April 29, 2025 • 7 mins
The Prime Minister ponders falling Chinese milk production, dairy conversions being back on the table, the “tightest Budget” in a decade, where we can reduce Government spending, and his recent trip to the UK, Gallipoli and Rome.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wednesdays on the Country, the Prime Minister kicks off the
show and it's a bit of a bugger if you
don't mind me saying, Christopher Lux And when you're doing
my homework for me, you sent me a text last
night about Chinese milk production. I had no idea.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Yeah, look, I just thought it was an interesting one
of those looking through my reading and just sort of
saying that actually Chinese local domestic milk production will be
down this year, and obviously that means I've got huge
more demand for product from New Zealand and other places
as well. So I mean, look, I mean we've been
through a tough time. We're coming out of a recession.
The economy is now growing, which is good. But what's
powering us through is agriculture as always, and when you
(00:34):
look at what the outlook is for dairy seeing when
you took Nason guy and the red meat guys are
feeling really positive about the year ahead, and then you know,
right there, you know you've got the better wall price
than I've had probably in the last eight years. Still
a challenge in war obviously, but better than it has been.
So yeah, yet again, agriculture leading us through, which is
why it's a back bone of economy and why I
want to keep powering it up.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah, Chinese milk production for the first time in seven
years has reduced down two point eight to scene for
twenty twenty four, forecast to decline further in twenty twenty five.
Courtesy of Christopher Luckson. Okay, dairy conversions have been a
hot topic on the show this week. Are they now
well and truly back on the table as one of
(01:15):
the ways we can double our exports within a decade?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah. Look, I mean we want we want dairy pumping,
you know, we really do, and we actually want all
the primary industries to be growing and to innovate. And
I think when you look at what's happening in dairy,
we can certainly be more productive with current stock numbers,
and we're looking at ways, as you know, to sort
of be much more permissius and in productive with the
way we get land usee using across the system as well.
(01:41):
So look, im in the bottom line for us is
we just want growth. I mean, we're ruthlessly obsessed on it.
We want dairy growing strongly. It's good to see all
the value added technology that's coming into deary that's leading
to those premium prices because there's good innovation and value
add taking place, which is really good. But we also Jamie,
I mean farmers listening. We've also had really good growth
(02:02):
in our services exports as well. So you know, if
you look at the UK for example, where I was
this last week, our exports total exports are up twenty
one percent and it's a sort of a good mix
of goods and services, and actually our technology companies are
actually selling well. We're obviously getting good inbound growth on tourism.
I think tourism value was up sixty percent of by
(02:23):
the numbers are up just ten percent, so we're getting
the right kind of people coming in and spending money
again in the economy. So all of that's positive. You know,
we've got certainly some challenging times ahead with the global
trade environment and tariff environment, but it's all about our
relative competitiveness compared to other countries and can we outcompete them,
and yes we can.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Nicola will escape her pre budget speech yesterday. This one's
going to be the tightest budget in a decade. Billions
cut from operating spending. Are we on the verge of
becoming a Banana republic because I can tell you some
ways you could easily save some money. Prime Minister, you've
probably heard all this before the winter energy payment to
(03:01):
people like me.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah. Well, firstly, I just say, look, absolutely not. We're
not becoming a banana a public. This is a country
with a huge potential and a great potential and great
future ahead of it. But you know what Nichols acknowledging
is that things aren't easy for New Zealand and for
the world. We've got a lot of instability out there
and uncertainty out there. But having said that, our focus
for our budget's going to be all about economic growth
(03:24):
and that means yet we're overseeing a very steady economic recovery.
We've got an export lead growth, you know, starting to strengthen,
We've got business confidence rising. Are the primary sectors starting
to get on song?
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Yeah, but hang on. The Prime Minister haven answered my question.
You're paying Winston Peters a winter energy payment. He doesn't
need it, Jamie mcaire peys, Yes, yeah, well I am more.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Than welcome to give it away my friends.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yeah, well I can give it away, but it would
be better staying in the government coffers. See the other
one they're throwing out there, and this is a really
interesting one, is the Key we Save subsidy. This is
big money. This is one point one billion the winter
energy payments like half a billion. But you know, I've
had mixed feelings on this one because I think Key
We Save it is a magnificent thing. And anything that
(04:09):
encourages key wes to save. Are you getting your five
hundred and twenty one bucks each a year if you
put in just over one thousand should be encouraged.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Look, there's we'll have to get. You know, we're obviously
working pretty closer to the budget now and we have
to be careful about what we can save before that
budget's announced. But you know, rest assured we when we're
making we're doing we're getting our books in order, and
what we're doing is making sure we're reprioritizing the spending
to get it in the right places. And therefore that
does mean, yes, that some agencies and government departments are
(04:38):
going to have to manage really tightly from the budgets
that they've got. That's good. They've got to make sure
they swept that money harder and get better value for money.
From that spent, which is what you do in a business,
it's what you do with your family finances. So we
expect the government agencies to be doing.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
You realize where the most important saving could come from,
don't you? Age of eligibility for national super I don't
want to mention Winston yet again, but if he wasn't
drawing breath or in parliament, you and Seymour would move
this to sixty seven, that would save us a fortune.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, look, definitely very much big part of our policy
and we think that's a good idea. We think, you know,
the population I think is aging. Average age goes up
about a year and a half every ten years across
New Zealand, and that's why we've always advocated we should
listen to the retirement age. But as you know, we're
in coalition and government and that's not something that his
own first supports, So feel free to talk to Onson
about it.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Tail wagging the dog. Now we've got.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Our pality right, Yeah, Okay, I.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Accept that we got our pound of flesh well and
truly out of you on your latest offshore trip talking
trade and defense with Secare Starmer the Gallipoli Dawn Service
and then the Pope's funeral. I don't want to call
it a matted bonus, but it was good that you
were able to be there.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Yeah. Look, it was a big week last week. I mean,
I was really pleased with the trip to the UK
in particular. I think, you know, we've had a lot
of historical ties to the UK. Obviously similar value, similar history,
similar outlook on the world, but now sense and what
we want to do together in that space, along with
the FTA and how we build more meat onto the
bones of that. You know, when you see our exports
(06:08):
as I set up twenty one percent to the UK,
our guys are understanding the opportunities they are in that market,
and it's a good market for us to be invested in.
So that now gives us things to feed into a
future relationship. Defense and trade deliberately was pretty powerful, Jamie.
I mean to go there on the dawn service and
give that speech and then be able to do some
(06:29):
do another speech at Chunnick Bear at the top of
the Tell where we lost a huge amount of troops
was pretty sobering. It was sobering because just the day
before I'd been down meeting probably one hundred and fifty
Ukrainian soldiers and they were guys that were chefs and
plumbers that have been out fighting in Ukraine had come
across to the UK to be trained by New Zealand
(06:49):
and British troops. We've trained fifty four thousand Ukrainian soldiers
and they were going back into warfare in a matter
of days. They were going to be back at the
front lines again in the trenches. And there they are
in Ukraine trench warfare with drones, and one hundred and
ten years ago we were at Gallipoli and trenches as well.
So and then the Pope's funeral, I mean pretty great man.
I mean a massive determination for his cause and his church,
(07:11):
but also massive amounts of personal humility and that's always
what I admire and good leaders. And there was a
chance also just to mingle with probably fifteen or so
other leaders that I got to chat with, and I'm
informally as well, which.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Was a right Christopher Luxan, thanks for your time. Appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Appreciate it. Jamie, you have a great week.
Wednesdays on the Country, the Prime Minister kicks off the
show and it's a bit of a bugger if you
don't mind me saying, Christopher Lux And when you're doing
my homework for me, you sent me a text last
night about Chinese milk production. I had no idea.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Yeah, look, I just thought it was an interesting one
of those looking through my reading and just sort of
saying that actually Chinese local domestic milk production will be
down this year, and obviously that means I've got huge
more demand for product from New Zealand and other places
as well. So I mean, look, I mean we've been
through a tough time. We're coming out of a recession.
The economy is now growing, which is good. But what's
powering us through is agriculture as always, and when you
(00:34):
look at what the outlook is for dairy seeing when
you took Nason guy and the red meat guys are
feeling really positive about the year ahead, and then you know,
right there, you know you've got the better wall price
than I've had probably in the last eight years. Still
a challenge in war obviously, but better than it has been.
So yeah, yet again, agriculture leading us through, which is
why it's a back bone of economy and why I
want to keep powering it up.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah, Chinese milk production for the first time in seven
years has reduced down two point eight to scene for
twenty twenty four, forecast to decline further in twenty twenty five.
Courtesy of Christopher Luckson. Okay, dairy conversions have been a
hot topic on the show this week. Are they now
well and truly back on the table as one of
(01:15):
the ways we can double our exports within a decade?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah. Look, I mean we want we want dairy pumping,
you know, we really do, and we actually want all
the primary industries to be growing and to innovate. And
I think when you look at what's happening in dairy,
we can certainly be more productive with current stock numbers,
and we're looking at ways, as you know, to sort
of be much more permissius and in productive with the
way we get land usee using across the system as well.
(01:41):
So look, im in the bottom line for us is
we just want growth. I mean, we're ruthlessly obsessed on it.
We want dairy growing strongly. It's good to see all
the value added technology that's coming into deary that's leading
to those premium prices because there's good innovation and value
add taking place, which is really good. But we also Jamie,
I mean farmers listening. We've also had really good growth
(02:02):
in our services exports as well. So you know, if
you look at the UK for example, where I was
this last week, our exports total exports are up twenty
one percent and it's a sort of a good mix
of goods and services, and actually our technology companies are
actually selling well. We're obviously getting good inbound growth on tourism.
I think tourism value was up sixty percent of by
(02:23):
the numbers are up just ten percent, so we're getting
the right kind of people coming in and spending money
again in the economy. So all of that's positive. You know,
we've got certainly some challenging times ahead with the global
trade environment and tariff environment, but it's all about our
relative competitiveness compared to other countries and can we outcompete them,
and yes we can.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Nicola will escape her pre budget speech yesterday. This one's
going to be the tightest budget in a decade. Billions
cut from operating spending. Are we on the verge of
becoming a Banana republic because I can tell you some
ways you could easily save some money. Prime Minister, you've
probably heard all this before the winter energy payment to
(03:01):
people like me.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah. Well, firstly, I just say, look, absolutely not. We're
not becoming a banana a public. This is a country
with a huge potential and a great potential and great
future ahead of it. But you know what Nichols acknowledging
is that things aren't easy for New Zealand and for
the world. We've got a lot of instability out there
and uncertainty out there. But having said that, our focus
for our budget's going to be all about economic growth
(03:24):
and that means yet we're overseeing a very steady economic recovery.
We've got an export lead growth, you know, starting to strengthen,
We've got business confidence rising. Are the primary sectors starting
to get on song?
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Yeah, but hang on. The Prime Minister haven answered my question.
You're paying Winston Peters a winter energy payment. He doesn't
need it, Jamie mcaire peys, Yes, yeah, well I am more.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Than welcome to give it away my friends.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yeah, well I can give it away, but it would
be better staying in the government coffers. See the other
one they're throwing out there, and this is a really
interesting one, is the Key we Save subsidy. This is
big money. This is one point one billion the winter
energy payments like half a billion. But you know, I've
had mixed feelings on this one because I think Key
We Save it is a magnificent thing. And anything that
(04:09):
encourages key wes to save. Are you getting your five
hundred and twenty one bucks each a year if you
put in just over one thousand should be encouraged.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Look, there's we'll have to get. You know, we're obviously
working pretty closer to the budget now and we have
to be careful about what we can save before that
budget's announced. But you know, rest assured we when we're
making we're doing we're getting our books in order, and
what we're doing is making sure we're reprioritizing the spending
to get it in the right places. And therefore that
does mean, yes, that some agencies and government departments are
(04:38):
going to have to manage really tightly from the budgets
that they've got. That's good. They've got to make sure
they swept that money harder and get better value for money.
From that spent, which is what you do in a business,
it's what you do with your family finances. So we
expect the government agencies to be doing.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
You realize where the most important saving could come from,
don't you? Age of eligibility for national super I don't
want to mention Winston yet again, but if he wasn't
drawing breath or in parliament, you and Seymour would move
this to sixty seven, that would save us a fortune.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, look, definitely very much big part of our policy
and we think that's a good idea. We think, you know,
the population I think is aging. Average age goes up
about a year and a half every ten years across
New Zealand, and that's why we've always advocated we should
listen to the retirement age. But as you know, we're
in coalition and government and that's not something that his
own first supports, So feel free to talk to Onson
about it.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Tail wagging the dog. Now we've got.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Our pality right, Yeah, Okay, I.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Accept that we got our pound of flesh well and
truly out of you on your latest offshore trip talking
trade and defense with Secare Starmer the Gallipoli Dawn Service
and then the Pope's funeral. I don't want to call
it a matted bonus, but it was good that you
were able to be there.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Yeah. Look, it was a big week last week. I mean,
I was really pleased with the trip to the UK
in particular. I think, you know, we've had a lot
of historical ties to the UK. Obviously similar value, similar history,
similar outlook on the world, but now sense and what
we want to do together in that space, along with
the FTA and how we build more meat onto the
bones of that. You know, when you see our exports
(06:08):
as I set up twenty one percent to the UK,
our guys are understanding the opportunities they are in that market,
and it's a good market for us to be invested in.
So that now gives us things to feed into a
future relationship. Defense and trade deliberately was pretty powerful, Jamie.
I mean to go there on the dawn service and
give that speech and then be able to do some
(06:29):
do another speech at Chunnick Bear at the top of
the Tell where we lost a huge amount of troops
was pretty sobering. It was sobering because just the day
before I'd been down meeting probably one hundred and fifty
Ukrainian soldiers and they were guys that were chefs and
plumbers that have been out fighting in Ukraine had come
across to the UK to be trained by New Zealand
(06:49):
and British troops. We've trained fifty four thousand Ukrainian soldiers
and they were going back into warfare in a matter
of days. They were going to be back at the
front lines again in the trenches. And there they are
in Ukraine trench warfare with drones, and one hundred and
ten years ago we were at Gallipoli and trenches as well.
So and then the Pope's funeral, I mean pretty great man.
I mean a massive determination for his cause and his church,
(07:11):
but also massive amounts of personal humility and that's always
what I admire and good leaders. And there was a
chance also just to mingle with probably fifteen or so
other leaders that I got to chat with, and I'm
informally as well, which.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Was a right Christopher Luxan, thanks for your time. Appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Appreciate it. Jamie, you have a great week.
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