Rephonic
Artwork for Public Interest

Public Interest

Public Interest
New Zealand
New Zealand Health System
Energy Crisis
New Zealand Budget
Labour Party
Lyttelton Port
Te Tiriti O Waitangi
Economy
Fees Free
Conservation Amendment Bill
Wellington Works
Two-Tier Health System
Health Funding
Wellington City Council
Public Debt
Tax Reform
Living Standards Framework
Z Energy
Fonterra
Criminal Justice System

Making sense of politics, power and the economy in Aotearoa NZ. Independent, accessible, audience-funded.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes20Founded4 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsPolitics

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Public Interest

Latest Episodes

The climate crisis and war are usually treated as separate issues. Journalist Abby Martin argues they're inseparable.

In this episode, Ollie Neas speaks to Martin about her new documentary, Earth's Greatest Enemy, the US military's environmental fo... more

How should governments respond when prices rise – and who bears the cost? In part two of this special two-part episode of Undercurrents, Ollie Neas talks to economist Geoff Bertram about the politics of inflation, the Reserve Bank's reliance on inter... more

Why is life becoming more expensive? Politicians often blame inflation, global shocks or government spending. But what if the roots of New Zealand's cost of living crisis run much deeper? In part one of this special two-part episode of Undercurrents,... more

Newsrooms are shrinking, public media is facing renewed political attacks, and ownership of commercial media is becoming increasingly concentrated. So what does this mean for our democracy?

Ollie Neas speaks with media scholar Peter Thompson about t... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Cross Party Lines
Cross Party LinesCross Party Lines
Ones and Tooze
Ones and ToozeForeign Policy

Recent Guests

Mark Wilson
Branch Secretary, Lyttelton with the Rail and Maritime Transport Union
Rail and Maritime Transport Union (Lyttelton)
Episode: In Brief: Is Christchurch about to privatise its port?
Bianca Ranson
National Conservation Advocate with Forest & Bird; co-founder of Kaia Whina; Waiheke Local Board member
Forest & Bird
Episode: In Brief: Government backs down on conservation land. Is the fight really over?
Sandra Grey
Council of Trade Unions President
Council of Trade Unions
Episode: Undercurrents: Are the unions back?
Max Rashbrooke
researcher and journalist
National Business Review
Episode: In Brief: What does the Rich List say about New Zealand?
Max Harris
Lawyer and activist running as Labour candidate for Tamaki
Labour Party
Episode: In Brief: Max Harris on Labour, Rogernomics and the 2026 election
Asher Emanuel
Author of The Valley, lawyer
Bridget Williams Books
Episode: Undercurrents: Who really benefits from tough on crime?
Gabriella Brayne
Lawyer, prison reform advocate
Episode: Undercurrents: Who really benefits from tough on crime?
Bryce Edwards
Political commentator, director of the Democracy Project
Democracy Project
Episode: In Brief: A landmark corruption scandal? Bryce Edwards on the climate lobbying cover-up
Tayla Forward
Writer and researcher in political economy; fellow of the World Inequality Lab; Treasury analyst and former private secretary to Grant Robertson
World Inequality Lab (Paris); Paris School of Economics; University of Auckland; Victoria and Canterbury Universities
Episode: In Brief: What the government doesn’t want you to know about Budget 2026

Hosts

Ollie Neas
Host of Undercurrents and Public Interest, frequently engages in critical analysis of policy, politics, and public provision.
Ollie Nees
Host with a focus on investigative discussion and policy critique, often moderating multi-voiced debates.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#19
New Zealand/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#62
New Zealand/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

In Brief: Is Christchurch about to privatise its port?
Q: What can concerned listeners do to ensure their voices are heard on this issue?
Mark urges contacting localCouncillors, engaging with residents, and joining collective discussions with unions and runanga to ensure public ownership preferences are represented in decisions about the port.
In Brief: Is Christchurch about to privatise its port?
Q: What is being proposed this time round and where did this Toanui Consortium concept come from?
Hannah outlines the Toanui Consortium, combining DP World with three Ngāi Tahu runanga, proposing a long-term lease, while Mark notes the lack of transparency and the unions' concerns about long-term implications for workers and public ownership.
In Brief: Is Christchurch about to privatise its port?
Q: So Mark, you worked at the port in Lyttelton for a number of years. Can you help us understand the importance of Lyttelton Port, both to the local community, but also more broadly to New Zealand?
Mark explains the port's deep ties to the community and Mauna Whenua, its historical role in Canterbury, and how the port underpins local livelihoods and regional resilience, stressing the need for keeping it publicly owned to maintain democratic control and long-term planning.
In Brief: What does the Rich List say about New Zealand?
Q: What policies could change the balance of wealth and power in New Zealand?
Policies like predistribution measures (default union membership, fair pay agreements) and taxation on wealth or capital gains could reduce concentration and fund support for those struggling.
In Brief: What does the Rich List say about New Zealand?
Q: How does wealth concentration relate to democracy and political influence in New Zealand?
Wealth concentration translates into political influence through donations and lobbying, with weak restrictions in NZ compared to OECD peers, potentially undermining democratic equality.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Public Interest

What is Public Interest about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Across recent episodes, the show regularly interrogates how power, policy, and money shape public services and the economy in Aotearoa NZ. Key threads include debates over outsourcing and in-house provision of local government services, the impact of education funding policies on students and institutions, and critiques of health and energy systems through a public-interest lens. Guests tend to be union leaders, activists, policy researchers, and analysts who challenge status-quo approaches and push for more equitable, publicly accountable outcomes. The format often blends frontline perspectives with historical context and strategic discussions about organizing and reform, making it valuable for listeners who want critical, pragmatic analys... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Public Interest?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Public Interest. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Public Interest and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Public Interest get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Public Interest, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Public Interest?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Public Interest, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Public Interest have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Public Interest has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Public Interest?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Public Interest:

1. At Large with Toby Manhire
2. Gone By Lunchtime
3. Cross Party Lines
4. The Detail
5. Ones and Tooze

How many episodes of Public Interest are there?

Public Interest launched 4 months ago and published 20 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Public Interest?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Public Interest?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Public Interest from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Public Interest?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Public Interest. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Public Interest?

Recent guests on Public Interest include:

1. Mark Wilson
2. Bianca Ranson
3. Sandra Grey
4. Max Rashbrooke
5. Max Harris
6. Asher Emanuel
7. Gabriella Brayne
8. Bryce Edwards

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days