Cross Party Lines

Hosted by Phil Goff and Chris Finlayson with Sam Collins, Cross Party Lines returns with a grounded, institutional-focused episode that looks at how democracy works when it’s doing its job — and where it still needs strengthening.
This week’s conversation centres on law, legitimacy, national rituals and rare moments of bipartisan progress.
In this week’s episode:
Judith Collins and the Law Commission — A deep dive into Collins’ appointment as President of the Law Commission. Phil and Chris weigh her experience as a former Attorney-General and Justice Minister against concerns about partisanship, precedent, and the importance of protecting the Commission’s independence. Is this continuity, risk — or both?
Waitangi Day and political leadership — With the Prime Minister choosing not to attend the formal Waitangi Day ceremony, the panel explores precedent, protest, respect, and whether leaders lose political ground by avoiding discomfort.
Modern slavery legislation — A rare bipartisan moment as Labour and National combine to advance Camilla Belich and Greg Fleming’s modern slavery bill. Why mandatory supply-chain reporting matters, how New Zealand’s inaction has damaged its reputation, and why progress shouldn’t be held hostage to ideological purity.
Trade, migration, and scapegoating — How the modern slavery debate intersects with the India free trade agreement, immigration politics, and the dangers of reheating tired populist narratives that blame migrants for structural problems.
Cross Party Lines exists to lift political literacy and create space for calm, good-faith political conversation.
New episodes every Tuesday. If you value thoughtful debate, follow the podcast and share it with someone who might too.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crosspartylines.substack.com

Hosted by Phil Goff and Chris Finlayson with Sam Collins, Cross Party Lines returns for a weighty, wide-ranging episode that moves from tragedy at home to turmoil abroad — and asks what leadership looks like when the stakes are this high.
This week’s conversation is shaped by three forces: climate reality, global disorder, and election-year positioning.
In this week’s episode:
* Climate change and human cost — Following a devastating week in Aotearoa, with nine lives lost to extreme weather events, Phil and Chris reflect on grief, responsibility, and why climate change can no longer be treated as an abstract or ideological debate. From landslips to floodplains, the discussion turns to adaptation, evidence-based policy, and why the window for meaningful action is closing fast.
* Davos and the global order — Chris reports from Europe as the World Economic Forum unfolds. The panel dissects Mark Carney’s widely applauded speech, growing pushback against Donald Trump’s foreign policy, and what the erosion of the rules-based international order means for small countries like New Zealand.
* State of the Nation speeches — With National and Labour both holding retreats, Phil assesses whether either Chris Luxon or Chris Hipkins managed to seize early momentum in election year — and why passion, credibility, and kitchen-table issues will matter more than set-piece speeches.
Cross Party Lines exists to lift political literacy and create space for calm, good-faith political conversation.
New episodes every Tuesday. If you value thoughtful politics, follow the podcast and share it with someone who might too.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crosspartylines.substack.com

Hosted by Phil Goff and Chris Finlayson with Sam Collins, Cross Party Lines unpacks New Zealand Politics so that you don’t have too.
Recorded slightly earlier than usual (Saturday 17th January), this episode is designed to age well — focusing on some age old issues and questions.
In this episode:
* 30 years of MMP — As New Zealand marks three decades under Mixed Member Proportional representation, Chris and Phil debate whether the system has delivered on its promise. Has it improved fairness and representation, or simply handed too much power to minor parties and weakened decisive government?
* Reshuffle season — With party leaders quietly assessing performance, loyalty and future potential, Phil and Chris reflect on the realities of promotions, demotions and political ruthlessness — drawing on their own experiences of cabinet reshuffles, leadership pressure, and caucus management.
* Generational change in leadership — Sparked by an Economist article on Brazil’s president, the conversation widens to a global pattern of ageing leaders. Is experience an asset, a liability, or both? And should there be clearer expectations around when it’s time to step aside?
Thoughtful rather than theatrical, this episode is about systems over slogans — and why democracy depends on honest debate about power, performance and renewal.
Cross Party Lines exists to lift political literacy and create space for good-faith political discussion.
New episodes every Tuesday. If you find value in calmer politics, follow the podcast and share it with someone who might too.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crosspartylines.substack.com

Hosted by Phil Goff and Chris Finlayson with Sam Collins, Cross Party Lines returns after a short summer break with a look ahead to what 2026 might hold — for New Zealand politics and the wider world.
This episode focuses on long-range thinking, asking what sort of country New Zealand wants to be — and what politics should be focusing on as the election year approaches.
In this episode:
* What policies should define 2026 — Phil lays out the hard choices both major parties keep avoiding: productivity and growth, fair taxation, superannuation sustainability, early intervention for kids, and climate adaptation that actually matches the scale of the challenge.
* Planning for the country we’re becoming — Chris argues for long-term thinking about population, infrastructure and immigration, and reviving serious future-focused institutions rather than fighting the same short-term culture wars every election cycle.
* Universities, talent and the future of work — Why New Zealand should aim for world-class tertiary institutions, how AI will reshape jobs whether we like it or not, and why attracting and retaining global talent matters more than ever.
* Trump, power and the collapse of restraint — A sobering discussion on Venezuela, Greenland, the erosion of international law, and what “might is right” means for small countries like New Zealand that depend on a rules-based order.
* Early election predictions — A cautious look at polling, coalition arithmetic, Winston Peters’ likely leverage, leadership stability, and why 2026 is shaping up to be close — and consequential.
Cross Party Lines exists to lift political literacy and create space for thoughtful, good-faith political conversation.
New episodes every Tuesday. If you value calmer politics and deeper thinking, follow the podcast and share it with someone who might too.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crosspartylines.substack.com

Hosted by Phil Goff and Chris Finlayson with Sam Collins, Cross Party Lines closes out 2025 by stepping back from the weekly headlines and taking stock of a year that felt frenetic, unsettled and politically revealing.
This episode is a wide-ranging end-of-year review — part reflection, part reckoning — as the panel looks at what genuinely mattered in politics over the past twelve months.
In this episode:
* The biggest surprise of 2025 — Why the long-awaited economic recovery never quite arrived, how cost-of-living pressures reshaped political sentiment, and why Labour’s rebound under Chris Hipkins defied early expectations.
* Australia’s election shock — What Anthony Albanese’s decisive re-election says about modern centre-left leadership, and how Peter Dutton’s collapse offers a warning to conservative parties drifting away from liberal democratic principles.
* The best political performers — From rising stars across Labour to standout operators on the National benches, with a strong consensus on who earned credibility through competence rather than noise.
* The worst performers — and why — Shameless populism, incoherent positioning, and policies that shifted week-to-week without principle. A blunt assessment of New Zealand First, political opportunism, and the cost of saying one thing and doing another.
* Policies that hurt — and policies that mattered — From heated tobacco tax cuts and climate retreat, to Treaty-related law changes that inflamed division. Balanced against RMA reform, the India FTA, and Labour’s renewed push for a capital gains tax in the name of tax fairness.
* Migration, trade and social cohesion — Why demonising migrants is both morally wrong and economically short-sighted, and why bipartisan cooperation matters most on issues that shape the country’s long-term future.
Plus: Air New Zealand’s declining service, the limits of marketing over performance, reflections on political decency after tragedy and book recommendations for the summer break.
Cross Party Lines exists to lift political literacy and create space for calmer, more constructive political conversation.
New episodes return mid-January. If you’ve enjoyed the show this year, follow, share, and join us for the road into election year 2026.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crosspartylines.substack.com