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April 1, 2025 11 mins

A new test for Parliament's processes. 

Te Pāti Māori MPs are refusing to appear before a Privileges Committee hearing about last year's haka in the House, after being told they can't appear together with their lawyer. 

Labour MP Peeni Henare appeared before the committee last month, with the committee finding his conduct was disorderly but didn't amount to contempt. 

He apologised for leaving his seat to perform a haka, but stands by performing it, saying he'd do it again 

Fellow Labour MP Ginny Andersen told Mike Hosking it will be interesting to see how this plays out. 

She says Labour believes in taking part in the Privileges Committee process, but this is an issue for Te Pāti Māori and Parliament to navigate. 

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Mark Mitchell's with us along with Ginny Anderson.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Good morning, good morning, good morning, good morning, Mike.

Speaker 3 (00:04):
Morning, Jenny, Good morning Mike, and happy anniversary.

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Thank you so much. It's very kind. Have you been
listening for the whole twenty five years and loving every minute? Ginny?

Speaker 3 (00:12):
I don't know if it was the full twenty five years,
but I have been listening for a while.

Speaker 1 (00:15):
Good on you, Mark. How much heat are you taking
on the socials? As they say over not giving the
America's Cup people the money?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Not as bad as what I thought it might have been.
But the reality of it is. I mean, of course,
you know, we want to have the America's Cup. Hey,
it's such a big part of who we are as
a country. But the reality of it was is that
the government seventy five million dollars of tax bars money
at the moment is needed in health, in education. It
was just too much.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Did it go to cabinet? Did it get seriously considered?
Did you fight your corner? Did any of that happen
or no?

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Yeah, no, I got absolutely got seriously considered. It went
to you know, the major Events team and MB of
course the Minister of Finance has got oversight on there
to kill it, and well there's there were big discussions
head around it. Let me assure you of that, and
looking at every angle in terms of course we'd love

(01:07):
to have the America's Cup here. At the end of
the day, everyone knows that we're fiscally r under the pump.
Seventy five million dollars of taxpars money is a lot
of money, and there's other areas of that we want
to prioritize at the moment.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
Can you come like that, but can I just say that,
but there was enough money for it, which keecks in
I think today or yesterday the two point nine billion
dollars of text breaks to lean lads. There was money
in the budget for.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
That though, well that's that is just complete nonsense. And
by the way, when labor was in lasting government, you
prioritize money for other ereas as well, and not the
America's Cup. And as much as we'd love to host
the America's Cup as much as much.

Speaker 3 (01:45):
As we'd love, just pointing out mine and there's.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Nothing stopping and there's nothing stopping if there's other funding
available for it still be hosted in New Zealand. But
at the moment this goverment.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
See, I mean, you can go down the track as
long as you want. I mean, I personally argue parents
should make school and we should save one hundred and
something million dollars on that, and therefore we can fund
the America's Cup. But can you, honestly, ginny hand on heart,
given the fiscal circumstances of the day, say you would
have done anything different.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
Well, I haven't seen those negotiations. We probably would have
given it one more punt to see if we can stick,
because those spill over the benefits we saw last time
were significant for small businesses, for the local economy. When
you bring that many people into the country and have
that much attention on New Zealand, that the money that
comes into the country has repeat benefits for the local economy.
And that's a great thing. And right now people are

(02:33):
crying out for their extra hope and a bit of
extra money for local tourism that comes in through that stuff.
So my view is that if there was an opportunity
to have another crack in another round of one apgotiations,
we would have had a.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
Crack an three years, seventy five twenty five a year.
It's two million a month. Did you look at it
that way? I mean you spend more on photo copying
than that.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
No, we just looked at it in the sense that, well,
of course there was you know, the Minister of Finance
and NBA major events that went through did the analysis
and looked at what it was going to be the
cost of the text power, and well.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
It's seventy five over three years. There's two million dollars
a month. I've done the numbers for you. You didn't even
need to ring well, NB, you could ring me.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Well. I think that the reality of it is that
is that most key we would support having the America's
cup yere. There is a threshold in terms of what
key we think we should be investing as a country.
Seventy five million dollars at the moment for us as
a lot of money. We do have to prioritize. We
do have to make tough decisions, something that labor didn't
do when they're in government. Is why we're in the
situation we're in now.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
All right, Well, I mean it is what it is. Obviously, Ginny,
look big picture here. When you looked at the Mallori
party yesterday and the privilegus committee. When you look at
Tamotha Paul time several, when you look at the bloke
who's been texting out weird stuff, honestly, hand on heart
in an adult way, explain to me how you run
a country with that lot?

Speaker 3 (03:54):
Well, which shue you?

Speaker 1 (03:54):
You've putted anyone different? Anyone else?

Speaker 3 (03:59):
Are you wanting like five words to someone?

Speaker 1 (04:00):
No, No, I'm just saying. I'm just saying this is
going to be a major, major issue for you guys
next to you, because these guys are weirdos, and you're
going to have to explain to New Zealand that don't
worry about it. We're in control here and we'll will
bring them into line, so vote for us.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Well, hipkins are supporting them as well.

Speaker 3 (04:18):
It's ridiculous, it's not true true, So you.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
Didn't he Merriment's all okay?

Speaker 3 (04:29):
Absolutely, each of those issues, each of those issues are
separate ones. The one because you.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
Pile them up into a great, big, heaping pile of
weirdness and you and you you know it's not your fault,
but it is your problem. You've got to explain it.

Speaker 3 (04:44):
Well, that's why we continue to be a strong, organized
opposition that holds this government to account on issues that
don't make sense to say when they say we don't
have enough money.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
I get all of that. And so you will go out.

Speaker 3 (04:58):
And that's what you want. If we make sure we're
at fight ship, we.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
May you and fantastic and so you're going to the
I get that. But in an environment you're going to
need the of not the Maori Party, and they are nuts.

Speaker 3 (05:14):
So can I find it up? So I'm I glad
to talk now? Is it now?

Speaker 2 (05:17):
I talk?

Speaker 1 (05:18):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (05:19):
Really interested just chicking. We stick to what we know
and do well, which is holding this government to account
and making sure that we are out there every day
talking to New Zealanders and making it clear that it's
not okay. Right now Keywis are doing it incredibly tough.
They don't have enough money for food or rent or mortgages,
and you have a government giving two point nine billion

(05:40):
dollars away to landlords this month, or the minimum wage
increases by thirty five cents, not even enough to meat inflation.
They're the real problems.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
So basically, so basically you've had the Green Party come
out with a full frontal attack or on our police
suit by.

Speaker 3 (05:57):
The way, And I've been very clear on this program
about that Mark right when it broke, I was just
one to be asked whether we would I think that
Mark said, so what do you say, Jenny when tamothasys
we're going to defund the police and my exec No, Timoth,
We're not going to defund the police.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
I know you, I know you're very sensitive about this,
but just let me finish. So basically, you had the
Greens come out and to take our police.

Speaker 3 (06:21):
Are you going to restate what Mark just are years ago?
To restate what Mike this is? Because I think that's
what you're going to do. Mike, Like when you get
a funny joke, you just like to keep telling it
again and again. Can I for this or knock yourself out?

Speaker 2 (06:35):
So basically, you had the Greens come out and to
take the police. You had Hipkins as the leader of
the Labor Party come out and condemn those comments. Then
he gets on a call to Marrow but Davidson, the
leader of the Green Party, and he beats out of
it and says, oh, no, I think the Greens have
raised legitimate issues. This is these are the two parties
I want Key Wes to think about this very carefully.
Labor and Greens voted against every single public safety piece

(06:56):
of legislation that we brought to the House this tom.

Speaker 1 (06:59):
Let me change it up slow for you, Jinny. The
married Party in their contempt the Privileges Committee, are you
comfortable with the way they're behaving? She there, hare gone,
they've disappeared. What's happened there?

Speaker 2 (07:13):
No, I'm here? Not, I'm here.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
Jenny's gone, She's disappeared, gone, She's sorry. So you're back?
Did you go? Did you go get some advice from
the spin doctors? Jenny? What was happening there?

Speaker 3 (07:27):
No? I did not. I don't know what happened. That
made a funny noise?

Speaker 1 (07:30):
So Mary party, let me ask you, the married party
in their contempt of the privileges, are you comfortable with
that or not?

