Election 2023

A constitutional law expert suggests changing rules on enrolling to vote could benefit the current Government. A report by the Auditor-General's found pressures on systems led to mistakes in the vote count, such as a rushed final check of the official results. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has proposed stopping people enrolling to vote on election day to slim down numbers of special votes. Otago University's Andrew Geddis says people showing up that way tend to vote left. "The special votes every election deliver more seats to the left parties than the right. So if you end election day enrolments, you'll help the right - which is why Paul Goldsmith is so keen to do it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big numbers of special votes and enrolments took a toll on vote counters in last year's election. A report on the count by the Auditor-General has found the final check of the official result was done in a few hours, on the day it was announced. The rushed assessment failed to identify multiple errors. It normally takes two days. Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne says they're working at ways to better support staff in future. "We need to look at how we can use technology to identify potential errors - there might be some more staff needed. But we need check more robustly that the checks have been carried out as well." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been a big week in politics, as a host of Labour's policies have been tipped on the scrap heap as the new coalition Government starts passing laws at pace. Finance Minister Nicola Willis joins the Weekend Collective to share who her politician of the year is, as well as what we can expect from the mini-budget. Plus, Jason Walls joins the show to discuss the key moments from the year that's been in politics. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, Coast day host and Victoria University Senior Law Lecturer and columnist Morgan Godfery joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more!  We started the year with Jacinda Ardern resigning and ended it with a completely different Government - how are we feeling about 2023 as a year? And how are we feeling heading into 2024? Are we in a good place as a country? Who's our politician of the year? The Herald's Claire Trevett named Winston Peters- do we agree? Did he steal the limelight from Luxon? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On our first Sunday back at the beginning of this year, the Labour Government confirmed who our new Prime Minister would be.   So much has happened since then.   When Chris Hipkins took on the role, it felt like he went straight into election mode, aware he had only 9 months to convince us he had the vision, leadership and relatability for the job, and that he understood what New Zealanders needed and wanted.   Other political parties soon followed, and while the election campaign was officially only 5 weeks long the year felt like one long audition for the role of Prime Minister and Government.   And now, in our last show, the country ends the year in a completely different place – a place of revelations and repeals which are setting a sombre tone for 2024.   The reveals this week were gobsmackingly bad for the opposition. First there was the Auditor General’s report that stated two of Labour’s spending programmes – the $12b New Zealand Upgrade Programme (NZUP) and the $3b Shovel-Ready Programme (SRP) that were announced in 2020 to keep the economy going during the pandemic – were poorly run, with little transparency and value for money.     Then Nicola Willis pulled the plug on much needed new Interislander Ferries project in response to a massive budget blow out, whose blame she lay at the feet of the previous Finance Minister.   A day later, it was confirmed the economy has been in a per capita recession for much of the past year. And the good news doesn’t stop there.    This week will bring more revelations as the Government opens their books for the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update. I’m not sure the opposition will want to turn up for this.   And if you want to know how all this news will affect us in 2024, you only have to look at the list of what is being repealed and cut to stop spending money – and take note of Nicola Willis’ mini mini-budget on Wednesday. It will give us a taste of what to expect in the Government’s May 2024 budget.   If I was going to describe 2023, I’d say it was the year when the wheels fell off in slow motion. 2024 is lining up to be the year when the brakes go on. It’s going to take a bit to slow and stop our fiscal freefall and it’s not going to be much fun. It seldom is when the party ends.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About now most of us are on the countdown. The countdown to Santa Claus’ brief visit and the end of the year. The countdown to some time off, a chance to stop and reset. Or perhaps it’s the countdown to returning home to spend quality time with family. It may just be the countdown to the end of Christmas music for another year.   You get the picture.  But while many of us are ready to slow things down, I enjoyed seeing politicians ramping up in Parliament this week and doing what they do; introducing themselves, dropping insults and throwing dirt and getting on with the policy promises laid out during the election campaign.  