Full Show Podcast: 21 March 2025

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Digging through the spin spence to find the real story.
Or it's Ryan Bridge on Heather du for see Ellen
drive with one New Zealand let's get connected news talks.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
That'd be good afternoon seven after four twenty first of
March or Friday afternoon. Great to have your company two
and three Building consent decisions are delayed? Whose fault is that?
How do we fixed it? In the minister on after
five o'clock. We are also going to look at the warehouse.
Good result for them for today and does that mean
that the company has finally turned a corner, turned themselves around.

(00:35):
Ol Brown will tell us why he's not serving bluss
bluff oysters, and we'll also head up the UK and
Asia Bryan Bridge. If you don't like sport, then you're
not going to like this weekend. It's everywhere, all at once,
every code, every genre, every stadium, every jocular commentator chomping

(00:56):
at the bit to call the shots. We've got the
All Whites, we've got the Warriors, we've got Liam Lawson,
the black Caps, Super Rugby and the Speedway. Of course,
let's not forget the Speedway. It's the athletic equivalent of
a tropical storm this weekend and we're all getting wet.
We'll be drowning in updates from penalty shootouts. We'll have

(01:18):
extra time, we'll have blow by blows of that rug
up in your merchandise and your branded brollies. It's all
happening this weekend, particularly in Auckland. And the thing about
sport I was thinking this afternoon is that it's not
like everybody likes one sport. Nobody likes all sports. You

(01:39):
like one and you watch it a lot. My dad
is a rugby guy, he won't watch football. I've got
a friend, Heidi, who loves the Warriors. She's a Warriors girl,
but she wouldn't watch Liam Lawson. It's not a jack
of all trades things sports is, unless you're a sports broadcaster.
I guess I suppose we can ask Darcy about that
later on. So what I thought I would do is
break down which is the best one for you this

(02:01):
weekend and which sport is the worst one. And I'll
be using a very simple criteria. How long is it,
how exciting is it and how easy is it to understand?
Very simple. We can easily straight off the bat dismiss cricket,
even though it's T twenty, which many ill informed non

(02:23):
sports people assume means a twenty minute cap. It doesn't.
In fact, there is no time limit. These things can
run for four hours, and who has time to sit
around for four hours? Nobody, and not the fittest, most able,
should be forced to sit on a seat for that long.

(02:45):
Is especially a seat that's about as comfortable as a
public toilet or a park bench. No back support at
that stadium, no footstool, no cushions, nothing's adjustable. It's a
recipe for spinal injury. Yes, there are exciting bits in cricket,
but waiting for thirty minutes to see three seconds of

(03:05):
it is not it for me. And I haven't even
got to the biggest problem yet, the rules and the scoring,
and you will know what I'm talking about. It should
be simple. It should be hey, who's winning? How much
longer left to go? And you should be able to
say black Caps ten minutes? You know? Instead, it's where
three from four and we're chasing one fifty and blah

(03:26):
blah blah. I don't know what that means. It's absurd.
If you haven't got a saw back or you haven't
got you know, arthritis. By now you've got a sore
head from trying to figure out who's winning. So there
we go. If you weren't sure what to watch this weekend,
hopefully this has been of some help to you. The
answer is basically not. Cricket Warriors is great, so for rugby,

(03:51):
great Liam Lawson, great Speedway, great last chance at Wessons Brings.
By the way, take you pick easy breezy. If you
are a cricket fan and you are going to the game,
good luck with all your back problems. Eleven after four Bridge.
They'd be appreciate your feedback. Nine two nine two is
the number to text, and Darcy will of course be here.

(04:11):
I'm sure there's something to say a little later on.
Right now, we're going to go across the Tasman the
equivalent there of the Commerce Commission has said to the Aussies,
you're getting a raw deal from your supermarkets, and we
often look to Australia as almost the panacea of supermarket operations.
Will not so, Apparently, the Australian Competition Consumer Commission, the

(04:32):
agable see, has found the big chains, along with the
discount rival Aldi, are among the most profitable supermarket businesses
in the world and the sector requires widespread reform. Nick
Hogan Dyke is a retail consultant over there and he's
with me this afternoon. Get a Nick, Hi, how are you?

(04:53):
I see Cole's has already come out and said, actually,
you guys don't know what you're talking about. That you
calculated our margins and correctly.

Speaker 3 (05:02):
That sounds a lot like Foodstuffs and Wolworstht New Zealand
a couple of years ago with the grocery market study,
doesn't it.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
So who's right? I mean, do they have a point?
Does the Commerce Commission or the A Triple C in
your case actually know what they're talking about?

Speaker 4 (05:16):
Oh? Look, I think they do.

Speaker 3 (05:17):
I think the issue is that their powers are actually
quite limited, so they can make a lot of statements
and they can't actually enforce them and see them through.

Speaker 4 (05:23):
And this is a prime example here with.

Speaker 3 (05:25):
The A trible C in Australia, Wolworths and Coals are
operating in what is not a dyopoly because of the
fact we have cost Co and Aalde here as well,
and to a lesser degree in met Cash.

Speaker 4 (05:34):
But the reality is is still an oligopoly.

Speaker 3 (05:36):
And they do have a significant market share of you know,
seventy plus share of the share of mouth, if you like,
in terms of everyone what they buy and they.

Speaker 4 (05:44):
Eat when they go home and unpack their groceries.

Speaker 3 (05:47):
And the reality is that they do have as a
result of the power that they have, they're able to
enforce themselves upon not only the suppliers that work with them,
but also the consumers or shoppers who buy oft them.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
So what hope do we have then, Because the answer
to our all of our problems, we're told is another
supermarket chain. You've got one and it's still bad.

Speaker 5 (06:05):
Well, we do.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
Have another chain, but they are a discander, so they're
not a full service supermarket in the same sense that
you have with a Pack and Save or a New
World or a Woolworths or Coals, et cetera. So Costco
is a retailer who happens to sell grocery products.

Speaker 4 (06:19):
They are not a grocery store. Aldi is a store.

Speaker 3 (06:22):
That has somewhere in the vicinity of one thousand to
two thousand products depending on their range at the time,
and the and the aisle down the middle with their
special buyers that typically aren't grocery products either.

Speaker 4 (06:31):
So versus a supermarket like a New World or a
wol Worth or of Coals that'll have twenty five to thirty
thirty five thousand SKUs or products on their shelves. They're
a very different proposition.

Speaker 3 (06:42):
So you know, if you look at the New Zealand market,
then yes, do you need a third infant or do
you need to break up the existing duopoly and create
it into three or four retailers. Most likely that's going
to give you some some relief. But what you've one
of the most important things is actually how you go
about governing that moving forward, because at the moment, as
you see with Walworths and Coals, as you see with

(07:03):
Foodstuffs Northoland in particular, and Warlworst New Zealand, they're not
really competing against one another because they don't have to.
So whilst they may not have a gentleman's agreement between
one another, they do typically you know, not press the
envelope too hard because you're talking about four of the
most profitable supermarket businesses in the world per square met.

Speaker 2 (07:21):
But is that because we're so far down the bottom
of the world, our populations are so much smaller that
these big companies that we need to come here that
are full services you put at just uninterested.

Speaker 4 (07:34):
Well I don't.

Speaker 3 (07:35):
Well, yes, look I spoke to someone senior at Aldi
sometime ago during the course of the market study, trying
to convince them that they need to look at New Zealand.
And one of the challenges they place is, well, there's
eighty four million people in the Philippines.

Speaker 4 (07:46):
Why would I go to five million people?

Speaker 3 (07:47):
Now, that's so there may need to be some incentives there,
but if you don't look overseas, then how do you
bust them up and get people locally to take on
that responsibility? You know, the reality is that there's ten
percent of the grocery products to give or take in
New Zealand aren't from Woolworths and food stuff's in New Zealand.
So you know there is a if you look at
the size of the market, that's what a one point
three to one point six billion dollar.

Speaker 4 (08:07):
Business that you could have. Someone offered me one of those,
I'd take it.

Speaker 2 (08:10):
Yeah, But the problem is the more I mean, because
what they are will see is talking about what the
ComCom here is talking about is more greater regulation and
that inevitably will mean higher prices. And I mean if
you start breaking them up, like running a supermarket will
never be more profitable than it is right now in
Australia and New Zealand. And even with that being the case,

(08:32):
we still can't attract new entrants.

Speaker 3 (08:33):
You know, yes, look and I think that the barriers
to entry, but particularly in New Zealand is the land
aspect as well.

Speaker 5 (08:41):
You know, you're.

Speaker 3 (08:41):
Geographically you've got a very densely populated couple of pockets
of your country and then the rest of the country
is fairly sparsely populated. So it's also navigating that through.
But if you can't get access to land, how do
your sites? How do you then open up a supermarket chain?
So therefore the bust up is probably the most logical
solution in New Zealand if you look at it on
place value. The challenge you've got of it with that,

(09:03):
of course, is that you can't tell me that the
lights of Wilworth and Chris green Coo aren't going to
go straight to court to translate that and stave that off.

Speaker 2 (09:09):
Exactly, Nick, good point, Thank you very much for that.
Nick Hogan Dark who's a retail consultant out of Australia.
On this ahablec reporting to supermarkets there. It's just gone
sixteen after.

Speaker 6 (09:17):
Four bran Bridge.

Speaker 2 (09:21):
Now lots of texts are coming in about the cricket,
well about sport this weekend generally, but before I get
to those asually what I might do to save those
until Darcy's coming in. But I've just got some news
to hand from the UK. This is quite serious and
disruptive news. Hethrow Airport is going to be closed for
the whole day Friday today. The airport says this is

(09:43):
a response to a significant power outage linked to a
fire at an electrical substation, expected to create a massive
headache for travelers too and from the UK, probably all
over Europe. And imagine we'll get more information to you
as it comes to hand, and Darcy's next, long with
your texts on Sport.

Speaker 1 (10:00):
After four it's the Heather to Bussy Alan Drive Full
Show podcast on iHeartRadio powered by News Talks EBB.

Speaker 2 (10:08):
News Talks eb It is nineteen minutes after four. Chris says, Ryan,
I would rather punch myself in the groin than watch cricket. Ryan,
you didn't mention the Sailing GP, which is a great
watch and is actually on this weekend as well. I've
just been listening off all the sport that's on this weekend.
Oh my goodness, this is an absolute load of crap.
You're talking about here getting a spinal injury from sitting

(10:30):
in a sports stadium because cricket takes too long. Get real, mate,
I'm sorry I was. I was having a little bit
of a laugh at that. But it does take a
long time, doesn't it, which is part of the problem
I have with cricket. Twenty after four Bryan Bridge Charsi's here, hey, Darcy,
if you don't like it, don't watch it, and I won't.
It's pretty simple, exactly, But I'm here to give him abeus, Darcy,

(10:53):
and I've given It's an.

Speaker 7 (10:54):
Opinion, Bass though. What I'm interested to know is were
you referencing T twenty cricket one day to Nashtareen Test cricket.
So the shortest, fastest, quickest version.

Speaker 2 (11:03):
Still too long long for you?

Speaker 6 (11:05):
This is the thing an ADHD kid like me, I was.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
Actually reading this afternoons in preparation for the show. Was
reading just the numbers for those longer formats now compared
to the T twenty, I mean, it's almost fallen off
a cliff, isn't it.

Speaker 7 (11:21):
Yeah, So it's getting lesser, I think because this generation,
this day and age, they want instant fixt that's what
they're used to, whereas some of us longer and the
tooth really enjoy the slow process.

Speaker 6 (11:32):
It's like, I'll talk your language.

