It’s been quite a week in Parliament.
Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden dropped the c-word, quoting a controversial opinion piece by Andrea Vance. Meanwhile, the Te Pati Maori co-leaders were suspended for 21 days and yesterday Labour MP Willie Jackson was booted from the house.
How low have the standards of behaviour dropped in our Parliament?
Also, a single Wellington bus lane enforcement camera on Cambridge Terrace has made nearly $800,000 in just two months, with thousands being stung. Is this about enforcement or revenue gathering?
To answer those questions, Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy and former Wellington mayor Dame Kerry Prendergast joined Nick Mills for Friday Faceoff.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from news Talk said b Wellington's official week interview. It's
Friday Fasar with Cordov Property Management, a better rental experience
for all visit ko Insad Thursday dozen start Friday.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Joining us for Friday face Off this week is a
couple of my favorite people. And I'm not saying it
to your face. I said it behind. I said it
earlier on the show. A couple of my favorite Wellingtonians
upper upmea Wayne Guppy, good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Good morning on such a great Wellington day.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
It is a great Wellington day. And to have two
great Wellingtonians in the studio with me, I feel blessed.
I feel blessed.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Well thank you for the invite.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Well I just but you're both getting so damn hard
to get old and now we seem to ring every
week and no, can't do it. No, I'm started to
feel that I wasn't wearing the right after shape Wellington Mayor,
Dame x Wellington Mayor, Dame Carey Prendicast, welcome.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Thank you very much, lovely to see you.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
You look radiant, didn't she didn't she? When she walked
in the studio or smiling. I think she was just
pleased to see you.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
But you know, please to see the both of you.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Oh gosh, it's smiling and looking radiant as you always do.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
You don't know something that we don't know. You should
introduce to you as the Wellington mayor.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I didn't forget to say x mayor. Gosh, we will
get round to talking about that.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
At some stance this morning. It's not on the list.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Might ask you for your opinion opinion. I know what
your opinion will be. I want to start with something
that's been really annoying me all week, really annoying me.
It's been a hell of a week in parliament, workplace relations,
Minister Brook van Velt dropping the sea work now. When
we discussed the show, discussed this hour, people in the
(02:03):
discussion panel, the group of experts that I have to
confided in every day, said Kerry will be up in
arms about some Brook using the seaword. And I said
to myself, Kerrie won't give a damn. But I could
be right or I could be wrong, because you're not
a prude, are you. No, I'm not approved, but anyway,
let's carry on a controversial opinion piece by Andrew Advance. Meanwhile,
(02:26):
to party Maury's leaders have been sent suspended for twenty
one days and yesterday Labor MP Willie Jackson was booted
out from the household one of his own and he
still wouldn't go Kerry, tell me because I know that
you have a lot to do with the powers of Bee.
You're a very powerfull You're both very powerful people in
our community. Behavior in Parliament is it annoying you? And
(02:50):
is it all right to use the sea word?
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Well, first of all, I think it's bringing parliament disrespect.
I don't think they should have used the sea words.
So I'm not a prude there is That is a
word I've never used in my life, and listening to
the debate this week, I was thinking maybe I'm out
of touch. But this morning I had a meeting very
early with a friend and he's got teenage daughters and
(03:14):
he said he would be appulled and shocked if his
teenage daughters use that word. So there are some words
in society you don't use, and when they start using
it in Parliament, the riskers it becomes in common usage.
So I don't support it at all.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Right, So what about the behavior generally, you know, wearing hats,
wearing what you want to. Are you concerned by it
or you just think I think.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
I can remember how my old Yes I am, I
can remember when I was. In fact, it was not me,
it was the mere prior to me Mark. We started
getting the odd council turning up without a shirt and tie,
and that caused quite a lot of angst. The reality
is society is more relaxed now and men wearing you know,
(04:01):
good casual shirts. Jackets looks fan always full of a
million dollars. I'm just saying that I'm much more relaxed
about that than the language and some of the behavior
I agree with where the Justice Committee came out on
or the Privilegist Committee came out on to party May,
I think they should have been suspended. They had their opportunity,
(04:24):
multiple opportunities to put their case. They chose not to
take them. The reality is there right now.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I'm going to have a bet with you right now.
I will bet that I will take you out for lunch,
you and Rex out for lunch so that everyone realizes
love board take you both out for lunch. If they
get twenty one days, they're not going to get anything
like that. They're going to get three or four days.
You wait and see it.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
They've got a very good lawyer, Chris Finlison, supporting them.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
No, you wait and see. I reckon three or four days.
To you, what did you actually make of Andre of
ANSWER's article first? Did you read it? Did you? I
mean you would have gone back and read it once
you see.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Really, but I mean that the standards of Parliament have
dropped and it should be a concerned for the whole country,
not just people who'd taken in interest should be it's
an issue for the whole country. And and you can
say what you like, whether you're old fashioned or not.
It all began with Trevor Millard when they drop the
dress standards. You start that it's a bit like casual Friday.
You watch people casual Friday, and then you know that's
(05:21):
actually casual Monday and Tuesday, and they come to comes
Friday and people turn up to work. But you wouldn't
actually go to the you wouldn't even cut your lawns on.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Or you wouldn't have you actually get into the local
park bar exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
And if those standards aren't restored, it is it's going
to cause this country big problems. I agree with what
Winston Peter said yesterday. This is the sieeds of anarchy
and that's you know, that's.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Hard of a cheek coming from having but the reality of.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
It is the standards are appalling. The standards are not
being upheld by the Speaker, and it's going downhill fast.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
So you're blaming the speaker.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
The Speaker's got a lot to do with it. They
set the standard. Look, why would you yesterday when the
Privileged Committee at twenty one days and then spend half
the time telling them that he thought it was too harsh.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
And to have the speaker have to stand to ask
Willie Jackson, the MP, to leave, and he refused. It
took a number of times to make him leave. In
the past, that would never have happened when the Speaker
said out, mister Jackson, they would have stood up and
left and he had to stand and repeat it.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I'm laughing because I'd pay the entry fee for a
fight for life between Willie Jackson and Greg o' collar.
I would like I would, I would even pick a
winner there. I think the old the old Irishman. But anyway,
you're shaking your head there you don't like that idea, Kerry.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
But I don't agree with boxing and fighting, but I
do agree with what Wayne said in about standards.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
So what was your initial response? Now, you would have
read this column because you're a reader, you would have
read the.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Column times absolutely, So what did you think?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Why did you turn to Rex and say after you
read it.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
That I was very surprised it was printed, but it
wasn't printed in full and so like they used to
use the F word and just put.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
No writer, no respected writer would use if dot dot
dot in a column.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Well, I think I've seen that.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Have you.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Watch a lot of Netflix and that that word now
has become common usage. I'm not going to repeat it
on here, but you know what I mean, but not
the C word. Sorry I draw the line.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Okay, watch Andrea out of line.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
I'm sure as we've heard, she had a lot of
editorial support and they made a call. I think it
was the wrong call.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Gubbs, and I agree with Kerry. I think you know,
I mean, it is the dropping of standards, there's no
question about it.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Can we actually bring the standards back up? I was
really intrigued by Mike Hoskins editorial This morning. The first
one saying that you know, basically what he was saying
is that society across the world, not in New Zealand,
society has changed since COVID, and we're you know, we
seem grumpier, we seem more ready to fight, we don't
(08:20):
care what we look like. It just feels like things
have changed. Do you believe they have changed?
Speaker 3 (08:27):
They have. But if you don't set those standards and
say this is where the line is, then degradation continues.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Would you let somebody come into your council meeting wearing
a cowboy hat?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Oh, well, that's a decision they would make. But you
certainly say this is the standard we have here and
particularly but you're talking about parliament. I mean it's not
standard issue to be wearing a hat.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
No.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
And in terms of Mike Hostings article, I haven't seen it.
The reality is, if he says standards have dropped since COVID,
there's going to be another pandemic. I mean, where does
it stop? Does it just keep chunking down every time?
Speaker 3 (09:02):
And remember as they drop, it becomes excepis That's exactly do.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
You think the behavior that we're saying. I know I'm
going to go to a break. But do you think
that the behavior that we're seeing and now in Parliament.
I don't accept it, I personally don't accept it. To
either of you quickly, do you accept it? Do you
think it's good enough?
Speaker 4 (09:18):
I don't think it's good enough. And that is the speaker.
Wayne's absolutely right.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
No, absolutely appalling behavior and it's a concern for all
of New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
There you go. It's Friday face off of the Upper Huts.
Mayor Wayne Guppy and former Wellington Mayor and director of
every company that's worth over five hundred million dollars. Dame
Carey Printer gas no jealousy. No jealousy here from me
and Gubs say we can't pick up those weekly payments,
(09:47):
can we? Gibbs well, Gus probably lighting them up when
he finishes. Let's talk about corporate welfare. We're talking about
welfare for Dame Carey Printa Gus. Let's talk about corporate welfare.
Wellington City Council tried and failed to put together a
thirty million dollar deal to help the owners of the
Reading Cinema complex out. Now the council is trying to
(10:07):
come up with a deal to revive Johnsonville Moore mission impossible.
I say, well, Upperhart and our very good friend Wye
Guppy City Council has voted down a plan to give
one point five million dollars to the owner of a
decaying block of shops that need renovating that apparently stink
when you walk past them. Gups. Absolutely is it wrong?
(10:29):
And I want to come straight to you Wayne on
this is it wrong that councils are actually giving these
rich developers that own all this stuff, decaying buildings, giving
them assistance in some way to actually help refix their buildings.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Well, I mean, this was an agreement that had been
signed in twenty fifteen, and it hadn't the conditions hadn't
been met, and it was obviously that council had to
look where to from here. Council had three options, and
with three options on the paper, one of those options
was obviously do we rejig the proposal? They certainly council
(11:04):
turned that down and said no, so that the thought
procedures the court will continue.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Okay, so but that doesn't really answer my question. My
question is like and I and I understand why it
was done in secrecy because every other developer out of
our heart's going to be beat on the phone. Hold oh,
Johnny down the roads getting a couple of million from
the council. I'm going to be on the same thing.
I don't agree when we're all getting our rates put
up by so much that counsel's getting involved in helping developers.
(11:32):
That's my issue.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Yeah, I mean, and I think I think personally that
individual councils. It depends too. I mean, you've got to
remember this deal was signed in twenty fifteen. Yeah, there was,
there was. There was a lot of, if you like,
debate in the community, but the CBD needed to be
sorted and that was part of But I think it's
an individual you know, different councils look at differently. Depends
(11:55):
what the response is, but generally speaking, it's not standard practice.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Okay, did you actually support it yourself?
Speaker 5 (12:01):
No?
Speaker 3 (12:01):
From here? From here that where we've got to.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Now.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I know we went on, but I'm talking about yourself.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Did you the original original back in two thousand.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
And okay, all right, yep. Did you vote yesterday or
did you not be devoted?
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Yeah, you're not going to tell us how your vote because.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
No, no, well it was no because we're now in
a process were we're going through that court case.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Okay, all right, Kerry Prendergast, Dame Kerrey prendergas I personally
don't like councils getting involved with property developers. Your thoughts,
as a very successful willing to mayor, would you actually
be writing checks out for developers?
Speaker 4 (12:37):
It is wider than writing checks out. It is about streetscape,
it's about safety, it's about security, and it's about black
holes in the city. So I want to talk about
and remind you because you have a site on the
corner of Blair and Allen, those two streets used to
be where they were just seem industrial where all the
fruit and produce came into town. I'm talking about the
(12:59):
late eighties, and they were terrible security safety. We did
a new district plan. We wanted there to be it
a living on apartments. We talked to the building owners
and they said, why would we do anything with our
buildings when the streets are so bad. So in partnership
with building owners, we upgraded the streets. We put the
tiling in, we put channeling in, we put good lighting in,
(13:21):
and then the building owners had the confidence to do
up their buildings. And they got there.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
But that's not really good question, because we did.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Put rate Pars money into upgrading the streets in partnership
with the building owners.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
I get that, but I'm talking about like Wayne was, well, I.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Don't know the details of Wayne Steel.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
We know the details are reading, which so that's not
actually putting.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
So I wouldn't have done that because we all know
that they did such a bad deal that the Capitol
game would have gone order reading and not to Wellington
rate Pawers. And I can't understand why the smarts around
the council table, let alone behind the council table didn't
work that out. So no, but I do understand some
of the bigger picture things around safety and security and
(14:04):
a dead hole in the city they were.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
In fact, we're not arguing about that heart in all
the most utmost respect. We're not arguing what the council
does on the streets or the drainage or anything surrounding it.
We're talking about capital gains for developers because the council's
lending them some money. Wayne. Do you reckon the public?
I mean I did an hour on It'm to show
you if someone would have told you the public were
(14:26):
dead against it. I mean, did you get that? Did
you know that going into that meeting that the public
would not like the idea of the council giving out
their rate payers money to a developer.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
And as I said, that was one of the three
options that the councils had to vote on. And that's
what happens in any paper that comes to council. There
there's options and councilors make that decision. And it was
really clear that they did not want to have any
settlement agreement.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Can I just thought there was no deal.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
I was just going to say that there's a lot
of debate in Willington too about the Johnsonville moll and
that goes back to my time when we changed the
plan at the last minute to save Wellington Strip retail
along Lampton Key. The reality is, and I'm going to
give another example, big picture, You've got a big area
(15:13):
which is right for development, it's great for apartments, it's
right on a transport hub. Wouldn't the council work with
the developer to say, if you were to sell us
at the right market price enough of the land for
us to then with a private public partnership put in
housing to encourage people to use public transport.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I think that's that's a whole different story.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Well, people will argue and say, well, why should the
council be adding age involved because we're getting involved because
we're trying to help a developer maybe refresh as retail.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
But if you're involved in the I mean I get that.
I get that totally because that's a council initiative and
they'll be making money for the breakepayers and we've got
a housing problem. I get that, but actually just giving
them money so that we.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
Don't know the details of going back to two fifteen
and we have to respect the no.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
No, I'm talking about it. I'm not trying to say that,
I'm talking about idiot council.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
But any involvement like that is there are a number
of conditions.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
On it, and including rates and return.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
And obviously Wayne, and I don't want to push you
on this, but obviously there was something in that whole
deal that wasn't as open and transparent as anyone would like.
Because you threatened to sue the post writing writing an article.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Issue The issue there that had nothing to do with that.
