1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,199 Speaker 1: The huddle with New Zealand Southeby's International Realty achieve extraordinary 2 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: results with und parallel reach. 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 2: On the huddle of this evening we have Connor English, 4 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 2: director at Wellington government relations firm Silverye and Mike Munroe, 5 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 2: former Chief of Staff, to just send a hello you too. 6 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 3: You know, how are you very well? 7 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 2: Is that you Connor? That's you? Oh Mike, Mike, you 8 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 2: muted yourself again, Lord these boomers? Oh Mike, now still 9 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 2: muted Mike. Okay, We're going to let Mike just take 10 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 2: a minute and figure out the phone. Connor, I wanted 11 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 2: to talk to you first anyway. What do you make 12 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 2: of Nicholas budget and the tiny, tiny spending allowance. 13 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 4: Well, it just shows how tough and how tight the 14 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:44,599 Speaker 4: situation is for the government. But I think you've got 15 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 4: a beer in mind that the government has never spent 16 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 4: more in the history of having governments in New Zealand. 17 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 3: So whilst there's not much extra, there's still. 18 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 4: A lot of government spinal taking place, and I think 19 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 4: the ministers now looking to focus on value for. 20 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 3: Money and you know, be portrayed as. 21 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 4: A careful manager of the of the government's books and 22 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 4: you know, They talk a lot about focusing on growth 23 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:11,839 Speaker 4: to get more revenue in so you can spend more 24 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 4: after you've got the revenue in. 25 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:15,759 Speaker 2: I agree with you on this, Connor, But what would 26 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 2: you suggest like and she's cut her spending allowance, her 27 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 2: operating allowance from two point four billion to one point 28 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:23,119 Speaker 2: three billion, would you have paired it back even further? 29 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 3: Ah? 30 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 4: Well, I'm not the Minister of Finance and I don't 31 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 4: have all the facts available to me that she would have. 32 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:34,960 Speaker 4: But I think the notion that we should be looking 33 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 4: for more value for money if you just focus on 34 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 4: one of the inputs, which is cash, and not on 35 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 4: the outcomes or even the outputs. You know, if everyone 36 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 4: says there's a problem, we just need to have more cash, 37 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 4: you don't look for innovative ways. You're not looking for productivity, 38 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 4: you're not looking for other ways of solving the solving 39 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 4: the problem. And I think what her challenge is to 40 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 4: the public sector is how can you solve these problems 41 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 4: or body services in a smarter way? And there's an 42 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 4: enormous number of smart people in the public sector are 43 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 4: very capable of doing that. 44 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 3: And I think she's just setting up the framework that 45 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 3: she's going to. 46 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 4: Put a little bit of pressure on to enable them 47 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 4: to put a bit more thought into there. 48 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: Mikey you with us? 49 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 3: Now? Can you hear me? 50 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 2: It's not stay with us, Mike. What do you make 51 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 2: of what Nicholas done? 52 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,559 Speaker 5: Really about it? 53 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 6: It feels like austerity, Heather, It probably is. You know, 54 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 6: a couple of months ago the message from luxon. 55 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 3: For this year, what's growth growth, growth, Well, from. 56 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 6: Today it is cuts cuts, cuts, And as Thomas Cogden 57 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 6: wrote in The Herald, today willis is going to in 58 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 6: order to fund the growing cost of existing services. And 59 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 6: you start to wonder what's going to be sacrific child 60 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 6: poverty measures? Will it be the climb its public transport? 61 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 6: Something has to give, as the Brits showed with the under. 62 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 2: No, I pulpin, I pulpin I can't I tried, I tried. 63 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 2: Did you try? We all tried, didn't we? What we're 64 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 2: going to do is we're going to take a break 65 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 2: and we're just going to help the situation out by 66 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 2: calling Mike back. 67 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,119 Speaker 1: So just bear with the huddle with New Zealand Southeby's 68 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 1: international realty the ones with worldwide connections that perform not 69 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: a promise. 70 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 2: Right, we're back with the huddle. Mike is back on 71 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 2: the phone. Mike, please carry on, because I actually wanted 72 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 2: to hear what you had to say. 73 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 5: Look, I'm not quite sure how much you heard of 74 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 5: me previously. So I was just making the point that 75 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 5: that Luxlan talked about growth, growth, growth, making steperary this year. 76 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 5: Right now, it's going to be cut, cut, cuts, as 77 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 5: Cogan Thomas Cogan wrote about in the heral today. Now 78 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 5: Williason is going to have to cut a hell of 79 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 5: a lot billions of dollars of spending across the government 80 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 5: to fund the growing cost of existing services that you 81 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 5: talked about today. And you start to wonder what's going 82 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 5: to be sacrificed to pay for them. Is it going 83 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 5: to be police, child poverty, climate, school repairs, public transport. 84 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 5: Something has to give, because you know, reprioritizing it's one 85 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 5: of those weasel words the government's use that means we 86 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 5: have to take the money from here and put it 87 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 5: over there, and nothing much has them to change, and 88 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 5: you don't address their qualities and health. By reprioritizing, you 89 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 5: make a good point. You make a good fixed up 90 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 5: schools reprioritizing. 91 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 2: You make a very good point, but I think we 92 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 2: can all accept that there is some bloating where there's 93 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 2: a lot of bloating actually that happens in any part 94 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 2: of the public sector, and that sometimes just going over 95 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 2: it and starting to cut a few things that are 96 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 2: not needed anymore is not a bad thing, right. This 97 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,679 Speaker 2: is just a bit of a school discipline. 98 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 5: But it tends to be around the margins, I find. 99 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 5: I mean, governments over the years have talked about razor 100 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 5: cans and making these sorts of cuts, and when they 101 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 5: get down to it, it's tough around the margins that 102 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,480 Speaker 5: goes and it's not billions of dollars as well as 103 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 5: it's talking about today. 104 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 3: Yeah, So what she's. 105 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 5: Got in mind is something a lot more substantive. 106 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 4: Yeah. 107 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 2: I suspect it's going to have to be big stuff. Now, Connor, 108 00:04:57,360 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 2: what did you think of Tory pulling out of the race? 109 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 2: Did Toy pull out of race because we were too 110 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:02,919 Speaker 2: mean to her? Or was it because she was actually 111 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,040 Speaker 2: just stinking, stinking she was going to get beaten by 112 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 2: Andrew Little? 113 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 5: Ah? 114 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 3: Well, I mean Tory is the only one that knows that. 115 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 4: But I suspect that she saw the riding on the 116 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 4: on the wall, and I'm not sure what the local 117 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 4: poles have said about it. 118 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 3: But also with Andrew little standing in the race. 119 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 4: You know, you saw back in twenty sixteen when Joe 120 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 4: Codlin it hams to be my gorgeous wife stood for 121 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 4: me here and so did Nikola Young and Nick Legott, 122 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 4: and that split that vote that sort of because Joe 123 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 4: was an independent, the scene as sort of center center 124 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 4: right a little bit, and that split that vote. And 125 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 4: so I guess the Greens and Labor didn't want to 126 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 4: split that vote and want to consolidate it around one 127 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 4: one candidate. 128 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 3: So now they've sort of done that, and I wouldn't 129 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 3: be at. 130 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 4: All surprised if Tory comes back as deputy mayor. 131 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 2: Now, Mike, well, jeez, hang on, attack, I hold on, Connor, Connor, 132 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 2: are you is this just among coming from the right. 133 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 4: There's no free lunch. There's no free lunch, is there? 134 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 4: So if you if you're going to stand down, you're 135 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 4: going to want something and return for that. 136 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 2: Well, what about just saving your own dignity? 137 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 3: Well, as I say, I mean, Tory. 138 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 4: Has her own reasons, but if you look at it, 139 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 4: you know, from a strategic perspective, that makes sense that 140 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,479 Speaker 4: you only have one candidate on the on the left. 141 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 3: Not too okay. 142 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 2: Now here's the thing, Mike, we've gone to. We've gone 143 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 2: to Andrew Little because we didn't want to ruin things 144 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 2: for him, you know, with with conspiracy theories and stuff. 145 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 2: And we've asked him, is Tory going to be your deputy? 146 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 2: And he's come back and said he's not given any 147 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 2: thoughts to who's going to be the deputy, and he's 148 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 2: focused on winning the election and so on. So what 149 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 2: do you think is he going to make Torri his deputy? 150 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 5: I would very much doubt it. Tory's Toy's first or 151 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 5: brand has been very badly damaged by numerous incidents over 152 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 5: the last three years, and I don't think Little would 153 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 5: want to associate that with his meyalty. She went against 154 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,679 Speaker 5: the Greens Labor and voted in favored the Council selling 155 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,479 Speaker 5: its airport chairs, which is which I thought was a 156 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 5: good decision, but of course, you know, it incurred the 157 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 5: wrath of the Greens and Labor, and I just think 158 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 5: Andrew Little won't want that sort of stuff to resurface 159 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 5: during his campaign, So I'd be very surprised that the 160 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 5: entertained thoughts of having Toy anywhere near his ticket. 161 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 2: What do you think, Mike, of what Chippy's been saying, 162 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 2: which is that we're just mean to her because she's 163 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 2: a lady. 164 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 5: No, I don't really agree with that, Heather. I think 165 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 5: I Tori's brought a lot of these problems upon herself. 166 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 5: The funny thing is funny. The sensible thing is is 167 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 5: that Toy's actually got a story to tell. Despite all 168 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 5: the Tory haters out there, She's actually had some pretty 169 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 5: solid accomplishments during her term. You know, the district plans 170 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 5: and how to point with, there's a lot more housing going up. 171 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 5: The library and town Hall refits are almost finished and 172 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 5: he's going to get to cut the ribbon on them. 173 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 5: Cycleways have been rolled out around the city, mild project underway. 174 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 5: So just a story to tell, but it's all been overshadowed. 175 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 5: I think by this the personal misdemeanors that Tory experience 176 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 5: over the last three years, and so that's not mean 177 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 5: it's just shed to trouble. 178 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 3: I think there's there's I'm sure she's done a lot of. 179 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 4: Good things and I'm sure she's very well meaning, as 180 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 4: probably everyone instance for counsel is, but there is a 181 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 4: pretty harsh reality is that Wellington isn't actually in that 182 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:33,079 Speaker 4: good of shape and a lot of the things and 183 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 4: initiatives that you've mentioned have ended up not working well 184 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 4: for the community. 185 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:40,679 Speaker 3: They've been implementing things that they haven't. 186 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 4: Listened to the community on and we've ended up with 187 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 4: a lot of expenditure and not much value for money. 188 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:50,839 Speaker 3: Wellington Water where they talked about a culture of. 189 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 4: Learned hopelessness, you know, and now we're getting these massive 190 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 4: rape bills. So it's a legacy that I'm sure there's 191 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,080 Speaker 4: some very good positives in it, but there's also some 192 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:05,320 Speaker 4: challenges for whoever comes in next that have been the 193 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 4: result of some very poor decision making by by the 194 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 4: Council over the last several years. 195 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 2: Guys, it's been lovely to talk to you. Thank you 196 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:17,439 Speaker 2: so much, and Mike, thank you for It wasn't Mike's fault. 197 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 2: I just feel like I need to clarify this wasn't 198 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 2: Mike's fault that the phone did the funny robot voice. Okay, 199 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 2: that was just electronics. That's just life that happens. But 200 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 2: Jesus frustrating, isn't it way? Mike, thank you for tolerating 201 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 2: us and making fun of you as a boomer. That's 202 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 2: Mike Munroe, former chief of staff to Jasinda dun And 203 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 2: Connor English, director at Wellington government relations firm Silver Eye. 204 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 205 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: news Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 206 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.