From Lower Hutt to upper-cut, The Spinoff’s politics podcast reviews the latest bouts of election fever.

The long-awaited, conspicuously prophesied Labour tax policy has been unveiled at last in a Lower Hutt church hall. Will all the good polling in the world make up for the mixture of expert criticism and shopping-list lampooning of the pledge to remove GST from fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables? Will Ben Thomas’s coconut with a straw be exempt?

How plausible is Grant Robertson’s insistence that he is no apostate, but underwent a Damascene moment? Is Chris Hipkins waking in a cold sweat to nightmares populated by Big Fresh animatronic vegetables in various states of desiccation and vacuum seal? Ben, Annabelle Lee-Mather and Toby Manhire tackle all these pressing questions with less than two months until election day.

Plus:

• Could Labour seize back the initiative with a kindergarten launch of paid partner parental leave.
• Are we on the cusp of something special (in 2026)?
• Has Act revealed its worry about NZ First with a weird Winston Peters attack ad?
• Does the Robertson-Willis “liar” stuff point to a relentlessly belligerent campaign?
• How about those Greens?
• How about National’s pledge to ban cellphones in schools?

And:

• Should Sam Uffindell be appointed groceries commissioner?

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