Politics Central

Former Labour Leader Phil Goff and Former National Minister Maurice Williamson join Tim Beveridge to review the 2026 Election.  The guys discuss what the staggeringly low party vote for both National and Labour says about public opinion.  Opportunity looks like it could be kingmaker, but would they work with NZ First after comments made by Michael Laws?  And several high-ranking National Party ministers have lost their seats, how will this effect coalition negotiations?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a view the National Party has strong reasons to oppose efforts to create an overhang.  Te Pati Māori, ACT and New Zealand First are advocating for a split vote approach to increase their preferred bloc's vote share.  National Leader Chris Luxon is telling people to give both their party and electorate vote to the party.  Former United Future Leader and political commentator Peter Dunne, says he'll be worried about having less power in a coalition.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's unveiled a 26 point plan for its first 100 days if re-elected. The first pledge will be introducing KiwiSaver changes to parliament, including $15,000 for every newborn, and making the scheme compulsory. Other promises include cutting student loan repayments, extending paid parental leave, boosting Pharmac funding for cancer medicines and capping council rates increases. Nicola Willis says the party's been campaigning hard on these issues and voters should know what to expect. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opportunity is moving to try and end the cycle of short-term political thinking. The party is pledging to establish a Future Generations Commissioner - appointed through Parliament for five years, to hold Governments and public bodies accountable for the long-term consequences of their decisions. Leader Qiulae Wong says they've followed international modelling - and New Zealand needs to think more about the long-term. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Party's announced that, if re-elected, they will make it a criminal offence to withhold information from Police when a child aged 12 or under has been killed and adults were present. National's Justice Spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says the change is aimed at cases where people refuse to speak to police, preventing those responsible from being brought to justice. The proposed offence would carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, but it also raises a question about how our right to silence can be tossed, and the risk of unintended consequences. Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money joins Tim Beveridge to discuss what this proposal means... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour Party's announced plans to get kids off screens - and get them back to being kids - with better access to after-school activities, placing healthier boundaries between children and their devices, and boosting online safety measures for children. The party says too many childhood are being spent on screens, with sport, hobbies and other activities being out of reach for many families. So they'll work with experts, educators, and young people to strike the right balance. Labour's Education Spokesperson Ginny Andersen unpacks the plan with Tim Beveridge... LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Green Party's announced a jobs guarantee programme for young people who've been out of work for 6 months, with unemployment at an 11-year high, and three times worse for younger people. The party says the country's infrastructure and nature need maintenance and care, but community services are short of the people needed - so they plan to give those roles to younger people. The policy aims to bring work to 32,000 young people, by scaling up funding for all councils. Party Co-Leader Marama Davidson speaks to Tim Beveridge to explain how it work... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT's released their fiscal plan if re-elected, and it's focused on cutting wasteful spending across sectors, and reduce debt by $12.4 billion dollars. The party's budget focuses on hard issues like superannuation, and bureaucracy, while proposing no new taxes and a quicker return to surplus. The party says Government spend is up 20 percent since 2017 across most sectors, and less debt lets us better respond to economic crisis and natural disasters. ACT Party Leader David Seymour talks to Tim Beveridge to unpack their plan... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT's election campaign's kicked off today, and the party's focused on two things: cut red-tape to unlock the country's potential, and lock Labour out. As part of their ambitions, the party wants to remove tax on Kiwisaver earnings, and scrutinise the bureaucracy in many sectors. ACT Party Candidate Paul Henry joins Tim Beveridge to speak about why the Party's going so hard on Labour... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're about a month away until Election Day, so policy announcemens and party promises are ramping up. The Greeens today have launched their transport plan to combat fossil fuel use, and ease congestion. The Greens will cap bus and train fares at $2 for adults, and free for children, students, community service card holders, and total mobility users. They also plan to build rapid bus and light rail, boost inter-regional travle, and pedestrianises more inner-city areas. Green Party Transport Spokesperson Julie Anne Genter speaks with Tim Beveridge to unpack the policy... LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.