March 14, 2025 • 41 mins
Today on The Panel, Tim Beveridge is joined by Kyle MacDonald and Wilhelmina Shrimpton to discuss the biggest stories from the week that was.
Jacinda Ardern's new children's book, procurement rules changes scrap the living wage, the Investment Summit wraps up with plans for annual PPPs, the trade war rages on, calls for a joint military between New Zealand and Australia, and more!
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from news Talk, SAIDB,
debating all the issues and more. It's the panel on
the Weekend Collective on news Talk, said B.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Style and the shat we're back.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Fucking chef and I can bain.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
And a very good afternoon.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
So you.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I'm Tim Beveridge. Welcome to the show for the Weekend
Collective the Saturday, the fifteenth of March, looking forward to
You can text your feedback anytime, by the way, on
nine two nine two, and if you're not in how
you can email me Tim B at New Talk, SAIDB
dot co dot en z. Coming up on today's show
and just a moment I'll be introducing my esteemed panelists,
but looking a little bit further ahead for after four
(01:15):
o'clock and after four o'clock don't forget it's over to
you as well. While we have guests, we want your
calls on eight hundred and eighty ten eighty and as
I say, text nine two, nine two. We'll be joined
by Ashley Church's an independent and property commentator, having a
chat about just the affordability of the market, but his
reaction to Tony Alexander's piece talking about the rate of
growth we can expect for the next thirty years, which
(01:38):
is I always think that's quite a big call to
sort of come up with a guestimate of what you
think the property market's going to grow by over the
next thirty years. We'll be having a chat with Ashley
about that after four o'clock for the one Roof radio
show and after five for the Parents Squad. Catherine Burkett's
with us and a couple of sort of simple but
quirky questions. When do you throw your kids out of
the house, How old is too old that you think
(02:00):
it's time for you to find your own place? And
also that what are the little things that parents can do,
not necessarily words, but the little gestures that you have
done or you remember from your parents that reminded you
how much your mum and dad loved you. We'll be
having a chat about that after five o'clock and before
sex we'll be talking with the Sports rap Alex Pale's
joining us to talk about the impending IF one and
the fortunes of Liam Lawson. How he's going to go.
(02:22):
I think his practice rounds went too flashed, were they?
But anyway, right now, welcome to the Weekend Collective. It
is eight minutes past three. Him love that stab anyway,
it's time to induce my panelists. Look, let's go age
before beauty. And I always offend someone with this one,
but I think we can assume that that my one's
(02:43):
probably got a few months on the other. And I've
written down the wrong intro because it starts with psycho,
but it does end with therapist and it's kind McDonald. Hi, Kyle,
how are you going good? No?
Speaker 4 (02:55):
I think you did get the urge around the right way.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Can you hear me?
Speaker 4 (02:58):
By the way, because you were at She Hard last night.
I she had she hard, she had she had hard.
It was hard hard.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Rock, carry on? How was it?
Speaker 5 (03:09):
It was great?
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Look I might have been I've been a fan since
I was about eighteen, So massive night. Great to have
an opportunity to say goodbye. And they rocked the house down.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
It was great. I think you know, if they're rocking
the house down, they must have had a great time.
Do you do wonder whether they go off stage and go,
this is this really it? We're really gonna or maybe
we should do I mean, why would they break up
because they've still got to happen obviously it was a
great gig.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
Well, I think there's something to be said for going
out on top the way rather than fading away. As
far as I understand, they're all married with kids now,
so probably touring is pretty hard. But yeah, no they did.
I mean, you know, from a complete, you know, muso
detail point of view term, which I'm sure you'll enjoy.
The guitars were getting changed about every two songs, so
(03:56):
they were definitely thrashing them, which was great.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Actually, I reckon that's also like a status symbol. It's like, oh,
you know, you get a row to bring you on
another guitar every couple of songs. It just makes you
look even flashy, doesn't it.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Yeah, well, I mean it's rock and roll when you
could take it off halfway through the song and throw
it across the stage. But John did at one point.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
So it was a good night, fantastic and in joining
us is well, I've learned a fun fact about my
next guest, because you will know who it is. In fact,
I mean I thought the song that we were playing
at the start of the show was just because it
was a sort of theme song for my next panelist,
which was love Shack which I think she's been setting up.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
It's coming back.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Here, it is, it's coming back. Yeah, there we go.
Fun fact I've learned because I've been misspelling her name
for a while. I've missed one of the l's out
it is actually it is vill hell Mina Shrimpton, vill
hell Mina. So I think vill Helm as a kaiser
Wilhelm and add an Ina at the end.
Speaker 6 (04:58):
Show Oh my god, So you're really not my true
friend because you don't actually know how to sell my name.
There was actually a Queen Wilhelmina, the of the Netherlands
for a long time. I've been to her palace, I've
walked through her garden.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
It was a delight, just like me.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Absolutely. Actually, the thing is, do you do you try
and say the second L?
Speaker 3 (05:17):
No?
Speaker 6 (05:17):
No, so people, that's why people always misspell it. And
I've seen it about fifty seven million different well probably
not that many, but fifty seven different types of spelling.
And the way that I tell people to try and
spell it is spell it like will hell Minor, but
say it like Wilhelmina, Mna Srimpton.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
Do you have an easier name that you've defaulty for
Starbucks or.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Something, Oh, Sarah.
Speaker 6 (05:39):
I will get on the blower and place like a
tie takeaway order or something, and they're like, who's this four.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
I'm like, oh, Sarah, I've never.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Thought of that actually, because the number of times I
have to spell beverage and they spell that's like like
the drink. No, I say, it's like the alcoholic one
that it ends an idge, and then they go, so
how does that go?
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I'm like, Okay, That's why I thought it was really funny.
Last time.
Speaker 6 (05:57):
I was like, when I was suggesting to you we
go and catch up, I was like, we should get
ourselves a turn beverage.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Maybe you hadn't heard that before.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
No, never, never. I was thinking, next time we do
the health Hub and I have a cook on, I
should say it's food and beverage time. Now we need
to get into the substance of the show, don't we, kids.
I think we should. I start with this one as
a sort of lighter, fluffier way to get into it.
But anyway, just sendra O. Durne's writing releasing a children's
book based on things her daughter Neve said to her
(06:24):
while she was Prime Minister. I wonder if this will
just sell well I mean, I won't be buying a
copy probably to be fair, But would you be buying
a copy for your little ones if you had tiny
little ones running around?
Speaker 7 (06:37):
Kyle?
Speaker 4 (06:38):
Sure, yeah, I think it's important to support New Zealand authors.
I do enjoy though, just how triggered everyone gets whenever
just Sinda does anything. It's still quite hilarious. I'm sure
it's not hilarious for her. It's why she's still living
in the States, I imagine, But it is quite funny
that somehow people end up being bitter about a children's book.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Well, I mean, I think the reason she's living in
the States is because that's where her income is being
generated at the moment, I imagine, And I mean, let's face it,
who isn't leaving the.
Speaker 7 (07:06):
But what about you, Wellemina vill Hellemina, please right properly,
you could write a children's book simply on the young woman,
young girl whose people don't know to spell her name,
and the whole book could be around spelling her name.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Look, it's a bit random.
Speaker 6 (07:22):
I'm not going to lie. So it's a little random.
I understand the memoir situation, but a children's book is
a little off brand. However, I guess there are lessons
for kids to learn about lots of different things, But
I don't know. If i'd be rushing to the bookstore
to buy it, I'd probably stick to the classics, like
you know, the Velveteen Rabbit and the Hungry Caterpillar.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Well, well, the children's books that you guys remember from
when you were because they've changed so much kid's books.
It's partly why I wanted to.
Speaker 6 (07:47):
Talk about Velveteen Rabbit and the Hungry Caterpillar and you
know all of the Rolldale books and wow, what is
it over the places you'll go.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
The thing that's changed so much about kids books is
there's a lot a lot of talk about poohs and farts.
There was one book about the ground dad farting so
hard he blew the roof of the house, and it's
Dr Dodds at the end and he goes, I'm sitting
on the loof flying through the year, going and like, gosh,
I mean back in my day, I don't know. I
(08:18):
love that We're going on a bear hunt was one
of my friends.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
That's a good one. That's definitely still on our bookshelf.
We've got a bit of a collection. Now the kids
are sort of aged out of them, but some of
them are still the classics.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah, where the Wild Things Are.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Yes, that's definitely there. And there are some great great
New Zealand children's books, you know. Toby Morris has done
a couple of great ones.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Well, Harry McClary from Donaldson's Deary, that's a good one.
You're key author. Actually, everyone's got their own way of
reading that. You meet parents who have done you know,
they've hercules more as big as I had different voices.
I had different voices for all the different dogs, just
based on their names.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I would love to have been read a children's book
by you. What I think that the break.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
What I do think I have to give a credit
for is a lot of those books that we were
talking about from you know, a few years ago, like
velveteen Rabit. They're all lovely and Doctor Suss lovely. A
lot of them do have life lessons, but they're just
kind of like just nice, nice to have, nice, kind
of fun story where they feel like a lot of
children's books now have life lessons.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
They're teaching kids about emotions. Have you seen that movie
Inside Out, for.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
Example, Yeah, that's great.
Speaker 6 (09:19):
I think that'd be such a brilliant learning tool for
kids learning to how to manage their emotions to their
emotion I love that one. I watched it on the
plane not too long ago.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
It was so good.
Speaker 6 (09:28):
But basically, there's all these individual characters that represent various
emotions and they're inside this main character's head, and I
think would be a really great learning tool. So I
guess this is kind of a learning tool for kids
with busy parents. And I like the fact that she's
used Ruby Jones the illustrator. She was the one that
did that beautiful illustration after the March fifteen terror attacks.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
We are us, Yes, yeah, yeah, So.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I like it. I don't think we need to buy
it to support New Zealand authors, because I think she's
probably what she's doing for charity as well and something
like that. But in terms of New Zealand authors, I
think this probably doesn't quite tick the box of the
New Zealand authors who need our support or the trying
to think that's an interesting one. Have you got any
favorite New Zealand authors, you guys that you that you read.
