/news/politics/rss ob体育接口 Get the latest political and government news from Newstalk ob体育接口's Beehive team. Tue, 29 Apr 2025 22:50:39 Z en /news/politics/watch-nicola-willis-on-what-to-expect-from-the-budget-no-charities-tax-this-year/ /news/politics/watch-nicola-willis-on-what-to-expect-from-the-budget-no-charities-tax-this-year/ Finance Minister Nicola Willis will deliver a major pre-Budget speech to the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce.  Willis confirmed no tax changes for charities in the upcoming Budget, citing complexity and minimal revenue.  The Budget will include just $1.3 billion in new operating spending.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis said the Government plans to cut “billions” of dollars worth of programmes started under the previous governments, freeing up cash for what she is billing as one of the tightest Budgets in a decade.  The announcement was made in a pre-Budget speech to the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce.  The speech will be livestreamed from 7.30am below.  “The Government’s savings drive has freed-up billions of dollars,” Willis said.  “Those savings will now be re-deployed to fund New Zealand’s most pressing priorities,” she said.  Alongside the cuts, Willis announced there would be just $1.3 billion worth of new discretionary operating spending (an operating allowance) in this year’s Budget — this is the smallest allowance in nominal terms since 2015.  The $1.3b figure itself represents a substantial cut to what was planned.  Last year, Willis said the Budget would include $2.4b of new operating spending. Last year, Treasury said $2.5b in new spending would be needed just to fund the increased cost of delivering services.  By opting for such a small allowance, Willis and the Government will need to cut billions of dollars worth of spending across the government in order to fund the growing cost of existing services.  Just how the Government plans to do this is a mystery — in December Treasury said there was about $700m worth of new spending left in the Budget, after Willis pre-allocated funds for health and raided the 2025 Budget to pay for the funding of new medicines for Pharmac.  Willis said the Government had “undertaken a significant savings drive” to free up money for this Budget.  “That effort has involved Ministers identifying areas of previously committed spending that can no longer be justified in light of the challenging circumstances New Zealand now faces.  “We’ve analysed spending decisions made by previous governments and re-evaluated them in the context of today’s constraints.  “This has involved a line-by-line review of previous funding commitments, including money put aside in contingency,” she said.  Willis said the tighter allowance will mean the Government will spend “billions less over the forecast period than would have otherwise been the case”.  “This will reduce the amount of extra borrowing our country needs to do over the next few years and it will keep us on track towards balanced books and debt reduction,” she said.  “No lolly scramble”  Willis said that these tight spending requirements would mean no “lolly scramble” of new goodies in the Budget.  In practice, however, it might be even tighter than that.  Most Government departments have no increase to their baseline funding, what is known as a “zero budget”. If they need more funding to keep the lights on, that funding is paid for by cutting spending elsewhere.  Willis said the Government will still invest in “health, education, law and order, the defence force, business growth and targeted cost of living relief”, however these investments would in large part be paid for by reprioritisations.  Growth will be lower — cuts will keep surplus in sight  Willis said Treasury’s latest forecasts showed the economy was still on track to grow in the coming year, but worsening economic conditions since US President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs had weighed down the forecasts, “reducing their assumptions of real GDP growth in New Zealand in 2025 and 2026”.  She said this lower growth required threatened to throw its fiscal strategy off track, kicking out the return to surplus.  In December, Treasury forecast a return to surplus under the new OBEGALx measure by 2029 — and Willis’ fiscal strategy is to target a surplus one year earlier.  She said the small amount of new spending in this Budget means that Treasury’s latest numbers — which are not the final numbers for the Budget — still forecast a surplus in 2019.  “The reality of global economic events is that if we’d pushed on with a larger operating allowance then we would be staring down the barrel of even bigger deficits and debt,” Willis said.  No Charities tax  Willis revealed on Newstalk ob体育接口’s Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Monday she would not be making tax changes to tax charities in the Budget.  The Government had openly been investigating changing the way charities are taxed so businesses that operate as charities are treated like businesses and pay company tax.  “I can confirm that [no changes are coming at the Budget] because we are continuing work in this area.  “We had a short, sharp consultation with the charities sector and that has thrown up two key things: that is the potential revenue the Government would get from this is pretty small ... at the most, $50 million a year, so it’s not essential to our Budget that we hurry these changes through.  “What officials have advised is the consultation has uncovered a lot of complexity about definitions and rules and how charities would react in practice,” Willis said .  This could mean changes are coming in future, but not at the current Budget.  “I want to work through it carefully, I’m very committed to making sure we’ve got a fair system with high integrity. We will be making changes in this space but I don’t want to rush it and get it wrong,” she said.  Thomas Coughlan is the NZ Herald political editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the Press Gallery since 2018.  Mon, 28 Apr 2025 19:58:40 Z /news/politics/tory-whanau-bows-out-of-wellington-mayoral-race/ /news/politics/tory-whanau-bows-out-of-wellington-mayoral-race/ Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau will not seek a second term and will run for the Greens in the city’s Māori ward.  Whanau’s decision was influenced by the Golden Mile project and Andrew Little entering the mayoral race.  She aims to focus on working with mana whenua and fighting for what she believes.  Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has decided not to seek a second term, reversing her previous decision to run again for the mayoralty at the local body elections in October.  She had previously said she was keen to serve three terms and had received the Green Party endorsement for the mayoralty. Instead, she will now run for the Greens in the city’s Māori ward.  Speaking to the Herald, Whanau said two events helped change her mind.  On Monday, she turned the first sod on the Courtenay Place section of the redevelopment of the city’s “Golden Mile” – a project that has been kicking around since 2016. The second event was the decision of former Labour leader Andrew Little to throw his hat in the ring earlier this month.  “With that [the Golden Mile] aside, and now having Andrew Little in the race, I’ve decided I’d like to step aside to give him a clear runway to win the mayoralty,” Whanau said.  “I think this is actually a better outcome for everyone involved, certainly for the city. I can keep fighting for what I believe in for the city, but most importantly, I can work with mana whenua. I can serve my people,” she said.  Little paid tribute to Whanau saying, “I want to acknowledge Tory Whanau for her service to Wellington. Tory took on the mayoralty during a tough time for Wellington and regardless of our differences in approach I want to recognise her hard work and her dedication to the city”.  Tory Whanau pictured shortly after winning the mayoralty. Photo / Mark Mitchell  Whanau, who is the city’s first mayor of Māori descent, publicly hinted she might not seek a second term at the end of last year, telling Newstalk ob体育接口 she’d be having “conversations with family and friends” about her next steps.  “Over the summer, there were no viable candidates running for the mayoralty, so I thought, well, you know what, I will do that. I will put myself forward, because I still care about the outcomes of the city,” Whanau said.  “I don’t want this mayoral campaign to be about Labour versus Green, progressive versus progressive. That’s not what it should be about. In fact, we ought to be coming together and working as a team to deliver the best outcomes for our city, and I know that we can do that."  Whanau told Little about her plans last week.  “He was very gracious, very friendly,” Whanau said.  Little told Newstalk ob体育接口’s Ryan Bridge this morning that that conversation with Whanau was a brief one.  “I wished her all the best and that was really it,” Little said.  Little said Whanau took on the mayoralty at a “challenging time” but she had made some positive changes.  The former Labour leader said one of the main reasons he stepped up to be a candidate was so he could restore the faith in the council.  “There, there’s not, it is simply not acceptable for rates to increase, by my calculation, about 30% in the last two years,” Little said.  “A lot of that is, I think, council not getting a grip on their own finances.”  ‘A dramatic couple of years’  Whanau won the mayoralty in 2022, beating Labour’s Paul Eagle and incumbent Wellington Mayor Andy Foster in the closest thing to a landslide possible under Wellington’s STV voting system.  Looking back, Whanau is proud to have lifted the city’s water investment to $1.8 billion in the 2024-34 Long-Term Plan.  The council’s district plan will enable thousands of new homes. The council has also planned to upgrade over 800 social housing units.  It has built 27km of new cycleways and bus priority lanes have doubled from 4km to 8km.  “I’m really proud of that ... that is exactly what I was elected to deliver and now with the Golden Mile project starting officially I feel very proud. We’re, we’re in the middle of transformation,” Whanau said.  Projects like the Golden Mile had been “a battle”, but one that was ultimately worth fighting.  When asked how her mayoralty might be remembered, Whanau admitted there was “a lot of negativity” around her now, but she believed Wellingtonians will look back fondly on the transformation the city has undergone.  She thinks part of the negativity is due to the fact that great swathes of town are closed for earthquake strengthening, including the central library and the Town Hall.  “We’re a city in transition,” Whanau said.  “I like to try and remind people that if you see road cones, if you see construction happening, that is progress. That means something is going to be delivered.”  Tory Whanau pictured last year. Photo / Mark Mitchell  “Our city in 20 years’ time, even in five years’ time, it’s going to be quite different. We’ll be on top of our leaks, we’ll have Courtenay Place finished – it’ll be the best entertainment precinct, the [central] library will be open, the Town Hall will be open, Civic Square will be open, and we’ll have a new waste minimisation plant," she said.  “I can understand the frustration that people have, but this is what change is.”  Whanau admitted that she personally had become a “distraction” – one that threatened to undermine what she wanted to achieve.  “I’m glad that I’m no longer going to be a distraction to some of that,” she said.  “That kind of helped me decide this pathway ... It’s not about me. I’d rather just put myself aside and keep focusing on the work,” she said.  When asked what she might have done differently, Whanau said she would have sought to spend some time on council before becoming Mayor.  Would not back airport sale again  Whanau’s mayoralty changed after she backed a proposal to sell the council’s stake in Wellington airport to capitalise a fund that would compensate for the council’s $2.6b under-insurance problem.  Council officers recommended diversifying the council’s investments, rather than having them concentrated in the airport (which would itself be vulnerable to Wellington earthquakes).  But the debate turned sour, pitting Whanau against her Labour allies around the council table and even some Greens.  “It got quite ugly, and I think we weren’t being the best versions of ourselves,” Whanau said.  “In hindsight, when I look at that particular project and maybe Reading [Whanau backed a deal to revitalise the privately-owned cinema complex], I may not have been quite as supportive if I trusted my instincts.”  Whanau said after those twin challenges – both proposals eventually fell through – she learned to trust her instincts.  “It was actually directly after the airport decision where I really started to trust myself more,” she said.  While she pledged not to support a sale of the airport shares in future, she says the problem the sale was trying to address still exists.  The council is up against the wall financially and it has an under-insurance risk – a risk that has a good chance of turning into a real problem; the latest modelling reckons there is a one-in-10 chance of Wellington being hit by a significant earthquake in the next 50 years.  “We did have a very serious challenge, and we still do, of under-insurance ... it seemed like a logical way to address that, but it’s not what the people wanted,” Whanau said.  A proposal to sell the council's stake in Wellington airport ultimately failed. Photo / Mark Mitchell  The sale put severe strain on the council’s relationship with mana whenua, which Whanau “absolutely” hoped to repair if elected as the Māori ward councillor.  “Politics is dramatic and it’s hard and sometimes relationships become a bit fractured, but that’s because the decisions that we’re making are really hard and people care about them.  “It’s okay to have those disagreements, the rebuild, however, is much more important.”  Personal struggles  Whanau was dogged by personal struggles while mayor. After two high-profile incidents, Whanau admitted to a drinking problem.  Last year, she was also diagnosed with ADHD.  Whanau said her generation of politicians was “more open” about challenges than generations that had gone before.  “I suppose the personal challenges that I’ve faced are probably not dissimilar to what many people have faced, whether it’s needing to reduce drinking or getting an ADHD assessment or just wanting to be a bit more private,” she said.  “These are the issues that my generation are facing – Millennials, Gen Z, we’re all very open.”  Reflecting on 10 years in politics (she began working for the Green Party as a staffer a decade ago), Whanau noticed an increase in abuse copped by local and central government politicians.  She thought the turning point was the pandemic and the subsequent restrictions.  “I think it was the Covid lockdown that really accelerated that behaviour,” Whanau said.  She thought that while politicians copped abuse before Covid, the rhetoric has become far more violent since.  “Violence has definitely increased post-Covid ... decorum has been lost. People, mainly men, are very happy to say the most hideous things about women in politics, which have nothing to do with their character,” Whanau said.  She said she was “looking forward to being less of a target” of that kind of behaviour, but it was not enough to make her quit politics altogether – in fact, Whanau said one day she would consider running for Parliament.  “I love people, so it’s a natural pathway for me to go to Parliament and become a minister, but that’s a long way away,” Whanau said.  “I still want to keep going, I still have plenty in me to keep going,” she said.  Thomas Coughlan is the NZ Herald political editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the Press Gallery since 2018.  Mon, 28 Apr 2025 19:05:56 Z /news/politics/act-ramping-up-pressure-on-national-party-minister-scott-simpson-over-acc-ethnic-outcome-targets/ /news/politics/act-ramping-up-pressure-on-national-party-minister-scott-simpson-over-acc-ethnic-outcome-targets/ Act MP Laura McClure sent a letter raising her concerns to the ACC minister earlier this week. Act contends the ACC tender contradicts a Cabinet Office circular about public service delivery. ACC Minister Scott Simpson disagrees and believes the tender aligns with the circular. The Act Party is seeking to ramp up pressure on a National Party minister over a disagreement concerning ACC’s “ethnic outcome targets”. Act today published a letter sent by MP Laura McClure to ACC Minister Scott Simpson this week that claimed a tender issued by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) was “inconsistent” with a Cabinet Office circular, which dictates public service delivery should be based on need, not race. The tender sought a supplier that could “deliver evidence-based initiatives to reduce work-related injuries in the manufacturing sector”. Central to Act’s concerns was the tender’s stated focus on Māori and Pasifika communities, including what McClure described in her letter as “ethnic outcome targets” of 5461 claims being saved in 10 years and of those, at least 18% must be from Māori and 11% from Pasifika. “The circular makes clear that ethnicity should not be used as a proxy for need and that services must be justified through empirical evidence about actual disparities and why general services are insufficient to address them,” McClure said in her letter to Simpson, dated April 22. ”ACC does not appear to have made an analytical case for targeting a particular population subgroup based on empirical evidence, as required by the circular. “Is it the view of the minister that Māori or Pasifika are inherently more susceptible to workplace accidents? If ACC has shared any data suggesting that the difference in injury rates cannot be explained by other factors such as the risks associated with a particular job, please share this with me.” ACC Minister Scott Simpson (left) during a privileges committee hearing. Photo / Mark Mitchell While first reported by Newsroom today, the Herald understands Act and Simpson’s office attempted to resolve the issue privately last week, but efforts to agree were unsuccessful. In correspondence seen by the Herald, it’s understood staff from the Act’s leader’s office first contacted Simpson’s office to discuss the matter when it was raised by Newsroom. Act’s office then received a response from Simpson’s, which argued the tender’s conditions did align with the circular. It noted how 18% of work-related weekly compensation claims in manufacturing in 2024 affected Māori despite their being only 14% of the workforce, and 11% impacted Pacific people, who were 10% of the workforce. Simpson’s office also highlighted the circular allowed for Crown entities such as ACC to comply “as far as possible, taking into account their legal obligations, statutory functions and duties”. In Act’s social media post two days after the letter was sent, it claimed there was “no evidence to suggest Māori and Pasifika are inherently more injury-prone than other workers”. “Using race as a proxy for vulnerability is lazy and unscientific,” the post read. Simpson’s office has been contacted for comment. In a statement, ACC deputy chief executive Andy Milne said he believed the tender “aligns with the Government’s desire for services to be based on need“. “While there is a targeted focus on outcomes to be achieved for Māori and Pacific communities, the tender invites suppliers to lead programmes and initiatives focused on outcomes for the wider sector, including all individuals and communities within it.” Adam Pearse is the deputy political editor and part of the NZ Herald’s press gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for ob体育接口 since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland. Thu, 24 Apr 2025 03:40:12 Z /news/politics/familyboost-govt-overestimated-flagship-childcare-rebate-policy-finance-minister-admits-ird-got-it-wrong/ /news/politics/familyboost-govt-overestimated-flagship-childcare-rebate-policy-finance-minister-admits-ird-got-it-wrong/ Government says the estimate of the number of families that would be eligible for the full FamilyBoost payment was incorrect despite officials’ “best efforts”.  Uptake figures as of April 9 show 249 households have received the full payment.  IRD found modelling challenging because it did not have reliable data.  The Government admits the number of families it said would be eligible for the full $75 a week benefit of its flagship childcare tax policy was wrong.  The admission comes as new data shows that as of April 9, some 249 families had received the maximum amount available under the FamilyBoost scheme since it came into effect last year.  This is 1.2% of the 21,000 families the Government said were eligible for the full FamilyBoost payment of $975 a quarter or $3900 a year – a figure IRD now admits was wrong, although the actual number of eligible families remains unclear.  Those 249 families had claimed the sum for each of the three quarters the scheme has been open and, therefore, got the maximum benefit of the tax credit.  A higher number have claimed the full amount in one or two quarters, but not in all three. The number of families receiving the full amount is expected to rise as families have up to four years to claim a rebate.  FamilyBoost is a 25% rebate on families’ weekly childcare costs. The more a family spends on childcare, the higher the rebate – up to a limit of $300.  While launching the policy last year, Finance Minister Nicola Willis presented IRD modelling that reckoned 21,000 families would be eligible for the full $975 a quarter – or $75 a week.  But Willis told the Herald that IRD now thinks this number was wrong because fewer people spend $300 a week or more on childcare than officials originally thought.  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis, who admits IRD modelling on FamilyBoost was wrong. Photo / Mark Mitchell  “IRD’s advice was based on its best estimates at the time and – despite best efforts – they got these wrong.”  IRD had found the modelling for FamilyBoost challenging because it did not have reliable data on how much parents were paying for early childhood education, she said.  “Essentially, IRD assumed more families were paying higher childcare costs than turned out to be the case. This meant fewer families than they estimated are in fact paying more than $300 per week for childcare.”  She said the FamilyBoost scheme gave IRD better information about the fees parents were paying, which would help inform future policy work in this area.  “I am advised that 56,433 households have now received FamilyBoost payments and that 74,000 households have registered for the scheme.  “The feedback I and other ministers are getting is that the scheme is making a big difference to family budgets.”  FamilyBoost rebate amounts based on household incomes.  Before the general election, National campaigned on a series of policies aimed at tackling the cost of living (and helping the squeezed middle), including FamilyBoost, a tax credit for childcare costs for families earning up to $180,000.  It was introduced as Government policy in March 2024 and started in July that year. Families had to keep copies of their early childcare invoices to submit for a payment, which raised questions about how many eligible families would end up receiving the payment.  IRD acknowledged the uptake of FamilyBoost had been lower than its initial estimates, which tended to be conservative to ensure there was enough money to pay families throughout the year.  It said the degree to which its initial forecasts were wrong had not been established as a full year of claims had not occurred. IRD had also not produced any new estimates of the number of families eligible for FamilyBoost or the full entitlement.  “Revised take-up assumptions will be reviewed after the scheme has been in place long enough to settle into a regular seasonal pattern and actual application numbers across quarters can be considered.”  The data was released in answers to written Parliamentary questions from the Labour Party. Those answers show as of April 9 that 249 households had received the full $975 for the first three quarters the scheme has been running (Q3 and Q4 2024, and Q1 2025).  Labour’s finance spokeswoman Barbara Edmonds lambasted the Government about the low uptake, saying costs were piling up on families under the coalition and “the one thing they promised to do to help is failing”.  Labour finance spokeswoman Barbara Edmonds says costs are piling up on families under the coalition Government. Photo / Mark Mitchell  “They promised 100,000 families would get FamilyBoost, but barely half that are actually getting childcare support and just 249 families are getting the full amount over the whole period.”  In answers to the Labour Party, officials said 152,698 claims had been received and $42,300,065 had been paid out in FamilyBoost rebates as of April 9.  IRD said the key missing data for its forecasts was the use of early childhood education broken down by the distribution of family income combined with how much families paid in early childhood education fees after other subsidies have been considered.  IRD expected some seasonality with lagged claims waiting certainty of family incomes before a household’s entitlement could be calculated.  Other factors to consider were that annual incomes for the tax year were due to be filed by early July, or later if the family had a tax agent, and that people had up to four years to make a claim.  “It is also possible that some families who would only receive a small amount of FamilyBoost decide not to apply.  “They would qualify for a small amount if, for example, their remaining unsubsidised fees were very low, or their income was close to $45,000 a quarter with FamilyBoost mostly abated away.”  IRD said it would report options for improvements to FamilyBoost to ministers.  Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.  Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:04:03 Z /news/politics/te-p%C4%81ti-m%C4%81ori-judgment-day-over-house-haka-to-land-alongside-party-s-independent-hearing/ /news/politics/te-p%C4%81ti-m%C4%81ori-judgment-day-over-house-haka-to-land-alongside-party-s-independent-hearing/ Te Pāti Māori is likely to find out if three of its MPs will face punishments for performing a haka in the House, in the same week the party intends to broadcast an ‘independent’ hearing about the incident. Parliament’s Privileges Committee met again today, described by chairwoman Judith Collins as Te Pāti Māori’s “final chance” for co-leaders Rawiri Waititi, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke to explain their actions in the House during the first reading of the now-scrapped Treaty Principles Bill in November. While the MPs chose not to appear and instead made a written submission, Collins confirmed the committee had discussed the matter and would meet again during Parliament’s next sitting block in May. She said the committee would “consider further and if possible, make a determination at that stage”. Collins acknowledged the party’s written statement, confirming it would be taken into account during the committee’s deliberation. New Zealand First leader and committee member Winston Peters referred all questions to Collins and did not give his view on the MPs’ absence from today’s session. “We’ll reflect that in our consideration as a committee.” Privileges Committee chairwoman Judith Collins says members could reach a decision next month. Photo / Mark Mitchell Te Pāti Māori distributed its written submission to the media while the committee was still sitting, claiming there was no need to appear in person. “We know the outcomes have been pre-determined. We know that we will not have the right to a fair process,“ Waititi said. When the MPs first ignored the committee’s request to appear a month ago, Waititi and Ngarewa-Packer announced the party would hold an “independent” alternative hearing on May 7 - in the same week when the Privileges Committee is expected to reconvene. Ngarewa-Packer today said the party’s hearing would still take place and be broadcast publicly, promising to reveal more details in the coming days. “We are determined to tell our own story, our way, without being gaslit or shackled.” In its submission, Te Pāti Māori reiterated its concerns about how the Privileges Committee had allegedly denied several of the party’s requests, including appearing before the committee alongside a tīkanga expert and legal counsel. Collins had pushed back on the latter, saying MPs were able to bring legal counsel but she clarified they wouldn’t be able to cross-examine like in a traditional court process. Chief among the party’s concerns was the potential for Maipi-Clarke to suffer “double jeopardy” or be punished twice for her part in the haka, which she began and included her ripping a copy of the bill and tossing it on the floor of the House. Following the haka, Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee punished Maipi-Clarke by naming her in the House and she was stood down for 24 hours, which included her pay being docked. In the submission, the party detailed how Maipi-Clarke and her co-leaders had spoken with Brownlee the next day, during which Maipi-Clarke apologised. Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipa-Clarke was among those to perform a haka, at Parliament, after the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. Photo / RNZ The party claimed Waititi was then assured by Brownlee there would be no “double jeopardy”. “We ask the committee to remove Hana from this process without any further sanction, as she has already been punished by the Speaker for her participation,” the party’s submission read. The submission featured statements from all three MPs explaining the reason for performing the haka, citing the impact of the Treaty Principles Bill and the need to respond in such a way. “To stand in Parliament, as both a Taranaki wahine and an MP during the debate of the Treaty Principles Bill felt like being ‘under siege’ - not just politically, but spiritually, culturally, and generationally,” Ngarewa-Packer said. “To haka was my deepest response to the injustice, my declaration of identity, and my expression of political debate.” Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for ob体育接口 since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland. Wed, 23 Apr 2025 02:00:13 Z /news/politics/early-childhood-education-licensing-criteria-may-be-cut-after-government-review/ /news/politics/early-childhood-education-licensing-criteria-may-be-cut-after-government-review/ The Government plans to simplify early childhood education regulations and strengthen enforcement against non-compliant providers. The review found “excessive and confusing” regulations and recommended scrapping about a fifth of the rules. David Seymour said “graduated enforcement tools” would be introduced from mid-2026 to address breaches proportionately. The Government wants to strip back early childhood education licensing criteria but beef up enforcement powers to target providers that don’t comply. It follows the release of the Government’s review of the early childhood education (ECE) sector that found “excessive and confusing” regulations, outdated settings limiting service supply and “weak pressure on low-quality” providers to improve. The review, led by the Ministry of Regulation, highlighted what Regulations Minister David Seymour described as 98 “calcified, high-stakes licensing criteria” that could lead to an ECE centre being shut down if breached. While consultation on any changes would begin “shortly”, the review recommended scrapping about a fifth of the 98 rules. They would either be completely removed or transformed into “good practice guidelines”. They included criteria that ensured a service’s curriculum “acknowledges and reflects the unique place of Māori as tangata whenua” and “respects and supports the right of each child to be confident in their own culture”. The proposed changes would also remove criteria that outlined how centres needed to provide hygienic facilities designed to help prepare or clean up paint materials, a “tempering valve” for hot water taps and an adult-suitable toilet. Act leader David Seymour has long campaigned for reducing regulation. Photo / Mark Mitchell It’s understood centres would still need to provide an adult-suitable toilet but the requirement to do so would sit under the Building Act. Seymour, in a statement, advocated for changes that would remove the requirement for centres to maintain a constant indoor temperature of 18C “when common sense says a minor deviation from 18 degrees won’t hurt anyone”. He also supported centres no longer holding immunisation records for children over 15 months of age, given the Ministry of Health already did so. Ministry of Regulation officials agreed, encouraging the Government to “revoke it at the earliest opportunity”. “The regulation’s primary purpose was for outbreak management; however, an alternative non-regulatory mechanism now exists for that purpose that does not rely on ECE service providers holding immunisation records,” the review said. Seymour, also the Act Party leader and a long-time campaigner for deregulation, said “graduated enforcement tools” would be used from mid-2026 to respond to breaches of the remaining criteria. “The only enforcement tools previously available were the granting or removal of ECE licences, which is too blunt a tool for managing minor breaches and enabling early intervention. “Graduated enforcement will give the regulator a range of enforcement measures. They will be able to respond proportionately to breaches, changing the sector’s culture from a punitive approach to promoting quality.” He promised the proposed changes would “reduce unnecessary compliance costs, remove duplication and streamline operational requirements”. To make the changes, the Government would introduce the Education and Training (Early Childhood Education Reform) Amendment Bill. Seymour expected the bill, likely to land in the House in July, would be passed by the end of the year.  Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for ob体育接口 since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.  Tue, 22 Apr 2025 23:54:45 Z /news/politics/northland-expressway-preferred-routes-government-eyes-new-road-over-brynderwyns-rather-than-bypass/ /news/politics/northland-expressway-preferred-routes-government-eyes-new-road-over-brynderwyns-rather-than-bypass/ The Government has mapped the preferred route of the new Northland Expressway, tipped to be one of the country’s most expensive infrastructure projects.  The Government is opting for a new route over the Brynderwyn Hills, to the east of the current state highway.  The first section of the expressway has already been confirmed.  The preferred route for the Northland Expressway – tipped to be one of the country’s most expensive infrastructure projects – has been revealed, with ministers eyeing a new highway over the Brynderwyn Hills rather than a bypass.  NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has investigated options to the slip-prone Brynderwyn Hills state highway, including two bypass routes to the west.  Transport Minister Chris Bishop revealed today the earmarked route will go from Warkworth east of State Highway 1 and over the Brynderwyn Hills, then through to Whangārei.  “The Brynderwyn Hills is a very challenging section due to the steepness of terrain and quality of the geology.”  Bishop said NZTA had considered alternative western options but after reassessment, had found “a near east alignment close to SH1”.  “This is a more direct route with more predictable geology that can be managed through engineering design.”  The Brynderwyn Hills, about 45km south of Whangārei, have been subject to ongoing closures since severe weather in early 2023.  Last year, the highway was closed for about four months as NZTA repaired numerous slips.  Over Easter, a landslip on Brynderwyn Hills badly damaged cars and blocked part of SH1 as the Auckland and Northland regions were battered by heavy rain.  Regional Development Minister Shane Jones said the new expressway would better withstand severe weather and provide a more resilient transport network to keep people and goods moving and reduce travel time.  Recent heavy rain caused a slip on State Highway 1 near the Brynderwyn Hills in Northland.  “This transport infrastructure is a key point in the New Zealand First-National coalition agreement,” Jones said.  “The Northland corridor is a top priority for the Government and we are working quickly to deliver this vital connection to help Northland’s economy grow and its communities thrive.”  Once fully complete, the Northland Expressway is estimated to be one of New Zealand’s most expensive infrastructure projects.  The Infrastructure Commission has estimated the project will consume $1 in every $10 spent by the Government on infrastructure over the next 25 years. This excludes maintenance and renewals.  The Herald reported on the commission’s findings in September, including warnings from the commission that the road’s price tag would make up a large proportion of the pool of capital intended to be spent on all other central government infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, schools, defence and justice.  The roading project, one of the Roads of National Significance, will be delivered as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).  The Government sought investors to help build the first section of the expressway at the recent inaugural Investment Summit, where attendees included firms that collectively had more than $6 trillion under management.  Regional Development Minister Shane Jones (central), flanked by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (from left), Transport Minister Chris Bishop and former Transport Minister Simeon Brown. Photo / Mark Mitchell  At the summit, large Italian firm Webuild confirmed it would bid to build and run the first 26km section of the expressway, with the company’s head of PPPs Guido Cacciaguerra declaring to media: “The Italians are coming back”.  The expressway has been divided into three sections: 1) Warkworth to Te Hana; 2) Te Hana to Port Marsden Highway; 3) Port Marsden Highway to Whangārei.  The first section will connect the new expressway north of Auckland, which now ends at Warkworth, to Te Hana. It will include an 850m twin-bore tunnel in the Dome Valley and interchanges at Warkworth, Wellsford and Te Hana.  For section two, the preferred corridor is a new route east of SH1 between Te Hana and the Brynderwyn Hills, then weaving to the east near the current SH1 at the Brynderwyn Hills and then to the west of SH1 between the Brynderwyn Hills and Port Marsden Highway.  For Port Marsden Highway to Whangārei, the preferred option is a new road near SH1 between Port Marsden Highway and State Highway 15 Loop Rd and a widened SH1 corridor approaching urban Whangārei.  Bishop said the highway would be “a genuinely transformational” chance to boost jobs and growth in the area.  Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.  Tue, 22 Apr 2025 19:17:56 Z /news/politics/new-zealand-first-proposes-legislation-to-define-woman-man-in-law/ /news/politics/new-zealand-first-proposes-legislation-to-define-woman-man-in-law/ New Zealand First wants to clarify the definition of a "woman" and a “man” in law, introducing a Member’s Bill to ensure “our country moves away from the woke ideology that has crept in over the last few years”.  The move follows the UK Supreme Court ruling last week that the term “women” as referred to in the British Equality Act refers only to biological women. It’s also the latest in a series of legislative proposals from NZ First in its so-called “war on woke”.  The party wants to see “women” defined in law as an “adult human biological female” and ‘man’ defined as an “adult human biological male”.  “The purpose of this amendment is to uphold legal certainty, protect the integrity of sex-based rights and ensure that language in law reflects biological reality,” an explanatory note within the legislation says.  “This definition will apply in all contexts where the terms ‘woman’ and ‘man’ are used, unless explicitly stated otherwise in specific legislation.”  The legislation is a Member’s Bill in the name of NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft. That means it’s not a Government bill and will need to be pulled from Parliament’s ballot before it’s debated and voted on.  NZ First leader Winston Peters said it's not about being anti-anyone. Photo / Mark Mitchell  NZ First leader Winston Peters said the legislation was “not about being anti-anyone or anti-anything” but “about ensuring we as a country focus on the facts of biology and protect the term ‘woman’ in law”.  “New Zealand First is the only party that campaigned on keeping men out of women’s sports, keeping men out of women’s and girl’s changing rooms, and we have received two petitions this term calling for protecting the term ‘woman’ in legislation.  “We were told at the time that we were going down a ‘rabbit hole’ and ‘on another planet’. But if you look at recent events, both internationally and in New Zealand, the pendulum is swinging back towards common sense and is proving us right.”  He said this would “ensure our country moves away from the woke ideology that has crept in over the last few years, undermining the protection, progression and safety of women”.  The legislation is in the name of Jenny Marcroft. Photo / Mike Scott  The Herald has sought reaction from Women’s Minister Nicola Grigg to last week’s ruling in the UK and whether she agreed with the definition it has put forward.  In 2020, the Ministry for Women said it defined “women” as “people who identify as women”.  “This definition is inclusive of transgender women,” it said.  The ministry’s website said it “represents the interests of all women, including transgender women, and we recognise the right of all people to self-identify”.  “We acknowledge the diversity of women and girls in Aotearoa New Zealand and focus on improving outcomes for wāhine Māori, Pacific women, migrant women, women who are former refugees, women with disabilities and the rainbow community.”  Last month, NZ First MP and associate Health Minister Casey Costello directed Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora to use the term “women” instead of “pregnant people” in communications.  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he supported having “common-sense language” and believed most people would consider pregnant people are women.  NZ First has introduced a number of pieces of legislation intended to counter “woke” elements of society, including a bill to remove diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) aspects from the public service.  Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub Press Gallery office.  Mon, 21 Apr 2025 23:30:42 Z /news/politics/health-nz-paid-for-departing-chief-executive-margie-apa-to-do-governance-course-as-she-was-leaving/ /news/politics/health-nz-paid-for-departing-chief-executive-margie-apa-to-do-governance-course-as-she-was-leaving/ Departing Health New Zealand boss Margie Apa “will receive the remaining salary payments” under her fixed-term agreement, until June.  Apa resigned from the budget-constrained agency in February.  Health New Zealand contributed towards the fees for Apa to attend a governance course as part of her resignation from the public health agency.  Public health agency Health NZ Te Whatu Ora has confirmed it paid for outgoing boss Margie Apa to attend a governance course as part of her resignation.  The Health New Zealand’s chief executive resigned from the agency in February, following a number of concerns raised about its budget. Apa’s term in the top job was due to end in June, but she said she left the role to “make space” for a new leader as the agency was going through a structural reset.  The agency confirmed to the Herald that Apa will receive “the remaining salary payments that would have been payable under the terms of her fixed-term employment agreement, as well as a contribution towards the registration fees for a governance course in lieu of the usual outplacement service”.  When questioned on the spending and what the course was, the public health agency declined to give any further information, citing privacy.  Apa received a $895,000 salary in the 2023-24 financial year, and $864,000 in the financial year prior. In her previous role leading the Counties Manukau DHB, Apa made a $592,000 salary.  At the time of her February resignation, Health New Zealand Commissioner Lester Levy said the pair “mutually agreed” on Apa’s departure.  Levy thanked Apa for her service to the public sector agency, adding she had an “extraordinary work ethic” and had worked extremely hard to support its structural reset.  “The reset is a significant change in direction from where Health NZ was heading but she realigned entirely to the programme,” Levy added.  Minister of Health Simeon Brown said Apa was committed to ensuring access to healthcare services while her agency “grappled with significant operational and financial challenges”.  The agency continues to propose restructures as the microscope remains on its spending. Commissioner Levy was appointed last year following concerns about its monthly deficits being around $130 million on average.  Health New Zealand confirmed there was no resignation letter sent by Apa, and it did not fund a leaving do for the departing boss.  In a statement, the agency said it was withholding further details about the nature of the governance course “to protect Margie’s privacy”.  It confirmed the spending was discussed with the Public Service Commission, and would not confirm how much it cost, reiterating it was “appropriate for the role”.  Azaria Howell is a multimedia reporter working from Parliament’s Press Gallery. She joined ob体育接口 in 2022 and became a Newstalk ob体育接口 political reporter in late 2024, with a keen interest in public service agency reform and Government spending.  