Neale Jones and Tim Hurdle discuss the continued scrutiny on the Government's finances, as more jobs are cut from the public sector. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon continues his effort to play down expectations of what is in this year's Budget. And the top brass at police and defence have warned MPs the spending cuts could weaken frontline services.

Neale Jones was Chief of Staff to Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern, and prior to that was Chief of Staff to Andrew Little. He is the director of public affairs firm Capital.

Tim Hurdle is a former National senior adviser, was the National Party Campaign Director in 2020. He is a director of several companies, including Museum Street Strategies, a public affairs firm.

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