1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,453 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast 2 00:00:10,573 --> 00:00:11,733 Speaker 1: from News Talks. A'd be. 3 00:00:13,293 --> 00:00:16,973 Speaker 2: Sixteen minutes past nine. Thank you for your feedback this morning. 4 00:00:17,493 --> 00:00:19,453 Speaker 2: Peter has emailed me this morning to say, Jack, those 5 00:00:19,453 --> 00:00:22,853 Speaker 2: were moving comments about Park River. I cannot believe it's 6 00:00:22,893 --> 00:00:26,053 Speaker 2: fifteen years since the disaster. Those families have been well 7 00:00:26,093 --> 00:00:28,813 Speaker 2: and truly let down by the system. Can't wait to 8 00:00:28,813 --> 00:00:32,573 Speaker 2: see the film though. The film is Yeah, it's really 9 00:00:32,573 --> 00:00:37,053 Speaker 2: affecting for all New Zealanders. I think it's also beautiful, 10 00:00:37,453 --> 00:00:41,693 Speaker 2: like beautiful. It has this incredible opening on there's shots 11 00:00:41,693 --> 00:00:43,693 Speaker 2: of the West Coast. It's just like, oh my god, 12 00:00:44,253 --> 00:00:46,773 Speaker 2: it's just a stunning part of the country. I'll get 13 00:00:46,773 --> 00:00:48,293 Speaker 2: to more of you comments in a few minutes ninety 14 00:00:48,293 --> 00:00:50,133 Speaker 2: two ninety two if you want to send us a text. 15 00:00:50,213 --> 00:00:51,853 Speaker 2: Kevin Milner is here with us this morning. 16 00:00:51,933 --> 00:00:56,013 Speaker 3: Kilder, Kevin Culder Jack. I'm looking forward to seeing the 17 00:00:56,053 --> 00:00:59,293 Speaker 3: Park River film too. I'm falling behind a bit with 18 00:00:59,573 --> 00:01:02,533 Speaker 3: the New Zealand movies. I said, I haven't seen Prime 19 00:01:02,533 --> 00:01:08,533 Speaker 3: Minister and the movie about an artist we both love, 20 00:01:08,693 --> 00:01:10,733 Speaker 3: Robin White. I haven't seen that yet. 21 00:01:10,813 --> 00:01:13,613 Speaker 2: Yeah, I haven't seen either of those documentaries. Either, which 22 00:01:13,573 --> 00:01:16,053 Speaker 2: are shocking. So I'm with you. I've got an excuse that, Kevin. 23 00:01:16,053 --> 00:01:17,693 Speaker 2: I've got an eight month on home at home, You've 24 00:01:17,733 --> 00:01:21,093 Speaker 2: got no yess, I have to get a rigg alone. 25 00:01:21,133 --> 00:01:23,173 Speaker 2: But you've got a story for us this week about 26 00:01:23,173 --> 00:01:25,533 Speaker 2: meeting someone where you least expected it. 27 00:01:26,373 --> 00:01:30,253 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's as you probably know, Jack, I love to 28 00:01:30,293 --> 00:01:33,733 Speaker 3: tell an anecdote, and sometimes the anecdots and themselves mean 29 00:01:33,893 --> 00:01:37,213 Speaker 3: very little, but I'm hoping that the listeners will find 30 00:01:37,253 --> 00:01:42,293 Speaker 3: them moderately interesting. One day, about ten years ago, I 31 00:01:42,333 --> 00:01:44,813 Speaker 3: was sitting in a cafe not far from where we 32 00:01:44,893 --> 00:01:47,933 Speaker 3: lived in rayk Larungi on the Cobedy Coast, sort of 33 00:01:47,973 --> 00:01:50,773 Speaker 3: out of the way really, and I was having a coffee. 34 00:01:51,213 --> 00:01:53,373 Speaker 3: Then an odd thing happened. I heard someone at a 35 00:01:53,453 --> 00:01:59,773 Speaker 3: table behind me go and it was so weird that 36 00:01:59,813 --> 00:02:02,293 Speaker 3: I chose not to turn around. This could only be 37 00:02:02,413 --> 00:02:05,733 Speaker 3: some sort of odd ball. Next, I hear in a 38 00:02:05,853 --> 00:02:12,853 Speaker 3: loud of stage whisper coming my way, Hey Hey. It 39 00:02:12,973 --> 00:02:16,413 Speaker 3: was the soft voice of an elderly man. He clearly 40 00:02:16,413 --> 00:02:19,493 Speaker 3: felt that he knew me, but couldn't remember my name. 41 00:02:20,333 --> 00:02:22,693 Speaker 3: I turned around and got a hell of a shock. 42 00:02:22,973 --> 00:02:26,333 Speaker 3: It was a man i'd never met before Jim Bolger, 43 00:02:26,893 --> 00:02:31,373 Speaker 3: three term Prime Minister of New Zealand, New Zealand Ambassador 44 00:02:31,413 --> 00:02:34,373 Speaker 3: to the US and at the time I think Chairman 45 00:02:34,413 --> 00:02:38,973 Speaker 3: of New Zealand Post. What the hell was Gentleman Jim, 46 00:02:39,533 --> 00:02:42,773 Speaker 3: the Great Helmsman as he was known, and one of 47 00:02:42,813 --> 00:02:47,293 Speaker 3: New Zealand's most successful leaders doing, sitting at a table 48 00:02:47,333 --> 00:02:50,773 Speaker 3: on his own in a modest little cafe in my 49 00:02:50,933 --> 00:02:54,213 Speaker 3: neck of the woods. More to the point, why was 50 00:02:54,213 --> 00:02:58,413 Speaker 3: he trying to get my attention in this most unusual way. 51 00:02:59,933 --> 00:03:03,613 Speaker 3: The answer to those questions were one, he had just 52 00:03:03,733 --> 00:03:06,133 Speaker 3: bought a retirement home in why Ca and I near 53 00:03:06,173 --> 00:03:10,373 Speaker 3: where where I lived, and he didn't know many locals too. 54 00:03:11,173 --> 00:03:13,973 Speaker 3: As he pointed out after it had invited me over 55 00:03:14,053 --> 00:03:18,133 Speaker 3: to his table, silly, we should both be sitting on 56 00:03:18,173 --> 00:03:21,853 Speaker 3: our own, separate tables when we both know who the 57 00:03:21,933 --> 00:03:28,293 Speaker 3: other person is. I was related to discover that that 58 00:03:28,373 --> 00:03:34,493 Speaker 3: comment in a way some Jim Bolger up, pragmatic, unpretentious, 59 00:03:35,133 --> 00:03:40,013 Speaker 3: speaks his mind friendly And I was going to actually say, 60 00:03:40,013 --> 00:03:42,893 Speaker 3: and the producers pointed it out, and I think you 61 00:03:43,013 --> 00:03:45,093 Speaker 3: were happily came to my rescue. I was going to 62 00:03:45,133 --> 00:03:51,973 Speaker 3: call him, Sir Jim Bulger, but he turned down that offered. 63 00:03:52,053 --> 00:03:52,573 Speaker 3: Is that right? 64 00:03:52,733 --> 00:03:54,533 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, he turned it down because of his Irish 65 00:03:54,573 --> 00:03:58,133 Speaker 2: Catholic groups. Yes, and he said no, I don't know. 66 00:03:58,533 --> 00:04:01,493 Speaker 2: It would be my twoperin would be turning in their graves. 67 00:04:01,613 --> 00:04:03,293 Speaker 2: They knew that I took a knight over from the Queen. 68 00:04:04,733 --> 00:04:08,413 Speaker 3: I'd always considered Jim Bolger to be a rather predictable politician, 69 00:04:08,453 --> 00:04:12,213 Speaker 3: a conservative rural net. I think he used to be 70 00:04:12,293 --> 00:04:15,293 Speaker 3: called Potato or spud or something while he was half 71 00:04:15,773 --> 00:04:21,013 Speaker 3: alongside Labour's leader David LONGI he might have appeared even 72 00:04:21,253 --> 00:04:26,773 Speaker 3: dull anyone would, But in retirement I thought he was magnificent. 73 00:04:26,933 --> 00:04:30,413 Speaker 3: He had this to say, Jack, in retirement, as I 74 00:04:30,493 --> 00:04:34,173 Speaker 3: look across the world and observe poverty and injustice and 75 00:04:34,253 --> 00:04:39,213 Speaker 3: climate change, I'm not convinced we're working hard enough. He 76 00:04:39,293 --> 00:04:43,413 Speaker 3: then quotes John F. Kennedy. If a free society, he 77 00:04:43,613 --> 00:04:46,933 Speaker 3: cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save 78 00:04:47,053 --> 00:04:51,093 Speaker 3: the few who are rich. Jim Bolger pointed out that 79 00:04:52,333 --> 00:04:55,373 Speaker 3: in a speech that I actually heard him give, that 80 00:04:55,413 --> 00:04:59,573 Speaker 3: the Partti Harker movement should be studied if the world 81 00:04:59,693 --> 00:05:05,133 Speaker 3: wants peace. It had accepted large numbers of refugees from 82 00:05:05,133 --> 00:05:09,293 Speaker 3: the land wars. Then instead of fighting, declared there was 83 00:05:09,453 --> 00:05:13,533 Speaker 3: enough for all. He said, if the world embraced that philosophy, 84 00:05:13,733 --> 00:05:16,413 Speaker 3: we would at last be moving towards peace. 85 00:05:17,413 --> 00:05:17,973 Speaker 2: So he was. 86 00:05:18,773 --> 00:05:22,773 Speaker 3: He's a conservative man, but gosh, he when he flowed, 87 00:05:22,893 --> 00:05:26,733 Speaker 3: I think when he retired and got to speak his 88 00:05:26,813 --> 00:05:32,333 Speaker 3: mind about it around the different things uninhabited by political parties, 89 00:05:32,333 --> 00:05:35,973 Speaker 3: et cetera. So Jim Bolder a great prime minister, and 90 00:05:36,653 --> 00:05:39,253 Speaker 3: miss and is a great fellow retiree. 91 00:05:39,933 --> 00:05:42,333 Speaker 2: That's a lovely story, Kevin. You know what I love 92 00:05:42,373 --> 00:05:46,373 Speaker 2: about it. It's just it's so New Zealand. There are 93 00:05:46,373 --> 00:05:48,933 Speaker 2: a handful of countries at most where that would happen, 94 00:05:49,253 --> 00:05:52,373 Speaker 2: you know, just that they're sitting there and you gassed 95 00:05:52,653 --> 00:05:56,453 Speaker 2: by a former prime minister who's sitting behind you, and 96 00:05:56,533 --> 00:05:58,693 Speaker 2: both of you know, and it's just it's relaxed enough. 97 00:05:58,693 --> 00:06:00,493 Speaker 2: And he could say, well, look, you know I've never met, 98 00:06:00,493 --> 00:06:02,293 Speaker 2: but I know you are, and you know who I am, 99 00:06:02,613 --> 00:06:04,733 Speaker 2: both of Nicola Woods. I come and join me for 100 00:06:04,813 --> 00:06:05,213 Speaker 2: us gone. 101 00:06:05,293 --> 00:06:07,933 Speaker 3: You know, only bold you would say that you know 102 00:06:08,173 --> 00:06:10,373 Speaker 3: I am, I know you you are. It's sort of 103 00:06:10,853 --> 00:06:11,773 Speaker 3: at the same table. 104 00:06:12,613 --> 00:06:15,013 Speaker 2: Lovely, Yeah, And I think you're right. I think I 105 00:06:15,053 --> 00:06:18,373 Speaker 2: think so. I Jim Bolder was the first prime minister. 106 00:06:18,453 --> 00:06:21,213 Speaker 2: I can remember. I was born in eighty seven, right, 107 00:06:21,253 --> 00:06:23,653 Speaker 2: so I can I can remember hearing Jim Boulder on 108 00:06:23,693 --> 00:06:25,573 Speaker 2: the radio and things, and you know, as a child, 109 00:06:25,693 --> 00:06:28,893 Speaker 2: you don't really have a you know, a comprehensive sense 110 00:06:29,013 --> 00:06:33,093 Speaker 2: of what politics is and how power works and governing 111 00:06:33,093 --> 00:06:35,893 Speaker 2: and all that kind of thing. But my sense, from 112 00:06:35,933 --> 00:06:41,213 Speaker 2: my position now is that he is someone who has 113 00:06:41,253 --> 00:06:47,173 Speaker 2: consistently been led by his principles and that as you 114 00:06:47,293 --> 00:06:50,493 Speaker 2: as you kind of alluded to that. In the years 115 00:06:50,533 --> 00:06:55,213 Speaker 2: after he left office, I think more and more people 116 00:06:55,293 --> 00:06:59,453 Speaker 2: came to appreciate him for the leader he was. You know, 117 00:06:59,573 --> 00:07:01,773 Speaker 2: like it's one of those people that, with the fullness 118 00:07:01,813 --> 00:07:03,253 Speaker 2: of time and when you kind of get out of 119 00:07:03,293 --> 00:07:06,853 Speaker 2: the day to day sparring of politics, people go, you 120 00:07:06,893 --> 00:07:11,533 Speaker 2: know what, actually that guy is an extraordinary leader. And yeah, 121 00:07:11,613 --> 00:07:14,213 Speaker 2: it's really respected to that. So yeah, well said, thank 122 00:07:14,213 --> 00:07:16,253 Speaker 2: you so much, Kevin, have a great weekend, and we 123 00:07:16,253 --> 00:07:17,613 Speaker 2: will catch again very soon. And thank you for your 124 00:07:17,613 --> 00:07:21,573 Speaker 2: messages this morning beautifully said this morning, Jack said, Marina, 125 00:07:21,693 --> 00:07:24,093 Speaker 2: I really appreciate that, Marine Jack. I've never lived in 126 00:07:24,093 --> 00:07:26,373 Speaker 2: Greymouth or even visited the place. But every time I 127 00:07:26,413 --> 00:07:29,253 Speaker 2: hear the words Pike River, my ears open, tears well 128 00:07:29,293 --> 00:07:31,013 Speaker 2: in my eyes. You're opening comments this morning. 129 00:07:31,053 --> 00:07:31,533 Speaker 3: We're brilliant. 130 00:07:31,533 --> 00:07:34,373 Speaker 2: Well said says Kevin. Thanks Kevin, Can I just say 131 00:07:34,453 --> 00:07:38,493 Speaker 2: Kevin as and Kevin, who's just texted me go to Graymouth. Honestly, 132 00:07:38,573 --> 00:07:41,013 Speaker 2: the South Islands west coast is fantastic. Have you never 133 00:07:41,053 --> 00:07:44,333 Speaker 2: been to the west coast of the South It is remarkable. 134 00:07:44,693 --> 00:07:46,053 Speaker 2: So much of it is kind of like a land 135 00:07:46,093 --> 00:07:48,013 Speaker 2: before time. You know, you can just be going along 136 00:07:48,013 --> 00:07:51,253 Speaker 2: stretches where you see no sign of human beings anywhere, 137 00:07:51,373 --> 00:07:53,853 Speaker 2: and you know you've got the bush meeting the sea, 138 00:07:54,653 --> 00:07:58,693 Speaker 2: incredible vistas and mountains. It really is a gorgeous part 139 00:07:58,693 --> 00:07:59,253 Speaker 2: of the country. 140 00:08:00,133 --> 00:08:03,253 Speaker 1: For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live 141 00:08:03,333 --> 00:08:06,613 Speaker 1: to News Talks B from nine am Saturday of the 142 00:08:06,693 --> 00:08:08,133 Speaker 1: podcast on iHeartRadio.