Advertise on podcast: Duncan Garner - Editor In Chief

It was meant to be our year. That’s what we were told. But as 2026 kicks off, the numbers are telling a very different story. Inflation is back up, unemployment is rising, and interest rates may not be done yet. On the podcast, Duncan Garner asks the hard question. Where are the green shoots we were promised? And what does it mean for Christopher Luxon as the election clock starts ticking loudly? Duncan is joined by Bob McCoskrie and Ashley Church to unpack the credibility problem facing the government, why voters are running out of patience, and how economic pain is still hitting households where it counts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is New Zealand being sold a lazy political narrative about Māori and this government? We reckon so. As Waitangi approaches, Duncan takes aim at the claim that National is anti-Māori and starts pulling apart the record. From treaty settlements and co-governance to iwi wealth, education reform and charter schools, the evidence doesn’t match the rhetoric. Duncan lays out why the media keeps repeating a story that simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. Political commentator Ani O’Brien joins the conversation to unpack activism, Party Māori, and why narrative has replaced outcomes in so much of our political debate. They also dig into education, why Māori achievement is finally lifting, and why real progress doesn’t always look the way activists want it to. This is a straight-up challenge to the talking points, the media comfort zone, and the politics of outrage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For 20 years, our education system has quietly failed kids while the adults argued ideology, avoided accountability, and buried the data. Today, Duncan takes a hard look at why that matters and why things are finally changing. We unpack the introduction of clear, national assessments and honest reporting in schools, why literacy and numeracy were allowed to slide for decades, and how measuring properly kills excuses fast. The results are already uncomfortable and hopeful at the same time, especially for Māori students who were written off under the old system and have surged ahead in weeks, not years. Duncan also calls out the media silence around genuine reform, explains why bad news gets clicks while good news gets buried, and shares a very personal story about narrowly escaping serious injury after a freak accident at home. Accountability, truth, and transparency. This is what real change looks like. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when the right to protest depends on who you are, not the rules? This episode dives headfirst into the decision to block Brian Tamaki from marching across the Auckland Harbour Bridge, and why Duncan believes authorities have walked straight into a hypocrisy trap. You don’t have to like Tamaki, agree with him, or support his views. That’s not the point. The issue is consistency, fairness, and whether New Zealand still operates as a rules-based democracy. Duncan lays out decades of examples where protests, marathons, bikes, convoys, and marches were allowed across the same bridge, then asks why this one was suddenly “too dangerous”. Ashley Church and Rod and Christie join the panel to unpack the political fallout, media silence, and what this sets up for the future of protest in New Zealand. From infrastructure failure to free speech, this conversation goes well beyond one man and one bridge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Broadcasting Standards Authority is facing a terminal decline and they've come up with a desperate plan to stay relevant. They want the government to rewrite the law so they can police the internet and control what we say on podcasts and live streams. We talk to Ashley Church and Maurice Williamson about why this mission creep is a massive overreach for a 35-year-old regulator. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duncan Garner digs into the collapse of the government’s retail crime advisory committee, a group set up to respond to ram raids and rising violence, but now facing resignations, lavish spending claims, and serious questions about accountability. With three of five members gone, six-figure invoices, and silence from the responsible minister, it looks less like crime fighting and more like a gravy train. Then we turn to immigration, the India free trade deal, and explosive whistleblower claims from inside a major pizza delivery franchise. Allegations of migrant workers paying tens of thousands of dollars for jobs, visa pathways being sold, and Kiwis locked out of work raise uncomfortable questions about enforcement, fairness, and who the system is really working for. Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour joins us to answer what the government is doing about both. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This investigation just took a sharp turn. What started as concerns about the India free trade deal has now landed right in the heart of New Zealand workplaces. We share detailed allegations from a franchise owner at a pizza chain, claiming migrant workers are paying tens of thousands of dollars for jobs delivering pizzas, while Kiwis remain out of work. The claims include fee payments of up to $30,000, alleged breaches of immigration rules, and systems that appear designed to favour overseas labour over locals. Duncan also reads messages from insiders across multiple industries, raising wider concerns about wages, standards, and trust. This episode goes beyond economics and straight into what this deal could mean socially and politically, with voters already forming opinions ahead of the next election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Six people are dead, and the questions won’t go away. On this episode of Duncan Garner: Editor in Chief, we dig into what’s being called an avoidable tragedy and why so many warnings appear to have gone unanswered. We look at the role of the council, the one-one-one system, and the decisions made years earlier that may have destabilised the land. Were people too slow to act, too afraid to make a call, or trapped in a system drowning in process and paperwork? We’re joined by Christine Rankin and Ashley Church for a frank discussion about responsibility, bureaucracy, political leadership, and whether New Zealand has lost the ability to make common-sense decisions when it matters most. We also break down the latest political poll and what it says about Labour, National, and the rise of Winston Peters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This one lit a fire. We dig deeper into the India free trade deal and the uncapped student numbers that have sparked huge backlash. An immigration insider speaks out about fraud, weak controls, and the real pressures being felt on housing, jobs, and schools. It’s raw, detailed, and confronting. We also break down the first major poll of the year, and it’s a warning sign National voters should not ignore. Labour leads, New Zealand First is surging, and the government is bleeding support in places it cannot afford to lose. The panel unpacks why expectations haven’t been met and why that disappointment matters. Plus, Ashley Church and Maurice Williamson join Duncan to talk leadership, broken promises, co-governance frustration, housing policy, and why Winston Peters is finding his moment again. A big, wide-ranging conversation about politics, trust, and what voters are really saying. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duncan Garner goes straight at a deal most people weren’t watching. Just before Christmas, New Zealand quietly agreed to a free trade deal with India. On paper it’s being sold as a win. In reality, there’s a clause that changes everything. For the first time, New Zealand has agreed to uncapped numbers of Indian students. No ceiling. No off switch. Full work rights during and after study. We dig into why Winston Peters is openly opposing the deal, why he’s calling it reckless, and why this could become a major election-year fight. We look at what this means for young Kiwis already struggling to find work, pressure on housing and infrastructure, and whether New Zealand has signed away control of its own immigration settings. This isn’t about race. It’s about public policy, sovereignty, and decisions made behind closed doors that could shape the country for decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The election date is locked in and the gun has officially been fired. November 7 is now circled, but as we head into campaign mode, the biggest issue facing New Zealand is still being quietly ignored. Chris Hipkins delivers a State of the Nation with no new policy and plenty of familiar lines. Duncan argues the real problem isn’t revenue, tax or spending. It’s courage. National superannuation is now swallowing nearly 18 percent of government spending, yet no major party is willing to confront what comes next. We also check in with Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford to see how rural New Zealand is really tracking. For the first time in a long while, farmers are doing well. Commodity prices are strong, debt is coming down and confidence is returning. So how would a change of government affect them, and does it even matter when most of their product is sold offshore? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christopher Luxon had the stage, the timing, and the attention. Election year. State of the Nation. A chance to set the agenda. And yet, nothing new landed. We unpack why the Prime Minister’s speech felt safe, steady, and completely underwhelming. From cost of living pressures and power prices to debt, borrowing, and that familiar “green shoots” language, Duncan asks the question many households are already asking around the kitchen table. Are we actually better off? Joining the discussion are Ashley Church and Ani O’Brien, who bring sharply different perspectives on strategy, substance, and whether this was deliberate discipline or a missed opportunity. There’s debate around fiscal discipline, KiwiSaver changes, housing, local government, and the political risks of playing it too safe when voters are still hurting. Find every episode and discover your next favourite podcast on the rova app or rova.nz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After two years of talk, the granny flat breakthrough is finally here. You can now build a 70 square metre flat in your backyard without resource consent or a building consent. It’s a big shift, and one that could unlock thousands of homes across the country. On this episode, Duncan breaks down why this reform matters, how it cuts straight through council red tape, and why it could be one of the most practical housing changes in years. This podcast was the first to reveal the policy back in 2024, and now it’s officially in play. Duncan is joined by Shane Jones, who explains how the change came together, why trusting licensed builders is key, and what it means for families, Māori landowners, and regional New Zealand. There’s also a wider conversation about housing supply, infrastructure, mining, fishing, and the cultural shift needed to get this country building again. Jones also talks about his desire to strike a mining deal with US President Donald Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why does the cost of living still feel out of control for so many Kiwis? And why is National struggling to convince voters they understand the pressure at the kitchen table? In this episode, Duncan Garner digs into why the government’s cost of living response has failed to land, despite repeated promises. From power prices and rates to food bills and fixed incomes, Duncan argues the real economy isn’t measured in GDP figures, but in whether households can actually pay their bills. At the centre of the episode is an email from Tony, a 77-year-old from Dunedin, whose story captures what many older New Zealanders are facing. Rising rates, soaring power bills, shrinking savings, and no meaningful relief in sight. It’s a warning for Christopher Luxon, and for Labour too. Ignore the home economy at your peril. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Hipkins, Labour, and the 2026 election take centre stage as Duncan Garner lays out why this is the year hiding is no longer an option. Labour’s polling has remained strong, with Chris Hipkins consistently rating well personally. But Duncan argues that goodwill doesn’t equal trust, and trust won’t come without hard answers. Who would sit around the Cabinet table under a Hipkins government? What role would the Greens play? How would Labour pay for its promises? And how does any of it help struggling Kiwis right now? The episode also features Shubz Live, who joins Duncan to talk about his Iwi Whakamā healing journey from Wellington to Kaitaia. Shubz addresses criticism from Māori leaders, explains why he believes media coverage has been unfair, and responds directly to allegations about his personal life. He speaks candidly about accountability, mistakes, and why he says calling out abuse of power matters more than popularity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices