Podcast appearances and mentions of chris hipkins

We don't hold back in this one. First, we deliver the brutally honest speech Chris Hipkins should have given. No spin. No tidy slogans. Just debt, KiwiBuild, light rail, inflation, energy policy and the reality of trying to do too much and delivering too little . It is satire, but it is grounded in real frustration. Then David Farrar joins us to talk numbers. A genuine dead heat in the polls. Sixty seats to the centre right, sixty to the centre left . We break down what that means, why Labour is playing it cautious, and why Winston Peters is polling higher during a term in government than almost anyone expected. Election year is here. If you want another shot at running the country, words are not enough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Labour's calling for caution, while agreeing with National that Auckland needs a new harbour crossing. The Infrastructure Commission last week suggested a toll as high as $9 to fund the new crossing - and also tolling the existing bridge. But Chris Hipkins ruled out tolling Auckland Harbour Bridge at his State of the Nation speech yesterday. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained why this position doesn't quite match Labour's earlier stance on extra costs for road users. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Isn't it amazing that, after all the time spent wringing our hands over the price of electricity, we still haven't bitten the bullet and gone full boar with solar energy? You might have heard Chris Hipkins hinting yesterday that, if Labour forms the next government, solar will be on the agenda. He isn't giving too much away but says, yes, ramping up the use of solar power will be one of Labour's election policies. There'll be no details, though, until after the Budget in May. That's because he wants to get a better idea of how much money he's got to play with. But, if last election is anything to go by, it looks like Labour might be resurrecting the policy it had back then of providing $4,000 grants to help people install solar panels. In my mind, it is ridiculous that we don't require new houses to be fitted out with solar panels. It would add to the cost of the build but, long-term, I think it would be a game changer. I'm not the only one who thinks this. Sir Ian Taylor is saying today that electrification is the future and solar is how we get there. Solar on homes. Solar on farms. Solar on commercial buildings. And I couldn't agree more. He says the cheapest electricity is the electricity you don't have to move. So his version of full-boar solar includes storage capacity - not just solar panels - at our houses, on our farms and on our commercial buildings. He says: “Every kilowatt generated where it is used is one that does not need to be transmitted across the country. that reduces losses. it reduces strain on the grid. and it reduces the need for expensive new transmission infrastructure that ultimately pushes power prices higher.” No argument from me. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons Full Show Podcast for the 24th of February 2026, Chris Hipkins delivered Labour's State of The Nation address yesterday and we wondered how it was received. Then, there's a scarcity of air traffic controllers and we went looking for solutions. Bunnings are planning deliveries by Uber - this could be a game changer! And to finish - pushback over the idea of asking guests to pay $75 a head for a wedding dinner. Get the Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons Podcast every weekday afternoon on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins delivered his State of the Nation speech in Auckland yesterday, with a promise a new Labour government would run an affordability lens on everything it does. Our political reporter Giles Dexter was at the speech and spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins delivered his State of the Nation speech in Auckland yesterday, with a promise a new Labour government would run an affordability lens on everything it does. Our political reporter Giles Dexter was at the speech and spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

This morning Chris Hipkins joined us for his weekly chat following his state of the nation speech yesterday; Plus, we spoke to RNZ's National Crime Correspondent Sam Sherwood who has uncovered some new details about the Jevon McSkimming investigation; Police minister, Mark Mitchell joined us responding to claims from the Police Association that officers aren't equipped to deal with rough sleepers; We spoke to the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists which says the country's neurologist shortage is a symptom of an unwell health system; And, Wellington Zoo has been inundated with injured birds since the region was hit by wild weather.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has just delivered his State of the Nation speech. But with no new policies announced is this really going to get him over the line in an election year? Bryce Edwards joined Jesse.

Labour's promising to be realistic as it shapes up election year ideas. Leader Chris Hipkins has delivered his State of the Nation address in Auckland at a Business Chamber event. The speech lacked new policy - but addressed concern around people leaving the country and the state of our tax system. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper voiced disapproval with the speech, and questioned whether Labour would be able to deliver on anything for Kiwi voters. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 23 February, 2026, the Genesis chief executive tells us why the energy company needs nearly $200 million from the Government. A Wellington councillor on whether the Government's "move-on" orders for homeless people will work. Chris Greenacre becomes interim coach of the Wellington Phoenix for a fourth time - should he just get the job? And on the Huddle, Trish Sherson and Josie Pagani give us their assessment of Chris Hipkins' State of the Nation speech. 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, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Remuneration Authority says more responsibility attracts more pay, as more local councillors see bigger pay rises. What do we make of this? The Government has proposed giving police more powers to move rough sleepers along. This has generated some backlash, but do we think this change is needed to improve New Zealand's city centres? Labour's Chris Hipkins has delivered his State of the Nation address in Auckland at a Business Chamber event. Did this make you feel more or less confident in Labour? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins says he doesn't want to make promises he'll have to change - announcing no new policy in Labour's State of the Nation address today. He says policies can wait until after the Budget, and he explained that he's made Labour's political priorities clear to the voters. Hipkins explained they party's not going to be making big sweeping promises ahead of the election this time round. "We're going to be promising things that we know we can deliver on, that are actually going to make a difference - but are actually going to solve the problems we've got as a country." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listening to Chris Hipkins' State of the Nation speech today, I found it really hard to take him seriously. The speech was mostly just a list of things wrong with the country right now, most of which anyone who can remember back five, six, seven years, knows were caused by him, Grant, Jacinda and Adrian Orr. Take this line, for example: “I see young New Zealanders - smart, hardworking, full of potential - making calculations that no young person should have to. Do I stay in the country I love, or do I leave to build the life I've worked for? It breaks my heart.” Well, it shouldn't break his heart - because he was warned about this. When he, Jacinda and Grant were contemplating those long Auckland lockdowns at the tail end of the pandemic, Treasury explicitly warned that young people would suffer the most. I quote: “The negative consequences are that low employment and income rates are shown to persist for young people well after recessions have waned.” - Treasury advice, 13 May, 2021. Now, we've already spent more than enough time debating whether the lockdowns should have happened - we don't need to do that again. But the consequences of those lockdowns are there in black and white. Young people would bear the brunt. So he can hardly complain now that young people are leaving the country. It was predicted. He complains about affordability. Well, it was during his Government that inflation spiked to 7.3 percent. Yes, some of it was global. But a lot of it was Grant Robertson allowing Adrian Orr to print billions of dollars. Again - right or wrong - we can debate that. But it was the actions of his Government that created the affordability crisis he now laments. He complains about unemployment. Unemployment is up because of the recession Adrian Orr engineered to bring down the inflation that, as I've just said, was created by him and Grant. Now, I'm not defending the National-led Government - that's not my job. Frankly, I think they could have done a lot more to tidy up the Government's books, that part has been woeful. But they did not create the mess that Chippy is complaining about. And it is beyond ironic to have him standing there saying, “Oh, look what a mess this is,” and proposing to be the man to fix it - when he was part of the team, in fact right up there in the top three of the team, that created the mess in the first place. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Credit to those 120 business people who went along to hear Chris Hipkins' State of the Nation address yesterday, hosted by the Auckland Business Chamber. Credit to those few people who watched it live, like my colleague Mike Hosking. My word, it was dull. And that is not me being a lickspittle mouthpiece for the Tory overlords. Have a listen to this: “I know we didn't get everything right when we were in government last time. Many of you have been very clear on what you think we did wrong. But one thing is clear, we were trying to do too much, too fast, and we weren't focused enough. We're going to be making further announcements later in the year as we get closer to the election. But I want to be very, very clear on this. I want to know that I can deliver on any promises that I make. That's the standard that I'll be holding myself to and our next Labour Government to. “Because frankly, Kiwis have had enough of promises that aren't kept. And I don't want to repeat that cycle. We won't try and do everything in our first term. We'll be focusing on what matters the most and delivering on those things. I'm not promising perfection. Where we make mistakes, I'll take responsibility for those. But I'm promising this: a government that puts the cost of living first, a government that partners with business to create jobs and raise wages, a government that invests in our people and backs our potential. Not just managing the country, building it.” Yes. So there was another 20 odd minutes of the same, 20 odd minutes. He banged on about affordability, that word was used a lot. Repeated the mantra I first heard when he came in for the quarterly catch up, and which we will no doubt hear throughout the campaign: jobs, health, homes. He went big on renewable energy, promised Labour would scrap the Government's proposed gas import terminal. Also went big on his future fund. As speeches go, he was no JFK. It is not one for the history books. But commentators say that was by design, like Tim Murphy from Newsroom. Tim says this was Labour trying to convey maturity, a little contrition, humility, and to claim it could be the adult in the room now and after the November 7 election. Luke Malpass from The Press says the speech was to present as a calm port in a cost of living storm, to be dependable, reliable, and boring even. That was the aim. Well, that's something Labour's achieved. Above all else, says Luke, at this stage of the game, to not change the strategy that has served Labour well so far, which is not say much, not do much, not announce much. And it has worked for them. When there is nothing that you can argue against, it's steady as she goes. They're just letting the Coalition Government make mistakes, or not work fast enough, or not be snazzy enough for the electorate, and they're just sitting there and collecting the votes of the centre, who are underwhelmed by the Coalition Government. Basically, they're saying vote for this Chris because he's not Christopher Luxon and we're not National. But that works both ways. You might not be wowed by the Coalition Government and the Prime Minister, but the message could be at least they're not Labour, Greens, and Te Pāti Māori, and at least Christopher Luxon isn't the Chris that was in charge last time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lara joins Rosetta and Milly for another week of political commentary - this week chatting about Chris Hipkins' State of The Nation Speech, and the Government's newly announced move-on orders for homeless populations in city centres. Whakarongo mai nei!

New legislation identified in the weekend with this government wanting to criminalize homelessness with their so called "move on orders" that could fine and/or imprison rough sleepers and the homeless. Tonight, Rawiri Waititi joins us LIVE at 9pm to talk over the issue and the TPM response to it.Chris Hipkins had his State of the Nation this morning that heavily focused on climate change and talked about how a capital gains tax would help pay for some of Labour's initiativesChristopher Luxon this morning talking to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB admitted "I don't take advice from people" like any of us ever thought otkerwise.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation

Tensions in Parliament today - with barbs traded between the Prime Minister and Opposition leader. Chris Luxon took a swipe at Labour's Chris Hipkins at Question Time over inflation. Speaker Gerry Brownlee told numerous MPs to cool down, after heckling from both sides. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper recapped the action from today. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As I watch Chris Hipkins, presumably gleefully, mess about with the India Free Trade deal, I'm reminded this is not the Labour Party that did the FTA with China. Hipkins is no Helen Clark and in that is a great sadness. For all those who occasionally contact me and ask of the possibility of a so-called “grand coalition” —a relationship between the Labour and National parties— before you ask, next time look at the way Hipkins plays these games and there is your answer. Even in areas of broad agreement, they still can't act like grownups. It's also a lesson in name vs substance. The Labour Party of the past few years is nothing like Labour of the late 90's and early 2000's. That was a centrist version. Yes, they still handed out free money to people like students to bribe them in election year. But the rest of the time they actually ran the economy in growth. Compared to Barbara Edmonds, Michael Cullen was a conservative. In the early parts of 1984 Labour, with David Lange, was similar, and here is your irony that Hipkins fails to recognise: when Labour are, broadly speaking, middle of the road they are actually popular. Ask Bob Hawke or Paul Keating or Tony Blair – centrist Labour is successful Labour. By the time you take modern Labour with Hipkins and Sepuloni, and add the Greens in the mix, you are seeing the left wing “group think” that not only keeps them out of office, but leads to the sort of game playing we have with an FTA. Yes, the Government probably shouldn't have to rely on them and for all the games Labour plays, New Zealand First is just as bad with their xenophobic nonsense. But Labour once had a global view. It's not like the Chinese weren't thought of with great suspicion prior to 2008. But the bigger picture was at play. The realisation that large countries and their economies could be good for everyone was a driving force. What Labour would do well to do is put this country first. Not score points, not look like children, and not pretend they actually had anything to do with negotiating this thing at all. FTAs are big picture, not a three-year electoral cycle game. I don't think I'm alone in wishing there were more adults in the room. Labour 1999-2008 put the current lot to shame. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins says we need to take the politics out of the Infrastructure Commissions National Infrastructure Plan. The Leader of the Opposition told John MacDonald that he thinks the Commission has done a "really good job" on their recent report, and we need to focus on the basics. "They've pointed out we have an over reliance on shiny new things, and we haven't done the basic maintenance of the things we've already got." "We need to take the politics out of it and focus on a long-term plan." On the rise of Winson Peters and NZ First in the polls, he said that Peter's lifetime in politics has given some unique political skills of reinvention. "At the moment, he's trying to be an opposition MP while also trying to be the third highest ranking minster in the current government." When asked if he has considered working with Peters to form the next government, Hipkins said that's something they will look at closer to election day. "We'll set out closer to the election where we've got common ground with other parties." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

This morning we spoke to Labour leader Chris Hipkins; Plus, business owners around Eden Park told us why hosting the State of Origin is a golden point win for the city; We spoke to the CEO of Contact Energy as it looks to raise millions for its renewable energy projects; The iconic Queen's Arcade in Auckland is set for glow up; And, fresh from his big night at the Halbergs, Supreme award winner Hamish Kerr joined us.

Labour's issued a list of demands for the Government before it will sign up to the Free Trade Agreement with India. Chris Hipkins says the FTA needs stronger safeguards against exploiting migrants. He wants the full official advice on the deal released to Labour. He says the Party's particularly concerned around the expectation Kiwi businesses will invest $33 billion in India over 15 years. "I think it's almost entirely impossible, and that's why I'm surprised that they're trying to sign us up to that. To put that into context, I think that over the last 25 years, less than $1 billion NZD has been invested in India." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister says Labour's concerns with the India Free Trade Agreement is "politicking", and Chris Hipkins wanting attention. Labour's saying they want the un-redacted advice about the deal and greater protection for migrant workers. In a letter to Chris Luxon, Chris Hipkins wants more clarity about the clause which requires New Zealand business to invest $33billion into India. Luxon told Mike Hosking that none of their concerns are real problems. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister says Labour's concerns with the India Free Trade Agreement is "politicking", and Chris Hipkins wanting attention. Labour's saying they want the un-redacted advice about the deal and greater protection for migrant workers. In a letter to Chris Luxon, Chris Hipkins wants more clarity about the clause which requires New Zealand business to invest $33billion into India. Luxon told Mike Hosking that none of their concerns are real problems. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Mark Warren, Mike Casey, Nathan Guy, Chris Hipkins, Winston Peters, and Christopher Luxon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duncan dives into the trust problem currently rotting New Zealand politics. Whether it is Chris Hipkins flipping on capital gains or Chris Luxon introducing a new power "levy" that looks suspiciously like a tax, we ask if anything said before an election actually survives. Plus, economist Craig Renney and the Taxpayers Union's Jordan Williams join us to debate the state of the economy and why Wellington is feeling so flat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don't blame Chris Hipkins and Co. for a moment, calling it a gas tax. That's politics when you are in Opposition, especially when you have no policies yourself. What I despair about is yet another chapter of myopic nonsense around dumb words for cheap points. The truth is comparatively simple and most of it is indisputable: we need more power supply than we have. We need more reliable power supply than we have. We got caught dangerously short in the winter of 2024. Labour, in turning off the gas, wrecked the industry and caused untold damage. The Huntly coal deal is part of the solution. An LNG importation facility is another part. We need a power supply tap because hydro, wind, and solar isn't it. Even if it's the bulk of supply, it's reliant on things we can't control. So far so good, we all agree. The cost of LNG is a billion-ish. Someone has to pay. The Government could pay by borrowing more but, wisely, they choose not to. The industry could pay through a levy. That is what we have chosen. Will they pass it on? Yes, why wouldn't they? Do you like that? No, why would you? But at all times we come back to the basic issue: do you want heating in winter, every winter, like a first world country? Do you want business to be able to operate at full capacity like a first world country? So it isn't a tax. A tax is a forced payment by Government, that's not what this is. It's an increased power bill to eventually get a power bill that wouldn't have been as high if we hadn't built a back stop for supply. It's the cost of rectifying an embarrassing wrong. You might want to remember that when you vote. Fixing broken stuff costs money. It's human to want others to pay for stuff but that's not how life works. If you want a spot price of $800 in the dead of winter, the highest price in the world, then doing nothing will work well. We need more emphasis on the future, and on improvement, and less on the petty and the political point-scoring. I wouldn't have thought any of that is complicated. You might not be thrilled, but it's not complicated. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Finance Minister's rejecting an accusation it's using Covid as an election tactic. Nicola Willis announced an independent review this year of the monetary policy the Reserve Bank delivered during the pandemic. It'll be released just weeks before the election, and Labour's Chris Hipkins claims the Government's aiming to revive pandemic conspiracies. Willis told Mike Hosking she suspects it wouldn't have mattered what the timing is, the reaction would've been the same – their political opponents saying they shouldn't be asking these questions. But she says when the Reserve Bank did its own review, the results showed there hasn't been enough examination into their decisions. The Finance Minister is also insisting she's keeping an eye on the banking space as ASB reports higher margins. The bank saw modest growth in the second half of last year, reporting a net profit of $765 million. Its net interest margins ticked up six basis points to 2.35%. Willis says told Hosking more people are already looking for better banking deals, and she's working to improve competition. She says she's comparing our regime internationally, especially with the banks' Australian counterparts, and looking at whether we're getting our settings right. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour leader on the India Free Trade Agreement, which he calls a "botched process by the government".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Nathan Guy, Chris Hipkins, Winston Peters, Christopher Luxon, Kate Acland, Todd McClay, David Seymour, Jono Pemberton, Steve Abel, and Todd Charteris.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you think there is anyone in New Zealand who believes the Government's line that it's a coincidence the findings of its inquiry into the Reserve Bank's COVID-19 response will be released a few weeks before the election? As the NZ Herald's political editor, Thomas Coughlan, puts it: the inquiry will ask the right questions at the wrong time. Because this has election campaigning written all over it. The official line is that the review is being done to “identify any lessons New Zealand could learn to improve the response to future major events”. But how credible is that, given the findings of the inquiry will be released just weeks before this year's election? Not very, according to Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who's saying today: “If this is a genuinely independent review that provides some lessons learned, it could be useful. But doing it right in the middle of an election campaign suggests that's not Nicola Willis' primary motivation here.” And he's spot on. Because it's not. The Government's primary motivation is to spend half a million dollars of taxpayer money on a report that is going to come out at the pointy end of the election campaign, which will do one of two things. It will either rip into the Reserve Bank in the way the Government hopes it will. So it can then say to voters, “do you really want the last lot who let the Reserve Bank get away with this trainwreck back in charge of the economy?” Or, the report will be a bit soft - not quite what the Government wants - but will still give it bragging rights about looking to learn from past mistakes. Unlike Labour, who it will accuse of not having the guts to front up to the COVID-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry. So it's going to be a win-win - especially for National. I think this would have way more credibility if the Government had come out yesterday and said it was launching the inquiry but the findings wouldn't be released until after the election. For the benefit of whoever the government of the day is after the election. If it had done that, I would have had no problem with the timing. Instead, this inquiry - which, in itself, is fully justified - is at risk of looking like nothing more than taxpayers coughing-up for the National Party's election campaign. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ah, Winston. Winston, Winston, Winston. He is the embodiment, as his namesake Winston Churchill famously said of Russia, of a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. The canny campaigner knew exactly what he was doing when agreeing to job share the Deputy Prime Minister role with ACT leader David Seymour during the Coalition Government's startup. He, Winston, would take the first 18 months, positioning himself as a senior statesman and Foreign Minister par excellence. And indeed, he has done a very good job as Foreign Minister. Then after that 18 months, he would step aside, making way for David Seymour, more importantly, making time to campaign right up to the next election, which is just a matter of months away. It's exactly what he's doing, stirring up xenophobia in the wake of the Government, or rather National and ACT, securing a Free Trade Agreement with India. A Foreign Minister that doesn't like foreigners, all of a sudden, just in the last year. As Toby Manhire says in his piece in The Spinoff, that Winston Peters and New Zealand First are opposing the Free Trade Agreement with India is no surprise. They also opposed the Free Trade Agreement with China 18 years ago. Then as now, says Manhire, Peters was Foreign Minister. Then as now, he said it was a bad deal for New Zealand. Then as now, he invoked an agree to disagree provision in the governing arrangement. So without New Zealand First support, National will need Labour to get the Free Trade Agreement across the line. Surely that should not be a problem – although you can't blame Chris Hipkins for playing hard to get and maximizing the political capital out of the situation. As far back as 2004 Helen Clark was leading trade delegations to India, although formal negotiations only began in earnest in 2010. It has taken a long, long time and much work from our trade delegates to get to this point. And Trade Minister Todd McClay says although it's inevitable that there will be politicking around the agreement, New Zealanders should understand that this is a very important, very big deal. “Number one, there was always going to be a bit of politics around this because it is a very big deal. It's 1.4 billion people. You know, I've seen a lot of speculation about tens and tens of thousands of Indians just having the absolute right to come to New Zealand. Mike, this is a trade deal, it's not an immigration deal. They do not have that ability. The New Zealand Government has reserved the right to change visa settings as we need to. And the final point would be, we have now a trade deal, one of the best India's done with anybody. We're 5 million people, they're 1.4 billion. This is a very good deal for New Zealand, and each party in Parliament's going to have to decide how they're going to make the case of where their support lies.” And on the point of Winston's claims that New Zealand will be overrun with Indian families, Todd McClay had this to say: TM: The debate at the moment has moved to students, whether or not we can cap the number of students. And actually, there has never been a cap on the number of students. We've never said we want them from Australia, we don't want them from the UK. And I don't think any future government would ever do that. It makes no sense to. But what we have always done is we have changed the visa settings, the conditions that you have to meet to be able to get a visa to come and study in New Zealand. If we jump back to when we were in government previously, there were a very large number of students in New Zealand. As a result of COVID, it went down, but the previous government and we have changed those settings to make sure that actually the number of places and students coming in matches our requirement and what we do. And we can continue to do that.” MH: But this is general, Todd, this is just immigration policy the way it's always been. Yes? TM: That's exactly right. Of course, we need to be aware of making sure the settings are right, that immigrants to New Zealand are coming to fill jobs and maximize opportunities. We don't need more Uber drivers. We need people who are able to come here and who are able to make most of the opportunities that New Zealand has to offer. But as Todd McClay says, if we feel things are getting out of whack, we can adjust settings accordingly. I mean, that happened when, remember all the hue and cry over far too many people arriving on the parent's visa, the parent category. All these people were arriving, didn't understand a word of English, were isolated, dependent on their families, some of whom we heard buggered off to Australia and left them here, isolated, alone, you know, it was a nightmare. So back in 2016, 2017 the number of people approved for residence fell by 8%, the decrease driven by parent category approvals, which fell 63% because the settings were getting out of whack. People realized there was a loophole and so it was plugged. It's election year, and I suppose you have to expect it. And those who have followed politics for a very, very long time, as Toby Manhire points out, have seen this happen before. This is what New Zealand First does. This is what appeals to their voters. From the outside looking in, the Free Trade Agreement with India is a very good deal for New Zealand. We are fundamentally a trading nation. From the outside looking in, this is Winston doing what Winston does, doing what he does best, coming up to an election with a sail full of hot air, pounding the populist drum of anti-immigration. Where do you stand on this one? Is the Free Trade Agreement with India a good deal or not? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is there anything about the Government's free trade deal with India that anyone likes? The prime minister and the trade minister love it. Winston Peters doesn't. And it seems Labour leader Chris Hipkins is coming around to thinking that he doesn't like it, either. He's concerned about the prospect of an unlimited number of Indian students being allowed to come here and work and the impact that could have on the job market. Which the trade minister is poo-pooing. Because we don't actually have any limits on the number of students who can come here from anywhere. Not just India. But I think we should. I know the trade minister will tell us until he's blue in the face that this is a trade deal - not an immigration deal. But he's pushing that one uphill with the likes of Winston Peters, who is picking up on the immigration side of it because there is no shortage of people who love to complain about foreigners “taking over”. Do you really think NZ First would be making as much of a noise if this was a deal with the UK or the US? I don't think so. So they're just tapping into some good old-fashioned xenophobia. That said - since the government announced the deal just before Christmas - whenever I've been speaking with young people especially about it, I've been surprised how strongly some of them feel about students coming here from other countries. And how many of them think there should be limits. Which I agree with, for several reasons. First of all, students don't come here with any skills. They come here to get skilled. I know they spend money and it's great for the tertiary sector because they pay higher fees being international students. But they don't come here and fill the workforce skill shortages we're dealing with. Secondly, the more students from overseas, the higher the demand for accommodation. Which means student rents going skyward. What's more, if we have no limits on the number of students coming here, then that increases the risk of students getting ripped off by employers. It also makes it tougher for domestic students to find the work they need to pay for their studies. But what do you think? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This morning, we spoke to Energy Minister Simon Watts about the government's plan for a new liquified natural gas import terminal. and we had our weekly interview with Labour Leader, Chris Hipkins. We spoke with Wellington mayor Andrew Little about what any independent inquiry into the Moa Point Waste Treatment plant failure could look like. Plus, Kiwirail front after faults are discovered on Auckland's train network. And we joined friends of Zoi Sadowski-Synnott as they cheered her on toward her Silver medal at the Winter Olympics.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

Opposition leader Chris Hipkins joined Andrew Dickens to chat about Waitangi Day hecklers, co-governance, and equal opportunity. He also spoke about moving back towards using te reo for official titles, something the National coalition has moved away from. "There's nothing to be scared of by embracing te reo Māori and having, Māori names for government departments," Hipkins said. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour and the Greens joined forces at Waitangi today to make their priorities clear ahead of the upcoming general election. Labour leader Chris Hipkins describes the party as fractured, and says the parties need to work through their internal issues. Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says there's a lot of things the parties can work together on and they'll stand side by side to prove that to voters. "New Zealanders are going to be paying attention. That is a really exciting proposition for us as a country, and I don't think politicians or any political party is entitled to absolutely anything and I make that point, particularly, about the legacy parties." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins speaks to Ingrid Hipkiss about the party's push to win all the Māori seats

With a Pharmac advisory panel provisionally recommending funding weight loss drug Wegovy, we spoke with Auckland University Professor of Global Health and Nutrition Boyd Swinburn. Plus, we asked Labour leader Chris Hipkins what he does and doesn't like about the proposed free trade agreement with India. The opposition is calling for more transparency over New Zealand's talks with the United States about the supply of rare and critical minerals, we spoke with Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. Lucy Naylor from the Auckland Primary Principals Association talked us through the changes to school reports, and major insurance company AA has confirmed it isn't offering new home insurance policies in Woodend; we spoke with Amanda Newson.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Thursday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) You're Damned If You Do.../There's a Box for You if You Want One/Where Hipkins Goes Wrong/Not Mystery Liquid Again/Five Degrees of SeparationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Simeon Brown and Carmel Sepuloni joined Morning Report this morning for the Weekly Political Panel; Labour leader Chris Hipkins is getting little clarity from voters on which governing partners he should shut out, with a new poll showing the electorate divided on his post-election options; It's been 100 years since the establishment of the Australasian Performing Right Association - known as 'APRA.'; How do you get the best deal to keep your power bill down; Almost a third of Auckland's recycling now ends up in landfill - with the council bringing in AI to help sort through bins.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins is getting little clarity from voters on which governing partners he should shut out, with a new poll showing the electorate divided on his post-election options. Acting political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Corin Dann.

Parliament returned today for the first session of 2026, and the focus has turned to campaigning for the upcoming election. Hipkins and Luxon made their statements, with Luxon applauding the coalition's track record and Hipkins accusing the Government of being all about slogans, not delivery. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper recapped the debate. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

The RNZ-Reid Research poll surveyed one-thousand-people from January the 15th through to the 22nd; A mix of cameras, drones, and human spotters are providing constant monitoring of the Mount Maunganui landslide, as recovery efforts continue; Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report; Shifting more of our electricity use to off-peak hours could save the country up to $3 billion; Raglan will host one of the world's biggest surfing events this year, after being added as a stop on the World Surf League Championship.

Now, have a listen to this. This happened in Thames this morning as the Prime Minister arrived to go and check on the damage to the properties and check out the roads and to meet with the victims' families. It's a disgrace what you're doing with your climate positive, Prime Minister. It's an absolute disgrace and we're suffering now. You're listening to a bunch of protesters heckling the Prime Minister. They're yelling shame as he gets into his car. And yesterday, Chris Hipkins mentioned climate change in his message to victims' families. Now, everybody in this country knows how political climate change has become. Well, not, no, that's wrong. Not so much climate change, but how we respond to it. So to wave banners and bring into the debate about climate change, absolutely they're right. The protesters, they have the right to do that. It's also the right of the Leader of the Opposition to mention it in his address as well. But the question is whether it's in good taste. And I reckon it's a bit off for a couple of reasons. One, we still have teenagers trapped under a landslide at the Mount. Their families, desperate, emotional as you can well imagine, banners shouting anger through the news at a time like this, I would have thought was a bit much. Number 2, the idea that by closing a few farms and getting rid of some cows in New Zealand, you will somehow stop the rain from falling and the landslides from slipping is just wrong. All the scientists agree it would take unified global action, most importantly, from the big four players to move the dial even an inch. And right now, as everybody well knows, those players, especially the US, doing the opposite. Our dear friends across the Tasman have just struck a deal to extend the life of their biggest power plant. That plant, by the way, runs on coal. As I say, I back everyone's right to protest and say what they like. There is nothing illegal or even really nasty about it. I just think it's probably a bit in poor taste so soon after such a personal tragedy, and one that people are feeling so deeply. You've also got to wonder who's benefiting from all this. Are the protesters going to be flooded with supporters after an outburst like that while the families are still waiting to hear news of their loved ones stuck under a landslide? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So we've got an election date, and it's the date pundits have been picking since late last year - November 7th. This election is National's to lose. The only question really is how much influence ACT and or New Zealand First will have in any future Government. Don't get me wrong - it'll be a close race. Here's some easy picks - National will get more votes than Labour, New Zealand First will outperform ACT, New Zealand First will steal from Labour and nip at their heels, Te Pati Māori's reputation is already in the bin so the Māori seats are anyone's guess at this point. And Winston Peters, as always, will decide who actually wins the election. He's ruled out working with Chippy but not Labour. Here's the crucial point. Winston Peters cannot, politically, enter a deal propped up by or supported by the Greens or Te Pati Māori. In pretty much every poll this term, Labour has needed both of them to get close to the magic 61 seats. Now, you could argue that National might stumble and Labour could surge. But the chances of this happening - I would put at around 20-30 percent. So very unlikely. The economic recovery's underway. Summer will be round the corner come November. But most importantly, people won't switch horses mid-stream when that recovery has been so hard fought. The memory, particularly in Auckland, is too short for voters to forget about Labour's Covid mess and unbridled spending on outrageous and expensive things. Chris Hipkins today also announced a date - his wedding. He says it'll be held in 2027. That means Toni is likely going to marry an unemployed bloke from the Hutt. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Labour's ranks are meeting in West Auckland today where they are expected to outline their priorities heading into this year's election. Party leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.