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Recent items from Focus on Politics
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On the campaign trail, final week: The highs and lows
7:00 PM.It has been a rollercoaster campaign, fiscal fights, feisty debates - all with the aim of taking the government benches.
In Focus on Politics this week, a look at the campaign as it all comes down to… Read more Audio
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On the campaign trail, week five: Luxon grapples with his 'last resort'
10:00 AM.TVNZ's multi-party debate this week illustrated key features of this election campaign: the minor parties' rising popularity, and the complicated role of NZ First.
With polls they would need Winston… Read more Audio
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On the campaign trail, week four: The week of Winston Peters
10:00 AM.Call this the week of Winston Peters - with the New Zealand First leader, riding a wave of renewed relevancy.
In not one, but two TV polls, New Zealand First featured above that critical 5 percent… Read more Audio
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On the campaign trail, week three: Debates, polls, sausage and cheese rolls
7:00 PM.The minor parties gave glimpses of their own cooperation styles at the Newshub Nation Powerbrokers' debate, while polls continued to signal Labour on the downturn.
GDP numbers also showed no… Read more Audio
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On the campaign trail, week two: Tax plans and spending
10:00 AM.The second week of the election campaign has been all about the economy.
There was the pre-election opening of the books, with National's tax plans and Labour's spending coming under fire.
This… Read more Audio
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On the campaign trail, week one: False claims and ad campaigns
10:00 AM.One week into the official election campaign and the hyperbole is flying thick and fast.
Distractions persisted throughout the week, with protesters at the major parties' campaign launches, outrage… Read more Audio
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Political parties talk strategy as campaigning begins in earnest
7:00 PM.The Parliamentary term came to an end this week after a tumultuous term, and Labour and National's election campaigns are launching this weekend - with just six weeks remaining before the big day.
… Read more Audio
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Labour sells its vaping crackdown - but is it too late?
10:00 AM.The government's pointed to vapes as a key weapon in the war against cigarettes.
In the rush to reach its smokefree targets, however, there are fears the horse has bolted - with children exposed to… Read more Audio
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Labour's GST-free fruit and vege strategy falls foul of the experts
7:00 PM.Set the table for bread and butter - or in this case, fruit and veg: Labour fired its opening election campaign salvo on Sunday with a starkly populist pitch for tax-free produce.
The party is… Read more Audio
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ACT's top six candidates share their history and priorities
7:00 PM.ACT has not only held onto the 10-fold increase in voter support it enjoyed last election, it's maintained a stable caucus and gained further traction.
With polls anticipating an even bigger stable… Read more Audio
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Polls and fiscal holes put major parties on notice
7:00 PM.With recent polling giving both major parties cause for concern and the election less than three months away, the countdown is on - and the policies are starting to roll out.
Labour has launched… Read more Audio
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Labour grapples with Kiri Allan's resignation, leak claims
7:00 PM.Tragic circumstances putting a halt to the political career of one of Labour's rising stars, East Coast MP Kiri Allan, was just the start of the party's headaches this week.
Along with speculation… Read more Video, Audio
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Focus on Politics for Friday 21 July 2023
6:30 PM.In Focus on Politics, RNZ deputy political editor Craig McCulloch breaks down Labour's law-and-order week and the tragic events which brought it to an end. Audio
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Green co-leader Davidson touts party's 'healing' ahead of AGM
6:30 PM.Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson says this election is the final chance to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, curb environmental degradation, and reduce inequality.
Following bruising… Read more Audio
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Hipkins passes diplomatic test with China's Xi
10:00 AM.Prime Minister Chris Hipkins' week-long trip to China centred on a meeting with China's President Xi Jinping, one of the world's most powerful men.
Amid tense geostrategic conditions and with a trip… Read more Audio
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Ethnicity in health debate gets under MPs' skin
10:00 AM.Politicians went head to head on health equity this week, with opposition parties making a concerted effort to paint a waitlist prioritisation tool as discriminatory.
With accusations flying from… Read more Audio
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Politicians pitch for rural vote
10:00 AM.In this week's Focus on Politics, RNZ Political Editor Jane Patterson takes a look at the fight for the rural vote, and the politics around the Emissions Trading Scheme. Read more Audio
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Ministerial rule-breakers in hot water
10:10 AM.Two senior ministers have this week been under pressure for breaking rules in place to ensure ministerial transparency and accountability. Political reporter Katie Scotcher examines the fall out. Audio
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Politicians tackling AI regulation - but will it be too late?
10:00 AM.Warnings from those behind artificial intelligence (AI) technology have made lawmakers around the world take notice.
The tech sector itself is engaged with the government and is considering six… Read more Audio
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Hipkins juggles competing ideologies over PNG-US deal
10:00 AM.Prime Minister Chris Hipkins' whistlestop trip to Papua New Guinea sends a clear message: superpowers may come and go, but New Zealand is here to stay.
The US and PNG signing a security deal is the… Read more Audio
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Budget 2023: bare bones, blowout, or both?
10:00 AM.The 2023 Budget has proven difficult to define: neither the belt-tightening exercise that was promised, nor the blatant bribery sometimes seen in election years.
Certainly, it is no election… Read more Audio
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Meka Whaitiri rebellion hones parties' loyalties
10:00 AM.Meka Whaiti's defection brings Labour's solid 65-strong majority down to 62, opening it up to accusations of disunity and instability. Lumping in Elizabeth Kerekere's resignation from the Greens… Read more Audio
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Staffing woes menace Te Whatu Ora winter health plan
10:00 AM.Covid-19, flu, RSV and other respiratory illnesses are on the rise as we inch towards winter, so Te Whatu Ora launched its winter preparedness plan this week with the aim of easing the pain for… Read more Audio
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Parties navigate fresh tax debate ahead of 'no frills' Budget
10:00 AM.Expectations are being kept very low for the 18 May Budget, so any surprises can have maximum political impact.
With a tight election looming, Labour will want to offer a proverbial carrot to voters… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics for 5:10p Sat 22 Apr
10:00 AM.In Focus on politics, we take a detailed look at the report of the police watchdog into last year's parliamentary occupation. Audio