When the Facts Change

By The Spinoff

What's When the Facts Change about?

Hosted by journalist Bernard Hickey, When the Facts Change is your essential weekly guide to the intersection of economics, business and politics in Aotearoa New Zealand. Presented by The Spinoff together with Kiwibank.

Visit kiwibank.co.nz to find out how Kiwibank are making Kiwi better off

Download our free app to listen on your phone

When the Facts Change episodes:

04.11.2024
Who is being hit hardest by inflation?
Kiwibank economist Sabrina Delgado joins Bernard to discuss the ways inflation affects various groups in Aotearoa. From homeowners and renters to beneficiaries and pensioners, they explore how inflation impacts everyone differently, and reveal who is being hit hardest by the...
04.04.2024
When monopolies clash
Auckland Airport wants to put up its landing charges to help pay for a multibillion dollar revamp of its terminals. Its biggest customer, Air NZ, is complaining that the airport is over-charging. So who is right? What is fair? And...
03.28.2024
How do we get over the electrification tipping point?
The evidence is clear: it's good for our pockets and for the planet, so what's stopping families and businesses from going electric? How do we address the electrification knowledge gap and other barriers that stand in the way of adopting...
03.21.2024
Should philanthropic giving be a moral obligation?
With the majority of Aotearoa struggling to meet basic needs, philanthropic funding is more important than ever. Cheryl Spain, executive director of The Gift Trust, joins Bernard Hickey to explain why philanthropic giving needs to become part of New Zealand...
03.17.2024
A battle won in the War for Wellington
In a special edition of When The Facts Change, Bernard Hickey talks with The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus about the historic victory for YIMBYs in last week’s District Plan votes by the Wellington City Council. Who knew that town...
03.14.2024
Navigating the rising tide of electricity demand
Transpower is taking a new approach to handling the massive increase in demand for electricity. Instead of building bigger power pylons (and a lot more of them), they want to reduce demand for electricity in the first place. Bernard Hickey...
03.07.2024
When caution reigns
Kiwibank chief executive Steve Jurkovich joins Bernard Hickey to discuss how businesses and consumers are feeling early in 2024, why an RBNZ rate hike last week would not have helped and how banks are thinking about the challenges of climate...
02.29.2024
To hike, or not to hike? Unpacking the monetary policy statement with Adrian Orr
Te Pūtea Matua governor Adrian Orr joins Bernard to discuss the bank’s decision to hold the official cash rate at 5.5%, rather than hiking it further in an attempt to control rampant inflation (which is still roughly double where the...
02.25.2024
This is Kiwi: Sarah Hirini on growth and leadership
World-class athlete Sarah Hirini has spent nearly a decade as captain of the national women’s sevens team. Through the course of her career she’s clocked up Olympic gold and silver medals, a couple of Rugby World Cup wins and in...
02.22.2024
The real reason our government won't borrow to fix our infrastructure issues
Christopher Luxon has described Aotearoa’s government finances as fragile, but the most qualified folks in financial markets don’t see it that way. Bernard Hickey talks to S&P Global’s government ratings director Anthony Walker about just how fragile our government and...
02.18.2024
This is Kiwi: Nico Porteous on the process of performance
At just 22 years old, Nico Porteous is one of New Zealand's most accomplished athletes. He first made his mark on Aotearoa sporting history at 16 when he became our youngest Olympic medalist, claiming bronze in the men's freeski halfpipe....
02.15.2024
How super is NZ Super?
After releasing a paper earlier this week outlining her policy recommendations for the government, retirement commissioner Jane Wrightson joins Bernard Hickey to discuss the complex challenge of superannuation in Aotearoa. Why should the age of eligibility stay at 65? Which...
02.11.2024
This is Kiwi: Louis Davis on modern fatherhood
In sharing daily dad life with his social media following of nearly two million, Louis Davis challenges fatherhood stereotypes by being meaningfully present for his family. Join Louis as he sits down with Jane Yee and, through genuine humour and...
02.08.2024
We all need to cut 75% of our personal carbon emissions. But how?
In order to limit global warming to 1.5ºC, and avoid the catastrophic effects brought on by further warming, every person on the planet must limit their personal carbon dioxide emissions to just two tonnes per year. The current annual emissions...
02.04.2024
This is Kiwi: Kendall Flutey on focusing your ambition
Kendall Flutey is on a mission to help create a better future for kids all over the world. As the founder of financial literacy software Banqer, Kendall is focusing her ambition for good in a bid to empower the next...
02.01.2024
A year on: decoding the cost of major weather events
How do you measure the cost of the Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle? A year on from these catastrophic weather events, NZIER economist Roshen Kulwant joins Bernard Hickey to discuss which costs we're measuring, what we’ve learnt and what...
01.28.2024
This is Kiwi: Te Aorere Pēwhairangi on finding inspiration
Te Aorere Pēwhairangi is a dynamic content creator dedicated to making te reo and te ao Māori accessible. After a promising rugby league career was cut short by injury, Te Aorere moved into translation work which led to TV presenting...
01.25.2024
The latest acronym in the Reserve Bank's tool kit
Earlier this week the Reserve Bank of New Zealand proposed a new debt-to-income (DTI) ratio limit. Along with the 11-year-old loan-to-value ratio (LVR) limit, the RBNZ hopes these lending restrictions will help "limit the build-up of systemic financial risk" in...
01.21.2024
This is Kiwi: Jazz Thornton on resilience through adversity
What happens when you take on your trauma with the whole world watching? Jazz Thornton joins Jane Yee for a raw and entertaining kōrero between friends that exposes the reality of turning your pain into purpose in a very public...
01.18.2024
What's behind New Zealand's water woes?
Aotearoa New Zealand is a rich and functional country, but it can’t seem to operate a safe and well-maintained water system. CEO of Water NZ Gillian Blythe tells Bernard Hickey exactly why that is, and what's needed to get our...
01.11.2024
Summer minipod 3: the grim reality for low-lying suburbs
In the final of three summer mini episodes, Bernard Hickey a key moment from 2023 when the political economy in Aotearoa shifted on its axis in real time. Last up is the day the nation’s biggest insurer said Petone and many...
01.04.2024
Summer minipod 2: the closing window of hope for our climate
In the second of three summer mini episodes, Bernard Hickey a key moment from 2023 when the political economy in Aotearoa shifted on its axis in real time. Second up is the day the Climate Commission chair, Rod Carr, told the...
12.28.2023
Summer minipod 1: “end of story”
In the first of three summer mini episodes, Bernard Hickey a key moment from 2023 when the political economy in Aotearoa shifted on its axis in real time. First up is the day that Chris Hipkins declared the ‘end of story’...
12.20.2023
Monopod: Reacting to Nicola Willis' mini-budget
National promised their first budget would expose 'fiscal vandalism' by the previous Labour government. Now that Bernard Hickey has had a chance to rifle through the numbers, he finds minimum substance to the claims. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
12.18.2023
The Spinoff presents SUPERPOD 2023
SUPERPOD is back! Hosted by Gone By Lunchtime's Toby Manhire and featuring Jane Yee and Alex Casey from The Real Pod, Duncan Greive from The Fold, Gone By Lunchtime's Annabelle Lee-Mather, Simon Pound from Business Is Boring, Bernard Hickey from...
12.14.2023
The economic impact of record-high migration
2023 has seen record-high net migration after a large dip during the height of Covid. Bernard Hickey talks with Kiwibank economist Mary-Jo Vergara about the economic effects of high migration on rents, inflation, interest rates and house prices. Learn more about...
12.07.2023
The real cost of the smoking excise tax
To replace $700 million a year of revenues lost from a foreign buyers tax, the new coalition government is dumping the previous government's smoke free 2025 goal. This relaxing of policies will keep more people smoking for longer, costing thousands...
11.30.2023
When can we expect mortgage rates to drop?
The Reserve Bank surprised everyone this week by warning it may have to raise interest rates again to force inflation down, effectively eliminating the prospect of major mortgage rate cuts over the coming summer. Kiwibank Chief Economist Jarrod Kerr joins...
11.23.2023
The budget benefits of going electric
Could a South Island cherry farm set the standard for an electric future? Mike Casey from Rewiring Aotearoa joins Bernard Hickey to discuss what it took to make the switch from running his cherry farm on fossil fuels to renewable...
11.16.2023
The state of the economy in Aotearoa with Steve Jurkovich
With cost of living forefront on people's minds, what are banks doing to alleviate pressure on the consumer? Bernard Hickey sits down with Kiwibank chief executive Steve Jurkovich to discuss how the economy is travelling, the pressures consumers are dealing...
11.09.2023
A new solution to the first-home deposit problem?
New fintech startup Aera says first-home buyers would need to save for an infinite number of years to secure a house deposit. Founder Derek Handley joins Bernard Hickey to discuss Aera's plan to help first-home buyers to get onto the property ladder, with a new take on the bank of mum and dad. Learn...
11.02.2023
How leaders can learn from their mistakes
After leaving the CEO position at Z Energy, Mike Bennetts became an executive coach and has just published his own book: Being Extraordinary by confronting your ordinary. Mike talks to Bernard Hickey about how leadership is different from management, and how...
10.26.2023
How to defend yourself from tech-savvy scammers
In April and June of 2023, online scammers stole $4.2 million from New Zealanders. Bernard Hickey speaks to Kiwibank senior external fraud investigator Sareta Fraser about how bank customers and banks are in an arms race against increasingly ingenious and...
10.19.2023
The wind power revolution energising Aotearoa
What makes New Zealand one of the most geographically perfect places to harness the power of Tāwhirimātea? This week, Bernard Hickey talks with Giacomo Caleffi from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners about how the NZ Super Fund could bolster their plan to...
10.12.2023
Powering down to keep your savings up
Are we using our energy networks as efficiently as possible? Bernard Hickey interviews Octopus Energy’s UK-based head of systems change, Marcia Poletti, about innovative ways power companies can adapt their current system to better support the energy grid. Learn more about...
10.05.2023
Using LinkedIn to build your business better
All around the globe, business owners are struggling to launch, manage, and sustain their companies' increasingly necessary online presence in an impactful way. Bernard Hickey speaks to the marketing director at Smarketing Lab, Assia Salikhova, for some free consulting on...
09.28.2023
The post-pandemic office experience
It turns out many offices are empty now, particularly on Mondays and Fridays, and workers aren’t there to sit at their open-plan desks. They’re there to join Zoom or Teams calls in quiet spaces, or to meet each other in...
09.21.2023
Melbourne City's carbon neutral apartment building
Liam Wallis, is the founder of HIP V HYPE, a design agency in Melbourne that helped design, fund and build the first Nightingale project apartments in Melbourne’s Brunswick. These apartments are designed from the start to be carbon neutral, healthier,...
09.14.2023
Is an economic summer on the horizon?
Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr tells Bernard Hickey why there are early signs of a rebound in confidence and hope for the summer to come, and into next year, despite the interest rate hikes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
09.07.2023
Chris Hipkins on leading a conservative left-wing government
The prime minister seems to be moving forward with his plan to ignore the infrastructure deficit by ruling out wealth and capital gains taxes. He joins Bernard Hickey to defend his stance as a steady, status quo government and tries...
08.31.2023
Reconnecting the regions with better public transit
Bernard Hickey discusses the need for much better bus and train connections within and between our smaller provincial cities with public transport advocate and award-winning singer-songwriter Anthonie Tonnon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
08.24.2023
Shining a light on our solar industry
Why is Aotearoa's solar panel industry lagging so far behind the rest of the world? SolarZero CEO Matt Ward joins Bernard Hickey to talk about how using batteries to complement rooftop solar is changing the game and how he believes...
08.17.2023
The company transitioning businesses to a low carbon economy
Bernard Hickey talks with CoGo founder Ben Gleisner about the potential to use bank data on spending to help businesses and consumers monitor and tweak their climate emissions. Gleisner talks about Aotearoa’s rocky and long pathway to open banking and...
08.10.2023
How to construct an affordable and eco-friendly home
Are we building our houses as smart as we possibly can? GEOBIND co-founder Alice Hosted says that Aotearoa could help solve its housing cost and carbon problems by using hempcrete walls. They discuss the pros to using hemp in building...
08.03.2023
The renewable energy source beneath our feet
Bernard Hickey drills down into the future of geothermal electricity production in this week’s interview with Isabelle Chambefort from GNS Science. She’s excited about the potential for deep drilling to uncover ‘supercritical’ heat that supercharges geothermal power output, helping solve...
07.30.2023
This is Kiwi: Kiri Nathan on building community through creativity
Kiri Nathan isn’t just a leading figure in the Aotearoa fashion industry, she’s a true inspiration – a remarkable artist and guiding mentor to young indigenous designers. Kiri stands apart from her peers in the world of fashion, with her...
07.27.2023
What is the future of our banking system?
As the world globalises, open banking is becoming an increasingly attractive prospect to customers, so why aren't our banks onboard yet? Bernard Hickey talks with Josh Daniell at FinTech firm Akahu about what’s being done in Aotearoa to accelerate the...
07.23.2023
This is Kiwi: Robbie Van Dam on finding innovation everywhere
Meet Robbie van Dam, a visionary entrepreneur and finalist for the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Spark Innovator Award for 2023. Through his company GoodNature, Robbie’s passion and commitment has helped revolutionise the pest control industry thanks to a...
07.20.2023
Breaking the financial barriers for Māori
The Māori economy is one of the fastest growing in the country, yet many tangata whenua still face major barriers when borrowing from banks to kickstart businesses. Kiwibank's head of Māori advisory Teaho Pihama sits down with Bernard Hickey to...
07.16.2023
This is Kiwi: Dr Ellen Joan Nelson on embracing a better way of working
Dr Ellen Nelson is a military veteran, esteemed academic, and Kiwibank local hero of the year for 2023. For this special kōrero we delve into Ellen’s passion for improving working conditions for parents and her campaigns advocating for flexible and...

