Echo Chamber

David Seymour, Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis.

Echo Chamber: Under more scrutiny? Act more stupidly

Ah, scrutiny week, where the order of the day is dramatic sighs, insults muttered under the breath and the occasional all-out shit fight.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 5th December, 2025

Politics reporter

Chris Bishop and Tamatha Paul.

Echo Chamber: After dark, under urgency

The high: the passing of an anti-stalking law. The low: doing it all under urgency.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 21st November, 2025

Politics reporter

David Seymour.

Echo Chamber: Act gets a big win, and ‘everything is ka pai’ for Winston

The Regulatory Standards Bill passed into law, the House got two independent MPs, and Chlöe Swarbrick got serenaded.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 14th November, 2025

Politics reporter

David Seymour, Oriini Kaipara and Chlöe Swarbrick.

Echo Chamber: Politics is all fun, games and ‘wet farts’

Chlöe Swarbrick called David Seymour a 'nasty little man', Oriini Kaipara found her voice and parliament welcomed its third MP named Davidson.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 7th November, 2025

Politics reporter

Chris Hipkins, Gerry Brownlee and Marama Davidson.

Echo Chamber: Burn, baby, burn the bill

Willie Jackson called David Seymour 'stupid in the head', Marama Davidson missed a reading of her own bill, and two controversial laws were passed.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 24th October, 2025

Politics reporter

Winston Peters, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Duncan Webb

Echo Chamber: A controversial bill is overshadowed by Te Pāti Māori’s turmoil

Internal bickering within Te Pāti Māori provided the government with the perfect cover to duck under.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 17th October, 2025

Politics reporter

Christopher Luxon and Arena Williams both had gaffes in Wednesday’s Question Time.

Echo Chamber: Luxon flubs his lines and Labour gets an economics lesson

The PM accidentally called Chris Hipkins 'the prime minister', while Labour MP Arena Williams botched her numbers in a messy parliamentary session.

By Joel MacManus | 9th October, 2025

Is it a bird? A plane? A Greens MP? No, it’s just a crowbar.

Echo Chamber: Winston Peters gets his groove back

A broken window is a small price to pay to get public sympathy back on your side.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 8th October, 2025

Politics reporter

Gerry Brownlee struggling with parliament’s translation earpieces.

Echo Chamber: Translation troubles in Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

'Come on, you know this one,' the opposition jeered, as Christopher Luxon struggled with a common te reo question.

By Joel MacManus | 18th September, 2025

David Seymour and Tama Potaka wish the opposition weren’t so relentlessly negative.

Echo Chamber: Don’t worry, be happy

Acting prime minister David Seymour just wants people to stop 'talking down New Zealand'.

By Joel MacManus | 11th September, 2025

David Seymour and Winston Peters dominated Tuesday’s Question Time.

Echo Chamber: Gaza, blood quantum, and housing in Epsom

Things got heated as parliament debated some of the most controversial issues in New Zealand politics.

By Joel MacManus | 10th September, 2025

Todd Stephenson in action

Echo Chamber: Todd Stephenson’s big break

The little-known Act MP had a rare opportunity to ask three patsy questions – and gave a performance for the ages.

By Joel MacManus | 21st August, 2025

Gerry Brownlee, pictured trying to think of the many ways a standing order could be interpreted.

Echo Chamber: Wait, who’s keeping track of the rules around here?

It's Gerry Brownlee's world, and we're all just living in it.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 20th August, 2025

Politics reporter

Speaker Gerry Brownlee named and suspended Chlöe Swarbrick on Wednesday.

Echo Chamber: Spineless, unacceptable, deeply offensive… C U next Tuesday?

Inside parliament, as MPs and speaker Gerry Brownlee battled over his decision to suspend Chlöe Swarbrick for calling government MPs spineless.

By Joel MacManus | 14th August, 2025

Gerry Brownlee has his favourites, and Chlöe Swarbrick is definitely not one of them.

Echo Chamber: The big ‘G’ word that Luxon doesn’t want to say about Palestine

The government’s pussyfooting around Israel has made them look, in the opposition's eyes, kinda pussy.

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 13th August, 2025

Politics reporter

Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick raged inside at Wednesday’s question time.

Echo Chamber: The interminable rage of Chlöe Swarbrick

The exasperated Green Party co-leader reached the end of her tether as parliament debated nurses' pay, homelessness, Palestinian statehood and voting rights.

By Joel MacManus | 31st July, 2025

Could it be the guy that was in charge a few years ago? Or the guy in charge now?

Echo Chamber: So, who’s to blame for the cost of living?

In question time, sometimes a question is not really a question. Or is it?

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 30th July, 2025

Politics reporter

Some of the many politicians who sucked during question time on Wednesday (Image: Joel MacManus)

Echo Chamber: These people are just speaking for the sake of it

Wednesday’s question time was a perfect reminder of why people hate politicians.

By Joel MacManus | 24th July, 2025

Even after a bit of name calling, Chris Hipkins can still give as good as he gets.

Echo Chamber: Chris Hipkins, you frickin’ smart-arse sausage roll eater

The Labour leader has been getting up to his old tricks again (complaining about FamilyBoost and butter).

By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith | 23rd July, 2025

Politics reporter

Nicola Willis and Chlöe Swarbrick argue about why everyone is moving to Australia.

Echo Chamber: Aussie roolz, NZ droolz

Every party in parliament agrees Australia is richer, cooler, prettier, better dressed, and will probably steal your man.

By Joel MacManus | 17th July, 2025