1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:02,280 Speaker 1: He's still tob it is now thirty minutes to face. 2 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 2: It was stunned into silence as I walked into the studio. 3 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:06,160 Speaker 1: This is true. 4 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 2: I couldn't believe. 5 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: I thought there might be some wishing, big show business 6 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: thing to herold the arrival of the man who has 7 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: had not one but two lunches with Boris Johnson. And 8 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: this despite what you said about him yesterday. 9 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 2: Well, yes, I was quite critical of Boris. Heyes today 10 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 2: and when I met him today over lunch, when he 11 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 2: was introduced to me, he said, oh, you're you're the man. 12 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 2: You're the man I heard on radio yesterday talking about me. 13 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:34,559 Speaker 2: He said, people have said worse things about me, So 14 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 2: I thought, well yeah. And he went on around lunch 15 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 2: and it's Chatham House rules, you can't say exactly what 16 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 2: was said. But he did defend free speech, hates woke asm, 17 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:50,279 Speaker 2: defended free speech and said that anybody's got an entitlement 18 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 2: to say anything they want about anything. But I found 19 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 2: it absolutely curious that a former Prime Minister of Britain 20 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 2: would bother tuning in to radio to see what people 21 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:04,639 Speaker 2: were saying about him. So if you're listening at the moment, 22 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 2: Boris you're not a bad buggers. He was pretty good. 23 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 2: Today's lunch was hosted by General Finances around a table 24 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 2: and was really just a yarms how many people are 25 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 2: fifteen to twenty other? 26 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: Okay, So this is a much bit of a different 27 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: environment to the big public one last where people bought 28 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: their ticket. This one was invitees. So did this mean 29 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: there was a different Boris that was on show, perhaps 30 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: even more unfettered. 31 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 2: Well, he was very different. I mean yesterday what I 32 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 2: didn't like about it was I said it was like 33 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 2: watching a Mowhea Jersey being unraveled because he did it 34 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 2: and through the speech. But it's part of the whole 35 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 2: persona of Boris Johnson. I mean I said yesterday that 36 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 2: Whinston Peters cracked a great joke saying he looked as 37 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 2: tho I had just fallen out of a shower and 38 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 2: used the towel as his hair brush, and that's what 39 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 2: he did. But that's part of the brand of Boris Johnson. 40 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 2: And I've got to say now having sat down and 41 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 2: talked to the man, I really enjoyed his company. He's 42 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 2: a journo, so he remembers, you know, the media, and 43 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 2: in fact I had an interview, as I said to him, 44 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 2: at the Daily Telegraph, for he was at one stage 45 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 2: a reporter on it, and I said, I was interviewed 46 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 2: by a man that was a field marshal. Remember that's 47 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: really old funny, don't you so? Yeah, No, he's very entertaining, 48 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 2: has very clever. He talked a lot about Ukraine and 49 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 2: it was a good backgrounder if you wanted that. 50 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: But a massive amount of institutional knowledge from all sides 51 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: of the fence. So obviously very entertaining. Let's get into 52 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: some serious So Asha Vero makes an accusation and a 53 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: select committee Jimmy Markroff gets her niggers in the night 54 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 1: about it. She says that Lester Levy cooked the books. 55 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 1: Now this was covered by privilege, but she since said 56 00:02:56,919 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: that outside. 57 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 2: Well, yes, there's limited privilege when it comes to a 58 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 2: parliamentary select committee anyway, but because the members of the public, 59 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 2: they appear before the privilegeous committee. But Aischaverral, she was 60 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 2: asked whether they are named by Lester Levy produced a 61 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 2: deficit that looked like it was worse than it actually was, 62 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 2: and she said he had three recorded, three former district 63 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 2: health boards. She said, where He claimed that the produced 64 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:34,239 Speaker 2: surpluses were great and then they turned into deficits when 65 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 2: he left. Verell said that that was the state of 66 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 2: New Zealand's health system and in fact it was used 67 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 2: by this government to effect big cuts there. But this 68 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 2: is how the exchange unfolded the Select Committee today, given 69 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 2: your reputation for cooking the books, did any minister order, I. 70 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: Don't think that's a appropriate to attack in that manner. 71 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 3: There were no deficits while I was there. The deficits 72 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 3: that occurred when I left is when and the record 73 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 3: will show this. Anyone can go have a look at 74 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:16,160 Speaker 3: that were when provisions first started to be made for 75 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 3: Holiday Act. So that is incorrect. I will provide that information, 76 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 3: and on the provision of that information, I would preferably 77 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 3: like to have an apology for that. 78 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 1: So I can understand why, of course, of course, and 79 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 1: that's I can understand that excuse as well, because the 80 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: Holiday Acts and provisions for extra stuff and the pay 81 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 1: changes has blown all the budgets all. 82 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 2: Over the place and it came into effect after he 83 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 2: did that. So yeah, I mean he has a good argument. 84 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 2: And look, the thing is that this man's integrity is 85 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 2: without question. I mean, he's a very renowned professor and 86 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 2: he's an expert, so you know, to malign him in 87 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 2: that way before a select committee, I think is a 88 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 2: bit rich. 89 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: I do you think she should give him an apology? 90 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 2: Absolutely? Okay, well it's when she sees the evidence, and 91 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 2: no doubt we'll all go digging for the evidence now 92 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 2: and when we see it, of course he deserves an apologies. 93 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: She's here at five point thirty today on this radio 94 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: shape and maybe she'll do it that you get it there. 95 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: I reckon, I reckon now very quickly. We only have 96 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 1: a minute. Apparently Christmas parties in Wellington. 97 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 2: The Gritch has stolen Christmas absolutely in Wellington. And you 98 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 2: know it has been tough for the public service, let's 99 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 2: face it. But the biggest, one of the biggest ministries 100 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 2: are mb They've told staff, they told them last month 101 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: that they won't be providing any subsidies for an end 102 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 2: of the year function workers the Ministry of Housing and 103 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 2: Urban Development. They are also going without any Christmas chair 104 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 2: this year. Customs they're not arranging to fund a party, 105 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 2: Crown Start, Crown Law stuff. They can pay for their 106 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 2: own byo when they get along to the Christmas party, 107 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 2: and I inquired as to whether we're going to have 108 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 2: an end of the year party, Andrew, and you'll be 109 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,280 Speaker 2: pleased to know we are. I know we're not a 110 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 2: public service. 111 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: I know exactly right. Well, I've got I've got family 112 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 1: in public service. And then in local government they haven't 113 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: had paid for parties in years and they are still 114 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:15,359 Speaker 1: having parties. They pay for it for them themselves, you know. 115 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 1: And the managers in local government are all taking the 116 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: key staff out for dinner and they're all lunch and 117 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: they're paying for it themselves, you know, because that's just 118 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: the way it is. Yes, thank you so very very much. 119 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: It's News Talks. 120 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. 121 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 3: Listen live to News Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, 122 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 3: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.