Podcasts about nz first

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has met with some Pike River families, who fear workplaces are about to get more dangerous. The Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill would exempt businesses with fewer than 20 workers from legally having to manage non-critical safety risk. The families are asking NZ First to withdraw it's support for the bill. Winston Peters spoke to Lisa Owen.

The latest poll has just been released. Let's look at the standings and trends thus far for 2026. Opportunity Party support is steadily growing, ACT has seen a trending decline.Te Pāti Māori are back in the game, laying out their election strategy for the 2026 election. Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke speaks to continuing to stand this election under the TPM banner.Winston Peters is prodded by a "refreshed" Ryan Bridge, who presses for an answer as to whether NZ First would consider working with Labour again, prompting Winston to call out Ryan's "Wanker question".++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Green Party Co-Leader Marama Davidson joins us live to discuss the Green's election year tax policy released over the weekend.Luxon revealed another election promise at National's annual conference in Wellington on Sunday, with KiwiSaver changes that include auto enrolling babies with a $1500 starting boost. NZ First have called them out for stealing their homework.Helen Clark reacts the election policies released over the weekend, and whether they go far enough to address NZ's long list of current and future problems.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

The government's Conservation Amendment Bill includes plans to sell up to 60% of New Zealand's conservation land. The government argues that much of this land is not your typical conservation land - rather that it includes farmland and other unused areas without ecological benefits.  The bill's opponents, however, say this isn't the full story, and that the government's criteria for sale opens room to sell large portions of land currently inhabited by our native flora and fauna. The policy also paves the way for further sales of conservation land, especially concerning because of the minimal public influence on the decision, despite the fact that it affects public assets.  The concerns are further compounded by the release of a Curia Market Research poll this morning on public support for the sale of conservation land. Not only are the majority of the population opposed, but this opposition extends to the majority of National and ACT voters and half of NZ First voters.  Youth unemployment is also an issue in the news cycle this week, with rates at a thirty year high. Despite this government being in power for almost three years, improvements are difficult to find.  Lastly, last week saw announcements that Flying Out Record Store and Neck of the Woods will both be closing. These announcements follow the closure of Verona Cafe and Bar and the cancellation of The Others Way festival for 2026. With Auckland's arts and culture funding seeing cuts each year, there are calls for the government to take action to support these businesses and communities. For this week's catch-up with the ACT Party's Simon Court, News Director Castor asked about each of these issues, beginning with the Conservation Amendment Bill.

Don't you think it's a bit rich of Nicola Willis to be criticising Labour when, last election, she did exactly what she's accusing Labour of doing? Keeping us in the dark. Every politician is guilty on this front. Which is why I'm right behind the idea being floated by economist Cameron Bagrie today. He's saying that we need to set-up an independent outfit that would help us decide whether what politicians are promising stacks up financially. But let me take you back to the last election. When National was promising tax cuts and saying they were going to be paid for by taxing rich foreigners buying houses here. The party said it was going to get $740 million from the foreign house buyers and, because of that, we were going to pay less tax. And, pretty much straight away, economists and tax experts were poo pooing the idea. Which had us all wanting National to say who gave it advice that this was going to work, when everyone else seemed to think it wouldn't. And what was National's response? Not telling you. I do remember Nicola Willis saying she'd resign if the tax cuts weren't delivered. But she wouldn't - and Christopher Luxon wouldn't - give the type of detail she's now accusing Labour of hiding from us. Which economist Cameron Bagrie says could all be avoided if we had an independent fiscal watchdog, separate from Treasury. He's saying today: “We saw this in 2017, 2020, 2023. One side has a crack at the other in regards to making their numbers stack up. We've been here before. Not surprising.” It was happening way before 2017. Remember in 2011, when there was a pre-election debate in Christchurch, and John Key trotted out the line, which some people think won him the election. “Show me the money,” he said to Phil Goff, who was the Labour Party leader at the time. Fifteen years on, the only thing we can still rely on are the numbers and costings trotted out by the politicians. Labour's public transport policy is an example. They say $65 million and we'll be in bus heaven. I'm not convinced. Maybe I would be if we had this independent outfit Cameron Bagrie is calling for today. Just like we would have had numbers rather than the “just trust us” we got from National at the last election over the foreign buyers tax coviering the cost of you and I paying less PAYE. But we didn't. We thought it was smoke and mirrors. And that's what