And gee, it was an action-packed week.  There were justifications and an embarrassing mistake over the dumping of anti-smoking legislation. Te Pati Māori mobilised Māori to take to the streets for National Māori Action Day protesting the coalitions polices.   There were leaks about the Government’s plan for Fair Pay Agreements and Regulatory Impact Analyses - which indicated some legislation may not get the usual level of regulatory scrutiny.  Then there was the drama and theatrics of swearing in MPs, with one new MP’s maiden speech earning a standing ovation from all corners of the house. The star of the week, National MP James Meager, joins us shortly.   We also had impassioned speeches about the Israel Palestine conflict, barbs traded about the financial state of the books left by the previous Government, and real concerns about the blow out in costs for infrastructure projects.   All this in one short week.   The Government is moving fast. There’s a lot happening and while we’re all very keen to clock out the reality of what Kiwis voted for is just kicking in, so it’s important we pay attention to Parliament over the next two weeks.   It felt like a long election campaign and it was great when it ended. I almost appreciated the long lull between election day and the announcement of the coalition Government agreement. But it has been a long time since the 53rd Parliament was dissolved on 8th September - it’s good to be back. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour Party leader says National's throwing away years of work for ideological reasons. Chris Hipkins has unveiled his shadow cabinet, and vows they're ready to hold the Government to account. Prime Minister Chris Luxon's revealed his 100-day plan, which includes reinstating the Resource Management Act- which Labour repealed. Hipkins says it won't take the country forward. "They were banging on for years about how flawed the RMA was and how it needed to be overhauled. And now they're wanting to go back to the RMA, so it's not like they're going to drive something forward- they just seem to want to throw everything into reverse." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite some setbacks, Luxon has unveiled his Government's 100-day plan. The plan features 49 action points, including repealing the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax, the Clean Car Discount scheme, and Fair Pay Agreement legislation- and setting new targets for the health system. Political commentator Grant Duncan says the Government's next phase will need to do more to fix the issues they planned to address. "They need to get serious about their actual plans, particularly with rebuilding the economy. Just repealing stuff isn't rebuilding the economy." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters has doubled down on conspiratorial comments about the media, and gone further. Yesterday, he called a $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund a Government 'bribe'. Today, ahead of the Government's first Cabinet meeting, Peters asked media to tell the public what criteria had to be signed up to- to get the money. ZB political editor Jason Walls says Luxon will likely be annoyed with Winston's remarks. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's plan to slash the public sector is having an adverse impact on Wellington's property market. According to ANZ's latest property report, Wellington's housing market is lagging behind the rest of the country as people brace for job losses. ANZ economist Andre Castaing says housing markets all over the nation are expected to go sideways within the next year. "The housing market in Wellington- we would characterise that as having the potential to be a touch slower. However across the country, there's a range of things impacting house prices." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congratulations to the new coalition Government, which was sworn in today by Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro. And as our new Prime Minister says- they're ready to get stuck in. But things are already getting better. Some say it's just because of the vibe. But don't discount plain good luck and timing. The so-called hermit kingdom is over. As we heard a week ago, nearly a quarter of a million people chose to emigrate to New Zealand in the past year. Today we learn tourism is up- and spending in the year to September hit $30 billion dollars. That's up $6.6 billion on the previous year - and pretty much back to pre-Covid levels. This while the international spend is still recovering. As Nicola Willis finally gets her warrant to fool with the economy, the economy appears to be turning a corner. In today's paper is a report that economists believe the Reserve Bank will not be raising interest rates anytime soon. It also reports that markets are predicting a rate cut as early as May and as many as 3 cuts through 2024. Which is great news for first-home buyers. With all this good news, there's still one thing that bugs me about this Government and that's the disconnect that you feel when a tax cut has to be funded by a tax rise. You'll remember that was the problem I had during the election where the tax cut for the squeezed middle was funded by a wealth tax on rich foreigners buying houses. For a Government averse to taxes, it seemed off brand. The new version came up after the Government's surprise axing of the smokefree programme, and I say surprise because no one can find mention of it in any pre-election manifesto but axed it has been on New Zealand First and ACT's insistence. Yesterday on Newshub Nation, Nicola Willis said extra revenue from more widespread cigarette sales would help fund tax cuts in lieu of the now-scrapped foreign buyers tax. This was a loose thing to say prompting accusations that long-term public health had been sacrificed for a short-term cash-grab. Which is a bad way to start a term. It's not rocket science. If you cut a tax you cut expenditure. You don't tax a fall guy to make it work. That's inequitable. Jack Tame asked Nicola Willis if she accepted more people would die because of cancelling the #Smokefree policy. Willis says- "I have not seen advice or analysis of that so I am not prepared to answer that question". FFS, this is what we can expect in the next three years. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Politics Central, Nicola Willis joins the show to explain why she has the political chops to be our new Finance Minister- and how her English Literature degree plays into that. Later, ACT Leader and incoming Minister for Regulation David Seymour explains what his new roles entail- and why so many public sector jobs need to be slashed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The incoming Minister for Regulation is promising to make real change. ACT Leader David Seymour picked up the role during coalition negotiations alongside Associate Health and Education ministerial roles. Seymour says there's a 'disease of over-regulation' plaguing New Zealand. "We'll change the way Government regulates, delete a lot of bad regulation and start getting people spending more time producing and less time complying." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Neale Jones from Government relations firm Capital and Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! After 40 days, we're finally on the verge of reaching a coalition deal. ACT, National and NZ First have agreed on policies, ministerial positions, processes and the new Deputy PM. Will it all be worth the wait? Our chief censor's given an unrestricted rating to a controversial sex education book for teens that was pulled in Australia. Parents have expressed their alarm with this decision- does this seem to0 extreme? Wellington Council has put up a Christmas tree of road cones. Some people are terribly upset about this- isn't it just funny? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders can soon expect to see a clear picture of what the new Government will do. Prime Minister-elect Chris Luxon has confirmed coalition negotiations between National, ACT and New Zealand First have wrapped up. Luxon says the agreements are before the respective parties for sign off- and he'll reveal his Cabinet and their policies tomorrow. ZB political editor Jason Walls says all eyes will be on tomorrow's signing ceremony, where we'll find out the identity of the new Deputy Prime Minister. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All three parties in the incoming Government have agreed on a coalition deal- which will be signed tomorrow. A joint statement from Chris Luxon, David Seymour and Winston Peters has announced negotiations to form a government that will deliver for all New Zealanders have concluded. ACT party leader David Seymour says the new Government will be ready to tackle the 'substantial' challenges impacting New Zealanders.  "I think ACT has got a very strong policy agenda as part of what will be our shared Government policy- together with New Zealand First and National, I think we'll be able to start tackling those problems." LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think David Seymour has reason to be pretty salty if he isn't given the Deputy Prime Minister’s job. This is not really about whether the job is really a job or whether it's just ceremonial. The fact is- it is a title. And that title implies seniority, it means whoever gets the Deputy Prime Minister role is the second most senior person in the Government. And it would be pretty bizarre if National gave that to Winston Peters over David Seymour, given how many times National told us before the election they really didn’t want to have to work with Winston. Chris Luxon said it, Chris Bishop said it, Nicola Willis said it- and they weren't subtle. Nicola Willis said: “I don’t want to go into Government with NZ First" Now we understand they didn’t have a choice about going into Government in the end, but that is very different to making Winston the second most senior person in Government when he doesn't even have the second biggest party in the Government. It would be pretty insulting to David Seymour, especially given how close Seymour and Luxon worked together in the lead up to the election. The best argument for Winston to get the job is experience, but I'm not super convinced by that argument. There is a long list of people who’ve gone straight into the Deputy Prime Minister's job without having done a single day in Cabinet before. Don McKinnon under Jim Bolger, Geoffrey Palmer under David Lange- you can go back through history and find more. Probably the thing that counts most against David for the job is that he’s plugged so hard for it when he’s previously made is sound like he's not interested in the baubles of office. But then again, that’s something he and Winston now have in common isn’t it? Probably the easiest solution to this problem is to not pick between the two of them, but split the job instead. Whether with a time share- one does 18 months then hands it over to the other to do 18 months, or we just have two Deputy Prime Ministers. But it still doesn't solve that awkward problem, does it? The guy who the Nats really did want to work with is now sharing the job of equal seniority with the guy they really didn't want to work with. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union and Ali Jones from Red PR joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more!  Nicola Willis has confirmed she won't be the Deputy Prime Minister, and Luxon said she was never in the running. Is this true? Who are our picks for the role? The incoming Government will have to find a quarter of a billion dollar to give ECE educators pay parity- because their predecessors didn't budget for it properly. What other harmful surprises are waiting in the wings? SailGP has made the decision to not stage the event in Auckland in March 2024. Is this a loss for the region? Are we excited for Black Friday this year? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Luxon says he didn't lobby for his party deputy, Nicola Willis, to be Deputy Prime Minister. The role remains one of the last sticking points of Coalition negotiations, with policies and other ministerial positions largely agreed. Willis today said she wasn't in the race and Winston Peters or David Seymour are likely to get the job. ZB political editor Jason Walls says it's looking likely that Winston's the new favourite to take up the role as Deputy Prime Minister. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on the Huddle, former National staffer Ben Thomas and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Waka Kotahi is under fire for spending thousands on pies for construction workers working on the Mt Messenger bypass project in Taranaki. Is this worth the outrage? The post-election talks have turned to delegating ministerial roles, and Nicola Willis, David Seymour and Winston Peters are all vying for the role of Deputy Prime Minister. Who would we pick? Does Luxon have to pick one candidate? National MP Cameron Brewer has copped backlash for his joke about the return of 'pale, stale males'. Is this a rookie error- or grave mistake? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Deputy Prime Minister disagrees the role's largely ceremonial. Prime Minister-elect Chris Luxon has confirmed policies have been settled in Coalition talks - and negotiations have turned to ministerial roles. ACT's David Seymour made a public pitch for Deputy, but Luxon has downplayed the role's importance. Sir Don McKinnon was the deputy to Jim Bolger in his National Government, under the single-party system. He says under MMP it can be someone from a different party, but the duties are real. "You're there to do things that your leader, your Prime Minister, doesn't want to do, meet the people he doesn't want to meet, go to the places he doesn't get time to go to." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Again, it's looking pretty positive on the formation of Government today. Here's the update for the day- The policy work is now actually done, all three parties have now reached agreement on the policy agenda for the next three years. This seems like a minor step forward from yesterday, because yesterday ACT and NZ First had reached agreement with National. Today, ACT and NZ First have signed off on each others’ agreements. So minor- but significant. Because that is the hardest and most complex part of the negotiations. The next bit is basically doling out the fancy jobs, and Deputy PM is fast becoming the one we’re all going to watch. Because this is also obviously a battle of the egos. David Seymour is making a big play publicly of wanting it, he said to the waiting media today that he deserves the job because the job should go to the second biggest party - and the second biggest party is ACT. It's kind of weird that he's putting up such a big fight publicly, given that he’s previously indicated he’s not so worried about portfolios and more interested in policy wins, but here we are. But David, as he said, thinks he deserves it because his party is the biggest of the minor parties. Winston Peters will likely think he deserves it because of seniority and because he’s done the job twice already. Nicola Willis reportedly wants it too, and you can make an argument for her getting it given National is miles bigger than both the little parties and she will be Finance Minister - Deputy PM will signal her seniority in Government. What none of them will say out loud but all of them will surely be thinking is that the Deputy is the one who gets to be acting PM when the actual PM is out of the country, which is why they all want it. I don’t envy Luxon having to pick between them- but maybe he doesn’t have to. He could break with convention and have not one but two deputies. One job for David, one for Winston and none for Nicola because she will probably have a more manageable ego than the other two. It's not an unprecedented idea, Fiji has three. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and current affairs commentator Josie Pagani joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! National's Chris Luxon says his coalition partners have made a breakthrough in post-election negotiations, but Winston Peters isn't on the same page. Who is trying to strongarm who in these discussions? Labour leader Chris Hipkins called for a ceasefire in Gaza yesterday- what do we think of this? How does this reflect on National? LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Luxon says he and his soon-to-be coalition partners have achieved a milestone in Government-forming negotiations. The incoming Prime Minister says the policy element of talks with ACT and New Zealand First concluded last night. Luxon says the last remaining step is formalising Cabinet positions - but the end is in sight. ZB political editor Jason Walls says NZ First and ACT still need to approve the final arrangements with National- and Winston Peters won't budge. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National is celebrating a breakthrough in negotiations, claiming they've agreed to policy deals with NZ First and ACT. Despite what he called significant progress, Luxon wouldn’t say whether it was likely a Government could be formed by the end of the week. Finance Minister-elect Nicola Willis says all three parties still need to sign off on a final deal before the new Government is formed. "We're pleased that we've reached that significant milestone, because our focus has been on getting policy aligned this year. That's ultimately what the Government's going to be judged on." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National says Labour leader Chris Hipkins' call for a ceasefire in Gaza was a surprise. Hipkins yesterday said he believes Israel's Defence Force's response has been disproportionate and indiscriminate. National's Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Gerry Brownlee, says calling for a ceasefire has no point if both sides aren't willing to cooperate. Brownlee says National backs negotiating efforts from parties closer to the conflict- and that Qatari negotiators are doing a good job. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT's David Seymour says he's no longer gambling on when coalition negotiations will wrap up. Prime Minister-elect Chris Luxon today announced the three parties have reached an agreement on policy. But the leaders of ACT and New Zealand First say they're not all the way there just yet. Seymour says he's closed his account at the TAB - given last week he wrongly predicted a deal was just days away. "So I'm not betting on this anymore, but I think we're a day or two away if I had to put a bet on it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, still no Government. It's not a biggie. Remember, they only started talking after the specials were counted so it's only been a fortnight. But then again, why did they only start talking after the specials were counted? But still not a biggie.  Meanwhile, all those getting stuck into Winston are not using their knowledge of history or politics.  He doesn't have to be in Government. He can say no easily and then bring the Government down whenever he wants. Yes, he's the tail and National's the dog but the dog needs Winston's tail far more than Winston needs the dog.  And when it comes to the difficulties of the negotiation, many seem to forget that Winston is an old-fashioned anti-globalist who hates immigration and the stress it puts on our infrastructure.  They seem not to remember that it was Winston's idea to slap a foreign buyers ban in our property market. And he was part of the team that did in 2017.  But letting foreign buyers back in is at the centre of National's tax plan.  So they're asking New Zealand First to do an absolute U-turn in terms of policy and principles. That's a big ask. It was always going to be. It was evident weeks before the election. And Luxon has already hinted that the foreign buyers ban may stay. That's a big U-turn too.  If there's something to criticise National for, it's dropping their 2 ticks blue campaign and letting Winston in. They have much in common but the differences are big stones in the path of coalition.  Meanwhile, while the cat's away Wayne Brown comes out to play. National's policy of dropping the Auckland fuel tax is leading the mayor to ways to raise money to build the roads. All of a sudden congestion tax is on the fast track.  It's proof that there is no such thing as a free tax cut. National wants to drop the tax to give Aucklanders more money in the back pocket, but as Wayne Brown points out that comes at the expense of roads. So what do you want more? Roads or tax cuts. Tax cuts or congestion taxes.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I have never negotiated a merger. And I have never negotiated an acquisition.   But I still think I could teach our incoming Prime Minister a thing or two.  Because here we are into another week of coalition talks between National, ACT and NZ First and, after all the to-ing and fro-ing from the Cordis Hotel in Auckland, we still don’t have a new Government.  But the bit about it all that seems so obvious to me - but not to the great negotiator, it seems - is why didn’t he sort out this sticky stuff right at the start instead of leaving it until now?  The sticky stuff or the sticky things I’m referring to are NZ First’s opposition to National’s plan to tax rich foreigners buying houses here to help pay for its tax plan. And National’s weariness of ACT’s plan for a referendum on the Treaty of Waitangi principles.  As you probably know, ACT and NZ First have found some common ground on the Treaty referendum idea, which is obviously proving to be a bit of a fly-in-the-ointment for National.  So why on earth didn’t National sort this out right at the start? Then Luxon would have known whether there was a realistic chance of forming this strong stable Government we keep hearing about.  Of course it was easy for Luxon to stride past the cameras in the early stages and bang on about making great progress. Of course he could say that when his plan was to leave the tricky stuff to the end.   They probably were making great progress if they were doing all the easy stuff first. Not so great now, though. By the end-of-the-day yesterday, he wasn’t talking about progress. He was talking about the meeting with Winston Peters being “helpful”.  You‘ll have your own interpretation of what that means. My interpretation, is that Luxon was saying the meeting was “helpful” because he got a better understanding of why Winston was digging his heels in.   That’s pure speculation on my part.   But even I - who isn’t the great negotiator and who doesn't claim to be the great negotiator -  can see a mile away that this is turning into a cock-up. If it isn’t already.  What was Luxon’s plan, do you think? To get Winston Peters and David Seymour so far down the track with all the simple stuff that they’d cave-in on the tricky stuff, because he thought they’d already be seeing themselves in Government?  You know what it’s like. You apply for a job. You get an interview. Then maybe a second interview. And this is over a few weeks. And, by then, you’re drafting your resignation letter in your head, practising your farewell speech, working out the best route to take to get to the new job in the mornings, and then they offer you the job but the pay is less than you wanted. But you’re so invested in the new job that you just say yes.   Is that how Christopher Luxon saw it all playing out, do you think?  Either way, his minimal political experience versus David Seymour and Winston Peters’ political experience is proving to be his achilles heel.  Remember all the big talk on election night? “I’m going to use the next three weeks until the special votes are fully counted to actually progress the relationships and the arrangements with each individual party.”  That’s now starting to look like a lot of hot air, doesn’t it? And if hot air - at best, political naivety.  I was reading Matthew Hooton’s column in the NZ Herald at the weekend and he was saying that Luxon is a talker, not a listener. And he reckons there’s growing frustration with with his “I-know-best” approach.  Which makes these talks look more like a hostile takeover than a merger.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's Nicola Willis and Labour's Ginny Andersen join Nick Mills for Politics Monday. Together they discuss the ongoing coalition negotiations between National, ACT and NZ First, fresh bullying allegations made against Ginny, the state of the Government's books, and pharmacists calling for prescriptions to remain free. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Government forming talks will continue this week, as Chris Luxon's been unable to reach a consensus on a number of key issues this weekend. The incoming Prime Minister met with Winston Peters this afternoon, and has spoken with David Seymour over the phone. Despite insisting good progress is being made, Luxon says there are three final issues proving to be the sticking points. ZB political editor Jason Walls says National's proposed foreign buyers tax will likely be a sticking point that NZ First won't budge on. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Politics Central, Jason Walls recapped the ongoing coalition negotiations and shared his predictions for who will be assigned those top ministerial positions.  Later, Dr Paul Buchanan joins the Weekend Collective to share his insight into the importance of APEC and what we can expect from Biden's meeting with Xi. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Sunday Panel, ZB host Roman Travers and commentator Irene Gardiner joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the week- and more! Coalition negotiations- are we overreacting to how long this is taking? Was this process ever going to be straightforward or easy? Does it have any reflection on the kind of Government Luxon will lead? The World Health Organisation has declared loneliness a global public health concern. Do we do a good job when it comes to social connection? Have we gotten worse?  Eyebrows have been raised over the prices of some of Jerry Seinfeld's better tour seats- would you pay $849 to see Jerry Seinfeld? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National leader Chris Luxon says coalition negotiations are in the last stages, as talks are expected to resume today. Luxon met with New Zealand First's Winston Peters in Auckland yesterday, and had a phone call with ACT's David Seymour. NZ Herald Deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan says Luxon's private sector experience may not have set him up well for coalition talks. He says politics is obviously different to business. "He has to talk to New Zealand First and Winston Peters, there's no-one else in the tent. And Winston Peters has the nuclear button- he could just walk away and trigger another election."  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Nick Mills from ZB's Wellington Mornings and Auckland Councillor Richard Hills joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The three main parties have stayed quiet about the details of their coalition negations, but some National MPs have said they're close to forming a Government. What do we think of this? Are we over the waiting period?  Auckland Council is making progress on proposed congestion charges, with Wayne Brown being particularly eager to get these charges going. Is this a money-raising exercise? MFAT staff have reduced their use of Te Reo in official documents released to the incoming Government- is this a bad look? LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Post-election coalition talks are still under way, with leaders from all three parties meeting at Auckland's Cordis Hotel. National's Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon have claimed that negotiations are heading into the final stages. ZB political editor Jason Walls says leaders from all three parties seem to agree talks are progressing well- but it's too soon to know for sure? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters is expected to emerge from a meeting with National soon, as Government-forming talks continue. NZ Herald political reporter Adam Pearse is outside the Cordis Hotel in Auckland, and says Peters has been with National's leader Chris Luxon for more than two hours. He says the meetings are getting longer, which could mean they are getting into the detail. "The latest we've heard is that there are still policy differences that they have yet to iron out. And I would imagine if you were spending over two hours discussing in a hotel room, ministerial positions  are not the only things you're talking about." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every week a member of the Newstalk ZB Parliament team joins Nick Mills for the Beehive Buzz. This week Senior Political Reporter Sophie Trigger discusses the how coalition talks are going between Luxon, Seymour and Peters, a recent poll, and final recount results. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All sides of the soon-to-be Government want talks completed as soon as possible. David Seymour, Winston Peters and Chris Luxon sat down together this morning for the first time, in Auckland. This meeting will be the first of several collaborative meetings in the city centre this week. ZB political editor Jason Walls says nothing significant has been divulged- but all three parties are keen to get a Government formed quickly. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A political commentator says leaks from post-election talks are rife this year. The leaders of National, ACT and New Zealand First have now all sat around a table together, a first in their negotiations. Prime Minister elect Chris Luxon has wanted talks to stay private. But Ben Thomas says that hasn't been the case. He says it may reflect the parties playing off against each other. "There's the question of how Winston Peters is going to kind of conduct himself as part of this trio, and maybe part of that is distancing himself from the other two." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, current affairs commentator Josie Pagani and Tim Wilson from Maxim Institute joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! In coalition updates: Luxon's trip to APEC is officially off, Winston has been AWOL from Parliament- but the parties are set to meet later this week. Who knows what's going on? What can we expect in the coming days? NZ First's Shane Jones told Radio Waatea his party supports a 'reset' on the Treaty of Waitangi. Will Luxon approve? Is this too divisive? Former Prime Minister David Cameron is back in Parliament following Suella Braverman's departure? Is this a good move for the current UK Government? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One expert has issued words of caution for anyone expecting the incoming Government will be easier on businesses. BusinessDesk's Pattrick Smellie says it shouldn't be a given that the National-ACT-NZ First coalition will take all the pressure of the business sector- and cited their history of policies and statements. Smellie explained that the banks, supermarkets, fuel companies will likely experience discomfort as the incoming Government addresses the cost of living crisis. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand First's caucus met today in Wellington- but the Party's leader was noticeably absent. None of the newly elected MPs explained where Winston Peters was, but they said work was progressing in his absence. ZB political editor Jason Walls says senior NZ First MP Shane Jones claimed progress was under way, and Peters would turn up- eventually. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour says a referendum on Treaty principles is still on the negotiating table. ACT signalled the policy would be a priority in post-election talks. Prime Minister-elect Chris Luxon has said a referendum would be divisive, but New Zealand First's Shane Jones today told Radio Waatea he understands Seymour's concerns. Seymour says it's an idea whose time has come. "I think the more people understand what we're proposing to do, the more people hear about that- I think more people see it as a positive." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Trish Sherson from Sherson Willis PR and former Labour chief of staff Mike Munro joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! Chris Luxon has warned coalition negotiations will be extended for another week- and claimed it seems unlikely he'll make it to APEC. Is this a bad look for the National Party, or does this process need more time? MBIE is planning to cut jobs and budgets in the coming months- is this a good idea? ANZ brought in a net profit of over $2.2 billion in the year ending September. Is this a bad look in a cost of living crisis?  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sticking points in National's tax plan seem be causing friction in Government negotiations. New Zealand First's Shane Jones told media today his party's working out some 'jagged edges'. NewstalkZB understands they involve how National will pay for tax cuts. ZB political editor Jason Walls says two issues are lifting the foreign buyers ban and dipping into the Climate Emergency Response Fund. He says New Zealand First aren't happy for that money to be used on tax cuts- and would rather it go into making regions more resilient to climate change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's Nicola Willis is defending Luxon as he extends post-election coalition talks. Luxon has begun another week of discussions with coalition partners ACT and NZ First, and it's looking less likely he'll attend APEC on Wednesday. The Finance Minister-elect says she's not going to go into detail about who's talking to who, but coalition discussions are progressing.  "We're making sure we're getting through the issues that matter so we can sign agreements, go to the Governor-General and form a Government."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Minister says the continuing Government negotiations are starting to look bad for Chris Luxon. Another week of talks has begun, and the Prime Minister-elect says he's unlikely to be able to leave for the APEC Summit on Wednesday, with nothing wrapped up. Peter Dunne says Luxon gave the impression his business background would help him strike a deal quickly. "He's got the second-longest set of negotiations since NZ First was first involved in negations. And he's somehow seems to believe he could do it all differently- and better. He's fallen into the same trap others have." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's starting to get a bit awkward with how long these coalition negotiations are taking, especially now that Chris Luxon’s warned us we might not get a deal until the end of this week. These talks are about to become the second longest set of coalition talks in the history of MMP. Former Green Party MP Gareth Hughes went back through all of the elections and counted how long it took from each election date to the end of the coalition talks. 1996 was of course the longest- and most famous for it because Winston went fishing. 2002 under Helen Clark took 12 days, 2005 took 30 days, 2008 under John Key took 8 days, 2011 took 9 days, 2014 took 15 days, and then 2017 with Jacinda and Winston took 26 days. As of today, these talks are at 30 days. They are tied for the second longest spot with 2005. From tomorrow, they become the second longest only to the infamous 1996 fishing trip talks. That’s embarrassing for Chris Luxon. Because he’s the guy who’s talked up his negotiating skills, given he’s done a lot of mergers and acquisitions. And he’s the guy who set the deadline of wrapping this up in time for him to go to APEC. If he wants to still go to APEC, he needs this wrapped up by Wednesday. Even he now doesn’t think that’s going to happen. It's awkward for him to be failing in the very first task he’s set for himself as PM. The start of a Government is a really important period. It sets up voters’ expectations for the first term, that's why Governments often write up 100 day plans. Because they want to create a sense of urgency and give the impression they’re changing things fast. Literally the opposite of that is happening right now. There is no sense of urgency, nothing's changing fast, there's no momentum. Awkwardly, it also feels a bit like Luxon might have underestimated a couple of politicians. Namely, Winston and David Seymour, who seem to be running rings around him. Unfortunately for Chris Luxon, every day that these talks drag on chip away at the perception that voters have of him as being a great mergers and acquisitions guy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's Ginny Andersen and National's Nicola Willis join Nick Mills for Politics Monday. Together they discuss how coalition negotiations are tracking, New Zealand now being the second highest vaping nation, allegations that Ginny yelled at a teenage volunteer on election night, the Electoral Commission facing counting errors, and Chris Hipkins changing his tune on tax. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.