Raw Politics: The kids bring National and Labour together

The country’s two biggest political parties found common ground this week not once, but twice. Well, kind-of, temporarily, with not much grace or real commitment. Today, the Raw Politics panel discusses Labour’s decision to back National’s bill on limiting social media access for under 16s, and Labour’s grudging acceptance of a move to force a legislative cap on council rates. Join senior political reporter Marc Daalder and associate editor Sam Sachdeva at Parliament and Newsroom co-editor Tim Murphy in Auckland, for analysis of the two big blue-red (purple) agreements of this campaign. Both big parties have correctly read the public mood in belatedly proposing, then agreeing to back at the outset, a social media ban. Polls show support for measures to protect young people from social media harm. The rates cap probably has strong public support as well – who wouldn’t want increases in their rates bills forced under 4 percent? But that policy is fraught with risks for both reducing council services to the public and cutting local government’s investment in maintenance and infrastructure. Our third topic is the National Party’s walking away from a Government-Auckland Council deal to “explore” an accomodation bed levy to fund tourism promotion, events and infrastructure. Such 30-year-deals are often all talk and this one is already fraying after just four months. Finally, we offer recommendations for you to read, watch or listen to over your weekend: Marc: Our Newsroom colleague Andrew Bevin’s story on the under-funded wildlife hospitals on the frontline of the bird flu outbreak. Sam: Henry Cooke’s profile of a legend of political journalism Richard Harman, in The Post Tim: Phil Smith of RNZ’s excellent piece analysing the number of extra nurses added under this Govt Raw Politics will be available wherever you get your podcasts at the end of each week, and to watch on YouTube.