Raw Politics: Health crisis consumes Simeon, Opportunity consumes Winston

This week on the Raw Politics podcast: One last chance to hear the wisdom and biting analysis of the great Sam Sachdeva as he signs off after a decade with Newsroom

With 16 days until polling day, can the major parties and their minor partners put Opportunity back into its bottle and jam the cork shut tight?

Today, the Raw Politics panel discusses National's efforts to talk Opportunity's polling numbers down, New Zealand First's dismissal of it as a lamb among coalition negotiating wolves, and the Greens' admonishment of it as a Trojan horse rolling in to back the right.

The remaining fortnight of the campaign will be dominated by Opportunity's ability to survive the assaults of opponents and to keep hope alive for its backers who got it over the 5 percent threshold but might not be able to keep it there.

The panel also examines what National leader Christopher Luxon has grudgingly conceded is a "crisis" in the health system – and the political repercussions that hospital staffing issues, delayed care and overloaded emergency departments might have on voter choices.

We review the six broadcast debates between party leaders, picking the best and worst-performed politicians and best moderators.

Finally, we offer recommendations for you to read, watch or listen to over your weekend:

Tim: Our own Raw Politics chief Marc Daalder's fine Campaign Observer column imagining who might be in a Labour-Greens-Opportunity Cabinet post-election

Marc: Joel MacManus’ at-times brutal column on the final leaders’ debate for the Spinoff.

Sam: Herald political editor Thomas Coughlan’s piece on Labour’s enrolment drive and its fears about turnout

Raw Politics will be available wherever you get your podcasts at the end of each week, and to watch on YouTube.