Full Show Podcast: 19 March 2025

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Digging through the spin spence to find the real story.
Or it's Ryan Bridge on heather d for Cellen Drive
with One New Zealand let's get connected and news talks.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
They'd be good afternoon at a seven after four news talks,
they'd be coming up on the show. Consumer confidence takes
a punch in the face. What'll it do to our
spending and crucially, what will it do to our economic recovery?
We'll look at that after five. Winston Peters joins us
from DC after his meeting with Marco Rubio. What's the
latest with the JFK documents? Is there anything in there

(00:35):
we didn't already know? We'll ask that question. Another unsatisfied
customer for LG and Z Local Government m Z plus.
The price of gold tops three thousand US announce which
is a record. How much higher do we think it'll go?

Speaker 3 (00:50):
Brian Bridge?

Speaker 2 (00:51):
So not particularly encouraging reading this latest confidence survey from Westpac,
but it is fascinating for what it tells us about us.
It tells us a couple of things. Number One, we
actually do, thank you very much, watch the news and
international markets quite closely. It turns out we are quite
tuned into that and we are quite worried about the

(01:13):
trade war and what it could do to our numbers.
Our confidence has taken a hit as a result. We're
down eight points, still in negative territory, but we were
heading in the right direction. We're just a bit shaky
at the moment. Number two, This is all despite the
OCR cuts, the slashing from the RBNZ. None of that matters.

(01:33):
Is not worth an OCR cut, is not worth the
paper that it's printed on if the rest of the
world's going to hell in a handbasket.

Speaker 3 (01:40):
Right.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Number three. We judge the economy and our trust in
it not just by looking at the news, but by
looking around us, which make guess makes sense, but it's
fascinating to see it laid out like this case in
Point Wellington. Confidence there through the floor in the doldrums.
Why well, the economy's weak head to the provinces though
the promised land. Anywhere with a rural backbone, people are

(02:05):
feeling good. You've got dairy prices up, you've got beef
prices up, you've got exports pumping, and people feel good.
Same thing in the regions with tourism. You can see
the tourists, you can hear the accents. You can hear
the tills ringing, and everything's honky dory. We need to
keep that hope and optimism alive because we have spent

(02:27):
and you read this report far too long, scraping the
bottom of the economic barrel in this country. We have
been we haven't been i should say, above one hundred
in this survey, which basically means feeling net positive since
twenty twenty one. You go back further, we were above

(02:49):
one hundred for basically the twenty years pre COVID, except
that tiny bit during the GFC. We've been down in
the dumps for five years, five long, hard years, and
we were three points in the last survey, just three
tiny points from hitting one hundred once more, rising from

(03:11):
the ashes, dusting ourselves off, shaking it off, and soldiering on.
And now we're back eight points. A slight setback. But
we'll push through, won't we. Once the markets adjust to
the pace of Trump's tariffs, once commerce finds a way
around cost, we'll be back on our way to the
top of that economic mountain where we all belong. Spray

(03:32):
and Bridge nineteen nineteen. The number to Texas gon ten
after four you're on news talk said BP, would you
like to tell you workmates about your salary? But your
contract stops you from doing that. There's a labor bill
that's going through Parliament at the moment, currently making its
way through the House to protect employees' rights to speak
about their salary. Labor National, the Greens and the Maldi

(03:54):
Party all voted for it at the first reading act
in New Zealand. First, we're a nay. Amy Ross is
an employment relations expert director of work Ethics. She's with
me now, Hi, Amy, Kyoda, Good to have you on
the show. Do you actually want Do you think keies
actually want to tell their workmates how much they're getting paid?

Speaker 4 (04:14):
I think a lot of people do, and I think
they should have the protected right to do so if
they wish. I mean, the information about what you earn
is effectively your information, so you should be able to
share it if you want to. You shouldn't be forced to,
and you can still under this alteration say oh no,
I'll keep that to myself.

Speaker 5 (04:33):
Thanks.

Speaker 4 (04:34):
But if I want to be able to discuss that,
and I want to be able to identify potential inequality
in the workplace, then I should have the right to
do so. Without risking getting fired or getting called into
a disciplinary meeting.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
But no one's forcing you to sign the contract, right,
There's no law that says no one can speak about
their contracts or their remuneration with one another. It's only
if you sign the contract that says you can't that
you can't.

Speaker 4 (05:00):
Yeah, but I think we have to remember the real world,
there's an imbalance of power between the employer and the employee.
In fact, that's one of the opening lines in the
Employment Relations Act. And the reason we have legal protections
is that the employer is often in a position where
they can say sort of take it or leave it,
and sometimes we have to take it. So I think
we have to be realistic in that we have legal

(05:20):
protections for a reason, and that is to smooth out
that imbalance of power and make sure that employees can
identify inequalities in the workplace and remedy those.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
Do you think they will though? I reckon that's the point.
I don't think it's the key we way to run
around and tell everyone what you earn or how much
is in your bank account, or who you voted for.
I just don't think it's in our psyche.

Speaker 4 (05:44):
I think that often legislation encourages conversation and a change
in culture. And I think you're right, there is a
bit of a legacy of hangover of conservatism and being like, all,
you know, salary is status and status and that is private,
and we've got to kind of keep all that it's
under wraps. But actually it's not serving us because we
have a persistent gender and ethnic pay yet. And unless

(06:06):
we talk about salary and able to identify what's causing
those problems, then we can't fix it. And legislative changes
can encourage that conversation and can actually change society. And
some of the legislative changes we see now seem totally
normal now, like homosexual law reform controversy at the time,

(06:27):
completely normal now. And you know, legislation can do that,
it can shift our cultural thinking.

Speaker 2 (06:33):
But you're not Surely you're not comparing this to homosexual
law reform.

Speaker 4 (06:36):
I'm saying that's essentially what you're saying. We're not ready
for it, but legislation has to go and change our thinking. Okay, yeah,
give us our rights and protections that were deserving.

Speaker 2 (06:49):
What but you have the protections now, there's no law
that says you are not allowed to discuss your remuneration.
It's only if you sign your rights away that you
lose that protection, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (07:02):
Yeah, so the Act is silent on it at the moment,
which gives employers the capacity to write those clauses into
an agreement.

Speaker 2 (07:09):
I mean, it's hardly a Martin Luther King moment, is it.
I mean what we're talking about.

Speaker 6 (07:14):
No, But.

Speaker 4 (07:18):
Let's but you know, if you're going to make the
point about we're not ready for it, it's an example
about how legislation can also shift cultural thinking over time,
and how things which seem like transformative or radical we're
not ready for it, can actually be seen later down
the track as normal. And I think that is all
this is. It's another one of the pillars in the

(07:40):
platform we need to build to actually eradicate an equality
and pay which in New Zealanders value fairness. You and
I would agree on that.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
All right, Okay we Amy, will we have to leave
it there, but we'll see what the people think about
this one. I'm interested that you've put for a good argument.
I appreciate you coming on the show. Amy Ross, who's
an employment relations expert and director of work ethics. It's
fourteen after four, So what do we think I've told?
I think in my lifetime, I've told my partner how

(08:09):
much I get paid. I've told my mum and dad. No,
actually not my dad because he's a gossip. I've told
my mum. I've told my partner, and I think that's
I once stupidly told a friend when I was really
really pissed, and I immediately regretted doing it, and it's
sort of haunted me ever since. But you just don't

(08:31):
do it. My uncle used to say to me, don't
tell anyone what's in your bank account or how much
you get paid. It's no one's business but yours. N
nine two the number to text.

Speaker 7 (08:42):
It's called it in your contract that you're allowed to
talk about that, right.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
I actually don't know.

Speaker 7 (08:45):
Are we going to get a visit from the boss
in a couple of minutes?

Speaker 8 (08:47):
Do you know?

Speaker 2 (08:47):
The thing about working in this industry as is you
can pretty much say what you like because that's what
they pay you to do.

Speaker 7 (08:53):
I don't know if the Broadcasting Standards Authority agree with that.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
Well, I mean, who cares about them? That'll be gone soon,
won't they? Nineteen nineteen the number to text quarter pass
for Darcy.

Speaker 1 (09:02):
Next, it's the Heather Do Bussy, All and Drive Full
Show podcast on iHeartRadio powered by News Talk ZEBB.

Speaker 2 (09:11):
News Talk ZIB. It's eighteen minutes after four. We're debating
this afternoon whether you tell your work colleagues how much
you get paid or not. There's a there's a law change.
Darcy's laughing. He'll be here in a second. I wouldn't
be laughing that hard, Darcy. Christian says Ryan, I negotiate
my salary for a position or a contract. What a
load of crap? Hasn't Parliament got better things to do

(09:32):
than debates something like this? Another says, is this honestly
what the government thinks we want solved? This is a
private member's bill, by the way, from a labor MP,
although National is supporting it. Another says Ryan, nobody shares
salary and wages with workmates. That's Roy. Roy thinks that.
Nineteen after four, Ryan, Darci Si was sport. Hey, Darcy,

(09:54):
it's in my contract that you can't say not allowed
to Ah.

Speaker 9 (09:58):
I can share it with the law before I sign
the thing. Yeah, and I kind of have to share
it with my ex wife because maintenance.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
Otherwise, No, I love that you call it maintenance like
it's a house anyway. Yeah, so why they know about
the lunch?

Speaker 9 (10:17):
Look over here, this is much better.

Speaker 3 (10:20):
Sorry, but the Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 2 (10:23):
If I was to tell you just secretly, now, should
we just turn the mics off telling you what.

Speaker 9 (10:30):
You needed to be? Shocked? Embarrassed or happy? I'm not sure.

Speaker 2 (10:33):
Which is the point no one actually wants to tell.
I mean, why would you want other people to know?
It's just awkward it is.

Speaker 9 (10:40):
It doesn't matter I pay tax.

Speaker 2 (10:43):
Yeah exactly, I agree with you, doesn't. I just think
it's awkward for people. Why would you? And by letting
people do it and making it more available, you're just
opening up a can of worms.

Speaker 9 (10:52):
Well you all know what our CEO ands. I'm sure
he's not exactly happy, but in fact we all.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
Know that either, right, because it's a listed companies precise anyway,
you sport this stadium for Western Springs. So gone are
the thinking of bobs that go round and round speedway.

Speaker 9 (11:11):
It is the last night of Western Springs coming up
on Saturday. Rest in peace, Western Springs. That has been
a phendon, but it has gone. Although it's managed to
come back from the dead more times than basically your
averge zombie, so you never know. But it looks like
they're going to go ahead with that stadium. Looking nothing's happened.
This is the thing that the newspaper article suggested that

(11:34):
or the online article that this is what they want
to do in this big it's going to be and
these are the investors and da da da da dah.
But they're talking to the council the vast expressions of interest.
But nothing, nothing's happened to you, No, nothing's actually happened,
so they don't know.

Speaker 2 (11:47):
And every time I hear the ad that says this
is the last you know race at the speedway, I think, well,
that's a good way to get sales.

Speaker 9 (11:54):
That they get sales anyway. People love that, and.

Speaker 2 (11:58):
I love the sound of it because I can hear
it from my place and I enjoy I've never been,
but I do love the sho You.

Speaker 9 (12:03):
Got Waltz last night. You get the experiences, so yeah,
put it. My fourteen year old can't stand me dragging
at the motor sports. He hates it. But Western Springs
different stories. You can see everything. Loves it quite extraordinary.
Look I hope it goes ahead. The best thing that's
going in favor of this consortium, one of four million consortiums.

