1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: This Nikola willis Ruth Richardson's showdown. It's not a debate anymore, 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: it's a showdown. It looks like it will go ahead 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: next week. This is after the half yearly fiscal update 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: that comes out. As you will know from listening to 5 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: this show on Monday night, as I know you were, 6 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: Nichola is not happy with Ruth, and Ruth ain't happy 7 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: with Nichola. We've got a structural deficit. We're not addressing it. 8 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: Surplus is probably going to be pushed out again to 9 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: twenty thirty. So we have a showdown. And you might 10 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: be wondering at this point, why is the current finance 11 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: minister debating a former one of some thirty odd years 12 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: ago at all. Well, here's the calm strategy for you 13 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 1: on this. Ruth has credibility, at least on the right. 14 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: The left reckons she permanently scarred the country. But you 15 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: cannot deny, and I don't think anyone does that something 16 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 1: had to be done. And people also forget the growth 17 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: in the jobs that followed it. Nicholas still earning her credibility, 18 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: still earning her stripes, isn't she? And things haven't really 19 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: been going terribly well on that front of late spending, 20 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: high than grant surplus keeps getting pushed out, growth anemic. 21 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: So this is a way of tackling Ruth's attacks head 22 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 1: on and trying at least to put them to bed. 23 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,319 Speaker 1: And usually ministers don't do this stuff. They don't give 24 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: oxygen to debates because it gives their opponent equal standing 25 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: with them, a bit of the treasury benches, rubs off, 26 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: and can make your opponents seem well credible, which is 27 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: why you wouldn't see Luxen near Hipkins outside of a 28 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:33,479 Speaker 1: Bollywood dance off, except during mandatory campaign debates. So sorry, Chloe, 29 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: sorry Barbara, this is a Ruth thing, But there's also 30 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: a smartest strategy going on here. I reckon from Willis. 31 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:44,199 Speaker 1: By debating somebody on the right, she makes herself seem 32 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: more centrist in the public'size heading into an election year. 33 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: She distances herself from the scrooge argument. She highlights how 34 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: much they are still in fact spending and haven't cut, 35 00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: and will argue that cuts now would bean job losses 36 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: and less growth. It's basically framing the economic debate as 37 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: one between the right and the even more right, which 38 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: leaves the left well out in the cold and also 39 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: looking a little trigger happy on the Old Country credit 40 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: card too. For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen 41 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: live to news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, 42 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:22,919 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.