1
00:00:09,093 --> 00:00:11,972
Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from news Talk zed B.

2
00:00:12,373 --> 00:00:16,133
Speaker 1: Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.

3
00:00:16,773 --> 00:00:20,373
Speaker 2: So the debate about whether to shift the summer break

4
00:00:20,493 --> 00:00:23,733
Speaker 2: later into the year has been renewed to make the

5
00:00:23,733 --> 00:00:26,813
Speaker 2: best of the beautiful weather we primarily get in late

6
00:00:26,893 --> 00:00:28,813
Speaker 2: jan and February. I mean, we've seen it right now,

7
00:00:28,813 --> 00:00:29,373
Speaker 2: aren't we met?

8
00:00:29,453 --> 00:00:31,213
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean how often do you take your summer

9
00:00:31,253 --> 00:00:33,613
Speaker 3: break and you only get a little bit of holiday

10
00:00:33,732 --> 00:00:37,333
Speaker 3: year and it's rubbish because it's stuck around the end

11
00:00:37,373 --> 00:00:40,973
Speaker 3: of December and the first little bit of January, tumultuous

12
00:00:41,013 --> 00:00:46,333
Speaker 3: times of the year. Everyone knows best months in New

13
00:00:46,412 --> 00:00:49,132
Speaker 3: Zealand of February. Yeah, this comes from an article that

14
00:00:49,173 --> 00:00:52,373
Speaker 3: we read today Wellington in a good day later summer

15
00:00:52,373 --> 00:00:56,572
Speaker 3: break still an idea that's alive. People in Wellington know

16
00:00:56,613 --> 00:00:57,493
Speaker 3: this more than anyone.

17
00:00:57,573 --> 00:01:00,693
Speaker 2: Absolutely starting to get that sunshine now, the poor buggers.

18
00:01:01,013 --> 00:01:01,253
Speaker 4: Yeah.

19
00:01:01,413 --> 00:01:04,613
Speaker 3: So the difference in temperature from where we take holidays

20
00:01:04,613 --> 00:01:07,453
Speaker 3: now to it there in February is almost two degrees

21
00:01:07,733 --> 00:01:11,733
Speaker 3: eighteen points seven to twenty point five, which doesn't sound

22
00:01:11,813 --> 00:01:14,773
Speaker 3: like a lot, but that's a big difference across what

23
00:01:14,853 --> 00:01:16,973
Speaker 3: kind of weather conditions you actually get here.

24
00:01:17,093 --> 00:01:20,493
Speaker 2: Well, a man who kicks started a campaign eight years ago,

25
00:01:20,533 --> 00:01:23,733
Speaker 2: back in twenty eighteen to better align the holiday period

26
00:01:23,773 --> 00:01:26,932
Speaker 2: to the summer weather by shifting it later into the

27
00:01:27,053 --> 00:01:30,053
Speaker 2: year is former MP Peter Dunn, who joins us now

28
00:01:30,173 --> 00:01:32,773
Speaker 2: get a Peter, Hello, how are you good?

29
00:01:32,813 --> 00:01:34,533
Speaker 3: Thank you, Welcome to the show. So how would this

30
00:01:34,613 --> 00:01:38,533
Speaker 3: work around the Christmas break? Would we break for a

31
00:01:38,613 --> 00:01:41,653
Speaker 3: short Christmas break and then then go back to work

32
00:01:41,693 --> 00:01:43,732
Speaker 3: and then have some time off in February. Is that

33
00:01:43,813 --> 00:01:44,333
Speaker 3: how it worked?

34
00:01:44,853 --> 00:01:47,292
Speaker 4: Well, that's what might would be my thinking, that you'd

35
00:01:47,333 --> 00:01:51,573
Speaker 4: have a sort of between Christmas and New Year, pretty

36
00:01:51,653 --> 00:01:53,813
Speaker 4: much as we do now, and then everyone of school

37
00:01:53,853 --> 00:01:57,773
Speaker 4: and everyone else go back in early January, serve out January,

38
00:01:57,933 --> 00:02:01,573
Speaker 4: and then break for a few weeks over February March

39
00:02:01,853 --> 00:02:04,973
Speaker 4: before resuming the year. I think that there were a

40
00:02:05,013 --> 00:02:07,613
Speaker 4: lot of advantages. You've already referred to the weather being

41
00:02:07,613 --> 00:02:09,893
Speaker 4: more settled than that period, and that's not just you know,

42
00:02:09,933 --> 00:02:12,173
Speaker 4: it's easy to say that this year when we've allowsy summer,

43
00:02:12,213 --> 00:02:14,933
Speaker 4: but if you look at the data over time, that's

44
00:02:14,973 --> 00:02:17,813
Speaker 4: a pretty consistent message. I think it's got a lot

45
00:02:17,813 --> 00:02:21,213
Speaker 4: of other advantages in terms of productivity. People not having

46
00:02:21,252 --> 00:02:24,252
Speaker 4: to work in the really hot, stifling month of the year,