(12:24):
It's back by three billionaires.

Speaker 2 (12:26):
Oh, they get things done, don't they.

Speaker 9 (12:27):
Well, Bill Foley told me years ago that's what they
plan on doing. I said, you haven't dealt with Auckland Council.
Have your pal, I'll get it done. I'm like, okay,
So now maybe it's in place, so let's see. Let's
hope they can put a train in from Auckland City.

Speaker 2 (12:41):
What's on your show tonight does well.

Speaker 9 (12:42):
I'm trying to cover off that consortium issue because nothing's happening.
We already know where to go with that. You know,
it's like somebody somebody. But Jason Pine caught up with
striking superstar Chris Wood today. He's obviously there, not Forest Strike,
who's done so well. He's the captain of the All
Whites playing over the weekend and he had to sit
down with him. So you'll hear that on Sports Talk

(13:06):
and what happens up after seven o'clock. Wow, you know,
the unknown's amazing because that's where the magic is right.

Speaker 2 (13:11):
Look forward to it, Darcy, Thank you, Darcy Wadgrave here
after seven news talks, there'd be twenty two minutes after
four Ryan, I'm a teacher. We all know that each
other what each other earns as it's a schedule or
a step that each person is on. Anyone can look
it up. Yeah there are I mean same. I actually
when I worked at Radio and New Zealand years ago,
same thing happened there.

Speaker 3 (13:30):
You had steps, but.

Speaker 2 (13:31):
Even not everyone knew what step you were on. Anyway,
I digress, Dan Mitchison here after the news back in a.

Speaker 1 (13:37):
Jiffy informed inside into today's issues. It's Ryan Bridge on
hither duplicy Ellen drive with one New Zealand let's get
connected news talks, they'd be.

Speaker 2 (13:49):
Four twenty five. So we know midget racing will be
no more at Western Springs Stadium. But what next? That
is the question. The counsel has put out a statement
and they have announced that there can considering. This is
Auckland Council considering three different options for what happens next
at Western Springs. Now one of the two of them
will cost the ratepayer nudder and one will cost a lot.

(14:12):
And that one is from the Ponsonby Rugby Club. They
want to extend their occupancy. They want to do a
whole bunch of other sports anyway that will cost the council.
Then there are two others. One is apparently from the
outfit that runs Lane Way, that's the music festival that
a lot of people love in Auckland, with a maximum
capacity of forty five thousand for some sort of stadium.

(14:33):
And the other is an MWF new co. This is
your Anna mo Mobray, Bill Foley and Ali Williams twelve
five hundred seat stadium that apparently they would bankroll. Now
what exactly this means and what the council will do
about these three options yet to be decided. But Morris
Williamson is on the show. He's on the huddle actually

(14:55):
tonight after five thirty, so we'll talk to him about
that then in the meantime, lots more to come. Tony
Alexander has done an ophead for the Herald and I
want to read some of it to you in just
a few minutes. Because optimistic as I was about our
economic future to begin the program, he's not so much. Also,
if you are a pickleman or a pickle woman, then

(15:16):
you'll want to tune in, especially if you buy cheap
jars for your pickles. News Talks B to the US.

Speaker 10 (15:23):
Next day's coming. So if this were man.

Speaker 1 (15:43):
On the iHeart app and in your car on your
drive home, it's Ryan Bridge on hither du Percy Alan
drive with one New Zealand let's get connected.

Speaker 3 (15:52):
News Talks DBAs.

Speaker 5 (15:56):
To have.

Speaker 2 (15:59):
Wadnestly Now, good afternoon, it is twenty five minutes away
from five. You're on News Talks VB. So Auckland Council
is looking at a replacement for Western Springs. We've just
been chatting about it. Lots of feedback on this. People
quite worked up about the whole process. Won't go into it,
but Michael says there has to be open disclosure about
Western Springs and its future. Because you've got your Animo Bras,

(16:20):
your Bill foley Is, your Ali Williams coming together for
a consortium to have a stadium there. This is for
their football team. This is the statement from Auckland Council.
The governing body is expected to make a decision an
early mail on its preferred option for Western Springs stadium's future.
Auckland Is will then be invited to have theirssay through

(16:42):
public consultation. So there you go, they at least give
the appearance that you will have a say in the matter.
It's twenty four minutes away from five.

Speaker 3 (16:50):
It's the world wires on News Talks Drive.

Speaker 2 (16:54):
We need to Winston Peter's out of Washington after five.
No ceasefire out of this chat between Trump and Putin,
but the former happy with how things went. All the
same the.

Speaker 11 (17:02):
Sea Spiro without going a little bit further, it would
have been tough. Russia has the advantage, as you know,
they have encircled about two five hundred soldiers. They're nicely encircled,
and that's not good and we want to get it
over with. Look, we're doing this. There are no Americans involved.
There could be able to end up in World War
three over this.

Speaker 2 (17:22):
So what they've agreed to is no firing on energy
infrastructure at the moment. That's it. This claim, by the way,
that Ukrainian troops are in circles has not been independently
verified by any international media outside of what Putin has said.
The stranded astronaut saga finally has come to a close.

Speaker 3 (17:40):
And Splashdown Crew nine back on Earth.

Speaker 12 (17:45):
Copy Splashdown We see mein shoots cut nixt Alex Butch
Sunny on behalf of SpaceX.

Speaker 3 (17:52):
Welcome home.

Speaker 2 (17:54):
Yeah, go and have a shower and a line down. Finally,
this afternoon, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is encouraging
Americans to hunt down green iguanas and eat them. The
agency has released a list of five invasive species that
can safely be cooked and eaten, and the iguana is
on the list. Apparently they go quite well in the

(18:14):
stew with potatoes and carrots.

Speaker 1 (18:16):
And I thank you International correspondence with ends and Eye Insurance,
Peace of mind for New Zealand business.

Speaker 2 (18:22):
Dan Machison is our US correspondent with US this afternoon. Dan,
good afternoon.

Speaker 12 (18:27):
Hey, good afternoon, Ryan.

Speaker 2 (18:28):
So no ceasefire, but I mean there at least there
is something a pause on infrastructure energy, infrastructure strikes.

Speaker 12 (18:36):
Yeah, I mean, and like you're saying, at least they
talked and a little bit of progress was made. It
was interesting. I found that the Putin, who is notorious
for keeping world leaders waiting, was speaking at this conference
right up until the time that he was supposed to
speak with President Trump, and he didn't seem very worried
about it. And he had somebody who was moderating the event,

(18:58):
kept looking at as a watch and saying, shouldn't you
shouldn't you be back at the Kremlin right now? Speaking
with the President. He was like, no, no, we're not
going to worry about that. But but again, uh, Trump
was on social media he said the talk ended with
understanding that they're gonna be working quickly, and uh, you know,
he wants an end of this thing. At least, that's
what he's saying. Whether or not something will come to
fruition between him and mister Putin, that's that's yet to

(19:21):
be seen.

Speaker 2 (19:22):
And obviously Trump is saying, well, I mean, he's not
exactly coming out in bashing Potent like he did with Zelensky.
I mean, how's that going down? No, it's not.

Speaker 12 (19:33):
I mean I think he is. He's walking a little
bit of a tight rope. I think that you've got
more people demanding this end to to the war in
Europe than you do over here. Right now, you've heard
him trying to say that that they have they had
these these troops encircled, which, as you mentioned, we have
not verified that over here. And you know that the

(19:55):
Americans could be involved in World War three, which is
just trying to scare people at this point in time.
So I think Putnin is going to try to drag
this out as long as possible, and what kind of
deal will be made, I think will depend more on unfortunately,
between the US and Russia that it will be on Ukraine,
which is sad.

Speaker 2 (20:15):
Can you give us a cent? I was watching Fox
News for my sins for a couple of hours yesterday.
I just so happened to be had the time, and
there's actually very little coverage of the war in Ukraine.
I mean, there are a lot bigger domestic issues going on,
whereas over here it seems to be all that we're
talking about. And I mean we're probably the furthest country
that you could ever imagine from Ukraine in terms of

(20:39):
how we're directly affected by it. Is that fear that
actually most Americans sort of don't really think about it.

Speaker 3 (20:46):
Well.

Speaker 12 (20:46):
I think it's been put on the back burner, especially
with the presidential election that we had back in November,
and with the state of the economy right now and
with Elon Musk. But one of the things that I've
always loved about New Zealand, and I've always said about
everybody in that country, is I think you have a
broader scope of what is going on in the world.
And when I've talked to colleagues down there that they
say that is because we are a little bit more isolated.

(21:08):
You have fifty giant states that you're trying to track
news around right now. We have our country a four
million plus, but we are very interested in the outside world.
So I think you get a lot more perhaps international news,
and a lot more interest in that down in your
part of the world than we do up here a
lot of the time.

Speaker 2 (21:25):
Yeah, we're gona nothing's happening here. That's why not true.
That is not hey with anything going on, anything juicy
in these JFK documents.

Speaker 12 (21:36):
I wish I wish we could say that we have
something to report on. And the fact that they drag
this out and didn't release these documents and do this
big dump until just a short time ago is saying something.
Right now, we were told that we were going to have,
you know, eighty thousand documents previously unreleased information in them.
Right now, most of these that we are looking at

(21:57):
and this and historians are going to tell you this
is going to take time to go through. Most of
the files are just scans of documents. We have some
blurred or difficult to read notes. There are photographs, are
sound recordings, mostly from the sixties. There are conspiracy theories
that are in there right now, several about the Warrant
Commission that looked into the assassination. But there is not

(22:18):
one shining bright light that says this is going to
put this to rest and answer all these conspiracy theories.

Speaker 2 (22:24):
Funny and it makes you wonder why on earth would
they not have released this years ago, decades ago?

Speaker 3 (22:29):
You know, Well, it's true.

Speaker 12 (22:31):
And an interesting thing is we sort of have Oliver
Stone to thank for that, because when the movie Born
on the fourth of July came out, that's when there
was a lot more interest in this, and they said, okay,
we're going to release everything within the next twenty five
years because that movie got a lot of a lot
of people talking.

Speaker 2 (22:50):
Nice one, Dan, thank you for that damn much. The
US correspondent time is eighteen minutes away from five right
and Bridge. So well, ever, Winston Pete is out of Washington,
d C. After five o'clock. We'll also look to five
at this issue of consumer confidence. We at a Westpac
survey out today. Is it bad news for our recovery.
Are you a pickleman or pickle woman? If you are,
look out. Kmart is recalling exploding pickle jars. It's like

(23:15):
the David Seymour exploding lunch. But it's glass, so probably
a dance site. More dangerous. It's the Ancho branded glass
pickle jar. It says it can break or explode. Fermented
food is what does? It can build up gas and
cause the jar to explode or make the lid difficult
to remove. So be careful out there people. It is

(23:35):
a dangerous world, even for a picklemen and pickle woman.
Eighteen minutes away from five berries oper.

Speaker 1 (23:41):
Next politics with centric credit, check your customers and get
payment certainty.

Speaker 2 (23:46):
Talks be quarter to five Barry soaper so here, Hey Berry,
good a Ryan?

Speaker 13 (23:49):
I must I say it the outset that you're always
talking about what you're earning. You were say you earn
a pittance.

Speaker 2 (23:57):
That is true exactly, But if you earned a lot,
you wouldn't tell anyone, would you?

Speaker 13 (24:01):
Oh you're always complaining?

Speaker 2 (24:03):
Hey, are we softening our anti nuclear stances with India?
What's the story about? Or is it rubbish?

Speaker 5 (24:09):
This?

Speaker 13 (24:09):
It's rubbish. I mean we're not. I mean if it
means saying something to the extent that Chris Luxon said
to the Indian Prime Minister to soften the Indians up
in some way towards a free trade agreement as Switzerland.
They've got a free trade agreement and they now agree
that they well, they don't say they'll support because India

(24:34):
can't join the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

Speaker 9 (24:38):
Now, this Suppliers Group's.

Speaker 13 (24:39):
Got nothing to do with weapons. It's about the transfer
of nuclear technology in terms of building nuclear power stations
and the like. Now, in the statement that both the
leaders made was they acknowledged the importance of upholding the
global nuclear disarmament and non proliferation regime. Now that it's

(25:00):
important for India because they won't sign the non Proliferation pack.
They say it's discriminatory, that's why they won't go there.
I'm not quite sure what they base that argument on. Nevertheless,
they say that, but both leaders acknowledge the value of
India joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group in the context of

(25:20):
the predictability for India's clean energy goals. Now, without some
sort of nuclear power plants and stuff, you're not going
to achieve zero carbon by twenty fifty and country after
country is now dropping out of that. So for Chris
Hipkins to come out and say, oh, they've put foreign

(25:42):
anti nuclear foreign policy up for grabs as plainly ridiculous.
He's got to look at what happens in the context
of all checks.

Speaker 2 (25:51):
But it raises an instant question, Barry, that you can't
have all your principles and values and virtues all at once,
can you. I mean, at some point you've got to
click between climate change yet your climate change credentials and
your anti nuclear starts. Yeah, well, I mean.

Speaker 13 (26:04):
In the end that's what it probably will come down to,
because you can't achieve these goals without nuclear exactly.

Speaker 2 (26:11):
Now this is comart. Dean Wickliffe, aka convicted murderer and
then manslaughter, should be released from prison according.

Speaker 13 (26:20):
To Tamitha Paul. Now she's the Green MP. What's wrong
with Wellington Central these days? They gave her more than
a six thousand vote majority there over the Labor incumbent,
who wasn't very good anyway, but you know it's a
relatively important seat and they've given it to this woman.

Speaker 2 (26:38):
They were riding bikes and that you get a lot
of head knocks and ride a bike.

Speaker 13 (26:42):
I've lived at Wellington Central for many years, but it's incredible,
so it's very green at the moment. But Dean Wickliffe,
he is one of the most notorious criminals in this country.
He walked into a jeweler's store in Wellington, as we
said the other day, shot a man, shot the juweler
Peter Meet with a pistol and then walked out. Later

(27:04):
he was he appealed as conviction for murder and he
got off with Manstoll for saying that he didn't really
mean to shoot him whereas he walked in with a
loaded pistol. I don't quite know how that went. But nevertheless,
the Green Party, through Tamotha Pool is calling for the
compassionate release of Dean Wickcliffe, who's now seventy seven. They

(27:24):
say they refer to him as Coomar Tour. Now in
my book, Coomar Tour is a respected mild y older well.
I don't know how he achieved that status, but nevertheless,
the I think the biggest record that Dean Cliff, Dean
Wickcliffe has ever had in his life is escaping from
Perima Remo maximum security prison twice. Yeah, I mean he's

(27:47):
very good at that. But they say, look, he should
be released because you know his protest so he's on
a hunger strike exactly.

Speaker 2 (27:56):
But this annoys me bery because if I can understand
if he was beaten up by a security guard at
the prison, then that should be followed up and dealt with,
and whether that happens to a murderer or a shoplift
or whatever. But asking the government to get involved in
the release of a prisoner.

Speaker 13 (28:14):
They said the Minister of Corrections. Now, don't forget time
of the Paul is a correction spokesperson for the Greens,
so theoretically in a coalition government she could be the
Corrections Minister. But so you know, she says that people
in prison of human beings and have rights and the
minister has a duty to ensure that those rights are upheld. Well,
Paul told us on TikTok today this is another one

(28:35):
of her activities that tonight she'll be talking about the
abolition of the police.

Speaker 14 (28:42):
I'm doing an event at the University of Canterbury with
Pea section Autotahe to talk about the police and what
alternatives we could have to the police and what radical
kind of police abolition could look like in real terms.

Speaker 13 (29:00):
I think the answer to that one is I can
answer that straight away. But look, she is this police
police spokeswoman for the Greens, along with corrections of course,
so you know she's there to speak about these things.

Speaker 2 (29:12):
They'll get votes out of that. Barry, Well, if you Green,
you may do.

Speaker 8 (29:16):
Yeah, goodness me, God forbid.

Speaker 2 (29:18):
All right, Barry, thank you very much for that. Barry Soaper,
News Talks, v Senior political correspondent, just gone eight minutes
away from five here on News Talks. Heb we'll get
to Winston after five. We're also going to talk about that.
Oh tell you what I'll do next is Tony Alexander.
He has written a piece for The Herald about the
state of play for Visa VI, the economy and housing.

(29:40):
Really interesting. But from that next.

Speaker 3 (29:42):
Digging into the issues that affect you. The my casking.

Speaker 15 (29:46):
Breakfast tone calls come and gone. It seems to have
had limited success for you. Where does that leave them
and can they now argue that you see it told
you Pluton doesn't want peace.

Speaker 16 (29:55):
I think he can see you on the sidelines really
for now because it the dynamic.

Speaker 15 (30:01):
Donald Trump supported Vladimir Putin's idea to organize hockey matches
in the US and Russia between Russian and American players
and the NHL and cage.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
Oh there you go.

Speaker 15 (30:09):
So it wasn't a bust after I was going it
was exactly so they got the hockey store way back.
Tomorrow at six am, the Mike Hosking Breakfast with the
Rain drover of the laugh News talk zby.

Speaker 2 (30:20):
Great to have your company just gone six minutes away
from five. Tony Alexander, respected economist, does a lot on housing,
writes for The Herald, occasionally done an up here today.
And it's really interesting because I've been talking up our
tour when we all have really tourism are coming back,
especially in February. We were up to ninety three percent
of pre COVID for February. That was thanks in part
to the Chinese New Year, but also our dairy prices,

(30:44):
our beef prices, our sheep meat, all of it's been
doing pretty well price wise and volume wise. Tony Alexander comes.
It's a little bit of raining on the parade here,
some sobering observations. I thought i'd share them with you, thankfully.
He writes. The returns and the Deer and the beef
sectors are currently quite good and will provide some insulation
when the disturbance comes our way. This is trump in

(31:06):
the trade train, but it pays to note that drought
has been declared in several regions around the country and
for those affected, the good prices being received will mean
little when production volumes fall away. That, along with the
stalling of the tourism sector recovery post COVID, is why
I talk about this recovery in the economy being export
lead is perhaps a tad misplaced. He writes. Exports will contribute,

(31:31):
for sure, but the New Zealand dollar is only around
two cents lower than it was a year ago against
the greenback. This matters because coming out of the previous
three recessions in this economy, the currency had fallen ten
to fifteen cents and provided a strong jolt to kick
up the backside and export returns in regional economies. And
this is where things get slightly spicy for us. The recovery,

(31:56):
writes Tony Alexander, will be more evenly spread around the
country than usual and rely on the willingness of householders
to spend, which is exactly why this confidence survey that's
been released today is bad news. We're down eight points.
It's not looking good. We were on the way up.

(32:16):
We're not back to where we were a couple of years,
a couple of months ago, but we were on the
way up and now we're going back down. People are
worried about the trade war, people are worried about what's
going on around the world. Does that mean they'll stop spending?
That's the key question, and we'll ask WESPACT. I've done
the survey. We'll ask them. They're on the show after
five o'clock. We're also gonna talk to Winston Peters. He's

(32:38):
out of Washington. Had a good chat with Marco Rubio.
Been very diplomatic as Winston. But I suppose you would
be after your first sit down meeting with the Secretary
of State and in an incoming government. You're on news
talksb get cat of Boney Kag We did bregain?

Speaker 10 (33:05):
If you know, put them we.

Speaker 2 (33:11):
Do you know?

Speaker 3 (33:14):
Put the we dog?

Speaker 17 (33:19):
If you know all the time, put some mazy.

Speaker 1 (33:26):
Questions, answers, facts, analysis, the drive show you trust for
the full picture. Brian Bridge on Hither Duplicy allan Drive
with one new Zealand.

Speaker 3 (33:37):
Let's get connected news talks.

Speaker 2 (33:39):
That'd be good evening. It is seven after five. Washington
will be in Washington next with Winston Peters. He's been
meeting with Marco Rubio over there is first sit down
with the new Secretary of State right now though, Westpac,
in its latest consumer confidence survey has found that we're
down eight points this month to eighty nine point two
and number over one hundred is positive. So we're a

(34:00):
bit off that Wellington in the Doldrums South Island is
particularly south of the South, looking quite good. A lot
rosier there. Westpac senior economist statist Ranchot is with me tonight.
Good evening, Hey Ryan Hoia, Yeah, good, thank you. So
this is what do you put it down to global
factors the ongoing cost of living feeling.

Speaker 18 (34:21):
I think both of those factors are raising a lot
of concerns for the household right now. The global outlook
has become just so much more on certain just over
the past couple of weeks, and many households are still
dealing with the impact of big consumer price raises over
the last couple of years.

Speaker 2 (34:36):
We were coming out of it though, when we were
on the up and this is this is a setback
in our confidence, isn't it?

Speaker 18 (34:42):
Confidence has taken a little bit of a step down
after it's been trending high for the past year. I
think if we look to the rest of this year,
we are going to see confidence and economic activity continuing
to climb. We've had some big interest rate reductions and
we haven't felt the full impact of that yet. But
as people roll into Law six Morgodre, I think we'll
see a gradual recovery. But the key thing here is

(35:03):
it will be a gradual recovery in the economy.

Speaker 2 (35:05):
Do you think does this survey indicate that it might
take longer than we otherwise thought it would have.

Speaker 18 (35:11):
I think we weren't expecting to see things turning around
too quickly. It takes a while for those interest rate
cuts to flow through. Since most of us fix our
mortgages for once two years, we're really going to see
a lot of households rolling onto lau rates in the
second part of the year, and doubts when would expect
to see things really turning around?

Speaker 2 (35:28):
All right, doesn't sound like you're panicking. That's good to hear.
Satisaanchrod with us wes PAC Senior Economist. Time is eight
minutes after five.

Speaker 3 (35:35):
Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 2 (35:36):
Foreign Minister Winston Peter has had his much anticipated meeting
with US Foreign Secretary Marco Rubio earlier today. Let's try
and get a bit more insight into what was happening.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters joins us. Now, Hello, Hello, how
are you very well? Thank you? Can you give us
a sense from this meeting what the Americans' priorities are.

Speaker 16 (35:55):
Look, we came over here to find out what they
wanted of us, and to say, well, we wanted of them,
and we had a very very substantial, very meaningful meeting.

Speaker 2 (36:04):
And what do they want from us?

Speaker 16 (36:06):
Well, strange enough, if they want us to go on
being what we've been for a long long time, may
a force in the world, so to speak, for democracy,
for the rule of law and things like that, they
are kin to share our perspective of their neighborhood which
we live, the blue content and other international issues.

Speaker 2 (36:25):
Did they say that they wanted us to do more
on the Pacific or that they were going to do
more on the Pacific?

