1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: With me right now? Is Gavin Gray out of the UK? Hey, Gevin, 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: hi there head listen this business about the Indian workers 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:08,639 Speaker 1: through on the FTA. How do you think this is 4 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:09,239 Speaker 1: going to go down? 5 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's interesting. So the government really heralding this free 6 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 2: trade agreement yesterday saying how much it'll add to the economy, 7 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 2: and it has taken three years to get here. So 8 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:22,479 Speaker 2: there would have been other MPs who were in the 9 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 2: government now on the supposition side, who were thinking we 10 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 2: should have got this through because of the good publicity. 11 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 2: But as people have been pouring over some of the 12 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 2: fine detail, some of them are saying, now, actually there's 13 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 2: lines in it which will mean that British workers are 14 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 2: seriously undercut. So one aspect of this free trade agreement 15 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 2: is that there will be an exemption on paying national 16 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 2: insurance contributions from one to three years. Nationally insurance contributions 17 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:52,560 Speaker 2: are something that often the employer will pay for every 18 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 2: employee they have. The government recently put it up for 19 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 2: everyone and that has led to several large national chain 20 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 2: saying well, I'm afraid we're probably either going to have 21 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 2: to put our prices up now or get rid of people, 22 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 2: make them redundant because these are costing in some instances 23 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:15,479 Speaker 2: roughly twenty thousand New Zealand dollars per employee per year. 24 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,759 Speaker 2: So it's big beer and the idea that Indian workers 25 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 2: maybe had to come in and not pay that means 26 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 2: of course there'll be much cheaper to hire effectively for 27 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 2: the employer. And so yeah, Liberal Democrats, the Conservative Party 28 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 2: and Reform or saying this is a massive mistake. We've 29 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 2: opened the doors here and although Labor has said no, 30 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 2: there's no change in the immigration law, I think it 31 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 2: will lead to many people thinking that's going to be 32 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 2: a cheaper person to employ because I don't have to 33 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 2: pay those a National insurance contributors. 34 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: And Kevin, can I just keep it up to a 35 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: me on something? 36 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 2: Right? 37 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: So yesterday we were being told that Labor was not 38 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: was potentially going to reverse the situation with the winter 39 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: energy payments. What is it now? 40 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, no, if they're saying they're not going to reverse that. Indeed, 41 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 2: the Guardian is reporting one of the big papers here 42 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 2: that they're raising the earnings threshold to qualify for the payment. 43 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 2: That might be something they're looking at, but the actual 44 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 2: scrapping of it is not going to happen. So these 45 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 2: winter fuel payments there are a lump sum of roughly 46 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 2: four hundred and forty New Zealand dollars a year for 47 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 2: pensioners under the age of eighty, it's six hundred and 48 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 2: sixty New Zealand dollars for the over eighties. It's paid 49 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 2: in November and December, and it is effectively paid to 50 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 2: try and help them with their heating bills, and Labor 51 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 2: really cracked down on it and effectively scrapped it for 52 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 2: almost most pensioners anyway, in a bid to save three 53 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 2: and a bit mid billion pounds a year. But that 54 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 2: has affected roughly nine million pensioners. And for a party 55 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,239 Speaker 2: that says it's the party of the people and was 56 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 2: going to look after those who are the most vulnerable 57 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 2: in society, this seemed to fly directly in the face 58 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 2: of that, which was why the Health Secretary over the 59 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 2: weekend said that, yeah, we did badly in the local 60 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 2: council elections last week, predominantly because people did not like 61 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 2: that measure. However, the leader of the Labor Party, the 62 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 2: Prime Minister, is saying we're not changing that. It's money 63 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 2: we can't afford. We have to make these upcuts for 64 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,519 Speaker 2: the good, the overall common good, even though many pensioners, yes, 65 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 2: won't like it. 66 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's getting a bit missie, isn't it. 67 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 2: Now? 68 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: Listen, how long have we got before the cardinals hit 69 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 1: into the conclive. 70 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 2: Well, at the moment the cardinals are getting ready to 71 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 2: effectively go into mass. That mass is like the precursor 72 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 2: to the start of the whole first day, and that 73 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 2: begins in an hour and ten minutes when sent Peter's Basilica. 74 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 2: It'll be televised and then in the afternoon the mobile 75 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 2: phone signal within the territory of the Vatican will be deactivated, 76 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 2: and indeed the cardinals will be asked to leave their 77 00:03:54,480 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 2: mobile phones to one side. No radios, no televisions, no Internet. 78 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 2: And the one hundred and thirty three electors of the 79 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 2: new Pope will then process later this afternoon, in roughly 80 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 2: eight hours time, to the Sistine Chapel. There they'll sing 81 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 2: a litany and then the business starts, and that is 82 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 2: effectively where the doors are locked, the conclave begins and 83 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 2: we wait to see who is going to be voted 84 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 2: in as the next Pope, and everyone of course looking 85 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 2: up at the chimneys from outside the building in order 86 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 2: to see when the white smoke is issued indicating there 87 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 2: has been a successful election. Incidentally, in the last two 88 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 2: elections it hasn't taken more than two days, but in 89 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:40,039 Speaker 2: the past it has taken several days. So we'll see 90 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 2: where this goes. A very very interesting election because so 91 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 2: many of the cardinals were appointed by the previous pope, 92 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 2: meaning not many of them this time around are European. 93 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 2: In fact, less than half and that is the first 94 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 2: time in history. 95 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: Interesting. Hey, Gevin, thanks very much, appreciate it. Gevin Gray, 96 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: UK correspondence. 97 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen to news 98 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 2: Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the 99 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 2: podcast on iHeartRadio.