(10:12):
It's a difficult question we don't have to answer because
I just did.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Throw it a Remember it's Morris g I know, I
just remember this from from primary school. Was it that
Under the Mountain one?
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I actually really enjoyed that.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Was it just TV series was terrifying.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
The reason I also threw it in was because we
do start with politics. But I thought, oh, it's not
just dive and let's mention just Cinda's written a book
and then.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
Move on to do with politics.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
An extension of politics sort of.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Look, there's procurement. We've got a few little slippery, little
topics to talk about this afternoon. The Procurement announcement, where
the government is basically not requiring agencies who tender for
contracts to pay the living wage. They've removed that requirement
from it, and there were other requirements were built into
(11:06):
what was required for tenders and things like that. Look,
I find that the living wage discussion always a difficult
one because it's not the minimum wage. And look, I
just sort of feel that if you have a particular
requirement that you want people to be paid a certain rate,
then just say that and make it law for everyone.
But of course we don't have that because it's living
(11:28):
wage minimum wage. It's problematic isn't it, Carl.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
Yeah, I mean it is problematic in the sense that
I think it actually just comes off as kind of
seeming mean. I mean, from a political point of view,
it's kind of hard to sell that we're going to
cut the wages of some of the lowest paid workers
tendering for government contracts, regardless of you know, how you
might feel about the minimum wage or the living wage.
I think it's been a bit of a hard sell
for them to say, hey, look, we're just going to
(11:52):
cut people's wages at the bottom end of the scale.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
It just comes across as a bit mean. Are they
trying to Are they basically just trying to procure contracts
cheaper I guess, and removing some of the obstacles for that.
What do you think, well, Amana, Well, I.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
Feel like it's definitely making it easier for some companies
to actually put in a bid for those various contracts.
And obviously, for a lot of companies, government contracts offer
them a lot more security, they are very lucrative. It's
actually good for the company. And I guess I understand
the benefits of a living wage, and I think that
everyone should have the living wage, but I think, in
the state of the current economy at the moment, if
(12:23):
it opens up the application process to some businesses who
are really really struggling, while the alternative is if they
can't bid for that, they could close down and people
could lose their jobs altogether. So I guess it gives
people a bit more security and knowing that they could
keep their job. I know it's not on a living wage,
but it's better than the alternative of redundancy or closure.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
These conversations always difficult because we want everyone to do well,
I think, But I just sort of think that private companies,
if they're subcontracting, they don't put all these They deal
within the laws that exist and whatever the wages are
in and they're looking for the most competent and competitive quote.
And I just don't see why the government feels that
it has to throw out other sort of virtues into
it when that's just all we're doing is doing business,
(13:05):
aren't we. And if we've got a problem with what
we pay people, that has to be something that's across
the board dealt with rather than just in government contracts.
Do you have any sympathy for that pointew.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Got I do have some sympathy for it, But of
course my brain then goes as well, then we should
raise the minimum wage. I think there's a place for
government to take leadership though, and when they're enacting these contracts,
like you say, I think taking a strictly business approach,
you know, is not necessarily how government should always act.
There's a place for them to say, hey, let's do
a little better.
Speaker 6 (13:34):
It's nice to see them trying to lead by example
right by obviously bringing that in. But if you're going
to lead by example, just make the minimum make the
minimum wage and living wage instead of just making this
kind of To be.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Honest, I think that that's totally ridiculous because the minimum
wage is designed to be the minimum, the bear minimum.
It's not the ideal. But likewise, if you're going to
employ a sixteen year old and a part time job,
you shouldn't pay them on the basis that we pretend
that that sixteen year old is supporting a family, for
which is the living wage is based on, you know,
if you are, if you've got certain responsibilities in your life.
And it is difficult because I think we've got to
(14:07):
be competitive in the international market, and New Zealand feels
like like that old headline and the listener at the moment,
will the last person leaving turn out the lights police?
Because it just feels we're not We're not rocking.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
No, we're not rocking anyway, big questions, aren't they?
Speaker 5 (14:20):
You're not going anywhere? There are your tim Oh no.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
No flights. I saw him on the New Zealand website
before we came in. Come on, be honest.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Anyway, Hey, look at the investment summit. Well, I was
glad to see Barbara Edmonds was there from Labor as well,
and we have there are philosophical differences about what should
be funded. Actually, I think that is the more interesting question.
What infrastructure projects do you think are okay to be
funded by a PPP, the public private partnership and what
(14:51):
is hands off? And I think that's probably the ongoing discussion.
Would we want a hospital to be funded by public
private partnership and how it would be paid for? Was
that the government's job? But with roads, I don't know.
I'm sort of if I get a really flash road
to drive along, that's going to save me twenty minutes
and it's going to cost me three dollars each time
I use it. I'm sort of if it's public private,
then good stuff. Find me what do you reckon, Willie?
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Wow?
Speaker 6 (15:18):
Really serious topic and then just segues into it by
calling you Willie.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Thanks to me. Hey, Look, I definitely agree.
Speaker 6 (15:25):
I think PPPs for infrastructure in terms of roading is
a great idea. I mean, our roads are abysmal at
the moment. We're not moving fast enough. The bridge crossing
is a great example as well. It's at capacity at
the moment. I drive it most mornings, and I mean
it flows pretty well, but it is an absolute nightmare
most times. But yeah, I think there is there are
(15:47):
problems and probably some issues to iron out when it
comes to things like hospitals and schools. Maybe if there
was some kind of standard put into place with some
kind of agreement around that that I don't know, I've
solidified the approach or made expectations clear from both parties,
and less control of the private part of the ownership
and more of the control in terms of operational decisions
(16:08):
were on the public side of things.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I think it's just a really delicate dance. What I
do think is really good.
Speaker 6 (16:15):
Is that Barbara Edmonds obviously made it very clear that labor.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Wasn't did I just unplug myself?
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Not you've just gone quiet for some reason. That's weird.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Oh Wed.
Speaker 6 (16:27):
What I think it was good is obviously she didn't
just stand out there and just sort of go, oh, yeah,
we're on board long term to try and get investors
on board, but also was very open about the fact
that labor probably wouldn't support things around schools and hospitals,
so at least that was clear so that investors aren't
going into something the long term if the government changes
that they're in at one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
I always think what we get out of these things
in the end is a signal that goes out as
well that New Zealand we are looking to attract investment
from overseas and things like that, and I do think
that's important. But I guess it's just the question of
how that's implemented and what are you comfortable with private
money going to.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
The Yeah, I think it's a bigger question though, isn't there.
I mean, I think I often get to reduce down
as to whether we should you know, privatize or not,
as opposed to thinking about the fact that actually we're
really comfortable in the media talking about government debt, but
what we often don't look at is the degree of
private debt and actually how much of New Zealand's assets
(17:25):
and savings and investments overseas, and I think the discomfort,
you know, like so for instance, there was a number
of being a number of protests around this is, around
this idea that New Zealand's kind of being sold off.
So it's easy to sort of look at these things
on a one off basis and kind of go, yeah,
new road would be great.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
And I mean I'm.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Perfectly comfortable paying tolls as well. I mean, you cruise
around Sydney, you just they sort of disappear, right.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Well, So therefore let's look at that if there was
a road that was funded and it was a public
private partnership, some of the money was brought in by
private equity. I mean, you're still paying the toll. Who
cares who it's going to.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
So the one proviso though, which I think New Zealand
is not great at, is actually having the existing infrastructure
alongside it. So one of the things that Sydney is
you do actually have a choice. There's great public transports,
so you don't necessarily have to drive and pay the tolls.
There are other options, But I agree about health and education.
I get very nervous about the idea of more health
being operated privately because it's not something I think people
(18:17):
should be making a profit out of h at least
that corporates well.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
I mean people. The thing is, we all get paid
for doing something that's such a difficult one, isn't it.
You know, the bigger or smaller government thing. It boils
down to as well.
Speaker 5 (18:30):
But I agree about that.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
The signal that I thought was really useful from labor
because you know, in this world, it's really easy to
get worried about the swinging back and forth from extremes
these days politically, but I think the signal that labor
will honor and continue any contracts that are put in
place is great from a stability point of view.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Absolutely. Yeah. Oh well, look we'll see what ends up
coming of that. But tell you what, we'll dig into
other issues around money and trade and just a moment
because of course it's far more colorful overseas with the
tariffs that are going thrown on things, and you're looking
like they're going to be Donald Trump's going to be
throwing a two hundred percent tariff on champagne. Which that's
(19:06):
an interesting one, isn't it. What stage you'd be priced
out of buying that product. It's twenty five past three
News Talk said b let's welcome back to the Weekend Collective.
(19:31):
This is the panel of my guests, Carl McDonald and
Bill Helmina Shrimpton. I'm going to try and get that
right from now on. That might not Willy Willy Willy Shmpton. Thanks, Yes,
what are those? Yes? Yes, a rose by any other
name would smell us sweet. So there we go. I
expect more than just blessed for that. I thought there
(19:52):
was a lovely way of company.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Got a lot of ground to make up.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Okay, hey, look the trade war that's going on which
is being initiated, Well it's not it's not mess around
at something or Trump is sort of swinging the dead
cat in the room, really, isn't he? With these massive tariffs.
He's promising or threatening to impose a massive tariff on
European alcohol in response to the EU's retaliation against his
(20:18):
steel and aluminium tariffs. And now he's saying if this
tariff is not removed immediately, the US will shortly place
a tariff of two hundred percent on all wines, champagnes
alcoholic products coming out of France and other EU represented countries.
So far, we're just keeping quiet, like it reminds me
of that last and far side thing where they're drawing
straws to see who's going to be eaten in the
(20:39):
shipwrecked boat and there's a dog sitting at the front.
That's just like, I'm not here. We're that dog, aren't.
We don't notice us? What do you think, Willemina, would.
Speaker 6 (20:46):
You just like the scene with Homer Simpson just slowly
backs into the hedge, we are Homer Simpson and the
hedge anyway?
Speaker 2 (20:56):
What do you make of all the trade war and
Canada and all that sort of thing.
Speaker 6 (20:59):
It's it's getting so ridiculous now that it just seems
I mean, it's not comicals, not the right word, but
it just keeps going bigger and bigger and bigger, and.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (21:09):
I'm reading this on this little sheet that you gave
us with all the background in front. There's a line
there that says it could easily get out of hand.
I feel like it's it's definitely out of hand at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
It's yeah and look actually funny enough. Ironically, we've had
a few disputes with ourselves with the Canada because they're
quite protectionist with the dairy and all that. But I'm
I have to say if I was Canadian, I would
be I wouldn't be buying anything American if I could
avoid it. Apart from obviously they all consume social media
like it's going and going out of fashion. What do
(21:38):
you reckon, Cayle?
Speaker 4 (21:39):
I mean, I agree, it's actually really concerning what's going
on and the potential impact on his in it. I
did find this particular story quite amusing though, because I
sort of think, well, who's losing out here? The Europeans
probably don't drink a huge amount of American beer and
bourbon versus how much actual high quality European alcohol goes
into America, right, Budwiser and Jim Bean versus you know,
(21:59):
Champagne and French Vieques Cohen.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
I would love to know how many people actually understand
who the tariff hits. So, if America is putting a
tariff on goods coming into America, it's the American consumer totally.
And I wonder how many people.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Not necessarily always, but generally.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Well, it makes it more expensive to report.
Speaker 6 (22:19):
It, so they can still it themselves. But obviously they're
always going to pass it on to the consumers.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
I think I think the markets no, clearly, right, I
mean that's been made clear of the next week. Last week,
they're pretty clear about where the impact is going to
land with the stock markets.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Well, and Wall Street called it the dumbest Well they
called it dumb. I can't remember the exact quote. But
the amazing thing is the number of people who who
otherwise intelligent people who seem to want to try and
sort of go, oh, this is part of the Trump's
genius planets, when in fact, you could have a three
year old in the White House going how much tariff
(22:52):
would you like to put on twenty Yeah, anyone, go genius.
But you know, there's lots.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Of invisible problems, right, Like I remember many years ago
when I was spending some time in Canada that actually
one of the sort of weird petrol here things in
America is you have to have two socket sets, right,
because in America it's imperial and in Canada it's metric.
And most of the cars in North America actually have
different parts made across different borders, so entangling where these
things even come from, like even as Canadians trying to
(23:19):
boycott American products, it's actually really tricky the.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Figures that he's coming up with as well.
Speaker 6 (23:23):
It sort of started off with not that I'm saying
that a twenty five percent tariff is reasonable in the
first insance, but it just seemed like a more measured approach.
And now he's just getting to the point where he's
just kneed reacting and going, what do we put to
that hundred percent? Next next week it will be four
hundred percent, five hundred percent. He has no method to
his madness. It's just madness.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Well, and look, I'm sorry. I know the people who
listen to the show who are Trump fans and always
want to tell me how much they hate me and
think I'm a rancid lefty because I don't like John
Donald Trump I love. It's how I was going to
introduce you, Carl.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
That lefty. Yeah, that one today of the sheoth It's.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
But I mean what you were telling me. We were
chatting the brain about the if Canada turns its back
on American products, forget the tariffs, if they just if
Canadians do, there will be an impact to be felt,
regardless of what happens with who's whacking what tariff on whom.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
Yeah, timber and steel, I mean, I thought the funny
one was. I think it was Ontario that immediately put
a huge tariff on the power electricity that they were
delivering across the border. The markets are so entwined, and
you know, again coming back to cars, I was listening
to an analysis that it's impossible to even administer because
a number of the parts will be manufactured and then
shipped across the border, and then have extra pieces added
(24:38):
to them and then shipped across the border again. Some
pieces of motor vehicles in the US may cross the border,
you know, up to fifteen times before they actually make
it into a vehicle. So if you're playing a tariff
each and every time, it's an administrative nightmare.
Speaker 6 (24:49):
And that's the thing as well, if we're sitting here,
like you were saying, trying to you know, pretend like
no onheh notice notices.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Us and steps us with the tariff.
Speaker 6 (24:55):
But actually, because there's so many flow on effects, like
you say, with various parts and things being imported from
various other countries then imported to US vice versa.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
It just well, yeah, it's a great plan.
Speaker 4 (25:06):
I mean, I think Peters is meeting with Ruby to.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Go to Washington to US. He's going to I almost
might think, should you even mention it's like, can we
be exempt from tariff's? Oh hang on, we forgot about.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Actually I got to say Winston as a foreign minister,
if anyone's going to do a good job of trying
to minimize the impact, I mean, you know, whether or
not you're voted from or not. He to me, I
think he's an excellent frou um.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
I think so far the gone goes to the UK.
What's the British PM's He turned up with the letter
from the King? Have you seen that?
Speaker 6 (25:47):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (25:47):
It is so wonderfully British, the way that he almost
like he's talking to a toddler and we've got the
special letter from the King for you, Donald.
Speaker 5 (25:55):
It presents it to him, and Donald's very engaged and.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
This is very special.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
Unpump.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
He did seem to there were another interpretation of it
was that he was sort of prostrating himself at the
feet of Donald Trump with that invitation.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
I thought it was well played yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Actually, I mean he's not very popular in the UK
at the moment, but he is playing this one quite well,
as well as his approach to Ukraine and the complex
issue of well, let's not get into that. We'll talk
about that another day. I think it's worth pointing out though,
if you want to check out them, if you are
a follower of some of the rhetoric around this, the
fact checking websites are quite useful to follow. With Donald
Trump's statements in fact defending the tariffs, there are about
(26:35):
nine things he said which were just bollocks, including that
Trudeau was going to use the tariffs to run again
for Prime minister, when literally he's just pulled out and
handed it over. But you know, the thing for me
is with Canada, he keeps on. In fact, he said
on Canada are no use to us unless they're a state.
So he's still banging on about that. And I think
even Asking said and Breakfast that if he was the
(26:57):
governor of Ontario threatened to turn off the power, he'd
be like, that's it. I would just pull the switch
on him. One and a half million consumers give the
hospitals a couple of hours warning to switch on the
generators then bom that princess.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
I think through all of his faults and I'm not
a Trump's of border at all. I guess he's doing
what he said he was going to do, not that
it's the right thing he's again, I'm sitting here with
my hands up in there going I am not a fan,
but he's a Dana word right, or he's just making
up the words as he goes.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Well, he did promise to bring prices down and everything
he's doing now is pushing prices up. So let's just
watch it play out, because you know, hopefully Winston can
quietly go in and do a home assumption backing. He's
still offering the voice into the room of like no
tariffs for New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
We're a tiny little country, get quiet approaches and subtlety.
Is definitely Peter strong suit, so we'll be fine.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
I think he is pretty good as foreign minister. Hey,
by the way, just quickly before we go to the break,
what do you make of this? There's the former Secretive
Secretary for the Australian Department of Home Affairs has made
it this what's called out of the box really for
Australian News Australia New Zealand Military Force, a joint military
(28:14):
between New Zealand and Australia to counter rising tensions in
the end of Pacific region. What do you make of that?
It sounds it's sort of one of those things out
of the box. But to me it just says, well,
I tell you one side that would probably benefit the
most from it would be us. We wouldn't be bringing
a lot to the table.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
Well, I don't know about that.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
I mean, I think one of the things, when we
go right back to the nuclear freestance, that has been
really valuable for New Zealand is our independent foreign policy,
the ability to actually take a stand that at times
might be against some of our allies. My concern is
that as a small player, would sort of end up
being swept along with Australian foreign decisions.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
Really the.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Subs though eventually yeah, but.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
We wouldn't be able to park them in New Zealand, right,
So sort of gets a bit ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
I see, I've recently thrown that, just to throw the
inter nuclear thing into it. I've done it a little
bit on talkback, and I think I think that the
idea that we we're desperate to associate ourselves as being
non nuclear. I think that's so yesterday. I don't think
most New zeal It's some will, but I think if
there was a poll on it, you'd find most people
couldn't give a hurt about whether we're nuclear or not.
(29:18):
I'm suspecting you wouldn't agree with that, Carle, but well,
I mean, what are you.
Speaker 6 (29:21):
I think opinion definitely would have changed, for sure. Yeah,
I think with this, if it's down to just resources,
I think it's a great idea. I've had families in
the territorials before, and the amount of times that have
talked they have talked to me about the organization or
lack thereof, of the defense force, the poor resource scene.
It's just everything is run down. I mean, you've got
(29:42):
to look at the Hercules planes alone to even get
a bit of an insight into just how run down
everything is.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
So I think in that respect it would be really
really good.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
I still wish we had I still wish we'd done
that if sixteen deal, even though at the time of
the world felt like a benign place. But you can't,
you know, I think that probably was a bit naive
to turn that down because if we've got. If we've
got somebody illegally fishing in our waters, what do we do?
We send her over here? It's like what are they
gonna do? And and they're just looking at us.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
You can't to conduct.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
Flyover absolutely and and and blast them out of the water. Anyway, look,
let's let's take a moment and come back. This is
News Talks z B. If you have just joined us,
you will recognize the familiar mollifluous tones of Carl McDonald
and Wilhelmina Shrimpton. Will be back in just a moment.
(30:39):
Take yes, welcome back to the Weekend Collective Beverage. My
guests a Car McDonald and Wilhelmina Shrimpton. Guys. So this
the story around Well, this has been brought to our
attention by ACT, but I guess the story itself. Auckland
(31:00):
University is going to it's basically introducing a compulsory treaty
course which is part of for all first year undergraduates.
