Podcasts about national mp

Today on Politics Friday, National MP and former doctor Vanessa Weenink, and Labour's Tracey Lee McLellan join John MacDonald to delve into the biggest topics of the week. They discuss the Government response to yesterday's wind storm, the mega-strike, the end of home economics and outdoor education in schools, political involvement in the Netball NZ debacle, and Labour's future funding policy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

National MP, Catherine Wedd has introduced a private members bill to restrict social media for under sixteen year olds and spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon spoke to Morning Report's Corin Dann; PPTA President Chris Abercrombie spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss about an open letter issued by the government ahead of mega strike action; A hunt is underway after priceless jewels were stolen from the Louvre in Paris, in a brazen daylight robbery; National MP, Catherine Wedd has introduced a private members bill to restrict social media for under sixteen year olds; Billy Halloran, a Kiwi athlete is recovering in hospital after he was attacked by a bear while out running in Japan.

Instead a children's charity is calling on him to urgently pass a law that could help end child labour even if it means joining forces with opposition MPs.

If the Coalition was looking for an endorsement of its rates cap idea, it got one over the weekend. Of the 18 councils that hit ratepayers with double-digit hikes this year, 13 elected new mayors. Newsroom had great coverage of the results. Tim Macindoe won in Hamilton. If the name sounds familiar — he's a former National MP. Rates there rose 41% in three years. Go figure. Voters aren't stupid and should never be taken for granted. Rates hikes are driving domestic inflation. Not only are you paying more to your council — they're helping to keep interest rates higher. It's a double burn in the back pocket. Our most important city councils — Auckland, Christchurch, and Hamilton — are now led by right-of-centre mayors. The results speak for themselves. But the problem, of course, is the sample size. Seventy percent of us didn't bother voting. Ask ten pundits why, and you'll get ten different answers. I think the problem is simple: the size and scope of local government is out of control. In a small Pacific island nation at the bottom of the world, we just elected 1,500 people to sit on 78 different councils. Mayors are just one vote at the table — they're not really that special. Low turnout isn't a rejection of the candidates. It's a rejection of the system. It's too big. Too much compromise. Too many meetings, committees, and club sandwiches. If the Coalition listens to the 30% who did vote and caps rates, they should also listen to the overwhelming silent majority who didn't. That means throwing entire councils in the bin. Halve the number of councillors. Give the mayor a veto vote so there's accountability and a vision to vote for. The lowest voter turnout in 36 years is a mandate for change — and change looks like a giant local government bonfire.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social media giant Meta has tried to issue a defence, despite ongoing efforts to regulate the technology in Parliament. National MP Catherine Wedd recently put forward a member's bill to ban social media for under-16s - a plan backed by the Prime Minister. Wedd says this technology is causing harm to young people and it needs to be taken seriously. "That addiction leads to other places, it leads to cyberbullying, it leads to anxiety, it leads to depression - and we see some of our kids going into deep, dark places on social media." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has announced their plan to repeal the Holidays Act in an effort to make the application of leave entitlements for workers easier to calculate — an issue which has been estimated to have resulted in more than $2 billion in remediation payments to workers for miscalculated entitlements.  But critics including from Labour and the Greens say the changes will see some workers lose protections, especially when their hours defer from the traditional employment arrangement. Submissions on the Electoral Amendment Bill reveal that many New Zealanders believe the changes will disenfranchise voters and negatively impact democratic participation.  The proposed changes in the bill include removing the ability to enrol on voting day, banning prisoners from voting, and disallowing the provision of food and drink at election booths. Over the weekend, Foreign Minister Winston Peters' announced that New Zealand does not officially recognise Palestinian statehood, going against the decisions of countries like Australia, the UK and Canada. Peters said that, at this stage, such a decision might legitimise Hamas, but that the government will take a ‘when, not if' approach to the issue.   Wire Host Sara spoke with National MP Carl Bates about all of these topics, starting with the Holidays Act

