Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 06/09/2026New TPU-Curia poll: Major parties slip; Greens and Act are back - Opportunity slip below 5 to 4.5% - National down 2 to 29 - Labour - down 1.9 to 26 - Greens - up 3.8 to 13.9 - NZFirst - down 0.7 to 8.4 - Act - up 3.2 to 10.5 - TPM - up 0.5 to 2 Centre-right would hold on. 121
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 18/08/2026Latest Nielsen unique audiences for major NZ news sites in July: Stuff, up marginally to 2.2m NZH, down 80k to 1.85m RNZ, up 140k to record high of 1.78m (just 70k behind NZH) 1News - 742k RNZ is the big story - it has come from half that audience just 3 years ago 121
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 10/08/2026Richard Harman on Politik is also picking up on National caucus discussions re Christopher Luxon's leadership: www.politik.co.nz/unconfirmed-...politik.co.nzUnconfirmed reports say Nats want to vote tonight on Luxon’s leadership | Politik 010
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 10/08/2026Breaking: Thomas Coughlan signals Round 2 for the National leadership 2026: www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/...nzherald.co.nzNational MPs hit phones over Luxon's leadership after MMP surpriseThe National Party has been gripped by another round of discontent and speculation. 3154
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 07/08/2026Latest Taxpayer Union/Curia poll has Opportunity at 6 percent. First big poll which shows its workings to have it over the threshold. Nats up 0.5 to 31 Labour falls 3.7 to 27.8 Greens -0.3 to 10.1, NZF sags 1.7 to 9.1, below double figures Act +0.4 to 7.3 TPM -1.9 to 1.5 000
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 12/06/2026Budget no biggie in polls for Nats, but normal service resumes for Greens and Act. TOP on 3.2 also tantalising. Seats - Govt 62 - Opp 58 Latest TPU/Curia poll: Labour 32.2 (+0.3) National 31.1 (+ 0.1) Greens 11.5 (+1.8) Act 7.8 (+1.3) NZF 11.4 (-0.3) TPM 3.1 (-1) TOP 3.2 (+0.4) 031
Reposted by Tim MurphyPOLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 05/06/2026EXCLUSIVE: The head of the U.K.’s data protection watchdog has continued to draw his £200,000 annual salary despite not working since February and returning to his native New Zealand.politico.euUK watchdog lead draws £200,000 salary for no workInformation Commissioner John Edwards has been absent since “voluntarily” stepping back in February amid a workplace investigation. 0249
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 28/05/2026Probably widely missed during the Budget coverage deluge yesterday: NZME's largest shareholder Jim Grenon tried and failed to get a suppression order related to his involvement funding a defamation case vs TVNZ www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3609...stuff.co.nzJudge rejects billionaire Jim Grenon’s bid to stop media reportingJim Grenon’s lawyer argued media reporting of his ongoing involvement in the “wholly unsuccessful” defamation case could lead to an attack on the billionaire’s reputation. 081
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 25/05/2026RNZ National audience falls slightly in latest GFK ratings survey RNZ National - 492,000 (down from 503k end 2025) Morning Report - 336,000 (352k)** Nine to Noon - 267,800 (258k) Checkpoint - 229,000 (225k) Saturday morning - 169,100 (179.1k) *John Campbell in just 3 of 48 wks 120
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 14/05/2026Who could have predicted NZ First polling twice that of Act? - from latest Talbot Mills poll, via NZH "New Zealand First had dropped one percentage point to 14%. The Green Party had increased two points to 9% while Act had dropped one point to 7% since the April poll." 010
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 07/04/2026Looks like Govt is getting backing for oil crisis handling, with the latest TPU-Curia poll showing all three coalition parties rising, albeit with Nats still in 20s. Nat 29.8 (+1.4) NZF 13.6 (+3.9) Act 9.0 (+1.5) Lab 33.4 (-1.0) Greens 7.8 (-2.7) TPM 2.6 (-0.6) Seats 65 -55 to incumbents 100
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 30/03/2026Govt lowers overall Auckland housing target again to 1.4m, from 1.6m in Feb and 2 m prior 000
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 01/03/2026NZME appoints Chris Luxon's former chief press secretary Hamish Rutherford to chair its NZ Herald editorial advisory board. Founding chair Miri Alexander becomes associate editor. The 4-person board also includes Brent Webling who was press sec to 3 other National leaders. 197
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 23/02/2026NZ PM Christopher Luxon says NZ will support UK Govt if it decides to pursue removal of Andrew from royal line of succession. But NZ not mirroring Australia in sending formal letter agreeing to that. NZ cabinet officials have spoken with UK Cabinet Office about process. 100
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 23/02/2026Big move in the Nielsen online audience ratings: Stuff (1.96m unique readers) remains No 1 but drops hundreds of thousands to be just 40k higher than NZ Herald (1.92m) in Feb - previously its lead has been 300k plus. A rare time under 2m for Stuff. RNZ on 1.54m, 1News 800k. 000
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 19/02/2026National picks Mahesh Muralidhar as candidate in former stronghold Tamaki, against Act's Brooke van Velden who won in 2023. Muralidhar, who stood in Auckland Central last time, makes no mention of winning the seat, just campaigning to lift National's party vote. Deal done? 481
Reposted by Tim MurphyThomas Lumley @tslumley.bsky.social · 17/02/2026Next steps for Parliament: declare that Winston is a citizen, legalise rugby, allow burgers to be made of meat 2258
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 11/02/2026Foreign Minister Winston Peters lets slip the quiet part out loud, talking in Parliament about support for an international system "with the United States ... United Nations, rather ... at its core" 093
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 09/02/2026John Campbell finally joining RNZ Morning Report from Monday April 13. Lame that it takes 3-4 mths for him to be able to transfer from one publicly owned media (TVNZ) to the other. TVNZ in turn facing a restraint on getting new Breakfast host Tova O'Brien from Stuff. 052
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 05/02/2026Some of the detail of the Washington Post newsroom cuts 082
Reposted by Tim MurphyKatie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 18/01/2026Deutsche Bank here with the good stuff. Game on. 476144004591
Reposted by Tim MurphyPup Fiction @pupfiction.bsky.social · 19/01/2026I’m calling the Peace Board The United Donations 818951
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 30/12/2025A big NY Honours list for media types: - NZ’s most devoted, committed political journalist Richard Michael Arthur Harman ONZM, - investigative veteran Donna Chisholm, -retired Herald columnist and editorialist John Roughan and - former ZB institution Leighton Smith, all MNZM. 030
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 10/12/2025New Taxpayers Union/Curia poll out: Labour - 31.6 (-1.7) National - 30.0 (-0.2) Greens - 10.8 (+1.6) Act - 8.9 (+0.3) NZFirst - 8.3 (-1.0) TPM - 3.1 (-0.2) Centre right 61 seats to 59 Centre left Notable for Greens up, not sinking as in 1News poll 22610
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 01/12/2025Former rate-capping Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan tells RNZ Midday Report that the Govt-imposed rate cap won’t work - wrong policy at the wrong time because of infrastructure demands since his caps. Says Govt’s set a trap with a ‘one dimensional answer to a complex problem.’ 52416
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 01/12/2025New poll on Labour's capital gains tax, from Horizon: 41 percent in favour (21% strongly) 39 percent opposed (25% strongly) Those 18-35, and 75 plus more oppose; other age groups more in favour. In NZ context, Labour would surely view a split result, this early, as a positive 021
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 01/12/2025RNZ is having a great finish to its year, with its radio audience up again -RNZ National topping 500,000 listeners in an average week, up 25,000 - Morning Report up 13k (and 8k in Auckland) to 352k - Up in Auckland all main shows - website 1.7m monthly audience - record for RNZ 131
Reposted by Tim MurphyPrestidigitator John 🇵🇸🇺🇦🇨🇦 @tomscud.bsky.social · 19/11/2025when all the lawyers on your timeline go off at once 392204485
Reposted by Tim MurphyJustin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 16/11/2025They really are going with immaculate asymmetry of tariffs, which didn't raise prices when they were imposed but will cut them when they're withdrawn. 1092335512
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 17/11/2025RNZ increases its online audience again, to another record in October - nudging 1.7m unique users in the Nielsen survey. 1News - 803k (up 101k) RNZ - 1.698m (up 30k) NZH - 1.96m (up 100k) Stuff - 2.23m (down 70k) 011
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 29/09/2025Former Act Party President Tim Jago loses all aspects of his appeal against conviction for historical sexual offending and his sentence of 2.5 years’ jail. Three judges of Court of Appeal say the imprisonment sentence was “stern” but open to the judge and in accord with law. 39227
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 27/09/2025Marina Hyde in the Guardian on UK leaders. Who’d fit these categories in NZ?: “We either get inadequate chancers (eg Johnson or Liz Truss) or chance inadequates (eg Theresa May, Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer), all of whom are forever being presented as the next true hope.” 030
