1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Thomas Coglan, the Herald's political editors, with us Hey Thomas 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: either okay, Thomas, let's talk about Faro Order. So Final 3 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:08,639 Speaker 1: Order has done an AD and what is this ad for. 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 2: The add is to encourage young Mary or anyone who's 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 2: Mary to join the Maori electoral role. Obviously, it's it's 6 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 2: controversial because governments in the past have obviously tried to 7 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 2: encourage people to sign up to join the electoral role 8 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 2: so that they can vote. That's non controversial. Every election, 9 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 2: the Orange Chap comes around and does it. And what 10 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 2: is controversial is that this ad features Tamati runs a 11 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 2: list of names of people who have recently signed up 12 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 2: on the Maori electoral role. What the government hasn't really 13 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 2: done in the past has been to tell people, well, 14 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 2: you should you should join the Maori role, not the 15 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 2: not the general role, which is sort of what this 16 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 2: this ad does. It doesn't really say don't join the 17 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 2: general role. It just says basically, joined the Malori role. 18 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 2: Why that is controversial and why Shane Jones is singling 19 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 2: it out is is that it is a wee bit pulo. 20 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 2: I guess it is obviously funnel war, the funal war 21 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 2: a commissioning agency is publicly funded and and the Maori 22 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 2: seats at the moment are really dragged races between Labor 23 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 2: and Party Malori. They don't really feature feature of the 24 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 2: other parties too much. And obviously if Party Malory does 25 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 2: well in those seats and then they and they might 26 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 2: generate an overhang which gives the left parties a bit 27 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 2: of an advantage. So it is on the face of it, 28 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 2: it looks pretty inappropriate. David Seymour, the acting Prime Minister, 29 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 2: said Timer Potak is looking into it today, so it'd 30 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 2: be very interesting to hear what he has to say. 31 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: What power does he have if he doesn't like it. 32 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 2: It's not it's the funnel or of money comes from 33 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 2: the government, but it is and and this is exactly 34 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 2: what David Seymour has said. The question is whether this 35 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 2: spending was within the was within the boundaries set by 36 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 2: the contract that was inked. So obviously if that if 37 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: the spending occurred in a way that was inconsistent with 38 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: the with the contract that that the government gave, then 39 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 2: then there would be an issue. So they might have 40 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 2: power to actually sort of say well, look, you know, 41 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 2: not a good this this is an appropriate spending. I 42 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 2: don't think they can cancel the ad but but honestly, 43 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 2: I'm not sure what they what power they have to 44 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:12,079 Speaker 2: do it. 45 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: I mean, it seems to me that Faro Order is 46 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: is this is this is not a great thing for 47 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: it to be like it is. It is getting itself 48 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: into unnecessary trouble here and making itself unnecessarily political, isn't it? 49 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,639 Speaker 2: Yes, precisely, and and and look, I mean, like the 50 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 2: the the Maori electoral role is obviously a self selecting role. 51 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,040 Speaker 2: That's what this is all about. And and interfere and 52 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 2: suggesting like you should you should do this role and 53 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 2: not another role as a as a very political act, 54 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 2: and particularly given fan or as close relationships with the 55 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 2: Maori Party, who says it up? 56 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: But this, Thomas, was the very next thing I was 57 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: going to ask you, Is it appropriate? I mean, I 58 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: don't want to pick on metapeck at Oka wall Take 59 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: because I like her, but it is is it appropriate 60 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: for her to be in this position with Faro Order 61 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: defending decisions like this that are political whilst standing as 62 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: a candidate for the Marti Party. 63 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,519 Speaker 2: On the face of it, that that does look inappropriate? 64 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 2: I mean, you like I probably would reserve judgment until 65 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 2: we see what time of Protacon comes up with. But certainly, 66 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,079 Speaker 2: like everything, and this is why the government is in 67 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 2: such an upbroad to day. Everything you've seen so far 68 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 2: suggests or you know, it doesn't doesn't look great on 69 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 2: the face of it. 70 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: Now, have you had to read of this new report 71 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: from the Infrastructure Commission and what part of it do 72 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: you think is just the best part? 73 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 2: Well of the page. I'm going to be very honest 74 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 2: with you hither and say I have not read all 75 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 2: of it. There was a bit today I'd like to 76 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 2: read you a section, page one hundred and nine. Please 77 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 2: your copy, you can't wait on you of the twenty 78 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 2: twenty two New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy. Now that that one 79 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 2: said that of all of the capital projects put up 80 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 2: for the twenty twenty one budget, only half had completed 81 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 2: business cases. And if you don't do a business case, 82 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 2: chances are your project is a bit of a turkey 83 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 2: and it might go over budget because you haven't done 84 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 2: your planning properly at the beginning. So they got a 85 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 2: big telling off in twenty twenty two. Only half of 86 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 2: those projects had completed business cases. That meant they were 87 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 2: likely to go over budget. The Infrastrucure Commission said, more 88 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 2: business cases, get your costings right, do it before you start. 89 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 2: So come to twenty twenty five and this new document, 90 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 2: another one hundred page document, page nine. You don't have 91 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 2: to read as far. What does it say? Half of 92 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: all projects for investment in both twenty twenty three and 93 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,919 Speaker 2: twenty twenty four budgets did not have a business case. 94 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 2: It's the same thing. They were told two years ago 95 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:30,720 Speaker 2: to do these business cases to get their costings right. 96 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 2: And here we are three years later with another one 97 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 2: hundred page report that says exactly the same thing. 98 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: What a surprise because nobody reads the whole report, including 99 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,919 Speaker 1: you and I. Thomas, thank you very much, appreciate it. 100 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: Thomas Coglin, the Herald's political editor. For more from Heather 101 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: to Duplassy, Alan Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd 102 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:53,799 Speaker 1: be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.