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5 episodes with Don Brash
The fact Adrian Orr is leaving is excellent. It shows a level of accountability and responsibility for what has been a ruinous period for the New Zealand economy. The receipts and reviews are in, and the story is stark. We have been hit harder than any other country in the OECD. We had three recessions while most countries, as a result of the Covid plan, had none. Grant Robertson carries some blame for encouraging and endorsing Orr but, more dangerously, reappointing him so close to the last election. The new Government could have/should have sacked Orr, although that would have set a fairly disturbing precedent given the Governor is supposed to be neutral. Orr made the Governor's job a household fascination. Yes, Don Brash got well known, but really only when he went political. The others came and went. I might have interviewed Allan Bollard a couple of times. Before Spencer Russell, who you also never heard of, the job was called the Chief Cashier. Russell was your first Governor. Anyway, the upside of Covid and Orr was we at last took an interest. We had a view, and we know about cash rates and inflation and quantitative easing. But we learned the hard way. We paid an enormous price and are in fact still paying the price. Orr has years to run on his contract and clearly the pressure was on. The Government is currently negotiating a budget with the bank, and I assume they were twisting arms, hard, behind the scenes. By the way, the bank staffing numbers have ballooned. Orr has come across as haughty and arrogant, unable to really express any level of regret, if in fact he has any, for all the damage he has done. Giving banks money for free and not putting restrictions of where that money went was the height of incompetency. Still handing out money when we knew a lot of what we thought would happen during Covid didn't, was a scandal. The onerous banking restrictions he placed on the retailers with his “just in case” thinking was needlessly restrictive. The conclusion has to be that although everyone flew blind during Covid, no one flew more blind than us. And no one was led by a more ideologically driven, fiscal ransacker than Adrian Orr. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I'm neither happy or unhappy that Adrian Orr is no longer Reserve Bank Governor, but I do have a piece of advice for whoever ends up taking over from him. Just be the complete opposite. Because I reckon he fell into a trap that ended up with him getting too big for his boots. Which, maybe, is very hard to avoid when you're in a job like his, but the next person needs to make sure they stay in their lane and keeps themselves in check. When you're the Reserve Bank Governor, your job is to work on creating a rock star economy - you're not the rock star yourself. No one can argue that his tenure coincided with a time when what you would consider to be the most grey and dull jobs in the world, took on a whole new meaning. Ashley Bloomfield, for example. Because of COVID, everyone knew who he was. And Adrian Orr. Because of COVID, he was elevated to a level no other reserve bank governor got to in terms of profile and recognition. If you ask me to name another Reserve Bank Governor, the only name that comes to my head straight away is Don Brash. That's because of his political career that he got into after he left the bank. And if I think a little bit more, there's Alan Bollard. But that's it. But everyone pretty much knows who Adrian Orr is and I think it went to his head. I think he loved the limelight, and, in the process, he got a bit too cocky. I think he lost sight of what his job was actually all about. Nevertheless, I don't think he personally is to blame for everything when it comes to us feeling more hard up than ever. And, if he hadn't fallen into the trap of letting the job go to his head, he might not be copping as much criticism as he has and is. I'm with economist Tony Alexander who is saying today that business people and homeowners who blame Orr for their cashflow problems are both right and wrong. He's saying that they're right in that he oversaw the continuation of excessively loose spending during 2021 and into 2022, which over-stimulated the economy and pushed inflation up to 7.3%. He also was boss of the Reserve Bank when the official cash rate reached 5.5%. And then got it down to 2.2% by what Tony Alexander describes as Orr “crunching the economy”. But he also says, let's not forget Labour's Grant Robertson's role in all of this. He was the guy who kept fiscal policy loose. My understanding is that staff at the Reserve Bank had no idea this was coming until after it was announced to the media. Which is a shocker. And, apparently, staff at the bank have no idea what's behind it. I'm picking that he's thrown his toys out of the cot because the Government wants to cut the budgets at the Reserve Bank. And a lot of that will have to do with what the Government probably sees as the former Governor's obsession with things outside what it considers core business for the central bank. But, from the very limited things that have been said since the announcement yesterday afternoon, it's obvious that he's quit. Because when the chair of the bank Neil Quigley said it was “a personal decision” by Adrian Orr, that says he's quit. It doesn't say he's leaving for personal reasons, it says he's walking away. He's going to be on the payroll until the end of the month, but he's not Governor of the bank anymore. An acting Governor took over at midday yesterday. The other thing too about all this secrecy, is that I don't think it's acceptable when you've got a senior public servant who earns more than $800,000 a year quitting like this. On the basis of what we kind-of know, I think we deserve more of an explanation. If the guy's thrown a hissy fit - tell us. Because, for someone who seemed to love the limelight as much as he did, disappearing the way he has is not only very strange, it's also somewhat disrespectful. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The country is desperate to go for growth. The question is: how? We got 3 points of view over the weekend - Friday it was the turn of Matthew Hooten. His piece was called New Zealand needs a strategic approach to building wealth like Singapore's Temasek. Temasek own and manage assets that are held directly by its government. They operate a major bank and insurance company, Singapore airlines, the country's main port, and a load of other things. It's as if we've been investigating it for decades. Even Grant Robertson was interested but nothing's ever happened. So it has cross party appeal, but why hasn't it happened? Who knows. Ask the politicians - all talk no action. On Sunday, it was the turn of Don Brash and Michael Reddell who in a shared piece said our problem is our low productivity. No kidding! Every politician says that and none have come up with an answer. Brash and Reddell's only proffered solution is to lower company tax rates to attract overseas and local investment. They claim we have the one of highest company tax rates in the world, which is balderdash. We sit at 28 per cent. Australia at 30, the US and the UK around 26. We're slightly above median and no disrespect to Don Brash, you had terms as a reserve bank governor and leader of a couple of political parties and plenty of opportunities to lift productivity and failed. then there was Sam Stubbs who said if we're selling public assets lets sell them to new Zealanders like super funds so the wealth stays in New Zealand instead of being exported. To me that's the key. Stop saying productivity and start saying wealth creation. find out how to make or supply stuff that the world wants and then keep the profits and the workers in New Zealand, then we start generating wealth and then we recycle it to create more great businesses.. That's Denmark's trick. That's why they operate the second largest container ship operation in the world, to import capital rather than export it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Vijay Boyapati is author of The Bullish Case for Bitcoin. We dive into the transformative potential of Bitcoin for Australia, New Zealand, and smaller countries. What role will the Asia-Pacific region more broadly play in Bitcoin's adoption? What does a change of direction in the United States signal for Bitcoin adoption in other countries? We explore the cultural and economic dynamics shaping this new monetary frontier, as well as the impact of political and institutional acceptance of Bitcoin globally. --- Links: The Bullish Case for Bitcoin by Vijay Boyapati - https://amzn.to/4fVgHGR Vijay Boyapati on X - https://x.com/real_vijay Reserve Bank of New Zealand & Inflation with Don Brash - https://www.thetransformationofvalue.com/episodes/reserve-bank-of-new-zealand-inflation-with-don-brash Anchors Aweigh: What does Gold mean in the Age of Bitcoin? - https://www.thetransformationofvalue.com/articles/anchors-aweigh-what-does-gold-mean-in-the-age-of-bitcoin --- Support my work: Support TTOV - https://www.thetransformationofvalue.com/support --- Connect: X - https://x.com/TTOVpodcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/codyellingham Nostr - https://njump.me/npub1uth29ygt090fe640skhc8l34d9s7xlwj4frxs2esezt7n6d64nwsqcmmmu YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ttovpodcast --- Credits: The Transformation of Value is produced by Cody Ellingham Show music by Simon James French - https://www.simonjamesfrench.com/ ---
Here's how I would sum up the Government's changes to the free speech rules for universities. It wants more Posie Parkers and less posey political statements. Which I've got no problem with - but I don't think it should stop at universities. I think the Government also needs to look at other public entities, such as local councils, which actually seem to be making more posey political statements than universities. Because, if the Government doesn't want universities taking positions on things like the war in Gaza because - whatever position they take - won't reflect the views of all staff and students, then the same could apply to local councils, couldn't it? If a council boycotts Israel, for example, there's no way everyone who works for these councils or who pays rates to these councils will agree, is there? Let me come back to that. But the gist of all this is that the Government wants two changes to the way universities deal with free speech. For starters: It wants them to stop being so antsy about having guest speakers coming onto campus who might upset a few people with their views. Which has seen some universities pull the plug on certain events. Massey University, for example, stopped Don Brash from giving a speech there once because of what one person described as his "separatist and supremacist rhetoric". A more recent example is Victoria University cancelling a freedom of speech debate this year because of concerns it would turn into a cesspit of hate speech. So the Government wants no more of that. Because it thinks universities are places where all sorts of ideas and thoughts should be shared and debated. And I agree with that. So that's what I mean when I say it wants more Posie Parker. The other change it's making to the regulations that universities operate under, is to stop them taking positions on matters that don'tdirectly relate to their core business of research and teaching. Now this is not something that is going to impact academics who enjoy what's known as academic freedom - which pretty much means they can think and say what they want. Although some academics have questioned that in recent years, saying that they don't feel as free to think and say what they want as they used to. But, essentially, what the Government wants to stop is universities - as institutions - taking a view or a stance on international issues, for example. Some of our universities have been under pressure to condemn Israel for what's going on in Gaza and the Occupied Territories. But, as far as I'm aware, none of them have given-in to that pressure. The closest example I could find here in New Zealand is an announcement three months ago by Victoria University's fundraising arm - the Victoria University Foundation - that it would be getting rid of its Israeli government bonds and its shares in companies listed in Israel. So maybe this is a pre-emptive move by the Government, as much as anything. And it says the reason it's doing this, is that if a university takes a stand on something - it doesn't reflect the views of all staff and students, and that is unfair. So, if that's the motivation, then I reckon the Government needs to come down just as hard on other public entities. Public entities which, at the moment, seem to be going harder on this thing than any of our universities. And I'm thinking, specifically, about local councils around the country which have been more than happy to pile-in on Israel this year, with decisions to boycott companies which operate in Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. Christchurch City Council has done it. Environment Canterbury regional council has done it. And Nelson City Council's done it. They're the ones I'm aware of. There might be others. But, if we apply the argument the Government's using to stop universities taking positions on global issues - because they won't necessarily represent the views of all staff and students - then the same can be said of these local councils, can't it? In Nelson, for example, after the council there voted to go with a boycott - there were some pretty fired-up locals. The mayor Nick Smith, who voted against it, got a whole lot of abuse too. And who says everyone working at these councils agrees with the position their employers have taken? They won't. And who says everyone paying rates to these councils agrees with their anti-Israel positions? They don't. Which is why I think the Government should be telling councils not to take political positions on issues outside their core business, just like it's telling the universities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This weekend Sunday Star-Times published a think piece on why Christopher Luxon is not popular. And he's not. Monday's polls showed that Christopher Luxon and his National Party is not as popular as maybe they should be. Interviewing university professors and their typewriters, the article came up with answers like no-one likes anyone who demands to be called Christopher and one professor even speculated on New Zealand's attitude toward baldness. Apparently we don't like them, which will be news to Monty Betham. It came in response to the latest poll which showed Chris Hipkins and Labour keeping up with Christopher Luxon and National, despite Labour changing nothing. While the Sunday Star-Times plucked at straws, I'd like to say it's the economy, stupid. These are tough times and we always blame the sitting Government, no matter what they inherited. But I would like to say that Mr Luxon has not made it easy for himself. When he inherited our damaged economy the Reserve Bank was already acting on inflation through interest rate hikes. The National led coalition then kept on with their cost of living crisis solution which was tax cuts and government spending crackdowns and lay offs. So the country had a two pronged attack with none of the solutions making life better in the short term. In fact it's made everything worse. So all the people who are collateral damage believe the government are monsters. All the people not affected who can see how the austerity overkill will be good for the economy and the country in the medium and long term, will be thinking Mr Luxon and his team are heroes. The Government will be hoping that by the time the only poll that count comes around in 2026, more voters will view them as heroes and not monsters. The last time we tried that was in the 90s as Don Brash raised interest rates at the Reserve Bank while Ruth Richardson gave us the Mother of all Budgets. She lasted less than 3 years after that and is not remembered fondly despite the good the austerity did. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this week's episode of Raw Politics, we discuss the response of our political leaders to the demands of the week-long tangihanga for Kiingi Tuheitia.Newsroom political editor Laura Walters, senior political reporter Marc Daalder and co-editor Tim Murphy discuss how coalition leaders faced the Kiingitanga movement and wider Māoridom at a time of acute political sensitivities.Then, the panel pulls a handbrake turn on Transport Minister Simeon Brown's spin about raising road speeds, cutting out speed bumps and funding future roading promises. Can the economy really be saved by drivers speeding up around town and on the highways?Our reader question asks if the Wellington Hospital proposal to cut out free toast and Milo for mothers who have just given birth was a serious plan or if it was bureaucrats employing the famous "Washington Monument" tactic to shame politicians.Finally, the panelists recommend something to read, listen to or watch on the weekend ahead.--------------------This week's recommendations:Laura: the deleted Working Group podcast episode, in which Matthew Hooton unleashes on Don Brash and Hobson's PledgeTim: RNZ digital journalist Russell Palmer's story revealing that the Govt's formal communications with Korea before cancelling the Cook Strait ferries deal amounted to two late text messagesMarc: Newsroom political journalist Fox Meyer's scoop on the origins within NZ First of the fast-track legislation--------------------Raw Politics will be available every Friday, and you can watch it on YouTube too.Read more on newsroom.co.nz
Don Brash was the former Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand from 1988 until 2002. Don was also a Member of Parliament, and leader of the New Zealand National Party. We discuss Don's work at the Reserve Bank, which came at a pivotal time alongside the economic reforms of the late 80s. Don shares the history of the famous 0 - 2% inflation target that he helped implement, and we talk more broadly about the state's understanding of inflation, its causes, and the role of Central Banking. We go on to talk about Don's current focus looking at both the geopolitical situation New Zealand faces in-between the US and China, as well as his work with Hobson's pledge looking at democracy issues closer to home. --- Connect with The Transformation of Value X: https://x.com/TTOVpodcast Nostr at: npub1uth29ygt090fe640skhc8l34d9s7xlwj4frxs2esezt7n6d64nwsqcmmmu Or send an email to hello@thetransformationofvalue.com and I will get back to you! --- Support The Transformation of Value: Bitcoin tip address: bc1qlfcr2v73tntt6wvyp2yu064egvyeery6xtwy8t Lightning tip address: codyellingham@getalby.com If you send a tip please email or DM me so I can thank you! --- Links: Don Brash Website - https://www.donbrash.com/ Incredible Luck, Don Brash Autobiography - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22036999-incredible-luck Hobson's Pledge - https://www.hobsonspledge.nz/ "Revolution" TV series on New Zealand from 1970s-1990s - https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/revolution-1996/series The Arrogance of Power by William Fulbright - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1355548.The_Arrogance_of_Power Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning by Liz Cheney - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/134156069-oath-and-honor Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap? by Graham Allison - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31125556-destined-for-war The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy—What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America's Next Rendezvous with Destiny by William Strauss , Neil Howe - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/670089.The_Fourth_Turning On China by Henry Kissinger - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9328314-on-china Please note: James (Jim) Holt is the economist Don Brash mentions who inspired the policies of 1980s New Zealand.
Anna Craig is from a small Wairarapa hapū who have recently purchased back some of their ancestorial land and are now running a PledgeMe to help with placing buildings on that land. Anna joins us to talk about where they are at. See the full story on The Hui here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw_ZIFB75qo Associate Minister of Justice, Nicole McKee, hasn't consulted the Police Association as part of her reform of the Firearms Registry. Documents also show McKee suggested removing police advice that she should consult with more non-gun owners. Don Brash joined Matthew Tukaki on Waatea to talk about the Hobson's pledge advertorial the NZ Herald carried last week. The disability sector is being hit with cuts and disabled NZer and their advocates are worried about what this will mean for the recipients of funding and services ==================================== Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of #BHN www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter. @patbrittenden @Chewie_NZ
An Australian defence and foreign policy expert is cautioning New Zealand against joining AUKUS Pillar Two. Pillar Two of the security partnership between Australia, the UK and the US focuses on developing and sharing military technology between the group, including drones and hypersonics. Foreign Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand is "investigating" joining AUKUS Pillar Two, while the Prime Minister, Chrisopher Luxon told the Financial Times recently, New Zealand was "very open" to it. Former Prime Minister Helen Clark and former National and ACT Party leader Don Brash have teamed up to oppose any such move, saying it would be a radical change in NZ's foreign policy, which could upset our biggest trading partner, China. Australian National University Emeritus Professor Hugh White is in New Zealand at the invitation of Miss Clark and Dr Brash and joins Paddy Gower in studio.
During Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's visit to the United States, he spoke to several leaders and figures about New Zealand's relationship with the country. Particularly, he spoke about further aligning and the potential for Aotearoa to join AUKUS. In response, former Prime Minister Helen Clark and her political rival Don Brash released statements criticising the move, particularly for its potential impact on Aotearoa's relationship with China. Wire host Castor spoke to Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland and Director of the China Studies Centre in the New Zealand Asia Institute, Stephen Noakes, about Aotearoa's relationship with each of these countries, their value, and how it can be preserved moving forward.
During Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's visit to the United States, he spoke to several leaders and figures about New Zealand's relationship with the country. Particularly, he spoke about further aligning and the potential for Aotearoa to join AUKUS. In response, former Prime Minister Helen Clark and her political rival Don Brash released statements criticising the move, particularly for its potential impact on Aotearoa's relationship with China. Wire host Castor spoke to Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland and Director of the China Studies Centre in the New Zealand Asia Institute, Stephen Noakes, about Aotearoa's relationship with each of these countries, their value, and how it can be preserved moving forward.
The Acting PM on: The acting Prime Minister talks about annual inflation falling to 3.3% and the Government's emissions plan — is New Zealand heading for a pine tree planting frenzy? He then discusses former Prime Minister Helen Clark and former National and Act leader Don Brash's warning that the Government is dragging New Zealand into the US-China conflict and his comment that the drug-buying agency Pharmac “burned a lot of energy” considering the Treaty of Waitangi.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I'm not a huge fan of former PMs sticking their oar into the water of current political debates. Not only are their thoughts rooted in briefings given by officials long ago, but when attacking a sitting Prime Minister, they tend to sound a bit whingy and out-of-touch. This is the case of Helen Clark and Don Brash, who've issued a statement condemning Christopher Luxon for comments he made to the Financial Times on the sidelines of NATO in Washington D.C.. Luxon said a few things: 1. We need to call out China more for spying. 2. He's hoping to sign a deal that would see NZ able to deploy military assets to the Philippines, which has long running and regular disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea. 3. He's keen on our military joining the U.S. and Australia in conducting joint military exercises inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. 4. He spoke about NZ being a "force multiplier" for Australia, the U.S., and other partners. Clark and Brash are tut-tutting this, which comes off the back of the AUKUS debate, and wades into another long-running one - the $38-billion debate. That's what two-way trade between China and New Zealand is worth, remember it was Clark and then Foreign Minister Phil Goff who signed the FTA that got us there. They reckon this tough talk and cosying-up to the US is undermining our "independent foreign policy" and could lead to us being punished by China at the port. China's no bigger a spy-threat to us than other countries, they reckon. Here's the thing though, Luxon hasn't actually changed much in the way of foreign policy yet. Plus, the full Financial Times article also quotes him saying we're pursuing a balanced strategy with China on trade, renewable energy and people-to-people ties. What's more, the current PM is getting more up to date briefings on China's cyber threat than Clark or Brash... And when it comes down to it, most of us would agree we'd side with America and Australia if war returned to the Pacific theatre, wouldn't we? Isn't Luxon just laying out what's realistically bound to happen? In saying all of that, Australia learnt the hard way what poking the bear can do to your exports, so it's an area we should tread carefully, but perhaps some are now better placed than others to walk that tight rope. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr joined Helen Clark at Parliament this week, to warn New Zealand against joining Pillar 2 of the AUKUS defence pact, saying it is "fragrant, methane-wrapped bullsh*t," and funnily enough former opposition leader Don Brash tends to agree. Later, Shane Jones who has recently ben speaking about mining and fishing, this week let go with a broadside against the Waitangi Tribunal, saying they have "no business running it's operations as some sort of star chamber delivering pre-emptory summons for ministers." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Former leaders from both sides of the nation's political factions have come together to push back against New Zealand joining AUKUS. Ex-Prime Minister Helen Clark and her 2005 election rival Don Brash have co-written an editorial warning, claiming New Zealand needs to safeguard its independent foreign policy. Former National leader Don Brash says New Zealand has developed good working relationships with the US and China, and joining AUKUS would complicate that. "What's changed in the last 10 years is that the United States has suddenly recognised China as a 'peer competitor', and they don't like it. They're pushing very hard to get countries to jump on one bandwagon or the other." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I talk with Bitkiwi Dan, one of the co-founders of the BitKiwi meetup events in New Zealand. We canvas a range of topics from government decision-making and how political neutrality works in the public sector to what it might take to form a new Bitcoin political party in New Zealand. Dan is also a Chartered Accountant and we discuss the opportunity around businesses wanting to hold Bitcoin on their balance sheet, integrating with legacy banks, and how the bitcoin circular economy could develop. Connect with The Transformation of Value Follow me on twitter at https://x.com/TTOVpodcast Nostr at: npub1uth29ygt090fe640skhc8l34d9s7xlwj4frxs2esezt7n6d64nwsqcmmmu Or send an email to hello@thetransformationofvalue.com and I will get back to you! Support this show: Bitcoin donation address: bc1qlfcr2v73tntt6wvyp2yu064egvyeery6xtwy8t Lightning donation address: codyellingham@getalby.com PayNym: +steepvoice938 PayNym Code: PM8TJhcUCtSvHe69sod9pzLCBKg6GaogsMDwfGNCnL4HXyduiY9pbLpbn3oEUvuM75EeALxRVV3Mfi6kgWEBsseMki3QphE8aC5QDMNp9pUugqfz1yVc Geyser Fund If you send a donation please email or DM me so I can thank you! Links: Bitkiwi on X - https://x.com/Bitkiwi1 Bitkiwi Dan on X - https://x.com/satstothemoon NZ Invents Inflation Target : https://www.reuters.com/markets/mouse-that-roared-new-zealand-worlds-2-inflation-target-2023-01-30/ Don Brash and Rodney Hide Podcast - https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/rodney-hide-and-don-brash-in-conversation Long March through the Institutions - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_march_through_the_institutions MMP Voting System - https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/features/what-is-the-mmp-voting-system/ IRD guidance on crypto - https://www.ird.govt.nz/crypto-currency JAN3's Global Bitcoin Mission with Samson Mow and Prince Filip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi7a2n6VMH4 Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand - https://www.charteredaccountantsanz.com/
After a lengthy career in NZ politics, in 2016 Don Brash became the spokesperson for a new lobby group called Hobson's Pledge, a group formed to oppose what Brash has described as Māori favoritism. In 2017, he began weighing into the debate about the use of te reo Māori, saying he was "utterly sick" of the use of the language by RNZ reporters and presenters. He joined Kim hill to explain his perspective.
