October 26, 2024 • 8 mins
This week on the Sunday Panel, comedian Penny Ashton and Newstalk ZB host Roman Travers joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has confirmed he's going to step in and intervene at Wellington Council amid concerns about their finances. Is this the right move?
Waikato has earned New Zealand its first spot in Expedia Group’s global travel trends list. Do we agree with this?
The story of Basil/Muffin the cat made the news and sparked a debate - how long is too long to reclaim your lost pet?
LISTEN ABOVE
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 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Edb Hey, look, I'll imagine what you're looking like a course,
because radio is a great mediumployee.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Sorry was that did you? Were you fishing for a compliment?
You're looking great too.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
I just think people say how are you and they
don't really give a flying fart. I actually do, and
you do look fabulous because it is radio not television.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Carry on, that's lob. There we go.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Now.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
An article caught my attention in news room. Actually always
really enjoyed reading Peter Dunn's article. He was talking about
the move that has been made, of course in Wellington
to bring a Crown observer, and the point he was
making is, you know, we've all sort of been watching
what's going on in Wellington and how things are falling
apart with the council, with the government now making this move.
(00:52):
Peter Dunn is sort of saying, look, this is going
to be really hard to sort out. You've got a
council with a lot of different views, You've got a
very difficult financial situation. It's not going to be fixed
in a hurry. But by stepping up Roman and the
government putting a toe in the water, going we're going
to help you sort this out. Really, the public perception
is now it is on the government to sort this out,
(01:13):
is it though?
Speaker 4 (01:15):
Well, one thing I've always told my girls when they
were growing up is don't go thinking that adults are
any better than children. And clearly with the three mayors
that have come out recently in the media and talked
three previous Willington meres and talked about what idiots we
have in general terms running Wellington. They are a bunch
of clowns. And I think we collectively put too much
faith in people to get things right. We do it
with politicians at central government. We do it with local government.
(01:37):
I voted for so and so. He's a nice guy,
he wears a tie and he was an accountant for
thirty years. Bunch of plankers who can't even get on together.
I think it's time quite seriously to scrap councils and
bring it back to central government because we collectively pay
too much for our rates to play to pay a
bunch of clowns to fart around and get nothing done.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
I think there needs to be some central control over
what happens in your region. No, sorry, some local conty, yeah,
I do. I think there needs to be some local
control over what happens. There's too much to expect the
government to take it all on board and to be
able to cater peening. I'm not sure your thoughts on
this little to the ins and outs of what's happening
in your particular region, because we're all dealing with quite
different issues.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Absolutely, But what I think is that the rates burden
is too big on councils, Like for the government to
come out and tell them off for not managing water
properly is just outrageous, Like they just don't have enough money.
You know, there's not enough people in Wellington to pay
for their bloody woes with water. And you know when
the last government was poised to actually try and help
with that, then this government comes along and says they
should be increasing debt. I'm like, I'm pretty sure this
(02:40):
government really hates debt, but apparently that's what they're telling
them to do to fix their water woes when actually
they've got it within their power to step up and
bloody help them with some bundy because that's what they
need some money at this point. But you know, this
government slashing funding left right and center and taking away
probably consultants and things like that in this area.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
And then expecting them to fix it.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I don't know, it just seems very much like, you know,
a government that has very ideologically opposed to the mayor
and Wellington and sort of you know, stepping to this
like there's no actual one thing that seems to have
happened that has sparked this, and to me it just
smacks a little bit of politics as well.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
So then do you think Penny that Sime and Brown,
you know, the expectation is on him to fix it.
I mean, I get the I think with the government
stepping in, that's what they're saying.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Well, the thing is, you know, if they step in
and find some money to help prove this, then then great,
because that's what they need. I mean, I just find
it hard to take it from a man who was
like New Zealand's spending very much on cycle ways and
obviously he doesn't like certain pet projects, which I think,
you know, I've never visited anywhere in the world that
has a pedestrianized center that isn't vibrant and full of
life like Key Street now is so much better. In Auckland,
(03:43):
Cassual Mall, Riverside Market, these places are vibrant. And also
the same people that complain about cycleways, complain about cyclists,
complain about traffic, complain about spending on public transport. It's like,
choose one, mofos, choose one, and I just sick of
all that nonsense as well.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
But Roman Piny's got a point. I haven't been. You know,
if you've done any traveling and you have been to
city centers and they've been revitalized because they've brought the people.
