Duncan Garner - Editor In Chief

Tainui leader Tukoroirangi Morgan has claimed at the Waitangi Tribunal that Christopher Luxon's National-led government is the most racist New Zealand has ever seen. Duncan Garner says it is time to call this out and hold Tuku's feet to the fire because the claim simply doesn't survive contact with reality.

To call this political landscape the most discriminatory in our history means completely forgetting the past. We look back at the Foreshore and Seabed legislation under Helen Clark's Labour government, which actually stripped Māori of their legal rights to have customary claims tested in court. That was real discrimination that fractured relationships and birthed the Māori Party.

This current government continues to fund Māori language education, kura kaupapa schools, Te Māngai Pāho, housing projects, and fully protects the budget for Te Matatini while other departments face massive cuts. Disagree with co-governance debates all you want, but calling this racial persecution is ridiculous.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

National is finally closing the loophole that allows unelected members of the public to get voting rights on council committees. Local Government Minister Simon Watts has moved to stop it, but let’s be honest, it’s the bare minimum. We talk to ACT MP Cameron Luxton, who drafted the original bill months ago, about why National took so long to protect our democracy.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Hipkins has repeatedly said ministers were not told about key health concerns around the Covid vaccine rollout for 12 to 15 year olds.

But a new tranche of official papers appears to move the timeline back.

Duncan Garner has covered this issue before. This episode is the update. The new documents suggest Hipkins may have been closer to the information than previously understood, including a vaccine ministers meeting on August 13, 2021, which he chaired, and later references to myocarditis risk being removed from official communications.

Aly Cook joins Duncan to walk through the latest paperwork, what it shows, what remains unanswered, and why she believes it goes directly to Hipkins’ credibility.

This is not about being pro vaccine or anti vaccine. It is about trust, transparency, and whether New Zealand parents were given the full picture.

Watch the full episode and tell us what you think.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is really going on at the Far North District Council?

Duncan Garner is joined by councillor Davina Smolders, who says major governance changes are being pushed through without proper public scrutiny. She raises concerns over unelected iwi representatives getting voting rights on a council committee, ratepayer-funded requests, new Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements, and language recognising Ngāpuhi sovereignty.

Smolders says another five agreements could be signed soon and argues the public deserves to know exactly what these deals mean before they are locked in.

Duncan asks the big questions. What power do these agreements actually create? Why has there been no proper consultation? And when will the Government step in?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The government wants us to think they are being caring but responsible with this budget, but the economists aren't buying it. We look past the 30 press releases to find out what this means for your back pocket. From a sneaky new banking tax on savers to kicking real savings down the road, we break down why the math just doesn't add up.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices