Stats boss has fallen on his sword over the handling of confidential personal data.
Automatic pay rises for public servants under review.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said the government will aim to spend two percent of GDP on defence.
Is it doable?
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's take a look back at the week in politics.
Barry soapers he has senior political correspondent Gyeto.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Barry Hello again right.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Now, stats nd z the boss has fallen on his sword.
So much to talk about from this week, by the way,
big political week, but we'll get straight into it. So
we've got the Maori Party so far unscathed by this report.
But stats end Z boss on the way out.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Well, yeah, the stats ends Z boss. I think he
probably did the right thing, but it was expected of him.
I think Brian Roach, the new State Services Commissioner, made
no secret of the fact that he did the right thing,
which suggests to me that he had no option. But
as far as the Maori Party go, we see John
(00:42):
Tammerherdy in his selective interviews that he gives did admit
that some census forms had been photo copied at the
morai that was at the center of all this, that
saw the chief executive of the mara making it into
Parliament with a majority of forty two over Penny Henare
(01:05):
and why they photo copied them is anyone asks, But
the bigger question really is how come a marai at
the center of a political I guess not only data Base,
but power Base was a polling booth at the last election,
(01:25):
which seems extraordinary. The electoral officers apologize for that, but
there's no excuse. We've really got to have clean elections
in this country. We've got to As Brian Roach said,
it cut to the heart of democracy. This whole issue
where confidential information could have been and I only say
(01:47):
could could have been used or misused by a political party.
The police are looking at that, so too as the
Privacy commissioners. So there's more to hear on this particular.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Matter because as you say, at the moment, we don't
know what we don't know. We know we have the data,
we gave the data away and then we don't know
what happened to them.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
And you know, you have to worry really if you know,
when you fill out of scenes as form, you give
a lot of material there that you wouldn't want sheer around.
Although I've got nothing to hide, I couldn't.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Care less, no. But the irony of this is the
people who they are trying to contact a lot of
the times, they are the types of people who are
a bit distrusting of government because they have a back
door open with their data, and all they've done is
in trying to solve that problem is actually exacerbated in
the first place. The automatic pay rises for the public servants.
(02:37):
Well a few of them don't deserve one this week,
but the automatic pay rises. We chatted about this the
other day, Barry. Yes, who in the private sector would
be getting an automatic pay rise.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
To exactly no one. The PSA are jumping up and
down about this, saying that they're members, most of whom
are public servants. What they all are, and you know
they deserve to have yearly increments in their pay. Well,
you know, providing they're good at their job, yes, give
(03:09):
them a pay rights if they're not. I mean, when
you look at the pay bill to the taxpayer last year,
six point five billion dollars for the public service wage
packet up by five point six percent. Now under national,
under national, that's exactly right. Because now you've got Brian Roach.
(03:31):
Thank god they've brought old Brian on board because he's
looking at a number of things, and it's like the
chief executives of the public service as well. At the
moment they're appointed by him as the Public Service Commissioner.
But Luxin has suggested this week, and I'd suggest there
are major changes coming in the public service where you've
(03:53):
got very talented people working but aren't getting the acknowledgment
that they deserve. And you've got public servants in chief
executive's positions that have simply been promoted through the ranks
and one person tends to appoint them. Well, you know,
maybe cabinet should have a bigger role. People would say
(04:15):
that's politicizing the public service. Sorry, the public service has.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Already politicized itself. Luxon and Judith Collins on this show
last night said that they would increase defense spending closer
to two percent of GDP. They haven't said, obviously, how
long it might tapen to get there. The only clue
we've got is this fifteen year defense plan that they
haven't dropped yet. Perhaps in that they might suggest it
will take us years.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Again, I think that would be the safest bet, actually, Ryan,
when you look at New Zealand's defense spending, it's just
over one percent GDP, so they're going to have to
double it, and who only knows what period of time
there are you know, other politicians that say we should
be anymore. But you know, that's a massive pass budget
(05:03):
for a country like ours.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
And the operating allowance that Nicola Willis has got to
work with. You know, true, the whole thing up happens
out exactly interesting. What Chris Hipkins said about it this week,
he said, oh, look, you know, we do need to
spend more. It's not about how much we spend, it's
about whatever we need to have, we'll spend the money on.
So it sounds to me like, you know, an empty check.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Yeah. Well, you know the problem is that when you
look at a country like New Zealand, our role has always,
essentially since the Last World War, been in a peacekeeping
role that does cost a lot of money. But we
had these old land vehicles labs. Why the hell do
we have those?
Speaker 1 (05:47):
We could even get rid of them. We couldn't even
sell them, No one wants.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
You know, there's been so many mistakes made in defense
procurement in this country that I don't think we need.
We need expertise, and that is in the peacekeeping role
and what have you.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Well, perhaps we should be spending our money on satellite.
You know, we've got Mahir, we've got rocket Lab. Perhaps
that sort of intelligent satellite tracking st to maybe that's
where we should be spending exactly it, and.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
New Zealand should be leaders in that. And we are
good trainers and we've you know, we've been training Ukrainian
troops in Britain mainly, so we are good at that role.
