Full Show Podcast: 07 February 2025

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Digging through the spins spins to find the real story
or it's Francesca rud came on here the duper see
Ellen Drive with one New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Let's get connected and News Talks EDB.

Speaker 3 (00:15):
Good afternoon, Welcome to Drive. I'm Francisco Udkin. Coming up
on the show today. Chief Executive Marjie Arper has resigned
from Health New Zealand earlier than usual. We get the
latest after five. Shortly, former Defense Minister Wayne Mapp joins
us to talk about why the New Zealand Defense Force
is shockingly low on ammunition and the miler is back
for the Commonwealth Games. It's a nostalgic touch, but is

(00:37):
it good for our athletes? It is seven past.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Four News Talks EDB.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
This week another police officer was struck by a vehicle,
this time in Huntley. The officer suffered moderate injuries. And
it comes after the horrible New Years Day incident in
which Senior Sergeant Len Fleming was killed in another officer
injured after being struck by a vehicle than Nelson Policemnister Mark,
You're said on the My Costing Breakfast this warning that
police and first responders are increasingly dealing with violence, and

(01:06):
not just here in New Zealand but globally as well,
and it's good to hear Mitchell alongside Paul Godsmith planning
to bring a new legislation enter the House in the
first quarter of this year to bring tougher sentencing for
violent behavior towards first responders and prison officers. It would
have been better if it had been included in Goldsmith's
sentencing reforms, which had its first reading in Parliament last September.

(01:30):
Those reforms, too, are to ensure criminals face tougher consequences
and victims are prioritized. But this new legislation aimed at
offenders towards first responders, will not just impose tougher sentences,
but will also clearly define emergency service workers and require
sentence in sentencing to be cumulative rather than concurrent. It's

(01:52):
aimed at being a preventative measure, but something tells me
that offenders will get the message through experience rather than media. Headlin, Look,
we are it to our first responders to give them
as much support as possible. They go to work and
they deal with a level of risk. The rest of
us don't have to confront these laws show we as

(02:12):
New Zealanders appreciate their work and are prepared to do
what we can to protect them. And I hope the
work to clarify who was a first responder generally thought
of as police paramedics in the fire service is extended
to hospital emergency staff and even other health workers. The
need for this legislation, this growing anger and agitation experienced

(02:33):
by many in public facing jobs, especially those in retail,
It makes you wonder what has happened to us is
a wider community? I mean you rarely go into a
shop without signs telling you kindness is appreciated or that
they will not tolerate abusive behavior. This is common. Now
Is this a post COVID thing? Have we just got

(02:54):
more angry at the world? Is it a need to
be seen and heard? We seem to have forgotten that
the consequence of anger is often more damaging than what
made us angry in the first place. Hopefully, at the
least these tougher laws will achieve this and help bring
that back into perspective. Francisca, So where is this lack

(03:17):
of care and concern for people coming from?

Speaker 4 (03:20):
Gosh?

Speaker 3 (03:20):
There was another ghastly story in the news this morning
about three drivers who didn't stop after fatally striking a
pedestrian on Auckland's Southwestern Motorway. Three cars hit a person
and no one stopped. Our police are, of course asking
for people to come forward. We're going to have more
on this story after five o'clock. It is a ten
past four.

Speaker 5 (03:40):
Now.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
Ammunition stocks at the New Zealand Defense Force allegedly got
so low that the country was left with just fifty rounds.
The Defense Force says it's incorrect information, but refuse to
say if stocks have ever been that low. Serious supply
issues have affected ammunition stocks around the world, and one
hundred and five millimeter ammunition New Zealand users saw prices

(04:01):
rise by six hundred percent between twenty twenty and twenty
twenty four. Former Defense Minister Wayne Matp is with me, now, high.

Speaker 6 (04:11):
Hello, Francesca, fifty rounds?

Speaker 3 (04:13):
How likely is it that stock's got that low.

Speaker 7 (04:16):
I'm pretty skeptical that you've got that low. In fact,
the NZIDIF is actually denying that they haven't told us
how many, and I guess that's good reasons why they
wouldn't task It might be true, however, that stock's got
a bit low. There's not about that.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
Can you just explain to me what is fifty rounds?
What does that mean?

Speaker 7 (04:34):
Well, it's basically, you know, there's six guns in an
artillery battery. They fire about two or three rounds each
per minute, so you can you can work it out there.
It's not essentially one training exercise and you're done half
an hour.

Speaker 3 (04:49):
What is the lowest our stocks could go?

Speaker 7 (04:53):
Well, I would actually think it'd have to be in
the thousands A rounds would be prudent. You wouldn't wanted
to go any lower than that.

Speaker 3 (05:01):
So how concerning is this potentially that we've we've got
these low stocks. Obviously we have some obligations when it
comes to security and things in the Pacific.

Speaker 7 (05:15):
Well, it's also just amount of training. I mean, if
you get too low, you can't train. Look, I'm sure
there's been some corrective action done on all of this.
I can't imagine it's as low as that now, but
you know it's with the Government's got a defense capability
plan coming up. Part and parcel of that will be
readiness and reading us as logistics as much as anything else.

Speaker 3 (05:40):
Why do we use one hundred and five millimeter ammunition
when it's a lower caliber than the world's standard and
what most people use.

Speaker 7 (05:48):
Well, bigger armies have bigger formations, they have more depth.
We've got a small army really, just two regular force battalions,
and therefore our ranges are much less. Also in the
Pacific generally, you know, you're talking about irelands, you're not
talking about continents. So it makes sense that New Zealand
is going to have a lower caliber weapon because we've

(06:11):
got a smaller army. Therefore, you don't operate in these
big formations of large countries.

Speaker 3 (06:17):
Okay, that makes sense. But then of course we saw
the prices rise so drastically, which I presume is because
there's not a huge amount of demand for them.

Speaker 7 (06:25):
Well, that'll be true right across the board for all munitions.
I mean, Ukraine has been burning through terry rounds like
nobody's business. And that's that's all types, not just the
one o fives, but one fifty fives as well.

Speaker 3 (06:37):
So should we switch to one fifty five milimeter since
it is used more widely, would that make sense?

Speaker 7 (06:43):
I think you need to put it. That would require
careful thought. It's kind of a different doctrine to what
we're used to now other countries have made the switch,
but even with the light weight one fifty five millimeter gun,
it's still literally twice the weight four point two tons
compared to two tons, and that means it's far less transportable.

Speaker 3 (07:03):
Okay, I was thinking it might be helpful if you
know Australia was able to resupply as if need be.
But for you, it's more of the sort of how
useful that that gun is for what we need our
defense for.

Speaker 7 (07:18):
Well, complimentary roles are actually pretty important for Australian news
on sometimes New zeand does things that Australia doesn't do,
but you know, they're much whether a continent sized country,
they have a different expectation to eat.

Speaker 3 (07:32):
Wayne Matt, thanks so much for your time, appreciate your
expertise on this. Coming up next, Jason Pine is with us.
We're going to talk about this new Super Rugby fantasy.
It is fourteen past four News Talks ZB.

Speaker 1 (07:44):
It's the Heather do Busy Alan Drive Full Show podcast
on iHeartRadio powered My News Talk ZBB.

Speaker 3 (07:52):
Joining me now on News Talks ZEDB is weekend Sport hosts.
Jason Pine.

Speaker 8 (07:56):
How you doing, Jason, I'm good. Thank you Francesca. Very
good to talk to you.

Speaker 3 (08:00):
Joe Smith's going to step down after the Rugby Championship.
He is going to take He's going to stay a
little bit longer than he'd originally planned, which I think
is a good thing. He's going to be out a
role there isn't he Yeah.

Speaker 8 (08:10):
Oh look, I think Rugby Australia would obviously, and they've
said this, would like him to stay for as long
as he wants, probably certainly through to the next Rugby
World Cup. But Joshman always said, Noe, I'll stay till
the end of the Lions too. I'll get you to that,
And they've obviously reached a compromise and that he will
now go on for another three months, which will take
in the Rugby Championship as well. But that will be

(08:31):
it for Joe Schmid. His family is still here in
New Zealand. He's always said that this was just a
temporary gig for him. I think Rugby Australia probably secretly
hoped that he'd get into the job, love it so
much and decided to stay, but that is not the case.
So after the Rugby Championship, the final game of which
is against the All Blacks in Perth at the Starle
of October. They'll be on the lookout for a new coach.

(08:53):
In fact, they'll be on the lookout right now.

Speaker 9 (08:54):
For that new coach.

Speaker 3 (08:55):
The questions who takes over.

Speaker 8 (08:57):
Well, that's a very good question one which I guess
I'll take a bit of time over. They must have
expected this Francisca. They must have expected that he wouldn't continue,
so they'll have a list drawn up. There are super
rugby coaches who are doing okay, Liz Kiss, Stephen Larkham,
Dan McKellar. There's perhaps an appetite to go back to
the likes of a Michael Checker, even at Dave Rennie.

(09:19):
They won't go back to Eddie Jones. I think that's
probably off the table, but I don't wonder whether they
might have a look at Leon McDonald. You know a
guy who obviously parted ways with the All Blacks last year.
He and Raza couldn't come to an agreement around tactics
or whatever it was. Leon McDonald a professional coach, a
former head coach of the Blues, looking for a job.
It's not as though they won't hire a new Zealander.

(09:41):
Joe Schmit's a Kiwi. So I wonder whether Leon McDonald
might be a bit of a dark horse for this.

Speaker 3 (09:45):
That's a good little suggestion there. You should just, you know,
direct message to them about that. Maybe I should super
Rugby Fantasy. Finally, I mean, it's great to see it's happened,
but I think they've missed the mark.

Speaker 8 (09:56):
Well, well, it's later than they would have hoped, but
at least it's before the start of the season. If
they got beyond next Friday, then the whole thing would
have been a bust because they would have missed the
start of it.

Speaker 9 (10:05):
Look, I've had a look at it today.

Speaker 8 (10:07):
And actually already when you know, you start building leagues
with friends and you look around, people are starting to
engage with it, which I think is really cool. It's
quite easy to understand. You pick fifteen players each week,
I hope that they do really really well in the
actual game, and then they earn you points in your
fantasy league, and you can trade players in and out,
and you know, as you say, play against your mates

(10:27):
or your work friends or wherever it is ready, or
just compete against yourself. So look, I like the idea
of engaging in a different way, and I look.

Speaker 9 (10:36):
Forward to seeing how my team goes.

Speaker 7 (10:38):
Well.

Speaker 3 (10:38):
When I said they're a bit late, I mean I
look around at my eighteen year old son, and him
and his mates are obsessed with the NRAL Fantasy League,
which has a draft and it has an app. They
got together last night dressed in suits to have the draft,
you know, to have it all together with their computers.
As the draft was announced and they saw who they
were going to get, they're never going to make the
switch that they're hooked.

Speaker 8 (10:59):
I guess they had to at least make a start.
You're right, though, I mean I don't I don't know
if that there is an app actually, because this has
to be mobile, right, Yeah, you have to. Yeah, you
have to be able to do it. You know, even
if you go to the game and you see that
one of your players is not in the starting side
or has been a late withdrawal from injury, you want
to change them over, you do it on your phone. So, yeah,
they'll need an app. At least they've made a start. Francesca,

(11:19):
that's true.

Speaker 3 (11:20):
Good on your pony, always seeing the positive side of things. Look,
you will be able to on your phone go to
the website and make the changes. That you need to do.
But you know we live in app planned, don't we.

Speaker 9 (11:31):
Well, like I need to go and get a suit
by this sound.

Speaker 3 (11:35):
Finally, always love you to talk to you. I will
talk to you on Sunday, of course. Jason is your
weekend sport host. He is with you mid day to
three pm tomorrow and on Sunday you're with Newstalks. He'd be,
it is twenty one past four.

Speaker 1 (11:48):
Checking the point of the story. It's Francesca rudgab On,
Heather Duples see Ellen drive with one New Zealand let's
get connected and Newstalks, they'd be, thank you.

Speaker 3 (11:58):
Very much for your feedback. You're most welcome text anytime
throughout the show. Tonight ninety two ninety two, Martin said, Francisca,
could you ask if there is an app for this
new fantasy Super Rugby. I can't find one of them,
that's the case, and Super Rugby is messed up. I'm
going to change that word slightly, Martin. Their launch already. Yeah,
I think a lot of people are going to find

(12:18):
that little bit of a hicck up, especially if you're
used to using some of the other fantasy apps. And
that's kind of the way you're used to doing things, Hi, Francisca,
with full respect to Wayne Map, you were actually right.
One hundred and fifty five milimeter is far and away
the international standard when it comes to ammunition, even for
countries like New Zealand. The US and other allies used
the one five as the main artillery gun in World

(12:39):
War Two, Career, etc. And others have been mostly on
one five to five since the seventies. One hundred and
fifty five milimeter came can waste one hundred and five
gun with no risk to itself because it's got a
longer range. One hundred and five millimeter use these days
is niche or it's just limited, So thank you very
much for your text. Somebody else has also suggested Alan

(13:02):
Jones could be a interesting Aussie coach. I'm sure that
Piney will be talking about that further throughout the weekend.
I thought I'd gone back in time a little bit
this week. I popped into Pack and Save and I
was going to buy two containers of eggs because we've
got a bit of baking going on at the moment,
only to have one taken off me at the checkout.
Limits are back in place, well, they are at my

(13:24):
pack and save. It felt like twenty twenty two again,
remember when the result you know we were it was
the result of the caged eggs being phased out by
twenty twenty three, So all of a sudden there was
this decrease in supply of eggs. Anyway, I suppose we
shouldn't be surprised that we find ourselves back in the
situation because we've had that terrible the case of having

(13:45):
to cul over eighty thousand birds at a commercial egg
famb and a targo, and that was because of the
bird flu. So obviously you know that's had its impact.
It's rolled around. I'm only an album on one one box
of eggs. Well, quite frankly, it's probably it's all I
can afford, it's all I should really be buying. But
this is not just a local issue. This is very
much a global issue, and it is something which the

(14:05):
United States are also having to deal with. Shortly, we're
going to catch up with Dan Mitchinson and he has
got a pretty interesting story about a daring heist in Pennsylvania.
So the police are a little bit flu mixed and
they're trying to work out who stole one hundred thousand eggs,
So this we're talking about about forty to fifty thousand

(14:26):
US dollars worth of organic eggs. They were in a
distribution trailer, which makes me think that it was kind
of ready just to be hooked up and driven away somehow.
But the police are quite stumped about this because they
don't know what they're going to use them for. Clearly,
it's obvious there's just going to be a huge black market.
I imagine four eggs. Anyway, the eggs in the US.

(14:50):
If you think they're expensive here, they've got very expensive
in the US, and they're even charging you, like if
you go into a cafe and you want an egg,
they're going to charge you a little extra fifty cent
surcharge for the egg. So Jack, you just kind of
appreciate the eggs at the moment, don't you. As I mentioned,
you're most welcome any time to give me a call,

(15:10):
flick me a text. I apologize ninety ninety two. You
can get me at Francisca at Newstalks, hedb dot co
dot m Z. News is coming up next year on drives.

Speaker 9 (15:27):
Isn't that like.

Speaker 1 (15:32):
The moving the big stories of the day forward When
it's Francesca rud came on.

Speaker 2 (15:40):
Hither duples see.

Speaker 1 (15:40):
Alan drive with one New Zealand, let's get connected news talks.

Speaker 10 (15:45):
He'd be.

Speaker 3 (16:00):
Are you ready to run the miler at the scaled
back Commonwealth Games taking places in Glasgow next year. They've
they've taken this quite nostalgic move. I think it's quite gimmicky.
What they're doing is they're going to remove the fifteen
hundred and they're going to put the mile back in
last run in nineteen sixty six. This is why I'm saying,
I think it's quite a nostalgic move. I mean, it's

(16:20):
trying to create some interest, it's trying to set them
apart from the other games. Isn't it all good? All fine?
If you want to run another one hundred and six
meters add that on to year fifteen hundred, that is
all good. But will it be helpful to our competitive
fifteen hundred meter event runners? We're going to talk about
this more after five o'clock tonight. It is twenty three

(16:41):
to five.

Speaker 1 (16:42):
It's the world wires on news talks. They'd be drive.

Speaker 3 (16:47):
US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his bizarre
claim that the US will take over the Gaza strip.
He said on Truth Social that all Palestinians will be
resettled elsewhere and no soldiers will be needed. Republican Senator
Kennedy has some reservations about the idea.

Speaker 11 (17:02):
Thanks for President was thinking out loud and suggesting a concept.
Just speaking from me personally, I'm not going to support
spending American taxpayer money to rebuild Gaza. I don't think
it's our responsibility.

Speaker 3 (17:20):
Australian Prime Minister Elbow has announced eight hundred and forty
three million dollars of funding for the Northern Territory.

Speaker 12 (17:26):
We're frankly not doing well enough and no governments have
done well enough.

Speaker 2 (17:31):
This is about doing better.

Speaker 12 (17:33):
This funding will deliver essential services for remote communities, including policing,
women's safety, children's health, education and alcohol harm reduction.

Speaker 3 (17:44):
It is probably worth noting that Australia is having an
election this year and finally what was coming there. The
National Farmers Union in Scotland has asked its members to
stop using the phrase the farmers will as it enforces
gender stereotypes. The NFU has released its new Diversity and

(18:06):
Inclusion strategy, and the strategy says that some farmers are women,
some people in leadership positions shouldn't say farmer's wife. Farmers
have also been told not to ask each other how
many acres of land they own. Is a conversation starter,
as this makes people with small farms feel unwelcome. We

(18:26):
should really ban where did you go to school?

Speaker 7 (18:28):
Here?

Speaker 3 (18:28):
In New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (18:31):
International Correspondence with Ends and Eye Insurance Peace of Mind
for New Zealand Business.

Speaker 3 (18:38):
And Johnny nau is US correspondent Dan Mitchardson, Good afternoon, Dan.

Speaker 13 (18:43):
Hey, Good afternoon.

Speaker 4 (18:44):
Right.

Speaker 3 (18:44):
A judge pauses the deadline for federal workers to accept
Trump's resignation offer.

Speaker 13 (18:51):
Yes, and it looks like they're waiting for some new
legal proceedings to play out. We thought this was going
to happen just a few hours from now, and it
would allowed all these employees and we're talking about, oh,
I don't know, maybe fifty thousand or so, about two
and a half percent of the workforce to basically take
early retirement. They'd be paid through the end of September.
It looks like and it's part of Elon Musk's plan

(19:14):
to cut back on what he says is government fat.
But the question everybody was asking was, how are you
going to pay for all of this? I mean, you're
just kind of running up the debt over here, and
we already have a problem with that.

Speaker 3 (19:25):
Are we just postponing this deadline? Do you think, Dan?

Speaker 14 (19:30):
Or Yeah?

Speaker 9 (19:32):
I really think so.

Speaker 13 (19:33):
I mean there's been a lot of unions, federal unions
that have been telling the members don't accept this package
because one they want to know how legal it is
they don't think it is, And two they don't trust
I think the Trump administration to follow through on its
promises right now. So we're gonna have to wait and
see what happens to the judge. And if this does

(19:53):
move forward, will these you know, same fifty thousand people
or more take them up and say, okay, we're we'll
to take this risk and hope to get paid through
the third quarter of this year.

Speaker 3 (20:05):
Huge weekend when it comes to sport ahead the Super
Bowl of course on Sunday Monday our time, and New
Orleans is great playing worth How safe is safe enough?
And you kind of understand why.

Speaker 2 (20:19):
Well you do.

Speaker 13 (20:20):
I mean there's a number of reasons. Of course, we
had the terrorist attack that was there just over a
month ago New Year's Day, which killed fourteen people there
and injured almost sixty others. And then just a few
days ago you had President Trump saying raising his hand
and saying, Okay, I'm going to attend this game, which
is a first for any sitting president.

Speaker 2 (20:39):
And then on top of that, which is.

Speaker 13 (20:43):
I mean, this is really kind of a head scratcher.
I mean, I think people around the world are going
to think that when the new governor took office last year,
he signed this law that will allow anybody to carry
a concealed handgun without a permit or training. So what
that means is that when people are walking around the
French Order this weekend, one of the most popular places
in all of New Orleans, especially for tourists, there's nothing

(21:05):
that police can do to stop the guns being brought in.
Even after what happened, and even with such a massive
event going on.

Speaker 3 (21:12):
Are they more concerned about what's happening on the street
or what could potentially happen in the Superdome.

Speaker 13 (21:18):
I think they're concerned about both, to tell you the truth,
I mean, you hate to say something like this because
you don't want to jinks anything, but it is going
to be probably the most secure place in the country,
if not in the world for that time period, And
like one person said, I mean, the whole point of
terrorism is to prevent people from doing what in free

(21:39):
society people are allowed to do.

Speaker 2 (21:40):
So you have to kind of find this little sweet.

Speaker 13 (21:42):
Spot of finding reasonable safety protection for people and ensuring
that we get to do what we want to do
with our lives and what we're supposed.

Speaker 2 (21:48):
To be doing.

Speaker 3 (21:49):
Dan, Who's going to win the Super Bowl?

Speaker 13 (21:53):
I'm going to go with Kansas Actually, I'm I think
more people are interested. How many times are they going
to cut away when they mentioned the Kansas City Chiefs
to show Taylor Swift, who is dating a very prominent
person on that team as well. So that's I think
that's going to have more eyeballs on this Super Bowl,
even though the Kansas City Chiefs are going for their
third win here.

Speaker 3 (22:12):
And I've read that President Trump is going to be there.
Is that correct?

Speaker 7 (22:15):
Yeah?

Speaker 13 (22:15):
Yeah, yeah, he is. He is one of the reasons
after the beefed up security too. They had everything in
place until you know, four or five days ago, and
then the President said, Hey, I'm going to attend this,
and they're said, Okay, we're really going to have to
beef up security.

Speaker 15 (22:27):
Now.

Speaker 3 (22:28):
Now the egg black market is on a roll because
the police are yet to crack the forty thousand egg
theft that took place in Pennsylvania, and you guys have
got a national egg shortage and the bird flu outbreak.

Speaker 2 (22:40):
We do, I got that little pun there.

Speaker 13 (22:41):
You could also say that you're trying to poach more eggs,
but we won't go down that pun. Yeah, you're right,
one hundred thousand eggs from the back of a trailer
in Pennsylvania. So this has become this who done it?
That police have yet to crack and eggs. I mean,
this sounds like one of those kickers, those funny stories
you have on the world wires. But it's become such

(23:02):
a huge concern here because, like you said, we've had
a huge number of bird flu cases, which means they
have killed millions and millions and millions of chickens, and
that means no eggs, and so as a result, we've
seen prices skyrocket up to sixty percent nine dollars a dozen.
Number of restaurants have tacked on, in fact, one just
the other day tacked on an egg serves charge. So
every time you order a single egg you pay an

(23:24):
additional fifty cents, so you know, you get three eggs
with your breakfast, and so that's another another dollar fifty
that you're having to pay. But the eggs that were stolen,
that's they're worth forty fifty thousand dollars.

Speaker 2 (23:35):
So it's a felony.

Speaker 13 (23:36):
And how you're gonna offload this many eggs or where
you're gonna offload this many eggs, I have no idea.

Speaker 3 (23:40):
Dan Mitchinson, thank you so much for your time today.
Appreciate it as always. Now, Winston Peters has hints that
the foreign buyer ban may be eased for major investors.
So he has indicated that overseas buyers might be allowed
to purchase property if they invest significantly in the economy.
So we're gonna hear more about this from Jason Wolves,

(24:02):
who was with us next here on News Talks. He'd
be it is sixteen to five.

Speaker 1 (24:07):
Politics with centrics credit, check your customers and get payments.

Speaker 14 (24:10):
Certaindy, do you know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (24:12):
Now News talks hereb political editor Jason Wolves. How are
you doing, Jason?

Speaker 16 (24:15):
Oh, I'm doing very well.

Speaker 4 (24:16):
How are you doing? Oh?

Speaker 2 (24:17):
Very good?

Speaker 3 (24:17):
Thank you for a Friday afternoon when most people were
really sensible and took four days off and not us.

Speaker 2 (24:24):
It's a weird day.

Speaker 16 (24:25):
Last night I was thinking like a Sunday evening vibe,
and then coming into work today and now it's Friday afternoon.
I don't know what to do with myself.

Speaker 3 (24:32):
I think today is Tuesday for me. I'm very confused. Hey,
local Winston Peters has hints that the foreign buyer band
may be eased for major investors.

Speaker 16 (24:42):
Yeah, this is quite an interesting story. I mean, if anybody,
if you've been following the career of Winston Raymond Peters,
which I'm sure a lot of people on this listening
to this program have been, he has been quite somewhat against,
you know, the foreign buyers coming into New Zealand and
snapping up Kiwi Holmes. You only need to look at
at the last election when the NATS ran on a

(25:02):
policy where they would allow the basically reverse the foreign
buyer's band to allow people high net worth individuals to
come to New Zealand if they want to buy a home,
but it has to be more than two million dollars
in their tax the Bejesus out of them, and that
would help pay for the tax cup policy that was
torpedoed by Winston Peters during at coalition talks. However, listen

(25:23):
to his tone and what he's talking about when he
was on Hosking this morning, because it appears he's somewhat
softening his stance on this one.

Speaker 17 (25:30):
I was the one that said when National announced in
twenty twenty three that they were going to go for
the two million dollar house sale numbers, that their figures
were massively faulty, but they didn't work and they wouldn't
bring the money that they should bring. But if you're
talking about and this has always been as you on
first time, if somebody is coming to this country like
they do to other countries, bringing you fifty million dollars

(25:51):
to invest a huge industry into ensure that we've got
employment with his nown employment now, potential exports with the
exports in area. Now, we will look at it. Certainly
that's always been at view.

Speaker 16 (26:02):
So it's unclear as to when this will happen, but
I'll tell you what. In the last week or so,
Nikola Willis has been hinting that some new taxes or
some tax relief or anything about taxes may be coming
in this year's budget. So could it be linked to this?
And I'll tell you what. We've got a bit of
a clue as to Nicola Willis's thinking on this at
the end of last year at the half yearly Bid

(26:24):
Fiscal and Economic Update, when she was asked specifically about
the foreign buyers ban.

Speaker 18 (26:29):
Look, I'm going to put my National Party Finance spokesperson
hat on because when I am the Finance minister, it's
important I always accord with the coalition agreements on a
foreign buyers tax. I've made the case. My view is
that if there are wealthy people who want to buy
extremely expensive luxury homes and pay a pretty sum for

(26:50):
the privilege, and we can use that money for better health,
better education, then absolutely we should consider that.

Speaker 3 (26:57):
So watch this space, Jason. We heard the minister there say.
We heard when Ston Peter say, you want to bring
like fifty million, you've got to create employment where there
isn't any and potentially exports with it isn't any Do
you have to tick all those three boxes or is
it going to be like just took one.

Speaker 16 (27:13):
Well, I'm not sure at this stage. I mean, Winston
Peters is sort of almost making it up on the
fly here. I mean he probably has an idea of
what it is, and it may be written down somewhere.
But listening to that interview, I mean, it could be
one of those things, or it could be all of
those things. We just don't know yet. But it makes sense,
doesn't it. If you've got somebody that is going to
create jobs in New Zealand but they can't buy a
house here, those things don't really match. And we've heard

(27:36):
that both Winston and Nikola will is talking about how
important it is to attract that foreign capital. So it
seems like the logical next step here.

Speaker 3 (27:44):
Now the word for twenty twenty five is growth, isn't it?
Indeed it is. The head of Health New Zealand, Margie
Upper has resigned probably about four months before she was Judo.
She was judigoing about. To be honest with you, I'm
not hugely surprised that she has decided to steep down
about now. I make quite surprised she's lasted as long

(28:06):
as she is. Where do you sort of sit on this, Jason?
Do you think that she was gently nudged out the door?

Speaker 16 (28:13):
Well, I'm not surprised at all, because last week I
received a message from somebody and It was a Seek
notification in terms of a job application for Health New
Zealand Chief Executive. And the first thing I thought was,
hang on a second, isn't that job already occupied by Marjiyappa?
And I looked at the job description and sure enough
it was an advertisement for the chief Executive of Health

(28:36):
New Zealand, which I did think was a bit strange
because I didn't think with these big, meaty jobs where
you're in charge of thousands of people, they just chuck
it up on Seek with all the other jobs out there.
But there it was, nonetheless. So I went to Health
New Zealand and I said, hang on a second, you've
got a CEO. What's going on here? They said, we
have begun. We have begun advertising for the Health New
Zealand Chief Executive position. As the contract for the current

(28:59):
Chief Executive Jappa ends in June twenty twenty five, this
appointment will be through an open competitive process and Margie,
along with the others others in Health New Zealand managers
clinicians with the appropriate background, experience and expertise are all
welcome to apply, which I thought was really fishy because,
as I said, she was in the Roles. She still
had a number of months on her contractor didn't due

(29:20):
to expire until June this year. So I went to
the Minister's office directly and he said, since being announced
as Health Minister, or sorry, somebody from his office said,
since being announced as Health Minister, Minister Brown has emphasized
the importance of having the right leadership in the healthcare sector.
And I thought this was a week ago. I thought,
hang on a second, that doesn't sound like somebody that's

(29:42):
gearing up to throw their full support behind the current
chief executive. So no, not surprised at all. And I'd
love to be a fly on the wall in terms
of the conversations they've had in terms of her next step,
because it's very unusual to resign when you've only got
a couple of months left in the top job like this.

Speaker 3 (30:00):
I wonder how many people are actually queuing up to
take on this job. I don't think it's probably a
a job that a lot of people are keen to
take on at the moment the pie.

Speaker 16 (30:09):
It might be a bit of a hospital past it.

Speaker 3 (30:10):
Mike, very good, Jason, Hey, should we get there? Shall
we catch up after sex and we'll wrap up the
political week.

Speaker 16 (30:16):
Oh this has been such a lovely chat.

Speaker 3 (30:18):
Why now whie do it? We shall talk to you soon.
Thank you so much. Jason. It was Jason Will's news Talks.
He'd be political editor and look, we're going to have
more on the Maiji Upper situation with our health commentator
in pal just after five tonight. It is seven to
five news dogs. He'd be.

Speaker 1 (30:38):
Putting the tough questions to the newspeakers the mic asking breakfast.

Speaker 19 (30:42):
Back to the Cooks and their big day out in
Beijing as they inca deal that seems to suggest China's
making major in roads and the Pacific Foreign Minister Winston
Peters is what this Are we buying this out of proportion?
So they signed a deal with China? So what we
do business with China? Is this really an issue?

Speaker 10 (30:55):
It was an issue to the extent that a lot
of the constructions where the Chinese were involved in rebalance
simply failed. I raised all this with Swans and Wi
and he said, here to get them fixed up.

Speaker 17 (31:04):
But the reality he is so Cogan.

Speaker 10 (31:06):
People don't know what's going on, and I am my
government are constantion required to ensure we talk for them,
to ensure that we on the path and usual taxpayers
know exactly what's going on, so that we are a
channel division taxpayer.

Speaker 19 (31:18):
Back Monday from six am, the mic asking breakfast with
the rain driver of the last news talk ZB.

Speaker 3 (31:23):
So merging all of DHBs into one was never going
to be an easy job, was it. And you know,
I'm really interested to sort of hear from our health
commentator after news, you know how he feels Margie's tenure
has gone, and are also keen to know whether there
is an obvious candidate to replace her. I mean when
I talk to people who are working in health management

(31:47):
or on the front line, I don't think there are
a lot of people who were putting their hand up
and going, yeah, pick me. I'm going to go in
and sort out this problem. So we will be talking
to MPAL just after news and sports thought about that
and look also sort of mentioned earlier there's been this
horrible case of a pedestrian of course should not have

(32:07):
been on a motorway, but was on a motorway and
was struck overnight, and they were struck by three separate
vehicles that all failed to stop. So why is that
why we become this nation who seems to think it's
perfectly fine to hit somebody and drive on and not stop.
We don't know anything about the situation. I don't think

(32:30):
it really matters. The behavior says it all, doesn't it.
So Lance Boudette, he's a former senior police detective. He
is going to be with us to see if we
can get to the bottom of this behavior and where
it's coming from. That is after News and Sport, which
is next here on Drive. You're with NEWSTORGSB.

Speaker 15 (32:55):
Quite so.

Speaker 12 (32:58):
I get here the girls.

Speaker 20 (33:03):
We can love of things that we know about.

Speaker 15 (33:08):
We can go forever.

Speaker 18 (33:10):
So you loasted it.

Speaker 1 (33:11):
Out, questions, answers, facts, analysis, the Drive show you trust
for the full picture.

Speaker 2 (33:22):
Franchet, you're right, cap On, Heather Dupless, Ellen Dry. We
have one New Zealand. Let's get connected and news talks.

Speaker 3 (33:28):
That'd be good to have you with us. It is
six past five now. House New Zealand chief executive Magie
Alpha has resigned. Her tenure was meant to end in June,
but she says she wants to step down now to
make space for new leadership. Margie's relationship with Health Commissioner
Lester Levy was reportedly quite fraught and at one point
he directly clashed with her over proposal to cut frontline staff.

(33:52):
Health New Zealand have declined to make anyone available for
an interview today. In Powell is a health commentator. Hi En,
thanks for your time.

Speaker 21 (34:01):
It's a pleasure.

Speaker 3 (34:03):
Why do you think Nigie is leaving early?

Speaker 21 (34:08):
I think there was no other option. Really, the situation
has become untenable. Health New Zealand, largely through its own design,
or rather the design of the health restructuring that led
to its formation, which is very clumsy, very poor, but
also to its leadership, has gotten into a lot of

(34:32):
It has limited credibility within the health workforce and with
the wider public, and it also it is quite dysfunctional.
And now we have a commissioner that sees things quite differently,
or rather as attributing a lot of this to the
chief executive. Now some of that is justified and some

(34:53):
of that is overstated, but nevertheless, he has bagged her publicly,
and he's made it clear that she's willing. She's willing,
she's fine to apply for the position when it comes
with it's being advertised at the moment, but she won't
get it.

Speaker 3 (35:13):
Does the new Health Minister have anything to do with this,
do you think.

Speaker 21 (35:18):
Probably? I don't know, but probably not. I think this
has been shaping up to be to come to a
head like this before he was appointed.

Speaker 3 (35:27):
Is there an obvious candidate to replace her?

Speaker 21 (35:32):
Well, it's not immediately clear, and I don't want to
comment on individuals. There will be Dale Bramley, who is
an experienced chief executive of DHV. He's a public health
specialist and he's been working for health. He's in Nuty
photo Aura since it's a creation in July twenty twenty two,

(35:55):
is a logical choice to be the acting chief executive.
But other than that, I think I don't want to
think second guess that too much. There will be a
lot of people on the health system who have a
lot of relevant experience who would not touch it with
a barge pole because of its it's poor reputation.

Speaker 3 (36:13):
That's disappointing to hear. Isn't it? Merging all the DHBs
into one was never going to be easy, was it?

Speaker 12 (36:19):
In?

Speaker 3 (36:20):
How would you rate Margie's tenure then.

Speaker 21 (36:25):
Oh, that's a difficult question. I've known Margie up for
a long time and I've had very high regards for her.
I've known her when she was in the Ministry of
Health and towards the end of my home representing senior doctors.
She became the chief executive County's Monaco DHV, and she
was at least initially a breath of fresh year there.

(36:49):
I think that she I thought she was a good appointment,
but I think she has been over white whelmed by
a poorly construct poorly constructed legislation, and she has inherited
a system that when you vertically centralize on the way
this has been done, it lends itself to a command
and controlled culture. I was hoping that she would be

(37:10):
able to push back on that, but she hasn't. That
she's become part of it. So I'm sad to say
that she is not the cause of health Museum strife,
but she has not been part of a solution, and
she has contributed to that slight at that strife.

