1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: We have a Taxpayer's Union Courier poll yesterday and it 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: showed that the National Party have fallen behind Labor in popularity. 3 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: It's only half a percent though, but the interesting thing 4 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: in a way was that Chris Hipkins is above Christopher 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: Luxen for preferred Prime Minister. So I'm joining now by 6 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 1: Aukland University Associate Professor of Marketing, Michael Lee. Michael, good 7 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 1: morning to you. 8 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 2: Good morning, Mike. 9 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: What's your reading of the PM's communication style, because people 10 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: are saying that he's not cutting through. 11 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 2: I think, I mean, I've heard some of the interviews 12 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 2: where you've had a little game of cat and mouse 13 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 2: with him, trying to get him to commit to something. 14 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:39,599 Speaker 2: And you know, for the most part, he's pretty good 15 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 2: when he knows what he wants to say. But I 16 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 2: think what he gets a bit sticky is obviously when 17 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,199 Speaker 2: he's been pressed for something that he's clearly keen not 18 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 2: to give a definitive answer for, and then he comes 19 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 2: across a little bit evasive sometimes, and I think that's 20 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 2: probably what's happening. People think, why don't you just answer 21 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 2: the question? 22 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: Well, is he too married to bullet points from his prep? 23 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 2: Sorry? What was that? 24 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: Is he too married to the bullet points that he's prepared. 25 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, that could be a stick to what you want 26 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 2: to say and don't get pressed into engaging in any 27 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 2: conversation that you're not comfortable answering. I think that does 28 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 2: come across. 29 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: But you see, the thing is, if you're going to 30 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: say something, you have to say it like you believe it, 31 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:22,759 Speaker 1: and therefore you should be able to say it immediately. 32 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,639 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. And so what we see is the points 33 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 2: that he's comfortable talking to, he can be quite decisive 34 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 2: and comes across quite strong. But then when you catch 35 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,399 Speaker 2: him on something that he's not clear about or does 36 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 2: not want to engage in the conversation, then he becomes 37 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 2: very evasive. 38 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: And well, that's the difficulty about being the Prime minister. 39 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: You have to be the spokesperson on everything and you 40 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: have to be across everything. So I would say that 41 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: there are people in the back benches of the National 42 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: Party who would like to see him polling a bit higher. 43 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: What could he do to improve. 44 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 2: Well, a couple of the things that you've caught him on, 45 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 2: like the whether or not there is a deal for 46 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 2: the fare and whether or not he would sack that 47 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: chat he could have answered with something like, you know, 48 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 2: it depends or maybe or I'd have to look into that, 49 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 2: or there are circumstances that I'm not on top of 50 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 2: right now that I would have to get back to you. 51 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 2: So there are ways of answering that shows that, look, 52 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 2: he would like to answer, but he doesn't want to 53 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 2: answer in a way that you know, would get him 54 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 2: in trouble or the other person in trouble later on. 55 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 2: So I think there's a reason why he can't answer. 56 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:38,399 Speaker 2: The issue is that he's just giving you the same 57 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 2: response over and over again, and that's getting frustrating for 58 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 2: both of you, and obviously the listeners can probably hear 59 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:45,639 Speaker 2: that evasiveness going on. 60 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: Absolutely, Thank you so much, Mike Lee. 61 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:51,639 Speaker 2: For more Familily Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to 62 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 2: News Talks it Be from five am weekdays, or follow 63 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.