Podcast: Free to Disasgree: Is National losing voters to ACT or to itself?
Dr Oliver Hartwich
9 October, 2026
Three polls landed this week, with National under 30 per cent on the party vote while holding 44 electorate seats, and Opportunity sitting either side of the threshold depending on which poll you read. The question is whether National’s voters have gone tactical or left the party altogether.
From there to diesel, after Donald Trump pressured Europe into releasing its reserves, with New Zealand holding about 28 days of supply and no plan for what happens next. The episode ends on whether New Zealand needs a written constitution, or whether what actually protects property rights is something no document can supply.
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