Election 2023

New Zealand First's leader won't say how long it could take for them to strike a coalition deal if they hold the balance of power following the election. National has sparked fears there could be a long negotiation period if they can't form a Government with ACT alone. Winston Peters says they have a responsibility to deliver a strong, stable Government. "The reality is, if it takes time to get it...

Every Monday until the election, The Front Bench will take on the biggest talking points of the election campaign. Heather du Plessis-Allan, Newstalk ZB Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper, former Business NZ CEO Phil O’Reilly and Auckland Councillor Richard Hills have the insight word and analysis.   This week the The Spinoff’s Editor-at-Large Toby Manhire steps in for Barry Soper. Our exp...

In today’s Election Fix, Political Editor Jason Walls talks trouble in paradise on the right of New Zealand politics. He talks Act playing the confidence-only deal card and also National’s warning there could be a second election. Newstalk ZB’s Joey Dwyer paints the picture of Chris Hipkins’ day of campaigning around Auckland Central and gives us an insight into the Labour leader’s rugby skills. A...

Well, here we are. Finally in the last week of an election campaign between the most incompetent cohort of politicians seen in a long time and wouldn't you know it, an international geo-political crisis just to accentuate that statement. Obviously, Nanaia Mahuta sympathises with Palestinians. She feels they've been colonised the same way Maori were. That doesn't make her an anti-Semite. BUT- you m...

  This time next week, this time next Monday, we'll have all had our say and the Government who will lead the country for the next three years will have been elected, or will it?   National and Labour have raised the possibility of another election if they fail to get the votes they need to form a government, if their partner parties fail to get sufficient votes to form a government.  Yet more pro...

Former TVNZ Political Editor Mark Sainsbury and former Labour Chief of Staff Mike Munro join Nick Mills for Politics Monday on election week.  Together they discuss the likelihood of a second election, what drives Winston Peters to be back in Parliament, whether National's tax plan was deceiving, and how the two major party leaders compare to each other.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener f...

One of the many things that are hopefully on the new government’s radar come October 15 is the state of our cities.   I mean yes our communities and our suburbs are in dire straits too getting ravaged by crime and unruly gangs in many places, but our CBDs are a mess - they’re unsavoury places.   They don’t feel safe anymore. I get people messaging me every day about the CBD, particularly Auckland,...

So do we have panic, or a cunning plan?   In a sign the campaign has gone way too long, the Labour Party are spending their precious energy banging on about National's tax policy.     They are suggesting they are now falling apart and are doing this, mainly because they don't want to talk about their record.   The prize for hyperbole over the weekend goes to Chris Hipkins, who saw a "resurgence" t...

Labour is angling for another go in Government.    The polls haven’t been kind to them as New Zealanders increasingly agree that it’s time for another party to give it a shot.    Chris Hipkins joined Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking for a rigorous interview to see if Labour is worth another term.    Hosking grilled the Labour leader on their key policies, getting right down to the gritty details and see...

National's Deputy Leader Nicola Willis is defending the party warning of a second election. The party has ramped up efforts to keep New Zealand First out of the mix - warning there's a growing possibility National wouldn't be able to get a deal done. Willis told Kate Hawkesby there's always a risk they won't get enough support. She says a lot of people already believe there's going to be a change...

Claims National is trying to scare people away from voting for New Zealand First. The party has released messaging warning that there's a real possibility of a second election if they can't get a coalition deal across the line with Winston Peters party. ZB Political Editor Jason Walls says they're bluffing and that it would be incredibly unlikely. He believes a move like that could frustrate the e...

The Hamas surprise attack out of Gaza stuns Israel and leaves hundreds dead in fighting. Professor of politics and director of international studies at the University of Otago, Robert Patman, joined the Weekend Collective to give his insight. Plus, with just a week away from the general election Jason Walls joins us to wrap up how the campaigns have gone.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener...

This week on The Sunday Panel, commentator Irene Gardiner and Freebairn and Hehir partner Liam Hehir joined in on a discussion about the following: Could National have handled the issue of Winston Peters better? Does their reluctance to fully embrace NZ First undermine any coalition Government that is formed? What will this mean for the election? Retail crime is surging and Kiwi businesses are emb...

We're six days away from election night- and the competition is amping up. Next week marks the last week of the election campaign, and Luxon and Hipkins will be rallying as many votes as they can from prospective voters. NZ Herald political editor Claire Trevett and Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls recap an 'odd' election campaign loaded with vandalism, lies, accusations and arguments over...

As you will know by now, I love a general election; but there was a moment this week when I realized I was done.    Over it.   Counting the days until it was done and dusted. The moment was when I saw a tweet from the current Minister of Health, which had Christopher Luxon dressed up as a chicken and a comment he should turn up to the Press’s leaders debate.   The last time I heard a person accuse...

In today’s Election Fix, Political Reporter Sophie Trigger tells us how Chris Hipkins is feeling on his first day out of Covid isolation. Newstalk ZB’s Political Editor Jason Walls talks Christopher Luxon’s walkabout in Taranaki. He also explains National’s issues in the polls. And the Election 2023 headlines you need to know – including the latest poll numbers and National’s plan for offshore win...

Wellington City Councillor Nicola Young and Political Commentator Brigitte Morten join Nick Mills for Friday Faceoff.  Together they discuss the race for Wellington Central, Winston Peters potentially making a comeback, the Town Hall's budget blowout, the council considering investing in the Reading Cinemas complex, and Mayor Tory Whanau hitting out at National and ACT. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio...

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.   NZ Rugby: 3/10 When it comes to the Ranfurly Shield, it's these sorts of examples that damage the reputation of the game, the administration, and running of the game and remind us that for all the greatness of the All Blacks and the Rugby World Cup there is a lot of very provin...

Players in the country's space sector are optimistic over recent election commitments.   National and Labour are both promising to grow the aerospace industry, including trialling and testing new technologies.   National will also appoint New Zealand's first Minister for Space, if elected.   Rocket Lab Founder Peter Beck told Mike Hosking that the space industry isn't some future aspiration, it's...

A tax expert says that National's proposed tax changes demonstrate the challenges of conveying complicated policies to the electorate.    The party is defending its policy after it was revealed just 3000 households will reap $250 in tax relief a fortnight.   They say the promised rebate to the average family always came with the caveat that it was "up to" $250.   Geof Nightingale told Mike Hosking...

As we reflect on the —let’s be frank— end of this government’s tenure, I can’t help thinking about all the stuff they dropped the ball on, that I wonder if they regret.   Mental health, the $1.9 billion none of us know where it is. Light rail. Child poverty. Kiwibuild, a tangible disaster. Not taking the country with them when they had a majority, an unheard of opportunity to take us with them, an...

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and former National staffer Ben Thomas joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more!  Sir John Key got involved in a last ditch effort to turn out voters for National, following growing fears of a three-way coalition with ACT and NZ First. Is this a sign of desperate times for National? Grant Robertson has labelled National'...

Auckland's mayor has fired back at National for its claims the council has $300 million of unspent fuel tax money just sitting in its accounts. The party is campaigning on scrapping the region's fuel tax within its first 100 days in Government, if elected. Finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis says the revenue it has already made will continue to be available for transport projects. But mayor Wayne Br...

Former Prime Minister Sir John Key says he offered to endorse National in a video, urging Kiwis to vote blue and avoid uncertainty. It was released on the Party's social media channels today. He says it aimed to address complacency in the electorate. "There's quite a bit of complacency in the electorate. A lot of people are saying National's going to win- look at the TAB odds, for instance- the pr...

Labour has accused National of misleading voters with their proposed tax plan. An analysis from Council of Trade Unions (CTU) shows just 3000 households would receive the $250 per fortnight relief National promised. National's Nicola Willis defended these figures saying the claim came with the 'up to' caveat- but admitted the 3000 figure was correct. ZB Political Editor Jason Walls says prospectiv...