On the Tiles

In an emergency episode of On the Tiles, Thomas Coughlan is joined by Newstalk ZB's Jason Walls to analyse a chaotic 24 hours for the National Party. What was Judith Collins thinking in demoting Simon Bridges, and was this a 'bridge too far' after other shows of strength? What does this mean for National's already beleaguered board? Who will replace Collins as leader and what will her legacy be? And which National MP emerged on top from this mess?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's episode, Thomas has a one-on-one chat with National Party MP and former leader Simon Bridges. They discuss Bridges' new book, why he thinks the country should do more on climate change, personalities trumping ideology, his stance on conversion therapy, and why he isn't a big fan of capitalism. Plus, Bridges reflects on the state of the Covid response, the Facebook post that brought him down, and whether he wants to go again as leader.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, senior political reporter Thomas Coughlan is joined by Newsroom political editor Jo Moir and Australian Associated Press NZ correspondent Ben McKay to discuss the anti-vax protest that descended on Parliament on Tuesday and what it was like on the ground. They also dissect the latest polls that show a drop in support for the Government, and wade through the muddy circumstances of the contentious Three Waters debate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Thomas is holding down the fort for a special look at the country's books and how the economy is faring after a year of Covid-19. Our panel, made up of guests Interest.co.nz journalist Jenée Tibshraeny and former economic advisor to Labour and CTU economist Craig Renney, discuss the Crown's accounts, debt, inflation, interest rates, and what's next for New Zealand's economic future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, political reporters and dumpling enthusiasts Derek and Thomas are joined by National Party Covid-19 spokesperson Chris Bishop to discuss the ongoing outbreak in Auckland, what National would do differently - and how their strategy has changed in the wake of Delta and the latest research. Plus, they discuss the latest political polls and why National is still languishing behind Labour.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As New Zealand continues to tackle the Delta outbreak of Covid-19, Derek and Thomas are joined by Newsroom's Jo Moir to discuss the Government's change in strategy and the confusion over elimination versus eradication - aided by a deep dive through the Beehive transcripts. They also discuss vaccine mandates and how other parties have responded to the latest developments.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 'lost' first episode of On the Tiles makes it debut one month late! This week Derek and Thomas are joined by University of Otago professor Michael Baker to discuss the Government's plans to reopen the border, which the Prime Minister has said won't be affected by the ongoing Delta outbreak in Auckland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Covid-19 and the Delta outbreak continue to dominate politics - did the Government make the right call on the 'in principle' decision around moving Auckland down alert levels? Plus, Derek and Thomas are joined by National's pollster David Farrar to discuss what the party and Judith Collins are getting wrong in opposition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our first episode in the middle of the Delta Covid-19 outbreak, Derek and Thomas discuss the Government's response, how the outbreak has changed the narrative around the vaccine rollout, and missteps from the leaders of National and Act.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to On the Tiles every Friday wherever you get your podcasts, with central government episodes hosted by NZ Herald deputy political editor, Thomas Coughlan, and monthly Local Edition episodes with Wellington issues reporter, Georgina Campbell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.