On the Tiles

September 22: Four of the minor party leaders faced off in their first televised debate of the campaign. NZ Herald senior writer Simon Wilson was there and joined Georgina for a rundown of how it all went, and which leader emerged victorious. Plus, Labour and National recommit to free lunches and the economy, Act wants to reverse an over-the-counter drug ban, and more accusations of MPs bullying s...

September 21: Positive economic news released today was interpreted very differently by Labour and National, while Act released their slightly complex alternative budget. New policy promises target foreign students and hospitals, while deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan joins to discuss "one of the most serious claims made on the campaign" around petrol prices and the cost of carbon.  Host: G...

September 20th: NZ Herald editor at large Shayne Currie joins Georgina to recap and review the first televised leaders debate, and declares an unexpected true winner from the event.  Plus, Act announces their education policy, there are some Government announcements, and Christopher Luxon milks a goat. Host: Georgina Campbell Producer: Ethan Sills See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

September 19: There's only been one major story of the campaign today, and its for an event that hasn't happened yet. NZ Herald political editor Claire Trevett joins Georgina to discuss what to expect from the first televised debate tonight, and how important it could be for the respective campaigns.  Host: Georgina Campbell Producer: Ethan Sills See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

September 18th: It was a quiet weekend for most of the political parties, except for Act, who had their campaign launch hijacked by Freedoms NZ. NZ Herald's Adam Pearse joins Georgina to recap those events. And to today's news, resurfaced comments about fluoride from a National candidate put the pressure on Luxon today, while Labour focused on solar panels. Host: Georgina Campbell Producer: Ethan...

September 15th: Two debates - the ASB Great Debate and a rural issues debate - drew huge interest last night. Queenstown-based Herald reporter Derek Cheng and debate moderator Heather du Plessis-Allan join the podcast today to give their thoughts on how they turned out.  Plus, a slew of new policy promises from National, Labour and Act, one politician promises to resign if a policy doesn't pan out...

September 14th: Three economists have come out against National's foreign buyer tax plan, saying it is 'beyond comprehension' with the possibility of creating a $2 billion hole in their tax plans. So why won't the party release their workings for it, and will it damage them in the polls? NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan joins Georgina to provide his analysis. Plus, National target...

September 13th: We're over a week into the election campaign, and the steady stream of policy announcements from the major parties is becoming more of a trickle, as parties hone in on their key pledges they hope will woo voters in their direction. However, Labour and Act found new policies to announce today, while National is still being grilled on their tax plans. And as eyes turn towards the deb...

September 12th: It was all about the PREFU - Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update - today, which arrived with some good news and big warnings. Georgina is joined by NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny to discuss what the fiscal forecasts shows. Plus, Adam Pearse details a weird moment on the campaign between National and the Taxpayers Union.  Host: Georgina Campbell Producer:...

September 11th: A lot can change in a few days during an election campaign. A rough interview has seen Christopher Luxon take a hit as National's financial policy continues to face scrutiny, while Chris Hipkins enjoys a bounce back after a week of tough questions. Hamish is joined today by deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan to discuss the weekend in policy announcements and performances. Host...

September 8th: On today's episode, host Georgina Campbell is joined first by Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan to discuss the concerns raised over false claims Labour has made, and then by Media Insider himself Shayne Currie on his revelations around TVNZ's safety changes for reporters. Plus, a new policy from National will tackle literacy, and Labour wants to make it easier to retrof...

September 7th: On today's recap, Hamish Fletcher hosts as National is trying to woo overseas workers, Act is trying to lure Barbie fans, and Labour is trying to lure new cops. Plus, Herald crime writer Sam Sherwood discusses the death of Farzana Yaquibi, who was murdered by a stalker, which has inspired both parties to commit to change.  Hosted by Hamish Fletcher Produced by Ethan Sills Edited by...

September 6th: On the campaign trail today, Labour set out their economic priorities and named their next big trade deal desire, National faces economic scrutiny while targeting electric vehicles, and NZ Herald political editor Claire Trevett joins Georgina to analyse the state of the race so far.  Hosted by Georgina Campbell Produced by Ethan Sills Edited by Paddy Fox For more Election 2023 cover...

The election campaign is heating up - so for the next two months, On the Tiles will be bringing you On the Campaign, a daily podcast hosted by Georgina Campbell and Hamish Fletcher. Each evening, we'll wrap up the big stories from the day, with analysis on what this all means for you. Episodes kick off from September 6th.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In December 2022, Thomas had a slight public back and forth with Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson over a "trainwreck" interview. Nine months on, and with Parliament coming to an end, the two are letting bygones be bygones as they look back on the last two terms in Government for Labour, Jackson's role in helping found Te Pāti Māori, and how the Te Pāti Māori electorates could go during the ele...

Todd Muller has been a part of the fabric of Parliament for decades, having first worked for Prime Minister Jim Bolger as a staffer and returning in 2014 as a National MP after a career in the private sector. A backbencher initially, he rose to national prominence after rolling Simon Bridges as leader - before resigning months later citing mental health concerns.  As he prepares to deliver his val...

The Herald has been running a 'Poll of Polls' to look at what all the polls coming out say about how Parliament will look come October. Thomas is joined this week by the man behind the data, the Herald's Chris Knox, to discuss how polling works, how that informs the Poll of Polls, and some of the fiddlier bits of polling such as margins of error, electorate polling, and if they can become self-ful...

Phil Mauger has spent 10 months as the new mayor of Christchurch, and says the experience has made him appreciative of his predecessor Lianne Dalziel's tenure as he digs into it. He talks to Georgina about his pitch for the Commonwealth Games, if more national focus should be put on Christchurch, and what he's learnt on the job.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Councils in New Zealand are in a precarious position and require a significant overhaul to secure their future which could include four-year terms, lowering the voting age to 16, amalgamation, and an annual transfer from central government starting at $1 billion. The independent Future for Local Government panel released its report into the sector last month after two years of work and meeting wit...

On the Tiles is taking a break from new episodes this week due to Matariki and the rare Friday public holiday, but in a week where the polls are pointing at a close election leaning towards National and Act, we're revisiting Thomas' chat last year with Act leader David Seymour on his political philosophy and priorities.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh off following PM Chris Hipkins around China, Thomas is joined by Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls to review the trip, the highs and the lows, and look ahead to Hipkins' 'Hot Girl Summer' in Europe - is a secret trip to Ukraine on the way? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Thomas is away following Chris Hipkins around China, Georgina is going national this week - and what a week it has been! While Hipkins is finding success with our biggest trading partner, Minister Kiri Allan has come under fire, proving a welcome distraction for National after dropping the ball on their big law and order policy. To discuss all this and the other big political moments of the...

‘Coalition of chaos’, ‘bread and butter’, ‘if I may’ - all politicians have phrases they like to deploy in interviews and media appearances to try and sway the public to their cause, or take control of the interview. A new series from RNZ has taken a deep dive into the phrases and words used the most by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, National Party leader Christopher Luxon, and former Prime Ministe...

For this week's Local Edition, Georgina is looking at the biggest stories across the country at a council level. She is first joined by Bernard Orsman for an inside look at Auckland Council's contentious budget process, and Katrina Bennett to discuss Welington's latest water concerns and why the issue is likely to get worse before it gets fixed.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

New Zealand's trade deal with China makes it one of our most important foreign partners - but it's a relationship proving increasingly controversial as China faces diplomatic battles with many of our other allies. Sam Sachdeva, author of the new book The China Tightrope, joins Thomas to discuss our relationship past, present and future, and how different leaders have handled the juggle. Plus, they...