:44):
I wasn't looking.

Speaker 2 (01:19:44):
Yeah, you can't not look. In that situation, it's like,
this is so weird.

Speaker 3 (01:19:49):
Mate, I can not look when my mate's mother is,
you know, doing a business in the bathroom.

Speaker 2 (01:19:56):
Was that the only toilet in the house or she
just preferred that one?

Speaker 3 (01:19:58):
It was the only toilet in the house.

Speaker 4 (01:19:59):
What?

Speaker 15 (01:20:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:20:01):
I mean, that's some crazy architecture going on. There's a
story behind that. Whoever designed that situation.

Speaker 7 (01:20:06):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:20:07):
Because ordinarily I'd say that's fantastic if you're the only
one that uses that toilet. then that's a good operation.

Speaker 3 (01:20:13):
You'd still want a wall around it, wouldn't you?

Speaker 2 (01:20:15):
Well, knowing what you got up to down in Dunedin,
you could just roll out a beard.

Speaker 3 (01:20:18):
Is anyone out there ordering, going to Regency bathrooms and
ordering an open plan en suite? It's not happening.

Speaker 2 (01:20:28):
If you're into that sort of thing.

Speaker 3 (01:20:29):
I'm going to run past. It's going to ruin my time,
but I'm going to go and look in the window
of that house and see if they're still running that operation.

Speaker 2 (01:20:35):
Some good memories.

Speaker 4 (01:20:36):
Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:20:37):
And some frightening memories. I mean, the fact that the
mum came in, yeah, that is.

Speaker 3 (01:20:40):
Well, that's what I found quite challenging as a 13-year-old boy.

Speaker 2 (01:20:45):
So you just pretended you're asleep?

Speaker 4 (01:20:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:20:47):
And you knew this was going on behind you as
your eyes reverted?

Speaker 3 (01:20:50):
I just blocked my nose and pretended I was asleep.

Speaker 2 (01:20:52):
Oh, that's amazing. So when you're down there and you
poke your head through the window, can you just take
a photo of that? I need to see it.

Speaker 3 (01:20:59):
I need to see it. It can't be the same.

Speaker 2 (01:21:00):
I mean, that's... Surely that's a one-off.

Speaker 3 (01:21:02):
That's decades and decades ago.

Speaker 2 (01:21:03):
That's some sort of like art performance thing going on there.

Speaker 3 (01:21:06):
Someone would have knocked up a wall around it by now.

Speaker 10 (01:21:08):
Anyway.

Speaker 2 (01:21:09):
How good. But that code again, if you want to
take part in the half marathon with Matt Heath, Beat Heath,
and go to the website. Gives you 25% off and
a fantastic price back. It's going to be a great weekend.

Speaker 4 (01:21:20):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:21:20):
Let's go to the marathon. Dunedinmarathon.co.nz, I imagine it is.

Speaker 2 (01:21:24):
I believe it is, yeah.

Speaker 10 (01:21:25):
Anyway, good times.

Speaker 2 (01:21:26):
All right, that is coming up. But right now, let's
have a chat about this. So a major super rugby
shake-up could be looming. So New Zealand and Australian officials
are discussing letting players cross the Tasman without losing test eligibility.
So it comes after Revelations only two Kiwi franchises... have
been profitable without New Zealand rugby support since 2019, and

(01:21:47):
the NRL landing a $ 5. 3 billion TV deal. NRL is, yeah,
they are going gangbusters at the moment, whereas Super Rugby,
as we know, has got a lot of problems. Sharrock,
he is senior rugby and NRL agent from the team.
He was on with Mike this morning where he said
he applauds the fact that conversations seem to be happening
to change what is going wrong with Super Rugby.

Speaker 18 (01:22:14):
They're the only union that I'm aware of, you know,
South Africa and our European partners and the UK. All
the professional game is privatised and it's private money, private innovation.
And there are some gives and takes with that. But
at the end of the day, I think that's where
it's got to head. In the past, there's been a
reluctance from New Zealand rugby to allow that kind of
model to occur because as we see from even NRL

(01:22:36):
and through the other models, the owners of the club
who are the major employers of the players are have
a pretty strong say as to what they can and
can't do. So I think the negotiation on the way
into a professional model is pretty important.

Speaker 16 (01:22:48):
What's your gut say? Is rugby of a mindset that
this is real, do you think, or not?

Speaker 18 (01:22:54):
No, I don't, but I hope that there is some
really serious conversation going on around how we grow the
game professionally and make it, I guess, a product, and
I hate using that word, but a product that really
engages our public and our viewers in great numbers because
we need it.

Speaker 2 (01:23:10):
So he went on to say that New Zealand is
the only union he's aware of that hasn't privatised the
professional game. And at the end of the day, he
thinks clearly that is where it needs to hit. Yeah,
I mean, look at.

Speaker 3 (01:23:22):
What's happening with the Warriors compared to the Super Rugby clubs.
And is it kind of like the difference between communism
and capitalism? So as he says, the control that New
Zealand rugby has over the players and the teams. And
as a result, you have to build the Berlin Wall
to keep them in.

Speaker 2 (01:23:41):
It's a great analogy.

Speaker 3 (01:23:41):
But if it's private, then they'll do whatever they can
to forge ahead. The problem is we produce incredibly good
rugby players, right?

Speaker 10 (01:23:50):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (01:23:51):
And if you let them do whatever they want, then
they're going to be in great demand, aren't they?

Speaker 2 (01:23:57):
They are.

Speaker 4 (01:23:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:23:58):
And so negotiating their prices down, all these kind of things,
you know, you've got the carrot of the All Blacks.
You kind of have to– yeah, I mean, it would
be interesting– what would happen if we had all our
best players could choose to go and play, say, the
Waratahs or whatever? The competition, Super Rugby would go better.

Speaker 9 (01:24:18):
Absolutely.

Speaker 3 (01:24:19):
Super Rugby would absolutely go better because, you know, it'd
be exciting, wouldn't it? You know, let's say Will Jordan
went and played for the Waratahs because they came up
with the money to pay him. You know, they offered
more money.

Speaker 8 (01:24:33):
Then.

Speaker 3 (01:24:35):
That A, it would make the competition evener.

Speaker 4 (01:24:38):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (01:24:38):
More even.

Speaker 2 (01:24:39):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:24:41):
And B, it would be exciting for us because we
see these players, don't we?

Speaker 20 (01:24:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:24:44):
We see these players overplaying, and when we watch the Waratahs,
it'll be slightly more exciting for us because there's Kiwis involved.

Speaker 2 (01:24:50):
Well, like this Texas says, if Super Rugby is going
to be successful, then Australia has to spearhead its success
because it's a much bigger market with way more money
than New Zealand. If more Kiwi players play in Australia,
the side's pushing out the Aussie players. They'll just go
overseas and earn. But everyone wins in this scenario. As
you say, you get the superstar All Blacks players playing
for the likes of the Waratahs or the Brumbies. that

(01:25:10):
is going to increase the hype around Australia and be
better for the overall competition.

Speaker 3 (01:25:14):
Do you just open the rugby iron curtain, the rugby
union iron curtain in New Zealand just a little bit
so that they're allowed to play in Australia? Because if
you allow them to play everywhere and still be eligible
for the All Blacks, then they're all going to go
and play in Europe, aren't they? Or Japan or wherever
they can get the most money.

Speaker 2 (01:25:33):
Chase the big contracts, yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:25:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:25:35):
What do you say on this?

Speaker 8 (01:25:36):
0-800-80-10-80.

Speaker 2 (01:25:36):
Is this a good idea? There's some massive problems with
Super Rugby when it comes to profitability. Is this the
right sort of move? Would you get behind this change
to try and get some more profitability and hype into
that competition? And just a small opening of that iron curtain,
as Matt Heath said, is that where we start? Or
do you think that could just lead to the collapse

(01:25:56):
of the Berlin Wall?

Speaker 3 (01:25:58):
This is my theory. I'll share what I think needs
to happen with Super Rugby, OK?

Speaker 2 (01:26:01):
OK, all right. That's coming up. But taking your thoughts
on that, 0800 80 1080. It's a quarter past three.
18 past three, so a big change could be coming
to Super Rugby. New Zealand and Australian officials are discussing
letting players cross the Tasman without losing test eligibility. It
comes after only two Kiwi franchises have been profitable without

(01:26:21):
New Zealand rugby support since 2019. And then we look
at the likes of the NRL. They are going gangbusters
in the latest news that they landed that $ 5. 3 billion
TV deal. So is this what needs to happen to
try and improve the viewership of Super Rugby?

Speaker 3 (01:26:36):
This text says, hey, guys, let's just remember that on
any given Sunday, there are far more people watching Super
Rugby than there are watching the Warriors. Well, Super Rugby
is underway. And then the same with the All Blacks.
That's from Kevin. Yeah, the Warriors are bigger than any
individual Super Rugby team, though, aren't they? I mean, they
are the New Zealand Warriors, so they take up the
whole of the league-watching fandom of New Zealand, and they've

(01:26:59):
done an incredibly good job. Great job.

Speaker 10 (01:27:01):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (01:27:02):
Creating a vibe and creating a thing. This, Texas says,
rugby is cringe. Warriors is where it's at. And this,
Texas says, rugby is done. League is too exciting. It's over.
Doesn't matter what professional rules they bring in. It's only
a matter of time before it's done. Well, that's hard. But,
I don't know. I was watching Otago v. Wellington last weekend.

(01:27:23):
That's pretty good. That's pretty good.

Speaker 2 (01:27:25):
Fixture the golden nose spanking of wellington.

Speaker 3 (01:27:28):
Yeah that was a that was pretty entertaining champagne rugby
yeah not a lot of defense going down but uh
certainly certainly no problems getting it out wide yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:27:38):
I mean look there's a fair fair argument there that
the npc for a lot of people is more entertaining
than the super rugby because some would argue that uh
is there still the the local hype when it comes
to super rugby you look at the crusaders for example
and tasman is kind of part of the Crusaders camp.
It's a feeder team for the Crusaders. But speak to
any Nelsonian, and they're not huge Crusaders fans. They just

(01:28:02):
don't have the same buy-in in that location. Part of
that is to do with the Crusaders never wanting to
play in Nelson. Very rarely would they ever play at
Trafalgar Park, so that pisses off A lot of people
in Nelson say, well, hang on a minute. We're in
your catchment area. What about us? But they care more
about the Marcos than they do about the Crusaders by
a long, long, long shot.

Speaker 3 (01:28:21):
They're never ever going to play away from Tikaha now,
are they?

Speaker 4 (01:28:24):
No.

Speaker 2 (01:28:24):
It's a pretty nice stadium.

Speaker 4 (01:28:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:28:26):
But this is another wider point when you look at
the NPC and how exciting the actual game is. But
the problem is if you go and see the Rolling
Stones supported by Nickelback like I did once. You can't
put Nickelback on after the Rolling Stones. You can't.

Speaker 1 (01:28:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:28:44):
Because you and it's that's what they're doing with the
npc and the super rugby so you've got the big
flash one that you're pumping all the money into based
on the big centers and then you go well now
you've had the otago highlanders that's our name um And
then you go into Otago rugby, right?

Speaker 2 (01:29:01):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:29:03):
It's a step down just in the glamour. I mean,
it's super rugby to MPC. It should definitely be around
the other way.

Speaker 8 (01:29:09):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:29:09):
And this is my other solution to the super rugby
MPC problem. I believe that if you've got a super
rugby franchise in your town, you shouldn't have an MPC team.
You either decide you're all in on one or the other.

Speaker 2 (01:29:21):
Oh, okay.

Speaker 3 (01:29:21):
Because look at all the teams that have, you know,
if you don't have a super rugby team in your town,
then you get good numbers for MPC.

Speaker 4 (01:29:29):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:29:30):
That's the way it works. Yeah. And it's too confusing
for people. I said, I've just been supporting Canterbury hard out,
and now I'm going to support Canterbury again? It's finished.

Speaker 2 (01:29:40):
It's a good point.

Speaker 3 (01:29:40):
And it's starting again.

Speaker 2 (01:29:41):
It does get confusing. What do you say, though? 0800
80 1080. Steve, what do you reckon about these changes?
Is this the way to move Super Rugby forward and
get some more eyeballs on it?

Speaker 11 (01:29:52):
I don't really know about the changes, mate, but I'm
just fizzed about this weekend. Okara Park and Northland sell out.
biggest crowd in 34 years for the Mighty Tunny this weekend.
You try and tell me and my mate Meeks that footy.

Speaker 2 (01:30:06):
Is dead in New Zealand. What's the capacity at Okara Park?

Speaker 11 (01:30:10):
Oh, mate, whatever it is, we'll blow the roof off
on Sunday.

Speaker 15 (01:30:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 11 (01:30:14):
You try and shut the doors when the Mighty Tunny
crowd rock up on Sunday.

Speaker 2 (01:30:18):
But isn't that part of it? You know, that Northland
got the shield after how many years, Steve? The Ranfurly
Shield was 47 years.

Speaker 11 (01:30:25):
That's right, 47. Yeah, exactly, mate.

Speaker 7 (01:30:27):
That's what it is.

Speaker 11 (01:30:27):
It's It's provincial, it's the banter I can have with
my mates from South Northland and, you know, the regions
that don't hold the shield. That's what it's all about, mate.
The passion, the tribalism. It just means a little bit
more when they're playing for the region of which, you know,
I'm proud to be from.

Speaker 3 (01:30:47):
Yeah, and isn't that because it's kind of a one-for-one?
You're from Northland, the team's Northland. It's kind of like
what Tyler was saying. It's not your wide catchment area
for a super rugby team.

Speaker 10 (01:30:57):
It is.

Speaker 3 (01:30:58):
your team from your area. And so that's why this
is going to be a huge, huge event, Northland-Tasman this weekend, because,
you know, it is two teams that are clearly from
distinct places playing each other for the Ranfuli Field. It
just has, it's got more tribal meaning, Steve.

Speaker 10 (01:31:17):
Exactly.

Speaker 11 (01:31:18):
And the players, we've got so many players. Some of
them have come from outer region, but we've got so
many purebred Northland boys playing there. Growing up, They've come
through the system. People have played with them. They've played
with their brothers or their sisters or their dads or
their families. It just means more.

Speaker 14 (01:31:35):
It's more connected.

Speaker 11 (01:31:36):
There's more spiritual meaning behind it all.

Speaker 2 (01:31:38):
Do you care at all about the Blues, Steve? You
couldn't be bothered?

Speaker 4 (01:31:41):
No.

Speaker 11 (01:31:42):
I'm a Chiefs fan because a true Northland fan would
never support Auckland.

Speaker 2 (01:31:47):
But hence the problem, Steve, because you're technically in the
catchment area of the Blues, right? But clearly there's just
not that.

Speaker 11 (01:31:53):
What have they done for us up here? What do
they do for us up here? They never bring games
up here. They're all about Eden Park. I'm happy sitting
here supporting Northland and enjoying it wherever the Northland boys
go through Super Rugby season.

Speaker 3 (01:32:06):
I'm convinced that a lot of Aucklanders think that the
All Blacks is the local Auckland team. Yes, a bit
of that. So 18,500 people, Steve.

