Bernard Hickey's discussions with Peter Bale and guests about the political economy in Aotearoa-NZ and in geo-politics, including issues around housing affordability, climate change inaction and child poverty reduction.
thekaka.substack.com (https://thekaka.substack.com/s/hoons?utm_medium=podcast)
I talked in the video above last night with Elliot Crossan (https://substack.com/profile/91918874-elliot-crossan) about about his analysis (https://elliotcrossan.substack.com/p/report-labours-fiscal-plan-requires) of Labour’s fiscal plan, including how its National-like focus on returning to Budget surplus and cutting debt will force big real cuts in welfare and other Government spending. I have asked Labour spokesperson Barbara Edmonds for an interview.
Here’s the essence of what Elliot is saying (bolding mine):
Labour and National are both promising to increase real, per-capita health spending by 2.1% per year and 1.8% per year respectively; the Clark and Ardern governments both put nearly 5% per year into the healthcare system. This will not be enough to save our cash-starved health system.
Outside of healthcare, Labour’s spending plans mean it will have to cut real, per-capita spending on public services by 1.6% per year. This will shrink the public sector, excluding health, to its smallest share of GDP in at least 30 years.
This is not accounting for the new spending (excluding health and welfare spending) promised in Labour’s fiscal plan, nor for pay equity. All new spending and all spending on pay equity settlements will have to come out of existing departmental budgets. Labour may have to make deeper service cuts than Nicola Willis is currently planning in order to pay for pay equity (though not if National is seriously planning to double defence spending as a share of GDP).
Labour’s fiscal plan is not only significantly more conservative than what the party promised in 2017 under the Labour-Green Budget Responsibility Rules, under which Ardern & Robertson promised to maintain the size of government at its existing level; Labour is promising a bigger reduction in the size of government than Bill English was planning in 2017.
Here’s Elliot’s summary chart, but his analysis linked below has much more.
Thank you Paul Singh (https://substack.com/profile/36359538-paul-singh), Alex Clarkson (https://substack.com/profile/4481620-alex-clarkson), Rana Hemi HUATA (https://substack.com/profile/121871088-rana-hemi-huata), and many others for tuning into my live video with Elliot Crossan (https://substack.com/profile/91918874-elliot-crossan)! Join me for my next live video in the app.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekaka.substack.com/subscribe (https://thekaka.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)
20 Oct 2026
How NZ politicians are using Facebook in Election 2026
I talked with Dr Mona Krewel in the video above about how New Zealand’s political parties and leaders are using Facebook so far in Election 2026.
She is the director of the Internet, Social Media and Politics Research Lab (https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/hppi/centres/isprl) at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and was reporting back after the first week of the 2026 New Zealand Social Media Study, including analysis of 544 Facebook posts from the week of October 5 to 11. There’s a full text report here (https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/news/2026/10/election-vibes-and-jibes-what-parties-facebook-posts-tell-us-about-the-2026-campaign) on the university’s website.
Long story short: Monica told me National is doing the most posts, Labour is focusing on cost of living, the biggest spenders get the biggest impact, advertising spend matters more than sophisticated micro-targeting and that election campaign effects are real, but typically modest, short-lived, and dependent on the voter.
We aim to talk again in the last week of the campaign to see how Facebook was used through the rest of October.
Thank you Kaimataara (https://substack.com/profile/419454105-kaimataara), Kate (https://substack.com/profile/87421051-kate), Andrew Riddell (https://substack.com/profile/4848927-andrew-riddell), Luke Maker (https://substack.com/profile/4471545-luke-maker), Kath (https://substack.com/profile/9280497-kath), and many others for tuning into my live video with Mona Krewel (https://substack.com/profile/26738992-mona-krewel)! Join me for my next live video in the app.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekaka.substack.com/subscribe (https://thekaka.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)
19 Oct 2026
KiwiStack Live with Bernard Hickey & Dr Rosie Gallen
Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.
Here’s the post from Rosie we discussed.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thekaka.substack.com/subscribe (https://thekaka.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)
Who has been a guest on The Hoon
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Cathrine Dyer
Robert Patman
Edward Miller
Jonathan Lyons
Treasa Dunworth
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
4.7 / 5
17 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 58 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
84
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
81
Contact The Hoon
Guest appearances
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