August 6, 2026 • 10 mins
Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and former Labour Chief of Staff Mike Munro joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
Luxon announced earlier that he was going to hold a referendum on MMP, prompting questions and doubtful comments from Labour and NZ First. What do we make of this? Do we think Luxon is getting desperate?
ACT is looking to give pharmacies more powers if they win the election. Do we like the idea of pharmacists treating more conditions and doing things like blood tests?
We have a confirmed opening date for the CRL - will we be getting on board? Will this bring people back to Auckland?
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty, a name
you can trust locally and globally.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
All with us this evening is Jordan Williams Taxpayers Union
A Mike Munroe, former Labor Party chief of staff and
director at Mike Munroe Communications. Hello, lads, Hello you too?
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Can I have it now?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I want to come back to the CRL, but I
actually want to start with what Chris Luxon has announced today. Jordan,
what are.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Your thoughts.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
An unforced eraror I've just been down to Parliament meeting
with a couple of backbenches on a couple of various things,
and it's it's pretty clear that Chris relux is not
all the National Party are not having a good week.
You know, seven days ago it was this road a
roa thing and right now he looks either as dead
man walking or a PM limping. It's not good and
(00:46):
it's not me saying that. It's based on the number
of calls that I'm getting from people wanting to know
when the next Taxpayer Union Caurier poll is out on
But when.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
You say dead man walking, I immediately think there's going
to be another who attempted on. Is that what you're suggesting?
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Well, you had Winston on your show or mister Peter's
on your show earlier, saying that very clearly both the
party and the PM is under stress. And I suspect
that when you are the PM, having your coalition party
leader twisting the knife like that does not help. And
then it sounds a hit of a lot like Winston's
almost angling to go with labor.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Are you making mischief because I don't hear him sounding
like he wants to go with labor.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Well, you look at this policy announcement around the dual
mandate for the Reserve Bank, and he hasn't ruled out labor.
He's only ruled out Hopkins has very clearly undermining the leader.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
He has been so unbelievably clear, even on our program
he has ruled out labor.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Now, I yeah, very right, But why is he very
clearly destabilizing the National Party leadership.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
There to get their vote share?
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Yeah, but if you're wedded to the coalition side, you're
potentially costing your own side getting back into government.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Do you think?
Speaker 4 (02:05):
So?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Okay, what do you just tell me? Are you hearing
from within the National Party caucus or people connected to
it that there are moves home, and.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
I'm getting calls and messages from National Party from across
the caucus wanting to know when our poll is out,
and that's only ever happened. We're doing the poll once
or twice, and.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Your polls out tomorrow, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
I can't. We've received the poll. It's worth the graphic designer,
and we'll beginning out as soon as we can.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Okay, what do you make of this, Mike, Well, I.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Think the next few poles out are going to be critical.
You know, it looked like sort of lax and had
settled things down a bit after the leadership challenge or
quasi challenge of a couple of months ago, and he
had actually sort of got his act together a wee bit.
But then in the last seen days he has had
a horror run and it's just been awful. I kept
(02:56):
seeing these sound bites on television of National MP's going
into caucus saying we need to focus on the things
that matter. Well, look, the thing that will be mattering
to them right now, or the thing that will be
mattering to them is the performance of one Christopher Luction.
Because you know, one hundred days out from the election.
This is this is becoming close to.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Last run.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Ninety three huh okay.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Yeah, yeah, Mike.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Do you think I mean is it too late?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
No, it was not too late. I mean loads of
us with long memories remember Labor changing its leader of
about fifty five and maybe sixty days out from the
election in ninety ninety when Jeffy Palmer got spooped into
sound well poorly and we read poorly. But you know,
the thing is an accepts and these these MPs are
seen polling which shows they're going to lose their seats
(03:44):
and nothing matters more to an MP than the the
state of their seat and the state of their security
and their seat. Look, it can still happen quite easily.
And these are bad.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Enough war national shout. Is he bad enough? Mike at
ninety three days?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Well, there's other contenders who could do a better job, hopecially, Well,
there's a group. There's a group there, well, Bishop Stanford Willis.
None of them would do as badly as lux when
it comes to public performance, right now, none of them.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
That's probably fair, Jordan, Are you really going to quit
if we have a referendum? MUNI quit the Taxpayers Union
and what are you going to campaign for FPP or STV.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Well, it was about fifteen years ago, when I was
a young lawyer that my first sort of entry into
public affairs was as spokesperson for a group Vote for Change.
I think MMP is the primary reason why New Zealand
has declined over the last thirty years. I think MMP
is terrible. I should be absolutely yahooeing and think that
(04:45):
it's wonderful that we're going to get a referendum next
year if Christopher Luxen has returned to government. However, even
I am a bit unsure about the timing.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Aren't we all the huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International,
the only truly global brand.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Right back on the huddle we have Mike Munroe and
Jordan Williams. Mike, do you like this act policy of
allowing the pharmacists to give you the blood tests and
do more of your sicknesses?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Well, yeah, sound good idea, but god, it raises so
many questions. I mean, it's clear that we're short of
doctors in New Zealand and we need more doctors to
ease the pressures on the primary health system. But the question,
first question, I would be asking is who's going to
fund it? Who's going to pay for these people to
come into pharmacies and actually do these various procedures and
(05:33):
testing or whatever. There's all sorts of training and safety
issues that come up to here e e and t
stuff Iano's and throw. I mean, that's a really sensitive
sort of procedure. And who are the people who are
going to come into pharmacies and have the skills and
the training and the capabilities of carrying out those sorts
of distructions.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
There's something really basic where you come and you've clearly
got a sinus infection and it's clearly a bacterial thing,
and they give you some antibiotics.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
That would be fine.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Yeah, I'm sure there are a small range of functions
of procedures that they could do. But the list I
saw today in the in the act party promised was
rather long. It was getting into stuff like, you know, sexually,
reproductive health and blood tests.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
So I just reproductive health is just vaginal thrash.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Mic well, is it? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
That's fine, they just give you some creame for that stuff.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
I'm just saying that there's going to be people who
are qualified and trained and can cover off all the
sort of safety requirements before they start sort of carrying
out this sort of come on answer.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
I just like that we've managed to say that that
that particular phrase about five times on the show already,
which is just it's out there now, it's a record
or I mean, I think Mike struck on the thing though. Right,
So if you go into your doctor and you get
a blood test, you pay your doctor for taking up
their time to do all that that nonsense, which is necessary.
But who's going to pay the pharmacist you wandering and
go I think I need a blood test because I
(07:01):
haven't got enough iron.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Well, I don't know, but I suspect it's a heat
of a lot cheaper than trying to find doctors that
don't exist trying to It shocked me when I moved
to Auckland how difficult it was to find a doctor
with that. We're taking rollments in Sinhalia's and I think, gee,
if I can't find a doctor, good luck for the
poor chap in Manuela. It is a real problem we've
(07:26):
gone and where it is going the GP's practice. I've
been very lucky through my life. I've had really good
family GPS, whereas now you never get the same damn person.
Our clinic's been corporate Goneto, one of the big corporates,
and then they push you off to telehealth. I don't
think I'd be getting much less simply going to a
pharmacy and getting getting the bud something simple.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You Jordan, you're going to catch the CRL.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Well, we're in Auckland, alps as a right in town
and we had a lot of my I've actually catched
ferries over from the north Shore and actually know I
can one or two catch the train, so I guess so.
But since COVID Auckland CBD is just so unattractive, and
I'm actually pro to move onwarders because I think that
(08:16):
the homelessness and the sort of crime down the CBD,
why would you want to go. I certainly hope it works,
but it does really worry me that we've perhaps built
a white elephant.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, I think Mike, listening to Wayne Brown earlier, he
sounds like he's worried that it is not going to
get the numbers of people on those trains.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
A I didn't read that into him. I listen kiss
to what Wayne said, and I know you have raised
that idea. Look, sure people will be watching prey carefully,
but I think that you know this, this project has
been so sort of eagerly awaited and we waited for
so long that I think Auklins will support it. And
it's all about getting people off the roads number one,
(08:53):
isn't it? And also the cost to as he points out.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Out of ourip you guys, everyone else should take trained
so we can get into the Look.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Look, I'm sure people will be watching it very closely
to see what the numbers are like. And I sort
of watched them. Well, do you know, you know there'll
be some teething pot them. Something will go wrong in
the first few weeks, but a track will come loose
or whatever. But I think from what I hear faith
in government, I'm saying this is a welling pony and
looking on from afar, we sort of wish them well.
(09:26):
I hope it goes well and when I get up there,
I'll be jumping on boards.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Speaking of Wellington, do you see what happened with Pigeon
Park in the middle of town today?
Speaker 3 (09:35):
No Pigeon Park down in the mini street now, oh no.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
The budget for fixing up Pigeon Park was three three
million dollars and it just blew out to ten and
a half. That sounds like Wellington City Council, Isn't that.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
That comes as no surprise?
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, none at all. Hey, guys, I.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Just hope they retaining it. It's a great part of
our city.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yeah, well, you know, maybe for three million not ten
and a half. Guys, appreciated very much, Shordan Williams. Taxpayers,
you and your Might Monroe, former Labor Party chief of stuff. Hey,
when your budget is three million and you blow it
out to ten and a half, what the hell is
wrong with you? Like, you've just blown that three times.
I can understand three million budget blows out to three
and a half. I'd be like, not ideal, guys, not ideal,
(10:16):
Like this is the important part. Not ideal that it's
blown out by five hundred million. But when it blows
out by seven and a half million when the original
budget was three million, go give yourself an upper cut,
Wellington City Council, you've lost the plot.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
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.
The huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty, a name
you can trust locally and globally.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
All with us this evening is Jordan Williams Taxpayers Union
A Mike Munroe, former Labor Party chief of staff and
director at Mike Munroe Communications. Hello, lads, Hello you too?
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Can I have it now?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
I want to come back to the CRL, but I
actually want to start with what Chris Luxon has announced today. Jordan,
what are.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Your thoughts.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
An unforced eraror I've just been down to Parliament meeting
with a couple of backbenches on a couple of various things,
and it's it's pretty clear that Chris relux is not
all the National Party are not having a good week.
You know, seven days ago it was this road a
roa thing and right now he looks either as dead
man walking or a PM limping. It's not good and
(00:46):
it's not me saying that. It's based on the number
of calls that I'm getting from people wanting to know
when the next Taxpayer Union Caurier poll is out on
But when.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
You say dead man walking, I immediately think there's going
to be another who attempted on. Is that what you're suggesting?
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Well, you had Winston on your show or mister Peter's
on your show earlier, saying that very clearly both the
party and the PM is under stress. And I suspect
that when you are the PM, having your coalition party
leader twisting the knife like that does not help. And
then it sounds a hit of a lot like Winston's
almost angling to go with labor.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Are you making mischief because I don't hear him sounding
like he wants to go with labor.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
Well, you look at this policy announcement around the dual
mandate for the Reserve Bank, and he hasn't ruled out labor.
He's only ruled out Hopkins has very clearly undermining the leader.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
He has been so unbelievably clear, even on our program
he has ruled out labor.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Now, I yeah, very right, But why is he very
clearly destabilizing the National Party leadership.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
There to get their vote share?
Speaker 4 (01:55):
Yeah, but if you're wedded to the coalition side, you're
potentially costing your own side getting back into government.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Do you think?
Speaker 4 (02:05):
So?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Okay, what do you just tell me? Are you hearing
from within the National Party caucus or people connected to
it that there are moves home, and.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
I'm getting calls and messages from National Party from across
the caucus wanting to know when our poll is out,
and that's only ever happened. We're doing the poll once
or twice, and.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Your polls out tomorrow, isn't it.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
I can't. We've received the poll. It's worth the graphic designer,
and we'll beginning out as soon as we can.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Okay, what do you make of this, Mike, Well, I.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Think the next few poles out are going to be critical.
You know, it looked like sort of lax and had
settled things down a bit after the leadership challenge or
quasi challenge of a couple of months ago, and he
had actually sort of got his act together a wee bit.
But then in the last seen days he has had
a horror run and it's just been awful. I kept
(02:56):
seeing these sound bites on television of National MP's going
into caucus saying we need to focus on the things
that matter. Well, look, the thing that will be mattering
to them right now, or the thing that will be
mattering to them is the performance of one Christopher Luction.
Because you know, one hundred days out from the election.
This is this is becoming close to.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Last run.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Ninety three huh okay.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Yeah, yeah, Mike.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Do you think I mean is it too late?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
No, it was not too late. I mean loads of
us with long memories remember Labor changing its leader of
about fifty five and maybe sixty days out from the
election in ninety ninety when Jeffy Palmer got spooped into
sound well poorly and we read poorly. But you know,
the thing is an accepts and these these MPs are
seen polling which shows they're going to lose their seats
(03:44):
and nothing matters more to an MP than the the
state of their seat and the state of their security
and their seat. Look, it can still happen quite easily.
And these are bad.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Enough war national shout. Is he bad enough? Mike at
ninety three days?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Well, there's other contenders who could do a better job, hopecially, Well,
there's a group. There's a group there, well, Bishop Stanford Willis.
None of them would do as badly as lux when
it comes to public performance, right now, none of them.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
That's probably fair, Jordan, Are you really going to quit
if we have a referendum? MUNI quit the Taxpayers Union
and what are you going to campaign for FPP or STV.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
Well, it was about fifteen years ago, when I was
a young lawyer that my first sort of entry into
public affairs was as spokesperson for a group Vote for Change.
