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Covid-19 gave us a global health crisis, and now we have an economic crisis - the likes of which we've never seen. So who has the answers to get us...
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Covid-19 gave us a global health crisis, and now we have an economic crisis - the likes of which we've never seen. So who has the answers to get us through this? Join Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking as he puts the tough questions to New Zealand's political leaders in our Leaders Breakfast...
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The Leaders Breakfast
The Leaders Breakfast
8 OCT 2020 · Labour Party leader Jacinda Ardern joined Mike Hosking this morning for Newstalk ZB’s final Leaders Breakfast event of the 2020 election campaign.
Ardern yesterday laid out her vision for 2030, but her party will need to be re-elected if she hopes to achieve those goals.
Covid-19 response, Ihumātao, coalition partners, the economy and trade were all on the agenda in a wide-ranging, two hour interview.
COALITION PARTNERS
The first section of the interview focused on Labour potential coalition partners and their main policies.
Ardern said the Green Party's wealth tax was not Labour policy and it would not be part of any post-election negotiations. She said the major party forming a government should set the direction on tax policy.
"We have ruled it out. And I've done it multiple times."
Ardern also said she had not had any negotiations with other parties about possible ministerial portfolios, saying it was presumptuous.
Asked about any possible new taxes, Ardern said her party's "primary" proposals were a new top tax rate and a digital services tax.
Hosking said the most popular question for Ardern from listeners was about Ihumātao.
Ardern said just one person had raised it on the campaign trail.
She blamed the impasse over Ihumātao on MMP, saying that NZ First leader Winston Peters had prevented any progress at the site.
There was no secret deal, she said: "We have to find a way through."
The historic site near the airport in South Auckland was occupied by protestors last year who opposed a proposed development. Construction has been put off until an agreement can be made between the Government, various groups within the iwi, and the construction company Fletchers.
Ardern said her bottom line for the situation was that it could not "unravel" the Treaty process.
"Any gifting of land would be problematic in that regard."
THE ECONOMY
Ardern was next asked how long the government could keep supporting the tourism industry if the borders were going to be closed for an extended period.
She said the Government was backing strategic industries with one-off payments - such as Whale Watch in Kaikoura.
Asked how she would describe New Zealand's economic position, she cited a Bloomberg article which described New Zealand as one of the most attractive places to do business.
"[We are] well placed relative to others and that matters," she said.
"We have an opportunity here - not just because we have an open economy - we have an opportunity around investment."
FARMING AND FAIR PAY
Ardern said talk of an urban-rural divide came up every election and she did not believe it existed.
The Opposition had tried to promote the idea that farmers hated her Government.
She said Labour's approach to farming was adding value to an already valuable sector.
Ardern confirmed that the Government would try to progress fair pay agreements if it was re-elected, having been unable to do so this term because of coalition wrangling.
She said having sector-wide agreements were important to "avoid a race to the bottom".
When a firm was contracting for security services, contracts often went to companies which had the lowest standards and conditions - and the Government wanted to change this.
The agreements would not affect every workplace and were sector-specific, she said. There would be no strike action as a result of the agreements.
PIKE RIVER
Ardern stood by the recovery mission at the Pike River coal mine, despite rising costs and no discovery of remains.
"We have always known that there might be a chance that we might not find human remains," she said.
She said the Government owned it to the family to attempt a recovery. It would remove a question that had hung over families and the country for a decade, she said.
GANGS
Ardern said the large rise in the number of gang members could be traced back to 2011, and was not a The main factor was Australia's deportation of criminal and gang members to New Zealand, she said.
As well as increasing police numbe...
7 OCT 2020 · David Seymour is predicting the demise of his own party.
The ACT leader told Mike Hosking it's only a matter of time until New Zealand reverts back to a two-party political system.
"In five elections time, the Greens will be gone, Act will make it for the next few elections but probably not forever, and we will be back to two parties."
LISTEN ABOVE OR WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW
7 OCT 2020 · The co-leader of the Green Party is disappointed he couldn't bring in a capital gains tax.
Jacinda Ardern has ruled out ever bringing in the tax during her time as Labour leader.
But James Shaw told Mike Hosking a wealth tax could be another option.
"I was irritated a few weeks back when people were claiming it's been ruled out.
"We have to have the election first and then sit down and have a conversation."
