July 12, 2026 • 8 mins
Penny Simmonds looks back at a milestone event regarding the SIT.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome back to the muster. Penny Simmons is MP from
mccargol and joins us. Penny, good afternoon, always got to
catch up. How have things been recently?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Oh? Good? Thanks and yes, great week last week down
in Icago, we had quite a lot of things going on.
We had Paolo Garcia, the MP for New Lynn. He
was down meeting with a lot of our Filipino community.
Paolo was the first ever Filipino to be elected as
(00:40):
an electorate MP in New Zealand's parliament. Lovely lovely man.
He's a lawyer. He came down and spoke with a
Filipino community and also a number of shrink and nepolie
so that was really nice. We had the big twenty
five year celebrations for zero fees at st They invited
(01:02):
me along to be a keynote speaker for that, and
a lot of meetings with constituents last week, which was
just great to spend some time in Southland meeting up
with people that had been sort of meeting a while now.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I'll be honest, Penny, I'm aware of the majority of
MPs for Nationals that are in Parliament, but mister Garcia
is one that is flying, flowing under the radar.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, yeah, Look, he's a very quiet gentleman, but he's
a very respectful, really decent man. And yeah he's not
standing again, but he's been a quiet achiever for us
just in the background working with the Filipino community, and
of course in Southland we have a big Filipino community,
(01:46):
and there's a wee bit of an issue that Filipino
people tend not to make wills. It's not part of
their culture. And that's actually starting to become a real
issue because of course in New Zealand you need to
have a will or else you can spend quite a
long time without access to bank accounts and things. So
(02:09):
he was just talking to them about that and about
why you need to make a will here and the
difference between not having a will and having a will.
So it's just a cultural thing that over in the Philippines,
you don't talk about the death of an alder. You don't.
It's disrespectful and so, and it doesn't it isn't such
(02:31):
a big deal over there. But of course a number
of Filipino families now have quite significant assets here in
the dairy industry. They have heard the cows and you know,
it's quite a significant thing now, death without a will,
So it was nice having him down.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
That's a really scary thought for a lot of people,
not realizing that wills need to be in place, especially
for immigrants.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah, it's a cultural thing Philippines. It's not unusual at
all not to have a will. But over here, of course,
of course all sorts of issues with our law, and
it means that the grieving families are going through this
difficult grieving time but also having to deal with issues
like not being able to get access to bank accounts
(03:19):
and not being able to pay mortgages, and so it
can be a real issue zero phase as well.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
You know, this story as good as anybody. It's been
a big success.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Yes, look, it was lovely. It was just a really
nice moment to be able to reflect on the Zerop story.
A lot of the representatives from the original ones that
were involved with there. Of course, the ilt, the community trust,
the local authorities, and it was lovely to have Scott
and Joss o'donald there from HWR because Bill was very involved.
(03:53):
Bill Richardson was very involved with helping us work through
the financials and so it was lovely to have a
lot of Southland identities there to celebrate.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
You find it interesting as well regarding New Zealand First
and their opposition to the free trade.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Agreement with India.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
But Mark Patterson, he is Associate Minister of Agriculture, but
he's been over in India promoting war. You think this
is a bit of a sticking point.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Well, it's something of an irony that New Zealand First
haven't been supporting us with the India free trade agreement
and Marx over there spending time promoting strong will, which
is great than our second biggest country that we export
strong wall too, and that's great, but actually a free
(04:43):
trade agreement has gone out that enormously, so something of
an irony there. But look, the free trade agreement obviously
came to the fall with part Minister Modi here over
the weekend, and you know there's a lot happening already.
Apples have seen a sixty three percent increase in the
(05:05):
amount of apples that have been exported Tea. We fruit's
going to be a big deal. So look, it's it's
already having an impact on our export income with India.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
But as a fair enough, Mark Patterson being over there
due to the fact that he is there in a
ministerial position.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yeah, I didn't. Look it's absolutely fair enough and it's
good find to be doing it. It's just something of
an irony that he's seeing big opportunities an India for
a strong wall but not supporting the free trade agreement.
But look good on.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Him being over there in the Emprime Minister or in
dramody like you say, he's an absolute roster.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
And I heard the comparison made on the radio this morning.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
When have you heard Christopher Laksen even to Cinderada and
anybody walking into an ambitheater of thirty twenty thirty thousand
people if their name's being chanted, it just doesn't happen.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
No, he is absolutely a Rochester and there's no doubt
that under his time the wealth of the Indian community
has really taken off their Look at such a big
population one point four billion people, it's hard for us
to comprehend that. I've been to India a number of
(06:18):
times in my past life and look the population, the
sheer volume of people is overwhelming. But that's just such
a big opportunity for us in a little country like
us with five million people and their Prime Minister coming
to visit US and being really friendly with us and
wanting that relationship. It just opens up so many doors
(06:41):
for us with our export goods. So yeah, a real
rock star. People the Indian community here and in Australia
absolutely love them, and certainly in India he is credited
with lifting literally hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.
A big divide there between the wealthy and the poor,
(07:04):
but he's lifted hundreds of millions up into that middle
class income bracket.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Well, okay, that being said, New Zealanders being a small
country like we are, should we really be committing you
as twenty billion dollars a private investment to go to
India within fifteen years.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Well, we're not committing it. We're working towards. That's the aim.
It's an objective to be working towards. And the more
that we can build that relationship the better. There's already
relationships there. Certainly a lot of the tertiary institutions have
relationships in India. They'll have joint campuses in India. So
(07:44):
it's across the board, and it's over a long period
of time, and it's an objective to aim.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
For just Finally, there's been some policy announcements that are
flown under the radar.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yeah, yeah, Look we have in Some of these things
don't get noticed, but they're really important, like the uplift
for the community pharmacies. I think it's a three point
five or three point six percent increase. Of course, we
did the increase for the GPS and also for aged
care facilities and you know they've we've all been doing
(08:18):
it tough. We recognize that. So you know, it don't
sound like big important announcements, but actually for those businesses
they are, and so it's good to be able to
have been able to provide those small uplifts.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Penny Simmons always appreciate your time on the Master.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Great to talk to you, Andy. Thanks by.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Penny Simmons, MP OF and VCAGO. We're talking about the
rock star that is Indian Prime Minister. This is the
muster up. Next Andrew Welsh
Welcome back to the muster. Penny Simmons is MP from
mccargol and joins us. Penny, good afternoon, always got to
catch up. How have things been recently?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Oh? Good? Thanks and yes, great week last week down
in Icago, we had quite a lot of things going on.
We had Paolo Garcia, the MP for New Lynn. He
was down meeting with a lot of our Filipino community.
Paolo was the first ever Filipino to be elected as
(00:40):
an electorate MP in New Zealand's parliament. Lovely lovely man.
He's a lawyer. He came down and spoke with a
Filipino community and also a number of shrink and nepolie
so that was really nice. We had the big twenty
five year celebrations for zero fees at st They invited
(01:02):
me along to be a keynote speaker for that, and
a lot of meetings with constituents last week, which was
just great to spend some time in Southland meeting up
with people that had been sort of meeting a while now.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I'll be honest, Penny, I'm aware of the majority of
MPs for Nationals that are in Parliament, but mister Garcia
is one that is flying, flowing under the radar.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, yeah, Look, he's a very quiet gentleman, but he's
a very respectful, really decent man. And yeah he's not
standing again, but he's been a quiet achiever for us
just in the background working with the Filipino community, and
of course in Southland we have a big Filipino community,
(01:46):
and there's a wee bit of an issue that Filipino
people tend not to make wills. It's not part of
their culture. And that's actually starting to become a real
issue because of course in New Zealand you need to
have a will or else you can spend quite a
long time without access to bank accounts and things. So
(02:09):
he was just talking to them about that and about
why you need to make a will here and the
difference between not having a will and having a will.
So it's just a cultural thing that over in the Philippines,
you don't talk about the death of an alder. You don't.
It's disrespectful and so, and it doesn't it isn't such
(02:31):
a big deal over there. But of course a number
of Filipino families now have quite significant assets here in
the dairy industry. They have heard the cows and you know,
it's quite a significant thing now, death without a will,
So it was nice having him down.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
That's a really scary thought for a lot of people,
not realizing that wills need to be in place, especially
for immigrants.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah, it's a cultural thing Philippines. It's not unusual at
all not to have a will. But over here, of course,
of course all sorts of issues with our law, and
it means that the grieving families are going through this
difficult grieving time but also having to deal with issues
like not being able to get access to bank accounts
(03:19):
and not being able to pay mortgages, and so it
can be a real issue zero phase as well.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
You know, this story as good as anybody. It's been
a big success.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Yes, look, it was lovely. It was just a really
nice moment to be able to reflect on the Zerop story.
A lot of the representatives from the original ones that
were involved with there. Of course, the ilt, the community trust,
the local authorities, and it was lovely to have Scott
and Joss o'donald there from HWR because Bill was very involved.
(03:53):
Bill Richardson was very involved with helping us work through
the financials and so it was lovely to have a
lot of Southland identities there to celebrate.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
You find it interesting as well regarding New Zealand First
and their opposition to the free trade.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Agreement with India.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
But Mark Patterson, he is Associate Minister of Agriculture, but
he's been over in India promoting war. You think this
is a bit of a sticking point.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Well, it's something of an irony that New Zealand First
haven't been supporting us with the India free trade agreement
and Marx over there spending time promoting strong will, which
is great than our second biggest country that we export
strong wall too, and that's great, but actually a free
(04:43):
trade agreement has gone out that enormously, so something of
an irony there. But look, the free trade agreement obviously
came to the fall with part Minister Modi here over
the weekend, and you know there's a lot happening already.
Apples have seen a sixty three percent increase in the
(05:05):
amount of apples that have been exported Tea. We fruit's
going to be a big deal. So look, it's it's
already having an impact on our export income with India.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
But as a fair enough, Mark Patterson being over there
due to the fact that he is there in a
ministerial position.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yeah, I didn't. Look it's absolutely fair enough and it's
good find to be doing it. It's just something of
an irony that he's seeing big opportunities an India for
a strong wall but not supporting the free trade agreement.
But look good on.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Him being over there in the Emprime Minister or in
dramody like you say, he's an absolute roster.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
And I heard the comparison made on the radio this morning.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
When have you heard Christopher Laksen even to Cinderada and
anybody walking into an ambitheater of thirty twenty thirty thousand
people if their name's being chanted, it just doesn't happen.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
No, he is absolutely a Rochester and there's no doubt
that under his time the wealth of the Indian community
has really taken off their Look at such a big
population one point four billion people, it's hard for us
to comprehend that. I've been to India a number of
(06:18):
times in my past life and look the population, the
sheer volume of people is overwhelming. But that's just such
a big opportunity for us in a little country like
us with five million people and their Prime Minister coming
to visit US and being really friendly with us and
wanting that relationship. It just opens up so many doors
(06:41):
for us with our export goods. So yeah, a real
rock star. People the Indian community here and in Australia
absolutely love them, and certainly in India he is credited
with lifting literally hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.
A big divide there between the wealthy and the poor,
(07:04):
but he's lifted hundreds of millions up into that middle
class income bracket.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Well, okay, that being said, New Zealanders being a small
country like we are, should we really be committing you
as twenty billion dollars a private investment to go to
India within fifteen years.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Well, we're not committing it. We're working towards. That's the aim.
It's an objective to be working towards. And the more
that we can build that relationship the better. There's already
relationships there. Certainly a lot of the tertiary institutions have
relationships in India. They'll have joint campuses in India. So
(07:44):
it's across the board, and it's over a long period
of time, and it's an objective to aim.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
For just Finally, there's been some policy announcements that are
flown under the radar.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yeah, yeah, Look we have in Some of these things
don't get noticed, but they're really important, like the uplift
for the community pharmacies. I think it's a three point
five or three point six percent increase. Of course, we
did the increase for the GPS and also for aged
care facilities and you know they've we've all been doing
(08:18):
it tough. We recognize that. So you know, it don't
sound like big important announcements, but actually for those businesses
they are, and so it's good to be able to
have been able to provide those small uplifts.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Penny Simmons always appreciate your time on the Master.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Great to talk to you, Andy. Thanks by.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Penny Simmons, MP OF and VCAGO. We're talking about the
rock star that is Indian Prime Minister. This is the
muster up. Next Andrew Welsh
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