August 1, 2024 • 9 mins
Tonight on The Huddle, NZ Herald senior writer Simon Wilson and Capital Director Ben Thomas joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
A new report by Independent Children's Monitor says the child protection system has not shifted enough since the death of Tauranga five-year-old Malachi Subecz - despite a 2022 review recommending sweeping changes. How appalling is this?
How are we finding the Olympics so far? What did we think of last night's triathlon?
Two women were trespassed from an Auckland movie theatre after they got caught bringing in hot food, snacks and beverages. Should the restrictions banning outside food be lifted? What do we make of this?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Huddle with New Zealand Southby's international realty, unparalleled reach
and results.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
So on the Huddle today we have been Thomas and
Simon Wilson joins us. Hello both you gentlemen. How are
you today?
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Andrew ben Kyoto great today, your big your pardon, doing
great today, doing great today.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
I thought you were saying I was at work today.
I was going to say, well, I very much.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
It means the same thing, very much.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
This has been Thomas, who, by the way, is absolutely
obsessed right now with Susie Wilds, but not but not
the Susie Wilds that we know and love.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
I just do a double take every time I see
comments attributed to the Donald Trump campaign in America attributed
to Susie Wilde.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
It's a tradition.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
It's traditional Susie as well, not the Susie like Susie
and the Banches. Look, I'm joking around, but we've just
had a very very serious interview about how nothing happened
in three years since the death of a child. And frankly,
I have covered there so many years where we do
a report, we have worthy words and then nothing happens.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Simon, Yeah, there are a couple of things I think
came out of that interview just Tod with Aaron Jones.
One of the points that strikes me is that it
must be getting hard for a wrong a tamareki now
to keep employing finding social workers to employ, because the
agency gets so demonized and they get blamed for so much.
And I'm not saying that they're all doing it perfectly,
(01:30):
but that they are in the right in the firing
line every time everything goes wrong, and yet we know
it's an underfunded in many ways disruptive agency is probably
And the second issue is is there a better example
anywhere of the nonsense that if you take out back
off of staff and put them into the front line,
you're making things better. A wrong a tamaiki needs to
(01:52):
be able to record what it does so that it
knows this child who is at risk, it's got the
records for them. And that is back office work, that
is paperwork that has to be done.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Now, I understand Simon, but at the same time, you
can't record something if you don't have the person who's
actually doing something that you can record. So what do
you think, Ben.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Well, I mean, look, there are back office staff who
aren't doing any recording and aren't doing much evaluating and
you know, having a lot of meetings and a lot
of zoom calls. On the other hand, you know, that's
that is pretty marginal in terms of you know, the
issue that we're confronting as a nation and perpetually. I
(02:31):
think someone made a good point, you know, in the
sector that I work in, communications adding a somebody he
pays you know, well above you know, the kind of
market rates, because otherwise they can't get anyone who would
want to front those stories to the media day day
and day out. You know, it is a it's a
(02:53):
workplace with a very high rate of nutrition. You know,
it's a very punishing environment, you know, on the front line,
and you know, I mean, if you could take one
sort of lining out of it. I know there was
a bit of debate about the Independent Children's Monitor and
whether it would you know, have the kind of teeth
(03:13):
can compare to sort of the Children's Commissioner. On the
other hand, you know, look, it seems that we can
still get the same results we've had in the past,
which is pointing out that you know, things don't seem
to be particularly improving.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
No, they're not improving. You know and can a government
agency really improve Actually the behavior of New Zealanders is
you know, I sometimes I just think it's just worthy
words which we do to salve our conscience, and then
nothing really really happens. Occasionally you get a saint who'll
come in and save some stuff in a case or
two or three.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Well, this is where we're I've gone something. Okay, We're
one week after the report of the Royal Commission to Abuse,
some care and there's lessons for us. It feels to
me like this is a moment now for us. Of
course around a Tamrihi or any one agency can't change
the culture, but the culture significantly clear has to change.
(04:09):
And it seems to me that one of the things
that came out of that inquiry was that there are
people who have survived that terrible abuse and have gone
on to be counselors to gond help others and communities
to not have to go through what they went through,
and they are the people we should be empowering now
and saying and helping and being led by as we
(04:29):
have a societal turnaround.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Ben Thomas and Simon Wilson on the Huddle.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
The Huddle with New Zealand. Southerbast International Realty exceptional marketing
for every property.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Ben Thomas Simon, WI wasn't on the huddle, Ben, you've
been watching the Did you watch the triathon last night?
Speaker 3 (04:47):
I saw bits of it. Last night was actually the
first night that I changed into the Olympic. So I
realized there was sort of something missing in my life,
which was being part of the monoculture again and in
part of a shared experience on television.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Well, what's what's missing in your life? Table tennis, beach, volleyball,
what you know?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I discovered it might be handball, or it might I
like the idea of handball, which seems like sort of
it seems like they get the kind of support crew
to play in between you know, the real sports.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
It's like football but just a bit crap.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Basketball a bit difficult. How about if we made the
net four hundred times?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
That's so true. That's so true, Simon, about the element.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
I found the triathlon last night thrilling. I did watch
this whole thing, you know what.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
I called it the best movie that Sky has ever played.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
And my wife went to bed halfway through, and she
would have heard me, you know, through the wall, calling out.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
No, no, no, yeah, it was such a they weren't
covering it.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
They weren't and that was one so disappointing that they
weren't keeping out with what's happening exactly right.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Okay, let's get onto the biggest story of the day.
