December 19, 2024 • 42 mins
The year in politics has been a bumpy road for many.
The coalition Government dived in quickly to reverse previous Labour policy, and pushed numerous bills through Parliament to reach quarterly deadlines and targets – with a mixed response from voters around some policies.
Labour meanwhile has spent much of the last year recovering from their election wipeout in 2023, leaving Te Pati Maori to lead the pushback against the Treaty Principles Bill.
At a local level, huge rates increases were a burden for many councils, while Wellington Council had the unfortunate honour of having a Crown Observer appointed.
Today on The Front Page, we’re revisiting some of our interviews with top politicians from central and local government as we look back on the year that was.
Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.
Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Kiota.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is a compilation episode of
The Front Page, a daily podcast presented by The New
Zealand Herald. The year in politics has been a bumpy
road for many. The Coalition government dived in quickly to
reverse previous labor policies and pushed numerous bills through Parliament
(00:29):
to reach quarterly deadlines and targets, with a mixed response
from voters around some policies. Labor meanwhile, has spent much
of the year recovering from their election wipe out in
twenty twenty three, leaving Tabati Maldi to lead the pushback
against the Treaty Principal's Bill. At a local level, huge
(00:50):
rates increases were a burden for many councils, while Wellington
City Council had the unfortunate honor of having a Crown
Observer appointed. Today on the Front Page, we're revisiting some
of our interviews with top politicians from central and local
government as we look back on the.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Year that was.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
First off, we'll go to March when Chloe Swarbrick was
named co leader of the Green Party. Her rapid rise
to become the youngest current party leader in New Zealand
comes a little over six years since she entered parliament.
Her appointment came in a difficult year for her party,
with Golriz Gartaman and Darlene Tanner both leaving parliament for
(01:35):
different reasons, a cancer diagnosis for co leader Madama Davidson
and the death of Effezo Collins in amongst these difficulties.
We spoke to Swarbrick about her plans for when she
took over the reins.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
I've never made a secret of the fact that I
do have quite a lot of disappointment with the status
quo way that we do politics. That is kind of
the school yard bickering as opposed to getting into the
evidence and the values lead discussions that I think that
New Zealanders really deserve, especially if we're to make those
necessary long term decisions as a parliament and as a
(02:13):
government for the future of this country. I also never
made it a secret that I've never really tried to
position myself to get any particular role or title or
anything like that. I mean, bar obviously representing my community
of concentual I've always abelt that one in my bones,
and very much is something that you know, I think
has been pretty obvious since I entered the political fray,
(02:33):
but you know, leveling up into this kind of position
was something that a lot of people that I admire
and respect asked me to do when James obviously made
that decision to step down and made his comments with
regard to the Greens entering a new era, and I
felt compelled to do so and to listen to those
asks and requests from many of those people who I
(02:54):
deeply admire own respect, because you know, to my point
of the broader theory of change here is that it's
not just one person who changes the world. You know,
it is, particularly if you look at where things have
changed for the better in many democracies, not only here
but around the rest of the world. It's been really
engaged citizen rey who have worked together to make it
(03:16):
really abundantly clear to the politicians of the day that
they're not going to accept anything less, whether we're talking
about workers' rights, whether we're talking about climate action or otherwise.
And we're confronted with huge, colossal crises at the moment,
the dual crisis of the climate crisis, and of course
the greatest rates of wealth and equality that we've seen
on record in this country, which feels are through into
(03:36):
a range of things that people experience in their day
to day but can probably best be summarized in the
fact that I don't know anyone in my personal or
professional life at the moment who's not just completely run
ragged and exhausted.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
And if that doesn't give you.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
A hint into how deeply and fundamentally unsustainable the economy
is as we know it, then I don't know what will.
So I see my role as helping to remind people that,
you know, we get the politics that we think that
we deserve, and right now that bar is too damn low.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
And I believe this is the first time we've seen
two female co leaders of any party really, and I'm
not sure even if we've had a female leader and
a deputy for any other part major parties either, how
significant is that?
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Yeah, I mean it's pretty cold, But I think what
this really poses an opportunity for is demonstrating a different
kind of leadership, not only in that symbolism by virtual
of the fact that you know, Martama and I are
who we are and we can't shed our skin, but
I think the way that both of us have operated
in public and in private the last several years in
(04:39):
this political realm, and that is a really clear understanding
of where our power as greenimps and as members of
Parliament in general comes from from the community that we
want to represent. So people will see us just as
comfortably on the frontline organizing and rallying with people on
the streets as they will in the halls of power
holding this government.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
To a I've seen commentators actually suggest that you and
Marma are both obviously focused on social issues and they
reckon more so than the environment.
Speaker 6 (05:07):
Is that fair?
Speaker 4 (05:09):
What point commentators to the fact that I was the
one pushing for a year for a climate emergency declaration
in our House of Parliament. You know, I sat on
Environment Selectmitty through twenty seventeen to twenty twenty as we
put through the zero carbonac changes amendments to the emissions
Trading Scheme which stopped the freezing of free allocation to
(05:30):
our most highest polluting industries which have occurred under the
former Key National government. We also, inside of our focus
have immense strength and the likes of Lan Farm who
is a literal freshwater scientist, Steve Abel, a greenpeace organizer,
Kahunani Carter, who led the largest Marii waste organization in
the South Island. We've got Scott Willis who has an
(05:51):
immense background and renewable energy generation. You know some of
our old hands, like's Gona Toyono, who was a climate
and Indigenous and of negotiator at the UN. We've got
Julian Jinter who's obviously made her mark in her name
in transitioning our transport fleet into one that is zero carbon. Ultimately,
(06:12):
and all of our MPs hold the duel responsibility of
representing our people and our planet. There is no way
for us to disaggregate those two things.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
After the twenty twenty three election, the ACT Party now
had a record eleven MPs in Parliament and for the
first time holds two electorate seats. And in May next
year we'll see Leader David Seymour become Deputy Prime Minister
as part of his party's coalition.
Speaker 6 (06:45):
Deal with National and New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
First in March, we spoke to Seymour about the government's
first one hundred days, in particular the criticism faced by
the then fresh faced coalition in terms of social media.
It seems a coalition and you yourself. In particular, David,
(07:07):
are receiving a lot of pretty hateful comments online. The
anti Extremism director, for example, calling the government a child
hating death cult comes to mind. Also a lot of
comments around the kids at Freiburg High School. What do
you reckon the public perception to the new government is
and do you read any online comments?
Speaker 3 (07:25):
No, I mean I read the polls which say that
the government's support has stayed level or slightly risen since
the election of ex Polling has certainly increased, and often
it's a silent majority of people we should be focused on.
Sometimes the right response to these people is laughter. I mean,
(07:47):
you've got to be kidding yourself. I mean, imagine being
this trumped up person at the university. Is there are
an anti extremism director. It goes with qullege like I
just a lot of it. What is important is that
for people who are seriously interested in the future of
New Zealand that we say, okay, here are some of
(08:09):
the challenges our country faces. Here are the solutions that
we offer and ultimately the problem solvers that get you know,
the streets to be safe, the kids to school, the
roads to be built, and the economy growing its productivity
and houses available for the next generation. Now, if we
can solve those problems, then really, you know, what some
(08:30):
of the kids says on TikTok is not really going
to worry me.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Do you think that commenting and labeling yourself David a
racist is a bit easier for people to do rather
than engage in some conversations around what's happening.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Yeah, I mean, I think there's a wider problem here
that we really had an abandonment in the post modern era,
an abandonment of objective knowledge. So, you know, instead of
saying there is one humanity, there is one objective world
we can all lincome and study together, people say, oh,
we have our own truth, our own narrative or reality
(09:03):
or discourse or whatever. It's all this crazy stuff, and
so you know, well, that's how it's possible for someone
who says, we believe that all people should be treated
the same and we should never discriminate based on their race,
to actually be called a racist for saying. I mean,
you know, let's be really clear. Racism is when you
(09:24):
believe that a person's ethnic background is a more important
characteristic than others, so much so that you will treat
them differently based on their race. That is what acts
is absolutely diametrically opposed to, and I might say more
than any other party. It is the other guys labor
(09:45):
to party Marii and the Greens in particular, who are
very comfortable with policies that call on government officials, whether
they're in the healthcare system or the education system, to
actively treat people differently based on their ethnic back.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Would you agree that in a hospital there's a Pakiha
baby that's just been born, in a Maori baby that's
just been born, that that immediately that pakihr baby has.
Speaker 6 (10:08):
A leg up.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Absolutely not, because what else do we know about them.
It may well be that the pakihar baby is going
back to a house that is moldy and the risk
of respiratory diseases. It may well be that the Maori
baby is not. It may well be that the pakihar
baby has inherited some sort of congenital condition that means
(10:30):
that they will live for the rest of their life
and disability. It's possible that the Marii baby is not.
Now it is true that on average there are more
Maori babies with those disadvantaging factors than non Mahori babies.
But the point is if we fix the disadvantage, we
will help the Mariu babies more and we will get
(10:52):
to a more equal society. And we can do it
without treating people differently based on race. So why you
want to use this lazy, divisive lembs of race when
actually once we know more about the case and the
individual that come to understand each other for who we are,
we can be more effective, less divisive and help everyone.
(11:14):
We can help those non Mardy who are disadvantage and
we can avoid patronizing those mary who are doing very well,
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Regional development has been a major focus of the coalition government.
The fast Track Bill just this week passed into law,
but the return of oil and gas exploration and the
Regional Infrastructure Fund are also promised to get work back
to the regions and help them thrive.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
And the man running.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
The show is the so called Martua of Mining and
Prints of the Provinces Minister for Regional Development, Shane Jones.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
We spoke with Jones in November.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
About his plans for the regions and whether you can
find climate change at the same time as backing provincial
new Zealand. One of the main killers in the regions
at the moment seems to be power prices. We've had
a number of businesses shut down in recent months. How
concerned are you for these towns that might be reliant
(12:27):
on just one core business to keep everyone employed.
Speaker 7 (12:30):
Well, without a doubt, and some of our areas we're
going through a major structural adjustment. It disturbs me deeply
that the current market settings and the behavior of our
large power companies otherwise known as Jin Taylor's, is such
that they are unable to offer competitive power prices to
(12:55):
a range of industrial users. Now that's it's both a
legacy problem, but it makes me incredibly apprehensive. If what
we're going to witness over the short to medium term
is a de industrialization of New Zealand, that's deeply at
(13:16):
odds with what New Zealand First stands for. And of
course the New Zealand First Party has campaigned long and
hard to change the settings of our electricity market, and
we have got some work underway involving the Commerce Commission,
the Electricity Authority. We've got an independent analysis and review
(13:37):
about to take place. I've long since made my mind
up that unless we can deliver energy security and more
affordable energy prices, then we're doing our country a major disservice.
Speaker 8 (13:54):
So if you've had eight hundreds in eighty five thousand
people going to this one outlet, you can get a
certain massive unit costal power reduction for older people. That
was our idea, and difficulty is trying to get them
to understand that they went down this other idea. A
whole lot of people are getting power compensation of the
winter time who can afford it, and yet it's still
(14:16):
not enough for a lot of people who can't afford
it where in the very cold regions or if they're
in the wrong house, they're still going to feel the
cold for about six months a year.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
You've promised the likes of rare frogs and other wildlife
will not be allowed to get in the way of
economic development. You said, no longer would regional jobs be
held ransom or hijacked by a random frog or multi
colored skink. Can you talk me through that, because you've
got to know that that's rubbed some people up the
(14:49):
wrong way.
Speaker 7 (14:50):
Well, no one is going to go to bed tonight
doubting where I stand in relation to the centrality of
growth and the priority that the country should place upon development.
I'm being constantly shouted down by the NGOs and the
opposition politicians, but there are battalions of silent New Zealanders
(15:16):
who quietly agree with me. I'm not saying that we're
going to go on a massive extinction drive, but I'm
not going to sit back and allow the weaponization of
various species and critters to overwhelm an investment or to
protract projects to a point where they never are delivered
(15:38):
within a budget. And it's about time I think that
kiwi's embraced more of my pragmatism because our resource management
system has been hijacked by ter many special interest groups
to the detriment of jobs, growth and economic resilience in
regional New Zealand.
Speaker 6 (15:57):
What if it's a family of brown spotted kiwe getting
in the way of something.
Speaker 7 (16:01):
I think that there's no shortage of options for the developers,
road builders, infrastructure builders to mitigate. And if it requires
an amendment to a project within reason, that's I think
what would be expected. But this business of saying that
(16:21):
the country cannot advance because of a couple of dozen
kiwis that can be translocated to another area.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Are don't buy that speaking of NGOs, can climate change
in regional development happen both at the same time.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
I believe so.
Speaker 7 (16:35):
In fact, it is happening in an integrated way. That
the deeper riddle is how do we afford the costs
associated we're restructuring our society to meet climate goals if
we don't have an economic surplus. I think that the
pendulum here in New Zealand swinging back to a more
sensible location in relation to climate change, shrillness and historyonics.
(17:00):
More and more people realize that climate change is only
one problem. We've got a host of other severe problems
in New Zealand and it's certainly, in my view, not
the priority problem.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Well, you've mentioned that there's a bit of a hysteria
around it. Are you downplaying climate change?
Speaker 7 (17:18):
Oh? I'm just saying that of all the challenges confronting
me as a New Zealand politician and confronting our nation,
climate change is not the be all an indoor climate
change in my view, over the last regime has been
turned into a religion. And when I'm on a religious experience,
I've got other ways of enjoying that rather than chanting
(17:40):
climate change odes.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
In November, the country saw the biggest protest march to
Parliament in New Zealand's history. The Auckland Harbor Bridge swayed
under the weight of thousands of marches taking part in
the hekoy In protest against government policies impacting Maori, including
the Treaty Principal's Bill. Tabati Mali led the charge against
(18:08):
the government, notably with the viral hakker in Parliament during
the bill's first reading that garnered global attention. The party's
co leader Dabbi Nauera Paka joined us on the front
page to discuss why they're fighting back so strongly against
this government.
Speaker 9 (18:29):
I think what's happened in Parliament and what this bill
represents is wiping away the existence and the rights that
the indigenous peoples of Old t Hiedor had before colonization.
We were the protection to always remember Maori Artana and
(18:50):
the significance we have as Mary to look after everyone
that comes in there, but not at the cost of
being Mali. I think that's probably the most simplest way.
It's harmful. It hurts not to feel valued. It really
hurts to have seen that we would trade it off
to become part of a coalition agreement, and so yeah,
I think that's you know, it's hurtful and it feels
(19:13):
horrible to have to defend being Maori right now in
the ways, either whether it be in Parliament or through
the hikui.
Speaker 10 (19:24):
A forty if six votes a posts.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
The video of this hakka in Parliament has gone viral,
with people around the world commenting and wanting to learn
more from the outside looking in. It's quite an incredible
moment when Hannah would the Mighty Clark tears that paper
into What did you feel in that moment?
Speaker 9 (20:05):
You know, everything we do is extremely intentional, and you know,
I guess the spirit of it is that TETTI is
one of the most honored documents that you know, we
have the spirit of its intent and also to protect
us and our rights and interests tongue Tom two also
you know, focus on a united alti or But if
(20:27):
you look at how easy it was to rip it up,
it was you know, it's three to four pages of
thin pieces of paper that are shallow, that have no significance,
and that's you know, to see our youngest do that.
So the spirit of this was as you know, I
was intentional, was pre planned, but it was also show
the world, look what we've been relegated to, these thin
(20:47):
pieces of paper that were just so easily easily ripped
by our youngest member. So I think there's there's a
real again, I can't think of other words in the
hurt and the absolute intent to fight this and to
show the world what it is that's happening at the moment.
We were a country that had the first woman's vote.
Where we did, we went out, We have always punched
(21:10):
above our weight to the anti nuclear space, anti discrimination space,
and here we are in twenty twenty four that the
sort of whole Trump like culture coming into our politics.
So yeah, I think you know that's I think, you know,
we've done really well and so proud of our hunter
and the party and everyone else that the other opposition
parties that in the gullery, those who the Huka belonged to,
(21:32):
that supported this because we had to let the world
know what we're dealing with and what we're having to defend.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yeah, I mean, on the other side, what do you
make of people saying to Patimori is too radical, that
the party only wants anarchy and is stoking racial divisions.
Speaker 6 (21:46):
And if the roles were reversed.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
If this was a Paki house saying all these kinds
of things they say, it would be called racist.
Speaker 6 (21:52):
What do you make of those comments?
Speaker 9 (21:54):
Yeah, I get how people see us because we are
up against it. We have been backed in a corner
to have to come out fighting prior to this, you know,
we have unfortunately we have some of the worst statistics
in house stats and as I said on their social
stats that we just just as sets. We just don't
want in order to address that. We know that we're
put in here to push for transformational change. We've got
(22:18):
a government that's back reversed, everything back so much that
we have to continuously push for balance. And when you're
pushing to bring something to float and yeah, it's just
so adrift and you have to work really hard to
bring the balance back. It does probably seem like we
are radical, but we are absolutely committed to rebalancing, to
(22:40):
commitments of living as Tatileti proposers, to developing a beautiful
nation that's full of peace in Adha. When you're up
against the kind of you know, extremism that we're seeing,
which again feels like some of the Trump politics that
you cannot just take it on gently. You do have
to be transformational, intentional and provocative and everything we do
(23:03):
to fight our cause.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
So the National Party in New Zealand first say that
they voted for the first reading of this bill, but
they've made it very clear that they won't support it
beyond this reading.
Speaker 6 (23:14):
Do you think that's good enough?
Speaker 5 (23:16):
No?
Speaker 9 (23:16):
I don't, and I think that's that's the deep shame.
And we've had just as many national voters, ex national
voters walking with us, in touch with us that they
wanted their party in, but not at the cost of
these types of relationships. And Nationals previously had what could
be seen as a proactive relationship with Maori. So no,
(23:39):
I think you know again the harm that this creates
the fact that we're going to need to push that
the soliicimittee process doesn't drag out and it doesn't become
LinkedIn to David Seymour's run into the twenty twenty six
election campaign. So I think this is what we deserve
better than to be treated as political pawns. So Triti
(24:02):
was done full of the wisdom, and our ancestors had
absolute foresight. You've got to remember the context that we
were asked of the nations to be colonized. They'd already
seen the periers of colonization, They've seen what could happen,
so there was foresight in this. And I just think
that the fact that national again has decided that we
(24:23):
were tradeable and the manner of their coalition agreement was
so much more important than the manner of Ta Triti
and Tanga Tenwa is the deepest betrayal that we've ever
had from a national government.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Local councils weren't immune to scandal this year, with issues
at Wellington City Council over the future of its long
term plan prompted government intervention. The move sparked debate around
whether the bar is too low for the government to stay.
It came amidst a wider back to basics bush by
central government. Just this week, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown
(25:08):
removed well being provisions from the Local Government Act and
released new yearly benchmarking reports. In October, we spoke to
Jim Palmer, a consultant who shaired the Review into the
Future for Local Government, to discuss the issues at our
council tables.
Speaker 6 (25:29):
During the election campaign.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
A National Party spokesperson actually told stuff local government has
an important role to play, but too often councils are
an after thought for central government. Would you agree with
that statement? Should central government work more with local councils?
Speaker 11 (25:44):
Our review undoubtedly recommended that there needs to be far
stronger partnership, genuine partnership. And it's not the command and
control style that successive governments and not just this government,
but many governments take a paternalist view of local government,
and there is great opportunity for central and local government
(26:06):
to be working together. I talked with one mayor in
a region and they're talking about youth unemployment, and they
said that there were ninety different agencies being funded to
address youth unemployment and they range from central government agencies,
local government NGOs and other organizations, all trying to do
the right thing, but a lack of focus. You know,
(26:28):
if they'd come together and said, Okay, here are the
three or four agencies that could be delivering this and
delivering it far more effectively, we could get far greater
value for money out of that. Also, the way in
which government and local government are prepared to partner with community,
community organizations, community groups there's huge amount of volunteering and
good will in a community. If it's engendered in the
(26:50):
right way, there is great grassroots opportunities to deliver far
better value as well. So the opportunity is immense, but
it does require a fundamental to reset of the relationship
between central government and local government. Particularly in the first instance.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
The government did revoke three Waters, which many local councils
weren't a fan of, but in other areas the government
has actually been a bit.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
More firm with councils.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Councils that want to keep their multi wards now have
to hold a referendum on that, and Prime Minister Chris
h Luxen has had strong words for councils at a
conference in August, telling them to rain in the spending.
Speaker 12 (27:30):
Rate Payers expect local government to do the plasics, pick
up the rubbish, fix the pipes, fill in the potholes,
and more generally maintain the local assets quickly, carefully and
cost effectively. What they don't expect to pay for is
a laundry list of distractions and experiments that are plaguing
council balance sheets across the country.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Is this the right message and we're talking about that
relationship that government should be fostering and sending if it
does want to work constructively with councils.
Speaker 11 (28:01):
Yeah, building a strong, genuine partnership requires trust and confidence
in each other, and that takes some time. It takes
people to be in the room and get together and
understand the different perspectives. Certainly understand the government has three
years in a series of priorities that it wishes to
pursue and doesn't want to be distracted by things which
(28:22):
don't necessarily align with its priorities. I think that's been
understood by local government. But to go to the fundamental reset,
then there does need to be a change in the
way and which central government and local government relate to
each other and work together. We identified significant opportunities to
be able to reimagine the way and which central government
(28:43):
and local government work together and with respect. I don't
see those actions being taken to the extent needed to
create the change that will benefit ultimately the communities that
both government and local government are there to serve.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Yeah, nobody really likes to be told what to do.
It's like I'm having a big brother and them saying no,
you're doing it wrong. Do it this way and not
really having a constructive conversation about it.
Speaker 10 (29:09):
Hey.
Speaker 11 (29:10):
Absolutely, and it's not just this government. Successive governments have
taken that approach, which is difficult to respond to, and
local government traditionally he has been an easy horse to
whip and it has been and sometimes local government, to
be honest, doesn't help itself and provides plenty of opportunities
and dead rats to be held up and examined. And
(29:32):
what happens with one many get card with the same brush,
and so you know, the unfortunate reflection on the whole
sector that perhaps isn't always warranted.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Auckland's Mayor Wayne Brown's war on council controlled organizations delivered
big wins for him this year. In November, Brown and
Transport Minister Semeon Brown announced Auckland transport would be surgically changed,
with transport policy, strategy and planning or moving to Auckland Council.
(30:06):
And just last week the curtain came down for Ekapanuku,
with counselors voting to abolish it. They also voted to
strip Tartaki Auckland unlimited of its economic development role. Those
changes a plan to come into effect in July next year.
Speaker 6 (30:22):
Before those big wins.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
For Brown, though, we caught up with him in October
about his pushback against these organizations and if he is
going to run for reelection next year talking about CCOs,
what's the plan there?
Speaker 6 (30:39):
When are we getting rid of them?
Speaker 5 (30:41):
Last year would have been a good time. I can't
have to bring my counsel with me, and I have
to bring the government with me. AT which is a
very widely disliked organization and has adopted a very independent
culture because it was granted an independent status.
Speaker 13 (31:02):
In his own blistering letter to Transport boss, Wayne Brown
called disruptions unacceptable and omni shambles and said he could
use other words. He says Aucklanders have reached the end
of their patients.
Speaker 5 (31:19):
What's driving one of my actions here is that I
don't mind being criticized for things that I've actually done wrong.
But I'm fed up I've being criticized for things that
I don't have much control over, and I think what
I'm wanting to have is that turned into a delivery
mechanism and get them concentrating on delivering, you know, and
they not concentrating it because they're wondering into policy and things,
(31:40):
which is really what the council should be doing and so,
and I think I'm working pretty well with Minister Sime
and Brown over this and I'm looking forward to quite
a good result out of this and some of the
other things they're doing. The CEO reform was one of
the things that was right at the top of the
things I campaigned on, and so people liked that. I
went to three hundred minies. Not one person said, oh no,
leave them as they are. And so we have a
(32:00):
lot of I don't like duplication, but we're not a duplication.
We have triplication. We have quadruplication. In some places. Everybody
does events and in fact the best events aren't even
done by any of those parts and pieces of the
last Saturday, I joined fifteen thousand other very happy people
in the main street of Ada Who for the Oda
(32:20):
Who Food Festival, which half of the people in the
councils de even I was on and it's the biggest
food festival in the country. They sold one hundred and
twenty different food stalles months before it happened. I just
sold that snap overnight. Every food person wanted to be
there and it was fantastic.
Speaker 6 (32:36):
So with this CCO plan. Have you got a timeline
or what kind of mechanisms do you have to work through? First?
Who do you need to get on board to make
that happen?
Speaker 5 (32:44):
Well, first of all, I have to get on board
the councilors that we need to do something about it.
And they are on board. We've got them on board encouragement,
but they are with regard to at I do need
the government to work with me because it does have
a statutory position.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Lastly, wanted just to do some quick fires with you
mayor just yes or nos, or really quickly. When's the
open air saltwater swimming pool opening at the viaduct?
Speaker 5 (33:08):
Well, if it doesn't open in the same role, be
really annoyed.
Speaker 6 (33:12):
You'll be annoyed.
Speaker 5 (33:13):
When's I want a swimming that by the time the
water's wall.
Speaker 6 (33:17):
When is Auckland getting a bed tax?
Speaker 5 (33:19):
Asked Minister Doucy.
Speaker 6 (33:21):
Are you running in next year's local election?
Speaker 5 (33:25):
As distinct possible? Ay? Been not saying yes or no?
Speaker 4 (33:27):
Just it.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
Both local and central government felt the loss of Afesso
Collins this year described as a man of the people.
In February, the former Auckland councilor turned Green MP died
suddenly after participating in a charity event. Thousands of mourners
turned out to pay tribute to him, packing out of
(33:53):
South Auckland Venue to pay their respects to a man
who was known.
Speaker 6 (33:57):
For his love of people.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
It was just one of the heartbreaking losses in politics
this year, alongside the death of former National Minister Nicki
Kay in November after a long battle with cancer. In March,
we spoke to Vaimawana Marse, the editor of the Heralds
pacifica section Talaanoa, to talk about the outpouring of grief
(34:20):
and love for the late Fahnana Affesso Collins ahead of
his funeral.
Speaker 10 (34:29):
He was sort of the person that a lot of
people or a lot of us in the media knew
that he would answer and also trusted that he had.
Like his voice or his thoughts were very much a
reflection of what the people in Autata or au Tahu
or South Aukland in general, and the Pacific community. You know,
it was a very much an honest reflection of how
(34:51):
those people or those communities felt. So I've one always
appreciated when he took my cause or the Texan he'd
be busy or something and always say, oh no, I'll
call you BACKMNA, It's all right. He knew that he
represented those communities and knew that his voice needed to
be heard.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
As a New Zealand born Simon living in South Auckland,
I've experienced, written about, and spoken about racism in this country.
I've also been on a well publicized journey and understanding
the needs and views of our rainbow communities. And I
have a long way to go. And my message to Fino,
who often experienced the sharp end of discrimination disabled, ethnic,
(35:36):
rainbow Brown seniors and neurodiverse is thank you for trusting
us with the responsibility of facilitating a new discussion on
how we move forward together and make possible what was
once deemed impossible.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
You wrote in a piece in the hours after his
death about the first time you met him when you
were sixteen.
Speaker 6 (36:00):
Can you share with us those early memory?
Speaker 10 (36:02):
Yeah? So, I think it was two thousand and three.
I was year twelve and it was a last minute
trip that we got asked to yet take part in it.
It was called the Dream for Nor Camp and basically
it was a camp for students from around Auckland. I
think it was targeted at South Auckland students, Southakland High
(36:23):
school students, but I went to Messy High in West Aukland,
and so there was only about six of us that went.
When we got to the camp, it was up in
it was in Cambridge and it was freezing anyway, I
think there was about two hundred two hundred PACIFICA students
from d LA sal mcaulay, James Cook High School, Saint Paul's.
(36:47):
I think I'm missing a couple, but yeah, there were
South Oakland high schools and then there was our high school.
And the camp was basically about giving students an idea
of what they could become or what they could be
one day. And it was about inspiring these young PACIFICA
students about yeah, furthering their education going on to study
(37:09):
at tertiary level. And I found out later that he
so a fessor, was the one that sort of came
up with the dream form or the concept. One of
the first things that we got asked to do with
the camp was to fill out forms just basically sharing
what your you know, what your aspirations were or what
your goals were. And I was, yeah, I was sixteen,
(37:29):
but knew I wanted to become a journalist. So I'd
rested it down, not hoping for anything like because they
had promised that we would be able to speak to
people from our community who were either working in the
jobs or studying to be you know, like a lawyer
or a doctor or nurse. And anyway, the next day
he came up to me and he said, are you
(37:49):
the one that wanted to be a journalist? And I
said yeah, And he said, oh, I've actually organized for
one of my Pacific journalist's friends to come and speak
to us, And yeah, I was speak to you. That
was my first engagement with him, still very much young,
but even then, you know, he was such a commanding speaker,
very charismatic, commanded the room, and yeah, man, great speaker,
(38:14):
great orator, and very funny too. A lot of people
don't really realize, but he was a bit of a
mocker as well, very much that salmon humor and island
banter that I don't know because sometimes get you in trouble.
But yeah, no, he was very funny as well, for
those who know.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
No Na, And how incredible is that that he saw
you knew that you wanted to become a journalist, And
then how many times have you interviewed him over the years, right,
Like how incredible.
Speaker 10 (38:42):
Yeah, it's pretty funny because I didn't really get the
chance at the camp to you know, say if I
would say, like thank you for organizing that. The journalist
that he got was Pacific journalist Vienna Richards and she
was working at I think she was working at Pacific
Media Network at the time, five point thirty one PI.
(39:02):
It wasn't until years later I got to say properly
thank you for that opportunity, you know, thank you for
allowing access to you know, because that was I think
that was the first time I've ever met a journalist.
But yeah, over the years, I've interviewed him many other
times and even spoken about Dream fun or because I mean, yeah,
not to be funny or anything, but I'm not the
(39:23):
only person who did very well, like who attended Dream
Faunal over the years, you know, even now and I
have friends who went to that camp who yeah, doing
very well, like in the education sector, in health and law,
and yeah we did, okay.
Speaker 11 (39:44):
He was a massive advocate for the Pacific community, a
massive advocate for the vulnerable, for the poor, for young people,
for South Auckland.
Speaker 14 (39:54):
His lived experience would have been huge, and that that's
just gone in an instant. You can't replace people like
that overnight. He was one of our great hopes for
our future as specific people in our tail or.
Speaker 6 (40:09):
What do you think Offesso's legacy is going to be.
Speaker 10 (40:13):
That's such a tough one. His legacy is already something
that we've seen. I think I think he's already left
the legacy. We're even still seeing his legacy. You know,
the number of people who are turning up to pay
respects and say farewell. I think the tip in their
funeral home has probably never seen this kind of turn out.
(40:35):
You're seeing politicians, aupen councilors from different parts of the city,
not just Southside. I understand Mayor when Wayne Brown went yesterday,
the leader of the opposition, Chris Hopkins, the Green Party
of course, Labor Party or the parties. I understand Prime
Minister Chris Luxon is going to be at the funeral
as well. And it's just to me, that's the legacy
(40:58):
right there. You know, he's touched them in people and
somehow made everybody feel special or valued in his own way.
And I truly hope that his legacy doesn't stop here.
He fought so hard for I think he called them
the square pigs in his maiden speech, you know, the
underdogs or if you like. And I hope to see
(41:20):
more young Pacifica standing up or be motivated or inspired
by his example. And yeah, just carry on to be
good people and good and whatever they choose to become.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
That's it for this compilation episode of the Front Page.
You can read more about the stories featured in this
episode and extensive news coverage at ensiherld dot co dot z.
