MORENA. GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO Q+A. I'M GREG BOYED. AND OUR LEAD INTERVIEW THIS MORNING IS POLICE MINISTER PAULA BENNETT. IS THE END GAME TO REDUCE CRIME, AND IS THERE EVIDENCE THAT THIS WILL DO IT? THEN JESSICA MEETS YOUNG RHODES SCHOLAR MAX HARRIS, WHO HAS A NEW BOOK ON FINDING A NEW WAY OF DOING POLITICS. AND WHENA OWEN ASKS NON-VOTERS WHY THEY DON'T VOTE. DON'T SEE THE POINT IN IT ANY MORE. I DON'T SEE A DIFFERENCE. I HAVE NO INTERESTS IN POLITICS. AND WE'LL HAVE ANALYSIS FROM OUR PANEL. OUR REGULAR POLITICAL SCIENTIST DR RAYMOND MILLER FROM AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY. HOLLY WALKER, A FORMER GREEN MP. SHE CURRENTLY WORKS FOR THE CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER AS A POLICY ADVISER; AND KIM CAMPBELL, CEO OF THE EMPLOYERS AND MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION. 2019 WILL BE THE CHINA-NEW ZEALAND YEAR OF TOURISM. THE DRIVE FOR MORE CHINESE VISITORS TO NZ WAS ANNOUNCED DURING THE VISIT OF THE CHINESE PREMIER THIS WEEK. CHINA IS ALREADY OUR SECOND-BIGGEST TOURIST MARKET WITH A RECORD 400,000 CHINESE VISITING LAST YEAR. BUT WITH LOCAL COUNCILS ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH TOURIST DEMAND, I ASKED PAULA BENNETT IF SHE THOUGHT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE COULD COPE WITH MORE. YEAH, OUR BIG FOCUS NOW IS ON NOT SO MUCH THE QUANTITY BUT THE QUALITY OF THOSE THAT ARE COMING, AND I MEAN THAT IN THE WAY AS TO HOW MUCH THEY SPEND, WHERE THEY VISIT AND THAT THEY STAY A BIT LONGER. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CHINESE` THEY'RE GREAT VISITORS TO NEW ZEALAND. BECAUSE THEY'RE BIG SPENDERS, RIGHT? THEY ARE. THEY'RE BIGGER THAN THE AVERAGE SPEND. THEY'RE COMING A LONG WAY, SO THEY STAY A BIT LONGER, AND YOU CAN JUST SEE THE BENEFITS REALLY BEING FELT THROUGHOUT NEW ZEALAND. SO, YES, THERE WILL BE MORE CHINESE VISITORS, BUT AS WE SAY, WE LIKE THEM AS VISITORS, WE LIKE HOW THEY SPEND THEIR MONEY HERE, AND WE THINK WE CAN GIVE THEM A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. WHAT ABOUT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, THOUGH? SHOULD THEY BE CONTRIBUTING TO THOSE TOILETS, TO THE CAR PARKS THAT WE NEED WITH MORE VISITOR NUMBERS? YEAH, THERE DEFINITELY IS A CHALLENGE AND SOME STRAIN ON INFRASTRUCTURE, AND AS A CONSEQUENCE, I DON'T THINK IT` IT CERTAINLY DOES GO TO THOSE SORTS OF FACILITIES LIKE TOILETS, CAR PARKING, IN SOME PLACES SEWERAGE AND OTHERS. AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOT THE MID-SIZED FACILITY FUND THAT WE'VE ALREADY SPENT 3 MILLION. WE'VE JUST OPENED UP ANOTHER 5.5 MILLION. BECAUSE THAT'S NOT A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY, IS IT? NO, BUT IT ACTUALLY GOES QUITE A LONG WAY. AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE IT, I MUST ADD. EVEN WITH THE FIRST 3 MILLION, WE WERE ABLE TO DO 14 DIFFERENT PROJECTS. THIS 5.5 YOU'D BE EXPECTING ANOTHER, KIND OF, 20 PROJECTS. AND THEN WE'VE GOT MORE MONEY, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WE DO IN THE BUDGET. THERE'S ALSO STRAIN ON DOC, AND I THINK THAT NEW ZEALANDERS ARE FEELING THAT A BIT. SO WILL WE SEE MORE MONEY IN THAT 5.5 MILLION POT THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN APPLY TO HAVE THINGS THAT THEY NEED? WILL WE SEE AN ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE THE ELECTION? WELL, LOOK, WE'RE CERTAINLY WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH A BUDGET PROCESS AS WE SPEAK. AND THAT'S WHERE TIA AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEW ZEALAND PUT OUT THEIR, KIND OF, WISH LIST, IF YOU LIKE, WHICH LOOKED VERY LONG, I'VE GOT TO SAY, AND NOT ALL OF WHAT WOULD FIT IN WITH WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER TO BE CORE TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT WE RECOGNISE THAT THERE IS A NEED, AND WE RECOGNISE THAT GOVERNMENT HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN HELPING TO FUND SOME OF THAT SO THAT EVERYONE FEELS THE BENEFITS AND NOT JUST PAIN. WHAT ABOUT A TOURIST TAX OR A HOTEL TAX? I'M PERSONALLY NOT A BIG FAN. HOW COME? BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY EXPENSIVE TO VISIT. WE'RE ALREADY IN DIFFERENT SURVEYS THAT YOU LOOK AT. BUT IF THESE ARE WEALTHY TOURISTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT THAT WE TALK ABOUT, COULDN'T THEY AFFORD A LITTLE TAX ON THE SIDE? YEAH, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BE` I MEAN, I DON'T MIND US BEING EXPENSIVE AT ALL. I THINK THAT WE ARE UNIQUE. WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, JUST THE BEST PACKAGE IN THE WORLD TO DELIVER TO THEM. BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BE SEEN AS A RIP-OFF, AND THAT'S WHEN IT CAN START TURNING PRETTY QUICKLY. SO THEY DO CONTRIBUTE A LOT THROUGH GST AND WHAT THEY'RE PAYING HERE. EVERYONE IS BENEFITTING ` 188,000 PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN THE INDUSTRY. NOW THAT GROWING OVER $40 BILLION SPEND. GOSH, I WAS IN MATAMATA THIS WEEK, AND YOU COULD SEE THERE FROM 2009 TO NOW, $100 MILLION ANNUALLY EXTRA GOING IN BECAUSE OF TOURISM. SO THAT'S SIGNIFICANT FOR THAT DISTRICT. WE'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL, THOUGH, DON'T WE? BECAUSE IT'S GOT TO BE A BALANCE OF QUANTITY VERSUS QUALITY. BECAUSE IF YOU'VE GOT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS FLOODING IN, THEY DON'T WANT TO BE STANDING NEXT TO 26 GERMAN TOURISTS WHEN THEY TAKE A PHOTO; THEY WANT THAT UNIQUE NEW ZEALAND EXPERIENCE. HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE'RE JUST ATTRACTING THOSE RICH TOURISTS WHO STAY FOR A LONG TIME? WE DON'T WANT TO BE JUST EXCLUSIVELY FOR RICH EITHER. I MEAN, I LOVE THAT PEOPLE` YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME THAT DO THE BACKPACKER AND THE WORKING VISAS, AND THEY TRAVEL, AND THEN THEY COME BACK WHEN THEY ARE WEALTHY AND ENJOY OUR COUNTRY AGAIN, AND THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO VISIT DIFFERENT REGIONS AND THINGS, WHICH SPREADS THAT MONEY AROUND. BUT I DO AGREE ON THE QUANTITY NOW IS NOT SUCH A BIG FOCUS FOR US. SO AS I SAY, WE SPEND ALL OUR TIME THINKING ABOUT WHOM WE'RE ATTRACTING, TRYING TO GET THEM TO STAY FOR LONGER AND VISIT THE REGIONS. WHEN IT COMES TO DOC, THOUGH, THE POINT YOU MAKE IS EXACTLY RIGHT. I DO THINK IT'S NEW ZEALANDERS THAT GET A LITTLE BIT MORE ANTSY ABOUT STANDING ON A TRACK WITH A THOUSAND OTHER PEOPLE. BUT ACTUALLY A LOT OF THE INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS, THEY THINK THAT'S THE NORM AND NOT BUSY. YEAH, WE'VE SEEN EXAMPLES OF THAT ON THE SHOW AS WELL WHERE ON TONGARIRO, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'VE GOT TO QUEUE UP TO GET UP. WHAT IMPACT ARE ALL THESE TOURISTS HAVING ON OUR NATIONAL PARKS, AND DO WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL OF THAT? YES, WE DO, DEFINITELY. DOC HAVE DONE SOME REALLY NEAT WORK IN HOW THEY'VE PUT EXTRA FACILITIES IN, PARTICULARLY OVER THIS SUMMER, SO THAT THEY CAN DO SOME WORK WITH FREEDOM CAMPING. WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THOUGH, IS WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE VISITING JUST A FEW OF OUR GREAT WALKS OR SHORT WALKS, AND WE DON'T THINK THEY KNOW ABOUT THE OTHERS. SO WE'RE WORKING ON CAMPAIGNS THAT GET THEM GOING TO DIFFERENT PLACES. WHEN YOU LOOK AT TONGARIRO, WHICH IS A GREAT EXAMPLE, THE PRACTICAL GIRL IN ME WENT, 'OH, LET'S DO MORE CAR PARKING, 'AND LET'S DO GET THOSE TOILETS IN.' AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND IWI AND DOC ARE GETTING TOGETHER AND GOING, 'ACTUALLY, WE CAN DO IT 'SMARTER THAN THAT.' AND THEY ARE WORKING TOGETHER WHAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE MORE PEOPLE GETTING SHUTTLED TO THE BOTTOM, WHICH MEANS BUSINESSES ARE GETTING MONEY, THEY'RE GOING TO BUY THEIR COFFEE IN OHAKUNE OR RUAPEHU, WHICH MEANS THAT THE SHUTTLE BUSINESS GETS, YOU KNOW... AND SO I THINK THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN MANAGE THAT GROWTH. WHAT ABOUT JUST RESTRICTING NUMBERS, THOUGH? WELL, THAT MIGHT RESTRICT NUMBERS IF YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY JUST GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT AND PARK; YOU'VE GOT TO GO BY SHUTTLE OR SOMETHING. THAT MIGHT BE A WAY OF RESTRICTING NUMBERS THAT ACTUALLY MEANS THAT EVERYONE GETS A GREAT EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY DO IT. MIGHT ANNOY NEW ZEALANDERS, THOUGH, DO YOU THINK? AND THAT'S THE POINT. NEW ZEALANDERS WANT ACCESS AND SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO OUR DOC ESTATE. SO I THINK THERE IS WORK FOR US TO BE DOING IN MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ADVERTISING OTHER WALKS AND OTHER EXPERIENCES THAT YOU CAN HAVE IN NEW ZEALAND. IT'S NOT JUST THE ONLY DAY WALK THAT YOU CAN DO; THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF THEM. SO DOC ARE WORKING REALLY HARD WITH TOURISM AND WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO WORK ON ` AND IWI ` WHAT THOSE MIGHT LOOK LIKE. BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED FREEDOM CAMPERS, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY HOT TOPIC AT THE MOMENT. THEY'VE BEEN LABELLED 'FERAL CAMPERS' BY SOME OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THAT PROBLEM WHEN WE SAY, 'COME ON OVER. 'COME AND SPEND'? AND THEN THEY'RE IN THE HOTELS, AND IT PUSHES THESE FREEDOM CAMPERS OUT ON TO THE STREETS. YEAH, A COUPLE OF THINGS. SO THE FIRST THING I WANT TO REALLY STAUNCHLY DO IS DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THOSE THAT ARE HERE IN MOTOR VANS AND MOTORHOMES. THEY ACTUALLY SPEND MORE. THE AVERAGE SPEND FOR TRAVELLERS IS AROUND 3200. THEIR SPEND IS 5200. THEY ARE ACTUALLY WONDERFUL VISITORS TO NEW ZEALANDERS. MOST OF THE TIME. NO, ALL OF THE` WELL, I CAN'T SAY ALL OF THEM. SOME OF THEM. MOST OF THEM ARE VERY, VERY RESPECTFUL. THEN THERE'S WHAT I WOULD THEN TERM FREEDOM CAMPERS. THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE COMING OVER AND EITHER BUYING A CHEAP CAR OR GOING IN THESE NON-SELF-CONTAINED MOTORHOMES AND GETTING AROUND AND ACTUALLY NOT TREATING OUR ENVIRONMENT AS RESPECTFULLY AS WE WANT. SO THE FIRST THING IS PROVIDING MORE FREEDOM CAMPING SPACES FOR THEM. LOCAL GOVERNMENT, DOC, TOURISM, WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD ON THAT AND MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE. AND I DO THINK WE NEED BETTER EDUCATION AS TO WHAT'S ACCEPTABLE IN NEW ZEALAND AND NOT. BUT SOME OF THE BEHAVIOUR WE'VE SEEN, THERE'S BEEN TOILETS LITERALLY METRES AWAY, AND THEY HAVEN'T USED THEM. THAT INTERVIEW CONTINUES AFTER THE BREAK, WHEN WE LOOK AT POLICE NUMBERS AND CRIME. IN THE MEANTIME, SEND US YOUR THOUGHTS. WE'RE ON TWITTER @NZQANDA. YOU CAN EMAIL US AT Q+A@TVNZ.CO.NZ. OR TEXT YOUR THOUGHTS AND FIRST NAME TO 2211. KEEP THEM BRIEF. EACH TEXT COSTS 50C. AND WE'RE BACK WITH OUR EXTENDED INTERVIEW WITH PAULA BENNETT. SHE DISCUSSES WHETHER LABOUR DEPUTY LEADER JACINDA ARDERN IS GETTING PICKED ON BY NATIONAL. BUT FIRST I FOCUSED IN ON HER ROLE AS POLICE MINISTER. JUDITH COLLINS HAD A REPUTATION WHEN SHE WAS THE MINISTER FOR BEING ON THE SIDE OF POLICE. WHEN YOU'VE COME INTO THE JOB, IS IT SOMETHING YOU FELT LIKE YOU HAD TO REPLICATE, OR DID YOU NEED TO DO A BIT OF A SHAKEUP? WHAT WAS YOUR STANCE COMING IN? I GOT THE PORTFOLIO BECAUSE I JUST HAVE SUCH A DEEP ADMIRATION FOR POLICE, FOR WHAT THEY DO ON THE FRONT LINE, FOR THE DIFFERENCE THAT THEY MAKE. AS A MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, WE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH THEM AND CHILD, YOUTH AND FAMILY, REALLY CLOSELY WITH THEM IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. OF COURSE I KNOW MY LOCAL POLICE, AS YOU DO ALWAYS AS AN ELECTORATE MP. AND SO MY ADMIRATION` AND, I TELL