This week on the Raw Politics podcast: We ask why Labour leader Chris Hipkins has failed to fire, as his party would have hoped, in this campaign so far. Plus: this week's debate, the latest polls and how relatively good economic news changes things in the run-up to election day.

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Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Fdh2d1qbIL7uFBBgjyQ6C?si=cdb4d961d00e4a5a

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/raw-politics/id1680062443

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Three weeks into the official six-week campaign period and Prime Minister and Labour's hope Chris Hipkins still seems to be playing within himself, holding back and not taking the fight to the centre-right as many of his party's supporters must have hoped.

The Raw Politics panel debates why he has not managed to get on top, or even on even stevens with National's rookie Christopher Luxon, and how frustrating it must be for Labour that with just over a week to go until advance voting, the polls have the party still languishing on 27 percent support.

Our reader question is whether the economic news - on the latest 12-month GDP figures and revisions showing NZ was not in recession after all - could help the incumbents.

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This week's recommendations:

Marc: Her students reported her for a lesson on race. Can she trust them again? https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/q-and-a/clips/chris-luxon-social-housing-climate-and-economic-credibility

Jo: Searching for an ounce of charisma from Chris Hipkins, Christopher Luxon. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/steve-braunias-searching-for-an-ounce-of-charisma-in-the-tvnz-leaders-debate/EHPG3AXLAZB5JAJVGIGBL2KA4I/

Tim: The race to represent a battered region. https://www.newsroom.co.nz/the-race-to-represent-a-battered-region

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Topics covered in this episode:

00:00 Introduction
00:48 The debates and newest polling
13:50 Hipkins struggles to deliver on the campaign
24:45 Is the economy bouncing back?
27:28 Our recommendations

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Every week, Newsroom editors and political journalists talk through the big issues and scrutinise politicians’ performances in a lively 25-minute show aiming to take viewers and listeners inside the actions and motivations of our elected leaders.

Watch Raw Politics on YouTube, or download or listen to it as a podcast on Spotify, or via Apple Podcasts.