Full Show Podcast: 10 December 2025

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Pressing the newsmakers to get the real story. It's Ryan
Bridge on hither dup see Ellen Drey with one New
Zealand coverage like no one else.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
News Talk said, be liven after four Westpac on the
interest rates going back up this afternoon. Auckland's leading cars
back onto parts of Queens Street after all of that,
But there's a catch. We're live to the US and
the UK new migration numbers out today. Is the exodus
over and this landmark case of family cares and disabled kids?
Does this mean they'll all get paid tomorrow?

Speaker 3 (00:30):
Ryan bred Brich, This.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Nikola willis Ruth Richardson's showdown. It's not a debate anymore,
it's a showdown. It looks like it will go ahead
next week. This is after the half yearly fiscal update
that comes out. As you will know from listening to
this show on Monday night, as I know you were,
Nichola is not happy with Ruth, and Ruth ain't happy
with Nikola. We've got a structural deficit we're not addressing it.

(00:53):
Surplus is probably going to be pushed out again to
twenty thirty. So we have a showdown, and you might
be wondering at this point, Why is the current finance
minister debating a former one of some thirty odd years
ago at all. Well, here's the common strategy for you
on this. Ruth has credibility, at least on the right.

(01:13):
The left reckons she permanently scarred the country. But you
cannot deny and I don't think anyone does that something
had to be done. And people also forget the growth
in the jobs that followed it. Nicholas still earning her credibility,
still earning her stripes, isn't she? And things haven't really
been going terribly well on that front of late spending
higher than grant surplus keeps getting pushed out, growth anemic.

(01:36):
So this is a way of tackling Ruth's attacks head
on and trying at least to put them to bed.
And usually ministers don't do this stuff. They don't give
oxygen to debates because it gives their opponent equal standing
with them, a bit of the treasury benches, rubs off,
and can make your opponents seem well credible, which is

(01:57):
why you wouldn't see Luxen near Hipkins outside of a
Bollywood dance off, except during mandatory campaign debates. So sorry, Chloe. Sorry, Barbara,
this is a ruth thing. But there's also a smarter
strategy going on here. I reckon from Willis. By debating
somebody on the right, she makes herself seem more centrist
in the public size heading into an election year. She

(02:20):
distances herself from the scrooge argument. She highlights how much
they are still in fact spending and haven't cut, and
will argue that cuts now would been job losses and
less growth. It's basically framing the economic debate as one
between the right and the even more right, which leaves
the left well out in the cold and also looking

(02:43):
a little trigger happy on the Old Country credit card too.

Speaker 4 (02:46):
Ryan Bridge nine after four two US the numbers text
would love your feedback this afternoon.

Speaker 5 (02:57):
Now.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
New Zealand's cyber agency is warning to twenty six thousand
kiwis that their computers have been infected with malicious software.
The National Cybersecurity Center or NCSC, which sent out the
emails today warning users about a possible infection. They say
the software has stolen sensitive information connected to bank accounts
and government systems. So what is it? Who got it?

(03:20):
How do we know? Patrick Sharp, general manager of AURA
Information Security joins me. Now, Patrick, good afternoon, Good afternoon,
So how did this? Can we go back to the beginning.
Do we know how this malware might have got into
our systems, what sort of email or how it got in?

Speaker 6 (03:38):
So this sort of malware can actually be delivered through
a range of different mechanisms. There is some mechanisms such
as people going on Facebook and getting links to download
aim as generation software, just malicious websites. There's one instance
of a game having this in it. So it could
be a variety of different means.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
Not necessarily because I always think if I don't click
on any emails, then I'm not going to get in
any trouble. But actually you could just go to a
website and click on something and pick it up potentially. Yes, yeah, Okay,
what's the software called?

Speaker 7 (04:11):
This?

Speaker 2 (04:12):
The molicious software? And what does it do?

Speaker 6 (04:15):
So it's called Lumas Steeler and it's what's called a
Steeler malware. So basically what it does is steel information
Pretty obvious. I guess that might include things I use
NAT passwords, create a card, information, anything saved in your browser,
even files from your computer.

Speaker 2 (04:32):
Is it on my phone or my hard computer laptop?

Speaker 6 (04:36):
This one seems to be affecting Windows based systems, so
it'll be your computer, okay.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
And how does the government know whether my computer, my
Microsoft computer has been infected?

Speaker 6 (04:51):
So inciously noted that they've been alerted to this by
their partners. That presumably means that another organization, ever see,
has actually found a trove of data which has been
stolen and then has said to NCC there's a group
of EMIL dresses here in the concerned.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
With how do I know if I've I mean, aside
from the government email, I means saying, oops, you've got this?
How do is there any sign that you would have
this on your computer?

Speaker 6 (05:18):
No? These are this kind of software is designed to
run quietly in the background, so you wouldn't know the
only unless you're running antivirus software, which has then detected
it and hopefully cleaned it up after that.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
Would antivirus software have detected.

Speaker 6 (05:34):
This I presumably However, these the sort of malware has
often changed, and so antivirus software has to continuously change
in order to update and make sure it can detect
new versions of it. So presumably for a period of
time it wasn't detected.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
Patrick. Today we're talking about twenty three thousand email addresses,
twenty three thousand people. Is time? Will we be talking
about everyone? I mean, should we be putting any of
our information, our private information anywhere on our computers or
the internet generally.

Speaker 6 (06:11):
In reality, this is a huge problem, these sorts of
the sort of malware and lots of data in general.
But we can't simply not put our data online. So
we have to become very aware of how we're actually
managing our data, where we're putting it, where it's been saved,
and who has access to it.

Speaker 2 (06:30):
Patrick, appreciate your time this afternoon. Thank you very much,
Patrick Sharp, General manager at AURA Information Security. You will
get an email if this is you, and I know
people will be freaking out listening to this, and so
you should be. I mean, it's frightening. But if you
are one of these people, then we're told that the
government agency will email you today and let you know
that you have been hacked or you've got something on

(06:51):
your phone on your computer. Thirteen minutes after four, News
Talk said b we'll get to sport with Darcy.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
Next, it's the.

Speaker 1 (06:58):
Heather Dup See Alan dreve Full Show podcast on iHeartRadio
powered by News TALKSB News TALKSB.

Speaker 2 (07:05):
It is sixteen minutes after four. Good on Nicholas, says Pauline.
Ruth Richards. It needs to butt out and out is
full caps. Pauline's on a rampage this afternoon. She is
last century's finance minister. What is it with these old
MPs who cannot pull their heads and eg halling Clark Pauline.
I think with Ruth, well, she's part of their taxpayers union.
She's on the board of the taxpayers Union. That's why

(07:26):
she's got her sticky little beak into this mess. I
think it's just interesting from a distance. I'm quite interested
to see how the debate goes. That will happen next
week seventeen after four sport with the.

Speaker 1 (07:39):
Tab app download and get your bed on R eighteen
bit responsibly.

Speaker 2 (07:43):
See how the cricket's going. Darcy is here, Hey Darce,
Hello Ryan. So this day one of Test two against
the Windys. How's it going so far?

Speaker 8 (07:51):
In the third session He's decided to go into bowling.
The one that Toll said didn't start well. It looked
like the West Indies were getting on top of us.
But then cute Tinkner with a couple of very quick
wickets both LBWs. He gets King out for thirty three
and then he removes Hodge for nought. Hope has come
and managed to nearly score a half century, and who

(08:14):
cleaned him out? It's Tichner again, so he's picked up
a three for oh, hold on Chase gone Tickner four
wickets right, which is fantastic.

Speaker 9 (08:24):
So currently though they are sitting at one.

Speaker 8 (08:27):
Hundred and eighty one for five, he looks it up
in a right hurry. The other wicket was taken by
the debutante Michael Ray, who was described on Newstalk's c
EB last night when I was talking with Jacob Duffy
a great, big sweaty man who gets whiteline fever. Is
not quite right when he goes over the line.

Speaker 9 (08:48):
So not bad at all.

Speaker 2 (08:51):
One hundred and eighty one for the loss. So far,
so good, Yeah, so far, so good. Now, Joseph Parker
this interview that he's given to over on the Gold
Coast watching his mate. I was curious to know, because
I read it this morning, if this was a pre
arranged interview or whether he was just asked some questions
off the cuff about the I would.

Speaker 8 (09:09):
Suggest that it'd be it explosive. Joseph Jurassic Parker, that's
his real name, Ryan, you got to use that now
that you're talking to sport with me. I've tried to
get him on, go Joe, come on, follow come on,
you've been talking already. Can't you get on and.

Speaker 2 (09:22):
Talk to us.

Speaker 8 (09:23):
However, he did respond, Hey, Robert, I did one interview,
but I was told to hold off. Well, we're going
through the process. Once it's done, we'll catch up for
a chat. So i'd suggest with that message that you
got asked a couple of questions, so because they're going
through the process currently and then they'll work that out.
And he's claiming he's adamant that he didn't take any

(09:45):
Class A drugs and it wasn't him and it might
be in the cup of tea. And we've had quite
a lot of this before, we have we have.

Speaker 2 (09:52):
But also it's interesting because they will there'll be lawyers
up the wars who I mentioned involved in this from
here on and right, so you've probably.

Speaker 8 (09:58):
So he's got to be careful around what he says.
But when it comes through.

Speaker 2 (10:02):
We'll get him on in Now the pride game in
this FIFA World Cup will feature two countries with homosexuality
is illegal.

Speaker 8 (10:11):
This came early doors Seattle right okay, West Coast there,
right until the whole Pride movement. And I remember the
Harvey Milk and San Francisco way back in the seventies.
So it doesn't surprise me that they want a Pride round.
And so this is all locked in stone before the draw.
Then the World Cup draw came out, and who the

(10:34):
two teams are playing in that one game? They've allocated, Well,
a place where homosexuality attracts the death sentence and that's
I run in Egypt, heavily outlawed, and they really come
down and like a ton of bricks if you show
anything vaguely rainbow. So could it have been worse? I
thought it was the ultimate trol from Seattle and FIFA.

(10:56):
They didn't mean it.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
So it was a random drawer. Ah, And so how
many games in the Pride Round? No, this is just
the Pride Jane Justice one. Do you want to make
a point and go, hey, we're all in LBG.

Speaker 8 (11:09):
Come I'm glad your wife, And because I found it
pretty funny too, you couldn't have maybe one, but come
on the New Zealands and as well.

Speaker 2 (11:19):
There's a stitch up. There is a stitch up that
did not happen by It's so funny. All things stupid anyway, Look,
I can say this, okay, because I'm happily married to
a man. The pride rounds are the dumbest thing married.
I'm happily married.

Speaker 8 (11:35):
I can your dad, man, but you're happily married.

Speaker 2 (11:38):
The dumbest thing that they've ever been invented. Because that
what do they even mean? You know what, just because
you don't a jersey, it means you feel a certain way. No,
all you probably I think, actually do more than anything
is push people the other way. You make people feel
like that's something else, like you're antagonizing them. I think
if they're going to do anything like this, they should
have a respect round where it's inspect whatever, whether it's

(12:01):
your religion, whether it's your sexuality, whether it's your gender,
just show.

Speaker 8 (12:05):
Some respect sexuality, gender, religion or just about as divisive
as each other on now. So you might be onto
something there, not like aim at a particular segment of community,
just going you know what, We'll tolerate everything. Just buy
your tickets and your Hamburgers when you come to the game,
because that's basically what it is.

Speaker 2 (12:22):
I look forward to seeing in Seattle, Iran and Egypt
and their rainbow colors. Darcy, Thank you, Darcy.

Speaker 8 (12:27):
Reaction was priceless.

Speaker 2 (12:28):
If you've got that on video, stick it on one after.

Speaker 3 (12:32):
The name you trust to get the answers you need.

Speaker 1 (12:35):
It's Ryan Bridge on either duplicy Elan drive with one
New Zealand coverage like no one else news talks.

Speaker 2 (12:42):
That'd be forty four. Trevis says Ryan, I can see
you adjudicating the two ladies in your studio. Well, yes,
I could probably see that too, Trevor. Now to Parliament.
Shame on those protesters, Shame on you. Unlike many countries
around the world, we have the privilege and the good
fortune of a parliamentary democracy, a parliamentary representation free in

(13:04):
fear elections. And if you have a problem, your job
is to convince your fellow countrymen and women of its
merits and they will join you and you can change
the government or you can change government policy. That is
your right, that is your privilege. If that doesn't happen,
if you are not successful, don't ruin it for the

(13:26):
rest of us by lashing out like little toddlers and
throwing toys out of the court at Parliament. Because what's
happened now is that Jerry Brownley has shut the chamber
the gallery to members of the public for the rest
of the year at Parliament. And I think that's a
great shame. You might say, well, it's only a couple
of weeks. Who cares, Nah, it's important. Watching Parliament is

(13:47):
a privilege. There are kids who are off school right now,
they take school groups through there. At this time of year,
they won't be able to go and see their parliament
in operation. So I say to the protesters who acted
like children and who threw leaflets in the face of
our democracy, shame on you. Ry and Bridge really grinds

(14:09):
my gears. Hey, it's word of the year or phrase
of the year?

Speaker 7 (14:13):
What is it?

Speaker 2 (14:13):
Quote of the year? Great start, And they've got a
whole bunch of them, and I've got a favorite, and
I'm going to tell you what it is after five o'clock.
But here is some of them. You will recognize this one.
Over the school lunch situation. Here's the deal.

Speaker 10 (14:27):
I mean, if you don't like the lunches, actually just
go make a mum M sandwich and put an apple
on the bag.

Speaker 2 (14:31):
And Judith comes in with corruption.

Speaker 11 (14:34):
Well, I think if it walks like a duck and
it quacks like a duck, it's not looking.

Speaker 3 (14:37):
Good, is it.

Speaker 2 (14:38):
Yeah. I'll tell you which one I think is going
to win, and I'll give you the rest of them
after five this evening. Twenty six minutes after four. Now
we've had a poll out this afternoon from the Taxpayers Union. Jeez,
we're talking about them a lot today and it's nothing
to do with the fact they sent fudge to all
the journalists today. They sent tonight. They've done a little
fudge thing, a little promo, and it's basically the gist

(14:59):
of it, as Nichola Willis is spending as much pumping
out as much fudge at the fudge factory as Grant
Robertson was anyway, So the poll nothing terribly interesting, and
this headline is Luxon is most preferred Prime minister and
the Coalition would win if an election was held tomorrow.
Cost of living the big major issue, which again no

(15:22):
surprise to you there. Twenty seven minutes after four, News
Talks ZBB.

Speaker 1 (15:35):
On your smart speaker on the iHeart App and in
your car on your drive home, it's Ryan Bridge on
Hither Duplicy Ellen Drive with one New Zealand tand of
Power of Satellite Mobile News Talks EBB, by the way, the.

Speaker 2 (15:55):
Five News Talks SIB. After five, we'll look at the
Supreme Court ruling on parent carers and is WHISPAC the
canary and the coal mine for retail banks when it
comes to mortgage interest rates going back up again? Thank
you very much. We'll talk to them after five as well.
This Texas says Ryan. Have you checked out the new
downloaded the new gov dot z app yet? Looks cool
but it feels very nineteen eighty four. And the answer,

(16:17):
dear listener, is no, I haven't because Laura, who produces
this program, told me that there's a waste a time
because if you go on there and you type in
let's say, how do I file my IR three return
or something like that, it just directs you to the
ird website. So why wouldn't you just use the internet.

(16:37):
You know that you can do that on Google. But
I would be interested to know from anyone who has
downloaded this whether and I don't plan to, but maybe
you can convince me to. But whether there's anything that's
actually useful on there, like, is there a purpose to it?
Du the Collins is out there crowing about it. What
has it actually done for your life today? Gov? Dot

(16:58):
in z twenty four away from five.

Speaker 3 (17:01):
It's the world wires on news Dogs Dy.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
Drive, Wednesday, tenth December. Zelenski says I'll hold elections if
the US promises a security guarantee for Ukraine. Trump hasn't
responded to this yet, but he has had another crack
at European leaders.

Speaker 12 (17:15):
I think they're weak, but I also think that they
want to be so politically correct.

Speaker 3 (17:22):
I think they don't know what to do. Europe doesn't
know what to do.

Speaker 8 (17:25):
They want to be politically correct, and it makes them weak.
That's what makes them weak.

Speaker 2 (17:31):
Staying with Trump for a second, you know those peace
agreements he keeps talking about, well, one of the ones
that he broke at earlier this year falling apart. This
is in the Congo and the rebels back by Rwanda
seizing land.

Speaker 13 (17:41):
Despite our good faith and the recently ratified agreement, it
is clear that Rwanda is already violating its commitments. The
day after the signing units of the Rwanda Defense Force
conducted and supported heavy weapons attacks.

Speaker 2 (17:54):
Finally, this afternoon, this is a very cool story. A
musician has taught an octopus to play the piano. Just
picture that for a second. Musician teaches octopus piano. The
octopus's name is taka Yaki, and his owner, Matthaeas, built
him a custom keyboard. The keyboard feeds him crabs, yummy
delicious crabs if he hits the right notes. Here's a

(18:17):
brief duet. This is Mattaeas on the guitar and Takayaki
on the keys.

Speaker 7 (18:34):
Nke for good.

Speaker 2 (18:37):
Amazing, very cool international correspondence with ends and eye insurance,
peace of mind for New Zealand business. Could probably play
many pianos at one time, couldn't you? If you're an octopus. Right,
let's go to Jonathan Kearsley, our US correspondent, Jonathan. Welcome
to the show.

Speaker 14 (18:54):
Ryan.

Speaker 10 (18:54):
I want to hear that octopus players extreme guitar.

Speaker 2 (18:57):
It's very cool. I mean, look, anything's anything's possible. Hey,
what are the Americans thinking of the Australian because it's
getting loads of international press of the Aussie's social media
band today.

Speaker 10 (19:09):
Yeah, it's getting loads of attention right around the world.
I mean you've already seen the likes of Denmark and
Norway and France of the European Union essentially, so they
want to look at this and try and find a
way to introduce it in their own countries, their own
block of countries.

Speaker 2 (19:23):
Here in the.

Speaker 10 (19:23):
United States, well, it's been intensive coverage across the major
US networks, all casting a very keen eye on what
is happening in Australia, What is happening with this ban
on social media for under sixteens, and whether or not
it's going to be effective. Some states here have tried
similar restrictions on social media for younger people and it

(19:46):
hasn't exactly worked. Today we heard from Rama Manuel, who's
a White House Chief of Staff under the Obama administration.
He's widely seen as somebody who could put his head
in the ring for the Democratic presidential nomination for twenty
twenty eight. He said today that the United States needs
to follow the Australia's suit, that essentially it needs to
be a national ban. Here people I was out speaking
to on the streets here in California today, Well it

(20:08):
was mixed. I mean, there were some people who are
essentially saying, yeah, look it's a great idea, or others
saying it's an impingement on the First Amendment rights of
freedom of speech. And that is the argument that the
tech giants put forward. So many of them are based
here in the United States, so many of them pushed
back against the Australia ban, and it's going to be
interesting to see which way these goes.

Speaker 2 (20:26):
It certainly is. Now. Trump's talking up the economy. He's
in Pennsylvania doing a big rally there is.

Speaker 10 (20:30):
He Yeah, he's been in Pennsylvania. An interesting thing amount
in about because he hasn't done this a lot, essentially
back on the campaign trail. Midterms are coming up at
the end of next year, and he's trying to water
down the arguments the criticism on him over the economy,
and essentially what he's been out doing today is saying
that this is a fold of the Democrat's fault of

(20:50):
previous administrations. The word affordability is a democratic con He's
trying to count the arguments and saying inflation is low,
prices are coming down, but voters will have their the
ballot box and the midterms in November, and that's what
his eyes are on he's trying to save house seats,
trying to save Senate seats and keep Republicans in control.

Speaker 2 (21:08):
Now, finally, Pamela Anderson, there were those rumors they had
did the movie together, and they did the promotion of
the movie together, and there were the rumors that they
were having some sort of a fear that they were
having a relationship, some sort of romance. Is she now?
And they sort of said or not, But now is
she saying that they did?

Speaker 10 (21:27):
Well, pardon me for a moment there, Well, I clean
my throat. Yeah, she's given an interview essentially saying that
they had an intimate week after they had finished filming,
that they lived together for that period of a week,
that they had a brief encounter together if you like.
I mean, we all remember those pictures of very very
chummy during the press tour. But it was seen this

(21:48):
wonderful news at the time. Everybody loves a happy news
story and a bit of romance in the world. Why not,
It makes everybody feel better. And Liam Mason and Pammy Anderson,
well you couldn't be happier for the pair of them.
But she's she yes, said confirmed that they they had
a beat brief relationship after filming stopped on the project
they worked together on, but said that they were better
sooner as friends. So look, I think everybody wishes them

(22:09):
all the best, and who knows, maybe Liam Nason will
receive the more bread from Pamela Anderson because I think
she said at the time that she was baking bread
for him.

Speaker 2 (22:17):
Oh is that a euphemism? Is that what they call
it these days?

Speaker 10 (22:20):
No, that's legitimately baking bread. I think she was legitimately
baking bread. I don't know whether she intended it is
a euphemism, but he certainly said that the bread that
she baked was delicious.

Speaker 2 (22:32):
Good to know, Jonathan, Thank you, Jonathan Kresley, are yous correspondent,
cry bred and not too yeast to eighteen to five Now,
lots of tecks coming in on the app. This is
the government app gv dot in z Ryan. When using
the app, this is the people saying that they've downloaded
the app today and they actually really like it and
it's useful. When using the app, you go to the

(22:54):
correct websites, not the scam one. So yes, it might
just be sending you to a whib site which you
could have got through Google anyway, but it sends you
to legitimate ones, not illegitimate ones, which means you're less
likely to get scammed. That is Yeah, that sounds like
a good feature. This is from a person who was
watching question Time yesterday when all the hallabaloo kicked off

(23:15):
with the protesters. Ryan, I was watching it when those
idiots performed, they did nothing for their cause whatever it was,
and embarrassed all New Zealanders in front of visitors from Mongolia.
I hadn't realized we had Mongolian visitors in the house.
Now the actions have locked us out of our own parliament.
And what punishment do the unruly mob get? Well, that

(23:35):
is a very good question. Usually it's a slap across
the hand with a wet bus teck, isn't it? Seventeen
away from five? Barry soaper here with politics.

Speaker 1 (23:43):
Next politics with centrics, credit, check your customers and get payments?

Speaker 3 (23:48):
Certainty caught it to.

Speaker 2 (23:49):
Five News talks there b Barri's in the house, Barry,
good afternoon.

Speaker 8 (23:53):
Well, yeah, I could be in the house, was down Wellington.
But I see that if you want to go and
visit and watch the proceedings, you're not allowed to for
the rest of the year. As you say, Ryan, it
is a pity because a lot of people do turn
up to have a look at the politicians behave and
it's because of those your bo's yesterday, the pro Palestinian lot.

(24:15):
They were outside as well, so why if they had to.

Speaker 2 (24:18):
Take it inside attention seeking?

Speaker 8 (24:20):
Well, totally, I'm surprised that Jerry Browne didn't actually clear
the public gallery immediately.

Speaker 2 (24:26):
Can you remember the gallery being closed like that?

