Podcast appearances and mentions of Winston Peters

We ask, unscripted, the NZ First leader, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and former Deputy PM, if he’s more popular than ever? How much of that is due to Shane Jones? Is Stuart Nash auditioning to be an NZ First MP? Are local bodies out of control when it comes to rate increases? Plus, we hear his thoughts on the Paris Agreement and carbon farming. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Winston Peters, Bryce McKenzie, Chris Brandolino, and Zoe Carter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martyn 'Bomber' Bradbury this week is joined by a HEAVYWEIGHT panel comprised of Simon Wilson, Claudette Hauiti, and Prof. Jane Kelsey. Together they tear into the brain fog of a recessionary Kiwi economy, David Seymour’s dodgy Regulatory Standards Bill, and Winston Peters' Covid Inquiry-for-clicks. With 30,000 New Zealanders fleeing and GDP flatlining, the crew ask - who exactly is “growth” growing for? Leader of the Opposition Chris Hipkins is this week's special guest, and of course we have the War on News. Powered by Waatea News.

David Seymour is standing by his letter to the UN - now withdrawn. He wrote responding to an official who'd expressed concerns about the impact of Seymour's Regulatory Standards Bill on Māori. The Prime Minister says that's a job for the Foreign Minister and Seymour's conceded it's better to a have a single Government response, led by Winston Peters. Seymour says he still needs to work out how to undo the letter he sent. "I'll probably have to go through Winston, he probably doesn't want me to write direct to the UN again - I think that would probably miss the whole point of the exercise." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Tuesday, 15 July 2025, the Government is changing the law to force councils to focus on their core business. But the Minister for Local Government is struggling to explain to Ryan what councils have been doing that is nice-to-have. Former Australian ambassador to Russia, Peter Tesch, is not convinced that Donald Trump's ultimatum to Vladimir Putin will actually lead to peace in Ukraine. Deputy PM David Seymour has been reminded by the Prime Minister who is in charge of foreign affairs - and that's Winston Peters! Seymour tells Ryan he was just overeager to get his response to the UN in the mail. Plus, the Huddle debates whether cancer warnings on alcohol would make a difference. 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.

With rising global tensions, market volatility, and an unpredictable international landscape, having a strong and credible foreign voice is becoming more important than ever for New Zealand. Foreign Minister Winston Peters travelled to Malaysia for a summit with his South East Asian counterparts, where he worked towards a comprehensive strategic partnership by October. But what does that actually mean for us? What would that relationship deliver in real terms? How are we positioning ourselves in an increasingly contested region? He's just come back from his trip — Winston Peters chats to Tim Beveridge. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winner of the week has got to be NZ First. In the latest Taxpayer's Union Curia poll, they are the third biggest party now, overtaking Act and the Greens. If you've been watching the polls lately that's not a surprise. This has been coming for a while. National has been up and down, Act has been pretty flat, but NZ First has just been heading up most of the year. There are a bunch of reasons for this. Winston is very statesman-like. He manages to disagree with his coalition partners without being quite as bratty as David Seymour can sometimes be. NZ First are choosing their battles. They stayed out of the pay equity kerfuffle, so they didn't cop the blowback. But mainly, it's because they're being refreshingly blunt. Shane Jones doesn't care if the lizard-lovers get upset that he wants to dig a mine where the lizards are. He just says it. Winston doesn't care if Grey Lynn and Aro Valley are offended that he wants transwomen kept out of women's sport. He just says it. He doesn't care if wool carpets into state houses is likely a bad financial decision. He got it done. This party is unashamedly appealing to a group of voters no one else really is, which is working class New Zealanders – people who see things simply and often more correctly than elites would care to imagine. It's the same thing playing out in the UK with the rise of the Reform Party. It's the same reason Trump is back in the White House. Of the three coalition parties NZ First is the only one hitting the same vein of voters. Now, we're still only talking about 10% and 10% doesn't a major party make. But it's only been headed in one direction lately, and that tells you something. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

握手する岩屋毅外相とニュージーランドのピーターズ外相、１０日、クアラルンプール【クアラルンプール時事】岩屋毅外相は１０日、ニュージーランドのピーターズ外相と訪問先のマレーシアで会談し、自衛隊とＮＺ軍の間で燃料や弾薬の融通を可能にする物品役務相互提供協定締結に向けた交渉開始で合意した。 Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his New Zealand counterpart, Winston Peters, met in Malaysia on Thursday and agreed to start negotiations for the conclusion of an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, or ACSA, between their countries.

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.

The Act Leader and Acting Prime Minister, “Deputy Dave”, joins us in the studio. We talk about the 2025 FMG Young Farmer of the Year, Hugh Jackson, and today’s OCR. Plus, how’s he getting on with Winston Peters? Will Act and NZ First cannibalise National’s rural vote? And how is Mark Cameron? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lawyer Sam Vincent joins us LIVE at 9pm to talk about the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa accusing some Government Ministers and businesses of having complicity in Israel's war crimes. The PSNA have identified Chris Luxon, Winston Peters, Judith Collins who they say have approved NZ military and intelligence support for Israeli war crimes and Rocket Lab's Peter Beck and Rakon's Sinan Altug who have launched spy satellites which Israel uses to target civilians in Gaza and supplied military-grade crystal oscillators to the US to be put in missiles which Israel can deploy in Gaza and elsewhere respectively. These individuals and businesses have been referred to the International Criminal Court by the PSNA. Childcare rebates from the Government's flagship FamilyBoost scheme will rise with eligibility expanded, Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced. At the election Nicola Willis said that 100,000 families would receive the Family Boost when in truth less that half that number received it and fewer that 50 families received the maximum amount.The right have been screaming isolationist policies for past few years. We've heard "USA first" form the likes of Trump and "UK First" from right wing commentators like Matt Goodwin and the likes of Reform UK. This passionate, foundational, never compromise desire seems to disappear though when Israel gets mentioned by the same groups or people.=================================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 company overseeing the new infrastructure and ferries for Cook Strait is confident it can deliver by 2029. Winston Peters has announced agreements to build and modernise ports in Wellington and Picton for the arrival of new Interislander ferries. Ferry Holdings Chair Chris Mackenzie says there will be robust discussions between KiwiRail, Ferry Holdings, and ports on delivering the project. He's feeling positive, despite New Zealand's track record with infrastructure. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More details about infrastructure in Wellington and Picton in Government plans for new Cook Strait ferries. CentrePort, Port Marlborough, and KiwiRail have agreed a plan to re-use and strengthen the Wellington wharf servicing Interislander's Aratere - and to re-use terminals both sides of the Strait. Minister for Rail Winston Peters says the Government won't consider privatisation - and he's just looking to make sure Kiwis stay informed. "We're not about to make the same mistake a second time." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Deputy Prime Minister believes the Government would be better off with the part-privatisation of Interislander ferries. A Treasury paper presented to Cabinet by the Minister for Rail, Winston Peters, says the Government can consider private investment to reduce costs. David Seymour agrees with the idea and says the Government has been far too relaxed with capital. He told Mike Hosking the Government is not a good operator of commercial enterprises, and there's no shortage of evidence for that. Seymour says you have to balance the books, and at the moment the Government owns too many underperforming assets. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I don't know who these people or these organisations would be and what on Earth their motivation might be, but it would appear that Treasury has identified several private operators who have expressed an interest in establishing a commercial competitor to Bluebridge with government help. Which basically means the opportunity to privatise the KiwiRail Cook Strait ferries. I don't know why you would do that, where in the world does any kind of public transport make money? I guess where there are profits to be made, Bluebridge has found them. But in a country this small, could two people, two organisations, two interested groups, make money out of the Cook Strait ferry crossing? Earlier this year, Winston Peters took a paper to cabinet, along with Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Transport Minister Chris Bishop, which confirmed a direction to Ferry Holdings —that's the publicly owned companies set up to procure two new Inter Island ferries— to consider options for ferry ownership and operation that will improve efficiency and recycle government capital. What does this mean? Translated into real world speak, that means the Government's looking at letting private operators into owning and running the ferries that the government currently owns and runs, in the hope that efficiency will be improved, and recycling government capital means using private investors money, not taxpayers' money. All very well and good to open it up for expressions of interest, but what I found really staggering is that there are people who are interested in doing just that. As you may have heard on the Mike Hosking Breakfast, Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour is all for allowing private operators into running the ferries. “I have long had the philosophical view that government is not a good operator of commercial enterprises, and there's no shortage of evidence for that. But the reality will be much more persuasive to whoever's in government, you've got to balance the books, and at the moment we own too many underperforming assets. We are really struggling. As a result, the New Zealand people who fund the government as taxpayers are struggling, and there's going to have to be a reckoning. The alternative is people young and talented, keep looking further afield for opportunity and I don't want that.” No, none of us do. But is KiwiRail going to private operators going to be the Great Saviour? I wouldn't have thought so. It's been sold off before and it didn't work then. So he's all for private operators coming in and running state owned assets more efficiently. Equally unsurprising is Winston Peters being against any form of privatisation. He makes the point that NZ First has consistently held the view that taxpayer funded assets should be owned by the taxpayer. As somebody who uses the ferries once in a blue moon, I wouldn't have thought it difficult to have ships that are seaworthy, take people, and cars, and freight over the Cook Strait, and bring them back again. And you need people who can steer the ship, and you need people who can maintain the ships so that they don't break down in the middle of Cook Strait, because that's very bad. If there isn't enough money to be made commercially from doing this as an exercise, as taxpayers we have to fund it because it is State Highway 1. We need to keep it going. So why is it so hard to do that? Why is it so hard to have ships that are seaworthy, captains who can steer them, people who can maintain them? And either we know every year how much it's going to cost us to keep State Highway 1 open, which we have to do, or we allow private operators to run it and make small profit from it. Looking from the outside, I wouldn't have thought it was possible. Bluebridge has been able to do so, but is there room for another private operator? Clearly people think so, but why has it been so troubled? It's a bit like the lovely CEO from Kainga Ora who said really, in effect, the job is quite simple. We build houses for people, and we rent them out. He said it only got difficult when the previous administration wanted to make it a more social enterprise and bring in mixed model housing communities. If you drill down to what the job is, it's actually quite simple. So why have we struggled for decades to run a Cook Strait ferry crossing? It really, from the outside, doesn't seem that difficult. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duncan Webb reveals Finance & Expenditure Committee will only allow 30 hour max for RSB oral submissions. Tonight we'll talk to Duncan LIVE at 9pm to get the lowdownTYT Host Anna Kasparian had a great interaction with an IDF spokesperson and former US General about the behaviour of Israel. Many on the left have had enough of Anna and the TYT brand but it did feel like watching a once great athlete, at the end of their career, finding form for one more game.Winston Peters says his dickhead comment to another MP were not profanity and not swear words. Peters had a hot-mic moment in Parliament on Wednesday, and was captured remarking "not like you, dickhead" to Te Pāti Māori MP, Tākuta Ferris. If anyone was to know what a dickhead was...It's Winston.=================================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

