Did Labour outmanoeuvre National to take the wind out of their sails this election? Tx cuts vs No New Tax in new Tax Policies announced this week, Experts be damned and a South Island Milk Run causes traffic chaos.

This was created and originally presented as a video, so some context may be missing in the audio only formats.

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©️ Paul… The Other One, 2026

Sure, she was an icon, famous for her look, sound and performances but she was a legend for her work in the sciences to save lives and to fight for literacy in young people - something we should absolutely demand more of from politicians.

🗳️ Get ready for election day: Head over to www.election2026.co.nz to explore free resources and interactive tools designed to help you cut through the noise and decide your vote.

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©️ Paul… The Other One, 2026

A quick update from this week’s Campaign Trail, with Nationals new now new anything policy, Labours Better Starting here and money being moved to make it look like te Coalition are helping the health system when they are just failing it in different ways.

Looking for clear, independent election insights? 🗳️ Check out www.election2026.co.nz for tools to help you decide your vote.

Catch the award-winning podcast, weekly newsletter, and more here: https://linktr.ee/paul_barlownz

This work is entirely listener-funded. If you want to help keep the lights on and fuel the push for a change of government in 2026, consider joining as a paid supporter here: https://buymeacoffee.com/paul.theotherone ☕

Massive thank you for all the support!

©️ Paul… The Other One, 2026

National’s social media ban is doomed to fail, the years of world wide research says so, the data collected from real world attempts say so and what’s even worse is the ways to actually deal with the issues National claim this will fix are things they have actively dismantled or made worse.

Looking for clear, independent election insights? 🗳️ Check out www.election2026.co.nz for tools to help you decide your vote.

Catch the award-winning podcast, weekly newsletter, and more here: https://linktr.ee/paul_barlownz

This work is entirely listener-funded. If you want to help keep the lights on and fuel the push for a change of government in 2026, consider joining as a paid supporter here: https://buymeacoffee.com/paul.theotherone ☕

Massive thank you for all the support!

©️ Paul… The Other One, 2026

From Facebook meltdowns and the most regressive tax policy ever aimed at the dumbest people, it has been a very odd weekend in the world of politics.

Real, independent political commentary requires a strong community behind it.

First up, make sure you're equipped for the voting booth: visit www.election2026.co.nz for practical tools and resources to help you choose who to vote for.

To stay across all my content—including the award-winning podcast and weekly newsletter—make sure you follow the main hub: https://linktr.ee/paul_barlownz

Want to help drive the conversation? Building these tools and keeping the analysis flowing takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work. If you're in a position to support, please consider a paid subscription or buying a coffee to keep this platform sustainable as we push for a change of government in 2026: https://buymeacoffee.com/paul.theotherone

Your backing means everything. Thank you.

©️ Paul… The Other One, 2026

Paywalls are an everyday occurrence now - helping make sure media can pay for the mahi of journalists, reporters and those that keep us informed as advertising models shifted as technology changed. But they can be used to manipulate audiences, create a layered access model that means the people with spare money are more informed, and the impacts it can have on who access media and information are a lot more substantial than people realise - but don't worry, you'll know more about the Kardashians because of it.

In this week's Coffee & Context, join me for as I go through the risks and issues of Paywalled content and look at alternatives as well.

This piece was originally a live stream and some images referred to may lose context in an Audio format. The video is available on the Paul The Other One Youtube Page.

Real, independent political commentary requires a strong community behind it.

First up, make sure you're equipped for the voting booth: visit www.election2026.co.nz for practical tools and resources to help you choose who to vote for.

To stay across all my content—including the award-winning podcast and weekly newsletter—make sure you follow the main hub: https://linktr.ee/paul_barlownz

Want to help drive the conversation? Building these tools and keeping the analysis flowing takes a lot of behind-the-scenes work. If you're in a position to support, please consider a paid subscription or buying a coffee to keep this platform sustainable as we push for a change of government in 2026: https://buymeacoffee.com/paul.theotherone

Your backing means everything. Thank you.

The deliberate Health System Enshitifcation revelation, homelessness at untenable levels, Mince on the (price) rise and we find out who’s to blame for Andy Foster’s Wellington Water woes. All that and more in this week’s This Week’s The News.

This is based on an original piece of content in video format, so many of the visual gags won't translate - so feel free to check out the video on Youtube as well.

Looking for clear, independent election insights? 🗳️ Check out www.election2026.co.nz for tools to help you decide your vote.

Catch the award-winning podcast, weekly newsletter, and more here: https://linktr.ee/paul_barlownz

This work is entirely listener-funded. If you want to help keep the lights on and fuel the push for a change of government in 2026, consider joining as a paid supporter here: https://buymeacoffee.com/paul.theotherone ☕

Massive thank you for all the support!

©️ Paul… The Other One, 2026

Looking for a few tips on what to look for when you’re looking to see what bias your media has?  Well I got you fam!

Looking for clear, independent election insights? 🗳️ Check out www.election2026.co.nz for tools to help you decide your vote.

Catch the award-winning podcast, weekly newsletter, and more here: https://linktr.ee/paul_barlownz

This work is entirely listener-funded. If you want to help keep the lights on and fuel the push for a change of government in 2026, consider joining as a paid supporter here: https://buymeacoffee.com/paul.theotherone ☕

Massive thank you for all the support!

©️ Paul… The Other One, 2026

After acting like a catnip addicted cat hyped up after catching a mouse over Labour’s Streaming Levy plan they shelved, Simeon is acting like suddenly the National Party are the bastion of truth and moral fortitude in a campaign they are lying through their teeth throughout. Maybe the fake podcast content was a warning…

Looking for clear, independent election insights? 🗳️ Check out www.election2026.co.nz for tools to help you decide your vote.

Catch the award-winning podcast, weekly newsletter, and more here: https://linktr.ee/paul_barlownz

This work is entirely listener-funded. If you want to help keep the lights on and fuel the push for a change of government in 2026, consider joining as a paid supporter here: https://buymeacoffee.com/paul.theotherone ☕

Massive thank you for all the support!

©️ Paul… The Other One, 2026

Our election donation laws may need an overhaul but one thing they do allow is for us to see who is willing to pay through the nose keep life feeling like shit for majority of us - and you’ll never guess which floaters have been doing that. But good news - you’d need to guess - RNZ have been really on to it tracking it all for us.

Looking for clear, independent election insights? 🗳️ Check out www.election2026.co.nz for tools to help you decide your vote.

Catch the award-winning podcast, weekly newsletter, and more here: https://linktr.ee/paul_barlownz

This work is entirely listener-funded. If you want to help keep the lights on and fuel the push for a change of government in 2026, consider joining as a paid supporter here: https://buymeacoffee.com/paul.theotherone ☕

Massive thank you for all the support!

©️ Paul… The Other One, 2026