1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,120 Speaker 1: Jason Walls, welcome back to the program. 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 2: Oh, thank you very much for having me. 3 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: Andrew, congratulations on your first and at talkback. How was 4 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: it for you? 5 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,319 Speaker 2: I honestly loved it, I really did. It's you know, 6 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 2: talk a lot of people you've talked back a really 7 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 2: bad name and say it's really boring, or cast dispersions 8 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 2: on the people that call. But I really enjoyed it. 9 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 2: You get to talk to some really fascinating people and 10 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:23,119 Speaker 2: get a lot of opinions on things. So yeah, I 11 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:24,079 Speaker 2: hope to be back at some point. 12 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: I heard you talking to one fellow who had been 13 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: using the Working for Family tax credits about school uniforms, 14 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: and you were very honest and it was very good. 15 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 1: You shaid, I've never had to apply for these, how 16 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: do you do it? And how do you get the 17 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: money in your account? And I also have never had 18 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: to apply for that because it came and well I 19 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: would never have got it anyway. I've never had a 20 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: benefit of my life anyway. That's what was educational about 21 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: that show. You did very well. But let's get back 22 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 1: to your real business and let's talk about the National 23 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: Party Caucus retreat starts tomorrow. How are they feeling. 24 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 2: You know, I think they're probably a bit of a 25 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 2: mixed mood within the National Party care Caucus. I mean, 26 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 2: the reshuffle were to put the fear of God into 27 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 2: many MPs. I mean, Luxin's proved a few times now 28 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 2: that if you're not performing, he's more than willing to 29 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 2: demote you with seemingly no remorse. I mean, he's extremely 30 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 2: focused on this team that he's put together, and I've 31 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 2: always said that his biggest strength is the team that 32 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 2: he puts together. And the more and more that he 33 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 2: does these sort of chopping changings to get what he 34 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 2: likes to say, his aces in his places, the more 35 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 2: and more I think this is probably where his strength 36 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 2: as the Prime Minister lies in his ability to delegate. 37 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 2: But you know, there may be these things may be 38 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 2: weighing on the sort of the more middle of the 39 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 2: pack ministers with the likes of James Meager and Chris 40 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 2: Pank and a few others looking to climb the ranks. 41 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 2: And so if they're doing well, I mean the Prime 42 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: Minister might be looking at clearing a little bit more 43 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 2: dead would soon, so they've got to be watching their back. 44 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 2: There's also this poll that came out last week where 45 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 2: national slid four and a half percentage points to now 46 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 2: they're in the twenties to twenty nine, lower than the 47 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 2: Labor Party, and that will be weighing on the MPs 48 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 2: as they meet for the first time this year in Hamilton. 49 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 2: Theme is, as I understand it and get this economic growth, 50 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 2: surprise surprise. In that poll, the one that we're talking about, 51 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,119 Speaker 2: more people said that they had a worse economic out 52 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 2: look on the economy than the other way around. So 53 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 2: more people think that we're on the worst track than 54 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 2: the right track, which is a death mark for any government. 55 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,360 Speaker 2: So they'll be working on the messaging around that in 56 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 2: terms of what they'll be doing well. As I understand 57 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 2: that Rocket Lab CEO and founder Peter Back is doing 58 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 2: a session with MPs about innovation and what it means 59 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 2: for the economy, so hopefully that's going to put them 60 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 2: on the straight and narrow when they get back to it. 61 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: Can I just say that poll was linked and that 62 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: poll was done by Courier, and the Courier, of course, 63 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: is the operation run by David Farrer, So I believe 64 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 1: that there was a reason why the poll was linked, 65 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: and that changes in the air for the National Party 66 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:49,519 Speaker 1: over the course of the next couple of months. Now 67 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: Stats n z it has clear final order over its 68 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: actions during the sentence. But there's another investigation too, and 69 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: this is into the use of official data at the election. 70 00:02:58,720 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: So where where's that all at? 71 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 2: Indeed, So it's interesting because there's a few things happening 72 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 2: within investigations to Statistics New Zealand and a couple of 73 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 2: other places. Now you'll remember that there were some eyebrows 74 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 2: raised when Statistics New Zealand, through the Finale Aura, used 75 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 2: one hundred dollars food vouchures in a bid to get 76 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 2: primarily Mary to do their census in twenty twenty three. 77 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 2: But STATS instead of being cleared of any wrongdoing over this, 78 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 2: and that's because it was done under a contract to 79 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: enhance far Now contribution basically to encourage and support Finale 80 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 2: participation rate in the census. The contract stated that this 81 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 2: could include the use of grocery vouchers of up to 82 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 2: a million dollars of the five mili contract which could 83 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 2: be set aside for these sorts of incentives. So the 84 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 2: fact is the report actually said that these efforts significantly 85 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 2: increased MARY participation in the census. So there it is 86 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 2: that one's all clear, one down, one to go. Now. 87 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 2: The second one is around allegations of the misuse of 88 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 2: personal data at Manurewa Marai up in Auckland. So this 89 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 2: investigation was sparked by allegation that census data and COVID 90 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 2: nineteen vaccination information collected at that Marai had been misused 91 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 2: for Tea Party Mahty's election campaign. So the Marii was 92 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 2: also a voting site. I'm sure you remember. Takutai tash 93 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 2: Camp was the party's candidates in the local Marti seat 94 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 2: of Tamaki Mokoto and she went on to win the 95 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 2: seat by just forty two votes, the slimmest of margins. 96 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 2: In addition to this, she was the Marii's chief executive 97 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 2: at the time. Now TI Party Mary has strongly rejected 98 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 2: any allegations of wrongdoing and they've welcomed the investigation and 99 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 2: President John Tamahiri, who is also the CEO of way 100 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 2: Perea Trust, which is also being investigated, has called for 101 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 2: quote hard evidence to substantiate these claims. Public Service Commissioner 102 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 2: Sir Brian Roach had said he had hoped the report 103 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:51,359 Speaker 2: would be released by the end of last year, and 104 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 2: it was first meant to be released actually in September 105 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 2: September the sixteenth. Of course, none of those things happened. 106 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:00,480 Speaker 2: In addition to this, at the end of life last year, 107 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 2: the Electual Commission admitted they got it wrong by putting 108 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 2: a voting booth at Manurewa Marai. So after that, Nikola 109 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,159 Speaker 2: Willis said that she had been advised by the Public 110 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 2: Service Commission that they want more time to ensure that 111 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 2: both natural justice processes are completed satisfactorily and that they 112 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 2: can respond effectively to the findings in the report. So 113 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 2: we can now expect the results of that investigation by 114 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:26,600 Speaker 2: the end of this month. So we've got a few 115 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 2: more days and the time the clock is ticking. 116 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: Absolutely good stuff and I thank you for more from 117 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 1: hither Duplessy Allen Drive Listen live to news talks it'd 118 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.