August 22, 2024 • 9 mins
Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!
Prime Minister Chris Luxon has urged local councils to rein in unnecessary spending. This speech has prompted some backlash - why do we think this is?
All Blacks assistant coach Leon MacDonald has stepped down after just a handful of tests. Head coach Scott Robertson says this comes down to coaching differences - what do we think?
New research reveals a concerning number of five-year-olds are starting school without the ability to form proper sentences - should we be worried? Is this the fault of ECE teachers - or parents?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Jordan Williams Taxpayers Union and Alie Jones read pr hire
you two good day. Heather, Hi there, Jordan, you were
in that room at the time.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I'm literally for my sins at the old GenZ conference
and the Wally Thomas Nashy just had on as a
classic example of a whole sector that actually just lacked
any self awareness. The room yesterday was incredibly rude to
the Prime minister. And you know they talk about, oh,
(00:29):
that our costs are going up. I'm sorry, look at
the stats. Local government is driving inflation up. It's not
that costs are going up to that putting up rates.
Their rates are going ahead of inflation. And what at
the prim Oh, I'm sorry, didn't have some Pennessee a
future vision gobbledygook. He said, simply what rate payers across
(00:51):
the country is saying and thinking, as you guys have
to get a grip. We put out the We've never
done this before, but we put out the whole Prime
Minister's speech to our two hundred thousand subscribers. We've had
more engagement in the last twenty four hours of people
coming back. When I went to bed last night and
woke up, there was eighteen hundred more email people are absolutely.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Yeah, because he just said what we think, hey little
how would they root him?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Oh? When Kim Hill thanked him when he got down,
there was literally laughter in the room. There were people
scoffing at him when he was saying, you know that
the party's over, you need to get back to basics.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I mean I think he should just withhold the money
for that, eh, I.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Mean, Edil, But I recalled two years ago I was
on your show when they banned the Taxpayer's union in
my board, including some sitting councilors, because they were concerned
that we might criticize them. And I said on your show,
if algnzed and the local government sector aren't careful, they
are going to lose their public mandate. And you can
see with this conference it literally even themed Labor read
(01:54):
that that is exactly what is happening.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Alie, what do you think? I mean? Yeah, you've been
involved in council stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Yeah, yeah, I have. And that's what I found absolutely
extraordinary about the speech. I wasn't in the room, so
Jordan does have the advantage of me. But the so
called wally he's just described, I thought held his own
very well up against against you, Heather. I think they
both made some very good points and it was great
to hear a robust but respectful conversation. I agree there
are always ways to tie on the belt right, there
(02:21):
is always money to be saved. But this is just
dog whistle bollocks. Actually, when you've got counselors, counsels and
this is what we're having to do at the moment
in christ Judge on our community board having to pay
for mental health counselors to go into schools because the
central government is not wearing that cost. When we're having
to pay money to change street layouts to slow traffic
(02:44):
down because police are not resourced enough to do their job,
then I say that the government should not be throwing
stones and glasshouses. They need to actually step up and
spend some of the money on the things that they
need to spend on and not put it on local government.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Mcpolling is really clear on this that New Zealanders trust
central government more than local government around delivering and if
if counsels were delivering their core services, well that that
argument might fly. But an environment where on average rates
when out fourteen percent this year, our infrastructure is crumbling
(03:20):
because a smaller and smaller percentage of council budget is
actually going for what they say it's going for.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Well, but your new consulating issues, your conslating issues here,
I agree, No, no, no, no, hang on, you had a
really good go here. The problem is that our ratings,
the system that we use to get rates is flawed. Okay,
rates is the sole source of revenue for councils. Is unsustainable.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So now taxes are going to solve this issues. People
don't want to give counsel with any taxing powers because
they'll know that I've use it. You can't spend the
money that you've got as it is, and frankly, the
public don't trust local councils with more.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, well that may be the people were asking, but
that's not what I'm hearing from ours. I know that
rates are too high, and I know rates cannot every
year go up, you know, I mean, it is unsustainable.
People can't afford them.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
So only going to que produce a different way doesn't
solve the problem. We're just going to tap a different way,
of course, not it's coming from the same community, Elly.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Can you do? That's what I'm saying. It needs to
come from the government more, it is wrong to the
Prime Minister to say, come on, guys, tighten your belt
when they're passing a whole lot of costs onto local
government themselves by not doing their job.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
All he explains something to me. The reaction from the
mayors and the counselors last night was that genuine shock
that he would deign to say something like that, or
is that because they genuinely believe that their spending is awesome.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Look, I think it's probably political, Heather. You know, I
know when I look at the community board makeup in
christ Church, there's a very central left makeup of those
community boards. And I imagine I think as was alluded
to in the conversation you had before that, but there
was probably a very center left feeling at the LGNZ conference.
I just texted one of my council colleagues who's very
(05:08):
center right, and I said, what was your take on it?
And he said, I actually agreed with every word he said. So, Look,
I think I do think it's a political thing, but
we've got to have this conversation without this month slingeress slinging.
I did agree with that, What the hell did that achieve?
Yesterday coming from the Prime Minister.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
I know it made me feel really good. I'm hoping
that I have makes some rain in their spending, because
otherwise I ain't going to get more money. Right, we're
back of the huddle, Jordan Williams and Ali Jones. Ali,
this falling out between Raiser and Leonor's obviously big enough
for one of them to have to depart. Is this
shaking your faith in the Razor era?
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Well, look, I'm no expert on rugby go the Welsh,
but I do remember Leon mc donald was stoked to
get the assistant coaching job. I think when it was
announced last year he said, You've got to be really
really ready to be the coach of the All Blacks.
It's not something you rush into. So yeah, I guess
you got to ask yourself why were key things like strategy, style, direction,
whatever not discussed and understood. That's kind of the sense
(06:05):
that I'm getting. I mean, if you start going out
with someone, if you marry someone, don't you ask them
if they want.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
To have kids. That's the problem, isn't it. That is
the problem right there?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah, I mean these are guys that are both credible
in their own right, clearly there's been some sort of
falling out and we'll probably won't know or we'll have
to pay the forty bucks to buy the book and
in ten years time cannot wait.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
I'm genuinely shocked, Elie, that kids can't even talk properly
when they go to school because of how much time
they're spending on screens.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
What about you?
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Yeah, look, I think it's really really sad. You know,
I was thinking about my kids and you know, they
were at Kindian preschool in the early two thousands, and
I mean they were real chatterboxes. Know who do you
say earlier? You know, once they get into preschool and
that socialization, you just can't stop them. I mean, both
of mine are great talkers. They could talk, could glass
(07:00):
eye to sleep. But you know, you didn't have the
internet and iPad some smartphones as much in those days.
Maybe we need to teach this stuff at school. Maybe
there needs to be you know, parenting taught at school
and this is part of that. And at the same time,
let's teach kids about finances and cooking. I don't know
we roll it together.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I mean, Jordan, I don't know what the solution is.
I don't know how you teach parents to just not
be dud parents.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah. Well, I don't know if I got that far,
but my the acorn does not fall far from the
tree and thing, as you can imagine, my kids have
not struggled with the talking.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I can believe that. Are you limiting their screen time?
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Jordan?
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Yes, yes, very very much. So how much you're giving them?
The other half is a is a pediatric nurse. So ever,
I am just the passenger in this.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Okay, we'll give us give given that you're basically married
to an expert. What is she recommending? What's the what's
the allowed amount?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
But it's very very generally only if one of them
sick or am is sick, that that one of them
would that that get very much TV at all. I
think I'm more told off for my stream time than
probably the kids are.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Are you one of those parents here?
Speaker 2 (08:09):
And I travel I traveled so much. My oh my
boys now figured out the phone that because I do
FaceTime every day when I'm when I'm traveling, and of
course I have to come down to Wellington most weeks.
But the boy at Little Henry, who is nearly two,
he gets he's now figured out the face time and
little was he's nearly five.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
No, I can't believe that he's nearly too. Gezu, are
you how old?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
How old is now?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Mustig's two and a half.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
And he said to me the other day, I said,
do you want you? Shall we go? And he said
not yet? And I was like, oh, I'm so proud
of that sentence right there. But you know, because boys
like you always worry about boys and they're talking, they
take a while. Guys, thank you for chatting to me.
Appreciate it. Jordan Williams, Taxpayer's Union. Alie Jones read per
not yet, Oh You're so clever.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
News Talk sa'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
Jordan Williams Taxpayers Union and Alie Jones read pr hire
you two good day. Heather, Hi there, Jordan, you were
in that room at the time.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I'm literally for my sins at the old GenZ conference
and the Wally Thomas Nashy just had on as a
classic example of a whole sector that actually just lacked
any self awareness. The room yesterday was incredibly rude to
the Prime minister. And you know they talk about, oh,
(00:29):
that our costs are going up. I'm sorry, look at
the stats. Local government is driving inflation up. It's not
that costs are going up to that putting up rates.
Their rates are going ahead of inflation. And what at
the prim Oh, I'm sorry, didn't have some Pennessee a
future vision gobbledygook. He said, simply what rate payers across
(00:51):
the country is saying and thinking, as you guys have
to get a grip. We put out the We've never
done this before, but we put out the whole Prime
Minister's speech to our two hundred thousand subscribers. We've had
more engagement in the last twenty four hours of people
coming back. When I went to bed last night and
woke up, there was eighteen hundred more email people are absolutely.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Yeah, because he just said what we think, hey little
how would they root him?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Oh? When Kim Hill thanked him when he got down,
there was literally laughter in the room. There were people
scoffing at him when he was saying, you know that
the party's over, you need to get back to basics.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I mean I think he should just withhold the money
for that, eh, I.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Mean, Edil, But I recalled two years ago I was
on your show when they banned the Taxpayer's union in
my board, including some sitting councilors, because they were concerned
that we might criticize them. And I said on your show,
if algnzed and the local government sector aren't careful, they
are going to lose their public mandate. And you can
see with this conference it literally even themed Labor read
(01:54):
that that is exactly what is happening.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Alie, what do you think? I mean? Yeah, you've been
involved in council stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Yeah, yeah, I have. And that's what I found absolutely
extraordinary about the speech. I wasn't in the room, so
Jordan does have the advantage of me. But the so
called wally he's just described, I thought held his own
very well up against against you, Heather. I think they
both made some very good points and it was great
to hear a robust but respectful conversation. I agree there
are always ways to tie on the belt right, there
(02:21):
is always money to be saved. But this is just
dog whistle bollocks. Actually, when you've got counselors, counsels and
this is what we're having to do at the moment
in christ Judge on our community board having to pay
for mental health counselors to go into schools because the
central government is not wearing that cost. When we're having
to pay money to change street layouts to slow traffic
(02:44):
down because police are not resourced enough to do their job,
then I say that the government should not be throwing
stones and glasshouses. They need to actually step up and
spend some of the money on the things that they
need to spend on and not put it on local government.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Mcpolling is really clear on this that New Zealanders trust
central government more than local government around delivering and if
if counsels were delivering their core services, well that that
argument might fly. But an environment where on average rates
when out fourteen percent this year, our infrastructure is crumbling
(03:20):
because a smaller and smaller percentage of council budget is
actually going for what they say it's going for.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
Well, but your new consulating issues, your conslating issues here,
I agree, No, no, no, no, hang on, you had a
really good go here. The problem is that our ratings,
the system that we use to get rates is flawed. Okay,
rates is the sole source of revenue for councils. Is unsustainable.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So now taxes are going to solve this issues. People
don't want to give counsel with any taxing powers because
they'll know that I've use it. You can't spend the
money that you've got as it is, and frankly, the
public don't trust local councils with more.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, well that may be the people were asking, but
that's not what I'm hearing from ours. I know that
rates are too high, and I know rates cannot every
year go up, you know, I mean, it is unsustainable.
People can't afford them.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
So only going to que produce a different way doesn't
solve the problem. We're just going to tap a different way,
of course, not it's coming from the same community, Elly.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Can you do? That's what I'm saying. It needs to
come from the government more, it is wrong to the
Prime Minister to say, come on, guys, tighten your belt
when they're passing a whole lot of costs onto local
government themselves by not doing their job.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
All he explains something to me. The reaction from the
mayors and the counselors last night was that genuine shock
that he would deign to say something like that, or
is that because they genuinely believe that their spending is awesome.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Look, I think it's probably political, Heather. You know, I
know when I look at the community board makeup in
christ Church, there's a very central left makeup of those
community boards. And I imagine I think as was alluded
to in the conversation you had before that, but there
was probably a very center left feeling at the LGNZ conference.
I just texted one of my council colleagues who's very
(05:08):
center right, and I said, what was your take on it?
And he said, I actually agreed with every word he said. So, Look,
I think I do think it's a political thing, but
we've got to have this conversation without this month slingeress slinging.
I did agree with that, What the hell did that achieve?
Yesterday coming from the Prime Minister.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
I know it made me feel really good. I'm hoping
that I have makes some rain in their spending, because
otherwise I ain't going to get more money. Right, we're
back of the huddle, Jordan Williams and Ali Jones. Ali,
this falling out between Raiser and Leonor's obviously big enough
for one of them to have to depart. Is this
shaking your faith in the Razor era?
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Well, look, I'm no expert on rugby go the Welsh,
but I do remember Leon mc donald was stoked to
get the assistant coaching job. I think when it was
announced last year he said, You've got to be really
really ready to be the coach of the All Blacks.
It's not something you rush into. So yeah, I guess
you got to ask yourself why were key things like strategy, style, direction,
whatever not discussed and understood. That's kind of the sense
(06:05):
that I'm getting. I mean, if you start going out
with someone, if you marry someone, don't you ask them
if they want.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
To have kids. That's the problem, isn't it. That is
the problem right there?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Yeah, I mean these are guys that are both credible
in their own right, clearly there's been some sort of
falling out and we'll probably won't know or we'll have
to pay the forty bucks to buy the book and
in ten years time cannot wait.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
I'm genuinely shocked, Elie, that kids can't even talk properly
when they go to school because of how much time
they're spending on screens.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
What about you?
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Yeah, look, I think it's really really sad. You know,
I was thinking about my kids and you know, they
were at Kindian preschool in the early two thousands, and
I mean they were real chatterboxes. Know who do you
say earlier? You know, once they get into preschool and
that socialization, you just can't stop them. I mean, both
of mine are great talkers. They could talk, could glass
(07:00):
eye to sleep. But you know, you didn't have the
internet and iPad some smartphones as much in those days.
Maybe we need to teach this stuff at school. Maybe
there needs to be you know, parenting taught at school
and this is part of that. And at the same time,
let's teach kids about finances and cooking. I don't know
we roll it together.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I mean, Jordan, I don't know what the solution is.
I don't know how you teach parents to just not
be dud parents.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Yeah. Well, I don't know if I got that far,
but my the acorn does not fall far from the
tree and thing, as you can imagine, my kids have
not struggled with the talking.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I can believe that. Are you limiting their screen time?
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Jordan?
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Yes, yes, very very much. So how much you're giving them?
The other half is a is a pediatric nurse. So ever,
I am just the passenger in this.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Okay, we'll give us give given that you're basically married
to an expert. What is she recommending? What's the what's
the allowed amount?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
But it's very very generally only if one of them
sick or am is sick, that that one of them
would that that get very much TV at all. I
think I'm more told off for my stream time than
probably the kids are.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Are you one of those parents here?
Speaker 2 (08:09):
And I travel I traveled so much. My oh my
boys now figured out the phone that because I do
FaceTime every day when I'm when I'm traveling, and of
course I have to come down to Wellington most weeks.
But the boy at Little Henry, who is nearly two,
he gets he's now figured out the face time and
little was he's nearly five.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
No, I can't believe that he's nearly too. Gezu, are
you how old?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
How old is now?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Mustig's two and a half.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
And he said to me the other day, I said,
do you want you? Shall we go? And he said
not yet? And I was like, oh, I'm so proud
of that sentence right there. But you know, because boys
like you always worry about boys and they're talking, they
take a while. Guys, thank you for chatting to me.
Appreciate it. Jordan Williams, Taxpayer's Union. Alie Jones read per
not yet, Oh You're so clever.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
News Talk sa'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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