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April 16, 2025 • 33 mins

Former Labour leader and Cabinet minister Andrew Little finally announced this week he is running to be the city's mayor. Is he automatically the hot favourite? 

Also, we learnt this week that Wellington Water received a report in 2021 outlining many of the concerns around spending identified in the most recent report. But this report was seemingly lost - or ignored. How on earth does this happen?

To answer those questions, Nick was joined by former Porirua mayor and Wellington Water chair Nick Leggett, and Iron Duke Partners senior consultant Maddy Burgess Smith for Thursday Faceoff, ahead of a long Easter weekend. 

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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 facear with Kudovic Property Management, a better rental experience
for all. Visit Kovic dot cot Ins Head Stars Friday.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Join us for Thursday Friday face Off. Is potty to
a Mayor and Wellington Water Chair Nick Leggett and Restruction
New Zealand CEO and what our former.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
It's been a minute, hasn't.

Speaker 4 (00:46):
It has more than one?

Speaker 2 (00:47):
And Iron Duke partner senior consultant Maddie Burgess Smith Morning.

Speaker 3 (00:51):
Maddie morning, great to be here with you both too.

Speaker 2 (00:54):
She might not be saying that in a hour's time
it could be a long hour, couldn't it. It could
be a very long hour, especially in your city. Next
to Nick Lego, let's talk about the biggest news that
hit Warrington this week. Andrew Little. I'm gonna start with you, Maddie.
I want the young person's visit or this idea of this.
Andrew Little, former labor leader, has announced he's running to
be wanting to the next mayor. Now, Nick, I know

(01:16):
for a fact that you knew about this about a
week and a half ago because someone who told you
and spoke to you about it rang me straight after
speaking to you about it and talking to you about it,
So you knew about a week and a half that
it was rumored and it was going to be out.
This is the world's worst kept secret. Okay, Maddie, tell
me what your initial thoughts are the first time you
heard Andrew Little is running for me running and what

(01:36):
went through your young, bright mind.

Speaker 5 (01:39):
He's a cool candidate, right, Like, he's got profile. People
are interested and you know, good smart people wanting to
run for mayor of a city that's got a lot
of issues. Right, he said, you know all the right
things that voters want to hear. I'm going to listen
to you. He's talking about winding back some projects that
you know aren't working for Wellington, things like the Golden Mile.
He's talking about keeping some other stuff. He's not someone
who's coming and said, oh look, I'll do a review

(02:00):
and I'll chat to a bunch of people and then
I'll decide what I stand for. He knows who he is,
he knows what he stands for, and it's the sort
of candidate that can people want?

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Can I pull you up on that a little tidy bit.
He hasn't made a decision on the Golden Mile. He
said he wants to look at the Golden Mile, so
he hasn't made a decision on the gold and if
contracts are signed, he will go with him. So that's
kind of a very gray heary and.

Speaker 5 (02:22):
Clear that he'll scale stuff back that's really going to
harm business exactly, and that's what people want is a
bit of certainty about you know, can I continue to
take a risk where I am in Wellington?

Speaker 6 (02:33):
Right?

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Good point of view? Nick Leggett, come in and tell
me what you think. I know you're going to say
the same thing.

Speaker 4 (02:38):
Yeah, I've I think Andrew Little is the sort of
person of the moment really for a lot of Wellingtonians.
I've heard people on the right and left express strong
support for him. He is a no frills candidate in
the sense that he hasn't missed a dynamism. He's a
very solid, intelligent person who I think will work through

(03:02):
things methodically. And you know the point you made about
the Golden Mile. Of course, let's remember his professional background.
He's a lawyer by trade. He's not going to pull
out a sign contracts. But I do think he's a
grown up and I think that's why he's been met
with such enthusiasm. I would also say, though, that we
have an incumbent mayor and Tory Farno, and I think
we learned some of us last time never to underestimate Tory.

(03:25):
She has inherited a council and a city that's got problems.
I mean the problems that Wellington faces, the deep problems
that Wellington faces, no population growth right between the census
a few years ago and the one of twenty twenty three,
the only council in New Zealand other than the Chathams
where I was yesterday coincidentally, that actually had a reduction

(03:48):
in people. Those are long term, cyclical problems and I
know we're going to talk about it those later in
the show, but this is we need leadership in Wellington
as a city, but as a region as well that
charts us out of those and we need some steadiness
with the hand on the till, someone who's got an
economic vision for Wellington as well as a social vision.

(04:11):
And I think that finally people feel as though we
might have two candidates that you know there's going to
be a decent there's going to be a decent election campaign.
And I would say as well, it's going to be
a fight between Labor and the Greens. This is a
fight that's long over due in Wellington.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
So you're discounting anyone else? Are you discounting anyone else? Maddy?

Speaker 5 (04:30):
I am. And when people say, oh, someone else could
come up through the middle, give me examples of where
that really does happen. You know, seldom do we see that.
But you're right, the campaign infrastructure that the Greens have
on the ground. I think that's why you wouldn't rule
Tory if I know out she knows how to mobilize people,
she knows how to go door to door. She runs
a really strong grassroots campaign. And at the end of
the day, it's how many people can you get to

(04:50):
turn out? Voter turnouts liman low for local body election.
That's what will come down to.

Speaker 2 (04:55):
But do you think Nick that because we've had such
a struggle over the last three years, that we will
get out and vote this time. But now I was
in this position doing this exact job at the last election.
Life was big people to vote. I said, look, if
you don't vote, you know what the outcome is going
to come and no one listened. So do you think
that they will listen?

Speaker 3 (05:13):
Now?

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Do you think they will vote?

Speaker 4 (05:15):
There might be a bit of a spike. I've looked
at turnout in local gunment elections for over thirty years,
you know, I've looked back at the data. I'd be
very surprised. I think that people are people are over
the system in many ways.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
If they don't get out, Tory will win again.

Speaker 4 (05:34):
No, look, I wouldn't have said that. I think that
amongst the people who are likely to vote and the.

Speaker 3 (05:39):
Best, the best rate payers and students, that the best.

Speaker 4 (05:42):
People, the best predictor of people who are likely to vote,
other people who voted last time, And there might be
a few, you know, around the edges, but I would
say among that lot, I mean Andy Foster won three
years before that. You know that we've had some swings
and Tory, of course, she's had a term and she's
made this point quite well. You know, we want some consistency.
I'll be the third one first term mayor to lose

(06:03):
if I lose. So there is there is. I think
Wellington voters need to get their act together here and
work out the direction that they want the city to
go in it has to go beyond three years, so
for goodness sake, one way or another, pick and choose.

Speaker 2 (06:16):
But the problem that I've got, Maddie is not the problem.
But the issue I've got is that the people that
voted for Tory last time aren't going to vote for Andrew.
They're going to stick with Tory.

Speaker 4 (06:26):
I disagree.

Speaker 3 (06:27):
I disagree with that as well.

Speaker 5 (06:28):
I think you've seen a lot of protests vote out
there from the Greens. Yeah, because because you vote, you're
transitioning from Greens to labor. You're not transitioning from Greens
to some aggressive far right candidate. You know, it's quite
an easy step for them to make. And Andrew Little's
got a really good personal brand, safe pair of hands,
and he's worked on a lot of stuff that people
who are sympathetic to the Greens cause have a lot
of support for.

Speaker 4 (06:49):
Yeah, and Torri Farno won in every part of the
city last time. She didn't. Her support wasn't you know,
and think green areas you think she's well, I think
I think the people who voted for her on the
soft left and the center right will probably you know,
that's where she's at the biggest risk of losing, I
would to suspect.

Speaker 3 (07:09):
And we're now a green city, like a really green city.
Last election we weren't. We've now got two of them.
And I think if you're Andrew Little, you can you
can make a good point of that.

Speaker 2 (07:18):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't disagree with with the with
the whole left thing. I just feel that Tory's got
this belief and rightly or wrongly, it's I always call
it the Emperor's new clothes. She surrounds herself for with Greens,
and she thinks that the green vote will get her through,
and I think she needs to widen that to be,
you know, to be to be a chance.

Speaker 4 (07:39):
Yes, interestingly, and having worked with Tory a bit, I
actually think her instincts are a lot more centrist than
you would appear. But I agree with you, nich she
doesn't reach out across the spectrum, and I think she's
got I actually think she possesses just the skills. But
actually I think in her personal philosophy she's probably a
lot more able to work across than she than she does.

(08:02):
And that that's, you know, probably something that she could
rethink it in the next few Maddie, would you.

Speaker 2 (08:07):
Be concerned if Tory wins again? Would you be concerned
as a young go getter in the city that if
we had Tory as mere next next election.

Speaker 5 (08:16):
It's a mix of everyone, right, So if we had
Tory's men next election and we didn't have a bit
of a clean out of some of the council as well,
and we're really just kind of rehashing what we've got now, yeah,
I would be really concerned. But we've got to see
a lot of really good people wanting to fill the
rest of those seats so that you're leading a strong,
more cohesive team than they are right now. So it's
not just about Andrew Little or true fun and it's
about making sure smart, good, hard working people want to

(08:39):
run for council.

Speaker 2 (08:40):
Nick, your thoughts on that, well, I I actually it
would echo that.

Speaker 4 (08:44):
I think it's also what I'm big on. And you
know we're going to talk about a little topic that
that will be the evidence of this later on. I
want to see the elected members in control of the city.
I want to see the people who are elected by
communities actually governing and setting the direction over non elected staff.

Speaker 2 (09:06):
What you're trying to get to politically saying politically, Greet,
you don't want the CEO making the direction and trying
to run the city. You want the council to run
the city.

Speaker 4 (09:15):
I wasn't trying to be politically. I thought I was
perfectly ten Nick, You've You've spelt it out, and then
I'm very happy and.

Speaker 3 (09:20):
To add to that, and to add to that, I
want it to be about the city and not about
the council or the met totally.

Speaker 2 (09:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (09:26):
Yeah, we need to come first what is the plan
for Wellington? Where is Wellington going to be in twenty fifty,
What what is our economic plan? How what is our
how are we going to ensure their social and environmental progress?
How are we going to pay for it? That's that's
We need that set out over the next few months
and there needs to be a bloody good debate about

(09:46):
it and then Wellingtonians need to come to their what
they I want to.

Speaker 2 (09:50):
Wrap this topic up, but I want to ask a
couple of things. Firstly, I want to ask you whether
for me, as an older Valentonian being in business all
my life in the city, Wellington's performed well when we've
had a charismatic showman person show personal. So person Kerry
bren the gas like female.

Speaker 4 (10:10):
Fran Wild Mark, Michael Fowler.

Speaker 2 (10:13):
We can keep going, hasn't it. That's when the city
has been shit.

Speaker 3 (10:18):
I love because it's got a champion.

Speaker 2 (10:19):
But is Andrew Little that person is?

Speaker 4 (10:23):
Well, Mike christ I agree with you.

Speaker 3 (10:24):
It was a turnerund job.

Speaker 2 (10:26):
That's right, that's the point that you got it.

Speaker 4 (10:28):
So it is about having the man for the moment,
and it could be a woman for the moment, but
it's Valingonian's will actually decide what skills they need in
the top job. And I think, yeah, am I right?

Speaker 1 (10:42):
Or my role?

Speaker 2 (10:43):
The person that told me that Andrew Little was going
to stand and I'm not going to say who it is.
You're looking at me very confused. There said they had
just spoken to Nick Leggan and Nick Legget said, thank goodness,
we've got an adult standing. Is that correct?

Speaker 5 (10:55):
And to break the fourth wall, nick Leet is giving
the worst poker face he radio Do you say that?

Speaker 4 (11:01):
That's exactly I said that on air. Actually I said
it on on On the Know with the huddle with Heather.
It is about it's about having a grown up in
the race. What we've got is and I'll repeat what
I said because it's you know, I quote myself, Torri Farno.
We don't have to we don't have to imagine her

(11:22):
as mayor. She's the mayor. The pretenders that we've seen
so far, I struggle to see any of them as
an alternative. Andrew Little is as someone who has proven
he's got a profile, he's got ideas, and he's got brains.
There will be a contest. That's what I think Valingtonians are.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
Looking for, you know what, you know what. And this
is going to sound really weird, but I'm going to
say it anyway. It's almost like we need a hybrid
of Andrew Little and Torri Farner, isn't it. We need
to growing up in the room with the intellig appeal
right with someone you could say it, I can't say it.
And I'm not talking about that. I'm not talking about
the I'm just talking about the shows.

Speaker 3 (12:00):
Yes, and she's got that, She's got that in spades.

Speaker 2 (12:02):
Yeah. And the brain's and the growing up and the
person that can do deal on the other side, it's
pretty we can't have a hybrid.

Speaker 4 (12:10):
Well, can I just go back to Maddie's point, We're
electing a whole council in October. So actually people need
to think about the balance that they strike when they
don't just vote for the mayor, but they vote for
their local counselors. It's another very good reason to get
out and vote and to think about the total package.

Speaker 2 (12:28):
Friday face off on a Thursday, Nick was about to
tell you something you shouldn't have said on there when
we came to a break.

Speaker 4 (12:34):
It was about you, Nick.

Speaker 2 (12:37):
Me, Well, we all keep our job as long as
we're talking about someone else. Maddie Murger Smith and Nick
Leggett joining us. We learned this week that Wellington Water
received a report in two thy and twenty one outlining
much of the concerns around spending identified in the most
recent report. This report was seemingly lost, or I'm going

(12:59):
to put in there, could have been ignored, Nick Leggett,
as Chair of Wellington Water.

Speaker 4 (13:05):
What happened, Well, it wasn't lost, it was ignored. You're
absolutely right, and I mean we've seen this time and
time again with Wellington Water. It's why, as you know,
obviously Chair I have to take responsibility. But actually most
importantly myself and Pat Dockerty, the new chief executive. We're

(13:25):
actually fixing this stuff, and it takes a long time
to fix. Part of the fix is actually saying hey everyone.
In twenty twenty one, we had a report, an external
report that said your financial processes and controls are poor.
That was put quietly in front of the board. I
actually don't blame the board at the time with a

(13:45):
noting recommendation. It was buried by management. And we've talked
a lot about culture at Wellington Water, the things that
we've got to change. You know, there mean lots of
little signals here and there about are we getting value
for money that we are we testing the market properly
when we contract and get work out into the market.
We know that we've unforese there have been there's been

(14:07):
no investment in basic systems that you would expect of
an organization that delivers almost half a billion dollars a
year of work on behalf of the Wellington region. It
employs four hundred and fifty people. We don't have the basics,
but we're not whining about that. We're trying to fix it.
And part of the fix is being upfront and honest

(14:27):
every time we need to about stuff that's gone on.
And this probably won't be the last time. But I
can tell you Nick and Maddie and everybody listening, things
are better at Wellington Water now than they were a
year ago, and it's a situation of continual improvement. The
last point I make is there will be a new
water entity I hope formed for the Wellington region under

(14:49):
the Government's Local Water Dunewell policy. That is where we're
building for that. When will that happen, well I hope
it'll be formed by the end of the year and
it will be able to be really up and running
next year and Wellington Water will be no more and
that the staff and the services will be transitioned into that.
But it will be a much bigger entity because it's
going to own the water assets and it's going to

(15:11):
have to fund the work, so hopefully it can fund
the work faster. We are still losing millions of liters
of water that we pay to treat every day and
leaks around the region. Let's not let these big, long
term issues cloud be clouded by the small stuff that
comes up in the media. We've got a big job
ahead of us.

Speaker 2 (15:30):
Maddie, what did you think when you heard dinner I mean,
you are a very smart young person. You know that
a report.

Speaker 5 (15:37):
It's kind of you to say, Nick, But what I
don't understand is why say it was lost. So you're
talking about transparency and you've got to improve the culture,
why not just come out and say, hey, we could
have done better, should have done better, are doing better?

Speaker 4 (15:50):
I just did.

Speaker 5 (15:51):
But your staff, for I suppose they're not your stuff.
But the team at Wellington Water did say that report
was initially lost.

Speaker 4 (15:58):
Yeah, it's interesting that that's what's come through. And that's
a mistake if that's how it was communicated. Because I
just think we've got to be people expect this to
tell it like it is. There aren't any there's no
way you can spin or excuse what's gone on at
Wellington Water and we've just got to be upfront about it.
But what I'd say is that lack of respect for

(16:22):
governance that I talked to you before, that I think
when people elect councils, they expect the elective members to
be driving the ship. That didn't exist at Wellington Water.
That's something we've had to change and it's painful and
it takes time. So even you talk about that we
should have been upfront about it. Culture takes time to change,
and we're just it's an ongoing process.

Speaker 5 (16:44):
And do you have concerns that if you just take
the same four one hundred and fifty people and put
them in a new organization that that culture comes with you.

Speaker 4 (16:50):
Yeah, totally. That's absolutely a challenge, and that's why that's
why we're not sitting on our hands. We're making the
changes now. But I would say as well, that new
organization is going to be significantly different. It's going to
have commercial and borrowing pressures and responsibilities.

Speaker 2 (17:08):
That doesn't do you think that? I thought the question
because I've been saying since you've said he was going
to step down, I was thinking he's had to show
so strong connection with will into Water got.

Speaker 4 (17:22):
To know Campbell. Campbell chairs the shareholding committee, work for them.
But he's built up a lot of expertise in an infrastructure.
I would say, but who knows that the company isn't formed,
There isn't a board, there isn't a chief executive. I
think that's speculations. Well would you could you blame them?

Speaker 2 (17:41):
I'm just saying I just think that the thing is
when you when you're.

Speaker 4 (17:43):
When you're his age, and you've got skills and smart
you should be free to go and and test thement.

Speaker 2 (17:50):
And I think the perfect avenue and make money really well.

Speaker 4 (17:56):
I mean as somebody who threw themselves on the local
government bonfire, you know, as a twenty I can tell
you that that. Why wouldn't why wouldn't you totally do that?

Speaker 2 (18:05):
Oh gosh, so good. We might have found the next
host of Well Into Mornings Away. Maddie's started taking it
over and I didn't even ask a question. I'm sorry, Yeah, yeah,
who's the female.

Speaker 3 (18:16):
There's a lot of water.

Speaker 5 (18:17):
Running down my streets. All I'm saying, okay, bested interest.

Speaker 2 (18:20):
Yeah, you're right, You're right, Ethan. She might be the
new Jack Tamee Friday face off on a Thursday, Nick
Legget and Maddie Burgess Smith. I got a bit sort of.
I don't want to stay nasty, but I've got a
bit anti on the doctors because I was going for
a walk and I heard the whole discussion on my
headphones with Heather talking to all the different people involved.

(18:41):
Senior doctors are planning to strike after their request for
a twelve percent pay rise was declined. Health Minister Simeon
Brown says the average salary of these doctors is already
three hundred and forty thousand, although the union says it's
more like two hundred and twenty thousand. Maddie, come on,
tell me that I was wrong, Give me a come
at me and say it's such a.

Speaker 5 (19:01):
Much amount of money, right, But these are really really
well qualified people, and it's I want to know.

Speaker 3 (19:07):
Not all doctors are going to be making that sort
of money. So the people who are.

Speaker 2 (19:10):
The average, says, the hell are lot making more?

Speaker 5 (19:12):
Yeah, exactly, and we should be really worried about them.
But we've also got people who are frontline working in
ED and ICU, people who can't go private with their skills.
They've refined themselves to a point where they are they're
at the front line of our healthcare system and you know,
they're not given boob jobs or those jobs or fix
and moles, and that's where the real money is made
in medicine. So I think we need to look at,

(19:32):
you know, who is actually under what they deserve and
who was.

Speaker 2 (19:35):
Over your latest pay rise? Was it twelve percent?

Speaker 6 (19:39):
It was a bit more than twelve percent, but wow,
well you know, you know you've got it. I'm living
in Wellington, You've got you and employers have got to
keep good staff.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
Nick, you know that's more than twelve percent.

Speaker 3 (19:51):
No, but we need to look at what is at
the end of the day. Doctors are public servants.

Speaker 2 (19:56):
I got off of three percent.

Speaker 3 (19:57):
Yeah, well you're you're in radio. It's a tough game.

Speaker 2 (20:01):
What do you look at me like that?

Speaker 1 (20:02):
For?

Speaker 2 (20:02):
Nick?

Speaker 4 (20:02):
You know, well, I'm agreeing that's it's a hard life thing.
But I just on this topic, I would say that
it's it's part of a big system, a behemoth, right.
Health is It's just it's never you throw as much
money as you like, you're never going to satisfy it.

(20:23):
What we've got to remember are the people that health
exists to treat, and that's patients. So we've got to
look at it within the context of and you know,
there's a big issue out yesterday with that. We know
we need to replace a whole lot of hospitals and
infrastructure New Zealand that I am part of. Obviously, we've
been saying, yep, we need to build more hospitals in
regional and cities around New Zealand. We've got to think

(20:46):
about more creative ways to fund that. So doctors are
a key part of the system, and patients expect their
doctors that we have qualified people in New Zealand there
when they need that.

Speaker 2 (20:58):
So we have to you're talking for four hundred, I
don't care. I don't know.

Speaker 3 (21:03):
It's not going right.

Speaker 1 (21:04):
What's the going rate?

Speaker 5 (21:05):
Because if it's twelve percent them, it's twelve percent for
junior doctors, and then nurses and midwives and the people
who hurt your food out.

Speaker 3 (21:12):
We can't afford that. That's not the country we live
in right now.

Speaker 2 (21:14):
Right And when are they going to work that out?

Speaker 4 (21:17):
Well, they've got to read the room. And I think
if we make this about the people they treat. We
know that doctors, if we want to keep them, we've
got to pay them a bit more. But that has
to be balanced against the fact that the fiscal position
of this country at the moment we are losing where
where we're reductions in the money that we take the
government taking in tax.

Speaker 2 (21:37):
We're part of.

Speaker 4 (21:38):
An international economy, you know, global economy that is under
massive pressure due to the actions of a certain person
in the United States. It is uncertain asking for twelve
percent in this you know, most people on the street
will be going, my god, I can't even fathom a
twelve percent pay increase.

Speaker 2 (21:57):
Maddie.

Speaker 4 (21:57):
Just accept Maddie. But what we have to do is
balance off needs of people, the needs of to keep
skill people in New Zealand. I mean, that's the world
is their oyster, so we've got to pay them something.
But they also have to recognize that, you know, there
are affordability challenges for this country.

Speaker 5 (22:16):
And it's like minimum wage increases, right, you lift it
at the bottom for some and then everything.

Speaker 4 (22:21):
Is relative relativity. It should and it should, well it should,
but we also have to be able to afford it.

Speaker 2 (22:27):
Thursday Face Off which we do on a long weekend
because it's our last week and we look at the
week and we dissect the week that we've had. Monday
Show we have today with us, Nick Leggett and Maddy
Burgers Smith. On Monday Show, John Daniel Trusk, known as JD,
owner of a multimillion dollar technology business, said if he

(22:49):
had his time again. It wasn't actually if he had
his time again, but he said, if I said, would
you start a business in Wellington today if you had
you know, opportunity. He went on to say that it
at the moment it businesses are just flying now the
you you know, it's like Internet while twenty years ago
it's massive and it's going big. It's big and it's

(23:10):
getting bigger. And he said Wellington was a talent repellent
and it was more desirable to set up a business
in Auckland. And he reckons we've got some problems, Nick Leggett,
what are your thoughts?

Speaker 4 (23:24):
Well I think we should listen to him. We know
we've already covered on the show and Wellington's got a
long term cyclical challenge. The only you know we can
We know that what happens when you rely on government
when they cut, you make a bad situation worse. We
need to build the private sector investment, private sector employment,

(23:48):
the ability for businesses to flourish in Wellington as a
region not just a city is really really important. And
people who are taking the risks doing the work as
JD has done and yourself Nicholas, need to be respected
and we need to pick up their messages because if

(24:10):
we don't, we're going to go further down the toilet
and we can't afford that. I mean, there are people
in Wellington that are really hurting at the moment, both
people in employment but also people in business. So the
question is how do we get Wellington out of this cycle?

Speaker 2 (24:23):
He thinks ten years.

Speaker 4 (24:24):
Yeah, well it could be, but we've got to start
so we can wallow in negativity. What we've got to
do is the very unkey we thing is get people
on the same page, rowing in the right, in the
same direction, get a little bit of government out actually,
because there's too much government. And you know, we think
economic development, you know, the government deciding picking winners is
the way to go. I don't think it is. We
should let the private sector in Wellington come up with

(24:46):
a plan and support them to do it. And you
know we're government or local government can help great, but
Wellington has to be a destination for people to invest
and start businesses. And again, and you're right, I mean
anything digital or AI or it great, But what do
they need? What are the conditions they need here to
start up and get employing people? What is Wellington offer

(25:09):
that no other part of the country office. We don't
ask that question enough, Madie.

Speaker 3 (25:13):
Yeah, totally agree with Nick.

Speaker 5 (25:14):
And it's about all of those conditions as well and
making sure people can afford to live here and look,
rents are going down in Wellington. There's a lot of
great vibrancy about the city at the moment. We need
to be able to showcase that better. You've also got
to pay your staff well. You know, in an environment
where you're competing with government who pay ridiculous amounts for
twenty somethings like myself, you need to be able to
keep up with that. I commend j D Right. He's

(25:36):
a guy who's importing, sorry, employing twenty five people. He's
got an incredible product that brings in a lot of
revenue for the city and a lot of revenue for
the country, and he's telling his staff to come into
the office.

Speaker 3 (25:47):
To spend money at a lot of businesses.

Speaker 2 (25:48):
Exactly keep what he say, keep KFC going, Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 3 (25:53):
You know that that's near where their office is.

Speaker 5 (25:55):
And we need more employers taking that sort of leadership
to say, not only do I employ people who work
for me, actually employ people who live and contribute to
the city, and what's my obligation to ensure that that
keeps happening.

Speaker 2 (26:06):
Would you, as a young twenty year old's start up
a business in Welington.

Speaker 3 (26:10):
I would, but I'm sickophantic about Wellington. I love Wellington,
this is my home.

Speaker 5 (26:14):
But I can absolutely see why people who are having
to make quite large capital investments. For one, you know,
there's an outpouring of money, you're taking a real risk.
I can see why this is not a market that
you would be read hot about.

Speaker 4 (26:24):
But also when things are bad, and I mean, you know,
like so house prices have dropped, rents have dropped. These
are the conditions that actually make it attractive for people
to come and work and live. So we've got to
have some ideas. We've got to have some people starting
businesses or bringing businesses here, and that needs to be
the attraction. It's actually a business development challenge for Wellington.

(26:45):
Who do we want to attract? How are we going
to get them there? Who can we who've we got
here that can build on what they've already got, Because
that's actually it's often the businesses like JD's. How can
we get him to expand more here? What does he need?
What does he want to see?

Speaker 2 (26:57):
His quote unquote he thinks that Wellington as a city
is swimming in mud. So you know that's you know,
that's how his feeling was about the city. So how
is he going to have the confidence to grow his business? Anyway,
let's move on, Maddie. I'm going to start with you
on this one. While trust in certain news organization has risen, overall,

(27:19):
trust in the media has fallen again slightly this year.
And the aut survey now now pre COVID, trust in
the media was fifty to fifty fifty percent people thought
they trusted the media, fifty percent didn't. Now we're sitting
at thirty four percent. Why do people and I'm going
to ask you, as a young person, not trust the media?

Speaker 5 (27:39):
Are you got to ask yourself what am I reading?
Am I reading the news which is a digest of
what has happened? Or am I reading a journalist's.

Speaker 3 (27:45):
Opinion of the news?

Speaker 4 (27:46):
Absolutely?

Speaker 3 (27:47):
And I think when we look at.

Speaker 5 (27:48):
The way the media landscape has changed, you know, if
I wanted to read an op ed, I'd go and
find an op to read. But that's not what we're
getting anymore. And this is a bit of a generalization,
but there's a lot of data to support it. The
people who make our news as such are people that
swing to you know, a center left. They are members
of the urban liberal educated elite and our news media

(28:09):
starts to reflect that and that doesn't reflect in New Zealand.
So how am I supposed to trust something that I
don't necessarily know where that's coming from or what stands
in behind it.

Speaker 2 (28:18):
If you voted on that, what would you have voted?

Speaker 3 (28:21):
Would I would have said no. I would have said no,
I don't trust the media.

Speaker 4 (28:24):
Well, Nick Leggott, I agree with everything Madie said. I mean,
like going to I'm getting sick a saying that. I mean,
it's true. I don't want to hear people's values or
their political opinions in the media that are and that
goes even sometimes you know, well often when you know
what you're listening to, you know where people come from.

(28:45):
I can respect that even if it doesn't, you know,
merge with mine. But when I feel they're trying to
get me, when I feel I've got an activist telling
me and instructing me how to think, I react very
badly and lot it's this challenging time for the media.
There isn't a lot of money that the landscape is
changing before our eyes. Skilled long term established journalists are

(29:07):
leaving the profession and it's clearly under pressure. So I
don't see a way out of this. Things that we're
going to have to find a new normal here.

Speaker 2 (29:16):
When I grew up, six o'clock news was on the
news when I had.

Speaker 3 (29:21):
My dinner, and it was punted straight down the middle.

Speaker 2 (29:23):
And I believed everything that I said.

Speaker 4 (29:27):
Do you believe you had public servants? You had Philip
Sherry reading.

Speaker 2 (29:31):
The news a little bit later than that, but yeah,
but when he was.

Speaker 4 (29:35):
There when I was a Kidnick, and you're old enough
to be my dad, the root of you had public servants,
you know, even on arin Z and TV. You know
there was only one channel those days, obviously, but do.

Speaker 2 (29:49):
You believe it?

Speaker 4 (29:49):
Of course, because we had public servants?

Speaker 2 (29:51):
Okay, when you were growing up, did you believe it many?
I mean it was seventeen No, you never trusted the media?

Speaker 3 (29:58):
Well, I don't know.

Speaker 5 (30:00):
I'm kind of getting to a point now when I'm
starting to think about it a little bit more deeply.
But you didn't you tuned in at six o'clock because
that's that's what happened today. Whereas now I feel like
parts of it, I'm like, well, here's three segments of
activism followed by the weather.

Speaker 2 (30:13):
Yeah, okay, the Friday.

Speaker 1 (30:17):
Hot.

Speaker 2 (30:19):
Okay, it's my highlight of the week when I get
my guest to tell me what their hots and knots are.
It also means it's the end of the week. Even
though it's a Thursday, it is the end of the
week for us. We're off until Tuesday. We're not taking
the big, long, lazy two weeks off. I suppose you
guys are both doing that. Yeah, right, but we're back
on Tuesday. Nick, leg it, give me your hots and.

Speaker 4 (30:40):
Not real quick, really easy the hot we've already talked about.
We have a Wellington mayoral contest. I think that's, you know,
good contest of ideas. It'll be a good fight. I
think that's good for democracy. It's good for Wellington. Not
is ah that sort of judgy, kind of sneery thing
that happened in R Street with that hairdresser or the

(31:01):
beautician's car. Somebody wrote a nasty note saying we don't like,
we don't looking at your car with the eyelashes on it,
even though it was promoting their business. And so it's
probably just because an R Street it was a car
or a business the business, so both of those are
bad things. But I just thought that's that's the that's
the not so nice but about Wellington, Like you don't

(31:21):
have to tell people your opinions on every part of
their life.

Speaker 5 (31:25):
And so yeah, I'm an ra Valley resident and I
walk past that car as well. It's just something to
make you smile, Like it's a bit different. And I
could tell from that note that ladies handwriting. I was like,
I ignore, you're a mean lady based on your handwriting alone.

Speaker 2 (31:36):
Yeah, yeah, well it's a bit judgmental. They're Maddie blue
Smith for a young person. Tell us you're hots and knots.

Speaker 5 (31:42):
Please my height, And I'm going to buck a trend.
I think Wellington is a live and vibrant and awesome
and hot. Peak of the week really is stay to
hospital at the moment. You've got some cool new venues
popping up. I went to the opening of the.

Speaker 3 (31:54):
Cuba Street Tavern, which is in the old Olive awesome.

Speaker 5 (31:57):
Live music venue, and there it's just great to see
people taking a risk, like there are still young people
who want to go out and spend our money and
enjoy each other's company and look well and still has
a lot of great places. Courtney placed on Friday Night buzzing,
awesome place to be.

Speaker 2 (32:11):
Wow, what you're not hot? I'm sure im not hot.

Speaker 3 (32:15):
I got a bit caught up in that whole pregnant
people debate this week and it just frustrates me.

Speaker 5 (32:19):
And coming back to that point we're making on the
state of the media, just reporting on stuff that just
doesn't matter to anything exactly. And look it, call a
woman a woman, a pregnant person, a pregnant woman, and
if someone wants to be called something else, call them
something else.

Speaker 3 (32:31):
Who cares?

Speaker 5 (32:32):
You know, if you go to a restaurant and you
order bread, you're gonna get bread with gluten in it.
If you want gluten free bread, ask them and you'll
get gluten free bread. But instead this became a media
story for the entire week and just who cares?

Speaker 4 (32:44):
It's the visive unnecessarily a well done both of you.

Speaker 2 (32:46):
Thank you for coming in on your busy schedule. Maddie
Burgers Smith and Nick Leggott have a great long Easter weekend.
Happy Easter. Catch you next time on the show.

Speaker 1 (32:54):
Thanks Wellington's official week in review, It's Friday Fathon with
Property Management a better rental experience for all. Visit Quovic
dot Co. Dot insiet. For more from Wellington Mornings with
Nick Mills, listen live to news talks It'd Be Wellington
from nine am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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