Speaker 9 (24:28):
Yeah, it has been closed before.

Speaker 2 (24:30):
It has been closed before, but hopefully not for too
much longer. I think they said till Christmas. So the
Green sea a sinister side in scrapping the rm A.

Speaker 4 (24:39):
I mean it's.

Speaker 8 (24:39):
Incredible when you you know, arguably the most significant attack
on red tape and cumbersome rules and regulations that we've seen,
like christ Bership said, in a generation. But the Greens,
who took a four percent dive in the one used
veryan poll this week, were on their feet and part

(25:00):
Today's suggesting something sinister he is co Green's leader Marlama Davidson,
pointing her in the theorious finger at Chris Luxon.

Speaker 15 (25:09):
Was any analysis done as to whether ministers or MPs
would benefit from this, and if not, why not?

Speaker 13 (25:18):
And answer to the first question, we haven't done that.

Speaker 15 (25:20):
Does he have confidence then that no ministers or government
members hold consents that will benefit from these blanket extensions?
And if so, on what basis.

Speaker 13 (25:33):
I have confidence that we manage our conflicts appropriately?

Speaker 2 (25:36):
Point of order Funeral sham Jones.

Speaker 13 (25:38):
Not only was a wild allegation made about members of
this side of the House, then further.

Speaker 2 (25:42):
Unproven reckless statements were permitted. Here was mostly an inference
in a question, but not a wild allegation, and I
think it was adequately answered. And what a waste of time.

Speaker 8 (25:55):
Well, you know, honestly talk about conspiracy theories as you
would set about taking apart this massive piece of legislation
and going, hang on, you've got you're waiting for a
consent your minister.

Speaker 2 (26:10):
Is that's ridiculous, patently, But also does she assume that
Labor was guilty of the same crime when they took
there's a place?

Speaker 8 (26:18):
Yeah? Not as successfully?

Speaker 2 (26:19):
Yeah, And was Labor really kept in the dark on
these changes to begin with?

Speaker 8 (26:23):
Well, that's what they said. They said they were kept
in the dark. But I'd say hang on to that one.
The bills architect Chris Bishop has said he consulted with
Labor on the charges or on the changes he's made.
Have a listened to Carmel Seppaloni on that one.

Speaker 16 (26:41):
He has had a number of briefings.

Speaker 2 (26:43):
You know, I'll give him that.

Speaker 16 (26:44):
But to me, it was dropped at one pm yesterday,
But to mean, it was dropped at one pm yesterday
and then now all of a sudden, you know, we've
still got to take it away and consider it. So
some of what's in there we expected and we need
a chance to be able to look over it thoroughly.

Speaker 8 (26:59):
That was came Alceepalone on our opposite number are in
z this morning on their political panel the idea that
they poach from us, of course with Ginny and Mark,
which I think is much more entertaining. But talk about
having your Christmas cake and eating it too. I mean
I did edit twice that she said it, because I

(27:21):
wanted you to basically hear her coming back on herself.
I mean, what more did they expect a lot? Obviously
are like credit for having a look at it while
they were in government and then sitting on their hands.

Speaker 2 (27:35):
Honestly, exactly talk about lose the argument. Although I do
think there's some mirror and politicians holding far unlike Sometimes
I like it when they don't give you an immediate
hot take an immediate put. You know where they say,
I'm going to go away and I'm going to read
this properly and come back with a view.

Speaker 8 (27:50):
You know, that's the sea because you don't know what
you've been briefed on.

Speaker 2 (27:56):
I suppose in this case that might be true. Now,
this debate between the Wilson Ruth Richson probably going to
happen next week.

Speaker 8 (28:03):
Well we don't know, do we, But certainly Nichola Willis
has thround down the gauntlet. I liked her analysis on
at the beginning of the program because it is right
the far right. A lot of people don't remember that
not only is Ruth Richardson the chair of the taxpayers
Union that's setting out to take Nikola Willis apart. She

(28:23):
was the architect of the mother of all budgets. She
was the first woman finance minister to present a budget
in this country and it's one that will never forget.
I mean, if you only have to look at what
she did in that budget. She cut welfare benefits, the
unemployment benefit by about twenty five percent. That in those

(28:46):
days was fourteen dollars a week. Doesn't sound like much,
but it was probably quite a bit then I remember it,
not that I was on a benefit. Of course, the
secondest benefit she cut around twenty percent, and that was
twenty seven dollars a week, and support for families was reduced,
basically the whole family benefit was changed. So really, I

(29:09):
think I think it'll be quite an interesting these two.
And you know, in fairness to Ruth Richardson, she was
a hard ass, no doubt about that.

Speaker 2 (29:19):
And to make friends were to make friends. Hey, the
fudge chocolate thing for the Taxpayers Union as well, I've
been told that I wasn't meant to mention it because
it's embargo till tomorrow. Oh dear, and you've eaten your fund,
beaten my fudge hand in the cookie jar, you'd your cake.
There you go, all right, Verry, Thanks for that. Very
Soper News Talk political correspondent. It is nine minutes to five.

Speaker 1 (29:42):
The headlines and the hard questions. It's the mic asking breakfast.

Speaker 3 (29:46):
Back to the business of RMA reform.

Speaker 17 (29:48):
Chris Bishop is the RMA reform Minister. Now this requires
counsels to plan, is it thirty years in advance.

Speaker 2 (29:53):
Yes, spacial plans will be thirty years in it.

Speaker 3 (29:55):
Now.

Speaker 17 (29:55):
Have we ever in this country planned thirty years in
advance for anything?

Speaker 2 (30:00):
Well, Auckland is required to do a spatial plan now,
But the types of plans we're talking about the answer
is now.

Speaker 17 (30:05):
Do you have confidence we can? It cost us millions
to make plans, and we fight about it. And some
of the plans that we're designed a decade ago still
aren't completely enforced and are still in courts I know.

Speaker 8 (30:14):
And that's why we're making the plan making process a
lot simpler.

Speaker 1 (30:17):
Heather Duplice Ellen on the my Casking Breakfast back tomorrow
at six am with the Defender News Talks dB six.

Speaker 2 (30:25):
To five News Talks B five point thirty five. We're
going to talk to Cal Bates is the National MP
in charge of this Select Committee. They've been looking at
the young people in the phones and the smartphones, and
fifty pages long the Select Committee report that they have
dropped on us today. Fifty pages long. Guess how many
of those pages talk about parents actually minding their own

(30:47):
children and making sure that they're keeping off the Internet
and keeping off smartphones and keeping off social media one page,
one page, it's three point three roles and responsibility of parents, educators,
and civil society, so not even just parents, so it's
probably let's say a third on parents. Many submitters this
is from the report. Many submitters discuss the role parents, caregivers,

(31:10):
family and communities have in protecting young people. Some said
parents should monitor their kids online activity. Now, funnily enough,
agreeing with those people was Metau TikTok and the other
social media giants. They've got a vested interest in obviously
putting this on the parents. But the thing that got
me about this one page that we're looking at. We'll
talk to cal Bates about this is that there was

(31:32):
a survey done of parents. Nearly five thousand parents and
caregivers surveyed, ninety three percent were totally unaware or only
slightly aware of solutions to minimize online harms to young people.
It's called taking the phone off them. How can you
be so unaware? It just makes zero sense to me,

(31:54):
So we'll ask cal Bates over in Australia, Elbows put
his TikTok up.

Speaker 18 (31:58):
Across Australia, those un to sixteen are starting their day
a little differently without social media. It's a big change,
and where the first country in the world to give
it a crack. But it really matters now.

Speaker 2 (32:12):
The funny part about this TikTok video is all the
young people who are supposed to have been given the
boot from social media coming in underneath it and commenting
in the comments section, Hey, we're still here. Your ban
hasn't worked now, so we'll talk about that with calbots too.
How the ausies are going very quickly on the Warner Brothers'
share price, because you know, I've got a vested interest
in this with some shares myself. The share price up

(32:34):
over twenty eight bucks today and doubled in the last year. Anyway,
There's a guy who used to do deals for Disney
who reckons it could go even higher, that both Netflix
and Paramount will up their offers. They will sweeten and
maybe even substantially sweeten their offers in order to get
it across the line, try and get the shares off

(32:55):
for Warner Brothers. He reckons an extra five to ten,
possibly fifteen million US to go. So I'll hold for now.
I do have friends who are selling, but I will
hold for now and let you know how it goes. Tomorrow.
News Talk zaid be the Supreme Court ruling on the
Keres After five.

Speaker 1 (33:21):
The only drive show you can trust to ask the questions,
We get the answers, find the facts and give the analysis.
Ryan Bridge on Hither Duplicy Ellen Drive with One New
Zealand and the Power of Satellite Mobile News Talks B.

Speaker 2 (33:36):
Seven after five News Talks the b will take your
life to the base of Reserve and Andrew Olderson very shortly.
Tickner's out. He's huffing on what looks like pain medication
being stretchered off at the moment, so we'll get an
update from him very shortly. First, though, the government is
taking advice tonight on a landmark Supreme Court ruling. This
decided two parents who care for their disabled adult children

(33:57):
full time are employees of the government. Paul Dauka Casey
has been acting for the two cares in this case
and joins them now Paul Good evening, what exactly does
a ruling mean for your two clients? Now?

Speaker 14 (34:11):
It means that their status, says employees, has been recognized.
They are now entitled to leave a benefits available to
an employee under the Employment Relations Act. It will be
a further hearing in that court where their en government
will be determined, and they will they will recover accordingly.
Then there will be others that are in the same boat.

Speaker 2 (34:32):
Yes, that the ten thousand or so other family careers
that are thought to be out there. It doesn't nothing
applies to them. How do they get the same entitlement?

Speaker 14 (34:44):
Well, in most cases, I imagine that the Ministry would
have known they were providing employment services to their disabled child,
adult disabled person because of regular masks, becosits and analysis,
so they would understand it and a relationship existed. I
expect that for many, or if not most of them,

(35:05):
if they make a claim under the Employment Relations Act
in the same way, they'll succeed.

Speaker 2 (35:09):
Any idea what the cost of this could be to
the state?

Speaker 14 (35:14):
No, But a couple of observations. One is that in
the course of this litigation over the years we've been
doing it, and one since we found that the Crown
hadn't even spent its allocated budget on providing care for
high needs disabled So what is that it was a
shortage of funding. Also, is worth remembering that this is

(35:35):
the cheapest option the ways that care can be provided
for a high heeds disabled person are either you are
external cares bring them into the home and payment, or
you have a residential care facility, which is not an
attractive idea for many people and there aren't enough rooms anyway.
Or thirdly, you paid the parents, so the parents paying
the appearance is the cheap as option.

Speaker 2 (35:57):
Paul, appreciate that update for us. Thanks very much for
being me this evening. That's Paul dalk Casey. He was
acting for the two cares in the Supreme Court case
nine after.

Speaker 3 (36:05):
Five Brian Bridge.

Speaker 2 (36:07):
We've got to Wellington because this reaction to west pank yesterday.
West Pac Bank yesterday came out and lifted their two
and five year interest rates by thirty basis points. And
if you've got a mortgage, you'll be watching that closely.
Nicola Willison's shop around.

Speaker 19 (36:20):
Wes Pack have made that choice. Other banks have not.
And look, I really want to see New Zealanders seeing
that they have some power when it comes to where
they take their mortgage. And don't just look at the
headline rates. Go and hold your bank's feet to the fire.
See if another bank will give you a better rate.

Speaker 2 (36:36):
Kelly, you're cold, is west PAC's chief economist joining me tonight, Kelly,
good evening.

Speaker 5 (36:40):
Good evening.

Speaker 2 (36:40):
So is this is west Pac the first and the
rest will follow?

Speaker 5 (36:45):
Well, we're certainly the first. I assume that the rest
will follow because in the end everybody faces the same
increase in funding costs that's occurred in the last few weeks.

Speaker 2 (36:56):
What's driving that the swap rates? What's going on there?
Can you explain it to us?

Speaker 5 (37:01):
Yeah, Well, the Reserve Bank was unexpectedly hawkish when they
did their monetary policy statement a few weeks ago. Now,
we kind of expected that they would cut the rate
by twenty five basis points, but we didn't expect them
to call time on the easing cycle. So as a result,
the combination of them basically saying that they saw a

(37:23):
high hurdle for further cuts, and then after the market
interest rate started going up when they said that the
market reaction was in line with what they would have expected,
has sort of scared the markets a little bit, I suppose,
and had them thinking about, well, if they're not cutting,
maybe they'll be hiking at some stage, And as a result,
they're really brought forward when they think interest rates will

(37:45):
start to rise.

Speaker 2 (37:46):
Re Zoot Bank Governor Arna Brennen came out today and said, look,
don't read too much into this. You know, were all
options are still on the table. Is the marking going
to listen to that?

Speaker 5 (37:57):
Well, I think sometimes the markets do overreact a little
bit here, and I think that probably is what has
happened here. I mean, based off what the Reserve Bank said,
there's not really any good justification for why the two
year and the three year and the five year interst
rates should have gone up by well it's almost sixty
basis points now that wasn't in the Reserve Bank's forecast.

(38:19):
But nevertheless, I think people in the markets got caught
surprised by that change in tone from the Reserve Bank
and they went positioned for it. So sometimes these markets
can overshoot.

Speaker 2 (38:32):
Kelly appreciate that update. Thank you, Kelly. You're called from Westpac.
Just a note of clarification that he was speaking not
as a spokesperson for the bank obviously, but here airs
an economist for it. It is twelve minutes after five,
Brian Bridge. Now the Quote of the Year I told
you earlier in the show, Chris Luxon is up for
Quote of the Year. This is Massive University's annual thing
for this one, the deal.

Speaker 10 (38:50):
I mean, if you don't like the lunches, actually just
go make your mum might sandwich and put an apple
on the bag.

Speaker 2 (38:55):
And Judith Collins is up for this one.

Speaker 20 (38:57):
I think if it walks like a duck and a
quacks like ducas, not.

Speaker 3 (39:01):
Looking good is it?

Speaker 2 (39:02):
Now? There is one that I think was better than
both of those. In fact, there's one that I think
will win, and it comes from a conservation so sorry
from a hunter when they asked him about do you
newt to the cats or do you shoot the cats?
Kill the cats, the feral cats because they're killing the birds,
and he said his response was, I thought, quite good.

(39:22):
Where the cats are not just the cats are killing
the native birds, they're not shagging them. Yeah, quite good. Anyway,
I think he's going to win, but I'll let you
know what the rest of them are after six later
on this evening. Also, I should update you on the
numbers we had from migration today. So despite all the
talk about the Kiwi exodus, and yes there has been

(39:43):
a Kiwi exodus, but we have still been growing population
wise from migration the entire time. I think a lot
of people forget that now We've got monthly figures out
for October showing four four hundred New Zealand citizens left
the country long term in October. Now, that's actually down
almost ten percent on October last year. It is the

(40:04):
lowest number in any month of the year since October
of twenty twenty two. So is this the start of
the trend reversing of the exodus sort of slowing down
at the very least as we pick up into twenty
twenty six. Well, we have to wait and see. It's
one month's data, but it is the lowest net loss
of overall, lowest net loss of New Zealand citizens in

(40:26):
any month of the year since December twenty twenty two
fourteen after five News Talk seid B will get an
update from the Cricket next Now, this would have to
be the contender for the most underpriced Australian red wine
on the market right now. It's won four Gold medals
and at just fourteen ninety nine a bottle, this simply
has to be your go to barbecue red wine for summer.

(40:47):
It's available online right now at the Good Wine Co
their website. If you didn't know the Goodwine dot Co
dot enz that's the Goodwine dot Co dot ENZ and
the wine that we're talking about is called Caravan Direct.
It's say Petissa Raft from twenty twenty two. New Zealand
wine critic Michael Cooper once asked, is this the most
full bodied, flavor packed Ossie Read for under twenty bucks?

(41:10):
The answer, Oh yes. It's an absolute monster mouthful of fruit,
packed to the rafters with dark, inky RedBerry fruit flavors
and a touch of spice. If you love full bodied
reds like Ossie Cherez, you'll be right into this one.
At just fourteen ninety nine bottle, it is seriously good
value for Gold medal winning full bodied Ossie Read just

(41:31):
fourteen ninety nine per bottle. It's a steal and if
you order now you'll pay just a dollar per case
delivery to your door anywhere in New Zealand. Conditions apply.
Order online right now at the Good Wine dot Co
dot NZ or call oh eight hundred double six two
double six two Crayan Bridge. Mike Lundy you know him,
released from prison in May. He was there for twenty
three years, locked up because he killed his wife and

(41:52):
his daughter in Parmest North. He was released in twenty
fifteen you know, he had his conviction quashed but then
got sent back after he was found on retrail. Actually
you're guilty. While some of his restrictions have been relaxed,
so he was subject to a curfew no longer. As
of today, he can now also speak to journalists, so

(42:13):
we could soon see our first Mark Lundy interview. We
haven't seen one of those yet. We just saw the
performance at the funeral. You'll remember that with the glasses
on and the weird shirt. Now the social media thing
he can now was banned, which is sort of an
odd one for me, but anyway, he was banned from
using social media and he is now free to go

(42:35):
and use social media sites. So there you go. The
kids in Australia can't use them, but Mark Lundy can.
Ryan five eighteen, it's go to the cricket. But a
drama there today with the black Caps, second day of
the second Windy's Test, and Blear Tickner has been stretched
off the field. Andrew is with us now, Andrew, good afternoon.

Speaker 3 (42:55):
Greeting's Ryan.

Speaker 21 (42:56):
Yes, it's gone from bear to worse for the black Caps.
Occasualty Ward's sure Tickner has gone off what looks.

Speaker 22 (43:02):
Like a.

Speaker 21 (43:05):
Justification. In this early stage, he's hit the ground trying
to field a ball a fine leg and what the
western is one ninety three for seven of that stage
in one ninety nine for eight now, but he's hit
the ground hard and looks like he's popped out of shoulder.
Potentially he's been on I didn't know you know about
this what it's called the green whistle, which is immediate

(43:27):
pain relief apparently. And I doubt that he's going back
for this mismatch or even the next one Ryan. So
just he's added to that black Cat's list of injuries,
and they may well be calling in another bowler now
for the third ship. Not long, but all said, and
he's able to have put together a reasonably solid showing
here this afternoon.

Speaker 3 (43:44):
As I say, one ninety nine for eight.

Speaker 21 (43:45):
We he's had an opening standard of sixty six.

Speaker 10 (43:47):
But he's in to weep their way back into proceedings.

Speaker 2 (43:50):
We're getting a bit short on bowlers there all this.

Speaker 21 (43:54):
We are, indeed, and well Jamison is currently we're his
way back and doing some rehab and also building up
his loads. But I wonder if they might bring him
back after that to the third Test that Marlong.

Speaker 3 (44:07):
New Zealand needs a spearhead.

Speaker 10 (44:09):
But the irony of this is that.

Speaker 21 (44:10):
Technos absolutely out look it's for thirty two sixteen overs,
probably his best display in a Test match shirt and
was looking to wrap up the innings. So disappointment from
New Zealand on that front. Given it, they will be
likely to have him disposal for the second innings and Test.
The loss of man Henry, the loss of Nathan Smith,

(44:32):
among others. Already in the rehab bune with will I
benc To add to that, Kyle Jamieson, it's a wofle picture.

Speaker 2 (44:40):
Yeah, absolutely, Hey appreciate that update, Andrew, thank you. Andrew
Alison with us on the Basemin Reserve this afternoon. It
is five twenty and in a couple of minutes I
will run you through just a couple of things to
do with the social media ban over in Australia. There's
some interesting little tidbits that I'll bring for you, and
also we will talk to the back from part of
the city in Auckland. This is after six this evening.

(45:04):
Because on Queen Street you would no matter where you
are in New Zealand, you'll know Queen Street and you
would have heard that they have closed big chunks of
it to cars to vehicles while they're reversing that decision
Auckland Transport. But there is a little bit of a catch.
It's there are some t's and c's which will bring
you across as well. Twenty one after five, cutting.

Speaker 3 (45:22):
Through the noise to get the facts.

Speaker 1 (45:24):
It's Ryan Bridge on hither duplicy Ellen Drive with one
New Zealand coverage like no one else News talks, it'd
be it is.

Speaker 2 (45:32):
Five twenty four on news Talks, there'd be. There's a
British politician who's written quite a good opinion piece about
smartphones today. He says if he had a teenager, he
would rather that they were addicted to smoking than to smartphones.
I know, controversial, but I kind of agree with him.
The point he makes is a good one. At least
with smoking you're going outside for a durry. I think

(45:54):
that's a tongue in cheek part of the article anyway.
In the UK, five hundred kids a day are referred
to mental health services for anxiety. Twelve year olds spend
roughly on average thirty hours a week scrolling. It's almost
a full time job for them, and in the past
three years, apparently the likelihood of young people having mental
health problems is up fifty percent. Now, this is something

(46:18):
I often joke about, but I also kind of mean it.
You know, the bad things that we did when we
were young, you know, like drinking and smoking and I
don't know, doing things in the back of cars, and
you know, running around town and being causing mischief, ding dong,
ditching your old neighbor down the road, throwing toilet paper
at someone's house on Halloween, that kind of stuff. All
of that stuff, if you think about it, involves two

(46:39):
important things, socializing in person and usually some sort of
physical activity. Yes, they were bad things that we learned
from them, and most of us grew out of them.
The problem with smartphones is you don't grow out of them.
They drive kids mental, they keep them mental, and nobody
does really anything at it or to try and stop it,

(47:01):
apart from the Australians today. We spend a lot of
time and eforts stopping kids from drinking and smoking and
doing bad things, and it is working. They are on
those fronts at their lowest levels ever. But if it's
being replaced by screen time, what really is worse? If
you could have your youth again. Well, you'd probably be

(47:21):
very well behaved. I know you would. But if you
had to choose your naughty youth or smartphone addiction, which
would it actually be Bryan Bridge, five twenty six. I
think most people would probably be on the former. Now,
let's go to the Crown Jewels Tower, London in the UK.
There's a key We cop over there on holiday and

(47:43):
these protesters throw custard and crumble at the Crown Jewels
to take.

Speaker 8 (47:52):
Power, join us take.

Speaker 2 (47:57):
So take back power is some sort of let's tax
the rich group, kind of like the ninety nine percent
of the one percent in New York City, remember them
when they used to near Wall Street They would camp
out there, similar kind of group. Anyway, this Kiwi cop
just happens to be there when they are trying to
throw custard and pie at the Crown Jewels and these

(48:17):
big doors come down, as you can imagine they would
when the Crown Jewels are being stopped, are being attacked,
and he's in there and he walks up to them
and he arrests them, citizens arrest holds them until the
cops turn up. Cops. Scotland Yard very grateful and thank
them for his efforts. So there you go. Saved the
Kiwi cop from wiketto saves the Crown Jewels twenty seven

(48:39):
after five cow baits on the report and to social
media for kids.

Speaker 1 (48:44):
Next Hard Questions Strong opinion, Ryan Bridge on hither dup
Cellen Drive with one New Zealand and the power of
satellite mobile New Storks end.

