Inside Parliament

This week Jess is joined by Stuff Political reporter Jo Moir to go over the surprising EU announcement of free trade negotiations with New Zealand. We also look in the political effect of the mycoplasma bovis outbreak, and it looks like war between The Speaker Trevor Mallard & Deputy Leader of the Opposition Paul Bennett. In keeping with that we finish with a look back at Trevor Mallard’s Greatest Hits.

The budget dominates this week’s podcast and we dig into the detail as well as what happens inside the lock-up. We compare with the first ever lock-up in 1983 and look at the PM’s instructions to Winston Peters once she heads off on maternity leave.

RNZ Deputy Political Editor Chris Bramwell joins our own Jessica Mutch this week to go over the Government’s numerous pre-budget announcements and long before he was Foreign Minister, we look at Winston Peters’ first budget as Treasurer in 1997.

This week we discuss the regional fuel tax, which combined with the National fuel tax will see Aucklanders paying 20 cents more a litre for petrol. We also look at the so-called “Amazon Tax” which will hit online shoppers. The build up to Grant Robertson’s first budget continues as the Finance Minister works to manage expectations. And finally this week the 1 News Colmar Brunton poll shows most New Zealanders don’t think having a baby will have any impact on Jacinda Ardern’s leadership.

Monday’s peculiar poll kicks off this week and as Russian hacking hits home, Jacinda Ardern heads to Europe to meet New Zealand’s allies on how to deal with it. The Prime Minister also goes to London to visit the Queen and we flashback to past PM stop ins. Finally we’re with Pike River Re-Entry Minister Andrew Little as he enters the mine for the first time and we look at the politics involved.

This week Political Editor Jessica Mutch and Katie Bradford discuss

Marama Davidson’s successful bid to become Greens co-leader alongside James Shaw, we also look at Jonathan Coleman, who retires from Parliament this week, admitting he was unaware of how bad the building issues were at Middlemore Hospital while he was Health Minister.

With National releasing a new attack Ad this week criticising the Governments fuel tax, we take a look back at some old political beauties.

And finally we talk about the Government launching an investigation into the involvement of elite NZ soldiers in Afghanistan following allegations made in the book Hit and Run and todays announcement that the Government is ending offshore oil exploration.

We put the pedal to the metal this week as we look at the Government’s fuel (don’t call it a new) tax changes, and a massive recall on car airbags before we head back to the story that keeps on giving as Radio NZ execs are called back before select committee to re-explain what went on. Finally we look back to this week in 1987 when a bunch of Government departments were reborn as State-owned enterprises.

This week we welcome new 1 News Political Editor Jessica Mutch to Inside Parliament alongside Katie Bradford to discuss New Zealand’s opposite reaction to the rest of the west’s Russian expulsions. We look at questions around Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran’s meeting with former RNZ Head of Content Carol Hirschfeld, and sending a message or misunderstanding? MP Mark Mitchell’s response to a surf club meet with NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft. Finally this week NZQA goes after dodgy education and former Minister of Finance Stephen Joyce retires from Parliament.

This week some kiwi parents stand up to Plunket. Shane Jones and Air New Zealand circle each other over small town skies and we look back to 2001 when the company was bailed out and re-nationalised. Rounding out the week, Rotorua’s homelessness problem reveals a stark insight and we try to ascertain where National & Simon Bridges stand today on deep sea drilling for oil.

Produced by Adam Simpson

Engineered by Brian Holloway

Research by Mark Hutchings

A TVNZ Production

Stuff Political Editor Tracy Watkins joins our own Andrea Vance to discuss Labour’s reaction to sexual abuse claims from within it’s youth ranks & Stuff’s #Metoo reporting. We head to the Chathams with what feels like half of the Government to open a new dock. Simon Bridges finally unveils his top spox and we look at Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ eyebrow-raising comments on Russia.

Produced by Adam Simpson

Engineered by Brian Holloway

Camera by Chris Clapham

A TVNZ Production