The Trans Tasman Pol Pod Episode 13

There's much speculation about whether the coalition can survive until November – it's likely it will, but internal pressure is building, with Winston Peters at the centre of it as he tries to differentiate himself from what he sees as a weak and failing administration. A new report from right wing think tank The New Zealand Initiative warns while the Government’s 2025 Defence Capability Plan commits $12bn over four years, including $9bn of new spending, new money risks being absorbed into a system too slow and fragmented to deliver modern capability without institutional reform. The National Party seems to have forgotten the first lesson in politics – don't attack the media. It appears to be using a minor incident at Parliament to throw a media wall up around the gaffe prone Prime Minister, keeping him away from tough set piece TV interviews. A new report from the left wing Helen Clark Foundation is warning the “country’s social fabric is fraying on almost every measure,” amid growing isolation, financial stress and institutional distrust. And we're joined this week by new Defence Minister Chris Penk, to talk about the future for the country's armed forces.