Stories by Tim Watkin
Audio and features
The four Cs that cost Labour and how National nicked Auckland
A mood for change swept National & friends into power, so this season's final Caucus breaks down the numbers, unpacks the swing in Auckland, & looks at the coalition niceties. And the team opens their… Video, Audio
Long pants, Lazarus Peters, missing bits, & winners & losers
Wrapping up Election 2023, there's still plenty to play for ahead of election day. We review the highs and lows of Election 2023, unpack National's 'Winston Strategy', consider the missed… Video, Audio
National and Labour's broken bungy and why we all need to grow up
Grumpy voters, crimes against candidates, desperate parties, unsophisticated MMP strategies and the return of John Key. As the campaign peaks, so does the tension. Video, Audio
Can children's testimony be trusted? Experts weigh in on Peter Ellis case
An American psychologist who gave evidence at the Supreme Court hearing into the Christchurch Civic Creche case has told a new RNZ podcast that a child's evidence can be just as reliable as an…
Coming up
What do you do with a problem like Winston?
National's decision to form a government with New Zealand First as "as a last resort" is both a plea and a warning. What might a "cocktail" with ACT and NZF taste like? Could Luxon hold it together… Video, Audio
The electorate swing, Labour limbo and Luxon-Hipkins two-step
Chris Hipkins needs a new song and dance routine and fast, or he could be doing the limbo and losing the next generation of Labour's leaders. Video, Audio
A campaign of fear and loathing? Nah, the facts matter more
Should we be worried about the election campaign going negative? Or is the greater worry party leaders who can't get their facts straight? Video, Audio
Money or the bag: Major parties crashing into the centre
National’s tax plan is a clever political document but raises questions about “heroic” numbers. We look at how much government spending doesn’t change and what’s up for grabs in coalition deals. Plus… Video, Audio
National's yin and yang v Labour's frugal fear factor
Analysis: With little money in the government's coffers heading into Election 2023, the Caucus podcast looks at how the two main parties plan to use fear, frugality and friendliness to win your vote.
…Explaining The Red Tide: Kiwis hug Jacinda back as Labour breaks records
The crew open their envelopes and reveal their picks, as they make sense of Labour's govern-alone victory, National's much-needed rebuild, the return of te Pati Maori and the Greens' delight in the… Video, Audio
Wealth, weight, winners and the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard
Two days out, we hear surprise calls on wealth taxes and obesity and the Caucus crew debate the seats to watch, highs and lows, winners and losers. And we put our picks in an envelope. Video, Audio
Collins & Peters on thin ice as Ardern finds her feet
The New Zealand First Foundation in court, Judith Collins pays a price on Ponsonby Rd, Jacinda Ardern finds some form & a chance for Te Pati Maori. Video, Audio
Collins goes vote plucking, while Peters makes 'last stand'
Caucus rates a fired-up leaders' debate as Collins looks to bring voters 'home', while Winston Peters rages as he's 'exonerated'. Video, Audio
Sending out the political assassins as National shoots itself in the foot
With eight days, 18 hours, two minutes and 10 seconds until voting starts, party leaders are calling up hit-jobs as they scrap for their political lives. Plus, the debate debacles, ACT's rise and… Video, Audio
Gulliver's Election... and is Labour angling to govern alone?
Welcome to the recession, with giant debt, spending and unemployment that make previous campaigns look like Lilliput. How are New Zealand First are trying to recover & does Labour really want to… Video, Audio
Timid tax, debating debates and say hello to Kinder Collins
Labour's tax policy is tentative, but is it also 'right for right now'? And is it negotiable? Judith Collins' policy releases point to less Crusher, more Kinder. Plus, how to mess up TV debates and… Audio
The naughty prefect and the 'single source of truth'
Greens leader James Shaw has been under the cosh for his Green School decision, but what's going on behind the scenes and will it cost votes? Social media rears it's sulky head, vaccination lies and… Audio
Lockdown let-downs, leg-ups & two swing seats
As Auckland struggles through a "tricky" extended lockdown, who are the political winners & losers? We debate covid fatigue, who's won from the wage subsidies (hint: not women) and two up-for-grabs… Audio
Test fail: Is Labour bordering on trouble?
Parties try to look tough as border policies are rolled out, Labour fails its testing test and what are the implications of delaying the election? Audio
'Didn't that escalate quickly?'
What impact will the return of Covid in the community have on Election 2020? Plus Gerry Brownlee's conspiracies, Labour's Ardern-astic launch, and Merv & Mellow in Auckland Central Audio
This election is brought to you by the letter C
Caucus returns for Election 2020 talking about the state of the parties, Covid debt and problems with our political culture. Audio
Podcast | Taranaki Wars: Waitara and One Family's Journey
In 1860, the shots fired sparked decades—arguably generations—of conflict. RNZ's Tim Watkin looks at what sparked the conflict and his ancestors' arrival in the midst of these tensions. Audio
Revealed: What a Prime Minister does all day
The first-ever release of a Prime Minister's diary shows a glimpse of what it means to run the country.
Diaries reveal how government ministers spend their days
Nearly 37,000 meetings and appointments are documented in just-released ministerial diaries going back to the beginning of the Labour-led government, showing just who's doing the mahi
Eric London and the first ever dinosaur tooth
It looks like a bit of wood, but it tells a much bigger story of immigration and inspiration. A story as big as a dinosaur. Audio
