The Country 26/09/25: Azaria Howell talks to Jamie Mackay

Newstalk ZB’s political correspondent comments on Winston at the UN and the CEO’s mood of the Boardroom survey.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, Azaria hal Joints is from Wellington News Talks. He'd
be political reporter, Azariah, thank you for filling in a
late notice. Now I'm more interested in the Ryder Cup
from New York rather than Winston's announcement on Palestine. You'll
probably be an opposite to that.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
I have to admit that I actually don't know what
the Ryder Cup is, so I feel like that's not
a good that's it's not.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
A good start. It it's Europe versus USA and golf.
It's a bit like politically at the moment, it's a
wee but Europe versus USA with Trump. But okay, what
do you reckon when he's going to do tomorrow morning?
Is it tomorrow morning our time?

Speaker 2 (00:37):
It is, yes, So this is a big deal, really
an end to the waiting game, as some people may say.
New Zealand's position on a potential Palestinian state will be
made clear tomorrow. We're expecting sort of late morning, maybe
early afternoon. But yeah, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, he's
been in New York at the United Nations. That's ahead
of his speech to the UN General Assembly. That speech

(00:59):
were expecting maybe eleven am or midday. In terms of
that one, it comes after a number of Allied countries
formally gave their positions or recognition of a Palestinian state.
That's Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Alberizi. He is formally recognized
a Palestinian state. So has the UK, France and Canada.
Winston Peters has been talking and meeting with world leaders

(01:22):
this week in New York at the UN about where
New Zealand is sort of aiming to land on recognition.
He's also defended the time it's taken New Zealand to
get to this. Obviously some other countries have done this
a little bit quicker, but previously the government has said
recognition of a Palestinian state as a matter of when,
not if so, it does seem like it will be

(01:44):
a big deal tomorrow in terms of New Zealand politics.
We're Winston Peter's lands on this one.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
Okay, I've got about a minute to go. Do you agree?
Did you concur with how the CEOs rated the MPs?
As Erica Stanford and you spend a lot of time
observing politics in parliament, she the standout performer.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Yeah, Erica Stanford scene is quite a high flyer. I
mean there's been a lot of education announcements recently. And
in terms of the mood of the boardroom, Erica Stanford's
first place with four point three eight out of five.
Nikola Wells thirteenth out of twenty eight score of zero
points I was three rather three point zero nine out
of five, Chris Lucks in fifteenth place. In terms of

(02:23):
the Labor Party, Chris Hopkins had a worse score than
the Prime Minister. He was rated about just a little
bit over two out of five on performance. There's been
a bit of a debate this morning actually as well,
Senior Labor m P Willie Jackson suggesting that Erica Stanford
should be the Prime Minister on Harold now Stanford than

(02:43):
quipping that maybe Barbara Edmonds should be the leader of
Labor because she did a little bit better than Hepkins.
So it sparked a bit of a political debate as well.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
Okay, Azariah, thank you very much for your time. Yeah,
keep your eye on Barbara Edmonds. Yeah, as a potential
labor leader.