January 19, 2025 • 8 mins
The Act Party leader talks about the Trump Inauguration, the latest political poll, his controversial Treaty Principles Bill, and how Winston’s going to go handing over the Deputy Prime Minister’s job.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
So we've got David Seymour, welcome to the country for
the first time in twenty twenty five. You're going to
be the deputy prime minister this year. That'll be a
bit like pulling teeth Winston handing that job over to you,
won't it.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
He's already signed up to hand it over, so I'm
sure he'll be a man of his word.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Yeah, but hang on, we know, Wendy, David, we know
that Winston's changed his mind in the past.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Well, he doesn't actually have a choice on this. It's
a deal, just like everything else that we've signed up to.
And unfortunately for our political opponents, this coalition has been
far more well oiled and united than the worst nightmass. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Although when I look at and by the way, before
I forget, we will be updating the Jamie Skiffington world
sharing record attempt and Danovirk Sorry, David, I just need
to get that out there. I forgot about it. The
record's eight hundred and seventy two. He was five behind
after two out of five runs. We're going to get
the update from his third run as he breaks for
(01:00):
lunch at midday. But back to you, David. See more
apologies for that diversion important information. Well, that is you
imagine sharing eight hundred and seventy two lambs, You'll have
to do eight hundred and seventy three if he wants
the world record in a nine hour day. That's like
about thirty just over thirty seconds a lamb. Amazing. You've
(01:21):
got to pull them out, David, share them, chuck them
down the porthole and get back in for another one.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Well, as you know, as as an urban MP, I
just find it something I can effortlessly imagine.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Well, this guy is a great athlete. He was a
former professional squash player. Okay, let's get back to the government.
That taxpayer's union Curier poll out last week National down
to under thirty percent. Act down a webit, but you're
still the third biggest party in the popularity stakes. Do
you take much notice of these polls? Do they actually
(01:56):
matter this far out from an election?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yes and no, because it's feedback from voters and you've
got to listen to voters constantly or your toast. On
the other hand, that doesn't mean that the polsters are
always the most reliable messengers of voter feedback. I do
think it's worth looking at all the Poles and averaging
(02:20):
them out because while one or two can go road,
they don't normally all get it wrong. And what you
see as a trend of X rising slightly, the Greens
on a long, slow slip, which you can imagine given
the dramas that they've had. And you see another allegation
of shoplifting against the former Green MP just this week,
(02:41):
and maybe a slight decline from the net. But basically
the government holding a majority and very tough economic times
and acts looking pretty good and overtaking the Greens in
a lot of recent polls to be the third party again,
we've got to be happy with that and grateful to
(03:02):
the people giving us their support.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Should we be happy that to party Mari is on
five point three percent. They're not a political party, they're
a bunch of activists.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Well that may be true. It's interesting, you know, they
won six seats, six Mahori electorates, and that meant that
because they only got about two percent of the party vote,
they created an overhand which advantages the left. When their
party vote goes up, that actually removes the overhand and
(03:32):
makes it easier for the right to win. So if
you follow the arithmetic, and I don't blame you if
you've got more interesting things to think about. But actually
this is good for us in a way.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Now, the Trump inauguration six am New Zealand time tomorrow.
As I said, I mean, this is one of the
great political comebacks of all time. Whether you love or
loathe Trump, what do you think his presidency will be?
Will will he look to be? I don't know, more
statesman like perhaps in his second and last term. Does
(04:04):
he want to leave himself a legacy as a great
American president? I'm sure he does.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Well, we'll see. I was talking to someone who claims
to have Measum in the past, and their basic view
was that he is going to do his best to
be exactly as you described. I don't really know, and
it's not my job and not respectful for a New
Zealand government member to comment too much on that. What
I do know is that we've got to look up
(04:33):
for New Zealand's interests. So trade is critical to New Zealand.
We've got to keep going out and making the case
that free trade is actually good for the world, and
particularly free trade and agriculture. I know that there's going
to be some pressure on defense. He's certainly saying that
he'd like to see other countries pay their way. I
think that there's a good case, as Mark Cameron was
(04:54):
making last week, that New Zealand at least needs to
livel up with the Australians and start an ANZAC alliance
before we go any further. I also think that the
level of stability in the world in general could throw
all sorts of curve balls at us, and really there's
not a huge amount we can do about it other
than be aware and weary of But the final thing
(05:17):
about the Trump election, and I think you see it
all around the world, I think you're going to have
a new Canadian Prime minister pretty soon based on their
polling and political situation. You've got Malay in Argentina, You've
now got Trump in the United States for a second time.
Is that people are tired of being dictated to and
(05:38):
told that they're not actually really a part of the society.
They just have to take what they get. And that's
I think that the uprising that you're seeing around the world,
it's anti bureaucracy, it's anti government waste, and actually I'm
pretty pleased to see it. So if that's what we see.
More free speech, more democracy, more direct action. It's a
(06:00):
great thing and New Zealand this year that's going to
come right, a reform yep, guess approach on as woke politics.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
So twenty twenty four, now, is it a thing of
the past. Is this like a changing of the guard,
a paradigm shift.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Well, it feels like the woke have been put to
sleep again and that's good for all of us.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Okay, now, just let's just finish on you. You're going
to become Deputy Prime Minister a bit later in the year, May,
I think, did you say May?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Yeah, okay, May. If you can pride off Winston, good
luck with that. But in the meantime you've got this
kerfuffle and that's probably a very mild word around the
Treaty Principal's bill. You're getting what you want out of it.
But is this negative for the country.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
No, The country has been gradually divided over the last
twenty or thirty years, to the point where many people
quite openly say that their ethnic background is the first
thing they identify themselves with instead of being New Zealanders,
or better still, just human beings. With some time on
(07:02):
earth to make the most of. That's the reality of
so many policies and attitudes, not just three warders and
consultation on the ARIMA and the Mari Health Authority, which
our government can fix, but underlying attitudes to how schools
are run, how government departments are run, how our society operates.
And I think having a debate that's been widely embraced
(07:26):
where people who believe that we have equal rights, that
our university, the universal humanity trumps our sectional ethnic differences
or ancestral differences. That is a hugely positive thing. And
yes there's a lot of people uncomfortable about it because
they're the ones who have benefited from this divisive policy approach.
(07:50):
We've shine some light on it, and even if this
bill doesn't go all the way, I can bet you
that at some point in the future someone's going to
say that guy Sima, whatever happened to him. I think
he had a point there, and this idea that our
truthy gave us all equal right will be part of
New Zealand's constitutional future.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
David Seymour, thanks for opening the show up for me.
In twenty twenty five, it's going to be a big
year for you. You enjoy the inauguration tomorrow morning.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Oh, thank you very much and good to see you
back on here for another year.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Good stuff.
So we've got David Seymour, welcome to the country for
the first time in twenty twenty five. You're going to
be the deputy prime minister this year. That'll be a
bit like pulling teeth Winston handing that job over to you,
won't it.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
He's already signed up to hand it over, so I'm
sure he'll be a man of his word.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Yeah, but hang on, we know, Wendy, David, we know
that Winston's changed his mind in the past.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Well, he doesn't actually have a choice on this. It's
a deal, just like everything else that we've signed up to.
And unfortunately for our political opponents, this coalition has been
far more well oiled and united than the worst nightmass. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Although when I look at and by the way, before
I forget, we will be updating the Jamie Skiffington world
sharing record attempt and Danovirk Sorry, David, I just need
to get that out there. I forgot about it. The
record's eight hundred and seventy two. He was five behind
after two out of five runs. We're going to get
the update from his third run as he breaks for
(01:00):
lunch at midday. But back to you, David. See more
apologies for that diversion important information. Well, that is you
imagine sharing eight hundred and seventy two lambs, You'll have
to do eight hundred and seventy three if he wants
the world record in a nine hour day. That's like
about thirty just over thirty seconds a lamb. Amazing. You've
(01:21):
got to pull them out, David, share them, chuck them
down the porthole and get back in for another one.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Well, as you know, as as an urban MP, I
just find it something I can effortlessly imagine.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Well, this guy is a great athlete. He was a
former professional squash player. Okay, let's get back to the government.
That taxpayer's union Curier poll out last week National down
to under thirty percent. Act down a webit, but you're
still the third biggest party in the popularity stakes. Do
you take much notice of these polls? Do they actually
(01:56):
matter this far out from an election?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yes and no, because it's feedback from voters and you've
got to listen to voters constantly or your toast. On
the other hand, that doesn't mean that the polsters are
always the most reliable messengers of voter feedback. I do
think it's worth looking at all the Poles and averaging
(02:20):
them out because while one or two can go road,
they don't normally all get it wrong. And what you
see as a trend of X rising slightly, the Greens
on a long, slow slip, which you can imagine given
the dramas that they've had. And you see another allegation
of shoplifting against the former Green MP just this week,
(02:41):
and maybe a slight decline from the net. But basically
the government holding a majority and very tough economic times
and acts looking pretty good and overtaking the Greens in
a lot of recent polls to be the third party again,
we've got to be happy with that and grateful to
(03:02):
the people giving us their support.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Should we be happy that to party Mari is on
five point three percent. They're not a political party, they're
a bunch of activists.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Well that may be true. It's interesting, you know, they
won six seats, six Mahori electorates, and that meant that
because they only got about two percent of the party vote,
they created an overhand which advantages the left. When their
party vote goes up, that actually removes the overhand and
(03:32):
makes it easier for the right to win. So if
you follow the arithmetic, and I don't blame you if
you've got more interesting things to think about. But actually
this is good for us in a way.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Now, the Trump inauguration six am New Zealand time tomorrow.
As I said, I mean, this is one of the
great political comebacks of all time. Whether you love or
loathe Trump, what do you think his presidency will be?
Will will he look to be? I don't know, more
statesman like perhaps in his second and last term. Does
(04:04):
he want to leave himself a legacy as a great
American president? I'm sure he does.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Well, we'll see. I was talking to someone who claims
to have Measum in the past, and their basic view
was that he is going to do his best to
be exactly as you described. I don't really know, and
it's not my job and not respectful for a New
Zealand government member to comment too much on that. What
I do know is that we've got to look up
(04:33):
for New Zealand's interests. So trade is critical to New Zealand.
We've got to keep going out and making the case
that free trade is actually good for the world, and
particularly free trade and agriculture. I know that there's going
to be some pressure on defense. He's certainly saying that
he'd like to see other countries pay their way. I
think that there's a good case, as Mark Cameron was
(04:54):
making last week, that New Zealand at least needs to
livel up with the Australians and start an ANZAC alliance
before we go any further. I also think that the
level of stability in the world in general could throw
all sorts of curve balls at us, and really there's
not a huge amount we can do about it other
than be aware and weary of But the final thing
(05:17):
about the Trump election, and I think you see it
all around the world, I think you're going to have
a new Canadian Prime minister pretty soon based on their
polling and political situation. You've got Malay in Argentina, You've
now got Trump in the United States for a second time.
Is that people are tired of being dictated to and
(05:38):
told that they're not actually really a part of the society.
They just have to take what they get. And that's
I think that the uprising that you're seeing around the world,
it's anti bureaucracy, it's anti government waste, and actually I'm
pretty pleased to see it. So if that's what we see.
More free speech, more democracy, more direct action. It's a
(06:00):
great thing and New Zealand this year that's going to
come right, a reform yep, guess approach on as woke politics.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
So twenty twenty four, now, is it a thing of
the past. Is this like a changing of the guard,
a paradigm shift.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Well, it feels like the woke have been put to
sleep again and that's good for all of us.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Okay, now, just let's just finish on you. You're going
to become Deputy Prime Minister a bit later in the year, May,
I think, did you say May?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Yeah, okay, May. If you can pride off Winston, good
luck with that. But in the meantime you've got this
kerfuffle and that's probably a very mild word around the
Treaty Principal's bill. You're getting what you want out of it.
But is this negative for the country.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
No, The country has been gradually divided over the last
twenty or thirty years, to the point where many people
quite openly say that their ethnic background is the first
thing they identify themselves with instead of being New Zealanders,
or better still, just human beings. With some time on
(07:02):
earth to make the most of. That's the reality of
so many policies and attitudes, not just three warders and
consultation on the ARIMA and the Mari Health Authority, which
our government can fix, but underlying attitudes to how schools
are run, how government departments are run, how our society operates.
And I think having a debate that's been widely embraced
(07:26):
where people who believe that we have equal rights, that
our university, the universal humanity trumps our sectional ethnic differences
or ancestral differences. That is a hugely positive thing. And
yes there's a lot of people uncomfortable about it because
they're the ones who have benefited from this divisive policy approach.
(07:50):
We've shine some light on it, and even if this
bill doesn't go all the way, I can bet you
that at some point in the future someone's going to
say that guy Sima, whatever happened to him. I think
he had a point there, and this idea that our
truthy gave us all equal right will be part of
New Zealand's constitutional future.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
David Seymour, thanks for opening the show up for me.
In twenty twenty five, it's going to be a big
year for you. You enjoy the inauguration tomorrow morning.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Oh, thank you very much and good to see you
back on here for another year.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Good stuff.
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