Wayne Brown: NZ being run 'like a wrecking yard'
Running on a strident anti-Wellington platform, Auckland mayor Wayne Brown was re-elected to a second term in 2025 by a more than 100,000-vote majority.
In April of this year, he signed New Zealand's first-ever city deal with central government, an agreement which contains no new funding arrangements for Auckland, and kicks one of Brown's biggest campaigns - a bed tax - into discussions for 2027.
He joins Jack Tame to discuss Auckland's City Deal, Auckland Transport, and his pitch for a grand coalition between National and Labour in 2026 - a path he describes as the only way to reverse the long-term decline of New Zealand.
Behind the scenes of Auckland's $5.5 billion rail project
When Auckland's City Rail Link opens for business in the second half of 2026, the city will boast New Zealand's longest escalator, three brand-new stations, and a whole suite of costly but essential improvements to existing infrastructure.
The price tag sits at $5.5 billion, split between central government and Auckland Council - with the Super City's largest-ever rates increase, 7.9 percent, mooted to cover the ongoing costs.
Is a longer life always better?
Dr Ezekiel Emanuel is an oncologist and bioethicist in Washington DC and the author of 'Eat Your Ice Cream: Six simple rules for a long and healthy life'.
In New Zealand for the NIB Health Innovation Summit, he joins Jack Tame to discuss how NZ stacks up internationally when it comes to health outcomes, what our Pharmac model gets right, and why he says he will refuse medical intervention after he turns 75.
Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.
