Podcast appearances and mentions of Chris Bishop

New Zealand's sporting success could lead to economic growth. The government's launched a Sport Diplomacy Strategy paper today with the goal of leveraging our sporting reputation globally. Sports Minister Chris Bishop told Ryan Bridge that there's plenty of opportunities, including the Blackcaps in India, where the government's trying to ink a free trade deal. He says another is the All Blacks playing in the U.S later this year. He says investors will be going to the game and there will be a series of events to drum up interest in New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know how the Prime Minister does a very good job of batting away poll results and saying that his focus is fixing up the joint after the last lot and that he'll wait until election day to be judged? I don't think he will find it quite as easy to do that with these results out today from the NZ Herald's annual Mood of the Boardroom survey. The annual survey of about 150 business leaders – 125 of them being CEOs of major New Zealand companies. People like Port of Auckland boss Roger Gray, the head of Tower Insurance Paul Johnston and Forsyth Barr boss Neil Paviour-Smith. One of the things that comes out in the survey results is a ranking of the performances of our Cabinet ministers. How these business leaders think of each minister is doing. Top of the list is Erica Stanford – she's the highest ranking. Winston Peters is in second place and Chris Bishop is third. The Prime Minister is ranked 15th. In last year's survey, he was sixth. Even Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk, who sits outside cabinet, ranks higher than the PM in 10th place. The other big name outside the top 10 is Finance and Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis – the bosses at our biggest companies have ranked her in 13th place. Which is not good news for the Government. Because what's coming through loud and clear is that the business community has no faith that there is a plan to get the country “back on track”. We're way more than halfway through the Government's current term and our most senior business leaders are asking: “What is your plan Prime Minister?" I think this result out today is way worse for the Government than any political poll result so far. When you've got business leaders ranking the Finance Minister 13th and the Prime Minister 15th, this is a government in strife, isn't it? The reason I think this will hurt Christopher Luxon more than any of the other poll results he's managed to bat away or put a brave face on for, is that these are his people. Before he entered politics, he was one of them. He probably even took part in these surveys when he was chief executive at Air New Zealand. He's the people he's talking to when he goes on about signs of green shoots in the economy. These are the people he's talking to when he talks about getting runs on the board. The people who have said he's the 15th-best performing cabinet minister. The people he's talking to with his quarterly action plans, deliverables, KPIs, decision gates, and value chains. But his people still don't know what he's trying to do. They still don't know what his plan is. Which is why I think he will really be feeling this today. Because even his people don't get him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Council's Policy and Planning committee met yesterday to vote on a new plan that would zone the city for two million homes, primarily around train stations and rapid bus routes.  This plan is a response to legislation put forward by housing minister Chris Bishop which requires councils across the country to zone for higher density housing. This plan has not been without controversy, with councillors claiming that Aucklanders are being “put to the firing squad”  Deputy PM David Seymour has publicly disagreed with his own housing minister, arguing that suburbs like Epsom and Parnell don't have the right infrastructure to accommodate for this growth.  Advocates for the plan, including mayor Wayne Brown argue that the council cannot continue to drag its feet on the need for housing that is closer to the city, and is more affordable. They argue that it's better to build in places with pipes, public transport routes and job opportunities.  The plan passed with a majority last evening, so Producer Sanat talked to Councilor Julie Fairey about the plan change and what it means for the future of the city.

You know how the Prime Minister does a very good job of batting away poll results and saying that his focus is fixing up the joint after the last lot and that he'll wait until election day to be judged? I don't think he will find it quite as easy to do that with these results out today from the NZ Herald's annual Mood of the Boardroom survey. The annual survey of about 150 business leaders – 125 of them being CEOs of major New Zealand companies. People like Port of Auckland boss Roger Gray, the head of Tower Insurance Paul Johnston and Forsyth Barr boss Neil Paviour-Smith. One of the things that comes out in the survey results is a ranking of the performances of our Cabinet ministers. How these business leaders think of each minister is doing. Top of the list is Erica Stanford – she's the highest ranking. Winston Peters is in second place and Chris Bishop is third. The Prime Minister is ranked 15th. In last year's survey, he was sixth. Even Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk, who sits outside cabinet, ranks higher than the PM in 10th place. The other big name outside the top 10 is Finance and Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis – the bosses at our biggest companies have ranked her in 13th place. Which is not good news for the Government. Because what's coming through loud and clear is that the business community has no faith that there is a plan to get the country “back on track”. We're way more than halfway through the Government's current term and our most senior business leaders are asking: “What is your plan Prime Minister?" I think this result out today is way worse for the Government than any political poll result so far. When you've got business leaders ranking the Finance Minister 13th and the Prime Minister 15th, this is a government in strife, isn't it? The reason I think this will hurt Christopher Luxon more than any of the other poll results he's managed to bat away or put a brave face on for, is that these are his people. Before he entered politics, he was one of them. He probably even took part in these surveys when he was chief executive at Air New Zealand. He's the people he's talking to when he goes on about signs of green shoots in the economy. These are the people he's talking to when he talks about getting runs on the board. The people who have said he's the 15th-best performing cabinet minister. The people he's talking to with his quarterly action plans, deliverables, KPIs, decision gates, and value chains. But his people still don't know what he's trying to do. They still don't know what his plan is. Which is why I think he will really be feeling this today. Because even his people don't get him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's Chris Bishop and Labour's Kieran McAnulty spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

In today's episode, National's Chris Bishop and Labour's Kieran McAnulty join the political panel, the chief executive of the New Zealand College of Midwives is urging New Zealanders to dismiss Donald Trump's assertions that taking paracetamol while pregnant can lead to autism in the baby, the chief executive of Hospice New Zealand has this morning joined 35 other groups in an open letter urging the Government to back down on plans to ban payment surcharges, the government's overhauling the way annual leave and sick pay entitlements work, Ngati Tuwharetoa and te iwi Maori are in mourning following the passing of ariki and paramount chief, Te Tumu Te Heuheu Tukino the seventh.

I have to say that the Herald's Mood of the Boardroom survey pretty much sums up my mood too. Yes, there are some excellent and capable ministers doing great work within their portfolios, and let's not forget how rare and wonderful that is, given the past administration. Come in Erica Stanford, Winston Peters, Chris Bishop, Simeon Brown – all good performers, all doing well, all delivering. But when it comes to the economy, one of the main platforms upon which National campaigned, the performance is less than impressive. CEOs have sent a clear message to Finance Minister Nicola Willis in the survey. She has to hold the pro-growth line, sharpen delivery, and set out a long-term vision that brings investors back on side. The Government's going for growth agenda has five key pillars: developing talent, competitive business settings, global trade and investment, innovation, technology and science, and infrastructure, which form the backbone of Willis's economic strategy. In the beginning, New Zealand's business leaders gave Willis the benefit of the doubt. In 2024, the CEOs credited her with a strong start. Not anymore. She failed to make the top 10 top performers in the survey. As did Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. He came in for some criticism. Business leaders said he needs to listen more. He's got a mantra that's started to grate, and he knows that. They say he rates very highly when it comes to ensuring his cabinet ministers are focused and delivering. True. He actually rates reasonably well on keeping a coalition together. But the report found Luxon did not score well for building business confidence, his own political performance, and on transforming the economy. So, on those areas, he's got a lot of work to do, as Forsyth Barr managing director Neil Paviour-Smith told Mike Hosking this morning. “There are reasons to be optimistic, but hoping is not a strategy. And the business community is looking for stronger leadership from the Prime Minister and Finance Minister around some of these core long-term issues and the structural deficits of New Zealand.” They are mainly concerned, the business leaders, with boosting productivity. They want a step change that includes a boost in skill, innovation, and technology, not tinkering around the edges. They say they need to see a programme for retraining and reorienting the workforce, especially those at the lower end of the wage spectrum. They say that tax and regulatory settings need to be reformed. We need to accelerate research and development and grow high-value sectors. Infrastructure, well we talked about that yesterday. There's a need for delivery of infrastructure, not just more announcements. They want shovel-worthy projects ready as financing costs ease. Immigration and education settings came through strongly. We've lost a lot of highly skilled people out of the construction industry in the last 18 months. Now with the taps about to turn on, how do we ramp up to ensure there's capacity in the market? They also called for a compelling vision that stretches beyond a three-year election cycle. Again, what we were discussing yesterday. So there's a lot to work on. And Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis would do well to heed the advice, the criticism, and the positive remarks made by the business leaders. All of these things we know, and all of these things we've said. And while it is true that Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori aren't inspiring confidence amongst business leaders to put it mildly. As a country, we need more, we should want more than the least rubbish of two coalition governments. Waiting for the economic cycle to finish its rotation is not the vision New Zealanders were promised when a centre-right government was elected. They said there would be growth, there would be productivity, that good times were coming. Yes, it was a mess. They said they had the answer. They promised that. This coalition government, the National Party in particular, has to do better. Not just for the sake of their own political futures, but for the sake of the country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show… Duncan Garner hosts a panel with Morris Williamson and Ashley Church to discuss the current state of New Zealand politics. They delve into the struggles of the National Party, the potential leadership challenge for Christopher Luxon by Chris Bishop and Erica Stanford, and New Zealand's recent economic downturn.  Website: https://www.rova.nz/home/podcasts/duncan-garner---editor-in-chief Instagram: @DuncanGarnerpodcast  TikTok: @DuncanGarnerpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My confidence is shot and my patience is wearing thin. That's my answer to the question I've got for you. Which is: How would you rate your level of confidence in and patience with the Government? After yesterday's GDP result, the knives are well-and-truly out. We've got former Finance Minister Sir Roger Douglas saying Nicola Willis isn't up to the job and should resign. Add to that a new poll result which says that 55% of us think the country is on the wrong track and 45% of us think the current government is worse than the previous Labour government. Sir John Key isn't having a bar of resignation talk about Nicola Willis, though. He says out of anyone in the current government, she is far and away the best person to be Finance Minister and Economic Growth Minister. He thinks she has the goods to deliver better economic days – but what else was a former National prime minister going to say? Two people I was talking to last night who voted for National at the last election weren't as generous as Sir John. And they, like I do, think Sir Roger is right – Nicola Willis isn't up to the job. Which is why my confidence has gone. As for my patience wearing thin, what I'm saying there is that I'm prepared to give the Government a little bit more time to show that it's listening. Proof of that would be moving Nicola Willis on and giving Chris Bishop the job. He's the only person in this Government who I think would be better than Nicola Willis. But just because the pickings are slim, it doesn't mean changes shouldn't be made.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland is under pressure to make space for two million homes, and councillors have little choice in the matter. On September 24, the city’s policy and planning committee will decide whether to press ahead with the existing Plan Change 78, which allows three-storey housing across most of the city, or back a new plan that concentrates apartment blocks up to fifteen storeys around key transport hubs. Both options have sparked heated debate. From fears of flooding and towers overshadowing suburban homes, to arguments that the city desperately needs more density to tackle the housing crisis. Minister for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop has made it clear that Auckland must provide for growth, while promising locals a stronger voice in how it plays out. So, what’s really at stake for Aucklanders — and how much power does the council actually have? Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald senior reporter Simon Wilson joins us to break down the battle over Auckland’s housing future. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host/Editor: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government is facing push back from residents over its aspiration to bring more concerts to Eden Park. RMA Reform minister Chris Bishop spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

On todays show... discusses the latest RNZ poll, which shows a hung parliament with a 60-60 deadlock. Garner highlights the growing influence of Chris Bishop from the National Party, emphasizing his bold speech in Parliament where he called the Māori Party and Greens 'clowns and racists' Get in touch with Duncan - duncan@rova.nz and join us on the socials. Website: https://www.rova.nz/podcasts/duncan-garner-editor-in-chief-live Instagram: @DuncanGarnerpodcast TikTok: @DuncanGarnerpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 16th of September, the state of our economy took another hit with the 18th straight month of contractions in our services sector. Q2 GDP numbers on Thursday will be fascinating. Yet again we are looking at Eden Park and whether more concerts could be held there. Can we just get on and do something about it? Alan Davies of Jonathan's Creek and QI fame is on for a chat about his new book titled "White Male Stand-Up". Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Claims the current Eden Park rules are comical. The Government's looking at settings including the number of concerts held at the Auckland stadium and their duration. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says there will be a four to six week investigation period. He told Mike Hosking he won't be making a pre-emptive decision on what needs to change. Bishop says even though he's publicly stated that the rules are stupid, he will follow the proper process. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Towards the end of last week, the government announced a number of measures aimed at expanding the available support services for rough sleepers. One of the five immediate actions, announced by housing minister Chris Bishop and Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka, included expanding the Housing First programme to fund up to 300 additional social homes for people already engaged with Housing First but still sleeping rough, however, both the Green Party and a number of city missioners have said that this wouldn't be enough to accommodate the total number of people on the social housing waitlist in Aotearoa. Additionally, earlier this week, Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle recently announced their resignation from parliament. Doyle announced that the reason for their resignation was a series of threats and ongoing abuse they'd received in March onwards, spurred by comments NZ First leader Winston Peters made about their social media posts.  And last Thursday, statistics released by Immigration NZ revealed that approximately 20,980 people in New Zealand had overstayed their visa, following a previous study in 2017 estimated the amount of overstayers at around 14,000. In response, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford announced a series of changes to the immigration act, which included: allowing criminals to be deported for serious crimes even if they have been permanent residents for up to 20 years, triggering deportations for providing false or misleading information, and crimes committed before coming to New Zealand. For our weekly catch up with the Green Party, Wednesday Wire Host Oto spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March to discuss all these issues.

There's a stoush brewing over the future of Auckland's plan for housing intensification. Auckland Council is meeting later this month to decide on its new draft plan for the city which could reshape the city and create up to two million homes. Chris Bishop has said he wants to see the Resource Management Amendment Bill changed so buildings up to 15 storeys high can be built around City Rail Link stations. But ACT leader David Seymour has said parts of the plan are not necessary, and spoke to Lisa Owen.

There's been some new proposals regarding the future of housing density in Auckland, and it's prompted plenty of debate and discussion. The draft plan would see more dense housing built around key transport hubs, like the new City Rail Link. Housing Minister Chris Bishop says Auckland needs to allow for more housing, and there's a long-term plan in place for the city's future. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The battle over intensification of housing has reached cabinet level, with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Housing Minister at odds over Chris Bishop's plan to get hundreds of thousands of houses built in the super city. “It's 2 million,” I hear you say. “They want to build two million houses.” Well, the Housing Minister addresses this in his column in this morning's Herald. There will be the ability for the council to consent two million homes. That doesn't mean they will all be built, as he says, the Auckland unitary plan enabled around a million homes. Ten years later, only around 10% of that enabled capacity has actually turned into new housing. The idea that a plan change that enables two million homes is suddenly going to result in two million homes being built in the short term is nuts, he says. Housing capacity does not immediately mean construction. It means the ability to do it, and it means infrastructure can be sequenced and coordinated to support it. He said, "I expect that the housing capacity the Auckland Council is enabling through this new plan change will support Auckland's growth over the next 30 to 50 years." Chris Bishop says in the past week or so we've seen an almost unprecedented level of misinformation spread about the new draft plan change. He says Auckland is not about to be overrun with sky-riser apartments. The tree-lined streets of the suburbs are not about to be destroyed. Raw sewage will not be bubbling up onto the footpaths or into the Waitematā. The Deputy Prime Minister, who is also the MP for a suburb of tree-lined streets, says the new plan is flawed and he will lobby for changes. He told a public meeting last week that he and supporters must impress on Chris Bishop that this plan is not necessary and it will have negative unintended consequences, as he told Mike Hosking on the Mike Hosking Breakfast this morning. “The plan that has been produced by Auckland Council, as Chris Bishop noted in his column this morning, that requires almost no greenfield development, all intensification. It requires half of Parnell to have 50-metre buildings. Now, I just make the point that, you know, it's only two years ago that we had a building fall into a sinkhole because a 120-year-old brick sewer underneath Parnell imploded and everything fell down into it and we had two years of fixing that up. So, the idea you're going to intensify at that rate there, doesn't make sense. “So, we've got an improvement, but now we've got, an obligation, I think, to make sure that we really go through this from an Auckland perspective and make sure that the plan actually makes sense.” I think, David Seymour, as the MP for Epsom, makes a very good point. There was a great big sinkhole in Parnell because the pipes imploded. Their necessary infrastructure wasn't there. And I wish every single time the government or the council or developers talked about houses, they added the words ‘and the supporting infrastructure'. I can see where both ministers are coming from. We need more housing and supporting infrastructure in all of New Zealand cities. Chris Bishop is passionate about this. He wants to get housing affordability down, the best way to do that is to increase the supply of houses and the supporting infrastructure. But I'm wary of his comment in his column that cities aren't museums, that our streets should not be shrines to the past. Chris Bishop was only a baby when the wholesale destruction of Auckland's Victorian and Edwardian buildings took place. He didn't experience the horror of seeing beautiful old buildings torn down and replaced with priapic smoked glass monstrosities erected in the name of men's egos. Hideous. Not all old buildings are created equal. Not every single building born and erected before 1900 should be saved and preserved in aspic, but we need to keep some links with our past. To know where we're going, we need to know where we've been. We need more housing. We need more affordable housing. We need a variety of housing. It can't all be created equal. Chris Bishop says too in his columns, that he's perplexed by the council's aversion to new greenfield housing, big new subdivisions on the city fringe. He says that he's in favour of greenfield housing where the infrastructure costs can be recovered from new residents. He says in his view, the council should be zoning more for this sort of housing. The new draft plan is a missed opportunity, he says, but it's a draft and the council has a chance to improve it. But I guess the council's looking at arable land. You can't just soak up the land where food is produced to plonk more people there. So, what would you rather? Go up, the high-density apartment buildings? Go out? The greenfield housing on the outskirts of the city where you contribute towards the cost of the infrastructure needed to have long-term viable housing there? Can we have a little bit of everything? A little bit of the old buildings, a little bit of the heritage buildings, a few tree-lined streets, apartment living for those who, who want it and love it. I'm wary of more big subdivisions on the city fringe because I'm mindful that land is usually good land for growing food. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former New Zealand Prime Ministers John Key and Helen Clark will attend a large Chinese military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Chinese victory against Japan in World War Two. The ceremony in Tiananmen Square on Wednesday will also feature leaders like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. National Minister Chris Bishop says he thinks the invitation reflects the historical circumstances of their Governments. "Helen Clark and John Key - their Governments had good relations, we did the free trade deal under the Clark Government, which continued on." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Bishop has openly called for house prices to fall, saying we need to be channeling more money into the economy rather than having it locked up in housing. The Prime Minister says we need modest and consistent increases in property prices, to ensure the economy is growing. So what is actually best for New Zealand and the economy? CEO of The Property Lifestyle, Nichole Lewis, joins for the OneRoof Radio Show. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 25 August 2025, did the PM overstep when he said he thinks the Reserve Bank should have cut the OCR more than they did? Finance Minister Nicola Willis says no but banking expert Dr Claire Matthews says yes! The Police Association's Chris Cahill says senior police officers are being too harsh on their new young colleagues - after a survey found the oldies don't think the young ones are not up to scratch. A concert promoter and a hospitality boss weigh in on what we should do to attract more big events to NZ. Pic Picot tells Heather why he decided to sell a 51% stake of his brainchild Pic's Peanut Butter to an Australian company. Plus, the Huddle debates whether house prices need to fall, and whether Chris Bishop is just a brave politician saying it out loud. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani and Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! New data shows older police officers are concerned about the skills demonstrated by the younger graduates - is this a case of older cops projecting on young people or are their concerns valid? Housing Minister Chris Bishop recently said it was a good thing that house prices were dropping - what do we make of this? Prime Minister Chris Luxon recently claimed he would have liked the Reserve Bank to cut the OCR more. Was this out of line? Do we go on holidays with our friends? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'll tell you what I found interesting over the last few days it's the enormous surprise at the start, and now the debate about Chris Bishop saying it's a good thing that house prices are falling. He was asked about this on Friday and he said, yes, it's a good thing and that we've got to decouple the idea that the New Zealand economy is driven by house prices - labelling it 'artificial wealth'. The immediate response to that was shock that anyone could say it, but especially a National Party minister. And now, 3 days later, there are still newspaper pieces expressing surprise that he's got away with it - in contrast to for example, Metiria Turei, who got smacked down for it, and Jacinda Ardern, who wouldn't go there. And what's more, the surprise is that the Prime Minister has now apparently contradicted him and said, no, he does want some modest and consistent house price rises. Look, Chris Bishop has got away with it because he's right. It is actually a good thing that house prices have come back. It sucks. It sucks right now quite badly, doesn't it? Cause none of us feel wealthy as our house prices drop. And it is definitely prolonging the recession because we're not spending like we normally would when our house price values increase, which makes us feel wealthy. But it is the short-term medicine that this economy needs for improvement, because we cannot keep plowing our money into property - we should be putting it into productive investments, for example, buying shares in Pic's or whatever. Now, I know people who are actually changing their behaviour because of what is going on with house prices. I know a woman who earlier thought about buying an investment property, but didn't - and will put her money into shares instead because it's much of a muchness now. To answer the question of why Chris Bishop can get away with it, when Metiria Turei got punished for it and when Jacinda Ardern wouldn't even go there for fear of public backlash - is because it is already happening. He's not threatening to do it to us like those two birds might have. It is already happening to us. He's actually said it before, by the way, so he is consistent. And maybe, just maybe, enough of us have already realized that this is the pain we have to go through - as much as we hate it right now - for the sake of future generations. And also, by the way, I like the fact that he said something that he truly believes in, rather than saying something that he might have thought we all want to hear. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'll tell you what I found interesting over the last few days it's the enormous surprise at the start, and now the debate about Chris Bishop saying it's a good thing that house prices are falling. He was asked about this on Friday and he said, yes, it's a good thing and that we've got to decouple the idea that the New Zealand economy is driven by house prices - labelling it 'artificial wealth'. The immediate response to that was shock that anyone could say it, but especially a National Party minister. And now, 3 days later, there are still newspaper pieces expressing surprise that he's got away with it - in contrast to for example, Metiria Turei, who got smacked down for it, and Jacinda Ardern, who wouldn't go there. And what's more, the surprise is that the Prime Minister has now apparently contradicted him and said, no, he does want some modest and consistent house price rises. Look, Chris Bishop has got away with it because he's right. It is actually a good thing that house prices have come back. It sucks. It sucks right now quite badly, doesn't it? Cause none of us feel wealthy as our house prices drop. And it is definitely prolonging the recession because we're not spending like we normally would when our house price values increase, which makes us feel wealthy. But it is the short-term medicine that this economy needs for improvement, because we cannot keep plowing our money into property - we should be putting it into productive investments, for example, buying shares in Pic's or whatever. Now, I know people who are actually changing their behaviour because of what is going on with house prices. I know a woman who earlier thought about buying an investment property, but didn't - and will put her money into shares instead because it's much of a muchness now. To answer the question of why Chris Bishop can get away with it, when Metiria Turei got punished for it and when Jacinda Ardern wouldn't even go there for fear of public backlash - is because it is already happening. He's not threatening to do it to us like those two birds might have. It is already happening to us. He's actually said it before, by the way, so he is consistent. And maybe, just maybe, enough of us have already realized that this is the pain we have to go through - as much as we hate it right now - for the sake of future generations. And also, by the way, I like the fact that he said something that he truly believes in, rather than saying something that he might have thought we all want to hear. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two stories in the Herald today - one about the announcement from Christopher Luxon and Chris Penk yesterday, changing the building liability settings so ratepayers aren't burdened with picking up the tab that shonky developers, builders, or architects are responsible for. In the Herald story, they cite a case in Queenstown: the Oaks Shores body corporate filed a $160 million claim for weather type defects. The developer had been placed into voluntary liquidation and was not sued, so that meant every ratepayer in the Queenstown District was liable for the bill. If the case hadn't been settled privately, ratepayers could have faced rates increases of $300 a year for 30 years. I hate to think of what it's cost the Auckland Council when it comes to remediation of weather type defects, and it's still going on. Under the new rules, described as the biggest change to the building consent regime since it came into force in 2004, there'll be partial liability amongst the various parties involved in the development. At the moment, not only is it the cost, but councils have become increasingly risk averse because they don't want to sign off building consents and inspections if it means that they are liable if anything goes wrong and then ratepayers will have to pay. There's a real blockage in the system, Chris Penk says, and by having everybody share in the liability then that will help (they hope) clear blockages in the current system. Currently building owners can claim full compensation from any responsible party if there's something wrong with the home. If one of the parties can't pay because they've gone into voluntary liquidation, you can go to the other two, and usually that's the Council – deepest pockets, no option to walk away. The government's going to scrap the current framework and replace it with proportionate liability. Under this new model each party will only be responsible for the share of the work they carried out, which is great for ratepayers, great for councils, great for builders. Is it great for the homeowner? I wouldn't have thought so – you can only get the money back if the company is still there to sue. And if they've gone bust and if the Council's only liable for its bit, then you're not going to ever get anywhere near what you paid for a shonky building. This comes into the spotlight because we're looking at intensification and higher density of houses, which means throwing up more houses quickly. Chris Bishop, the RMA Reform Minister, has already told councils in our larger cities that they can opt out of the medium density residential standards that were introduced by the last government, that allowed for three storey developments on almost every residential property. But you can only abandon that if you adopt new planning rules to allow for an equivalent number of homes. In Auckland, that will mean the Council has to come up with two million homes over the coming decades. And how are they going to do that? Well, they've decided that they will build them along the transport lines, which makes sense. The suburb of Kingsland, for example, will see the removal of around 70 to 80% of the special character designation that preserves the cottages and villas, and 15 story apartment buildings will be thrown up in their instead because the suburb is close to the station on the Western line. Ten storey and 15 storey developments will be allowed within a 10 minute walk of some train stations, rapid bus stations, the edge of town centres. In Auckland, there's 44 walkable catchments. Height limits will be raised to six stories along more major transport corridors. And 12,000 properties will be down zoned, meaning it'll be harder to put new developments on them, or they won't be permitted at all because of natural hazards like flooding. If adopted, the plan will be open for public submission —this is specifically for Auckland— before the Council makes a final decision later this year. Auckland councillor Christine Fletcher is one who is vocal in her opposition to the density requirements, concerned that if it's not done well, it will give intensification a bad name. And when you look at some of the horrors that have been constructed around Auckland, you can understand why there would be concern. Bad enough to have a 15 story apartment building next to your bungalow bathed in all day sun, but if it's just in a constant state of remediation and fixing and disrepair and people having to abandon their apartments because it hasn't been done right and can't be fixed, it'll be even worse. It does have to be done right. There are areas of extreme ugliness, hideous apartments, townhouses jammed together with very little in the way of green spaces, no public transport nearby, few amenities. But then you have developments like Stonefields and Hobsonville Point in Auckland, which I would argue have been done very well. You might be able to point to parts of Hamilton and Napier where there has been intensification of housing. Outside of Christchurch, farmland has become residential in its nature, with developments there. Those that are done well are done very well. Those that are done poorly are just a blight on the landscape and a burden around the neck of anyone who buys them. How on earth are you going to have any confidence in buying a new build when partial liability is being introduced? When you can't get back what you spend because each party is only responsible for their little bit and so many of them will be able to do a flit? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 13 August 2025, Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins and other former Labour Ministers have declined to give evidence at a public Covid inquiry. National's Chris Bishop says it's "disgraceful". Drama in Parliament, with Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick kicked out of the House for the second day in a row. Former Speaker Sir David Carter says Gerry Brownlee is right to crack down on MPs misbehaving. Bad news if you have kids at secondary school. Teachers are going on strike next Wednesday and PPTA president Chris Abercrombie tells Heather just how big a payrise they're after. Kiwi woman Sarah Shaw is still in a US detention centre with her 6-year old. Her lawyer speaks to Heather. Plus, the Huddle debates whether Chloe Swarbrick deserved her suspensions - and whether the ex-ministers should front up to the Covid inquiry. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Current and former Labour leaders and ministers deciding not to appear at the Royal Commission's Covid inquiry is being described as 'disgraceful'. Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson and Ayesha Verrall, who were all involved in Covid decisions - have declined invitations to appear. They say it would have been performative - not informative - and there's a risk livestream recordings could be manipulated and misused. National MP Chris Bishop says they should front up because New Zealanders deserve answers over the scale of Covid spending, which is still having impacts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm happy to report to you that it looks like some of us want to play the old 'should Luxon be rolled' game. In the wake of the not-so-great polls that came out yesterday, there is a column by Andrea Vance - who I am name-checking because she's good and credible, and not just some junior reporter with an opinion. In her column, she predicts that Luxon is in trouble, that his caucus is getting impatient, that speculation about his leadership has reached fever pitch - and that if it doesn't improve, she is not sure that he's going to be the one leading the National Party at election time this time next year. Now, if this is really what National MPs are considering, they should ditch that idea immediately because Luxon's not their problem. I mean, he is a problem. There's no debate that with personal popularity sitting at about 20 percent, he is a drag on the National Party - but he is not their actual problem. Their actual problem is that the economy is stuffed and that they haven't yet figured out what to do to fix it, even though they've had 18 months. And it really doesn't matter who the leader is, whether it's Nicola or Chris Bishop, or Erica, or Mark Mitchell or Golden Balls, it doesn't matter. They still will not have a plan for the economy. Now, if they're worried about their polling right now, they should try playing the game of musical leadership chairs and see what happens to their polling then, because they're still not going to have a plan for the economy - but then they'll also have voters feeling like it's a shambles up the top in the Beehive and not sure what's going on there. Yes, they have a problem and yes, you can see it in the polls. So fix it. Come up with a solution. Come up with a credible plan for fixing the economy now and into the future. That is where the Nats should be directing their energy, not into undermining Chris Luxon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister says the petrol tax needs replacing - to keep up revenue for maintaining roads. Chris Bishop's announced universal road user charges will be implemented for all vehicles, to be paid like a bill. The Government wants payments to reflect road-use, not a vehicle's fuel-efficiency. Bishop says with 350,000 hybrids on the road, fewer people are paying fuel taxes. He explained the national land transport fund's revenue is slowly diminishing - which is needed to maintain existing roads and build new ones. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Building Nations conference kicked off today, with the nation's major political parties seemingly aligned on future infrastructure. National's Chris Bishop and Labour's Kieran McAnulty spoke this afternoon, and they appeared to be united about future partnerships. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full interview: Senior minister Chris Bishop discusses the job losses currently being seen in the construction sector, and answers questions on whether his government's policies on infrastructure are a contributing cause. . Q+A also asks him about recent data on homelessness and rough sleeping, with Bishop indicating an openness to possible “tweaks” in policies that homelessness advocates argue have led to an increase in people sleeping on the street. . And as the newly appointed campaign chair, Bishop discusses whether Christopher Luxon's low preferred Prime Minister ratings are a cause for concern, and defends the government's decision to limit election enrolment to the day before advance voting begins.

Ex National MP and former mayor of Auckland Christine Fletcher is condemning Housing Minister Chris Bishop's proposed Auckland housing fix. Fletcher spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Housing Minister believes homelessness data can be hard to analyse as there's no one-size-fits-all description. The Government's June Homelessness Insights suggests communities countrywide are facing more pressure, with people living on the streets. Councils and support services say rough sleeping's increased everywhere, doubling by some measures over 24 months. Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking homelessness has been a lasting issue, and deals with complex issues. He says sometimes it encompasses challenges that include mental health, addiction, and family violence. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show...  - 'Pull your heads in and pull your socks up!' Chris Bishop tells local government to start cutting back or be cut.  - And Shane Jones winds up the left saying more mining is coming and the opposition can barely put up any argument against it. Do they need notes? Are they really opposed to the extraction of anything? Or was it just Jacinda's mad moment? Website: https://www.rova.nz/home/podcasts/duncan-garner---editor-in-chief Instagram: @DuncanGarnerpodcast  TikTok: @DuncanGarnerpodcast 

Senior Cabinet Minister Chris Bishop has launched a broadside at local government at a conference in Otautahi-Christchurch.The RMA Reform and Infrastructure Minister has said councils are crying out for more from central government, but have stood in the way of growth and been unwilling to cut their own cloth, and New Zealanders are noticing. At the Local Government New Zealand opening day, Chris Bishop also announced the government is halting what it says is pointless council planning work ahead of its major shake-up of resource management laws. Otautahi reporter Timothy Brown was at the conference spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Put your hand up if you've ever had a bus suddenly pull out in front of your car while you're driving along, minding your own beeswax. I know. It's happened to everyone. They're long things aren't they, buses? So you can be halfway past one when they pull out, and all of a sudden you're slamming on the brakes or you're pushed into the wrong lane. I don't mind admitting that until this very morning, I had assumed that buses must have had the right of way. They seem to take no prisoners. They have no mercy. They're as ruthless on the road as the All Blacks at the Cake Tin on Saturday night. But I was reading an article this morning from the Spinoff about a bunch of changes to road rules that Chris Bishop wants to enact. One of them is giving buses right of way when they're exiting bus stops. So if you're driving a car, you must yield. Give way. Slow down, or more likely, stop completely to let them out. The theory is that buses carry more passengers than cars. If we prioritise the buses, more people will get where they need to go. Productivity increases. And we're all better off. And you know what? I can get onboard with that. It makes sense, and I sort of thought that was the law anyway. But if we motorists are going to do something nice for the buses, then I want something in return. I want those stupid green bus lanes that sit empty most of the day as traffic piles up around them back. I want us to reclaim the road for the people who are actually using it. I understand the need for rush-hour/peak bus lanes. But I don't understand why they must be bus lanes 24/7 when they're 1 - not being used by buses and 2 - causing massive delays, inconvenience and lost productivity to the rest of us. The default position is that bus lanes are 24/7 unless sign posted otherwise. The one in particular that rips my nightie is in central Auckland - where most bus lanes are 24/7. Does anybody else have this problem - or am I just another selfish motorist fuming in midday traffic? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A clear message from the Government: New Zealand can't succeed if Auckland doesn't succeed. The Government's agreed to negotiate with Auckland Council on a 10-year deal to boost housing, infrastructure, and economic growth in our largest city. It's also agreed to negotiate similar deals with Western Bay of Plenty and Central Otago. Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking the deal will align local and central government on up-zoning, rapid transit, and innovation precincts. He says Auckland is New Zealand's main international city and is a big driver of economic growth around the country. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's slamming the requirement for builders of a new Ikea in Auckland - to consult with seven mana whenua groups. Consent for the Sylvia Park store requires iwi consultation around erosion, stormwater treatment, and planting. ACT's Simon Court flagged the issue, and the Prime Minister's called it insane. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says it's ridiculous - and why we can't have nice things in New Zealand. "And it's exactly the reason why we are ultimately repealing and replacing the RMA with new legislation. This is the red tape that gets in the way and drives up the costs." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Infrastructure Minister agrees we're getting bad value for money and need trans-government systems to improve. The Infrastructure Commission's released a 30-year draft plan revealing its first look at how New Zealand needs to invest in our future. Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking half of all capital-intensive government agencies don't have asset registers, so don't know what they own or how to maintain it. He says what all parties need to agree on is focusing on asset maintenance, because we don't look after what we've already built. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's instructed Auckland Council to allow apartments at least 15 storeys high near key City Rail Link train stations. Density requirements around the Mt Albert and Baldwin Ave stations require at least 10 storey apartments, and requirements around the Maungawhau, Kingsland, and Morningside rail terminals have been increased from six storeys to 15. Simeon Brown and Chris Bishop say it will ensure Auckland takes economic advantage of the transformational investment in the city. AUT Future Environments Professor John Tookey told Mike Hosking that even the proposition of consenting a 15 storey building in the middle of a city isn't a five minute undertaking. His suspicion is it will take at least a decade to see any kind of measurable mass urban densification around the stations. He also told Hosking that the Government's interference in running Auckland is likely to cause significant political issues. Tookey says NIMBY-type arguments will likely crop up: why here, who's going to fund it, and how will it impact everyone else in the area? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has given itself new powers to override councils, if they their decisions will negatively impact economic growth, development or employment. Housing and RMA reform minister Chris Bishop has said the new regulation would stop councils stalling on housing developments. But the opposition said Bishop is annointing himself the chief council despot and it's a massive over-reach. While councils said they shouldn't be blamed for a lack of housing growth. Political reporter Giles Dexter reports.

A new regulation will give the government power to override council plans it considers harmful to the economy. RMA reform minister Chris Bishop says the move is temporary, while the Resource Management Act is overhauled. He spoke to Corin Dann.

I think this was the move of the week. Housing Minister Chris Bishop dropped the bombshell on local body operators that the Government has decided to give him the power to intervene around housing in local body decision making. Mind you, we could argue scrapping the calamitous Census was a good move, and indeed I'm a massive fan of reporting inflation data on a monthly basis, which sort of makes us look like a first world country. These are all good decisions. But as regards councils and housing, in the broader interests of this small country finally getting its fiscal act together, this move cannot come soon enough. The simple truth is we are over councilled. We have ludicrous numbers of local do-gooders in a vast array of fiefdoms making decisions that may, or may not, make any sense locally, far less incorporating themselves into the bigger national picture. Part of the problem is too often councils have not been up to much. Too many councils are littered with acrimony and in-fighting, progress is stalled, or watered down, or major work is ignored in favour of more headline grabbing material that makes the local representatives look good. Not all of course, but too many. From Tauranga, to Wellington, to Christchurch, to Invercargill; the infighting and dysfunction has become legendary. What you can say about central Government that you can't say about local Government is most of us took part in the democratic process and as a result this Government, rightly or wrongly, has a mandate to get on and do stuff. Mainly, stuff that got cocked up by the previous Government. If there has been a constant theme of this current Government, even from its broad-based supporters, it is that they haven't done as much as they might have. They have plans and ideas and announcements and KPIs. What they don't have is a vast array of results. They don't have tangible things that have been changed leading to us quite clearly being better off. With the Bishop announcement it would appear that message and the lack of traction is finally hitting home, and they have sat around the Cabinet table and worked out they have about a year left to put some major runs on the board so that election time is about delivery and not more promises. The country basically is too small for this many councils and committees. A lot of decisions have major national economic implications and as such, central Government has, or should have, a say. They will hate it of course. They will gnash and wail and moan about local democracy. But guess what? Big picture economic success is more important. The big picture, generally, is more important. The national story is more important. Christchurch learned this last week over their intensification scrap, which lasted years and cost them millions, that this Government is serious and on a central vs local head-to-head, only one side is coming out on top. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's work to tackle emergency housing appears to be paying off. Only about 500 families remain in emergency housing after one year of the Government's Priority One policy. It bumps families to the top of the social housing waiting list if they have dependent children and have spent more than 12 weeks in emergency housing. Almost a thousand families with more than two thousand children have been moved from emergency housing motel rooms into homes, since the policy took effect Housing Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking they're well on the way to solving the problem. He says under Labour's government, there were more than four-thousand families living in motels permanently. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 17th of June, we have good news around the number of families moved out of emergency housing and where they've gone. Small hint - it's not to cars or the streets. At 23 years old, Nico Porteous has decided he wants to retire from the Olympics, at the peak of his prime. He joined the show to delve into his decision. Former All Blacks coach Ian Foster has a new book out about leadership and his time in the top job, so he's on to talk all things pressure. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, the great rates upset has begun to unfold. Auckland this week got its long-awaited council valuations. Why people get excited about them, I have no idea. It's a rough guesstimate by a council. It takes into account the broadest of criteria, but people seem to live and die by them. The upset of course has come from the fact that the value of a lot of properties has dropped, while the rates bill is going up. So we get the cost-plus-accounting scandal that is council economic policy exposed. This is happening all over the country and it's a specific and broad-based problem. It's broad-based because it's inflationary and it's specific because depending on where you are depends on how bad the scandal is. Auckland properties are down 9% while rates are up over 7%. In Wellington values are down 24% and rates are up 16%. Nelson values are down 9% and rates are up 6%, so this whole idea that rates are linked to value is of course complete crap and always has been. In short, councils are inept and will spend forever, will waste your money forever, will plead poverty forever and will always find something that is critical and needs doing now. For example, Christchurch got shafted last week by Chris Bishop, when the council rejected the Government's intensification plan. The council didn't like it, spent three years and millions of dollars to go back and forward and to achieve what? Nothing. That's council for you. As Auckland mayor Wayne Brown said, "it is what it is". He's right because he knows a couple of home truths; no one is turning up for local body elections, so very few people will be held to account, and he also knows a lot of people will moan but ultimately do nothing about it. If ever there was a reason to get exercised over the way we are being played, this is it. Your asset has dropped but the bill is up. The bill, in theory, is based on the asset value. Nowhere else in life is this scam played and gotten away with, apart from local body politics. We have too many councils, too much representation, too many boards, too much incompetence, and every year the bill for it rises. Democracy only works if you take part. What better reason can there be this year than to get your voting paper, look at the value of your property, look at your rate rise, put a name to the con and vote them out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Tuesday Wire... For Dear Science our expert, Professor Allan Blackman, chatted with us about new theories about the big bang, maths anxiety, and the legitimacy of a silver Dutch basin. In our weekly catchup with the National Party's Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about Chris Bishop's comments at the Aotearoa Music Awards, the suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs from parliament, and the new Parent Boost Visa.  They also spoke to CEO of immigration advisory group Aims Global, Arunima Dhingra, about the Parent Boost Visa and how it addresses the issues migrants are facing in Aotearoa. And they spoke to the owner of Hard to Find Books, Warwick Jordan, about news that the bookshop's lease on Saint Benedicts Street will end at the start of next year.  Producer Faith spoke to Kate Stone from Justice for Palestine NZ, about why she thinks our government should recognise the state of Palestine. She also spoke to PhD student Yuan Gao from the University of Auckland's health psychology department, about her research on how robots can help people with dementia.

Parliament has been debating the proposed punishment for Te Pati Maori MPs who stood in front of ACT MPs and performed a haka in protest of the Treaty Principles Bill during its first reading. The proposed suspension is 21 days for the co-leaders, and 7 days for Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke. Last month's debate was cut short and delayed when Chris Bishop moved to postpone it until after the Budget. Political reporter Lillian Hanly spoke to Lisa Owen.

Senior government minister Chris Bishop said his comments directed at a performance at the Aotearoa Music Awards were due to his frustration at its politicisation. The minister was heard saying "what a load of crap' during Stan Walker's performance on Thursday, and while he says he should've kept his thoughts to himself, he's not going to apologise the musician. One of his Cabinet colleagues said he disagrees with the comments, while the opposition are pointing to the history of politics in music. Political reporter Giles Dexter has more.

Tuna topwater tactics, popper fishing tips, and offshore tuna gear setups—all in this week's report. The Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report is your best resource for the Gulf Shores Surf Fishing Report, Orange Beach Fishing Report, Dauphin Island Fishing Report, Mobile Bay Fishing Report, and Alabama saltwater fishing everywhere in between. For the anglers looking for a Gulf Shores surf Fishing Report, Gulf State Park pier fishing report, Orange Beach Fishing Report and Fort Morgan fishing report, look no further than the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report. Every week we bring you an "onshore" report for those anglers interested in a gulf shores surf fishing report or a gulf shores pier fishing report. This week we're talking to: Chris Bishop, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Yo Zuri North America. Chris shares how tuna fishing techniques have evolved and dives into the best strategies for targeting yellowfin, blackfin, and bluefin tuna using topwater poppers. We discuss the importance of long casting, reading fish behavior, and maximizing the effectiveness of the Yo Zuri Mag Popper with its magnetic weight transfer system. Chris also breaks down ideal rod and reel setups, heavy leader use, and fight tactics that help land big tuna faster and avoid shark predation. Whether you're new to popper fishing or refining your skills, there are plenty of great takeaways for serious offshore anglers. Don't forget about the AFTCO promotion for Great Days Outdoors Podcast Network listeners—text ALSFR to 779-345-2918 for a free camo sunglasses cleaner cloth with any AFTCO purchase! It's all brought to you whether it's good, bad, or ugly. Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you'd like us to email you the latest show, just head over to greatdaysoutdoors.com/asfr and we'll send it straight to your inbox every week. Keep Whackin' em!   Sponsors: Fishbites Dixie Supply and Baker Metal Killerdock Test Calibration Coastal Connection EXP Realty Great Days Outdoors Hilton's Realtime Navigator Bucks Island Marine Salts Gone Shoreline Plastics Saunders Yachtworks East Pass Broadbill Open Survival at Sea Tohatsu