I'll tell you what's going to be really telling tomorrow with those Te Pāti Māori protests- it's how big they are. It's basically going to be an indication of how much pushback and resistance the new Government's going to get on its plan to roll back the Treaty out of law like they plan to do. I reckon for tomorrow, every single party in Parliament is going to be interested in that crowd size. Te Pāti Māori will obviously want it to be big, because it shows that they're onto something- that they have support for their resistance. ACT, on completely the opposite side, is also going to want it to be big, because the bigger those protests are tomorrow, the more it's going to annoy motorists and people trying to get on with their jobs. This will drive more support to ACT, for what they're planning to do. Plus, it's also going to draw more attention to the things ACT are arguing for- which they won't be unhappy about. National, out of all of the parties in Parliament, is going to be packing itself if those protests are big. Because that is the very thing National has been trying to avoid when they said no to ACT's Treaty principles referendum. National does not want to have a race relations debate while they're in Government, it would reflect really badly for them. Remember the 2005 election, which they lost, with Don Brash's infamous billboards. They are still haunted by that stuff, they are still haunted by the fact that they are labelled racists over that- they hate it. But it seems to me that regardless of what they do, simply because ACT is around- they're going to get it anyway because of all the other stuff. To be fair, along with ACT and New Zealand First, they're repealing co-governance, they're taking the Māori wards on the councils back to referenda, they're removing the Treaty principles legislation, they're removing the Iwi clause from Oranga Tamariki, they're switching Government names- and that's just a taste. And that seems to be enough to give Te Pāti Māori reason to start campaigning already and going hard already. If tomorrow's crowds are small, maybe this won't be a thing, and it'll be an indication people don't care as much as Te Pāti Māori thinks they do. But if those crowds are big- strap yourself in. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The ACT Party has picked up 9 percent of the party vote; and two electorate seats, for a total of 11 seats in Parliament. Leader David Seymour retained Epsom, and deputy Brooke Van Velden took Tāmaki from National's Simon O'Connor. ACT declined our requests for an interview. Don Brash led the ACT Party for seven months in 2011. He spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss
Hipkins has claimed a National-led Government will set key Maori initiatives back extensively. The Prime Minister has hit out at the opposition, declaring National's Chris Luxon will reverse all 'By Maori for Maori' progress Labour has made. Hipkins also compared Luxon's approach to Don Brash's 'divisive' 2005 campaign. ZB political editor Jason Walls says Hipkins' allegations don't match National's stance on race relations and labelled the move 'short-sighted'. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week on Taxpayer Talk, Taxpayers' Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, sits down with Dr Don Brash to discuss Labour's proposal to remove GST from fruit and vegetables.Dr Brash chaired the advisory committee that designed New Zealand's GST system back in 1985 and has a strong understanding of what makes a simple, efficient tax system. Don has also been Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, the leader of both the National and ACT parties, and is currently the spokesperson for Hobson's Pledge.New Zealand's GST system is widely accepted by economists as the best in the world, however many politicians over the years have campaigned to break it by creating exemptions. Creating exemptions polls well in focus groups but, as Don explains, the reality is that these exemptions create extra cost and complexity for very little gain.Later in the podcast, the pair discuss solutions for New Zealand's productivity crisis and what we should be doing to catch up with Australia. To support Taxpayer Talk, click hereSupport the show
Labour's self aggrandising press release on police came through late in the show yesterday, so we didn't really get a chance to get our teeth into it. The press release came from Chris Hipkins, well his office. A Labour Government will deliver a further increase of 300 additional frontline police officers, new ways to crack down on gangs, and strengthen legal protections against stalking and harassment, we will also continue to crack down on gangs. Recently, we've seen communities disrupted and intimidated by dangerous gang convoys. “This is intolerable,” said the press release. Labour will introduce laws to punish this behaviour and develop new ways to target gang leaders and break their international links. Seriously? How can their speech writers deliver this stuff? How? Given the attitude that this administration has shown towards the gang since they first arrived, thanks to Winston Peters on the scene. How can Chris Hipkins, in all honesty, face New Zealanders and say, “Labour's been tough on gangs”? This government's attitude towards gangs, towards working with gangs, towards giving gangs a seat at the table without them earning one, has resulted in the gang members and the gang leaders thinking they can have it both ways. That many of their members can grow fat off criminal activity and they get to be treated with respect, as respected members of the community. Remember Paul? You might remember Paul from the show, hard working Paul, who rang me as he was heading off for a day's work on the farm in Opotiki. He rang because the topic was home detention and he said he himself had a bracelet, he was articulate, he was clearly hard working. Halfway through the conversation, he reveals he's a mobster for life and he had an extraordinary attitude about where gangs sit in the pantheon of New Zealanders. So here you've got somebody who is who is articulate, hardworkin, mobster for life and truly believes that because prime ministers have roads closed for them, a long standing member of the mob in Opotiki should have the same respect accorded to him. Where did that sense of entitlement come from? Do you and I expect roads to close, towns to shut down, and people to be inconvenienced because one of our family members died? It's happened all over the country. It's not just Opotiki. The gangs do, They truly think that when one of their members, who they respect and they think is the man, when one of their members dies, everybody has to down tools. Everybody has to be inconvenienced. Everybody has to wait while they do what they need to do to show their respect. Where has that attitude come from? It has come from Government contracts being awarded to gangs and gang sympathisers. From police, turning a blind eye to gang convoys. All the way through Covid we saw the gangsters hanging out of cars, gathering in far more numbers than rules allowed. I mean the rules were stupid, they were dumb, but the only way we were going to get through it is if we obeyed them. To gangs, appointing PR personnel to argue their case on mainstream media. Good morning Louise Hutchinson. To orthodox members of the community turning up to Waikato Kingdom Mob hui, giving the event the sheen of respectability. While members of that same gang, senior members, the 2IC for God's sake, were still dealing drugs on an industrial level. Don Brash, Madama Davidson, respected academics all turning up saying, “oh yes, let's help give mob members a steer on alternative ways of being.” I'm all for that, you know, giving people another chance. If people truly want to commit to being productive, hardworking members of the community and not make their living out of crime, afford them every possibility. But how can you stand there and say, oh, you know we're anti-drugs while your 2IC's being sent away for 10 years for dealing meth and GHB. Seriously, you've got management issue problems if your 2IC thinks it's okay to be dealing drugs on that level. Enough, enough, enough. If gangs want to keep what they're doing, raking in millions while peddling misery. Can we at least make it hard for them? I mean, at the moment we're closing roads to allow them to do what they do. Can we make it clear that most of us would rather work honestly than live the BS, chrome- flashy, “I've got my bitches at home working for me” kind of thing that these gangsters just seem to be so proud of. They do not deserve a seat at the table until they have earned it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Join us as we travel down memory lane with former National Party minister, and the influential visionary behind Radio Works, Steven Joyce. We go beyond the surface, exploring the intricacies of public service, the challenge of overseeing major infrastructure projects, and his experiences - good and bad - working with the likes of John Key and Don Brash. How does he think the current lot in the Beehive are doing? Listen on. Also, I tell you what I think of the governments new vaping policy. Crikey... --------- EPISODE CHAPTERS --------- (0:07:34) - Joyce's Journey in Radio and Politics(0:14:04) - Running, Writing, and Political Career(0:18:36) - Reflections on National Party and Leadership(0:27:11) - Getting Change to Make Things Happen(0:35:31) - Personal Mobility and Government Performance Disagreements(0:42:27) - Key's Resignation and Future Political LandscapeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For his second guest, Bruce is joined by the former Reserve Bank Governor and National Party leader Don Brash, to talk about his experiences in the public sector, politics and his thoughts on recent fiscal hole drama. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Treaty talk dominates Victoria's Voice, terrible news for whisky drinkers as Australians face another tax hike, the ruinous impact of false allegations. Plus, Don Brash joins the show to discuss the Voice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Former Reserve Bank governor Don Brash believes the RBNZ should be empowered to lift fuel taxes to fight inflation. He stated in a blog post that increased fuel taxes would encourage people to to reduce their spending elsewhere- meaning inflation would fall. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says Don Brash's proposed solution is 'messy', and it would impact people differently. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Former Reserve Bank governor Don Brash believes the RBNZ should be empowered to lift fuel taxes to fight inflation. He stated in a blog post that increased fuel taxes would encourage people to to reduce their spending elsewhere- meaning inflation would fall. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny says Don Brash's proposed solution is 'messy', and it would impact people differently. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
If there was one King's Birthday honour I that was really pleased to see handed out this past weekend, it was the one given to Nicky Hager. I realise Nicky is a controversial figure, because Nicky- quite deliberately it would seem- inserts himself and his reporting into election campaigns Which means he often becomes the villain to the group of voters supporting the target of his investigation. Whether it's the supporters of Helen Clark in 2002, or Don Brash in 2006, or probably most recently, John Key in 2014. But take away his controversial tactic of deliberately publishing and releasing books during a political campaign and just look objectively at what he's told us that we never knew before. If it wasn't for Nicky Hager, we might not know about Five Eyes today. There are five countries in that security grouping- the UK, the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. And of all the journalists in all those countries, it was Nicky Hager who found out about Five Eyes and ended up giving evidence at an inquiry by the European Parliament. It was Nicky who told us about Dirty Politics, about our soldiers probably killing civilians in Afghanistan, about Corngate, about the exclusive brethren funding the National Party. And for that, he's been subjected to some pretty poor behaviour, including being unlawfully raided by the police. The police apologised publicly, his bank apologised publicly for handing over private information and the spies who were monitoring his phone apologised publicly. Nicky Hager seems to have a rare thing that I really admire. Which is not giving a stuff what people think of him and just sticking to his principles and doing what he thinks is right. I know journalists are not the flavour of the month at the moment, largely because so few of them are actually good at what they do. But Nicky is. If you care about transparency and power being held to account, then you should celebrate a journalist like Nicky Hager doing exactly that. In years to come, we will remember the names of very few journalists, but Nicky will be one of them. So that honour is well-deserved. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The National Party leader Christopher Luxon made his first appearance as leader at Waitangi over the weekend, distancing himself from previous iterations of the National Party. Luxon said the Don Brash era of National Party politics wasn't a great one, and he did not support the type of politics Brash was known for regarding Māori. Māori leaders are calling for a clean and positive association with Te Ao Māori during election year, something Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins also support. Luxon spoke to Guyon Espiner.
Good Reserve Bank Governors, like good Victorian children, should be seen and not heard. In other words, they should not be drawing attention to themselves. They should quietly get about their business, not alarm the horses and not draw undue attention to themselves. Ask yourself, apart from Don Brash, can you name any of the other Reserve Bank Governors who have served New Zealand over the past 20 odd years? Adrian Orr has certainly made a name for himself. He would argue not of his own doing... possibly. Opposition parties are alarmed at his reappointment for a further five years. Furthermore, they're concerned about many of the Reserve Bank Board appointees that unanimously endorsed Orr's contract being extended for a further five years. You've also had in the past, many experienced people who've been critical of the Reserve Bank's performance. Really, that's Adrian Orr's performance. Former Governors Graham Wheeler, Don Brash and Grant Spencer have criticised the bank, former chair Arthur Grimes and former Chief Economist John Dermot. Mainly because of the extent of the monetary policy easing. Sam Stubbs, Simplicity Kiwisaver fund chief executive, put forward a column in defence of Adrian Orr and says well can anyone name a central bank anywhere in the world that made all the right decisions during Covid? And who now has inflation under control? Sam Stubbs says that looking at how well our economy actually performed during the Covid crisis, it's a tough judgement to say the Reserve Bank mishandled it. You could also point to just about every single Western democracy and say they're reaping what they've sown. They're facing the consequences of the decisions made by the central banks during a crisis that nobody had seen before. All I know is what I'm experiencing and what I'm seeing. All I know is what commentators are saying, and that's that we're in for a world of pain because everything was overcooked. We're now going to suffer as a result of decisions made by a man who's just been appointed for another five years. How does that work? I mean, most of us most of us don't even think about Reserve Bank policy decisions, because they don't affect us, and isn't that the way it should be? This shouldn't even be a topic for talk back and an ideal world yet here we are. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Interview with Don Brash, former Reserve Bank Governor See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The latest inflation figures out today are expected to show a fall from the current 32 year high of 7.3 percent. The former Reserve Bank Governor, Don Brash, was the banker who helped tame inflation during his 14 years at the helm, taking it down from roughly where it is today to under two or three percent. He spoke to Corin Dann.
Paula Bennett's new podcast with the Herald, which launches today, is called Ask Me Anything, but when Kim Knight sits down with the former politician, she discovers some things are still off-limits - even for a self-confessed oversharer. A few days before nominations for the Auckland mayoralty closed, Paula Bennett had regrets. "I said to my husband - we do not talk about Auckland. You do not get to moan about anything. Because I feel guilty and I know I could do a damn good job and I'm dismayed at the direction I think they're heading." And now, on the day of this interview, the field has narrowed. Leo Molloy has gone and the polls have "undecided" as the frontrunner. Does Bennett wish her name were on the ballot sheet? "From a personal perspective, absolutely not. From a professional perspective, yes." Paula Bennett is launching a new podcast with NZME today. Photo / Dean Purcell. Ask her anything? Former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett is a self-confessed oversharer. Photo/Dean Purcell. She could have won, she says. And she would have done a good job. But: "I don't mean to be rude, but the thought of sitting for a day in a council meeting with 19 others who are more interested in their own ideology and getting voted in again, than actually doing what's right, just literally makes me want to poke my own eye out with a toothpick." At Bayleys Real Estate head office, near Auckland's Wynyard Quarter, the women wear black. They file out of a meeting room in black trousers, dresses and jackets; black heeled boots and stilettos - money and power, rendered monochrome. Bennett sails down the stairs in sneakers. She is full noise and full colour. On a scale of one to tomato-red-pants-and-matching-shirt, her confidence is off the charts. Love her, loathe her, but don't ignore this former Deputy Prime Minister. The reinvention of Paula Bennett is a work in progress. She recently said it took her a year to detox from politics, from the "kick in the guts" delivered by a majority of her own caucus, when she and National party leader Simon Bridges were rolled by the short-lived pairing of Todd Muller and Nikki Kaye ahead of the 2020 general election. "Look, people do go from being the deputy leader of the party to, you know, pretty much unranked - but I couldn't see that I would ever become the deputy leader again. Maybe I have contributed to the highest and best that I can? And there was definitely the age factor and definitely the fact that I wanted a professional life after politics." This brings us to a very fancy lounge on the second floor of a national real estate company's headquarters. Bennett's job title is "national director – customer engagement & advisory". What does she actually do here? The chairman of the board has just slipped in to make a coffee. He has some thoughts: "The square root of f*** all!" Bennett hoots. She loves this family-owned company - what she calls the "Kiwiness" of it. She's never sold a house. Her role is to connect things. People, money, policy. "We might look at a big, potential land development. Is there a way government housing can work with a local developer, can work with council to make sure the infrastructure is there? I am the glue that tries to put those pieces together." National Party deputy leader Paula Bennett fronts reporters at a 2019 media conference. Photo/Mark Mitchell Paula Bennett hosts charades game show Give Us a Clue on TVNZ. Photo/Supplied She fronts charity events and has a swag of side hustles - a newspaper column (Herald on Sunday), a television game show (Give Us A Clue), and an upcoming real estate reality show (Rich Listers). Perhaps the biggest surprise about Paula Bennett 2.0, is that she didn't find populist telly sooner. "I'm an oversharer, that's an absolute! I'm a talker. Although one of the things I taught myself is you don't have to fill the silence. I was an automatic 'fill the silence' person. I'm an oversharer, but I've become very good at saying 'no' and not even giving a reason." Her advice for nailing the "no comment"? "The fewer words you use, the less likely they are to pursue it." From today, Bennett adds "podcaster" to her portfolio. She's the host of "Ask Me Anything" a new New Zealand Herald show that "I'm really excited about in the context that, in another life, probably living in another country, I could have been an Oprah . . . that didn't happen for me, so this is a way for me to explore people and conversations that will go from everything from the frivolous to hopefully the very interesting". The former deputy PM had undergone a reinvention. Photo / Dean Purcell. Bennett, 53, says with a "mid-life crisis reinvention under my belt" she wants to share some of the things she's learned and ask others for their advice (first up, broadcaster Kerre Woodham on how to be bold with your opinions). The podcast's premise is simple. Bennett can ask her guests absolutely anything - but they don't have to answer everything. Turn the tables, and it might go something like this: Who was the best Prime Minister? Bennett: "Oh, I'm completely biased in that I had John Key for all of those years. He's who I know the most and worked with, so I'd have to say him." Who should have been Prime Minister? Bennett: "Bill English for longer. He would have just brought a level of humanity and intellect and experience into the role. I think the country would have gained a lot from another three years under him." Has she ever, as once rumoured, worked as a prostitute? "No. Never." (More laughter). How did she tell her parents that she was pregnant, aged 17? "Yeah, I think I'll leave that one." Sometimes in an interview, it's the question you least expect that people are the most reluctant to answer. Once upon a time, Bennett was a teen mum in small town Taupō. She was "that girl". Smart and scandalous. And her parents - a librarian and a shopkeeper - couldn't handle her. "I'm conscious that part of that is their story as well," says Bennett. "And there was so much stigma, and so much going on. We're talking the end of 1986. I went to have a scan and they wouldn't show me the screen because they didn't want me to get emotionally attached. They wouldn't tell me the gender of my baby. So weird, eh? Just very different times." Bennett is Reset magazine's second cover girl. Photo / Dean Purcell. Paula Bennett has said she needed a year to detox from politics. Photo / Dean Purcell Bennett's transformation from solo mother to high-ranking politician with 15 years in Parliament has been much documented (and scrutinised, particularly when access to benefits was tightened under her regime). She leans into the "woman who turned her life around" narrative and the "Westie" persona that's associated with her West Auckland postcode. She says she doesn't want to be interviewed at her "nothing special" home because she'd worry the reporter would leave covered in dog hair. And it suited her when, early in her political career, some people decided she wasn't that bright. (One national magazine, for example, reported officials were simplifying written material because she apparently preferred graphics and pictorial representations - a claim she says was ridiculous). "Big deep breath," says Bennett. "Ignore it and move on . . . Some people close to me would say that I played on it, that I quite liked being underestimated, and I think there is a degree of truth in that . . . in those early years, when they wrote you off as being a bit dumb, you could kind of get on with it." Consider this anecdote from a return trip to her old high school: "One of the teachers said to me, 'you know I almost want to apologise to you - we've got a gifted class now and we would have had you in that.' And I went 'oh, what a load of bulls***!'" But she also acknowledges: "There were definite points where I could use that strength and intelligence for good or evil. They tried to keep channelling it into good. They put me on the local youth council and they would try and give me little leadership roles and then I'd get bored and I'd organise a protest against the school uniform or get the boyfriend to come and pick me up on his motorbike off the school field . . . " Bennett claims she never wanted to lead the National Party and that we should believe her when she says that "because I honestly believe that if I'd really wanted to, I could have". When? Well, she notes with deadpan delivery, in her final years in Parliament, there were "a few changes". Eventually, that change came for her. And it was brutal. "I literally gave it 100 per cent . . . and then you're trying to find your place again in the world and literally every day people want to talk to you about what you've done in the past and it's like 'far out - I'm trying to work my way through this'. Bennett has a new business career. Photo / Dean Purcell "I was used to knowing pretty much everything . . . Parliament is a VERY complicated place. It's policy, government departments, people, everything. And I believe I was very good at it. You only get to a certain age that you're comfortable saying that, by the way. But, actually, I believe I was. So I went from being very good and knowing more than most people, to knowing the least." She suspects she'll never have another job like it - but knows she couldn't have done it forever. "You sleep less, you work longer hours, there is definite tiredness and a risk of burnout. I had moments of knowing that I was at breaking point and, actually, broke a couple of times . . . " Recently, at a Bayleys function, a man came up to her. Did she recognise him? "I'm sorry, I don't . . . ?" He was the doctor who treated her when she was hospitalised in 2011. Asthma attacks, pneumonia, and "I had kept pushing to the point of collapse". She began routinely spending days off by herself, solo decompressing at a family bach, watching the birds and the trees, listening to music. "But that's really hard on your family. They haven't seen you much, you're away more often than you're home …" And, then, suddenly, she was home. All. The. Time. "He was very excited to have me home. I was, um, what was I? I was pleased to be there, but I was still trying to work out what I was going to do and where I was and how this fit. But we just sort of got on with it. Worked out we could live together and we quite liked each other. It could have gone either way." Ten years ago, Bennett married Alan Philps, the former truck driver she first dated when she was a server at a truck stop. Why didn't they stay together back then? "That's one for the podcast," she promises. The pair have just returned from a short holiday in Fiji where she took a walk that turned into a hike that she says she couldn't have completed, pre-gastric bypass surgery and a frequently-headlined 50kg weight loss. Paula Bennett on the campaign trail in 2005, with then National Party leader, Don Brash. Photo/Paul Estcourt Sure, she'll talk about that some more: "You're still the same person, your body's a bit smaller, fashion's more fun. It's easier, right? You're not thinking, oh, is that top the right length to cover that." Equally: "Caroline Marr [owner and creative director of plus-size fashion label The Carpenter's Daughter] once said to me, 'you take up more room, why not dress it up?' I loved that. I used to remember that a lot. Yeah - why not own a room?" What can a reinvented Paula Bennett do with a room? Most recently, she's fundraised $2.2m for the National party. ("It turns out she's very hard to say no to," said one insider). At Bayleys, "I work a lot with private wealth. That's really interesting, and a lot of fun as well. I love them!" Yes, she agrees, "there are wonderful eccentricities" to be found in the upper echelons of societal wealth - but, she adds, you can meet that in the Pūhoi Tavern too. "Go in with no judgment, take people at face value and work with them to the best that you can. I think that gets you through in any walk of life, right?" Paula Bennett for mayor, circa 2025? "We've got a pretty incredible city here in Auckland. And as I said to my husband - it turns out I still give a damn." Paula Bennett also talked to Francesca Rudkin on the Sunday Session to discuss her new podcast and reinvention. LISTEN ABOVE Ask Me Anything with Paula Bennett is a New Zealand Herald podcast launching today, with new episodes every Sunday. You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. - Kim Knight, NZ HeraldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Another episode Wednesday from the Reserve Bank. It's worth paying attention to, given it affects every single one of us. And survey after survey indicates large numbers of us are suffering because of it. Inflation, currently at 7.3 percent, has it peaked or not? The Reserve Bank get another crack this week at interest rates and along with the number, the commentary, as to what they think and where we are going. The backdrop is good and bad. It's good because America saw their inflation drop. Not by much, it' still a hell of a mess but it's not as bad, at 8.5 percent, as it was. Food, internationally, is cheaper. Oil, internationally, is cheaper. Significantly so, and that has a major affect here. The unemployment rate the other day went up. That's a sort of sign of slackness in the labour market and it's what the Reserve Bank wants to see. But wages are rising. They are going up in the private sector by 7 percent. That's absurd. It might mean people still spend. If they are spending and if they don't feel affected by inflation the Reserve Bank might want to send a message. So, everyone agrees interest rates will rise again. Moody's says it's not impossible the rise will be 25 points. That would be very good news. ANZ say it's not impossible the move will be 75 points. That would be a disaster. Most say it'll be 50, which although broadly predicted, is still a sign we are a long way from being out of trouble. There is also a sense that the previously forecast top for the cash rate of 4 percent won't be enough. It could go to 4.5 percent. That would make Don Brash right and he called that a while back. It would further cement the broad argument that Adrian Orr has blown this and we all need to pay a massive price for his printing more money than he ever needed to. If the cash rate goes to 4.5 percent, that's mortgages with a 7 percent in them. None of this though excuses where we are. That's the problem with ongoing problems, we become numb to them, and they become the norm. Orr will be hoping you think that. Because the Government still haven't acquiesced to a review, which they should have. That's another one of their tricks make the quest for a review a long-term ongoing issue in the hope that you forget. Because boy, given the damage, do they have questions to answer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Another episode Wednesday from the Reserve Bank. It's worth paying attention to, given it affects every single one of us. And survey after survey indicates large numbers of us are suffering because of it. Inflation, currently at 7.3 percent, has it peaked or not? The Reserve Bank get another crack this week at interest rates and along with the number, the commentary, as to what they think and where we are going. The backdrop is good and bad. It's good because America saw their inflation drop. Not by much, it' still a hell of a mess but it's not as bad, at 8.5 percent, as it was. Food, internationally, is cheaper. Oil, internationally, is cheaper. Significantly so, and that has a major affect here. The unemployment rate the other day went up. That's a sort of sign of slackness in the labour market and it's what the Reserve Bank wants to see. But wages are rising. They are going up in the private sector by 7 percent. That's absurd. It might mean people still spend. If they are spending and if they don't feel affected by inflation the Reserve Bank might want to send a message. So, everyone agrees interest rates will rise again. Moody's says it's not impossible the rise will be 25 points. That would be very good news. ANZ say it's not impossible the move will be 75 points. That would be a disaster. Most say it'll be 50, which although broadly predicted, is still a sign we are a long way from being out of trouble. There is also a sense that the previously forecast top for the cash rate of 4 percent won't be enough. It could go to 4.5 percent. That would make Don Brash right and he called that a while back. It would further cement the broad argument that Adrian Orr has blown this and we all need to pay a massive price for his printing more money than he ever needed to. If the cash rate goes to 4.5 percent, that's mortgages with a 7 percent in them. None of this though excuses where we are. That's the problem with ongoing problems, we become numb to them, and they become the norm. Orr will be hoping you think that. Because the Government still haven't acquiesced to a review, which they should have. That's another one of their tricks make the quest for a review a long-term ongoing issue in the hope that you forget. Because boy, given the damage, do they have questions to answer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The value of Graeme Wheeler writing the report he has on the Reserve Bank and the shambles it's made of the economy, is it shows us and shines real light on one of life's simple but often forgotten truths. Just because you are touted as an expert doesn't mean you actually know what you are doing. Wheeler was our Reserve Bank Governor from 2012 to 2017. He joins, by the way, Don Brash who also held the same job in calling out our current boss, Adrian Orr and his handling of the Covid era. Our bank is not alone. Lots of central banks essentially did the same thing. Depending on how mad they went, depends now on how bad the fiscal fallout for the average person now is. In our case it's pretty bad. We printed money with alacrity and the hangover has only just begun. The value of Wheeler and Brash is they are your so-called experts. They have been where Orr is, they have the credentials, they have the experience, and they have the track record. You and I can sit there and openly ask why this is such a dog's breakfast, but too often we are tut-tutted away because we don't know what we are talking about. Grant Robertson gets a freer run at espousing economic theory because he has a title of Minister of Finance. The fact he's never run a thing in his life seems to be forgotten. What would we, the peasants, know about money matters? Adrian Orr is full of defence for what he has done, and yet it is increasingly obvious and has been for some time that he blew it. And he was helped by a government that wanted him to do more and print more. His job was to resist, unless he didn't know how to, or worse, agreed with what he was encouraged to do. Remembering, of course, he is supposed to be independent. You might note the Crown, that's you and me, have started to re-capitalise the Reserve Bank to the tune of almost $9 billion. Why would they be doing that? Because they need to get the debt off the bank's books, so if this happens again, they have the capacity to print. Basically, we are paying for the damage the Reserve Bank inflicted. It'll be about $150 million a month, every month for five years. If interest rates go up, which they will, it'll be more. No, there was no miracle here. But there might well have been a better way with less damage. We've now got two Governors versus one saying as much. If ever, there was a lesson in being aware of your surroundings and those who run them, this is it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Former Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler has taken a swing at central banks all over the world, including our own. He's co-authored a report accusing central banks of overdoing interest rate cuts and quantitive easing. He goes on to say the banks should admit their serious mistakes, which led to increased inflation. Don Brash, a Former Reserve Bank Governor himself, joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Calls are growing for a review of the Reserve Bank's slow response to inflation. National is calling for an independent review after Governor Adrian Orr acknowledged his interest rate decisions have contributed to inflation reaching the level it has. Orr's acknowledgment followed criticism from his predecessors, including Graeme Wheeler and Don Brash. To discuss this, former Finance Minister Steven Joyce joined Kerre Woodham. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Calls are growing for a review of the Reserve Bank's slow response to inflation.National is calling for an independent review after Governor Adrian Orr acknowledged his interest rate decisions have contributed to inflation reaching the level it has.Orr's acknowledgment followed criticism from his predecessors, including Graeme Wheeler and Don Brash.To discuss this, former Finance Minister Steven Joyce joined Kerre Woodham.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Former Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler has taken a swing at central banks all over the world, including our own.He's co-authored a report accusing central banks of overdoing interest rate cuts and quantitive easing.He goes on to say the banks should admit their serious mistakes, which led to increased inflation.Don Brash, a Former Reserve Bank Governor himself, joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What I like about Don Brash entering the cost-of-living debate is he comes with knowledge, experience and he tells a different story to Adrian Orr.We have two Reserve Bank Governors with different stories, so who is right?If Brash turns out to be more accurate in the long run, you can quite justifiably ask a couple of solid questions of Orr. Was he up for the job? Why couldn't he see what others did? And in defending his approach which he currently is, how political has he become?Having him on the show last week was a revelation of sorts. He was painting a picture, which to my eye, simply isn't true or real.In suggesting government spending is small beer in the inflationary picture he has to contain is absurd. The Government has laden us down with a mountain of spending and a mountain of debt. Brash sees it, Orr doesn't.Spending is inflationary, especially when it hasn't come with any boost in productivity or bottom-line growth, which of course a lot of government spending doesn't.Orr sees inflation having peaked and this is as bad as it gets. I don't know many who would agree. He's peaking the cash rate out at 3.9 percent, that's worse that previously forecast. This is one of the weaknesses of the Orr argument, so many of their forecasts turn out to be wrong.Brash sees the rate going higher than 3.9 percent.You've got to remember what Orr is trying to do is bring inflation under 3 percent, preferably to 2 percent, while at the same time not sending us into a spiral of economic misery, which by the way spending data already shows we have hit. Plus, he's doing it while having no control over aspects of the economy like oil, shipping and China's Covid approach.And he's cutting inflation at a time of no growth but also as we ask for more and more money because the price of everything is going up and up.I want Orr to be right, because his theory seems to be the least painful.But you don't have to be an economic genius to see making this thing land softly is almost impossible. And when people like Brash, and indeed Steven Joyce if you read him over the weekend, are saying something completely different.You have to wonder if Orr, having thrown so much printed help at the economy, is now in the tricky position of having to fix his own mess while pretending it's not that big a deal.Also, presumably not pointing the finger directly at Grant Robertson who, if Brash and Joyce are right, is as donkey deep as the Reserve Bank Governor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With Rodney Jones, Jennifer Hsu and Don Brash
Inflation could spiral even higher.Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr admits to being caught on the back foot by supply chain woes, and the war in Ukraine.The man who used to hold his job through the 90s, Don Brash, says Orr has a major inflation issue on his plate.He told Tim Dower if the inflation number tomorrow is seven percent or above, it will be the highest since 1988.Brash says the risk is, with reports of high inflation, people will start behaving accordingly, by demanding higher wages, which will make the problem worse.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Inflation could spiral even higher.Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr admits to being caught on the back foot by supply chain woes, and the war in Ukraine.The man who used to hold his job through the 90s, Don Brash, says Orr has a major inflation issue on his plate.He told Tim Dower if the inflation number tomorrow is seven percent or above, it will be the highest since 1988.Brash says the risk is, with reports of high inflation, people will start behaving accordingly, by demanding higher wages, which will make the problem worse.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
National is facing two awkward headlines today.It has been confirmed Judith Collins went cap in hand to former National-turned-Act leader, Don Brash, to help fundraise for her 'Demand the debate' campaign.Brash - who has since gone on to run lobby group Hobson's Pledge - told Newstalk ZB he was tapped to raise $300,000.The money would've funded a campaign attacking the Government on race issues.Meanwhile, Senior National MP Andrew Bayly has apologised to Minister Nanaia Mahuta for stuffing-up her name.He's also pushing back on suggestions he ridiculed its pronunciation, saying that's something he would never do.Bayly made the faux pas at a conference in May - but texted Mahuta this morning to say sorry, after news broke.He says the error wasn't deliberate - and he's disappointed how it's been reported.Listen above as Josie Pagani and Neil Miller discuss the day's news with Andrew Dickens on The Huddle
Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson has defended the Human Rights Commission for giving koha to the Mongrel Mob stating one can "never walk away from tikanga".The Human Rights Commission has copped criticism from National and Act after Newstalk ZB revealed it gifted $200 as koha – a customary Māori gift or donation – to the Waikato chapter of the gang ahead of a hui in May.The parties said taxpayer money going to a gang was unacceptable, and called for chief human rights commissioner Paul Hunt to resign.Jackson was asked by media if he had ever given koha to the Mongrel Mob, having met with gang representatives on a few occasions.Jackson said he had not met with them on a marae and thus it was not relevant, but he defended the process as tikanga, custom."We are talking about carrying out tikanga. You get invited somewhere your obligation as Māori never leaves you, you give a koha."It is not about supporting them, we absolutely reject that gang life, you come to my marae you are not allowed patches."But it is not about supporting the Mob, this is nonsense from National and the Act Party."Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence Marama Davidson, who attended the same hui as Hunt, said she had not given koha."No, but all groups we visit around the country, when they are hosting and taking care of us it is up to us if we give koha, like we would for any group."Asked in the House today by National's police spokesman Simeon Brown if the Government supported the commission's actions, Minister of State Services Chris Hipkins, speaking on behalf of Justice Minister Kris Faafoi, said it was not appropriate to comment.The commission was legally established to be "independent and free from the direction of ministers or government policy", he said."The positions that they take will sometimes be positions that the Government of the day disagree with, and the members opposite should think carefully if they want to end up in a position where the chief human rights commissioner can only express views or take actions that the Government of the day sanctions."When asked if he thought Hunt should resign, Hipkins stated it required the Governor-General to be satisfied there was just cause."This Government follows the law," Hipkins said.Act Party leader David Seymour asked Hipkins if giving money to a criminal organisation met the threshold to remove the commissioner or if it was just "hakuna-matata", a Swahili phrase referenced in The Lion King loosely translated as "no worries".In response, Hipkins reiterated the commission's independence.Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi asked a supplementary question about whether the minister thought the Opposition's interpretation of donation was "very different to the interpretation of koha"?He also asked of Act's former leader, "Don Brash sitting on an educational trust with the Mongrel Mob; does that sound like hakuna-matata?"Brown told media while independence of agencies like the commission should be respected, the Government should take responsibility for the inappropriate use of taxpayer funding."I refuse to think the minister thinks donating to organised crime is appropriate use of taxpayer funds."Hunt simply has to go and then the Government needs to take a long look at itself and how it is managing the rise of gangs in New Zealand."text by Michael Neilson, NZ Herald
Winston Peters doesn't need the support of all Kiwis to get back into Parliament.He told supporters New Zealand First will be back come 2023 at the party's annual meeting in East Auckland yesterday.Peters spoke about the increasing use of the name 'Aotearoa' over 'New Zealand' in his speech.Former National and ACT Party leader Don Brash told Kate Hawkesby he believes Peters is in with a chance of getting five percent of the vote."There are a lot of people who do resent that language issue. Yes, he'll offend younger voters or dismiss it anyway."Brash also said that Peters' age won't matter, especially when compared to US President Joe Biden, who is 78, the age Peters will be in 2023.LISTEN ABOVE
Further to the cycling chat yesterday, just a follow up. Reading the Listener and there's a piece in there by Alan Bollard - chair of the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission. It's a fabulous piece and I do recommend it - hopefully we will have Alan Bollard on the show tomorrow to talk infrastructure, but within the article is a piece that is relevant to the conversation we were having yesterday. He said the proposed Northern Pathway Auckland Harbour Bridge cycleway project has been forecast to cost many times its initial capital cost estimate of $67 million. It will move less than 1% of the bridge traffic, while subsidising some of the wealthiest suburbs in the country. It does not, says Alan Bollard, add up. But in the meantime, I was interested in Jarrod Gilbert's piece in the Herald applauding Don Brash for choosing to work with a Mongrel Mob trust. It's a gang education trust which might, said Gilbert, prove to be a game changer in changing the future of these kids with an extremely high risk of becoming the worst sorts of statistics. I know we've had these conversations before about gangs - and in fact I was rung by a very irate Louise Hutchinson, PR consultant for the Mongrel Mob Kingdom, saying the gang members were good people and trying to change and for heaven's sake I was living in the past - they'd been ordered to cease and desist from pack rape ages ago. Jarrod Gilbert says it's worth a try, particularly in addressing the issues of family violence and meth addiction. The flow on effects of those are hugely damaging particularly to the children, so if they can be given alternatives by working with the gangs he says that's worth doing. Muldoon famously tried to get alongside the gangs. He tried to get the leadership to encourage their members into the make-work schemes that were being run at the time, thinking that getting the gangs into work would decrease their anti-social activities. That idea went out with all the other Muldoonisms - protectionism, Think Big, when the eighties swept in and since then, or until recently, gangs have been seen as a police issue. The arrival of Andrew Coster seems to be heralding in that back to the future, let's work with them, not against them, approach and thus perhaps Don Brash joining a Mongrel Mob trust is just part of the zeitgeist.
On Judith Collins' so called race baiting speech at the weekend: I think it is fair to say that this speech smacks of desperation. I'll explain why I think that, but can I just say at the outset that this is a legitimate subject to raise.If you haven't caught up on the speech, on Saturday Collins basically accused the government of possibly introducing “two systems” based on race by stealth.She referred to a document called He Puapua, which has been sitting with the government since 2019.And the documents outlines what the government needs to do in order to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by 2040.He Puapua makes a number of recommendations, including Māori wards on councils, making New Zealand history compulsory in schools, and setting up a Māori health authority – all done. It also recommends a separate Māori parliament, and a separate Māori justice system based on Tikanga Māori.I think it's entirely plausible that Labour might well consider implementing more of these recommendations given the size of the Māori caucus and the pressure it'll be putting on the PM, and the fact that they've already introduced one of these recommendations without any warning ahead of the election, and that's the Māori wards on councils.But, as legit a subject as this is, and as much as the Prime Minister does need to face questions on this, this just feels like desperation from Collins.It feels like they rushed this speech or wrote it at the last minute, because there was no heads up to media that this was coming so there no political editors at the conference. It was on a Saturday. It came out of the blue entirely.And, given the subject matter, it was always going to be compared to the Orewa speech which propelled Don Brash up the polls.There are strategies for how to get a topic like this up and running in the media, and this was not one of them.On the contrary it feels like Collins is clutching at anything to get her polling up and keep any leadership challenges at bay.So while I think she raises some good points that need answering, the overwhelming sense of desperation around the speech might drown that out. It might be that we end up talking about that, not the substance of it.
Breaking news! We've got the exclusive scoop on Don Brash, our sources are indicating to us - and please don't be too surprised - that Don might be racist! We discuss this shocking new revelation. We also chat about fashionable capes and cocaine, a perfectly fashionable combo. TWITTER: @BaboonYodel FACEBOOK: @BaboonYodel WEB: www.baboonyodel.com INSTAGRAM: BaboonYodel
Christopher Luxon "tested the waters" this week with his maiden speech in Parliament. The former Air New Zealand CEO turned Botany MP told Parliament: "It seems it has become acceptable to stereotype those who have a Christian faith in public life as being 'extreme', so I will say a little about my Christian faith."It has anchored me, given my life purpose and shaped my values – and it puts me in the context of something bigger than myself," he said.His faith had a strong influence on who he was and how he related to people."I see Jesus showing compassion, tolerance and care for others. He doesn't judge, discriminate or reject people. He loves unconditionally."Former Minister Peter Dunne told The Weekend Collective that Luxon handled the issue well in his speech. "In a way, that's a little bit of signalling to that evangelical Christian base in the National Party that he's one of them, while flagging to everyone else that he's not a threat." If it means that he is looking to make a go for National's leadership, Dunne says that his business experience will tell him not to make an attempt until he has the numbers."That means make sure you have the numbers in the caucus, and make sure you can win the election."He says that David Shearer and Don Brash are two examples of former party leaders who were promoted too early based on promise and crashed - so Luxon will need to get some experience under his belt first. LISTEN ABOVE
Christopher Luxon "tested the waters" this week with his maiden speech in Parliament. The former Air New Zealand CEO turned Botany MP told Parliament: "It seems it has become acceptable to stereotype those who have a Christian faith in public life as being 'extreme', so I will say a little about my Christian faith."It has anchored me, given my life purpose and shaped my values – and it puts me in the context of something bigger than myself," he said.His faith had a strong influence on who he was and how he related to people."I see Jesus showing compassion, tolerance and care for others. He doesn't judge, discriminate or reject people. He loves unconditionally."Former Minister Peter Dunne told The Weekend Collective that Luxon handled the issue well in his speech. "In a way, that's a little bit of signalling to that evangelical Christian base in the National Party that he's one of them, while flagging to everyone else that he's not a threat." If it means that he is looking to make a go for National's leadership, Dunne says that his business experience will tell him not to make an attempt until he has the numbers."That means make sure you have the numbers in the caucus, and make sure you can win the election."He says that David Shearer and Don Brash are two examples of former party leaders who were promoted too early based on promise and crashed - so Luxon will need to get some experience under his belt first. LISTEN ABOVE
Over summer I listened to a fantastic podcast series about New Zealand's-so called Black Sheep. It was about the characters in our history who are a little controversial or a little misunderstood. The likes of Minnie Dean, the woman from southland who murdered babies. Horatio Robley, the man who controversially collected preserved Māori heads but then as a result of it actually helped save the art of Māori facial tattoos. Edward Wakefield, who essentially founded modern Wellington, was both a child abductor and the guy who devised the blueprint for how to colonise a country. Anyway, I listened to it thinking I knew a reasonable amount about New Zealand history. I've done the basics. I've read Michael King's book. And yet I knew very little about these stories I was hearing, which is basically to say, I knew very much less about New Zealand's history than I thought. And for that reason, I think it's long overdue that we're finally going to start teaching history in schools. I take Paul goldsmith's criticism when he says he's worried that the draft curriculum is too focussed on identity politics. And I'm sure there will be plenty of people who'll be worried that it might end up too sympathetic to one interpretation of history over another; perhaps favour one group's telling over another's. Fair enough. That is a risk. It's tempting to look at the broad topics – one of which is colonisation and its consequences – and perhaps worry that the curriculum has predetermined who the villains and who the victims are. But the fact is the telling of history is always just one interpretation over another. No one version will ever satisfy everyone. And I've just accepted this and decided I would prefer something – as flawed as it may end up being – over nothing. Because I don't believe that we can't properly interpret the things we're grappling with as a country until we really understand where the issues stem from. Why are Ngāpuhi holding up the treaty settlements process? Why are Māori leaders calling for separate control of baby uplifts? Why does Don Brash argue Māori seats should go? Hopefully, if we give our kids a good understanding of where these arguments come from, we'll have a better quality of debate. Which, quite frankly, would be a vast improvement on what we seem to have right now - which is a tendency to shut people down and label them as either racists or radicals.
