February 17, 2026 • 9 mins
Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day, and more!
The ACT Party is looking to make changes to the End of Life Choice Act, and it's prompted concerns from critics about what it could mean for the healthcare system? Do we think these are warranted?
The Government is looking into tolling the Auckland Harbour Bridge, as well as the second harbour crossing. Do we think this is realistic?
What do we think of the new birth statistics data. More women are delaying kids until they get older. What do we think of this?
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Twenty away from six the Huddle with New Zealand Southerby's
(00:03):
International Realty, a name you can trust locally and globally.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
On the Huddle of Us this evening, Ali Jones read
PR Morris Williams and Auckland Councilor for the National Party Minister.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Hell are you too, hiever? Ali? Are you okay with that?
Speaker 4 (00:16):
Well? Not?
Speaker 5 (00:16):
I don't agree with Alex Pink. I think AX changes
as I understand them, won't make anyone do anything they
can't really do.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Now.
Speaker 5 (00:27):
I mean, I do understand that point that you were making.
I think was very valid that that six months could
be six months of a horrendous, revolting time for people,
you know, suffering a terminal illness. Of course, you can't
always be one hundred percent right that someone has a
terminal illness, but I haven't seen the stats. I think
they've probably pretty much on the money these days when
(00:47):
they say someone's got a terminal illness. And I think
to your point too, people should be able to make
that choice. I don't see any problems with this, and
I support from what I can see AX changes.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Marris, Yeah, totally support, But I'm at the very end
of this debate. I've just had one hundred and one
year old mum die and for most of that years,
right up until three or four months before the end,
perfectly in great condition, totally in control. But in the
last three months and such pain and agony at work
at hospital and pleading with me to find a way
(01:18):
she could move on. I've seen people when I was
in the Health ministry of a number of people who
had completely lost who they were, where they were, and
what they were. And I promise you can put on
the show and keep the record if I'm ever in
that state, and sometimes a counsel I feel like I am,
I'd rather shuffle off the planet really quickly.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Right if they put you down, Morris will use.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
This good defense, they'd be as a reference. I'm okay
with it. I just think it's the perfect way to go.
I think that's a big debate between those with very
strict religious beliefs and those of us that are more
sort of I don't know, not that fussed about all
the religious stuff anymore.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Well, I think even some people who are fuss about
religious stuff are not really that stressed out about this.
And you know, as it should be, because you're going to
go meet your maker, which is what you want the
whole time, isn't it Allie?
Speaker 3 (02:06):
The infrastructure plan.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
You looked at this, you saw how much money had
to be spent, You saw how little we are spending
in the right places, and your first reaction was what, Well.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
My first reaction was, ah, who Look, I don't know
whether this infrastructure plan is what we need. I obviously
haven't read the whole thing framework to deliver infrastructure for
New Zealand over the next thirty years. But I think
we need to know two things. Seriously, why are we
so inefficient? I mean, we're spending you know, five point
eight percent of GDP, We're up there, but our inefficiency
(02:36):
is you know, we're right down the bottom. So I
think we need to find out why we are so inefficient.
That actually is more important to me than signing off
some of the stuff in this report. And I think
the other thing we need when we hear stuff like
we need more hospitals, yeah, of course we do, and
we have to invest in our health system. But I
think we have to look at the health system holistically.
If we actually address some of the issues with primary health,
(02:58):
that will stop people having to go into hospital. To me,
this just seems like a kind of a let's throw
something at a wall and see how it sticks and
goes along with what most people want. It doesn't steal
right to me. It doesn't feel robust.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Maurice.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Well, you do all the planning in the world, but
it's delivery that matters. I mean, labor had this big
plan to build a cycle way across the wide amount
of Harbor, and they were going to put a light
rail down Dominion Road and all sorts of None of
it happened. The problem has too. We've got two serious
issues with New so And first of all, we're not
the wealthy country we would like to think we are,
so we can't afford some of the standards of infrastructure.
(03:35):
I just spent the Christmas break in Dubai. They're going
to be building thirty kilometers of rail in the next
three years. We couldn't build three kilometers of rail in
six or nine years and we still haven't got it open.
So I think Ali's right the inefficiency of our delivery.
You know, we're going to build the International Convention Center
and happened open in twenty twenty one. It's only just opened,
(03:57):
and there is a plethora of examples where the budget
has been more than twice or three times and the
delivery has been three or four times what was supposed
to be, And so we're not a wealthy country. And
the thing that really got to me was Treasury's forecast
that if we carry on just as we are, this
is not spending more, the debt at GDP RATIOW will
be two hundred percent to GDP by twenty sixty five.
(04:18):
That's only a generation from now, two hundred and thirty
seven thousand dollar debt for every person in the country.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Yeah, massive, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
You're right, we just aren't healthy.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah, you're totally right, not wealthy enough, all of the stuff. Okay,
take me break, come back shortly.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
The huddle with New Zealand Southeby's international real team, the
only truly global brand.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
You're back with the huddle, Morris Williamson and Allie Jones.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Morris, you see those interesting stats about how many babies
are now not being born to mums who are under
twenty five.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
I did, and I think that they missed the real
big point here. Those stats suggest that the number of
births were about the same two generations ago. In nineteen
sixty five as they are today. But I've got some
numbers I just did before we come on the program.
The female population in New Zealand back in ninety sixty
five was one point three. Now it's two point seven.
(05:08):
So the female population of New Zealand has more than
doubled in that time. But we've had about the same
number of births. And then when you look at the
number of twenty five year olds, it was about two
point one percent of the female population and now it's
point three. What that just suggests is that you know,
in the old day, see I'm old enough to remember
all this in ninety sixty five, but you used to
(05:30):
get married, get pregnant, and then have a baby. Every
now and then it was get pregnant and get married
and have a baby, but not not the sort of standard.
But now it's anything goes and you can buy the
morning after pill whenever you want it, however you like.
And so the young women of today have got all
sorts of flexibility. And one last thing from ninety sixty five.
You won't believe it, but I promise you can check
(05:52):
it out. The vast bulk of occupations made women have
to quit work if they got married. And I've thought
about it. He was coming next, even the teaching profession,
air hostesses, so no wonder it was my only option
in life is I'll have babies. And now women have
got so many more avenues of full time career. Sometimes
(06:13):
don't want to have children, mostly don't even want to
bloke around nowadays, and so it's up to them, and
good on them. But it's a fantastic change happened in
only two generations.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yes, that is the remarkable thing, Allie, is how quickly
it has happened, just in sixty years.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
Yeah right, I mean I had mine older.
Speaker 6 (06:30):
I was just over thirty one when I had my first,
and I was thirty five when I had my second.
My mother was twenty four, so you know that was
It's incredible. But I think there's more to it than
I do agree with what Morris is saying with you
know the fact that it was very traditional and women
stopped work and you know all these things.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
But I think we stopped they had to stop work.
Speaker 5 (06:54):
Yeah yeah, yeah, well exactly. But I think a change
in traditional roles as well. You know, we've got women
out working, men at home. Kids are expensive cost of
living plays a part in this as well, and also
something that our girlfriend and I were talking about the
other day. People having babies older means that grandparents may
not be around to help, you know, as much as
they did in the past, so you don't have that
(07:15):
extra help that you'd normally have, So you might just
settle for one or two instead of three or four.
But yeah, amazing how that's changed in that period of time.
Colord's expensive though, aren't they expensive?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
But you know what I reckon if I could have
changed things, like if I could have had my cake
and eaten at too, it would have been that I
would have had my kids abou about ten years earlier,
just so that my mum could see more of what
they get up to, and then I can see more
of what their kids get up to, don't you think.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
No, you're right, And I remember again discussing this with friends.
You know, there were so many advantages to having babies early.
There's never a perfect time financially or whatever, but also
some really good reasons to have it a bit later.
But don't leave it too late. No, I agree with
you too, Heather.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Yeah, totally all right, Now, how do you feel about this? Polyme.
I can't, Morris, I can't help but feel that the
poly market.
Speaker 6 (08:01):
Year.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Sure, it's illegal, but Jesus's twenty twenty six and it's
the Internet. Do we really have to police what people
are gambling putting their money on.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
No. I don't think so, and I don't think you can.
I think in the end there will be virtual private
network providers and all sorts of people that can put
you under the radar and allow you to go. You know,
the horse has bolted And I don't want to use
that expression and gambling, but the horse has bolted with
regards to oh, we can control what our populace does
and sees and his and it was starlink satellites going
(08:30):
above you and putting phenomenal bandwidth down virtual private networks.
We would love to control a whole lot of things.
We would love to stop a whole lot of things.
I don't know whether you saw the news in Iran,
but the number of people in Iran who are now
getting starlink kits into their properties and being able to
go back on the Internet. I'm one of these people
who don't think will ever get to control it.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Yeah, what do you reckon? Ellie?
Speaker 5 (08:51):
Yeah, I don't think you'll be able to stop it either.
I'm more concerned to hear that you can still gamble
using a VPN, but I can't access TV and Z
or my Netflix account to go to Australia.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
And that's right. We should get them running the old
gambling system. That will sort it out.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
Eight.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Thanks guys, as always. That's Morris Williamson and Ali Jones
a huddle this evening. This is the other thing people
are betting on. Twenty twenty eight. US presidential election front
runners are jd Vance, Gary Gavin Newsom, Marco Rubio and AOC.