And it's going to cost. I think it has a
cost of up to five thousand and seven hundred. I
think it might be for the international students, but anyway,
it's a compulsory course. Covering the Treaty of White Toannguia
(31:21):
in New Zealand history for all first year undergraduate students.
David Simol in active court basically said that they should
get rid of it. I'll hold my opinion on this
off and go to you first, Willhelmina.
Speaker 6 (31:36):
I don't think that it's really fair to force anything
on a tertiary level student. By that point, you should
have the autonomy to pick what you study. And I
think that even if there is a compulsory element to
a course, which I remember when I was at University
of Auckland as well, that we had to take a
general education paper, but you picked from a range of
eight to ten various papers.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
So you still had a choice. You still had to
say on the matter.
Speaker 6 (32:00):
You still got to decide what ultimately you thought would
benefit your chosen course or chosen degree. I think it's
taught in schools, so school is the place to actually
teach students that. But I also don't think you should
be forced to pay for anything. It's five thousand dollars,
there's a lot of money for a student, and if
(32:21):
it's not something that you think that is part or
beneficial to your degree or chosen course, then I don't
think that it should be forced.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Kyle, what do you reckon?
Speaker 4 (32:32):
I think the amount you quote it is for the
overseas students, because I think it's.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
It says five thousand, but it's still.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
You know, yeah, Look, it's a tricky one. I mean
because it also seys in some of the reporting that
it's faculty specific and tailored to specific courses.
Speaker 5 (32:44):
So I think it's.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
Tricky as and I always find it interesting when the
free speech advocates jump into areas and try to sense
a speech, because I think actually it's up to the
university to figure out what's going to work for their students.
Presumably if they get negative feedback, and if there's a
pushback from the student body, which are ultimately their customers,
they may very well review their decision. I think there
is a place, though, for for people coming from overseas
(33:07):
to have an understanding of the context of New Zealand.
So like, for instance, if you're coming from pretty much
an emma in the world and becoming a registered doctor
or a psychotherapist or other health professional, there is any
expectation that you will do some things to get yourself
up to speed with what our cultural context is like.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
I think, to get yourself up to speed. That's the thing.
I just wonder if it's well, I'll be I should
be frank. I think it's just ludicrous. I think that
when you are eighteen you're going to university, you make
your own choices. But as you're saying, if you're a
doctor and you want to come and practice in New Zealand,
you may because you guess what, you're a professional and
you are interested in the community in which you serve,
(33:46):
that you would want to learn that if you if
you want to learn about the community you're serving. And
I think that it's almost this paternalistic thing that we're
going to enforce this on everyone, when you know, university
is tough enough as it is without introducing these other
elements which may be sometimes are more relie to other
(34:06):
faculties then to some than others. I was thinking, I
was trying to think of an example or something. If
you're doing a chemistry degree, I mean, do I really
need to be studying the history of the Treaty in
New Zealand for that? And as Willemina says, it's been past,
it's been covered generally. If you're in New Zealander. If
I was going to Australia and I want to do
a degree in chemical engineering, I would be expecting to
(34:30):
study a degree in chemical engineering. And I know Australia
is a funny one because they've got a few things
to sort out their way behind us on the cultural thing,
but I wouldn't be expecting to understand, you know, the
to have to do a paper on the local culture
to do that degree I'm going there to do.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
That's the compulsory bit.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Do you object to Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (34:49):
Yeah, I think one twenty percent object to it because
there is a value to understand in the context, right.
I mean, I don't know about you, but one of
the first things I tend to do before I travel
to a country is try and read you know, sort
of good six months but ahead of what their history
is and sort of understanding something about the context.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
Well that's the thing, but we do that as growing ups.
Do we need the University of Auckland to go you
must do this course because we I mean, is it
going to really contribute to making Auckland University?
Speaker 6 (35:14):
The thing is is those courses where it will actually
be relevant, So medical training, that type of thing.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
There's not an individual course that just focuses on that.
Speaker 6 (35:21):
But there are courses around the population health and health
science that actually integrate elements of that cultural element into it.
So I don't think that it's not being serviced already.
And I think that the disciplines where there needs to
be an element of that that forms part of the
curriculum or the semester of the paper or whatever it is,
it forms part of it.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
But it's not an individual paper.
Speaker 6 (35:42):
So I don't really think that, yeah, there's the need
for the one individual paper, and especially if it's not
relevant to your, oh, economics or chemistry degree.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Well see, I mean it's a funny one, the whole
free speech thing and all that sort of thing, but
it is a university. Ah look, I don't know. I
think we've shared our views on that, and if we
go any further, I'll just get depressed.
Speaker 4 (35:59):
I do appreciate you calling me a grown up.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
There.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Ah, well, did I put it around parent this?
Speaker 5 (36:06):
I didn't see any no finger quarts. I can't take
it back now.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Tell you what. Well, let's come back and we'll talk. Well,
we'll take a break now and come back and talk
about how much Tory Farno is just dying to send
Christopher lux On a Christmas card saying how much she
thinks he's a wonderful guy and Merry Christmas once the
time comes around. I'm trying to think of another analogy.
Maybe she should find out when his birthday is. But
then Easter egg. There we go. Interesting. I was going
(36:36):
to make a naughty comment there for a second, but
I wanted eleven minutes to four new stalks. He'd be sorry.
I wasn't expecting that. A little bit of extra there,
But welcome back to the Weekend Collective Onton Beverage. Cale
MacDonald and Wilhelmina Shrimpton are my guests. Now, Luxeon's not
very popular with Tory Farno, who said he's not a
very nice person for describing the Wellington regional leadership. Basically
(36:57):
they didn't put a bidden for the one of the
government's regional deals, and Luckson called it lame. Oh it's
a lame o, which to me is not really rocking
in terms of the really bad insults. I mean, I
think it would have been worse if he had said
it was disappointed, but we just said it was lame. Oh,
it's so many layers to this aren't there, Kyle. It
(37:18):
was sort of like, was he trying to come up
with a sort of contemporary, sort of like hit with
the kids sort of expression, But they probably also even
Chris Hipkins thinks that Wellington regional leadership needs to get
its act together? So what do you reckon?
Speaker 4 (37:32):
Yeah, it didn't come across well, did it. I mean,
I think he's trying. I mean, you know, we were
talking in the break about how much you know, his
media training is clear often when he's you know, being
very formal, and but I think that one of the
reasons why his popularity is shifting is because he doesn't
really come across as as very relatable. He's quite wooden
(37:53):
in the media, politics aside, right, I mean, I'm not
a big fan of him or his policies, but politics aside,
he doesn't come across as very relatable. So this kind
of comes across as either more of the same or
a bit of a desperate effort to try and say
something out of the box that just sort of clans.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Really it was a bit clanny, but then again his
point was Wellington, look the impression, regardless of exactly who's
working hard within Wellington regional leadership and the council and
all that. The impression I get of Wellington leadership is
it's lousy. And he said it was lame o, so
he was going light. And now torriy Fano is like,
he's not a very nice person. I mean, based on
(38:30):
people criticizing anything, we're all terrible, aren't we.
Speaker 6 (38:32):
Yeah, it's a bit, it's a bit. It's a bit lame. Oh,
isn't it, Lamo.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Maybe it's going to become the new thing.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
That's a new thing.
Speaker 6 (38:41):
Yeah, Look, definitely, I think that he was he was
right and what he was saying, like, I think things
aren't going well at the council and they've missed an
opportunity here and the government's doing a massive drive to
try and bring in money and bring an investment and
improve infrastructure and improve a lot of things, and they've
missed this really, really prime opportunity and they're being called
out for it. Regardless of whether or not his delivery
(39:03):
was on point or not, they're being called out and
it's I think it's a perfectly valid opinion. And I
don't know if it's got anything to do with him
being nice or not. I think he's just stayed in
the office.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
I think the fact that if you criticize, I mean,
as she's saying, he was punching down. He is the
Prime Minister, it's the capital city of New Zealand. As
I say, even Hipkins is saying that they need to
basically lift their game.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
There is another bipartisan approach.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Well, there we go. Maybe they out well.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
And that's the thing. It's not a personal attack, is it.
Speaker 6 (39:31):
It's him looking at the facts as it is and
analyzing based on.
Speaker 3 (39:38):
What their action or lack of action was.
Speaker 6 (39:40):
It's not like he was calling Wellington a terrible city
in a hobble hole. He was saying they've actually missed
an opportunity. And I don't know, thelocuialism maybe didn't land,
but summed it up, I guess it's.
Speaker 2 (39:51):
Actually well I was. We were talking in the break
when I used to tur around with the shows I
was doing back in the day, that how much I
you know, Wellington is an awesome city and I just
want it to be more awesome than it currently is
at the moment. But let's end on a positive notele Wellington,
although it's mixed with a tinge of regret as Homegrown.
The New Zealand Music Festival kicks off today, but it's
the final time on the news on the Wellington waterfront.
(40:13):
I don't know where it's going to go, but it
does seem a bit of a shame that sort of
it's a happy story now but not next year. What
are you homegrown? Man?
Speaker 4 (40:23):
I've never been. Actually, it does look like a great festival.
We're really happy if they brought.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
It to Auckland. Well I wonder where it will go.
There might be a bit of bidding going on for it.
Probably the waterfront in Auckland would be quite keen to
see it.