Winston Peters is accusing the Greens of being one sided on the Middle East conflict. The Foreign Minister's official statement says it's not a 'black and white situation'. Peters says proxies for Iran, including Hamas and Hezbollah, have killed so many. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters joined Mike Hosking this morning to discuss the developing situation in Iran. The Foreign Minister said he wants to “get a proper analysis” before discussing how effective Operation Midnight Hammer was at destroying Iranian nuclear facilities. “One of the first victims of war is truth, and boy, have we seen it.” The Foreign Minister also discussed the Kiwis stuck in the regions, and that it is “New Zealand character” to bring them home safely. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Monday the 23rd of June, we go to the US after they got involved in Iran and Israel's war and talk to Winston Peters about NZ's stance on it. The Prime Minister has touched down in Belgium for a NATO meeting but had time to talk to us about Iran, councils and hundreds of millions of dollars of deals done in China. Andrew Saville and Jason Pine cover the big weekend of sports - the Crusaders win, the Warriors loss and Peter Burling's big move. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Monday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) So No Change There Then/Winston's On Fire/What ACC Is For/What Matariki Is For/Bit of a Depressing WatchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Damien O'Connor, Emma Higgins, Winston Peters, Jane Smith, and Hamish McKay.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's claims the Cook Islands were left in the dark over New Zealand pausing funding. Foreign Minister Winston Peters says a $20-million-dollar pot of development aid won't resume until trust is restored between our countries, who operate under a special relationship. Its Prime Minister signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, without giving New Zealand any insight on the deal. Cook Islands journalist Rashneel Kumar says the Government was caught off guard - and he explained that it has tried to ease fears the agreement with China may have caused. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Foreign Minister's pushing back on suggestions our geopolitical stoush with the Cook Islands will impact our relationship with China. Winston Peters this morning confirmed the Government's halted development aid to the Cooks, with his Ministry unhappy over the lack of clarity around the island nation's cooperation deal with China. Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls says Peters made it clear that New Zealand's issues are about the Cook Islands' lack of consultation with us. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Foreign Affairs is a portfolio that Winston Peters often receives bi-partisan congratulations on. In an otherwise adversarial scrutiny week, his hearing with the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee had a bastion of amicability and trust.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The NZ First leader and former Deputy PM steps in for the PM who's doing the business in China. We talk about the perilous state of the world geopolitically, a trade deal with Indonesia, missing Fieldays, his political adversaries, the Green Party and the Green Parrot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Mackay talks to Winston Peters, Jane Smith, Mike McIntyre, and Warwick Catto and Jamie Strang. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Foreign Minister is urging New Zealanders in Iran and Israel to get out of what he calls the "arc of danger" - as the conflict in the Middle East escalates. Winston Peters spoke to Corin Dann.

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Jo McCarroll and Rajorshi Chakraborti. They discuss why police are paid to train, but healthcare workers and other professions are not and they return to the Israel and Iran conflict which Winston Peters today called the worst state of world affairs since the Cuban missile crisis.

Winston Peters says the Government's providing the best possible advice to New Zealanders in Iran and Israel. This afternoon, the Foreign Affairs Minister called the escalation of tension in the Middle East the most 'uncertain' geopolitical circumstances he's ever seen. At last count, there are 50 Kiwis registered as being in Iran, and 80 in Israel. Peters says leaving could be challenging, given that airports are closed. "It's the evolving and possibly worsening situation that will make people's minds up - all we can do is give them the best advice possible, on an hourly basis sometimes." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Israeli diplomat is criticising New Zealand's sanctioning two of his country's ministers. Our Foreign Minister's barred the two high-ranking politicians from travelling here, following the lead of Australia, the UK, Canada, and Norway. Winston Peters says they are extremists who've advocated for violating international law. Ambassador to New Zealand, Alon Roth-Snir, says he wishes international allies would instead help work on a ceasefire. "We are for talks, we are for dialogues, we are not for putting blame or putting whatever was done yesterday to our ministers." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The recommended suspension for Te Pāti Māori MPs, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi, and Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, over the MP's haka in Parliament during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill last year. Co-leaders Ngarewa-Packer and Waititi will be suspended from the House for 21-days, with Maipi-Clarke facing a seven day suspension. This is Parliament's harshest sanctions in the country's history. Prior to this, the longest suspension an MP had faced in Parliament was three days. The debate had previously been delayed so that the MPs could participate in the Budget debate — however, both co-leaders were not present at the debate. During the debate MP Tākuta Ferris said that the debate was not about the haka, but at the heart, it was the House continuing to ignore Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori sovereignty, and that the “racism” in the House is hardly being hidden. For our weekly catch-up, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Kemp about the suspension, and what's next for the party. They also discussed NZ First Party Leader Winston Peters' comments regarding Waititi's moko, referring to the MPs moko kanohi as “scribbles”. He was asked to apologise by the Speaker, which he did. But first, they discussed the suspension of the MPs.

This week on the Monday Wire: For our weekly catch up with Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Kemp, News and Editorial and Monday Wire Host Joel speaks to her about the proposed suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi, and Hana Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke standing, and NZ First Party Leader, Winston Peters' comments about Waititi's moko kanohi during the debate. For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party's Simon Court, they speak to him about David Seymour being sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister, Seymour's claims that bots drove fake submissions against the Regulatory Standards Bill, and the proposed suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs being held. They speak to Margaret Mutu — a Professor of Māori Studies at the University of Auckland about the suspension of Te Pāti Māori MPs and her concerns around the ruling. Joel speaks to Michael Swanson — a PhD Candidate in New Zealand Politics at the University of Otago, about ACT Party leader, David Seymour, about being sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister, and if this will impact how the current government operates. And Producer Samantha speaks to Renee Hosking, the lead medical student researcher at the University of Otago about a study showing that a large proportion of vape juice packaging misstates the nicotine content present. Whakarongo mai

David Seymour has been sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister as per coalition agreements. He will be taking over from NZ First Leader, Winston Peters. During his first speech as Deputy Prime Minister, Seymour said that the ACT Party would be “Labour's worst nightmare”. News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Michael Swanson — a PHD Candidate in New Zealand Politics from the University of Otago about what this will mean heading forward, what the role of deputy is, and if this will have an impact on the re-election of the current coalition government.

In the absence of Winston Peters, we yarn to the 2023 Young Farmer of the Year about Fieldays and the wind up of the 24/25 dairy season.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.

We're officially in the second half of the term, a milestone marked by the historic handover of the hallowed deputy prime minister amulet from Winston Peters to David Seymour.  The moment comes with pageantry, a flurry of interviews and a pair of new polls, which deliver intriguing, and sometimes divergent results. Toby Manhire, Annabelle Lee-Mather and Ben Thomas pore over the results and what they mean for the parties and the politicians in the post-budget, post-pay-equity-reshape wash-up. Plus: Jim Bolger and Jacinda Ardern have boh been in the headlines in recent days. What do these returns tell us about the performance of their Chris-themed successors? And Chris Bishop found himself in a media moshpit after the Aotearoa Music Awards for calling the Stan Walker parade "crap" and earning the most painful denunciation imaginable: being called a dickhead by New Zealand treasure Don McGlashan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Zealand has a new Deputy Prime Minister as of today, with the out-going Deputy, Winston Peters handing over after 18 months in the role, and the in-coming Deputy David Seymour taking the baton for the rest of the term. 

In Focus on Politics, RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch sits down with the incoming and outgoing deputy prime ministers to mark the historic handover. David Seymour is vowing to keep speaking freely, while an unshackled Winston Peters shifts into campaign mode. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

This weekend marks the last day of Winnie and the first day of David Seymour as the Deputy Prime Minister. Now, mostly I don't actually care. I mean, I largely agree with Jim Bolger's assessment and, and obviously, happy 90th birthday to Jim for tomorrow. The role doesn't actually mean very much. It's symbolic. It doesn't carry any particular power other than really just letting you know who's second in command. But it feels like an appropriate time just to take a moment to acknowledge, because we don't do this very often, that it's actually very nice, isn't it, to have both of these two men in government right now, if only to give the Nats a little bit of a push along, you know, to actually do things from time to time. Winston strikes me right now as the right man for the right job for right now. Don't you think? With all this nutty stuff that's going on in the world, his huge previous experience as a foreign minister, I think, is reassuring. I feel like it's not going overboard to say that I trust his instincts in the job. When he gets angry with Israel, you know, it's not for politics, it's not for performance. It's because he's actually angry with Israel. Given his experience, that would be warranted. On David Seymour, if there's one thing that we can truly thank him for right now, it's shifting the Overton window so that we can, and now do debate things like the treaty principles. The Overton window is the available, is the, it covers the stuff that we feel comfortable talking about in the media and in society. He has shifted that, so principles are now firmly within the Overton window and we talk about it, and we should be able to debate it, because they should not be taboo. Things that have as much impact on our economy and our society and our lives as treaty principles, and as on our private property as well, should be up for discussion without critics of those things being labelled racist. And it is squarely because of ACT's policies that those discussion, those discussions are now out in the open. Now, I don't really expect very much to change after the weekend other than maybe we'll see more of both men, more of David Seymour because he'll be the deputy, and more of Winston because he'll not be the deputy, which means that he can act up a little bit, maybe. But either way, I think it's not a bad thing to have both of them in there at the moment, is it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A New Zealand foreign minister's visited Nepal for the first time, more than 70 years since our countries were linked following the ascent of Mt Everest. Winston Peters flew from Kathmandu to the Everest region on Thursday, where he toured a school and a hospital created by the charity Sir Edmund Hillary founded in the 1960s. Sir Edmund Hillary's grandson Alexander Hillary joined him and he speaks with Heather du Plessis-Allan now. LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Political Editor Jason Walls talks to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the week that was. This week an internal police memo was leaked, which explained their plan to cease investigations on shoplifting allegations below $500. Have we got to the bottom of it? Winston Peters "permanently" ruled out working with Labour leader Chris Hipkins. Jason Walls explains how Peters left himself some "wiggle room" in doing so. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour will tomorrow become New Zealand's deputy Prime Minister, taking over from Winston Peters' as part of the coalition agreement. But how much will change with him as second in command? Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls talks to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the appointment, and the ACT MP calling on other politicians to support her bill. LISTEN ABOVE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour has vowed to keep speaking freely as he takes over as deputy prime minister - while an unshackled Winston Peters shifts into campaign mode - with a plan to avoid another handover next term. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch reports.

Winston Peters will tomorrow undertake the first ever visit to Nepal by a New Zealand Foreign Minister. It coincides with the anniversary of Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary's ascent of Mount Everest 72 years ago. But New Zealand Nepal Chamber of Commerce President Raj Maharjan told Jesse he hopes future talks will focus more on a mutually beneficial trade relationship.

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.

Unprecedented punishments imposed on Te Pāti Māori MPs, and the scramble to avoid banning them from the budget debate, is top of the agenda this week. Annabelle Lee-Mather, Ben Thomas and Toby Manhire assess the fallout, before rewinding to last week's theatrical parliamentary controversy, all of which stemmed from a C-word in a newspaper column, and led Winston Peters, doyen of parliamentary decorum, to deplore a “House of Chaos” (by which he did not mean the popular monthly techno night at Firecrackers nightclub in Ashburton). All of that, plus: we exclusively read the full text of tomorrow's 2025 budget. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Wellington worker's heated exchange with Winston Peters at a very public press conference has landed him hot water with his employer, who happens to do a fair bit of work for the government. The heckler was wearing a lanyard that identified his employer as engineering company Tonkin and Taylor. It raises a heap of questions about what people can and can't say when they are off the clock. Employment law specialist Jennifer Mills spoke to Lisa Owen.

After days being berated for deploying the c-word, Andrea Vance was named political journalist of the year. Meanwhile Stuff took on Stuff, and Winston Peters' pre-Budget announcement went off the rails at a railway station Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Has the House of Representatives devolved into a House of Chaos? That's the charge from the Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters - who's decrying flagrant rule-breaking and recent explicit language in the debating chamber. It comes as Te Pati Maori MPs brace for a potentially unprecedented punishment - the prospect of being barred from Parliament for up to three weeks. But it's not locked in yet. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch reports.