The Government will abolish a law that allows local referendums to veto decisions by councils to establish Māori wards.The move will be made in time for the 2022 local body elections, and means decisions made by nine councils to establish Māori wards for that election cannot be overturned by local voters.The councils are the Kaipara District Council, Gisborne District Council, New Plymouth District Council, Northland Regional Council, Ruapehu District Council, South Taranaki District Council, Taupo District Council, Tauranga District Council, and Whangarei District Council.The only way Māori wards will not be established for 2022 in those areas is if the council itself resolves to undo its decision.Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta made the announcement in New Plymouth this afternoon, where the issue has been divisive.Since 2002, when the law was changed allowing councils to establish Māori wards, 24 councils have attempted to establish them but only two had been successful – Waikato Regional Council and Wairoa District Council. (The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has Maori wards set up under special legislation).Five per cent of electors can petition for a binding referendum on whether or not the council's decision stands.Mahuta said the current system had a different set of rules for establishing Māori and general wards "and that uneven playing field needs to change"."The process of establishing a ward should be the same for both Māori and general wards. These are decisions for democratically elected councils, who are accountable to the public every three years."Polls have proven to be an almost insurmountable barrier to councils trying to improve the democratic representation of Māori interests. This process is fundamentally unfair to Māori."She said increasing Māori representation was essential to ensuring equity in representation and to provide a Māori voice in local decision-making."It will also lead to greater Māori participation in the resource management process," Mahuta said."We know the importance of diversity around the council table and, as part of the Government's commitment to working to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, we need to do our part to enable councils to achieve fair representation."Like in Parliamentary elections, specific Māori seats can assist with this."Legislative reform to Māori wards processes would be passed in two stages over the next three years, she said.The first stage would make immediate changes to establish transitional measures for the 2022 local elections.The second stage would develop a permanent mechanism for local authorities to consider the establishment of Māori wards and constituencies.A public meeting was held in Tauranga last Friday to debate the decision establishing a Māori ward on the city council. It brought together opponents, including former National leader Don Brash speaking for Hobson's Pledge, and leading supporters of the wards, such as Buddy Mikaere, a former director of the Waitangi Tribunal.Three councils have already resolved to hold a poll alongside the 2022 election, the Far North District Council, Opotiki District Council and Hawkes Bay District Council. Those polls will not now go ahead and the Māori wards will not be established – unless those councils resolve to do so.The new legislation will extend the deadline for councils to consider Māori wards for the 2022 elections to May 21, this year.text by Audrey Young, NZ Herald
The Māori party says the National Party's change of heart on the Māori seats is disingenuous and desperate. National has announced it will "work towards" standing candidates in the Māori electorates in 2023. It hasn't stood in the seats since 2002 - and even held the stance of abolishing them altogether under the leadership of Don Brash. Leader Judith Collins says National has been absent for too long and should be looking to represent all New Zealanders. But Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer told political reporter Yvette McCullough this seems like hollow politiking.
The National Party has reversed a long held position to not stand candidates in the Māori seats. It has held various stances over the years - including to abolish the seats altogether in the mid 2000s under the leadership of Don Brash. Now leader Judith Collins says National has to be a party that represents all New Zealanders. Last year's election defeat is still fresh on MPs minds as they meet for a two day caucus retreat in Wellington. RNZ political editor Jane Patterson is there and filed this report.
A former National leader says this morning's party caucus meeting will be like a "wake", as 20 outgoing MPs say their good-byes.MPs will meet behind closed doors at Parliament this morning, after recording its worst election result since 2002.Former National leader Don Brash remembers arriving for his first caucus meeting, after being elected to Parliament in that 2002 election.He told Kate Hawkesby if that meeting is anything to go by, emotions are likely to be running high."There will be a lot of grief, but the anger will come later, and fingers will be pointed in all directions."Brash says some MPs could return in the future if National claws back supporters.LISTEN ABOVE
Listen above as political reporter Katie Bradford and commentator Ben Thomas join Francesca Rudkin to discuss the news of the weekGreen Party co-leader James Shaw is full of disdain but unsurprised at Winston Peters' "politics of division", which he calls a desperate plea for votes.Peters yesterday delivered a blistering race-relations speech in Orewa that recalled then-National leader Don Brash's "one law for all" speech in 2004, which saw National surge in the polls.Peters said that too many Māori were "stuck in the past and they want you to pay for it", and that he had threatened to upend the coalition in order to block a deal over Ihumātao."If Labour governs after the election, by themselves, heaven forbid, or with the Greens, God help us all, then they will do a deal at Ihumātao," Peters said yesterday.Peters said a deal would see a flood of settled Treaty of Waitangi claims being re-opened, even though the occupants say it's not a treaty issue but one of cultural heritage.Grant Robertson, the minister leading negotiations around Ihumātao, has also said there is no intention to do anything that could unravel full and final treaty settlements.Shaw said today that Peters was up to his old tricks by misrepresenting the issue."That's his shtick. He's trying to use the politics of division to drive up his vote and get back into Parliament. I don't like it, I never have liked it."I was completely unsurprised. A bit saddened."Shaw said Peters' tactic wouldn't resonate because people had moved on from "that view of the world"."He's just desperate for votes, to tell you the honest truth, and he's falling back on an old formula that's worked for him in the past, and I just hope that people see through it."Shaw and Peters have become increasingly critical of each other in recent months as the campaign neared, and today Shaw pitched a Labour-Greens Government at a public meeting at the East Harbour Women's Club in Eastbourne.He outlined three crisis issues at the meeting - poverty, climate change and biodiversity.He talked through the Greens' wealth tax on net assets over $1 million, the next phase of climate action to target specific industries - agriculture, heating and transport - and greater protections for marine life and oceans."Transport is the one I'm really worried about," said Shaw, who will release policy about this next week."We've completely fallen in love with Ford Rangers. For every electric car, we bring in 16 Ford Rangers. Transport emissions are frankly out of control."He also took a shot at National Party leader Judith Collins, who he said was "harvesting grievance" for saying that Labour and the Greens hated farmers.Sustainability issues around food and fibre production were being led by the farmers themselves, Shaw said."They want to solve that problem, and want support for that transition. It really irritates me when I hear people saying that we hate farmers. What we want is better for farmers."Green co-leader James Shaw told a public meeting in Eastbourne that the best way to make Jacinda Ardern PM again was to party vote Green. Photo / Derek ChengIt was "counter-intuitive", he said, but the best way to make Jacinda Ardern Prime Minister again was to party vote Green, which would ensure the centre-left bloc is bigger than the centre-right.If the Greens didn't make it back to Parliament, there would be more than 100,000 wasted votes on the left; there were 162,000 Green voters in 2017.Afterwards, he told the Herald that messaging around strategic voting needed to sharpen as October 17 inched closer."It's around when we're hovering on the [5 per cent] threshold. There's a group of [left-leaning] people that I know are sitting there thinking, 'What's the best use of our vote?' I would argue it's to give the party vote to the Green Party."The Greens were at 6 per cent support in Tuesday's 1 News Colmar Brunton poll, which followed Shaw's mea culpa for his advocacy for the private Gr...
Don Brash has been an outspoken advocate for free speech, democracy and open dialogue. In this speech, Mr Brash takes an in-depth look at the state of free speech in New Zealand, noting that while there have been a number of instances where the speech of individuals has been silenced, the voices in defence of this foundational principle are increasingly gaining prominence. This is the recoding of a speech given by Don Brash, given to the Shalom Students Association on the 9th of September, and the Q&A which followed. Thank you to the Shalom Students Association and Don Brash for continuing to uphold the values of free and frank discussion on difficult issues. Support the show (https://www.freespeechcoalition.nz/donate)
Is it better to do what you think is right? Or better to do what is popular? Political leaders have to work with that tension every day. But it’s in times like this, the midst of an election campaign when policies are laid bare, that we really get to scrutinise our main party’s values. Labour’s new tax policy once again shows they’re more interested in doing what is popular than what many of their members and supporters think is ‘right’. As some of my colleagues have pointed out over the last few days, their proposed new top tax rate is softer than what Don Brash proposed as National leader. The policy isn’t going to cost Labour much support in the election. But it isn’t going to win them much, either. It’s certainly not going to bring in much revenue for the government coffers. It’s a middling policy by a party which is forever terrified of being criticised as taxing and spending too much. The mere title of their policy tells you everything. It’s not a “tax” policy. It’s a “revenue” policy. What’s the bravest thing Labour and the Prime Minister have done during their first term in government? What was the last truly difficult issue for which you saw Jacinda Ardern make a public stand? As Labour leader and Prime Minister, has she ever backed a big policy where the majority of voters weren’t on her side? Maybe gun reform... maybe? No, I don’t think so. The heavy lifting on that was done in the days after a massacre when public support was greater than it might have otherwise been. The truth is, this is an historically popular PM but at many or most of the difficult political crossroads of the last three years, she and her party have chosen the safe option. The popular option as opposed to what might actually be in the greater interests of our society. Jacinda Ardern ruled out changes to superannuation for as long as she remains leader, despite previously supporting it. As Prime Minister, she chose not to publicly fight for a Capital Gains Tax. And I know the structure of this government has meant she had to get New Zealand First over the line in Cabinet. But there’s nothing that stops a Prime Minister from using her popularity to really try and sell a difficult policy to the public, if he or she thinks it’s the right thing to do. Consider the cannabis referendum. The polls are very close, but Jacinda Ardern is refusing to take a public stand. Compare it with the End of Life Choice debate, where most polls show a clear majority of New Zealanders support the law change. For that second referendum, the Prime Minister will make her her position public. She sides with the majority. Why will she make her position clear for one of the referendums, but not for the other? Simple. Popularity. This is not unique to Jacinda Ardern or Labour. John Key and the last National government were similarly guided by regular opinion polling and public sentiment, rather than tackling some of big complex, controversial issues, which might have been in our greater long-term interests. I can think of one big exception – the flag debate! And maybe you could add National’s proposed changes to superannuation. But for the most part our two main parties tinker at the edges. We face crises on many fronts – climate change, poverty, housing inequality. But no one so far has been brave enough to really shake things up. Perhaps you think I’m too cynical, or you think it’s the role of the main parties to always try and capture the centre. Maybe you think... give it another term... let the dust settle from Covid-19 and THEN Labour will do something brave and try to be transformational. But that’s not how this works. The impulse to hold onto power will always outweigh the impulse to do something really big with that power. I’m not saying the Prime Minister hasn’t distinguished herself with many parts of her leadership. People will call her many things... kind... considered... inspirational, even! But as a policy-maker, I don’t think you ca...
Debate continues around the election date.National Leader Judith Collins has called for the September election to be delayed because of Covid-19.It's a little over five weeks before we head to the polls.Former National Party and ACT leader Don Brash told Mike Hosking the new restrictions have already started to impact campaigning.“All political parties have formally suspended their campaigns, with National having to cancel their launch this weekend, so postponing the election is a fair question."In financial news, there's doubt the Reserve Bank's move to basically print more money will be effective.The Official Cash Rate's unchanged on 0.25 percent.But the Reserve Bank's increased its cap on quantitative easing, from $60 billion dollars to $100 billion.Former Reserve Bank Governor, Don Brash, says some people say it'll only have a marginal effect."It's holding interest rates close to 0.25 per cent, but it isn't having the big effect that reducing interest rates would have."
The PM has just announced a move to level 3 and then level 4 COVID-19 alert level. We interview Dr Matt Boyd, a specialist in health economics and global catastrophic risk, and Dr Don Brash, former RBNZ Governor. Support the show (http://www.taxpayers.org.nz/donate)
Patrick Corish sits down with the deputy leader of the New Conservative Party of New Zealand, Elliot Ikelei. Patrick and Elliot discuss the New Conservative's views on free speech, the role of parents in protecting children from online harm and Elliot's debate on free speech with Dr Don Brash at Auckland University.Support the show (https://www.freespeechcoalition.nz/donate)
Free Speech Coalition co-founder Jordan Williams interviews Reynold Macpherson and Dr Don Brash. Reynold Macpherson is a Rotorua mayoral candidate who was accused of hate speech for responding to councillor Tania Tapsell's encouragement for young people to stand for council by stating "beware of the charismatic pitch of the Pied Piper". Dr Don Brash was the leader of National Party while in Opposition. He was banned from speaking at a student led political event by Massey University due to his association with Hobson's Pledge even though his speech was exclusively about his time as Leader of the Opposition.Support the show (https://www.freespeechcoalition.nz/donate)
In 2018 Stuff reported on te reo Māori courses “selling out as fast as tickets for Ed Sheeran or Adele”. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern recently pledged to ensure that a million New Zealanders can kōrero with confidence in te reo Māori by 2040. We gather four energetic te reo advocates to take the pulse of one of New Zealand’s official languages: Scotty and Stacey Morrison (authors of Māori Made Easy and Māori at Home), and local te reo champions Paulette Tamati-Elliffe and Komene Cassidy. Chaired by the man who got Don Brash all flustered for “spouting on” in te reo Māori on RNZ: Guyon Espiner. This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz
On the podcast today, the guys are chatting escaped cows, Don Brash's vehicle choice and they talk to Juliearna, the lady who spotted a Puma in the South Island...
Don Brash has been invited to speak at the lower marae at Waitangi, where he was once pelted with mud by protesters.The mud was turfed in 2004, when he was National leader.It was just a few days after his infamous speech to Orewa Rotarians in which he railed against special treatment for Māori.He is now spokesman for Hobson's Pledge, a group which campaigns against racial separatism or favouritism under the Treaty of Waitangi.Dr Brash told the Weekend Collective when he received the invitation to speak at Te Tii Marae he was surprised, but pleased."Initially I was a bit suspicious, I thought 'is this a have'? I began to wonder if the person who invited me actually have the authority, but it turned out he did have, and I'm absolutely delighted to be accepting it."He says he has written a speech for the purpose, and he believes there will be a panel discussion. Brash says he was told to expect some strong opposition at that panel, and people are already making their views heard. He says he is pleased to have been invited, especially after his Massey University ban."That's an appalling thing for a university to do, and the marae leadership showed themselves to be in a completely different place to allow someone who they may not agree with to have a say."Maori Development Minister Willie Jackson says he is not looking forward to hearing the former politician speak. "I have no interest in listening to Don's carry on and rhetoric."He says there is no need to hear his rhetoric again, and he says it is a waste of time to listen him. Organisers say while some people are unhappy Brash is speaking, they want to hear his side of the story, and he will be safe.
Don Brash was barred from speaking at Massey University after Vice-Chancellor Jan Thomas cited security concerns, but documents requested under the Official Information Act reveal a different story.Brash was due to give a speech to the University's Politics Society in August, speaking about his life in politics, but after a threat to security, the university canned the talk.The controversial decision by Massey University added fuel to the free speech debate in New Zealand.In an Official Information Act request, by journalist David Farrar, documents show that security was not the main concern, but Thomas saying she didn't want a "te tiriti led university be seen to be endorsing racist behaviours".David Farrar told Chris Lynch Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas was not honest with media over why Don Brash was prevented from speaking at Massey University and says she should resign.
LISTEN ABOVE AS DON BRASH SPEAKS TO CHRIS LYNCHNewly released documents suggest Don Brash was barred from speaking at Massey University because of his views, rather than security concerns.Vice-Chancellor Jan Thomas said at the time she cancelled the former National Party leader's talk due to a threat to security.But emails released under the Official Information Act show she wanted to block him, because she didn't want the university to be seen to be endorsing racist behaviour.They show she emailed a staff member, asking for potential reasons she could give to stop him from speaking.Don Brash told Chris Lynch he believes she has no other alternative but to resign as she has been dishonest about the whole thing and "clearly hoodwinked" many people involved.
So Jacinda Ardern has addressed the business community in an attempt to reset the mind set that the business outlook will be worse under Labour.To be honest, it was always going to be a vain attempt. The government believes what they believe and there’s a substantial slice of the business community who will always think they’re just wrong. It was the same with the last government and the government before that and on it goes. It’s been interesting to see a few people, like Don Brash and a number of economists, who are starting to dispel the rosy perception of the Key and English era. With as many moving parts as an economy there’s always dispute over the best things to do.So all you can take from this speech is whether or not the current mob have a clue. And canvassing the business team here and other observers, it becomes clear that the alleged economic incompetence of this government is being over-hyped.I found it hard to dismiss a lot of what was said today. Ardern said that the New Zealand economy faced a number of global challenges. She listed them as skills shortages, lack of investment in the productive economy, a shallow national pool of capital, an infrastructure deficit and low productivity. I particularly like the shallow pool of capital thing because it drives me crazy. When kiwis do well and have some spare money, they stick it into an investment property rather than a local business making jobs.She also mentioned that the government is committed to running a strong surplus. She says we have the best net international investment position ever recorded, stable and low interest rates forecast for some time which ought to spur investment and the lowest unemployment rate in a decade. Again, that’s all true. The Reserve Bank’s unprecedented statement this year that interest rates aren’t going up for some time hasn’t been fully appreciated. If business wants certainty, well there’s cost of capital certainty right there. With stable low interest rates and growth in the mid twos and up over the next three years, there’s never been a better time for businesses to invest in improving their outputs.So the whole speech confirmed the way I’ve felt for a while. The government believes in some theories that I disagree with but they’re not nearly as bad as some will have you believe. New Zealand is not going the way of Venezuela and it never will. That’s a lazy intellectual slogan.There was a bit of a stir when the government appointed Christopher Luxon from Air New Zealand as the chair of a business advisory panel. After all, he’s no wet. He’s mates with John Key and he certainly can run a big business. Some are taking this as a sign that Labour is listening to business. But I would offer this advice.The business confidence slump that Labour should worry about isn’t happening around the board tables of our biggest companies. Looking at some of the listed companies that reported their financial results this month, Craigs Investment Partners' Mark Lister said this week you'd be "hard pressed to deduct we're on the cusp of a major economic slump".No, the businesses that are really worried are the small ones with 20 or so workers for whom any tinkering with minimum wages or compliance costs makes a tangible impact on their bottom line. Maybe a few more owners of Small and Medium businesses should be on that advisory panel if they want to know how business is feeling.
Twice in two weeks high profile political speaking engagements have been scrubbed, sparking overlapping debates about free speech, hate speech, censorship and safety. As future free speech flashpoints loom, the media must make up their minds how to cover such controversies and the provocative personalities who want their attention.
Twice in two weeks high profile political speaking engagements have been scrubbed, sparking overlapping debates about free speech, hate speech, censorship and safety. As future free speech flashpoints loom, the media must make up their minds how to cover such controversies and the provocative personalities who want their attention.
Media commentator Janet Wilson and Jack Tame discuss the banning of former National Party leader Don Brash from speaking to the Massey University Student Union. Meanwhile, across the ditch Sky News has been in the gun since it ran an interview with Blair Cotterill, the leader of the United Patriots Front, a far-right group.Several advertisers have voted with their feet, including American Express, Huggies and Spec Savers and pulled their ads from the network.
Don Brash told Chris Lynch cancelling his speaking event because of a few bullies, is appalling.The former Reserve Bank Governor and Opposition Leader was due to talk about his time in Parliament, and the National Party, at Massey University's Manawatu campus tomorrow.It's been cancelled after the university became aware of violent threats against the event.Don Brash says it's an unbelievable move.He says it's hard to imagine there can be serious grounds to ban someone from speaking at a New Zealand university in 2018, due to security concerns.
A planned speech at Massey University from Don Brash has been cancelled by the Vice Chancellor due to security concerns. The former Reserve Bank Governor and Opposition Leader was due to talk tomorrow about his time in Parliament, and the National Party, at Massey University's Manawatu campus.It's been cancelled after the university became aware of violent threats against the event.Massey University Vice Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas - who disagrees with Don Brash's political messages - told Chris Lynch despite universities being the bastion of free speech, her ultimate responsibility was for the welfare of everyone on campus so she made the decision to cancel the event.
Massey University has cancelled Don Brash's speaking event for security reasons, but the Vice-Chancellor says his views also concerned many staff members.Mr Brash was invited by the students' politics club to give a talk on the National Party at the Manawatu campus tomorrow.Writer and political commentator Rachel Poulain told Chris Lynch she is very concerned by this - it is a dangerous precedent to set.She says threats of violence are not the way you establish your rights, you don't express your right to free speech by violently suppressing the free speech of others, particularly on a university campus.
Hello! Dateline; the fricken desert or something. The weather is fricken oppressive and good god we're all dying. In other news as the weather heats up; upon which miscommunication will this government fail? Don Brash has a go of it. Do petty local government concerns warrant comparisons with Naziism (that's an easy one). But mostly this is a Crazy Ex-Girlfriend fan show now, so we talk a lot about Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Bumper music; Jess Mills - Vultures (Photek's Dub Remix) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Cast - I'm Just A Girl In Love Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Cast - Greg's Drinking Song Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Cast - Ping Pong Girl
Don Brash supports NZ First's call to abolish Maori seats. Read more ($): https://www.nbr.co.nz/article/don-brash-tempted-vote-nz-first-jw-p-205337
Hey Aaron Smith had a sex and the whole nation went nuts. Sports, eh. Don Brash is back. Congrats to all the mayors. Trump's sleaze velocity is too quick to properly measure. And libertarianism gets an airing. Bumper music: The Naked and Famous - Young Blood Roots Manuva - Witness Best Coast - In My Eyes The Right Brothers - Bush Was Right
Hi! The world was rocked by the Panama Papers, a who's who of who'd rather not be who's who'd. This rot goes all the way to the top - is that the point? Also; all you can eat pizza hut, class war, and the re-re-reanimation of political corpse Don Brash, this time with bonus racist conspiracy theories.
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