1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Now, if you're watching question Time yesterday, and let's be honest, 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: who doesn't Labour's clearly got a sniff on homeless policies. 3 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 2: Is the government considering a law change to ban homeless 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 2: people from central business districts? 5 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: There have been no cabinet decisions or discussion on that topic. 6 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:17,959 Speaker 2: If booting people out of emergency accommodation has fixed the 7 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 2: homelessness problem, why is the government now considering changing the 8 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 2: law to ban homeless people. 9 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: This government has delivered housing affordability for people who want 10 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: to purchase a house or to rent a house, so 11 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: they clearly got are with you have? V Beck is 12 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: the heart of the city. CEO in Auckland's where usb 13 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: morning morning? Do you know anything? 14 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 3: Well, we released a business survey four weeks ago, as 15 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 3: you know, and I think that has put economic risks 16 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 3: into sharp focus and we've actually been party to very 17 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 3: constructive discussions in that time about how we resolve issues. 18 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 3: And I can say that the Minister for Auckland, I 19 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 3: mean Brown, has has picked this up and working with 20 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 3: other ministers is you know people mutual Tima Potacker and 21 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 3: the discussions I've been involved in are very constructively looking 22 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 3: at how do we deal with the economic risk which 23 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 3: are real, and how do we look after people who 24 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 3: need support. So, as far as I'm concerned, we've seen 25 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 3: good progress. 26 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: Good So is there a law change coming? Do you 27 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: know or do you hope? 28 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:23,960 Speaker 3: Well? I don't know for sure where the government's going 29 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 3: to land on this, and that's that you know. They'll 30 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 3: make that announcement when they're ready. But what I do 31 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 3: know is we need a game changer. We've got a 32 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 3: situation here where I think there is strong recognition that 33 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 3: a situation has arisen. It arose through COVID. We've had 34 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 3: various bursts of activity, more police, different social action, but 35 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 3: it's not actually resolving the issue to a point that 36 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 3: we need. We're coming out of ten years of disruption. 37 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 3: We have to have a different scenario. So what I'm 38 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 3: seeing is we need a game changer. We can't just 39 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 3: keep moving people around as long as there were really 40 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 3: good solutions for vulnerable people. I think a majority of 41 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 3: the people that we represent would support a scenario where 42 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 3: you don't lie on streets or you house people. I 43 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 3: don't know why. 44 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: I don't know if you're watching Parliament yesterday, but they 45 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:16,519 Speaker 1: seem squeamish about it. Why don't we just just just 46 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: be a bit blunt about it? And the cold hard 47 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: truth of homelessness is that it ruins central cities and 48 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: we need to clean it up and clear it out. 49 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: I mean, it's that simple, isn't it. 50 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 3: I believe so. And what's been really pleasing in the 51 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,519 Speaker 3: last four weeks is that there has been constructive debate 52 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 3: and people are recognizing these are real issues. We need 53 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 3: to be bold about this. We do have to care 54 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 3: for people. We've got a track record of caring for people. 55 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 3: The reality is, though we cannot leave it the way 56 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,239 Speaker 3: it is, it does need a game change, and I 57 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 3: really hope the politics don't sabotage a really important issue 58 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 3: that needs resolving. 59 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 1: I'm very well said, appreciate it because the heart of 60 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: the city, and this is not just Awku and of 61 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 1: course Wellington and christ you Sho suffered the same fate, 62 00:02:57,919 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: Mark Mitchell's and Bold and the cities with us after 63 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: eight o'clock, of course, but the Labor Party we're watching 64 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: Questions Time yesterday. We're asking as though somehow removing homeless 65 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,919 Speaker 1: people from downtown and bringing life to downtown was a 66 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: bad thing, which seemed to me to be the weirdest 67 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: way of asking you a questionnaire. 68 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 69 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 2: news talks. 70 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 3: It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast 71 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 3: on iHeartRadio.