September 29, 2024 • 7 mins
Thousands have taken to the streets to protest the government's move to downscale the Dunedin Hospital project, while the government starts the week with a conversation about increasing speed limits.
Also, legislation reintroducing charter schools passed through Parliament last week, so how many schools will be up and running by the beginning of the next school year?
Newstalk ZB political reporter Demelza Jackson joined Nick Mills for the Beehive Buzz.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks EDB Direct from News Talks edb's team
A toliaments the Bee hivehuzz.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Good morning to mails it, good morning in no worries.
First time on the show. So it's a pleasure to
join you on this beautiful sunny Wellington day.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Well, it's a pleasure to have you on the show.
We've heard a lot about what's happening in Duned and
talking about a beautiful day. I looked at that march
and I thought to myself, gosh, I feel for them. Gosh,
I feel for the people of Duned and for so
many of them to turn out. There's been an anger
down there, isn't there?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Oh, there really is. I mean the government is starting
the week on a really bad foot with the South
Island for this one. As you said, huge turnout there.
There are reports up to thirty five thousand people showed
up to express their outrage on the streets on Saturday
about the prospect of the new regional hospital build being downgraded.
Put that in perspective, this is a city of about
(01:08):
one hundred and thirty four thousand people, so super rough
masks and if those are all locals that I think
a quarter of the Dunedin population. Now, I know it's
been pretty well discussed, but for those who are unaware,
the government are announced rather that last week it would
not put any more money into the project because it's
hurtling towards the more than billion dollar overspent. Instead, Health
(01:31):
New Zealan's going to have to look at cuts or
delaying stages of the project saves money. Now, the problem
is that the government will rather National really hung its
hat on being able to deliver this hospital. I'm going
to read you a headline from Stuff in January last year.
Trust Us Luxon says Dunedin's new hospital will be future
(01:52):
prooved if National wins the election. Now, of course Nationalists
putting this back on the last government and to be spears.
Project was initially estimated to cost a lot less back
in twenty seventeen when Labor was in power, and NUR
says it didn't quite have a chance to look under
the hood to see the reality of the problems before
it made its campaign pledge. But they can't have been
(02:14):
that surprised given reports of the learning costs. Exactly why
they vowed to save the project in the first place.
And I think what's interesting is it's probably the first
time a lot of people will really feel the effects
of spending cuts in this small personal way. And as
you can see, people are really really worried. We're talking
about their healthcare, their ability, you know, to get treatment
(02:36):
if they're hurt or if they get cancer. I mean,
sell the sort of six thousand public servants losing their
jobs in wellington's awful to those workers. It probably doesn't
mean a lot in real terms to keep these on
the other side of the country, whereas this really does.
But yeah, the government's going to have to figure out
a way to get this thing up and running without
slashing back any of the promised clinical services, because South
(03:00):
Islanders have clearly shown they're not taking this one lying down,
and they're threatening to keep it going.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
And should This is terrible. This is like, I mean,
you're going to remember those people in the need and
have been waiting decades for this. They've been promised and
promised and promised. Then suddenly the government that they voted
in is turning around and saying, well, maybe we can't
spend as much as we wanted to and maybe. I mean,
I think it's terrible, and I think the people in
New Zealand. I mean it affected me watching that protest
(03:27):
affected me. I thought, God, damn, we shouldn't have to
protest for health, you know. So you know, I think
it's going to get worse before the government before it
gets better on that one. Meanwhile, the government spent the
weekend talking about raising speed limits. Now I have a
simple analogy on speed limits to Malsa fast, you go more, they're.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Going to die, well, exactly Well, people are protesting for
their right to go to an emergency department and not
have to wait eight hours. The government's talking about pumping
up speed limits by twenty kilometers. Transportment a system in
brown says that they're going to scrap those blanket speed
limit reductions that labor slapped onto our main roads and
state highways, and there's been a fair bit of pushback
(04:06):
on this from a few different groups. Of course, the
road's safety experts are very concerned, and they've pointed to
evidence that the deathole on our roads have gone down
since speeds the dropped. And also a few councils aren't
too happy about being told what to do with their
own local roads, so for them, the Minister is clarified
that local authorities can sort of set their own speed
(04:26):
limits for higher sperias. This is just a guide, and
I mean, I get it right. It's incredibly hindoying having
to drive eighty kilometers on a beautiful stretch of flat,
open highway. And I heard some people say that it's
an election issue for them. But yeah, as you say,
the timing of this announcement hasn't gone down well with
a lot of people, as I keep seeing this memes
being reiterated over the weekend that while the government's are
(04:47):
testing over North Island, traffic services down south are just crumbling,
and the bringing.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
In the back the charter schools past this week now,
I saw David Seymour and Q and I are talking
about this. He reckoned that up to I mean, I
think he's dreaming, but up to eighty percent of some
secondary schools could be charter schools years. I mean, that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Well, I mean it's sort of hard to believe that
when he's also told us that seventy eight that there's
been seventy eight applications Lodge and half of them have
already been thrown out. Yeah, so, I mean he wants
this hallmark policy of having government funded schools that are
independently run, which were abolished by Labor. But you know,
it seems like finding the right ones might prove a
(05:32):
bit more difficult than they are hoping. With half those
applications not meeting that threshold, it's hard to know exactly
why there's applications failed, and Seymour says he's keeping the
process at arm's lengths and hasn't seen a single application
because those will go through a separate agency. But he
has said they need to show that they have really
good people and good leadership, a good curriculum and a
(05:55):
kind of plausible way of engaging with those students, which
he doesn't seem to think is happening in the public schools.
But yeah, I mean, you know, if you want to
open fifteen new charter schools, he's saying, maybe the first
term is next year, you actually have to have ones
that you know are good enough to open.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
I can't see that he's he's basing it on what's
happening in England, and I can't see that we're going
to get that much uptake. I think that although as
dissatisfied as we are with our public system. I don't
think we want to see charters to that number. So
the vibe has been around Parliament in the last couple
of weeks. Is it still feeling like things are quite
tight in Wellington? I mean there's a lot of talk
(06:33):
about how bad Wellington's doing. Are you feeling in Parliament
and the Beehive?
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yeah, I think so. It's definitely been of major concern
and something that a lot of MP's are discussing. Some
of the Wellington based MPs and of course Latest Public
Service spokesperson Aisha Verel have said that they really feel
like Wellington's in a terrible situation. Of course, we know
that the government's solution to that is trying to pull
(06:58):
more public servants out of the suburbs and to the CBD,
but I'm not quite sure if that is going to
have the miraculous results that they seem to hope it will.
If you are staying at home because you can't afford
or don't want to pay for the bus day, you're
probably not going to spend it on a coffee. So yeah,
with that one, we'll bring a peck when we come
to down.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Thanks for joining us this morning. That's Demalsa Jackson. She
joins us from the Beehive. This week, news Talk said
be political reporter. Thanks to Malsa, appreciate.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
You my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to News Talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks EDB Direct from News Talks edb's team
A toliaments the Bee hivehuzz.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Good morning to mails it, good morning in no worries.
First time on the show. So it's a pleasure to
join you on this beautiful sunny Wellington day.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Well, it's a pleasure to have you on the show.
We've heard a lot about what's happening in Duned and
talking about a beautiful day. I looked at that march
and I thought to myself, gosh, I feel for them. Gosh,
I feel for the people of Duned and for so
many of them to turn out. There's been an anger
down there, isn't there?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Oh, there really is. I mean the government is starting
the week on a really bad foot with the South
Island for this one. As you said, huge turnout there.
There are reports up to thirty five thousand people showed
up to express their outrage on the streets on Saturday
about the prospect of the new regional hospital build being downgraded.
Put that in perspective, this is a city of about
(01:08):
one hundred and thirty four thousand people, so super rough
masks and if those are all locals that I think
a quarter of the Dunedin population. Now, I know it's
been pretty well discussed, but for those who are unaware,
the government are announced rather that last week it would
not put any more money into the project because it's
hurtling towards the more than billion dollar overspent. Instead, Health
(01:31):
New Zealan's going to have to look at cuts or
delaying stages of the project saves money. Now, the problem
is that the government will rather National really hung its
hat on being able to deliver this hospital. I'm going
to read you a headline from Stuff in January last year.
Trust Us Luxon says Dunedin's new hospital will be future
(01:52):
prooved if National wins the election. Now, of course Nationalists
putting this back on the last government and to be spears.
Project was initially estimated to cost a lot less back
in twenty seventeen when Labor was in power, and NUR
says it didn't quite have a chance to look under
the hood to see the reality of the problems before
it made its campaign pledge. But they can't have been
(02:14):
that surprised given reports of the learning costs. Exactly why
they vowed to save the project in the first place.
And I think what's interesting is it's probably the first
time a lot of people will really feel the effects
of spending cuts in this small personal way. And as
you can see, people are really really worried. We're talking
about their healthcare, their ability, you know, to get treatment
(02:36):
if they're hurt or if they get cancer. I mean,
sell the sort of six thousand public servants losing their
jobs in wellington's awful to those workers. It probably doesn't
mean a lot in real terms to keep these on
the other side of the country, whereas this really does.
But yeah, the government's going to have to figure out
a way to get this thing up and running without
slashing back any of the promised clinical services, because South
(03:00):
Islanders have clearly shown they're not taking this one lying down,
and they're threatening to keep it going.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
And should This is terrible. This is like, I mean,
you're going to remember those people in the need and
have been waiting decades for this. They've been promised and
promised and promised. Then suddenly the government that they voted
in is turning around and saying, well, maybe we can't
spend as much as we wanted to and maybe. I mean,
I think it's terrible, and I think the people in
New Zealand. I mean it affected me watching that protest
(03:27):
affected me. I thought, God, damn, we shouldn't have to
protest for health, you know. So you know, I think
it's going to get worse before the government before it
gets better on that one. Meanwhile, the government spent the
weekend talking about raising speed limits. Now I have a
simple analogy on speed limits to Malsa fast, you go more, they're.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Going to die, well, exactly Well, people are protesting for
their right to go to an emergency department and not
have to wait eight hours. The government's talking about pumping
up speed limits by twenty kilometers. Transportment a system in
brown says that they're going to scrap those blanket speed
limit reductions that labor slapped onto our main roads and
state highways, and there's been a fair bit of pushback
(04:06):
on this from a few different groups. Of course, the
road's safety experts are very concerned, and they've pointed to
evidence that the deathole on our roads have gone down
since speeds the dropped. And also a few councils aren't
too happy about being told what to do with their
own local roads, so for them, the Minister is clarified
that local authorities can sort of set their own speed
(04:26):
limits for higher sperias. This is just a guide, and
I mean, I get it right. It's incredibly hindoying having
to drive eighty kilometers on a beautiful stretch of flat,
open highway. And I heard some people say that it's
an election issue for them. But yeah, as you say,
the timing of this announcement hasn't gone down well with
a lot of people, as I keep seeing this memes
being reiterated over the weekend that while the government's are
(04:47):
testing over North Island, traffic services down south are just crumbling,
and the bringing.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
In the back the charter schools past this week now,
I saw David Seymour and Q and I are talking
about this. He reckoned that up to I mean, I
think he's dreaming, but up to eighty percent of some
secondary schools could be charter schools years. I mean, that's incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Well, I mean it's sort of hard to believe that
when he's also told us that seventy eight that there's
been seventy eight applications Lodge and half of them have
already been thrown out. Yeah, so, I mean he wants
this hallmark policy of having government funded schools that are
independently run, which were abolished by Labor. But you know,
it seems like finding the right ones might prove a
(05:32):
bit more difficult than they are hoping. With half those
applications not meeting that threshold, it's hard to know exactly
why there's applications failed, and Seymour says he's keeping the
process at arm's lengths and hasn't seen a single application
because those will go through a separate agency. But he
has said they need to show that they have really
good people and good leadership, a good curriculum and a
(05:55):
kind of plausible way of engaging with those students, which
he doesn't seem to think is happening in the public schools.
But yeah, I mean, you know, if you want to
open fifteen new charter schools, he's saying, maybe the first
term is next year, you actually have to have ones
that you know are good enough to open.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
I can't see that he's he's basing it on what's
happening in England, and I can't see that we're going
to get that much uptake. I think that although as
dissatisfied as we are with our public system. I don't
think we want to see charters to that number. So
the vibe has been around Parliament in the last couple
of weeks. Is it still feeling like things are quite
tight in Wellington? I mean there's a lot of talk
(06:33):
about how bad Wellington's doing. Are you feeling in Parliament
and the Beehive?
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yeah, I think so. It's definitely been of major concern
and something that a lot of MP's are discussing. Some
of the Wellington based MPs and of course Latest Public
Service spokesperson Aisha Verel have said that they really feel
like Wellington's in a terrible situation. Of course, we know
that the government's solution to that is trying to pull
(06:58):
more public servants out of the suburbs and to the CBD,
but I'm not quite sure if that is going to
have the miraculous results that they seem to hope it will.
If you are staying at home because you can't afford
or don't want to pay for the bus day, you're
probably not going to spend it on a coffee. So yeah,
with that one, we'll bring a peck when we come
to down.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Thanks for joining us this morning. That's Demalsa Jackson. She
joins us from the Beehive. This week, news Talk said
be political reporter. Thanks to Malsa, appreciate.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
You my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to News Talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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