April 11, 2025 • 6 mins
It’s been another big week in politics.
The Government has committed 12 billion over four years to defence, Winston Peters thinks the Prime Minister’s free trade talks are premature, and the Greens were the target of billboards by the sensible sentencing trust.
Senior Political Editor Barry Soper talks to Ryan Bridge about all this and more.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Coming up. It's just gone quarter past six on news talks.
He be coming up in just a few moments. I'm
going to talk about Prince Harry. You know, he's in
court try and get more bodyguards out of the Brits. Well,
he's turned up somewhere else, which is quite unusual. I
think we'll get to that shortly. Right now, Barry Soper
here wrapping the week that was Bez. Welcome back.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
It's nice to be here for the final time now
for the next three months.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Right, one last hurrah for us, Barry, Let's make it
a good one. Now, twelve billion dollars. We did tell
everybody this was going to happen, but now we've had
its confirmed. It's going to get to two percent of
GDP on defense spending up twelve billion over four years, and.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Nine billion of that is new spending. So next month's
budget will tell us exactly how they're going to afford that.
You know, this comes at a time of course when
the country can I'll afford additional money. But you know,
if you want to be a member of the international community,
you've got to spend on defense. It's your security in
this part of the world. And we've seen the world
(00:56):
on a precipice over the past several months, and not
helped of course by the tariff war now being embarked
on by the American President. So yeah, I think certainly
this money should be well spent. It depends on how
good the aircraft. For example, they buy to replace the
(01:18):
seven five sevens. Now they are the aircraft that have
constantly broken down when the Prime Minister has been on
them traveling around the world with trade delegation. So they
are being replaced, and many would say not before time.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Speaking of trade and speaking of missions, Luxon's been on
a bit of one in the last twenty four hours.
So this is his way of trying to control the narrative.
You're not going to bash Trump, so what else can
you do. You go out there and you say we're
talking free trade with our partners.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Yeah, And interestingly, Winston Peters, as we mentioned earlier, seemed
to be a bit unsure about that, saying it was
suggesting it was premature. But you know, we've got to
cover our backs in all of this. We, like the
rest of the world at the moment, except for China
of course, are facing ten percent tariffs. So we've got
(02:07):
to look at possible trading blocks and the cpp TA
that was started by New Zealand that obviously can include
others and even China is talking about looking at it now.
And you imagine if China came aboard there. I don't
think Trump would like it very much.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
No, that's the opposite of what they want exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Yeah, and the Prime Minister has also spoken to the
head of the European Union twenty seven countries there you
know we, you know we trading blocks are the way
that the world could go in response to America effectively
isolating itself when it comes to trade.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Now, Tamitha Paul and the Sensible Sentencing Trust billboards were
a bit of light relief this week barring.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Aren't they fantastic?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
They are quite funny, you.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Know, police defunded up police. A lot of being made
of it in the house and Tamotha Paul is very unrepentant. Interestingly,
the Greens didn't complain about the posters or the billboards.
They're very good and very professional looking and it looks
as though the Green Party is actually advocating that now.
The billboards were put in both the central electorates of
(03:20):
two biggest cities in Wellington where Tamotha Paul is the
electorate MP, and in Auckland Central where Chloe Swallbreck is
the MP. Now the stand by the Greens is patently ridiculous.
They haven't distanced themselves from Tamotha Tamotha Paul's claim that
people feel uneasy when they see police on the beat.
(03:44):
Those polls that come out this week show the exact
opposite to be true. In big numbers, people do like
to see more cops on the beat and feel much
more safer as a result.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Barrier to finish the week, the good will people of
News Zeland have managed to get their name in lights
with the agreement between the Zealand First and National and
they will get some preferential treatment and government contracts. But
then today you have the Wood people coming out saying,
you know so well, we want it to, we want
it to. So have they created a precedent they didn't
(04:18):
want to?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
It is the problem, isn't it in picking favorites And
that's what the government's done here. It's saying a wall
over synthetic Well, you know what about all the synthetic
carpet manufacturers as well, I mean they'll be saying, well,
hang on, you can't pick favorites off you're a government
and you can see the argument there. But also if
you are a government department, I think you should be
(04:41):
looking at our natural product, the stuff that we do
export usually. And similarly, when you talk on that vein,
I think we should be looking at our bankers. For example,
the government banks with Westpac. Why not recapitalize Keywi Bank
and start our official bank thinking with that particular bank
(05:02):
rather than an Australian bank. So you know, I mean
this opens you could go on and I exactly opens
the door to so many areas.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
All right, Berry, good to how it's been lovely working
with you over the last couple of months. I very
much enjoyed doing that again.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, it's be nice Ryan, And well don't out see
you back again at some stage.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Thanks, Barry, appreciate it. Barry Soper, Senior political correspondent at
News Talks Here. B it's just gone twenty after six. Next,
I'll tell you about Prince Harry where he's been after
being in court trying to get bodyguards. Kind of a
strange place for him to be, And I'll read you
the quotes from Phil Gough. That sounds boring, doesn't it.
I'll read you quotes from Phil goth They are interesting,
(05:42):
I promise, just because of how far he goes. Obviously
he felt like he was wrapped up in a ball
and chain over at Chathamhouse in London. Even though it
sounded bad what he said, he could have gone much further,
and he has at Auckland University, so I'll tell you
just how far. Twenty one after six. For more from
Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to News Talks at
(06:03):
b from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on
iHeartRadio
Coming up. It's just gone quarter past six on news talks.
He be coming up in just a few moments. I'm
going to talk about Prince Harry. You know, he's in
court try and get more bodyguards out of the Brits. Well,
he's turned up somewhere else, which is quite unusual. I
think we'll get to that shortly. Right now, Barry Soper
here wrapping the week that was Bez. Welcome back.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
It's nice to be here for the final time now
for the next three months.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Right, one last hurrah for us, Barry, Let's make it
a good one. Now, twelve billion dollars. We did tell
everybody this was going to happen, but now we've had
its confirmed. It's going to get to two percent of
GDP on defense spending up twelve billion over four years, and.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Nine billion of that is new spending. So next month's
budget will tell us exactly how they're going to afford that.
You know, this comes at a time of course when
the country can I'll afford additional money. But you know,
if you want to be a member of the international community,
you've got to spend on defense. It's your security in
this part of the world. And we've seen the world
(00:56):
on a precipice over the past several months, and not
helped of course by the tariff war now being embarked
on by the American President. So yeah, I think certainly
this money should be well spent. It depends on how
good the aircraft. For example, they buy to replace the
(01:18):
seven five sevens. Now they are the aircraft that have
constantly broken down when the Prime Minister has been on
them traveling around the world with trade delegation. So they
are being replaced, and many would say not before time.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Speaking of trade and speaking of missions, Luxon's been on
a bit of one in the last twenty four hours.
So this is his way of trying to control the narrative.
You're not going to bash Trump, so what else can
you do. You go out there and you say we're
talking free trade with our partners.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Yeah, And interestingly, Winston Peters, as we mentioned earlier, seemed
to be a bit unsure about that, saying it was
suggesting it was premature. But you know, we've got to
cover our backs in all of this. We, like the
rest of the world at the moment, except for China
of course, are facing ten percent tariffs. So we've got
(02:07):
to look at possible trading blocks and the cpp TA
that was started by New Zealand that obviously can include
others and even China is talking about looking at it now.
And you imagine if China came aboard there. I don't
think Trump would like it very much.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
No, that's the opposite of what they want exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Yeah, and the Prime Minister has also spoken to the
head of the European Union twenty seven countries there you
know we, you know we trading blocks are the way
that the world could go in response to America effectively
isolating itself when it comes to trade.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Now, Tamitha Paul and the Sensible Sentencing Trust billboards were
a bit of light relief this week barring.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Aren't they fantastic?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
They are quite funny, you.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Know, police defunded up police. A lot of being made
of it in the house and Tamotha Paul is very unrepentant. Interestingly,
the Greens didn't complain about the posters or the billboards.
They're very good and very professional looking and it looks
as though the Green Party is actually advocating that now.
The billboards were put in both the central electorates of
(03:20):
two biggest cities in Wellington where Tamotha Paul is the
electorate MP, and in Auckland Central where Chloe Swallbreck is
the MP. Now the stand by the Greens is patently ridiculous.
They haven't distanced themselves from Tamotha Tamotha Paul's claim that
people feel uneasy when they see police on the beat.
(03:44):
Those polls that come out this week show the exact
opposite to be true. In big numbers, people do like
to see more cops on the beat and feel much
more safer as a result.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Barrier to finish the week, the good will people of
News Zeland have managed to get their name in lights
with the agreement between the Zealand First and National and
they will get some preferential treatment and government contracts. But
then today you have the Wood people coming out saying,
you know so well, we want it to, we want
it to. So have they created a precedent they didn't
(04:18):
want to?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
It is the problem, isn't it in picking favorites And
that's what the government's done here. It's saying a wall
over synthetic Well, you know what about all the synthetic
carpet manufacturers as well, I mean they'll be saying, well,
hang on, you can't pick favorites off you're a government
and you can see the argument there. But also if
you are a government department, I think you should be
(04:41):
looking at our natural product, the stuff that we do
export usually. And similarly, when you talk on that vein,
I think we should be looking at our bankers. For example,
the government banks with Westpac. Why not recapitalize Keywi Bank
and start our official bank thinking with that particular bank
(05:02):
rather than an Australian bank. So you know, I mean
this opens you could go on and I exactly opens
the door to so many areas.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
All right, Berry, good to how it's been lovely working
with you over the last couple of months. I very
much enjoyed doing that again.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, it's be nice Ryan, And well don't out see
you back again at some stage.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Thanks, Barry, appreciate it. Barry Soper, Senior political correspondent at
News Talks Here. B it's just gone twenty after six. Next,
I'll tell you about Prince Harry where he's been after
being in court trying to get bodyguards. Kind of a
strange place for him to be, And I'll read you
the quotes from Phil Gough. That sounds boring, doesn't it.
I'll read you quotes from Phil goth They are interesting,
(05:42):
I promise, just because of how far he goes. Obviously
he felt like he was wrapped up in a ball
and chain over at Chathamhouse in London. Even though it
sounded bad what he said, he could have gone much further,
and he has at Auckland University, so I'll tell you
just how far. Twenty one after six. For more from
Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to News Talks at
(06:03):
b from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on
iHeartRadio
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