The government has announced their plan to repeal the Holidays Act in an effort to make the application of leave entitlements for workers easier to calculate — an issue which has been estimated to have resulted in more than $2 billion in remediation payments to workers for miscalculated entitlements.  But critics including from Labour and the Greens say the changes will see some workers lose protections, especially when their hours defer from the traditional employment arrangement. Submissions on the Electoral Amendment Bill reveal that many New Zealanders believe the changes will disenfranchise voters and negatively impact democratic participation.  The proposed changes in the bill include removing the ability to enrol on voting day, banning prisoners from voting, and disallowing the provision of food and drink at election booths. Over the weekend, Foreign Minister Winston Peters' announced that New Zealand does not officially recognise Palestinian statehood, going against the decisions of countries like Australia, the UK and Canada. Peters said that, at this stage, such a decision might legitimise Hamas, but that the government will take a ‘when, not if' approach to the issue.   Wire Host Sara spoke with National MP Carl Bates about all of these topics, starting with the Holidays Act

An inquiry's being held into whether the MP for Whanganui has complied with his obligations to declare interests. National's Carl Bates didn't disclose 25 properties, linked to his family trust, many of which are rentals in the area. They weren't declared on Parliament's list of MP's property and financial interests. Newstalk ZB reporter Azaria Howell unpacked the investigation further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of people rallied in Auckland calling for the government to sanction Israel for their actions and violence in Gaza.  While politicians across the spectrum have responded to the protests with a mix of support and disapproval, the New Zealand government is not expected to announce their official decision on the recognition of a Palestinian state until a General Assembly in New York next week.  Following the government's announcement to get rid of NCEA in favour of a new system, Education Minister Erica Stanford has revealed numerous subjects to join the senior school curriculum, which will include the incorporation of generative AI. Finally, the New Zealand Herald published information last week pertaining to MP Carl Bates' failure to disclose 25 properties to Parliament, against what has been argued as a ‘breach of public trust'. Wire Host Sara spoke with National MP Bates about all of these topics, starting with the pro-Palestine rally.

There’s a new plan to re-open the Christ Church Cathedral in stages. It’s after the reinstatement of the iconic building came to a standstill last year when the project was unable to secure an extra $85 to 95 million. The new plan still comes with a funding shortfall of between $40 and 45 million. This news is just the latest in a saga that’s haunted Cantabrians since the cathedral was severely damaged in the Canterbury Earthquakes. Today on The Front Page, we hear about the latest announcement from Newstalk ZB reporter Jaime Cunningham. Then, we speak with former National MP and Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration Nicky Wagner about what it was like early on, behind the curtain when those hard decisions were being made. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Chelsea DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I first heard about the police shooting and killing someone they had actually gone to help, like most people, I wondered how the hell that could happen. This is the shooting in Bryndwr in Christchurch overnight on Wednesday, which left a woman dead and a man critically injured. As always happens, the armchair experts haven't been slow in coming forward. For example, demanding to know why the police couldn't have shot the woman in the leg, rather than taking her life. But unless we have been in the position of a dealing with something like that —a situation where the woman had been in danger but then threatened police with a knife— we can't really criticise the police. And can you imagine how the officer who fired those shots is feeling today? But what I am asking is whether or not this tragedy has had any impact on my attitude towards the arming of our police. And I can honestly say that my attitude hasn't changed. Despite the tragic outcome, I still think our police need to be armed – in fact, more so than they are already. You might remember the survey by the Police Association which found that 69% of police officers wanted to be armed on a regular basis. That's more than two-thirds of our cops who said they reckon they need guns to keep themselves safe on the job. Over the years, some people have said that arming every police officer would do more harm than good. Here are a couple of examples: Poto Williams, when she was Police Minister, said that arming officers would “change the community's relationship with the police”. Which I thought at the time was a load of nonsense. And I still do, because the relationship has already changed and it's putting the lives of our cops at risk everyday. Which is why more than two-thirds of them said in that survey that they want to be armed more regularly. The late Chester Borrows —who was a former National MP and a former cop— was another one anti-guns for cops. I remember him saying that a general arming of the police would see more officers being shot and more civilians being shot. His view was more guns, more deaths. But how I've always seen it, is that it's very weird we have a workplace health and safety system in New Zealand that is hellbent on keeping workers safe at work by making sure they're sitting at their desk in the right position, but we're more than happy for police officers not to be kept as safe at work as they could or should be. Which is why over recent years, I've come to think that police officers should be able to carry a pistol at all times. And, despite the tragic events in Christchurch the other night, I still feel that way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Current and former Labour leaders and ministers deciding not to appear at the Royal Commission's Covid inquiry is being described as 'disgraceful'. Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson and Ayesha Verrall, who were all involved in Covid decisions - have declined invitations to appear. They say it would have been performative - not informative - and there's a risk livestream recordings could be manipulated and misused. National MP Chris Bishop says they should front up because New Zealanders deserve answers over the scale of Covid spending, which is still having impacts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ex National MP and former mayor of Auckland Christine Fletcher is condemning Housing Minister Chris Bishop's proposed Auckland housing fix. Fletcher spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A leaked recording has revealed a National MP thinks a Labour Party plan will improve the financial conditions for retirement village residents. Labour's spokesperson for seniors Ingrid Leary spoke to Corin Dann.

