Public Interest

How do you manufacture a political movement? Ollie Neas talks to investigative journalist Nicky Hager about his new book Dirty Work, which investigates the Taxpayers’ Union and a network of lobby and campaign groups that Hager argues have helped reshape New Zealand politics. We discuss astroturfing, political donations, the manufacture of outrage, the Three Waters campaign – and how the methods Ha...

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick wants the Greens to become the largest party of the left. But what would it take to get there? Ollie Neas talks to Swarbrick about the Greens’ changing politics, economic inequality, corporate power, public ownership, Labour, and building a mass political movement. Public Interest is independent and entirely supported by our audience. If you value what we do,...

Nearly a decade after Jacinda Ardern swept into office promising transformation, what can we learn from where her government fell short? Ollie Neas talks to economist Dr Geoff Bertram about the weakening of the New Zealand state, the limits of Labour’s economic approach, and what a future progressive government would need to do differently. Public Interest is independent and entirely supported by...

Bird flu has reached New Zealand. Ollie Neas talks to epidemiologist Professor Nigel French about the threat H5N1 poses to New Zealand, how prepared we are for an outbreak, and why climate change, intensive agriculture and other human activity are creating a “perfect storm” for the emergence of new diseases. Public Interest is independent and entirely supported by our audience. If you value conver...

Around the world the centre-right is collapsing and the far-right is insurgent. Is the same about to happen here in New Zealand? Ollie Neas is joined by political commentator Bryce Edwards and Massey University associate professor Sean Phelan to discuss the state of the New Zealand right in 2026. How has right-wing politics in New Zealand changed over the past decade? And beneath the blustery rhet...

Labour says New Zealand’s economy is no longer working for ordinary people. But do its new fiscal rules leave it enough room to actually change things? Ollie Neas talks to journalist and commentator Bernard Hickey about Labour’s new fiscal strategy, the legacy of the Public Finance Act, and whether Labour’s lack of ambition is holding the left back. Bernard Hickey is a journalist, commentator, and...

The Opportunity Party could decide the next government. But what does it actually stand for? Ollie Neas sits down with party leader Qiulae Wong to discuss whether Opportunity is really left-wing or right-wing, why she thinks New Zealand is “stuck between two economies”, and the party’s approach to inequality, tax, unions, business and the role of the state. They also discuss Opportunity’s proposed...

As rents fall in parts of New Zealand, some have claimed we’re finally in a “renter’s market”. But the bigger picture tells a different story: rents increased 25% between 2020 and 2025, low-income New Zealanders pay some of the highest rents in the world, and homelessness is at an all-time high. Renters United president Luke Somervell joins Ollie Neas to discuss the reality of life for renters in...

The Democratic Socialists of America is winning elections and building political power across the United States. What explains its success – and could something similar happen here in New Zealand? Longtime DSA organiser David Duhalde and union organiser Justine Sachs join Undercurrents to discuss Mamdani, movement politics, and what New Zealand can learn from the DSA.

A new lawsuit alleges satellites launched from New Zealand by Rocket Lab may be providing intelligence used by Israel in Gaza. Ollie Neas speaks to plaintiff Yasser Abdulaal, a Palestinian New Zealander, and his lawyer Sam Vincent about the case, Rocket Lab’s role as a US military contractor, and what it could mean for New Zealand’s involvement in the war.

More than a year after the government’s shock rewrite of New Zealand’s pay equity laws, the fight over the value of women’s work continues. Dame Marilyn Waring joins Public Interest to discuss what the changes have meant for workers, the decades-long struggle for pay equity, why women’s work remains undervalued, and what it will take to restore the progress that has been lost.

Is farming really the backbone of the New Zealand economy? In this episode of Undercurrents, Ollie Neas speaks with freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy and economist Dr Geoff Bertram about the rise of intensive dairying, the political influence of the agricultural sector, and the environmental costs that have been pushed onto the public. They explore why farming's changing place in the economy, w...

A growing chorus of voices is arguing that New Zealand simply cannot afford universal superannuation any longer. But is this true?  In this episode of Public Interest , Ollie Neas speaks to economist Dr Bill Rosenberg about whether New Zealand really has a superannuation crisis. They discuss the affordability of NZ Super, the case for and against means testing and raising the retirement age, the i...

The climate crisis and war are usually treated as separate issues. Journalist Abby Martin argues they're inseparable.  In this episode, Ollie Neas speaks to Martin about her new documentary, Earth's Greatest Enemy , the US military's environmental footprint, the links between militarism and the fossil fuel economy, and why military emissions remain absent from global climate targets.

How should governments respond when prices rise – and who bears the cost? In part two of this special two-part episode of Undercurrents , Ollie Neas talks to economist Geoff Bertram about the politics of inflation, the Reserve Bank's reliance on interest rates, and why the burden of bringing inflation down often falls on ordinary households. We also explore inequality, taxation and what a differen...

Why is life becoming more expensive? Politicians often blame inflation, global shocks or government spending. But what if the roots of New Zealand's cost of living crisis run much deeper? In part one of this special two-part episode of Undercurrents, Ollie Neas speaks with Dr Geoff Bertram about how decades of deregulation, privatisation and growing monopoly power have reshaped New Zealand&#39...

Newsrooms are shrinking, public media is facing renewed political attacks, and ownership of commercial media is becoming increasingly concentrated. So what does this mean for our democracy? Ollie Neas speaks with media scholar Peter Thompson about the state of New Zealand's media, the future of RNZ and public broadcasting, the politics of media reform, and why a strong, independent fourth esta...

A proposal to lease the operation of Lyttelton Port to a consortium led by global ports giant DP World has raised concern over the future of one of Christchurch's most valuable public assets. In this episode of In Brief, Ollie Neas speaks with Mark Wilson, Lyttelton branch secretary of the Rail and Maritime Transport Union, about what the proposal involves, and why unions are warning of potent...

The coalition government is radically reshaping New Zealand’s education system –overhauling the curriculum, scrapping NCEA, re-establishing charter schools and much more. It says the reforms are needed to reverse declining achievement, but critics warn a broader ideological project is at work. Ollie Neas speaks with teacher and PPTA national executive member Clare Preston and Dr Shannon Walsh, an...

Why is the government pushing health and safety reforms that even many businesses oppose? Journalist Rebecca Macfie joins Public Interest to unpack the coalition's Health and Safety Amendment Bill, the myths about "red tape", and why she believes New Zealand is forgetting the lessons of Pike River.

The government is backing down on the most controversial part of its proposed conservation reforms. But Forest & Bird says the Conservation Amendment Bill still poses serious risks. Ollie Neas speaks with national conservation advocate Bianca Ranson about what the U-turn means, what remains in the bill, and why the fight over New Zealand’s conservation estate is far from over.

In the face of a sweeping assault on workers’ rights, New Zealand’s unions seem to have found renewed confidence. But are we witnessing a genuine union revival, or is this just a blip in a longer story of decline? In this special live edition of Undercurrents , recorded in partnership with the Fabian Society, Ollie Neas is joined by New Zealand Council of Trade Unions President Sandra Grey and uni...

The NBR's annual Rich List has revealed that the wealth of New Zealand's richest 134 people has surged from $102 billion to $129 billion in just one year. So why are the rich getting richer so much faster than everyone else? Ollie Neas is joined by researcher and journalist Max Rashbrooke to discuss the latest Rich List, inherited wealth, billionaires, tax, unions, democracy, and what a mo...

This week Labour unveiled its candidate list for the 2026 election, with lawyer, activist and writer Max Harris among the most prominent new additions. In this conversation, Harris discusses why he chose Labour, whether the party has moved beyond the legacy of Rogernomics, his long-shot campaign to flip Tāmaki, and what he believes is at stake in this year's election. Also in the conversation:...

Why do politicians keep promising to be "tough on crime" when the evidence says it doesn't make us safer? This week on Undercurrents , Ollie Neas is joined by author of The Valley Asher Emanuel and lawyer and activist Gabriella Brayne to unpack the gap between public perception and the reality of New Zealand's criminal legal system. From penal populism and media moral panics to housing, inequality...