This week on the Raw Politics podcast: The final polls and what to expect on Saturday evening, plus how long it might take for a new government, and our nominations for best and worst political plays, and individual performers.


It's almost time for a curtain call.

The Raw Politics season nears its end, with the penultimate episode trying to make sense of the latest polls and how that will affect the timing and formation of the next government.

Our podcast panel asks whether Chris Hipkins is realistic in hoping for a change from late polling to ballot box which could emulate 2020's 10-point movement between the two major parties. The problem for him was that that big movement actually saw the poorer performing party (National in 2020) going sharply down and the better performing party (Labour back then) going up. Which, if emulated, wouldn't help the Hipkins-Labour cause.

We ask how long the country might wait for coalition talks to be started, negotiated and then signed off. One key date could see the governmental purist Winston Peters put things on pause until mid-December, but it could be that the preliminary negotiations are sorted progressively. Worst comes to worst, a Parliament without a new government might have to meet before December 21 and a caretaker PM Hipkins might see in the New Year.

To wind up this campaign, in a quick fire summary, the Raw Politics team each nominate their best and worst plays by the parties, and their best (and worst) performers.


Every week, Newsroom editors and political journalists talk through the big issues and scrutinise politicians’ performances in a lively 25-minute show aiming to take viewers and listeners inside the actions and motivations of our elected leaders. Watch Raw Politics on YouTube, or download or listen to it as a podcast on Spotify, or via Apple Podcasts.