The Trans Tasman Pol Pod

Labour has launched its first 2026 policy initiative, but its Future Fund announcement left as many questions as it gave answers, and political opponents quickly dismissed it. Winston Peters and David Seymour have traded verbal blows over Fonterra's sale of its retail brands, with both accusing the other of having not milked cows. The country's first National Climate Change Adaptation plan hasn't...

The Government has reawakened the old right silver bullet bogey of asset sales, to cries of indignation across the country. There was shock as the Government cut the farm methane emissions target in half, letting farmers off the hook while mythical technological advances are touted to do the job for them.  Many Māori Wards, mostly in provincial areas, were among the losers in the local body electi...

The business sector seems to be realising this Government is not what they signed up for, with the latest blow to their corporate well being set to strike not at their profits, via mismanagement of the economy, but at them personally through reforms to fair trading rules. The latest Roy Morgan poll shows an effectively even split between the National-led Government on 48.5%, up 2 points from a mon...

The Government's decision not to recognise Palestine raised a few eyebrows and caused a lot of political dissent with the left accusing Winston Peters of putting the country on the wrong side of history. The Government's bid to cut energy prices and boost supply was described as underwhelming and unlikely to cut prices for householders hard hit by the cost of living crisis. Prospectors can apply f...

Nicola Willis has been well and truly under the pump after last week's atrocious GDP numbers. The 0.9% dip in growth, with an even larger dip in per capita GDP, shows her growth policies are not working. There have been calls for her resignation, but Chris Luxon has expressed confidence in her – what else could he do? National has been under heavy Opposition fire in recent weeks over the parlous s...

The Government’s growth policies are clearly not working the way they were intended, as growth is stalling, and the electoral consequences for the coalition could be dire. The latest NZIER Consensus Forecasts point to a downward revision in the pace of the recovery over the coming year. The latest RNZ-Reid Research poll has Labour still narrowly ahead of National but neither bloc able to govern on...

Labour is clearly looking to make the next election about economic management, and the pressure is mounting on Chris Luxon and Nicola Willis to stop the rot and turn the country around, despite the fact they have very little control over the economic levers. The latest Roy Morgan poll suggests voters really have had enough, with support for Labour surging to its highest point in this poll since th...

This time businesses are clinging to hope the clueless coalition can pull the economy around, but in Auckland confidence is collapsing, and it's local issues to blame. KiwiBank economists say the Budget's flagship policy, "Investment Boost" has had only marginal results so far, with most businesses saying they have no plan to use it and those who have saying they were going to invest without it an...

Brooke Van Velden's anti union, anti worker crusade is under fire after she says she expects new members of the Employment Relations Authority to reduce compensation awards to workers. The Government's desperation to encourage “growth” through infrastructure has again been demonstrated with the passing of the Public Works Act Amendment Bill. It says infrastructure projects mean higher wages - we'r...

The Government's full and final settlement with Hyundai over the cancelled Cook Strait Ferries has ignited a new war of words over the project, although Rail Minister Winston Peters counts it as a win. The Government won't want to hear it, but can't be surprised its pay equity move is being challenged in court by 5 unions. The challenge argues the legislation breaches three key rights of those wor...

Voters seem to be losing confidence in the Government with the latest Taxpayers Union Curia poll showing Labour opening up a lead on National, and all the coalition parties slipping, National and NZ First by 2 points each. FInance Minister Nicola Willis didn't win many friends when she said the latest unemployment figures weren't bad, as they were better than forecast, and those who lost their job...

Chris Luxon may have secured his legacy if the Government's changes to NCEA announced this week prove effective. The secondary school qualification has not been serving students well, and it is time for change, but the Government will have to be careful business doesn't get too much influence and turn schools into nothing more than vocational colleges. The Government copped some real flak for bein...

