July 1, 2025 • 6 mins
More details about infrastructure in Wellington and Picton in Government plans for new Cook Strait ferries.
CentrePort, Port Marlborough, and KiwiRail have agreed a plan to re-use and strengthen the Wellington wharf servicing Interislander's Aratere - and to re-use terminals both sides of the Strait.
Minister for Rail Winston Peters says the Government won't consider privatisation - and he's just looking to make sure Kiwis stay informed.
"We're not about to make the same mistake a second time."
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now the debate over whether we should partially privatize the
Cockstraight fairies has been sparked again. It turns out the
government told the company that's buying our new fairies for
us to consider that as an option. Winston Peters is
the Minister for Rail and with us. Now, Hi, Winston, Hello,
are you considering it?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Look, we just put out all of the options, and
in terms of considering it, the answer is no, we're not.
We're just looking at and making sure that people knew
what all the options were before we made a long
term decision.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Have you made that long term decision? Then it's ruled out,
is it?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Well? Look, if you remember what happened the last time
it was privatized, the shares in the privatization went beyond
nine dollars and when it collapsed it was under twenty dollars,
under thirty cents per share. It was a massive sellout,
a massive loss, and we've rebuilt the whole thing. We're
not about to make the same mistake a second time.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Why did it go wrong last time?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
We got long last time because we had a company
making itself, the Financial Advisors in October of nineteen ninety two.
The next year, they jumped across the table and said, hello,
we're the buyer with Wisconsin Central Railroad. You know that
was it was fayriush White and the rest is history.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Well, could we, not, having learned the lessons of that,
do it again properly?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
We'll do what again? Properly? What clefts the whole investment.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Only partially partially privatized? Why so that it runs.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
More and actually work.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
A bigger part so that it runs more efficiently and
actually works. I mean because if you look at the
public version of the Cookstrait Fairies, they are really bad.
You look at the private version being Bluebridge, it's actually
working quite well.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Oh you don't understand that the blue Bridge is depended
upon the other service delivered by Qrailer. If q Well
wasn't there, the whole thing would be massively inadequate, massively insufficient.
I mean, this is the decision that was made decades
ago by from from very wise politicians when we were
actually number two in the world because we were smart
(02:04):
about our investments. And we're going back to being smart
about our investments again. Now. The key thing is to
get the right managers in.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Okay, So have you got any updates for us on
how you're going buying those new fairies.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Well, look me down to the bidding process. There's six
interested tenderers. They will be decided in the fullness of
time and very very soon, and then we will be
able to get on with the wolves which are required
for them, the buildings required for them, and the yards
required for them. We are going to save in the
long run billions of dollars from the New Zealand taxpayer's account,
(02:42):
which the IREX program was sending us to do. The
IRAQ program had less than twenty percent for the fairies
and the rest was all infrastructure and hitting, as Treasury said,
passed four billion dollars.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Listen just quickly, Winston're on this business with the Treaty
principles and the education law, and Erica Stanford has been
getting a fair bit of heat lately. Do you think
that that treaty principle in there is going to be
removed or is it going to be rewritten?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Well, look, the full review of where treaty clauses belong
or don't belong is being done right now, and we
are saying that when that happens and we've done the
full review, then if a bill has well allegation has
this in it that is not required to be in it,
it'll be taken out. If it's not justified, it will
not be there because what the moment, you've got everybody
(03:31):
shoving it in there and the whole thing is paralyzing
organizations right around this country.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Okay, and if it is justified, it will be rewritten
to be quite specific, But in what cases would it
be justified to remain in the legislation.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
We will lay them all out before you, but it's
part of our collision agreement. We decided when these talks,
we're going to fix this once and for all because
you had a disaster going on where everybody was interpreting
the principles of the fetia of White Tongy, and as
Nata pointed out way back one hundred years ago, they're
doing what have principles?
Speaker 1 (04:01):
And do you think, having looked, because I imagine you
will have seen this by now, what's gone on in
the education in this piece of legislation, do you think
that is necessary or will it be removed?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Well, the reality is that they're hammering poor Erica Stanford,
when in fact the legislation she's talking about she inherited
and we know that we're across people. Hope people do
know that. And so some of these when some of
these absolutis jump in their argument, they don't really understand
(04:31):
what a huge difficulty we're dealing with because you've had
government after government taking on things without any understanding.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Answering my question. And I'm starting to feel like you're
trying to avoid it.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I'm not avoid it.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
I'm the one that's do you do you think it
should be there or not?
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Well, my personal opinion is in most cases of education
it should not be in there.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Top all right, so most likely out How long is
this review going to take that Paul Goldsmith is doing
do you think.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Well, he's not doing We're all doing it. And it's
over the next few weeks and months. It's very close
to finality, and we'll let you know when we've done
the work.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
So will you have all of the treaty principles in
all of the legislation reviewed in the next few months.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
We're reviewing it as we speak.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Yes, you will live it all done by the end
of this year.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Our proposals to ensure that we change the law befitting
what this country entered into at the Tributa of Whiting
and Sex of Februar eighty and forty and something that's
and not something made them right here, what do you say,
let me tell you, and not something constructed by the
sociology department of the university, but no recognition of history
itself and the facts.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Okay. Do you think by the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Quite possibly? Yes?
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Okay, cool, Hey, thank you, Winston, appreciate it. Winston Peter's
Minister for Rail. So there you go. They're going through
all of the legislation, looking at all, poor of Paul Goldsmith,
who's been announcing all the law he's busy doing all
the law and order stuff lately. When he's finished with that,
he's going to have to look at all of the
Treaty of Treaty of Wipe any principles in all of
the legislation which they're doing, and then they're going to
have make decisions and apparently most most likely by the
(06:05):
end of the m very excited to see that.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
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.
Now the debate over whether we should partially privatize the
Cockstraight fairies has been sparked again. It turns out the
government told the company that's buying our new fairies for
us to consider that as an option. Winston Peters is
the Minister for Rail and with us. Now, Hi, Winston, Hello,
are you considering it?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Look, we just put out all of the options, and
in terms of considering it, the answer is no, we're not.
We're just looking at and making sure that people knew
what all the options were before we made a long
term decision.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Have you made that long term decision? Then it's ruled out,
is it?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Well? Look, if you remember what happened the last time
it was privatized, the shares in the privatization went beyond
nine dollars and when it collapsed it was under twenty dollars,
under thirty cents per share. It was a massive sellout,
a massive loss, and we've rebuilt the whole thing. We're
not about to make the same mistake a second time.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Why did it go wrong last time?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
We got long last time because we had a company
making itself, the Financial Advisors in October of nineteen ninety two.
The next year, they jumped across the table and said, hello,
we're the buyer with Wisconsin Central Railroad. You know that
was it was fayriush White and the rest is history.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Well, could we, not, having learned the lessons of that,
do it again properly?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
We'll do what again? Properly? What clefts the whole investment.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Only partially partially privatized? Why so that it runs.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
More and actually work.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
A bigger part so that it runs more efficiently and
actually works. I mean because if you look at the
public version of the Cookstrait Fairies, they are really bad.
You look at the private version being Bluebridge, it's actually
working quite well.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Oh you don't understand that the blue Bridge is depended
upon the other service delivered by Qrailer. If q Well
wasn't there, the whole thing would be massively inadequate, massively insufficient.
I mean, this is the decision that was made decades
ago by from from very wise politicians when we were
actually number two in the world because we were smart
(02:04):
about our investments. And we're going back to being smart
about our investments again. Now. The key thing is to
get the right managers in.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Okay, So have you got any updates for us on
how you're going buying those new fairies.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Well, look me down to the bidding process. There's six
interested tenderers. They will be decided in the fullness of
time and very very soon, and then we will be
able to get on with the wolves which are required
for them, the buildings required for them, and the yards
required for them. We are going to save in the
long run billions of dollars from the New Zealand taxpayer's account,
(02:42):
which the IREX program was sending us to do. The
IRAQ program had less than twenty percent for the fairies
and the rest was all infrastructure and hitting, as Treasury said,
passed four billion dollars.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Listen just quickly, Winston're on this business with the Treaty
principles and the education law, and Erica Stanford has been
getting a fair bit of heat lately. Do you think
that that treaty principle in there is going to be
removed or is it going to be rewritten?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Well, look, the full review of where treaty clauses belong
or don't belong is being done right now, and we
are saying that when that happens and we've done the
full review, then if a bill has well allegation has
this in it that is not required to be in it,
it'll be taken out. If it's not justified, it will
not be there because what the moment, you've got everybody
(03:31):
shoving it in there and the whole thing is paralyzing
organizations right around this country.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Okay, and if it is justified, it will be rewritten
to be quite specific, But in what cases would it
be justified to remain in the legislation.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
We will lay them all out before you, but it's
part of our collision agreement. We decided when these talks,
we're going to fix this once and for all because
you had a disaster going on where everybody was interpreting
the principles of the fetia of White Tongy, and as
Nata pointed out way back one hundred years ago, they're
doing what have principles?
Speaker 1 (04:01):
And do you think, having looked, because I imagine you
will have seen this by now, what's gone on in
the education in this piece of legislation, do you think
that is necessary or will it be removed?
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Well, the reality is that they're hammering poor Erica Stanford,
when in fact the legislation she's talking about she inherited
and we know that we're across people. Hope people do
know that. And so some of these when some of
these absolutis jump in their argument, they don't really understand
(04:31):
what a huge difficulty we're dealing with because you've had
government after government taking on things without any understanding.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Answering my question. And I'm starting to feel like you're
trying to avoid it.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I'm not avoid it.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
I'm the one that's do you do you think it
should be there or not?
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Well, my personal opinion is in most cases of education
it should not be in there.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Top all right, so most likely out How long is
this review going to take that Paul Goldsmith is doing
do you think.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Well, he's not doing We're all doing it. And it's
over the next few weeks and months. It's very close
to finality, and we'll let you know when we've done
the work.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
So will you have all of the treaty principles in
all of the legislation reviewed in the next few months.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
We're reviewing it as we speak.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Yes, you will live it all done by the end
of this year.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Our proposals to ensure that we change the law befitting
what this country entered into at the Tributa of Whiting
and Sex of Februar eighty and forty and something that's
and not something made them right here, what do you say,
let me tell you, and not something constructed by the
sociology department of the university, but no recognition of history
itself and the facts.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Okay. Do you think by the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Quite possibly? Yes?
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Okay, cool, Hey, thank you, Winston, appreciate it. Winston Peter's
Minister for Rail. So there you go. They're going through
all of the legislation, looking at all, poor of Paul Goldsmith,
who's been announcing all the law he's busy doing all
the law and order stuff lately. When he's finished with that,
he's going to have to look at all of the
Treaty of Treaty of Wipe any principles in all of
the legislation which they're doing, and then they're going to
have make decisions and apparently most most likely by the
(06:05):
end of the m very excited to see that.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
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.
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