Q+a

Chris Hipkins: The issues that will decide this election Labour leader Chris Hipkins wants to make history as the first prime minister since Keith Holyoake in the sixties to be returned as prime minister following an electoral defeat. He joins Jack Tame for his last Q+A interview before the general election on November 7 to explain how Labour will free up more than 2 million GP appointments annually through phone triage, his pitch for giving schools the discretion to decide how many hours of maths, reading and writing their students are taught per day, and how he wants voters to reflect on his performance come election day. Election 2026: High-ranking MPs' do-or-die race Labour MP Trevor Mallard held the seat for more than 20 years - but since 2017, Hutt South has flipped between National's Chris Bishop and Labour's Ginny Andersen. It's a fierce contest with high stakes: if Bishop loses the seat, currently held with a slim 1,332-vote margin, the front-bench government minister will have to rely on gettin

With incumbent Labour MP Duncan Webb retiring, Christchurch Central is up for grabs. New Labour candidate George Hampton, long-standing National candidate Dale Stephens, and Green MP Kahurangi Carter are all on a mission to convince voters that they're up for the job. Ryan Boswell reports. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

The last time an independent was elected as an MP was 1993. After a public split from Te Pāti Māori in 2025, MP for Te Tai Tonga Tākuta Ferris is looking to make history by defending his seat as an independent. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Labour MP Trevor Mallard held the seat for more than 20 years - but since 2017, Hutt South has flipped between National's Chris Bishop and Labour's Ginny Andersen. It's a fierce contest with high stakes: if Bishop loses the seat, currently held with a slim 1,332-vote margin, the front-bench government minister will have to rely on getting in on the National list - and that's no sure bet. Whena Owen reports. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins wants to make history as the first prime minister since Keith Holyoake in the sixties to be returned as prime minister following an electoral defeat. He joins Jack Tame for his last Q+A interview before the general election on November 7 to explain how Labour will free up more than 2 million GP appointments annually through phone triage, his pitch for giving schools the discretion to decide how many hours of maths, reading and writing their students are taught per day, and how he wants voters to reflect on his performance come election day. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Q+A Finance Debate: Nicola Willis vs Barbara Edmonds The National Party's Nicola Willis and Labour Party's Barbara Edmonds join Jack Tame for the Q+A Finance Debate, tackling the big fiscal issues facing New Zealand: superannuation, economic growth, and how to pay for natural disasters. Shane Jones: Mining, oil and gas ban, and NZ First immigration policy NZ First deputy leader - and the minister for resources, fisheries, and regional development - Shane Jones joins Jack Tame to outline his party's record in government and policies for the election.. Jacinda Ardern's former press secretary opens up in new memoir From behind the scenes, Andrew Campbell ran government communications during one of the most turbulent periods of New Zealand history. His new book, In The Room, charts his time as chief press secretary to then-prime minister Jacinda Ardern: through the eruption at Whakaari/White Island, the March 15 attacks, and the government's Covid-19 response. Now based in the UK, Campbell sat down with Jack

From behind the scenes, Andrew Campbell ran government communications during one of the most turbulent periods of New Zealand history. His new book, In The Room, charts his time as chief press secretary to then-prime minister Jacinda Ardern: through the eruption at Whakaari/White Island, the March 15 attacks, and the government's Covid-19 response. Now based in the UK, Campbell sat down with Jack Tame ahead of the book's release. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

The National Party's Nicola Willis and Labour Party's Barbara Edmonds join Jack Tame for the Q+A Finance Debate, tackling the big fiscal issues facing New Zealand: superannuation, economic growth, and how to pay for natural disasters. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

NZ First deputy leader - and the minister for resources, fisheries, and regional development - Shane Jones joins Jack Tame to outline his party's record in government and policies for the election. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Supermarket boss hits back at 'populist' grocery break-up policies Every political party - except ACT - is campaigning on a policy to intervene in the supermarket sector to bring down the cost of living. It's a move that's prompted 51 of New Zealand's business leaders to sign an open letter calling on politicians to respect property rights. Chris Quin is one of them. The Foodstuffs North Island CEO has also commissioned research which casts doubt on whether the household savings claimed in the National Party's Foodstuffs break-up would really materialise. Local govt leaders call for relationship reset with parliament What local councils can and can't do has chopped and changed in recent years. As this parliamentary term comes to a close, local government leaders have grappled with new fast-track legislation, a rates cap of two to four percent on the horizon, and after rushing to put together amalgamation proposals, the work has abruptly stopped, with the future uncertain. Local Government New Zealand p

Legal scholar and Auckland University professor Claire Charters joins Q+A to discuss her new book Sovereignty: The Case for Constitutional Transformation, which argues that the legitimacy of the New Zealand state rests on illegal foundations. It comes after heated debates over the role of iwi co-governance and Māori decision making. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

