November 9, 2025 • 9 mins
Penny Simmonds looks at government funding which has been allocated to the south recently and says the situation is being monitored.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yes, Megan, fine, this is the muster on Hockno that
song They're All for Love featuring Brian Adams.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Rod Stewart and Sting.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
That's right, it was Sting involved, coming from the Three
Musketeers soundtrack of the movie of the same title from
nineteen ninety four. Good Year, nineteen ninety four, Turn twenty.
Penny Simmons joins us next, not that this has got
anything to do with the price of solo, suppose, Penny,
But how was your weekend?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
It was good? Thank you? It was good. I was
trying to think what I was doing in nineteen ninety four.
It's probably not worth talking about.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
So what we are you doing?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Because Jennie McKay was starting a radio station in Gore.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
What were you up to?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Well, I'd been married for ten years, so I had
twins about not I had four year old twins, So
I was probably running the Gore campus of the Polytech
at that time, I'd say ninety four, So yeah, it's
probably in good as well. How was my weekend anyway? Look,
it was good. Devali Southland, the Indian community of Southland
(01:14):
put on Devali celebrations, the celebration of light, good over evil,
and it was a great celebration that the stadium went
on all day, started eleven o'clock, went on into the
evening and just lovely to see our Indian community out
and as they reared out the things that the people
(01:35):
on the executive of the Indian community were involved, and
I thought, gosh, they are well qualified and they are
well integrated with our community. You know, they were accountants,
they were in health, they were in business. It was amazing.
They were well integrated in real estate. So you know,
(01:57):
they've really made a big difference to our community a
little bit like the Filipino community in Southland. What a
big difference the Filipino community and the Indian the particularly
the Indian subcontinent, you know, India and Sri Lanka. What
a difference it's made to our community having those people
here working, bringing their skills, bringing their talents to Southland.
(02:20):
So it was lovely to celebrate that. It really was
really good and look nice to get weather a little
bit better, warming up and feeling like summers on its way,
and I know that'll be helping a bit for the farmers.
Although I was talking to a dairy farmer the other
day and of course just being able to get the
(02:42):
debris off their paddocks, to be able to cut grass,
the silage and baylage, you know, trying to get trees
and debris off the paddocks. To be able to do
that is a mission in itself, and we forget how
tiring things like that are. You get over the main
event and then you've got all these things that keep
impacting on you. And also on air saw mills. Just
(03:06):
as saw mills being able to cope with the volume,
and particularly the markre Harper, I'm thinking about how specialized
being able to use that is. So we're sort of
talking about ways in which we might be able to
support with that because yep, the events are been and gone,
but the legacy of it lingers on for quite some
(03:27):
time now.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Southern District Mayor Rob Scott made a really interesting observation
last week Penny's saying that Southend's only two percent of
the population, yet it contributes around fifteen percent of our GDP.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Now, Winston Peter's.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Coming out with these figures regarding the Cook Islands and
what is it, thirty million dollars plus even over two years,
and yet there's only one hundred and fifty thousand dollars
that has been allocated to the mere relief funds down South.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
This seems a bit ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, look yeah, it is around fifteen sixteen percent of
New Zealand's GDP. We punch well above our weight in
terms of what we produce for the country. The Cook
Islands have been an issue for us of recent years
in terms of their relationships that they are building, particularly
(04:19):
with China. Look, it's a difficult one for us because
they are around country, so they have certain legal obligations
and also writes with us. But also they have to
keep their end of the bargain. And so that is
why you'll have seen in the media recently that are
(04:41):
quite a large chunk of the funding isn't going to
them at the moment because they haven't kept their side
of the bargain in terms of transparency. Look, one of
our issues, of course is how strong China is in
the Cook in the Pacific Islands. It's an issue for
US and for Australia particularly, and so we can't have
(05:05):
it both ways. We can't not support the Pacific Islands
but then complain when others do, and it is a
geopolitical risk to us to have China in there, really
strong in the Pacific Islands. So there's arguments both ways.
I've heard a lot of people saying, oh, we shouldn't
(05:25):
be giving them anything. If we don't, we can be
sure that there will be others in there which may
not be what we want to see advancing in the
Pacific Islands.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
You can understand the frustration of one hundred and fifty
K saves a pittance in the scheme of things.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Yeah, look, there's been a little bit more. I think
we put another seventy K in was announced if there's
some discussions that we had last week. In the finish
it is support for things like the Mayoral Fund and
the Rural Support Trust. It isn't cover areas where insurance
(06:04):
hasn't covered farmers and business people and homeowners, and that
I know is harsh for a lot of people, but
it's the same across the country. Our funding needs to
be for infrastructure and for support to the people, but
(06:26):
not covering where insurance isn't covering.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
No, I understand that, But just give support to the
groups that need the money as well.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Yeah, yeah, well, certainly the Rural Support Trust is getting
that additional funding the extra seventy k, so trying to
put some additional support in there because they're doing some
great work going around the communities. As people are getting
fatigued and you know, people are starting to get really
sick of it, they're just putting in more support around
(06:56):
the communities.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Tom mcclay's coming down to the south and they're not
too distent future, but as well just a bit of
remembrance over his father, politician Roger McLeay, who passed away recently.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Yes, he passed away on Friday night. Todd is coming
down on Tuesday, the twenty fifth of November. We're going
to have him out at a Tautow in the evening,
I think, starting at six with some finger food and
then seven o'clock meeting with Todd. I think it'll be
(07:28):
a good opportunity for the rural community to be able
to ask him about particularly the trade agreements that he
has negotiated in those that he is still progressing, and
also a little bit more about some of their policies
and legislation changes that we've made recently around agriculture and forestry.
(07:51):
So yeah, it'll be a really good opportunity at Tautow
Tuesday the twenty fifth, six o'clock for the meetings starting
at seven out at the Connections the auditorium there the
Church auditorium out in the Towertown.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Do you think we're getting closer to a free trade
agreement with India?
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Look, I know Todd was working on it last week.
He had a key Indian politicians and officials over last week.
I know he's working very hard on it. It's a
personal ambition for him, so I'm sure that we'll see
some movement next year there.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Penny Simmons, MP from the Cargo as well as being
Minister for the Environment and a lot of other portfolios
as well. You're very busy individual, but we always appreciate
your time on the muster.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Nice to talk and bye.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Penny Simmons, MP from mcagall.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
This is the Muster up next Dean Ravage in a
South and Rural Support series along with Community Trust South,
we catch up with Dean. He's farming at Glenarm about
mindset after adversity,
Yes, Megan, fine, this is the muster on Hockno that
song They're All for Love featuring Brian Adams.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Rod Stewart and Sting.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
That's right, it was Sting involved, coming from the Three
Musketeers soundtrack of the movie of the same title from
nineteen ninety four. Good Year, nineteen ninety four, Turn twenty.
Penny Simmons joins us next, not that this has got
anything to do with the price of solo, suppose, Penny,
But how was your weekend?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
It was good? Thank you? It was good. I was
trying to think what I was doing in nineteen ninety four.
It's probably not worth talking about.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
So what we are you doing?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Because Jennie McKay was starting a radio station in Gore.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
What were you up to?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Well, I'd been married for ten years, so I had
twins about not I had four year old twins, So
I was probably running the Gore campus of the Polytech
at that time, I'd say ninety four, So yeah, it's
probably in good as well. How was my weekend anyway? Look,
it was good. Devali Southland, the Indian community of Southland
(01:14):
put on Devali celebrations, the celebration of light, good over evil,
and it was a great celebration that the stadium went
on all day, started eleven o'clock, went on into the
evening and just lovely to see our Indian community out
and as they reared out the things that the people
(01:35):
on the executive of the Indian community were involved, and
I thought, gosh, they are well qualified and they are
well integrated with our community. You know, they were accountants,
they were in health, they were in business. It was amazing.
They were well integrated in real estate. So you know,
(01:57):
they've really made a big difference to our community a
little bit like the Filipino community in Southland. What a
big difference the Filipino community and the Indian the particularly
the Indian subcontinent, you know, India and Sri Lanka. What
a difference it's made to our community having those people
here working, bringing their skills, bringing their talents to Southland.
(02:20):
So it was lovely to celebrate that. It really was
really good and look nice to get weather a little
bit better, warming up and feeling like summers on its way,
and I know that'll be helping a bit for the farmers.