But I think we should really cut our cloth.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Sounds like it, Arry, thank you very much for that,
very Soper, Senior Political Correspondent. That's the Defense Force budget allocation,
according to Barry and I.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
News Talks.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
Let's take a look back at the week in politics.
Barry soapers he has senior political correspondent Gyeto.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Barry Hello again right.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Now, stats nd z the boss has fallen on his sword.
So much to talk about from this week, by the way,
big political week, but we'll get straight into it. So
we've got the Maori Party so far unscathed by this report.
But stats end Z boss on the way out.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Well, yeah, the stats ends Z boss. I think he
probably did the right thing, but it was expected of him.
I think Brian Roach, the new State Services Commissioner, made
no secret of the fact that he did the right thing,
which suggests to me that he had no option. But
as far as the Maori Party go, we see John
(00:42):
Tammerherdy in his selective interviews that he gives did admit
that some census forms had been photo copied at the
morai that was at the center of all this, that
saw the chief executive of the mara making it into
Parliament with a majority of forty two over Penny Henare
(01:05):
and why they photo copied them is anyone asks, But
the bigger question really is how come a marai at
the center of a political I guess not only data Base,
but power Base was a polling booth at the last election,
(01:25):
which seems extraordinary. The electoral officers apologize for that, but
there's no excuse. We've really got to have clean elections
in this country. We've got to As Brian Roach said,
it cut to the heart of democracy. This whole issue
where confidential information could have been and I only say
(01:47):
could could have been used or misused by a political party.
The police are looking at that, so too as the
Privacy commissioners. So there's more to hear on this particular.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Matter because as you say, at the moment, we don't
know what we don't know. We know we have the data,
we gave the data away and then we don't know
what happened to them.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
And you know, you have to worry really if you know,
when you fill out of scenes as form, you give
a lot of material there that you wouldn't want sheer around.
Although I've got nothing to hide, I couldn't.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Care less, no. But the irony of this is the
people who they are trying to contact a lot of
the times, they are the types of people who are
a bit distrusting of government because they have a back
door open with their data, and all they've done is
in trying to solve that problem is actually exacerbated in
the first place. The automatic pay rises for the public servants.
(02:37):
Well a few of them don't deserve one this week,
but the automatic pay rises. We chatted about this the
other day, Barry. Yes, who in the private sector would
be getting an automatic pay rise.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
To exactly no one. The PSA are jumping up and
down about this, saying that they're members, most of whom
are public servants. What they all are, and you know
they deserve to have yearly increments in their pay. Well,
you know, providing they're good at their job, yes, give
(03:09):
them a pay rights if they're not. I mean, when
you look at the pay bill to the taxpayer last year,
six point five billion dollars for the public service wage
packet up by five point six percent. Now under national,
under national, that's exactly right. Because now you've got Brian Roach.
(03:31):
Thank god they've brought old Brian on board because he's
looking at a number of things, and it's like the
chief executives of the public service as well. At the
moment they're appointed by him as the Public Service Commissioner.
But Luxin has suggested this week, and I'd suggest there
are major changes coming in the public service where you've
(03:53):
got very talented people working but aren't getting the acknowledgment
that they deserve. And you've got public servants in chief
executive's positions that have simply been promoted through the ranks
and one person tends to appoint them. Well, you know,
maybe cabinet should have a bigger role. People would say
(04:15):
that's politicizing the public service. Sorry, the public service has.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Already politicized itself. Luxon and Judith Collins on this show
last night said that they would increase defense spending closer
to two percent of GDP. They haven't said, obviously, how
long it might tapen to get there. The only clue
we've got is this fifteen year defense plan that they
haven't dropped yet. Perhaps in that they might suggest it
will take us years.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Again, I think that would be the safest bet, actually, Ryan,
when you look at New Zealand's defense spending, it's just
over one percent GDP, so they're going to have to
double it, and who only knows what period of time
there are you know, other politicians that say we should
be anymore. But you know, that's a massive pass budget
(05:03):
for a country like ours.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
And the operating allowance that Nicola Willis has got to
work with. You know, true, the whole thing up happens
out exactly interesting. What Chris Hipkins said about it this week,
he said, oh, look, you know, we do need to
spend more. It's not about how much we spend, it's
about whatever we need to have, we'll spend the money on.
So it sounds to me like, you know, an empty check.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Yeah. Well, you know the problem is that when you
look at a country like New Zealand, our role has always,
essentially since the Last World War, been in a peacekeeping
role that does cost a lot of money. But we
had these old land vehicles labs. Why the hell do
we have those?
Speaker 1 (05:47):
We could even get rid of them. We couldn't even
sell them, No one wants.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
You know, there's been so many mistakes made in defense
procurement in this country that I don't think we need.
We need expertise, and that is in the peacekeeping role
and what have you.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Well, perhaps we should be spending our money on satellite.
You know, we've got Mahir, we've got rocket Lab. Perhaps
that sort of intelligent satellite tracking st to maybe that's
where we should be spending exactly it, and.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
New Zealand should be leaders in that. And we are
good trainers and we've you know, we've been training Ukrainian
troops in Britain mainly, so we are good at that role.
But I think we should really cut our cloth.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Sounds like it, Arry, thank you very much for that,
very Soper, Senior Political Correspondent. That's the Defense Force budget allocation,
according to Barry and I.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
News Talks.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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