Speaker 3 (07:36):
Well, Penny went to the Privileges Committee.

Speaker 1 (07:38):
And hey, when behaved himself and said sorry and did
the right thing.

Speaker 3 (07:43):
Though he did make the point though that he stood
by doing the hucker. And I think this is a
tricky new area for Parliament. It's when is the hucker okay?
And when is it not?

Speaker 1 (07:52):
Well, that's the Privileges Committee.

Speaker 3 (07:53):
Is okay, it is indeed.

Speaker 1 (07:57):
I'm asking though, is let's take you labor seriously and
let's take national seriously. And you've got these fringe weirdos
on the side just becoming their nose at history, heritage, professionalism,
whatever you want. Does that sit comfortably with you or not?

Speaker 3 (08:16):
Well, it's a new territory we're navigating, so it's one
that is tricky, and it's the one with the Speaker
has a clear role in terms of determining what happens next.
But yeah, it is new area. We believe Labor we
want to be part of the Privileges Committee and part
of that. But Penny did note when he went through
that process that he stood by doing the hooker as well.

(08:37):
So that's an issue for the multi party to navigate.
But it will be an interesting time for Parliament how
we respond and how this works its way.

Speaker 1 (08:44):
Do you recommend it?

Speaker 2 (08:47):
I just think that, you know, it's really important that
we have standards in our parliament. I see school groups
coming through all the time. Yep. We should have strong
debates and there's no doubt about that. In a bit
of rough and tumble, but standards are important. Behavior is important,
and I think standards have slipped oddly lots. We had
a Green Party member in the House the other day

(09:07):
with the leather jacket on, trying to look like FONDSA rally.
We've got the Married Party that get out of their seats,
come forward and start doing a hark with obviously with
the obviously intent of trying to intimidate other members of
the House. You've got a Green Party member that came
over and was abusive towards a you know, another National
Party member. I just the standards matter, and actually we
meant to be leaders and we should be providing, we

(09:28):
should be sitting the standard exactly. And so you know
that's my thoughts on well known.

Speaker 1 (09:33):
A quick question for you, Ginny, as regards last week's
discussion on things. You're not going to cancel for the
sake of canceling if broadly speaking, what Peters comes up
with with the fairies is fine, you won't do anything
about it. It is what it is, yeah or no.

Speaker 3 (09:46):
New Zealand needs rail enabled fairies and it's a real
I think it's a real lost to New Zealand. We've
had to pay three hundred billion so far for the
break fees, like.

Speaker 1 (09:57):
We're allowed to pay anything for the break free.

Speaker 3 (09:59):
So and if we get here the keepnet paper that
was made available note step that was seen. It was leaked,
I think actually, but it was seen. Three hundred million
was put in the full break fees.

Speaker 1 (10:13):
Yeah, but that's everything, that's last year of infrastructure and
the whole lot. If we get hundaid to make those
ships right there off, it'll be a non event.

Speaker 3 (10:21):
Well that that's yet to be determined. But we've got
exactly what we had in place before, but it's smaller
and it's taken another two years on top of what
we were waiting but costing.

Speaker 1 (10:33):
Jenny, if they get what they get, you're not going
to do anything about It is what it is.

Speaker 3 (10:36):
And we've said got them that that's the high way.
We want that through the Cook straight. It's critical for
New Zealands infrastructure and we will support.

Speaker 2 (10:46):
There's this massive cost blowouts that the Textperker couldn't afford under.

Speaker 3 (10:49):
Labor and blowouts under you as well.

Speaker 2 (10:52):
No, it's not true. It's going to it's going to be.
It's going to be far more economic for the text Perent.
It's going to deliver a work class.

Speaker 3 (10:58):
We have seen no prices mic on.

Speaker 1 (11:00):
It will be so well, they're going to be less
than four billion, aren't they. And I think Peters has
said that, and he said, quote unquote, it will save
us billions. So if it saves us billions, it'll be cheaper, won't.

Speaker 3 (11:08):
It will take a look when we see those all right.

Speaker 1 (11:11):
Nice to see you, guys, Jindy Anderson Mark Mitchell for
another week.

Speaker 3 (11:13):
For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
news talks. It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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