You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks EDB, debating all the issues and more. It's the panel on the Weekend Collective on News Talk said B.
And a very good afternoon tell you. I'm Tim Beverage.
Welcome to the Weekend Collective the Saturday, the.
Twelfth of eight Pril twenty twenty five and sixt F your feedback anytime from now on nine two nine two, and you can email if you're not in a hurry. Tim be at News Talk said beat up, coded in Z coming up on today's Sean Just a moment, I'll be introducing our panel, but looking a little further forward to after four o'clock where we will be taking your cause. You're an integral part of the show. And one hundred eighty ten eight text nine two nine two, the one
roof radio show. We've got Debbie Roberts with us. She's an investment coach at Property Apprentice. Now that the ocr has dropped again, is it the time to refix? But also advice around how to structure your mortgage. So if you are going to grab that good deal, but you think, what if I get a pay rise, I want to pay them off a bit more. We're gonna have a
chat about restructuring your mortgage. But also if it is the time to finally bite the bullet, mindset changes because it's easy to sit there and watch the market do something and think I must do this, must do this, must do this, and you never do. So what does it take to make your what inspired you? What inspires people to get into the market and finally bite the bullet.
After five o'clock, Jenny Hale from the Parenting Place joins us, talking about building resilience in kids and parents both ways. I don't know who needs to build the resilience first. Actually perhaps it's the parents. Sometimes it's just one long life of stress sometimes anyway, Well, and after before six we'll be talking to Christopher Reeve will be joining us to preview the sporting events that are coming up. There's
lots coming up tonight. Auckland f C and we've got the Blues and Wina Pacifica which would be underway I think it is not too far away, and the Highlanders versus the Fiji and Drew it as well. So that's lots to get our heads around. Welcome to the Weekend Collective. It is eight past.
Three, parenting, property, politics plus money, health and the week's debates. It's all on the Weekend Collective with Tim Beveridge us talk Zevvy.
Yes in time for our panel and look in no particular order and without needing particular fanfare, because I always try and make cheap jokes at their expense, but this time I'm just going to say I'm grateful to have you both here. Let's lead off with the silver Fox. Okay, there was a slight compliment there or trolling. I'm not sure. It's Pete wolf Camp the resident build to get a Pete.
How are you?
Greetings?
You are? You are looking relaxed And I was gonna say her suit as well, just because you've got just a little bit.
Yes, yes, I'm growing out my winter beard's quite nice.
Do you grow a beard for winter?
Yeah?
It's warmer. Really wouldn't you do? It does actually suit you to the extent. I was thinking, I don't know what you look like without a beard now, because it looks like it just belongs. Thank you. You look good.
I feel that it belongs.
It's not a transplant.
Did you see that story about men getting beard transplants?
Oh my goodness, no day. Let's let's save that for our science talks. We've got transplant talk coming up a bit later on topic. Yes and equally say equally his suits.
But anyway, I'm also going out my winter beer.
You are?
You are a lovely set of curls there, Joe McCall, editor at New Zealand Gardener, How are you going?
Takety boo?
Tickety boo? That's a good one. I don't know where that Where does that come from? Is that a Victorian expression? I love it?
I don't know. I just think it sums up my state of mind at this moment.
And actually, I mean, we did have some wet weather last week, but we have actually had weeks of pretty magnificent weather. And look at the weather here in Auckland. Hopefully it's not bad. W You are beautiful. Love a lovely autumn day, don't you?
Oh? I love this time of year, cool night, sunny days.
What does it mean to your garden?
The gard Oh, there's so much to do. It's such a.
Wonderful ground is still rock.
Oh the ground struve. We had that rain the other day, so you know you're going to get a bit more moisture over autumn hopefully.
The busiest season for the Keen garden.
It just never stops, tim But would you want it to stop?
No?
I guess in terms of food eating, growing things to eat, is it busy all around or are their particular seasons like is it spuk?
Well, I mean you're coming into a quieter time of year, you know, quiet more time to read New Zealand Gardener, I say, but yeah, no, the busy planting of spring and summer.
We're got to top season. We're going to touch on one of the stories you've got actually in the New Zealand Gardener just later on because it ties into one of the things we're talking about. But let's get into oh okay, let's do it tariff talk. Well, what was it? Liberation Day became capitulation day, I think, and the tariffs that we're sending the stock market into the spin where we're pulled and he went back to still everyone's still getting a ten percent tariff? Now what is it he's charging?
Trump has charged China still? I think now it's up to one hundred and forty five, which I don't think that news is going to be quite bitten yet for the stock markets. But when recovered, it's back China's I think they're up to one hundred and twenty five percent on US tariffs. Joe makes sense of it was all for us. Thanks where you go, Oh.
It doesn't make sense. I mean you find yourself thinking, is this is Trump has even me kind of doubting reality now because you think is this planned? Is was this intended? Is this capitulation? Will this be the point where you've overreached yourself and you have to kind of back down? But I feel like, you know, Trump's space, He's he's created a reality now where he could say the sky was green, you know, and they're going to
support him. So I don't know. I mean I would say I think that you know, if it's China the America, then what is it? America imports about four hundred and forty billion products from and only experts about a quarter of that. So you know, I don't think that the loser is the consumer of the American consumer.
And I don't think we've seen that really start to bite yet, although we see the stock market, you know, having its connections and going up and down. I think it went. I can't It is chaotic to get your head around all the different issues, Pete, But what do you make of it all on in a broad brush.
I mean, I've tried to as best I can, given that it's obviously not my field of experience, to try and get my head around, you know, what's behind the thinking. And so I've actually gone out and tried to find some podcasts from historians and economists talking about tariffs and
trying to understand it. And it does seem like he's hooked into this loop of really old thinking because America has tried to do tariffs in the past where it goes and then that thinking that seems to be really true for Trump is that I'm getting ripped off all the time, that I can do a deal and we're going to be better off. So the idea of a tariff is that you know, somehow everything that we produce is much better than what you produce, and that if
we buy something from you, you're ripping us off. That's the that's the language he keeps using. Anything that comes into the country, we're being ripped off for it. And it might just be because what you make is not particularly good or not particularly efficient or not particularly desirable. And you know, the twenty five percent tariff for the EU.
So the range rovers that people in Hollywood like driving, and the Rolex watches that they like wearing, in the French wine that they like drinking, all of that's going to go out. Now, that's not going to affect the base. But if he's doing what one hundred and twenty percent plus tariffs on imported Chinese goods, which is what Joe and Josephine Bloggs go and buy when they go to Costco in Wisconsin, that's start that's going to start hurting, right the four oh one case. I mean, we've all
done that exercise. We've looked at our key. We savor to moralize.
By the looking at it.
You know what, it's not a good thing to do. I can issue you.
I think one of the side effects is I think people of people, a lot of people are doing a crash course something economics because there's so much interesting information about why tariffs work and how global trade works. I've loved some of the memes. There are some great memes where people have created they've basically taken images of Chinese people working in an iPhone factory and they've put American people who are you know, not specimens of the most physical,
not specimens of physical glory. And it's got I think there's one of Elon Musk and Trump and JD. Vance all, you know, trying to make the iPhones and highlighting the fact that, like if the lesson along the lines is okay, imagine if you did get iPhone manufacture, among other things back to the States, Well, forget the tariffs. It's going to be way more expensive because their lines production are not as efficient as as otherwise.
I think that picks up on your point, Pete, is that you know what problem is Trump trying to solve here, and that the unemployment in America is at very low levels. They're not this idea that you know, we're going to bring it back to America. We're going to bring these jobs back to America. I mean you're bringing in jobs that are being done in another country for wages and conditions that would not be tolerated by the American workforce. And so there's a problem there. But that's not the
problem Trump solving, you know. So he's got this, Frank, I'm speaking of crash course in economics. I mean, you wish he would in fact enroll in a you know, year one paper, because it's just this Frankenstein economic theory that he's cobbled together, ignoring anything that he doesn't like.
Well, yeah, and I mean there will still be those. And you see Fox News trying to attribute some genius to the madness, but it's just him doing things on a web.
And going, Hey, the guy who's doing the whole Trump things a certified moron.
Yeah, Peter Navarro otherwise known as ron Vara, giving his own testimony and stuff like that. Look, it does I think that there was I read an article today about regardless of what Trump does, there is a certain amount of damage that he's been done full stop because the tariffs are under a pause at the moment for ninety days. But who knows what he's going to do when because everything is on his whim. Yes, and he and I
don't think any one of them. You can see what the markets are doing, and in the end, regardless what the markets do, the American consumer is going to be absolutely hammered by this stuff.
And also, if you were you were making shoes and you've been making them in China, would you bring your production back to America? Given he just dropped the tariffs on a whim. He took them back. You know, it's you know, his actions are utterly unpredictable and often seem to be absolutely against the state of goals he has made.
And I think you know that whole idea that well, if we put the tariffs up, then it'll be more attractive for people to manufacture these things back in wherever
in the States. But if you know it might cost for fifteen years years time to build up a new factory and tens of millions of dollars, you'll just sit on your hands for the next three and a half years to wait until he disappears and normal trends mission resumes, in which case the entire economy just kind of sits on its hands for the next couple of years.
Which is no good for anyone. I mean, I don't know. I would say it's either absolutely chaotic, it's a capitulation, or his goal is to sew Mayhem, and that is to create such what end just so you can create such noise in the in the in the data that you can just push the limits of what you can achieve.
Apparently the thing that was the ice that tip the tipped them back to getting rid of the terrace wasn't actually so much the sheer market was the fact that that looked like they've been a great big sell off of government bonds, and that was something that made everyone because so when that starts to happen, that means people are losing faith in the solidity of the American system, and that's really they suspect it was probably Japan and China selling them off. But anyway, who knows what's going
to be up next. But as I say, there's so many questions that come up with it. I can't keep you literally.
Can't keep up in the hour we're on the weekend collective.
I mean, yeah, yeah, well I think that Sleeps that I found most useful was someone talking about his sort of behavior being it's just a classic shakedown, you know, that whole thing that I'm going to throw out these tariffs, then people are going to come to me begging for a deal.
And I feel really good about that. And I think that display in the White House with Celenski, where you know, the shouting and the pointing fingers and that you didn't say think he just feels like a sort of standover tactics of a bully.
Well, I actually saw quite an interesting sort of way of presenting this, which I think speaks to really a point Pete, is that Trump doesn't really see the world as there can be two winners in a situation. There's a winner and a loser, and so he's like, you have to be a loser for me to be a winner. There can't be a mutually beneficial input export relationship. You have to be the loser and we are the winners. And I think there's something in that.
Yeah, it is worth checking out. The brilliant I don't know how they do it. It must just be AI. But the penguins and the seals. Yes, on what's the name of that? What are the name of those islands? The Marshall was it? The McDonald I don't know, I can't remember the name of them, but the Australian Territory where they're taxic were.
Put basically just penguins.
Yeah, and there's quite there's plenty of stuff to amuse you on that stuff.
So he's also put tariffs on an island that's inhabited inhabited only by American service personnel.
Oh bloody hell. Well, I still put it down to I reckon. They did it with CGI, they said, hey chat GPT. Yeah, yeah, anyway, anyway, look at the story will continue to go. But it's just I think he's bonkers. He's had a cognitive test, and you might know what's blue and what's red. But in terms of any common sense, comme out of the White House and nutty, let's move on, shall we? Now? Of course that I mean, I guess all part of it is part of the fact the world does feel that we can't take the sort of
status quo of peaceful existence for granted as much. And of course we've seen the government announced that it's going to be investing twelve billion over the next four years for modern, compact combat capable and New Zealand Defense Force. I don't have a problem with us. I think we've been underfunding the defense for a long time. Pete, I tend to agree.
I think I've enjoyed the conversations around. You know, we do need to be able to partake, We do need to be able to stand alongside allies. I don't have a great deal of time for the people that go, oh, we should never have sold the Skyhawks. We need to strike force. Those sorts of things. I can't see the logical thinking behind that. But do we need to be able to get people personnel to the other side of the world quickly, efficiently and have them be able to
integrate into larger forces, Yes we do. Should they be able to bring some of their own kit? Yes they should so. Yeah, I think it's a good thing.
What do you reckon, Joe? Oh?
I have to say, I agree too. I mean, I think we're getting the point. They're just going to bolt a few torpedoes onto the new fairies. You know what a brilliant code?
Now when you're off, no brilliant, No, no, no, we shouldn't talk about this anymore because that is brilliant. You've probably given away a defense plan because who would suspect that the Arahua could be so lethal?
Maybe the new role on roll off Fairies will be able to load artillery into either end and a way.
You go, Oh my god, Joe, I think you've just blown our plan because that is genius. It's like, oh the key he is looking. They got this stupid ferry. What the hell is that? Oh my god, abandon ship.
I mean, I would say we need a credible defense force, you know, and I don't think that should be a strike force. I think, you know, but we do have a role to play in the Pacific. I think we have a role to plan disaster. I think we have a role playing in the world. But I don't. I mean, I don't one hundred percent.
No.
I mean it's so difficult, doesn't it, Because think, well, there's so many areas are so underfunded. But then I think, is this enough? You know, this just seems to bring us back to sort of the underwhelming capacity of about fifteen years ago. I don't think this puts anything into wage increases.
No, apparently it's a different budget for that.
Although I think that the first I don't know if the wages are actually that bad when you first get into the defense force. I think I'm not sure that's the huge issue. They've got to upgrade the housing and all sorts of things. But there was a thought that actually you would as you would just you guys were
both talking about this. I suddenly thought the other aspect of this is is when you look at the mistakes that we've seen, the man and minuither left the auto pilot on it, and there was a question whether it be unfair or not of the competency of people who
are in charge at the moment. And I think that one of the big important things is if you we've sent its message not only that we're going to do our part internationally, but we've also sent this message to anyone who's thinking of joining the defense Force that you know what, you're going to have more than just a slingshot and a couple of rubber bands. You know, we're going to equip you properly. And it restores I hopefully that there's a part of it that restores this confidences like, hey,
look the career you can have here. We're going to have great kit for you. This is what you're going to be doing, and you're going to be supported by being well equipped. And because I think that's a massive thing.
Oh, I do too. I think that. I mean, I'm not saying this is the reason behind those sorts of problems that we've had or you know, issues and errors, but you do think that sort of erosion of MANA is not nothing.
Yeah, And we can only go for so long by saying, well, we've got great personal assays amazing. It's like, well, but you know, what's the kit like? And I think Yeah, there's nothing wrong with a bit of good kid, is there, Pete. You know, do you go past everyn and again you see some sort of new set of tools and you're like, well, I think I'm going to have to have that.
You know, I'll tell you what today, just sit by the by. It's a very satisfying moment for me. Is I pulled out it's called a little rebate plane, which is an old fashioned thing which I've had for a number of years. It's probably sixty or seventy years old, maybe even older than that, and I keep it partly for the historicity of it. But I used it today and it worked beautifully. And the sense of satisfaction of using something that's that old that still performs today was just tremendous.
It sounds like you should join the defense on that front, could use some of the old kits.
On that front. Just before you out of the break, we had a leak in a hot water cylinder, a catastrophic one, and so we've and it was ruined my night, but anyway, it wasn't. It was a lone use evening for talkback, right, And I just mentioned I said, by the way, I've had a really crappy sort of evening. Leading up to coming in here, I talked about the water cylinder failing after ten years, which I that's not which is not good.
Did you have a tray under it?
Yes, but it wasn't it was it wasn't plumbed to anything. No, no, no, it would stop the old leak, but yeah, it wasn't. And so anyway, I've got a new plumber. He's not a brilliant He's done a brilliant job. And I've got a good tank. But the funny thing was, they don't make them like they used to. I had calls from people are like, I've still got the same tank that we put it in nineteen sixty five, and I'm like, oh, I get stuffed.
It might be something to do with the water.
Well, no, seriously, let's explore that in the brain.
Talk about that.
Okay, we'll be back. We're going to be back talking about We've got lots of things to talk about, genetic modification and the amazing potential of science and the first ever baby born by can you believe it, a womb transplant. We're going to be talking about that and other things, as well as should we bring back the dire wolf. Have they twenty five pars three new storks? He'd be in the drown Nice welcome back through the Weekend Collective.
