Politics with Barry Soper: Paul Henry, ferries, NZ First convention, and Greens unionism

Newstalk ZB political correspondent Barry Soper joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss the big political news of the week. 

Paul Henry debuts his political career, the new ferries receive names, NZ First's convention makes headlines, and the Green Party calls for union membership as default setting for new employees.

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Episode Transcript

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

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Joining me now to talk local politics as Zidby. Senior
political correspondent Barry Sober joins me.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
Good morning, Good morning, Francesca.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
I was talking about Paul Henry at the top of
the hour. I was saying, he will one hundred percent
make this campaign a lot more entertaining. He will bring
a huge amount of attention to act, but can he
convert that attention into effective public service?

Speaker 3 (00:34):
Well that's the big question, isn't it. And I was
at the Rugby last night. David Seymour was there as well,
and all the talk is Paul Henry and what to
make of them and will he settle in to parliamentary life,
which he inevitably will get to because he'll get a

(00:54):
place on the list that'll ensure who's becoming an MP.
But you know, I've known Paul Henry and worked with
him for over forty years and he doesn't seem to
be the type of person that would last a long
distance in parliament itself, because it's a fairly there's a

(01:18):
lot of drudgery, there's a lot of late night debates
that you're expected to be at, and even if you
are a minister, there's a hell of a lot of
work to do. And I'm not quite sure whether Paul
Henry's cloth is cut that way, but I guess we'll
have to wait and see. But he will, as you say, Francesca,

(01:38):
he'll add a lot to the campaign. There will be
a lot of fun and certainly there will be a
lot of laughs, but they don't necessarily translate into a
good MP.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
So Wiley was swanning around the rugby last night with
David seymour Berry.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
Did you talk to wasn't with them?

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Did you talk to him about him questioning whether the
government that needs to own these coock straight fairies.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
Funnily enough, we didn't talk fairies at the well. Look,
I guess you've got to look at ACT and see.
The birth of that party was, of course Roger Douglas,
and he probably wouldn't have a bar of the fairies
if he was still around now. But Winston sees it

(02:27):
another way, and I think it's just another political difference
that you find between these two parties New Zealand first
on the one hand being a nationalist party, and the
ACT party being sent right and doesn't see state ownership
of assets like fairies are in the best interests of
the country. But it does make you wonder, doesn't it.

(02:49):
If we did sell off the fairies to a private enterprise,
then you know you would see the cost I would
imagine of transport rise and with that would come the
rise and the cost of goods across the shop counter.
So there's arguments both ways. But look, Winston proudly presented

(03:13):
the one point seven billion dollar ferry project last week
and gave us a timeline for it, and of course
Act has to have a point of difference, and I
think it's as much about that as it is about
the ownership of the fairies.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
And look, the New Zealand First Conference is taking place
this weekend. Winston has fired shots are pretty much everybody
in the last day or so. I mean, I suppose
that this is what we can expect from him for
the next four months.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
Absolutely. You imagine if you were in government and you
know you're trying to present a united face going into
the election with Winston snapping away at your heels at
every opportunity, and that's what he does. I mean, he's
running true to form, and if you look at the
opinion polls, are the public quite like it. They like

(03:58):
the cut of Winston's cloth and it's normally a very
nice pin striped suit, and no doubt he'll be wearing
it at the conference this weekend. But the New Zealand
First Party is Winston Peters, even though people are climbing
on board now. But you know, he is eighty one,
so this may be his last rodeo, but I doubt it.

(04:20):
As long as he's fit and capable, you'll see Winston
around for some time yet.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks. It'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio