The Trans Tasman Pol Pod

This time the Government warns people to get set for a grim Budget, vocational education changes come under fire and Mayors around the country are asked to help get children to attend school regularly. This week's guest is Dr Jill Sheppard from the Australian National University who talks politics, as the election campaign there reaches its climax.

There are growing challenges for the economy,  and the Government is set to face an election year in which growth is slowing and inflation is rising. Finance Minister Nicola Willis is remaining optimistic. The struggle to get beneficiaries back into work continues with little success, and  Simeon Brown's Health Infrastructure plan comes under scrutiny. Our guest this week is Labour Health spokeswo...

This time we look at some data from the latest round of polls, check out the political response to the Trump Tariff war as well as touching on child poverty and trust in the media, and we're joined by CTU President Richard Wagstaff to talk about his organisation's new policy manifesto, Aotearoa Reimagined.

This time we look at wages, polls and tariffs, as well as housing and the report into the sinking of the Manawanui. And our guest is the new National Secretary of the PSA, Fleur Fitzsimons who talks public sector cuts and the future of unionism.

Food, ferries and future growth are at the centre of this episode, while our guest is Local Government, Revenue and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts, who talks about the state of our councils, where the Government is going to get the extra revenue it needs, and  where to for New Zealand if Donald Trump starts a stampede out of the Paris Agreement.

New Zealand's role in the world has been the focus for some top level political action, the Government's performance so far is getting slated by voters, and GDP is up by an unexpectedly large amount. We're joined by CTU Economist and Director of Policy Craig Rennie to look at GDP and PPPs.

The polls have turned steadily against the Government, and look like turning into a self fulfilling prophecy unless National can turn things around...Toll concessions are one of the Government's new hot topics, but are they really advantageous?...and Labour's Foreign Affairs spokesman, and former Minister for just about everything David Parker joins us.

This time, marmite sandwiches, ferries, water and other woes for the Government, with some key demographics now concerned about how the coalition is performing. And we chat with Andrew Coster, Secretary of the Social Investment Agency about how things are developing there.

This time we look at the prospects of a leadership change in the National Party, and who may be better than corner office Chris, and we talk policy with Opposition leader Chris Hipkins

In this episode we take an economic focus, with analysis of the Reserve Bank's decision to drop the OCR a further 50 basis points. ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley joins us to talk about the cash rate, and where to from here.

This episode, Trade, Trump and Treachery - well maybe not treachery, but the behaviour of the Cook Islands. We take a look at how the Government is handling the latest developments on the foreign policy front, along with a quick glance at other political developments.

Now Waitangi Day is behind us, politicians are getting down to the nitty gritty of the new year. The Government is pursuing its growth agenda, but is its plan going to work?

In this episode, we look at mining and climate, the spectre of asset sales raised again, plus we chat with National's Chris Penk

This week's episode looks at the political year ahead, and where the Government is heading for 2025. There's also a chat with Labour's Revenue spokeswoman Deborah Russell.