This is the panel with Pete wolf Camp and Joe McCarroll. I'm Tim Beveridge and a bit of hungry like the wolf. Of course, it's going to tie to a topic we've got not too far away from here about the what science count and can't do when it comes to bringing back extinct species. But at first, guys, this this amazing story about what science can do to make a transformational
changes in people's lives. So they're a woman who was when she was a teenager, she was diagnosed with a rare condition she didn't have a woman slash uterus, and she had a transplant of a womb in twenty twenty three, her sister's womb, and she has recently given birth to a daughter. And I just find this it's mind blowing what medicine can do. And I don't know, it just blows me away, and a lovely story. Imagine a very special child for that couple. But it is what do
you reckon, Joe? It's pretty phenomenal stuff, isn't it.
Yeah, look I'm kind of slightly torn on this. I thought it was a very moving story. I certainly shed a tear or two when I saw, you know, the couple and the happy couple. And you know, I've got friends who have really struggled with fertility, and I know the pain of that. You know, and I've seen it. So you think this is incredible, And I agree with you, Tim, you know, the scientist and the surgeon and the you know,
the professor. I've worked on this for decades. You know, this is the first ever baby born by woman transplant in the UK. Think like it's happened internationally forever on the UK, yes, But at the same time, I'm just a bit I don't know. I mean, organ donation to save a life, but is having children a right or a privilege?
You do what you can to have them, I think, I guess, But.
Then you're like, well do you draw the line at trans women? Like I feel this is this is a really complicated, potentially dangerous surgery. I don't know a lot of money has gone into it. You wonder about equity issues. I feel like it's it's complicated while taking nothing away from the joy of that family and wishing them nothing but the best with their little girl.
Yeah, I mean, if you follow that argument through though, I mean I think that because I was thinking about that the health challenges that we've got globally and stuff. But to me, I think we have to still, we've got to do what we can with the expertise and with pushing science because it all has a flow on
effect with what science can achieve. So probably the first in vitro, you know, the first fertility treatments that we're only available to people who coul afford it, but have now become more broadly based and allow on more and more people. And I don't know, I just like science. I don't like using the word trickle down because it's a trigger for people on the economic side, but I do like the trickle down of science that you know, the s edge. And I don't know, what do you think, Pete.
Look, I agree with Joe and some of those concerns around, you know how sort of like in that space just because you can do it, should you. But at the same time, there is something particularly poignant about this story in the sense that it is a sister offering this to her sister, and so it is two members of the same family looking after each other, and you know, such an incredibly rare condition as well, to have that opportunity for childbirth denied because your body just missed out
on something at earth sort of thing. So I look, I think it's heartwarming and it's incredible, and you know, potentially these other things that can be learned as well around transplant surgeries and that sort of thing out of it. And look, I hope that they're very happy. I wonder if they'll try for another child as well.
BlimE me, it just blows me away that it's one thing to sort of use someone else's eggs and stuff, but to actually transplant it's just what surgery, what they can do surgically blows me away.
And I think you can take from this, look at what happens. This is the best of human potential, you know, when people work together and they can achieve these incredible things. I absolutely do take that away from this as well. But you think, what in the long term will this looks like? Will people be able to just buy a womb from someone?
Doesn't sound I can't imagine that. Yeah, I can't imagine this being a widespread sort of thing. But it does sound yeah, well, well anyway time will tell.
Traditional well traditional modern route to this same outcome would be a surrogate. But then you use which is not uncommon, not.
Uncommon and absolutely a wonderful thing and lots of occasions. But again something perhaps you could say there can be ethical issues around while again agreeing that that's a wonderful route to a family for some people.
Well, speaking of ethical issues just because you can, you should. Okay, Look, I say this cynically. They say die wolves are back. Now. Die wolves became sort of famous again because the Game of Thrones featured them. They've been extinct I think for about twelve thousand years, and researchers have claimed that they've brought back, they've de extincted a species, and it's a company called a biotech company called Colossal Biosciences. They announced
that they've resurrected the dire wolf. Basically, out of the forty thousand genes of a gray wolf, they've changed about fourteen of them with traits of the die wolves. And so they're saying that they're die wolves, but they're not. They're basically genetically modified gray wolves. And I tell you what if the die wolves supposed to be a greatly threatened species. These things look cuddly and fluffy, look like they'd be more like.
Other question what happens to these two when they grow up?
What are they going to do?
Keep them on a farm, let them.
In some undisclosed location thing. But look, I think there has been a breakthrough in terms of what they can do with genetic modification and tweaking genes, and that can make a big difference to a whole lot of things. And sure, but the dire wall fok, it's a bit of fun that they're saying it's back. It's not. But what do you think of the whole thing?
Joe Well, I back in the day before I started editing New Zealand Governor, I used to do entertainment reporting and I remember being taken to Australia by Discovery Channel because there was some scientist who was going to bring back the Tasmanian devil.
Oh that's something that's on the agenda for these guys. Yeah, yeah, And I believe Tasmani and tiger.
Tasmani, which is the yeah, actually.
Soupil by the way, fun fact.
But I think he might have actually perhaps completely lost the plot and maybe ended up in press or something like that. You know it was. I remember at that time thinking this seems pretty weird. Yeah, I wonder if we should put the same energy into working on the species we still.
Have, well, possibly, although if they have been extinct. Is there anything you'd like to see bring back? I would love to see. I don't know if you get a barbecue big enough to put it on. That would need a specially large one to one of those one of it. They taste like a bit so they don't taste that flash anyway, not that we bring them.
Back to They've been extinct for several fellows.
I would love to see one of our sports. Gane suggested, I think it's the hardest eagle, which, yes, I'd love to see that back, although from a distance, but actually I would. I just I'm more Jurassic Park baby. I want to see that t rex. I want to see what it looks like and what sounded makes.
One of my great friends. Her parents always had a dream that there'd be so many This is not extinct yet, but there'd be so many cacapo that could have one in the garden.
Right, your guy, what ties back in the we discussed this last week that the Northland's got so many kiwis. It was that the film of these two kiwis having a fight in someone's backyard, which is a lovely story up north that the key we are doing so well. But so what would you You've got a story about? This is slightly related about your peach tree.
Oh yes, this is something I've written about in the Open is Ship, New Zealand gardener. I had an apricot tree in my garden which I planted a long time ago, and it never really did anything. It really just kind
of suld, never put never produced any apricots. Apricots are pretty marginal in Auckland anyway, and I eventually had to get access to get a tree down at the back and so I thought, well, that tree has never done a thing for me, and I chainsawed it down at the base and then the rootstop was left in the ground and it threw up some more growth, and of course I should have changsawt that down, but I just was, well,
you know, I'll get at some point. But then it started producing peaches and I was like what But I worked it out, which I'm sure listeners are weeked to already that the rootstock of my original gardener, and the apricot was a golden queen peach. So as this crape pricot it was an absolute dud. But as a peach it is.
Ah. And let's face it, I mean, apricots so overrated. But give me a peach any day.
Yeah, oh no, no apricot, that's a hell all die on, I love and you've got to go to the South Island for them.
There's absolutely I have never rated apricots because you have a peach and then you have an apricot and you go, why am I waste more time with the apricots?
Peach just queen of fruit, best fruit of all.
Wow, big clane, more controversial.
More park variety for choice. Anyone listening in the South.
Text on nine nine two apricots suck and peaches are amazing. Whichever your view is said, both the same for you actually anyway, Hey, look, speaking of things and ge and cloning and all sorts of things, there's someone who's not going to be need to be cloned because he's going to live forever. And we're talking about Winston up next. He's turned eighty sun.
Myself week, Yes, Welcome back to the Weekend Collective.
This is the panel. Joe mccarell and Pete wolf Camp. Ah, my panels. I'm Tim Beverage and guys, look, Winnie Peters. Winston Peters. He has turned eighty. He's been in politics for fifty years. He's been in, he's been out, he's been up and down, and he's now Minister of Foreign Affairs and he's been deptly Prime Minister. And I can't see Winston Peters feels like he's going to be around forever, doesn't he.
Pete, there is an election next year, and you kind of go, would that be a great time to go out on top or do you think he'd stick around?
He's going to stick around. Yeah, there's no way he's departing politics. Joe.
I don't think he's departing politics. So, I mean he's been you know, over those fifty years, he's done a mixed bag of things. I'd say, you know, he's held the government to account on numerous occasions. I think he's got very sharp political antennae. But I would say he should use his gold card to get the bus home and maybe take the imported culture war. He's desperately trying to incite with him because yeah, I'm I'm you know, I wish him a happy birthday.
