1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Well, we now have an official election date. It'll be 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:05,520 Speaker 1: November seventh, and with the official vote counting taking up 3 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: four weeks, we might be getting coalition negotiations for Christmas. 4 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:11,959 Speaker 1: David Seymour is leader of the Act Party and joins 5 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,239 Speaker 1: me now, David, welcome back. Good to have you here 6 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: for a new year. 7 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 2: Well, likewise, right, it's nice to hear your boys. 8 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:20,639 Speaker 1: So do you reckon we have a government buy it 9 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:21,800 Speaker 1: before Christmas? 10 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 2: Well? I hope so. 11 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 3: And there's no reason why not. A lot of people 12 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 3: are frustrated about the time taken to count the vote. 13 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:32,279 Speaker 3: I have to say I think that you take as 14 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:34,559 Speaker 3: long as it takes, so long as we've got an 15 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 3: election that has cast iron and people can be certain 16 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 3: that the voting has been done freely and fairly. We 17 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,200 Speaker 3: had some problems with that last election, and I actually 18 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 3: think that's a much bigger problem than has been given 19 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 3: attention to. So let them count the vote, and then 20 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 3: it's really a matter of well, what of the people 21 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 3: of New Zealand decided? And once we know that what 22 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 3: cards each party has, then you know we make a decision. 23 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 3: I can certainly tell you that a fact is in 24 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 3: a position to form a government. First of all, a 25 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 3: lot of people I've been talking to over summer won't 26 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 3: have to leave the country as they've threatened. But second 27 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 3: of all, I see no reason why we wouldn't get 28 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 3: it done in a couple of weeks, having had that 29 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 3: whole vote count time leading up to it to prepare. 30 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: PM told you yesterday about the date, November seventh, sensible. 31 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, Look, I think one of the things that will do. 32 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 3: And I'm not saying this is why Chris chose the date, 33 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,680 Speaker 3: but we've had a long, hard slog as a country. 34 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 3: I would trace it back as far as twenty nineteen 35 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 3: as when stuff started getting a bit difficult and it 36 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 3: didn't improve through COVID, and then we've had the recession 37 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 3: and you know the rest. We've done a lot of 38 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 3: work and a lot of people have made a lot 39 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 3: of sacrifices to get to the stage where a recovery 40 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 3: is actually underway. And I think it's only fair that 41 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 3: people get to judge the government on the benefits of 42 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 3: its policies to it before they choose. 43 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:04,919 Speaker 1: How was your trip to Argentina. 44 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 2: It was fantastic. 45 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 3: You know, basically take off about two weeks a year 46 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 3: and I try and go somewhere else, because I love 47 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 3: when people come up to me and tell me what 48 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 3: they're thinking. But sometimes just for a couple of weeks, 49 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 3: go somewhere where no. 50 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 2: One's going to do. That is a nice change, especially 51 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 2: for my partner. 52 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 3: And we had a great time as a great country 53 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 3: of really friendly people and a lot of stuff just 54 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 3: works really well there. 55 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,119 Speaker 1: Yeah, what do you make of the reforms? Are they working. 56 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 2: Well? 57 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 3: All the evidence we have is that they have half 58 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 3: the number of government departments, They've cut government spending thirty percent, 59 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 3: They've removed a huge amount of red tape and regulation, 60 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 3: poverties come down, economic growth is up. They're balancing their 61 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 3: budget for the first time in a generation. So yeah, 62 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,519 Speaker 3: they're doing the kinds of things that I would generally 63 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 3: genue generally advocate have the government focused on doing fewer 64 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 3: things and doing them well and then let the magic 65 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 3: of entrepreneurship and business and hard work out in the 66 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 3: rest of the community grow the economy. 67 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 1: This U turn and Chris Bishop and the housing intensification 68 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: in Auckland. Has anything actually been through cabinet yet? 69 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:22,640 Speaker 3: Well, if it had, it would be up to the 70 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 3: responsible minister. And I wouldn't give that away to announce it. 71 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,839 Speaker 3: But at this point Cabinet hasn't actually sat this yet, 72 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 3: so it'll sit next week for the first time. 73 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: So we're not actually sure what we're talking about yet. 74 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: Do you know what they're talking about, what the U 75 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: turn is? 76 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 3: Well, I'm just being as I was interviewed by the 77 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 3: Herald and they preded it this morning. I'm being respectful 78 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 3: of my various colleagues, most of them are called Chris 79 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 3: and letting them work through their process. 80 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 2: But I think what is. 81 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 3: Clear is that what Auckland needs is faster consenting, faster 82 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 3: infrastructure connection and more homes getting built. What we don't 83 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 3: need is what we've had for five years, which is 84 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 3: Wellington basically imposing plan changes on us, because we've been 85 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 3: doing that since the end of twenty twenty one when 86 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 3: Labor and National had this stitch up. Then we push 87 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 3: that back and now we've had another plan that again 88 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 3: Auckland is aren't too happy about. And the tragedy of 89 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 3: it all is that I believe we do need to 90 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,599 Speaker 3: get more homes. Belt If the next generation don't see 91 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 3: a pathway to property ownership, they'll either leave or vote 92 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 3: for people who militate against our community, and I think 93 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 3: it's critical that we actually get more home spelt. But 94 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 3: this Wellington meddling hasn't got us here, hasn't actually got 95 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 3: my home spelt. It's just meant lots of pingpong back 96 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 3: and forth. 97 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: David, are you across the changes proposed changes to the 98 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: ComCom getting rid of the role of grocery commissioner, hooray, 99 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 1: waste time, waste of money. But the number of roles 100 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: that look like they'll be created seems to me, from 101 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: an outsider perspective, to be absurd. 102 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 3: As I understand it, and this is outside my area, 103 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 3: but first of all, I campaigned against the Grocery Commission. 104 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 2: I always thought it was a bit of a joke. 105 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 3: I always had a picture on my own mind if 106 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 3: the four square guy with the apron and the pencil 107 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 3: running around harassing people hasn't actually got grocery prices down, 108 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 3: by the way, so appointing. 109 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:20,359 Speaker 2: Another person in government isn't always the solution. 110 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,919 Speaker 3: But as I understand the reforms, and again it's not 111 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 3: my era, Scot Simpson's responsible for this, but what they're 112 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 3: trying to do is put in place a proper board 113 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 3: of governors who hold the management accountable for getting results 114 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 3: in that organization. Now, a lot they've had today is 115 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 3: sort of a halfway house between the two. So you 116 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 3: have these commissioners who are half governors half managers, and 117 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,279 Speaker 3: it's not really clear who's holding who accountable for what. 118 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 3: So if you look at something like say Farmac, we've 119 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 3: got a really great board, We've got a great CEO 120 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,719 Speaker 3: after some changes we've made and it's going really, really nicely. 121 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 2: We've got a great announcement for war coming tomorrow. That's 122 00:05:59,360 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 2: of structure. 123 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 1: But what they're talking about is a board. Okay, fine, 124 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: but plus a panel of up to twelve plus committees 125 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: on specific areas. 126 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I can understand people will say, why are. 127 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 2: You're creating more bureocracy. Yeah. 128 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 3: All I would say is that sometimes it actually makes 129 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 3: sense to have a good split between governance and management. 130 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 2: Where people and governance aren't full time. 131 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 3: They basically show up periodically and say, right, guys, what 132 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 3: have you achieved since we last met? And that can 133 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 3: be helpful because if people are holding themselves accountable, sometimes 134 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 3: things go skew with Second of all, it is true 135 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:41,719 Speaker 3: that they have to check if areas are competitive and 136 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 3: they're often quite technically different. So you know, I'm just 137 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,280 Speaker 3: actually sitting in traffic like most of Auckland right now, 138 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 3: I've got a cement truck in front of me. The 139 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:53,719 Speaker 3: economics of cement making, if you ever have trouble getting 140 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 3: to sleep, is a fascinating thing to read about. And 141 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 3: if you want to regulate it, then it's actually quite 142 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 3: difficult to regulate as a competition agency. I happened to 143 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 3: know this because I got involved in a case of 144 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 3: a while back in this area. 145 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 2: So you know, if I haven't bored you out yet. 146 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: You have yet turned it right out. 147 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, But I make the point that you know, there 148 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 3: is there is a case they have some some specialist 149 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 3: people so that they actually know what they're talking about 150 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 3: and don't just go and willy nilly and makes confident. 151 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 1: Or in David appreciate it. David simoa Ak Patty Leader 152 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: with us from Traffic and Auckland. 153 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 154 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 2: news talks. 155 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 3: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 156 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 3: on iHeartRadio