Full Show Podcast: 17 December 2024

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Pressing the newsmakers to get the real story. It's Ryan
Bridge on Heather Duplicy Ellen Drive with one New Zealand
Let's get connected.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
News Talk zib Good afternoon, it is seven after four
News Talk, said b coming up our lead interview after
five Nikola Willis on the appalling state of the government's books.
What's she going to do about it? Plus we'll talk
to Orana Wildlife Park. Why can't we see the reports
into the animal desk there? Also this afternoon, while we're
all drugged up on prescription medication and Prince Andrew's Andrew's

(00:32):
going to be alone at Christmas? Is it his fault
or not? We'll ask that just before seven.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Bryan Bridge, these books are a massive shush to the Unions,
to the gold plated Dunedin Hospital bill, to the turbocharged firies.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
It's shush, shush, shush to the opposition parties who are
demanding we spend billions on this or millions on that.
These numbers ask what planet are you on, bro growth
Next year, remember survived till twenty five, forget that next
year we go backwards per capita again, negative zero point
six percent. We're losers again, creative accounting aside, we won't

(01:13):
hit surplus until the twenty thirties. The joke here is
at the last election, Labor and National for the Record
reckon we'd be back in black by twenty twenty six,
twenty twenty seven. Remember all that debt that we took
on during COVID to pay for all the nice things
like the school lunches and the cameras on the boats
and the bloated bureaucracy, and our debt jumped from as
a percentage of GDP doubled from twenty to forty percent. Well,

(01:37):
we can't start paying back any of that debt until
we're in surplus. So not until the twenty thirties do
we start bucketing out the water our boat took on
in the early twenty twenties. So we're renewing our COVID
debt and we're taking on even more water. We're issuing

(01:57):
sixteen percent more debt over the next four years. That
is four times more than the economists expected. Our debt
to GDP ratio wait for it will hit almost fifty
percent at its peak, and it was usually at around twenty.
We know what the left's answer will be. It will
be more tax but we all know that won't fix

(02:19):
our underlying problem, which is productivity and growth. Nikola Willis
is still increasing spending, She's borrowing more, She's sure leaving
the door open to more cuts. But by the sounds
of today, she's taking the softly, softly, let's get re
elected approach, and I don't think that's gonna last. I
think she will get the knife out once people realize

(02:40):
just how buggered this boat is. That we've all been
sailing in full of holes with shoddy captains who long
ago abandoned ship.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
Praying Bridge.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
It has just gone now nine minutes after four. The
Chief Onwardsman says he has serious concerns about human rights
abuses at New Zealand's most secure prison. He's released a
report on the prison of the Extreme Risk Unit, which
is an Aucand based prison that houses the Christ Church
Mosque shooter and other serious criminals. According to the report,
conditions in the unit are cruel, inhumane and in breach

(03:12):
of the United Nations Convention against Torture. Peter bosh Is,
the Chief Bombards Minis with me this afternoon, good afternoon,
good afternoon to you, Ryan. What exactly are we doing
that so bad.

Speaker 4 (03:24):
Well, what we're doing is this. In twenty nineteen, this
special unit was created and it has a total of
eighteen cells. It's unlike anything else you'll see in the
department's corrections in that it largely self manages, with a
minimum oversight from corrections itself. So it practices these things

(03:44):
ryan solitary consignment, twenty three hours in the cell each day,
with one hour out of the cell and in a
small concrete yard, no contact with the outside world, no
contact with anyone other than prison officers, and significantly no

(04:04):
attempt at rehabilitation. It's pretty stark, it's pretty dark, and
it's pretty awful.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
So I guess the lessoners don't shoot up a mosque.

Speaker 4 (04:15):
Whatever one says about why people are in there, the
fact is, in New Zealand, we've signed up for minimum standards.
We're not reaching those standards. We say we'll do one
thing and we don't. And what concerns me is that
that's just not good enough, and it's not the way
I would have thought New Zealanders would want this rather

(04:38):
dark part of our prison system operating.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
How many hours per day should the let's take the
Christchurch mustrator for example, how many hours per day outside
or out of cell time should they get.

Speaker 4 (04:51):
Well, let's not talk about any particular person. What I'd
prefer to do is say that this unit of eighteen
cells and up to eighteen prisoners have prisoners of all
types of different risks, for instance, remand prisoners who haven't
even been sentenced. So we can't just say that everyone.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Anyone in the unit, how long should they be getting.

Speaker 4 (05:15):
They should have a minimum of one hour of fresh air,
hopefully sunshine, and exercise a minimum of one hour out
of their cell each day. And when I've been through
the so called exercise areas that are joined their cells, Ryan,
they're just reading an extension of their own cells there

(05:38):
just up to the prisoner themselves. No one else is
in this little exercise area. But it's the solitary nature
of the confinement. They are just there on their own
all day and every day.

Speaker 2 (05:48):
Are we going to rehabilitate these people? And if not,
why should we be paying much in the way of
attention at all?

Speaker 4 (05:58):
Most prisoners, most prisoners, there are one or two only
in this category, will come out of prison and have
to mix in the community. I just I despair at
the sort of person they're going to be when they
come out, when they've had no socialization, and when one
would have thought their mental state the solitary confinement is

(06:19):
becoming fairly desperate. So I would have hoped that rehabilitation
would still be on corrections radar, not just mere confinement.
In putting in.

Speaker 2 (06:30):
Pens, this is a resourcing issue. You know, where are
where are we best to spend our money? I mean,
isn't this the last place you would put resource just
because of the fact that most of them, well, as
you say, some of them might even be getting out.

Speaker 4 (06:44):
Yes, but when someone comes out of prison and immediately
causes a major, serious crime, think of all the victims
and all the damage that flows from that. I just
the point that investment in getting it right is not humane,
it's actually protective of society as well.

Speaker 5 (07:04):
I don't think it.

Speaker 2 (07:05):
Did you go Did you go inside to this unit?
Did you? Yes?

Speaker 4 (07:09):
I've been on twice.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
Did you talk to the turb Brendon Tarran.

Speaker 4 (07:16):
I've talked to a range of people inside the unit,
and I'm specifically not going to single out any particular
person I talked to. Now, I'm not trying to fob
you off I just want to keep certain people out
of the equation about the universe.

Speaker 2 (07:32):
I mean, these are the worst of the worst in
New Zealand. What are they? What do they say? Do
they do you try and speak to them like a
normal person?

Speaker 4 (07:41):
Well, I mean they are pretty normal, normal from the
point of view shot people.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
You know what I mean. And they're not normal to us?

Speaker 4 (07:51):
No, no, normal from the point of view being. I'm sorry,
I thought you were saying, are they normal to talk to?

Speaker 6 (07:55):
That?

Speaker 4 (07:56):
Is am I able to converse reason? The answer of
the years? Look, I don't. I don't detract it all
from the henous nature of the crime. I'm talking of
one person to another on what they say to me,
and I just think it's worth repeating two comments. The
confinement makes me feel I am dead, said one prisoner.

(08:16):
Another it's all darkness and despair, no hope. Another prisoner
I talk to all through glass walls and all through
that special system, said to me that part of his
keeping a libr routine is he had run a half
marathon in his cell. A half marathon in his cell.
And I tried to work out how you would actually

(08:38):
do that, but he assured me that he did. I mean,
this is the desperate links we are forcing these guys
to go to to survive, and I just want to
pose the question, is that what we want in our
prison system in New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (08:54):
Peter Bosher, thank you very much for your time, the
chief on boardsman. A lot of people would say absolutely yes.
I mean, if you have this quote all darkness, despair
and no hope, I meant that's how the victims feel. Right.
On the other hand, if the person is going to
get out of prison, part of me thinks, you know, well,
we can't just have them, you know, running half marathons
in a dark cell all day. That's not very productive,

(09:15):
is it? A nine two? The number to text sixteen
after four will check in with the cricket next?

Speaker 1 (09:22):
Who will take the White House results and analysis of
the US election? On Heather Dupless Alum drive with one
New Zealand, Let's get connected news talks.

Speaker 6 (09:31):
They'd be.

Speaker 1 (09:34):
Sport with the new tab app downloaded today? Are eighteen
bit responsibly just.

Speaker 2 (09:39):
Gone eighteen after four news talks, there'd be I'll get
to your texts on our prisoners and a second Darcy
Watergo sports talk host seven o'clock to night on News talks,
there'd be Darcy good afternoon, Good afternoon.

Speaker 7 (09:49):
Still trying to reel in a cricketer for the program
because we want a reflect that. Of course, the Test season,
even though it should be going on and on and on,
it's not. It's finished and we're still watch seventeen days
out from the it's so be it. But victory today
for the black Cats. But James O'Connor's going to join
us later on the piece. It's the form Australian's National
who's going to pay first five for the crusaders just

(10:10):
to throw.

Speaker 2 (10:10):
Out right now, which is what he wanted, which is
what he told us all he wanted.

Speaker 7 (10:15):
Well, it's good, that's Australian swagger and he wants to
have a crack and he probably should because the two
young guys and they're maybe not quite up to speed,
but having someone like him running around after them that
should provide the acceleration they need in their development.

Speaker 2 (10:30):
So good day in Hamilton today, Yeah, Well New Zealand
won by four hundred and twenty three runs and they
did that.

Speaker 7 (10:38):
It looked well with him before the end of the
fourth day, so that was convincing. If you're being mean
about it. You'd say that England already had both feet
on the plane after winning a series two nil. They
certainly didn't care. And you look, they got one hundred
and forty three then their roll for two thirty four
in the second. But maybe it wasn't a case of
them not caring, more of the fact that New Zealand

(11:00):
very much did care. They wanted to finish this season
with an exclamation mark, and they wanted to send Tim
Soude off with a victory and so he could cradle
that to the end and they did the home ground,
everybody there, the Tim Southi end and so on and
so forth. So I think maybe England weren't one hundred
percent in it, bit New Zealand were more than one
hundred percent in it. If you can do that, and

(11:22):
they got a great they got a great victory. So
that's the that's the end of the line for Tim Soudy.
He got himself for a fourth for nice way to finish.
Didn't quite get the one hundred and six as he
was after, missed that by.

Speaker 2 (11:33):
A couplely, but a nice send off all the same. Yeah,
I think he'd be Hey, Nick Curios and Novak Djokovic
teaming up. What's going on here? We are they're going
to play doubles in brisbaneh okay.

Speaker 6 (11:44):
They completed twenty.

Speaker 7 (11:46):
Twenty twenty two. I think it was Wimbledon final when
Curios lost that in four sets to Novak Djokovic. There
have been enemies before, but the decide of their mates now,
and if you're being cruel about it, could say possibly
two of the most dis like men in global dennis
coming together. It'd sell out twenty four. Everyone want to
go and see that. I'll be really interested to see

(12:08):
if either of them trigger each other on the doubles court.
You know, one of them you say no, no, you say,
you say you have a fight.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
It's my ball.

Speaker 7 (12:16):
Great for Brisbane.

Speaker 2 (12:19):
Early next year, Oh brilliant, that'd be great.

Speaker 7 (12:21):
Play what kind of same time as the ASP Classic plays,
So some people go to Brisbane and play that. Other
people who are much cooler than that come from your
cell and the chill out fantastic.

Speaker 2 (12:31):
Darcy will see it tonight, Darcy Watergrave Sports Talk seven
o'clock tonight on news Talks B twenty one minutes after four,
A couple of texts on our worst of the worst
criminals who are in tiny little boxes and apparently only
getting one hour outside of these tiny little boxes. We're
talking the mosque shooting here, and not even outside but
just in another dark room. Hi, Ryan, you did the crime.

(12:52):
You should pay the consequences. I've got no sympathy for
these people, Thank you.

Speaker 6 (12:56):
Ryan.

Speaker 2 (12:56):
If you didn't commit a crime, then you wouldn't go
to prison, says Sarah Ryan. Maybe we could be humane
and offer these prisoners euthanasia, says another that's Kerrie Ryan.
Could we put all those prisoners into a communal dining
area at meal times and see what happens. The thing is,
I agree with a lot of your sentiments. I mean,
if somebody killed my partner, I would want to kill

(13:18):
them right back, you know, and I would want them
to be locked up for a very very very long time,
if not put down. Frankly, However, if the person is
going to be coming back to society and potentially living
next door to Grandma, then you probably want them to
be somewhat rehabilitated. You probably want them to have some

(13:39):
contact with the outside world if they are going to
be returning to society. So it's a double edged sword,
isn't it. Twenty three after four News Talk said.

Speaker 1 (13:48):
Be the day's newsmakers. Talk to Ryan first, Ryan Bridge,
John Heather Dupercy Ellen drive with one New Zealand let's
get connected a news talk as they'd be.

Speaker 8 (13:59):
Four.

Speaker 2 (14:00):
Well after six we will look at what Obi gal
X is. This is the government's creative accounting. Some say
is trying to get around pushing out the surplus to
the twenty thirties. We'll find out more about that later
on the show. Also, Nicola willis after five. Right now,
this Adele song, have you heard it million years ago?
It's quite good and it's the subject of a lawsuit.

(14:21):
Have listened to it? Deal Leward?

Speaker 9 (14:29):
Third, things done sometimes just feelus only me.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
So there's a Brazilian composer who says that this song
a million years ago by Adele is a copy of
his somber classic Merhadez, which means woman. This is a
Brazilian composer, and now Brazilian judge has agreed and ordered
the song be taken down worldwide, including on all streaming sites.
Have listened to and remember that Adele song was from

(14:57):
twenty fifteen and this Brazilian imposed this song was from
twenty thirty years ago. Have listen that Jeeves Lage you
thought though she went somewhat question. It's definitely not Adele singing.

(15:19):
That is confirmed. But my question is, so Adele is
the biggest artist in the entire world. Everybody has heard
her music. Why did it take until twenty twenty four
for you to realize that she had copied your song?
I call bs. This smells to high Heaven to me. Anyway,
Apparently if you play that song, which we've just done,
you find eight thousand dollars every time. I don't know

(15:41):
how what the jurisdiction is. What's this? This is a
mixture of Adele and this is this is a wrap
up song, but it sounds a little bit like a
combination of the Brazilian composer and Adele. That's what I
thought you'd done. And anyway, that you don't play that
Adele song on the radio, you'll get fined eight grand

(16:03):
twenty seven. After four, News Talk said, b.

Speaker 10 (16:06):
If this were man the name you trust to get
the answers you need, Ryan Bridge, John heatherd Forer, c
Ellen Dreve with one New Zealand, let's get connected, and
News Talk said.

Speaker 11 (16:18):
Buff where against your trunks your.

Speaker 2 (16:25):
Digits fun pretty five away from five News Talk said
b damage trucks to be quite bad in port Ville,
Vana Archu from this earthquake. We'll update you on that
a little later on Plus at the mus at five
and Barry Soap is here with politics just before five
as well. I'll just run you through very quickly, Obi
gal X, what is that. This is the government's way,

(16:46):
creative way of getting us back to surplus a little
bit earlier. It's the operating balance before games and losses.
Normally you wouldn't include, sorry, normally you would include ACC's deficit.
Now ACC's deficit is blown out for a number of reasons,
one of which is the fact that a court judge
has decided that all of the victims of abuse and
state care could get compensation. Now that has blown our

(17:08):
ACC's deficit. That is now going to be included. So
the government's carved that off. As he put that to
one side, don't look at that and we'll get back
to suitlus earlier. Hmm, Yeah, you could say that's a
little mischievous. Treasury didn't like it. But we asked Brad Olsen,
he's on the show after six. We asked him. He said, actually,
already you exclude the gains on the investments from acc

(17:30):
so in some ways it was already lopsided. So a
bit of a question mark over that one. We'll checking
on it later. Twenty four away from five.

Speaker 1 (17:36):
Now it's the world wires on Newstalgs Eddy Drive.

Speaker 2 (17:42):
And looking at what's happening around the world. A teacher
and a student have been killed and six other people
have been injured in a school shooting in Wisconsin. The
suspected shooter as a seventeen year old female student who
also died at the scene. Police are still trying to
work out what the motive was.

Speaker 6 (17:56):
Many of you have asked me about the why of this,
Why did this happen?

Speaker 5 (18:03):
What do we know?

Speaker 6 (18:03):
What was the motivation? I do not know, but I
will tell you this.

Speaker 7 (18:08):
Our detectives are working hard in an investigative process to
find out as many answers as we can.

Speaker 2 (18:15):
So there's a statement purportedly from oursted Syrian dictator Bashar
al Assad. It's been posted on the social media site Telegram.
According to the statement, Assad was only intending to visit
Russia temporarily. I didn't mean to leave and let Damascus fall,
he says an expert says this claim doesn't really stack up.

Speaker 12 (18:33):
What did he think he was doing when he boarded
a plane to Moscow from the Russian base. I think
the Russians maybe felt that they needed to have some
statement coming out of Basha's mouth, so and they inscribed
the on telegram.

Speaker 2 (18:51):
So I finally a baseball has sold an auction for
almost two point seven million New Zealand dollars. It's the
ball that Freddie Freeman, the LA Dodgers hit to win
the game to hit, game to win, I should say,
game one of this year's World Series. And that is

(19:14):
your word world wise for today. It's just gone twenty
two minutes away from.

Speaker 1 (19:18):
Five International correspondence with ends in Eye Insurance Peace of
mind for New Zealand Business.

Speaker 2 (19:25):
Australia correspondent Murray Olds is with us. Murray, good afternoon
to you, Hi, Ryan, afternoon. Our mother and daughter who
were caught up in that suspected poisoning at the Fiji
resort back home.

Speaker 4 (19:35):
Now.

Speaker 13 (19:38):
Out of intensive care and where they were briefly in Fiji,
one Australian and one Fiji in national remain in hospital
in Fiji. Mum and daughter have come home apparently along
with a number of pinakalottas who and these drinks if
I said that right, colada, Yeah, pina colada, hideous drinking.

(20:00):
You talk about diabetes and a glass. Anyway, they're going
to be analyzing it scientists here from the Health Department,
because it looks like well, according to Fiji and authorities,
their same drinks were served pre made drinks and they're
made up at the bar, so you're not getting you know,
whatever goes into a pinacolada, you're not getting it fresh

(20:22):
as the barman or bar person makes it.

Speaker 6 (20:25):
These were.

Speaker 13 (20:27):
So at one of five bars on that night in question,
these people became unwell. Now it's to the hotel. I mean,
the Warrick Hotel is very smart as we know anyway,
you know, and the barman involved he has been there
for sixteen years so he wasn't a newbie. So it's look,
it's apparently it was just bloody terrifying. You had people

(20:50):
bleeding from the ears, foaming at the mouth, according to
the Murdoch Press over here. So of course everyone was
particularly frightened. But look, no one's died, thank goods, and
you know, they want to get to the bottom of
it as quickly as they can. Tourism for Fiji enormously important,
just like New Zealand and Australia.

Speaker 2 (21:09):
So they've got some of the bottles taking them home testing.
That is good news. And as you say, the staff,
they're fantastic, so be surprised if they were involved in anyway.
The Federal government giving Peter Dutton's a nuclear plan a
bit of a backhander. What's happening to them?

Speaker 6 (21:23):
Mate?

Speaker 13 (21:23):
This is bare knuckle political fighting over here.

Speaker 6 (21:26):
Is it going to be the main election issue? I
don't think so.

Speaker 13 (21:29):
Just simple dollars and cents, the cost of living will
be the biggie. But Peter Dutton, he's come straight out
of a Tony Abbott playbook from a decade ago. Takes
no prisoners, stands up there, takes all the shots from
everyone around the place and then just goes bang and
drops people all around him.

Speaker 6 (21:46):
And this is kind of like it's a bare knuckle fight.

Speaker 13 (21:49):
Dutton came out last week presented his alternative energy plan
for mid century, nowhere near as much renewable energy as
Labor is proposing. Labor's going to have almost one hundred
percent renewables by the middle of the century. Now Peter
Dutton says no, no, no, no, no, it's going to
be about forty percent. We're going to have nuclear at

(22:11):
about eight percent, and we're going to have the balance
on gas and we're going to extend the life of coal.
So look, it is a it's a very divisive debate.
You listen to talk Pack radio over here. You've got
people who are probably I don't know, might be journalists
or school teachers or who might be the bloke down
the street who's retired and waters the garden. All of

(22:31):
a sudden they're experts and nuclear energy. No Dutton's right, No,
alban Easy's right, And it's just like this foaming sort
of weird debate over here with bugger all facts. I mean,
as far as I'm concerned, the elite scientists of this country,
you said, no, it's not a goer. It'll be too expensive,
it'll take too long and won't deliver what we need.

(22:52):
And that's you know, but everybody wants the second guest
to see us.

Speaker 2 (22:56):
Ir Murray, thank you for that. Murray Olds are Australia
correspond It just gone eighteen minutes away from five on
News Talks. Heid B speaking of I mean it's oil
and gas. Our oil and gas band, the one that
we are trying to reverse. We were meant to do
that by the end of this year, according to our government.
That was the plan. However that plan has failed and

(23:19):
we are now not going to be able to reverse
the band that the previous government put in place until
next year, so we've delayed by about three months. What
impact will that have? Pet's something we can looked at
with Barry after.

Speaker 1 (23:31):
This Politics with centrics credit check your customers and get
payment certainty.

Speaker 2 (23:36):
Good afternoon, everybody. It is quarter to five on news Talks.
Here b Barry Sopers here with politics. Hey Barry, Good afternoon, Ryan.

Speaker 14 (23:43):
That question your post about oil and gas, if you
were a possible and investor in this country, you would
look at that and go, well, hang home. They haven't
even given a certainty.

Speaker 2 (23:53):
That we're going to put up money, you know, we'll
be able to invest because remember the ban happened out
of the blue, So if you're an investor, you're going
hang on a minute. They with no warning. The next
overnight they ban it, and then they tell us for
a year and a half they're going to undo the band.
But even then they can't do that. It's not a
great sign.

Speaker 14 (24:12):
It's not a great look at all.

Speaker 2 (24:13):
Neither's the books better, I know, and it's.

Speaker 14 (24:17):
Nothing to laugh about. I mean, it's dreadful. There's more
figures coming out on Thursday, the GDP figures, and the
view is that we will probably see the third technical
recession in two years when they come out. So we're
in a terrible statius an economy. And in fairness, I mean,
I know they've had a year, but if you inherited

(24:38):
books as bad as what they did in terms of
spending and in terms of debt to GDP, it's very
hard to turn that around overnight. And they're finding that.
I mean, when you look at a thirteen billion dollar
hit to the text take over the next four years,
which is pretty extraordinary, there's a lot of pressure on

(25:00):
expected on. There'll be more borrowing, which is what the
government said it would never want to do, but there
will be to make up for that sort of thing.
And like you said earlier, I think in your intro
that debt to GDP is expected to hit fifty percent
and you imagine what that means in the cost of
repaying that debt. And we're paying about nine billion dollars

(25:23):
now a year to repay the debt that's going to
go up quite high when borrows or people that we
borrow off look at New Zealand and say, well, it's
not such a good bet. But despite all the doom
and gloom, Nicol of the Willis was putting on a
brave face in Parliament this afternoon.

Speaker 15 (25:39):
The economy has reached a turning point. Inflation is back
under control, and that matters to every New Zealander who
has struggled with rising prices over these past three years.
The Reserve Bank has begun reducing interest rates and that
matters not just to every family with a mortgage, that
it matters to the small businesses who are going to
see more money flowing into their tills too, as those

(26:02):
families have a bit more to spend.

Speaker 16 (26:04):
And mister speaker, what.

