On the Tiles

Current polling shows that much of the public is unhappy with the direction New Zealand is going in - but those polls also how it is incredibly tight between the left and right of the political spectrum. So why isn't National rating better with the wider country? In the first of a series of examinations of the state of different political parties pre-election, Thomas talks to political commentator...

In a special monopod, Thomas runs over the major stories of the week - from the first post-Budget poll, how people have responded to that Budget, and how Christopher Luxon's u-turn on housing could shake up the election.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After getting his initial thoughts out there yesterday from inside the Budget lock-up, Thomas is joined today by Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny and Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls to discuss the policy winners and losers from Grant Robertson's sixth Budget, the Government's approach to spending, and which policy is the clearest election bribe.  See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Live from inside the Budget 2023 lockup, this special episode has Thomas talking to Infometrics' Brad Olsen about some of the major figures from this year's Budget, with immediate reaction on what it could mean for the Government and inflation.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gore District mayor Ben Bell made history in October last year when, at the age of 23, he was voted in as the country’s youngest ever mayor.   But his tenure has been fraught with scandal and conflict so far, with his relationship with his chief executive Stephen Parry deteriorating to the point a mediator had to be called in.  For this special bonus, Georgina is joined by NZ Herald Christchurch s...

For the last of our Budget 2023 episodes, after talking to the left and right of the political spectrum, this week Thomas sits down The Opportunities Party leader Raf Manji for a centrist view on our economic outlook, his party's approach to taxes and the size of government, and what is coming for Ilam.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this week, Restore Passenger Rail drew headlines after protests in Wellington sparked angry backlash from members of the public. For today's Local Edition, Georgina talks to spokesperson James Cockle about why they are taking this action and how long they plan to carry on for. Plus, Transport Minister Michael Woods and Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau respond to their actions - with Woods also...

Former National Party finance minister Ruth Richardson is best remembered for 1991's 'Mother of all Budgets', but she also helped push through the Fiscal Responsibility Act while in Opposition. She joins Thomas this week to share her memories of fiscal and monetary policy from her time in Parliament and as Minister, her thoughts on current policy today, and on the IRD's study released this week in...

Budget Month is upon us - well, it's not May yet, but with four weeks to go, it's Budget Month for On the Tiles! To kick a series previewing and discussing Budget 2023 and all things government finances, Thomas is joined by economist Craig Rennie to discuss his time in Grant Robertson's office, what goes into preparing a budget, and what announcements we should and shouldn't expect on May 18th.  S...

In March 2003, the United States and the United Kingdom led a coalition of countries in invading Iraq under the guise of finding 'weapons of mass destruction'. New Zealand did not join the war, a decision that was debated at the time, but 20 years on, history has not looked kindly on those who supported the Iraq War. For a special episode of On the Tiles, Thomas is joined by former Prime Minister...

Councils across New Zealand are going through the motions at the moment - most notably in Gore, as the Mayor and Chief Executive remain at loggerheads, while Auckland has quit Local Government New Zealand. To dig into what's happening with these councils, their budgets, and councillors looking to make it to the Beehive, Georgina is joined by former mayors Justin Lester and Nick Leggett for a panel...

Labour MP Stuart Nash this week lost his place in Cabinet after revelations he had sent confidential information to former donors. While his time in Cabinet is over, questions have now been raised about how the Prime Minister's office handled an Official Information Act request that could have revealed the controversial email sooner. Thomas is joined by Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls thi...

The sudden resignation of a Police Minister can really take over the political week - so this week, while Thomas is covering the latest developments from the Beehive, On the Tiles presents an episode of The Front Page , with host Damien Venuto and ZB Political Editor Jason Walls explaining the rapid-fire scandal that cost Stuart Nash one of the top government portfolios.  See omnystudio.com/listen...

Dr Ayesha Verrall has only been in Parliament since 2020, but after a few years as an MP, she is now a key part of Labour's frontbench, holding the Health portfolio, alongside Research, Science and Innovation.  Both portfolios have been hot topics of discussion in recent weeks, from controversies around health targets and the exit of Rob Campbell as Te Whatu Ora chair, to backlash from some sector...

Getting an annual budget across the line is no easy task for mayors, with councillors acting as both their caucus and opposition, not to mention the public consultation process. Baldwin Boyle Group and a Heart of the City board member Chamanthie Sinhalage-Fonseka says mayors lead the direction of budgets and often go through them line-by-line with senior council officers before the draft version i...

The Reserve Bank made headlines this week by raising the official cash rate by 50 basis points despite the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle. The OCR now sits at 4.75 per cent, its highest level since 2008, and the impact of this will eventually feed into the economy as fixed mortgage rates expire. Speaking to Thomas and NZ Herald Wellington Business Editor, Jenée Tibshraeny, Deputy Reserve Bank Governo...

Judith Collins got a big promotion last month in the National portfolio reshuffle - but the resignation of a certain Prime Minister a few hours later dominated the news cycle. In her return to On the Tiles, Collins talks to Thomas about her new portfolios, why she keeps lasting in politics after 21 years, and her thoughts on Ardern's resignation and Chris Hipkins.  See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Auckland has faced devastating flooding over the last week, but as much attention has been on the response of Mayor Wayne Brown as it has been on the damage. Senior NZ Herald writer David Fisher this week added to the discourse after revealing messages Brown sent tennis colleagues that criticised the media. Fisher joins Georgina Campbell this week to discuss Brown's response to the floods, his lea...

It has been a hectic and surprising start to the political in New Zealand since Jacinda Ardern's shock resignation as Prime Minister last week. A new PM has already been sworn in, with Chris Hipkins and deputy Carmel Sepuloni now leading the charge for the party to remain in power in October's election. This week, Thomas is joined by Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls to recap their shock at...

In a shock announcement, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said that she will be stepping down on February 7th.    This means she will not be standing again as leader of the Labour party, and will not contest the next election.    Thomas is on the ground in Napier this week covering the Labour and National Party caucuses and was able to share his initial thoughts on the news with The Front Page's...

Parliament has wrapped for the year and our politicians are on their summer breaks, and it will likely be the only respite they get before the election campaigning gets underway in 2023.  For the final episode of the year, Thomas is joined by Henry Cooke, author of the Museum Street newsletter to discuss the winners and losers of politics in 2022, and turn an eye towards 2023 and which MPs may go,...

If you’ve struggled to catch your bus on time in recent weeks, you are not alone. A shortage of 800 bus drivers across the country has led to a national public transport crisis, and prompted the chairs of Auckland Transport, Environment Canterbury, and Greater Wellington Regional Council to write to Transport and Immigration Minister Michael Wood urging a review. This week, Georgina is joined by G...

The year is nearly over but that's not slowing things down at the Beehive. In a return to the panel discussion, Thomas is joined this week by NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny and Newsroom political editor Jo Moir to discuss the last week in politics, including the ongoing Three Waters debates, Jacinda Ardern's end of year interviews, potential political retirements, the TVNZ-R...

A report into the shady world of political donations has found that many donors enjoy access to politicians in exchange for the money they give to political parties. Money for Something, a report by Max Rashbrooke and Lisa Marriott into political donations, spoke to eight donors about their reasons for donating to political parties. Donors were granted anonymity in the report, allowing them to spe...

It has been six weeks since Wayne Brown won the Auckland mayoralty, and he has dominated local government headlines since then. He has come in with promises and pledges to shake up the Super City, and has taken aim at the council-controlled organisations, while facing a difficult financial situation.  In the new monthly edition of On the Tiles: Local Edition, Georgina Campbell talks to NZ Herald A...