Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
So here we go again. The Finance Minister's written this
morning another letter to the supermarket's food stuff says pleaded
guilty as I'm sure you're aware to a couple of
breaches of inaccurate pricing. Woolworths is facing apparently similar charges.
Nicola Willis's with us a very good morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good morning?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Are you the Finance minister who cried wolf?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
No, I have the same basic expectation that every keyw
shopper has, which is some pretty basic things you have
to do under the law as a retailer. One is
make sure that the prices that you say on the
shelf are the prices that pay at the till. Our
supermarkets are some of the most sophisticated, well funded retailers
that there are. And the fact that in twenty twenty
(00:39):
five they are pleading guilty in the case of some
food stuff's North Island pack and Saves to not meeting
there's pricing obligations under the Fair Trading Act, to me
just isn't good enough and I shouldn't have to point
that out marketing.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
No, you shouldn't.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I shouldn't be having to write a letter to say,
come on, guys, sort it out.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
You are you leverage this? I mean, look, I'm not
defending the supermarkets, but I mean these are a very
complex business pricing a million different products. It doesn't excuse it,
but I'm just saying, this is not your main point.
Your main point is competition in the supermarket area. Are
you leveraging this sort of thing for your own political gain?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
The reason I am doing this is because the supermarkets
have said to me again and again, and they've said
publicly that they do everything they can to be good
providers of a supermarket service. So when I see that
it doesn't look like that, I think I should call
it out because actually my responsibility under the Grocery Act
(01:37):
is to make sure that they're doing all of the
right things you'd expect of a competitive player and a
well functioning market. Now, this to me doesn't look right,
and so I am calling it out. And I think
that you know, sunlight is great disinfectant, which is let's
talk about it. They can explain it. They can come
on your show and tell you why it's fine that
someone is paying a different price than they were told
they were going to pay. But I've said to them, look,
(01:59):
tell me what you're doing to sort it out, sort
it out quickly. And by the way, the fines under
the Fear Trading Act in New Zealand are a lot
lower than they are in Australia, and I've been advised
that it can be quite hard to do a prosecution
under our Fear Trading Act. So it's only sensible that
I look at that and say, well, do we need
to lift the fines to be more like other countries?
(02:19):
Do we need to make it easier to prosecute you
for breaches of them?
Speaker 1 (02:22):
But it's these regulatory leaders you talk of in the letter.
You talk a lot of threats. Do you threaten too
much and act not enough?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
No, It's been my experience in life that when you
give people an opportunity to fix things themselves before you
force them to do it, when they've got good intent,
they take that opportunity. And in this case, the surfermarkets
have set again and again, look, we've got good intent,
we're trying to do the right things. Don't come at
us with the red tape. And I said, okay, well
I'll meet you where you are and I will take
(02:51):
that approach. And so in this case I've set out
my concerns very clearly. I've just said basic things, Mike.
I've said, Look, make sure that you've got actually modern
technology shops so that there aren't these pricing discrepancies. Make
sure you've got a proper refund policy and advertise it. Now.
In will Worth case, the policy is meant to be
if you get overcharged, not only do you get a refund,
(03:11):
but you get to keep whatever it you were overcharged for. Well,
advertise that policy and everyone should have that policy. And
then a pretty basic thing, which is do some staff
training so that if someone makes a complaint about having
been overcharged, that there is actually a correction for that
overcharging for everyone else who might be impacted, not just
the individual. Right, simple stuff.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Yes, it is other matters. Are you aware of the
second leg of the farner or a scandal around professional
rugby this morning?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Look, I have only briefly read that piece this morning.
I have not been read on it. But at first blush,
there seem to be two things to me. One, sport
in New Zealand under the last government chose to give
that entity some loans. I don't know much about that.
But then second, it appears that the funer or a
Commissioning Agent SEE has been using its funds to sponsor
(04:04):
this rugby team. And for me, same question I have
of every social service provider, what is the impact for
the people whose lives that money is meant to improve?
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Why are they allowed to do it?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Well, as I say, I have literally read that piece
this morning in real time, and I think you're asking
a very good question.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Why is Mary Pecker Rokawa Take still in work? And
this goes back to yesterday's scandal she's also involved with
with tama et Mari. Issues don't come to the foreign
mainstream political parties. Hence we need to spend more of
our taxpayers money convincing people to be on the Maori roll.
How does she hold a job down like that?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Well, in terms of yesterday's revelations, you'll be aware that
the Minister Forefundo Aura has asked immediately for an investigation
to happen into that, and so I'll await its findings.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Do we need an investigation into sponsoring professional rugby teams?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Oh? Look, certainly it was my plan to get on
the phone to come up attack of this morning and
say right, tell me about this.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Is he asleep at the wheel?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
No, he is not. Actually, he's made pretty significant changes
to Farno Aura, which I think are going to strengthen
that program considerably, essentially putting much more of an emphasis
on demonstrating the outcomes that occur as a result of
those contracts in ways that are more evidence and data based.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Could we just join some dots for now, though, even
though you've just read the story, I only just read
it this morning as well, that the chances of the
Pacific community being materially, medically, financially, or in any other
way uplifted by the sponsorship of Moana Pacifica is zero.
We know it's zero, and yet they spent millions of
(05:51):
dollars on it.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Well, I'm sure that there are lots of people who
love Morena Pacifica. It's possible. It inspires some people to
play rugby and playing sport and doing stuff is healthy.
But I want to see Farno or A money resulting
in people in jobs, attending school, getting training, not ending
up in court, getting their kids immunized, having less family violence.
(06:14):
All of the things we know cost individuals, families, and society.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
But here's a problem. We're going to help, Yes, they are,
here's your problem. Politically. You said you get rid of
this race based nonsense, and you haven't. You're a year
and a half and we're still uncovering this. This is
a scheme.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Well, Mike, here's the thing. Here is an organization which
in that article it is revealed has been receiving funds
and we found out about how they are using this.
So this is a few steps removed immediately from the minister.
There is now informations needs to be dealt with properly.
But as the thing is, we're eighteen months in. We
haven't turned every rock over yet, and I guarantee you
(06:53):
there is going to be more stuff like this because
the last lot. We're absolutely spraying the money hose around Nicola.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
At some point, my patient, look, my patient's running is
starting to run thin on this this whole let's blame
the previous government is wearing thin. You've had a year
and a half. There are millions of dollars at stake
in a country that has no money, and this is
this is a joke and you're doing the old well,
the last government fire hose line. How about you own
some of this and do something about it.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Well, if this was a direct decision by a government agency.
I take your point. Actually, this is a step removed.
I read about it in the paper today. Test us
Mike on how we react to it and what the
next steps are. We've just found out today.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
All right, appreciate time. Nicola willis so what. I don't
know what hat she was wearing on that senior government
minister in charge of wasting our money.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
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Speaker 1 (07:46):
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