Shows / Public Interest
Public Interest
Making sense of politics, power and the economy in Aotearoa NZ. Independent, accessible, audience-funded.
Episodes
Public InterestUndercurrents: What is the legacy of the coalition government?
Three years ago, Christopher Luxon came to power promising to get New Zealand back on track. Has the coalition government achieved that goal? In this episode…
Public InterestWho Broke My City: Why are we so obsessed with car parks?
Why does parking make everyone so angry? From speed bumps and yellow lines to cycleways and resident parking, few issues generate more outrage in local…
Public InterestIn Brief: How New Zealand's tax system favours the rich
New research finds New Zealand's wealthiest families pay less than half the effective tax rate of ordinary New Zealanders – and the gap is growing. Economist…
Public InterestThe State of It: Guy and Avi take on the Rich List
New Zealand's economy is struggling, but the country's richest people have never been wealthier. So what's going on? And how much money is too much money? This…
Public InterestIn Brief: Whose supermarket policy is best?
All the parties this election are promising action to bring down the price of groceries. So whose plan is best? Economist Geoff Bertram joins Ollie Neas to…
Public InterestIn Brief: Are New Zealand hospitals being deliberately understaffed?
Doctors and nurses are sounding the alarm about chronic understaffing in New Zealand's public hospitals, with growing waiting lists and patients missing out on…
Public InterestUndercurrents: Can Te Tiriti help us build a different economy? | Part 2
Can Māori economic sovereignty be meaningfully realised within capitalism? Or does honouring Te Tiriti require us to rethink the foundations of our economic…
Public InterestUndercurrents: Can Te Tiriti help us build a different economy? | Part 1
What does capitalism have to do with the colonisation of Aotearoa? And what did Te Tiriti promise Māori in terms of economic sovereignty? In part one of this…
Public InterestThe State of It: Guy and Avi fix the economy
Why is everything so expensive? And who's getting rich while the rest of us struggle to pay the bills? This week on The State of It, comedian Guy Williams and…
Public InterestIn Brief: Can the Alliance bring back socialism?
The Alliance Party is back – and it wants to bring socialism back to New Zealand politics. But is there room for another party on the left? Ollie Neas speaks…
Public InterestThe State of It: Guy and Avi solve crime
Watch the first episode of The State of It, a new show from Public Interest featuring comedian Guy Williams and researcher Avigail Allan. Join Guy and Avi as…
Public InterestWho Broke My City: What’s behind National’s war on councils?
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…
Public InterestUndercurrents: How do you manufacture a movement? Nicky Hager on Dirty Work
How do you manufacture a political movement? Ollie Neas talks to investigative journalist Nicky Hager about his new book Dirty Work, which investigates the…
Public InterestIn Brief: Chlöe Swarbrick on capitalism, democracy and the Greens’ path to power
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…
Public InterestUndercurrents: Why did Ardern’s government fall short?
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…
Public InterestIn Brief: Professor Nigel French on bird flu, climate change and the next pandemic
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…
Public InterestUndercurrents: What does the right really want?
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…
Public InterestIn Brief: Bernard Hickey on Labour’s fiscal straitjacket
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…
Public InterestIn Brief: Qiulae Wong on what Opportunity really stands for
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…
Public InterestIn Brief: Is it really a renter’s market?
As rents fall in parts of New Zealand, some have claimed we’re finally in a “renter’s market”. But the bigger picture tells a different story: rents increased…
Public InterestUndercurrents: What can New Zealand learn from Mamdani and the DSA?
The Democratic Socialists of America is winning elections and building political power across the United States. What explains its success – and could…
Public InterestIn Brief: Are Rocket Lab launches helping Israel target Gaza?
A new lawsuit alleges satellites launched from New Zealand by Rocket Lab may be providing intelligence used by Israel in Gaza.Ollie Neas speaks to plaintiff…
Public InterestIn Brief: Marilyn Waring on pay equity and the value of women’s work
More than a year after the government’s shock rewrite of New Zealand’s pay equity laws, the fight over the value of women’s work continues. Dame Marilyn Waring…
Public InterestUndercurrents: Is big agriculture holding New Zealand hostage?
Is farming really the backbone of the New Zealand economy? In this episode of Undercurrents, Ollie Neas speaks with freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy and…
Public InterestIn Brief: Why are we panicking about superannuation?
A growing chorus of voices is arguing that New Zealand simply cannot afford universal superannuation any longer. But is this true? In this episode of Public…
Public InterestIn Brief: Abby Martin on Earth’s Greatest Enemy
The climate crisis and war are usually treated as separate issues. Journalist Abby Martin argues they're inseparable. In this episode, Ollie Neas speaks to…
Public InterestUndercurrents: Who really pays for inflation? Geoff Bertram Part 2
How should governments respond when prices rise – and who bears the cost? In part two of this special two-part episode of Undercurrents, Ollie Neas talks to…
Public InterestUndercurrents: Why is New Zealand so expensive? Geoff Bertram Part 1
Why is life becoming more expensive? Politicians often blame inflation, global shocks or government spending. But what if the roots of New Zealand's cost of…
Public InterestIn Brief: How the media reached crisis point
Newsrooms are shrinking, public media is facing renewed political attacks, and ownership of commercial media is becoming increasingly concentrated. So what…
Public InterestIn Brief: Is Christchurch about to privatise its port?
A proposal to lease the operation of Lyttelton Port to a consortium led by global ports giant DP World has raised concern over the future of one of…
Public InterestUndercurrents: What’s the government’s real education agenda?
The coalition government is radically reshaping New Zealand’s education system –overhauling the curriculum, scrapping NCEA, re-establishing charter schools and…
Public InterestIn Brief: What’s behind the health and safety reforms nobody wants?
Why is the government pushing health and safety reforms that even many businesses oppose? Journalist Rebecca Macfie joins Public Interest to unpack the…
Public InterestIn Brief: Government backs down on conservation land. Is the fight really over?
The government is backing down on the most controversial part of its proposed conservation reforms. But Forest & Bird says the Conservation Amendment Bill…
Public InterestUndercurrents: Are the unions back?
In the face of a sweeping assault on workers’ rights, New Zealand’s unions seem to have found renewed confidence. But are we witnessing a genuine union…
Public InterestIn Brief: What does the Rich List say about New Zealand?
The NBR's annual Rich List has revealed that the wealth of New Zealand's richest 134 people has surged from $102 billion to $129 billion in just one year. So…
Public InterestIn Brief: Max Harris on Labour, Rogernomics and the 2026 election
This week Labour unveiled its candidate list for the 2026 election, with lawyer, activist and writer Max Harris among the most prominent new additions. In this…
Public InterestUndercurrents: Who really benefits from tough on crime?
Why do politicians keep promising to be "tough on crime" when the evidence says it doesn't make us safer? This week on Undercurrents, Ollie Neas is joined by…
Public InterestIn Brief: A landmark corruption scandal? Bryce Edwards on the climate lobbying cover-up
The climate lobbying scandal has rapidly become one of the biggest political stories of the year. Bryce Edwards joins Public Interest to unpack the revelations…
Public InterestIn Brief: What the government doesn’t want you to know about Budget 2026
The government says Budget 2026 is about responsible economic management: tighter spending, lower debt, and a return to surplus. But what if the problem with…
Public InterestUndercurrents: Can the climate movement fight back?
For a moment in 2019, it felt like something was changing as millions around the world took to the streets demanding climate action. But seven years on…
Public InterestIn Brief: Inside the fight over outsourcing in Wellington
Wellington’s councils are under immense pressure. Rates are rising, infrastructure is failing, and public trust in council delivery has been badly damaged by a…
Public InterestIn Brief: What the end of fees-free means for NZ’s polytechs and unis
The coalition Government’s decision to scrap the fees-free tertiary education scheme has sparked a fierce debate about student debt, access to university, and…
Public InterestUndercurrents: Who broke NZ's health system? Rob Campbell and Justine Sachs talk with Ollie Neas
New Zealand's health system is supposed to be based on a simple idea: care based on need, not wealth. But today that model is under growing pressure as senior…
Public InterestUndercurrents: Who's to blame for the energy crisis?
It’s been two months since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, triggering an Iranian retaliation which has resulted in the blockade of the Strait of…
Public InterestUndercurrents: Why is Luxon's government so unpopular?
Never before in New Zealand history has there been a one-term National government. But this year might be different. If the opinion polls are to be believed…