Watch the latest episode of Undercurrents on how farming has shaped the country, why its political influence endures, and the battle over New Zealand’s economic and environmental future. To borrow the words of countless politicians, farming is the "backbone" of the New Zealand economy. What's
Calls to raise the retirement age or introduce means-testing for the pension are growing. But is there really a retirement crisis, or has the debate been driven by flawed assumptions and vested interests? Since the days of the First Labour Government, a universal pension has been a cornerstone of
Climate change and war are usually treated as separate issues. Journalist Abby Martin says they're inseparable. One of the defining but often overlooked facts of our time is the extraordinary footprint of the US military, whose 800 or so bases encircle the planet. These bases help make the
Watch the latest special edition of Undercurrents: a two-part exploration of New Zealand's cost of living crisis. For years, we have been told the cost of living crisis is primarily the result of global forces, government profligacy, or the seemingly impersonal laws of inflation. The prescription: higher
New Zealand's media has been under pressure for decades. Now the government is putting the boot in. How did we get here – and what does it mean for democracy? Journalism everywhere is on the retreat as newsrooms shrink, media ownership concentrates, and a tidal wave of clickbait and
A proposal to lease the operation of Lyttelton Port to a consortium led by global ports giant DP World has reignited debate over the future of one of Christchurch's most valuable public assets. In the 1990s, the head of the Business Roundtable dubbed New Zealand's second
Watch the latest episode of Public Interest's fortnightly current affairs show, Undercurrents. Since it was elected in 2023, the coalition government has unleashed a whirlwind of change on New Zealand’s education system. It has scrapped NCEA, overhauled the primary and secondary curricula, re-established charter schools, banned
The Pike River disaster was meant to transform workplace safety in New Zealand. Fifteen years on, journalist Rebecca Macfie says that consensus is unravelling – and the country is forgetting the lessons that cost 29 men their lives. For a time after the Pike River disaster, it seemed that a new
The government is backing down on the most controversial part of its proposed conservation reforms. But New Zealand's conservation estate remains under threat, conservation advocate Bianca Ranson says. Last month, the government's Conservation Amendment Bill passed its first reading, heralding what ministers described as the biggest
Listen to the latest episode of Public Interest's fortnightly current affairs show, Undercurrents. Since the coalition government took office in 2023, New Zealand has seen the most significant rollback of workers' rights in decades. Fair Pay Agreements have been scrapped, pay equity laws weakened, health and safety
New Zealand's richest now hold wealth equivalent to almost a third of the country's annual economic output. What does that tell us about how our economy works? The release of the latest edition of The National Business Review's annual Rich List this week has
Max Harris is one of New Zealand's leading progressive thinkers. Now he's running for Parliament – for the Labour Party. Is that a sign Labour is changing? This week Labour released its candidate list for the 2026 election, and among the new names, perhaps one stood out
Undercurrents
Watch the latest episode of Public Interest's fortnightly current affairs show, Undercurrents. Since taking office in 2023, the coalition government has rolled out a sweeping programme of tough-on-crime policies: increasing sentences, expanding police powers, building more prison beds – even tasking police with moving rough sleepers off
In Brief
What began as a story about the government's climate policy has turned into something much bigger: a story about corporate lobbying, access to political power, and now allegations of a cover-up. Political commentator Bryce Edwards believes it could also change how New Zealand thinks about its democracy.
In Brief
The government says Budget 2026 is about fiscal responsibility. Economist Tayla Forward says its fixation on debt and surplus risks deepening New Zealand's economic woes. The government's 2026 Budget has been sold as a lesson in restraint. Branded a "no sugar hits" Budget, Finance
Undercurrents
Watch the latest episode of Public Interest's fortnightly current affairs show, Undercurrents. For a moment in 2019, it felt like something was changing. Around the world, millions took to the streets demanding climate action, including more than 170,000 students in New Zealand. At last, it felt like
In Brief
As rates rise and infrastructure crumbles, Unions Wellington is calling for council services to be brought back in-house — arguing outsourcing has failed both workers and ratepayers. So, can the privatisation of local government be reversed in the capital? Local councils in New Zealand are trapped in an impossible position.
In Brief
The free fees scheme for tertiary students never went far enough, and its demise highlights chronic issues of underfunding for universities and polytechs, says Tertiary Education Union president. The coalition Government’s decision to scrap the fees-free tertiary education scheme has ignited debate about student debt, access to university,
Undercurrents
Watch the latest episode of Public Interest's fortnightly current affairs show, Undercurrents. If you’ve tried to see a doctor lately or spent hours in an overcrowded hospital waiting room, you’ve probably felt it already – something is going wrong with healthcare in New Zealand. Our system is
Undercurrents
Watch the second episode of Public Interest's fortnightly current affairs show, Undercurrents. It has been two months since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, triggering an Iranian retaliation that has resulted in the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key choke point in the
Undercurrents
Watch the first episode of Public Interest's fortnightly current affairs show, Undercurrents. Never before in New Zealand history has there been a one-term National government. Every time a National led government has been elected, it has gone on to win a second, third or even a fourth
Politics isn’t just what happens in Parliament. Public Interest is a new media platform focused on making sense of the bigger picture. Rising prices, crumbling public services, storms that get ever more frequent, a yawning gap between the super-rich and everyone else – every day, it feels like things