I think MMP is the primary reason why New Zealand
has declined over the last thirty years. I think MMP
is terrible. I should be absolutely yahooeing and think that
(04:45):
it's wonderful that we're going to get a referendum next
year if Christopher Luxen has returned to government. However, even
I am a bit unsure about the timing.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Aren't we all the huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International,
the only truly global brand.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Right back on the huddle we have Mike Munroe and
Jordan Williams. Mike, do you like this act policy of
allowing the pharmacists to give you the blood tests and
do more of your sicknesses?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Well, yeah, sound good idea, but god, it raises so
many questions. I mean, it's clear that we're short of
doctors in New Zealand and we need more doctors to
ease the pressures on the primary health system. But the question,
first question, I would be asking is who's going to
fund it? Who's going to pay for these people to
come into pharmacies and actually do these various procedures and
(05:33):
testing or whatever. There's all sorts of training and safety
issues that come up to here e e and t
stuff Iano's and throw. I mean, that's a really sensitive
sort of procedure. And who are the people who are
going to come into pharmacies and have the skills and
the training and the capabilities of carrying out those sorts
of distructions.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
There's something really basic where you come and you've clearly
got a sinus infection and it's clearly a bacterial thing,
and they give you some antibiotics.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
That would be fine.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Yeah, I'm sure there are a small range of functions
of procedures that they could do. But the list I
saw today in the in the act party promised was
rather long. It was getting into stuff like, you know, sexually,
reproductive health and blood tests.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
So I just reproductive health is just vaginal thrash.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Mic well, is it? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
That's fine, they just give you some creame for that stuff.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
I'm just saying that there's going to be people who
are qualified and trained and can cover off all the
sort of safety requirements before they start sort of carrying
out this sort of come on answer.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
I just like that we've managed to say that that
that particular phrase about five times on the show already,
which is just it's out there now, it's a record
or I mean, I think Mike struck on the thing though. Right,
So if you go into your doctor and you get
a blood test, you pay your doctor for taking up
their time to do all that that nonsense, which is necessary.
But who's going to pay the pharmacist you wandering and
go I think I need a blood test because I
(07:01):
haven't got enough iron.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Well, I don't know, but I suspect it's a heat
of a lot cheaper than trying to find doctors that
don't exist trying to It shocked me when I moved
to Auckland how difficult it was to find a doctor
with that. We're taking rollments in Sinhalia's and I think, gee,
if I can't find a doctor, good luck for the
poor chap in Manuela. It is a real problem we've
(07:26):
gone and where it is going the GP's practice. I've
been very lucky through my life. I've had really good
family GPS, whereas now you never get the same damn person.
Our clinic's been corporate Goneto, one of the big corporates,
and then they push you off to telehealth. I don't
think I'd be getting much less simply going to a
pharmacy and getting getting the bud something simple.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You Jordan, you're going to catch the CRL.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
Well, we're in Auckland, alps as a right in town
and we had a lot of my I've actually catched
ferries over from the north Shore and actually know I
can one or two catch the train, so I guess so.
But since COVID Auckland CBD is just so unattractive, and
I'm actually pro to move onwarders because I think that
(08:16):
the homelessness and the sort of crime down the CBD,
why would you want to go. I certainly hope it works,
but it does really worry me that we've perhaps built
a white elephant.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, I think Mike, listening to Wayne Brown earlier, he
sounds like he's worried that it is not going to
get the numbers of people on those trains.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
A I didn't read that into him. I listen kiss
to what Wayne said, and I know you have raised
that idea. Look, sure people will be watching prey carefully,
but I think that you know this, this project has
been so sort of eagerly awaited and we waited for
so long that I think Auklins will support it. And
it's all about getting people off the roads number one,
(08:53):
isn't it? And also the cost to as he points out.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
Out of ourip you guys, everyone else should take trained
so we can get into the Look.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Look, I'm sure people will be watching it very closely
to see what the numbers are like. And I sort
of watched them. Well, do you know, you know there'll
be some teething pot them. Something will go wrong in
the first few weeks, but a track will come loose
or whatever. But I think from what I hear faith
in government, I'm saying this is a welling pony and
looking on from afar, we sort of wish them well.
(09:26):
I hope it goes well and when I get up there,
I'll be jumping on boards.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Speaking of Wellington, do you see what happened with Pigeon
Park in the middle of town today?
Speaker 3 (09:35):
No Pigeon Park down in the mini street now, oh no.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
The budget for fixing up Pigeon Park was three three
million dollars and it just blew out to ten and
a half. That sounds like Wellington City Council, Isn't that.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
That comes as no surprise?
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, none at all. Hey, guys, I.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Just hope they retaining it. It's a great part of
our city.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yeah, well, you know, maybe for three million not ten
and a half. Guys, appreciated very much, Shordan Williams. Taxpayers,
you and your Might Monroe, former Labor Party chief of stuff. Hey,
when your budget is three million and you blow it
out to ten and a half, what the hell is
wrong with you? Like, you've just blown that three times.
I can understand three million budget blows out to three
and a half. I'd be like, not ideal, guys, not ideal,
(10:16):
Like this is the important part. Not ideal that it's
blown out by five hundred million. But when it blows
out by seven and a half million when the original
budget was three million, go give yourself an upper cut,
Wellington City Council, you've lost the plot.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
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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