it turned out to be. Just like Labour's promises and the $18 billion Nicola says isn't accounted for. If we had more transparency, we wouldn't have to rely on politicians on one side telling us we can afford whatever they're promising and politicians on the other side saying no, we can‘t. To give Nicola Willis credit. She has been a fan previously of some sort of way to cost-out party policies. In fact, she wanted to see a publicly-funded outfit that would have done the numbers and worked-out the actual cost of election policies. Or election promises. It had the potential to work-out whether all the talk we get from political parties before an election stacks up. It didn't happen, though. Because ACT and NZ First wouldn't let it happen. But I think we deserve this kind of transparency. In think an agency separate from Treasury that would tell us exactly how things are on the fiscal front, would be brilliant. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT and New Zealand First are in favour of a minimum non-parole period of 8 years for offenders who commit manslaughter by a strike to the head or the neck - the coward punch. But, National and the opposition parties are not keen. Board member of the Walk Without Fear Trust, Mike Angove, told Andrew Dickens he is disappointed in National's lack of support. "National have indicated that they're going to look at bespoke law, but essentially, remembering that Matt King, originally a National Party member, started this 8 years ago, almost 9 years ago. National has been right behind this the whole way, but they've faltered at the hurdle." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZ First leader on shaking things up with Shane Jones at Fieldays. Plus, he talks about the state of farming, a recent positive poll, and superannuation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour Party yesterday announced its final candidate list ahead of the Election. Did you find it an encouraging list? It looks like there are some very capable, accomplished newcomers with real life experience quite high on the list, and quite a few activists. While several more experienced, current MP's find themselves down the list, most likely further than they'd like. So, what does this tell us? Well, not much more than any other list. Party President Jill Day said they were "proud" of the diversity and "depth of talent", and that, "we represent our whole community with the skills and life experiences we need to bring real progressive change". But every party promotes their list this way. At the end of May, ACT released their first batch of candidates by saying, “ACT's candidates are a true representation of modern New Zealand. They include farmers, legal experts, business owners, tradies, parents, military veterans, policy experts, teachers, engineers, and community leaders. They come from all walks of life, but they share one thing in common: a belief that New Zealand can and must do better." Hopefully the newbies do bring fresh ideas, and a get it done attitude - but we will have to wait and see. It's not until we see candidates in action that we really get a sense of them. The list was notable for a couple of things. 1. Greg O'Connor, the assistant speaker who said at the beginning of the year, “I don't think I'm ready to give up politics yet, I think I've got a lot to offer”, has not picked up a spot on the party list (or maybe one that he was happy with) after his seat was disestablished, so is stepping away. 2. The highly placed Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo, number 13 on the list, has annoyed his boss the Police Commissioner, who expressed severe displeasure over the process that led to a superintendent being on the Labour list. Current Police Minister Mark Mitchell isn't terribly happy either. He said it is critical that the public can have confidence that police are politically neutral. So, not the smoothest announcement there. 3. But what really caught our attention was the accidental policy announcement about tax relief by another newcomer on the list, Kingi Kiriona. He got a little ahead of himself by saying he gathered there will be some tax relief policies to be announced – and then very quickly referred back to his leader. And, you know what, I felt for the guy. The first media stand up —as a candidate— is intimidating. So, it was a learning experience – he now knows why politicians try to stick to the message. Obviously, there's some media training to come, but in the meantime it was the most interesting thing to come out of yesterday's announcement. Maybe this was just a really good tease to get us excited that Labour is about to start releasing policy. In a couple of days, apparently. It will be interesting to see if it has that ‘real progressive change' they keep talking about. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newstalk ZB Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper joined Andrew Dickens to chat about the political week that was. They discussed the MPs banned from China following a Taiwan visit last year, the Government moving to ban unelected members from voting in local councils, and the rise of the fringe parties. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Four New Zealand MPs who visited Taiwan last month have been banned from entering China, Hong Kong, and Macau for a year. National's Maureen Pugh, Labour's Duncan Webb, ACT's Laura McClure and NZ First's David Wilson were visiting as part of a cross-party Parliamentary group to improve relations with Taiwan. The Chinese embassy has said the ban could be reduced or waived with an apology. It’s the first time China has imposed such a move-- so does this mark a turning point in China–New Zealand relations, or is it a targeted, symbolic strike that won’t fundamentally change anything? Today on The Front Page, Victoria University of Wellington Contemporary China Research Centre director Jason Young is with us to unpack what’s behind China’s decision, why it happened now, and what the backlash could mean for our future relationship with Beijing. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Chelsea DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm not one to get excited at election time about the outside chance that small parties like Opportunity make it into Parliament. But I reckon this year is different. If Opportunity plays this right, they might just do it. Yesterday's Roy Morgan poll had them at 6%. Now, I don't know how much stock I put in that poll because it was very volatile. National went up 5% and Labour went down 7.5%. Swings that big have got to be questioned because they don't seem credible. But this is now a trend for Opportunity. They are now close to, or over, 5% in multiple polls and knocking off 5% is the one thing they must do. It's the biggest hurdle for a new party. Voters don't want to vote for a party if they think it's not going to make it in. It's a weird part of our voter psyche that makes no sense. But never mind – it might not matter for Opportunity if they can keep polling this high. I reckon they are benefiting from the same thing NZ First is at the moment: frustration. Like with Pauline Hanson, Nigel Farage, and Donald Trump, voters are so frustrated by regular politicians ignoring them and their concerns for decades. That's why they want to blow things up, break up the supermarket duopoly, break up the gentailers, buy back the BNZ, and stop the immigration. For voters on the right, NZ First is their "blow it up" party. For voters on the left, it's Opportunity. They're the party for voters frustrated by Labour never being brave enough to do anything bold and for voters frustrated by the Greens being too weird. Opportunity is a radical left-wing party with a land tax and a universal basic income, fronted by a nice lady from Auckland. If they can play this right, if that polling holds up, 2026 might just, to coin a phrase on this show, be their year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An MP facing Chinese sanctions is refusing to apologise for visiting Taiwan. ACT's Laura McClure has been banned from China for a year, along with NZ First's David Wilson, Labour's Duncan Webb, and National's Maureen Pugh. The four visited the self-governing island territory last month. McClure told Heather du Plessis-Allan it's an intimidation tactic – likely to put people off visiting Taiwan, but she hopes that won't happen. She says Taiwan has long-been an important economic and cultural partner, like China itself. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roy Morgan's newest poll shows the National-led Government is still leading among prospective voters. Support for National increased 5 percent to 30.5 percent, support for NZ First dropped 0.5 percent to 11 percent and support for ACT dropped 0.5 percent to 10 percent. Meanwhile, support for Labour dropped to 26.5 percent, and support for the Greens increased 1.5 percent to 12.5 percent. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this was a big drop for some parties, but it's still too early to tell how things will play out. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has described superannuation as a 'time bomb' that is here now and political parties need to be honest about it. Delivering the Budget today, Willis said National will enter the election with changes to ensure superannuation is affordable. NZ First's Shane Jones has confirmed the party's not budging on this issue. "The reality is, our economic growth rate...is quite anaemic. Under three percent, that's in the Treasury forecast. We need to do a hell of a lot more as a country, irrespective of who the the Government is, to substantially grow the economy and boost our revenue." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, NZ Herald senior correspondent Katie Bradford and Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Budget 2026 was unveiled today - what did we make of it? Do we think we'll reach surplus by 2028/29? Will debt really come down? Nicola Willis also says we need to have a discussion around superannuation amid ongoing cost concerns. Do we see NZ First siding with this? Will this lead to another battle? What do we make of the new levy on banks? Is it enough? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Minister Peter Dunne says it's time to look at MP allowances. NZ First MP Andy Foster's claiming a $36,000 accommodation allowance for the Wellington family home he bought 26 years ago. He's moved to the Wairarapa, but lives in the capital when Parliament sits. Dunne says MPs should be reasonable. "Fair enough if you're required to commute to Wellington each week to get some accommodation, to get some recompense for that, but not fair enough to simply turn your own home into your home away from home in Wellington when you've lived there for most of your life." National's Louise Upston's also claiming the allowance for her Wellington property. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister ponders today’s OCR announcement, tomorrow’s Budget, Labour’s own goal over horses and ducks, and the NZ First threat in Hawke’s Bay.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An RNZ investigation has revealed one-million dollars in political donations from people and entities linked to fast track applications since 2022. The bulk of this - almost ninety percent - has gone to National and NZ First. RNZ In Depth's Farah Hancock spoke with Guyon Espiner.

We ask NZ First’s candidate for the Napier seat why he’s changed camps.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Labour Cabinet Minister Stuart Nash says he's found his true home in New Zealand First. He's contesting the Napier electorate for the party this election - against National's Katie Nimon. Nash had to lay low last year after getting in hot water for making vulgar comments about women. He's taken aim at his former party, and claims NZ First is the only party that stands up for hard workers. "This is the party that works hard to celebrate success, it stands up for those that work the hardest as opposed to complain the loudest." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s farmer/politician panel ponders how to deal with two million hectares of wilding pines, ties, Stu Nash’s ties with NZ First, and what the Labour Party is up to.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ian Rogers, editor of BankingDay.com discusses NZ First's idea to buy back the BNZ from National Australia Bank. He spoke to John Campbell.

Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Jo McCarroll and Vinny Holloway. First up, the government has announced a funding boost to the primary school budget and crowed about better maths scores. But in this case does 1 +1 equal 2? Then, NZ First wants to create the first Kiwisaver generation - compulsory Kiwisaver from birth with $1000 in the bank. Could this be a gamechanger or does the cost to the country negate any advancements.

A former Finance Minister once forced to bail out BNZ says buying it back would be lunacy. New Zealand First is proposed re-nationalising the bank, buying it back from Australia's NAB and merging it with Kiwibank. Leader Winston Peters says bank profits should remain in New Zealand. But Ruth Richardson says the idea has no weight. "It makes New Zealand look like a tinpot country, where populist politicians feel free to nationalise private businesses. Why stop at banks? I mean, supermarkets like Woolworths are foreign-owned." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's a question for you: if you really like Winston Peters' idea of buying back the BNZ - why? What problem do you think will be solved by buying it back? Do you think the banks are ripping you off because they're owned by Australians, and that if only one of them were owned by us again, they wouldn't? Take a look at the home loan rates Kiwibank is offering right now. They're basically the same as - if not higher than -those offered by the Australian-owned banks. Do you think this might improve competition? In that case, how does taking BNZ and Kiwibank and combining them into a single bank - leaving one fewer bank in the market - help competition? Do you think it will stop $1.5 billion in profit heading to Australia, making us richer? Sure, the logic stacks up at first glance. But first, we'd have to borrow huge amounts of money to buy the bank and pay significant interest on that debt. It could take 10 to 20 years before we start seeing those profits flow into New Zealand rather than going toward interest payments. And all of this comes at a time when two credit ratings agencies have warned that we can't keep increasing our debt without risking a downgrade next year - which would make all our borrowing more expensive. That's not even considering the fact that we can't be sure BNZ would generate the same level of profit under Government ownership as it does under private ownership. In fact, I would argue the opposite is more likely. Publicly owned assets often become less efficient - they can grow bloated, unproductive and undisciplined. That might explain why BNZ collapsed back in 1990 when it was publicly owned and hasn't repeated that since returning to private ownership. To me, this policy looks like a classic nostalgia play by Winston Peters - appealing to voters who believe life would be better if we could just go back to 1992. I suspect this will be the first policy dropped in any coalition negotiations. It's likely the first thing Winston Peters will let go of because it's simply too expensive, and he knows it. So don't get too attached to this policy. I just can't see it happening. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dale, Ben and Kathryn discuss recent events in politics including NZ First policy to buy back BNZ bank. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Chris Luxon is firing back at Winston Peters over his latest comments about immigration. The New Zealand First Leader has been accusing his Coalition partners National and Act of being too slow on immigration. The Prime Minister and National Leader says he feels like there's a bit of anti-immigration cos-playing going on, whereby some politicians pretend to be Donald Trump, Nigel Farage or Marine Le Pen. He told Mike Hosking that the remarks by Peters are an example of that. Luxon says New Zealand doesn't have uncontrolled immigration, while the US has 13 to 14 million illegal immigrants. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New Zealand First leader says they'll be telling the National Australia Bank we want our bank back - as he lays out plans for the Government to buy BNZ. The party will campaign on the purchase - after its sale in 1992 - and merging it with Kiwibank to create a National Bank of New Zealand. Winston Peters told Mike Hosking that the bank may not be for sale, but they'll make sure it is. He says he doubts the National Australia Bank would turn them down - so Kiwis won't be ripped off for much longer if NZ First gets back in. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new poll has National stuck in the high 20s, with Labour seven points ahead. National's on 29 percent in the Talbot Mills poll, with Labour on 36. Both parties haven't moved since last month's poll. NZ First is down one to 14 percent, and ACT down one on seven percent. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper explained what these results mean for the coalition's odds. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NZ First leader and former Deputy PM is his normal combative self when it comes to NZF propaganda, TPM, and the age of eligibility for National Super. However, he has praise for Judith Collins and a convenient memory lapse when it comes to 2017.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bit of buzz around Kiwibank as it potentially looks to have another crack at getting bigger, and by getting bigger, then becomes better able to take on the so-called "big four". This is business and it's politics. Asset sales are back on the agenda, especially for the National and ACT parties. NZ First, not so much. So it may well be one of those things that gets tossed around as an idea, but in the reality of an MMP environment, it goes nowhere. Making the Kiwibank story slightly unique is its role in the overall banking atmosphere of New Zealand and whether a bigger bank would solve any of the perceived competition problems we have. People we know are prepared to change banks. Last year when there was a free for all on cashbacks for borrowing, people were moving freely like the wind. So the idea that there isn't competition doesn't appear to be true. But I'm in a minority given everyone from the Commerce Commission to the Finance Minister argues otherwise. I also detect more broadly that asset sales are not, as a topic, as edgy as they once were. If you go back to the 80's and Labour under Douglas and Prebble, asset sales were dynamite and not all of them went well, which didn't help the pro-sales argument. But the cold hard-ish reality here, 40 years on, is there isn't a lot left to sell. Some chunks of power companies are worth serious money. We have an airline, a TV network, a radio network, some farms – it's all got a moderately piecemeal vibe to it. Kiwibank should be able to raise the sort of money it needs, and it should be allowed to grow. Is the counter to a partial sale that we like a small, restricted bank that hasn't been allowed to be all it could be just so we can say we are anti-asset sales? In Kiwibank's case you are holding back growth. In TVNZ's case it's about ideology, i.e. should the state run a TV station given the place isn't worth anything to sell? And in say the case of Genesis, it's about serious coin we could badly use elsewhere. If this idea goes anywhere this election year, you would hope we are less hung up on ideology and more attuned to the nuances of the debate than we have been in the past. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Could this be the year that the Opportunity Party meets the threshold to get into Parliament? Phillip Mills, the founder of gym franchise Les Mills International, has always supported Labour and the Greens, but he's topped up donations to TOP. Political commentator Bryce Edwards says this upcoming election is TOP's best chance, as Labour, National and NZ First continue to lose favour. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So given the original Māori Party was formed in 2004, would we call it a success? A party for Māori. What have they achieved? Have they done more damage than good? Do we differentiate between Māori and "Māori". By that I mean Māori who aren't as angsty as some and are perfectly happy on the general roll. Is the Māori movement generally just for the agitators? And as such, you have people with very specific agendas, and those agendas are almost certain to clash. I have no doubt the Māori Party in their current iteration will implode this election. I think everyone does. I have little doubt Labour will scoop most of the support back up. The same Labour Party that got trounced last election because the Māori Party 2.0 was the repository of so much hope and promise. The history of Māori roll voting is mad. They were Labour forever, until they went with NZ First, and then Labour, until Māori Party Part One came along, and then Labour, and then NZ First, until the Māori Party Part Two came along. Is the Māori vote a cheap date-type affair? Flash a bit of bling, say something random, and you can reel them in. How else to explain the wild gyrations in direction? On a broader question, just what exactly have the Māori seats delivered, specifically, ever, under any party, for anyone? Is the mistake the race bit? Pita Sharples is not Rawiri Waititi. Tariana Turia is not Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, or Dover Samuels, or Tu Wylie, or Tuku Morgan. But because they all happen to be Māori they should all, apparently, be the same. Is that the mistake? Race is first, second and third. Ideas, policies and visions come a long way down the list. After you have all arrived as Māori you suddenly realise you don't actually have a lot in common and as a result you fall out. Because that is the undeniable outworking of the Māori vote and the Māori parties. The vote swings wildly, and quality and delivery even more wildly, then you get someone like Kapa-Kingi who is but another sad chapter we have seen before. It all ends the same way, in a great big shambolic mess. So 20 years and counting – what's the point? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new poll has the coalition returning to power - despite a drop in support for the minor Government parties. The latest Taxpayers' Union Curia poll has National up slightly to 30 percent and Labour down to 31.9 percent. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the minor parties have taken a hit, with ACT and NZ First looking less solid than they did in earlier polls. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People might remember as a kid collecting glass fizzy bottles to return to the dairy for a bit of pocket money. Well, New Zealand First's keen to bring back a nationwide container scheme, to reduce litter and council costs. One of its MPs has put a bill into the biscuit tin, where it could be randomly drawn and head down the path to becoming law. Zero Waste Network said about four million drink containers go to landfull or end up as litter every day in Aotearoa. Sue Coutts spoke to Lisa Owen.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon plans to start lifting the pension age if National get back into government after the coming election. Bipartisan support will most likely be needed to make this happen as parties, like NZ First, are staunchly against the reform. "Please do not attack grandmother and grandmother's savings to try and disguise for a brief time your economic incompetence," Winston Peters said to Heather du Plessis-Allan LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all. Christchurch: 9/10 The stadium, the opening, the spend, the party, and the vibe. That is what all of New Zealand should be. The Washington Hilton: 1/10 Between yet more violence and yet more conspiracy from all sides, too much of America is irreparably sick. King Charles: 8/10 By any standards or count, a tour de force. Solid, statesman-like, witty, clever and brilliantly executed. It is soft power, awesome diplomacy, brilliant engagement, all wrapped up in a flash royal bow. Winston vs the National Party: 4/10 I get it's election year. I get National are bleeding support to NZ First. But if they're not careful someone is going to say one thing or do one thing a bit edgier than they might have been expected, and it will all hit the fan. The diesel deal: 8/10 Another reminder that when Peters isn't stirring, the Coalition has actually handled the real issues pretty damn well. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, artist and local Government politician Oscar Kightley and Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! There's been some infighting between National and NZ First over the last few days - what do we think of this? Is this a sign the coalition will fall apart, or is this just Winston being Winston? More people are turning to AI to help with their relationship problems - what do we think of this? Do we think this is the way to go? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Helen Clark reckons political polling's behind disagreements in the coalition. Winston Peters' office released emails showing Prime Minister Chris Luxon was advised against supporting the US and Israel's strikes on Iran. National's Nicola Willis believes Peters is playing politics - and should have informed them before releasing the emails. Willis separately accused NZ First of race-baiting in their opposition to the India free trade deal. Clark says Willis is not holding back. "New Zealand First is eating fairly deeply into National's support, and that is starting, I think, to become somewhat more corrosive in the coalition." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicola Willis has taken aim at Shane Jones' 'butter chicken tsunami' comments today, following the Government signing the NZ-India trade deal. NZ First has criticised the free trade agreement, with Winston Peters claiming both National and Labour have signed the country's future away. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the gloves were off in Parliament today, as we get closer to the election. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The greatest sadness of the India Free Trade Deal, for me to this point, is that the rhetoric has not paid due respect to where free trade basically began. New Zealand. We are the pioneers. Well, the modern pioneers. The concept goes back to the mid 1800's where Britain and Europe had various deals. The GATT agreements of the 1940's made significant progress but the deal with Australia in the 80's put it well and truly on our radar and, along with Roger Douglas, Mike Moore made a name, if not fame, with the desire to do cross border business free from the impediment of tariffs. For a while free trade deals had their time in the sun. They got, I thought, a bit watered down with block deals. The CPTPP is your classic example and even our EU deal is widely accepted as being inferior to proper one-on-one deals like China or now India, because when you get 27 nations together there is bound to be a bunch of protectionists in there. India is also worth respecting because it's India and it's been a prize for many, many years. It's the last truly large country and, not just that, but a truly large country actually going places. If this country has an international calling card, it's trade. We box above our weight, we do business on quality, we buy and sell on a fair price and not a jacked-up protected price. Within all deals you will find critics or clauses that aren't perfect. It's free trade, not perfect trade, and even a free trade deal technically can, and does, host tariffs. But the intent, and indeed the outworking of them all, is that the business between two countries is better, freer and bigger than it was before signing. NZ First are on the wrong side of this and the irony cannot be lost that its leader is a foreign minister who spends his time globally looking to engage and encourage engagement between countries. Nothing encourages engagement more than doing business. Labour said it's not the deal they would have done. Isn't it? What is the deal they did when they were in power? That's right, there wasn't one. Successive Governments have failed to cross the line. This, without a shadow of a doubt, in 20 years will be like China; big, bold, successful and constantly upgraded. We will all see it eventually. But in the ensuing years since we were free trade evangelists, we've become increasingly myopic, if not racist. Free trade is what we are good at. We should celebrate what we are good at more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all. The India FTA: 8/10 Got there at last. Todd McClay is signing and Labour's on board. How hard did it ever have to be? Labour and the FTA: 3/10 You knew they would blink. But it was either pathetic games or an inability to make a decision, both of which should give you pause for thought this election. NZ First and the FTA: 2/10 "Butter chicken tsunami" is low rent. It's base level muck. We deserve better but that's what you get, and you get it every three years, and some people never learn. Christopher Luxon: 8/10 Thomas Coughlan called it well. It was a "baller move" and it paid off. The Christchurch stadium: 9/10 A facility that will be used in anger this weekend and a representation of a city that knows what success looks like. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour supports the Indian FTA, but a fired-up NZ First leader says it’s an “utter unmitigated disaster of an agreement for NZ’s future”. Has it cost him farmer votes? Will he confirm he will not go into coalition with Labour? After calling them “woke self-confessed communists who would turn our country into a basket case. No, we won’t do a deal with Labour or their Marxist and separatist mates”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

The revamped Golden Visa is providing a major boost to the economy. The Active Investor Plus visa's brought in $1.5 billion, with another $2.4 billion in the pipeline. More than 600 applications have been lodged since last April, from nearly 2,000 people. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford told Mike Hosking she's thrilled with those numbers. She says the impact for individual businesses is huge, both in capital and skills from these people. Stanford is also condemning New Zealand First's remarks on the India Free Trade Agreement as racist and divisive. Shane Jones warned of a “butter chicken tsunami” of Indian migrants coming to New Zealand. The Immigration Minister told Hosking New Zealand First is selective in its rhetoric on immigration, noting its silence on the visa despite recognising its economic value. She says the comments were distasteful and designed to bring out the worst. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The leaders of NZ First and National have been trading jabs today, as points of friction get discussed. Winston Peters has voiced opposition to the Free Trade Agreement with India, which the Government is signing in New Delhi next week - despite not having the numbers to pass it into law. Winston Peters says despite this, he's not negotiating with Labour, even if they win the election. "I said, four years ago, clearly...I was never going to go back with Labour, for the reasons I laid out." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First's made a campaign promise to break up the country's supermarket duopoly in a bid to lower grocery prices. It said Woolworths and Foodstuffs dominate more than 80 percent of the market, driving up costs and squeezing suppliers. The party's plan is to split Foodstuffs into two competing cooperatives and ramp up enforcement powers and fines. Earlier this month, Harvest Market, a new independent grocery store opened in East Christchurch. Owner Elliott Booth spoke to Lisa Owen.

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

The Government has quietly agreed to repeal a number of references to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi within laws, and amending others. Despite ongoing conversations since February, no one from within the Government had spoken publicly about the move or made any announcement. The Ministry of Justice said this would ensure “better outcomes and more consistent decision-making”. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith spoke to Mike Hosking about the decision. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hospitality sector is coming off its first big test under new alcohol trading rules, brought in just before Easter. Hospitality New Zealand Chief Executive Kristy Phillips spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.