The Front Page is produced by Ethan Sells and Richard Martin,
who is also our sound engineer.
Speaker 6 (41:51):
Along with Paddy Fox. I'm Chelsea Daniels.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
Subscribe to the Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you
get your podcasts and tune in next week and we'll
be replaying some of our favorite episodes of twenty twenty
four
Kiota.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is a compilation episode of
The Front Page, a daily podcast presented by The New
Zealand Herald. The year in politics has been a bumpy
road for many. The Coalition government dived in quickly to
reverse previous labor policies and pushed numerous bills through Parliament
(00:29):
to reach quarterly deadlines and targets, with a mixed response
from voters around some policies. Labor meanwhile, has spent much
of the year recovering from their election wipe out in
twenty twenty three, leaving Tabati Maldi to lead the pushback
against the Treaty Principal's Bill. At a local level, huge
(00:50):
rates increases were a burden for many councils, while Wellington
City Council had the unfortunate honor of having a Crown
Observer appointed. Today on the Front Page, we're revisiting some
of our interviews with top politicians from central and local
government as we look back on the.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Year that was.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
First off, we'll go to March when Chloe Swarbrick was
named co leader of the Green Party. Her rapid rise
to become the youngest current party leader in New Zealand
comes a little over six years since she entered parliament.
Her appointment came in a difficult year for her party,
with Golriz Gartaman and Darlene Tanner both leaving parliament for
(01:35):
different reasons, a cancer diagnosis for co leader Madama Davidson
and the death of Effezo Collins in amongst these difficulties.
We spoke to Swarbrick about her plans for when she
took over the reins.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
I've never made a secret of the fact that I
do have quite a lot of disappointment with the status
quo way that we do politics. That is kind of
the school yard bickering as opposed to getting into the
evidence and the values lead discussions that I think that
New Zealanders really deserve, especially if we're to make those
necessary long term decisions as a parliament and as a
(02:13):
government for the future of this country. I also never
made it a secret that I've never really tried to
position myself to get any particular role or title or
anything like that. I mean, bar obviously representing my community
of concentual I've always abelt that one in my bones,
and very much is something that you know, I think
has been pretty obvious since I entered the political fray,
(02:33):
but you know, leveling up into this kind of position
was something that a lot of people that I admire
and respect asked me to do when James obviously made
that decision to step down and made his comments with
regard to the Greens entering a new era, and I
felt compelled to do so and to listen to those
asks and requests from many of those people who I
(02:54):
deeply admire own respect, because you know, to my point
of the broader theory of change here is that it's
not just one person who changes the world. You know,
it is, particularly if you look at where things have
changed for the better in many democracies, not only here
but around the rest of the world. It's been really
engaged citizen rey who have worked together to make it
(03:16):
really abundantly clear to the politicians of the day that
they're not going to accept anything less, whether we're talking
about workers' rights, whether we're talking about climate action or otherwise.
And we're confronted with huge, colossal crises at the moment,
the dual crisis of the climate crisis, and of course
the greatest rates of wealth and equality that we've seen
on record in this country, which feels are through into
(03:36):
a range of things that people experience in their day
to day but can probably best be summarized in the
fact that I don't know anyone in my personal or
professional life at the moment who's not just completely run
ragged and exhausted.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
And if that doesn't give you.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
A hint into how deeply and fundamentally unsustainable the economy
is as we know it, then I don't know what will.
So I see my role as helping to remind people that,
you know, we get the politics that we think that
we deserve, and right now that bar is too damn low.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
And I believe this is the first time we've seen
two female co leaders of any party really, and I'm
not sure even if we've had a female leader and
a deputy for any other part major parties either, how
significant is that?
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Yeah, I mean it's pretty cold, But I think what
this really poses an opportunity for is demonstrating a different
kind of leadership, not only in that symbolism by virtual
of the fact that you know, Martama and I are
who we are and we can't shed our skin, but
I think the way that both of us have operated
in public and in private the last several years in
(04:39):
this political realm, and that is a really clear understanding
of where our power as greenimps and as members of
Parliament in general comes from from the community that we
want to represent. So people will see us just as
comfortably on the frontline organizing and rallying with people on
the streets as they will in the halls of power
holding this government.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
To a I've seen commentators actually suggest that you and
Marma are both obviously focused on social issues and they
reckon more so than the environment.
Speaker 6 (05:07):
Is that fair?
Speaker 4 (05:09):
What point commentators to the fact that I was the
one pushing for a year for a climate emergency declaration
in our House of Parliament. You know, I sat on
Environment Selectmitty through twenty seventeen to twenty twenty as we
put through the zero carbonac changes amendments to the emissions
Trading Scheme which stopped the freezing of free allocation to
(05:30):
our most highest polluting industries which have occurred under the
former Key National government. We also, inside of our focus
have immense strength and the likes of Lan Farm who
is a literal freshwater scientist, Steve Abel, a greenpeace organizer,
Kahunani Carter, who led the largest Marii waste organization in
the South Island. We've got Scott Willis who has an
(05:51):
immense background and renewable energy generation. You know some of
our old hands, like's Gona Toyono, who was a climate
and Indigenous and of negotiator at the UN. We've got
Julian Jinter who's obviously made her mark in her name
in transitioning our transport fleet into one that is zero carbon. Ultimately,
(06:12):
and all of our MPs hold the duel responsibility of
representing our people and our planet. There is no way
for us to disaggregate those two things.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
After the twenty twenty three election, the ACT Party now
had a record eleven MPs in Parliament and for the
first time holds two electorate seats. And in May next
year we'll see Leader David Seymour become Deputy Prime Minister
as part of his party's coalition.
Speaker 6 (06:45):
Deal with National and New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
First in March, we spoke to Seymour about the government's
first one hundred days, in particular the criticism faced by
the then fresh faced coalition in terms of social media.
It seems a coalition and you yourself. In particular, David,
(07:07):
are receiving a lot of pretty hateful comments online. The
anti Extremism director, for example, calling the government a child
hating death cult comes to mind. Also a lot of
comments around the kids at Freiburg High School. What do
you reckon the public perception to the new government is
and do you read any online comments?
Speaker 3 (07:25):
No, I mean I read the polls which say that
the government's support has stayed level or slightly risen since
the election of ex Polling has certainly increased, and often
it's a silent majority of people we should be focused on.
Sometimes the right response to these people is laughter. I mean,
(07:47):
you've got to be kidding yourself. I mean, imagine being
this trumped up person at the university. Is there are
an anti extremism director. It goes with qullege like I
just a lot of it. What is important is that
for people who are seriously interested in the future of
New Zealand that we say, okay, here are some of
(08:09):
the challenges our country faces. Here are the solutions that
we offer and ultimately the problem solvers that get you know,
the streets to be safe, the kids to school, the
roads to be built, and the economy growing its productivity
and houses available for the next generation. Now, if we
can solve those problems, then really, you know, what some
(08:30):
of the kids says on TikTok is not really going
to worry me.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Do you think that commenting and labeling yourself David a
racist is a bit easier for people to do rather
than engage in some conversations around what's happening.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Yeah, I mean, I think there's a wider problem here
that we really had an abandonment in the post modern era,
an abandonment of objective knowledge. So, you know, instead of
saying there is one humanity, there is one objective world
we can all lincome and study together, people say, oh,
we have our own truth, our own narrative or reality
(09:03):
or discourse or whatever. It's all this crazy stuff, and
so you know, well, that's how it's possible for someone
who says, we believe that all people should be treated
the same and we should never discriminate based on their race,
to actually be called a racist for saying. I mean,
you know, let's be really clear. Racism is when you
(09:24):
believe that a person's ethnic background is a more important
characteristic than others, so much so that you will treat
them differently based on their race. That is what acts
is absolutely diametrically opposed to, and I might say more
than any other party. It is the other guys labor
(09:45):
to party Marii and the Greens in particular, who are
very comfortable with policies that call on government officials, whether
they're in the healthcare system or the education system, to
actively treat people differently based on their ethnic back.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Would you agree that in a hospital there's a Pakiha
baby that's just been born, in a Maori baby that's
just been born, that that immediately that pakihr baby has.
