Election 2023

The split voting thing.  In the weekend papers were full of full-page ads paid for by RCR.   This appears to be the vessel for Don Brash and Nick Mowbray to promote their tactical voting tactic to create an overhang that benefits the centre right.  I don't like it the same way Don Brash doesn't like John Key telling people how to vote and of course their platform benefits in that th...

The Greens say their trades policy will end up providing a boost to the local economy.  If elected, the party will abolish the training wage, and introduce a $2000 equipment grant to help cover tools, uniforms and course materials. Newstalk ZB political reporter Ethan Griffiths says this is in contrast to ACT's plan to reduce the training wage and freeze the minimum wage. LISTEN ABOVE See omn...

GPs hope a $400-million-dollar political pledge results in more competitive pay packets. The ACT Party is promising the funding boost if elected, which is designed to help practices offer competitive remuneration and retain staff. It's worth about six percent of GPs budgets.   Royal College of General Practitioners President Dr Luke Bradford says it shines a light on the issues they face righ...

It is about now in an election campaign when you start weighing up the benefits of a 4-year term, right?   Attack ads? Tick. Scare tactics? Tick. MPs in a Gang furore? Tick. The release of basic, sensible and unspectacular policies? Tick. Debates in which no one shines? Tick.   It’s hardly been an inspirational election campaign has it. Too many familiar faces with the same unconvincing...

Right, so the question is whether the Taxpayers' Union has gone too far with its AI advert about Chris Hipkins. If you haven't seen the ad yet, let me explain it. It's a short video that starts with a ginger-haired man in a suit and red tie sprinting down a suburban street. He kicks in a door and runs into a house where a family is having dinner. He grabs all their wallets from the table and runs...

There has been some confusion over whether the National party is open to working with the Opportunity Party after leader Christopher Luxon reportedly told supporters he would work with 'whoever he has to' to secure a second term. The party has since clarified that Luxon was referring to working with New Zealand First and Act MPs, and that his position on Opportunity hasn't changed. Newstalk Z...

Anyone who’s ever been the victim of a home invasion needs to avoid seeing the latest election campaign ad from the Taxpayers’ Union. It’s the latest in a series of attack ads from this outfit. Alongside all the other negative advertising out there from some of the actual political parties. But this one takes it to the next level. What they’ve done, is they’ve used AI to create a video which shows...

This week's Politics Friday Election Special focused on the Banks Peninsula electorate. The candidates, Vanessa Weenink from National, and Tracey McLellan from Labour, made their pitch about why they want to become the next local MP. They discussed the tight 2023 election result, which was decided by just 396 votes, and the key issues facing the electorate, including coastal erosion, un-swimmable...

Yesterday's talkback outrage was all about the MPs and the gangs.   A meeting that was condemned by both the Chrises in the Leaders debate.   But despite this weight of opinion, Marama Davidson doubled down on the visit – and then she promised more funding for gang run social programmes.  Well, I don't think Marama quite understands the issue.  I actually don't mind MPs talking...

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.    The campaign: 6/10  Was this the week that we got debated out? One too many or two too many? And can you believe there are at least two more still to come?    Gangs: 1/10  May turn out to be, if not a defining moment, certainly a moment some could...

Is it too far-fetched to ask two things:  1) Whether the campaign turned dramatically against Labour yesterday.  2) If within a 24-hour period, whatever chance they might have thought they had is now blown to smithereens.  The Greens want to fund gangs. They are unapologetic about hanging with gangs and they fail to accept the simple premise that this puts them so far outside what y...

The week has come to an end, which means it's time for Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson to help Mike Hosking Wrap the Week that Was.   They discussed cancelled credit cards and wayward subscription services, and dug into the third week of the election campaign. Is the country over it already?  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now, there's a headline today that deserves a bit of discussion. It's this: "Silver Scrolls: Why does Paul Goldsmith keep turning up to these things?" And the reason for that headline is that Paul Goldsmith went to the Silver Scroll Awards and, yet again, the musicians gave him a hard time. Madeleine Sami, who was the MC, got up and started it off with, "You're brave." Then Rob Ruha got up to coll...

New Zealand First is promising more regulation in combat sports - but an MMA coach advises caution. The party wants to set up a Combat Sports Commission, to oversee licensing, and require medical professionals at events.  It also wants penalties to crack down on gangs hosting unsanctioned events.  City Kickboxing trainer Mike Angove says for some, these sports are rehabilitative.  "...

A lifelong gang member says Green Party decisions around gangs this week have a bad look. Greens and  Te Pāti Māori MPs this week visited the Mongrel Mob HQ, posing for photos. The Greens say they'd consider dumping the patch ban, and are open to mob-delivered drug-rehab work. Denis O'Reilly says the patch bans reduced aggressive behaviour.  He says gangs mightn't be the best to lead ant...

Candidates from Te Pāti Māori and the Greens were recently spotted meeting with the Mongrel Mob on social media, and it's prompted some backlash. Chris Hipkins and Labour have since ruled out any MP from those parties holding the Justice or Police portfolios. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper has labelled this as 'absurd' and that Luxon should have drawn more attention to this...

Sweet mercy. I don't know about you, but the sight of Green and Te Pāti Māori MPs posturing and posing with members of the Mongrel Mob brought back very bad memories of the bad old days. Remember when gang members were given funding for dubious rehab programs? And when they took over the roads and the streets as they were going to tangihanga or just, you know, going from point A to point B and wan...

Christopher Luxon says National's delivered a lot of what it wanted to this term.   While taking talkback with Kerre Woodham, a supporter asked why he allowed ACT and New Zealand First to veto National promises after the 2023 election.  She pointed out although Luxon had expressed support for capping vape stores at 600, in Coalition negotiations he handed NZ First responsibility for regu...

Is there a clear winner in the wake of the second major leaders debate?  Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins went head-to-head in the NZ Herald's Leaders Debate last night, clashing on education, geopolitics, and wages, amid other things.   Political Commentator Brigitte Morten told Ryan Bridge the real competition wasn't just between the two leaders, but rather whether or not they could...

Chris Hipkins is lambasting Greens and Te Pāti Māori for engaging with gangs.  MPs from those parties met and posted photos with members of the Mongrel Mob in South Auckland this week, surrounded by patches.  It's led to the Labour leader ruling out any MP from the Greens or Te Pāti Māori holding the Justice or Police portfolios in any government he leads.  Hipkins told Mike Hosking...

Two debates preceeded the show prompting more election chat as the start of voting draws nearer. And, a loyal bank customer was denied cash, so Marcus and listeners discussed how difficult, or not, it is to get cash in the digital age.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight's leaders' debate between Luxon and Hipkins isn't the only big political face-off happening tonight.  The ‘ASB Great Finance Debate’ will take place in Queenstown this evening, and the finance spokespeople from all the major parties will outline their campaign announcements.    NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny was there - and she unpacked the mood of the...

The 2026 election season is well underway - but what does this campaign mean for the economy? The retirement sector has taken a hit on the NZX, with many leading companies seeing market drops. Milford Asset Management expert Jeremy Hutton explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's now saying it won't scrap a requirement that kids be taught an hour of reading, writing, and maths a day. The party's copping criticism from National after Labour leader Chris Hipkins suggested it should be up to schools to make that call. A Curia poll shows 74 percent of people support the mandated learning. Labour's finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds says she's been told teachers curr...

National's transport spokesperson says cars are clogging small suburban streets. The party is promising if elected to let councils require car parks for new suburban builds.  It was announced as part of its plan for Auckland - but Chris Bishop says this will apply to all councils.  He says in some parts of cities, parking isn't needed.  "You can't do it near train stations, you can'...