February 26, 2026 • 32 mins
This week for Friday Faceoff Nick is joined in the studio by former Wellington mayor Justin Lester and playwright and columnist Dave Armstrong.
They faceoff on the biggest issues of the week, starting with the $40million net loss for Air New Zealand. David Seymour says the government should sell their shares. Our panel talk about what needs to change, and what the government should do.
Then would our guests swim at Lyall Bay? They faceoff about the ongoing issues of Moa Point, particularly the lifting of the swim restrictions - is it too soon?
Plus Lester and Armstrong get into the rough sleeping move on order debate, Health NZ handing out vapes to smokers and the performance of the Phoenix last game - what would it take for a win with their new manager?
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from news Talk said B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
And it's Friday face off with Justin Lester, former Wellington mayor.
Justin He you doing good, Nack as always good to
see you out on the town the other night.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Ah, you were at the front. I'd been at a fiftieth.
It was good fun hummingbird was hum think.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah, I had to get that plug. It didn't you.
It was me on the door. I was greeting everybody
and it was very hospitable. Actually really nice to see.
Got to work, don't you're Dave Armstrong play screenwriter, screenwriter
and general good guy. I mean out lately, I've seen
the town starting to feel a bit better.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Yeah, it's well. Actually, yesterday I was teaching until seven
o'clock at Victoria University. I walked down and I was
thinking of getting a scooter and stuff to go home.
I didn't have a bike or a car. There were
places humming away. Yeah, And I walked down Dixon Street
and all the easteries were busy. So it's not Maybe
it's students speaking town, or maybe it's just U means
(01:06):
a great we call it. We call it mad March.
I mean, we're not there yet because of the traffic,
you know, but I've noticed like ghost town this morning
because it's cold. But you know, coming in often it's
it's so variable. Some days it's late, really busy, other
days not much.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Let's talk. I haven't got it on our list to
talk about, but I would like to talk about it
because it's been on my mind since I Grace told
me yesterday that Nick Smith is moving on, as you know,
from Victoria University. I don't know whether eva of you
had any experience with him. I had him in the
studio once on very briefly, but I'm a huge fan
of the benefits of Victoria University to our city from
(01:45):
someone that's been in the city or their life or
most of their life, and I thought he was a
good one, justin you're looking, you're shaking you, you're nodding
in it with agreements and didn't mean shaking you, you're you.
Had any experience with him a.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Lot, very good operator, and we've been really fortunate we've
had some great vice chancellors here in the last sort
of fifteen twenty years. Grant Gilford was also very good
and very committed to the town wanted to grow Wellington,
but next been exceptional unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
After Auckland, which.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
I think he's originally from Australia. Oh well, it certainly
had been at the University of Queensland.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Someone someone texted and said that he had some connection
with with that.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
But look, yeah, I agree one hundred percent. Look the
student's coming back. You can feel there's a buzz about town.
International students coming back and more numbers. Yeah, some of
them looks like last days and confused, but they love
Wellington and it's they had a real vibrancy into the city.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I love it. I love it, David. Some of them
look so damn yung. They look like I forget about that.
I'm just wondering why the town is so busy. But
you forget about because their parents bring them in those
first years and they take them out for somewhere nice
for dinner, look after them and make sure they're all okay.
(03:02):
But it does it feel like I'm amazing what student?
Speaker 4 (03:06):
You know, a town of students and I don't think
Wellington's a student town like maybe Danedin is. But it's
great having students in the town.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Is there a chance that we might see a next
politician finance minister that might apply for that job, there
by pushing that boat to you mean Grant.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Look, Grant is very very happy in Duneda. He's enjoying
life down there. He's enjoying being away from the spotlight.
Remember he's a Dunedin boy. It's where he hails from
ol Flo. Wise, they met down there as a partner,
so I don't think we'd be gettinghim away from Duneda
anytime I.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Thought he was Palmeston boy. Didn't you go to Palmerston
boy height.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
No, I went to King's is head boy at King's
down in South Dunida. So look, I think they're very happy. Look,
Dnedan's a small Wellington. I agree, it's a student town
and one.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
That can't we make Wellington as a student town. I
love student towns too. It just got a vibrancy and
you know what, it's a bright and I don't want
to be a snob about this because I'm not bright,
but a bright field to people doing things and we are.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
We're are a student town. But Day's right aware of
a scale that the students won't consume the town, not
like a d There's.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Not many other people. I say that when the student's coming.
What the bad part of that is when the students leave,
it's absolute ghost town as well. He isn't actually has
a bit of life, you know, when the students aren't around.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Okay, right, let's get into it. In New Zealand reported
a forty million dollar loss, Seymour says the government should
sell our fifty one percent year. Winston Peters says, hell, no,
we go through the rough times and will come out
the other way. What are your thoughts justin I mean,
is it a mountain out of a molehle just losing
this one year?
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Look, it's what is the six monthly report and update?
The last year they made of one hundred million? Look,
and I'm siding with Winston good honor, the elder statesman,
the sensible statesman for New Zealand. Look, I don't know
what David Seymo was thinking. There'd be one thing worse
than owning in New Zealand. She is for the government
(05:04):
not owning them. Imagine what it would be like. Well,
we sold our banks way back in the nineties for
several hundred million rails. I think one went for a
billion and zed made two point four billion last year.
I mean, what an idiotic decision that was at the
time so very short sighted the notion of selling it.
Imagine not having it. Imagine if all of our airlines
(05:24):
were owned by Australian owned companies. What a disaster that
would be.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Dave, what do you think that air New Zealand is
doing that could be improved?
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Oh well, I think I mean, I agree with Justin
and Winston, which is rare. But the thing is what
could be improved is I think it's not really the company.
New Zealand has to have a conversation about transport and
say do we want you know, do we want to
pay six hundred dollars to go to a funeral in Kenny,
Kenny or Meru or eight hundred dollars or do we
(05:53):
want to say? Look, you know, even though I know
those those routes don't make money, we need to be
responsible about people should be able to get to places,
especially you know when they have to for a reasonable
man out. Now that doesn't make shareholders happy, but it
can make a good government infrastructure. So I'd actually like
more government control and involvement in the New Zealand because
(06:16):
it is strategic now that might lose money, that might
be expensive, but it's a price you pay, that's right.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
What's right?
Speaker 4 (06:21):
So rather than going, hey we've got this airline, can
it make a profit, we should be going what do
what do we want and what do we prepare to
pay for. I'm not saying that it should be fifty
dollars to get to you know, in the Cagle, but
surely this should be element because it's actually I mean
I go to the far North quite a lot. It's
cheaper to go to Melbourne or Sydney.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
We did the numbers, Grace and I did the numbers
this morning on the show. We wanted to go to Taupo.
What was it five hundred dollars? I think was the cheapest.
I haven't got my notes from front of me. Five
hundred return sex hundred it was to return to go
to Taalpau plus you had to go through Auckland, New Plymouth.
I have to go there next week for a little job.
Seven hundred years Yeah, yeah, I mean it's just too strong. Yeah,
(07:01):
it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Look and we live in a very long, narrow country
and it's far far apart with low density population. So
it's an important part of their infrastructure, and therefore it's
important that in New Zealand also has a social license
to operate. So I'm glad the government board them when
they did. They needed to because it almost went under.
And look, let's keep whatever we have now fifty one percent.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
More money at it? Should I mean, that's the next question.
Shall you throw more money it? Shall? We say? Okay,
we've got to have a minimum of all these places,
and it's you know, like this is the maximum you
can well the minimum the maximum you can charge is
five hundred dollars return.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Hey, I'm sitting next to a former mayor of Wellington.
I'm not going to sit here and go, hey, let's
do that.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Hey, let's do that.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Hey let's pay money on that, because I think you
have to be fiscally responsible. But it would be a
good conversation to have to say, do we want to that?
The good news is, will you can afford to go
to New Plymouth and not pay them in a leg?
The bad news is you're actually going to have to
pay taxpayers money to do it, and it's a matter
of who you who pays pays.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
A maximum five hundred dollars any return to any general absolutely.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
It doesn't matter if it loses money or not.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
That's what we're going to do.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Sarting to sound like Rob Muldoon, I think, yeah, the
market will sort that out. But well the market they
sorted it out and we don't have No, we don't.
We can't fly Wellington to Talpo. I mean there was
a standard flight. Yes, a bit more competition, be good, chaam.
He is expanding, then it's an investment. And then too,
Origin is doing well here to there.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
I love those trips across. I see that. I do
see that. The government weren't going to help them financially
get through a rough patch and they are now. So
that's a good thing, isn't it. I think it's a
good thing.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Yeah, But it's like buses. You know, the Strathmore route
never makes money. Courtney Place to railway station always makes money. Now,
if you start saying we'll privatize the Courtney Place to
railway station, everyone's got wants to do it. And then
if you say, okay, we'll do the Strathmore route, no
one wants to so the poor rate payer has to
pick it up. So that's that's the conundrum.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
And while we're talking about that, they've just announced that
they're putting their prices up.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Well they have to, yeah, yeah, why do they have to?
Government subsidies gone.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Well, and they don't have to. Government could prioritize it.
Remember for a period that I loved it as a parent,
well for all its actually half priced and the kids
it was virtually free.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
It was amazing to Queensland recently.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Since tens of thousands of New Zealand. It's moving to
Brisbane at the moment, Melbourne in a circle of Melbourne.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Free, but the boat in Brisbane you get the ferry free.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Wow Friday face off and my guests today are Justin
Lester and Dave Armstrong. Let's talk mower Point. You've both
got some opinion on that, I'm sure and mea Andrew
Lipple Little went for a dip at Lyle Bay to
prove the water quality is okay the mower Point wasteleak.
His health appears to be still okay. Dave Armstrong, I'm
(09:59):
sure that you'll have an opinion on this whole.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Fiesco, A total fiesco. What I would say as well,
before the more Point debacle, there was a fall of
rain a few years back and they said don't swim
in the southern coast and I rang up the regional
council and said, can I speak to the person who's
responsible for monitoring that, and they said, sorry, she's away today.
(10:24):
The one scientist is away today, and it was she
basically when I finally got hold of us, said yeah,
when when it rains and stuff we have, you know,
you can't swim in it, but they monitor it all
the time. So if they've monitored Layle Bay and said
it's not dangerous, I would believe them. I've heard say
some beaches in Auckland now are more dangerous than than
(10:45):
I mean, they've said you can't swim near my point,
but I'd go. I trust the sign you swim. Well,
I don't really go swimming.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Would you go for a swimm if you?
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Yeah, I wouldn't. I mean, I'm going to go to
the dog walking beach in the weekend hopefully.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Grace and I both thought we saw toilet paper round
where Justin was swimming. I mean, wouldn't that put you?
Speaker 4 (11:04):
And Andrew gosh, I'm having a bad mon Yeah yeah.
And then they said there was something on his brown
on his forehead and it was seaweed. I say, look,
you know, like do you think that he wouldn't have
checked the test results and stuff like that. I mean,
I'm not going to go swimming today because it's thirteen
degrees and it's Wellington, so you know it's I mean,
(11:27):
perhaps you could why not go in orange or bait,
you know. I mean, but but he was doing it
to prove a point, and I think it was a
good move.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
I just I thought it was a kind of a
bit cringey. I thought it was like a publicity been
done before with the French Olympics, isn't it with the
mayor doing it for the triathlon.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
Mister Burns and the Simpsons that he had to eat
the nuclear chicken.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
It's been done a bit before. I can't imagine you
doing that. I can here. No, you weren't a stunt
sky as well.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
A look, it's funny because on the day that happened,
and look, Dave, you're that part of the city in
South kast Yeah, and lo all of my mates who
live out there, a good number of them, they have
been absolutely horrified by this whole event and what hasp
reputationally for Wellington. It's been disastrous and we you know,
(12:21):
we are getting our moja back in twenty twenty sex
a lot of good things happening, So that was a
real tragedy for the city and also to be honest,
and operational failure of some degree by the Olia.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
But Andrew has done a good thing. Is it a stunt? Yeah,
but it's a symbol.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
I mean Mark Blumsky did the same thing, and when
he was mayor the similar sort of travails. I think
it was in the harbors he had gone dive in.
They had problems also with chlorine and pool Some of
the pools have been closed. So front page on the
post Mark Blumsky was shirt off in the water and
Foster had to do the same five years ago in
picture of and in It's a wee bit cringe but
(13:01):
really important.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
A Tory Fano was in now and you were saying,
what's the story of my point? Oh, sorry, I can't
talk to you. Oh we'll come and to him a
few Sorry, we're not talking about that. We're under think.
Our scientists have said, you know, you'd be complaining with
good reason, with good reason, So Andrew is the opposite.
He's in the videos. I'm on the waterfront and this
is what we do.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Okay, I mean there is something going on because the
Wellington Water CEO has gone from interviews and the first
day it happened to not being able to say anything something.
I mean, you don't have to be too too smart
to realize he wasn't at that thing. He wasn't at
the Green Green's function at some pat's college. He's been hiding.
(13:42):
There's some he's been told he can't. That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
A couple of the interviews he said initially he was
too honest and perhaps he overreached in some of the
comments when information wasn't quite there. Look, he was being
very honest and upfront. But there will be a legal sediment.
There will be a claim this is going to be expensive.
Where does it set with Wellington Water, with the Oulia,
with the acid owners.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
No one's sure.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
So I think as a result he's keeping his mouth close,
which is probably quite sensible.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Let's in the meantime, let's sell you New Zealand to
the earlier. It'd be great if he wouldn't it be fantastic?
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Can I just say that day hold on? He just
might have put the deal together with the put out
the way that went in two thousand and one.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
I don't know who it was, actually I do who
wasn't here Currie.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
I'm sure it's not curious fault. Curry did a great job.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Can I just say that admirable leadership by Andrew Little
is doing a good job making some sensible decisions at
the moment, and he's sucking the life out of the
narrative that Wellington is surrounded by its own feces, which
was disastrous for ours city. And every time I've got
a social media platform and every time I put up
a picture of the ocean, everyone will say oh poos
and wheeze.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
It's like and it's not true.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
I drove past Evans Bay the other day, which is
not affected, you know by the thing, and we had
the window open because it was so it was so hot.
It was the twenty seven degree day and walking past
and week here a kid you out at Tito Beach
to his parents, Daddy, don't swim in the pooh water.
This is a five year old.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Yeah, I agree with Justin.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
You know, change the narrative.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
We have to change the narrative. But I'm sure that
you haven't been watching a lot of mainstream media because
every front person of every show is everything can't wait
to take the I was going to say, take the
pea out of us was probably the wrong right now.
But you know Wellington's still copying it. Oh yeah they are.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
But this, this will help because over time people will
be happy to go for a swim. My father in
law within five minutes he was outsurfing at l'aba and
there are a dozen people in the water with him
for permission.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
To be fair, the surfers continued to do it. And
the surfers have have surfed in that water with that
waste forever and then and I'm not that's not having
a cracket. And usually it's okay.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
But my mate had to cancel Marris a surf competition
in lol Bay and you know those sort of things.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Would you go for a swim?
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Yeah, So the thing is I don't have to and
this is the thing, it's people's choice. I went for
a swim last week in the Harbor and I've been
up to Weavans Bay too. So the thing is in
Wellington we've got so many options, which is great. I
learned to serve at tom Hawk and to need it.
It was a sewage outfaul.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
I didn't even know every now and then you come back.
It smelled a bit whiffy, but I feel exactly.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
The funny thing is is that look in christ Church,
their oxidation plant and treatment facility, it caught fire five
years ago. So all of the east and suburb residents
in christ Church are suffering extreme stench, equal stench and
bad smells and Auckland I've only been treating it since
two thousand and five. Look, it's a catastrophic failure by Violia.
(16:49):
They've really screwed up. But I'm glad that Andrew's showing
some leadership. And you know, again we stopped talking about
poohs and wheeze. I want to get your quick opinion
on this. You think there'll be a major payout by Viola.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
It has to be.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
And if you're talking about anyone that's been absent in
this process and lack of leadership or any colms and
they're hiding it's.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Then Friday face off. Just unless the Dave Armstrong justin
going to come to you first. The government has given
the power to police to move rough sleepers in public
spaces for twenty four hours. Now, what did you think
when you heard this as a former mayor, is this
a good idea? And where do they move them to? Right?
Speaker 3 (17:30):
First of all, on the way here, just now, there
are a couple of constabulary who do a wonderful job
and with an individual with handcuffs on their hands, hands
behind their back. I'm not sure what had happened, what
the situation was, was this move on order?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
But here we had two policemen handcuffing a Wellingtonian on
the street. Is it a good use of their time?
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Probably not? Well, you don't know what I mean. To
be fair, you don't know whether that's just stole a
suit Italian suit jacket from a shop. You've got no idea.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Look, I heard about it really quickly through my wife,
who's a CEO at a community housing provider. Look, this
is a suboptimal situation. No one wants to be living
on the streets, no one.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
I disagree with that. I think people. I've got a
lady that sits outside Hummingbird and she wants to be there.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Well, no child ever grew up saying I can't wait
to become an adult so I can live on a street.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
And something's happened in their lives.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
It's altered the course of their lives, whether it be addiction, trauma,
sexual assault, abuse, or mental health. And something's gone wrong.
They can no longer be in a home they can't
afford to and we want them in a home. That's
what everybody wants. Get them in a home, put the
wrap around services around them, get them to support their
needs so they can stay there. Credit to the government,
(18:44):
they're funding housing first. That will be a long term solution.
What I think has happened now.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
I mean, can I just interrupt there a little bit.
The work that your wife's organization does too is fabulous
and fantastic. Why are those people not wanting to be there?
They are?
Speaker 3 (18:59):
It just takes time. So this only was funded about
what three four months ago. You can't house all of
those people within three four months. What I would say is,
let's actually paint what's happening here is government stopped funding
for the Coying Order housing projects. They made that decision.
They kicked people out of motels or an emergency accommodation.
(19:19):
Up until twenty twenty two, we were funding about five
and a half thousand special housing grants around the country.
That's gone back to five hundred between twenty twenty two
and now, and then they wonder why there's a surgeon homelessness.
This was becoming a political issue in Auckland, Wellington, christ
Church and provincial towns up and down the country, and
(19:41):
they said.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Oh crap, this looks terrible.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
For us in an election year. How do we make
this program problem go away. We're going to ban them.
We're going to criminalize homelessness. That's the real reason they're
doing it. They want it out of sight and out
of mind. This won't fix anything. There's been a Vagrancy
Act in the UK since eighteen twenty four. It never
got rid of homelessness. It just doesn't work. So look,
(20:04):
I want to resolve the issue. Not good for anybody.
Get people into homes and don't make someone a criminal
and send them to jail and give them a two
thousand dollars fine, which is just absurd because they live
on the streets. Dave Armstrong during the FIFA World Cup,
Woman's one in Wellington and I make this comment several
(20:27):
times there wasn't one homeless person on Wellington. What happened then?
Speaker 4 (20:31):
I don't know, but I know what conservation of matter
is and that means if you pour water out of
a glass onto a wooden surface, all the water goes
from the glass, and you know, the wooden surface is
saturated and the glasses there's no homeless in the glass.
You know, they go somewhere else. That's what happened, but
you probably, I mean that's the thing I was when
(20:55):
this issue came up. I thought, oh, there'll be the
usual suspects on one side and the usual suspects on
the other. And you know that happened. But the head
of retail New Zealand, I think it was saying, this
is not going to change a thing because they're just
going to go somewhere else. So until you I agree
with Justin, you know, until you deal with the problem
I do. I agree with you. There are people that
want to be on the streets, but what they feel
(21:15):
more comfortable? Does that say about the society that created
that situation? You know? And like it's true that when
the kids they don't want to do that, but they
you know, if you're going home every night to get
beaten up, oh yeah, that then it's better to be
on the on the streets. But just moving them on
as such a surface political reaction to get votes that
(21:35):
I think you've got to. You know, it's hard dealing
with social problems. It's awful. I don't like walking the
gauntlet of people asking for money. I don't love it
if they went there. But if you move them on, okay,
it's someone else's problem, and then the things just get worse.
So you need a compassionate and funded way to deal
with it, because in the long run, the biggest waste
(21:55):
of money is two hundred grand a year per person
in prison.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Well, the other thing is that we do not have
the mental health facilities you know, don't I mean, and
I've said that from day one. You know, Porter Hospital
just a hospital to help these people that need their help.
We just don't have that anymore. That was I don't
know what government brought that in, but they got rid
of all that, put them on the street, put them
in half way houses.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
I know wealthy, middle class people on good incomes who
are in despair because their kids have mental health issues,
eating disorders, other things, you know. And so I mean,
I'm not demeaning the homeless, but I'm saying it's it's
a nationwide issue and until we address those sorts of things.
We're not gonna Homelessness becomes just, you know, a sort
(22:39):
of byproduct of.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
That and something we all none of us want to
see but knows there. Yeah, you know, Yeah, Dave Armstrong,
let's talk about the Phoenix Big game on Sunday afternoon
three o'clock. I believe, I hope I've got that right.
I'm pretty sure it is. They're playing Sydney FC after
the last weekend's game. Did either of you watched last
week's game?
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Yeah? I watched it on TV live on TV, live
on TV.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Yeah, you're at a function, so you and I was
after my fifth tieth were abundant to that, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Five l Yeah, pretty bad.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
You're both football guys.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Absolutely love the things the very first game. Look, I
love the peak of their powers of green Acre and
Eiffel and Tim Brown and co. I think green even
coach is awesome. He's going to be great, and I'd
love to see Eifel involved actually as co coach too.
But yeah, watching I was boldly claiming to all who
would listen and all these Orka FC fans that we're
(23:39):
going to get in the time would win this weekend.
We're on the up, there on the down, and then
I watched the first half highlights and the unfortunate holla
first goal from the goalkeeper, and I was so angry
because it was just really really.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
It's a business owner, you know, take away your mauralty
where you've got to be nice to everyone as a
business owner. What did you think after that game? What
do you think had to happen?
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Look, chief, he's a lovely, lovely man. Means well was
respected by the players. They need to change the coach.
Chris Greenek will do a great job. He's been involved
as a player as a coach there now for many years.
He's been terim coach seventeen years. He's been here, yeah,
and he's considered his life to Wellington. He wants to
be here, so I think he'll do a good job.
(24:24):
I just want him to do well.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Dave Armstrom, I was hearing last year that the players
were looking at the ground at halftime, you know, looking
at the floor and the change room at halftime. Now,
you guys have been around enough sport to know that
if you're when the coach is talking and you're looking
at the floor, you're not interested in what he's got
to say.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
Yeah that, well, I hadn't heard that, but I believe it.
I'm an expert on teams conceiding lots of goals in
a few minutes because I've played in a few and
I've been the cause of quite a few. But what
I do know, even from you know, old man's social football,
is if you can see one goal, you can either go, oh, no,
we're going to lose. Now, this is terrible. We can
go come on, guys, now we need to really try
(25:04):
and get back. And it was interesting that one they
were playing really well until that goal that was you know,
top top team they're playing, and it was even Stevens.
They conceded that goal after about twenty minutes and suddenly
the heads went down. And you know, I don't believe
players like Alex Ruffer did that because I'm a big
fan of his, but I think that overall, you just
saw a team that lost it and then it just
(25:25):
became you know, frustrating. I mean, they came out in
the second half and only conceded one goal. So I
suppose you could be optimistakes.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
The chance of this weekend we'll see a revitalized team
and that you know and should we support them.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Teams have a great record of at the worst possible time,
you know, the coach leaves, in comes the greenla it
comes in and suddenly they you know, pull off a
big game. That's sort of it's the long term relationship
that has to work, you know. It's it's the day in,
(26:00):
day out getting a win when a draw was lightly
you know, and that I look, it's difficult. The other
thing too, Look at Auckland's fan base, look at their support.
It's not just the coach and the players, it's the
whole club and the people who support it.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
And let's not forget two years ago we were at
the peak of our powers and chief he was coach,
and we had Ben Old, wonderful player, Oscar Zawada, Bozidar Kraev,
Finn Sermon, Nick Pennington, all these great players, Alex Paulson,
tremendous goaling and they were so successful. They've got bought,
(26:35):
so they went off to greener pastures. We lost ten players,
ten of our senior experience pros, and we've got a
very young team and some of the new recruits haven't
performed as well as perhaps we'd hope. But that was
two years ago so we can get it back. Will
it be this weekend?
Speaker 2 (26:49):
I don't know. We've still got the same player. But
great that we're talking about it. I'm getting excited about it.
We wouldn't have been excited if nothing had change last week.
It was pretty fair.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
I mean, the wreck some game. Everyone the future of
the Phoenix, you know, so you've got to be I mean,
being a manager of fotball team is like being mayor
of Wellington. You know, it's even if you're good, you're.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Waiting to go.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
People are waiting to get rid of you. You know,
it is tough. And so I think that Justin's right,
you know, chief he was like not long ago and
we were all just singing as praises.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Okay, let's talk about vaping, because Health New Zealand has
handed out seven thousand free vapes to smokers trying to
give up and quit in two months. I mean the
cost is astronomical. I'm not a vape fan anymore than
I'm a smokers fan. Justin, what are your thoughts on
the fact that we are giving free vapes to people
that are trying to give up smoking.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Oh look, and if they're trying to get up smoking,
and if they can't and that's a serious personal problem
they have.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Look, I don't mind.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
It's a small amount of money and the health savings
that will get getting them off smoking over time, we'll
save the country money. Look, I've had friends parents pass
away over the New Year's period who'd smoked all their
lives and passed away due to lung cancer.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
So it's a big cost. So I don't mind.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Different to the Olympics are giving away condoms A we're
doing it, oh weeks up and down the country this week,
eager young men thinking okay, what happened? So I don't mind.
But having said that, there comes a point in time
where you look after yourselves. I'm not a big fan
of vaping.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Vaping give free vopes to people that are trying to
give us well, well it's coming from.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
It's complex because some doctors don't support that. I think
that if someone is genuinely trying to give up smoking
using vapes as great, do they have to be free?
Not sure? The other thing is are they monitoring its
Because some people take up vaping to try and give
up smoking, and then long term they don't smoke any less.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
And so they become addicted to vaping.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Yeah, but that's not as bad.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Well, we don't know that.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
We don't know. You're right, we don't know empirically, but
it looks like it's not as bad.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
Very quick piece of them though.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
We analyze spending because we get azie transactions. Interestingly, eighteen
to thirty year olds in the last year spent lest
on vaping. But where the growth is a hearing is.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Sort of forty plus. Well there you go. You always
find out on Friday, face.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Off, the Friday face art hot.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
Okay, this is getting exciting. Dave Armstrong, hit me with
your hots and knots for the week.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Okay, Well the hot is We've got a French festival
on Willington at the moment and there's some really interesting
stuff on. It goes until next Saturday. And a few
days ago we had the opening of the Altiero New
Zealand Festival the Arts and that goes into fifteenth of
the March. So we always have these handling people going
are we the arts capital? Have we lost our I
(29:41):
think we'll go to a show and find out not hot.
Children's poverty as fourteen percent of children living in hardship
five children have been run over this month. The kids
are doing it hard. What I would say is, let's
not blame one government or another government. Let's hope both
major parties get together on this and work together, because
(30:02):
there's way too much partisanship about child poverty. It's got
to be both sides saying let's hold fire and try
and actually do something here here.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
I couldn't agree with you more. In everybody's classroom, there's
three kids, there's one and seven. So if it's the
twenty one kids in the class, three of them are
doing it hard and that's not good enough.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
Just in Lester, I want to celebrate some Wellingtonian's doing incredibly.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Well on the world stage.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Melly Kerr Tawa College alum one hundred on debut and
t twenty last week as captain. Debut as captain and
then Ratten Ravendra Hibbs old boy took four wickets you know,
one foot in the semi finals the TEA twenty World Cup.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Do well done.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
It's great to see. And then a small shout out
to actually Andrew Little great leadership on this mile point thing.
It's nice to have an adult in the room and
a council that's getting on credit to him.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
And thank you.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
What's not Yeah, the olier. I'm sorry. You guys have
got to step up. You're happy to collect seventeen million dollars?
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Is that what it says. I've never heard their figures
at seventeen million.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
Quote man's back when I was in office.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
It's probably twenty five million. Probably.
Speaker 4 (31:14):
I think there's probably been a cost.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
They're happy to run and make money off of the service. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
I get so many stories of oh, mate told me,
you know they have been bypassing the controls.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Yeah, so sepa fixa and let us know what's going on. Alumni,
I call it alumni. What did you call it?
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Al alumni?
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Alumni, alumni, it's just what it's called Tara College alumni
or alumnus.
Speaker 4 (31:37):
Yeah, alumni, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Thank you both so very much. Let's not get into
an English linguistic because we will both lose that one.
To Dave Armstrong, great to see you, Dave. Just the list,
it would probably come and second and I would definitely
come up third on the England and the Linguistics test
on Friday. Face off, Catch you guys next time.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Thank you for coming in for more from Wellington Mornings
with Nick Mills. Listen live to news talks It'd be
Wellington from nine am days, or follow the podcast on
iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from news Talk said B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
And it's Friday face off with Justin Lester, former Wellington mayor.
Justin He you doing good, Nack as always good to
see you out on the town the other night.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Ah, you were at the front. I'd been at a fiftieth.
It was good fun hummingbird was hum think.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah, I had to get that plug. It didn't you.
It was me on the door. I was greeting everybody
and it was very hospitable. Actually really nice to see.
Got to work, don't you're Dave Armstrong play screenwriter, screenwriter
and general good guy. I mean out lately, I've seen
the town starting to feel a bit better.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Yeah, it's well. Actually, yesterday I was teaching until seven
o'clock at Victoria University. I walked down and I was
thinking of getting a scooter and stuff to go home.
I didn't have a bike or a car. There were
places humming away. Yeah, And I walked down Dixon Street
and all the easteries were busy. So it's not Maybe
it's students speaking town, or maybe it's just U means
(01:06):
a great we call it. We call it mad March.
I mean, we're not there yet because of the traffic,
you know, but I've noticed like ghost town this morning
because it's cold. But you know, coming in often it's
it's so variable. Some days it's late, really busy, other
days not much.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Let's talk. I haven't got it on our list to
talk about, but I would like to talk about it
because it's been on my mind since I Grace told
me yesterday that Nick Smith is moving on, as you know,
from Victoria University. I don't know whether eva of you
had any experience with him. I had him in the
studio once on very briefly, but I'm a huge fan
of the benefits of Victoria University to our city from
(01:45):
someone that's been in the city or their life or
most of their life, and I thought he was a
good one, justin you're looking, you're shaking you, you're nodding
in it with agreements and didn't mean shaking you, you're you.
Had any experience with him a.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Lot, very good operator, and we've been really fortunate we've
had some great vice chancellors here in the last sort
of fifteen twenty years. Grant Gilford was also very good
and very committed to the town wanted to grow Wellington,
but next been exceptional unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
After Auckland, which.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
I think he's originally from Australia. Oh well, it certainly
had been at the University of Queensland.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Someone someone texted and said that he had some connection
with with that.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
But look, yeah, I agree one hundred percent. Look the
student's coming back. You can feel there's a buzz about town.
International students coming back and more numbers. Yeah, some of
them looks like last days and confused, but they love
Wellington and it's they had a real vibrancy into the city.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
I love it. I love it, David. Some of them
look so damn yung. They look like I forget about that.
I'm just wondering why the town is so busy. But
you forget about because their parents bring them in those
first years and they take them out for somewhere nice
for dinner, look after them and make sure they're all okay.
(03:02):
But it does it feel like I'm amazing what student?
Speaker 4 (03:06):
You know, a town of students and I don't think
Wellington's a student town like maybe Danedin is. But it's
great having students in the town.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Is there a chance that we might see a next
politician finance minister that might apply for that job, there
by pushing that boat to you mean Grant.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Look, Grant is very very happy in Duneda. He's enjoying
life down there. He's enjoying being away from the spotlight.
Remember he's a Dunedin boy. It's where he hails from
ol Flo. Wise, they met down there as a partner,
so I don't think we'd be gettinghim away from Duneda
anytime I.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Thought he was Palmeston boy. Didn't you go to Palmerston
boy height.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
No, I went to King's is head boy at King's
down in South Dunida. So look, I think they're very happy. Look,
Dnedan's a small Wellington. I agree, it's a student town
and one.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
That can't we make Wellington as a student town. I
love student towns too. It just got a vibrancy and
you know what, it's a bright and I don't want
to be a snob about this because I'm not bright,
but a bright field to people doing things and we are.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
We're are a student town. But Day's right aware of
a scale that the students won't consume the town, not
like a d There's.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Not many other people. I say that when the student's coming.
What the bad part of that is when the students leave,
it's absolute ghost town as well. He isn't actually has
a bit of life, you know, when the students aren't around.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Okay, right, let's get into it. In New Zealand reported
a forty million dollar loss, Seymour says the government should
sell our fifty one percent year. Winston Peters says, hell, no,
we go through the rough times and will come out
the other way. What are your thoughts justin I mean,
is it a mountain out of a molehle just losing
this one year?
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Look, it's what is the six monthly report and update?
The last year they made of one hundred million? Look,
and I'm siding with Winston good honor, the elder statesman,
the sensible statesman for New Zealand. Look, I don't know
what David Seymo was thinking. There'd be one thing worse
than owning in New Zealand. She is for the government
(05:04):
not owning them. Imagine what it would be like. Well,
we sold our banks way back in the nineties for
several hundred million rails. I think one went for a
billion and zed made two point four billion last year.
I mean, what an idiotic decision that was at the
time so very short sighted the notion of selling it.
Imagine not having it. Imagine if all of our airlines
(05:24):
were owned by Australian owned companies. What a disaster that
would be.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Dave, what do you think that air New Zealand is
doing that could be improved?
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Oh well, I think I mean, I agree with Justin
and Winston, which is rare. But the thing is what
could be improved is I think it's not really the company.
New Zealand has to have a conversation about transport and
say do we want you know, do we want to
pay six hundred dollars to go to a funeral in Kenny,
Kenny or Meru or eight hundred dollars or do we
(05:53):
want to say? Look, you know, even though I know
those those routes don't make money, we need to be
responsible about people should be able to get to places,
especially you know when they have to for a reasonable
man out. Now that doesn't make shareholders happy, but it
can make a good government infrastructure. So I'd actually like
more government control and involvement in the New Zealand because
(06:16):
it is strategic now that might lose money, that might
be expensive, but it's a price you pay, that's right.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
What's right?
Speaker 4 (06:21):
So rather than going, hey we've got this airline, can
it make a profit, we should be going what do
what do we want and what do we prepare to
pay for. I'm not saying that it should be fifty
dollars to get to you know, in the Cagle, but
surely this should be element because it's actually I mean
I go to the far North quite a lot. It's
cheaper to go to Melbourne or Sydney.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
We did the numbers, Grace and I did the numbers
this morning on the show. We wanted to go to Taupo.
What was it five hundred dollars? I think was the cheapest.
I haven't got my notes from front of me. Five
hundred return sex hundred it was to return to go
to Taalpau plus you had to go through Auckland, New Plymouth.
I have to go there next week for a little job.
Seven hundred years Yeah, yeah, I mean it's just too strong. Yeah,
(07:01):
it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Look and we live in a very long, narrow country
and it's far far apart with low density population. So
it's an important part of their infrastructure, and therefore it's
important that in New Zealand also has a social license
to operate. So I'm glad the government board them when
they did. They needed to because it almost went under.
And look, let's keep whatever we have now fifty one percent.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
More money at it? Should I mean, that's the next question.
Shall you throw more money it? Shall? We say? Okay,
we've got to have a minimum of all these places,
and it's you know, like this is the maximum you
can well the minimum the maximum you can charge is
five hundred dollars return.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
Hey, I'm sitting next to a former mayor of Wellington.
I'm not going to sit here and go, hey, let's
do that.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Hey, let's do that.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Hey let's pay money on that, because I think you
have to be fiscally responsible. But it would be a
good conversation to have to say, do we want to that?
