David Seymour: Associate Minister of Finance on if the Government will pour money for Eden Park

The ball is in the Government's court after Auckland council has decided to back an Eden Park upgrade over a waterfront stadium. 

$100 million is needed from either the Government of the council. 

Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour talks to Ryan Bridge about the decision. 

LISTEN ABOVE. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
David Siemol's here because we're going to talk about Eden Park.
So in the ball is in the government's court. Now
the council's made its decision. They have ticked the Eden
Park box. They want Eden Park two point one. There's
one hundred million dollars that needs to be funded, either
by government or by council. Council has said got no money.
So what does the government say. David Seymour is with us.

(00:21):
He's the act Party leader also Associate Minister of Finance.
Good afternoon, Hey Ryan, Yeah, good to have you on
the show. Now I've got the statement from Simeon Brown.
It sounds to me like a polite no thanks to
the one hundred million dollars. Is that about right?

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah? Look, I mean, first of all, it's all abit hypothetical.
There's been no formal request and as far as I'm concerned,
no one's put before cabinet shall we give one hundred
million dollars to build a stadium in Auckland. I think
if that was to happen, well it'd be up to
the whole cabinet. But you don't have to be an
absolute news hound to understand and what's happening in this country.

(01:02):
Everyone's a bit short of money, including the government. We're
doing everything we can to save it. The other night,
I was just working late in my office, so Nicoler
came in trying to look down the back of my
office couch for a few spare pennies. So that's kind
of the way it is. So it's hard to imagine
putting one hundred million into a stadium.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Yeah, I would have thought so. So it's pretty much
a no from you. I mean, if it was put
before you on a proposal in cabinet tomorrow, you as
an individual, you would vote, know, wouldn't you?

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Well, I mean cabinet doesn't vote. It basically discussed greed
and tries to achieve consensus.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
But your voice, I think one of your voice would
be a positive one.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Look, I think one of the things I'd be asking
is how are we doing on things like roads and
core infrastructure, water pumping stations and treatment plants and pipes
for new suburbs so there's more homes. How we're doing
on hospitals. Are we happy with the state of our
school property? We're really under the pump on infrastructure in

(02:06):
this place. And I have to say I was at
eden Park, not at the pleasure of the eden Park Trust.
Border might add just to watch the Blues and Crusaders,
and not a great game for those of us up
here in the North. But nonetheless I looked out across
eden Park and I looked at the backyards of a

(02:27):
few Sandringham student flats that you can still see, thought
about all the history I looked over and thought about
the terraces that I used to go to as a student.
And one thing that occurred to me is that authenticity
is important. And I'm not really religious, but Eden Park
is almost a spiritual place. Amount of hundreds of No

(02:48):
amount of hundreds of millions is going to replicate that
with some Auckland version of the Capton, which the council
didn't really think was viable. Anyway.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
It's a very deep answer. I didn't quite expect that
for a Friday after day.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
Well, you know, it runs a bit spiritual in some ways.
If we could get on to Liam Lawson and the
severe and justice visited on the whole country through one
high achieving young man, then we could go even deeper.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
Hey, do you think it's odd that this proposal from
eden Park that stage one requires one hundred million dollars
from the government, and then you get to stage two
in stage three, which are the PPP stages. Why can't
the whole thing just be PPP. You know, I don't
really understand the logic. Have you looked that far into
it or not?

Speaker 2 (03:31):
Really, No, I haven't because it's a proposal from them
that as far as I'm aware, they haven't formally put
to the government they have. I mean, you'd really have
to go to the Minister of Sport. We'd look at something.
But you know, I think I've laid out where I
think most of our government's at, in fact all of
our government on our priorities in the infrastructure that people
need to live before we build more stadiums.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
Appreciate your time, David Seymour, the Associate Finance Minister.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
For more from Heather Duplessyllen Drive. Listen live to News
talks 'b from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.