What's When the Facts Change about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

When the Facts Change episodes:

Who is being hit hardest by inflation?

When monopolies clash

How do we get over the electrification tipping point?

Should philanthropic giving be a moral obligation?

A battle won in the War for Wellington

Navigating the rising tide of electricity demand

When caution reigns

To hike, or not to hike? Unpacking the monetary policy statement with Adrian Orr

This is Kiwi: Sarah Hirini on growth and leadership

The real reason our government won't borrow to fix our infrastructure issues

This is Kiwi: Nico Porteous on the process of performance

How super is NZ Super?

This is Kiwi: Louis Davis on modern fatherhood

We all need to cut 75% of our personal carbon emissions. But how?

This is Kiwi: Kendall Flutey on focusing your ambition

A year on: decoding the cost of major weather events

This is Kiwi: Te Aorere Pēwhairangi on finding inspiration

The latest acronym in the Reserve Bank's tool kit

This is Kiwi: Jazz Thornton on resilience through adversity

What's behind New Zealand's water woes?

Summer minipod 3: the grim reality for low-lying suburbs

Summer minipod 2: the closing window of hope for our climate

Summer minipod 1: “end of story”

Monopod: Reacting to Nicola Willis' mini-budget

The Spinoff presents SUPERPOD 2023

The economic impact of record-high migration

The real cost of the smoking excise tax

When can we expect mortgage rates to drop?

The budget benefits of going electric

The state of the economy in Aotearoa with Steve Jurkovich

A new solution to the first-home deposit problem?

How leaders can learn from their mistakes

How to defend yourself from tech-savvy scammers

The wind power revolution energising Aotearoa

Powering down to keep your savings up

Using LinkedIn to build your business better

The post-pandemic office experience

Melbourne City's carbon neutral apartment building

Is an economic summer on the horizon?

Chris Hipkins on leading a conservative left-wing government

Reconnecting the regions with better public transit

Shining a light on our solar industry

The company transitioning businesses to a low carbon economy

How to construct an affordable and eco-friendly home

The renewable energy source beneath our feet

This is Kiwi: Kiri Nathan on building community through creativity

What is the future of our banking system?

This is Kiwi: Robbie Van Dam on finding innovation everywhere

Breaking the financial barriers for Māori

This is Kiwi: Dr Ellen Joan Nelson on embracing a better way of working