WEBVTT - Judith Collins: NZ Navy ship HMNZS Manawanui sinks

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News TALKSB.

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<v Speaker 2>New Zealand Navy ship h M n Z S Mono

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<v Speaker 2>and Nui sank this morning after running aground on a

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<v Speaker 2>reef off the coast of Summer last night. Excuse me,

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<v Speaker 2>the ship caught fire, but the Chief of Navy says

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<v Speaker 2>it's too soon to speculate and watch what has caused

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<v Speaker 2>the incident. Defense Minister Judith Collins is with me now.

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<v Speaker 2>Good afternoon, good after Have you slept it all? It

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<v Speaker 2>happened last night before eleven. You must have had a

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<v Speaker 2>pretty horrendous It's been a pretty pretty busy time for you,

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<v Speaker 2>hasn't it.

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<v Speaker 3>I was surprised by the Chief Defense Force about twenty

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<v Speaker 3>or maybe minutes past seven last night and kept updated. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>I do tend to sleep pretty well, and I got

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<v Speaker 3>up using me early to get the next update. But

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<v Speaker 3>the update was there. It was looking like it was

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<v Speaker 3>going to keel over, and of course it did.

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<v Speaker 4>What was it doing there, It was.

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<v Speaker 3>Doing survey work for that reef. So, as you will

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<v Speaker 3>be aware, some more, like many other Pacific nations, has

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<v Speaker 3>been subject to tsunami and earthquakes and all sorts of

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<v Speaker 3>other things, and those reefs. That releaf was last surveyed

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<v Speaker 3>in nineteen eighty seven. So therefore what there is, it's

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<v Speaker 3>very little information. It's it is not safe at the moment,

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<v Speaker 3>and so that's what it was doing, was trying to

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<v Speaker 3>surveying that reef as it in doing other places as well.

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<v Speaker 4>Is that what mano Wanoui's principal purposes.

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<v Speaker 3>It's also been involved with helping to deal with ammunitions,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, World War two ammunitions, diving all those sorts

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<v Speaker 3>of things that you need around the Pacific. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>we've still got a lot of that stuff in the Pacific,

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<v Speaker 3>and so it's been working on that recently. I think

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<v Speaker 3>the last pace it was somewhere was Vanuatu dealing with

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<v Speaker 3>those sorts of issues. So it's not worship. It was

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<v Speaker 3>never built as a worship. It was a it was

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<v Speaker 3>an all rigged tender for Norway and it was fifteen

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<v Speaker 3>years old when the Government of the day brought it

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<v Speaker 3>about five years ago. But it's not a worship, but

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<v Speaker 3>it is you know, it's painted gray and it's pretty

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<v Speaker 3>much it.

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<v Speaker 2>Of course, you can be a hugely relieved, as we

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<v Speaker 2>all are, that crew and passengers are all okay in

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<v Speaker 2>a successful evacuation.

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<v Speaker 4>I guess if that's the right word, I can't think of.

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<v Speaker 1>Well.

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<v Speaker 3>I think it's a big saving grace O of the

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<v Speaker 3>entire terrible incident is that nobody actually lost their lives,

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<v Speaker 3>and it could have been gone from a terrible situation

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<v Speaker 3>into a massive tragedy. So I'm just pleased that everyone

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<v Speaker 3>got off. And though it was touch and go in

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<v Speaker 3>the early hours this morning, as one of the ribs,

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<v Speaker 3>one of the boats on basically it's on the Amanahanui

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<v Speaker 3>capsized over the reef because apparently it's very heavy seas

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<v Speaker 3>and in the middle of the night, and those people

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<v Speaker 3>who are in that got themselves up and onto the

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<v Speaker 3>reef and walked across to land, so they were no

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<v Speaker 3>doubt have some cut, some bruises.

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<v Speaker 2>And from that as well, I do assume that based

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<v Speaker 2>on that that weather conditions or the sea conditions played

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<v Speaker 2>a part in whatever happened.

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<v Speaker 3>Oh, I don't know. And that's what we do know

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<v Speaker 3>is that it wasn't good this morning when they were

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<v Speaker 3>you know, there's going to be a quarter of inquiry

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<v Speaker 3>has already been set up now hasn't been that's being

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<v Speaker 3>set up and that will come to look at all

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<v Speaker 3>the evidence, and so that can put an end to

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<v Speaker 3>the speculation, because frankly, I think there's so much speculation

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<v Speaker 3>because of course naturally people want to know what's happened,

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<v Speaker 3>as do I. But I haven't got the effects and

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<v Speaker 3>we need to have those.

