Toby and Bernard talk through the top lines in today’s budget, the economic forecasts on which it is built, and the ways it sets the scene for the campaign ahead. Fresh from the budget lockup and with no obvious signs of sugar on his lapel, Bernard Hickey joins Toby Manhire for a special edition of Gone By Lunchtime. Hickey recounts the mood in the budget media briefing, including Nicola Willis throwing shade at her coalition partner NZ First over its superannuation stance, the targeted bursts of sweetness for some in the budget and the bitter messages for others.

Please print out this podcast before sharing. The multifaceted, years-long story of Mike Smith’s climate court action, the parliamentary response, and hard-copy briefings from lobbyists that mysteriously vanished has officially reached “saga” mode. In a new episode of the Spinoff politics podcast Gone By Lunchtime, Ben Thomas, Annabelle Lee-Mather and Toby Manhire dive into the mire and debate whether there are dots to join.