1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: Ever, du So Treasury has confirmed concerns were raised about 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: former Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Or in his conduct. Last 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: night we talked to the Bank's chair Neil Quiggley about 4 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: a claim that Adrian Or had sworn in a meeting 5 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 1: with Treasury staff and also had sworn in a meeting 6 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: with Nikola Willis, the Finance Minister. Now, Neil Quiggley wasn't 7 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: going to tell us a lot about that. Did he 8 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: swear in a meeting with Treasury on the twenty first effair? 9 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: I can't comment on that. Why can't you comment on that? Well, 10 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: because that's a matter of privacy that I don't that. 11 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: I don't think I should discuss. Pretty same say about 12 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:35,840 Speaker 1: the meeting with Nikola? Did he swear in a meeting 13 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: with the Finance Minister three days later? 14 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 2: Well, I've heard that that's been said, but I. 15 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: Can't comment on that. Weren't you at that meeting? 16 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 2: I was at that meeting? 17 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 1: Yes, so did he swear? And he can't say anything 18 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: about the letter that he apparently sent Adrian Did you 19 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: send him an email saying to him, Hey, here's a 20 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: whole bunch of specific and concrete alligations against you. About 21 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: your behavior. Well, see, I can't go into that head. 22 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: Jeanne Tibtrainy is The Herald's Wellington business editor with us. Hello, Janney, Hey, 23 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: did he what happened? Tell me, Jane, I'm dying to know. 24 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 2: Well, I'm dying to know as well. Today the Treasury 25 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 2: was very helpful and it confirmed that Neil Quiggly emailed 26 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 2: a Treasury staffer about All's behavior after a meeting that 27 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 2: they had on February twenty. So we don't know what 28 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 2: exactly about the behavior was raised, but it was obviously 29 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 2: bad enough that the Chairman of the Reserve Bank thought 30 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 2: that he would email the Treasury staffer. So that is 31 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 2: the one bit of fact we know. The interesting thing 32 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,559 Speaker 2: here is that the Reserve Bank is being very tight 33 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 2: lipped about what happened around Adrian Or's resignation. It says 34 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 2: it's because it's bound by legalities. You know, it obviously 35 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: entered into an agreement with Adrian Or when he left. 36 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 2: There would have been confidence reality clauses. The Reserve Bank 37 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 2: is standing behind those clauses and that's limiting what it 38 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 2: can say. The unusual thing, though, is that the Treasury 39 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 2: appears willing to potentially release this email to me. So 40 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 2: it is unusual that this email can't be released, the 41 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 2: one that Neil quickly sent the Treasury staff. It is 42 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 2: unusual that that can't be released by the Reserve Bank, 43 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 2: but it maybe can be released by the Treasury. 44 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out 45 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: it's because the Reserve Bank is the one bound by 46 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,399 Speaker 1: the gag order with adrian Or but not Treasury. Right. 47 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 2: Yes. So now this is where it gets into some 48 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 2: sort of technical thing because the official you know, the 49 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 2: official information that captures all of government. So it is 50 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 2: you know, I think this is something for the lawyers 51 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:51,799 Speaker 2: to figure out. How is it that one agency can 52 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 2: say no and the other one might be able to 53 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 2: say yes. And so the Reserve Bank has said to me, well, 54 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 2: that's legal obligations and different to that of the Treasury. 55 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 2: But you know, if the Treasury can in fact release 56 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 2: this email, then I have to ask, well, what else 57 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:11,799 Speaker 2: can it actually release because myself and a whole bunch 58 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 2: of other people made requests of the Reserve Bank and 59 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 2: the Treasury around Adrianaal's departure and we were largely stonewalled. 60 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 2: So if they released this email, then what else can 61 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 2: they release? 62 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: Well, what else did they not release that they should 63 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: have released? 64 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 2: Well, yes, exactly. This is the thing that we don't know. 65 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: You know what silly buggers gets you called out in 66 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,119 Speaker 1: the end day like don't play silly buggers, don't don't 67 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:38,119 Speaker 1: This is because this is clearly what's gone on here. 68 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: Tell me something. Do you think that a gag order 69 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: that ties the hands of Adrian or and the Reserve 70 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: Bank also ties the Finance Minister. 71 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 2: Well, well, this is a good question because at to 72 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 2: date they all seem to be acting in unison. So 73 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 2: for example, the day that Adrian all resigned and the 74 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 2: following days, my colleagues and I we sent requests under 75 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,839 Speaker 2: the Official Information Act. I asked specifically Treasury, Reserve Bank, 76 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 2: and the Finance Minister's Office the same questions, you know, 77 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 2: release information about the circumstances around the resignation. The Reserve 78 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 2: Bank came back with a statement summarizing what happened in 79 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 2: its view and limited set of documents. The Finance Minister's 80 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 2: office also came back with some stuff. For example, that 81 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 2: came back with the document that showed that she was 82 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 2: briefed on answering questions about if adrian Or yelled at 83 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 2: her in a meeting. But largely it seems like that 84 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:38,159 Speaker 2: the requests have been dealt with together. So this is 85 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 2: the interesting thing, you know, should they have been dealt 86 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 2: with separately? So I've actually just I've just made a 87 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 2: complaint to the Onbodsman's office. I think this is the 88 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 2: on Bodsman is going to. 89 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: Need to John Allen. 90 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 2: It's a new person. I don't know John. 91 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: I think it might be John Allen. And if it's 92 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 1: John Allen, then he doesn't play silly buggers. He should 93 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 1: be okay with it. Listen, Janet, answer me this question, though, 94 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 1: Should they not have answered given us everything that they 95 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 1: possibly could and been as straight up as they possibly 96 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:08,479 Speaker 1: could at the start, because then we wouldn't be like, 97 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: how far are we? This is like four and a 98 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: half months later and we're still talking about him. Had 99 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 1: they not just offloaded everything at the very start, this 100 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 1: would be a lot better for them, wouldn't it. 101 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 2: Oh for sure? And you know, it arguably would have 102 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 2: been better for adrian Or as well. And even if 103 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 2: the information wasn't great at the time that made them 104 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 2: all look bad in one way or another, it's surely 105 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: that is better. And you know, the more this goes on, 106 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 2: the more we get skeptical and we feel like it's 107 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 2: hard to trust what they say, which just isn't good 108 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 2: for anyone. You know, I don't want to. I don't 109 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 2: want to be that sort of obsessive person who questions, 110 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 2: well I am. I know that's driving me. 111 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 1: You had I appreciate it. I'm in therewith you two. 112 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: Genetive Australia, The Herald's Wellington Business editor. For more from 113 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd 114 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on 115 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:03,040 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio