Political Playback - 11 June 2026

Bilton Truth: Ex-Police Prosecutor reacts to Chloe Swarbrick

Chloe often misleads with her claims around marijuana and it’s impact on our criminal justice system. Samuel uses both his experience as a police prosecutor and data received from a official information request to test Chloe’s claims on the legal impacts of marijuana in New Zealand. Let’s make sure New Zealand continues to say nope to dope!

CounterCulture: The Pornography Problem

75% of boys and 70% of girls have seen pornography by the time they are thirteen. Even many pastors and those in leadership positions are struggling in secret. The panel discuss the exploitation that porn causes as well as how young men and women can get free from it's grip.

Political Playback - 11 June 2026

In this episode of Political Playback – the Opportunities Party oppose biological truth, but want to be kingmaker – should that be non-binary maker?; the latest poll on attitudes to puberty blockers showing waning support for them in NZ; Labour announce their list, a policy, and a policeman; should a National MP be handing out promotional material in schools to children; Greens are strong on talking, speeding and charging; China sanctions some MPs unless they say sorry; an ACT MP leaves politics due to ill health; a former Labour cabinet minister who’s gay reckons she was invited to join NZ First; the soon-to-be dumped BSA prove again today why nobody will miss them; and Bob and Simon share their recent blogs.

McBlog: A Read Of “The Far-Right Playbook”

Bob ‘takes one for the team’ yet again, and reviews the new ActionStation book “The Far-Right Playbook” so that you don’t need to read it – and to see if he gets a mention. He’ll be absolutely gutted if he doesn’t.

Family Matters: A New Zealand Iranian voice

In this episode Family Matters, Simon speaks with Iranian-New Zealander activist and writer Forough Amin about the ongoing conflict and upheaval in Iran and what it feels like for Iranians in New Zealand. Forough says the latest round protests began in December 2025 with Tehran Grand Bazaar merchants striking over inflation, rising prices, and currency collapse, then spread nationwide across all 31 provinces after Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urged more Iranians to participation. She describes the January massacre in which the Islamic regime opened fire on civilian protestors and shut down the internet, leaving the diaspora without news. Iran International later estimated about 12,000 killed, with later reports suggesting even higher totals. Simon and Forough talk about Iran is currently enduring the world’s longest blackout for over 90 days, with limited return of access requiring VPNs for apps like WhatsApp and Instagram, and reports from inside describe despair, uncertainty, and poverty said to exceed 30%. Forough argues Iran’s decline stems from the 1979 Islamic Revolution: hostage-taking, Sharia enforcement, loss of women’s rights and freedoms, mass executions including of the leftists who helped the regime take power, and prolonging the war with Iraq. She says the regime prioritises ideology and foreign proxies over domestic welfare, citing billions spent on Assad’s Syrian regime, and terror groups such has Hamas, Hezbollah, as well as Yemeni and Iraqi militias. Simon then asks Forough about the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. Arrested by the regime’s morality police for hijab violations, Mahsa’s killing fueled the Woman, Life, Freedom protests across the world. Forough speaks of how she and many Iranians want to see an end to the Islamic regime while criticising US negotiations that frames discussion between them and ‘moderates versus radicals’. She notes that the regime is an ideological cult exporting terrorism globally. She and Simon finally discuss the weekly New Zealand rallies, panels, and awareness efforts being run by Iranians and urge the New Zealand government to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation and expel Iran’s ambassador, and take the regime’s threats seriously. To read more of Forough’s thoughts and wider research,