Full Show Podcast: 30 October 2026

Former Prime Minister Sir John Key is repeating a call not to engage in strategic voting, saying it's "not a smart idea" to split the vote. He told Mike Hosking the centre-right political party, the biggest party in the parliament, needs to have a strong core. "If you eat away at that and you say, 'okay, well, I'll give my party vote somewhere else', then then you put Labour right in the box seat to be the first party that can form a government." Sir John released a video earlier this morning urging people to vote and told Hosking he wasn't worried, but it was a very tight race. "If people don't vote, you know, I would worry that they would wake up on November the 8th and have buyer's remorse," he said. Sir John suggested voters were lethargic as the campaign had lacked "drama" compared to some elections he had been involved in. "People just go, 'oh, I'm bored with all this, I just won't vote'. But the consequences of a change of government are very, very significant." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.

So, the winner in week... what is it, five or six? The winner in week five of the election campaign was the polls. Not the pollsters. The polls. They were far from winners. The spread, the margin of error in some, is now so absurd they're writing articles about it. Ironically, I listened to an interview on Radio NZ as they tried to explain it. Small clue: they couldn't. They couldn't explain why their polls didn't bear any real resemblance to any of the other polls. There was a debate a number of years ago that polls should be banned a few weeks out from a vote. Given the variance in methodology these days, I reckon that's probably not a bad idea. But the polls I mean are the polling booths. I have voted. I voted on day one. And, as it turns out, a lot of people did. And that is a good sign. In part, it's a sign that a lot of us knew what we were voting for and had done for a while. In essence, the campaign makes zero difference. And the irony of course, is that once you can vote, and you do, the campaign is chasing ever-diminishing returns. And that is sort of what it feels like. This is a small-policy election. With the exception of the Greens, of course. But it's a rats-and-mice election. Labour have contained themselves, so they don't look radical. ACT are the personification of contained. NZ First do a bit of Māorification stuff and talk about trains. But given the state of the books, no one in their right mind has gone out with a cheque book and gone to town, for very obvious reasons. Except the Greens, of course, who will see none of their big-ticket policies ever see the light of day. Oh, and we aren't buying the BNZ. The most controversial policy, if feedback is anything to go by, has been Labour's rent-to-buy scheme. The state gives you money in your state house, then takes taxpayers' money and puts it aside and one day calls it a deposit so you can buy it. Meanwhile, someone in the same circumstances doesn't get a house, or a deposit, or anything. Cool policy. You didn't like it. So, good week for most. No one blew it. The gang fiasco faded. And I'm still picking Opportunity not to make it. One week to go. Thank the good Lord. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The short week has come to a close, which means it's time for Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson to help Mike Hosking Wrap the Week that Was. They unpack how the election campaign has gone with just one more week until the big day and discuss the new programme the Ministry of Education is rolling out for gifted kids before Mike starts telling slanderous lies about his producer. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Supercross is back in New Zealand for the first time since 2019. Auckland's North Harbour Stadium is hosting the second round of the AUSX Australian Championship this weekend, with 5,500 tonnes of dirt used to build the track. After winning both the American Supercross and Motocross 250 titles this year, Kiwi motocross star Cole Davies is competing in this weekend's event. He told Mike Hosking he's stoked his hard work has paid off this year. Davies says he's achieving the goals and dreams he's had since he was a little kid. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.