Politics podcast: Labour so blissy, Greens so messy, English so texty

Stop the election bus for just one second, please. Toby Manhire, Annabelle Lee and Ben Thomas have recorded a new Gone By Lunchtime podcast and it will probably be overtaken by events by teatime. Two third-term Green MPs have in effect jumped ship, saying Metiria Turei is not fit to lead the party. Will that torpedo … Read more

Politics podcast: Metiria Turei’s Winz confession, Labour’s alt-budget and the Māori seats

Our answer to the ‘Black Hands’ podcast is ‘Rainbow Hands’, in which the Gone By Lunchtime team scoff so many M&Ms that their fingers get covered in artificial colouring. Also they discuss politics. With less than two months to polling day, Annabelle Lee, executive producer of The Hui, returns to the GBLT pod salon, joining Ben Thomas … Read more

Politics podcast, feat Guy Williams: Greens go after Winston, Labour’s family gambit, and disclosurama

After the best thing about Gone By Lunchtime gets tied up with actual work, three white men finally sit down to talk politics and when and how some of them should be allowed to talk politics. Toby Manhire is joined by Ben Thomas of Exceltium and Guy Williams of televised comedy to discuss the Greens’ attack on … Read more

Politics podcast: the Gory saga of Todd Barclay, Labour’s intern storm, and Hone Duterte

Loaded to the eyeballs on performance enhancing mint chocolate, the Gone By Lunchtime beat combo pick over the remains of a momentous week in New Zealand politics. As the election build-up lurches through the gears, Toby Manhire is joined by Annabelle Lee, executive producer of The Hui, and Ben Thomas of Exceltium to discuss the scandal that led … Read more

Politics podcast: Eminem, Winston, Willie Jackson, Winston, Brownlee-boosting and Winston

Gone By Lunchtime stumbles on a new theme tune to accompany Annabelle Lee, Ben Thomas and Toby Manhire’s sleepy reflections on weird court rumbles, Māori places on the Labour Party list, Gerry Brownlee’s clumsy start as foreign minister, and Winston Peters bursting out of the electoral traps. Wait. That’s not it. Try this. To listen either download (right click … Read more

Politics podcast: W-Town – a powerful story about a troubled man stuck in the south

At last, a new Gone By Lunchtime podcast, in which Toby Manhire, Annabelle Lee and Ben Thomas chew over the politics of spagh-apple pizza, the Hit and Run claims and relate a harrowing This New Zealand Life story of southern isolation. In this overdue and mildly anticipated podcast, we traverse the vast savannah of topical political happenings. Bill English’s pizza? Yes. … Read more

Politics podcast: Bill’s big super bang-bang, the rise of Jacinda and timeless Winstonian truths

Gone By Lunchtime meets The Breakfast Club as leading NZ politics podcasters Annabelle Lee, Ben Thomas and Toby Manhire splinter desperately into millennial solidarity. In the historic first ever Spinoff Gone By Lunchtime podcast since the arrival of LifeDirect as sponsor of the politics section, we discuss a range of important topical issues, before eventually … Read more

Emergency podcast! John Key is gone at lunchtime!

A gaggle of shell-shocked geese, in the form of Toby Manhire, Ben Thomas and Hayden Donnell, splutter hot-take spittle all over the mid-price microphones in the Spinoff podcast studio. Guest starring Annabelle Lee and José Barbosa. John Key, the prime minister of New Zealand, has announced his resignation. He’s done. He’s had it. He’s out. … Read more

Politics podcast: mayoral thrills, byelection spills and Aaron Smith’s cubicles

In the Spinoff’s monthly politics recap, Annabelle Lee and Ben Thomas join Toby Manhire for a power-walk through the topical rain forest. If you’re interested in hearing what Toby, Ben and Annabelle have to say about the local elections, the excitements of Phil Goff, someone called Tana winning the Porirua mayoralty, voter turnout, a byelection … Read more

Politics podcast: Andrew Little naked, the immortal Winston, the Māori King & more

What will Annabelle Lee do when she sees the Labour leader nude on a rug? How will elitist lickspittle Ben Thomas insult Winston Peters? How much fake cocaine will Toby Manhire snort? All these questions answered in a new Gone By Lunchtime. The Spinoff’s unrivalled monthly politics podcast returns with a deep audio dive into … Read more

Politics podcast: the Brexit effect, Paula Bennett’s bad month and Hone Harawira’s return

By Jove, it’s only the hotly anticipated return of Gone By Lunchtime, the Spinoff’s epoch-defining politics pod with Annabelle Lee, Ben Thomas and Toby Manhire The Gone By Lunchtime podcast team has been roused from its slumber to fearlessly tackle the big political topics of the day/week/month/etc. Equipped with nothing but Lemsip, ginger beer, some … Read more

This new left thinking sounds awfully grandparental – a review of The Interregnum

Morgan Godfery’s collection of new progressive thinking is weighed down by a lot of old left ideas, writes Ben Thomas, from the other side of the political divide. The tagline of BWB Texts is “short books on big subjects by great New Zealand writers”, although a more appropriate description of its latest anthology, The Interregnum: … Read more

Politics podcast: the Key at Waitangi will-he-won’t-he, TPP and leader speeches

In Gone By Lunchtime, the Spinoff’s new politics podcast, Toby Manhire is joined by former Native Affairs producer Annabelle Lee and Ben Thomas of political PR outfit Exceltium to discuss the Waitangi kerfuffles, the trade deal row, state of the nation speeches from the four main party leaders, and home baking. Listen on iTunes or … Read more