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Public Interest

by Public Interest

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About the show

Making sense of politics, power and the economy in Aotearoa NZ. Independent, accessible, audience-funded.

Latest episodes

  • Who Broke My City: What’s behind National’s war on councils?

    October 11, 2026 · 33 min

    National said urgent changes to local democracy were needed to lower costs and fix the basics. Then, just two months out from an election, it abruptly halted its council amalgamation plans, deferring decisions until after the election. So…

  • Undercurrents: How do you manufacture a movement? Nicky Hager on Dirty Work

    October 6, 2026 · 59 min

    How do you manufacture a political movement? Ollie Neas talks to investigative journalist Nicky Hager about his new book Dirty Work, which investigates the Taxpayers’ Union and a network of lobby and campaign groups that Hager argues have…

  • In Brief: Chlöe Swarbrick on capitalism, democracy and the Greens’ path to power

    September 30, 2026 · 35 min

    Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick wants the Greens to become the largest party of the left. But what would it take to get there? Ollie Neas talks to Swarbrick about the Greens’ changing politics, economic inequality, corporate power…

  • Undercurrents: Why did Ardern’s government fall short?

    September 24, 2026 · 1 hr 27 min

    Nearly a decade after Jacinda Ardern swept into office promising transformation, what can we learn from where her government fell short? Ollie Neas talks to economist Dr Geoff Bertram about the weakening of the New Zealand state, the…

  • In Brief: Professor Nigel French on bird flu, climate change and the next pandemic

    September 15, 2026 · 24 min

    Bird flu has reached New Zealand. Ollie Neas talks to epidemiologist Professor Nigel French about the threat H5N1 poses to New Zealand, how prepared we are for an outbreak, and why climate change, intensive agriculture and other human…

  • Undercurrents: What does the right really want?

    September 11, 2026 · 50 min

    Around the world the centre-right is collapsing and the far-right is insurgent. Is the same about to happen here in New Zealand? Ollie Neas is joined by political commentator Bryce Edwards and Massey University associate professor Sean…

  • In Brief: Bernard Hickey on Labour’s fiscal straitjacket

    September 8, 2026 · 54 min

    Labour says New Zealand’s economy is no longer working for ordinary people. But do its new fiscal rules leave it enough room to actually change things? Ollie Neas talks to journalist and commentator Bernard Hickey about Labour’s new fiscal…

  • In Brief: Qiulae Wong on what Opportunity really stands for

    August 28, 2026 · 45 min

    The Opportunity Party could decide the next government. But what does it actually stand for? Ollie Neas sits down with party leader Qiulae Wong to discuss whether Opportunity is really left-wing or right-wing, why she thinks New Zealand is…