Live from inside the Budget 2023 lockup, this special episode has Thomas talking to Infometrics' Brad Olsen about some of the major figures from this year's Budget, with immediate reaction on what it could mean for the Government and inflation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gore District mayor Ben Bell made history in October last year when, at the age of 23, he was voted in as the country’s youngest ever mayor.   But his tenure has been fraught with scandal and conflict so far, with his relationship with his chief executive Stephen Parry deteriorating to the point a mediator had to be called in.  For this special bonus, Georgina is joined by NZ Herald Christchurch senior reporter, Kurt Bayer, to discuss what has happened here, this week's extraordinary meeting and what happens next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the last of our Budget 2023 episodes, after talking to the left and right of the political spectrum, this week Thomas sits down The Opportunities Party leader Raf Manji for a centrist view on our economic outlook, his party's approach to taxes and the size of government, and what is coming for Ilam. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this week, Restore Passenger Rail drew headlines after protests in Wellington sparked angry backlash from members of the public. For today's Local Edition, Georgina talks to spokesperson James Cockle about why they are taking this action and how long they plan to carry on for. Plus, Transport Minister Michael Woods and Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau respond to their actions - with Woods also weighing in on another rail matter that's caused chaos for Wellington. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former National Party finance minister Ruth Richardson is best remembered for 1991's 'Mother of all Budgets', but she also helped push through the Fiscal Responsibility Act while in Opposition. She joins Thomas this week to share her memories of fiscal and monetary policy from her time in Parliament and as Minister, her thoughts on current policy today, and on the IRD's study released this week into who pays how much tax in New Zealand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget Month is upon us - well, it's not May yet, but with four weeks to go, it's Budget Month for On the Tiles! To kick a series previewing and discussing Budget 2023 and all things government finances, Thomas is joined by economist Craig Rennie to discuss his time in Grant Robertson's office, what goes into preparing a budget, and what announcements we should and shouldn't expect on May 18th. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In March 2003, the United States and the United Kingdom led a coalition of countries in invading Iraq under the guise of finding 'weapons of mass destruction'. New Zealand did not join the war, a decision that was debated at the time, but 20 years on, history has not looked kindly on those who supported the Iraq War. For a special episode of On the Tiles, Thomas is joined by former Prime Minister Helen Clark to discuss her memories of the lead-up to the war, the conversations that led to her decision not to join the invasion, and how that move affected international relations at the time.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Councils across New Zealand are going through the motions at the moment - most notably in Gore, as the Mayor and Chief Executive remain at loggerheads, while Auckland has quit Local Government New Zealand. To dig into what's happening with these councils, their budgets, and councillors looking to make it to the Beehive, Georgina is joined by former mayors Justin Lester and Nick Leggett for a panel on the latest local politics news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour MP Stuart Nash this week lost his place in Cabinet after revelations he had sent confidential information to former donors. While his time in Cabinet is over, questions have now been raised about how the Prime Minister's office handled an Official Information Act request that could have revealed the controversial email sooner. Thomas is joined by Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls this week to discuss into what happened and if voters will pay attention. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sudden resignation of a Police Minister can really take over the political week - so this week, while Thomas is covering the latest developments from the Beehive, On the Tiles presents an episode of The Front Page, with host Damien Venuto and ZB Political Editor Jason Walls explaining the rapid-fire scandal that cost Stuart Nash one of the top government portfolios. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.