Speaker 11 (01:32:17):
Yeah, we'll get more than that there this weekend.

Speaker 16 (01:32:19):
You watch.

Speaker 15 (01:32:20):
I bet.

Speaker 2 (01:32:21):
That's a great showing, though. I mean, 18,000 in any
provincial town is huge, and if you get more than that, Steve. But, yeah,
I mean, you've made the point very well, is that
forget Super Rugby. When it comes to NPC and you
live in a place like Northland or Tasman, who gives
a stuff about your catchment team, you just want to
go hard for your town because that's where the soul is.

Speaker 11 (01:32:40):
Yeah, mate, boys, I'm going to leave you. I'm going
to go knock off, have a few Lion Reds and
get ready for the big weekend up here.

Speaker 14 (01:32:45):
Up the tunnies.

Speaker 3 (01:32:47):
Man, he's preloading early. Yeah, he's preloading. A few days out.

Speaker 2 (01:32:51):
Go hard, Steve. Yeah, that's going to be a good
couple of days for you, mate. So what do you reckon?
0800 80 1080. So they're looking to change the rules
to allow Super Rugby players to travel to Tasman teams
without affecting their test eligibility. But just on that wider
question about the problems with Super Rugby, what do you
think needs to change? 0800 80 1080 is that number
and 9292 is the text. It's 25 past three. 27

(01:33:16):
past 3, so Super Rugby officials are looking at changing
the rules to allow players to cross the ditch and
join some of those Australian teams without it affecting their
test eligibility. Is that a way to improve the viewership
of Super Rugby and the profitability as well? 0800 80

(01:33:38):
1080 is that number to call this, Texas Airs. Yes,
only logical move. Needs to be a comp that many
teams can win. You've got to try and mirror the
NRL structure, make a decent super coach type app, find
time slots that don't always compete with the NRL. That's
the only way that rugby union at the smaller level
will survive.

Speaker 3 (01:33:58):
I was thinking with the NPC, right? So, you know,
and I think this rugby to league, not great at
lining things up. The NRL will never move. But if
you've got a... You know, if you've got an NPC game,
you want to line it up before the Warriors play
and after the Warriors play. Because I reckon, you know,

(01:34:20):
if I watch the WARS, then I'll go on to
it and I'll keep watching and watch an NPC game.

Speaker 2 (01:34:24):
Absolutely.

Speaker 3 (01:34:24):
I mean, there would have to be an afternoon Warriors game.

Speaker 2 (01:34:27):
Yeah, true.

Speaker 3 (01:34:28):
Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (01:34:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:34:29):
Wouldn't make sense if it was one of the later ones.
But leading up to the Warriors game. You know, think
about those things, the way to get ahead. But that
point making about it has to be closer, right? And
that's what I do. But, I mean, you look at
the top of the NRL table. I mean, it's insane.

(01:34:51):
The top three are all on 38 points.

Speaker 23 (01:34:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:34:55):
And that is what is so exciting about that competition, right?

Speaker 3 (01:34:57):
Number four is on 36 points.

Speaker 4 (01:34:58):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:35:00):
And then it's 34 points. I mean, it's so incredibly tight.

Speaker 4 (01:35:04):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (01:35:04):
And you know anything can happen in NRL. This one says, G'day, guys. Yeah,
not a bad idea. It might improve the state of
some of the Aussie teams. It is pretty much dead
over in Australia. Will that change it? Maybe a little bit,
but you certainly need that Australian money to come into
it and get some private investment as well. The way
it's going, if it's not making money, nobody, even if

(01:35:26):
they love Super Rugby with a bit of money, will
bother anyway.

Speaker 3 (01:35:31):
Your previous contributor, who was saying he supported the Chiefs
rather than the Blues, finished his comments with, off to
have a few lion teds. I guess that's reds. That
explains his taste in beer and rugby.

Speaker 9 (01:35:42):
Or off.

Speaker 3 (01:35:43):
Cheers, Alfred.

Speaker 10 (01:35:44):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (01:35:46):
This texter says, Tyler, you forgot Marlborough is 50% of Tasman.

Speaker 2 (01:35:50):
Yeah, that is a good point, actually. But that's the
good thing about the Marcos, is it's pretty much one
for one. They'll play at Trafalgar, then they'll go over
and play at the Marlborough Stadium. I can't remember what
the name of the Marlborough Stadium is.

Speaker 3 (01:35:59):
Blenheim.

Speaker 1 (01:36:00):
Blenheim.

Speaker 11 (01:36:00):
Blenheim.

Speaker 3 (01:36:01):
Anyone who says League is more exciting than Union is
a moron says this texter. I've got to make sure
that I'm saying this as a texter. This isn't me.

Speaker 2 (01:36:08):
Highly controversial.

Speaker 3 (01:36:09):
It's chess compared to checkers. The rise of the Warriors
is the rise of the idiots. Seriously, how dumb do
you have to be to sit through League? I want
to read that in this kind of voice.

Speaker 12 (01:36:19):
Anyone who says the League is more exciting than Union
is a moron. It's chess compared to checkers. The rise
of the warriors is the rise of the idiots. Seriously,
how dumb do you have to be to sit through
a game of League?

