Podcast appearances and mentions of chris hipkins

A social policy advocate suggests taxing superannuants' alternative incomes could be the solution New Zealand needs. National is campaigning on raising the retirement age, which Labour's ruling out. But earlier this year, Labour's Chris Hipkins appeared open to means testing NZ Super eligibility. Auckland University's Susan St John says reviving the superannuation surcharge, abolished in 1998, could get political agreement. She explained it is a middle ground between the extremes of means testing and raising the age of eligibility. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

Weekly interview with opposition leader, Chris Hipkins; Nicola Willis answers listeners questions on KiwiSaver policy; BBC's Rob Watson discusses Starmer's resignation, Mayors call for cross-party support over bed tax; Author compiles Southern Hemisphere's greatest novels

As the election gets closer, parties are starting to release their policies. And after a slow start, keeping their cards close to their chest, Labour's building up steam. We already had the three free doctors visits for all, now we've got free maternity scans and a promise to scrap the $5 fee on prescriptions and make them universally free. Add that to the free public transport, well, up to a point, $20 in the major cities and $10 everywhere else, and that capital gains tax is going to be working overtime to pay for it all. So far, so Labour. But I'm not really sure about the Oprah-fication of Labour's policies. "You get a doctor's visit, and you get a doctor's visit, and here's one for you too. You get a free bus ride, and here's a free bus ride for you, and one for you as well." I understand that universal allowances, free bus rides for all, means less admin as opposed to targeted assistance, which if the administration and the paperwork for that didn't exist, would be a faff. But it does. The admin's already been done to reach those who need help the most. We have the community services card. So why not link the three free GP visits, the free bus trips, the free maternity scans to the community services card? And when I say free, I mean taxpayer funded. There is no such thing as free. So why would the taxpayer be funding free public transport, free doctor's visits, free prescriptions for people who don't need it? I don't think anybody would object to trying to keep pregnant mums healthy, to trying to keep the community healthy, to trying to prevent people from going into hospital because they can't afford to go to the doctor or pick up prescriptions. We're all in it for that, and even if you don't care about people, you only care about the sums, if you do the sums, it pays off for people to be seen by their primary healthcare provider so they don't end up in hospital. All makes perfect sense. What doesn't make sense is why the taxpayer is funding all of these things for people who do not need it. And you can't even say no thank you very much to some of them. I totally get that one of the platforms of Labour's policies is health, and they want to make sure that we keep people out of hospitals. Absolutely fine. But when Chris Hipkins was talking to Heather du Plessis Allan yesterday afternoon about the 150,000 people who aren't picking up prescriptions, I am not convinced that all of those people were avoiding picking up their prescriptions because of cost. Some of them can't be bothered. You know, buses are put on to remote areas to take people to their hospital appointments. Short of picking them up in a sedan chair and carrying them on the shoulders of the healthy and the hale to get them to their hospital appointments, you could not make it any easier. But I've heard from nurses and doctors and people themselves that they don't go. They take the free bus and then they go shopping in Whangārei, even though they've got an appointment. They don't bother telling people they're not going to turn up. So there'll be people who just can't be bothered. They don't prioritise their own health, they've got other things they're prioritising and it's not their own health. There are people who don't like taking pills, thinking oh for heaven's sake, you're asking me to take another pill, I'm already taking three, I don't want to take a fourth. There are people who'll be feeling better, think nah, don't need this one. I am not entirely convinced that when he says 150,000 people aren't picking up prescriptions, that a) those numbers are right, because we're hearing a lot of numbers being thrown around by every party over all of their policies. I'm not entirely convinced about that. I'm not convinced about the cost. All I would like is targeted assistance to people who need it. As a taxpayer, I am perfectly happy to fund any kind of policy that will help make life a little bit easier and ultimately save us money in the long run by looking after people. The community services card exists to help those who need a little bit extra. Use that. The rest of us are fine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

Weekly interview with opposition leader, Chris Hipkins; Waitomo boss discusses what US/Iran deal means for fuel prices; Screen use researcher discusses UK social media ban; Economists identify apparent errors in Labour transport policy; Trailblazing surgeon hopes to inspire Pacific women

MPs may be underestimating just how negatively the public views their use of parliamentary allowances. There's renewed scrutiny of politicians claiming taxpayer-funded accommodation allowances while owning their own Wellington homes. The Opportunity Party is campaigning on reforming the rules. Political commentator Bryce Edwards told Andrew Dickens there could be real public appetite for change. He says story-after-story seems to receive strong feedback. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest Taxpayers Union Curia poll has dropped, and while Labour is technically ahead, they are losing the argument. Duncan breaks down why Chris Hipkins is stuck in the doldrums and failing to win trust when it matters most. Plus, we take a look at the public transport policy that is falling apart under intense scrutiny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is anyone else feeling for Chris Hipkins right now? He's having a terrible week, and it just looks bad. A large part of the blame has to rest with the people below him just not doing their job. First, the Superintendent Naidoo schemozzle. Notification of his intent to run for political office on a Thursday, just before it's announced the next Monday, was an organisational failure. The superintendent should've known the police manual better, and so should the backroom administrators of the Labour Party. Then, they released their public transport policy that everyone says is low on its costing. And then the spokesman, Tangi Utikere, was unable to name the projects in the National Land Transport Fund that would be defunded to make room for it. Making it seem like a good enough idea drawn up on the back of an envelope. Making it seem like no one has really done the backroom grunt work on the numbers. And it is a good idea for young people in towns and cities, but why on earth would you release it when the nation's attention is on Fieldays and the rural sector? It was plainly evident last night that the country folk have no desire to subsidise the city folks' transport. This was the week for a rural sector announcement, not an urban one. Labour's political management seems amateur. And then there's the festering accusation that Labour simply didn't set up a site at Fieldays. Which, if true, lies at the head of the organisational staff. That has been Labour's perennial problem. A handful of somewhat competent politicians without the backup of a competent party mechanism. It leads us all to the feeling that if they can't manage day-to-day business, how on earth could they run a country? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Chris Hipkins, Ray Smith, Shane Jones, Rowland Smith, Ingrid Smith, Mike Casey, Kate Acland and Kate Scott.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour’s leader discusses the latest Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries report (SOPI) and the current Government’s comments on carbon credits. He also defended his party’s public transport policy, which Mackay described as “underwhelming”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They say hope is the last thing to die. And thus it was yesterday when I heard Labour's first policy announcement in months. Give me a reason to vote for Labour – and they didn't. Chris Hipkins and Tangi Utikere announced a cap of some public transport fares —mostly for the cities, mostly for Auckland, where there's already a cap— that cuts off at a lower spending base. Not really the sort of bold and visionary policy you'd hope would come from a party that's been sitting around for years in Opposition, promising policy once the Budget's been released like it's going to be something quite seismic, revolutionary, changing the way we do things. A bit like the bold and visionary Labour of yore. That's what they came up with, starting with Michael Joseph Savage and moving through. Labour governments in the past have given us state housing, and the welfare state, and GST, and a shakeup of our economic policy, and a nuclear free New Zealand, and the Super Fund, and Kiwibank, although via Jim Anderton's Progressive Party. You would hardly say that this lot are the visionary Labour politicians of yesteryear. From them we get a lowered cap on public transport – after months, years, of being able to sit and develop policy, this is what they come up with. Labour's transport spokesperson was bigging it up, Tangi Utikere saying it will be a game changer for those who use public transport. “This is a real policy that will make a huge difference to households, commuters, shift workers, students, people who get from A to B every single day, every week. They're sitting around the kitchen table realising that their household bills are getting higher. This will provide absolute certainty for them when it comes to sorting their public transport.” Will it make a difference? I'm not sure how shift workers will benefit given the last bus in Auckland during the week finishes at 12:30am. Did Tangi even look at a bus timetable before he talked about how shift workers will find this absolutely a game changer? For some, I'm sure the extra 30 bucks will make a huge difference. I had a text yesterday that said, “it takes me three buses each way to get to and from work. As someone who's on a low income with a new baby, that extra $30 will go a long way. The current $50 cap does help with clear budgeting, but at $20 it feels like a godsend." So that's fantastic, but wouldn't it be better all round for the country, for people who are doing it tough right now, if we had targeted assistance? At the moment, Labour's spraying around universal policies, universal benefits, universal – although in the case of the public transport it's only universal if you happen to live in an area where there is public transport. As I say, it's mainly for the cities, mainly for Auckland. But the three GP visits for all... The taxes are going to be targeted, so why aren't the benefits? Why not give young Taylor who has to take three buses to work and has a young baby and is right at that stage of life where it's really grindy and in a particular stage in history where it's particularly, particularly grindy, why not give those young people a bit of extra assistance and not have young urban professionals who live close to public transport who don't need the cap putting it towards their end of week espresso martinis? Now I had an email from Dean who says, “my wife and I are both professionals who commute to the Auckland CBD. We have two sons, 22 and 23, one who lives at home. We'll be saving around $165 a week or close to $8,000 a year – that's simply going to pay for our next family holiday." They're just going to put the money, the public transport subsidy that taxpayers who don't live anywhere near a bus are helping to fund, towards a holiday and they don't even have the option of turning it down really. Once you hit that cap, that's it. Okay, so will it help you? Do you need the help? Would you like to see that help targeted more to those who need it rather than being universal? Would you like to see some visionary bold Labour policy? Hand up, yes I would. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins discusses Labour's new transport policy; Officials told govt there was a low need for LNG facility; Wellington mayor stands by evacuation orders; ProCare boss discusses use of AI in health sector; Penguin gets stuck in soccer net in New Plymouth garden

The Labour Party has announced a weekly public transport cap of $20 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and $10 a week everywhere else, at a reported cost of $65 million a year. Chris Hipkins spoke to John Campbell.

So here we go - some policy, ladies and gentlemen. Labour's promising cheaper public transport. They want to cap weekly fares at $20 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and $10 everywhere else. Under the plan, once you hit the cap, the rest of the trips you take that week could be free. Labour says it would save regular users about $25 a week. They reckon it would save you about $1200 a year. The policy would begin from July next year, of course depending on whether they're elected on November 7. They say it will cost $65 million a year, funded through the National Land Transport Fund. Not all services will be included, though. Inter-regional trains like Te Huia and the Capital Connection miss out, along with some longer ferries like Waiheke and cash-only bus services. Labour leader Chris Hipkins says the policy is aimed at easing cost-of-living pressures and transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere says too many families are being priced out of public transport. What they didn't really say is that it might also help reduce congestion on our roads. But, you know, it's still a spending policy at a time when we're trying to reduce spending and the national debt. Now, the money will come from the transport fund, which National says is already oversubscribed, so presumably, to fund this, Labour will have to cut some of National's road projects. It is a cost-of-living policy and many people will welcome a $20-a-week commute. Their social media shows a lot of people saying this is good. But it will only appeal to those who aren't already sorted. If you've got a car - if you can afford a car, if you can afford car parking in urban areas - you won't care about this; you might not like it. But I'm surrounded in the newsroom by low-paid young people who cannot afford cars and certainly can't afford parking, and they use public transport every day. So they'll love it - but will young voters even bother to vote? And meanwhile, that cost - $65 million - does it seem low to you? It seems low to me because there are already some caps in place. And with the money coming from the National Land Transport Fund, the question is: which roading measures will be cut? Potholes, anybody? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour has unveiled its first major policy announcement since the Budget, promising to cap weekly public transport fares at $20 in the main centres. But is this really just a transport policy, or the first glimpse of a broader election strategy? Newstalk ZB political reporter Ethan Griffiths joins Richard Martin to break down what the announcement says about Labour's campaign, whether the numbers stack up and why cost of living is shaping up as the key battleground. They also discuss the controversy surrounding Labour's newest candidate, the scrutiny over Chris Hipkins' holiday home mortgage and whether the Opposition leader is entering the election campaign in a stronger position than many expected. 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. Editor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you think needs to happen with public transport? According to some, we need to get more people using it. For all the usual reasons: less cars on the road. Lower emmissions. All of that. Which is why Labour has come up with this election policy which, for those of us in the greater Christchurch area, would mean paying no more than $20-a-week to take as many bus rides and ferry rides as we like. National's responded with its own idea. But I think they're both flogging a dead horse. At the bus interchange in Christchurch yesterday, people were saying they liked the sound of Labour's policy. The same with people using the Diamond Harbour ferry. Bring it on, was their reaction. But no surprises there. Because, you ask anyone if they want to pay less for something and, of course, they'll say yes. Which is what this policy would mean. At the moment, Christchurch public transport users pay a maximum of $30-a-week. Labour is pledging to take that down to no more than $20-a-week. And, being election year, the government has responded straight away with its own idea. An idea that it, obviously, didn't think was worth including in the budget a couple of weeks ago. Nevertheless, today we've got transport minister Chris Bishop saying the government could take $450 million from its emergency fund to put more buses on during peak periods. His thinking is that, if more taxpayer money is going to go into public transport, then it should be spent on improving services - instead of providing subsidies. But, do you know what I think? I think we could throw as much money as we want at public transport and it wouldn't make much difference. I think National's idea is better than Labour's. But I don't think either of them would achieve much. Not to mention the fact that taking $450 million out of the government's emergency fund to spend on public transport would be a very risky thing to do. And this is coming from someone who uses public transport at least a couple of times a week. I don't use buses to get to work. So I'm not on them every day. But, here in Christchurch, buses can be a great way of getting around. But, the thing is, there are two types of people in this world and I don't see any political party policy changing the way these people behave. The first type are the ones who have probably always used public transport and always will. They're already taking the bus now and don't need any encouragement to continue. Yes, they'll like the idea of paying less. But they're converts already. Then you've got the people who have always seen the bus as the loser cruiser and there's no way in hell they would start using buses just because it's cheaper. So that's why Labour's idea isn't going to work. As for Chris Bishop's idea of dipping into the emergency fund to put more buses on. I don't see that shifting the dial, either. Because we would need to spend way more than $450 million to have a public transport system that the non-users would even think about using. People would only buy into it if we had services like you have overseas in countries with way more people than us. Trains, trams, buses and ferries that run day and night - pretty much whenever you need them. That would be the gamechanger. But we're dreaming if we think anything like that is achievable here. So my advice to the politicians is this: don't think throwing money at public transport is going to get more people using it. It's not worth the money and effort. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins talks to Ingrid Hipkiss; Expert explains practical ways to save on your power bill; Auckland councillors to decide on housing intensification; Aussie cops being fast tracked into NZ police force; Astronomy fans already booking for Otago eclipse in 2028

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins talks to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Now, I can't imagine Labour's woken up feeling awesome this morning about how that reset is going. What do you think? This is a reset – you do realise that. After months of saying nothing, having no new policy and generating headlines for Ayesha Verrall singing weird songs about ducks, they started this week with a classic reset move. They got themselves a story in the Herald on Monday, claiming Nicola Willis tried to hide secret spending in the Budget. Then they followed it up really quickly with a list announcement, unveiling the policeman candidate. And then tomorrow they were supposed to have their big, substantive policy announcement – something they haven't done in months. It was meant to be this run of good news. Unfortunately for them, it's gone a little bit pear-shaped, hasn't it? The “secret money” has turned out to actually just be an accounting provision. The list announcement got derailed by Greg O'Connor taking a crack at them. Then the new guy for one of the Māori seats revealed there's some tax relief policy coming – which he wasn't supposed to say. Then Chippy got busted for using his government KiwiSaver to buy a bach, and the policeman didn't tell his bosses early enough that he was off to join the Labour Party. All of this is not a good look for Labour, because they can hardly expect to convince voters they're ready to govern if they can't even get 24 hours' worth of announcements to go to plan without being derailed by four or five different issues. But to be fair to Labour, the last 24–48 hours is really not the end of the world. A lot of this is pretty beltway stuff – at least the parts involving the policeman are. In five months' time, when the election rolls around, no one but the biggest political nerds in this country will remember any of it. Five months gives them plenty of time to fix all of this, but they really do have to get on and fix it, because this is the same problem, just repeated – the same problem as the Ayesha Verrall duck-song situation. It looks like a party unable to get its act together and just do one thing properly. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast with Heather du Plessis-Allan for Tuesday 9th of June, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins defends the process behind the appointment of Rakesh Naidoo to the party's list. Heather also challenges Hipkins on the generous superannuation scheme for MPs. Former Highlander Joey Wheeler talks what Tony Brown will bring to the All Blacks when he joins as an Assistant Coach in 2028. As we cross the 100 day mark of the Iran war, Middle East expert Jeffrey Pryce talks us through what Donald Trump's options are and how this war might end. 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.

The Labour Leader is disappointed by how things are playing out for the senior police officer who's chosen to run for Parliament. Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo —the Police's national partnerships manager— has been revealed as the 13th ranked candidate on Labour's list. Commissioner Richard Chambers says he only learned of Naidoo's candidacy on Sunday afternoon, and his position is now untenable. Chris Hipkins told Heather du Plessis-Allan that he's disappointed for Naidoo, who's done everything right. He says he acted with the utmost integrity through the process, and has worked very hard to preserve the political independence of the police. Hipkins also says Labour won't be making any announcement about tax this week. The party leader revealed his candidate list yesterday. Newcomer Kingi Kiriona suggested Labour could be releasing policy on tax relief in the coming days. But Hipkins told du-Plessis Allan Kiriona misspoke, and the policy is actually about cost-of-living relief. While he can't reveal the details just yet, he can confirm it will have an impact on households. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's leader says Rakesh Naidoo's decision to run for Labour is all above board - as he comes under fire. Commissioner Richard Chambers says Naidoo's candidacy makes his role as a senior police officer untenable, and he'll be removed. Chambers says he only found out last night. Chris Hipkins says Naidoo took all the required steps. "Rakesh Naidoo told his supervisor at police that when he confirmed he was putting his name forward to us last week, we did run a different process for Rakesh because of his role within the New Zealand Police." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has defended using a generous publicly funded private superannuation scheme to pay off the mortgage of his family holiday home. Hipkins confirmed he pays the maximum contribution, but he also contributes to KiwiSaver, meaning the full amount of contribution will not be paid towards the super scheme that owns his home. MPs are allowed to direct these savings into private superannuation funds, which Hipkins has done. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's new party list is out, and it looks less like a fresh start and more like a job protection scheme for politicians who have already been rejected by the public. We break down the lineup with pollster David Farrar to see who is safe and who got sidelined. Plus, we look at a staggering $230,000 advisor role at ACC that proves the message about government spending cuts is clearly not getting through. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast with Andrew Dickens for Monday, 8 June, 2026, Labour leader Chris Hipkins defends the process followed by police Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo before being named on the party's list. Otago University zoology teaching fellow Hanna Ravn tells us what to do if confronted by a sea lion. We talk to the most talkative MP in Parliament - the Greens' Lawrence Xu-Nan. And on The Huddle, Maurice Williamson and Josie Pagani give us their take on Labour's list - one of them says it's top-heavy with activists. 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.

Something has finally emerged from the silent, yawning abyss that is the Labour Party. Unfortunately, it's not policy - it's their list. Seventy-two names, 30 new candidates. Party president Jill Day and leader Chris Hipkins say the lineup reflects modern New Zealand. They've got candidates from business, farming, the public service, unions, and community services - Rhodes scholars, Fulbright scholars and Uncle Tom Cobley and all. They've gone for a 50-50 gender split and diversity. Remember, polling suggests Labour could win about 44 seats and Chris Hipkins is expecting at least 10 new MPs to enter Parliament at the end of this year. One standout newcomer is police superintendent Rakesh Naidoo, ranked 13th - almost guaranteed a seat. He's a list-only candidate, straight into position number 13. Pity he didn't tell Mark Mitchell. There are some major ranking shifts. Māori seat MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel jumps to ninth, while Vanushi Walters rises to eighth after returning to Parliament this term. These are high up in the rankings - and no, I haven't heard of them either. Names I have heard of, such as Camilla Belich and Deborah Russell, have dropped down the rankings. They may struggle to return. And poor old MP Greg O'Connor - having had his electorate, Ōhāriu, withdrawn and redrawn from beneath him - isn't even on the list. So this is a de facto announcement of his retirement and he's not happy. Now remember that Chris Hipkins promised policy after the Budget to answer our questions. Questions like: will they reverse the public service spending cuts? Will they reverse the increase in defence spending? Will they finally unveil a meaningful capital gains tax regime? But here we are, 11 days after the Budget and still no trace of policy. So what on earth are we going to vote for these people on? That is anybody's guess. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins has repeatedly said ministers were not told about key health concerns around the Covid vaccine rollout for 12 to 15 year olds. But a new tranche of official papers appears to move the timeline back. Duncan Garner has covered this issue before. This episode is the update. The new documents suggest Hipkins may have been closer to the information than previously understood, including a vaccine ministers meeting on August 13, 2021, which he chaired, and later references to myocarditis risk being removed from official communications. Aly Cook joins Duncan to walk through the latest paperwork, what it shows, what remains unanswered, and why she believes it goes directly to Hipkins' credibility. This is not about being pro vaccine or anti vaccine. It is about trust, transparency, and whether New Zealand parents were given the full picture. Watch the full episode and tell us what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going to start today's show talking about our nuclear policy. That's because at a forum in Singapore Defense Minister Chris Penk said it could be "helpful" to have a conversation about Nuclear Free New Zealand. He made the comments in reference to Australia's agreement to acquire three nuclear powered Virginia Class submarines from the United States. Speaking on Morning Report today Prime Minister Christopher Luxon comprehensively ruled out any such conversation. Labour leader Chris Hipkins also dismissed the idea. But is it actually a conversation we should be having? Liam Hehir thinks so. The lawyer and former active National Party member joins Jesse to discuss.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks to Morning Report; Labour leader Chris Hipkins speaks to John Campbell; Erica Stanford discusses new trade academy funding; Former defence minister discusses NZ nuclear-free status; Oncology professor discusses new cancer drug breakthrough

Labour has been critical of the Government's budget delivered last week saying it's asking those with the least to make the most sacrifices. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to John Campbell.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 28 May, 2026, Nicola Willis debuts her 2026 Budget - sugar hit not included. She tells Heather why she didn't cut harder. Chris Hipkins gives his take on the Budget. He says the Government continues to fail at making life better for Kiwis. How good will a newly announced extension of the Waikato Expressway be? Cambridge Mayor Mike Pettit couldn't be more excited. Plus, Katie Bradford and Maurice Williamson discuss how Winston Peters got away with more cash for his pet projects. 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 is not impressed by the Budget. The party's promising an alternative fiscal plan, but says it will be more than a few weeks away, as Labour goes line by line to criticise the spending. Hipkins says Kiwis are being hit hard by the cost of living, and this Budget is asking those with the least to make the most sacrifices. "I certainly wouldn't have prioritised raising rents for state house tenants, because the accommodation supplement - which is where they're putting that money - by in large just flows through to increased rents." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour wants New Zealanders to buy into a massive new Future Fund, but they refuse to tell us what assets are actually in it until after the election. Chris Hipkins claims voters do not want the details, but we think you deserve transparency when billions of dollars are on the line. Plus, researcher Aly Cook joins the show with a paper trail that completely challenges Hipkins' timeline on what he knew about youth vaccine risks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

How a Christchurch school is dealing with pitfalls of social media; Weekly interview with opposition leader Chris Hipkins; Could the fuel crisis drive people out of their cars for good?; FENZ issues safety reminder in wake of recent house fires; Actor Karen O'Leary pays tribute to Dame Jools

Jamie Mackay talks to Simon Quilty, Chris Hipkins, Chris Brandolino, Stu Loe and Stu Duncan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We ask Labour’s leader for some policy as we’re now less than six months away from the Nov 7 General Election. Plus, does he support Winston over National Super and buying the BNZ?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. Tourism: 7/10 This has been a good vibe week. TRENZ had them coming from everywhere, the sentiment is good, and the numbers are excellent. Kiwifruit: 9/10 This story is starting to outshine dairy. Not in numbers, but in terms of growth. At almost $6 billion and booming, this is mana from vines. Add it to dairy and we are laughing. Chris Hipkins: 2/10 This has been, far and away, his worst week of the year. Mystery policy detail and the arrogance to say we aren't interested in detail anyway. He is National's election year dream come true. Trump: 4/10 We still don't have a deal, but we do have a slush fund. He looks increasingly tawdry. But he's just as influential – just ask Thomas Massie. Newstalk ZB: 8/10 Guess who's popular? Ratings day yesterday was party day – the audience is up, and on some shows, up a lot. We thank you and appreciate you, as always, from the bottom of our hearts. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour is playing a dangerous game of politics by camouflaging six months out from the election. Chris Hipkins and Carmel Sepuloni are refusing to front with any concrete policy, hoping voters will forget six years of failure. Plus, we reveal the exclusive results from our editor-in-chief poll on the proposed public service job cuts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A survey of Automobile Association members' views on time-of-use charging has been presented to the Auckland Council's Transport and Infrastructure Delivery Committee.  The survey found that members were open to congestion charging if it worked, even if they thought it was unfair. Labour leader Chris Hipkins gave a ‘State of Auckland' speech last week, focusing on the need for cross-party collaboration on infrastructure projects. Wire Host Caeden spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson about both of these topics.

I asked yesterday whether Chris Hipkins thought we were stupid. And as luck would have it, he answered our question – yes, he does. First you have the Future Fund, a cornerstone policy, revelation that they aren't telling us who's money goes in and what sort of job creation they are expecting because they got bogged down in the Treaty issues, so we will need to wait until after the election. That's a massive problem given they only have one policy and that policy looks to be a huge waste of our money. Policy number two is a secret. But according to Chris, who appears to literally be melting in front of our eyes as the election year blowtorch gets pointed his way, he says on our behalf we "don't really care about the detail". That's what he said. Did he ask you? He didn't ask me. But he seems confident to suggest we don't really care about the detail. The breathtaking thing about that is I think he actually believes it. I think he has shown a side of the limousine left. They genuinely think we are a bit thick, that they are intellectually superior, and the complicated stuff really should be left to those who know what they're doing or think they know what they're doing. Can you name me any other party that takes their cornerstone policy and tells you that you don't need to know the detail? And further, to go on to suggest you're not really interested anyway. This would be bad enough if these guys hadn't been running the place for a while. But they ran the place three years ago and that very same "you're dumb, we know what we're doing" sunk them. Hipkins in Auckland last week says everyone is over lockdown except the Newstalk ZB audience. Hipkins this week says no one is interested in policy detail. So one policy on tax, one policy that's secret, and two observations that show the guy is literally either having a breakdown, or he is setting out to destroy his party in real time. If you're remotely connected to Labour and want to help, get to him fast and hose him down. Because he is the Government's greatest gift. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins doesn't think the public much cares about which companies would be in the party's Future Fund. It won't be revealing key details - including the cost to the Crown and which state assets would go into it - until after voters go to the polls. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny unpacked the reactions to this announcement. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So let me get this right, just so we know where we're at. The Labour Party —who, I'm assuming, still want to be taken seriously this election— have had a major issue up to this point. They have no policies. The one policy they do have is a new tax, and the money from that new tax will pay for all of us to go to the doctor three times. Even though a lot of us —to be frank, probably most of us— don't actually need the state to pay for a doctor's visit. Their other policy we sort of knew about was the Future Fund. It would contain SOEs, whose dividends would go into it to create jobs and grow the economy. Update on the Future Fund: we aren't going to know about that until after the election. The good news is they're not winning the election, so it sort of doesn't matter. But they will make it even harder to have a crack at winning the election now, given voters sort of want to know what stuff costs, especially large stuff. Further trouble is that the hold-up is they need advice on "Treaty obligations". That's right, bogged down yet again in matters Māori. Originally, they told us the SOEs involved were commercially sensitive, now it's Treaty troubles. Previously, Chris Hipkins said this fund would create jobs. Yesterday, Barbara Edmonds didn't know how many because that would depend on what the fund invested in, which SOEs were in the fund, and what advice they got around Treaty obligations. So no job stats, no cost stats, no real detail on who's in and who isn't on what they call one of their cornerstone policies. So no policies, until there is a policy. But it's sort of a secret policy that, if you vote for us, we'll tell you about after the election. Small question at this point: do they honestly believe we are that stupid? That this is any sort of way to conduct an election campaign? That this is any sort of excuse this close to an election? Are they smarter than we think and this is basically their white flag, because they don't want to be in Government anyway? Part of what haunts them from last time is their inability to actually do anything apart from spray money. They talk. They don't do. Three years on they have clearly learned nothing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Weekly interview with opposition leader, Chris Hipkins; Careers advisor responds to barista course criticism; More funding for reading, writing and maths; Researcher discusses rise in declined specialist care; NZ Rugby and Touch NZ partner to grow participation

