I feel like we need to deal with the elephant in the room- Winston’s going to be part of this Government, isn’t he? Nobody’s saying it out loud, but I think we can all see that it’s absolutely going to happen. Take the cue from the fact that he was offered the Speaker’s job. And as far as I can see, they’re going to need him because at the moment - assuming that they win the Port Waikato by-election – ACT and National look like they will have 62 seats out of 122 seats in Parliament. That is not ...
Oct 16, 2023•3 min
So the political party that didn’t know what it stood for anymore and offered no real future lost the election to the party that offered tax cuts that are affordable only by increasing taxes on the wealthy and then claim that we’re back on track. I’d argue that New Zealand is confused. How else can you explain a nation that just 3 years ago so gratefully gave a red tide to Labour and now switches to a blue tsunami after a thousand days? I think the theme of the election is more that it was time ...
Oct 16, 2023•5 min
Rongotai's new MP has fronted up to media following the weekend's election result. The Greens Julie Anne Genter won the Labour stronghold seat. She explained to Nick Mills why she thinks she won. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 16, 2023•7 min
Greg O'Connor believes he's won the Ohariu electorate through his strong ground game. Amongst a blue wave, the incumbent Labour MP beat National's Deputy Leader Nicola Willis in the seat over the weekend. O'Connor thinks his omnipresence and determination got him over the line. He says he's made a real effort to know the people of his electorate well during his six years in office. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 16, 2023•10 min
The weekend. Discuss. No there's more than that isn’t there? What a weekend. I owe my texter Muz from Hawkes Bay a bottle of Pinot of his choice. He said that it would be a walkover, that it would be absolutely obvious that National would do well and that they would have partners to support them. I thought the election would be a bit closer, a bit tighter. But ultimately, although it wasn't a complete rejection of the left, it was an absolute decimation of Labour. Not as bad as 2014, but jolly c...
Oct 15, 2023•6 min
What I enjoyed most about Saturday night was the message. What National and Act have argued for, and got support for, is to take this country back to what it was - aspirational, successful, outward looking and positive. For years we were the rockstar economy. When tragedy and upset struck as it did with the earthquake and the Global Financial Crisis, we didn’t buckle and we didn’t sink. We backed ourselves to work through and walk out the other side better off for the experience. What we have ha...
Oct 15, 2023•2 min
Wellington Central's new MP Tamatha Paul has revealed why she wouldn't talk to Mike Hosking during his election night coverage. The Green candidate won the seat convincingly over the weekend, however refused to be interviewed by Newstalk ZB's Breakfast Host when asked. She explained to Nick Mills why that decision was made. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 15, 2023•10 min
Well what a weekend. From the nail biter of a fantastic AB’s game, which, for the record, I was never in any doubt of. For those of you who were still listening to our election night coverage at midnight Saturday night you would have heard me say I picked the AB’s to win – so you know, never in any doubt from me, just saying. Just so happy for Fozzie to be honest. I feel like he deserved that. Likewise I thought the Nats deserved to win Saturday night like they did. You can’t take away from Luxo...
Oct 15, 2023•3 min
Incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he wants to "get cracking on" building relationships and starting conversations with respective political parties in forming a government. Speaking to Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking this morning, he acknowledged there is a large chunk of special votes still needing to be counted. Asked about his thinking on NZ First and party leader Winston Peters, he said: "I would prefer as I've always said, in a coalition National and ACT - I think that would be the ...
Oct 15, 2023•8 min
ACT Party leader David Seymour said what is clear is there is going to be a process driven by the special votes that may well deliver them a majority to work together with the National Party. "But there's also a possibility that there's going to be a third person in this marriage —as Diana once said— and we're going to have to work through how we create a three-way deal," he said, acknowledging the potential inclusion of NZ First. Seymour said the public had voted for change, but he also acknowl...
Oct 15, 2023•2 min
The National Party says it's keeping the special votes in mind as it starts working out how it will form government. Deputy Leader Nicola Willis says they won't be doing any negotiating via the media because they want to respect the privacy of prospective coalition partners. She told Kate Hawkesby that work is going on. Willis says they're progressing relationships with parties they want arrangements with. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 15, 2023•5 min
A polling expert has given New Zealand's general election polls a pass mark. Curia Principal David Farrar told Mike Hosking that the polling industry gave a pretty good idea of what to expect. He says with half a million votes to come, National's probably going to end up somewhere between 37 and 38%, which is where polls expected them to land. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 15, 2023•4 min
This week the Sunday Panel has had a bit of a rebrand. This week's Election Panel features Political Commentator Brigette Morton and Former Labour Minister Kris Fafooi discussing the ins and outs of this election: What caused the blue wave that swept the country? Will the special votes change anything? How will Labour fare as the opposition? Will Luxon's business background give him an edge when negotiating with Winston Peters? The votes - how do they break down, the electorates, and how did the...
Oct 15, 2023•11 min
A blue wave swept the country last night, National taking 39% of the votes. Former Finance Minister and National member, Steven Joyce, told Newstalk ZB's Election Special that ahead of time he was concerned that it might become another auction between the two parties. However that doesn't seem likely, he said, even if it became a mathematically viable option. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Oct 15, 2023•8 min
Te Pāti Māori's had a good election, with Rawiri Waititi holding Waiariki and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer taking Te Tai Hauāuru. 21-year-old Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke has unseated senior Labour Minister Nanaia Mahuta in Hauraki-Waikato, and Takuta Ferris has taken Te Tai Tonga. Two other Labour Cabinet Ministers have only slim leads: Kelvin Davis in Te Tai Tokerau and Peeni Henare in Tāmaki Makaurau. Labour Māori Caucus leader, Willie Jackson, told Newstalk ZB's Election Special that it's a hard day f...
Oct 15, 2023•5 min
ACT is playing electorate monopoly in Auckland, with Brooke van Velden taking a historic win in Tamaki and David Seymour comfortably regaining Epsom. Van Velden told Newstalk ZB’s Election Special that Tamaki locals haven’t had a real choice since Robert Muldoon won the seat in 1960. She said that she’s committed to listening and continuing to listen to the locals, fulfilling their desire to have a strong advocate bringing their concerns to Wellington. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener fo...
Oct 15, 2023•3 min
Act will have 11 seats in the new Parliament, with Brooke van Velden taking the previously safe National seat of Tamaki. Leader David Seymour told Newstalk ZB's Election Special that the challenge is now to use their increased influence in a National-led government. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 15, 2023•6 min
Labour campaign chair Megan Woods says they're still letting the dust settle on a devastating election result. She told Newstalk ZB’s Election Special that it's too soon to say where things went so wrong for her party. But she says that at the end of the day, they just didn't get enough votes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 15, 2023•6 min
They may not have swooped to victory but it's been a massive night for the Greens. They'll spend the next three years in Opposition but they're celebrating as though they've won the election, picking up much of the Labour vote. Greens Co-Leader James Shaw told Francesca Rudkin and Jason Walls that it's been a banger of a result. He says they've got 14 MPs —the most ever— with seven new people are coming into Parliament, and have won three electorates. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for...
Oct 15, 2023•7 min
New Zealand First's Shane Jones says the election's brought a sense of relief. He's calling leader Winston Peters a phoenix, leading a team of eight back into Parliament on current numbers. But things could change after the special vote count is released on November 3. NZ First's Shane Jones told Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB's Election special that it's still a big unknown. He says these matters have to be discussed by the new Caucus and leader. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...
Oct 14, 2023•5 min
New Zealand First's Shane Jones says the election's brought a sense of relief. He's calling leader Winston Peters a phoenix, leading a team of eight back into Parliament on current numbers. But things could change after the special vote count is released on November 3. NZ First's Shane Jones told Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB's Election special that it's still a big unknown. He says these matters have to be discussed by the new Caucus and leader. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...
Oct 14, 2023•5 min
The votes are in. National is set to take up Government, but time is still to tell whether or not Christopher Luxon will need to pick up the phone and call in NZ First. The party's campaign spokesperson Chris Bishop joined Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB's Election Special to find out what comes next for National. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 14, 2023•6 min
Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson of Sherson Willis PR and former Labour staffer Mike Munro talked about: What did we think of last night’s final debate? Did Chris Hipkins go too far? How will tomorrow night play out? How big a role will New Zealand First and Winston Peters play tomorrow night? Will he break his word? Will he work with ACT? What will happen after the dust settles? And should Mark Telea have been dropped for the quarterfinal clash with Ireland on Sunday morning? LISTEN ABOVE S...
Oct 13, 2023•14 min
Labour claims it's enjoying a last-minute surge, in leaked internal polling. It puts Labour on 30 percent, National on 35, the Greens on 13, Act on 8, and Te Pati Maori on 4. It would have the left bloc overtaking the right - 47 percent to 43 percent. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls is urging scepticism. He told Heather du Plessis-Allan with New Zealand First on 6 percent, this still makes Winston Peters kingmaker. “I would take this with more than a pinch of salt. I mean, we don’t talk...
Oct 13, 2023•5 min
Let’s kick-off with a bit of financial advice. If you have shares in a sausage roll factory or an ice cream shop, sell them now. Because, after today, sales are going to plummet without the politicians screaming around the country filling their gobs and scooping the cold stuff into cones. Come midnight tonight, we are done for another three years. Although the real action is still to come with voting still happening until 7 o’clock tomorrow night and then the results. I love election night. But ...
Oct 13, 2023•5 min
In the final edition of Politics Friday before election day, John was joined by Labour’s Megan Woods and National’s Gerry Brownlee live in studio. They discussed the campaign, whether it’s been the most negative they’ve seen, and the policies they’re the proudest of leading into the election. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 12, 2023•21 min
Former MP and Minister Peter Dunne and former MP and Attorney General Chris Finlayson joins Nick Mills for an election special of Friday Faceoff. Together they break down the last leaders debate, the latest polls, the reality of working with Winston Peters, and who they back to win electorates within the Wellington Region. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 12, 2023•33 min
Well we made it... we made it, didn’t we? Are you as fatigued as I am? I'm not sure I can put my finger on it, but this has been one of the more forgettable campaigns. Maybe it was the fact we ultimately all know the Government will lose and another one will be elected. No, we don’t know in what shape. But we know Labour is done and, because they are done, this campaign has just been a long drawn out goodbye with confirmation on Saturday night. There is always finger pointing and negativity but ...
Oct 12, 2023•2 min
Can you imagine what it’s like on the National Party bus today after those three poll results that came out in the last 24 hours? All three of them - the 1News Kantar poll, the Newshub poll, and the Guardian poll - have Winston Peters being the coalition kingmaker. They’ve got NZ First somewhere between 6 percent and 8.2 percent. Anything over 5 percent, and Winston, Shane and the rest of the crew are back in Parliament. In one poll, 9 percent are undecided. In another, as many as 12 percent don...
Oct 12, 2023•4 min
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 campaign: 6/10 Because it’s a chance to vote and that should never be taken for granted. But man, it's been hard work in places. Labour: 4/10 It was negative, it wasn’t fought on their record for very good reasons, Hipkins held his own but was pretty much shot from day one. National: 6/10 A lot of noise, a lot of money and plenty of ideas and policy. Luxon proved by debate ...
Oct 12, 2023•3 min