And also The Rock is in the mix and the
Rock is paying seventy one dollars forty three And I
will remind you the Rock being in the mix for
twenty twenty eight has got higher payout than Jesus coming
(09:29):
back by the end of this year.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
news Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Twenty away from six the Huddle with New Zealand Southerby's
(00:03):
International Realty, a name you can trust locally and globally.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
On the Huddle of Us this evening, Ali Jones read
PR Morris Williams and Auckland Councilor for the National Party Minister.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Hell are you too, hiever? Ali? Are you okay with that?
Speaker 4 (00:16):
Well? Not?
Speaker 5 (00:16):
I don't agree with Alex Pink. I think AX changes
as I understand them, won't make anyone do anything they
can't really do.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Now.
Speaker 5 (00:27):
I mean, I do understand that point that you were making.
I think was very valid that that six months could
be six months of a horrendous, revolting time for people,
you know, suffering a terminal illness. Of course, you can't
always be one hundred percent right that someone has a
terminal illness, but I haven't seen the stats. I think
they've probably pretty much on the money these days when
(00:47):
they say someone's got a terminal illness. And I think
to your point too, people should be able to make
that choice. I don't see any problems with this, and
I support from what I can see AX changes.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Marris, Yeah, totally support, But I'm at the very end
of this debate. I've just had one hundred and one
year old mum die and for most of that years,
right up until three or four months before the end,
perfectly in great condition, totally in control. But in the
last three months and such pain and agony at work
at hospital and pleading with me to find a way
(01:18):
she could move on. I've seen people when I was
in the Health ministry of a number of people who
had completely lost who they were, where they were, and
what they were. And I promise you can put on
the show and keep the record if I'm ever in
that state, and sometimes a counsel I feel like I am,
I'd rather shuffle off the planet really quickly.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Right if they put you down, Morris will use.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
This good defense, they'd be as a reference. I'm okay
with it. I just think it's the perfect way to go.
I think that's a big debate between those with very
strict religious beliefs and those of us that are more
sort of I don't know, not that fussed about all
the religious stuff anymore.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Well, I think even some people who are fuss about
religious stuff are not really that stressed out about this.
And you know, as it should be, because you're going to
go meet your maker, which is what you want the
whole time, isn't it Allie?
Speaker 3 (02:06):
The infrastructure plan.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
You looked at this, you saw how much money had
to be spent, You saw how little we are spending
in the right places, and your first reaction was what, Well.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
My first reaction was, ah, who Look, I don't know
whether this infrastructure plan is what we need. I obviously
haven't read the whole thing framework to deliver infrastructure for
New Zealand over the next thirty years. But I think
we need to know two things. Seriously, why are we
so inefficient? I mean, we're spending you know, five point
eight percent of GDP, We're up there, but our inefficiency
(02:36):
is you know, we're right down the bottom. So I
think we need to find out why we are so inefficient.
That actually is more important to me than signing off
some of the stuff in this report. And I think
the other thing we need when we hear stuff like
we need more hospitals, yeah, of course we do, and
we have to invest in our health system. But I
think we have to look at the health system holistically.
If we actually address some of the issues with primary health,
(02:58):
that will stop people having to go into hospital. To me,
this just seems like a kind of a let's throw
something at a wall and see how it sticks and
goes along with what most people want. It doesn't steal
right to me. It doesn't feel robust.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Maurice.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Well, you do all the planning in the world, but
it's delivery that matters. I mean, labor had this big
plan to build a cycle way across the wide amount
of Harbor, and they were going to put a light
rail down Dominion Road and all sorts of None of
it happened. The problem has too. We've got two serious
issues with New so And first of all, we're not
the wealthy country we would like to think we are,
so we can't afford some of the standards of infrastructure.
(03:35):
I just spent the Christmas break in Dubai. They're going
to be building thirty kilometers of rail in the next
three years. We couldn't build three kilometers of rail in
six or nine years and we still haven't got it open.
So I think Ali's right the inefficiency of our delivery.
You know, we're going to build the International Convention Center
and happened open in twenty twenty one. It's only just opened,
(03:57):
and there is a plethora of examples where the budget
has been more than twice or three times and the
delivery has been three or four times what was supposed
to be, And so we're not a wealthy country. And
the thing that really got to me was Treasury's forecast
that if we carry on just as we are, this
is not spending more, the debt at GDP RATIOW will
be two hundred percent to GDP by twenty sixty five.
(04:18):
That's only a generation from now, two hundred and thirty
seven thousand dollar debt for every person in the country.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Yeah, massive, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
You're right, we just aren't healthy.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah, you're totally right, not wealthy enough, all of the stuff. Okay,
take me break, come back shortly.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
The huddle with New Zealand Southeby's international real team, the
only truly global brand.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
You're back with the huddle, Morris Williamson and Allie Jones.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Morris, you see those interesting stats about how many babies
are now not being born to mums who are under
twenty five.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
I did, and I think that they missed the real
big point here. Those stats suggest that the number of
births were about the same two generations ago. In nineteen
sixty five as they are today. But I've got some
numbers I just did before we come on the program.
The female population in New Zealand back in ninety sixty
five was one point three. Now it's two point seven.
(05:08):
So the female population of New Zealand has more than
doubled in that time. But we've had about the same
number of births. And then when you look at the
number of twenty five year olds, it was about two
point one percent of the female population and now it's
point three. What that just suggests is that you know,
in the old day, see I'm old enough to remember
all this in ninety sixty five, but you used to
(05:30):
get married, get pregnant, and then have a baby. Every
now and then it was get pregnant and get married
and have a baby, but not not the sort of standard.
But now it's anything goes and you can buy the
morning after pill whenever you want it, however you like.
And so the young women of today have got all
sorts of flexibility. And one last thing from ninety sixty five.
You won't believe it, but I promise you can check
(05:52):
it out. The vast bulk of occupations made women have
to quit work if they got married. And I've thought
about it. He was coming next, even the teaching profession,
air hostesses, so no wonder it was my only option
in life is I'll have babies. And now women have
got so many more avenues of full time career. Sometimes
(06:13):
don't want to have children, mostly don't even want to
bloke around nowadays, and so it's up to them, and
good on them. But it's a fantastic change happened in
only two generations.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yes, that is the remarkable thing, Allie, is how quickly
it has happened, just in sixty years.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
Yeah right, I mean I had mine older.
Speaker 6 (06:30):
I was just over thirty one when I had my first,
and I was thirty five when I had my second.
My mother was twenty four, so you know that was
It's incredible. But I think there's more to it than
I do agree with what Morris is saying with you
know the fact that it was very traditional and women
stopped work and you know all these things.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
But I think we stopped they had to stop work.
Speaker 5 (06:54):
Yeah yeah, yeah, well exactly. But I think a change
in traditional roles as well. You know, we've got women
out working, men at home. Kids are expensive cost of
living plays a part in this as well, and also
something that our girlfriend and I were talking about the
other day. People having babies older means that grandparents may
not be around to help, you know, as much as
they did in the past, so you don't have that
(07:15):
extra help that you'd normally have, So you might just
settle for one or two instead of three or four.
But yeah, amazing how that's changed in that period of time.
Colord's expensive though, aren't they expensive?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
But you know what I reckon if I could have
changed things, like if I could have had my cake
and eaten at too, it would have been that I
would have had my kids abou about ten years earlier,
just so that my mum could see more of what
they get up to, and then I can see more
of what their kids get up to, don't you think.
Speaker 5 (07:41):
No, you're right, And I remember again discussing this with friends.
You know, there were so many advantages to having babies early.
There's never a perfect time financially or whatever, but also
some really good reasons to have it a bit later.
But don't leave it too late. No, I agree with
you too, Heather.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Yeah, totally all right, Now, how do you feel about this? Polyme.
I can't, Morris, I can't help but feel that the
poly market.
Speaker 6 (08:01):
Year.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Sure, it's illegal, but Jesus's twenty twenty six and it's
the Internet. Do we really have to police what people
are gambling putting their money on.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
No. I don't think so, and I don't think you can.
I think in the end there will be virtual private
network providers and all sorts of people that can put
you under the radar and allow you to go. You know,
the horse has bolted And I don't want to use
that expression and gambling, but the horse has bolted with
regards to oh, we can control what our populace does
and sees and his and it was starlink satellites going
(08:30):
above you and putting phenomenal bandwidth down virtual private networks.
We would love to control a whole lot of things.
We would love to stop a whole lot of things.
I don't know whether you saw the news in Iran,
but the number of people in Iran who are now
getting starlink kits into their properties and being able to
go back on the Internet. I'm one of these people
who don't think will ever get to control it.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Yeah, what do you reckon? Ellie?
Speaker 5 (08:51):
Yeah, I don't think you'll be able to stop it either.
I'm more concerned to hear that you can still gamble
using a VPN, but I can't access TV and Z
or my Netflix account to go to Australia.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
And that's right. We should get them running the old
gambling system. That will sort it out.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
Eight.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Thanks guys, as always. That's Morris Williamson and Ali Jones
a huddle this evening. This is the other thing people
are betting on. Twenty twenty eight. US presidential election front
runners are jd Vance, Gary Gavin Newsom, Marco Rubio and AOC.
And also The Rock is in the mix and the
Rock is paying seventy one dollars forty three And I
will remind you the Rock being in the mix for
twenty twenty eight has got higher payout than Jesus coming
(09:29):
back by the end of this year.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
For more from Heather 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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