Q+a

With the three candidates leading Wellington's mayoral race, Commissioner of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori Professor Rawinia Higgins, Labour MP for Manurewa Arena Williams, and former Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt.

2025 marks 50 years since the first Māori Language Week. Professor Rawinia Higgins is the Chair of Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori, the Māori Language Commission. . She reflects on the difference between the public and the Government's attitudes toward te reo, and gives a vision for the future of the language. . 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.

Former Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt introduced stringent legislation in his country to reduce access to vapes. But since 2024, a black market for vapes has been growing in Australia. Hunt told Q+A he still believed he made the right call, based on medical evidence: "We will see over the coming decades, just as we did with cigarettes, some catastrophic health outcomes, people dying difficult deaths." . Hunt also reflected on Australia's Covid-19 response, the tensions between public and private healthcare, and New Zealand's climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. . 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.

As an economically depressed Wellington faces a myriad of challenges — from ageing infrastructure, rising rates, debates about heritage, and a seemingly omnipresent earthquake risk — who is best placed to lead the city? . Q+A, with Verian Public, polled Wellington voters in early September about who they want their next mayor to be. In the face of questions about Wellington City Council's governance capabilities, one candidate is outpolling the rest by a significant margin. . 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.

With 1News political editor Maiki Sherman, former Reserve Bank chair Arthur Grimes, former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer, and Housing Minister Chris Bishop.

Further revelations, first reported by the Spinoff, show the Reserve Bank of New Zealand failed to publicly disclose a meeting held at the time it was disputing its funding with the government. It follows the resignation of Governor Adrian Orr and former board chair Neil Quigley. Q+A asked former Reserve Bank chair Arthur Grimes about how the saga has impacted the Reserve Bank's standing, and whether Kiwis should be concerned about political interference in monetary policy.

Te Pāti Māori's Oriini Kaipara has won decisively over Labour's Peeni Henare to become Tāmaki Makaurau's next MP. 1News Political Editor Maiki Sherman analyses the results, how Te Pāti Māori's social media game has encouraged people to go out and vote, what it could mean for Labour ahead of next year's election, and why voter turnout remained so low.

Full interview: Former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer has dedicated much of his life to democracy. But now, with democracy seemingly in decline around the world, he says New Zealand needs to act in order to strengthen our government and society. His new book How to Save Democracy in Aotearoa New Zealand reflects on the reasons behind people's unhappiness with democracy, and how to fix it.

With Oriini Kaipara, Peeni Henare, and Teanau Tuiono

Te Pāti Māori candidate for the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election Oriini Kaipara explains why she thinks she’s the best choice for voters in the electorate. But her comments also include an unconventional endorsement for her opponent, Labour’s Peeni Henare, for an even bigger job. 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 MP and candidate for the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election Peeni Henare explains why he thinks the electorate’s voters should put him back in to the seat he previously held for three terms, before losing in 2023. 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.

Polls are about to open in the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election, triggered by the death of Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp. . There are five candidates contesting the seat, including former broadcaster Oriini Kaipara for Te Pāti Māori and former Labour Cabinet Minister Peeni Henare. Te Aniwa Hurihanganui, 1News' Māori Affairs Correspondent, gives her analysis of the race. . Advance voting starts on August 25. Voters have until 7pm September 6 to cast their ballots. . 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 head of Open AI, the creator of ChatGPT, says the world may be in the midst of an AI bubble. Sam Altman's warning coincides with a new report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which found that for the tens of billions of dollars spent by companies investing in AI pilots, 95% have seen no boost to profits at all. . Victoria University's Dr Andrew Lensen says it's important not to blindly give into the hype around generative AI. . 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.

With Australia National University senior lecturer Dr Anas Iqtait, Whena Owen following up on access to Cape Palliser, Victoria University's Dr Andrew Lensen, Bagrie Economics chief economist Cameron Bagrie, and 1News' Te Aniwa Hurihanganui.

Dr Anas Iqtait is a senior lecturer at the Australian National University and author of Funding and the Quest for Sovereignty in Palestine. He tells Q+A it won't make much difference to everyday Palestinians if a state is recognised by Western nations. Iqtait says it's more important for countries like New Zealand to take a "rights-based approach".

Bagrie Economics chief economist Cameron Bagrie speaks to Q+A about the economic situation New Zealand is in, and what levers could be pulled to get the country out of the malaise. However, Bagrie says some of the levers that have been pulled in previous downturns might not be available now. 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.

With former finance minister Grant Robertson, 1News US correspondent Logan Church, Young Farmer of the Year Hugh Jackson, and Whena Owen on the Cape Palliser coast.

In a turbulent world of trade tensions, ever-changing tech, and climate change, what are the keys to keeping New Zealand's next generation on the farm? Q+A visited Hugh Jackson, the newly crowned Young Farmer of the Year, on his family's sheep and beef farm in Te Akau, north of Raglan. He says while the rural sector has performed strongly in recent times, he's well aware that won't always be the case.

Grant Robertson retired from politics in early 2024 to take up a new job as Otago University's Vice-Chancellor. He was back in the headlines this week after declining to show up to in-person hearings for the Covid-19 inquiry's second phase. The former Finance Minister spoke to Q+A about that decision and why he doesn't regret the Labour Government's spending decisions during the pandemic. Robertson, who is about to release his memoir Anything Could Happen, also reflects on the impact his sexuality had on his political career.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due in Washington DC next week, as US President Donald Trump wraps up his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 1News' US Correspondent Logan Church speaks to Q+A from Anchorage, Alaska. He says it's not clear if anything tangible was achieved from the Trump-Putin summit. As Trump himself said: “There were many, many points that we agreed on, most of them, I would say a couple of big ones that we haven't quite got there, but we've made some headway."