Focus on Politics

RNZ News

4.3 (80)
NEWS
UPDATED WEEKLY

The big political issues unpacked every week.

6 DAYS AGO

Crown apologises as Cabinet mulls 'complex' redress for abuse in care

Tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of survivors tuned into this week's Crown apology for abuse in care. They came looking for meaningful words and a plan for restitution. The government delivered a sincere apology but survivors will have to wait until 2025 for a new redress scheme.

16 min
8 NOV

Trump triumph touches NZ shores

Mark this one down in the history books: Donald Trump, on his way back to the White House after a nail-biter race for the American presidency. No doubt the ramifications will be momentous for the United States - but what for New Zealand? RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch breaks down the consequences.

16 min
1 NOV

Minister Chris Penk lays foundations for self-certified building scheme

The government wants to speed up house building, aiming to allow builders to sign off their own work. It would be a risk-based approach, only used for straightforward jobs or by trusted groups - and paired with harsher penalties for rule-breakers. In Focus on Politics this week, RNZ Political Reporter Russell Palmer sits down with Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk to nail down some details and his thinking around the government's self-certification scheme aimed at getting homes built faster.

16 min
25 OCT

Scandals dog National, the Greens while New Zealand First takes aim at Labour

Multiple parties brushed up against scandal this week as National struggled to defend a bumbling minister and the Greens farewelled a rogue MP. Meanwhile New Zealand First and Labour were at loggerheads over an alleged conflict of interest. It all played out in the same week the Government intervened at Wellington City Council - trying to sort out the capital kerfuffle. Deputy political Craig McCulloch looks back at a busy week in politics.

16 min
18 OCT

Wellington woes - government threatens council intervention

Wellington City Council has been under scrutiny this week, with the coalition government threatening to intervene. Last week, the capital's councilors voted to stop the sale of its 34 percent stake in the Wellington Airport. The decision has left the council's Long Term Plan in limbo - its investment plan for the next ten years. Political reporter Lillian Hanly breaks down the capital kerfuffle.

16 min
10 OCT

Winston Peters bangs drum on UN veto reform

Fresh off a trip to the United Nations General Assembly leaders' week, the foreign minister Winston Peters is defending New Zealand's support for a resolution calling for Israel to leave occupied Palestinian territories within 12 months. That decision raised some eyebrows back home, as it was out of step with our Five Eyes partners, and Act leader David Seymour believes it was a big enough change in position to warrant having a conversation at Cabinet - but that did not happen. Political editor Jo Moir sat down with Peters this week and began by asking whether he left New York this year feeling anymore hopeful for change at the United Nations.

16 min
4 OCT

Tobacco debate getting heated at Parliament

Casey Costello is the Smokefree Minister accused of helping Big Tobacco - something she strongly denies. The pressure on her has only grown amid questions about the advice she's relied on to push through tax cuts on heated tobacco products. In Focus on Politics this week, RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch lays out the latest revelations surrounding New Zealand's Smokefree strategy as overseen by the minister and NZ First MP Casey Costello.

16 min
27 SEPT

Interislander ferry's future adrift amid coalition indecision

In December last year the Coalition government pulled the pin on the Interislander ferry replacement project, saying it was time to get real about what had been a significant budget blowout from $700m to about $3b. More than 10 months on, Cabinet has yet to discuss what will replace the project due to coalition disagreement about the best solution, as the ageing current fleet faces maintenance difficulties. In this week's Focus on Politics, Political Editor Jo Moir examines the government's rocky relationship with its Cook Strait crossing.

16 min

See All (186)

4.3

out of 5

80 Ratings

Needs a little more producing

14/05/2017

Spyrash

Just a report on what happened, can be jolting because they go straight into the story with no intro, weird when you are listening to the end of another podcast and then a report starts
Good Summaries, but

19/02/2020

Bloonspeare

Why on earth must you give Simon Bridges so much air time? He’s got absolutely nothing of value to add
Nope

07/09/2017

AshDawgles

Biased
So ‘straight down the middle'

29/09/2015

Sawhiting

… it must annoy lefties and righties equally. As close to verbatim political reporting as you can get.