Barry Soper: ZB senior political correspondent on Prime Minister Luxon meeting Joe Biden and Sir Keir Starmer at NATO gathering

A good outcome for the Prime Minister at NATO, as he rubbed shoulders with several world leaders.

Chris Luxon has met US President Joe Biden, while he hosted NATO partners at the White House.

He's also spoken with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Luxon talking with Starmer has weight.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barry Sober, our senior political correspondence with US.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
Now, Hey, Barry, good afternoon, Heather.

Speaker 1 (00:04):
So this will be a big thing for Chris Lackson, right,
just even if all he got was a handshake with
Joe Biden.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Well, I don't know whether you've seen the photographs from
the White House, Heather. He couldn't be more ecstatic. He's
like the cat that's got the cream. But he admits
that he is a bit of a sucker when it
comes to American politics. And he went through the Congress
both sides yesterday and met a congressman and senators last

(00:32):
night or probably in the last few hours in Washington.
He was at the White House seventy fifth anniversary dinner
for NATO, and he did have a chat to Joe Biden.
I hope Biden remembers because if Donald Trump does win
the White House, which is widely expected later this year.

(00:52):
You remember he's talked about ten percent tariffs on any
imports into the United States, so that could impact New
Zealand great but at least he got to talk to
the President. He also got to meet Sir Kia Starma
from the from Great Britain, and you know that would
have been, I guess, a good meeting for him, even

(01:14):
if it was a bit of a pull side, because
New Zealand it's very important for us to be known
by the British leadership. And then Jacindadan's old mates, the
French then duck President Emanuel mccam. He met with him
and the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. So he did

(01:35):
the round and judging by his face, he's, like I said,
a bit like the captain's got the cream.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Hey, it turns out New Zealand First was pretty much
mostly right about what happened on that ferry.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Yes, it's fascinating, isn't it. The only thing they may
be wrong about is that somebody went off the bridge
for coffee that was in charge of the steering gear.
But we all have now seen the advice that was
put out to masters, might have you that run these fairies,
saying that you've got to understand how to work the

(02:08):
auto pilot, and it would seem that they didn't know
how to do it. The New Zealand First ex posting
said that someone put the auto pilot on, went off
for a coffee and couldn't turn it off in time.
When that someone came back. Well it would seem that
is the case, but whether they went for coffee or whatever,

(02:30):
who knows. The Kiwi Rail general manager of inter Island
Operations Duncan Roy, he said there's no cover up, although
Winston Peter says there is, and Peters is questioning the
need a bit like transpar and the toppling over of
the pylon recently. Header Peter's saying, why do we have
to spend time and money on a month long investigation internal,

(02:55):
I might say, into what happened on the ferry. Well,
it's as plan as the name us on your face. Yeah. Quite.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
We're going to talk to them after five o'clock see
what we can find out. What do you make this
Ministerial Advisory Group on retail crime? I mean there is
You can criticize us for being just another working group.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
Right well, you know, and look, I think the retailers
in this country have been through a hall of a
time and the government or officially they would put the
loss to retail at about a billion dollars the retailer,
the scay it's close closer to two point six billion.
You see Michael Hill Jewelers closing down at various places

(03:31):
and they really have been through a torrid time. But
why have the ministerial working group? Do we know what's
surely what's wrong with people busting in and doing ram
raids and what have you to retail us Sonny Kershel,
he's going to cheer the group, but it's going to
cost one point eight million dollars for the next each

(03:54):
of the next two years, which seems a hell of
a lot of money to put into an advisory group.
They're not there to take advice from ministers. They're there
to give the advice two ministers. So you know, it
does make you wonder why four to five people on
this advisory group that there will eventually be are why

(04:14):
it absolutely needed when the problems to address this sort
of issue have been now around for some considerable time.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
Yeah, very fair point, Thank you very much, appreciate. It's
very so for senior political correspondent.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
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