February 15, 2025 • 7 mins
This week on the Sunday Panel, NZ Herald senior writer Simon Wilson and Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week - and more!
It's been a busy week for David Seymour, between the Polkinghorne letter and the incident on the steps at Parliament. He's set to take over as the Deputy Prime Minister later this year - do we think he'll turn himself around? Does Chris Luxon need to bring him into line?
In the Caribbean this week, a woman lost both of her hands while trying to take a photo with a shark. What is it about the perfect photo that will make people take extreme risk? What do we make of this?
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
And on our panel today we have New Zealand Herald
senior writer Simon Wilson.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Simon, Hi, they're Francesco and also joined by.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Z to B Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills Heineck morning.
Good to have you both with us. Simon, If I
can start with you, David Seymour, He has been the
headlines quite a bit this week. Do you get the
sense that the Prime Minister is tolerating Seymour?
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Well, I don't think he's tolerating him. Well, no, I
don't think anybody does. I imagine the Prime Minister himself
doesn't think he's doing it very well. David Seamo was
doing something that we haven't really seen too much of
in coalition governments before, and that is that he's playing
to his bass in rather than constructively governing. You see
(00:59):
that from minor parties when they're not in power, but
our coalition governments to date haven't shown a lot of that.
We've seen the usual modus operandis for the minor party
to show that they are a responsible member of a
coalition government and hope to appeal to voters in that
way to re elect them. Seymour has a different approach.
He's going, ah, if nobody else matters, we matter. We
(01:22):
met her because we've got these issues that you care about,
and they hit the gamblers. That that appeals to his base,
even if it alienates everybody else, including the Prime Minister.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Do you think it's working, Nick?
Speaker 3 (01:35):
So I'm just working for him and it's working for that.
But I don't think there's any question about that. I
agree totally, and I don't often do that, so I
totally agree that. I mean, we on our show in
Wellington did a segment saying is the Prime Minister's popularity
in effected by his two coalition partners? And undoubtedly as
(01:58):
part of it, excuse me, as part of it. I
said in front of me, I've got four articles that
are front page stories in the last twenty four hour
about David Seymour, not about the Corliss and government, not
about things about David Seymour, and my producer picked up
one on the next booth and said another one. It
was actually four articles in twenty four hours all about
David Seymour and act and his plans and his ideas.
(02:21):
Nothing about the cars, him bobbing up a car up
the steps of Parliament. You know, it was just it's
becoming now a sideshow, calling him sideshow Harry.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
So Nick, here's my question to you, then, do you
think is when he takes over as Deputy Prime Minister
midway through this year, there's going to be a little
bit less stuntman and a little bit more statesman.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
No, David Seymour, what's the the saying the best predictor
of the futures the past? I mean, where's where's Where
are we going to see any change in David Seymour?
I kind of little. This is where I disagree a
little bit with Mike Cosking on Friday he said he
thought that was a little bit of regular and argie
bargie is just normal for a coalition and then get
over ourselves. I think it's going to get worse before
(03:04):
it gets better, and I think we're not seeing the
true leadership of Christopher Luxem Because of that, I also
call him a puppet master where he's got two puppets,
Nider's side of them. He's holding the mark, trying to
control everything. We're not seeing the truth here that he
could possibly be because of it.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
Sorry for Jessica, I'm just going to say I don't
think it's normal for a coalition either. If you think
back to the coalition government twenty seventeen to twenty that
just Sinda A. Durne was Prime Minister four but Greens
in New Zealand first could not stand each other, but
it didn't spill over into this kind of thing with
Act and with the Marii Party under John Key again
(03:43):
they weren't on the same page very often at all,
but it didn't spill over into this kind of fuss.
Things have changed.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Do you think that he will rain things a little
bit when you become the SEMA, will reign things a
little bit shortly summer.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
At some point he has to show that he is
prime ministerial and this will be his opportunity to do that.
But I think Nicker's right. He will feel that what
he's doing now is working for him and it has
become his persona as a politician, so changing it is
going to be very hard for him, and I imagine
(04:19):
he will feel that it's not worth the risk changing what.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
A completely different Francisca. Well, the Congress to that is,
how well is Winston Peter's behavior. I mean, I think
he's getting everything. I think he's getting everything he wants.
Don't get me wrong. Look at the fishery staff. You
look at everything he's getting, you know, the eiversees, wealthy
people that come into New Zealand car by property. He's
getting everything he wants and he's doing it quietly. I
(04:44):
think he's been the hero of the coalition government.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Really yeah, no, and I think we'd probably all agree
a very good foreign affairs minister now very quickly. Yeah,
I just want to change the topic completely. A woman
in the Caribbean this week lost both her hands while
trying to take a photo with a shark, or of
a shark.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Up to four.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Hundred it's believed that about up to four hundred and
eighty people have died taking selfies. How risk adverse are you, Simon?
What is it about taking the perfect photo that will
make people take these sort of extreme measures.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
I think this kind of thing is extraordinary. Back little
bit of research back in twenty fourteen, which was called
efficiently the year or not officially unofficially the Year of
the selfie in America, thirty three thousand people injured themselves
while driving and using a phone, often to take selfies.
A thing that happens with a phone when you're on it.
(05:42):
When you're using it, you zone out everything else in
a way that doesn't happen if you're just talking to
somebody else or listening to music or doing anything else
that might be a bit distracting. Phones have an exclusivity
about them, that's like that the user of the phones
in the dome, and they do not register what's going
on around them, and the consequence of that is really
(06:03):
severe if you're in a dangerous situation.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
To start with, Nikki, you're good at doing that whole moment,
you know, and going to actually, this wouldn't work well,
this isn't going to end that well for me.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
No, And I think that what we're seeing is the
result of extreme stupidity. And I think that a lot
of that stuff, I mean a lot of the majority
of that stuff. Will people be climbing up the highest
building they possibly can and taking a photo. So I
don't think that's just you and me driving down the road.
Francisca seeing a cat running across or running up a tree. Oh,
I need a photo of that. I think it's these
(06:35):
extreme people trying to get extreme shots to make them
the heroes. I mean, I was watching their All Star
NBA basketball game yesterday on television, and all these stars
that they've got on the All Star Game, I've never
heard of one of them. They are all these extreme,
you know, people that can motivate with photos and do
this with that, I've never even heard of them. There's
a whole new generation of people that just by taking
(06:58):
photos influences and influencers.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
That's what we call it.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Well about now superstars in the world. Why because they
got the best shot or they got the best store.
Let's just you know, stupid and he prevails.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Look, thank you both so much. Simon Wilson and Nick
Mills
Speaker 1 (07:12):
It For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin,
listen live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
And on our panel today we have New Zealand Herald
senior writer Simon Wilson.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
Hi.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Simon, Hi, they're Francesco and also joined by.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Z to B Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills Heineck morning.
Good to have you both with us. Simon, If I
can start with you, David Seymour, He has been the
headlines quite a bit this week. Do you get the
sense that the Prime Minister is tolerating Seymour?
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Well, I don't think he's tolerating him. Well, no, I
don't think anybody does. I imagine the Prime Minister himself
doesn't think he's doing it very well. David Seamo was
doing something that we haven't really seen too much of
in coalition governments before, and that is that he's playing
to his bass in rather than constructively governing. You see
(00:59):
that from minor parties when they're not in power, but
our coalition governments to date haven't shown a lot of that.
We've seen the usual modus operandis for the minor party
to show that they are a responsible member of a
coalition government and hope to appeal to voters in that
way to re elect them. Seymour has a different approach.
He's going, ah, if nobody else matters, we matter. We
(01:22):
met her because we've got these issues that you care about,
and they hit the gamblers. That that appeals to his base,
even if it alienates everybody else, including the Prime Minister.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Do you think it's working, Nick?
Speaker 3 (01:35):
So I'm just working for him and it's working for that.
But I don't think there's any question about that. I
agree totally, and I don't often do that, so I
totally agree that. I mean, we on our show in
Wellington did a segment saying is the Prime Minister's popularity
in effected by his two coalition partners? And undoubtedly as
(01:58):
part of it, excuse me, as part of it. I
said in front of me, I've got four articles that
are front page stories in the last twenty four hour
about David Seymour, not about the Corliss and government, not
about things about David Seymour, and my producer picked up
one on the next booth and said another one. It
was actually four articles in twenty four hours all about
David Seymour and act and his plans and his ideas.
