This week on the Raw Politics podcast: Has National and the country given up on farm emissions? When does Labour throw a punch? And more from the whiny, wet, negative land called NZ.The Raw Politics team is joined by Newsroom senior political writer Marc Daalder this week, just in time to discuss National's big call to delay making farmers pay for agricultural emissions and to weigh up whether NZ is a whiny, negative country.Daalder replaces political editor Jo Moir who is on well-deserved, pre-election leave in the Pacific.The team also focuses on Labour and Chris Hipkins' tentative approach to releasing policy so far this year, contrasting that with big bold swings on tax and wealth by the Greens and a steady drip-feed of announcements big and small from Act and National.This week's question is whether we agree with Chris Luxon on New Zealand being wet, whiny, negative and inward-looking. Short answer: inward-looking perhaps, whiny mainly because of the economy and weather.Every Friday, Jo Moir, Sam Sachdeva and Tim Murphy talk through the big issues and scrutinise politicians’ performances in a lively 25-minute show aiming to take viewers and listeners inside the actions and motivations of our elected leaders.

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: Whatever did Chris Hipkins do to deserve the absent-minded, busy, superior minister Michael Wood, and which electoral reforms deserve to be adopted.The Raw Politics team shakes its collective head at Transport Minister Michael Wood and wonders what he could possibly have been thinking to land his leader in a political bushfire so close to an election. Wood's failure to follow agreed MP and ministerial requirements to declare his personal assets was an affair that started messily and then got progressively worse for him, his Prime Minister and Labour. We also discuss this week's independent report calling for electoral reforms, including a ban on corporate donations to political parties, the possibility of a four-year parliamentary term, lowering the voting age and extending voting to more prisoners.And, we answer a listener's question over court cases over National and NZ First donations inconveniently returning to the public sphere ahead of the election.Every Friday, Jo Moir, Sam Sachdeva and Tim Murphy talk through the big issues and scrutinise politicians’ performances in a lively 25-minute show aiming to take viewers and listeners inside the actions and motivations of our elected leaders.

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: National struggles to deal with race relations and Labour and National fall out over housing density - plus the risk of a caucus breakdown for ACT.The Raw Politics team takes a look at how National's leader and MPs are dealing with questions at public meetings that have a race relations element to them and whether it's a problem for other parties too.We also discuss the housing density rules that Labour and National signed an accord on in a rare moment of bipartisanship and what has brought that to an end. Is there any hope of bipartisanship on anything in the future, ever? And, we discuss the latest government announcement following a string of severe weather events earlier this year, and what a voluntary buyout will look like for people who have lost their homes and told they can't be rebuilt.A listener wants to know the panel's view on whether there's a danger with so many new high-profile ACT candidates that some incumbent MPs are going to miss out on winnable list spots, and what will that mean for caucus unity?And the panel recommends a fact-check on whether the World Health Organisation is about to deprive New Zealand of its sovereignty, an interview with National's housing spokesperson on that 2021 deal that was struck with Labour, and lots of not-so-subtle hints to go buy a copy of Sam Sachdeva's new book, The China Tightrope.Every Friday, Jo Moir, Sam Sachdeva and Tim Murphy talk through the big issues and scrutinise politicians’ performances in a lively 25-minute show aiming to take viewers and listeners inside the actions and motivations of our elected leaders.This week Murphy is on a well-deserved break so Newsroom Pro editor Jonathan Milne joins Moir and Sachdeva as a special guest.Moir is Newsroom’s political editor, having been in the gallery for eight years also with Stuff and RNZ, Sachdeva is our national affairs editor, former political editor and was a Stuff political writer and Murphy is Newsroom’s co-editor, a former member of the Parliamentary press gallery and former editor-in-chief of the NZ Herald.Watch Raw Politics on YouTube, or download or listen to it as a podcast on Spotify, or via Apple Podcasts. And send us your burning political questions to jo.moir@newsroom.co.nz and we’ll endeavour to find the answer and explain the issues.

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: The leaders front up - Chris Hipkins to his party's annual congress for the first time, and Christopher Luxon to a nationwide 'back on track' roadshow; Plus the risks of AI in political advertising.The Raw Politics team marks a couple of election year milestones: the governing party's annual meeting and the start of the National Party leader's national speaking tour. We examine what both want to achieve - Hipkins to reveal more about himself, his vision and his capacity to win, and Luxon to reveal if he's got what it takes when voters let him have it face to face. In both cases, it's raw politics. Both leaders have some convincing to do.And, we discuss the threat of generative Artificial Intelligence - technology capable of making the fake look real, the real look fake and possibly fools of politicians and voters alike. National's using limited AI to illustrate some of its early messaging. At the other end of the spectrum is Mr Fake News, Donald Trump and his latest impersonation of a CNN anchor.A listener wants to know the panel's view on whether National should do a cup-of-tea deal with Shane Jones and New Zealand First in the Northland seat to try to guarantee another mate in Parliament.And the panel is recommends a UK comedian's brilliant video showing the stages of every political scandal, a Newsroom story on the painstaking work by police to trace the untraceable people during Cyclone Gabrielle, and a Stuff column lamenting NZ's leadership in the world slipping from Jacinda Ardern and stateswomanship to Hipkins and sausage rolls.Every Friday, Jo Moir, Sam Sachdeva and Tim Murphy talk through the big issues and scrutinise politicians’ performances in a lively 25-minute show aiming to take viewers and listeners inside the actions and motivations of our elected leaders.Moir is Newsroom’s political editor, having been in the gallery for eight years also with Stuff and RNZ, Sachdeva is our national affairs editor, former political editor and was a Stuff political writer and Murphy is Newsroom’s co-editor, a former member of the Parliamentary press gallery and former editor-in-chief of the NZ Herald.Watch Raw Politics on YouTube, or download or listen to it as a podcast on Spotify, or via Apple Podcasts. And send us your burning political questions to jo.moir@newsroom.co.nz and we’ll endeavour to find the answer and explain the issues.

Labour rebrands as 'The Chris Hipkins Government', Christopher Luxon faces a tired old rumour mill - and a Budget that makes small points well.Every Friday, Jo Moir, Sam Sachdeva and Tim Murphy talk through the big issues and scrutinise politicians’ performances in a lively 25-minute show aiming to take viewers and listeners inside the actions and motivations of our elected leaders.Moir is Newsroom’s political editor, having been in the gallery for eight years also with Stuff and RNZ, Sachdeva is our national affairs editor, former political editor and was a Stuff political writer and Murphy is Newsroom’s co-editor, a former member of the Parliamentary press gallery and former editor-in-chief of the NZ Herald.Watch Raw Politics on YouTube, or download or listen to it as a podcast on Spotify, or via Apple Podcasts. And send us your burning political questions to jo.moir@newsroom.co.nz and we’ll endeavour to find the answer and explain the issues.

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: Grant Robertson's eye-of-a-needle Budget narrow political options, plus Act's disciplined caucus amid chaos.The politics is raw and so is the pre-Budget analysis this week - as we take a Budget-adjacent look at what lies in store for the country and the parties next week.The Finance Minister Grant Robertson is already signalling a uniquely difficult setting for next Thursday's big reveal. "It is hard to imagine a period in our post-War history when the wellbeing of our nation has been put under greater strain, from an economic, environmental and a social perspective," he said in a pre-Budget speech Thursday.And triggered by the candidacy of Federated Farmers leader Andrew Hoggard for the Act Party, we take a look at Act's tightly-run caucus this term and prospects of growing it again from October.A questioner asks if there's any chance the term 'coalition of chaos' will catch on with the voters. And the panel recommends for your weekend pleasure a deep dive Newsroom inquiry into the workplace shenanigans at the little Gore District Council, a Mike Hosking interview with Chris Hipkins and revelations two Act MPs could head to Taiwan regardless of a cross-party group declining.Every Friday, Jo Moir, Sam Sachdeva and Tim Murphy talk through the big issues and scrutinise politicians’ performances in a lively 25-minute show aiming to take viewers and listeners inside the actions and motivations of our elected leaders.Moir is Newsroom’s political editor, having been in the gallery for eight years also with Stuff and RNZ, Sachdeva is our national affairs editor, former political editor and was a Stuff political writer and Murphy is Newsroom’s co-editor, a former member of the Parliamentary press gallery and former editor-in-chief of the NZ Herald.Watch Raw Politics on YouTube, or download or listen to it as a podcast on Spotify, or via Apple Podcasts. And send us your burning political questions to jo.moir@newsroom.co.nz and we’ll endeavour to find the answer and explain the issues.This week's recommendations:Mud and Gore: Ex-staff speak out about decades of complaints (by Vaneesa Bellew on Newsroom)Two ACT MPs to travel to Taiwan after cross-party group decides against trip (from Thomas Manch at The Post):Mike Hosking interview with Chris Hipkins on Tuesday (on Newstalk ZB)

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: How the defection of a minister changes political equations for the election and coalition building, the endless nothingness of the republican debate and a futile Act in Tamaki.Meka Whaitiri's waka jumping from Labour to Te Pāti Māori was a political play in two acts.Act 1 was her dramatic and emotional announcement at her home marae, signalling in great harmony, musically and politically, that something seismic could be happening in Māori and post-election politics. Act 2, was the dry and confusing debate in Parliament later that same day and Thursday as the Speaker and House tried to determine whether she was still a Labour MP, was an Independent or was with Te Pāti Māori in more than spirit.The Raw Politics panel tries to assess both strands of the big political story of the week and whether the first will ultimately prevail through Whaitiri winning the seat at an election in or before October. On the eve of the Coronation, we discuss the endless, fruitless cycle of debate over if and when New Zealand will cast off its royal and colonial links and walk into its own mana as a republic.A listener wanted to know if Act has any chance standing in the blue, blue National seat of Tamaki in October. And the panel recommends for your weekend pleasure a story revealing the dire state of our conservation department a timely Times UK story on the royals' party planner cum funeral director and we have kudos for the journalist who got the scoop on the Whaitiri bombshell.Every Friday, Jo Moir, Sam Sachdeva and Tim Murphy talk through the big issues and scrutinise politicians’ performances in a lively 25-minute show aiming to take viewers and listeners inside the actions and motivations of our elected leaders. Watch Raw Politics on YouTube, or download or listen to it as a podcast on Spotify, or via Apple Podcasts. And send us your burning political questions to jo.moir@newsroom.co.nz and we’ll endeavour to find the answer and explain the issues.

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: What's eating the Greens, in what should be a big year for them? And Jo Moir tells us how Chris Hipkins came across as our chief statesman on his Aussie trip.The Green Party was supposed to be releasing its final party list on Friday, but it's riven with caucus dissension and gossipy emissions to media. Raw Politics this week hears what's going wrong and how the dirty laundry is awkwardly making the Green Party look a little like the divided National caucus of a year or two ago.And we discuss how the relative newbie Prime Minister Chris Hipkins went on his quick trip across the Tasman ahead of Anzac Day for talks, meetings and awkward photo opportunities with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Jo Moir reveals he seemed slightly off his game initially and Sam Sachdeva refrains from food shaming the PMs over their 'relatable' hot dog sausage eating pictures.We answer a listener question on why Te Pati Māori is possibly seeking celebrity candidates in general south Auckland electorates to boost their party vote numbers.Every Friday, Jo Moir, Sam Sachdeva and Tim Murphy talk through the big issues and scrutinise politicians’ performances in a lively 25-minute show aiming to take viewers and listeners inside the actions and motivations of our elected leaders. Moir is Newsroom’s political editor, having been in the gallery for eight years also with Stuff and RNZ, Sachdeva is our national affairs editor, former political editor and was a Stuff political writer and Murphy is Newsroom’s co-editor, a former member of the Parliamentary press gallery and former editor-in-chief of the NZ Herald.You can watch Raw Politics on YouTube, listen in your favourite podcast app. Send us your burning political questions to jo.moir@newsroom.co.nz and we’ll endeavour to find out the answer and explain the issues.

On this week's Raw Politics video and podcast: Why the flurry of activity by the Government on school achievement and education reforms? And how does National ever get control over its scandal-prone candidate list? All of a sudden, Labour is changing its policies on schools and student achievement. The Raw Politics panel analyses its two announcements to recruit more teachers for Years 4 to 8, and marginally cut class sizes, and to delay by a year the planned NCEA testing regime for subjects other than reading, writing and maths. Plus, we return to the National Party's hapless candidate selection process, another one resigning this week even after the party's promise to weed out those with skeletons in their social media feeds. And the team looks at the report into the policing of the anti-mandate protest at Parliament, and the slim chance of Chris Luxon achieving a free trade agreement with India. Every Friday, Jo Moir, Sam Sachdeva and Tim Murphy talk through the big issues and scrutinise politicians’ performances in a lively 25-minute show aiming to take viewers and listeners inside the actions and motivations of our elected leaders.Moir is Newsroom’s political editor, having been in the gallery for eight years also with Stuff and RNZ, Sachdeva is our national affairs editor, former political editor and was a Stuff political writer and Murphy is Newsroom’s co-editor, a former member of the Parliamentary press gallery and former editor-in-chief of the NZ Herald. You can watch Raw Politics on YouTube, listen in your favourite podcast app.Send us your burning political questions to jo.moir@newsroom.co.nz and we’ll endeavour to find out the answer and explain the issues.

It's six months exactly until New Zealanders go to the polls. We've heard a lot this year about Chris Hipkins' Labour Party, with National largely shaded. But how prepared, in policy and capability, is Christopher Luxon's team to possibly take power after October 14?The panel also weighs whether renaming and renumbering the entities in the water reform programme will help the Government shift the antipathy it has faced over so-called pinching of public assets and co-governance.And with a visit from a top Nato policy chief to Wellington, how might New Zealand get closer to the trans-Atlantic security alliance and what are the risks? Foreign Affairs editor Sam Sachdeva answers that, and what NZ might have learned from Washington this week about the leak of Top Secret Pentagon papers on internet gaming sites.Moir is Newsroom’s political editor, having been in the gallery for eight years also with Stuff and RNZ, Sachdeva is our national affairs editor, former political editor and was a Stuff political writer and Murphy is Newsroom’s co-editor, a former member of the Parliamentary press gallery and former editor-in-chief of the NZ Herald.Watch Raw Politics on YouTube, or download or listen to it as a podcast on Spotify, or via Apple Podcasts. And send us your burning political questions to jo.moir@newsroom.co.nz and we’ll endeavour to find out the answer and explain the issues.