Speaker 6 (40:34):
Hey will make exactly look, it's a bit of a shame,
but I think that they are ending it or moving
it on the crest of the wave. And there have
been a lot of festivals who have really really suffered
with the economic downturn. A lot of them have actually
had to shut down or postpone or cancel, and so
I think they're trying to look at the longevity of
it and make sure it doesn't stagnate.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
So well.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
I hope Wellington has a great a great time with
the festival. Anyway, Wellington, we love you, fun tonight, Kyle Willie,
thank you so much. Thanks, We'll catch you soon. The
One We Properly Show is next.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to News
Talk ZEDB weekends from three pm, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from news Talk, SAIDB,
debating all the issues and more. It's the panel on
the Weekend Collective on news Talk, said B.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Style and the shat we're back.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Fucking chef and I can bain.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
And a very good afternoon.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
So you.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
I'm Tim Beveridge. Welcome to the show for the Weekend
Collective the Saturday, the fifteenth of March, looking forward to
You can text your feedback anytime, by the way, on
nine two nine two, and if you're not in how
you can email me Tim B at New Talk, SAIDB
dot co dot en z. Coming up on today's show
and just a moment I'll be introducing my esteemed panelists,
but looking a little bit further ahead for after four
(01:15):
o'clock and after four o'clock don't forget it's over to
you as well. While we have guests, we want your
calls on eight hundred and eighty ten eighty and as
I say, text nine two, nine two. We'll be joined
by Ashley Church's an independent and property commentator, having a
chat about just the affordability of the market, but his
reaction to Tony Alexander's piece talking about the rate of
growth we can expect for the next thirty years, which
(01:38):
is I always think that's quite a big call to
sort of come up with a guestimate of what you
think the property market's going to grow by over the
next thirty years. We'll be having a chat with Ashley
about that after four o'clock for the one Roof radio
show and after five for the Parents Squad. Catherine Burkett's
with us and a couple of sort of simple but
quirky questions. When do you throw your kids out of
the house, How old is too old that you think
(02:00):
it's time for you to find your own place? And
also that what are the little things that parents can do,
not necessarily words, but the little gestures that you have
done or you remember from your parents that reminded you
how much your mum and dad loved you. We'll be
having a chat about that after five o'clock and before
sex we'll be talking with the Sports rap Alex Pale's
joining us to talk about the impending IF one and
the fortunes of Liam Lawson. How he's going to go.
(02:22):
I think his practice rounds went too flashed, were they?
But anyway, right now, welcome to the Weekend Collective. It
is eight minutes past three. Him love that stab anyway,
it's time to induce my panelists. Look, let's go age
before beauty. And I always offend someone with this one,
but I think we can assume that that my one's
(02:43):
probably got a few months on the other. And I've
written down the wrong intro because it starts with psycho,
but it does end with therapist and it's kind McDonald. Hi, Kyle,
how are you going good? No?
Speaker 4 (02:55):
I think you did get the urge around the right way.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Can you hear me?
Speaker 4 (02:58):
By the way, because you were at She Hard last night.
I she had she hard, she had she had hard.
It was hard hard.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Rock, carry on? How was it?
Speaker 5 (03:09):
It was great?
Speaker 4 (03:10):
Look I might have been I've been a fan since
I was about eighteen, So massive night. Great to have
an opportunity to say goodbye. And they rocked the house down.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
It was great. I think you know, if they're rocking
the house down, they must have had a great time.
Do you do wonder whether they go off stage and go,
this is this really it? We're really gonna or maybe
we should do I mean, why would they break up
because they've still got to happen obviously it was a
great gig.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
Well, I think there's something to be said for going
out on top the way rather than fading away. As
far as I understand, they're all married with kids now,
so probably touring is pretty hard. But yeah, no they did.
I mean, you know, from a complete, you know, muso
detail point of view term, which I'm sure you'll enjoy.
The guitars were getting changed about every two songs, so
(03:56):
they were definitely thrashing them, which was great.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Actually, I reckon that's also like a status symbol. It's like, oh,
you know, you get a row to bring you on
another guitar every couple of songs. It just makes you
look even flashy, doesn't it.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Yeah, well, I mean it's rock and roll when you
could take it off halfway through the song and throw
it across the stage. But John did at one point.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
So it was a good night, fantastic and in joining
us is well, I've learned a fun fact about my
next guest, because you will know who it is. In fact,
I mean I thought the song that we were playing
at the start of the show was just because it
was a sort of theme song for my next panelist,
which was love Shack which I think she's been setting up.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
It's coming back.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Here, it is, it's coming back. Yeah, there we go.
Fun fact I've learned because I've been misspelling her name
for a while. I've missed one of the l's out
it is actually it is vill hell Mina Shrimpton, vill
hell Mina. So I think vill Helm as a kaiser
Wilhelm and add an Ina at the end.
Speaker 6 (04:58):
Show Oh my god, So you're really not my true
friend because you don't actually know how to sell my name.
There was actually a Queen Wilhelmina, the of the Netherlands
for a long time. I've been to her palace, I've
walked through her garden.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
It was a delight, just like me.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Absolutely. Actually, the thing is, do you do you try
and say the second L?
Speaker 3 (05:17):
No?
Speaker 6 (05:17):
No, so people, that's why people always misspell it. And
I've seen it about fifty seven million different well probably
not that many, but fifty seven different types of spelling.
And the way that I tell people to try and
spell it is spell it like will hell Minor, but
say it like Wilhelmina, Mna Srimpton.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
Do you have an easier name that you've defaulty for
Starbucks or.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Something, Oh, Sarah.
Speaker 6 (05:39):
I will get on the blower and place like a
tie takeaway order or something, and they're like, who's this four.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
I'm like, oh, Sarah, I've never.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Thought of that actually, because the number of times I
have to spell beverage and they spell that's like like
the drink. No, I say, it's like the alcoholic one
that it ends an idge, and then they go, so
how does that go?
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I'm like, Okay, That's why I thought it was really funny.
Last time.
Speaker 6 (05:57):
I was like, when I was suggesting to you we
go and catch up, I was like, we should get
ourselves a turn beverage.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Maybe you hadn't heard that before.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
No, never, never. I was thinking, next time we do
the health Hub and I have a cook on, I
should say it's food and beverage time. Now we need
to get into the substance of the show, don't we, kids.
I think we should. I start with this one as
a sort of lighter, fluffier way to get into it.
But anyway, just sendra O. Durne's writing releasing a children's
book based on things her daughter Neve said to her
(06:24):
while she was Prime Minister. I wonder if this will
just sell well I mean, I won't be buying a
copy probably to be fair, But would you be buying
a copy for your little ones if you had tiny
little ones running around?
Speaker 7 (06:37):
Kyle?
Speaker 4 (06:38):
Sure, yeah, I think it's important to support New Zealand authors.
I do enjoy though, just how triggered everyone gets whenever
just Sinda does anything. It's still quite hilarious. I'm sure
it's not hilarious for her. It's why she's still living
in the States, I imagine, But it is quite funny
that somehow people end up being bitter about a children's book.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Well, I mean, I think the reason she's living in
the States is because that's where her income is being
generated at the moment, I imagine, And I mean, let's face it,
who isn't leaving the.
Speaker 7 (07:06):
But what about you, Wellemina vill Hellemina, please right properly,
you could write a children's book simply on the young woman,
young girl whose people don't know to spell her name,
and the whole book could be around spelling her name.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Look, it's a bit random.
Speaker 6 (07:22):
I'm not going to lie. So it's a little random.
I understand the memoir situation, but a children's book is
a little off brand. However, I guess there are lessons
for kids to learn about lots of different things, But
I don't know. If i'd be rushing to the bookstore
to buy it, I'd probably stick to the classics, like
you know, the Velveteen Rabbit and the Hungry Caterpillar.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Well, well, the children's books that you guys remember from
when you were because they've changed so much kid's books.
It's partly why I wanted to.
Speaker 6 (07:47):
Talk about Velveteen Rabbit and the Hungry Caterpillar and you
know all of the Rolldale books and wow, what is
it over the places you'll go.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
The thing that's changed so much about kids books is
there's a lot a lot of talk about poohs and farts.
There was one book about the ground dad farting so
hard he blew the roof of the house, and it's
Dr Dodds at the end and he goes, I'm sitting
on the loof flying through the year, going and like, gosh,
I mean back in my day, I don't know. I
(08:18):
love that We're going on a bear hunt was one
of my friends.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
That's a good one. That's definitely still on our bookshelf.
We've got a bit of a collection. Now the kids
are sort of aged out of them, but some of
them are still the classics.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah, where the Wild Things Are.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Yes, that's definitely there. And there are some great great
New Zealand children's books, you know. Toby Morris has done
a couple of great ones.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Well, Harry McClary from Donaldson's Deary, that's a good one.
You're key author. Actually, everyone's got their own way of
reading that. You meet parents who have done you know,
they've hercules more as big as I had different voices.
I had different voices for all the different dogs, just
based on their names.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I would love to have been read a children's book
by you. What I think that the break.
Speaker 6 (08:59):
What I do think I have to give a credit
for is a lot of those books that we were
talking about from you know, a few years ago, like
velveteen Rabit. They're all lovely and Doctor Suss lovely. A
lot of them do have life lessons, but they're just
kind of like just nice, nice to have, nice, kind
of fun story where they feel like a lot of
children's books now have life lessons.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
They're teaching kids about emotions. Have you seen that movie
Inside Out, for.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
Example, Yeah, that's great.
Speaker 6 (09:19):
I think that'd be such a brilliant learning tool for
kids learning to how to manage their emotions to their
emotion I love that one. I watched it on the
plane not too long ago.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
It was so good.
Speaker 6 (09:28):
But basically, there's all these individual characters that represent various
emotions and they're inside this main character's head, and I
think would be a really great learning tool. So I
guess this is kind of a learning tool for kids
with busy parents. And I like the fact that she's
used Ruby Jones the illustrator. She was the one that
did that beautiful illustration after the March fifteen terror attacks.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
We are us, Yes, yeah, yeah, So.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I like it. I don't think we need to buy
it to support New Zealand authors, because I think she's
probably what she's doing for charity as well and something
like that. But in terms of New Zealand authors, I
think this probably doesn't quite tick the box of the
New Zealand authors who need our support or the trying
to think that's an interesting one. Have you got any
favorite New Zealand authors, you guys that you that you read.
(10:12):
It's a difficult question we don't have to answer because
I just did.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Throw it a Remember it's Morris g I know, I
just remember this from from primary school. Was it that
Under the Mountain one?
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I actually really enjoyed that.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Was it just TV series was terrifying.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
The reason I also threw it in was because we
do start with politics. But I thought, oh, it's not
just dive and let's mention just Cinda's written a book
and then.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
Move on to do with politics.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
An extension of politics sort of.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Look, there's procurement. We've got a few little slippery, little
topics to talk about this afternoon. The Procurement announcement, where
the government is basically not requiring agencies who tender for
contracts to pay the living wage. They've removed that requirement
from it, and there were other requirements were built into
(11:06):
what was required for tenders and things like that. Look,
I find that the living wage discussion always a difficult
one because it's not the minimum wage. And look, I
just sort of feel that if you have a particular
requirement that you want people to be paid a certain rate,
then just say that and make it law for everyone.
But of course we don't have that because it's living
(11:28):
wage minimum wage. It's problematic isn't it, Carl.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
Yeah, I mean it is problematic in the sense that
I think it actually just comes off as kind of
seeming mean. I mean, from a political point of view,
it's kind of hard to sell that we're going to
cut the wages of some of the lowest paid workers
tendering for government contracts, regardless of you know, how you
might feel about the minimum wage or the living wage.
I think it's been a bit of a hard sell
for them to say, hey, look, we're just going to
(11:52):
cut people's wages at the bottom end of the scale.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
It just comes across as a bit mean. Are they
trying to Are they basically just trying to procure contracts
cheaper I guess, and removing some of the obstacles for that.
What do you think, well, Amana, Well, I.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
Feel like it's definitely making it easier for some companies
to actually put in a bid for those various contracts.
And obviously, for a lot of companies, government contracts offer
them a lot more security, they are very lucrative. It's
actually good for the company. And I guess I understand
the benefits of a living wage, and I think that
everyone should have the living wage, but I think, in
the state of the current economy at the moment, if
(12:23):
it opens up the application process to some businesses who
are really really struggling, while the alternative is if they
can't bid for that, they could close down and people
could lose their jobs altogether. So I guess it gives
people a bit more security and knowing that they could
keep their job. I know it's not on a living wage,
but it's better than the alternative of redundancy or closure.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
These conversations always difficult because we want everyone to do well,
I think, But I just sort of think that private companies,
if they're subcontracting, they don't put all these They deal
within the laws that exist and whatever the wages are
in and they're looking for the most competent and competitive quote.
And I just don't see why the government feels that
it has to throw out other sort of virtues into
it when that's just all we're doing is doing business,
(13:05):
aren't we. And if we've got a problem with what
we pay people, that has to be something that's across
the board dealt with rather than just in government contracts.
Do you have any sympathy for that pointew.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Got I do have some sympathy for it, But of
course my brain then goes as well, then we should
raise the minimum wage. I think there's a place for
government to take leadership though, and when they're enacting these contracts,
like you say, I think taking a strictly business approach,
you know, is not necessarily how government should always act.
There's a place for them to say, hey, let's do
a little better.
Speaker 6 (13:34):
It's nice to see them trying to lead by example
right by obviously bringing that in. But if you're going
to lead by example, just make the minimum make the
minimum wage and living wage instead of just making this
kind of To be.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Honest, I think that that's totally ridiculous because the minimum
wage is designed to be the minimum, the bear minimum.
It's not the ideal. But likewise, if you're going to
employ a sixteen year old and a part time job,
you shouldn't pay them on the basis that we pretend
that that sixteen year old is supporting a family, for
which is the living wage is based on, you know,
if you are, if you've got certain responsibilities in your life.
And it is difficult because I think we've got to
(14:07):
be competitive in the international market, and New Zealand feels
like like that old headline and the listener at the moment,
will the last person leaving turn out the lights police?
Because it just feels we're not We're not rocking.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
No, we're not rocking anyway, big questions, aren't they?
Speaker 5 (14:20):
You're not going anywhere? There are your tim Oh no.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
No flights. I saw him on the New Zealand website
before we came in. Come on, be honest.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Anyway, Hey, look at the investment summit. Well, I was
glad to see Barbara Edmonds was there from Labor as well,
and we have there are philosophical differences about what should
be funded. Actually, I think that is the more interesting question.
What infrastructure projects do you think are okay to be
funded by a PPP, the public private partnership and what
(14:51):
is hands off? And I think that's probably the ongoing discussion.
Would we want a hospital to be funded by public
private partnership and how it would be paid for? Was
that the government's job? But with roads, I don't know.
I'm sort of if I get a really flash road
to drive along, that's going to save me twenty minutes
and it's going to cost me three dollars each time
I use it. I'm sort of if it's public private,
then good stuff. Find me what do you reckon, Willie?
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Wow?
Speaker 6 (15:18):
Really serious topic and then just segues into it by
calling you Willie.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Thanks to me. Hey, Look, I definitely agree.
Speaker 6 (15:25):
I think PPPs for infrastructure in terms of roading is
a great idea. I mean, our roads are abysmal at
the moment. We're not moving fast enough. The bridge crossing
is a great example as well. It's at capacity at
the moment. I drive it most mornings, and I mean
it flows pretty well, but it is an absolute nightmare
most times. But yeah, I think there is there are
(15:47):
problems and probably some issues to iron out when it
comes to things like hospitals and schools. Maybe if there
was some kind of standard put into place with some
kind of agreement around that that I don't know, I've
solidified the approach or made expectations clear from both parties,
and less control of the private part of the ownership
and more of the control in terms of operational decisions
(16:08):
were on the public side of things.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I think it's just a really delicate dance. What I
do think is really good.
Speaker 6 (16:15):
Is that Barbara Edmonds obviously made it very clear that labor.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Wasn't did I just unplug myself?
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Not you've just gone quiet for some reason. That's weird.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Oh Wed.
Speaker 6 (16:27):
What I think it was good is obviously she didn't
just stand out there and just sort of go, oh, yeah,
we're on board long term to try and get investors
on board, but also was very open about the fact
that labor probably wouldn't support things around schools and hospitals,
so at least that was clear so that investors aren't
going into something the long term if the government changes
that they're in at one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
I always think what we get out of these things
in the end is a signal that goes out as
well that New Zealand we are looking to attract investment
from overseas and things like that, and I do think
that's important. But I guess it's just the question of
how that's implemented and what are you comfortable with private
money going to.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
The Yeah, I think it's a bigger question though, isn't there.
I mean, I think I often get to reduce down
as to whether we should you know, privatize or not,
as opposed to thinking about the fact that actually we're
really comfortable in the media talking about government debt, but
what we often don't look at is the degree of
private debt and actually how much of New Zealand's assets
(17:25):
and savings and investments overseas, and I think the discomfort,
you know, like so for instance, there was a number
of being a number of protests around this is, around
this idea that New Zealand's kind of being sold off.
So it's easy to sort of look at these things
on a one off basis and kind of go, yeah,
new road would be great.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
And I mean I'm.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Perfectly comfortable paying tolls as well. I mean, you cruise
around Sydney, you just they sort of disappear, right.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Well, So therefore let's look at that if there was
a road that was funded and it was a public
private partnership, some of the money was brought in by
private equity. I mean, you're still paying the toll. Who
cares who it's going to.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
So the one proviso though, which I think New Zealand
is not great at, is actually having the existing infrastructure
alongside it. So one of the things that Sydney is
you do actually have a choice. There's great public transports,
so you don't necessarily have to drive and pay the tolls.
There are other options, But I agree about health and education.
I get very nervous about the idea of more health
being operated privately because it's not something I think people
(18:17):
should be making a profit out of h at least
that corporates well.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
I mean people. The thing is, we all get paid
for doing something that's such a difficult one, isn't it.
You know, the bigger or smaller government thing. It boils
down to as well.
Speaker 5 (18:30):
But I agree about that.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
The signal that I thought was really useful from labor
because you know, in this world, it's really easy to
get worried about the swinging back and forth from extremes
these days politically, but I think the signal that labor
will honor and continue any contracts that are put in
place is great from a stability point of view.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Absolutely. Yeah. Oh well, look we'll see what ends up
coming of that. But tell you what, we'll dig into
other issues around money and trade and just a moment
because of course it's far more colorful overseas with the
tariffs that are going thrown on things, and you're looking
like they're going to be Donald Trump's going to be
throwing a two hundred percent tariff on champagne. Which that's
(19:06):
an interesting one, isn't it. What stage you'd be priced
out of buying that product. It's twenty five past three
News Talk said b let's welcome back to the Weekend Collective.
(19:31):
This is the panel of my guests, Carl McDonald and
Bill Helmina Shrimpton. I'm going to try and get that
right from now on. That might not Willy Willy Willy Shmpton. Thanks, Yes,
what are those? Yes? Yes, a rose by any other
name would smell us sweet. So there we go. I
expect more than just blessed for that. I thought there
(19:52):
was a lovely way of company.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Got a lot of ground to make up.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Okay, hey, look the trade war that's going on which
is being initiated, Well it's not it's not mess around
at something or Trump is sort of swinging the dead
cat in the room, really, isn't he? With these massive tariffs.
He's promising or threatening to impose a massive tariff on
European alcohol in response to the EU's retaliation against his
(20:18):
steel and aluminium tariffs. And now he's saying if this
tariff is not removed immediately, the US will shortly place
a tariff of two hundred percent on all wines, champagnes
alcoholic products coming out of France and other EU represented countries.
So far, we're just keeping quiet, like it reminds me
of that last and far side thing where they're drawing
straws to see who's going to be eaten in the
(20:39):
shipwrecked boat and there's a dog sitting at the front.
That's just like, I'm not here. We're that dog, aren't.
We don't notice us? What do you think, Willemina, would.
Speaker 6 (20:46):
You just like the scene with Homer Simpson just slowly
backs into the hedge, we are Homer Simpson and the
hedge anyway?
Speaker 2 (20:56):
What do you make of all the trade war and
Canada and all that sort of thing.
Speaker 6 (20:59):
It's it's getting so ridiculous now that it just seems
I mean, it's not comicals, not the right word, but
it just keeps going bigger and bigger and bigger, and.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
I don't know.
Speaker 6 (21:09):
I'm reading this on this little sheet that you gave
us with all the background in front. There's a line
there that says it could easily get out of hand.
I feel like it's it's definitely out of hand at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
It's yeah and look actually funny enough. Ironically, we've had
a few disputes with ourselves with the Canada because they're
quite protectionist with the dairy and all that. But I'm
I have to say if I was Canadian, I would
be I wouldn't be buying anything American if I could
avoid it. Apart from obviously they all consume social media
like it's going and going out of fashion. What do
(21:38):
you reckon, Cayle?
Speaker 4 (21:39):
I mean, I agree, it's actually really concerning what's going
on and the potential impact on his in it. I
did find this particular story quite amusing though, because I
sort of think, well, who's losing out here? The Europeans
probably don't drink a huge amount of American beer and
bourbon versus how much actual high quality European alcohol goes
into America, right, Budwiser and Jim Bean versus you know,
(21:59):
Champagne and French Vieques Cohen.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
I would love to know how many people actually understand
who the tariff hits. So, if America is putting a
tariff on goods coming into America, it's the American consumer totally.
And I wonder how many people.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Not necessarily always, but generally.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
Well, it makes it more expensive to report.
Speaker 6 (22:19):
It, so they can still it themselves. But obviously they're
always going to pass it on to the consumers.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
I think I think the markets no, clearly, right, I
mean that's been made clear of the next week. Last week,
they're pretty clear about where the impact is going to
land with the stock markets.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Well, and Wall Street called it the dumbest Well they
called it dumb. I can't remember the exact quote. But
the amazing thing is the number of people who who
otherwise intelligent people who seem to want to try and
sort of go, oh, this is part of the Trump's
genius planets, when in fact, you could have a three
year old in the White House going how much tariff
(22:52):
would you like to put on twenty Yeah, anyone, go genius.
But you know, there's lots.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Of invisible problems, right, Like I remember many years ago
when I was spending some time in Canada that actually
one of the sort of weird petrol here things in
America is you have to have two socket sets, right,
because in America it's imperial and in Canada it's metric.
And most of the cars in North America actually have
different parts made across different borders, so entangling where these
things even come from, like even as Canadians trying to
(23:19):
boycott American products, it's actually really tricky the.
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Figures that he's coming up with as well.
Speaker 6 (23:23):
It sort of started off with not that I'm saying
that a twenty five percent tariff is reasonable in the
first insance, but it just seemed like a more measured approach.
And now he's just getting to the point where he's
just kneed reacting and going, what do we put to
that hundred percent? Next next week it will be four
hundred percent, five hundred percent. He has no method to
his madness. It's just madness.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Well, and look, I'm sorry. I know the people who
listen to the show who are Trump fans and always
want to tell me how much they hate me and
think I'm a rancid lefty because I don't like John
Donald Trump I love. It's how I was going to
introduce you, Carl.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
That lefty. Yeah, that one today of the sheoth It's.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
But I mean what you were telling me. We were
chatting the brain about the if Canada turns its back
on American products, forget the tariffs, if they just if
Canadians do, there will be an impact to be felt,
regardless of what happens with who's whacking what tariff on whom.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
Yeah, timber and steel, I mean, I thought the funny
one was. I think it was Ontario that immediately put
a huge tariff on the power electricity that they were
delivering across the border. The markets are so entwined, and
you know, again coming back to cars, I was listening
to an analysis that it's impossible to even administer because
a number of the parts will be manufactured and then
shipped across the border, and then have extra pieces added
(24:38):
to them and then shipped across the border again. Some
pieces of motor vehicles in the US may cross the border,
you know, up to fifteen times before they actually make
it into a vehicle. So if you're playing a tariff
each and every time, it's an administrative nightmare.
Speaker 6 (24:49):
And that's the thing as well, if we're sitting here,
like you were saying, trying to you know, pretend like
no onheh notice notices.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Us and steps us with the tariff.
Speaker 6 (24:55):
But actually, because there's so many flow on effects, like
you say, with various parts and things being imported from
various other countries then imported to US vice versa.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
It just well, yeah, it's a great plan.
Speaker 4 (25:06):
I mean, I think Peters is meeting with Ruby to.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Go to Washington to US. He's going to I almost
might think, should you even mention it's like, can we
be exempt from tariff's? Oh hang on, we forgot about.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Actually I got to say Winston as a foreign minister,
if anyone's going to do a good job of trying
to minimize the impact, I mean, you know, whether or
not you're voted from or not. He to me, I
think he's an excellent frou um.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
I think so far the gone goes to the UK.
What's the British PM's He turned up with the letter
from the King? Have you seen that?
Speaker 6 (25:47):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (25:47):
It is so wonderfully British, the way that he almost
like he's talking to a toddler and we've got the
special letter from the King for you, Donald.
Speaker 5 (25:55):
It presents it to him, and Donald's very engaged and.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
This is very special.
Speaker 5 (26:00):
Unpump.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
He did seem to there were another interpretation of it
was that he was sort of prostrating himself at the
feet of Donald Trump with that invitation.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
I thought it was well played yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
Actually, I mean he's not very popular in the UK
at the moment, but he is playing this one quite well,
as well as his approach to Ukraine and the complex
issue of well, let's not get into that. We'll talk
about that another day. I think it's worth pointing out though,
if you want to check out them, if you are
a follower of some of the rhetoric around this, the
fact checking websites are quite useful to follow. With Donald
Trump's statements in fact defending the tariffs, there are about
(26:35):
nine things he said which were just bollocks, including that
Trudeau was going to use the tariffs to run again
for Prime minister, when literally he's just pulled out and
handed it over. But you know, the thing for me
is with Canada, he keeps on. In fact, he said
on Canada are no use to us unless they're a state.
So he's still banging on about that. And I think
even Asking said and Breakfast that if he was the
(26:57):
governor of Ontario threatened to turn off the power, he'd
be like, that's it. I would just pull the switch
on him. One and a half million consumers give the
hospitals a couple of hours warning to switch on the
generators then bom that princess.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
I think through all of his faults and I'm not
a Trump's of border at all. I guess he's doing
what he said he was going to do, not that
it's the right thing he's again, I'm sitting here with
my hands up in there going I am not a fan,
but he's a Dana word right, or he's just making
up the words as he goes.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Well, he did promise to bring prices down and everything
he's doing now is pushing prices up. So let's just
watch it play out, because you know, hopefully Winston can
quietly go in and do a home assumption backing. He's
still offering the voice into the room of like no
tariffs for New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
We're a tiny little country, get quiet approaches and subtlety.
Is definitely Peter strong suit, so we'll be fine.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
I think he is pretty good as foreign minister. Hey,
by the way, just quickly before we go to the break,
what do you make of this? There's the former Secretive
Secretary for the Australian Department of Home Affairs has made
it this what's called out of the box really for
Australian News Australia New Zealand Military Force, a joint military
(28:14):
between New Zealand and Australia to counter rising tensions in
the end of Pacific region. What do you make of that?
It sounds it's sort of one of those things out
of the box. But to me it just says, well,
I tell you one side that would probably benefit the
most from it would be us. We wouldn't be bringing
a lot to the table.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
Well, I don't know about that.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
I mean, I think one of the things, when we
go right back to the nuclear freestance, that has been
really valuable for New Zealand is our independent foreign policy,
the ability to actually take a stand that at times
might be against some of our allies. My concern is
that as a small player, would sort of end up
being swept along with Australian foreign decisions.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
Really the.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Subs though eventually yeah, but.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
We wouldn't be able to park them in New Zealand, right,
So sort of gets a bit ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
I see, I've recently thrown that, just to throw the
inter nuclear thing into it. I've done it a little
bit on talkback, and I think I think that the
idea that we we're desperate to associate ourselves as being
non nuclear. I think that's so yesterday. I don't think
most New zeal It's some will, but I think if
there was a poll on it, you'd find most people
couldn't give a hurt about whether we're nuclear or not.
(29:18):
I'm suspecting you wouldn't agree with that, Carle, but well,
I mean, what are you.
Speaker 6 (29:21):
I think opinion definitely would have changed, for sure. Yeah,
I think with this, if it's down to just resources,
I think it's a great idea. I've had families in
the territorials before, and the amount of times that have
talked they have talked to me about the organization or
lack thereof, of the defense force, the poor resource scene.
It's just everything is run down. I mean, you've got
(29:42):
to look at the Hercules planes alone to even get
a bit of an insight into just how run down
everything is.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
So I think in that respect it would be really
really good.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
I still wish we had I still wish we'd done
that if sixteen deal, even though at the time of
the world felt like a benign place. But you can't,
you know, I think that probably was a bit naive
to turn that down because if we've got. If we've
got somebody illegally fishing in our waters, what do we do?
We send her over here? It's like what are they
gonna do? And and they're just looking at us.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
You can't to conduct.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
Flyover absolutely and and and blast them out of the water. Anyway, look,
let's let's take a moment and come back. This is
News Talks z B. If you have just joined us,
you will recognize the familiar mollifluous tones of Carl McDonald
and Wilhelmina Shrimpton. Will be back in just a moment.
(30:39):
Take yes, welcome back to the Weekend Collective Beverage. My
guests a Car McDonald and Wilhelmina Shrimpton. Guys. So this
the story around Well, this has been brought to our
attention by ACT, but I guess the story itself. Auckland
(31:00):
University is going to it's basically introducing a compulsory treaty
course which is part of for all first year undergraduates.
And it's going to cost. I think it has a
cost of up to five thousand and seven hundred. I
think it might be for the international students, but anyway,
it's a compulsory course. Covering the Treaty of White Toannguia
(31:21):
in New Zealand history for all first year undergraduate students.
David Simol in active court basically said that they should
get rid of it. I'll hold my opinion on this
off and go to you first, Willhelmina.
Speaker 6 (31:36):
I don't think that it's really fair to force anything
on a tertiary level student. By that point, you should
have the autonomy to pick what you study. And I
think that even if there is a compulsory element to
a course, which I remember when I was at University
of Auckland as well, that we had to take a
general education paper, but you picked from a range of
eight to ten various papers.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
So you still had a choice. You still had to
say on the matter.
Speaker 6 (32:00):
You still got to decide what ultimately you thought would
benefit your chosen course or chosen degree. I think it's
taught in schools, so school is the place to actually
teach students that. But I also don't think you should
be forced to pay for anything. It's five thousand dollars,
there's a lot of money for a student, and if
(32:21):
it's not something that you think that is part or
beneficial to your degree or chosen course, then I don't
think that it should be forced.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Kyle, what do you reckon?
Speaker 4 (32:32):
I think the amount you quote it is for the
overseas students, because I think it's.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
It says five thousand, but it's still.
Speaker 4 (32:37):
You know, yeah, Look, it's a tricky one. I mean
because it also seys in some of the reporting that
it's faculty specific and tailored to specific courses.
Speaker 5 (32:44):
So I think it's.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
Tricky as and I always find it interesting when the
free speech advocates jump into areas and try to sense
a speech, because I think actually it's up to the
university to figure out what's going to work for their students.
Presumably if they get negative feedback, and if there's a
pushback from the student body, which are ultimately their customers,
they may very well review their decision. I think there
is a place, though, for for people coming from overseas
(33:07):
to have an understanding of the context of New Zealand.
So like, for instance, if you're coming from pretty much
an emma in the world and becoming a registered doctor
or a psychotherapist or other health professional, there is any
expectation that you will do some things to get yourself
up to speed with what our cultural context is like.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
I think, to get yourself up to speed. That's the thing.
I just wonder if it's well, I'll be I should
be frank. I think it's just ludicrous. I think that
when you are eighteen you're going to university, you make
your own choices. But as you're saying, if you're a
doctor and you want to come and practice in New Zealand,
you may because you guess what, you're a professional and
you are interested in the community in which you serve,
(33:46):
that you would want to learn that if you if
you want to learn about the community you're serving. And
I think that it's almost this paternalistic thing that we're
going to enforce this on everyone, when you know, university
is tough enough as it is without introducing these other
elements which may be sometimes are more relie to other
(34:06):
faculties then to some than others. I was thinking, I
was trying to think of an example or something. If
you're doing a chemistry degree, I mean, do I really
need to be studying the history of the Treaty in
New Zealand for that? And as Willemina says, it's been past,
it's been covered generally. If you're in New Zealander. If
I was going to Australia and I want to do
a degree in chemical engineering, I would be expecting to
(34:30):
study a degree in chemical engineering. And I know Australia
is a funny one because they've got a few things
to sort out their way behind us on the cultural thing,
but I wouldn't be expecting to understand, you know, the
to have to do a paper on the local culture
to do that degree I'm going there to do.
Speaker 4 (34:47):
That's the compulsory bit.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
Do you object to Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (34:49):
Yeah, I think one twenty percent object to it because
there is a value to understand in the context, right.
I mean, I don't know about you, but one of
the first things I tend to do before I travel
to a country is try and read you know, sort
of good six months but ahead of what their history
is and sort of understanding something about the context.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
Well that's the thing, but we do that as growing ups.
Do we need the University of Auckland to go you
must do this course because we I mean, is it
going to really contribute to making Auckland University?
Speaker 6 (35:14):
The thing is is those courses where it will actually
be relevant, So medical training, that type of thing.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
There's not an individual course that just focuses on that.
Speaker 6 (35:21):
But there are courses around the population health and health
science that actually integrate elements of that cultural element into it.
So I don't think that it's not being serviced already.
And I think that the disciplines where there needs to
be an element of that that forms part of the
curriculum or the semester of the paper or whatever it is,
it forms part of it.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
But it's not an individual paper.
Speaker 6 (35:42):
So I don't really think that, yeah, there's the need
for the one individual paper, and especially if it's not
relevant to your, oh, economics or chemistry degree.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Well see, I mean it's a funny one, the whole
free speech thing and all that sort of thing, but
it is a university. Ah look, I don't know. I
think we've shared our views on that, and if we
go any further, I'll just get depressed.
Speaker 4 (35:59):
I do appreciate you calling me a grown up.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
There.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Ah, well, did I put it around parent this?
Speaker 5 (36:06):
I didn't see any no finger quarts. I can't take
it back now.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Tell you what. Well, let's come back and we'll talk. Well,
we'll take a break now and come back and talk
about how much Tory Farno is just dying to send
Christopher lux On a Christmas card saying how much she
thinks he's a wonderful guy and Merry Christmas once the
time comes around. I'm trying to think of another analogy.
Maybe she should find out when his birthday is. But
then Easter egg. There we go. Interesting. I was going
(36:36):
to make a naughty comment there for a second, but
I wanted eleven minutes to four new stalks. He'd be sorry.
I wasn't expecting that. A little bit of extra there,
But welcome back to the Weekend Collective Onton Beverage. Cale
MacDonald and Wilhelmina Shrimpton are my guests. Now, Luxeon's not
very popular with Tory Farno, who said he's not a
very nice person for describing the Wellington regional leadership. Basically
(36:57):
they didn't put a bidden for the one of the
government's regional deals, and Luckson called it lame. Oh it's
a lame o, which to me is not really rocking
in terms of the really bad insults. I mean, I
think it would have been worse if he had said
it was disappointed, but we just said it was lame. Oh,
it's so many layers to this aren't there, Kyle. It
(37:18):
was sort of like, was he trying to come up
with a sort of contemporary, sort of like hit with
the kids sort of expression, But they probably also even
Chris Hipkins thinks that Wellington regional leadership needs to get
its act together? So what do you reckon?
Speaker 4 (37:32):
Yeah, it didn't come across well, did it. I mean,
I think he's trying. I mean, you know, we were
talking in the break about how much you know, his
media training is clear often when he's you know, being
very formal, and but I think that one of the
reasons why his popularity is shifting is because he doesn't
really come across as as very relatable. He's quite wooden
(37:53):
in the media, politics aside, right, I mean, I'm not
a big fan of him or his policies, but politics aside,
he doesn't come across as very relatable. So this kind
of comes across as either more of the same or
a bit of a desperate effort to try and say
something out of the box that just sort of clans.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Really it was a bit clanny, but then again his
point was Wellington, look the impression, regardless of exactly who's
working hard within Wellington regional leadership and the council and
all that. The impression I get of Wellington leadership is
it's lousy. And he said it was lame o, so
he was going light. And now torriy Fano is like,
he's not a very nice person. I mean, based on
(38:30):
people criticizing anything, we're all terrible, aren't we.
Speaker 6 (38:32):
Yeah, it's a bit, it's a bit. It's a bit lame. Oh,
isn't it, Lamo.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
Maybe it's going to become the new thing.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
That's a new thing.
Speaker 6 (38:41):
Yeah, Look, definitely, I think that he was he was
right and what he was saying, like, I think things
aren't going well at the council and they've missed an
opportunity here and the government's doing a massive drive to
try and bring in money and bring an investment and
improve infrastructure and improve a lot of things, and they've
missed this really, really prime opportunity and they're being called
out for it. Regardless of whether or not his delivery
(39:03):
was on point or not, they're being called out and
it's I think it's a perfectly valid opinion. And I
don't know if it's got anything to do with him
being nice or not. I think he's just stayed in
the office.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
I think the fact that if you criticize, I mean,
as she's saying, he was punching down. He is the
Prime Minister, it's the capital city of New Zealand. As
I say, even Hipkins is saying that they need to
basically lift their game.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
There is another bipartisan approach.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Well, there we go. Maybe they out well.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
And that's the thing. It's not a personal attack, is it.
Speaker 6 (39:31):
It's him looking at the facts as it is and
analyzing based on.
Speaker 3 (39:38):
What their action or lack of action was.
Speaker 6 (39:40):
It's not like he was calling Wellington a terrible city
in a hobble hole. He was saying they've actually missed
an opportunity. And I don't know, thelocuialism maybe didn't land,
but summed it up, I guess it's.
Speaker 2 (39:51):
Actually well I was. We were talking in the break
when I used to tur around with the shows I
was doing back in the day, that how much I
you know, Wellington is an awesome city and I just
want it to be more awesome than it currently is
at the moment. But let's end on a positive notele Wellington,
although it's mixed with a tinge of regret as Homegrown.
The New Zealand Music Festival kicks off today, but it's
the final time on the news on the Wellington waterfront.
(40:13):
I don't know where it's going to go, but it
does seem a bit of a shame that sort of
it's a happy story now but not next year. What
are you homegrown? Man?
Speaker 4 (40:23):
I've never been. Actually, it does look like a great festival.
We're really happy if they brought.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
It to Auckland. Well I wonder where it will go.
There might be a bit of bidding going on for it.
Probably the waterfront in Auckland would be quite keen to
see it.
Speaker 6 (40:34):
Hey will make exactly look, it's a bit of a shame,
but I think that they are ending it or moving
it on the crest of the wave. And there have
been a lot of festivals who have really really suffered
with the economic downturn. A lot of them have actually
had to shut down or postpone or cancel, and so
I think they're trying to look at the longevity of
it and make sure it doesn't stagnate.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
So well.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
I hope Wellington has a great a great time with
the festival. Anyway, Wellington, we love you, fun tonight, Kyle Willie,
thank you so much. Thanks, We'll catch you soon. The
One We Properly Show is next.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to News
Talk ZEDB weekends from three pm, or follow the podcast
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