Nick is joined in the studio today by Wellington City Mayor Andrew Little for their monthly catchup.

Mayor Little takes questions from both Nick and our audience, on the progress in our city and council in April.

Starting with pressures in the city from the Iran War. Mayor Little discusses the potential for public transport cost deductions, and the other ways the CBD has been impacted from the fuel crisis. 

Then onto rates - Little takes calls from the audience on commercial, property and water rates. 

And then cost of Tiaki Wai, Wellington's new water entity taking over from July 1st - Little says he stills has not seen the evidence that our water payments will need to be up to nearly $7000 per household within 10 years. Nick and Little discuss this, how the transfer of power works and what needs to be done considering the cost to ratepayers.

Little gives an inquiry update for Moa Point, and elaborates on the cause - and that it still has not been fixed. 

Plus, NZTA says Wellington will reach it's vision for Wellington in just 6 years. Nick asks Little whether he agrees and this could be reality - or is this still a vision?

Then after the drama surrounding the new WCC office building we ask the Mayor what he thinks of his new office.

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EDITORIAL:

I don't even know where to start with this.

Because I’m sitting here this morning, and I’m not asking for a clever political solution, I’m not asking for spin, and I’m certainly not asking for another escalation. 

I just want it to stop. 

Not a temporary pause. Not a 45-day window. Not a “significant step” that isn’t good enough for someone to sign. 

I want the war to stop. 

I want some sort of normality back in the world.  

I want people to get on and live their lives.

I want that simple idea — live and let live — to actually mean something. 

And before anyone jumps in — this is not some soft, hand-wringing, anti-war rant. It’s not that. 

This is just common sense in the world that we live in right now. 

Because what we’re watching right now is getting completely out of hand. 

You’ve got Donald Trump talking about how an entire country could be “taken out in one night.”  

You’ve got threats to infrastructure, to power plants, to bridges — things that affect civilians, not just military targets. 

And on the other side, you've got Iran saying no — rejecting ceasefires, vowing to keep fighting. 

So where does that us, leave the rest of the world? 

Stuck in the middle.

Because this isn’t just “their war.” It never is. 

You start talking about the Strait of Hormuz — one of the most critical shipping routes on the planet — and suddenly this hits everyone.  

Fuel prices. Supply chains. Cost of living. Everything. 

We’re already feeling it here. 

And that’s what frustrates me. 

Because while leaders posture, threaten, and dig in… the rest of the world pays the price. 

Families pay the price.  

Businesses pay the price.  

Countries like ours — so far away — still get dragged into it through higher costs, uncertainty, and economic pressure. 

At some point, someone has to step up and say: enough. 

Make the ceasefire work. 

Not “almost work.” Not “on the table.” Not “a step in the right direction.” 

Actually make it work. 

Because right now, it feels like the damage being done — economically, globally— it's massive. 

And I’ll say this carefully… but honestly. 

You’ve got to ask whether the way this is being handled is doing more damage to the rest of the world than the original problem ever would have. 

That’s the uncomfortable question. 

Has this has gone too far? 

Does it feel like the world is being dragged along for the ride… whether we like it or not? 

And is it time we pull together globally, whether that's a few leaders or the UN and say pull back the ego and look at the bigger picture here? 

Do we, New Zealand have any kind of role with this?

Winston Peters is there this week - does he have a role?

Can we do anything? Or do we just keep paying?

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James Irwin is back in the studio for this week's Music Time.

James shares his travels to Hawaii and how much they know of NZ music overseas, what could he find in the record shops?

Then The Pogues hit Wellington tomorrow at the St James - without Shane MacGowan. After MacGowan's passing 18 months ago James takes a look at the new band and what we can expect from their show. 

For the latest on Wellington gigs and music - its Music Time with James Irwin

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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.  

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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

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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".

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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