Speaker 3 (37:26):
En Pal, thank you so much for your time today.
That was MPAL health commentator Francisca Alice Are appealing to
the public after a man died on Auckland's Southwestern Motorway overnight.
The victim was struck by three separate vehicles that all
failed to stop. Police are asking for drivers passing through
the area between one thirty am and two am to

(37:46):
come forward, especially those with dash cam footage. Larance Burdette
is a former senior police detective and he is with
me now. Good evening, Lance, thanks so much for your time.
What is your reaction to three vehicles failing to stop?

Speaker 15 (38:02):
It's quite unusual to be to be frank, I have
been involved in the investigations where one vehicle is a
but not three, And basically I got it down to
panic of those drivers that have that have struck some
when you don't expect it on the motorway, but when
it happens, we are bound to stop. However, in the

(38:22):
heat of the moment when fight or flight kicks in,
so fight will click and if we feel somebody is
threatening us, but if we do something, then flight tends
to kick in and we panic and obviously run away.

Speaker 3 (38:36):
I mean, it's a pretty serious offense failing to stop,
isn't it.

Speaker 15 (38:40):
Yeah, it is, and people in the heat of the
moment don't stop about to see the consequences. And again,
going back to previous interviews I've done with with you know,
not so much here, but certainly with criminals, they don't
see the consequences of their actions. It's just the excitement
of the of the actual hunt. If you like of
doing it, you're doing it. So they don't think about,

(39:03):
you know, I could go to jail for this, or
you know, oh goodness me, there's somebody you know, it's
a tragedy. You can only guess. It's to reminds us
of why the person was on the motorway. It's a
car hasn't been found, so cann't appear the person's come
from a breakdown of a vehicle.

Speaker 3 (39:21):
Sance is three there. If the police know that three
vehicles hit the pedestrian, would they have video footage of
that from a camera or are they able to tell
that from the victim?

Speaker 15 (39:32):
There would be a number of other forensics would be yet, yes,
I'm victim down on the vehicle for a start, But
there are a massive cameras on all of the motorways
and they are high definition cameras. So I'm quite confident
that at least one or two or all three will
be soon discovered those vehicles, because yeah, it is good

(39:54):
high quality footage they've got.

Speaker 3 (39:56):
Okay, it's good to hear people becoming more brashan vehicles.
Do you think because our toler it's intolerance on the
road troubling.

Speaker 15 (40:03):
Yes, it's it's a phenomenon. It's been global and it's
been going on for about two and a half years.
It's it's it comes to believe it, out of lockdown.
Vehicles have been used as weapons, as we can saying
the police, to assault police, and you know, heaven, we've
seen it to kill police, driving vehicles into crowds, pedestrians.
It's it's what those phenomena, it's it's going global, and

(40:27):
you know, I'm not sure how we're going to combat it.
I think a tougher penalty might go some way. But
as I say, in the heat of the moment, when
things happen, people don't stop to think about the consequences
of their actions. So I think just a bit more
understanding of when you're driving that you are driving a
vehicle and you've got a responsibility.

Speaker 3 (40:46):
But a lot of people would stop lanes.

Speaker 2 (40:49):
You know, a lot of people absolutely.

Speaker 3 (40:51):
Even even in shock and horror, what might have happened
and what has a lot.

Speaker 15 (40:56):
Of people absolutely that's a freeze.

Speaker 14 (40:59):
Right.

Speaker 15 (41:00):
I've had something that really horrible happens to us, we
go into freeze and we will stop. But if we
have some sort of again, I can only go off
the work I do now, And also people I've interviewed,
if it's an absolute shock and horror, we will stop,
and the brain basically shuts down and says, I don't know,
just stop. And that's that freeze part that we don't

(41:21):
talk about often. But if they're in some sort of
common sense of I've had a person, what's going to
happen to me? I don't know? Flee and again how
far apart with these vehicles where they all together. But
it's a horrific thing to think that you wouldn't stop.
I can't understand it myself, but I'm only trying to

(41:42):
explain this best I can.

Speaker 3 (41:46):
I appreciate that because I think many of us are
ably appalled by this news, and of course our thoughts
with the victim's family and friends and things. I think
a lot of us have been horrified by this story.
So thank you Lance for trying to put it into
some perce inspective for us. Lance Burdette is a former
senior police detective. Thank you very much for your text

(42:07):
as well. Someone has suggested it could be a truck
and trailer that made it appear like three separate vehicles.
Another person said, I think I would know if I
hit something on the road with my car. I think
the person should have contacted the police if they did
it or not the person was hit by three vehicles.
If the driver was on the motorway at that time
of the morning, then you should ring in because you

(42:28):
were in the area and chances are that it wasn't
even you. You know, assisted the police do the right thing.
Thank you for your text. You can text anytime throughout
the show. On ninety two ninety two, it is fifteen
past seven. You're with NEWSTALGSIRB NEWSTALGSB eighteen past five. Metal
events for the twenty twenty six come Wealth Games have

(42:49):
been announced and there's a surprising change to a popular race.
The fifteen hundred meter race will be replaced by a
returning event, the Commonwealth Mile. The mile was last run
in nineteen sixty six, where we had two keepers compete.
Athletics New Zealand CEO camp Mitchell is worth me now,
how are you doing?

Speaker 5 (43:07):
Cam Good Francisco?

Speaker 3 (43:10):
Is the mile a gimmick or are you keen for
it to replace the fifteen hundred meters going forward.

Speaker 5 (43:17):
Oh, look, in terms of this game, it's a nice
little variation, isn't it. The mile is still quite popular
and run quite a lot around different events. We just
had our Mile Championship the other weekend at the Cook's
Garden in Wanganui. Obviously New Zealand has an amazing heritage
and history with the mile with Snell and Walker. We've
got some great milers with Sam Tana, Myra Amst and
Jody Beamish Kimberly May. So it's a nice little change up,

(43:40):
I guess. But whether that's something that Wood Athletics adopts,
I would doubt it. But certainly the mile is a
very popular event and remains a focus on a number
of different athletics events around the globe.

Speaker 3 (43:50):
What difference can that extra one hundred and nine meters
make for the athletes? Doesn't make any difference.

Speaker 5 (43:57):
Look, most athletes will prepare almost identical lead to a
fifteen hundred meters and a mile, so there's not a
lot of difference. And I guess the critical difference is
at the start, so you know, the mile starts a
little bit behind the traditional four hundred meters start light
and way one hundred meters start line, and there's a
merge on the bend rather than merge on the straight,
which is where the fifteen hundred meters starts. So there

(44:19):
can be a slightly high risk of tripping. But you know,
in terms of application and the preparation for the athletes,
they're pretty much identical. It doesn't make too much difference.
And a lot of the best milers are also the
best fifteen hundred meters, and as I said, we've got
a few of those at the moment, which is great.

Speaker 3 (44:34):
Who actually holds down his Ellen record for a mile?

Speaker 5 (44:38):
It's a good question.

Speaker 14 (44:39):
I'm not quite sure.

Speaker 3 (44:40):
Sorry, I'm shying that. I'm sing that at.

Speaker 5 (44:41):
He probably walker so walking around the first sub three
point fifty And obviously Snell ran the first four minute
mile long grass in Wanganui in the sixties. So as
I said, we've got a great a great history. I mean,
Sam Tana is running very quick at the moment. He
did a three fifty five over long. And know a
couple of weeks ago and you may have seen the

(45:02):
news with world sensation Sam Ruth, who's a fifteen year
old who's very close, running under four minutes and as
the fastest fifteen year old in the world over that distance,
so you know he's one to watch as well. We've
got a lot of great athletes and my Ramsden obviously
at the Olympics. She's a young up and coming athlete,
and Joey Beamish won the fifteen hundred meters at the

(45:23):
World Indoors, so you know there's lots of good talent
there in that particular sort of distance.

Speaker 3 (45:27):
So we definitely you know, there's the potential that we're
going to have Kis lining up to do the Mylett
in Glasgow. There's another new event, a mixed four by
four hundred meter relay. How likely are we to see
quy athletes competing in that race.

Speaker 5 (45:39):
Look, we've had individual four x fours in the past,
so the potential is definitely there. We've got a really
great four hundred meter runner at the moment, Lex revel
Lewis and Tommy Taperni and they're actually going head to
head for the New Zealand four hundred meter record at
a free event we have on Sunday four to six
pm at Trust Arena called the Sir Gram Douglas Internationals.
So you know, there's a number of good four hundred meters,

(46:01):
but I guess selection really depends on the quota available
to athletics and also to New Zealand at the game,
So it would sit depending on where I guess how
higher ranked athletes are based and as I say, the
selection process that sit around that.

Speaker 3 (46:16):
And of course we've seen the come work games. They're
not done twenty sports down to ten. Obviously athletics and
power athletics is in there. Are you happy with the
mix they've got?

Speaker 5 (46:28):
Yeah, Look, I mean it's obviously there's a reduction and
metal opportunities for New Zealand, but it hasn't really impacted
athletics in many ways. We've actually gained because there's an
increase in power events and as you know, we're very
strong in the power space and has sort of done
a great job in that area. The only real impact
for us is a loss of outer STATEA events, so
there's no marathon and some of the long walks are

(46:49):
no longer part of the Games, which is a shame
for those athletes, But we still get the full complement
of in state are events and you know, arguably that's
where a lot of our strongest athletes. So you know
the pol Wolders, James Kerr and Grimaldi, you know Tom
Jacko and many others.

Speaker 3 (47:07):
Okay, Mitchell, thank you so much for your time. Really
nice to talk to you and enjoying your weekend. That
was Athletics New Zealand CEO Cam Mitchell. It's twenty three
past five, recamping.

Speaker 1 (47:17):
The day's big news and making tomorrow's headlines. It's Francesca
rudcap On, Heather Dupless Allen drive with.

Speaker 2 (47:24):
One New Zealand. Let's get connected news talk.

Speaker 3 (47:28):
They'd be good to have you with us. I think
it was interesting talking to Lance Burdette there, who also said,
you know, he doesn't quite understand the behavior that we
saw around the pedestrian who was tragically killed on Auckland's
Southwestern Motorway overnight. Look, there's a lot of information we
don't know, but still the fact that three people, three

(47:48):
separate cars were involved and no one stopped is really concerning.

Speaker 2 (47:51):
I have.

Speaker 3 (47:52):
I think people's attention or attitude to driving is definitely changing,
and I've noticed this more and more at pedestrian I
never take a pedestrian crossing for granted. Ever, I'm a
person that likes to walk and run in the early mornings.
Often the sun is up, it is very light. I
see people cruising through the crossing completely oblivious to the

(48:13):
fact that I'm standing there waiting to cross. Often they're
actually on their phones, which just seems nuts, Like you know,
you're approaching a pedestrian crossing and you're on your phone. Look,
sometimes there's sun strike, and if there is, I'm aware
of that, and I give people, you know, the benefit
of the doubt and check that there. Sometimes you're looking
in the car and you can tell that the driver

(48:35):
is trying not to catch your eye. They can see
you there and they're going, I'm just going to pretend
you're not there, and I can't see you when they
drive through. So I think just overall we're just our
approach and our attitude to driving is changing. And I
mean this is an extreme example of it. Maybe just
you know, day to day we all just need to
take a moment and check our behavior a little bit. There,

(49:00):
I have it a twenty seven past five headlines are next.

Speaker 1 (49:05):
Hell Informed Inside into today's issues. It's Francesca rudgab On
hither Dupless Alan Drive with one New Zealand let's get connected,
news talk, say'd best cards, kiss.

Speaker 3 (49:35):
Thank you very much for your text this hour. A
few on the old pedestrian crossings, someone said, high pedestrian crossings,
it's all about the diamond painted on the road fifty
meters either side. If the car is behind the diamond,
you can cross. If the car has crossed the diamond,
you may not cross, you dummy. Thank you very much
for the text. Was really good until the end, but
I don't think we really needed to throw that, and

(49:57):
you know, but thank you very much. Also, i'd like
to say about pedestrian crossings, if it has an island
in the middle and you are approaching and someone is
stepping out on the right hand side of the road,
you are actually allowed to keep driving through as long
as unless they have actually reached that little island in
the middle. So there's that as well. But no, thank
you very much for that. I am aware of that,

(50:19):
and I do keep an eye on the diamond. But
people are still driving through the pedestrian crossings. Some Debbie
Texas A I never automatically think a car driver will
stop for me. I always wait till I see them stopping.
Then as I begin to cross the road, I give
the way the driver a hand signal to say thank you.
It's like completing a contract. Too many people take things
for granted it and grossed in their cell phones. Debbie,

(50:41):
I love the handwave. How easy is it just to
go thanks? I'm big on that. And I'm also big
on the flashing the hazard lights or waving when you
let somebody in on traffic. I think, and I think
we're quite good at letting people in, but you've got
to be polite about it. I completely agree. Now, if
you are driving around central Auckland at any point over

(51:02):
the last well many years, you've probably been thinking to yourself,
when is the sky City International Convention Center going to
open and we can get rid of all these roadworks
and the other issues that the construction has caused. Well,
an opening date has been set. It is a delayed
opening date though it is now set for February twenty
twenty six, So after six Callum Mallett, who is sky

(51:25):
City's Chief operating officer, he's going to be with us
to talk about this latest delay and hopefully getting this
this convention center open as soon as possible.

Speaker 1 (51:36):
The Friday Sports Huddle with new Zealand southebeast, international realty,
local and global exposure like no other.

Speaker 20 (51:50):
Not The big event of the games was, of course,
the mail, and I Banister begins. It's finishing first one
hundred yards, still the line and he's passing, landing.

Speaker 14 (51:57):
This is a moment of the crowd I waited for.

Speaker 2 (51:59):
Just look at him.

Speaker 14 (52:00):
The miracle mile, the mile.

Speaker 20 (52:02):
Of the century, such was banished as sensational victory comes
now missing his own world record my half a second
times at three minutes fifty four and nine tenth second,
we've got the fastest mile.

Speaker 2 (52:14):
Ever run in the America.

Speaker 3 (52:16):
Goodness, may I don't think our commentators quite sound like that.
We're going to be talking about the mile here on
sports Huddle. Joining me, I've got Andrew Alderson news books.
He'd be sports reader, how I Andrew.

Speaker 14 (52:28):
Welcome, greetings Francesca and Paul Alison.

Speaker 3 (52:31):
Well, oh god, good, Sorry I shouldn't. I'm interested.

Speaker 5 (52:37):
I knew you would be.

Speaker 3 (52:39):
And Paul Allison's record commentators all say with us, Hi, Paul, okay.
So Super Rugby has launched its fantasy league today. I
think it's fantastic. I think it's great for engagement. I
think there are a couple of years too late. All
the kids I know and the young the young people
I know are all obsessed with the NRAL Fantasy League,
which comes with an app. Are you excited about it, Andrew,

(53:01):
And how do you feel about I mean, there's a
lot of players involved, just a few that weren't, including
Caleb Clark.

Speaker 7 (53:08):
Oh.

Speaker 22 (53:08):
Look great for the next generation and bringing people to
the game. I'm more curmudgeonly about it. It's not really
my scene on the Fantasy League, but I appreciate the
people that are. I thought it would have come with
an app though in the modern modern environment, I thought
there would be absolutely mandatory necessity if you like. But

(53:29):
I don't have a problem either with the likes of
Caleb Clark and what three others are stepping away, opting
out of it, presumably on the belief's grounds. I mean,
I think they've got four and twenty others or so
who have signed up, and I'm sure that people keep
people entertained away from the game.

Speaker 3 (53:44):
Seems to be plenty enough players involved, Paul, Yeah, there is.

Speaker 14 (53:48):
I mean, it's just step in the right direction.

Speaker 23 (53:49):
It's not the finished product just yet, but I think
it's all about fan engagement. As you mentioned right at
the start, it happens in other sports likes of AFL
and the NBA, in the NFL and the Hockey League,
even the PGA and the tennis and the Formula One's
got it, and it's happened in rugby six Nations and
Rugby World Cup.

Speaker 14 (54:03):
But maybe we're a little bit slow down here to
get it underway. But it's under It is underway.

Speaker 23 (54:07):
It's not going to be the full product with the
app yet, but I think it will attract that younger
fan engagement area, which is what they're looking for, and
making sure that people have a bit of fun early on.
And there's probably some prizes of match tickets and signed
jerseys to win on the way through.

Speaker 3 (54:20):
Good on, Oh chuck, a bit of merchant ify won't
get involved. Yeah, a new NURL franchise wants to launch
in Auckland. Is this serious story, Andrew? Or is this
bit of a joke?

Speaker 7 (54:35):
Sorry?

Speaker 22 (54:37):
I know, I know, I just I did struggle with it.
So I thought it's just so obviously sort of eating
into the Warriors market which is already there.

Speaker 3 (54:47):
Is it just naturally place working?

Speaker 14 (54:51):
Yeah?

Speaker 22 (54:52):
Yes, you know how much disposed how people got through
all these different sports. I mean, you've already got been
talked about over the years, the Wellington option, the crow
options for another NRL franchise.

Speaker 5 (55:04):
I was quite.

Speaker 22 (55:04):
Surprised that that Wayne Brown put a support behind it
him and with it. I mean, I'd love to see
how the business model would stand up for that, but
I yeah, it's I just think the Warriors are doing
a great job as it is.

Speaker 14 (55:17):
How many days is there? It allway pril one, because
that's what I thought it was when I heard this
come through.

Speaker 23 (55:22):
I mean, I think New Zealand is crying out for
a second team in the league, and with a bid
from christ Church being a very strong one, but they're
up against other areas around Australia and Papua New Guinea
and the like, and so I think trying to split
the adam in Auckland is not a clever move at
the stage. I mean, isn't it better getting behind one
where you've got a population based in christ Church which

(55:43):
hasn't got it's been starved to rugby league.

Speaker 14 (55:45):
It's been a reasonable strong hotbed of rugby league over
the years.

Speaker 23 (55:48):
Not because I live in the South Island, but just
because you actually want a little bit of geographical difference
between them and be.

Speaker 14 (55:53):
Able to get a supporter base as well.

Speaker 23 (55:54):
So I was really surprised to see this one come through,
to be fair, and the fact that it's like maybe
home based Eden.

Speaker 3 (56:00):
Park, and also the name Mana Pacifica it's a bit
too It might start getting confusing, mightn't it.

Speaker 23 (56:06):
With Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely so I think it's a
long shot. It's not when I go and ring up
the bank manager and try and get some money to
put on the mortgage on it, because I'm not quite
sure whether this one will come to land, but who knows.
It's something to speculate and talk about, and I think
it just does build a little bit of momentum about
trying to get interest in another team somewhere in New Zealand.

Speaker 3 (56:29):
Yeah, I mean I get it. We're looking at the
success of Auckland FC. You see the success of the Warriors,
You're going right, brilliant, surely there's room for another one.
But I just think then you and look, we'd all
love to see more league games taking place here in
New Zealand. So there's that. But yeah, I think everything's
going going swimmingly it's not broken. Let's just not add

(56:49):
anything out to the mix here.

Speaker 2 (56:51):
Well.

Speaker 3 (56:51):
Jordan, however, has some interesting ideas about how he would
like Super Rugby to bring in a draft. Would this work?

Speaker 2 (56:58):
Andrew, look, I think it can and I'm all for
a draft.

Speaker 22 (57:03):
Mean you look at how successfully it's done, you know,
America in particular in any four NBA, MLB, NHL. I mean,
and like any competition that's I guess matured properly, a
draft seems to work. Slight Cavat, I think given the
development of players in the Super Rugby franchises right from grassroots,
et cetera, you would need some form of fee paid

(57:26):
trips for the development of those players. But it could
also balance out the competition. And equally, I mean, it
also raises the all blacks eligibility issue again as well.
And you see the success of it players playing away
with the SAfrica over the last couple of World Cup campaigns,
winning them and times will be turning here. So maybe
you know, we've seen exceptions with sabbaticals, et cetera, so

(57:48):
maybe that's something to consider as part of it as well.

Speaker 14 (57:52):
But I could say it because it's a it's a
spectacle itself. Yeah, I think it might be sort of
You've got to be careful.

Speaker 23 (58:00):
I think there's a few sharks in the shark infested
waters if you dive too deeply into it.

Speaker 14 (58:04):
I get the idea of it.

Speaker 23 (58:06):
I get the idea of the spreading the talent base.
But again I think Andrew brings up a really good
point about young talent. There's a lot of these clubs now,
particularly in Super Rugby, that are trying to retain and
develop their own people and their own regions. Put them
through the development and if you then have a development
fee away, you could actually lose them for the rest
of their career, Whereas really what you're trying to do
is build that provincial and regional pride in certain areas,

(58:29):
and so I think that's important. The fact that Will
Jordan said it really surprised me to some degree because
he's an outstanding rugby play He grew up in the
Crusaders region and he's been played all as rugby the
I don't think he'll be putting his own hand up
to be put into the draft.

Speaker 14 (58:42):
I wouldn't imagine. But you know, maybe you've.

Speaker 23 (58:45):
Got the stage where you say, okay, you picked twenty
players first. Each each franchise or each club picks their
twenty players and what's left over.

Speaker 14 (58:53):
As long as there's some sort of criteria, you need
to be really careful with it before you go too
wide with it.

Speaker 23 (58:58):
And I think again just come back to my earlier
point about retaining and developing young talent that is homegrown
is really important. And I'm saying that, I guess with
a slight eye patch on from being from the Deep
South because a lot of the players that come through
from Otago and Southland and North Otago and that highland
this region, we wouldn't like them being whistled away.

Speaker 14 (59:17):
And if they do go offshore and play in Australia
and maybe even things up.

Speaker 23 (59:19):
Although this year's the Australian Super Rugby competition I think
will be stronger because they've only got four teams and
not five, it'll probably be the guys that aren't really
the heavyweights and the marquee players from New Zealand rugby
and that are in contention for All Black selection that
would probably head off shore anyhow.

Speaker 3 (59:36):
Andrew Ordison, Paul Allison and my guests on the sports
Huddle this evening just hold on from gentlemen, we'll be
back in one moment.

Speaker 1 (59:43):
It is fourteen to six the Friday Sports Huddle with
New Zealand Southby's International Realty Elevate the marketing of your Home.

Speaker 3 (59:52):
Andrew Ordison and Paul Allison and my guests on the
sports Huddle today. Okay, so put your hand up if
you remember the last time that the fifteen hundred meter
mile sorry was run at the Cornwell Games.

Speaker 24 (01:00:06):
Fly Down.

Speaker 14 (01:00:06):
Yeah, yeah, nineteen sixty six. It was Francisco.

Speaker 23 (01:00:10):
And I guess it's like everything else with the Imperial
measurements are going out and the metrics coming in, but
the fact that it's coming back into Glasgow, I'm actually
really quite excited about that because.

Speaker 14 (01:00:20):
It's still an event that has that little bit of mystique.

Speaker 23 (01:00:22):
I mean we've had New Zealanders over the years, with
Jack Lovelock winning it in London nineteen thirty and sixty three.
Since then, Nick Willis won up in twenty six to fifteen,
On Walker's got a couple of seconds and Dick Quax
has been in there has got a second as well.

Speaker 14 (01:00:36):
I mean it's been.

Speaker 23 (01:00:37):
An event where we have been really successful as a country.
The fifteen hundred meters on the world stage. Now, the
fact that it's going back to the mile, I think
there's just a little bit of glamour around this. And
wouldn't it be fantastic because we've got one of the
youngest most promising athletes we've probably ever produced, who's fifteen years.

Speaker 14 (01:00:53):
Of age at the moment.

Speaker 23 (01:00:54):
His name is Sam Ruth and he's just broken the
world record for the mile for his age group. He's
run four zero one. He won the New Zealand Senior
three thousand meters last week. He'll be seventeen when the
Games come around. Wouldn't it be fantastic to see him
in there? And I think this is good because the
Commonwealth Games are on life support. They got too big,
they're unwieldy that they really can't sustain where they're at.

(01:01:16):
They've gone from twelve hundred competitors in nineteen seventy four
to five thousand and fifty competitors in twenty twenty two.
So they've scaled it back and doing something a little
bit different I think is really great.

Speaker 3 (01:01:27):
And no, Paul, you're kind of winning me over because
when I first heard about this, Andro, I just sort
of thought, well, why this just feels a bit nostal drink.
And you know, I understand that they were sort of
trying to separate themselves out and make themselves look a
little bit more interesting than other games and things. But
actually I'm kind of buying into this.

Speaker 22 (01:01:43):
Yeah, look, I iced to throw back to the past,
but I, like Taul says, I think col games I
need to offer a port of difference these days or
they're going to risk extinction in the sort of post
empire era, if you like.

Speaker 1 (01:01:54):
And the New Zealand's com peditory, as Paul mentioned, and.

Speaker 22 (01:01:57):
If you think about you know, and they're playing on
the fact of the miracle while that John Landy and
Roger Bannister Bannster winning in fifty four Vancouver, of course,
and they were the only two sub formut miles in
the world at that stage. It's just certainly has that
legacy attached to it. And yeah, if you have that
boort a difference, it might help for sure, given that
they need all the help that they can get at

(01:02:19):
the moment to keep that going.

Speaker 3 (01:02:21):
And look, it looks like a sprint to me when
people run the fifteen hundred meters. If you're just going
to add another one hundred meters on. You know, you
can probably manage that, can't you? One hundred one hundred
and nine meters go on? Then you know it's not
so abs.

Speaker 23 (01:02:32):
It's got two They got the twenty sports at the
last games. No one wants to hold it because of
the cost. They've scaled it back to ten sports and
they've brought it back to you know, under two hundred events.
And I think that's fantastic because if you're going to
keep it alive in some form, make it relevant and
make it affordable.

Speaker 14 (01:02:47):
And so let's see what happens in Glasgow.

Speaker 3 (01:02:49):
Yeah, Joe Schmidt is going to step down Paul at
the end of the Rugby Championship. Is this a big
loss for the Wallabies?

Speaker 14 (01:02:56):
Oh, a huge loss for the Wallabies.

Speaker 23 (01:02:57):
I mean he's really started to write the ship to
some degree after Michael Checker and Dave Rennie and Eddie
Jones all went through the rotating turnstile and he's actually
got some stability there. I mean he used forty seven
players in the thirteen tests last year, but his win
loss record was almost fifty to fifty. They beat England
the very close to betting the All Blacks in Ireland
and Australian Rugby are doing everything I understand to be

(01:03:18):
able to keep him. He's extended his contract from what
was going to end up in August two. Do they
play against the All Blacks in Perth in the beginning
of October. He may still have some support role, but
he wants to spend more time at home with his family. Totally,
totally understandable. But he'll be a huge loss for Australian rugby.

Speaker 3 (01:03:33):
He will, won't he Andrew?

Speaker 22 (01:03:35):
Oh, sure well, and he started to put those building
blocks in place and jeez, they needed them, but in
Australian rugby, and I think he buys them some time.
So if he goes to the end of this year
to be able to put someone in place for the
next two seasons to the end of the World Cup,
but you know, fifth coach in six years are they're
going to have now? And again you run the risk
of that instability taking place. But I mean, even in

(01:03:58):
moving into the role, always with the condition of family
wealthy for Joe Schmid, he was open about that, so
I think a son with epilepsy and full marks to
him for putting.

Speaker 3 (01:04:08):
That first really quickly. Paul, I'm making a bit of
presumption here that probably neither of you have ever done
the coast to coast.

Speaker 23 (01:04:17):
I haven't done the coast of toast's done a bit
of running in my day, and and probably not over
the goat track that they have over goats pasted.

Speaker 14 (01:04:24):
No, I haven't done it.

Speaker 22 (01:04:25):
Would I do it?

Speaker 14 (01:04:26):
Probably not? How would I get on.

Speaker 23 (01:04:28):
I'll be okay on the run, a battle on the
bike and probably fall out in the water and the paddle.
But I spoke to Ben Smith over dinner on Wednesday
night and I said to him, if you ever do it,
I'll be part of your support crew.

Speaker 14 (01:04:38):
So there's my hand up. But I won't be doing
it myself.

Speaker 3 (01:04:40):
Oh look, I'd be part of your support support crew.

Speaker 22 (01:04:43):
Andrew, look, co pops your opinion that I have actually
done a coast to coast, But I need a member
of the I a member of the media, and it was.

Speaker 14 (01:04:53):
I can assure you that the tale when going downhill
there was that.

Speaker 22 (01:04:57):
There was a helicopter evolved actually the mountain run and
landed on the rocks and it was a bit like
that scene out of Mash at the start of Mash,
you know when they get out of the chopper and
you're heading out onto the mountain run.

Speaker 14 (01:05:08):
There is to capture some of the scenes.

Speaker 4 (01:05:10):
It was awesome entertainment.

Speaker 22 (01:05:11):
I can assure you that it was the last of
the Robin Judkins here. I think spec got twenty eleven
or so. Anyway, I highly recommend it. I'm not actually
putting the gear on.

Speaker 3 (01:05:22):
Andrew Ortison and Paul Paul Allison. Thank you both very
much for your time. It is six to six.

Speaker 1 (01:05:28):
It's the Heather Duple See Allan Drive Full Show podcast
on my Heart Radio powered by News Talk ZB.

Speaker 16 (01:05:37):
Hey, good on you.

Speaker 3 (01:05:37):
If you are competing in the coast to coast at
the moment this weekend. It is an epic, epic journey.
I'd just like to send a shout out to my
good mate Jackie Blake, who's doing it for the second
year in a row. I think it must be a
little bit like giving birth, because I'm pretty sure last
year when she did it was she was exhausted and
she thought the whole thing was slightly horrific and everything.
But my goodness, she's forgotten about that and she is

(01:05:58):
back and she's in there again. So look to everybody
who was doing it, and also to all those support cruise.
We were laughing a little bit there about the support cruise,
but they do play such an important role, and you know,
good on you all for getting involved. Coming up next hour,
we're going to find out why the sky City International
Convention Center the opening has been delayed again. And Jason

(01:06:21):
Walls is with us and he is going to wrap
up the week end politics. You're with Drive, You're just lam.

Speaker 1 (01:07:03):
We're Business meets Insight, the Business Hour with Francesca Rudgeon
and May's Insurance and Investments, Grow.

Speaker 2 (01:07:12):
Your Wealth, Protect your future News talks at be.

Speaker 3 (01:07:17):
Good to have you with us. It is seven past six.
Coming up this hour, we have Peter Lewis, our Asia
business correspondent with us. He is going to talk about
China and their relate their action for retaileratory action. We'll
get that one out before the end of the hour
as Trump's tariffs take effect, so we'll be taking a

(01:07:37):
look at the impact on China there. And also Jason
Wolfs is with us. Of course he's going to be
taking a look back in the week in politics and
a big week up at white Tongey. I think it
all went kind of as we expected it would, but
we are going to talk to him about whether he
thinks in hindsight it was a good decision for the PM,
for our Prime Minister not to be in white Tongey right.

(01:07:58):
The sky City International can Ventance Center in Auckland has
been delayed again, with the opening date now set February
twenty twenty six. Sky City have cited delays with Fletcher
Building as the reason behind the pushback with Flecter Building,
saying last June that it was aiming to finish the
building by the end of the year. Calum Mallett is
sky City's chief operating officer and he is with us.

(01:08:20):
Good evening, good evening, Hey, can you just confirm to
me when will the convention center be completed and when
will it be handed over to you? And when will
it open?

Speaker 24 (01:08:32):
Hopefully sure so, Flector Building are targeting at Dune twenty
twenty five dates for their completion. We will then take
over the building and commissioning and operational readiness work. It
will take a few months and so for that reason

(01:08:52):
we think it's been prudent to announce a February twenty
twenty six opening, which allows for some continent agency and
really importantly gives certainty not just to our team, but
most importantly to our customers, so they can have certainty
for their book nds moving into twenty twenty six.

Speaker 3 (01:09:10):
Okay, got you That timeline all makes a lot of sense.
Now are you concerned that the completion may not be
done by June this year?

Speaker 24 (01:09:21):
Look, there's no question it's been a challenging project and
has continued for the delays. But we know that Fletchers
believe that June is a date that they will absolutely
have the building finished by and has said, you know,
we've got some contingency to make sure that if it
goes a little later than that, we still have the

(01:09:43):
appropriate time we need to do the commission in operational
work for that February twenty six opening.

Speaker 3 (01:09:49):
Can these completion dates and lightning dates are already much
later than what you had expected? Is Fletcher the sole
reason for this delay?

Speaker 24 (01:10:00):
Well, look, it's certainly been a challenging build. Francester and
Fletchers and ourselves still working very productively on making sure
that the buildings finished, but that also importantly that it's
finished for the absolute standard that we are in New
Zealand should expect, you know, from February twenty six This

(01:10:22):
is going to be an amazing building for Auckland and
for New Zealand. So welcome over thirty thousand international delegates
every year and about half a million visitors from around
New Zealand and Auckland every year. It's going to be
a really important part. We hope and expect for the
community to have graduations and to comfort dinners for conferences

(01:10:46):
and to watch there's their shows, et cetera. So, you know,
working with Fletchers to deliver that point and then making
sure that we do the commissioning appropriately to give the
very first guests the best experience we can is paramount
to us.

Speaker 3 (01:11:04):
So this isn't turning into a blame game. You are
looking forward with positivity to getting it open and getting
things in action.

Speaker 15 (01:11:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 24 (01:11:14):
Look, there's no question that is later than we and
we'd hope anyone would have liked. But we're really excited
today to be able to talk about the February twenty
sixth date and actually give a strong date for our
customers and for the world to know about so that
we can attract the magnitude and importance of conferences that

(01:11:35):
we want to New Zealand are, so we're really excited
about that.

Speaker 3 (01:11:39):
And look, kindum, just before we do look forward, is
this costing you with the delays? Have you missed out
on key events just because how late it has been open?

Speaker 24 (01:11:48):
Absolutely, no question, And there were some events later in
this year that unfortunately we have needed to communicate to
those organizers that we can no longer host their conferences
and for that we're really sorry and disappointed. But absolutely
it's cost Sky City revenue. But it's also cost the
wider tourism industry, whether it's airlines, whether it's hotels, whether

(01:12:10):
it's event organizes considerably as well. And you know it's
no secret obviously that the New Zealand tourism industry has
got its challenges. At the moment, we're going back to
eighty five percent of international tourists that we were pre
codd and certainly business events across the country and certainly
the ends of I See City a really important driver

(01:12:32):
of that. And you know, we look forward, you know,
with real hope of what part we can play in that,
and the recent change of Tourism Minister and the government's
new approach around or really focused approach around growth, absolutely
marries perfectly with what we're wanting to achieve at the
ends of ICEC. So yes, it has cost us revenue,

(01:12:54):
but equally we're excited about what it will offer us
come twenty twenty six.

Speaker 3 (01:12:58):
Well, I think a lot of orplaned it will be
behind as well because we've had to be very patient
with the changes to roading, and you know, while it's
been built, you know there's been a lot on the
city as well, So it's going to be wonderful to
have that area kind of opened up and complete. Again,
are you managing to attract some big key events to
the convention center?

Speaker 24 (01:13:18):
Yes, absolutely, we've had a sales team in case for
some time they fell globally, and you know, we're really
excited about the pipeline of large scale international conferences that
we're managing to attract for twenty six, twenty seven and
twenty eight. They will have a significant economic attact on
New Zealand upward to one hundred million dollars a year.

(01:13:41):
Throughout the industry is associated in and around the ends
at ICC and associated with tourism. So where as I
said before, it's the airlines, hotels, it's transport, it's certain beverage, suppliers.
It's going to have a big impact on a good
week there. We're expect to have fifteen to twenty thousand
visitors going through through the ends that I see see
and multitude of events, both conferences and their a space.

(01:14:05):
It's got an almost three thousand tax, thetter, multiple binners, etc.

Speaker 5 (01:14:10):
So it's going to have a big impact.

Speaker 24 (01:14:12):
Yes, we appreciate everybody's patients with some of the construction
that's gone on, and we're super excited about being able
to showcase the end product to everybody where. Hopefully when
people walk through that center and go and have events
at the center, they will all think, like we do,
that the weight will be worth it.

Speaker 3 (01:14:32):
Callum, just finally, you mentioned the difficulty the tourism industry
has been dealing with. Is it good to have the
Horizon Hotel open? What's the demand being.

Speaker 24 (01:14:40):
Like, Look, we're delighted to have the Horizon Hotel open.
It's obviously a really important piece of the end that
I see sea puzzle for us across the precinct. Feedback
from customers has been really good. Demand has been good. Albeit,
as we've discussed Francesca, the tourist industry and the supply

(01:15:02):
of hotels in Auckland. We've got a number of new
properties have opened across the last five years, which is
fantastic medium it's a lot to certainly, it's a challenge
at the moment with relatively low occupancy and ADRs in
the industry, and it's things like the end that I
see so like the government wanting growth, wanting to bring

(01:15:24):
in more major events that the hotel industry certainly needs
at the moment, and so we're looking forward to being
able to provide that important precedent for structure and February
next year.

Speaker 3 (01:15:34):
Callum Mallach, thank you very much for your time. Callum's
Sky City's chief operating officer. Coming up next here on
Newstalk's AB, Jason Wolves is going to wrap the political
week and he's going to have a talk about the
government getting involved with the banks and who they do
business with. It is fifteen past six.

Speaker 1 (01:15:53):
It's the Heather Duper c Allen Drive Full Show podcast
on my Heart Radio empowered by Newstalk ZEBBI.

Speaker 3 (01:16:01):
It is time to wrap the week in politics and
I'm joined now by Jason Wolf's News Talks. He'd be
political editor. Good evening, welcome back, Jason, Oh, good evening,
good evening. What a week. What a week in d look,
it's always a big week, White Tonguing week. Did it
go as expected?

Speaker 4 (01:16:21):
You know what?

Speaker 16 (01:16:21):
Pretty much? I would say, I don't think there was
anything there that really overtly surprised me all that much.
I mean, we knew going into it that the centerpiece
of the person that would have the most focused on
them would obviously be David Seymour. That's exactly what happened.
I thought that, you know, during the speeches at the pie,
I thought that his would be the one that was

(01:16:42):
under the most focused and the most scrutiny. That's exactly
what I happened.

Speaker 14 (01:16:45):
What happened, And I.

Speaker 16 (01:16:46):
Figured that there'd be quite a few protests. W well,
people came and took his microphone not once but twice.
He had to get security escorted away. And there was
a general sort of sense that people didn't want David
Seymour there at waite Ungu, But he went anyway nonetheless,
and I think that you know, he kept he powered
through when the microphone was taken away from him, to

(01:17:07):
get his message out there and to say what he
came there to say. And I think you know, that
was always going to happen, So nothing really outright surprised
me about White Tangy. The Prime Minister was down in
the South Island. He was down in christ Church near
the Bank's Peninsula with Natahu, and of course that went
exactly as we'd expect as well. People were saying the

(01:17:27):
Prime Minister should be up there at White Tangy. But
you know, at the end of the day, I think
people will not be talking about this in about a
week's time because this story about the Treatise Principal's Bill
has been told before, it will continue to be told,
and I think this is just another sort of bump
in the road in terms of how this whole coalition
government's terms going.

Speaker 3 (01:17:47):
Looking back, now, do you think it was a good
decision for the Prime Minister not to go to WHITEITANGI
do you think that, as you say, it's just in
a week's time, it's really not going to matter.

Speaker 11 (01:17:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 16 (01:17:58):
I think he was completely right to do so, I'm
I mean, it's just you've got to think about the
risk reward of going up there. What sort of reward
would the Prime Minister get from going to the White Tangy.
I mean, there was people saying that, yes he's the one,
that he's the Prime minister. He needs to show some leadership,
he needs to front up to some of the controversy
that has been created frankly by his government by saying
that we will explore the Treaty Principle's Bill. But at

(01:18:20):
the end, I mean the risk was too much. I mean,
you know, if the same thing happened to him as
to David Seymour, he would argue that, you know, that
unbecoming of a prime minister, and people would get really
angry with the fact that that's how the Prime minister
was treated up there at White Hangy. And we've seen
this examples of countless of examples of this happening over
the years as well, So you know there will be

(01:18:40):
people on each side saying different things about this in
terms of should the Prime Minister have gone, should he
have not have gone? I think the vast majority of
people around there of the country probably don't care, is
what I would think.

Speaker 3 (01:18:52):
Yeah, and look, I think he received the I think
he received the same messages in the South Idle of
that he would have received if he was at White
There was a lot of talk Maury saying, look, the
trust has been broken between the Crown and Maurray and
you're going to need to work really hard to fix us.
And I think he would have got that same message
wherever he.

Speaker 16 (01:19:11):
Was, Yeah, exactly. And I think that if he was,
he was somewhere else, not at White Tonguy. I mean
that kind of you know, almost cleared the decks for
David Seymour and Shane Jones to be the A listers
up there and hog all the media attention from them.
I mean, apart from a we spat with an unfunny comedian.
I think that did you see that, the guy Williams

(01:19:32):
David Seymour. I thought that was You know, Jesus, if
you're going to come up against David Seymour.

Speaker 3 (01:19:37):
You'd be really strong because.

Speaker 16 (01:19:39):
He is you know, say what you want about David Seymour,
He's very hard to beat in an argument, especially, and
that's what we don't do that as press. We don't
go in looking for an argument. I mean the vast
majority of the time, I certainly don't. We go in
because we have questions that we want to be answered.
We have things that people in the public, other political
leaders of the community leaders that have said that we
put to a to a politician as a leader, you

(01:20:03):
don't go in their guns blazing the way that guy
Williams did. It kind of makes us all look like
a bit of a joke to be honest.

Speaker 3 (01:20:09):
Meanwhile, the banks have been in the government's firing line.
Where are we at with this? What's happening next?

Speaker 16 (01:20:16):
Well, it's an interesting one because my colleague at The Herald,
Thomas Coughlin, has been reporting that the fact that the
B and Z Bank have been talking about having the
services withdrawn from people and credit cards and cancellation of
accounts for by twenty thirty for people to do with
coal mining. And then before we've had some other questions

(01:20:37):
raised about banks saying that they're not lending to petrol
stations going forward, and the Prime Minister came out quite
strongly on Hosking's show this week and saying that that's
not on. If we have to get the bankers back
before the Select Committee that is hauling the banking CEOs
in front of the MP's again, we'll have to do it,
which generated quite a lot of controversy because there were

(01:20:57):
some people that said go Prime Minister absolutely banks shouldn't
be making these decisions. It's not fair for them to
be excluding these people just because of what you know,
somebody sitting at the un thousands of miles away that
has more private jet hours than any of us can
hope to have on our entire life is telling us all.
But then Barry Soap actually who usually does a slot,
made the interesting point earlier this week that it's not

(01:21:20):
up for a government to tell a private business what
it can, what it should be doing, and what it
should be investing in, and the government should just be
butting out here and it's not their decision at all.
So there's some really interesting discussion both sides of this
one as well. But Chris Luxon and Nikola Willis have
indicated that they don't like it and they want to
see the bank is back before the Select Committee, so

(01:21:41):
look out for that one.

Speaker 20 (01:21:41):
Well.

Speaker 3 (01:21:42):
I also think, you know, it's also up to the
consumer to make a decision as to whether they think
that a company has been happily benefiting from industries for
many decades and then decides to do a bit of
green washing and present themselves slightly differently, whether that kind
of is the kind of bank they want to bank with.

Speaker 16 (01:21:57):
Yeah, exactly, I mean it's okay. It is some form
of democracy in voting with your wallet saying well, if
i don't like what bnzi's doing, I'm going to go
to another bank easier is that?

Speaker 3 (01:22:07):
Jason Walls, thank you very much for your time this evening.
Have a good weekend.

Speaker 9 (01:22:12):
Oh thank you you too.

Speaker 3 (01:22:14):
It is twenty four plast six year with Newstalgs EDB
croating the numbers and getting the results.

Speaker 1 (01:22:19):
It's Francesca Ugot within the Business Hour on Newstalks EDB.

Speaker 3 (01:22:26):
Coming up shortly, we have our Agia business correspondent who
is going to talk about how China is fighting back
against Trump's tariffs as they take effect. We're going to
talk about the tariffs that have been placed on companies
wanting to import goods from abroad. But China has also
imposed export controls on twenty five rare metals. Some of
these metals are key components for many of the electrical

(01:22:48):
products and military equipment that the US needs, and China
has mastered the ability to refine such metals and produce
almost ninety percent of global refined output. So they are
definitely finding a way to respond. But President Trump has
come back and said I've got an answer to that.
He wants the Ukraine to guarantee the supply of more
rare earth metals in exchange with three hundred billion of

(01:23:11):
support in its fight against Russia. So we're going to
talk about the numerous different ways that China is fighting
back as as well as other issues from the region
that is coming up next News is he next time.

Speaker 2 (01:23:29):
When you're not you'll win me.

Speaker 25 (01:23:34):
I'm falling a following in fun can you're passing.

Speaker 1 (01:23:48):
On skill freaking, whether it's macro micro for just playing economics.
It's all on the Business Hours with Francesca Ruggan on
News Jogs v.

Speaker 25 (01:24:10):
Begin busis may.

Speaker 8 (01:24:19):
Be good to have you with us.

Speaker 3 (01:24:25):
It is twenty three to seven still to come. Before
the end of the hour, we will be heading to
the UK to talk to Gavin Gray.

Speaker 2 (01:24:35):
Francisca.

Speaker 3 (01:24:37):
So now it is time for our Aga Business correspondent
and I'm joined by Peter Lewis.

Speaker 4 (01:24:42):
Good evening, Peter Good evening, Francisca.

Speaker 3 (01:24:45):
So, China is fighting back against Trump as his tariffs
take effect in some quite interesting ways. How are they responding?

Speaker 4 (01:24:53):
Well, Yes, they have the Trump implemented ten percent tarofts
on all Chinese ex sports to the US that took
effect on Tuesday. Interestingly, he announced tarots also on Canada
and Mexico and they got postponed by about a month
while they while they negotiate, but no sign at the

(01:25:13):
moment of these tariffs being postponed. They are fairly limited
in nature. They're only on about fourteen billion dollars of goods,
so that's less than ten percent of total imports from
the US last year. Now are some other things they've
done as well, like putting launching an investigation into Google
and anti monopoly investigation, also putting some companies on the

(01:25:39):
Entities List, and also restricting certain metals and rare earths
that are important to the US. One of them is tungsten,
which is used in semiconductors and weapons. China produces about
eighty percent of the world supply of tungsten, and the
US gets more than a quarter of its tungsten from China,
where there's been ban on that. But the more interesting

(01:26:03):
thing is when a Trump and she's going to talk.
Donald Trump said initially that he was going to talk
to President g within the next day or so, and
then he seems to backtrack for that saying there's no rush.
I suspect what is happening is that no rush is
on the Chinese side. I don't think President g is

(01:26:23):
in any rush to talk to Donald Trump. And that's
partly because I don't think he wants to be appearing
domestically to be seen to be weak by sort of
cuddling up and cozying up to Donald Trump. So I
think he's holding fire at the moment. And also given
that there are threats of more tariffs coming. The US

(01:26:45):
side has said they're going to investigate the overall trade
relationship with China, so I don't think she wants to
make any any concessions and then go and be hit
with more tariffs by the rather unpredictable Donald Trump. To
see when is this talk, this discussion going to happen,
and are these tariffs are going to get suspended.

Speaker 3 (01:27:08):
Some of it's a bit vague, isn't it. We're not
entirely sure what the Google probe is about, what that
investigation is actually looking at it the way.

Speaker 4 (01:27:16):
Well, they're talking about Google's dominance first of all in
the iOS operating system, which a lot of Chinese phonemakers
use on their phones like Colway, and it's constantly been
a thorn in the side of China that Google does
have this dominance there. Apart from that, Google doesn't have
any business in China. We're drew in back in twenty ten.

(01:27:39):
Google Search is banned anyway in China. So in some
ways this is more symbolic than anything else than having
any real impact. They're also going to look at the
fees that Google charges in its stores, and that's been
something that regulators all around the world have been there

(01:28:00):
been looking at. So it seems more is to send
a signal to the US that China is prepared to
respond and respond very robustly and announce these tarots almost
within seconds of the U S tariffs are coming into effect.
So I think part of it is is also sending
us a clear message to Donald Trump.

Speaker 3 (01:28:22):
And Donald Trump the president is going to establish a
sovereign wealth fund that could buy tech talk. Now that's
his plan. How do you think byt dancers going to
feel about that?

Speaker 4 (01:28:34):
Well, this is interesting. Just the fact that the US
is setting up of wealth fund is it's rather unusual
because the countries that set up wealth funds tend to
be smaller but have large reserves and larger amounts of
natural resources that they that they need to recycle the
money from. Well that the US doesn't have anything to

(01:28:55):
put into this sovereign World Fund. It has deficits as
far as the I can see. So it's not clear
at all where it's going to get the money to
put into this World Fund that could go and buy TikTok.
And of course there's no response yet at all from
either TikTok about whether it's willing to negotiate and debault

(01:29:17):
or from the Chinese government about whether it's prepared to
let TikTok be hived off and run by the US.
Donald Trump has proposed sort of some sort of fifty
to fifty joint venture that would run TikTok, and he's
sort of also proposed that as part of suggested that
there could be some sort of overall deal done with

(01:29:38):
China that will include a trade deal. It would include
TikTok and a number of other things as well. But yes,
it's an interesting idea how it's actually going to work.
As always with some of these Trump plans, there's very
little detail.

Speaker 3 (01:29:55):
And Peter good news for those who have been waiting
for the apostles from Amazon or Tea move. The UIs
Postal Service resumes inbound parcels from China and Hong Kong.
How long did that last?

Speaker 6 (01:30:06):
That?

Speaker 3 (01:30:06):
Was it about a twelve hour.

Speaker 9 (01:30:09):
You know restriction about that?

Speaker 4 (01:30:11):
Yeah, yeah, it was about that. It's been last very
long at all. They said Tuesday that they were halting
all inbound packages from mainland China and Hong Kong until
further notice. It wasn't clear at all what prompted the
United States Parcel Service to do that, But as part
of the tariffs that Trump put onto China, he revokes

(01:30:34):
what's known as the Dominimus rule for China. Now, this
allowed small packages under eight hundred dollars to enter the
US duty three. Now, this has been a huge boom
for Chinese e comets companies like Shine, like Temu that'd
been able to sell goods directly to the US consumer

(01:30:56):
using this Deminimus rule to bypass tarots, and a huge
amount of goods I think it was about forty eight
billion dollars worth in the first nine months last year
were shipped into the US under this rule and providing
as a US continuing you're willing to wait for the delivery.
It made these packages a lot cheaper, which is one

(01:31:17):
of the reasons why in particular has exploded in the
US and able to offer these steep discounts on a
variety of products. Well, that's now been suspended, and it
could be that the US Parcel Service has responded because
of that. And we're also hearing that logistics companies now
are charging retailers who shipped directly to the US as

(01:31:41):
thirty percent levy as a sort of deposit to cover
any tariffs that are either in effect at the moment
or any new tariffs that Donald Trump might impose on
these companies and on China.

Speaker 3 (01:31:54):
Right, So, Peter that if you passl cost least than
eight hundred dollars, you'd be bow to ship it in
without tariffs. But that has been paused.

Speaker 4 (01:32:05):
Yes, okay, basically there was a tax that there was
a tax on these of goods going into the US,
but if it's under eight hundred dollars, you avoided that tariff.
So that's now been suspended. Got you.

Speaker 3 (01:32:18):
Thank you so much for filling us in, Peter and
keeping us up to date. That was our Asia business.
A correspondent, We are going to head to the UK next.
Gavin Gray is going to be with us shortly. It
is fifteen to seven.

Speaker 1 (01:32:32):
Everything from SMEs to the big corporates, the Business Hour
with Francesca Ruggin on News Talks ENV.

Speaker 3 (01:32:41):
And we're heading to the UK now where I'm joined
by Gavin Gray.

Speaker 6 (01:32:44):
Good evening, Gavin, Hi, the Francesca.

Speaker 18 (01:32:47):
Good to have you with us.

Speaker 3 (01:32:48):
Hey, look it us all go on the Greek island
of Santorini. Several more earthquakes have struck. What is the latest.

Speaker 6 (01:32:56):
Yeah, I'm afraid it's a pretty depressing scene. They have
had thousands of tremors in the last week. The population
normally at fifteen thousand. That's the resident population, not the tourists.
Fifteen thousand. More than eleven thousand, we believe have now
gone and they've just decided to get out, go somewhere else.

(01:33:18):
These are the shifting of tectonic plates, these earthquakes, not
volcanic eruptions or the fear of volcanic eruptions. But the
biggest one was a four point six magnitude and that
was on Thursday evening local time. And there have been,
as I said, just thousands of other tremors and local
residents absolutely fearful and so they fled. Now the authorities

(01:33:40):
from other islands are on standby to come and help.
All healthcare professional leave has been canceled, and the authorities
there have all these army on stand by, firefighters on
standby at the moment. Amazingly no damage to any of
the old ancient buildings there, but yeah, the fear for
local peop were just absolutely overwhelming.

Speaker 3 (01:34:02):
Is the concern that these earthquakes, these small earthquakes are
going to continue, all that they could be a big earthquake.

Speaker 6 (01:34:09):
Yeah, the Faar is a really big one, and of
course they're very, very difficult to predict. Even the experts
say they don't know. What we do know is it's
on a sort of arc or what is called the
sort of a Hellenic arc, which is a sort of
ring of earthquakes and the ring of volcanoes. Now, the
volcanoes last erupted in the nineteen fifties, but as I said,

(01:34:33):
it's the shifting of the tectonic plates that this particular
part of the world which is causing so much concern.
And let's face it, you've had a sort of magnitude
five point two this week, we've had that one last
night that was four point six, and you know it's
not far above something considered severe, which is a six
point zero magnitude one, and that can be loss of

(01:34:55):
life and of course damage to buildings.

Speaker 3 (01:34:58):
Kevin, Syrians and a Bosnian among the teen victims of
a gunman who carried out the worst shooting in Swedish
history at a school west of Stockholm on Tuesday.

Speaker 6 (01:35:08):
Yes, it's one of those things that the police have
been very very slow to come out with information and
have been criticized actually in Sweden for that. What we
do know is that the suspect, who we believe killed
himself with his own gun at the school, had shot
ten other people. And we know that the school wasn't

(01:35:29):
a sort of ordinary school. It was used often by
people in their twenties who hadn't sort of done very
well in the educational system, but was also used as
a venue for migrants learning Swedish. And that's been the
fear locally that this was a racist attack. The police
said there is no evidence of that. They say there's
no evidence that he acted with anyone else, and they

(01:35:51):
said there's no evidence of any terrorism, so it's very
odd that the moment they're really struggling for a motive.
But many local people do believe it might have been
racist aspired and that's why learning that among the ten
victims we have a couple of Syrians and the Bosnian
that information actually came out from their respective embassies. So
slow has the police announcements been on the identity of

(01:36:13):
those who died. And I'm afraid a really awful thing
that one of the Syrians is said to have made
a call out on their mobile to their family saying
they've been shot, and to say how much they love them,
and to say they were in hiding and they were
engaged to say please family, could you look after my fiance?

(01:36:33):
And then later on I'm afraid died. So some really
heartbreaking news coming out of Sweden.

Speaker 3 (01:36:38):
Horrific story. Now, has anyone tried to snatch your mobile phone? Given?

Speaker 6 (01:36:44):
No? But I have seen it in London. I've got
one of these prehistoric old phones. But in London, I'm
afraid the theft of phones has reached absolutely epidemic, endemic proportions.
It's now a trade is said to be worth about
a hunt and ten million New Zealand dollars a year
in stolen phones, and the police have had a huge

(01:37:06):
crackdown this week. And what tends to happen is people
of course using them on the street or on the
pavement and they've got them out and about. Some of
these phones are worth several thousand New Zealand dollars or
at least you know, a thousand New Zealand dollars, and
criminals are driving by in a little mopeds and simply
leaning over and snatching the phones and then driving off

(01:37:26):
and managing to sell them, often abroad. But this clamp
down by the police has seen two hundred and thirty
people arrested, one thousand handsets recovered.

Speaker 14 (01:37:37):
But the scale of.

Speaker 6 (01:37:38):
That trade one hundred and ten million New Zealand dollars
a year, is really something. And police are saying, look,
if you're gonna use your phone, you know, stand by
a wall or in a corner. Check that you know
you're not in an area where somebody could cycle or
drive by when you make that call.

Speaker 3 (01:37:54):
You're going to be looking really dodgy. All these sort
of dodgy people on the streets up against a building
or in a doorway or something. It sort of takes
me back. You know, thirty years ago when I used
to go to Europe, every who says you don't wear
your handbag across your body because someone will ride past
you on a motorbike, a little vespa or something and
grab your handbag and if it's not, if it doesn't,
just slide off your shoulder or you could really get hurt.

(01:38:16):
It just feels a little but like that, I the
brazenness of it though, are you could just imagine the
look on people's faces as a phone was plucked out
of their hands on the street, you know, And it's.

Speaker 14 (01:38:27):
So quick yep, yeah, so quick.

Speaker 4 (01:38:28):
It's over in a matter of a second or so.

Speaker 3 (01:38:32):
You stick with your your little ancient number. There's your
phone I'm talking about. Of course, it's probably working brilliantly
for you. Lovely to catch up with you, Gavin, have
a good weekend, appreciate your time. It is six to seven.

Speaker 1 (01:38:47):
It's the heather too for see Alan Drive Full Show
podcast on iHeartRadio powered by Newstalk Zebbie Now on Sunday.

Speaker 3 (01:38:55):
I will be back in my natural habitat the Sunday session.
We've got a great show lined up for you. Actually.
Sabacloski is a former CIA agent. He was an analyst.
Actually he's spent about nine years in Syria. He now
writes novels. He's taken what he has experienced and learned
in the CIA and he turns them into really good
spy novels. And he's also the co host of a

(01:39:16):
podcast called The Rest Is Classified. If you are on
holiday for a long weekend and you're looking for a
good podcast, it's definitely worth the listen. Anyway, he is
going to be with me at ten am on Sunday
morning to talk about his experiences and how he's turned
them all into these great stories. So love it if
you could join us. Thank you for joining us here

(01:39:37):
today on Drive. Of course, Darcy Waldgrave is going to
be up next with sports talk. But what are we
going out on tonight?

Speaker 9 (01:39:43):
Ants The Night Before by the Black Keys. This is
brand spanking new. It was only released a couple of
hours ago.

Speaker 11 (01:39:48):
New Books.

Speaker 9 (01:39:49):
It'd be on a Friday, your home for new music.

Speaker 3 (01:39:51):
Here we are right, Oh we've got we've got our
finger on the button here, haven't we end?

Speaker 15 (01:39:56):
Love it?

Speaker 3 (01:39:56):
Have a good weekend.

Speaker 7 (01:40:27):
M HM.

Speaker 1 (01:40:38):
For more from Hither Duplessy Alan Drive, listen live to
news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, Or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial

Dateline NBC

The Breakfast Club

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Full Show Podcast: 07 February 2025

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial

Dateline NBC

The Breakfast Club

All Episodes

Full Show Podcast: 07 February 2025

Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial