Behind the Story

It's a milestone day for election 2026, with the pre-election fiscal update – Prefu, to you – staged in Wellington. Bernard Hickey emerges blinking from the lockup to assess the state of the accounts. The finance minister, Nicola Willis, has welcomed numbers showing the deficit this year and in years to come down by many billions of dollars. But how much of that is thanks to “fiscal drag”? Does it give Labour meaningful room to pursue its policies? And how likely is it really that the fiscal squabbles will be staunched?Plus: In How Good, Chris Schulz is utterly intoxicated by Elizabeth Holmes and Nathan Fielder in the trailer for You Can See Everything.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Bridget Mills and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The host of Q+A is typically the Q guy, but here he does the A. Jack Tame sits down with Toby to explain how he's prepping for next week's big debate, why Christopher Luxon has avoided his interviews for more than two years, and what the National and Labour campaign launches tell us about the way this campaign will play out.Plus, in How Good, Tara Ward on Whakaata Māori's This is Home.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Bridget Mills and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a flurry of speculation, Nicky Hager last night launched Dirty Work: The Taxpayers' Union and the New Zealand Hard Right, which he called a sequel of sorts to The Hollow Men of 2006 and Dirty Politics (2014).Hager did not approach those he wrote about for comment, in keeping with what he called his “operational approach, saying that books are “uniquely vulnerable” to tactics to prevent publication. It did not take long, however, for those who are featured in the book to challenge the veracity of its contents, as well as the methodology. In an email to supporters last night, the Taxpayers' Union's founder and executive director, Jordan Williams, decried a "full frontal attack", charging that Hager had “ignored the most basic principles of fair journalism: put serious allegations to the people accused and give them a reasonable opportunity to respond.” We speak to Hager about the book and the case it makes, and seek his response to the rebuttals.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Bridget Mills and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The government today published a review of its approach to funding events across NZ. That includes $40m for concerts, in a programme launched a year ago like a Robbie Williams chorus. Chris Schulz, writer of the Boiler Room newsletter and Spinoff contributor, joins Toby to talk through the goals of the fund, what is has achieved and where it fell short.Plus: Emma Gleason on the pick of the political merchandise in election 2026.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Bridget Mills and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Economists and commentators across New Zealand have their calculators out and their fingers in the air trying to tell whether the recovery is really, finally on. The latest GDP numbers are modest, but at least have a plus in front of them, but what sits underneath the headlines? With an election campaign under way, an interest rate decision imminent, international bond markets jittering, and the cost of living crisis playing out in a battle of bold supermarket restructure pledges, just where does the needle on the mojo meter sit? Simplicity economist Shamubeel Eaqub joins Toby to talk through the numbers and what it all means.Plus, in How Good, Alex Casey on the real greatest rivalry: Threeodore versus TVNZ's Plussie.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Estimates of the potential for artificial intelligence to make humanity extinct are everywhere, and not just in the sci-fi dystopias. Exiles and employees from the AI giants are sounding the alarm – even the AI bosses are pleading for a slowdown, to which Donald Trump hollers “hoax!” Tom Barraclough of Brainbox and Syncopate joins Toby to talk through the warnings, to explain why it's all happening now, and to discuss where New Zealand stands now in its AI policy and political debate.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been a bumpy few years for the Māori language in New Zealand (or is that Aotearoa?). Liam Rātana, Ātea editor at the Spinoff Ātea, joins Toby to walk through the various measures pursued by the Act, NZ First and National parties – and what impact that has had on the broader tide.Plus: In How Good, Alex Casey gives her verdict on new NZ film Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Opportunity is pitching itself as an alternative kingmaker to Winston Peters and New Zealand First for the 2026 election. But is the kingmaker scenario really that common across 10 MMP elections? Peter Dunne, who has seen the inside of many post-election negotiations, says not. He joins Toby to talk about the role smaller parties play in our elections, the challenge that awaits Opportunity as it hovers around the 5% threshold, and whether major parties at 30% is an aberration or the new normal.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Labour Party has registered just 25.9% in a new poll for the Taxpayers' Union by Curia. That's lower than their calamitous result in 2023, and lower than National, who themselves fell to a low 29%. Lyric Waiwiri-Smith joins Toby to talk through the pickle that Chris Hipkins finds himself in. Is the small target strategy backfiring, are there bold visions to come, and what can they do to turn it around?Plus, in How Good, Hayden Donnell is here to share his fascination with the breeding habits of kākāpō, for it is their season…At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Stubbs once looked a lot like a finance bro – he'd made a small fortune at places like Goldman Sachs in London and Hong Kong. But 10 years ago, the gamekeeper turned poacher; Stubbs founded Simplicity, a KiwiSaver non-profit. In the years since it's spawned a housing developer and now an infrastructure engine, InfraKiwi.Stubbs is rarely shy about sharing his views on politics, and so he's paying close attention to the 2026 election, which comes at what he calls a crucial juncture for the country. He sits down with Toby to talk about KiwiSaver, about tax, and about the election campaign. Plus: given his political engagement, could he go one step further and stand for parliament?Then, in How Good, the Spinoff's Sophie Albornett goes to hand-pulled noodle heaven at FJ Noodles and Dumplings in Wellington.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Groser was posted to Washington by John Key on the basis that the trade minister turned ambassador would likely be engaging with a US administration led by President Hillary Clinton. Instead, in came Donald Trump.The former National Party MP joins Toby to revisit those years, Trump's approach to trade and the international order, and whether New Zealand is right to keep its head largely below the parapet in response.But wait, there's more: Tim Groser has more stories to share, including a high-octane day in Moscow as Putin invaded Crimea, his time as a staffer for Rob Muldoon and his role in the night of the snap election, and the truly formative years, on the stage in Wellington with Sam Neill and Paul Holmes. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The annual conference for senior doctors and dentists is about to start but one person is missing: the minister of health has pulled out. In an election year, with health ranked the second top issue for voters, and countless headlines about hospitals and workforces at breaking point, what would members of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists be telling Simeon Brown if he were there? We asked Sarah Dalton, executive director of the union.Plus, in How Good, Henry Oliver is hooked on Spanish football.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Suddenly politicians of almost every stripe are jumping on board the rooftop solar train. But does the argument for a transformation in our energy mix really stack up? Mike Casey, the celebrated electric cherry orchardist and CEO at Rewiring Aotearoa, joins Toby to talk through the vision, the hurdles ahead, and the lessons he learned from the campaign. Where did it all go right?Plus: Emma Gleason celebrates the glories of the sporting mullet.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christopher Luxon sailed into NZ politics six years ago as a champion of localism. Since becoming prime minister, his government has fallen deeply out of love with devolution. Changes including a rates cap and National's ruling out of a bed tax have especially irked Wayne Brown, mayor of Auckland and the most powerful local politician in New Zealand. He's gone from denial to anger to … what exactly? Joel MacManus and Hayden Donnell – fresh from interviewing Brown – join Toby to tell the story.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new law has been drafted to ban social media for under-16s in New Zealand. Robbie Nicol joins Toby to answer all the big questions. Which platforms meet the definition of “social media”? How will it be enforced? When will the rules kick in? And is it really a government bill? Winston Peters doesn't think so. We work through some of the objections, from NZ First, Act, the Greens and Labour. (Since this podcast was recorded, Labour has announced it will support the bill on first reading, and urged the government to proceed before the election.)Plus, in How Good, Alex Casey sings the praises of Lynda Topp on Guy Montgomery's Spelling Bee.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After years of malaise, the economy is bouncing back – or it is, at least, in some pockets of the country. Shamubeel Eaqub joins Toby to crunch the numbers that tell us which parts of New Zealand are on the up, which parts are stuck in the doldrums, and why.Plus: In How Good, Lyric Waiwiri-Smith reports from Election Meltdown, the political comedy show at Circa Theatre in Wellington.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether it's Woolworths' little plastic Disney Ooshies or New World's fancy Smeg knives, supermarket promotions have seeped into the national consciousness, prompting secondary markets and school bans. Alex Casey joins Toby to talk through the allure of these campaigns in a cost of living gloom, and to look back at some of the greatest and strangest supermarket promotions of the 21st century.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Schools and elderly care centres are getting smashed, health providers are splitting at the seams thanks to a late seasonal surge in respiratory illness. Emma Gleason joins Toby to talk through the impacts and how we can respond.Plus: Hayden Donnell continues his peanut butter passion project. Which peanut butter will take out the smooth crown? At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former National minister Tim Groser joins Toby to explain why they're plunging a drill into the magma beneath the Taupō volcanic zone – and how supercritical geothermal success could prove a gamechanger for energy security, for climate change and for the economy as a whole.Plus: In How Good, NZ Fashion Week is under way. Emma Gleason picks her highlights.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tiki Taane has been making music since the last decade of the last millennium in Christchurch. From the early successes of Salmonella Dub through some really dark days and on to a thriving solo career, he's seen a whole lot of changes in musical form and production, and a revolution in the music business. Today, with the 20th anniversary of Past, Present, Future just around the corner, he's still exploring new ways of doing things. A year ago, he quit Spotify and he's now jumped on the new NZ-based platform Lume. He sits down with Toby to reveal how that's going for him so far. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A nightmarish fortnight has ended with the prime minister summoning MPs to Wellington for an urgent in-person National Party caucus meeting. On the agenda, not for the first time: his own leadership. Spinoff editor Veronica Schmidt joins Toby Manhire to trace the path to Christopher Luxon's moment of truth and ask: what will the MPs be weighing as they make their way to that 9.30am showdown?Plus: Liam Ratana on an unprecedented, pulsating, potent haka at the Warriors.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we count down the days to a knife-edge election, where do the parties stand? Spinoff parliamentary reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith joins Toby for a stocktake: the headline policies, the slogans, and of course the mojo.Plus: In How Good, Alex Casey learns to sing.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At last we've got a date for the opening of the City Rail Link – is it really going to transform Auckland? Hayden Donnell joins Toby to talk through the decade-long, multibillion project, how it will change things from an economic and practical standpoint, who deserves the credit on the Donnell index, and where we sit on the utopian-to-sceptic spectrum.Plus: In How Good, Claire Mabey raves about the survivalist TV show Alone.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Zealand has not seen jobless numbers like this for a decade. Bernard Hickey of the Kākā joins Toby to talk through the latest quarterly numbers, the reality they reflect, whether there is something brighter on the horizon, and how they fit with the mood Christopher Luxon encountered in Rotorua the other day.Plus: In How Good, Tara Ward gives her verdict on the new NZ television drama Ms X.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The prime minister got a shock when he saw the media coverage of his breakfast meeting with Rotorua businesspeople – it talked of him scolding them about a “parent-child mentality” in government-business relations, urging “adult” behaviour and recounting his own attitude in Chicago corporate life. So his office issued a transcript of the exchange, which didn't much help. Duncan Greive, founder of The Spinoff, joins Toby (with a cameo from Claude AI) to discuss the PM's communication challenges, and his ongoing struggle to take any grip of the narrative.(Since this podcast was recorded, Luxon has apologised for the remarks.)Plus: In How Good, Te Aihe Butler on the old tech that is healing his brain.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nigel Farage faces a stern challenge in a Clacton byelection from an alien space warrior with a bin on his head and a manifesto packed with nonsense. New Zealand has its own history of joke political parties (most famously the McGillicuddy Serious Party) but the satirical larder looks bare today. Ben Uffindell, who led the Civilian Party to admirable failure in 2014, joins Toby to talk about the role of silly and satirical parties in democracy, where he went wrong, where he went right, and whether a return is on the cards in 2026.Plus: In praise of cinema splendour at the Civic at film festival time in Auckland.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the last election, you could enrol on election day. This time the deadline is 13 days before. University of Otago professor Andrew Geddis joins Toby to talk through the changes, who is most affected, and whether the justifications stack up.Plus: In How Good, medals at the Commonwealth Games are good, but a mascot with a cone on its bonce is better, says Madeleine Chapman.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some say the case for moving to Australia is dimming – Shamubeel Eaqub works through the data with Toby Manhire to assess the arguments for and against. Plus: In How Good, Tara Ward on scaling the Wuthering Heights in Dunedin and the world. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Māori electorates are always fascinating, but this time there's an extra edge-of-the-seat quality. Lara Greaves, associate professor at Victoria University of Wellington, joins Toby to talk through the parties competing, the overhang potential, and why voters choose one roll ahead of the other. Plus: In How Good, Hayden Donnell is besotted by Maurice Williamson's luscious beard.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Christopher Luxon declares he'll “die trying” to get something done in banning social media for New Zealand children under 16, it's a good time to ask: how is the pioneering Australian prohibition going? Hal Crawford, editorial director at Mumbrella and former boss of Newshub NZ, joins Toby to explain, seven months in, what is working, what isn't, and what he'd say to the NZ PM if he was called into the Beehive. Plus: in How Good, Robbie Nicol goes on a journey. To the Imax. To watch Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since 1990 the Reserve Bank has been tasked with taming inflation independently from the government of the day. But is the tool it uses today, the official cash rate, with its focus on hitting an inflation rate of 1%-3%, causing more pain that it's alleviating? Bernard Hickey joins Toby to make the case. Plus, in How Good, Liam Rātana on NZ Wars: Stories of Waerenga-a-Hika. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A giant of the pictures, paddocks and protests, Sam Neill has died at 78. A glittering cast share their memories of an extraordinary New Zealander. Tributes from Robyn Malcolm, Oscar Kightley, Gaylene Preston, Ian Taylor, Kate Rodger, Rachel House, Lucy Lawless, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Gregory O'Brien, Peter Mullan and Paul Goldsmith.Many thanks to all who contributed. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blockades in the Strait of Hormuz have laid bare our reliance on global energy supply. Climate change keeps bursting river banks. And Young New Zealanders are drifting away. Does anyone have a big vision to take all this on? Pattrick Smellie does and he's urging our politicians to jump on board. The BusinessDesk founder and columnist talks to Toby.Plus: In How Good, Alex Casey joins Kristen Stewart in raving about Big Girls Don't Cry, the new film from Paloma Schneideman that opens this year's NZ International Film Festival.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the press gallery to spin doctor for Helen Clark and chief of staff to Jacinda Ardern, Mike Munro has seen plenty of the kaleidoscope in New Zealand politics and media. He joins Toby to talk about those roles and how it all has changed through the decades.Plus: In How Good, Liam Rātana on Matariki with a bonus beat from Te Aihe on Bryn & Ku's Singles Club, season two.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the People's Liberation Army launched a nuclear-capable long-range missile into the Pacific Ocean, it was testing its capability, but it was also flexing its muscles. Anna Fifield joins Toby to explain who was the message for, and what it means for New Zealand. Plus: In How Good, Alex Casey heroically joins the dots from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding to the brave and never embarrassing nation of New Zealand. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emergency housing numbers have been slashed, helped by strict directives to MSD staff. But where they going to? Helen Robinson, Auckland City Missioner, says rough sleeping is worse than she's seen in her 13 years at the organisation. She joins Toby Manhire to talk about the problem with the move-on orders around the corner, and the personal and political reality of homeless in New Zealand.Plus: In How Good, Claire Mabey on a bookshop boom in Wellington.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a new outlook putting an 80% chance on a super El Niño forming, we face a version of the phenomenon that could be as intense as anything on record. Jon Tunster from Earth Sciences NZ joins Toby to explain what this With a new outlook putting an 80% chance on a super El Nino forming, we face a version of the phenomenon that could be as intense as anything on record. Jon Tunster from Earth Sciences NZ joins Toby to explain what this weather pattern is, how bad it could get, and what it portends for the different parts of the country across the next three months and beyond. Plus: Calum Henderson reveals his five most memorable moments from the football World Cup so far. Warning: includes reference to delicate anatomy. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Boom time for balloons, battle cries and bitter zingers as New Zealand's political parties stage their jamborees with added election-year energy. Fresh from the National, Labour and Act bashes, Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Joel MacManus join Toby to recount their experiences, and deliver the critical mark on the mojo-meter.Plus: In How Good, Tara Ward on a killer scene in the new TV drama Head Girl.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Auckland, as in many places around the country, you can hardly walk down the street or open the internet without meeting grim news of another much-loved bar, restaurant, record store or live venue closing its doors. Is it really as bad as it feels? Emma Gleason had dug into the numbers and talked to people affected for The Spinoff. She tells us what she's learned.Plus: Alex Casey explains just How Good it is to collect VHS (Video Home System) cassettes.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GDP numbers look good. The Strait of Hormuz is (maybe) open. To find out whether that means the green shoots will bloom into great bountiful gardens, we called in economist Shamubeel Eaqub to ask: Is this cause for optimism? Will the fruits of recovery be shared fairly? How does National's new KiwiSaver policy look to you? And just how close to the bulls**t is the Reserve Bank sailing on interest rates.Plus: Hayden Donnell tells us just How Good is the best of the crunchy peanut butter on NZ supermarket shelves.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keir Starmer has walked out from Downing Street and said it's all over, meaning Andy Burnham is almost certain to be the next UK PM, the seventh since 2016. Why did Starmer fail, who is Burnham, and is this all really about Nigel Farage and Reform? Toby talks to UK-based NZ journalist Richard Adams about the latest drama, and asks whether Christopher Luxon could learn anything.Plus: In How Good, Lyric Waiwiri-Smith reveals what she has learned about British romance from two powerful texts: Jane Austen's Persuasion and Love Island UK.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael just became the highest-grossing music biopic of all time. Gens Z and Alpha have him on high-rotate. And a man who looks just like him is drawing hordes of adoring fans across the streets of Christchurch. Alex Casey, fresh from hanging with the impersonator of the moment, joins Toby to explore the Jackson revival, and ask: how did he shake off the shadows of such serious allegations? Plus: in How Good, Te Aihe Butler and Toby sing the praises of the Hurricanes and the Super Rugby champions' superpower song. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at thespinoff.co.nz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices