On the Tiles: First episode of new politics podcast analyses the Covid outbreak response

The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. Photo / AP

Covid-19 has dominated the political landscape in New Zealand since its arrival on our shores in 2020 – and the latest on lockdowns, vaccine rollouts and Opposition response is at the centre of the first episode of the New Zealand Herald's new politics podcast.

On the Tiles, hosted by NZ Herald Deputy Political Editor Derek Cheng and Senior Political Reporter Thomas Coughlan, the podcast will cover off the biggest political news in New Zealand, going behind the headlines and giving the inside perspective direct from the Beehive.

For the first episode, in true Covid tradition Derek and Thomas met up via Zoom to discuss the latest political news – and for the last fortnight, it's all been about Covid.

Top of the episode is the news that the Government has secured an extra 250,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine from Spain – what does this deal mean for our vaccine rollout, which has seen skyrocketing demand after months of criticism for a sluggish start?

And how has the Labour Government fared in the public eye for their decisions around both the lockdown and the vaccine rollout?

Act Party leader David Seymour. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Plus, Act leader David Seymour faced the biggest controversy of his political career this week when he shared a vaccine priority access code intended for Māori with his followers – but will the move have any lasting impact on him?

He's not the only political leader that's had a rough week. Derek and Thomas discuss National Party leader Judith Collins and the ongoing rumours of a spill around her leadership, plus her viral interview with TVNZ's Indira Stewart and whether her insistence on an in-person Parliament has worked in her favour.

The two also look ahead to the Auckland alert level decision on Monday, and whether the rest of the country will have to remain at level 2 while Auckland is at a heightened level.

On the Tiles - the NZ Herald's new politics podcast

On the Tiles is available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes will be available to listen to on a fortnightly basis.