<p>Hosted by <strong>Phil Goff</strong> and <strong>Chris Finlayson </strong>with<strong> Sam Collins</strong>, <em>Cross Party Lines</em> closes out 2025 by stepping back from the weekly headlines and taking stock of a year that felt frenetic, unsettled and politically revealing.</p><p>This episode is a wide-ranging <strong>end-of-year review</strong> — part reflection, part reckoning — as the panel looks at what genuinely mattered in politics over the past twelve months.</p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><p>* <strong>The biggest surprise of 2025</strong> — Why the long-awaited economic recovery never quite arrived, how cost-of-living pressures reshaped political sentiment, and why Labour’s rebound under Chris Hipkins defied early expectations.</p><p>* <strong>Australia’s election shock</strong> — What Anthony Albanese’s decisive re-election says about modern centre-left leadership, and how Peter Dutton’s collapse offers a warning to conservative parties drifting away from liberal democratic principles.</p><p>* <strong>The best political performers</strong> — From rising stars across Labour to standout operators on the National benches, with a strong consensus on who earned credibility through competence rather than noise.</p><p>* <strong>The worst performers — and why</strong> — Shameless populism, incoherent positioning, and policies that shifted week-to-week without principle. A blunt assessment of New Zealand First, political opportunism, and the cost of saying one thing and doing another.</p><p>* <strong>Policies that hurt — and policies that mattered</strong> — From heated tobacco tax cuts and climate retreat, to Treaty-related law changes that inflamed division. Balanced against RMA reform, the India FTA, and Labour’s renewed push for a capital gains tax in the name of tax fairness.</p><p>* <strong>Migration, trade and social cohesion</strong> — Why demonising migrants is both morally wrong and economically short-sighted, and why bipartisan cooperation matters most on issues that shape the country’s long-term future.</p><p>Plus: Air New Zealand’s declining service, the limits of marketing over performance, reflections on political decency after tragedy and book recommendations for the summer break.</p><p><em>Cross Party Lines</em> exists to lift political literacy and create space for calmer, more constructive political conversation.</p><p><strong>New episodes return mid-January.</strong> If you’ve enjoyed the show this year, follow, share, and join us for the road into election year 2026.</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&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_1">crosspartylines.substack.com</a>