Podcast appearances and mentions of David Seymour

The Deputy Prime Minister has got his own safety message for Air New Zealand after the airline posted a $40 million loss for the six months ended December. David Seymour has described the national carrier's ticket prices as "crazy", and has renewed his call for the government to sell its 51 percent stake in Air New Zealand. Deputy Prime Minister and ACT leader David Seymour spoke to Lisa Owen. 

Winston Peters responds to David Seymour's calls for the government to sell its shares in Air New Zealand. He spoke to Corin Dann.

The asset sale discussion is rearing its head, with the ACT leader asking whether Air New Zealand should be owned by the government. Political reporter Lillian Hanly reports.

This morning we took a look at Air New Zealand's multi-million dollar loss, with one analyst telling us the company will be looking at its labour costs; Plus, Winston Peters responded to David Seymour's calls for the government to sell its shares in the airline; We spoke to the Child Poverty Action Group following new figures that show the number of children living in material hardship has reached a ten year high; There's L plates for learner drivers, but one Auckland man has created S plates for senior drivers. We spoke to him to find out why; And, we wrap up our pulse of the economy series by taking a look at the screen industry to see how it's placed in 2026.

So David Seymour's right about Air New Zealand - but he's also wrong about Air New Zealand. Before we get to why, let me bring you up to speed on what's happened with the airline today, because the news is not good. Air New Zealand has posted a half-year result showing a $59 million pre-tax loss, which is slightly worse than expected. And to be fair to Air New Zealand, a lot of this really isn't their fault. They've had not one, but two engine types in their fleet causing them trouble. And the economic downturn we're experiencing in New Zealand - the worst in most of our lifetimes, you have to go back more than 50 years to find anything as bad - directly affects their earnings. If we don't have money, we're certainly not spending money on flights. But some of this is their fault. They're squandering customer loyalty with poor on-time performance and a tired, diminished Koru Club offering. And this is where David Seymour is right when he says, “Go woke, go broke.” Because part of the reason Air New Zealand is losing customers to Jetstar is that there are people who no longer want to pay for Koru Club. The offering has slid from the good old days. You can't even - and this bugs people more than the airline ever seemed to realise - go into the lounge, ask for a coffee, and take it away like you can at a café. There are no takeaway coffees because Air New Zealand doesn't want paper cups going on planes. Paper cups are bad for the environment… when you're flying planes. They've wasted time and money trialling an electric aircraft they don't actually know how to integrate into their fleet. And they're constantly lecturing the government about sustainable aviation fuel - SAF - which is more expensive than standard jet fuel, and standard jet fuel is already extremely expensive right now. But here's where David Seymour is wrong - he says the solution is to sell down the Government's 51 percent stake in Air New Zealand. We can't do that. We are an isolated island nation. There are only two ways to get here - by boat or by plane, and we all know which one people actually use. We need to own those planes to make sure they keep flying. If we learned anything during COVID, it's that Air New Zealand effectively became a logistics lifeline and repatriation service for the entire country. So yes, David Seymour is part right and part wrong. We do need Air New Zealand to stop the distractions and start doing its job properly. And we do need it to remain in New Zealand hands.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If I was asked whether I'd back Defence Force professionals over politicians on Defence protocols and training, I'd back the professionals every time. ACT and New Zealand First, Winston and David, have asked questions of the Defence Minister Judith Collins on the amount of Māori culture, lore and language which is part of the Defence Force's preparation for combat. This is not a new complaint. Questions about Karakia and haka come up from time to time. Some see this a against the old God, King and country ideal. But the Defence force has always used Māori tikanga to build cohesiveness. They use haka to bring the forces together. It's a war dance after all. They use Karakia, Powhiri and other tikanga Māori a lot because a lot of Māori serve in the defence forces. Proportionately more than other segment of the population. It's part of their organizational identity because the culture is unique to New Zealand and therefore beneficial in bonding the team. And when serving in multi-national military actions it differentiates us from all the other grunts with guns. The question is whether all this multi-cultural woke stuff detracts from making us fighting fit. Well, I'd like to see David Seymour say that to a Māori SAS officer. And we've had race-based military before. The Māori battalion. And they made us proud and the world take notice. The military has always embraced Māori culture because they see it as a strength and not a weakness. It's only performative politicians in their shiny suits in election year that sees Māori culture in the Defence Force as a problem. As any of the 150,000 people at the Edinburgh Military tattoo over the weekend will tell you. The Māori stuff is well liked and is respected. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pharmac is proposing funding two new leukaemia medications in pill form from May. It could relieve pressure for hospitals. It could also apply to people currently paying for it, who'd receive funding for the treatment in a private hospital - subject to meeting criteria. Associate Health Minister David Seymour says Pharmac will sign off on this - and it's likely this will move forward. "There'll be two new blood cancer medicines and they'll help an estimated 80-90 people every five years, with what is quite a rare, but brutal disorder." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An ACT MP is looking to improve and extend the End of Life Choice Act. Todd Stephenson has proposed a member's bill that would incorporate all 25 of the recommendations made by the Ministry of Health in their review of the Act. He wants to restore the original intent of David Seymour's earlier bill, addressing the “overly restrictive” six-month prognosis requirement. Stephenson told Kerre Woodham some elements of the Act are working really well, but there are others, such as the six-month requirement, that aren't working and aren't taking into account some people's circumstances. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Act MP Todd Stephenson has been looking to improve and extend the End of Life Bill since around August of last year. His new bill, for which he's seeking support across the House or has his fingers crossed it'll be drawn from the ballot, would incorporate every single recommendation made by the Ministry of Health's review into the End of Life Choice Act. He wants to restore the original intent of David Seymour's earlier member's bill by addressing what he calls the overly restrictive six-month prognosis requirement. So along with the recommendations, he wants to see the End of Life Bill extended. He says the narrow threshold has excluded people with terminal diagnoses who are suffering intolerably despite being in an irreversible decline. They are not going to get better. It's just going to take them a very long time to die. His new and improved bill would replace the arbitrary cutoff at six months with a test that reflects what he calls medical reality, recognising that death doesn't always follow a calendar. The review into the Act, which was released at the end of 2024 found that the Act was working pretty much as it was intended. More than 2,400 people had requested an assisted death at the time of the review. More than 970 had received an assisted death since the Act came into force on the 7th of November in 2021. There were some minor tweaks that could be made and those would be incorporated into Todd Stephenson's bill, but overall, the review found that the bill was achieving its primary purpose. However, a report out today from Alex Penk, who is the CEO of Ethos, a registered charity that offers advice, advocacy and education to promote the rights of conscience, religion and belief, says the law already goes too far and certainly does not need to be extended. The report, Penk's report, says assisted dying is already highly controversial. He says most doctors don't want to be involved. I can certainly believe that some doctors would not want to be involved, but I'd be interested to know if that is in fact correct. There would be a range of views across the medical profession when it comes to assisted dying, just as there is in the general population. I can understand some who would not want a bar of it and some who would be happy and see it as a as a generous service. Penk says the bill would introduce euthanasia for long term conditions and disabilities like chronic heart conditions, frailty, diabetes, renal failure, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease. He says this would force doctors and care facilities into more conscience conflicts. He says doctors have to use ethical judgment all the time, but the bill sends a message they're just supposed to do what the State tells them and there'll be a real risk it'll force ethically minded people out of medicine. I cannot see it as the State dictating. How is the State dictating? The State has put a framework in place to ensure that it's only the person who wants assisted dying who can make that request. They have to go through hoops before they can be granted that request. It's not automatic. There are really strict criteria and doctors don't have to administer end of life injections or however it is they do it – I'm assuming it's injections. They don't have to perform the act that would take a life. They can say, No, I don't believe in it. I would rather save a life than end it. Not for me. I'll give you the name of a doctor who does believe in it." So how is the State dictating? It's not telling doctors they must kill their patients. It's not telling people they must die if they have a long-term degenerative disease. As far as I'm aware, it's about a person's choice. And on the ethics side of thing, why is it ethical to keep a person alive when they don't want to be, but they don't fit that six-month criteria? Alex Penk is perfectly within his rights to choose not to take an early exit. Doctors are perfectly within their rights to say they'd rather save lives than end them. And I want to continue to have the right and have it improved to be able to call it quits when there is no longer any value for me to be here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Alliance Party officially launched its campaign for the 2026 General Election at its National Conference in Christchurch over the weekend. Members from across Aotearoa gathered at the Trade Union Centre to ratify the party's constitution, elect national officers, and confirm the policy platform for the upcoming election. The President of the Alliance Party is Victor Billot and he joins us tonight LIVE at 9pm.Dr Grant Duncan joins us tonight LIVE at 9.30 to talk about his latest Substack on David Seymour's "State of the Nation" speech when Duncan calls our Seymour's games of Libertarian "freedom" and, among other conclusions, writes "populist tactics worked for ACT only so long as National was weak. [Rodney] Hide was ACT Party leader from 2004 to 2011, overseeing their humiliating decline from nine seats to just two in 2005. He was dumped as party leader in April 2011, to be replaced by an even less competent politician: Don Brash. ACT then fell to 1% and below. The market had spoken."See Grant's Substack here https://grantduncanphd.substack.comAndrew Eagles from the New Zealand Green Building Council joined Q&A on Sunday with an exclusive new analysis that outlines why his organisation believes the LNG import terminal plan is a mistake, and why a different plan for massive uptake of solar and heat pump hot water systems would work better.++++++++++++++++++++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/

This past week has seen the government announcing plans to construct a facility for the storage of liquid natural gas. The plans have been criticised by activists, academics, and opposition members, who say it compromises our government's commitment to reducing emissions.  Yesterday also saw ACT Party Leader David Seymour deliver his State of the Nation speech, noting different parts of society and the economy his party takes issue with. He particularly raised "five warning lights", of issues that the country must "overcome".  For our weekly catchup with the ACT Party, News Director Castor spoke to Simon Court about each of these issues, starting with liquid natural gas. 

This week on the Monday Wire... For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News Director Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about Liquid Natural Gas imports and David Seymour's State of the Nation speech.  They also spoke to Professor Emeritus at Massey University, Ralph Sims, about the sustainability of an LNG terminal. And they spoke to University of Auckland Professor of Electrical Engineering Nirmal Nair about how the LNG plans would benefit power companies.  Producer Alex spoke to Professor Emeritus in Law at the University of Auckland, Jane Kelsey, about the ongoing rumblings around reforms within the World Trade Organisation, New Zealand's role, and what changes to the organisation would mean for us. He also spoke with Professor in Chemicals and Materials Engineering at the University of Auckland, and Deputy Director of the Green Energy Engineering Centre, Brent Young, about the governments LNG terminal proposal, and what it means in the context of our wider approach to fixing our energy woes.

Act hasn't made it's ‘radical' public service reform a bottom line, for potential post-election negotiations. It wants to cut government departments from 41 down to no more than 30. The number of ministers would be reduced from 28 to 20, with all of them sitting around the cabinet table. Act leader David Seymour was asked by Mike Hosking whether it's a non-negotiable. He says it's easy to say something will never happen if something isn't a bottom line..but everyone has to negotiate a position, and this is their's. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Monday Wire... For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News Director Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about Liquid Natural Gas imports and David Seymour's State of the Nation speech.  They also spoke to Professor Emeritus at Massey University, Ralph Sims, about the sustainability of an LNG terminal. And they spoke to University of Auckland Professor of Electrical Engineering Nirmal Nair about how the LNG plans would benefit power companies.  Producer Alex spoke to Professor Emeritus in Law at the University of Auckland, Jane Kelsey, about the ongoing rumblings around reforms within the World Trade Organisation, New Zealand's role, and what changes to the organisation would mean for us. He also spoke with Professor in Chemicals and Materials Engineering at the University of Auckland, and Deputy Director of the Green Energy Engineering Centre, Brent Young, about the governments LNG terminal proposal, and what it means in the context of our wider approach to fixing our energy woes.

ACT Party leader David Seymour delivered his State of the Nation address this morning. He says this government is on track to produce positive change, but it's not happening as quickly as it could be. ACT says there are three ways to break our country's slump: equal rights, positive thinking, and a smaller government. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Isn't David Seymour the guy who got himself into government at the last election and then went and set up a new government department? But, despite the irony, I agree with him that we need fewer government departments and fewer Cabinet ministers. Previously, the ACT leader has described the public sector as "a big, complicated bureaucratic beast". There are the numbers to back that up. We have 82 cabinet portfolios, 28 ministers and 41 separate government departments and agencies. David Seymour thinks that's crazy and says ACT will campaign in this year's election on changing that. And, instead of having 41 government departments and agencies, he wants us to have no more than 30. As for cabinet ministers - at the moment there are 28, David Seymour thinks we need no more than 20. I remember Oliver Hartwich from the NZ Initiative think tank saying last year that we could get away with having as few as 15 cabinet ministers, instead of the 28 we have at the moment. But he thought that 20 was more realistic. As for government departments, they are monsters. They operate in silos. They compete with each other for funding. They don't talk to each other. That's why there's so much duplication. For example, do we need a Ministry of Education and an Education Review Office? I don't think so. Do we need a Ministry of Justice and a Department of Corrections? Possibly not. As for cabinet positions, do we need a mental health minister? Could that all be part of the health minister's job? And don't get me started on things like the Minister for the South Island or the Minister for Auckland that Labour brought in. So, I'm with David Seymour and I think we could do with fewer government departments and agencies. But it will never happen. Talking about having less government departments and less cabinet ministers is easy and politicians talk about it because they know it tends to go down well with people. But it will never happen. Because, whether people admit it or not, they still expect the government and its departments to fix everything. And, unless that changes, the government isn't going to get any smaller. And its list of departments isn't going to get any shorter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT leader David Seymour outlined his party's strategy for the 2026 election this morning. Over 100 people piled into the Rydges Hotel in Christchurch for Seymour's State of the Nation speech. Former Minister and commentator Peter Dunne says ACT is polling well and if they handle their campaign well, they could find themselves in a similar spot to the last election. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Act Party leader on why it’s worth listening to Question Time, and what he makes of the Indian FTA.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.

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.

On the Matt Heath and Tyler Adams Afternoons Full Show Podcast for the 9th of February 2026 David Seymour said this at Waitangi: Even the poorest people in New Zealand today are living like Kings and Queens compared with most places at most times in history. Unsurprisingly, the lines ran hot. The,n tips and tricks to avoid the subscription trap. And to finish the show - do you enjoy a concert best intoxicated or sober? 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.

On Thursday last week, politicians including Prime Minister Chris Luxon and ACT party leader David Seymour addressed the audience during the Waitangi Day events at the Treaty Grounds. The theme this year was Mō tātou, mā tātou, which is for all of us and by all of us. As well, the past week has seen various news updates in environmental legislation including the draft decision to reject consent for seabed mining in the South Taranaki Bight, Greenpeace voicing concerns about a ‘kiwi killing clause' in the proposed Natural Environment Bill, and a new Green Party bill calling to recognise the legal personhood of Tohorā — whales. This week, Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Ryan Hamilton about all of these topics, starting with Waitangi.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 9th of February, David Seymour on a huge amount of unqualified ECE sector teachers and if we're worried about it. The Prime Minister is on to talk unemployment, fast tracking and when we will announce a State of Origin game in New Zealand. Andrew Saville and Jason Pine talk the Superbowl, the Winter Olympics and the Davis Cup and it's disappearance from mainstream sporting events. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour wants to reassure parents things have improved - despite new data showing growing workforce challenges in early childhood education. Nearly 34,000 teaching staff were employed last year, but just over two-thirds were qualified. Almost 10,000 staff had no formal qualifications - nearly double the number in 2011. Associate Education Minister David Seymour told Mike Hosking that parents should know the number of teachers with formal qualifications has increased. He says in actual fact the situation hasn't changed much in five years and has improved since they've been in Government. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 5 February, 2026, our political reporter at Waitangi tells us the prime minister got a harder time this year than ACT leader David Seymour. We ask why the wastewater plant pumping poo into Wellington's water wasn't fixed earlier. Is Invercargill not up with the times? The council's plan to spend $2 million on a clock tower. And on The Huddle, Maurice Williamson and Mark Sainsbury discuss how councils need to lift their game. 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.

Guest Co-Host Charles Duncan. Guest: David Seymour, COO, American Airlines. Topics: AA hit hard by weather related operational issues; A good week for Southwest, cash pouring in, will Elliott Mgt cash out? American earnings drop; JetBlue down; NTSB report issued on chopper collision with AA flight; Big increase in flights by United at ORD; Listener questions: Is there room for a new airline? What's the cost to start service at an airport?

The Act Party leader and Deputy PM comments on Act's ag policy, Winston’s election campaign in full swing, and whether Waitangi Day will be divisive this year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to David Seymour, Sir David Fagan, Nick Webster, Hunter McGregor, and Steve Wyn-Harris. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duncan Garner digs into the collapse of the government's retail crime advisory committee, a group set up to respond to ram raids and rising violence, but now facing resignations, lavish spending claims, and serious questions about accountability. With three of five members gone, six-figure invoices, and silence from the responsible minister, it looks less like crime fighting and more like a gravy train. Then we turn to immigration, the India free trade deal, and explosive whistleblower claims from inside a major pizza delivery franchise. Allegations of migrant workers paying tens of thousands of dollars for jobs, visa pathways being sold, and Kiwis locked out of work raise uncomfortable questions about enforcement, fairness, and who the system is really working for. Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour joins us to answer what the government is doing about both. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Politics Thursday, Nick is joined in studio by Deputy Prime Minister and ACT leader David Seymour and Labour MP and spokesperson for Health and Wellington Issues Ayesha Verrall. They debate the political issues of the week, including the latest data that shows fees free university incentives did not increase the number of disadvantaged students studying. Seymour and Verrall discuss the tragedy of Mount Maunganui, coalition talks including Te Pati Maori's policy to abolish prisons, and the prep for the election year ahead. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AUT Associate Professor Alex Plum joins us LIVE at 9pm to talk about the latest hate crime research that shows that lesbian and bisexual women in New Zealand face substantially higher risks of crime by strangers. In fact, new AUT research shows they are up to twice as likely as heterosexual women to experience sexual assault and other violent offences perpetrated by people they do not know. Chloe Swarbrick and David Seymour traded jabs on Herald Now this morning talking Winston Peters, climate change and the pollsAfter 24 years in Parliament, Judith Collins has announced her plan to retire from politics. She will start a new job, heading the Law Commission - a Crown entity which reviews the law - later this year.++++++++++++++++++++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/

Associate Education Minister David Seymour has welcomed provisional Term 4 attendance data, which shows attendance rates were higher than any Term 4 since 2022. Data shows that in Term 4 of 2025, 57.3% of students attended school regularly, which is an increase from 56.4% in Term 4 of 2024. He told Tim Beveridge that although the numbers are promising, there is still more work to be done. He said that it's not just about getting students back to the school gates, but also reintegrating them into the education system so students don't feel behind on their education. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT leader David Seymour says voters need to see the result of coalition policies before heading to voting booths. The Prime Minister's announced the election will be held on November 7 - a later date than the past two, which were held in October. Seymour says the Government's done a lot of work on the economy, and a later election will give voters time to see that. "And I think it's only fair that people get to judge the Government on the benefits of its policies delivered before they choose." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to David Seymour, Grant McCallum, Mark de Lautour, Graeme Williams, and Phil Duncan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Deputy PM kicks off the election year on The Country, ahead of the PM’s State of the Nation speech today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand politics has been a whirlwind this year with RBNZ drama, Te Pati Māori's meltdown, the Treaty principles bill, and local body elections. 2026 will be another big year in New Zealand politics as parties gear up for the general election which will take place sometime in the second half of the year. Political correspondent Thomas Coughlan share shares with Francesca Rudkin with predictions of strategies and successes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Wallace for New Zealand's most explosive 30 minutes of politics. He is joined by panellists Maria Slade, Fran O'Sullivan and Sue Bradford. They touch briefly on the Bondi shooting, before diving into the newly-announced mega Ministry: the Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport. Then, they look at some bold calls from ACT leader David Seymour in his end-of-year NZ Herald interview, and finally, they unpack a move from the Reserve Bank to reduce the amount of capital that banks must hold against their loans.

In this episode of the Duncan Garner Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Duncan Garner discusses David Seymour's plan to reignite the treaty principles debate in the 2026 election year, arguing it's a strategic move to address public unease over race relations in New Zealand. Garner is joined by former Finance Minister and Prime Minister Bill English to discuss the current political and economic climate, including the challenges of managing the national budget, the housing market, and public spending. Bill English offers insights into the evolving political landscape and the importance of effective governance amid growing financial constraints. The episode also highlights the role of media, both state-funded and independent, in shaping public opinion and political discourse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Deputy Prime Minister and Act Party leader makes his final appearance for 2025 as we discuss tomorrow’s Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update (Hyefu). Plus, who is his Ag Person of the Year?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to David Seymour, Mike Casey, Riley Kennedy, Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, and Phil Duncan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“A week of drama” could have been avoided had the principal of a school with mouldy lunches waited for the investigation rather than going public, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. New Zealand Food Safety said yesterday the mouldy lunches served at the Haeata Community Campus were most likely caused by an error at the school. Seymour told Newstalk ZB's Heather du Plessis-Allan the school should have “kept an open mind” so he did not have to spend a week talking about “what happened to 20 lunches”. “I guess people might start to ask themselves, ‘Look, this whole saga, it was unreasonable to have a principal who was out in the media for a week, when in reality, Food Safety New Zealand completed the assessment within 10 days, which is lightning speed for most things that happen in government'. “And if they were just open about what might have been the possibility, we could have waited till now, we could have saved a week of drama.” One of the lunches given to students at Haeata Community Campus He also said he had been told by Food Safety that the school had a policy of leaving school lunches in the cafeteria so students could have extras if they wanted, and the mouldy lunches came from there. He had been told by Food Safety that the school had a policy of leaving school lunches in the cafeteria so students could have extras if they wanted, and the mouldy lunches came from there. He said the same lunch was served on Thursday, so this seems like the most “plausible” answer. Seymour said Food Safety NZ had been all over the school and Compass “like a rash” and was confident in the result revealed yesterday. Haeata Community Campus principal Peggy Burrows did not wish to respond to Seymour's comments this morning. She previously told the Herald the findings of the school's internal investigation were with the board and the school's lawyers and were due to be released on Friday. Haeata Community Campus principal Dr Peggy Burrows. Photo / Supplied Vincent Arbuckle, deputy director-general of New Zealand Food Safety, said an investigation into the incident found that the mouldy lunches were not part of a wider food safety issue with the School Lunch Collective. “We know the issue caused a lot of concern among parents and students at the school, so we considered it important to provide accurate and independent information about the likely cause,” Arbuckle said. “After carefully examining all the possible causes, we are able to reassure parents that there is not a wider, or ongoing, food safety risk with the School Lunch Collective. “The most plausible explanation is that lunches intended to be served to students the previous week were accidentally mixed in with that day's lunches.” Burrows earlier maintained that none of its “robust” systems failed between Thursday and Monday, when the food was served. The lunches served at Haeata Community Campus were covered in a thick layer of mould. Arbuckle said New Zealand Food Safety's food compliance officers considered the possibility that the error was made by the distributor. They found it was unlikely that the distributor delivered lunches from the previous week because several other schools received the same lunch on the same day with no reported issues. Arbuckle said another reason was that the Compass Christchurch Kitchen (Central Production Kitchen) only receives the number of meals required for the following school day because of the minimal capacity of available chillers. A food poisoning warning was issued last week after several children from Haeata Community Campus ate school lunches covered in thick mould. The meals, provided as part of the Government's school lunch programme, were eaten before a teacher intervened. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast with Heather du Plessis-Allan Full Show Podcast for Thursday 11th of December, as Australia bans social media for under 16s, what does our interim report say we should do? David Seymour responds to the findings of the investigation into the mouldy lunches at a Christchurch school. US billionaire Mark Cuban talks the All Blacks, being an NBA owner, the state of US politics, and AI. 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.

This one has everything. Politics, pressure, and a school lunch saga that went seriously sideways. Today we unpack the spectacular backfire that's dominated the headlines, after principal Peggy Burrows tried to pin spoiled lunches on David Seymour's free school meals programme… except the facts didn't land where she hoped. We run through what actually happened, why the provider's records tell a totally different story, and how a stack of week-old meals left sitting at the school turned into a national spectacle. Then, David jumps in from the back of a car heading through the Waterview Tunnel to explain the investigation, the delivery logs, and why millions of lunches have gone out without issue. Another big day on Editor in Chief. Let's get into it. Find every episode and discover your next favourite podcast on the rova app or rova.nz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Accusations of mouldy school lunches from Haeata Community Campus has caused much back and forth between principal Peggy Burrows and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour as blame is passed around. In an effort to get to the bottom of who is telling the truth Heather du Plessis-Allan grilled Seymour about the facts of the situation. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle Auckland councillor Maurice Williamson and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Andrew Coster has quit his role as CEO of the Social Investment Agency. He'll get paid three months notice, like a few other high profile servants who have recently "resigned". Are you uncomfortable that we're paying people out to quit rather than just sacking them? The school lunch drama between principal Peggy Burrows and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour continues. Who do you think is telling the truth here? Do you care at all? Half of us apparently drive around with lapsed car registrations and WOFs. Is your registration and WOF up to date? Is it too much admin? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour's shrugging off food poisoning concerns at a Christchurch school, saying its principal is often complaining about Government policies. Haeata Community Campus recalled all lunches yesterday after discovering some boxes contained rancid and "dead" looking food. Some children had already eaten their lunch. Minister-in-charge Seymour told Mike Hosking a previous batch has likely been re-served to students. He says they're keeping an open mind while looking into how meals from last week got in front of children this week. The School Lunch Collective, Ministry of Education and MPI are all investigating. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Act Party leader talks about using KiwiSaver to buy a farm. Plus, he enters the age-old debate on the age of eligibility for the National Super. And - is Chris Hipkins’s capital gains tax politically palatable or a poisoned chalice?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to David Seymour, Te Radar, and Lindy Nelson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The coalition is in the throes of internal warfare - with Winston Peters and David Seymour slinging barbs over the Regulatory Standards Bill. In a stunning about-face today, Mr Peters has pledged to revoke that law - ACT's brainchild - next term - despite voting it through last week. It has prompted an extraordinary rebuke from David Seymour - who says Mr Peters looks like he's gearing up to jump ship to a Labour coalition. Acting political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

Last Week, the government passed the regulatory standards bill into the regulatory standards act. Long controversial, failing to pass in its first three readings and subject to enormous opposition in submissions during the process, the law is the child of David Seymour's ACT party.   But now that this law has passed, these serious concerns are of urgency. Particularly there are loud concerns and criticisms of the primacy granted to corporate interests, in the face of te Tiriti o Waitangi and the environment. Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Greenpeace Campaigner Gen Toop about the bill passing, what it means for the environment, and what should be done in the face of this policy threat.