Taxpayer Talk

Why did a former National Party insider jump ship to ACT? With the election fast approaching, ACT's Tāmaki candidate James Christmas joins Peter Williams to discuss his battle to hold Brooke van Velden's former electorate, the growing debate over tactical voting, and why he believes National has become too cautious to deliver meaningful reform.

From the future of the Treaty Principles Bill and winding up the Waitangi Tribunal to judicial overreach, government spending, and his public clash with Winston Peters over abortion, Christmas tackles some of the election's most contentious issues. He also draws on his years working alongside former Attorney-General Chris Finlayson to discuss whether Parliament needs to rein in the courts.

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Should the Government buy back the BNZ, break up the supermarket giants, and overhaul New Zealand's electricity market? Former Financial Markets Authority chair and New Zealand First candidate Craig Stobo joins Peter Williams to put some of the party's biggest economic promises under the microscope.

With decades of experience in financial markets, Stobo faces tough questions on whether New Zealand First's ambitious plans would actually deliver lower prices and greater competition. The conversation also takes in compulsory KiwiSaver, Winston Peters' refusal to lift the superannuation age, tax cuts for small businesses, and whether New Zealand can afford everything being promised this election.

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Is National about to throw away the election? Former MP and New Zealand First candidate Michael Laws joins Peter Williams for a fiery discussion on why he believes National's refusal to embrace tactical voting could hand power to Labour and its allies.

But there's plenty more on the table. From the case for buying back the BNZ and taking on Australia's banking giants to breaking up the electricity market and tackling soaring power bills, Laws lays out some of New Zealand First's more controversial policies. Along the way, he shares stories from decades in politics, his close relationship with Winston Peters, and the scandal that brought his first parliamentary career to an abrupt end.

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As he prepares to leave Parliament after 12 years, former Minister Andrew Bayly joins Peter Williams for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of New Zealand’s finances, the future of superannuation, and the reforms he believes the Government still needs to tackle.

From cutting government waste and tackling soaring debt costs to raising the retirement age and protecting KiwiSaver, Bayly isn't holding back on the tough decisions facing the country. He also reflects on his controversial departure from Cabinet, the risks of tactical voting, and what comes next — including an 800km camel trek across Saudi Arabia.

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Germany’s politics are fracturing, its economy is stalling, and once-dominant parties are being squeezed by populist challengers on both the left and right.

Jordan is joined by Oliver Hartwich from the New Zealand Initiative for a special look at what is going wrong in Germany, from the rise of the AfD and pro-Russian populism to migration, energy policy, debt, and the collapse of old political certainties. It’s a fascinating look at whether Germany’s MMP-style system is cracking under pressure — and what lessons New Zealand should take from it.

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Jordan Williams sits down with Simon Watts, Minister of Local Government, for a frank conversation on the Government’s local government reforms.

From scrapping Three Waters and introducing rates caps to co-governance in water entities, councillor access to information, unelected committee members, and council amalgamations, this episode puts the Minister under pressure on whether National has really delivered the accountability and local democracy it promised.

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This week, Jordan is joined by Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform and the man behind the original Taxpayer Protection Pledge, to talk about how a simple promise not to raise taxes became one of the most powerful forces in American conservative politics.

With both National and ACT campaigning on no new taxes, Grover explains how voters can turn a slogan into a commitment politicians are afraid to break. From George H.W. Bush’s “read my lips” lesson to fiscal drag, levies, tariffs, and the fight to keep governments away from new revenue, Grover looks at what New Zealand’s centre-right can learn from four decades of taxpayer campaigning in the United States.

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Te Pāti Māori’s call for supporters to split their votes has put one of MMP’s strangest quirks back in the spotlight: overhang seats, strategic voting, and whether parties can game the system to change who forms the next government.

Jordan Williams is joined by Oliver Hartwich from the New Zealand Initiative to unpack what it all means, why the strategy could backfire, and whether New Zealand’s electoral system is heading for a serious credibility problem. From Māori seats and tactical voting to German-style fixes and the case for scrapping MMP altogether, Oliver explains how the rules of the game could shape the election result.

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In this episode of Taxpayer Talk, Peter Williams is joined by broadcaster-turned-ACT candidate Paul Henry for a lively, wide-ranging conversation on the campaign, the state of the centre-right, and why he thinks this election is too important to sit out.

From ACT’s push for smaller government and lower taxes to superannuation reform, Treaty politics, immigration, and the future of taxpayer-funded media, Henry makes the case for a sharper, braver government - and explains why he wants to be part of it.

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In this episode of Taxpayer Talk, Peter Williams is joined by ACT’s infrastructure and resource management spokesman Simon Court to take aim at the planning rules he says are stopping New Zealand from building the homes, roads, ports, quarries, power lines, and infrastructure we desperately need.

From eye-watering consent costs and “cultural shakedowns” to lizard surveys, gold-plated planning rules, and councils blocking growth while infrastructure falls apart, Simon explains why the RMA replacement could be one of the biggest reforms of this parliamentary term — and why taxpayers, ratepayers, and anyone who wants New Zealand to actually build things should be paying attention. 

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