WEBVTT - Exclusive: Michael Wood confirms political return

0:00:05.080 --> 0:00:08.240
<v Speaker 1>Chiota. I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is a bonus episode

0:00:08.400 --> 0:00:12.280
<v Speaker 1>of The Front Page, a daily podcast presented by The

0:00:12.320 --> 0:00:19.640
<v Speaker 1>New Zealand Herald. Former Cabinet Minister Michael Wood will be

0:00:19.720 --> 0:00:23.600
<v Speaker 1>running for the Labor Party in next year's general election.

0:00:24.280 --> 0:00:27.400
<v Speaker 1>He'll be running for the Mount Roskill seat. The former

0:00:27.520 --> 0:00:31.600
<v Speaker 1>MP's career came crashing down in twenty twenty three after

0:00:31.600 --> 0:00:35.160
<v Speaker 1>he was forced to resign as Minister for Transport after

0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:39.199
<v Speaker 1>it was revealed he failed to disclose his airport shares.

0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:44.240
<v Speaker 1>He resigned from the remaining ministerial portfolios after the discovery

0:00:44.280 --> 0:00:47.960
<v Speaker 1>of even more shares held by his trust. Today on

0:00:48.000 --> 0:00:51.040
<v Speaker 1>the Front Page, Michael Wood joins us to launch his

0:00:51.080 --> 0:00:56.000
<v Speaker 1>political comeback, discuss what he's actually learned and how he'll

0:00:56.040 --> 0:01:03.680
<v Speaker 1>work to gain back the public's confidence. So Michael, tell

0:01:03.760 --> 0:01:04.720
<v Speaker 1>us your big news.

0:01:05.040 --> 0:01:07.520
<v Speaker 2>Sure, Well, I'm announcing that I'm standing for Labor in

0:01:07.560 --> 0:01:10.880
<v Speaker 2>Mount Roschool in twenty twenty six. So we're less than

0:01:10.880 --> 0:01:13.200
<v Speaker 2>a year away from that general election and I'm really

0:01:13.280 --> 0:01:16.040
<v Speaker 2>thrilled to have been selected as the candidate. It's my home,

0:01:16.120 --> 0:01:18.440
<v Speaker 2>it's a place I love. I obviously served in the

0:01:18.480 --> 0:01:21.040
<v Speaker 2>community as the MP and another roles in the past,

0:01:21.560 --> 0:01:23.800
<v Speaker 2>and I'm ready to get into the fight and fight

0:01:23.840 --> 0:01:24.959
<v Speaker 2>for the people of our community.

0:01:25.120 --> 0:01:28.160
<v Speaker 1>How did this come about? Did you approach Labor or

0:01:28.160 --> 0:01:29.319
<v Speaker 1>did Labor approach you?

0:01:30.160 --> 0:01:32.520
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, well, I'm well we joined at the hip.

0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:35.600
<v Speaker 2>Really Obviously, we lost the election in twenty twenty three,

0:01:35.640 --> 0:01:39.120
<v Speaker 2>I lost the seat of Mount Roschool and since then

0:01:39.280 --> 0:01:42.280
<v Speaker 2>we've just continued to work. So we recognize that we've

0:01:42.360 --> 0:01:44.600
<v Speaker 2>lost that we had some work to do. So we've

0:01:44.600 --> 0:01:47.319
<v Speaker 2>been on the ground, knocking on doors, holding meetings, talking

0:01:47.319 --> 0:01:50.200
<v Speaker 2>to people, and over that time, I've been thinking quite

0:01:50.200 --> 0:01:52.720
<v Speaker 2>a lot about whether this is something that I want

0:01:52.720 --> 0:01:55.920
<v Speaker 2>to do or not, because you know, twenty twenty three

0:01:56.080 --> 0:02:01.400
<v Speaker 2>was a very bruising experience that really put me on

0:02:01.440 --> 0:02:03.880
<v Speaker 2>the floor, and I need to think about whether it

0:02:03.920 --> 0:02:06.320
<v Speaker 2>was right for me, whether it was right for Labor.

0:02:06.840 --> 0:02:10.959
<v Speaker 2>And over that time I've reflected a lot, and you

0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:13.000
<v Speaker 2>come to the view that what I really enjoy is

0:02:13.960 --> 0:02:16.600
<v Speaker 2>fighting when I think that something is unfair, or people

0:02:16.600 --> 0:02:17.000
<v Speaker 2>aren't being.

0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:19.000
<v Speaker 3>Treated well, or the community is being neglected.

0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:21.160
<v Speaker 2>And that's really led me to the point of being

0:02:21.280 --> 0:02:22.960
<v Speaker 2>of wanting to stand and I'm really thrilled that the

0:02:22.960 --> 0:02:25.400
<v Speaker 2>party has chosen to support me in that right.

0:02:25.280 --> 0:02:27.120
<v Speaker 1>And so did you ask them to come back into

0:02:27.160 --> 0:02:29.120
<v Speaker 1>the fold or did you get a phone call from

0:02:29.160 --> 0:02:31.360
<v Speaker 1>Cris being like, we really need someone from outline.

0:02:31.880 --> 0:02:34.040
<v Speaker 2>I will look Earlier this year, I indicated my interest

0:02:34.120 --> 0:02:36.280
<v Speaker 2>to our local party because that's how we work. You

0:02:36.760 --> 0:02:40.040
<v Speaker 2>that the local organization has a big say in determining

0:02:40.080 --> 0:02:42.639
<v Speaker 2>who was the right person to stand. But also over

0:02:42.680 --> 0:02:46.079
<v Speaker 2>that time I've kept a really good relationship and dialogue

0:02:46.440 --> 0:02:48.679
<v Speaker 2>with Chris Hopkins and Hipkins and made sure that yeah,

0:02:48.680 --> 0:02:50.200
<v Speaker 2>he's aware of I want what I want to do,

0:02:50.639 --> 0:02:52.520
<v Speaker 2>and that he's supportive of that.

0:02:52.520 --> 0:02:55.000
<v Speaker 3>That's really important. We want to win the election next year.

0:02:55.000 --> 0:02:56.960
<v Speaker 2>We do want to change the government, want to make

0:02:57.000 --> 0:02:59.080
<v Speaker 2>Chris Hipkins a prime minister, and we need to go

0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:01.320
<v Speaker 2>forward as one unit. So great to have the local

0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:03.359
<v Speaker 2>support and also the support of the party.

0:03:03.440 --> 0:03:05.760
<v Speaker 1>What have we learned about disclosing shares.

0:03:06.280 --> 0:03:09.200
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, well, look, it's pretty well known to say the

0:03:09.320 --> 0:03:12.520
<v Speaker 2>very least, that that was something that I didn't do

0:03:12.639 --> 0:03:15.639
<v Speaker 2>appropriately in my time in the previous when I was

0:03:15.680 --> 0:03:18.840
<v Speaker 2>in government in that period. Worst saying I did disclose

0:03:18.880 --> 0:03:21.480
<v Speaker 2>those she is my failure was to not sell them

0:03:22.040 --> 0:03:25.000
<v Speaker 2>as quickly as I should have and that's entirely on

0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:28.600
<v Speaker 2>me massive lesson learned from my point of view that

0:03:29.840 --> 0:03:31.600
<v Speaker 2>you know, when you're in one of those jobs that

0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:34.160
<v Speaker 2>is all consuming, you're working ninety hours a week, you're

0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:36.440
<v Speaker 2>trying to carve out bits of time to you know,

0:03:36.560 --> 0:03:39.680
<v Speaker 2>be a half present dad and family, you've still got

0:03:39.720 --> 0:03:42.720
<v Speaker 2>to look after those things that might seem annoying and

0:03:42.840 --> 0:03:44.600
<v Speaker 2>like small jobs, they do still matter.

0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:45.720
<v Speaker 3>I didn't do that.

0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:49.480
<v Speaker 2>I apologized at the time, paid a huge professional and

0:03:49.800 --> 0:03:51.920
<v Speaker 2>a massive personal cost that took me a long time

0:03:51.960 --> 0:03:56.720
<v Speaker 2>to rebuild from and it's something that is a lesson

0:03:56.720 --> 0:03:59.920
<v Speaker 2>that I have fully absorbed as I head into this process.

0:04:00.320 --> 0:04:03.640
<v Speaker 1>Did you make any decisions as minister with those shares

0:04:03.680 --> 0:04:06.000
<v Speaker 1>in mind? Even do you think subconsciously?

0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:10.720
<v Speaker 2>Absolutely not. It was just something that was never particularly

0:04:11.040 --> 0:04:13.720
<v Speaker 2>on my mind. I can be absolutely clear about that.

0:04:14.400 --> 0:04:16.800
<v Speaker 2>For me being in politics, both as a local MP

0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:20.840
<v Speaker 2>and in my role as minister, your job is to

0:04:20.839 --> 0:04:23.680
<v Speaker 2>serve your community and to serve the country. That's the

0:04:23.720 --> 0:04:27.680
<v Speaker 2>approach I taken. You know, in twenty twenty three when

0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:29.680
<v Speaker 2>I did have to face up to these problems and

0:04:29.720 --> 0:04:32.480
<v Speaker 2>face a massive about a scrutiny. One of the things

0:04:32.480 --> 0:04:34.839
<v Speaker 2>that was a small comfort in amongst that is that

0:04:35.120 --> 0:04:39.960
<v Speaker 2>even while my political opponents were making this into an

0:04:40.000 --> 0:04:44.160
<v Speaker 2>issue that they wanted to talk about, they never actually

0:04:44.160 --> 0:04:46.520
<v Speaker 2>made an allegation that that was a way in which

0:04:46.560 --> 0:04:47.600
<v Speaker 2>I would behave because.

0:04:47.360 --> 0:04:47.919
<v Speaker 3>I never would.

0:04:48.200 --> 0:04:51.719
<v Speaker 1>But when it comes to that, Thoughna, obviously you've seen

0:04:51.800 --> 0:04:53.279
<v Speaker 1>that it was a massive mistake.

0:04:54.279 --> 0:04:55.359
<v Speaker 3>You should have done better.

0:04:55.440 --> 0:04:57.360
<v Speaker 1>Do you think it's good enough that you or your

0:04:57.440 --> 0:05:01.920
<v Speaker 1>office were contacted no less than twelve times to sort

0:05:01.960 --> 0:05:04.440
<v Speaker 1>this issue out? I mean, how does that get under

0:05:04.760 --> 0:05:07.640
<v Speaker 1>the you know, under the paperwork, so to speak.

0:05:07.680 --> 0:05:09.360
<v Speaker 3>How does that get lost? Yeah?

0:05:09.400 --> 0:05:11.400
<v Speaker 2>Well, look, no, I've been really clear, and I'm happy

0:05:11.440 --> 0:05:13.200
<v Speaker 2>to be clear again that that wasn't good enough.

0:05:13.320 --> 0:05:15.520
<v Speaker 3>That was a space that I failed in.

0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:18.760
<v Speaker 2>And you know, one of the things that I've thought

0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:20.680
<v Speaker 2>about a lot over that period, and one of the

0:05:20.720 --> 0:05:24.040
<v Speaker 2>things that I've learned is that you can, as an

0:05:24.040 --> 0:05:26.679
<v Speaker 2>individual where something's gone wrong and it's had a big cost,

0:05:26.720 --> 0:05:29.440
<v Speaker 2>you can dissect it and you can say, you know,

0:05:29.520 --> 0:05:31.920
<v Speaker 2>this person should have done better and I wasn't told

0:05:31.920 --> 0:05:35.039
<v Speaker 2>the right thing here, and you know this was exaggerated

0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:38.880
<v Speaker 2>over there. You just don't move forward. If you do that,

0:05:39.000 --> 0:05:41.560
<v Speaker 2>you just get caught up in a spiral of bitterness

0:05:41.640 --> 0:05:43.680
<v Speaker 2>and blame. You just got to take it on your shoulders,

0:05:43.839 --> 0:05:46.840
<v Speaker 2>except that you got it wrong, apologize and then try

0:05:46.880 --> 0:05:47.640
<v Speaker 2>and put things right.

0:05:48.200 --> 0:05:51.039
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I mean, because after that happened, of course you

0:05:51.279 --> 0:05:55.240
<v Speaker 1>lost the Transport ministerial portfolio and then the rest of

0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:57.800
<v Speaker 1>your portfolios as well. And you look back at that time,

0:05:57.880 --> 0:06:01.920
<v Speaker 1>even googling your name, Now, what is it like to

0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:05.800
<v Speaker 1>read these things about yourself, these things about your work?

0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:09.720
<v Speaker 1>What is it like being described as a disgraced former

0:06:09.800 --> 0:06:11.560
<v Speaker 1>politician for example?

0:06:11.720 --> 0:06:14.679
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, well I said before that that experience in twenty

0:06:14.720 --> 0:06:22.000
<v Speaker 2>twenty three and twenty twenty four really was bruising that

0:06:22.040 --> 0:06:24.960
<v Speaker 2>it put me totally on on the floor. So obviously

0:06:25.040 --> 0:06:29.120
<v Speaker 2>I paid a huge price politically at that time, but

0:06:29.960 --> 0:06:32.240
<v Speaker 2>I played a huge price personally as well, and that

0:06:32.279 --> 0:06:35.560
<v Speaker 2>period of twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four took

0:06:35.600 --> 0:06:39.000
<v Speaker 2>me to I've got to say, some pretty dark places

0:06:39.040 --> 0:06:42.480
<v Speaker 2>where frankly, it was difficult to go on at times.

0:06:43.760 --> 0:06:45.760
<v Speaker 2>Because one of the things about us is people, and

0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:48.760
<v Speaker 2>I think I think particularly sometimes one of the things

0:06:48.800 --> 0:06:52.200
<v Speaker 2>about us as men in New Zealand is that you're

0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:56.840
<v Speaker 2>you know, your standing, your status, how people view you.

0:06:57.800 --> 0:07:01.520
<v Speaker 2>It does, you do feel it, And so I can

0:07:01.560 --> 0:07:05.040
<v Speaker 2>acknowledge that I made real errors at that period of time.

0:07:05.400 --> 0:07:07.760
<v Speaker 2>I can take that on the chin. But yeah, when

0:07:07.760 --> 0:07:10.280
<v Speaker 2>you hear that stuff, it's really really tough and it

0:07:10.280 --> 0:07:12.640
<v Speaker 2>takes a lot of rebuilding to move on from there.

0:07:12.680 --> 0:07:14.520
<v Speaker 2>But you know, as the old saying is, it's kind

0:07:14.560 --> 0:07:20.840
<v Speaker 2>of it's not the defeat that defines you. It's what

0:07:20.880 --> 0:07:23.160
<v Speaker 2>you do to get up off the floor and carry on.

0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:26.280
<v Speaker 2>So I've worked on myself over that period. I've just

0:07:26.320 --> 0:07:28.280
<v Speaker 2>tried to focus on what I can do. You can't

0:07:28.320 --> 0:07:30.920
<v Speaker 2>control what other people say. And you know, one of

0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:32.720
<v Speaker 2>the things I'll be saying to people in Mount Roscoll

0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:35.360
<v Speaker 2>at this election is that I made those errors, but

0:07:35.400 --> 0:07:38.120
<v Speaker 2>over a long period of time. I'm someone who's focused

0:07:38.120 --> 0:07:40.600
<v Speaker 2>on our community. I've got things done for Mount Roscoll,

0:07:41.160 --> 0:07:42.760
<v Speaker 2>and I'm ready to fight on all of the things

0:07:42.800 --> 0:07:46.080
<v Speaker 2>that our community needs someone to represent them on and

0:07:46.080 --> 0:07:46.840
<v Speaker 2>fight for. Now.

0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:50.120
<v Speaker 1>And you've got your share portfolio printed and ready to go, for.

0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:53.440
<v Speaker 2>Sure, I have no shoe portfolio now. Those shares but

0:07:53.520 --> 0:07:56.400
<v Speaker 2>that was so many problems were sold. The proceeds were

0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:58.920
<v Speaker 2>given to charity. You know, that is a lesson that

0:07:58.960 --> 0:08:00.000
<v Speaker 2>I've fully absorbed.

0:08:06.400 --> 0:08:10.960
<v Speaker 4>I was both angry and also incredibly frustrated. These are

0:08:10.960 --> 0:08:14.000
<v Speaker 4>conversations that I've been having with Michael over several weeks,

0:08:14.840 --> 0:08:19.120
<v Speaker 4>and to I only learn of these yesterday when repeatedly,

0:08:19.440 --> 0:08:22.200
<v Speaker 4>through numerous conversations, I've asked him if there are other

0:08:22.240 --> 0:08:23.800
<v Speaker 4>issues that I should be aware of, and he has

0:08:23.800 --> 0:08:26.680
<v Speaker 4>said no, that's beyond frustrating.

0:08:28.760 --> 0:08:32.040
<v Speaker 1>How do you think, because obviously going into twenty twenty six,

0:08:32.120 --> 0:08:34.160
<v Speaker 1>going to the election, like I said, the first thing

0:08:34.200 --> 0:08:35.920
<v Speaker 1>that comes up when you google your name is the

0:08:35.960 --> 0:08:38.760
<v Speaker 1>situation that happened in twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four.

0:08:39.760 --> 0:08:43.120
<v Speaker 1>How do you think, how will you gain Kiwi's trust?

0:08:43.160 --> 0:08:45.400
<v Speaker 1>If somebody comes up to you, You're on a street corner,

0:08:45.440 --> 0:08:47.760
<v Speaker 1>you're doing a street corner chat, and they come up

0:08:47.800 --> 0:08:49.880
<v Speaker 1>to you and say, but weren't you the bloke who

0:08:49.880 --> 0:08:53.040
<v Speaker 1>did this? You know, how do you gain that trust back?

0:08:53.360 --> 0:08:53.840
<v Speaker 3>Yeah?

0:08:54.000 --> 0:08:56.320
<v Speaker 2>Well, what I tend to find with people is that

0:08:56.800 --> 0:09:00.959
<v Speaker 2>you know, people are reasonable and forgiving if you're open

0:09:01.000 --> 0:09:04.040
<v Speaker 2>and straight with them. We've all made mistakes in our lives,

0:09:04.640 --> 0:09:07.240
<v Speaker 2>all of us. That was mine, It's just that mine

0:09:07.280 --> 0:09:09.920
<v Speaker 2>is a lot more on the public record than many people,

0:09:09.960 --> 0:09:12.440
<v Speaker 2>so you need to acknowledge that, be really clear about it.

0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:15.880
<v Speaker 2>But my focus is on winning a mandate and support

0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:18.160
<v Speaker 2>in Mount Ross School, and so what I'll talk to

0:09:18.200 --> 0:09:21.199
<v Speaker 2>those people about is what actually matters in our community.

0:09:21.520 --> 0:09:24.280
<v Speaker 2>Stuff like the fact that huge parts of our community

0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:26.920
<v Speaker 2>are a wasteland because housing investment has been stopped. We

0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:29.240
<v Speaker 2>have a huge amount of homelessness, We have people who

0:09:29.240 --> 0:09:31.880
<v Speaker 2>have massive issues with a lack of support for the

0:09:31.920 --> 0:09:34.720
<v Speaker 2>fact that their properties keep flooding, and that My record

0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:37.240
<v Speaker 2>in Mount Rosschool has been to go into bat and

0:09:37.360 --> 0:09:40.360
<v Speaker 2>fight on that stuff and win stuff and achieve things.

0:09:41.080 --> 0:09:43.440
<v Speaker 2>And in my ministerial role, yep, you might look that

0:09:43.559 --> 0:09:46.720
<v Speaker 2>up and those bad stories come up, but I'm proud

0:09:46.720 --> 0:09:48.080
<v Speaker 2>of the fact that actually there was a lot of

0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:52.040
<v Speaker 2>big good stuff that I got over the line because

0:09:52.080 --> 0:09:53.920
<v Speaker 2>I do go in and I do fight for these things,

0:09:54.120 --> 0:09:56.760
<v Speaker 2>and I did a good job in those roles. This

0:09:56.960 --> 0:09:59.719
<v Speaker 2>issue accepting, So I'll be open with people. I'll take

0:09:59.720 --> 0:10:01.800
<v Speaker 2>it on the but then i want to know what

0:10:01.880 --> 0:10:04.120
<v Speaker 2>they want to see from their representative, and I've got

0:10:04.120 --> 0:10:06.079
<v Speaker 2>a track record to show that I will fight for them.

0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:06.640
<v Speaker 3>Well.

0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:08.720
<v Speaker 1>Actually, the second thing that comes up when you Google

0:10:08.760 --> 0:10:11.200
<v Speaker 1>your name is you on a bike testing out a

0:10:11.240 --> 0:10:14.280
<v Speaker 1>new bike path. So that's testament too, probably what you

0:10:14.320 --> 0:10:17.040
<v Speaker 1>said there in terms of what you've been doing since

0:10:17.120 --> 0:10:19.760
<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty three. You're currently a director at at two.

0:10:20.480 --> 0:10:22.000
<v Speaker 1>I assume you'll be leaving that role.

0:10:23.080 --> 0:10:25.240
<v Speaker 2>Well, a guy still got to put food on the table,

0:10:25.360 --> 0:10:28.080
<v Speaker 2>so I need to continue working in the coming period,

0:10:28.600 --> 0:10:30.200
<v Speaker 2>and that's important work for me.

0:10:30.240 --> 0:10:31.679
<v Speaker 3>It's a part of who I am.

0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:33.400
<v Speaker 2>As I said before that I like to fight when

0:10:33.440 --> 0:10:36.319
<v Speaker 2>I think that something is not fear or needs changing

0:10:36.400 --> 0:10:38.600
<v Speaker 2>in our community, and I enjoy that part of my role.

0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:41.319
<v Speaker 2>So I'll be continuing to work in that role. But yeah,

0:10:41.360 --> 0:10:43.280
<v Speaker 2>a little closer to the election, I'll be taking leave

0:10:43.320 --> 0:10:45.560
<v Speaker 2>from that role so that I can focus fully on

0:10:45.600 --> 0:10:47.520
<v Speaker 2>the campaign and trying to win Mount Roscal.

0:10:47.679 --> 0:10:47.880
<v Speaker 4>Yeah.

0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:50.080
<v Speaker 1>Do you are you scared that somebody would perhaps see

0:10:50.080 --> 0:10:51.280
<v Speaker 1>that as a conflict of interest?

0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:56.000
<v Speaker 2>No, I don't think so. I'd say quite the opposite.

0:10:56.600 --> 0:10:58.840
<v Speaker 2>I've always been someone who's been a part of that

0:10:58.960 --> 0:11:02.080
<v Speaker 2>broader labor movement. Thing in politics that drives before the

0:11:02.120 --> 0:11:05.280
<v Speaker 2>most is this basic idea that working people should be

0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:07.680
<v Speaker 2>treated fairly, should be able to live a decent life,

0:11:07.760 --> 0:11:10.679
<v Speaker 2>should be able to have a voice, shouldn't be squashed

0:11:10.720 --> 0:11:12.800
<v Speaker 2>down with those who have a lot of power, money

0:11:13.120 --> 0:11:15.040
<v Speaker 2>and influence. And you know, I do some of that

0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:19.439
<v Speaker 2>work in my union role, but also working in the.

0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:20.880
<v Speaker 3>Political space is a part of that.

0:11:20.960 --> 0:11:23.000
<v Speaker 2>So I see to something that's that's really consistent, and

0:11:23.000 --> 0:11:24.960
<v Speaker 2>it is obviously pretty well out there as well, so

0:11:25.040 --> 0:11:27.040
<v Speaker 2>people know who I am, they know what I do.

0:11:27.320 --> 0:11:30.640
<v Speaker 1>Have you had any conversations with say Chris Hopkins for example,

0:11:31.320 --> 0:11:34.360
<v Speaker 1>about because he'll you know, obviously be a your new

0:11:34.400 --> 0:11:39.160
<v Speaker 1>boss again about being transparent and what happened you know,

0:11:39.200 --> 0:11:41.760
<v Speaker 1>did you have a debrief or something before you came

0:11:41.800 --> 0:11:43.760
<v Speaker 1>out and said, look, let's do it again in twenty

0:11:43.800 --> 0:11:44.360
<v Speaker 1>twenty sex.

0:11:44.640 --> 0:11:47.120
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that is something that I've talked to Chris about

0:11:47.600 --> 0:11:50.760
<v Speaker 2>and obviously there are real lessons to learn from the

0:11:50.800 --> 0:11:53.840
<v Speaker 2>mistakes that I made at that time, but also there

0:11:53.880 --> 0:11:57.440
<v Speaker 2>are ongoing issues in the parliamentary space. These issues do

0:11:57.480 --> 0:11:59.679
<v Speaker 2>bubble up from time to time, and I know that

0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:03.040
<v Speaker 2>Chris's leader and hopefully our next Prime minister, that he

0:12:03.080 --> 0:12:04.920
<v Speaker 2>really wants this to be an area that there's some

0:12:05.040 --> 0:12:09.520
<v Speaker 2>focus on. You've got to make sure that people are

0:12:09.520 --> 0:12:12.000
<v Speaker 2>not just doing the right thing and behaving in the

0:12:12.040 --> 0:12:15.200
<v Speaker 2>right way, but that the public can have confidence in that,

0:12:15.360 --> 0:12:19.280
<v Speaker 2>because sometimes the perceptions are as important in terms of

0:12:19.320 --> 0:12:21.839
<v Speaker 2>having trust as the realities. So I know that's something

0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:24.560
<v Speaker 2>that he's really focused on. It's something as I say,

0:12:24.559 --> 0:12:27.840
<v Speaker 2>that I've very much learned the hard way, and if

0:12:27.880 --> 0:12:30.560
<v Speaker 2>there are ways in which I can help people to

0:12:30.640 --> 0:12:33.559
<v Speaker 2>understand the importance of getting that right, then I'm happy

0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:35.719
<v Speaker 2>to do that. I am a great believer that when

0:12:35.720 --> 0:12:39.240
<v Speaker 2>you fall, you do sometimes learn lessons, and there's a

0:12:39.240 --> 0:12:42.440
<v Speaker 2>bit of a duty and obligation then to try and

0:12:42.960 --> 0:12:45.600
<v Speaker 2>do something good out of that. And if I can

0:12:45.640 --> 0:12:47.439
<v Speaker 2>help to show people that you can get up off

0:12:47.440 --> 0:12:49.840
<v Speaker 2>the floor and do good things again, and if I

0:12:49.840 --> 0:12:52.720
<v Speaker 2>can contribute in this space in terms of encouraging openness

0:12:52.720 --> 0:12:55.040
<v Speaker 2>and transparency, then that's something I'd.

0:12:54.840 --> 0:12:55.160
<v Speaker 3>Like to do.

0:12:55.360 --> 0:13:01.280
<v Speaker 1>Thanks for joining us, Michael, Thank you pleasure. That's it

0:13:01.400 --> 0:13:04.560
<v Speaker 1>for this episode of The Front Page. You can read

0:13:04.600 --> 0:13:09.040
<v Speaker 1>more about today's stories and extensive news coverage at enzidherld

0:13:09.240 --> 0:13:12.959
<v Speaker 1>dot co dot nz. The Front Page is produced by

0:13:13.080 --> 0:13:17.280
<v Speaker 1>Jane Ye and Richard Martin, who's also our editor. I'm

0:13:17.360 --> 0:13:21.600
<v Speaker 1>Chelsea Daniels. Subscribe to the Front Page on iHeartRadio or

0:13:21.640 --> 0:13:25.160
<v Speaker 1>wherever you get your podcasts, and tune in tomorrow for

0:13:25.240 --> 0:13:27.040
<v Speaker 1>another look behind the headlines.