The issue there was the fact that some of that
commercially sensitive and also some of that legally privileged information
had been leaked from the council and that was the issue,
nothing to do with anything else.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
It was that that had been lead for the next
six months with election coming, that gets worse and worse
as people want to curry favor with the media and
they think if they give them a deal, they may
get more publicity.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
The process and that our public excluded process and there
was that was leaked and that was the issue.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Can I ask you both individually, but I want to
know because can the council do anything with a rogue developer?
I mean, if you've got a developer like the Johnsonville More,
I'm not calling him a rogue. I mean they're a
big outfit. They also own stuff. Rogue developer, Yeah, you're
like not doing you know, god of development. I mean
that's what is it, sixty percent of Johnsonville retail space
(17:28):
or something and he's not doing anything with it. Is
there anything carry or come to you first that you
can do to put pressure on them to do something.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
Well, you wouldn't get politicians involved, but that's where there
may be an opportunity for management to sit down and
say this is an area we really like to see,
as I said, whether it's apartments, social housing. If you
were to release some of the land to us after
good market evaluation, that may give you enough money to
redevelop the rest of the site. Then maybe there is
(17:58):
such a discussion. Okay, but I have no idea where
that issue is at the moment.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Coming to you on that way. Is there anything I
mean that with them, that's a very bad part of
Upper Hut when there's so much good parts of it.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
I've got to work with them.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
You can't you can't force them to do anything.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Well, no, there are probably some things you can do
with rates, et cetera. But you've got to work with them.
And remember what happens when you get areas like that.
The first thing that the community is saying to you,
what are you doing about this?
Speaker 4 (18:21):
And I can tell you if they haven't been paying
their rates and you put too much pret and they
walk away guests, who ends up owning the site? The
council with all of god problem.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
He's got the phone number of Wayne Gupp, He's got
the phone number of four great developers, three amazing developers.
He'd run one of them and I'd say that Malcolm
Gillies would be having a cup of tea with you
in eight minutes, as long as it took them to
get down to your office and said, I can sort
this out for your gups. I've sorted out the half
of Upper Hut for your sort out.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
The other hand, well, you've got to work with all
of them. You've got to work with them and when
they when they become a real I saw the community
wants some action. And remember across the country, across the country,
those you know talking about Johnsonville and areas in Upper
Heart or around the country, every part of the country,
the earthquake pron building thing comes and there will be
the derelict walk all.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Then guests who owns it unpaid rates in the community
game up in arms and say sort it out for it.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
I would rather building derelict building bulldoz down than smelling
of dead rats as Then you go.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
Back to the eighties and Wellington when Chase were round
and they pulled down buildings and it was terrible, all
these gaps.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
I can't remember the eighties. That's fat that you want
to bring up the eighties. God damn well, I can
about the eighties was Michael Jackson want to talk about
Michael Jackson. I've got on it eleven thirty back with
Wade Guffy, Dave Kerry, predigards the eighties. Remember the eighties.
Oh that's before drugs started happening.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Us talk said the headlines.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
Now it's back to Nick Mills.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Now, kab just before you sneak out, because you will
go very quickly because we're in a forum discussion. There's
two generations of women that are beautifully dressed and beautifully presented.
Where's the generation gap?
Speaker 5 (20:06):
Because I came in and said I found the conversation
fascinating about the use of the sea word in the
House and how it has led to a wider discussion
about standards in Parliament. But I said it was interesting
in the newsroom. We then were talking and I feel
there's not about the swear word, but I feel there's
(20:27):
a generational divide around some of the standards in the
House in relation to the hakka and to party Moldy.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
You're talking about dress as well.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
No, no, well kind of about dress as well.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
But I think there's always probably been a generational divide,
but there are around.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
I mean, you might wear different closer Carrie. But you
both look very well presented.
Speaker 5 (20:45):
Yeah, yes, but for me, I don't think you see
you probably see more of it in Wellington in terms
of young men walking around fully suited up like Wayne.
I think that does come with you know, as you
get older and probably a bit more experienced.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
You know what I reckon it is if you look
good in a suit, you wear it. If you don't,
you don't, you know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Yeah, and if you can afford a good suit as well.
And we didn't even talk about the Harker no, I know,
which is interesting. Yeah, maybe that wasn't fear that discussion
without me being there to be.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
Totally we were talking about the swear word. But then
there's also this different around the standards. Yeah, I think
there's some young people that see some of the stuff
happening in Parliament in a different way than those of
us who.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
Are a bit older.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
That's myself and the younger.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
She's being very sensitive. Leave you to it that you're blushing.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
That's the nicest possible way of KB telling us we're
all getting old old phoony, great great stuff. Do you
know listen to this, check this out. I know this
is going to upset you both because it upsets the
hell out of me. A single bus lane enforcement camera
on Cambridge Terrace, just down the road from here has
(22:03):
made nearly eight hundred thousand dollars. There's nearly a million
dollars in two months. I mean, thousands of people been stuck. Carrie,
you have had a well covered battle with the I
mean you've been in the front page of the paper
with your battle with the council over a parking ticket.
This this come on, tell us take your mayor's ex
mayor's cap. Orf Is this just a money grabbing exercise, Well.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
It clearly is taken the amount of income they're getting.
I just think I got recently stung in Auckland for
entering a bus lane to turn left more than fifty
meters before the corner, which is the law. I don't
know how you meant to measure that when you're in
your car, but I had a similar and you know,
we fought it for a while and gave in and paid.
(22:50):
The reality is, I don't know that when you see,
particularly the weekends and at nighttime, when there is nobody
in the bus lanes, why it can't be allowed for
taxis for uber for cyclost so you're getting more use
of what is when you took at Kennic Cambridge heaious,
Well we're down to two lanes, and one of them
the majority of the lane is for buses only when
(23:11):
you're driving there and you know the cars are stacked
right up coming up to the lights near Vivin Street.
Why you can't have multiple users in the bus lane
as long as they're appropriately taxis or uber's or ubers
or cyclists. I don't know. And I it's making better
use of the roadway than it currently is.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
We had a call away and that card in to
the show when we talked about it, and said that
on seven point thirty of Easter Monday, he got a ticket.
Not a car in the in the lane, no one.
I mean, who the hell's there on seven thirty on
Easter Monday, you know, And he got one hundred and
fifty dollars ticket. I mean, this is this is more
than trying to keep the traffic flying. This is a
(23:53):
money maker. Don't smile.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
I think it's.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
He doesn't have any buses another did you worry?
Speaker 3 (24:01):
I come in to tell a lot, but actually it
is there for a reason to move people around. And
get them moving on the buses.
Speaker 4 (24:08):
But there's hardly any buses that sometimes the day, you know.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
But I mean, I mean there could be times, but
then it makes it harder to police, doesn't in a
lot o.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
They have security cameras registered text.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
It could be varying times, but you know, there is
a there is a reason.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
For it again, a reason for its I'm with you,
I'm flabbergasted by it.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Your voters are listening and saying, oh, I'd like those tickets.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
He's the only thing, of course, is that's keeping the
rates down for everyone else that sort of income. So
if you're starting here, but if you stick to the law,
then all it does that income reduces the rates for
everyone else.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Up until now, I've always considered you as a very
intelligent woman. But when the hell are the rates going
to come down?
Speaker 4 (24:56):
About water? And I'm going to tell you they're going
to keep going up.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
You just said the rates are going to come down
because of the tickets come up.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
You don't know what I said was at eight hundred K.
If they didn't have that in would go on top.
So now it's a reduction.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
I'm going to call you the L word for that.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
Oh, there's a lot of ol words. Which particular one
are you talking about?
