Barry Soper on Jacinda Ardern, Duncan Garner & 50 Years Inside NZ Politics

Barry Soper has been around New Zealand politics for so long that Rob Muldoon was Prime Minister back in the 1970s when Barry first started his life as a political reporter.Since then he has covered all 12 Prime Ministers of New Zealand. He’s seen the boozing, the backstabbing, the egos, the feuds, the big personalities, the little moments, and all the stuff that never makes it into the official version of history.And now, after 50 years in the press gallery, he’s put a lot of those stories into a new book called One Last Question, Prime Minister.Barry is 74 now and still incredibly sharp, funny and totally unapologetic for his opinions.Outside of the political stuff, some of the stuff we talk about includes:+ His marriage with Heather Duplessis Allen, being a dad later in life and what he wants his younger kids to know about him when they grow up. + His feud with Duncan Garner.+ Meeting Nelson Mandela, Yoko Ono and others.+ His recent brush with death, grief, aging, This was a really fun conversation. Barry is one of those great old-school New Zealand characters. A proper raconteur. And whether you agree with him or not, I think you will find this conversation incredibly entertaining.***Massive thanks to my long‑term podcast sponsor, Generate. Your KiwiSaver account is one of those things that’s easy to set up and then completely ignore whilst you’re hoping it’s all working out in the background. I had a chat with a Generate KiwiSaver adviser when they came on as sponsor, and it genuinely gave me clarity on what it means to have a KiwiSaver plan, and whether mine was actually set up to perform over the long-term.  Generate is an award‑winning KiwiSaver provider with a strong track record of long‑term performance. You can check out their latest returns online, or book a no‑obligation chat with one of their advisers at generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom. No pressure, no hard sell, no judgment. Just clear advice to help you feel confident you’re on track. I promise you will not regret doing it- there is a good reason Generate won Consumer NZs Peoples Choice Award for the 6th time.The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. To see their PDS and Financial Advice Provider info see generatekiwisaver.co.nz/disclosures. Past performance does not guarantee future returns. And remember, I’m not a financial adviser, so this is just general information. I recommend getting expert advice before making any financial decisions.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.