But I think he's a pretty good foreign minister, though, what did you say? I mean, regardless of whether you're like see, there's there's two versions of Winston Peter's. There's the version that I loathed in the campaign, who is the populist who seemed to be just courting votes wherever he could find them, and I don't know whether it really aligned to what he thought or just where he
thought there were votes to be harvested. And then there's the Winston Peters once he's in, who is actually as a foreign minister, I think he's one of the I think he's probably one of the best we've ever had. And so he's two different people politicing Winston and then there's statesman Winston and they're like two different people one he uses one to become the other. And I can't work out where I can't work out how I feel about it. What do you think, Pete?
Look, I think the fact that he's out there doing a really good job at the moment, and I don't know that too many people would disagree with that the fact that he's out there traveling, talking to people, being face to face, going up to the islands now with a cross party group, you know, those sorts of things. That's refreshing given the attitude to sort of travel from the previous foreign minister. So yeah, from that point of view, he's also have you met.
Him, No, I've interviewed him a few times. Oh yes, I have met him because I hosted a political debate once from the North Harbor Business Association stuff and oh no he was Was he the one that I can't remember who was there?
He failed? Did you were doing it?
And took off that?
Yeah. I was in a lecture hall at university about Shiver was thirty something years ago, and he came out and caught my eye and sort of and he's a remarkable you know, thirty years ago is a remarkably charismatic figure. And it's one of those encounters that I've never really forgotten. So he certainly has the power of personality what he chooses to do with it.
Wait, and well here's the thing, Joe, you see putting aside the politics, I think there's another really good thing about this. So often we hear this sixty five in a retirement age, in that sort of thing, and the example of whether or not you agree with his politics, the example that he's a guy who clearly has a purpose. He still has, mean a reason to get out of bed.
And I was thinking that that is a great lesson to anyone, regardless of what your age is, is a view is keeping a purpose and a reason for doing whatever. And the idea that you should retire or you don't have anything to contribute when you're beyond the age of sixty five, seventy, whatever it is, I think is getting pushed to the sideline.
I mean, I think it's literally disenfranchising people to say, you know, oh well, once you're at this age contribution as mood, I think, you know, our parliament should be representative and therefore there should be people who represent the interests of older adults. Yeah, I think, you know, people make people make a contribution at all ages and stages. But but yeah, yeah, politically I would.
Say you're going to vote from next election, then.
I won't be voting.
Obviously.
He was a big part of the gold card establishment, right, Yeah, And so I remember my dad used to think, I've got a vote for Froim every time because he gave me the gold card.
Oh my goodness. Actually, one of the questions I asked him in my last interviewed him was after when the protests were at a State of the Nation address, and I thought to myself, I reckon, he loves the protesters. And I just said to him, I don't want to ask a sort of cheeky question, but is there a part of you that really, when it comes to the cut and thrust, you actually love it when somebody stands and makes the scene. You love the protesters, don't you?
And he just laughed and said, yeah, I love it, you know.
But I must say it's not what I want for my eighties, you know what I mean? Like, I mean fair enough to keep working, fair enough to keep making a contribution, but the idea of continuing in a job which where the office politics are just guaranteed because it's politics, you know what I mean?
I reckon that I'm going to open the copy of the New Zealand Garden magazine if I'm still alive and in about forty years time, and is still I thought she said she was going to give it up anyway, just quickly on the just tying on into that this is a New Zealand first thing about the government being instructed, government agencies being instructed when it comes to construction of government buildings to do it with wool, have wool carpet
and things. And initially I was sort of like, well, aren't we about a cost saving and going for you know whatever, But it's I guess we are a wool producing nation. We do it very well. And I will ask the builder first. I think you'll have a hot take on this, because there are all sorts of innovations with with natural modern materials, will of hamp all sorts of things.
The really interesting well, one of the interesting things was as soon as that got over the line, then the Timber Association we're knocking on the door going out of the part going hey, look you know what about us? Right, But it is such a fine line too, because you can see where a directive from central government to industry that we want to use these products or promote the use of these products can lead to a certain complacency
and essentially getting ripped off. Right, So there is a part of government where we want them to be effective and cost efficient, but at the same time it's a fantastic opportunity. I think what really got the wool growers upset is that there was a directive from some minion in the government that just mean, you can't consider wall carpet. So even if you wanted it as a school, you weren't allowed to choose it. And they were saying, well, look, we think we should be in the mix in terms
of having some choice. So and there are huge benefits, and look from a cost point of view, you go, let's say it's I don't know, ten percent more expensive to use wool, but it supports an entire industry. In my mind, that's that's good use of taxpayers money.
What about you, Joe.
Oh, I mean my grandparents farmed in the money at Toto, you know, I'm from a wall family. I think it was absolutely bananas that we were not including wool in the mix and really seeing the advantages of this incredible natural fiber which we produce locally, which you know has so many downstream environmental benefits, and favoring synthetic carpets in terms of the microplastics they're going to introduce into into
the system which we live. I think it's bananas that that was ever, just even that was a problem that we had because I think wool is an incredible fiber and we should be looking for ways to use it because we are so ideally.
Set up it'll be nice for consumers. I guess if what was more competitive, because we're looking at getting new new carpet, and I'll be honest, we're not getting wool unless I can find some miraculous steel which gives me something that I can rely on, fading wise and all that and cost wise. Because it's just so it's nice, the government can do it, but still it's I think it's still a bit of luxury product for some people.
But then at the same time, if we are supporting that industry, then that industry will become more accessible to consumers, which you know, the industry has to exist for us to be able to afford the products that they create.
And I think too, there is that consumer consciousness right that as consumers, if we're in a position to buy with a certain consideration for the impact of the product that we're buying, and we're in a position to do that, then I think it's it's our moral responsibility to do the right thing in terms of what we purchase. So you know, if purchasing wool carpet is a better choice then and you can make that choice maybe.
About the life of my fair lady principals Governor, now I can't afford them. Yeah, I use that all the time. We could get onto the EVS where all those other countries, but I haven't set that for discussion where they decided it was actually dirtier because they're being fueled by fossil fields. But that's for another day because we're going to come back and talk about blokes in their undies. This is news Talk, said b It is nine minutes before. Yes,
welcome back to news Talks, said be. Joe McCarrell and Pete wolf Camp. Now, the last story is there's there's been. Look, it's probably not really a big controversy that's excited people, but Robert Irwin, who's the son of the Steve Irwin, he's featured in a Bonds commercial. It's a viral underwear photo shoot and it has had some people going, well,
hang on a minute. Is that there was a woman who was the host of a two GB and she was basically expressing outrage that there is a double standard that I have an issue with comments that are around his photo that in the pursuit of gender equality, how it's appalling for men to objectify women. Why is it okay by today's standards to objectify men? Speaking as a man, I don't mind being objectified, do you people?
I'm not sure I go that far, but I I find it hard to figure out what the controversy is here. I mean, I get it in the sense that the idea is that we don't just look at each other as some sort of object hence the objectification. But at the same time, you know, he's obviously gone out to do this to get a reaction. He's got the reactions that he wanted.
He's doing an advert campaign.
It's an ad.
So I'm a bit questionable about the snake he's draped with.
He's an expert in that field.
Yeah, I wouldn't want to do it, But I mean, is there a double standard? Do you think, Joe? And does it matter?
I don't think there. I mean it's one of those things which is just such an Angels on the head of the Penn kind of question, because I'm like, it's not it's not the same. Frankly, you know, the way women are treated in the world the way men are treated in the world. It's just not the same. You know, you can't say it's the same. And therefore, and I don't think he's had those photos taken. I'm not objectifying him. I'm a little uncomfortable with it, but I think of him as being.
But if you look at him and go, he's a bit of all right, and you said to one of your colleagues or some gosh, look have you seen the robin. Gosh, he's grant, what a spunk muffin. I don't think I don't think there be any problem with that, whereas maybe.
Gyses that thing. I mean, I'm not around the office cooller or the water cooler in an office or something like that. But you know, if you imagine a group of women steering at the photograph of him, going oh, he's a bit of a hotty and all the rest of it, and then if I was with a group of mates doing the same, would I be.
Well, Pete, I think it's about time we saw the Pete warf camp Can and we can make that up for ourselves. Hey, guys, time flies, we're having fun. Peate wolf camp Jamen Can lovely to see you guys. We'll be back shortly with the One Roof Radio show. Wi Roberts joins us from Property Apprentice as his news Talks. Sa'd be.
A little for more from the weekend collective. Listen live to news Talks he'd be weekends from three pm, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio