Episode 4: One for a Party, One for a Person
From Juggernaut 2: The Story of the Fourth National Government by The Spinoff
November 24, 2025 · 1h 7m · Season 2 · Episode 4
About this episode
This episode explores the events leading to the adoption of proportional representation in New Zealand and the political landscape that emerged from it.
It took an extraordinary cocktail of events to bring proportional representation to New Zealand – everything from political cock-ups to public screams of resentment. This is the story of a country that decides to tear up its electoral plumbing – and what it does next. As the country chooses MMP, it also puts Jim Bolger back in power, but by the very narrowest of margins. Winston Peters and Jim Anderton thrive, small, splinter parties proliferate, and the old guard scrambles to prepare for the new world. For the first time, voters get those two ticks, and you’ll never guess who wins the balance of power and keeps the country hanging on which way he’ll go. The fourth episode of Juggernaut 2: The Story of the Fourth National Government includes new and exclusive interviews with Jim Bolger, Tau Henare, Helen Clark, Sandra Lee-Vercoe, Rob Eaddy, Jenny Shipley and more. Click here for full details of archive material used in this series Juggernaut 2 was made with the support of NZ On Air. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
People in this episode
Guest: Jim Bolger
Topics covered
- proportional representation
- New Zealand politics
- MMP
- electoral reform
- political parties
- balance of power
Keywords
- proportional representation
- New Zealand
- MMP
- Jim Bolger
- Winston Peters
- political parties
- electoral reform
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NZ On Air
More episodes of Juggernaut 2: The Story of the Fourth National Government
- Episode 6: The Prime Minister Is Not a Person · December 8, 2025 · 1h 2m
- Episode 5: The Seven Generations Fight · December 1, 2025 · 1h 2m
- Episode 3: Bugger the Pollsters · November 17, 2025 · 53 min
- Episode 2: The Mother of All Budgets · November 10, 2025 · 51 min
- Episode 1: A Decent Society · November 10, 2025 · 49 min
- Juggernaut 2: Out now · October 19, 2025 · 1 min
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