Podcasts about National Party

On the Early Edition with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast 2026, The Police Commissioner says a senior officer shouldn't stay in the job after putting his name forward for Labour, Police Association President Steve Watt shares his thoughts. New numbers show Kiwis are spending more but buying less, Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young shares her thoughts. The National Party has pledged to double permanent funding for the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust if re-elected, National Party Conservation Spokesperson, Tama Potaka tells Francesca how big of a difference this would make for farmers and landowners. Plus, Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio has the latest on Anthony Albanese responding to a secretly funded vitriolic ad campaign against the Victoria Premier and another spear fisherman killed by a Shark, the third in Australia in four weeks. Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's promising to protect the country's heritage and biodiversity on private land and farms. It's pledging to double baseline funding for the QEII National Trust to $8.5 million dollars. It'll boost investment in things like fencing, surveying, and legal work. National's Conservation Spokesperson Tama Potaka told Francesca Rudkin the money goes a long way helping farmers. He says he visited one just yesterday, who has set aside an area focused on conservation and boosting native trees and birds. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

0000019e-694a-d4a6-a5be-7dda5ea80000https://www.wvik.org/podcast/good-morning-from-wvik-news/2026-05-27/iowa-democrats-pitch-national-party-leaders-to-reclaim-early-spot-in-presidential-nomination-processJoseph LeahyIowa Democrats pitch national party leaders to reclaim early spot in presi

Barbara Edmonds joins us LIVE at 9pm to talk about the latest government's announced a major shake-up of social housing beginning in this year's Budget - which will boost weekly support for 110,000 families by almost $15 but leave another 80,000 families worse off by $30 a week.Tangi Utikere and Chris Bishop were on TVNZ Breakfast this morning talking about the public sector cuts. There was an interesting interaction with the TVNZ hosts where they took government talking points and asked Utikere questions based in National Party opinions as opposed to actual facts.New Zealand has condemned Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, after he taunted detained flotilla activists - including three Kiwis - who tried to breach Israel's blockade of Gaza. Foreign Minister Winston Peters demanded that Israel's ambassador, Alon Roth-Snir, front up to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a “please explain”.++++++++++++++++++++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/

It's been a busy start to the week, and Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen are back with Mike Hosking to delve into some of the biggest political stories so far on Politics Wednesday. They discussed Labour's Future Fund policy, which is light on the details, Winston Peters' idea to buy back BNZ, and the Government's cuts to and plans for the public service. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week has seen discussions on New Zealand Firsts announcement that if they win the election they plan to buy BNZ and nationalise it into kiwibank, a plan some estimate to cost $30,000,000,000 and has been completely ruled out by their coalition partner in the National Party. Despite this, it's sparked conversations around how we should be engaging with our banking sector, the vast majority of it dominated by Australian owned banks. And critics fear that National party changes to the accommodation supplement is going to hit poor working families at a time they're already doing it rough, nullifying other support that they are offering the rest of the country more broadly, repeating a pattern of policies that hurt poorer communities worse than the rich. So for our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March on what impact he thinks will come from restrictions to the accommodation supplement, particularly for the poor, they then discussed New Zealand Firsts policy to buy BNZ bank, and whether minor parties tend to over promise if they are constrained by the major parties who they will inevitably have to work with if they make into parliament.

The recent OECD report conducting an autopsy on the economy here in Aotearoa came back with huge concerns and transformative suggestions going forward. And while some, such as the suggestion to raise the age of superannuation, have been taken on board by the leading National Party, others, like a renewable energy transition, have been poo-pooed. Current energy policy discussions in New Zealand have focused on liquid natural gas, also known as LNG, which needs to be stored in special conditions. The government is moving forward with plans to spend over a billion dollars on a terminal specially designed to import LNG into the country and fund it with a tax on electricity. But buying natural gas is no simple endeavour. Along with petrol, LNG prices are spiking at the moment, and standard practice is to set up to buy a regular contracted amount, which, due to limited storage conditions, may have to be used or risk costing us more. To understand the ins and outs of the OECD report on energy policy, we got Emeritus Professor of Economics and former director of the Energy Centre, Basil Sharp, to sit down with Host Manny in the studio to share his concerns with LNG and his ideas to on how to reform the electricity market.

This week on the Tuesday Wire... For Dear Science this week, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman speaks with us about politics and expertise, solar storms and trees, and droughts in Aotearoa.  For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Host Alex spoke with MP Ryan Hamilton about the state of the Social Media Ban for Under-16s, the Prime Minister's comments about immigration, and the upcoming budget.  And for Green World this week, Producer Liam spoke to Professor Nicolas Lewis about the government's plan to disestablish the Ministry for the Environment and merge it into a combined Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport, and what effects this will have in the short and long term? 

