Maxim Institute Podcast

Something in our cultural moment has shifted. Across the globe, people feel disconnected. They’re unsure of where they belong, yet paradoxically more tribal. Education is shaped by ideology. Politics infuses every sphere. We struggle to disagree well.These are symptoms of what Dr Sarah Irving-Stonebraker calls our “Ahistoric Age.”She argues that we are forgetting how to remember. The past is often treated as irrelevant, discarded in favour of narratives of self-fulfilment and self-creation. As our historical understanding dims, so too does our ability to comprehend the present. We become foreigners in our own time.So how might history ground us when it so often divides? Dr Irving-Stonebraker explores what it means to steward history, and explains how recovering lost and overlooked stories can restore a sense of belonging and inheritance.When we can’t remember the past, not only are we condemned to repeat it; we actually lose what holds us together.

In this episode of The Select Committee, we examine TOP’s tax and universal income proposals after a bruising Q&A interview. Can TOP’s appeal survive the shift from political “vibe” to detailed policy scrutiny?
We then turn to Te Pāti Māori’s election strategy, with its focus on winning Māori electorate seats while encouraging supporters to party vote elsewhere. If successful, the move could create an overhang in Parliament—a quirk of our MMP system.
Finally, we reflect on the fallout from the attempted National Party coup. We discuss Christopher Luxon’s demotion of Minister Chris Penk: How this will affect National going forward?
We wrap the show with our favourite segment, Fantasy Beehive, where we rank MP performance using our highly advanced, completely proprietary technology.

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In this episode of The Select Committee, we take a look at the National Party’s latest leadership drama.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has survived a coup attempt less than 90 days out from the election. We ask what this reveals about dissatisfaction within the caucus—and the media’s role in amplifying instability. Can National now present a genuinely united front?
We then turn to Labour's two bad polls. It may be a good week for them to land, but what can Chris Hipkins do, and what role is The Opportunity Party playing in all this? 
Finally, what comes next for National: another coup attempt, or is bad publicity actually good publicity?
We wrap the show with your favourite segment, Fantasy Beehive: MP performance ranked using our highly advanced, completely proprietary technology. 
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In this episode of The Select Committee, we take a look at New Zealand First’s proposed Kiwi Kids Grant: $5,000 a year for each of a family’s first three children during their first three years. We ask what this policy says about our culture and whether it would actually lift the birth rate.
We then turn to ACT’s classroom behaviour policy, which would allow disruptive students to be removed using reasonable and proportionate force. Is this a necessary intervention that protects students’ ability to learn, or does it risk escalating conflicts with students?
Finally, we discuss Winston Peters describing a statement by Chris Hipkins as a “lie”, and Chlöe Swarbrick’s ejection from the House after accusing Speaker Gerry Brownlee of “double standards”. We ask whether Parliament’s declining standards are weakening the quality of political debate.
We wrap the show with our favourite segment, Fantasy Beehive, where we rank MP performance using our highly advanced, completely proprietary technology.

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In this episode of The Select Committee, we examine Russia’s allegation that a man arrested there approached the NZSIS to spy for New Zealand. We ask what the claim—true or otherwise—reveals about New Zealand’s role in the Five Eyes intelligence network.
We then turn to National’s decision to rule out The Opportunity Party as a coalition partner. With TOP polling close to 5%, we consider whether the move legitimises the party and whether its “centrist” reputation matches its policies.
Finally, we discuss the Greens’ campaign launch and proposed one-year pause on new AI data centre consents. We ask what the rise of minor parties says about political fragmentation, coalition incentives, and voting as self-expression.
We wrap the show with our favourite segment, Fantasy Beehive, where we rank MP performance using our highly advanced, completely proprietary technology.

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