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Speaker 1: Barry Soper, senior political correspondent, raps a political week that

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Speaker 1: was for us, of course, Welcome back.

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Speaker 2: Barry, Hello again, Heather.

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Speaker 1: Do we know yet when Jim Bolger's funeral is No.

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Speaker 2: I've been trying to find out, but no one seems

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Speaker 2: to really know. And I guess there's a number of

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Speaker 2: things that they have to decide. I mean, Chris Luxon

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Speaker 2: may want a bit of pomp and ceremony in relation

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Speaker 2: to the former prime minister who was a prime minister

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Speaker 2: for a long time, so there will be that, so

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Speaker 2: that the other considerations. I would imagine the family is

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Speaker 2: such a big family that they'll want something relatively private.

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Speaker 2: But look, Jim Boulger, with you liked or disliked him,

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Speaker 2: he did like a bit of pomp and ceremony, and

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Speaker 2: I think you know, if the country honored him in

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Speaker 2: some way, he wouldn't be averse to it. But you know,

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Speaker 2: it was a sad passing this week that I think

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Speaker 2: we all knew how early he was, well some of

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Speaker 2: us knew how early he was, and he had been

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Speaker 2: for some time, so and it was amazing, wasn't it.

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Speaker 2: And his whole family were there to see his passing.

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Speaker 2: And be with him, which would have been wonderful for

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Speaker 2: Joan Bulger. And isn't it incredible you see all the

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Speaker 2: out pouring for Joan Boulger because she and I don't

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Speaker 2: say it unkindly long suffering, because these two were actually

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Speaker 2: the couple that in politics that you can look at

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Speaker 2: with great admiration that Joan I remember from time and

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Speaker 2: time again on election campaign trials, will be in the

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Speaker 2: front row watching Jim deliver the same speech night after night,

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Speaker 2: and she would always be laughing in the right places.

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Speaker 2: So she was his cheerleader if you like as well.

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Speaker 2: But over the past twenty four hours have been fascinated

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Speaker 2: by some of those who have been speaking out reverentially

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Speaker 2: about Jim Bolger. One was Jenny Shipley, you know, saying

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Speaker 2: what a wonderful man he was. Well, if you're so wonderful,

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Speaker 2: why did your knife him in the back? I mean,

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Speaker 2: do you think they got on? No? Initially I think

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Speaker 2: they you know, she was very senior. Was more recently, no,

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Speaker 2: I don't think. I don't think there was. I mean

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Speaker 2: they had been seen publicly in various places, but Bulger

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Speaker 2: was a bit of a diplomat, very angry. I mean

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Speaker 2: it's like public public you have to hear them, but privately,

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Speaker 2: I don't think it was. And similarly, Ruth Richardson, I

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Speaker 2: heard her on with you yesterday sort of painting the

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Speaker 2: picture that look was really her deciding when it was

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Speaker 2: time to go because the business that she had set

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Speaker 2: out to achieve had been achieved. Well, no, it didn't

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Speaker 2: happen that way. There was no way that she didn't

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Speaker 2: like the rug being pulled from beneath her. In the

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Speaker 2: finance role. She had become something of an embarrassment to

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Speaker 2: the government and that's why there was a change there.

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Speaker 2: So Bulgier was hard on some sides. But one thing

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Speaker 2: I think he'll be remember for those of us who

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Speaker 2: knew him quite well and I traveled with him throughout

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Speaker 2: his Prime ministership and had men he had drink in

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Speaker 2: his office on the ninth floor with him and enjoyed

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Speaker 2: his company, is that he was a very personable man.

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Speaker 2: And I think evidence of that is the fact that

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Speaker 2: he left school, you know, in his mid teens, never

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Speaker 2: had any formal education, and went on to run the

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Speaker 2: country relatively successfully. There were a few flaws, but you know,

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Speaker 2: he was a good bloke and I think that's what

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Speaker 2: he'll be remembered by those of us.

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Speaker 1: In You do you think Jerry Browne's going to be

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Speaker 1: able to restore order? I mean, I think it's worth

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Speaker 1: a goal, but it feels like it might be too late.

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Speaker 2: No, it's the Business Committee that has to sit in

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Speaker 2: all parties represented on that. The government will have a

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Speaker 2: majority in Jerry Brownie will have a big say on that.

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Speaker 2: But I think there is a general consensus around politicians,

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Speaker 2: and particularly those in the National Party Act and New Zealand. First,

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Speaker 2: it's all the others, not so much Labor, but the

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Speaker 2: rebel in the Maldi Party and the Greens. They are

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Speaker 2: none too keen on cleaning up the Act. And I

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Speaker 2: heard the ridiculous argument of Ricardo Mendez March saying that

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Speaker 2: you know, a tie is not going to change the behavior.

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Speaker 2: And this is the whole point. It's not a tie

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Speaker 2: changing behavior. It's respect for the organization. And you know,

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Speaker 2: I'm one who does respect the organization of Parliament, and

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Speaker 2: I think if you let standards slip like that, as

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Speaker 2: Trevor Mallard did when he was a Speaker, then there

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Speaker 2: is it's very hard to come back. So it's only

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Speaker 2: been a few years. I don't think it's too late

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Speaker 2: to retrieve the situation.

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Speaker 1: Listen, I haven't got long, but I want to test

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Speaker 1: you on this. Okay, So there's still pressure on Luxein's leadership.

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Speaker 1: It's mounting. We've now got an air apparent, which is christmaship.

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Speaker 1: Do you think that Luxon has gone in twenty twenty seven,

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Speaker 1: a year after the election, or is he gone before Christmas?

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Speaker 2: This is yeah, he's not gone before Christmas.

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Speaker 1: So twenty twenty seven.

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Speaker 2: Well, whether he's gone on twenty twenty seven is another

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Speaker 2: matter as well. I think it's a mood thing here though.

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Speaker 2: And when the National Party starts looking better next year,

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Speaker 2: and I'm almost certain it will. And if you look

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Speaker 2: at all the economists, they are all saying there's going

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Speaker 2: to be growth next year, and quite good growth. That

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Speaker 2: always increases the enthusiasm of the public. And I would

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Speaker 2: think that you'll find and I know I'm on record

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Speaker 2: of saying that to you, and you're going to pay

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Speaker 2: me a bet that Chris Luxon will be here while

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Speaker 2: I'm truly okay.

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Speaker 1: We'll say about that bet. Barry. Thank you very much,

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Speaker 1: Barry So for senior political correspondent, rapping the political week it.

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Speaker 2: Wasn't for more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive.

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