A defence lawyer believes removing good character references for sexual offending is unlikely to make much difference at sentencing. The National Party's latest policy would see judges no longer be allowed to consider positive testimonies about offenders. Law Association Vice President Samira Taghavi told Mike Hosking that those references already carry limited weight in court. She says judges don't put a lot of emphasis on good character references - unless they see one as completely relevant. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erica Stanford: NCEA, immigration and "anti-Māori" criticism Minister for education and immigration Erica Stanford joins Jack Tame to discuss the new scheme replacing NCEA, facing down public criticism over removing school boards' Treaty of Waitangi obligations, and why the National Party is toughening its rhetoric on immigration. She also pushed back on education ministry plans to remove ESOL funding for year 0 and year 1 students in the second half of this year, saying the ministry had “got ahead of itself” and that wouldn't now be happening. Stanford also touched on the government's pause in rolling out a social media ban for under-16s, saying there was a legislative programme still under way, and that the National Party was still committed to moving something on age verification. Where's the policy? Chris Hipkins on Labour's election plans Less than six months out from a general election, New Zealand's highest-polling party has only revealed a handful of policies. On big issues like the cost of living, fuel security and immigration, Chris Hipkins says the Labour Party will be sharing their vision for the country after Budget Day. Chris Hipkins joins Jack Tame for his first appearance of 2026 to discuss his flagship education policy of the previous government, Fees Free - now set to be cancelled, with a price tag to date of $2 billion. He also considers whether Labour in New Zealand can take any lessons from Sir Keir Starmer's turmoil in the UK. “Oligopoly”: How a lack of competition hurts public pockets OECD economist David Haugh joins Q+A with Jack Tame to talk about a major new report detailing the weak state of competition in the New Zealand economy, and why ordinary New Zealanders are being economically hurt by the structure of key markets. His report also critiqued the government's LNG plans, and he responds to an assertion from PM Chris Luxon that those sections of the report are “a load of rubbish”. The “global Goliath” and risk of worldwide societal collapse Cambridge researcher of existential risks Luke Kemp talks to Q+A about the threats facing the continued survival of humanity, why wealth inequality is such a major risk factor, and how in such a globalised world, a collapse would be much more difficult to survive than previous societal collapses. Kemp's book is Goliath's Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse, and he's been in New Zealand as part of the Auckland Writers Festival. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Last week the government announced plans to scrap the Broadcasting Standards Authority, the entity that serves to ensure television, radio, and internet broadcasters remain accountable to members of the public. While the government saysit trusts broadcasters to self regulate, it's unclear what this regulation could look like, especially without the all encompassing BSA to ensure that a universal standard is met.  In addition, ACT Party Leader David Seymour has expressed dismay at some of the recent publications by state funded broadcasters TVNZ and RNZ. Since Seymour is one of the ministers responsible for appointing the board for each organisation, his comments and criticisms are being compared to threats of censorship.  Lastly, the government has announced a new test for prospective immigrants to New Zealand, which would see them quizzed over topics relating to New Zealand values, our Bill of Rights, and our system of government. While the government is proposing this standard of knowledge for immigrants, many New Zealand citizens could be unable to answer the questions.  For this weeks catchup with the National Party's Ryan Hamilton, News Director Castor asked about these topics, beginning with the BSA.

