Q+A with Jack Tame

Qiulae Wong's plan for future political decision-making In under a year, Qiulae Wong has turned around the prospects of the Opportunity Party. Current polling - ranging from 4.8 to 8 percent support - points to the party making history on November 7 as the first genuinely new entrant into New Zealand's Parliament since the MMP electoral system was first used in 1996. Qiulae Wong joins Jack Tame to launch Opportunity's final policy of the election period: the creation of a Parliamentary Commissioner to guide lawmakers to make policy in the interests of future generations. Last minute surge? Elections boss makes final enrolment plea With enrolment closing at midnight tonight, New Zealand voters are being urged to update their details online or find one of the enrolment hubs popping up across the country. At last count, youth enrolment is lagging behind the 2023 rates, with more than 100,000 eligible 18-24 year-olds set to be unable to vote. Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne joins Jack Tame. Disinformation and parties' social media focus of NZ election study Political parties rely on having direct access to voters through social media. And thanks to the power of social media algorithms, it's not just their dyed-in-the-wool supporters they can reach with their messages. Mona Krewel, the director of Victoria University of Wellington's Internet, Social Media and Politics Research Lab and leader of the New Zealand Social Media Study, joins Jack Tame. Election 2026: The race for one of the bluest seats in NZ Waitaki is known to be one of the National Party's strongholds, but with politican veterans Damien O'Connor from Labour and Michael Laws from New Zealand First challenging incumbent Miles Anderson, the race is heating up. Sam Olley reports. Friend or foe? America's foreign policy future Zack Cooper is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and the Sir Howard Kippengerger Chair at Victoria University's Centre for Strategic Studies. He joins Jack Tame in the lead-up to the US' midterm elections, which polling suggests will see the Republic Party seriously dented. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Political parties rely on having direct access to voters through social media. And thanks to the power of social media algorithms, it's not just their dyed-in-the-wool supporters they can reach with their messages. Mona Krewel, the director of Victoria University of Wellington's Internet, Social Media and Politics Research Lab and leader of the New Zealand Social Media Study, joins Jack Tame. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

In under a year, Qiulae Wong has turned around the prospects of the Opportunity Party. Current polling - ranging from 4.8 to 8 percent support - points to the party making history on November 7 as the first genuinely new entrant into New Zealand's Parliament since the MMP electoral system was first used in 1996. Qiulae Wong joins Jack Tame to launch Opportunity's final policy of the election period: the creation of a Parliamentary Commissioner to guide lawmakers to make policy in the interests of future generations. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Chris Hipkins: The issues that will decide this election Labour leader Chris Hipkins wants to make history as the first prime minister since Keith Holyoake in the sixties to be returned as prime minister following an electoral defeat. He joins Jack Tame for his last Q+A interview before the general election on November 7 to explain how Labour will free up more than 2 million GP appointments annually through phone triage, his pitch for giving schools the discretion to decide how many hours of maths, reading and writing their students are taught per day, and how he wants voters to reflect on his performance come election day. Election 2026: High-ranking MPs' do-or-die race Labour MP Trevor Mallard held the seat for more than 20 years - but since 2017, Hutt South has flipped between National's Chris Bishop and Labour's Ginny Andersen. It's a fierce contest with high stakes: if Bishop loses the seat, currently held with a slim 1,332-vote margin, the front-bench government minister will have to rely on getting in on the National list - and that's no sure bet. Whena Owen reports. Tākuta Ferris on Te Pāti Māori split and independent campaign The last time an independent was elected as an MP was 1993. After a public split from Te Pāti Māori in 2025, MP for Te Tai Tonga Tākuta Ferris is looking to make history by defending his seat as an independent. Election 2026: Red, blue or green for central city seat? With incumbent Labour MP Duncan Webb retiring, Christchurch Central is up for grabs. New Labour candidate George Hampton, long-standing National candidate Dale Stephens, and Green MP Kahurangi Carter are all on a mission to convince voters that they're up for the job. Ryan Boswell reports. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

The last time an independent was elected as an MP was 1993. After a public split from Te Pāti Māori in 2025, MP for Te Tai Tonga Tākuta Ferris is looking to make history by defending his seat as an independent. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins wants to make history as the first prime minister since Keith Holyoake in the sixties to be returned as prime minister following an electoral defeat. He joins Jack Tame for his last Q+A interview before the general election on November 7 to explain how Labour will free up more than 2 million GP appointments annually through phone triage, his pitch for giving schools the discretion to decide how many hours of maths, reading and writing their students are taught per day, and how he wants voters to reflect on his performance come election day. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

From behind the scenes, Andrew Campbell ran government communications during one of the most turbulent periods of New Zealand history. His new book, In The Room, charts his time as chief press secretary to then-prime minister Jacinda Ardern: through the eruption at Whakaari/White Island, the March 15 attacks, and the government's Covid-19 response. Now based in the UK, Campbell sat down with Jack Tame ahead of the book's release. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

NZ First deputy leader - and the minister for resources, fisheries, and regional development - Shane Jones joins Jack Tame to outline his party's record in government and policies for the election. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Legal scholar and Auckland University professor Claire Charters joins Q+A to discuss her new book Sovereignty: The Case for Constitutional Transformation, which argues that the legitimacy of the New Zealand state rests on illegal foundations. It comes after heated debates over the role of iwi co-governance and Māori decision making. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

What local councils can and can't do has chopped and changed in recent years. As this parliamentary term comes to a close, local government leaders have grappled with new fast-track legislation, a rates cap of two to four percent on the horizon, and after rushing to put together amalgamation proposals, the work has abruptly stopped, with the future uncertain. Local Government New Zealand president and Mayor of Gisborne Rehette Stoltz, former minister for local government and former commissioner for Tauranga City Council Anne Tolley, and Matamata-Piako mayor Ash Tanner join Simon Mercep to share their experiences of working for ratepayers while operating within the parameters set for them from Wellington. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

Marama Davidson on Greens' super-rich tax, KiwiMart, and working with National After scandal and tragedy saw five Green MPs leave parliament before the end of the term, the Green Party 'reset' in late 2025. Now, the Greens are polling higher than their 2023 general election result and are campaigning to keep their historic three electorate seats. Their KiwiMart policy - a government owned supermarket chain introduced to break up the Foodstuffs and Woolworths duopoly - promises lower grocery prices, but they won't be drawn on a dollar figure saving. And while a wealth tax has been rubbished by both National and Labour, making it unlikely to become government policy, an Ipsos survey found two thirds of New Zealanders support it. Co-leader Marama Davidson joins Q+A for the first leader interview this election season. Commerce Commission boss reveals $360 million bid-rigging problem A Commerce Commission investigation into government procurement has indicated nearly one million dollars a day in public spending is lost through bid-rigging practices. Chair John Small says these contracts can go unnoticed, and it takes whistle-blowers inside the offending firms calling out anti-competitive behaviour in order for any action to be taken. John Small joins Jack Tame to explain the Commission's findings and to reflect on an election period dominated by competition policy, especially around supermarkets. Election 2026: The 'lucky' electorate with a four-way race After a dramatic year of internal party turmoil, voters in New Zealand's northern-most Māori seat will have the choice of four high-profile candidates come November: incumbent and former Te Pāti Māori candidate Mariameno Kapa-Kingi of the newly-formed Te Tai Tokerau Party, Te Pāti Māori's new candidate Aperahama Edwards, Labour's Willow-Jean Prime, and the Green Party's Huhana Lyndon. Reporter Whena Owen heads up north to meet them. Election 2026: How Auckland holds the keys to the next parliament Auckland alone provides $172 billion of GDP and accounts for 37 percent of New Zealand's economy. It's little wonder then that political parties of all stripes will be wanting to convince the city's 1.1 million voters that they have the best vision for the future of the country. 1News business correspondent Jason Walls reports. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

A Commerce Commission investigation into government procurement has indicated nearly one million dollars a day in public spending is lost through bid-rigging practices. Chair John Small says these contracts can go unnoticed, and it takes whistle-blowers inside the offending firms calling out anti-competitive behaviour in order for any action to be taken. John Small joins Jack Tame to explain the Commission's findings and to reflect on an election period dominated by competition policy, especially around supermarkets. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

After scandal and tragedy saw five Green MPs leave parliament before the end of the term, the Green Party 'reset' in late 2025. Now, the Greens are polling higher than their 2023 general election result and are campaigning to keep their historic three electorate seats. Their KiwiMart policy - a government owned supermarket chain introduced to break up the Foodstuffs and Woolworths duopoly - promises lower grocery prices, but they won't be drawn on a dollar figure saving. And while a wealth tax has been rubbished by both National and Labour, making it unlikely to become government policy, an Ipsos survey found two thirds of New Zealanders support it. Co-leader Marama Davidson joins Q+A for the first leader interview this election season. Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.