Speaker 3 (01:36:35):
That's how that text sounds.

Speaker 2 (01:36:36):
Yeah, well done. How did you know that? Did you
know that texter personally? That's beautiful.

Speaker 3 (01:36:40):
Why can't you just like your sport? Like, if you
like rugby union more, then watch it.

Speaker 2 (01:36:45):
Yeah, don't shut down other sports to try and.

Speaker 3 (01:36:48):
So people that enjoy a sport, a different sport than
you are morons?

Speaker 2 (01:36:52):
Yeah. And this one challenges that text.

Speaker 7 (01:36:55):
G'day, guys.

Speaker 2 (01:36:56):
Sad truth is rugby at the moment is boring. We'll
never compete with rugby league viewing numbers. They are taking
down rugby union. They're putting a hose down the throat.
It's the end of Super.

Speaker 3 (01:37:06):
But if you went fully professional, fully commercial, and the
franchises were real franchises, right? You went full capitalism on it.

Speaker 18 (01:37:15):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:37:15):
You get a Peter Valandes-type character in charge, then Super
Rugby will be quickly making the changes it needs to
make to become very, very exciting.

Speaker 2 (01:37:23):
Exactly. It puts the onus on them to make sure
that they're bringing the money in and getting the eyeballs
and the viewers and people at the stadiums, and you
do whatever you can to make sure that happens.

Speaker 3 (01:37:32):
I mean, Peter Valandes will do anything to make sure
to make rugby league work. Remember in COVID? An Australia
without rugby league is not Australia. And so he brought
the sport back so much quicker than other sports because
he just basically put his foot down. Everyone said, you're crazy.
He goes, an Australia without rugby league is not Australia.

Speaker 2 (01:37:53):
Genius. Hey, and this text says, why can't you do
that voice for the whole show, Matt? It'd be challenging.

Speaker 3 (01:37:59):
What voice are you talking? Of what voice do you speak.

Speaker 18 (01:38:04):
Of, sir?

Speaker 5 (01:38:05):
Beautiful.

Speaker 2 (01:38:06):
Right, that is where we'll leave it because coming up next,
the moment you all wait for, New Zealander of the Week.

Speaker 9 (01:38:13):
Newstalk ZB Headlines.

Speaker 8 (01:38:15):
With your ride, New Zealand's number one taxi app. Download
your ride today. China is warning of a further flood
risk in Nepal following yesterday's catastrophic disaster. Hundreds are missing
after the torrent near the border with Tibet. Authorities are
warning there's a high risk a dam created during the
landslide could breach. Prime Minister Chris Luxon has apologised for

(01:38:40):
a second issue at the Ministry of Social Development that
led to people missing payments. The agency has confirmed a
processing issue saw some benefit recipients miss out. It comes
after MSD confirmed thousands of pensioners missed out on winter
energy payments this year. An aviation commentator believes Air New
Zealand's business model is.

Speaker 2 (01:39:00):
Part of what's dragging it down.

Speaker 8 (01:39:02):
It's reporting an annual pre-tax loss of $ 336 million. Irene
King says the business is too complex to sustain at
the moment. Serious congestion this afternoon after a single vehicle
crash on Auckland's southwestern motorway. Police were called near Mangere
just after midday. Wellington Mayor Andrew Little calls $ 435, 000 Deloitte

(01:39:27):
report ropey, says firm should offer discount. You can find
out more at nzherald.co.nz. Back to Matt Heath and Tyler Adams.

Speaker 1 (01:39:36):
The Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons. New Zealander of
the Week.

Speaker 5 (01:39:43):
Great news, Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 3 (01:39:45):
It's time once again for the Matt Heath and Tyler
Adams Afternoons New Zealander of the Week. As always, three
powerful New Zealanders shall be equally honoured.

Speaker 5 (01:39:56):
And remember, this is the most inclusive awards on planet Earth.

Speaker 3 (01:39:59):
Any person, group, taxpayer, state-owned enterprise, smell, vibe or concept
can be honoured. So let's get the f * * *
on with it.

Speaker 5 (01:40:10):
Bad news, everyone.

Speaker 3 (01:40:11):
It's August 28th, one of the big tax payment days
of the year. For many self-employed people and businesses, it's
Provisional Tax Day.

Speaker 2 (01:40:20):
And for the really lucky ones.

Speaker 5 (01:40:22):
It's also their GST Cop-Up Day.

Speaker 3 (01:40:25):
So, to all those hard-working Kiwis, starting businesses, employing people,
sole trading, taking on the stress, working hard, grinding away
hour by hour, day by day, and then paying... High,
wateringly high amounts of tax on.

Speaker 5 (01:40:40):
Days like today. Thank you for your service. You're covering
for a lot of Kiwis that don't.

Speaker 3 (01:40:45):
And you are New Zealanders of the Week.

Speaker 2 (01:40:52):
This week, we.

Speaker 3 (01:40:53):
Heard the news that a humiliating AI-generated song by an
embarrassing Australian DJ... had reached number two on the Australian
music charts.

Speaker 5 (01:41:04):
This must not be allowed to happen here in New Zealand.

Speaker 3 (01:41:07):
Stolen vela non-musicians prompting some AI bullshit and claiming that
they've created something must not be allowed to profit from it.
Let's instead celebrate musicians. The human ones, talented enough to
actually play instruments.

Speaker 5 (01:41:24):
And perform them in front of an audience. To those
Kiwis who make real music.

Speaker 3 (01:41:30):
We're talking your LABs, your Alien Weaponries, your Mel Parsons, Boom,
Phaser Days, Half Angels, Troy Kingies, Tangerinos and the rest.
Go see them live, because they can actually play. And
they are actually New Zealanders of the Week.

Speaker 5 (01:41:50):
A few years ago, the haters said these guys were finished.

Speaker 3 (01:41:53):
That they were going the way of the fax machine,
the yellow pages, and the horse and car.

Speaker 2 (01:41:59):
They were dubbed the snail mail fail.

Speaker 5 (01:42:02):
But every Kiwi knows you can't keep a good... package down.

Speaker 3 (01:42:07):
And postman pat has risen from the grave fired up
the vans and the cool electric high-speed golf cart things
we see on our streets and delivered a decent profit
on 1.26 billion dollars turnover that's right the letters might
be dying but our inability to stop ordering The absolute
crap off the internet is keeping the good old New

(01:42:29):
Zealand Post alive. So keep knocking on doors when we're
at work. Keep dropping off boxes of stuff we don't need.
And keep parking on the yellow lines with your emergency
lights flashing to our mighty New Zealand Post.

Speaker 5 (01:42:42):
Matt Heath and Tyler.

Speaker 3 (01:42:43):
Adams Afternoons on Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 5 (01:42:46):
Have a little delivery for you.

Speaker 3 (01:42:48):
And it is the Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons
on Newstalk ZB New Zealander of the Week.

Speaker 22 (01:42:54):
Take it away, Sir Howard Morrison.

Speaker 9 (01:43:07):
Choose whether it should go in the bin or the
post bag.

Speaker 15 (01:43:10):
Two letters for the same person. But I'm in a hurry.

Speaker 12 (01:43:34):
Don't let them wait too long, or they'll get upset.

Speaker 8 (01:43:46):
Oh, great.

Speaker 9 (01:43:55):
Oh, the wind has blown.

Speaker 12 (01:43:56):
The post out of my post bag.

Speaker 9 (01:44:06):
The Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons. New Zealander of
the Week.

Speaker 2 (01:44:12):
Outstanding as always. Right, coming up next, we cross live
to Elliot Smith on the ground in Cape Town ahead
of the second match between the All Blacks and South Africa.
That is coming up in a few moments. It is
20 to 4.

Speaker 1 (01:44:27):
The issues that affect you and a bit of fun
along the way. Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons. Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (01:44:34):
Newstalk ZB, so the All Blacks face off against South
Africa for game two in Cape Town. 3am kick-off, Sunday
morning New Zealand time. The voice of rugby for Newstalk
ZB is Elliot Smith. He's on the ground in Cape
Town and he joins us now. G'day Elliot.

Speaker 23 (01:44:50):
G'day, fellas.

Speaker 3 (01:44:51):
Leroy Carter comes into the starting side, Elliot, and Josh
Morby goes to the bench. Is that selection mainly about
improving the aerial game, or is Rennie looking for something different?

Speaker 2 (01:45:03):
No, I think a little bit of both.

Speaker 23 (01:45:05):
Look, I think defensively-wise, I think Leroy Carter's the better player,
especially in a one-on-one situation. He's got that power from
the sevens game, that upper-body strength that When you're in
a one-on-one situation, he backs himself to get the player
to ground and sometimes even get up and get over
the ball. So I think it's very much about that.
A little bit rough on Josh Morby because the All

(01:45:27):
Blacks only conceded one try last week and he was
stepped and beaten by Andre Esterhazen on the way to it.
But Dave Rennie has decided to make that change. I
think he offers a little bit of a point of
difference as well.

Speaker 2 (01:45:40):
Just that out-and-out pace that Leroy Carter's got.

Speaker 23 (01:45:43):
And I think this week the All Blacks want more
time with ball in play in the game, but they
also want to bring fatigue into it. So Leroy Carter
trying to run around and stretch and puff out the
South Africans, I think, is part of the big game
plan from the All Blacks.

Speaker 3 (01:45:58):
Now, Simon Parker is in at blindside. Is Rennie basically saying,
we need some bigger blokes in here?

Speaker 23 (01:46:06):
A little bit, but I think if they were still
able to call on Josh Lord and Tupo Vai would
have stayed at blindside most likely, and Simon Parker probably
would have stayed on the bench. This is a big
test for Simon Parker, I think. Um, we've seen him
over the last year or so since he made his debut, um,
come into the All Blacks and then, you know, didn't

(01:46:27):
play at all in July. So, um, he needs to
deliver this weekend and, and deliver what the All Blacks
want of him and imposing performance on both sides of
the ball. Dave, when he said, uh, at the media
conference earlier today that, you know, he'll be probably in
the middle of the park and they might still let
Tupo Vai sort of roam out on the edges where
he's been so good. So a big game for Simon Parker.

(01:46:50):
He wants that, they need to add that physicality to
the game to try and combat the spring box. So
let's hope it's a coming of age performance from him.

Speaker 2 (01:46:59):
And a good win for the All Blacks last match.
They did have that big comeback at halftime, 17-3 down
to take that win. How much confidence do you think
that will give them?

Speaker 23 (01:47:08):
Oh, I think you take plenty of confidence from coming
from the deficits they had down and the pressure they
were under during the game. The scrums were a mess
at one point. They were going backwards at a rate
of knots, yet managed to find a way. And I
think that's what the All Blacks will be pretty happy with,

(01:47:30):
the fact that they problem-solved on the go and were
able to find solutions in the game. What they won't
be happy with is the you know, the amount of
numbers and the various stats columns that go against them
because you can only win like that so many times.
And I don't think the Springboks will turn over the
ball as much this week. I think they'll try and
bank penalties if the scrum is as dominant this week.

(01:47:53):
They'll play a little bit smarter. South Africa. So the
need for the All Blacks to implement their game plan,
get more ball in play, it was only at 28
minutes last week. They'd love that figure to be closer
to 40 minutes in all honesty because they're back to
their game to bring fatigue into it. and stretch the
South Africans the more the ball is in play. So,

(01:48:16):
you know, there are factors that the All Blacks need
to get right on Saturday afternoon local time here in
Cape Town uh, that are non-negotiables, uh, because, you know,
if they don't do what, um, they need to, um,
as I say, the spring box won't be that bad
and won't capitalize or not capitalize on that sort of
thing again. So, uh, but yeah, they're going to have
to be better. They expect the spring books to be better,

(01:48:36):
but so too will the All Blacks.

Speaker 3 (01:48:38):
What do you reckon South Africa will change tactically?

Speaker 15 (01:48:41):
Not too much.

Speaker 23 (01:48:42):
Look, I think they will play very much the type.
They've made a couple of changes. Um, largely injury-enforced to
their side, apart from the 9-10 combo, especially at 10
with Andre Pollard coming in. Look, he's a wonderful player,
great kicker of the ball, goal kicker, tactically wise across
the park, great kicker. So they're going to play a

(01:49:05):
little bit smarter, look to push the All Blacks, I think,
around the park, and then set up that great set
piece that the scrum that we saw last week. I
suspect this week, if there are penalty goals on offer,
they'll take them this week. Last week, they turned that
chance down, then it bit them in the behind. So
I think they'll just play a little bit more conservative,
if that's possible, with Andre Pollard at 10, and look

(01:49:27):
to banks and points and really put the scoreboard pressure
on the All Blacks.

Speaker 2 (01:49:31):
Elliot, there's been a bit of noise around the stoppages
and speeding up the game for entertainment value. I know
Umanga came out on that, and there's been some pushback
from some of the South African pundits, but what's your
take on that?

Speaker 23 (01:49:42):
Look, I think both teams have got their styles, and
I think the All Blacks are desperately keen to implement theirs,
and that's a fast game, and it's one that's a
game played at pace, and you look to tire out
the opposition and bring in mistakes as the game goes on.
I think as well, South Africa is entitled to play
their game plan as well, which is very structured and

(01:50:04):
very set-piece focused and plotting your way around the park
and using the scrum, using line-out, using your big forwards
to get around. I think both have beauty within them
in terms of rugby, but I think Dave Rooney is right,
and the All Blacks are right, that the prolonged stoppages
are where the game loses its way a little bit.

(01:50:27):
This isn't setting for You know, packing down scrums or
anything like that. It's the prop that goes down with
six minutes to go to halftime to catch their breath
and feigns a shoelace injury, a shoelace issue or an
injury that is rather minor to stop the clock. catch
their breath and give themselves a bit of a second
win before halftime. It's those sort of things, the stoppages

(01:50:50):
before line-outs, the committee meetings there that are slowing the game.
And Dave Rooney has called on World Rugby and the
referees just to be on top of that and make
sure the game flows better. Look, he and the All
Blacks definitely, you know, respect South Africa's right to play
the way they want, but it's about keeping the game
flowing rather than being a stop-start game. So, look, let's

(01:51:12):
see if that happens this weekend without a change in
referee in the last few hours for this game due
to illness. So, yeah, there's plenty of interesting storylines for
sure this weekend in Cape Town.

Speaker 3 (01:51:22):
And what's your prediction? Will the All Blacks make it 2-0?

Speaker 23 (01:51:27):
Well, I predicted last week the All Blacks would win
by three. So I'll go the All Blacks by four
this weekend. And yeah, look, I think it'll be a
titanic battle once again. You know, the All Blacks have
a pretty good record here in Cape Town. So they've
got a lot of support. South Africa will be better,
but I think the All Blacks will be too. So
let's lock in All Blacks by four and see how

(01:51:47):
that goes.

Speaker 2 (01:51:48):
Beautiful. Great to catch up with you, mate. Thank you
very much for having a chat with us.

Speaker 3 (01:51:52):
Anytime, guys.

Speaker 2 (01:51:53):
That is Elliot Smith, the voice of rugby for Newstalk
ZB on the ground in Cape Town. That match kicks
off at 3am. You can listen to that right here
on Newstalk ZB. Back in a moment. New Stalks ZB,

(01:52:15):
it is 7 to 4. And that brings us.