YOU, IT'S GONE UP SINCE BEING MINISTER. HOW HARD THEY WORK, THEIR DEDICATION IS JUST EXTRAORDINARY. SO THAT WAS EASY. I HAD IT BEFORE I GOT THE JOB. AND IT IS HONESTLY A PRIVILEGE TO BE THEIR MINISTER, AND I JUST` I SEE MY ROLE AS THEIR SUPPORT PERSON, TO BE QUITE HONEST. I MEAN, THEY KNOW WHAT DRIVES` WHAT'S NEEDED TO BE DONE IN OUR COMMUNITIES; THEY KNOW HOW TO PREVENT CRIME, AND I JUST WANT TO SUPPORT THEM IN THAT HOWEVER I CAN. AND PERHAPS WHILE YOU'RE ANNOUNCING MORE OF THEM, BECAUSE PART OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT THIS YEAR ` 880 OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. THAT'S 220 A YEAR. THAT'S A BIG BOOST. YEAH. DOES IT SHOW THAT NATIONAL'S UNDERCOOKED ON POLICING NUMBERS FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS? NO, BECAUSE WE'VE DONE, ACTUALLY, THE EQUIVALENT OF ALMOST MORE THAN THAT IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. AND, I MEAN, THE TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES THAT THEY GOT AS FAR AS THE TABLETS AND THE FREEING UP OF POLICE HOURS WAS HUGE ` 600 EXTRA POLICE. BUT THIS IS A BIG BOOST, THOUGH. YEAH, IT IS. SO, LOOK, I WOULDN'T SAY CATCH-UP, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT WE NEEDED TO LOOK AT WHAT WAS NEEDED OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, AND WE WENT THROUGH A REALLY ROBUST PROCESS OF ACTUALLY DOING A BUSINESS CASE ALONGSIDE OF THAT, BECAUSE I DIDN'T JUST WANT TO THROW MORE POLICE NUMBERS IN. I WANTED IT TO BE MAKING A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE TO OUR COMMUNITIES, AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK THIS PACKAGE DELIVERS. YOU DON'T WANT TO USE THE WORD 'CATCH-UP', BUT, I GUESS, 70,000 PEOPLE ARE COMING INTO NEW ZEALAND EACH YEAR . OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, WILL WE HAVE TO ADJUST THOSE NUMBERS? WELL, I MEAN, I'M NOT GOING TO TALK` I CAN TALK ABOUT IMMIGRATION IF YOU LIKE, BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT THAT WE'VE HAD A POPULATION INCREASE, AND AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THAT, THEN WE NEED MORE FRONT-LINE SERVICES, AS WE DO IN HEALTH AND EDUCATION AND IN POLICE AS WELL, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IS PART OF WHY WE INCREASED THE NUMBERS. YOU TALKED ABOUT OTHER SOLUTIONS AS WELL. THESE BOOST OF POLICE NUMBERS COMING IN ` IS THE END GAME TO REDUCE CRIME? AND IS THERE EVIDENCE THAT THIS WILL DO IT? BY HAVING MORE POLICE ON THE STREET, IT'LL BRING THE CRIME RATE DOWN? YEAH, SO, ABSOLUTELY THE AIM IS TO HAVE FASTER RESPONSE AND TO PREVENT CRIME. THIS` AND IT ACTUALLY TAKES A LOT OF RESOURCE TO WORK WITH SOME OF OUR MOST DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES. WILL IT BRING IT DOWN, THOUGH? IT SHOULD BRING IT DOWN. IT'S ABSOLUTELY OUR GAME, AND OUR` THE GOAL, SORRY, WITH THE POLICE COMMISSIONER IS TO BE REDUCING CRIME. I MEAN, THESE POLICE ARE IN THE HOMES OF OUR MOST DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES ` MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE IN OUR HIGHEST-CRIME FAMILIES. THEY OFTEN DON'T HAVE THE TIME, BECAUSE THEY ARE BUSY AND ARE GOING TO THE NEXT JOB, TO ACTUALLY MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS THE FOLLOW-UP, AND THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN MANY, MANY DIFFERENT CASES, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO, LIKE, ONE OF THE GOALS WAS TO REDUCE TRUANCY. WELL, THAT'S NOT NORMALLY THE JOB OF POLICE, BUT THEY KNOW THAT BY MAKING SURE THAT KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL, THAT THAT MEANS THAT THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO BE DOING CRIMES, AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER PREVENTION MEASURE. BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE SIDE THINGS, BECAUSE IT FEELS SOMETIMES LIKE JUST PUTTING MORE POLICE NUMBERS, IT'S THE AMBULANCE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CLIFF. BUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS DO WORK MORE. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT AS MINISTER TO GET THAT RIGHT? HOW DO YOU GET THAT ADVICE IN AND SAY, 'RIGHT, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED. '220 WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND WILL BRING IT DOWN'? YEAH, AS I SAY, A LOT OF WORK OVER SUMMER. IT'S KIND OF WHAT I SPENT JANUARY DOING WAS REALLY DRILLING INTO THAT. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS ANOTHER AREA ` YOU KNOW, 110 CALL-OUTS FOR POLICE A YEAR, *110,000 THEM THEN HAVING A BIT OF TIME TO SPEND WITH THE FAMILY AND HAVE THE FOLLOW-UP OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT SMALL TOWNS AS WELL ` REGIONAL CENTRES. YOU'VE HAD A BIT OF ATTENTION ON THIS IN THE LAST FEW DAYS. YOU'VE HAD THAMES, WHERE IT WAS QUITE AN INTERESTING PUBLIC MEETING, WHERE THEY LAID OUT THEIR CONCERNS. WE'VE SEEN KAIKOHE AS WELL WITH THE YOUNG BOYS TRYING TO GET INTO THE SERVICE STATION. WILL THESE REGIONS GET A BOOST FROM SOME OF THESE POLICE NUMBERS? BECAUSE THE MESSAGE THEY'RE SENDING OUT IS THEY'RE NOT FEELING SUPER SAFE AT THE MOMENT. YEAH. SO, ALL OF THEM` SO ALL DISTRICTS ARE GETTING AN INCREASE. THE COMMISSIONER WILL BE MAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT THAT IN THE UPCOMING WEEKS, BECAUSE HE'S BEEN GOING THROUGH THE AREA COMMANDERS AND WORKING OUT EXACTLY WHERE THEY WILL BE GOING TO. BUT CERTAINLY AREAS LIKE THAT WILL SEE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF FRONT-LINE POLICE OFFICERS. BECAUSE` YOU'LL CALL ME A CYNICAL JOURNALIST FOR ASKING THIS QUESTION, BUT IT SEEMS IN ELECTION YEAR, TO BE ABLE TO SAY THIS TO ALL THOSE CONCERNS, 'DON'T WORRY, GUYS. 'CAVALRY'S ON THE WAY,' IT MUST MAKE YOUR JOB A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS ` BEING ABLE TO SAY THAT WHEN PEOPLE RAISE THESE CONCERNS. WELL, IT JUST MEANS THAT WE LISTENED TO THEM, HAVE SEEN A NEED AND, AS ANY RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT IS, THAT WE'VE RESPONDED TO IT. DO YOU FEEL SYMPATHY FOR THESE GUYS WHO FEEL LIKE IN THE REGIONS THEY'VE BEEN LEFT ALONE A BIT? I JUST` I FEEL LIKE THEY'VE GOT A UNIQUE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THEY FEEL IT IN AUCKLAND AND THEY FEEL IT IN WELLINGTON AS WELL, SO IT'S NOT JUST A RURAL KIND OF ISSUE. 140 OF THOSE OFFICERS, THOUGH, WOULD BE EXCLUSIVELY RURAL, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. I WANT TO ASK ABOUT PAY AS WELL, BECAUSE THE TIME'S GOING PAST SO QUICKLY. BUT IN TERMS OF POLICE WAGES, DO YOU FEEL IN AUCKLAND THAT THERE COULD BE A SPECIAL WAGE FOR COPS TO LIVE HERE SO THAT THEY'D STAY ON IN THE POLICE? WELL, I MEAN THAT GETS REALLY DIFFICULT, BECAUSE YOU'VE JUST IDENTIFIED THAT PLACES LIKE THAMES AND KAIKOHE WANT MORE POLICE AS WELL. COULD YOU GIVE THEM AN ALLOWANCE TOO? SO, YEAH, YOU'RE SORT OF SAYING EVERYONE SHOULD GET AN ALLOWANCE, AND WE PRETTY MUCH DO THAT EVERY YEAR BECAUSE POLICE GET A PAY INCREASE, AND THEY HAD QUITE A REASONABLE ONE LAST YEAR THAT WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE PAYING OFF. AUCKLAND'S TOUGH, THOUGH, ISN'T IT, WITH THE HOUSING MARKET AT THE MOMENT? YEAH, BUT THEN SOME OF OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES ARE TRYING TO ATTRACT POLICE THERE AS WELL, AND THAT'S A DIFFERENT SET OF CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES. SO I DON'T WANT TO PLAY AUCKLAND OFF AGAINST THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, AND I'M NOT CONVINCED AT THIS STAGE THAT THEY SHOULD BE GETTING MORE PAY THAN OTHER POLICE. I WANT TO ASK YOU A DEPUTY LEADERSHIP QUESTION NOW. WE SAW JACINDA ARDERN COME NEWLY INTO THE POSITION. THERE WAS AN ATTACK, IF YOU LIKE, OR SOME STRONG WORDS FORM NIKKI KAYE AND MAGGIE BARRY. DO YOU REGRET THE WAY THAT THAT PLAYED OUT? YEAH, IT'S FUNNY THAT IT'S SEEN AS AN ATTACK ON HER, AND I DON'T REALLY THINK IT WAS, AND IT WAS CERTAINLY NO HARDER THAN I'VE HAD IN MY TIME. MY GOODNESS, I REMEMBER MY FIRST YEAR AS A MINISTER, AND THEY SAID, 'WE'RE GOING FOR HER.' YOU KNOW? YEAH, LABOUR THOUGHT I WAS A WEAK LINK, AND THEY WENT FOR ME. DID YOU FEEL SORRY FOR HER, THEN, IN THAT WAY? NO, IT'S POLITICS, AND YOU'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO STAND UP AND STAND ON YOUR RECORD AND STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, AND I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW` I MEAN, USING WORDS LIKE 'SUPERFICIAL', 'COSMETIC', 'FACELIFT', THAT FEELS LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIG TO HER AS A WOMAN. DON'T YOU THINK? DID THAT IRK YOU A BIT? I DON'T KNOW. WINSTON PETERS CALLED ME FAT IN PUBLIC MANY TIMES, AND I'VE DECIDED TO IGNORE IT AND MOVE ON, SO, LOOK, IT'S NOT ALWAYS FAIR, AND I DON'T ALWAYS THINK WE LIKE WHAT WE SAY SOMETIMES AND THAT SORT OF THING, BUT IT IS PRETTY ROBUST, AND WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO STICK UP FOR OURSELVES AND CONCENTRATE ON WHAT MATTERS. DO YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE KEPT PROFESSIONAL, THOUGH? IT SHOULD BE`? OF COURSE IT SHOULD, AND WE ALL SHOULD BE, AND WE'RE ALL NOT PERFECT ALL OF THE TIME, BUT I THINK THAT JACINDA STEPPED INTO A REALLY BIG ROLE. SHE'S OBVIOUSLY REALLY ENJOYING IT. I SEE HER MOST DAYS, AND IN THAT CAPACITY, GOOD ON HER AND GO FOR IT. ARE YOU TARGETING HER BECAUSE NATIONAL'S A BIT WORRIED? NAH, SHE'S FINE. LOOK, WHAT LABOUR DOES WITH THEIR LEADERSHIP AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS REALLY THEIR BUSINESS, AND WE'LL STICK TO OURS AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DELIVER FOR NEW ZEALANDERS. LET'S BRING IN OUR PANEL. Holly, as a woman who was in parliament, what did you make of that attack on Jacinda? I found it really disappointing. I found it disappointing that those attacks were level that Jacinda from other women. Most of the Sunday are really friendly and kind to each other. When the cameras are on during those high-profile debates, the lies come out, and that is not what the public wants to see from the politicians. That cattiness and personal criticism is not attractive and politicians in general good on her for saying the cut and thrust of politics the way it is. The question is what does the electorate think. They would not like to see that attacking. On sober reflection, both sides of the house will realise that people want to focus on the issues. This is a sideshow and it is unfortunate. I don't think it's done anyone any credit. Would there be a little bit of worry behind that attack? I think that is why it was orchestrated, and I don't think there is any excuse for getting personal and insulting in the workplace, regardless of whether it is Parliament. I don't think it is fair to say that I was insulted and that it is OK to insult someone else. It is a pretty robust place, but it need not be like that. I do think, in this case, she was being singled out. And it backfired, quite frankly. Because I agree with you, Kim, when you lower yourself to that sort of level, then I think the public will be upset about it. They don't want to see it. After all, to say that she is all-star and no substance is incorrect, because she doesn't awful lot, not just in terms of policy direction but also her work within the party and her work as an MP. To say that she lacks substance as unfair. Holly, politically, as she said, it is cut and thrust. From the outside looking in, does not look that way. I find it surprising when that criticism of being all style and no substance and having no achievements is coming from someone who has been in the opposition for their career. It doesn't mean that you can't be working very hard and opposition to bring about change for your constituents. And developing a strong policy base for government, all of which Jacinda has done and deserves to be debated on those merits rather than superficial critiques which play into the gender stereotyping of her. We have got the numbers but have we got the infrastructure? Will we have it? I think we have to be very careful here, and we shouldn't pretend the fact is that the world is on the move. Anywhere you go is overwhelmed by tourists. We were in Machu Picchu, and the experience was overwhelming. We can't ruin the experience that people have come to enjoy and we can't ruin it for ourselves as citizens. In fact, I am not flash on tourism anyway because it is a low value enterprise. Cleaning toilets and driving buses and so on is not where we are going to get rich. Politicians like it because it mops up a lot of employment at low levels. For our nation's prosperity, it is a temporary fix. The fact is, the three miserable million dollars as a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed. As a tourism tax something that should be seriously looked at? It is our number one export earner? We should ensure that the people who should pay do pay. I do think that it is important that tourists realise that NZ does not necessarily bottom of the bucket cheap place to come to. They should be prepared to pay for the experience. To get here for a lot of people, it is expensive. Is that on top of it? The pricing is nonsense. NZ is an absolute bargain. I can tell you that we are only tipping. The currency is relatively weak. The airfares going to the states or Asia, there is not much in it. Normally they go to Australia as well. It is actually a good deal. Frankly, I would make no apologies about the travel tax. Almost everywhere in the world does it. It is a way of actually... The only caution I put on it is that it should deftly be recycled. We do want to go each way. Are we on a road to nowhere as far as the balancing act goes? That is a marketing strategy. But if that's not what it looks like when they come to the Tongariro Crossing, we need to take real care. The other thing that I think is interesting in the tourism space as being able to keep track of people and where they are, like the Kaikoura earthquake. We need to understand where in the country these tourists are so that we can make sure that they are safe while they are here. We heard from Bill English that we need to get these tourists out of buses and into cars, which is not what a lot of people would agree with, given the fatality rates we have seen from tourist drivers. That's a very hard issue. You are always conscious of the fact that you could come across someone driving on the wrong side of the road. But what you actually do about it is another thing. I think it is appropriate that significant numbers do travel by bus, and when they are driving my car, I think there needs to be some sort of public education. You cannot bar people from driving their car on NZ roads. It is a very difficult one for the government to fess up to. Is that a realistic solution, a test, Kim? It is true that people are coming off aeroplanes badly jetlagged and don't do much driving at home. Our driving conditions, you are at seriously at risk. This suggestion they should drive more is just wallpaper over the cracks and other issues. We don't have enough lavatories for people, all of those reasons, we need to fix the underlying issues before we encourage people to drive. How many of us have seen the whites of the eyes on the people on the other side of the road and a campervan? I think it is a classic election-year strategy. If you look at the numbers in terms of what types of crime are increasing, the two things that are increasing domestic violence and sexual violence. We need good policing resources to combat those, but what we need is well funded prevention programs rather than policing which is then Notoriously hard to solve with low resolution rates. The big question is what happens in a child's life to lead to crime. It's all very well increasing police numbers and it looks OK an election year. I think there is much more fundamental questions that need to be asked about why we have adolescents living a life of crime. The government is front footing on this issue as can be expected from a national government and election-year. NZ first wants to increase the numbers to 1800. There are other parties that are making crime front and centre of their agenda. I can understand why the government is doing this, but there are much more fundamental questions that need to be asked. HIS FRESH TAKE ON WHY POLITICS IS SUCH A TURN-OFF RHODES SCHOLAR MAX HARRIS ` FOR SOME NEW ZEALANDERS. AND POLITICAL PET HATES FROM THE STREETS OF WELLINGTON. DON'T REALLY CARE FOR THEM, TO BE HONEST. LIKE, THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH SWAG. ONE VOTE DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE, SO I'M HAPPY NOT TO. MAX HARRIS IS UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF OUR BRIGHTEST YOUNG NEW ZEALANDERS. THE 28-YEAR-OLD FORMER AUCKLAND LAW SCHOOL STUDENT HAS BEEN A RHODES SCHOLAR AND IS NOW PART WAY THROUGH A FELLOWSHIP AT SOULS COLLEGE AT OXFORD. IT'S ONE OF THE MOST COMPETITIVE AND PRESTIGIOUS ACADEMIC AWARDS IN THE WORLD. AS PART OF THAT, HE'S BEEN LOOKING AT NEW ZEALAND POLITICS AND JOINS ME NOW. I want to start off by talking about your personal story, because it is pretty remarkable. You had heart surgery, and while you are waiting for that to happen, you just decided you would do this little exam that is probably one of the most difficult in the world. What were you thinking? I suppose getting this problem coming up was quite unexpected. And I plan to come back to NZ two years ago and had to push my flights back. I heard about this very strange and unusual exam, and I thought while I wait around for the surgery, I would give it a shot. Most people would think that they need to live it up large. But you thought you would set a really hard exam. I guess I thought there was a very tiny chance that something may have come from it. The fellowship gives you seven years to do any kind of research that you want. And even though I did not think I would get through the exam, I thought it was worth a go. To my surprise, I got an interview. I thought the interview went very badly At the end of the interview, I thought back to NZ now. A week later, I got told that I passed. That experience with your health, did that affect how you chose the topic of NZ politics? Because you are allowed to choose anything you liked. What attracted you to NZ politics, apart from being a kiwi? I did think a lot about mortality around them. There was a 2 to 3% mortality risk of the surgery that I was going through. There was talk about underlying conditions and that I might shorten my life expectancy. I thought if my life would be shorter, how can I make a difference on issues that I care about? I was talking to an early audience about the book, and when I told them about the wider issue of NZ politics, they laughed. But I grew up in NZ and I was really lucky to benefit from public education here, and I felt her responsibility to give back. I wanted politics to be better in NZ. I didn't take a lot of time to think about it, and luckily I got a book contract and got started talking to young New Zealanders and others, a couple of years later I managed to finish the book. Part of the book is about disengage young voters. I WANT TO PLAY YOU THIS STORY DONE BY WHENA OWEN AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK. HAVE A LISTEN. DID YOU VOTE IN THE LAST ELECTION? (CHUCKLES) NO. DID YOU VOTE LAST ELECTION? NO, I DON'T VOTE. DID YOU VOTE LAST ELECTION? NAH, NAH, I DIDN'T. (KINGS' 'DON'T WORRY BOUT IT') SO WHY DIDN'T YOU VOTE? OH, I DIDN'T SEE THE POINT IN IT ANY MORE. I DON'T SEE A DIFFERENCE. I HAVE NO INTEREST IN POLITICS. SO WHY DIDN'T YOU VOTE IN THE LAST ELECTION? (BOTH LAUGH) YOU DON'T KNOW WHY? NAH. THEY SAY THAT IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. EVERY LITTLE BIT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. BUT I'M... NOT... SEEING THE DIFFERENCE. RUSSELL BRAND WAS A HUGE ADVOCATE OF IT, AND HE SAID YOU'D MAKE MORE OF A STAND BY NOT VOTING, BECAUSE YOU'RE SHOWING YOU'RE NOT SUPPORTING ANY OF THE POLICIES. AND SO I KNOW A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE, LAST TIME THAT WE VOTED, WERE LIKE, 'YEAH, I'M GONNA DO THAT.' ONE VOTE DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE, SO I'M HAPPY NOT TO. # WE DON'T WORRY 'BOUT IT. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE CURRENT POLITICIANS WE HAVE GOT AT THE MOMENT? DON'T REALLY CARE FOR THEM, TO BE HONEST. LIKE,... THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH SWAG. CAN YOU NAME A NEW ZEALAND POLITICIAN? JOHN KEY. (CHUCKLES) YEAH, JOHN KEY AS WELL. NOT A FAN OF THE GREENS. BUT JOHN KEY'S NO LONGER THERE. WELL, I LIKE HIM, AND I LIKE HELEN. BILL ENGLISH. YOU'RE MUCH CLEVERER THAN YOU THINK. OOH! I PRETTY MUCH DON'T LIKE ANY OF THEM, YEAH, NONE OF THEM, REALLY. OTHER THAN HONE, HONE HARAWIRA. # SO DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT IT. # WHAT WOULD NEED TO CHANGE TO MAKE YOU VOTE? OH, NO POLITICIANS I'D KNOW; PUTTING MORE EFFORT INTO THE COMMUNITIES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, I SUPPOSE. YOU KNOW, ACTUAL CHANGES THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, BENEFIT US. POLICIES THAT ARE GEARED TOWARDS YOUNG PEOPLE. YEAH, THAT WOULD BE A NICE STEP, I THINK. WHAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN TO MAKE YOU WANNA VOTE? UH,... PEOPLE PROMISING WHAT THEY ACTUALLY SAY. (CHUCKLES) I THINK IF GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY GAVE SOMETHING FOR US TO CARE ABOUT. COS AT THE MOMENT, WE FEEL LIKE THERE'S NO POINT. IT'S GOING SOUTH AND IT'S JUST GONNA KEEP GOING SOUTH FOR US. WILL YOU VOTE IN THE NEXT ELECTIONS? PROBABLY NOT. We look at that clip and what do you make of that? Some of those comments that some of our young people are saying? I think it shows a lot of reasons why people are disengaged and why politics has disengaged from young people. A lot of people feel that politicians don't represent them. A lot of people don't like how politics is done, and I saw that in talking to people for the book. It seems like politicians are experts in self-promotion and cutting people down. Another person told me that they are just slandering each other than focusing on issues that matter. It is now easier than ever to get into contact with your local MP and see them on social media. Don't they think, right, I will read up on this? It is a two-way street. There is a responsibility to be involved as much as possible. We don't have civic education and NZ, which I talk about in the book, and it would make it easier for people to understand the political system. People are engaged in other ways like in social media, music, street art. So people are finding ways to express their opinions, and they are worried. Politicians also need to look at themselves and ask whether their systems are appealing to people. I think people have a lot going on in their lives, and they are not just lazy, there are deeper issues going on. I think they're feeling disempowered. As a country, perhaps we don't value the opinions of young people enough. Political parties are saying there is a missing million. They want to tap into that. How do they do that? Would allow more people to learn about politics and schools. The deeper things are a bit harder around respecting people's voices and maybe doing politics in a way that appeals to people more. In my book, I suggest that one way we can get there is to talk about values more. In particular values about care and creativity. Connecting to people's everyday experiences. This idea of civic education ` what about lowering the age to 16, the voting age? Would that help people engage in the clinical process? *political I think civic education has been done in other places very effectively. Is that just giving young people a spark. This is how you do it, this is what happens and this is why you should care. Is that why they should get it at school? We need young people to feel like their voices actually count. That is something I think we need more of an politics. I'm not sure how much young people really feel listened to by politicians. Another point in the book is the idea of the valuebeing drained out of politics. What do you mean by that? Politics has become a bit technical and often seems like a numbers game. Not just polls, partly that, but also a lot of discussion seems to be around trade-offs and pros and cons. We also need to make value choices about what priority areas are in politics and where politics becomes technocratic. I also think we have lost the general sense of direction and politics about what the end goals of politics are. It is become a sort of muddle through process a lot of the time, and I'm sure politicians are often motivated by noble ideals, but that is not always communicated to people. There is a rise in selfishness and self interest in politics. Has that not always been there? Going beyond politics, we have that in society as a whole. I think politicians are repealing less to what is good for the community and thinking about the people. And focusing more on what's in it for ourselves. Some politicians this morning would be looking at this and saying I do want to make a difference. Do you think it is just not values that match your own? I think a lot of politicians do come in with really high ideals. I think the way politics is done does not always allow those ideals to be carried through. You heard one person in the clip that felt like politicians are not following through on promises. Of course politicians have a values, but I would like to see politicians talking about those more openly. We have heard lots of references to fairness or freedom or opportunity, but I would like to hear a more fresh debate. On care community and even love. New ways of thinking about politics. What would your ideal political party look like? And are some of the political parties in Parliament doing that at the moment? The book is not really just about parliamentary politics. I don't have in mind an ideal political party. I have an ideal political culture. Where everyone feels empowered and where we are talking about politics from a values base, coming to different conclusions. Starting from a point of caring values. We are starting about endpoints would you like a turn that politics in the future? I genuinely do not want that as part of my future. Is it very passionate about that? The book is very passionate about changing political culture in a broader way and not just as individuals. Trying to create a movement outside of politics that can speak to politicians, to push the more inner values driven direction. I hope great people go into politics and people with great values going to politics. I don't think it is the whole story. Thank you for your time. AND 'THE NEW ZEALAND PROJECT' IS DUE IN BOOKSTORES FROM THE 10TH OF APRIL. IT'S PUBLISHED BY BRIDGET WILLIAMS BOOKS. MAX IS ALSO GIVING THE MICHAEL KING MEMORIAL LECTURE AT THE AUCKLAND WRITERS FESTIVAL IN MAY. LOTS TO TALK ABOUT WITH THE PANEL AFTER THE BREAK. WHAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN TO MAKE YOU WANT TO VOTE? UH,... PEOPLE PROMISING WHAT THEY ACTUALLY SAY. (CHUCKLES) I THINK IF GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY GAVE SOMETHING FOR US TO CARE ABOUT. BECAUSE AT THE MOMENT WE FEEL LIKE THERE'S NO POINT. IT'S GOING SOUTH AND IT'S JUST GONNA KEEP ON GOING SOUTH FOR US. WILL YOU VOTE IN THE NEXT ELECTION? PROBABLY NOT. Back to our panel. Is that depressing? There is a sad hopelessness that comes through that. It talks to me more than just Parliament politics. It's a sense of what we mean and civil society. What sort of conversations are they having around the dinner table at home? I suspect it's not engaged in what happens in New Zealand. I think ready to start is the narratives that happens in community. The technical nature of elections only becomes interesting if you understand the process, leisure votes count. But if you're as disengaged as those in the clips, you have to be very afraid. There are many jurisdictions all around the world, not just here, but without digressing too much, for if you saw Donald Trump, there are people just like that who clearly did not know what they were getting into, but he had a way to get with them, and he got elected. This may sound like a silly question, but do they still not understand the political system? I think that's part of the case. I think listening to those that for many people, particularly young people, they cannot see what matters about politics, why they are participating and it why it counts. The party should take the blame for that. They have not offered policies that affect the lives of young people to that extent that they should. They should feel a greater participation of the whole political process and they do. Max talked about the importance of public education, and that's one aspect of it, but most political parties, they were once mass parties. A lot of people identified with them. It was easy to mobilise the vote. They did so successfully. Now the parties are oligarchies. Small number of people. It's not enough. Max said that we needed concentrate on the culture and not the party. I agree with that. There are several things going on. We need to look at who votes, and that's by large older people. That's who the policies are directed towards. That is avoiding strategy target. So the young people are left out. And then there is the question off when young people who haven't been engaged in politics look at