Mark Mitchell's hoping to broaden relations with China in his role of Minister for Ethnic Communities.
He's in the Chinese economic capital of Shanghai with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
Mitchell's meeting with the Kiwi business delegation today to plan out what they want to achieve.
He told Mike Hosking trade, food, and education are on the agenda.
Mitchell says they're all ambassadors for New Zealand, aiming to solidify a relationship with China.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now Mark Mitchell is with us along with Jimmy Anderson.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Good morning to both in you too, both. Good morning,
Mike morning, good morning.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Like I've never learned to speak English.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
How's how is?
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Mark?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
First of all, thank you for getting up because its
call a pass four in the morning. Or did you
not go to bed?
Speaker 4 (00:15):
I didn't really go to bed because we got by
the time we arrived at midnight and then by the
time we sort of got sworded into the hotel, so
I hade some reading to do. So no, no, of
course you know that I loyally try to be on
the show. I found out an experience when we had
cyclone Gabriel how the listeners on the show turn up
and when I was over there, I mean, you know,
we don't talk about this often, but the amount of
(00:37):
misages that came through and that makes it that made
a huge difference for the people on the ground, so
people bother tuning to us. So I just make the effort,
and I think that that I want to turn up
for the show.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Good on. You take us through the journey. Was it
three or four days to get from Auckland to China?
Speaker 4 (00:55):
It probably felt like four, but it was too the
journey was outstanding. Our New Zealand Defense Force personnel, particularly
Air Force, and the way they operate the seven five
seven there was flawless. We're to stop and Ken's a
refuel and then to stop in Singapore and then through
to Shanghai.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
So no, it's been through. It's been a good trip.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Isn't it funny? Because I was talking to him blux
and about that the other day. He had you stopping
in Darwin and Manila. So the fact that you stopped
in Ken's and Singapore indicates that for a man who
ran an airline, I'm just thinking to myself.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
Jeez, well he's I mean, he's completely dependent on the
advice that he gets from Defense and they will take
the best, most efficient route to sort of get us here.
But ultimately those are operational decisions for them, and that's
the way that we came was and it was it
was good. I mean, you know, huge respect to our
delegation and our keywis that come on these things. We
(01:48):
don't have the most modern technology. It's maybe not the
most comfortable flight of the world, but our Air Force.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
People are outstanding and Dane's got an incredibly strong.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
And interest well Okay, just move. I know you're on
a bonafhone mark, so just move because that's I think
your prepay might be. Jenny. As far as scrutiny weeks concerned,
let me come back to yesterday and your two potty
mouth colleagues. Is that what's happening here? I mean, I
mean what happened there?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Do you know?
Speaker 3 (02:20):
No, I don't think that's an accurate reflection of what
actually happens in scrutiny week. So I've had seven ministers
so far, and we've been working really long hours to
be able to drill into part to the budget and
ask questions to understand where money's being spent, and we're directions.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Going is is it descended in your view? Because I
remember you came on this probram was it one or two?
How long scrutiny? Is this a second year or third year?
Speaker 3 (02:44):
I think it's the third Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Because the first year I remember you you were quite
bullish about it and it was interesting and it was
a bit different, and I just wondered if, as I
watched Webb and Russell yesterday and the and the swearing
and stuff, whether it's got a bit acrimonious because the
fun fact has gone and now you're just backing into
hating each other.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Well, remember we always do this. There's two cycles in
the budget where we're analyzing it, so that's just longer
periods of time and dedicated in a week. So it's
still the same process that what politicians have always done.
Ministers front up and answer questions about the budget. So
it just means that there should be by standing orders,
longer periods of time when ministers are being questioned through
(03:26):
scrut in new week. And some have changed. So we're
still debating that because some have cut their times right
back just to fifteen minutes and that's not what our
standing orders specified for ministers.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Is it still fruitful?
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I think so, Like you get to talk to things
like I talked with Mark about police performance measures and
how they've been lowered. He denies that they have been
and I debate that it's pretty clear from the budget
that they have been lowered. So you get to talk
about parts of the budget that are quite drilling down
into detail that otherwise you wouldn't have that opportunity to
talk about.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Well, what I had six hours of hearings on Monday,
and they don't need twenty minutes, so very weak. They
don't come very well prepared. The questions aren't very good.
So you know, probably twenty minutes is all you need
in reality, but we gave them. I gave them an
hour and a half an hour, half an air half
and a half an hour and half an hour on
my on my, you know, scrutiny hearings.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Okay, make Indigenous people what specifically you're going to be doing.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Well, Firstly, I'm back because Glenn and Sam shows some
true keying to do it and it's staying on one
leg and hold onto a coating, so hopefully, hopefully that's
going to work.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Sorry, Indigenous people, can you ask questions again?
Speaker 1 (04:38):
That's your capacity in which you are in China. What
is it you're doing there and what.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Are we doing you?
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Well, we've got a very powerful business delegation here, so
we're going to be dealing with a whole lot of things.
Obviously trade, help, food, education, it, we've got a very
we've got our Kappa Hockey group here that won matter
two any that part of that. So it's just we're
only best is for years of auret here selling New Zealand.
We're out here solidifying that trading relationship with China, which
(05:07):
is critically important for US as a country, especially the
time when you see the out of instability around the world.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
How do you dumptail them? And your Bonna fine is
a very good example of this. The relationship we have
with China is a complex one. You're on a Berna
fine for obvious reasons, and yet you want to do
more and more business with China, isn't it strange?
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Well, only you just you highlight it.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
We live in a complex world and there's there's some
things that countries do that we don't agree with, as
kiwis and New Zealand's we highlight that those but there's
also really important with parts of the relationship that we
want to foster and strength and do. And obviously our
trading relationship with China has been with us for a
long long time.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
We have a free trade agreement with us.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
They're a big part of what we do and a
big part of support in our economy, and so you know,
we've got to maintain those relationships.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Ginny, did you hear sim and Brown earlier?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
I had parts of it as right, what is your I.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Just cannot get to the bottom of it. What's you
And this was Asha Verial yesterday, what's your fundamental problem?
If they can get the registrar thing in a contract
with a private operator and also do more operations, what's
wrong with that?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Because there's not two workforces. There's not a magic private
workforce and a public workforce. There's one workforce. So you
don't get extra work. You just take things into private.
Private still cops costs more, and it leaves all the
complex more surgeries in the public system. After k is
still in the public system, and it will send the
workforce with those longer contracts he's putting in place, the
(06:38):
workforce will go into private. So as you've really picked
out trainee doctors can't get those hours up. Yeah, but
if they fix that, but the chronic problem is workforce shortages.
And so there's still the same number of doctors here.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
But find okay in most doctors though, Jenny work in
public and private. So Mike the surgeon works a bit
in public and a bit in private. When I go
to private, if I end up doing some of the
public work, what does it matter? And and for for
the for the record, the surgeon we had on the
other day set it is actually cheaper anyway, So be
that does it make if you utilize me and my
skills more often, that's good, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Well, that's good in the short term, and it has
we've we've worked as well to do some of those short,
quick and easy surgeries in the in the private system,
But long term of a ten year contracts, it doesn't
fix the problem that there's a chronic underfunding and there's
a workforce shortage. We don't have more doctors. We just
have doctors doing short, quicker surgeries in the public So
(07:35):
the underlying problems aren't being addressed by doing this.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Labored in the story doesn't like the private sector.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Doesn't You always say that you don't even.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Know it's true. It's true.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Well, you're fighting against the private sector stepping in.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
I didn't say that. I just said that we used
it as well. I just said that we used it
as well.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Do we support that. We're going to do that.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
The last time we're in government, Mike, we started reducing
waiting lists waiting times because we partner between public and
private and we're going to do the same thing again.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
So you can't argue, Ginny when you when you do
nine thousand and something more elective surgeries. Those people who
got those surgeries are happy punters and they got a
better service, and they'll they'll they'll they'll back that vote
for that, won't they.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I completely agree, But it does not fix the problem.
We need more doctors across vote. It's the same doctor.
It's the same doctor because it gives you short term gains,
but over a longer period of time when you need more,
please finish because it leaves the more complex surgeries and
(08:35):
the public system. It leaves after here in the public system,
and those things aren't being fixed. It's a short term
fix that's great, yes, But as a long term solution
for the underfunding, more.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Doctors, more doctors, that's a separate issue, isn't it. That's
opening up places in med school and bringing in people
from offshore and stuff like that. That's a completely separate thing, completely.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
But these Mike's the same doctor in public and private,
and Mike can only do.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
And Simon's got a plan for that, and he's worth
it on that. Last time, last time we were in government,
we started reducing the massive wait list that we had
under the previous labor government, and elective surgeries again that done.
We're setting targets and we're doing the same thing again.
I just think that's a blind ideology so that the
private sector doesn't have a roll.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
On the election campaign. I suspect, Mark, what time are you?
What's your first appointment today?
Speaker 4 (09:25):
My first appointment is at quarter past six this morning,
and I'm meeting with the visit. Yeah, and we're going
to I'm meeting with the Business delegation. So that we start,
we get organized, we know what we want to achieve,
and we and we plan out the day because the
Prime Minister will be doing he'll be popping in and
out with the Business Delegation, but he's got other things
that he'll be off doing as well.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Right, you go, Well to you too. We'll catch up
next week. Appreciate it very much, Mike Mitchell and Jinny
Anderson Politics Wednesday for This Wednesday Morning. For more from
the Mike Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks that'd
be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Now Mark Mitchell is with us along with Jimmy Anderson.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Good morning to both in you too, both. Good morning,
Mike morning, good morning.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Like I've never learned to speak English.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
How's how is?
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Mark?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
First of all, thank you for getting up because its
call a pass four in the morning. Or did you
not go to bed?
Speaker 4 (00:15):
I didn't really go to bed because we got by
the time we arrived at midnight and then by the
time we sort of got sworded into the hotel, so
I hade some reading to do. So no, no, of
course you know that I loyally try to be on
the show. I found out an experience when we had
cyclone Gabriel how the listeners on the show turn up
and when I was over there, I mean, you know,
we don't talk about this often, but the amount of
(00:37):
misages that came through and that makes it that made
a huge difference for the people on the ground, so
people bother tuning to us. So I just make the effort,
and I think that that I want to turn up
for the show.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Good on. You take us through the journey. Was it
three or four days to get from Auckland to China?
Speaker 4 (00:55):
It probably felt like four, but it was too the
journey was outstanding. Our New Zealand Defense Force personnel, particularly
Air Force, and the way they operate the seven five
seven there was flawless. We're to stop and Ken's a
refuel and then to stop in Singapore and then through
to Shanghai.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
So no, it's been through. It's been a good trip.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Isn't it funny? Because I was talking to him blux
and about that the other day. He had you stopping
in Darwin and Manila. So the fact that you stopped
in Ken's and Singapore indicates that for a man who
ran an airline, I'm just thinking to myself.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
Jeez, well he's I mean, he's completely dependent on the
advice that he gets from Defense and they will take
the best, most efficient route to sort of get us here.
But ultimately those are operational decisions for them, and that's
the way that we came was and it was it
was good. I mean, you know, huge respect to our
delegation and our keywis that come on these things. We
(01:48):
don't have the most modern technology. It's maybe not the
most comfortable flight of the world, but our Air Force.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
People are outstanding and Dane's got an incredibly strong.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
And interest well Okay, just move. I know you're on
a bonafhone mark, so just move because that's I think
your prepay might be. Jenny. As far as scrutiny weeks concerned,
let me come back to yesterday and your two potty
mouth colleagues. Is that what's happening here? I mean, I
mean what happened there?
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Do you know?
Speaker 3 (02:20):
No, I don't think that's an accurate reflection of what
actually happens in scrutiny week. So I've had seven ministers
so far, and we've been working really long hours to
be able to drill into part to the budget and
ask questions to understand where money's being spent, and we're directions.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Going is is it descended in your view? Because I
remember you came on this probram was it one or two?
How long scrutiny? Is this a second year or third year?
Speaker 3 (02:44):
I think it's the third Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Because the first year I remember you you were quite
bullish about it and it was interesting and it was
a bit different, and I just wondered if, as I
watched Webb and Russell yesterday and the and the swearing
and stuff, whether it's got a bit acrimonious because the
fun fact has gone and now you're just backing into
hating each other.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Well, remember we always do this. There's two cycles in
the budget where we're analyzing it, so that's just longer
periods of time and dedicated in a week. So it's
still the same process that what politicians have always done.
Ministers front up and answer questions about the budget. So
it just means that there should be by standing orders,
longer periods of time when ministers are being questioned through
(03:26):
scrut in new week. And some have changed. So we're
still debating that because some have cut their times right
back just to fifteen minutes and that's not what our
standing orders specified for ministers.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Is it still fruitful?
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I think so, Like you get to talk to things
like I talked with Mark about police performance measures and
how they've been lowered. He denies that they have been
and I debate that it's pretty clear from the budget
that they have been lowered. So you get to talk
about parts of the budget that are quite drilling down
into detail that otherwise you wouldn't have that opportunity to
talk about.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Well, what I had six hours of hearings on Monday,
and they don't need twenty minutes, so very weak. They
don't come very well prepared. The questions aren't very good.
So you know, probably twenty minutes is all you need
in reality, but we gave them. I gave them an
hour and a half an hour, half an air half
and a half an hour and half an hour on
my on my, you know, scrutiny hearings.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Okay, make Indigenous people what specifically you're going to be doing.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Well, Firstly, I'm back because Glenn and Sam shows some
true keying to do it and it's staying on one
leg and hold onto a coating, so hopefully, hopefully that's
going to work.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Sorry, Indigenous people, can you ask questions again?
Speaker 1 (04:38):
That's your capacity in which you are in China. What
is it you're doing there and what.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Are we doing you?
