Podcasts about luxon

You may have noticed an element of concern, if not alarm, over the number of young people who are not enrolled in the election. In the 18-24 age group there are just 61% enrolled. Last time it was 77%. The Greens in particular have been running campaigns about this for obvious reasons. The trouble is their campaigns are on university campuses where the bright and active hang out, not, I suspect, where those who aren't enrolled hang out. There was also a conspiracy floated momentarily when Chris Luxon last ran into his leadership trouble. Just before the caucus vote there was a lot of angst over the plot, for that's how they saw it, to overthrow Luxon and then call a snap election and the snap would leave thousands of young people un-enrolled. That conspiracy fell apart when, oh that's right, no such thing happened. There has also been the finger pointing over the enrolment rule changes and even though we still have well over three weeks to go its still, according to the aggrieved, not fair. Anyway, none of it is new. Young people have always been hopeless at enrolling and actually voting. It is sad but true, and as far as we can see nothing is changing this time. In fact it's getting worse. The important bit is how that plays out. It's entirely possible that the Greens, once again, are going to enhance their reputation as a party who polls well but doesn't turn out the vote. While we're on polling, the immigrant vote will tell a story not really seen in polling either. Language is an issue and increasingly this country is a country of migrants, especially in Auckland. The migrant population is not well polled. How they vote, which is broadly conservative, might well swing the election in a way, that if you didn't know that, would surprise you. Migrants work hard, strive for better and chase a dream. That's a centre-right view of the world. Watch this space. But key advice – before Chlöe measures the curtains on the Finance Minister's office, she might want to drum up a few more Gen Z-ers to pull their finger out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The host of Q+A is typically the Q guy, but here he does the A. Jack Tame sits down with Toby to explain how he's prepping for next week's big debate, why Christopher Luxon has avoided his interviews for more than two years, and what the National and Labour campaign launches tell us about the way this campaign will play out.Plus, in How Good, Tara Ward on Whakaata Māori's This is Home.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Bridget Mills and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Little had a good crack at the Government over council amalgamation. He got interrupted by an alarm but made his point and his disappointment is well-founded. My major criticism of this Government is they said a lot of stuff they simply didn't deliver on. Someone like Luxon would argue it's aspirational and it's better to fall short trying hard than not try at all. Little is rightly ropeable about council amalgamation being delayed until after the election. If the Government flips of course, it will never happen at all. Maybe, given the submissions made by various councils against the plan, that was what they wanted all along: stall until it's possibly too late. "Unleashed chaos" was a good line he used. But then it was a good policy. We are hopelessly over-counselled in this country and too many of them are run by a collection of knobs. They're well-meaning I'm sure, but complacency and mediocrity litter the council landscape. The fewer of them the better. Some got on with it and formed groups. Some kind of had a crack and some outright refused and you knew they were holding out until the bitter end. But like all top-down restructuring, it causes time, energy, and money to be spent on things that, as it turns out, might be off, which is an irony given wastage was one of the reasons the idea was being proffered in the first place. I like Little. He walks a fairly decent line between being a Labour wonk and a council representative, but also a guy with vast experience who plays the game and is professional with it. So when he says this is poor form he means it, and I believe him, and he is right. From 500 police that didn't happen, to the reviews that never got to Cabinet, to the LNG deal that's run out of time, to council amalgamation that wasted a lot of hours, this Government wasn't quite as sharp at delivery as they might have led you to believe when they showed you the tin. It won't switch any votes. But you would want to hope for a slicker, more well-oiled machine after November 7th. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investigative journalist Nicky Hager is about to release his latest book with just seven weeks until the election. At the time of writing these notes we don't know what the book is about but Hager is known for books including 2014's Dirty Politics and 2002's Seeds of Distrust, which sent shockwaves through election campaigns, is set to reveal his work at 6pm at an event held at Unity Books in Wellington.Many on the left are struggling with Labour's decision to continue on with Nationals tax laws for landlords as Labour has been very clear this election cycle that Luxon's government making the choice to divert billions of dollars to landlords was bad policy that took money out of government revenue that could have been used better elsewhere.Moana Maniapoto spoke with several Māori who went on a junket to Israel, paid for by the Israeli government and seem to come back confirmed Zionists. We'll take a look tonight at one conversation she had, with former broadcaster, Neil WakaWe'll also take a look at National trying to "blame Labour" for crime during their last term by showing footage of crime that happened under their watch.++++++++++++++++++++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/

The Trade Minister says business with India could grow more over time. Parliament passed our Free Trade Agreement last week and it's being ratified today, with Royal Assent from the Governor-General. Prime Minister Chris Luxon says since starting speaking positively about trade with India - it's gone up 72 percent. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says there's a lot of support for the FTA - and Luxon says the nation will start feeling the impacts in a month. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jordan Williams was on Q&A this weekend talking CGT and Wealth Tax so we thought we'd bring on a former Senior lecturer in taxation, and current Labour spokesperson for revenue Deborah Russell on to unpack what was said about the left's tax initiativesChristopher Luxon spent time with bestie Mike Hosking this morning explaining why they have failed with their election promise to have 500 new police officers and how the reason public servants were getting treated well when it came to salary increases was they are "deeply, deeply unionised"...but he was using that as a negative...go figureEd Sheeran has made his first public statement since his horror week around Macklemore's public call to Free Palestine. There is something very clear that Ed has missed which we will cover tonightAnd anything else that comes up between time of launch and showtime++++++++++++++++++++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/

Chris Luxon insists National's controversial grocery policy is in line with the party's principles. National has joined New Zealand First, in campaigning for a break-up of the two Foodstuffs co-ops - something almost 500 owner-operators have criticised in an open letter this morning. Labour wants to separate the supermarket chains from their wholesale arms, while the Greens want to establish a state-owned grocery chain. Luxon told Mike Hosking National is the party of enterprise, but it's also the party of competition. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sean Ackland co-hosts tonight to debrief the education debate from Dunedin this weekend and get his thoughts as our resident industry expert.The hottest topic from this weekend and today was the opening of Auckland's City Rail Link. PM Luxon joined John Campbell on Morning Report this morning to share his completely out-of-touch perspective on what this upgrade to the city's public transport means for the average person and commuter.ANZ's outgoing CEO Antonia Watson spoke with Jack Tame over the weekend to discuss the state of banking in NZ, and reviews her previous comments about implementing a CGT and having an adult conversation around tax in order to tackle the looming worker/pensioner ratio diminishing and putting pressure on future Govt finances.++++++++++++++++++++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 years of anticipation, Auckland's City Rail Link finally opened to the public yesterday, and the Prime Minister's hopeful it will boost rail patronage by 50 percent in the long run. Luxon was at Ōrākei station on the Sunday it opened and he witnessed people coming from 'all over the place' to try it out, but he's hopeful this weekend won't be a one-off. Luxon says the CRL will encourage more new residential and commercial developments, and reduce how long it takes people to get to and from work. "I spoke to some people, actually, who just said it was going to take 15 minutes off their commute into the city." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As an extension to the 5% first home buyer deposit policy the National Party has released and the Labour Party is backing, can we possibly learn from its practicality and apply it to areas that are increasingly fraught? I cite fast-track. Fast-rack is an excellent idea. It gets things done better than what we had previously. Just ask the Tauranga Port; they spent seven years going nowhere under old rules while under fast-track it took five months to be sorted. But on housing we have trouble. I've raised this with the Prime Minister, but he doesn't get it or want to get it. The key to successful election campaigns is offering simple, practical solutions to what voters perceive as problems. It's called retail politics. A 5% deposit for a young person is material and it's practical. Fast-track housing developments have turned into exactly what I said they would – trouble. Angsty, edgy, piss-people-off trouble. The Auckland Council is now considering refusing services to new developments. This is just the start. Any number of fury-filled meetings have been held, from Central Otago to Northland, to Auckland and to Christchurch over large-scale, 1000+ housing developments that are using fast-track to get the tick of approval. This will cost the Government votes. All the esoteric nonsense like bank buybacks and AI centre funding and breaking up supermarkets is beltway wonkery. Getting your backyard upended is real. They have to get large scale housing out of fast-track. Luxon argues every time I raise it that it's not just about housing, and he's correct. But that doesn't address the elephant, and if he doesn't address it, the voter will. The practicality and success of a 5% deposit for a house is directly connected to fast-track. Think about it – for average voters it's about their life. Can they afford a home and is their home their castle? Is their neighbourhood theirs? While 5% solves one, fast-track housing risks another. Ask yourself this question: are we in desperate need of tens of thousands of new houses, in a stagnant market and falling prices? It staggers me they can't see this. Politically, they need to join the dots, and fast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Mike Hosking in studio for their weekly chat. They discussed the Green's supermarket plan, a trade deal with Canada, the Waitangi Tribunal report, and National's goal to expand the first-home loan scheme. Luxon told Hosking there would be low risk to the Government from expanding the first-home loan scheme. "The real problem that people are finding is not servicing the mortgage - it's actually getting the deposit together.