1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: Let's go to Barry Soper, senior political correspondent, who is 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: here to wrap the political week. That was very welcome back. 3 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:08,640 Speaker 2: Hello again, Ryan. Now Luckson. 4 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: It feels like Luckson has been in India so long, 5 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: he'll come back Indian. 6 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 2: Well, it made the most of it, haven't they. I mean, 7 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 2: you know with the cricket games. I mean there wasn't 8 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 2: just one. I think there was one in Mumbai and 9 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 2: one in New Delhi. So yeah, he's done the rounds. 10 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 2: And the meeting with Modi, the Prime Minister of India, 11 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 2: clearly was a very friendly one. The two had met 12 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,200 Speaker 2: last year at an international meeting and got on there. 13 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 2: But clearly there was a rapport between the two men. 14 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 2: And that's good with the Indians because Indians like face 15 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 2: to face meetings. And really the last labor the Labor 16 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 2: government ignored India essentially, And when you've got a country 17 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 2: that is the third biggest economy in the world one 18 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 2: point four five billion people, the most populous nation on Earth, 19 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 2: you'd have to say you can't ignore them as a 20 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 2: trading nation. And clearly it was all pre rehearsed before 21 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 2: he went, because not long had his plane touchdown then 22 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 2: the Indians along with New Zealand were announcing the formal 23 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 2: talk to a free trade agreement. Interestingly, though, the Indians 24 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 2: haven't ignored Derry because even Modi himself said, yeah, we'll 25 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 2: be talking about that. If they did have Derry included, 26 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 2: it would be extraordinary to be like no other free 27 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 2: trade agreement that India has got anywhere in the world. 28 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: So whether we can pull that off is another matter. 29 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 2: But don't forget we've done it before with China. 30 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: Yes we have that. 31 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 2: We were the first Western country to sign a free 32 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 2: trade deal with them. So you know, my hat co 33 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 2: comes off to Todd McLay, who's been to India i 34 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 2: think five times over the past year. And like I said, 35 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 2: face is what the Indians. 36 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: Like absolutely and depends what we can offer them visa 37 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: wise or whatever it might be. You know, there may 38 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: be ways that we can do it. It was great to 39 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: see actually the two of them hug as well Moody 40 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: and lastly, it just shows how close they obviously feel 41 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 1: to each other, which is important when you're negotiating. Meanwhile, 42 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: Peter's and Washington a very different times. 43 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 2: Hugging there, no hugging there. 44 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: And you've got to wonder because he, I mean, we 45 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: had him on the show, didn't say what He was 46 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: very cautious much doesn't say much, which is diplomacy. But 47 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: you've got to wonder whether we got a bit of 48 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: a racking up. You know, Hey, you guys needed to 49 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: pull your way into the Pacific. 50 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,079 Speaker 2: Oh, I think absolutely. I mean it's a bit rich 51 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 2: when you think about it, coming from the Americans who 52 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 2: had forgotten the Pacific for a number of years, that 53 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 2: China waved their flag in the Pacific. Suddenly the Americans 54 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 2: have come back saying that we really need a much 55 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 2: better presence in the Pacific and much more influence in 56 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 2: the Pacific. So what I clearly I think was discussed 57 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 2: was the of our defense spend, and that's a big 58 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:10,919 Speaker 2: thing on certainly the Trump ledger book looking at countries 59 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 2: seeing how much they spend lux and disease, even suggested 60 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,399 Speaker 2: that we may spend up to two percent of GDP, 61 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 2: which is doubling our defense spend. But you won't see 62 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 2: it overnight. I would think there will be an announcement 63 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 2: along those lines when the Defense Review comes back, but 64 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,119 Speaker 2: it'll be over the period of about fifteen years. 65 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, plus point some of it will be capital spending tourists. 66 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: And now the Green Party this week and the notorious 67 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: criminal Dean Wickcliffe. This has been getting under your skin berry. 68 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 2: I've find it amazing that politicians involved themselves in something 69 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 2: like this. Dean Wickcliffe shot a man with a pistol 70 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 2: and a jewelry store in the early seventies and now 71 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 2: you know he's named the coma tour by Tamotha Paul 72 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 2: from the Greens who went to see and he's on 73 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 2: a hunger strike, saying he's going to remain on it 74 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 2: until he gets out of prison. He's claimed that the 75 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 2: corrections officers have beaten him up and certainly you see 76 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 2: the photos he does have skin off his brow. But 77 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 2: they would say that he refused to go into a 78 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 2: cell and that was because he didn't want to be 79 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 2: double bunked and they got into a scuffle. They had 80 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 2: to bring him down to get him in. But he 81 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 2: is a seventy seven year old man and you'd have 82 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: to say, well, you know. And then Steve Abel the 83 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 2: other Green MP, he went to see him as well. 84 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 2: They're both saying that what the Corrections Minister should do 85 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 2: is to interfere and get den Wickliffe out of jail. 86 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 2: The problem was when he was out the last time 87 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:50,280 Speaker 2: he'd broken his conditions of parole. He's living in his 88 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 2: car with his cats, and that's hardly satisfactory living because 89 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,039 Speaker 2: it is against the parole conditions he is released under. 90 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 2: He's got himself to blame to an extent, although I 91 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,040 Speaker 2: suppose you have to say that compassion in the end 92 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 2: would have to be shown and he'll probably be found 93 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 2: somewhere to live. I mean, he is an elderly man. 94 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: He is an elderly man. Now, just finally and very 95 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: quickly GDP, we've got the number we wanted, which is 96 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: not a recession. In fact, it was surprised on the 97 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: upside at point seven and people saying, look, I still 98 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:28,279 Speaker 1: don't feel like I'm getting any richer here. That feeling 99 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: will continue for a long time. 100 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 2: The problem, isn't it right, Because an economy doesn't improve 101 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 2: unless there's a general feeling of well being, and there's not. 102 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 2: At the moment. We've still got pretty high unemployment for 103 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 2: New Zealand, and people are finding it hard to pay 104 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 2: the home their home bills like groceries and rates and 105 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 2: mortgage interest rates and what have you. But things are 106 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,600 Speaker 2: tracking in the right direction. You look at the dairy payout, 107 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 2: it's upcoming about ten dollars a kilo, which will feedback 108 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 2: into the community. You've got tourism now almost at pre 109 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 2: COVID levels, so that's good. So there are good signs 110 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:16,919 Speaker 2: there and it's only when I guess those signs flow 111 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 2: through to the economy that will all feel better about 112 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 2: each other and about the government. 113 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 1: Barry, thank you very much for that, Barry. Soaper News Talks, 114 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: they'd be senior political corresponding for. 115 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 2: More from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. 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