January 25, 2026 • 7 mins
Penny Simmonds looks at the resumption of parliament which resumes tomorrow.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
This is the Master.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Penny Simmons is MP from the Cargo as well as
being Minister for the Environment amongst other portfolio. It is
good afternoon, Penny, and welcome once again.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Yes, good afternoon, Andy, and boy wet weekend, but it
was what we needed. We needed the rain, although could
have done without the temperature dropping quite so much. But
certainly it's good to get that rain. But by golly,
nothing compared to what they have been getting up in
the Bay of Plenty and up further north. You have
(00:40):
to feel for them. It's only three years ago, exactly
three years ago that they had the big Auckland Anniversary floods.
And the reason I remember it is we had Christopher
luxon coming to crank Up weekend and he had to
fly up to Auckland because of the flooding and he
(01:02):
didn't get to crank Up day. So yes, three years
ago the big floods in Northland, Auckland, they have Plenty,
Curramandel and now dealing with us again. So pretty tragic
up there. And I guess the mood is pretty somber
up there.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Absolutely I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
And look, the rain down here has been appreciated, probably
not so much the cold of temperatures. But listening to
a lot of farmers and they're just saying the same thing.
We needed that rainfall, so January almost you could wipe
it off as been just another month and some's going
to start in February.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Perhaps, Yeah, well hopefully, yes. I mean I'm looking out
the window and everything's looking nice and green and fresh
now after the weekend of rain. Heading away to Wellington
this afternoon, but looking out there now, Southlands looking pretty
good and it will freshen things up and it's what
it is, what we needed. But yeah, I hope it's
(02:00):
going to turn and we can get some sunshine and
get those soil temperatures up again and crank up day,
crank up weekend. They'll be certainly hoping for next weekend
that the temperatures improve, and it looks like it will.
It's always a good weekend and it gives an opportunity
for rural people to get out and about, so yeah,
he's hoping that's a good weekend for them.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
It's just a continuation of what is going to be
a busy month or so.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Down here in the South.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
We've got Southern field Days coming up as well, there's
multi sport events occurring at the end of February and
there's a plethora of things going on. And just speaking
to one of the workers in the pub there the
other night, she is just saying, Gors cranking at the moment.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
As far as hospitality, yes, yes, it will be.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Yes, we've got a busy time over field Days as well.
We'll have a stand there and we've got the Prime
Minister down he's doing some visits down here on the
Wednesday and then going to field Day's Thursday, and then
I've got the Minister of Finance, Nicol willis Stown, going
to do some visits and then go to the field
Days on Friday afternoon. So it'll be good to have
(03:08):
both of them there at the field Days and really
good to have the visits some local businesses, some local
exporters to see how well Southland's doing, because it does
feel like Southland is going well at the moment. I
suppose there's a few dairy farmers watching very carefully what
(03:28):
happens with the prices that they don't go down too
much further. But look, the province is still punching well
above its weight and that's great to see just as
another event that's on not here but in Dunedin is
the Master's Games and we have from Southland the oldest competitor,
(03:50):
Peter Grandike. He's ninety four years old and he's going
to try and set a world record there for cycling
for his age group to do twenty in an hour.
So what a tremendous efforts at ninety four being a
cyclist and looking at setting a world record. And as
(04:11):
he said, he's just very grateful that he's out there
doing it. He was brought up and occupied Holland and
he's a man that's very grateful for the opportunities that
he has.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Ninety four and riding a bicycle. That's pretty good going
in anyone's book, it certainly.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Is, and so we wish him all the very best
for his world record attempt of twenty k's in.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
An hour absolutely puts a lot of us to shame.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Now, November seventh, election day, it's been set, yes.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
It has. Yes, So we had caucus last week in
christ Church and the election day was set and so
or everything works back from them then thet day and
when we have to have nominations in buy and when
we can start advertising all those sort of things. So yeah,
I think it's going to be a very long election year.
(05:03):
It feels like it started already.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Well, Parliament's cranking up this week here, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
So it all begins, Yes, yes, it absolutely does. All
begins tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
So what happens in the first week when you go
back up there is a like going back to school
for the first day for the year and just reconnecting,
eating sausage rolls and seeing what's what making a plan.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
No, look, it's pretty much straight into it. We've been
getting our weekend bags for a couple of weeks now,
so eight thirty tomorrow I've got meetings with my education
officials and then later in the day meetings with my
environment officials. So no, it's it's straight into it.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
One thing there has been an issue and probably should
be discussed this week, Penny is regarding three G. It's
being switched off. If there's one thing we learned back
in the Winds in October, we had no rural connectivity
apart from perhaps a little bit of three G coming
through on cell phones. This is being switched off and
I'm hearing all the time. This is a really contentious
(06:01):
issue especially for.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Rural New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, yeah, look, I agree, Andy, and it's something that
I'm going to bring up at caucus this week because
it looks like it's too early, and so I'm going
to see if there's any way that it can be
delayed for our regional for regional New Zealand, because I
know that it was a major issue in cyclone. Gabrielle
(06:27):
and I think there's pretty significant issues again this time
in the Bay of Plenty. So it's that communications, that
lack of communications was one of the biggest worries in
the rural areas. We've got people that are vulnerable where
their accidents occurring. So yep, it's something I'll be bringing
(06:47):
up realistically.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
What chance of TALCO has Listen though, and say Okay,
we're going to delay this until we can find something
that future proofs rural connectivity. Because we can talk about internet,
we can talk about anything and everything, the good sit
you talk about broadband, it's still a massive concern.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Yeah, look, it is a massive concern, and I know
we did talk about it after cyclone. Gabrielle and I
did bring it up in October, and Joseph Mooney and
I both talked about it in Caucus, so I think
this latest situation in May plenty will have brought it
to the four again, so it's certainly worth us having
(07:25):
another crack at it.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Yes, certainly is good on your penny.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Always appreciate your time on the Muster and happy first
week back up there in Wellington.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Looking forward to it. Okay, thanks Andy buy.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Jenny Simmons MP from the Cargo as well as being
Minister for the Environment, you're listening to the Muster. Up next,
we're our way to Canada, catching up with Greg Erickson,
based at Millet but formerly a boy Moment
This is the Master.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Penny Simmons is MP from the Cargo as well as
being Minister for the Environment amongst other portfolio. It is
good afternoon, Penny, and welcome once again.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Yes, good afternoon, Andy, and boy wet weekend, but it
was what we needed. We needed the rain, although could
have done without the temperature dropping quite so much. But
certainly it's good to get that rain. But by golly,
nothing compared to what they have been getting up in
the Bay of Plenty and up further north. You have
(00:40):
to feel for them. It's only three years ago, exactly
three years ago that they had the big Auckland Anniversary floods.
And the reason I remember it is we had Christopher
luxon coming to crank Up weekend and he had to
fly up to Auckland because of the flooding and he
(01:02):
didn't get to crank Up day. So yes, three years
ago the big floods in Northland, Auckland, they have Plenty,
Curramandel and now dealing with us again. So pretty tragic
up there. And I guess the mood is pretty somber
up there.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Absolutely I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
And look, the rain down here has been appreciated, probably
not so much the cold of temperatures. But listening to
a lot of farmers and they're just saying the same thing.
We needed that rainfall, so January almost you could wipe
it off as been just another month and some's going
to start in February.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Perhaps, Yeah, well hopefully, yes. I mean I'm looking out
the window and everything's looking nice and green and fresh
now after the weekend of rain. Heading away to Wellington
this afternoon, but looking out there now, Southlands looking pretty
good and it will freshen things up and it's what
it is, what we needed. But yeah, I hope it's
(02:00):
going to turn and we can get some sunshine and
get those soil temperatures up again and crank up day,
crank up weekend. They'll be certainly hoping for next weekend
that the temperatures improve, and it looks like it will.
It's always a good weekend and it gives an opportunity
for rural people to get out and about, so yeah,
he's hoping that's a good weekend for them.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
It's just a continuation of what is going to be
a busy month or so.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Down here in the South.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
We've got Southern field Days coming up as well, there's
multi sport events occurring at the end of February and
there's a plethora of things going on. And just speaking
to one of the workers in the pub there the
other night, she is just saying, Gors cranking at the moment.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
As far as hospitality, yes, yes, it will be.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Yes, we've got a busy time over field Days as well.
We'll have a stand there and we've got the Prime
Minister down he's doing some visits down here on the
Wednesday and then going to field Day's Thursday, and then
I've got the Minister of Finance, Nicol willis Stown, going
to do some visits and then go to the field
Days on Friday afternoon. So it'll be good to have
(03:08):
both of them there at the field Days and really
good to have the visits some local businesses, some local
exporters to see how well Southland's doing, because it does
feel like Southland is going well at the moment. I
suppose there's a few dairy farmers watching very carefully what
(03:28):
happens with the prices that they don't go down too
much further. But look, the province is still punching well
above its weight and that's great to see just as
another event that's on not here but in Dunedin is
the Master's Games and we have from Southland the oldest competitor,
(03:50):
Peter Grandike. He's ninety four years old and he's going
to try and set a world record there for cycling
for his age group to do twenty in an hour.
So what a tremendous efforts at ninety four being a
cyclist and looking at setting a world record. And as
(04:11):
he said, he's just very grateful that he's out there
doing it. He was brought up and occupied Holland and
he's a man that's very grateful for the opportunities that
he has.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Ninety four and riding a bicycle. That's pretty good going
in anyone's book, it certainly.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Is, and so we wish him all the very best
for his world record attempt of twenty k's in.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
An hour absolutely puts a lot of us to shame.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Now, November seventh, election day, it's been set, yes.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
It has. Yes, So we had caucus last week in
christ Church and the election day was set and so
or everything works back from them then thet day and
when we have to have nominations in buy and when
we can start advertising all those sort of things. So yeah,
I think it's going to be a very long election year.
(05:03):
It feels like it started already.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Well, Parliament's cranking up this week here, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
So it all begins, Yes, yes, it absolutely does. All
begins tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
So what happens in the first week when you go
back up there is a like going back to school
for the first day for the year and just reconnecting,
eating sausage rolls and seeing what's what making a plan.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
No, look, it's pretty much straight into it. We've been
getting our weekend bags for a couple of weeks now,
so eight thirty tomorrow I've got meetings with my education
officials and then later in the day meetings with my
environment officials. So no, it's it's straight into it.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
One thing there has been an issue and probably should
be discussed this week, Penny is regarding three G. It's
being switched off. If there's one thing we learned back
in the Winds in October, we had no rural connectivity
apart from perhaps a little bit of three G coming
through on cell phones. This is being switched off and
I'm hearing all the time. This is a really contentious
(06:01):
issue especially for.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Rural New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Yeah, yeah, look, I agree, Andy, and it's something that
I'm going to bring up at caucus this week because
it looks like it's too early, and so I'm going
to see if there's any way that it can be
delayed for our regional for regional New Zealand, because I
know that it was a major issue in cyclone. Gabrielle
(06:27):
and I think there's pretty significant issues again this time
in the Bay of Plenty. So it's that communications, that
lack of communications was one of the biggest worries in
the rural areas. We've got people that are vulnerable where
their accidents occurring. So yep, it's something I'll be bringing
(06:47):
up realistically.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
What chance of TALCO has Listen though, and say Okay,
we're going to delay this until we can find something
that future proofs rural connectivity. Because we can talk about internet,
we can talk about anything and everything, the good sit
you talk about broadband, it's still a massive concern.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Yeah, look, it is a massive concern, and I know
we did talk about it after cyclone. Gabrielle and I
did bring it up in October, and Joseph Mooney and
I both talked about it in Caucus, so I think
this latest situation in May plenty will have brought it
to the four again, so it's certainly worth us having
(07:25):
another crack at it.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Yes, certainly is good on your penny.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Always appreciate your time on the Muster and happy first
week back up there in Wellington.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Looking forward to it. Okay, thanks Andy buy.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Jenny Simmons MP from the Cargo as well as being
Minister for the Environment, you're listening to the Muster. Up next,
we're our way to Canada, catching up with Greg Erickson,
based at Millet but formerly a boy Moment
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