1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Very sober senior political correspondence with US Barry. 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 2: Hello, good afternoon, heathern. 3 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: What is going on with this ethnic priority in hawks Bay? 4 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 1: I thought we knocked this nonsense on the head. 5 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:11,639 Speaker 2: Well, yes, that story that I broke last year about 6 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 2: page Wingless, Yes, and that was based on ethnic priority 7 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 2: for Maldi and Pacific Islanders. Now they stopped that, and 8 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,959 Speaker 2: we were pleased to hear that, because healthcare should never 9 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 2: be based on ethnic grounds. But in Hawke's Bay, fourteen 10 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 2: to twenty four year olds were recently receiving free GP services. 11 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 2: Now from the first of September, the rule is being 12 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 2: changed to base it on race, so at the top 13 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 2: priority when young people go to the doctor, now if 14 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 2: they're Maldy and or Pacific, then they will get free healthcare, 15 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 2: whereas the red of eighteen to twenty four year olds 16 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 2: will have to pay for their health care. Now, initially 17 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 2: it was changed last year sorry and yeah, last year 18 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 2: in May to give everyone everyone at that age group 19 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 2: free healthcare. But now it's being narrowed down to Pacific 20 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 2: and Maldi and they've listed a number of conditions that 21 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 2: would attract free health care. But I talked to the 22 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 2: ministers off of Shane Retty because look, this government never. 23 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 1: Backs this sort of Did he sign off on it? 24 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 2: No, he didn't, and the office seemed to be unaware 25 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 2: of it. Health New Zealand has been spoken to about 26 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 2: it now and they Health New Zealand put out a 27 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 2: statement a while ago, and they haven't seemed to not 28 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 2: ruling it out for the rest of the country free 29 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 2: health care for Maldi and PACIFICA. 30 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: Well, hold on, are you telling me they are not 31 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: ruling out the fact that they're going to roll out ever, 32 00:01:57,880 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: they might roll it out further. 33 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 2: But I think when the Minister's office sees this and 34 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 2: gets on to them, if. 35 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 1: We take Shane Ritti's office at their word that they 36 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 1: did not sign off on this, and one of two 37 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: things is happening here with Health New Zealand. Either these 38 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: guys have gone rogue and they are doing things they 39 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: know this government doesn't want done. Or number two, they're 40 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: just so big and bloated as a bureaucracy that stuff 41 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: that is not supposed to happen is still happening. Because 42 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: I'm numpty in an office and hawks Bay is passing 43 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: it on. 44 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, they will be saying, they'll claim that Health New Zealand. 45 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 2: They're doing it on need because more Maldi and Pacifica 46 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: are in greater need than what I understand. 47 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:39,679 Speaker 1: The argument, well, why are they doing something that is 48 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 1: in direct it is directly opposed to what this government wants. 49 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: Why are they doing that? 50 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 2: Well, who knows? I mean, you know, these authorities tend 51 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 2: to operate on their own. 52 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: So then have they gone rogue or are they just 53 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: so big they've lost track of all. 54 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:58,959 Speaker 2: I think they've lost track of what's going on in 55 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 2: the health system and what is expected of them by 56 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:03,239 Speaker 2: the government. 57 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: In Wellington, that's my viewer is shesh Okay, what about 58 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: this bike rack and Wellington? Have you seen it? 59 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 2: I couldn't believe it. I saw the headline and I've 60 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 2: got to say the Old Taxpayers Union has done a 61 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 2: bit of work on this. But I saw the headline 62 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 2: five hundred and sixty three thousand dollars and I saw 63 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 2: bike rack and I thought, oh, they mean bike track, 64 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 2: so it's not a rack. It's a track, But no, 65 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 2: it's for a rack. Unbelievable. Twenty four bikes can be 66 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 2: parked in this rack opposite the council offices on the 67 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 2: Terrace in Wellington, so. 68 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: They are looking after themselves. 69 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 2: I must have a lot of cyclists in the Wellington 70 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 2: City Council and that comes after And you may remember 71 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 2: this controversy a couple of weeks ago. But an eighty 72 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 2: four thousand dollars bike rack that's never used, that was 73 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 2: near the Frieburg Pool I think, so that was never used, 74 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 2: Like the Taxpayer Union has said that ratepayers have to 75 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 2: know about this particular bike rack costing more than well 76 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 2: almost six hundred thousand dollars. Are there special hidden features 77 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 2: like does it come with a red carpet, heated floors 78 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 2: or a bike wash? Very? 79 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: So this is just a bike shed. Well that's literally 80 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 1: all it is. It's just is it even three walls? 81 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: I think it might be three glass walls in a 82 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 1: roof and a bunch of racks if the rain comes 83 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: in from the front, which in Wellington undoubtedly it will do. 84 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: Those bikes are can be where anyway? 85 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 2: Well absolutely, I mean it's just it was somewhere to 86 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 2: put your bikes, I suppose, but it's ridiculous and I've 87 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 2: got to say it wasn't signed off by the whole council. 88 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 2: I've talked around the council today done on the same 89 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 2: as there's fury in the council and it's even been 90 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 2: suggested to me it's time that a commissioner was called 91 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 2: in to take over the Wellington Sea. Can I just 92 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 2: remind this is by the people themselves, from within them. 93 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: Can I just remind you, though, that when Chris Luxon 94 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: stood there at that conference in Wellington and told them 95 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: to rain in their spending, they all responded. 96 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 2: But that we already are well, I tell you on 97 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 2: that vein, I know what your saw has just come 98 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:11,239 Speaker 2: out the South Taranaki District Council. It's new cultural center 99 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 2: has blown out from a starting point of eight million 100 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 2: dollars to twenty million dollars. Now the locals in South 101 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,919 Speaker 2: Taranaki are up for an eleven percent rate rise. So 102 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 2: these vanity projects that Chris Luson was talking about, he's 103 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 2: bang on, and no doubt you'll see more of these 104 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 2: exposed as time goes on. 105 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: No, look, the councils are reigning in their spending. 106 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 2: I don't know if it's the story. If I now 107 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 2: they haven't got it sent to spare. They've really cut 108 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 2: back right back. 109 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,359 Speaker 1: To the monthly because they were planning on putting a 110 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: garden on the roof of the bike crack, and they've 111 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: cut that back to say it's a pretty for cyclists, 112 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: you want to pretty for Wellington timing, it's a belt 113 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:52,720 Speaker 1: like that, Barry, thank you very much. I think we're 114 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 1: all going to have to have a cup of tea 115 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,720 Speaker 1: after what you've just told us. Barry Soper, Senior political correspondent. 116 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,479 Speaker 2: For more from Hither, Dupless and Drive, listen live to 117 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,599 Speaker 2: news talks it'd B from four pm weekdays, or follow 118 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.