The good news is, will you can afford to go
to New Plymouth and not pay them in a leg?
The bad news is you're actually going to have to
pay taxpayers money to do it, and it's a matter
of who you who pays pays.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
A maximum five hundred dollars any return to any general absolutely.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
It doesn't matter if it loses money or not.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
That's what we're going to do.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Sarting to sound like Rob Muldoon, I think, yeah, the
market will sort that out. But well the market they
sorted it out and we don't have No, we don't.
We can't fly Wellington to Talpo. I mean there was
a standard flight. Yes, a bit more competition, be good, chaam.
He is expanding, then it's an investment. And then too,
Origin is doing well here to there.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
I love those trips across. I see that. I do
see that. The government weren't going to help them financially
get through a rough patch and they are now. So
that's a good thing, isn't it. I think it's a
good thing.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Yeah, But it's like buses. You know, the Strathmore route
never makes money. Courtney Place to railway station always makes money. Now,
if you start saying we'll privatize the Courtney Place to
railway station, everyone's got wants to do it. And then
if you say, okay, we'll do the Strathmore route, no
one wants to so the poor rate payer has to
pick it up. So that's that's the conundrum.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
And while we're talking about that, they've just announced that
they're putting their prices up.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Well they have to, yeah, yeah, why do they have to?
Government subsidies gone.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Well, and they don't have to. Government could prioritize it.
Remember for a period that I loved it as a parent,
well for all its actually half priced and the kids
it was virtually free.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
It was amazing to Queensland recently.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Since tens of thousands of New Zealand. It's moving to
Brisbane at the moment, Melbourne in a circle of Melbourne.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Free, but the boat in Brisbane you get the ferry free.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Wow Friday face off and my guests today are Justin
Lester and Dave Armstrong. Let's talk mower Point. You've both
got some opinion on that, I'm sure and mea Andrew
Lipple Little went for a dip at Lyle Bay to
prove the water quality is okay the mower Point wasteleak.
His health appears to be still okay. Dave Armstrong, I'm
(09:59):
sure that you'll have an opinion on this whole.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Fiesco, A total fiesco. What I would say as well,
before the more Point debacle, there was a fall of
rain a few years back and they said don't swim
in the southern coast and I rang up the regional
council and said, can I speak to the person who's
responsible for monitoring that, and they said, sorry, she's away today.
(10:24):
The one scientist is away today, and it was she
basically when I finally got hold of us, said yeah,
when when it rains and stuff we have, you know,
you can't swim in it, but they monitor it all
the time. So if they've monitored Layle Bay and said
it's not dangerous, I would believe them. I've heard say
some beaches in Auckland now are more dangerous than than
(10:45):
I mean, they've said you can't swim near my point,
but I'd go. I trust the sign you swim. Well,
I don't really go swimming.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Would you go for a swimm if you?
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Yeah, I wouldn't. I mean, I'm going to go to
the dog walking beach in the weekend hopefully.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Grace and I both thought we saw toilet paper round
where Justin was swimming. I mean, wouldn't that put you?
Speaker 4 (11:04):
And Andrew gosh, I'm having a bad mon Yeah yeah.
And then they said there was something on his brown
on his forehead and it was seaweed. I say, look,
you know, like do you think that he wouldn't have
checked the test results and stuff like that. I mean,
I'm not going to go swimming today because it's thirteen
degrees and it's Wellington, so you know it's I mean,
(11:27):
perhaps you could why not go in orange or bait,
you know. I mean, but but he was doing it
to prove a point, and I think it was a
good move.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
I just I thought it was a kind of a
bit cringey. I thought it was like a publicity been
done before with the French Olympics, isn't it with the
mayor doing it for the triathlon.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
Mister Burns and the Simpsons that he had to eat
the nuclear chicken.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
It's been done a bit before. I can't imagine you
doing that. I can here. No, you weren't a stunt
sky as well.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
A look, it's funny because on the day that happened,
and look, Dave, you're that part of the city in
South kast Yeah, and lo all of my mates who
live out there, a good number of them, they have
been absolutely horrified by this whole event and what hasp
reputationally for Wellington. It's been disastrous and we you know,
(12:21):
we are getting our moja back in twenty twenty sex
a lot of good things happening, So that was a
real tragedy for the city and also to be honest,
and operational failure of some degree by the Olia.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
But Andrew has done a good thing. Is it a stunt? Yeah,
but it's a symbol.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
I mean Mark Blumsky did the same thing, and when
he was mayor the similar sort of travails. I think
it was in the harbors he had gone dive in.
They had problems also with chlorine and pool Some of
the pools have been closed. So front page on the
post Mark Blumsky was shirt off in the water and
Foster had to do the same five years ago in
picture of and in It's a wee bit cringe but
(13:01):
really important.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
A Tory Fano was in now and you were saying,
what's the story of my point? Oh, sorry, I can't
talk to you. Oh we'll come and to him a
few Sorry, we're not talking about that. We're under think.
Our scientists have said, you know, you'd be complaining with
good reason, with good reason, So Andrew is the opposite.
He's in the videos. I'm on the waterfront and this
is what we do.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Okay, I mean there is something going on because the
Wellington Water CEO has gone from interviews and the first
day it happened to not being able to say anything something.
I mean, you don't have to be too too smart
to realize he wasn't at that thing. He wasn't at
the Green Green's function at some pat's college. He's been hiding.
(13:42):
There's some he's been told he can't. That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
A couple of the interviews he said initially he was
too honest and perhaps he overreached in some of the
comments when information wasn't quite there. Look, he was being
very honest and upfront. But there will be a legal sediment.
There will be a claim this is going to be expensive.
Where does it set with Wellington Water, with the Oulia,
with the acid owners.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
No one's sure.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
So I think as a result he's keeping his mouth close,
which is probably quite sensible.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Let's in the meantime, let's sell you New Zealand to
the earlier. It'd be great if he wouldn't it be fantastic?
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Can I just say that day hold on? He just
might have put the deal together with the put out
the way that went in two thousand and one.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
I don't know who it was, actually I do who
wasn't here Currie.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
I'm sure it's not curious fault. Curry did a great job.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Can I just say that admirable leadership by Andrew Little
is doing a good job making some sensible decisions at
the moment, and he's sucking the life out of the
narrative that Wellington is surrounded by its own feces, which
was disastrous for ours city. And every time I've got
a social media platform and every time I put up
a picture of the ocean, everyone will say oh poos
and wheeze.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
It's like and it's not true.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
I drove past Evans Bay the other day, which is
not affected, you know by the thing, and we had
the window open because it was so it was so hot.
It was the twenty seven degree day and walking past
and week here a kid you out at Tito Beach
to his parents, Daddy, don't swim in the pooh water.
This is a five year old.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Yeah, I agree with Justin.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
You know, change the narrative.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
We have to change the narrative. But I'm sure that
you haven't been watching a lot of mainstream media because
every front person of every show is everything can't wait
to take the I was going to say, take the
pea out of us was probably the wrong right now.
But you know Wellington's still copying it. Oh yeah they are.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
But this, this will help because over time people will
be happy to go for a swim. My father in
law within five minutes he was outsurfing at l'aba and
there are a dozen people in the water with him
for permission.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
To be fair, the surfers continued to do it. And
the surfers have have surfed in that water with that
waste forever and then and I'm not that's not having
a cracket. And usually it's okay.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
But my mate had to cancel Marris a surf competition
in lol Bay and you know those sort of things.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Would you go for a swim?
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Yeah, So the thing is I don't have to and
this is the thing, it's people's choice. I went for
a swim last week in the Harbor and I've been
up to Weavans Bay too. So the thing is in
Wellington we've got so many options, which is great. I
learned to serve at tom Hawk and to need it.
It was a sewage outfaul.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
I didn't even know every now and then you come back.
It smelled a bit whiffy, but I feel exactly.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
The funny thing is is that look in christ Church,
their oxidation plant and treatment facility, it caught fire five
years ago. So all of the east and suburb residents
in christ Church are suffering extreme stench, equal stench and
bad smells and Auckland I've only been treating it since
two thousand and five. Look, it's a catastrophic failure by Violia.
(16:49):
They've really screwed up. But I'm glad that Andrew's showing
some leadership. And you know, again we stopped talking about
poohs and wheeze. I want to get your quick opinion
on this. You think there'll be a major payout by Viola.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
It has to be.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
And if you're talking about anyone that's been absent in
this process and lack of leadership or any colms and
they're hiding it's.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Then Friday face off. Just unless the Dave Armstrong justin
going to come to you first. The government has given
the power to police to move rough sleepers in public
spaces for twenty four hours. Now, what did you think
when you heard this as a former mayor, is this
a good idea? And where do they move them to? Right?
Speaker 3 (17:30):
First of all, on the way here, just now, there
are a couple of constabulary who do a wonderful job
and with an individual with handcuffs on their hands, hands
behind their back. I'm not sure what had happened, what
the situation was, was this move on order?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
But here we had two policemen handcuffing a Wellingtonian on
the street. Is it a good use of their time?
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Probably not? Well, you don't know what I mean. To
be fair, you don't know whether that's just stole a
suit Italian suit jacket from a shop. You've got no idea.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Look, I heard about it really quickly through my wife,
who's a CEO at a community housing provider. Look, this
is a suboptimal situation. No one wants to be living
on the streets, no one.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
I disagree with that. I think people. I've got a
lady that sits outside Hummingbird and she wants to be there.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Well, no child ever grew up saying I can't wait
to become an adult so I can live on a street.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
And something's happened in their lives.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
It's altered the course of their lives, whether it be addiction, trauma,
sexual assault, abuse, or mental health. And something's gone wrong.
They can no longer be in a home they can't
afford to and we want them in a home. That's
what everybody wants. Get them in a home, put the
wrap around services around them, get them to support their
needs so they can stay there. Credit to the government,
(18:44):
they're funding housing first. That will be a long term solution.
What I think has happened now.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
I mean, can I just interrupt there a little bit.
The work that your wife's organization does too is fabulous
and fantastic. Why are those people not wanting to be there?
They are?
Speaker 3 (18:59):
It just takes time. So this only was funded about
what three four months ago. You can't house all of
those people within three four months. What I would say is,
let's actually paint what's happening here is government stopped funding
for the Coying Order housing projects. They made that decision.
They kicked people out of motels or an emergency accommodation.
(19:19):
Up until twenty twenty two, we were funding about five
and a half thousand special housing grants around the country.
That's gone back to five hundred between twenty twenty two
and now, and then they wonder why there's a surgeon homelessness.
This was becoming a political issue in Auckland, Wellington, christ
Church and provincial towns up and down the country, and
(19:41):
they said.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Oh crap, this looks terrible.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
For us in an election year. How do we make
this program problem go away. We're going to ban them.
We're going to criminalize homelessness. That's the real reason they're
doing it. They want it out of sight and out
of mind. This won't fix anything. There's been a Vagrancy
Act in the UK since eighteen twenty four. It never
got rid of homelessness. It just doesn't work. So look,
(20:04):
I want to resolve the issue. Not good for anybody.
Get people into homes and don't make someone a criminal
and send them to jail and give them a two
thousand dollars fine, which is just absurd because they live
on the streets. Dave Armstrong during the FIFA World Cup,
Woman's one in Wellington and I make this comment several
(20:27):
times there wasn't one homeless person on Wellington. What happened then?
Speaker 4 (20:31):
I don't know, but I know what conservation of matter
is and that means if you pour water out of
a glass onto a wooden surface, all the water goes
from the glass, and you know, the wooden surface is
saturated and the glasses there's no homeless in the glass.
You know, they go somewhere else. That's what happened, but
you probably, I mean that's the thing I was when
(20:55):
this issue came up. I thought, oh, there'll be the
usual suspects on one side and the usual suspects on
the other. And you know that happened. But the head
of retail New Zealand, I think it was saying, this
is not going to change a thing because they're just
going to go somewhere else. So until you I agree
with Justin, you know, until you deal with the problem
I do. I agree with you. There are people that
want to be on the streets, but what they feel
(21:15):
more comfortable? Does that say about the society that created
that situation? You know? And like it's true that when
the kids they don't want to do that, but they
you know, if you're going home every night to get
beaten up, oh yeah, that then it's better to be
on the on the streets. But just moving them on
as such a surface political reaction to get votes that
(21:35):
I think you've got to. You know, it's hard dealing
with social problems. It's awful. I don't like walking the
gauntlet of people asking for money. I don't love it
if they went there. But if you move them on, okay,
it's someone else's problem, and then the things just get worse.
So you need a compassionate and funded way to deal
with it, because in the long run, the biggest waste
(21:55):
of money is two hundred grand a year per person
in prison.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Well, the other thing is that we do not have
the mental health facilities you know, don't I mean, and
I've said that from day one. You know, Porter Hospital
just a hospital to help these people that need their help.
We just don't have that anymore. That was I don't
know what government brought that in, but they got rid
of all that, put them on the street, put them
in half way houses.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
I know wealthy, middle class people on good incomes who
are in despair because their kids have mental health issues,
eating disorders, other things, you know. And so I mean,
I'm not demeaning the homeless, but I'm saying it's it's
a nationwide issue and until we address those sorts of things.
We're not gonna Homelessness becomes just, you know, a sort
(22:39):
of byproduct of.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
That and something we all none of us want to
see but knows there. Yeah, you know, Yeah, Dave Armstrong,
let's talk about the Phoenix Big game on Sunday afternoon
three o'clock. I believe, I hope I've got that right.
I'm pretty sure it is. They're playing Sydney FC after
the last weekend's game. Did either of you watched last
week's game?
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Yeah? I watched it on TV live on TV, live
on TV.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Yeah, you're at a function, so you and I was
after my fifth tieth were abundant to that, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
Five l Yeah, pretty bad.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
You're both football guys.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Absolutely love the things the very first game. Look, I
love the peak of their powers of green Acre and
Eiffel and Tim Brown and co. I think green even
coach is awesome. He's going to be great, and I'd
love to see Eifel involved actually as co coach too.
But yeah, watching I was boldly claiming to all who
would listen and all these Orka FC fans that we're
(23:39):
going to get in the time would win this weekend.
We're on the up, there on the down, and then
I watched the first half highlights and the unfortunate holla
first goal from the goalkeeper, and I was so angry
because it was just really really.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
It's a business owner, you know, take away your mauralty
where you've got to be nice to everyone as a
business owner. What did you think after that game? What
do you think had to happen?
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Look, chief, he's a lovely, lovely man. Means well was
respected by the players. They need to change the coach.
Chris Greenek will do a great job. He's been involved
as a player as a coach there now for many years.
He's been terim coach seventeen years. He's been here, yeah,
and he's considered his life to Wellington. He wants to
be here, so I think he'll do a good job.
(24:24):
I just want him to do well.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Dave Armstrom, I was hearing last year that the players
were looking at the ground at halftime, you know, looking
at the floor and the change room at halftime. Now,
you guys have been around enough sport to know that
if you're when the coach is talking and you're looking
at the floor, you're not interested in what he's got
to say.
Speaker 4 (24:42):
Yeah that, well, I hadn't heard that, but I believe it.
I'm an expert on teams conceiding lots of goals in
a few minutes because I've played in a few and
I've been the cause of quite a few. But what
I do know, even from you know, old man's social football,
is if you can see one goal, you can either go, oh, no,
we're going to lose. Now, this is terrible. We can
go come on, guys, now we need to really try
(25:04):
and get back. And it was interesting that one they
were playing really well until that goal that was you know,
top top team they're playing, and it was even Stevens.
They conceded that goal after about twenty minutes and suddenly
the heads went down. And you know, I don't believe
players like Alex Ruffer did that because I'm a big
fan of his, but I think that overall, you just
saw a team that lost it and then it just
(25:25):
became you know, frustrating. I mean, they came out in
the second half and only conceded one goal. So I
suppose you could be optimistakes.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
The chance of this weekend we'll see a revitalized team
and that you know and should we support them.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Teams have a great record of at the worst possible time,
you know, the coach leaves, in comes the greenla it
comes in and suddenly they you know, pull off a
big game. That's sort of it's the long term relationship
that has to work, you know. It's it's the day in,
(26:00):
day out getting a win when a draw was lightly
you know, and that I look, it's difficult. The other
thing too, Look at Auckland's fan base, look at their support.
It's not just the coach and the players, it's the
whole club and the people who support it.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
And let's not forget two years ago we were at
the peak of our powers and chief he was coach,
and we had Ben Old, wonderful player, Oscar Zawada, Bozidar Kraev,
Finn Sermon, Nick Pennington, all these great players, Alex Paulson,
tremendous goaling and they were so successful. They've got bought,
(26:35):
so they went off to greener pastures. We lost ten players,
ten of our senior experience pros, and we've got a
very young team and some of the new recruits haven't
performed as well as perhaps we'd hope. But that was
two years ago so we can get it back. Will
it be this weekend?
Speaker 2 (26:49):
I don't know. We've still got the same player. But
great that we're talking about it. I'm getting excited about it.
We wouldn't have been excited if nothing had change last week.
It was pretty fair.
Speaker 4 (26:59):
I mean, the wreck some game. Everyone the future of
the Phoenix, you know, so you've got to be I mean,
being a manager of fotball team is like being mayor
of Wellington. You know, it's even if you're good, you're.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Waiting to go.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
People are waiting to get rid of you. You know,
it is tough. And so I think that Justin's right,
you know, chief he was like not long ago and
we were all just singing as praises.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Okay, let's talk about vaping, because Health New Zealand has
handed out seven thousand free vapes to smokers trying to
give up and quit in two months. I mean the
cost is astronomical. I'm not a vape fan anymore than
I'm a smokers fan. Justin, what are your thoughts on
the fact that we are giving free vapes to people
that are trying to give up smoking.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Oh look, and if they're trying to get up smoking,
and if they can't and that's a serious personal problem
they have.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Look, I don't mind.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
It's a small amount of money and the health savings
that will get getting them off smoking over time, we'll
save the country money. Look, I've had friends parents pass
away over the New Year's period who'd smoked all their
lives and passed away due to lung cancer.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
So it's a big cost. So I don't mind.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
Different to the Olympics are giving away condoms A we're
doing it, oh weeks up and down the country this week,
eager young men thinking okay, what happened? So I don't mind.
But having said that, there comes a point in time
where you look after yourselves. I'm not a big fan
of vaping.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Vaping give free vopes to people that are trying to
give us well, well it's coming from.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
It's complex because some doctors don't support that. I think
that if someone is genuinely trying to give up smoking
using vapes as great, do they have to be free?
Not sure? The other thing is are they monitoring its
Because some people take up vaping to try and give
up smoking, and then long term they don't smoke any less.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
And so they become addicted to vaping.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Yeah, but that's not as bad.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Well, we don't know that.
Speaker 4 (28:48):
We don't know. You're right, we don't know empirically, but
it looks like it's not as bad.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
Very quick piece of them though.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
We analyze spending because we get azie transactions. Interestingly, eighteen
to thirty year olds in the last year spent lest
on vaping. But where the growth is a hearing is.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Sort of forty plus. Well there you go. You always
find out on Friday, face.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Off, the Friday face art hot.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
Okay, this is getting exciting. Dave Armstrong, hit me with
your hots and knots for the week.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Okay, Well the hot is We've got a French festival
on Willington at the moment and there's some really interesting
stuff on. It goes until next Saturday. And a few
days ago we had the opening of the Altiero New
Zealand Festival the Arts and that goes into fifteenth of
the March. So we always have these handling people going
are we the arts capital? Have we lost our I
(29:41):
think we'll go to a show and find out not hot.
Children's poverty as fourteen percent of children living in hardship
five children have been run over this month. The kids
are doing it hard. What I would say is, let's
not blame one government or another government. Let's hope both
major parties get together on this and work together, because
(30:02):
there's way too much partisanship about child poverty. It's got
to be both sides saying let's hold fire and try
and actually do something here here.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
I couldn't agree with you more. In everybody's classroom, there's
three kids, there's one and seven. So if it's the
twenty one kids in the class, three of them are
doing it hard and that's not good enough.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
Just in Lester, I want to celebrate some Wellingtonian's doing incredibly.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Well on the world stage.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Melly Kerr Tawa College alum one hundred on debut and
t twenty last week as captain. Debut as captain and
then Ratten Ravendra Hibbs old boy took four wickets you know,
one foot in the semi finals the TEA twenty World Cup.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Do well done.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
It's great to see. And then a small shout out
to actually Andrew Little great leadership on this mile point thing.
It's nice to have an adult in the room and
a council that's getting on credit to him.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
And thank you.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
What's not Yeah, the olier. I'm sorry. You guys have
got to step up. You're happy to collect seventeen million dollars?
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Is that what it says. I've never heard their figures
at seventeen million.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
Quote man's back when I was in office.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
It's probably twenty five million. Probably.
Speaker 4 (31:14):
I think there's probably been a cost.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
They're happy to run and make money off of the service. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
I get so many stories of oh, mate told me,
you know they have been bypassing the controls.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Yeah, so sepa fixa and let us know what's going on. Alumni,
I call it alumni. What did you call it?
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Al alumni?
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Alumni, alumni, it's just what it's called Tara College alumni
or alumnus.
Speaker 4 (31:37):
Yeah, alumni, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Thank you both so very much. Let's not get into
an English linguistic because we will both lose that one.
To Dave Armstrong, great to see you, Dave. Just the list,
it would probably come and second and I would definitely
come up third on the England and the Linguistics test
on Friday. Face off, Catch you guys next time.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Thank you for coming in for more from Wellington Mornings
with Nick Mills. Listen live to news talks It'd be
Wellington from nine am days, or follow the podcast on
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