1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,320 Speaker 1: So the mega strike's been and gone. What happens now? 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: David Seymour's Deputy Prime Minister Associate Health and Education, Good 3 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: morning minister, Good morning Ray. What's your take on the 4 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: public sentiment because from where I'm sitting, it seems like 5 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: the unions might have won the battle on this one. 6 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 2: Well, you can talk about sentiment, but we need to 7 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 2: stick to fact. The pay requests that are being made 8 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 2: just sustainable given the government's finances, and they are disconnected 9 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 2: from the reality that the New Zealanders who actually pay 10 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:41,880 Speaker 2: the taxes to funds any increase have had themselves. You 11 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 2: look at teachers, fourteen and a half percent in the 12 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 2: last three years, sixty six percent or two thirds of 13 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 2: teachers paid over one hundred thousand dollars. In the case 14 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 2: of nurses, starting on seventy five under the office, they've 15 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 2: had someone who starts today as a nurse will be 16 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 2: on eighty six thousand dollars by next year as a graduate. 17 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:09,479 Speaker 2: That's after a year's step and the rais that's being 18 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 2: offered that a nurse would top out at over one 19 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 2: hundred and twenty five thousand dollars a year. I don't 20 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 2: think that that reality has really hit. But certainly those 21 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 2: conditions are pretty attractive compared with what most of the 22 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 2: people actually paying the taxes and who have to rearrange 23 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 2: their day yesterday, if they have children or who need 24 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 2: needed surgery yesterday, are getting themselves. 25 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: Given that, will you then rule out reevaluating a fiscal 26 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: envelope to up an amount that might be offered by 27 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: the Public Service Commission or health en. 28 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 2: Z Well, I'm not going to make a decision like 29 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,919 Speaker 2: that on the radio right now, but there are certain 30 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 2: realities that you know, there's a series of dominoes that 31 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 2: fall and you have to put them back up. We 32 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 2: had huge governments that led to huge inflation, that led 33 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 2: to high interest rates that led to a recession. 34 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: So that we are now getting any more. They know 35 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: you won't give them any more than what you will Well, Amed, Well, 36 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: I'm just well, we'll negotiations, Runderway, I'm not going to negotiate. 37 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 2: But we are now controlling the spending, we know, with 38 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 2: half the inflation, with half the interest rates, and we're 39 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 2: now getting the economy back on its feet. I mean, 40 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 2: that's the practical reality that New Zealand faces after the 41 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 2: last five years. Now, you know, there seems to be 42 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 2: a disconnect between that reality and some of the rhetorican 43 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 2: demands from the Union organizers. 44 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: Hey, minister, we headed a Trump going with sanctions against 45 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: Russia and oil companies overnight. Good news. 46 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's it's pretty simple. There are some people 47 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 2: that fudge this, but you need some moral clarity. This 48 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 2: is an illegal war by Putin, who was a dictator, 49 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 2: and it's important not just for the Ukrainians' lives but 50 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 2: all of our freedom that Ukraine succeeds and pushes Russia out. 51 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:07,959 Speaker 2: So that's been by personal position for a long time. 52 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:09,360 Speaker 2: It's also our government's position. 53 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: What about the you know, the Turkey, China, India buying 54 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: the oil. That's the real problem, isn't it. 55 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 2: Well, I agree. I mean the intention of our government 56 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 2: and our allies is that Russia is not supported. If 57 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 2: people want to do that, then obviously we don't approve 58 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 2: of it. But you know, everyone has to decide what 59 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:32,959 Speaker 2: sort of world they want to live in. If you'd 60 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 2: like one with the rule of law and strong international 61 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 2: borders where people can live peacefully, that's one option. The 62 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 2: other is that some states can alter their borders and 63 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 2: brutalize people by force. So that's another type of world, 64 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 2: but not the one that we want. 65 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: David semi appreciate your time this morning. Thank you definitely, 66 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: Prime Minister Associate Health and Education. For more from Early 67 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to News Talks it 68 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: Be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on 69 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio