Podcast appearances and mentions of chris hipkins

Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins hit the streets of New Plymouth yesterday, addressing a public meeting and hearing from locals about the issues they want to see dealt with. Our Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin was there.

Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says she wants to see the party's commitments delivered after the election. After scoring 16 percent in Monday's 1News Verian poll, Swarbrick said they'd demand high-profile portfolios, if they reach that number on election day. Chris Hipkins has again ruled her out as finance minister, under a Labour Government. Swarbrick says she's not counting chickens - but neither should Labour. "If you're serious about actually meaningfully making economic transformation, you need to have the portfolios that are necessary to do that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is only day three of the election campaign, and the left is already fighting over the Treasury keys. Chlöe Swarbrick wants the finance portfolio, Chris Hipkins says Barbara Edmonds gets it bottom line, and Labour is talking up a mini budget to cover its promises. We break down the massive numbers, the pay equity demands, and why the arithmetic simply does not add up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How big is his hole? Nicola Willis was asking Grant Robertson back in 2023, where are you going to find the money to fill that Government's financial fiscal hole? And now yesterday, she says that Labour has another fiscal hole to fill and it's a beauty. She told us yesterday when she was a guest in studio that there is no way Labour can afford to fund their pay equity promises, far less many of the other promises they're making to voters. Labour in response has said, well just taihoa, all will be revealed when our fiscal plan is produced sometime soon. Now some of this is electioneering and there's a surprise given we're in the middle of an election campaign. For example, National says that Labour's promise to fund public transport for many parts of the country, up to a certain point, will come out of the Crown balance sheet. Labour says absolutely not, they'll take the money from the Land Transport Fund. They won't pay for something that's been promised out of the Land Transport Fund. They won't pay for that, they'll pay for their public transport fares. It's called reprioritisation – the money does exist for the public transport fares, they just won't pay for something else. Some of the funding though is a mystery. I have no idea where they think they're going to get 11, 13, 14 and counting billion dollars for pay equity. Chris Hipkins, opposition leader, is adamant the money can be found within the budget as he told Mike Hosking yesterday. CH: We're going to set out in our plan, you know, we're going to demonstrate in our fiscal plan, you know, when we set out our breakdown of numbers that we have room there to pay for pay equity. What I said yesterday, and you know, there's a bit of divining tea leaves has been going on here, is that we're not going to have a specific line item, but the, our fiscal plan will clearly demonstrate that there is money in there to be able to meet the cost of pay equity. MH: So why isn't it a line item? CH: Because you don't basically, when you're going through a bargaining process, you don't tell the other side what's in the envelope. And you know, we wouldn't do that with any other process of bargaining. We've never done that with pay equity. The Crown has never put a line item in the budget that said here's how much we're setting aside for pay equity, but it has been there. And our fiscal plan will be the same. MH: It'll be about $12 or $13 billion. Is that fair though? Within that ballpark, that's what we're dealing with. CH: We certainly expect it to be a big number. Yeah, so it's going to be a big number. If it's coming from the budget, that's 13, 14, 15, whatever billion —billion, not million— that won't be spent on something else. And I don't know that there's that much wiggle room. The free doctors visits aren't going to be funded by a capital gains tax, I think surely even Labour's accepted that, given that Treasury forecasts house prices not going up anytime soon. Something else will have to be cut to fund those. Nicola Willis has accused Labour of fiscal fraud, but until Labour finally comes up with their fiscal plan, it's a bit like waiting for Keri Hulme to come up with a sequel to The Bone People. You should, I suppose, give them the benefit of the doubt. But do you believe it is in any way possible for any party to find —let's be generous— $10 billion from the budget without ripping the guts out of the essentials and without undoing the hard work that we have endured over the past three years? Where the hell do you imagine it's going to come from? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the government's books were poured over in parliament today, Labour leader Chris Hipkins visited blue heartland - trying to win over the Employers and Manufacturers Association in a late-morning meet and greet. Meanwhile, National leader Christopher Luxon was visiting industry, and an old people's home in Wellington. Political reporters Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira and Lauren Crimp spoke to Lisa Owen.

Labour's leader is confident their numbers add up when it comes to paying for their policies – including reversing pay equity changes. The Government's books were opened yesterday in Treasury's Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update. It revealed the planned 2028/29 surplus will be nearly $2 billion bigger than forecast, and the Crown will borrow less. Treasury thinks unemployment's peaked, and inflation's predicted to be back where it should be next year. Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking they'll show there's room for pay equity in their fiscal plan, but won't have a specific line item on it. He says you don't tell the other side what's in the envelope when you're going through a bargaining process, and that's never been done with pay equity. Hipkins is also still coming to terms with the news that former Speaker and Labour MP Adrian Rurawhe has died. Rurawhe was MP for Te Tai Hauāuru from 2014 to 2023, was the Speaker in the last Labour Government's second term, and was a Labour list MP from 2023 until early this year. The 65-year-old will lie in state at Whangaehu Marae, south of Whanganui, until his burial at Ngā Puketuurua Ratana Pa. The Labour Leader told Hosking Rurawhe was well-respected across Parliament and did a great job as Speaker, and his death will come as a shock to everyone. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins has been exposed for the fraud he is. Having made far too much of the PREFU and all the fiscal magic it would contain, he cornered himself. He snookered himself. By setting the PREFU release date as the date of revelation, he was always going to have to somehow explain that what we saw yesterday in no way was ever going to reveal the source of the $18 billion they have promised. Much smaller irony in the PREFU was the adjusted forecasts for housing. His projections around the CGT are 3%. It's 3% after July next year, despite the fact the money is already spent on doctors visits and the like. Forecasts have now created real doubt as to what sort of, if any, real return you are going to get from the sector. But that's not his biggest headache. His biggest headache is he has learned nothing about taking our money and wasting it. Pay equity is a terrific promise to make when you don't hold any real level of accountability. And so it was off to PREFU day. As we said yesterday, for the Government it was a report card on fiscal credibility and Willis was right; it was a decent result. We are tracking, all things considered, pretty well. But a lot of the forward projections were premised on the idea that spending going forward was going to remain tight. $18 billion more isn't tight and $13 billion for pay equity is not doable. So for Hipkins yesterday was a massive credibility issue, as he shot himself in the foot and announced that he won't be telling us at all how he is paying for this. There will be a fiscal plan but not a line item. A line item is a number, like how much does it cost and where is the money. He's not telling us. You know why? Because he's a fraud, an economic vandal and he thinks you're stupid. Do you want to vote for that? Go for it. But he is the same bloke who locked you down, didn't turn up to the Covid inquiry, and part of the same robber baron cabal that virtually ran us broke, and now he's back to play you for a sucker one more time. Don't say you weren't warned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to dig into some of the biggest stories of the week thus far. They discussed the call from some parties for voters to engage in strategic voting and the disagreement between Chris Hipkins and Chlöe Swarbrick as to who would be Finance Minister if they were in government. And they paid tribute to former Speaker and Labour MP Adrian Rurawhe, who died at age 65. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 30th of September, it's time for Chris Hipkins to provide the details on how Labour plans to pay for their policies. Finance Minister Nicola Willis explains when we might get back to surplus, but unfortunately, it's based on the fact we've never been taxed more. Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell discuss the passing of Adrian Rurawhe, strategic voting, and Chlöe Swarbrick's desire for the Finance portfolio on Politics Wednesday. 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.

