1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: Barry Sober, senior political correspondents with US Aller Barry. 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 2: There'll be an electric car, wouldn't you hear? The good afternoon? 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: God only knows this a so car though this is underwhelming, 4 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:11,879 Speaker 1: isn't it? 5 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 2: It's interesting, isn't it? Because a company, Frontier Economics, was 6 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 2: hard to give them a report. It's a pretty comprehensive report. 7 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 2: I've been looking at quite a lot of it. But 8 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 2: the government, really the answer to it has turned down 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 2: a lot of stuff that was suggested. The answer their 10 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:34,879 Speaker 2: answer was, look to tell the gent Taylors that they 11 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 2: can have more money if that's what they want. 12 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: Which gin Taylors are asking for more money. Well, the answers. 13 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 2: Mercury and Meridian. Well, I'm a shareholder and a couple 14 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 2: of them, and the shares have paid pretty well, at 15 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 2: least two of them. 16 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:53,279 Speaker 1: Have just gone up in value exactly. 17 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 2: Well, they can borrow more money as well, which is 18 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 2: a good thing. But I guess it's one way of 19 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 2: the government saying, look, we want we want more or 20 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 2: electricity generation in terms of getting a backup system of 21 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 2: the system as it does most winters fails to some extent, 22 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,840 Speaker 2: so there's not obviously not enough investment going in. So 23 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 2: Nikola Willis said she'd written to the three and said 24 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 2: to them that they would certainly put up capital for 25 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 2: any new projects. What they didn't do that would suggested 26 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 2: that they should do is the renationalization of twenty nine 27 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 2: line companies. They'd suggested they should be reduced to five, 28 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 2: and that would have made the system easier to handle 29 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 2: in terms of many things like invoicing and what have you. 30 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: Did Frontier economics not also recommend that the entire electricity 31 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: system get taken out of the ETS. 32 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 2: Yes, they did. 33 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: Yes, that would have literally an immediate effect. You could 34 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: take it out of the ETS and tomorrow your electricity 35 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: is cheaper. 36 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, the interesting thing is that the man who 37 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 2: made them most significant changes to the electricity system in 38 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 2: the last probably ever in this country was Max Bradford. 39 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 2: He took to it with a chainsaw and they were sweeping, 40 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 2: cutting the Electricity Corporation's state monopoly and setting up Meridian 41 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 2: Genesis and Mighty River which is now called Mercury. But 42 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 2: you know, he really didn't. Finally, Max has been in 43 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 2: touch with me today. He's overseas at the moment, but 44 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 2: he said, look, he's disappointed that they didn't go further. 45 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 2: They didn't look at nuclear energy. And you know, this 46 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 2: is a man who obviously has a lot of interest 47 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 2: and energy. Some would say his interest in stair us 48 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 2: in the right direction, but he said, look, nuclear energy 49 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 2: is something that we should be looking at if we 50 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 2: want an uninterrupted flow of energy, and it is safe. 51 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 2: I mean, I've been reading a lot about it this 52 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 2: afternoon for talking to you. Before talking to you, and 53 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 2: in the last sixty years there have only been three 54 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:08,519 Speaker 2: accident to accidents at nuclear sites down the downstream effect 55 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 2: that it was worse than Chernobyl for example, people suffered 56 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 2: for years after that. But it is the advances that's 57 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 2: been made in nuclear energy have been significant, and in fact, 58 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 2: you know, that could be the way that we should 59 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 2: be locking, but it won't happened in this country. 60 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: It's a bold suggestion, certainly bolder than anything Somemmer. What's 61 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 1: came up to Luxelon and leadership? What's happened? 62 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 2: Well, Audrey Young did an interesting interview with Luxon because 63 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 2: you know, a lot of talk about his leadership since 64 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 2: the mood of the boardroom at the Herald was taken. 65 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 2: Luxon dropping from number six last year to fifteen this year, 66 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 2: and similarly in Nicola, Willis's popularity among the chief executives 67 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 2: three last year to thirteen this year. So she did 68 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 2: an interview with Luckxon. I was quite interested in it. 69 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 2: Reflecting on his lead, he said he accept the frustration 70 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: of people and what some see as the government not 71 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 2: doing enough, but Luckson says he hasn't lost sight of 72 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 2: the reason why he came into politics. 73 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 3: I came to politics four years ago because I think 74 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 3: there's an awesome country that's not realizing its potential and 75 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 3: I want to do that. That's the mission and purpose 76 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 3: that I've signed up for. I fully understand it's really 77 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 3: difficult and tough times. I understand on the face of 78 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:27,599 Speaker 3: the government to New Zealand and to stakeholders, and my 79 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 3: job is to keep very focused on what New Zealanders 80 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 3: need me to do, which is to get the economy 81 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 3: turned around. I want New Zealand to be the best 82 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 3: small country on Earth. I believe that we can do that. 83 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 3: I think we've got immense potential, but we have to 84 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 3: make some tough decisions about that, and so I appreciate 85 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 3: not everyone will be on board with that. 86 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 2: It's interesting when you consider, and I have said this before, 87 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,720 Speaker 2: that this man Luxeon came from a job in in 88 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 2: New Zealand chief executive paying several million dollars a year 89 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 2: to the Prime minister's job paying a fraction of that. 90 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 2: So he came into a with the best of intentions, 91 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 2: as most people do come into politics. So, you know, 92 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 2: I think it has taken a long time for significant 93 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 2: benefits to show to the country in terms of the 94 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 2: policies that have been implemented. But you know, you can't 95 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 2: doubt this man's sincerity in my view, that he's here 96 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 2: to do a better job for this country and certainly 97 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 2: not for himself. 98 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:26,559 Speaker 1: All Right, Barry, thank you very much. Barry Soper, Senior 99 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: Political Correspondence. 100 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,359 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 101 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,479 Speaker 2: news Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 102 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:36,280 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.