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 25/09/2025Lovely moment at the Auckland Council end-of term valedictory speeches when councillor Sharon Stewart paused to pay tribute to Herald chronicler of Auckland Simon Wilson who she announced is also retiring at year’s end. Wayne Brown: I had no idea Simon was retiring, after three years of training him 272
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 18/09/2025Ruth Richardson vs Nicola Willis this morning: “The Government must stop pretending that the current approach will work. The attacks on me and others who are pointing out the fiscal elephants in the room do Ms Willis, and all New Zealanders, a disservice." 091
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 08/09/2025Latest Taxpayers Union/Curia poll has left-bloc ahead by one seat and able to govern if election held today. Act big mover Lab - 33.8 (up 0.2) Nats - 33.1 (up 1.2) Greens - 10.7 (up 0.9) NZ First - 8.1 (up 0.3) Act - 6.7 (down 1.9) TPM - 4.3 (up 1.1). 61 seats left, 60 right 140
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 26/08/2025And, just like that: RNZ's radio audience has increased for the first time since 2022: RNZ National up 8000 to 475k RNZ Concert also up 8000 to 170k in the latest GfK radio survey. (RNZ has just had a highly critical report on its letting radio listenership slip) 151
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 25/08/2025NZME announces its 'editorial advisory board' to oversee NZ Herald editorial strategy (and second-guess issues of 'balance' and 'political leaning') - is chaired by ex Herald premium editor Miri Alexander, lawyer/Grenon man Philip Crump, ZB panellist Josie Pagani and ex Nats press sec Brent Webling. 120
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 15/08/2025Numbers matter: Govt: 'final settlement' for cancelling the IRex ferries from Hyundai is $144m. KiwiRail: total cost of settlement is actually $222m (incl deposit and part settlement) + Total cost of abandoned iRex is $671m (incl land-based costs, project mgmt, wind down) 24113
Reposted by Tim MurphyAlice Soper @alicesoapbox.bsky.social · 11/08/2025Do you ever just rewatch the final lineout of the Rugby World Cup 2021, played in 2022? No? You really should. It’s one of the best moments of my life. 7659
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 10/08/2025Latest TPU/Curia political poll calls a hung Parliament, with Labour overtaking a falling National and the coalition support parties slipping Labour - 33.6 (up 2) National - 31.8 (-2.1) Greens - 9.8 (+0.4) Act - 8.6 (-0.5) NZF - 7.8 (-2.0) TPM - 3.2 (-0.3) Left/rt 61 seats each 020
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 28/07/2025AI robots curating Herald site strike back in June Nielsen audience stats: Stuff 2,260,000 uniques (- 70k) Herald 1,890,000 uniques (+ 140k) RNZ 1,260,000 1News 620,000 Stuff's lead at 370k still big, but gap to Herald drops 210k. RNZ off 1.5m high earlier in '26 000
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 19/06/2025Latest Nielsen news site audience numbers for May, (per Stuff release) - Stuff is No 1 at 2.33 million readers with a 574k gap to NZ Herald on 1.75m. - that means the NZH fell more than 100k - and puts it in sights of third-placed RNZ, which has been in the 1.5m range of late. 121
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 12/06/2025Few on the partisan left acknowledge TPU/Curia, but they might steal a glance at its latest poll results: Labour 34.8 (up 1.6) National 33.5 (down 1.1) Act 9.1 (-0.4) Greens 8.3 (-0.9) NZF 6.1 (-1.3) TPM 3.3 (-0.6) Almost 35 is giddy heights for Labour. 040
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 05/06/2025Parliament's auto-captioning finally recognised Winston Peters in the manner he aspires to: 041
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 04/06/2025Stuff names a new MD for its soon-to-be-co-owned, No 1 news website firm Stuff Digital: Nigel Tutt, who ran its digital business a decade ago under Fairfax ownership before leading a digital experience company and Bay of Plenty economic development body. 010
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 03/06/2025TVNZ poll had National and Labour down 2 & 3. But centre-right ahead 63-58 in House. RNZ poll now has Nats down by 2.2 to 30, but Labour up 1 to 33 in post-Budget survey. Greens up 1.6 to 11.6. RNZ echoes TVNZ with NZF up a couple, to 9, but Act down 2.8 to 6.6. RNZ says centre-left 63-57. 030
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 02/06/2025Just in: Stuff sells 50% of its digital business to TradeMe - giving TradeMe Property a chance to really dominate the real estate online space. Stuff owner Sinead Boucher finally gets an equity partner - and undisclosed $ - after five years on her own. She'll chair combined board. 110
Tim Murphy @tmurphynz.bsky.social · 02/06/2025Bit awkward this Financial Times front page headline and story today “: ‘Scientists accuse New Zealand and Ireland of hiding livestock emissions’ 46628