Wasted Millions, Starmer Sacrificed and Cross Party KiwiSaver (?)

Hosted by **Phil Goff** and **Chris Finlayson**, **Cross Party Lines** returns for a policy-heavy episode — a weekend of conference announcements, party platforms and pre-election positioning gives Phil and Chris more material than they can get through in an hour, and they try anyway. All thanks to Frank Risk Management, our foundational partner and the 100% kiwi owned insurance brokerage. **In this episode:** \* **$32 million, nothing to show and the eternal curse of government IT** — Immigration New Zealand’s biometric system has consumed $32 million and produced precisely nothing. Phil and Chris trace the familiar pattern: INCIS in the nineties, Novopay, and now this. Chris wants a centralised specialist IT contract unit in government rather than every department reinventing the wheel. Phil adds a sharper question: if the public service can’t get biometrics right, what on earth makes anyone think it can safely replace 9,000 workers with AI? \* **KiwiSaver, Green taxes and the election’s big policy weekend** — National’s conference in Lower Hutt produced the headline announcement: compulsory KiwiSaver contributions rising to six percent. Chris calls it a seismic and welcome shift — one of Cullen’s great legacies, finally being taken seriously. Phil agrees in principle but worries hard about low-income workers living week to week, and raises a troubling allegation from a trade union that some employers are substituting KiwiSaver contributions for wage rises, meaning workers are effectively funding both sides. The Greens launched a sweeping tax package — inheritance tax above a million dollars, wealth tax, higher corporate rates, bank levies, tech company withholding tax. \* **Starmer’s last days, reform’s wobble and the UK’s revolving door** — Three British by-elections dominate the international segment. Andy Burnham cleaned up reform in Makerfield — a white working-class seat reform was confident about — while the Conservatives beat reform in Aberdeen South and held on in Angus East. Chris is delighted: reform may have peaked. Farage is being investigated over a £5 million payment. And Kemi Badenoch, about whom Chris had initial doubts, is fighting a genuine rebuilding effort from the pavement. Phil counts the prime ministers: if Burnham succeeds Starmer, Britain will have had seven in ten years. Along the way: the Parliamentary Budget Office gaining rare cross-party momentum with both Willis and Sepuloni expressing support, Labour’s transport fare cap policy and the $30 million costing dispute versus National’s roads of national significance out by $30 billion and Chris washing his mouth out with soap for agreeing with Shane Jones twice… **Cross Party Lines** exists to lift political literacy and create space for calm, good-faith political conversation. New episodes every Tuesday. If you value thoughtful debate, follow the podcast and share it with someone who might too. *🎟 Wellington is almost sold out. Auckland still has tickets. Get in now at* tapliveevents.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit crosspartylines.substack.com