You can put people first. It's just really hard journey
to get there, isn't it. It's a really hard it's
a very long and expensive process to reviize.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Do you know what people who are saying, oh, you
can't do that, Oh there's no example of that happening. Hello,
wake up and give yourself a good stiff uppercut. Toadonger
was just an absolute look like the plague had swept
through Toadonger. They put a statutory counsel on a board
of you know, controlling communists and it worked. So you know, Wellington,
you need to think very carefully when you're voting, when
you're voting next time, when you see Brian, I've been
(04:38):
an accountant. I love cats. Think a bit deeper before
you vote for these idiots.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Well, and I.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Think calling them all idiots is not helpful. My friend
was the deputy mayor of Nelson. She got hounded out
by just horrid, misogynistic bollocks comments like she got called
a traitorous dog over parking. So I think we need
to be really careful about rhetoric around politicians because there's
still people and the way that they get subject to
hatred drives them out and then we lose really good
minds like my friend.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I think we also need to be very careful when
we're talking about Waitkuto. Now, Wayitkutto has has reached Expedia's
top global travel trends for twenty twenty five Go Waikato.
But I think we would all agree we're surprised, but
not surprised by this.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
I don't know, you know, it was about sort off
the beaten track places and so Waykuta would certainly fit that.
But I spent a lot of time there because I
do shows there. I'm actually doing a show there on Thursday,
night in on Halloween my Shakespeare show, and it's they're
like the Hamilton Gardens. I cannot stress enough that they
are some of the best gardens I have ever seen
anywhere in the world. All that rolling greenery, the river,
(05:42):
you know when you go through Hobbiton, Waitomo, Caves, Raglin,
just all these incredibly cool places. So actually I'm not
surprised at all.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
I actually initially thought that Expedia couldn't spell Wellington, so no, seriously,
I thought they've got that wrong. But I've lived there.
I used to work on news talks there Be and
zd HFM one hundred years ago in Hamilton, and I
couldn't understand why it got such a hard wrap. Those gardens,
they are award winning.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Yeah, they're amazing.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Apparently everyone is going to be a flooding this way,
so that's very, very exciting. I want to touch on
one more thing before we wrap up the panel. There
is a story in the news about a family who
got two kittens. Raised these kittens about five years, yet
later there was a thunderstorm one went missing. Now that
was microchip. They put up posters, they put out a
(06:30):
ten thousand dollars award for this cat. The cat never
came home. Four or five years later, this cat ends
up at a vet. They checked the microchip. They contact
the family and they say, we have found your cat.
The family is overwhelmed with joy, but the family that
adopted the cat in good faith don't want to give
it back. What do you do? Roman, This is a
(06:53):
tricky one.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
No, it's not at all. So no, I think it is. Well, now,
there should be a simple test. If you can't get
your cat that you haven't seen for years to sit
on command or to come to you, then it's not
your cat.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Or as I'm done, I'm metrically opposed to this. I
think that if you find a cat that is clearly
well looked after and loved, you take it, you get
it scanned, and then you return it to the bloody owners.
I think this is theft.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
This is actual sift, you know, because that was my thing.
I was like, well, if I found a pit I
wouldn't just immediately go we'll weig and adopt you and
keep you. I would make an effort to try and
find the owner. And I can't find the owner, And
of course we're all supposed to get our pets microchip.
So that that would make sense to me as well. Look,
I think it depends if my kids had grown up
(07:39):
and they're with sort of left home and they weren't,
you know, quite so attached to the cat anymore, and
the cat was very well loved, and maybe the new
family had young children who were attached to it, I'd
be a bit more relaxed and go, you know what,
the cat is very happy and you've got a beautiful,
you know, family, and this is all working out well,
and I'd kind of let it go.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
True.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
I think it depends on the situation.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Is depending. You're very smart. For a comedian, I think
you should stand for Wellington Council.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Screw you anyways. Comedians are smart. Comedians are smart is hard,
Comedy is hart. What I think though, is, you know,
like the plethora of cats in the country that need
adopting because they've been abandoned or mistreated, et cetera. Go one, bloody,
adopt one of those, instead of stealing somebody else's very
well looked after pet. Micro chefs are there for a reason.
Get it scanned, give it back, Stop stealing cats.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
I suppose we should just be pleased that people are
loving cats so much, or loving their family pets so much,
shouldn't we? Oh, look, Penny Ashton and Roman Travis, thank
you so much for joining us. Penny's show that she
mentioned is called The Tempestuous, a shrewd new comedy by
will Shakespeare and Penny Ashton. So just google The Tempestuous
and I'm sure that you will come up with the
(08:46):
dates that she is touring her very well reviewed show
around the country.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to news Talks they'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Edb Hey, look, I'll imagine what you're looking like a course,
because radio is a great mediumployee.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Sorry was that did you? Were you fishing for a compliment?
You're looking great too.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
I just think people say how are you and they
don't really give a flying fart. I actually do, and
you do look fabulous because it is radio not television.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Carry on, that's lob. There we go.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Now.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
An article caught my attention in news room. Actually always
really enjoyed reading Peter Dunn's article. He was talking about
the move that has been made, of course in Wellington
to bring a Crown observer, and the point he was
making is, you know, we've all sort of been watching
what's going on in Wellington and how things are falling
apart with the council, with the government now making this move.
(00:52):
Peter Dunn is sort of saying, look, this is going
to be really hard to sort out. You've got a
council with a lot of different views, You've got a
very difficult financial situation. It's not going to be fixed
in a hurry. But by stepping up Roman and the
government putting a toe in the water, going we're going
to help you sort this out. Really, the public perception
is now it is on the government to sort this out,
(01:13):
is it though?
Speaker 4 (01:15):
Well, one thing I've always told my girls when they
were growing up is don't go thinking that adults are
any better than children. And clearly with the three mayors
that have come out recently in the media and talked
three previous Willington meres and talked about what idiots we
have in general terms running Wellington. They are a bunch
of clowns. And I think we collectively put too much
faith in people to get things right. We do it
with politicians at central government. We do it with local government.
(01:37):
I voted for so and so. He's a nice guy,
he wears a tie and he was an accountant for
thirty years. Bunch of plankers who can't even get on together.
I think it's time quite seriously to scrap councils and
bring it back to central government because we collectively pay
too much for our rates to play to pay a
bunch of clowns to fart around and get nothing done.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
I think there needs to be some central control over
what happens in your region. No, sorry, some local conty, yeah,
I do. I think there needs to be some local
control over what happens. There's too much to expect the
government to take it all on board and to be
able to cater peening. I'm not sure your thoughts on
this little to the ins and outs of what's happening
in your particular region, because we're all dealing with quite
different issues.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Absolutely, But what I think is that the rates burden
is too big on councils, Like for the government to
come out and tell them off for not managing water
properly is just outrageous, Like they just don't have enough money.
You know, there's not enough people in Wellington to pay
for their bloody woes with water. And you know when
the last government was poised to actually try and help
with that, then this government comes along and says they
should be increasing debt. I'm like, I'm pretty sure this
(02:40):
government really hates debt, but apparently that's what they're telling
them to do to fix their water woes when actually
they've got it within their power to step up and
bloody help them with some bundy because that's what they
need some money at this point. But you know, this
government slashing funding left right and center and taking away
probably consultants and things like that in this area.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
And then expecting them to fix it.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
I don't know, it just seems very much like, you know,
a government that has very ideologically opposed to the mayor
and Wellington and sort of you know, stepping to this
like there's no actual one thing that seems to have
happened that has sparked this, and to me it just
smacks a little bit of politics as well.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
So then do you think Penny that Sime and Brown,
you know, the expectation is on him to fix it.
I mean, I get the I think with the government
stepping in, that's what they're saying.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Well, the thing is, you know, if they step in
and find some money to help prove this, then then great,
because that's what they need. I mean, I just find
it hard to take it from a man who was
like New Zealand's spending very much on cycle ways and
obviously he doesn't like certain pet projects, which I think,
you know, I've never visited anywhere in the world that
has a pedestrianized center that isn't vibrant and full of
life like Key Street now is so much better. In Auckland,
(03:43):
Cassual Mall, Riverside Market, these places are vibrant. And also
the same people that complain about cycleways, complain about cyclists,
complain about traffic, complain about spending on public transport. It's like,
choose one, mofos, choose one, and I just sick of
all that nonsense as well.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
But Roman Piny's got a point. I haven't been. You know,
if you've done any traveling and you have been to
city centers and they've been revitalized because they've brought the people.
You can put people first. It's just really hard journey
to get there, isn't it. It's a really hard it's
a very long and expensive process to reviize.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Do you know what people who are saying, oh, you
can't do that, Oh there's no example of that happening. Hello,
wake up and give yourself a good stiff uppercut. Toadonger
was just an absolute look like the plague had swept
through Toadonger. They put a statutory counsel on a board
of you know, controlling communists and it worked. So you know, Wellington,
you need to think very carefully when you're voting, when
you're voting next time, when you see Brian, I've been
(04:38):
an accountant. I love cats. Think a bit deeper before
you vote for these idiots.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Well, and I.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Think calling them all idiots is not helpful. My friend
was the deputy mayor of Nelson. She got hounded out
by just horrid, misogynistic bollocks comments like she got called
a traitorous dog over parking. So I think we need
to be really careful about rhetoric around politicians because there's
still people and the way that they get subject to
hatred drives them out and then we lose really good
minds like my friend.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I think we also need to be very careful when
we're talking about Waitkuto. Now, Wayitkutto has has reached Expedia's
top global travel trends for twenty twenty five Go Waikato.
But I think we would all agree we're surprised, but
not surprised by this.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
I don't know, you know, it was about sort off
the beaten track places and so Waykuta would certainly fit that.
But I spent a lot of time there because I
do shows there. I'm actually doing a show there on Thursday,
night in on Halloween my Shakespeare show, and it's they're
like the Hamilton Gardens. I cannot stress enough that they
are some of the best gardens I have ever seen
anywhere in the world. All that rolling greenery, the river,
(05:42):
you know when you go through Hobbiton, Waitomo, Caves, Raglin,
just all these incredibly cool places. So actually I'm not
surprised at all.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
I actually initially thought that Expedia couldn't spell Wellington, so no, seriously,
I thought they've got that wrong. But I've lived there.
I used to work on news talks there Be and
zd HFM one hundred years ago in Hamilton, and I
couldn't understand why it got such a hard wrap. Those gardens,
they are award winning.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Yeah, they're amazing.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Apparently everyone is going to be a flooding this way,
so that's very, very exciting. I want to touch on
one more thing before we wrap up the panel. There
is a story in the news about a family who
got two kittens. Raised these kittens about five years, yet
later there was a thunderstorm one went missing. Now that
was microchip. They put up posters, they put out a
(06:30):
ten thousand dollars award for this cat. The cat never
came home. Four or five years later, this cat ends
up at a vet. They checked the microchip. They contact
the family and they say, we have found your cat.
The family is overwhelmed with joy, but the family that
adopted the cat in good faith don't want to give
it back. What do you do? Roman, This is a
(06:53):
tricky one.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
No, it's not at all. So no, I think it is. Well, now,
there should be a simple test. If you can't get
your cat that you haven't seen for years to sit
on command or to come to you, then it's not
your cat.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Or as I'm done, I'm metrically opposed to this. I
think that if you find a cat that is clearly
well looked after and loved, you take it, you get
it scanned, and then you return it to the bloody owners.
I think this is theft.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
This is actual sift, you know, because that was my thing.
I was like, well, if I found a pit I
wouldn't just immediately go we'll weig and adopt you and
keep you. I would make an effort to try and
find the owner. And I can't find the owner, And
of course we're all supposed to get our pets microchip.
So that that would make sense to me as well. Look,
I think it depends if my kids had grown up
(07:39):
and they're with sort of left home and they weren't,
you know, quite so attached to the cat anymore, and
the cat was very well loved, and maybe the new
family had young children who were attached to it, I'd
be a bit more relaxed and go, you know what,
the cat is very happy and you've got a beautiful,
you know, family, and this is all working out well,
and I'd kind of let it go.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
True.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
I think it depends on the situation.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Is depending. You're very smart. For a comedian, I think
you should stand for Wellington Council.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Screw you anyways. Comedians are smart. Comedians are smart is hard,
Comedy is hart. What I think though, is, you know,
like the plethora of cats in the country that need
adopting because they've been abandoned or mistreated, et cetera. Go one, bloody,
adopt one of those, instead of stealing somebody else's very
well looked after pet. Micro chefs are there for a reason.
Get it scanned, give it back, Stop stealing cats.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
I suppose we should just be pleased that people are
loving cats so much, or loving their family pets so much,
shouldn't we? Oh, look, Penny Ashton and Roman Travis, thank
you so much for joining us. Penny's show that she
mentioned is called The Tempestuous, a shrewd new comedy by
will Shakespeare and Penny Ashton. So just google The Tempestuous
and I'm sure that you will come up with the
(08:46):
dates that she is touring her very well reviewed show
around the country.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to news Talks they'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
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.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
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.