Arrested development and misbehaviour

This week, Raw Politics looks at the coalition's all-consuming commitment to development, from the fast-track to energy to infrastructure.

Newsroom political editor Laura Walters, senior political reporter Marc Daalder and co-editor Tim Murphy examine the breadth and pace of the blizzard of development initiatives that could change what and how the country builds in the short and long term.

Then, the panel tries to understand the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's light heart and light hand when it comes to his ministers breaching the norms of ministerial behaviour and speech. As opposed to his "this is how I roll" dismissal of colleagues for average performance in portfolios. Has he got a form of Stockholm syndrome and now identifies with his partner party captors?

Our reader question asks why NZ First leader Winston Peters is so obsessed lately with the 20th Century Māori politician Sir Āpirana Ngata. Turns out he is citing Ngata incessantly, alongside other Māori leaders from back in the days just before Winston was born.

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This week's recommendations:

Laura: Labour Party police spokesperson Ginny Andersen ends up red-faced in this Benedict Collins 1 News report on her refusal to back down from her cherry-picked data on police foot patrols

Tim: Anneke Smith of RNZ’s story from the suppressed political figure’s court case in which she reports a victim’s wife complained to the person’s party and leader months before the accused person stepped aside from office

Marc: Laura’s eagle-eyed spotting of a major last-minute change to the Government’s gang laws

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Raw Politics will be available every Friday, and you can watch it on YouTube too.

Read more on newsroom.co.nz.