Speaker 16 (36:30):
Well, it's more like saying, look, what can we do
together that's positive? And how can we do that? What
will your engagement be as you work out as a
very new government what your long term plan is. That
we were prepared to wait to the dost settles to
find that out, because it's a very extraordinary time when
you first come into government, as the Trump government has

(36:53):
for the second time. And in terms of positioning ourselves,
I think we are a lot to our embassy here,
to Rosemary Banks and her team, they've done a marveus job.
But we had very, very many full discussions, which was
our intent in the first place.

Speaker 2 (37:09):
Did anything come up to do with Taiwan or military
engagement or the Chinese vessels off the coast of Australia
the other.

Speaker 16 (37:15):
Week, I'm not in that context. There was a way
of discussion about what was happening around the world, how
it was a very different and changed set of circumstances.
A lot is happening in the Black Sea, the Red Sea,
wherever you name it. Their problems, but it's where we
can help in terms of solutions and in terms of

(37:36):
cease fars that they can't come soon enough. These sorts
of discussions we had, and what was.

Speaker 2 (37:42):
Your sense speaking to the excellent Rosemary Banks, who's our
ambassador there in Washington about the tariff situation. Did you
get a sense that there might be an exemption for
US on agriculture or is it pretty hard line there.

Speaker 16 (37:55):
Well, we pointed out that for four decades we had
been in that situation of being tariff free enter into
our country most substantially will lead in that context, and
that when it comes to the United States that had
been or somewhat similar in that engagement, they're about two percent,
were way below one percent. That there's a lot more
common about the situation between New Zealand and the United

(38:17):
States than people think. But there's a chance to have
those discussions in a very meaningful way. And so we
will know before too long when the dost settles what
it means. But I think we could go forward with
some significant confidence that these meetings were for a purpose,
not just filling out an agenda, but ensuring that we're
part of their plans for the future.

Speaker 2 (38:39):
So on the whole Trump's an office in Washington, DC.
You've had your sit down with Marco Rubio. Will New
Zealand and the US be closer partners under a Trump
administration and what does that look like?

Speaker 16 (38:54):
Look down through the decades we've been close partners, regardless
of who's in the administration in Washington. This is a
chance to ensure that that aspiration goes forward to the future.
It's not a matter of taking sides or doing anything
untoward or anything that the New Zealm people would not
want us to do, but ensuring that we came here
with one purpose from mine in particular, was a look

(39:16):
after the future of a country.

Speaker 2 (39:18):
Call New Zealand all right, minister, I appreciate your time
this evening. Winston Peter's the Foreign Affairs Minister in Washington,
d C. Twelve after five.

Speaker 3 (39:26):
Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 2 (39:27):
Very diplomatic of our foreign minister, though I guess that's
part of the job, isn't it. Now A lot of
people are texting in about the confidence survey we spoke
about just a few minutes ago. Someone says, Ryan, should
we just sell Wellington. It's a rite off. We can't
sell Wellington, but in that survey it's incredible. I'll just
get out the number for you because I was reading

(39:48):
it earlier. It's minus This is a number compared to
the average, so the devariance from the average of confidence.
It's minus fourteen in Wellington, minus seven in Ykato. That's
just for some reference. But if you look at Canterbury,
Southland and Otago, it's positive four, positive four positive seven.

(40:10):
So the gap between for example, Otago and Wellington about
as far as the distance massive in terms of confidence. Anyway,
someone says, why don't we just sell Wellington. We can't
sell Wellington. But guess what's happening in Wellington? You know,
the capital of cycle ways. Even the cyclists don't like
the cycle ways. You can't even make the stuff up.

(40:32):
With work on Wellington's newest bike lane more than halfway
to completion. This is from stuff. Concerns are once again
being raised about its layout, with one longtime cyclist saying
it's so confusing and dangerous she won't be using it.
Fifty five million dollars this costs. It includes peak hour
bus lanes, a two way cycle path and five new

(40:54):
signalized pedestrian crossings on Thornton Key, which is a very
busy road and now resembles sort of a road cone graveyard.
And this is the quote from the cyclist. It seems
that none of the designers have ever tried to cycle
in a bi directional cycle lane going in the opposite
direction to the masses during rush hour. It is terrifying.

(41:19):
There's a lot of talk about cyclists wanting to be
separated from cars. I want to be separated from the
oncoming cyclists. Honestly, where else in the world they wonder
they're so depressed. Fourteen after five news talks thereb will
talk about those post boxes that were not being empty. Next.
Staying at a hotel can be a functional part of

(41:40):
traveling to any other city or the focus of a
treat yourself weekend. But when a hotel stands out as
a genuinely impressive and memorable part of the experience, it
makes all the difference. So Auckland is definitely a hotel
that lives up to that description sentiments the growing number
of five star options in the city of Sales effortlessly

(42:01):
combines modern luxury with a spirited, artistic edge and features
no other hotel in the central city can offer.

Speaker 12 (42:09):
You.

Speaker 2 (42:10):
At so Auckland, the experience begins with the welcome, warm, inviting,
sophisticated without stuffiness, a comfortable vibe thanks to the hotel's
staff and its bold design. Of course, all the personality
in the world won't help if a hotel's rooms aren't
up to scratch. So Auckland put a lot of thought
into in room luxury, and every room has huge windows

(42:33):
offering city views as well as freestanding bathtubs as a centerpiece.
Not to mention, it's only a couple of minutes walk
to the ferry terminal and to the viaduct. So Auckland
really is so impressive. So treat yourself, enjoy a breakaway
from the every day at so Auckland. Sometimes soon rain Bridge,
she talks. There'd be lots of funny texts on Wellington.

(42:54):
It's good to have Wellington around to beat up on,
isn't it. You have to admit it's fun. It's a
little bit fun, especially because they've all got a green
that they consider themselves such a green city. But it's
such a disaster anyway. More on that in a second
right now, Enzid Post is under fire because it failed
to remove six post boxes and Hawke's Bay that were
no longer being emptied. The public continued to use the

(43:17):
post boxes. Now the problem with this Hawk's Bay Today
has spoken to one woman who posted her free bowl
screening test into one of the boxes. She only realized
it hadn't been collected two weeks later when the box
was overflowing. John Maynard is from the Postal Workers Union.
He's with me. Hi, John, Hi there.

Speaker 19 (43:36):
It's pretty bad, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (43:37):
It's terrible. How did no one realize?

Speaker 19 (43:41):
Well? New Zealand Posts went about pulling out all of
the roadside posting boxes they could find, and I lost
count when they'd taken out one thy five hundred and
some of them were taken out pretty quickly and pretty
quietly and chopped off at the ground level. But looks
like as well as not being able to collect the mail,
they can't even figure out how to remove boxes which
they don't want to use. Our position is if people

(44:03):
are using those boxes, the company should not be taking
them out. This is a publicly owned institution and if
they want to move boxes or take them out, the
very least they should do is consult with the local
community through their local newspaper. And New Zealand Post will.

Speaker 9 (44:18):
Not do that.

Speaker 2 (44:19):
In a funny way, does this not prove ends in
post point? I mean, if you look at this one case,
the post box that was not nothing was collected for
nine months. I mean it took nine months for anyone
to actually notice. I mean does that not tell you
that you don't need them?

Speaker 19 (44:33):
Well, it says that people have stopped using mail. And
we understand, of course the mail volumes are going down.
People use other methods of communication. New Zealand Posts needs
to adjust to that particular, that particular role of how
people communicate. Now that's fine, but when they first started
pulling these out, we said to them, what's the criteria

(44:53):
for pulling them out? And they said thirty letters? And
we said thirty letters thirty letters a week or what
no thirty letters a day? If there were less than
thirty letters a day, they pulled them out. That's a
hell of a lot of mail going into a suburban
roadside post box and New Zealand Post was pulling them out. Now,
wonder people have stopped posting letters. They can't find anywhere
to post them. And yes, that one those particular ones

(45:15):
have taken some time to fill up. New Zealand Post
is its reputation that's pretty bad and they don't do
much to defend it and how they can stay We
haven't wanted it for nine months and it's going to
stay there for another two months. It's just stood unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (45:31):
It's bad I mean if they're going to the fact is,
if they're not going to use them or not going
to empty them, then they shouldn't be there. I mean
that's the point, isn't it. Otherwise you end up with
people putting there. You know their bowel screening was samples
in there? What absurd? Nineteen nine to the numbers to text, John,
thank you very much for your time this evening, John Maynad,
he's the Postal Workers Union Co National President. It's twenty

(45:53):
one minutes half to five coming up next. Do you
tell your colleagues, your workmates, how much you get paid.
We'll look at this lay the MP's bill to do just.

Speaker 1 (46:02):
That, getting the facts, discarding the fluff. It's Ryan Bridge
on Heather Duplicy Ellen drive with one New Zealand let's
get connected news talks.

Speaker 2 (46:13):
There be four news talks. There'd be another day. Another
completely useless and unnecessary Private member's bill. Only problem with
this one actually is that it seems like it might
be going somewhere with thanks to National Party support. It's
Labor MP Carmla Balish. She is supposedly trying to close
the gender pay gap right now, and you will know

(46:36):
this from your workplace, employers can put clauses into workers' contracts,
saying they don't want that worker to tell their colleagues
how much they get paid. Apparently, according to Carmla Balach
and others, this silences people. It stops us from speaking
our truth. You can't compare how much you're paid against

(46:56):
your colleagues, and that's somehow a bad thing according to
this lot. I actually think these guys are missing a
major part of our country's culture. We are a humble
and reserved people. We don't complain in restaurants, we don't
do PDA in French kiss in public. It's rude to
ask who you voted for. It's rude to tell. My

(47:17):
uncle always said, never tell a soul what's in your
bank account and how much you get paid. It's nobody's
business but yours. So even if this Labor MP, with
the help of National Labor the Greens into Party Maori,
managed to change the law, it won't change us will
be as secretive about our salaries as we've always been,

(47:40):
which begs the question why waste Parliament's time and resources
and something that changes nothing? Brian twenty six minutes after
five Some great stuff coming after five point thirty, we've
got a statement from the churches about David Seymour, because
this is a second punt dust up he's had with
the churches. Remember the first one was the Treaty's Principal's Bill. Well,

(48:02):
this is over whether Jesus would vote for ACT. The
story says, would Jesus vote for ACT? Church leaders respond
to David Seymour. So we'll get to that. But we're
also going to talk about another council. This is the
Western Bay of Plenty District Council pulling out of local
government New Zealand Algae in z Why does no one
like Algae and z What's wrong with them? Is it

(48:24):
because of the way that they know conduct themselves or
is it too expensive? Are they too politicized in a
way that some councils don't like. We're going to speak
to Western bayo Plnty District councilor about that. Next news
talk set.

Speaker 13 (48:39):
Ble Claudial mom be.

Speaker 3 (48:50):
To find a good or have you for again?

Speaker 2 (48:55):
Ever, after all the Sun's.

Speaker 1 (49:00):
Sorting the challenging questions to the people. At the heart
of the story, it's Ryan Bridge on Hither Duplice Ellen
Drive with one new Zealand.

