Death Threats, Half Truths and Resignations

Hosted by Phil Goff and Chris Finlayson, Cross Party Lines returns with twelve days to go — early voting open, the rolls closed, and the campaign entering its most consequential stretch. This week: the threat to politicians’ personal safety, the Labour candidate stood down over the gang visit, a Future Generations Commissioner that Chris is openly evangelical about, and New Zealand First’s $71 billion in promises with no plan to pay for them.

All thanks to our foundational partner, Frank Risk Management, the 100% Kiwi-owned insurance brokerage.

In this episode:

* The safety of politicians — and the democracy it protects — The episode opens on a subject both men clearly feel deeply: the attack on Australian independent MP Helen Haines, who lost both legs, is the most extreme example of a trend that Australian authorities say has seen serious death threats against politicians rise from 300 to over 1,000 a year. Speaker Brownlee is saying the same thing here. But what troubles both men most is not personal risk — it’s what the threat to accessibility does to democracy. The intimate, open character of New Zealand politics, where MPs run caravan stops and constituent clinics without security details, is one of its finest features. Lose that, and something irreplaceable goes with it.

* The gang visit fallout, Kerrin Leoni and the one rule you must never break — Chris Hipkins announced the resignation of the Labour candidate for Tāmaki Makaurau after she was photographed at the Mongrel Mob pad and — more damagingly — gave inconsistent accounts of her involvement, including on a televised debate. Phil is unequivocal: Hipkins had no alternative. Chris applies the same historical verdict: John Key’s standing instruction to his cabinet was tell me everything, not a sanitised version, because he could only help you if he knew the full story. She didn’t.

* The Parliamentary Budget Office, a Future Generations Commissioner and $71 billion of moonbeams — The most substantive policy discussion of the episode. The Greens have costed New Zealand First’s promises at $71 billion — and that’s before Ron Mark’s pledge to take defence to 3% of GDP. There is still no New Zealand First fiscal plan. On the Parliamentary Budget Office, both men have been calling for it all season and are genuinely heartened: Labour, the Greens and TOP have all endorsed it, National softly, and the Greens’ costing of New Zealand First’s promises is the best possible advertisement for why it matters. On TOP’s Future Generations Commissioner, Chris calls it a brilliant, practical mechanism for breaking the five-minute political horizon — especially on AI, infrastructure and climate. Phil is cautiously supportive but wants evidence it won’t become another parking lot for hard problems.

Along the way: three hundred thousand eligible voters who never enrolled and Luxon saying he’s comfortable with that and a promise that next week’s episode will cover the US midterm predictions, the key electoral battlegrounds, and — depending on timing — possibly an election night special.

Cross Party Lines 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.

📋 Early voting is open now. Election day is 7 November. Make sure everyone you know has voted.

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Death Threats, Half Truths and Resignations

Cross Party Lines

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