(02:21):
Nothing about the cars, him bobbing up a car up
the steps of Parliament. You know, it was just it's
becoming now a sideshow, calling him sideshow Harry.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
So Nick, here's my question to you, then, do you
think is when he takes over as Deputy Prime Minister
midway through this year, there's going to be a little
bit less stuntman and a little bit more statesman.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
No, David Seymour, what's the the saying the best predictor
of the futures the past? I mean, where's where's Where
are we going to see any change in David Seymour?
I kind of little. This is where I disagree a
little bit with Mike Cosking on Friday he said he
thought that was a little bit of regular and argie
bargie is just normal for a coalition and then get
over ourselves. I think it's going to get worse before
(03:04):
it gets better, and I think we're not seeing the
true leadership of Christopher Luxem Because of that, I also
call him a puppet master where he's got two puppets,
Nider's side of them. He's holding the mark, trying to
control everything. We're not seeing the truth here that he
could possibly be because of it.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
Sorry for Jessica, I'm just going to say I don't
think it's normal for a coalition either. If you think
back to the coalition government twenty seventeen to twenty that
just Sinda A. Durne was Prime Minister four but Greens
in New Zealand first could not stand each other, but
it didn't spill over into this kind of thing with
Act and with the Marii Party under John Key again
(03:43):
they weren't on the same page very often at all,
but it didn't spill over into this kind of fuss.
Things have changed.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Do you think that he will rain things a little
bit when you become the SEMA, will reign things a
little bit shortly summer.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
At some point he has to show that he is
prime ministerial and this will be his opportunity to do that.
But I think Nicker's right. He will feel that what
he's doing now is working for him and it has
become his persona as a politician, so changing it is
going to be very hard for him, and I imagine
(04:19):
he will feel that it's not worth the risk changing what.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
A completely different Francisca. Well, the Congress to that is,
how well is Winston Peter's behavior. I mean, I think
he's getting everything. I think he's getting everything he wants.
Don't get me wrong. Look at the fishery staff. You
look at everything he's getting, you know, the eiversees, wealthy
people that come into New Zealand car by property. He's
getting everything he wants and he's doing it quietly. I
(04:44):
think he's been the hero of the coalition government.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Really yeah, no, and I think we'd probably all agree
a very good foreign affairs minister now very quickly. Yeah,
I just want to change the topic completely. A woman
in the Caribbean this week lost both her hands while
trying to take a photo with a shark, or of
a shark.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Up to four.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Hundred it's believed that about up to four hundred and
eighty people have died taking selfies. How risk adverse are you, Simon?
What is it about taking the perfect photo that will
make people take these sort of extreme measures.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
I think this kind of thing is extraordinary. Back little
bit of research back in twenty fourteen, which was called
efficiently the year or not officially unofficially the Year of
the selfie in America, thirty three thousand people injured themselves
while driving and using a phone, often to take selfies.
A thing that happens with a phone when you're on it.
(05:42):
When you're using it, you zone out everything else in
a way that doesn't happen if you're just talking to
somebody else or listening to music or doing anything else
that might be a bit distracting. Phones have an exclusivity
about them, that's like that the user of the phones
in the dome, and they do not register what's going
on around them, and the consequence of that is really
(06:03):
severe if you're in a dangerous situation.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
To start with, Nikki, you're good at doing that whole moment,
you know, and going to actually, this wouldn't work well,
this isn't going to end that well for me.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
No, And I think that what we're seeing is the
result of extreme stupidity. And I think that a lot
of that stuff, I mean a lot of the majority
of that stuff. Will people be climbing up the highest
building they possibly can and taking a photo. So I
don't think that's just you and me driving down the road.
Francisca seeing a cat running across or running up a tree. Oh,
I need a photo of that. I think it's these
(06:35):
extreme people trying to get extreme shots to make them
the heroes. I mean, I was watching their All Star
NBA basketball game yesterday on television, and all these stars
that they've got on the All Star Game, I've never
heard of one of them. They are all these extreme,
you know, people that can motivate with photos and do
this with that, I've never even heard of them. There's
a whole new generation of people that just by taking
(06:58):
photos influences and influencers.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
That's what we call it.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Well about now superstars in the world. Why because they
got the best shot or they got the best store.
Let's just you know, stupid and he prevails.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Look, thank you both so much. Simon Wilson and Nick
Mills
Speaker 1 (07:12):
It For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin,
listen live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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