Public Interest

A proposal to lease the operation of Lyttelton Port to a consortium led by global ports giant DP World has raised concern over the future of one of Christchurch's most valuable public assets. In this episode of In Brief, Ollie Neas speaks with Mark Wilson, Lyttelton branch secretary of the Rail and Maritime Transport Union, about what the proposal involves, and why unions are warning of potential job losses, weaker public accountability and profits flowing offshore.

The coalition government is radically reshaping New Zealand’s education system –overhauling the curriculum, scrapping NCEA, re-establishing charter schools and much more. It says the reforms are needed to reverse declining achievement, but critics warn a broader ideological project is at work. Ollie Neas speaks with teacher and PPTA national executive member Clare Preston and Dr Shannon Walsh, an honourary research associate at the University of Auckland, about what is really driving the reforms and what is at stake for New Zealand's schools.

Why is the government pushing health and safety reforms that even many businesses oppose? Journalist Rebecca Macfie joins Public Interest to unpack the coalition's Health and Safety Amendment Bill, the myths about "red tape", and why she believes New Zealand is forgetting the lessons of Pike River.

The government is backing down on the most controversial part of its proposed conservation reforms. But Forest & Bird says the Conservation Amendment Bill still poses serious risks. Ollie Neas speaks with national conservation advocate Bianca Ranson about what the U-turn means, what remains in the bill, and why the fight over New Zealand’s conservation estate is far from over.

In the face of a sweeping assault on workers’ rights, New Zealand’s unions seem to have found renewed confidence. But are we witnessing a genuine union revival, or is this just a blip in a longer story of decline? In this special live edition of Undercurrents, recorded in partnership with the Fabian Society, Ollie Neas is joined by New Zealand Council of Trade Unions President Sandra Grey and union organiser Justine Sachs to discuss the state of the union movement, the future of organised labour, and what it would take to build a workers' movement capable of transforming Aotearoa.

The NBR's annual Rich List has revealed that the wealth of New Zealand's richest 134 people has surged from $102 billion to $129 billion in just one year. So why are the rich getting richer so much faster than everyone else? Ollie Neas is joined by researcher and journalist Max Rashbrooke to discuss the latest Rich List, inherited wealth, billionaires, tax, unions, democracy, and what a more equal economy might look like.

Also: join us in Wellington next Wednesday (24 June) for a talk on the future of the union movement, in collaboration with the Fabian Society. See our Instagram page for more details.

This week Labour unveiled its candidate list for the 2026 election, with lawyer, activist and writer Max Harris among the most prominent new additions. In this conversation, Harris discusses why he chose Labour, whether the party has moved beyond the legacy of Rogernomics, his long-shot campaign to flip Tāmaki, and what he believes is at stake in this year's election. Also in the conversation: universalism, public ownership, Te Tiriti, and the magic of door-knocking.

Why do politicians keep promising to be "tough on crime" when the evidence says it doesn't make us safer?

This week on Undercurrents, Ollie Neas is joined by author of The Valley Asher Emanuel and lawyer and activist Gabriella Brayne to unpack the gap between public perception and the reality of New Zealand's criminal legal system. From penal populism and media moral panics to housing, inequality and colonisation, this is a conversation about who really benefits from law-and-order politics.

The climate lobbying scandal has rapidly become one of the biggest political stories of the year. Bryce Edwards joins Public Interest to unpack the revelations surrounding Z Energy, Fonterra, the Mike Smith climate case, and the bigger questions about corporate influence, transparency, and who really gets access to political power in New Zealand.

The government says Budget 2026 is about responsible economic management: tighter spending, lower debt, and a return to surplus. But what if the problem with New Zealand's economy isn't what we've been told it is?

In this episode of In Brief, Ollie Neas is joined by political economist Tayla Forward to unpack the ideas behind the Budget. They discuss debt, deficits, bond markets, tax reform, public investment, and whether the government's focus on fiscal restraint risks deepening New Zealand's economic decline.

Is this really fiscal responsibility – or managed decline?