Podcast appearances and mentions of tory whanau

Well, one more day as Mayor for Tory Whanau – the “accidental mayor,” as many have called her – and just like that, her chapter in Wellington politics closes. What a ride, and what a mess. And, let's be honest, what a disappointment. From the very beginning, Tory framed her leadership through a lens of identity – “poor me, give me a break, I'm a woman, and I'm new.” That became her shield, her excuse, and, in many ways, the story of her mayoralty. When she campaigned, it was all about team building, collaboration, bringing the city together behind a shared vision. It sounded good. It sounded hopeful. But in reality? It never happened. She surrounded herself with sycophants - people who told her what she wanted to hear, not what she needed to hear. Around the council table, she isolated herself, cut off critics, and created a bunker mentality. That's fatal for a city that needed leadership more than ever. Now to be fair, and I want to be fair, Tory didn't have an easy ride. She came in at the worst possible time: cost-of-living pressures, broken pipes, crumbling infrastructure, council debt spiralling out of control. Whoever wore the chain was going to struggle. But that doesn't excuse the way she handled it. Time and again, she ran from the hard stuff. She ducked responsibility. She even abandoned her monthly commitment on Newstalk ZB's Wellington Mornings – not because she lacked the time, but because she was advised not to face the heat. That's not leadership. That's avoidance. Wellington paid the price. Instead of a steady hand, we got chaos. Instead of strong decision-making, we got excuses. Instead of a mayor who could rally councillors and the public, we got someone who shrank from scrutiny. And then, in her final council speech on Wednesday , we got the encore: the blame game. Whanau used her last act in office to highlight the abuse she's faced – and yes, some of it was vile, unacceptable, and personal. She cited lewd rumours, online harassment, and sexist behaviour from councillors like Ray Chung. She demanded change to fix what she called a toxic council culture. "To those who created those challenges, thank you. Whether it was members around this very table feeding defamatory rumours to the media, whether it was some media reporting on defamatory rumours as fact, whether it was better Wellington harassing our elected members, or members of Vision for Wellington lobbying government for intervention, even though they were supposedly apolitical," Whanau said. "Whether it's previous mayors or elected members who criticised this council for high rates, even though it was their decisions and underinvestment who caused them, leaving us to pick up the bill.” She said. Fair enough. Abuse and misogyny in politics must be called out. No one should face that. But here's the thing: while Tory was naming names and pointing fingers, Wellington was still left with broken pipes, spiralling rates, and a city in crisis. Cycleways in places we did not want or need, that's the part that never got fixed. She tried. She gave it a go. But giving it a go isn't enough when you're in charge of a capital city. We needed toughness, vision, competence. We got hype, we got controversy, and we got a legacy that will be remembered for what it didn't deliver. So today, Wellington turns the page. Tory Whanau came, she stumbled, and she left. The “accidental mayor” is no longer. And the question now is simple: who's going to pick up the pieces and finally give this city the leadership it's been crying out for? There's no doubt that she, and other female politicians are dealing with an unjust abuse. But she still had to power through and she had to be a leader. And I don't think she did that successfully. I wish Tory Whanau all the best, I enjoyed our conversations but I am disappointed she took advice not to communicate to our city.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The outgoing Wellington mayor has taken aim at her critics in and outside the council in her final speech today. In her last three years in the hot seat, Tory Whanau has been outspoken about her own personal challenges as well as the abuse she and other councillors have suffered online. The council has also endured criticism of overspending and the appointment of a Crown Observer after it could not agree on selling it's stake in Wellington Airport. Bill Hickman reports

The Wellington mayor went out, not really in a blaze of glory yesterday, but more a fireball of misery and bitchiness. Tory Whanau is probably the local body poster child for ineptitude. She's given her bye-bye speech. She was a shambles. She may still be back, as she is standing in the Māori ward. She seems like a person who if she wasn't in local politics, might have trouble finding work. She admitted, after it was too late, that she really should have done her homework before chasing the big mayoral job. She won because too many people stood for mayor and split the vote, so by the time you deal with the appalling turnout and split the vote several times over, you need not a lot of support to get a job you weren't even qualified for any way. But that's local body politics, isn't it, at least at national level. Whether list or electorate, a group of experienced operators give you the once over. Locally literally anyone can have a go and that, if you haven't worked it out yet, is a problem. It wasn't all her fault of course. A mayor is not a president and is but one vote. But a mayor's job shouldn't be a "funsies" party trick because you are bored or unemployable. There were the personal issues. That is another problem in the lack of vetting. Some people are basically just a shambles and she is clearly one of those. That's not a crime, we all have issues. It's just advisable not to have them on display while you are trying to run things like a city. The city is pretty much a reflection of her leadership – a mess. Infrastructurally it's an embarrassment; level one water restriction when we are barely out of autumn, a devastated CBD and angst, fury and backstabbing having been a feature of decision making. That particular trait aired yet again in her farewell speech. We seem to be in an era where quality in so many parts of life has gone by the wayside. Tory Whanau is certainly an example of that. She came, she cocked it up, she flailed and flapped about like we were her psychologists as she aired her many and varied problems, then poof! She's off! Until she wasn't. They, sadly, rarely are. But honestly, in a city of Kitts, Fowler, Belich (maybe even Wilde and Prendergast), ol' Tory is hardly one for the record books. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Thursday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Failing Up/Why Tariffs Are Stupid/AI Apocalypse Cancelled/Good Things Take Time/Dolly Is DoomedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 8 October 2025, the Reserve Bank has pulled out the big guns and cut the official cash rate by 50 basis points today. Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr speaks to Heather. Former National Party staffer Ben Thomas says National polling in the 20s is not good news for Chris Luxon. NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson explains why rugby unions across the world don't want players playing for a new rival league backed by Saudi Arabia. New Zealand's best big airport is .... Queenstown Airport! Heather is surprised? She speaks with Queenstown Airport Chief Operating Officer Todd Grace. Plus the Huddle debates that poll and Tory Whanau's final speech as Wellington mayor - surprising? Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wellington mayor gave her valedictory address earlier today. The Spinoff's Wellington editor Joel Macmanus looks back at an evenful term.

Christchurch mayoralty hopeful Sara Templeton says her Green values wouldn't define her leadership of the city. The three-term city councillor and former Green Party member has been challenged on her alignment and the fact Green mayors like Tory Whanau and Aaron Hawkins have been in office just one term. Templeton told John MacDonald the focus should be on Christchurch, which needs someone with strong environmental credentials, governance skills, and passion for community. She says they tend to be framed as “Green values”, but she has a strong track record in those areas, and people will be voting based on that track record and her vision for the future. Templeton is putting everything on the line in her bid. The third-term councillor is running against incumbent Phil Mauger and isn't seeking re-election in Heathcote as back-up. Templeton told MacDonald it's been a privilege to serve in Heathcote but she believes she can serve the city better as Mayor. She says standing for both roles would signal a lack of confidence in winning the mayoralty, so it's all or nothing. The former Green Party member says she has no interest in national politics and will find another way to serve the city if she misses out. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The New Zealand Herald released its latest Mood of the Boardroom survey and Chris Luxon and Nicola Willis are out of Cabinet's top 10 performers. Can they turn things around? What do we think of our new Reserve Bank Governor? She seems very committed to transparency - do we think that's what our central bank needs? Tory Whanau has revealed she wants to run for Parliament. Do we think this is a good idea? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Wednesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) So Much for Those Green Shoots/How to Fix the Economy/Why You Should Never Have Children/Security Is So Tight/What Not to DoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tory Whanau and Magenta have a chat about Māori wards and the launch of Tory's campaign.The Māori Queen makes her first royal address including an announcement of to new economic initiatives.Democratic, left leaning US political influencers put under microscope after a wired article by Taylor Lorenz uncovered some dubious contracts and funding linked to dark money. =================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

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. New Zealand: 7/10 We're the 3rd safest country in the world and about to outgrow Australia. How's that for openers? Horticulture NZ: 7/10 Their plan is to double export returns within 10 years. That's the sort of attitude that turns tides. More please. Sean O'Loughlin: 8/10 My hero of the week. He took Auckland Transport to court and won. Brains - 1. Arrogance - nil. Nicola vs Tory: 6/10 Who doesn't love a bitch slap? And who doesn't think Nicola has an excellent point? Principals: 4/10 Or at least the ones who wrote to the Education Minister asking for her to stop her reforms. In that letter is so much that's wrong with education – people overseeing failure and yet not wanting change. Putin: 3/10 You forgot that, didn't you? Where is the meeting? Where is the place? Where is the date? Did Trump get stiffed? LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington City Council's Crown Observer believes Tory Whanau made the right move in deciding not to run for Mayor again. Lindsay McKenzie has ended his six month stint after being brought in by the Government last year to be its eyes and ears as the council failed to deliver a long-term plan. His final report suggests the capital is facing the same problems as the rest of the country but is steadily progressing. McKenzie says the council has effectively solved the problems that were the catalyst for the Ministerial intervention, and the level of cooperation and consideration for each other's views and preferences has increased. When it comes to Whanau's leadership, he told Nick Mills that it's a tough ask for somebody to come into a mayoral role with no local government experience, especially in the capital city, and it showed. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A media frenzy over Ray Chung's lurid email about Wellington mayor Tory Whanau, Stuff retracts a story about AI blood testing, and a former newsreader enters the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Tory Whanau joins us tonight LIVE at 9pm to talk over the week that she has had, Ray Chung and the Mayoral race along with any other issues of the dayThe Government has drawn a line under open-plan classrooms, with Education Minister Erica Stanford declaring they “aren't meeting the needs of students” and often create challenges for schools.Donald Trump has finally united America...problem is he has united them over his handling of the Epstein files. 4% of voters that lean republican are satisfied with how the Trump and 3% of voters that lean Democrat are.=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and Child Fund CEO Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! New data shows more young Kiwis are having issues finding work. Do we have any inspirational messages for young people looking for jobs? How can they get ahead? Is the UN interfering with NZ's sovereignty? Ray Chung has since apologised for his infamous email to Tory Whanau - but the council's Crown observer is raising issues with the Minister and the council's CEO is looking to investigate a possible code of conduct breach? What do we make of this? Donald Trump is now mulling increasing the baseline tariff for everyone from 10 percent to 15-20 percent. Should we try to make the best of this? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Friday afternoon, when I heard that Ray Chung, Mayoral candidate for Wellington, was going to appear with Ryan Bridge on Newstalk ZB's Drive to discuss the gossipy email he sent regarding Tory Whanau, I thought good on him for fronting. 7 minutes and 20 seconds later, I was as speechless as Ryan Bridge. What a bumbling, embarrassing trainwreck of an interview. First there was the comment it had been a hard couple of days for Ray Chung since the email was publicly released. Well, yes, when you're running in a local body election and caught spreading salacious gossip it can make for a tough day. But considering Mr Chung had been on the phone since 4am on Friday, and spent the day talking to media about the fiasco, you'd expect him to have crafted a tight message by 5pm. I expected him to apologise for spreading gossip, clarify what happened, accept responsibility. You known, to demonstrate some, well, leadership potential. Some mayoral potential. I'm a big advocate for voting in local body elections. I want to have a say in who runs my city. I know it's not the cool thing to do and most people can't be bothered. But I love and appreciate everything my city has to offer and I want it to be a great and affordable place to live. But to get people to vote we need candidates who are articulate, smart, and decisive leaders. We need people who understand the political environment, can work with others, and know how to get things done. Back in 2022, Wellington City councilor Iona Pannett despaired at how toxic and negative the campaigning was in the local body elections. More recently Tory Whanau has called politics an “ugly place”. Some of the issues highlighted by Crown observer of Wellington City Council, Lindsay McKenzie, are that it's an overwhelmed council, there is public criticism by elected members, and dysfunctional relationships. If there was ever a time Wellington needed a candidate who can convince constituents they can as mayor bring this council together and make it function, then it's now. And yet, here we are. Ten days after candidate nominations opened for local body elections and the dirty politics has kicked off. Did Ray Chung write that email out of genuine concern for his Mayor? Probably not. Has the email's release being timed to hurt Ray Chung's campaign.Probably yes. So, no one looks particulargreat do they? Wellington deserves better. This isn't a big enough faux pas for Chung to take himself out of the race. But if he's going to continue, can I suggest he takes a simpler approach to dealing with issues. When the receipt (as the kids say these days) is there for all to see, apologise and take accountability. You don't need to over explain, and if you're ever asked whether you've had an orgy - just say no.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Embattled Wellington mayoral candidate Ray Chung is refusing to pull out of the race, despite being ditched by a major financial backer. It comes after the Herald revealed Chung sent emails detailing an unsavoury sexual rumour about Mayor Tory Whanau – rumours she's categorically denied. The scandal has led to high-profile Wellington philanthropist Sir Mark Dunajtschik withdrawing his support for Chung's campaign. Despite this, Chung told Ryan Bridge empathically he's not backing out of the race, saying that's absolutely not his plan. He's also accusing one of the three colleagues he sent the email to of leaking it to Whanau. He says he can't say for sure who it was... but says he could have a guess. Chung would not, however say which of the three he was accusing of the leak. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wellington Mayoral race was supposed to be winding down into boring town. Tory went wild, had a tipsy whirlwind on Courtenay Place. A bit of booze, a bit of dine and dashing. It was salacious, it was scandalous. As stories of late-night escapades and unpaid bills and missed council meetings flooded the newspapers, the streets flooded, literally. Every time a scandal burst onto the front page of The Post, so did a pipe. It was as if Wellington's infrastructure were protesting the incompetence at City Hall. Poonamis. An onslaught of cycleways. Crime. And still no second Mount Victoria tunnel. It all came to a head, of course. Andrew Little entered the chat. Tory pulls out. And from here it was meant to get boring. You know in an action movie when all the crazy stuff happens, there's half an hour left on the clock, but the world's been saved by superhero XYZ? All the main cast is safe and well and life goes on happily ever after? That's where I thought we were with Wellington's Mayoral Race. Well, Wellington, you're getting a sequel – within the original. Mayoral candidate Ray Chung sent his colleagues an email, regaling them with a story a friend told him while he was out walking his dog. In it, he says, Tory Whanau had drug-fuelled tempestuous sex with a bunch of young guys. He also claims he was told that she had pendulous soft breasts. It's starting to smell a little bit like Ontario in Canada. Remember the mayor who was accused of smoking crack? Just scandal through a local election campaign. To get real for a minute, two things. One: Tory denies the story completely and utterly rejects it. Two: Ray sent this to three fellow councillors on their personal email addresses. So, it was a private email, he claims. And Ray reckons that one of those people has leaked it to Tory, who has leaked it to the press. So then you start to wonder, is one of Ray's former fellow council mates now turning on him, perhaps for political reasons? I don't know the answer to that question. All I really know is that Wellington, you need some popcorn because you're in for one hell of a tempestuous election campaign. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday 11th July 2025, the mayoral campaign for Wellington councillor Ray Chung appears to be in tatters after a sex gossip email he sent about Tory Whanau was made public. Chung told Ryan Bridge he stands by the email, and makes a jaw-dropping admission. Deborah Hart, the chair of the Holocaust Centre, is warning that antisemitism has moved from the fringes to the mainstream in New Zealand, and we need a strategy to fight it. Why is the Victoria University student association telling graduates to go to Australia rather than find a job here? Ryan talks to the woman in charge of hiring 500 new staff members for New Zealand's first Ikea store. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington mayoral candidate Ray Chung sent a sordid email to some council colleagues in 2023, claiming mayor Tory Whanau had drug-fuelled “tempestuous sex” in an orgy, and making reference to her having “pendulous soft breasts”. The email has only surfaced today - but does it rule Ray Chung out as a serious mayoral contender? Also, the All Blacks take on France in the second test at Sky Stadium tomorrow night. How important are these events for the city, and what can we expect from both teams? To answer those questions, former Wellington mayor Dame Kerry Prendergast and current Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy joined Nick Mills on Friday Faceoff, live from the Champions Lunch at Takina. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ray Chung has surely scuppered his chances of becoming Wellington's next mayor, hasn't he? Although, given the way voters in Wellington tend to cast their ballots given their previous form, perhaps not. Chung has sent an email to three of his fellow councillors with the heading ‘A sordid night on the town”, in which he proceeded to pass on a story he heard from a neighbour while out dog walking, trash talking Mayor Tory Whanau. It accused her of participating in an orgy with a couple of young men and taking drugs, and talked about the form of the woman involved, being Tory Whanau, having soft, pendulous breasts. Whanau released the email to the New Zealand Herald as an example of the dehumanising personal attacks she's experienced during her term as Wellington mayor and part of the reason she's not running for the mayoralty again. She said this sort of behaviour (the sending of gossip to fellow councillors), is unbecoming for a public official, it's creepy, it's gross. If he's going to stay in the mayoral race, he needs to commit to a clean campaign. Whanau, who wants to be elected as a councillor but not mayor this election, provided the email to the Herald saying she wanted voters to see evidence of the abuse she and other female politicians endured. This is the thing that stuns me: when questioned about the email, Chung said he had no idea if the contents were true. Absolutely none. He did no fact checking, he just found it interesting, thought his fellow councillors would agree. When pressed maybe three times, he thought perhaps he'd say sorry if it wasn't true, but didn't really see anything wrong with what he'd done. He said I passed on exactly what I was told, I'd call it gossip. And I suppose using the internet is just the modern form of whispering in someone's ear at the village fair. Now the best form of gossip and lying is to feed a story with a grain of truth. Whanau has form in drunken carrying on, it's not a huge leap the way it would be with a teetotalley, happily married young female mayor. Whanau says she can prove she wasn't at this supposed orgy which Chung says took place on New Year's Eve. She was at a function for ambassadors in the city and then went on to a rainbow community party on New Year's Eve. She says she can show that the story is malicious gossip. The scary thing about this is that people think they can say anything about anybody these days and get away with it. For all the faults of the mainstream media, we are accountable for the things we say and write. So if we get it wrong, we are censored. The records corrected and you know about it. We can certainly have opinions you disagree with, that's different, but if we had come out with a story like that, we could be sued for defamation. And in the past this radio station has been Most radio stations have been, because people take it one step too far, repeat something they've heard because they think it might be interesting. Wrong. It's false. It can be proved to be false, and they're censored, and they have to pay a fine, and they have to apologise and correct the record. I'd love to see how much faith people put in alternative media stories and sources, if they were held to the same level of accountability that we are. The internet is amazing, but it has always been an absolute cesspit of misinformation and lies as well. You know for a fact that the story about Clarke Gayford and the nanny, Clarke Gayford and the Whangarei court appearance, Peter Davis, John Key, Tory Whanau, all of these public figures, you know, for a fact that it's true because your neighbour's niece went to school with the nanny, or your wife's brother's best friend was in the police force in Kerikeri, used to be and he knows for a fact that the court registrar... It's utter bullshit. Complete and utter BS, but you want to believe it. It feeds into how you perceive these people and what you want to believe about these people, whoever they may be. There's a grain of truth to it. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that it could have happened. And again, that's what makes it all so dangerous. I just don't believe anything until I am stepping over the writhing forms of the people allegedly involved and trying not to stand on their pendulous soft breasts. I can't just put up a story because I think you might find it interesting, and I think you'll agree with the story, you'll agree with the narrative. You say where's your proof? Where's your evidence? And if I can't provide it, you can sue me for defamation. And that's a jolly good thing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau joins us to talk about David Seymour's online behaviour and how it contravenes the Cabinet Manual.Robert Patman joins us LIVE to talk about the attacks in the Middle East by both Iran and Israel and the role Donald Trump and the US played in itChloe Swarbrick joined Bomber on the Bradbury Group talking Iran and the goings on in the Middle East=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

The Prime Minister's brushing off criticism from Wellington's mayor. Speaking to Newstalk ZB today, the PM hit out at the city's cycleway rollout and water management - saying other cities are moving forward. Tory Whanau says Luxon should focus on coalition issues and the problematic Government's school lunch roll out, not punching down on the capital. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls unpacked Tory Whanau's response. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington's potential next Mayor is making headlines for dishing out suggestions to the current mayor. Andrew Little called on Tory Whanau to not sign any more contracts in the Golden Mile redevelopment – calling it unethical to do so before a new Mayor is elected in October. In a statement to Newstalk ZB, Whanau said candidates “do not have the mandate to demand that our Council cease progress on any democratically agreed-upon projects” Wellington Mayoral candidate Andrew Little talks to Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Little is being seen by many as the frontrunner to be Wellington's new mayor after Tory Whanau announced she was bowing out. But there are five others who've got their eyes on their mayoral chain. Wellington Issues Reporter Nick James has been talking to them.

Tory Whanau has announced she will not stand again for the Wellington mayoralty. Her announcement came shortly after former Labour Party Leader Andrew Little confirmed he would be contesting. 

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. Tory Whanau: 9/10 She scored it herself and why wouldn't you, shouldn't you, when you are as brilliant as her? God, she deserves a holiday. Donald Trump: 7/10 For the sheer madness, calamity and unbelievable amount of bullshit he has spouted in 100 days. You will never see the likes again, unless of course he runs for a third and fourth term. Auckland FC: 8/10 You can't argue with that execution of success. Have a dream, get a team and win the competition. That's brilliant! Canada: 7/10 Election of the year so far and will almost certainly beat tomorrow's in Australia, unless Dutton does a Morrison. And I'm not running odds on that. Toyota: 7/10 The All Blacks deal is a nice fit. How good will Tamaiti Williams look in a Yaris? James Meager: 3/10 For saying random stuff like he's looking into helping Air New Zealand into the regions and getting fares down. He's also looking to get butter under $4 a block. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tory Whanau has bowed out of the Wellington mayoral race but won't rule out running for the capital's top job in 2028. Ms Whanau, who's had a turbulent time as mayor, said she will instead be running to be a councillor for the Maori ward. It comes after former Labour Party heavyweight Andrew Little threw his hat in the ring for the city's top job. Wellington Issues Reporter Nick James reports.

In her seemingly never-ending ability to surprise, Tory Whanau fronts on the local Newstalk ZB morning show in her beleaguered capital yesterday and scores herself a 9/10. If she had come from comedy I could have seen the joke she was making. But she doesn't come from comedy, which is not to say her reign hasn't been comedic. She is the Meghan Markle of local body politics - so self-absorbed and she doesn't appear cognisant as to just how destructive and useless she is. I wasn't going to even comment on Whanau given it's a local issue, she has announced she's off, and the sooner the Whanau era of terror ends the better. But fly in the ointment: she is still standing for a seat and bringing potentially all her 9/10 madness with her. Now the guard rails on this part of her future are of course in the hands of the public of the capital. You don't have to have more of it. You can in fact vote for someone else. As such she is free to take her record, put it in front of you and test it. But it takes a special sort of narcissist to think of herself so highly, having just been bundled out of the big race because she knows she can't win. If she is a 9/10, she should be bolting home. But that's the problem with narcissists, isn't it? They continue to bluster even when they know the game is up. She is also a wider problem by remaining as part of the wider picture. She puts people off. Local body politics is crying out for decent, hardworking, competent contributors, but who in their right mind is interested in sitting round a table with buffoons? A bunch of do-gooding lifers, who as often as not, are not actually able to get work in the normal world. Not all of Wellington's many, many problems are on Tory. But she led the team that wrought the havoc and the stuff she inherited, she didn't help. Her advice to poor, old Nick Mills, who had to listen to this tripe, was every time you see a road cone, you see progress. It's that sort of fairytale, fanciful nonsense most of us realise isn't remotely true. Maybe that's her ultimate problem. Maybe she lives in her head In her head Wellington is a riviera and Tory is the queen of that riviera. The pipes didn't burst, the city boomed, and Tory oversaw a renaissance. Maybe that's how all narcissists delude themselves. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tory Whanau has bowed out of the Wellington Mayoralty race, saying she now wants to run for the Greens in the Māori ward as a councilor only. This is an attempt at saving face - I doubt many will fall for it. Website: https://www.rova.nz/home/podcasts/duncan-garner---editor-in-chiefInstagram: @DuncanGarnerpodcast TikTok: @DuncanGarnerpodcast

Andrea Vance joins Nights to discuss Tory Whanau's mayoralty and the challenges that face Wellington City in the upcoming local council elections.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Wednesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) It's a Wonderful Place/Mark the MPs/Deliberately Mispronounciating/Return of the Inquiry/Not Livable Enough for MeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's plan to reduce the operating allowance from $2.4 billion to $1.3 billion is the smallest amount of new spending in a decade. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has decided to make departments metabolise their own spending in order to get books back into surplus. New Zealand Herald Political Editor Thomas Coughlan talks to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the ‘big' decision, KiwiSaver subsidies and Tory Whanau dropping out of the Wellington race. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellingtonians have one less candidate to choose from as current Mayor Tory Whanau bows out of the race. She has instead endorsed Labour's Andrew Little for the position. Wellington City Councillor Ray Chung is running against Andrew Little, and he talks to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the race and whether Whanau will now be Andrew Little's deputy. LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Right-leaning independent mayoral candidate and current Wellington councillor, Ray Chung, believes he still has a shot at the mayoralty. Chung spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

In today's episode, the Finance Minister has announced the government will slash new spending in the upcoming budget, Wellington will elect a new mayor later this year after Tory Whanau confirmed she won't run for a second term, the Canadian election cycle has been dominated by high cost of living and the country's relationship with the US, a huge unexplained power cut took out electricity in Spain, Portugal and parts of France, what lots of households pay for their power bills has increased this month, and the election campaign is heating up in Australia.

Wellington will elect a new mayor later this year after Tory Whanau confirmed she won't run for a second term. Her decision came less than 12 hours after long-serving Labour politician Andrew Little won the backing of the Wellington Labour Party to run for the mayoralty. Little spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Wellington mayor, Tory Whanau, has quit the mayoralty race. Whanau announced on Monday night she won't be running for a second term as mayor and will instead run for the Māori Ward. Wellington Issues reporter Nick James spoke to Corin Dann.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 29th of April, Tory Whanau has decided to drop her bid for re-election – this must be the news Wellington wanted. Shane Jones is rejecting the co-governance plan for the Waitakere Ranges, and we look at the latest fruit market to go gangbusters – persimmons! Quest Means Business host on CNN, Richard Quest joins to talk Trump's first 100 days and the global effects of the tariff debacle. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tory Whanau's shock U-turn not to run for the Wellington mayoralty again marks three consecutive one-term mayors for the capital. Whanau has this morning revealed she's dropping out of the race, saying she wants to give Andrew Little a clearer run to victory. It means Whanau, along with the two previous mayors Andy Foster and Justin Lester, only served one term in the job. Former Mayor Dame Kerry Prendergast told Mike Hosking that's bad for the city, which needs stability. Tory Whanau will stand for the city's Māori ward. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Tuesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) There Really Is No Hope. Move On/A Tale of Two Labours/Stop Ignoring Us. Sometimes/More Covid Triggers/Walton's WangerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau is sounding off on the Prime Minister after failing to reach a deadline made for all councils. Councils were encouraged to deliver a plan that the Government could help with, and Wellington didn't deliver one in time. Whanau then said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is 'not a very nice person.' Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper said the Mayor thought the comment would work in her favour. "She said it works for her because a lot of people in Wellington don't like Luxon," he said. LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tory Whanau has opened up about how she seriously considered quitting the mayoralty, being "humiliated in front of the whole country" and fighting the patriarchy. The Wellington mayor has faced several challenges - both political and personal - during her time in the capital's mayor. Wellington Issues Reporter Nick James spoke to Lisa Owen.

Wellington Water's boss says local councils have every right to be angry at them. Tory Whanau yesterday described her council's relationship with the organisation as “tense” at a special meeting, following revelations last week it wasn't getting value for ratepayers' money. Wellington Water CEO Pat Dougherty told Mike Hosking he and his staff are doing everything they can to find the issues and fix them. He says there's been a culture of putting too much trust in their contractors, and he wants a more tense and accountable relationship. LISTEN ABOVE 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. Andrew Bayly: 3/10 It's a sad business. Was it a sackable offence? No. Does it put people off entering politics? I would have thought so. But when you call someone a loser and grab an arm, can you survive? It was the re-offence that was sackable. Law and order: 8/10 The violent crime stats and new detainment powers are tangible evidence of progress in the right direction. Marsden and the rebuild: 2/10 That's what is wrong with coalitions. They indulge folly. Temu: 3/10 We are spending more there and less domestically. Never underestimate the power of cheap crap. Tory Whanau: 1/10 Cancelling her Newstalk ZB slot is the beginning of the end. Cancelling Newstalk ZB slots doesn't tend to go well for voting patterns – I speak from experience. The Warriors: 7/10 Unbeaten in the offseason and some fairly ordinary, blow-up bat-wielding Raiders to tackle first up. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEWSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Wednesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Dimly Lit Groundhog Day/Which Region Is the Specialest?/It's Your Job to Turn Up/The Price of Cheap Stuff/Dusty Old Memory LaneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eyes are on Wellington City council, officially. The local government minister's appointing a crown observer to monitor and report back on what he has described as a shambles Things came to a head after a plan, that was supported by Mayor Tory Whanau, to sell council's stake in Wellington Airport was vetoed. fracturing the council further. The money was to fund development and an insurance gap the city would face if it had to rebuild after a disaster. Meaning it's back to the drawing board for a long term plan. Councillors held an urgent meeting following the announcement and have ten days to respond to Simeon Brown's move to appoint an observer. Tory Whanau told media afterwards that she wasn't surprised by the minister's decision. Wellington City Councillor Tim Brown spoke to Lisa Owen.

Local government minister, Simeon Brown, is set to meet with Wellington mayor Tory Whanau on Thursday to discuss her council's performance. Wellington City councillor Iona Pannett spoke to Corin Dann.

Wellington's Mayor Tory Whanau is meeting with the Local Government Minister Simeon Brown on Thursday as her council faces the threat of government intervention. Krystal Gibbens reports.