1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: Andrew Diggers, so one of the big winners in Chris 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 1: Lackson's cabinet reshuffle as a man you might not have 3 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: heard of. His name is James Meagher. He's the first 4 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:13,039 Speaker 1: term MP for Rangitata. He's been given three portfolios. He 5 00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: becomes Minister for Hunting and Fishing, Minister for Youth and 6 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,920 Speaker 1: a newly created Minister for the South Island and James 7 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 1: mega joins me. Now, congratulations James. 8 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 2: Good after Andrews from a sunny South on great with you. 9 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: When did you get the call up? 10 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 2: I was sitting at the black Clash game at Heckley 11 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 2: Oval on Sunday night. It was a couple of balls 12 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 2: into the first innings and I got a call from 13 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 2: the PM and I thought, all shivers, I might be 14 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 2: in trouble here and took the call, founded a quiet 15 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 2: corner and he gave me the good news. So yeah, 16 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 2: it was. It was late afternoon, early evening on Saturday. 17 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 1: What did he say? 18 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 2: He was very polite, He said, what am I up to? 19 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 2: I said him at the cricket. He told me about 20 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 2: the fact that his grandfather was a groundsman there, and 21 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 2: then he launched into it. He said, hey, look I've 22 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 2: got some good news. I'd be really keen for you 23 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,839 Speaker 2: to join our team as Minister for the South Island, 24 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 2: Minister for Youse, Minnestera Hunting and Fishing and Associate Transport. 25 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 2: And I kind of stopped and took a second to 26 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 2: download what he'd asked me to do, and then we 27 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 2: chat about the priorities, and then he said, all right, 28 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 2: have a good evening. I've got to go make some 29 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 2: other calls. 30 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: Probably dismister RITTI, I'm afraid, but yeah, okay, well, well, 31 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: how amazing is that? And I hope he also told 32 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: you to remember to catch a ball with one hand 33 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: if you want to make some money or actually get 34 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: some KFC at that game, because that was a good thing. Now, 35 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: I presume the very first thing you're going to do 36 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 1: is a very leisurely road trip all around the South 37 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: Island with a bit of hunting and fishing, so you 38 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: can appraise the issues. 39 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 2: Well, if you've ever traveled around the South to take 40 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 2: a leisurely road trip around the whole island is going 41 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 2: to take a couple of months if you did it NonStop, 42 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 2: So no, you're right. The first thing to do is 43 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 2: to figure out exactly where I need to get to 44 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 2: and for me, that's as far south as I can go, 45 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 2: right up to the far North. And what I want 46 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 2: to do is I want to talk to South Island 47 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 2: is about what their priorities are for making sure that 48 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 2: our island can grow and the South Island can contribute 49 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 2: to Nichola Willis's economic growth Plan. And so that's a 50 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 2: big part of what the Peem wants me to do. 51 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 2: Help us focus on what can we do to promote 52 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 2: growth in the South Island and then what can I 53 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 2: do to make sure that I maintain a good strong 54 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 2: voice for mainlanders up in Wellington? 55 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 1: Are you amazed that there's never been a minister for 56 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: the South Island before? 57 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 2: It surprised me and I didn't want to say that 58 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 2: publicly because I wasn't actually quite sure. But a few 59 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 2: people have told me that, and I'm obviously excited. And 60 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 2: it's a new portfolio and given that there hasn't been 61 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,079 Speaker 2: one before, it's a little bit of a blank canvas 62 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 2: that the Peam is going to give me a good 63 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 2: steer on what his priorities are and what he needs 64 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 2: me to deliver. But the great thing is that Mainlanders 65 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 2: and look actually everyone's got an interest in making sure 66 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 2: the South Island is successful. So I'm keen to hear 67 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 2: from people about what their priorities are for me, what 68 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 2: they'd like to see me to deliver, and how I 69 00:02:58,240 --> 00:02:58,959 Speaker 2: can work for them. 70 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, you said earlier this afternoon is that your island 71 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 1: is full of minerals and agriculture and electricity and tourism, 72 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 1: but unfortunately not full of people, so you don't get 73 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: represented in Parliament much. 74 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 2: No, And like if people look at the electric mix, 75 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 2: we've got sixteen electrics in the south Land and then 76 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 2: I don't want to pressure my mass here, but you've 77 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 2: got what sixty odd well, yes, fifty five sixty odd 78 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 2: up in Northoland. So we don't want this to turn 79 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 2: into a bit of a numbers game. We want to 80 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 2: make sure that the south Land has good representation both 81 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 2: in our caucus and in our government, and we do. 82 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 2: But the point is that if we really want to 83 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 2: grow the economy, the South Isld is going to be 84 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 2: a big part of that. And you mentioned it. Tourism, agriculture, minerals, exploration, 85 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 2: small business. They are all key things to the South 86 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 2: end can help with. 87 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: Very good You've already got a job though you're chairing 88 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: the Justice Select Committee, and for your crimes, you're dealing 89 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: with the Treaty Principal's bills. So you've read all three 90 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: hundred thousand. I presume most of them is like the style. 91 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 2: I will openly admit I have not read all three 92 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 2: hundred thousand. I can't even get close to reading them. 93 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 2: I think someone did the mass and decided that you 94 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 2: need to outlive Moses in order to be able to 95 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 2: read them all. We don't have a breakdown of what 96 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 2: the submissions look like at the moment. We're starting to 97 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 2: decide on who our first submitters are, and we'll make 98 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 2: some public information about numbers and about content and that 99 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 2: and due of course, but from what I understand the 100 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 2: campaigns that I've seen running, there will be a lot 101 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 2: of repetitive stuff. There will be a lot of single 102 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:28,559 Speaker 2: line submissions. But there will be a lot of people 103 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 2: who put a lot of time and effort into these 104 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 2: submissions too. So I'm just want to sure the listeners 105 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 2: that they are all read by humans. 106 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,359 Speaker 1: Of course, because many of them will have exactly the 107 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 1: same wordings. And I'm talking about both sides here. I'm 108 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: not talking one more time that'll be exactly the same. 109 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: They're just the photocopy has been running hot. Oral submissions 110 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: follow in the next few weeks. You reckon that's going 111 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 1: to be tense. 112 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 2: Look, it depends on how the tone set in that 113 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 2: first week. So we've made a very deliberate choice it 114 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 2: and when we start hearings on the tweeters in the 115 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,799 Speaker 2: first week, we're wanting to invite some who have something 116 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 2: substantive to say, who will do it in a way 117 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 2: which is respectful of the process and hopefully set the 118 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 2: tone for the remainder of the hearings. And Look, it's 119 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 2: up to individuals and organizations as for how they decide 120 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 2: to submit, and we can put value in waiting on 121 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 2: how that decided to present their submission, But we expect 122 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 2: people to engage in the process in a respectful way. 123 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,039 Speaker 2: People have got strong views, that's fine. They can let 124 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:23,720 Speaker 2: those views be heard, but they've got to do it 125 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 2: in a way which is respectful to the process and 126 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 2: respectful to each other. 127 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 1: I'm not ages, James, how old are you? 128 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 2: I'm thirty seven, although Wikipedia can't decide whether I'm thirty 129 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 2: seven or thirty eight, so I'll not for the record, 130 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 2: I'm thirty seven birthdays in August. No need to send 131 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 2: any gifts down my way. Just come and visit and 132 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 2: spend your tourist dollars down the South Aid. There. 133 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: Oh, look at that. Straight on the job already James Mega, 134 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: the new Minister for the South Islands. For more from 135 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 1: Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news 136 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 2: Talk sai'd Be from four pm weekdays, or follow the 137 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 2: podcast on iHeartRadio.