Speaker 6 (10:08):
A leg up.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Absolutely not, because what else do we know about them.
It may well be that the pakihar baby is going
back to a house that is moldy and the risk
of respiratory diseases. It may well be that the Maori
baby is not. It may well be that the pakihar
baby has inherited some sort of congenital condition that means
(10:30):
that they will live for the rest of their life
and disability. It's possible that the Marii baby is not.
Now it is true that on average there are more
Maori babies with those disadvantaging factors than non Mahori babies.
But the point is if we fix the disadvantage, we
will help the Mariu babies more and we will get
(10:52):
to a more equal society. And we can do it
without treating people differently based on race. So why you
want to use this lazy, divisive lembs of race when
actually once we know more about the case and the
individual that come to understand each other for who we are,
we can be more effective, less divisive and help everyone.
(11:14):
We can help those non Mardy who are disadvantage and
we can avoid patronizing those mary who are doing very well,
Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Regional development has been a major focus of the coalition government.
The fast Track Bill just this week passed into law,
but the return of oil and gas exploration and the
Regional Infrastructure Fund are also promised to get work back
to the regions and help them thrive.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
And the man running.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
The show is the so called Martua of Mining and
Prints of the Provinces Minister for Regional Development, Shane Jones.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
We spoke with Jones in November.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
About his plans for the regions and whether you can
find climate change at the same time as backing provincial
new Zealand. One of the main killers in the regions
at the moment seems to be power prices. We've had
a number of businesses shut down in recent months. How
concerned are you for these towns that might be reliant
(12:27):
on just one core business to keep everyone employed.
Speaker 7 (12:30):
Well, without a doubt, and some of our areas we're
going through a major structural adjustment. It disturbs me deeply
that the current market settings and the behavior of our
large power companies otherwise known as Jin Taylor's, is such
that they are unable to offer competitive power prices to
(12:55):
a range of industrial users. Now that's it's both a
legacy problem, but it makes me incredibly apprehensive. If what
we're going to witness over the short to medium term
is a de industrialization of New Zealand, that's deeply at
(13:16):
odds with what New Zealand First stands for. And of
course the New Zealand First Party has campaigned long and
hard to change the settings of our electricity market, and
we have got some work underway involving the Commerce Commission,
the Electricity Authority. We've got an independent analysis and review
(13:37):
about to take place. I've long since made my mind
up that unless we can deliver energy security and more
affordable energy prices, then we're doing our country a major disservice.
Speaker 8 (13:54):
So if you've had eight hundreds in eighty five thousand
people going to this one outlet, you can get a
certain massive unit costal power reduction for older people. That
was our idea, and difficulty is trying to get them
to understand that they went down this other idea. A
whole lot of people are getting power compensation of the
winter time who can afford it, and yet it's still
(14:16):
not enough for a lot of people who can't afford
it where in the very cold regions or if they're
in the wrong house, they're still going to feel the
cold for about six months a year.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
You've promised the likes of rare frogs and other wildlife
will not be allowed to get in the way of
economic development. You said, no longer would regional jobs be
held ransom or hijacked by a random frog or multi
colored skink. Can you talk me through that, because you've
got to know that that's rubbed some people up the
(14:49):
wrong way.
Speaker 7 (14:50):
Well, no one is going to go to bed tonight
doubting where I stand in relation to the centrality of
growth and the priority that the country should place upon development.
I'm being constantly shouted down by the NGOs and the
opposition politicians, but there are battalions of silent New Zealanders
(15:16):
who quietly agree with me. I'm not saying that we're
going to go on a massive extinction drive, but I'm
not going to sit back and allow the weaponization of
various species and critters to overwhelm an investment or to
protract projects to a point where they never are delivered
(15:38):
within a budget. And it's about time I think that
kiwi's embraced more of my pragmatism because our resource management
system has been hijacked by ter many special interest groups
to the detriment of jobs, growth and economic resilience in
regional New Zealand.
Speaker 6 (15:57):
What if it's a family of brown spotted kiwe getting
in the way of something.
Speaker 7 (16:01):
I think that there's no shortage of options for the developers,
road builders, infrastructure builders to mitigate. And if it requires
an amendment to a project within reason, that's I think
what would be expected. But this business of saying that
(16:21):
the country cannot advance because of a couple of dozen
kiwis that can be translocated to another area.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Are don't buy that speaking of NGOs, can climate change
in regional development happen both at the same time.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
I believe so.
Speaker 7 (16:35):
In fact, it is happening in an integrated way. That
the deeper riddle is how do we afford the costs
associated we're restructuring our society to meet climate goals if
we don't have an economic surplus. I think that the
pendulum here in New Zealand swinging back to a more
sensible location in relation to climate change, shrillness and historyonics.
(17:00):
More and more people realize that climate change is only
one problem. We've got a host of other severe problems
in New Zealand and it's certainly, in my view, not
the priority problem.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Well, you've mentioned that there's a bit of a hysteria
around it. Are you downplaying climate change?
Speaker 7 (17:18):
Oh? I'm just saying that of all the challenges confronting
me as a New Zealand politician and confronting our nation,
climate change is not the be all an indoor climate
change in my view, over the last regime has been
turned into a religion. And when I'm on a religious experience,
I've got other ways of enjoying that rather than chanting
(17:40):
climate change odes.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
In November, the country saw the biggest protest march to
Parliament in New Zealand's history. The Auckland Harbor Bridge swayed
under the weight of thousands of marches taking part in
the hekoy In protest against government policies impacting Maori, including
the Treaty Principal's Bill. Tabati Mali led the charge against
(18:08):
the government, notably with the viral hakker in Parliament during
the bill's first reading that garnered global attention. The party's
co leader Dabbi Nauera Paka joined us on the front
page to discuss why they're fighting back so strongly against
this government.
Speaker 9 (18:29):
I think what's happened in Parliament and what this bill
represents is wiping away the existence and the rights that
the indigenous peoples of Old t Hiedor had before colonization.
We were the protection to always remember Maori Artana and
(18:50):
the significance we have as Mary to look after everyone
that comes in there, but not at the cost of
being Mali. I think that's probably the most simplest way.
It's harmful. It hurts not to feel valued. It really
hurts to have seen that we would trade it off
to become part of a coalition agreement, and so yeah,
I think that's you know, it's hurtful and it feels
(19:13):
horrible to have to defend being Maori right now in
the ways, either whether it be in Parliament or through
the hikui.
Speaker 10 (19:24):
A forty if six votes a posts.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
The video of this hakka in Parliament has gone viral,
with people around the world commenting and wanting to learn
more from the outside looking in. It's quite an incredible
moment when Hannah would the Mighty Clark tears that paper
into What did you feel in that moment?
Speaker 9 (20:05):
You know, everything we do is extremely intentional, and you know,
I guess the spirit of it is that TETTI is
one of the most honored documents that you know, we
have the spirit of its intent and also to protect
us and our rights and interests tongue Tom two also
you know, focus on a united alti or But if
(20:27):
you look at how easy it was to rip it up,
it was you know, it's three to four pages of
thin pieces of paper that are shallow, that have no significance,
and that's you know, to see our youngest do that.
So the spirit of this was as you know, I
was intentional, was pre planned, but it was also show
the world, look what we've been relegated to, these thin
(20:47):
pieces of paper that were just so easily easily ripped
by our youngest member. So I think there's there's a
real again, I can't think of other words in the
hurt and the absolute intent to fight this and to
show the world what it is that's happening at the moment.
We were a country that had the first woman's vote.
Where we did, we went out, We have always punched
(21:10):
above our weight to the anti nuclear space, anti discrimination space,
and here we are in twenty twenty four that the
sort of whole Trump like culture coming into our politics.
So yeah, I think you know that's I think, you know,
we've done really well and so proud of our hunter
and the party and everyone else that the other opposition
parties that in the gullery, those who the Huka belonged to,
(21:32):
that supported this because we had to let the world
know what we're dealing with and what we're having to defend.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yeah, I mean, on the other side, what do you
make of people saying to Patimori is too radical, that
the party only wants anarchy and is stoking racial divisions.
Speaker 6 (21:46):
And if the roles were reversed.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
If this was a Paki house saying all these kinds
of things they say, it would be called racist.
Speaker 6 (21:52):
What do you make of those comments?
Speaker 9 (21:54):
Yeah, I get how people see us because we are
up against it. We have been backed in a corner
to have to come out fighting prior to this, you know,
we have unfortunately we have some of the worst statistics
in house stats and as I said on their social
stats that we just just as sets. We just don't
want in order to address that. We know that we're
put in here to push for transformational change. We've got
(22:18):
a government that's back reversed, everything back so much that
we have to continuously push for balance. And when you're
pushing to bring something to float and yeah, it's just
so adrift and you have to work really hard to
bring the balance back. It does probably seem like we
are radical, but we are absolutely committed to rebalancing, to
(22:40):
commitments of living as Tatileti proposers, to developing a beautiful
nation that's full of peace in Adha. When you're up
against the kind of you know, extremism that we're seeing,
which again feels like some of the Trump politics that
you cannot just take it on gently. You do have
to be transformational, intentional and provocative and everything we do
(23:03):
to fight our cause.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
So the National Party in New Zealand first say that
they voted for the first reading of this bill, but
they've made it very clear that they won't support it
beyond this reading.
Speaker 6 (23:14):
Do you think that's good enough?
Speaker 5 (23:16):
No?
Speaker 9 (23:16):
I don't, and I think that's that's the deep shame.
And we've had just as many national voters, ex national
voters walking with us, in touch with us that they
wanted their party in, but not at the cost of
these types of relationships. And Nationals previously had what could
be seen as a proactive relationship with Maori. So no,
(23:39):
I think you know again the harm that this creates
the fact that we're going to need to push that
the soliicimittee process doesn't drag out and it doesn't become
LinkedIn to David Seymour's run into the twenty twenty six
election campaign. So I think this is what we deserve
better than to be treated as political pawns. So Triti
(24:02):
was done full of the wisdom, and our ancestors had
absolute foresight. You've got to remember the context that we
were asked of the nations to be colonized. They'd already
seen the periers of colonization, They've seen what could happen,
so there was foresight in this. And I just think
that the fact that national again has decided that we
(24:23):
were tradeable and the manner of their coalition agreement was
so much more important than the manner of Ta Triti
and Tanga Tenwa is the deepest betrayal that we've ever
had from a national government.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Local councils weren't immune to scandal this year, with issues
at Wellington City Council over the future of its long
term plan prompted government intervention. The move sparked debate around
whether the bar is too low for the government to stay.
It came amidst a wider back to basics bush by
central government. Just this week, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown
(25:08):
removed well being provisions from the Local Government Act and
released new yearly benchmarking reports. In October, we spoke to
Jim Palmer, a consultant who shaired the Review into the
Future for Local Government, to discuss the issues at our
council tables.
Speaker 6 (25:29):
During the election campaign.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
A National Party spokesperson actually told stuff local government has
an important role to play, but too often councils are
an after thought for central government. Would you agree with
that statement? Should central government work more with local councils?
Speaker 11 (25:44):
Our review undoubtedly recommended that there needs to be far
stronger partnership, genuine partnership. And it's not the command and
control style that successive governments and not just this government,
but many governments take a paternalist view of local government,
and there is great opportunity for central and local government
(26:06):
to be working together. I talked with one mayor in
a region and they're talking about youth unemployment, and they
said that there were ninety different agencies being funded to
address youth unemployment and they range from central government agencies,
local government NGOs and other organizations, all trying to do
the right thing, but a lack of focus. You know,
(26:28):
if they'd come together and said, Okay, here are the
three or four agencies that could be delivering this and
delivering it far more effectively, we could get far greater
value for money out of that. Also, the way in
which government and local government are prepared to partner with community,
community organizations, community groups there's huge amount of volunteering and
good will in a community. If it's engendered in the
(26:50):
right way, there is great grassroots opportunities to deliver far
better value as well. So the opportunity is immense, but
it does require a fundamental to reset of the relationship
between central government and local government. Particularly in the first instance.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
The government did revoke three Waters, which many local councils
weren't a fan of, but in other areas the government
has actually been a bit.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
More firm with councils.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Councils that want to keep their multi wards now have
to hold a referendum on that, and Prime Minister Chris
h Luxen has had strong words for councils at a
conference in August, telling them to rain in the spending.
Speaker 12 (27:30):
Rate Payers expect local government to do the plasics, pick
up the rubbish, fix the pipes, fill in the potholes,
and more generally maintain the local assets quickly, carefully and
cost effectively. What they don't expect to pay for is
a laundry list of distractions and experiments that are plaguing
council balance sheets across the country.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Is this the right message and we're talking about that
relationship that government should be fostering and sending if it
does want to work constructively with councils.
Speaker 11 (28:01):
Yeah, building a strong, genuine partnership requires trust and confidence
in each other, and that takes some time. It takes
people to be in the room and get together and
understand the different perspectives. Certainly understand the government has three
years in a series of priorities that it wishes to
pursue and doesn't want to be distracted by things which
(28:22):
don't necessarily align with its priorities. I think that's been
understood by local government. But to go to the fundamental reset,
then there does need to be a change in the
way and which central government and local government relate to
each other and work together. We identified significant opportunities to
be able to reimagine the way and which central government
(28:43):
and local government work together and with respect. I don't
see those actions being taken to the extent needed to
create the change that will benefit ultimately the communities that
both government and local government are there to serve.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Yeah, nobody really likes to be told what to do.
It's like I'm having a big brother and them saying no,
you're doing it wrong. Do it this way and not
really having a constructive conversation about it.
Speaker 10 (29:09):
Hey.
Speaker 11 (29:10):
Absolutely, and it's not just this government. Successive governments have
taken that approach, which is difficult to respond to, and
local government traditionally he has been an easy horse to
whip and it has been and sometimes local government, to
be honest, doesn't help itself and provides plenty of opportunities
and dead rats to be held up and examined. And
(29:32):
what happens with one many get card with the same brush,
and so you know, the unfortunate reflection on the whole
sector that perhaps isn't always warranted.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Auckland's Mayor Wayne Brown's war on council controlled organizations delivered
big wins for him this year. In November, Brown and
Transport Minister Semeon Brown announced Auckland transport would be surgically changed,
with transport policy, strategy and planning or moving to Auckland Council.
(30:06):
And just last week the curtain came down for Ekapanuku,
with counselors voting to abolish it. They also voted to
strip Tartaki Auckland unlimited of its economic development role. Those
changes a plan to come into effect in July next year.
Speaker 6 (30:22):
Before those big wins.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
For Brown, though, we caught up with him in October
about his pushback against these organizations and if he is
going to run for reelection next year talking about CCOs,
what's the plan there?
Speaker 6 (30:39):
When are we getting rid of them?
Speaker 5 (30:41):
Last year would have been a good time. I can't
have to bring my counsel with me, and I have
to bring the government with me. AT which is a
very widely disliked organization and has adopted a very independent
culture because it was granted an independent status.
Speaker 13 (31:02):
In his own blistering letter to Transport boss, Wayne Brown
called disruptions unacceptable and omni shambles and said he could
use other words. He says Aucklanders have reached the end
of their patients.
Speaker 5 (31:19):
What's driving one of my actions here is that I
don't mind being criticized for things that I've actually done wrong.
But I'm fed up I've being criticized for things that
I don't have much control over, and I think what
I'm wanting to have is that turned into a delivery
mechanism and get them concentrating on delivering, you know, and
they not concentrating it because they're wondering into policy and things,
(31:40):
which is really what the council should be doing and so,
and I think I'm working pretty well with Minister Sime
and Brown over this and I'm looking forward to quite
a good result out of this and some of the
other things they're doing. The CEO reform was one of
the things that was right at the top of the
things I campaigned on, and so people liked that. I
went to three hundred minies. Not one person said, oh no,
leave them as they are. And so we have a
(32:00):
lot of I don't like duplication, but we're not a duplication.
