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Public Interest
by Public Interest
Making sense of politics, power and the economy in Aotearoa NZ. Independent, accessible, audience-funded.
Episodes
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The State of It: Guy and Avi fix the economy
Why is everything so expensive? And who's getting rich while the rest of us struggle to pay the bills? This week on The State of It, comedian Guy Williams and researcher Avigail Allan take on New Zealand's cost of living crisis, with a little help from economist Dr Geoff Bertram. From outrageous...
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In Brief: Can the Alliance bring back socialism?
The Alliance Party is back – and it wants to bring socialism back to New Zealand politics. But is there room for another party on the left? Ollie Neas speaks to Alliance leader Victor Billot about the party's plans to revive public ownership, full employment and a bigger role for the state in the...
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The State of It: Guy and Avi solve crime
Watch the first episode of The State of It, a new show from Public Interest featuring comedian Guy Williams and researcher Avigail Allan. Join Guy and Avi as they tackle the state of crime and punishment in New Zealand. Why does New Zealand lock up so many people? Why do politicians keep…
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Who Broke My City: What’s behind National’s war on councils?
National said urgent changes to local democracy were needed to lower costs and fix the basics. Then, just two months out from an election, it abruptly halted its council amalgamation plans, deferring decisions until after the election. So what's going on here? What's really driving the reforms…
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Undercurrents: How do you manufacture a movement? Nicky Hager on Dirty Work
How do you manufacture a political movement? Ollie Neas talks to investigative journalist Nicky Hager about his new book Dirty Work, which investigates the Taxpayers’ Union and a network of lobby and campaign groups that Hager argues have helped reshape New Zealand politics. We discuss...
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In Brief: Chlöe Swarbrick on capitalism, democracy and the Greens’ path to power
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick wants the Greens to become the largest party of the left. But what would it take to get there? Ollie Neas talks to Swarbrick about the Greens’ changing politics, economic inequality, corporate power, public ownership, Labour, and building a mass political...
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Undercurrents: Why did Ardern’s government fall short?
Nearly a decade after Jacinda Ardern swept into office promising transformation, what can we learn from where her government fell short? Ollie Neas talks to economist Dr Geoff Bertram about the weakening of the New Zealand state, the limits of Labour’s economic approach, and what a future...
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In Brief: Professor Nigel French on bird flu, climate change and the next pandemic
Bird flu has reached New Zealand. Ollie Neas talks to epidemiologist Professor Nigel French about the threat H5N1 poses to New Zealand, how prepared we are for an outbreak, and why climate change, intensive agriculture and other human activity are creating a “perfect storm” for the emergence of…
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Undercurrents: What does the right really want?
Around the world the centre-right is collapsing and the far-right is insurgent. Is the same about to happen here in New Zealand? Ollie Neas is joined by political commentator Bryce Edwards and Massey University associate professor Sean Phelan to discuss the state of the New Zealand right in 2026....
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In Brief: Bernard Hickey on Labour’s fiscal straitjacket
Labour says New Zealand’s economy is no longer working for ordinary people. But do its new fiscal rules leave it enough room to actually change things? Ollie Neas talks to journalist and commentator Bernard Hickey about Labour’s new fiscal strategy, the legacy of the Public Finance Act, and…
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In Brief: Qiulae Wong on what Opportunity really stands for
The Opportunity Party could decide the next government. But what does it actually stand for? Ollie Neas sits down with party leader Qiulae Wong to discuss whether Opportunity is really left-wing or right-wing, why she thinks New Zealand is “stuck between two economies”, and the party’s approach…
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In Brief: Is it really a renter’s market?
As rents fall in parts of New Zealand, some have claimed we’re finally in a “renter’s market”. But the bigger picture tells a different story: rents increased 25% between 2020 and 2025, low-income New Zealanders pay some of the highest rents in the world, and homelessness is at an all-time high....
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Undercurrents: What can New Zealand learn from Mamdani and the DSA?
The Democratic Socialists of America is winning elections and building political power across the United States. What explains its success – and could something similar happen here in New Zealand? Longtime DSA organiser David Duhalde and union organiser Justine Sachs join Undercurrents to discuss...
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In Brief: Are Rocket Lab launches helping Israel target Gaza?
A new lawsuit alleges satellites launched from New Zealand by Rocket Lab may be providing intelligence used by Israel in Gaza.Ollie Neas speaks to plaintiff Yasser Abdulaal, a Palestinian New Zealander, and his lawyer Sam Vincent about the case, Rocket Lab’s role as a US military contractor, and...
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In Brief: Marilyn Waring on pay equity and the value of women’s work
More than a year after the government’s shock rewrite of New Zealand’s pay equity laws, the fight over the value of women’s work continues. Dame Marilyn Waring joins Public Interest to discuss what the changes have meant for workers, the decades-long struggle for pay equity, why women’s work...
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Undercurrents: Is big agriculture holding New Zealand hostage?
Is farming really the backbone of the New Zealand economy? In this episode of Undercurrents, Ollie Neas speaks with freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy and economist Dr Geoff Bertram about the rise of intensive dairying, the political influence of the agricultural sector, and the environmental costs...
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In Brief: Why are we panicking about superannuation?
A growing chorus of voices is arguing that New Zealand simply cannot afford universal superannuation any longer. But is this true? In this episode of Public Interest, Ollie Neas speaks to economist Dr Bill Rosenberg about whether New Zealand really has a superannuation crisis. They discuss the...
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In Brief: Abby Martin on Earth’s Greatest Enemy
The climate crisis and war are usually treated as separate issues. Journalist Abby Martin argues they're inseparable. In this episode, Ollie Neas speaks to Martin about her new documentary, Earth's Greatest Enemy, the US military's environmental footprint, the links between militarism and the...
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Undercurrents: Who really pays for inflation? Geoff Bertram Part 2
How should governments respond when prices rise – and who bears the cost? In part two of this special two-part episode of Undercurrents, Ollie Neas talks to economist Geoff Bertram about the politics of inflation, the Reserve Bank's reliance on interest rates, and why the burden of bringing...
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Undercurrents: Why is New Zealand so expensive? Geoff Bertram Part 1
Why is life becoming more expensive? Politicians often blame inflation, global shocks or government spending. But what if the roots of New Zealand's cost of living crisis run much deeper? In part one of this special two-part episode of Undercurrents, Ollie Neas speaks with Dr Geoff Bertram about...
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In Brief: How the media reached crisis point
Newsrooms are shrinking, public media is facing renewed political attacks, and ownership of commercial media is becoming increasingly concentrated. So what does this mean for our democracy? Ollie Neas speaks with media scholar Peter Thompson about the state of New Zealand's media, the future of…
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In Brief: Is Christchurch about to privatise its port?
A proposal to lease the operation of Lyttelton Port to a consortium led by global ports giant DP World has raised concern over the future of one of Christchurch's most valuable public assets. In this episode of In Brief, Ollie Neas speaks with Mark Wilson, Lyttelton branch secretary of the Rail…
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Undercurrents: What’s the government’s real education agenda?
The coalition government is radically reshaping New Zealand’s education system –overhauling the curriculum, scrapping NCEA, re-establishing charter schools and much more. It says the reforms are needed to reverse declining achievement, but critics warn a broader ideological project is at work....
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In Brief: What’s behind the health and safety reforms nobody wants?
Why is the government pushing health and safety reforms that even many businesses oppose? Journalist Rebecca Macfie joins Public Interest to unpack the coalition's Health and Safety Amendment Bill, the myths about "red tape", and why she believes New Zealand is forgetting the lessons of Pike River.
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In Brief: Government backs down on conservation land. Is the fight really over?
The government is backing down on the most controversial part of its proposed conservation reforms. But Forest & Bird says the Conservation Amendment Bill still poses serious risks. Ollie Neas speaks with national conservation advocate Bianca Ranson about what the U-turn means, what remains in…
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Undercurrents: Are the unions back?
In the face of a sweeping assault on workers’ rights, New Zealand’s unions seem to have found renewed confidence. But are we witnessing a genuine union revival, or is this just a blip in a longer story of decline? In this special live edition of Undercurrents, recorded in partnership with the...
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In Brief: What does the Rich List say about New Zealand?
The NBR's annual Rich List has revealed that the wealth of New Zealand's richest 134 people has surged from $102 billion to $129 billion in just one year. So why are the rich getting richer so much faster than everyone else? Ollie Neas is joined by researcher and journalist Max Rashbrooke to...
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In Brief: Max Harris on Labour, Rogernomics and the 2026 election
This week Labour unveiled its candidate list for the 2026 election, with lawyer, activist and writer Max Harris among the most prominent new additions. In this conversation, Harris discusses why he chose Labour, whether the party has moved beyond the legacy of Rogernomics, his long-shot campaign…
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Undercurrents: Who really benefits from tough on crime?
Why do politicians keep promising to be "tough on crime" when the evidence says it doesn't make us safer? This week on Undercurrents, Ollie Neas is joined by author of The Valley Asher Emanuel and lawyer and activist Gabriella Brayne to unpack the gap between public perception and the reality of...
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In Brief: A landmark corruption scandal? Bryce Edwards on the climate lobbying cover-up
The climate lobbying scandal has rapidly become one of the biggest political stories of the year. Bryce Edwards joins Public Interest to unpack the revelations surrounding Z Energy, Fonterra, the Mike Smith climate case, and the bigger questions about corporate influence, transparency, and who...
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In Brief: What the government doesn’t want you to know about Budget 2026
The government says Budget 2026 is about responsible economic management: tighter spending, lower debt, and a return to surplus. But what if the problem with New Zealand's economy isn't what we've been told it is? In this episode of In Brief, Ollie Neas is joined by political economist Tayla...
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Undercurrents: Can the climate movement fight back?
For a moment in 2019, it felt like something was changing as millions around the world took to the streets demanding climate action. But seven years on, emissions continue to rise, fossil fuel expansion is back on the agenda, and a new authoritarian politics committed to extraction is gaining...
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In Brief: Inside the fight over outsourcing in Wellington
Wellington’s councils are under immense pressure. Rates are rising, infrastructure is failing, and public trust in council delivery has been badly damaged by a string of high-profile controversies. But what if the problem isn’t that councils are doing too much, but that they’ve spent decades…
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In Brief: What the end of fees-free means for NZ’s polytechs and unis
The coalition Government’s decision to scrap the fees-free tertiary education scheme has sparked a fierce debate about student debt, access to university, and the future of public education in New Zealand. In this interview, Public Interest speaks with Tertiary Education Union president Ti…
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Undercurrents: Who broke NZ's health system? Rob Campbell and Justine Sachs talk with Ollie Neas
New Zealand's health system is supposed to be based on a simple idea: care based on need, not wealth. But today that model is under growing pressure as senior doctors warn of a "death spiral" – one that could leave NZ with a two-tier system, where wealth determines who gets treated and when. So…
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Undercurrents: Who's to blame for the energy crisis?
It’s been two months since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, triggering an Iranian retaliation which has resulted in the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, sending global oil prices through the roof. Here in New Zealand, fuel prices are smashing records amid an already brutal cost of...
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Undercurrents: Why is Luxon's government so unpopular?
Never before in New Zealand history has there been a one-term National government. But this year might be different. If the opinion polls are to be believed, the National-Act-NZ First coalition government led by Christopher Luxon could be headed toward what would be a historic loss at the general...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Public Interest have?
Public Interest currently has 37 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Public Interest about?
Making sense of politics, power and the economy in Aotearoa NZ. Independent, accessible, audience-funded.
How often does Public Interest release new episodes?
Public Interest has 37 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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