September 3, 2025 • 10 mins
Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from The Taxpayers' Union and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
Yesterday's big Amazon announcement turned out to be a big pile of nothings, according to new reports. Does this mean we need to be more careful when overseas companies come in making big promises?
Voter turnout in the Tāmaki Makaurau byelection is abysmal so far, with just 3700 of the almost 44,000 eligible voters casting their vote. What do we make of this?
Nearly 60,000 people have signed a petition to get NZ-born neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell deported back to NZ. Is he their problem or ours?
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 your
one of a kind on.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
The Huddle with us. This evening we have Jordan Williams
Taxpayers Union, Jack Tame, host of Q and A and
Saturday Mornings on News Talks. He'd be highlights, Jordan, how
are you liking that Amazon deal? Now?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Your your interviews today was like, it is just great
that things should go viral. You can just imagine it.
You know, some twenty something comms grad writing BS comms
for Amazon not used to you know, someone asking basic
questions to think that you could rehete a seven and
a half billion dollar announcement. You announced what was it
four years ago with with our deur and having not
(00:39):
spent a cent and not give you a time frame
when they're actually going to spend the money, and the
money is actually just bringing their own computers in their
own software over. It wasn't create a thousand jobs, it
was a support one thousands.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Are you not insulted though that they looked at New
Zealand and they went, oh that's stupid. They won't even
ask any questions.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
If you hear it, it's so good on your part
not to not to fuddle in your.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Poet Jack, Are you insulted?
Speaker 4 (01:08):
I don't know if I'm insulted. I mean it was
it was pretty remarkable. I mean, I will echo Jordan's
praise either. I thought it was a fantastic interview and
just cut straight to the heart of the issue. I mean,
I actually find it pretty extraordinary that Christopher Luxen was
prepared to put himself in a position celebrating this thing,
given the level of scrutiny that was likely to follow. Like,
(01:30):
it didn't don't take this the wrong way, but it
didn't take like vast scrutinies to actually get a better
picture of what was happening. Right, You just asked those
all important, very basic questions like have you built data centers?
How many data centers? How many people have actually been employed?
And I think we were able to work things out
pretty quickly. But yeah, certainly not the economic injection that
(01:53):
at first reading the headlines might have suggested it was
supposed to be okay.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
So then what has gone wrong here? Jordan? Why why
has Chris like and gone out and done something as
kind of I don't I don't want to be unkind,
and but as stupid as this.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
I suspect on the official SPATA or the government's depart
It's just lack of due diligence. I mean, we live
in a world. But I've had a theory on this.
Actually I reckon you know how in the nineties the
power shifted to HR I reckon the like, and for
our generation, it's powers shifted to comm's apartments. And so
(02:29):
it's all just about fields and bs and recons rather
than actually, you know, numbers and truth and because the
idea we're going to send that half billion, but you know,
I'm not going to give you a time frame here there,
and you know we'll support not creating a thousand jobs.
You're supporting a thousand jobs. Well on that basis, you know,
so do you and I. You know, I'm going to
spend a million dollars on food at the rest of
(02:50):
my lifetime. You're an amazing My organization, you know stopped
the capital gains tax under the ARDNA. Well you know,
you know we've you know, we've helped get boosted by
the economy by fifty billion dollars. You know, I mean,
there's just no.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
No I think something can I suggest though that I
mean clearly this government has tied economic growth to its
success or failure, right, Like, this is the messaging over
the last couple of years has been growth, growth, growth, growth, growth.
This is supposed to be the year of growth. You
can understand when we're on the ninth might as you
(03:33):
hang on this is this is this is a ligne
with growth. Everyone's been moaning it's been a miserable here's
a great economic headline we can get out there. We
can show that New Zealand's edgy and yeah we're up
with all this tech AI stuff, data centers. Who's seven
point five birty and that's a big number. Here we
go next minute that interview. So yeah, I just think
it's almost like a case of he doth protest too much?
(03:56):
You know, the PM is so desperately trying to urge everyone.
They're actually, you know, economic conditions are turning. We are
seeing the first green shoots that you can see why
they might be produced by this kind of message a
bit more than they might have otherwise.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yeah, jack your offsa. It's actually a continuation of the
last government. A common strategy is not a public policy strategy.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Yeah, do you know what I'm going to agree with
you on both of you on that because I feel
like there is too much of a mirroring going on here,
Like it feels too just into our do in this
government for us to be happy about the situation. Can
I just quickly ask you, Jack, what the hell is
going on with Tamaki Makota that there's hardly anybody voting?
Is it because they're all down at Nadawa here?
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Nah? I think it's just like combination of factors by election,
mid term kind of mayor people not that engaged with politics. Also,
one thing I hadn't really considered was the fact that
the hoardings are kind of competing for space with local
body government. So I was talking to the candidates the
other day and they said they've been door knocking and
people who said depending, oh, are you running for mayor?
(05:02):
And I was like, no, no, no different election. This
one's on next weekend as opposed to the local body
elections in six weeks. So yeah. I also think the
Malory seats are just different to general electorate seats, and
that it's kind of a very tricky electric to get
around and to bang. The drama makes no noise about
an election. But yeah, the numbers so far for early
(05:23):
voting are absolutely woeful. So turn out certainly going to
decide this thing.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
It's not good. I actually, Jordan, I want to come
back to you on that.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
The huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty the global
leader in luxury real estate.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Right, you're back of the huddle, Jordan Williams and Jack Tame. Jordan,
what I want to know from you is in the
by election, does a low turnout favor Labor or the
Marti Party? Do you think?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Well? I mean, you know, it's it's pretty embarrassing for
Labor given their enormous party machine, particularly in Auckland, to
not be able to turn out more votes. I mean,
if Pennant loses thus, it's going to be seriously embarrassing.
Whereas you know, the poor old Marty Party, you know,
not having their own Marias the stuff sorry to be
a polling boost. It's clearly having a real impact. We
(06:08):
shall you know, when is it Saturday? It's we should
get the interim results. So do they not? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:13):
I can't wait. Going to get the popcorn out now, Jack.
The Aussies can keep that neo Nazi.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Can't they yeah, but whether or not they will there's
another question. I was looking at the categorization of a
five oh one. It's kind of quite broad. I think
there's like a special character test that applies to five
oh one. So in some cases you have to say
prison time, or you're supposed to say.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
But what if he's an AUSSI citizen. It's understood. So
then yeah, they have to keep them, don't they.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
So that so that they doesn't get five oh one.
I mean, maybe they do. I mean I can recall,
haven't there been occasions in the past like where Australia
is a very excluded with the idea of it, but
it was just different people.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
It was ISIS stuff, and that was pretty way out there.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Well I think that was actually, I mean, I think
that was a terrible move the ISIS situation on behalf
of the Australians. But I'm sure it would be an
extremely political, politically popular move if they were to send
this guy back across the Tasman and find some legal
way of doing that. I would just say that if
they did that, I would hope you would respond by
seeing the christ terrorists back over to them.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Oh, you do a little do a little racist.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Yeah, what do you think? Of course, you can't renounce
someone citizenship and leave them state less. But in this case,
if it is a dual citizenship, but it's a really
easy solution, we should get in there first.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Actually, this is not a stupid idea. Children who would
thank you for that.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
You know you're puddling in my pocket, are not stupid?
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Jordan? Who's the minister?
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Erka? Because she gets things done? We could just petition it.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Yeah, maybe you can.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Might be d i A for something like that.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Well, you didn't do that without the minister's approval or
at least.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah. Now did you see Jack, what happened at the
day care in Sydney?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Now standing outstanding? So how old was the kids?
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Not sure? But a toddler, So toddler's anything I would
think up to two, so between sort of like six months. Well,
and it's an infant up to one is and it
sways one to two, so let's say eighteen months.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
See, I feel like if it was a really young baby,
then I'm more sympathetic to Grandpa picking the wrong baby, right,
because because young babies are kind of like suitcases at
the airport, and that they all more or less look
the same, right as soon as they start joke, Yeah, yeah,
I know, well no, you know the new thing that
that all new parents there, they think their kid is
(08:34):
the most beautiful ever, and then you look back at
the photo six months later and you're like, oh, yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Anyway, the most beautiful.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
The question, though, I mean, it's easy to bag on Grandpa.
It's definitely a faux par on his behalf. He's probably
not getting pick up duties again, But what about the
daintier's role in all of this? But shouldn't they have
had a slightly better level of screws?
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Eve?
Speaker 2 (08:55):
But old on Jack? Nobody expects like not which day
care expects Grandpa to pick up the wrong kid? Like
you're not screening?
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Are you?
Speaker 3 (09:02):
No?
Speaker 4 (09:02):
One?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
When we pick up we mate from Kendy, they don't
go hold on a tack which just make sure, no,
that's that's your one off. You go expect me to
get that right?
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Could?
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Lord Jorden, Can you imagine though, what the mum like?
Imagine how angry mum is that granddad today?
Speaker 3 (09:19):
She is livid? Isn't she the only one to hear?
Those people that make this should have gone to speak savors. Ads. Oh,
this is absolutely the question I have is did did
he drive baby high?
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
This is the problem is he was so he was
so constant, he was concentrating so intently on getting the
flipping car seat working properly, he didn't bother to look
at baby's face.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Maybe it was a ruse. So because he never now
has to do any preschool pick up, this is.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Called this is called weaponized incompetence. And don't pretend that
you boys don't do it children, because we.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Know you do. Taking it to a level that's at
least that Yeah, better to call which one's the dryer,
Which one's the washing machine?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Oh you heard that story? Oh Lord, here we go.
I'm going to pay for that tonight, guys, Thanks very much, Jack, James,
Jordan Williams the huddle. If you haven't heard that story,
that is the phone call that I fielded. And let's
say we're dining out on that one. Now.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive listen live to
news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
The Huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty. Find your
one of a kind on.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
The Huddle with us. This evening we have Jordan Williams
Taxpayers Union, Jack Tame, host of Q and A and
Saturday Mornings on News Talks. He'd be highlights, Jordan, how
are you liking that Amazon deal? Now?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Your your interviews today was like, it is just great
that things should go viral. You can just imagine it.
You know, some twenty something comms grad writing BS comms
for Amazon not used to you know, someone asking basic
questions to think that you could rehete a seven and
a half billion dollar announcement. You announced what was it
four years ago with with our deur and having not
(00:39):
spent a cent and not give you a time frame
when they're actually going to spend the money, and the
money is actually just bringing their own computers in their
own software over. It wasn't create a thousand jobs, it
was a support one thousands.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Are you not insulted though that they looked at New
Zealand and they went, oh that's stupid. They won't even
ask any questions.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
If you hear it, it's so good on your part
not to not to fuddle in your.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Poet Jack, Are you insulted?
Speaker 4 (01:08):
I don't know if I'm insulted. I mean it was
it was pretty remarkable. I mean, I will echo Jordan's
praise either. I thought it was a fantastic interview and
just cut straight to the heart of the issue. I mean,
I actually find it pretty extraordinary that Christopher Luxen was
prepared to put himself in a position celebrating this thing,
given the level of scrutiny that was likely to follow. Like,
(01:30):
it didn't don't take this the wrong way, but it
didn't take like vast scrutinies to actually get a better
picture of what was happening. Right, You just asked those
all important, very basic questions like have you built data centers?
How many data centers? How many people have actually been employed?
And I think we were able to work things out
pretty quickly. But yeah, certainly not the economic injection that
(01:53):
at first reading the headlines might have suggested it was
supposed to be okay.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
So then what has gone wrong here? Jordan? Why why
has Chris like and gone out and done something as
kind of I don't I don't want to be unkind,
and but as stupid as this.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
I suspect on the official SPATA or the government's depart
It's just lack of due diligence. I mean, we live
in a world. But I've had a theory on this.
Actually I reckon you know how in the nineties the
power shifted to HR I reckon the like, and for
our generation, it's powers shifted to comm's apartments. And so
(02:29):
it's all just about fields and bs and recons rather
than actually, you know, numbers and truth and because the
idea we're going to send that half billion, but you know,
I'm not going to give you a time frame here there,
and you know we'll support not creating a thousand jobs.
You're supporting a thousand jobs. Well on that basis, you know,
so do you and I. You know, I'm going to
spend a million dollars on food at the rest of
(02:50):
my lifetime. You're an amazing My organization, you know stopped
the capital gains tax under the ARDNA. Well you know,
you know we've you know, we've helped get boosted by
the economy by fifty billion dollars. You know, I mean,
there's just no.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
No I think something can I suggest though that I
mean clearly this government has tied economic growth to its
success or failure, right, Like, this is the messaging over
the last couple of years has been growth, growth, growth, growth, growth.
This is supposed to be the year of growth. You
can understand when we're on the ninth might as you
(03:33):
hang on this is this is this is a ligne
with growth. Everyone's been moaning it's been a miserable here's
a great economic headline we can get out there. We
can show that New Zealand's edgy and yeah we're up
with all this tech AI stuff, data centers. Who's seven
point five birty and that's a big number. Here we
go next minute that interview. So yeah, I just think
it's almost like a case of he doth protest too much?
(03:56):
You know, the PM is so desperately trying to urge everyone.
They're actually, you know, economic conditions are turning. We are
seeing the first green shoots that you can see why
they might be produced by this kind of message a
bit more than they might have otherwise.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yeah, jack your offsa. It's actually a continuation of the
last government. A common strategy is not a public policy strategy.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Yeah, do you know what I'm going to agree with
you on both of you on that because I feel
like there is too much of a mirroring going on here,
Like it feels too just into our do in this
government for us to be happy about the situation. Can
I just quickly ask you, Jack, what the hell is
going on with Tamaki Makota that there's hardly anybody voting?
Is it because they're all down at Nadawa here?
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Nah? I think it's just like combination of factors by election,
mid term kind of mayor people not that engaged with politics. Also,
one thing I hadn't really considered was the fact that
the hoardings are kind of competing for space with local
body government. So I was talking to the candidates the
other day and they said they've been door knocking and
people who said depending, oh, are you running for mayor?
(05:02):
And I was like, no, no, no different election. This
one's on next weekend as opposed to the local body
elections in six weeks. So yeah. I also think the
Malory seats are just different to general electorate seats, and
that it's kind of a very tricky electric to get
around and to bang. The drama makes no noise about
an election. But yeah, the numbers so far for early
(05:23):
voting are absolutely woeful. So turn out certainly going to
decide this thing.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
It's not good. I actually, Jordan, I want to come
back to you on that.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
The huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty the global
leader in luxury real estate.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Right, you're back of the huddle, Jordan Williams and Jack Tame. Jordan,
what I want to know from you is in the
by election, does a low turnout favor Labor or the
Marti Party? Do you think?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Well? I mean, you know, it's it's pretty embarrassing for
Labor given their enormous party machine, particularly in Auckland, to
not be able to turn out more votes. I mean,
if Pennant loses thus, it's going to be seriously embarrassing.
Whereas you know, the poor old Marty Party, you know,
not having their own Marias the stuff sorry to be
a polling boost. It's clearly having a real impact. We
(06:08):
shall you know, when is it Saturday? It's we should
get the interim results. So do they not? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:13):
I can't wait. Going to get the popcorn out now, Jack.
The Aussies can keep that neo Nazi.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Can't they yeah, but whether or not they will there's
another question. I was looking at the categorization of a
five oh one. It's kind of quite broad. I think
there's like a special character test that applies to five
oh one. So in some cases you have to say
prison time, or you're supposed to say.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
But what if he's an AUSSI citizen. It's understood. So
then yeah, they have to keep them, don't they.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
So that so that they doesn't get five oh one.
I mean, maybe they do. I mean I can recall,
haven't there been occasions in the past like where Australia
is a very excluded with the idea of it, but
it was just different people.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
It was ISIS stuff, and that was pretty way out there.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Well I think that was actually, I mean, I think
that was a terrible move the ISIS situation on behalf
of the Australians. But I'm sure it would be an
extremely political, politically popular move if they were to send
this guy back across the Tasman and find some legal
way of doing that. I would just say that if
they did that, I would hope you would respond by
seeing the christ terrorists back over to them.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Oh, you do a little do a little racist.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Yeah, what do you think? Of course, you can't renounce
someone citizenship and leave them state less. But in this case,
if it is a dual citizenship, but it's a really
easy solution, we should get in there first.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Actually, this is not a stupid idea. Children who would
thank you for that.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
You know you're puddling in my pocket, are not stupid?
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Jordan? Who's the minister?
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Erka? Because she gets things done? We could just petition it.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Yeah, maybe you can.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Might be d i A for something like that.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Well, you didn't do that without the minister's approval or
at least.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah. Now did you see Jack, what happened at the
day care in Sydney?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Now standing outstanding? So how old was the kids?
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Not sure? But a toddler, So toddler's anything I would
think up to two, so between sort of like six months. Well,
and it's an infant up to one is and it
sways one to two, so let's say eighteen months.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
See, I feel like if it was a really young baby,
then I'm more sympathetic to Grandpa picking the wrong baby, right,
because because young babies are kind of like suitcases at
the airport, and that they all more or less look
the same, right as soon as they start joke, Yeah, yeah,
I know, well no, you know the new thing that
that all new parents there, they think their kid is
(08:34):
the most beautiful ever, and then you look back at
the photo six months later and you're like, oh, yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Anyway, the most beautiful.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
The question, though, I mean, it's easy to bag on Grandpa.
It's definitely a faux par on his behalf. He's probably
not getting pick up duties again, But what about the
daintier's role in all of this? But shouldn't they have
had a slightly better level of screws?
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Eve?
Speaker 2 (08:55):
But old on Jack? Nobody expects like not which day
care expects Grandpa to pick up the wrong kid? Like
you're not screening?
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Are you?
Speaker 3 (09:02):
No?
Speaker 4 (09:02):
One?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
When we pick up we mate from Kendy, they don't
go hold on a tack which just make sure, no,
that's that's your one off. You go expect me to
get that right?
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Could?
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Lord Jorden, Can you imagine though, what the mum like?
Imagine how angry mum is that granddad today?
Speaker 3 (09:19):
She is livid? Isn't she the only one to hear?
Those people that make this should have gone to speak savors. Ads. Oh,
this is absolutely the question I have is did did
he drive baby high?
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (09:34):
This is the problem is he was so he was
so constant, he was concentrating so intently on getting the
flipping car seat working properly, he didn't bother to look
at baby's face.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Maybe it was a ruse. So because he never now
has to do any preschool pick up, this is.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Called this is called weaponized incompetence. And don't pretend that
you boys don't do it children, because we.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Know you do. Taking it to a level that's at
least that Yeah, better to call which one's the dryer,
Which one's the washing machine?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Oh you heard that story? Oh Lord, here we go.
I'm going to pay for that tonight, guys, Thanks very much, Jack, James,
Jordan Williams the huddle. If you haven't heard that story,
that is the phone call that I fielded. And let's
say we're dining out on that one. Now.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive listen live to
news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
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
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.
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.