47
00:02:24,853 --> 00:02:28,412
Speaker 4: kids not being stuck in stuffy classrooms and schools, smelling

48
00:02:28,413 --> 00:02:30,893
Speaker 4: and grumpy teachers, headaches and not really want to deal

49
00:02:30,933 --> 00:02:33,093
Speaker 4: with them during that time of the year. The whole

50
00:02:33,093 --> 00:02:34,653
Speaker 4: lot of other things that I think we could more

51
00:02:34,693 --> 00:02:39,013
Speaker 4: practically achieve if we made a change from the alignment. Now,

52
00:02:39,252 --> 00:02:42,293
Speaker 4: having said that, it's far easier said than done, I

53
00:02:42,373 --> 00:02:45,253
Speaker 4: readily concede, But I think it's the sort of discussion

54
00:02:45,453 --> 00:02:47,893
Speaker 4: we should be up for having. And I note that

55
00:02:47,933 --> 00:02:50,292
Speaker 4: when it was raised back in twenty eighteen, the then

56
00:02:50,573 --> 00:02:53,413
Speaker 4: Minister of Education, a man by the name of Christopher Hipkins,

57
00:02:53,773 --> 00:02:56,213
Speaker 4: said that he wasn't necessarily opposed to the idea, so

58
00:02:56,293 --> 00:02:58,252
Speaker 4: maybe he could be a champion for it. Who knows.

59
00:02:58,653 --> 00:03:01,973
Speaker 3: So how would this work though, because right now you

60
00:03:02,013 --> 00:03:04,572
Speaker 3: know so would it be? Would it make Christmas more

61
00:03:04,613 --> 00:03:06,972
Speaker 3: like Easter where there's a couple of days off.

62
00:03:07,453 --> 00:03:10,813
Speaker 4: Probably along those I think you probably have Christmas, Christmas

63
00:03:10,813 --> 00:03:14,132
Speaker 4: Eve to New Year as a holiday period and that

64
00:03:14,293 --> 00:03:16,693
Speaker 4: people come back. I'd like to do after the yes

65
00:03:16,733 --> 00:03:18,973
Speaker 4: to break, I think the other thing that's important now,

66
00:03:19,013 --> 00:03:21,333
Speaker 4: and it's even more relevant than it was when the

67
00:03:21,413 --> 00:03:24,533
Speaker 4: idea was first raised. Is that people's work patterns have changed.

68
00:03:24,532 --> 00:03:27,613
Speaker 4: Considered it as much more flexibility in what they do,

69
00:03:27,733 --> 00:03:31,573
Speaker 4: so this could be eased in quite gently. Not everyone

70
00:03:31,613 --> 00:03:33,493
Speaker 4: has to cram their holiday period as they used to

71
00:03:33,893 --> 00:03:36,253
Speaker 4: into that period at the start of January. They've got

72
00:03:36,253 --> 00:03:38,853
Speaker 4: a bit more flexibility and there could be more freedom.

73
00:03:38,853 --> 00:03:41,213
Speaker 4: And already have seen people spending out their holidays and

74
00:03:41,253 --> 00:03:43,493
Speaker 4: tackling at different times of the year. So I think

75
00:03:43,533 --> 00:03:45,533
Speaker 4: this could be accommodated reasonably easily.

76
00:03:45,853 --> 00:03:47,933
Speaker 2: So the idea would be Peter that if you can

77
00:03:48,093 --> 00:03:50,733
Speaker 2: start with the school holiday, shift those a little bit

78
00:03:50,813 --> 00:03:53,213
Speaker 2: later into Febrie. The hope is that the rest of

79
00:03:53,253 --> 00:03:54,253
Speaker 2: society will follow.

80
00:03:55,253 --> 00:03:57,093
Speaker 4: Yeah, and I don't think it would, as I say,

81
00:03:57,173 --> 00:03:59,693
Speaker 4: be that difficult to challenge. I don't think for schools

82
00:03:59,693 --> 00:04:01,653
Speaker 4: it's a huge problem because I still get the same

83
00:04:01,733 --> 00:04:03,893
Speaker 4: number of days. I'd just be aligned in a different

84
00:04:03,893 --> 00:04:06,413
Speaker 4: way throughout the course of the year and they'd still

85
00:04:06,453 --> 00:04:09,733
Speaker 4: be well they go through December into January rather than

86
00:04:09,773 --> 00:04:12,973
Speaker 4: finishing a little bit earlier. Interestingly enough, when I raised

87
00:04:13,093 --> 00:04:16,013
Speaker 4: all those years ago, the biggest objection came from the

88
00:04:16,093 --> 00:04:18,973
Speaker 4: tourists in New zealandport from what I regarded is the

89
00:04:18,973 --> 00:04:21,253
Speaker 4: most peculiar of reasons. They said, oh no, you can't

90
00:04:21,253 --> 00:04:24,533
Speaker 4: do this. Why because February and March are the peak

91
00:04:24,613 --> 00:04:26,893
Speaker 4: months for tourists coming to New Zealand, and if you

92
00:04:26,893 --> 00:04:29,013
Speaker 4: had everyone else on holiday at the same time, we

93
00:04:29,133 --> 00:04:31,893
Speaker 4: should simply wouldn't be able to cope, and the tourists

94
00:04:31,893 --> 00:04:34,293
Speaker 4: wouldn't come anymore because they wouldn't be able to be accommodated.

95
00:04:34,653 --> 00:04:36,333
Speaker 4: It seems to me that this is probably a case

96
00:04:36,333 --> 00:04:38,733
Speaker 4: when New Zealander's interests should come a little bit ahead

97
00:04:38,733 --> 00:04:40,533
Speaker 4: of the tourists if the weather's best at that time

98
00:04:40,533 --> 00:04:42,853
Speaker 4: of the year. And what you're really saying is New

99
00:04:42,973 --> 00:04:45,053
Speaker 4: Zealanders can't enjoy it, but tourists can.

100
00:04:46,253 --> 00:04:49,053
Speaker 3: I like it as to pick cherries and you have

101
00:04:49,093 --> 00:04:51,933
Speaker 3: the export, but the rest of the rubbish.

102
00:04:51,573 --> 00:04:55,293
Speaker 4: For New Zealand to be told, I know, we can't

103
00:04:55,293 --> 00:04:57,893
Speaker 4: do this because it will affect the tourists. I just

104
00:04:57,893 --> 00:04:59,013
Speaker 4: thought it was a bit back to front.

105
00:04:59,293 --> 00:05:01,813
Speaker 3: I guess the big stumbling point here is where around

106
00:05:01,853 --> 00:05:05,133
Speaker 3: productivity is jan one. So whatever happens, you have to

107
00:05:05,133 --> 00:05:07,813
Speaker 3: work it around that people aren't at work on JAM one,

108
00:05:07,853 --> 00:05:09,533
Speaker 3: because if they are they're not going to do any work.

109
00:05:10,533 --> 00:05:12,493
Speaker 4: Yeah, well that's right. I mean there will be. Look,

110
00:05:12,493 --> 00:05:13,933
Speaker 4: there'll be if you would if you were a move

111
00:05:14,013 --> 00:05:16,453
Speaker 4: down this path, there would have to be adjustments made. Yeah,

112
00:05:16,493 --> 00:05:19,893
Speaker 4: there would be local challenges. It wouldn't it couldn't be

113
00:05:19,933 --> 00:05:22,413
Speaker 4: sort of you know. My favorite example is when they

114
00:05:22,533 --> 00:05:25,413
Speaker 4: changed in Sweden from driving on the right side of

115
00:05:25,453 --> 00:05:26,613
Speaker 4: the right now on the left side of the word

116
00:05:26,653 --> 00:05:29,093
Speaker 4: to the right. They did it overnight. Chaos and Sue

117
00:05:29,253 --> 00:05:32,493
Speaker 4: couldn't do that sort of thing, but you could phase

118
00:05:32,533 --> 00:05:34,573
Speaker 4: it in, and you need to get the groups on side.

119
00:05:34,613 --> 00:05:36,813
Speaker 4: And I think that the more people start to think

120
00:05:36,813 --> 00:05:39,493
Speaker 4: about it and just talk about it, the more it appeals.

121
00:05:39,573 --> 00:05:41,653
Speaker 4: Was an idea, And if it appeals, then why not

122
00:05:41,693 --> 00:05:42,853
Speaker 4: have a crack at trying to do it?

123
00:05:42,973 --> 00:05:45,093
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, no, I think there's something in it. And

124
00:05:45,133 --> 00:05:47,973
Speaker 3: as you say, and good on you for pointing that

125
00:05:48,013 --> 00:05:52,813
Speaker 3: out complex, but as an idea, I believe it's it's

126
00:05:52,853 --> 00:05:56,173
Speaker 3: definitely worth trying to beat out and trying to get

127
00:05:56,213 --> 00:05:57,733
Speaker 3: more talk about it. So that's what we'll do over

128
00:05:57,733 --> 00:06:00,373
Speaker 3: the next hour. Hundred eighty ten eighty or nine two

129
00:06:00,453 --> 00:06:02,373
Speaker 3: nine two is the text number. What do you think

130
00:06:02,373 --> 00:06:05,093
Speaker 3: about this trying to shift the holidays into February.

131
00:06:05,213 --> 00:06:07,013
Speaker 2: Yeah, Peter Dunn, thank you very much for even to

132
00:06:07,093 --> 00:06:07,693
Speaker 2: chat with us.

133
00:06:08,413 --> 00:06:10,933
Speaker 1: For more from News Talk set B listen live on

134
00:06:11,013 --> 00:06:14,013
Speaker 1: air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever

135
00:06:14,053 --> 00:06:16,613
Speaker 1: you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio