The Spinoff

The rise of the Opportunity Party in 2026 has seen a lot of chat about kingmakers.

But how often in MMP have we really seen the kingmaker play a role? And what sort of advice would an expert veteran of MMP give to the Opportunity Party in the final furlong of the campaign? From the Spinoff, this is At Large with Toby Manhire.

[upbeat music] There are few people who have closer or more extended experience of MMP than Peter Dunne.

He was an MP long before the system came in, through the transition, and then with United NZ and then United Future, was often involved in post-election negotiations.

If you enjoyed the chat with Peter Dunne, by all means, uh, show your appreciation for the great man with a bow tie emoji in the comments.

Uh, thanks to Te Ahi Butler as ever, and to you, ma te wa.

[upbeat music] The Spinoff Podcast Network

The Spinoff Podcast Network.

Tēnā koutou katoa.

A quick message before we start.

At Large with Toby Mann, hi that's me, is made possible thanks to The Spinoff members, a group of astute and good-looking people who believe independent New Zealand reporting should be accessible to everyone.

If you are in a position to chip in and support what we do, we would love to have you on board.

Join us today at thespinoff.co.nz slash members.

The Spinoff Podcast Network.

Tēnā koutou katoa.

A quick message before we start.

At Large with Toby Mann, hi that's me, is made possible thanks to The Spinoff members, a group of astute and good-looking people who believe independent New Zealand reporting should be accessible to everyone.

If you are in a position to chip in and support what we do, we would love to have you on board.

Join us today at thespinoff.co.nz slash members.

She's been the producer on this podcast since it began all those many, many, many months ago.

This is her last week at the spinoff.

We will miss her dearly.

I just want to say thanks so much, Gin.

Got anything to add there, Aihe? Yeah, I agree.

Kia ora.

The Spinoff Podcast Network.

You should subscribe to that if you are not already.

Go to thespinoff.co.nz slash newsletters and get on board.

Thanks also to Sarah Dalton.

Thanks to Tiahi Butler and Gin Follett.

Read more about all of that on thespinoff.co.nz.

Mā te wā.

The Spinoff Podcast Network

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Every week on this show, we talk about the rapidly shifting media landscape, and in 2026, it's intensified.

With AI platforms now redirecting traffic away from newsrooms, and more ad dollars than ever heading offshore, the old model is essentially broken.

Two years ago, your support saved the spinoff, but the landscape remains profoundly challenging.

To stay sustainable and keep our journalism free for everyone, we need to find 5,000 new members by year's end.

If you value our work covering stories that shape Aotearoa, please join us at thespinoff.co.nz forward slash members or follow the link in the show notes.

He's the previous author of The Mermaid Boy and the editor of the essay collection The Commercial Hotel.

And he's written for New Zealand Geographic, The Spinoff, Newsroom North and South and Landfall.

John's also a previous winner of the Janet Frame Literary Trust Award for Imaginative Prose and the Sunday Star Time Short Story Competition in its non-fiction section.

Kia ora, John.

Kia ora.

[beep] The Spinoff Podcast Network