July 16, 2026 • 8 mins
Jamie Mackay looks at personality politics and the effect it could have on the upcoming general election.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Country Crossover brought to you by Bioactive Soils. Growing
together with healthy soils. Choose bioactive egg fertilizer and see
real results from the ground up.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Jamie McKay, host of the Country, joins us for this
week's Country Crossover thanks to Bioactive Soils. Good afternoon, Jamie,
It's been a while since we spoke.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Yeah. Well, I had a couple of weeks off in
Australia on grandparenting duty. So I've come home from that
and I actually need a holiday from the holiday. Work's
been quite relaxing compared to looking after two grandchildren. Love
them to bits, but they're kind of if they were sheep,
you would call them electric fences. They're free rangers, so
(00:44):
they had to try and instill a bit of discipline
into them over the two week period.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Do you actually enjoy going to Adelaide, Jamie, or is
it just having to do a box ticking exercise for you?
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Oh? No, no, no, I love Adelaide. I mean to
be honest. My daughter Rebecca and husband James. He's got
a big swimming pool business. They went to a conference
in Manila, so there's two sets of grandparents. It wasn't
too bad at all. Look, I love I love Adelaide.
It's a lot of Kiwi's, myself included. I've never been
there and probably don't have a reason to go. They're
(01:19):
the only reason I've spent time there. Obviously is because
of family, but it's a great city. And then for
a sporting aficionado like yourself, the Adelaide Oval is one
of the great sports grounds in the world and it's
right smack in the middle of the city and the
city it's nearly the same size as Auckland, but a
dream to get around compared to Auckland because it's basically
(01:40):
just one giant, big square with the pidley Weee River
running through the middle of it. So it's it's designed
by the same bloke who designed christ Church ann in
the Cargol Colonel Light. And I think it's a great city.
It's got some great heritage buildings. It's obviously got wine
regions North and South scott the Murray River not a
(02:02):
mile away, so no. Look, honestly, if you're a Kiwi
and you're looking for somewhere to go, it's very hot
in the middle of summer. It's quite chilly to be
honest in the middle of winter. But go on the
shoulders of the season, you'll love it.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Did you not feel the earthquake Lass night? I send
a message to see who actually what the story was.
I think you're the only person in the South Island
that didn't, or in Otago Southland.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
No, I didn't really, I didn't honestly feel it. And
then I got the alerts on my phone saying evacuate, evacuate,
which I guess you better to be safe than sorry.
But no, to be honest, I didn't feel it, not
like the christ Church earthquakes, which we really felt here
in Dunedin. But and I can't even say it was
because I was half stunned on cougar juice, because Thursdays
(02:44):
I wanted my alcohol free days, anding I proudly have
four of them a week. Anyhow, we've got another game,
of course to watch this afternoon. Is it Riverton this afternoon?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Yeah? Riverton Southend to Targo there well, its first game
of the years.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Vote yeah, Otago versus. I mean, I'm a Stags fan
through and through like you, but it's a bit like
the League of Nations. When I look through the team,
I don't see that many sort of household South for names,
and I understand why we've got to bring imports. And
I would to be honest Andy, as a long suffering fan,
I would just like to see a few more local
(03:18):
lads in there. And we've lost a cracker and I
know you interviewed him, I think last week or earlier
this week, Morgan Mitchell. You know guys like that who
were born and bred in the province and who would
die for the for the big s on the less
on the left breast. So you know, hopefully a few
more local players can come through. Good to see Gregor
(03:41):
Rutledge in there. That's three generations of them.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
You can't doubt the genetics and that family.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
James so amazing MPC.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
I think it starts in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Actually, yeah, and we've got some good talent there. Michael.
