Raw Politics

On this week’s Raw Politics podcast: We honour the standout performances and policies, good and bad, of this year, plus make our predictions for 2025 Four different MPs are nominated by our four Raw Politics panelists for the honour of standout politician of 2024 – and consensus is hard to come by for many of our other accolades. The Raw Politics podcast weighs the good and bad for 2024 – leaders,...

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: what voters want on climate change policy, will ministers ditch the foreshore repeal, plus Ayesha Verrall's faux pas Climate change is hard and changing New Zealanders' attitudes and behaviour seems harder still for this Government and its predecessors. Should the coalition accept that's the reality and go slow and low in its ambitions for change? The Raw Pol...

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: Remembering Nikki Kaye, assessing the Labour Party one year on, and Christopher and Winston's nostalgia trip on foreign affairs Labour's MPs and party members gather in Christchurch this weekend, a year after a humiliating defeat took them from the historic, first majority MMP government into the wilderness, watching a centre-right coalition dismantle their l...

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: The hikoi’s over, now for a half year of claim and counterclaim, dissent and debate. Plus: NZ speaks out of both sides of its mouth at COP29. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon did not meet the Treaty Principles Bill hikoi crowd, sees “nothing” of merit in the Act-proposed law but the Parliament his Government dominates will spend six months debating a “divisiv...

On this week’s Raw Politics podcast: The Act and Māori parties at point-blank range, plus the risk of the Crown apology petering out Parliament saw two historic days this week, one of great solemnity and unity, the other a raucous and high-stakes stand-off between political foes over the Treaty of Waitangi. Raw Politics looks first at the volatile reception for Act’s Treaty Principles Bill at its...

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: David Seymour floats a new law labelled the single greatest breach of the Treaty of Waitangi. Plus political editor Laura Walters joins us from the US. Each time the tide comes in, it comes further up the beach. Well, that appears to be the Act Party’s strategy launching its Treaty Principles Bill in Parliament with not a single vote in support of it passing...

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: Who’s closing it out best ahead of next week’s US election; Act’s education wins; plus relaxing the checks on your new house The end of the country, or the end of its democracy. That’s what the two camps are predicting if their candidate doesn’t win the US presidential election next week. Raw Politics, from the great safety of half a world away, weighs in on...

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: This Govt was going to be push localism but is instead pushing in on cities and regions. Plus: Time for the Greens to rediscover the environment. And what's cooking with Brooke van Velden? Both Wellington and Otago councils lost a little of their political souls this week as the coalition Government grabbed control of the local levers of power. Raw Politics a...

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: There were two scandals over abuse of kids in state care - one was run from some of the highest offices in the land. Plus, the new NZ First party, polls and Nimbys vs the fast-track One of the biggest political and government scandals in NZ history - the abuse of thousands of children in state care - will soon be subject to a formal Crown apology. Raw Politic...

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: We mark one year since the election by rating the parties, MVPs and duds, and weighing their risks and opportunities for the next two years. Next week marks 12 months since the election that ejected the left from power and ushered in Christopher Luxon’s three-headed coalition of the right. Newsroom political editor Laura Walters, senior political reporter Mar...

In this week's episode of Raw Politics: the Prime Minister declares himself wealthy and sorted, Darleen should say goodbye even though she's Green, plus a bad retweet. Chris Luxon can't win. When he owns seven houses he's a capitalist rack renter. When he sells some of them he's exploiting Government policy changes and saving on tax. Newsroom political editor Laura Walters, senior political report...

This week on Raw Politics: Are we being governed now by a cadre of middle managers? People who won't stay in their lanes but need to be dipping into the detailed operations of government agencies and making the small decisions, well. Newsroom senior political reporter Marc Daalder, Newsroom national affairs editor Sam Sachdeva and co-editor Tim Murphy discuss the coalition's forked tongue approach...

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: Is the Minister of the Week, Paul Goldsmith, an ideologue? Plus, awkward business closures for the coalition and Chris Hipkins' leadership. Newsroom senior political reporter Marc Daalder, Newsroom Pro managing editor Jonathan Milne and co-editor Tim Murphy discuss the minister's harder line push this week on laws cracking down on gangs, changing his mind to...

In this week's episode of Raw Politics, Christopher Luxon must wake up some days with the Sound of Music song of exasperation playing in his head. How does he deal with the problem of ACT leader David Seymour and his will-o-the-wisp coalition contrarianism? Newsroom political editor Laura Walters, senior political reporter Marc Daalder and co-editor Tim Murphy discuss Seymour's carefully calibrate...

In this week's episode of Raw Politics, we discuss the response of our political leaders to the demands of the week-long tangihanga for Kiingi Tuheitia. Newsroom political editor Laura Walters, senior political reporter Marc Daalder and co-editor Tim Murphy discuss how coalition leaders faced the Kiingitanga movement and wider Māoridom at a time of acute political sensitivities. Then, the panel pu...

This week, Raw Politics looks at the coalition's all-consuming commitment to development, from the fast-track to energy to infrastructure. Newsroom political editor Laura Walters, senior political reporter Marc Daalder and co-editor Tim Murphy examine the breadth and pace of the blizzard of development initiatives that could change what and how the country builds in the short and long term. Then,...

This week, Raw Politics discusses Christopher Luxon the wannabe details man, Chris Hipkins the nowhere man and David Seymour the man with 91 highly paid new staff. Newsroom political editor Laura Walters, senior political reporter Marc Daalder and co-editor Tim Murphy first assess the Prime Minister's repeated instances of misusing, misquoting or misunderstanding numbers, facts and comparisons. Th...

In this week's episode of Raw Politics, we discuss if ministers crowing about the drop in interest rates deserve all, much or any of the political praise. Newsroom senior political reporter Marc Daalder, political reporter Emma Hatton and co-editor Tim Murphy weigh the coalition's claims to having started to beat the ravages of a high cost of living. We also assess this week's two big restructures...

Another week, another series of hot political issues involving policies affecting Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi. This week, Raw Politics looks at why the Government is pushing ahead 'at pace' with such a broad range of measures looking to change the accepted status of the Treaty in laws and in public services. Newsroom political editor Laura Walters, senior political reporter Marc Daalder and c...

This week, Raw Politics examines what has become a regular point of weakness for the coalition and asks why National, Act and NZ First can't seem to get on top of the health system's political risks. -------- Recommendations: Marc: David Williams' Newsroom story disclosing finance minister Nicola Willis overruled advice on a South Island waste-to-energy facility. Tim: Another in-house one here, fo...

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: Financial woes at Health New Zealand and the Royal Commission report challenges the Government’s gang crackdown ------------------- Recommendations: Sam: Analysis from Derek Cheng at the NZ Herald on how the Royal Commission’s recommendations will clash with the Government’s priorities Laura: Marc Daalder’s reporting on why the Government’s renewable energy p...

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: The Government drops a new climate plan and inflation falls faster than expected ------------------- Recommendations: Emma: The exclusive TVNZ interview with Darleen Tana , where she claims she's been silenced and isolated but doesn't give straight answers to big questions Marc: A scoop from his hated rival, RNZ climate correspondent Eloise Gibson, on the Gov...

On this week’s Raw Politics podcast: Why the Greens' annus horribilis hasn't sunk them in the polls, plus Biden, Peters, Luxon, ageing and diplomacy ------------------- Recommendations: Laura: The scoop from The Post on the leaked internal safety bulletin that shows Aratere crew couldn’t turn off its autopilot (as Winston Peters kinda suggested) Tim: RNZ political reporter Anneke Smith's scoop obt...

On this week's episode of the Raw Politics podcast: Who might be next as the cleanout of senior public servants and directors gathers momentum. ------------------- Recommendations: Emma – a piece from Australia's ABC: Disability organisations 'on life support' say budget cuts will force them to wind back services Tim – Our Newsroom foreign affairs editor Sam Sachdeva’s analysis of just what import...

In this week’s episode of Newsroom’s weekly politics podcast, we ask who needs evidence for policies, we talk ferries and pull apart the latest polls ------------------- Recommendations: Marc – A telling article from the US on Heatmap about that country’s  troubles building one big power line : Laura  – An Associated Press backgrounder  on what led to thousands storming Kenya’s Parliament in what...