December 17, 2025 • 10 mins
Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and Jack Tame joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
Jevon McSkimming was today sentenced to 9 months home detention. Did we expect more?
The Government has scrapped the road cone hotline with six moths left to go. Do we think this is a total waste of money?
Trump's chief of staff did a Vanity Fair interview, but now says her quotes were taken completely out of context. What do we make of this?
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Huddle with New Zealand Southby's International Realty, a name
you can trust locally and globally.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
On the Huddle tonight, Jack Tame, host of Q and
A on Saturday mornings here on News Talk ZB Jack,
good afternoon to you.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Hi.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Our Jordan Williams is as well from the Taxpayers Union.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Hey Jordan, hallo you too.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
We'll start with the mix skimming sentence. So nine months
home detention, Jordan, did you expect more?
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah? I did. I can't believe it, you know, ten
years of or it admitted ten years of offending. Of course,
being it looks like the judges got to eighteen months
in prisonment because that's less than two years. The judge
has a discretion to make that home detention, and by
doing that, the sentence is then halved because if you
(00:46):
are sentenced to eighteen months in prison, you're automatically out
in half the time. So when they convert it to
home detention, it is halved. I think that most of
these Islanders would be shocked how lenient our sentences are
in the on his favor, it's a first offense, but
I'd argue someone in such a position of power and
(01:06):
authority what a perfect example to be made, an example
of you know what you know, ten years of awful,
awful Kenny Pawn and bast reality and what's the punishment?
Go home and watch Netflix. I think it's disgusting, Jack, A.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Lot of you can imagine what people are saying on
the text machine, Jack, And the fact that here was
a police officer, they say, is kind of a reason
to not put you know, he would be a target
if you put him in prison.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Oh, I mean, there are mechanisms in prison that can
provide additional protection to inmates. I was personally very surprised,
but I had just I think, going into today, I
was expecting a custodial sentence and thought that would be that,
and that obviously wasn't the case. But I mean, I
suppose the one the one I've got a nine months
old who screaming, I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
I suppose the one.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Countermeasure I would say is that his reputation is destroyed,
his career is destroyed, as prospects of future employment are destroyed.
He probably feels like he can't be seen in public.
And I suppose those are all kind of, you know, considerations.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
For the judge in this case. As well.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Jordan Williams and Jack Tam on the Huddle tonight. We'll
be back to talk about the road Cone hotline that's
now dead in the water.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
The Huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty, the only
truly global brand.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Sixteen to six. Welcome back, Jack Tam and Jordan Williams
on the Huddle tonight. Jordan, I don't imagine. Well, actually,
do you agree with Labor that this road cone hotline
thing was a total waste of money?
Speaker 3 (02:36):
I really hope Nichola Willis isn't listening, but yes, I
totally agree with Labor. It was a total waste of money.
Did either of you guys, have either of you used it? No? No,
if Jack, have you used it? I did use it
because I'm one of these people that are triggered by times.
There was a cone keeping me up that night. It
was looking at me down from the end of my driveway.
(02:58):
So I got up in the night to use the
twenty four hour home Cone hotline. But I found it's
not actually a hotline, it's not twenty four hours. It's
just nothing but a web form, totally useless. So I
found the better way. If you're one of those people
worried is just call your local MP. So I just
called Brook and tell her about the Cones because you
know that's what we were told we were getting.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Did you think about moving it yourself?
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Oh? Well, the thing is with Cones is that one
of those I mean, just talk to the Auckland Mirror.
It's emotionally triggering. Ryan. You know, you shouldn't just joke
about these sorts of things. But look, I just just
give Brook a call, you know, two seven three zero
zero six six, and you know, just.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Give That's not it, that's not an actual number, right, No,
of course, okay, Jack, do you think because the problem
with the road Cones that I think the act Party
and the Coalition was trying to address is that people
felt like they were completely powerless, that they were taking
over the streets. And so you give people a hot line,
(03:58):
a button depress going relieve your stresses.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
It was a form, not a hotline whatever it was now.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
But at what costs? I mean for the latest numbers
that I've seen today, and maybe the Minister can upgrade
these were it up until September it had cost us
almost one hundred and fifty thousand dollars as taxpayers. So
if you break it down per complaint, Labor reckons it's
about one hundred and thirty five bucks per complaint, the
Greens reckons it's more than seven hundred dollars per road
(04:28):
cone actually moved, and apparently the vast majority, like eighty
five or eighty six percent of the complaints that were
investigated actually turned out to be totally compliant. So I
just think it's hard to seriously make an argument that
this has been much more than just a performative stunt.
And honestly, when it was first introduced, the sense I
got was that they were just trying to, you know,
(04:49):
kind of piggyback on some of the support that Wayne
Brown had had with his road cone messaging, and they
were just trying to have a piece of that.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
He was he was on the hot line all day
and night. Yeah, one hundred fare.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
All right, Well, but I guess the only point you
could make is that it's shown that when people complain
about stuff, so people see that there's a problem, and
then just because they're compliant, does that mean that there's
nothing to see here? Or does that mean that the
rules are too stringent and that we shouldn't be having
so many road cones in the first place.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
You know what I'm saying, that would be well, that's
exactly the issue. Brook has otherwise been an outstanding minister.
But the real issue is our health and safety laws
have this you've got to take as a personal liability
on directors. You've got to take all practicable steps, which
the courts have interpreted as the industry standard, meaning that
you know, the fiftyth percentile. So what that means is
(05:41):
that everyone is striving to be higher than average in
order to be compliant with the law. So when you
have things like road cones, you just slap the rational
thing under the law is just slapped down as many
as you possibly can, because technically half of the road
works is not compliant with the law because it's not
taking all practicable steps to be say exactly that was
the test that needed to be fixed. Not with the
(06:03):
greatest respect to my local MP. This gimmick.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Jack Susie Wiles the story in Vanity Fair, how can
you have like, who do you believe? She says, no, Look,
everything was taken out of context and if you read
some of what she had said that you know the
not necessarily Vanity Fear, but the reporting of it has
has kind of tipped it on its head a little bit.
Do you agree.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
I look, I thought, okay, what could the context possibly
be for these quotes? And I'm not sure that the
detail she's given around them fundamentally changes the sensational nature
of what she said. I mean, I think what she
said is pretty extraordinary, to be honest, and I'm surprised
that someone has experienced as her would put herself up
(06:49):
for an interview with an outfit like Vanity Fear making,
you know, regardless of the context, making comments where she
compares the president to having an alcoholics personality and not
expect those comments to be, you know, to spread like wildfire.
I mean, it seems like the epitome of naivity to me.
That that being said, you know, I actually kind of
(07:11):
understand the point she's making with the with the alcoholics personality,
and I don't know how she intended it to be
quite as quite as critical as it as it's come off.
But yeah, I just I just can't imagine how you're
going into into an interview with Nity Fear say something
like that and then not expected to spread around the world.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Maybe she did. Maybe it's all a plot, you know,
to go after the fourth of State. Jordan, did you
see the comments that she made? What did you make?
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Though? It was very odd, especially at some sort of level,
that there wasn't a third party or press secretary or
something recording. You know, the current White House is very
selective on who they have in that press pool and
who they speak to, and really well they toss people
out if you are seen to be not just speaking
out of turn, but speaking to the wrong people. So
(07:56):
it is a little bit of a head scratcher, but
it's why it's always why live radio is best, because
then it's hard for you know, those those journalists in
print to misinterpret or be sneaky with what you've said.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yeah, nd Per, it can always be chopped up online later,
but that's another issue. Hey, just before we go, what's
happened with Ruth Jordan?
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Wise? She pulled out of this debate. I got sick
of the sick of being jerked round the you know,
it turns out the big challenge, Just be clear, the
big challenge was laid down by Nichola willis old about
you any time anywhere, But apparently it was only where
she wanted, the time she wanted, and with the moderator
she wanted. And actually it's now become clear what the
whole thing of going after Ruth and making the frankly
(08:39):
disgraceful comments about you know, training in human misery and
trampling on the history of the National Party and Ruth's
excellent legacy and economic growth, and that soon followed with
actually just a distraction to those diabolical numbers yesterday. And
so Ruth right, Andy said, look three, here's three good offers,
(09:01):
one which involved you know, your good show and you
hosting it, and instead Nichola Willis's she's out there booking
her own rooms, booking this, insisting on that. And actually
what she has said publicly did not match what or
her offices, what her office was saying behind the scenes,
as as you know, so as you can tell, a
(09:21):
little bit irritated, but I.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Can hear that as much as you were about the
road coming previous week.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
The previous week the issue was school lunches, and we've
now had eleven days of talking about far more important matters,
and that is the fiscals of New zeal Jack.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Did you like the fudge?
Speaker 4 (09:40):
I did like the fudge yep, and and it was
I've got to say it was very professionally packed.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
It was so it was do a great job.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Who did that?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Was it not a proper food company?
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Were the proper food company do it? But we did.
We did repack some of the something like not the
actual fuds, but the boxers were in the boxes were
repacked and it was all hands on deck. Okay, very good.
I lost track how.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Many days ago it was Jordan Williams, dictator on the huddle.
Thanks guys for more.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
From Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live to news talks
it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
The Huddle with New Zealand Southby's International Realty, a name
you can trust locally and globally.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
On the Huddle tonight, Jack Tame, host of Q and
A on Saturday mornings here on News Talk ZB Jack,
good afternoon to you.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Hi.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Our Jordan Williams is as well from the Taxpayers Union.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Hey Jordan, hallo you too.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
We'll start with the mix skimming sentence. So nine months
home detention, Jordan, did you expect more?
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah? I did. I can't believe it, you know, ten
years of or it admitted ten years of offending. Of course,
being it looks like the judges got to eighteen months
in prisonment because that's less than two years. The judge
has a discretion to make that home detention, and by
doing that, the sentence is then halved because if you
(00:46):
are sentenced to eighteen months in prison, you're automatically out
in half the time. So when they convert it to
home detention, it is halved. I think that most of
these Islanders would be shocked how lenient our sentences are
in the on his favor, it's a first offense, but
I'd argue someone in such a position of power and
(01:06):
authority what a perfect example to be made, an example
of you know what you know, ten years of awful,
awful Kenny Pawn and bast reality and what's the punishment?
Go home and watch Netflix. I think it's disgusting, Jack, A.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Lot of you can imagine what people are saying on
the text machine, Jack, And the fact that here was
a police officer, they say, is kind of a reason
to not put you know, he would be a target
if you put him in prison.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Oh, I mean, there are mechanisms in prison that can
provide additional protection to inmates. I was personally very surprised,
but I had just I think, going into today, I
was expecting a custodial sentence and thought that would be that,
and that obviously wasn't the case. But I mean, I
suppose the one the one I've got a nine months
old who screaming, I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
I suppose the one.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
Countermeasure I would say is that his reputation is destroyed,
his career is destroyed, as prospects of future employment are destroyed.
He probably feels like he can't be seen in public.
And I suppose those are all kind of, you know, considerations.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
For the judge in this case. As well.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Jordan Williams and Jack Tam on the Huddle tonight. We'll
be back to talk about the road Cone hotline that's
now dead in the water.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
The Huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty, the only
truly global brand.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Sixteen to six. Welcome back, Jack Tam and Jordan Williams
on the Huddle tonight. Jordan, I don't imagine. Well, actually,
do you agree with Labor that this road cone hotline
thing was a total waste of money?
Speaker 3 (02:36):
I really hope Nichola Willis isn't listening, but yes, I
totally agree with Labor. It was a total waste of money.
Did either of you guys, have either of you used it? No? No,
if Jack, have you used it? I did use it
because I'm one of these people that are triggered by times.
There was a cone keeping me up that night. It
was looking at me down from the end of my driveway.
(02:58):
So I got up in the night to use the
twenty four hour home Cone hotline. But I found it's
not actually a hotline, it's not twenty four hours. It's
just nothing but a web form, totally useless. So I
found the better way. If you're one of those people
worried is just call your local MP. So I just
called Brook and tell her about the Cones because you
know that's what we were told we were getting.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Did you think about moving it yourself?
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Oh? Well, the thing is with Cones is that one
of those I mean, just talk to the Auckland Mirror.
It's emotionally triggering. Ryan. You know, you shouldn't just joke
about these sorts of things. But look, I just just
give Brook a call, you know, two seven three zero
zero six six, and you know, just.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Give That's not it, that's not an actual number, right, No,
of course, okay, Jack, do you think because the problem
with the road Cones that I think the act Party
and the Coalition was trying to address is that people
felt like they were completely powerless, that they were taking
over the streets. And so you give people a hot line,
(03:58):
a button depress going relieve your stresses.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
It was a form, not a hotline whatever it was now.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
But at what costs? I mean for the latest numbers
that I've seen today, and maybe the Minister can upgrade
these were it up until September it had cost us
almost one hundred and fifty thousand dollars as taxpayers. So
if you break it down per complaint, Labor reckons it's
about one hundred and thirty five bucks per complaint, the
Greens reckons it's more than seven hundred dollars per road
(04:28):
cone actually moved, and apparently the vast majority, like eighty
five or eighty six percent of the complaints that were
investigated actually turned out to be totally compliant. So I
just think it's hard to seriously make an argument that
this has been much more than just a performative stunt.
And honestly, when it was first introduced, the sense I
got was that they were just trying to, you know,
(04:49):
kind of piggyback on some of the support that Wayne
Brown had had with his road cone messaging, and they
were just trying to have a piece of that.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
He was he was on the hot line all day
and night. Yeah, one hundred fare.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
All right, Well, but I guess the only point you
could make is that it's shown that when people complain
about stuff, so people see that there's a problem, and
then just because they're compliant, does that mean that there's
nothing to see here? Or does that mean that the
rules are too stringent and that we shouldn't be having
so many road cones in the first place.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
You know what I'm saying, that would be well, that's
exactly the issue. Brook has otherwise been an outstanding minister.
But the real issue is our health and safety laws
have this you've got to take as a personal liability
on directors. You've got to take all practicable steps, which
the courts have interpreted as the industry standard, meaning that
you know, the fiftyth percentile. So what that means is
(05:41):
that everyone is striving to be higher than average in
order to be compliant with the law. So when you
have things like road cones, you just slap the rational
thing under the law is just slapped down as many
as you possibly can, because technically half of the road
works is not compliant with the law because it's not
taking all practicable steps to be say exactly that was
the test that needed to be fixed. Not with the
(06:03):
greatest respect to my local MP. This gimmick.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Jack Susie Wiles the story in Vanity Fair, how can
you have like, who do you believe? She says, no, Look,
everything was taken out of context and if you read
some of what she had said that you know the
not necessarily Vanity Fear, but the reporting of it has
has kind of tipped it on its head a little bit.
Do you agree.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
I look, I thought, okay, what could the context possibly
be for these quotes? And I'm not sure that the
detail she's given around them fundamentally changes the sensational nature
of what she said. I mean, I think what she
said is pretty extraordinary, to be honest, and I'm surprised
that someone has experienced as her would put herself up
(06:49):
for an interview with an outfit like Vanity Fear making,
you know, regardless of the context, making comments where she
compares the president to having an alcoholics personality and not
expect those comments to be, you know, to spread like wildfire.
I mean, it seems like the epitome of naivity to me.
That that being said, you know, I actually kind of
(07:11):
understand the point she's making with the with the alcoholics personality,
and I don't know how she intended it to be
quite as quite as critical as it as it's come off.
But yeah, I just I just can't imagine how you're
going into into an interview with Nity Fear say something
like that and then not expected to spread around the world.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Maybe she did. Maybe it's all a plot, you know,
to go after the fourth of State. Jordan, did you
see the comments that she made? What did you make?
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Though? It was very odd, especially at some sort of level,
that there wasn't a third party or press secretary or
something recording. You know, the current White House is very
selective on who they have in that press pool and
who they speak to, and really well they toss people
out if you are seen to be not just speaking
out of turn, but speaking to the wrong people. So
(07:56):
it is a little bit of a head scratcher, but
it's why it's always why live radio is best, because
then it's hard for you know, those those journalists in
print to misinterpret or be sneaky with what you've said.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Yeah, nd Per, it can always be chopped up online later,
but that's another issue. Hey, just before we go, what's
happened with Ruth Jordan?
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Wise? She pulled out of this debate. I got sick
of the sick of being jerked round the you know,
it turns out the big challenge, Just be clear, the
big challenge was laid down by Nichola willis old about
you any time anywhere, But apparently it was only where
she wanted, the time she wanted, and with the moderator
she wanted. And actually it's now become clear what the
whole thing of going after Ruth and making the frankly
(08:39):
disgraceful comments about you know, training in human misery and
trampling on the history of the National Party and Ruth's
excellent legacy and economic growth, and that soon followed with
actually just a distraction to those diabolical numbers yesterday. And
so Ruth right, Andy said, look three, here's three good offers,
(09:01):
one which involved you know, your good show and you
hosting it, and instead Nichola Willis's she's out there booking
her own rooms, booking this, insisting on that. And actually
what she has said publicly did not match what or
her offices, what her office was saying behind the scenes,
as as you know, so as you can tell, a
(09:21):
little bit irritated, but I.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Can hear that as much as you were about the
road coming previous week.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
The previous week the issue was school lunches, and we've
now had eleven days of talking about far more important matters,
and that is the fiscals of New zeal Jack.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Did you like the fudge?
Speaker 4 (09:40):
I did like the fudge yep, and and it was
I've got to say it was very professionally packed.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
It was so it was do a great job.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Who did that?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Was it not a proper food company?
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Were the proper food company do it? But we did.
We did repack some of the something like not the
actual fuds, but the boxers were in the boxes were
repacked and it was all hands on deck. Okay, very good.
I lost track how.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Many days ago it was Jordan Williams, dictator on the huddle.
Thanks guys for more.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
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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