Duncan Garner - Editor In Chief

Every time Willie Jackson opens his mouth, Labour drops in the polls. From co-governance to spending and failing to explain his own party's capital gains tax policy, Willie has become a walking liability. Does Chris Hipkins actually have authority over his own party? Plus, we talk to the Cannabis Clinic about how new roadside drug testing is catching out Kiwis using legal, prescribed medication.

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British author, academic, and free speech advocate Andrew Doyle joins Duncan Garner in the studio while on tour with the Free Speech Union to deliver an urgent warning to New Zealand.

Looking at the United Kingdom as a cautionary tale, Andrew breaks down staggering stats from a recent Big Brother Watch report revealing 62,000 arrests for offensive speech between 2021 and 2025. That is roughly 30 people a day arrested for opinions, online posts, and even satirical jokes.

Duncan and Andrew dive into the chilling reality of non-crime hate incidents, police ideological training, and how police guidelines are shifting away from fundamental equality before the law. They examine real-world cases, including comedy writer Graham Linehan’s arrest at Heathrow Airport by armed officers over Twitter posts, and a former police officer fined for a satirical meme.

Andrew warns that expanding protected characteristics to include religious belief in New Zealand could severely compromise satire, parody, and free thought. Is New Zealand already setting up the framework to head down the exact same path?

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Wellington ratepayers are shelling out $280,000 for a Chief Māori Officer, which is $78,000 more than the city’s mayor takes home. Over in the regional council, there is another executive doing the same work for over $200,000. We look at why ratepayers are funding duplicate bureaucracy in a cost-of-living crisis and ask where the actual outcomes are. Former minister Maurice Williamson and Ani O'Brien join the show to break down council spending.

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Aucklanders are getting hammered by rates, congestion, and failing infrastructure, yet Auckland Transport is advertising for a Head of Māori Outcomes reporting straight to the CEO. A passenger is a passenger, and standard public transport should deliver one service for everyone. We look at how bloated public sector bureaucracy keeps expanding while the basics remain broken.

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We take a look at the extraordinary entry numbers coming out of Otago Medical School. Around 90% of Māori applicants receive offers compared to just 31% in the general category, turning away candidates with superior grades. David Seymour joins us after being briefed on a secret report into race-based admissions. He says it fails to justify the policy, so why won't the government release it to the public?

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Winston Peters has just thrown a hand grenade into the superannuation debate. New Zealand First wants to change the rules so that from 2029 you must be a New Zealand citizen to qualify for NZ Super. Right now, permanent residents can get it after meeting residency requirements. We speak with New Zealand First candidate Craig Stobo about why they are pushing for this change and whether our current welfare model is sustainable.

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The Greens want to spend $6 billion on a government-owned supermarket chain, acquiring 120 stores to give us cheaper groceries. But is KiwiMart a genius fix or an expensive fantasy? We break down why forcing private businesses out won't magically lower your checkout bill. Plus, Retail NZ’s Carolyn Young joins us to reveal the real costs, huge legal risks, and what this means for Kiwis.

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This election is starting to look less like two competing visions and more like a choice between dumb and dumber. National’s telling us to wait while spending $20 billion more than Labour’s last budget, but Labour is turning up with an uncosted $21 billion shopping list. Chris Hipkins refuses to show us the money, Willie Jackson says they didn't spend enough, and everyday Kiwis are left carrying the bill.

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A real estate agent with a 30-year career faces a lifetime ban for refusing to take a compulsory 90-minute course on tikanga Māori. She lost her license not for misconduct, but for holding firm to her personal beliefs. We ask when regulators got the power to take away a person's right to work over a compulsory course. Plus, interest rates go up again.

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Labour has a massive problem 10 weeks out from the election. Between ditching fuel tax increases, entertaining pay equity claims, and relying on capital gains tax that will not bring in revenue for years, their numbers just do not add up. We look at how Willie Jackson is pouring fuel on the fire by telling unions Labour was too conservative on spending, completely torpedoing Chris Hipkins' message.

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