1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Time of Politics, Wednesday, Marke Mitchell, Ginny Anderson, good morning 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: to you. Good morning now Mark, Mark the blueprint you're 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: in duned and taking a bit of heat, and I'll 4 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,640 Speaker 1: come back to that. But the blueprint and the buyout 5 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: and stuff. This blueprint that you talked about for the 6 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: people who got flooded, is that a new blueprint or 7 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: is it part of the ongoing conversation that we've had 8 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: in places all over the country that get flooded where 9 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,279 Speaker 1: it might be the council's fault, it might be the governments, 10 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: it might be the individuals. 11 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 2: What is it now? 12 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 3: Look, first of all, blueprint's not by words at all. 13 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 3: That's the words of a journalist and it always sort 14 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 3: of gets picked up and attributed to the politician, but 15 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 3: it's not. 16 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 2: We're doing a lot of work around it. 17 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 3: There's a big edit, a lot of work being done 18 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 3: around adaptation plan that's been led by Simon Watts. I'm 19 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:47,919 Speaker 3: doing a big piece of work around our legislation to 20 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 3: make sure that's fit for purpose and sets us up 21 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 3: as a country to be able to have a really good, strong, 22 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 3: comprehensive response to these weather events that we keep getting 23 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 3: hit by. Daned I just want to give a shout 24 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 3: out right from the controller, all the volunteers, everyone that 25 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 3: turns out and dealt with the flooding events in Otagu, 26 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 3: the Mayor's, the chief executives, and especially for South Dunedin, 27 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 3: the people that were running the pump stations. 28 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:14,400 Speaker 2: They did an outstanding job. 29 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: I was talking to luxon yesterday about that off air, 30 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: but are those pump stations better, new, bigger because it 31 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: all seemed to work given the circumstances reasonably well. 32 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 3: There was upgrades lessons learned from twenty fifteen, but you 33 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 3: know the way that they manage those pump stations the flows. 34 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 3: They've got big screens that they have to get out 35 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 3: physically clear of debris. 36 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 2: They did that right throughout the rain event, right through 37 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 2: the night. 38 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 3: And I do want to really specifically acknowledge the guys 39 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,559 Speaker 3: and the girls that run those pump stations because though 40 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 3: often invisible to the public, but in my mind, they 41 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 3: made sure that the damage in South to Need in 42 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 3: particular was limited. 43 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: Is there something, Jinny, you guys could, in this age 44 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: of where allegedly supposed to be on the big issues 45 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: kind of to agree with each other. Is it potentially 46 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: something that you could coalesce along the lines of at 47 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: some point we need to have an understanding in this 48 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,959 Speaker 1: country with whether events that somewhere the government fits in 49 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: somewhere it's a council, somewhere it's the individual and we 50 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: should have a set plan so we all understand where 51 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:14,679 Speaker 1: we're at. 52 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:17,959 Speaker 4: Well, it's funny you say that, Mike, because we did 53 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 4: have one and that was all about minit retreat and 54 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 4: about how we deal with situations, particularly post Gabriel and 55 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 4: Dunedin was in that mix. He was a big piece 56 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,799 Speaker 4: of working place that got put on the scrap peep 57 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 4: with the cuts and when the Prime Minister was asked 58 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 4: about that specific to duned and he didn't even know 59 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,959 Speaker 4: that that program of work had been cut. So then 60 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 4: when you come out and say right, combay our lex 61 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 4: hold hands cross party agreement, there was stuff in place 62 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 4: going on that was cut that the Prime Minister didn't 63 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 4: even know about while he was standing in questions. 64 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 3: Well, the reason why neither I nor the Promeinists knew 65 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 3: about that is because that was a proposal put to 66 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 3: the previous government that you rejected into ane. 67 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 5: It was not place. There was bookam place with council 68 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 5: managed retreat. 69 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 2: It's just. 70 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 5: I don't think you're across your brief, might Mark, you 71 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 5: need to check your brief. 72 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,679 Speaker 1: So so glad I raised this particular issue having said 73 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: that Dunedin as well. I just happened to know Dunedin particularly. Well, 74 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: that's all South. The Needin's been a problem forever and 75 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: the managed to retreat thing you talk about, Ginny has 76 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: been a conversation for a long period of time. It 77 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: just to me, Mark, giving you running the place at 78 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 1: the moment strikes me we've got no further down the track. 79 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: It's just like at I mean, we go back to 80 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: the Auckland anniversary stuff and there are still people trying 81 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: to get sorted out somewhere in there. It's their fault, 82 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: council's fault, government's fault. We don't seem to have moved 83 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: the needle much. 84 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 2: No, Well, in terms of the recovery, we've definitely moved 85 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 2: the needle. 86 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 3: And you know, I'm hoping that there's been a big 87 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 3: focus for me in terms of categorizations and buyouts. 88 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 2: We're going to have most of the biots completed by 89 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 2: the end of this year. 90 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 3: You've always got the very small tricky and complicated ones 91 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 3: take a bit longer to sort out, often driven by 92 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 3: the homeowners themselves, who, of course you understand the anxiety 93 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 3: and the stress associated with that is is terrible. But 94 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 3: look that in terms of managed retreat. I get around 95 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 3: all the councils. We've had six local states of emergency 96 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 3: since I've been Minister. They are very aware of what 97 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 3: they need to do and the plans that they need 98 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 3: to have in place in terms of mitigation, reduction. 99 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 2: And starting to manage that. So there's a big piece 100 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 2: of work going on. 101 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 3: Like I said, Simon Watts is doing a massive piece 102 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 3: of work around the adaptation plan. I'm doing a big 103 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 3: piece of work around new legislation that's going to set 104 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 3: us up as a country. 105 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 2: And by the way, I do agree with you that 106 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 2: it should be bipartisan. 107 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 3: And I took Camilla Bellach, who happened to be in 108 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 3: Dnedan who is the Labour spokesperson with me and made 109 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 3: sure that she was included in all the briefings and 110 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 3: was completely aware and across how the response was unfolding. 111 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: Inter Neeed just hold on, carry on, kar and go Jinny. 112 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 4: I was going to say, the big point is that 113 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 4: there are parts of New Zealand where people live now 114 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 4: that will continue to be hit again and again. And 115 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 4: the difficult question, no matter who's in how between central 116 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:03,600 Speaker 4: and local government, is how you deal with people who 117 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 4: are living in those places now, the roads, the infrastructure, 118 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 4: all of those things, and what are we going to 119 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 4: do in the next twenty years to try and make 120 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 4: those communities safeast who's gone? 121 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 1: Which one of you two has the crockery? Which one 122 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 1: of you two's got crockery? 123 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 2: Crockery I've got so I think who's got a cup 124 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 2: of tea? Mother's old crockery? 125 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 1: Who's got a cup of tea? At the moment somebody said, 126 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 1: somebody saysts and said. 127 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 2: So I'm sitting I'm sitting outside. I'm in a beautiful 128 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 2: turning with terror on the today. 129 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 3: I've got a series of meetings here and the staff 130 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,720 Speaker 3: just brought me at this beautiful cup of coffee. 131 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I've got a nice flat. 132 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 1: Watch, So you've got a nice flat right. Where are you? 133 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: You're on the corner of Seventh and camer Where are you? 134 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 2: I me at the Trinity Hotel in Carol. 135 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 1: It's just going to get some people to honk along 136 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: the way if they saw you. That's ginny as regards 137 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: to the Needen Hospital, and the Prime Minister, as you 138 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: will have seen, got a bit of peat about that 139 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: the other day. If the numbers are right, and they 140 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: appear to me from what I've been been seeing that 141 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: it is three billion, if in fact not more, would 142 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: you still go ahead and justify that three billion? Or 143 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: would you do what the government has done and go 144 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 1: lovely to do it but we just simply can't. 145 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 4: Well, it depends on what timeframe you do that. So 146 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 4: in projects like in the Hutt Valley where we've had 147 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 4: them through inflation and a bunch of other things go 148 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 4: over priced, the question is how long you take to 149 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:24,719 Speaker 4: do them. And you can do them in stages and 150 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 4: you can fund it. So those sorts of decisions you 151 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 4: really need to be over the numbers to be able 152 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 4: to say. 153 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:30,480 Speaker 1: But isn't that part of the problem though? The longer 154 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: you go, the more risk you run and the thing 155 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: blown out. 156 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 4: Well, it depends on what's needed now, and some of 157 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 4: the compromises that have been made are not sitting well 158 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,679 Speaker 4: with that community because they feel that they're not getting 159 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 4: their health n I get all of that share. 160 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 5: They need. 161 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: No one disagrees with the fact that it's a shame 162 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 1: that we can't build three billion dollar hospitals. But if 163 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:52,479 Speaker 1: you accept the numbers and they do appear to be right, 164 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,359 Speaker 1: would you spend three billion and fair enough? Or would 165 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 1: you say, look, one point nine is it we can't 166 00:06:58,839 --> 00:06:59,600 Speaker 1: afford anymore? 167 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,280 Speaker 4: Be talking to Barbara Edmonds because she does she does 168 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 4: finance a bit better than me. So I'm not going 169 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 4: to make that commitment on your radio station right now. 170 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,119 Speaker 4: But what we would do is make sure we don't 171 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 4: give things like tax cuts to landlords of two point 172 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 4: nine billion, because that's a waste of money when you 173 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 4: could have had a hospital for people. 174 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 2: Okay, So does that mean is it so you're going 175 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 2: to reverse that policy? A Jenny? 176 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 4: What two point nine billion dollars were the tax cuts 177 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 4: for landlords? Yeah, well, that that that in place is 178 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 4: something I'm not going to make caucus decisions on live 179 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 4: on radio. 180 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 5: But we don't think that's a good spend of money. 181 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 2: That's a poor choice that you won't commit to reverse it. 182 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 3: Look the end of the day, Mike, as simple as 183 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 3: it's as simple as this, we are going to deliver 184 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 3: a world class hospital. You are not inded. It's going 185 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 3: to be one point. No one believes that, not three billion. 186 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 3: Well I think people do, because actually we've got a 187 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 3: trick we could of delivery, not the. 188 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 5: People indoneda and who protested in the street. 189 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 3: And that's and that's what we're focused on. We're focused 190 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 3: on delivery. We want to deliver that hospital and we're 191 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 3: going to get a mark. 192 00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: When you talk to the people in Duneda, I mean 193 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: I can't get my head up. I mean, yes, they're disappointed, 194 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: and I would argue they're going to every right to 195 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: be disappointed because they have a promise something they're not getting. 196 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: I get that part, But do they get that we 197 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: just don't have the dough. If we did fantastic, we don't. 198 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 2: Look, I'm not going to speak for the people in 199 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 2: the need. I've been down there. 200 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: To ask you when you go unto town, don't you 201 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: know take your flat? So I'd love to a couple 202 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: and ask a you questions. 203 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 2: So I spent a lot of time with them. 204 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 3: The hospital was not raised once with me personally, but 205 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 3: I was there and you know, helping with the response 206 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 3: obviously to the to the flooding events. Some people came 207 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 3: out and protested. We're in open democracy. That's great that 208 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 3: they can do that. We are going to deliver a 209 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:43,079 Speaker 3: world class hospital. We're going to deliver it for one 210 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 3: point nine billion dollars, you know, and that's just we 211 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 3: cannot afford as a country a three billion dollar hospital. 212 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 3: And we've just been very honest, very clear about it. 213 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 3: What we're focused as a government and doing is actually 214 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 3: delivering it. You've had of labor government six years hasn't 215 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 3: been delivered. We want to get it delivered for the 216 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 3: people of a tiger in Toleding. 217 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:05,680 Speaker 1: Alright, are you by the Infinity Pool? By the way? 218 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 2: Am I what? No, I'm not. I'm out the other side. 219 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:10,320 Speaker 2: It's a beautiful day here today. 220 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: It's a beautiful day. It's a beautiful Infinity pool as well. 221 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: I had a birthday party there. 222 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 2: Once, did you. Oh yeah, I think there's some photos 223 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 2: of your birthday. 224 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: That's nice to see you both again, Mark Mitchell and 225 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: Ginny Anderson' it. 226 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 3: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 227 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 3: news talks. It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 228 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:33,960 Speaker 3: the podcast on iHeartRadio.