1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Brian Bridge, just how much will our new theories cost us? 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:06,600 Speaker 1: There's been a few numbers thrown around about the cost 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: of the last twenty four hours. David Seymour reckons costings 4 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: were quote approximately half the at least three billion dollar 5 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: cost of Labour's proposal, but Winston Peter's debunked that on 6 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:17,920 Speaker 1: the Breakfast Show with Head this morning. 7 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 2: I've got no idea why he made that comment, because 8 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 2: now that's true he said. 9 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:24,159 Speaker 1: He used the word approximately and approximately could mean a 10 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: huge approximation. That was what he said. So in an 11 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: attempt to try and squeeze out a bit more information 12 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: the act Puney leader David Seymour is with us this evening, 13 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: David good evening, Good. 14 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 2: Evening, run. 15 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 3: Why did you who's right? Are you right or is 16 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 3: he right? 17 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,559 Speaker 2: Well, we're both right. I think that who's wrong as 18 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 2: people who have taken my words a little bit literally. 19 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 2: I know a lot of people want to find out 20 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 2: what sort of money the government thinks it will put up. 21 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 2: But when I said half, what I mean is it's 22 00:00:57,760 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 2: going to be a lot less. Like when someone says 23 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 2: it half the half the price, often they don't mean 24 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 2: literally half. They mean it's just a hell of a 25 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 2: lot less and that's what it will be. 26 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: But you put it in a press release. I mean, 27 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: I can't understand if you said that, but to put 28 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: it in a press release saying, quote, approximately half the 29 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: at least three billion dollar cost. How am I meant 30 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:16,320 Speaker 1: to get tone from that? 31 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:18,199 Speaker 3: Well? 32 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 2: Sometimes people, maybe I should have said it and you 33 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 2: could have got the tone out of it. I think 34 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 2: that sometimes the problem with writing. We've all been there 35 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 2: with an email that people read a little bit more 36 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 2: literally than we intended, which is in there. 37 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 3: Have you had a telling off from up on high 38 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 3: about this? 39 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 2: No? 40 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 3: No, has anyone has. 41 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: Has anyone from Luxeon or Willis or mister peters Off 42 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: has spoken to you about your approximately half? 43 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 2: No, no they haven't. 44 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 3: Oh so this is this kind of met culper is 45 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 3: all on you. 46 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 2: It was no mea culpa. It's simpoint pointing out, clarifying. Well, 47 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 2: put it this way. If I've done anything wrong, I 48 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 2: shouldn't have overestimated how people would interpret this. But of course, 49 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 2: in this environment, the media trying to find out what 50 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 2: it meant, have jumped on half as and a lot 51 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,239 Speaker 2: less and said, oh, that must mean exactly half which 52 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 2: it doesn't, and it's part of the reason it's said approximately. 53 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: Which has a fiscal conservative You can understand the interest, right, 54 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: I mean we're talking about billions of taxpayer dollars. 55 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, but I think it's pretty clear we're going into 56 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 2: a negotiation. I mean, if you're trying to get a 57 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 2: builder to quote, you don't go out and say how 58 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 2: much you're prepared to pay, which is never my intention. 59 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 2: A lot of people have jumped on it as oh, well, 60 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 2: he must mean exactly half, and then they say is 61 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 2: it half of this or as half of that, trying 62 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 2: to get a figure. My intention was never so give 63 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,399 Speaker 2: a figure. My intention is to point out that where 64 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 2: we were up for a huge amount of money under labor, 65 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 2: now we're up to a fraction of that amount, and 66 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 2: we've saved the taxpayer a huge part by doing things 67 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 2: better and differently, which is what we've been required to 68 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 2: do in just about every area over the past year. 69 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 2: Because people out there are hurting, and why because of 70 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: inflation and interest rates? Why because of government waste, which 71 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 2: is what we're going back and you see the inflation 72 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 2: and interest rates come back as a result. But it's 73 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 2: still a tough environment. Out there, which is why we've 74 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 2: got to keep going. 75 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 3: Is it tough in cabinet? Do you guys get along 76 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 3: you're in Winston. 77 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, we do. I mean, I think one of the 78 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 2: great disappointments for our political opponents is just quite how 79 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 2: collegial and cooperative this government is and how much we've 80 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 2: managed to get through. I think they probably hoped that 81 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 2: it would all be a disaster and would fall apart. 82 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 2: But the sad news for the likes of Labor is 83 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 2: that actually this government's got through probably more than any 84 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 2: other government incoming in its first year. Certainly that I 85 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 2: can remember. It's a true reforming government, and I have 86 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 2: someone who campaigned on real change. With that, I'm very 87 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 2: proud to be part of it and proud of the 88 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 2: contribution that we're making to that real change. If you 89 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 2: look at someone like Chris Hipkins, you know he keeps 90 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 2: going on about the boats because he wants people to 91 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:00,839 Speaker 2: think that the boats will cost more. Well, that may 92 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 2: not even be true. But actually what he's missing is 93 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 2: that those guys were going to blow anywhere from two 94 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 2: point six to three point four billion dollars on the 95 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 2: two port projects at either the end because they bought 96 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 2: the wrong boat. Now you look at the cynicism. If 97 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 2: Chris Hipkins was a patriotic New Zealander and worried about 98 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,600 Speaker 2: taxpayers and services for the North and South Island connection, 99 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 2: he'd be looking at, well, what's the total cost going 100 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 2: to be? He's shrying a zero win on his boat. 101 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 1: Here's the thing book for win I think everyone agrees 102 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,040 Speaker 1: with you that last government bad in terms of managing 103 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: the economy, managing debt, etc. And you know projects like 104 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: this are exhibit A. But when it comes down to it, 105 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: next year, when around the cabinet table, Winston Peters comes 106 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: with a price tag that's more than what you set 107 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: in your fiscal envelope because he wants rail enabled. 108 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 2: What are you going to say, Well, first of all, 109 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 2: I'll be saying, discuss what happens in cabinet. But I 110 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:05,720 Speaker 2: think what's pretty clear to everybody is that you know, 111 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 2: this government can't afford the kind of proflicacy that the 112 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 2: last government had. We know how much we can afford. 113 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 2: We're never going to say what that is, but we're 114 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 2: going to have. 115 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: It's not enough toil enabled, is it. I mean, that's 116 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: that's that's a pipe dream. If you think you can 117 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: do rail enabled for what you've put in your envelope. 118 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, if you listen to what Winston's saying, 119 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,479 Speaker 2: he's very experienced and he's backing himself to get a 120 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 2: better deal than the previous government could. So I think 121 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 2: we've got to back our new Minister of Rail and say, look, 122 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 2: if he can pull off a better deal for everyone, 123 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 2: then we should all be actually supporting him to do so. 124 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 2: There's far too much pulling down in politics as we're 125 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:47,679 Speaker 2: seeing from Labor at the moment. 126 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 3: When did you find out he was going to be 127 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 3: the Minister of Rail? 128 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 2: Ah well a few few days ago. 129 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 3: So this is just a new thing. Can you can 130 00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:59,479 Speaker 3: you just leavel them with us? What happened? 131 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: Nikola Will has had a plan. Winston comes in and says, nah, 132 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: I want to give this another crack. I want to 133 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: try and do rail enabled. You guys an't giving me 134 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: rail enabled, So give me the portfolio and I'll give 135 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 1: it a crack. 136 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 2: Well, I'm ever going to go into the negotiations between parties. 137 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 2: Only the results for the taxpayer and the people of 138 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 2: New Zealand, and that is that we've got an amount 139 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 2: of money that we're prepared to suspend. We've got a 140 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 2: minister who's determined to get the best policible value for it, 141 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 2: and I think we should all back and to do that. 142 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:33,720 Speaker 3: All right, how are you going to give us a 143 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 3: bear at the hairdressers? 144 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 2: To be honest, you can already get a bear or 145 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 2: a coffee at most hairdresses. That there's a rule against it, 146 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 2: but I don't think anyone much is following it or 147 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 2: councils are enforcing it. And if councils are, they really 148 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,280 Speaker 2: ought to get some better priorities. However, I think it 149 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 2: is fair to say that hairdressing five thousand people are 150 00:06:56,040 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 2: businesses thirteen thousand people, billion dollars a year industry. It's 151 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 2: got some crazy rules everything from the number of handbasins 152 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 2: they have to have in their location, inspections they have 153 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 2: from councils for stuff that just doesn't make sense. And 154 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 2: what the Ministry for Regulation is going to do is 155 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 2: actually go on listen to a sector that I don't 156 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 2: think has been listened to for a long time, and 157 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 2: then say, look, these are all the rules you're subject to. 158 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 2: We've decided these ones don't make sense, so they go 159 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 2: These ones can be changed, so we change them. And 160 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 2: at the end of the day, like every sector of 161 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 2: the economy, whether it's early childhood education or agriculture or 162 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 2: anywhere else that the Ministry for Regulations playing, it's about 163 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 2: removing the amount of time that people spend, you know, 164 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 2: trying to comply or actually not doing things because it's 165 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 2: too red tape to try and freeing up people to 166 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 2: do what they want to do, which in the case 167 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 2: of hairdresses and barbers is helping you know, people look 168 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 2: their best. 169 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: David Seymour at Padley to thank you very much for 170 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: your time. Appreciate it. For more from hither Duplessy Allen 171 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:57,280 Speaker 1: Drive listen live to news talks it'd be from four 172 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on high Hard Radio.