#BHN Big Hairy News

Artist and Activist Bruce Mahalski joins live to promote a series of upcoming public talks across the South Island asking a straight-forward question: Is climate change really an emergency? And if it is, what does that mean for ordinary people and their families?Chris Hipkins answers listeners questions on NewsTalk ZB. The host, Kerre Woodham, refused to accept Hipkins' claim that National have put the country in a worse fiscal position, so I did some fact checking on her behalf to share with you. Healthcare services and short staffing is once again on the agenda. The family of a man that died in an ED bathroom due to over capacity speaks directly to politicians to seek answers, accountability and apologies.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

The Leader and Deputy of Trust NZ, the latest party to put their hat in the ring this election, joins tonight to promote their campaign to get people to enroll to vote... no, un-enroll to vote..?GDP numbers were released today showing an abysmal 0.2% increase. Other OECD countries have been largely unaffected by global oil shocks, but Nicola Willis is adamant global events are to blame for our slow economic recovery.Paul Barlow gives his weekly Open Brief Debrief. This week we’re choo choo choosing to see how the opening of Auckland’s CRL was presented in media and who made sure they took credit for it. ++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Paul Barlow joins tonight for the weekly news.Supermarkets, price gouging and anti-competitive behaviour was the hot topic today with both National and Labour revealing policies to tackle the rising cost of food in New Zealand. Bishop tries to talk his way around National's latest "levy". 1News doing an excellent job of explaining the difference between a levy and tax but their definition calls into question whether Labour's CGT is in fact a tax after all...Ed Sheeran has been blasted for caving to demands to kick Macklemore from his tour after saying "Free Palestine" on stage. This has lead to a renewed discussion as to the role of influential people and Hollywood to call out atrocities and global crisis and getting political.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Brie Elliot joins tonight to co-host and discuss the latest news in the lead up to the election.Latest polling data shows major parties continue to slump in the polls and struggling to get above the 30% threshold, giving way for the minor parties to rise.ACT release a campaign policy to stop further increases to the minimum wage and reduce the wages of employees doing on-the-job training.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Sean Ackland co-hosts tonight to debrief the education debate from Dunedin this weekend and get his thoughts as our resident industry expert.The hottest topic from this weekend and today was the opening of Auckland's City Rail Link. PM Luxon joined John Campbell on Morning Report this morning to share his completely out-of-touch perspective on what this upgrade to the city's public transport means for the average person and commuter.ANZ's outgoing CEO Antonia Watson spoke with Jack Tame over the weekend to discuss the state of banking in NZ, and reviews her previous comments about implementing a CGT and having an adult conversation around tax in order to tackle the looming worker/pensioner ratio diminishing and putting pressure on future Govt finances.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Willow-Jean Prime, Labour Party's spokesperson for Social Development & Employment, joins us LIVE to discuss the MSD report findings regarding missed benefit payments.Paul Barlow joins us for the weekly Open Brief Debrief: Who needs the Kiwimart? Now here’s the tricky part, finding out who’s dominating the conversation about it and trying to steer public perception on the Green policy announcement. We’ll take a look into tonight with Open Brief.Anthropic former and current employees have raised the alarms again on the safety of unregulated AI and super intelligence development claiming a more than 10% possibility of wiping out humanity.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Labour's Ayesha Verrall was rushed by anti-vaxxers and protected by her fellow candidates at a Wellington event last night.ASA have upheld, in part, a complaint against National Party flyers spreading misinformation about Labour's tax policy.PSA workers picketed today after pay negotiations have stalled, the govt calling out the union for politicising the issue in promoting a change of govt.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

The NZ Herald does not do their own polling, preferring to take everyone else's polls and make what has become NZ's "official" poll of polls and if you look at that, which shows trends rather than a specific data set and that trend looks terrible for LabourMore information on One News tonight about the MSD 'admin error' telling people that food was not an essential need. One very clear decision for both the Minister, Louise Upstong, and MSD itself is that they refuse to apologize for minimizing and declining their clients' needs when food was desperately needed.Christopher Luxon has accused Chris Hipkins of “flailing” after the Labour leader told reporters that “National and their mates” want to wind back climate action, with some ministers not even believing that climate change is real.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Act Party leader David Seymour isn't against Act voters giving their electorate vote to National, but the desired overhang is easier said than donePM Christopher Luxon is spinning that fewer NZ's are leaving for Australia, which is true, but still won't look how overall we continue to bleed talent to our Tasman brothers and sisters as there was a net migration loss of 28,500 people from New Zealand to Australia in the December 2025 year.A "shock poll results" has both our major parties under 30% and see's Opportunity out of parliament reigniting the conversation of "is a vote for Opportunity a wasted vote?++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

The politicians arrived at Koroneihana today, with many Māori leaders calling out the Govt and previous Govts for degrading Te Tiriti and Māori/Crown relations.A report commissioned as part of the CoC agreement didn't give the conclusion that David Seymour wanted, that the Māori and Pacific Admissions Scheme for health students is a "clear case of racial discrimination".TVNZ unveil their upcoming election "vodcast" with Jack Tame and Tova O'Brien, as well as scheduled leaders debates and more.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Aaron Hendry from Kick Back joins us live to discuss a letter written to the PM last year warning them of the potentially fatal risk of the Government’s Emergency Housing policy, now calling on the govt to follow the UK’s leadership and make the bold commitment to end rough sleeping by xmas. Kieran and the Bish on Breakfast: Can we get political consensus to fix our water infrastructure this time?Paul Barlow joins for the weekly Open Brief Debrief: The public is really upset with the way the health sector is being treated by the government but is our media representing how angry people really are?++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Marytn 'Bomber' Bradbury joins us live tonight at 9pm to give us an update on how he is, and to share his experience of being in the public health system, as it is functioning today, under this governmentMethanex to close Taranaki plant, citing 'decline' in gas supply. The country's largest gas user Methanex has announced it will close its Taranaki plant after more than three decades of operation, saying New Zealand's declining natural gas supply has made continuing operations unsustainable.Ryan Brodge spoke with Act Party leader David Seymour and Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson on an Instagram post made by Tamatha Paul where she called out 16 government ministers and MPs for purchasing properties after this government changed the rules for landlords. She seems to have gotten one name wrong which is now what the right wants you to focus on, not the 15 other names that no one has questioned.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Willie Jackson's made contact today saying we were unfair and a bit harsh last night in our critique of his appearance on Q&A so, as is appropriate, Willie is coming on tonight to correct what he says we got wrong and allows us to seek some clarity on some questions we had that came from the interview.Ryan Bridge hosted Chris Bishop this morning to find out is we about to borrow $1b to fix potholes? Let's look at that.Trouble in paradise? Winston Peters has taken another crack at the Christopher Luxon's political experience, after the Prime Minister said remaining in the Paris climate agreement would be a bottom line in coalition negotiations. As an aside, our Foreign Minister is currently at the Pacific Islands Forum where climate change, and what Pacific countries are going to do about it, is high on the agenda++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Willie Jackson joined Jack Tame on Q&A in the weekend explaining why Chris Hipkins called Te Pati Māori's election tactics a "rort" and why it doesn't seem like Jackson, or Labour, have been actively encouraging Māori to get onto the Māori role.National have backed tracked on the fuel tax that was suppose d to be coming back on January 1st in an obvious ploy to not make voters angry at them in the lead up to the election.Nicola Willis tells NZ Herald that students have "chosen" to lean NZ and so National is now going to punish them for doing so, rather than removing hiring freezes and allowing many of our graduates to stay in NZ.We'll also have a look over the weekend event and maybe play a couple of the clips we thought were most worthwhile to repeat++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Nicola Willis joins Ryan Bridge Today to plead her case that the economic recovery is still on its way.Kieran and the Bish have their weekly panel with Tova O'Brien discussing the latest child poverty report and the U16 SM ban bill.Paul Barlow joins us for our weekly OpenBrief report, we look at the loudest voices on banning social media for under 16s, and the different ways they’re saying the same things.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

David Seymour sits down with Moana Maniapoto to discuss a number of party and govt policies and why he has such disdain for everything Māori.There has been cross odd party consensus on two major policies of the week - the rates cap and social media ban. Labour have said they may support these two National-led bills through to select committee to have the issues fully discussed and considered.Te Pāti Māori have entered the tax game, announcing their Kiwi tax plan. Good news for National, I guess? How does TPM's plan align with other parties proposing taxes?++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Clint Smith joins us to talk about new analysis argues that reverting to the old pay equity regime might cost the Government about half as much as previous estimates. Does this therefore mean that a Labour led government could find it easier to restart the pay equity conversationThe Government has confirmed plans to cap council rates at 4%. Under the proposed system, first mooted late last year, annual rates increases would remain within an initial target range of 2% to 4%. This range will be reviewed every six years and updated "where necessary to reflect costs outside councils' control".David Seymour was on Breakfast obviously straight after consuming a big old arsehole pill as he dismissively pushed aside all the negative stats around Maori. One of the interesting thing is that ACT then used that footage as a 'win' for Seymour which it clearly wasn't.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Christopher Luxon moves to ban social media for under 16-year-olds a problem for him is that Act and NZ First disagree making this dead in the waterFinance Minister Nicola Willis refuses to rule out an increase to the ACC levy if she's returned as Finance Minister. She is calling for "no new taxes" but won't commit to other areas where NZers may face increases in already established fees, levies and taxes.Economist and former Productivity Commissioner Ganesh Ahirao wants to see the way Governments plan borrowing and spending completely turned around: replacing the duty to return to surplus with a duty to provide every citizen with the basics they need to thrive. Ganes describes this as 'being a good ancestor' to think about those who came before us leaving the current economy and how we would leave it to future generations.The latest polling puts Opportunity as the kingmaker again, and Christopher Luxon doubles down on not working with them.++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Paul Goldsmith and Willie Jackson's weekly panel with Ryan Bridge was dominated by National's obsession with election campaign tax promises.Greg Flemming broke ranks this week saying clearly he does not believe his Govt made the right move in removing tax rebates on charity donations over $100,000 - not the first time we've seen Greg put his head up to speak out about something he hasn't agreed with.Climate change is here, and NZ needs a plan to increase our resilience to devastating weather events, but is cross-party consensus possible in this current political climate? ++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/

Health system in crisis because of National’s choices. Ayesah Verrall joins us to talk about how National has spent the last two years pretending they’ve hired thousands of new nurses but yesterday, they admitted the real number is just 54 FTE across the country, and a decrease in Auckland.Quick, it’s an emergency! Paul Barlow joins us to take a look at how Open Brief tracks responses to stories involving emergency services and responses to acute incidents like fires, natural disasters and life-threatening events and explore the differences between the way left and right leaning media frame unfolding events.Protests at the PM's public events will becomes more and more common as this Government starts to learn that if they keep themselves cloistered away to friendly audiences or their own events, they people who want to see them pushed will turn up and push back++++++++++++++++++++Like us on Facebook.com/BigHairyNetwork Follow us on Twitter.com/@bighairynetworkFollowing us on TikTok.com/@bighairynetworkSupport us on Patreon www.patreon.com/c/BigHairyNewsCheck out our merch https://bhn.nz/shop/Donate to our work https://bhn.nz/shop/donation/