July 19, 2025 • 40 mins
This week on The Panel, Tim Beveridge is joined by AUT Chemistry Professor Allan Blackman and Editor of NZ Gardener Jo McCarroll to discuss the biggest stories from the week that was.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from youth Talk,
said B, debating all the issues and more. It's the
panel on the Weekend Collective on us Talk, said B,
(00:59):
what are you?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yes? In a very good afternoon too you. I'm Tim Beveridge.
This is the Weekend Collective of Saturday, the nineteenth of July.
My producer Tyra is back and she told me when
I heard this, she said, this is what I walked
down the aisle to because she's just got married and
I was thinking, Welcome to the Jungle. Sh and I
bring it to you need apparently apparently she says, you're
sort of just joking, but I don't know. I'm going
to need some verification. So if you're a member of
(01:33):
Tyra's family, did she or did she not walk down
to Welcome to the Jungle.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
That would be a great little thing to walk.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Down the arm anyway, Ah, welcome to the show. You
can text your feedback anytime. I'm nine two nine two,
Welcome to the Jungle. Feod walking down the ar music.
I love it, very emotional. Email Tim be at Newstalks.
He beatot Co dot Ens yet coming up in today's
show and just a moment a panel. I'll be introducing
our panelist shortly, but looking forward a little further to
(01:59):
when we also take your calls on our eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty. You can text on nine two
nine two for the onond Roof radio show, which is
after four o'clock. We're with Ed McKnight, resent economists at
opeir's partners and talking about what are the things that
prospective buyers just aren't willing to sacrifice to get that
deposit together and get on the ladder. And also we
(02:21):
might have a chat about Chris Bishop's comments about needing
to uncouple economic growth from and the housing market, so
we'll have to chat about that as well. And after five,
Google Sutherland joins us for the Parents Squad. He's a
principal psychologist at Umbrella Well Being, talking about, look, our kids,
they're more savvy with digital media than we are, but
despite that, we still need to support them, and how
(02:43):
can parents help manage their kids stress and anxiety which
are tied to social and media social media exposure over
the years. We'll have a chat about that and if
we have time, how strict should you be when it
comes to film classifications? Asking for a friend who took
his daughter to Mission Impossible and was thinking, hmm, anyway
before sex is of course, we'll be rapping sport looking
(03:04):
with Piney. Of course, as you will have heard, he's
and he's been at the pub in Hamilton. Sounds dodchy,
doesn't it. Previewing the All Blacks test, but also looking
ahead to the Wallabies and lines as well. So lots
to get forward, get our teeth into. Welcome to the
Weekend Collective. It is coming up to ten past three.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Your weekend, Your way to the Weekend Collective with Tim Beveridge,
news Dog Zebby.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
It's in time to introduce our panels no particular order.
Here is a professional professor of chemistry, some might say
a science influencer and lover of a lover of colorful shirts.
Today it's Alan Blackman. Good ay, Alan, how are you going.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Very well, very well on the weekend? So well?
Speaker 2 (03:44):
You are a science influence, aren't you?
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Well?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
I would like to.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Think you appeared on the media as well. You're not
just talking to your students, are you?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
No? No, no, gosh, I spread the gospel.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Spread the gospel, and well I mean and he means
that metaphorically. On the Bible and science can be at
odds with one another anyway, and joining him. She is
editor of Where's that magazine gone? New Zealand Gardener. I
must don't need to mention your name, do I Joe McCarroll,
because everyone knows who the editor of New Zealand Gardener is.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I should hope so.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
And you have color coordinated as well. The cover of
the New Zealand Gardener magazine is it's lovely pinks and
purples and violets and things, and there you are a
lovely sort of violet. We call that violence.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
I would call this future.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I wanted to say future.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
And the plant on the cover of New Zealand Gardener
is not a future, obviously. It is a sweet peak.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Of course.
Speaker 5 (04:35):
Of course, Sorry I interrupt you. I know you're about
to say.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
I was actually saying I thought when I looked at you,
I thought that's future, and I thought, I don't think
these are future. Don't say anything, ter, How are you?
What's the what's the what's the focus for the New
Zealand Gardener magazine?
Speaker 5 (04:51):
This so glad you asked? Actually a brilliant story about
the Taranaki seed company Egmont Seeds who have undertaken an
effort to because there's a worldwide crisis in sweet peace
seed as the cost of land and the the skilled
workers fall away, and so they've down in Taranaki, Egmont.
Sweetpea Limited are undertaking to solve the sweet pea seed
(05:13):
crisis and produce this incredible quality of sweet peace seed
that I think we'll be enjoyed all over the world.
And once again New Zealand horticulturalists are just punching so
far above their weight and should be celebrated like our
all legs are.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
I'm with you.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Hey.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
By the way, for flowers, is it a visual? How
important does it flowers smell beautiful rather than look beautiful?
Or is their appointment? It's like, well, okay, you don't
look better, you don't look too flash, you better smell good.
And then at some point they're like, you look so good.
I don't care how you smell well.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
I mean, who among us hasn't said that to a
flower or a person?
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Ah, this could get personal very quickly, couldn't it.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Now?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I do need we do need to just check because
I do love the idea that Tyra who got married
as she's been away for a few weeks actually walk
down the aisle to welcome with the jungle. But I
think we need to give it from horses mouth, Tyra,
did you're there? Aren't you? Did you walk down to
the welcome to the jungle? Oh that's so dist Did
you walk maybe for your next wedding, what did you
(06:20):
walk down to? Okay, well, you can play that at
some stage if it's not too dreary. And I think
we did share before you left that the success of
the wedding was really going to hinge on whether your
your husband now Sean ended up in tears as you
(06:41):
he saw you walk down the arm did he blub.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
Victory?
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Okay, good on your tyre. Well, nice to have you
back and congratulations anyway, guys, it's nice to celebrate a
bit of love.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Do you get.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Misty at weddings or these sorts of things or definitely,
thank goodness what you do.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
I would be wiping away. I'm almost wiping away a
tear hearing that your husband was crying a wedding courage
is It's so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
I love love.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
It's actually I reckon. I have a theory and based
on my own as well, because I think women when
they are preparing for the big day. That my wife
was so well prepared. She was just in a space.
She's like, I'm just going to enjoy the day. In fact,
that her matron of honor walked a little slowly and
the music ran out before she got to me, and
(07:27):
she just everyone was a bit awkward and she just
carried on walking slowly and she said to everyone, don't
stop me. I'm enjoying myself. And I was busy there,
sort of like, try not to well up. I reckon,
guys go all the time. Anyway, there we go, a
celebration of love. Now, I guess we better get onto
the panel, shouldn't we. Let's start with some good news
story and this is a story about who takes the
(07:50):
credit as well. But the RAM raids are down big time,
and I think Chrishipkins was mentioned by Audrey Young and
her piece about it that Chris Hipkins might have dropped
clanger when he said that claiming RAM raids were being
covered up by the Tory media to help the current government,
when in fact they have gone down, and he should
have probably said, well, we we we've got those, we
(08:14):
put that in train. But of course the RAM raids
under labor were pretty bad at peaking in twenty twenty
two at seven hundred and fourteen, but so far this
year only forty five.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Joe.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Good bit of news, isn't it.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
It is a good bit of news because you know
the consequences ram rais and when they've happened around where
I live, you know, they're just they're so out of
kilter with what the person has ended up walking away with,
you know, the destruction and the and the you know,
the emotional consequences.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
And the vibe to the rest of society that these
things are happening all the time.
Speaker 5 (08:48):
They're a big deal, absolutely, you know, really awful, and
so it's fantastic they're coming down. I mean, I think
the idea that any political party can take the credit
for it is simplistic, you know, it's there are a
multitude of factors that have contributed to this.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Although Hapkins should have said, look, because they did put
some they did put something in train. I mean, of
course it got away under them, but they did put
what's I can't remember the name of the operation that
they put in train, and then Nashville carried it on
Operation Circuit Breaker, and so he probably made a mistake
saying you're covering up RAM rates to saying what's good
(09:23):
to see, good to see, good to see what we.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
It's good to see circuit breaker working. But I mean,
I don't think that the previous coalition government should take
complete responsibility for the increase because I think it reflected
the mores of the time. I mean, I think it
was a really difficult and dysfunctional time, and I don't
think that the current coalition government can take complete credit
for the decrease.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
I think it is alan.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
This is this is the problem with the two party system,
isn't it because people, you know, one side or other
has to have the credit, doesn't it. Maybe they could
just get together and say, hey, isn't it great? This
is going down and it's probably a little bit of
them and a little bit of us, but you know,
we're on the right track. But said that, what are
the statistics for now? Just running in with a bunch
(10:09):
of hammers and beating up you know, your Michael Hill
and running off you know? That seems to I.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Don't know, we haven't heard that. Well, that'll be the
next story. I guess we'll dig into that. But it
does seem that this I wouldn't assume it's trending down
because it's not just ram raids. It's not going to
be one one stays the same, well another plummets.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
But also, I mean we all know that there have
been a lot of like infrastructure changes, there are a
lot more of the sort of ballad slides and stuff
and whire not wire but metal metal sort of fronts
to dairies and shops. Yes, I think it's we all
know that this was a situation where a very small
cohort of people were really over represented, and I think
(10:49):
a lot of effort has been put into addressing those
repeat offenders.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yeah. And look maybe there's also you know, the pressure
from the opposition, media pressure, just the pressure pressure from
the public. I mean, I've just done a quick tally
up in four years, eighteen hundred ram raids and now
just forty five this year. So other way, look good news.
