Podcasts about New Zealand First

Winston's done it again. The old political workhorse of the Pacific just keeps getting more popular. New Zealand First has overtaken ACT in the latest Taxpayer's Union Curia Poll - it's now the third most popular party. I'll give you a break down of the numbers shortly, but this has got to be ego bruising for Seymour. He's just got his feet under the Deputy's desk and he's been overtaken in the polls by the bloke he's replaced. Not that simply being the Deputy PM gets you votes, but he's trying to make a good fist of it. Seymour's holding press conferences left, right and centre. Yesterday, a stand-up reacting to no change in the OCR. Today, a stand-up on Stats NZ numbers. Luxon's overseas on holiday. Winston's East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur. Seymour's been bogged down with Regulatory Standard's Bill, the Treaty bill and school lunches. Winston's been flying around the world keeping us in line with China and staving off Trump's tariffs... all while celebrating his 80th birthday. And to top it off, he's keeping cash in circulation. Winston is popular because he speaks his mind and knows what he's talking about. He commands respect. When he speaks, people listen. He's a good example of a man who keeps it simple. Do your job and do it well. Work hard and stay focussed. It's a pretty simple formula that's seen him through the last 40+ years in politics and ion these numbers will see him through atleast a couple more yet. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another poll. Another rush of fevered opinion, and yet still so far away from an election. The poll business is booming. Once upon a time we had just the two TV networks in the game, but now they've been joined by others. Keeping the opinion writers in business and politics as the leading news driver in this country. So this one was paid for by the Taxpayers Union and it breathlessly reports that New Zealand First is on the rise and is now the third most popular party. Winston may be 80, but it looks like he's here to stay. And the two major parties are pretty equal at 30 odd each - there is no dominant party right now in New Zealand. Other than that, the other take away is that we don't like the leaders of the major parities. Both leaders have popularity rankings less than 20%, and that's because they're both demonstrably a bit average. That's particularly concerning for National and the Prime Minister, who learned that 80% of New Zealanders don't rate him as PM. It reflects a deep dis-ease about where the country finds itself. In a week where we found that we grew not one jot in the last financial quarter, people are wondering why we've got so stuck in the mire. National's easy answer at the last election was that Labour was useless. But 18 months into National's governance I feel people are still wondering where we're going and whether, maybe, they're a bit useless too. I blame politics and the urge to politicise every issue and polarise the voters. Our current default position from our politicians is the other side is crap. Vote for us. But the country is saying you're both crap. There is no truth teller out there leading the way through the murk. And in this vacuum of leadership Winston shines by just doing the basics as a Foreign Minister well and not being useless. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retail NZ has said it believes forcing vendors to take real folding money would be a step backwards. It comes after New Zealand First introduced a members bill that would make it illegal to refuse cash for essential services like food, fuel and telecomunications. Retailers and service providers would also have to take cash payments up to $500. The "Cash Transactions Protection Bill " would also require vendors to hold enough cash in case of a digital outage of more than twenty-four hours. Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young spoke to Lisa Owen.

There's claims comments by Chris Hipkins on the Covid inquiry are 'unhelpful' and 'divisive'. The Labour leader said the terms of reference for the second phase - currently underway - provide a platform for conspiratorial views. He pointed out they exclude decisions made when New Zealand First was in Government . But Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, told Ryan Bridge the terms were expanded so people felt listened to. "They wanted the inquiry to be fulsome and to find the truth so that when we have another pandemic, we have less division and we have a better response." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Hipkins was on with Kerre Woodham yesterday, as well as with Ryan Bridge on Herald NOW, and he talked about the Covid inquiry – insinuating it was slanted against Labour because New Zealand First is now part of a National government and had drawn up the scope of the inquiry to benefit them. It also came out that he has drafted written responses to the questions the Commission might ask of him, but he is non-committal about fronting up for a verbal grilling – a good cross examination. Now also on the table is Jacinda Arden, who doesn't look like showing despite the wish of many for her to be held to account. But the thing about this Commission is that it is not a trial, it's an inquiry. It's a show trial, really. It's a political thing and Chris Hipkins is still in the political game, unlike Jacinda Ardern. So he needs to handle this thing well. He was the Minister of Health during the pandemic. In fact, he was the Minister of just about everything, because he was the most competent in his party. So if he wants to be the leader of this party going into the next election, he really must turn up and face that cross examination of what he was part of. But we know what he did – it's already there and black and white. But what we don't know is the thought processes that drove his actions, and we haven't had the chance to question him. And what we don't know is his thoughts, with hindsight, as to what he might have done better. So if he's honest about learning lessons about pandemic management because there's gonna be another pandemic in the future, then he really must turn up and face the heat. It'll be good for him. It'll be good for us. If he doesn't, the conspiracy theorists that he mentioned yesterday will bring all their bias to bear against him next election. Chris Hipkins has choices: face up and tell the truth, stand apart and let speculation by what he calls “conspiracy theorists” run wild, or just quit. Quit his aspiration to become Prime Minister one more time and enjoy a retirement from public life. It's in your court, Chris. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former MP and cabinet minister Peter Dunne thinks MPs have an obligation to the public to serve out their full terms, after New Zealand First list MP Tanya Unkovich became the seventh MP to resign since the 2023 election.

