Full Show: 18 October 2026

Chris Hipkins: The issues that will decide this election Labour leader Chris Hipkins wants to make history as the first prime minister since Keith Holyoake in the sixties to be returned as prime minister following an electoral defeat. He joins Jack Tame for his last Q+A interview before the general election on November 7 to explain how Labour will free up more than 2 million GP appointments annually through phone triage, his pitch for giving schools the discretion to decide how many hours of maths, reading and writing their students are taught per day, and how he wants voters to reflect on his performance come election day. Election 2026: High-ranking MPs' do-or-die race Labour MP Trevor Mallard held the seat for more than 20 years - but since 2017, Hutt South has flipped between National's Chris Bishop and Labour's Ginny Andersen. It's a fierce contest with high stakes: if Bishop loses the seat, currently held with a slim 1,332-vote margin, the front-bench government minister will have to rely on getting in on the National list - and that's no sure bet. Whena Owen reports. Tākuta Ferris on Te Pāti Māori split and independent campaign The last time an independent was elected as an MP was 1993. After a public split from Te Pāti Māori in 2025, MP for Te Tai Tonga Tākuta Ferris is looking to make history by defending his seat as an independent. Election 2026: Red, blue or green for central city seat? With incumbent Labour MP Duncan Webb retiring, Christchurch Central is up for grabs. New Labour candidate George Hampton, long-standing National candidate Dale Stephens, and Green MP Kahurangi Carter are all on a mission to convince voters that they're up for the job. Ryan Boswell reports. 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.