June 9, 2025 • 9 mins
Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
NZ Rugby boss Mark Robinson has officially stepped down from the role. Are we surprised by this? How will he be remembered?
The Auditor-General has pointed out some very lavish spending by some school boards on parties, overseas travel, and building work. What do we make of this?
Is it normal to be an adult who's never tried KFC?
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty find You're
one of a.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Kind, which ps I don't know if you gathered just
from it. You know, broadly, it's not going to be
a hagiography of just is it. It's going to be
a little bit more critical, isn't it? Trisherson Mark Sainsbury.
I huddle this evening, Hell are you too?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Hello?
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Hello?
Speaker 4 (00:17):
And I wonder if that book will ask the one
question that none of the global interviewers did in that
water will cont Justina's book last year, which is what
result did your empathy and kindness deliver for the people
of New Zealand?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Can you answer that question?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Trush?
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Well, I can, and in fact, a lot of ballooning debt,
but well, ballooning ballooning debt, but also a lot of
people were talking last week about the lack of empathy
with some of the decisions and all of the you know,
all of the businesses that went up.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yep, balloon regrustrations, social division. I don't I think if
that's what empathy looks like, I'll just go empathy free
for the rest of my life.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
I find if it was empathy with a results. But
unlike k see, you didn't get it. Didn't get a
good salty side.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Did you. But you've been interviewed for the book, Eather. Yes,
Oh so there will be an empathetic.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
I'll be the lone voice who says Jack Thunder was great.
I loved her. Hey does this surprise.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
You at all? Saying so?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
To see Mark Robinson quit this early into David Kirk's tenure.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yeah, Look, it's interesting and I'm always fascinated when they
have those things, you know, wanting to spend more time
with the family. It was like, remember Boris Johnson's brother
resigned from cabinet to spend less time with the family.
But I mean it does seem genuine that his family
is over there.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
But it's recently dispatched this.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yeah, it's been it's been an interesting time and you
look at the whole Silver Ap deal and the player's
rebellion and all the stuff that he's sort of been through. Yeah,
you just think you may well have had enough time
to move on that it's in a funny state that
news in rugby union.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I just wondered, I thought Saint so he might have
read the room. I mean, David Kirk is the new
broom and he was going to pick up the old
Mark Robbo andrush him away.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Will't that?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
When he was speaking very sort of yeah, you know
what a wonderful job he had done. Is they always
do in these situations. Yeah, Lookluve've got a lot of
and of course don't forget Mark Rumson came in after
Steve Chu. You know, he's been something of an institution
that's always a hard actor for it.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
I wonder if Trish perhaps what they should do. I
mean I did say this. I do think that they
should get somebody who's not a rugby head in there.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
And also I heard you say that I completely agree,
and also somebody who doesn't speak rugby. Yeah, I mean
I think part of Mark's sort of issue during his tenure,
there's been some really stuff, tough stuff to deal with.
But if you watched him in some of those press conferences,
especially around Ian Foster, he actually looked stricken. He looked,
you know, absolutely ill with stress, and he often was
(02:49):
in interviews and you could hear interviewers frustrated because they
couldn't get a straight answer or words more than sort
of going forward in ninety minutes of rugby out of it.
I think the other point here, though, is they often
say in business that you have a chair and a
CEO for the season, and the chair CEO role is
absolutely critical in any organization. So David Kirk has come in.
(03:12):
He's the right chair for the season. He's got huge
commercial chops even though he came out of rugby originally.
Don't forget he's run things like Fairfax Media, and I
think he will be critical in recruiting the new CEO
and he will want someone with real commercial choir.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
And I see they're combining the job too, aren't they,
Because he's someone a separate CEO running the commercial money
raising activities in coming.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
That yeh and yeah, that's that seems silly.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
The huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty achieve extraordinary
results with unparallel.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Reach back of the huddle.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Trischurson, Mark Sainsbury. Trish, what did you make of the
school spending?
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Well, I am not a fan of this kind of
public money just sloshing around without any checks.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
And balance, because that's the problem here.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
This is the core of it. And so I take
it there is the six thousand dollars pot of money
available to principles for well being. But in one case
that the order to general pulled out, that six thousand
dollars was just paid over into someone's bank account. No
one then said, oh, hey, once you're back at school,
can you run us through you know what we need
(04:22):
to know out of your trip.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
So I think, because I don't know about you, but
if they paid me six thousand dollars for personal development,
I'd spend it on KFC, do you know what I mean?
Not think I was wasted on.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
That, Sally, that's the big bucket for you, but I
think I think that's the issue. And so there's two things.
At a personal level, it's not there's no checks and
balances when you've got anybody in an organization signing off
their own credit card, we've spent three principles well that
that is just very poor practice. And then at a
board level there's not enough oversight. And then from a
(04:53):
ministry level, they need to review that whole wellbeing scheme. Yes,
people are dress, but it doesn't mean you can just
get six thousand dollars cash, And in any.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Other it does if you're a T shirt well yeah, but.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
In any other business, if you were getting that type
of money that would have tax implications for you or
fringe benefit tax implications. So is that is that being
looked into now?
Speaker 3 (05:16):
The only other thing though, is the and I don't
know what the extent is of what the order still
hasn't released. But this was about fifty three schools, correct.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
About fifty four?
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Wife fifty four schools. There are two thousand, five hundred
and fifty three schools in New Zealand. So on one hand,
if you say, well, we only found a problem out
of two percent, you know that's not so. And I'm
not excusing the spending, but I think we do have
to keep it in perspective. Is it out of control
right across the educational sector? Or have they just picked
up something? But is it stupid spending?
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Isn't that part of the problem? Saying so? Is that
all it takes is one charity to waste money for
us to not want to give to any of them.
And the same thing is true of schools. Can I
ask you a question, do you think it's okay for
the school to spend the money on the jackets for
teachers for a school? Folk?
Speaker 3 (06:00):
See now, when I read that they started with saying
was for the school photo. Then they said it was
for outdoor. It's a hearing. So whether this was a
reprospective story a retrospective sort of thing to yeah, you
shouldn't be buying sort of jackets for the for the
school photos is a bit nef. You know, well, and
it's me and then I love the trip with some
(06:21):
of the kids didn't even go to the school. That
was the one that got me. But I come back
to if it's only fifty three schools out of two
thousand and five hundred and fifty three, you two are
just education haters.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Oh, thank you, thank you. I really hate radio listeners
could see that, says has actually got his calculations literally
written on the back of his hand by with a
ballpoint p.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Did you do it by you? Did you use the
phone calculator?
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Ye?
Speaker 3 (06:45):
No, no nose. When I was sitting there, I didn't
have any note, but I wonder, thought, now I must
remember that figure about so.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
You did do it in the calculator, and then right.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
In the calculator, I just wrote down two thousand and
five hundred and fifty three in my hand.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
That's what happens. That's what happened. In the days when
you've got a good mess.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yes, do you remember when he just could teach mat
I am going to need counseling after this. Do you
eat KFC now? Funny thing? No, not very really and
it's it's a hangover. And I worked with this one
of the most fabulous producers, Mary and a hern A.
You know really Mary and eating kfcly. I was weather
at the at the Democratic Party National Convention in Boston
(07:23):
in two thousand when she had McDonald's and pursues the
only food available at the time, first time ever. She's
a class and I've never seen a do it again. Yeah,
she's fabulous, fabulous chef, but well, dirty books.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
I love the fact that you covered your office this
afternoon in shame gravy, as Laura told me, by bringing
them all KFC. I have to let you know a
little secret about our family. We actually take pride in
the fact that we have popped a number of people's
KFC cherry. When you hear someone say, especially when our
kids were little, and we'd have other kids over and
(07:57):
they say, oh, we've never eaten KFC. Will we even
straight round there see the other parents, and we take
great pleasure in it.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
This is wonderful. I'm just going to turn up at
your house with a friend who has obviously eaten caves.
But we're gonna lie.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
To you because it will bring mary Anna Hernra.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah yeah, mary Anne, what are you doing?
Speaker 4 (08:16):
I need this tip also as a parent, if you're
running low on time to make a birthday cake when
the kids a little, take them to McDonald's, buy a
snow freeze and just whack a little candle in.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
That's your that's your DIY, so easy.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
I have actually done that.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
I love them. Hey guys, it's wonderful to have the.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Pair of you.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Yes, just before we go, kind I remind everyone that
it's Means Health Week this week and Barry is one
of our ambassadors. I'm hooking up with him. He is
because he's got a health he's got a great health story.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
He's a bad news story.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
No he's not.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
He's alive.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
What beacons of hope you two are.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
We we recognize the wives. That's why we market to
them as well, because are the ones who encourage me
to take their health more seriously.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
From you guys, Thank you both, Trishurs and Mark Sainsbury
seven Away.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
From six for more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen
live to News Talk SETB from four pm weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
The Huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty find You're
one of a.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Kind, which ps I don't know if you gathered just
from it. You know, broadly, it's not going to be
a hagiography of just is it. It's going to be
a little bit more critical, isn't it? Trisherson Mark Sainsbury.
I huddle this evening, Hell are you too?
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Hello?
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Hello?
Speaker 4 (00:17):
And I wonder if that book will ask the one
question that none of the global interviewers did in that
water will cont Justina's book last year, which is what
result did your empathy and kindness deliver for the people
of New Zealand?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Can you answer that question?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Trush?
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Well, I can, and in fact, a lot of ballooning debt,
but well, ballooning ballooning debt, but also a lot of
people were talking last week about the lack of empathy
with some of the decisions and all of the you know,
all of the businesses that went up.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yep, balloon regrustrations, social division. I don't I think if
that's what empathy looks like, I'll just go empathy free
for the rest of my life.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
I find if it was empathy with a results. But
unlike k see, you didn't get it. Didn't get a
good salty side.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Did you. But you've been interviewed for the book, Eather. Yes,
Oh so there will be an empathetic.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
I'll be the lone voice who says Jack Thunder was great.
I loved her. Hey does this surprise.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
You at all? Saying so?
Speaker 2 (01:17):
To see Mark Robinson quit this early into David Kirk's tenure.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Yeah, Look, it's interesting and I'm always fascinated when they
have those things, you know, wanting to spend more time
with the family. It was like, remember Boris Johnson's brother
resigned from cabinet to spend less time with the family.
But I mean it does seem genuine that his family
is over there.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
But it's recently dispatched this.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yeah, it's been it's been an interesting time and you
look at the whole Silver Ap deal and the player's
rebellion and all the stuff that he's sort of been through. Yeah,
you just think you may well have had enough time
to move on that it's in a funny state that
news in rugby union.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I just wondered, I thought Saint so he might have
read the room. I mean, David Kirk is the new
broom and he was going to pick up the old
Mark Robbo andrush him away.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Will't that?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
When he was speaking very sort of yeah, you know
what a wonderful job he had done. Is they always
do in these situations. Yeah, Lookluve've got a lot of
and of course don't forget Mark Rumson came in after
Steve Chu. You know, he's been something of an institution
that's always a hard actor for it.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
I wonder if Trish perhaps what they should do. I
mean I did say this. I do think that they
should get somebody who's not a rugby head in there.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
And also I heard you say that I completely agree,
and also somebody who doesn't speak rugby. Yeah, I mean
I think part of Mark's sort of issue during his tenure,
there's been some really stuff, tough stuff to deal with.
But if you watched him in some of those press conferences,
especially around Ian Foster, he actually looked stricken. He looked,
you know, absolutely ill with stress, and he often was
(02:49):
in interviews and you could hear interviewers frustrated because they
couldn't get a straight answer or words more than sort
of going forward in ninety minutes of rugby out of it.
I think the other point here, though, is they often
say in business that you have a chair and a
CEO for the season, and the chair CEO role is
absolutely critical in any organization. So David Kirk has come in.
(03:12):
He's the right chair for the season. He's got huge
commercial chops even though he came out of rugby originally.
Don't forget he's run things like Fairfax Media, and I
think he will be critical in recruiting the new CEO
and he will want someone with real commercial choir.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
And I see they're combining the job too, aren't they,
Because he's someone a separate CEO running the commercial money
raising activities in coming.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
That yeh and yeah, that's that seems silly.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
The huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty achieve extraordinary
results with unparallel.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Reach back of the huddle.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Trischurson, Mark Sainsbury. Trish, what did you make of the
school spending?
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Well, I am not a fan of this kind of
public money just sloshing around without any checks.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
And balance, because that's the problem here.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
This is the core of it. And so I take
it there is the six thousand dollars pot of money
available to principles for well being. But in one case
that the order to general pulled out, that six thousand
dollars was just paid over into someone's bank account. No
one then said, oh, hey, once you're back at school,
can you run us through you know what we need
(04:22):
to know out of your trip.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
So I think, because I don't know about you, but
if they paid me six thousand dollars for personal development,
I'd spend it on KFC, do you know what I mean?
Not think I was wasted on.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
That, Sally, that's the big bucket for you, but I
think I think that's the issue. And so there's two things.
At a personal level, it's not there's no checks and
balances when you've got anybody in an organization signing off
their own credit card, we've spent three principles well that
that is just very poor practice. And then at a
board level there's not enough oversight. And then from a
(04:53):
ministry level, they need to review that whole wellbeing scheme. Yes,
people are dress, but it doesn't mean you can just
get six thousand dollars cash, And in any.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Other it does if you're a T shirt well yeah, but.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
In any other business, if you were getting that type
of money that would have tax implications for you or
fringe benefit tax implications. So is that is that being
looked into now?
Speaker 3 (05:16):
The only other thing though, is the and I don't
know what the extent is of what the order still
hasn't released. But this was about fifty three schools, correct.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
About fifty four?
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Wife fifty four schools. There are two thousand, five hundred
and fifty three schools in New Zealand. So on one hand,
if you say, well, we only found a problem out
of two percent, you know that's not so. And I'm
not excusing the spending, but I think we do have
to keep it in perspective. Is it out of control
right across the educational sector? Or have they just picked
up something? But is it stupid spending?
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Isn't that part of the problem? Saying so? Is that
all it takes is one charity to waste money for
us to not want to give to any of them.
And the same thing is true of schools. Can I
ask you a question, do you think it's okay for
the school to spend the money on the jackets for
teachers for a school? Folk?
Speaker 3 (06:00):
See now, when I read that they started with saying
was for the school photo. Then they said it was
for outdoor. It's a hearing. So whether this was a
reprospective story a retrospective sort of thing to yeah, you
shouldn't be buying sort of jackets for the for the
school photos is a bit nef. You know, well, and
it's me and then I love the trip with some
(06:21):
of the kids didn't even go to the school. That
was the one that got me. But I come back
to if it's only fifty three schools out of two
thousand and five hundred and fifty three, you two are
just education haters.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Oh, thank you, thank you. I really hate radio listeners
could see that, says has actually got his calculations literally
written on the back of his hand by with a
ballpoint p.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Did you do it by you? Did you use the
phone calculator?
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Ye?
Speaker 3 (06:45):
No, no nose. When I was sitting there, I didn't
have any note, but I wonder, thought, now I must
remember that figure about so.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
You did do it in the calculator, and then right.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
In the calculator, I just wrote down two thousand and
five hundred and fifty three in my hand.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
That's what happens. That's what happened. In the days when
you've got a good mess.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yes, do you remember when he just could teach mat
I am going to need counseling after this. Do you
eat KFC now? Funny thing? No, not very really and
it's it's a hangover. And I worked with this one
of the most fabulous producers, Mary and a hern A.
You know really Mary and eating kfcly. I was weather
at the at the Democratic Party National Convention in Boston
(07:23):
in two thousand when she had McDonald's and pursues the
only food available at the time, first time ever. She's
a class and I've never seen a do it again. Yeah,
she's fabulous, fabulous chef, but well, dirty books.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
I love the fact that you covered your office this
afternoon in shame gravy, as Laura told me, by bringing
them all KFC. I have to let you know a
little secret about our family. We actually take pride in
the fact that we have popped a number of people's
KFC cherry. When you hear someone say, especially when our
kids were little, and we'd have other kids over and
(07:57):
they say, oh, we've never eaten KFC. Will we even
straight round there see the other parents, and we take
great pleasure in it.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
This is wonderful. I'm just going to turn up at
your house with a friend who has obviously eaten caves.
But we're gonna lie.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
To you because it will bring mary Anna Hernra.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah yeah, mary Anne, what are you doing?
Speaker 4 (08:16):
I need this tip also as a parent, if you're
running low on time to make a birthday cake when
the kids a little, take them to McDonald's, buy a
snow freeze and just whack a little candle in.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
That's your that's your DIY, so easy.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
I have actually done that.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
I love them. Hey guys, it's wonderful to have the.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Pair of you.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Yes, just before we go, kind I remind everyone that
it's Means Health Week this week and Barry is one
of our ambassadors. I'm hooking up with him. He is
because he's got a health he's got a great health story.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
He's a bad news story.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
No he's not.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
He's alive.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
What beacons of hope you two are.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
We we recognize the wives. That's why we market to
them as well, because are the ones who encourage me
to take their health more seriously.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
From you guys, Thank you both, Trishurs and Mark Sainsbury
seven Away.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
From six for more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen
live to News Talk SETB from four pm weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.