1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: The numbers from the latest poll. So earlier we had 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,400 Speaker 1: the Taxpayers Union Caurier poll. Now we have had the 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: One News Varium poll. This, this is the gist. It 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: basically backed up the Curier pole. The left block would 5 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: have the numbers to govern if an election were held tomorrow. 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: National down three to thirty four, Labor up four to 7 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: thirty three, so at one point gap Green Steady on ten, 8 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: Act up one to nine to Party Mardi down three 9 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: to four. New Zealand First On five down one third, 10 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: PM Well Luxton's back preferred Prime Minister Christopher lux and 11 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: twenty two down to Chris Hopkins up two on to seventeen, 12 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 1: joining us this evening. Nicola Willis the Finance Minister and 13 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: Minister for Economic Growth. Good evening, Good evening RN. How 14 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: do you feel about those numbers? 15 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 2: Well, you know, poles move around. Even between those two 16 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 2: polls that you've read out, the Taxpas Union one and 17 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 2: the tvnz'd won, there are differences in the numbers. One 18 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 2: we're up, one we're down. Look over all, the message 19 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 2: that I'm hearing very loudly from New Zealanders as they've 20 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 2: been through a tough time economically and they really want 21 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:09,839 Speaker 2: to see us focused on making them and their family 22 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 2: feel more financially secure, and that's exactly what we're doing, 23 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 2: and that's what we should be focused on. 24 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: Is your leader getting the tone right when he says 25 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:21,919 Speaker 1: the plan is starting to work but people are still hurting, Well. 26 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 2: People are hurting, there's no question. 27 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: So is he getting the tone right? Do you reckon? 28 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 2: Well, I don't quite know what you mean by that. 29 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I'll give you an example when Jacinda Aderne 30 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: refused to say there was a cost of living crisis 31 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: despite the fact everybody was feeling it hard in the pocket. 32 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: And then we've got your leader who comes out and 33 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: says the plan is starting to work, We're starting to 34 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,559 Speaker 1: get back on track. But actually for most people, things 35 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: are still really expensive. A lot of people haven't had 36 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: a pay rise and they probably feel like it's a 37 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: little the message might be a little out of touch. 38 00:01:57,800 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: Can you see that angle? 39 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 2: Oh, look, of course, And I don't think the Prime 40 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 2: Minister would disagree with anything you've just said. I mean, 41 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 2: we see it in our communities every day. There is 42 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 2: no doubt there are families across the country who went 43 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 2: through a massive cost of living crisis are still struggling 44 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 2: to keep up with prices. There are people who have 45 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 2: lost hours of work, who have lost jobs. There are 46 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 2: a lot of people who are really struggling because of 47 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 2: a downturning economy. So the question isn't is it tough. 48 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 2: It is tough, there is no doubt. The question is 49 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 2: what should we do about it? And what we're doing 50 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 2: is we're making sure that we're keeping inflation back under control, 51 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 2: that we've got interest rates coming down, and that we're 52 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 2: driving for the underlying growth that's needed to create more 53 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 2: job opportunities and ensure New Zealanders can get paid more 54 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 2: and can keep up with the cost of living. That's 55 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 2: what we should be doing. And I know everyone would 56 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 2: like it to be an overnight success. I get that 57 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 2: because people have been through many years of hardship in 58 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 2: some cases. But what we're doing as a government is 59 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 2: doing the things we can do every day to make 60 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 2: a difference. And we've just got to keep doing that. 61 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, it's tough. Even though I was talking 62 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: to a friend in Wellington at the weekend. They're you know, 63 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 1: twenty five percent of their properly value, their biggest as 64 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:15,520 Speaker 1: set wiped off, and their rates going up fifteen percent. 65 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: It's it's pretty. 66 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,799 Speaker 2: Rough, you know, Yeah, it's really rough. And you know, 67 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 2: in Wellington we've had the combination of a of a 68 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 2: council that's been really distracted from the issues that people 69 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 2: care about. I get it in the air all the time, 70 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 2: the people WELLINGTONI and said, I mean, why are they 71 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 2: taking away calf parks and building more cycle ways when 72 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 2: we've got leaking pipes and rising rates bills? Those are 73 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 2: few questions to ask. And I think similarly people are 74 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 2: looking at the government and saying, I want to know 75 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 2: that you're focused on me and my family. How much 76 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 2: I can earn in my paypacket, that I'll have job security, 77 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 2: that I'll have savings for my future, that my kids 78 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 2: can afford a home. I want all of those things too, Ryan. 79 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 2: And so the question is do we keep up the 80 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 2: old approach of the government, which decided the way to 81 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 2: deal with it was to borrow more, spend more, throw 82 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 2: money at ever increasing bureaucracies, or do we get on 83 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 2: with growing the real economy and backing employers, firms, innovators 84 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 2: to grow. And that's our approach. 85 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: And let's talk about that. The Foreign Investors Summit that's happening. 