July 21, 2025 • 10 mins
Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
There's growing calls to scrap NCEA - and the Government is looking to make some changes to the qualification. What do we make of this?
Coldplay's Chris Martin is now warning adulterers to disentangle before the kiss cam comes on. What do we think of this saga? Should the CEO have had to resign?
The Government has confirmed the new Waikato medical school is under way - do we see the costs blowing out?
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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 Unique Homes Uniquely.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
For you Tuddle this evening. Trishurson, Shurson, Willis pr and
Josephgani Child Fund CEO High Ladies.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Hello, Hello Trish.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Do you ditch or fix n CEA?
Speaker 3 (00:15):
I would ditch NCA having been a parent with two
kids that went through the system. I agree with what
Michael was just saying there.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
To me.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
The fundamental point is that parents should be able to
understand what what the standard or the mark is going
to be. And I remember, as a first time ncaa
parent sitting in a talk about NCA and feeling completely
overwhelmed because it's not just what happens every year, but
(00:47):
then there's all this discussion about then how that ladders
up and then you're off to university. What I do
think is useful to retain, and I think Michael touching
it as well, is the fact that the real world
you don't study and then sit a three hour exam.
So the idea for kids of learning to manage themselves
(01:08):
and their work through the year doing assessments, that's actually
the way the world works. And I think that that's
really good.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Do that already, Trisure. I remember having to do that.
I remember having to manage my workload in class and
after school in order to stay on top of it,
in order to never fall behind. Right, So you are
doing that in the traditional schooling sense.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Well, that's right, except that don't forget in the old way,
say school, See what happened is you did all of that,
but then it all came down to one three hour
exam at the end of the year. And there are
some issues for some kids who just that the exam
thing just doesn't fres about it. So I think the
point is it's got to be based on the kind
(01:45):
of curriculum that is delivering excellence in our kids in
excellence and education. I've got high confidence in Erica Stanford
to be able.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
To deliver that.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
All of her work today has been based on deep
policy work. So I think it's a really good thing.
I think it will be a relief for Pearans and
it's a big bit of the education puzzle that we've
got to figure out.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Yeah, what do you think, Jersey?
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Yeah, I mean we've all lost confidence in the NCA system,
whether it's parents, and you're absolutely right, Trish. I mean,
I've had three kids go through it. I still don't
understand it. My kids are doing, at one point in history,
doing civil rights movement in America, Vietnam, and then randomly
the Roman Empire, so you kind of go, how is
this giving them a view of history in the world.
(02:30):
I don't know, So it feels like it's all a
bit too subjective parents. And when parents don't understand it,
you've got a problem, right, And then you've got wealthy
parents who are sending their kids to private schools doing
the baccalaureate and the Cambridge exams. So then you've got
everybody else underneath that stuck with a system that clearly
parents don't think work. And I think Michael and your
(02:53):
interview before is right that teachers are sick of this
too because they've got so much marking to do. But
I do also think you've got a balance. I mean,
there's a reason why in CEO first came about, and
it was the concern that the work head's been branded
as failures because they didn't pass exams. And I was
one of those kids. I hated exams, and so I
(03:14):
do think you need to have, you know, a mixture
of exams and assessments that work, but it's just gone
too far the other way, where you know, you're basically
assessing I mean some of the stuff. God, I mean
not just baristas. But you know you can get NCAA
credits for driving for plucking possums was one, I opery
you pluck a possum, but skinner possum probably operating a chainsaw,
(03:38):
you know. Providing first aid courses, all of which are
really really good, but they shouldn't be part of an
education system that's either preparing you for a trade or university.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
So right, do you feel sorry, Trish for this guy
caught out at the Coldplay concert because it blows my
mind that there are people having this discussion today. I
don't I think that what is this hesitation?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
You know? Here is here is the key life lesson,
Do not fish off the company wharf. Yes, so it
wasn't It wasn't the snog on the kiss on camera
that was the issue. It was the fact that these
were two senior executives who had both but they were
fishing off the company whof and that has ended in
(04:24):
a global embarrassment, not just for them and their Fano
but for but.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Is that the problem?
Speaker 4 (04:30):
Is that the problem? Yes, I see, if you can't
have a relationship with your boss and fish off the
company wolf, I wouldn't be married. Now I've married boss
in there, so exactly right. So you've got to be
able to fish off the company wolf. Sometimes it's the
(04:50):
only the only choices you think.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
I think you guys were fishing off the company wolf before.
There were a lot of choppy waters around this stuff.
And if you look at.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
It, is that the problem is that they were fishing
off the company wharf when they actually one of them
was married. That's the point.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
Well, well one of them on another boat.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Well the problem is one of them had a foot
in two walka but that that was the problem. But
that is but that is the problem. It started with
the fishing off the company wharf, and then it was
a very untidy back end, and then it ends up
a global thing. I thought actually Chris Martin's reaction to
it was absolutely fantastic to warn people at upcoming you know, concerts.
(05:32):
But also even if you live in a massive city
and you're sneaking out on a on a date, you
wouldn't go to somewhere like a concert because you are
bound to bump into people.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Now.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
No, no, no, Josie stop. I can hear you. I
hear you. You're getting ready for another burst of This
was like a break. We'll come back and do it.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
The huddle with New Zealand Southby's International Realty the ones
for unmashed Results.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Joe Spigani wanted to say something gone, Josie.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
I did, Well, Look, Astronomer is this company that's fired
the cheating husband. They make do AI and collect data
and so on. I struggle to see how having an
extramarital affair will stop this guy doing his job well.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
As the CEO.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
So there're being a little bit pompous. I mean they
put out this statement going our values and our culture.
You know, the standard was not met. We're terribly disappointed.
I mean they're not the Catholic Church for goodness sake.
So I do think it's a little bit pompous. The
biggest mistake that this guy made was dropping down like
a sack of potato. If he just stood there and
(06:36):
I said, who doesn't cuddle their HR executives? You know,
it's like if he hadn't done that. And the other
thing I wanted to say, was what a perfect time
for Trump to release the Epstein files. I mean, he
really did miss a go here. He should have got
it out over the weekend. All we're talking about is
the couple at the cold plate.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Around the world unbelievable. Okay, do you think, Trisha, do
you feel like me that the Wycuttle Medical School is
going to blow out?
Speaker 3 (07:01):
The I well, show me a project like this that
doesn't blow out. Having said that, I am I am
really getting a grumpy about the fact that these always do,
and I think there has got to be a way
to properly cost see things. The one bit of comfort
(07:22):
I do take is that in between this being a
election policy headline for National, David Seymour from ACT has
pushed for this to be put through a business case
and that's how we've got to the lower taxpayer input today.
But again, which I call bs on, Come on, trash.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
You've been around long enough. If it's a three hundred
and eighty million dollar project and it's it's been scaled
back to two thirty million and nothing's been cut out,
you know this is a pr exercise, isn't it. This
thing is going to blow out because they've gone for
a lower cost.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Well, as I say, as I say, I have never
seen one of these projects come in under I mean,
but at least this has now gone through a business case.
The one thing that I will say about this is
that we are crying out for GPS, and if this
is a way to get us more GPS, then that
(08:13):
is a good thing. Yes, And we may have to
look a little bit through the cost. One of the
things I was going to say though, is there was
an excellent report from a doctor Provani Wood that came
out in March. She wrote for the New Zealand Initiative
and if anyone wants to look at why we need
to get our GP our primary care back up to scratch,
(08:33):
that report will tell you all about it because it
saves us so much money in the interty edutry.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
And yeah, what do you think, Josie.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah, I mean, you're right, it will blow out. Maybe
maybe they've cut the costs by I don't know, not
doing the hair straighteners and the coffee machines and god
knows what else. You know, the stuff that seems to
add up. And the problem with it is that the
whole and the order to general dinged it for bad process.
So since the very beginning it's had a had a
bit of a smell around it. Like first of all,
(09:02):
you had the Vice Chancellor Neil Quigley sort of sending
an email saying, here's a present for the future National government.
Then they started looking for building contractors before it had
gone to cabinet and been signed off and so on,
and the order to generally, I think was really criticizing
the procurement process and wasn't a competitive tender process. Steven
Joyce Scott the job of lobbying the government before him,
(09:24):
it was Neil Jones, So they're gone left to right
depending on who's in government. But I actually agree with you, Trisha,
that all of that aside, I still think it's a
good thing that we have a third medical school in
a rural area that can attract rural potential, rural medical
practitioners and gps from that area in a way that
(09:44):
they might actually stay there. So I think this, you know,
I think there's a little bit of you know, forget
the smelling salts. Yes, it's been a bad process, but
if it's got a business case, now i'd like to
see it we do it. It is actually a good
thing that we have a third medical school, because my god,
we need more GPS.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Yes, just very quickly. One of the things that Provani
would actually said, though, and this may help with this,
is that as people go through medical school, the GP
option is seen as kind of if you're a bright
medical student, you wouldn't take the GP option. And I
think that maybe having the focus in the school that
might help turn that around.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Hopefully, hopefully. Guys, it's good to talk to you. Thank
you very much for Herson Hirson, Willis PR and Joe
Spagani of child Fun.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
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 Unique Homes Uniquely.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
For you Tuddle this evening. Trishurson, Shurson, Willis pr and
Josephgani Child Fund CEO High Ladies.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Hello, Hello Trish.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Do you ditch or fix n CEA?
Speaker 3 (00:15):
I would ditch NCA having been a parent with two
kids that went through the system. I agree with what
Michael was just saying there.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
To me.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
The fundamental point is that parents should be able to
understand what what the standard or the mark is going
to be. And I remember, as a first time ncaa
parent sitting in a talk about NCA and feeling completely
overwhelmed because it's not just what happens every year, but
(00:47):
then there's all this discussion about then how that ladders
up and then you're off to university. What I do
think is useful to retain, and I think Michael touching
it as well, is the fact that the real world
you don't study and then sit a three hour exam.
So the idea for kids of learning to manage themselves
(01:08):
and their work through the year doing assessments, that's actually
the way the world works. And I think that that's
really good.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Do that already, Trisure. I remember having to do that.
I remember having to manage my workload in class and
after school in order to stay on top of it,
in order to never fall behind. Right, So you are
doing that in the traditional schooling sense.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Well, that's right, except that don't forget in the old way,
say school, See what happened is you did all of that,
but then it all came down to one three hour
exam at the end of the year. And there are
some issues for some kids who just that the exam
thing just doesn't fres about it. So I think the
point is it's got to be based on the kind
(01:45):
of curriculum that is delivering excellence in our kids in
excellence and education. I've got high confidence in Erica Stanford
to be able.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
To deliver that.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
All of her work today has been based on deep
policy work. So I think it's a really good thing.
I think it will be a relief for Pearans and
it's a big bit of the education puzzle that we've
got to figure out.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Yeah, what do you think, Jersey?
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Yeah, I mean we've all lost confidence in the NCA system,
whether it's parents, and you're absolutely right, Trish. I mean,
I've had three kids go through it. I still don't
understand it. My kids are doing, at one point in history,
doing civil rights movement in America, Vietnam, and then randomly
the Roman Empire, so you kind of go, how is
this giving them a view of history in the world.
(02:30):
I don't know, So it feels like it's all a
bit too subjective parents. And when parents don't understand it,
you've got a problem, right, And then you've got wealthy
parents who are sending their kids to private schools doing
the baccalaureate and the Cambridge exams. So then you've got
everybody else underneath that stuck with a system that clearly
parents don't think work. And I think Michael and your
(02:53):
interview before is right that teachers are sick of this
too because they've got so much marking to do. But
I do also think you've got a balance. I mean,
there's a reason why in CEO first came about, and
it was the concern that the work head's been branded
as failures because they didn't pass exams. And I was
one of those kids. I hated exams, and so I
(03:14):
do think you need to have, you know, a mixture
of exams and assessments that work, but it's just gone
too far the other way, where you know, you're basically
assessing I mean some of the stuff. God, I mean
not just baristas. But you know you can get NCAA
credits for driving for plucking possums was one, I opery
you pluck a possum, but skinner possum probably operating a chainsaw,
(03:38):
you know. Providing first aid courses, all of which are
really really good, but they shouldn't be part of an
education system that's either preparing you for a trade or university.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
So right, do you feel sorry, Trish for this guy
caught out at the Coldplay concert because it blows my
mind that there are people having this discussion today. I
don't I think that what is this hesitation?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
You know? Here is here is the key life lesson,
Do not fish off the company wharf. Yes, so it
wasn't It wasn't the snog on the kiss on camera
that was the issue. It was the fact that these
were two senior executives who had both but they were
fishing off the company whof and that has ended in
(04:24):
a global embarrassment, not just for them and their Fano
but for but.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Is that the problem?
Speaker 4 (04:30):
Is that the problem? Yes, I see, if you can't
have a relationship with your boss and fish off the
company wolf, I wouldn't be married. Now I've married boss
in there, so exactly right. So you've got to be
able to fish off the company wolf. Sometimes it's the
(04:50):
only the only choices you think.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
I think you guys were fishing off the company wolf before.
There were a lot of choppy waters around this stuff.
And if you look at.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
It, is that the problem is that they were fishing
off the company wharf when they actually one of them
was married. That's the point.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
Well, well one of them on another boat.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Well the problem is one of them had a foot
in two walka but that that was the problem. But
that is but that is the problem. It started with
the fishing off the company wharf, and then it was
a very untidy back end, and then it ends up
a global thing. I thought actually Chris Martin's reaction to
it was absolutely fantastic to warn people at upcoming you know, concerts.
