Prime Minister Chris Hipkins' whistlestop trip to Papua New Guinea sends a clear message: superpowers may come and go, but New Zealand is here to stay. 
The US and PNG signing a security deal is the latest iteration of increasing competition in the region, but strategic studies expert Robert Ayson says New Zealand has ways of staying close to its Pacific neighbours - despite the US-China struggle for influence. 
In this week's Focus on Politics, Political Reporter Anneke Smith visits Papua New Guinea and comes to grips with an international struggle for power.

Hipkins juggles competing ideologies over PNG-US deal

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In Focus on Politics, RNZ's deputy political editor Craig McCulloch whips through a whirlwind week at Parliament.

Focus on Politics for Friday 3 May 2024

Successive governments have claimed crack downs on youth vaping but retailers are flouting the law, with just one prosecution on the books. 
Retailers have until the end of the year to phase out single-use products, but academics say MPs' fears vape manufacturers will just adapt are justified. 
In this week's Focus on Politics, Political Reporter Anneke Smith looks at concerns vape manufacturers will find loopholes in new regulations.

Vaping regulations battle 'immeasurably harder' under coalition - campaigner

As global tensions escalated this week, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was touring South East Asia, strengthening defence and security ties. 
Back home, his government was accused of drifting away from New Zealand's independent foreign policy.

Luxon boosts defence amid rising global tensions

Andrew Hoggard might be new to Parliament, but he's certainly not new to New Zealand's screens and airwaves.
The Manawatū dairy farmer was president of Federated Farmers from 2020 to 2023, and one of the more prominent critics of the previous government's agricultural policies.
In this week's Focus on Politics, RNZ Political Reporter Giles Dexter sits down with new MP - and new minister - Andrew Hoggard, to discuss the suite of reviews and replacements he's been tasked with.

From lobbyist to legislator: Andrew Hoggard's vision for reform

Public Service Targets are set for a comeback but with job cuts looming over ministries and agencies, unions fear public servants are only being asked to do more with less.
Originally introduced by the John Key National government, the targets have led to improvements in the past - but that experience shows there are also risks. 
In this week's Focus on Politics, Political Reporter Giles Dexter looks at the impending comeback of Better Public Services targets, one of the points in the government's new action plan.

Hipkins juggles competing ideologies over PNG-US deal

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