Politics Central

The IPCA released a scathing review laying out out a chain of senior-level failures around the McSkimming scandal. The question now is whether the public can have any confidence in the police in general and in its leadership. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this year, the United States imposed a 15% tariff on a range of New Zealand exports, most notably beef. It was a huge blow, as beef is a major export for New Zealand - especially to the States. The tariffs have cost the country over $300 million since they were introduced in April. This weekend, President Donald Trump signed an executive order removing that extra 15% on beef, coffee, and tropical fruits, among others. The move brings us back down to a tariff of less than 1%. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has confirmed they're considering action to move rough sleepers out of Auckland's city centre. Mayor Wayne Brown has given his go ahead, but the opposition as well as housing advocates have said a policy like this would just move the problem elsewhere and end up creating more harm. No details have been released yet, ministers say they are still working through the issues and how to deal with them, but that hasn't stopped the controversy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has released an action plan to deal with the growing issue of methamphetamine use in New Zealand. They're investing $30 million over four years into the hardest hit communities, increasing maritime operations to stop it before it gets into the country, and we'll soon see a nationwide media campaign to raise awareness - among other policies. The amount of meth seized both in the country and offshore has increased 266% over the past five years, and the estimated social harm from meth use was $1.5 billion last year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has announced 140 new hospital beds across the country to ease pressure on emergency departments. These beds will be part of new wards in Middlemore, Waikato, Wellington, and Nelson hospitals, alongside the new Hawke's Bay ward announced earlier in the year. Health Minister Simeon Brown says operational funding for the 350 extra staff that will be needed, has already been approved. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon is wrapping up his trip to APEC and ASEAN today. The Prime Minister met with a range of world leaders, even having his hair complimented by Donald Trump, and having dinner with the Canadian and Australian Prime Ministers and the South Korean president. APEC and ASEAN represent about 60 to 70% of the world's economy, so even casual meeting would have been significant for Luxon and New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last Thursday was the largest protest New Zealand has had for decades, a combined strike across multiple public sector groups including PSA members and PPTA members. It certainly sent a message, but that message depends on who you ask. While many sympathise with the issues the public sector is facing, many have also dubbed it 'the start of a five day weekend' for teachers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister is off to the East Asia Summit in Malaysia today, before he heads to South Korea to attend the APEC summit. Xi Jinping will be in attendence, and he's due to meet with President Donald Trump on the 30th of October. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More strike action from teachers this week, with a full national strike planned for Thursday. Minister for Public Service Judith Collins says that the number one item on the agenda for the PPTA at a recent meeting with the Government was Palestine, not pay or education. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From tomorrow, beneficiaries will need to comply with two more obligations to continue receiving welfare. They will need to provide evidence of at least three job searches a week for four weeks, and attend employment-related training courses for at least five hours a week for four weeks. The sanctions are aimed at increasing employability, but critics think it's punishing beneficiaries for being out of work. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

42 councils have held referendums on Māori wards - 17 areas have voted to keep them, while 25 have voted to remove. The wards have been a flashpoint for debate - there were protesters in Kaipara last year when council voted to remove it. Te Pāti Māori has described the decision to remove the wards as “racist, targeted attack on Māori, for being Māori” and that it's "an assault on Te Tiriti" Last year, David Seymour said he'd vote against keeping Maori wards if his council held a referendum - on the basis that New Zealand is made up of people from all walks of life. He speaks to Tim Beveridge... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of teenagers could have their Jobseeker benefit cut next year, as the Government restricts payments. Eighteen and 19-year-olds without children must pass a Parental Assistance Test to qualify from November 2026. The threshold will be set at just over $65,000. Social Development Minister Louise Upston told Tim Beveridge it's the same as the Supported Living Payment, and similar to the Student Allowance test. She says those on very low incomes below that would not be able to support these teenagers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bowel cancer is New Zealand's second biggest cancer killer. Yesterday, the Health Minister confirmed changes to the free bowel screening criteria. From Monday, the starting age for screenings will be lowered from 60 to 58 in Northland, Auckland, and the South Island. The rest of the North Island will follow in March 2026. Health Minister Simeon Brown speaks to Tim Beveridge. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has decided against recognising a Palestinian state at this stage. Foreign Minister Winston Peters made the announcement in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, grouping New Zealand with a small handful of countries who have also decided not to make the move. He said as long as Hamas is the Gaza Strip's de facto government, there is no legitimate State of Palestine for New Zealand to recognise. Peters also laid out a list of conditions that would need to be met before New Zealand makes the move - like the release of all hostages, the renouncement of terrorism, and movement toward an actual democracy - among others. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters is off to New York today to attend the United Nations 80th anniversary meeting. He says it's a great opportunity to gather information from a broad range of New Zealand's partners on how they view and manage the major conflicts happening around the world. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's hospital facilities are about to get a $100 million investment boost. The programme will expand and modernise clinical spaces, and strengthen existing infrastructure to avoid the disruption of clinical services. The funding boost will provide small-scale upgrades nationwide, as well as building on more major projects like those in Nelson and Wellington. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has just announced a new $70 million tourism package they expect will supercharge the tourism and events sectors. The funding includes $40 million to secure large-scale international events from next year, and a regional tourism boost campaign. The boost in funding will help New Zealand complete with Australia for major events. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime has met with education minister Erica Stanford to discuss the Government's plan to scrap NCEA. It comes after the spokesperson refused to meet with the minister while the reform was in its planning stages. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First's annual conference has just drawn to a close, and leader Winston Peters made a speech to his audience of near 1000. He announced New Zealand First will campaign on making KiwiSaver compulsory, and introduced 10% contributions, which would be compensated by tax cuts. All this on top of a potentila new candidate for next year's election - Stuart Nash. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Labour minister Stuart Nash has put his hat in the ring to be a candidate to become a New Zealand First MP at the party's AGM this weekend. Nash was sacked from Cabinet in 2023 after disclosing confidentiall information from a Cabinet meeting to two businessmen. Now, Winston Peters says he would be a 'seamless' addition. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey shows 156,000 victims of serious violent crimes in the year to May. It's down 29,000 from when National took office in 2023, and the drop is largely made up of family violence incidents. However, the number of sexual assault victims has increased by 3,000 in only three months. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week the Government announced an express lane to fast-track consent for supermarkets that would improve competition. The question now being raised, is whether the cost of groceries is a supermarket problem, or a wage problem. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ Post has suspended most shipping services to the United States and some surrounding countries as they brace for tariffs to come into effect. Services will stop on the 29th of August, but NZ Post says it can't give customers an exact date for when things will get going again. They expect the suspension to be short term, but it begs the question of what planning was being done when tariff discussions have been ongoing for months. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has announced a $2.7 billion defence spending boost to upgrade the aircraft fleet. The money will be spent on five Seahawk helicopters and two Airbus aircrafts, to replace the Defence Force's "embarrassing" planes, in Judith Collins' words. It's part of National's pledge to boost defence spending by $9 billion over the next four years, but why now? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Submissions close tonight for the Online Casino Gambling Bill. The community sports sector have banded together under the Community Sports Collective, and made a joint submission covering at least 1.67 million people. They're urging the Government to share the proceeds of online casino gambling with the community, in the same way they do with current grants. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump met with Vladimir Putin yesterday to come to an agreement over the war in Ukraine. The two left the meeting seemingly happy with how it went, and Trump noted it "went very well", but no deal was announced. Vlodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with President Trump at the White House later this week. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Chris Luxon this weekend, in Queenstown for the annual Australia-New Zealand leaders meeting. Luxon said in a world that's ever-changing, our relationship with Australia is a "bedrock", and Albanese shared a similar sentiment. But no announcements have been made so far between us. So what can we expect to come from this? what issues do both leaders agree, or disagree on? and what concerns still remain? New Zealand Herald Senior Writer Derek Cheng was down there to cover the meeting, and he's with us now... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Greens say they're the only ones offering solutions to tax issues, in a time where communities are crying out for change. With next year's elections coming soon, they held their Annual meeting this weekend, and expressed their desire to lead the next government. The Party's co-leaders called for transformational change, and a future driven by fresh thinking. So what will that actually look like, and how promising does it sound? Party Co-leader Marama Davidson joins Tim Beveridge for more. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Chair Kate Acland joins Tim Beveridge to discuss the impacts of the newly announced 15% tariff on exports to the United States. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has announced they will revise the Conservation Act to allow for a fresh wave of concessions on DoC land, as well as increasing the charge for foreign visiters to access the more popular sites. Forest and Bird have claimed these changes are not conservation reform, but rather "conservation retreat". Forest and Bird Chief Executive Nicola Toki joins Tim Beveridge to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A suite of Electoral Act changes were announced this week, and same-day enrolments are set to be scrapped. Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour caused some upset when he dropped the word 'drop-kick' into the conversation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Until now, one company's plasterboard has had a near-duopoly in New Zealand, leading to some of the highest prices in the world - 67% more expensive than the U.S. according to the Minister of Building and Construction. From tomorrow, thousands of overseas building products including plasterboard and cladding systems will be given the green light for use in construction in New Zealand. The Government's introduction of a Building Product Specifications document will allow for greater competition in the market, and hopefully less costly building. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've had a flurry of education news this past week - giving the impression things are actually starting to look up. Numeracy and literacy results are up significantly year on year, attendance is improving, and now - the Government wants to put an end to open plan classrooms. But today, a damning Government briefing points out significant concerns around the credibility of the NCEA system itself. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has announced the funidng of $6 billion worth of construction projects to begin by Christmas. New and improved roads, school renovations, and hospital revamps - it's all been added to the National Infrastructure Pipeline which is now over $207 billion. These projects are also expected to create tens of thousands of jobs in the coming months. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Around 700 New Zealand soldiers and personnel are in Australia for the largest war-fighting and military training exercise in the Southern Hemisphere. 35-thousand soldiers from 19 nations are taking part in it. The Defence Force says a key goal for them is to be able to integrate its capabilities into Australian and US relations. The Government also announced ramping up defence spend earlier this year - but as it stands now, and with tensions abroad - how prepared are we? Tim Beveridge talks to Senior National Officer Lieutenant Colonel Tim Tuatini for more. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With rising global tensions, market volatility, and an unpredictable international landscape, having a strong and credible foreign voice is becoming more important than ever for New Zealand. Foreign Minister Winston Peters travelled to Malaysia for a summit with his South East Asian counterparts, where he worked towards a comprehensive strategic partnership by October. But what does that actually mean for us? What would that relationship deliver in real terms? How are we positioning ourselves in an increasingly contested region? He's just come back from his trip — Winston Peters chats to Tim Beveridge. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop is also stopping in Houston, Texas to look at how they've implemented affordable housing. He's speaking to local experts about their planning, funding and tools that have allowed them to deliver effective housing. Can the same elements be brought to New Zealand? ZB Political Editor Jason Walls speaks to Andrew Dickens... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop is visiting New York to see the success of their congestion charging. He's proposing a similar pricing strategy back here, but is it plausible for our roads? What can be done to solve our traffic issues? Andrew Dickens is joined by Martin Glynn, AA Policy Director... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IRD reports that New Zealand will need to restructure the tax system to fund the superannuation. Capital gains tax could be on the table, and even a GST hike from 15%. What sort of adjustments should we expect? Is there any other way to fund the super? Tim Beveridge talks to PwC Tax Policy Leader, Sandy Lau... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is implementing new sentencing reforms to prevent soft punishments and place victims at the centre of the justice-system. Will these changes bring back faith in our judicial system? What other work needs to be done Tim Beveridge is joined by Ruth Money, Chief Victims Advisor to the Government... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is pausing $18 million in funding for the Cook Islands following their deals with China earlier this year. What can be done to fix our relationship? Who's at fault? Tim Beveridge is joined by Tere Carr, Cook Islands Tourism Industry Council President... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US has bombed Iran just two days after giving a two-week notice for tensions to deescalate. With the NATO Summit coming soon, tensions are high. What can we expect to happen next? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.