Most people seeing Bernadette Soares today know the businesswoman, the political candidate and the woman standing for New Zealand First in Upper Harbour.

But that’s not where her story started.

For Episode 2 of Past The Name, we go right back to India.

Bernadette speaks about growing up in a wealthy family, being surrounded by servants and not fully understanding how privileged that upbringing was until she eventually left India and started again in New Zealand.

She talks about her father, a senior public servant who she says refused bribes even when money, gifts and pressure were put in front of him. She recalls the threats he received, the example he set for his family and why integrity became such a big part of her own life.

We get into religion too.

Being raised Catholic. Becoming a Christian at 15. Faith. Family. Marriage. Motherhood.

Then in 1989, Bernadette came to New Zealand with her husband and, as she tells it, only around US$500 available to start their new life.

No empire.

No political career.

Just a new country and plenty of mahi ahead.

Bernadette talks about the jobs she worked, the workplace bullying she experienced and how that eventually led to years of advocacy around bullying in the workplace.

She became an author.

An entrepreneur.

And built a career in the beauty industry through businesses and brands including Natural Glow.

New Zealand First’s current candidate profile lists Bernadette as its Upper Harbour candidate and describes her as a business owner, community advocate and mother of three who has lived in New Zealand for more than 37 years.

But this conversation goes further than the campaign profile.

Bernadette talks about her previous political journeys, what she says she learned from them and why she chose New Zealand First this time around.

She speaks about immigration, how different migration was when she arrived, her views on India and Narendra Modi, the proposed India free trade agreement, and why she says her loyalty in politics sits with New Zealand regardless of where she was born.

We also talk about business, raising children, becoming a mother and why she believes the future her children inherit is one of the biggest reasons she keeps putting herself forward.

The 2026 General Election is scheduled for 7 November 2026.

But this episode isn’t just about an election.

It’s about the woman before the campaign signs.

India.

Faith.

Family.

$500.

Starting again.

Building businesses.

Getting knocked around.

Getting back up.

And eventually putting her name forward for public office.

You might know Bernadette Soares the candidate.

This is the story of Bernadette Soares before the politics.

Past The Name. Episode 2.

Bernadette Soares.

Most people know Karl Mokaraka from the confrontations.

The man at the public meetings. The guy politicians have had removed. The bloke leaning over the fence asking questions.

Man Over The Fence.

But that is only one part of his story.

For Episode 1 of Past The Name, we sit down with Karl and go right back to where it all started.

South Auckland. Ōtara. A family connection to the area stretching back around 70 years. Childhood abuse, trauma, family, becoming a husband and father and the experiences that shaped the man people see today.

Karl takes us inside his years at Wesley College, where he crossed paths with a young Jonah Lomu before Jonah Lomu became one of the biggest names in world rugby. He remembers the freak athlete everyone could already see was special, but also the young man behind the name.

Then we get into faith.

Karl speaks openly about Christianity, Destiny Church, tithing and his relationship with Brian and Hannah Tamaki after knowing them for almost 30 years.

He talks about what Destiny has meant in his own life, what Man Up and Tu Tangata have done for him and other men, and how Hannah Tamaki helped him work through issues from his childhood that he believes ultimately helped strengthen his marriage.

Nothing gets skipped.

We talk politics, immigration, the proposed Islamic centre in Papakura, why he keeps turning up to public meetings, why he has been stopped from entering some events, why he has been removed from others and whether one confrontation involving ACT may have gone a little too far.

Karl also talks about his decision to stand for Vision New Zealand in Ōtāhuhu, with the party currently listing him as its Ōtāhuhu candidate.

We get into the viral moments, the trip to London alongside Brian Tamaki for Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom event, the haka that travelled around the world and why Karl continues to put himself right in the middle of controversial conversations.

But this isn’t three hours of politics.

This is about the person underneath all of it.

The son.

The brother.

The husband.

The father.

The South Auckland kid.

The faith.

The trauma.

The mistakes.

The lessons.

And the story behind Man Over The Fence.

You’ve probably seen Karl Mokaraka before.

You probably already have an opinion about him.

But you probably haven’t seen this Karl Mokaraka.

Past The Name. Episode 1.

Karl Mokaraka.