Asked about farming industry, James Shaw many people understand where the Greens are coming from.
He says there are major innovators, and others who are doing things the way they were done 100 years ago.
Shaw adds there are then those caught in the middle, just making ends meet.
LISTEN ABOVE
7 OCT 2020 · Winston Peters has rated the coalition Government's Covid-19 response an eight out of ten.
The New Zealand First leader told Mike Hosking the Government claimed to go early and hard against the virus.
“We went early but didn't go hard enough, and we should've brought in the military and implemented wider mask use.”
Winston Peters says stopping the capital gains tax was his proudest achievement of this electoral term.
The New Zealand First leaders says it was a silly idea.
"If anyone thinks a capital gains tax would be of any value to the NZ economy, then they don’t understand simple economics."
LISTEN ABOVE
4 OCT 2020 · National leader Judith Collins is being grilled on why her party should lead New Zealand through a pandemic and the economic fallout during the first of Newstalk ZB's Leaders Breakfasts today.
Mike Hosking will put the questions to Collins over two hours, starting from 7am.
Collins has used her extended interview to announce new policy - in the first 100 days of Government to launch an inquiry into Auckland Council - in particular council controlled organisations, including Auckland Transport and WaterCare.
"I have a particular beef with Auckland Transport, I just think it's destroyed the central city," said Collins, who criticised cycle lanes in her electorate and what she claimed was the organisation's desire to "make everything cycling or walking".
She also denied politicising her faith, after being photographed praying in a church yesterday: "We just happened to be voting in a church....the minister said, would you like to pop in and have a prayer?...I didn't invite the media in."
The National leader talked up the economic potential of oil and gas, saying "we have potential to be, basically, the North Sea in the south...there is enough there, according to the geologists...that's how places like Norway became so rich."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will front next Monday, as she lays out her alternative vision for the country.
Is Collins politicising her faith?
The first question put to Collins by Hosking was whether she was politicising Christianity, after being photographed praying at St Thomas Church in Auckland yesterday, before casting an early vote.
Collins said she wasn't, and had been a Christian all her life.
"We just happened to be voting in a church....the minister said, would you like to pop in and have a prayer?...I didn't invite the media in."
Collins said she prayed for general guidance, rather than specifics. She prays once a day.
"It just happened to be that I was in a church...I was hardly going to turn it down."
On the border, Collins said National would have strong protective measures in place, and the current government didn't appear confident in safeguards.
Would Auckland be at level 1? "Obviously...the whole thing is getting to the stage where it just seems to be wallowing in Covid...it is causing immense hardship, economically and also stress level-wise for people."
Collins indicated Auckland had been in level 2 for too long, and said Taiwan, for example, had managed much better without lockdowns.
On Labour's announcement of wanting to look into supermarket and building supply prices, via market reviews done by the Commerce Commission, Collins said Labour had been talking about a supermarket inquiry for a long time.
The National leader said Emma Mellow had a very good shot at winning in Auckland Central - "it is a three horse race...we have momentum".
A "toxic" problem at Canterbury DHB, RMA reform and not being a "closed shop" to international students
On Canterbury DHB's huge deficits, Collins said the population in Canterbury had been underestimated in the past, and the whole situation was a "mess".
"The DHB and the Ministry currently have an absolutely toxic work relationship."
Both National and Labour have pledged to repeal and replace the Resource Management Act (RMA). Collins said it needed to be replaced by two pieces of legislation, one on planning and development, and another on environmental standards.
"There is an opportunity to cut through a lot of the red tape...it might upset a few really busy-body type people."
Should the borders be more open to international students? Collins said they had to be, given the importance to the economy. National would work with the universities and accommodation providers, with quarantine processes checked by officials.
We couldn't be a "closed shop".
"$5.1b industry...it is the flow-on effect for all the out years where students don't come back here."
National announces it would review Auckland Council
Collins announced new policy - in the fi...
Covid-19 gave us a global health crisis, and now we have an economic crisis - the likes of which we've never seen. So who has the answers to get us...
show more
Covid-19 gave us a global health crisis, and now we have an economic crisis - the likes of which we've never seen. So who has the answers to get us through this? Join Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking as he puts the tough questions to New Zealand's political leaders in our Leaders Breakfast...
show less
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