On the Tiles

Last week, Opposition Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Hon David Parker gave a speech addressing the state of New Zealand's international relations as part of an event for Diplosphere. Thomas chaired a Q&A after the event between Parker and the audience, and On the Tiles presents the full speech by Parker and that Q&A for this week's episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health care in New Zealand eats up a huge portion of the budget each year, and it's growing - The Government spent 7.3% of GDP on health in the year to June 2024, more than any year outside of Covid. Treasury reckons spending is expected to grow to 10% of GDP by 2061 - so how can we get on top of it? This week, Thomas is joined by Sir Bill English, who served as Health, Finance and Prime Minister during his time in Parliament, for a long-form discussion on what's needed to fix our health system and get spending under control. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first political panel catchup for the year, Thomas is joined by Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls and NZ Herald Wellington Business Editor Jenee Tibshraeny to discuss a hectic period in local politics - ranging from the resignation of Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr, the firing of UK High Commissioner Phil Goff, the latest comments by Christopher Luxon, and Labour's reshuffle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Competition for the top job in our biggest cities is heating up ahead of this year’s local body elections, with some potential candidates already causing a stir. Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has confirmed she wants a second term although many people in the capital are wondering why, given her tumultuous entry to the world of local government. In Auckland, Mayor Wayne Brown has said he is not done with fixing the city and also wants a second term. And in Christchurch, Mayor Phil Mauger also wants another term in the city’s top job. On this episode of On the Tiles - Local Edition, Georgina Campbell chats what is happening in the mayoral races.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This month, the Cook Islands signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China, sparking tensions between the islands and New Zealand. It has sparked renewed discussions about China's interest in the Pacific, and how New Zealand should respond, as the Asia-Pacific region remains a hotbed of diplomatic tension between the East and West. Marco de Jong, a Pacific historian and lecturer at AUT, who has been doing a lot of research into AUKUS, joins Thomas this week to discuss what's happening in the region. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has declared 2025 the year of economic growth, with its current action plan for the next quarter honing in on various economic growth plans. Craig Renney, chief economist for the CTU, and former advisor to Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson, joins Thomas this week to discuss economic growth from a left-leaning perspective and what he thinks needs to be done. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Tiles is back for 2025, and to kick off the year, Thomas is joined by NZ Herald Wellington Business Editor Jenee Tibshraeny and Interest.co.nz's economic policy reporter Dan Brunskill to look ahead at the economy this year. They discuss their predictions, house prices, credit ratings, the HYEFU from the end of 2024, debanking, and what this all means for the Government and the country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a packed year of politics, with each party facing their own highlights and challenges. For the final On the Tiles of 2024, Thomas is joined by regular panellists Jason Walls and Jenee Tibshraeny for a recap of the events of the year, looking at the high and lowlights from across the Political Spectrum, thoughts for 2025, and who were the best performing politicians. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the final Local Edition of 2024, Georgina is joined by Herald senior writer Simon Wilson and former Mayor and Infrastructure New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett to wrap the highs and lows of local politics. They discuss: The issues facing Tory Whanau and Wellington Council How Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown bounced back from a rough 2023 What central Government wants from councils Rising rates and costs Which mayors from small towns performed the best - and who needs improvement? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boris Johnson is one of the most instantly recognisable British politicians of this century. He was involved in politics in some capacity for 22 years as an MP, the Mayor of London, and as Prime Minister for three years from 2019 to 2022. He ultimately quit this role and politics off the back of a growing number of scandals, but his influence on British politics this century is indisputable.  Johnson has now written a book about it all, Unleashed, and this week he arrived in New Zealand as part of that promotional tour and for a series of luncheons up in Auckland. Ahead of his visit, Thomas caught up with Johnson for a chat covering AUKUS and nuclear power, his relationship with Jacinda Ardern and New Zealand, and his thoughts on Donald Trump. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has appointed a Crown observer at Wellington City Council. The council has been called “a shambles” after it stopped the sale of its stake in the airport and now has to cut community projects to plug the resulting hole in its budget.On this week's episode, Georgina speaks with former Cabinet minister and current Nelson mayor Nick Smith about how Crown observer Lindsay McKenzie can help turn things around at the troubled council.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Thomas is joined by Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls to recap the week in politics, which was dominated by the thousand-strong hīkoi to Parliament over the Treaty Principles Bill.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thomas is back from the US covering the election, which former President Donald Trump won in a landslide over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Also there was former Labour MP Naisi Chen, who was campaigning on the ground for the Democrats side. She joins Thomas to discuss what she saw and heard from voters, the factors that led to Trump winning, and what New Zealand politicians can learn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For something a bit different this week, Thomas is joined by Scott Brown, who served as the US Ambassador to New Zealand during Donald Trump's term as President. He discusses his views on what the big issues to voters are, and why he believes Trump will be voted in for another term. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a short hiatus, Thomas is back for a panel with Jason Walls and Jenee Tibshraeny. They discuss what the latest Government financial statements show about the state of ACC and the rest of the Government's books, as well as the improvements in the economy and who can take credit for it, the property market and the push to build more homes, and the renewed debate about Capital Gains Tax.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Council has voted to stop the controversial sale of its 34% share in the airport. The move has left a big question mark over the city's councils, with the long term plan now needing a re-think to plug a multi-million dollar hole left by the sale. On this week's episode, Georgina speaks with Mayor Tory Whanau, who supported the sale, about the move and what's next, and she addresses her plans to run for re-election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a change in central government policy, councils have overwhelmingly voted to keep Māori wards, but we'll first have to ask the public what they think via a referendum. There's concern these polls will put more costs on councils that they simply can't afford. This week, Georgina talks to Newstalk ZB Wellington reporter Azaria Howell to discuss the political background to this law change and exactly how much these referendums are going to cost, and later talks with Far North District Mayor Moko Tepania about why his community supports having a Māori ward.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week has seen the Building Nations conference hosted by Infrastructure NZ take place in Auckland, with Ministers, Mayors and a range of experts speaking about the state of the country's infrastructure. New Zealand is believed to have an infrastructure deficit in the billions, if not trillions - so how can we go about fixing it? BusinessDesk Infrastructure Editor Oliver Lewis joins Thomas this week to dig into the issue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Council leaders from around the country have met in a convention centre that the Prime Minister thinks is an example of wasteful spending and is just down the road from a burst water main that has turned a street into a paddling pool. The Local Government New Zealand conference was held in Wellington this week at the city's new $180 million convention centre Takina, and Georgina this week takes us through the highlights - most notably, Christopher Luxon's sharply worded speech about council spending. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has unveiled changes to allow new council-owned water companies to be able to access more cheap borrowing from the Local Government Funding Agency.  To discuss what these changes mean, in the wake of years of public debate over the previous Government's 'Three Waters' proposal, this week Georgina is joined by the Minister to get the explanation on how this will work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Thomas is joined by Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls to discuss the latest political drama, namely the Greens and their ongoing internal strifes after suspending MP Darleen Tana, and Act and Te Pāti Māori clash over political pins and stickers, and accusations of race-based bullying. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's episode, Thomas has a long-form chat with Labour leader and former Prime Minister turned Leader of the Opposition, Chris Hipkins, to discuss seven months in the role, Labour's analysis of its failed re-election campaign, what they'll do differently next time, and what needs to change in the political climate.. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the last few weeks, Tauranga residents have been able to vote in their first local election since the city council was replaced with commissioners at the end of 2020.   Preliminary results are in, and in a landslide result, former Olympic rower Mahé Drysdale is expected to become the city's new Mayor.   For this bonus episode of On the Tiles: Local Edition, he catches up with Georgina ahead of the final results to discuss what's next for the city.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been a tumultuous week in US politics, with former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump nearly assassinated in a shooting days out from the Republican National Convention. This happened as US President Joe Biden remains defiant over his future, despite growing calls for him to drop out. To discuss what might happen next with both parties, and the November election, Thomas is joined by former National Party leader and US politics enthusiast, Todd Muller. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's deputy leader, and former deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni joins Thomas this week. She discusses how Labour lost Auckland and their response to crime in the city, before a deep dive on welfare, benefits, and what needs to be done to fix this issue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WARNING: This episode discusses mental health, depression and suicide. In May, Brody Cameron, the son of Act MP Mark Cameron, died as the result of a suspected suicide. Mark has not spoken publicly about this tragedy since it happened, but joins Thomas for his first in-depth interview on Brody's death and his own mental health struggles. Suicide and depression help services: If it is an emergency and you or someone else is at risk, call 111. For counselling and support: Lifeline: http://www.lifeline.co.nz, call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) Suicide Crisis Helpline: www.lifeline.org.nz/services/suicide-crisis-helpline, or call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) Youth services: Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234 What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm) Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7) Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737 Aoake te Rā (Bereaved by Suicide Service): Call 0800 000 053 For more information and support, talk to your local doctor, hauora, community mental health team, or counselling service. The Mental Health Foundation has more helplines and service contacts - click here for informationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As councils struggle with rising rates, failing infrastructure and blown out budgets, one of the solutions proposed to keep these institutions afloat has been city deals to improve the relationship between central and local government. To explain how these could work and what progress is being made on them, Georgina this week talks with Local Government NZ President Sam Broughton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parliament has spent all week scrutinising the Government Ministers and heads of public agencies in a first-of-its-kind Scrutiny Week. In this special episode of On the Tiles, Thomas gets reactions on what we learned from the proceedings from Claire Trevett, Adam Pearse and Sophie Trigger. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a little over six months since the 54th New Zealand Parliament was sworn in, and there have been plenty of highs and lows from the different parties. So which MPs across the House have been performing the best? This week, Thomas is joined by Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls to discuss the best MPs from National, Labour, the Greens, ACT, NZ First and Te Pāti Māori. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has been nearly five years since the Tauranga City Council was sacked by the Government and replaced with Commissioners, after infighting and dysfunction between councillors and the Mayor.  Now, the council is going to return to "full democracy", and a new Mayor and councillors will vote them in next month. Georgina is joined by Bay of Plenty Times senior journalist Kiri Gillespie to discuss what went wrong in 2020, who is running now, and how people in the city feel about the council's return. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a special episode going through Budget 2024, Thomas is joined by NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny and Interest.co.nz's Dan Brunskill to discuss the highlights, lowlights, surprises - or lack thereof - from the Budget, and what it signals about the economy and the years to come for this Government. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Green MP and MP for Rongotai, Julie Anne Genter, made headlines at the start of May after she crossed the debating chamber and yelled at Minister Matt Doocey during a Parliamentary debate. She is now facing disciplinary action by the Greens and has been referred to the Privileges Committee.  Now, in her first sit-down interview since this incident, Genter talks to Georgina about the incident, the aftermath and feedback from the public, the other allegations that emerged from constituents in the days after, and the tumultuous year so far for the Greens. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are well and truly in Budget Month - while it's not delivered until May 30th, the Government has started their pre-Budget funding announcements, while Finance Minister Nicola Willis has delivered her first preview speech. This week, Thomas is joined by Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny and Interest.co.nz's Dan Brunskill to discuss what we could expect from a Budget that's promised low-spending and tax cuts for all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After years in Parliament, former Green Party co-leader James Shaw this week exits politics. Shaw's careers has seen many highs - particularly around passing world-leading climate change legislation - as well as coalition struggles and internal party strife, which became an issue once again this week. As he leaves the Beehive, Shaw joins Thomas to reflect on his time in politics, his friendships across the aisle, farmer's fractured feelings about climate change, his relationship with former Greens co-leaders, and the Julie Anne Genter situation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diplomat Terence O'Brien was at the centre of New Zealand's foreign relations for nearly half a century, forging new ties with Asia, negotiating New Zealand's market access to what became the European Union, or running the first successful campaign for a seat on the United Nations Security Council. His new post-humous memoir, Consolations of Insignificance, comes out next month. His son, Diplosphere co-founder Dan O'Brien, joins Thomas to discuss his father's life in public service, and how some of his battles reflect our current foreign policy concerns. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Coalition Government has seen its first cabinet reshuffle.  Melissa Lee has lost her Broadcasting Minister portfolio and has been demoted out of Cabinet.  Meanwhile, Penny Simmonds has lost her Disability Commission portfolio.   To discuss this, The Front Page's Chelsea Daniels is joined by the host of the On the Tiles podcast, and NZ Herald deputy political editor, Thomas Coughlan. .  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Councils across the country are grappling with an infrastructure deficit and sky-high rates -but what options are available to them to fund and finance these projects, and how much involvement should central Government have in bailing them out?  This week, Georgina is joined by New Zealand Infrastructure Commission general manager of strategy Geoff Cooper to discuss the extent of the problem, the questions we need to ask ourselves, and what exactly New Zealand can afford.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a first for On the Tiles, Thomas and Georgina have teamed up for a chat with Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk about his early wins in the portfolio, and a special focus on earthquake risk for buildings and if the Government, and country, needs to change its approach to risk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour sat down with On the Tiles to talk about his new Reglation Ministry and how the Government handled its first 100 days.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grant Robertson has this week left politics, after nearly three decades at the Beehive - first as an advisor to Margaret Hobbs and Helen Clark, before serving as the Wellington Central MP and later Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. In an exit interview with Thomas, he reflects on his early career, entering as a MP, twice running for the Labour Party leadership, and goes deep in his reflections on his decisions made during the height of the Covid pandemic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barbara Edmonds made history last month when she was named Labour's first ever female finance spokesperson. Stepping into Grant Robertson's shoes, Edmonds has a challenge over the next three years to sell Labour's vision on finance, after years of back and forth on new taxes. She talks to Thomas about going up against the coalition Government, wealth tax versus capital gains tax, and Labour's record on finance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've made it through the first 100 days of the coalition government - so which ministers have performed well and what policies have stood out? How much money does the country have left? And was Christopher Luxon's living allowance debacle a worrying sign? Today, Thomas recaps the first 100 days with NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny and Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.