Podcast appearances and mentions of chris hipkins

Chris Hipkins says Labour will balance the books, but he will not tell us how he pays for his promises until later in the year. Meanwhile, National claims to cut costs, yet they are spending $20 billion more than Labour did. Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joins Duncan to break down why neither side's numbers add up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Labour's confident stagnant property prices won't hurt its plans to slash debt if re-elected. The party's seeking to return to surplus by the end of the decade and lower net debt to 20% of GDP over time. Its plans hinge on a fully implemented Capital Gains Tax. Labour Leader Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking that it's not expected the sliding property market will continue. He says even the current government's budgeting for property prices to return to a long term average growth of around three percent. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 24th of August, Labour has, kind of, released their fiscal strategy for the election and there are questions to ask so Chris Hipkins is on the show. The Prime Minister is on after ruling out any new taxes, proving this election is between tax or not. Andrew Saville and Jason Pine talk a brilliant weekend of sport between the AB's, the Warriors going top of the table and Liam Lawson. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. GDP: 9/10 The Infometrics Q2 read is the final nail in the misery merchants' coffin – the turnaround is real. Chris Hipkins: 4/10 Between the streaming bill he didn't know he had and the Prime Minister interviews he didn't listen to, does this look like a guy who is razor sharp and ready to rumble in an election campaign? Ginny Andersen ruling out all taxes: 7/10 Big call and had to have made Chlöe choke on her oats. The ceasefire: 2/10 Is that Trump's worst hour yet? Think of all the things he said versus all the things that didn't happen. It's almost as though he makes it up or doesn't have a clue what's going on. Liam Lawson: 9/10 Oh, the irony of hand injuries and Zandvoort. Can we really rule a podium out? LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government's announced a detailed business case for a new Harbour crossing in Auckland. Transport Minister Chris Bishop says the second crossing will be the largest and most expensive infrastructure project ever undertaken in New Zealand. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Government looks into second harbour bridge; Urgent reform needed for our ailing aged care system; Weekly interview with opposition leader, Chris Hipkins; Why are Ooshies so popular?; Dunedin rest home owner on the aged care report

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. Christopher Luxon: 8/10 Stared them down, again, and they folded like an umbrella. Chris Penk: 1/10 Not only did he get sucked in in the first place, he paid the ultimate price for a flop. Chris Bishop: 2/10 He can say what he likes, but we know. Erica Stanford: 3/10 She can say what she likes, if she was saying anything at all. Let's put it this way; if they ran the country like they ran a coup, we'd really be in trouble. Hipkins in Rotorua: 3/10 "Emergency housing got a bit out of control." Did it Chris? Honestly. And no apology? The guy is a robot. Trump in the food delivery truck: 8/10 And he takes Hegseth but leaves Rubio, Miller, and Bessent on board the old one with the blinds down. Who needs enemies? LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know what? I thought the Prime Minister was right to rule out working with Opportunity, until that One News-Verian poll. Now, I think he might have made a mistake. I'm not 100 percent sure, but I'm starting to lean towards this being an error. If you didn't catch the poll, the screaming message from it was that nobody gets to govern unless they have Opportunity. The centre-right bloc has a combined total of 57 seats. That's not enough. You need 61-plus to govern. The centre-left, once you take out the ridiculous thing TVNZ does by counting six Māori Party seats, which is just unreasonable, probably has about 55 seats. Again, that's not enough. Opportunity has nine. Both sides of the political divide need Opportunity's seats to form a Government. Now, look, things are going to change. One poll does not mean that's what happens on November 7 and Opportunity will almost certainly come back from this. This is probably too high for them. But I think the message here is clear: this scenario is now a live possibility in a way it wasn't before, especially after the failed coup, which must almost certainly dent the chances of an outright centre-right victory. That poll will have scared National Party MPs for two reasons. First, the centre-right doesn't win in that poll. Second, Opportunity did not die after Chris Luxon ruled them out. In fact, they went up instead. What he would have hoped is that by ruling them out, they would fade away as a political force. Instead, they shot up to 8 percent. Now, look, Opportunity is a pretty radical left-wing party, okay? They sit more comfortably on the left. But the fact is, the policies they're spruiking, the ideas National will say no to, are also ideas Labour will say no to. Chris Hipkins knows that if he says to Opportunity, "Yep, absolutely fine. Let's roll out a universal basic income. Let's introduce a land tax. Let's lift the age of youth crime to 25," he'll only last one term in Government because that stuff is nutty. It's nuttier than anything the Jacinda Ardern Government did with the Greens. Because of that, because Labour will say no and National will say no, it neutralises Opportunity. Neither side is going to put up with their more radical ideas. Both sides will only agree to the more sensible proposals. Which means Opportunity possibly becomes a viable support partner for the centre-right as well. And that raises the question: has the Prime Minister made a mistake by ruling them out? And does he now need to row that back? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everything in this election's just been turned on its head in 24 hours for three reasons – and it's not because of National. Firstly, yesterday Chris Hipkins was asked if he'd tell us how he would deal with the Opportunity Party, what the caveats would be. He said the Labour Party were going to listen to the voters on TOP – a very different thing to what he's said previously. Secondly, TOP is looking more and more likely to get into Parliament and could hold the balance of power. Thirdly, Luxon, while wounded, will not face another coup now that the detractors couldn't organise themselves into a single ticket and topple the boss. In this case the old saying is tipped on its head: fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame you. There are no third chances for a coup pre-election. Which brings us to the state of play. This election is going to be fought, won and lost, on one issue: tax. For Hipkins to woo the Greens, Te Pāti Māori, and Opportunity, they will need to move on tax. Chlöe Swarbrick, Qiulae Wong, and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer are loading the gun, cocking it, and wanting to fire on Kiwi households. So which taxes? I went on TOP's calculator this morning for the land tax. If you're a single divorced mum with a house from your settlement worth $2m, which is not much in Auckland or the deep south, you'll be paying an extra $456 a week. That includes $35k a year in land taxes. If you're a couple with kids living in Beachlands, you'll be paying an extra $30 a week in taxes, including $24k in property taxes. That's before you've factored in taxes on farmland, an effective inheritance tax, a capital gains tax on an extra house (say a retirement rental investment, or a kid you saved to buy your kids), an inheritance tax/gift tax when you die or pass on big assets. When you add to this the fact we don't know how these four left bloc parties will spend your money, and how effective they'll be at doing so, this gets messier than a botched Tory coup. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says small businesses are our economy's engine room, as the party launches a new election policy in Rotorua. It's campaigning on a $2 million annual fund to help smaller businesses adopt AI tools. It would also go into topping up an advisory group to help with AI use, and boosting mentoring and support. Leader Chris Hipkins says small businesses want to adapt to this new technology, and they want additional support to make this happen. "So that they can weigh up how AI could help them, what the risks of using AI could be - it's just levelling the playing field." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Chris Luxon's political future is hanging in the balance ahead of tomorrow's big meeting. Will he survive, or will he be rolled? Will Erica Stanford or Chris Bishop replace him? What do we make of Chris Hipkins' plan to help small businesses join the AI revolution? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says small businesses are our economy's engine room, as the party launches a new election policy in Rotorua. It's campaigning on a $2 million annual fund to help smaller businesses adopt AI tools. It would also go into topping up an advisory group to help with AI use, and boosting mentoring and support. Leader Chris Hipkins says small businesses want to adapt to this new technology, and they want additional support to make this happen. "So that they can weigh up how AI could help them, what the risks of using AI could be - it's just levelling the playing field." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an announcement without warning, Labour's leader Chris Hipkins has finally ruled out working with New Zealand First in any government he leads. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Major Electricity Users' Group spoke to Morning Report after Contact Energy reported a record profit of $423 million dollars. Time again for the weekly interview with the leader of the opposition, Chris Hipkins. Central government is beginning to trawl through proposals for how councils want local government to be reshaped. Researchers are hopeful they are on the cusp of an obesity treatment that might represent a new way to lose weight - targeting the body's fat-storage processes and leaving the appetite untouched. And a proposed Christchurch-based rugby league team - the Southern Orcas - are hoping to enter the Australian NRL in 2029.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

Was Hipkins ruling out NZ First really a decision, or an announcement, or even a story? Peters, of course, ruled Labour out a long time ago. I've been surprised by the number of people who text me telling me not to be so naïve. I'm told Peters is not to be trusted. I take Peters at his word though. He says a lot of random and increasingly clickbait-y stuff, but he doesn't straight up and down deceive. So when you take Hipkins ruling out Peters and add it to Peters ruling out Hipkins, can we assume all the conspiracy theorists can now go focus on something new? The trouble now for Labour is the math. As the Herald's Poll of Polls very clearly shows, there is virtually no pathway to office under current numbers. It's also fair to suggest that as people digest the Opportunity Party, they either reject them because they're mad, or they bleed votes off Labour and possibly the Greens. It's just a reshuffling of the “higher tax and more socialism” brigade. Either way, it doesn't grow the pie. Last week's poll is proof of it. Labour didn't tumble the same way Opportunity didn't double their support. Hipkins is most likely right that the poll is rogue, which is why yet again, we don't trust one-off polls. What the Government have in their favour is three solid, viable parties. The left have two – Labour and the Greens, and the third is a shadow of what it once was or could have been. If they're lucky, they may cobble together a seat or two electorally, but that'll be about it. With National on 30% and two parties at 8% or above, that's government. With Labour on 30% and even the Greens on 10%, they're still 10% short and the Māori Party don't make up the difference. Even though it was never real, mathematically NZ First gave Labour the potential of the numbers and the threat of the possibility. So as we sit here in early August with 88 days to go, short of some level of upheaval, collapse or resurgence for the ages, Hipkins is like a shag on a rock. He's got him and one and a bit options. It's not a government. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's definitively ruled out a coalition deal with New Zealand First post-election. Leader Chris Hipkins says his MPs have unanimously decided they won't work with Winston Peters' party, after comments made by Peters and Deputy Shane Jones were labelled 'racist'. Hipkins says a pattern of behaviour's escalated and he won't put up with the overt racism NZ First indulges in. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says new polling data shows the left-leaning parties are seeing a drop in the polls and the coalition is in a good position to get a second term. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How weird was National's re-announcement of its Budget Responsibility Rules? It was very weird. Essentially, National made exactly the same announcement that it made three years ago before the 2023 election. First, it would strive for a surplus. Second, it would reduce debt. Third, it would cut Government spending. Here's the question: has National achieved any of those things? Not really, has it? We don't have a surplus, even though National promised we'd have one worth $2.9 billion this year. In fact, we're still years away from any kind of surplus. Has it reduced debt? No. If anything, debt has increased by roughly another $41 billion. And when it comes to Government spending, we basically have the same number of public servants now as we did when Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins left office. So National hasn't even made much of a dent there. In that case, I'm sorry to say it, but you'd have to be either naive or foolish to believe National's promise this time around. In fact, I'm probably being too generous by even calling it a promise. Last time, National explicitly promised a surplus. It didn't deliver one, which makes that a broken promise. This time, however, it's merely "prioritising" a surplus. That change in language says everything you need to know about how confident Nicola Willis herself is about the chances of getting New Zealand back into surplus. I reckon Thomas Coughlan in the Herald absolutely nailed it with one line in his analysis: "Why has National drawn attention to its own failure?" Because that's really all it did. It simply reminded those of us who are concerned about the Government's finances that the National Party has failed to get the books back in order. I think the answer to Thomas' question is that National believes voters will still trust it and that it's trying to force Labour to make the same commitments, commitments National knows Labour may struggle to make. If Labour can't make those same promises, National hopes voters will see it as the more fiscally responsible option. And maybe that's true. Labour may not be able to make the same commitments, given its spending plans and the even more ambitious spending proposals of some of its potential coalition partners. So strategically, this may well work for National with some voters. But for many others, all the announcement did was underscore how little difference there is, in practice, between the way Labour and National manage the Government's books. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has categorically ruled out working with New Zealand First if elected in November, unfortunately for Labour and Mr Hipkins the response from the media and many voters is "why did this take so long?"Simeon Brown faced off against Jack Tame on Q&A over the weekend where he struggled to firmly back leader Christopher Luxon and couldn't explain why one of the targets for the health service is to increase staffChristopher Luxon was on RNZ this morning where he had to explain Nicola Willis' "no new tax on working people" when they are going to reverse the discount to fuel excise tax etcMight check out poll of polls in NZ Herald, and check out how St John Ambulance is overworked like never before++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

After the Prime Minister has spent the week combatting record unemployment figures and navigating an apology to the business community - it is Labour leader Chris Hipkins who ends it defending his parties position in the polls. Political Editor Jo Moir spoke to Melissa Chan-Green with an analysis of the latest poll numbers. 

Perhaps the Labour Party's small target election year strategy has started to unravel as one of their MPs, Helen White, told us all of her desire for house prices to fall. She wants them to come down. They have already come down of course, through a series of events that included her last Government's approach to the economy. The booming inflation they created, the bulging debt from all the spending and the general fiscal waste that saw interest rates spike, the country failing to collect the migrant numbers it had previously had, as well as the cost of building skyrocketing. As a result, the property market has broadly gone backwards for what many suggest now is a historic period of time. So she should be happy. Which is the problem with economic illiterates like her. The Labour Party of course don't see things the way she does for obvious reasons. Two-thirds of New Zealanders own homes and many see them as a nest egg for retirement. Watching prices fall undermines our futures. Helen made herself a headline because she was asked about the Opportunity Party, the leader of which is standing in her Mt Albert electorate. They too want to wreck the property market with the land tax. Helen didn't know much about that, all she knew was she wanted prices to fall. Sadly, this is the sort of trouble Chris Hipkins is going to have to start to mop up. Once you get into election mode a lot of random questions get asked of previously unheard-of MPs, some of whom manage to almost immediately display the attributes the party had been hoping could stay hidden, at least until election day. Helen is already infamous given Mt Albert is deep Labour territory, and she almost lost it in 2023. So, her start to 2026 doesn't bode well. But the overarching message here is the bedrock of many New Zealanders savings strategies is under fire from increasing numbers of political operators. They want your retirement blown sky high with a property crash. I'm backing that approach not to be overly popular.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has called the latest Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll an 'outlier'. The poll shows Labour dropping from 31.5% to 27.8%, while National received a slight uptick to reach 31%. Former Labour Party Leader David Cunliffe told Heather du Plessis-Allan that even though this poll may be an outlier, Labour should still be cautious. 'I'd say it's an outlier, and I think the thing that makes, the most sense is to look at the poll of polls, but there is some movement in that that labour needs to take a real close eye on.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says its new election policy aimed at small businesses is about making life a little easier. If it gets into power, the Labour will raise the GST threshold, lift asset write-offs and require big businesses to pay up faster. It would axe the current Government's Investment Boost, which lets businesses deduct 20 percent of the cost of a new asset. Leader Chris Hipkins says small businesses shouldn't be a line of credit for big businesses. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do we need a dedicated plane for the Prime Minister? I'm starting to think that we do. Before now, though, I've been of the opinion that we're New Zealand for goodness sake, we're not the United States, so why should we blow money on a plane? But, after listening to Sir John Key talking to Heather last night about Christopher Luxon using the Air Force to get him around a bit, I'm thinking it would make sense. Heather was talking to him after Chris Hipkins ripped into Luxon for getting the Air Force to fly him from Whanganui to Auckland after being at a National Party fundraising dinner. Which was kind of dodgy. Because, if Christopher Luxon was going there as the National Party leader as part of his campaign to get re-elected in November, then he shouldn't be using the Air Force to get him there. Which is why Labour's Chris Hipkins is accusing Luxon of using the Defence Force as his own “private fleet”. But the way the Prime Minister's Office explains it, is that he got to the fundraising event on a commercial flight. But left afterwards on the Air Force flight, so he could get to Auckland for prime ministerial commitments. What happened is that he needed to get to Auckland for Sir Bill Birch's funeral. Which meant some re-arranging of the schedule and him needing to travel sooner than was originally planned. You could say he flew there as the National Party leader and left with his Prime Minister's hat on. So, a bit of dancing on the head of a pin there. The reason we're talking about this is because this wasn't just a one-off. It follows a string of times the PM has used the Air Force to get him around. Generally, it's accepted that during a civil defence emergency, for example, the PM will jump on a Defence Force plane or helicopter. John Key flew to Christchurch in a Defence Force plane pretty much straight after the 2011 earthquake. Christopher Luxon's been doing the same sort of thing during more recent emergencies. But, in the last week or so, there have been reports about him getting the Air Force to fly him to non-emergency events such as an event he went to at Mystery Creek in 2024 and a trip in 2025 to visit the Kmart distribution hub in the Hamilton area. Overall, since becoming Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon has flown 41 domestic flights with the Air Force, which, according to official documents, weren't part of a disaster or civil defence emergency response. I'm with Sir John Key on this, whose view is that it makes sense for the PM to use the Air Force planes because they're there, anyway. The crew have to be paid, anyway. And what would you rather? A plane and crew sitting on the ground doing nothing? Or a plane and crew helping the Prime Minister make the most efficient use of his time? What's more, it hasn't just been the Prime Minister on these flights. There are staff and security and all the usual hangers-on. So pretty cost effective when you consider that we'd, otherwise, be buying all these people tickets to fly on commercial flights. So, when you consider that, doesn't it make sense for the Prime Minister to have a dedicated plane available at all times? I think it does. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says its new election policy aimed at small businesses is about making life a little easier. If it gets into power, the Labour will raise the GST threshold, lift asset write-offs and require big businesses to pay up faster. It would axe the current Government's Investment Boost, which lets businesses deduct 20 percent of the cost of a new asset. Leader Chris Hipkins says small businesses shouldn't be a line of credit for big businesses. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon is digging in over his use of an Air Force flight after attending a National Party fundraiser, saying he has a "busy job". Labour's Chris Hipkins says it's unjustifiable for the Prime Minister to use the Defence Force as a "personal taxi service" for campaigning purposes. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins discusses Winston Peters' comments; Local board member raises concerns over fast track process; Westpac chief economist on fuel prices and unemployment; Dr Bev Lawton discusses cervical cancer screening review; Quake experts discusses NZ's alert system and preparedness

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

You've got to ask yourself: what on earth was the Migrant Association thinking? This comes after its stunt of guillotining an effigy of Winston Peters because it believes he's racist. It obviously disregarded the fact that many supporters of Peters believe unmitigated immigration allows undesirable migrants to flood the country, the type who think nothing of guillotining a politician or anybody else they disagree with. All it does is reinforce the stereotype of the violent migrant coming to replace the existing population. This is what Peters is railing against. And it's happening at the same time as the case of Ann Widdecombe that rocked the UK, a politician who was bludgeoned to death with a hammer for the crime of being a politician. Now, this was the same example used by people who found Paul Henry's statement about shooting Chris Hipkins distasteful, albeit a joke prompted by some radio jocks. So, if the Migrant Association thought this stunt would strengthen support for its position, then it has clearly failed. I think it should apologise. But that doesn't seem likely because, so far, it has defended the stunt as satire, which it wasn't. As Paul Henry discovered, there is nothing funny about suggesting the assassination of a politician. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you see even Don Brash reckons Luxon should fire Winston as Foreign Minister? Before anyone gets their hopes up, this never going to happen. If the PM cut Winston loose, the government would fall apart. That would kill not only Luxon's current term but his ambitions for a second. MMP is a game of swallowing dead rats. Campaign-mode Winston is the political equivalent of one of those giant New York sewer rats. With the plague. Gross. Unsightly. A pain the arse. But impossible to get rid of. The PM has so far handled the situation well, using the playbook of Jacinda Ardern and Helen Clark to deal with his brain farts. Those calling for his sacking are hypocrites to their party. Carmel Sepuloni sat round the cabinet table with Winston POST two Wongs don't make a White. The faux shock and outrage only make their own leader look weak. If 'Go Home Gate' is so outrageous and egregious, why hasn't Chris Hipkins ruled Winston out? He did so about this stage of the election cycle in 2023. Why not last night? Why not this morning? I text Hipkins today to ask exactly this question. Why not rule him out ever being foreign minister, at least? Guess what? Crickets. Radio silence. Why? Same reason as Luxon. They need him. Or might need him. Luxon, because he's no John Key and doesn't have the arty vote to govern without New Zealand First. And Hipkins, because if he did get enough support to cross the finish line, he'd rather do it alongside Winston Peters than Te Pati Maori. The fact is, Winston can say what he likes and he knows it. His comments aren't popular with most fair-minded kiwis, but then, really, neither are the Chrises'.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With 100 days until the election, we ask Labour’s leader if he’s going to do a deal with the Opportunity Party? Plus, where is his Ag policy? And is he inspired by Andy Burnham?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Jane Smith, Chris Hipkins, Wayne Langford, Chris Russell, and Jeremy Rookes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins speaks to Corin Dann; Dr Mamaeroa David on protecting against winter illness; Major disruption to businesses as slips continue at mount; Former trade minister Tim Groser discusses latest US tariffs; Experts explain recent earthquake activity.

With three months to go until the election, there's been a flurry of policy announcements from parties across the political spectrum. Labour's leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Corin Dann.

Before they were getting Paul Henry to send "Death Threats" to Chris Hipkins and talking about shaggin Winnie, Jerry & Manaia chatted to Great NZer Ryan Fox just a couple of days after his win at The Open!Here's the full chat from the Hauraki Breakfast, including what it was like standing over that final putt on the 18th, the whirlwind of emotions since the win and what's next for Foxy...Did you know that we've launched a new Facebook Group called 'The Caravan' JOIN HERE! Brought to you by Export Ultra! Follow The ACC on Instagram or Facebook or TikTok Subscribe to The Agenda Podcast now on iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! iHeartRadio Apple Spotify YouTube THANKS MATE! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour has completely lost the plot over Paul Henry playing a classic radio game on Hauraki. Calling a joke a genuine death threat is bloody ridiculous, especially when Chris Hipkins has played the exact same game himself. Plus, Stuart Nash gets dumped by NZ First before election day, and we break down a mad week in Kiwi politics with Maurice Williamson and Ashley Church. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Under normal circumstances, if I was a Prime Minister, I'd avoid the dumb brigade. In general terms they preside in music radio and/or on podcast platforms. It is the arena of numbnut behaviour, it's always a trap. Anthony Albanese found this out a few weeks ago when he was offered an option of who to shag or marry and ended up bumbling through an answer that suggested he would shag Kylie Minogue and that the Rabbitohs were an aphrodisiac. He almost immediately apologised, as he should have. Paul Henry suggesting he would shoot Chris Hipkins is our new version as of yesterday. This came off the back of the Stuart Nash mess (for the record, a completely different set of circumstances) and what appears to be a newfound desire to be “outraged”. Labour is “outraged”. My fear this election campaign is there is more where this came from. Nash is an idiot with form and his comments weren't funny, or even in the entertainment realm. Henry, who also has form but in the “this could be funny, or could be a bridge too far” category, gets away with it this time because of the setting i.e. a music radio station looking for giggles, and also because Labour need to be careful with their “outrage” habit. Henry also gets away with it because he currently is merely a citizen. It will be different, potentially, if he is an MP and even more different if he is a Cabinet minister. Albanese didn't get away with it because he isn't funny at the best of times, just looked like a dirty old man and, more importantly, because he is a Prime Minister and Prime Ministers need to be beyond reproach. Citizens can do what they like but MPs need to be one rung up from that. Cabinet ministers need to be pretty squeaky clean and Prime Ministers need to be saint-like, artificially so, hence we don't attract normal people to represent us anymore. Labour need a sense of humour and the ability to manufacture their outrage at opportune times, not anytime. It is still only July and I'm over this election and it hasn't even started. Henry will be back for more of this, I wouldn't rule Michael Laws out of saying something random, Shane Jones is building a head of steam, and my bet is that before November 7th someone we haven't even thought of will end up doing something weird, creepy, or mental. All I can say is, be patient. It's only just begun. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Kiwiblog writer and Curia pollster David Farrar and artist and local Government politician Oscar Kightley joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Paul Henry has copped some backlash from Labour after saying he'd shoot Chris Hipkins as part of a risqué radio game. Does this really count as a death threat - or is Labour making a big deal about an innocuous comment? Stuart Nash has resigned following his controversial comments about Katie Nimon's parental leave. Was this the right call? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I don't blame Hipkins for having a crack, but tell him he's dreaming. Having closed, or at least announced they are closing off, the absurd deals between local councils and Māori, once they get the new RMA laws up Hipkins suggests that this will lead to a lot of renegotiation of Treaty settlements. It will do no such thing. You know why? Because it might just be that this Government has had enough of court interference of Māori issues, and the Mike Smith mess might just have been the final straw. I would like to think the interventionist nonsense from the Waitangi Tribunal was the final straw. But the Government seem happy enough to continue to foot that bill, while ignoring pretty much everything they say. The really important bit of the Hipkins intervention is that he has not explicitly said they will reinstate said council deals. Why would he not have said that? Could it possibly be because he too realises that the whole Māorification of this country has gotten wildly out of control, and not even he can bring himself to buy the inevitable fight that would be required in an election campaign if it was him vs Luxon, and one had killed said deals and one was left to defend the indefensible. The headache Hipkins doesn't need of course, is they aren't his deals. It's the councils that should be called out and held to account. It's the councils who are taking the proverbial. That is not to say the Māori caucus won't get to Hipkins. But for now, at least, he takes what most middle-of-the-road New Zealanders would perceive as a moderate, sensible stance. And it's exactly those sorts of stances that win elections. Elections are won in the centre and the Māorification of the country is nowhere near the centre, a place the Labour Party once stood fairly solidly and fairly successfully. Yes, the original Treaty deals have clauses for renegotiation, but they are more about income than local-level dabbling. If any council or iwi want to dabble in a court the court should be ignored. You get the sense that like a lot of ideas not well thought through, any original goodwill was well and truly shot to bits as councils and local Māori, to put it bluntly, took the piss. Well that game, thank goodness, is up. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

Labour's Chris Hipkins thinks the Electoral Commission needs to step up its game getting voters enrolled, particularly with new changes kicking in this election that will prevent people enrolling to vote on the day. Political editor Jo Moir spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

National says Labour must take a clear stance on rates caps, with the Government planning to introduce legislation before the election. Labour's Chris Hipkins has told Newstalk ZB his party's yet to decide on a position. He says the policy is "good retail politics" but adds councils will need ways to fund core services. Local Government Minister Simon Watts told Mike Hosking they want to make sure that when they implement a policy, it's enduring and there is certainty for businesses and households. He says the problem is that Labour has previously indicated that they would vote against the legislation, but are now saying they don't have a position. Watts says he just wants to know where they stand on this. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

INTERVIEW: Leader of the opposition MP Chris Hipkins on Labour's 2026 Election Policies by Lily Jane on Radio One 91FM Dunedin

The latest RNZ-Reid Research poll continues to have Labour on top, despite a drop in support. It's sitting on 34 percent - down 1.6 percent since March, but almost six points above National, who've slumped to 28.7 percent. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to John Campbell.

Jo Moir breaks down the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll; Chris Hipkins responds to latest RNZ-Reid Research poll; Sir Grahame Sydney remembers screen legend Sam Neill; Repeat recycling offenders face losing bins; Researcher tests life without a smartphone

You may remember that Morgan McSweeney was one of Keir Starmer's fall guys in the Mandelson scandal. He ran the Labour Party's 2024 campaign that saw Labour land a comparatively small amount of the vote (37%) in exactly the right places to give them a stonking great majority and end 14 years of Tory rule. It ended badly for McSweeney. It's ending badly for Starmer, and a bloke who never got elected by Britain is going to run the place in a few weeks, theoretically for the next three years. I tell you this because McSweeney has never spoken before, until now. What he says is fascinating. He claims the party didn't prepare properly for power, didn't think about how the world had changed since they were last in Government, didn't talk about it enough, and didn't plan, and that's why Starmer was such a disaster. What makes it fascinating for us is: 1) It was Starmer and Labour that Chris Hipkins visited in Liverpool at their conference to get tips. 2) It's Hipkins and Labour, according to former MP and Speaker Trevor Mallard, who ended up at the Featherston book fair telling exactly the same story about his party. So do we have a theme, or a trait? Are Labour groupings essentially lazy, or blind, or arrogant? Or a combination of all three? Labour NZ 2017 set a record in working groups because they hadn't prepared for Government. They had nine years to do so. Labour in Britain had 14 years. Perhaps as interesting is Peter Dunne's latest column in Newsroom where he reports that the recent Labour congress here was well staged but lacked anything new. Subsidies for apprenticeships are worthy, but dull, and reminds voters of the economic mess Labour last got us into. Do labour movements lack imagination? The two may be coincidental, but they might not be. Is Labour about simply waiting for the other lot to lose? At their heart, are they not actually up for a bit of hard work and prep? New Zealand Labour were jettisoned for a calamitous record. British Labour would be on the verge of it if they didn't have five-year terms. McSweeney, Mallard, and Dunne all tell a similar story. If you're a potential Labour supporter here, surely that story is worrying, if not frightening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins discusses Indian PM visit, China Pacific test; Grocery Commissioner discusses investigation into sector; ABC's Lice Movono on rising Pacific tensions with China; Pregnancy Hope Auckland charity at risk of closing; Teen forced to switch schools to get game time

Opposition leader, Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

Opposition leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Morning Report.

Weekly interview with opposition leader, Chris Hipkins; Luxon unaware Auckland lacked night shelter; Chef Peter Gordon discusses Michelin Guide Awards; Black Cap Zak Foulkes speaks to John Campbell following win; Debate reignites as feral cat hunt returns