Focus on Politics

By RNZNews

Focus on Politics episodes

November 17, 2023 Te Pāti Māori plans for future as it reflects on success in Māori seats
After its most successful election - taking all but one of the Māori seats - Te Pāti Māori is amping up for the next three years as "the only true opposition".
It's a dramatic turnaround for a party dumped out of Parliament entirely in 2017, but co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says that was a critical part of the party's growth.
They are also looking ahead to their next generation of leaders, she says, and plans are afoot to shake Parliament up and normalise it for Māori.
In this week's Focus on Politics, Political Reporter Giles Dexter asks Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer to reflect on what the party did to win all but one of the Māori electorates and what it has planned for the 54th Parliament.
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says the party this term will be pushing to make Parliament more welcoming to Māori from day one.
"It's an evolving movement, we should never stay the same" - Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
After its most successful election - taking all but one of the Māori seats - Te Pāti Māori is amping up for the next three years as "the only true opposition".
It's a dramatic turnaround for a party dumped out of Parliament entirely in 2017, but co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says that was a critical part of the party's growth.
They are also looking ahead to their next generation of leaders, she says, and plans are afoot to shake Parliament up and normalise it for Māori.
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After the final vote count on 3 November - and the subsequent judicial recounts - Te Pāti Māori is confirmed to have won all but one of the Māori electorates.
It's not just the wins that are impressive but from whom those seats were won, with senior Labour figures like Kelvin Davis, Nanaia Mahuta and Peeni Henare ousted.
Tākuta Ferris took Te Tai Tonga from Labour's Rino Tirikatene; along with its previous iteration the Southern Māori seat, the electorate has been held by a Tirikatene for all but 15 of 91 years.
At 21, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke wasn't even born when Hauraki-Waikato incumbent Nanaia Mahuta first entered Parliament in 1996. She told RNZ on election night the biggest achievement was getting a foot in the door - not just for herself, but for the kohanga reo generation.
Nanaia Mahuta, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, and Meka Whaitiri
Ngarewa-Packer says they could see a growing frustration with the status quo, and people were able to identify with the party better than some of the more traditional positions. …
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
17 min
November 10, 2023 Coalition talks pick up pace behind closed doors
With National's potential partners ACT and NZ First finally getting together in Wellington this week, a sense of momentum is building for the trio to form a government.
Labour's Chris Hipkins meanwhile has survived a vote on his MPs' endorsement of him as leader with Carmel Sepuloni taking the deputy leadership as the party prepares for opposition.
In this week's Focus on Politics, Political Editor Jane Patterson examines politicians' progress towards the incoming government and opposition.

"We're working to do it as fast as we possibly can" - Christopher Luxon
With National's potential partners ACT and NZ First finally getting together in Wellington this week, a sense of momentum is building for the trio to form a government.
Labour's Chris Hipkins meanwhile has survived a vote on his MPs' endorsement of him as leader with Carmel Sepuloni taking the deputy leadership as the party prepares for opposition.
Listen to the full podcast
A key player in the negotiations, Winston Peters arrived in the capital this week doggedly determined to say not one word to reporters.
ACT leader David Seymour took a distinctly different approach, happy to do a number of interviews over the weekend without divulging confidential details.
The man working to entice both of them to make him prime minister, National's Christopher Luxon, has made himself available for select media interviews, while offering very little detail.
Christopher Luxon speaks to media after the final election result was announced.
There's plenty all three parties seem to agree on: the repeal of Three Waters, the Māori Health Authority and the Resource Management Act; restoring 90-day workplace trials; a smaller public service; and changes in portfolios like justice and education.
More tricky could be convincing NZ First about the merits of National's tax on foreign buyers; using funds from the Emissions Trading Scheme for tax cuts; and ACT's proposal for a referendum on the Treaty of Waitangi.
As the week drew to a close and with the three leaders all on Parliament's grounds, negotiations have clearly progressed. On Thursday, Peters visited ACT's headquarters on the precinct - breaking the ice on a previously frosty relationship between the pair.
Friday saw more of the same, with Seymour returning the favour. Both meetings lasted only about 10 minutes, and there appears to have been no gathering of all three as yet - despite all saying this was likely to happen at some point.
Read more:
Parliament: Current caretaker role to continue until new government formed
Seymour 'achieved what I wanted' in 10-minute meeting…
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
17 min
November 03, 2023 Peters' stock rises on final vote count, how much will Luxon pay?
The final act of the 2023 election has reset the calculus, blowing apart National's dream scenario and driving up the price for forming government.
With NZ First's support now a requirement, Winston Peters is sure to demand more in negotiations.
In this week's Focus on Politics, Political Editor Jane Patterson speaks to Deputy Political Editor Craig McCulloch, analysing the state of play after the final election result.
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"We will now crack on with the clarity that we have" - Christopher Luxon
The final act of the 2023 election has reset the calculus, blowing apart National's dream scenario and driving up the price for forming government.
With NZ First's support now a requirement, Winston Peters is sure to demand more in negotiations.
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It took 20 days to recount all the ballots - to add in those so-called special votes, to check for mistakes or fraud - finally delivering a bombshell.
When Christopher Luxon spoke to his jubilant supporters on election night, he knew all too well the National-ACT majority on "current numbers" could disappear on the final count, and followed his remarks by acknowledging Peters' offer to help.
That exchange takes on much greater significance now the 600,000 special votes have dissolved that majority, with National losing two seats - giving them just 59 seats with ACT, and in need of NZ First's eight MPs for a majority.
Read more:
Special Votes: National and ACT lose majority in largest ever Parliament
Seymour reverses rule-out of working with Peters in Cabinet
Luxon on final election results: 'The most likely and expected outcome'
Recount on the cards in Nelson
Te Pāti Māori claims victory in 6 of the 7 Māori electorates
It's a scenario Luxon called a "last resort" during the campaign, an outcome he was prepared to make work - but did not want. He may be putting on a brave face, but it is evident the numbers have made his job harder.
During the election campaign, ACT's David Seymour ruled out the prospect of sitting round the Cabinet table with one Winston Peters, but the cold hard reality of the numbers prompted a post-election rethink.
"I think it's possible," he told reporters, now saying the deal could take less than a week to negotiate.
Speaking on The Platform, Peters also expressed optimism a deal could be struck "much more quickly than people think".
The clock is ticking.
In this week's Focus on Politics, Political Editor Jane Patterson speaks to Deputy Political Editor Craig McCulloch, analysing the state of play after the final election result.
Listen to the full podcast…
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
16 min
October 27, 2023 Labour faces vexed reset and return to opposition
After a devastating collapse in their vote on election night, the Labour Party is examining what went so wrong and who is best to lead them from the opposition benches.
Current and former MPs alike are calling for a wider refocusing on the party's values and relationships to avoid the kind of fracturing that often so plagues parties banished from government.
In this week's Focus on Politics, Political Reporter Katie Scotcher explores the challenge Labour faces in rebuilding after its clear election defeat.
Chris Hipkins on election night, superimposed over the crowd at the Labour headquarters in Lower Hutt.
"People who were used to being Cabinet ministers and making high-level decisions struggle quite a bit with that transition to being a garden-variety MP again," - Sue Moroney
After a devastating collapse in their vote on election night, the Labour Party is examining what went so wrong and who is best to lead them from the opposition benches.
Current and former MPs alike are calling for a wider refocusing on the party's values and relationships to avoid the kind of fracturing that often so plagues parties banished from government.
Listen to the full podcast
Almost two weeks after their drubbing at the polls - which cut their caucus from more than 60 MPs to just 34 and lost them stronghold electorates like Mt Roskill, New Lynn and West Coast-Tasman - emotions in the party are still raw.
Reflection inevitably turns to questions of leadership, and while MPs publicly backed Chris Hipkins to remain in the job for now, Willie Jackson spoke of support from "most" and leadership ambitions from one or two.
Under party rules, the caucus must vote on the leadership within three months of the election.
Political commentator and former Labour candidate Josie Pagani says if Hipkins can return to the instinct he had when he first took over - the bread and butter basics - he'll deserve to take the party to the 2026 election.
"If Chris Hipkins can prove that, he starts from an honest, difficult analysis of what went wrong and why the Labour party lost - which frankly is not the gods, cyclones, external factors, inflation, cost of living and so on, it was the inability of Labour to respond to those things in a way that voters wanted them to."
Read more:
The 'multiple reasons' why Labour lost so badly
Port Waikato by-election: Labour won't stand a candidate in 'unwinnable' by-election
Greens could surpass Labour at next election unless it gets act together - former MP
The Detail: The West Coast's surprising shade of blue
Auckland's Mt Roskill votes for change, now the hard part begins…
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
17 min
October 20, 2023 Election results in a clear winner, a clear loser, a complex path to power
The battle for the hearts, minds and votes of New Zealanders is over - nearly - with the preliminary results on Saturday putting National in a position to form the next government and Labour consigned to the opposition benches.
National's exact path to government is not fully clear, and depends on the final vote count. Even so, it's far preferable to the position Labour's in, having to put on a brave face despite anger and recriminations at the result.
In this week's Focus on Politics, Political Editor Jane Patterson gets the lay of the land as the nation waits on the final election results.
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"Making sure there's good glue, actually making sure we've got strong stable relationships" - Christopher Luxon
The battle for the hearts, minds and votes of New Zealanders is over - nearly - with the preliminary results on Saturday putting National in a position to form the next government and Labour consigned to the opposition benches.
National's exact path to government is not fully clear, and depends on the final vote count. Even so, it's far preferable to the position Labour's in, having to put on a brave face despite anger and recriminations at the result.
Listen to the full podcast
Based on preliminary count, National could go ahead with their preferred option - a two-party coalition with ACT - but with a razor-thin majority the option of including New Zealand First and leader Winston Peters is very much in play.
National's leader Christopher Luxon spoke the day after the election about being aligned with ACT, and having good chemistry with its leader David Seymour, using language like "mergers and acquisitions", and later talking about taking on a more managerial chief executive role than focusing on a particular portfolio.
Seymour told RNZ political reporter Anneke Smith on election night that New Zealand faced many problems, but political stability was needed. He said ACT and National had similar beliefs around reducing government expenditure - so there's certainly some common ground.
"The recent forecasts for economic growth placed New Zealand as one of the slowest-growing economies in the world. That's an immediate problem but it's also a long-term trend that needs to be addressed."
Read more:
Political panel: 'Mergers and acquisitions' in limboland
Comment: Labour out, National in - either way, neoliberalism wins again
New Green MPs, co-leaders speak at Parliament
Election campaign fight for your eyeballs: Parties' social media use
Analysis: Luxon gets the job as PM - and deal-making headache
Labour's caucus meeting 'pretty rough'- Hipkins…
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
17 min
October 13, 2023 On the campaign trail, final week: The highs and lows
It has been a rollercoaster campaign, fiscal fights, feisty debates - all with the aim of taking the government benches.
In Focus on Politics this week, a look at the campaign as it all comes down to the voters.
"I would say the Labour campaign has been a game of two halves" - Katie Scotcher
It's the eve of the official day of polling in New Zealand - and where are the votes going to fall?
It has been a rollercoaster campaign, full of fiscal fights and feisty debates - all with the aim of taking the government benches.
Listen to the full podcast
RNZ's political reporters have been out with the various political parties and leaders for the last six weeks, covering all of the twists and turns.
RNZ political editor Jane Patterson, deputy political editor Craig McCulloch and reporters Katie Scotcher, Anneke Smith and Giles Dexter all joined Corin and Ingrid on Morning Report Friday.
In Focus on Politics this week, we look back at the rollercoaster ride and forecast what might be ahead once the ballots are all counted.
Listen to the full podcast
Listen free to Focus on Politics on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
18 min
October 06, 2023 On the campaign trail, week five: Luxon grapples with his 'last resort'
TVNZ's multi-party debate this week illustrated key features of this election campaign: the minor parties' rising popularity, and the complicated role of NZ First.
With polls they would need Winston Peters, National and ACT have been continuing to talk down his appeal - but it remains preferable to defeat.
In Focus on Politics this week, RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch dissects the past week, speaking to Guyon Espiner alongside RNZ and NBR political editors Jane Patterson and Brent Edwards, and RNZ political reporter Anneke Smith.
"Imagine if we woke up on the 15th of October in limboland" - former prime minister John Key
TVNZ's multi-party debate this week illustrated key features of this election campaign: the minor parties' rising popularity, and the complicated role of NZ First.
With polls they would need Winston Peters, National and ACT have been continuing to talk down his appeal - but it remains preferable to defeat.
Listen to the full podcast
National has only hardened its language over needing Peters to form a government, saying it's a "last resort" or "worst case scenario", and former PM John Key even weighed in with a plea to voters to avoid it.
Putting aside the personality problems, there are major policy differences too - including on superannuation and tax.
But the position of the right bloc trio is certainly preferable to the one Labour's in: lagging in the polls, with no road to power, and leader Chris Hipkins laid low by Covid-19 during the first week of voting.
Labour's candidates struggled to stick to the party line on a wealth tax - while National was caught out overegging its tax cut promise. Just a week to go until the big day - and plenty to watch out for.
In Focus on Politics this week, RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch dissects the past week, speaking to Guyon Espiner alongside RNZ and NBR political editors Jane Patterson and Brent Edwards, and RNZ political reporter Anneke Smith.
Listen to the full podcast
Listen free to Focus on Politics on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
16 min
September 29, 2023 On the campaign trail, week four: The week of Winston Peters
Call this the week of Winston Peters - with the New Zealand First leader, riding a wave of renewed relevancy.
In not one, but two TV polls, New Zealand First featured above that critical 5 percent threshold - and furthermore in that most pivotal of spots - necessary for National to form a government.
In Focus on Politics this week, RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch breaks down the latest week of the election campaign, a week where Winston Peters came to the fore.
"In the end, the voters of this country will decide this issue. Not politicians and certainly not the media" - Winston Peters
What a week for Winston.
In not one, but two TV polls, New Zealand First featured above that critical 5 percent threshold - and furthermore in that most pivotal of spots - necessary for National to form a government.
Listen to the full podcast
On Monday, Christopher Luxon acknowledged the state of play - explicitly ruling in New Zealand First as a potential partner - after weeks of implicitly doing so. A double-edged message from the National leader - a reluctant yes to New Zealand First - but an effective plea to voters - I'll make that call if I have to, but please don't make me.
But this sort of profile and attention is exactly what Peters wants - a platform with which to break back into Parliament. Yet another resurrection.
It's also what Labour wants - and needs right now - as it continues to slide in popularity - wallowing in the mid-20s on current polling - with no road to power.
Chris Hipkins knows he needs a circuit-breaker - and he seized on National's announcement as a potential one - throwing that Coalition of Chaos line back at his opponents. He brought a new fervour to Newshub's head-to-head leaders' debate on Wednesday - their second match-up - and a far more fiery one than the first.
As for Peters, he says desperation is driving Labour to dirty tactics.
And don't forget - next week marks the start of early voting in New Zealand - the runway fast running out for all political parties.
In Focus on Politics this week, RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch breaks down the latest week of the election campaign, a week where Winston Peters came to the fore.
Listen to the full podcast
Listen free to Focus on Politics on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
16 min
September 22, 2023 On the campaign trail, week three: Debates, polls, sausage and cheese rolls
The minor parties gave glimpses of their own cooperation styles at the Newshub Nation Powerbrokers' debate, while polls continued to signal Labour on the downturn.
GDP numbers also showed no recession for New Zealand, although inflation remains high.
This week's Focus on Politics is RNZ's roundtable discussion covering the major happenings of the 2023 election campaign. RNZ political editor Jane Patterson, deputy political editor Craig McCulloch, and Newsroom and Stuff political editors Jo Moir and Luke Malpass spoke to Morning Report host Corin Dann.
"You've had a chance, that's enough, there are adults in the room" - Winston Peters
The minor parties gave glimpses of their own cooperation styles at the Newshub Nation Powerbrokers' debate, while polls continued to signal Labour on the downturn.
GDP numbers also showed no recession for New Zealand, although inflation remains high.
Listen to the full podcast
While NZ First's Winston Peters and ACT's David Seymour grudgingly hinted they could work together in Thursday's debate, Greens' Marama Davidson and Te Pāti Māori's Debbie Ngarewa-Packer agreed so much it was easy to forget they were from different parties. It was a much more lively affair than the Chris-vs-Christopher clash earlier in the week.
Along with the better-than-expected-but-still-troublesome GDP figures, the PREFU prompted calls for parties to change their promises from both Seymour and Peters - making National's tax plans a possible point of contention.
Meanwhile, Labour's Chris Hipkins and National's Christopher Luxon have been on a roll on the campaign trail: the seemingly endless sausage rolls in the case of the former, Southland cheese rolls for the latter.
National's morning-event routine does appear to be an effective approach for his campaigning, but neither he nor Hipkins' travels seem to be focusing on swaying the unconvinced voter.
Next week's appointments will include a second head-to-head debate between the two, which may give them another chance - but as Labour's Greg O'Connor warned, the polls suggest the party's chances of clawing back support are growing slim.
This week's Focus on Politics is RNZ's roundtable discussion covering the major happenings of the 2023 election campaign. RNZ political editor Jane Patterson, deputy political editor Craig McCulloch, and Newsroom and Stuff political editors Jo Moir and Luke Malpass spoke to Morning Report hosts Corin Dann and Ingrid Hipkiss.
Listen to the full podcast
Listen free to Focus on Politics on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
17 min
September 15, 2023 On the campaign trail, week two: Tax plans and spending
The second week of the election campaign has been all about the economy.
There was the pre-election opening of the books, with National's tax plans and Labour's spending coming under fire.
This week's Focus on Politics is RNZ's roundtable discussion covering the major happenings of the 2023 election campaign. Political editor Jane Patterson, political reporter Katie Scotcher, and NZ Herald's political editor and deputy political editor Claire Trevett and Thomas Coughlan spoke to Morning Report host Corin Dann.
"We know what we're doing" - Christopher Luxon
There has been a huge focus on the economy during the second week of the official election campaign.
It has not just been about day-to-day living costs, but the big picture issues with the pre-election unveiling of the books.
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If you listened to Labour it was good news, with Chris Hipkins saying overall he was "pretty pleased with the picture" shown by the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update.
But the opposition hit out at government spending and borrowing and National leader Christopher Luxon said the update showed that there was more pain to come.
Luxon this week continued to face questions about, and defend, his party's tax plan with economists' analysis finding a massive hole in the numbers.
Meanwhile, ACT leader David Seymour floated the idea of a confidence-only agreement with any future National-led government.
This week's Focus on Politics is RNZ's roundtable discussion covering the major happenings of the 2023 election campaign. Political editor Jane Patterson, political reporter Katie Scotcher, and NZ Herald's political editor and deputy political editor Claire Trevett and Thomas Coughlan spoke to Morning Report host Corin Dann.
Listen to the full podcast
Listen free to Focus on Politics on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
19 min