the political system and look at Parliament, who they say? Do they see people who look and speak like them? Do they talk about the things that are important to them? That doesn't have enough at the moment. That's an irony. The source of accessibility it's just on your phone. It's not about knowledge. It's about belief and opportunity. What you're seeing here, they don't believe that there is a really wonderful future. There is more opportunity for young people today than ever in the history of mankind, particularly in New Zealand, and yet you hear people feel hopelessness. If I was advising a parliamentarian, to talk more optimistically about where the opportunities lies in what they are doing to fulfil the hopes and dreams of these people. Then they might feel more engaged about what's going on. But if we have this relentless negativity, relentlessly picking at each other. Just like Jacinda. Yes. A lot of people don't realise that it's not just about labour and national. This year, for example, it's going to be a very close outcome. National is going to win this one hands down, that's what people think. But in fact, that may not be the outcome. So it is important to communicate the importance of MMP and how it works. Is there an element of contentment? In the Netherlands election, the highest turnout in 30 years. People were mobilised. We don't have that here. We have had a governemtn four terms of a government which people are comfortable with. There is a gap though. Ethnic disparities increase. We are less likely to see from other people's of points of view. The point of view of people who perhaps not live in the same way we do. There are lots of opportunities, but for some people in New Zealand that is not true. And the way our politics is structured, we are not encouraged to see from other people's point of view. It is a tough one. There is no doubt in my mind that until and unless we are able to get the political narrative aligned with where young people are sitting, you going to continue with a sense of disengagement. That is unfortunate. The social mobility discussion is really important. People need to join the workforce and parents need to know that the kids will be better off than they were. It's the core of what Donald Trump was saying. Economic statistics today say that we have interest rates, GDP growth, numbers we've never seen before. We should have less unemployment. We should be closer to 3% and 5%. It's social tragedies. Every one of them is a story. Some of them are in those interviews we saw today. It's a small number compared to the vast majority of New Zealanders. 78% of voters, registered voters voted in the last election. By Western standards that's very very high. With the worry as it is trending downwards. And is lower for the younger ones. Wealth and age are major contributors to turn out. OUR PANEL UNPICKS THE WEEK IN POLITICS AFTER THE BREAK. NEW POLL RESULTS, THE CHINESE PREMIER SWINGS BY, AND TRUMP TAKES AN AXE TO OBAMA'S CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN. IT'S BEEN A BUSY WEEK IN POLITICS. OUR FINAL PANEL IS NEXT. BEFORE WE GO TO THE PANEL, YOUR FEEDBACK. AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE A TOURISM TAX. GRAHAM ELWELL'S TWEETED... GRAHAM ELWELL'S TWEETED... SUE SWEET SAYS ON EMAIL... GUDJON GUDJONSSON HAS TWEETED... AND MANY AGREE THAT MPS SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ATTACKING EACH OTHER. MARIA SAYS... JO SAYS... Political hits and misses. Without a doubt, the visit of the Chinese premier is enormous news for New Zealand. It's about trade. A couple of messages there. New Zealanders had to understand the trade is fundamental and our growth. Also there is ambiguity about how we deal with the United States. To me that is a really big story. It's not going to end soon. But having the Chinese premier here was a privilege. It was a big tick for me. I can't help, I'm a businessman, the productivity report on the planning systems is enormously important. We've been trying to get people to talk about it. Our planning systems. Not just transport. The management act, all those together ` bad news for the environment and not good news for the environment the productivity commission's report is really important. Yes, the Prime Minister endorse it, but there was an overwhelming snoring silence. What we need is people to take this by the collar and really make it happen. It needs to be a non-partisan and across all political persuasions. We need to get the specs from New Zealand's future. My head is for a Wayne Mapp. That shows incredible courage to be a source for the book of Nicky Hager. Also, publicly and say that he was the source. Hopefully we'll have an independent inquiry but it was resting heavily on his conscience. Winston Peters is my miss. From the child perspective we argued so strongly 15 years ago to reduce child abuse. I think that was one lost a decade ago. It doesn't really add much to injected into the political debate. In terms of the youth crime he was trying to solve, and how we prevent that, the solutions doesn't lie and more abuse. The beginning of the divorce proceedings with the EU. This is major. It is really major. With the promise of another referendum in Scotland, we don't of the United Kingdom will still be around. We are told that all this will happen in the next two years, which made me think about how long is it before we are going to get clean and swimmer waters in our were waterways in New Zealand in 90% of our rivers and seas? 23 years. 24 years for evaluation. A free ride from the central Auckland to the airport is 30 years. Max Key has had a hashtag that is he will be prime minister, that will be the only time he will be able to settle his father's debts SEE YOU NEXT SUNDAY MORNING AT 9. CAPTIONS BY ALEX WALKER AND GLENNA CASALME. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2017