1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Barry Sober, Senior political correspondence with US. Now, Hi, Barry, 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: good afternoon. Can we start with John Barnette's passer. 3 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was. You could have knocked me over last 4 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 2: night when I was told that John had passed. It 5 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 2: was incredible. Just over a week ago I was at 6 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: his eightieth birthday and the speeches from John and his 7 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 2: lovely wife Sarah wonderful. And I ran into him on 8 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 2: Sunday when I was out walking a little girl, and 9 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 2: we had a long chat then and he died later 10 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 2: that day. I found it absolutely extraordinary. This man was 11 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 2: an absolute legend. I've known him for more than forty years, 12 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: and in fact we were involved in business trying to 13 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 2: get TV three up and running in the nineteen eighties. 14 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 2: But he went on to do amazing things when South 15 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:52,639 Speaker 2: Pacific Pictures he owned. He put out those wonderful movies 16 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 2: among ten of the top grossing films in New Zealand. 17 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 2: Foot Rock Flats, while rider Cione's Wedding once were Warriors 18 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 2: and the sequel What Became of the Broken Hearted? You know, 19 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 2: an incredible man, Shortland Street, outrageous fortune. They were his 20 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 2: programs as well. And you know, John was never a 21 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 2: man to brag about what his achievements were, but they 22 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 2: were legendary and the tributes that have been pouring in 23 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 2: for him today are you know, what would be expected 24 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:28,759 Speaker 2: of a man of this caliber. It's a very sad 25 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 2: day for the film industry in New Zealand. 26 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, it is. And also it seems kind 27 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: of sad for him because he was so happy. 28 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:40,319 Speaker 2: Oh well, I've never seen John incredibly got married for 29 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 2: the first time in his life at seventy eight, and 30 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 2: he went to New York to get married, and you know, 31 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 2: came back and had a wonderful occasion here with all 32 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 2: his friends. But you know, I thought at his eightieth 33 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 2: I thought John was the happiest I've ever seen him. 34 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 2: And in fact, when I talked to him on some day, 35 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 2: we were talking about age and John was saying, one 36 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 2: thing you've got to do is you've got to keep busy. 37 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 2: Always keep busy. Always have a project. I'll tell you 38 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 2: what it does do though, whether it brings home to you. 39 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 2: And I'm sure a lot of listeners listening to this 40 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 2: and so it brings your own mortality home to you. 41 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 2: And yeah, you just never know what's going on. 42 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, particularly for you at your age. Again, No, 43 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: that's not what I mean. It's not day too old, 44 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,079 Speaker 1: isn't it. No, No, I do I mean I mean that. 45 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: I mean, I think, I think for for you know, 46 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:35,839 Speaker 1: when you see your peers start falling over your big 47 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: people in your life, John Bunnett, Bob Jones, people who 48 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: are important, it's very confronting. So yeah, sorry, Barry, I 49 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: won't tease you about your age anymoy. 50 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 2: Thank you. 51 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: Okay, Now is it? Does it appear to you that 52 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: Winston Peters maybe getting a bit pissy at the Prime 53 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 1: minister over Palestine. 54 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 2: Oh? He is. And they've said from the start though, 55 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,360 Speaker 2: in Winston in particular, and said that look, they'll be 56 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 2: making a statement to the General Assembly in September in 57 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 2: New York, and you know they'll be making a statement 58 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 2: essentially to an empty auditorium because New Zealand, being the 59 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 2: country of its size, and I've been there many times 60 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 2: with prime ministers, they stand up New Zealand at the 61 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 2: end of the day, most people have gone home, and 62 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 2: they deliver a statement. Well, will I would imagine most 63 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 2: certainly recognize Palestine, providing this a two state. We've always 64 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 2: said there should be a two state solution. But in 65 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 2: the meantime, Winston says that he's not happy about people 66 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 2: running on at the mouth and giving a running commentary 67 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 2: essentially of what's going on there. Well, the person that's 68 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 2: been doing that is the Prime minister. But I'm sorry, 69 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 2: I think the Prime Minister is well within his rights. 70 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 2: He is the leader of the country and if he 71 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 2: wants to express a view that maybe outside the gamut 72 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 2: of foreign affairs who are quite conservative in these things, 73 00:03:58,640 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 2: I think the Prime Minister's going to. 74 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: Run can I ask you, though, and fair enough with 75 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: the position that he holds, he does have a right. 76 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: But given that the man sitting there, the Foreign Affairs Minister, 77 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: is one of the most experienced foreign affairs these countries 78 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: ever had, would you not defer to him or listen 79 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: to him if he is saying because what Winston is 80 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: saying is constant commentary on this is not helpful. So 81 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 1: should Luxon not listen to him? 82 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 2: Well, yes he should, but he is the boss and 83 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 2: if he wants to make a statement, I mean you 84 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 2: look at all the other countries around the world that 85 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 2: have made statements about the madness of Netanyahu and lux 86 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 2: and saying he lost the plot. I think that's absolutely 87 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 2: fair commentary. 88 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 1: But we don't know what's going on in the background. 89 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 1: So sitting aside, sitting aside the fact that Luckson is 90 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: the boss, because he is your right's ultimately his call. 91 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: If you had to choose between Winston or Chris Luxon 92 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: being right on this, who would you choose? 93 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,480 Speaker 2: Well, there is no right on this, I don't think. 94 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:52,799 Speaker 2: I mean, you know you can say you can tread 95 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 2: very carefully on this and take all the facts into account, 96 00:04:57,200 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 2: but you know you only have to turn on the 97 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 2: television every night to see what's happening in gars and 98 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 2: the occupation of Garza City to say, well, look, something 99 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 2: isn't right here, and we've got I think we've got 100 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 2: a duty as a country to speaker. 101 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: Now, Barry, I don't have a long time, so just 102 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: hit me with your spray on the four years go on. 103 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,919 Speaker 2: Oh well, I see, I've always been an advocate for 104 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:20,679 Speaker 2: four years, and I said so in the referendum number 105 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 2: of years ago. That was lost. But you know the 106 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:28,279 Speaker 2: idea that you can decide between three and four years. 107 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 2: You can get four years if you give the chairmanship 108 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 2: of select committees to the opposition is patently. 109 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: Saus David was overly complicated. 110 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 2: But were you imagining this. If the chair of a 111 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 2: select committee had the casting vote on every piece of 112 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 2: legislation and it happened to be the opposition, you would 113 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:50,159 Speaker 2: never get anything done in Parliament. And you know you 114 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 2: say there are checks and balances, and there are in 115 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 2: many systems of Senates in the United States and the 116 00:05:55,760 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 2: House of Lords in Britain. We've got after our our 117 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 2: higher House that we did have here until the fifties. 118 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,359 Speaker 2: We've got the select committee process. It's with the public 119 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 2: attempt laws, laws. 120 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: Time, timetime. Thank you Baron Shorts, great and thank you 121 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 1: very much, very so for senior political correspondent. 122 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,280 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 123 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 2: news Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 124 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.