Politics NZ

In Focus on Politics, political reporter Lillian Hanly takes a look at a meeting between Foreign Minister Winston Peters and his US counterpart Marco Rubio, as President Donald Trump ramps up his threats toward Iran.

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After Andrew Mountbatten Windsor's arrest for his links to Epstein, questions arise about his place in the line of succession. We explore how New Zealand remains tied to the Crown and why changing it is more complex than it seems.

As scandal surrounds Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, attention has turned to his place in the royal line of succession in New Zealand. In this episode of Context, we explore how New Zealand remains tied to the Crown and why changing it is more complex than it seems.

Here’s the catch: if the UK moves to remove him, countries like New Zealand would need to pass their own laws to match it. So what does that actually mean? And if New Zealand became a republic what would have to change?

Corin Dann and Guyon Espiner trace the long evolution of our system from the Treaty of Waitangi, through dominion status and the Constitution Act 1986, to the modern role of the Governor-General. Along the way: Why NZ has a legal say in the line of succession What would replace the monarch as head of state And what happens to agreements made with the Crown Could New Zealand walk away from the monarchy and what would we be walking into?

Watch the video version of the episode here.

Or you can watch the full series on the RNZ website here.

Thanks to Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.

Have a topic you'd like Corin or Guyon to explore? Send your ideas to [email protected]

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Join Wallace Chapman for New Zealand's most explosive 30 minutes of politics. He is joined by panellists Peter Dunne, Lillian Hanly and Corin Dann. On the show tonight: the extraordinary last 24 hours in the US-Israel Iran War. Seemingly a full-scale destruction of Iran was avoided at the 11th hour with Donald Trump giving the peace process another two weeks. Another political poll, the Taxpayer Union-Curia poll isn't great news for National, but good news for NZ First, and The Opportunity Party. The OCR - analysis on the Reserve bank's moves and what it means for politics.

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The House saw a dichotomy of tempos this week, from a heated debate about fisheries one day, to a lighthearted, and at times even funny debate on parody and satire law.

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New Zealand is the only country with a drug-buying agency like Pharmac - but how did we get here? This episode traces its origins, and through politics and patient stories explores the tough trade-offs at the heart of our health system.

Pharmac decides which medicines New Zealanders get and which they don’t. It’s one of the most powerful institutions in our health system, negotiating hard with global drug companies to save billions. But that success comes with a trade-off: not every life-saving treatment can be funded. So how did New Zealand end up with a system like this? In this episode of Context, we trace the history of Pharmac from its creation in the 1990s to the controversial role it plays today.

Along the way, we unpack how it works: the tough negotiations, the use of generics, and the cost-benefit decisions that can determine who gets access to medicine. We also explore the human side of those decisions. The cancer patients forced to go overseas for treatment. The families campaigning for drugs that aren’t funded. And the growing political pressure on a system that was designed to stay independent. As new, high-cost treatments emerge, including weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, the stakes are only getting higher. Is Pharmac a world-leading model that protects New Zealand’s health budget? Or a system that leaves some patients behind? This is the story of the trade-offs at the heart of New Zealand’s healthcare system.

Watch the video version of the episode here.

Or you can watch the full series on the RNZ website here.

Thanks to Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.

Have a topic you'd like Corin or Guyon to explore? Send your ideas to [email protected]

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

Join Wallace for New Zealand's most explosive 30 minutes of politics. He is joined by panellists David Farrar, Sue Bradford, and Luke Malpass.

First, a Cabinet reshuffle is due tomorrow - the panellists predict who might take up new portfolios. Then, successive governments have struggled to decide how much fuel storage is appropriate for New Zealand to have. Now that a global fuel crisis is upon us, what's the right answer to that question? Then, they look at the last week in leadership on the government's handling of the fuel crisis, and commentator's claims that Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is MIA. Finally, should MPs be throwing their weight behind people facing the criminal court? That's what one Green Party MP has done.

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Nicola Willis and Tangi Utikere joined Morning Report this morning for the Weekly Political Panel.

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Brigitte, Lianne and Susie Ferguson discuss recent events in politics including the Government's response to rising fuel prices and shortages.

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With politicians' attention very much looking outward amidst talks of a potential escalation in the conflict, or even a fuel crisis reminiscent of the 1970s, Parliament still nonetheless had things to address back home.

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The fuel crisis has forced responses from the government on supply and cost, but the problem must be handled with care - and perceptions of a lack of support could see National's own support suffer. Labour is refusing to help by offering solutions, a strategy that may backfire. Political Reporter Russell Palmer gauges the parties' handling of a hot-button issue.

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