Wellington mayor Tory Whanau claims her council is the "government's punching bag" and has labelled the Prime Minister "not a nice person". Is there some truth to the government constantly beating up Wellington City Council, and was it right for the Mayor to go personal?
Also, the Coroner has released her report into the death of Sandy Calkin, who died after falling into Wellington Harbour after a night drinking in July 2021. The report found the council had consistently ignored the risks of people falling into the harbour, despite 7 deaths and 17 others falling but surviving. Is this proof we need to fence our waterfront?
Green MP for Rongotai Julie Anne Genter and Wellington City Councillor Nicola Young joined Nick Mills for Friday Faceoff.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from news Talk said B Wellington's official week interview. It's
Friday face off with Kudovic Property Management a better rental
experience for all visit quod insad Thursday.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Starts Friday Fay I don't care Tuesday Wesley hearts welcome back,
(00:49):
joining us for Friday face off this week. How professional
are We're just having this great big conversation of the
start away we go. Julian Jenter is in a very
good mood today. I can see it. Green MP for Romati,
Julian Genter, I'm thinking about running as an independent for
Romati next general election. How do you think i'd get are?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
I would enjoy the debate scene with you and it
could be very fun.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It would be fun. I could never It is hard.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Though incumbents always have an advantage, so sorry, incumbents always
have an advantage. It's pretty hard to unsea an incumbent.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Harder still to be an independent, especially as an independent,
Harder to be an independent structure.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I was only jesting. It's Friday jesting. Wellington City councilor
Nicola Young talking about lame O. How you doing.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
I'm good. I'm really good. I'm never lame o.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
No, I know, I'm just saying you're a labor your
council's lamo.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Some council laws. We'll come on to that later on.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, okay, let's let's start with this morning's big unrealil. Unveil?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Unveil? Is that the word I'm looking for?
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Come on, we don't know what you're going to talk about.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Well, I'm going to talk about Tory versus luxelm Okay,
Wellington met Torrifino claims that she she is the government's
punching bag and labeled the Prime Minister as not a
nice person. Julian Gin do you start us?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Well? I would have, I mean I was. We've consistently
been saying that the government is treating Wellington as a
punching bag, punching down and using it as a distraction.
I think Wellington City has actually been doing a really
good job. That Crown Observer has basically confirmed that. I
think Tory has been doing a great job delivering the
things she campaigned on and was elected to do. And
(02:36):
there's a whole lot of ueno and negativity aimed at her,
particularly from the government, like the Prime Minister. Let's face it,
he's not doing very well in the poll's is he.
I'd say, he's probably not very popular in his own caucus.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
So he called us laima yeah, and why I.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Mean it doesn't make sense because his own Crown Observer
agreed that Wellington shouldn't go into one. You know, it
wasn't in a position to do one of these regional deals.
The two largest cities, second largest cities, I should say,
the two second largest cities, two of the three largest
cities in New Zealand haven't done it. Christ Church hasn't.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
But we didn't know that.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Why did he Why did he single out Wellington? I
don't know, especially when his Crown Observer and the and
they'd written a letter that had made it very clear
the rationale and it's not just Wellington City Council, it's
the whole region. Yes, together we realized that being responsible, Nikola,
what do.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
You think well, I'd have to say to you. First
of all, when people talk about the council not doing it,
most of the councilors had no idea. We were not
told anything about it. And that is the way this
councilors operated Tory works with her own little bubble of
counselors and most of us get ignored, so it came
as a big surprise.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
So you didn't know anything about this fun indoor regional thing.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
Nothing we knew the government was proposing. We had no
idea what was happening with Welling.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Why we went told isn't that your fault rather than
the council.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
So it's very it was very secretive. But the thing
is the mayor started bating the government before the election,
saying she couldn't work with Simon Brown and Chris Luxon,
so you know she has Her job was actually to
work with the government, not to fire grenades at them
the whole time. I'm not surprised the Home Minister has
come up with a comment like that. It's kind of
an unusual word to use.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
It was, I mean, for our generation. Lame. Oh, I've
never heard of it. I mean lame. We used to
call people lame, but lame, Oh, well, look.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
I don't know. I mean, it's not a word I've
ever used unless I'm talking about someone who's hurt their leg.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
But oh, are we are Wellington the Government's punching bag?
Speaker 4 (04:30):
No, I mean they're giving us the second month Victoria Tunnel,
which is.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Great, which nobody voted for here. I mean it's going
to be traffic.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
I did so, but that's because.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
You believe to solve the traffic problem and it's not.
Do you really want ten years of disruption and billions
of dollars to drive?
Speaker 4 (04:50):
I'm just saying that they are delivering things for Wellington.
I would love them to get State Highway Way one
away from Vivian Street. It's a real shame we have
the State Highway bisecting the inner city. I mean, it's
a tragedy for Wellington because it would be so good
and it would make Julianne happy because it would get
the cars out of there. But that's not going to happen.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
But can I ask you both with and I'll start
with you, Nichola, do you think that Tory should have
got personal? I mean selling somebody going out in the
media and saying you don't like something that's pretty personal?
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Yeah. Well, the thing is, I don't think she knows
them very well. I mean I know him a bit,
and he's actually charming. He's much better one on one
than he is when someone puts a microphone in front
of him. He's charming, he's got an amazing recall of
people's names and details and that kind of thing. I
think it's very foolish. Her job is to get on
with the government, irrespective of who they are.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Julian Genta, should she have got personal?
Speaker 3 (05:44):
The government has undermined Wellington's social housing, then let's get
really moving and we shouldn't be in social housing.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
I was just asking you if you thought she got personal.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I mean all she said is she didn't think he
was very nice. I don't think that's not hardly a
terrible insult, is it. I mean trust on the issue.
The issues are that Wellington has been singled out. They
consistently blame our mayor and our city council. When the
Regional Leadership Committee wrote a letter to the ministers, the
(06:17):
Department of Internal Affairs had made it clear their expectation
was that Wellington regionally was focusing on water issues, which
is what people said they wanted. So I just don't
understand why the Government and the Prime Minister are consistently
singling out the mayor and blaming Wellington when they are
the ones responsible for the local recession in Wellington.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
So that's you know, I mean, it's not a local recession,
it's across the country. But that's going back to the
other thing. There are all sorts of versions of who
said what at what time about the observer and DiiA
and that kind of thing. It's a muddle. I don't
know because we were kept out of it altogether. But
I just think the number one job of a mayor
is to get on well with the government. And secondly,
(07:01):
she has not delivered everything. She campaigned on Tory campaign
to unite the council and she has done the opposite
of that.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
She won most of the votes and she's delivered focusing
them Nighting.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
She has numbers to do whatever she wants.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
The pipes, she ran on, delivering the transitional psych Away network,
she ran on the Courtney Place, Golden Mile, all of
those things. She was elected to do so, and she.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
Ran for Nighting the council.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
She's not her phone meeting, councilor Fox.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
I can work across the divide. That's what I've done
at Parliament. She has not made the slightest effort.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Do you know what concerns me a little bit, Nicola?
Is that twice already this morning. You said I didn't
know about this, and we didn't know about this. If
I was on that council, I would find out that
information because I would be knocking on doors until I
had the information. I kind of find that a little
bit of an excuse to say we didn't know about it.
The whole country knew about it. Why did you not
know about it?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
About something? If you don't know, I mean, you know,
it's it's a very strange atmospheric council. It's not that easy.
And you know, I mean the onwardsman has called out
the councilor it's an ability to give counselors information. So
if the onboardsman felt that strongly, you know, it shows
it's not that easy.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
So that we still the idea of bringing this observer
and really hasn't done anything to fix the situation in
Wan incon City Council.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
I don't think I really want to comment on that, Okay,
I mean, but it's it's it's a fair question obvious
there's no obvious sign of change. I think he is
working at a kind of more basic level about how
meetings run and over process and things like that, but.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Surely he should be guaranteeing that you get the information,
so when you sit around that table, you know the
information and we're hearing it.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
Certainly has done some work over that, and also, of
course we're having a change of chief executives. The new
chief executive. We have the welcome on the thirty first
of March, and I'm hoping that I don't think so,
and I hoping that will lead to a major change
of culture.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Okay, it has to, Okay, I mean, ultimately, this was
something that was happening at the regional leadership level. It
was not unique to Wellington City Council. Wellington City was
just one player in it, and they are working on
their greed Future Development strategy. I think they've done the
responsible thing. I can understand Nikola feels disaffected or dissatisfied,
(09:23):
but I mean, let's know, I'm just saying, you haven't
been happy with the mayor or the direction that she
was elected to deliver.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
So you know there's well, what is it, she's minus
forty five points or.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Something check and large approval writing in the whole in Museum.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
What I can say for sure is that she has
delivered a bunch of the specific infrastructure projects that she
campaigned on the spatial plan and I think that she
has a good chance of being re elected and I
think it is actually her job to stand up for
the city at a time when the government direction is
completely the opposite of what most Wellingtonians voted for.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Having a whack at the Prime minister and Senior Minister's
is not standing up for the city.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Who started it?
Speaker 4 (10:04):
I mean she did before the when she said she
didn't want to work with samam Brown and Luxelm.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
I think Tory has actually been trying to work very
constructively with the government. The Government's taken a lot of
policy positions that have been bad for Wellington. There's no
question how.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Much connection is there between the Green Party and Tory Finer.
I mean, is she a puppet for you? For the Green.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Tory? I just think that's a really odd thing to say.
Why would you say she's a puppet? Am I a
puppet for the Greens?
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Well, of course you are. You're a part of the Greens.
Of course you are. I mean, but that's your party,
that's your thing.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
She has said that her tribe and now the people
she socializes with the Greens down at Parliament.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Green's won the party vote in Wellington Central and Wronghai
were the most popular political party in this city.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
So that means we've got a catail to your idealisms.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
What ideally I mean, I think we're the most pragmatic
and practical party in Parliament. That's why I joined you.
But you would think that, yeah, of course I would,
and of course you think that nash All makes sense
even in the face of evidence that they're failing us economically.
So I mean, look, people have to doesn't make any
common it's a contest of ideas and like, there's nothing
wrong with being a member of a political party, but
(11:20):
that doesn't make you a puppet, right. You're there because.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
You believe you're elected to represent them, which means you
have to sign up to their policies.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
And I stand by all of our policies.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
So Friday face off. To say we've been having hearty
debate in the ad break would be like saying I'm
nineteen years old again and I'm not. Julian Genta and
Nikola Young are in the studio like too light minded people.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
You're looking so mischievous.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
I've considered local government New Zealand Electoral Reform Group Working
Group led by Nick Smith, is calling to do with
postal voting and have voting places open for two weeks,
just like central governments. Now, I hate this idea. I
think it should be all electronic and I think we
should move with the times. We need to keep people
(12:18):
for all the arguments, We've just had to get people
to vote. Nikola, what do you tell me.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Well, first of all, you really want to have electronic
voting when there was increased concern about cyber hacking, our
cyber attacks, so I would love to go back to
the polling booth. Interesting in Britain, where they do have
polling booths, they have now said you have to bring ID.
There were examples recently on a couple of the time
in the recent BI election in Weleexton, there were a
couple of times when people went to vote and they
(12:46):
had apparently already voted because people do take voting papers
from letterboxes.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Can I just ask you a quick question, last time
you paid your rates?
Speaker 4 (12:54):
How did you do it electronically? I do everything electronicly.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Money what's more important than money? So I mean you
you would you would transfer Well, I'm just saying you
know you will transfer a million dollars on your bank account,
and you're more worried about one single vote someone corrupting it.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
I've never traveled transferred to Midlinda, but you know what,
I'm sorry, no, I just think that some foreign governments
are particularly interested in elections. I can't think that the
Wellington City Council election would be a high priority. I
do also think it's a concern that our elections are
monitored and run by commercial companies. Yes, I think we
should go back to the Electoral Commission. I think it's
(13:35):
outrageous actually, that it's done by a commercial.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
And you pay for it. Me and you pay for it.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Yeah, but of course we'll be paying for it if
the Electoral Commission did it too. But that's not a
profitable organization, I assume, so. I mean, but I love
the ritual of going down to the polling booth and voting,
and meeting with friends afterwards, going up for brunch on
a Saturday morning and teasing each other.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
You are a political junkie. The rest of us are,
you know, the rest of rest of us.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
Other thing is a but the postal votes. As people
get their papers, they put them in a pile and
think I'll do that tomorrow and then they forget about it.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Do you think it's going to be any different, Juli
engenter if we actually had polling booths open for two
weeks and people would vote, forty five percent of Wellingtonian's voted.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Oh, I fully support us having Firstly, the Electoral Commission
RUNT should run all of our elections, including local body
and I do think we need the same system as
for general elections. I do think the postal voting is
a barrier and that people end up not voting because
of it. Obviously, you'd still need some alternative for people
who are away or who are you know, who are
(14:39):
over special whatever they are special votes. But I think
having a physical place is a lot easier to organize
and get attention. And we can see that, you know,
there's way higher participation in the general election than there
is at the local election.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
So I think it's about sort of reinforcing the idea
of your role as a voter in democracy. You know,
it's a ritual and I think it's a really it
was a real shame to lose it, especially when the
postal system is so hopeless.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Right, I get that. I just can't work out why
we can't use the electronic one, and I don't think
the numbers would increase from forty five percent if we
did have polling booths open on a Saturday. I mean
it's a very very long bow to draw that you
think that you know that there's that much interest in
local body as there is in general elections. General elections
is a build up, build up and a build up
(15:27):
and everyone goes to the polling boot. That's a whole
different thing than with respect. And you're giving me a
bit of a dirty eye, then that was a neutral eye,
you know, then it wouldn't happen, just the numbers would
be less.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
I mean, I do agree with you Nick that we
need to make whatever we need to do to make
it more accessible is what we need to do. And
I think I think having a physical location, having special votes,
making it possible for people to enroll on the day,
all of that needs to be done for local Body.
And if it were possible to securely enable people to
vote electronically, I would, you know, we would be interested
(16:03):
in that. But ultimately it's the Electoral Commission who I
think you need to do the work, and they need
to be funded to do the work.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
I'm sorry, but I'm really over the barrier. There seems
to be this giant barrier for electronic voting, and I'm
over it because you know, you do transfer money and
you don't think twice about it.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
So you see, for me, it's not It's about getting
people interested in the election. And I think if you
go to the polling booth it makes it far more interesting.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
What do post people spend their lifetime on? Right now?
