Friday Faceoff: Justin Lester and David Farrar discuss Tory Whanau's money revelations

Nick Mills wraps the week for a Thursday edition of faceoff with Hutt City Mayor Ken Laban and journalist and broadcasting legend Mark Sainsbury.   Starting with the complaints from councillors' around their new office – Councillor Nicola Young says many boycotted the blessing as they are not pleased with the location of the Mayor’s office. Is this a show of entitlement or genuine concern about the perception of our leader?  Our panel share their thoughts on the inquiry into the FENZ fire truck fleet by Tim Costley. The board's answers to Costley are apparently “confusing and contradictory".    What do Mayor Laban and Sainsbury think of the 79% pay increase of some board members during the pay dispute for frontline workers – and what questions need to be answered by FENZ?  Can we expect our fire fighters to do their job with such limited pay and equipment?   Then Minister Winston Peters flies over to Rarotonga to seal a deal which clarifies our two countries relationship. But he flew over in an Airforce jet. Is this a bad look during the fuel crisis? Or are the optics of Peters in Rarotonga and putting in effort important enough?  And what do our panel think of the deal?  Then onto the David Tamihere case being quashed due to a miscarriage of justice. Our panel talk the likelihood of retrial and whether Tamihere should receive compensation.  The Green Party declined a candidate – a sex worker advocacy group says it’s due to the woman’s prior experience in that industry. Should someone be denied due to their career, or should we bring more diversity into the beehive?  Then the basin – our panel get heated on what should be done with the basin reserve, as the NZ20 cricket is set to play there.  Plus, our panel share their hots and nots from the week.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick is joined by Labour MP Kieran McAnulty, who is fronting the new bill that will scrap the Easter alcohol rules.  Bars & restaurants (on-licence venues) will be able to sell alcohol normally on Good Friday & Easter Sunday. No more needing to buy a “substantial meal” just to get a drink. McAnulty shares why the rule change is necessary, saying it's silly and will make life easier for hospo visitors and workers.  Note: Since the interview this morning the bill has been signed off by the Governor General and will be active for Easter Weekend LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Firefighters, currently on strike, are getting support to upgrade their fleet from a new inquiry into FENZ. Parliament’s Governance and Administration Select Committee, fronted by Deputy Chair and National MP Tim Costley, has launched an enquiry into FENZ specifically on the state of their fire truck fleet.  Nick speaks to Wellington Local President of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) and Senior Station Officer Clark Townsley to find out what the union think of the inquiry.  Townsley says they would like a general inquiry into FENZ, and Costley says their answer have been "confusing and contradictory". The board of FENZ received a pay increase yesterday - some members getting a 79% rise, while pay disputes for frontline firefighters have gone on for 16 months.  Townsley called this a "bombshell". LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EDITORIAL: I just want to talk about something this morning that, honestly, feels like a perfect snapshot of where Wellington City Council is at right now.  Office space.  Not rates. Not pipes bursting. Not businesses struggling. Not the Moa Point mess. No, no — they’re concerned about office space.   Who’s on what floor, who’s got the view, and who’s looking out at a car park.  Now, I’ve got to ask — who actually cares?  If you’re a city councillor, if you’re the mayor, aren’t you there to do a job? Getting paid for that job by us.  Aren’t you there to serve the city, make decisions, fix problems, and represent the people of Wellington?   Since when did the quality of your harbour view become part of your job description?  Because I’ve worked a long time, and I’ve never once walked into a workplace and thought, “Gee, I hope I’ve got the penthouse today.” You go to work to work. If you want a view get one at home.   And here we’ve got reports of councillors grumbling, talking of a boycott of a blessing ceremony, and frustration that council executives are sitting upstairs with the nice outlook while elected officials are on level one.  Level one!  It’s convenient.  One flight of stairs and you’re there. You’re accessible. You’re close to the public. You’re not hiding away at the top of a tower somewhere, disconnected from the people you’re meant to represent.  Are you supposed to look down and look down at your people?  And if the mayor’s looking out at a car park — frankly I don’t give a damn.   You should be out in the city – or if you're at your office you should be looking at your computer, your emails, your meetings, your city’s problems. That’s the job.  To me, this is a mountain out of a molehill.   But worse than that, it’s symbolic. It tells you something about priorities of our council.   Because while all this noise is going on about who sits where, Wellington still has massive issues that actually matter.  And I’ll give credit where it’s due — some councillors have said exactly that.   Turn up, do the job, don’t worry about the furniture. Do you care where your office is when you go to work? And should we expect more focus — and be a little bit more humble — from the people running our city?  Because right now, this just feels like a small, small deal, when we have bigger issues.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Councillor Nicola Young joins the show to discuss the complaints over the new council building. Young was not present at the blessing for the new office building on the waterfront. She says although she doesn't usually attend early morning ceremonies, she wouldn't of gone anyway as part of a boycott among some councillors. The boycott is over complaints the office space is not sufficient, particularly the office of Mayor Andrew Little - nicknamed by Young as "the dungeon".  The office sits on the first floor and has two windows looking onto a carpark and a brick wall. Young says this is a bad look for visitors, while the executives and officials get the penthouse.  She says this shows where the power lies. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick is joined in the studio by Dwell Housing CEO Elizabeth Lester to chat about their new campaign 'It Starts With Home' and how the move on orders are effecting their community. Dwell Housing is a registered charity that provides housing through safe, affordable homes to individuals and families across the Wellington region. Their current campaign focuses on housing for local families.  With the new move on orders coming into effect - and forcing rough sleepers out of certain areas - Lester shares how this is effecting the homeless community Lester shares how the public can help the charity, what Dwell have done so far, and what they want to accomplish this year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As NZ20 brings attention to the Basin Reserve talk is building about the potential for an upgrade.  Nick speaks to Wellington-born architect Frano Bazalo about the cost and likelihood surrounding a renovation building capacity, and bringing more sports into the reserve. The St Patricks old boy is currently working out of London designing some of the biggest stadiums in the world, including one costing over a billion dollars in Saudi Arabia. Nick finds out Bazalo's thoughts on the current structure, and the lack of other stadiums in Wellington - pointing to issues with Hnry stadium. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick is joined by World of WearableArt CEO Meg Williams to talk this years WOW show GLO! The annual show goes from 17 September to 4 October 2026 at TSB Arena, and brings tourists and pride to Wellington. Williams shares the plans for this year, and what makes the show such a colourful success.  She discusses the team - including Creative Director Brian Burke, and how they are prepping for their boldest year yet.  Williams and Nick get into the theme of GLO!, the comeback of the beloved Bizarre Bra and the new sections coming to the show this year.  Get tickets here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OPINION: If there is ever a time where you think change might actually happen, I think that time is now.  You know when something really significant shifts.  Because every now and then, you get a crisis that doesn’t just hurt — it teaches and it questions.   And we may finally learn from this one.  We’ve got fuel prices climbing towards four dollars a litre.  We’ve got global instability, supply lines under pressure, and once again New Zealand is sitting here — exposed.  But what’s different this time…it’s the reaction.  Because when you start hearing voices — strong voices, credible voices — saying this is the turning point… we have to pay attention.  Take Mike Casey — Kiwibank Sustainable Business Leader of the Year 2026 — not some fringe thinker, not some dreamer — a guy running a fully electric cherry orchard in Central Otago, and a big one.  And here are the facts he’s putting on the table:  New Zealand has around 10 million machines currently reliant on imported fossil fuels.  But about 8.5 million of those could be electrified today — right now — with the technology we already have.  That only leaves about 800,000 that still need diesel long-term.  So the idea that we can’t do this is just not true.  And then look at behaviour — because behaviour tells you everything.  Last week was the biggest week for EV sales since the Clean Car Discount ended in 2023.  That’s not ideology — that’s people reacting to price and reality.  And here’s the big thing.  The average Kiwi drives about 230 kilometres a week.  Charging an EV off solar? Roughly works to be the equivalent of $1.15 per litre — even factoring in road user charges.  Compare that to nearly $4 a litre at the pump.  That’s not a small saving — that’s transformational.  And yet some of us are still hesitating.  We’re still treating solar and EVs like lifestyle choices instead of what they actually are — infrastructure.  Because here’s the part that really got me.   Casey’s running a system where about 80% of his entire operation is powered by his own solar — cars, machinery, production.  His neighbour is trying to borrow an electric tractor because diesel’s too expensive.  That’s not theory — that’s real, working change.  So I come back to this…  Is this the moment where the penny drops?  When even traditionally sceptical voices start saying, “hang on… maybe this is the way forward”?  Because if it is — then we need to act like it.  Every house in New Zealand should be looking at solar.  Not as a luxury — as a baseline.  And here’s where government comes in —I don’t want handouts, not subsidies — but smart financing.  Low-interest, long-term loans to get solar onto rooftops.  Because according to Casey, the savings alone could cover the repayments and still leave households $1,000 to $2,000 better off each year.  That’s not a cost — that’s an investment.  So if we’ve learned anything from every crisis we’ve faced — it’s this:  We don’t get many chances to pivot.  We don’t get many moments where the problem and the solution are sitting right in front of us at the same time.  This might be one of them.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CubaDupa hit Wellington last weekend and Nick chats to director Bianca Bailey to see how it all went down. Tens of thousands of people - local and visitors alike, joined the annual street party with over 200 performers, food trucks, performers, parades - everything was at CubaDupa. Bailey shares how the weekend went, what could've gone better and what does the city need to do next to bring more life to Wellington. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.