A weekly podcast about the political landscape in New Zealand and around the world. Proudly going beyond the headlines, looking at the structural challenges, challenging the status quo and explaining our place in the complex geopolitical stage. Hosted by Phil Goff and Chris Finlayson. <br/><br/><a href="https://crosspartylines.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">crosspartylines.substack.com</a>
Cross Party Lines
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32 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview
A weekly podcast about the political landscape in New Zealand and around the world. Proudly going beyond the headlines, looking at the structural challenges, challenging the status quo and explaining our place in the complex geopolitical stage. Hosted by Phil Goff and Chris Finlayson. <br/><br/><a href="https://crosspartylines.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">crosspartylines.substack.com</a>
Language
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Publishing Since
10/29/2025
1 verified contact email on file for Cross Party Lines
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Recent Episodes
May 25, 2026
Cuts, Culture Wars and the Cost of a Frigate
<p>Hosted by <strong>Phil Goff</strong> and <strong>Chris Finlayson</strong>, <strong>Cross Party Lines</strong> dive into a budget week episode that is almost entirely domestic: 8,700 public service jobs cut, state house rents going up, culture war bills clogging Parliament, and a defence announcement both men broadly welcome but want to interrogate.</p><p>Cross Party Lines is made possible by <a target="_blank" href="http://frankrisk.co.nz">Frank Risk Management</a>, the 100% Kiwi owned insurance brokerage.</p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><p>* <strong>8,700 jobs — efficiency or ideology dressed as savings?</strong> — The government’s announcement of a 14% public service reduction draws a forensic and at times sharp response from both sides. Phil’s theory: this was never about efficiency — it was about finding $2.5 billion before the credit rating agencies moved again, and the justification was built around the number, not the other way around.</p><p>* <strong>Social housing - who pays the bill?</strong>— The social housing changes draw Phil’s sharpest words of the episode: $31 a week more from people who are, by definition, at the bottom of New Zealand’s social and economic heap. Chris asks whether Margaret Thatcher had a good idea selling council houses to their occupiers and we pass judgment on Nicola Willis’ “lotto” comment.</p><p>* <strong>Defence — necessary, expensive and long overdue</strong> — The pre-budget defence announcement draws broad agreement: New Zealand spent two decades at 1% of GDP on defence during what Helen Clark correctly called a strategically benign environment. That environment no longer exists. The frigates are nearly 30 years old. Ships sit at Devonport without enough crew to sail them. Any government serious about defence has to make the career attractive enough to keep the sergeant majors you can’t simply replace.</p><p>Along the way: a tribute to Jules Topp, Stuart Nash’s road-to-Damascus conversion to New Zealand First forensically dismantled, ministerial housing horror stories including Phil’s garage demolished by the USA and Chris tormenting Annette King about childhood dentistry</p><p><strong>Cross Party Lines</strong> exists to lift political literacy and create space for calm, good-faith political conversation. New episodes every Tuesday. If you value thoughtful debate, follow the podcast and share it with someone who might too.</p><p><strong>Live shows announced</strong> — Auckland 8 August, Wellington 12 August. Podcast listeners get early access to tickets next week.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://crosspartylines.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">crosspartylines.substack.com</a>
May 18, 2026
Budgets, Basics and Bilaterals
<p>Hosted by <strong>Phil Goff</strong> and <strong>Chris Finlayson</strong>, <strong>Cross Party Lines</strong> returns — fresh off the stage at Featherston — for an episode that opens with a tribute to one of New Zealand’s greatest legal minds and moves through a week of elections, populist tremors and an education debate that has been going around in circles since the 1990s.</p><p>Thanks to <a target="_blank" href="http://frankrisk.co.nz">Frank Risk Management</a>, the 100% Kiwi owned insurance brokerage.</p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><p>* <strong>The Trump-Xi summit — pomp, ceremony and a ridiculous mouse</strong> — Chris reaches for the Latin poet Horace to deliver his verdict: all the hype, all the ceremony, and nothing of substance emerged. No breakthrough on Taiwan, 200 Boeings ordered instead of the promised 500, and none of the Nixonian moment that a genuine Sino-American summit could have been.</p><p>* <strong>The pre-budget squeeze — $300 million less and nowhere to hide</strong> — The government has cut its operational allowance from $2.4 billion to $2.1 billion, meaning $300 million less new spending in a budget that already has to find money for defence, health, education and law and order. Phil is blunt: there will be cuts, the lolly scramble is off, and Labour faces the same fiscal straitjacket as the government it hopes to replace.</p><p>* <strong>NCEA — a debate going around in circles since the 1990s</strong> — Phil and Chris both remember this argument from when they were on opposite sides of the House. The OECD’s early 2000s push toward skills over knowledge went too far; the pendulum is swinging back; but the question is whether it’s swinging with the evidence or against it. Phil is particularly troubled by a cabinet paper that acknowledges the reforms will likely reduce achievement rates for Māori, Pasifika and low-income students — a problem New Zealand already has and cannot afford to worsen.</p><p>Along the way: a tribute to Sir Ken Keith, New Zealand’s only ever ICJ judge; the opera about Nixon in China that Chris thinks was pretty bad; why nationalising the BNZ for $24 billion is both impossible and unaffordable; a mystery special guest joining Chris in two weeks while Phil travels to China; and a big live show announcement coming next week.</p><p><strong>Cross Party Lines</strong> exists to lift political literacy and create space for calm, good-faith political conversation. New episodes every Tuesday. If you value thoughtful debate, follow the podcast and share it with someone who might too.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://crosspartylines.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">crosspartylines.substack.com</a>
May 14, 2026
Question Time: Live from Booktown (Bonus)
<p>Hosted by <strong>Phil Goff</strong> and<strong> Chris Finlayson</strong>, this is a special bonus episode of<strong> Cross Party Lines </strong>— the live Q&A from the Featherston Booktown Festival, released separately so nothing from that remarkable afternoon gets left on the cutting room floor. </p><p>Before the questions, <strong>Sam</strong> takes the temperature of the 400-strong room with four quick audience polls.</p><p><strong>The audience then takes over:</strong></p><p>* <strong>Could the Opportunity Party break Winston Peters’ cycle?</strong></p><p>* <strong>Should political parties be state funded?</strong></p><p>* <strong>The Electoral Act rollback — disenfranchisement by design?</strong></p><p>* <strong>Is voting for the two big parties really enough to stop populism?</strong></p><p>Along the way: Trevor Mallard in the audience demanding short questions, Judith Tizard’s advice on grand coalitions, Marion Hobbs telling Chris not to read The Economist during Question Time and Sam’s emotional farewell to his first and last live audience.</p><p>This bonus episode is a reminder that when you put 400 curious New Zealanders in a room and give them a microphone, something rather good happens.</p><p><strong>Cross Party Lines</strong> exists to lift political literacy and create space for calm, good-faith political conversation. New episodes every Tuesday. If you value thoughtful debate, follow the podcast and share it with someone who might too.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://crosspartylines.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">crosspartylines.substack.com</a>
32 total episodes available
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- What is Cross Party Lines?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
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This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.
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