Politics in New Zealand has seen plenty of ups and downs throughout 2021 - from Covid lockdowns to new leaders, big changes in the polls to major law changes - but what do this year's developments mean for 2022?
In the final episode of the New Zealand Herald's political podcast for the year, senior political reporter Thomas Coughlan recaps some of the major moments from 2021 and looks ahead to the next year.
Despite only a short lockdown in Wellington, Covid-19 dominated the political atmosphere once again, with it also having a big impact on the economy, interest rates and debt that have changed the economic landscape and what Labour and National can face off over.
But 2021 also saw another big shakeup for the National Party, while rising house prices continued to cause division. And social issues like the ban on conversion therapy remain unanswered, and Government policies including Three Waters continue to hang in the air.
