Finding Light in the Darkest Moments

Are we really a free country, and would we even notice if that freedom started to slip?

Andrew asks what freedom means in Aotearoa today. Freedom of speech, belief and conscience can feel like the water we swim in, so easy to take for granted that we forget the price already paid for them. What would it cost us to lose them, and are they still worth fighting for?

This is Episode 3 of Thoughts on Politics, a five-part series asking what’s broken in our country, whether we can fix it with politics, and who’s fit for the job as Election 2026 approaches.

Chapters
1:12 Do we have freedom in New Zealand?
3:12 Is freedom still worth fighting for?
5:07 Threats on the horizon
8:52 Why politics is messy
12:20 Freedom for those we disagree with
13:27 The cost of losing liberty
16:28 Free speech and the testing of ideas
18:57 If you could change one law
22:26 Christian freedom and the duty to vote

#Election2026 #NZPolitics #Freedom #FreeSpeech #Liberty

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The full, unedited interview with David Seymour, Leader of the ACT Party, recorded ahead of Election 2026.

This is the complete conversation, exactly as it was recorded. Nothing has been cut, trimmed or edited.

David Seymour is in conversation with Andrew Curtis.

They discuss the role of government, what ACT stands for, education, and resource management reform and housing. They also cover tax, spending and the budget, ACT's coalition partners, policy trade-offs, welfare and mental health, wealth and personal responsibility, online gambling regulation, and the Treaty Principles Bill and health funding.

As part of our Election 2026 coverage, we invited the leaders of the major NZ political parties, and the minor parties polling over 5%, to sit down for a conversation.
Every interview is published in full and each leader speaks for themselves.
We'd encourage you to hear from all of them before you vote.

Chapters
0:00 Introduction
2:02 The role of government
10:35 Resource management and housing
15:08 Tax, spending and coalition partners
25:53 Trade-offs and the limits of government
34:57 Wealth and personal responsibility
41:50 Treaty Principles Bill and health funding

#Election2026 #NZPolitics #NZElection

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Former pastor and funeral director Mark Mortlock is the new head of Barnabas Aid New Zealand. He reflects on stepping into the role and on why Kiwi Christians should pay attention to believers suffering in some of the world’s most dangerous places to follow Jesus.

Drawing on the picture of the church as one body, Mr Mortlock argues that when one part is hurting, the whole body has a responsibility to respond. He warns against a “she’ll be right” attitude in the New Zealand church, explains why he sees his role as long-term relationship building rather than chasing targets, and highlights Barnabas Aid’s model of working through trusted partners on the ground. He also previews the Encourage Tour, which shares good news stories from places like Pakistan, and the 32-hour International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

Chapters
3:45 Long-term partners on the ground
4:35 From pastor to funeral director
6:40 “I’m not a salesman”
8:30 A “she’ll be right” faith?
10:15 Praying for new leadership
11:00 The Encourage Tour
13:10 Good news from Pakistan
15:00 Tour dates around the country

#PersecutedChurch #BarnabasAid #Prayer #ChristianNZ

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