Judith Collins says she has no regrets about spending the last 24 years in Parliament. The senior National MP has delivered her valedictory speech as she prepares to move on, to head the Law Commission. Collins has held numerous ministerial portfolios in her time in politics and led National to the 2020 election. She told Mike Hosking she's grateful for everything she's been able to do. Collins says it's been an interesting career, and she never held a portfolio she got bored with. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If it's not already obvious to you, the fact that Maiki Sherman has lost her job should now make it very clear: the media—especially the state broadcasters, both of them—are about to find out what it means not just to make and report the news but to be the news. Just look at what's happened this week alone. And this is only a sample—this has been building for some time.In one week, TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman has lost her job over poor behaviour in a minister's office. David Seymour, the ACT Party leader, has taken a significant swipe at RNZ for hiring John Campbell, who is well known for voting left—something he's said himself. Seymour has even gone so far as to suggest the head of RNZ should lose his job over it. Then there's the BSA, effectively the head girl telling everyone off for bad jokes at the party, being abolished. The politicians are coming for the media and Sherman's case is an example of that. The National Party lined her up. They complained about her allegedly door-knocking Stuart Smith for 10 minutes at night. They confirmed that she had sworn at Nicola Willis' event in the office—which was unusual, given that Nicola effectively broke Chatham House rules that MPs normally guard jealously. Now, look—I feel sorry for Maiki losing her job. That's a very high price to pay. But I don't feel sorry for the media in general for what's coming. We've had this coming. For years, we've collectively pushed a certain world view through the framing of our stories. We decide who the victim is, who the bad guy is and what language we use—labelling things as “controversial” to signal to the audience that something is bad, like the “controversial Treaty Principles Bill”. We flip angles too—turning a positive government crime stats story into a negative gang-focused story for the same government. And when Radio New Zealand, which is supposed to be more impartial and balanced than any other outlet in this country, chooses someone to front its flagship programme who has explicitly said he votes for left-wing parties—well, that matters. We deserve what's coming to us in this election. We can't shove the scrum for years and not expect to become part of the on-field play. And I, for one, am not unhappy about what's about to happen. I think it's time for this to be sorted out. If this election brings media bias into sharper focus and forces all of us in the media to stop, reflect and think hard about what we've been doing, I don't think that's a bad thing. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 8 May, 2026, Winston Peters insists he won't support efforts by the National Party to raise the retirement age. We talk to one of the women who's accused Sir Rod Drury of inappropriate conduct about him handing back his New Zealander of the Year award. The New Zealand Herald's media insider Shayne Currie on who should succeed Maiki Sherman as TVNZ's political editor. And on the Sports Huddle, Adam Cooper and Paul Allison discuss Luke Metcalf's future with the Warriors. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Judith Collins has two weeks left as an MP and she's given an exit interview to Audrey Young at the New Zealand Herald in which she says people don't like strong women - obviously referring to herself. Now, I don't disagree with Judith that she is a strong woman. She's formidable. But I do disagree with her that people don't like strong women, because what is Helen Clark if not a strong woman? So strong, they used to say that the softest part of her was her teeth - and yet she was elected and re-elected by the New Zealand public three times. That's more than Jacinda Ardern achieved and Jacinda Ardern is not what I would call a strong woman. Now, look, I realise there are too many variables to ever make a truly fair comparison across elections like that. But if you did strip everything else out, you'd look at it like this: Helen, the strong woman, won three elections, compared with Jacinda - the milder personality - who won two and only really won the second because of COVID. Judith Collins doesn't explicitly blame the fact that she's a strong woman for her poor showing at the polls when she led the National Party - what did she come in at, 24 percent or something like that? She's really referring to the fact that she copped more outrage for rolling a sitting MP for a seat in 2002 than John Key did for doing the same thing in the same year. But just for the avoidance of doubt: Judith's problem as leader of the National Party was not that she was a strong woman. In fact, that was part of her attraction at the time. The problem was that she was up against Jacinda in the COVID election, which was really a hiding to nothing - and she was doing weird things like praying in church for the cameras and making comments about fat people during the campaign. Much as I might have agreed with her, that was not a smart move. But I really wish that women like Judith would stop blaming their gender for how people react to them because more often than not it is not their gender that's the problem - it's something else. And by blaming their gender, they're avoiding being honest with themselves and honest with others about what that other thing is. More importantly - much, much more importantly - this reinforces to younger women that they're up against it simply because they're women, that being a woman, and especially being a strong woman, is somehow a problem. It is not a problem. People like strong women. Most of us have strong women for mothers. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dale Husband is a long time broadcaster and Radio Waatea presenter hosting a Maori focused current affairs programme. Liam Hehir is a Palmerston North lawyer, political commentator and a National Party member.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Dale Husband is a long time broadcaster and Radio Waatea presenter hosting a Maori focused current affairs programme. Liam Hehir is a Palmerston North lawyer, political commentator and a National Party member.

Last week I started my editorial with: ‘Well, it was a rather chaotic, eventful week in politics wasn't it', and went on to speak about how I thought it was a mistake that the Prime Minister has decided to decline appearing in a weekly spot on TVNZ's Breakfast. But it appears that ‘chaotic' and ‘eventful' is likely to be how we're going to describe the next 27 weeks until the election, if the coalition can hold itself together through to November. The nonsense and the scheming this week included what could quite possibly have been a leaked story about embattled TVNZ reporter Maiki Sherman, lawyers letters flying between media companies keen to report the juicy details, Winston Peters releasing emails under an OIA request revealing the Prime Minister's potentially damaging views on the US war against Iran, and a feisty retaliation by the National Party on NZ First. All I could think at the end of this week was - surely both the media and politicians can do better. I get it - everyone is coming out firing on all cylinders - that's what you've got to do in election year. National has a new campaign leader and communications adviser, and I am sure many National voters like the new fighting spirit being shown by the Nats. After all, the Foreign Affairs Minister was out of line this week. But with Winston Peters stating, 'No, we won't do a deal with Labour or their Marxist and separatist mates', then you'd think that having ruled out being part of an opposing coalition there would be some shared effort to sell this one to voters. The number of people who this week said to me, 'I don't want to vote for any of them' was a bit of a surprise. Civility is often put aside during an election year, and yet I think it's what most of us are craving right now. We'd like the people we have entrusted to run the country to act like grown-ups and get on with the job without the backstabbing. Budget month is going to be tough, and yet all National and the coalition have to do to sell this budget is deliver it straight-up. We all know the story - whatever economic recovery and confidence we were gaining heading into 2026 has been wiped out by decisions made elsewhere in the world. It's not just our story - it's happening everywhere. This week, the Bank of England warned inflation could hit 6.2 percent in the UK by early 2027, and food prices could rise by 6-7 percent by the end of this year. In Australia inflation rose to 4.6 percent in March, with an expectation it will peak higher with consumer prices now growing at their fastest pace in two and a half years. No. It's not the economic recovery story National was hoping to campaign on, but with little policy or innovation coming from the Labour Party there is an opportunity to double down on their fiscally responsible approach to managing the economy. The revelation of Christopher Luxon's support for the war wrecking our economy - isn't helpful for him. But what would be more damaging is having coalition party leaders calling out each other for poor judgement over the coming months. Luxon has done a good job keeping the coalition together, but if they're going to spend the next 6 months sabotaging each other rather than continuing to work on how they can come together on policy, selling the budget will be the least of National's problems. 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. Christchurch: 9/10 The stadium, the opening, the spend, the party, and the vibe. That is what all of New Zealand should be. The Washington Hilton: 1/10 Between yet more violence and yet more conspiracy from all sides, too much of America is irreparably sick. King Charles: 8/10 By any standards or count, a tour de force. Solid, statesman-like, witty, clever and brilliantly executed. It is soft power, awesome diplomacy, brilliant engagement, all wrapped up in a flash royal bow. Winston vs the National Party: 4/10 I get it's election year. I get National are bleeding support to NZ First. But if they're not careful someone is going to say one thing or do one thing a bit edgier than they might have been expected, and it will all hit the fan. The diesel deal: 8/10 Another reminder that when Peters isn't stirring, the Coalition has actually handled the real issues pretty damn well. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister says New Zealand's free trade agreement with India should be in effect by the end of the year. The deal's been signed in New Delhi overnight. It's due to be tabled in Parliament today, have its first reading in May, and then go through select committee and public consultation before its final reading, possibly in late September. Christopher Luxon told Mike Hosking that having the deal already signed is positive. He says there is a clause in the deal in which India will match clauses in any further deals that are more favourable than ours. Luxon also defended cancelling his weekly appearance on TVNZ's Breakfast, saying he's “pretty accessible” when compared to other leaders around the world. The Prime Minister's team ditched the regular interview with Tova O'Brien last week, saying Kiwis now consume media on many different platforms – however he'll still appear on a case-by-case basis. He denied that meant he was “chicken or running for the hills”, in Hosking's words. Luxon says that he reset how he wanted to engage with the media, and it was no different than what former Prime Ministers such as Jim Bolger, John Key, and Jacinda Arden had done. But he also referred to a “second issue” – referring to National Party whip Stuart Smith's reported run-in with TVNZ reporters last week. He said they respect the role of the media but highlighted the need for standards and rules in Parliament. “We've had an issue with TVNZ around that, and we've made that clear to TVNZ management.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior National MP Simeon Brown has accused TVNZ news staff of breaching parliamentary rules this week by following National's Stuart Smith into a corridor area and "aggressively banged on" Smith's door for several minutes. Simeon Brown told Heather du Plessis-Allan, "ultimately what we're seeing here is behaviour which I think most New Zealanders would say is unacceptable." This evening Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has pulled out of his weekly TVNZ interview slot, but it isn't clear if these events are connected. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trade Minister's shrugging off comments by Winston Peters and says it's time to seal the deal. The New Zealand First leader strongly opposes the Free Trade Agreement with India, which the Government is signing in New Delhi next week despite not having the numbers to pass it into law. He fears it'll lead to rising immigration, which the National Party rejects. Trade Minister Todd McClay told Mike Hosking there's no problem asking questions, but the Government needs to move on and get the deal in place. He says the legal scrub's been done and it's being put in Parliament, as National wants it in force as soon as possible. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While political attention was fixed on what was said in Tuesday morning's National Party caucus, MPs still had parliamentary work to do. And this week, that was mostly the Annual Review Debate.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The fightback has started, hasn't it? National's leadership team have clearly come out of yesterday's caucus meeting with very clear instructions: get the National Party vote back off New Zealand First. And they've come out hard. It started with Nicola Willis on Mike Hosking just after 7am, warning that Winston Peters might pick Labour after the next election. The attack from her on that show was so pointed I was actually surprised - because these two are mates. They drink together, they work together, they're on the same floor as each other in the Beehive. But then, five hours later, the Prime Minister is on The Country with Jamie Mackay, saying almost exactly the same thing. Which tells you Nicola didn't just react in the heat of the moment, coming off the high of what happened in caucus. These are the lines they've decided to go out with. They have decided to attack New Zealand First. The question is: what took them so long? Because this is what they needed to do months ago, when it became obvious they were bleeding votes to New Zealand First. That is what's happening here. New Zealand First - and Winston - are going up and the National Party is going down because National voters are shifting across to New Zealand First. Right now, 52 percent of Winston's supporters voted National at the last election. This is exactly the right strategy Nicola Willis and Chris Luxon should be taking - because it's true. There is a risk that New Zealand First goes with Labour. Even though Winston says it ain't going to happen, there is a risk. He's done it before. In 1996 he told voters to help him put, quote, “Jim Bolger in opposition where he belongs”. And who did he pick after that election? He picked Jim Bolger.Of course, Winston's not going to admit he's open to Labour - even if he is - because then he can't rely on stealing all of those National Party voters. They're not going to go to him if they think he's going to put Jacinda's lot back in charge. This is exactly the attack Luxon and Willis need to launch on New Zealand First if they want to keep their jobs by keeping the polling up. So let's see if it works. I reckon it might. Watch the next poll. Watch for National going up and New Zealand First either going down or plateauing. That will tell us whether the fightback is working. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National Party senior whip Stuart Smith is continuing to deny he attempted to contact party leader Christopher Luxon over concerns his support was dropping. Smith faced the media today and reiterated his claim he had not tried to highlight concerns about caucus support for Luxon. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister emerged from closed door meeting, that lasted more than two and half hours and said he has the support of his MPs, as their leader. In the face of speculation, bad poll results and dissent in the ranks Christopher Luxon confirmed he moved a motion of confidence in his leadership. Former National party chief press secretary and political commentator Janet Wilson.

The Finance Minister is concerned about an expected spike in inflation. The inflation rate has remained unchanged at 3.1% in the March quarter, despite forecasts of a drop. ASB economists now expect it to approach 4.5% this quarter, remain above 4% until the end of the year, and remain above 3% until at least the middle of next year. Nicola Willis told Mike Hosking there's no doubt inflation will rise this quarter. She's also refusing to name the five disgruntled National MPs that Christopher Luxon says are behind party leaks to the media. Luxon's passed a vote of confidence at yesterday's lengthy caucus meeting, but MPs aren't revealing details of the vote, including how many of them supported Luxon. Newstalk ZB understands the disgruntled MPs are Joseph Mooney, Andrew Bayley, Sam Uffindell, Barbara Kuriger, and Tim van de Molen. Willis told Hosking she won't throw colleagues under the bus without evidence. She says each of the five have said they haven't leaked to the media and support a unified caucus. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 22nd of April, the inflation rate for Q1 has held steady at 3.1%. Finance Minister Nicola Willis discusses what that means going forward, and touches on the National Party leadership vote. Gilbert Enoka has returned as the All Blacks' mental skills coach under Dave Rennie and joined Mike to discuss his appointment. And Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen discuss the India Free Trade Agreement, Shane Jones' ‘butter chicken tsunami' comment, and the National Party leadership saga on Politics Wednesday. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's quite possible the Prime Minister might look back on yesterday's caucus meeting as a moment that defined his leadership. He read the riot act, they had a vote, and he won. He was always going to win, but in making his statement afterwards he hopefully, once and for all, sent a message to the media that the sort of drama they live for is over. He should have done this sooner of course. He is 100% right when he says most of us have no interest in the minutiae and gossip that envelops the beltway. This is a country with a myriad of issues facing us and every moment you spend on frippery is a moment wasted on real problems. Yes, you can blame Uffindell and Bishop and his mates for talking and leaking. But in totality when you look at what led to yesterday —five idiots and a bloke from the Hutt who sort of fancied himself— what a mountain out of a mole hill. In a caucus of 50-ish, a handful of nobodies got a bit spooked and caused too much damage, but got aided by the media who don't like the Government and certainly don't like Luxon so leapt into it with alacrity. Luxon deserves a lot better. No, he is not one of this nation's greats. But mind you they said that about John Howard for many years, until they realised they were wrong. But what Luxon is, is a hard-working, successful operator, managing a three-way deal to run a country, mired in debt, in a world at war and when we are not at war, finding any number of problems to provide no end of challenges, for a small country at the bottom of the planet. You can't fault his ambition, and you can't fault his work ethic. If you don't like National, fine, don't vote for them. But the point is he is in it, and always has been, for the right reasons and that is to be respected. The bit that would have got me was upon arrival he tidied his party up. The leaking and backstabbing was stopped and his reward was the gormless and self-absorbed fools then went and let him down. They should be embarrassed and ashamed of themselves. But hopefully Luxon emerges from this stronger. Every now and then you see a flash of it, like Monday post-Cabinet when he spoke with passion about immigration. Yesterday was the same but about gossip and wasting time. He needs to be himself more. He doesn't like the beltway and who can blame him? Hopefully yesterday he put a line in that sand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 21 April, 2026, Christopher Luxon wins a confidence vote on his leadership at the National Party caucus. We ask if he'll last until the election. A police boss tells us how successful a crackdown on retailers selling nitrous oxide, known as nangs, has been. A climate science expert says the technology is there to better forecast weather disasters. And on The Huddle, Maurice Williamson and Phil Goff on whether Luxon did the right thing with his leadership vote. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, blow me down - they had a leadership vote in caucus, called by Chris Luxon himself, and he survived. Good on him for doing that. That is exactly what I said he had to do if he wanted to shut this stuff down for the next week and a bit that Parliament has left to sit. And even if you think sticking with Chris Luxon was the wrong call by the National Party - which, by the way, I do; I still think he needs to go before the election - you've got to respect the fact he had the courage to do this. Leadership votes are always a big risk. They're always a guess. It doesn't matter what the MPs say to you. It doesn't matter if they tell you they're going to support you. When it comes down to it, and it's a secret ballot, it's always a roll of the dice. It takes real steel to do that and he had it. Now the question, of course, is: is that it? Right - is it going to be quiet all the way through to November's election?He's going to be the leader, nothing more to say? Not necessarily. I think this increases his chances of staying on because it has to have killed off any spill momentum his detractors might have had - at least for now. And it has to have lifted his confidence, which in turn has to lift his media performance, surely to God. But ultimately, none of that really matters. It's the polls that determine his future. If National keeps on this downward trend they've been on for two years, and if it drops another 2 percent and is sitting on 27-point-something in the next few weeks, all of this is just going to start up again. MPs will see themselves at risk of losing their jobs, they'll freak out and the chatter will resume. What this does do is, first, buy him a significant amount of time to lift those polls. And second, it has to earn him a grudging respect from his MPs, who now have to look at this and say he's more of a formidable opponent than they might have thought. Even if it's just grudging respect for calling the bluff of the leakers, that's what he's done. It turns out they never had the numbers they pretended they had. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another poll with National's support below 30 percent has kept the fires of speculation around the prime minister's leadership burning. Last week ended with Christopher Luxon repeatedly asserting he had the support of his National Party colleages. And after the disastrous poll results last night, he spent his morning media round admitting there are a handful of MPs dissatisfied enough to speak to media. Political reporter Russell Palmer has more.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Penny Ashton and Phil O'Reilly. First up, we hear from the Wellington region which has been hit by extreme rain and suffered flooding and landslips. We'll talk to affected residents and hear from local authorities. Then, questions around Christopher Luxon's leadership of the National Party and this Prime Minister role keep bubbling to the surface. Now, another nightmare poll, this time from 1News has support for him and his party crash to new lows. The Panel talks to Michael Swanson, PhD candidate for politics at the University of Otago about where this is all going to end up.

Obviously, what everybody in politics is talking about today is what's going to happen at the National Party caucus meeting in Wellington tomorrow morning, regarding the Prime Minister's ongoing leadership. Now, I can't call it. I can't tell you what's going to happen. On the one hand, the Prime Minister is under more pressure than he was before the weekend because of last night's One News-Verian poll. Usually, that poll is quite generous to the National Party - it tends to overestimate National to a degree. But last night, not only did it put the National Party at 29.7 percent, it also predicted a change of Government. That means this becomes not just a backbenchers losing their seats problem, but a ministers losing their jobs problem. On the other hand, Luxon has managed to get himself through a tough round of media interviews this morning with grit, steel and confidence. And his chief troublemaker, Chris Bishop, has now ruled himself out of the leadership in that Q&A interview yesterday, which surely means the move against the Prime Minister has lost some momentum. There has been a lot of poo-pooing of the polls, which I frankly just do not buy into. I have not seen any evidence that we have the kinds of polling trouble here in New Zealand that they've had in the UK, the US or Australia - where the polls call it for one side and then the other side basically comes through. Largely, we don't have that problem because we run MMP. They run first-past-the-post systems. And that actually matters because just a little bit of inaccuracy in those countries' polling can mean quite a big surprise if a bunch of marginal seats fall in a way you weren't expecting. We don't have that here - our mistakes in polling marginal seats get smoothed out by the party vote. Also, National is now sitting at around 29.7 percent in four polls in a row and there was another one about six weeks ago that started this all off. That means what you saw last night is not a rogue poll - it's a trend. Choosing not to believe the polls feels like the last refuge of those who are in complete denial about what's going on here. But ultimately, it's not really up to us, is it? It's not up to us as voters and it's not up to us as commentators. It's up to caucus - the National Party caucus. If the Prime Minister can get himself through tomorrow and then weather whatever happens in the seven days after that and then get himself through caucus Tuesday week - so he's got two caucuses to get through - then he will most likely survive until at least well after the Budget. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the National Party in a death spiral? Duncan sits down with Ani O'Brien and Jordan Williams to dissect the latest polling numbers and the growing pressure on Christopher Luxon. With the election just six months away, we ask the hard questions about leadership, strategy, and whether a change at the top is the only way forward for the party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Everyone's waiting for the National Party caucus meeting in Wellington tomorrow morning. What do we think will happen here? Is Luxon on the way out? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister's rubbishing the latest poll - showing the left bloc in a position to win the election. The 1 News Verian Poll has the left on 66 seats to the right bloc's 58 - assuming Te Pāti Māori keeps its six seats. Our newsroom understands multiple MPs are believed to be unhappy with Luxon's performance and want his leadership discussed. Christopher Luxon has been rejecting talk of a challenge to his leadership - and says [told Mike Hosking] he doesn't buy the results of this latest poll. He says he simply doesn't believe Kiwis want Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, when New Zealand needs strong economic management and a stable coalition government. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday New Zealand First announced a campaign policy to break up New Zealand's supermarket duopoly. Woolworths and Foodstuffs currently control over 80 percent of the grocery market. NZ First leader Winston Peters told Mike Hosking he isn't pursuing this now because, "the National Party is not for it, the ACT Party is not for it. I mean, they've got their policies which are to stagger on with the Commerce Commission that's not working." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Bishop: National leadership and his policy ambitions Chris Bishop's name has repeatedly been raised in media reports about discontent with the National Party's leadership. Despite being stripped of his campaign chair and leader of the house titles, the Hutt South MP continues to carry some of the most important portfolios in government: transport, housing, and infrastructure. Just over six months until the election, he joins Jack Tame to discuss the top job and how the $49 billion gap in funding New Zealand's roads of national significance will be addressed. Former Labour minister on building back trust after scandal Michael Wood was once a rising star in the Labour government's Cabinet, but after he failed to act on advice to divest himself of his shares in Auckland Airport, he resigned from his Ministerial portfolios in transport, workplace relations, immigration, and as minister for Auckland, and was not returned to his electorate seat in 2023. Three years on, he joins Jack Tame to discuss whether he has regained the confidence of the Labour caucus. Budget cuts come for online ANZAC commemoration Veterans and historians are in disbelief at government plans to archive the Ngā Tapuwae Trails website, a live, self-guided tour of Gallipoli and the Western Front, on the grounds that the website costs too much for a low number of people who use it. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

In my opinion, National MPs need to bite the bullet and ask Chris Luxon to step aside. I don't enjoy saying this because personally I like Chris Luxon and have a fair amount of respect for him. But I think the chances are now very high that this is going to happen before the election. He is going to lose the leadership and perhaps the only real choice National MPs now have is how messy they allow this to become. I'll explain why I think he loses the leadership — and I think it's simple maths. National's polling is really poor. It's sub-30 in multiple polls. You can't write those off as rogue results. The numbers are consistently bad and at that level the party is on track to lose around 11 MPs in November. Those 11 MPs do not want to lose their jobs and within that group are the people now agitating for a change of leadership. For that agitation to stop, National's polling would need to lift enough to save at least some of those MPs' seats.So how does the polling improve? The economy would have to improve. And is that going to happen between now and November? No, it's not. In fact, the economy is more likely to come under further pressure, particularly because of the situation in Iran and rising fuel costs. The most likely scenario is that the economy gets worse, National's polling deteriorates further, and those 11 MPs — and potentially more — lose their jobs at the election. Meanwhile, the destabilising campaign we saw in the Herald today continues. Someone is deliberately and repeatedly planting stories in the media. That won't stop. It will continue to drive the polls down and make Luxon look increasingly like a lame-duck Prime Minister. So if we assume the economy doesn't improve, the polling doesn't improve and the destabilising continues, then the most likely outcome is this: about three months out from the election, in the depths of winter, the National Party loses its nerve and rolls Chris Luxon in a desperate attempt to save the furniture. I see no realistic alternative to that outcome. That's scenario one: hope and pray. And yes, that is technically a strategy — maybe something miraculous happens, the way COVID saved Jacinda Ardern in 2020. But that's hope-and-prayer stuff. Scenario two is that they pull the pin. They replace Chris Luxon with someone else and call an early election, allowing that person to seek a mandate while still enjoying a honeymoon period — and before winter and the Iran-related pressures make voters even more miserable than they already are. If I were in the National caucus, I'd be opting for the second scenario. Because the polling is now so consistently bad that a leadership change is likely to happen anyway before the election. They can't avoid it — they can only choose when it happens and how messy they let it get. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Die Apartheidspolitik der National Party war lange kein Hindernis für gute Beziehungen Deutschlands zu Südafrika. Ein Vortrag des Historikers Johannes Dafinger über Rassismus in der bundesdeutschen Außenpolitik. Johannes Dafinger ist Historiker an der Universität Salzburg und aktuell Fellow am Historischen Kolleg in München. Seinen Vortrag „Rassistisches Denken in der alten Bundesrepublik und die Apartheid im südlichen Afrika“ hat er am 29.01.2026 am Historischen Kolleg in München gehalten. +++ Südafrika +++ Apartheid +++ Rassismus +++ Deutschland +++ Außenpolitik +++ Diplomatie +++ Geschichte +++ Entnazifizierung +++ Südafrikapolitik +++ Generationenwechsel +++**********In dieser Folge mit: Moderation: Nina Bust-Bartels Vortragender: Johannes Dafinger, Historiker, Universität Salzburg**********Ihr hört in diesem Hörsaal:0:00 - Einleitung7:56 - Verklärung der Apartheid20:57 - Unterstützung der Apartheid32:26 - Eingeschränkte Duldung der Apartheid38:44 - Fazit**********Mehr zum Thema bei Deutschlandfunk Nova:Nelson Mandelas Erbe: Südafrikas Würde wackeltDas Massaker von Sharpeville: Apartheid in SüdafrikaKolonialismus: Die Besiedlung Südafrikas**********Den Artikel zum Stück findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

A senior National MP insists the party is focused on governing, despite growing unrest around Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's leadership. Our newsroom understands from three sources that a fortnight ago, Luxon didn't respond to the party's whip Stuart Smith, who tried to raise concerns about his support in caucus. It's understood MPs pushing for change could make a move in the next fortnight, with the Prime Minister likely to be formally presented with concerns. Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking there's no coup, but won't say whether he's aware of other colleagues seeking to replace Luxon. He says many people —including Luxon— want the party to do better. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Friday 17th of April, it's coup Friday! Chris Bishop was on to talk WOFs but after rumours of a National Party leadership challenge, the Minister had some tough questions to answer. Boris Johnson's former economic advisor Gerard Lyons discusses the IMF report and whether the world is heading into a global recession. Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson talk the potential coup, circuses, and Fabergé eggs as they Wrap the Week. 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.

It's Friday, which means Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson are back with Mike to Wrap the Week that Was. They discussed the rumours of a coup in the National Party and Chris Bishop's performance on the show this morning. Also on the agenda was circuses, pet sitting, and this weekend's maiden Supercars event in Christchurch. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

* National Party - new is old again* The Washington Buffoon reincarnated as the light-shines-out-of-my-arse messiah* A few Australian values that should be included in the Liberal Party's new migration policy* Nine million Isralis hold the world hostage* International Law - laws without consequences not worth the paper they're written on* The Alternative Liberal Party formerly known as the Australian Labor Party gives on giving the corporate sector tax payer money

This morning Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced a cabinet reshuffle, which sees MPs Chris Penk and Penny Simmons get promoted, while MP Chris Bishop loses leader of the House and National Party campaign Chair role, but become Attorney-General. Former National Party Staffer and co-host of the 'Gone By Lunchtime' podcast Ben Thomas discusses the changes with Jesse.

Australia and the European Union have signed a landmark $10 billion trade and security pact to eliminate industrial tariffs and strengthen co-operation on cyber and maritime defence. While the Prime Minister has hailed it as an economic win, the deal has faced criticism from the National Party regarding agricultural access, and from the Greens over Australia's strategic dependency on Europe. - На этой неделе премьер-министр Австралии Энтони Альбанезе и президент Европейской комиссии Урсула фон дер Ляйен подписали знаковое соглашение о свободной торговле и безопасности на сумму 10 миллиардов долларов. Соглашение направлено на отмену промышленных пошлин и укрепление сотрудничества в области кибербезопасности и морской обороны. На подготовку этого соглашения ушло восемь лет.

Australia and the European Union have signed a landmark $10 billion trade and security pact to eliminate industrial tariffs and strengthen co-operation on cyber and maritime defence. The Prime Minister has hailed it as an economic win, but the deal has faced criticism from the National Party regarding agricultural access. SBS Chief Political Correspondent Anna Henderson has been talking to National Party leader Matt Canavan about their objections to the deal and also about the Government's actions over the fuel crisis.]]

When a family sailing journey ends in capture by child soldiers during Mozambique's civil war, a man must protect his children while confronting the unsettling truth that his captors are both perpetrators of violence and children shaped by it. Today's episode featured Dave Muller. Dave has written about his experiences in a book entitled, “Not Child's Play”, available where books are sold or at https://notchildsplay.co.uk/ You can email Dave at dave.muller@notchildsplay.co.za Dave is on Instagram @davenotchildsplay, on Facebook @Dave Muller and on YouTube @DaveMuller-NotChildsPlayIn the 1960s and 1970s, both South Africa and Mozambique were part of the larger decolonization of Africa, with South Africa gaining full independence from Britain in 1961 and Mozambique gaining independence from Portugal in 1975. However, in the decolonization process, both were thrown into proxy battles, between old structures clinging to power and the larger global cold war between communist and capitalist superpowers. South Africa, even after independence, was still ruled by a white minority government, under the National Party. The National Party was populated mostly by the white ethnic group known as Afrikaners who spoke a language called Afrikaans. The National Party instituted apartheid, a brutally oppressive system of institutionalized racial segregation and white supremacy enforced in South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s. South Africa shares a northeastern border with Mozambique. When Mozambique gained independence in 1975, they were ruled by the Communist party known as FRELIMO. FRELIMO became a major force opposing apartheid in neighboring South Africa. The South African apartheid government, in response to FRELIMO's opposition, actively destabilized Mozambique from the inside by propping up a rebel group known as RENAMO. This led to a violent 15-year civil war in Mozambique, between the ruling, communist-backed FRELIMO party and the South African-backed RENAMO rebel group. In the first part of today's episode, you'll hear our storyteller speak about growing up in South Africa during apartheid as a white man, but he was not an Afrikaner, and grew up in a family that was opposed to apartheid. The second part of the story takes place in Mozambique, where he and his family are held by the RENAMO rebel group and caught in the chaos and fighting between FRELIMO and RENAMO, the two warring factions in the civil war there. Of course there is much more to say about all of this, and Dave will speak to some of these issues as he experienced them. I encourage you all to read more about the brutal and complex history of decolonization and apartheid in Africa. And one final note, you'll hear Dave talking about “Arwen” several times. In case it isn't clear right away, he is referring to his boat that he built. Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Aviva Lipkowitz Content/Trigger Warnings: War and armed conflict, Child soldiers, Kidnapping / hostage situation, Graphic violence, Murder (including stabbing / bayoneting), Violence against the elderly, Exposure to blood, Threats of execution, Weapons (guns, rockets, mortar fire), Terrorism / militant groups, Civil war, Psychological trauma, PTSD, Panic attacks / emotional breakdown, Spiritual distress, Political violence, Forced recruitment of children, Coercion and intimidation, explicit language Social Media:Instagram: @actuallyhappeningTwitter/X: @TIAHPodcastFacebook: This Is Actually Happening Discussion Group Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.comWebsite for Aviva Lipkowitz: avivalipkowitz.com Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happeningAudible subscribers can listen to all episodes of THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app or visit Audible.com. Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop. Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com Intro Music: “Sleep Paralysis” - Scott VelasquezMusic Bed: Sparse_Reflections__a__APM ServicesIf you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources: National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.