Local politics shapes everyday life and it doesn't need to be complicated or dull. Through conversations with local MPs and council leaders, the focus is on the issues affecting communities across Otaki, Mana, Kapiti, Horowhenua, and Greater Wellington. From key decisions to current challenges and what lies ahead, the conversations provide a clear and accessible look at how local politics and local government really work.
Is the Wellington region holding itself back? Penny sits down with former Porirua Mayor and Infrastructure New Zealand CEO Nick Leggett to discuss the growing push for local government reform. From council amalgamation and regional decision-making to rates, infrastructure and economic growth, Nick argues that Wellington needs to think bigger if it wants to reverse its decline and compete with other regions. Together, they explore whether a single regional council could deliver better outcomes while still protecting the voices of local communities. Find the latest political conversations from local MP's in the Otaki and Mana electorates and Local Government representatives from Kapiti and Horowhenua.
This episode was first broadcast on Coast Access Radio, a Community Access Media Alliance station amplifying the voices of Kāpiti and Horowhenua. Supported by NZ On Air. Visit coastaccessradio.org.nz
22 Jun 2026
Mayor Janet Holborow: Local Government Reform
Penny sits down with Kapiti Coast District Mayor Janet Holborow to unpack the government’s fast-tracked "Simplifying Local Government" reform package. With a tight 12-week timeline for councils to choose between driving their own destiny (the Head Start process) or letting the government decide for them (the backstop process), local authorities across New Zealand are scrambling. Find the latest political conversations from local MP's in the Otaki and Mana electorates and Local Government representatives from Kapiti and Horowhenua.
This episode was first broadcast on Coast Access Radio, a Community Access Media Alliance station amplifying the voices of Kāpiti and Horowhenua. Supported by NZ On Air. Visit coastaccessradio.org.nz
15 Jun 2026
Nick Leggett: Why New Zealand's Infrastructure Problem Isn't About Money
Penny is joined by Nick Leggett, CEO of Infrastructure New Zealand and former two-term Mayor of Porirua. They talk about why New Zealand gets such poor value from its infrastructure spending, despite ranking in the top tier of OECD countries for spend per person. From the real-world benefits of Transmission Gully and the Kāpiti Expressway, to why politicians need to get out of infrastructure decisions, to how Sweden and Norway empower local government in ways New Zealand doesn't. This is a conversation that connects the roads we drive on to the kind of country we want to be. Find the latest political conversations from local MP's in the Otaki and Mana electorates and Local Government representatives from Kapiti and Horowhenua.
This episode was first broadcast on Coast Access Radio, a Community Access Media Alliance station amplifying the voices of Kāpiti and Horowhenua. Supported by NZ On Air. Visit coastaccessradio.org.nz
Who has been a guest on A Political Point of View
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Daran Ponter
Dr Margaret Hayward
Jenny Rowan
Tim Costley
Janet Holborow
Podcast Authority Score: 34 / 100
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