1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: So the political year underway today with the Prime Minister's 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: State of the Nation. We're not expecting apparently specific policy, 3 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: more a sense of where we're at and where we're 4 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:08,559 Speaker 1: going and whether the current lot have the wherewith all 5 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: the carry on past. October November Prime minister are after 6 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:14,319 Speaker 1: the half hour, but Stephen Joyce, former Finance Minister, is 7 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: with us. 8 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning, Michael. How are you very well? 9 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: Indeed, happy new year. 10 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 2: Fixing new year. Good to see you back. 11 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: Fixing the basics building the future, I'm told is the theme. 12 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: How malleable do you think the electorate is to sort 13 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: of a bit of imaging and ideas at this time 14 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: of year? 15 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:34,559 Speaker 2: Oh well, I think you've got to have some a 16 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 2: story to tell. I think it's really important. And actually 17 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 2: I think that's as a former campaign manager of about 18 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 2: five elections, I think that's as good as any and 19 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,199 Speaker 2: probably indicative of where things are at. You've got to 20 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 2: fix the basics and you've got to get things hitting 21 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 2: in the right direction. I mean, that's the reality of 22 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 2: it and that's what the public expects. So tick for that, 23 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 2: and it's just execution. 24 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: The GDP numbers look good. Q three very good. Manufacturing 25 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: looks good, the confidence looks good. There's a lot of 26 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: material there to work with if you want to, isn't it. 27 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: Yes, there is, But I think also there and it 28 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 2: is looking more positive. A lot of people won't be 29 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 2: feeling it yet, and I think it's important for the 30 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 2: Prime Minister to day to sort of level with the 31 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,839 Speaker 2: public that, you know, the acknowledges that things have been tough. 32 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 2: He knows it's been hard work. You know, we were 33 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 2: in a big hole. We're working our way out of it, 34 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 2: but it's not done yet, and there's some positive science, 35 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:32,199 Speaker 2: but not over sell it. I think at this point, 36 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 2: I think you've got to you've got to talk about 37 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 2: where people's reality is and then and then talk about 38 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 2: what we're going to do this year. And it's a 39 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 2: challenging year still. I mean, it's positive from our perspective, 40 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 2: but you know, we just have to watch the news 41 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 2: for about four hours to know just how turbulent the 42 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 2: world is. And if I was I'd be talking about 43 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 2: how important it is for the country to be match 44 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 2: fit in a way that it probably hasn't had to 45 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 2: have previously because we are in very, very uncertain times. 46 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 2: So we've got to do some of the hard yards 47 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 2: to make sure that we that we keep growing and 48 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 2: that actually what started actually turns into something pretty special. 49 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: It's an interesting point. There's a lot of in the 50 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: the chatterati they're standing by this morning for him to 51 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: say something about Venezuela and stuff. Are we gripped by that, 52 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: we gripped by a New Zealand's view of the wider 53 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: world than it's tumult or are we more interested in 54 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: jobs and finance and the economy. 55 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 2: Well, I don't think the public are expecting the Prime 56 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:34,799 Speaker 2: Minister to offer an hour by our commentary on what's 57 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 2: happening in the US, and he would take up all 58 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 2: this time if he did that. So I think they're 59 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 2: expecting them to acknowledge that and then focus on what 60 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 2: he can do and what we can do as a 61 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 2: country to succeed in tough times, I mean in in 62 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,359 Speaker 2: turbulent times, and that's really what they're expecting of them. 63 00:02:55,639 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 2: The other thing I think that's important, whether today or later, 64 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 2: is for the government to lay out the importance of 65 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 2: national and the coalition, because I think you're going to 66 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 2: find all year everybody positioning naturally enough act in New 67 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 2: Zealand first, they're going to be positioning their importance to it, 68 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 2: and I think National is yet to land on a 69 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 2: description of itself and its role in the coalition. And 70 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 2: I think that role is as a solid foundation, the 71 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 2: sort of the ballast, the core of the coalition. It's 72 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 2: not particularly sexy, but it's important and I think that's 73 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 2: something that they have to talk about more because they 74 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 2: can't talk about it as if there's not going to 75 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 2: be a coalition because clearly there is after the next election. 76 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 2: Of the way all the polls are looking, So what's 77 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 2: the important part. Why are they the important part? Why 78 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 2: are they the glue the whole thing together? That's really important. 79 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: It's going to be great. Yeah, appreciate time as always. 80 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: Stephen Joyce, former Finance Minister. Of course, it's the most 81 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: fascinating thing for me because the media generally don't like 82 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: the government and the media every time they need to 83 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: position themselves, Whinston will position themselves, David Seymoll position himself 84 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: separate to the National Party. So how much of today, 85 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: for example, is about the National Party? How much of 86 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: it's about the coalition? Every time somebody says something to 87 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: go ooh, cracks on the coalition. Oooh, cracks on the 88 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: You know, how are they going to do that this 89 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: year without becoming a thing. 90 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,479 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 91 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 2: news talks it Be from six am weekdays, or follow 92 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.