Some people brought some food into a Pooka Coe movie theater.
The people came along who owned the theaters, that you
can't do that here, and then the people went crazy
and started calling them racists and going all angry, and
then they got thrown out and trespass. So should you,
Ben Thomas take food into a theater? Was the movie
cinema within their rights?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Look, I'm not going to stand here and pretend I
have never taken my own food into a movie, but
you know, it was wrong though being right, I think
I think it's changed a little bit, you know in
the I mean, movies suddenly haven't become any cheaper, but
they you know, they the cinemas really are kind of
(06:44):
on the breadline these days. You know, people are staying
at home, they're watching Netflix, they're not going out. You know.
I think, as the theater manager said, if they if
they don't sort of charge eight dollars for a you know,
one leader fenta or whatever money. You know, it's going
out out of business. I mean, I think the issue
(07:05):
is that if you are going to bring your own snacks,
be a bit subtle about it. I mean, there's no
reason when they die, you know, like you know, ut
least you're laying out a buffet. I don't know how
you get picked.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Up on it, like being smuggling your own snickers in
your socks.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
But it's not an ethical issue, is it? Just to me,
it's very straightforward that retailers have the right to make
the rules around these properties are reason exactly, And the
reason why places like that offer food and all the
rest is because that money they make from it is
vital to them, oh yeah, to their viability.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
It's just like, is it go to a restaurant, they
make the money off the drinks. Go to a cinema
and they make the money off the thing. So that's
the first thing. Then there's health safety regulations covering food
in the cinema, which they're not responsible for. If you're
bringing in your own egg sandwiches, it's their property, it's
their rules. And then the sneaky snack is when they
got called out. We're behaved disgustingly, so I think it's
a no brain. I can't believe there's a debate.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
I think you're right about that, and you know it
is hard. Times are tough for everybody, but retailers need
to be supported.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
And can I just ask, do you have to eat
within the two and a half hours? Can't you pre
load like we do when we're drinking, you know?
Speaker 4 (08:10):
I think I think the answer is you do.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Have to look.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
I would just say yes, But do you know the
opening of chip packets ruins my movies? Mate, just just
gobble up louder then come in.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Yeah, it is true. I was watching I did go
to a quiet place, you know, the movie No Word
thirty minutes and I dip by multi.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Ben, you were that guy, you were always give that
shame shame.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
That's the second time I've said shame to Ben Thomas.
Very nice. I love it. Thank you so much, Ben
Thomas and Simon Wilson. This is News Talk ZB.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
News Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
The Huddle with New Zealand Southby's international realty, unparalleled reach
and results.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
So on the Huddle today we have been Thomas and
Simon Wilson joins us. Hello both you gentlemen. How are
you today?
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Andrew ben Kyoto great today, your big your pardon, doing
great today, doing great today.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
I thought you were saying I was at work today.
I was going to say, well, I very much.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
It means the same thing, very much.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
This has been Thomas, who, by the way, is absolutely
obsessed right now with Susie Wilds, but not but not
the Susie Wilds that we know and love.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
I just do a double take every time I see
comments attributed to the Donald Trump campaign in America attributed
to Susie Wilde.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
It's a tradition.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
It's traditional Susie as well, not the Susie like Susie
and the Banches. Look, I'm joking around, but we've just
had a very very serious interview about how nothing happened
in three years since the death of a child. And frankly,
I have covered there so many years where we do
a report, we have worthy words and then nothing happens.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Simon, Yeah, there are a couple of things I think
came out of that interview just Tod with Aaron Jones.
One of the points that strikes me is that it
must be getting hard for a wrong a tamareki now
to keep employing finding social workers to employ, because the
agency gets so demonized and they get blamed for so much.
And I'm not saying that they're all doing it perfectly,
(01:30):
but that they are in the right in the firing
line every time everything goes wrong, and yet we know
it's an underfunded in many ways disruptive agency is probably
And the second issue is is there a better example
anywhere of the nonsense that if you take out back
off of staff and put them into the front line,
you're making things better. A wrong a tamaiki needs to
(01:52):
be able to record what it does so that it
knows this child who is at risk, it's got the
records for them. And that is back office work, that
is paperwork that has to be done.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Now, I understand Simon, but at the same time, you
can't record something if you don't have the person who's
actually doing something that you can record. So what do
you think, Ben.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Well, I mean, look, there are back office staff who
aren't doing any recording and aren't doing much evaluating and
you know, having a lot of meetings and a lot
of zoom calls. On the other hand, you know, that's
that is pretty marginal in terms of you know, the
issue that we're confronting as a nation and perpetually. I
(02:31):
think someone made a good point, you know, in the
sector that I work in, communications adding a somebody he
pays you know, well above you know, the kind of
market rates, because otherwise they can't get anyone who would
want to front those stories to the media day day
and day out. You know, it is a it's a
(02:53):
workplace with a very high rate of nutrition. You know,
it's a very punishing environment, you know, on the front line,
and you know, I mean, if you could take one
sort of lining out of it. I know there was
a bit of debate about the Independent Children's Monitor and
whether it would you know, have the kind of teeth
(03:13):
can compare to sort of the Children's Commissioner. On the
other hand, you know, look, it seems that we can
still get the same results we've had in the past,
which is pointing out that you know, things don't seem
to be particularly improving.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
No, they're not improving. You know and can a government
agency really improve Actually the behavior of New Zealanders is
you know, I sometimes I just think it's just worthy
words which we do to salve our conscience, and then
nothing really really happens. Occasionally you get a saint who'll
come in and save some stuff in a case or
two or three.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Well, this is where we're I've gone something. Okay, We're
one week after the report of the Royal Commission to Abuse,
some care and there's lessons for us. It feels to
me like this is a moment now for us. Of
course around a Tamrihi or any one agency can't change
the culture, but the culture significantly clear has to change.
