Podcasts about New Zealand First

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.

An Auckland iwi leader is accusing New Zealand First and ACT of mischief-making over the future management of Auckland's Waitākere Ranges. Political reporter Lillian Hanly has more.

The Deputy Leader of New Zealand First says his party will step in to stop management of the Waitakere Ranges morphing into co-governance. Auckland Council's proposing a board made up of Iwi, the Department of Conservation, and the council. Act Leader David Seymour has also criticised the plan as moving towards co-governance. Shane Jones told Mike Hosking they're not going to stand for it. He says they won't tolerate any slither of the West Auckland heritage land being under that type of arrangement. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First and ACT are opposing an Auckland Council plan for the Waitākere Ranges. The council wants to set up a committee including iwi, the Crown and Auckland Council. NZ First MP Shane Jones says it could easily morph into co-governance and ACT leader David Seymour claims it could let unelected decision-makers close tracks and dictate land use. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says the ball's in National's court on this matter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his role as regulation Minister, David Seymour is moving to simplify regulations for Early Childhood Education Centres by the end of this year.  This involves a review containing 15 recommendations, which cabinet has accepted. These recommendations concern a vast number of things, from simplifying licensing criteria for pre-schools to lowering qualification requirements for early childhood educators.  Both of these areas have sparked concern within the sector, with some educators concerned the review is simply a cost cutting exercise that will result in tamariki being put at risk.  For our weekly catch up Producer Evie spoke to ACT's Simon Court about the review.  They also spoke about New Zealand First's Members Bill aiming to have the biological definition of a woman and man defined in law.  And finally they discussed a clash between the party and National's Scott Simpson over an ACC plan to reduce injury for Māori and Pasifika workers. 

The battle over gender and definitions is building steam in New Zealand. New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that “would ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law”. It comes after a landmark ruling in the United Kingdom, where Supreme Court judges unanimously ruled a woman is defined “by biological sex under equalities law”. The court sided with a women’s rights campaign group that argued sex-based protections should only apply to “people that were born female”. Judge Lord Hodge said the ruling should not be seen as a triumph of one side over the other, and stressed that the law still gives protection against discrimination to transgender people. But it was largely seen as a victory by campaigners, while trans rights advocates have called the ruling a huge blow to some of the most marginalised people in our society. To discuss this issue, today on The Front Page, we’re joined by University of Waikato professor of sociology and social policy Katrina Roen. 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.

In this week’s Pacific Dispatch, Katie Macdonald shared a trio of big stories: ANZAC Day in Australia was marred by neo-Nazi disruptors, New Zealand First introduced a bill to define gender by biology, and nearly 10% of Australians have already voted ahead of the May 3 election - though early voters might miss out on a classic democracy sausage! She shares this with Lester Kiewit. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live – Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit is broadcast weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) https://www.primediaplus.com/station/capetalk Find all the catch-up podcasts here https://www.primediaplus.com/capetalk/good-morning-cape-town-with-lester-kiewit/audio-podcasts/good-morning-cape-town-with-lester-kiewit/ Subscribe to the CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://www.primediaplus.com/competitions/newsletter-subscription/ Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CapeTalk   CapeTalk on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@capetalk   CapeTalk on Instagram: www.instagram.com/capetalkza  CapeTalk on X: www.x.com/CapeTalk  CapeTalk on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First has introduced a member's bill to Parliament which would define in law what a woman is - but is this really necessary? Also, Pope Francis has died at the age of 88. What's his legacy, and what do you hope to see in the next Pope? To answer those questions, PSA national secretary and former Wellington City Councillor Fleur Fitzsimons and Franks Ogilvie director and political commentator Brigitte Morten joined Nick Mills for Thursday Faceoff - moved forward due to ANZAC Day. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has raised the spectre of possible cuts to RNZ's funding during a fiery interview on Morning Report. Mr Peters - who's currently acting Prime Minister - made the comment after taking exception to questioning over his party's proposal to define the term "woman" in law as "an adult human biological female". The New Zealand First member's bill is not government policy and will only be debated if it is pulled at random from the ballot. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch has more.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Labour's Carmel Sepuloni about the recent cross-party delegation to the Pacific, New Zealand First's new trans-exclusionary members' bill and Winston Peters' threat to cut RNZ's funding. For International Desk, they spoke to Jane Fae, director at TransActual UK, about the UK Supreme Court decision that excludes trans women from the legal definition of a “woman.” For City Counselling, Wire Producer Sara spoke with Auckland Councillor Julie Fairey about the intense weather of the Easter weekend, as well as latest developments in Auckland's public transport system. She also spoke with climate activist Adam Currie from this week's protest at the Stockton mine which is seeking a fast-track approval for activity expansion.

A cross-party delegation of MPs recently visited Tonga, Hawai'i and Vanuatu as part of a Pacific trip organised by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters. Earlier this week, New Zealand First proposed new legislation that would exclude trans communities from the definition of “woman” and “man” in law. Winston Peters defended the bill on RNZ's Morning Report, where he called interviewer Corin Dann a “disgrace” for raising the criticism against the bill that was brought forward by opposition parties. During this interview, Peters threatened to cut RNZ's government funding. For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these topics.

New Zealand First has proposed new legislation to define the term "woman" in law as "an adult human biological female". Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says the Deputy Prime Minister has lost sight of the real issues in favour of an "imported culture war". Swarbrick spoke to Corin Dann.

In today's episode, the Green party responds to New Zealand First's proposed new legislation to define the term "woman" in law as "an adult human biological female", Te Pati Maori MPs have again refused to attend a privileges hearing over their haka protest in Parliament, during the first reading of the Treaty Principles bill, the inquest into the death of Olivia Podmore came to an emotional conclusion on Wednesday when Podmore's family addressed the court, residents in Wellington's southern suburbs say they've been inundated by an explosion of millipedes invading their streets and houses, and we cross the Tasman to get the latest from Kerry-Anne Walsh.

There's a chance you'll think I sound like I'm contradicting myself with my views on NZ First jumping on the gender identity bandwagon. Politicians love a good bandwagon and that's what NZ First is riding with its members' bill to legally clarify the definitions of man and woman. I say they're riding a bandwagon because it comes on the heels of the Supreme Court in Britain doing pretty much the exact same thing last week. It ruled that it all comes down to a person's biology, and that's NZ First's thinking as well. I'm not so black and white. But first, let me say that, of all the things New Zealand is dealing with at the moment, this plan by NZ First is not a priority. We don't need this. Yes, some people think the transgender community is leading us to hell in a handbasket. That's why NZ First is saying things like its members' bill being all about fighting “cancerous social engineering and woke ideology”. But I think only a minority of people feel as strongly about it as that language suggests. And will it do anything to get the economy sorted? No it won't. Will it get kids out of poverty? No it won't. Will it reduce power prices? Not it won't. Will it get more life-saving drugs for people? Nope. See what I mean? But, aside from thinking that NZ First is barking up the wrong tree or barking at a passing car, and that we don't desperately need this clarification, my overall view is that inclusion is way better than exclusion. What I mean by that is however we might feel about someone being transgender —however comfortable or uncomfortable we are about it— does how we feel really matter? I don't think it does. What does matter is that someone who, for whatever reason, feels so uncomfortable in their own skin —or who feels alien in their own skin, in terms of gender— then why shouldn't they be free to do something about that? Well, they should be free. And, by being free, they should also enjoy the same privileges and freedoms as everybody. That's the inclusion versus exclusion part of it. But, at the same time, there are parts of this freedoms and privileges bit that I really struggle with, and this is where I'm going to start to contradict myself. I'm not saying here that I advocate any sort of antagonism or discrimination or worse towards anyone who lives their life as a transgender person. But I understand why some people aren't as open to the possibility that not everyone wants to be the person they were when they born. And I understand that because I'm not black and white on it myself. Yes, I'll preach inclusion instead of exclusion and I'll tell people who get wound up about drag queens reading stories to kids that they're indulging in unnecessary moral panic. But often, the question people ask me if they disagree with me is how I feel about a transgender person using public facilities provided for people of particular genders. And —I'll be totally honest with you— that is my stumbling block. But, despite that, I don't support what NZ First is doing because it doesn't seek to include, it seeks to exclude. I also don't support it because I don't think people are crying out for it. But what do you think? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Labour's Carmel Sepuloni about the recent cross-party delegation to the Pacific, New Zealand First's new trans-exclusionary members' bill and Winston Peters' threat to cut RNZ's funding. For International Desk, they spoke to Jane Fae, director at TransActual UK, about the UK Supreme Court decision that excludes trans women from the legal definition of a “woman.” For City Counselling, Wire Producer Sara spoke with Auckland Councillor Julie Fairey about the intense weather of the Easter weekend, as well as latest developments in Auckland's public transport system. She also spoke with climate activist Adam Currie from this week's protest at the Stockton mine which is seeking a fast-track approval for activity expansion.

New Zealand First has introduced a member's bill that would do away with what it calls the "woke ideology" around the subject of womanhood. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

In today's episode, New Zealand First has proposed new legislation to define the term "woman" in law as "an adult human biological female", the Catholic Diocese of Auckland Vicar for Māori says Pope Francis will be remembered as a strong voice for Indigenous rights, and a new bilingual waiata has been released to mark the first ANZAC day without the any living members of the 28th Māori Battalion after Sir Robert Bom Gillies died last year.

New Zealand First has proposed new legislation to define the term "woman" in law as "an adult human biological female". New Zealand First leader Winston Peters spoke to Corin Dann.

This week on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to delve into some of the biggest topics of the short week so far. They discussed New Zealand First's new Member's Bill calling to legally define gender, conscience votes, and Kieran McAnulty's Easter bill. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Differing opinions on New Zealand First's Members' bill regarding the definition of 'woman'. MP Jenny Marcroft is proposing legally defining a woman as being an adult human biological female. Rainbow Auckland co-chair Sibyl Mandow says it's a political move to be divisive, stir up hate, and generate a narrative to distract from more pressing issues. Mandow says the bill is trying to denounce the existence of trans people – who have no agenda and just want to exist. But Speak Up for Women spokesperson Suzanne Levy told Mike Hosking polling on this issue indicates people don't want trans people to be treated poorly. But she says at the same time, people don't think sex can be changed. Levy says laws need to be definable, as sex has never had any other meaning than biological sex. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters says the term 'woman' needs protection - by a bill legally defining it as an adult human biological female. MP Jenny Marcroft's proposed Members bill would legislate gender to biological sex, essentially meaning transgender people could not legally align with their identities. The New Zealand First leader says having to write the law this way is unusual, but it has become 'critical'. "And the fact of the matter is - that this is a case where women, who are deserving protection and support in many other occasions, are simply not getting it in our law." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First wants the definition of a woman and a man etched into the law. Britain's Supreme Court has ruled the legal definition should relate to biological sex - excluding transgender women. Leader Winston Peters says the Bill would define a woman as an adult human biological female, and a man as an adult human biological male. NZ Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan says it's unclear if a Bill of this nature will come to pass. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Easter Monday we are replaying, in full, the episode that we entered in the NZ Radio and Podcast awards that got us nominated for Best Independent Podcast, it features from June last year...Christopher Luxon is still happy with the scrapping Labour's ferry deal and flounders this morning on AM when he was asked as to how the NActNZ Government funded 13 cancer drugs plus an additional 41 to bootOsian Llywelyn, the Deputy Welsh Language Commissioner, joins us to talk about how Wales tries to advance their minority indigenous language. We seek wise counsel as to why a Government might want to make their minority indigenous language lesser than it was before they came to power.Is there cracks in the coalition? New Zealand First has invoked its "agree to disagree" provisions in its coalition cause with National over the inquiry. It means the Government's inquiry will go ahead, however, NZ First is publicly stating it disagrees with elements of it.

The government has put out a framework on relationships and sexuality education for consultation, after removing guidelines in June over New Zealand First's concerns about what it calls gender and sexuality ideology. The Education Minister said neither she nor New Zealand First has had any influence over the new framework, which updates the health curriculum last reviewed in 2007. Political reporter Russell Palmer spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Government has announced local wool products will be used in future construction and refurbishments of state buildings. It's part of the New Zealand First coalition agreement with National. But producers of local buildings are saying ‘what about us?' Kiwi timber organisations have been lobbying the Government for a similar deal for years, and are now feeling left out in the cold. New Zealand Timber Federation Industry Director Jeff Ilott talks to Ryan Bridge about the announcement. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Treaty Principles Bill has been defeated at its second reading. National and New Zealand First voted against the bill, as they indicated they would. Labour, the Greens, and Te Pati Maori also voted against the bill. The only party to vote in favour of the bill was ACT. Political reporter Lillian Hanly spoke to Lisa Owen. 

The Green MP Benjamin Doyle has dug in - insisting they've done nothing wrong in regards to their social media posts - though admitting they were politically naive. It's the MP's first public comments since the New Zealand First leader Winston Peters launched an attack last week, questioning the appropriateness of language on Benjamin Doyle's private Instagram account - "Bible-belt-bussy." Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

So it looks like the Treaty Principles Act is toast as Christopher Luxon assured us it would be. Much was made over the weekend that 90 per cent of the submissions were against it. But that means nothing if all the opposing submissions were just photocopies of one. Māori are organised. Anyone who's seen their multiple Hikoi's and the awesome organisation of the Kings Tangi should know that. You underestimate Māori at your peril. But it must also be noted that Act's act was a simplistic dog. Much of it is already covered by the bill of rights. At its heart it was three sentences designed to overthrow 50 years of legal development. But is the movement against the treaty dead. No, it is not. New Zealand first wants to have a crack. And Winston Peters, being the experienced legislator, wants to amend the existing Treaty Principles legislation we already have. He ran his election campaign on it. It's the smart way to achieve real change. And as we approach the changeover between Peters and Seymour of the Deputy PM role, Winston will have the time and the energy to have his try. So welcome to round two of the Treaty Principles debate. A round that has much more chance to succeed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Green Party MP Tamatha Paul made comments about the police and the expansion of beat patrols in Wellington, saying they make a lot of people feel “less safe.” The comments have been criticised by MPs across National, Act, New Zealand First, as well as Labour.  And Finance Minister Nicola Willis is seeking specialist external advice on what ways the supermarket duopoly could be restructured. For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about these issues.

The Green Party and New Zealand First are locked in a stoush surrounding New Zealand's first non-binary MP - and their social media history. Winston Peters has questioned the appropriateness of language used by the Green MP Benjamin Doyle - suggesting there could be grounds for police inquiry. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

Law and order was a major concern of voters going into the 2023 Election – to be fair, it's usually on the minds of voters going into any election campaign, but particularly the last one. Voters had had a guts full of doing things a different way. Of policing by consent, of giving authority to the gangs and then seeing them take over towns. We had guts full of seeing young kids ram raiding, of seeing neighbourhood crime increase. You saw numerous community Facebook pages showing kids as young as 10 being driven around by older people, breaking into homes, stealing what they could find. People were sick and tired of it, and they were sick and tired too of judges letting young punks walk away from their crimes and their responsibilities. They wanted the authorities to ensure consequences were in place when offenders broke the law. The coalition partners may have their differences, when it comes to law and order though, National, Act, and New Zealand First were, and still are, singing from the same song sheet. They all wanted to go hard in direct contrast to Labour who wanted to and did empty the prisons. Under Labour, incarceration rates plummeted from 213 people per 100,000 in 2018, which is near the highest in the OECD to 149 per 100,000. Although victims of crime increased by 12%. So unfortunately, treating people kindly, nicely with compassion didn't seem to be working terribly well. Labour's reforms were part of an overall goal to reduce the prison population by 30% by 2033. In one area where it achieved success, it achieved that 10 years early. In the 23 campaign, then Prime Minister Chris Hipkins saw that the writing was on the wall and in a stark illustration of pragmatism over ideology, showing that power to him was more important than Labour's principles, he scrapped the target as part of the policy bonfire. But it was too little too late. Labour was voted out, the Coalition voted in, and now tougher sentencing laws have been passed by Parliament. The changes kept the discounts that judges can apply during sentencing to 40% – which still sounds an awful lot. It also scraps repeat discounts for youth and remorse and absolutely – that makes sense. How many times can you be bloody sorry? How many times can you say, oh, look, I'm sorry, I was only 16, I was only 17, I was only 18, I was only 19. I have absolutely no doubt that the dreadful upbringings that many of these offenders have contributes to the reasons why they offend, but how many times do you get to play that card? It is awful. It's unspeakable. It shouldn't happen. But you can't keep saying sorry and getting away with it and having it apply. There are three new aggravating factors: penalizing offenders who target sole charge workers, good, those who aid and abet young people, good, and those who live stream their crimes, double good. The changes also encourage longer sentences for people who offend on bail, in custody, or on parole, and implement a sliding scale for early guilty pleas, so an offender can only get a 5% discount if they change their plea to guilty during the trial. This is common sense that absolutely discourages bad behaviour. But as Julie-Anne Kincaid, the Law Association Vice President told Mike Hosking this morning, the changes are all very well and good, but we're running out of places to put the lawbreakers. “Our prisons are full. We have these new things coming into play, which are designed to make prison sentences longer and people to be imprisoned longer, as well as 3 strikes coming into play on the 17th of June this year. And these will lead to an increase in our prison population, which is already at breaking point. “It costs $150,000 about to keep a person in prison for a year in New Zealand. So that's 10 more people in jail for one year each is $1.5 million, and that would pay, I'm sure for a palliative paediatric doctor to come to New Zealand.” It absolutely would. There are so many ways we as taxpayers could spend $150,000. If I had $150,000 per person, I would love to use that money to rehabilitate them. To rehabilitate especially the young punks, so they didn't cause any further harm and pain. Prison, I think we can all agree, isn't where rehabilitation happens – that has to happen within the person themselves. They decide, all of a sudden they grow up. Age seems to happen, and that's when offending stops. They fall in love, they have children, they decide they don't want the kids being brought to see dad or mum in the prison. So they decide to grow up and change their ways. They decide that they are worth more and deserve more than being some dumbass fall guy for the gangs. But, where is that rehabilitation going to happen? Where are the rehabilitation programs that work? Can we all sit around waiting for the muse to strike some young punk? Because it seems to be an epiphany that they have – this is not working, this is stupid. Doing the same thing over and over again is dumb. I'm worth more, I'm going to go out and have more. We can't. And we cannot let people get away with their crimes because that really starts to rip the fabric of society, not just strain it, but tear it. The people who are doing good get increasingly furious, increasingly brassed off, increasingly intolerant – and you can't blame them. How many times do you see people walking out of the supermarket with the trolleys loaded high when you have been agonizing over how much you have to spend, and trying to feed the family with that? So they have to be punished. Ideally, they don't commit the crime in the first place, you nip it in the bud. And that's where I guess the social investment policies come in, but they take time. I think we're just gonna have to put up with overcrowded prisons for a while, because I don't know about you, but after six years of attempts to do things differently —I don't know how they thought that reducing the prison population was suddenly going to make society safer, it didn't— I want to see good old-fashioned justice and retribution. Little bit of hellfire and brimstone for a couple of years, no matter the cost, I'm okay with it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about New Zealand First's declared “war on woke”, proposed Resource Management Act reform, and Labour's calls for the government to condemn Israel for their recent military assault on Gaza. For International Desk, they spoke to Andre Fa'aoso from the Yale Daily News about Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg accidentally being added to a group chat top US officials were using to make war plans.  And they spoke to Mike Smith (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu) about National MP Joseph Mooney's members bill that would abolish people's right to take legal action against companies over damage to the climate.  News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey on submissions for Auckland Council's long-term plan, ‘bed tax,' and discussions around equity in the upcoming election. And they spoke to Chief Executive of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand, Letitia Harding, about a recently released study showing vaping has not lowered smoking habits in young people in Aotearoa.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters gave a “State of the Nation” speech last weekend where he strongly criticised Labour and announced his party was declaring a “war on woke.” The government has announced a new replacement for the Resource Management Act, looking to pass it before the next election. And Labour Foreign Affairs spokesperson David Parker has criticised the government for not condemning Israel in the context of recent military action and the blocking of humanitarian aid in Gaza. For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these topics. 

Winston Peters will deliver his State of the Nation speech this afternoon - off the back of high level talks in the United States last week. Similar speeches have come over the past months from the Prime Minister, the Opposition leader, ACT and the Greens - and today it's New Zealand First's turn. The address comes days after Winston Peters returned from Washington DC, where he met with senior players in the Trump Administration. NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan speculated what the focus of the address could be. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An employment relations expert says many workers want to discuss how much they earn - and should be allowed to. A Bill put forward by Labour would protect that right for employees. It's supported by all parties, except for ACT and New Zealand First. Amy Ross says information about salaries belongs to the worker - and this bill would not force them to share it. "If I want to be able to discuss that and I want to be able to identify potential inequality in the workplace, then I should have the right to do so without risking getting fired or getting called into a disciplinary meeting. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, New Zealand First leader, Winston Peters, proposed a new member's bill to be placed in the ballot, which aims to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion targets in the public sector. This bill would amend the Public Service Act, which Peter, and NZ First, voted for when in a coalition government with the Labour Party in 2020. Peters aims with this bill is to remove what he refers to as "woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets in the public sector". For our weekly catchup with Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Kemp, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to her about this bill, and what the party thinks of this bill. We also spoke about the recent Infrastructure Investment Summit, as well as three of the original Whānau Ora commissioners losing their contracts. However, I started off by asking her why Peter's has switched up his stances on DEI in the public sector, as he, and NZ First, when in a coalition government with the Labour Party, voted for the Public Service Act in 2020.

As previously discussed, New Zealand First leader, Winston Peters, has proposed a new member's bill to be placed in the ballot, aiming to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, targets in the public sector. This bill would amend the Public Service Act, which Peters, and NZ First, voted for when in a coalition government with the Labour Party in 2020. DEI refers to frameworks that aim to equitably represent certain individuals and communities not represented as much as other demographics in the country. The reception for this bill varies between the parties. Senior National MP, Chris Bishop, says if the bill were to be pulled out of the ballot, that the party would consider the bill, as they believe in “meritocracy,” however, would want a “public service that is reflective of modern New Zealand”. Opposition Leader from the Labour Party, Chris Hipkins, says he would want a public sector that represents all New Zealanders. News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to the National Secretary of the Public Service Association, Fleur Fitzsimons, about Peter's members bill, and how she believes this will impact the public sector. They started off by asking how DEI targets work regarding the public sector.

In banking, New Zealand First has promised to stop "woke ideology" after the BNZ decided to pull back its lending to petrol stations. Climate change correspondent Eloise Gibson reports.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he is open to adopting some of the so-called anti-woke proposals from New Zealand First. Diversity Works New Zealand chief executive Maretha Smit spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Prime Minister has given support to New Zealand First tackling what it describes as a woke agenda within government. Labour leader Chris Hipkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Another poll is showing a clear drop in support for the coalition Government - and some are wondering if it's cause for concern. The newest Taxpayers Union-Curia Poll has Labour on 34.1 percent, and National on 33.6 percent - and Hipkins in the lead for preferred Prime Minister. ACT has fallen 2.3 points to 7.7, and New Zealand First is just above the threshold on 5.1 percent. Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union says the Government should be concerned about losing favour with voters. "We are now only 18 months away from Christopher Luxon having to go to the public to ask that fundamental question - do you feel better off than three years ago? Right now, that answer is no." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Say whatever you want about Trump, but his demeanour and influence is genuinely global. Peter Dutton has been accused of his "Trumpian" stance on everything from the public service to immigration, and now Winston Peters is all over DEI - diversity, equity and inclusion. DEI is not new, and the New Zealand First move to change the rules in the public service could easily have been part of the Government deal. But given it isn't, it's a private members bill that will have to be drawn and even then, do they have the numbers? That in and of itself is an interesting proposition. Act will be behind it, but what about National? Is DEI mainstream, or niche? How many do they risk offending if they take a stance? It's got a touch of the "rock and a hard place" feel about it. Part of the issue is the fraudulent behaviour of the corporates. If America is anything to go by, most of them will dump it as quick as for the simple reason that they never believed in it in the first place. Apple are kind of holdouts, despite the shareholders telling them different. It's actually very like BP and climate zero – everyone's on board until they realise it's all theory and the bottom line might actually count for something. The fact the basic principal that the best person for the job has been largely ditched as we genuflect our way around a series of invented nonsense, speaks not to just how wayward we have become, but also to just how weak willed we are and how easily we can dispense with common sense in a desire to not be seen as out of step with the theory of the day. Age, gender, height, sexuality, and left-handedness should have little, if anything, to do with your employment. Skills, determination, dedication, and performance are your beginning, middle, and end. Your results are your ticket to promotion, not your pronoun. “Feels” are not a guiding principle in the workplace. As always, humanity has allowed the pendulum to swing too far. For all the old ways we grew tired of, what replaced them has increasingly been proven to be farcical. DEI only ever belonged on a white board, when someone uttered "come on, there are no bad ideas". Except there were. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has taken aim at Ricardo Menendez March in parliament again - this time because the Green MP referred to the country as "Aotearoa." Menéndez March's migrant heritage is becoming a frequent attack line for New Zealand First - and he's calling on the Prime Minister to show some leadership. Peters is unrepentant - and has even indicated he wants to update Standing Orders to stop MPs using Aotearoa. Political reporter Giles Dexter spoke to Lisa Owen.

As of last week, New Zealand First has introduced a member's bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses based on the ESG or Environmental, Social and Governance Framework. This bill amends the Financial Markets Act 2022, New Zealand First claims this will mean that new decisions will be based on lawful or commercial grounds, rather than on “unelected, globalist, climate radicals.” I spoke to Dr Chanelle Duley, a lecturer in Business at the University of Auckland, about the introduction of a new bill that will aim at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses.

The highly contentious battle over fluoridated water could be picking up steam again, despite many being over it. New Zealand First's new Member's Bill seeks to repeal the laws from 2021 giving the Director-General of Health central decision making authority. It would also mandate binding local council referendums. Dental Association Policy Director Robin Whyman told Mike Hosking the legislation already went through the whole select committee process where the public was consulted. He says there was a weighing up of the pros and cons so it's not fair to say there hasn't been any input from the public, and at some point we have to stop discussing it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new poll out today puts the coalition government below the number of seats needed to govern. The Talbot Mills poll, published this morning in The Post, has the Labour Party pulling ahead of the National Party for the first time in two years - 34% over 33%, respectively. New Zealand First is also hovering around the 5% threshold required to enter parliament, down to 5.2%. Mark Leishman speaks to associate professor of politics at Victoria University of Wellington Lara Greaves.

The Prime Minister has encouraged all MPs to watch what they say after Shane Jones refused to resile from his comments about Mexican New Zealanders. That's despite New Zealand First leader Winston Peters conceding that Mr Jones's "send Mexicans home" comment could have been expressed differently. Political editor Jo Moir spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Resources Minister is hitting out at banks for punishing "god-fearing regional businesses". New Zealand First's Shane Jones has told The Australian newspaper banks are imposing "woke-riddled" costs on a productive sector, by reducing services to fossil fuel businesses. Jones told Mike Hosking he has every right to fight this, despite banks struggling with things like margins and the commerce commission at the moment. He says the fossil fuel businesses are doing nothing wrong, what they're doing is offending executives' luxury beliefs. Jones says the coal industry is an “honest, legitimate industry”, and people will back electricity before they back chilliness. Winston Peters and Shane Jones aren't backing down over their comments about foreign-born Green MPs. Peters has told the MPs they have ideas "foreign to the country", and they should show some gratitude for the country. Jones referenced U.S. President Donald Trump in his jeers, yelling, “Trump! Trump! Send the Mexicans home!” Peters says MPs should go somewhere else if they're too soft for robust Parliamentary debates. Jones told Hosking "it's a Mexican stand-off". LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is little in life more nauseating than a sycophant. These are people who do not what they believe is right, but bend to the whim, flavour, or mood of the day. The corporate world is full of it. The tech giants have been badly exposed as they decide fact checking is for losers now that big Don is running the place. The battle is being fought locally as well. There is word New Zealand First are looking at a members bill to make banks do business properly. Currently, and this is also a major debate in Australia, banks have taken the stance that there are some businesses that they don't like. Those dabbling in fossil fuels is one of them. They have made getting money hard work. They have not done this because there isn't profit or because these businesses default. They have done this because fossil fuels are out, and climate change is in. The coalition in Australia, who at this stage are odds on to become the Government midyear, are going hard because fossil fuels are of greater importance to them than they are here. But the role of the banks, once again, is being called into question. In this country the Government is gunning for them over margins and competition. The last thing they need is another fight over their right, or predilection, for doing business with some people and not others. As the former chair of our biggest bank John Key quite rightly pointed out on this programme a number of times said, banks have a very large social licence. They are a backbone of an economy. It is not their job to play politics, or trend setter to the groovy mood of the day. Fossil fuels remain vital for keeping the lights on. You might not like that but it's true. If it changes, that's brilliant. Right now it isn't, or hasn't been, enough. Morals are personal choices, not business ones, and certainly not in businesses with the influence banks have. The thought that a Government might have legislate to make a business behave itself shows you how badly these places are reading the mood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sir John Key doubts asset sales would achieve much. The former Prime Minister says cutting bureaucracy and allowing better foreign investment would have more of an impact. National says it may campaign on state-owned asset sales next election, a policy New Zealand First is dead against, while ACT's floating privatisation of health and education. Key told Mike Hosking people are opposed because of what he thinks is ideological mumbo jumbo. He says they just want to say everything is fantastic when its run by the state and you can't trust the private sector, but most things are done by the private sector already. Sir John Key says there's nothing much left to sell, anyway. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.