Election 2023

This week the Sunday Panel has had a bit of a rebrand. This week's Election Panel features Political Commentator Brigette Morton and Former Labour Minister Kris Fafooi discussing the ins and outs of this election: What caused the blue wave that swept the country? Will the special votes change anything?  How will Labour fare as the opposition? Will Luxon's business background give him an edge when...

A blue wave swept the country last night, National taking 39% of the votes. Former Finance Minister and National member, Steven Joyce, told Newstalk ZB's Election Special that ahead of time he was concerned that it might become another auction between the two parties. However that doesn't seem likely, he said, even if it became a mathematically viable option. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listen...

Te Pāti Māori's had a good election, with Rawiri Waititi holding Waiariki and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer taking Te Tai Hauāuru.   21-year-old Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke has unseated senior Labour Minister Nanaia Mahuta in Hauraki-Waikato, and Takuta Ferris has taken Te Tai Tonga.   Two other Labour Cabinet Ministers have only slim leads: Kelvin Davis in Te Tai Tokerau and Peeni Henare in Tāmaki Makaurau...

ACT is playing electorate monopoly in Auckland, with Brooke van Velden taking a historic win in Tamaki and David Seymour comfortably regaining Epsom.   Van Velden told Newstalk ZB’s Election Special that Tamaki locals haven’t had a real choice since Robert Muldoon won the seat in 1960.   She said that she’s committed to listening and continuing to listen to the locals, fulfilling their desire to h...

Act will have 11 seats in the new Parliament, with Brooke van Velden taking the previously safe National seat of Tamaki.   Leader David Seymour told Newstalk ZB's Election Special that the challenge is now to use their increased influence in a National-led government.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour campaign chair Megan Woods says they're still letting the dust settle on a devastating election result.   She told Newstalk ZB’s Election Special that it's too soon to say where things went so wrong for her party.   But she says that at the end of the day, they just didn't get enough votes.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They may not have swooped to victory but it's been a massive night for the Greens.   They'll spend the next three years in Opposition but they're celebrating as though they've won the election, picking up much of the Labour vote.   Greens Co-Leader James Shaw told Francesca Rudkin and Jason Walls that it's been a banger of a result.   He says they've got 14 MPs —the most ever— with seven new peopl...

New Zealand First's Shane Jones says the election's brought a sense of relief. He's calling leader Winston Peters a phoenix, leading a team of eight back into Parliament on current numbers. But things could change after the special vote count is released on November 3. NZ First's Shane Jones told Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB's Election special that it's still a big unknown. He says these matter...

New Zealand First's Shane Jones says the election's brought a sense of relief. He's calling leader Winston Peters a phoenix, leading a team of eight back into Parliament on current numbers. But things could change after the special vote count is released on November 3. NZ First's Shane Jones told Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB's Election special that it's still a big unknown. He says these matter...

The votes are in. National is set to take up Government, but time is still to tell whether or not Christopher Luxon will need to pick up the phone and call in NZ First. The party's campaign spokesperson Chris Bishop joined Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB's Election Special to find out what comes next for National. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson of Sherson Willis PR and former Labour staffer Mike Munro talked about: What did we think of last night’s final debate? Did Chris Hipkins go too far? How will tomorrow night play out? How big a role will New Zealand First and Winston Peters play tomorrow night? Will he break his word? Will he work with ACT? What will happen after the dust settles? And should Ma...

Labour claims it's enjoying a last-minute surge, in leaked internal polling. It puts Labour on 30 percent, National on 35, the Greens on 13, Act on 8, and Te Pati Maori on 4. It would have the left bloc overtaking the right - 47 percent to 43 percent. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls is urging scepticism. He told Heather du Plessis-Allan with New Zealand First on 6 percent, this still make...

Let’s kick-off with a bit of financial advice. If you have shares in a sausage roll factory or an ice cream shop, sell them now. Because, after today, sales are going to plummet without the politicians screaming around the country filling their gobs and scooping the cold stuff into cones. Come midnight tonight, we are done for another three years. Although the real action is still to come with vot...

