Duncan Garner - Editor In Chief

Every major political player suddenly wants to take a wrecking ball to the supermarkets, but is any of it actually going to make your weekly shop cheaper? We break down the sudden wave of political panic six weeks out from the election. Plus, NZ First leader Winston Peters joins us to defend his supermarket policy, lay out his plan to buy back the BNZ, and explain why he refuses to work with Labour again.

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Debbie Ngarewa-Packer dropped the C-bomb and got booted from Parliament, while Willie Jackson followed right behind her. We ask whether it’s a genuine double standard or pure political theater from Te Pāti Māori. Plus, National is threatening to forcibly break up the supermarket duopoly. We look at whether Nicola Willis has abandoned core party principles just to chase a short-term electoral bounce. Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young, Jordan Williams, and ex-National MP Maurice Williamson join the show.

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Three years of cost-of-living pain, and what do we get? Election-year gimmicks. National wants to forcibly break up Foodstuffs, Labour wants to cap profits, and the Greens want the state behind the checkout. We look at why none of these political fixes will lower your grocery bill, and share a devastating message from a Kiwi who has lost all faith in our nation.

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The latest rolling polls show both major parties stuck in the 20s, with voters turning away from the standard blue-versus-red match-up. National’s lost ground, Labour hasn't gained it, and the minor parties are now calling the shots. Duncan Garner, Ani O'Brien, and Ashley Church break down why MMP fragmentation could derail election night.

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Every time Willie Jackson opens his mouth, Labour drops in the polls. From co-governance to spending and failing to explain his own party's capital gains tax policy, Willie has become a walking liability. Does Chris Hipkins actually have authority over his own party? Plus, we talk to the Cannabis Clinic about how new roadside drug testing is catching out Kiwis using legal, prescribed medication.

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British author, academic, and free speech advocate Andrew Doyle joins Duncan Garner in the studio while on tour with the Free Speech Union to deliver an urgent warning to New Zealand.

Looking at the United Kingdom as a cautionary tale, Andrew breaks down staggering stats from a recent Big Brother Watch report revealing 62,000 arrests for offensive speech between 2021 and 2025. That is roughly 30 people a day arrested for opinions, online posts, and even satirical jokes.

Duncan and Andrew dive into the chilling reality of non-crime hate incidents, police ideological training, and how police guidelines are shifting...

Wellington ratepayers are shelling out $280,000 for a Chief Māori Officer, which is $78,000 more than the city’s mayor takes home. Over in the regional council, there is another executive doing the same work for over $200,000. We look at why ratepayers are funding duplicate bureaucracy in a cost-of-living crisis and ask where the actual outcomes are. Former minister Maurice Williamson and Ani O'Brien join the show to break down council spending.

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Aucklanders are getting hammered by rates, congestion, and failing infrastructure, yet Auckland Transport is advertising for a Head of Māori Outcomes reporting straight to the CEO. A passenger is a passenger, and standard public transport should deliver one service for everyone. We look at how bloated public sector bureaucracy keeps expanding while the basics remain broken.

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We take a look at the extraordinary entry numbers coming out of Otago Medical School. Around 90% of Māori applicants receive offers compared to just 31% in the general category, turning away candidates with superior grades. David Seymour joins us after being briefed on a secret report into race-based admissions. He says it fails to justify the policy, so why won't the government release it to the public?

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Winston Peters has just thrown a hand grenade into the superannuation debate. New Zealand First wants to change the rules so that from 2029 you must be a New Zealand citizen to qualify for NZ Super. Right now, permanent residents can get it after meeting residency requirements. We speak with New Zealand First candidate Craig Stobo about why they are pushing for this change and whether our current welfare model is sustainable.

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The Greens want to spend $6 billion on a government-owned supermarket chain, acquiring 120 stores to give us cheaper groceries. But is KiwiMart a genius fix or an expensive fantasy? We break down why forcing private businesses out won't magically lower your checkout bill. Plus, Retail NZ’s Carolyn Young joins us to reveal the real costs, huge legal risks, and what this means for Kiwis.

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This election is starting to look less like two competing visions and more like a choice between dumb and dumber. National’s telling us to wait while spending $20 billion more than Labour’s last budget, but Labour is turning up with an uncosted $21 billion shopping list. Chris Hipkins refuses to show us the money, Willie Jackson says they didn't spend enough, and everyday Kiwis are left carrying the bill.

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A real estate agent with a 30-year career faces a lifetime ban for refusing to take a compulsory 90-minute course on tikanga Māori. She lost her license not for misconduct, but for holding firm to her personal beliefs. We ask when regulators got the power to take away a person's right to work over a compulsory course. Plus, interest rates go up again.

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Labour has a massive problem 10 weeks out from the election. Between ditching fuel tax increases, entertaining pay equity claims, and relying on capital gains tax that will not bring in revenue for years, their numbers just do not add up. We look at how Willie Jackson is pouring fuel on the fire by telling unions Labour was too conservative on spending, completely torpedoing Chris Hipkins' message.

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Willie Jackson just let the cat out of the bag on co-governance. Labour hasn't dropped the policy; they are just planning to rebrand it under a new name to avoid scaring voters. We break down what this deceit means for middle New Zealand, why Chris Hipkins seems unable to control his Māori caucus, and how voters are reacting as National and Labour lock into a dead heat.

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An elected representative in the Far North gets voted off a major committee after challenging council decisions and raising questions on co-governance. Far North District Councillor Davina Smolders joins us to explain how she was ambushed, denied natural justice, and shut down during debate. We ask where the government is on local democracy and why elected members are being punished for doing the job ratepayers voted them to do.

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The Opportunities Party just backed away from their controversial tax policy, admitting a minor party can't force through massive economic shifts. We break down what this tax reset means for homeowners, farmers, and your back pocket. Plus, our panel tackles National's strict no-new-taxes stance, the push for council rate caps, and why level crossings are about to gridlock Auckland traffic.

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We have been given exclusive access to the raw data showing how kids are doing at every high school across the country. The numbers have been crunched, and it turns out over 13,000 kids leave school every year without a single qualification. Socioeconomic gaps are widening, and boys are falling way behind girls. Educationalist Alwyn Poole joins us to break down what is going wrong and who needs to fix it.

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Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong joins us for a 30-minute interview on TOP’s radical tax reset. TOP wants to fund a $19,000 universal basic income by heavily taxing land, but it could drop house values by 15%. Is this an economic gamble New Zealand cannot afford? We break down the policy, Christopher Luxon ruling them out, and what this means for homeowners.

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The government has introduced a bill banning social media for under-16s, and it is about time. Big tech platforms care about eyeballs and profits, not the health and safety of our kids. With one in three NZ teenagers spending five-plus hours a day scrolling, we ask why the two main parties must unite to pass this law. Minister Erica Stanford joins Duncan to break it down.

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Chris Hipkins says Labour will balance the books, but he will not tell us how he pays for his promises until later in the year. Meanwhile, National claims to cut costs, yet they are spending $20 billion more than Labour did. Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joins Duncan to break down why neither side’s numbers add up.

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The Opportunities Party wants a chunk of your land value every single year. We look at what TOP's proposed tax means for everyday homeowners and farmers facing bills up to $1,000 a week. Duncan breaks down the numbers with Maurice and Ani, questioning how Kiwis are supposed to afford it and what this means for the upcoming election

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We thought 10,000 kids were leaving school every year without a basic qualification. The real figure is over 13,000. That is almost one in five young Kiwis walking out the gates with nothing to show for over a decade in class. Duncan breaks down the Ministry's math tricks, hidden numbers, and why our education system is failing on a massive scale.

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$106 million spent on consultants for a harbour crossing, and we still do not know if it is a bridge or a tunnel. Another $229 million on light rail with zero track laid. Duncan is fed up with billions going out the door to private contractors while everyday Kiwis tighten their belts. Plus, former Defence Minister Ron Mark steps in on fighting in Ukraine and why he wants back into Parliament.

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Warning: This interview contains discussions of sexual assault and violence

Qiulae Wong spent weeks riding high, but an uncomfortable interview exposed serious questions about party rules, political donations, and who actually calls the shots. Plus, Chief Victims' Advocate Ruth Money joins us to break down the Opportunity Party's youth justice policy and why extending the youth court up to age 25 leaves victims behind.

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Elections always come down to one simple test: are you better off than you were three years ago?

We crunched the numbers across 20 key economic indicators to strip away the political spin. With prices up 17 percent and wages lagging, most Kiwis are feeling the pinch. Economist Ed McKnight joins us to break down who is actually winning and who is losing.

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Hastings District Council has just appointed five unelected iwi representatives to every single council committee, giving them full voting rights and payment. We ask where Local Government Minister Simon Watts is hiding while co-governance rules are blatantly ignored. Plus, Maurice Williamson and Ashley Church join Duncan to break down a chaotic week of National Party leadership drama and its implications for the upcoming election.

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Hastings District Council has voted to place unelected, paid mana whenua representatives onto every council committee with full voting rights. The government told councils to hold off, but Hastings pushed ahead anyway. We speak to Councillor Steve Gibson about why he is fighting this decision, what it means for ratepayers, and whether Three Waters-style co-governance is slipping back in through local water entities.

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Christopher Luxon survives a dramatic confidence vote, but has National just destroyed its own election campaign?

In this special live episode, Duncan Garner is joined by political commentator Ani O’Brien and former National minister Maurice Williamson as the leadership crisis unfolds in real time.

They take you inside the National caucus room, examine the attempted coup against a sitting Prime Minister and deliver a brutal verdict when Luxon emerges victorious, declaring his deeply divided party “united”.

With just 87 days until the election, the coup has failed. The damage may be permanent. And Nation...

We were promised a functional train tunnel for $2 billion, but Auckland’s City Rail Link blew out to $5.5 billion. Unaccountable council staff and ministers went missing while gold-plating stations and dropping over a million dollars on public art installations. We take a hard look at the $3 billion cost overruns, who signed off on the lavish designs, and why long-suffering Auckland ratepayers will be paying off this massive bill for decades.

PLUS, Minister Simon Court joins us to discuss who signed off on this gold-plated blowout and why Auckland ratepayers are left holding the massive bill.

National is demanding Labour "show me the money" on tax and spend, but their own numbers face serious scrutiny. Plus, former Opportunity Party candidate Matthew Phillips joins us to explain why he walked away, what goes on behind closed doors, and why ruling out TOP might backfire on Christopher Luxon.

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Christopher Luxon has finally done something we weren't sure he had in him: he expressed a genuine, unscripted opinion. The Prime Minister suggested a referendum on MMP, asking whether our 30-year-old electoral system still works or has just created political paralysis. Is Luxon finally showing real leadership, or is this an unwanted distraction from an economy doing it tough? Plus, New Zealand First Minister Shane Jones joins us to talk mining, energy, and coalition politics.

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Why are we importing 111,000 foreign workers when thousands of New Zealanders cannot find a job? Unemployment has hit an 11-year high at 5.6%, youth unemployment is nearing 14%, and real wages are falling. Yet the government continues issuing tens of thousands of work visas to overseas workers. We ask why Christopher Luxon and the government are letting Kiwis miss out in their own country.

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The latest Roy Morgan poll has the Opportunities Party at 8%. Is this a real political shift or just an outlier? Duncan Garner sits down with political commentators David Farrier and Jordan Williams to break down what this means for Labour, National, and the rest of MMP. Plus, we take a look at TOP's radical policies and ask whether voters actually know what they are backing.

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Christopher Luxon told struggling small-business owners that they need an adult relationship with the government. After massive backlash, he finally apologised, but the damage is already done.

We talk to Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young about high inflation, rising rates, and why local business owners feel completely abandoned by National.

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TVNZ ran a lengthy news segment on the opening of Auckland's new Drury and Pukekohe train stations, but completely left out Rail Minister Winston Peters. He funded it and opened it, yet didn't get a second of airtime. Meanwhile, activists staged a mock execution of him in Auckland, and the media barely blinked. Where's the fair reporting?

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Winston Peters tells a Green MP to go home and the political world goes into full meltdown. Labour and the Greens are calling it racism, but is it actually prejudice or just classic Winston attacking a political ideology?

We break down the Parliament circus, the deafening double standards, and why everyday Kiwis struggling with mortgages are fed up with the endless outrage machine.

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Don Brash has unloaded on Christopher Luxon, calling his leadership gutless, hopeless, and ineffective. I find it hard to disagree. National is drifting back to 30% because Luxon is so terrified of offending anyone that he stands for nothing. We break down the brutal critique, look at how Labour got back in the game, and ask if Erica Stanford should be taking over.

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The Opportunities Party wants youth court extended to 25-year-olds, but we think it is total madness. Plus, Free Speech Union's Ani O'Brien joins us after facing threats to cancel her Auckland event tonight. We look at crime, justice, and free speech in New Zealand.

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Did Chris Luxon actually plan to rule out working with TOP, or did he just back himself into a corner under pressure? We sit down with pollster David Farrar to break down National's coalition strategy, TOP's radical tax and justice policies, and why the election race is looking tighter than ever.

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