The Country 07/11/25: Barry Soper talks to Jamie Mackay

Our political correspondent discusses Te Pāti Māori and Winston Peters.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wrapping the country with Barry Soper, born and bred and Gore.
Actually we were paying tribute to Stu Wilson. What a
great rugby winger ste was, What a great character he was.
He was born in Gore and sharing the stable with
you and Gore. You were born in a stable or
in a manger? Weren't she buried with Barry Sopa with

(00:21):
Jenny Shipley You.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good afternoon, Jamie. Yes, Jenny and I were born within
days of each other, are and Gore and often said that,
really I think they switched names at birth. And I
should have been the prime minister and she may have
been a commentator. Who knows?

Speaker 1 (00:38):
What are you doing in Gore?

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Oh? My sister who was only forty months older than me.
She died when I was in hospital two years ago,
and we're coming here as a family to bury her.
Ashes in the family plot.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Lovely woman, Linda sober, lovely, lovely woman anyhow, as was
your mother, my Auntie? Can you can I use the
word lovely to describe to party Mari and how things
are going in their party?

Speaker 2 (01:08):
Well, it's an abomination, actually, Jamie. I mean I found
it amusing yesterday when Devi Na Riva Paco wasn't asking
questions by the non existent Prime Minister, and sitting right
behind her was Takuta Ferris and Marmino Kapakinhi and they
were whispering to each other. And of course you know

(01:31):
they have to sit within proximity of people that want
to get rid of them from the party, so you
know what's going to happen. There's going to be a showdown, clearly,
and John tammaheady, He's not entirely safe, but I suspect
that he wields quite a lot of power. I see
his daughter, she's been posting on Facebook as well and

(01:54):
adding fuel to the far and as Tamihiri's daughter as
Rawori waita teas white and works for the party. So
there's a lot of family involved in them.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Just finally I got thirty seconds coming on Winston. We
had him on the show yesterday. He's starting to maneuver
and position himself and pole position for the election, isn't he.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
No doubt about it? Jamie. I think you know he
was shrewd. He decided he would take the deputy prime
minister's job in the first eighteen months and then hand
it over to David Sebour, who was now more constrained.
But Winston can get on back on the campaign trail,
which is where he does very well.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Yeah, all right, hey, enjoy your family occasion in Gore
and rest in Peaceland, a sober thank you very much
for your time.