We have triplication. We have quadruplication. In some places. Everybody
does events and in fact the best events aren't even
done by any of those parts and pieces of the
last Saturday, I joined fifteen thousand other very happy people
in the main street of Ada Who for the Oda
(32:20):
Who Food Festival, which half of the people in the
councils de even I was on and it's the biggest
food festival in the country. They sold one hundred and
twenty different food stalles months before it happened. I just
sold that snap overnight. Every food person wanted to be
there and it was fantastic.
Speaker 6 (32:36):
So with this CCO plan. Have you got a timeline
or what kind of mechanisms do you have to work through? First?
Who do you need to get on board to make
that happen?
Speaker 5 (32:44):
Well, first of all, I have to get on board
the councilors that we need to do something about it.
And they are on board. We've got them on board encouragement,
but they are with regard to at I do need
the government to work with me because it does have
a statutory position.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Lastly, wanted just to do some quick fires with you
mayor just yes or nos, or really quickly. When's the
open air saltwater swimming pool opening at the viaduct?
Speaker 5 (33:08):
Well, if it doesn't open in the same role, be
really annoyed.
Speaker 6 (33:12):
You'll be annoyed.
Speaker 5 (33:13):
When's I want a swimming that by the time the
water's wall.
Speaker 6 (33:17):
When is Auckland getting a bed tax?
Speaker 5 (33:19):
Asked Minister Doucy.
Speaker 6 (33:21):
Are you running in next year's local election?
Speaker 5 (33:25):
As distinct possible? Ay? Been not saying yes or no?
Speaker 4 (33:27):
Just it.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
Both local and central government felt the loss of Afesso
Collins this year described as a man of the people.
In February, the former Auckland councilor turned Green MP died
suddenly after participating in a charity event. Thousands of mourners
turned out to pay tribute to him, packing out of
(33:53):
South Auckland Venue to pay their respects to a man
who was known.
Speaker 6 (33:57):
For his love of people.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
It was just one of the heartbreaking losses in politics
this year, alongside the death of former National Minister Nicki
Kay in November after a long battle with cancer. In March,
we spoke to Vaimawana Marse, the editor of the Heralds
pacifica section Talaanoa, to talk about the outpouring of grief
(34:20):
and love for the late Fahnana Affesso Collins ahead of
his funeral.
Speaker 10 (34:29):
He was sort of the person that a lot of
people or a lot of us in the media knew
that he would answer and also trusted that he had.
Like his voice or his thoughts were very much a
reflection of what the people in Autata or au Tahu
or South Aukland in general, and the Pacific community. You know,
it was a very much an honest reflection of how
(34:51):
those people or those communities felt. So I've one always
appreciated when he took my cause or the Texan he'd
be busy or something and always say, oh no, I'll
call you BACKMNA, It's all right. He knew that he
represented those communities and knew that his voice needed to
be heard.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
As a New Zealand born Simon living in South Auckland,
I've experienced, written about, and spoken about racism in this country.
I've also been on a well publicized journey and understanding
the needs and views of our rainbow communities. And I
have a long way to go. And my message to Fino,
who often experienced the sharp end of discrimination disabled, ethnic,
(35:36):
rainbow Brown seniors and neurodiverse is thank you for trusting
us with the responsibility of facilitating a new discussion on
how we move forward together and make possible what was
once deemed impossible.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
You wrote in a piece in the hours after his
death about the first time you met him when you
were sixteen.
Speaker 6 (36:00):
Can you share with us those early memory?
Speaker 10 (36:02):
Yeah? So, I think it was two thousand and three.
I was year twelve and it was a last minute
trip that we got asked to yet take part in it.
It was called the Dream for Nor Camp and basically
it was a camp for students from around Auckland. I
think it was targeted at South Auckland students, Southakland High
(36:23):
school students, but I went to Messy High in West Aukland,
and so there was only about six of us that went.
When we got to the camp, it was up in
it was in Cambridge and it was freezing anyway, I
think there was about two hundred two hundred PACIFICA students
from d LA sal mcaulay, James Cook High School, Saint Paul's.
(36:47):
I think I'm missing a couple, but yeah, there were
South Oakland high schools and then there was our high school.
And the camp was basically about giving students an idea
of what they could become or what they could be
one day. And it was about inspiring these young PACIFICA
students about yeah, furthering their education going on to study
(37:09):
at tertiary level. And I found out later that he
so a fessor, was the one that sort of came
up with the dream form or the concept. One of
the first things that we got asked to do with
the camp was to fill out forms just basically sharing
what your you know, what your aspirations were or what
your goals were. And I was, yeah, I was sixteen,
(37:29):
but knew I wanted to become a journalist. So I'd
rested it down, not hoping for anything like because they
had promised that we would be able to speak to
people from our community who were either working in the
jobs or studying to be you know, like a lawyer
or a doctor or nurse. And anyway, the next day
he came up to me and he said, are you
(37:49):
the one that wanted to be a journalist? And I
said yeah, And he said, oh, I've actually organized for
one of my Pacific journalist's friends to come and speak
to us, And yeah, I was speak to you. That
was my first engagement with him, still very much young,
but even then, you know, he was such a commanding speaker,
very charismatic, commanded the room, and yeah, man, great speaker,
(38:14):
great orator, and very funny too. A lot of people
don't really realize, but he was a bit of a
mocker as well, very much that salmon humor and island
banter that I don't know because sometimes get you in trouble.
But yeah, no, he was very funny as well, for
those who know.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
No Na, And how incredible is that that he saw
you knew that you wanted to become a journalist, And
then how many times have you interviewed him over the years, right,
Like how incredible.
Speaker 10 (38:42):
Yeah, it's pretty funny because I didn't really get the
chance at the camp to you know, say if I
would say, like thank you for organizing that. The journalist
that he got was Pacific journalist Vienna Richards and she
was working at I think she was working at Pacific
Media Network at the time, five point thirty one PI.
(39:02):
It wasn't until years later I got to say properly
thank you for that opportunity, you know, thank you for
allowing access to you know, because that was I think
that was the first time I've ever met a journalist.
But yeah, over the years, I've interviewed him many other
times and even spoken about Dream fun or because I mean, yeah,
not to be funny or anything, but I'm not the
(39:23):
only person who did very well, like who attended Dream
Faunal over the years, you know, even now and I
have friends who went to that camp who yeah, doing
very well, like in the education sector, in health and law,
and yeah we did, okay.
Speaker 11 (39:44):
He was a massive advocate for the Pacific community, a
massive advocate for the vulnerable, for the poor, for young people,
for South Auckland.
Speaker 14 (39:54):
His lived experience would have been huge, and that that's
just gone in an instant. You can't replace people like
that overnight. He was one of our great hopes for
our future as specific people in our tail or.
Speaker 6 (40:09):
What do you think Offesso's legacy is going to be.
Speaker 10 (40:13):
That's such a tough one. His legacy is already something
that we've seen. I think I think he's already left
the legacy. We're even still seeing his legacy. You know,
the number of people who are turning up to pay
respects and say farewell. I think the tip in their
funeral home has probably never seen this kind of turn out.
(40:35):
You're seeing politicians, aupen councilors from different parts of the city,
not just Southside. I understand Mayor when Wayne Brown went yesterday,
the leader of the opposition, Chris Hopkins, the Green Party
of course, Labor Party or the parties. I understand Prime
Minister Chris Luxon is going to be at the funeral
as well. And it's just to me, that's the legacy
(40:58):
right there. You know, he's touched them in people and
somehow made everybody feel special or valued in his own way.
And I truly hope that his legacy doesn't stop here.
He fought so hard for I think he called them
the square pigs in his maiden speech, you know, the
underdogs or if you like. And I hope to see
(41:20):
more young Pacifica standing up or be motivated or inspired
by his example. And yeah, just carry on to be
good people and good and whatever they choose to become.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
That's it for this compilation episode of the Front Page.
You can read more about the stories featured in this
episode and extensive news coverage at ensiherld dot co dot z.
The Front Page is produced by Ethan Sells and Richard Martin,
who is also our sound engineer.
Speaker 6 (41:51):
Along with Paddy Fox. I'm Chelsea Daniels.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
Subscribe to the Front Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you
get your podcasts and tune in next week and we'll
be replaying some of our favorite episodes of twenty twenty
four
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.