Podcast appearances and mentions of chris hipkins

RNZ's political team sits down with the leaders of the two major parties - National's Christopher Luxon and Labour's Chris Hipkins - to reflect on 2025 and look forward to election year. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

On Politics Thursday this week Nick Mills was joined by Wairarapa MP Mike Butterick and Labour MP and spokesperson for health Ayesha Verrall. They discussed the potential for NZ to follow Australia in banning social media for under 16s and other regulations. Verrall and Butterick then hit the other big political news of the week including Coster blaming Mark Mitchell and Chris Hipkins for getting McSkimming too late, as well as RMA changes and ACC going back on working from home orders. Also, they give their take on who will win the financial debate between Nicola Willis and Ruth Richardson. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins is hitting out at the Taxpayers' Union as it prepares to launch a campaign against Finance Minister Nicola Willis. The lobby group is questioning Willis's track record on the economy. Willis has responded, challenging chair and former finance minister Ruth Richardson to a debate. The Labour Leader told John MacDonald the Taxpayers' Union has a view of "entrenched privilege". He claims the organisation is funded by a group of rich people who want to keep all of their money. Hipkins is also unimpressed by Willis' decision to agree to the debate, which he says shows deep divisions among the National Party. He calls it petty and says Willis should be focused on things like creating jobs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Politics Wednesday, Labour's Ginny Andersen and National's Mark Mitchell joined Heather du Plessis-Allan to discuss the week thus far. They discussed the newly-announced RMA reforms – how does Labour feel about the new acts? There's been another development in the McSkimming saga, with Andrew Coster claiming he briefed both Chris Hipkins and Mark Mitchell on the situation previously – something neither of them recall. And is the Ministerial Advisory Group for Retail Crime taking the mickey with how much they're charging for their services? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ata mārie e te whānau! Today on your bFM brekkie, Rosetta and Milly have some goodies lined up: What's Up with Chris Hipkins, Milly has a kōrero with Marisa Anderson ahead of Port Noise, and Ben is up for What's The Buzz. Plus, This Is How We Brew It, and a chance to win a ticket to the bFM Christmas Party! Whakarongo mai nei! Thanks to eighthirty coffee roasters! 

With the Jevon McSkimming scandal once more erupting with competing claims, there are calls for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to establish all the facts. It follows an explosive interview on TVNZ's Q&A over the weekend - where the former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster accused both Labour's Chris Hipkins and the police minister Mark Mitchell of knowing more than they've let on. Both men have flatly rejected that. Political reporter Russell Palmer has more.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report; Qantas has announced it will launch two new routes out of Auckland in 2026, with flights to Samoa and the Gold Coast; The Auditor General's Office has audited 2400 schools and found some are acting outside the law, hiring too many teachers and don't have receipts or records to show how public money is being spent; Paramount has launched a hostile bid for Warner Brothers, in an attempt to outbid Netflix, and create a media powerhouse; Dark comedy "One Battle After Another," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has topped the list of Hollywood's Golden Globe awards, receiving nine nominations.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 8 December 2025, the EMA's Alan McDonald outlines why tomorrow's RMA overhaul is so desperately needed and why he thinks the Government is coming with the bazooka approach. Will the big Netflix-Warner Brothers deal lead to fewer films in cinemas? Media commentator Duncan Greive weighs in. The Children's Commissioner has launched a campaign against child homicide, but are the country's worst parents really going to pay attention? Labour's Chris Hipkins rejects Andrew Coster's assertion he'd been briefed about the McSkimming affair - and says he has a witness. Plus, the Huddle debate the Children's Commission's campaign against child homicide and whether the days of boozy and lavish Christmas parties are over. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether-or-not you saw former police commissioner Andrew Coster's TV interview yesterday, you'll know about the allegations he's making. He thinks people are running for the hills after the Jevon McSkimming scandal and aren't telling the whole story in terms of what they knew and when they knew it. Especially current police minister Mark Mitchell and former police minister Chris Hipkins. Isn't it weird that someone who served in the police for more than 25 years - who, I imagine, determined at some points during that time that there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute - thinks he can make all sorts of accusations without one shred of evidence to prove it? That's what I took away from yesterday's interview. Can you imagine the police charging anyone with an offence with zero proof or zero evidence? Yet that is exactly what Andrew Coster did yesterday. He made these allegations that Chris Hipkins and Mark Mitchell aren't being upfront. Then, in the next breath, admitted that he had no record or evidence to prove it. That would be “case closed” if it was a police investigation. And, because he can't prove it, I can't believe him. This is someone who spent 28 years looking for evidence of guilt. He's got no evidence to back-up what he's saying - so I'm not buying it. Chris Hipkins and Mark Mitchell are both denying Coster's claims. Chris Hipkins says he “was never briefed on Jevon McSkimming's relationship with Ms Z during his time as minister of police or prime minister. Andrew Coster claims he told Hipkins in 2022 in the back of a car while they were on an official trip in the South Island, when Hipkins was police minister in the Labour government. And, Mark Mitchell is pushing back big time on Coster's claim that he knew earlier than 6 November last year. On Newstalk ZB this morning, he said Coster's claims were “absolute nonsense”. He said this morning - as he has since the Independent Police Conduct Authority report came out last month - that he first became aware on 6 November 2024, when Andrew Coster was told by the Public Service Commission to brief him on the situation. Mitchell says he didn't buy Coster's narrative that McSkimming was the victim. He says he's a father and that he pushed as much as he could as a minister to make sure the woman at the centre of all this was looked after. So it's “he says-he says”. But Andrew Coster has no evidence to prove his allegations so I can't believe him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell's doubling down on his version of the McSkimming saga timeline - calling recent claims "absolute utter nonsense." Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster's come out over the weekend claiming Mitchell - and Chris Hipkins - knew about the McSkimming affair, years earlier than they're letting on. However Mitchell told Heather du Plessis-Allan he was only told on November 6th 2024. He says Coster was told to brief him by the Public Service Commission, and he didn't buy or swallow the narrative that McSkimming was a victim. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What to make of the Andrew Coster interview on Q and A yesterday Firstly why did he do it. Obviously he felt he had been thrown under the bus by Judith Collins, Mark Mitchell and Richard Chambers at their recent press conference So he was prepared to throw them under the bus as well. And he does have a point when the IPCA report did not mention corruption but the politicians and the new police commissioner inferred it. The protection of his name is the reason he negotiated with the Public Service Commissioner regarding the delay in resigning from his latest job and frankly I don't blame him But the problem is he has no proof of his claims. And so now we have a he said, he said situation with nobody able to provide concrete proof of their claims. He may have briefed Mitchell and Hipkins of the situation but which situation was he talking about. An affair gone wrong or a police force covering up for one of their own. and how much detail of anything did he giver in these informal briefings. Who knows? The fascinating fact he mentioned is that the police is a 3 billion dollar business which makes the job of Police Commissioner one of the biggest in our economy. Ask any CEO whether they take notes of any conversation about their business and they'll tell you it's imperative. One would have thought it's imperative for any Minister of the Crown as well. My whole impression of the interview is that everyone was a bit loose. It's a tawdry tale of bad judgement at the top of our public service. And the buck always stops at the top It also reminded me that the political battles at the top levels of our public service are vicious affairs with everyone playing a hard game. And with Richard Chambers in a competition with a very competent police officer, who had a hidden sex life and predilection for animals, you wonder how he never knew anything One can only hope that Coster and Ms Z find a new normal and peace and everyone learns to take their jobs more seriously See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former police commissioner Andrew Coster claims he had briefed Chris Hipkins on Jevon McSkimming's alleged misconduct in 2022, and briefed Mark Mitchell in 2024. Coster stepped down as Chief Executive of the Social Investment Agency this week, after an IPCA report showed failures in how the police dealt with allegations against McSkimming. Both Hipkins and Mitchell have denied Andrew Coster's claims, and both have released statements saying they would have taken action had they known. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour Leader and MP for Rimutaka, Chris Hipkins joins Nick Mills in the studio for their final monthly catch up for 2025. Hipkins discusses the mood in Labour before the end of the year and after the Labour conference in Auckland. He explains the new GP clinic loan scheme and discusses his thoughts on the rates cap and regional council changes from the Government. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Opposition leader discusses Labour’s policy priorities and rural healthcare plans. Plus, his recent engagement, and how he rates the Labour Party Conference.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamish McKay talks to Chris Hipkins, Mike McIntyre, David Birkett, Ben Pratt, and Phil Duncan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This story should shock everybody, but it won't. Sadly. The headline? Former Covid response lead Alister Thorby stole $1.8 million from DHBs. From us, taxpayers. This guy was 25 and yet somehow in charge of the DHBs' response to the Covid pandemic in the Lower North Island. He stole almost $2m over five months. He bought cars, holidays, a house. He was an MIQ boss. He submitted invoices for work that never happened. One invoice was for $300k. Two of the companies he invoiced for didn't even exist. Now, this is bad for two reasons: 1. How on earth does some 25-year-old who's been in the job just five months, bill $1.8m and get those invoices paid? That's criminal. Who signed off on the cheques? Who was in charge? It's outrageous. 2. The timing. The Judge in this case points out the money went out the door at a time when the Government was scrambling to deal with Covid. Except this guy was employed October 2021 to June 2022. We were letting DJs through the boarder for Rhythm & Vines by then. The Wiggles were performing at Spark Arena. So that doesn't add up, in my mind. It wasn't panic stations, it was BAU by then. So, who was writing these cheques on our behalf? Something tells me this guy probably wasn't alone in taking the piss and taking us for a ride. Give fraudsters an inch, they'll take a mile. This was, after all, peak Ardern/Hipkins money tap era. We were throwing money out the window like there was no tomorrow. Was this the tip of the iceberg and will anyone, other than the guy to duped us, be held responsible for the fact it was allowed to happen in the first place? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report; The mother of a girl who ate a potentially mouldy school meal is disgusted students were served gone off food; The World Health Organisation has updated its guidelines for their treatment of obesity - and is now recommending GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy, alongside behavioral therapy; With the country set to miss its Smokefree 2025 target, the government is exploring legalising oral nicotine pouches; For today only, registered charities or schools donated to via Givealittle will receive the full amount, with the crowdfunding site waiving its usual 5% fee.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

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.

Hundreds of the Labour Party faithful gathered over the weekend in Auckland to begin the march back to Parliament's government benches. Council of Trade Unions head Sandra Gray was preaching to the converted when she told the crowd that New Zealand's Pavlova paradise has been eaten up by the rich. She said Labour needed to give workers a reason to vote for them and to deliver fundamental and systemic change. Yay! Cue loud rapturous applause. Barbara Edmonds, Labour's Finance Minister in waiting, stressed to the crowd, and the way the attendant media, that she would be a firm, fit and frugal Finance Minister. She and her husband have raised eight children. They have lived on one income. As a tax lawyer for small businesses, she knows, she said, how to manage money responsibly and make every dollar count. She repeated that ad nauseam throughout the day. Gone are the days of profligate spending. No, no, no. Not with Barbara at the helm. Not with Barbara in charge of the bank accounts. She knew how to be frugal. She knew the value of a dollar. She would make sure that money was spent wisely, judiciously, and not everybody who came knocking at the door with policies would get the money they wanted. And yesterday, Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins announced a future Labour government would offer doctors and nurse practitioners low interest loans to set up new practices or buy into existing ones. New Zealand, and this will come as no news to you, New Zealand currently has a GP shortage, which is expected to worsen. We have an aging GP workforce. GPs are looking to retire and they can't find anybody to take their place. A recent survey found two thirds of GPs are expected to retire in the next decade. Many in the sector have also warned of a an emerging duopoly, large primary healthcare providers buying up practices from the small family-owned GP practices. So Labour has announced that initially it will offer up to 50 loans per year, prioritizing areas that have no GPs or practices with closed or partially closed books. They will only be available for owner and or community operated general practices. The loan will have to be repaid over 10 years. They will be interest-free for the first two years. Novel. It aligns with Labour's messaging of health, jobs, homes, as it goes into next year's election. But just as the three free GP visits per year, is a gift that a lot of people don't need or want, is this what GPs and practice nurses want? Do you actually want to own your own practice? I'm sure there are some that do. But just because you're a brilliant GP, does that make you a brilliant manager? Running a business, a successful business, requires a very specific skill set. Times are tough for small businesses. And the problem for GPs practices doesn't appear to be having access to loans to buy into a business. It's that the business model doesn't seem to be working. You've got the very low cost access practices serving high needs populations. They face financial challenges, especially the community trust owned clinics that have been operating at a deficit. Increase costs for GPs, inabilities to raise fees, growing patient debt due to the cost of living. Those are the problems for GP practices, not necessarily the fact they haven't got the money to buy it. They've also got the problem of trying to recruit and retain healthcare professionals. There's a shortage of locums and a high level of burnout because there aren't enough people to replace them. They're working longer than they wanted to. They've got more difficult healthcare problems presenting because people put off going to the doctor because they can't afford it. Pay parity concerns are particularly severe for the very low cost access GP practices. They can't afford to pay the going rates in the employment market as they don't have the ability to increase fees. So is the ability to buy into a practice what's holding GPs back? I wouldn't have thought so. That poor little targeted capital gains tax is going to be working overtime, isn't it? As more and more policies are heaped upon it onto its little fragile base. And good luck with to Barbara Edmonds, the want to be Finance Minister, when she says not everybody who comes knocking on the door is going to get money. When you've got the Council of Trade Unions head Sandra Gray whipping everybody up in the front rows, you bet your bippy the firefighters and the police and the nurses and the teachers are going to be banging on the door saying, "Give me, we've been under a National-led coalition government for three years. Those bastards have screwed us down. We gave you support, we got you into power. Give us more". You can you can say what you want to get into Parliament, to get into government but once you're there, there will be expectations and obligations.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has unveiled the party's first policy for next year's election - low-interest loans to support doctor-owned clinics. The scheme will offer up to 50 ten year long loans a year for doctors or nurse practitioners to open or buy into local clinics, interest free for the first two years. After announcing their policy of three free GP appointments a year, questions were raised around how our already overwhelmed health system could manage more appointments. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour has shifted into campaign mode as the party meets for its annual conference in Auckland. With less than a year until the next election, Labour party leader, Chris Hipkins opened with an emphatic message “Believe We Can Win”. Hipkins told Francesca Rudkin that the party has been focusing on what Kiwis didn't like about their last election campaign. 'We've spent time really focusing on what didn't go well for us and what we need to change.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 30 November 2025, there's Oscars buzz around Russell Crowe for his portrayal of Hitlers right hand man in new film Nuremberg. This week Russell tells Francesca why he's not interested in another Academy Award. Over the last few years Synthony Festival has taken off, The Black Seeds are playing the festival for the first time, front man Barnaby Weir talks about preparing for the uniquely different performance. Chris Hipkins is in campaign mode, he shares just how he plans to get a Labour victory at the next election, and Francesca shares a warning ahead of Ikea opening this week. And science has discovered we don't become "real adults" until much later in life than we though, Dr Michelle Dickinson shares the details. Get the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast every Sunday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pohutukawa are out and flowering and abundant. The days are longer, the sun is shining, the Reserve Bank has cut the OCR, Christmas is coming, summer holidays are on the horizon, Chris Hipkins was talking tough around any kind of coalition with the Greens. We're in charge, we're not going to have this rabidly socialist nonsense, was the clear implication. Commentators are saying that this point now, here, is rock bottom. I know we've been told things are nearing the bottom, nearing the nadir, but this is it. And now things are on the up. So how confident are you feeling? I know when we've talked about this in the past, you've been bruised by past events, and that's informed the way you're thinking and who could blame you. The world has been a very uncertain place over the past five years, and nobody could blame you for hunkering down and keeping your nuts hoarded away. Nobody. Some of you have said, those of you that have got the readies to invest, you've said, "I'm not willing to. I'm just not willing to. I'm not willing to grow my business. I'm not willing to take risk in case Labour gets back in." Well, where are you at right now? The Reserve Bank lowered the OCR to 2.25%, the ninth reduction since August 2024. The bank said economic activity is picking up, inflation is forecast to fall to 2% by mid 2026, and that will help households. And listen to Roger Gray from the Ports of Auckland, who was on with Heather Du Plessis-Allan last night. “Nine months ago, I was in Miami talking to the cruise lines to try and understand why they were dropping off their bookings and the feedback across the whole lot of the four cruise lines I went to was they felt that New Zealand was just simply too hard to deal with because people were so negative about things. What I think is interesting is that's where we were and that was their perception, but the cool thing is now, I think there's a real change going on amongst people. There's a real starting to be a positivity amongst a lot of people and you know, I think the Bledisloe Wharf is a great example. If you can just get on and do stuff, we've created 250 new jobs for Aucklanders and that wharf will be finished by the end of next year.” He was saying, "Yeah, we used to be known as “No Zealand” and it was all like, 'Oh no, no. No, don't bother investing here. It's all too hard. No, you'll lose your money.'" He says it's quite different now. Quite different. He's picking up the positivity, he's seeing more of it. Where are you at right now? You know, as we go into Christmas, there's a month of business for many companies and many businesses and many workers. It's a busy time of year up until a couple of weeks before Christmas, then as we go into Christmas and the Christmas holidays, how are you feeling about going into 2026? Are you feeling optimistic? Can you feel the tide is turning? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pohutukawa are out and flowering and abundant. The days are longer, the sun is shining, the Reserve Bank has cut the OCR, Christmas is coming, summer holidays are on the horizon, Chris Hipkins was talking tough around any kind of coalition with the Greens. We're in charge, we're not going to have this rabidly socialist nonsense, was the clear implication. Commentators are saying that this point now, here, is rock bottom. I know we've been told things are nearing the bottom, nearing the nadir, but this is it. And now things are on the up. So how confident are you feeling? I know when we've talked about this in the past, you've been bruised by past events, and that's informed the way you're thinking and who could blame you. The world has been a very uncertain place over the past five years, and nobody could blame you for hunkering down and keeping your nuts hoarded away. Nobody. Some of you have said, those of you that have got the readies to invest, you've said, "I'm not willing to. I'm just not willing to. I'm not willing to grow my business. I'm not willing to take risk in case Labour gets back in." Well, where are you at right now? The Reserve Bank lowered the OCR to 2.25%, the ninth reduction since August 2024. The bank said economic activity is picking up, inflation is forecast to fall to 2% by mid 2026, and that will help households. And listen to Roger Gray from the Ports of Auckland, who was on with Heather Du Plessis-Allan last night. “Nine months ago, I was in Miami talking to the cruise lines to try and understand why they were dropping off their bookings and the feedback across the whole lot of the four cruise lines I went to was they felt that New Zealand was just simply too hard to deal with because people were so negative about things. What I think is interesting is that's where we were and that was their perception, but the cool thing is now, I think there's a real change going on amongst people. There's a real starting to be a positivity amongst a lot of people and you know, I think the Bledisloe Wharf is a great example. If you can just get on and do stuff, we've created 250 new jobs for Aucklanders and that wharf will be finished by the end of next year.” He was saying, "Yeah, we used to be known as “No Zealand” and it was all like, 'Oh no, no. No, don't bother investing here. It's all too hard. No, you'll lose your money.'" He says it's quite different now. Quite different. He's picking up the positivity, he's seeing more of it. Where are you at right now? You know, as we go into Christmas, there's a month of business for many companies and many businesses and many workers. It's a busy time of year up until a couple of weeks before Christmas, then as we go into Christmas and the Christmas holidays, how are you feeling about going into 2026? Are you feeling optimistic? Can you feel the tide is turning? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tova O'Brien had a disgraceful interview with Chris Hipkins today where all she seemed to want to talk about what the hypothetical issue if Labour needed Winston Peters to form a government. Peters took up half the interview Tova had with Chippy, and Chippy stayed on message which was "if the voters don't want to see that then vote Labour"The OCR is cut again by 25 basis points which is being sold as an early Xmas present for mortgage holders, not so much for the savers though as we look at it tonightMore details on the government's plan to scrap regional councils has been announced with a result that seems to be conflict between rural and urban NZ as no matter what way the new system will work, it coming off as incredibly unfair to one or the other=================================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

The National Party could join coalition partner NZ First and campaign on repealing the Regulatory Standards Act at the next election, deputy leader Nicola Willis says. This is despite the law, which was pushed by the Act Party during coalition talks, being less than a month old, and having been passed into law with votes from both National and NZ First. Speaking to Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills on Newstalk ZB, Willis said National had not “come up with what our party position will be after the election”. “We haven't ruled out repealing it either. We haven't taken a position yet, but it's not impossible that we would go to the campaign trail saying, ‘yes, we met our coalition commitment, we supported that into law, but actually we agree with the concerns of some people, it hasn't operated as we'd hoped and we want to repeal it'. “We haven't come to a position yet, but we haven't ruled it out.” NZ First leader Winston Peters shocked the coalition last week when he said his party would campaign on repealing the law it had just helped to pass. His position is that the coalition obliged his party to pass the law, but his party is free to repeal it in the next Parliament. Willis said she was “comfortable” with this position. “They joined the Cabinet, they used their votes to ensure it is passed into law – they did their bit,” Willis said. Willis is not the only National MP to float repealing the law. Last week, when her colleague Chris Bishop was asked what the party was thinking, he replied, “you'll see our policy going into the election”. “I'm not going to give you a commitment on National policy,” he said. All three opposition parties say they will repeal the law if they have the numbers next term. Labour MP Duncan Webb has even submitted a member's bill to the ballot which, if drawn, would give NZ First the opportunity to repeal the law this term of parliament. Peters, however, described this as game-playing and said he would not be supporting the effort. Act leader David Seymour attacked Peters' about-turn on the law, saying it looked as though Peters was gearing up to join another Labour-led coalition, something Peters has said he would not do while Chris Hipkins was leader of the party. The Regulatory Standards Act is designed to improve the quality of government regulation by establishing a set of principles for what constitutes “good regulation”. Part of the controversy surrounding the law is the fact these principles are closely aligned to Act's political worldview and do not constitute more universally recognised principles of good regulation. The act is also controversial for the creation of a regulations board that acts as an assessor of compliance against these principles, although power to act on what the board says ultimately still rests with ministers and Parliament. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report; An aviation commentator says Air New Zealand staff going on strike could have a severe impact throughout Oceania; About 70% of the 50,000 plus rock fans attending the concert were from outside the city; The number of university students earning A's is on the up - and could soon be the most common grade; Consumer NZ has spent 12-weeks tracking the prices of products from four big box retailers, to see if the bargains are all they're cracked up to be.

This is how we end up in trouble. Things are said that aren't challenged. Here's the headline: "NZ will be dumping ground for high emission cars". That was a claim from an EV lobby group. I wonder why they would say that? Chris Hipkins said, or was allowed to say, that we had one of the highest uptakes of EVs in the world and the Government stopped it. Now, let's deal with fact and context. The Government in their announcement over car import charges has a mess on its hands and it's a mess because the previous Government invented a set of rules that don't work, didn't work and were never going to work. They gerrymandered a market and that is rarely smart economics, or politics. Hipkins' reference was to his subsidy scheme for EVs when the taxpayer gave thousands to middle class Tesla buyers. Now, was it one of the highest uptakes in the world? I don't know, but it certainly helped sales because discounted stuff and stuff paid for by other people tends to help sales. If the Government offered to renovate your bathroom, I reckon bathroom renovations would explode. As for a dumping ground? How about less snobbery and more acceptance that New Zealanders are allowed to buy the sort of car they want? A lot of people don't have $50,000-80,000 (or even $30,000 if you go Chinese) for an EV. Even if they do a lot of people simply don't want an EV – some people want a hybrid and that's fine. But you direct people through taxes towards outcomes at your peril. The climate obsession has upended markets and driven a level of complexity through charges that the Government literally doesn't know how to get out of. They have importers bringing cars in they can't sell. What's the point of that? People will buy what people will buy. This isn't China where you are told what to do and when you are cajoled, allegedly through tax and fees, look what happens. The biggest irony is supply is an issue. The importers can't get the stock they need. Why not? Well one reason is because we drive on the opposite side of the road than a lot of countries. And the other is that manufacturers are pulling back on production of the cars that the Government scheme wants you to import. Why are they doing that you ask? Because they can't sell them! Obsession, interference, meddling and stupidity will trip you up every time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

The Government is slashing the Clean Vehicle Standard by more than 80 percent, saying it could make buying a car more affordable; Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report; Stephanie Johnson's collection of short fiction stories "Obligate Carnivore" have been ruled out of contention for next year's Oakham Book Awards; Business New Zealand is warning the gig economy could collapse, after the Supreme Court's ruling in favour of Uber drivers' rights; Kiwi Triathlete Hayden Wilde is leading the T100 World Tour, but he placed eighth at last weekend's Dubai race, after unknowingly cycling an extra 8 kilometre lap.

Happy Wednesday e hoa mā! E whai ake nei on your Breakfast show with Rosetta and Milly: What's Up with Chris Hipkins, Rosetta chats with Hatchie about her new album Liquorice, and Hayden talks about 'space vapes' on What's The Buzz! Whakarongo mai nei! Thanks to eighthirty coffee roasters!

Rosetta and Milly catch up with leader of the Labour Party Chris Hipkins to chat about some recent policy announcements, including their newly announced Capital Gains Tax and the New Zealand Future Fund. Whakarongo mai nei!

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report; Christopher Luxon isn't ruling out sales of government assets - an issue one of his coalition partners is vehemently against; The Prime Minister plans to introduce a bill to restrict social media use for under 16s before next year's election; Cook Islanders are worried about the impact of funding cuts, after New Zealand suspending nearly $30 million in aid to the Cook Islands over two years; Former Olympic champion Emma Twigg has taken home gold at the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Turkey.

In this episode of The Bradbury Group, Martyn 'Bomber' Bradbury dives into Labour's new targeted capital gains tax - who it impacts, who's furious about it, and why Labour believes it can finally deliver real cost-of-living relief, including free GP visits for most New Zealanders. Bomber - alongside Chris Hipkins, and his panel of John Tamihere, Simon Wilson and Fran O'Sullivan - also tackles the explosive situation at Kelston Boys High, the increasingly strained relationship between Māori and the Government, and much more. Powered by Waatea News. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

On today's episode, Te Pati Maori is in a state of open warfare - with its president urging two of its MPs to quit Parliament; Te Pati Maori Party President John Tamihere responded to calls for his resignation from MPs within the party; Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report; The government was warned its plan to means-test benefits for 18 and 19 year olds could keep them in unsafe homes, or encourage teen pregnancies; Earth Sciences New Zealand are reporting an eighty percent chance of La Niña conditions in its latest Seasonal Climate Outlook for November to January.

We ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Act Party leader, who’s really calling the shots in the Coalition government? Plus, we discuss Chris Hipkins’ capital gains tax, and Trump at Apec.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins joins Q+A to go through the finer points of the capital gains tax policy, and whether Labour is projected to bring in enough revenue to pay for its promises. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

With minister for children Karen Chhour and Labour leader Chris Hipkins

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all. Bill Gates: 8/10 When a disciple of the cause hits pause because he has worked out the hysteria outweighs the reality, he is to be congratulated. Chris Hipkins: 2/10 Sell a tax if you want. But the attack on the Prime Minister and houses is what these guys are really all about - they hate success. The All Blacks: 7/10 Ironically the biggest test is the first. I'm saying 4 from 4 and Merry Christmas. Fonterra: 8/10 A great week to be a dairy farmer and a great week to be a country with dairy farmers. Noeline Taurua: 8/10 The right call got made eventually, but... The Noeline saga: 1/10 We still don't understand what happened, why it's happened and why it got handled the way it did. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, broadcaster Mark Sainsbury and Kiwiblog writer and Curia pollster David Farrar joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! National's Andrew Bayly has revealed why he resigned in February and attempted to clear up the situation with ZB's Barry Soper earlier today. What do we make of all this? Luxon and Trump had their first big face-to-face meeting today - how do we think it all went? The chat was about hair and golf, did we expect more? Is it okay for Chris Hipkins to take shots at Chris Luxon's wealth? Was that a low blow? Parents are struggling to get their babies vaccinated against measles and the Ministry of Health can't explain why they're making it so hard. Is this unreasonable? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the most progressive change to NZ's tax system in a generation according to Labour leader Chris Hipkins. The party's confirmed it will introduce a 28 percent Capital Gains Tax on commercial and residential properties, excluding family homes and farms, with the money used to fund GP visits. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Lisa Owen.

After a two year policy vacuum, Labour has debuted its second policy in just two days - surprising everyone - including its own leader. The whoopsie comes as Chris Hipkins defends the party's big Future Fund plan against critics lamenting a lack of detail. The Fund - which would invest in New Zealand businesses and infrastructure - would be seeded with 200 million dollars and the dividends of some Crown assets. But the party has not revealed which assets - or how large their dividends would be - nor has it explained how it would replace those dividends which currently go towards areas, like health and education. Acting political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Labour party has launched its first new policy this term - and it hasn't taken long for its opponents to start taking swipes at it. Today opposition leader Chris Hipkins announced a future fund which would invest in New Zealand infrastructure and businesses only. It is being welcomed by Infrastructure NZ and supporters of small-business but the government and its coalition partners have been quick to pile in - with the NZ First leader calling it a cheap knock off of its own policy and a National MP calling it a "total joke". Lillian Hanly reports.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

Opposition leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report; Reaction to Labour's Future Fund announcement; Auckland Transport brings back Pothole Promise; How prepared are we for a volcanic eruption?; Blue whale surprises dolphin watchers in Akaroa.