Diesel, Debt and Democracy
<p>Hosted by <strong>Phil Goff </strong>and <strong>Chris Finlayson </strong>with <strong>Sam Collins</strong>, <strong>Cross Party Lines</strong> returns with an episode that moves from the kitchen table to the Crown balance sheet — and takes in the rise of populism across the Tasman along the way. Thanks to our foundationa partner, <a target="_blank" href="http://frankrisk.co.nz">Frank Risk Management.</a></p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><p>* <strong>Cost of living </strong>— With diesel up 67% in under a month and food prices running at 4.6% annually, the Iran crisis has stopped being abstract. The panel takes aim at fuel companies potentially pricing ahead of their costs, asks why a one-way flight to Auckland now costs $500, and grapples with what honest political leadership looks like when a crisis is going to hurt for years, not months. Phil paints a sobering picture of families at the supermarket checkout — and argues the government needs to direct support to those genuinely in need rather than spread it thin. Chris notes that Reagan’s misery index question — are you better off than you were three years ago? — is about to become the defining frame of the election campaign.</p><p>* <strong>Treasury’s prescription: sell more, tax more, spend less</strong> — A speech by Treasury’s chief strategist laid out a bleak fiscal picture and called for hard choices. The panel digs in. Chris makes a case for asset sales — Landcorp farms to iwi, Air New Zealand to Singapore — and calls for a mature conversation about a capital gains tax. Phil pushes back on selling assets to cover day-to-day spending, drawing on the cautionary tales of NZ Rail, Thames Water and Air New Zealand’s own privatisation disaster. Both agree the early tax cuts were a mistake, that the interest bill is now crowding out meaningful public investment, and that New Zealand needs a serious debate about what the state should own — not argument by slogan.</p><p>* <strong>South Australia and One Nation </strong>— Labor won the South Australian election comfortably, but the real story is One Nation finishing second — ahead of the Liberals — with 21.8% of the vote. Phil and Chris connect the dots from Adelaide to Wellington: the same grievance politics, the same forgotten blue-collar voter, and the same warning about what happens when a major party loses its identity. Chris draws a sharp distinction between genuine Conservative liberalism and the populist right, and both panellists turn their fire on New Zealand First — a party that, unlike One Nation, can’t claim to be an outsider. It has been in government twice in three years and must own the decisions made at that table.</p><p><em>Cross Party Lines exists to lift political literacy and create space for calm, good-faith political conversation. New episodes every Tuesday. If you value thoughtful debate, follow the podcast and share it with someone who might too.</em></p><p><em>🎯 Help us reach 10,000 followers — hit follow on Spotify or Apple today.🎟 Catch the team live at the Featherston Booktown Festival — Saturday 9 May. Tickets at booktown.org.nz</em></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://crosspartylines.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">crosspartylines.substack.com</a>