Let's hope it keeps trending down.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
Yeah, because every single one of those is a business
and you you absolutely know, and I can think of
around where we live, businesses that were hit multiple times
and every single time the cost there for those individuals
is too high.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Well, let's hope that the ram Raiders aren't listening, and
thank sure we're going to get out.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Yeah, I think if you're a responsible member of if
ram Raiders were listening to this show, would mean that.
But they had become response contributing members of society, and.
Speaker 5 (11:37):
They were like, sweet peas, tell me.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
More, yes, and so in fact, I think we should
take credit. Obviously they heard my disapproval, so little just
just sort your act out, because so, yeah, I'm claiming
responsibility and anyway I'm gonna say anymore, I might dig
(11:59):
myself a bit of a hole there. But now here's
another one when it comes to I get a little
lost with this stuff because the number of the number
of benefit sanctions has increased by twenty seven percent compared
with last year. But so but the number of people
who've gone on to job seekert support is up ten percent.
(12:20):
But we've also seen eighty thousand people get more work.
I don't know how the maths all works on this,
but basically those are some of the numbers.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Alan, can you can you?
Speaker 5 (12:34):
What are you?
Speaker 2 (12:34):
What's your take on?
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Well, I mean, eighty thousand people moved off the benefit
to work last financial year. I mean, that has got
to be great news, and why they're not sort of
trumpeting it from on high.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
I think Louis Substin was claiming it as some great news.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Yeah, yeah, it absolutely is. And again it's the whole
two party thing. You know that the opposition is going
to have to find something wrong with this, and so
they do, so they sort of dig down and oh,
but you know, but this, but that can we not
just sort of say this is this, You know, this
is obviously going the right way and we should be
very very happy about that and hope that this continues,
(13:11):
and you know, whatever policies are being implemented, seemingly it's working.
Speaker 5 (13:15):
But the same numbers show that more people within the
working age cohort are going on to the benefit.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Well, I think that's I mean, I think that it's
show I think our economy is I think the job
we're still we're still struggling. But the fact that they
are shifting some people who've been on maybe long term unemployment,
I don't know, that's the thing. These statistics you can
pick whichever. Absolutely, I think that the broad discussion is
that this government has taken the approaches that that just
(13:44):
sitting on the unemployment benefit as a lifestyle is not
something that they are going to support, and so they
put the sanctions in play. Then the other side of saying, well,
you're just picking on people who can't find work, I
tend to think that, Look, yeah, I think we have
become a society where, unfortunately we've got intergenerational dependence on
(14:05):
social welfare, and something's got to change that. And I
don't mind, though, procure the government's taken although I'd hate
to be unemployed.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
I would hate to be unemployed, and I think, you know,
I've got someone in my circle who's looking for work
right now, and I just think it is a really
hard yards. You know, there aren't many jobs out there.
You're going up against, you know, dozens and dozens of applicants.
I would hate to be unemployed, and I would hate
to be in a situation where I felt like this
was the only option available to me. But I'm just
(14:33):
not sure if sanctions are the way to change that
intergenerational poverty. I think, you know, that's a systemic problem.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
That, as you say, I mean, it all comes down
to jobs, doesn't it. If the jobs aren't there up
to a point, it does No sure yes, absolutely does.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
There are some people who can't be who couldn't be
asked to work. They'd be like, there's a job for
It's like, you know, if you have not grown up
in a household where there's this example being said of
getting up every morning and doing something positive and feeling
that positivity of guess what I turned up to work
and at the end of the week or the end
the fortnite, I got this money in my bank account.
And that's because of something I did in a job.
(15:10):
And I don't I think there are some people who
haven't experienced that.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
Since I agree with you, but I also think it's
easier to punish beneficiaries than it is to create jobs.
And i'd love to see, rather than you know, the
heat on, let's chase down these benefit fraudsters, because when
you get into it, you know, when you really get
into the numbers, when they're saying it's this many people,
and you know it's this percentage of this many, it's
in the very low thousands. Yeah, and I'd like to
(15:36):
see that energy put into it. We're creating opportunities.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Well, that's why Louise obstin' strea is here when she
say well we have. We've had eighty thousand people who
have been on the benefit who've now found jobs. So
I don't know. To me, it sounds like carrot and stick.
I'm okay with I love carrot, nobody likes the stick.
But yeah, you know, what do.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
You when you're talking about creating jobs that it's easier
to punish beneficiaries than create jobs. But remember, it's not
the government who's creating jobs. It's those hard working kiwis
who are you know, risking bloody everything and mortgage themselves
to the hill and starting those small businesses. That's what
runs this country is small business. And you know, I'm
in awe of anybody's got their own business. I think
(16:15):
you're keeping the country going and good on you.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Actually, you know, I wholeheartedly support for you what you
mentioned there, because I've seen a few businesses recently and
a few leases come up in our area where somebody
has just not been able to keep the business working.
And then there was a local florist I won't say
who's who, but they're rented being put up to one
hundred thousand dollars per year and a reasonable location. It
(16:40):
wasn't a big square footage, and I thought, you know,
for anyone to take on a business to do that,
they've got to they have to assume. One, we've got
to cover the rent wages, you know, pye gest and
sell how many bouquets to cover that? Yes, And I
just think anyone bakeries and all that sort of stuff.
I look at the small businesses and I do think
anyone who does that, then.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
They're a hero. They're bloody heroes, absolutely are really and honestly, Yeah, anyway,
anything to add.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
To that, No, I do agree with you, you know,
and I think although I completely agree with you Alan
that there's these small businesses that are driving job creation.
I think, are we setting up an environment where we
are supporting people in the business environment or to start
small businesses or you know, are there is there something
there that helps you know, rather because I just feel like,
(17:32):
you know, our business owners are you just can't catch
a break?
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yeah, yeah, I think it'd be bloody tough to be
in business. In fact, I know quite a few people
who've been in business and they just they went out
of business and they got a job and they thought, oh,
actually I don't mind this for a change, because despite
the financial punishment they got problemly going out of business.
But just the friend of mine is just like turning up,
turning up and getting paid and not to worry about
anything else. Oh it's magic.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
So it's bloody tough to be unemployed, and it's bloody
tough to be in a small business. Where actually there.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Is something that was worth reading because Steve Brownius was
famously made redundant from the Herald and he has written
a piece about and.
Speaker 5 (18:08):
He monetized that, which I think is really clever.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
I don't think it's made up for the licensed experience,
but it's interesting just seeing his reflections on suddenly realizing
you know what it is to touch try and find
a job and things. It's quite sobering. I think a
lot of people probably read that and go, gosh, there about.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
Hit for the grace of God, go a lot of us.
And I think, especially as you're getting as you're older
than you once were, as many of us are, you know,
you're going into the market against people who might be
significantly younger, and it is I think there's real agism
once you start going into the job market.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Yep, yeah, hey, look, gosh, time's flying. I was about
to mention another topic. But you know what, We're just
going to take a cup of tea. Alan's going to
have a lie down on that very bright. Don't know
what we call that, but it is. I think he's
I think he's going out tonight.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
We'll be back in just a moment. Twenty five past
three new stalks.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
He'd be chemistry.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Would you show me everything?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Wonder? It's welcome back. This is News Talks that be
the weekend collective of my panelists, Alan Blackman and Joe McCarroll.
I'm t Beverridge by the way, and guys, now I've
got to say what a song should mention? The song
that I think that's somehow aladed? Was it just related
(19:36):
to your job description there?
Speaker 3 (19:38):
And it's a banger too. It's a good song. It's
a good si'. They don't write songs about physics.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Actually, it's quite funny, eladies and gentlemen, as you're listening,
because on the break we were having a I was
talking about what comes first? Is it physics or chemistry?
Speaker 5 (19:55):
Is everything chemistry or is everything.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Physically there we go there.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Off the top of my head, I would say chemistry
is everything, but I think everything in molecules must be
a result of the laws of physics. So I think
physics is first chemistry chemistry subset. I think horticulture is
a subset of biochemistry chemistry.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Anyway, come on.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
With my salad, which I'm back into making, and I
can tell you what I do love it. Anyway, let's
carry on with the Let's carry on with the topics
of the day. Open class open plan, should I say
classrooms history. They've been around for quite a while. I
don't know which generation should take blame for them, because
I think they go back as far as In fact,
I think my wife's taught at Fendleton, which was actually
(20:42):
originally known as Fendleton Open Air School. But that was
because it was open air because it could open up
to the environment and have lots of fresh air in
But it just gosh. But she she's been saying for
ages about the I think I can quote her on this,
but that the open plan stuff's just ridiculous nonsense. And
so finally looks like we've got on top of that one.
Did you guys go to a have an open air
(21:03):
classroom sort of thing, open, open planned classroom when you
were being educated?
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Hellm, this was more than a few years ago now,
So no, absolutely, I was. I was a product of
the Ministry of Works, you know. So basically, I think.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
There was a bit of a flurry of open planned
classrooms when I was going through school, which would have
been sort of the nineties and that. But I think
they were, they were on trend, and I think, you know,
they'll you know, if we are doing a panel in
you know, twenty fifty five, we may well revisit this
topic and say bring them back.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
You know.
Speaker 5 (21:36):
It's one of those things that goes around, like every trade.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
I reckon no, because silence and focus and the ability
of you know, have your open open air. So I mean,
I think that the open sort of plan stuff is
when they step outside and play with each other.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
I think different learning environments suit different children, and I
think there is some and I think, you know, they'll
suit different teaching staff and I would I would love
it if these sort of policy changes were maybe studied
before they were implemented.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
You know.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
I just wonder if this is, you know, should we
do it in a way that we just burn through
public money.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
But that's the thing. They probably are studied. But for
every study. There's another study that's giving you, well, exactly
opposing list is you know, educational research. You can find
whatever you want, and the educational research lich out literature.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
I think generally with teachers it's a fairly popular move
to try to have these spaces. I think sometimes. I
mean there have been I think there have been classrooms
where they can close them off and then open them up.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
And that's not a dumb idea. That's not bad. You know,
that's sensible. If you need a big space, you can
get a big space. But you teach kids and small groups,
and you know, that's what the university is are going
on about. Oh, you know, we've got small class sizes.
You know, come to us. You're going to get better
attention because we've got better you know, smaller class size,
et cetera, et cetera. And you're not going to have
five hundred people in your class. You're going to have
thirty or something like that.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
And lecture theater is a different vibe all together, because
you've also got grown ups supposedly, but you know what
I mean. I mean, it's not like you're teaching a
bunch of five hundred five year olds would not be
the way to try and teach fin But five hundred
people on a lecture theater who whose success depends on
actually listening to the man or woman who's up to
the front given them information. It's a different vibe, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
It is it is, but you still, you know, you
still get those disruptions and ealthing.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
Have you ever tried to teach five hundred five year olds?
Speaker 3 (23:20):
No, No, I'm not sure it was.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
I think our intuition would tell you that that wouldn't
work very well.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Oh, that sounds like an educational study, and may there
you go.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
I think that's where we can say common sense cacks in.
And I don't need somebody to go off and do
a study and say, let's see if this is a
good idea. I think we can all go. I think
it's hard enough just to teach one. If you're a parent,
who more twins or whatever, they're terrible anyway, So anyway,
good on Erica Standford for making that decision, and we'll
see where it goes. But of course they've made that
announcement about a lot more classrooms, so there's some positive
(23:51):
moves in that direction. But old Chris Bishop is in
hot water with local government again again, I guess partly
because of his speech where he sort of challenged. In fact,
we've got a clip from that. This is Chris Bishop.
I don't really care.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
What Greens star rating your new council facilities have, or
whether some international architectural body thinks your latest building is
pretty or not. The only awards your project should be
winning are for cost, efficiency and effectiveness.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
I struggle to disagree with them on that one.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
It is hard to argue. Yeah, yeah, totally agree.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Yeah, yeah, I agree with him too. I don't really
love this sort of increasing kind of tendency to kind
of front foot policy announcements without the policy. I just
think it's a bit unfair, Like, if you're going to
make changes, tell people what the changes are.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Don't well they have announced that they. I mean, one
of the things that's blindsided the Council's has been the
decision to halt or planning work unless it's something to
do with safety and other sort of high priority issues.
But the RAMA basically they're putting a stop to working
on the district and regional plans until the RMA legislation
takes effect. And look, this stuff's pretty dense to be honest,
(25:03):
isn't it? But I don't know, Alan, Well.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
You know, what are they going to do in the meantime?
You know, so they've halted this work and the rama
is not going to be implemented what till twenty twenty seven?
I think, so you know things are going to take effect.
Then so what are they going to do for the
next two years? And I totally agree with Joe Is
she's you know, saying, tell us what's going to happen?
And maybe if the government could go to the councils
and say, right, this is what we're proposing, this is
(25:31):
what we're going to do, so maybe you could operate
accordingly and everyone's going to be happy, but not just
you know, blindside them and say, well that stopped, but
you're going to have to wait till twenty twenty seven
to fine at what's going to oak case.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
They must have made a calculation that I don't know
what the calculation would be, but that councils are spending
money on plans and actions that maybe they think when
we look, just stop what you're doing. We'll come back
to you. But unfortunately, you're right, it's a bit of
a wait before they come back to them on the RAM.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Because the ROMA is going to still be law, presumably
until twenty two, so they sort of, well, they have
to operate according Yeah, exactly exactly.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
And I think it's it is an oversimplification of something
that is complicated, you know, to assume that all planning,
all process is a waste of money, I think is well.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
There's exemptions.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
I mean, there are exemptions including private plan changes and
natural hazards planning and things like that. So I don't know,
it's I tend to blaze over on council things, which
is one of the big problems in New Zealand is that,
I mean, do you know who you're voting for for
each council and whose different strengths are. I mean, we've
got the problem with the turnout of the and the
(26:47):
lottery that local councils are. You get a good council,
you get a bad counsel. And I don't know if
that's so much the responsibility of the voters or just
good luck.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
And then somebody who's saying the other day that you
meant to keep party politics out of local out of
councils and stuff like that, but I'm.
Speaker 5 (27:01):
Not doing very well at that.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Yeah, look, just let's be honest. You know, all of
the political parties should just put up people for the councils.
And let's let's call it for what it is. You
know it is.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
It's just an extent I would hate, see instinctively, I
would hate party politics to become part of council politics.
But it is implicitly though, isn't it, Because you've got
candidates that are endorsed by the which ones which actually.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
I mean labors at least honest about it, and you
know they basically he's our Labor candidate for mey or
But jeez.
Speaker 5 (27:35):
But well, I mean, I certainly don't want our ruling
political party or political coalition to be quite so top
down as it seems like Bishop is being here. You know,
I mean, you're just I mean, people do vote for
their local government. You know that those are your elected representatives.
I don't think it is the right of our government
to say, I know, we'll make the decisions.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Although they do draft the laws under which councils act.
Speaker 5 (28:00):
I'm not I'm not like they've got no rights in
the space. But this feels a fairly top down approach
from a government who claimed that that was not how
they operate.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
You know, the most interesting thing I thought, this is
how unengaged i'm in local government politics is. I looked
at the footage of him talking, giving his speech and
the amount of foliage behind him on the screen. It
looked like he was delivering it from the forest. And
then I looked at the stage and there was there
was just this mass of greenery behind him, and I
thought what I just it was just an amusing background.
(28:29):
I don't if you've seen the images of it, but
he looks like he's standing in the middle of a
forest when he's actually on stage at the local government conference.
It was an interesting bit of setup. Anyway, Hey, anyway,
let's move on from that. But before we end up
talking about Wellington local government policy. Oh, by the way,
hands up, hands up, who thinks that it's going to
be a landslide for Wayne Brown?
Speaker 3 (28:48):
By the way, Oh, I have to say, what's the option?
You know, it's like this. It's the same as last time.
Speaker 5 (28:56):
I think you could say, hands up, who thinks it's
going to be a landside for Wayne Brown? And then
hands up? Who's happy about it? And it's not necessarily
but Actually, I've got to say.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
We've come to love can much of the old ways,
and I.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
Don't think he's been a bad mayor for Auckland.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
That's quite something from someone who might have not been
a huge fan of him in the early days.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Not a fan.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
I'm still I wouldn't say I was a fan. I
don't want to be a fan of.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
But you're probably going to vote for him.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Oh anyway, Look, we'll take a moment, have a cup
of in a lie down. We'll go back in a take.
It's twenty one minutes to four news talks. He'd b God, remember.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Run flowers, my name Si.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Myself. Ah, yes, Welcome back to the Weekend Collective. We
were behind the scenes thinking we need a song one flowers,
and we couldn't think of one, and then of course
my producer tire just goes, well, here's one. And of
course it seems obvious now, doesn't it. Anyway, Welcome back
to the show. My panelists Alan Blackman, he's a professor
of chemistry at a UT and Joe mccarell, editor of
New Zealand Gardener magazine, still haven't resolved the question about
(29:59):
what came first physics or chemistry. But we maybe it's
a topic for an overnight talkback. I'm going to save
that one. That's a good one.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Now the huichboard would light why you'd.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Be surprised some of the I've had some pretty in
depth philosophical conversations about things. It's amazing who's listening at
that time.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Hey, now the.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
The the UK lowering the age of voting to sixteen, Okay,
I don't even need to say anything more. Good idea
about idea?
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Alan go arbitrary? Idea? Why stop at sixteen? Why why
not fifteen? Exactly exactly twelve eleven nine? And then they
look at the numbers and they say, right, thirty three
percent of these people of these age are going to
vote Labor and ten percent Conservatives. Of course Labour's going
to bring it in.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Oh, I'm surprised that they can just arbituarly bring it in.
