Barry Soper: Senior Political Correspondent wraps the week in politics
Heather du Plessis-Allan DriveSummary
Political credibility is under scrutiny as Chris Hipkins faces backlash over his handling of a controversy involving Kieran Leone, a Labour Party MP. Barry Soper, a senior political correspondent, suggests that Hipkins may have effectively lost the election due to questions surrounding his honesty about when he first learned of Leone's actions. The situation escalated during a recent leaders' debate, where Hipkins attempted to shift blame to former Prime Minister John Key regarding a controversial $2.75 million program aimed at addressing gang-related issues.
The fallout from the incident has severely impacted the Labour Party's standing, with Soper noting the damaging effect of social media posts by Māori Party and Green Party MPs alongside Leone. He observes that Hipkins appeared emotional during public appearances, interpreting this as a reflection of his own political distress rather than solely in support of Leone. Soper criticizes the use of race as a political tool, indicating that such tactics can detract from genuine discourse.
Looking ahead, Soper speculates on the potential rise of the Opportunity Party, particularly among younger voters disillusioned with Labour, the Greens, and the Māori Party. He acknowledges that while the Opportunity Party has struggled to define its platform, it may attract support if voters seek alternatives in light of recent political missteps. The discussion highlights the shifting dynamics within New Zealand's political landscape as the election approaches, with implications for all parties involved.
Show Notes
Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper sits down with Heather du Plessis-Allan to review the week in politics. Labour candidate Kerrin Leoni has cut ties with the party after a video circulated of her campaigning with the Mongrel Mob. The debates are wrapped up, Barry picks his winners...and losers. And the founder of the Opportunity Party says the party is leaning too far to the left! LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More from Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive
On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 23 October, 2026, is the election over for Chippie after the gang fiasco? We question the Labour leader. An expert's warning to check your connections after a cyber security flaw takes down websites around the world. Business is booming for motorhomes - and it's not just Boomers buying them. And one of our Sports Huddlers, Nathan Limm and Lavina Good, makes a big call on our highest-performing team of the year. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oh, I tell you what, I cannot see Chris Hipkins winning the election now. I mean, if you thought that Mongrel Mob fiasco was bad before, it's got so much worse for Labour. Their candidate has quit and Chris Hipkins himself now looks like he's been fibbing to the public. It turns out, now that we've seen the video of Kerrin Leoni at the Mongrel Mob event, that it wasn't at all the family gathering Labour told us it was. She was there in her red Labour jacket with a placard featuring a picture of herself and Chippy, telling gang members to enrol and change the government. That doesn't look like a family barbecue, does it? I don't know how many family barbecues you turn up to wearing your work jacket. I also don't know how many voters are going to believe Hipkins when he says he didn't know about it and that Leoni misled him. Anyone paying attention would have seen Labour doing a fair bit of misleading themselves. When Leoni was first accused of meeting the Mongrel Mob the week before the Green and Māori parties had, Labour said it wasn't true. They said she hadn't met the gang the week before. But she had. It was nine days before, not seven, and that looks very much like Labour playing silly buggers with the timeline so we'd never know the event had happened. If they were prepared to mislead us on that, do you really believe they didn't try to mislead us when they said, "Hey, it's just a family event," when it was actually a political event? This is devastating for Labour because it's no longer just about whether you share Labour's values or what you think about criminals and gang members. It's now also about the integrity of the party leader and whether he and the party tried to hide this from voters. My suspicion is that, yes, they very much did. And that, with only two weeks until election day, is, in my view, unsurvivable for Labour short of a miracle. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tonight on The Huddle, NZ Herald Sports Journalist Nathan Limm and Sports Commentator Lavina Good join Heather du Plessis-Allan to the review this weeks' sports. The Northland Taniwha have soldiered to the NPC final, can they defeat heavyweights Canterbury and take the trophy home? The Constellation Cup continues over the ditch, can the Silver Ferns maintain momentum? And why was Grace Nweke subbed off moments before breaking a historic record? And the new PNG Chiefs have revealed their logo, Heather gets our guests thoughts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
India have won the first match against the Black Caps of the T20I series. They beat the Black Caps by a narrow four wickets at Hagley Oval, taking the first win of the 5 match series. Cricket Commentator and former Black Cap Scott Styris told Heather du Plessis-Allan that, 'the six frontliners on that surface, which looked a good one for betting, didn't quite have the key to unlock that Indian lineup' LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Defence Force Chief is resigning after 42 years of service due to an undisclosed inappropriate relationship. Air Marshal Tony Davies says he's taking responsibility for errors of judgement he made in the past. He says he regrets not disclosing the relationship when given the opportunity, and his actions run contrary to Defence Force values. Military Lawyer Matthew Hague told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the details are unclear at this stage, but Davies' resignation shows this is a serious matter. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.