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

Chris Luxon is firing back at Winston Peters over his latest comments about immigration. The New Zealand First Leader has been accusing his Coalition partners National and Act of being too slow on immigration. The Prime Minister and National Leader says he feels like there's a bit of anti-immigration cos-playing going on, whereby some politicians pretend to be Donald Trump, Nigel Farage or Marine Le Pen. He told Mike Hosking that the remarks by Peters are an example of that. Luxon says New Zealand doesn't have uncontrolled immigration, while the US has 13 to 14 million illegal immigrants. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Chris Hipkins missing a gene? Does he have a self-destructive predilection? Or is he just a pillock by nature? He rolls into Auckland to tell the nation's biggest city and engine room in election year that she's all good and everyone has moved on from the lockdowns. His lockdowns. The home handyman from the Hutt, telling Auckland what's what. What an arrogant twat. He was in Auckland to build rapport, to patch up the damage, to scope the joint and to see what sort of chance his party has come November. Love or hate Auckland, elections are won and lost in the city. No one gets to Government without a good day in Auckland. Even for a small country it is true to say there are countries within countries, or cultures and vibes within cultures and vibes. It took me a while to get a grip on Wellington before I moved there. It's different to Christchurch. It's different to Dunedin, and Auckland is different to each of the other urban centres. I think Chris Bishop has found that out by suggesting his two million home debacle. He's from Wellington too. If you are too entrenched in Wellington, you don't get Auckland. Hipkins suggested the only people who ever ask him about lockdown these days is Newstalk ZB. 1) That's not true and yesterday was an example given the person who asked wasn't from Newstalk ZB. 2) Newstalk ZB is the biggest game in Auckland and by a long way. Dismissing the biggest radio player in Auckland, and the country, is about as stupid as saying Aucklanders have moved on from lockdown. Ultimately, it's another example of why I have said all year that this election is over before it starts. Labour will not win. The pain, suffering and incompetence of 2020-23 is still too raw, real and recent to forgive and forget. Making it worse is the fact the very same people who did the damage are still there waiting for another crack. Judging by yesterday, they've learned nothing, want to learn nothing and are as arrogant as last time. Hipkins may well realise that, come election night when he loses and inevitably has to resign given he will have lost twice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

Opposition leader Chris Hipkins speaks to Ingrid Hipkiss; Finance Minister Nicola Willis explains the fuel rationing plan; Mariameno Kapa-Kingi discusses her exit from Te Pati Maori; Calls for more money for trades following fees free scrapping; Interview with NZ Rugby League's new boss, Andrea Nelson .