Focus on Politics

In today's Focus on Politics podcast, Political Editor Jane Patterson examines the state of play in Ukraine, and the legal and political instruments being brought to bear against Russia.

"If Putin remains in power and he physically remains in Russia, there's not really anything that can be done. The only possibility would be a coup that overthrows him ... or if Putin travels outside of Russia" - Stephen Smith

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is bringing new images every day of destruction, and allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

It brings calls for justice, for the prosecution of Russian president Vladimir Putin, and for reform at the United Nations.

New Zealand experts say it's possible, but prosecution and reform alike could take years.

Listen to the full podcast here

US President Joe Biden has outright called Putin a war criminal, and National's Christopher Luxon has said he'd be comfortable doing the same.

Most leaders are more circumspect however, including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who argues it's up to the International Criminal Court to make that determination.

It's a position that has the rare agreement of ACT leader David Seymour: "It's not up to a politician to decide if someone's guilty, it's up to a court, and I think Jacinda Ardern has got that one right. You won't hear me say that often."

Ardern, Luxon and Seymour alike - along with all other MPs, the intelligence agency chiefs and top defence officials - have been placed on Russia's travel blacklist, and it seems likely the tit-for-tat will only escalate.

Read more:

Russia's travel blacklist on 130 New Zealanders

Analysis: Justice may wait as evidence of Russia's crimes is gathered

'What did they liberate us from?': Russian troops' brutality detailed

Russia suspended from UN Human Rights Council

Mahuta tight-lipped on sending weapons to Ukraine

Putin's Ukraine war creating 'significant war crimes' - Mahuta

Luxon labels Putin a war criminal, again urges ambassador's removal

Internationally, Russia has already been suspended from the UN Human Rights Council over alleged atrocities, and Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has been urging its expulsion from the Security Council. As one of the five permanent members of the council Russia's veto guarantees it a diplomatic trump card.

New Zealand's former Security Council ambassador Colin Keating told Midday Report reform of the UN is possible, but it will take political will - and may take some time. …

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In today's Focus on Politics podcast, investigative journalist Guyon Espiner talks to a leading defence lawyer, the chair of the IPCA and the commissioner of police about whether the police watchdog is fit for purpose.

"We have police officers telling us things they don't tell police in the criminal investigations against them ... what they do tell us cannot ever be used against them," - IPCA Chair Judge Colin Doherty

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) holds an important constitutional role in New Zealand as the only body to monitor the actions of the police.

The IPCA has completed investigations into 36 of the 39 fatal police shootings since 1990 and in every case has ruled the killings were justified.

But RNZ investigative series Licence to Kill found the IPCA has limited powers to hold the police to account and relies heavily on the resources of the police themselves.

Listen to the full podcast here

IPCA chair Judge Colin Doherty and Police Commissioner Andrew Coster

The IPCA was established in 1988 and only got its own independent investigators in 2003.

Now it has about 40 staff and a budget of $5 million a year, but its resources are tiny compared to the police's 14,000 staff and budget of $2.2 billion a year.

IPCA chair Judge Colin Doherty says the authority does not have the resources it needs to do the job the way he thinks he should be done.

He steps down from his five-year term in August, and says the IPCA of the future should be totally independent by answering to Parliament like the Ombudsman and the Auditor General, rather than to the government.

He says that would increase its independence from government, but a leading defence lawyer also questions whether the IPCA is independent from the police.

Read more:

Licence to Kill: The startling truth about New Zealand's fatal police shootings

How the police watchdog is more secretive than the spy agency

Shooting to wound 'something from the movies' - Coster

Police who killed were given evidence in advance

The Detail: Behind the story about secrecy in how we police the police

The IPCA only independently investigates 2-3 percent of the complaints it receives. Many of the others are simply passed back to police to investigate themselves.

Defence Lawyers Association co-founder Christopher Stevenson says that fuels a perception the IPCA is not genuinely independent - and a lack of transparency doesn't help.

Despite being a Crown Entity, the IPCA is not subject to the Official Information Act (OIA), which closes down a vital accountability mechanism for proper scrutiny.

