At Large with Toby Manhire

The Spinoff
The Spinoff
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

Bringing the insight, wit and energy of The Spinoff to your podcast feed, At Large with Toby Manhire dives into a story in the news, drawing on Spinoff talent and newsmakers to cast light on the issues of the moment. Each episode centres on an illuminating but unstuffy interview that helps the listener get their head around a subject, followed by How Good, a short, unashamedly exuberant celebration of something new = anything from a live band to a biscuit.

  1. 13h ago

    David Seymour on division, ‘dropkicks’ and working with Winston

    Across 12 years as Act leader, David Seymour has taken the party from 0.5% to two terms with a decent sized caucus and 18 months in the role of deputy prime minister. He goes into the 2026 election presenting as the stable leg of the coalition tripod, but how does that square with the scenes sparked by his treaty principles bill and this new focus on “one law for all”? In the latest of our leader series for At Large, Seymour tells Toby whether he still thinks people who didn’t get enrolled are “dropkicks”, Epsom and the overhang strategy, how he’s got on working with Winston Peters, whom he once called a “clown”, Adam Smith and Pharmac. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Bridget Mills and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    David Seymour on division, ‘dropkicks’ and working with Winston

  2. 6d ago

    Qiulae Wong on the backlash and the bottom lines

    At its fourth time of trying, the Opportunity Party is on track for something unprecedented: making it to parliament. And a massive part of that is down to its new leader: Qiulae Wong. What is she doing differently? How does the party, with its powerful board, work? Is it really a party of change? What does she say to the allegations from former members about a “toxic” culture? And has she even met Gareth Morgan? Wong sits down with Toby for the latest At Large leader interview.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Zoe Madden-Smith and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Qiulae Wong on the backlash and the bottom lines

  3. Oct 20

    The bizarre story of the Kiwibank sheep that conquered the world

    Advertising campaigns are meant to capture the popular imagination, just not like this. A bank called Kiwi, a green sheep called Buck and giddy humans combined over recent days to create a strange fable for our times. Hayden Donnell joins Toby to walk us through the story that went from a pocket of the internet, via his post for the Spinoff (headline: “Kiwibank is desperately trying to stop people saying they want to f*** its sheep mascot”) and all the way to the John Oliver show.Plus: Lyric Waiwiri-Smith steps off the big pink bus to lay down the gauntlet in How Good, asking should huge campaign vehicles in fact be obligatory?At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Zoe Madden-Smith and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The bizarre story of the Kiwibank sheep that conquered the world

  4. Oct 19

    Ali Mau on Tika, and the experiences that built it

    Ali Mau first appeared on New Zealand screens more than three decades ago. She went on to run, for five years, the #MeTooNZ project for Stuff. Last year she published No Words for This – an autobiography the Spinoff called “gripping and revelatory”. Last month, after years of work, Mau and lawyer Zoë Lawton pressed go on Tika: a globally pioneering online service for survivors of sexual harm that joins the dots between survivors. What are the experiences that led to creating this technology? How does Tika work? And – a few weeks in – what has been the volume of response been so far? And as images from the Cornell Seven and elsewhere flood our feeds, how does she assess the state of media and the legal system 10 years on from the advent of #MeToo? At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Bridget Mills, Zoe Madden-Smith and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Ali Mau on Tika, and the experiences that built it

  5. Oct 15

    Winston Peters on a life in politics – and the moment that ‘cost me psychologically’

    Winston Peters is contesting his 18th election this year; if you count a couple of by-elections, it’s his 20th campaign. He’s been giving ‘main character’ energy since he first entered politics with the National Party in 1978, and for more than three decades he’s been the talismanic figurehead of New Zealand First (who this year are polling consistently at or above 10%). Often cast in the role of Kingmaker, he’s now up against a new set of characters vying for the influential role. For our first At Large leader interview, we take a wander through the political archives to find out what drives the Right Honourable Winston Peters in 2026. At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Bridget Mills and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Winston Peters on a life in politics – and the moment that ‘cost me psychologically’

  6. Oct 13

    Jacinda Ardern's media man on five seismic years

    Andrew Campbell was chief press secretary to prime minister Jacinda Ardern through crisis after crisis: the March 15 massacre in Christchurch, the Whakaari (White Island) disaster, and the Covid pandemic. On the publication of his new book, In the Room, Campbell joins Toby to talk through what they got right, what they got wrong, and why there is such an enduring depth of feeling about Ardern today. He also recounts his own approach to the communications role, personal struggle with alcoholism, and how booze has become entwined with the political-media sphere.Plus: Emma Gleason on Che Fu’s great New Zealand album, Navigator, turning 25.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Bridget Mills and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Jacinda Ardern's media man on five seismic years

  7. Oct 12

    ‘Looming disaster’: Andrew Geddis answers your questions on enrolment and voting

    With the numbers of young people registered to vote at less than two-thirds, and an enrolment period coming to a close a fortnight earlier than recent elections, there is cause for serious concern, says Professor Andrew Geddis, electoral law expert from the University of Otago. We asked you for your questions about the voting process – the rules, the rorts, the practicalities, and here Geddis answers them.Other questions include: What does “splitting your vote” mean and when should someone think about doing it? What is the “overhang strategy”, and what impact will there be if it works? How does the “overhang” work? What’s the deal with large anonymous donations? Should we move to a fairer voting system within electorates? What happens if there is a dead heat in the seats won by each bloc and neither can achieve a majority in parliament? What happens if a party doesn’t have enough names on its list to fill the seats it’s entitled to? How do you vote if you’re bed-bound? How do you vote if you turn 18 after enrolment closes on October 25? Would the Professor be known as “Geddo” if he had a similar profile in Australia? Plus: Tara Ward says forget Florence Pugh: the real star of East of Eden is north of Dunedin.At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Bridget Mills and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    ‘Looming disaster’: Andrew Geddis answers your questions on enrolment and voting

  8. Oct 8

    How do you make this election funny?

    In a campaign that sometimes feels like wading through wet cement, James Nokise is attempting the Everest of stand-up challenges – finding the comedy in the election. He’s doing 33 shows from one end of the country to the other as One Night Rant, riffing on the headlines of the day and the questions the audiences ask. He joins Toby to tell us how it’s going so far. What do people think of their politicians? Should those politicians be funnier? And what is the state of political comedy in Aotearoa today? At Large with Toby Manhire is produced by Te Aihe Butler, Bridget Mills and The Spinoff. Read more at ⁠thespinoff.co.nz⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    How do you make this election funny?
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About

Bringing the insight, wit and energy of The Spinoff to your podcast feed, At Large with Toby Manhire dives into a story in the news, drawing on Spinoff talent and newsmakers to cast light on the issues of the moment. Each episode centres on an illuminating but unstuffy interview that helps the listener get their head around a subject, followed by How Good, a short, unashamedly exuberant celebration of something new = anything from a live band to a biscuit.

Information

  • Channel
    The Spinoff
  • Creator
    The Spinoff
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    85
  • Copyright
    © The Spinoff 2026

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