Duncan Garner - Editor In Chief

Something is badly wrong when firefighters are among the lowest-paid people inside the very service they keep alive.

On the Slam Dunc, Duncan Garner takes aim at Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s pay priorities, questioning why frontline firefighters are still fighting for better pay, safer staffing, reliable trucks and proper gear while management layers and board fees keep climbing. From the CEO’s salary to six-figure corporate roles, Duncan asks the obvious question: why are the people running into burning buildings earning less than the people sitting behind desks?

We also hear listener feedback on immigration, school zoning pressure in Auckland, and the need to bring people with us when policy decisions reshape communities. It’s blunt, uncomfortable, and exactly the sort of conversation New Zealand needs to have.

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New Zealand needs more people to roll up their sleeves, and Duncan is making the case pretty clearly: this is one of the simplest ways to save a life.

Scott Sinclair from NZ Blood joins Duncan to explain the difference between blood, plasma and platelets, why red cell levels are low, and why common blood types like O positive and A positive are especially needed.

They also dig into the growing demand for plasma, the fact New Zealand is buying more from overseas, and why becoming more self-reliant matters.

There’s also a practical push for donors across Auckland, from Constellation Drive to Takapuna, Henderson, Epsom and Manukau, plus mobile blood drives. Yes, petrol prices are painful, but as Scott says, there’s no substitute for blood.

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The government says they aren’t intervening in the Far North, but we’ve seen the letters that say otherwise. Officials are at the table, reporting back to Wellington, and the pressure is mounting. We dive into the co-governance creep National promised to stop and ask why they’re still being so soft. Plus, the panel reacts to Winston Peters’ most brutal tweet in 40 years.

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We are looking at the massive gold mine project in Central Otago that is currently stalled. Is it a fair deal for iwi or a massive tax on business? Act MP Simon Court joins us to discuss why this veto culture needs to end before we lose all our investors to Australia. Plus, your feedback on media bias and the latest in Parliament.

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What happens when an old regulator tries to police a media world that’s already moved on? We get stuck with a fight over The Platform’s Sean Plunket, the BSA, free speech, and whether broadcasting rules still make sense when podcasts and radio start crossing over.

In this episode, Duncan digs into the complaint over Plunket’s “mumbo jumbo” comment, and why the real issue might be the Platform’s link to terrestrial radio. He’s joined by Free Speech Union chief executive Jillaine Heather to talk mission creep, censorship concerns, and whether the government should be stepping in to draw a line.

They also get into the proposed under-16 social media ban, why blanket bans rarely work, and why ministers keep going missing when the hard questions start.

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Christopher Luxon is under fire, and his leadership is being questioned by his own team. Duncan has three clear steps for the Prime Minister to reset his government and survive this slump. We also highlight why Minister Simon Watts is avoiding the tough questions on our show, and answer your feedback on iwi settlements.

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Is the National Party in a death spiral? Duncan sits down with Ani O'Brien and Jordan Williams to dissect the latest polling numbers and the growing pressure on Christopher Luxon. With the election just six months away, we ask the hard questions about leadership, strategy, and whether a change at the top is the only way forward for the party.

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National is stuck in the twenties, Winston Peters is rising fast, and the pressure on Christopher Luxon is no longer background noise.

In this episode, we break down the latest polling and what it really means for National heading into an election. Is this just a rough patch, or something deeper? And more importantly, can the party actually win with Luxon still leading?

We’re joined by Maurice Williamson and Ashley Church to unpack the leadership chatter, the reality behind political polling, and why voters on the right are shifting. We also get into co-governance, council power, tax reform ideas, and a tough listener story that brings the cost-of-living crisis into sharp focus.

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Duncan dives into a major shift happening right now in the Far North District Council. They have held an extraordinary meeting to give full voting and speaking rights to unelected iwi and hapu members. We look at what this means for local democracy and whether shared governance works when there is no shared electoral accountability to the ratepayers.

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This country runs on diesel and without it we come to a halt. Duncan is joined by Peter Williams and Ani O'Brien on the panel, to break down the massive spike in fuel costs and why the government is caught between a rock and a hard place. We also look at the rising tensions in Northland over co-governance and whether the public service is still too bloated.

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