The government may be keen to move on from the pay equity overhaul and the uproar it caused - But a cross-party group of former MPs is not letting it go quietly. Dame Marilyn Waring is leading the group which will hold its own unofficial 'people's select committee' process. The former National MP said women have become collateral damage in pursuit of balancing the budget. Political reporter Russell Palmer has the details.

Dame Marilyn Waring says a high-powered committee of 10 former MPs has the know-how to lead debate on the Government's revamped pay equity system. Waring's established the 'people's select committee' to do the job she says Parliament failed to carry out by passing impactful pay equity law changes under urgency. That includes receiving submissions, and interviewing oral presenters. She says it'll be in the interests of both the Government and the opposition to have the proper evidence going forward. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rural community of members bill is looking to adjust the rules around KiwiSaver so that it can be used to buy a farm. The change would also allow defence force personnel to get access to a first home. National MP for Rangitīkei Suze Redmayne talks to Mike Hosking about the proposed changes. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minster needs to consult properly with young people about a proposed ban on social media for under 16's, not just shake hands and have surface level chat. The idea started as a private members bill in the name of National MP, Catherine Wedd. A bill ACT did not back, saying it was too simplistic and needed more work. 16-year-old Lola Fisher, Generation Z Aotearoa's co-executive director and co-founder spoke to Lisa Owen.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says the government is letting down women across New Zealand by revamping the country's pay equity laws. Parliament is sitting under urgency today to change the law - expected to save the government billions of dollars. Hipkins joined Nick Mills to discuss the move, as well as a National MP's proposal to ban under-16s from social media, and former Labour leader Andrew Little's run to be Wellington's next mayor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just when I thought the issue of pay parity couldn't get any more confusing, the Government has made it so. Yesterday, the coalition government moved under urgency in Parliament to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued when making a pay equity claim. Under the new legislation, any current claims would be stopped and need to restart under the new higher threshold to show genuine gender discrimination and make sure the comparator settings were right. So 33 current claims will be stopped as a result. ACT's deputy leader and Minister for Workplace Relations Brooke Van Velden, the architect of the bill, said she supported pay equity, but the legislation introduced back in 2020 was problematic. “At the moment, people can choose a comparator for sex-based discrimination across the entire workforce. We're saying let's start firstly at home. If you can find people within your own employer, that would be a good starting point. If that comparison can't be made with a similar employer, that comparison's not there within your industry, if you can't find one there you've got to stop.” Which all sounds perfectly reasonable, because I've always thought how on earth do you compare completely different occupations? As van Velden told Parliament, Health New Zealand admin and clerical staff, as an example, have been compared to mechanical engineers. Health New Zealand librarians have been compared to transport engineers and Oranga Tamariki's social workers have been compared to air traffic controllers. I can't get my head around that at all. Equally, van Velden makes an interesting case about how wide-ranging and unwieldy claims can be drawing in vast numbers of employers. But the Government is moving or has moved so quickly, there's no Select Committee on the bill and as Thomas Coughlan points out in the Herald, officials didn't have time to write up a regulatory impact statement – which is an irony considering the changes were made by Brooke van Velden who is responsible for creating the regulatory impact statement. So before MPs vote on a bill they can have a look at the regulatory impact statement. How much is it going to cost? What are the effects? What are the wide-ranging impacts of introducing this legislation? They don't have that, and didn't have that when they went to vote last night. And as Thomas Coughlan concludes in his piece in the Herald, if the government cannot publish official papers that explain why this is a good idea, the public can be forgiven for concluding this is because it isn't one. It's the optics for me. Absolute optics. How can National champion pay parity in 2020 and champion the very legislation that they're now amending, and then say no, it's unworkable, unsustainable? They actually thought it was a jolly good idea in 2017. National began the process of amending the equal pay legislation in 2016. There's excerpts from speeches to Parliament back in 2020 when the equal pay legislation was introduced doing the rounds on Facebook, and quotes Nicola Willis saying this was a process National kicked off in the last government. “A bill was drafted, things were ready to go, and then there was a change of government – that's when Labour and New Zealand First formed the coalition. So my colleague Denise Lee, who believes very passionately in the concept of equal pay and pay equity, took a member's bill to this Parliament to progress pay equity in the absence of the new government where National had left off.” So she's taken credit for legislation that she now says is unsustainable and un-workable. How can you do that? Well, you can do that when you've got a bloody great hole in your budget, can't you? Yesterday, she said what this is about is ensuring we're clear, transparent and fair to ensure that where those claims are made, they relate to gender based discrimination and that other issues to do with pay and working conditions are raised during the normal employment relations process. So either the bill that that she worked so assiduously on and took credit for in 2020 was drafted poorly, or she's completely changed her mind about its workability. Or they didn't see through what the implications might be? And again, when you pass bills under urgency, which that was in 2020 and which this is now, you get those gaps because you don't have time to look at the far-reaching consequences – remember, there's no regulatory impact statement. So it was passed under urgency in 2020. Maggie Barry, at the time a National MP, harrumphed about it and said, for heaven's sake with Covid going on, we're passing this under urgency, this is a nonsense. But she still voted for it, as did National. And now they're saying it's unsustainable and unworkable. What this looks like is National stepping back from legislation they worked on, recommended and pushed through the House, and in fact took credit for it when it passed, so they can balance their books. It gives their critics all sorts of opportunities to lambast the government for stealing from the poorest paid workers to give rebates to wealthy landlords and tax cuts to the wealthy pricks. I actually happen to agree with the restrictions that Brooke van Velden is imposing, I think that they make sense. But it's a unique gift that this government has to make something right look so very, very wrong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the niche thing that makes you feel icky? A National MP on the National members bill on banning under 16s on social media Group Therapy: My neighbour keeps coming onto my property, I want her to stop! The mystery continues, who is leaving a can of sparking water in the bin in The Hits Studio every morning? Matty's turning 40 next year so we ask, what's the positives of getting older? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Monday Wire: For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Producer Evie speaks to MP Simon Court about the government's proposed changes to Early Childhood Education (or ECE) regulations, NZ First's proposed gender bill and ACC's ethnic outcomes target. Evie speaks to early childhood representative on the NZ Educational Institute National (NZEI) Executive Zane McCarthy about the proposed changes to ECE, and why they spark cause for concern. News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel speaks to Queer Endurance / Defiance member, Leliel Trethowen, about Winston Peter's proposed gender bill. Joel speaks to a board member of EPCAT Child Alert; an organisation aimed at ending child sexual exploitation Rebecca Kingi, about National MP, Greg Flemming, calling for cross-party support for anti-trafficking legislation. And Global Innovator, Matt Hart, joins us in studio to discuss changes in the way AI is being used. Whakarongo mai.

National MP, Greg Flemming, is pushing for cross-party support for anti-trafficking legislation to expand on his members' bill. This comes as recent court documents and child welfare agencies have shown cases of adoptive parents with criminal histories abusing children who have been adopted from overseas. News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to a board member of ECPAT Child Alert; an organisation aimed at ending child sexual exploitation, Rebecca Kingi, about current anti-trafficking legislation in Aotearoa and what these proposed changes aim to do.

This week on the Monday Wire: For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, Producer Evie speaks to MP Simon Court about the government's proposed changes to Early Childhood Education (or ECE) regulations, NZ First's proposed gender bill and ACC's ethnic outcomes target. Evie speaks to early childhood representative on the NZ Educational Institute National (NZEI) Executive Zane McCarthy about the proposed changes to ECE, and why they spark cause for concern. News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel speaks to Queer Endurance / Defiance member, Leliel Trethowen, about Winston Peter's proposed gender bill. Joel speaks to a board member of ECPAT Child Alert; an organisation aimed at ending child sexual exploitation Rebecca Kingi, about National MP, Greg Flemming, calling for cross-party support for anti-trafficking legislation. And Global Innovator, Matt Hart, joins us in studio to discuss changes in the way AI is being used. Whakarongo mai.

National MP, Greg Flemming, is pushing for cross-party support for anti-trafficking legislation to expand on his members' bill. This comes as recent court documents and child welfare agencies have shown cases of adoptive parents with criminal histories abusing children who have been adopted from overseas. News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to a board member of ECPAT Child Alert; an organisation aimed at ending child sexual exploitation, Rebecca Kingi, about current anti-trafficking legislation in Aotearoa and what these proposed changes aim to do.

New Zealand Police are assisting the FBI in an investigation into a secretive religious group, which has operations worldwide. It’s a fringe, Christian sect that has no official name – but is commonly known as the “Two by Twos”, “The Truth”, “The Way” and “The Church With No Name”. The inquiries follow a BBC investigation last year into allegations of child sexual abuse spanning decades within the church, which is believed to have up to 100,000 members worldwide. And in a bizarre twist, it's been revealed National Party MP Hamish Campbell is a high-ranking member of the group. Today on The Front Page, Herald senior crime reporter Anna Leask has been delving into what exactly this group is – and joins us now. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm starting to wonder who isn't running for mayor in Wellington. Former Labour leader Andrew Little is the latest one joining the race to oust current mayor Tory Whanau. And, just in case you think so, I'm not endorsing Andrew Little in any way, shape, or form. But I do think having former MPs on local councils is a very good thing. Because whether we like it or not, local councils cannot operate in isolation and knowing how things in Wellington work is invaluable. Andrew Little isn't the first ex-MP wanting to get into local government. Former National MP Nick Smith is the mayor of Nelson. Phil Goff was mayor of Auckland. In Christchurch, former Labour politician Lianne Dalziel was elected mayor three times. Maurice Williamson —who was a National MP and minister— is on Auckland Council these days. John Banks. The list goes on. And they don't admit it at the time, but when these ex-MPs stand for their local councils, it's not just their political experience they're banking on. They also know full well that they're making the most of apathetic voters who look for a name they know and end up voting for them. When it comes to name recognition, I reckon an ex-MP has way more chance of being successful in the job than some of the other people you see milking their name recognition to get elected to their local council. People in my game do it. In fact, it seems to me that if media people don't go on to be marriage and funeral celebrants, they go on to be a local councillor. Not that you will ever catch me doing that. Last thing I'd want to do. Sportspeople milk their name recognition too. I'm not in Tauranga and don't know all the ins-and-outs, but I think it's pretty safe to say that the reason Mahe Drysdale is the mayor of Tauranga is because of his brilliant rowing career. He's got none of this so-called “business experience” that some people think is essential for someone to be good at running a town or a city. He's got no prior political experience. He's just a name. Voters obviously thought he was a good Kiwi bloke, he's done well in his sport, so they voted for him. Not that, from what I've seen, it's been all plain sailing for him so far. I've seen a few stories with him getting heat for stuff – and that is where people's lack of political experience shows. And why I think it's a very good thing to have people former MPs on our local councils. They're not perfect —Lianne Dalziel was far from perfect— but they know what they're getting themselves into. They generally don't set the world on fire, but I don't care about that. Because, whether we like it or not, local and central government are intertwined. Local government is way more dependent on central government than it would like to admit. Especially, when they're in the schtuck. When they need to get Wellington on their side. Which is why having people as mayors and councillors who know exactly how to get the government on side —because they've been there and done that— that's why it is so beneficial. And that's why I'll take an ex-politician over an ex-media personality or an ex-sporting hero any day, when it comes to who I want to see on my local council. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National MP Joseph Mooney has introduced a members bill that would remove people's right to take legal action against companies for their impact on the climate. The most prominent case this would impact is Mike Smith's (Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Kahu) Smith v Fonterra.  Wire Host Caeden spoke to Smith about this proposed legislation and the potential impact on his case, which remains ongoing.

Just four months after his first incident, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly has resigned from his portfolios, following an exchange with a staffer in his ministerial office last week. During the exchange, Mr Bayly say put his hand on the staffer's arm and was "overbearing." It follows another incident in October, when Mr Bayly - the National MP for Port Waikato - was removed as minister for small business after he repeatedly called a worker a loser while visiting a warehouse on a ministerial visit. The Prime Minister is being criticised by the Opposition for not acting sooner, and letting Mr Bayly resign instead of being sacked. Political reporter Lillian Hanly has more.

A National MP wants to raise the cut-off age for mandatory jury duty from 65 to 72. Under current legislation, anyone over the age of 65 can be excused from jury service. Whanganui MP Carl Bates spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A National MP wants to raise the age for mandatory jury duty. Under current legislation, the court registrar must excuse anyone over the age of 65 who's been summoned for jury service if they request it. Whanganui MP Carl Bates has had his Member's Bill drawn today - proposing to raise automatic excusal from jury duty from 65 to 72. He says this would update a very old law. "There's been a big shift in societal expectations and the way we work - and I trust our seniors to be able to fulfil jury duty." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First-term MP James Meager is pledging to speak to those in the deep south - and the top of the Mainland. Meager is the first National MP elected in 2023 to become a minister, taking up the new portfolio of Minister for the South Island, alongside portfolios in Hunting and Fishing and Youth. James Meager says he wants to make sure the South Island can contribute to economic growth. "That's a big part of what the PM wants me to do - help us focus on what we can do to promote growth in the South Island." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After an acclaimed maiden speech, the new National MP for Rangitata faces his biggest test in politics yet: chairing the committee hearing Act's controversial bill. He sits down with Toby Manhire to discuss the hearings ahead, and his own path to politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: Remembering Nikki Kaye, assessing the Labour Party one year on, and Christopher and Winston's nostalgia trip on foreign affairsLabour's MPs and party members gather in Christchurch this weekend, a year after a humiliating defeat took them from the historic, first majority MMP government into the wilderness, watching a centre-right coalition dismantle their legacy.The Raw Politics podcast assesses where the party finds itself, with the electorate and members of the public still not answering the phone, but too early to reveal a new strategy, policies or even a new leader.  Newsroom political editor Laura Walters, national affairs editor Sam Sachdeva and co-editor Tim Murphy ask if Labour can do anything to beat the NZ aversion to throwing out one-term governments and if Chris Hipkins is the leader to pull off such a stunning upset.For our second topic, the panel assesses New Zealand's new foreign policy, Sam Sachdeva delivers his views having watched Christopher Luxon's impact at Apec in Peru, and we ask if Winston Peters' exhaustive travel schedule means he's effective at his job.  Raw Politics also marks the death of former National MP and minister Nikki Kaye, a politician with a real difference, unmatched energy and a weakness for long, long phone calls with journalists. --------------------This week's recommendations:Tim: A lovely, poignant podcast chat between Nikki Kaye and the Island Stories host Tim Higham, on politics, life, cancer and hope for the environment.Sam: Newsroom's Laura Walters and Fox Meyer's detailed analysis of Regulatory Impact Statements about new laws and policies from the Govt's first year.Laura: Our colleague David Williams' story analysing the Brexit possibilities of a referendum here on the Treaty. --------------------Raw Politics will be available every Friday here on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube too.Read more on Newsroom - https://newsroom.co.nz

A friend of Nikki Kaye has described her as an incredibly determined person. The 44-year-old former National MP died on Saturday after battling cancer. Her family says a private cremation service was held on Monday. Kaye served as Auckland Central MP from 2008 until 2020. Friend David Farrar told Mike Hosking that he and others in the National party told her she wouldn't win the nomination or seat for Auckland Central. He says Kaye had a belief in herself and thought she could win it, she knocked on every door in the electorate, and did win. Farrar says she did a lot of cross-party work. He says she was very much a National MP, but never thought all goodness came from one party and worked across the political spectrum to achieve things. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tributes have come from all sides of the political spectrum after from National Party MP and minister Nikki Kaye died at the weekend after a long battle with cancer.

Politicians from all parties are coming together to pay tribute to Nikki Kaye. The former National deputy leader and Auckland Central MP has died, aged 44. Kaye served as an MP from 2008 until 2020 - taking leave from the House in 2016 for breast cancer treatment. John Key, Helen Clarke, Jacinda Ardern and Chloe Swarbrick are among those who have shared tributes, and Prime Minister Chris Luxon says she was held in great respects across the political divide. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper also says she was a hard worker - and will be remembered fondly. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Prime Minister John Key has fondly remembered Nikki Kaye as a brave warrior. The former National deputy leader and Auckland Central MP has died aged 44 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Kaye served as an MP from 2008 until 2020 - the only National MP to win the electorate. In her valedictory, Kaye recalled Prime Minister Key swearing and telling her she wasn't going anywhere, when she was diagnosed in 2016. Key says Kaye fought valiantly - and he recalled reminding Kaye her great motivation was helping people and told her she'd beat it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former National MP remains confident in citizenship bill.

Sign-off for a huge Government funding boost for Pharmac - which would allow for greater access to potential life-changing drugs for cancer patients - could come as soon as Monday.   Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed she would announce a policy “very shortly”, but wouldn't confirm the exact timing.   Willis was speaking to Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking this morning, following reporting by The Post that an announcement of a $600 million boost for drug funding is imminent.   That money could allow National to keep its pre-election promise to fund life-saving cancer treatments, while also giving Pharmac more money for other drugs.   Willis told Hosking no announcement would be made today.   But she did not deny, when asked, that an announcement about drug funding would be made next week following Cabinet sign-off on Monday.   “We've been working very hard on this policy and we're going to make an announcement very shortly,” she told Hosking.   She did not specify whether the $600m figure was accurate.   Willis' comments come after the Government has been accused of breaking an election promise to fund 13 cancer-specific medicines, after this year's Budget did not include funding for the policy.   Health Minister Shane Reti has promised the drugs will still be funded and delivered this year.   That apparently put Reti at odds with Pharmac Minister David Seymour who this week said he could not guarantee funding for the specific 13 drugs listed in the National Party's election policy, partly because that would threaten Pharmac's negotiating ability.   However, an additional $600m would represent an almost 40 per cent increase in Pharmac's budget, which could give the drug-buying agency the freedom to buy the 13 cancer medicines along with other medications, maintaining its independence.   Health advocacy group Patient Voice Aotearoa described the pending policy as “excellent news, not only for terminally-ill cancer patients, but for many of the 330,000 New Zealanders who are waiting for one or more of the 90 medicines on Pharmac's Options for Investment List”.   “Today's news will put a significant dent in Pharmac's waiting list of medicines that they want to fund,” chair Malcolm Mulholland said.   “This is worth celebrating. I hope that today's news signals the end of New Zealand being the only country in the world with a waiting list of medicines.   “Having patients wait for years for a medicine not only leads to poorer health outcomes but is inhumane. It should be to our eternal shame that successive Governments underfunded Pharmac for over two decades which resulted in an ever-growing waiting list of medicines, and consequently, lives either being cut short or living in pain and misery.”   The policy, campaigned on by National ahead of the 2023 election, promised to fund 13 cancer treatments which were unavailable in New Zealand.   The list of drugs had been identified in a 2022 Cancer Control Agency report. Some experts and advocates, including those in that report, have questioned whether other or more modern drugs would be more effective.   The Budget this year didn't include funding for the policy, prompting widespread criticism and forcing the Government to come up with a solution to honour the commitment. No timeline has been offered regarding an announcement on the future of the policy, except that it would be implemented by the end of the year.   Reti, a National MP, earlier this week admitted the Government had poorly communicated the policy's future but he stood by his party's policy, guaranteeing the same 13 drugs would be funded.   “We had made a commitment to these people and they saw themselves in this policy and so we're going to deliver that policy.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The police have been referred to an investigation into National MP for New Plymouth David MacLeod's failure to report $178,394 in donations.  MacLeod - a backbench MP - unveiled this last month, and was stood down from the Environment and Finance select committees.  Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan “There's a lot of question to be answered – you can't just say ‘look, I've forgotten.”  LISTEN ABOVE.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Taranaki businessman who donated to David Macleod says the National MP is one of the most trustworthy people he knows. Bryce Barnett spoke to Corin Dann.

On today's episode, Labour leader Chris Hipkins discusses the government's plans to end the first home grants scheme, Taranaki businessman Bryce Barnett who donated to David Macleod says the National MP is one of the most trustworthy people he knows, two lines workers are being called heroes by their bosses, after they jumped into floodwaters to save a woman who was trapped in her sinking car, the New Zealand Rugby Players Association is threatening to split from New Zealand Rugby and set up a new body to control the professional game, and a huia feather has broken the record for the most expensive feather ever sold at auction.

Two MPs are facing electoral commission investigation after electoral paperwork blunders.  The Greens have referred suspended MP Darleen Tana to the Electoral Commission for failing to put a promoter statement on a magazine article about herself.  At the same time, National MP David MacLeod has lost his Select Committee positions after he failed to declare almost $200 thousand in donations.  Constitutional law expert Graeme Edgeler told Mike Hosking that the commission —and most likely the Police— will be investigating MacLeod.  Edgeler says the New Plymouth MP could be liable under the illegal practice charge for not taking enough care.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's MP for New Plymouth has been apologising after failing to declare 19 candidate donations.  David MacLeod claimed $168,000 of donations from 2022 weren't filed last year because he believed they already had been, an error the Party picked up last week.  He's been stripped of his roles on the Environment and Finance Select Committees - and been admonished by Prime Minister Luxon. MacLeod says he's 'disappointed' and 'embarrassed' in himself. "The Prime Minister expects his MPs to act in the highest standard. I've let him down, I've let the party down - as I've said, I'm absolutely gutted." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been revealed National MP David MacLeod failed to declare 19 candidate donations worth $178,000 to the Electoral Commission. 

A former National MP has revealed details of being targeted by Chinese state-sponsored hackers in 2021. Simon O'Connor and former Labour MP Louisa Wall claim they were specifically hit in the cyber-attack, revealed last month. Both say they weren't informed by the current or previous Government - and want an investigation. Both represented New Zealand on the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. O'Connor says the hackers sent a dodgy pixel in an emailed image. "If we'd opened it, it would have sent information such as what browser we'd been using, what's our IP address - and that's then sort of the first steps for a further attempt to be made to extricate more information from our systems." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute and Infrastructure New Zealand CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Victoria University has copped plenty of backlash over their decision to postpone a free speech event after pushback from the students. Should they have left the event alone? Paula Bennett is the latest former National MP to get appointed into a Government role - she's the new chair for Pharmac. Is she the latest case of the Government handing out jobs to mates? Was the opposition just as guilty of this? Today marks the first day of the Government's cell phone ban in schools. It seems to have gone off without a hitch-  what do we think of this? Should we bring back the fees to resit a drivers licence test?  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.