The Hard Stuff With Nigel Latta - What Do Our Politicians Actually Do?

In this episode of The Hard Stuff, presenter Nigel Latta takes a peak behind the curtain of the Beehive in Wellington. Here, he looks at the lives of politicians — the pay, the perks and the scrutiny from the public. Latta talks with MPs, the Speaker of the House and political scientist Dr Bryce Edwards to make sense of the "special subset of society" that runs Aotearoa. Juggling the workload, the cutthroat debating chamber and the complexities of gotcha journalism, Latta wonders if politicians enter the lion's den to serve the public, or because they have a desire for power. Latta also discovers that he suits a horsehair wig. 

I'm uncomfortable with the pay I'm on. I'm also aware that bank CEOs are earning 4.1 million dollars a year. We're not the heart of the problem, but we are symbolic of inequality, and its harder to advocate strongly and get people's trust when they see you in a very unrelatable situation.

– Green Party List MP Jan Logie on earning around $150,000 per year

Key Cast & Crew

Patrick Gower

Subject

Nigel Latta

Presenter

Arwen O'Connor

Producer

Cameron Bennett

Director

Bevan Crothers

Cinematographer

Mark McNeill

Executive Producer