Speaker 2 (48:57):
Be twenty five aways from six you're on news talks,
there'd be just while we're on this song. Either way,
we'll get to the huddle in just a second. Jordan
Williams and Jack Thames standing by it. But I walked
up Franklin Road last night. This is the Christmas lights

(49:17):
in Auckland for those who aren't familiar, and I thought
they don't look as shiny as last year. Has anyone
noticed that? I don't think as many homes houses are
doing it, and the ones that are doing it aren't
quite as flash as they usually are. I don't know.
Maybe I'm getting maybe I'm just my eyesight's bad, or
I'm getting old and cynical. But it just didn't look
as jazzy as it did last year, Let's put it

(49:38):
that way. Did you know? And I would love to
know from people who do buy Christmas lights? What do
you do with them once you take them down after Christmas?
Do you put them in a box and then put
them into a storage shed? Or do you throw them away?
And are you being honest with me? Nine nine two
is the number to text. Apparently the Brits spend four
billion dollars a year on Christmas decorations and Christmas lights?

(50:01):
Did that last year? And I mean imagine the power bills.
You can see London from space out of space. Interesting thing?
They throw loads of them away after Christmas. So one
hundred and sixty eight million light up electrical items, cheap
items like Christmas lights were put in the bin last year.

(50:22):
That included sixteen million light up or pre lit Christmas trees.
So what do you do with your lights when you
finish with them? Do you say them till the year after?
Or do you just throw them away?

Speaker 3 (50:33):
And bread?

Speaker 2 (50:34):
Four minutes away from six we'll get the huddle in
just a second. First, though, Australia, the under sixteenth ban
on social media is in today and just this afternoon
New Zealand's Education and Workforce Committee released an interim report
on the worrying amount of harm that Young Kiwi's experience online,
and the majority of MPs are in favor of a
band like the Aussies, except the Greens and Act. Cal

(50:55):
Bates's Nationals Committee Acting Chair with us. Good evening, Good evening, Ryan, Well,
great to be on the show with you, Great to
have you here. So put this into context for us.
How bad you've heard, all the evidence, you've spoken to,
all the experts. How bad is this that the harm
that's been done to kids? Is it worse if your parents?
Should you be more worried about this than you know,

(51:15):
vaping or drinking or smoking or anything else? Is this
the big worry?

Speaker 23 (51:21):
Well, I think all of those things should refer to
things that parents obviously have to be concerned about. The
harm experienced online by young New Zealanders is really clear
that it's there, and it's across a range of categories.
And that's one of the takeaways from this report, Ryan,
that it's not just about content, but it's also about contact.
It's about conduct, so things like the intentional use of

(51:41):
platforms to harm or abuse others, and also the commerce
harms that not only Young New Zealanders experienced but others
as well. So it's it is something those parents we
need to be concerned.

Speaker 2 (51:51):
About, okay, and how concerned do we need to be?
Like are we freaking out about this? Or you know,
is this a serious threat to young people and their development?

Speaker 23 (52:01):
Well instead of freaking out about it, I think this
is something that parents can be confident. Certainly the National
Party is concerned about and has put actions on the
table along with our colleagues and the Labor Party to
have broad support from Parliament to take actions that will
address these harms.

Speaker 2 (52:20):
Can social media giants actually do that? Can they stop this?
Can they limit the harm? Or won't they?

Speaker 23 (52:28):
So there's two things to that. Firstly, the social media
ban which we're seeing implemented in Australia today. This Select
Committee said we're going to keep a watching brief on
that as we go into next year and deliberate on
the final report early next year. But it's also about
recognizing that that's only one part of a suite of
changes that we're proposing, either for action on or for

(52:49):
further consideration that address other parts of the puzzle. And
I think often we talk about the social media ban
as the one thing, and obviously Catherine Wedd's members Bill
start that conversation earlier in the year. Here in New
Zealander is and a really important part of it. But
there are other things we need to do here as well,
like the introduction of a national regulator for online safety,

(53:10):
like looking at legislation like the Films, Videos, Publications Classifications
Act and whether or not they are appropriate for twenty
twenty five six.

Speaker 2 (53:21):
All of this sounds great, but it also sounds like
tentering around the edges. Honestly, and if you look at
Australia already, you've got kids who are getting around the band,
so you get the horses bolted. You're not going to
stop this.

Speaker 23 (53:32):
You know, there's no intention that a band is going
to stop every kid from accessing social media immediately.

Speaker 2 (53:39):
It's like we.

Speaker 23 (53:40):
Still see kids go into shops and buy alcohol. We
still see kids that shouldn't be driving drive. But it's
about creating a culture shift. It's about changing the norm.
And we're going to be able to be a fast
follower to Australia and follow what they've done, take their
learnings and apply them here to achieve that culture shift
in New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (53:59):
Carl, there was a server and I've looked at this
report and there's one page on parental responsibility, which, for
you know, you're a nationally emper I would have thought
that would have been a little higher up the pecking order.
But here we are on page twenty six of fifty
and there's a survey of parents. Ninety three percent were
totally unaware or only slightly aware of solutions to minimize

(54:22):
online harm to young people. How about don't give them
a phone.

Speaker 23 (54:26):
So there's a few things that that then comes in.
First of all, the level of responsive parent of responsibility
that parents should have in protecting their children. That's one
of the considerations we think you do need to look
at further. There is the ongoing research we think we
need in a New Zealand context to support that, and
also the role that education plays in a shout out
to our Minister of Education for the update to the

(54:49):
New Zealand Curriculum that brings in this digital technology component
to the changes that are been proposed to the New
Zealand Curriculum. So it's not just one part of the
puzzle that's going to solve, right, We've got to do
a number of things in order to protect our kids
online from the online harm that they are experiencing.

Speaker 2 (55:08):
Cal Bates Committee Chaer. It is nineteen away from six
the Huddle with.

Speaker 1 (55:13):
New Zealand Southeby's International Realty, a name you can trust
locally and globally.

Speaker 2 (55:18):
Joining me on the Huddle tonight is Jordan Williams from
the Taxpayers Union and Jack Tame, host of Q and
A on TV and Z and here on News Talks
There be as well. Good evening, Hello, you ran. Good
to have you on the show. Jordan, I'll start with you.
Is any of what you just heard going to do anything.

Speaker 14 (55:35):
Well?

Speaker 7 (55:36):
I think that we've got a great test case in
Australia that we can take away and see approach. It's
been the social media van for the under sixteens has
been something that in the Free Speech Union, the board
have been staffed, have been pretty actively debating. I'm a
free speech absolutist, but I think that reasonal minds can
differ on it on the basis that with a human

(55:59):
rights are only applicable to adults or applicable to all.
I think that there'd be many parents out the year
that would generally be pretty supportive of free speech and
pretty concerned about government over regulation or regulation of what
you post online when you look at the UK, but
might well be sympathetic to the arguments that actually social

(56:20):
media does a tremendous amount of harm to.

Speaker 14 (56:24):
Kids.

Speaker 2 (56:24):
Yeah, I just think Jack, if you was if you
were that worried about your kid in social media, you
just wouldn't get them a fine, wouldn't you.

Speaker 12 (56:31):
Ah.

Speaker 2 (56:31):
I First of all, I totally agree.

Speaker 12 (56:33):
I'm just one hundred percent on the parents need to
step up here as well. Camp that being said, I
don't have teenagers yet, so I can imagine that there's
going to be a bit more pressure coming down the line.
It's all well and good to say parents should be
doing more, when you do you don't have the teenagers yet.
I think a couple of things. First of all, I
don't see why we can't wait six or twelve months
and just see how things go in Australia.

Speaker 14 (56:54):
Like yep.

Speaker 12 (56:55):
If you want to be a fast follower, absolutely, but
let's make sure we see what works and what doesn't
in Australia before for we leap to some conclusion. Second
of all, if you think that regulating the social media
giants and the digital giants is important, might I suggest
that taxing them properly could be very high up on
the list of things we need to be doing. And
third of all, I'm actually very closely aligned with Jordan

(57:16):
when it comes to free speech, and I do think
there are some pretty big free speech questions here that
in my mind at least aren't yet resolved. So you know,
I'm not convinced that necessarily an outright ban is going
to achieve what we want it to achieve, but I'm
open minded at this stage. Wait and see how things
go in Australia. See if alternative social media platforms pop

(57:37):
up for the kids and I reckon it six or
twelve months, we make a call.

Speaker 2 (57:40):
Yeah, listening to that interview with have you interviewed Carl before, Jack,
I'm sure you have. I hadn't interviewed him before, but
I might have.

Speaker 7 (57:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (57:48):
Yeah, there was a lot of learnings, a lot of
waffle talk. It well lost me a little bit. I'm
not a fan of it.

Speaker 12 (57:54):
I'm not a fan of the of the term learnings.

Speaker 9 (57:56):
I'm certainly not a fan of the term learnings.

Speaker 12 (57:58):
I much prefer that the old fashioned lesson. That being said,
if the principal is taking some lessons from Australia and
learning from their experience.

Speaker 2 (58:09):
Then I'm very much.

Speaker 18 (58:12):
Ye.

Speaker 7 (58:13):
We does an interview with it. We sit down with
new MPs at the beginning of each new parliament for
our podcast for MP's and depths, and he was actually
one of the ones that has had a surprising business background.
But as obviously as a backbench MP seldom gets into
the media, I'd give him a chance, right, Okay.

Speaker 2 (58:30):
All right, he did agree. Do you know what it is?
He's been sitting in a select committee for too long
and now he's been writing a select committee report and
he sounds like a select committee. I think that might
be a problem, hanging around with too many bureaucraps exactly.
Jordan Williams and Jack Tame back on the huddle in
just a sec.

Speaker 1 (58:47):
The Huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty the only truly.

Speaker 2 (58:51):
Global brand, thirteen minutes away from six on News talks
the b Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers Union, Jack Tame.
You know Jack, he's here as well. So the debate
between Nicola and Ruth. Jack, why do you think Nichol
I understand why Ruth Richardson has agreed to do it,
but why would Nicola even suggest doing something like that,

(59:12):
do you reckon? Well, but we'll go to Jordan. Jordan,
what do you think the motive is for Nicola Willis?

Speaker 7 (59:23):
Well, I think that the facts aren't on Nichola Willis's side.
You know, she promised to cut spending.

Speaker 2 (59:29):
She's increased it.

Speaker 7 (59:30):
She promised to reduce borrowing, but depending on how you measure,
it's either about the same or it's actually at borrowing
at a faster rate. And she keeps kicking back the
surplus into touch and our treasury are getting concerned that
the fiscal deficits even larger. So what she's doing is
doing what Grant Robinson would do, really and reaching to
a sort of nineteen nineties far left sort of caricature

(59:53):
of what Ruth did to get the books back into shape,
rather than actually debate the facts. There's a bit of
funny business going on now. We have expressed publicly, you know,
Nicola Wallis said yesterday or debate you anywhere, any time,
and we've said great. Well, we've had offers from newstalk's
'b to debate next Thursday, after the opening of the books.
That's our preference. But now there's all sorts of things

(01:00:17):
about oh, well, no, we want to do next year
with perhaps TVNZ or the spin off which is a
taxpayer fundedlistical website. But no, let's debate the books. Is
an opening of the books next week. Rumor around town
is that Nikola Willis is going to kick the surplus
down yet another year. So when she got elected, the
surplus was four years away, it's still four years away,

(01:00:38):
and next week it's probably five years away. Well that's
what we should be debating. But I mean, from our perspective,
the purpose of our campaign that's launching tomorrow is to
inject the fiscal truths. You know that the elephants in
the room. While there's be lots of talk of astereoity
and cutting back, in fact, again, as Trusury pointed out,
the only savings that Nicola will Us has made have

(01:01:01):
actually just been deployed elsewhere, and overall the spending is
up and the fiscal position is worse. And look, as
much as the National Party might be upset with us
pointing it out, that's not what the platform was well,
and what National Party.

Speaker 2 (01:01:18):
Is not what was on the packer, not what was
written on the packer. Jack, I understand you're back with
this now. Nice to have you here.

Speaker 12 (01:01:26):
Maybe what happens when you when you turn the mute
button off again?

Speaker 9 (01:01:29):
Hey?

Speaker 7 (01:01:29):
How you go able to communicate one?

Speaker 2 (01:01:32):
It's an incredible feature. Hey, I think that that this
is interesting the Nicola Willis think because it's like, you
know that the ministers don't normally like to debate well anyone,
unless they absolutely have to do in an election year.
So it's like, why would you do this? Do you
think there's something about do you think she accidentally said,
oh yeah, I should debate her? Or do you think
this was tactical? And do you think having a debate

(01:01:53):
between the right and the further right is actually quite
a good way to frame right?

Speaker 14 (01:01:59):
Come on?

Speaker 2 (01:02:00):
But a good way to frame a debate heading into
an election year.

Speaker 12 (01:02:04):
Well, so, first of all, I don't think it was
a mistake. I think if it were a mistake, then
maybe agreeing would be one thing. But the fact that
she said anywhere anytime, I.

Speaker 7 (01:02:13):
Think Nicola Willis, we can all agree.

Speaker 12 (01:02:15):
Is probably smart enough that she wouldn't have said those
words unless she actually meant them. Now, whether or not
she actually follows through, I guess we'll find that next
Thursday afternoon.

Speaker 14 (01:02:21):
We called it last she didn't see us.

Speaker 12 (01:02:24):
Okay, okay, ok Let's give her the benefit of a
doubt on that front, just for the sake of argument.

Speaker 5 (01:02:30):
Then I would say.

Speaker 12 (01:02:31):
From her perspective, and look at the today's poll, the
Taxi Curier poll today, Taxi and Curia Pole today. Nikola
Willis is concerned about centrist voters right, and she used
to think about her support this in the so called
political center. Maybe she thinks that actually a debate with

(01:02:52):
Ruth Richardson isn't going to cost her massive numbers of
centrist voters, even if she ends up losing that debate
or is perceived to have losed that debate. Maybe that
is the kind of the political equation in her head
right now. I also wonder if she's just if she's
just an insensitive about about being tech bo.

Speaker 2 (01:03:11):
I think it's the former Jack. I think it's the former.
I think this is that there is no better opportunity
for her to make one to make her self look
centrist and to make that you know, say, actually, I
am spending quite a bit so those attacks from the
left won't stick. But also heading into an election year
and before her budget next May, saying, look how crazy

(01:03:31):
labor looks. Now, you know we're having this debate about
how much we should be cutting and look how much
they want to spend Jordan.

Speaker 12 (01:03:37):
Can I just have one thing and not to do
Jordan's job for him? But but I mean, we'll wait
and see whether a lot of services and pushed back
another year. But let us not also forget that Nicola
Willis changed the accounting measure. So we had obergal this
is how we.

Speaker 5 (01:03:51):
Measured that, the surpluses and deficit.

Speaker 2 (01:03:53):
She pushed it.

Speaker 12 (01:03:54):
She changed it to obergall X, which makes it easier
to get to a surplus and still have had to
push that SURPA back.

Speaker 7 (01:04:02):
On the traditional measure, there's never a surplus and that's
not again it's not that's not what we voted for it.
So it's two things on that I mean, on the
centrist fida. The problem in the ironic situation is the
government is taking political heat to perceived austerity because that's
what you read about, you know, in the media and
you see in her talking heads. But they're not getting

(01:04:23):
the political upside of fixing the economy by getting the
boot of big government off the neck of the economy.
The second is that Tomorrow's campaign is actually quite funny.
It's it's a classic taxpayers union pain and cheek campaign
with a point underneath us that the thing that we

(01:04:43):
find incredible is as a result of a single piece
from Matthew Houton, Nichola Willis has reacted and turned Tomorrow's
campaign into something absolutely enormous, which she probably could have
laughed it off if she if she had not engaged.
But great for us and great actually for taxpayers because

(01:05:05):
of injects. You know, the objective's campaign was to inject
the fiscal truth and point out the elephants in the
room and educate the public about what Treasury is saying,
of how bad the situation is, and that with the
greatest respect to Nicola, she's not as you say, She's
not done what it says on the.

Speaker 2 (01:05:20):
Packer and we will get a debate out of all
of this too. Jordan, Thank you for that, Jordan Williams
and the taxpayers and injectame from Q and A. It's
six away from six.

Speaker 1 (01:05:29):
It's the Heather Dupless Allen Drive Full Show podcast on
iHeartRadio powered by News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (01:05:37):
News Talk ZB. It is four minutes away from six
after six. We talked to VIVBT from hard in the
City in Auckland on the Queen Street car ban reversal,
but only during limited hours. She'll explain that to us.
I was driving to the visio this morning and there's
a T two lane on the on the left hand
side and then my lane, My lane is completely choker
all the way to the motorway. Everyone's sitting there waiting

(01:06:00):
T two lane empty. This is not peak time and
I think they've got to change the rules on the
T twos. Apparently there may actually be some exemptions, but
who can read the signage that's the problem. Anyway, back
on Queen Street and the cars.

Speaker 24 (01:06:15):
Next keeping track of where the money is flowing.

Speaker 1 (01:06:33):
The business hour with Ryan Bridge and Mare's Motor Vehicle Insurance.

Speaker 3 (01:06:38):
Your futures in good hands.

Speaker 2 (01:06:40):
News talk Z be good evening at seven after sixth
grade to have your company to nights lots to come
inside the next half an hour. We'll speak to Michael
Luke from Milford for an update on the markets. Gavin
Grains in the UK for us before seven tonight. And
if you've got kids and you're traveling to Australia this summer,
have you ever considered whether they will be allowed to
go on social media?

Speaker 20 (01:06:59):
There?

Speaker 2 (01:06:59):
Are they going to be a ris did at the
border if they try to get on Facebook or on TikTok.
We'll ask that question and answer it inside the next
half hour. First, Auckland Transport wants to let Every time
I start that sentence, you roll your eyes. But this
one actually seems to be a reasonable decision. All Can
Transport wants to let cars back into more of Queen
Street in central Auckland. Private vehicles were given the boot,

(01:07:22):
as you know, of the section of Queen Street between
Wellesley and Wakefield Street back in twenty twenty two, but
at has now proposed to the White Mastar Local Board
that general traffic traffic should be allowed in that section
between seven pm and seven am, basically overnight. The beck
CEO heart of the city with me now, haveviv hello thoughts.

Speaker 22 (01:07:44):
Our common sense? I mean, we've had a nighttime entertainment
area that you couldn't get a cab or ride chair.
You couldn't drop your elderly parents or grandparents in there.
This will open up. It's a sensible multi modal act
we're looking for.

Speaker 2 (01:08:01):
Do you think that's sensible. Do you think it's had,
like seriously, had a legitimate impact on nightlife in Auckland
and safety.

Speaker 22 (01:08:08):
Well, it has had a negative economic impact. We know
they've collected I well, it's an excess now of twenty
million dollars in fines. And when they came to talk
to us about it not too long ago, they said
it had been tremendously successful. And I said what by
what measure? And they said, because we're getting fewer fines,
I more cars out And I said yes. But last

(01:08:30):
year the foot traffic was down thirty six percent on
twenty nineteen in that area, and the spending was down
fifty seven percent. So the reality is it hasn't been
flooded with people and spending. I mean, in an ideal world,
if you had millions of people, you can understand the
logic potentially, But a lot of these things have plat

(01:08:52):
been done before we've had enough people. So it's common
sense people are looking for our recent business server seventy
nine percent of respondents in that Queen Street Valley area
did not agree with eighty finding people one hundred and
fifty dollars for entering that area. It was really confusing
and it put people off coming here. We know that

(01:09:13):
because our research tells us constantly people have been frustrated
and have found it too hard to come here at
a time we really need to welcome them back with
open arms.

Speaker 2 (01:09:22):
Not fine, So why now? Why have they had this
come to Jesus' moment? Do you reckon?

Speaker 18 (01:09:27):
Oh?

Speaker 22 (01:09:28):
Because the buses are coming out, so that we few about.
Their logic was that we had so many buses in
there that you needed to get.

Speaker 2 (01:09:34):
The cars out.

Speaker 22 (01:09:36):
And now some of the buses are going back into
Albert Street, so that there's changes and sort of what's
going where. So what they're saying is at at night time,
the ability for people to get through there and access
that area I think makes sense.

Speaker 2 (01:09:52):
Just common sense, common sense, common sense, not very common
What about Great Auckland they've had out of the thing.
The change is bad, they say, there's lots of support
for pedestrianizing Queen Street and the already pedestrianized bits are
getting better foot traffic. Is that well one? Is that true?

Speaker 22 (01:10:08):
And to your react, well, we know we need the
equivalent of about Coldplay concert a day to get back
overall to the foot traffic we used to have we're
not averse to the vision, but the execution has been lousy,
and it's been planned on cities with millions of people.

Speaker 9 (01:10:26):
So if you think about we know we're not.

Speaker 22 (01:10:27):
London or Manhattan, who had about eighty five percent of
the people already there before they started doing this sort
of thing. Now, whether it was because they have got
great public transport or because they lived there, the point
is some of these things have been done before we
had enough people. That's the issue, that's what you know.
So we're not saying, of course people like people friendly places,

(01:10:50):
but we're also saying you need to have different modes cohabitating.
You go to christ Church, they've done a really good
job of that. I had a rental car there recently.
I could get very close to their people friendly spaces
without being fined, without feeling unwelcome. I could part close.

Speaker 3 (01:11:08):
You know, other cities.

Speaker 22 (01:11:09):
I've been to, they just don't seem to be so obsessed.

Speaker 2 (01:11:14):
With making melite difficult.

Speaker 22 (01:11:16):
For years, and we've got to just be able to
cohabitate comfortably with different modes and by all means. As
we get more people back through public transport, which we
support and other modes, you start looking at things. Then
you don't do it while we're really down on people.

Speaker 2 (01:11:33):
Vive appreciate your time. They've beg heart of the city's CEO.
It is eleven minutes after.

Speaker 3 (01:11:36):
Six Ryan Bridge fascists.

Speaker 2 (01:11:39):
Is what this text calls them. Just make it twenty
four to seven your fascists. And that might be a
little a step of too far. However, I do think
there's some merit and what's talking about. And I also
don't understand have never understood the argument from and Cooe
Swarbrick talks about it. There's obviously this transport group is
talking about it. I'm not sure who they are. But

(01:12:01):
why would you if you okay, you're a pedestrian, you'd
really like walking down the street. Cool, Why do you
need the whole street to be pedestrianized?

Speaker 7 (01:12:09):
What?

Speaker 2 (01:12:10):
There is a big there's a massive footpath, half of
it's not used. I don't understand. Why do you insist
that the whole road has to be a walkway, has
to be a footpath? Can you someone please please explain
that to me? I don't get it. Nine two ninety
two is numbered text just on the phones very quickly.

(01:12:30):
Have you ever asked the question thought about because they've
got the social media band coming in in Australia today.
If you're going to Australia this summer holidays, or maybe
you're going next winter with your kids, are they going
to be allowed on TikTok, on Instagram or on Facebook
when they enter the country. We've done some digging on
this for you and it looks like yes. Under sixteen's

(01:12:50):
who are only in the country for a short period
of time I year, a couple of weeks, they will
not have their accounts blocked because it's up to the
social media giants to block. But if you're in Australia
for an extended period like three months or longer, the
same age assurance measures is what they're calling them, ieu'

(01:13:11):
be booted off TikTok would start to apply. Or you
might just tell your teens that social media is banned
in Australia and they have to unplug them while they're
on holiday. In fact, you have to leave your home
phone at home or you'll be arrested at the border.
That would be the way I go about it. I
was talking to a friend of mine today and he's
going to Northland with his kids this Christmas and they

(01:13:32):
do it every year, go for a summer break at
a camping ground. It's an ewe own campground, and he said,
fantastic idea. What they all the parents at the campground
are in cahots and there's no cell phones, there's no smartphones,
there's no devices actually at all, and so all the
kids know that no one else is playing with them,

(01:13:54):
so no one feels left out. And for the whole
week that they're there, they are either fishing, running around,
playing rugby, whatever, and no one asks for a phone
the entire week. And I thought that was a pretty
good way to do it. That is good parenting.

Speaker 1 (01:14:09):
It's the Heather dupas Allen Drive Full Show podcast on
my Heart Radio empowered by News Talks.

Speaker 2 (01:14:15):
EBB, News Talks CB. It is seventeen minutes after six.
Ryan is someone who is from out of Auckland. My
GPS took me straight through the restricted zone at two
in the morning on Queen Street one hundred and fifty dollars. Fine, Ryan,
sixty years ago you used to stand on the footpath
of Queen Street and be amazed, and now I hate it,
says another and this one from one of our listeners,

(01:14:36):
fashioning a city on old age cities based in Europe
where public transport is extremely efficient, makes no sense. And
don't get me started on those cycle ways. Seventeen minutes
after six on news Talk ZB, let's get to markets now,
Michael Luke from Milford is with us. Hello, good, So
retail companies tell us about them that, I mean, we

(01:14:56):
all know they've been struggling with the economy the way
it is. What have you seen out there?

Speaker 11 (01:15:00):
Yeah, look, I think it's fair to say a lot
of our retailers, including the listed ones like the Warehouse
and camp min dev have been hit pretty hard over
the last few years with the weak economy. Retailers that
they've got very large kind of fixed cost bass from
operating these stores, for example, rent, utilities, staffing, that's all fixed.
So lower sales through the door can have a very large,

(01:15:22):
kind of outsized impact on innings. And that's evidence with
the Warehouse Group, who did over three billion dollars of
sales last year but actually lost five million dollars of profit. Now,
recent trading updates we've seen suggests that the retail environment
still remains challenging. A couple of weeks ago, the Warehouse
reported their first quarter of sales, revenue was up about
one percent. Within that volume of units sold was actually

(01:15:45):
up nearly three percent, but prices were down with promotional activity.
We also had Hellenstein's. They had their AGM today which
highlighted an impressive fourteen percent sales growth for the past
eighteen weeks, but that was led by Australia and they
called out that trading in New Zealand And still remains
very challenging, although it was ahead of last year. Now,

(01:16:05):
December is a very large month for retailers given Christmas
and Boxing Day sales, so I'm sure retailers will be
certainly hoping for an improvement compared to last year.

Speaker 2 (01:16:14):
Yeah, they absolutely will be. How will company, you know,
our kas come on the scene the big opening, everyone's
talking about it. How do you think that companies like
the Warehouse are going to fear Yeah, we think it.

Speaker 11 (01:16:25):
Will definitely add more competitive pressure to those retailers selling
Simimer products, which does include companies like the Warehouse or
came out in the area. Ikea has a pretty broad
range of products, so they could win some sales off
for a number of different companies, including areas like kit
set kitchens where they could win some shares off for
l like of Bunnings et cetera. That Ikea store had

(01:16:46):
been long awaited by consumers, and it looks like the
opening has gone pretty well, like we saw off the
opening of Costco a few years ago. Now some companies
have actually benefited though, like nin for It, who helps
off the logistics, and the Ikea store will bring a
lot more people to stores in the area like Sylvia Park,
so some of those stores will benefit as well.

Speaker 2 (01:17:06):
Let's look ahead, what twenty twenty six better year for retailers?
Do we think better? Yet for the economy more generally, we.

Speaker 11 (01:17:13):
Think so well, it's been a pretty tough few years.
We do think the New Zealand economy is likely bottomed
and we are expecting a gradual recovery next year. Now
we expect that's going to be driven by the large
reduction and interest rates which is flowing through to mortgage holders,
businesses and boosted confidence, and we have seen that in
some of the recent data. Now in November consumer confidence

(01:17:34):
surveys showed they actually lifted to the highest level since June.
So confidence is starting to improve and we're actually starting
to see that a little bit in some of the
spending data such as am Z car data for November
which showed that spending was up four percent compared to
last year. Now, given those fixed costs with those retail
stores are small, improvement in sales will definitely help the

(01:17:55):
bottom line next year. So yeah, certainly hoping for a
better bitter Yer Nix here, And we do think that
regardless of the broad economic backdrop, there will be retailers
with a compelling consumer proposition like the ias that will
continue to do well.

Speaker 2 (01:18:10):
Michael, appreciate that update. Michael Luke Milford with US tonight
twenty one minutes after six. If you like reality television
and don't lie to me, I know you secretly do
like some form of reality television. Guess what's coming to
reality TV AI that story next.

Speaker 1 (01:18:26):
Everything from SMEs to the big corporates, The Business Hour
with Ryan Bridge and Mass Motor Vehicle Insurance.

Speaker 3 (01:18:34):
Your futures in good hands US talks.

Speaker 2 (01:18:36):
That'd be six twenty three on your Wednesday evening. So
many people reminiscing about how good Queen Street used to
be in Auckland. You wouldn't know it today, would you?
When you well, actually no, I have to say it's
it's come a long way from where it was sort
of in the post COVID depth of despair. It has
come a long way, and especially just in the last
couple of months when I've been down there, I've noticed
things have picked up a bit and people are a

(01:18:57):
bit friendlier and there's a little less kind of know
that going on. Although the other day a friend of
mine had his cell phone pulled from his ear as
he was talking to his partner on the phone by
this guy who was completely off his nut and threw
his phone onto the ground. Girlfriend was very upset on
the phone, as you can imagine, because she didn't know

(01:19:17):
what was going on anyway. So there's still that kind
of stuff happening, but it is getting a bit better
and people are just saying sixty years ago, Queen Street
was the pride of New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (01:19:28):
There's no business like show business.

Speaker 2 (01:19:35):
Shown this evening, the world's first all AI reality TV
show has launched. And yes, you're asking, how can it
be reality TV and at the same time completely AI generated.
I don't know. I don't get it either. However, the
series is called Non Player Combat. It's been compared to
a mix of Hunger Games, Traitors, and I'm a celebrity,

(01:19:56):
Get me out of here. If you've seen that show,
Essentially AI generated contestants fight each other to death, but
all the contestants are virtual, and the whole thing is
set in a virtual environment.

Speaker 3 (01:20:07):
This is the horshous location possible. We've got snow, sand, jungles,
you name it.

Speaker 10 (01:20:13):
Everybody hears about as deadly as they come.

Speaker 2 (01:20:16):
Each contestant has been programmed with their own human backstory.
Think past lovers, personal tragedies, favorite foods, all that sort
of stuff. The makers are hoping this will make you
fall in love with these entirely AI generated non humans.

Speaker 6 (01:20:30):
Do you even know how many of us are left?

Speaker 13 (01:20:32):
There's no backup nor rescue team.

Speaker 3 (01:20:35):
We're all going to die out here.

Speaker 2 (01:20:38):
First two episodes are on YouTube. The first episode has
been seen by six thousand people. So is that good?
Is that not good? I don't really know. The Telegraph
has given it zero out of five stars, saying to
call it slop is an insult to slop, which is
quite good. The show is the brainchild of Tom Patten,
who reckons young audiences are ready for a completely computer

(01:20:59):
generated reality show. He reckons younger audiences are fine with
characters not being real. The question is do you actually
care that it's AI If you're entertained, that's all it counts.

(01:21:30):
I know what sort of world do we live in?
Then that's the sentiment. Who cares? It's just you know,
as long as you just slightly mildly entertained. I find
it hard. I've always done it hard with sci fi movies.
My partner loves them. I've always found it hard to
get into them because it's not real. It's not realistic.
I when something bad happens, I'm like, well, it's fake.

(01:21:51):
So who cares?

Speaker 10 (01:21:52):
You know?

Speaker 2 (01:21:53):
I think I would have that problem with AI generated
reality TV or just AI generated anything. You're on News
Talk ZB to Training from the Hill with us shortly
and we're in the UK with Gavin Gray all ahead.

Speaker 1 (01:22:10):
If it's to do with money, it matters to you.
The Business Hour with Ryan Bridge and Mass Motor Vehicle Insurance,
Your Futures in Good Hands, Used Talks MBS.

Speaker 2 (01:22:38):
Twenty five seven News Talks MB Ryan Helenstein's we were
just talking about the state of retail and also Queen
Street because they're going to allow cars back into bits
of Queen Street they were banned from had been banned
from for a couple of years now at nighttime only,
so you won't get you one hundred and fifty dollars
fine anyway, retail More generally, we've had lots of texts
on this. Steven has taxed the show and says Ryan

(01:23:01):
helen Stein's would do a lot better if all of
their clothes were not for jockeys. If you're six foot
and ninety five kilos, you can't buy a shirt or
a suit in this country. Anything over one hundred kilos
out of luck. Stephen, Can I.

Speaker 9 (01:23:18):
Wonder why you've read this particular text out.

Speaker 2 (01:23:19):
Right, well, because I'm a tall bugger as well, and
I understand the pain. Stephen. By the way you've signed
your email stupid, Stephen, I think you meant to put
a full stop between stupid and Stephen. I think you mean.
I think that you mean helen Stein's is stupid, not stupid, Stephen. Anyway, Stephen,
can I recommend to you a store called Rembrandt if

(01:23:40):
you're looking for a suit. They are They're really good
quality and I'm not being paid. They're really good quality,
and they do a tall fit and it's one of
the few places in New Zealand. I've come across that
does a tall fit for tall people, for tall men,
and they are just it's a it's like a whole
new world out there, Stephen, because the other ones are

(01:24:01):
like little crop tops, you know that show your midriff
like you're in the spice girls. Absolutely, they look ridiculous
on you. I feel the pain, Steven.

Speaker 9 (01:24:09):
So gosh, it's a hard life, isn't it. Ryan. People
are always asking you to get things off high shelves
as well, and.

Speaker 2 (01:24:15):
They are annoying little people. Just leave me alone, get
your own stuff.

Speaker 9 (01:24:19):
Oh the is that are up there as well. You're
harder to breathe exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:24:22):
The only benefit is that it's hard to hear you
down there, you tiny people. Anyway, twenty three minutes away
from seven Bridge, let's go to jene Tip Training. Media
got their first chance to check out the new Reserve
Bank governor. This morning. Arna Breman is her name hosted
a breakfast event for journalists and Janet was there. Janay,
good evening. Hey, Ryan, So what was it like? What

(01:24:44):
was she like?

Speaker 25 (01:24:46):
Well, she's a serious operator from the Central Bank in Sweden.
The thing we were all really interested in today was
whether she would try to talk down the market so
people might be aware that wholesale interest rates have been
rising quite dramatically over the past fortnight since the Reserve

(01:25:07):
Bank cut the OCR, and this prompted Westpac yesterday to
announce that it was actually increasing some of its longer
term mortgage and term deposit rates. So today I went
along to the breakfast thinking it'd be lovely to meet
the new governor. But really what I really wanted to
know was was she okay with the way the market
was going or would she try to talk it down?
And she didn't try to talk it down. She's only

(01:25:28):
been in the job for ten days, but she did
not try to change the trajectory of those wholesale interest rates.

Speaker 2 (01:25:35):
She did say anything, you know, all options are still
always on the table, though, is that not going far enough?
You don't think no.

Speaker 25 (01:25:43):
So the market didn't really respond to her comments. So
what she said was fairly safe in the sense that
she said that, you know, she was aware that financial
conditions were tightening, and she'd keep an eye on the
data as it comes in. So it's quite a long
gap between now and when the Reserve Bank next reviews

(01:26:04):
the OCR. That'll be only on February eighteen, so she
did have an opportunity to talk it down. But you know,
I've just talked with a few people about this, and
you know, we're thinking, on the one hand, it would
be out of place perhaps if she did swoop on
in and talk the market around, especially because these days

(01:26:27):
it's a committee that sets the ocr that sets monetary policy,
it's not just the governor. So she said she hadn't
even had a chance to meet all her fellow Monetary
Policy Committee members, so maybe it would have been out
of hand if she came in and took the market down.
On the other hand, the economy still needs support, according
to most commentators, so by having these mortgage rates go up,

(01:26:50):
that really potentially does slow our economic recovery.

Speaker 2 (01:26:54):
Yeah, I won't yet. No, definitely not a great headline,
is it the Minister of Finance. But I wonder whether
because yeah, you just come in, but also with the
market reaction, even if she had said something which people
might have got, oh she's talking it down. She is,
as you say, only one on the committee, right, so
she gets one vote just like the rest of them.

Speaker 25 (01:27:15):
Yeah, exactly. So you know, back in the day, the
governor had all the power and that's not the case now.
So perhaps it's it is understandable, you know, but other
commentators are quite worried about where things are going. West
Pack is the only bank to have moved, but all
the banks deal in the same wholesale markets, so the
funding pressures that west Pack is under, the other banks

(01:27:35):
are under as well. The interesting thing now to look
at is to see, you know, which bank is next,
and whether there is some competitive tension. No doubt, the
marketing departments at the banks are talking to the you know,
financial nerds at the bank's trying to figure out, you know,
when might be the best time to announce their mortgage
rate hikes. It's not exactly a great headline, No it's not.

Speaker 2 (01:27:58):
And as I said, specially if your Nickela, and she's
out there saying basically shop around, and I mean, you've
got to hope that the banks don't all put their
rates up, because then you're shopping around for the same rate.

Speaker 25 (01:28:08):
Well, you know, that's the thing. So these the wholesale rates,
which are the ones that largely affect the longer term
mortgage and term deposit rates, they're now about fifty basis
points higher than before the OCR cut. So the Reserve
Bank cut by twenty five points and the rates are
now about fifty points higher than before the cut. So
it's not only unwound the effect of the OCR cut,

(01:28:30):
but it's gone even further and that's in the wholesale
markets which affect those those longer term rates. So yes,
old Nichola Willis and Christopher Luxen, who have been rarely
milking the whole interest rate cut situation and claiming, you know,
claiming it as a victory for themselves slightly wrongly. You know,
it's a debateable issue, but they're in a bit of

(01:28:51):
a tight spot now with the rates going up and
definitely the last thing they need.

Speaker 2 (01:28:56):
Janet appreciate your time this evening and your analysis is
always Genated Trainey Herald's Wellington Business editor, who was at
the media only breakfast this morning with the new Zoo
Bank governor Arna Brennan. You're on News Talks.

Speaker 3 (01:29:09):
Heb approaching the numbers and getting the results.

Speaker 1 (01:29:13):
It's Ryan Bridge on the Business Hour with MAS Motor
Vehicle Insurance.

Speaker 3 (01:29:18):
Your futures in good hands News Talks.

Speaker 2 (01:29:20):
EDB sixteen minutes away from seven News Talks edb Rhyan.
I'm with bn Z for my mortgage. I just fixed
one month ago and I called into the bank. Took
an hour because they said everyone's been calling in to
fix for longer terms given the news and the media
at the moment, which is exactly what I said this
afternoon to Laura. I said that people are going to
be going, oh, now we better get in there because

(01:29:43):
at the rates are going up that we need to fix. Now.
This listener says, I fixed for three years, no penalty
fees because the rate I fixed for had not moved
in the last month, so they did allow you to
kind of make an adjustment, which is quite good from
being Z. Thanks for you text. It is quarter to seven,
Brian Bridge. Go to Gavin Gray are UK europe correspondent,

(01:30:04):
Gavin good evening, Good morning to you. Good evening.

Speaker 3 (01:30:07):
They're ron.

Speaker 2 (01:30:08):
So we've got talks going on about the European Court
of Human Rights on migration.

Speaker 14 (01:30:15):
Yes.

Speaker 20 (01:30:15):
So the Conservatives, the second biggest party, the party of
opposition here and Reform UK leading the last one hundred
opinion polls with Nigel Farage at the helm, are both
saying that they would leave the Convention. The European Court
of Human Rights Convention if they want the next election.
So the British government very keen to look at this

(01:30:37):
as well, because they say the European Court of Human
Rights and these international agreements do need to be updated
and modernized. Why well, because quite simply, the international human
rights laws are giving people the opportunity and excuse to
stay in the UK when frankly, most people I think

(01:30:57):
were using their logics, say they have no right to
stay in the UK. There is a particular clause in
there where they say it's a right to life, a
right to a family life. Where somebody said, all, well,
you know, I've got a girlfriend and she's living in
the UK, so I should be able to stay in
the UK as well, And that's really irritated things. I
think it's made the removal of the illegal migrants here

(01:31:20):
much much more difficult as they go to law, supported
by of course the UK taxpayer for their funds, their
legal fees, and so critics say that the European Court
of Human Rights is getting in the way of removing
more illegal migrants. Supporters those say the claims about the
role in migration are exaggerated and it should not be
moved or removed and there shouldn't be altered. But it

(01:31:43):
is nevertheless seventy five years old, and many are saying,
including our own leader, Secure Starmer, and the leaders of
Italy and Denmark, saying it is old, it is outdated,
it needs updating.

Speaker 2 (01:31:56):
Isn't it fascinating because this is a labor prime Minister
of the UK that we're talking about here, and he's
talking about watering down human rights. You know, So does
Trump have a point? Does Trump have a point on
migration that Europe is a bit weak? Well?

Speaker 20 (01:32:12):
I think his most recent comments coming out saying that
the Europe is decaying and the leaders are weak because
they've allowed uncontrolled migration to take the changes that are
happening in these countries. I think a lot of people
will support what he's saying because they consider that we
don't know who lots of these people coming into the country.

(01:32:35):
Are the headlines our full day in day out here
in the UK and other European countries of migrants who
have been waiting for their asylum application to be processed,
then in court for committing some pretty nasty offenses. Just
in the last forty eight hours I've read of I
think three separate cases where migrants who are here illegally

(01:32:55):
and waiting for their decision have committed rape and other offenses.
One has to remember, of course, that these are the
ones that make the headline. Many tens of thousands come
across and are not doing this here for a better
way of life. But I think the US President's comments
that the UK is changing and changing irretrievably have hit

(01:33:17):
home and do resonate with some people here in the UK.

Speaker 2 (01:33:21):
Now, a sperm donor who unknowingly harbored a genetic mutation.
This is all kicking off the story what's going on here?
Will explain it to us given.

Speaker 20 (01:33:31):
Well, basically, there was a donor, an anonymous man who
was paid to donate as a student around two thousand
and five. His sperm has then been used by women
for around seventeen years, and it's thought fathered at least
one hundred and ninety seven children, so round about two
hundred at the very minimum. Now, at the time, he's

(01:33:54):
healthy and he passed the donor screening checks. However, the
DNA in some of his cells mutated before he was born,
and that it's damaged a gene called TP fifty three,
and that is a crucial in preventing the body's cells
turning cancerous. So although most of the donor's body does
not contain this dangerous form of TP fifty three, up

(01:34:17):
to a fifth of his sperm do and any children
made from the effected sperm will have the mutation in
every cell of their body. And the investigation among fourteen
public sector broadcasters in the European Union has found that
some of his children have already died. Now there are
rules in the UK about how many children can be

(01:34:39):
born from one particular donor, but in other countries their
aunt and it really is fearful that out of the
twenty three that they've discovered the children had been ten
had been diagnosed with cancer. So some awful news. Those
in charge of the center say investigations are underwearing sympathies
with the families. But I think this obviously shows some

(01:34:59):
of the days of the screening of some of the
dispermed donors, at least lacking in this particular moment.

Speaker 2 (01:35:07):
It's awful because it's presumably he knows all about this
and so, but he did nothing wrong from the get
go right, So that's that's a terrible situation to be in. Yeah,
givin yeah, thank you for that. Kevin grayt Our UK correspondent.
It is ten minutes away from seven. You're on news
Talk zib.

Speaker 1 (01:35:24):
It's the Heather Tuple See Alan Drive Full Show podcast
on iHeartRadio powered by Newstalk ZIBB.

Speaker 2 (01:35:32):
News Talk zib It is seven minutes away from seven.
Great to have your company this evening. Let's hear from
some of the young people, the people that we've overlooked
this entire program when it comes to the social media
band across the Tasman. What do they actually think about it?
Some fourteen year olds.

Speaker 22 (01:35:46):
I think the difference will be a lot.

Speaker 26 (01:35:47):
I won't be getting up and making content every day,
having that creative outlet, that place that I love. Even
if my account to stay up because it's fully parent managed,
most of my followers would be wiped off the platform.

Speaker 24 (01:35:59):
Anyway.

Speaker 26 (01:36:00):
I think the intentions are good, but they don't understand.
They weren't born in a generation where this is like
a part of their life.

Speaker 2 (01:36:08):
So these guys are actual influencers. Sounds like making coin
off social media. Go and make a lemonade stand. That's
what we had to do. Honestly, go and sell some
of your old clothes at the end of your driveway
and make a buck that way. Okay, stop influencing. It's
not you. I mean the influence has obviously been very bad.
Otherwise they wouldn't be banned.

Speaker 9 (01:36:30):
You are bit jealous of their on lives A little bit, yeah,
a little bit.

Speaker 2 (01:36:33):
Yeah. Hey in video, you know they're making those chips
and Trump has said, yeah, you can sell the chips
to China, so that this is the h two hundred
ai chips. They go Taiwan, their mate, then they're going
to get shipped to the US where they undergo a
security review, and then they go to China finally, and
everyone's like, why do they have to go for a

(01:36:55):
security review in America? Well, they reckon because Trump wants
a twenty five percent cut from the sales, but he
can't make it look like it's an export tax, so
he's doing a little workaround. Security check. There it is,
and there's your tab, your ticket clipped. It is six
minutes away from seven now. And what are we going
out to.

Speaker 27 (01:37:12):
A bit of a sad one today, Ryan, Unfortunately, we're
going out with Dance the Night Away by the Mavericks.
This was a country group with some Latin influencers who
were quite big in the nineties. But Raoul Marlow, he
was the front man and he has died at the
age of sixty.

Speaker 9 (01:37:25):
Very much defined the sound of the band and wrote
a lot of the music himself.

Speaker 27 (01:37:28):
We don't know exactly what he died of, but he
was battling stage four.

Speaker 9 (01:37:33):
Colon dancers, so I think we can probably connect withs.
So yeah, rap Raoul Marlow. This is Dance the Night
Away by the Mavericks.

Speaker 2 (01:37:40):
Enjoy your evening, everybody. I will see you tomorrow Thursday,
news Talk, said b R. And if you should see

(01:38:24):
her breaking, let know all that well.

Speaker 7 (01:38:31):
As you can tell.

Speaker 4 (01:38:35):
And if she should tell you that she wants.

Speaker 2 (01:38:40):
Me back, tell her no.

Speaker 20 (01:38:45):
I gotta go.

Speaker 28 (01:38:50):
Justa with in your readle tack sway right out to
mys looking bright, just like so Honeymoon. Can't one a

(01:39:18):
dance the nid with your torn sway right out to
mys looking bride, just like Sonnymore.

Speaker 1 (01:40:05):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
news Talks it'd b from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.

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