Speaker 7 (11:34):
It's like a degas station menu with a with a
matching wine menu right right the way through. It takes
all night, and it's really tasting, really enjoyable and really satisfying.
And then you go to T twenty, which is like
Ana McDonald's. It satisfies you for a couple of minutes.
Then you're like, oh god, what I read that for.
So the long version is more satisfactory in the long term.

Speaker 6 (11:54):
Because it tes to ease into it. Am I talking
your language now or not?

Speaker 2 (11:57):
Not? Really nice?

Speaker 6 (12:00):
Engage in special manufact.

Speaker 2 (12:02):
No, I'm not actually not a big foody either.

Speaker 6 (12:05):
Anyway, Wow, crazy All.

Speaker 2 (12:06):
Whites are playing Fiji. This is a World Cup qualifier
at seven.

Speaker 6 (12:09):
Yeah, they're playing Figi.

Speaker 7 (12:11):
They should win and that means they'll play a final
on Monday, and they win that they're going straight to
the World Cup, which is a big deal because it
is the World Cup. But it used to be thirty
six teams and now it's forty eight teams and I
think it's going to be sixty four teams.

Speaker 6 (12:26):
It just goes on and.

Speaker 2 (12:27):
On and it's not as significant to qualify as that
when you've only got to be not as much.

Speaker 7 (12:31):
But it is still going to a World Cup. But
I think that football fans and football players they want
to be involved in the biggest party in football once
every four years.

Speaker 6 (12:40):
So yeah, it is relevant, right.

Speaker 2 (12:42):
And the Warriors they are playing the Roosters at eight. Now,
I went last weekend when everyone said they'd lose.

Speaker 8 (12:47):
Was that for you?

Speaker 2 (12:47):
That was fun?

Speaker 6 (12:48):
How sore was your backside?

Speaker 2 (12:49):
It was actually okay in the south stand okay, I
stood up for a little bit, sat down for a
little bit. Anyway, great game. So who's going to win tonight?

Speaker 6 (12:58):
Who knows?

Speaker 7 (12:59):
Like if you look at the Roosters and what they
did last week are rolling Penrith, they're probably in the
box seat, but then so were mainly supposed to be
the box seat last week when the Warriors rolled them.
So we don't know.

Speaker 6 (13:11):
And that's the joy of NRL. Enjoy it for what
it is.

Speaker 7 (13:14):
And if you're following the Warriors because you think they're
going to be the premiers. Stop now follow them because
you love rugby league.

Speaker 2 (13:20):
Brilliant. Let's see you later on Darcy.

Speaker 6 (13:22):
Formula one over the weekend.

Speaker 2 (13:23):
You got to watch that Darcy water Grave Sports talk
post seven tonight on news talks that I mean, and
there are so many you couldn't watch everything that you recommend.
Oh yes you jah.

Speaker 7 (13:33):
Several screens, several screens and iPad time to cook any food?

Speaker 2 (13:39):
Wants to go to the supermarket?

Speaker 6 (13:42):
Do you be earlier?

Speaker 9 (13:43):
All right?

Speaker 2 (13:44):
Dark?

Speaker 9 (13:44):
The reason I do this right?

Speaker 2 (13:45):
See you later on twenty three After four news Talks,
there be Chris Pink here after five on building consents
and what is the hold up? Why so many delays?

Speaker 1 (13:54):
Moving the big stories of the day forward. It's Ryan
Bridge on hither duper see Ellen drove with one New Zealand.
Let's get connected News talks.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
V Ol Brown, owner of Depot E three, well known
New Zealand chef. He is not going to be serving
any bluff oysters at his restaurant. He is with us
after five to tell us why Chris Pink is the
Minister for Building in Construction. He's with us after five
wider building Han sence takes so long, and whose fault
is it that a lot of them end up with problems?

(14:26):
And can he actually do anything to fix it. We'll
look at that. After five o'clock two just gone twenty six,
after four some of your texts on cricket, I just said,
basically just a throwaway comment that I didn't particularly like cricket,
That's all it was. And this one from Eddie. Eddie says,
cricket is the king of all sports. I love test cricket.

(14:46):
I've watched many five day tests on my time off.
I umpire cricket on Saturdays, standing up at the wickets
to six hours a day. Pure bliss, says Eddie the umpire.
Good on you, Eddie, good for you. Another here says Ryan,
your summary of cricket is an absolute disgrace. Of all
the sports on this weekend, cricket is the one that

(15:07):
I would most like to watch. And he also makes
the comment as this text that there is a time
limit on cricket apparently, which I wasn't aware of. I mean,
you wouldn't think so. It goes on for sometimes days
and days and days, doesn't it. Twenty seven after four
news talks, they'd.

Speaker 1 (15:22):
Be recapping the day's big news and making tomorrow's headlines.
It's Ryan Bridge on hither du for see Ellen drive
with one New Zealand let's get connected news talks.

Speaker 10 (15:41):
They'd be the begin pis.

Speaker 2 (15:49):
Good afternoon, welcome to your Friday, twenty five away from
five to warehouses back in profit, which is great for them,
but the union says they're cutting costs and it's affecting
the workers. So we'll talk asked the questions. I suppose
that the chief executive after five o'clock this evening. Also
over in America, Greenpeace is on the hook for a
billion dollars in damages. So basically they went after an

(16:12):
oil pipeline to do their protest. You know how they
like to do their protest and then normally nothing happens,
nothing comes of it. Well, this time the company, which
is a Texas company, a energy transfer Texas pipeline company operator,
they took the court and they have been awarded a
billion New Zealand dollars in damages. Quite where Greenpeace is

(16:35):
going to give that money for I don't know from,
I don't know, but I was just reflecting on it
because last week. Remember the guys who hang themselves across
the motorways in New Zealand from the gantries with their signs.
They were in court and they were presenting evidence. I mean,
just think of how busy our court system is, and
think of how stupid what they do is. And then

(17:00):
that there is a jury of our peers sitting there
listening to arguments from a climate scientist to justify why
they should be able to go onto the motorway and
endanger people's lives. I mean, it's madness. Anyway, it was
a hung jury, so there was no outcome. There's going
to be a retrial for these guys in New Zealand. Meanwhile,
Greenpeace is paying a billion dollars over in the States.

(17:23):
Twenty four away from five.

Speaker 1 (17:24):
It's the world wires on news Talks. They'd be drive.

Speaker 2 (17:28):
We'll keep you updated with what's happening at Heathrow as well.
Twenty four away from five now, Dan Michson is our
US correspondent, and good evening there, Hey, good to have you.
The United States fell to its lowest happiness ranking, partly
due to a rise in the number of Americans eating
their meals alone. This is quite a sad story.

Speaker 11 (17:49):
Well it is, but you know what, I kind of
enjoy doing that myself, so I don't know why that
would make so many people happy. I guess it just
depends whether or not you're an introvert or an extrovert.

Speaker 4 (17:59):
But you're right.

Speaker 11 (18:00):
Apparently the highest we've ever come in since this was
started back in twenty twelve was number eleven.

Speaker 4 (18:04):
Finland is number one.

Speaker 11 (18:05):
You guys came in twelfth, and I know there's always
a competition with that other country across the ditch, and
I hate to say it, but Australia beat you by
one place. This year they came in number eleven, and Afghanistan,
which I guess is no surprise, ranked as the unhappiest
country in the world. But you know what, I think, right,
is kind of interesting. How they did this was basically

(18:27):
they asked one hundred thousand people in one hundred and
forty countries to think of a ladder, you know, like
we go up and down, with the best possible life
for them being a ten and the worst being a zero.
And then the respondents were asked to rate their own
current lives on a scale. But I mean, it doesn't
seem very scientific. I mean, we could all be having
a great day when somebody asks us, you know, to
rate our life, or it could be a really sucky day.

Speaker 2 (18:49):
And that is a good point. Donald Trump's issued speaking
of psachy day is not a great one if you're
in the Department of Education. He's issued an executive order
to terminate it. Well he has.

Speaker 11 (19:00):
We're going to see how far this gets because getting
rid of the Department of Education entirely would require an
Act of Congress and that would take some time. So
as you can imagine the union that's representing all these
employees and the educators saying they're outraged.

Speaker 4 (19:13):
He has said that.

Speaker 11 (19:14):
The department is basically wasteful. There's a lot of liberals there.
This was created back and I think it was nineteen
seventy nine. So is there a waste in this department? Well, yeah,
you can guarantee there is. I mean, what does it
do a lot though, I mean it provides financial aid programs,
a lot of funding to support elementary and secondary schools
over here, and it does a lot of civil rights work.

(19:34):
So there's going to be a continued debate I think
from both the left and the right on this. Will
it happen. Hard to imagine the department going away completely.
But will it be downsized? Could it be downsized? I
think there's a better possibility of that.

Speaker 2 (19:46):
Yes, interesting Dan, What about these astronauts. We've heard all
about them coming back to out of space back to Earth,
which is great news. But how much did they did
they earn while they were stuck up there? Do we know?

Speaker 11 (19:58):
Not as much as people thought. They spend two hundred
and eighty six days up there. That's longer than the
six or seven days they were originally supposed to spend.
So people are saying, well, did they get any extra
pay for this? NASA said, I guess they were bombarded
by questions. They don't receive overtime, holiday or weekend pay,
so they get paid for a forty hour work day.
On average, they make about one hundred and fifty two

(20:19):
thousand a year. Now, this is what I found interesting.
Incidental expenses to travel. Now, this is to any location.
This could be from Florida to California. This could be
from Florida to the International Space Station. How much do
you think they get a day for that?

Speaker 2 (20:31):
Well, just for baying and spice, or just in gender.

Speaker 11 (20:34):
Just an incidental expenses for anything they want to want
to spend on. Every day they get five dollars a day,
so that would give them about fourteen hundred No, it's not,
is it? Fourteen hundred dollars for that entire time they
were out there. So the bottom line is they didn't
come home rich. Hopefully they'll get some kind of bonus

(20:55):
or at least a pat on the back for having
to spend an extra eight months in three weeks longer
than they were supposed to up.

Speaker 2 (21:02):
There, I suppose, so, yeah, Dan, thank you very much
for that damnage. And now US correspondent has gone twenty
away from five.

Speaker 1 (21:08):
Newspork International Correspondence with ends and eye insurance, peace of
mind for New Zealand business.

Speaker 2 (21:17):
Just gone twenty away from five on news talks. There'd
be Barry Soaper we'll be here next. Councils are trying
to get these building consents hurried up. Barry's been looking
into that, so we'll talk to him also, Chris penc
after five o'clock. Interesting story out of Nelson today. So
I don't know if you've seen it yet, but there's
a thing called horsey hair that boys have been wearing
to schools. We used to have a rats tail when

(21:40):
I was at school. It's sort of like a rats tail.
It's shaved on the sides, and then there is essentially
a ponytail dangling down the back of a boy's head,
but it's not tied up, and it can be dyed.
Sometimes it's dyed blonde, sometimes it's dyed dark, depending on
what the hair color is. Now and Nelson College parent

(22:03):
has been upset and complained as parents do these days,
to the college because they were told their son was told,
you get ak here, mate, it looks stupid. And Nelson
College has said, we're looking at tidying up uniforms, facial
hair and hairstyles. We're bringing back making boys look sharp,
so from the Nelson College principle. So I just wonder

(22:26):
what people do with that, because there's feel about how
people feel about that, because there's a scale. I mean,
there's your King's College sort of preppy. You know, socks
are olled up and everything's nothing's out of place. And
then there's your like Western Springs College where it's three
range farmed children. You know where we're at with that,

(22:46):
because from where I'm sitting, school should be about education.
So in that sense, does it matter what your hair
looks like? Is that really important? But then you don't
want everyone looking messy. I think the rule should be
if you get at least a MERIT for this year
in your school year educationally, if you get at least
to MERIT level, you can wear whatever you like the

(23:08):
following year, because there's an incentive. N nine two is
the number to text eighteen away from five on Newstalks
thereb barrispers next.

Speaker 1 (23:18):
Politics with centric credit, check your customers and get payment certainty.

Speaker 2 (23:22):
Your news talksb has just gone quarter to five. The
Wall Street Journal is reporting that Elon Musk is to
receive a top secret briefing on US war plans for China.
This is not a joke. This is a Wall Street
Journal report, quoting two unnamed US officials. I'll get to
that a little later on. But Barry Soaper is here now,
high Barry, that's President Musk exactly South.

Speaker 6 (23:44):
African, which you know, which is incredible when you think about.

Speaker 2 (23:47):
It, Well, what's wrong with South Akri? No?

Speaker 6 (23:48):
No, nothing, No, But he's he's an immigrant. No, yes,
but he's an immigrant when you look at Donald Trump.

Speaker 2 (23:56):
Yes, and his view on immigrants.

Speaker 6 (23:58):
Well, that's quite right, making all decisions for them.

Speaker 2 (24:01):
And he's got one at home as well, doesn't he.

Speaker 6 (24:04):
But I don't know whether she's at home all the time.

Speaker 2 (24:06):
But anyway, Hey, counsels that get a hurry up over
delays in building consents Barry.

Speaker 6 (24:12):
And this is not the full time I mean. It
was Chris Penk the construction Minister. He said to councils
building authority consents, they have to start keeping a quarterly
record of them so that there is some transparency and
they know what's happening in the system. Well, clearly they've

(24:33):
got that back. He said. Time is money for tradees
and there's no doubt about that. He said that officials
estimate a twelve working day delay because of a request
for further information can cost around four thousand dollars a dwelling. Now,
last year, ninety four and a half thousand applications triggered

(24:57):
a more information extended the life of a consent. Now,
I've personally had many issues with counsels over the years,
to the point that you know, they said, we need
an architects drawing for that, So you get an architect
and then they want something else, and then they tell

(25:19):
you you're getting a consent now, and then the person
that's giving the consent somebody dies in the family, so
you're told, I'm sorry, the person's on leave. Now you
left waiting further happen.

Speaker 2 (25:32):
How dare somebody die on your wife?

Speaker 6 (25:34):
Well, wouldn't you think they would hand it on to
somebody else's consent was ready to be signed off? Now
you know, it's a disgrace. So what Chris Pink says
that in the next few months he'll finalize decisions on
speeding up these consents. And I think a lot of
builders would be happy with that. Not only builders though,

(25:54):
even though they're sitting on their hands waiting. You've got
people that are waiting to get the job done and
it's costing them daily. As some council boffin sits on
his hands in his office and has a cigarette and
a cover of coffee, and you know, it forgets about

(26:14):
giving the consent. But it seems like it.

Speaker 2 (26:16):
Seems like that. I'm interested to know from the Minister
exactly who is to blame here, Whether there are applications
that are going and that are not being filled in properly,
you know, or whether it's at the council side.

Speaker 6 (26:29):
So one of the things he's going to do, and
I think it's a good approach. He's looking at mainly
getting builders themselves, builders with reputation to do their own consents.
Now that's a worry with leaky buildings, that comes to mind.
But if you've got a reputable firm doing the job,
you say, well, why do they have to go to

(26:50):
a boffin and a council to get signed off?

Speaker 2 (26:53):
Yeah, I couldn't agree with that part more. Someone just
drove past the waikat a district council. It's a Friday.
They were all looking from home today. That should be
made to go in there and get my consents done.
Another bad survey this is the IPSOS survey thumbs down
for the government.

Speaker 6 (27:09):
Yeah, this is the worst rating the government's had since
they've started keeping these surveys in twenty seventeen, ironically, which
was of course when Jasin dar Dern took over the
reins of government here in New Zealand. Forty one percent
of respondents to the IPSOS survey rated the government's performance

(27:31):
between zero and three out of ten. Now, when you
look at the years of the durn Hipkin's government. Of
course they spent like drunken sailors. So essentially we didn't
feel the impacts that we could otherwise have felt. So
you know, I mean this government has a mess, has

(27:53):
had a mess to clean up, so you know, we
can't take too much or put a place too much
faith in that. But they looked at the issues and
the top five issues no surprise, healthcare, hospitals, the economy,
housing in crime and law and order. Well, you know,
I think that's a foregone conclusion. The point that David

(28:14):
Seymour made the other day when he was the acting
Prime Minister is that he said people essentially vote on
the economy as much as they do voting for a government.
And I think that's right. And he said once things
start getting better, and of course we've talked about this
week the GDP, once they start getting better, I think

(28:34):
people get better.

Speaker 2 (28:36):
There's a lag though, between the numbers and feeling. Now
I want to get to the story. We haven't got
much time, but Wellington Councils spending on Portalaod's is causing
a stink with the Taxpayers Union.

Speaker 6 (28:46):
It is, and initially I thought, well, for goodness sake,
you had tens of thousands of people. I was there
myself in Wellington during the TREATYHKUOI that they had on
Parliament Ow is this Yeah, they spent twenty one or
almost twenty two thousand on porter loos around the city.
Now the point that the taxpayer made, And initially I thought, well,

(29:10):
it's ridiculous and the taxpayer shouldn't be taxpo's union shouldn't
be complaining about this, because you can imagine what the
streets of Wellington might look like without the porter loose.
But what they say is that generally the organizers of
these events they supply their own portal loos, and they've
probably got a point on that when you consider that

(29:31):
the rates in Wellington this year have gone up eighteen
and a half percent. So if you're a rate player
there paying for porter lows for people turning up protesting
the treaty changes that were never going to take place,
you'd really have to ask a question, wouldn't you.

Speaker 2 (29:47):
You would be yeah, I mean literally flushing money down
the toilet, aren't they? And I actually thought when you
started talking about the story, I thought, maybe people are
so scared the pipes are so broken, you're too scared
to do you buses in your own they're having used portaloods,
but exactly goodness make Barry thank you for that. We'll
see you later on Barry Soper seeing their political correspondent

(30:08):
here on news Talks. There have been nine away from five,
lots of your texts coming in on both the schooled
uniforms and the consents. We'll speak to the minister about
it after five to get your feedback.

Speaker 1 (30:18):
Next, putting the tough questions to the newspeakers, the mic asking.

Speaker 7 (30:22):
Breakfast, we're out of recession Q four zero point seven?

Speaker 2 (30:25):
Are we on our way?

Speaker 12 (30:27):
The Finance Minister Nikola will as Wells, does the zero
point seven.

Speaker 10 (30:30):
On GDP give you hope that the tale of the.

Speaker 2 (30:33):
Jobs which legs of course might end a little bit
or peak a little bit sooner than we thought or
it is what it is.

Speaker 13 (30:39):
Well, we have seen the forecasts for unemployment coming off
a little bit since we came to government. As you've seen,
employment is the last thing to recover when an economy
goes through a Timelin New Zealand hairs.

Speaker 5 (30:50):
The forecasts are.

Speaker 13 (30:51):
That will peak halfway through the year and then it's
going to keep better in the second half.

Speaker 5 (30:56):
Of the year.

Speaker 13 (30:56):
That's consistent with what I'm seeing in the economy.

Speaker 2 (30:59):
Back Monday from six am, the Mike Hosking Breakfast with
the Rain drove of the last news talk ZB Five
away from five. It's all happening at Heathrow Airport in
London today. In fact, nothing's happening because all flights have
been canceled. The airport is closed for the day because
of a fired and electrical substation in West London. It's

(31:20):
left some sixteen hundred homes without power in the surrounding area.
It's more force more than one hundred people to evacuate.
But most importantly for most of Europe, there are fourteen
hundred flights in and out of Heathrow every day, one
every forty five seconds. Two hundred and thirty thousand people
who travel through there to Membre supposed to be traveling

(31:42):
through there today will have their travel disrupted. You they've
closed the biggest airport in the UK for the day
because of an electrical fire. I mean, you've got to
do it a safety safety, I suppose, but man, that's
a huge disruption. Four away from five in brich lots
of texts on school uniforms and standard. It's Ryan. I'm
a teacher, says Sam. At a public school on the

(32:02):
North Shore that requires students to wear a uniform, they
have recently relaxed the uniform standard so that girls don't
have to tie their hair up anymore and they can
have more than one piercing. Boys facial hair must now
be quote tidy rather than clean shaven. Since the implementation,
there has been a noticeable change in students pushing the
boundaries across the school. Not just uniform, not to be

(32:26):
old school. But you give an inch and they will
take a mile. Here you go, what's next They'll be
showing you all their tattoos or something. You know, I
do take your point. A lot of builders texting in
about the building consents. You know, are we unfairly blaming
counsels because they're the easy punching bag. Well we'll ask

(32:47):
the minister Chris pink live.

Speaker 14 (32:49):
Nexties we can.

Speaker 15 (33:14):
I don't want an a, don't away god noise, not
just celebrate un just away.

Speaker 1 (33:29):
Questions, answers, facts analysis, the drive show you trust for
the full picture. Brian Bridge on hither duplicy Ellen Drive
with One New Zealand Let's get connected News talks.

Speaker 2 (33:42):
It'd be good evening at a seven after five. Great
to have your company on a Friday night. The Construction
Minister says the consenting process is taking way too long.
Consenting applications are meant to be processed within twenty working days,
and anyone who's built a house or had any kind
of construction work done knows that that is a pipe dream.
Numbers out today show it's taking longer than that sixty

(34:03):
six percent of the time. In other words, two thirds
of applications are taking too long. Chris Pink's the minister.
He's with me now, High Minister.

Speaker 12 (34:10):
Fascinating.

Speaker 2 (34:11):
So two thirds of applications taking longer than they should
and they're doing this by using a request for information.
What exactly is that?

Speaker 8 (34:21):
Yeah, that's when the council says to the builder or
the trades person, look, we think there's something wrong.

Speaker 12 (34:26):
What does this mean?

Speaker 8 (34:27):
You've forgotten that or you need to add that in
or whatever the case may be. And you know, in
some cases it will evitably be the case that there
might be a problem. But two thirds of the time,
you know, ninety thousand of leagues across a year, that
surely can't be right. So certainly, and it goes to
lead in terms of builders and tradees and designers. They say, look,
it's councils being really risk averse, and there's good reasons

(34:48):
for that, but you know, we need to sort this out.
It's just costing way too much.

Speaker 2 (34:52):
Because what happens is once they do that request for information,
the clock stops again, right, so it starts again, so
they can take longer.

Speaker 8 (35:00):
Try And there's certainly a lot of cynicism out there
when people say that they've got a content application and
it's the nineteenth or the twentieth day, and lo and
behold they get the RFA, this quest of further information,
and they feel as though councils playing for time.

Speaker 5 (35:14):
You know.

Speaker 8 (35:14):
The councils, on the other hand, would say that they're
busy and they're just trying to get to what they
can get to. But we should all be very fearful,
you know, if this is what we've got going on,
when the system is pretty light in terms of workloads,
in terms of activity, and we want there to be
more building activity. We know they've been a low having
goodness knows, the timings are really going to blow out
when when ad activity and pressing to see.

Speaker 2 (35:35):
So how do you fix it without potentially compromising and
safety or another leaky building.

Speaker 8 (35:42):
Yeah, a lot of very good question and it's a
balance we're going to try and get right. And part
of the antswer is that key to be a bit
more hands off.

Speaker 12 (35:49):
Where there are experienced builders.

Speaker 8 (35:51):
We've got a good track record, they've got insurance, they're solvent,
they're not going to cause industry for the vulnerable homeowner
or other building owner in walk Away and leaves him
in the lurch. And that means council aren't involved. Because
we allow these guys to do the work without actually
needing that content in the first place, the council can
actually spend more of their resources in their time and

(36:12):
actually respond more quickly, whether building types or less experienced
builders and trades people who actually need that greater scrutiny.
So we think it's going to be more of about life.

Speaker 2 (36:22):
When are we going to see this enacted?

Speaker 12 (36:25):
Yeah, I think I.

Speaker 8 (36:25):
Mean certainly the first half of this year, so the
final decisions.

Speaker 2 (36:31):
So there'll be builders and there'll be people who are
having work done on their homes. Minister, he'll be very
happy to hear that, very happy indeed, I know, but
Barry Sober will be one of them, having just had
him in the studio winging about the problem he's had lately.
Chris Pink is the building construction minister. Thanks for being
on the show. Just gone ten after five, Ryan Bridge,
are we seeing a bit of a turnaround for the warehouse?

(36:54):
They've reported eleven point eight million and a half year
net profit. This is after tax, but sales did decline.
They're still expecting to make a loss over the entire year.
John Janay is the interim CEO. He's with me now,
good evening, all right, So what do you make of this?
Because you've got warehouse revenue down two percent, stationary down seven,

(37:16):
no lemming up one. What's it telling you?

Speaker 9 (37:19):
Definitely it's a work in progress, Ryan, would be the summary,
but we're very encouraged with the momentum we're seeing across
the business now.

Speaker 2 (37:27):
And from what base did you come give us an
idea of how bad things were?

Speaker 9 (37:33):
Well, we were basically, as you might recall, we were
in a strategy that wasn't working with our customers last year.
We've done some work to change that re point, refocus
our business on our retail brands, which absolutely critical in
particular the warehouse and actually get us back on what
our customers want. Focused on that, and that's what our

(37:53):
teams have been doing, and that's starting to show fruit,
and that's turning up and product that has better ings,
much lower pricing, and much more exciting and engaging. Our
customers are loving the new products that were coming into
store and they're responding really well.

Speaker 2 (38:09):
First Union says that your strategy is basically understaffing and
not replacing people when they're sick.

Speaker 9 (38:17):
Yeah, bit confusers to lot lines. He was drawing, there
are the same as we're making predominantly coming from reduction
and it costs and our project costs, and basically our
green shirts are coming from our product successes and the
engagement with their customers. So a little bit confused with
where he's coming from. There ten over ten thousand team

(38:39):
members up and down the country. They're a critical part
of our operation and a success.

Speaker 2 (38:44):
So there's been no I mean, this is Rud Hughes,
the First Workers Union representative. He says they've received seventy
five understaffing complaints and six staff not being replaced. He said,
this is your strategy is cutting costs to make profit. Yeah,
you're saying he's wrong.

Speaker 9 (39:00):
Sure, sick staff out of ten thousand as a particular
and strong fact point to be leaning in terms oft Again,
we send different things, and you know, we know what
we're focused on and what our teams are supporting with us,
and we're very appreciative of what they're doing. They are
working hard. I think everybody today is working hard, and
we appreciate them for that, and they're passionate about serving
our customers and that's what we love them for.

Speaker 2 (39:20):
All Right, Good on John, thanks for coming on the show.
Really appreciate it. That's John June. He's the interim chief
executive at the Warehouse. It's the ten minutes after five,
Ryan Bridge, So elon Musk. We will have another update
on Heathrow for you as well. But basically the long
and the short of it is, no one's going anywhere
at Heathrow Airport today. There's been a fire nearby at
a sub electrical substation. There's been homes evacuated. There are

(39:42):
about seventy firefighters on the scene and no planes are
flying through Heathrow today. That's two hundred and thirty thousand
average passengers affected. Elon Musk over in the United States.
The Wall Street Journalist reporting just in the last hour
that Elon Musk is going to get a top secret
briefing from the Pentagon on America's plans for war with China.

(40:05):
This is according to two US officials unnamed at this stage,
so you know, don't take it for gospel. He says
that the report says operational blueprints will be shown, maritime
tactics and targeting plans. Many are obviously upset or confused
because mask, yes, he is part of the government to

(40:27):
an extent, but he also owns Tesla and SpaceX and
is there a conflict of interest? And what on earth
do we want him knowing our plans for attacking China
or anyway, News Talks airb it has just gone on
fourteen minutes after five, coming up next to Al Brown
while he's not serving bluff oysters this year, News Talks
airb it is seventeen minutes after five. Apparently Elon Musk
has already issued a statement about this Wall Street journal story,

(40:48):
so we'll get that to you in a second as well.
Right now, though, a very important topic in Auckland, a
high profile Auckland restaurant has made a shock announcement by
taking bluff oysters off the menu Depot Eatery, which is well,
very high profile you'll know it owned by celebrity chef
Al Brown. He's citing the poor state and decline of

(41:09):
the seafood as the reason. And he's with me now,
hi ol, good evening.

Speaker 12 (41:13):
This is bigger than the musk story.

Speaker 2 (41:17):
Well, I don't know about that, but we'll give it
a go. We'll give it a go. Well, first of all,
is this a big to just put it in context?
Is this a big decision? Is this a big deal?
Or is it a sort of a fine to have
no bluff oysters on your menu?

Speaker 16 (41:35):
Oh?

Speaker 12 (41:36):
Look, we have lots of oysters and so, and the
bluff oyster is of course it's the caulinary treasure of
the country and I adore them. But we support our
suppliers and know Taho they have been our oyster supplier
for years and we get our voices live said to
us in the shells and so over the last few years,

(41:57):
when I'm shocking them, I've noticed as well that you
know the quality of them has dropped quite you know,
in quite a big way. And but when we get
the oysters, we've paid for them, so but we have
to open them to order because they're live. That's we

(42:18):
only serve live seafood or live shell fish. And so
you know, typically with a dozen, you might get you know,
four goodies and you know, maybe four pretty average and
then four runts. And if you're paying eight dollars an
oyster or seven fifty bucks an oyster and I serve
those to you, you're not going to be very happy
with that. But if I throw them in the bin,

(42:40):
I'm not going to be making any money either. So
if you know, I tell who you know, and they're
they're the katiachy or guardianship is a big part of
their the way that the lens that they look at
the more honor and they surpassed with oysters. So you know,
I back them up. And because I've seen its firsthand

(43:02):
as well, so I don't know whether it's yeah.

Speaker 2 (43:05):
So this is so for every four eacing, we're basically
asy getting the bin getting berthed.

Speaker 12 (43:11):
Well, certainly it's very hard for me to serve voices
that and I don't know until I open them, until
I shuck them what's inside. Of course, whereas lots of
restaurants will buy podles of voices which have been graded
and that they've been shucked in bluff and they're in
a plastic poddle and they've been shipped up here and
they'll be buying a grade oysters, so they'll.

Speaker 4 (43:32):
All be good.

Speaker 12 (43:33):
So and that's a good thing too, So why don't
you do that secondary oysters? And even Notatahu said, you know,
you know the last two seasons they've stopped halfway through
the season or later in the season to say shit,
they're just not in good shape.

Speaker 4 (43:47):
And look, I don't know.

Speaker 12 (43:48):
Look, you know, I don't think it's probably overfishing. That
there's lots of things that come into the banemea that
you know, the parasite that they say is still there. Yeah,
you know, it's the climate, is the nutrition in the
water for the for them to to to actually get big.
But you know, we just support support our supply.

Speaker 2 (44:10):
Do you think it will hit your business, because as
you said, lots of other people are the businesses will
keep supplying.

Speaker 12 (44:17):
Oh no, I don't think so. You know, we've we're
an oyster bar and we support the aquaculture New Zealand
as well. And there's a lot of hard working farmers
out there, you know, growing amazing oysters all over the country,
and that's what we highlight and and and yep, some
people will be disappointed. Yeah, I love a bluff oyster
as much as the next person. But I think it's

(44:39):
an opportunity when you when you have a restaurant to
you know, you're a window on what's happening out there.
And and just bringing it to the forefront that you
know that the oysters aren't in great shape is something
that's important. And and you know, I see I heard
the other day. It seems hard to believe, but evidently
the bluff oiced industry is the only wild oyster industry

(45:02):
in the world. Everything else is FARBD. So it's a
very very special thing that we have.

Speaker 2 (45:07):
Well, thanks so much for your time. Look forward to
coming back for a meal sometime. Al Brown, celebrity chef
owner of Depot Eatery in Auckland, are no longer serving
bluff oysters. Twenty one minutes after five News Talks.

Speaker 1 (45:18):
dB informed inside into today's issues. It's Ryan Bridge on
Hither Dupericy Ellen drive with one New Zealand Let's get connected.

Speaker 2 (45:28):
News Talks NB twenty four minutes after five news talks
heb on your Friday nights. If you ever needed confirmation
that the private sector is better than the public sector,
that private enterprise is better than the government getting stuff done,
I've got one for you this afternoon. How long has
it taken us? And I know they're not exactly the
same situation, Okay, so let's you know, spare me the

(45:50):
hassle afterwards. But how long has it taken us to
get a fury, a new fury to go across the
Cook Strait. We've had two governments now three or four
in fact, possibly even five ministers death that this has
been across millions sunk in unrecoverable costs. And then today

(46:11):
Blue Bridge comes out of the blue Bam. We've bought
a ship, so wow, amazing. They announced it today. It'll
be sailing in July. Ten percent bigger, more capacity for
their vehicles. Passenger capacity is going to go up significantly.
Its name is Steina Levia. She's used to flitting between

(46:32):
Germany and Latvia apparently, and she'll be coming our way
and taking us across the Cook Strait. They will change
the name. They will dry dock her in Europe. First
and then bring her here and across the Cook Strait
she goes, Bob's your uncle. What's the problem. Why is
it so hard for the government. I know they want
bigger ones, but in the end we're not getting bigger ones,

(46:55):
are we We're getting slightly bigger ones. So did we
need to order the really big ones in the first place?
Why can they do it so easily and it's so
difficult for the beehive. Twenty five minutes after five overseas
merchandise stats out for you today. What that means is
how much we export and how much we import. This
is for February. Remember we've already had some good, solid

(47:17):
tourism numbers. For February. We were at ninety three percent
of pre COVID, which is good when you consider the
averages about eighty seven for the year. So we've had
good tourism numbers, and now we are having this is
export goods. In other words, merchandise for February up sixteen
percent to six point seven billion. Now imports were also

(47:38):
up two point one percent to six point two billion.
That leaves a circus a surplus, I should say five
hundred million. The items that we are selling more of milk.
Powder is up, butter is up, cheese is up. Basically
all the stuff you love eating is up. We're selling
more of it. Meat and offul up twenty eight percent.
And fruit. We sold sixty million dollar is worth of

(48:00):
fruit in February and that was up as well. Your
news Talk said, be still a lot more to come.
The Chinese ambassador apparently not happy with Luxon. We'll talk
about that whether it's a bit of a beat up
and the onbardsman on his way out of the job.
He's with us after six.

Speaker 4 (48:37):
On the iHeart app.

Speaker 1 (48:38):
And in your car on your drive home, it's Ryan
Bridge on Hither Duplessy Allen Drive with one New Zealand
let's get connected.

Speaker 10 (48:47):
News Talk said, b if this world were mony.

Speaker 2 (48:51):
From a no seven days, if this roll was a mine,
I'd take you James and made them. It is twenty
five minutes away from six. This's Friday evening. You're on
news Talk, so you might have remembered. You may remember
Western Australia WA was coming for our tradees. They've managed
to get a few of them. We've had some numbers
through from the campaign that they started running at the

(49:15):
beginning of the year January. First, it was offering five
four hundred New Zealand dollars for when you get your job,
when you get your contract, and then a further five
and a half thousand dollars six months in because they
want tradings over there, because they've got building construction work
that they want them to do right as we all do.

Speaker 16 (49:33):
Now.

Speaker 2 (49:33):
So that's about eleven just over eleven thousand dollars for
you to go there. Now, fourteen New Zealanders have taken
up this offer, have said yes, and they have a
further sixty seven applications being processed. But if you think
about it, what actually what do we have to offer
them here? You look at the building construction numbers and
the and the GDP darty yesterday. I mean, look at

(49:55):
the consent numbers going out. We know that the industry
here is struggling. So you know, did the eleven thousand
dollars get them across the line or was that just
a happy coincidence and they would have gone anyway. I
guess we'll never know, but that's probably by the all
said and done, close to one hundred kiwi's heading to
Western Australia trades that we will lose here, it's twenty
four minutes away from.

Speaker 4 (50:15):
Six, Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 2 (50:17):
The All Whites are just two games away from securing
a spot at the FIFA World Cup. This is twenty
twenty six. They take on Fiji tonight in the Capitol
as part of the second semi final. All things going well,
they'll head back to Auckland on Monday for the final
and a place at the world's biggest sporting event. Ricky
Herbert is the former All Whites coaches with me now, Hi, Ricky, Hi, Ryan,

(50:39):
Thanks good, thank you. The All Whites were they're shoeing here,
aren't they.

Speaker 16 (50:43):
Oh look, you'd like to think so, but you know,
let's pay respect. This is going to be a wonderful
opportunity for Fiji to showcase themselves as well, given the
direct entry. So I'm sure there'll be massive motivation coming
from the opposition camp as well. But one would like
to think we should be good enough to win tonight.

Speaker 2 (51:02):
Yeah, there'll be some fingers crossed, but I'm sure not
too hard. Is the qualifying a lot of talk this
week about the qualifying process for the World Cup. Is
it too easy? Now that they've removed that into a
continental playoff?

Speaker 16 (51:19):
Well, look, I think it changes the landscape, doesn't it
quite quite simply who you have to play. I mean,
ironically we've got two home games, semi final, the final
on our own back door stair hopefully, so that bodes
well for us. We're not traveling to different parts of
the world to play in a way fixture et cetera,
et cetera. So yeah, the end of the day, there Ryan,
We've still got to step up tonight. We've got to

(51:40):
get the job done. That's the main concentration. This is
the one that can take us through to our final,
to give us that shot to be back in twenty
twenty six and appear and you know our field will
cut which would be outstanding. So look, why can't our
confederation have the right to be there? You know, And
I think you know, talking about it the other day,

(52:00):
it's it's getting through this and like I say, fingers crossed,
we get through it. But then it's making a statement
at the World Cup as well. And you know, can
we add on from twenty ten and win some fixtures,
will get out of the group and really make a
statement again worldwide. So's the that's the big outcome for
me is let's go and deliver at a World Cup

(52:21):
in twenty twenty six and you know, make people stand
up and go, yes, we certainly deserve to be there.

Speaker 2 (52:28):
Well that's how it happened, Ricky, thank you very much
for being with me. Ricky Herbert form more all Whites
coach here on News Talks. Heir b time is twenty
two minutes away from.

Speaker 1 (52:34):
Six the Friday sports title with New Zealand Suburby's International
Realty find You're one of a guide.

Speaker 5 (52:46):
Fine a halfway line and New Zealand has won the
match messioned accomplished New Zealanders.

Speaker 17 (52:53):
What falling hour.

Speaker 10 (52:56):
Cross twenty eight years old?

Speaker 6 (53:01):
I'm working here at Spanish Honestly he's still.

Speaker 7 (53:04):
Matedy all watch back to football's biggest stage. New Zealand
have made the impossible possible.

Speaker 10 (53:11):
It's finished, Italy won New Zealand one.

Speaker 2 (53:16):
This is the sports title for your Friday evening. Abbie
Wilson one new sports editor with us tonight. Hi Abbe, Hello,
great to have you on the show. And Jim Kaye's
producer of the Breakdown at sky TV is with us too.

Speaker 5 (53:27):
Hey, Jim Caallo, Ryan Hello Ebs. Nice to have you back. Mate, No,
thank you, Jim.

Speaker 2 (53:32):
Hello, hello, Now, Ricky has been quite diplomatic there. But
the tobs Fiji, I think forty one dollars to win,
so it should be easy enough abby for us at
the Caketon A.

Speaker 18 (53:46):
Yes, he was being very diplomatic. I mean I think
there are fifty nine ranking positions between the two teams,
so New Zealand undoubtedly should win, although as we know
in football, every now and then there's an outrage upset.
But if you sort of look at the probability, New
Zealand should stroll into the final on Monday and really

(54:06):
should stroll into the World Cup, which is it's great,
it's great for Oceania. Will we see the same scenes
we saw if we Quali High that we saw in
two thousand and nine for that great game and bah Rang?
Maybe not, because maybe it has taken a little bit
of the luster off the accomplishment. But the result is
the same and you still get to go to a
World Cup.

Speaker 2 (54:26):
Jim, what's your take on that?

Speaker 5 (54:29):
Well, I know that you were sort of hypothesizing is
it too easy? I was sort of thinking about it.
Who cares? You know, like if it gets to New
Zealand to the World Cup, then then fantastic. Oceania it's
a big area. Yes, it's not as strong as some
of the other football in areas, but you know, you
can only go the route that you can go, and
if it's an easy route, then fantastic. And if we

(54:52):
get the all Whites playing on a World Cup stage
for only the third time, then that's fantastic as well.
So I sort of look at and go, well, you know,
if it's yeah, as I say, if it's easy, great,
you know the result is that your Whites will go
to the World Cup. Yeah, surely that's what we all want,
is as sports fans.

Speaker 2 (55:11):
Yeah, don't self flagelate and try and take a hard
rod when there's an easy one.

Speaker 5 (55:16):
That's exactly right, you know. And there's two parts we
can go here, a really hard one or an easy one.

Speaker 18 (55:23):
And also there are disadvantages to playing from down in
New Zealand. You know, we're disadvantage with where we are,
how far away we are from teams. It's kind of
nice if there is an advantage to our isolation and things.
It's almost about time.

Speaker 5 (55:36):
Exactly a loney of isolation has worked against these youllow
sports cents for a very long time, so this time,
if it works in our favor, fantastic.

Speaker 2 (55:44):
Because you've really turned my negative attitude about this right around.
Well done, Amie Wilson and Jim Kay's on the Sports title.
We'll be back with the rest of the week's sports next.

Speaker 1 (55:54):
The Friday Sports Title with New Zealand South of East
International real Z the ones with local to global reach.

Speaker 2 (56:01):
Abby Wilson and Jim Kay's on the Sports Huddle tonight.
Welcome back guys. Now. Last Friday, I was told unequivocally
on this huddle that the Warriors would lose. And I
know it wasn't you two that said this, but that
the Warriors would lose. And then I last minute bought
a ticket, went to the game, fantastic fun and they won.
So what happens Jim this weekend.

Speaker 5 (56:24):
That's a great thing about sport, Ryan, isn't it. Who
would know? Especially with the Warriors. I'm going to say
that the Warriors win again being at home, homeground, advantage,
unchanged team again, but I'm a momentum behind them, so
I'm going to pick a Warrior's win. But truly, I

(56:45):
don't think anyone really knows because they're a little bit
of an up and down team at the moment, and
I think they have been for about a year or so,
so you know, you could be are you going again tonight?

Speaker 2 (56:55):
No, I'm not going tonight. I've got other things on.
But I would actually go back for Abe. I would
actually go back for the fireworks at halftime. They was
fairwelling Tohu Harris. Honestly, it was bigger than Matadiki, bigger
than Guy Fawkes combined. I've never seen anything like it.
I thought, how big is their marketing budget?

Speaker 18 (57:15):
I'm not sure they'd like to know that the only
reason you want to go back is the fireworks rather
than the on the field fireworks. But I live on
the shore and I did look at my window as
I was watching it to see if I could see
them from that far away, because they looked impressive.

Speaker 2 (57:27):
They certainly were. So who do you think that? I
mean is are they on form and they out of form?
What do you think about that condition games? Who would know?

Speaker 5 (57:35):
After two games?

Speaker 18 (57:36):
I think Jim's right, like, this is the hard thing
with the Warriors. I would not beat my house on it.
Let's just say that they when they're great, they're great
when they're awful. Like in Vegas, they're awful, and so
we're early in the season. I usually temporary expectations around
the Warriors, so I'd love to see them when But
I think they haven't beaten the Roosters in their past

(57:58):
eight meetings, and they haven't beating them at homes Is
twenty seventeen or some awful stats. So those stats would
say that you know it's going to be tricky. And
the Rooster's beat Penrith last week with an impressive win,
so they'll be riding high off that too.

Speaker 2 (58:11):
Yeah. Interesting, abby, thank you. Now let's go to the
Western Springs. What do we think should happen with it next?
Jim Ah, that's look, where do we begin here?

Speaker 5 (58:21):
Ryan? I mean, of the three that seemed to me
and put forward in the Herald, I do quite like
the Mowbray Ali Williams one, which is a sporting venue.
But mate, I went to Western Springs to watch the
Police in nineteen eighty four and it's a fantastic music venue,
so I also like the one that suggests it should

(58:41):
be a music venue. What I do know is that
we have some dogs breakfast stadiums in Auckland and somehow
someone needs to sort it out. So there is a
stadium of about twenty four to twenty five thousand for sport,
there's a great venue for concerts that can take a
Taylor Swift type crowd because apparently we missed out on

(59:03):
Tata because the stadium is too small. And then a
stadium that also accommodates big test matches and fifty fifty
sixty thousand people. Greater minds and mind can work that out.
But somewhere on this we've got three average stadiums in
eden Park, Mount Smart and North Harbor, and then we've
got Western Springs. Surely, surely, Ryan, someone can say this

(59:25):
is what we're going to do, this is the plan,
and this is how we're going to have two amazing
venues in Auckland, because we don't at the moment.

Speaker 2 (59:33):
Yeah, yeah, I think you've had the nail on the head.
That has to be a decision that it's strategic decision
that's not just a one off about Western Springs and
what do we do? You know, it has to be
it has to be more what is the strategy and
how does this fit into it?

Speaker 5 (59:48):
Abbe how did it work for the city.

Speaker 2 (59:50):
Yeah, yeah, well, I.

Speaker 18 (59:53):
Did a story years ago though, when they were looking
at building the stadium in christ Church, and these academics
had looked at it and been like, the big stadiums
sound great as an idea and it woos everyone and
you get Taylor Swift, but in practicality, for three hundred
and fifty days of the year, they're a massive, empty
white elephant. And I actually think what I liked about

(01:00:13):
the sort of Mowbray's proposal was that it's a small
stadium with other things there. And I actually think a
twelve and a half thousand seat one it's full more
often than it's not. It doesn't take up as much room,
and you get more versatile use from the space day
in and day out, you know, week and week out.

Speaker 5 (01:00:32):
And so I actually I see.

Speaker 18 (01:00:33):
Jim's point about we need a big stadium, we need
to solve those problems. I don't think Western Springs is
a solution. I think Western Springs and the facility is
maybe look at it from a community point of view
and the sport and what it can provide. And the
bigger issue of a big stadium is we probably have
to look at what we already have and making them better.

Speaker 2 (01:00:52):
Yeah, it's interesting that and then just fly to Sydney Potato.
We keep doing that.

Speaker 5 (01:00:57):
That's the other option is that we're priving ourselves of
these big acts that could come to New Zealand because
we don't have a proper venue for them. And that
to me, you know, we think small all the time.
You know, why not think big in terms of one
of the venues and then exactly what Abe said, a
twelve fifteen thousand seat place for the other ones and

(01:01:18):
have have the best of both worlds.

Speaker 2 (01:01:20):
Yeah, against the problem big vision. Do we have enough
people because you know, when Taylor Swift comes to town,
just to keep using her, but she's massive right when
she comes down, she wants to do four or five
gigs in the same venue. Do we have that number
of people who you know, to actually do you.

Speaker 5 (01:01:37):
Really think she wouldn't sell out at a sixty thousand
seat stadium four nights in a row. I mean there's
a lot of teenage girls around, mate, they would all
be there for every single night of that she's putting
it on. They've turned up four nights in a row,
but the rest.

Speaker 18 (01:01:51):
Of the time, you know, you put a super rugby
team there and they get five thousand in a sixty
thousand seat stadium.

Speaker 5 (01:01:58):
That's your other vision. It comes in the twelve thousand
seat stadiums there, you know, that's where you will.

Speaker 2 (01:02:06):
How many stadiums are we going to have in gym'stown?

Speaker 8 (01:02:09):
We've got.

Speaker 5 (01:02:12):
Money, you two. We've got three average ones at the moment,
I'd have two. One is a smaller, be spoky type
of one and one is a big one that allows
for all of the the big, the big gigs that
you want, whether it be a sporting gig or a
concert gig, those sorts of things. We need to have
two really decent options. And then we also need to

(01:02:33):
say to the sports sorry, but you need to play
Orgland football. They're Blues, they're warriors. There there's no other
place to go. You've all got to go to the stadium. Well,
you know, yeah, and maximize the usage of it. At
the moment, we have three average stadiums and we don't
really get the best of anything out of all of them.

Speaker 2 (01:02:51):
Hey, you just Jim, do you reckon the Sorry?

Speaker 18 (01:02:53):
I was just say, do you think the all Lax
would sell out a sixty thousand seats stadium?

Speaker 5 (01:02:57):
Not? At the moment, that's.

Speaker 18 (01:03:02):
So we're building for Taylor and Taylor alt.

Speaker 5 (01:03:06):
But look, six sixty you got fifty thousand people to
Western Springs. Why you know it doesn't always have to
just be Taylor Swift, does it.

Speaker 2 (01:03:14):
No, it doesn't. It doesn't. But that wasn't post COVID,
wasn't I think Anyway, we digress.

Speaker 5 (01:03:18):
Anyway, it was a good night. I went there for
that too.

Speaker 2 (01:03:21):
That was a good night, always a good night at
six sixty. Hey, very quickly before we go, I just
want to get your quick take on Raiser and this
whole story this week about him changing his mind on
the all Blacks eligibility thing. And then you have the
players Union come out and say, oh no, they were
sort of on the same page the whole time. They
just didn't really realize it. I mean, what, Jim, what.

Speaker 19 (01:03:41):
Happened the machine said to Taylor to raisor not Taylor
to raise a you need to conform. Look, the simple
thing is the best thing that happens in New Zealand
is that you have to be in New Zealand to
play for the All Blacks. If that changes, this country
will empty of decent play.

Speaker 5 (01:04:00):
They'll all go to Japan. They'll all go to France
and all go somewhere else and earn lots more money,
and we will be looking at a super rugby competition
that is not super. So New Zealand rugby needs to
hold on for as long as possible to the fact
that you have to be in New Zealand to play
for the All Blacks, because as soon as they change that, honestly,

(01:04:21):
this country will empty. All the good players will earn
lots of money going elsewhere and just play for the
All Blacks out of Toyota or out of Toulon or
out of Leicester. It's as simple as that. Ryan. You
change that law and everyone will disappear because there's so
much more money. Over says the only thing keeping rugby
players in yellow at the elite level is the lure

(01:04:43):
of the All Blacks Jersey. If that changes, goodbye to
all of our decent players.

Speaker 2 (01:04:48):
All right, guys, we have to leave it there. I'm afraid. Abby,
thank you very much for coming on, and Jim appreciate you.
By the Actually, just before we go, Lizzie has said
stuff Taylor Swift, she's a billionaire and why should she
get concerts in Auckland. Abby, Wilson Jim Kay's Sports Huddle
Friday Night.

Speaker 1 (01:05:04):
It's the Heather Duplessy Allen Drive Full Show podcast on
iHeartRadio powered by News Talks AB.

Speaker 2 (01:05:12):
News TALKSB four minutes away from six. Whatever you're doing
right now, wherever you are, just be grateful and just
be thankful that you're not on a plane heading for
Heathrow Airport in London. This honestly sounds like a nightmare.
So the airport has been announced to this morning their
time that it's shut for the day for twenty four

(01:05:33):
hours because of a fire at a substation. One hundred
and twenty flights in the air right now going for
Heathrow have had to be diverted because of this closure.
This is according to flight Radar. Twenty four scores of
flights are already being diverted to other airports. QUANTUS Airways
is sending its flight from Perth to Paris, and a

(01:05:54):
United Airlines New York flight heading to Ireland. They are
being diverted. Some flights from the US would turning around
mid year across the Atlantic and returning to the point
of departure, wouldn't that be a buying your ointment for
a nice holiday? Overseas. We'll keep you up to date
with that. Plus we're talking to the outgoing Chief Onwardsman

(01:06:16):
after six.

Speaker 1 (01:06:36):
Where business meets insight, the Business Hour with Ryan Bridge
and Mayor's Insurance and investments. Grow your wealth, protect your future,
news talks.

Speaker 12 (01:06:47):
And be good.

Speaker 2 (01:06:49):
Evening at is seven after the sixth grade to have
your company this Friday evening. Barry Soper wraps the political
weekend just a moment. Peter Lewis is in Hong Kong
for US tonight, promising economic signs out of China, and
we'll cross to London where the travel chaos continues at
the closure of he Throw Airport. Right now. He's the
man who makes sure that we get the truth. The
Chief Onbodsman, Peter bouchares his name. He's leaving his role

(01:07:11):
this month after ten years in the job. He quit
you'll remember last year. But because the Onbodsman can't be
older than seventy two by law. It's a really weird
archaic law, but it's true. The current government asked him
to stay on anyway, and now his term is finally
coming to an end. His parting message a call for

(01:07:31):
stiffer penalties on government departments that delay and get around
the release of official information. Peter bouches with me this evening,
good evening, good evening. Ryan, How does it feel knowing
you're too old for this?

Speaker 6 (01:07:45):
Now?

Speaker 20 (01:07:47):
The funny thing is I don't feel too old. So
when it comes to whether I'm still enjoying the job
and whether I have the answer of yes in both respects.

Speaker 2 (01:07:57):
I want to get some juice out of you while
we've got you. Who's the worst minister that OAA wise,
who's the worst minister or ministry?

Speaker 20 (01:08:07):
And Ryan, I'm not even going to begin to answer
that one. So you know me, one of the reasons
that I think we've done well in this job is
we've never gone to the person. We've always gone for
the issue, and that's what I'll always continue to do.

Speaker 2 (01:08:21):
Come on, you must you must have someone. You must
have a little black book of ministers that you'd you know,
you'd like to expose.

Speaker 20 (01:08:29):
Now, this is a good thing. I don't have a
black book. And everything we do is out there and transparent.
So I'm I know why you're asking me, and the
answer is everything that we do is transparent, there's no secrecy.

Speaker 2 (01:08:41):
Okay, Then then on a personal level. What are some well,
what is the worst you think cover up for want
of a better word, that you've come across.

Speaker 8 (01:08:51):
Now, I want to say this to you.

Speaker 20 (01:08:53):
I don't think we have cover ups in this country.
I know some other countries do. But in the the
whole of the time that I've done this job, since
the end of twenty fifteen, there is a level of
transparency that I think we can be thankful for. Where
we have to watch it is the fact that we've

(01:09:14):
decreased in our transparency ratings. We're once one, we're now
down to number four. We need to watch it run
because in some recent bills before Parliament that I've submitted
on there are carve outs of the OIA that ministers
are introducing. Now that's a slippery slope and we've got
to keep our eye on the ball.

Speaker 2 (01:09:34):
So most of what because we hear a lot about
the OIA, and people you know probably roll their eyes
and think, well, who cares. I mean, it is important,
but you're saying it's never really in New Zealand an
intention intentionally hiding stuff. It's more by accident or not
rather than by design.

Speaker 20 (01:09:53):
I want to give you and listeners a reassurance that
in all the deep dives we've done, we've never found
a liberate wish to not release or to cover up.
And I do think it's important that I say that
to balance up the next comment, which is that whereas
some agencies I've singled out as being very very good performers,

(01:10:14):
and Treasury and Department of Premiers from kept our examples,
there are some that I've needed to ask them to
lift the game because they are not performing in the
spirit of this Act. And the Official Information Act is
fundamentally important.

Speaker 12 (01:10:28):
That it gives you.

Speaker 20 (01:10:30):
It gives anyone who wants to the right for accountability
from decision makers, and it gives you the right to
have input into what's going on. Unless you've got those rights,
that's a severe infringement.

Speaker 2 (01:10:43):
What are you going to do next now that you're
too old for it?

Speaker 20 (01:10:47):
Now that I'm too old, you keep saying that I
know that I am. No, I don't feel old, and
I'll continue to be interested in what goes on around me.
I'll want to enjoy life of it. But I do
think the secret to why I've enjoyed this job so
much is because I've always chased the curious I've always

(01:11:09):
wanted to be inquisitive. That's what I'll continue to do.

Speaker 2 (01:11:12):
And you're only seventy what not even seventy two for
goodness sake, I mean, really, it's not old, is it.
They need to change they need to change that law.

Speaker 20 (01:11:22):
Well, that's a matter. Yeah, that's very much a matter
for Parliament. But I think you're right to raise the
issue because is there a magic in an age and
the answers? I don't think there is. I think some
are who are less than seventy two in whatever probably
aren't up to it. There are some, including cabinet ministers,
who are well over seventy two, are very much onto it.

(01:11:45):
So I think the artificiality is a bit gross actually.

Speaker 2 (01:11:49):
Yeah, a bit arbitrary. Hey, well, thank you very much
for coming well over all these years. Really, Peter, it's
been great to have you on and I know that
you've been quite fastidious in the work that you do.
We appreciate it.

Speaker 20 (01:12:01):
Well, Ryan, thank you, and also hither all say, look,
it's been a pleasure because you're direct in your articulate.
All the very best for you as well.

Speaker 2 (01:12:09):
Peter, Thank you very much. Peter Bowcha, the outgoing chief
Onwardsman time is twelve minutes halfter six. Bryan Bridge Airlines
are scrambling trying to reroute their flights, have canceled flights.
The rerouting flights. These flights are heading for Heathrow Airport
in London. The airport, if you're just joining us, has
shut for the entire day because of a massive electrical

(01:12:29):
fire nearby. Jeff Thomas, he's an aviation commentator. He says,
this is going to cause massive disruption, massive headaches. For
anyone whose flight is impacted today.

Speaker 21 (01:12:40):
They're not going to go on the next flight. They're
going to be pushed back to the back of a queue.
So the passengers who will be leaving, say tomorrow, they'll
be okay, and so on and so forth. But the
ones that were disrupted today with flights canceled, will have
to get onto the first available flight, and that could
be a week away, be even two weeks away.

Speaker 2 (01:13:02):
Nightmare. Just be grateful that you're on dry land right now.
We're going to speak to Gavin Gray, he's in the UK.
We'll speak to him about the delays and what impacts
having across Europe and also into America. That's coming up
in about thirty minutes time. Barrys Soper next wrapping the
political week that was.

Speaker 1 (01:13:19):
It's the Heather Dupas Allen Drive Full Show podcast on
iHeartRadio powered by News Talk.

Speaker 2 (01:13:25):
Zebby sixteen after six News Talks ZB. I like this
text from Claire because we just interviewed Peter Boucher, who's
the chief Onbards outgoing chief Bonwardsman Hi Roan. Peter Boucher
is a good man. Our parents were great friends when
we were growing up. In fact, I've got a photo
taken of us sitting on the couch with our mums
when we were six months old. Very precious.

Speaker 9 (01:13:46):
There you go.

Speaker 2 (01:13:46):
You never know where people are in that, do you clear?
Sixteen after six. Now let's go to Barry Soper, senior
political correspondent, who is here to wrap the political week
that was. Barry, Welcome back, Hello again, Ryan now Lux
I think Luxton has been in India so long he'll
come back to Indian.

Speaker 5 (01:14:05):
Well.

Speaker 6 (01:14:05):
Have made the most of it, haven't they. I mean,
you know with the cricket games, I mean there wasn't
just one. I think there was one in Mumbai, one
in New Delhi. So yeah, he's done the rounds and
the meeting with Modi, the Prime Minister of India, clearly
was a very friendly one. The two had met last
year at an international meeting and got on there. But

(01:14:28):
clearly there was a rapport between the two men. And
that's good with the Indians because Indians like face to
face meetings. And really the last Labor the Labor government
ignored India essentially, And when you've got a country that
is the third biggest economy in the world one point

(01:14:50):
four or five billion people, the most populous nation on Earth,
you'd have to say you can't ignore them as a
trading nation. And clearly it was all pre rehearse before
he went, because not long had his plane touchdown, then
the Indians, along with New Zealand, we're announcing the formal
talk to a free trade agreement. Interestingly, though, the Indians

(01:15:14):
haven't ignored Derry, because even Modi himself said, yeah, we'll
be talking about that. If they did have Derry included,
it would be extraordinary to be like no other free
trade agreement that India has got anywhere in the world.
So whether we can pull that off is another matter.
But don't forget we've done it before with China. Yes,

(01:15:36):
we have that we were the first Western country to
sign a free trade deal with them. So you know,
my hat comes off to Todd McLay who's been to
India I think five times over the past year, and
like I said, face to face is what the Indians like.

Speaker 2 (01:15:52):
Absolutely, and depends what we can offer them visa wise
or whatever it might be. You know, there may be
ways that we can do it. It was great to
see actually the two of them hug as well Moody
and lastly just shows how close they obviously feel to
each other, which is important when you're negotiating. Meanwhile, Peter's
and Washington a very different times hugging there, no hugging there.

(01:16:14):
And you've got to wonder because he, I mean we
had him on the show, didn't say what he was
very cautious, doesn't say much, which is diplomacy. But you've
got to wonder whether we got a bit of a
racking up. You know, Hey, you guys needed to pull
your way into Pacific.

Speaker 6 (01:16:27):
Oh, I think absolutely. I mean it's a bit rich
when you think about it, coming from the Americans who
had forgotten the Pacific for a number of years, that
China waved their flag in the Pacific. Suddenly the Americans
have come back saying that we really need a much
better presence in the Pacific, a much more influence in
the Pacific. So what clearly I think was discussed was

(01:16:50):
the level of our defense spend, and that's a big
thing on certainly, the Trump led You book looking at
countries seeing how much they spend lux and disease even
suggested that we may spend up to two percent of GDP,
which is doubling our defense spend. But you won't see

(01:17:12):
it overnight. I would think there will be an announcement
along those lines when the Defense Review comes back, but
it'll be over the period of about fifteen years, yeah
plus point.

Speaker 2 (01:17:21):
Some of it will be capital spending tourists. Now, the
Green Party this week and the notorious criminal Dean Whickcliffe.
This has been getting under your skin berry.

Speaker 6 (01:17:31):
You find it amazing that politicians involved themselves in something
like this. Dean Whickcliffe shot a man with a pistol
and a jewelry store in the early seventies and now
you know he's named the Comar tour by Taimotha Paul
from the Greens who went to see him. And he's

(01:17:52):
on a hunger strike, saying he's going to remain on
it until he gets out of prison. He's claimed that
the corrections officers have beaten them up, and certainly you
see the photos he does have skin off his brow.
But they would say that he refused to go into
a cell and that was because he didn't want to
be double bunked and they got into a scuffle. They

(01:18:13):
had to bring him down to get him in. But
he is a seventy seven year old man and you'd
have to say, well, you know. And then Steve Abel,
the other Green MP, he went to see him as well.
They're both saying that what the Corrections Minister should do
is to interfere and get den Wickliffe out of jail.

(01:18:35):
The problem was when he was out the last time
he'd broken his conditions of parole. He's living in his
car with his cats and that's hardly satisfactory living because
it is against the parole conditions he is released under.
So he's got himself to blame to an extent, although
I suppose you have to say that compassion in the

(01:18:56):
end would have to be shown and he'll probably be
found so where to live. I mean, he's an elderly man.

Speaker 2 (01:19:02):
He's an elderly man now. Just finally and very quickly, GDP,
we've got the number we wanted, which is not a recession.
In fact, it was surprised on the upside at point
seven and people saying, look, I still don't feel like
I'm getting any richer here. That feeling will continue for
a long time.

Speaker 6 (01:19:20):
The problem, isn't it right, Because an economy doesn't improve
unless there's a general feeling of well being, and there's
not at the moment. We've still got pretty high unemployment
for New Zealand, and people are finding it hard to
pay the home their home bills like groceries and rates

(01:19:42):
and mortgage interest rates and what have you. But things
are tracking in the right direction. You look at the
dairy payout that's upcoming about ten dollars a killo, which
will feedback into the community. You've got tourism now almost
pre COVID levels, so that's good. So there are good

(01:20:04):
signs there and it's only when I guess those signs
flow through to the economy that will all feel better
about each other and about the government.

Speaker 2 (01:20:12):
Barry, thank you very much for that, Barry. Soaper News
Talks they'd be senior political correspondent. Coming up after six thirty,
We're going to go to Peter Lewis's our Asia Business correspondent.
Some really interesting numbers out of China retail sales, investment
and industrial production numbers. They are quite good, which in
turn will be good for us all ahead.

Speaker 1 (01:20:31):
Croaching the numbers and getting the results. It's Ryan Bridge
with the Business Hour and MAS Insurance and investments. Grew
your wealth, Protect your future newstalks 'b six twenty six.

Speaker 2 (01:20:44):
On newstalksz'b. Richard says, Ryan, we've had consistently high inflation
on everything, increases on everything being compounded, and prices already
elevated levels. I doubt anyone has had a pay rise
to be able to ensure that they keep pace with
the inflation. That is the problem that we've had deflation,
not disinflation. In other words, the rate of inflation has slowed,

(01:21:06):
but prices haven't dropped back down to where they were
in twenty nineteen. You know, so it takes a long time,
especially if you haven't had a pay raise. It takes
a long time to feel like one. You're sort of
standing still again before you can even start walking nineteen
nine two is the number to text. I really like
this story out of the Spanish Parliament. So what they're

(01:21:27):
doing over there is trying to much like they did
with our food waste bins here in New Zealand, trying
to reduce their waste from you know, food waste basically.
So the Spanish Parliament tries to do this, introduces a
whole bunch of measures and that this is the conservationists
and the climate change people wanting to cut the food waste.

(01:21:50):
And so the far right and the populist parties get
on board and take advantage of this by saying, well,
we're going to ban a sorry, reverse the ban on
hunting wolves because wolves go after the sheep, the sheep
leave the carcass. They say that's food based, therefore let's

(01:22:10):
lift the ban on hunting wolves. Well you can imagine
how the conservationists feel about that.

Speaker 10 (01:22:15):
One post a MAZONI.

Speaker 1 (01:22:19):
Whether it's macro microbe or just playing economics, it's all
on the business hours with Ryan Bridge and theirs. Insurance
and investments, grow your wealth, protect your future.

Speaker 10 (01:22:30):
These talks by my get me.

Speaker 2 (01:22:43):
Five away from seven on news TALKSB We're going to
get to Gavin Graham the UK for the latest on
the Heathrow Airport situation the closed down, and Peter Lewis
is standing by for an update In Asia, Hi Jinping
going to head to Washington apparently, but when. Just briefly though,
I've written a piece of The Herald on Sunday, which
you can read on Sunday morning. If you're interested at

(01:23:05):
inzed Herald dot co dot MZ, you can go online
and have a read, but I've done this week. We
had an interview with Nikola Willis here on the show
on Monday just about how squeezed the government's books are
going to be, and obviously she's putting together a very
important budget. Government borrowing is coming under the spotlight. Our
debt servicing costs for the first time are going to

(01:23:28):
be more than what we spend on primary and secondary
schools and on the Ministry of Justice combined. And there's
a report out today from the OECD. We're not alone
in this. The cost of government debt payments and the
richest countries in the world ie the OECD has reached
its highest level since two thousand and seven, outstripping the

(01:23:50):
amounts spent on defense, police services and housing. This is
for all of the OECD debt service costs is a
percentage of national incoming gone from three point from two
point four up to three point three. Now the problem
is not only did we all borrow, you know, to
the HELT during COVID years, but we've now got these

(01:24:14):
richer economies trying to transition, do the green transition that
cost money. They're all trying now to do the high
defense spending that costs money. And they all have aging
populations which are very expensive things to have because of
hospitals and superannuations and all sorts of stuff. And so

(01:24:34):
you start to think, well, no wonder the IMF is
talking about a capital gains tax. No wonder everyone started
talking about taxes, because how the hell else are they
going to pay for anything? That is governments anywhere? Twenty
three away from seven, Ryan Bridge, Peter Lewis is our
Asia business correspondent, Peter Good Evening, Hello, Ryan. Now, Donald

(01:24:56):
Trump did tease that Cheshinping would be visiting the US soon.
But how soon could he visit?

Speaker 22 (01:25:03):
He didn't say, And indeed it was a tease. He
keeps on touting this really good relationship that he has
with Ji Jinping that although they have their differences on
trade and some other issues, they're good mates. They like
each other get on with each other. China said nothing
at all publicly about this meeting, and personally, I think

(01:25:25):
it's very unlikely that it will happen at the moment
under the current circumstances, because I don't think Donald Trump's
relationship with Jijinping is as good as he likes to
make out. But also a visit to the US right
now will be a huge risk for President Jijingping and
China anyway, doesn't like to do these visits until all

(01:25:49):
the details are sorted out in advance. You know exactly
what's going to happen, who's going to say, what deals
are going to be signed, what agreements are going to
be made. Donald Trump likes to make it up while
they're there, so nothing is agreed in advance, and it's
all done sort of on the spot. So it's a
risk for President g I mean, what happens if Donald

(01:26:09):
Trump does a Zelinsky on him and throws him out
of the White House or something, or more likely, you know,
slaps tariffs on China while he's there, because they haven't
got an agreement that he wants. And you know, the
local media here says that when President g went to
Washington in Trump's first term, he concluded afterwards that it

(01:26:31):
was a mistake and that he shouldn't really have gone.
And in particular, right now, there's a sort of similar
situation because the US is doing this China related trade study.
Trump has ordered that to be completed by April first,
so there's no way that she's going to go to
China before that and before they see the results of

(01:26:51):
what this trade study is and what conclusions the US
has come to about China trade.

Speaker 2 (01:26:58):
Yeah, all just a bit too volatile and the Oval
Office that sounds like good news for exporters. China's beaten
expectations on its economic expectations. I've had strong retail sales, Peter, Yes,
it has.

Speaker 22 (01:27:12):
I mean the numbers for January and February combined together,
so we get the numbers for those two months. That's
because the Lunar New Year Festival comes sometime in January
or February each year, and it distorts the figures, so
they combine the two together. But if you look at them,
retail sales are up about four percent in that period,

(01:27:32):
consumer spending and industrial production both growing more than expected,
so on the basics of underlying economy, things not looking
too bad. However, the upply's annointment unemployment rose to a
two year high, and youth unemployment in particular is surging

(01:27:54):
that's about seventeen percent. And also the property market is
still declining after three years of declines, there's still no
signs of stabilization in that and that's a big problem
because by far the Chinese person's biggest asset is property.
Several families in many families in China owned more than

(01:28:15):
one property, and they're seeing the values of them decline,
particularly in the secondary markets where you don't have the
price controls that China puts on properties in the way
that it does in new build homes, and that's affecting
their confidence and their willingness to go and spend. So
it leaves China very reliant on exports in an environment

(01:28:37):
where trade is very much under threat. So there are
vulnerabilities in the Chinese economy. And it's again and again
it comes down to the same thing. We need consumers
to start spending. The government's talked about all sorts of
measures to try and boost consumer spending, but so far
they haven't really worked. In my view, the best way

(01:28:59):
to get consumers spend is to give them more money.
If they have more money in their pockets, they're more
likely to go and spend it. And there's a number
of ways in which you could do that. You could
raise the minimum wage, you could cut taxes, you could
hand out consumption vouchers, and those are the ways in which,
you know, maybe consumers will go out and spend. But

(01:29:20):
for various reasons, the Chinese government doesn't want to do
any of them.

Speaker 2 (01:29:24):
Yeah, interesting that paid Kidabas. Obviously, the Pacific nation got
a lot of minerals and metals underneath the ocean floor
around it, and part of it's easy, and they're eyeing
a deal with China about potentially mining some of it.

Speaker 4 (01:29:42):
Yes, that's right.

Speaker 22 (01:29:43):
I mean, this is a sort of you know, a
very potentially a very lucrative business for Kim about it. So,
you know, and then there's a whole series of nations
there as you know, who are all on the forefront
of this push to try and mine the depths of
the ocean to get rare earth minerals from there which

(01:30:03):
are believed to be at the ocean bed. They were
doing a deal with a company called the Metals Company,
which specializes in trying to get these rare minerals off
the off the ocean bed, but that fell through. And
there's a whole range of countries there, Cook Islands know,
all looking at similar things, and they're now talking about

(01:30:25):
doing a deal with China, doing a partnership with China
to try and mine these minerals. Apparently discussions have been
opened with the Chinese ambassador after that deal with the
Metals Company fell through. I think the concern for many nations,
like yourselves in New Zealand in Australia is what happens next,

(01:30:45):
because these things start in fairly innoculous ways, and then
before you know it, you've got Chinese vessels for you know,
docking in ports and China sort of building ports for
for the for these countries, and it's sort of grows
and grows, and that's what concerns people, I think around
the Pacific nations.

Speaker 2 (01:31:06):
Peter, thank you very much for that update. As always,
Peter lewis out Asia Business correspondent. Time is sixteen minutes
away from seven here on News Talks. Edb at Heathrow Airport,
Europe's busiest airport. No planes are flying today. Gavin Gray
are update us on that next.

Speaker 1 (01:31:20):
Everything from SMEs to the big corporates, the Business Hour
with Ryan Bridge and Player's Insurance and investments, Grew your Wealth,
Protect Your Future, News Talks EDB.

Speaker 2 (01:31:33):
Your News TALKSB. It's quarter to seven and quarter to
six in the UK and London right now. Gavin Gray
is with us and no flights going anywhere around Heathrow
Airport today.

Speaker 17 (01:31:43):
Gavin no a massive, massive disruption to travelers. At one
point a couple of hours back, one hundred and twenty
flights were in the air and had to be turned
around or sent to alternative airports. That was a short
time ago, but of course he threw a massive hub
for not just coming in but going out of the UK.

(01:32:05):
Eighty three point nine million passengers passed through its terminals
last year and it was handling roughly one thousand, three
hundred plane movements, so landings and takeoffs each day. So
that's what's being shifted today in fact todly precise one
three hundred and fifty one.

Speaker 2 (01:32:24):
So it's a huge concern.

Speaker 17 (01:32:26):
People have been reporting being in the air being sent
back to their original destination. Others are going to be
landing in cities or other airports that they didn't know
they were going to get to. And we are waiting
for a statement now from Heathrower, but we're expecting that soon.
But certainly the power companies are saying, look, this is

(01:32:46):
going to take some.

Speaker 4 (01:32:47):
Time to sort this out.

Speaker 17 (01:32:49):
The National Grid have saying, quote, we're working at speech
or a store power supply as quickly as possible. All
this because of a far at a substation nearby. And
it's not just the airport but it's about thirteen hundred
properties nearby as well, so it's a really massive disruption.
And as of about twenty minutes ago was the last sighting,

(01:33:10):
there is still flames. So this is going to take
not just today the knock on her fake is going
to last several days.

Speaker 2 (01:33:17):
Oh no, it's still flames burning now goodness.

Speaker 17 (01:33:21):
Well, it's certainly a very very thick smoke so that
the fire service still there. But even if it were
to be back and out and you know there, it's
going to take fixing. And even if it's fixed, ether
Eppot has already said we are shutting through until midnight
to night at least.

Speaker 2 (01:33:36):
Yeah. No, and they've got to put safety first. Obviously
they're an import, don't they. So you can't argue with that. Now,
Nicholas Sturgeon, what's happening with her? And the police were involved?
You know there was a Police Scotland investigation into her
finances and the political party's finances. Is she off the
hook for this?

Speaker 17 (01:33:55):
Yes she is, and she said there is not a
shred of evidence against me. So, Nicholas Sturgeon incredibly popular
when she was Leader of Scotland. Of course, she tries
to force through Scottish independence and failed narrowly, but she
remained very, very popular. And then whole question started to
be asked about hundreds of thousands of pounds hundreds of

(01:34:19):
thousands of New Zealand dollars regarding the fees and other
donations given to the Scottish National Party, and that is,
of course the party that really pushes for independence in Scotland. Now,
she and her husband, the former chief executive of the
Scottish National Party and indeed the Treasurer were all under suspicion.

(01:34:42):
But when her former husband, the chief Executive, Peter Burrell,
appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff god He was charged with embezzlement
and made no plea during a private hearing. He was
granted bail, but Nicholas Sturgeon herself and indeed the former
Treasurer Colin Beatty, would told they were no longer under investigation.

(01:35:02):
As I said, this all stems from donations that are
about one point four million New Zealand dollars in donations
given by independence activists, and it was led to her
home being searched, the home she had shared with her
former husband. And also there was the discovery of a
motor home, a luxury motorhome parked in the driveway of

(01:35:26):
her husband's mother. So Peter Murrell's mother had this bizarre
luxury motor home partner. All sorts of questions about how
the money for that was procured, and we wait to
see in the long run how his case of embezzlement
goes on. But as I said, Nicholas Sturgeon and Colin
Beatty given the complete all clear goodness.

Speaker 2 (01:35:47):
May if you're going to go for political ambuzlement, you'd
want more than a motor heme. Surely Finland is happy,
they happy, But what about the Brits and where did
you rank on this happy souve.

Speaker 17 (01:36:01):
Yeah, not very well so the UN the United Nations
always looks at a World Happiness report where are the
people living in different countries happy?

Speaker 4 (01:36:11):
And if so, how or why? And Finland tops that.

Speaker 17 (01:36:15):
Ranking for the eighth consecutive year. It's actually ahead of
three other Nordic companies in this particular report, while in
Latin America, Costa Rica and Mexico enter the top ten.
For the first time you ask about the UK, I'm
afraid we're down to twenty third. We drop down a
couple of places. America drop down to twenty fourth, the

(01:36:36):
lowest ever position for the latter. How did New Zealand
do well? New Zealand has come in at twelfth, the
same position as last year, Australia eleventh, and both Australia
and New Zealand are one place down in the last
two years, but nevertheless sort of holding their position and
significantly above the UK. So the top ten Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Netherlands,

(01:37:01):
Costa Rica, Norway, Israel, Luxembourg and Mexico, and at the
bottom of the table of the one hundred ninety seventh
Gabon ninety eighth, the Ivory Coast, ninety ninth Iran and
one hundredth Congo, So Africa very heavily weighted at the
bottom end. So why might people be happy, Well, they're

(01:37:21):
saying it could be a change in direction of political polarization.
Sharing meals they believe is a strength to happiness. And
also there are you know, household size. They're saying four
or five people living together has the highest levels of
happiness in Europe.

Speaker 2 (01:37:38):
There you go, bit a company, bit of food. Everyone's
hippy given. Thank you for that. Gavin Gray, our UK correspondent.
It is seven away from seven. You're on news Talk ZIBB.

Speaker 1 (01:37:48):
It's the hitherto per Se Alan Drive Full Show podcast
on iHeartRadio powered by news Talk Zibby news Talk Zibb.

Speaker 2 (01:37:57):
There'll be an update in the news at seven o'clock
about he throw and what's happening there. If you've got
friends and family traveling over Europe, no doubt there will
be disruption to them in the coming days. Down in Wellington,
the all whites are taking on fig try and get well.
This plus another one should get us into the FIFA
World Cup, which would be fantastic. That game kicks off shortly.

(01:38:18):
What have we going out to tonight?

Speaker 23 (01:38:19):
Yeah, damn right, Ryan, go the all Whites. We're going
out with the Jonas Brothers tonight. Jonahs Brothers have put
a new single out today just an hour ago, called
love Me to Heaven. So this is brand spanking new.
It was always on a Friday. News Talks Z'DB is
your home of new music.

Speaker 2 (01:38:35):
It's not. I think.

Speaker 23 (01:38:36):
I think that's what I think.

Speaker 2 (01:38:37):
You've stolen that from somewhere else. Thanks for listening everyone,
Thanks for your feedback. We'll see you on Monday.

Speaker 4 (01:39:00):
Bull through the sho.

Speaker 10 (01:39:02):
I took it down, but you love me, love me
that I took it down and you love it the head?
You love me.

Speaker 24 (01:39:21):
To kid me anything, Boy, you can't put a price
on the humans. I could be down, but you love
me A love you, sple, love lots, going fasting last
so as the pool through the shol I could pick

(01:39:42):
down to love Me Heaven, love Me the.

Speaker 6 (01:39:47):
Look.

Speaker 10 (01:39:54):
I could pick don't you love Me the Head?

Speaker 1 (01:39:57):
Love For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live
to News Talks it B from four pm weekdays, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.

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