Although I was talking to a dairy farmer the other
day and of course just being able to get the
(02:42):
debris off their paddocks, to be able to cut grass,
the silage and baylage, you know, trying to get trees
and debris off the paddocks. To be able to do
that is a mission in itself, and we forget how
tiring things like that are. You get over the main
event and then you've got all these things that keep
impacting on you. And also on air saw mills. Just
(03:06):
as saw mills being able to cope with the volume,
and particularly the markre Harper, I'm thinking about how specialized
being able to use that is. So we're sort of
talking about ways in which we might be able to
support with that because yep, the events are been and gone,
but the legacy of it lingers on for quite some
(03:27):
time now.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Southern District Mayor Rob Scott made a really interesting observation
last week Penny's saying that Southend's only two percent of
the population, yet it contributes around fifteen percent of our GDP.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Now, Winston Peter's.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Coming out with these figures regarding the Cook Islands and
what is it, thirty million dollars plus even over two years,
and yet there's only one hundred and fifty thousand dollars
that has been allocated to the mere relief funds down South.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
This seems a bit ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, look yeah, it is around fifteen sixteen percent of
New Zealand's GDP. We punch well above our weight in
terms of what we produce for the country. The Cook
Islands have been an issue for us of recent years
in terms of their relationships that they are building, particularly
(04:19):
with China. Look, it's a difficult one for us because
they are around country, so they have certain legal obligations
and also writes with us. But also they have to
keep their end of the bargain. And so that is
why you'll have seen in the media recently that are
(04:41):
quite a large chunk of the funding isn't going to
them at the moment because they haven't kept their side
of the bargain in terms of transparency. Look, one of
our issues, of course is how strong China is in
the Cook in the Pacific Islands. It's an issue for
US and for Australia particularly, and so we can't have
(05:05):
it both ways. We can't not support the Pacific Islands
but then complain when others do, and it is a
geopolitical risk to us to have China in there, really
strong in the Pacific Islands. So there's arguments both ways.
I've heard a lot of people saying, oh, we shouldn't
(05:25):
be giving them anything. If we don't, we can be
sure that there will be others in there which may
not be what we want to see advancing in the
Pacific Islands.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
You can understand the frustration of one hundred and fifty
K saves a pittance in the scheme of things.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Yeah, look, there's been a little bit more. I think
we put another seventy K in was announced if there's
some discussions that we had last week. In the finish
it is support for things like the Mayoral Fund and
the Rural Support Trust. It isn't cover areas where insurance
(06:04):
hasn't covered farmers and business people and homeowners, and that
I know is harsh for a lot of people, but
it's the same across the country. Our funding needs to
be for infrastructure and for support to the people, but
(06:26):
not covering where insurance isn't covering.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
No, I understand that, But just give support to the
groups that need the money as well.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Yeah, yeah, well, certainly the Rural Support Trust is getting
that additional funding the extra seventy k, so trying to
put some additional support in there because they're doing some
great work going around the communities. As people are getting
fatigued and you know, people are starting to get really
sick of it, they're just putting in more support around
(06:56):
the communities.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Tom mcclay's coming down to the south and they're not
too distent future, but as well just a bit of
remembrance over his father, politician Roger McLeay, who passed away recently.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Yes, he passed away on Friday night. Todd is coming
down on Tuesday, the twenty fifth of November. We're going
to have him out at a Tautow in the evening,
I think, starting at six with some finger food and
then seven o'clock meeting with Todd. I think it'll be
(07:28):
a good opportunity for the rural community to be able
to ask him about particularly the trade agreements that he
has negotiated in those that he is still progressing, and
also a little bit more about some of their policies
and legislation changes that we've made recently around agriculture and forestry.
(07:51):
So yeah, it'll be a really good opportunity at Tautow
Tuesday the twenty fifth, six o'clock for the meetings starting
at seven out at the Connections the auditorium there the
Church auditorium out in the Towertown.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Do you think we're getting closer to a free trade
agreement with India?
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Look, I know Todd was working on it last week.
He had a key Indian politicians and officials over last week.
I know he's working very hard on it. It's a
personal ambition for him, so I'm sure that we'll see
some movement next year there.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Penny Simmons, MP from the Cargo as well as being
Minister for the Environment and a lot of other portfolios
as well. You're very busy individual, but we always appreciate
your time on the muster.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Nice to talk and bye.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Penny Simmons, MP from mcagall.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
This is the Muster up next Dean Ravage in a
South and Rural Support series along with Community Trust South,
we catch up with Dean. He's farming at Glenarm about
mindset after adversity,
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