Podcast appearances and mentions of chris hipkins

Public hearings in the Covid-19 Royal Commission have been abandoned after key witnesses, including Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, former Finance Minister Grant Robertson, refused to appear. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Labour's had a bump in the latest political poll - up four points in the One News Verian poll - nipping at National's heels. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 10th August 2025, Flight of the Conchords star Bret McKenzie speaks ahead of the release of his new solo album Freak Out City. He talks about writing for movies and inheriting 50 race horses. Actress Kate Burton is the daughter of global screen star Richard Burton, she tells Francesca why the latest biopic of her father is the first she's endorsed. Labour leader Chris Hipkins talks about whether his party is doing a good job in opposition and whether they are doing enough to win New Zealanders back while Francesca slams their education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime for a seemingly lazy and arrogant reaction to an invitation to meet over education reform. And fibremaxxing is trending - wellness contributor Erin O'Hara has been looking into whether the evidence behind the trend stacks up. Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, broadcaster and journalist Wilhelmina Shrimpton and director at Capital NZ, Ben Thomas, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Labour's Chris Hipkins has admitted his education spokesperson should have replied to the Minister over NCEA changes before the Government moved to scrap the qualification. What do we make of this! And what do we think of Labour at the moment? The boot camp data is in, with new reports revealing seven participants re-offended seriously enough to warrant returning from the community to residence. Can the Government make changes to the programme? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's leader believes lessons can be learnt from a lack of communication from his party on NCEA changes. Education Minister Erica Stanford reached out to Labour's education spokeswoman Willow-Jean Prime at least three times, asking for her input on the changes but she failed to respond. Following the announcement, Labour criticised the Government's minimal cross party consultation. Leader Chris Hipkins says Willow-Jean has learned a lot from this. "The key thing now is that we do need cross-party collaboration to make sure that the changes to the NCEA are enduring." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour leader Chris Hipkins has rebuked his education spokesperson after finding out she ignored, then rejected offers to work with the government on NCEA reforms. ACT's David Seymour said if she was one of his MPs, he would have fired her. But Labour is pushing, and said there still needs to be more consultation on the NCEA changes. Russell Palmer reports.

So I don't know what's worse, the fact that Willow Jean Prime is a lazy, disinterested waste of space in Labour's team, or the fact that Labour's been busted almost lying about this. So let me get you across what happened, and you can decide for yourself. In March, Willow Jean Prime took over the Labour Party education portfolio from Jan Tonetti, and her National Party counterpart, Erika Stanford, sent her a text to say congrats and I need to get you up to speed with the NCEA change process. It would be good if we could meet first and I can run you through where we're at. There is a policy advisory group of principals who are working on the details. You can have access to them as well as my officials and also NZQA. Willow Jean does not bother to reply. Two months later in May, Erica's office sends an email saying, basically, haven't heard from Willow Jean, would like to ensure cross-party engagement can continue. Can we set up a meeting? Willow Jean doesn't bother to reply. A month later in mid-Junne, Erica personally writes again, Willow Jean, yeah, you know, doesn't bother to reply. Next month, July, Erica then goes up a level and writes to Chippy. He doesn't reply either, but then the next day Willow Jean finally does reply, and she says she declines your invitation. Fast forward now to the 25th of July and suddenly Willow Jean writes to Erica wanting to meet because she's read in the Herald that the NCEA changes are coming soon. Erica writes back, basically says to her, mate, you missed your chance, we have already made the decisions. Chippy, meanwhile, complains publicly that the government, AKA Erika Stanford, hasn't been consulting with him and Willow Jean on the NCEA changes. So, tell me now, having heard that, what do you think is worse? That Willow Jean can't be bothered doing her job properly, or that Chippy has an amazing ability to lie with a smile? Now, here are the key learnings from this incident. Willow Jean is not a serious, hardworking, or clever person, and it is not ready to be a minister. Chris Hipkins is not as honest as his lovely smiling face would make you think. Labour is thin on the ground for talent if Willow Jean Prime is #8 in their party, and don't mess with Erica because she will pull a beautiful hit job on you, which is exactly what's happened here. But also, Labour are just rude and unprofessional. It doesn't kill you to reply to a message. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I get texts on the daily from people saying “you're so negative about Labour”. “You never have anything good to say about the last government. You're so critical of Labour.” And I say to them, how can anyone with a brain not be critical of Labour?! The gut feeling I had at the time that the previous administration was out of their depth and hopelessly incompetent has been proved with hard data, time and time and time again. The failure to deliver any kind of transformational reform, the failure to deliver on the absolute basics, the arrogance around co-governance, the breathtaking and utterly tragic waste of taxpayer money, more on that later, Treasury's report that came out yesterday slamming the governments spending during the pandemic just confirms everything we knew – but now this. Labour's absolute refusal to even acknowledge changes taking place within NCEA. The Herald has the story and its a good one. The Government offered Labour multiple opportunities to be briefed on the NCEA change process, but the party's education spokeswoman Willow-Jean Prime initially didn't respond to these invitations and then flat-out declined them. This after Hipkins said to the Herald last month that the Labour Government consulted with the then-Opposition to ensure changes were “going to be enduring” and expressed a desire for the current Government to do the same. A text message appears to show Stanford reached out to Prime about NCEA after the Labour MP took over the education portfolio from Jan Tinetti in March. “Hey Willow-Jean, congrats on the new role! Will need to get you up to speed with the NCEA change process. Jan and I had started working cross-party on this given the importance of our national qualification,” Stanford wrote, according to a screenshot provided. “Would be good if we could meet first and I can run you through where we are at and what the process is. There is a policy advisory group of principals who are working on the details and you can have access to them when they meet as well as my officials and also NZQA.” The Minister said her office would get in touch with Prime's “if that's ok?”. Nothing. Tumbleweeds. Now I get that she doesn't have to like the changes. She doesn't have to agree with the change. But a letter along the lines of 'Thanks Minister, but I am philosophically and intellectually opposed to the changes you intend to make and I will be rolling them back once I am Minister. Nga mihi, Willow Jean' would have let everybody know where they stood. Nothing? No response at all?! Stanford's office reached out again in May. Again, nothing. In mid June, Stanford reached out personally and then when again, there was no response, Stanford emailed Chris Hipkins office on July 1. “I've sought on multiple occasions to get input from your education spokesperson on NCEA curriculum reform, with no response,” Stanford wrote to Hipkins on July 1. “It is important to have cross-party collaboration regarding a national qualification, and the offer remains open to arrange a briefing from officials or from the Professional Advisory Group.” The next day, an adviser for Prime emailed Stanford: “I acknowledge your email regarding NCEA curriculum reform." “Willow-Jean has considered your email and declines the invitation." That is Labour's education spokesperson. Some one who is so rude, so out of touch, so out of her depth she refused to be part of transformational change. But no, this is not just Labour's education spokesperson, this is Labour. Out of touch, out of their depth, and while Chris Hipkins remains as leader, they should never be allowed anywhere near the levers of power ever again. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The $66-billion question hanging over Labour's head has been answered. This new Treasury report tells us what we all already knew about Labour's Covid response. They went too far. Spent like a drunken sailor. Made it rain dollar bills. When Treasury advised them to pull back, they didn't they kept going. Covid was the most expensive economic to this country. The government spent $66-billion - which is 20% of our GDP. Of that, just 18% was spent on specific pandemic healthcare costs. Then they just kept spending. Forget the Nigerian prince, this is the biggest scam to hit kiwi shores. They also spent the Covid fund on things like school lunches and art therapy programmes. The report tip toes around it but the clear inference of this report is Labour went too far pulling the fiscal leaver. The Reserve Bank should be using monetary policy to bulk of the heaving lifting in future events. At the same time this report landed on Labour's lap like a tonne of bricks, Chris Hipkins was in Queenstown chatting about the policies they don't have but will probably have going into the election. Guess what's on the menu? A capital gains tax. More government spending. And talk that the Treasury-imposed safe debt cap could be increased. So debt, Tax. And spend. People may not like Luxon's delivery of this message, it grates, but you can't hide from the fact those guys screwed the pooch. And the pooch, if they were to get back into power, best be preparing for more screwing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A deeper examination of just some of Chris Hipkins' many lies about the Covid Vaccine Data in 2021.Links:Albert Benavides: FDA FAERS Masks Deaths as "Other Outcomes": https://rumble.com/v6wvnpa-albert-benavides-fda-faers-masks-deaths-as-other-outcomes.html?e9s=src_v1_cbl%2Csrc_v1_ucp_aAlbert Benavides: Covid-19 Vaccine Administered in 2014!?: https://rumble.com/v6w711q-albert-benavides-covid-19-vaccine-administered-in-2014.html?e9s=src_v1_cbl%2Csrc_v1_ucp_aVAERS Myocarditis Data Cover Up with Dr. Robert Chandler & Albert Benavides: https://rumble.com/v6u3y9h-vaers-myocarditis-data-cover-up-with-dr.-robert-chandler-and-albert-benavid.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp_a- Exposing Hidden Covid-19 Vaccine Deaths in New Zealand with Albert Benavides | Part One: https://rumble.com/v6kyovv-the-purposeful-hiding-of-covid-19-vaccine-deaths-in-new-zealand-part-one.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp- Probing Deeper into Covid-19 Vaccine Data in New Zealand with Albert Benavides | Part Two: https://rumble.com/v6l1phg-the-purposeful-hiding-of-covid-19-vaccine-deaths-in-new-zealand-part-two.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp- Uncovering Patterns in New Zealand's Vaccine Death Data with Albert Benavides | Part Three: https://rumble.com/v6laeo1-the-purposeful-hiding-of-covid-19-vaccine-deaths-in-new-zealand-part-three.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp- Revealing the Full Scope of New Zealand's Vaccine Data Cover-Up with Albert Benavides | Part Four: https://rumble.com/v6lb2a1-the-purposeful-hiding-of-covid-19-vaccine-deaths-in-new-zealand-part-four.html?e9s=src_v1_ucpVAERS Aware - https://www.vaersaware.com/new-zealandWelcome The Eagle on Public Tableau - https://public.tableau.com/app/search/vizzes/welcome%20the%20eagleWelcome The Eagle Substack - https://welcometheeagle.substack.com/Closed VAERS profile - https://substack.com/@welcometheeagleWelcomeTheEagle on Rumble - https://rumble.com/user/welcometheeagleWelcomeTheEagle on X/Twitter: https://x.com/welcometheeagle

The Opposition leader says he's worried Police are retrenching from rural communities. A planned staffing restructure could move some permanent posted rural officers move to work from 24/7 hubs in Rolleston and Rangiora. Officer headcount won't drop. Chris Hipkins told John MacDonald he's been through this in his own area, in Wellington's Upper Hutt. He says it means Police presence reduces. He says rural communities are being sold the same story it won't affect local policing but the reality is, it will. The Labour leader says Minister Mark Mitchell was happy to see more Policing in Auckland city, and it's time for the Minister to walk the talk and tell the Commissioner he wants rural areas better provisioned. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After more than 20 years as New Zealand's official secondary-school qualification, the government has pulled the pin on the NCEA. Labour Leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Corin Dann.

In a special interview with MediaWorks news journalist Azriel Taylor, former New Zealand Prime Minister and Opposition Leader Chris Hipkins tackles vaping rules, cost of living, and local government challenges. On the economy, Hipkins argues the coalition has worsened pressures through rising rates and stalled infrastructure. He condemns climate policy rollbacks, advocating for renewable energy, and voices concerns over voting law changes. Hipkins also backs Palestinian statehood and urged moving beyond political blame towards practical solutions for New Zealand's future. Get in touch with Duncan - duncan@rova.nz and join us on the socials. Website: https://www.rova.nz/home/podcasts/duncan-garner---editor-in-chief.html Instagram: @DuncanGarnerpodcast TikTok: @DuncanGarnerpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The gangs were right, the Government was wrong. That's one way to interpret the news that, for the first time, the number of people on the national gang list is higher than 10,000. The gangs were right. Because they said right from the outset that the Government could do what it wants but they will never go away. And the numbers don't lie, do they? At the time of the 2023 election, there were 9,270 people on the national gang list. Now there are 10,009 – an increase of more than 700. Which is why, as well as saying the gangs were right, you could also say that the Government was wrong. I think it's too early, but I think we need to change our expectations a little bit. Which I'll come back to. Labour is crowing, of course. But before Ginny Andersen and Chris Hipkins get too carried away, they need to remember that when Labour came to power in 2017 there were 5,343 people on the gang list and by the time the 2023 election came around, that had increased by nearly 4,000. So Police Minister Mark Mitchell —who has been the face of the gang patch ban and all of the other anti-gang initiatives— is correct when he says that the numbers aren't increasing as fast as they were. And he says that slower rate of growth is proof that the Government's tough-on-crime policies are working. The Prime Minister is backing that up, saying the Government is "smashing the gangs". He's saying: "I'm proud of the progress that we've made. Putting the gang patches ban in place – many people said that couldn't be done." Assistant police commissioner Paul Basham is singing from the same songsheet. Saying that because the Government has given the police more power and resources, they've got a better handle on gang numbers and illegal gang activity. Nevertheless, with numbers rising, what should happen next? Do we accept that we're never going to stop gang numbers growing? Do we go harder? Or do we give the Government more time for its crackdown to work? I'm prepared to give the Government a little bit more time. But I think we also need to adjust our expectations and forget about any idea of gang numbers falling dramatically. Because there will always be gangs. But if the police have a better handle on what they're doing and —because of that— those of us not involved in gangs feel safer, then that's a good outcome in my book. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show…  - It's a pre-election dance, bit of shadow boxing, a fight over who is the most credible party and person to run the NZ economy.  - Chris Luxon says his approach is so successful and he's so confident in what he's doing that he's doubling down on it - meanwhile Chris Hipkins says Luxon ran his victory lap too early.  - So why is Hipkins refusing to say what he'd do? Right now who knows what Labour stands for - is he all mouth and no trousers?  - Plus some Letters to the Editor! 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

I understand what the Prime Minister is saying about these pay increases for board members at Crown agencies, such as Health NZ and Kāinga Ora, but I'm not buying it. The top payment was $90,000. It's now $160,000. Christopher Luxon says the Government needs to offer higher pay for these board roles so they can attract the best people. But tell that to the 28,000 people who have lost their jobs in the past year. Tell that to the hospital staff striking for more pay. Tell that to the hospital staff who have had a gutsful of staffing levels going south. Tell that to most people in New Zealand, and I think they'll say that the Government couldn't be more tone deaf if it tried. As Labour leader Chris Hipkins is saying, people are struggling to make ends meet and this just shows how out of touch the Government is. To be fair, the Prime Minister is correct when he says that they need to make these roles worth people's while. Because, whether we like it or not, the Crown is competing with the private sector in trying to get the best people. But being correct doesn't always make someone right, and someone needs to tell Christopher Luxon that people don't care what he knows until we know that he cares. There he was again yesterday saying that he understands that people are doing it tough at the moment. He knows. But does he care? The way Public Service Minister Judith Collins puts it is that this is actually a strong move by the Government. Because past governments have been too chicken to pay its board members more, and she says we can't expect these people to work for chickenfeed. I get what Judith Collins is saying too. And I know that, in the scheme of things, it's not as if these increased payments to board members will amount to a massive amount of money. But for me it's all about perception and the message it sends. Yes, people putting their hands up to sit on government boards want to be recognised for their time and effort. But consider how busy the Government has been telling local councils to cut their cloth. Consider how busy the Government's been telling government departments to cut their cloth. Yes, people on government agency boards should be paid what they're worth, but now is not the time for 80% pay increases. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Politicians rely on voters having short memories. They all do it. Politicians and governments get swept out of power, they fester away on the opposition benches, and then a year before the next election, they make sweeping statements and promises about what they'll do if voters have the good sense to put them in. Chris Hipkins is no different from every other party. A lot of people might nod along with his comments and look at the price of butter or the whopping amount on their power bill and think ‘well this lot haven't fixed things the way they said they would, maybe I should vote Labour in 2026.' In the Herald's Front Page podcast, the Labour leader said he wants us to have a look at how MP works, so smaller parties don't call the shots. There should be some concessions and some trade-offs with the other parties to form a government, he says. That doesn't mean you should be doing things you specifically told the electorate before the election that you weren't going to do, Chris Hipkins said. The Treaty Principles Bill, he says, is a good example. The Regulatory Standards Bill. Some of these things no one knew they were voting for at the last election. And now they're being inflicted on them. I don't think that's the spirit of MMP or democracy. And amazingly, a bolt of lightning didn't strike him. Because can I remind the Labour leader, that Labour lost the last election - and absolutely tanked it. After their landslide win in 2020, ministers felt they could implement un-signaled projects and projects that arose because of agitation within their caucus - from Three Waters to a social insurance scheme - and didn't bother taking the public along with them. That was one of the main reasons that Labour tanked it. After their historic win, it was a historic defeat. ‘Bugger it', they thought to themselves. ‘We've got a mandate, we'll do what we like', which is not so very different from allowing minor parties to implement un-signaled projects, is it? A lot of people who voted Labour last time did so because in 2020 National was a complete disaster as a party. A lot of people were very grateful to Labour for getting them through Covid. There were still some people who believed the rhetoric, despite clear evidence that they had no idea how to implement a lot of the more progressive and visionary policies. There was no evidence they could actually implement them, but some people still believed it. But then they came and there were policies that nobody knew existed, even those who had done their homework. Where did this come from? Well, it came from an antsy Māori block within Labours caucus who said,' Well, if you don't do this, we'll go to Te Pati Māori!' and Labour caved. So, I am all for some reform around our electoral system. I think the party that wins the most votes on the night should be obliged to enter into negotiations with the minor parties. And, perhaps more pertinently, the minor parties (looking at you Winston) should be obliged to begin negotiations with the party that wins the most votes on the night. Forget about your petty power politics and your hurt feelings and your personal grievances. That's not what you should be there for. You should be there for the good of the people. So, the party that wins the most votes on the night should have the minor parties knocking on their door, by law. And if they cannot reach any kind of consensus, if they cannot agree on the principles that could help them form a government then by all means, shuffle the deck. Let's see what kind of government you can come up with. I would love to hear before the election from party leaders on who they will work with, which parties they will rule out, and which policies are non-negotiable. And again stressing, I would love to see petty power politics taken out of the equation too. New Zealand voters have said have reaffirmed MMP as the system by which they want to be governed. Incomprehensibly to me, but there we go, we live in a democracy. They've said yes, MMP is the way to go, that's the form of proportional representation we will have. But that doesn't mean that we can't tinker with it, make it better, or reform it. We don't agree on much Chris Hipkins and I, but on that, I do agree. Let's have a look at MMP and see how we can improve it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a longform conversation, leader of the opposition, Chris Hipkins spoke with NZ Herald about the cost of living, taxing the rich, CGT and and how he thinks this Government is an example of the smaller parties having all the power which he thinks is not a good representation of MMPThe Luxon led Government are seemingly happy to break Bill of Rights as they propose a change to voting laws that, if they were in place at the last election, would have disenfranchised 150,000 votersThe change to the passport working is again another distraction, dog whistle to the racist base of CoC voters as this government seems to want to continue to attack, to minimise and to devalue te reo and Māori in general. We'll remind people again tonight how, when the indigenous language is not brown, colonised countries pass legislation to support it and make it their first language even when fewer people speak it than speak English.We have to take some time out tonight to talk about Donald Trump. He, and his surrogates, are quite truly the people on the face of the planet which we'll show you and, even though the kids on Friday touched on it, we cannot let a show pass without looking at the infamous South Park premiere episode to their 27th season.=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

Our mate Chippy AKA Chris Hipkins came through for a kōrero, and as we know our politician mates LOVE a chat, so we couldn't fit the whole thing on air. Enjoy the full uncut kōrero with Chippy!

Ehhh kia ora e te homies! Here's what you missed on the show today: Fame has gone into negatives in his sick leave Some advice from Tegs to the straight girlies PSA to start respecting the on-ramp lights Tegs partner is perfect but… What is communal in the work fridge? Chris Hipkins on for a lil yarn Someone punched a nana on the shore Should I be wearing a swimming cap with a bald head? Shot for listening, From Eds (or Eric) xoxo

From entering Parliament in 2008 – to leading the country in 2023 – Chris Hipkins is no stranger to the spotlight. During Covid’s beginnings, he was known as a safe set of hands, tackling Education, Health, and becoming the Minister in charge of the Covid Response for a time. Now, he’s firmly setting his sights on election 2026 – but, is he confident he’ll still be in Labour’s driving seat when it rolls around? Today on The Front Page, Hipkins joins us to discuss the cost of living, vibes in parliament, and whether he’ll ever be able to shake Covid. 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: Chelsea DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show…  - It's time for my political panel. Former Labour Party MP Stuart Nash and Political Commentator Ashley Church join me. We look at the latest poll which sends National into opposition after just one term. And Labour the Greens and Te Pāti Māori would govern if an election was held today.  - And Chris Luxon is neck and neck with Chris Hipkins as preferred PM. Luxon has never been popular so if he can't get National a second term, should they roll him? I'll ask the panel.  - Plus some Letters to the Editor! 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

Was Nicola Willis sent on a fool’s errand to Fonterra? The government can’t do anything about the price of butter and cheese (without subsidies), but what can it do to kneecap spendthrift local body councils? Is the Prime Minister concerned with what’s happening at Pāmu, after the sudden resignation of the long-standing and well-regarded manager of Molesworth Station, Jim Ward?Should the state be a farmer? Or is that an outmoded concept? And what about “frickin” Chris Hipkins?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour Leader has responded to Luxon's heated comments in response to their jabs about the cost of living. The Opposition has criticised the Government's flagship cost of living policy, raising a red flag over only 153 families getting the maximum credit across all four quarters. Luxon says Labour's crying crocodile tears, and that he's not taking any lectures from "frickin Chris Hipkins" about not supporting working Kiwis. Hipkins told John MacDonald that Luxon is focused on attacking other people and blaming everybody else, rather than speaking up in favour of his own government's track records. “Show me the money” is the Opposition's call over the Government plan for the new Waikato Medical School. It'll get $83 million in taxpayer funding and more than $150 million from the university and investors. The Labour leader told MacDonald we need to train more doctors, but this could take longer than just increasing intakes at existing medical schools. He says the Government should be transparent about this decision. Hipkins says Labour won't stop the project if construction's already under way if it gets into Government. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It appears we're living in an age where it's okay for politicians to swear to the press. Donald Trump is leading the way, dropping the F bomb over Russia and using the word bullshit more often than anyone ever had. It's a sign of the times, and you could argue it makes politicians more relatable because heaven knows we're all a lot more potty mouth in private. But you could also say that leaders of countries should be held to higher standards, and it's not hard to not swear – ask broadcasters. So the PM almost dropped an F bomb yesterday because Chris Hipkins was calling the FamilyBoost programme a failure. Are you okay with politicians having a swear in public, or is it something they should have the maturity to control? Now what is the FamilyBoost programme that got Chris Luxon so fired up that he called the Leader of the Opposition “fricken” Chris Hipkins after he criticised it. The FamilyBoost programme is a New Zealand government initiative designed to help families with the cost of early childhood education by giving you a refund on what you've paid. Families can claim 25% of their weekly cost of childcare, up to a maximum of $75. There's a cap, if you earn over 180,000 dollars you can't claim it. The government initially estimated that up to 100,000 families could benefit from FamilyBoost, with 21,000 potentially eligible for the full payment. Chris Hipkins claims that rather than 21,000, the number claiming the full benefit was 153. 60,000 families have received some form of payment – so it has kind of worked. The low uptake is likely due to a combination of factors, including a lack of awareness of the scheme and complex eligibility requirements. It's not the first time the policy has been criticised. Back in May it was revealed that nearly a quarter of the money spent on National's flagship FamilyBoost policy has gone towards running the scheme, instead of helping families – $14 million out of $62 million. Are you sick of these virtue signalling schemes where if you have the ability to run the scheme, you have the ability to run a multi-national corporation, because applying is so complex, but all you're doing is applying for a benefit? The Government has since announced changes to the scheme to increase eligibility and encourage greater participation. These changes include expanding eligibility to more families and increasing the income threshold for the full rebate. It's also looking at ways to simplify the scheme and make it easier for families to access the benefits. Blah blah blah blah. We're living full lives running a family here. Is this worth the time to interpret all the rules and fill out all the paperwork, because when you look at this whole thing, it seems to be written in something other than English? So the question is this: in an age of fast track this and too much bureaucracy that, is applying to get a benefit just too hard? Is the fear of being taken advantage of by a small minority of an already small minority too great? Or is the bureaucratic minefield that is the benefit application process a good thing? Because it limits the number of people taking taxpayers money to make ends meet so we can spend that revenue on more doctors and transport options? And can politicians fricken swear? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Instead of Chris Hipkins, this week Milly and Rosetta catch up with Kieran McAnulty to chata about rising homelessness and inflation. 

Jamie Mackay talks to Bruce Weir, Amber Brador, Chris Hipkins, Abbi Ayre, Peter Newbold, and Chris Russell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour’s leader discusses bipartisan politics, the unlikely prospect of a Grand Coalition and the right tree in the right place. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martyn 'Bomber' Bradbury this week is joined by a HEAVYWEIGHT panel comprised of Simon Wilson, Claudette Hauiti, and Prof. Jane Kelsey. Together they tear into the brain fog of a recessionary Kiwi economy, David Seymour’s dodgy Regulatory Standards Bill, and Winston Peters' Covid Inquiry-for-clicks. With 30,000 New Zealanders fleeing and GDP flatlining, the crew ask - who exactly is “growth” growing for? Leader of the Opposition Chris Hipkins is this week's special guest, and of course we have the War on News. Powered by Waatea News.

We owe our kids an apology. School students of all ages in this country have been used as guinea pigs in failed experiments that have been demonstrably bad for their learning. We've had two announcements from the Government this week that prove this. First, the latest NCEA maths results from low decile schools. They improved by around 70 percent. 19.8 percent passed the co-requisite test last year. In June it was 34 percent. This is, obviously, excellent news. Well done to those students for putting in the hard work. The begging question is why and how on earth did this happen? I asked both Erica Stanford and Chris Hipkins, the former Education Minister, this question. Both agreed it was a more relentless focus on the basics. Both agreed that teachers have been teaching too much 'fluffy' other stuff to students and their results in core subjects have been declining as a result. Both politicians blamed the other party for changing where the focus goes. And that's politics. But it's the students who've missed out. They're the ones who won't get those years back. They're the ones who've missed out. They're the ones who will pay the price in future for missing out on a basic education. And two, the open plan, barn-yard style classrooms - the home of distracted learning. The Government today announced they won't build any new ones. Which, again, is welcome news. But the question is - why any were built in the first place? The Key government built some and Labour carried on. All of this on the advice of boffins at the Ministry of Education who've clearly never stepped foot in an actual classroom. Now, the Minister says they've done some actual research and realised they're a terrible idea. This is how Erica Stanford politely described how schools are coping with these classes at present: "There are schools who still have them and they operate in them the best they possibly can. They have trained their teachers to work in them, they've got really good acoustics. They're teaching children at different levels, some on chairs, some on the floor to reduce the noise, and they're doing the best they can." I know, totally ridiculous. The reality is, we can't solely blame out kids for their failure to learn. We can also blame ill-informed or ideologically-driven experiments by the Ministry of Education, the unions and politicians. Whether it's the Ministry in Wellington, the unions or politicians, we can't solely blame our kids for their failure to learn. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland risks being cast into obscurity as "a global city" according to a just released report. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The word "Tory" is thrown around quite a lot, most publicly and recently by Chris Hipkins making a reference to media company NZME's "Tory owners". So, what is a Tory, and why is it being used here in New Zealand? To explain the history behind the word Jesse was joined by Dr Grant Morris.

Let me tell you what Chris Hopkins is busy doing to the Covid Inquiry. Let me tell you, when he says that the Covid Inquiry is providing a platform for those who have conspiracy theorist views, he is trying to undermine it, and he's doing that. So it doesn't matter what the outcome of the inquiry is, people have already written it off as a nut job investigation. I suspect Chippy already knows that he's not going to come out of this flash. Neither is Jacinda. Neither is Ashley. Neither is Grant. Because we already know what went wrong. We can see that the lockdowns went too long. We know that the border was done badly. We know how much money was printed, to name just a few things that they did wrong. It's kind of rich of Chris Hipkins to complain that the terms of reference have been deliberately constructed to achieve a certain outcome, because that's coming from the guy whose government did exactly the same with the original Covid Inquiry. They set up such a limited set of terms of references that we had to set up a second inquiry after they lost the election just to get to the stuff that we actually care about, which is the mandates and the Auckland lockdown, and so on. They set up an inquiry, deliberately designed their words to only learn lessons, not assign blame when actually blame, or you can call it just taking responsibility, is exactly what a lot of us affected by all of this stuff would like to see. But what really bothers me about what Chris Hipkins is doing is the continual demonising of conspiracy theorists. Now, look, I don't love a conspiracy theorist. They're a bit nutty. I've had to sit through lectures about the world order hours on end, trying to be polite and pretending that you care because you love the person, right? A lot of these people went down the rabbit hole because Labour forced to the jab on them, so they went off to do their own research and they came back a bit strange. They shouldn't be excluded. They may be conspiracy theorists, but they're still our friends and our brothers and our uncles, even if they're a bit slightly different at the moment. Conspiracy theorists or not, they were as affected by these decisions as everyone else, therefore, they get a say too. And whatever, by the way, happened to “they are us”? Or does that only apply when it suits Labour? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle Ali Jones from Red PR and former National ministerial advisor Brigitte Morton joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The second stage of the Covid-19 inquiry is still going on - and Labour's Chris Hipkins has suggested this gives conspiratorial views a platform. Do we think these comments are out of line? TVNZ is set to launch an independent review of its news content to check for balance and bias. Is this a serious enough problem? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Heather Du Plessis-Allan Drive with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 8th of July 2025, Brooke van Velden responds to Chris Hipkins saying the Covid inquiry terms of reference provides a platform for conspiracy theorists. Donald Trump has met with Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House, Managing partner of Firehouse strategies & Former Chief of staff for Marco Rubio's 2016 campaign, Matt Terrill provides some analysis. Rich-listers who planned to fully fund a new arena at Western Springs Stadium have removed their bid, rival Western Springs Stadium bidder Brent Eccles tells Ryan Bridge what happens next. Plus, TVNZ is launching a independent review to check its news for balance, Ryan asks the Huddle if TVNZ is too biased. 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.

There's claims comments by Chris Hipkins on the Covid inquiry are 'unhelpful' and 'divisive'. The Labour leader said the terms of reference for the second phase - currently underway - provide a platform for conspiratorial views. He pointed out they exclude decisions made when New Zealand First was in Government . But Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, told Ryan Bridge the terms were expanded so people felt listened to. "They wanted the inquiry to be fulsome and to find the truth so that when we have another pandemic, we have less division and we have a better response." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins won't commit to appearing before the second phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into New Zealand's Covid response. The Labour leader earlier said the terms of reference for the second stage - which is currently underway - provide a platform for conspiracies. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says Hipkins has some good points - but the Government at the time did make decisions that intruded on people's rights. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Royal Commission into the country's Covid-19 response could request former Prime Minister, Dame Jacinda Ardern, to appear for questioning in its August hearings. Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Melissa Chan-Green. *An earlier version stated Dame Jacinda Ardern had been asked to appear before the inquiry. A Covid-19 Inquiry spokesperson has clarified in a statement that no decisions have yet been made by Commissioners about who will appear at its hearing for key decision makers and senior public servants in August, with the witness list still under consideration.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 2 July 2025, Donald Trump says Israel has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza. International relations expert Stephen Hoadley has his doubts and says this is a very different situation to the war with Iran. The Government's chief victims adviser Ruth Money explains why she wants an end to jury trials in sexual assault cases. Relationship and parenting expert Jo Robertson says we used to be too loose with sleepovers and explains the test you should apply when deciding whether your kids should be allowed to stay somewhere overnight or not. The Herald's Thomas Coughlan responds to Labour's Chris Hipkins' claim that ramraids have vanished from the frontpage because of "NZME's tory owners". Plus, the Huddle debates whether we're being too harsh on rich people trying to crack down on their helicopter pads - or whether it's un-neighbourly to have one land at your house. 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.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins raised a few eyebrows after he offered his theory about why ram-raids don't get as much media coverage anymore. In an earlier interview on ZB's Wellington Mornings, Chris Hipkins claimed NZME's 'Tory owners' decided not to put ram-raids on the front page anymore - in order to put the National Party in a better light. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says data shows ram-raids have dropped significantly over the last year. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retailers say the Government's crack-down on shoplifters is overdue, despite the opposition blasting the law as confused. Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Corin Dann.

Labour says the government should be acknowledging the US breached international law when it bombed targets in Iran. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Corin Dann.

The Minister of Agriculture and Trade takes time out of his busy Fieldays schedule to sing the praises of the primary sector and how he's willing to work with Labour leader Chris Hipkins to do "what's right for our farmers".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's leader says he's had a positive reception at Fieldays, and discusses his party's as yet unannounced agriculture policy. Plus, would he take agriculture out of the ETS?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Ray Smith, Miles Hurrell, Chris Hipkins, Todd McClay, Todd Charteris, Samuel Whitelock, Kate Scott, Mike Green, and Hugh Jackson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour Party's ability to work with Te Pāti Māori in a potential government has come under question following the Treaty Principles haka debate. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

According to results out on Wednesday morning, the left bloc would have enough support to govern. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Corin Dann.

The Labour Party is critical of the government's plans to redevelop Nelson Hospital, saying it will deliver half the number of new beds as the previous government had planned. Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

With the announcement of how the government is planning to spend money over the next year comes the question of how this will impact the National Party's chances of being re-elected into power in next year's General Election. When presenting her work to Parliament, Finance Minister, Nicola Willis, said that “every Kiwi knows this government has their back”. However, elements of the Budget have been criticised by opposition parties and various activist groups, with opposition leader, Chris Hipkins, calling funding decisions in the Budget “strange and unnecessary”. The Budget can play a major role in whether a government will be re-elected or not.  Labour's 1958 Budget, for example, which has since become known as the ‘Black Budget,' resulted in Finance Minister at the time, Arnold Nordmeyer, imposing additional taxes on cars, alcohol, and tobacco, in an attempt to limit the need for international goods during the payments crisis in late 1957. This caused political tensions, and as a result, Labour lost the 1960 general election after one term. News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Brian Roper — an Associate Professor in Politics at the University of Otago, about how Budget 2025 will impact National's chances to be re-elected, and his opinion on what party, or parties, will make up the next government.

Nearly 13 billion dollars has been clawed back from pay equity changes over four years, the Government contribution to KiwiSaver has been halved, tweaks to BestStart payments have been made and a tax break for businesses. Finance minister Nicola Willis delivered what she calls a "responsible" budget - but Labour leader Chris Hipkins says its an austerity budget 'that's left women out'. Political reporter Lillian Hanly reports.