1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: We catch up with somebody who was live in studio 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: with the Finance Minister on Friday. But I feel bad 3 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: because this is all he got in hell, let's make 4 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: up for that. James Meeker High Hello, First, this email 5 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: that I got from you yesterday. News on the Ashburton Bridge. 6 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 1: Fletchers have been awarded the contracts, so pressing on with 7 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: designs and looking like we're going to get stuck into 8 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: the construction next year. The Guardian showing off some sketches 9 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: on their Facebook page which looked pretty snatty. Have the 10 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: gulls signed off on that yet or we still negotiating 11 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: with their union. 12 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 2: What you call the gull union. Someone described them as 13 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 2: seabats the other day, which I thought was very unfair. Look, yeah, 14 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 2: the gals and lizards. But if you talk to the mayor, 15 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,319 Speaker 2: he's pretty adam and and I kind of with him 16 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 2: that the bridge is going ahead. Will do our best 17 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 2: to shift the mess and spot some lizards and give 18 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 2: them new homes, but the bridge will be going ahead 19 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 2: and this contract that features as signed along with akon 20 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:00,639 Speaker 2: doing their design is part of that next step. It's good, 21 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 2: it's good to have momentum. It's good to continue to 22 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 2: show progress as we head towards summer next year, which 23 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 2: is when we are all planning to get you out 24 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 2: into that revel with your little waterproof bodies and start 25 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 2: digging some gravel. So it's a good sign. We'll have 26 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 2: some more news towards the end of the year when 27 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 2: they get that design and construction actually finalized and we 28 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 2: start getting some locals in the river. The good thing 29 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 2: is that Fletchers are doing the whole bridge and roading 30 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 2: projects all as one, so and they'll be looking for 31 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 2: local opportunities to get locals involved in that project. 32 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: Really impossible, that's what I was going to ask. I 33 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: know it to early days, but any commitment to you know, 34 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: support sourcing local trade's and supplies and that sort of thing. 35 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, And that just makes sense right, Like it's 36 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 2: all about creating a few additional jobs in the community, 37 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 2: getting our economy humming. And it's the locals that know 38 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 2: the conditions and know how this thing needs to get built. 39 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 2: We've done it for years and years and years. So 40 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 2: my hope would be that MTTA and Fletchers in a 41 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,919 Speaker 2: common the whole team will be relying on local contractors, 42 00:01:57,920 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 2: local trades, some local knowledge as much. 43 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: As post How about local shingle. I know there's one 44 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: merial candidate campaigning on getting us rich from selling it. 45 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: Not sure how that would work, but can we try 46 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 1: and work it into this project. 47 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 2: It makes sense to limit the amount of shingle that 48 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 2: we're trucking on roads from miles miles and miles away. 49 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 2: I mean, there's so much shingle in those rivers that 50 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 2: it would make sense to pull it from where we 51 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 2: need to pull it from, maybe upstream or downstream, and 52 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 2: do a little bit of river or remediation at the 53 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 2: same time. My guess is that we'll all be local. 54 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,639 Speaker 2: There's plenty of permits to extract gravel from our rivers, 55 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 2: and it makes sense to limit the number of caves 56 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 2: that are going on the roads too. But whatever we 57 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 2: can do to get the bridge done as quickly as 58 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 2: possible is what I'm in favor of. 59 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 1: Something else you've been getting a bit of airtime pun 60 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: intended with lately is helping out regional airlines loans of 61 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: up to thirty million dollars. Does that come with a 62 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: cookie time or the crisps? 63 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,239 Speaker 2: Well, if we're giving consistory loans to regional airlines and 64 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 2: we start seeing cookie times on planes, I'll be questioning 65 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,639 Speaker 2: exactly what the money's gone through. But it is really 66 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 2: around though, curing those vulnerable regional routes. And you know, 67 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 2: as South Island as we all know how important it 68 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,079 Speaker 2: is to be able to get out to travel for work, 69 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 2: for business, and just even to connect with family. So 70 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 2: we were looking at the state of the sect and 71 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 2: we know it's under a lot of pressure, and we 72 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 2: felt like we had to step in and do something 73 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 2: to support in the short term. So there's very much 74 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 2: a short term almost lifeline to some of these regional 75 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 2: routes to provide some certainty, some security over them. It 76 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,119 Speaker 2: will help those airlines consolidate some debt with some low 77 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 2: interest financing. It will help them maybe take on some 78 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 2: maintenance they deferred and make sure we can keep those 79 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 2: routes going. I think it's really important and it's a 80 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 2: small part of the whole aviation puzzle where we try 81 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 2: and look at how do we get more pilots and engineers, 82 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 2: how do we reduce the cost on airlines, how do 83 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 2: we make sure we get more people traveling in general, 84 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 2: it's all part of than in your picture. 85 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: Listen to your best mate, the guy from ig Adams 86 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: on the news last night he said he's been banging 87 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: on doors for years with no results. Just two weeks 88 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 1: ago he came to you. Here you are offering up 89 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: an actual practical fix, a minister actually doing something with 90 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: real results. You've got to stop there. You're making everybody 91 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: else look bad. 92 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 2: That would have been Dwane. Yeah, and look Dwaene's Dwaine's 93 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 2: very supportive and he and your Chattams have done a 94 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 2: great job and as part of the Craig over the 95 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 2: past fifty years actually slying those routes. But I mean, 96 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 2: I'm in Blenham today and I'm going to see Andrew 97 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 2: Crawford it sounds there this morning, just to see how 98 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 2: this can help him secure some of his roots. And 99 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 2: it is just a matter of some of these things 100 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: do take time, right, and we're very cautious about when 101 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 2: we spend your money and making sure that we get 102 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 2: the best value for it. And we've got to make 103 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 2: sure every eye has doted and every tea is crossed 104 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 2: and that we're making that investment in the right place. 105 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 2: So very pleased to be able to support them in 106 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 2: this wave now and also One of the other cool 107 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 2: ones is that part of this is a simple interlining, 108 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 2: which is when you know, if you ever travel overseas, 109 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 2: you buy my one ticket and it gets you from 110 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 2: christ Rooch to Auckland, Aukland to Sydney, Sydney to do 111 00:04:58,320 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 2: buy a divide or you can wherever it is you go, 112 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 2: and sometimes you'll take one or two different planes along 113 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 2: the way. Domestically you can't do that. You have to 114 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 2: book separately with sound there or separately within New Zealand, 115 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,280 Speaker 2: or separately with chatterems. So this interlining will mean it's 116 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 2: one smooth, single process, so you only buy a ticket. 117 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 2: It might be a different plane that takes if you're 118 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 2: mad to B and B two C, but it means 119 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,679 Speaker 2: for you one ticket, one set of baggage, one handling 120 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 2: left us. 121 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: You don't need to manhandle your bags in Auckland. Someone 122 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: else is going to do that for you. 123 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 2: No, we won't be man handling all woman handling the bags. 124 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,719 Speaker 2: It'll be you won't be pulling them in and packing 125 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 2: your own bags so much longer. 126 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: Wow. I like the idea, but what if something goes missing? 127 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: Do I have to wait on hold with two airlines 128 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 1: there's only so much mutton birds that one can take. 129 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 2: James and Meager, yeah or crazy from the chattems. Look, 130 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 2: that's one of the interesting details that it'll be work through, 131 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 2: and that's one of the things that's held it up 132 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 2: for a while is how do those airlines different airlines 133 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 2: work together to make sure that the consumers protected the 134 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 2: whole way. But the benefit of this is that you'll 135 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 2: have protection. It'll be one, one single ticket protected the 136 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:01,480 Speaker 2: whole way. So both the airlines will take responsibility proportional 137 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:04,160 Speaker 2: responsibility for things that go right along during the trip. 138 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: Super quick. Just wanted to touch on the other thing 139 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: that made cameras. On the weekend you went fishing with 140 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: Dame Linda Top How cool. 141 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:14,840 Speaker 2: It was, very cool stood in the Rakai in the 142 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 2: middle of the winter. It was a beautiful day. And 143 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 2: I'll tell you what, I've only even known Dame Linda 144 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 2: for yodling and her comedy and impressions. I've never known 145 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 2: how much of a lendendary flyfish she was. And she 146 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 2: was great. She was a great tudor. She's literally taught 147 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 2: me everything I know about fly fishing, apart from when 148 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 2: my Uni mats used to cast off the couch into 149 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 2: the backyard. So it was a fantastic here like a 150 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 2: majestic we dance. 151 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's meant to be until the lights of myself tries. 152 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: Although that's one of my great regrets. So I spent 153 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: about a decade down a gore, the supposed brown track 154 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,280 Speaker 1: capital of the world, never learned to flyfish. 155 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 2: Well, it's never too late. And the great thing about 156 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 2: that announcement was that it was all about family licenses, So 157 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 2: about mum and dad or a couple and their kids 158 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 2: or grandkids being able to fish as a fam and 159 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 2: having both of those primary life and soldiers being able 160 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 2: to fish with their kids or independently. That's the change 161 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 2: that we made. So now both of those primary and 162 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 2: the secondary can get in there. So you and your 163 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 2: partner and your kids, when they're old enough to hold 164 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 2: a real can get down to the require of the 165 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 2: ring of tatars and start that long lost passion for 166 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 2: fly fishing that you clear all of us 167 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: At once, Amber and all are doing the actual fishing, 168 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: and I'm just sitting backstage getting frustrated untangling all the 169 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: bird's nests as is tradition local mp and hunting and 170 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 1: fishing Minister and Aviation Minister, whatever else you're up to, 171 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: James Mega Fair to catch up.