(05:32):
But also even if you live in a massive city
and you're sneaking out on a on a date, you
wouldn't go to somewhere like a concert because you are
bound to bump into people.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Now.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
No, no, no, Josie stop. I can hear you. I
hear you. You're getting ready for another burst of This
was like a break. We'll come back and do it.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
The huddle with New Zealand Southby's International Realty the ones
for unmashed Results.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Joe Spigani wanted to say something gone, Josie.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
I did, Well, Look, Astronomer is this company that's fired
the cheating husband. They make do AI and collect data
and so on. I struggle to see how having an
extramarital affair will stop this guy doing his job well.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
As the CEO.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
So there're being a little bit pompous. I mean they
put out this statement going our values and our culture.
You know, the standard was not met. We're terribly disappointed.
I mean they're not the Catholic Church for goodness sake.
So I do think it's a little bit pompous. The
biggest mistake that this guy made was dropping down like
a sack of potato. If he just stood there and
(06:36):
I said, who doesn't cuddle their HR executives? You know,
it's like if he hadn't done that. And the other
thing I wanted to say, was what a perfect time
for Trump to release the Epstein files. I mean, he
really did miss a go here. He should have got
it out over the weekend. All we're talking about is
the couple at the cold plate.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Around the world unbelievable. Okay, do you think, Trisha, do
you feel like me that the Wycuttle Medical School is
going to blow out?
Speaker 3 (07:01):
The I well, show me a project like this that
doesn't blow out. Having said that, I am I am
really getting a grumpy about the fact that these always do,
and I think there has got to be a way
to properly cost see things. The one bit of comfort
(07:22):
I do take is that in between this being a
election policy headline for National, David Seymour from ACT has
pushed for this to be put through a business case
and that's how we've got to the lower taxpayer input today.
But again, which I call bs on, Come on, trash.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
You've been around long enough. If it's a three hundred
and eighty million dollar project and it's it's been scaled
back to two thirty million and nothing's been cut out,
you know this is a pr exercise, isn't it. This
thing is going to blow out because they've gone for
a lower cost.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
Well, as I say, as I say, I have never
seen one of these projects come in under I mean,
but at least this has now gone through a business case.
The one thing that I will say about this is
that we are crying out for GPS, and if this
is a way to get us more GPS, then that
(08:13):
is a good thing. Yes, And we may have to
look a little bit through the cost. One of the
things I was going to say though, is there was
an excellent report from a doctor Provani Wood that came
out in March. She wrote for the New Zealand Initiative
and if anyone wants to look at why we need
to get our GP our primary care back up to scratch,
(08:33):
that report will tell you all about it because it
saves us so much money in the interty edutry.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
And yeah, what do you think, Josie.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
Yeah, I mean, you're right, it will blow out. Maybe
maybe they've cut the costs by I don't know, not
doing the hair straighteners and the coffee machines and god
knows what else. You know, the stuff that seems to
add up. And the problem with it is that the
whole and the order to general dinged it for bad process.
So since the very beginning it's had a had a
bit of a smell around it. Like first of all,
(09:02):
you had the Vice Chancellor Neil Quigley sort of sending
an email saying, here's a present for the future National government.
Then they started looking for building contractors before it had
gone to cabinet and been signed off and so on,
and the order to generally, I think was really criticizing
the procurement process and wasn't a competitive tender process. Steven
Joyce Scott the job of lobbying the government before him,
(09:24):
it was Neil Jones, So they're gone left to right
depending on who's in government. But I actually agree with you, Trisha,
that all of that aside, I still think it's a
good thing that we have a third medical school in
a rural area that can attract rural potential, rural medical
practitioners and gps from that area in a way that
(09:44):
they might actually stay there. So I think this, you know,
I think there's a little bit of you know, forget
the smelling salts. Yes, it's been a bad process, but
if it's got a business case, now i'd like to
see it we do it. It is actually a good
thing that we have a third medical school, because my god,
we need more GPS.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Yes, just very quickly. One of the things that Provani
would actually said, though, and this may help with this,
is that as people go through medical school, the GP
option is seen as kind of if you're a bright
medical student, you wouldn't take the GP option. And I
think that maybe having the focus in the school that
might help turn that around.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Hopefully, hopefully. Guys, it's good to talk to you. Thank
you very much for Herson Hirson, Willis PR and Joe
Spagani of child Fun.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
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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