The Huddle: Does the funding for Gumboot Friday need to be pulled?

Tonight on The Huddle, journalist Clare de Lore and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

Labour has called for funding to be pulled from Mike King's Gumboot Friday charity following King's comments that alcohol can be a solution for people struggling with depression. Is this a step too far?

Consumer NZ is calling on the Commerce Commission to investigate New Zealand's aviation industry. Do we agree with this?

Last night's Travis Scott concert broke out in huge brawls while fans waited for him to appear on stage. Is this the promoter's fault for not lining up more entertainment - or are the fans in the wrong?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's coming up twenty away from six the Huddle with
New Zealand Southerby's International Realty, local and global exposure like
no other, and on the huddle with me this evening
we've got clear Delare journalist and Ali Jones have read
pr Hello you too, Hello, Hi Claire? What do you reckon?
Should the funding be pulled?

Speaker 2 (00:16):
No? I don't think it should be pulled. I think
they should always be measured on results, and they should
be held accountable, and that includes Mike King. I think
he needs to be told to stan Is Lane fronting
it is good if alcohol somehow has helped him in
the past, that's very much at variance trouble.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Jobble is this is his lane, isn't it. I mean
he's talking about his experience. He's talking about his personal experience.
But it is not the accepted wisdom. Most of the
recovering and recovered alcoholics I know say they have never
found an answer at the bottom of an emia wine bottle,
So I do think the clinical evidence is in.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
It is a depressant. It doesn't help people long term low.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
IS inhibitions, so you're actually more likely to do the
bad thing.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
Aren't absolutely have any of us ever made really wise
decisions at let's say, one in the morning with a.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
Skinful No, we have not, or even the next day
when you're feeling mildly depressed and anxious as a result
of it, or.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
You have a terrible hangover and you make a bad
decision the next day, which god include driving while still
under you know, with the blood alcohol are still high.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
Ali, what do you reckon? Oh, I got nothing really
to add to that. I think you're absolutely right, Claire.
I mean, my experience is at alcohol and depression doesn't mix.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
You know.

Speaker 3 (01:29):
I haven't heard the interview in its entirety, and so
I don't want to sort of comment on that. And
I'm certainly not an expert on alcohol. You spoke to
Joe just before Heather, and he's that expert. But I
don't know anyone who has had mental health issues for
whom alcohol has helped. In fact, as we've heard and

(01:50):
as Claire said, it just makes things worse. Have you
heard about, you know, the depressive blues the day after
a binge. They are called that for a reason. So yeah,
I look, it's odd. I don't want to criticize Mike
King too much either. I mean, thank God for people
like him to be honest. But still I think it
was a bit of a faux pa, and I'm interested
that he's sort of doubling down on it.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
I you know what, I think it is to his
character to double down on it. Ali, he's the kind
of guy who just kind of stands his ground and
can be a little belligerent. But what I'm fascinated by
is that Labour thinks it's a good idea to pull
the funding because of this.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
Oh that's just politicking, though, Heather, isn't it amazing? That's
just nonsense. I think, you know, any political party that
knee jerks with a comment like that needs to kick
up the barm. I mean, it really is childish. So
I no, it's just politicking.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
And I just wonder, actually, clear if Mike needs to
understand how political he is now because he took on
to remember, he took on Justin da Ardourn all the
way back and I think it was like twenty eighteen,
twenty nineteen, and since then he's become a very very
political figure, and so he needs to keep his nose
really clean.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Well that's what I mean by he needs to stay
in his lane. He needs to know his brief. He
needs to know the messaging which is really appropriate for him.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
Yeah, a gross and that he is actually.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Jeopardizing the reputation of the organization if he goes beyond
areas of his expertise or he's I don't know him.
He's presumably a good guy and he's got, you know,
his heart in the right place, and he has had
lived experience of all sorts of problems. He's doing good
with this foundation, but he doesn't want to jeopardize it,
especially as he had the privilege of getting a sort

(03:25):
of fast tracking of funding.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
Yeah. Absolutely. Hey, Ali, do you think that a New
Zealand needs a market study into its virtual monopoly?

Speaker 3 (03:33):
I think it can help, but I you know, I
think that about the insurance sector as well, as I've
said on your show before. But look, the only thing
that I do have mixed feelings on with regards to
this is that we're a small country, right, We've got
a small population, and I just I'm wary of this
comparison with quantus. You know, as far as the increases
go around quantity in New Zealand's pricing, that is not

(03:56):
comparing apples with apples. I think if demand is high,
businesses should be able to apply the old supply and
demand theory and you make more money and put the
prices up because people will pay it when supply is low.
But the issue is the degree of inflating those prices.
So if the price is unreasonable, then that needs to stop,

(04:18):
because we've all heard the word extortionate, right, and that's
when it becomes extortionate. But what is reasonable and what
is unreasonable? And I think that's for the ComCom to decide.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
Okay, I'm going to get your take on it. Clear
when we come back from the break the Huddle.

Speaker 4 (04:31):
With New Zealand Southeby's International Realty elevate the marketing of
your home back with the.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
Huddle clear to Law and alle Jones. So clear, what
do you reckon? Is it worth putting the money into
a market study to find out what are in New
Zealand's doing well?

Speaker 2 (04:41):
Probably not, because as far as one can tell from
the outside, they're not doing anything illegal. They may well
be doing things that most people find unaffordable. Their power
is the ComCom is where people are breaching regulations or
the law or whatever and calling them to account. You know,
maybe the naming and shaming side of that. But you
know that doesn't seem to when people complain anywhere about

(05:04):
the prices, it doesn't necessarily move the dial. Then there'll
be a flash sale for example, and if you open
your email, like you know, a day late, your massut
so you'll be really hacked off with them on top
of everything else. So sometimes I think they're marketing maybe
needs to be a little bit more, you know, a
little bit more attuned to people's habits. No, I don't

(05:26):
think it would make a difference. I mean, our supermarket's
marketly cheaper.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
Because of the market study name market study clear that
has actually resulted in a lower price for you.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
Well, I can't, and I don't think it's changed the
bank's behaviors, and you know we do want profitable banks
and supermarkets and the like. All the studies in the
world haven't made much of a difference to where you
feel you have by way of power as a consumer.

Speaker 3 (05:49):
But I think that's more clear to do perhaps with
the terms of reference and what the study was essentially
supposed to, you know, result in, because it's certainly the
studies of the price of fuel when Megan Woods was
in though there was absolutely nothing in those that gave
anyone any power to actually do anything. And I see
that Anthony Albanezi is actually outlawing this demand pricing, this

(06:13):
dynamic pricing model that Air New Zealand uses is being
outlawed in Australia. Now, you know, the government can actually
do something to regulate the sector, but I think they
have to have the information in order to be able
to do that. So I don't see a market review
as being a total waste of time. But I think
the terms of reference have got to be right.

Speaker 1 (06:32):
Yes, when it results in action.

Speaker 2 (06:33):
Sorry, Claire, I was going to say, this government has
actually set up a whole new department to deregulate and
unregulate us.

Speaker 4 (06:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
I can't see them climbing into regulation without really strong cause.
Yeah yeah.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
Hey. Do you know what, Ali people have got themselves
quite worked up today about the fighting and scuffling that
was breaking out at the Travis Scott concert. Did you
see any of that video?

Speaker 2 (06:56):
No?

Speaker 3 (06:56):
I didn't, And if someone had said Travis Scott to
me yesterday, said I am such I really am not
great with some of some of the people around the
music these days. However, I read too that there were
no complaints from residents. Apparently there were no arrests.

Speaker 1 (07:12):
Apparently, so Helen must have absolutely been self disciplined last night,
because that would have absolutely ripped a nickause it was
so loud.

Speaker 2 (07:21):
I think they were twenty eight complaints. Well on your
very own network or somewhere right.

Speaker 1 (07:26):
I don't know, you're the journalists.

Speaker 3 (07:28):
Well I stand corrected.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
Then, well, there were some ali and I cannot tell
you the source from which I.

Speaker 1 (07:37):
Just wonder how loud you'd have to make the concert
program to drown out Travis Scott right next door. You
know what I mean? Did you enjoy it, Heather? No,
not in the slightest I mean no, Actually that's not
that's not that's not fair. I enjoyed realizing my age
while standing there and watching and going, I can't understand
why this is music and this is this is bizarre.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
Well, it also seemed to me. I mean I saw
some children today aged twelve and thirteen, who went with
their mum, who's about forty one, and they all seem
to have a good time. However, fifteen to twenty minutes
for DJ and one hour of a guy on stage,
do you compare that to Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney. When
they came, who had no backup? When bang song song song?

(08:18):
You know, they just rolled in for three hours. Yes,
it's I think it was.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
Well, I mean what I'm going to say this, Claire.
Musicians these days are lazy, aren't they? Not like they
were an ourday, Not like they were in our day.
They come, they do a three hour set with guitars
and drums and actual music. And this guy makes people
wait for four hours and he comes out, he dances by.

Speaker 2 (08:41):
And change the date and inconvenienced a lot of his fans.
You think you would really double down on putting on
a top show. So you know, I mean nothing much
excuses if people were having genuine punch ups, but if
they were sort of bored and kind.

Speaker 1 (08:53):
Of fair enough. Yeah, you do you? Alie? Have you
listened to any Travis Scott?

Speaker 3 (08:59):
Oh? I haven't clear.

Speaker 2 (09:01):
I feel it. Look I did today with the kids
in the car. I said, I said, can you please
play me a video of the concert, and then we
put it on the Apple play and thoughts and I well,
not my thing, but kids loved it.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (09:13):
Did they?

Speaker 1 (09:14):
Could they see a tune in that music?

Speaker 2 (09:16):
Cod they they seem too, and they yeah, all right, didn't.

Speaker 1 (09:19):
You Jacky, Yeah, Jack did. At least one of us
listened to the Travis Scott music before I'm talking about it,
and I didn't. Guys, it was lovely to talk to
the pair of you. Thank you for coming in and
really appreciate its clear to Lord Journist and Ellie Jones.

Speaker 4 (09:30):
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