Why did Chris Hipkins choose to announce that he will restore the pay equity regime within the first 100 days of a Labour-led Government? Why did he do that? I'm really confused by it because it's not as if there was a special event or venue that he tied the announcement to. He was just at a public meeting in Spreydon and then seemed to blurt it out. This is hugely consequential for the Labour Party. What it's done is change the focus. It should be about the PREFU and about holding the Finance Minister's feet to the fire over why she's still taking on more debt and why she's trying to sell us a set of figures based on, quote, "heroic assumptions" that essentially ignore the current price of oil and bond yields. But instead of doing that, Chippy has inserted himself into the conversation. Rather than focusing on Nicola Willis, what I'm now much more interested in is this: where is Labour going to find the apparent $13 billion needed to fund its pay equity promise? I don't know if you've seen what's in the PREFU but even though the outlook is much rosier than it was four months ago, we're still borrowing as a country and will continue to do so for the next three to four years. And that's based on optimistic, even heroic, assumptions. We are still, to quote Nicola, "borrowing for groceries". We are still on track to pay $13.7 billion a year in interest costs on our existing debt. And that's without Chippy adding even more to it. So where is he going to find the money for this pay equity promise if it's not going on the debt? Or is it going on the debt? This is the weirdest strategy from Chippy. Frankly, up until now I expected Labour's announcement to be that it would ditch this policy, just as it ditched the so-called landlords' tax policy, albeit for different reasons. Labour has clearly demonstrated it's willing to change its mind and scrap policies that simply aren't going to work. The books have just been opened and shown that we have no money and that our debt is already costing us a fortune. Yet here we are, wondering where Chris Hipkins is going to find another $13 billion for pay equity. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm no fan of the current Government. In fact, I'm no fan of any of the political parties at the moment. That said, you've got to give the current lot credit for what we saw in yesterday's Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU). Is it enough for them to get another term? I'll tell you what I think shortly. But the overarching result is that the government's finances are better than expected. The books could be out of the red a year earlier than forecast. With a $4 billion surplus, $1.5 billion higher than was forecast just a few months ago, expected within three years. When I first heard those numbers, I thought, “Why would you change course now?” For me, there is a lot not to like about the current government. Despite what it says, I think it has a general disdain for people who are down on their luck. ACT, especially. And that doesn't sit well with me. Then there's all the culture war nonsense pushed by NZ First. Making English an official language. Laws to define what a woman is. Proving you're Kiwi enough to live here. So there's a long list of all the things I don't like about the current government. But you've got to give them credit for the state of the books. So do I think they deserve another term? Based on yesterday's results, I would say yes. Reluctantly. But there's another reason too. I think Labour has blown it and doesn't deserve to be back in government. I've got no idea what they've been doing these last three years. It seems that Chris Hipkins thinks all he has to do is start swearing in speeches and get fired up during interviews and he'll be Prime Minister again. He's dreaming. And the state of The Government's books could be the final straw. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has admitted he hasn't yet read the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) in full, but he is confident the funding for his party's policies is there. Speaking to Canterbury Mornings, Hipkins says Labour will take time to crunch the numbers before coming out with their fiscal plan, which will be out by the end of next week. "You've got to give us a little bit of time to digest it. There's a lot of numbers in it and you want to take the time to do that properly" Hipkins also discussed his views on Green Party Co-leader Chloe Swarbrick calling for big portfolios if they create a coalition government, and his reaction to the passing of former Labour MP and Speaker of the House, Adrian Rurawhe. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An estimated one in ten eligible voters have not yet enrolled to vote, with less than a month to go before the deadline. Changes to electoral law introduced mean people need to enrol or update their details before midnight on October 25 to be able to cast a ballot. Meanwhile, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said over the weekend the Electoral Commission could be doing more to encourage enrolments. Karl Le Quesne is the chief electoral officer and CEO of the Electoral Commission. Le Quesne spoke to John Campbell.

Yesterday, Chris Hipkins went to Christchurch, and Christopher Luxon stayed in Auckland, visiting an electorate National won for the first time ever in 2023, Mt Roskill. Labour losing that seat was emblematic of just how damaging the swing against them was in Auckland, last election. John Campbell asked local voters what issues they'll be voting on, this election.

Both National and Labour's party vote has tumbled into the 20s in the latest 1News Verian Poll, with minor parties picking up support. It represents a continuation of a trend we've been seeing in the lead up to November's election, as the campaign proper gets underway. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

On today's episode Chris Hipkins discusses Labour's latest poll result; Councillors meet to discuss Auckland landslide risks; Booth's Logistics boss discusses fuel price rises; John Campbell talks to voters in Mt Roskill electorate.

I'm all for pay equity for women, but. Which I'll get to. First, though. At a public meeting in Christchurch last night, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was asked what the most important thing a Labour-led government would do for girls and women. He said reversing last year's pay equity changes. And that he would do it within his government's first 100 days in office. He said: "I think probably the most reprehensible thing I have seen in my time as a member of Parliament was the Government's decision last year with no notice, with no warning, with no consultation, to pass under urgency a law that cancelled pay equity for tens of thousands of women." I agree with him there. The way it played out was appalling. There were about 180,000 workers with pay equity claims underway. They were all dismissed pretty much overnight under urgency. Hipkins went on to say: "I want to give you a reassurance that within the first 100 days we are back in Government we will reverse that change." Adding that care and support workers will be first in the queue, because he says they have waited long enough. That's because when the coalition rushed through its pay equity changes, and there were those tens of thousands of workers with pay equity claims underway, about 80,000 of them were care and support workers. It was May last year when the Government announced it was pulling the plug on any existing claims and was going to make it harder for any future claims to get through. Saying it was doing it because the pay equity rules were “muddied and unclear”. The truth was, it was doing it to save $12.8 billion and save Nicola Willis' skin. Because it was just days out from the Budget. ACT leader David Seymour was even crowing that Brooke van Velden had single-handedly rescued the Budget. So it was smoke and mirrors and, the way it was done, was an absolute shocker. I'm all for pay equity. I find it so dismissive of people who say “Oh yeah, equal pay and all that but, sorry girls, we just can't afford it.” So no argument from me that something needs to be done to make good for that appalling move by National, ACT and NZ First. But I can't support the way Chris Hipkins wants to go about it. And, instead of the usual 100 days' nonsense, I want to see this thing looked into properly. I want to see a thorough select committee process, or something similar, used to get the facts. Which would then allow an approach to be developed to sort out real inequities in a realistic way. So it's a yes from me. But do it properly. Don't rush it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a weekend of big political theatre, as both National and Labour officially launched their election campaigns. Christopher Luxon and his National crew pushed the message of “no new taxes” ... meanwhile, Labour and Chris Hipkins unveiled a new policy to wipe 10% of student loan debt. But in the lead up to Election 2026, it’s not just the big parties fighting for our attention. So what actually makes a political campaign work? What makes a slogan, a speech, an image or a campaign ad stick in voters’ minds – and what can make a campaign fall flat? Today on The Front Page, University of Auckland Marketing professor Bodo Lang is with us to break down the campaign launches, the strategies behind them, and what the parties are getting right – and getting wrong. 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: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a feeling Labour's leader is trying to ramp up the energy as election campaigning officially gets underway. Both major parties launched their campaigns in Auckland yesterday. While National stuck with slick videos and multiple speeches at the flashy International Convention Centre, Labour opted for a high-energy performance at Manukau's Due Drop Events Centre. Political commentator Brigitte Morten says Labour leader Chris Hipkins reacted to talk he'd been looking uncomfortable on the campaign trail. "If you don't want to be on the campaign, you clearly don't want to be Prime Minister again, so I think that was very much what was being told to him and I think he really tried to deliver on that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The election campaign officially kicked off over the weekend with the two main parties, but honestly, it feels like we've been in campaign mode for years now. National and Labour gathered their party faithful in their respective happy places: the swanky International Convention Centre for the blue team, Dew Drop Events Centre in South Auckland for the red team. Both had their party heavyweight champions in their corners: John Key and Bill English in the blue corner, Helen and Peter Clark in the red. Both Chrises had their senior ministers alongside them. Only one party came up with something new, and that was Labour, using the same old election trick that Helen Clark used so well in 2005 appealing to student voters, using the student loans to pull them in. This time Labour promised to cut the loans by 10 percent if New Zealand grads stay in the country for three years. But apart from Chris Hipkins being a bit sweary, trying to get a bit sort of - "wahey, I'm the man" on it in South Auckland, that was it really. For both parties, the launches pretty much reeked of desperation. National knows the parlous state of the economy and so cannot and will not promise election treats. I don't know what's driving Labour. Getting back into power at any cost? Showing that they're not as useless as they were last time? I don't know. ACT, in response to Labour's student loan bribe, released a press release which I think pretty much sums up where we're at. They said paying down debt and returning to surplus is job number one for any Government serious about unlocking New Zealand's potential. We pay $24.8 million a day servicing the interest on our debt. In 2018-19 it was $10.1 million a day servicing the interest on our debt. ACT says this is the 'back to the future' election for Labour: they're promising higher taxes, higher spending, more complicated monetary policy, and billions of dollars of promises without showing how the books add up. That was ACT's response to the student loans. But what else have they got? When everything's feeling a bit blah, you can understand them trying to entice voters, trying to say - "Look, things aren't so bad, we've got this for you." They haven't said how they'll pay for it. The capital gains tax isn't going to bring them in the money they thought it was going to bring them in, and that's besides they've promised that's ring fenced for the three GP visits for absolutely everybody. But they're relying on the fact that voters are just at the end of their tether. So what are you going to do? Go with the party that promises ponies and castles for Christmas, even if they know they can't afford it and you know that Mum and Dad can't afford it, but you still want the pony and the castle? Or do you go with the party that says -"Sorry kids, all I have for you is a lump of coal"? What are you going to do? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The school holidays are upon us again, the clocks changed for daylight saving this morning, and this week saw the final sitting of the House before the election. You know what that means - stump speeches are being refined, hustings are well under way as the debate comes out of the House and into the public arena. Let the entertainment - or as one Newstalk ZB listener called it this week, the nonsense - begin. It actually feels like we've been in campaign mode since politicians returned to work after the new year, but from this weekend the campaign starts in earnest. Parliament will be formally dissolved on Thursday, but essentially - we're all go from now. And that means it's time for my favourite part of any general election - the televised debates. The first of a variety of debates is on Tuesday and they'll roll through until November 5th on all the main news outlets. The main attraction are the Leader's Debates between Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins, of which there are three. But are these debates useful? They can be. If the moderators and journalists can push past the rehearsed lines, there is a slim chance we'll learn something new. If they can keep the participants from talking over each other, and keep deflection to a minimum, we'll get the opportunity to see how participants handle difficult questions and pressure. Accomplishing this is a lot harder than it looks. The trouble is that modern political debates can become an elaborate game of verbal dodgeball. You ask a question about the cost of living, and suddenly you're hearing about the other party's tax policy. Ask about health, and somehow we're discussing the economy. Ask about an awkward policy, and the answer is a sentence beginning, “Well, the reality is”…or “As I have indicated…” There is a name for this – it's called “block and bridge”, and Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins use this technique extensively. There is a very simple reason for it. Most voters do not delve deeply into the detail of a policy announcement, they don't scrutinise the complex fiscal mechanics behind a promise. They make decisions based on slogans, media headlines and interpret them through their own beliefs and loyalties. This is why the constant repetition of key messages is vital to a successful election campaign. It's also why, even though I still get excited about a televised leaders debate, I always feel a bit flat afterwards as commentators judge it like a boxing fight, and ultimately name a debate winner based on who was the most Prime Minister like. It all comes down to performance – or ‘studio presence' - rather than substance. With neither party or leader heading into this election with safe, promising poll results the pressure is on to convince voters they're the person to lead the next Government. Let's hope this pressure creates some unpredictability under the hot studio lights - that's why most of us watch after all. Ultimately though, while a televised debate may help some undecided voters choose how they'll cast their vote, I doubt they will change many other minds. At this point, Chris and Christopher are very familiar to most of us and what we think is locked in. Maybe one of the keys to getting our attention is surfacing others in the party who we haven't already prejudged. So, let the campaigning begin. From now on every announcement will be carefully timed, every photograph will be carefully chosen, every slogan will be tested, and every awkward question will be met with a rehearsed answer to a completely different question. Hopefully, somewhere along the way someone will answer these simple questions - what exactly will they do, how much will it cost, who pays, and what difference will it make to my life? Fingers crossed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon versus Chris Hipkins is shaping up as one of the most vanilla, stale political battles in recent history. With both major party leaders playing it safe, the real fire is coming from the fringes. Winston Peters wants to buy back BNZ, TOP is pitching massive tax overhauls, and David Seymour wants Paul Henry as broadcasting minister. We ask who is actually offering real change, plus RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop joins us to break down the government's massive planning overhaul. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Labour's leader is confident he'll find the money to meet his election promise of fixing up schools and hospitals. The Party has pledged $400 million dollars to improving school buildings and grounds within 24 months. It'd put $200 million dollars into clearing a repair backlog for hospitals and clinics. Chris Hipkins says the party is yet to release its fiscal plan, but a pot of money already exists. "This comes out of the Government's capital allowance - the current budget has a capital allowance of about $3.5 billion a year, so that's adding up to about $14 billion over the next four years. This commits about a quarter of that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's Chris Hipkins has taken aim at the National Party, by pointing out that it can't spend as much on advertising as they can. Hipkins claimed the Labour doesn't have as much money as National does, which he claimed is fuelled by 'millionaires wanting to further their own interests'. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan tests his mum’s political boundaries by prank calling her with a paid offer to put Chris Hipkins' face on her front fence. The team investigates Meg’s mum’s suspicious marching band raffle to figure out how her own son won the cash, and the boys confess to some hilarious bad behavior from their past jobs at bank branches. Plus, a heated debate over whether anyone actually watches Apple TV!

Labour's ruling out making any changes to interest deductibility rules for landlords if elected. That's despite decrying it as a 'tax cut for landlords' throughout this last term. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to John Campbell.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins discusses landlord tax; Dr Mamaeroa David discusses flu vaccination funding; Winston Peters looks back on his stint as Foreign Minister; School readiness plan prompts concerns over toilet training

Labour is promising it won't change interest deductibility for landlords, and the Finance Minister has been quick to condemn this development. Leader Chris Hipkins said that since the party has already pledged a capital gains tax, it'll keep deductibility as it is, despite reducing the claimable interest last time they were in Government. Nicola Willis says Labour and Hipkins have been consistently blaming National's changes to interest deductibility for the cost of living crisis - only to make an eleventh hour change ahead of the election. "Unbelievable - and this is why people can't take him seriously. He's all about the soundbite and ultimately doesn't have a coherent agenda, he's just copied National's homework." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins recently confirmed the party won't be removing interest deductibility for landlords, despite being critical of the current Government for making changes. Labour initially dubbed the policy as 'tax cuts for landlords' but Hipkins since claimed that the proposed capital gains tax would remove the need to make changes. Resident Economist at Opes Partners Ed McKnight says he's feeling 'chipper' about this news. "I just feel like that because interest deductibility was not ever a new tax in that they've put up our tax rates - it was a change to how they calculated our profits as landlords." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tax expert believes Labour's changed stance on interest deductibility makes complete sense. Labour's confirmed it won't change the current Government's rules allowing landlords to deduct 100% of interest in tax returns. It had previously criticised the policy as a tax cut for landlords, but Chris Hipkins believes their proposed Capital Gains Tax will address the issue. Deloitte Tax Partner Robin Walker told Ryan Bridge changing the rules would just be deferring when interest deductions get made. She says logically what would happen if deductions were denied is revenue from a capital gains tax would go much further down from what's forecast. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, Partner at Freebairn and Hehir lawyers Liam Hehir and journalist, TV producer and commentator Irene Gardiner joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! National has proposed to, if elected, break up Foodstuffs in a bid to bring down food prices for Kiwi consumers. Has National made a mistake with this policy? Does this completely go against the party's values of ambition and hard work and success? Do they also need to take a look at banks or petrol companies? Labour's Chris Hipkins recently claimed smaller parties shouldn't be able to veto National and Labour working together amid calls for more bipartisanship for key issues like the NZ-India trade deal or the teen social media ban. Do we think Hipkins has a point here? Would the benefit of the two major parties agreeing and working together outweigh any negative? Wahs fever is on the rise - how excited are we for tonight's big game? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour leader and wannabe PM discusses the Indian FTA, his ag policy, the Poll of Polls, and why we’re not taking a bipartisan approach to National Super and Infrastructure spend.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Todd Charteris, Chris Hipkins, Peter Newbold, Chris Russell, and Dean Rabbidge.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

There was milk, Turkish Delight, and talk of the price of mince as National's Christopher Luxon and Labour's Chris Hipkins tried to win over business owners, less than two months out from the election. With Parliament on break, the two party leaders took to the streets to campaign early for the election. Jessica Hopkins reports.

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. The 5% first home buyers policy: 8/10 Small house deposits for first-timers is the policy of the week. In fact, it's the policy of the campaign so far. It's easy, practical, and solves an issue important to voters. Michelin: 7/10 Possibly the most encouraging story of the week. The Michelin effect is real, it's ongoing, and the good operators can prove it. Chris Hipkins: 4/10 Worst week in a long time. A second bad poll and growing questions around the campaign, or lack of it, and his personal ability to look like he's actually interested. Trump: 2/10 Is making stuff up about 9/11 a new low? When does exaggeration and bombast wander into the territory of insult and plain BS? The Warriors: 9/10 Rounded it out with yet more victory. Home advantage, a week off and, potentially, it's all a dream coming true. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is this the week the tide turned for the Labour Party and their chances of Government slipped away? It's indisputably true to say it hasn't been their week, or even a good week. Some of the stuff that's been bubbling for a while came to a, sort-of, head. The lack of policy, the waiting for this magical PREFU, which allegedly contains Lord-knows-what by way of fiscal revelation, that will somehow make billions upon billions of dollars in promises make some sort of sense. Are people who could vote Labour tired of waiting? Uninspired by the lack of vigour? Or just realising that the economy is coming back and the recovery is real, so some of the angst that drove them away from the Government is now melting? Are Labour not radical enough, so the Greens get a look in? Are people scared of the Greens and even more scared of the Māori Party, so the realisation has dawned on them that Labour can't do deals with mad people, so maybe the Government aren't that bad after all? Does the first meeting of the campaign for their leader, which involved 100 people and a cat, display the lack of enthusiasm, not just from Labour, but from their supporters who are channelling the lacklustre approach of their party? It's important to remember that of all the polling so far this year, the vast majority have never actually had Labour winning the election. But it did have them in front of National, which has given the media enough to feed on. But even that, in the past two polls, has slipped away and what was once the 'Luxon nightmare' is now the 'Hipkins drama'. "Is he the right guy?" Or is the ghost of 2023 back? As more people focus on their vote and what's happening around them, do the memories of the lockdowns, the fiscal failures, the kids not at school and the crime waves remind them that Hipkins, Sepuloni, Jan Tinetti, Ayesha Verral, et al are the same people? They haven't changed and the party hasn't changed. Do the memories of the endless working groups come flooding back? And does the laziness of that period look a lot like the laziness of this period of minimal policy, of lack of vigour, of a lackadaisical Government bagging sound bite obsession? Does it remind us these guys work office hours and are out of original thought? It ain't over. But man, they look flat. And Hipkins looks flatter than most. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Social Development wrongly cut financial assistance in over 30,000 cases, according to new reports. A recent review has found several Winter Energy Payments, main benefits, and supplementary assistance were mistakenly paused - and the Ministry has since issued an apology. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Labour's Chris Hipkins has been quick to condemn this and says the MSD shouldn't take the blame for the Government's mistakes. 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 Annabelle Lee-Mather, Jonathan Milne and Peter Dunne. On the show tonight: Chris Hipkins new shocking poll result, should Labour give him the heave-ho?; the Greens supermarket policy is to spend billions to create a viable, state-run alternative in the market place, is this even possible?; how can political parties hoover up the youth vote?; and Winston Peters called music group Kneecap "low IQ weasels", little did he know NZ First had used a Kneecap song in a video for social media.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Thursday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) When to Fast Track and When Not To/Not Good News, But Not Why You Think/Poor Old Chipster/The Most Expensive Phone In HistorySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour Party has registered just 25.9% in a new poll for the Taxpayers' Union by Curia. That's lower than their calamitous result in 2023, and lower than National, who themselves fell to a low 29%. Lyric Waiwiri-Smith joins Toby to talk through the pickle that Chris Hipkins finds himself in. Is the small target strategy backfiring, are there bold visions to come, and what can they do to turn it around?Plus, in How Good, Hayden Donnell is here to share his fascination with the breeding habits of kākāpō, for it is their season…At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We congratulate Labour’s trade spokesman (and former Minister of Agriculture) for his party finally coming up with some agriculture policy, as leader Chris Hipkins says Labour will not campaign on pricing agricultural emissions. And just who is to blame for carbon farming gobbling up some of our productive pastoral, food-producing land?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins is criticising his party's former policy on pricing farm emissions. Labour has released a pledge to review and reform the Emissions Trading Scheme - saying the price is too low. It wants farmers to adopt new tech to reduce emissions, and isn't campaigning on making them pay for agricultural emissions, as it did for nearly two decades. Hipkins says he's not convinced it would've worked. "We went through that whole process, it actually would have been very difficult to pull it off. That was all done before I'd become the leader of the Labour party - I'd inherited that one." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and former Green MP Gareth Hughes joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Nearly 3,000 people have voiced support in an open letter for growing Bathurst Resources' Stockton site in order to keep operations going and ensuring 289 workers keep their jobs. What do we make of this fight? What could we replace steel with, anyway? Continuing the climate topic, Chris Hipkins has confirmed Labour will review the Emissions Trading Scheme - and admitted making farmers pay for agricultural emissions probably wouldn't have worked. Do we think this is the right call? Wellington Zoo needs an extra $14 million for its lion enclosure, and Wellington City Council is expected to foot the bill. Is this worth the money, given the other expenses the council has? Should the zoo be shut down? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 8 September, 2026, National lays out its taxing tourists plan. Labour leader Chris Hipkins tells us why he's been playing "hard to get". A royal watcher on King Charles' "brutal" letter to Harry and Megs. And on The Huddle, we ask Gareth Hughes and Jordan Williams if Wellington Zoo should be shut down. 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.

The Labour Party has pledged to review the Emissions Trading Scheme if elected, and claims the current price is 'too low' to drive down reductions. In an earlier announcement, leader Chris Hipkins said the party would make changes to the scheme - and that they wouldn't campaign on pricing agricultural emissions, a departure from their earlier stance. The Country's Jamie Mackay has admitted he supports this development, and unpacked the rest of the party's announcement. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest Taxpayer Union-Curia poll suggests the government's block would return to power - gaining 64 seats compared to the opposition's 56. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to John Campbell.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins discusses party's drop in polls; Auckland doctor discusses high levels of demand on hospitals; Fiji experiencing fast-growing HIV epidemic; Documents reveal problems at former charter schools; Seven-year-old Kiwi footballer picked for UK trial.

Yeah, so it's not good for Labour in the latest Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll. They've now fallen to 26 percent, which is below the 27 percent they got at the last election. Now, this is not a surprise to me, and it shouldn't be a surprise to you, because we've been saying consistently on this show all year that Labour was going to come down in the polls once the policy started being released. Basically, what's happened up to now is that Labour has said very little. They've been a blank canvas of silence, if you like, which has allowed voters to project whatever they wanted onto Labour. If you like the idea that Labour represents kindness, project it on. They're saying nothing to dispel that notion. If you believe Labour is competent, project it on. If you believe Labour will fix the cost-of-living crisis, healthcare, education, the roads, the economy and, heck, why not the whole world? Go for it. Project it on. But the problem with that small-target strategy is that it becomes increasingly problematic the closer we get to an election. Even though Labour is still not saying very much, everyone else around it is, aren't they? And it's pretty mental, isn't it? The Greens with their Soviet-style supermarket plan and wealth tax. The Opportunity Party with its land tax and plans to raise the youth justice age. Te Pāti Māori with its proposal to establish a Treaty Commission that could stop Parliament from making laws. Because Labour is saying so little, it ends up being tainted by all these other policies. What's more, if there's one thing voters are really hankering for this election, it's vision. It's a plan to get us out of this mess. You could argue this is actually a problem for both major parties, Labour and National. But Labour isn't producing a vision because it's not saying anything. Frankly, I've got to be honest with you: I'm starting to wonder whether Labour is even really campaigning at more than about 60 percent at the moment. Its performance is so lacklustre that I'm beginning to wonder if it's actually in it to win it. Notably, Chris Hipkins hasn't said this time that it's a rogue poll, like he did last time. Instead, he's said there's work to do. And that's because he knows this isn't a rogue poll, is it? This is a trend that started in March, when Labour's polling began to fall, and it hasn't stopped. And this may not be the end of it. Twenty-six percent may not actually be the bottom. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Monday, 7 September, 2026, Chris Hipkins wouldn't front so we asked Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong what she makes of her party's drop in the latest poll, as well as Labour's. Warriors legend and TV star Shaun Johnson on why playing a finals match at Eden Park wouldn't be a smart move. Bob Hendrix explains what his mushroom coffin is all about. And on The Huddle, Josie Pagani and Trish Sherson are hot on the political poll. One of them says it's a "charge of the lightweight brigade". 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.