We're a week away from Budget 2025 being released - and more organisations have found out whether or not they're invited to the lock-up.
The Budget lock-up refers to the four-hour window where journalists, analysts and other associated experts can read through the Budget and hear the Finance Minister present it before the information gets released to the public.
Infrastructure NZ has been left off the list - and chief executive Nick Leggett has voiced confusion as to why they've been barred.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Right, Gavin Gray is going to be the US since
ten minutes turns out that fire bombing that was taking
place read Keir Starmer's properties is a couple of houses
in a car and stuff. They now think that there
might have been a hostile foreign state involved that. So
we'll get the latest from Gavin when he's with US shortly.
Incoming news, the Privilegious Committee has just released its decision
on what to do with the Maori Party. MPs Hannah
(00:23):
Hannah Arftzi might be Clarke has suspended from the House
for seven days. Debingari were Packer severely censured, suspended from
the House for twenty one days. Rahweru Whitit he severely censured,
suspended from the House for twenty one days. And the
reason why they're being punished like this is for acting
in a manner that could have the effect of intimidating
(00:43):
a member of the House and the discharge of their duty.
So just to be clear, it's not because they did
a hucker, right, It's because they got up out of
their seats, approached David Seymour and behaved in a threatening
way in front of him. Now that just happens to
be a hacker. It just happens to the old mate
Watson name Debbie Pollen, the gun whatever, it's all of that.
(01:04):
It's not for that. It's for trying to intimidate him.
Twenty three away from seven.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Now.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Treasury it turns out, is facing possible legal action after
barring organizations from next week's budget lockup. These organizations that
would ordinarily be in the budget lock up. The Taxpayers
Union is threatening a judicial review unless they get access
like they normally would have, and it turns out Infrastructure
New Zealand is also barred. The chief executive is Nick
Legg at Hay Nick, Hi, Heather, you prepared to do
(01:30):
anything like what the Taxpayers Union is doing.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Not at the stage, but we do want to obviously
draw people's edge to the fact that, you know, the
government stated intenders to improve infrastructure investment, make New Zealand
more productive, get our economy going, and it just seems
odd to bar Infrastructure New Zealand, business, New Zealand people
(01:56):
that represent you know, a lot of businesses and organizations
and some local government and government agencies as well. When
we're all trying to row in the same direction. It
seems pretty random. I mean, I thought this was a lockdown,
not a lockout. You know.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Yeah, very good point. Have they told you why you've
been barred?
Speaker 2 (02:18):
No, no they haven't. I'm sure why.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I want to have a guess, because one of the theories,
one of the working theories, is that Nikola Willis just
cannot be faffed with the ced to you and the
Taxpayer's Union, and so she's just barred everybody basically to
get them out.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, I think that's the case. It's a shame because
everybody's got an interest in the budget, and all of
those two organizations that you've named and a few others,
we all actually want to be constructive and we want
to get the oil on the budget as soon as
possible so we can communicate what we see to the
(02:57):
people that we work for and we represent, and the
to public as well. I mean, you think about it.
On budget day, you'll have some analysis heether, you'll hear
from the politicians actually those of us that can provide
a bit more information to your listeners and a bit
more analysis. It's useful, right, It's useful for the whole discussion.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Well, on that subject. On this, I agree with you.
Although the political editor of the station does not agree
with you, Jason Walls. He says he doesn't need someone
like you in there to tell him how to read
a budget. He knows to go to the back page.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Yeah, and the things. It's not about him, it's about
the people that listen to him. So if you want
to talk about what's good for business, actually talking to
Katherine Richard Business New Zealand and hearing what her and
her team make at the budget, that's kind of an
important angle, just one of many. But you know, we
(03:50):
represent tens of thousands of businesses and employees between us
and individuals these organizations that have been barred, and it
just seems odd to exclude us in the room. But
there will be selective businesses and other organizations included. I
just don't understand the thinking behind it, I guess. And look,
(04:12):
we get on well with the government. I think we've
got a good relationship. It's not the end of the world.
But we are perplexed and disappointed well.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
And not to mention the fact that is it one
of the five pillars of the budget is infrastructure. So actually,
if the budget's going to be about infrastructure, then surely
there's value in having Infrastructure New Zealand. They're looking at it.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Well. We've been there in other years and it's worked
pretty well. And we've been there to give commentary to
the media and provide information and context when infrastructure type
things and funds are announced by the Finance minister. This
is just part of democracy here there, I think, and
it's a shame to sort of exclude just a few groups.
(04:56):
And yeah, we want obviously the government to reconsider and
we'll be asking for that.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Nick. Thank you, I really appreciate it. Nick Leget's Chief
Executive of Infrastructure New Zealand. 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
Right, Gavin Gray is going to be the US since
ten minutes turns out that fire bombing that was taking
place read Keir Starmer's properties is a couple of houses
in a car and stuff. They now think that there
might have been a hostile foreign state involved that. So
we'll get the latest from Gavin when he's with US shortly.
Incoming news, the Privilegious Committee has just released its decision
on what to do with the Maori Party. MPs Hannah
(00:23):
Hannah Arftzi might be Clarke has suspended from the House
for seven days. Debingari were Packer severely censured, suspended from
the House for twenty one days. Rahweru Whitit he severely censured,
suspended from the House for twenty one days. And the
reason why they're being punished like this is for acting
in a manner that could have the effect of intimidating
(00:43):
a member of the House and the discharge of their duty.
So just to be clear, it's not because they did
a hucker, right, It's because they got up out of
their seats, approached David Seymour and behaved in a threatening
way in front of him. Now that just happens to
be a hacker. It just happens to the old mate
Watson name Debbie Pollen, the gun whatever, it's all of that.
(01:04):
It's not for that. It's for trying to intimidate him.
Twenty three away from seven.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Now.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Treasury it turns out, is facing possible legal action after
barring organizations from next week's budget lockup. These organizations that
would ordinarily be in the budget lock up. The Taxpayers
Union is threatening a judicial review unless they get access
like they normally would have, and it turns out Infrastructure
New Zealand is also barred. The chief executive is Nick
Legg at Hay Nick, Hi, Heather, you prepared to do
(01:30):
anything like what the Taxpayers Union is doing.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Not at the stage, but we do want to obviously
draw people's edge to the fact that, you know, the
government stated intenders to improve infrastructure investment, make New Zealand
more productive, get our economy going, and it just seems
odd to bar Infrastructure New Zealand, business, New Zealand people
(01:56):
that represent you know, a lot of businesses and organizations
and some local government and government agencies as well. When
we're all trying to row in the same direction. It
seems pretty random. I mean, I thought this was a lockdown,
not a lockout. You know.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Yeah, very good point. Have they told you why you've
been barred?
Speaker 2 (02:18):
No, no they haven't. I'm sure why.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I want to have a guess, because one of the theories,
one of the working theories, is that Nikola Willis just
cannot be faffed with the ced to you and the
Taxpayer's Union, and so she's just barred everybody basically to
get them out.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, I think that's the case. It's a shame because
everybody's got an interest in the budget, and all of
those two organizations that you've named and a few others,
we all actually want to be constructive and we want
to get the oil on the budget as soon as
possible so we can communicate what we see to the
(02:57):
people that we work for and we represent, and the
to public as well. I mean, you think about it.
On budget day, you'll have some analysis heether, you'll hear
from the politicians actually those of us that can provide
a bit more information to your listeners and a bit
more analysis. It's useful, right, It's useful for the whole discussion.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Well, on that subject. On this, I agree with you.
Although the political editor of the station does not agree
with you, Jason Walls. He says he doesn't need someone
like you in there to tell him how to read
a budget. He knows to go to the back page.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Yeah, and the things. It's not about him, it's about
the people that listen to him. So if you want
to talk about what's good for business, actually talking to
Katherine Richard Business New Zealand and hearing what her and
her team make at the budget, that's kind of an
important angle, just one of many. But you know, we
(03:50):
represent tens of thousands of businesses and employees between us
and individuals these organizations that have been barred, and it
just seems odd to exclude us in the room. But
there will be selective businesses and other organizations included. I
just don't understand the thinking behind it, I guess. And look,
(04:12):
we get on well with the government. I think we've
got a good relationship. It's not the end of the world.
But we are perplexed and disappointed well.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
And not to mention the fact that is it one
of the five pillars of the budget is infrastructure. So actually,
if the budget's going to be about infrastructure, then surely
there's value in having Infrastructure New Zealand. They're looking at it.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Well. We've been there in other years and it's worked
pretty well. And we've been there to give commentary to
the media and provide information and context when infrastructure type
things and funds are announced by the Finance minister. This
is just part of democracy here there, I think, and
it's a shame to sort of exclude just a few groups.
(04:56):
And yeah, we want obviously the government to reconsider and
we'll be asking for that.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Nick. Thank you, I really appreciate it. Nick Leget's Chief
Executive of Infrastructure New Zealand. 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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