Raw Politics

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: the coalition eyes drastic change in the public service, Te Pāti Māori eyes drastic change in our constitution, plus why health imperils every government

The Government's making no secret of its plan to cull, reshape and redirect government departments and ministries if it gets a second chance after November 7.

Today, the Raw Politics panel discusses the scale of the planned abolitions, mergers and straight out headcount cuts ministers want to line up through 2027 and beyond.

Join senior political reporter Marc Daalder and political editor Laura Walters at Parliament and Newsroom co-editor Tim Murphy in Auckland for analysis of the radical overhaul planned for the public service in a potential second term. 

The panel also examines Te Pāti Māori's plans for constitutional reforms and paramountcy of the Treaty and how big an appeal its announcements will have among Māori voters, with the risk of likely coalition partner Labour copping any electoral backlash from voters on the general roll. 

Our third topic is the perennial political landmine of the health system, a threat to the prospects of any government. While National and Labour feud over the number of additional nurses in the system under this administration, real world events like a death in an A&E waiting room and a hospital's nurses declaring a state of emergency have the potential to derail any minister's bid to talk up health investments. 

Finally, we offer recommendations for you to read, watch or listen to over your weekend: 

Marc: Azaria Howell of Newstalk ZB's scoop on the Brian Roche cutting the public service letter.
 
Laura: Māni Dunlop of Te Ao Māori News' in-depth explainer on TPM’s bottom lines, where other parties sit, and the history and future of constitutional reform

Tim: Our own Marc Daader's magisterial piece on Newsroom on the latest UN environment report: Global warming will pass 1.5C - what are you going to do about it?

Raw Politics will be available wherever you get your podcasts at the end of each week, and to watch on YouTube.

The country’s two biggest political parties found common ground this week not once, but twice. Well, kind-of, temporarily, with not much grace or real commitment.

Today, the Raw Politics panel discusses Labour’s decision to back National’s bill on limiting social media access for under 16s, and Labour’s grudging acceptance of a move to force a legislative cap on council rates.

Join senior political reporter Marc Daalder and associate editor Sam Sachdeva at Parliament and Newsroom co-editor Tim Murphy in Auckland, for analysis of the two big blue-red (purple) agreements of this campaign.

Both big parties have correctly read the public mood in belatedly proposing, then agreeing to back at the outset, a social media ban. Polls show support for measures to protect young people from social media harm.

The rates cap probably has strong public support as well – who wouldn’t want increases in their rates bills forced under 4 percent? But that policy is fraught with risks for both reducing council services to the public and cutting local government’s investment in maintenance and infrastructure.

Our third topic is the National Party’s walking away from a Government-Auckland Council deal to “explore” an accomodation bed levy to fund tourism promotion, events and infrastructure. Such 30-year-deals are often all talk and this one is already fraying after just four months.

Finally, we offer recommendations for you to read, watch or listen to over your weekend:Marc: Our Newsroom colleague Andrew Bevin’s story on the under-funded wildlife hospitals on the frontline of the bird flu outbreak.Sam: Henry Cooke’s profile of a legend of political journalism Richard Harman, in The Post

Tim: Phil Smith of RNZ’s excellent piece analysing the number of extra nurses added under this Government.

Raw Politics will be available wherever you get your podcasts at the end of each week, and to watch on YouTube.

The election is 78 days away so it’s over time to start tuning in to what’s going on in the world of politics.

Our Raw Politics podcast is here to help. From today, Raw Politics returns every Friday to dissect the major issues in politics and the political strategies playing out around them.

Today, join senior political reporter Marc Daalder and associate editor Sam Sachdeva at Parliament and Newsroom co-editor Tim Murphy in Auckland, who look ahead into this perpetual election campaign and pick the people and moments to watch.

Finally, we offer recommendations for you to read, watch or listen to over your weekend:

Sam: Our press gallery colleague Hanna’s interview with long-time Opportunity Party candidate Jessica Hammond

Marc: The NZ Geographic feature West Side Story, about the youth in Huntly who have ditched dirt bikes for horses.

Tim: Lilian Hanly’s piece on RNZ asking a very pertinent question: Can one Minister handle 11 portfolios?

On this week’s Raw Politics podcast: We honour the standout performances and policies, good and bad, of this year, plus make our predictions for 2025

Four different MPs are nominated by our four Raw Politics panelists for the honour of standout politician of 2024 – and consensus is hard to come by for many of our other accolades.

The Raw Politics podcast weighs the good and bad for 2024 – leaders, new MPs, policy pushes, controversies and cringeworthy moments. A sneak preview: the cringe of the year is shared by two big names in Parliament, both for their actions captured on video.

A full bench this week of Newsroom political editor Laura Walters, senior political reporter Marc Daalder, national affairs editor Sam Sachdeva and co-editor Tim Murphy shows we don’t succumb to groupthink on this podcast.

The nominations, and the predictions for next year, are broad and varied, including a preview of the Newsroom press gallery’s more considered ‘Awards of the State’.

The panel pitches forward into 2025 with predictions of big Budget cuts, exits for parliamentary heavyweights, failure on international deals, and critical moments in climate policy. 

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This week's recommendations:

Tim: Predictable, I imagine, but mine is Aaron Smale’s big series at Newsroom on the Crown-cover-up over the legal cases taken by victims of abuse in care

Marc: Joel MacManus’ Budget debate dispatch – I laughed when I read it in May and I laughed when I read it this morning too

Sam: Guyon Espiner’s reporting on Casey Costello and tobacco policy

Laura: Marc Daalder’s fantastic early scoop on the PM claiming the $52k accommodation allowance. It was the story that kept on giving, and continues to be referred to in the context of whether the PM is in touch with struggling, everyday NZers

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Raw Politics will be available every Friday here on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube too.

Read more on Newsroom - https://newsroom.co.nz

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: what voters want on climate change policy, will ministers ditch the foreshore repeal, plus Ayesha Verrall's faux pas

Climate change is hard and changing New Zealanders' attitudes and behaviour seems harder still for this Government and its predecessors. Should the coalition accept that's the reality and go slow and low in its ambitions for change?

The Raw Politics podcast looks at the coalition's latest report on methane from farm animals – a dense scientific fig leaf that could allow ministers to let NZ do less to cut emissions.

Newsroom political editor Laura Walters, senior political reporter Marc Daalder and co-editor Tim Murphy ask if the national and international mood on dealing with climate change is enabling National, Act and NZ First to give up, even if just a little, on our national targets.

For our second topic, Murphy recaps the short history of the foreshore, seabed Māori customary rights and the Marine and Coastal Areas Act. And he explains the Government's latest options to either withdraw its urgent repeal Bill or stay staunch and restrict Māori from winning claims in the courts.

Would the ruling coalition get egg on its face if it backs down, or would that act to lower tensions that exist in Crown relations with Māori over other controversial measures like the Treaty Principles Bill?

The panel asks if Labour's Ayesha Verrall went too far in her personal comments against Health NZ chair Lester Levy – and whether that took the focus off the actual scandal of the health commissioners trying to game their annual budgets.

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This week's recommendations:

Tim: Jonathan Milne’s scoop revealing Health NZ and Lester Levy were stopped by the auditor-general from shifting costs from this year into last, in what could have been embarrassing for the last, Labour government

Marc: RNZ’s story on the oil and gas lobby asking the Government to underwrite fossil fuel exploration

Laura: A piece by Tom Hunt from The Post on the Vision for Wellington lobby group and their communications with the PM and other senior Government ministers 

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Raw Politics will be available every Friday here on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube too.

Read more on Newsroom - https://newsroom.co.nz