Stevenson says open justice is essential to a free and democratic society…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In today's Focus on Politics podcast, the government is pressing ahead with its planned mega media merger. Political reporter Katie Scotcher explores what it will mean for RNZ and TVNZ, as well the wider media sector.

"The platform at RNZ and TVNZ is strong enough to support change, it's whether or not the willingness sits within the newly-formed company," - Media academic Richard Pamatatau

The RNZ and TVNZ mega-media-merger has been years in the making. While it has finally been confirmed, much of the detail - including funding - remains unclear.

National opposes the merger, saying it's a solution looking for a problem.

But a media academic says the new organisation's biggest challenge - and biggest opportunity - will be creating a public service media which can truly cater to all New Zealanders.

Listen to the full podcast here

The idea of a public media shake-up first emerged ahead of the election in 2017, with Labour campaigning on a new public digital media service called RNZ+ which would have expanded into television with significant extra funding.

Those plans were shelved after Clare Curran resigned as Broadcasting Minister in 2018. Her successor Kris Faafoi - a former journalist - floated the idea of a new state-owned public media entity in 2019.

A group - with representatives from RNZ, TVNZ and various public service agencies - advised the status quo was "unsustainable" and the two broadcasters be disestablished with a new organisation in its place. Ministers approved, but demanded a business case to assess how it would work.

After Covid-related delays, eight experts led by former NZ First Minister Tracey Martin reported back to the Minister late last year with their proposal. Cabinet confirmed, and Faafoi announced it just over a fortnight ago.

Read more:

RNZ-TVNZ public media shake-up: What you need to know

RNZ boss Paul Thompson: merger a 'watershed' moment for NZ media

Minister confirms RNZ, TVNZ to be folded into mega public media entity

Mediawatch: RNZ + TVNZ = new PME in 2023

The government intends to bring the two broadcasters under the umbrella of a new not-for-profit organisation, with a stronger focus on the digital world. It will operate under a charter and be funded by a mix of commercial and government funding.

There are few details, however, with many unanswered questions: will newsrooms combine? Will programmes be simulcast? Will there be staff cuts? Faafoi prefers to leave those decisions to the establishment board, expected to be set up soon.

Funding also won't be announced until Budget Day, but the government's still keen to have it up and running by next July - an election year.

Melissa Lee…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In today's Focus on Politics podcast, Political Editor Jane Patterson interrogates the ramifications for New Zealand of Russia's war against Ukraine.

"The countries which are close neighbours with a shared history and culture appear to be a ruthless enemy, and the nations which are so far away with different historical backgrounds appear to be a real friend," - Ukraine Ambassador designate Kateryna Zelenko

Whether the global ripples from Russia's invasion of Ukraine crash onto New Zealand's shores may depend largely on the actions of China - and what is done in response.

New Zealand has followed other countries in imposing sanctions against Russian individuals, institutions, and assets, and states linked to it could soon follow.

China is close to Russia both geographically and diplomatically. Its position on the war is not yet clear, but as New Zealand's largest trading partner any sanctions against it could mean serious economic repercussions.

Experts doubt China will take sides, but multilateralism and being heard on the global stage are important to New Zealand - and if China does step in, choices will have to be made.

Listen to the full podcast here

New Zealand's actions against Russia include a travel ban for hundreds of individuals, sanctions on President Vladimir Putin and his security council of 12, one bank, and 18 other entities.

It means assets cannot be moved here, and prevents New Zealand's financial system being used to circumvent the sanctions of other countries, but the move marks a significant departure from the tradition of applying UN sanctions only.

The legislation, passed under urgency last week, marks a significant departure from a tradition of only applying sanctions in line with the UN.

The list of sanctions was published on Friday, with Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta promising more to come.

The National Party supported the legislation, with MP Gerry Brownlee saying it was a difficult situation for the entire world. Indeed, the threat is nuclear - with Putin saying Russia's weapons were on "special alert".

Read more:

Foreign Minister promises more sanctions on Russia

Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Experts doubt China will take sides

Russia's war puts NZ's refugee policy and China strategy in sharper focus

The Detail: How New Zealand's sanctions against Russia work

Visas for Ukrainian NZers' families, as govt increases aid

Russia Sanctions Bill spurs debate on wider legislation…

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National's tax plan, and the highest inflation in decades has the government feeling the pinch. Political Editor Jane Patterson counts the costs for both parties.

"At least $200 out of our single income for him just to get to work and home each day ... that was taking away from our food" - Jeanette, whose family has been hit hard by inflation

If the latest political poll is anything to go by, National is hitting the right note by focusing on the financial hardship faced by many - it's real and just another burden heading into the third year of the pandemic.

The government argues much of the pressure's coming from overseas events out of its control, but National digs into its playbook for accusations of profligate spending and clutching onto hard-earned taxpayer dollars.

Listen to the full podcast here

New Zealand's experiencing the highest levels of inflation for 30 years, with ANZ warning it expects inflation will hit 7.4 percent in the second quarter, with big impacts on household and business budgets.

Some of the causes are clear: supply chain disruption from Covid-19, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the related rising price of fuel which also pushes up prices in other sectors through transport costs. Fruit and vegetables are 17 percent dearer this year, the biggest annual increase in a decade.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern argues much of the pressure's coming from overseas events out of its control.

But National leader Christopher Luxon's proposed solution is to raise thresholds on income tax to account for wage growth, remove the $180,000 top tax threshold of 39 percent, and abolish taxes imposed under Labour.

These include Auckland's regional fuel tax, interest deductibility and bright-line test changes for landlords, the income insurance scheme, and the value capture scheme for Auckland light rail.

Read more:

Inflation forecast to go even higher: What you need to know

Biggest annual increase in food prices in a decade

Week in Politics: Luxon's tax tactics pay off

Luxon doubles down on tax cuts

Business leader backs Luxon's tax-scrapping proposals

Ardern says the government's family tax credit changes outstrip the benefits of the cuts proposed by National for low- and middle-income earners, without the "great cost" cuts for those at the top and potential cuts that go with it.

Her Finance Minister, Grant Robertson, goes to his own playbook, with criticism that tax cuts and debt reduction cannot be done while also maintaining or increasing spending. Voters deserve more detail on National's promises, he says.

National's Finance Spokesperson Simon Bridges brushes that off…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In today's Focus on Politics podcast, Deputy Political Editor Craig McCulloch recounts the siege of Fortress New Zealand and reckons with its reconnection to the world.

"It's time to move forward together, safely" - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

Fortress New Zealand - the 'hermit kingdom' - is soon to be no more.

For almost two years, Aotearoa has been cut off - foreigners for the most part have been barred entry, with returning New Zealanders having to complete a stay in government-run managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ).

Limited capacity has at times made it near impossible for some New Zealanders to come home, eventually leading to the online lottery system.

That situation was brought into stark relief this week by Charlotte Bellis, a pregnant Kiwi journalist stuck in Afghanistan, who published an open letter in the Weekend Herald detailing her struggle to return home.

Listen to the full interview

The extreme border measures have undoubtedly saved lives and secured New Zealand's relative freedom from the virus.

But they have also curtailed the freedoms of those wanting to come here and caused tremendous heartbreak for families cut off and citizens stranded.

As epidemiologist Michael Baker acknowledged, with Omicron expected to spread widely within the country, the hard border would become harder to justify.

"Once we get to the point of having thousands of Omicron cases a day in New Zealand, MIQ's role is very different," Prof Baker says.

Read more:

Opposition parties take contrasting views on border re-opening plan

Power Play: MIQ soon to be a thing of the past but Covid wounds run deep

Dates for NZ's border reopening confirmed

Vaccine booster interval shortened to three months

Pregnant journalist Charlotte Bellis offered a place in MIQ

Afghan women say they wouldn't be afforded the same rights as pregnant NZ journalist under Taliban

Ministers swiftly moved into clean-up mode. On Tuesday, Cabinet met to discuss its timeline for phasing out MIQ.

On Wednesday, booster dose eligibility was expanded to an extra million New Zealanders by shortening the interval after the second dose.

