Q+A with Jack Tame

Erica Stanford: NCEA, immigration and "anti-Māori" criticism

Minister for education and immigration Erica Stanford joins Jack Tame to discuss the new scheme replacing NCEA, facing down public criticism over removing school boards' Treaty of Waitangi obligations, and why the National Party is toughening its rhetoric on immigration.

She also pushed back on education ministry plans to remove ESOL funding for year 0 and year 1 students in the second half of this year, saying the ministry had “got ahead of itself” and that wouldn’t now be happening.

Stanford also touched on the government’s pause in rolling out a social media ban for under-16s, saying there was a legislative programme still under way, and that the National Party was still committed to moving something on age verification.

Where's the policy? Chris Hipkins on Labour's election plans

Less than six months out from a general election, New Zealand's highest-polling party has only revealed a handful of policies. On big issues like the cost of living, fuel security and immigration, Chris Hipkins says the Labour Party will be sharing their vision for the country after Budget Day.

Chris Hipkins joins Jack Tame for his first appearance of 2026 to discuss his flagship education policy of the previous government, Fees Free - now set to be cancelled, with a price tag to date of $2 billion. He also considers whether Labour in New Zealand can take any lessons from Sir Keir Starmer's turmoil in the UK.

“Oligopoly”: How a lack of competition hurts public pockets

OECD economist David Haugh joins Q+A with Jack Tame to talk about a major new report detailing the weak state of competition in the New Zealand economy, and why ordinary New Zealanders are being economically hurt by the structure of key markets.

His report also critiqued the government’s LNG plans, and he responds to an assertion from PM Chris Luxon that those sections of the report are “a load of rubbish”.

The “global Goliath” and risk of worldwide societal collapse

Cambridge researcher of existential risks Luke Kemp talks to Q+A about the threats facing the continued survival of humanity, why wealth inequality is such a major risk factor, and how in such a globalised world, a collapse would be much more difficult to survive than previous societal collapses.

Kemp’s book is Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse, and he’s been in New Zealand as part of the Auckland Writers Festival.

Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

David Kirk: Why rugby can weather storms around finances and fans

NZ Rugby chair David Kirk sat down with Q+A’s Simon Mercep to discuss the state of rugby’s grassroots, whether NZR’s finances are in the sort of shape they need to be, and player retention issues. Kirk also revealed NZ Rugby is “considering” buying private equity firm Silver Lake out of their $262 million investment, and reflected on the state of modern politics.

Why Green candidate Tania Waikato believes she can beat Rawiri Waititi

Lawyer Tania Waikato helped mobilise hundreds of thousands of submissions against the Treaty Principles Bill and Regulatory Standards Act.

Now, she's ranked 13 on the Green Party list - the highest of any new face, and higher than some sitting MPs. She's also challenging the Māori electorate of Waiariki, currently held - by a considerable margin - by Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi.

Tania joins Simon Mercep to discuss her vision for constitutional reform in New Zealand, and how she will work with MPs from across the aisle after building her platform on calling them out.

Inside the campaign against retirement village payout policies

When a retirement village resident moves on or dies, the money they paid isn't released until the village sells the unit.

MPs from across parliament are looking at changes, but one campaigner is touring the country demanding a better deal for the elderly. Whena Owen reports.

Climate disaster spending overwhelmingly on recovery, not preparation

Climate Change Commission chief executive Jo Hendy joins Q+A’s Simon Mercep to discuss her organisation’s new report into the future risks of climate change in New Zealand, highlighting the dramatic spending figures that show we spend far more recovering from climate-related disasters rather than proactively preparing for them. The report also details how those risks go beyond the disasters themselves, and can have cascading effects into governance, social cohesion, and mental health.

Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Wayne Brown: NZ being run 'like a wrecking yard'

Running on a strident anti-Wellington platform, Auckland mayor Wayne Brown was re-elected to a second term in 2025 by a more than 100,000-vote majority.
In April of this year, he signed New Zealand's first-ever city deal with central government, an agreement which contains no new funding arrangements for Auckland, and kicks one of Brown's biggest campaigns - a bed tax - into discussions for 2027.
He joins Jack Tame to discuss Auckland's City Deal, Auckland Transport, and his pitch for a grand coalition between National and Labour in 2026 - a path he describes as the only way to reverse the long-term decline of New Zealand.

Behind the scenes of Auckland's $5.5 billion rail project

When Auckland's City Rail Link opens for business in the second half of 2026, the city will boast New Zealand's longest escalator, three brand-new stations, and a whole suite of costly but essential improvements to existing infrastructure.
The price tag sits at $5.5 billion, split between central government and Auckland Council - with the Super City's largest-ever rates increase, 7.9 percent, mooted to cover the ongoing costs.

Is a longer life always better?

Dr Ezekiel Emanuel is an oncologist and bioethicist in Washington DC and the author of 'Eat Your Ice Cream: Six simple rules for a long and healthy life'.
In New Zealand for the NIB Health Innovation Summit, he joins Jack Tame to discuss how NZ stacks up internationally when it comes to health outcomes, what our Pharmac model gets right, and why he says he will refuse medical intervention after he turns 75.

Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Chris Bishop: National leadership and his policy ambitions

Chris Bishop's name has repeatedly been raised in media reports about discontent with the National Party's leadership.

Despite being stripped of his campaign chair and leader of the house titles, the Hutt South MP continues to carry some of the most important portfolios in government: transport, housing, and infrastructure. Just over six months until the election, he joins Jack Tame to discuss the top job and how the $49 billion gap in funding New Zealand's roads of national significance will be addressed.

Former Labour minister on building back trust after scandal

Michael Wood was once a rising star in the Labour government's Cabinet, but after he failed to act on advice to divest himself of his shares in Auckland Airport, he resigned from his Ministerial portfolios in transport, workplace relations, immigration, and as minister for Auckland, and was not returned to his electorate seat in 2023.
Three years on, he joins Jack Tame to discuss whether he has regained the confidence of the Labour caucus.

Budget cuts come for online ANZAC commemoration

Veterans and historians are in disbelief at government plans to archive the Ngā Tapuwae Trails website, a live, self-guided tour of Gallipoli and the Western Front, on the grounds that the website costs too much for a low number of people who use it.

Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Iranian ambassador: New Zealand no longer stands up for peace

The representative of the Iranian government in New Zealand says the small Pacific nation is now seen as a country that supports unilateral military action, having refused to condemn the United States' actions on the world stage.
After weeks of fighting, and days after ceasefire negotiations began, Jack sat down with Iranian ambassador Reza Nazar Ahari to discuss when the Strait of Hormuz will re-open and how Iran defends calling upon international law after perpetrating independently-verified human rights abuses in its own country.

This interview was recorded on Friday 10 April.

Anna Breman: How the Iran war will affect inflation

When Anna Breman became New Zealand's Reserve Bank Governor in December of 2025, she promised greater transparency in how the bank makes monetary policy decisions.
Formerly First Deputy Gobernor at Sweden's Riksbank, Breman took over the reins of New Zealand's central bank after a year of high-profile resignations and criticism from central government.
After holding the OCR at 2.25 percent this week, she expands on what the global uncertainty caused by the Iran war means for New Zealand's economic future.

This interview was recorded on Friday 10 April.

Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.