Jason Walls: Political Editor on the Prime Minister's delegation to Japan

The Prime Minister's business delegation was stranded when their Air Force plane broke down in Papua New Guinea.  

Chris Luxon took a commercial flight to arrive in Japan - while the business leaders and media flew to Australia, to take a connecting Air New Zealand flight to Tokyo. 

Political Editor Jason Walls is with the delegation.

Walls told Heather du Plessis-Allan “We’re getting a sense that there’s some irritation.” 

Walls said “There are some grumbled words about how this has shifted the focus and been a distraction.” 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Good afternoon. The business delegation and the media pack traveling
with the Prime ministers are both finally on the way
to Japan. The broken Defense Force plane flew them from
Papua New Guinea to Brisbane earlier, but had to fly
at a lower altitude because of technical issues, and in
New Zealand Flight then picked up the stranded travelers in Brisbane.
Is now on the way to Japan. Now. Before they
jumped on board, we caught up with Political editor Jason
Walls Hi Jason.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Good afternoon, Heather, Jason.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Going from Papua New Guinea to Brisbane on this broken
down plane, was the plane flying noticeably lower and slower?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Yes, I mean that was what we were told beforehand.
It was the port that we could get to where
the plane was able to move at this sort of altitude.
If we wanted to go any further, we would have
to take multiple stops. And look, I'm no airplane nuts,
but I did notice that we were flying a lot
lower than we were when we were going over to PNG.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Was the business delegation or is the Business delegation paved
off at this?

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Like?

Speaker 1 (00:51):
Are they saying anything about it?

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Oh, listen, they're not speaking to us publicly. But we're
getting a sense that there was obviously some irritation in
some of the compations that I've picked up along the way.
There are some grumbled words about how this has shifted
the focus and has been a distraction. And you can't
really blame them for feeling upset about that sort of thing,
because it is a distraction. This has shifted the focus,

(01:13):
and they've got every right to be upset. I mean,
Chris Luxon, in his defense, did put together what was
a very good business delegation to kick down some of
these doors and get some more business and some hype
up some more trade. And that's just the winds being
completely taken out of the sales in that regard.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
How much of a delay is this causing the people
who are actually paying to be on this flight over
to Japan, who are now detouring to pick you guys up.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Oh well, yes, I mean it's probably I'm close to
two three hours, I would say, and we're just about
to get on the plane, and I'm not looking forward
to the frosty reception that we're going to get from
all the people that paid good money to get across
to Japan and having to be diverted to pick us up.
But you know, the tab seems to have been picked
up by the government and Air New Zealand. They're going

(01:57):
to be looking at how that invoicing system works. So
at the end of the day, you, me and all
other taxpayers are paying for this one.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
Would this have happened if Dame to Raise, the chair
and Greg four and the CEO weren't on the flight, Oh.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
I highly doubt it. I mean the credit where Credits due.
Todd McLay has worked extremely well behind the scenes pulling
this together. When the Prime Minister ditched us in p
and G and gond and is Modiicaid without telling us
and just shipped off to Japan, he left Todd McClay
in charge who was able to put together this deal
with Air New Zealand and Greg Forum and Dame Terraise
were their instrumental to that getting it across the line.

(02:32):
So you know, it's they've made the best of a
really bad situation and I think credit where credits due
in that regard.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yeah, any sense of what the government is going to
do in the future though, because they can not keep
doing this this is ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
Oh, it is ridiculous. It makes us look ridiculous on
a global scale. The prime minister of a sovereign nation
can't turn up to meetings because this plane keeps breaking down,
and it's getting to be it's getting to seem somewhat
of an international joke at this stage that can't continue.
But Heather, we said that the last time this happened
and the time before that, and I get the sense
that there's continuously been kicked to touch here and there

(03:07):
needs to be some serious questions around what we do next,
whether it is chartering planes or if it's just a
fully commercial option, and that'll be top of mind when
the Prime Minister is looking at things, because if anybody
is upset today, it's the prime minister who's been hugely
embarrassed by this situation.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Jason, thank you very much. That was Jason Wool's, our
political editor we spoke to before he jumped on that plane.
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