What do most people do they're looking at? I mean
their phone, electronically, computer, their laptops.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
If you all transferred into voting, I mean people.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Would be if they were allowed to do it.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
Well, yeah, look I don't know. I mean I think
the cyber thing is a worry. I just I just
like the old fashioned thing of going down to the
polling booth and teasing your friends. But you're what you've
heard of it them you must be mad.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I love that because you are a political junker.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
But Wellington, we're talking about Wellington. Wellington is a city
full of political junkies.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Julia and Genter and Nikola Young Gosh that we could
make a lot of money talking about stuff that we
talk about in the ad breaks lose a lot too
Friday Facebook, right over, Nikola, I'm going to come to
you on this one. To start with, the coroners released
her reporting to the death of Sandy Coulkin, who died
(17:22):
after falling into Wellington Harbor after a night drinking in
July twenty twenty one. The report found that the council
had consistently ignored the risks of people falling into the harbor,
despite seven deaths and seventeen other people falling in but surviving,
and a couple of those I've been told since I
started doing the story that a couple of the seventeen
(17:43):
we're very, very lucky to survive. So this number could
have been far worse. I want to ask you, because
I know that you'll have an opinion on it, do
you think that this is actually proof that we need
urgent fencing along some parts of Wellington's waterfront.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Well, So, the first thing I would say is I'd
like to extend my sympathis to the Carlkin family. It
is a tragedy to lose the sun their son. I
get that, but I'd have to say, you know, Wellington
is a city based on risk, and I put a
bit of thought about it because if you try and
take a rational approach to risk, you seem uncaring. But
we have to just look at the people who dash
(18:20):
out and Manu Street in front of the buses, and
they're taking a huge risk, and which means should we
be fencing should we be fencing the street the footpaths.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
I think it's a little bit different when you walk
ten meters away from a bar and there's a big
drop into the water, though, don't you.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I've got no doubt we need
to improve the lighting. I've got no doubt about that.
I think really good lighting could help. I think there
are some areas that do, some small areas that do
need fencing off. I've got no doubt about that. But
the current temporary fencing which goes right along, you know,
is incredibly expensive fest of all. But I mean that's
(18:56):
not the issue really because we have to put we
have to think about safety as well as expense. But
people are climbing over those fences. So I think it's
you know, when you need to have a decent lighting so
the hazards are obvious, and maybe lights the edge or
mark the demarcation or demarcation marks at the edge of
footpaths that people can see where the footpath is are opposing.
(19:18):
But you know, the whole thing about risk is very inconsistent.
So the Ministry of Health deems the building earth The
building is deemed by mb to b earthquake prone, the
Ministry of Health building, so they move everybody out. And
yet we have the micro Filer Center with the same
earthquake rating and we're still having concerts. So where is
the consistency. I would just say I'm opposed to fencing
(19:40):
the waterfront. I am supportive of improving the light dramatically.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
And a long time to say no.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
No, I said it earlier on. I'm just reatterator.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
All right, okay, let me get Julian a genter in there.
What do you think? You're a cyclist? So you you
cycled along that area, don't you Do you ever feel
it that it's a little bit dangerous? Do you ever
feel that the council is not listening to these people?
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Ah?
Speaker 3 (20:03):
No, I don't feel that it's dangerous. Do think, like, firstly,
absolute sympathy to anyone who's lost their life. But and
this is often the case with coronerus, like they're looking
at a really specific case to me, it just struck
me as odd because far more I am pretty sure
(20:23):
more people will have lost their lives have been seriously
injured on the roads in Wellington than on the waterfront.
What is consistent and all like most all but one
of those fatal fatalities on the waterfront was alcohol. So
it seems to me like the problem is the risk
isn't the waterfront. It's dangerous behavior when people are heavily intoxicated.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
And that's the job though, isn't it. I've always thought
in my mind, wrongly or rightly, and tell me both
of you will tell me this. But Julian, you know
it's the council's responsibility to keep us safe.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Well, we can't be people safe. I mean, we can't
stop people from having a skinful and going out in
front of a bus. I mean the thing will personal responsibility.
You know, people have to look after themselves. Well the council.
We're not a nanny state. I don't want the council
looking after my well being.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
But don't you want to make the council the Council's
responsibility to make the environment safe if they can't.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
It's also I mean, like as a mother with my
little children on the waterfront. I don't worry about them
falling off the side into the water. I'm far more
worried about them on the footpath next to fast moving traffic.
So I mean, I think there's the much bigger risk
is cars and trucks and buses, and then when it
comes to the waterfront, maybe there is something they could do,
(21:40):
but ultimately, you know, if people are drinking, that is
going to impair their judgment. And I don't want us
to fence off the waterfront. I love swimming off the water.
I love diving off though.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Okay, it was not going to be the whole area.
It was just going to be some of the dangerous areas.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
It was the whole area.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Well, I got told that it wasn't. It was just
the areas where there's big drop.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Offs from now now they're finding it.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Okay, all right, let me just ask you both very
quickly before we get to an ad break. This weekends
the final weekend of Homegrown. So it's kind of a
big event in the city that we've lost. Either of
you got any favorite artists or you'd want to go.
I mean, it's a major, major thing that we've lost
Julian Genter, you've got a favorite artist that New Zealand
artists that you want to go along and see at
Homegrown or have you got an experience of Homegrown? Have
(22:24):
you ever been?
Speaker 3 (22:25):
I actually I haven't attended, but that's probably to do
with the fact that I don't get to go out
to music festivals because I'm very busy with work and children.
But I do love newtom Festival. I mean, we just
had that amazing biggest street party in New Zealand maybe
in the Southern hemisphere Cuba douper amazing. Those are free events.
(22:49):
I love Fat Podies Drop. I have to say, wrong
Attai Based. I'm pretty sure if that love Lord. I mean,
there's so many great New Zealand artists. I do think
that something will come to replace Homegrown and it will
be good. But we've got some really great music events
here in the city anyway, and I love those ones
(23:11):
that are supported by the council and the community.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Nikolae Young tell me your firstly, very quickly, so I've
got to go to an air break. Your thoughts on
losing Home Grind and what you're missing.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Yes, it's the loss, but some people will not be
Morning its departure. They were concerned that it was being
sponsored by a booze company when there was really targeting
young teenagers. And of course, you see Juliana no, don't
always disagree. And also something I.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Mean, any but woke in your old age. Sorry, you're
she's hardening up. No.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
So the other thing is that, of course those parks
were taken out of action for quite some time because
they had to be closed down in advance and then regrasped.
I mean, no one's ever complained about the noise. You know,
I live in the central city.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
And I'm going to say you live down the road. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
But the thing is, you know, festivals have a sort
of natural life cycle. Sometimes they go for a long time.
They want a new venue. That's fine, my favorite artist.
I took a liberty here. I thought, these are not
this is not my on of music, and I thought,
I'm not going to boy you with pretentious comments about
the z is. So I would just like to say,
on the subject of artists, has anyone seen the new Circa,
(24:15):
the redeveloped Circa with that amazing chain mail kinetic sculpture
on the waterfront. Speaking of the waterfront, and I just
think it's great that Circa has got a whole new life.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Face off. We once again got talking about restaurants in
the break. Oh my gosh, a pass. He's apparently not
doing lunch anymore's a'ly doing dinners. I hope you're right
on that, Julian.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
You know, well, I was looking to go there for
lunch at the new venue. They looks like they're only
opened from five pm. But maybe that was wrong information,
So don't open well.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Last Friday, okay, obviously Friday face off with Nikola Young
and Julian Genter, Brisco's managing director Rod Juke says the
government needs to get off there. You know, I always
say get off their ass because it sounds better, but
he actually said. Rod Juke said get their arson to
gear to grow the economy, saying we're lacking bold plans.
(25:05):
Julian Genter, Oh my gosh, this is like putting a
shark out, putting bait out for a shark. Is that
this question? Does the government need to do more? What
can they do? God? Damn, that's leading with an open hand,
isn't it.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Well? I yeah, and so I've consistently said that government
policies that have cut. You know, it's austerity, right. They've
cut spending matt has resulted in the recession being far deeper,
far worse in New Zealand than it should have been.
I'm not sure if I totally agree with Roger. I'm
not sure his prescription is to improve the economy, So
(25:41):
I don't know if he wouldn't give us.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
He wouldn't give us those hints on how he would
improve the economy. He just said time is over now
for the government to blame the previous government and he
wants them to get off their ass and get moving.
Nikolae Young, what do you think for that?
Speaker 4 (25:55):
So? I think the government inherited a mess. And there
was some disastrous projects like the eight hundred million, eight
hundred million on the Auckland cycleway, and they'll be on
the Auckland Harbor crossing.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
It wasn't eight hundred million.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
Ah, that's the grab guard anyway, There'll.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
Be other things, but they weren't doing it. They weren't
going to do it.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
So the thing is that they spent an enormous amount
of money planning it, so they're having to unpick and prioritize.
And I think that until they've unpicked, they can't sort
out where they're going ahead. Yep, they need to do more,
but I think they've got to get the house in
order before they do anymore.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
But when you've got one of the most successful businessmen
in New Zealand saying that the right wing government needs
to get off there get their ars into gear, that's
quite compare what it is to me.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Well, look, I don't know him, and the thing is
about sometimes successful businessman, you know, they sometimes talk about
things that they don't know about. Obviously he would know
about business, but I'm not sure if he understands politics
or the details of what the government inherited from what
I think was a completely chaotic previous government.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
Well, I mean I think the current government no offense obviously,
y yeah, yeah, great, great. I mean obviously I have
a different view of it. Like I say, this current
government is far more chareoic than the previous one. There's
certain talking points the National Party always uses, like the
bike bridge, but like it's it's really a red herring
because I mean, firstly I didn't support that project, but
(27:19):
secondly they weren't actually going ahead with it, so they
actually canceled some projects that were really necessary, like the
public house build. Like here in Wellington alone, we've got
hundreds of homes not being delivered. That affects the construction
companies they had. I talked to a builder in Wellington
who had seventy million dollars worth of work over the
next five years, all in kying or redevelopments and that
(27:43):
was just gone because the government stopped this project and
that goes through.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
The apartments were going to cost one point three minute
each to build, which was crazy. I mean the figures
were de kangled or got I mean they got their
costs totally out of control. They had to be stopped.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
Okay, procurement rules. The government is proposing changing procurement rules
for government contracts to prioritize key we business. I personally
love this idea, Nikola, would you be happy if the
government would pay a little bit more to actually have
at a Kiwi company and don't worry about electric cars
and don't worry about living wage. Just get it done
(28:18):
and get a Kiwi business to do it instead of
bringing international companies in with lots and lots of money,
making them drive around electric cars and pay the living wage.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Well, first of all, I'd just like to say that
I oppose the Council implementing the living wage because I
thought minimum wage policies were a government matter. Putting that
to one side, we need the best outcome for New Zealand.
Sometimes we contract to local companies, sometimes with companies from abroad.
The cheapest option is not always the best option. For example,
and Julie Anne will probably like this, I think we
(28:47):
should be doing a lot more to promote and advocate
people having woolen carpets rather than not on carpets that
when you take them out and put them on the dump,
they'll be there in a thousand years, instead of which
we could have woolen carpets. Our sheep are only sure
enough for humanitarian reasons because the wall price is so low.
That is a tragedy. So sometimes the cheapest option is
(29:07):
not always the best option. But I think we have
to say to the government to I mean, I agree
they should not have to have rules about electric vehicles
and all this kind of stuff. Let people get on
with their business, but but no exploitation of people.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
So Juliando, this is another one for you to open
up and I tell you what I've got to tell
you straight to your face. If I had my time again,
I would never buy an EV and I have an
EV because I've lost potentially so much money, so I
wouldn't do it.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
Okay, that's not crying. I look I have we have long.
I mean remember by Q we made was a Green
Party initiative in government, like the original Greens, like back
in two thousand and five, had.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
That environmental party.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
We've always been a party that understands the connection between
environmental and social justice always, and buy Q we made was,
you know, a Green Party initiative in government. I would
love to see us prioritizing sustainable wall carpets and even
New Zealand made buses there. There's a bus manufacturer in
(30:17):
christ Church.
Speaker 4 (30:18):
Used to be one of the missing.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
It was a director missing out on contracts here even
though they're providing a really great product because government procurement
rules didn't take into account the benefits of us having
that local manufacturing.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
So yes or no? Would you I've got to go because.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Local procurement good. But also, of course we need to
prioritize living, which of course we need to prioritize environmental outcome.
I don't think we need to do all of that.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
I don't think any of those companies building those big
things would actually be paying less the living wage anyway.
But I think it's a debate for another time. The Friday,
right here we go, I'm going to go to you first.
Who am I going to go? I'm going to go
to you, Nicola, because Julia and Jender hasn't even worked
out what she's hots and knots are. So I'm feeling
(31:05):
a little bit like the guy that's waiting for someone
to ask them for a dancing He's that's there all
night like carry a wolfler cool.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
Okay, well I'll tell you my hot. My hot is
next weekend is Cuba Dooper. And Cuba Dooper is a
sensational two day festival. You know, it only came back
when I first got onto council. We used to have
the Cuba Street Festival Carnival and that was dumped and
they brought in Cuba Dooper. It is sensational two days
of and it's free. You know, it's great to have
(31:33):
something take the family. There lots of music. It's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Okay, watch you're not hot.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
The beginning of the Golden Mile, the Courtney Place redevelopment
at the same time as the rising water maine in
Wakefield Street. Brace people, Brace.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
It is going to be a nightmare Wakefield Street.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
I know. And Wellingtonians don't want the Golden Mile. That's
you know, residents and businesses do not want it, and
it's been rammed through and it's going to be a nightmare.
So the Courtney Placeline will start at the end of
a put on, will run through to just after elections,
so that should motivate people to fill in those worting papers.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Julia and Gina, you're smiling, give me your hots and
knots please.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Okay, Hot, it's a little bit late. But just the
beginning first week and a half of March, there was
the Seaweed Festival. Did you hear about this? Here in Wellington,
Love Remo Remo and other supporters ran this wonderful Seaweed
Festival to highlight our marine reserve and the importance of
calp forests and there, and there's even an industry around it,
(32:34):
you know, with food that's involves seaweed and produce.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
So we still import from Japan even though we've got
it in the harbor.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
I assume that there is some importation going on. But hey,
we've got an amazing marine reserve and that check it out.
The south coast is so beautiful, not hot. The government's
talk fest up in Auckland to try and attract international
investors to invest in instructure.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Just a bit disappointed because you didn't get asked to that.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Look, I think we've we got to own we've got
to own our infrastructure. Those people want to return. It's
going to end up costing us more. I don't think
anything's going to come of it because this government doesn't
really have any productive ideas.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Thank you both so much for coming in. Nikolae Young
and Julian Genter, have a great week. Appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from news Talk said B Wellington's official week interview. It's
Friday face off with Kudovic Property Management a better rental
experience for all visit quod insad Thursday.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Starts Friday Fay I don't care Tuesday Wesley hearts welcome back,
(00:49):
joining us for Friday face off this week. How professional
are We're just having this great big conversation of the
start away we go. Julian Jenter is in a very
good mood today. I can see it. Green MP for Romati,
Julian Genter, I'm thinking about running as an independent for
Romati next general election. How do you think i'd get are?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
I would enjoy the debate scene with you and it
could be very fun.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It would be fun. I could never It is hard.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Though incumbents always have an advantage, so sorry, incumbents always
have an advantage. It's pretty hard to unsea an incumbent.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
Harder still to be an independent, especially as an independent,
Harder to be an independent structure.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I was only jesting. It's Friday jesting. Wellington City councilor
Nicola Young talking about lame O. How you doing.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
I'm good. I'm really good. I'm never lame o.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
No, I know, I'm just saying you're a labor your
council's lamo.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Some council laws. We'll come on to that later on.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, okay, let's let's start with this morning's big unrealil. Unveil?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Unveil? Is that the word I'm looking for?
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Come on, we don't know what you're going to talk about.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Well, I'm going to talk about Tory versus luxelm Okay,
Wellington met Torrifino claims that she she is the government's
punching bag and labeled the Prime Minister as not a
nice person. Julian Gin do you start us?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Well? I would have, I mean I was. We've consistently
been saying that the government is treating Wellington as a
punching bag, punching down and using it as a distraction.
I think Wellington City has actually been doing a really
good job. That Crown Observer has basically confirmed that. I
think Tory has been doing a great job delivering the
things she campaigned on and was elected to do. And
(02:36):
there's a whole lot of ueno and negativity aimed at her,
particularly from the government, like the Prime Minister. Let's face it,
he's not doing very well in the poll's is he.
I'd say, he's probably not very popular in his own caucus.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
So he called us laima yeah, and why I.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Mean it doesn't make sense because his own Crown Observer
agreed that Wellington shouldn't go into one. You know, it
wasn't in a position to do one of these regional deals.
The two largest cities, second largest cities, I should say,
the two second largest cities, two of the three largest
cities in New Zealand haven't done it. Christ Church hasn't.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
But we didn't know that.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Why did he Why did he single out Wellington? I
don't know, especially when his Crown Observer and the and
they'd written a letter that had made it very clear
the rationale and it's not just Wellington City Council, it's
the whole region. Yes, together we realized that being responsible, Nikola,
what do.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
You think well, I'd have to say to you. First
of all, when people talk about the council not doing it,
most of the councilors had no idea. We were not
told anything about it. And that is the way this
councilors operated Tory works with her own little bubble of
counselors and most of us get ignored, so it came
as a big surprise.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
So you didn't know anything about this fun indoor regional thing.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
Nothing we knew the government was proposing. We had no
idea what was happening with Welling.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Why we went told isn't that your fault rather than
the council.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
So it's very it was very secretive. But the thing
is the mayor started bating the government before the election,
saying she couldn't work with Simon Brown and Chris Luxon,
so you know she has Her job was actually to
work with the government, not to fire grenades at them
the whole time. I'm not surprised the Home Minister has
come up with a comment like that. It's kind of
an unusual word to use.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
It was, I mean, for our generation. Lame. Oh, I've
never heard of it. I mean lame. We used to
call people lame, but lame, Oh, well, look.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
I don't know. I mean, it's not a word I've
ever used unless I'm talking about someone who's hurt their leg.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
But oh, are we are Wellington the Government's punching bag?
Speaker 4 (04:30):
No, I mean they're giving us the second month Victoria Tunnel,
which is.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Great, which nobody voted for here. I mean it's going
to be traffic.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
I did so, but that's because.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
You believe to solve the traffic problem and it's not.
Do you really want ten years of disruption and billions
of dollars to drive?
Speaker 4 (04:50):
I'm just saying that they are delivering things for Wellington.
I would love them to get State Highway Way one
away from Vivian Street. It's a real shame we have
the State Highway bisecting the inner city. I mean, it's
a tragedy for Wellington because it would be so good
and it would make Julianne happy because it would get
the cars out of there. But that's not going to happen.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
But can I ask you both with and I'll start
with you, Nichola, do you think that Tory should have
got personal? I mean selling somebody going out in the
media and saying you don't like something that's pretty personal?
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Yeah. Well, the thing is, I don't think she knows
them very well. I mean I know him a bit,
and he's actually charming. He's much better one on one
than he is when someone puts a microphone in front
of him. He's charming, he's got an amazing recall of
people's names and details and that kind of thing. I
think it's very foolish. Her job is to get on
with the government, irrespective of who they are.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Julian Genta, should she have got personal?
Speaker 3 (05:44):
The government has undermined Wellington's social housing, then let's get
really moving and we shouldn't be in social housing.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
I was just asking you if you thought she got personal.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
I mean all she said is she didn't think he
was very nice. I don't think that's not hardly a
terrible insult, is it. I mean trust on the issue.
The issues are that Wellington has been singled out. They
consistently blame our mayor and our city council. When the
Regional Leadership Committee wrote a letter to the ministers, the
(06:17):
Department of Internal Affairs had made it clear their expectation
was that Wellington regionally was focusing on water issues, which
is what people said they wanted. So I just don't
understand why the Government and the Prime Minister are consistently
singling out the mayor and blaming Wellington when they are
the ones responsible for the local recession in Wellington.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
So that's you know, I mean, it's not a local recession,
it's across the country. But that's going back to the
other thing. There are all sorts of versions of who
said what at what time about the observer and DiiA
and that kind of thing. It's a muddle. I don't
know because we were kept out of it altogether. But
I just think the number one job of a mayor
is to get on well with the government. And secondly,
(07:01):
she has not delivered everything. She campaigned on Tory campaign
to unite the council and she has done the opposite
of that.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
She won most of the votes and she's delivered focusing
them Nighting.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
She has numbers to do whatever she wants.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
The pipes, she ran on, delivering the transitional psych Away network,
she ran on the Courtney Place, Golden Mile, all of
those things. She was elected to do so, and she.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
Ran for Nighting the council.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
She's not her phone meeting, councilor Fox.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
I can work across the divide. That's what I've done
at Parliament. She has not made the slightest effort.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Do you know what concerns me a little bit, Nicola?
Is that twice already this morning. You said I didn't
know about this, and we didn't know about this. If
I was on that council, I would find out that
information because I would be knocking on doors until I
had the information. I kind of find that a little
bit of an excuse to say we didn't know about it.
The whole country knew about it. Why did you not
know about it?
Speaker 4 (07:59):
About something? If you don't know, I mean, you know,
it's it's a very strange atmospheric council. It's not that easy.
And you know, I mean the onwardsman has called out
the councilor it's an ability to give counselors information. So
if the onboardsman felt that strongly, you know, it shows
it's not that easy.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
So that we still the idea of bringing this observer
and really hasn't done anything to fix the situation in
Wan incon City Council.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
I don't think I really want to comment on that, Okay,
I mean, but it's it's it's a fair question obvious
there's no obvious sign of change. I think he is
working at a kind of more basic level about how
meetings run and over process and things like that, but.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Surely he should be guaranteeing that you get the information,
so when you sit around that table, you know the
information and we're hearing it.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
Certainly has done some work over that, and also, of
course we're having a change of chief executives. The new
chief executive. We have the welcome on the thirty first
of March, and I'm hoping that I don't think so,
and I hoping that will lead to a major change
of culture.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Okay, it has to, Okay, I mean, ultimately, this was
something that was happening at the regional leadership level. It
was not unique to Wellington City Council. Wellington City was
just one player in it, and they are working on
their greed Future Development strategy. I think they've done the
responsible thing. I can understand Nikola feels disaffected or dissatisfied,
(09:23):
but I mean, let's know, I'm just saying, you haven't
been happy with the mayor or the direction that she
was elected to deliver.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
So you know there's well, what is it, she's minus
forty five points or.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Something check and large approval writing in the whole in Museum.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
What I can say for sure is that she has
delivered a bunch of the specific infrastructure projects that she
campaigned on the spatial plan and I think that she
has a good chance of being re elected and I
think it is actually her job to stand up for
the city at a time when the government direction is
completely the opposite of what most Wellingtonians voted for.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Having a whack at the Prime minister and Senior Minister's
is not standing up for the city.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Who started it?
Speaker 4 (10:04):
I mean she did before the when she said she
didn't want to work with samam Brown and Luxelm.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
I think Tory has actually been trying to work very
constructively with the government. The Government's taken a lot of
policy positions that have been bad for Wellington. There's no
question how.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Much connection is there between the Green Party and Tory Finer.
I mean, is she a puppet for you? For the Green.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Tory? I just think that's a really odd thing to say.
Why would you say she's a puppet? Am I a
puppet for the Greens?
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Well, of course you are. You're a part of the Greens.
Of course you are. I mean, but that's your party,
that's your thing.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
She has said that her tribe and now the people
she socializes with the Greens down at Parliament.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Green's won the party vote in Wellington Central and Wronghai
were the most popular political party in this city.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
So that means we've got a catail to your idealisms.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
What ideally I mean, I think we're the most pragmatic
and practical party in Parliament. That's why I joined you.
But you would think that, yeah, of course I would,
and of course you think that nash All makes sense
even in the face of evidence that they're failing us economically.
So I mean, look, people have to doesn't make any
common it's a contest of ideas and like, there's nothing
wrong with being a member of a political party, but
(11:20):
that doesn't make you a puppet, right. You're there because.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
You believe you're elected to represent them, which means you
have to sign up to their policies.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
And I stand by all of our policies.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
So Friday face off. To say we've been having hearty
debate in the ad break would be like saying I'm
nineteen years old again and I'm not. Julian Genta and
Nikola Young are in the studio like too light minded people.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
You're looking so mischievous.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
I've considered local government New Zealand Electoral Reform Group Working
Group led by Nick Smith, is calling to do with
postal voting and have voting places open for two weeks,
just like central governments. Now, I hate this idea. I
think it should be all electronic and I think we
should move with the times. We need to keep people
(12:18):
for all the arguments, We've just had to get people
to vote. Nikola, what do you tell me.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Well, first of all, you really want to have electronic
voting when there was increased concern about cyber hacking, our
cyber attacks, so I would love to go back to
the polling booth. Interesting in Britain, where they do have
polling booths, they have now said you have to bring ID.
There were examples recently on a couple of the time
in the recent BI election in Weleexton, there were a
couple of times when people went to vote and they
(12:46):
had apparently already voted because people do take voting papers
from letterboxes.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Can I just ask you a quick question, last time
you paid your rates?
Speaker 4 (12:54):
How did you do it electronically? I do everything electronicly.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Money what's more important than money? So I mean you
you would you would transfer Well, I'm just saying you
know you will transfer a million dollars on your bank account,
and you're more worried about one single vote someone corrupting it.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
I've never traveled transferred to Midlinda, but you know what,
I'm sorry, no, I just think that some foreign governments
are particularly interested in elections. I can't think that the
Wellington City Council election would be a high priority. I
do also think it's a concern that our elections are
monitored and run by commercial companies. Yes, I think we
should go back to the Electoral Commission. I think it's
(13:35):
outrageous actually, that it's done by a commercial.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
And you pay for it. Me and you pay for it.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Yeah, but of course we'll be paying for it if
the Electoral Commission did it too. But that's not a
profitable organization, I assume, so. I mean, but I love
the ritual of going down to the polling booth and voting,
and meeting with friends afterwards, going up for brunch on
a Saturday morning and teasing each other.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
You are a political junkie. The rest of us are,
you know, the rest of rest of us.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
Other thing is a but the postal votes. As people
get their papers, they put them in a pile and
think I'll do that tomorrow and then they forget about it.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Do you think it's going to be any different, Juli
engenter if we actually had polling booths open for two
weeks and people would vote, forty five percent of Wellingtonian's voted.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Oh, I fully support us having Firstly, the Electoral Commission
RUNT should run all of our elections, including local body
and I do think we need the same system as
for general elections. I do think the postal voting is
a barrier and that people end up not voting because
of it. Obviously, you'd still need some alternative for people
who are away or who are you know, who are
(14:39):
over special whatever they are special votes. But I think
having a physical place is a lot easier to organize
and get attention. And we can see that, you know,
there's way higher participation in the general election than there
is at the local election.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
So I think it's about sort of reinforcing the idea
of your role as a voter in democracy. You know,
it's a ritual and I think it's a really it
was a real shame to lose it, especially when the
postal system is so hopeless.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
Right, I get that. I just can't work out why
we can't use the electronic one, and I don't think
the numbers would increase from forty five percent if we
did have polling booths open on a Saturday. I mean
it's a very very long bow to draw that you
think that you know that there's that much interest in
local body as there is in general elections. General elections
is a build up, build up and a build up
(15:27):
and everyone goes to the polling boot. That's a whole
different thing than with respect. And you're giving me a
bit of a dirty eye, then that was a neutral eye,
you know, then it wouldn't happen, just the numbers would
be less.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
I mean, I do agree with you Nick that we
need to make whatever we need to do to make
it more accessible is what we need to do. And
I think I think having a physical location, having special votes,
making it possible for people to enroll on the day,
all of that needs to be done for local Body.
And if it were possible to securely enable people to
vote electronically, I would, you know, we would be interested
(16:03):
in that. But ultimately it's the Electoral Commission who I
think you need to do the work, and they need
to be funded to do the work.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
I'm sorry, but I'm really over the barrier. There seems
to be this giant barrier for electronic voting, and I'm
over it because you know, you do transfer money and
you don't think twice about it.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
So you see, for me, it's not It's about getting
people interested in the election. And I think if you
go to the polling booth it makes it far more interesting.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
What do post people spend their lifetime on? Right now?
What do most people do they're looking at? I mean
their phone, electronically, computer, their laptops.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
If you all transferred into voting, I mean people.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Would be if they were allowed to do it.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
Well, yeah, look I don't know. I mean I think
the cyber thing is a worry. I just I just
like the old fashioned thing of going down to the
polling booth and teasing your friends. But you're what you've
heard of it them you must be mad.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I love that because you are a political junker.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
But Wellington, we're talking about Wellington. Wellington is a city
full of political junkies.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Julia and Genter and Nikola Young Gosh that we could
make a lot of money talking about stuff that we
talk about in the ad breaks lose a lot too
Friday Facebook, right over, Nikola, I'm going to come to
you on this one. To start with, the coroners released
her reporting to the death of Sandy Coulkin, who died
(17:22):
after falling into Wellington Harbor after a night drinking in
July twenty twenty one. The report found that the council
had consistently ignored the risks of people falling into the harbor,
despite seven deaths and seventeen other people falling in but surviving,
and a couple of those I've been told since I
started doing the story that a couple of the seventeen
(17:43):
we're very, very lucky to survive. So this number could
have been far worse. I want to ask you, because
I know that you'll have an opinion on it, do
you think that this is actually proof that we need
urgent fencing along some parts of Wellington's waterfront.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Well, So, the first thing I would say is I'd
like to extend my sympathis to the Carlkin family. It
is a tragedy to lose the sun their son. I
get that, but I'd have to say, you know, Wellington
is a city based on risk, and I put a
bit of thought about it because if you try and
take a rational approach to risk, you seem uncaring. But
we have to just look at the people who dash
(18:20):
out and Manu Street in front of the buses, and
they're taking a huge risk, and which means should we
be fencing should we be fencing the street the footpaths.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
I think it's a little bit different when you walk
ten meters away from a bar and there's a big
drop into the water, though, don't you.
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I've got no doubt we need
to improve the lighting. I've got no doubt about that.
I think really good lighting could help. I think there
are some areas that do, some small areas that do
need fencing off. I've got no doubt about that. But
the current temporary fencing which goes right along, you know,
is incredibly expensive fest of all. But I mean that's
(18:56):
not the issue really because we have to put we
have to think about safety as well as expense. But
people are climbing over those fences. So I think it's
you know, when you need to have a decent lighting so
the hazards are obvious, and maybe lights the edge or
mark the demarcation or demarcation marks at the edge of
footpaths that people can see where the footpath is are opposing.
(19:18):
But you know, the whole thing about risk is very inconsistent.
So the Ministry of Health deems the building earth The
building is deemed by mb to b earthquake prone, the
Ministry of Health building, so they move everybody out. And
yet we have the micro Filer Center with the same
earthquake rating and we're still having concerts. So where is
the consistency. I would just say I'm opposed to fencing
(19:40):
the waterfront. I am supportive of improving the light dramatically.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
And a long time to say no.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
No, I said it earlier on. I'm just reatterator.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
All right, okay, let me get Julian a genter in there.
What do you think? You're a cyclist? So you you
cycled along that area, don't you Do you ever feel
it that it's a little bit dangerous? Do you ever
feel that the council is not listening to these people?
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Ah?
Speaker 3 (20:03):
No, I don't feel that it's dangerous. Do think, like, firstly,
absolute sympathy to anyone who's lost their life. But and
this is often the case with coronerus, like they're looking
at a really specific case to me, it just struck
me as odd because far more I am pretty sure
(20:23):
more people will have lost their lives have been seriously
injured on the roads in Wellington than on the waterfront.
What is consistent and all like most all but one
of those fatal fatalities on the waterfront was alcohol. So
it seems to me like the problem is the risk
isn't the waterfront. It's dangerous behavior when people are heavily intoxicated.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
And that's the job though, isn't it. I've always thought
in my mind, wrongly or rightly, and tell me both
of you will tell me this. But Julian, you know
it's the council's responsibility to keep us safe.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Well, we can't be people safe. I mean, we can't
stop people from having a skinful and going out in
front of a bus. I mean the thing will personal responsibility.
You know, people have to look after themselves. Well the council.
We're not a nanny state. I don't want the council
looking after my well being.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
But don't you want to make the council the Council's
responsibility to make the environment safe if they can't.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
It's also I mean, like as a mother with my
little children on the waterfront. I don't worry about them
falling off the side into the water. I'm far more
worried about them on the footpath next to fast moving traffic.
So I mean, I think there's the much bigger risk
is cars and trucks and buses, and then when it
comes to the waterfront, maybe there is something they could do,
(21:40):
but ultimately, you know, if people are drinking, that is
going to impair their judgment. And I don't want us
to fence off the waterfront. I love swimming off the water.
I love diving off though.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Okay, it was not going to be the whole area.
It was just going to be some of the dangerous areas.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
It was the whole area.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Well, I got told that it wasn't. It was just
the areas where there's big drop.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Offs from now now they're finding it.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Okay, all right, let me just ask you both very
quickly before we get to an ad break. This weekends
the final weekend of Homegrown. So it's kind of a
big event in the city that we've lost. Either of
you got any favorite artists or you'd want to go.
I mean, it's a major, major thing that we've lost
Julian Genter, you've got a favorite artist that New Zealand
artists that you want to go along and see at
Homegrown or have you got an experience of Homegrown? Have
(22:24):
you ever been?
Speaker 3 (22:25):
I actually I haven't attended, but that's probably to do
with the fact that I don't get to go out
to music festivals because I'm very busy with work and children.
But I do love newtom Festival. I mean, we just
had that amazing biggest street party in New Zealand maybe
in the Southern hemisphere Cuba douper amazing. Those are free events.
(22:49):
I love Fat Podies Drop. I have to say, wrong
Attai Based. I'm pretty sure if that love Lord. I mean,
there's so many great New Zealand artists. I do think
that something will come to replace Homegrown and it will
be good. But we've got some really great music events
here in the city anyway, and I love those ones
(23:11):
that are supported by the council and the community.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Nikolae Young tell me your firstly, very quickly, so I've
got to go to an air break. Your thoughts on
losing Home Grind and what you're missing.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Yes, it's the loss, but some people will not be
Morning its departure. They were concerned that it was being
sponsored by a booze company when there was really targeting
young teenagers. And of course, you see Juliana no, don't
always disagree. And also something I.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Mean, any but woke in your old age. Sorry, you're
she's hardening up. No.
Speaker 4 (23:38):
So the other thing is that, of course those parks
were taken out of action for quite some time because
they had to be closed down in advance and then regrasped.
I mean, no one's ever complained about the noise. You know,
I live in the central city.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
And I'm going to say you live down the road. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
But the thing is, you know, festivals have a sort
of natural life cycle. Sometimes they go for a long time.
They want a new venue. That's fine, my favorite artist.
I took a liberty here. I thought, these are not
this is not my on of music, and I thought,
I'm not going to boy you with pretentious comments about
the z is. So I would just like to say,
on the subject of artists, has anyone seen the new Circa,
(24:15):
the redeveloped Circa with that amazing chain mail kinetic sculpture
on the waterfront. Speaking of the waterfront, and I just
think it's great that Circa has got a whole new life.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Face off. We once again got talking about restaurants in
the break. Oh my gosh, a pass. He's apparently not
doing lunch anymore's a'ly doing dinners. I hope you're right
on that, Julian.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
You know, well, I was looking to go there for
lunch at the new venue. They looks like they're only
opened from five pm. But maybe that was wrong information,
So don't open well.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Last Friday, okay, obviously Friday face off with Nikola Young
and Julian Genter, Brisco's managing director Rod Juke says the
government needs to get off there. You know, I always
say get off their ass because it sounds better, but
he actually said. Rod Juke said get their arson to
gear to grow the economy, saying we're lacking bold plans.
(25:05):
Julian Genter, Oh my gosh, this is like putting a
shark out, putting bait out for a shark. Is that
this question? Does the government need to do more? What
can they do? God? Damn, that's leading with an open hand,
isn't it.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Well? I yeah, and so I've consistently said that government
policies that have cut. You know, it's austerity, right. They've
cut spending matt has resulted in the recession being far deeper,
far worse in New Zealand than it should have been.
I'm not sure if I totally agree with Roger. I'm
not sure his prescription is to improve the economy, So
(25:41):
I don't know if he wouldn't give us.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
He wouldn't give us those hints on how he would
improve the economy. He just said time is over now
for the government to blame the previous government and he
wants them to get off their ass and get moving.
Nikolae Young, what do you think for that?
Speaker 4 (25:55):
So? I think the government inherited a mess. And there
was some disastrous projects like the eight hundred million, eight
hundred million on the Auckland cycleway, and they'll be on
the Auckland Harbor crossing.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
It wasn't eight hundred million.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
Ah, that's the grab guard anyway, There'll.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
Be other things, but they weren't doing it. They weren't
going to do it.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
So the thing is that they spent an enormous amount
of money planning it, so they're having to unpick and prioritize.
And I think that until they've unpicked, they can't sort
out where they're going ahead. Yep, they need to do more,
but I think they've got to get the house in
order before they do anymore.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
But when you've got one of the most successful businessmen
in New Zealand saying that the right wing government needs
to get off there get their ars into gear, that's
quite compare what it is to me.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Well, look, I don't know him, and the thing is
about sometimes successful businessman, you know, they sometimes talk about
things that they don't know about. Obviously he would know
about business, but I'm not sure if he understands politics
or the details of what the government inherited from what
I think was a completely chaotic previous government.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
Well, I mean I think the current government no offense obviously,
y yeah, yeah, great, great. I mean obviously I have
a different view of it. Like I say, this current
government is far more chareoic than the previous one. There's
certain talking points the National Party always uses, like the
bike bridge, but like it's it's really a red herring
because I mean, firstly I didn't support that project, but
(27:19):
secondly they weren't actually going ahead with it, so they
actually canceled some projects that were really necessary, like the
public house build. Like here in Wellington alone, we've got
hundreds of homes not being delivered. That affects the construction
companies they had. I talked to a builder in Wellington
who had seventy million dollars worth of work over the
next five years, all in kying or redevelopments and that
(27:43):
was just gone because the government stopped this project and
that goes through.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
The apartments were going to cost one point three minute
each to build, which was crazy. I mean the figures
were de kangled or got I mean they got their
costs totally out of control. They had to be stopped.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
Okay, procurement rules. The government is proposing changing procurement rules
for government contracts to prioritize key we business. I personally
love this idea, Nikola, would you be happy if the
government would pay a little bit more to actually have
at a Kiwi company and don't worry about electric cars
and don't worry about living wage. Just get it done
(28:18):
and get a Kiwi business to do it instead of
bringing international companies in with lots and lots of money,
making them drive around electric cars and pay the living wage.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Well, first of all, I'd just like to say that
I oppose the Council implementing the living wage because I
thought minimum wage policies were a government matter. Putting that
to one side, we need the best outcome for New Zealand.
Sometimes we contract to local companies, sometimes with companies from abroad.
The cheapest option is not always the best option. For example,
and Julie Anne will probably like this, I think we
(28:47):
should be doing a lot more to promote and advocate
people having woolen carpets rather than not on carpets that
when you take them out and put them on the dump,
they'll be there in a thousand years, instead of which
we could have woolen carpets. Our sheep are only sure
enough for humanitarian reasons because the wall price is so low.
That is a tragedy. So sometimes the cheapest option is
(29:07):
not always the best option. But I think we have
to say to the government to I mean, I agree
they should not have to have rules about electric vehicles
and all this kind of stuff. Let people get on
with their business, but but no exploitation of people.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
So Juliando, this is another one for you to open
up and I tell you what I've got to tell
you straight to your face. If I had my time again,
I would never buy an EV and I have an
EV because I've lost potentially so much money, so I
wouldn't do it.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
Okay, that's not crying. I look I have we have long.
I mean remember by Q we made was a Green
Party initiative in government, like the original Greens, like back
in two thousand and five, had.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
That environmental party.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
We've always been a party that understands the connection between
environmental and social justice always, and buy Q we made was,
you know, a Green Party initiative in government. I would
love to see us prioritizing sustainable wall carpets and even
New Zealand made buses there. There's a bus manufacturer in
(30:17):
christ Church.
Speaker 4 (30:18):
Used to be one of the missing.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
It was a director missing out on contracts here even
though they're providing a really great product because government procurement
rules didn't take into account the benefits of us having
that local manufacturing.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
So yes or no? Would you I've got to go because.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Local procurement good. But also, of course we need to
prioritize living, which of course we need to prioritize environmental outcome.
I don't think we need to do all of that.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
I don't think any of those companies building those big
things would actually be paying less the living wage anyway.
But I think it's a debate for another time. The Friday,
right here we go, I'm going to go to you first.
Who am I going to go? I'm going to go
to you, Nicola, because Julia and Jender hasn't even worked
out what she's hots and knots are. So I'm feeling
(31:05):
a little bit like the guy that's waiting for someone
to ask them for a dancing He's that's there all
night like carry a wolfler cool.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
Okay, well I'll tell you my hot. My hot is
next weekend is Cuba Dooper. And Cuba Dooper is a
sensational two day festival. You know, it only came back
when I first got onto council. We used to have
the Cuba Street Festival Carnival and that was dumped and
they brought in Cuba Dooper. It is sensational two days
of and it's free. You know, it's great to have
(31:33):
something take the family. There lots of music. It's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Okay, watch you're not hot.
Speaker 4 (31:39):
The beginning of the Golden Mile, the Courtney Place redevelopment
at the same time as the rising water maine in
Wakefield Street. Brace people, Brace.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
It is going to be a nightmare Wakefield Street.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
I know. And Wellingtonians don't want the Golden Mile. That's
you know, residents and businesses do not want it, and
it's been rammed through and it's going to be a nightmare.
So the Courtney Placeline will start at the end of
a put on, will run through to just after elections,
so that should motivate people to fill in those worting papers.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Julia and Gina, you're smiling, give me your hots and
knots please.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Okay, Hot, it's a little bit late. But just the
beginning first week and a half of March, there was
the Seaweed Festival. Did you hear about this? Here in Wellington,
Love Remo Remo and other supporters ran this wonderful Seaweed
Festival to highlight our marine reserve and the importance of
calp forests and there, and there's even an industry around it,
(32:34):
you know, with food that's involves seaweed and produce.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
So we still import from Japan even though we've got
it in the harbor.
Speaker 3 (32:42):
I assume that there is some importation going on. But hey,
we've got an amazing marine reserve and that check it out.
The south coast is so beautiful, not hot. The government's
talk fest up in Auckland to try and attract international
investors to invest in instructure.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Just a bit disappointed because you didn't get asked to that.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Look, I think we've we got to own we've got
to own our infrastructure. Those people want to return. It's
going to end up costing us more. I don't think
anything's going to come of it because this government doesn't
really have any productive ideas.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
Thank you both so much for coming in. Nikolae Young
and Julian Genter, have a great week. Appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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