Cross Party Lines

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

Hosted by Phil Goff and Chris Finlayson, with Sam Collins. Cross Party Lines unpacks New Zealand politics so that you don’t have too.With Chris absent due to a family bereavement, Sam and Phil dedicate the episode to public submissions - listener questions.In this episode:* What actually wins elections — Door-knocking, street-corner meetings, social media and direct voter contact. Phil reflects on decades of campaigning and why seeing the candidate in person still matters more than almost anything else.* Urgency in Parliament — Is it being abused? Why select committees matter, when urgency is justified, and how democratic scrutiny quietly disappears when legislation is rushed through at 2am.* Money and democracy — Party donations, disclosure thresholds, public funding, and whether New Zealand should go further to keep vested interests out of politics.* Short-term politics vs long-term country — Why three-year terms drive wasteful policy reversals, what infrastructure planning actually needs, and whether New Zealand should finally move to a four-year parliamentary term.* Winston Peters and coalition politics — Is he keeping his options open or simply maximising leverage? Phil draws on first-hand experience from 1996, 2005 and 2017.* China, the US, and small-country diplomacy — How New Zealand balances values and interests, why multilateralism still matters, and when engagement crosses into endorsement.* Te Tiriti, representation, and social cohesion — Why Māori success benefits the whole country, why Treaty issues shouldn’t be weaponised, and how identity and democracy can coexist.* Respect across the aisle — Phil reflects on political figures he admired from the other side, and why democracy works better when disagreement doesn’t become dehumanisation.Cross Party Lines exists to lift political literacy and make space for calmer, more constructive 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. With Chris absent due to a family bereavement, Sam and Phil dedicate the episode to public submissions - listener questions. In this episode:* What actually wins elections — Door-knocking, street-corner meetings, social media and direct voter contact. Phil reflects on decades of campaigning and why seeing the candidate in person still matters more than almost anything else.* Urgency in Parliament — Is it being abused? Why select committees matter, when urgency is justified, and how democratic scrutiny quietly disappears when legislation is rushed through at 2am.* Money and democracy — Party donations, disclosure thresholds, public funding, and whether New Zealand should go further to keep vested interests out of politics.* Short-term politics vs long-term country — Why three-year terms drive wasteful policy reversals, what infrastructure planning actually needs, and whether New Zealand should finally move to a four-year parliamentary term.* Winston Peters and coalition politics — Is he keeping his options open or simply maximising leverage? Phil draws on first-hand experience from 1996, 2005 and 2017.* China, the US, and small-country diplomacy — How New Zealand balances values and interests, why multilateralism still matters, and when engagement crosses into endorsement.* Te Tiriti, representation, and social cohesion — Why Māori success benefits the whole country, why Treaty issues shouldn’t be weaponised, and how identity and democracy can coexist.* Respect across the aisle — Phil reflects on political figures he admired from the other side, and why democracy works better when disagreement doesn’t become dehumanisation.Cross Party Lines exists to lift political literacy and make space for calmer, more constructive 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 the week in New Zealand and global politics so you don’t have too. Genuine cross-party debate — not point-scoring.This week’s episode is recorded in the shadow of tragedy, sharing our condolences to those impacted by the tragic events in Bondi.In Episode 7:* America and the rule of law — Trump’s new National Security Strategy, intrusive ESTA visa proposals and military actions in the Caribbean raise serious questions about whether the US is abandoning the rules-based international order. * RMA reform, again — The government unveils its replacement for the Resource Management Act. Is this genuine progress, recycled policy or a rare moment of near-bipartisanship — and real concern about unintended consequences.* Electoral law changes under urgency — The move to end same-day enrolment sparks a sharp debate about disenfranchisement, democratic fragility and whether efficiency is ever a good reason to make voting harder. Should New Zealand go further — even to compulsory voting?Cross Party Lines exists to lift political literacy and create space for thoughtful, good-faith discussion in an increasingly polarised world.New episodes every Tuesday. If you value 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 unpacks the week in New Zealand politics so that you don’t have too and featues the kind of cross-partisan honesty you won’t get anywhere else.In Episode 6:* Police culture under the microscope — After Andrew Coster’s high-profile interview, Phil and Chris go deeper into the real issue: hierarchy, silence, and why junior officers rarely challenge senior ranks. And while Ministers Mitchell and Hipkins dispute what they were told, Phil and Chris share lessons on how to protect yourself when your only “record” is memory * The centre-right’s climate dilemma — Scrutiny Week revealed uncomfortable truths about the coalition’s climate direction. Phil and Chris contrast New Zealand’s choices with Australia’s centre-right meltdown, Turnbull’s warning about “groundhog day” and what a rational, evidence-driven conservative climate policy should be made of.* The Taxpayers’ Union vs Nicola Willis — A rare case of “right-on-right violence.” Why the campaign is happening, how coalition politics limits any finance minister’s dogma, and what Labour must be careful not to overstep as 2026 creeps closer.Cross Party Lines exists to lift political literacy and bring reasoned democracy back into the mainstream.New episodes every Tuesday. If you’re enjoying the show, follow and share — it genuinely helps grow the kōrero. 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