Speaker 2 (25:18):
You're alive.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
To say lovely.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
I think you're a liar. If you think that the
rates are going to come down, I'll call it first time.
I hate that word.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
She's hopeful, she's hopeful, she's hopeful.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Oh my gosh, Hope Friday face off with Wayne Guppy
and Dame Kerrey Prenagas. Now, this one's a bit of
a controversial one and I and I kind of probably
be out on my own a little bit horror for
nor District Council has voted in favor of a proposal
to give Local EWI the first writer of refusal of
any council land it chooses to sell, but counselors, some
(25:57):
counselors are saying that it should be put to market
and so the rate payers get the best deal. Now,
Wayne Guppy, how does this work in Upper Hut? If
you've got a piece of land for sale, do you
have to go to your local EWI first?
Speaker 3 (26:09):
What's your boss' I've got a treaty claim what I mean,
that's the law. But this is just general landing and
we would be going to the market. Okay, No, preference
for you, we would be going to the market.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Okay, lots of councilors are actually doing this, Kerrie, your
thoughts on it, because what if I'm going to ask
you a hypothetical and I'm saying it's a hypothetical, right
that a developer from Germany, let's keep it race not
Asian or did or let's keep it open race flink.
(26:41):
A German developer looks at buying it, offers five hundred
thousand for it. The E we wants to buy, they
want to pay five hundred thousand. Who gets it?
Speaker 4 (26:48):
Well, that the German would have had to have international
overseas approval, and then the reality you'd look and see
who was going to do something with it. So if
an international buyer was was going to develop it and
create jobs and whatever, I'd go with the use of
the land going forward.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
If the E we were going to put on a
whole lot of housing for Maori.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
Would have you got those sort of guarantees, Well then
you take that into account, but you're now adding a
whole lot more conditions. That doesn't sound like iph and
we were looking at they're just saying any land that
we own was go to EWI, So you never know
what the market value is and you don't get the
best deal for rate pays. That's wrong.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
That is wrong way and you think that's wrong too. Absolutely,
I do, okay right now, something that Wayne, you'll definitely
have some view on and carry. You would probably be
disturbed by them driving past your place when there's no
road cones and people can drive past your house, which
you can't do. At the moment, government is cracking down
on boyd races, planning to introduce legislation that allow cars
(27:47):
to be sold or destroyed of court doing street racing
nose first, second or third warning away we go. We're
getting rid of them, Wayne Guppy. This is a problem
for you. I know it's a problem for you. What
are your thoughts. Will it make any difference?
Speaker 3 (28:01):
Absolutely? Will? I mean, And the harsher they are, the
better it is. Because effect of the matter is we're
talking about standards before.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
This is the law.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
You either you can do this or you can't do this.
And when you can't and you break the law, then
there are consequences. And those consequences what we see with
boy racers as are actually putting the finger to society
and saying well, we don't agree with the law and
we're going to do what we like.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Now you've had some issues with it, so tell tell
our listeners how bad it is. I mean some of
us live up in the hills away from it all
that and probably don't get it. I mean, is it
that bad?
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Well, well not now, because the police have clemed down.
I tell you the police in the Heart Valley have
done an outstanding job. But the fact of the matter
is they cause damage to the roads. They leave a
lot of issue, you know, a lot of refuge behind
with tires and bottles and cans. They keep residents awake
at night. They don't care what goes on, and they
endanger residents.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
They can be there's been accidents and that is the
hospital and then what ambulance.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Then what happens the wok wrigy come out and say,
oh oh what we know? What are we doing to them?
Speaker 2 (29:04):
You know?
Speaker 3 (29:05):
The fact of the matter is this is a great
law and there are consequences for it. So if they
lose your car, we'll be we support the police.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Now, I'm going to come to you really quickly on
this one, Cary, because I want to go to hots
and knots, but some residents are concerned there's no accountability
for Wellington Electricity to the rate pass. It's owned by
a Hong Kong Chinese owned Don't look at me like that,
will you know that made the decision to sell it.
It's owned by a Chinese company out of Hong Kong.
It's legally actually based in the Bahamas. It comes after
(29:33):
multiple properties within the city were left without power for
a week after a storm mat Are you comfortable as
a Wellington rate payer and as an ex mayor of
Wellington of having I mean, I think it affects you
two gaps it it's the same deal. Are you happy?
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Are you happy that it's do Wellington rate payers? Do
any rate pairs in New Zealand think councils are elected
because we know how to run an apertoire, or a
milk treatment plant or an electricity company because we used
to do all of those things. That's not that question finished.
The question is, so in nineteen ninety six we sold
forty nine percent of capital for one hundred and twenty
million because Wellington residents needed a sewage treatment plant. We
(30:11):
didn't want to put the deet up, so you sell
nonstrate teacher gas sets because we don't know how to
run an electricity department, forced to teacher gas sets like
a sewage treatment plant. And absolutely I do it again.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
Okay, now it's gone through since then, gone through six
or seven? Do you not care that you can't pick
up the phone and try and talk to someone in
the Mahard?
Speaker 4 (30:30):
Well you can pick up the phone.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
They'll have call centers because it's only in New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
It's not going to be.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Who's going to guarantee the services any better?
Speaker 4 (30:41):
He doesn't agree with us.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Eight hundred harbers.
Speaker 4 (30:48):
I won't even use the name of them. You can
wring all sorts of lines share. They're not the call
centers are not based in New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
All right, I'll come back with hots and knots. I've
lost that battle. I can't be bothered even trying to
fight that one out the Friday. Okay, let's get onto it.
Come on, Carrie Prenic Dame, carry print of gas. Tell
me you're hots or not? What's hot and not? H?
Speaker 4 (31:12):
Well, what's hot is? Last night there was a wonderful
panel at the Boating Club and it was five people
talking their visionary ideas for where this region could go
in the future. Could we be the live music capital,
Could we be the compassionate capital, Could we be the
connected capital. Could we be able to ride your bike
from anywhere in this region to work off road? Fantastic
(31:36):
ideas and we just went. We were sold out. It
was great. So it's a pity not everyone in Wellington
was there. We couldn't fit you in.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
What's not?
Speaker 4 (31:45):
I was in road racing. I didn't see a single
road cone, not a single road cone. The guy that
runs up infrastructure up there, Stave Ross Michael used to
run it in Wellington and he and I were shaking
our heads thinking about how how Wellington is just full
of them compared to roder weather One. He was an
amazing guy.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
I wonder what happened to him? Can ever pronounced his name?
That's why I don't want to run. He was, You're right,
Wayne Guppy, what's hot and what's not on the land
of Upper Hut.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Well and hot? For me, he's the privileged committee for
the twenty one days, trying to set some standards. For me,
that's the hottest, properly hottest in town and and the
notes for me, what's happened to God's own. We now
have told during the week UNICEF that we have the
highest suicide.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Rate for children in the woods.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
That is tragical, and that's something we got a face
up to around front quickly.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Are you still a Trump fan? Last time you're in
You're a blood? Quite well?
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Was actually that Trump wandering through the Middle East in
those you know.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
Pick jets. He's clearly not a Trump because he started
wearing his red tie.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
Meandering speeches and egos.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Are doing pretty well too. Cups are doing pretty well, buddy.
Oh come on, man, don't even gives a plug. Yeah,
thank you both so very much. Have a great week.
He'd love having you both. And you didn't disappoint me.
Hopefully you didn't disappoint the list, just like I can't
help it if you did, but because I think I
think you're both fantastic and I'll enjoy it.
Speaker 4 (33:15):
Thank you for the invite.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Thank you 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 Talk said b Wellington's official week interview. It's
Friday Fasar with Cordov Property Management, a better rental experience
for all visit ko Insad Thursday dozen start Friday.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Joining us for Friday face Off this week is a
couple of my favorite people. And I'm not saying it
to your face. I said it behind. I said it
earlier on the show. A couple of my favorite Wellingtonians
upper upmea Wayne Guppy, good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Good morning on such a great Wellington day.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
It is a great Wellington day. And to have two
great Wellingtonians in the studio with me, I feel blessed.
I feel blessed.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Well thank you for the invite.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Well I just but you're both getting so damn hard
to get old and now we seem to ring every
week and no, can't do it. No, I'm started to
feel that I wasn't wearing the right after shape Wellington Mayor,
Dame x Wellington Mayor, Dame Carey Prendicast, welcome.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Thank you very much, lovely to see you.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
You look radiant, didn't she didn't she? When she walked
in the studio or smiling. I think she was just
pleased to see you.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
But you know, please to see the both of you.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Oh gosh, it's smiling and looking radiant as you always do.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
You don't know something that we don't know. You should
introduce to you as the Wellington mayor.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I didn't forget to say x mayor. Gosh, we will
get round to talking about that.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
At some stance this morning. It's not on the list.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Might ask you for your opinion opinion. I know what
your opinion will be. I want to start with something
that's been really annoying me all week, really annoying me.
It's been a hell of a week in parliament, workplace relations,
Minister Brook van Velt dropping the sea work now. When
we discussed the show, discussed this hour, people in the
(02:03):
discussion panel, the group of experts that I have to
confided in every day, said Kerry will be up in
arms about some Brook using the seaword. And I said
to myself, Kerrie won't give a damn. But I could
be right or I could be wrong, because you're not
a prude, are you. No, I'm not approved, but anyway,
let's carry on a controversial opinion piece by Andrew Advance. Meanwhile,
(02:26):
to party Maury's leaders have been sent suspended for twenty
one days and yesterday Labor MP Willie Jackson was booted
out from the household one of his own and he
still wouldn't go Kerry, tell me because I know that
you have a lot to do with the powers of Bee.
You're a very powerfull You're both very powerful people in
our community. Behavior in Parliament is it annoying you? And
(02:50):
is it all right to use the sea word?
Speaker 4 (02:52):
Well, first of all, I think it's bringing parliament disrespect.
I don't think they should have used the sea words.
So I'm not a prude there is That is a
word I've never used in my life, and listening to
the debate this week, I was thinking maybe I'm out
of touch. But this morning I had a meeting very
early with a friend and he's got teenage daughters and
(03:14):
he said he would be appulled and shocked if his
teenage daughters use that word. So there are some words
in society you don't use, and when they start using
it in Parliament, the riskers it becomes in common usage.
So I don't support it at all.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Right, So what about the behavior generally, you know, wearing hats,
wearing what you want to. Are you concerned by it
or you just think I think.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
I can remember how my old Yes I am, I
can remember when I was. In fact, it was not me,
it was the mere prior to me Mark. We started
getting the odd council turning up without a shirt and tie,
and that caused quite a lot of angst. The reality
is society is more relaxed now and men wearing you know,
(04:01):
good casual shirts. Jackets looks fan always full of a
million dollars. I'm just saying that I'm much more relaxed
about that than the language and some of the behavior
I agree with where the Justice Committee came out on
or the Privilegist Committee came out on to party May,
I think they should have been suspended. They had their opportunity,
(04:24):
multiple opportunities to put their case. They chose not to
take them. The reality is there right now.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I'm going to have a bet with you right now.
I will bet that I will take you out for lunch,
you and Rex out for lunch so that everyone realizes
love board take you both out for lunch. If they
get twenty one days, they're not going to get anything
like that. They're going to get three or four days.
You wait and see it.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
They've got a very good lawyer, Chris Finlison, supporting them.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
No, you wait and see. I reckon three or four days.
To you, what did you actually make of Andre of
ANSWER's article first? Did you read it? Did you? I
mean you would have gone back and read it once
you see.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Really, but I mean that the standards of Parliament have
dropped and it should be a concerned for the whole country,
not just people who'd taken in interest should be it's
an issue for the whole country. And and you can
say what you like, whether you're old fashioned or not.
It all began with Trevor Millard when they drop the
dress standards. You start that it's a bit like casual Friday.
You watch people casual Friday, and then you know that's
(05:21):
actually casual Monday and Tuesday, and they come to comes
Friday and people turn up to work. But you wouldn't
actually go to the you wouldn't even cut your lawns on.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Or you wouldn't have you actually get into the local
park bar exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
And if those standards aren't restored, it is it's going
to cause this country big problems. I agree with what
Winston Peter said yesterday. This is the sieeds of anarchy
and that's you know, that's.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Hard of a cheek coming from having but the reality of.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
It is the standards are appalling. The standards are not
being upheld by the Speaker, and it's going downhill fast.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
So you're blaming the speaker.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
The Speaker's got a lot to do with it. They
set the standard. Look, why would you yesterday when the
Privileged Committee at twenty one days and then spend half
the time telling them that he thought it was too harsh.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
And to have the speaker have to stand to ask
Willie Jackson, the MP, to leave, and he refused. It
took a number of times to make him leave. In
the past, that would never have happened when the Speaker
said out, mister Jackson, they would have stood up and
left and he had to stand and repeat it.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
I'm laughing because I'd pay the entry fee for a
fight for life between Willie Jackson and Greg o' collar.
I would like I would, I would even pick a
winner there. I think the old the old Irishman. But anyway,
you're shaking your head there you don't like that idea, Kerry.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
But I don't agree with boxing and fighting, but I
do agree with what Wayne said in about standards.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
So what was your initial response? Now, you would have
read this column because you're a reader, you would have
read the.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Column times absolutely, So what did you think?
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Why did you turn to Rex and say after you
read it.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
That I was very surprised it was printed, but it
wasn't printed in full and so like they used to
use the F word and just put.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
No writer, no respected writer would use if dot dot
dot in a column.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Well, I think I've seen that.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Have you.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
Watch a lot of Netflix and that that word now
has become common usage. I'm not going to repeat it
on here, but you know what I mean, but not
the C word. Sorry I draw the line.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Okay, watch Andrea out of line.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
I'm sure as we've heard, she had a lot of
editorial support and they made a call. I think it
was the wrong call.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Gubbs, and I agree with Kerry. I think you know,
I mean, it is the dropping of standards, there's no
question about it.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Can we actually bring the standards back up? I was
really intrigued by Mike Hoskins editorial This morning. The first
one saying that you know, basically what he was saying
is that society across the world, not in New Zealand,
society has changed since COVID, and we're you know, we
seem grumpier, we seem more ready to fight, we don't
(08:20):
care what we look like. It just feels like things
have changed. Do you believe they have changed?
Speaker 3 (08:27):
They have. But if you don't set those standards and
say this is where the line is, then degradation continues.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Would you let somebody come into your council meeting wearing
a cowboy hat?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Oh, well, that's a decision they would make. But you
certainly say this is the standard we have here and
particularly but you're talking about parliament. I mean it's not
standard issue to be wearing a hat.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
No.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
And in terms of Mike Hostings article, I haven't seen it.
The reality is, if he says standards have dropped since COVID,
there's going to be another pandemic. I mean, where does
it stop? Does it just keep chunking down every time?
Speaker 3 (09:02):
And remember as they drop, it becomes excepis That's exactly do.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
You think the behavior that we're saying. I know I'm
going to go to a break. But do you think
that the behavior that we're seeing and now in Parliament.
I don't accept it, I personally don't accept it. To
either of you quickly, do you accept it? Do you
think it's good enough?
Speaker 4 (09:18):
I don't think it's good enough. And that is the speaker.
Wayne's absolutely right.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
No, absolutely appalling behavior and it's a concern for all
of New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
There you go. It's Friday face off of the Upper Huts.
Mayor Wayne Guppy and former Wellington Mayor and director of
every company that's worth over five hundred million dollars. Dame
Carey Printer gas no jealousy. No jealousy here from me
and Gubs say we can't pick up those weekly payments,
(09:47):
can we? Gibbs well, Gus probably lighting them up when
he finishes. Let's talk about corporate welfare. We're talking about
welfare for Dame Carey Printa Gus. Let's talk about corporate welfare.
Wellington City Council tried and failed to put together a
thirty million dollar deal to help the owners of the
Reading Cinema complex out. Now the council is trying to
(10:07):
come up with a deal to revive Johnsonville Moore mission impossible.
I say, well, Upperhart and our very good friend Wye
Guppy City Council has voted down a plan to give
one point five million dollars to the owner of a
decaying block of shops that need renovating that apparently stink
when you walk past them. Gups. Absolutely is it wrong?
(10:29):
And I want to come straight to you Wayne on
this is it wrong that councils are actually giving these
rich developers that own all this stuff, decaying buildings, giving
them assistance in some way to actually help refix their buildings.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Well, I mean, this was an agreement that had been
signed in twenty fifteen, and it hadn't the conditions hadn't
been met, and it was obviously that council had to
look where to from here. Council had three options, and
with three options on the paper, one of those options
was obviously do we rejig the proposal? They certainly council
(11:04):
turned that down and said no, so that the thought
procedures the court will continue.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Okay, so but that doesn't really answer my question. My
question is like and I and I understand why it
was done in secrecy because every other developer out of
our heart's going to be beat on the phone. Hold oh,
Johnny down the roads getting a couple of million from
the council. I'm going to be on the same thing.
I don't agree when we're all getting our rates put
up by so much that counsel's getting involved in helping developers.
(11:32):
That's my issue.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Yeah, I mean, and I think I think personally that
individual councils. It depends too. I mean, you've got to
remember this deal was signed in twenty fifteen. Yeah, there was,
there was. There was a lot of, if you like,
debate in the community, but the CBD needed to be
sorted and that was part of But I think it's
an individual you know, different councils look at differently. Depends
(11:55):
what the response is, but generally speaking, it's not standard practice.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Okay, did you actually support it yourself?
Speaker 5 (12:01):
No?
Speaker 3 (12:01):
From here? From here that where we've got to.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Now.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I know we went on, but I'm talking about yourself.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Did you the original original back in two thousand.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
And okay, all right, yep. Did you vote yesterday or
did you not be devoted?
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Yeah, you're not going to tell us how your vote because.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
No, no, well it was no because we're now in
a process were we're going through that court case.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
Okay, all right, Kerry Prendergast, Dame Kerrey prendergas I personally
don't like councils getting involved with property developers. Your thoughts,
as a very successful willing to mayor, would you actually
be writing checks out for developers?
Speaker 4 (12:37):
It is wider than writing checks out. It is about streetscape,
it's about safety, it's about security, and it's about black
holes in the city. So I want to talk about
and remind you because you have a site on the
corner of Blair and Allen, those two streets used to
be where they were just seem industrial where all the
fruit and produce came into town. I'm talking about the
(12:59):
late eighties, and they were terrible security safety. We did
a new district plan. We wanted there to be it
a living on apartments. We talked to the building owners
and they said, why would we do anything with our
buildings when the streets are so bad. So in partnership
with building owners, we upgraded the streets. We put the
tiling in, we put channeling in, we put good lighting in,
(13:21):
and then the building owners had the confidence to do
up their buildings. And they got there.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
But that's not really good question, because we did.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Put rate Pars money into upgrading the streets in partnership
with the building owners.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
I get that, but I'm talking about like Wayne was, well, I.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Don't know the details of Wayne Steel.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
We know the details are reading, which so that's not
actually putting.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
So I wouldn't have done that because we all know
that they did such a bad deal that the Capitol
game would have gone order reading and not to Wellington
rate Pawers. And I can't understand why the smarts around
the council table, let alone behind the council table didn't
work that out. So no, but I do understand some
of the bigger picture things around safety and security and
(14:04):
a dead hole in the city they were.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
In fact, we're not arguing about that heart in all
the most utmost respect. We're not arguing what the council
does on the streets or the drainage or anything surrounding it.
We're talking about capital gains for developers because the council's
lending them some money. Wayne. Do you reckon the public?
I mean I did an hour on It'm to show
you if someone would have told you the public were
(14:26):
dead against it. I mean, did you get that? Did
you know that going into that meeting that the public
would not like the idea of the council giving out
their rate payers money to a developer.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
And as I said, that was one of the three
options that the councils had to vote on. And that's
what happens in any paper that comes to council. There
there's options and councilors make that decision. And it was
really clear that they did not want to have any
settlement agreement.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Can I just thought there was no deal.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
I was just going to say that there's a lot
of debate in Willington too about the Johnsonville moll and
that goes back to my time when we changed the
plan at the last minute to save Wellington Strip retail
along Lampton Key. The reality is, and I'm going to
give another example, big picture, You've got a big area
(15:13):
which is right for development, it's great for apartments, it's
right on a transport hub. Wouldn't the council work with
the developer to say, if you were to sell us
at the right market price enough of the land for
us to then with a private public partnership put in
housing to encourage people to use public transport.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
I think that's that's a whole different story.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Well, people will argue and say, well, why should the
council be adding age involved because we're getting involved because
we're trying to help a developer maybe refresh as retail.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
But if you're involved in the I mean I get that.
I get that totally because that's a council initiative and
they'll be making money for the breakepayers and we've got
a housing problem. I get that, but actually just giving
them money so that we.
Speaker 4 (16:05):
Don't know the details of going back to two fifteen
and we have to respect the no.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
No, I'm talking about it. I'm not trying to say that,
I'm talking about idiot council.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
But any involvement like that is there are a number
of conditions.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
On it, and including rates and return.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
And obviously Wayne, and I don't want to push you
on this, but obviously there was something in that whole
deal that wasn't as open and transparent as anyone would like.
Because you threatened to sue the post writing writing an article.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Issue The issue there that had nothing to do with that.
The issue there was the fact that some of that
commercially sensitive and also some of that legally privileged information
had been leaked from the council and that was the issue,
nothing to do with anything else.
Speaker 4 (16:48):
It was that that had been lead for the next
six months with election coming, that gets worse and worse
as people want to curry favor with the media and
they think if they give them a deal, they may
get more publicity.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
The process and that our public excluded process and there
was that was leaked and that was the issue.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Can I ask you both individually, but I want to
know because can the council do anything with a rogue developer?
I mean, if you've got a developer like the Johnsonville More,
I'm not calling him a rogue. I mean they're a
big outfit. They also own stuff. Rogue developer, Yeah, you're
like not doing you know, god of development. I mean
that's what is it, sixty percent of Johnsonville retail space
(17:28):
or something and he's not doing anything with it. Is
there anything carry or come to you first that you
can do to put pressure on them to do something.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
Well, you wouldn't get politicians involved, but that's where there
may be an opportunity for management to sit down and
say this is an area we really like to see,
as I said, whether it's apartments, social housing. If you
were to release some of the land to us after
good market evaluation, that may give you enough money to
redevelop the rest of the site. Then maybe there is
(17:58):
such a discussion. Okay, but I have no idea where
that issue is at the moment.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Coming to you on that way. Is there anything I
mean that with them, that's a very bad part of
Upper Hut when there's so much good parts of it.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
I've got to work with them.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
You can't you can't force them to do anything.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Well, no, there are probably some things you can do
with rates, et cetera. But you've got to work with them.
And remember what happens when you get areas like that.
The first thing that the community is saying to you,
what are you doing about this?
Speaker 4 (18:21):
And I can tell you if they haven't been paying
their rates and you put too much pret and they
walk away guests, who ends up owning the site? The
council with all of god problem.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
He's got the phone number of Wayne Gupp, He's got
the phone number of four great developers, three amazing developers.
He'd run one of them and I'd say that Malcolm
Gillies would be having a cup of tea with you
in eight minutes, as long as it took them to
get down to your office and said, I can sort
this out for your gups. I've sorted out the half
of Upper Hut for your sort out.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
The other hand, well, you've got to work with all
of them. You've got to work with them and when
they when they become a real I saw the community
wants some action. And remember across the country, across the country,
those you know talking about Johnsonville and areas in Upper
Heart or around the country, every part of the country,
the earthquake pron building thing comes and there will be
the derelict walk all.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Then guests who owns it unpaid rates in the community
game up in arms and say sort it out for it.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
I would rather building derelict building bulldoz down than smelling
of dead rats as Then you go.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
Back to the eighties and Wellington when Chase were round
and they pulled down buildings and it was terrible, all
these gaps.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
I can't remember the eighties. That's fat that you want
to bring up the eighties. God damn well, I can
about the eighties was Michael Jackson want to talk about
Michael Jackson. I've got on it eleven thirty back with
Wade Guffy, Dave Kerry, predigards the eighties. Remember the eighties.
Oh that's before drugs started happening.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Us talk said the headlines.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
Now it's back to Nick Mills.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Now, kab just before you sneak out, because you will
go very quickly because we're in a forum discussion. There's
two generations of women that are beautifully dressed and beautifully presented.
Where's the generation gap?
Speaker 5 (20:06):
Because I came in and said I found the conversation
fascinating about the use of the sea word in the
House and how it has led to a wider discussion
about standards in Parliament. But I said it was interesting
in the newsroom. We then were talking and I feel
there's not about the swear word, but I feel there's
(20:27):
a generational divide around some of the standards in the
House in relation to the hakka and to party Moldy.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
You're talking about dress as well.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
No, no, well kind of about dress as well.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
But I think there's always probably been a generational divide,
but there are around.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
I mean, you might wear different closer Carrie. But you
both look very well presented.
Speaker 5 (20:45):
Yeah, yes, but for me, I don't think you see
you probably see more of it in Wellington in terms
of young men walking around fully suited up like Wayne.
I think that does come with you know, as you
get older and probably a bit more experienced.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
You know what I reckon it is if you look
good in a suit, you wear it. If you don't,
you don't, you know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Yeah, and if you can afford a good suit as well.
And we didn't even talk about the Harker no, I know,
which is interesting. Yeah, maybe that wasn't fear that discussion
without me being there to be.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
Totally we were talking about the swear word. But then
there's also this different around the standards. Yeah, I think
there's some young people that see some of the stuff
happening in Parliament in a different way than those of
us who.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
Are a bit older.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
That's myself and the younger.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
She's being very sensitive. Leave you to it that you're blushing.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
That's the nicest possible way of KB telling us we're
all getting old old phoony, great great stuff. Do you
know listen to this, check this out. I know this
is going to upset you both because it upsets the
hell out of me. A single bus lane enforcement camera
on Cambridge Terrace, just down the road from here has
(22:03):
made nearly eight hundred thousand dollars. There's nearly a million
dollars in two months. I mean, thousands of people been stuck. Carrie,
you have had a well covered battle with the I
mean you've been in the front page of the paper
with your battle with the council over a parking ticket.
This this come on, tell us take your mayor's ex
mayor's cap. Orf Is this just a money grabbing exercise, Well.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
It clearly is taken the amount of income they're getting.
I just think I got recently stung in Auckland for
entering a bus lane to turn left more than fifty
meters before the corner, which is the law. I don't
know how you meant to measure that when you're in
your car, but I had a similar and you know,
we fought it for a while and gave in and paid.
(22:50):
The reality is, I don't know that when you see,
particularly the weekends and at nighttime, when there is nobody
in the bus lanes, why it can't be allowed for
taxis for uber for cyclost so you're getting more use
of what is when you took at Kennic Cambridge heaious,
Well we're down to two lanes, and one of them
the majority of the lane is for buses only when
(23:11):
you're driving there and you know the cars are stacked
right up coming up to the lights near Vivin Street.
Why you can't have multiple users in the bus lane
as long as they're appropriately taxis or uber's or ubers
or cyclists. I don't know. And I it's making better
use of the roadway than it currently is.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
We had a call away and that card in to
the show when we talked about it, and said that
on seven point thirty of Easter Monday, he got a ticket.
Not a car in the in the lane, no one.
I mean, who the hell's there on seven thirty on
Easter Monday, you know, And he got one hundred and
fifty dollars ticket. I mean, this is this is more
than trying to keep the traffic flying. This is a
(23:53):
money maker. Don't smile.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
I think it's.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
He doesn't have any buses another did you worry?
Speaker 3 (24:01):
I come in to tell a lot, but actually it
is there for a reason to move people around. And
get them moving on the buses.
Speaker 4 (24:08):
But there's hardly any buses that sometimes the day, you know.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
But I mean, I mean there could be times, but
then it makes it harder to police, doesn't in a
lot o.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
They have security cameras registered text.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
It could be varying times, but you know, there is
a there is a reason.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
For it again, a reason for its I'm with you,
I'm flabbergasted by it.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Your voters are listening and saying, oh, I'd like those tickets.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
He's the only thing, of course, is that's keeping the
rates down for everyone else that sort of income. So
if you're starting here, but if you stick to the law,
then all it does that income reduces the rates for
everyone else.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Up until now, I've always considered you as a very
intelligent woman. But when the hell are the rates going
to come down?
Speaker 4 (24:56):
About water? And I'm going to tell you they're going
to keep going up.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
You just said the rates are going to come down
because of the tickets come up.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
You don't know what I said was at eight hundred K.
If they didn't have that in would go on top.
So now it's a reduction.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
I'm going to call you the L word for that.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
Oh, there's a lot of ol words. Which particular one
are you talking about?
Speaker 2 (25:18):
You're alive.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
To say lovely.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
I think you're a liar. If you think that the
rates are going to come down, I'll call it first time.
I hate that word.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
She's hopeful, she's hopeful, she's hopeful.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Oh my gosh, Hope Friday face off with Wayne Guppy
and Dame Kerrey Prenagas. Now, this one's a bit of
a controversial one and I and I kind of probably
be out on my own a little bit horror for
nor District Council has voted in favor of a proposal
to give Local EWI the first writer of refusal of
any council land it chooses to sell, but counselors, some
(25:57):
counselors are saying that it should be put to market
and so the rate payers get the best deal. Now,
Wayne Guppy, how does this work in Upper Hut? If
you've got a piece of land for sale, do you
have to go to your local EWI first?
Speaker 3 (26:09):
What's your boss' I've got a treaty claim what I mean,
that's the law. But this is just general landing and
we would be going to the market. Okay, No, preference
for you, we would be going to the market.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Okay, lots of councilors are actually doing this, Kerrie, your
thoughts on it, because what if I'm going to ask
you a hypothetical and I'm saying it's a hypothetical, right
that a developer from Germany, let's keep it race not
Asian or did or let's keep it open race flink.
(26:41):
A German developer looks at buying it, offers five hundred
thousand for it. The E we wants to buy, they
want to pay five hundred thousand. Who gets it?
Speaker 4 (26:48):
Well, that the German would have had to have international
overseas approval, and then the reality you'd look and see
who was going to do something with it. So if
an international buyer was was going to develop it and
create jobs and whatever, I'd go with the use of
the land going forward.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
If the E we were going to put on a
whole lot of housing for Maori.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
Would have you got those sort of guarantees, Well then
you take that into account, but you're now adding a
whole lot more conditions. That doesn't sound like iph and
we were looking at they're just saying any land that
we own was go to EWI, So you never know
what the market value is and you don't get the
best deal for rate pays. That's wrong.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
That is wrong way and you think that's wrong too. Absolutely,
I do, okay right now, something that Wayne, you'll definitely
have some view on and carry. You would probably be
disturbed by them driving past your place when there's no
road cones and people can drive past your house, which
you can't do. At the moment, government is cracking down
on boyd races, planning to introduce legislation that allow cars
(27:47):
to be sold or destroyed of court doing street racing
nose first, second or third warning away we go. We're
getting rid of them, Wayne Guppy. This is a problem
for you. I know it's a problem for you. What
are your thoughts. Will it make any difference?
Speaker 3 (28:01):
Absolutely? Will? I mean, And the harsher they are, the
better it is. Because effect of the matter is we're
talking about standards before.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
This is the law.
Speaker 3 (28:09):
You either you can do this or you can't do this.
And when you can't and you break the law, then
there are consequences. And those consequences what we see with
boy racers as are actually putting the finger to society
and saying well, we don't agree with the law and
we're going to do what we like.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Now you've had some issues with it, so tell tell
our listeners how bad it is. I mean some of
us live up in the hills away from it all
that and probably don't get it. I mean, is it
that bad?
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Well, well not now, because the police have clemed down.
I tell you the police in the Heart Valley have
done an outstanding job. But the fact of the matter
is they cause damage to the roads. They leave a
lot of issue, you know, a lot of refuge behind
with tires and bottles and cans. They keep residents awake
at night. They don't care what goes on, and they
endanger residents.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
They can be there's been accidents and that is the
hospital and then what ambulance.
Speaker 3 (28:58):
Then what happens the wok wrigy come out and say,
oh oh what we know? What are we doing to them?
Speaker 2 (29:04):
You know?
Speaker 3 (29:05):
The fact of the matter is this is a great
law and there are consequences for it. So if they
lose your car, we'll be we support the police.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Now, I'm going to come to you really quickly on
this one, Cary, because I want to go to hots
and knots, but some residents are concerned there's no accountability
for Wellington Electricity to the rate pass. It's owned by
a Hong Kong Chinese owned Don't look at me like that,
will you know that made the decision to sell it.
It's owned by a Chinese company out of Hong Kong.
It's legally actually based in the Bahamas. It comes after
(29:33):
multiple properties within the city were left without power for
a week after a storm mat Are you comfortable as
a Wellington rate payer and as an ex mayor of
Wellington of having I mean, I think it affects you
two gaps it it's the same deal. Are you happy?
Speaker 4 (29:47):
Are you happy that it's do Wellington rate payers? Do
any rate pairs in New Zealand think councils are elected
because we know how to run an apertoire, or a
milk treatment plant or an electricity company because we used
to do all of those things. That's not that question finished.
The question is, so in nineteen ninety six we sold
forty nine percent of capital for one hundred and twenty
million because Wellington residents needed a sewage treatment plant. We
(30:11):
didn't want to put the deet up, so you sell
nonstrate teacher gas sets because we don't know how to
run an electricity department, forced to teacher gas sets like
a sewage treatment plant. And absolutely I do it again.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
Okay, now it's gone through since then, gone through six
or seven? Do you not care that you can't pick
up the phone and try and talk to someone in
the Mahard?
Speaker 4 (30:30):
Well you can pick up the phone.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
They'll have call centers because it's only in New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
It's not going to be.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Who's going to guarantee the services any better?
Speaker 4 (30:41):
He doesn't agree with us.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
Eight hundred harbers.
Speaker 4 (30:48):
I won't even use the name of them. You can
wring all sorts of lines share. They're not the call
centers are not based in New Zealand.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
All right, I'll come back with hots and knots. I've
lost that battle. I can't be bothered even trying to
fight that one out the Friday. Okay, let's get onto it.
Come on, Carrie Prenic Dame, carry print of gas. Tell
me you're hots or not? What's hot and not? H?
Speaker 4 (31:12):
Well, what's hot is? Last night there was a wonderful
panel at the Boating Club and it was five people
talking their visionary ideas for where this region could go
in the future. Could we be the live music capital,
Could we be the compassionate capital, Could we be the
connected capital. Could we be able to ride your bike
from anywhere in this region to work off road? Fantastic
(31:36):
ideas and we just went. We were sold out. It
was great. So it's a pity not everyone in Wellington
was there. We couldn't fit you in.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
What's not?
Speaker 4 (31:45):
I was in road racing. I didn't see a single
road cone, not a single road cone. The guy that
runs up infrastructure up there, Stave Ross Michael used to
run it in Wellington and he and I were shaking
our heads thinking about how how Wellington is just full
of them compared to roder weather One. He was an
amazing guy.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
I wonder what happened to him? Can ever pronounced his name?
That's why I don't want to run. He was, You're right,
Wayne Guppy, what's hot and what's not on the land
of Upper Hut.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
Well and hot? For me, he's the privileged committee for
the twenty one days, trying to set some standards. For me,
that's the hottest, properly hottest in town and and the
notes for me, what's happened to God's own. We now
have told during the week UNICEF that we have the
highest suicide.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Rate for children in the woods.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
That is tragical, and that's something we got a face
up to around front quickly.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Are you still a Trump fan? Last time you're in
You're a blood? Quite well?
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Was actually that Trump wandering through the Middle East in
those you know.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
Pick jets. He's clearly not a Trump because he started
wearing his red tie.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
Meandering speeches and egos.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Are doing pretty well too. Cups are doing pretty well, buddy.
Oh come on, man, don't even gives a plug. Yeah,
thank you both so very much. Have a great week.
He'd love having you both. And you didn't disappoint me.
Hopefully you didn't disappoint the list, just like I can't
help it if you did, but because I think I
think you're both fantastic and I'll enjoy it.
Speaker 4 (33:15):
Thank you for the invite.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
Thank you 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.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com