Act's David Seymour says a unit for verifying the costs of pre-election political policy promises - would add more bureaucracy. Act and New Zealand First torpedoed a proposal by Finance Minister Nicola Willis to publicly fund such a service. National declined Labour's offer of support. Seymour claims his Party managed to release a fully costed alternative Budget without it. He says he doesn't like the idea that people need bureaucracy to tell them what is good or accurate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has announced three new law and order policies this week, including increased penalties for coward punches, assaulting first responders and shoplifting. But what impact will these changes have? Also, Act and New Zealand First have shot down Finance Minister Nicola Willis' plans for a policy costing unit. Is this something we should have? National's Otaki MP Tim Costley and Labour's revenue and associate finance spokeswoman Dr Deborah Russell joined Nick Mills for Politics Thursday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Finance Minister believes there's a need for a publicly funded body to find out what election promises would cost. Act and New Zealand First have shot down current Finance Minister Nicola Willis' proposal, which would have allowed resources from the public sector to cost policies of political parties up to 10 months before an election. Ruth Richardson was the Finance Minister in the 1990s and told Ryan Bridge Willis is on the right track, but the proposal falls short of what's required. She says we want a publicly resourced body, independent of the executive to ensure more informed public and parliamentary debate. Richardson says the UK's Office for Budget Responsibility is a gold standard example of what we should be creating. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anyone out there, hands up, who doesn't agree with the Justice Minister's plan to introduce harsher punishments for people who assault first responders? I feel like this is a complete no-brainer. I mean, there are some out there who would argue that no assault is acceptable at all and that if you create two tiers of punishment where you've got the police officers on one level and then the normal humans on another - what you're saying is that some assaults are more acceptable than others. And that's a fair argument to make, but I think reality has a role to play here, and the reality is different, isn't it? The reality is you and I, regular citizens, can just walk away if we see something happening, if we see there's somebody who needs a bit of help, but we can see it's not safe - we can just keep on going. First responders can't. For police and ambo workers in the fire service, it is their job to go into those situations that are often quite risky because people are upset or people have been substance abusing or whatever. And having a different level of offense for them is an acknowledgement, I think, that they face greater risk, so they should have greater protection. Now, obviously, just attaching a higher punishment to it doesn't mean it's necessarily going to deter someone from doing something, especially if they're off their face and they're making bad decisions. But I would be surprised if it doesn't have an effect over time. As the punishments start coming in, I suspect it will have an impact - the impact of making first offenders a no go. I find it hard to believe that anybody would assault an ambulance worker, because, you know, is there anybody who was there to help you more than an ambulance worker? They're not there to arrest you. They're just there to help you. But it happens. At the last count, there were 12 assaults on ambulance workers every single week, and that was before COVID. So probably like everything since then, I imagine the numbers would have gone up. But here's the question I have about this, right? This is not a new idea. From what I can see, this idea was first pitched by New Zealand First seven years ago. It got to a second reading, never went any further. Same as with the coward's punch, which has just been announced today after being first pitched seven years ago. On the face of it, I would say a it's good idea. So why does it take so long for good ideas to become law? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Treaty Negotiations Minister admits people are losing patience on a Ngāpuhi settlement, but says they want it to last. New Zealand First is launching a Bill, proposing a one-and-done treaty settlement for the largest iwi, rather than multiple hapu settlements. Paul Goldsmith says that although he sympathises with the desire for a faster resolution, if you want an enduring settlement, you need people to be prepared to settle. He told Mike Hosking that the settlement has to have the support of around 200,000 to 300,000 people, which has been the challenge in the past. Goldsmith says that they have a good plan now, and they're making good progress on the work that's currently underway. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A single Treaty settlement is being drafted by New Zealand First for the country's largest iwi. Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith has signalled he's open to settlements with smaller groups - within iwi. Ngāti Hine leader Pita Tipene says they continue to hold talks with Paul Goldsmith, but not Shane Jones. "He is the minister, that's who we have conversations with and that's how we want to keep it. We don't want to be talking to the minister - or anybody else for that matter - through the media." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First says the country can no-longer afford a drawn-out Treaty settlement with the largest iwi. The party's drafting legislation to require a single settlement with Ngāpuhi, rather than multiple agreements. However, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith has signalled he's open to settlements with smaller groups within iwi. NZ First MP Shane Jones told Mike Hosking the $20 million process is holding up Whangarei Hospital redevelopments. He says one group is hijacking the claim by introducing notions of sovereignty at the cost of the taxpayer. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington regional council's Simon Woolf is among those calling for local Government to be reformed. New Zealand First's Shane Jones last week told a local Government forum he doesn't see a compelling reason for maintaining regional government. Woolf labelled it a 'mess' that needed a review - and he joined the Afternoons team to explain why. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we chat to Honourable Shane Jones, member of the NZ government and the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Resources, Associate Minister of Finance, and Associate Minister for Energy. Shane entered Parliament in 2005 and joined New Zealand First as an MP in 2017. As a proud born and bred Northlander, Shane has always asked the tough questions, identified policy solutions, and accelerated implementation in his political life …and has been a very vocal supporter of the mining industry, including the possibility of seabed mining. He very much sees New Zealand's own natural resources as a pathway to economic prosperity, creating regional wealth and jobs.  On the podcast, we discuss what the mining industry means to NZ, the policies the government have, and are looking to implement to make the industry more attractive and why companies should invest into NZ's mining industry and much more. KEY TAKEAWAYS The New Zealand government, under the leadership of Shane Jones, is committed to revitalising the mining industry, reversing previous bans on oil and gas New Zealand has developed a Critical Minerals List and a mineral strategy aimed at restoring pride in the natural resources sector The introduction of Fast Track legislation aims to streamline the environmental permitting process for mining projects, allowing for quicker allocation of permits  A $200 million co-investment fund has been established to encourage both local and international investment in the mining sector, addressing concerns about potential future government changes BEST MOMENTS "I believe a lot of the climate change hysteria is actually going to wreck Western economies unless we restore some balance to it."  "We've got a kind of figurative Sahara desert of iron sands resource, largely in the ocean."  "Any economy that races ahead, demonises, cancels its fossil fuels industry without an affordable strategy... is dicing with economic calamity."  "No one enjoys a perfect history. So what we've got to do is ensure that mining as it goes forward is strongly defended." VALUABLE RESOURCES A Minerals Strategy for New Zealand - Read more: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/energy-and-natural-resources/minerals-and-petroleum/strategies/a-minerals-strategy-to-2040 New Zealand's Critical Minerals List - Read more: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/energy-and-natural-resources/minerals-and-petroleum/critical-minerals-list/critical-minerals-list-2025 Free access to geoscience data: https://www.nzpam.govt.nz/maps-geoscience/geodata-catalogue https://www.nzpam.govt.nz/maps-geoscience/core-store https://www.nzpam.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/the-mineral-potential-of-new-zealand-part-1-overview-of-new-zealands-mineral-deposits-and-their-resources.pdf Improving regulatory settings - Read more: https://www.nzpam.govt.nz/nz-industry/rules-regulations/fast-track-approvals-process Connecting with New Zealand's mining sector - Read more: https://mineralscouncil.co.nz/ -Invest NZ - Read more: https://www.nzte.govt.nz/page/invest-or-raise-capital-with-nzte Mail:        rob@mining-international.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ X:              https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast  Web:        http://www.mining-international.org This episode is sponsored by Hawcroft, leaders in property risk management since 1992. They offer: Insurance risk surveys recognised as an industry standard Construction risk reviews Asset criticality assessments and more Working across over 600 sites globally, Hawcroft supports mining, processing, smelting, power, refining, ports, and rail operations. For bespoke property risk management services, visit www.hawcroft.com CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

As part of Fieldays, Federated Farmers have done the most interesting survey. It is a snapshot, like them all. But the numbers for one lot are so stark, alarm bells should be ringing. So, who would a farmer vote for? You would say National and you would be right. Broadly the farming community is conservative, always has been. That, partly, is because they are their own masters, they are hard workers, they are self-reliant, they are at the cutting edge of the economy, and they know how life works. So 54% said they'd vote for National and 19% said ACT. Here is where it gets interesting and/or alarming. 8% said they'd vote for NZ First. They're the only party with farmers at about the same level as they are nationally. Labour is on 3%. How bad is that? Even with a margin of error, even with a massive margin of error, Labour should be shocked at that figure. Every party has their sweet spot, some parties more overtly so, e.g. the Greens and environmentalists, or communists. ACT have some upmarket urban liberals. New Zealand First having a provincial number higher than the city wouldn't surprise me But National and Labour, as major parties should be, by their very nature are broad-based. After all, it is Labour and National, and Labour and National alone, that will lead any given Government on any given day. You have to at least have a half-decent level of support even in your weakest areas. Farming is particularly important, given we are a farming nation, the foreign receipts we get from the land and the value of our free trade deals. To have a major party so out of touch with such a large sector strikes me as being astonishing, if not embarrassing, if not unheard of. My suspicion is the current version of Labour is particularly unpalatable, and this is going to be their major issue next year. For all voters the damage done to the country is still fresh in most of our minds, but no more so than farmers. The climate obsession, special land area designation, Three Waters with Māori overreach, no gas, and more paperwork. Farmers hated it. A lot of us hated it. But in general polls Labour are competitive. On the land they are pariahs. At 3% that is a massive hill for Hipkins and co to climb between now and October next year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Pāti Māori co-leaders and one of its MPs are beginning their suspension from Parliament after unprecedented punishments against them were confirmed. New Zealand First leader Winston Peters spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

There seems to be increasing reportage, based around some new research, that our dream of being smokefree is up in smoke. 2025 is the year when we were aiming to be smokefree. By smokefree, it would have been reduced to 5% left smoking. To meet that goal, the research says about 80,000 more people need to quit. They won't. As always, the fact they haven't, or won't, is somehow the Government's fault, who haven't done enough. Or worse, this particular Government, who they say have been shocking, led by New Zealand First and Casey Costello who is a devil and in the pocket of the tobacco companies – or some such gibberish those like the Labour Party spend a lot of time trying to suggest. Where it went wrong was twofold. The first was the belief, and this was classic Labour under Helen Clark, that you could force people to do something they didn't want to, and there were always going to be people who didn't want to. Where it worked, and we can be grateful, was in the public space part of it. No longer are you forced to inhale if you don't want to, or smell like a smoker, or stand in a group, or be trapped by it. But beyond that, once the hardcores were on the footpath, some were never giving up. The second thing that went wrong was vaping, a shocking miscalculation that it was a cessation tool, when what it really was a gateway for kids. A whole new generation got easy access, and the slippery slope was never going to get stopped. Governments could have nipped it in the bud but didn't. They could have made vapes script only like Australia, but didn't. The Labour Party under Ayesha Verrall, a medical professional from the party who invented smokefree, hurled their best wet bus ticket at the vaping market. So nothing happened. History will show they were out of the gates, Clark-style, with gusto. There was early progress on public spaces and a general change in attitude to the habit, followed by the predictable malaise and hardcore resistance, leaving us 25 years on with a change in society but well short of what was envisioned. Good crack, failed on the follow through. I'd give it 7 out of 10. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First has had its strongest showing in two recent polls in years - and leader Winston Peters says the support for his party comes down to voters wanting experienced leaders. Peters joined Nick Mills to discuss the first eighteen months of the Parliamentary term, as well as his view of Labour and his relationship with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Honestly, I don't know why we report on polls. Seriously, I don't know why I'm even talking about them myself, but it's really ripped my nightie overnight. They're so frustrating, and because media companies commission them, it makes the media look like master manipulators. This is from 1News last night (I didn't watch 1News, obvs) but this is from their website – both National and Labour have slid in the latest 1News-Verian poll, while New Zealand First have moved to their strongest position in eight years. If an election were to be held today, the right bloc of National, ACT, and New Zealand First would have 63 seats —enough to form a coalition— while the left bloc of Labour, the Greens, and Te Pati Māori would have 58 seats. So that's from 1News and their Verian poll. This is from Radio New Zealand – after the budget and pay equity changes, the left bloc would have the support to turf the coalition out of power, the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll shows. The preferred Prime Minister and leadership ratings are also bad news for the government, with the exception of Winston Peters, who's seen his highest results since 2017. The ratings of the government's general performance have also continued to slide, with Labour, the Greens and Te Pati Māori all gaining compared to the previous poll, they would have a majority with 63 seats between them, compared to the coalitions 57. A direct opposite of what 1News-Verian said. How can this be? And it's always headline news. You've got 1News talking about the right bloc being able to hold on to power, but only just, and look out. You've got RNZ crowing about the fact that the coalition government would be turfed out of power with the left gaining hold. And both lead with it, and it leaves me scratching my head and doubting both of them. How do you imagine the pollsters collect their data? Random phone calls of 1000 people? No, no, no. It's far more tricky than that, and they put it in every story. It must be an obligation on the part of the media company to say how the data was collected. From TVNZ: Between May 24 and May 28, 1002 eligible voters were polled by mobile phone (500) and online, using online panels (502). What are online panels? Are they things you sign up to yourself? Who knows? The maximum sampling area is approximately plus 3.1%. Party support percentages have been rounded up or down to whole numbers. The data has been weighted to align with Stats NZ population counts for age, gender, region, ethnic identification and education level. So what does that mean? If I'm a numpty, am I worth 2 points as opposed to somebody who leaves school worth NCEA and that's worth one? What does that mean? If I'm 18 and I respond, does that mean because there are fewer 18 year olds who respond, does it mean that my reckon is worth double that of somebody who's 50+. How can you weight the information? And not all 18 year olds think the same way. If you're looking at ethnic identification, not all Māori, not all Pakeha, not all Pasifika, not all Chinese people, think the same way. The sample for mobile phones is selected by random dialling using probability sampling. Online sample is collected using an online panel. So that's from 1News. This is from RNZ: This poll of 1008 people was conducted by Reid Research using quota sampling and weighting to ensure representative cross section by age, gender and geography. The poll was conducted through online interviews between the 23rd and 30th of May 2025, has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1%. I'm of a mind to never discuss the polls again. The statisticians and the research pollsters and the companies all say, oh, no, no, no, it's terribly scientific. Is it really? When you've got two polls conducted over the same time, presumably using the same scientific methods, coming up with two completely different results. If the polls were scientific, surely you'd see a consensus of opinion. You wouldn't go sniffing like a truffle hunter looking for respondents that agree with your particular version of the way things should be. It's like you're researching into an echo chamber. It's not worth the time and the money. If this is what RNZ is spending their money on, given that they are funded by the taxpayer, I'd rather they spend it on training up young reporters or allowing a veteran reporter to spend some time doing some investigative journalism, rather than coming up with a poll that supports their worldview. And which is in direct contrast to the other taxpayer funded organisation, which is kind of paying its way at the moment, which is 1News. What is the point? How on earth can we take them seriously when they come up with completely different results and when all the data is weighed, quotas are taken, samplings adjusted. It's an absolute crock. The emperor is stark naked and shouldn't be taken seriously at all. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The opposition parties - Labour, the Greens and Te Pati Maori - would be in a position to form a government if an election was held today. Labour is in the lead on 33.2, with National in behind on 30.7 points, the Greens get 11.6, and New Zealand First is on 9.1 percentage points, while ACT has 6.6 and Te Pati Maori is on 5.5 percentage points. That gives the coalition government 57 seats, not enough to govern, while the Opposition parties would have 63 seats allowing them to form a government. Political editor Jo Moir spoke to Corin Dann.

Labour's leader thinks talk of potential coalitions is premature. New Zealand First leader and veteran politician Winston Peters has ruled out working with Labour post next election if Chris Hipkins is still in charge. Peters has described a potential trio of Labour, the Greens, and Te Pati Māori as a 'woke circus'. Chris Hipkins says Labour will set out bottom lines before the election. He's taken the chance to take a swipe at the Coalition. "We're not just going to allow the smaller parties to call all the shots in the way that Christopher Luxon and the National Party currently are doing." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon says he's expecting a “pretty seamless transition” as Winston Peters hands over the deputy prime minister role to David Seymour this week. The Prime Minister spoke live to Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills today as he reaches the halfway point of his three-year term as leader. Luxon was sworn in as Prime Minister in November 2023, after National secured 38% of the vote at the general election. He negotiated a three-way coalition agreement with New Zealand First and ACT. As part of that agreement, the leaders of the two parties, Winston Peters and David Seymour, are sharing the deputy prime minister role for half of the parliamentary term each. This week marks the midpoint for the three-year parliamentary term. Peters has been serving as deputy prime minister with Seymour set to take over this Saturday. When asked how he felt he was tracking in the job, Luxon said he was “absolutely loving it” but acknowledged it was a tough time for the country. “It's essentially like the recession of the early 90's. We inherited a hell of a mess and we're happy to fix it up and sort it out.” Luxon said he and his wife continue having date nights on Fridays despite the demands of the job, and had just been to the movies together to see Mission Impossible. “I really want Amanda and the kids to be able to carry on their life without being defined too much by what I do.” He said there was “no question at all whatsoever” that he would do it all again if he had the chance to start over. “I kind of knew what I was getting into . . . the hard stuff comes to your desk. If it's easy, it gets solved somewhere else in the system.” When asked whether he was spending too much time appeasing coalition parties, Luxon said they were doing something that had never been done before. Mills asked whether Luxon's party would be more effective if they could work without the coalition parties, and Luxon said that was not how New Zealand worked with the electoral system. He said it was “okay” and “normal” to not agree on everything with partners, but in the majority of cases they were aligned in what they wanted to do. Asked about the handover from Peters to Seymour as deputy prime minister, Luxon said he expects it to be a “pretty seamless transition”. He said Peters and Seymour were different people with different personalities, and Luxon's job was to make that work. Christopher Luxon, David Seymour and Winston Peters after signing their coalition agreement in November 2023. Photo / Mark Mitchell Mills asked Luxon what he thought was going wrong with Wellington, referencing public sector job cuts and the appointment of a Crown Observer at Wellington City Council. Luxon referred to other major cities that were making bids for big events, such as Sail GP in Auckland and the supercars in Christchurch. He criticised a bike lane being built on Molesworth St. “You've got way too much ideology and party politics in your local government. “Wellington should be more than just a public service town. We've just gone and invested $500 million in film rebates in this country.” He said there was ambition and aspiration in Wellington, but there needed to be a council that did the basics well, such as managing water. He said Wellington Water was a “total basket case”. Luxon wouldn't be drawn on who he thought should be the capital's next Mayor, instead saying “whoever is the next mayor needs to have a vision where it's going to, they need to get the finances under control. “It's a big city, it's an important city to New Zealand. I live here, I love this place, it's got so much potential.” Luxon then turned the questions on Nick Mills asking if he was going to be throwing his hat in the ring. He jokingly exclaimed they had managed to confirm Mills was not running for mayor. The six men vying to be Wellington's next mayor are Andrew Little, Ray Chung, Graham Bloxham, Karl Tiefenbacher, Rob Goulden and Kelvin Hastie. NZH composite image The pair also discussed the recent death of Palmerston North teenager Ryan Satterthwaite, who died after taking part in a private “run it straight” game on Sunday. The 19-year-old was taken to Palmerston North Hospital with severe head injuries. His life support was turned off on Monday. Satterthwaite's grieving family say his death was an “accident waiting to happen” and have urged others to stop taking part in the social media-driven trend. Speaking to the Herald, his uncle Peter Satterthwaite said Ryan was a “top kid” who loved his mates, enjoyed playing rugby, and “would do anything for anybody.” He said “run it straight” was simply a “stupid idea”. “Just don't do it. A little bit of fun has lifelong consequences.” Palmerston North teen, Ryan Satterthwaite died after suffering serious injuries in a "run it straight" game. Satterthwaite said it was “disgraceful” the events are being promoted as a sport, and is calling on the All Blacks, Warriors, and other high-profile sportspeople to publicly speak out against it. “People don't listen to us, we're just Joe Bloggs, but they [the public] idolise our sportspeople.” Luxon said the situation was “incredibly tragic for the young person involved, for their family, for their friends. It's just an absolute tragedy”. He said it was a good reminder for people to take “personal responsibility”. Luxon said adults and influencers driving the craze should be “thinking and reflecting very strongly right now”. He said it wasn't something you can ban at a government level. LISTEN ABOVESee 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.