Focus on Politics

The government has finally released its Defence Capability Plan, with phrases like 'enhanced lethality' and 'force multiplier' laying bare how much the strategic outlook has changed. For Focus on Politics this week, political reporter Giles Dexter digs into the plan, where the money's going, and how New Zealand's partners might respond.

The new RNZ-Reid Research Poll shows the political race has tightened since the election, but the coalition parties are still holding on to a slim lead. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch breaks down the numbers as RNZ ventures into the province of polling.

There was outrage from across the political spectrum this week, following comments by Green MP Tamatha Paul about police beat patrols making people feel "less safe". It came the same week a Justice Select Committee report stated public trust in the police is at about 68 percent. Political reporter Lillian Hanly looks back at the different perspectives on the issue.

In Focus on Politics, Anneke Smith examines the Prime Minister’s performance in India and takes a look at what the Foreign Affairs Minister got out of his talks with top US officials in Washington DC.

In Focus on Politics, RNZ's political editor Jo Moir breaks down a bad poll for the coalition, and the ongoing fallout from the school lunches programme, including new liquidation woes.

Housing advocates and those supporting homeless youth say it's now near impossible to get into emergency housing. The coalition celebrated reducing the number of households in emergency motels by 75 per cent - a target it's met five years early. But critics say homelessness has increased as a result of tougher rules. In Focus on Politics, RNZ Political Reporter Lillian Hanly takes a look at access to emergency housing, after the government tightened its criteria last August.

In Focus on Politics, RNZ's political editor Jo Moir takes a look at New Zealand’s relationship with China as three Chinese warships sit off the coast of Australia, and the Cook Islands signs new agreements with the superpower, without first consulting New Zealand. Foreign Minister was in Beijing this week for high-level meetings, and RNZ's Corin Dann was there to report from the ground.

A damning report has found the safeguards government agencies have to protect data they share with third party providers to be sorely lacking, and wide open for misuse. Allegations Census and vaccination data shared at Manurewa Marae was misused are up for further investigation, but the trust in the public service has taken a hit. For Focus on Politics this week, political reporter Giles Dexter looks at the report and its findings, and what steps the public service will take to win that trust back.

Facing falling poll numbers and focusing squarely on growth, the prime minister's agenda this week has faced multiple distractions - and they all seemed to have one name. It's a trend that seems likely to continue into the second half of the government's term. Political Reporter Russell Palmer spoke to David Seymour and Mike Munro for Focus on Politics this week about coalition dynamics.

In this week's Focus on Politics, Lillian Hanly goes to Waitangi and experiences the manaakitanga, the politics, and the ceremony of New Zealand's national day. Thousands of people make the trip north each year to the place where Te Tiriti was first signed - though this year, the prime minister was notably absent.

ACT leader David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill is being considered by the Justice Select Committee. It received an unprecedented number of written submissions and the committee made a selection to ensure hearing a broad range of views for the first sessions on the Bill. RNZ political reporter Lillian Hanly takes a look back at the first ten hours of oral submissions.