This week on the Raw Politics podcast: How the defection of a minister changes political equations for the election and coalition building, the endless nothingness of the republican debate and a futile Act in Tamaki.

Meka Whaitiri's waka jumping from Labour to Te Pāti Māori was a political play in two acts.

Act 1 was her dramatic and emotional announcement at her home marae, signalling in great harmony, musically and politically, that something seismic could be happening in Māori and post-election politics. Act 2, was the dry and confusing debate in Parliament later that same day and Thursday as the Speaker and House tried to determine whether she was still a Labour MP, was an Independent or was with Te Pāti Māori in more than spirit.

The Raw Politics panel tries to assess both strands of the big political story of the week and whether the first will ultimately prevail through Whaitiri winning the seat at an election in or before October. On the eve of the Coronation, we discuss the endless, fruitless cycle of debate over if and when New Zealand will cast off its royal and colonial links and walk into its own mana as a republic.

A listener wanted to know if Act has any chance standing in the blue, blue National seat of Tamaki in October. And the panel recommends for your weekend pleasure a story revealing the dire state of our conservation department a timely Times UK story on the royals' party planner cum funeral director and we have kudos for the journalist who got the scoop on the Whaitiri bombshell.

Every Friday, Jo Moir, Sam Sachdeva and Tim Murphy 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. And send us your burning political questions to jo.moir@newsroom.co.nz and we’ll endeavour to find the answer and explain the issues.