Barry Soper: Senior political correspondent on Luxon, the Middle East and petrol

Barry Soper joins Heather du Plessis-Allan to wrap the political week. 

The war in Iran and it's implications are top of mind, including the potential effects on New Zealand's fuel prices.

They also chat about today's National Party and Luxon news following the release of a damning poll this morning.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barysopa, our senior political correspondent, obviously raps the political week
that was at this time during the week. Welcome back, Barry,
Thank you, Heather. I think that he is safer because
he front footed it today. What do you think you're
talking about, Chris Luxon Hares? Is there anything else to
talk about in politics?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah? Look, I think he did well coming on your program,
and I found the interview really interesting. You didn't lay off,
you laid into him a bit. But what he did
I think well, and I haven't heard him talk like
this for some time. He explained himself so articulately, very
clear to the point, and certainly talked about polls. And

(00:42):
I found his take on opinion polls and I've heard
them many times from politicians over the years, and the
validity of polls. I thought his take on it was
quite well. And I think even the tone of his
voice would suggest to me there's no pressure on him
to bugger off at the stage, and you know, I

(01:05):
don't think there will be. It's been my feeling all along.
I mean, this man that I've never seen a person
come into politics into the prime minister's chair in such
a short time. If he is doing an apprenticeship, he'd
just be a journeyman. Now five years he's been in
the place, and you know, to be able to articulate

(01:25):
the way he does, I think he does pretty well.
A lot of people say he's too verbose over talks.
My problem with him is he answers too many questions
that many politicians will tell the journalists to bugger off.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
Okay, So he has got to though, it's going to
be long eight months to the election unless the polls improve,
which means and I know it's you know, you can't
be sure the polls will improve. And so what he's
got to do is he has got to ask for
the next eight months his own MPs and National Party
voters and the media to believe that the polls are wrong.

(02:00):
Is that word?

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Well, you know, we're assuming that the polls are going
to be exactly the same between now and the election.
I mean, the National Party must have not they must
have I don't know, been shocked beyond belief when Donald
Trump invaded and Netanyahu invaded Iran, because you know, the

(02:25):
invasion in the Middle East effects New Zealand. It affects
us to the extent of oil. So we pay more
at the petrol pump. What do people blame when they
pay more at the petrol pump? They blame the government.
But I would just hope that the New Zealand public
look beyond that and say that here was an economy
and it's teetering now on turning the corner. There are

(02:48):
a lot of green shoots. If you look at tourism
in particular, wine sales abroad, exports are excellent at the moment,
you know, the country is looking better and it's again
getting a mood going now. If Chris Luckson can be
himself like he was earlier or tonight, if he can

(03:09):
be himself, then I think the public may see another
side of Christ.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
Okay do you think can we put this one down
to the media getting way too excited?

Speaker 2 (03:17):
Oh totally. You know. I think the fact that the
Prime Minister was out of contact after this poll, well,
when this poll came out, he is at the Golden
chairs and the wire rapp who is out in his
own Botany electorate and it's fear for him to say, well,
he wasn't a weird But can I put to.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
You why this is not the media get getting too
excited yeah, sure, because I think this is being driven
by some mischief making that's going on. But also there
are people in the National Party who are taking calls
from media and making this worse.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
Well, I've talked to a number in the National Party
as well, and the ones that I've talked to, and
the very senior in the National Party have been one
hundred percent behind Chris Luckson. So they're not getting panic,
they're not getting frightened by this. I guess, like you've
pointed out, there are twelve people that could lose their

(04:07):
job if this poll is translated into the election night numbers.
I don't think for the life of me it will be.
And even if there is, certainly that those people would
lose their seats, like you said, Nikola Willis, Chris Bishop
is he in.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
Chris Bishop is in a seat in an electorate seat.
But it's hut to remember it exactly. It's a swing seat.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yes, that's a big problem.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
So he could be gone, Nichola could be gone.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
Paul Goldsmith, Yeah, the backbone of the National Party at
the moment. But look, I think they know, and they
are relatively skilled politicians, they'll know that on one pole
does not an election.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
Make Yeah, Barry, thank you very much. As always, Barry Soper,
our senior political correspondent, rapping the political week that was.
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