Simeon Brown made a big announcement today regarding Te Whatu Ora, sacking Lester Levy, reinstating the board, and relying on the private sector to reduce the surgery wait list by mid-year.Chris Hipkins speaks at the Labour's State of Nation, announcing portfolio reshuffles, new portfolio and the party's main priorities heading into the election 2026.Winston is back in the news, this time with his 'anti-woke' targeting diversity targets in the public sector.That and much more in tonight's Friday show!=================================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

Clint Smith joins us to discuss this governments dysfunctional leadership, after Winston takes it upon himself to fire Phil Goff who was the High Commissioner to London.Simeon makes the news for two high profile stories:Money that was allocated to a free bowel cancer screening programme targeting Māori and Pacific peoples was scrapped in favour of "equality" instead dropping the eligibility by only 2 years.Simeon ignored advice to not appoint a gas lobbyist to the energy savings board, who didn't even meet the requirements during the interview stage. =================================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

US President Donald Trump today took credit for "swift and unrelenting action" in reorienting the nation's economy, immigration and foreign policy as he updated Congress and the American people on his turbulent first few weeks in office, which have featured a dismantling of the federal government, tensions with America’s allies and a trade war compounding economic uncertainty.David Seymour says he's been upfront about issues with the revamped school lunch programme and is solving them, and has shrugged off a call by a union for the Education Minister to take over overseeing the programme.Stephen Franks talks to Oliver Plunket this morning about his law firm giving notice to ‘gender affirming care’ providers and Ministers. The group sending these legal letters are conservative group Inflection Point NZ and we were wondering where does pressure from a lobby group stop and heavy handed threats of legal action begin?=================================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

Jan Tinetti joins us tonight to talk about School Lunches which have had a lot of coverage today. Erica Stanford has seemingly issued a "please explain" to David Seymour and the PM thinks it can all be solved with a marmite sandwich and an appleThe PM was on ZB this morning talking how good the on nurses pay is. We want to see what a nurse needs to do to be eligible for the $127k salary that the PM, and Mike Hosking, think is a pretty good wicket. The NZ Nurses Organisation President Anne Daniels joins us tonight to talk over what nurses get paid and more.It's been revealed that the break fee for cancelling the iRex ferries is $300m, Winston Peters has the chance, according to the PM, to get NZ a better deal and if he doesn't NZ will be going with the plan revealed at the end of last year=================================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

Sunny Kaushal, chairperson of the Government's Ministerial Advisory Group for victims of retail crime, wants changes to the "confusing" and "inconsistent" laws around citizen's arrest. Comedian Bill Burr said his X account was flagged after he said on his podcast a few weeks ago that Elon Musk had “lost his fucking mind.” Burr said he made fun of Musk, who owns X, on his podcast for “seig heiling” during an inaugural celebration for President Donald Trump afterward, Burr was going through his emails, when he noticed he got an email that his X account had been flagged.We'll take a look back over the fallout between Trump and Zelensky including Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's claim today that he trusts the actions of Trump =================================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

Yes we know it's March for the first episode of 2025 but you can blame the trip the earth takes around the sun giving us a month with 28 days!!!Zelensky v Trump, Waitangi/this governments attack on all things Maori, PM on Hosking

How the independent left media and how Duncan Garner has made a hard shift right...and it's working for him

On the panel this month are - Jordan Rivers https://www.tiktok.com/@jordan_rivers.nz- Martyn 'Bomber' Bradbury https://thedailyblog.co.nz/- Paul 'the other one' Barlow https://www.youtube.com/@Paul...theotherone- Gerard Otto https://www.facebook.com/gerard.otto- Pat Brittenden https://www.youtube.com/docnzstudios

Protesters have gathered at Lake Rotokākahi to stop a sewerage pipe planned to run through a sacred site where over 100 tūpuna died during the Lake Tarawera eruption of 1886.The school lunch saga continues with further backlash, and mounting complaints over issues of variety, quality, wastage and delivery.China have made home in the Tasman sea, a warning to New Zealand?Plus a recap of the week, memes and a good laugh to send you into the weekend!=================================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

Paula Penfold joins us LIVE at 9pm to talk about the Covid Inquiry where some top level resignations have called into question some serious questions of the status of the inquiryKieran McAnulty and Chris Bishop sparred this morning on Breakfast TV where they talked over the new legislation that National wants to bring in giving more citizen arrest powers to the average kiwi on the streetChristopher Luxon uses very strong and decisive words when he thinks a minister needs to be sacked...just not his ministers. Tonight we'll take a look at the way Luxon speaks about the opposition issues with Ministers and his ability to call for their sacking, even though he seems to lose that nouse when it's one of his ministers=================================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 government is making the claim that this year is the first drop in violent crime since 2018. CTU economist Craig Renney has crunched the numbers and has some thoughts around the claimRetailers and members of the public will soon have beefed-up rights to detain and arrest suspected thieves by using "reasonable force", the Government has announced. It says the measures will help tackle retail crime but the changes have been slated by business lobby groups — including the Employers and Manufacturers Association and Retail NZ — who say it could lead to violence.It might be saving money, but the social impact of David Seymour’s new school lunch initiative is proving costly in some of our most deprived communities. We are also getting more and more reports of the quality of the food delivered under Labour's policy, versus the "cheaper and better" options being delivered (sometimes) today=================================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 US has sided with Russia today voting down a UN resolution to condemn Moscow's actions and support Ukraine. Emmanuelle Macron also had to fact check Donald Trump live in the Oval Office when Trump suggested Europe was only lending Ukraine money for the war.Christopher Luxon was asked on Breakfast this morning if Andrew Bayly was sacked or if he resigned. The National MP has resigned from all of his ministerial portfolios after an incident of "overbearing" behaviour towards a staff member last week.David Seymour wants to force James Cameron to use more Kiwis in major acting roles in his Avatar movies. Seymour believes the Government must impose conditions on Cameron to get more value for money from the more than $200 million in taxpayer subsidies given to the series.Erica Stanford has announced fast tracking residency for overseas primary school teachers as a way to fill the shortfall i=we have in the teaching sectorThree senior figures in the Covid Inquiry team have resigned resign raising serious questions over the status of the Inquiry and the way it is being run.=================================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