Speaker 9 (01:52:21):
To the end of the show.

Speaker 2 (01:52:24):
It certainly does.

Speaker 3 (01:52:27):
What a show it's been as well. Thank you so
much for listening. Thank you so much for all your
calls and texts.

Speaker 2 (01:52:35):
And we get so many great Kiwis ringing in that
each week we select a caller of the week. And
after a debate on where the new research that dad
bods are the most attractive male physique you can get,
we got a call from Velda from Westport who very
much challenged that notion in describing her non-dad bod absolute
heartthrob of a husband, Morris.

Speaker 14 (01:52:54):
I'm just ringing up about my husband, Morris.

Speaker 23 (01:52:56):
He's slim and trim since the day I married him.

Speaker 3 (01:53:00):
So Morris has got a rocking bod at 82.

Speaker 14 (01:53:03):
It's dead right, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:53:04):
What are we talking here? We're talking guns? Is it
a gun show?

Speaker 11 (01:53:08):
Yeah. Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (01:53:10):
He's got the gun show.

Speaker 6 (01:53:11):
He's a fantastic dancer.

Speaker 5 (01:53:15):
Oh, yeah.

Speaker 10 (01:53:15):
Smooth.

Speaker 14 (01:53:16):
And probably got many... that's jealous of that.

Speaker 2 (01:53:20):
Strong in the lower body?

Speaker 3 (01:53:21):
Glutes?

Speaker 5 (01:53:21):
Oh, yeah.

Speaker 7 (01:53:22):
Oh, yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:53:23):
Oh, yeah.

Speaker 15 (01:53:23):
He is.

Speaker 2 (01:53:24):
Morris.

Speaker 14 (01:53:25):
I can get him to pull out a tree or
dig a trench, no problem at all.

Speaker 3 (01:53:31):
If Morris let it all go, if he suddenly turned
up with a dad bod, would you kick him to
the curb?

Speaker 7 (01:53:36):
Oh, I don't know about that.

Speaker 14 (01:53:39):
He doesn't know I've rung and he's sort.

Speaker 2 (01:53:41):
Of laughing in the He's a good man. He's a
good man.

Speaker 3 (01:53:46):
I'm just picturing this Adonis just sitting in the corner laughing.

Speaker 7 (01:53:50):
Morris.

Speaker 3 (01:53:51):
It's a hot chat, wasn't it?

Speaker 2 (01:53:52):
It certainly was a hot chat.

Speaker 3 (01:53:53):
And apparently Morris and Valda are like superstars on the
West Coast.

Speaker 2 (01:53:58):
I can see why. The Adonis and the Dancer.

Speaker 3 (01:54:00):
Cutting tracks everywhere.

Speaker 2 (01:54:01):
Yeah, how good.

Speaker 3 (01:54:02):
Just objectifying Morris for five minutes on the radio.

Speaker 2 (01:54:05):
All right.

Speaker 3 (01:54:06):
Good on you, Heather. Duplessy Allen is up next. And
after 4pm, TVNZ's Chief Executive tells Heather how they've managed
to give a dividend to the government despite making a
loss this year. But right now, Tyler. Why am I
playing this song from the 2024 F1 Trillion album?

Speaker 14 (01:54:24):
Oh, man.

Speaker 2 (01:54:26):
Why are you playing this absolute punishing track? That's a tune.

Speaker 1 (01:54:32):
Wait.

Speaker 2 (01:54:34):
Okay, tell me why.

Speaker 3 (01:54:35):
Because it's by Post Malone, and Post Malone has cancelled
his October 21 show at Auckland's Go Media Stadium.

Speaker 6 (01:54:42):
Oh, yes, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:54:43):
And also... because, you know, it's Friday. Friday. So somebody
pour me a drink.

Speaker 2 (01:54:48):
Yeah, let's go get a beer. All right, everyone, you
seem busy, so we'll let you go.

Speaker 10 (01:54:52):
Bless, bless, bless.

Speaker 3 (01:54:52):
I'm Matt Heath, that's Tyler Adams, and we'll be back
live on your radio Monday afternoon. Until then, give them
a taste of Kiwi.

Speaker 14 (01:55:05):
All right, then.

Speaker 3 (01:55:07):
Just keepin' up with the Joneses Y'all know what I
mean Yeah.

Speaker 12 (01:55:11):
Y'all know how it goes When it's up on a
Friday And I'm playin', slidin' over my wing.

Speaker 3 (01:55:18):
I can't even think when I can hear one callin'
my name Hey!

Speaker 22 (01:55:25):
Somebody pour me a drink.

Speaker 1 (01:55:29):
Somebody pour me a drink Yeah, somebody pour me a
drink Hey!

Speaker 10 (01:55:38):
Hey, yes, sir.

Speaker 9 (01:55:39):
Pour me a drink.

Speaker 1 (01:55:40):
I'm on it, buddy.

Speaker 9 (01:55:42):
Pour me a drink.

Speaker 1 (01:55:46):
Matt and Tyler. For more from Newstalk ZB, listen live,
on air, or online. And keep our shows with you
wherever you go with our podcasts on iHeart Radio.