Good to see Michael Manson. He must he had seven's commitments.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
No, he's good for the MPC.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I think, oh good, Well, I love watching him. Scott
Gregory is a good player, so you know we'll go alright,
Nick Sheerer, But as I say, I'll support them through
thick and thin. I'd just like to see some more
local talent in there.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Yeah, no argument.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Now, it's been an interesting week in politics. We'll start
off the Green Party. I could just say this where
go out, make a cup of tea, go to the pub,
have a point, come back, and I think you'd still
be having a bit of a rent Jamie. Interesting what's
coming out of their four walls over the past seven days.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Sorry you just cut out on mere we but there
was that my cue to have a rant about the Greens.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Yeah, where you go, I'm way to put the joke.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
No, no, no, no, I just think that you know, you've
got to respect what they stand for. I've got a
lot less respect for the Greens than I used to
back in the days when Rod Donald and Jeannette fitz
Simon's were leading the Green Party. I had a lot
to do with Rod Donald. They were an environment environment party,
not a socialist activist party like they are now. And
(04:57):
James Sure, I really had a lot of time for him,
but the Greens didn't. They engineered him out of there
because he was too centrist. If you want so, look,
I just think look, they're dangerous. They're really dangerous. Labor
we might have to live with who knows. But if
you get if the Opportunity Party and I had Daniel
(05:18):
Ebb on the show earlier in the week who's their
deputy leader, and I've known for a number of years,
make no mistake about it. If you're voting for the
Opportunity Party because they're brand new and sexy and you
like some of the stuff they're going on about universal
income and land tax and all that, you will get
a center left government. So it's going to be an
(05:39):
unholy alliance between Labor, the Greens, to Party Maori and
the Opportunity Party. And honestly, you know, people were free
to vote how they want to and you've got to
respect democracy. But I just think, look this land tax.
For instance, you got a ten million dollar dairy farm
or something, there's fifty grand a year that's going out
(06:00):
in a land tax. So you need to think about
these things. And worse than the Opportunity part I mean,
the Greens will never get their water and fertilizer plan through,
but they will be chipping away at labor, and I
think to be fed of labor. I think Joe Luxton's
been put in there to be a nice, non contentious
(06:23):
person in the agg portfolio. Chippy's made it a good effort,
along with Federated farmers to listen to what farmers need
and want and what the country wants. So I'll give
them credit for that. But the Greens are anti farming,
That's just it. They're anti farming. To party, Mari, well,
don't even start me with some of their policies, you know.
(06:44):
But you're free to vote how you want. But seriously,
you were talking about Adelaide. I could be spending more
time over there. Andy.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Paul Henry as well putting his name forward for ACT.
This is very clever on their behalf.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Oh he'll shake things up, and he's already shaken things
up and ACT see Acts in Danger. This is a
smart move by David Seymour because they've lost one of
their most effective people or they're going to Brook van Valden.
I think she's been really effective and brave in her portfolio.
Remember she's fronted the pay equity thing, which hasn't been
(07:19):
popular at all, but it saved the country a hell
of a lot of money. So she's gone. I don't
know how long Paul Henry will last, whether he'll go
straight into a cabinet. If we have the center right government,
but he says things that other people are afraid to say.
And we've kind of seen in this build up to
this election. The celebrity candidate. I mean, he's probably the biggest,
(07:41):
but you think of Michael Laws and he's a controversial
figure at the best of times, but he's flamboyant, he's colorful,
he speaks his mind. You've got Tanne Randall, and then
they've got they've lassued old Stu Nash and who's always
a bit of a loose cannon but always entertaining as well.
So New Zealand First has gone for high profile candidates
(08:03):
and I think and I haven't changed. I've seen nothing
to make the change my mind, Andy. I think New
Zealand First is going to poll really well in this election,
and it will be mainly at the expense of the
National Party, and to a lesser degree act maybe Paul
Henry might stem some of the bleeding. Look, it's going
to be interesting as I see it, And I think
(08:25):
that the Opportunity Party haven't come under enough scrutiny, or
certainly their policies haven't, Andy. But if the Opportunity Party
gets past the five percent threshold, We've got to change
a government.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Good only, Jamie. Enjoy the weekend.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yep go this well, you go the Stags this afternoon
and I'm really looking forward to that all black match
at Eden Park, a real test for Dave Rennie Tomorrow night.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Jamie McKay and the country crossover thanks to bioactive soils.
Up next on the muster away to South Oftigo Nigea
would here we catch up
The Country Crossover brought to you by Bioactive Soils. Growing
together with healthy soils. Choose bioactive egg fertilizer and see
real results from the ground up.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Jamie McKay, host of the Country, joins us for this
week's Country Crossover thanks to Bioactive Soils. Good afternoon, Jamie,
It's been a while since we spoke.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Yeah. Well, I had a couple of weeks off in
Australia on grandparenting duty. So I've come home from that
and I actually need a holiday from the holiday. Work's
been quite relaxing compared to looking after two grandchildren. Love
them to bits, but they're kind of if they were sheep,
you would call them electric fences. They're free rangers, so
(00:44):
they had to try and instill a bit of discipline
into them over the two week period.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
Do you actually enjoy going to Adelaide, Jamie, or is
it just having to do a box ticking exercise for you?
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Oh? No, no, no, I love Adelaide. I mean to
be honest. My daughter Rebecca and husband James. He's got
a big swimming pool business. They went to a conference
in Manila, so there's two sets of grandparents. It wasn't
too bad at all. Look, I love I love Adelaide.
It's a lot of Kiwi's, myself included. I've never been
there and probably don't have a reason to go. They're
(01:19):
the only reason I've spent time there. Obviously is because
of family, but it's a great city. And then for
a sporting aficionado like yourself, the Adelaide Oval is one
of the great sports grounds in the world and it's
right smack in the middle of the city and the
city it's nearly the same size as Auckland, but a
dream to get around compared to Auckland because it's basically
(01:40):
just one giant, big square with the pidley Weee River
running through the middle of it. So it's it's designed
by the same bloke who designed christ Church ann in
the Cargol Colonel Light. And I think it's a great city.
It's got some great heritage buildings. It's obviously got wine
regions North and South scott the Murray River not a
(02:02):
mile away, so no. Look, honestly, if you're a Kiwi
and you're looking for somewhere to go, it's very hot
in the middle of summer. It's quite chilly to be
honest in the middle of winter. But go on the
shoulders of the season, you'll love it.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Did you not feel the earthquake Lass night? I send
a message to see who actually what the story was.
I think you're the only person in the South Island
that didn't, or in Otago Southland.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
No, I didn't really, I didn't honestly feel it. And
then I got the alerts on my phone saying evacuate, evacuate,
which I guess you better to be safe than sorry.
But no, to be honest, I didn't feel it, not
like the christ Church earthquakes, which we really felt here
in Dunedin. But and I can't even say it was
because I was half stunned on cougar juice, because Thursdays
(02:44):
I wanted my alcohol free days, anding I proudly have
four of them a week. Anyhow, we've got another game,
of course to watch this afternoon. Is it Riverton this afternoon?
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Yeah? Riverton Southend to Targo there well, its first game
of the years.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Vote yeah, Otago versus. I mean, I'm a Stags fan
through and through like you, but it's a bit like
the League of Nations. When I look through the team,
I don't see that many sort of household South for names,
and I understand why we've got to bring imports. And
I would to be honest Andy, as a long suffering fan,
I would just like to see a few more local
(03:18):
lads in there. And we've lost a cracker and I
know you interviewed him, I think last week or earlier
this week, Morgan Mitchell. You know guys like that who
were born and bred in the province and who would
die for the for the big s on the less
on the left breast. So you know, hopefully a few
more local players can come through. Good to see Gregor
(03:41):
Rutledge in there. That's three generations of them.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
You can't doubt the genetics and that family.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
James so amazing MPC.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
I think it starts in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Actually, yeah, and we've got some good talent there. Michael.
Good to see Michael Manson. He must he had seven's commitments.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
No, he's good for the MPC.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I think, oh good, Well, I love watching him. Scott
Gregory is a good player, so you know we'll go alright,
Nick Sheerer, But as I say, I'll support them through
thick and thin. I'd just like to see some more
local talent in there.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Yeah, no argument.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Now, it's been an interesting week in politics. We'll start
off the Green Party. I could just say this where
go out, make a cup of tea, go to the pub,
have a point, come back, and I think you'd still
be having a bit of a rent Jamie. Interesting what's
coming out of their four walls over the past seven days.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Sorry you just cut out on mere we but there
was that my cue to have a rant about the Greens.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
Yeah, where you go, I'm way to put the joke.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
No, no, no, no, I just think that you know, you've
got to respect what they stand for. I've got a
lot less respect for the Greens than I used to
back in the days when Rod Donald and Jeannette fitz
Simon's were leading the Green Party. I had a lot
to do with Rod Donald. They were an environment environment party,
not a socialist activist party like they are now. And
(04:57):
James Sure, I really had a lot of time for him,
but the Greens didn't. They engineered him out of there
because he was too centrist. If you want so, look,
I just think look, they're dangerous. They're really dangerous. Labor
we might have to live with who knows. But if
you get if the Opportunity Party and I had Daniel
(05:18):
Ebb on the show earlier in the week who's their
deputy leader, and I've known for a number of years,
make no mistake about it. If you're voting for the
Opportunity Party because they're brand new and sexy and you
like some of the stuff they're going on about universal
income and land tax and all that, you will get
a center left government. So it's going to be an
(05:39):
unholy alliance between Labor, the Greens, to Party Maori and
the Opportunity Party. And honestly, you know, people were free
to vote how they want to and you've got to
respect democracy. But I just think, look this land tax.
For instance, you got a ten million dollar dairy farm
or something, there's fifty grand a year that's going out
(06:00):
in a land tax. So you need to think about
these things. And worse than the Opportunity part I mean,
the Greens will never get their water and fertilizer plan through,
but they will be chipping away at labor, and I
think to be fed of labor. I think Joe Luxton's
been put in there to be a nice, non contentious
(06:23):
person in the agg portfolio. Chippy's made it a good effort,
along with Federated farmers to listen to what farmers need
and want and what the country wants. So I'll give
them credit for that. But the Greens are anti farming,
That's just it. They're anti farming. To party, Mari, well,
don't even start me with some of their policies, you know.
(06:44):
But you're free to vote how you want. But seriously,
you were talking about Adelaide. I could be spending more
time over there. Andy.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Paul Henry as well putting his name forward for ACT.
This is very clever on their behalf.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Oh he'll shake things up, and he's already shaken things
up and ACT see Acts in Danger. This is a
smart move by David Seymour because they've lost one of
their most effective people or they're going to Brook van Valden.
I think she's been really effective and brave in her portfolio.
Remember she's fronted the pay equity thing, which hasn't been
(07:19):
popular at all, but it saved the country a hell
of a lot of money. So she's gone. I don't
know how long Paul Henry will last, whether he'll go
straight into a cabinet. If we have the center right government,
but he says things that other people are afraid to say.
And we've kind of seen in this build up to
this election. The celebrity candidate. I mean, he's probably the biggest,
(07:41):
but you think of Michael Laws and he's a controversial
figure at the best of times, but he's flamboyant, he's colorful,
he speaks his mind. You've got Tanne Randall, and then
they've got they've lassued old Stu Nash and who's always
a bit of a loose cannon but always entertaining as well.
So New Zealand First has gone for high profile candidates
(08:03):
and I think and I haven't changed. I've seen nothing
to make the change my mind, Andy. I think New
Zealand First is going to poll really well in this election,
and it will be mainly at the expense of the
National Party, and to a lesser degree act maybe Paul
Henry might stem some of the bleeding. Look, it's going
to be interesting as I see it, And I think
(08:25):
that the Opportunity Party haven't come under enough scrutiny, or
certainly their policies haven't, Andy. But if the Opportunity Party
gets past the five percent threshold, We've got to change
a government.
Speaker 4 (08:37):
Good only, Jamie. Enjoy the weekend.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yep go this well, you go the Stags this afternoon
and I'm really looking forward to that all black match
at Eden Park, a real test for Dave Rennie Tomorrow night.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Jamie McKay and the country crossover thanks to bioactive soils.
Up next on the muster away to South Oftigo Nigea
would here we catch up
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