Speaker 3 (49:08):
Let's get connected. News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (49:24):
Good evening. It is twenty five minutes away from six.
News Talk said, be the case of the missing moose
or mystery moose in the South Island. We'll get to
that shortly. We also look at David Seymour in the
churches on Wellington. There are a couple of messages I
forgot to read out earlier. We just like picking on
Wellington at the moment. It's fun to kick someone while
they're down, and we've certainly been doing that this afternoon. Ryan, Okay,

(49:48):
we can't sell Wellington, that can we give it away
by collect is this person? And then Grenville has gone
one further. He says, I just listed Wellington on trade
me for a dollar reserve. Even though I'm from have
Lock North. It's still fun for something to happen there. Cheers,
So there you go. And other lots of feedback actually
this afternoon on how much you get paid? Not people

(50:11):
not telling me how much they get paid, but whether
they would tell their colleagues how much they get paid.
After this labor MP's Private Members Bill, you can do it,
by the way, it's just if you sign a contract
that says you won't do it, then you can't really
do it. Ryan, totally disagree with you. I've been subjected
to this. Someone told me what they were earning. It

(50:34):
was fifteen thousand dollars more than me, and they were
junior to me. I went to my boss and I
got a thirty thousand dollars increase to bring me in
line with my male colleagues. I've got lots of examples,
says Justine. Really, I don't know about that. Sounds like
a bit of a bit of a yarn to me.
Nineteen nineteen the number to text twenty four minutes away

(50:55):
from Sex Ryan Bridge. Another council is pulled out of
Local Government News. Western Bay of Western Bay of Plenty
District Council is the latest. They've narrowly voted to leave
the organization. Quite a few others have done this already.
Auckland has done it. Christ Which have done it. They've
given a big no to L G and Z. Margaret
Murray bene is the Western Bay of Plenty District Council

(51:18):
council issues with me now, Margaret, good evening.

Speaker 7 (51:21):
Hi Ryan.

Speaker 20 (51:23):
I don't know what it's doing at your place, but
it's pouring down here in Tornga and it's most welcome rain.

Speaker 2 (51:30):
Oh, most welcome. Well it is. I'm in Auckland and
I've just looked out the window for the first time
and it's it's overcast but not raining here Margaret.

Speaker 20 (51:39):
Oh, well, it's hosing out and it's really good news.

Speaker 2 (51:42):
Good and you've been you've been giving a bit of
a hosing down to the local government New Zealand in
your meeting.

Speaker 20 (51:49):
Yes, and rightly so. I think from my experience when
the Local Government Association supported the Three Waters reform under
the previous government, they actually sold local government out because
they weren't interested in listening to what we said. They

(52:10):
were just going ahead with what the government wanted, and
so that's when I really lost faith in them. And
I've had a lot of experience in local government done
at Christchurch, so for me it was something that I
really it's not what local government New Zealand's supposed to be.
It's supposed to be a coordination of all councils and

(52:32):
they're supposed to reflect the needs of the councils. But
this one is not doing its job and so I
fully supported and moved to withdraw that.

Speaker 2 (52:44):
Margaret, what about the fact that other councils disagree with you.
And you know it's a member organization, so it has
to represent all of you, correct, So it can't just
represent your views Margaret, No, it.

Speaker 20 (52:58):
Doesn't represent my views, but it does represent all views.
And so, for example, the co they weren't interested in
how it affected the rate payers when they introduced the
three Waters with co governance. The people who were paying
were our rate payers, and yet their rights were being

(53:19):
taken away by the previous government by having a co
governance unelected people or unaccountable people being appointed. So it
was just not the right thing to do. That's not
what local government should be about. So anyhow, not only us,
but Auckland, Graymouth, Kuiper, as you said, West Coast Regional Council,

(53:41):
Westland and christ Church and so there is a growing
move that that's not reflecting how council should operate.

Speaker 2 (53:51):
And what are you saving, Margaret? What were your subs?

Speaker 20 (53:55):
We save about one hundred and eighty eighty something, and
then there's about sixteen thousand from our community boards and
there are other costs that come with it. We're not
a large council. Our population is just over fifty thousand
and so it's anything you can do to save money

(54:16):
reflects back into the rate demand. But the interesting thing, Ryan,
is we've got these wonderful members of parliament now under
Kieren McNulty, the previous Minister of Local Government under the
last government, give him his credit. He came and visited
every council in the country and I admired him for that.

(54:40):
And when he met with us, he didn't meet with
the mayor, he met with the councilors and I thought
that was a great step for all.

Speaker 2 (54:46):
That's lovely. Margaret's still reigning outside. Yes, it definitely is brilliant.
Most welcome, Thank you very much for being with me.
I appreciate your time. That's Margaret Murray Bench. She's Western
Bay of Plenty District Councilor. It's nineteen the Huddle with.

Speaker 1 (55:02):
New Zealand Southeby's International Realty. Find your one of the kind.

Speaker 2 (55:07):
We're going to the huddle now. Who's on the huddle
tonight buts Q and a host and News Talks their
b host Jack Tame and Auckland Councilor Morris Williams and
good evening guys.

Speaker 5 (55:17):
Ryan, a bit of a herd act to follow with Margaret.

Speaker 2 (55:19):
I know, how do you beat Margaret? How do you
do that? People are texting and we should all do
the weather first. Somebody said Ryan raining on the Hibiscus
Coast most welcome anyway, Hey, what did you think about
that Morris? About local government New Zealand. I mean there's

(55:39):
this argument that it's too lefty and political. Do you
see that in it?

Speaker 5 (55:45):
Yeah?

Speaker 21 (55:45):
Absolutely. The briefings and the notes that I read when
I first became a counselor, it was the biggest pack
of woke rubbish I've ever read. And when I saw
we were spending seven hundred thousand dollars of Auckham taxpayers
and ratepayers money on it, I thought, you only you
only stay a member of an organization but provides you value.
It was the biggest lot of crap I've ever read.
So I was delighted for the fact that organ council

(56:08):
voted to get out of it.

Speaker 2 (56:10):
Jack, What is their purpose? I mean, yeah, what is
their purpose?

Speaker 5 (56:14):
That not?

Speaker 4 (56:14):
Well?

Speaker 22 (56:14):
I mean I think I mean to give a collective
voice to local governments around New Zealand, and I mean
it is you know, it's interesting, right because I think
whether it's you know, global geopolitics or unions or anything
in our kind of day to day lives that if
you're able to coalesce as a group, often you have

(56:36):
more kind of power and authority and negotiations. And lots
of local governments around the country have been complaining over
the last few years that systematically successive governments have reduced
the kind of local authority that these governments have. They've
systematically taken away some of their responsibilities. They have very
few measures for raising revenue that they are able to

(56:57):
you know, leaders that they're able to pull themselves. And
I would have thought there's an argument that actually having
a kind of collective response with all the councils around
the country, or certainly as many as possible, would give
those local governments a stronger voice. Now, for councils like Auckland,
it's perhaps a different equation, right because Auckland's so big
that that council almost operates as an independent entity.

Speaker 2 (57:17):
But you know, I would have.

Speaker 22 (57:18):
Thought if councilors do want to have more authority and
they want more respect from central government, there is an
argument to be made that actually having a collective voice
puts some in a stronger position for negotiations.

Speaker 21 (57:29):
Yeah, okay, interesting, that's all very well if they are
doing the things that Jack's talking about. You know, look,
we're going to have a look at, say infrastructure and
what's a good set of policies about purchasing long term
and where do you bring private sector stuff and that stuff.
I'd be happy to be joined up with every other
council on but I promise you if you read some
of the woke rubbish they were pumping out, it was,

(57:50):
in fact, I think some of the Greens would even
find it hard to tolerate.

Speaker 2 (57:53):
Why are we talking gender neutral bike lanes or something?
What's these? It was so much worse than all right,
Marris Williamson, Please don't get me started on that. No,
I'm certainly won't. Marris Williamson and Jack tam on the
Huddle when we come back, we're going to talk about
the billionaires and the stadium.

Speaker 1 (58:13):
The huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty, the ones
with local and global reach.

Speaker 2 (58:20):
On the Huddle tonight, Marris Williamson and Jack Tames. So
there's this bid by former All Black Ally Williams, his
billionaire wife Anna Mobray and the US billionaire Bill Foley.
They want to build a new stadium on the site
of Western Springs because the racing's going to stop. I
think it's this weekend as the last one. This is
there are three options before the council to do something

(58:40):
with this site, and this is one of them. Marris,
what you've ever been in meetings about this? What's going
on and what do you support? Do you have a
view yet?

Speaker 21 (58:48):
This is sort of hilariously funny because when your producer
first asked me, I said, Oh, no, it's totally top secret,
because we were told this was completely confidential. And then
it's three thirty of press release came out saying that
because the Mowbray Williams Syndicate had already gone public to
the media about it, we were now free to talk
about it. So what a difference three hours makes. Yeah,

(59:10):
there are going to be three different presentations. We've had
the mowbra Williams one where they're looking to make it
a twelve and a half thousand seat stadium but also
include a whole range of other things like sports facilities,
indoor basketball, paddle ball courts, and so on. The first
one that I think was that's the first one we've
had that presentation, then CRS Records Limit are going to

(59:33):
there are privately funded transformation into a premiere live entertainment
concert festival venue with about forty five thousand capability of seating.
And then the third one yet to come as Ponsonby
Rugby Club who wanted to extend their current occupancy and
expand their operation into other sports to enable the venue
to host fifty thousands on. So I can't make too

(59:56):
much of a comment on it because I'll be one
of the people finally deciding on which one of the three.
But they're all coming before us in a sort of
a beauty contest to propose what they wanted to do
and what they're wanting to use the stadium for.

Speaker 2 (01:00:08):
But it sounds like the cheapest one for the rate
payers would be the billionaires, right.

Speaker 21 (01:00:14):
I'm not going to comment on that we didn't get
enough of the numbers. Actually, one of the things I
was disappointed at the first presentation is I want to
know what we get that as rate payers and the
council will get back. It was all very well to
see lovely pictures of what it would look like and
how many people would be able to go there and
what functions and features. I'm really a bit flinty faced
on this and I want to know what's the sum

(01:00:35):
of money that we will get back into the coffers
to help take the burden off rate payers.

Speaker 2 (01:00:40):
Yeah, fair enough, Jack, because one of the options is
for the Ponsonbee Rugby Club, and laudable as that might sound,
it does also sound like it might be ratepayers on
the hook for it.

Speaker 22 (01:00:53):
Well, sort of wonder two which of these operations could
go elsewhere, right, and which would ultimately benefit the most people.
And as someone who has gone to the speedway deea
a fair bit and has also become a diehard Auckland
FC fan over the last six months or so season
ticket holder, don't worry about that. I love it, absolutely

(01:01:15):
love it. Love the idea of having a stadium that
with that kind of intimacy, twelve and a half thousand,
that close to town so that people could go along
and support the football. I mean, there was just something
about going to live sport in a stadium that's full
that's just so wonderful. And you know, one of the
things we've learned from Go Media or Mount Smart, you know,

(01:01:36):
throughout the course of the A League season is that
they've actually consistently got more than twelve and a half
thousand people there.

Speaker 2 (01:01:43):
So I was actually a little.

Speaker 22 (01:01:43):
Surprised that their stadium proposal wasn't slightly larger. But it
does sound like from the limited details we have at
the moment, there would be lots of options the indoor
option as well, maybe some courts for other kids to play.

Speaker 5 (01:01:54):
Basketball and the like. And yeah, you know, we won't
be able to fully throw our.

Speaker 22 (01:01:58):
Weight behind option until we have all of the details
for those other two proposals. But I would have thought
when it comes to something like Pompantly Rugby Club, which
is an absolute institution, you would hope that some sort
of agreement could be made to support the club and
moving to different facilities, right with the other bit, having
that land that central is just a massive opportunity.

Speaker 2 (01:02:17):
Totally, Jack. How much did you see some pass costs
for the curious?

Speaker 22 (01:02:23):
I think it was like a well for an adult
and a kid, it was like a thousand bucks at
the start of the season.

Speaker 2 (01:02:28):
Okay, that's quite good.

Speaker 22 (01:02:30):
Yeah, maybe something more, but it's really good. There's like
a member's lounge area as well, and you get you know,
various bits of merchant things. But yeah, no, it was
very good value, proved to be very good value. It's
easy to support than while they're winning.

Speaker 2 (01:02:42):
Just while we're on the subject, how much do you
get paid? You can see that one coming.

Speaker 22 (01:02:50):
Look, I get paid money and fair words. But I
would support the idea of anyone having, you know, having
the right to tell their colleagues how much they earn.
And I know that at the moment it's only restricted
to people who sign contracts that prevent them from doing so.
I think you know, a publicity or reporting function that

(01:03:13):
mandated everyone knew how much everyone earned. That's too far
for me. But I think giving employees the option to
share their salary with other people is perfectly reasonable.

Speaker 21 (01:03:23):
Okay, but that's not what that's not what this is doing.
So I'm a big fan if you want to share
how much you're earning with your colleague. But if your
employer says, look, i'd really like to put you on
a quite a higher rate, and because you're so good
at what you do. But if I tell all the
rest of the people and the team, that'll blow it
to pieces and I have to leave you back at
the same level. So I'm putting a clause in your

(01:03:45):
contract that says you just can't tell them what you're on.
You can easily say no, I don't want that, Okay, Well,
then you'll go back to the same level as everybody else.
I think if it's in your contract and you sign it,
then that's an obligation you have to have of not
telling people.

Speaker 2 (01:03:58):
What you're I totally agree.

Speaker 22 (01:04:00):
If it's in the contract and you saw it, then
that is an obligation. But I just don't know that
it needs to be in contract. And I'm not sure
that that that the scenario that you've just described as
necessarily happening happening all that often.

Speaker 21 (01:04:11):
I don't just happening very often at all. But I
think if an employer says you've got to wear a
blue tie when you come to work in my office,
and I'm going to put that in your contract and
I'm going to pay you extra for it's grand more
or something, yeah, yeah, yeah, then then you can either
say no, I'm not having that. He said, right, well,
let's take that out, and that will.

Speaker 2 (01:04:27):
Reduce you well saying I'd be saying I'd be coming
to work with two blue ties. Hey, guys, thank you
very much for coming on. Great to have you both
on it as always. Marris Williams, cent Orland councilor Jack Tame,
host of Saturday mornings on News Talks B and Q
and A over at TV one. Seven away from six.

Speaker 1 (01:04:46):
It's the Heather Duper c Allen Drive Full Show podcast
on my Heart Radio powered by News Talks EB.

Speaker 2 (01:04:53):
His Talks B. It is five away from six. Earlier
on the show, we had a woman by the name
of Margaret Murray benj from the Western Bay of Plenty
District Council. They're pulling out of LGNZ and we had
so much love for Margaret. Margaret, you must know that
you are adored across across the nation, not just for
pulling out of local government New Zealand, but for I

(01:05:15):
don't know, just the way that you carried yourself with
quite entertaining and a lot of people have pointed out
this is from Keigan. Did you know that Margaret Murray
Binge goes out with Don Brash Well, I didn't know that.
That's a bit of rumor for you, isn't it some
titillating information? Anyway, I hope they're both happy. Ryan read

(01:05:37):
the discussions on whether you tell your colleagues, whether you
how much you get paid, all that sort of stuff. No,
completely against it. Jason says Margaret sounds like the person
that Auckland needs. Another one says that she sounds like
the person that Wellington needs. I think, on balance, you
would give Margaret to Wellington, wouldn't you? Wellington, Wellington needs

(01:05:58):
Margaret more than Auckland needs Margaret. David Seymour and Jesus,
how long have we got? And enough time? Anyway? The
Herald went to a bunch of church leaders and said
would Jesus vote for act? And the church leaders basically
said no, But how could you know? How do you know?

(01:06:18):
Jesus mind? No one knows Jesus mind do they?

Speaker 3 (01:06:22):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:06:23):
I don't know. But clearly David Seam was off side
again with the Good Lord News talk said, be Business
Hour starts next.

Speaker 3 (01:06:50):
Keeping track of where the money is flowing.

Speaker 1 (01:06:52):
The Business Hour with Ryan Bridge and Insurance and investments,
grow your wealth, protect your future, US talks at BE
Good Evening.

Speaker 2 (01:07:01):
It is seven after six News talks. There'd be Andrew
Curtain for Milford raps the markets for us. Shortly we'll
go to nz Gold Merchants. The price US three thousand
an ounce it's a record. How much higher could it go?
And what does Europe make of Trump's spout and call.
We'll check in with Gavin Gray. That's before seven o'clock
right now. There are calls for an overhaul of the

(01:07:23):
apprenticeship system. A new report from the New Zealand Initiative
you might have heard it on Mike Cosking this morning,
found that eleven percent of sixteen to nineteen year olds
are unemployed, but just six percent participate in workplace training.
In other words, you've got a whole bunch of people
who are doing nothing and not many who were doing
something useful. The initiative says the eerror is in the

(01:07:44):
school's promoting universities over other avenues, even though only a
third end up at university. Dave Strong is the managing
director at Morinsville Plumbing and Gases with me now, good ay.

Speaker 23 (01:07:54):
Dave, how you're on? Very good?

Speaker 2 (01:07:57):
Yeah, good to have you on the show. Thanks, thanks
for being with me.

Speaker 23 (01:08:01):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:08:01):
What's the problem here? Are we not promoting this in
the right way? Are young people not interested in apprenticeships?
What's going wrong?

Speaker 4 (01:08:10):
All of that.

Speaker 23 (01:08:12):
We don't seem to be recognized as a career. You know,
we go back to the old days where well you're
you're a tradee whereas we're actually qualified professionals now, but
no one seems to want to recognize that as an
alternative to the recognition we get if we have. You know,

(01:08:37):
half of our students go to university against half of
them went on became plumbers, builders, electricians and in the trades.
So for some reason, schools gain accolades for people going
on to the so called higher echelon of learning, which
is the universities, than the recognization that as a trades

(01:08:59):
person we we actually have to sit unit standards and
pass exams to become qualified.

Speaker 2 (01:09:04):
And what we do, how much work class time is there?
And what do you get paid if you're doing an
apprenticeship these days.

Speaker 23 (01:09:13):
Well, most apprentices well, depending on who employs them, but
most apprentices are starting on between nineteen and twenty one
dollars an hour in the plumber industry. That's all I
can probably talk for at this stage. And then you know,
by the time they've done their four to five years
of on the job and wind tech or polytech training

(01:09:39):
is they will probably come out on the maybe the
thirty five to forty dollars range.

Speaker 2 (01:09:48):
And what is the what is the you know, with
the number of people who are going to university doing
their degrees and then end up working doing nothing to
do with the degree, what do you think needs to
change to encourage those people to come and do a trade.

Speaker 23 (01:10:07):
I suppose it's easy to for students to go to
university for the fact that they can go and get
a loan and go along, and it's advertised it's it's
poor trade as the optimum thing to do in your
life is to is to get a degree. What people

(01:10:27):
seem to forget is that we actually have degrees. I
have a degree as a plumber and grain layer. You
know my staff for plumbers, gases, train layers. We do
know associated trade electrical, so we we are we have qualifications,
but it doesn't seem to have the recognition of a
bachelor or a bastard's degree.

Speaker 2 (01:10:50):
Yeah. Interesting, Dave, thank you very much for that. Dave
Strong is the managing director at Mournsville Plumbing and Gas Services,
making a good point. Eleven minutes after six when I
left school, my dad said go and get a trade.
He was not in favor of me going to university,
and I was a little geek, and I was like,
I'm going to go study politics. And thankfully when I

(01:11:12):
got to UNI, I studied politics and realized that most
people in the class were wacko, and so added a
commerce degree on just for good measure, which I think
is probably a good thing. If you are going to
go to university, don't just go and do an arts degree,
for God's sakes. But I do look at it. I mean, people,
a lot of my friends when in God trades, they
are way better off financially than people who go to university.

(01:11:34):
They are earning from the beginning. They say for a house, sooner,
they get the house sooner. Once they've got the house,
they can actually fix it. You know, I can't change
a car tire nine two nine two twelve after six markets.

Speaker 1 (01:11:48):
Next, it's the Heather dupas Allen Drive Full Show podcast
on my Heart Radio powered by newstalk ZEBBI.

Speaker 2 (01:11:57):
It's time to invest in yourself. In Milford's word, to
make twenty twenty five your money's year. I think we've
all realized that retirement planning needs to happen now in
the present. You has to look after it future you,
and that starts here. Mapping up the journey and knowing
what will take to get there. All these things are crucial.
Start by visiting moneygoals dot co dot nz. You'll find

(01:12:19):
a range of Milford's investing insights, financial goal setting tips,
expert kebsaver hacks, and information on retirement planning. When they
say there's something for everyone here, that's pretty much what
they mean. Milford's role in all of this is to
empower you to grow your money through the right investments
to balance the risks and the returns. Future you will
thank you for it. Visit money Gooals dot co dot enz.

(01:12:43):
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.
Milford Funds Limited is the issuer of the Milford Keepsaba
Plan and the Milford Investment Funds. Go to milfinasset dot
com to read the relevant Milford disclosure statements and to
read their financial advice provider disclosure state. Ryan Bridge, just
gone quarter past six here on news talk said, be
lots of interesting texts on apprenticeships. Ryan my son is

(01:13:05):
trying to find a mechanic apprenticeship, but there is nothing
out there. Did pre trade at Potoni Polytech last year.
He's very keen. Hasn't found anything yet, Ryan. Our tradesmen
get between thirty five and fifty two dollars an hour,
says Jeff, comparing to our previous guest said it was
roughly thirty five. Depends what trade you're in, though, right,

(01:13:27):
because we were speaking to a plumber and gas fitter, Ryan,
your previous guest that they didn't even get the minimum wage. No,
it's true. The apprenticeship meant that you start on nineteen
to twenty per hour for a couple of years, and
then you move your way up. But the point is
you're earning from the get go. When you go to UNI,
you're in debt from the get go.

Speaker 5 (01:13:47):
Ryan.

Speaker 2 (01:13:47):
We start our guys on a minimum wage, and when
we start them on apprenticeships, they get between one and
two dollars with each paper they pass. Stainless welders, installation
and piping sears is limited. That is from Jeff. It
is sixteen o six. Eighteen councils and three council controlled
organizations have just had their credit ratings downgraded by S

(01:14:11):
and P Global Ratings. The credit rating agency worried councils
aren't receiving enough revenue to cover rising costs to trainees.
The Heralds Wellington Business editor she's with us now, good
evening evening, Ryan. You know this is not good news.
What's what's changed? Why the downgrade?

Speaker 24 (01:14:27):
Now, yeah, it is, it is bad news. Basically, council's
debt is really high. That the pressures on council to
invest in infrastructure after years of councils underinvesting, is really
catching up with them. The issue is is that their
ratings base isn't necessarily as increasing as much as the

(01:14:49):
cost Now. Of course, you know, different councils are increasing
rates by varying amounts, and here in Wellington the rates
rises are pretty bad. Are under pressure to not increased
rates too much, but those costs are really coming to
any head. So that is something that the ratings agency

(01:15:10):
is wary of. It is also worried about the fact
the government is not actually giving councils as much money
as before the availability of grants from the Crown has decreased,
and there's also a bit of uncertainty around government policy
when it comes to local government. So that's another problem
that that s and p raised. Now credit rating agencies

(01:15:32):
don't just come out of the blue and downgrade ratings.
It's quite a big deal. SMP has been warning of
this for at least the past year.

Speaker 2 (01:15:41):
Yeah, and some have been downgraded in the past as well,
haven't they Which councils haven't had their ratings changed.

Speaker 24 (01:15:49):
So Auckland Council that is a big one and that's
a positive. Also Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Western Bay
of Plenty District Council. Those are just some of them.
The problem now when these credit ratings are downgraded is
that it costs counsels more to borrow money. Now that

(01:16:10):
is an issue given the amount that council's need to
borrow for infrastructure here in Wellington, the pipes, the water,
that's all an issue. I talked earlier today to the
head of the Local Government Funding Agency. That's an agency
that's set up that borrows money, issues debt to markets,
it borrows money and then it lends money to councils.

(01:16:32):
And Mark Butcher, the head of that agency, he said
that when councils credit ratings are downgraded and notch, that
adds five basis points to their borrowing costs. So if
you're Wellington council and you currently borrow for I'm just
making the number up, but you borrow for five percent
from the Local Government Funding Agency. If your credit rating

(01:16:54):
is downgraded, that that interest rate then goes up to
five point zero five percent, So that that is the impact,
you know, credit rating goes down, Costs to councils and
to rate payers goes up.

Speaker 2 (01:17:08):
And is Wellington one of the ones that's been downgraded?

Speaker 13 (01:17:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 24 (01:17:13):
Yeah, Wellington. Wellington has been downgraded now out there.

Speaker 2 (01:17:15):
And they haven't applied and they didn't apply for their
city deal on times because that presumably would help with financing.

Speaker 22 (01:17:22):
Right, Look, I'm not too sure.

Speaker 24 (01:17:26):
The way that this is set up is actually quite
good with the Local Government Funding Agency, So rather than
having councils go out there and try to get money themselves,
they do it through the LGFA. Now S and P
also gives the LGFA, the Local Government Funding Agency, a
credit rating, and just yesterday it affirmed that rating. So

(01:17:48):
the lgfa's credit rating has stayed the same. That sort
of softens the impact of these councils having their ratings
downgraded because it means that the Local Government Fund Agency
can keep borrowing money from you know, around New Zealand
around the world at the same sort of rate that
it currently does, and then it on lends that money

(01:18:09):
to counsels for a bit more So that does create
a bit of a buffer, and it means that at
least the institution that is organizing the borrowing of money
and then on lending it that is in good Nick
and S and P is happy with the governance of that,
the way that's set up, the amount of capital it has,

(01:18:30):
its diversification, all that sort of thing. So there is
a bit of a silver lining in this scenario.

Speaker 2 (01:18:36):
Fascinating stuff to I thank you very much for running
us through it. To Agy of Training Inded Herald's Wellington
Business editor. It is twenty one minutes halfter six. Lots
of volatility still on the markets over in the US.
Any new developments. We'll check in with Andrew Kurtain at
Milford next.

Speaker 3 (01:18:50):
Encroaching the numbers and getting the results.

Speaker 1 (01:18:52):
It's Ryan Bridge with the Business Hour and Mass Insurance
and Investments, Grew your wealth, Protect your future news dogs that'd.

Speaker 2 (01:19:01):
Be now the bumpy day trading on the U S
Stock market. Andrew Courtain is without Milford Asset Management he's
with me tonight, ged Andrew evening, right, So the the
selloff continues last night, any new developments.

Speaker 5 (01:19:15):
Yeah, there's another another volatile night.

Speaker 25 (01:19:17):
Last night we had there's SOMEP five hundred down around
about one percent. It was a little bit disappointing because
we had seen it rallied a couple of days before
and it was up about three percent.

Speaker 5 (01:19:26):
So we're back to downadays again, unfortunately.

Speaker 25 (01:19:29):
So that takes the US markets down about eight percent
since the highs we saw in February.

Speaker 5 (01:19:35):
There's no real news that triggered it last night.

Speaker 25 (01:19:37):
It's just we're now just in this period where volatility
is quite high, so it's becoming quite normal to see
days where the market up up or down one or
two percent. We saw technology stocks and stocks that are
particularly sensitive to the US economic growth outlook with the
stocks that sold off again last night and the other
ones that have sort of led the sell off over
the last last month or so, and all this has

(01:19:59):
already been driven by by a sort of growing view
that the US might be seeing some economics slow down.
Part of that's to do with uncertainty around tariffs, some
of it's part of it's abound other Trump policies such
as immigration.

Speaker 2 (01:20:12):
None of this was to do with the Middle East
and the resumption of fighting there.

Speaker 5 (01:20:17):
No, I don't think so.

Speaker 25 (01:20:19):
So the market's become quite used to them, unfortunately, seeing
what's going on in the Middle East.

Speaker 5 (01:20:24):
So no, I don't. I don't think it was that.

Speaker 25 (01:20:26):
I mean there probably was a bit more focus on
actually the Trump and Pootin discussion and seeing if there's
going to be a ceasefire.

Speaker 5 (01:20:34):
In that market. Unfortunately wasn't a ceasefire.

Speaker 25 (01:20:36):
Agreed too, But the markets looking that as a catalyst
to potentially push European equities higher game which which had
our performance. Yet they're up around about twelve percent, So
while the US market's been down five you're seeing quite
a strong European market.

Speaker 2 (01:20:50):
Yeah, really strong. Do you think that there's room for
that to go much higher?

Speaker 5 (01:20:55):
Yeah, well I think there is.

Speaker 25 (01:20:57):
Markets sort of needs often want to see the catalyst
once you've seen a fairly big booth. So because they
are already up twelve percent, it's now really about do
we get more news.

Speaker 5 (01:21:07):
That can keep pushing the sort of trade into Europe.

Speaker 25 (01:21:11):
One thing to look out for is there's this infrastructure
and defense spending bill that's been pushed through by Germany
at the moment, and there was actually some news on
that last night where sort of the first round of
local lawmakers had to vote to approve this, which they did.
There's still another round to go, but this is positive,
so that's hit in the right direction. And yeah, and

(01:21:31):
also markus Ovsey closely watching Ukraine developments.

Speaker 5 (01:21:34):
If we do CSS fire.

Speaker 25 (01:21:36):
And ultimately need into the war there and then I
think that's an another large catalyst to keep pushing markets high.

Speaker 2 (01:21:40):
Yeah, thank goodness for Germany and some stimulus. Same goes
for China. Right now, let's talk about in Nvidia, world's
second largest company, had their annual technology conference today. Anything
made you come out of that, well, not really.

Speaker 5 (01:21:53):
It was most of the news was sort of in
line with expectations.

Speaker 25 (01:21:57):
The CEO did about a two and a half hour
long presentation in terms of technology developments, is around about
what people expected. And because there's nothing really exciting that the.

Speaker 5 (01:22:07):
Shar has traded down a few percent.

Speaker 25 (01:22:09):
But the key message really was that al models can
get more complex and the video is the company that
is really pushing the frontiers on how to power these
models and make them more efficient and as these models
get more complex, they need these kind of super powerful
chips that the VideA is developing. And Jensen, the CEO
of Asses, spent most of the presentation talking about how

(01:22:31):
the video is the latest technology is going to be
at the forefront of this development.

Speaker 2 (01:22:35):
Andrew, thank you for that wrap. Andrew contained milfdastic management.
It's twenty seven after six year on news talks, there'd
be gold has hit three thousand US announce how much
higher could that go into the gold merchants on that
next plus we go to the UK, we'll find out
from Gavin Gray. The reaction to this call between Trump
and pertin the fact there is no ceasefire, as Andrew mentioned, albeit,

(01:22:56):
I mean would you call it, Yes, it's a when
they're not going to hit energy actually anymore, but certainly
a long way from a ceasefire and a very very
long way from peace in Europe.

Speaker 10 (01:23:08):
Yeah, called icty long when.

Speaker 1 (01:23:15):
Whether it's macro microbe or just plain economics, it's all
on the business hours with Ryan Bridge and players insurance
and investments, grow your wealth, protect your future use talk,
said me.

Speaker 2 (01:23:45):
Good evening. It is twenty four away from seven. Great
to have your company quarter one. Sorry, Quarter four twenty
twenty four data out tomorrow will find out GDP. I'm
wondering how quarter one twenty twenty five is going. I mean,
if you look at some of the indicators, you look
at this confidence survey today. This is for March for
Westpac that we've been talking about earlier. We spoke to

(01:24:06):
them to staft to five on the show down eight
points not great. Consumer confidence index down, Present conditions index down,
Expected conditions index down. This is everybody feeling bleaker about
their current financial situation, the one year economic outlook, the
five year economic outlook, and the comment it's a good
time to buy. So not a great of raging endorsement

(01:24:29):
for quarter one, but it'd been interesting to see because
we're expected to come out of recession of course four
quarter four twenty twenty four, depending on who you ask,
whether it's the RBNZETA or economists, somewhere between zero point
three and zero point five boost. But what happens in
quarter one on this survey, you'd have to say, it's
not exactly going to be charging Ford, is it. It's
twenty three away from seven.

Speaker 3 (01:24:50):
Now, Ryan Bridge the price of gold.

Speaker 2 (01:24:53):
Speaking of charging Ford, this certainly has been heading record
highs this week, broken through the three thousand US dollar
and aunt smart and is now up fifteen percent since
the start of twenty twenty five. Tony Coleman from New
Zealand Gold Merchants is on the line with us Tony,
good evening.

Speaker 17 (01:25:09):
Hi, Ryan, how are you.

Speaker 2 (01:25:10):
I'm very well, thank you. What is attracting everyone to gold?
Presumably it's everything else going a little bit belly up?

Speaker 17 (01:25:18):
Well, I think you're right. I think there are three
main reasons, and it's Trump, Trump and Trump. I mean,
we're talking about Trump tariffs, We're talking about Trump being
creating a recession and creating falling markets, and the geo
political uncertainty that Trump is trying to affect. SPAD is

(01:25:38):
not doing very well at the moment.

Speaker 2 (01:25:40):
What returns would you normally see, Like, fifteen percent since
the start of twenty twenty five is obviously massive, it's
up there with the increase in European share markets. Actually,
funnily enough, another place they see is safe. But what
would you normally see in your typical year for gold.

Speaker 17 (01:25:56):
Well, gold's been accelerating in price over the last few
years since COVID. Really we saw in kivi dollars, approximately
a fifty percent return on investment last year, and it's
accelerated into from January through February, mainly because of the
Trump effect. And I mean by that nobody really knows

(01:26:19):
what markets are doing. The tariffs have made us purchases
importers by a lot of gold in the Comax mar
I can and stand for delivery. That means instead of
taking a profit when a future expires, they're wanting the metal.

Speaker 2 (01:26:37):
This has caused a lot of upheable and.

Speaker 17 (01:26:39):
We're now having to move gold from London to New
York to certisfy that need. And that's about one point
six one hundred and sixty metric tongues, which is about
fifteen billion dollars just for the February contract, which is enormous.

Speaker 2 (01:26:56):
Do you when you say we have to move it
from London to New York, do you mean physically it's
physically moved.

Speaker 17 (01:27:03):
So normally delivery would be five to ten days out
of New York, and we're talking eight to twelve weeks
now because they wanted to move physically gold from the
Bank of England to Comax.

Speaker 2 (01:27:16):
Ah Row presumably need a bit of security for.

Speaker 17 (01:27:19):
That yes, I'm not sure it's going on a domestic flight,
but my guess is that these things are all moved
in a highly secure manner, as all gold is typically
around the world these days.

Speaker 2 (01:27:31):
How much do we invest in gold New Zealanders? Are
we quite hot on it?

Speaker 17 (01:27:36):
Well, we're a small market. We anticipate that the gold
market in New Zealand is approximately zero point five percentage
point of total investment, so it is a relatively small market,
though it is growing. We are seeing people that understand
finance in the market a lot more than people that

(01:27:58):
are just use using savings accounts through banks and qvsever.
In fact, to try and fix that, we've just launched
our new product called gold sever, which allows anyone to
buy gold for as little as fifty dollars a month
stored in physical metal for them. So we're hoping that
these sorts of initiatives will change the market in time.

Speaker 2 (01:28:20):
Make it a bit more tangible for people too, probably
as well.

Speaker 17 (01:28:23):
Tony Apprecia, Well, it's it's better than holding it in
a currency that is the worst performing in the OECD
last year.

Speaker 2 (01:28:31):
Good point, Tony Calemn NZ gold merchants. It is nineteen
away from seven News talks EDB will head to Europe next.
Gavin Gray standing by.

Speaker 1 (01:28:39):
Everything from SMEs to the big corporates, the Business Hour
with Ryan Bridge and plans, insurance and investments, Grew your Wealth,
Protect Your Future News talks eDV off the.

Speaker 2 (01:28:52):
Europe in just a second, sixteen away from seven. There's
been a moose sighting in Fiordland. It's been called the
most compelling moose se in New Zealand in years. But
Doc has already come out and said, now it was
a deer. How do you know that, Doc? How can
you possibly know? Moose were introduced tot to Fjordland from
Canada way back in nineteen ten. Sightings have been basically

(01:29:15):
few and far between, and by the mid twentieth century
we've seen two fists a bug r all of them.
The last claim sighting was made by a helicopter pilot.
His name was Ben Young. This was north of Doubtful
Sound in twenty twenty. And now an American has come
here and says he believes he saw one. He stumbled
across one. No bit Nigeen is his name of Minnesota.

(01:29:39):
It's a funny sort of tongue twister, isn't it. No
Bit Nigeen of Minnesota with his wife Virginia Shinng Schunng
So no Bit Nigeen of Minnesota and his wife Virginia Shining.
They encountered the moose while tramping. They kept the track
on March thirteen.

Speaker 7 (01:29:55):
Starting to sound of it like a children's book.

Speaker 2 (01:29:56):
Isn't that a little bit hopefull? We could get to
Cinda to sell anyway. The pair said they're very familiar
with the distinctive characteristics of moose as Nigen. Here's the
crux of the story. Nigen is a veteran, is a
vet of almost three decades, and they've both observed moose

(01:30:19):
in the US wild. How can you not trust Nigeen
Nobit Norbit nigeen thirty years a vet seen a moose before.
And Doc comes out and says, within twenty four hours,
it's a deer. It's a scandal, is what it is.
And he's and they're wrong. Quarter to seven.

Speaker 3 (01:30:42):
Bridge brich Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 7 (01:30:49):
We're not going to to take a break out.

Speaker 2 (01:30:50):
He right, No, we're not going to need to, but
we do have to compose ourselves because we have to
go to Gavin. Right time is fourteen away from seven
now Devin Gray is a UK correspondent. Given good evening
to you guy there. Now, we've had a call between
Donald Trump and Potin which has not been as successful

(01:31:12):
as a a lot many would have hoped. How is
Europe reacting to well?

Speaker 6 (01:31:17):
I think yeah, good news is as short supply as
most sightings really aren't they at the moment. But I'm
afraid that the news hasn't gone down well. Many perceive
that Russia is gaining the upper hand in these negotiations.
Certainly the US side has not got out of this
most recent phone call. What they were hoping to announce
a general cease far is not happening. Only this cease

(01:31:39):
far on attacking power plants and energy related sites. And
I think across Europe there is this growing feeling that
perhaps Donald Trump doesn't realize he's being played by a
man who frankly doesn't care very much about keeping this
going for a long time, to make it very uncomfortable
for Europe, to make it uncomfortable for America, and hoping

(01:32:02):
that he gets quite a lot of land and rare
minerals out of Ukraine, not really caring too much about
the loss of life. So we've had a meeting in
Berlin with the French President Emmanuel Macron and the German
Chancellor Olive Schultz, and they are saying that this limited
ceasefire plan is an important first step, but both are

(01:32:23):
saying we need a complete ceasefire. What is the problem
with that. The British Prime Minister Sekirstarma has spoken to
Vlodomir Zelenski of Ukraine and reiterated the government's on wavering support.
So I think lots of people thinking, okay, well that's
a start. It's not what I think the American President

(01:32:44):
was hoping to announce, but let's see where this next
meeting goes in a few days time.

Speaker 2 (01:32:48):
And on the issue of work well beneficiaries being paid
for not working, this has obviously been something that's been
rumbling along for a couple of weeks now, but the
government refusing to rule out further cuts to benefits.

Speaker 6 (01:33:02):
Yes, so ran I mean, for those who haven't heard,
in the UK, we have more than four million people
signed off from work with either physical and or mental
health conditions. It currently costs roughly one hundred and forty
billion New Zealand dollars a year in benefits, and that

(01:33:23):
is said to be rising within five years to more
than two hundred and twenty billion New Zealand dollars years.
It is quite unsustainable and that yesterday the government announced
cuts equating to about eleven billion. They've tightened on the
eligibility of getting these disability related benefits. They've also cut
some of the amount of the benefits. And yet people

(01:33:46):
have immediately turned around and said, well, first of all,
some groups representing charities said this is immoral and devastating.
But on the other side there are people saying this
doesn't go far enough. The total bill, as I said,
could be up to two hundred and twenty billion New
Zealand dollars in five years, so five billion is a
bit of a drop in the ocean. But the government

(01:34:06):
being us, look, with the growth target not being reached
in the UK and the need to tighten the belts
even further, are you going to need to cut more?
And the government not giving a direct answer to that,
but certainly they are admitting this is painful. They are
admitting many of their own MPs don't like it, but
they do have a big majority and many of those

(01:34:26):
are on side with the Prime Minister.

Speaker 2 (01:34:29):
Now we know that inflation the CPI has calculated using
a basket of goods in the UK, the statisticians are
going to change. What's in the basket are what's in
what's out?

Speaker 6 (01:34:40):
Yeah, this is fascinating as to what they now consider
is not relevant and what is. There's a basket of
seven hundred and fifty two items and the Office of
National Statistics, a government body, collects the costs of these
products and services across different retailers to come up with
monthly inflation figures. So what we have now lost are

(01:35:01):
basically turkey mints is one thing that's been removed. Another
thing is advertising in a newspaper has been removed, and
another thing is DVD rentals. I mean, gosh, I was
surprised to see that still in the list. But we
have added yoga mats I know, and virtual reality headsets

(01:35:22):
have both been added to the list this year. It
is quite extraordinary to see who comes up with these things.
But yeah, the spending on virtual reality headsets has written
massively and now stands at well over a billion New
Zealand dollars as we look into twenty twenty six. Is
the expectation and exercise mats not only used for yoga,

(01:35:44):
but other times of home workouts home gyms as well,
so men's sliders or pool sandals have been added. Pulled
pork has already substituted an other and ready Gammon joint
Mango is added to the selection of fruits. Cushions are
in to bolster the soft lounge furnishing side of things
and what I love. Though we didn't see any returnees

(01:36:07):
so Vinyl records were out of the list about thirty
years ago. Last year they came back in after the
sudden boom of young people in particular wanting to listen
to new music on vinyl.

Speaker 2 (01:36:18):
Goodness made fascinating stuff. Gavin, thank you very much for that.
Gavin Gray Are UK europe correspondent, Yoga, mets, men's sliders
and Paul Pork of all things. It is nineteen minutes
away from seven News Talk ZIBB.

Speaker 1 (01:36:32):
It's the hitherto per Se Alan Drive Full Show podcast
on iHeartRadio powered by News Talk ZIBB.

Speaker 2 (01:36:39):
News Talks HB six away from seven lots of feedback,
Ryan loving the show. I own my own building business
and one of my young builders qualified a couple of
years ago. He owns a house. His partner who was
training to be an electrical engineer, an electrical and electrician.
I'm assuming you mean also owns her own. There are

(01:37:01):
a lot of great, driven, successful people in the building
industry and we do great creative projects and you don't
have to wear a suit to work. This is on
the apprenticeship. You know, why don't we sell apprenticeships like
we sell university to our young people. Ryan, next time
you're in Cutti, Cutti, I'll show you how to change
a tire, Bring a jack, says Nigel. Nigel thinks, but no, thanks.

Speaker 13 (01:37:24):
Ryan.

Speaker 2 (01:37:25):
To think that some of those with political studies degrees
are now career politicians, give me a tradesman in parliament
any day, now, there's an idea. I mean, at least
they'd be practical. There's a thing about engineers. Engineers are
quite black and white, practical thinkers. They think quite laterally.
And Wayne Brown is an engineer by trade, isn't he,

(01:37:46):
And so you can see it in the way that
he deals with politics. When the floods came, remember he said, well,
I didn't make it rain.

Speaker 7 (01:37:56):
You know, all of the.

Speaker 2 (01:37:57):
Media went just lost, absolutely lost it.

Speaker 9 (01:38:00):
What do you mean?

Speaker 2 (01:38:01):
And he's like, well, I didn't you know he's just
thinking acterally. It's just a different a different brain and
a practical brain, and one that we God knows we
could do more of in society. I think five minutes
as I dribble.

Speaker 7 (01:38:16):
On, well, it probably help as well if the ministerial
car gets a flat as well, if the minister could
help out and hit out and change the time. It's
really a lot easier than you'd think, right. I think
you'd be fine, mate.

Speaker 2 (01:38:25):
Do you It looks so complicated as that there's different
How many different bits of equipment do you need?

Speaker 7 (01:38:32):
It's all in the back of the boot, mate, Just
open up the boot and underneath where the underneath the
bottom there's the spears in there and all the stuff
you need to change it. You'll be fine.

Speaker 2 (01:38:39):
Okay, all right, I'll leave it to someone else. I'll
call AA. That's what I do. What are we going
out to?

Speaker 7 (01:38:46):
I want it that way by the Backstreet Boys. Unfortunately,
AJ McLain has said in an interview that his twelve
year old daughter Elliott, has started to really really hate
this song because every time she goes to school, as
soon as she walks in the gate, so all the
boys start going tell me why, and it's just put
her off the life. Unfortunately, he thinks that she still
secretly likes the song. But I mean, do you really

(01:39:08):
like the same music as your parents?

Speaker 2 (01:39:09):
I don't know.

Speaker 7 (01:39:10):
It's one of those things, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:39:11):
No, especially on if they sang the song. I don't imagine.
All Right, that's it for me for today. Thanks for
your text and your emails and your feedback.

Speaker 8 (01:39:20):
See you tomorrow, Way Canada.

Speaker 1 (01:40:09):
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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