86 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:17,599 Speaker 1: We spoken to Chris Bishop about it, so across the 87 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 1: details of it. But will there be actual announcements from 88 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:24,600 Speaker 1: this or will it be this is you know, this 89 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 1: is who we are and what we're about, and we 90 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: hope you might go away and make a decision later, 91 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: or will it be like the one in the UK 92 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: where they came out and they said, all right, we've 93 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: actually got some deals ready to sign. 94 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 2: Well. The goal is to present to a range of 95 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:42,359 Speaker 2: international investors opportunities for investment in New Zealand, both in 96 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,720 Speaker 2: terms of growing parts of our economy, whether that's aquaculture 97 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 2: or the space industry or agriculture, but also in terms 98 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 2: of significant infrastructure plans that our government has underway. It 99 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 2: would be pretty weird if a deal was signed in 100 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:58,039 Speaker 2: the room, because you'd want the government to be doing 101 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,799 Speaker 2: a much clearer negotiation than that. But what we're hoping 102 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 2: is that it leads to relationships that then lead to 103 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:05,679 Speaker 2: deals in due course. 104 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: Do you think Winston's warming up to the foreign buyers 105 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: homes buying things? 106 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 2: Well, I heard his comments on Mike Coskings Show the 107 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 2: other day and I think he's demonstrated he's an open 108 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 2: minded chap and as I think I've said to you before, 109 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 2: he seems interested in what's good for New Zealand and 110 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,039 Speaker 2: New Zealanders, and on that score, it's my view that 111 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 2: allowing more people to buy homes here when they are 112 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 2: contributing to the New Zealand economy is a good idea. 113 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 2: So those conversations will continue. 114 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 1: So they're still ongoing. You still kind of badroom every 115 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: now and then. 116 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 2: Every now and then, Well, as you know, Ryan, we've 117 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,359 Speaker 2: got a very full agenda of government programs and the 118 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 2: Minister of Foreign Affairs has many things on his plate. 119 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:50,799 Speaker 2: So look, we do lots of things at one time. 120 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: Do we need to keep giving sixty million a year 121 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: to the Cooks? 122 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 2: Well, we have a really important relationship with the Cook Islands, 123 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 2: an incredibly close relationship, and that that funding reflects a 124 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 2: long standing support that we offer to the Cook Islands people. 125 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 2: And I haven't heard any questions about that funding being 126 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 2: in jeopardy at this stage. 127 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:22,839 Speaker 1: The US tariffs, Trump scent on steel and aliuminium, Ozzy's sorry, 128 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 1: very worried about that, as you can imagine how big 129 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 1: an impact could it have on us, And are we 130 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: trying to get out of it. 131 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,280 Speaker 2: Well, look, we've taken note of the announcement, but we 132 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 2: actually need to see the specifics before we can comment 133 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 2: on in detail about what it means for New Zealand, because, 134 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,279 Speaker 2: as you know, our steel and aluminum exports to the 135 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 2: US already face a US tariff. We were one of 136 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 2: the countries who didn't get off the hook last time 137 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 2: during the last Trump administration, So we don't know yet 138 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 2: if the announcement will actually change anything for our New 139 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 2: Zealand exporters. Our steel exporters have continued to export into 140 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 2: the United States, as have our aliment and exporters, despite 141 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 2: the tariffs that were put on them previously. 142 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: But these tarifs will obviously go on top of the 143 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: previous ones. 144 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 2: Right, Well, the details aren't yet clear Ryan, exactly what 145 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:15,239 Speaker 2: the arrangements will be. What we have at the moment 146 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 2: is a twenty five percent tariff on our steel and 147 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 2: ten percent on aluminium, So it's yet to be seen 148 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 2: what the details are for New Zealand. 149 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 1: Will you be fighting for an exemption? 150 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 2: Oh, look, we will always put the interest of our 151 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 2: exporters first and that means minimizing the tariffs that they face, 152 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 2: and so our diplomats will be working extremely hard behind 153 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:38,119 Speaker 2: the scenes to put New Zealand's case forward. 154 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: Will you look at the superage at the next election. 155 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 2: Oh look, that's not a discussion we've had as a 156 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 2: national Party caucus yet. I've gone on the record though, 157 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 2: saying look, I'm a mother of four kids and I 158 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 2: want to be honest and look them in the eye, 159 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 2: and i want to be able to say that we're 160 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 2: going to keep New Zealand's superannuation sustainable into the future. 161 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 2: And when you look at the greatest share of spending 162 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 2: that it's going to take up over time, in the 163 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 2: diminishing number of young people who will be paying tax 164 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 2: to support it, it seems to me that there will 165 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:13,240 Speaker 2: come another time for a conversation about the age of eligibility. 166 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:15,040 Speaker 2: But as I say, we don't have a national party 167 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 2: position on that right now. But I think it's one 168 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 2: of those ones where politicians should be honest. If they 169 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 2: are saying that we're going to keep everything exactly the same, 170 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 2: they then have an obligation to explain why young New 171 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 2: Zealanders will need to be paying a shiver's load more 172 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 2: tax to support that. 173 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: Is it something that you're and the Prime Minister have spoken. 174 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 2: About No, we haven't actually. 175 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: Minister, I thank you very much for your time. I'm 176 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: great to have you on a Monday evening. As always, 177 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: we'll see you next week. That is the Finance Minister 178 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: Nicola Willison. For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen 179 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: live to news Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, 180 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.