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rugby League has been on the agenda as Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met with leaders in Papua New Guinea. In two years time PNG will join the NRL and Luxon expects Warriors fans will add Port Moresby to the away game destinations. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Tonight on The Huddle, lawyer Liam Hehir 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! Luxon is copping some backlash after it came out that he took a second plane overseas after criticising Hipkins for the same thing. Do we think this is acceptable, or is this a bad look? National is on the attack, directing ads at Labour and the left accusing them of wanting to increase taxes. Are we getting sick of this? Why are EVs getting so popular? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Josie Pagani from Child Fund joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The Government has deferred the planned fuel tax increase - with a smaller five cent hike planned for 2028 instead. Do we think this is the right move, or will this cost us in the long run? ACT's David Seymour says New Zealand needs to renegotiate its role in the Paris Agreement - or step away. This follows Luxon saying National will stay in the agreement and hold firm to this in future coalition negotiations. Do we agree with Luxon or Seymour? Which will be better for the economy - and New Zealand's future? Some jets flew quite low over the stadium ahead of the second All Blacks v Springboks test in Cape Town - and it sparked a divided response on social media. Was this too risky or are people just being uptight again? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Mike Hosking in studio for their weekly chat, covering fuel excise tax and concerns from students over student loan changes. “Frankly, it's just not right that we have a heavily subsidised tertiary education system, you take the benefit of that, you go off and decide you're going to give your effort to another economy and then you're not going to pay your debt,” Luxon told Hosking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon ripped into Air New Zealand for its posted $242 million loss today, one day after Qantas posted a profit of $1.5 billion. CEO Nikhl Ravishankar says multiple global issues are to blame for the loss, but he remains optimistic for the future. "First and foremost, the reason I feel that way, optimistic about the future is, we're delivering for our customers again. You know, our on-time performance, our punctuality and reliability, again, has been as good as it's ever been, and the planes are back," he told Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon sailed into NZ politics six years ago as a champion of localism. Since becoming prime minister, his government has fallen deeply out of love with devolution. Changes including a rates cap and National's ruling out of a bed tax have especially irked Wayne Brown, mayor of Auckland and the most powerful local politician in New Zealand. He's gone from denial to anger to … what exactly? Joel MacManus and Hayden Donnell – fresh from interviewing Brown – join Toby to tell the story.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Jin Fellet and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong joins us for a 30-minute interview on TOP's radical tax reset. TOP wants to fund a $19,000 universal basic income by heavily taxing land, but it could drop house values by 15%. Is this an economic gamble New Zealand cannot afford? We break down the policy, Christopher Luxon ruling them out, and what this means for homeowners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on Aug. 23 that an “economic D-Day” is coming for the Iranian regime, with the United States taking strong measures to sever Tehran's economic lifelines, including imposing consequences on Iran's trade partners. Bessent will address the media on Monday and is expected to announce further U.S. sanctions targeting Iran and its trading partners.Tens of thousands have been evacuated from the Reno, Nevada, area as the fast-moving Hawk Fire threatens the city. About 42,000 residents are under evacuation orders, with another 45,000 in an evacuation warning zone. The fire has burned 15,000 acres since it began on Saturday. Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo has declared a state of emergency and deployed National Guard resources. At least six people have been injured, including three civilians and three first responders.New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Aug. 24 that his party will introduce a bill in Parliament that seeks ‌to ban children under 16 from using social media, proposing fines of up to 10 percent of a platform's global revenue for noncompliance. The bill would require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to verify users' ages, including using existing account information, facial technology, and digital identity documents. It was not immediately clear whether the bill would garner sufficient support to pass through Parliament, with one of Luxon's coalition partners, the New Zealand First party, saying it would not support it. The proposal follows Australia's move last year to ban social media for children under 16.

The latest RNZ-Reid Research poll gauged voters' views on National's emergency caucus meeting two weeks ago, where a majority of MPs opted to keep Luxon as leader, foiling a bid to replace him. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch reports.

Nieuw-Zeeland dient een wetsvoorstel in dat sociale media verbiedt voor jongeren onder de zestien jaar. Platforms zoals TikTok, Snapchat en Instagram moeten de leeftijd van gebruikers goed verifiëren, onder meer via accountgegevens, gedragsanalyse, gezichtsherkenningstechnologie of een identiteitsbewijs. Bedrijven die zich er niet aan houden, riskeren een boete van maximaal 10 procent van de wereldwijde omzet. Verder werkt de staat Californië aan wetgeving tegen verslavende functies van socialemediaplatforms en is een ICT-medewerker van de gemeente Doetinchem ontslagen na diefstal van laptops. Rosanne Peters vertelt erover in deze Tech Update. Het voorstel komt van de New Zealand National Party, de partij van premier Christopher Luxon en moet nog door het parlement. Binnen de eigen coalitie is er niet voldoende steun, waardoor Luxon stemmen bij de oppositie nodig heeft. Critici wijzen naar soortgelijke wetgeving in Australië, waar een vergelijkbaar verbod ruim driekwart jaar geleden inging en nog niet goed van de grond komt. Enkele Nieuw-Zeelandse politici noemen dat een 'kolossale mislukking' en leggen de verantwoordelijkheid liever bij ouders dan bij de platforms. Luxon zegt de schade die door social media aan de jeugd wordt toegebracht 'niet te kunnen accepteren'. Californië werkt aan wet tegen verslavende functies In de Amerikaanse staat Californië wordt gewerkt aan wetgeving die het verslavende karakter van socialemediaplatforms moet aanpakken. Komt die wet er, dan worden deze bedrijven gedwongen serieuze aanpassingen te doen aan bijvoorbeeld hun aanbevelingsalgoritmes en aan de mogelijkheid om oneindig door te scrollen. Juist omdat Californië de thuisbasis is van Silicon Valley, hopen voorstanders dat een aangenomen wet een precedent schept voor de rest van het land. De discussie speelt tegen de achtergrond van een groeiend aantal rechtszaken tegen Big Tech, die zich opstapelen sinds een aantal belangrijke zaken werd gewonnen. Tegelijk groeit de verdeeldheid over waar de verantwoordelijkheid hoort te liggen: bij de platforms, bij de overheid of bij ouders. ICT-medewerker gemeente Doetinchem ontslagen na laptopdiefstal Een medewerker van de ICT-servicedesk van de gemeente Doetinchem is op staande voet ontslagen omdat hij apparatuur van zijn werkgever verkocht op internet. Aan het eind van de werkdag nam hij steeds een paar laptops en tablets mee, die hij online aanbood voor enkele honderden euro's per stuk. Het ging totaal om meer dan twintig apparaten. Na een controle miste de gemeente spullen en werd er intern gezocht, waarbij ook de man zelf meehielp. Pas toen een bedrijfsrecherchebureau werd ingeschakeld, bekende hij. Naast het ontslag moet hij de gemeente 67.000 euro schadevergoeding betalen. Nieuw-Zeeland dient wetgeving in om sociale media te verbieden onder de zestien Welke diensten buiten het Nieuw-Zeelandse verbod vallen Australisch verbod op sociale media voor tieners zakt voor eerste test Californië wil verslavende functies van sociale media verbieden voor tieners Over de maker:Rosanne Peters is techredacteur en maakt De Grote Tech Show en De Technoloog. Sinds 2025 doet ze redactie- en productiewerk en is zij te horen in de Tech Update tijdens De Ochtend- en Avondspits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior National Minister Chris Bishop has praised the Prime Minister at a public meeting in Wellington, as he acknowledges politics is a "tough sport." Chris Bishop is under pressure to regain his Hutt South seat to ensure he gets into Parliament, and both he and Christopher Luxon were on a charm offensive in Lower Hutt. Political Reporter Russell Palmer reports.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says there's more to National's failed coup than meets the eye - claiming many of the party's MPs want Chris Luxon replaced. Parliament held an urgent debate on the sacking of Chris Penk this afternoon, who was removed from Cabinet after launching a challenge against the Prime Minister. Luxon says Penk was acting alone but Hipkins says that's 'laughable'. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacked the debate further - and says it's unlikely we'll find out the full details of the vote. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With just months to go before New Zealand voters head to the polls, the prime minister, Christopher Luxon, has survived his second leadership spill in just four months. As flagging poll numbers, a sluggish economy and high-profile gaffes build pressure on Luxon, can the embattled leader retain his grip on power through November? The Guardian's New Zealand correspondent Eva Corlett joins Reged Ahmad to look inside NZ politics and whether the PM can make it to election day

I have been surprised, and not surprised, by two aspects of the Opportunity Party. 1) I'm not surprised by the media's fascination, 2) I am surprised at the amount of angst shown by people increasingly alarmed at the prospect they may be heading for Parliament and some sort of influence. The media, and especially digital media, sadly require these days astonishing amounts of content for the constant churn appetite that they, ironically, have created and so a shiny new political party was always going to get plenty of attention. But I have never seen the angst this party has created among those who write, text, and talk to me. Small parties have come and gone; Social Credit, Values, the Alliance Party, various forms of the Māori Party, United – they've all had a burst of sunlight. United got the worm and flew for a while but even in its original guise as TOP, they never came close to the noise the Opportunity Party creates at the moment. Here is the good news —unless you are an actual fan of theirs— they will get a level of exposure that will ultimately see them combust. Even Helen Clark on social media yesterday called it fantasy dressed as policy. The leader of the party appeared on Q&A and got roasted. Every time she fronts, as articulate as Ms Wong may be, a new chink in the Opportunity armour is exposed. The latest is this mad board overruling elected MPs. Now, far from being frightening, this is all good stuff. This is democracy in action. There is nothing to be fearful of here. Knowledge is always power and in this case the knowledge is what leads to Opportunity most likely not getting across the 5%. This country is not up for upheaval. We don't want, or vote for, upheaval. We vote for variations of what we get sick of, hence bits of National morph into NZ First or ACT, and bits of Labour turn into the Greens, or Alliance, or United. Opportunity is a lab experiment, hence the media interest and alarmism. They are not serious people. Helen Clark sees it, I see it, Luxon saw it when he ruled them out. By November 7th enough of the rest will see it as well. So relax. As you were. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This should be it for coup gate questioning of the Prime Minister. Bruce Cotterill's piece over the weekend in the NZ Herald I hope, and more importantly actually I think, represents a growing feeling in this country among middle New Zealand that the superficiality of what the media obsess in is not really what counts. And what counts is the record and, as Bruce very clearly lays out, the record is not a bad one - from crime, to education, to exports there is a very good story to be told. Perhaps, and the Government might want to work a bit harder on this, the only story this election outside the record of achievement is tax. One side want to tax us more. The side in Government doesn't. It's that simple. In a country that has been through what we have for the past seven or so years, we are fed up with tax and the constant raiding of our pockets by people who have no other ideas than having you and I pay for everything. Anyway Luxon was at our Newstalk ZB 100th party on Friday night and everyone commented on his speech, which was kind, self deprecating and funny. "Why couldn't we see more of that," they asked. My answer is the country is not a party and when you see the Prime Minister he isn't giving birthday speeches. It's the old issue they have argued all along; meet the bloke and you like him but watch him in a 20 second news clip and he can look troubled. My guess from the mood in the room on Friday is it was the opposite of what you probably read over the weekend, which was "Luxon is done for", "National are mortally wounded". I think last Wednesday enhanced Luxon. It showed balls, it showed self-belief and it showed courage. Most of us like that stuff. In a caucus of 48 does he have some self-absorbed dickheads? Yes, but that's not his fault. It's not a reason to be derailed. The big picture should never be interrupted .by the trials and tribulations of the small-thinker. By the time we vote this will be yet another non-event in a campaign full of things we thought were a big deal, until they weren't. If you're bullish, and I am, last Wednesday could be the making of him. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Luxon insists Chris Bishop and Erica Stanford played no part in the leadership challenge against him. MP Chris Penk was removed from Cabinet and has announced his retirement from politics, after leading an unsuccessful coup against Luxon. Both Bishop and Stanford have denied any involvement in the leadership challenge, or any interest in taking Luxon's job. Luxon says both Bishop and Stanford have given him assurances, both publicly and privately, and he believes them. He's confident Chris Penk was acting on his own. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A single Herald story sparked a political drama and a media frenzy could have toppled the PM, but didn't . . . again. Also: the big TV election debates have yet to be set yet this time. But one indie outlet is already getting heavy hitters together to talk policy.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Luxon made it through yet another leadership coup, but with National divided, the polls shifting, and a new kingmaker emerging, the question is whether he can survive until election dayLuxon has survived, Penk is gone, and now National reels after a week of political chaos that's threatened to reshape New Zealand's electionFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The National party - having faced two leadership challenges in four months - now has just three months to convince voters it deserves a second term in government. The Prime Minister and his senior ministers went back to work today, after an hours long urgent caucus meeting at Parliament yesterday that ended with Christopher Luxon still in the top job. But despite protestations of nothing to see here.. questions remain over whether that's the end of it. Political reporter Lillian Hanly has more.

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.

When Christopher Luxon first survived a vote of confidence among National MPs in April, Act leader David Seymour said at the time he was pleased to see the party stable and "drawing a line under any trouble they may have had." Fast forward 4 months, and the Prime Minister's leadership is being tested again. He's survived another vote of confidence. Just like the last one, National's coalition partners, ACT and NZ First, were watching on. ACT leader and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

The Prime Minister held on to his leadership yesterday - declaring it was a united caucus that backed him in a leadership vote. But, Christopher Luxon singled out cabinet minister Chris Penk as a detractor - and in the end, it was Chris Penk who let go. That's the end of that for National - but now they must convince voters there's nothing to see here. Political reporter Lauren Crimp reports.

It has been a busy day in the Beehive and so who better to share their thoughts than the Afternoon Politic Group Chat a place for friendly disagreement and good faith debate.. this is a segment we usually do on Thursdays after 3;30 but Luxon's leadership challenge called for an emergency pod. In Auckland political scientist Dr Lara Greaves, and in Feilding FSU member and screenwriter Dane Giraud, on the lawn outside parliament comedian and commentator Tim Batt.

Politics: Luxon Stays - What happens now?

Palmerston North-based lawyer, a National Party member and a former activist Liam Hehir joins Jesse to discuss the fallout from today's National caucus meeting.

PM still standing after repeat defeat of foes. Also: MediaWorks sold offshore, commentator heads for court over claims made online, are NZ media audiences maturing? And Tangy Fruits were lame. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Mark Mitchell is sorry about the whole situation the National party caucus found itself in. Christopher Luxon stared down yesterday's challenge to his leadership, coming from Chris Penk. He's paid the political price, being stripped of his portfolios, before announcing last night he won't run for re-election in November. Senior colleague Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking Penk's challenge was a surprise. He says he considers him a friend, and he hasn't had a chance to talk to him about what he was thinking. Mitchell says any speculation he was involved in a challenge is false – and he was sure Luxon's supporters were in a strong position. He says he was quietly confident they had the numbers and that people would realise there was no upside to a coup. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time's ticking for National to rebuild itself as a united front after putting Christopher Luxon's leadership to the test a second time. The Prime Minister survived a confidence vote launched by Chris Penk - at yesterday's three hour caucus meeting in Wellington. He's now dumped Penk from his ministerial portfolios and the former Defence Minister has announced he'll quit politics in November. Political Commentator Peter Dunne told Mike Hosking Luxon should be commended for surviving the challenge, but a third one would be a stretch too far. He says this has to be the end of it through to the election, and all the sentiments about the party being “100% united” have to be demonstrated if National's to come through this unscathed. Dunne was sceptical of the idea that Penk had launched the challenge to put himself forward for the job, saying he felt it was "a bit far-fetched", and that Penk was more likely testing the waters for others, namely Chris Bishop and Erica Stanford. "I don't think he necessarily was actively working with Bishop and Stanford, although he was clearly touting their cases," Dunne told Hosking. "[Luxon] can't really run a credible government without those two, so they have to be there, they have to be [kept] in senior roles, and they have to be seen to be treated as senior ministers." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not for the first time have too many people read what happened yesterday completely incorrectly. "It was over", they told us. "The numbers were done", they told us. "Tuesday night was it", they told us. "There wasn't a caucus meeting required". Wrong. "Mark Mitchell was Erica Stanford's deputy". Wrong. "The idea that Luxon could do this twice was impossible". Wrong. One of the great sadnesses of the modern media and its lack of institutional knowledge is too many people talk to themselves, or don't recognise when their sources are stitching them up, or they put too much of their own agenda into the coverage. This is not to say Luxon didn't have trouble and that members of the National caucus weren't whining. But it is to say that that doesn't mean when push comes to shove you pull a trigger on what almost certainly was a gargantuan political mistake. To repeat from yesterday; the polls are fine, Luxon's issues are not sackable, and the economy is turning. The S&P just upgraded our GDP for God's sake. This is no time to panic, and this is no time to put your burgeoning aspirations as a backbencher to the test. I'm thrilled for Christopher Luxon. He deserves a lot better than he has got. The foibles, if you want to put them like that, are not sackable offences. The fact Peters last time, and Seymour this time, spoke well of what he has done in a tricky first-of-its-kind coalition deal is not to be underestimated. Oh the irony that opponents can see what his backbencher moaners can't. This is not and was not a crisis. This was a self-centred, naval gazing, bitchathon from National MPs who should know how to behave better. Remember where you heard it first – when National win and the Coalition enter the second term, and the Luxon era of leadership issues vanishes, because that's what happens with victory, it will be a moment to savour. The easy thing for Luxon to do would have been to walk, and a lot would have. Belief is a sadly rare, but powerful trait and whatever you say about him he clearly has it. Staring them down for a second time might just be the nail in their coffin. He is a better man than they. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon has called for an 'urgent in-person meeting' on Wednesday at 9:30am. Any of his MPs who aren't in Wellington will need to travel back given it's a recess week at parliament. Citing media reports and conversations about increased speculation about his leadership, Luxon called it an 'unfair distraction'. Former National Party MP Maurice Williamson spoke to Melissa Chan-Green

With speculation over his leadership swirling, National's Christopher Luxon is calling all National MPs to the capital for an urgent in-person caucus meeting tomorrow. He's just come off a fortnight defending his comments to Rotorua small businesses, his Foreign Minister telling a Chinese-born MP to go back where he came from, and announcing on live radio he wants a referendum on MMP - without having told his caucus. Political reporter Russell Palmer has the story.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 12th of August, former National MP Wayne Mapp and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour talk about the damage to the National Party as the Luxon leadership speculation rolls on. We break down all the rumours and likely outcomes of the National Party caucus meeting – who supports Luxon, who doesn't, and if there will be a vote. Mark Mitchell gets put into some tough positions on Politics Wednesday while Ginny Andersen looks on gleefully. 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.

A senior National MP's throwing cold water on the idea the Prime Minister will be voted out of his job as National party leader today. Mark Mitchell says there's been a lot of speculation from media commentators about what will happen, but there's no confirmation. He told Mike Hosking everyone's getting ahead of themselves. Mitchell says he sat with Luxon until late last night to make sure he's in the "strongest possible position today and supported for the caucus meeting". He said he'd seen media reports claiming Chris Penk had been hitting the phones to shore up support for Erica Stanford, but stressed there would be no discussions until the 9.30am meeting. Affirming his loyalty to Luxon as leader, Mitchell described himself as "very old-fashioned" and said he took "great offence" to people who work outside that operandus. "If you've got someone that's not been loyal to the leader inside the caucus, you can't do it publicly. You actually front up and sit down and say, 'These are what the issues are'," he said. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Say it's Erica Stanford as leader, does she swing your vote? What about Bishop? Do things materially change because he is suddenly the leader? This is the madness of what National are up to. There's the panickers in the back, some of whom might lose their jobs, because when they arrived as the tide pulled in in 2023, they didn't work out some of them have to lose three years later, because that's what tides do. They turn. National of course have form in Bill English and Judith Collins. We all remember the calamity that seems to grip the party when they put self-interest first. But this time things are different. Polls have them returning for another term. And even if you're angsty about that, replacing Luxon does not change a thing. Direction doesn't change, policy doesn't change and the coalition doesn't change. Do the optics change? Maybe. Is that what the majority of people vote on? The optics? This election is about whether the country is going in the right direction, or not. Your mind will not be changed based on Stanford, Bishop, or Luxon. The work they have done to get us here has already got your vote, or it hasn't. As for Chris Penk and his dirty work in this whole exercise – what a doofus. How did he get sucked into this? Being disloyal is one of human nature's lowest traits and National seem to be comfortable with it. Even if you argue Luxon never quite fired, and a lot do, he is not individually holding National back from winning an election. Given all the polling this should not be happening. That's how mental it all is. If they were on 22% and losing, if it was Andrew Little and Labour, if it was English in 2002, then maybe. But it isn't. The Opposition is barely alive, one of their three parties is imploding, and the Poll of Polls has little, if any, path to Government. So the good old Nats decide to put their best self-interest foot forward and shoot themselves in it. As one senior Nat put it to me yesterday; "you can't write this stuff". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. 

Christopher Luxon spent much of this week putting out fires of his own making. And others set by Winston Peters. RNZ's deputy political editor Craig McCulloch has more.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Christopher Luxon has caught his caucus off-guard with an off-the-cuff campaign promise today, telling talkback radio that he'll hold an referendum on MMP if re-elected. The Prime Minister made the captain's call on NewstalkZB this morning, after being asked whether he would test public's appetite on the country's electoral system next term. Deputy political editor, Craig McCulloch spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

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.

The prime minister says Winston Peters' comments about a fellow MP are racist, but he still has his confidence as Foreign Minister. Pressure has been building on Christopher Luxon to do something after the New Zealand First leader said a Chinese-born Green MP should go back to his own country, and that is where 'they lie like flatfish'. Former leaders Helen Clark and Don Brash have weighed in, saying there's a strong case for sacking the foreign minister but it would likely trigger a snap election. Political reporter Russell Palmer spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.