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Well, we've got a very powerful business delegation here, so
we're going to be dealing with a whole lot of things.
Obviously trade, help, food, education, it, we've got a very
we've got our Kappa Hockey group here that won matter
two any that part of that. So it's just we're
only best is for years of auret here selling New Zealand.
We're out here solidifying that trading relationship with China, which
(05:07):
is critically important for US as a country, especially the
time when you see the out of instability around the world.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
How do you dumptail them? And your Bonna fine is
a very good example of this. The relationship we have
with China is a complex one. You're on a Berna
fine for obvious reasons, and yet you want to do
more and more business with China, isn't it strange?
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Well, only you just you highlight it.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
We live in a complex world and there's there's some
things that countries do that we don't agree with, as
kiwis and New Zealand's we highlight that those but there's
also really important with parts of the relationship that we
want to foster and strength and do. And obviously our
trading relationship with China has been with us for a
long long time.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
We have a free trade agreement with us.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
They're a big part of what we do and a
big part of support in our economy, and so you know,
we've got to maintain those relationships.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Ginny, did you hear sim and Brown earlier?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
I had parts of it as right, what is your I.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Just cannot get to the bottom of it. What's you
And this was Asha Verial yesterday, what's your fundamental problem?
If they can get the registrar thing in a contract
with a private operator and also do more operations, what's
wrong with that?
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Because there's not two workforces. There's not a magic private
workforce and a public workforce. There's one workforce. So you
don't get extra work. You just take things into private.
Private still cops costs more, and it leaves all the
complex more surgeries in the public system. After k is
still in the public system, and it will send the
workforce with those longer contracts he's putting in place, the
(06:38):
workforce will go into private. So as you've really picked
out trainee doctors can't get those hours up. Yeah, but
if they fix that, but the chronic problem is workforce shortages.
And so there's still the same number of doctors here.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
But find okay in most doctors though, Jenny work in
public and private. So Mike the surgeon works a bit
in public and a bit in private. When I go
to private, if I end up doing some of the
public work, what does it matter? And and for for
the for the record, the surgeon we had on the
other day set it is actually cheaper anyway, So be
that does it make if you utilize me and my
skills more often, that's good, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Well, that's good in the short term, and it has
we've we've worked as well to do some of those short,
quick and easy surgeries in the in the private system,
But long term of a ten year contracts, it doesn't
fix the problem that there's a chronic underfunding and there's
a workforce shortage. We don't have more doctors. We just
have doctors doing short, quicker surgeries in the public So
(07:35):
the underlying problems aren't being addressed by doing this.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Labored in the story doesn't like the private sector.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Doesn't You always say that you don't even.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Know it's true. It's true.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Well, you're fighting against the private sector stepping in.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
I didn't say that. I just said that we used
it as well. I just said that we used it
as well.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Do we support that. We're going to do that.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
The last time we're in government, Mike, we started reducing
waiting lists waiting times because we partner between public and
private and we're going to do the same thing again.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
So you can't argue, Ginny when you when you do
nine thousand and something more elective surgeries. Those people who
got those surgeries are happy punters and they got a
better service, and they'll they'll they'll they'll back that vote
for that, won't they.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I completely agree, But it does not fix the problem.
We need more doctors across vote. It's the same doctor.
It's the same doctor because it gives you short term gains,
but over a longer period of time when you need more,
please finish because it leaves the more complex surgeries and
(08:35):
the public system. It leaves after here in the public system,
and those things aren't being fixed. It's a short term
fix that's great, yes, But as a long term solution
for the underfunding, more.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Doctors, more doctors, that's a separate issue, isn't it. That's
opening up places in med school and bringing in people
from offshore and stuff like that. That's a completely separate thing, completely.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
But these Mike's the same doctor in public and private,
and Mike can only do.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
And Simon's got a plan for that, and he's worth
it on that. Last time, last time we were in government,
we started reducing the massive wait list that we had
under the previous labor government, and elective surgeries again that done.
We're setting targets and we're doing the same thing again.
I just think that's a blind ideology so that the
private sector doesn't have a roll.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
On the election campaign. I suspect, Mark, what time are you?
What's your first appointment today?
Speaker 4 (09:25):
My first appointment is at quarter past six this morning,
and I'm meeting with the visit. Yeah, and we're going
to I'm meeting with the Business delegation. So that we start,
we get organized, we know what we want to achieve,
and we and we plan out the day because the
Prime Minister will be doing he'll be popping in and
out with the Business Delegation, but he's got other things
that he'll be off doing as well.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Right, you go, Well to you too. We'll catch up
next week. Appreciate it very much, Mike Mitchell and Jinny
Anderson Politics Wednesday for This Wednesday Morning. For more from
the Mike Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks that'd
be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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