The Chatham Islands is home to just 620 people - but in a tight electorate race, every vote counts. Reporter Whena Owen followed candidates for the Wellington Bays electorate when they flew over to the island for an historic debate. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

What local councils can and can't do has chopped and changed in recent years. As this parliamentary term comes to a close, local government leaders have grappled with new fast-track legislation, a rates cap of two to four percent on the horizon, and after rushing to put together amalgamation proposals, the work has abruptly stopped, with the future uncertain. Local Government New Zealand president and Mayor of Gisborne Rehette Stoltz, former minister for local government and former commissioner for Tauranga City Council Anne Tolley, and Matamata-Piako mayor Ash Tanner join Simon Mercep to share their experiences of working for ratepayers while operating within the parameters set for them from Wellington. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Every political party - except ACT - is campaigning on a policy to intervene in the supermarket sector to bring down the cost of living. It's a move that's prompted 51 of New Zealand's business leaders to sign an open letter calling on politicians to respect property rights. Chris Quin is one of them. The Foodstuffs North Island CEO has also commissioned research which casts doubt on whether the household savings claimed in the National Party's Foodstuffs break-up would really materialise. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Marama Davidson on Greens' super-rich tax, KiwiMart, and working with National After scandal and tragedy saw five Green MPs leave parliament before the end of the term, the Green Party 'reset' in late 2025. Now, the Greens are polling higher than their 2023 general election result and are campaigning to keep their historic three electorate seats. Their KiwiMart policy - a government owned supermarket chain introduced to break up the Foodstuffs and Woolworths duopoly - promises lower grocery prices, but they won't be drawn on a dollar figure saving. And while a wealth tax has been rubbished by both National and Labour, making it unlikely to become government policy, an Ipsos survey found two thirds of New Zealanders support it. Co-leader Marama Davidson joins Q+A for the first leader interview this election season. Commerce Commission boss reveals $360 million bid-rigging problem A Commerce Commission investigation into government procurement has indicated nearly one million dollars a day in public spen

Auckland alone provides $172 billion of GDP and accounts for 37 percent of New Zealand's economy. It's little wonder then that political parties of all stripes will be wanting to convince the city's 1.1 million voters that they have the best vision for the future of the country. 1News business correspondent Jason Walls reports. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

A Commerce Commission investigation into government procurement has indicated nearly one million dollars a day in public spending is lost through bid-rigging practices. Chair John Small says these contracts can go unnoticed, and it takes whistle-blowers inside the offending firms calling out anti-competitive behaviour in order for any action to be taken. John Small joins Jack Tame to explain the Commission's findings and to reflect on an election period dominated by competition policy, especially around supermarkets. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

After a dramatic year of internal party turmoil, voters in New Zealand's northern-most Māori seat will have the choice of four high-profile candidates come November: incumbent and former Te Pāti Māori candidate Mariameno Kapa-Kingi of the newly-formed Te Tai Tokerau Party, Te Pāti Māori's new candidate Aperahama Edwards, Labour's Willow-Jean Prime, and the Green Party's Huhana Lyndon. Reporter Whena Owen heads up north to meet them. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

After scandal and tragedy saw five Green MPs leave parliament before the end of the term, the Green Party 'reset' in late 2025. Now, the Greens are polling higher than their 2023 general election result and are campaigning to keep their historic three electorate seats. Their KiwiMart policy - a government owned supermarket chain introduced to break up the Foodstuffs and Woolworths duopoly - promises lower grocery prices, but they won't be drawn on a dollar figure saving. And while a wealth tax has been rubbished by both National and Labour, making it unlikely to become government policy, an Ipsos survey found two thirds of New Zealanders support it. Co-leader Marama Davidson joins Q+A for the first leader interview this election season. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Why the Taxpayers' Union wants government spending slashed The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union is the largest taxpayer advocacy group, per capita, in the English-speaking world. They're known for high-profile stunts over public spending, like Porky the Waste-Hating Pig in 2017, Nicola's Fudge in 2025, and for the 2026 general election, the group have launched a Bribe-O-Meter tracking the projected fiscal footprint of political parties' campaign promises. Executive director Jordan Williams joins Jack Tame to give his election year pitch for no new taxes and a smaller government. Election 2026: The seat balancing on a 26-vote tightrope Labour's Rachel Boyack held the electorate seat of Nelson by just 26 votes in 2023 - and that's after a recount. Reporter Whena Owen meets the candidates vying to take New Zealand's oldest-continuous seat. Are National and Labour collapsing? Polling boss has the data Mike Turner's Freshwater Strategy public polling firm has run the numbers in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.