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<v Speaker 2>Can you tell us what a court of inquiries processes

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<v Speaker 2>and sort of timeline broadly from any particular precedence or no.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, what I can say is that the Chief of

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<v Speaker 3>Navy said that it starts setting itself up and it

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<v Speaker 3>will take whatever time it takes to get to the

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<v Speaker 3>bottom of it. But you can imagine the Navy does

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<v Speaker 3>keep very good records, and you can also imagine that

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<v Speaker 3>they will be straight onto this. This is a big

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<v Speaker 3>deal for Navy. They are really upset about it. And

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<v Speaker 3>as I say, the only saving grace is that nobody

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<v Speaker 3>actually died.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean common sense or would help us.

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<v Speaker 2>It would allow us to infer that given they were

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<v Speaker 2>surveying the reef they were they were probably in a

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<v Speaker 2>position where they had to be in close proximity to it. Anyway,

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<v Speaker 2>Is that right?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I don't think that it's speculation. I think that's

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<v Speaker 3>pretty clear. You need to be in order to survey it, obviously,

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<v Speaker 3>But look, I just I can't go to any other

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<v Speaker 3>detail because number one, you know, I can't bridge this

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<v Speaker 3>an inquiry, and secondly I don't really have the facts.

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<v Speaker 2>But okay, well you can just say no if you

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<v Speaker 2>can't answer each question. Was it actually engaged in the

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<v Speaker 2>survey when trouble hit?

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<v Speaker 3>I can't tell you that, but I can say that

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<v Speaker 3>that was a job to do that. So whether they

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<v Speaker 3>had already started or not as no matter.

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<v Speaker 2>Do we have a lead on whether it was human

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<v Speaker 2>or technical error or mechanical.

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<v Speaker 3>No, we have veryous speculative comments on social media, but

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<v Speaker 3>we don't have a lead. I think we simply can't.

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<v Speaker 3>And it's understand that these matters are treated very seriously.

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<v Speaker 3>I imagine that it will all come out in the

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<v Speaker 3>I wouldn't say full of the time. I'll say as

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<v Speaker 3>soon as it is able to What sort.

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<v Speaker 2>Of briefings do you get on what the Navy know

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<v Speaker 2>compared to what you know? Obviously maybe you can or

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<v Speaker 2>can't share that stuff with us, but do you get

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<v Speaker 2>a briefing about information that you just simply have to

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<v Speaker 2>keep to yourself because of the court inquiry?

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<v Speaker 3>I sometimes get information that would be I need to

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<v Speaker 3>keep quiet about. But then I've also got other agencies

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<v Speaker 3>that I'm pretty used to doing that with security agencies.

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<v Speaker 3>So I just my view is I'll speak about what

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<v Speaker 3>we can publicly say, otherwise will wait.

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<v Speaker 2>For the r And look, I I have read comments

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<v Speaker 2>that you've said that you've referred to avoiding the loss

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<v Speaker 2>of life as a triumph, and also you said you

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<v Speaker 2>could never be embarrassed by the defense force. But to

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<v Speaker 2>be honest, this incident surely is embarrassing, isn't it. The

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<v Speaker 2>incident itself, Losing a ship in war is one thing,

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<v Speaker 2>but in peace time, well, I.

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<v Speaker 3>Just I think it is really unfortunate. I'm just grateful

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<v Speaker 3>nobody died, and when it comes to just wait till

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<v Speaker 3>the inquiry to see whether there's anything there. But I

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<v Speaker 3>know that there are around fifteen thousand New Zealand defense personnel,

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<v Speaker 3>civilian and uniform who will be utterly gutted about this today.

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<v Speaker 3>And I'm not someone who's going to put the boot

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<v Speaker 3>into my team ever.

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<v Speaker 4>Good on you.

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<v Speaker 2>Now, look in terms of the Navy's inventory, what gap

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<v Speaker 2>does this lead leave and with what urgency do we

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<v Speaker 2>need to fill it?

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<v Speaker 3>Well? It means we don't have the sort of craft

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<v Speaker 3>that can go around and do surveys. I mean, that's

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<v Speaker 3>important work. I'm wondering whether you know what we need

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<v Speaker 3>to do now, because obviously we're doing our defense capability

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<v Speaker 3>pant a moment, Do we now need to look at

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<v Speaker 3>this area as well, or is there something that is

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<v Speaker 3>not necessarily our core business. I'm not sure about that.

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<v Speaker 3>That's something that Defense needs to discuss with me and

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<v Speaker 3>work out themselves. Everyone's just dealing with the situation right

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<v Speaker 3>at the moment, and right now we're very worried about

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<v Speaker 3>any environmental impact on the Savon reef and some more

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<v Speaker 3>so we're focused on that one, and so which comes next?

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<v Speaker 3>Everything else?

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<v Speaker 2>We'll just wait, are you concerned or I mean, this

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<v Speaker 2>is probably stuff that's within cabinet, But everyone wants more money.

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<v Speaker 2>How much more money do we need for the defense?

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<v Speaker 2>Does it place a strain on our budgets?

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<v Speaker 3>Again, well, it's quite clearly that New Zealand, like many

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<v Speaker 3>other Webster nations, decided in about nineteen ninety to cut

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<v Speaker 3>the amount of their defense budget. So that was a

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<v Speaker 3>decision made after the end of the fall of the

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<v Speaker 3>Berlin Wall. You sort of see that all Western nations,

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<v Speaker 3>so clearly we live in very difficult times. We've got

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of old kit We've got some new ones

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<v Speaker 3>just turned up in the pectories and the p eights,

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<v Speaker 3>but we're constantly having to make do an old pit.

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<v Speaker 3>And it's like the burrowing seven five sevens that gets

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of stick. Were teen years old and they're bought.

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<v Speaker 3>This particular ship was fifteen years old when it was bought.

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<v Speaker 2>Look, I do really appreciate your time and stuff, and

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<v Speaker 2>it just had a slightly lighter I don't know if

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<v Speaker 2>we can change channel on this sort of but on

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<v Speaker 2>a lighter topic. Has there been I loved that you

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<v Speaker 2>were ranked at number five in the mood of the boardroom,

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<v Speaker 2>about a hundredth of a point ahead of the Prime Minister.

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<v Speaker 4>Has there been much banter within the cabinet about the

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<v Speaker 4>rankings and the mood of the boardroom.

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<v Speaker 3>No, we're doing the job. That would be freake seriously

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<v Speaker 3>doing the job and our zeriaware. This is a team effort.

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<v Speaker 3>One of the great things with mister Christopher Lutson is

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<v Speaker 3>let me and our team just get on with the job.

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<v Speaker 3>We've got our KPIs get onto them and he's incredibly supportive,

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<v Speaker 3>as he has been a freak with all this matter

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<v Speaker 3>last night and today.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, indeed, well actually I did think that he would

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<v Speaker 2>be happy to see his team doing so well.

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<v Speaker 4>And that's the whole point. That's I think that's a stick,

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<v Speaker 4>isn't it.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, yeah, it is. He's really good. He understands not

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<v Speaker 3>just one person, that's the whole team.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, Judith, Look, I do really appreciate your time because

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<v Speaker 2>I know it's been a it would have been a

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<v Speaker 2>fraud sort of, you know, not coming up to twenty

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<v Speaker 2>four hours for you. So thank you so much for

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<v Speaker 2>your answers and best wishes. Thanks very much, Thanks very

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<v Speaker 2>much to bye yeers, bye bye.

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<v Speaker 4>Difficult.

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<v Speaker 5>You know, I think it's it is difficult for Judith

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<v Speaker 5>because she has Minister of Defense and as she said,

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<v Speaker 5>I'm not going to have a crack at my team

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<v Speaker 5>and things and that's the job of the Court of

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<v Speaker 5>Inquiry and so yeah, but it was interesting just to hear,

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<v Speaker 5>you know, that couple of consequences that we don't think

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<v Speaker 5>of and Judith was talking about.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, there's a lot of speculation on social media,

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<v Speaker 2>but of course the next thing that they're concerned about

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<v Speaker 2>is the environmental impact. I know that the expression environmental

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<v Speaker 2>impact is a red rag to a ball for someone,

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<v Speaker 2>but seriously, a ship has just run around and caught

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<v Speaker 2>fire and in samar and so it'll be interesting to

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<v Speaker 2>see how that story develops as well. We're going to

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<v Speaker 2>be doing some talkback shortly on eight hundred and eighty

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<v Speaker 2>ten and eighty and look. Two things you can your

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<v Speaker 2>response to the interview with Judith Collins there and any questions.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think she could have answered any other questions

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<v Speaker 2>I was I was dying to asked her. You ask her,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, do we know who was at the helm

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<v Speaker 2>and all that sort of stuff, but she was never

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<v Speaker 2>going to be able to answer that.

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<v Speaker 1>For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to News

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