In the final edition of Politics Friday before election day, John was joined by Labour’s Megan Woods and National’s Gerry Brownlee live in studio.    They discussed the campaign, whether it’s been the most negative they’ve seen, and the policies they’re the proudest of leading into the election.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former MP and Minister Peter Dunne and former MP and Attorney General Chris Finlayson joins Nick Mills for an election special of Friday Faceoff. Together they break down the last leaders debate, the latest polls, the reality of working with Winston Peters, and who they back to win electorates within the Wellington Region.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well we made it... we made it, didn’t we? Are you as fatigued as I am? I'm not sure I can put my finger on it, but this has been one of the more forgettable campaigns. Maybe it was the fact we ultimately all know the Government will lose and another one will be elected. No, we don’t know in what shape. But we know Labour is done and, because they are done, this campaign has just been a long drawn...

Can you imagine what it’s like on the National Party bus today after those three poll results that came out in the last 24 hours? All three of them - the 1News Kantar poll, the Newshub poll, and the Guardian poll - have Winston Peters being the coalition kingmaker. They’ve got NZ First somewhere between 6 percent and 8.2 percent. Anything over 5 percent, and Winston, Shane and the rest of the crew...

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  Because it’s a chance to vote and that should never be taken for granted. But man, it's been hard work in places.       Labour: 4/10  It was negative, it wasn’t fought on their record for very good reasons, Hipkins held his own but was pretty much shot f...

Sir John Key believes the blue team could come out on top this election.   Key put out a video last week endorsing the party he used to lead, and warning of people waking up after the election in 'limbo land.'   The former Prime Minister's been looking back on the campaign and told Mike Hosking that he hasn't seen a poll where Labour-Green bloc has been above 40%.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.c...

It's the final day of the election campaign.   The leaders of both major parties hashed it out in the final televised leaders debate last night.   We'll begin getting results from 7pm tomorrow.   Outgoing Labour MP Stuart Nash told Mike Hosking that the campaign's been reasonably uninspiring.   He says what surprises him is that National should've knocked this out of the park, but for some reason...

Well this is the last time I talk to you before Saturday... although we’ll all be here Saturday night. Mike, me, Heather, and Barry, if you want to tune into ZB’s election coverage or watch it live streamed on the ZB or Herald websites, we’ll be here. Depending on how it goes if you look closely on the livestream you may see me tearing my hair out.   Honestly, I’ll be glad to see the back of it. I...

Chris Hipkins and Chris Luxon went head-to-head last night in their final debate before polling day tomorrow. Political Editor, Jason Walls, told Kate Hawkesby that he agrees with commentators who described the tone as 'cranky'. He says it was clear Hipkins' tactic was to try get under Luxon's skin which worked for the most part. Walls says he found Hipkins to be quite aggressive during the debate...

Tonight on The Huddle, Curia pollster and Kiwiblog editor David Farrar and Neale Jones from Capital PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more!  What did we think of last night's political polls? Do we think the election result will be different from what they show? Will NZ First still be the kingmaker party? Are we surprised more New Zealanders are calling for a...

Hipkins has claimed a National-led Government will set key Maori initiatives back extensively. The Prime Minister has hit out at the opposition, declaring National's Chris Luxon will reverse all 'By Maori for Maori' progress Labour has made. Hipkins also compared Luxon's approach to Don Brash's 'divisive' 2005 campaign. ZB political editor Jason Walls says Hipkins' allegations don't match National...

TOP leader Raf Manji says Labour and National have 'pulled back' from the Christchurch seat of Ilam, paving the way for him to get into Parliament. Labour's Ilam candidate Sarah Pallett has dismissed Manji's claims as 'rubbish', and claims Labour is still in it to win it. "We've been campaigning so hard, and it's a tiny bit insulting to my volunteers, who've really put in the hard yards and contin...