
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
More episodes of Gone By Lunchtime
- Hardcore lobbying and the emotional senior staffer · June 5, 2026 · 49 min
- Budget special with Bernard Hickey · May 28, 2026 · 35 min
- Live at Auckland Writers Festival with Tova O'Brien guest star · May 21, 2026 · 1h 6m
- Jane Wrightson on Super squabbles, Seymour and the state of the media · May 18, 2026 · 43 min
- The book everyone, politicians especially, should read in 2026 · May 12, 2026 · 39 min
- The deepest breach in the Luxon coalition, and a National reboot · May 6, 2026 · 56 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Gone By Lunchtime podcast page.