1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,240 Speaker 1: Time for politics Wednesday. Mark Mitchell is whether it's along 2 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: with Ginny Anderson. Good morning, good morning, good. 3 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 2: Morning, good morning morning, good morning. 4 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: You're back in the You're back on the country, Mark, 5 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: or you're a branof bone. 6 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 3: Still no Beck on my foe Beck in the country. 7 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: Good on you. I read a very do a piece 8 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:19,440 Speaker 1: from Radio New Zealand yesterday and I don't know why 9 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 1: I keep going to their website, but it said mixed 10 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: report on the Chinese trip, and I read through and 11 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: they had one bloke who was commenting on the Chinese 12 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: university saying that Chinese universities are better than New Zealand. 13 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: Why would I send to Chinese kids in New Zealand? 14 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: And I thought, I don't know who he was, because 15 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: a lot of Chinese send their kids to New Zealand. 16 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: And the other person that quoted was Robert mccullor, who's 17 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: that economist at Aukland University. I thought he's been broadly 18 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: speaking discredited. So I don't know. Was it a good 19 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: trip or not? 20 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was a great trip. It was outstanding. I 21 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 3: mean we met, you know, the Prime Minister, a bit 22 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 3: with the President, with the premiere end with the chairman 23 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 3: of the Standing Committee, so probably the three most powerful 24 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 3: people in China. They were brilliant hosts. Our business delegation 25 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 3: was extremely pleased with the amount of excess that they 26 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 3: had because having the Prime Minister there, all of the 27 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:09,960 Speaker 3: big end of town and the partners come out and 28 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 3: want to engage, which is really good for us as 29 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 3: a country. They were our biggest trading partner. There was 30 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 3: an education agreement signed with one of the universities, and yes, 31 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 3: Chinese students do want to come to New Zealand exactly. 32 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: Jenny. Other topic, why does Chris Hopkins This is not political. 33 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: I'm just want a genuine sort of thinking as to 34 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: how you guys put your questions together in question time. 35 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: So yesterday Hopkins is busy quizzing Seymour about the price 36 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: of butter somehow inferring the price of butter as part 37 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 1: of the cost of living, which I suppose technically it is. 38 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,319 Speaker 1: But does he ask the question knowing that we know 39 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,039 Speaker 1: why the price of butter is the way it is 40 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: and it's not a result of the government or anything 41 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: to do with the government, or is he just trying 42 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: it on. 43 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 2: Well, it's not just butter, it's meat. It's fruit and 44 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 2: DGS breeds up over twenty percent. So I think what 45 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 2: he's exactly doing is to all to New Zealanders who 46 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 2: are struggling to pay for their food bills, but with 47 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 2: a view economically, and the government promised to be laser 48 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 2: focused on bringing down the cost of living and that 49 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,799 Speaker 2: still has not happened. For Kiwi's right is. 50 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 3: Obvious the cost of living has come down and inflation 51 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 3: has come down, and interest rates are coming down. 52 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 2: It might in a case that someone who's got eight properties, 53 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 2: but for the average Kiwi who's struggling to pay for stuff, 54 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 2: it has not come down. But I'm not feeling you. 55 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: You surely under this is what I'm trying to get to. 56 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,239 Speaker 1: You understand why butter is bred you? None of that's 57 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: to do with the government, and you know that. 58 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 3: Don't you get it? They don't get it. Although good 59 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 3: at is putting interest rates up, massive increase inflation. 60 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 2: Interesting, Can I just stop there for a minute. 61 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 3: You weren't talking about that. You weren't talking about that. 62 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 2: Let's talk about that for a minute, Mike. Because we 63 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 2: had when National were in opposition and we had issues 64 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 2: such as the war in Ukraine, that was driving up 65 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 2: global prices and international pressures that was putting up in 66 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,799 Speaker 2: inflation national point of the finger, and said that that 67 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 2: was domestic that was doing us and they still trying. 68 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: If they said that, then they were rong. 69 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 2: I just like now. But now when these global pressures 70 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,839 Speaker 2: are gained, such as a war going on between what's 71 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 2: happening in the Middle East, now that's global pressure. So 72 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 2: you can't have. 73 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,399 Speaker 1: I'm just trying to get this out, so you honestly 74 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: believe hand on heart that the price of butter is 75 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: something to do with the war and not the fact 76 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: that the world wants our butter, is prepared to pay 77 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:30,839 Speaker 1: a lot of money for our butter, and therefore that's 78 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: a good thing. As much as we may angst about 79 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: paying for it. 80 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 2: Domestically, it is still an issue for New Zealanders who's 81 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 2: wages have not kept up with inflation, and that is 82 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 2: the government's fault. The wage increase on the minimum wage 83 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 2: has not kept up with inflation, so people do not 84 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 2: have enough money in their pocket. 85 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: Hardly anyones on the minimum wage techniquely hardly. 86 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 2: Any There is a lot of people in the minimum way. 87 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: How many people are what percentage of the workforce is 88 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: on the minimum wage. 89 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 2: A lot of people who are working hours each week 90 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 2: are struggling on those on that money to be able 91 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 2: to afford food, and a lot of them will be 92 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 2: your listeners. 93 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 3: So just on the cost of living, we had six 94 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 3: years of a labor government, we are interest rates sort 95 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 3: cost of living went through the roof. And by the way, Jenny, 96 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 3: you have to understand that, yes, there will be international 97 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 3: pressures that put pressure on our economy, there's no doubt 98 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 3: about that. But there's a whole lot of leavers of 99 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 3: the government have that are domestic leavers that can help 100 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 3: relief relieve that pressure. And you guys, instead of using 101 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,840 Speaker 3: those levers, went out and spent light drunken sailors and 102 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 3: buy more money. You put more pressure on it. And 103 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:40,679 Speaker 3: that is the point. 104 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 2: So I'd like to respond to that if I could. 105 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 2: So what this government has done is it fired a 106 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 2: lot of people, laid them off. It canceled a whole 107 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 2: bunch of construction projects, with fifteen thousand construction workers losing 108 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 2: their jaws. We bui, Now that's what that's what's caused 109 00:04:57,320 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 2: stopping a. 110 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: Broad No, no, just hold on, just hold on, just hold on. 111 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: I'm going to go to the break here because what's 112 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: interesting about that is, I mean, Ginny, you're completely and 113 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: utterly wrong. However, the population might be on your side 114 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: because Mark the EPSOS poll on issues, and I'll get 115 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: you to comment on this right after the break is 116 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 1: national are in charge of according to the population of 117 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 1: New Zealand, are best suited to deal with three of twenty. So, 118 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: in other words, on the other seventeen labor beat you. 119 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 1: So I'll ask you why, right, Mark, So seventeen out 120 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: of twenty issues EPSOS rightly or wrongly doesn't matter. That's 121 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: how people feel. How do you explain it? 122 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 3: I think we're just we're leading through a very difficult 123 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 3: economic recovery, but we're definitely on the right track. But 124 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 3: I think the reality of it is that people aren't 125 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 3: fully feeling that. We totally understand and we totally get that. 126 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 3: You know that there's an old saying in life. For 127 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 3: anything worth having, you got to fight hard for it. It's 128 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 3: not easy. We're fighting really hard to get our economic 129 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 3: recovery back, we're fighting really hard to get our education 130 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:01,840 Speaker 3: will class again, and fighting really hard to make ourselves 131 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 3: the safest country in the world. And to have a 132 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 3: world class health system. And I think we're moving in 133 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 3: the right direction. I think fundamentally key with sense that 134 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 3: we are actually working hard and making progress on it. 135 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 3: But they're not fit certainly around the economy, which is 136 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 3: really tough. But I think we're starting to see some 137 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 3: real signs of recovery. They're not actually fundamentally feeling it. 138 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 3: And I think the other thing is is that you know, 139 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 3: there's higher expectations around the national government, and that's fear 140 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 3: and that's good and we like the challenge. There's low 141 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 3: expectations around a labor government on the economy because they 142 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:34,719 Speaker 3: normally trash it and we have come in and clean 143 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 3: it up. That's our political cycle. Labor have not come 144 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:46,839 Speaker 3: forward with one economic policy yet the Greens have, But 145 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 3: I think when Labour actually with policies, then I think 146 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 3: they'll start to see a real contrast. 