The Country 10/03/26: Conor English talks to Jamie Mackay

A former chief executive of Federated Farmers, and brother of former Prime Minister Sir Bill English, comments on the state of the National Party. He’s also the president of the New Zealand Esports Federation, which starts an argument with The Country’s host, who insists gaming isn’t a sport.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's just welcome in Connor English if we can. I
ran into him just as we got out of the
uber at the Chateau on the Park here in christ Church.
Who should I meet big noting it outside talking business,
but Connor English.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good to see you, good Jamie, you are wonderful to
see you as always.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Yeah, well we did catch up for a brief bear
at the National Lambda barbecue in Wellington.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yes, yeah, no, it was. It's always good to have
you in Wellington, you know, seeing how the real world operates,
in the political world in Wellington.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
What's happening in Wellington at the moment with your beloved
National Party. For people who don't realize this, and I'm
sure most people do, you are the younger brother of
former Prime Minister so William English. I knew him as
Bill back in the day.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Yeah. Look, I've got six big brothers and five big sisters,
and one of them happens to be a politician. I've
got a few other you know, the other ones do
all sorts of other interesting things. But now I'm in
Wellington at the moment. You know, we're starting into election year,
so there's a lot of focus. I guess I'm winning
the election and who's winning at the moment. So we're
seeing a bit of reaction to various political polls over

(01:07):
the last the last week while and what combination might
might get over the line in November, and that's creating
a bit of pressure on some politicians.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
As Christopher Luxan under threat as National Party leader.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Well, it's hard to know. I guess we're going to
find out. There's certainly been a lot of speculation around that,
media speculation and because they like the speculation around any
party having a leader under pressure.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Is Chipp be going to sleep walk to victory? If
indeed he gets to victory. I saw him at the
Tourist credit. He turned up at the Golden Chars on
Saturday night and mastered and I shouted on the sausage roll.
I guess I was sucking up a week, but just
covering the bases just in case he gets the job.
I'm not so worried about him. It's his coalition partner,
as though that caused me sleepless night.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
Yeah. Well, the other thing is that there's a heic
of a lot of uncertainty, you know, in the world
at the moment. It's a long time between you know
now and the election, and I think all the political
parties will come under a bit more of examination of
what they are going to offer the electorate going into
the election. So now we are in this sort of
funny phase where no one's actually announced a lot of policy,

(02:12):
and we're very heavily distracted by what's happening, you know,
nine parts overseas.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
You've also in your past life, because you've worn many
hats and business and agri business. You've been an independent
advisor to the Reserve Bank. How many interst rate rises
before Christmas?

Speaker 2 (02:27):
And when does the first Well that's a big, a
crucial question, actually, isn't it. And we've sort of got
this divergence of view where people think that the US
economy is in a far worse position than Donald Trump
is perhaps presenting it as, and therefore they'll have to
print money and interest rates will go down. And on
the other side of the coin, you've got sovereign risk

(02:48):
being created over there and interest rates will go up.
So you know, being an economist on the one hand
might go up, on the other hand, it might go down.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
What is my Australian correspondence about economists Connor English? She said,
if you laid every economist end to end, you still
wouldn't reach your conclusion. And I think that's quite good.
And now the other thing is that you kind of moonlight.
Are you the chair of esports.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
New Zealand, you're the president now, you and I have.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
Always argue on this es sports isn't a sport. And
I think of all these kids who are sitting in
front of screens. I'm sounding like a grumpy old boomer
because I am one. It would be better off outside
in the fresh air and sunshine, kicking a ball around.

Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah. Well, I think there's a big opportunity for you, Jamie,
because as you get older and you use you need
to use your brain a bit more and less.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
And I haven't used it thus far.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
I think you've used it, you know, once or twice.
I know you've used it. But you know, the great
thing about on, you know, gaming, is that you use
your brain. It's interactive and our athletes and we have
got an e black, you know, we have got e
blacks that we send to you know, all parts of
the world these days. You know, it's really building a
lot of momentum and we've got an Olympic movement who
wants to run esports as separate from the summer in

(04:04):
the winter Olympics. So you got to get with the times, Jamie.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
I think I'll stay grumpy. A Conor Engler scrap catch
up