And on Thursday, Ardern delivered a speech in Auckland detailing the five-stage reopening plan:

11.59pm 27 February: Self-isolation opens for New Zealanders and eligible travellers coming from Australia

11.59pm 13 March: Open to New Zealanders and eligible travellers from the rest of the world; skilled workers earning at least 1.5x median wage; working holiday visas…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In today's Focus on Politics podcast, Political Editor Jane Patterson assesses the government's readiness for the Omicron variant.

"We know that the boosters are only just rolling out now, and we've only just started to immunise our children ... we just want people to be safe." - Green MP Elizabeth Kerekere

After two years of dealing with Covid-19 in its various forms, the government and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern are heading into another gauntlet, likely compounded by supply chain disruption and sky-rocketing inflation.

Controversial measures like vaccine mandates have introduced a toxicity and feeling of alienation in parts of the community, reflected back onto the community and the prime minister.

The opposition has an important role to play but will have to step carefully in its criticisms and approach.

Both sides know Covid can prove deadly in more ways than one.

Listen to the full interview

New Zealanders' relatively Covid-free summer break came to an abrupt halt on 21 January - with a new variant circulating in Aotearoa the traffic light had turned red, prompting the cancellation of large events across the country.

Red is not the lockdowns of the past - its aim is to keep things as normal as possible - but Omicron is a different beast: usually a milder infection for the vaccinated, but incredibly infectious. The government is preparing for case volumes of 50,000 a day.

This week, the government announced its plans to deal with such a flood of illness: Stricter rules for mask use, a focus on increased testing capacity, and a three-phase approach to tackling rising case numbers.

On Wednesday, Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall explained the current Phase One focuses on intensive testing and contact tracing - the familiar stamping out of the virus.

Phase Two kicks in with about 1000 cases a day, focusing on protecting the vulnerable and slowing the spread. It would see cases notified via text and email, case isolation dropping from 14 to 10 days, and contacts' isolation from 10 days to seven.

In Phase Three, with thousands of cases a day, contact tracing will be targeted to those most vulnerable, with cases relied on to self-notify their close contacts. The majority of cases would be managing their own care at home.

Read more:

Health experts warn of risks in phased approach to tackle Omicron outbreak

Labour confident, National concerned in face of Omicron

Covid-19 face masks: What you need to know

Māori health leader calls for targeted strategy for Omicron

Modelling suggests NZ could face peak of 80,000 daily infections…

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In Focus on politics, RNZ's political team catch up with the minor party leaders to discuss 2021, potential allies, and Covid-19.

RNZ's political team catch up with the minor party leaders to discuss 2021, potential allies, and Covid-19.

With much of the political year focused on the Covid-19 response, Labour and National have soaked up much of the attention, but the minor parties have still played a role.

ACT has been soaking up some of National's lost support, the Greens have had to forge their own path despite having two ministers in government, and Te Pāti Māori has been rebuilding its identity in its first year back in Parliament after a term out in the cold.

Listen to the full interview

This week, ACT's David Seymour, the Green Party's Marama Davidson and James Shaw, and the Māori Party's Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi spoke to RNZ, reflecting on 2021. 

Read more:

A sit-down with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

A sit-down with National leader Christopher Luxon

"We live to ensure New Zealand has the best policy" - David Seymour

Seymour came under fire this year for sharing a priority vaccine code, which allowed Māori and Pacific people to get vaccinated at Whānau Ora locations without booking ahead.

It was a move widely criticised by medical professionals and politicians but Seymour says his position has been "completely vindicated" and he still stands by sharing the priority code.

"We shouldn't be racially profiling people. Most people want a more inclusive New Zealand and if we're going to do intervention on social services - and we do need to give people more equal opportunity - then we're going to have to target a lot better, using better data rather than somewhat lazily targeting people based on ethnic groupings."

David Seymour

ACT has been on a steady rise in political polls this year, the latest Newshub Reid-Research result giving them 16 percent, which Seymour attributes to his party listening to people and coming up with solutions.

"We don't just sort of sit there and throw rocks. We say 'well, actually, if you want a better tomorrow and you vote for ACT here are the kinds of things that we would bring to the table'. I think based on the feedback I get, people appreciate listening, and solutions."

"We wanted to make sure we had an equity lens" - Marama Davidson and James Shaw

While ACT has capitalised on the National Party's soul-searching, the Green Party has struggled to cut through under the shadow of Labour. …

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In today's Focus on Politics podcast, Deputy Political Editor Craig McCulloch talks with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern about the year that's been.

"It was the year of the vaccine and to finish with rates in the mid-90 percent mark for first dose, 85 percent for Māori, over 90 percent for Pacific, I'm really proud of what New Zealand's done," - Jacinda Ardern

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern accepts the government could have done more to assist community-led vaccination efforts, but she defends the decision not to prioritise all younger Māori in the rollout.

Ardern has just completed the first year of her second term, marking a shift to a Labour-majority government, but like 2020 it has been dominated by one overriding challenge: Covid-19.

Deputy Political Editor Craig McCulloch sat down with Ardern to assess the year that's been and the one to come. 

Listen to the full interview

https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6286092946001

In January, Ardern described 2021 as the year of the vaccine. She says she's proud of the rates New Zealanders have achieved, but with hindsight, she would have put more focus on community health providers earlier.

"Some of the most successful parts of the  campaign have been where providers have had the freedom to just go out and do things in a way that worked for them.

"They had barriers and I'll think: 'how could we have taken those down more quickly, sooner for them?' That's something that I would do differently."

Ardern says the government was constrained by a lack of supply early on despite doing everything it could to get access to the vaccine as early as possible.

As such, she stands by the decisions around targeting the vaccine to priority groups - including rejecting a Health Ministry recommendation to set lower age brackets for Māori.

Read more:

A sit-down with National leader Christopher Luxon

Covid-19 Māori response: 'It is not partnership when Crown ignores advice'

Auckland housing crisis: 'Monumental task' for first home buyers

Government rejects criticism over Auckland boundary decisions

'Caution has paid off' with positive start under traffic light system - PM

There were not enough vaccines for everybody early on in the rollout, and evidence showed age and comorbidity were the main vulnerabilities, she says.

"We know we have more comorbidities in our Pacific and our Māori populations, so we knew that would ... allow us to go in and target those communities."…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In today's Focus on Politics podcast, Political Editor Jane Patterson talks to National's leader Chris Luxon in his new office to assess what his leadership will look like.

"It's easy to say the words 'unify, unify, unify' ... but, you know, that's an intellectual rational thing - you've got to make it emotional and actually get people to reset and leave some of the baggage behind," - Chris Luxon

It was only just over a week ago Chris Luxon took the National Party leadership after only 409 days as an MP, following Judith Collins losing a caucus vote of no confidence.

The former head of Air New Zealand negotiated a managed handover, seeing off rival Simon Bridges, and now faces the challenge of putting together a caucus lineup that refocuses MPs' attention from themselves to the Labour government while not inflaming old resentments.

Political editor Jane Patterson sat down with Luxon to talk about his views, ideas and plans for his caucus, Covid-19, Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi.

It's his first interview in the third floor parliamentary office that has seen a revolving door of opposition leaders. He is operating on just a few hours sleep, figuring out what to do with the space and his 33-strong caucus - among them, the three former leaders Simon Bridges, Todd Muller, and of course Collins.

Listen to the full interview

https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6284924813001

Luxon made it clear in his first statements each would have roles in his caucus - in part no doubt as a display of the newfound unity the party will need to show to regain lost ground - and he remains firm on that.

"I want roles for Simon, Todd and Judith. You know, I want them all in the team because we've actually turned the page, we've said 'righto we've got 100 percent trust with each other, we go forward from this basis', and we want to use their skills and talents bigtime."

Bridges has already been given the finance portfolio and the number three ranking, providing Luxon a number of benefits: keeping a very recent rival close, making use of Bridges' political skills and experience, bringing more diversity to the front bench with a Māori MP, and sending a message to the caucus he can be magnanimous.

Muller, left out in the wilderness under Collins, will be brought back into the fold. Collins brought her own leadership to an end in spectacular fashion but her proven tenacity will be an asset to this very new opposition leader so long as she can remain contrite and loyal.

Read more:

Who is the new National Party leader Christopher Luxon?

Can Christopher Luxon survive long enough for his party to unite?…

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