Speaker 15 (26:05):
These books also show is that household spending and business
activity is expected to lift.

Speaker 2 (26:12):
So she is keeping spending up. Yep, she is borrowing
much more, and she's refusing to cut further into government
spending than she already has. Is that kind of stick, Well.

Speaker 14 (26:25):
It's going to be really hard, you know, when it
comes to budgets they always have this money that they
set aside. She's about two point four billion dollars and
that sounds a lot of money, but when you look
at the order of things, it's not a lot given
what they've been spending on up until now. So you know,
good luck.

Speaker 2 (26:44):
She's on the show. After five, we'll ask you them
willing to counsel sticking to their core business. Oh, I
won't spend.

Speaker 14 (26:49):
Much time and just on this, just to say, isn't
it ironic? The day after the Government says that councils
should be sticking to their knitting like potholes and cycle
not doing cycle ways and looking after their water infrastructure,
you've got the Wellington City Council finest a final sitting
of the year. They debate with to write a submission

(27:12):
against the Treaty Principal's Bill. They know it's not going
to become law. Why are they involving ratepayers money, time
and effort doing something. They're just bloody stupid.

Speaker 2 (27:23):
I can't believe it had a fast tracked law. It's
through its final stage this afternoon the House.

Speaker 14 (27:27):
Yeah, and this is you know, this is a big
deal because there's so much been talked about this it's
driving forces the Minister Chris Bishop who told Parliament it'll
remove the sticky beaks on councils aforementioned and they of
course always a prolonged project which means they cost a

(27:48):
lot more.

Speaker 17 (27:49):
So here he is, we have to stop giving into
the nimby low growth status quo minority.

Speaker 2 (27:55):
We deserve a country we're.

Speaker 17 (27:56):
Thriving infrastructure and world class industry when these illinders can
live the lives they want to live without having to
get sign off from the local council for every single
thing they do. Fass Trak is about saying yes when
for too long.

Speaker 2 (28:12):
We have said no.

Speaker 14 (28:13):
And that is true. I mean you look at the RAMA,
the handiwork of our old law professor, Sir Jeffrey Palmer.
I mean, honestly, should never let a law expert before
into a parliament and make laws like the RAMA.

Speaker 2 (28:28):
And yet he's right. Look at the growth track that
we're on for the next couple of years and I
mean per capita we're still we're going backwards again next year.
So we're going to do something. It's a real worry
the outcome of the investigation into the monydableman I and
rigging won't be known until next year.

Speaker 14 (28:42):
Now, yeah, that's a real problem because of course the
multi party and the thick of this, and the police
are looking at it, the Privacy commissioners looking at it,
a whole lot of government departments are looking at it.
This is where census information was used by the Mudai
that the chief Executive was also a candidate for the
Maldi party. The Moldy Party has been accused of exploiting

(29:04):
what should have been confidential data handed over in the census.
But in Parliament this afternoon their co leader Rivalry waited
tea we're showing no signs of the pressure, accusing the
Prime Minister of forgetting those at the bottom of the heap.

Speaker 11 (29:18):
Seventeen thousand children are going to be taken out of
poverty compared to the last year of the Labor governments,
where twenty three thousand more children were put in poverty.

Speaker 18 (29:26):
What does he say to Logan, a seven year old
to Mati who wrote you Tanta asking for burger to share.

Speaker 6 (29:31):
With his mum for Christmas.

Speaker 11 (29:34):
I acknowledge that across his element, it's a pretty tough time.
That's what happens when you don't run an economy.

Speaker 18 (29:39):
Well, if I sold three houses and seven hundred and
sixty nine thousand, five hundred and non tax capital gains.

Speaker 6 (29:46):
How many burgers can I buy?

Speaker 2 (29:47):
The logan?

Speaker 18 (29:48):
And honestly, the Prime Minister cannot be expected to know
the fluctuating price of burger.

Speaker 10 (29:54):
Skiing wheel of the world, let alone new Land questions
out of order.

Speaker 18 (29:57):
That sort of question is outrageous.

Speaker 13 (29:59):
Extremis that have gone extreme and would not be accepting
any first world parliament, let alone this one.

Speaker 7 (30:05):
He has been going since eighteen fifty four.

Speaker 18 (30:07):
Has he read the book by Mary McHugh How not
to become a prodigy old man?

Speaker 14 (30:13):
I think he should do a bit of reading himself
before he gets up in parliament mass questions.

Speaker 2 (30:17):
That's very Soper politics. What a mess. Jerry would know
the pass of the burger, wouldn't He.

Speaker 14 (30:25):
Don't be unkind?

Speaker 2 (30:26):
Eight to five.

Speaker 1 (30:29):
Putting the tough questions to the newspeakers, the mic asking
breakfast with us.

Speaker 19 (30:33):
Is the Prime Minister Chris Lux and the phone in
school's band.

Speaker 11 (30:36):
I was very passionate about it. I'd seen it in
other parts of the world. We've seen the advice actually
from schools that already had it, and we got that
through which is great and we.

Speaker 6 (30:42):
Got it done fast.

Speaker 2 (30:43):
Why did you care so much about it?

Speaker 11 (30:44):
Basically, principals, teachers, parents, kids felt out of control about it.
The reality was at the massive distraction in the classroom.
We've got serious issues around literacy and numeracies. We've talked
before in school attendance. Those are the three things we've
got to focus on. And it's been cool because actually, yes,
we took a bit of grief from the media in
the beginning and they're position But the point is the
principles the same rug. People are going through windows again,
kids are actually talking to each other, cyber bullying is down,

(31:06):
and kids are less distracted. So all that's a good thing.

Speaker 1 (31:09):
Hither duplus on the mic Hosking Breakfasts back tomorrow at
six am with the Jaguar f Base on Newstalks dB.

Speaker 2 (31:17):
It is five to five News Talks edb Vanuata is
a beautiful little country with such a big heart, and
they've been struck by a seven point three magnitude earthquake
today followed by a five point five after shock. Now
there is a video out there showing buildings shaking, some
buildings wrecked, some buildings with damage to them. There's a
video of the building that's home to the New Zealand

(31:38):
High Commission, also home to the US Embassy, the French Embassy,
and it shows huge cracks going down the side. It's
got windows caved in. It looks like the bottom floor
of it may have collapsed as well, So it looks
like there's a lot of damage there. We've reached out
to m FACT to see if any reports of injuries.
But for anyone who's been there, you'll know they're beautiful people.
It's a beautiful place and at the moment, Port Vila,

(32:01):
the capital, looks quite wrecked, quite ruined. We'll keep your
cross any developments from Vandawata as they come to hand
this afternoon. Also Canada. Actually I might have to come
back to this, come back to Canada because Trudeau is
going to lose the election. In fact, after nine years
just go, you know, like just no one likes you anymore.
You're a lame duck. Anyway, he's now faced because he's

(32:25):
obviously down in the polls. He's having a real bad
time politically, and there's an election coming up next year
midway through next year which he's going to lose. But
he's today lost his deputy Prime Minister and her name
is Christia Freeman, and they reckon that she has resigned
to distance herself from him because she wants to take over.

(32:46):
So there you go. It's all over the budget. Of course,
no one's having a good time with their budgets at
the moment, are they anywhere in the world. No matter
where you look. France collapse, the government, they still haven't
got a new one. Germany everywhere, all including here in
New Zealand. And Nikola Willis will join us on that afternoon.

Speaker 1 (33:07):
Wal Oh, the only drive show you can trust to
ask the questions, get the answers, finder facts and give

(33:29):
the analysis. Ryan Bridge on Heather Duplessy Ellen Drive with
One New Zealand. Let's get connected news talk as z'b.

Speaker 2 (33:39):
Good evening. It is seven after five. New Zealand's financial
troubles confirm today and things look even worse than we fared.
There's no surplus in sight and the books will stay
in the read until at least twenty twenty nine. And
that's only thanks to a bit of accounting trickery that
will see ACC's deficit removed from the books. The Finance Minister,

(33:59):
Nicola Willison with me on the show. Minister, thank you
very much for your time. On a scale of one
to ten, where do you put this? How bad do
you put this?

Speaker 20 (34:07):
Oh?

Speaker 8 (34:07):
Well, look, this is a tough set of books, there's
no question about it. We've seen a downgrade in the
forecast assumptions that Treasury were making prior to the election.
They were essentially too optimistic before the election and that
has an impact both on the growth rate we're expecting,
the revenue we're going to receive, and our path back
to getting the books back in balance. But we remain

(34:28):
resolute what we need to do now is keep that
fiscal discipline, that careful spending going and really drive growth
across the economy. And the good news is that's what
we're doing. And there is a forecast recovery to sustained
growth next year and that's exactly what New Zealand needs.

Speaker 2 (34:43):
Yeah, but on a per capita basis, it's down point
six percent next year, it's hardly thrived to twenty five.

Speaker 8 (34:49):
Look, we've inherited a very tough set of economic conditions
and as we look ahead, we are seeing the scars
that were left by the huge spending policy. These are
the last government and the wake of COVID, they set
us on a path that was not sustainable. We've now
got the tough job of cleaning it up, and we're
going to get on and do exactly that. The good
news is New Zealanders have elected a government that's up

(35:11):
to this task.

Speaker 2 (35:12):
You're spending less than they were, but you're still spending more.
You're still borrowing more and not cutting as much. In
other words, we're still having You know, our borrowing is
going to go up sixteen percent, Our government debt is
going to go up sixteen percent at assuing of bonds.
Because of this, it's four times more than the economist's thought.

Speaker 8 (35:31):
The important thing there is that is not the result
of any fiscal or policy decisions the government's taken. That
is the result of adjust months and the Treasury's forecast
assumptions about long run productivity and the size of the
recession we've been in. So what we're doing is controlling
what we can.

Speaker 2 (35:49):
But you haven't responded with fiscal policy changes.

Speaker 8 (35:53):
We have responded strongly to the fiscal situation at budget
time by reducing our not just training allowances, not this time.

Speaker 2 (36:01):
Why haven't you given the books have deteriorated so much
between budget and now, have you not changed your fiscals now?

Speaker 8 (36:08):
Well, I've always said that I'm not going to overreact
to changes in the forecasts up or down, and that
we are deliberately taking a medium turn sustainable approach to
fiscal consolidation. You're right, there is an alternative with more
aggressive short term measures like a big increase in tax
or big slashing to spending. And the judgment we've made
is actually that would come at a cost both to

(36:29):
the economy and its recovery, but also to New Zealanders.
So ours is a balanced course that we're charting. It's
still going to be challenging. It's still going to involve
significant trade offs. In order to put the extra spending
into health, into education, into the police, into areas that
really need it, We're going to have to reprioritize lower
value spending from other parts of government and rarely keep

(36:50):
a lid on that in a way that hasn't been
the case in recent years. So you are going to
see a much more fiscally disciplined approach from US.

Speaker 2 (36:57):
Taxpayers Union says. The fact is, despite the government being
elect on a platform of cutting spending. Nickeola with us
continues to spend even more than Grant Robertson and kick
the fiscal can down the road.

Speaker 8 (37:08):
Well, I would just put my operating allowances up against
his any day of the week. They are the lowest
they've been since twenty seventeen. That's our discretion re spending.
The last budget, we delivered twenty three billion dollars worth
of savings, and we did that with just a few
months to find them. We've now had a year. We're
going to find more savings and it's important that we

(37:29):
do because everyone needs to remember that the money doesn't
come from a magic tree at the bottom of the garden.
It comes from New Zealander's pockets. And we're a government
that wants to make sure that we keep the finances
in good order. But we do it by being disciplined
about our own spending.

Speaker 2 (37:45):
Excluding the ACC deficit from your books makes them look better.
But is it the right thing to do? Treasury says no.

Speaker 8 (37:53):
Well, actually, there's been an independent economist who's just come out.
He's from B and Z and he makes the point
that ACC is a self funded crown entity and that
fiscal policy should not be adjusted to compensate for what
should be a long run thing. And he agrees with
that stance. So it's not just me who thinks this
is sensible. This is about saying, look, ac ses a

(38:14):
long run insurance scheme. It needs to fund itself over
the long term. It's inappropriate to make immediate changes to
our fiscal policy in the next four years to compensate
for a deficit or surplus in any one year.

Speaker 2 (38:26):
Are there other government agencies in similar positions that you
could look to pick off and take out and improve
the look of the books.

Speaker 4 (38:32):
We're not going to do that.

Speaker 8 (38:34):
This was the result of a review. No, we're happy
with our obergarleex measure. That's going to be what we're
going to target. We're targeting a surplus in twenty seven
twenty eight financial year by this measure. We think that's
the appropriate way to measure the government's spending balance.

Speaker 2 (38:51):
Minister, when will people feel like when are we going
to feel like we're actually getting somewhere as a country,
Because we haven't felt like that in a very long time.
And next year we're looking at and we're not even
looking at growth on a per capita next year. It's
not until the year after that we get to experience
that again, that feeling.

Speaker 8 (39:09):
Yeah, I totally get what you're saying. New Zealand has
been through an incredibly tough time. But what we know
now is that for the first time in a long while,
we're now forecasting a consolidated period of growth, a sustained
period from growth. And that upturn has been a long
time coming, but it is now happening. And that means

(39:29):
that businesses and households are expected to be investing and
spending more, that we are expecting the economy to be
growing now. I want to drive that harder. I'm not
happy with just saying, oh, well, there's going to be
a cyclical return. That's why the government's driving our agenda
of doing things like fast track legislation to get development
and progress underway. That's why we're fixing the basics in

(39:51):
our schools. It's why we are taking new approaches to
infrastructure investment, getting sensible about overseas investment, because all of
those things cumulative improve the productive capacity of our economy
and that's actually where more income comes from. That's where
more opportunities come from.

Speaker 2 (40:07):
Minister, Thank you very much for your time. That is
the Finance Minister Nikola Willis on the HAIFU results that
have come out today in the budget policy statement. It
has just gone thirteen minutes after five on news talks.
There be coming up next the Orana Wildlife Park in
christ Church. All these reports there was a gorilla with
an infection that died, a giraffe or the dislocated next
of horrible reports. Well, now they have the results of

(40:30):
the investigations into Orana Wildlife Park and they're not making
them public.

Speaker 1 (40:36):
Why not?

Speaker 2 (40:37):
We'll ask them next. It is sixteen after five news talks.
There be We're going to talk to brad Elson after
sex about the change to the government's bottom line that
we've looked at today and whether that's the right and
just thing to do or not. The review into Orana
Wildlife Park and christ Church has come out today and
the zoo is having to make a couple of changes.
It was commissioned after a string of complaints you remember

(40:57):
this former staff had regarding animal death and animal welfare.
The report doesn't raise any immediate concerns over the animals,
but the zoo has been told to strengthen its processes
and not to take on any new animals for at
least the next six months. Professor Ken Huey as co
chair of the or on a Wildlife Trust board, and
he's with me this evening, good evening, good evening. Why

(41:19):
don't you release the full reports here?

Speaker 16 (41:23):
So we've released the recommendations, the full set of recommendations
in the animal welfare and asset management space. We haven't
in terms of the culture space because all of the
analysis was undertaken after a full set of interviews and
surveys with all of our staff, and we had guaranteed
them anonymity, and that's really important for us. However, we're

(41:46):
really clear on what we have to do in the
culture space, and now we're also clear in the other spaces.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
What happened with the deaths, the gorilla infection, what happened
with that.

Speaker 16 (41:55):
So in terms of all of those animals, we've had
a report from and that report shows there is nothing
that the park could have done to prevent those deaths. Naturally,
animals do die, and in terms of some of those animals,
or at least one of them, the disease that it
contracted was so rare it had never been before reported.

Speaker 2 (42:16):
So these sort of.

Speaker 16 (42:17):
Things do happen to animals. We do have veterinary services
on tap and we're seeking to strengthen those services going forward.

Speaker 2 (42:25):
And the giraffa disticated its neck.

Speaker 6 (42:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 16 (42:29):
So accidents also happen the irrespective of the best laid
plans of mice and men, and where there is a
need for corrective actions and those actions are taken. But
again that was no fault of our own.

Speaker 6 (42:42):
Incidents like this do a care And what about.

Speaker 2 (42:45):
The otter that was trapped in the pul suction pipe?

Speaker 6 (42:48):
Yeah, so again, accidents happen.

Speaker 16 (42:51):
What we have done is we've learned from all of
these incidents and so of others, and we've put in
place corrective actions. So the otter is a really good example.
We've put in place of structure and that structure hopefully
will prevent a similar incident from occurring. Fair Enough, you
can never guarantee absolute certainty.

Speaker 2 (43:08):
I don't think anyone would expect that. But one of
the issues the staff had is that you were covering
these up. How long between deaths and public being informed
about what really happened.

Speaker 16 (43:19):
Okay, so we inform our MPI anytime there is an incident.
We do that on a regular basis, much more often
than annually, so the Ministry for Primary Industries is well
aware of this. We inform the public as necessary. So
just recently we fully informed the public around six deaths
of animals that had occurred at the park. They were

(43:41):
all deaths that were natural, so we're being really transparent
about this Australia. So they occurred over a ten year period,
not over a one year period.

Speaker 2 (43:51):
Right, But how long between when the deaths occurred and
when you actually told the public that.

Speaker 16 (43:57):
Well, it depends on what the deaths are. We're not
going to tell the public, for example, the death of
every single We've got over a thousand animals at the park,
so naturally substantial number do die each year, so we're
not going to tell the public about every single death.
What we will do, though, is tell the public when
there is a significant death, and we do that.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
Okay, do you think some of your staff will perhaps
being a bit sensitive, No, I don't.

Speaker 16 (44:24):
I'm really empathetic with the staff in this case. I
love these animals, i love nature conservation, and I'm really
concerned when an animal dies if there is a preventative
action that we could have taken. So it's really important
to have staff, and we do have them that are
absolutely committed to the park. Every single staff member is.
So if they've got concerns, naturally we want those concerns raised.

(44:47):
What we really want to do as we move into
our future focus is set in place systems that the
staff are really confident in, that they trust that they
can upwardly report those and they know they're going to
see appropriate action.

Speaker 2 (45:02):
All right, we'll leave it. There are no more animals
at least for the next six months anyway, for or
on a wildlife park. That's Professor Ken Huey, or on
a Wildlife Trust board coach here with me. It has
just gone twenty one minutes after five Bridge Rich. Now
you want to know about well, two quick things. One
thing first, Ikea has opened a store in New Zealand,
and I went, wow, that's you know, because there's headlines

(45:23):
in the Herald. There's my producer Laura saying, you know,
my goodness, as you hear about Ikea, do you know
what's happened? Ikea has opened a warehouse with nothing in
it until next May, and people have lost their minds.
So just don't worry about that reading that story. Nothing's happened,
but people do get very excited about Ikea because they've

(45:43):
got cool products. Also, bad day at the office for
this CNN reporter. So she actually quote from the CNN reporter,
this was after the fall of the SAD regime over
in Syria. She told some and never do this, people
told a media outlet. This was area highlight for me
when she did this interview with a guy who she
was taking out of a prison, and she presented him

(46:06):
to the public as a victim. Right, had been tortured,
had been stuck in this thing for days. Anyway, she
holds him his arms, she escorts him out into the daylight.
It's a wonderful moment. Have a listened.

Speaker 1 (46:18):
The light.

Speaker 15 (46:19):
Oh God, there is light there.

Speaker 2 (46:26):
Ste peace again and again now bad news. According to
local media, he was actually one of a Sad's henchmen.
He was one of the torturers at at the prison,
one of the worst of the worst. They still investigating
to confirm his ID. But boy, that's a bad look,
isn't it. Twenty three after five.

Speaker 1 (46:46):
On your smart speaker, on the iHeart app, and in
your car on your drive home, it's Ryan Bridge on
Heather Duper see Alan Drive with one New Zealand Let's
Get Connected and News Talk.

Speaker 2 (46:57):
Z twenty five. After five News Talks ZID, someone says,
Oh my goodness, I have to tell my dad about this.
I've just been retelling the story of the CNN reporter
who was helping to rescue what she thought was a
survivor from one of Asad's Basharlissard's prisons in Syria. Actually
it turns out he might have been one of the

(47:17):
worst of the worst henchmen of Basharlistad and one of
the main tortures there. Oh my goodness, is this texture.
I have to tell my dad about this, he said
as we were watching the tally. I bet you that
guy that they've just found is actually someone involved. I
did think he came across a bit odd when he
was found and didn't look like he'd been starving for days.
I thought the same thing when you look at it

(47:38):
and you're like, have you really been struggling under a
pile of bricks and the rubble? Erica Stanford is on
the show after the News at five point thirty, why
the government's going to make some changes to their credit
employers scheme. Do you know what's interesting We've been talking
today about economic growth and next year is not looking
that great. Year after that looking okay, year after that
looking okay again. But one of the big problems we

(48:01):
have is productivity. And one of the things that the
reports tell us is you've got to look at your labor,
your incoming migration, and about eighty percent of our migrant
labor that's been coming in over the past couple of years,
eighty percent is low and medium skilled workers. That's not
good for productivity. And the change that the government's announced today,

(48:23):
alongside the books that they've opened, might actually make that worse.
So we'll talk to Erica Stamford about that after the
News at five point thirty the plus, we've got our
huddle this afternoon, Morris Williamson Andclared The law and whether
you're feeling sorry for Prince Andrew this Christmas. We've been
having a bit of debate about this today because he
does a lot of things wrong. Let's face at Prince Andrew.

(48:46):
Do we feel sorry from this Christmas or not? That story?
After six news talks, I've.

Speaker 1 (48:50):
Been Lion Bridge cutting through the noise to get the facts.
It's Ryan Bridge on either duper see Alan drive with
one New Zealand. Let's get connected and you talk as
Z B. James.

Speaker 2 (49:19):
Good evening, It is great to have your company twenty
five minutes away from six on News Talk ZB. After six,
we're going to talk to Alan McDonald from the Employers'
Manufacturers Association. One and a half percent increased to the
minimum wage today. What a business is going to make
and do with that? We'll ask him. Hi, Ryan, we're dreaming.
This is on the back of the government's books today,
a text from Angus. We're dreaming. If we think we

(49:42):
will return to surplus without significant structural reforms superannuation. Don't
say the S word, Angus. Superannuation is number one for reform.
Time to get real and cut our cloth accordingly. That'll
get people going. I'm sure. And by the way, any
change to super annuation. And I'm just looking at our
guests and the huddle her are sitting in front of me.

(50:04):
Clear to Laura and Morris Williamson will come to them shortly,
but they're both shaking when when Angus mentioned superannuation. But
any change to superannuation wouldn't happen for ages, right, if
you're about to get superannuation, No, one is going to
pull the rug out from underneath you, so you can relax.
Clear and Morris, all right, take a breath. Twenty four away.

Speaker 6 (50:23):
From Sex Ryan Bridge, the.

Speaker 2 (50:25):
Government's making changes to the Accredited Employer Visa to make
it easier for businesses to hire migrants. From March, the
minimum experience requirement and the median wage threshold of thirty
one dollars an hour for skilled migrants will be gone.
The labor market test will also be simplified significantly. Immigration
Minister Erica Stamford is with me tonight, minister, good evening,

(50:46):
good evening. How are you very well? Thank you, Nice
to have you on the program. Is this just going
to be a race to the bottom? Then you can
do you know, more more workers coming in, skilled workers
coming in and just pay them whatever you want.

Speaker 8 (51:00):
No.

Speaker 21 (51:01):
And the reason I'm saying no is earlier in the
year we put some things in place to make sure
that we're altering the skills MAX to more highly skilled
migrants and fewer lower skilled migrants. And the way that
we did that was we said, look, you need to
come in with a certain number of years experience we
said three years, and you need to speak English, which
is actually a good proxy for skill, and so any

(51:25):
migrants that are coming in are going to have to
have We've been talking to the few different sectors and
fed farmers in particular, who have said, actually two years
skill is a much better workable solution for them, and
we've listened to the sector and so it actually that
makes good sense, and so we've made a few tweaks,
but essentially we are still making sure that New Zealanders

(51:46):
are being put forward first for those entry level jobs
because we know we've got a number of young people
coming out of school who need access into the labor market,
and so those jobs will be available first and foremost.

Speaker 2 (51:58):
Four keywis what do you expect that they will be paid?
If the median threshold of thirty one dollars is too high,
what do you expect that these people with two years
of experienced minimum and English will be paid?

Speaker 21 (52:11):
Well, they'll be paid at a rate that is commensurate
with their skills and experience, which is what you do
with every key we worker in this country. The problem
we've had ryan over the last few years under the
previous government, as you've been bringing in low skilled workers
to fill low skilled roles and having to pay them
the median wage, which is paying them more than the
key we standing next to them, and it's caused huge
problems for employers, you know, who've got their key workers

(52:34):
sitting there doing the same job for and being paid
at a lower amount. And so it's really skewed the market.
So there will be you know, when we're bringing people,
and of course immigration officers on the front line will
be looking at what is the you know, the market
rate for someone and knowing that you know, a migrant
is coming in with two years experience, they would question
any employer bringing someone in on the minimum wage. That

(52:57):
would raise a red red flag for an immigration officer
on the ground.

Speaker 2 (53:01):
Are you worried this will mean businesses choose to hire
migrants over New Zealanders when they might have gone with
the kiwis in the first place.

Speaker 21 (53:08):
No, I don't think so, because it is still more
expensive and more cumbersome to bring a migrant into the country.
You know, you have to be accredited, you have to
get a job check, then you've got to go through
the visa process and that takes time. Employers, you know,
if and you will have to hire someone who's got
a minimum level of skills and experience, where if you
wanted to hire a ke keiwi, it's much quicker, much simpler,

(53:32):
and much more.

Speaker 2 (53:33):
Cost Why were we doing it in the first place?
I mean they must be better workers than us. Then,
oh you'll have to ask that.

Speaker 21 (53:39):
You know, the previous government why they had those settings
in place. But this is going to make this is
going to mean a lot business.

Speaker 2 (53:45):
Do you know what I mean? Tho, If you're an
employer and you have to pay the migrant more than
you do the kiwi, why would you bother getting the migrants?

Speaker 21 (53:52):
Because you have to remember when after after COVID, we
had a huge labor market shortage because everybody left to
New Zealand and people were desperate, and it didn't They
just got people in warm bodies. That's what they've said
to me. We've got bought warm bodies in and we
had to pay them the median wage even for doing
completely unskilled jobs because there was just a massive need

(54:14):
for it. And it's massively skewed the market.

Speaker 2 (54:16):
All right, Hey minister, how does it feel everyone saying
you're the best Minister of the year and all that
kind of stuff.

Speaker 21 (54:22):
Ah, I don't like I don't pay attention to that.
It's a team effort and you know, as you know,
I couldn't do my job without the support of our
incredible Prime minister.

Speaker 2 (54:29):
Ah, there we go, very humble, very humbley what a politician,
Eric and Master said to you again. Eric is Stanford
Immigration Minister and number one in many's books.

Speaker 1 (54:38):
It's ten to six the huddle with New Zealand's Tutherby's
International Realty, local and global exposure like no other.

Speaker 2 (54:45):
A journalist clear Dolores with us this evening. Good evening
to you, Good evening, right and Marris Williams and Aukland
councilor good evening, former minister, Good evening, Good to have
you both here. The government books opening today. Look, Nicola
Willis's is basically keeping on with the speed and not
making huge cuts. She's got n eye to the election obviously,
Morris doesn't. She can't cut too hard.

Speaker 22 (55:06):
Yeah, I disagree. I think you have to take quite
severe medicine to try and fix the patient here. I
was part of the incoming National government nineteen ninety where
we did the mother of all budgets with Ruth. It
was pretty tough stuff. We were hated by people we
were told you'll never see the light of day again.
And as a government, and within two and a half
years of that budget, the economy had recovered so well,

(55:29):
things were going so right. We actually got re elected,
only just, but we got re elected. I think if
you just do the modest stuff that's been done right now,
the pain.

Speaker 2 (55:41):
Prolongs, it, prolongs it for some time. Do you think
that this will clear silence that you know, the people
who want the super scions to need in hospital and
the bigger fairies and everything. Do you think this is
going to be enough to silence those critics?

Speaker 8 (55:53):
No?

Speaker 20 (55:53):
I think we have such a polarized population now. There
are people who just want to carry on as we
have and will not accept that actually that isn't an option.
And then there are those like Morris who would go
for deeper and deeper cuts. And I guess I am
predictably because I'm a centrist somewhere in the middle, because
I think what the government is at the moment flailing

(56:15):
about with is showing where it's leading and giving people
any sort of optimism for the future. Business confidence is
really low, and if you ask people you know about
their intentions to the future even really sort of some
smaller successful businesses, they're not banking on being around next year.

Speaker 2 (56:33):
So it's come back. I mean, business sentiment has come
back somewhat, but it's not you know, through the roof.

Speaker 22 (56:38):
But Ryan, if you take a country that was a
way bigger basket case than us by a million miles, Argentina,
their new president's got them and said this stops now.

Speaker 2 (56:47):
But you can't compare. I saw Houghton's column on this,
and you can't.

Speaker 20 (56:49):
They're not apples and apples, and in living memory they
have been right. They've been right to the bottom in
living memory for many of them. And I think you
know that we are sort of different countries. They've been
through dictatorships, for example, and we have not been.

Speaker 2 (57:02):
There two hundred percent.

Speaker 22 (57:04):
But you could learn something from what they're doing. I mean,
he's gone and he's told every minister.

Speaker 2 (57:08):
I love this.

Speaker 22 (57:09):
If any minister in his cabinet ever goes out and
tells people that service is free, they'll be sacked. They've
got to go out and say the taxpayer is funding
that service for you.

Speaker 2 (57:21):
Guys. We'll be back in just a second. Our huddle
for tonight cleared the law and Marris Williamson. Seventeen away
from six News Talks, here'd be the huddle.

Speaker 1 (57:29):
With New Zealand Southeby's International Realty, elevate the marketing of
your home.

Speaker 2 (57:34):
Fourteen away from six News Talks, Here be clear to
the lawd journalist and Marris Williams and Aukland councilor former
minister with us. Good evening back, well, welcome back to
both of you. Let's go to Wellington. So yesterday the
Government says comes out and bangs it's big stack and says,
don't do anything that's you know, don't mark around, don't
waste your time, get back to the basics and do
things properly. And today Wellington City Council comes out and

(57:56):
says we're going to make this submission on the Government's
Treaty Principles Bill. Clear. Do you think that's a good
use of time.

Speaker 6 (58:03):
I don't.

Speaker 20 (58:04):
I think it's a waste of time and money. The
bill is not going to progress any further, and it
doesn't mean there isn't going to be some sort of
a gender and you know sort of platform that's built
up on the back of it. However, I think for
the council to do that. Wellington Council seems to be
belligerently intent on a confrontation with the government, and you know,

(58:27):
are they begging for a commissioner to be put in
at some stage? It's still looking pretty rough there. I
think they've got, you know, a chance to show that
they're really serious about Wellington. They've got buildings sitting there, rotting,
waiting for things to happen. There's still water popping up
out of the foot paths occasionally get on with the
basic jobs. I really think it is wasteful and.

Speaker 2 (58:48):
I've got I saw what she saw today. They had
Sam Neil jumping and saying they should keep that city
to see bridge. Did you see that? Morris?

Speaker 22 (58:55):
I mean, can I talk about Auckland Council because we
did something worse than that vapor that came to us
as counselors was that we make a submission on the
Treaty Principal's Bill, which I was quite flummixed by what
the hell are we doing that? Why aren't we fixing
roads and foot paths and so on? But at least
it was neutral and then the Chairman put to us
finally an amended paper on the day that we oppose

(59:18):
not just put a submission, but we oppose the Treaty
Principal's Bill, and several of us fought against it but lost.
And so now oorkand Council have got staff working away
developing up a submission on a post that's going nowhere correct,
And what's that got to do with us any rate?

Speaker 1 (59:32):
Our role?

Speaker 22 (59:33):
And I love the way the governments come up with
getting your role and function sorted. You're actually there to
do a whole range of things, water and wastewater and
foot paths and parks and so on.

Speaker 2 (59:42):
Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 20 (59:42):
They're too hard, They're just too hard. So this is
sort of like an easy, an easy swipe.

Speaker 2 (59:48):
Plus I have a theory that there's a whole bunch
of people who sort of wish they were running the world.
They wish they were working at the United Nations, sided
in some Security Council meeting, but actually the just running
the white and matar board. You know, it's like, get
over yourselves. You don't need to have an opinion on everything.

Speaker 22 (01:00:05):
And we've had several people try to move emotions about Gaza.
Now Gaza's ghastly and awful and sol on it's got
nothing to do with Auckland council.

Speaker 2 (01:00:14):
Go and fix a pipe for goodness, that's correct. Hey,
lots to talk about. We've just heard from Erica Stanford
on migrants. But I want to get to s PQR.
For those who aren't familiar. It's a bit of an institution,
would you say, in Auckland, a restaurant. And they've announced
the new name for s PQR, which is an iconic name,
and you know, I certainly learned about it once I

(01:00:35):
moved here. The new name is Jacuzzi.

Speaker 20 (01:00:38):
Clear well, first of all, big ups to these young
women who are restarting. There was never my cup of
tea actually, but.

Speaker 13 (01:00:45):
There you go.

Speaker 20 (01:00:46):
But I think Jacuzzi it's got a kind of a
wisty vibe about it, don't you think?

Speaker 6 (01:00:50):
You know?

Speaker 20 (01:00:51):
It could have been from you know, from some soap
opera set in the.

Speaker 22 (01:00:56):
Okay, Chris question, what did s peak? And it's Roman
and I it was on their sign on their banners.
What does it actually stand for?

Speaker 2 (01:01:02):
Have no idea?

Speaker 22 (01:01:03):
You know, yes, it's to do with the triumphant of
the nation in Latin.

Speaker 2 (01:01:07):
But Jacuzzi sounds like somewhere you go to get a rash.

Speaker 20 (01:01:12):
You know, well that may be, don't I think we honestly, seriously,
apart from the dread I think it's a pretty dreadful name.
I do wish them well, but it's a brave move.
You've got to say, God on you for having a
go because this climate is not good for them. But
you know, the names and a little bit of a
hard cell. But if it works, let's go support it.

Speaker 2 (01:01:30):
And actually there's a number now. I think that's the
third bar I've read about in the last month that
is opening in central Auckland, which is a wonderful thing
to hear about because I mean you look at Wellington
and even in Auckland there are places where bars are
still closing.

Speaker 22 (01:01:44):
Mars I speak, I had such a name. I've been
there several times and that's such a shock me wonderful
and I just don't were they not allowed to carry
on using that name?

Speaker 6 (01:01:56):
Well?

Speaker 2 (01:01:57):
Well, good question. Actually I'm not sure whether you think if.

Speaker 20 (01:01:59):
You're starting a fresh are starting a fresh I reckon?

Speaker 22 (01:02:01):
Well, yeah, I reckon what lots of people take over
restaurants and keep your name when they moved to new ownership.

Speaker 20 (01:02:06):
Well, Morris, when you and I are in the business.

Speaker 2 (01:02:08):
Let's show them.

Speaker 22 (01:02:09):
Will you go to Jacuzzi not after the idea about
catching a rash? No, that's here, the hell of me.

Speaker 2 (01:02:16):
If I haven't done any brand damage. Clear, thank you
very well.

Speaker 20 (01:02:19):
They say it's going to be immersive, it's going to
have it, So I'm wondering is there going to be
like a little pool there?

Speaker 2 (01:02:25):
Who knows? All right? Clear, thank you very much for
coming and lovely to meet you. Clear to the Lord
journalist and Morris Williamson Auckland counselor. It is nine minutes
away from six. Sorry, yes, nine minutes away from six
news talks.

Speaker 6 (01:02:39):
It be.

Speaker 1 (01:02:41):
Red or Blue, Trump or Harris? Who will win the
battleground states? The latest on the US election. It's Heather
Duplicy allan drive with one New Zealand let's get connected.

Speaker 6 (01:02:51):
Use talks, b.

Speaker 2 (01:02:54):
Use talks B seven A sorry, six away from six now.
Just an update on the situation of Vanawachi. They had
a set point three magnitude earthquake there today there was
a tsunami warning that has been lifted, so I needed
to worry. However, we've got in contact with Ministry of
Foreign Fairs and Trade, in fact confirming to us that
the building of the New Zealand High Commission in Port
Vila has sustained significant damage. We saw on social media

(01:03:18):
a video earlier that showed huge cracks up the side
of the building. There were broken windows, potentially a pancaked
bottom floor as well. Mfat says it's still in the
process of checking that it's staff there are safe, so
fingers crossed everybody has been accounted for. Vanuatu media are
reporting that one person has been confirmed dead sadly, with
at least three people seriously injured across Port Vila. Lots

(01:03:41):
of your texts coming in. We just spoke to Erica Stanford,
immigration Minister. They're changing the rules around migrants who were
coming here and the amount you have to pay them
and the skill level that they need, basically lowering the
bar a bit. This is an interesting one from one
of our listeners. Just heard your interview with Erica Stanford.
You question why an employer would want to employ migrants

(01:04:02):
and pay them more as opposed to a Kiwi. The
answer is they turn up to work every day. I'm
a manager of a factory employing nearly one hundred staff.
We can't find staff with good attendance performance. Most KIWI
staff always have reasons why they can't do more than
about fifteen days before they feel the need to take
sick leave, unpaid leave, or mental health days. It's just

(01:04:27):
gone five to six. I guess it answers your question,
doesn't it?

Speaker 1 (01:04:31):
Ray and Bridge?

Speaker 2 (01:04:32):
Right before we get to the news at the top
of the owl, I wanted to draw your attention to
Prince Andrew. So do you feel sorry for Prince Andrew
this Christmas? He's going to be spending it alone. We'll
not quite alone, He'll be spending it with Fergi, just
him and Fergie up on the couch wherever they're living now.
Actually he's had to be moved, isn't he, So I
don't know where they're living. Probably, Look they're not on
the street, okay, but they are going to be just

(01:04:54):
those two because their daughters are going to be with
the in laws. So it's just them this Christmas. And
the reason that they're not being invited to the big,
the big, you know, Buckingham Palace to is because Prince
Andrew has been hobnobbing with a spy, a Chinese spy
and Laura and I Laura, who's the executive producer here

(01:05:15):
were debating this earlier, and she was saying, I feel
a bit sorry for Prince Andrew, and I said, I
just hang on enough. Don't ever repeat that, you know,
don't ever say that out loud. But but Laura has
a point. He's a spy and we've all just found
out that his name is Yang Tingbo from China. But
if no one else knew he was a spy, how

(01:05:36):
was Prince Andrew supposed to know he was a spy?
So how can we blame him for being friends with
the spy? The logic follows the only thing we don't know,
and given his track record, I wouldn't be surprised. The
only thing we don't know is is did he actually
know that he was a spy and he was feeding
him secrets? You know, because that's let's let's be honest,
that's something that old Randy Andy would probably be up to.

(01:05:59):
Remember when Fugie was selling information to News of the
World over a glass of wine at that hotel room
with a suitcase full of cash. Remember that it could
be another one of those situations. Wild Speculation three Away
from Sex News two three.

Speaker 1 (01:06:42):
We're Business Insight The Business Hour with Ryan Bridge and
my Hr on News Talks, Good.

Speaker 2 (01:06:51):
Evening seven after Sex News talksb after the earthquake in Vanuatu.
Today we're getting reports of a five point one in
Wellington and Paul Lane, who is in Stead and just
said that there was a four point nine in christ Church,
will keep you up to date with that. Plus Brad
Olsen on the books. Next, the minimum wage will increase
spy one and a half percent or thirty five cents
to twenty three dollars fifteen hour from April. Training wages

(01:07:12):
and starting wages will increase to eighteen eighty, remaining at
eighty percent of the minimum wage, as they always do.
The worker unions have criticized the move. They say it's
effectively a pay cup for low paid workers. Alan McDonald
is the Employees and Manufacturers Association head of Advocacy, finance
and strategy. Alan, Good evening, Good here, Good to have
you on the show. Do you think this is a

(01:07:32):
fear increase.

Speaker 5 (01:07:35):
Well, just look at the announcement earlier today and look
at the economic conditions. You know, there's no money in
the tin, so a moderate increase after several years of
quite large ones is probably the right balance.

Speaker 2 (01:07:49):
Is this still high enough that businesses might look at
either laying staff off or reducing hours.

Speaker 5 (01:07:59):
I don't think it's there. It's just every cost at
the moment is something that business is taking into account.
And not sure it will cause them to lay off people,
but what it will do, I think make them think
about who the people are that they're going to take on.
Because if you're thinking about hiring people, and people are
still hiring people, if you can get someone for like

(01:08:20):
twenty five bucks an hour something like that, twenty six
who's done a couple of years in the workforce with
a proven track record, are you going on somebody at
twenty three and it doesn't have that kind of track record?
And sometimes you know, that decision comes down to all
how much time and work and effort training do I
have put into that new person as opposed to someone
with a track record. So it may affect who they

(01:08:42):
hire rather than they're hiring intentions.

Speaker 2 (01:08:45):
Yeah, true, there'll be minimum wage workers listening to this
will go well. Actually, inflations up, you know, two point
two percent to the September quarter. This is less than inflation.
I've got rent to pay. Rents are up four point
four percent. A four point one percent, I should say,
from November in November this year. You know, surely you
can find it in yourselves.

Speaker 5 (01:09:06):
Well, you know, the minimum wage ring up forty five
percent and five years, which was well of heading inflation.
And I don't think anyone in the workforce is getting
or won't They haven't for the last couple of years anyway,
got anything that even looked close to matching inflation. So
you know, we are all doing it a bit tough
at the moment. And thirteen and a half billion short
on revenue.

Speaker 6 (01:09:26):
Said that this morning, that.

Speaker 2 (01:09:28):
Books that you mentioned earlier, I personally quite sad and
like almost upset looking at the government's books today, especially
when you look ahead. Everyone's saying survive to twenty twenty five,
and then you look at growth of twenty twenty five
and it's a kneemic to the point where on a
per capita basis, we're still going backwards in twenty twenty five.

(01:09:49):
How do businesses feel about those books.

Speaker 5 (01:09:53):
I'm sure they've taken note of that and just gone, well,
we could have told you that was going to be
the case, because business is are still doing it very hard.
And while the Finance Minister is quite right. Some of
the indicators are turning, it's still probably at least six
and more likely twelve months before that kind of turn
is going to happen. And even then, as you said,

(01:10:13):
it looks pretty anemic.

Speaker 2 (01:10:16):
Yeah, all right, Allen, thank you very much for that.
Alan McDonald Employer's Manufacturers Association with US talking about the
increase to the minimum wage one and a half percent.
Brad Olsen on the books coming up next, including the
change to the way that the government calculates its surplus,
which means, I mean we technically, if we look at
the traditional way of calculating a surplus, then you wouldn't

(01:10:38):
be in surplus until actually we're not even sure because
these results are announced today don't even cover the period,
but it would be in the twenty thirties. However, they've
changed the rules and now suddenly we will hopefully be
in surplus by twenty twenty nine. Is that fair? And
is that right? Brad Olsen?

Speaker 1 (01:10:55):
Next analysis from the experts, bringing you everything you need
to know on the US. It's The Business Hour with
Heather Duplicy, Allen and myhrhr solution for busy SMEs News
talks 'b.

Speaker 2 (01:11:11):
News Talk zb fourteen after six on ron Bridge. Great
to have your company tonight. The Finance Minister, Nicola Willis
certainly isn't sugar coating our financial situation. She says, it
is dire. Debt is up, the tax takers down. Brad
Olsen is the infametric's principal economies with us tonight, Brad,
good evening, Good evening. Let's start with the A couple

(01:11:31):
of numbers jump out at me. Firstly, forty seven percent
of GDP. That's that's government debt to GDP forty seven percent.
It will peak at Is that have we been? I mean,
I'm sure we have been higher, but certainly not in
the last week, while before COVID we were at about twenty.

Speaker 13 (01:11:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 19 (01:11:48):
Look, I mean that debt figure is ugly, and I
think it highlights that over time we've built up that
level of debt time and time again to get through
some pretty challenging economic times. Recently, of course, the pandemic
was still a pretty big hit and the government did
need to respond to it.

Speaker 2 (01:12:02):
The challenge, of.

Speaker 19 (01:12:03):
Course, is that having racked up so much debt to
do that, at some point the bill comes for repayment
and we're still continuing to see the government spend more
than it's earning for the next couple of years, which
means that we're not actually even starting to pay it down.
We're just sort of adding more and more on. So
the fiscals have gotten a bit out of kilter given
the fact that that debt's higher. But that's also coming

(01:12:26):
about because government revenue is expected to be thirteen billion
dollars less over the four cast period than expected at budget,
but the government will be spending nearly six billion dollars
more than they thought at budget time. That wider gap
with more spending less money coming in, that's a very
difficult place to get yourself.

Speaker 2 (01:12:42):
Out of, and that's why we're going to borrow Barbie.
Is there a number where because we're a small trading nation,
I know there are lots of countries around the world
with far worse ratios than that, But is there a
number at which you start to go alarm bells ring?

Speaker 19 (01:12:56):
I mean, certainly Treasury has highlighted before that somewhere between.
Once you get up to it sort of over fifty,
you really start to get quite worried, just because if
there is another shock of any sort, you know, be
it a something that hits our primary and export markets.
If you have another natural disaster and other pandemic, New
Zealand needs the ability to respond and we know that
in those tough times we often can't rely on our

(01:13:19):
own self sufficiency quite as much. Now you look at
other bigger economies, they just have a little bit more
sort of natural heft. They can trade amongst themselves locally
a lot more. We can't quite as much in New Zealand.
We're a lot more dictated by how global economic growth
goes and how our exports and production go. So if
those get hit, we do need a little bit more

(01:13:39):
buffer room to get ourselves out of the pickle that
we might find ourselves in. That's where that deck capacity
becomes so important. And again we know that we've got
a lot of infrastructure we need to invest in and
that's important. But with the fact that government is still
going to be spending more than it's earning over quite
a long period of time, we're still borrowing for just
the day to day costs and that is quite challenging

(01:14:00):
and it means we're still half a decade away from
seeing the books back in surplus. That's a long time
to wait.

Speaker 2 (01:14:06):
It certainly is. Tell me what is you all read
on the OBI gal X. Is it justified that we
are taking the acc deficit basically off the books?

Speaker 19 (01:14:19):
I mean, I think it's very convenient timing, of course,
to come out with the change at the moment. To
be fair, even with the change, the effective surplus has
been pushed out nearly two years, so again it's sort
of quite a big shift there. Realistically, I think there
is some merit into what the government has done with
that figure, but I don't think it helps that there's
all these different numbers that we now cast about on

(01:14:40):
so may be useful, but to be fair, I think
we're all trying to get our heads around it. Having
had it dropped on us, you know, a couple of
hours ago. It still will take us some time to
read through it, but definitely a change that I think
we're all going to have to get our heads around.

Speaker 2 (01:14:53):
Were you surprised to see the Finance Minister basically stick
to her guns that the books have changed quite drastically,
deteriorated quite drastically between the budget and now her fiscal
position is basically the same.

Speaker 19 (01:15:07):
I was a little bit surprised that the government isn't
looking to, in fact, almost go steeper and deeper when
it comes to making some pretty tough choices around spending.
The Finance Minister, of course confirmed those two point four
billion dollar operating allowances, but I think that also highlights
the current economic reality for the government, which is that
we've made such big commitments on government spending the last

(01:15:30):
couple of years.

Speaker 2 (01:15:30):
It's very easy to do.

Speaker 19 (01:15:32):
Those and to commit them at the time, very hard
to unwind them back. And so you know, some people
are saying, well, geez, we feel like we're in austerity politics.
I mean, really, at two point four billion each and every.

Speaker 2 (01:15:42):
Year, we're clearly not.

Speaker 19 (01:15:44):
But even then, even with what are some of the
smallest budget allowances in a reasonable amount of time, the
government is still going to be spending more than thirty
percent of GDP on operating expenses all the way out
to twenty twenty nine. I mean, it highlights that we're
not getting our sort of spending relative to income under
control particularly quickly. But I think as well, the minister's

(01:16:05):
probably stuck between a bit of a rock and a
hard place here.

Speaker 13 (01:16:08):
Ryan.

Speaker 2 (01:16:08):
If you had you'd have some people.

Speaker 19 (01:16:10):
If the minister cuts the allowancers say well, government's not
spending enough on New Zealand, and other people probably saying
the government's spending too much. I mean, you really can't
win when you're the Minister of Finance.

Speaker 2 (01:16:20):
No, and she has an election to worry about in
twenty twenty six and the last thing she would want
to do would be to look like Ruth Richardson and
then you know, throw throw a one term government out
the window. Let's look at the GDP twenty twenty five
one point six percent, twenty twenty six three point four percent,
twenty twenty seven two point seven percent. Now, if you

(01:16:40):
look at per capita, we're actually still going backwards in
twenty twenty five. But why is it that we go
up and then down again, Brad In twenty twenty six
we're at three point four and then in twenty twenty
seven we go down to two point seven.

Speaker 19 (01:16:54):
I think there's sort of two elements coming through there.
One is a bit of a mathematical bounce back that
as those interest rates can down and you start to
see the economy unlocked, there's a little bit of pent
up demand that likely comes through after some weaker grows
because you didn't have where you had negative levels of
activity this year, you get slightly better next year, but
still not amazing. Then the year after once you really

(01:17:16):
sort of get the economic motor running again. Mathematically, that
looks a touch faster than before. After that, though, that
sort of trend slow down comes through because we just
don't expect to be getting that same level of productivity
coming forward. And I think that the worry as well
is that when we look at the different components of
the economy, the government clearly isn't going to be stimulating
a huge amount of activity. We're worried about the likes

(01:17:38):
of global factors, and so we're not quite so sure
that exports are really going to drive things into the future.
We know that productivity hit means that sort of general
business profitability isn't going to be amazing, and so it
won't be contributing huge amounts, which sort of leads households
as the main potential driver of the economy going forward.
That's sort of a difficult proposition when interests are not

(01:18:00):
going to drop low, they're just going to go back
to sort of normal. So I think that the sort
of growth center for the economy is a little bit
harder to pick at the moment, and again that makes
Treasury's job quite hard because there's a lot of stuff
that everyone wants to spend on, but without stronger economic growth,
you don't get as much tax take and you don't
have the money that you want to spend.

Speaker 2 (01:18:19):
Great points, Brad brad Olsen, Info Metrics, Principal Economists, twenty
one minutes after six brand. That's the question, isn't it?
What on earth is New Zealand good at anymore? You
thank God for dairy and thank god that we're seeing
some primary industry export numbers come up, particularly dairy with
numbers going over ten dollars per kilogram of milk solids.

(01:18:41):
Thank goodness we have something like that to fall back on,
although there are people in this country who would like
to rip that out from underneath us, and so now
we can't do that because of climate change. We can't
do that because what are we going to do as
a country. Our productivity since COVID has been going down,
Our economic growth, as I said next year, down zero

(01:19:03):
point six percent on a per capita basis, What are
we good at? Housing? Migration? That's basically what's been propping
up our economy for the last couple for the last
decade at least. What are we good at New Zealand?
What do we want to invest in? What is the
next big thing? If we have decided some people have

(01:19:25):
that our primary industries are going to hell in a
hand basket with climate change, what are we supposed to
do Because we can't just sit back and hope that
somedays some government will come up with some hairbrain scheme
that will get us out of this, because it ain't
going to happen. We're going to have to do this
on our own. So what's the plan? Twenty two after
Sex News Talks eben.

Speaker 1 (01:19:46):
Everything from SME's the Big Corporates, The Business Hour with
Ryan Bridge and my HR The HR Solution for Busy
SMEs on News TALKSBB.

Speaker 2 (01:19:57):
Twenty five minutes after six Look. I was after some
serious ideas about how we get this country moving again,
how we get this country productive again, And what you've
given me is text Like Ryan, the plan is to
employ more wonderfully skilled people in regulation and compliance. Is
it any wonder that productivity is an ongoing decline? Ryan?

(01:20:19):
So the economy is worse now than what it was
when labor was in power, labor would have improved the economy,
says this Texter, because they wouldn't have paid out tax
cuts or made thousands of workers redundant who are now beneficiaries.
How much does this government waste on consultants, many of
whom would have cost us less as public servants. The

(01:20:40):
whole thing about the tax cuts, I don't get what
the argument is here. If the argument, I mean the
money would have either been spent by labor on something
that we probably wouldn't have needed, or would have just
gone into some giant hole, which is where it seems
a lot of what they spent went, or it's in
your pocket. Where would you rather at? I know I'd

(01:21:01):
rather that money went. Ryan, We are excellent at talking
shite in New Zealand, and we do very little, and
finally when we do a little, it is usually a
massive cock up. Anyway, we have so much faith in
our country, don't we. Coming up after the news at
six City, we're going to talk about We're going to
talk to our UK correspondent about Prince Andrew, but we're

(01:21:24):
also going to talk drugs, and not just not illegal drugs,
but actually prescription drugs that you get from your doctor.
Apparently it's becoming more and more of a problem in
New Zealand. People are using them recreationally. One in four
kiw is using them recreationally. So we'll ask what that's
doing to our bodies. Twenty seven after six nest Talks
it there.

Speaker 6 (01:22:08):
If it's to do with money, it matters to you.

Speaker 1 (01:22:11):
The Business Hour with Ryan Bridge and my HR The
HR Solution for busy smys on News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (01:22:29):
Twenty five away from seven News Talks V. I've been
asking you this evening, what is it that New Zealand
is good at? What do we need to do to
get our a entergy? Basically looking at the government opening
its books today, productivity not looking great going into the future.
A lot of people have mentioned power and energy. Ryan,
the way to kick start in New Zealand is to
make cheap power, more dams, more clean coal power plants,

(01:22:50):
et cetera. All of the rich countries in the world
have one thing in common, and that that is cheap power,
cheap energy. That is true. Another says, what are we
good at? Soware as a service? Three point six billion
dollar annual export revenue predicted to exceed meat exports by
twenty thirty, says Tim, that's an interesting one. That's stuff
you do on apps over the internet, basically like zero,

(01:23:12):
which is a huge success story for us. So yes,
please more of that. Twenty four away from seven Bryan Bridge.
The survey from Massi University has sparks concerns that people
using prescription drugs are using them for recreational use. One
in four surveyed reported using pharmaceuticals for non medical purposes
in the previous six months. But how easy is it

(01:23:34):
for someone to actually become addicted to this kind of medication?
Chair of General Practice, New Zealand, doctor Brian Betty is
with me this evening. Brian, good evening, Well, good evening, Ryan,
nice to be here, great to have you. Are you
worried one in four? Well, first of all, does that
sound right to you? One in four?

Speaker 9 (01:23:52):
Oh, look, it sounds very high. I've got to say. However,
we know there has been issues around about in appropriate
use of medication and the potential for addiction with certain
medications and the illicit use of some medications. So this
has been something that's been around for a while, and
I suppose it is worth highlighting that there are issues

(01:24:12):
around certain medications we do prescribe.

Speaker 2 (01:24:15):
What drugs do people like?

Speaker 14 (01:24:18):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (01:24:18):
Look, good question. I suppose The ones we think of
often are pain medications, things like opioids, seditives, benzodiazepines in particular,
and something called gather pentons, which are a particular medication
that can be used for pain or epilepsy. The other
one that is around is ADHD medication, so that can

(01:24:40):
be abused and that can actually be addictive. And there
are instances where medications dot mesulphenidate, which is used for
a DHD can be crushed and used intravenously or snorted
to give a high because in high doses or very
fast release can give a very high addictive property which

(01:25:03):
people like. And those are the other medications where diversion
as we call it can occur.

Speaker 2 (01:25:08):
How easy is it for a GP to prescribe the
drugs that you just outlined?

Speaker 9 (01:25:15):
Look varies, So things like opioids and ADHD have to
be prescribed monthly, so they are described every month, not
three monthly lots, and so there is restriction in terms
of how they used. And in fact, opioids are prescribed
generally every ten days, so there is restricted access to them.

(01:25:37):
And we use opioids often in palliative care or pain medication,
and these medications, all of them, when used appropriately, are
very very beneficial and have a real role to play.
So there are restrictions and how they are used, and
most gps are very careful with how they prescribe these
medications and will often do things like say, prescribed ten

(01:25:59):
daily if I've got concerns, We'll only give three days
worth at once if if something is happening. But we
do know that there are appalled of patients who have
addictive who are addicted to medication, who do doctor shop
and look for amount of these medications to accumulate, so
it can be a problem, but most gps are aware

(01:26:20):
of the issue and are very careful when prescribing these medications.

Speaker 2 (01:26:24):
What impact do these Like you talked about the opioids
in particular, what impact do they have on your body?
If you're if you're using them at the dose that
your doctor has prescribed, does that mean no impact on
the body and only if you go over that does
it start to affect you long term?

Speaker 9 (01:26:41):
Yeah, we need to be very careful about why the
medication is being used. So for instance, where a lot
of these medications are used as actually impallative care end
of life, and where they're being used for pain, there
is really no risk of addiction to the person they've
been used with, and we need to be very very
clear on that. Where they used for the purposes of

(01:27:03):
pain and palliative care, they're not addictive and they're totally appropriate.
They can be titraded, and they need to be used
where the problem arises. We know that, particularly things like opioids,
where they are used inappropriately, that is the weather they're
not used for for severe pain. So in a palliad
of care situation, they do can give a you for

(01:27:23):
a very addictive type property when they're not used for pain,
and it's in that that people can become very addicted
to them. And in fact, opioids have a very very
strong addictive property. So when they used outside of their indication,
which in this case is for severe pain, there is
certainly a problem in terms of what they do to
the body and the potential for addiction.

Speaker 2 (01:27:45):
But is the problem that you would take the dose
and double it and that affects your body, or could
you actually take a prescribed dose that a doctor would
give you for pain for the rest of your life
then actually experience no side effects on your body.

Speaker 9 (01:28:02):
Well, but that potentially happens. But again I go back
to the basic premise that if you are being prescribed
it for pain for a say, cancer for instance, then
it's absolutely appropriate and we don't get too concerned about
addictive properties in those situations totally. It's when it's been
diverted outside of that that's the way the problem starts

(01:28:22):
to arise.

Speaker 2 (01:28:23):
I mean, forgot to say, if you've got cancer, the
last thing you've worried about it whether you're addicted to
some medicine. Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 9 (01:28:28):
And we have to be very careful of that, that
the message that goes out that these medications do have
an absolute role to play. They are incredibly beneficial in
certain circumstances. Do you worry you need to be used
to the right place?

Speaker 2 (01:28:41):
Do you worry sometimes that the more we talk about this,
that we might start regulating medicines like this and take
them away from people who need them.

Speaker 9 (01:28:50):
Look, I think this is always a balancing act between
how much regulation do you put in place, because there
is perceptional there is an actual problem versus you know,
denying people who actually need access to these medications. I mean,
the other one I insted was ADHD medication that is
incredibly beneficial for patients who do suffer from ADHD, and

(01:29:13):
it is an incredibly important medication for those patients. But
again when it's used appropriately, it becomes a problem. So yes,
it's always this balancing act between how much restriction versus
making sure we do give access to these medications to
those that need it.

Speaker 2 (01:29:29):
Brian, thank you, great to have you on the show.
Doctor Brian Betty, Chair of General Practice and his Dylan
just gone eighteen minutes away from seven.

Speaker 1 (01:29:36):
Ryan Bridge crunching the numbers and getting the results. It's
Ryan Bridge with the Business Hour thanks to my HR
the HR solution for busy Smy's on News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (01:29:49):
I think the weirdest story of the day at quarter
to seven is from Bishara Lesad, who's come out and
said I didn't mean to flee the country, Like, why
are you sharing this information with us? He's done it
over telegram, over social media? What is what kind of
reaction does he expect from us?

Speaker 1 (01:30:04):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (01:30:04):
No, I didn't mean to flee the regime. I didn't
mean for Damascus to fall. I just ended up in
Russia by mistake. Okay, cool, like you're a tough guy.
We get it. You didn't you know? You didn't run
away with your towel between your legs, did you. It's
a very weird thing that's happened. So when on telegram
he said, basically what happened was on the day that
the regime fell, he went to a Russian military base

(01:30:26):
on the advice of the Russians. He said, the Syrian
troops there had abandoned their station and Russia, not him.
Russia made the call for him to be airlifted out.
At no point, he writes, during these events, did I
consider stepping down or seeking refuge, Nor was such a
proposal made by any individual or party. Cool, bro, you

(01:30:46):
didn't surrender. Good for you. Fourteen away from seven ran
Bridge in the Brady is a UK correspondent. He's with
us live tonight in the Good Evening.

Speaker 6 (01:30:56):
Hey, Ryan, love it to speak to you again, my friend.

Speaker 2 (01:30:58):
Now, Prince Andrew won't be at the Royal Christmas celebrations
because of Spygate. But did he know that he was
dealing with a spy? And do we know whether he
knew or not?

Speaker 6 (01:31:10):
Oh? Look, Prince Andrew generally doesn't know what day of
the week it is. He is by far of a
not very bright family. He is top of the tree.

Speaker 23 (01:31:20):
He is the Christmas shining star in the House of Windsor,
and he's the gift that keeps on taking Ryan. Honestly,
you couldn't make this guy up. Look, whether he knew
or not, if I was in his position with access
to everything he has access to people, information, money. The
very first thing that would cross my mind is if
some Chinese business person suddenly wanted to befriend me and

(01:31:42):
promised me the sun, moon, and stars. I'd be thinking
this guy's a spy. But that's the difference between having
half a brain and no brain. The guy's an embarrassment,
and look, he can enjoy a very small Christmas now
with his ex wife Sarah Ferguson in a house that
his brother and the taxpayer are still paying for. I mean,
you just, at some point, people just need to put

(01:32:04):
this guy out the pasture. He has done nothing but
embarrassed himself and his family for decades.

Speaker 2 (01:32:11):
Goodness, so he won't be coming to your place for Christmas.

Speaker 23 (01:32:15):
Honestly, I've had dinner with him once, I've had dinner
with the guy once at the Irish Embassy, and I
left before dessert because I just found I found him,
I found him rude and thick, and there we go. Yeah, honestly,
the whole spy thing is very serious, actually a personal
dislike to one side. It's very serious because you have

(01:32:37):
a situation where this guy was clearly being groomed by
the alleged Chinese spy, and you just think, well, hang on.

Speaker 6 (01:32:44):
The Chinese must have.

Speaker 23 (01:32:45):
Been rubbing their hands with glee getting their man inside
Bookingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Parliament, meeting David Cameron, meeting Theresa May.

Speaker 6 (01:32:55):
It was all so easy.

Speaker 2 (01:32:57):
The UK government must have known that the sky was
a by though right, or at least had suspicions. And
if so, why are they letting Prince Andrew near him?
Or are they actually keeping Prince Andrew in the dark.

Speaker 23 (01:33:09):
I think possibly someone made the decision that it's only
Andrew just led. What harm or what damage could he
possibly do? But look, the damage is done and it's
at a really awkward time. I feel sorry for Ker
Starmer now because he's been trying to build a relationship
with Shijingping and Beijing and obviously Britain needs trade, Britain

(01:33:31):
needs investment, so it's it's a fine balance and the
Prime Minister, I think will be very very angry. He
could certainly have done without this Prince Andrew sized fly
in the ointment the.

Speaker 2 (01:33:43):
UK is allocated. It's funding for the next Olympics, which
sport is unhappy.

Speaker 23 (01:33:49):
So athletics not happy at all their investments. So at
six hundred and sixty million dollars, team GB have got
to play with in terms of financing and funding all
the athletes and sports for the next four years to
get people to LA. Athletics dropping by four million dollars
and basketball is getting a six million dollars and a

(01:34:10):
lot of people are saying, hang on, there's far more
chance of British athletes actually winning something in athletics in
four years time in LA than any prospect of the
British basketball team knocking the USA or others.

Speaker 6 (01:34:24):
Of their perch in Los Angeles. It's just not going
to happen.

Speaker 23 (01:34:29):
Will be happy, and I guess ultimately the decision was
taken that, you know, to improve participation levels as well.
The cyclists of course should be very happy they've got
sixty million dollars to play with, so Team GB clearly
betting for more medals.

Speaker 6 (01:34:43):
On the cycling track, someone's lakes.

Speaker 2 (01:34:45):
Manchester United's team shape before the big debby against Manchester City.
Who did that?

Speaker 6 (01:34:52):
So investigation on the way. Internally.

Speaker 23 (01:34:54):
Manchester United actually won this derby match at the weekend
in the dying minutes of the game in spectacular fashion
they won two one. It was a stunning win. I
didn't see it coming. There are one nil down with
about six minutes to go, but the team sheet was
online twenty.

Speaker 6 (01:35:10):
For the match. So there's a new manager who's coming in.

Speaker 23 (01:35:13):
I think he's ruffled a few feathers perhaps, And now
there are questions here who has this ended up on
social media? Very embarrassing, you know, club the size of
Manchester United and whoever leaked it?

Speaker 6 (01:35:26):
It was the actual eleven who took to the field.

Speaker 2 (01:35:28):
In the Brady. Thank you very much for your time.
Our UK correspondent just gone ten away from seven actually
before we go to break. I should it reminds me
the Chinese and the spying and London. There's an excellent
show on Netflix called Black Doves. If anyone hasn't seen it,
you should. It's sit in London. It's a gritty spy
thriller involving Chinese spies and acted by Kiera Knightley. Brilliantly

(01:35:52):
acted by Kieran Knightley, really really good and it's actually
sat at Christmas time, so it's almost a Christmas movie
as well. Highly recommend it is nine from seven News Talk,
zaid B.

Speaker 1 (01:36:03):
Getting ready for a new administration in the US, what
will be the impact? It's the Business Hour with Heather Duplicy,
Allen and my Hr. The HR solution for busy SMEs
News Talk, said B.

Speaker 2 (01:36:15):
Seven away from seven, Karen has just asked, can you
please repeat the title of the Chinese spy movie that
I mentioned before the break. It's called Black Doves and
it's on Netflix and it's very good and you should
watch it if you have Netflix. Of course. Actually they
put the prices of Netflix up. I said to my
partner the other day, I was like, do we at
what point do we stop paying all these people living
in I don't know, Silicon Valley just rubbing their great

(01:36:37):
little hands together, and at what point do you start
being more strategic and saying we'll have Netflix for this
month and then we'll change to the other one for
the next month and watch everything that they've got on there.

Speaker 22 (01:36:48):
How do you not already do this?

Speaker 9 (01:36:49):
Ryan?

Speaker 24 (01:36:50):
Oh, yeah, you're dead right. You need to sit down
with your partner and just sort it out things. It's
quite hard to work out how to cancel a subscription, especially.

Speaker 9 (01:36:58):
If I do.

Speaker 24 (01:36:59):
I do it times a year. Do you it's so possible? Yeah, yeah,
you just got to click through with it. We're like, oh,
are you really sure?

Speaker 6 (01:37:04):
Oh?

Speaker 24 (01:37:05):
Can you please tell us why? You're like, You're like, look,
it's not a relationship, right, I'm not breaking up with you.
I'm canceling a thing I've tried.

Speaker 2 (01:37:11):
There's one in particular. I think it's Neon. Yeah, Neon.
I've tried to cancel Neon about I don't know eight
hundred times in the last three years. Never seem to
get rid of it, like a as you say, like
like an X that you just can't shake anyway. That
is what it's called black Doves. Hey, very quickly, do
we have time for this? What are we five away
from seven? And what's our song for going out tonight?

(01:37:35):
As we get to it, I'll tell you very quick
word of the day dart titis. Do you know what
that means. No, I learned about it today too. It
is when you go to throw a dart, which stupid game.
People get drunk, legless, drunk and a pub and throw
sharp objects around darts. You know anyway, dart ititis is
what you want them to have. It's where you can't

(01:37:55):
throw the dart. It's a psychological problem where you have
the dart in your hand. There's a guy been playing
darts for forty years, a professional. He now has dart itis.
He's been diagnosed. You have it in your hand and
you you want it to leave your fingers, but it
just won't. Apparently it's a real thing, dart itis. You're
in shock. Apparently, he says, I stood there for ages.

(01:38:17):
I just couldn't get my arm up to let go
of the dart. Kevin was suffering from dart ititis, a
mental condition where the brain stops the player from being
able to release the dart. There you go.

Speaker 24 (01:38:27):
Is there a related condition, Ryan where the dart does
leave your hand, but it goes absolutely nowhere? Neyar of
the bit of the board that you wanted it to hurt.
Because I tell you, especially after I've had a couple,
it tem to be suffering from that one when I try.

Speaker 6 (01:38:38):
And him run.

Speaker 2 (01:38:39):
That's why it's a dangerous game here.

Speaker 24 (01:38:42):
I tell you what, you gotta be careful. Gracey Abrams,
I love you. I'm sorry to play us out tonight.
Gracie Abrams was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live,
the American TV show over the weekend. And you wonder, oh,
who still watches these shows?

Speaker 22 (01:38:54):
What turns up?

Speaker 24 (01:38:54):
Barbara Streisand Barbara streisand loves watching Saturday Night Live. And
we know that because she's now. She had on social
media saw a wonderful new singer. I mean she's been
around for a little bit while, but I guess everyone
is still finding out about it named Gracie Abrams on
Saturday Night Live this weekend. She's wonderful.

Speaker 2 (01:39:09):
And did you know she's the daughter of my friend J.

Speaker 24 (01:39:11):
J Abrams, So there you go, JJ Abrams of course,
being the movie director in here, that's the other fun
fact everyone finds out about Gracie. So welcome to the party,
Barbara Glen. I'm glad to see her being positive and
supporting new young stars coming through brilliant.

Speaker 2 (01:39:23):
Thank you very much for their aunts and enjoy your evening. Everyone.
Thank you for all of your feedback. Have a great evening,
Star at the Crash. Actually man never ands wrong again.

Speaker 10 (01:39:47):
That cause.

Speaker 2 (01:40:00):
Call flatter, make it follow me?

Speaker 13 (01:40:07):
Hello?

Speaker 1 (01:40:08):
Sorry for more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live
to news Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio

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