The Panel with Richard Pamatatau and Penny Ashton, Part 2

In this vibrant continuation of the RNZ panel show, Penny Ashton and Richard Pamatatau engage in a mix of heartfelt reflection, policy discussion, and cultural commentary. The episode opens with Penny celebrating her mother’s 80th birthday and honoring her lifelong dedication to unpaid community service, from PTA leadership to church newsletter production. This sets a tone of gratitude and civic virtue, which transitions into Richard’s enthusiasm for in-class poetry exams that revealed students’ profound critical insight—proof, he argues, that when given space, young people can astonish with creativity and depth. The conversation then pivots to urban planning, with economist Dr. Eric Crampton advocating for pricing on-street parking to manage scarcity, proposing tradable resident parking passes as a fair and market-sensible solution. The panel debates the idea’s feasibility, acknowledging challenges like public transport gaps and political resistance, while affirming its potential to reduce congestion and incentivize alternative parking solutions. Later, the show shifts to a lighter, personal note with a 'musical artist I should like but don’t' segment, featuring candid confessions from Wallace, Julian, Penny, and others about their resistance to artists like Taylor Swift, Nick Cave, and David Bowie—highlighting the subjectivity of taste. The episode closes on a touching note with Warren Richardson of 'Have A Chat,' a Picton food cart that doubles as a listening space for people in crisis, emphasizing empathy, non-judgment, and human connection in a fast-paced world.