147 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:54,920 Speaker 1: Let me ask you that, Jim, Let me flip it. 148 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: Let me ask you this the Golden visas there's a 149 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:59,359 Speaker 1: tangible sign of success this week, one hundred and eighty 150 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: something locations, eight hundred million dollars worth of business coming 151 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:04,599 Speaker 1: our way. Could you should you have done something like that? 152 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 2: Look those things are always important to see where that 153 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 2: investment is going into our economy and if it's jobs 154 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 2: and sustainable changible benefits for New Zealanders, of course we'll 155 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 2: always take a good look at that. But I think 156 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 2: the point that when you're getting back to your IPSOCE 157 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 2: poll is that National campaigned hard on getting New Zealand 158 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 2: back on track and Mark just admitted to it. Kiwis 159 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 2: don't feel like we're back on track. And one example 160 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 2: would be the tax cuts they carve two point nine 161 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 2: You see they won't. 162 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: Say that we don't think it's on the right track 163 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:39,559 Speaker 1: at the moment. 164 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 2: Well, I like to think recovery yet Okay, so they're 165 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 2: not feeling it. So two point nine billion dollars that 166 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 2: was meant to give downward pressure on rents, that was 167 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 2: meant to give people to well, people aren't feeling. 168 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: They are down. You can't argue with the fact that 169 00:07:57,640 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: rents are down on average twenty dollars a week. 170 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 3: It's just a it's a statement of yeah, it takes 171 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 3: a walk to come through and I think that people 172 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 3: are finishing ye. 173 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: But Ginny, I got I've got a wh When you 174 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: talk about downward pressure on rents, rents are down statement 175 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: of fact. 176 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 2: No, I don't think they are. Well, I don't think 177 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 2: that's people who feel that are not because there's no 178 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 2: money at the end of the week. And on your show, 179 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 2: who talk it. Well, if someone who's got eight properties 180 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 2: is telling someone that they've got lots of money in 181 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 2: their polity. 182 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: I'm trying to try. I'm trying to walk a line here, Jenny. 183 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: But if you're going to argue with us simply for 184 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: the sake of arguing when rents are down, rents are down, 185 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: it's a statistical fact. It's not a political statement. It's 186 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 1: a statistical fact. Rents are down. 187 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 2: Well, I've seen reports where they're not down. What reports 188 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 2: that there has not been a significant decrease to the 189 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 2: point where people are feeling it, and you can talk 190 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 2: like that. 191 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 3: What reports is seeing that saying rents aren't down. 192 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 2: I saw that there was reports out recently. I will 193 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 2: go back and find the fourteen that there has not 194 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 2: been a significant shift in the cost of rents. They're 195 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 2: still high and people don't or eight. 196 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 3: Hundred dollars under your government that down under this government. 197 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 2: Listeners listening to this radio know the truth. Their rents 198 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 2: have not come down. 199 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:22,079 Speaker 1: Five point eight percent. By the way, of people are 200 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,199 Speaker 1: on minimum wage, so ninety four point two percent of 201 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: people aren't on the minimum wage. Ginny quickly scored David 202 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: Seymour as Prime Minister in question time yesterday. Audrey Young 203 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 1: gave them seven two Seymour Prime Minister in the house, 204 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: you were there two ten? All right, feeling what about Mark? 205 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 1: What do you score? What are you scoring? 206 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 3: I'm going to stick with you, going to give them 207 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 3: a night. 208 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 1: Okay, right, Nice to see you, guys, Ginny Anderson, Mark 209 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: mitchellin For 210 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 3: More from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news 211 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 3: talks it'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the 212 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 3: podcast on iHeartRadio.