Jason Walls: Newstalk ZB political editor on David Seymour being sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister

David Seymour was officially sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister - and he's hoping to be a bit different to his predecessors.

He takes over from New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters, who just returned to the country after a visit to India, and he'll remain in the position until next year's election.

Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls says this isn't the same situation - as David Seymour's from a different party than Luxon and Peters.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
He'd be joining me now is News Talks, he'd be
political editor Jason Walls and Jason, I'm gonna be honest
with you. I think I've triggered people a little bit
this morning by bringing up just cindra U Durn's books
and Thick and Fast. I'm wondering, have you read a
different kind of power yet?

Speaker 3 (00:25):
No? I haven't. I've texted her her people to see
if I could get an a boggled copy, but I
didn't end up hearing back from them. So I'm just
gonna have to wander out to the bookstore this week
and buy it as well. I'm probably going to and
just between us, Franchester, I think I'm gonna put it
on the company cards because it is work right rereading
it right?

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Well, just flick it to me when you're done, Yes,
just needs to do the rounds and things now. Look,
David Seymour officially took over as Deputy Prime Minister yesterday.
So have we established just how ceremonial the job is?

Speaker 3 (00:58):
Oh, I mean it's it's pretty ceremonial. The Prime Minister's
been asked about it a few times and he essentially
says it's basically just to sort of in for the
Prime Minister when he's overseas or incapacitated, and that kind
of is exactly what it is. However, I think the
job has taken on a little bit of a different
tenor in this iteration of the government, because it's not

(01:19):
just a Grant Robertson taking over who was already a
Labor Party MP. It's somebody from a different party completely,
and so you've got somebody from New Zealand First representing
the whole government. Now you've got somebody from Act representing
the whole government. So it is quite novel in that respect,
not in respect to the fact that somebody else is
taking over, because Winston's done that well. I can't count

(01:42):
on one hand how many times he's done that now,
but the fact that they're switching over halfway through is
quite an interesting step. I don't expect it to be
too different. I think Winston actually did quite a good
job of separating New Zealand First Leader and statesman Winston Peters,
and I think it's one of the Prime Minister's great
strengths is actually putting together a coalition where he's been

(02:04):
able to let the minor parties can continue to be
the minor parties and not lose all of their sense
of identity. And I think that sets them really up,
really well up for the election next year.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
And look, I get the feeling that you know, both
Winston and Seymour they understood when they were speaking in
the capacity as the Deputy prime Minister and then when
they're speaking in the capacity as an MP or you know,
their party leader. We don't expect them to suddenly become
completely different people, you know. And I think David seen
Moore understands there are going to be times when he
is in that ceremonial role that he might be a

(02:38):
little bit more strained. But I don't expect him to
change the way he does politics.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
No, and I think by design he's not going to.
Because what we've seen in the past is that smaller
parties that gain power in terms of a coalition or
a confidence and supply tend to actually lose a little
bit of support. But we're not really seeing that with
ACT and New Zealand. First they've gone up and down,
but they've been broadly the same, and that's because they've
been allowed to be themselves. I mean, you can't look

(03:04):
at it either Winston or David Seymour and say that
they've sort of moderated their views on things because they're
now statesmen. If anything, they've got more emboldened to actually
have those views because the rep of the constituency that
they're representing. So I wouldn't expect Seymour to change at all.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
This struck me. You've got a company credit card? Who
gave you that?

Speaker 3 (03:25):
Oh, I feel like I've opened up a cad.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
It's taken me a while. I just suddenly win any
on them. Then you got to come anyway, Well, it's.

Speaker 3 (03:34):
Quite often for work, so I've got to be able
to buy hotels and then food and things. So I
register all my receipts and everything's above board. Don't worry.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
The Prime Minister, Christopher Lexon's hand did another crack at
Wellington Council, but Tory's hit.

Speaker 3 (03:48):
Back indeed, So he made these comments at an A
and Z breakfast earlier this week, where he was asked
by somebody in the audience. I think around the lines
of can you intervene to make sure you can get
party politics out of council. I think he was having
a crack with a crack at Andrew Little and Tory
five now from the Greens and Labor respective or from

(04:09):
laboring the Greens respectively, and Luxon hit back by saying,
you know, you get what you're given in terms of
the voters of Wellington, which Tory Farno took as a
crack at her. And then she said she contacted a
number of newsrooms who round the story saying that he's
punching down and he should he should focus on his
own failings and a few other things like that, and

(04:30):
Luxon enough, we tried to ask him about what she
had said about what he had says, and he said,
oh no, I'm just interested in sort of the governing
And what I was saying is that you know, there's
if there's only thirty five percent turnout rate, of course
you're not going to get the best representation that you
possibly could. But it's an interesting beef. It is obviously,

(04:50):
you know, the capital city and the Prime Minister having
a bit of fisticuffs, but it's an interesting one to watch.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
Jason Wolves, thank you very much. I'll look forward to
your passing on that book to me enjoy the receiv week.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
For more from a Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks in be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio