August 28, 2025 • 31 mins
On Friday Faceoff, Nick Mills was joined by broadcaster Mark Sainsbury and Director at Franks Ogilvie, Brigitte Morten.
They discussed the government's announcements on supermarkets, why Transmission Gully needs major repairs so quickly, and what to do with the social problems in Newtown.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from news Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Said, b Ace, we've informed you we've got Friday face
off with broadcasting legend Mark Sainsbury, Good morning, Mark, Morning Neck.
Tell us a bit about the hat.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Look, it's you know, I've been obsessed with the cold
as we all have been Wellington these last couple of weeks.
And there's my wife's got like a suburban law practice
and called Bernie. She's got the fantastic client called Joan Henson.
And the reason Joane's so fantastic is not only dealing.
Her husband has been seriously ill. In fact, he passed
away last night and all as somebody scat the Joan.
(00:42):
But she started making hats for people. She made one
for me, she made run for my friends. One of
my mates nicked one and she made me another one.
That fantastic old fashioned te cozy woolen hats. And Joan
is just a gene. I think she's outfitted half of
killed Bernie with his hat.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
I think yours needs to be a tiny bit bigger
because it doesn't cover the top of your ears.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yeah, well that's maybe it's the problem. My ears as
opposed to the hat. So so Joan was my she
was my hottie for the for the week.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
She's just a good person, can still be your hotty.
I just wanted to ask you about the hat. Do
one for you? Nick? Yes? Please? Black? Black, black? Please
tell her I'll donate to anything she needs to make
because I'd like a black hat like that, so I'd
look good in it too. And political commentator and director
at frank'sg will Be Bridge at Morton Bridget would you
wear a hat like that?
Speaker 4 (01:29):
I would definitely wear a hat like that. I do
have quite a lot of hair though, and so I
overheat quite quickly in hats.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Like that, so that it has.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
To be a proper cold for me to wear a hat.
Wellington cold is not cold enough for me to wear
a hat like that.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Are you? Are you a hat?
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Wear it? It has to be proper cold.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
What about a cap? What about a cap? On the weekend?
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Still the same? I'm a hot head, you know. I
just there's got a lot of here on my head.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I don't think there's any contests for stating the obvious.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Here's funny if you look at old photos of Wellington
and everyone's like at the races and.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Everyone wears a hat. The old cheese cutters. Yeah yeah,
I love the idea of a cheese cutter, but I
look like a dork in one.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
But how do you kind of keep you know, hats
on in the Wellington winds? Do you like it? You know?
Wouldn't like.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
There's going to be enough resistance at the stay on
your head, but not enough to cut off the blood circulation.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Maybe we need to go back to the old fashion
here pins, you know, with your.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
That's the wird thing rather than men thing. Really, I
think I don't know. Let's start talking supermarkets. Economic Development
Minister Nikola Willis was introduced to introduced a fast tracking
consent to try and get a new supermarket player into
the market to create a better competition Mark Sainsbury. Do
(02:44):
you think this is ever going to work? What are
your thoughts? What happened? What went through your mind when
you read this? Heard this? Deep?
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Well, I suppose we're working here in mind? Ah yeah,
here we go again. It's not going to come to anything.
I mean, it's such a to try and break into
that market. Mean, why has no one tried it before?
And what guarantees are there if they managed to get
in if they fast tracked them through access to suppliers
and all that sort of thing. I mean, the super
because they had it too good for too long. And
that's there's certain that that's true, and you see it
(03:10):
every day going in. Their prices are still going up.
So we all desperately want something. It just has to
feel about it sometimes as saying what they think we
want to hear, but there's no real plan.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yeah, get us on side, but don't actually give us anything. Bridget,
do you think you know from your legal standpoint that
didn't know the threats that Nicol has been threatening to
break up the giropoly you know, individually and joint me
do you reckon that that ever could come to fruition?
And do you think that this government would ever try
and do something.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
I mean, I think it is really difficult to actually
break up the geopolies. I mean, we have a competition law,
you know, infrastructure, We have ways of dealing with monopolies
and geopolies, and we do regulate a lot of things
in this country because we are small and we're open
to having monopolies. I think on the supermarket, you know, announcement,
(04:03):
the biggest sort of positive out of it was sort
of Costco coming out and a year we're actually looking
at other sites in the country and we're open to
opening other sites.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
And we know we fear they did that. They said
that right when they opened Auckland and.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Two years later, but they see this in particular, I think,
in reaction to this, and you've just got to look
at the food prices. It does Auckland does have their
food prices are not gone up at the same as
the rest of the country, and the Costco is a
major factor. So if we can get something like Costco,
you know throughout the rest of the country. I don't
know if Wellington's going to I went to.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Costco a few weeks ago when I was up there,
cleared the Lord took us out there and was proud
showing us the butter they head for sale. They've still
got the butter cheaper than anyone. I mean, it's it's
an amazing it's just weird. I mean they they fished
open and think the old coffins, I've stopped selling those
now and no signs for what's in the aisles, so
it's not like down the Silers.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
So you've just got to guess where you have got
it starts to get you to move around the store.
But it's the food. So how they do the food?
I just got So I want to ask you both
this because if there was to be real competition any time,
it's going to be Costco and Wellington. Right, would you
drive to paraparam or would you drive to you know,
(05:13):
PORI rure if you're a Wellington resident to go to
Costco once a week or once a month.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
I don't think I'd be going once a week, but
gifinely once a month. I mean I grew up in
a house. Where I grew up in to there was
less of markets than when I was growing up. My
parents used to drive once a month to the pack
and save and order load of the car with the
cheaper items and make that work for the month.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Wow, Mark, would you take that big V eight of yours?
You'd pay? It's been more again? Well it's because I
don't think it's good. I don't think there's a site
big enough for it.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Well, yeah, they're going to got a very good cheap
petrol place out there. Well would would the road be open?
It's the first it's first considering.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Nick Cursekinna eating out to transmission.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
We can talk about that, but look I probably will.
The one in Auckland is way out west. You know,
it's I'll look at maybe it's a twenty minute drive.
But yeah, it's a real destination thing. It's sort of
and the and as I said, they lure them in
with the the hot dog hot dogs.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
And different food and stuff. You get super super cheap.
It's it's insane.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
It is almost a day out.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
So how did you get in there if you were
in a memory, Because.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I mean with clear the law and Shee's a member
and they check your ideas you come in. You've got
to show your idea. You can't just swanen and like.
So you know, if I'd Bridget had give me yours,
they would have gone no, no, too much here, you
didn't qualify.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Have you been to cost Go Bra, Yeah, quite a
few times. I also they opened one in Canberra when
I was living there. And the other thing too, is
not just about your household costs. It's about when you're
sort of running events or got being things on the
amazing what you can get for you know, having a
barbecue at your house or a fiftieth or something is
quite extraordinary.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Trayer club sandwiches absolutely beautiful or beautiful, and you watch
it and they're all being you have to wait, well,
wait for the fresh one to come out. You watch
the stuff turning over in there. So if you're having
a party, you're catering for an office thing.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
You know. So our answer quickly go to both of
you on the South answer is really the only opportunity
we've got to having any in Wellington and as costco,
is that when there's not going to be another operator
that comes and it opens all route throughout New Zealand?
Is it mark?
Speaker 3 (07:17):
I can't. I look at not on a national level.
I mean even people who tried them. There's been various
people who tried different things and it hasn't always ended well.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
My argument also though, is if you want diversification, you
can diverse fow where you're spending your money.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Now.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
You can go to that farmer's market, you can go
to the local body, you can go to the green grocer.
They often have better prices. Yeah, it takes a little
bit more work, but you can actually diversify you're spending. Now,
if you want the new.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Town, there's a green grocers.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
You know, they always seem to disappear that well, I
quite often go and get there's a lot of stuff
you won't get at the supermarkets, and as cheaper in
some cheap supermarket.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Yeah, yeah, see I think what about more Wilsons, Yep.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
I just spend lots of money there because they has
such beautiful looking food that's really bad for.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
My worry, high defensive.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
But also more Wilsons, you'll find some stuff that's competitive
with you know. You think, actually that's not much different
from you know, well I can.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Tell you because I shopped there for work. I shopped there.
I mean, butter is exactly the same price in wowolves
and that is in a supermarket. You know, broccoli is
the same price at the moment, it's ridiculously expensive at
the same price. So and I just commitment.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
It's a one ton institution marbles, and so it's an
absolute treasure.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Okay, do you started talking about Transmission Gully, so I
better ask ask you guys about it these talks then
be Max Toll revealed yesterday that a patch of Transmission
Gully needs to be resurfaced and rebuilt, causing wait for it,
causing lane closures and full night closures from March till October.
We remind you, you and the listeners three and a
(08:46):
half years from opening day and what was it? One
point two five billion dollars bridget. I mean, what did
we do wrong here?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
I can't tell you, and I think lots of people
would like to know what we did wrong, because ultimately
we can't do that again. You know, we're on this
set of infrastructure the government's really promoting in for such
a pipeline and getting things done and getting is completed.
If we don't learn any lessons from Transmission Gully, we're
just going to end up on the same problem. It
does seem ridiculous though I cannot understand it, but anyone
who's driven on Transmission Gully in the last couple of
(09:21):
years it's not comfortable to drive on. It's a weird
I can't tell you. You know that the surface is
not comfortable to drive on. So we all knew that
there's something wrong that they had to go in and
fix it. So it's not surprising.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And don't forget when they did.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Before they did that, they built the Carpety Expressway, they
had exactly the same problem. Remember they had the research,
So you think, oh, we've got an issue here, and
I think at the time a lot of people are
saying it was do with bitcherment and stuff that are
on boarding from Indonesia and Edward stopped afterwards, stopped.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
That and we were rushing them, remember when we were rushing.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
So but you would think if you experienced this problem
with the carpety Expressway and then you're building transmission gully,
you go right better make sure we don't have the
same problem again. And it appears that it's.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Exactly what they've got. Bridget How do we prevent this
happening for them? I mean, we've this government Carlis and
government's talking big projects. How can we avoid the same
thing happening again?
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Yeah, I think I think we'd all like to know.
I think what is unclear to most of us as though,
is whether or not they're actually making that investigation, because
there seems to be a lot of blame going between,
you know, the government agencies about what they did versus
the providers who actually built it. There doesn't seem to
be anyone saying, actually, these are the things we could
have done better next time, And I think that's a frustration.
So maybe this is a role for the Infrastructure Commission.
(10:37):
The new sort of bodies that have been set up
by this government actually look at some of those lessons
rather than just focusing on the future, being actually like, well,
we need to make sure that we're doing this right.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
And the issue that I have got, Marcus, this was
the you know, the public private partnership. They've all been
they're all dissipated now they've all gone their own way.
So fixes it up, that's right. Say, I'm curious as
to how this work. Who picks up the tab?
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Is there a contingency fund that is left, you know
with a major project?
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Do you know?
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Gively? I mean, I don't know the detail of the contracts,
but deferently there is still liabilities between delivery. It doesn't
like that the completely disappeared.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Oh here are they? I mean the companies that set
them up they've gone.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Well, I think they're still legal disputes going on. Isn't
there between the delays and who pays for what? And things?
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah? The government's introducing yet another investor visa to attract
business people to our shores. A new business Investment visas
will give foreign business people and their families a pathway
to residency. They if they invest either one million dollars
or two million dollars to an existing New Zealand company.
Bridget we've dropped our prices because the last one was ten,
(11:41):
five and ten golden visas. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
I mean if I was a baby boomer with a business,
I'd be celebrating because the market has just expanded, you know,
quite exponentially for selling off your business, you know, to
someone coming in. I actually quite like this. You know,
there was some criticism over the five and ten million
ones because it was about investment that you could sort
of just make cash wire you didn't really invest in
New Zealand. This seems a little bit more focused on
people actually investing in New Zealand, in businesses in our
(12:07):
kind of communities, having a bit more stickability, I think,
to our community. So I quite like this. I think
these are you know, aspirational business owners. You know, the
one in millions of this is someone people we want
to attract to New Zealand to direction.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
And we need numbers, don't we. So these are good numbers.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Yeah, absolutely, And listening to.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Mike Hosking this morning, he said in his editorial when
he was talking on stage that the five and ten
million dollar golden visas had gone very well. Now I
hadn't heard any of that.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
So I think there was some stats out I think
last month that they had over two hundred applications, which
is quite significant. I mean, obviously the proof is in
whether or not those applications are accepted those people come here.
That investm makes a difference, you know, talking about outcomes
rather than just process numbers. But I mean that does
mean that we are attractive and that it has raised
people's interests in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Doesn't mean they actually do. They have to specify the
investment they're making or just bring in the money.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
No, they have to specify. I don't think it's quite
as simple as open the doors, show us your money
and come and you you're investing. I'm investing a million
or time two million dollars in Mark Sainsbury's media company
because I can employ some more people and I can
get involved. Because this, I mean, it's a it's funny.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
It betrays my age here, Bridget, but I can remember,
you know, I think when Ozzie Malcolm and then now
disgrace Dozzy Malcolm was once was immigration minister. They had
that same thing, this whole idea of anyone high net
worth individuals and courage them to come in as the
money's going to trickle down. But the problem is you
don't always see it trickle down, or people get in,
or it's a bolt hole. Peter Teal, remember that was
(13:34):
going to change his Zealand. He came over here, we
gave him citizenship, and then he's disappeared to get no
longer interested.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
So mark as an old school you know guy, I mean,
is this selling out New Zealand? I mean, is this
a million dollars? I think if you are selling it out,
it's pretty damn cheap. Million dollars in you're a.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Key, we well a million dollars, I mean does it
a lot of money across of most people. But these
days a million bucks it's like Austin Powers, you know,
one million dollars.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
You know you're going to do it.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
We're going to sell our souls to get people and
then nets get a decent price for it.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
So you think a million's too cheap?
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Yeah, I don't think this is selling our souls though.
I think this is the difference. I always go back to,
I think all of us in this room, you know
immigrants to this country through you know.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Our families, and you speak for yourself.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
I'm a Keywi too. But you know, my great great
great grandfather came here and invested in New Zealand and
that's how he ended up here. And I just I
don't like this sort of close the gate after we've
gotten kind of theory. We need investment, we want people,
we want to grow our economy. What's wrong with getting
people immigrating to New Zealand who want to be here?
Speaker 2 (14:41):
But it's this just and and I'm saying it's not
a bad thing. I'm saying it's a good thing. Is
this just a young person's view against somebody? It's a
little bit more pleasure because I would speak to my
kids and they say, well, what do you got a
problem with people coming to New Zealand? What do you say? No?
Speaker 3 (14:54):
But I don't think we have a problem with people coming.
That's not this and I think we all were probably
all in an agreement on that. It's it's it's what
triggers it. How much if you're going to come in,
then you've got to make it worthwhile. If you start dropping,
if you're saying look that for getting in it's a
million bucks. That's less than the price of a house. Yeah,
you know in any of the major cities, and you
know that sort of thing. So all I'm saying is, yeah,
(15:15):
and I do agree with you. We are built on
immigration and we need more people. You know, you wander
around sometimes you walk down through Wennington, AKA, and you think, God,
we could do it. You can deal with a lot
more people here. So we've got plenty of room, We've
got plenty of capacity.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
But that just make it work.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
How stump up the numbers make it And also I
like this idea of how rigorous it is that what
you're investing and is actually productive.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Yeah. So are we looking at just people with money
or should we be looking at people that with expertise
that can that can fill some of the gaps. So
we've got miney, We've already got.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
That because a year we have got skill specific visa pathways,
you know, the things that we do have shortages in,
and we do want to attract those people. One of
the problems though, that we have the flip side is
that yes, we may have a pathway for say, nurses
to get into the country, but we can't pay them
more until our economy does better so that we can
actually up those wages. So you've got to deal with
both sides. I think of the equation to actually make
(16:11):
the economy harm and make it attractive for people to
come here and stay here.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Right, And that's exactly the next question to Mark is
from that bridget to get the economy going to be
able to pay the teachers and the nurses and the
doctors more. We need businesses to do better. So if
we got some investment into businesses, hopefully they could grow.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
The investment's got to come from somewhere, and we need investment.
I mean, you don't know two ways about that. You know,
everything we look at and think, how on earth? I mean,
I'll tell you a conversation. I'm having more and more
with people now. They're going everything seems to be going
to hell in a handcart, you know, is it?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
You know the future?
Speaker 3 (16:47):
And you're talking about the excess to Australia, but just
everyone people are you and I are sort of cohort
now talking about are we absolutely stuffed?
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Yeah? And that's a company.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
So we've got to get more positive. We've got to
get more investment in the economy. We've got to be
thinking we've got some future here. That's the other thing
we've got. New Zealand's got to have a future.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Well apparently again I talked to my honorable front Breakfast
host that it's actually we're doing better than Australia. So
people that are gone over there, the things aren't as
good as what they should be, and maybe they'll come back.
You just got to hope. Don't you live in hope.
We do live in hope, don't we.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (17:23):
I mean, and you've got to have that positive attitude.
And these are people that want to come here and
spend their money coming here, so they're invested in making
it work. That is the kind of positive and optimism
about our economy that I want.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Isn't that incredible that we've had Mount Victoria Tunnel closed
all morning for a fire problem? I mean, I mean
they've got retardant systems in there.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Remember they spent years doing all those walls and me
how grubby that thing used to be, and they put
in there when they refurbish the tunnel, so they'll have
systems in there that if there is a fire in
the tunnel or whatever of these they get a day luge.
I think is what it is, just just dumps all
this water. So I presume if that system is not
functioning properly or there's it means it's tunnel, it will
(18:06):
be closed to this.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Sort of But surely what is it four hours it's
been closed, I mean on a Friday. It's incredible.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
Let's get on with doubling the tunnel. This is just
exactly why we need to tunnels.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
To have to them. Oh my gosh. Christopher Luxen wants
to see house prices rise, but as Housing Minister, Christopher
Bishop says, it's a good thing that they're dropping so
more it's more affordable for Kiwi's on this, Mark Sainsbury,
where do you sit on this? I'm with Chris Bishop.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
I think I mean we all moaned about prices and
you look at your kids and houses are getting unaffordable
and out of reach. I mean something had to be done.
And this whole business of totally hoping the whole economic
recovery is going to be based on overinflated house prices,
which has happened over the last couple of decades. I
just don't think it's sustainable. And the thing is politically,
(18:56):
I remember when Materia Tua first said that it is.
I think it's in a debate of some description when
she says you wanted prices to come down, and everyone said,
there's beause we're all in the enthralled.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Haven't they come down enough? Well?
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Look no, but this was this is this is sort
of said years ago, and it's eight years ago. And
at the time it was like, oh, don't say that.
That's because everyone was enjoying this whole inflation.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
We all felt rich.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
But I meant it was pricing all our kids and stuff.
Something had to be done. I think, yeah, prices, we
want prices stable, that's what would be good.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Bridget Morton, are you looking at Mark as if he's
from a different planet. I'm looking at him like he's
in the different planet, saying what do you No.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
I think I was looking at him because I was
astounded how he was just telling all the points that
I completely and utterly agree with, because because he is
absolutely right right on this, and maybe I'm the same
age as you know, Chris Bishop, and I am completely
and utterly for all the things he is doing to
bring down the cost of housing. We have to change
our culture that we think investing in housing is going
(19:57):
to grow the economy.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
It's not.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
We've got to invest in business and we've got to
invest in companies and doing things are actually innovative and different,
and I want to change people's focus rather than relying
on their house to be how they're going to fund
their retirement. It's just simply not.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
And look, I hate to sort of beat sound like
the ancient oracle here again, but don bresh. You know,
the leader of the National Party, a party, various other things,
but we always when he was Reserve Bank governor, the
thing he banged on about more than anything else is
how we're obsessed with buying houses and was going to
stuff there.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Can we change that?
Speaker 4 (20:29):
I think we can, because if you can't buy a
house or you can't buy it later, you do look
at diversifying what you do. And this is where great
things like cher is E's in those companies in which
you can invest in a much more accessible way come
into play because people actually learn about investing and diversifying
and putting their income in different places. Also, the raise
of Keiisaver, you know, key Saver is a relatively young product,
(20:52):
and you think about the retirement sort of pathway, you know,
I've come through basically with that almost my entire working life.
So it completely changes where I think my investments are
sitting when thinking about my retirement that I'm not my
house is not my retirement plan.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Right, See this is my retirement plan and it probably
was yours mark. But is this game changing? Because in
the eighties when we had the stock market crash, that
stopped me from investing in the stock market because I
lost a lot of money in the stock market, and
I've always made money out of my property. So is
this a game change? And now are we starting to
think that actually the whole new generation will think I'm
not buying a house, I'm putting my money into The
(21:27):
other thing is it comes back?
Speaker 3 (21:28):
And this is another you're going to discuss the lack
of housing, you know, both at the extreme areas. But
if we're going to have okay, we may not buy
houses or full stop, or we may not buy it
till later on, you've got to have a sort of
a reasonable rental market. And you look consider European countries
where people have a history they'll rent all their lives.
You know, you have a long term relationship with a
landlord that isn't the thing here, it's not like those
(21:50):
are the options. So if we're going to say, okay,
but I can't afford it, then everyone's straying back into
the rental market. Is there the capacity there to deal
with that? And you also just need long term You're
going to say, Okay, I may not buy a house.
I want to look at long term renting, and then
you come back into the safeguards for people doing that
and everything. You know you don't want to do it.
You think you'd be turfed out anymore.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
So, Bridget, I want to get your thought as a
younger person.
Speaker 4 (22:12):
I love it when you refer to me as a
young person.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Think about all your people that the same age view
as you right round that they might have just bought
a house over the last two years. They're sitting a
little bit nervous right now, aren't they.
Speaker 4 (22:24):
Yeah, absolutely so. A lot of my friends, I think
we're all in that sort of boat that we've most
of us have bought properties in the last sort of
five years or so, and so there's a lot of
people that did buy it at the peak of the market.
And you know, I have a lot of the people
that are in negative equity or have not ended up.
But I think for most people when they buy now,
I think they've got a little bit more sense that
they didn't intend to buy it to flip it within
(22:45):
a couple of years. It is something that they're paying
off and it's sort of you know, as they go along.
So it's not so that sort of steadiness of the
market is actually fine if you're looking at it as
a long term investment. If you did buy at the
peak of the market to try and flip it, that's
a different question.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
You're in real trouble. By the way, we've just heard
Mount Victoria Tunnel has reopened. Well, we'll celebrate that, we'll
open it.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
You complaining and the like.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Now we got a sort of good week. Yeah, well
into mornings. That's congratulation our team. We've got a little
bit of moaning on air and it's opened up. This
is my favorite time of the week, having a couple
of well known waling Tooni is having a chat about
the topics and the issues of Wellington, Bridget Morton and
Mark Sainsry. Mark Saintsery was about to tell me and
Bridget which we were very intrigued by a little story
(23:34):
and we said stop wait do we go back on
air and let everyone and Wellington hear the story. I
know the necessary effect when I meet.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
But I lost my bloody phone on Monday and it
was in the morning, and you know, and I thought, okay,
this is simple.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
I can retrace. I'll be down to the garage.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Bring it.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Note not there.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Check around the house.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
I get out to get on, get the app out.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Find my phone. It's showing it like behind a neighbour's
hedge or something, but it just does the general area,
so I think it's got to be here in the house.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
I struck the bed.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
I went through every room in that I spent four hours,
nick four hours every room in the house. I stripped
everything out. I checked it where the dogs take this stuff?
And the dog picked it up and dumped it somewhere.
I'm going nuts.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Shit. Go to the garage.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
I've been in there changing the batteries and the remotes,
and I was going through the toolbox. No, go through everything,
and I was just I was, it's a brand new phone.
There's the most expensive phone on.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Thet you here two and a half thou Oh.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
I just couldn't believe it. Anyway, my son Hunter God
bless us cotton sicks. Despite the fact I give him
a wind up, he followed and he's worse than me,
but he followed my steps. It was found three drawers
down in the rolling toolbox in the garage, so I
must have gone on there to get a screwdriver. It
either fell out of my pocket or I put it down.
(24:52):
When I shut the drawer, everything covered it over and
so I looked through those things three times and finally
got the thing back.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
But you forget how dependent we are, Nick, We are depending.
But I mean you're an ex broadcaster of the Year,
right award winning. Now me and Bridget, we're expecting a
story a little bit better. Two doors down, Bridget, I
give that a five out of ten. What do you
give that?
Speaker 4 (25:15):
I'll give it the more a bout of six, Thanks you, Bridget.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Yeah, but look, it's just it's a frustration. You know
that thing we have, it must be here. I get it, Yeah,
I get it.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
I don't think though that you know you say it
doesn't reflect well on you. I think we've all lost
our phones. I once found mine in the fridge.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Talk about new Town. You spend a bit of time
in new Town, you know you new Town the Council's
got a plan to fix the homelessness and the social
issues in new Town. I've talked about it a couple
of times. I love Newtown. I go there all the time.
Is there a problem in Newtown and is the council
going to be able to fix it?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Yeah, there is a problem. I hope the council is
able to fix it.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
I mean Newtown's always been that being different.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Remember someone put out that there's a guy that called
Duncan MacLean used to make he makes teacher really good
tailor really good guy. He's been having problems with people
just sort of appearing in a shop homeless. They're not
there to buy anything. He's trying to be nice to
them and get them down to the Salvation Army.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
It's not working.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
There's just there's people all over the streets. But Newtown's
always been a bit a bit, but that's part of
its charm.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
You know, it's not a flash suburb. But it's cool.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
I think you were talking Nick about all the op
chops and the different things of it. It's really really cool.
But there is a problem with the homeless and it
comes back. I mean, Loafer's Lodge has gone.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
You know, where do people go? I mean as much
as we go.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Oh, this is terrible, and I hate someone sort of
sitting under the cash machine and getting, you know.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Feel intimidated. But where are they supposed to go?
Speaker 3 (26:38):
This is the big problem, and that's what I'm still
waiting to see what the council is going to come
up with.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Yeah, Bridget, are you a person that goes into Newtown
at all?
Speaker 4 (26:45):
I don't spend much time in Newtown, but what I do,
and I'm I'm a skeptic about whether or not councils
can fix problems like this, But I do like about
what's in this plan is it does seem to be
focused on actually getting the social agencies to talk to
each other and going together and approaching them people as
individuals and trying to work out the reasons why that
they're there, rather than sort of just going we just
(27:05):
don't want homeless on the streets, you know, like Todding
Accountcil I think many years ago just basically was going
to have a homelessness ban, as if they thought that
if they'd just you know, stopped people from being on
the streets, that therefore they would solve the problem. So
this does seem more constructive. You know, even if it
does work for five to ten people, that could have
a major impact on that five to ten people's lines.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
All Right, I really want to ask you this really quickly.
I don't want to get into a lot of depth
out of another but it's backed by some really Wellington
successful Wellington businessmen and a big overseas firms trying to
get the Clifton Bay Faery terminal up and going to
cut the cook straight journey by an hour. Is this
pie in the sky mark or is this a good plan?
(27:46):
And shall we look at it seriously?
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Well, we looked at it twelve years ago and they
decided it didn't work. Didn't work I think twenty thirteen
when Jerry Brownie was Minister, wasn't it He had a
look at this and they decided it was going to
be cheaper, more cost effective to do it and picked in.
I just also wonder if it's too late. I mean,
aren't they supposed to have sorted out what's happened of
our fairies. Sure they've made the sistem they are going
(28:08):
to shift where the terminal is.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Yeah, well yeah, I don't think we can deal with
another aspiration of the fairies, debarcle. I think the fairies,
you know, they've decided what they're doing. Let's go forth,
get the fairies, get the picked in, you know, terminal
sort of.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
What about saving an hour on to travel.
Speaker 4 (28:25):
I mean, I've never wanted to save an hour, but
I'm not somebody that's trying to freight things across the
cook straight. I'm someone that's always going I'm going on
holiday or I'm coming home from holiday. So I'm happy
to take the time in that beautiful environment.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Yeah, and it's the raale enabled.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
It's going to be the thing with this. I'm waiting
to see what they come up with these fairies.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
The Friday Faie Hot and not Bridget Morton, give me
your hots and knots my heart.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
This week is definitely the gender pay gap reduction. It's
the lowest since they have started reporting it. It's gone
from eight point two to five point two in the
last year. There's an extraordinary change in the gender pay gap,
and I'm really pleased by that. Not is the Reserve
Bank's view of accountability and transparency. Here's an institution that
has a direct effect on many of us, including those
(29:14):
people that have bought houses recently within justs rates. And
we've seen multiple OaaS now over the last couple of
weeks where they don't believe that they really should be
providing information out to the public or you know, if
they do or Treasury does, they're going to refuse to
have meetings with Treasury. It just seems like they think
they are a law unto themselves.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Well, they've got a little bit of a talk to
by the Prime Minister too, didn't they.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
I'd like them to have a major talk to by
the Prime Minister.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Okay, Mark Sainsbury's, you're hot, knots please, I don't even
not shrink flation.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
You're still finding if it's bad enough, we notice it now,
don't we. Even simple things things you get every day.
Prices are going up on everything sometimes and otherwise if
the price hasn't gone up, quite right, Nick, the size
gets smaller, you see it with everything, nollow puffs, yeah,
not bars, all sorts of things, every that just it
really does just drive me nuts.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
But look what is hot.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
I've got to come back to Joan Henson. Already send
off your order for the hat, Nick, Joan Henson. And
this is just some woman who been knitting hats during
the winter for people she thought needed them. She absolutely
and at the same time dealing with losing her husband.
You know, it's I really ad my people who always
just put others ahead of themselves, no matter what the circumstances.
(30:25):
And she's an absolute, absolute charmer. So my heart of
the week is Joan Hanson. Joan, and we've seen our
sympathies for your losses.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Darryl and Nick would love a black hat. Yes, thank you?
What was she not hot? Did you give us a lot?
Not like strengflation s flavor? We did that, Yeah, we did. Gosh,
do you notice that bridget The things are getting smaller
on you're paying more. It's called you know, the price
the same and they reduced it a little bit. It
happens all the time. I opened a butt one of
my family members. I've got time quickly to tell you
(30:54):
the story. One of my family members got some of
those what are those chips in the tubes called yea springles? Right,
have you ever opened the spring what are they called sprinkles? Pringles? Springles?
Have you opened one of those? If you open, I'm
happy to bring with this. It's a whole beget between
the first you know at the top. No, we're near
the top. No we're near the top. Bridget Morton, thank
(31:17):
you very much for taking time out of your very
busy schedule to come in and be part of Friday faceoffs.
Mark Sainsbury, always a pleasure you be here. It's always
a pleasure. And we didn't get quite time to tell
the story about Mark running out of gas in his car.
Next time we'll talk about him running out of gas
in Mount Victoria Tunnel. Imagine running out of gas at
Mount Victoria Tunnel when the needles it empty? Can you
(31:38):
believe that?
Speaker 1 (31:39):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd Be Wellington from nine to am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from news Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Said, b Ace, we've informed you we've got Friday face
off with broadcasting legend Mark Sainsbury, Good morning, Mark, Morning Neck.
Tell us a bit about the hat.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Look, it's you know, I've been obsessed with the cold
as we all have been Wellington these last couple of weeks.
And there's my wife's got like a suburban law practice
and called Bernie. She's got the fantastic client called Joan Henson.
And the reason Joane's so fantastic is not only dealing.
Her husband has been seriously ill. In fact, he passed
away last night and all as somebody scat the Joan.
(00:42):
But she started making hats for people. She made one
for me, she made run for my friends. One of
my mates nicked one and she made me another one.
That fantastic old fashioned te cozy woolen hats. And Joan
is just a gene. I think she's outfitted half of
killed Bernie with his hat.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
I think yours needs to be a tiny bit bigger
because it doesn't cover the top of your ears.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yeah, well that's maybe it's the problem. My ears as
opposed to the hat. So so Joan was my she
was my hottie for the for the week.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
She's just a good person, can still be your hotty.
I just wanted to ask you about the hat. Do
one for you? Nick? Yes? Please? Black? Black, black? Please
tell her I'll donate to anything she needs to make
because I'd like a black hat like that, so I'd
look good in it too. And political commentator and director
at frank'sg will Be Bridge at Morton Bridget would you
wear a hat like that?
Speaker 4 (01:29):
I would definitely wear a hat like that. I do
have quite a lot of hair though, and so I
overheat quite quickly in hats.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Like that, so that it has.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
To be a proper cold for me to wear a hat.
Wellington cold is not cold enough for me to wear
a hat like that.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Are you? Are you a hat?
Speaker 4 (01:44):
Wear it? It has to be proper cold.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
What about a cap? What about a cap? On the weekend?
Speaker 4 (01:48):
Still the same? I'm a hot head, you know. I
just there's got a lot of here on my head.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I don't think there's any contests for stating the obvious.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Here's funny if you look at old photos of Wellington
and everyone's like at the races and.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Everyone wears a hat. The old cheese cutters. Yeah yeah,
I love the idea of a cheese cutter, but I
look like a dork in one.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
But how do you kind of keep you know, hats
on in the Wellington winds? Do you like it? You know?
Wouldn't like.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
There's going to be enough resistance at the stay on
your head, but not enough to cut off the blood circulation.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Maybe we need to go back to the old fashion
here pins, you know, with your.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
That's the wird thing rather than men thing. Really, I
think I don't know. Let's start talking supermarkets. Economic Development
Minister Nikola Willis was introduced to introduced a fast tracking
consent to try and get a new supermarket player into
the market to create a better competition Mark Sainsbury. Do
(02:44):
you think this is ever going to work? What are
your thoughts? What happened? What went through your mind when
you read this? Heard this? Deep?
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Well, I suppose we're working here in mind? Ah yeah,
here we go again. It's not going to come to anything.
I mean, it's such a to try and break into
that market. Mean, why has no one tried it before?
And what guarantees are there if they managed to get
in if they fast tracked them through access to suppliers
and all that sort of thing. I mean, the super
because they had it too good for too long. And
that's there's certain that that's true, and you see it
(03:10):
every day going in. Their prices are still going up.
So we all desperately want something. It just has to
feel about it sometimes as saying what they think we
want to hear, but there's no real plan.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yeah, get us on side, but don't actually give us anything. Bridget,
do you think you know from your legal standpoint that
didn't know the threats that Nicol has been threatening to
break up the giropoly you know, individually and joint me
do you reckon that that ever could come to fruition?
And do you think that this government would ever try
and do something.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
I mean, I think it is really difficult to actually
break up the geopolies. I mean, we have a competition law,
you know, infrastructure, We have ways of dealing with monopolies
and geopolies, and we do regulate a lot of things
in this country because we are small and we're open
to having monopolies. I think on the supermarket, you know, announcement,
(04:03):
the biggest sort of positive out of it was sort
of Costco coming out and a year we're actually looking
at other sites in the country and we're open to
opening other sites.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
And we know we fear they did that. They said
that right when they opened Auckland and.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Two years later, but they see this in particular, I think,
in reaction to this, and you've just got to look
at the food prices. It does Auckland does have their
food prices are not gone up at the same as
the rest of the country, and the Costco is a
major factor. So if we can get something like Costco,
you know throughout the rest of the country. I don't
know if Wellington's going to I went to.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Costco a few weeks ago when I was up there,
cleared the Lord took us out there and was proud
showing us the butter they head for sale. They've still
got the butter cheaper than anyone. I mean, it's it's
an amazing it's just weird. I mean they they fished
open and think the old coffins, I've stopped selling those
now and no signs for what's in the aisles, so
it's not like down the Silers.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
So you've just got to guess where you have got
it starts to get you to move around the store.
But it's the food. So how they do the food?
I just got So I want to ask you both
this because if there was to be real competition any time,
it's going to be Costco and Wellington. Right, would you
drive to paraparam or would you drive to you know,
(05:13):
PORI rure if you're a Wellington resident to go to
Costco once a week or once a month.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
I don't think I'd be going once a week, but
gifinely once a month. I mean I grew up in
a house. Where I grew up in to there was
less of markets than when I was growing up. My
parents used to drive once a month to the pack
and save and order load of the car with the
cheaper items and make that work for the month.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Wow, Mark, would you take that big V eight of yours?
You'd pay? It's been more again? Well it's because I
don't think it's good. I don't think there's a site
big enough for it.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Well, yeah, they're going to got a very good cheap
petrol place out there. Well would would the road be open?
It's the first it's first considering.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Nick Cursekinna eating out to transmission.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
We can talk about that, but look I probably will.
The one in Auckland is way out west. You know,
it's I'll look at maybe it's a twenty minute drive.
But yeah, it's a real destination thing. It's sort of
and the and as I said, they lure them in
with the the hot dog hot dogs.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
And different food and stuff. You get super super cheap.
It's it's insane.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
It is almost a day out.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
So how did you get in there if you were
in a memory, Because.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I mean with clear the law and Shee's a member
and they check your ideas you come in. You've got
to show your idea. You can't just swanen and like.
So you know, if I'd Bridget had give me yours,
they would have gone no, no, too much here, you
didn't qualify.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Have you been to cost Go Bra, Yeah, quite a
few times. I also they opened one in Canberra when
I was living there. And the other thing too, is
not just about your household costs. It's about when you're
sort of running events or got being things on the
amazing what you can get for you know, having a
barbecue at your house or a fiftieth or something is
quite extraordinary.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Trayer club sandwiches absolutely beautiful or beautiful, and you watch
it and they're all being you have to wait, well,
wait for the fresh one to come out. You watch
the stuff turning over in there. So if you're having
a party, you're catering for an office thing.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
You know. So our answer quickly go to both of
you on the South answer is really the only opportunity
we've got to having any in Wellington and as costco,
is that when there's not going to be another operator
that comes and it opens all route throughout New Zealand?
Is it mark?
Speaker 3 (07:17):
I can't. I look at not on a national level.
I mean even people who tried them. There's been various
people who tried different things and it hasn't always ended well.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
My argument also though, is if you want diversification, you
can diverse fow where you're spending your money.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Now.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
You can go to that farmer's market, you can go
to the local body, you can go to the green grocer.
They often have better prices. Yeah, it takes a little
bit more work, but you can actually diversify you're spending. Now,
if you want the new.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Town, there's a green grocers.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
You know, they always seem to disappear that well, I
quite often go and get there's a lot of stuff
you won't get at the supermarkets, and as cheaper in
some cheap supermarket.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Yeah, yeah, see I think what about more Wilsons, Yep.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
I just spend lots of money there because they has
such beautiful looking food that's really bad for.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
My worry, high defensive.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
But also more Wilsons, you'll find some stuff that's competitive
with you know. You think, actually that's not much different
from you know, well I can.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Tell you because I shopped there for work. I shopped there.
I mean, butter is exactly the same price in wowolves
and that is in a supermarket. You know, broccoli is
the same price at the moment, it's ridiculously expensive at
the same price. So and I just commitment.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
It's a one ton institution marbles, and so it's an
absolute treasure.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Okay, do you started talking about Transmission Gully, so I
better ask ask you guys about it these talks then
be Max Toll revealed yesterday that a patch of Transmission
Gully needs to be resurfaced and rebuilt, causing wait for it,
causing lane closures and full night closures from March till October.
We remind you, you and the listeners three and a
(08:46):
half years from opening day and what was it? One
point two five billion dollars bridget. I mean, what did
we do wrong here?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
I can't tell you, and I think lots of people
would like to know what we did wrong, because ultimately
we can't do that again. You know, we're on this
set of infrastructure the government's really promoting in for such
a pipeline and getting things done and getting is completed.
If we don't learn any lessons from Transmission Gully, we're
just going to end up on the same problem. It
does seem ridiculous though I cannot understand it, but anyone
who's driven on Transmission Gully in the last couple of
(09:21):
years it's not comfortable to drive on. It's a weird
I can't tell you. You know that the surface is
not comfortable to drive on. So we all knew that
there's something wrong that they had to go in and
fix it. So it's not surprising.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
And don't forget when they did.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Before they did that, they built the Carpety Expressway, they
had exactly the same problem. Remember they had the research,
So you think, oh, we've got an issue here, and
I think at the time a lot of people are
saying it was do with bitcherment and stuff that are
on boarding from Indonesia and Edward stopped afterwards, stopped.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
That and we were rushing them, remember when we were rushing.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
So but you would think if you experienced this problem
with the carpety Expressway and then you're building transmission gully,
you go right better make sure we don't have the
same problem again. And it appears that it's.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Exactly what they've got. Bridget How do we prevent this
happening for them? I mean, we've this government Carlis and
government's talking big projects. How can we avoid the same
thing happening again?
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Yeah, I think I think we'd all like to know.
I think what is unclear to most of us as though,
is whether or not they're actually making that investigation, because
there seems to be a lot of blame going between,
you know, the government agencies about what they did versus
the providers who actually built it. There doesn't seem to
be anyone saying, actually, these are the things we could
have done better next time, And I think that's a frustration.
So maybe this is a role for the Infrastructure Commission.
(10:37):
The new sort of bodies that have been set up
by this government actually look at some of those lessons
rather than just focusing on the future, being actually like, well,
we need to make sure that we're doing this right.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
And the issue that I have got, Marcus, this was
the you know, the public private partnership. They've all been
they're all dissipated now they've all gone their own way.
So fixes it up, that's right. Say, I'm curious as
to how this work. Who picks up the tab?
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Is there a contingency fund that is left, you know
with a major project?
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Do you know?
Speaker 4 (11:02):
Gively? I mean, I don't know the detail of the contracts,
but deferently there is still liabilities between delivery. It doesn't
like that the completely disappeared.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Oh here are they? I mean the companies that set
them up they've gone.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Well, I think they're still legal disputes going on. Isn't
there between the delays and who pays for what? And things?
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Yeah? The government's introducing yet another investor visa to attract
business people to our shores. A new business Investment visas
will give foreign business people and their families a pathway
to residency. They if they invest either one million dollars
or two million dollars to an existing New Zealand company.
Bridget we've dropped our prices because the last one was ten,
(11:41):
five and ten golden visas. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
I mean if I was a baby boomer with a business,
I'd be celebrating because the market has just expanded, you know,
quite exponentially for selling off your business, you know, to
someone coming in. I actually quite like this. You know,
there was some criticism over the five and ten million
ones because it was about investment that you could sort
of just make cash wire you didn't really invest in
New Zealand. This seems a little bit more focused on
people actually investing in New Zealand, in businesses in our
(12:07):
kind of communities, having a bit more stickability, I think,
to our community. So I quite like this. I think
these are you know, aspirational business owners. You know, the
one in millions of this is someone people we want
to attract to New Zealand to direction.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
And we need numbers, don't we. So these are good numbers.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Yeah, absolutely, And listening to.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Mike Hosking this morning, he said in his editorial when
he was talking on stage that the five and ten
million dollar golden visas had gone very well. Now I
hadn't heard any of that.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
So I think there was some stats out I think
last month that they had over two hundred applications, which
is quite significant. I mean, obviously the proof is in
whether or not those applications are accepted those people come here.
That investm makes a difference, you know, talking about outcomes
rather than just process numbers. But I mean that does
mean that we are attractive and that it has raised
people's interests in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Doesn't mean they actually do. They have to specify the
investment they're making or just bring in the money.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
No, they have to specify. I don't think it's quite
as simple as open the doors, show us your money
and come and you you're investing. I'm investing a million
or time two million dollars in Mark Sainsbury's media company
because I can employ some more people and I can
get involved. Because this, I mean, it's a it's funny.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
It betrays my age here, Bridget, but I can remember,
you know, I think when Ozzie Malcolm and then now
disgrace Dozzy Malcolm was once was immigration minister. They had
that same thing, this whole idea of anyone high net
worth individuals and courage them to come in as the
money's going to trickle down. But the problem is you
don't always see it trickle down, or people get in,
or it's a bolt hole. Peter Teal, remember that was
(13:34):
going to change his Zealand. He came over here, we
gave him citizenship, and then he's disappeared to get no
longer interested.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
So mark as an old school you know guy, I mean,
is this selling out New Zealand? I mean, is this
a million dollars? I think if you are selling it out,
it's pretty damn cheap. Million dollars in you're a.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Key, we well a million dollars, I mean does it
a lot of money across of most people. But these
days a million bucks it's like Austin Powers, you know,
one million dollars.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
You know you're going to do it.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
We're going to sell our souls to get people and
then nets get a decent price for it.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
So you think a million's too cheap?
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Yeah, I don't think this is selling our souls though.
I think this is the difference. I always go back to,
I think all of us in this room, you know
immigrants to this country through you know.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Our families, and you speak for yourself.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
I'm a Keywi too. But you know, my great great
great grandfather came here and invested in New Zealand and
that's how he ended up here. And I just I
don't like this sort of close the gate after we've
gotten kind of theory. We need investment, we want people,
we want to grow our economy. What's wrong with getting
people immigrating to New Zealand who want to be here?
Speaker 2 (14:41):
But it's this just and and I'm saying it's not
a bad thing. I'm saying it's a good thing. Is
this just a young person's view against somebody? It's a
little bit more pleasure because I would speak to my
kids and they say, well, what do you got a
problem with people coming to New Zealand? What do you say? No?
Speaker 3 (14:54):
But I don't think we have a problem with people coming.
That's not this and I think we all were probably
all in an agreement on that. It's it's it's what
triggers it. How much if you're going to come in,
then you've got to make it worthwhile. If you start dropping,
if you're saying look that for getting in it's a
million bucks. That's less than the price of a house. Yeah,
you know in any of the major cities, and you
know that sort of thing. So all I'm saying is, yeah,
(15:15):
and I do agree with you. We are built on
immigration and we need more people. You know, you wander
around sometimes you walk down through Wennington, AKA, and you think, God,
we could do it. You can deal with a lot
more people here. So we've got plenty of room, We've
got plenty of capacity.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
But that just make it work.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
How stump up the numbers make it And also I
like this idea of how rigorous it is that what
you're investing and is actually productive.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Yeah. So are we looking at just people with money
or should we be looking at people that with expertise
that can that can fill some of the gaps. So
we've got miney, We've already got.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
That because a year we have got skill specific visa pathways,
you know, the things that we do have shortages in,
and we do want to attract those people. One of
the problems though, that we have the flip side is
that yes, we may have a pathway for say, nurses
to get into the country, but we can't pay them
more until our economy does better so that we can
actually up those wages. So you've got to deal with
both sides. I think of the equation to actually make
(16:11):
the economy harm and make it attractive for people to
come here and stay here.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Right, And that's exactly the next question to Mark is
from that bridget to get the economy going to be
able to pay the teachers and the nurses and the
doctors more. We need businesses to do better. So if
we got some investment into businesses, hopefully they could grow.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
The investment's got to come from somewhere, and we need investment.
I mean, you don't know two ways about that. You know,
everything we look at and think, how on earth? I mean,
I'll tell you a conversation. I'm having more and more
with people now. They're going everything seems to be going
to hell in a handcart, you know, is it?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
You know the future?
Speaker 3 (16:47):
And you're talking about the excess to Australia, but just
everyone people are you and I are sort of cohort
now talking about are we absolutely stuffed?
Speaker 2 (16:55):
Yeah? And that's a company.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
So we've got to get more positive. We've got to
get more investment in the economy. We've got to be
thinking we've got some future here. That's the other thing
we've got. New Zealand's got to have a future.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Well apparently again I talked to my honorable front Breakfast
host that it's actually we're doing better than Australia. So
people that are gone over there, the things aren't as
good as what they should be, and maybe they'll come back.
You just got to hope. Don't you live in hope.
We do live in hope, don't we.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (17:23):
I mean, and you've got to have that positive attitude.
And these are people that want to come here and
spend their money coming here, so they're invested in making
it work. That is the kind of positive and optimism
about our economy that I want.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Isn't that incredible that we've had Mount Victoria Tunnel closed
all morning for a fire problem? I mean, I mean
they've got retardant systems in there.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Remember they spent years doing all those walls and me
how grubby that thing used to be, and they put
in there when they refurbish the tunnel, so they'll have
systems in there that if there is a fire in
the tunnel or whatever of these they get a day luge.
I think is what it is, just just dumps all
this water. So I presume if that system is not
functioning properly or there's it means it's tunnel, it will
(18:06):
be closed to this.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Sort of But surely what is it four hours it's
been closed, I mean on a Friday. It's incredible.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
Let's get on with doubling the tunnel. This is just
exactly why we need to tunnels.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
To have to them. Oh my gosh. Christopher Luxen wants
to see house prices rise, but as Housing Minister, Christopher
Bishop says, it's a good thing that they're dropping so
more it's more affordable for Kiwi's on this, Mark Sainsbury,
where do you sit on this? I'm with Chris Bishop.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
I think I mean we all moaned about prices and
you look at your kids and houses are getting unaffordable
and out of reach. I mean something had to be done.
And this whole business of totally hoping the whole economic
recovery is going to be based on overinflated house prices,
which has happened over the last couple of decades. I
just don't think it's sustainable. And the thing is politically,
(18:56):
I remember when Materia Tua first said that it is.
I think it's in a debate of some description when
she says you wanted prices to come down, and everyone said,
there's beause we're all in the enthralled.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Haven't they come down enough? Well?
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Look no, but this was this is this is sort
of said years ago, and it's eight years ago. And
at the time it was like, oh, don't say that.
That's because everyone was enjoying this whole inflation.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
We all felt rich.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
But I meant it was pricing all our kids and stuff.
Something had to be done. I think, yeah, prices, we
want prices stable, that's what would be good.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Bridget Morton, are you looking at Mark as if he's
from a different planet. I'm looking at him like he's
in the different planet, saying what do you No.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
I think I was looking at him because I was
astounded how he was just telling all the points that
I completely and utterly agree with, because because he is
absolutely right right on this, and maybe I'm the same
age as you know, Chris Bishop, and I am completely
and utterly for all the things he is doing to
bring down the cost of housing. We have to change
our culture that we think investing in housing is going
(19:57):
to grow the economy.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
It's not.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
We've got to invest in business and we've got to
invest in companies and doing things are actually innovative and different,
and I want to change people's focus rather than relying
on their house to be how they're going to fund
their retirement. It's just simply not.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
And look, I hate to sort of beat sound like
the ancient oracle here again, but don bresh. You know,
the leader of the National Party, a party, various other things,
but we always when he was Reserve Bank governor, the
thing he banged on about more than anything else is
how we're obsessed with buying houses and was going to
stuff there.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Can we change that?
Speaker 4 (20:29):
I think we can, because if you can't buy a
house or you can't buy it later, you do look
at diversifying what you do. And this is where great
things like cher is E's in those companies in which
you can invest in a much more accessible way come
into play because people actually learn about investing and diversifying
and putting their income in different places. Also, the raise
of Keiisaver, you know, key Saver is a relatively young product,
(20:52):
and you think about the retirement sort of pathway, you know,
I've come through basically with that almost my entire working life.
So it completely changes where I think my investments are
sitting when thinking about my retirement that I'm not my
house is not my retirement plan.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Right, See this is my retirement plan and it probably
was yours mark. But is this game changing? Because in
the eighties when we had the stock market crash, that
stopped me from investing in the stock market because I
lost a lot of money in the stock market, and
I've always made money out of my property. So is
this a game change? And now are we starting to
think that actually the whole new generation will think I'm
not buying a house, I'm putting my money into The
(21:27):
other thing is it comes back?
Speaker 3 (21:28):
And this is another you're going to discuss the lack
of housing, you know, both at the extreme areas. But
if we're going to have okay, we may not buy
houses or full stop, or we may not buy it
till later on, you've got to have a sort of
a reasonable rental market. And you look consider European countries
where people have a history they'll rent all their lives.
You know, you have a long term relationship with a
landlord that isn't the thing here, it's not like those
(21:50):
are the options. So if we're going to say, okay,
but I can't afford it, then everyone's straying back into
the rental market. Is there the capacity there to deal
with that? And you also just need long term You're
going to say, Okay, I may not buy a house.
I want to look at long term renting, and then
you come back into the safeguards for people doing that
and everything. You know you don't want to do it.
You think you'd be turfed out anymore.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
So, Bridget, I want to get your thought as a
younger person.
Speaker 4 (22:12):
I love it when you refer to me as a
young person.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Think about all your people that the same age view
as you right round that they might have just bought
a house over the last two years. They're sitting a
little bit nervous right now, aren't they.
Speaker 4 (22:24):
Yeah, absolutely so. A lot of my friends, I think
we're all in that sort of boat that we've most
of us have bought properties in the last sort of
five years or so, and so there's a lot of
people that did buy it at the peak of the market.
And you know, I have a lot of the people
that are in negative equity or have not ended up.
But I think for most people when they buy now,
I think they've got a little bit more sense that
they didn't intend to buy it to flip it within
(22:45):
a couple of years. It is something that they're paying
off and it's sort of you know, as they go along.
So it's not so that sort of steadiness of the
market is actually fine if you're looking at it as
a long term investment. If you did buy at the
peak of the market to try and flip it, that's
a different question.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
You're in real trouble. By the way, we've just heard
Mount Victoria Tunnel has reopened. Well, we'll celebrate that, we'll
open it.
Speaker 4 (23:10):
You complaining and the like.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Now we got a sort of good week. Yeah, well
into mornings. That's congratulation our team. We've got a little
bit of moaning on air and it's opened up. This
is my favorite time of the week, having a couple
of well known waling Tooni is having a chat about
the topics and the issues of Wellington, Bridget Morton and
Mark Sainsry. Mark Saintsery was about to tell me and
Bridget which we were very intrigued by a little story
(23:34):
and we said stop wait do we go back on
air and let everyone and Wellington hear the story. I
know the necessary effect when I meet.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
But I lost my bloody phone on Monday and it
was in the morning, and you know, and I thought, okay,
this is simple.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
I can retrace. I'll be down to the garage.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
Bring it.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Note not there.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Check around the house.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
I get out to get on, get the app out.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
Find my phone. It's showing it like behind a neighbour's
hedge or something, but it just does the general area,
so I think it's got to be here in the house.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
I struck the bed.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
I went through every room in that I spent four hours,
nick four hours every room in the house. I stripped
everything out. I checked it where the dogs take this stuff?
And the dog picked it up and dumped it somewhere.
I'm going nuts.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Shit. Go to the garage.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
I've been in there changing the batteries and the remotes,
and I was going through the toolbox. No, go through everything,
and I was just I was, it's a brand new phone.
There's the most expensive phone on.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Thet you here two and a half thou Oh.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
I just couldn't believe it. Anyway, my son Hunter God
bless us cotton sicks. Despite the fact I give him
a wind up, he followed and he's worse than me,
but he followed my steps. It was found three drawers
down in the rolling toolbox in the garage, so I
must have gone on there to get a screwdriver. It
either fell out of my pocket or I put it down.
(24:52):
When I shut the drawer, everything covered it over and
so I looked through those things three times and finally
got the thing back.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
But you forget how dependent we are, Nick, We are depending.
But I mean you're an ex broadcaster of the Year,
right award winning. Now me and Bridget, we're expecting a
story a little bit better. Two doors down, Bridget, I
give that a five out of ten. What do you
give that?
Speaker 4 (25:15):
I'll give it the more a bout of six, Thanks you, Bridget.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Yeah, but look, it's just it's a frustration. You know
that thing we have, it must be here. I get it, Yeah,
I get it.
Speaker 4 (25:25):
I don't think though that you know you say it
doesn't reflect well on you. I think we've all lost
our phones. I once found mine in the fridge.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Talk about new Town. You spend a bit of time
in new Town, you know you new Town the Council's
got a plan to fix the homelessness and the social
issues in new Town. I've talked about it a couple
of times. I love Newtown. I go there all the time.
Is there a problem in Newtown and is the council
going to be able to fix it?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Yeah, there is a problem. I hope the council is
able to fix it.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
I mean Newtown's always been that being different.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Remember someone put out that there's a guy that called
Duncan MacLean used to make he makes teacher really good
tailor really good guy. He's been having problems with people
just sort of appearing in a shop homeless. They're not
there to buy anything. He's trying to be nice to
them and get them down to the Salvation Army.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
It's not working.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
There's just there's people all over the streets. But Newtown's
always been a bit a bit, but that's part of
its charm.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
You know, it's not a flash suburb. But it's cool.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
I think you were talking Nick about all the op
chops and the different things of it. It's really really cool.
But there is a problem with the homeless and it
comes back. I mean, Loafer's Lodge has gone.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
You know, where do people go? I mean as much
as we go.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Oh, this is terrible, and I hate someone sort of
sitting under the cash machine and getting, you know.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Feel intimidated. But where are they supposed to go?
Speaker 3 (26:38):
This is the big problem, and that's what I'm still
waiting to see what the council is going to come
up with.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Yeah, Bridget, are you a person that goes into Newtown
at all?
Speaker 4 (26:45):
I don't spend much time in Newtown, but what I do,
and I'm I'm a skeptic about whether or not councils
can fix problems like this, But I do like about
what's in this plan is it does seem to be
focused on actually getting the social agencies to talk to
each other and going together and approaching them people as
individuals and trying to work out the reasons why that
they're there, rather than sort of just going we just
(27:05):
don't want homeless on the streets, you know, like Todding
Accountcil I think many years ago just basically was going
to have a homelessness ban, as if they thought that
if they'd just you know, stopped people from being on
the streets, that therefore they would solve the problem. So
this does seem more constructive. You know, even if it
does work for five to ten people, that could have
a major impact on that five to ten people's lines.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
All Right, I really want to ask you this really quickly.
I don't want to get into a lot of depth
out of another but it's backed by some really Wellington
successful Wellington businessmen and a big overseas firms trying to
get the Clifton Bay Faery terminal up and going to
cut the cook straight journey by an hour. Is this
pie in the sky mark or is this a good plan?
(27:46):
And shall we look at it seriously?
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Well, we looked at it twelve years ago and they
decided it didn't work. Didn't work I think twenty thirteen
when Jerry Brownie was Minister, wasn't it He had a
look at this and they decided it was going to
be cheaper, more cost effective to do it and picked in.
I just also wonder if it's too late. I mean,
aren't they supposed to have sorted out what's happened of
our fairies. Sure they've made the sistem they are going
(28:08):
to shift where the terminal is.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Yeah, well yeah, I don't think we can deal with
another aspiration of the fairies, debarcle. I think the fairies,
you know, they've decided what they're doing. Let's go forth,
get the fairies, get the picked in, you know, terminal
sort of.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
What about saving an hour on to travel.
Speaker 4 (28:25):
I mean, I've never wanted to save an hour, but
I'm not somebody that's trying to freight things across the
cook straight. I'm someone that's always going I'm going on
holiday or I'm coming home from holiday. So I'm happy
to take the time in that beautiful environment.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Yeah, and it's the raale enabled.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
It's going to be the thing with this. I'm waiting
to see what they come up with these fairies.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
The Friday Faie Hot and not Bridget Morton, give me
your hots and knots my heart.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
This week is definitely the gender pay gap reduction. It's
the lowest since they have started reporting it. It's gone
from eight point two to five point two in the
last year. There's an extraordinary change in the gender pay gap,
and I'm really pleased by that. Not is the Reserve
Bank's view of accountability and transparency. Here's an institution that
has a direct effect on many of us, including those
(29:14):
people that have bought houses recently within justs rates. And
we've seen multiple OaaS now over the last couple of
weeks where they don't believe that they really should be
providing information out to the public or you know, if
they do or Treasury does, they're going to refuse to
have meetings with Treasury. It just seems like they think
they are a law unto themselves.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Well, they've got a little bit of a talk to
by the Prime Minister too, didn't they.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
I'd like them to have a major talk to by
the Prime Minister.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Okay, Mark Sainsbury's, you're hot, knots please, I don't even
not shrink flation.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
You're still finding if it's bad enough, we notice it now,
don't we. Even simple things things you get every day.
Prices are going up on everything sometimes and otherwise if
the price hasn't gone up, quite right, Nick, the size
gets smaller, you see it with everything, nollow puffs, yeah,
not bars, all sorts of things, every that just it
really does just drive me nuts.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
But look what is hot.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
I've got to come back to Joan Henson. Already send
off your order for the hat, Nick, Joan Henson. And
this is just some woman who been knitting hats during
the winter for people she thought needed them. She absolutely
and at the same time dealing with losing her husband.
You know, it's I really ad my people who always
just put others ahead of themselves, no matter what the circumstances.
(30:25):
And she's an absolute, absolute charmer. So my heart of
the week is Joan Hanson. Joan, and we've seen our
sympathies for your losses.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Darryl and Nick would love a black hat. Yes, thank you?
What was she not hot? Did you give us a lot?
Not like strengflation s flavor? We did that, Yeah, we did. Gosh,
do you notice that bridget The things are getting smaller
on you're paying more. It's called you know, the price
the same and they reduced it a little bit. It
happens all the time. I opened a butt one of
my family members. I've got time quickly to tell you
(30:54):
the story. One of my family members got some of
those what are those chips in the tubes called yea springles? Right,
have you ever opened the spring what are they called sprinkles? Pringles? Springles?
Have you opened one of those? If you open, I'm
happy to bring with this. It's a whole beget between
the first you know at the top. No, we're near
the top. No we're near the top. Bridget Morton, thank
(31:17):
you very much for taking time out of your very
busy schedule to come in and be part of Friday faceoffs.
Mark Sainsbury, always a pleasure you be here. It's always
a pleasure. And we didn't get quite time to tell
the story about Mark running out of gas in his car.
Next time we'll talk about him running out of gas
in Mount Victoria Tunnel. Imagine running out of gas at
Mount Victoria Tunnel when the needles it empty? Can you
(31:38):
believe that?
Speaker 1 (31:39):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd Be Wellington from nine to am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
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