The Government is copping some flak overs its decision to stop same day enrolment for voters, and its petty decision to change the cover of the New Zealand passport so the English words are placed above the Te Reo. The Reserve Bank warns global turmoil could affect the economy, with weaker demand for exports and increased uncertainty.  Farmers are more confident, but why wouldn't they be, with a G...

This time, inflation is on the rise again, with the prospect of stagflation looming, and the Government looks set to take the blame. The Government is continuing its attack on local democracy, with David Seymour bemoaning increases in rates. The argument over the voting age has brewed up again with the UK allowing 16 and 17 year olds to vote. Labour's jobs strategy is under fire and its latest inf...

NZ First has surged in the latest Taxpayer's Union Curia Poll, becoming the third highest ranked party for the first time - it begs the question - will Winston Peters use his improved electoral position to force David Seymour into collapsing the coalition by calling for amendments to the Regulatory Standards Bill? A plan has been put forward to replace income tax with private savings, effectively...

This time, opposition to the Regulatory Standards Bill is reaching a crescendo, but the backroom deals have been done and the Bill will pass, despite its undemocratic nature. Chris Luxon releases another set of KPIs for the coalition, none of them particularly challenging. The FamilyBoost programme has received a boost, but opposition parties are dismissing it as too little too late. Businesses ar...

This time, some of the Government's law and order policies have come into effect, with tougher sentencing...There was shock at Parliament with the passing of Takutai Tarsh Kemp, but another MP also departed the House, with NZ First's Tanya Unkovich quitting. When the Government talks about fairer policies, it usually means someone's hard earned rights are set to disappear, especially when Brooke v...

This time foreign policy has been the big issue in the past week, with Winston Peters and Chris Luxon at times seeming to be pursuing different agendas.  The GDP print surprised just about everyone, but forecasters are saying the next quarter's numbers won't be nearly so uplifting. The Government has been touting the success of its investment summit and the "golden visa" as it pushes its growth ag...

The parties of the coalition still garner the most support in latest polls, but there are some worrying signs for the Government. KiwiBank has lowered its growth forecasts as the Government's "laser focus" om growth appears not to be having the desired short to medium term effect. The Health Minister is tinkering with the system again, this time enshrining in legislation the importance of patients...

This week a bit of a rural focus as farmers head to Fieldays - The Government has been accused of being too timid in its response to the Trump Tariffs and threats to the global trade system, and there are big changes on the way to hunting and fishing regulations, with farmers set to benefit. Our guest, Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford, talks about developments in the agricultural sector....

The Budget wasn't quite as damaging to the coalition Government as it might have been, and a new TVNZ poll is showing the pay equity changes didn't hurt too much either - but the standout party in the coalition is NZ First. There's concern over what will happen with David Seymour as Deputy Prime Minister - time will tell whether holding more responsibility will tone down his rhetoric. The Governme...

The no BS Budget is being called BS by some sectors as support for the Government's financial blueprint divides along ideological lines...The Government has rushed a new Finance Amendment Bill into Parliament, doing away with Wellbeing Budgets and "enhancing the transparency and accountability of the public finance system."  KiwiBank is pressing the RBNZ to make faster cuts to the OCR and as peopl...

The B word and the C word made headlines this week...the less said about the C word the better, but the B word - Budget - is on everyone's lips. Many questions swirl around it and we're joined this week by ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley to talk about what is a key moment for this Government. And of course, there have been a few other issues ticking around as well.

The Government's decision to move the goal posts on pay equity is still reverberating through the country, and while its support is holding in the latest polls for April, there are concerns, with a majority believing the country is headed in the wrong direction, while females are still strongly opposed to the Government. In another callous move the Government is sidelining victims of abuse in stat...

The Government puts its money where its mouth is on defence, ACT leader David Seymour wants fewer Ministers in cabinet, the Greens release a new Green Jobs policy, and there's continuing gloom around the economy, with a fall in business confidence, the road transport sector downbeat, continuing huge borrowing, and a warning on the linkage between austerity and crime.  Joining us this week to help...