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Recent items from Focus on Politics
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Focus on Politics: Pacific Mission 2018
6:38 PM.Jacinda Ardern has spent the week island-hopping in the Pacific - a whirlwind trip, meeting four nations' leaders and dishing out millions in aid. It was Ms Ardern's first trip to the region as Prime… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics: Meet Simon Bridges
6:38 PM.The National Party has a new leader - Simon Bridges. He's 41, married with three young children and while brought up in West Auckland, is currently the MP for Tauranga. Mr Bridges was a senior… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics: Tropical Cyclone Gita
6:38 PM.The remnants of Tropical Cyclone Gita ripped through central New Zealand this week, cutting off communities, closing roads and wreaking havoc for the upper south island. It's not the first bad storm… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics: National's leadership race
6:38 PM.For the second time in less than 18 months, the National Party is in the throes of a leadership contest. The party's leader, Bill English, announced on Tuesday that he would resign at the end of this… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics: Waitangi 2018
6:38 PM.This year's commemorations at Waitangi have been widely heralded as a huge success - there were record crowds enjoying the music, food and korero. Politicians are formally welcomed to Waitangi on… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics: Medicinal cannabis
6:38 PM.Two pieces of legislation on medicinal cannabis have been before Parliament this week, raising questions about who should be allowed to grow and access the drug. A Government bill, which lays the… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics: Out the starting blocks
5:30 PM.The Government is wasting no time as the political year begins, rolling out announcements as its self-imposed 100-day deadline looms. The week also included the annual pilgrimage to Ratana Pa - the… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics for 22 December 2017
6:40 PM.It's been a whirlwind year for the Labour party leader and now Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. Audio
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Focus on Politics for 15 December 2017
6:38 PM.The National Party is finding its feet in opposition after nine years in Government. After winning 44 percent of the party vote at September's election, seven percentage points more than Labour -… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics for 8 December 2017
6:38 PM.While different parties have flagged work schemes for the young unemployed in the past, talk about a 'work for the dole' programme from the New Zealand First minister Shane Jones has put the cat among… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics for 1 December 2017
6:38 PM.The Government came under fire this week for refusing to release documents put together during the coalition talks. The 33-pages of notes are locked in a safe in the New Zealand First offices, and the… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics for 24 November 2017
6:38 PM.Tax was front and centre during the election campaign, particularly as it was the main focus of National's attack-ads on Labour. At the heart of this was Labour's policy to put together a Working… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics for 17 November 2017
6:45 PM.Much of the political focus has been at the high powered economic APEC and East Asia Summits this week, with the Prime Minister Jacinda Adern's first major foray onto the world stage. Back home… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics for 11 November 2017
6:30 PM.The 52nd Parliament is now under way and the Government's first law change is making its way through the house, but the coalition's start has not been without a few teething pains. Audio
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Focus on Politics for 3 November 2017
6:30 PM.Ministers in the new Government are getting their feet under their desks, reading briefings and preparing for what will be a busy Parliamentary term. The house will begin sitting this week as the… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics for 27 October 2017
6:38 PM.The new government is now in place, after party deals have been revealed, portfolios allocated and new ministers sworn-in. There's been a flurry of activity at Parliament this past week as the… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics for 20 October 2017
6:50 PM.The wait, at last, is over - after 26 days, the public has finally learned who will lead the next government - the Labour Party's leader Jacinda Ardern. On Thursday evening, Winston Peters announced… Read more Audio
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Focus on Politics for 13 October 2017
6:38 PM.It's been three weeks since New Zealand went to the polls, a week since the final election result was announced and the writ has been returned, but there is still no Government in sight. New Zealand… Read more Audio
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The final result puts two newcomers in Parliament
5:24 PM.National's Nicola Willis and Maureen Pugh have both lost their seats. However, Labour's Angie Warren-Clark and and human rights lawyer and Green candidate Golriz Ghahraman will now be coming to… Read more Audio
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James Shaw hopes for a three-way coalition
5:21 PM.In the final result, the Green Party picked up an extra seat, to take its total up from seven on election night, to eight. Audio
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Ardern says the final results strengthen Labour's mandate
5:17 PM.Labour leader Jacinda Ardern says the final election results give her party a strengthened mandate to continue with coalition negotiations. Audio
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Bill English says National still best placed to lead
5:14 PM.The National Party leader Bill English spoke to reporters at Lake Hayes. Audio
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Colin James crunches the numbers
5:10 PM.Veteran political journalist Colin James crunches the numbers. Audio
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Focus on Politics for 6 October 2017
6:38 PM.Perhaps the biggest upset of the election was the Maori Party's exit from Parliament as voters abandoned the party for Labour. In a shock few saw coming, co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell lost his 12-year… Read more Audio