In this episode of StraightTalk we discuss – Operation Epic Fury against the leadership of Iran – right or wrong; Team Erika Kirk v Team Candace Owens – what are we to make of this current rift amongst conservatives and what side are the panellists on; should we ban begging and the homeless in CBD areas; why is the mental health of our young people getting worse; and can Winston Peters get to the % votes that Pauline Hanson and Nigel Farage are attracting at the moment (according to the polls in Australia and UK respectively).
1 IRAN – OPERATION EPIC FURY
The team discuss this massively important event and how it affects things globally.
2 TRUMP, FARAGE, HANSON…. WINSTON?
A hysterical piece from left wing website The Spinoff
At the start of 2023, out of parliament, New Zealand First was polling as low as 2%. Today, having made it into parliament and into government, and having conquered the tendency of MMP to punish coalition support parties, the party sits close to 12%…. Strategists reckon that NZ First can continue to peel support away from Act, from National, and from Labour.
Encouragement for those of the populist-nationalist persuasion, propelled above all else by an anti-immigration, culturally conservative rhetoric, can be found everywhere you look, from the rise to power of Donald Trump in the US and Giorgia Meloni in Italy, from the populist revival in Poland via Karol Nawrocki to Hungary’s Viktor Orbán – whose grip on power could soon end at the hands of another kind of nationalist – and from Marine Le Pen in France or Geert Wilders in Holland. There is plenty that is different among these figures, including some authoritarian proclivities that could not reasonably be attached to Winston Peters, but there’s an undeniable pattern there.
The most inspirational models, however, are blazing trails in the UK and Australia. Founded and led by the rightwing firebrand Nigel Farage, who counts Donald Trump and Winston Peters among his personal friends, Reform UK this week pledged Ice-esque mass deportation and a big escalation in domestic surveillance.. The Politico poll of polls puts Reform on 27%, well ahead of Labour in second on 18%, the Conservatives on 17% and the Greens on 16%. In Australia, another familiar reactionary is on the rise: Pauline Hanson and her resurgent One Nation…
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/26-02-2026/what-the-surge-in-populist-nationalism-means-for-winston-peters-and-nz-first
3 BANNING BEGGING
The Government is giving officers new powers to move on rough sleepers or people displaying disorderly behaviour in town and city centres. Breaching an order, which requires someone to leave an area for up to 24 hours, risks a fine of up to $2000 or a three-month jail term. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Police Minister Mark Mitchell said it will be left to police officers to decide what support a person needs, if any. Goldsmith said New Zealand’s main streets and town centres had been “blighted” by disruption and disturbance, with businesses “declining” as bad behaviour went unchecked. He said police officers currently had limited options to respond, particularly if behaviour did not reach the level of offending, leading to “disruptive, distressing and potentially harmful acts”. Social agencies have widely condemned the move, saying shifting people around cities would do nothing to solve homelessness or mental health and addiction problems that many rough sleepers were dealing with.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/02/23/no-doubt-move-on-orders-for-homeless-will-drain-police-resources/
Blunt approach with move-on order could lead to bigger problems – Nathan Seiuli
4 WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH MENTAL HEALTH
In 2024/25 14.3% of adults (about 619,000 people) experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress in the four weeks prior to the survey. There has been a significant increase in high or very high psychological distress among adults over the last five years (between 2019/20 and 2024/25) and over the last 10 years (between 2014/15 and 2024/25).
NZ Health Survey 2024/2025 shows almost 23% of young people experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress in 2024/2025. The number of 15-24 year olds who experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress in the past 4 weeks has increased from 7.7% in 2014/2015 to 22.9% in 2024/2025. Young people (aged 15 to 24 years old), Pacific, Māori and disabled adults have the highest levels of psychological distress.
5 TEAM ERIKA or TEAM CANDACE
Debunking the Erika Kirk Conspiracy Theories – Matt Walsh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIt5Upr3ef4
Bride Of Charlie: A Wrinkle In Time | Episode 1
