Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills

This week for Friday Faceoff, Nick Mills is joined by Labour MP for Ōhāriu Greg O'Connor and Political Commentator Ben Thomas. Our panel faceoff over the future of Wellington. As 8700 jobs cuts are coming the public sector's way Wellington needs to swerve. O'Connor and Thomas analyse the cuts, how we got here and how we can bounce back as a city. And they debate Nicola Willis' suggestion much of these roles will be replaced by AI. How do they use it and do we actually have the AI infrastructure and capabilities to do similar tasks to these public services. Then onto the social housing reform announced yesterday. Is it fair to suggest a time limit for those in the homes? Onto the arrests made in corrections, our panel dive into the reasons and issues in our correct system that have allowed this to happen. Also on the agenda is the Moa Point report, trust in the Wellington council, the unofficial "WCC Rich List", and their hots and nots for the week. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legendary political journalist and broadcaster Barry Soper joins Nick Mills in the studio for the launch of his new book 'One Last Question, Prime Minister.' Soper takes your calls and Nick's questions about his time with the 12 Prime Ministers he has observed during his career. Hear about his experiences in Parliament, including the 2022 Wellington protest, changes over his career and insight into the leadership of Robert Muldoon, Helen Clark, Jacinda Arden and Chris Hipkins. His book is out now at most retailers including Paper Plus, Whitcoulls and Unity Books. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for Friday Sport's Kick-off, Nick is joined in the studio by our resident ZB sports gurus Jason Pine and Adam Cooper. Starting with the Hurricanes, who play the Highlanders this Saturday - kick-off is 7.05pm. The crew talk our (high) chances of a win. And the success of Hurricanes assistant coach Jamie Mackintosh - can they keep him? Plus, the Wellington Saint's loss against the Southland Sharks last night. They also rate the performance from the Phoenix Women's season, after losing the grand final last weekend. Will next year be our year? And Auckland FC Grand Final at home in Auckland tomorrow against Sydney FC. Piney will be there on gameday - what are the crew's score predictions? And who are us Phoenix fans rooting for? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Politics Thursday this week Nick Mills is joined by National Minister Tama Potaka and Labour MP Ayesha Verrall. The panel starts with the biggest news of the week - 8700 public service jobs will be gone by 2029. They discuss what this means for our city? Has anywhere been hit as hard as Wellington? Nicola Willis says her office is experimenting with artificial intelligence, Nick asks our panel if they too are using AI and how can it reduce government work. Potaka and Verrall also dissect security and cost concerns of government workers using AI. 14 corrections staff were arrested yesterday smuggling items - including methamphetamine - to prisoners. Our politicians share their thoughts on the state of corrections, and how to assist this issue in corruption. And Winston Peters buying BNZ, is it a pipe dream? Is there validity when we talk about bringing more competition to NZ? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EDITORIAL: If you listened yesterday, you heard it coming. We knew the Government was preparing to swing the axe again through the public service. What we didn't know was just how deep the cuts were going to be. Now we know. Nearly 9,000 public sector jobs gone by 2029. A 14 percent reduction. Public service numbers down from just over 63,000 to around 55,000. Government departments merged. AI and digital tools replacing roles. Nicola Willis says it'll save $2.4 billion. David Seymour says it's “just what the doctor ordered.” The Greens are calling it New Zealand's version of DOGE. And Wellington? Wellington wakes up this morning feeling like it's gone another round in the ring with Muhammad Ali. Bang. Bang. Bang. In quick succession. No time to recover. No time to breathe. No chance to get back on your feet before the next hit comes. But here's what really struck me out of all this news: If anyone thinks it's strange the Government is doing this before next week's Budget — think about it for a second. This is the soft blow before the big blow comes. This is the mowing of the lawn before they land the plane. Governments don't soften people up before good news. They soften people up before harder news. And maybe the reality is the Budget next week is going to be tougher than many Wellingtonians are ready for. Now look — I'm not going to sit here this morning and pretend the public service was never going to change. It grew massively after COVID. Technology and AI are changing every industry in the world. Every sector is having to adapt. Everyone has to. But what worries me is this city's confidence. Because every time one of these announcements lands, spending stops instantly. People stop buying coffees. Stop going out for dinner. Stop booking weekends away. Stop replacing clothes. Stop taking risks. And Wellington businesses feel it immediately. But at some point, we've got to stop sitting around asking what Wellington used to be — and start asking what Wellington is going to become. Because if the old model of Wellington being powered almost entirely by government jobs is changing, what's the new model? How do we fix Wellington? Seriously. Do we double down on hospitality, events and culture? Do we become the creative capital again? The tech capital? The startup capital? Do we back tourism harder? Do we make this city easier to invest in, easier to build in, easier to open businesses in? Do we stop fighting growth and actually encourage it? Do we make it easier to do business in Wellington? Because sitting around waiting for another ministry to lease another office floor on The Terrace probably isn't the future anymore. And I know this is a shock for a lot of people this morning. I genuinely do. There'll be families scared about mortgages, jobs, rents and what comes next. But Wellington cannot afford to become a city that only talks about decline. At some point we've got to shrug our shoulders, get on with it, and work out how we and this city succeed again. What the hell do we do to make Wellington great again? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Its NZ Music Month, and to celebrate Nick is joined on the show by the Chairperson of the NZ Music Commission Greg Bonnett. NZ Music Month is in it's 26th years and aims to promote our talented local artists - of which our country has many. Comparing NZ music to the international market, Bonnett says we punch above our weight. We were the lead country partner in Bristol's Great Escape Music Festival - a worldwide leader in supporting emerging artist. Bonnett says they were able to bring 11 artists over to UK. Bonnett speaks about the success overseas, and how we are reaching these new markets. Then find out who to look out for from our homegrown talent. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To celebrate NZ Music Month - James Irwin is in the studio every week of May for Music Time. This week Nick and James listen and debate the top hits pf the 60s and 70s. And talk the beginnings of NZ's rich music history and record labels. And what gigs are on this week? Get more info on NZ Music Month on their site linked here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Council is set to cut $650,000 of social and recreation funding, impacting community services and locations like swimming pools, library, arts and culture events and sports fields. Capital Football CEO Richard Reid is concerned more costs will be put on local families if the cuts go ahead. Reid also suggests payments to the Wellington council from using sports fields is much more than other NZ cities. He says someone has got their facts wrong "and it ain't us". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EDITORIAL: Look, this one's not going to make me popular in Wellington today, but sometimes reality doesn't care whether we like it or not. Finance Minister Nicola Willis is right. And deep down, I think a lot of New Zealanders know she's right. We cannot keep running a country where the answer to every problem is another ministry, another department, another communications team, another layer of management, another policy advisor, another taxpayer-funded office somewhere in Wellington. At some point, we all have to wake up and say: enough. Because the numbers don't lie. Back in 2017, when Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister, the public service had around 48,000 employees. By the end of last year, that had climbed to more than 63,600 fulltime staff. That's an increase of more than 15,000 public servants in under a decade. And here's the key question: are we New Zealanders genuinely getting better outcomes? Are the roads dramatically better? Is healthcare dramatically better? Is education dramatically better? Is productivity dramatically better? Do you and I feel government is faster, leaner, more efficient? Or does it feel bigger, slower, more bureaucratic and more expensive? Because that's what many New Zealanders think. Now I understand why Wellington gets nervous when these conversations happen. This city has lived off the back of government growth for years. Thousands of jobs, entire apartment blocks, cafes, bars, retails, hair dressers, car sales, businesses, office buildings just for the public sector. But we cannot employ people simply to prop up the Wellington economy. That's not sustainable economics. That's avoidance. And the reality is, New Zealand has been living beyond its means for too long. We borrow too much. We spend too much. We create agencies for everything. We duplicate work. We layer management on management. Meanwhile, the private sector — the people actually generating the tax revenue — are under enormous pressure and have already slimmed down to bare bone. At some point the country has to slim down too. And yes, it will be painful. And yes, there will be more pain. Nicola Willis is reportedly preparing to reduce the number of ministries and agencies from the current 42, while also driving public service numbers back closer to the historical norm of 1% of the population. Under the Labour government it was pushed to 1.2%. Frankly, that idea sounds reasonable to me. Australia has 16 departments. The United Kingdom has 24. Finland has around a dozen. We've got 42. We have forty-two. And the other reality nobody wants to say out loud? AI and digitisation are coming whether we like it or not. The private sector is already changing rapidly. Law firms, banks, consultancies — they're all using AI to improve productivity and reduce repetitive work. Government won't escape that. The Government should not escape that. This isn't about attacking public servants personally. Most are hardworking people doing their jobs. But the system itself has become too large, too expensive and too inefficient. If we genuinely want the books under control, improve productivity and rebuild the country's finances, then this is part of the medicine. And tell me, have you ever taken medicine that tastes good. It doesn't it tastes horrible. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this week's Business Panel Nick Mills is joined in the studio by Wellington Phoenix General Manager David Dome and Rembrandt's Managing Director David Lyford. They look at decision making in business - how to keep Rembrandt excelling after 80 years, and growing the Phoenix with coaching choices and the academy. Is business doing better this year as a result? Dome and Lyford talk the old partnership between the Phoenix and Rembrandt, and their respective histories of doing business in Wellington. Would they recommend doing business in the city? Do we need to amalgamate to compete with the Auckland? Particularly after the government's event fund going to the supercity for the Chelsea football game. The panel discuss building business confidence in this city. In times of turmoil - what is the good happening in the city and it's businesses at the moment. Dome shares how ticket sales have been going, their goals and what do we do about venue - could the Phoenix Men move out of Hnry Stadium and to Porirua Park? And Lyford shares how his business is dealing with the upcoming election and fuel crisis. For an interesting discussion on two sides of business in the capital: LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Friday Faceoff - Nick Mills is joined by former Wellington City Mayor Dame Kerry Prendergast and broadcaster and journalist Mark Sainsbury. Prendergast discusses the success of the Phoenix Women's team who are preparing for their first grand final ever against Melbourne City tomorrow night. Then the panel debate shutting the Kāpiti Airport. Would it be better if property developers took over? Mayor Wayne Brown says we've spent $3 million bringing "tattooed pom" Robbie Williams to our shores for two concerts - the Eden Park show is not selling well. Should we be more selective with acts using the fund? Golden Mile review panel is costing ratepayers $400,000 and have fronted the council to share their methodology. What do we do with the Golden Mile? Should the review be scrapped? And onto immigration. Paul Spoonley says it is not a political priority for everyday Kiwis. Prendergast and Sainsbury list their election priorities and how we should plan for successful immigration policy. Then we hear the panel's hots and nots. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ngauraunga to Petone Shared Path, Te Ara Tupua, officially opens to the public tomorrow. Transport Minister Chris Bishop joins Nick Mills to talk about the opneing. The project will provide a new walking and cycling route between Wellington and Lower Hutt and improve transport reliability and resilience along SH2 and the Hutt Valley rail line. Bishop says the project is100 years in the making but serious planning began in 2013/2014, and cost $350 million. Te Ara Tupua formally opens at 2pm today, and tomorrow May 16th the public open day Plus, Nick gets an update on Wellingtons SH1 improvements. Bishop says although we will not see diggers for "some time", the government is committed to the tunnels and fast track applications are on the way. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Friday Sports Kick-off Nick is joined in the studio by Adam Cooper and Jason Pine, who is in Brisbane for the Magic Round. Wellington Phoenix play their grand final tomorrow night in Melbourne. They look back on the success at the semifinal in Porirua Park last weekend. And the impact of coach Bev Priestman - who has taken this team to the first A-League final in the clubs history. Hurricanes vs Blues - tomorrow night at Eden Park, competing for The canes have not won in Eden Park since 2019. Will this be the season? And Luke Metcalf leaving the Warriors and joining the Dragons during his contract. And will the Warriors win against the Broncos? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The future of Kāpiti Airport is in the air as property developers are looking to buy the land - only if the airport is closed. Otaki MP Tim Costley joins the show this morning to discuss what is going on with the deal, and how he is trying to stop it. The airport is identified in civil defence plan as a key operational hub in a disaster. Costley says we must keep the airport open as it is a necessity for the whole Wellington region. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EDITORIAL: Let's be honest now — when is enough actually enough in this city? How long have Wellingtonians been listening to the words “Let's Get Wellington Moving”? Seven years? Eight years? Longer? The project was officially launched back in 2017. Nearly a decade ago. Nearly a decade of workshops, consultations, artist impressions, reviews, counter-reviews, delays, blowouts, political infighting and endless promise for us. And what do we actually have to show for it? Seriously — what do we have to show for it? Because I walk through the start of the so-called Golden Mile redevelopment near the Embassy Theatre almost every day, and if you told a visitor from out of town that millions of dollars had already been spent there, they would laugh at you. They'd say, “Where? How? A few plants? Some shifted paving? A slightly rearranged pedestrian area? A cycleway?” That's the transformational city-shaping project we've been arguing about for the best part of a decade? Meanwhile the city struggles. Retailers are struggling. Businesses are struggling. People are worried about rates. Roading's a mess. Water infrastructure is collapsing. Construction costs have exploded. The council can barely afford what it already has on its plate. And now we're spending another FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS on another review. Another review. Not fixing anything. Not building anything. Not deciding anything. Just another group of people sitting around discussing whether previous groups of people were right or wrong. I'm with Andrew Little on this one. At some point politicians have to actually make political decisions. If you were elected to lead, then damn well lead. Stop outsourcing every difficult decision to panels, consultants, independent reviews and strategic assessments. The original Golden Mile budget was in 2020 was $78 million. Then it became $160 million. Now it's sitting around $220 million. And even Andrew Little is saying the council simply cannot afford another $60 million blowout. Hello! You wouldn't need a degree to work that one out. So here's the simple question: If we can't afford it, why are we pretending we can? Because what's happened in Wellington is death by consultation. Death by process. Death by indecision. We have become a city addicted to talking about things instead of actually doing them. And here's the worst part — this uncertainty has hung over central Wellington businesses for years. Years. People trying to invest, lease buildings, open restaurants, run cafés, survive construction disruptions, they want to employ staff — all while the city keeps changing the plan every six months. Enough. Either do the project properly, fully funded, with certainty and timelines — or pull the plug and let us move on with our lives. And now. Not in 6 months' time – now. But this endless middle ground of reviews, pauses, re-scopes and consultant reports is draining the life, confidence and energy out of Wellington. Forget it Nearly a decade in, Wellingtonians deserve an answer and now. Not another workshop, not another panel. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedian Karen O'Leary joins Nick in the studio to chat "Poneke House Party", a comedy music mashup show raising funds for the Mayoral Relief Flood Fund. The NZ International Comedy Festival and NZ Music Month partner to bring you Pōneke House Party, a night of jokes, songs and surprise special guests at Wellington's Opera House, Sunday 17 May, 6pm. Karen joins the heavy hitting line up of stars including Tofiga Fepulea'i, Tami Neilson and host James Nokise. Buy tickets here for a night full of comedy and music, while helping for a great cause.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Politics Thursday and this week Nick is joined in the studio by National Minister Paul Goldsmith and Labour MP Ayesha Verrall. They debate the top political issues of the week, including concerns around Wellington project priorities. After the second Auckland harbour crossing is looking likely to go through, there is still no word on our second Mt Vic Tunnel - is Wellington being slighted? Then onto immigration, as the government launches more immigration policy, polling shows it is not actually a top 10 issue to Kiwis. The panel debate if Kiwis should be more concerned and what the priorities are for their parties come election time. And cutting fees free, is this a broken promise for students currently enrolled in our universities? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Its Music Time with James Irwin! It's another week of NZ music month, James and Nick chat a new record label based in Wellington - check it out at strawberryjampromotions.com. Then they talk Tom Scott of Homebrew fame who blew Wellington away last Friday and the opening of musical & Juliet on Saturday. Plus, what are the most recognisable Kiwi songs? James shares his office survey results. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington Phoenix Women's team is on their way to the airport for their A-League final against Melbourne City. Coach Bev Priestman joins Nick Mills in the studio on the way, to chat about what this means for the team. Since joining the club last year Priestman has revamped the team to get to first A-League final for any Phoenix team in their history. The club play Melbourne City on Saturday night. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This morning Billy T nominee, mother and comedian Samantha Hannah joins Nick in studio. Her new show Peekaboo! starts tonight at Bats for the NZ International Comedy Festival. Currently 7 months pregnant with an 18-month-old, Samantha has bought her experience with motherhood into her stand up. Samantha and Nick talk identity, preshow rituals and anxiety, and balancing parenthood, having a full-time job and stand up. And how does it feel getting nominated for a Billy T Award? The NZ International Comedy Festival brings live comedy to Wellington till May 24th. Samantha's show runs from tonight to Sat 16th May. Get tickets here. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Mayor Andrew Little joins Nick Mills in the studio for May's monthly chat and takes your calls. After multiple news stories about unrest between council executives and the council, Nick asks Mayor Little for his insight into the debates at the moment. Mayor Little says a change of culture is needed and he is concerned officials don't realise that they aren't spending their own money, but that of the taxpayers. Then onto amalgamation, Mayor Little shares the latest in talks and suggests eight councils could be involved. Also on the agenda was Tiaki Wai water meter cost, the latest in chats between council and the entity and Golden Mile and Moa Point updates. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wellington Amalgamation could grow into eight councils instead of the previously expected "tight" four. Nick speaks to Porirua Mayor Anita Baker, who is very strongly for the amalgamation. Mayor Baker shares her preferences for amalgmation and addresses concerns that Porirua rates are among the highest in the country. She says people are hesitant as jobs may go, but she "doesn't care" if her job goes if it means amalgamation for the betterment of the city. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wellington Amalgamation could grow into eight councils instead of the previously expected "tight" four. Nick speaks to Porirua Mayor Anita Baker, who is very strongly for the amalgamation. Mayor Baker shares her preferences for amalgmation and addresses concerns that Porirua rates are among the highest in the country. She says people are hesitant as jobs may go, but she "doesn't care" if her job goes if it means amalgamation for the betterment of the city. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Wellington amalgamation could potentially go wider than expected to the Kāpiti Coast, Wairarapa and Horowhenua after a mayoral meeting last Friday disclosed by the Wellington City Mayor on the show today. Nick chats to Kāpiti Mayor Janet Holborow, who is on her way back from a meeting with Horowhenua Mayor Wanden. Mayor Holborow shares how talks have been going with the other councils and if this merger could be a reality. The logistics of a Wellington wide one appear to be disadvantageous at this point to Kāpiti, but they are open to conversations that could prove otherwise. Could the amalgamation just be between Horowhenua and Kapiti? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's Home and Living show starts today at Hnry Stadium and goes till Sunday showcasing fresh ideas to upgrade your home & lifestyle all under the one roof. Plus, delicious food great coffee show specials and expert advice. One of those experts is our very own resident builder Peter Wolfkamp. Peter joins the show to share what we can expect from this weekend. Head on down to Hnry Stadium for Wellington Better Home and Living show Friday 8th - Sunday 10th May- tickets available here LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Friday Sports Kick-off Nick is joined by sports gurus and ZB Sports hosts Adam Cooper and Jason Pine. This week they chat about the New NZ Rugby CEO - Steve Lancaster. The crew look into growing Super Rugby and the struggles of bringing it up to levels on par with sports of the time like F1 or league. Does super rugby stand a chance? Can the Phoenix Women make it to the grand final? First time we have the chance, but we are currently trailing 2-1 against Brisbane Roar. The team play Sunday 10th May at 2.30pm Porirua Park - get out and support them in their semi-final! And how will the Hurricanes fare without Roigard and Love this weekend? The team play Moana Pasifika tomorrow night 7.05pm. And what a weekend for Porirua! Phoenix, Pulse and Saints all playing there over the weekend. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Its Friday Faceoff, this week Nick is joined in the studio by Director of NZ Infrastructure Commission and former Wellington City Councillor Tim Brown and Raygun co-founder and CEO JD Trask to discuss the hot topics of the week. Starting with Super. The OECD has released a report that yet again tells NZ we need to make changes to the pension. Brown and Trask talk the age of super annuation, means testing, KiwiSaver. The panel dive into the argument to have the super indexed by life expectancy. Them onto amalgamation - have the councils had their priorities wrong the whole time? Would be able to compete with Auckland and Christchurch is we became more efficient and banded together? The panel look at the pros and struggles of bringing four Wellington basin cities together in three months. Next up - who is running the Wellington City Council - is it the officials or the council? The panel discuss the news of the personal grievance payout allowance - where the senior management made a decision behind the back of elected officials. They look at the leadership system and the CEO - is it actually democratic? Who is in charge? Then water meter charges - Brown says it should only cost around $80 million, not the $590 million estimated by Tiaki Wai. The panel discuss the charges, how it would work and how they think it should be done. And reminisce over the past cost blow outs that have hit the city. And onto our panel's thoughts on Dr Eziekel Emanuel's comments on the lack of funding and updated technology compared to other countries. They look into the gradual increase of AI and robotics in our health system. Plus Brown and Trask give their hots and nots. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

& Juliet is the newest Broadway hit coming to Wellington this Saturday. The musical flips the script on the classic Romeo and Juliet, asking what would happen if Juliet if she took hold of her own destiny? Nick is joined by the two stars Awhimai Fraser and Matu Ngaropo, both musical theatre legends and proud Kiwis. The show opens at St James Theatre and will run from 9-24 May. Fraser and Ngaropo share their experience working on the show and what makes it adored by audiences. Fraser voiced Elsa in the Te Reo Māori version of Frozen, and both champion the language. Nick chats to the stars about using Te Reo and the empowerment of the language. Tickets to the show are avaliable here LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Politics Thursday Nick is joined by Labour's Ginny Andersen and National's Tim Costley to talk about the top issues in the beehive this week. Starting with the new test for citizenship in New Zealand. Our panel give their question ideas and their thoughts on the introduction of the test, which follows the lead of Australia. And amalgamation is coming. The Government has given a three-month ultimatum for councils to amalgamate on their own terms. Costley shares what this would look like for Kapiti - and the thoughts he's hearing from the community, and Andersen for the Hutt. And is three months to sort a blend of potentially four councils enough for Wellington? And after his interview with health expert Dr Ezekiel Emanuel, Nick asks the panel for their thoughts on more bipartisanship for health. Then the panel get heated over the best ways to fund the NZ health system. Plus, unemployment numbers are down, yet experts are predicting it's going to get worse - what are our politicians going to do about it? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick speaks to oncologist, presidential health advisor and author Dr Ezekiel Emanuel as he travels New Zealand. The world-famous Dr Emanuel shares his global expertise with Nick on how to improve our health system. He suggests we need more stable planning at a government level, with the three-year election cycle harming progress. Also, better understanding between the private and public sectors. His new book Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life is out now. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Its Music Time, Nick and James champion NZ music month with a nod to the kiwi musos who broke through globally in the last 55 years. The gang also throw in a little comedy festival must see show banter as well. NZ Comedy Fest and NZ Music Month combine with 'Pōneke House Party' on Sunday 17 May at The Opera House. Profits from the event will be donated to the Mayoral Flood Relief Fund. Get tickets here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has given an ultimatum for local councils - amalgamate in three months or we will do it for you. The Wellington region has been in talks of amalgamation - Wellington City, Porirua, Hutt City and Upper Hutt. Upper Hutt Mayor Peri Zee has concerns and says more options should be on the table. Mayor Zee speaks to Nick sharing her thoughts on the call from Minister Chris Bishop and Simon Watts, and the three month time limit. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EDITORIAL: Let's start this one with a show of hands. Who's been to the tip lately? I want you to be honest. I'll start. I reckon I'm a regular at the tip, I think I've been a dozen times this year. House clean-ups, business clear-outs, all the stuff that's just easier to throw away than deal with properly. Out of sight, out of mind. Job done. Except—it's not. Because right now, Wellington has a rubbish problem that's getting worse, not better—and this isn't opinion, this is straight fact. Our main dump, the Southern Landfill, is now expected to hit capacity in about four to five years. Last time we talked about it, it was ten years. That's been pulled forward from around eight. So already, the clock's ticking faster than anyone planned. And here's where it ramps up. Over in Porirua, Spicer Landfill is due to close in 2030. Sounds like someone else's problem, right? It's not. Because when Spicer goes, it takes pressure off nowhere—it pushes it straight back onto Wellington. Yes, there's a plan. A sludge dryer up at Tītahi Bay, meant to shrink the volume. Sounds good. Problem is—it might not be ready in time. Even the people behind it say finishing by 2030 is “ambitious”. In fact, Wellington's Deputy Mayor Ben McNulty has already said closing Spicer effectively chops years off the life of the Southern Landfill—taking it from a good scenario of about seven years down to four. Now here's the part that should really make you sit up. Every year, this region produces around 8,000 tonnes of sewage sludge. Not rubbish you can skip. Not something you can pause. It's a by-product of wastewater treatment—you cannot turn it off. And right now, officials are warning there is a real risk that when Spicer closes, there may be nowhere to put it. Now think about that for a second. We're not talking about old couches or broken fridges—we're talking about essential waste from a system that has to run 24/7. If there's nowhere for it to go, you don't have a tidy-up problem—you've got a system problem. So we've got less landfill space, more pressure on what's left, and the backup plan might not land when it needs to. And if you think the answer is just “build more landfill”—not so fast. Local iwi, including Ngāti Toa Rangatira, and residents are strongly opposed to extending these sites. Cultural concerns, environmental concerns, plain old quality of life. So that option? Politically and socially—very, very hard. Which leaves us where? More waste. Less space. No clear plan. And I'll put my hand up—I'm part of it. It's easier to dump than sort it out. Easier to pay the fee and drive away. But we cannot keep doing that. Because if we don't get ahead of this—fast—the next thing creeping up the valley won't just be a landfill. It'll be a crisis we cannot ignore. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ryan 'Brickman' McNaught joins the show today to discuss his new Lego Star Wars exhibition with Nick. His last hit Lego Jurassic Park exhibition opened Takina, now Ryan shares what we can expect from his return. His latest endeavour uses over 8 million LEGO bricks and took 26,000 hours to complete. The exhibition opens just in time for school holidays on June 27th. You can buy tickets here LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick speaks to Deputy Mayor Ben McNulty around concerns over the sustainability of Wellington's waste systems. There is talk of expanding the Wellington tip to the back of Zealandia, McNulty shares the likelihood of this and stresses the importance and urgency of this issue. Porirua's Spicer Landfill is due to close in 2030 and is due to chop years off the lifespan of Wellington's landfill. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EDITORIAL: There's moments in this city where you stop, you look at the numbers, and you think — this cannot be real. And it happens too often. This cannot be happening to us. And yet it is, here we go again. A bill of half a billion dollars — possibly pushing $590 million — just to roll out water meters across the region. Now think about that for a second, please. This is not fixing the pipes. Not stopping the leaks. Not upgrading the system that's literally spilling out under our feet every single day. No — just for water meters. We were told this would be under control. We were told this was the plan. We were told this would fix things. Back in 2020, the estimate was $144 million. Thenall of a sudden it doubled to $300 million. Then $412 million. Now we're staring down the barrel of nearly $600 million. That is not a plan to me— that is a runaway train. And I go back — I keep going back — to that moment a couple of years ago in New World, doing my shopping, bumping into former councillor Tim Brown. He looked me in the eye and said he'd just come from a water meeting, he said “water rates are going to go crazy.” Well Tim, with respect — you undersold it. You didn't say: “Get ready to wonder if you can actually afford to live here anymore.” I wanted more from you, if you knew it was that bad I wanted you to tell me to pack up and get out of town quickly, because it cannot be any worse. Because that's where we're heading. This is the part that really gets me: we're being told this is necessary, that this is smart, that this is the fix. No one disagrees with that. And yet even supporters are saying the numbers are — and I quote — “nonsensical.” When you've got politicians, former councillors, and everyday Wellingtonians all looking at the same figure and using the same word — nonsensical — maybe, maybe, just maybe, it is. That's not just inefficient. That's madness. And this is from a person that wants to have water meters, I'm supportive of water meters. And I'll say something that might make a few people uncomfortable this morning: why are we insisting on doing this ourselves if we clearly don't have the expertise? Even Tim Brown is questioning whether the new entity has the capability to run this rollout. He says they have no inhouse expertise on metering. So here's a radical idea — put it out to the world. Tender it internationally. Get the best operators, the most efficient systems, the sharpest pricing. I don't care if they come from Asia, Europe, wherever — just get it done properly, do it once and do it a hell of alot cheaper. Because right now, this city is becoming unaffordable. You've heard me say it before — and I'll keep saying it — how the hell are ordinary Wellingtonians supposed to stay in the city and keep up with these payments? How do we do it? At some point, enough is enough. And I reckon for me, we are there now. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Water meters from Tiaki Wai will cost rate payers $590 million to install – $178 million more than was estimated last year. Director of NZ Infrastructure Commission and former Wellington City Councillor Tim Brown shares his expertise on the cost of water metering. He is setting up a setting up a water users' advocacy group and called the figures "nonsensical." And should this project be done in house by Tiaki Wai or by tender? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the Business Panel this week Nick is joined in the studio by Harcourts CEO Marty Ritchie and Director of Trinity Group and Treasurer of Hospitality NZ Jeremy Smith. The panel talk business in the capital, they share their wins, struggles and hopes with working in the city. Ritchie shares how the real estate market is looking - with his expertise with the Kapiti Coast, Porirua and in the city. What trends is he seeing? What are buyers asking for? And Smith tells us how it is trying to sell his business and how hard it is to make a business profitable in this climate. How is hospo holding up with all these external political and economic factors? Smith calls the hospitality industry "the canary in the coal mine." Also, what do they look for in employees? How do you deal with the uncertainty doing business in NZ? How are they finding the public mood in the city - and are our people the saviours? And our panellists give their thoughts on the state of the city and our council. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Friday Faceoff, and Nick is joined in the studio by former Wellington Mayor and Director of Dot Loves Data Justin Lester and Wellington City Councillor Nicola Young. The hot issues of the week - like the release of emails between the Foreign Minister and Prime Minister through NZ First. Is this a political move or a genuine mistake? And who is in charge in this coalition? Then onto the cost of social housing to the council, rates, our local economy and the pains of being a Wellingtonian. And when will we see the light. Maiki Sherman, TVNZ and the politicians - what should be done, and what is the standard of professionalism that we should expect from those in the Beehive. Then our guests take a deeper dive into the alcohol culture in parliament, and in workplaces. As the Prime Minister has pulled out of his weekly breakfast slot, Lester and Young faceoff over whether this is acceptable, and does this alter the public's perception of Luxon? And with our panel's council expertise we hear what they think of the "frivolous" spending of council. Young says this is due to the officials, how do we align the councillors and officials spending? Plus, what do Young and Lester think of the bill the Green Party are trying to get through which stops prosecutions for low level drug crimes when people call for support during an overdose. And the panel give their hots and nots. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To kick off the sports weekend Nick is joined by Adam Cooper and Jason Pine. Starting with the Hurricanes. Ruben Love celebrates his 50th game. Jason says this is the best Hurricanes team since 2015, do our panel agree? Do we expect them to do well now instead of hope? We will see, when they play the Crusaders tonight at Hnry Stadium. The first leg of the semis for the Phoenix Women is on tomorrow, it is the furthest they have ever gone - could they do what no other Phoenix men OR women's team have done and take out the competition? Plus, the crew chat the two wins for the Wellington Saints and the progress the Pulse are making this season. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick is joined in the studio today by Finance Minister Nicola Willis for her monthly catch-up. This week news broke over a verbal dispute between journalists at Nicola Willis's pre-budget office drinks. Nick gets to the bottom of what happened, and why it took nearly a year to reveal to the public. Then with the public spats between the Prime Minister, Willis and Winston Peters - is the coalition collapsing, coming up to election time. And who is making the decisions - Peters or Luxon? Willis also discusses the mood in the country with fuel hikes and global uncertainty. When will we see improvement, and how is the budget looking? And how did the caucus meeting and vote of confidence go? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EDITORIAL: Overnight, we've learnt that behind closed doors, at the very start of this war in Iran, our own Government wasn't quite on the same page. And as a New Zealander watching all of this unfold, what I wanted—what I think most of us wanted—was a clear, confident line about where we as a country stand. Instead, we've got emails, pushback—and a pretty uncomfortable question about who's actually in charge. Because cast your mind back to that first stand-up. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, fronting media, being pushed hard—simple question: does New Zealand support the strikes? And he couldn't give a straight answer. He said we “acknowledge” them—but wouldn't say support, wouldn't oppose. And at the time, that felt messy and unclear. It felt, frankly, like a bit of a wobble—and that's when the questions around his leadership really started to heat up. But now—now we've got a bit more context. Because the emails released under the Official Information Act show that, behind the scenes, Luxon was at least open to shifting New Zealand's position—looking at aligning more closely with countries like Australia, who explicitly supported the US-led action. And at the very same time, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and his team were saying: absolutely not. The advice was to hold the line. Stay neutral. Don't move toward explicit support—it would be “imprudent” and against New Zealand's national interest. So now you look back at that dress disastrous stand-up and you have to ask: was Luxon unclear because he didn't know what he thought? Or was he being pulled in two different directions at once? Because that's a very different story. Now, here's the interesting part. The position we ended up with—that careful middle ground of acknowledging but not supporting—actually lines up with public sentiment. An Ipsos poll in April showed 87% of Kiwis don't want military involvement, 83% think it would escalate things further, and about three-quarters don't think it's worth higher fuel prices. So the outcome? Probably right. But the process? That's where this gets shaky. Because what we've seen is internal disagreement, emails being released publicly by the Foreign Minister's office, a late-night Beehive meeting—and an admission from Peters that releasing those emails was a mistake. But Winston Peters doesn't make mistakes. That's not a Government speaking with one voice. And I'll say this—Winston Peters is experienced, he's a global operator, and he knows exactly how to play the diplomatic game. But when it starts to feel like he's the one holding the reins, and the Prime Minister is reacting— You've got to ask the question: Who's actually running the country? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.