I would have thought that's a Democrat. It's a constitutional
sort of question around.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Actually that's true. I don't think they could do that here,
could they? I would have thought it would have taken
a lot more.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
Than Yeah, there is a I mean there are those
make it sixteen. Yeah, I mean I do feeling unbearably precocious.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
I've got to be honest, but.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
Well, raise the age, raise it to twenty five.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
I think if you're going to say you're going to
lower the age, I mean age is I can't. It's
an imperfect proxy of competence, but it is the best
one we have. And I am like, if you're going
to lower it to sixteen, people have a seventy can't vote?
They they're not voting for the future.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
Oh yeah, no, I mean that's the thing.
Speaker 5 (31:38):
People say, you know that you could make a case.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Although they're entitled to have a say in their grandkids future,
because they might say, well, I'm you know what I mean.
I mean, that's the thing. As soon as you get
into this to other competencies, then you end up, as
you say, Joe, you end up in this very slippery
slope that people will say supporting the argument for sixteen,
there are some very switched on sixteen year olds. Why
can't they vote? It's like, okay, if you're introducing competence.
Speaker 5 (32:00):
And some moronic thirty year olds, it's just a lottery,
isn't it.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Should you be able to spell maybe before you can vote?
Should you be able to spell the names of the
major parties and their candidates. That'll be a challenge from
probably many people, I imagine.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
I mean, actually that's the thing though.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
If you're going to argue, oh, there are some smart
sixteen year olds, then you've introduced a different standard altogether,
and you're arguing for having some other competency test. Start
your arm.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Yes, you are, absolutely yeah, yep, I totally agree with that.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
Okay, so lower it, keep it the same, raise it.
What do you reckon, Allen?
Speaker 3 (32:37):
I'm a status quote kind of guy. I mean, I
don't see any compelling reason to lower it. I don't
see any compelling reason to raise Hey, maybe let's focus
on just getting everybody to bloody vote.
Speaker 5 (32:47):
I would much rather the energy that would go into
changing it when into just people taking advantage.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Of the suffrage that they have and realizing that they
are really lucky to live in a country where they
can actually do this exactly, and not Australia where they
have to vote and.
Speaker 5 (33:03):
Given an incredibly low turnout people under the age of
you know, about fifty. You know, the problem isn't getting
people seventeen sixteen. The problem is getting everyone under the.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Agsty devote I've got to say, given some of the
challenges that the UK of facing this, you wonder, I do,
cynically wonder where the kistarm. I don't have a beef
with him at all, but I do think, why are
you bringing this? And what are the other challenges you
really need to be addressing?
Speaker 4 (33:29):
Do you?
Speaker 2 (33:30):
Is it a distraction? I don't know. I hate being
cynical about this stuff, but it just seems completely unnecessary.
Speaker 5 (33:36):
Our hand is being forced to be cynical about this
because so often what ends up being the thing being
discussed is not the most important thing.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Oh well, yes, indeed, I think that's that. Welcome to
the game of politics. Anyway. On something else, I was
shocked to hear that CBS was ending the Late Show
with Stephen Colbert, and I did reach for my cynicism hat,
because on his day back he talked about how there
(34:06):
was a pending merger between between Paramount and Skydance Media
and how they'd been a payment to Trump of sixteen
million dollars for some spurious law. Certain he really launched
into them, and next a couple of days later he's
canceled Alan.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
Oh, complete coincidence, complete cocid nothing to see here. Well,
I mean, I don't know, it could be because but
it does. Well. The stupid thing that Trump's done now
is to pick a fight with Rupert Murdoch. I mean,
that's just madness. He's gone and sued them. That's insanity.
You don't pick a fight with Rupert Murdock because Rupert
(34:42):
Murdoch controls the media. So Fox knew. If Fox News
turns against Trump, I think.
Speaker 5 (34:49):
I mean, I'm a working journalist myself, but to a agree,
you're dealing in sort of dead languages. You know, the
idea that you can you're you know, your editorial in
the Times has the weight that it would have won.
And I think that's what Trump is betting on.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Yeah, but it's not the print meme you so much.
It's it's going to be your Fox News, you know.
And and if that channel turns against Trump and he's toast,
surely surely well, because who else is going to know Trumpet,
pardon the punk Trumpet his views. Oh no, it'll be
truth social and that's it. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
I think there are plenty of mouthpieces for the mag
of Voice. I think, you know, the Late Show with
Stephen Colbert being canceled I would say, you know, I
wouldn't sleep easy if you're on Saturday Night Live. You know,
I think there's an absolute attempt to shut down any
kind of desperate voice in the media. And I mean
(35:42):
I would go really deep in the like conspiracy on this,
because you know it'll come off here just before the midterms,
you know what I mean, There'll be no desperate voices.
But I would absolutely, absolutely say this was related to
the current administra.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
I don't know, of course it is, absolutely it is.
And but now Colbert is going to have nothing to
rain him in. Well, he's gone next year regardless, so
he's gonna go healthily. I imagine.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
I did enjoy he his first appearance back. He was
sporting a mustache, and it was very funny because I
he talked about how he had grown a beard on
holiday while he was in Turkey and he was sent
to the barber on pain of trial separation from his
wife to get.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Rid of it.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
And he walked in the and the barber said, we
keep the mustache is and he said, no, I have
to get rid of it. He says, oh, I do
a very nice job for you, and then he says,
I'm no longer Steve, and I missed to Stephen. But
the funny thing was he'd had the similar journey to me,
although I shaved my own, but I'd been told I
needed to get rid of the beard by my girls,
and so I shaved everything but the mustache off, which
(36:44):
I still am fighting to keep, just for another few days.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
But it looks goods.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
I thought, I was, that's way too raw because I'm
turning I'm turning Allen's mic off.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
Now.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
I thought it was more. I thought it was more
ted Lasso with a bit of a blonde flavor to it. Anyway, right,
I'm not sure to give you that. I'm still going
to keep it despite that. Anyway, we're going to take
a cup of tea. You're gonna have lie down. In fact,
I'm going to turn these guys MIC's off and just
come back and do the last topic by myself. It's
ten minutes to four. So she went, yes, listen, welcome
(37:26):
back Tim Beveridge, Alan Blackman and John mccaroll. Lucky last
the coldplay cheating scandal. Guys, we're playing a little bit
of cold play in and out of this little break
because the moment that those two were the tech tycoon
and head of HR potentially allegedly mistress. Basically, they have
the kiss cam, the camera cam up, and there were
these two people in this lovely embrace, and they suddenly
(37:49):
saw the camera was on them scrambled to hide their faces.
Chris Martin said, oh, look at those two. They're they're
having an affair or very shy, looks like they might
have been having an affair.
Speaker 5 (37:58):
Joe, I need you do you feel sorry for their partners?
I mean, imagine everyone knowing at your husband like coldplay,
Oh boom far.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
You're on fire today. Well, actually we were discussing this
in the Break that I wonder if in a society
where there's you're in a society where there's tens of
millions of people in your city, whether you people feel
a bit more than anonymous. Yeah, Whereas in New Zealand,
I imagine people would be leaping from bush to bush just
to keep themselves the secret. But what are they doing
(38:32):
hugging at a concert?
Speaker 3 (38:34):
Well again, you know, sixty thousand people there or whatever,
you'd think you'd be pretty anonymous, but you know, alas no,
So interestingly, it could.
Speaker 5 (38:42):
Have been completely anonymous if they haven't reacted, Yeah exactly.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Yeah, it just would have taken anyone else at that
concert to go I know those guys. Actually. Interestingly, one
of the people in the picture is an employee at
the company as well, so she was complicit with the couple.
So maybe it was everyone sort of knew about it,
but well.
Speaker 5 (39:02):
Everyone knows about it.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
The Streison effect written large, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (39:07):
Do you think that if they're just sort.
Speaker 5 (39:09):
Of I think it just would have been nothing at all.
You could not have reacted in a way more likely
to make that go viral.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
Yeah, anyway, we actually what's the magic word of the day.
I think it's Shardenfreuder is yep. The number of people
who are just loving the fact that these people are
being caught out having a naughty time, and well, you know,
they've only got themselves to blame. The German language. They
have words for everything they do.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
Great language.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
It is fantastic. By the way, there is a fantastic
This is complete non sequitur. There's a very funny clip
where they've got people who speak six different languages and
they all have different words, and they all sound exactly
the same except for the German persons totally different it's like,
it's like the word for a love.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
It's like and then I'm living something.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Yeah, hey, Joe, as we just take a moment to
remind people to get their copy of the New Zealand
Gardener magazine.
Speaker 5 (40:06):
And in fact, if you do get a copy and
send us a stamp stuff, you can get some free
sweet Peace seeds.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
Well, we're rocking by the Sweetpeace and the Lucky Last
Lord go word goes to Allen physics or chemistry? What
came first?
Speaker 3 (40:20):
Chemistry? Come on, everyone knows that.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
And there'll be a punch up in the studio after this,
but anyway, hey, thanks for thanks for joining the panel,
and we'll be back with the one with Fredy your show.
Ed McKnight is next talking about the sacrifices that people
are willing or unwilling to make to get into the market,
and we'll be taking your calls on our eight hundred
and eight ten eighty back shortly
Speaker 1 (40:38):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to News
Talk ZEDB weekends from three pm, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from youth Talk,
said B, debating all the issues and more. It's the
panel on the Weekend Collective on us Talk, said B,
(00:59):
what are you?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yes? In a very good afternoon too you. I'm Tim Beveridge.
This is the Weekend Collective of Saturday, the nineteenth of July.
My producer Tyra is back and she told me when
I heard this, she said, this is what I walked
down the aisle to because she's just got married and
I was thinking, Welcome to the Jungle. Sh and I
bring it to you need apparently apparently she says, you're
sort of just joking, but I don't know. I'm going
to need some verification. So if you're a member of
(01:33):
Tyra's family, did she or did she not walk down
to Welcome to the Jungle.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
That would be a great little thing to walk.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Down the arm anyway, Ah, welcome to the show. You
can text your feedback anytime. I'm nine two nine two,
Welcome to the Jungle. Feod walking down the ar music.
I love it, very emotional. Email Tim be at Newstalks.
He beatot Co dot Ens yet coming up in today's
show and just a moment a panel. I'll be introducing
our panelist shortly, but looking forward a little further to
(01:59):
when we also take your calls on our eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty. You can text on nine two
nine two for the onond Roof radio show, which is
after four o'clock. We're with Ed McKnight, resent economists at
opeir's partners and talking about what are the things that
prospective buyers just aren't willing to sacrifice to get that
deposit together and get on the ladder. And also we
(02:21):
might have a chat about Chris Bishop's comments about needing
to uncouple economic growth from and the housing market, so
we'll have to chat about that as well. And after five,
Google Sutherland joins us for the Parents Squad. He's a
principal psychologist at Umbrella Well Being, talking about, look, our kids,
they're more savvy with digital media than we are, but
despite that, we still need to support them, and how
(02:43):
can parents help manage their kids stress and anxiety which
are tied to social and media social media exposure over
the years. We'll have a chat about that and if
we have time, how strict should you be when it
comes to film classifications? Asking for a friend who took
his daughter to Mission Impossible and was thinking, hmm, anyway
before sex is of course, we'll be rapping sport looking
(03:04):
with Piney. Of course, as you will have heard, he's
and he's been at the pub in Hamilton. Sounds dodchy,
doesn't it. Previewing the All Blacks test, but also looking
ahead to the Wallabies and lines as well. So lots
to get forward, get our teeth into. Welcome to the
Weekend Collective. It is coming up to ten past three.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Your weekend, Your way to the Weekend Collective with Tim Beveridge,
news Dog Zebby.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
It's in time to introduce our panels no particular order.
Here is a professional professor of chemistry, some might say
a science influencer and lover of a lover of colorful shirts.
Today it's Alan Blackman. Good ay, Alan, how are you going.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Very well, very well on the weekend? So well?
Speaker 2 (03:44):
You are a science influence, aren't you?
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Well?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
I would like to.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Think you appeared on the media as well. You're not
just talking to your students, are you?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
No? No, no, gosh, I spread the gospel.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Spread the gospel, and well I mean and he means
that metaphorically. On the Bible and science can be at
odds with one another anyway, and joining him. She is
editor of Where's that magazine gone? New Zealand Gardener. I
must don't need to mention your name, do I Joe McCarroll,
because everyone knows who the editor of New Zealand Gardener is.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I should hope so.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
And you have color coordinated as well. The cover of
the New Zealand Gardener magazine is it's lovely pinks and
purples and violets and things, and there you are a
lovely sort of violet. We call that violence.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
I would call this future.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I wanted to say future.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
And the plant on the cover of New Zealand Gardener
is not a future, obviously. It is a sweet peak.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Of course.
Speaker 5 (04:35):
Of course, Sorry I interrupt you. I know you're about
to say.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
I was actually saying I thought when I looked at you,
I thought that's future, and I thought, I don't think
these are future. Don't say anything, ter, How are you?
What's the what's the what's the focus for the New
Zealand Gardener magazine?
Speaker 5 (04:51):
This so glad you asked? Actually a brilliant story about
the Taranaki seed company Egmont Seeds who have undertaken an
effort to because there's a worldwide crisis in sweet peace
seed as the cost of land and the the skilled
workers fall away, and so they've down in Taranaki, Egmont.
Sweetpea Limited are undertaking to solve the sweet pea seed
(05:13):
crisis and produce this incredible quality of sweet peace seed
that I think we'll be enjoyed all over the world.
And once again New Zealand horticulturalists are just punching so
far above their weight and should be celebrated like our
all legs are.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
I'm with you.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Hey.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
By the way, for flowers, is it a visual? How
important does it flowers smell beautiful rather than look beautiful?
Or is their appointment? It's like, well, okay, you don't
look better, you don't look too flash, you better smell good.
And then at some point they're like, you look so good.
I don't care how you smell well.
Speaker 5 (05:44):
I mean, who among us hasn't said that to a
flower or a person?
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Ah, this could get personal very quickly, couldn't it.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Now?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
I do need we do need to just check because
I do love the idea that Tyra who got married
as she's been away for a few weeks actually walk
down the aisle to welcome with the jungle. But I
think we need to give it from horses mouth, Tyra,
did you're there? Aren't you? Did you walk down to
the welcome to the jungle? Oh that's so dist Did
you walk maybe for your next wedding, what did you
(06:20):
walk down to? Okay, well, you can play that at
some stage if it's not too dreary. And I think
we did share before you left that the success of
the wedding was really going to hinge on whether your
your husband now Sean ended up in tears as you
(06:41):
he saw you walk down the arm did he blub.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
Victory?
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Okay, good on your tyre. Well, nice to have you
back and congratulations anyway, guys, it's nice to celebrate a
bit of love.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Do you get.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Misty at weddings or these sorts of things or definitely,
thank goodness what you do.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
I would be wiping away. I'm almost wiping away a
tear hearing that your husband was crying a wedding courage
is It's so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
I love love.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
It's actually I reckon. I have a theory and based
on my own as well, because I think women when
they are preparing for the big day. That my wife
was so well prepared. She was just in a space.
She's like, I'm just going to enjoy the day. In fact,
that her matron of honor walked a little slowly and
the music ran out before she got to me, and
(07:27):
she just everyone was a bit awkward and she just
carried on walking slowly and she said to everyone, don't
stop me. I'm enjoying myself. And I was busy there,
sort of like, try not to well up. I reckon,
guys go all the time. Anyway, there we go, a
celebration of love. Now, I guess we better get onto
the panel, shouldn't we. Let's start with some good news
story and this is a story about who takes the
(07:50):
credit as well. But the RAM raids are down big time,
and I think Chrishipkins was mentioned by Audrey Young and
her piece about it that Chris Hipkins might have dropped
clanger when he said that claiming RAM raids were being
covered up by the Tory media to help the current government,
when in fact they have gone down, and he should
have probably said, well, we we we've got those, we
(08:14):
put that in train. But of course the RAM raids
under labor were pretty bad at peaking in twenty twenty
two at seven hundred and fourteen, but so far this
year only forty five.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Joe.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Good bit of news, isn't it.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
It is a good bit of news because you know
the consequences ram rais and when they've happened around where
I live, you know, they're just they're so out of
kilter with what the person has ended up walking away with,
you know, the destruction and the and the you know,
the emotional consequences.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
And the vibe to the rest of society that these
things are happening all the time.
Speaker 5 (08:48):
They're a big deal, absolutely, you know, really awful, and
so it's fantastic they're coming down. I mean, I think
the idea that any political party can take the credit
for it is simplistic, you know, it's there are a
multitude of factors that have contributed to this.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Although Hapkins should have said, look, because they did put
some they did put something in train. I mean, of
course it got away under them, but they did put
what's I can't remember the name of the operation that
they put in train, and then Nashville carried it on
Operation Circuit Breaker, and so he probably made a mistake
saying you're covering up RAM rates to saying what's good
(09:23):
to see, good to see, good to see what we.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
It's good to see circuit breaker working. But I mean,
I don't think that the previous coalition government should take
complete responsibility for the increase because I think it reflected
the mores of the time. I mean, I think it
was a really difficult and dysfunctional time, and I don't
think that the current coalition government can take complete credit
for the decrease.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
I think it is alan.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
This is this is the problem with the two party system,
isn't it because people, you know, one side or other
has to have the credit, doesn't it. Maybe they could
just get together and say, hey, isn't it great? This
is going down and it's probably a little bit of
them and a little bit of us, but you know,
we're on the right track. But said that, what are
the statistics for now? Just running in with a bunch
(10:09):
of hammers and beating up you know, your Michael Hill
and running off you know? That seems to I.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Don't know, we haven't heard that. Well, that'll be the
next story. I guess we'll dig into that. But it
does seem that this I wouldn't assume it's trending down
because it's not just ram raids. It's not going to
be one one stays the same, well another plummets.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (10:28):
But also, I mean we all know that there have
been a lot of like infrastructure changes, there are a
lot more of the sort of ballad slides and stuff
and whire not wire but metal metal sort of fronts
to dairies and shops. Yes, I think it's we all
know that this was a situation where a very small
cohort of people were really over represented, and I think
(10:49):
a lot of effort has been put into addressing those
repeat offenders.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yeah. And look maybe there's also you know, the pressure
from the opposition, media pressure, just the pressure pressure from
the public. I mean, I've just done a quick tally
up in four years, eighteen hundred ram raids and now
just forty five this year. So other way, look good news.
Let's hope it keeps trending down.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
Yeah, because every single one of those is a business
and you you absolutely know, and I can think of
around where we live, businesses that were hit multiple times
and every single time the cost there for those individuals
is too high.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Well, let's hope that the ram Raiders aren't listening, and
thank sure we're going to get out.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Yeah, I think if you're a responsible member of if
ram Raiders were listening to this show, would mean that.
But they had become response contributing members of society, and.
Speaker 5 (11:37):
They were like, sweet peas, tell me.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
More, yes, and so in fact, I think we should
take credit. Obviously they heard my disapproval, so little just
just sort your act out, because so, yeah, I'm claiming
responsibility and anyway I'm gonna say anymore, I might dig
(11:59):
myself a bit of a hole there. But now here's
another one when it comes to I get a little
lost with this stuff because the number of the number
of benefit sanctions has increased by twenty seven percent compared
with last year. But so but the number of people
who've gone on to job seekert support is up ten percent.
(12:20):
But we've also seen eighty thousand people get more work.
I don't know how the maths all works on this,
but basically those are some of the numbers.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Alan, can you can you?
Speaker 5 (12:34):
What are you?
Speaker 2 (12:34):
What's your take on?
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Well, I mean, eighty thousand people moved off the benefit
to work last financial year. I mean, that has got
to be great news, and why they're not sort of
trumpeting it from on high.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
I think Louis Substin was claiming it as some great news.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Yeah, yeah, it absolutely is. And again it's the whole
two party thing. You know that the opposition is going
to have to find something wrong with this, and so
they do, so they sort of dig down and oh,
but you know, but this, but that can we not
just sort of say this is this, You know, this
is obviously going the right way and we should be
very very happy about that and hope that this continues,
(13:11):
and you know, whatever policies are being implemented, seemingly it's working.
Speaker 5 (13:15):
But the same numbers show that more people within the
working age cohort are going on to the benefit.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Well, I think that's I mean, I think that it's
show I think our economy is I think the job
we're still we're still struggling. But the fact that they
are shifting some people who've been on maybe long term unemployment,
I don't know, that's the thing. These statistics you can
pick whichever. Absolutely, I think that the broad discussion is
that this government has taken the approaches that that just
(13:44):
sitting on the unemployment benefit as a lifestyle is not
something that they are going to support, and so they
put the sanctions in play. Then the other side of saying, well,
you're just picking on people who can't find work, I
tend to think that, Look, yeah, I think we have
become a society where, unfortunately we've got intergenerational dependence on
(14:05):
social welfare, and something's got to change that. And I
don't mind, though, procure the government's taken although I'd hate
to be unemployed.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
I would hate to be unemployed, and I think, you know,
I've got someone in my circle who's looking for work
right now, and I just think it is a really
hard yards. You know, there aren't many jobs out there.
You're going up against, you know, dozens and dozens of applicants.
I would hate to be unemployed, and I would hate
to be in a situation where I felt like this
was the only option available to me. But I'm just
(14:33):
not sure if sanctions are the way to change that
intergenerational poverty. I think, you know, that's a systemic problem.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
That, as you say, I mean, it all comes down
to jobs, doesn't it. If the jobs aren't there up
to a point, it does No sure yes, absolutely does.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
There are some people who can't be who couldn't be
asked to work. They'd be like, there's a job for
It's like, you know, if you have not grown up
in a household where there's this example being said of
getting up every morning and doing something positive and feeling
that positivity of guess what I turned up to work
and at the end of the week or the end
the fortnite, I got this money in my bank account.
And that's because of something I did in a job.
(15:10):
And I don't I think there are some people who
haven't experienced that.
Speaker 5 (15:13):
Since I agree with you, but I also think it's
easier to punish beneficiaries than it is to create jobs.
And i'd love to see, rather than you know, the
heat on, let's chase down these benefit fraudsters, because when
you get into it, you know, when you really get
into the numbers, when they're saying it's this many people,
and you know it's this percentage of this many, it's
in the very low thousands. Yeah, and I'd like to
(15:36):
see that energy put into it. We're creating opportunities.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Well, that's why Louise obstin' strea is here when she
say well we have. We've had eighty thousand people who
have been on the benefit who've now found jobs. So
I don't know. To me, it sounds like carrot and stick.
I'm okay with I love carrot, nobody likes the stick.
But yeah, you know, what do.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
You when you're talking about creating jobs that it's easier
to punish beneficiaries than create jobs. But remember, it's not
the government who's creating jobs. It's those hard working kiwis
who are you know, risking bloody everything and mortgage themselves
to the hill and starting those small businesses. That's what
runs this country is small business. And you know, I'm
in awe of anybody's got their own business. I think
(16:15):
you're keeping the country going and good on you.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Actually, you know, I wholeheartedly support for you what you
mentioned there, because I've seen a few businesses recently and
a few leases come up in our area where somebody
has just not been able to keep the business working.
And then there was a local florist I won't say
who's who, but they're rented being put up to one
hundred thousand dollars per year and a reasonable location. It
(16:40):
wasn't a big square footage, and I thought, you know,
for anyone to take on a business to do that,
they've got to they have to assume. One, we've got
to cover the rent wages, you know, pye gest and
sell how many bouquets to cover that? Yes, And I
just think anyone bakeries and all that sort of stuff.
I look at the small businesses and I do think
anyone who does that, then.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
They're a hero. They're bloody heroes, absolutely are really and honestly, Yeah, anyway,
anything to add.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
To that, No, I do agree with you, you know,
and I think although I completely agree with you Alan
that there's these small businesses that are driving job creation.
I think, are we setting up an environment where we
are supporting people in the business environment or to start
small businesses or you know, are there is there something
there that helps you know, rather because I just feel like,
(17:32):
you know, our business owners are you just can't catch
a break?
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yeah, yeah, I think it'd be bloody tough to be
in business. In fact, I know quite a few people
who've been in business and they just they went out
of business and they got a job and they thought, oh,
actually I don't mind this for a change, because despite
the financial punishment they got problemly going out of business.
But just the friend of mine is just like turning up,
turning up and getting paid and not to worry about
anything else. Oh it's magic.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
So it's bloody tough to be unemployed, and it's bloody
tough to be in a small business. Where actually there.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Is something that was worth reading because Steve Brownius was
famously made redundant from the Herald and he has written
a piece about and.
Speaker 5 (18:08):
He monetized that, which I think is really clever.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
I don't think it's made up for the licensed experience,
but it's interesting just seeing his reflections on suddenly realizing
you know what it is to touch try and find
a job and things. It's quite sobering. I think a
lot of people probably read that and go, gosh, there about.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
Hit for the grace of God, go a lot of us.
And I think, especially as you're getting as you're older
than you once were, as many of us are, you know,
you're going into the market against people who might be
significantly younger, and it is I think there's real agism
once you start going into the job market.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Yep, yeah, hey, look, gosh, time's flying. I was about
to mention another topic. But you know what, We're just
going to take a cup of tea. Alan's going to
have a lie down on that very bright. Don't know
what we call that, but it is. I think he's
I think he's going out tonight.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
We'll be back in just a moment. Twenty five past
three new stalks.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
He'd be chemistry.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Would you show me everything?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Wonder? It's welcome back. This is News Talks that be
the weekend collective of my panelists, Alan Blackman and Joe McCarroll.
I'm t Beverridge by the way, and guys, now I've
got to say what a song should mention? The song
that I think that's somehow aladed? Was it just related
(19:36):
to your job description there?
Speaker 3 (19:38):
And it's a banger too. It's a good song. It's
a good si'. They don't write songs about physics.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Actually, it's quite funny, eladies and gentlemen, as you're listening,
because on the break we were having a I was
talking about what comes first? Is it physics or chemistry?
Speaker 5 (19:55):
Is everything chemistry or is everything.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Physically there we go there.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Off the top of my head, I would say chemistry
is everything, but I think everything in molecules must be
a result of the laws of physics. So I think
physics is first chemistry chemistry subset. I think horticulture is
a subset of biochemistry chemistry.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
Anyway, come on.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
With my salad, which I'm back into making, and I
can tell you what I do love it. Anyway, let's
carry on with the Let's carry on with the topics
of the day. Open class open plan, should I say
classrooms history. They've been around for quite a while. I
don't know which generation should take blame for them, because
I think they go back as far as In fact,
I think my wife's taught at Fendleton, which was actually
(20:42):
originally known as Fendleton Open Air School. But that was
because it was open air because it could open up
to the environment and have lots of fresh air in
But it just gosh. But she she's been saying for
ages about the I think I can quote her on this,
but that the open plan stuff's just ridiculous nonsense. And
so finally looks like we've got on top of that one.
Did you guys go to a have an open air
(21:03):
classroom sort of thing, open, open planned classroom when you
were being educated?
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Hellm, this was more than a few years ago now,
So no, absolutely, I was. I was a product of
the Ministry of Works, you know. So basically, I think.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
There was a bit of a flurry of open planned
classrooms when I was going through school, which would have
been sort of the nineties and that. But I think
they were, they were on trend, and I think, you know,
they'll you know, if we are doing a panel in
you know, twenty fifty five, we may well revisit this
topic and say bring them back.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
You know.
Speaker 5 (21:36):
It's one of those things that goes around, like every trade.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
I reckon no, because silence and focus and the ability
of you know, have your open open air. So I mean,
I think that the open sort of plan stuff is
when they step outside and play with each other.
Speaker 5 (21:49):
I think different learning environments suit different children, and I
think there is some and I think, you know, they'll
suit different teaching staff and I would I would love
it if these sort of policy changes were maybe studied
before they were implemented.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
You know.
Speaker 5 (22:00):
I just wonder if this is, you know, should we
do it in a way that we just burn through
public money.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
But that's the thing. They probably are studied. But for
every study. There's another study that's giving you, well, exactly
opposing list is you know, educational research. You can find
whatever you want, and the educational research lich out literature.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
I think generally with teachers it's a fairly popular move
to try to have these spaces. I think sometimes. I
mean there have been I think there have been classrooms
where they can close them off and then open them up.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
And that's not a dumb idea. That's not bad. You know,
that's sensible. If you need a big space, you can
get a big space. But you teach kids and small groups,
and you know, that's what the university is are going
on about. Oh, you know, we've got small class sizes.
You know, come to us. You're going to get better
attention because we've got better you know, smaller class size,
et cetera, et cetera. And you're not going to have
five hundred people in your class. You're going to have
thirty or something like that.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
And lecture theater is a different vibe all together, because
you've also got grown ups supposedly, but you know what
I mean. I mean, it's not like you're teaching a
bunch of five hundred five year olds would not be
the way to try and teach fin But five hundred
people on a lecture theater who whose success depends on
actually listening to the man or woman who's up to
the front given them information. It's a different vibe, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
It is it is, but you still, you know, you
still get those disruptions and ealthing.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
Have you ever tried to teach five hundred five year olds?
Speaker 3 (23:20):
No, No, I'm not sure it was.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
I think our intuition would tell you that that wouldn't
work very well.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Oh, that sounds like an educational study, and may there
you go.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
I think that's where we can say common sense cacks in.
And I don't need somebody to go off and do
a study and say, let's see if this is a
good idea. I think we can all go. I think
it's hard enough just to teach one. If you're a parent,
who more twins or whatever, they're terrible anyway, So anyway,
good on Erica Standford for making that decision, and we'll
see where it goes. But of course they've made that
announcement about a lot more classrooms, so there's some positive
(23:51):
moves in that direction. But old Chris Bishop is in
hot water with local government again again, I guess partly
because of his speech where he sort of challenged. In fact,
we've got a clip from that. This is Chris Bishop.
I don't really care.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
What Greens star rating your new council facilities have, or
whether some international architectural body thinks your latest building is
pretty or not. The only awards your project should be
winning are for cost, efficiency and effectiveness.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
I struggle to disagree with them on that one.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
It is hard to argue. Yeah, yeah, totally agree.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Yeah, yeah, I agree with him too. I don't really
love this sort of increasing kind of tendency to kind
of front foot policy announcements without the policy. I just
think it's a bit unfair, Like, if you're going to
make changes, tell people what the changes are.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Don't well they have announced that they. I mean, one
of the things that's blindsided the Council's has been the
decision to halt or planning work unless it's something to
do with safety and other sort of high priority issues.
But the RAMA basically they're putting a stop to working
on the district and regional plans until the RMA legislation
takes effect. And look, this stuff's pretty dense to be honest,
(25:03):
isn't it? But I don't know, Alan, Well.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
You know, what are they going to do in the meantime?
You know, so they've halted this work and the rama
is not going to be implemented what till twenty twenty seven?
I think, so you know things are going to take effect.
Then so what are they going to do for the
next two years? And I totally agree with Joe Is
she's you know, saying, tell us what's going to happen?
And maybe if the government could go to the councils
and say, right, this is what we're proposing, this is
(25:31):
what we're going to do, so maybe you could operate
accordingly and everyone's going to be happy, but not just
you know, blindside them and say, well that stopped, but
you're going to have to wait till twenty twenty seven
to fine at what's going to oak case.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
They must have made a calculation that I don't know
what the calculation would be, but that councils are spending
money on plans and actions that maybe they think when
we look, just stop what you're doing. We'll come back
to you. But unfortunately, you're right, it's a bit of
a wait before they come back to them on the RAM.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Because the ROMA is going to still be law, presumably
until twenty two, so they sort of, well, they have
to operate according Yeah, exactly exactly.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
And I think it's it is an oversimplification of something
that is complicated, you know, to assume that all planning,
all process is a waste of money, I think is well.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
There's exemptions.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
I mean, there are exemptions including private plan changes and
natural hazards planning and things like that. So I don't know,
it's I tend to blaze over on council things, which
is one of the big problems in New Zealand is that,
I mean, do you know who you're voting for for
each council and whose different strengths are. I mean, we've
got the problem with the turnout of the and the
(26:47):
lottery that local councils are. You get a good council,
you get a bad counsel. And I don't know if
that's so much the responsibility of the voters or just
good luck.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
And then somebody who's saying the other day that you
meant to keep party politics out of local out of
councils and stuff like that, but I'm.
Speaker 5 (27:01):
Not doing very well at that.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Yeah, look, just let's be honest. You know, all of
the political parties should just put up people for the councils.
And let's let's call it for what it is. You
know it is.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
It's just an extent I would hate, see instinctively, I
would hate party politics to become part of council politics.
But it is implicitly though, isn't it, Because you've got
candidates that are endorsed by the which ones which actually.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
I mean labors at least honest about it, and you
know they basically he's our Labor candidate for mey or
But jeez.
Speaker 5 (27:35):
But well, I mean, I certainly don't want our ruling
political party or political coalition to be quite so top
down as it seems like Bishop is being here. You know,
I mean, you're just I mean, people do vote for
their local government. You know that those are your elected representatives.
I don't think it is the right of our government
to say, I know, we'll make the decisions.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Although they do draft the laws under which councils act.
Speaker 5 (28:00):
I'm not I'm not like they've got no rights in
the space. But this feels a fairly top down approach
from a government who claimed that that was not how
they operate.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
You know, the most interesting thing I thought, this is
how unengaged i'm in local government politics is. I looked
at the footage of him talking, giving his speech and
the amount of foliage behind him on the screen. It
looked like he was delivering it from the forest. And
then I looked at the stage and there was there
was just this mass of greenery behind him, and I
thought what I just it was just an amusing background.
(28:29):
I don't if you've seen the images of it, but
he looks like he's standing in the middle of a
forest when he's actually on stage at the local government conference.
It was an interesting bit of setup. Anyway, Hey, anyway,
let's move on from that. But before we end up
talking about Wellington local government policy. Oh, by the way,
hands up, hands up, who thinks that it's going to
be a landslide for Wayne Brown?
Speaker 3 (28:48):
By the way, Oh, I have to say, what's the option?
You know, it's like this. It's the same as last time.
Speaker 5 (28:56):
I think you could say, hands up, who thinks it's
going to be a landside for Wayne Brown? And then
hands up? Who's happy about it? And it's not necessarily
but Actually, I've got to say.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
We've come to love can much of the old ways,
and I.
Speaker 5 (29:06):
Don't think he's been a bad mayor for Auckland.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
That's quite something from someone who might have not been
a huge fan of him in the early days.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Not a fan.
Speaker 5 (29:12):
I'm still I wouldn't say I was a fan. I
don't want to be a fan of.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
But you're probably going to vote for him.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Oh anyway, Look, we'll take a moment, have a cup
of in a lie down. We'll go back in a take.
It's twenty one minutes to four news talks. He'd b God, remember.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Run flowers, my name Si.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Myself. Ah, yes, Welcome back to the Weekend Collective. We
were behind the scenes thinking we need a song one flowers,
and we couldn't think of one, and then of course
my producer tire just goes, well, here's one. And of
course it seems obvious now, doesn't it. Anyway, Welcome back
to the show. My panelists Alan Blackman, he's a professor
of chemistry at a UT and Joe mccarell, editor of
New Zealand Gardener magazine, still haven't resolved the question about
(29:59):
what came first physics or chemistry. But we maybe it's
a topic for an overnight talkback. I'm going to save
that one. That's a good one.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Now the huichboard would light why you'd.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Be surprised some of the I've had some pretty in
depth philosophical conversations about things. It's amazing who's listening at
that time.
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Hey, now the.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
The the UK lowering the age of voting to sixteen, Okay,
I don't even need to say anything more. Good idea
about idea?
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Alan go arbitrary? Idea? Why stop at sixteen? Why why
not fifteen? Exactly exactly twelve eleven nine? And then they
look at the numbers and they say, right, thirty three
percent of these people of these age are going to
vote Labor and ten percent Conservatives. Of course Labour's going
to bring it in.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Oh, I'm surprised that they can just arbituarly bring it in.
I would have thought that's a Democrat. It's a constitutional
sort of question around.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Actually that's true. I don't think they could do that here,
could they? I would have thought it would have taken
a lot more.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
Than Yeah, there is a I mean there are those
make it sixteen. Yeah, I mean I do feeling unbearably precocious.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
I've got to be honest, but.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
Well, raise the age, raise it to twenty five.
Speaker 5 (31:17):
I think if you're going to say you're going to
lower the age, I mean age is I can't. It's
an imperfect proxy of competence, but it is the best
one we have. And I am like, if you're going
to lower it to sixteen, people have a seventy can't vote?
They they're not voting for the future.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
Oh yeah, no, I mean that's the thing.
Speaker 5 (31:38):
People say, you know that you could make a case.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Although they're entitled to have a say in their grandkids future,
because they might say, well, I'm you know what I mean.
I mean, that's the thing. As soon as you get
into this to other competencies, then you end up, as
you say, Joe, you end up in this very slippery
slope that people will say supporting the argument for sixteen,
there are some very switched on sixteen year olds. Why
can't they vote? It's like, okay, if you're introducing competence.
Speaker 5 (32:00):
And some moronic thirty year olds, it's just a lottery,
isn't it.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Should you be able to spell maybe before you can vote?
Should you be able to spell the names of the
major parties and their candidates. That'll be a challenge from
probably many people, I imagine.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
I mean, actually that's the thing though.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
If you're going to argue, oh, there are some smart
sixteen year olds, then you've introduced a different standard altogether,
and you're arguing for having some other competency test. Start
your arm.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Yes, you are, absolutely yeah, yep, I totally agree with that.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
Okay, so lower it, keep it the same, raise it.
What do you reckon, Allen?
Speaker 3 (32:37):
I'm a status quote kind of guy. I mean, I
don't see any compelling reason to lower it. I don't
see any compelling reason to raise Hey, maybe let's focus
on just getting everybody to bloody vote.
Speaker 5 (32:47):
I would much rather the energy that would go into
changing it when into just people taking advantage.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Of the suffrage that they have and realizing that they
are really lucky to live in a country where they
can actually do this exactly, and not Australia where they
have to vote and.
Speaker 5 (33:03):
Given an incredibly low turnout people under the age of
you know, about fifty. You know, the problem isn't getting
people seventeen sixteen. The problem is getting everyone under the.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Agsty devote I've got to say, given some of the
challenges that the UK of facing this, you wonder, I do,
cynically wonder where the kistarm. I don't have a beef
with him at all, but I do think, why are
you bringing this? And what are the other challenges you
really need to be addressing?
Speaker 4 (33:29):
Do you?
Speaker 2 (33:30):
Is it a distraction? I don't know. I hate being
cynical about this stuff, but it just seems completely unnecessary.
Speaker 5 (33:36):
Our hand is being forced to be cynical about this
because so often what ends up being the thing being
discussed is not the most important thing.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Oh well, yes, indeed, I think that's that. Welcome to
the game of politics. Anyway. On something else, I was
shocked to hear that CBS was ending the Late Show
with Stephen Colbert, and I did reach for my cynicism hat,
because on his day back he talked about how there
(34:06):
was a pending merger between between Paramount and Skydance Media
and how they'd been a payment to Trump of sixteen
million dollars for some spurious law. Certain he really launched
into them, and next a couple of days later he's
canceled Alan.
Speaker 3 (34:21):
Oh, complete coincidence, complete cocid nothing to see here. Well,
I mean, I don't know, it could be because but
it does. Well. The stupid thing that Trump's done now
is to pick a fight with Rupert Murdoch. I mean,
that's just madness. He's gone and sued them. That's insanity.
You don't pick a fight with Rupert Murdock because Rupert
(34:42):
Murdoch controls the media. So Fox knew. If Fox News
turns against Trump, I think.
Speaker 5 (34:49):
I mean, I'm a working journalist myself, but to a agree,
you're dealing in sort of dead languages. You know, the
idea that you can you're you know, your editorial in
the Times has the weight that it would have won.
And I think that's what Trump is betting on.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
Yeah, but it's not the print meme you so much.
It's it's going to be your Fox News, you know.
And and if that channel turns against Trump and he's toast,
surely surely well, because who else is going to know Trumpet,
pardon the punk Trumpet his views. Oh no, it'll be
truth social and that's it. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (35:22):
I think there are plenty of mouthpieces for the mag
of Voice. I think, you know, the Late Show with
Stephen Colbert being canceled I would say, you know, I
wouldn't sleep easy if you're on Saturday Night Live. You know,
I think there's an absolute attempt to shut down any
kind of desperate voice in the media. And I mean
(35:42):
I would go really deep in the like conspiracy on this,
because you know it'll come off here just before the midterms,
you know what I mean, There'll be no desperate voices.
But I would absolutely, absolutely say this was related to
the current administra.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
I don't know, of course it is, absolutely it is.
And but now Colbert is going to have nothing to
rain him in. Well, he's gone next year regardless, so
he's gonna go healthily. I imagine.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
I did enjoy he his first appearance back. He was
sporting a mustache, and it was very funny because I
he talked about how he had grown a beard on
holiday while he was in Turkey and he was sent
to the barber on pain of trial separation from his
wife to get.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Rid of it.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
And he walked in the and the barber said, we
keep the mustache is and he said, no, I have
to get rid of it. He says, oh, I do
a very nice job for you, and then he says,
I'm no longer Steve, and I missed to Stephen. But
the funny thing was he'd had the similar journey to me,
although I shaved my own, but I'd been told I
needed to get rid of the beard by my girls,
and so I shaved everything but the mustache off, which
(36:44):
I still am fighting to keep, just for another few days.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
But it looks goods.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
I thought, I was, that's way too raw because I'm
turning I'm turning Allen's mic off.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
Now.
Speaker 2 (37:00):
I thought it was more. I thought it was more
ted Lasso with a bit of a blonde flavor to it. Anyway, right,
I'm not sure to give you that. I'm still going
to keep it despite that. Anyway, we're going to take
a cup of tea. You're gonna have lie down. In fact,
I'm going to turn these guys MIC's off and just
come back and do the last topic by myself. It's
ten minutes to four. So she went, yes, listen, welcome
(37:26):
back Tim Beveridge, Alan Blackman and John mccaroll. Lucky last
the coldplay cheating scandal. Guys, we're playing a little bit
of cold play in and out of this little break
because the moment that those two were the tech tycoon
and head of HR potentially allegedly mistress. Basically, they have
the kiss cam, the camera cam up, and there were
these two people in this lovely embrace, and they suddenly
(37:49):
saw the camera was on them scrambled to hide their faces.
Chris Martin said, oh, look at those two. They're they're
having an affair or very shy, looks like they might
have been having an affair.
Speaker 5 (37:58):
Joe, I need you do you feel sorry for their partners?
I mean, imagine everyone knowing at your husband like coldplay,
Oh boom far.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
You're on fire today. Well, actually we were discussing this
in the Break that I wonder if in a society
where there's you're in a society where there's tens of
millions of people in your city, whether you people feel
a bit more than anonymous. Yeah, Whereas in New Zealand,
I imagine people would be leaping from bush to bush just
to keep themselves the secret. But what are they doing
(38:32):
hugging at a concert?
Speaker 3 (38:34):
Well again, you know, sixty thousand people there or whatever,
you'd think you'd be pretty anonymous, but you know, alas no,
So interestingly, it could.
Speaker 5 (38:42):
Have been completely anonymous if they haven't reacted, Yeah exactly.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Yeah, it just would have taken anyone else at that
concert to go I know those guys. Actually. Interestingly, one
of the people in the picture is an employee at
the company as well, so she was complicit with the couple.
So maybe it was everyone sort of knew about it,
but well.
Speaker 5 (39:02):
Everyone knows about it.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
The Streison effect written large, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (39:07):
Do you think that if they're just sort.
Speaker 5 (39:09):
Of I think it just would have been nothing at all.
You could not have reacted in a way more likely
to make that go viral.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
Yeah, anyway, we actually what's the magic word of the day.
I think it's Shardenfreuder is yep. The number of people
who are just loving the fact that these people are
being caught out having a naughty time, and well, you know,
they've only got themselves to blame. The German language. They
have words for everything they do.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
Great language.
Speaker 2 (39:37):
It is fantastic. By the way, there is a fantastic
This is complete non sequitur. There's a very funny clip
where they've got people who speak six different languages and
they all have different words, and they all sound exactly
the same except for the German persons totally different it's like,
it's like the word for a love.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
It's like and then I'm living something.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
Yeah, hey, Joe, as we just take a moment to
remind people to get their copy of the New Zealand
Gardener magazine.
Speaker 5 (40:06):
And in fact, if you do get a copy and
send us a stamp stuff, you can get some free
sweet Peace seeds.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
Well, we're rocking by the Sweetpeace and the Lucky Last
Lord go word goes to Allen physics or chemistry? What
came first?
Speaker 3 (40:20):
Chemistry? Come on, everyone knows that.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
And there'll be a punch up in the studio after this,
but anyway, hey, thanks for thanks for joining the panel,
and we'll be back with the one with Fredy your show.
Ed McKnight is next talking about the sacrifices that people
are willing or unwilling to make to get into the market,
and we'll be taking your calls on our eight hundred
and eight ten eighty back shortly
Speaker 1 (40:38):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to News
Talk ZEDB weekends from three pm, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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