1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 1: Barry Sober, senior political correspondence with US High Barry. One 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 1: of the ideas pitched is a nine dollar toll for 3 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:07,920 Speaker 1: the Auckland Harbor Bridge. That's not going to happen. This's 4 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 1: a nonsense. 5 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 2: It seems a hell of a lot of money. You 6 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 2: consider that a working week, somebody coming back and forth 7 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 2: to the city from the north Shore, it'd be almost 8 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 2: one hundred bucks a week. It's a hell of a 9 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 2: lot of What. 10 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 1: Do you do if you're that commuter? You just decide 11 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: to go on the Ring Road, don't you? 12 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 2: Well you're doing But then I guess you have to 13 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 2: weigh that up about how much petrol that's going to 14 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 2: cost you to go on the Ring Road. 15 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: It's probably not nine dollars. Well, then you're sitting there 16 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: just clog one road up. 17 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 2: That's exactly right. But it's really interesting the you know, 18 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 2: they're looking at tolling the existing bridge for as well 19 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 2: as the new one White to Marter Bridge, and if 20 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 2: they do both. Of course, the old bridge was built 21 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 2: in nineteen fifty nine, I think, and they had tolls 22 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 2: there for years on that. The tolls started out at 23 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 2: two dollars seventy a day, but that's the twenty five cents. 24 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 2: It amounts to. 25 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 3: Two dollars seventy that's in adjusted. 26 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,399 Speaker 2: That's inflation adjusted. So I don't know where they get 27 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 2: the nine dollars from, but you know they're that pondering 28 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 2: nine dollars. It's a hell of a lot of money. 29 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 2: I don't know how they're going to do it. But 30 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 2: when they told the bridge early on, at the beginning 31 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 2: of it, they paid for it really no time at all, 32 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 2: by less than ten years the bridge are being paid 33 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,960 Speaker 2: for and they scrapped the tolls on the bridge now 34 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 2: bringing them back. I mean you have to toll roads. 35 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 2: I don't think anybody would deny that, because if we 36 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 2: want infrastructure that keeps up to date, you've got to 37 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 2: spend money on it. And where does the money come from. 38 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 2: I mean there's government and dire straits when it comes 39 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 2: to its box at the moment, so. 40 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: Well, I can cut some fat out of the box 41 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: and then just to keep on saying exactly the same 42 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: thing over and over again. Now, what is the Prime 43 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: minister said about the idea from Winston of running a 44 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: referendum on the Mary seats. 45 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 2: Well, it's interesting because he faced questions in Parliament today. 46 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 2: Do you know the first time the abolition of Maori 47 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 2: seats were considered? How long ago do you think they 48 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 2: were No, I don't know eighteen seventy two, because they 49 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 2: were brought in for five years initially and until mariy 50 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 2: Land claims were settled and then they would convert to 51 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,799 Speaker 2: general electorate seats. So you know, it's a long time ago. 52 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,519 Speaker 2: This is a battle that's been going on for many years. 53 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 2: So Winston's hardly getting ahead of himself by suggesting or 54 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 2: campaigning on a referendum to get rid of them. But 55 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 2: in Parliament this afternoon it had got a cool reception 56 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 2: of us, say from the Prime Minister when Chris Luxen 57 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 2: was asked for his view about them from the Malori 58 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 2: Party's co leader Debi Nahiwa packerhesh. 59 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 4: Is, does the Prime Minister support the continued existence of 60 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 4: the Mali electrits? 61 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 3: Well, that is something that we haven't given consideration to. 62 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 4: Does he agree that Marii eleetritz represent a constitutional recognis 63 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 4: of t titti or lightening. 64 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 3: Well, I understand they've been a feature of the Zealand's 65 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 3: political system for some time. But the important thing is 66 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 3: they have representation with the biggest Maori contingent and cabinet 67 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 3: of any government in recent times. 68 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 5: If the Mari seats were worth the feeling, why is 69 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 5: it that the people who preside in the Mara seats 70 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 5: have spent less time in Parliament than somebody who has 71 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 5: been overseas for two hudred and six days and yet 72 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 5: spend more time in Parliament than the Murray Party seats 73 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 5: all together. 74 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 3: Well, that is an important question. I think voters on 75 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 3: the Mari electorates have been poorly represented in this parliament. 76 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 2: Not surprisingly, Naruba Paka did object to these statistics that 77 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 2: Winston came out what he was talking about his own. 78 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 2: Of course they travel abroad. But it is true that 79 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 2: the Murray Party MPs aren't regular attendees at Parliament and 80 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 2: when they've represented their electorates, is I guess a debate 81 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 2: for those who vote in them. 82 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: Okay, So the cost of living has come up, yep. 83 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 2: Yes today we've seen the polls. Of course yesterday and 84 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 2: in recent weeks. The cost of living in the economy 85 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 2: remain the most The greatest concern for people was an 86 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 2: issue taken up by Labour's Barbara Eden Edmonds. This afternoon, 87 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 2: but she failed to score a hit on her target. 88 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 2: Nikola Willis. 89 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 6: The era of crushing price increases in the economy occurred 90 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 6: during the three years under the last government, where inflation 91 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 6: remained out of target, peaking at seven point three percent. 92 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 6: That era is now over those parties who say the 93 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 6: solution to every problem is to drive up government spending 94 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 6: and borrow risk reawakening the inflation beast. Has she been advised, 95 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 6: with food prices soaring, whether the Prime Minister can still 96 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 6: do his weekly shop for sixty dollars, mister speaker. This 97 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 6: follows a trend of recent final supplementary questions from the 98 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 6: opposing member in which she gets personal and nasty and 99 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 6: I'm not going to sink to that nyboy. 100 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 2: So that didn't go down well. 101 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: At all, Barry, thank you very much, appreciate it. Barry Sofa, 102 00:04:57,960 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: Senior political correspondent. 103 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 5: For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 104 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 5: News Talk SETB from four pm weekdays, or follow the 105 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 5: podcast on iHeartRadio.