The force majeure election

The force majeure election

From Gone By Lunchtime by The Spinoff

April 9, 2026 · 41 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of Donald Trump's shifting stance on Iran, the impact of Cyclone Vaianu on New Zealand, and various political maneuvers within the New Zealand government.

Donald Trump has gone within hours from genocidal threats against Iran to talking about a joint venture with Tehran tolling the Strait of Hormuz. A fragile ceasefire is very good news, but the havoc is set to continue to flow down into the New Zealand economy. Now with the perilous Cyclone Vaianu bearing down on New Zealand, perhaps the government should just declare it a force majeure election. Toby, Annabelle and Ben gather to discuss the swirling crises, Winston Peters' encounter with Marco Rubio at the State Department in Washington, and whether the government is getting its response right. Plus: is it "overthinking" to detect some retribution in Christopher Luxon's decision to strip the roles of leader of the house and campaign chair from Chris Bishop, how might Simeon Brown adjust the campaign rudder, and did the PM really just forget about Tama Potaka? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Hosts: Toby, Annabelle, Ben

Topics covered

  • politics
  • elections
  • international relations
  • New Zealand economy
  • crisis management
  • government response

Keywords

  • Donald Trump
  • Iran
  • New Zealand
  • Cyclone Vaianu
  • Winston Peters
  • Christopher Luxon
  • politics
  • government response

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: State Department

Places: New Zealand, Iran, Tehran, Strait of Hormuz

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