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At Large with Toby Manhire

The Spinoff

Bringing the insight, wit and energy of The Spinoff to your podcast feed, At Large with Toby Manhire dives into a story in the news, drawing on Spinoff talent and newsmakers to cast light on the issues of the moment. Each episode centres on an illuminating but unstuffy interview that helps the listener get their head around a subject, followed by How Good, a short, unashamedly exuberant celebration of something new = anything from a live band to a biscuit.

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20 episodes
a few times a week
Avg 30 min
English

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Thursday · 24 min
The kingmaker myth, and the hill Qiulae Wong and Opportunity must climb
Toby Manhire speaks to Peter Dunne, former leader of United Future, about the role smaller parties play in MMP and the challenge awaiting The Opportunity Party as it hovers around the 5% threshold.
Tuesday · 26 min
Labour falls under 26% – one bad poll or time to change course?
Toby Manhire speaks to Lyric Waiwiri-Smith about the Labour Party’s perilous position after the latest political poll, and to Hayden Donnell about a record breaking mating season for kākāpō.
Monday · 33 min
How National ankle-tapped Labour on KiwiSaver, with Sam Stubbs
Toby Manhire speaks to Sam Stubbs, managing director of Simplicity, about KiwiSaver, tax and the upcoming election, and to Sophie Albornett about a hidden gem on Wellington’s Courtenay Place.
September 3 · 42 min
‘Freaking bizarre’: NZ’s former man in Washington on trade, Trump and a whole lot more
Toby Manhire speaks to former trade minister Tim Groser about Trump, Muldoon and a former life as a child actor.
September 2 · 29 min
Simeon Brown is a no-show at the senior doctors’ conference. What is their message for him?
Toby Manhire speaks to Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, about the health minister’s no-show at the national conference for senior practitioners, and to Henry Oliver about the joys of Spanish football.
August 31 · 34 min
The electric election: Mike Casey on a solar revolution
Toby Manhire speaks to cherry orchardist and electrification advocate Mike Casey about the mounting case for energy reform in Aotearoa, and to Emma Gleason about our rich history of sporting mullets.
August 27 · 33 min
Luxon vs Brown, and how the govt fell so violently out of love with localism
Toby Manhire speaks to Spinoff staff writers Joel MacManus and Hayden Donnell about how (and why) the prime minister went from being a champion of localism to leading the most profoundly anti-localist government in living memory.
August 25 · 29 min
How will NZ’s under-16 social media ban work? (And why do NZ First and Act hate it?)
Toby Manhire speaks to video journalist Robbie Nicol about the National Party’s under-16 social media ban announcement, and to Alex Casey about Lynda Topp’s latest star turn on Three.
August 24 · 26 min
Where in NZ is basking in economic recovery, where is not – and why?
Toby Manhire speaks to economist Shamubeel Eaqub about how the long-anticipated economic recovery is showing up in different parts of the country, and to Lyric Waiwiri-Smith about the political comedy Wellingtonians can’t get enough of.
August 20 · 22 min
From Ooshie-itis to Smeg-mania, supermarket promo fever grips NZ
Toby Manhire speaks to Alex Casey about the rise and rise of supermarket promotions in Aotearoa.
August 18 · 21 min
Flu season overdrive in NZ – how bad is it and what can we do?
Toby Manhire speaks to Emma Gleason about the late seasonal surge in respiratory illness, and to Hayden Donnell about the next chapter in his quest to find the best peanut butters.
August 17 · 33 min
Think hot, think deep: The odds on a geothermal silver bullet for NZ’s energy future
Toby Manhire speaks to former government minister Tim Groser about the huge untapped potential of supercritical geothermal, and to Emma Gleason about the return of NZ Fashion Week.
August 14 · 37 min
Tiki Taane on a life in music, quitting Spotify and doing it different
Toby Manhire speaks to Tiki Taane about his creative past, present and future, and what has changed since he pulled his music from Spotify.
August 11 · 28 min
Luxon on the brink: emergency caucus meeting countdown
Toby Manhire speaks to Veronica Schmidt, editor of The Spinoff, about what led the prime minister to call for an urgent caucus meeting tomorrow morning, and to Liam Rātana about how the Warriors made history during the NRL’s indigenous round.
August 10 · 31 min
Election 2026: State of the race with three months to go
Toby Manhire speaks to Spinoff political reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith about the policies, slogans and mojo of the parties contesting the upcoming election, and to Alex Casey about the highs and lows of learning to sing.
August 6 · 27 min
CRL opening date is go – is it really a gamechanger?
Toby Manhire speaks to Hayden Donnell about the past, present and future of the City Rail Link, and to Claire Mabey about surviving in the wilderness completely Alone.
August 5 · 37 min
Unemployment hits 11-year high – with Bernard Hickey
Toby Manhire speaks to Bernard Hickey about the latest unemployment figures, and to Tara Ward about the latest local drama from Three.
August 3 · 28 min
Christopher Luxon’s communication problem
Toby Manhire speaks to Duncan Greive, founder of The Spinoff, about the prime minister’s breakfast last week with the business community in Rotorua, and to Te Aihe Butler about the healing powers of retro gaming.
July 30 · 23 min
Where is NZ’s Count Binface, with Ben Uffindell
Toby Manhire speaks to Ben Uffindell, founder of The Civilian, about the role of silly and satirical parties in democracy.
July 29 · 30 min
It’s harder to vote in 2026 – with Andrew Geddis
Toby Manhire speaks to University of Otago professor Andrew Geddis about the changes made to our electoral enrolment rules (and whether they are justified), and to Mad Chapman about the true star of the Commonwealth Games.

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