(04:09):
And it seems to me that one of the things
that came out of that inquiry was that there are
people who have survived that terrible abuse and have gone
on to be counselors to gond help others and communities
to not have to go through what they went through,
and they are the people we should be empowering now
and saying and helping and being led by as we
(04:29):
have a societal turnaround.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Ben Thomas and Simon Wilson on the Huddle.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
The Huddle with New Zealand. Southerbast International Realty exceptional marketing
for every property.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Ben Thomas Simon, WI wasn't on the huddle, Ben, you've
been watching the Did you watch the triathon last night?
Speaker 3 (04:47):
I saw bits of it. Last night was actually the
first night that I changed into the Olympic. So I
realized there was sort of something missing in my life,
which was being part of the monoculture again and in
part of a shared experience on television.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Well, what's what's missing in your life? Table tennis, beach, volleyball,
what you know?
Speaker 3 (05:07):
I discovered it might be handball, or it might I
like the idea of handball, which seems like sort of
it seems like they get the kind of support crew
to play in between you know, the real sports.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
It's like football but just a bit crap.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Basketball a bit difficult. How about if we made the
net four hundred times?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
That's so true. That's so true, Simon, about the element.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
I found the triathlon last night thrilling. I did watch
this whole thing, you know what.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
I called it the best movie that Sky has ever played.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
And my wife went to bed halfway through, and she
would have heard me, you know, through the wall, calling out.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
No, no, no, yeah, it was such a they weren't
covering it.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
They weren't and that was one so disappointing that they
weren't keeping out with what's happening exactly right.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Okay, let's get onto the biggest story of the day.
Some people brought some food into a Pooka Coe movie theater.
The people came along who owned the theaters, that you
can't do that here, and then the people went crazy
and started calling them racists and going all angry, and
then they got thrown out and trespass. So should you,
Ben Thomas take food into a theater? Was the movie
cinema within their rights?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Look, I'm not going to stand here and pretend I
have never taken my own food into a movie, but
you know, it was wrong though being right, I think
I think it's changed a little bit, you know in
the I mean, movies suddenly haven't become any cheaper, but
they you know, they the cinemas really are kind of
(06:44):
on the breadline these days. You know, people are staying
at home, they're watching Netflix, they're not going out. You know.
I think, as the theater manager said, if they if
they don't sort of charge eight dollars for a you know,
one leader fenta or whatever money. You know, it's going
out out of business. I mean, I think the issue
(07:05):
is that if you are going to bring your own snacks,
be a bit subtle about it. I mean, there's no
reason when they die, you know, like you know, ut
least you're laying out a buffet. I don't know how
you get picked.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Up on it, like being smuggling your own snickers in
your socks.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
But it's not an ethical issue, is it? Just to me,
it's very straightforward that retailers have the right to make
the rules around these properties are reason exactly, And the
reason why places like that offer food and all the
rest is because that money they make from it is
vital to them, oh yeah, to their viability.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
It's just like, is it go to a restaurant, they
make the money off the drinks. Go to a cinema
and they make the money off the thing. So that's
the first thing. Then there's health safety regulations covering food
in the cinema, which they're not responsible for. If you're
bringing in your own egg sandwiches, it's their property, it's
their rules. And then the sneaky snack is when they
got called out. We're behaved disgustingly, so I think it's
a no brain. I can't believe there's a debate.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
I think you're right about that, and you know it
is hard. Times are tough for everybody, but retailers need
to be supported.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
And can I just ask, do you have to eat
within the two and a half hours? Can't you pre
load like we do when we're drinking, you know?
Speaker 4 (08:10):
I think I think the answer is you do.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Have to look.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
I would just say yes, But do you know the
opening of chip packets ruins my movies? Mate, just just
gobble up louder then come in.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Yeah, it is true. I was watching I did go
to a quiet place, you know, the movie No Word
thirty minutes and I dip by multi.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Ben, you were that guy, you were always give that
shame shame.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
That's the second time I've said shame to Ben Thomas.
Very nice. I love it. Thank you so much, Ben
Thomas and Simon Wilson. This is News Talk ZB.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
News Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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