In the final episode for the year – the Australian social media ban takes effect; an analysis of the latest political polls – and the interesting responses from political leaders; Jacinda tells Graham Norton what went wrong – or does she; funding Maori media and whether backbench government MPs can hold personal views; opposition parties want a code of conduct for other MPs but not for themselves; the allegations against a Labour MP that the mainstream media don’t want to talk about; why do we have a Children’s Commissioner; who do we trust when police and political leaders disagree with each other; and Bob & Simon make their predictions for 2026 – which are sure to be wrong! 😊
Show summary auto-generated by Descript app:
- **Attorney General and School Funding Controversy**: Discusses concerns raised by the Attorney General regarding excessive spending by schools and ironic incidents involving improper storage of school lunches.
- **David Seymour at the Select Committee**: Analyzes David Seymour’s exchange about school lunches and the growing trend of flippant comments in select committee meetings, potentially driven by MPs seeking soundbites for social media.
- **Parliamentary Protesters**: Covers the incident where anti-Israel protesters interrupted a parliamentary session and discusses Gerry Brownlee’s delayed reaction to the protest.
- **Australia’s Social Media Ban for Under-16s**: Discusses Australia’s new law banning social media for those under 16 and the various viewpoints from New Zealand politicians on whether to implement similar laws.
- **Recent Political Polls**: Analyses recent polls showing shifts in party support, with particular attention to the Green Party’s and Māori Party’s declines and National Party’s steady support. Bob ‘reckons’ that Green MP Chloe Swarbrick may retire, discussing her recent public demeanour.
- **Media Bias in Reporting Scandals**: Discusses the contrasting media coverage of scandals involving Labour MP Willie Jackson and former Green MP Darleen Tana and suggests media bias based on the political alignment of the individuals involved.
- **Children’s Commissioner Petition Against Child Abuse**: Criticiwes the Children’s Commissioner’s petition approach to addressing child abuse and notes the organization’s generous budget and lack of action on other related issues, including abortion, and also supporting puberty blockers!
- **Prime Minister and Select Committee Discrepancy**: Addresses the tension between Prime Minister Chris Luxon and MP Greg Fleming over funding cuts to Māori media, highlighting the dynamics within the caucus.
- **Presenting a Petition on Parliament Steps**: Comments on the ironic appearance of David Seymour during a petition presentation by Tori Whanau and Louisa Wall against his use of the term ‘derangement,’ noting other examples of concerning behaviour not addressed by the petition, including Te Pati Maori and Green MPs, and Stuff journalists calling female MPs the c-word.
- **Deputy Police Commissioner Controversy**: Explores differing accounts of the appointment and controversy involving the Deputy Police Commissioner, with Simon leaning toward believing former MP Mark Mitchell’s account.
- **End-of-Year Predictions**: Bob and Simon make predictions for 2026, including potential political retirements, election outcomes, and unexpected scandals – of which probably not a single one will come true 😊