Mon, 21 Apr 2025 22:48:27 Z /news/politics/new-zealand-mps-visit-taiwan-meet-president-lai-ching-te-despite-not-recognising-it-as-country/ /news/politics/new-zealand-mps-visit-taiwan-meet-president-lai-ching-te-despite-not-recognising-it-as-country/ A group of New Zealand politicians met with Taiwan's President during a trip last week to the self-ruling island off the coast of China. New Zealand does not recognise Taiwan as a country and instead recognises Beijing’s “One China” position that insists it is Chinese territory. However, New Zealand does have economic and cultural relations with Taiwan, including a comprehensive trade agreement. In 2023, a group of MPs launched the “All Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan” that intended to foster a deeper connection between New Zealand and Taiwan politicians. Two Act MPs made the journey to Taiwan that year, followed by a larger group in 2024. A delegation set out last week for Taiwan, led by National’s Stuart Smith and Labour’s Tangi Utikere. Other MPs on the trip include National’s Greg Fleming and Hamish Campbell, New Zealand First MP Jamie Arbuckle, Act’s Cameron Luxton and Labour MP Helen White. None were Government ministers. On Thursday, the group met with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, who was elected to the role last year and rejects China’s claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. The President’s office issued a lengthy statement, a video and photos of the meeting. In his remarks, Lai thanked the New Zealand Government for “reiterating the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait on multiple occasions since last year”. Relations between Taiwan and China – often referred to as “cross-strait relations” – are tense, with Chinese President Xi Jinping previously saying reunification between China and Taiwan is inevitable. China often conducts military exercises near Taiwan. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has on several instances highlighted New Zealand’s interest in a peaceful resolution of issues in the Taiwan Strait, including last year, when Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited Wellington. On that occasion, Luxon also reaffirmed New Zealand’s commitment to the One China policy. Lai said it was important that democracies co-operate and “jointly safeguard peace, stability and the prosperous development of the Indo-Pacific region”. “Taiwan and New Zealand share the universal values of democracy, freedom and respect for human rights, and parliamentary diplomacy is a tradition practiced by democracies around the world,” Lai said. “Looking ahead, our parliamentary exchanges and mutual visits are bound to become more frequent. This will enable us to explore even more opportunities for co-operation and further deepen and solidify the democratic partnership between Taiwan and New Zealand.” Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has rejected China's claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. Photo / AFP He also said he hoped “deeper collaboration” between Taiwan and New Zealand in areas like “smart agriculture, food manufacturing, biomedicine, the digital economy and clean energy, as well as exchanges among our indigenous peoples” would benefit the countries’ economies. Taiwan is New Zealand’s 13th-largest trading partner when it comes to two-way trade, valued at $2.93 billion in 2024. However, that is small compared with New Zealand’s trade with China, worth $38.26b last year. The statement says both Smith and Utikere delivered remarks, with the MPs commenting on the strong relationship between New Zealand and Taiwan. Smith is said to have highlighted that both places have a focus on trade and rely on easy access to imports and exports, making freedom of navigation important. A Royal New Zealand Navy vessel sailed through the Taiwan Strait alongside an Australian ship in September last year. Defence Minister Judith Collins at the time described it as a “routine activity” that wasn’t directed or requested by any country. Smith shared the Taiwan President’s statement on Facebook, writing that it was a “great pleasure and an honour” to be received by him and “discuss trade opportunities”. “It’s been a great week in Taiwan for our cross party delegation and a privilege to meet with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and discuss our existing and future trade and business partnership. We have been hosted very well!” he also wrote. In social media posts, Smith highlighted Taiwan as being an “important source of imports, tourism and investment” and a key export market for New Zealand. The National MP also went to a human rights museum in Taipei “dedicated to the universal values of democracy, freedom and justice”, visited the district of Wulai for a log cart rail journey and weaving and sang with an entertainer at a Michelin Start restaurant. Other New Zealand politicians have previously visited Taiwan. In 2022, while out of office, Winston Peters attended a forum in Taipei where he urged democracies to work together. “Taiwan believes in freedom. So do we. Taiwan believes in democracy. So do we. Taiwan believes in the rule of law. So do we. Taiwan believes that citizens have the right to question their Governments. And so do we,” he told forum guests. That trip came just weeks after then-United States Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, sparking China to respond with a large military exercise around the island. Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. Mon, 21 Apr 2025 02:02:55 Z /news/politics/easter-alcohol-rules-how-law-could-change-if-mps-vote-in-support/ /news/politics/easter-alcohol-rules-how-law-could-change-if-mps-vote-in-support/ Kiwis yearning for a pint at the pub on Easter Sunday without wanting a full meal with it, could soon get their way. Legislation before Parliament aims to simplify rules around the sale and supply of alcohol. The legislation has passed its first reading with the support of a majority of MPs, but it will still need to pass through the select committee stage and two more readings to become law. There are currently restrictions on selling alcohol to patrons on Anzac Day morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day. Alcohol can primarily only be sold on these days if the licence holder has a special licence or if it’s to people dining at an establishment. The rules are quite specific in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. Licence holders cannot sell alcohol to people on their premises more than an hour before they start (or are due to start) eating a meal, or more than an hour after they finish. Labour MP Kieran McAnulty reckons the “current law is confusing”. “At Easter for example you can purchase alcohol at the pub down the road on Thursday, but not Friday unless you have a meal as well, then you can buy a pint or two again on Saturday, but not Sunday again unless you have a meal,” he said. “It’s unfortunately hospitality workers who have to monitor this – which can sometimes be difficult – as well as doing their usual jobs. “RSAs should be able to serve veterans the traditional rum and coffee on Anzac Day morning without having to apply for a special licence. McAnulty has proposed repealing the sections of the legislation which enacts these rules, saying there is not “any good reason why the law is this way, except that it’s always been that way”. “That’s not a very good reason to have a law,” the Labour MP said. Labour MP Kieran McAnulty is behind the legislation. Photo / Mark Mitchell. When his Member’s Bill went before Parliament for its first reading this month, it was treated as a conscience issue, meaning MPs voted individually the way they wished, as opposed to having to vote as a party bloc. The groups for and against the legislation were both made up of a mixture of MPs from different political parties. For example, while some Labour and National MPs voted in support of the Bill, some of their colleagues voted against it. It ultimately passed by 67 votes to 54, meaning the legislation is now before the Justice Select Committee and is open for public submissions until May 22. The select committee has until October 9 to report back, before the Bill goes to a second and third reading where it twice again needs to get majority support to pass into law. The legislation is now before a select committee at Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell Politicians’ arguments for and against During the debate on the legislation, McAnulty addressed those concerned about the proposed changes based on their personal religious beliefs. “Easter is a Christian holiday,” he said. “I am Catholic. I’m not a very good Catholic, but I’m still Catholic. I attend Mass at Easter and at Christmas. “At no point in my religion, and, in fact, most, the vast majority of Christian religions, does it prohibit you from drinking alcohol on Good Friday or Easter Sunday.” The Labour MP said he respected some people had views leading them not to consume alcohol on these days, “but what about those people that don’t hold those views?”. McAnulty also appeared open to making a concession: “If members wish to send this to select committee and they have reservations about Christmas Day, I’m happy to negotiate”. “We’ve got to be pragmatic. I have no problem with it, but when you look at all the other examples of attempts to change these rules that have failed in this Parliament, we’ve got to try and meet in the middle.” Among McAnulty’s other arguments was that the current rules encourage stockpiling of alcohol before the Easter weekend and that restrictions may be off-putting to tourists. Act MP Cameron Luxton supported the legislation, but spent much of his speech questioning why McAnulty hadn’t supported a previous effort by Act to make similar changes. “An opportunity like this already did happen. There was an opportunity to make that change. Members across the House were given a conscience vote on the issue, and the honourable member [McAnulty] who’s just resumed his seat chose to vote against that change to Easter trading.” As McAnulty pointed out, the Act legislation also made changes to restrictions on shops’ ability to trade on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, something Labour wasn’t in favour of as the party didn’t want to play with labour laws. The Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 sets out that most stores must be closed on Anzac Day morning, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. There is a list of exemptions to this, including restaurants, service stations, and pharmacies. Luxton said this week he would be campaigning for McAnulty’s legislation, encouraging people to submit on it during the select committee period. “I’ve been campaigning for Easter freedom for a while now, and finally, a bill to ditch the alcohol rules has passed first reading – but its future is uncertain,” he said. Cameron Luxton has put forward similar legislation. Photo / Mead Norton. During the debate, the Greens’ Teanau Tuiono said he wouldn’t be supporting McAnulty’s legislation as the public holidays were “times that we need to be able to put tools down”. “These are times that we need to be able to relax. We need to actually make sure that we get that balance right. If we’re going to have a big tutū around with the holidays then that, in my opinion, disrupts that balance.” Tuiono believed if people could more freely purchase alcohol, “that will mean that more people will have to get rostered on”. “That means that more people will have to come in to work as well. Everybody that has worked a low paid job knows that it’s very, very hard to turn the boss down. “It’s very, very hard to turn the boss down when they come and have a chat to you saying that they want you to come in on a shift.” One of McAnulty’s Labour colleagues, Lemauga Lydia Sosene, explained she was voting against the legislation to reflect what she said was the view of her local Mangere community. As well as saying that alcohol is a “really major problem”, Sosene said her community had some “very firm religious views” arising from various different faiths. She said they asked why it was important to loosen the alcohol laws on a small number of days, when “you have over 360 days of the year when you can access alcohol”. “We have a very diverse community, and they celebrate a lot, particularly on those religious days of Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Christmas Day. “For some families in my local community, those are very sacred times, given that AI and technology is a 24/7 thing. Families look to those specific days on which to come together to celebrate the religious holidays and to be together on those days.” National MP Tom Rutherford said he had “hesitation” about supporting the legislation beyond select committee. “Why I’m only supporting it to that stage at present is because alcohol is one of the biggest causes of harm in our communities across the country,” Rutherford said. “I am in favour of the liberalisation around giving people the opportunity to have a choice. I do agree with the member when he talks about what happens on Anzac Day and how many of our RSAs across the country, if not all of them, have to get special permits and licences to allow them to operate and sell alcohol when you could just simply make a small legislative change like this Bill’s doing.” Rutherford said he was interested in hearing the thoughts of the public at the select committee stage of the Bill’s proceedings. Labour MP for Mangere Lemauga Lydia Sosene opposed the legislation. Photo / Mark Mitchell Another to speak against the legislation was New Zealand First MP Tanya Unkovich. She said non-government organisations she had spoken with didn’t believe there needed to be another outlet or avenue for people to access alcohol. “During these times - holidays, Easter, Christmas - are times when they notice the mental health issues really do accelerate and it’s the loneliness that kicks in,” she said. “It’s a reminder that maybe they don’t have a family. It’s many things that trigger people. They have seen that to be able to have more access to alcohol does not serve them or the community. So I’m listening to that issue.” Unkovich said she was raised in “a very religious life” and was involved in religious communities. “In my communities, people who I speak to about this, they say, ‘No, it’s not something we want.’ It’s not that we don’t want it, but we want to do everything we can to preserve our family unit and this is one way that we see we can maintain that and not let anything else get in the way.” Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. Sun, 20 Apr 2025 01:58:01 Z /news/politics/benefit-numbers-show-big-year-on-year-rise-more-jobseekers-than-when-government-formed/ /news/politics/benefit-numbers-show-big-year-on-year-rise-more-jobseekers-than-when-government-formed/ There continues to be many more New Zealanders on the Jobseeker benefit than when the Government took office, with the coalition’s target remaining far off. The number of people remaining on a benefit for longer than a year also remains high, while there’s been a significant increase in the number of sanctions being handed out to beneficiaries not fulfilling their obligations. Social Development Minister Louise Upston is, however, pointing out some green shoots. Though there are more people on the benefit than this time last year, the number who exited into employment over the past three months is higher than in the March quarter last year. Upston said she was “encouraged” by some of the figures, but stressed she was taking a “cautious approach as our Government continues to drive for economic and job growth in a challenging global and domestic environment”. The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) this week released its March-quarter snapshot of benefit figures, revealing the number of New Zealanders on a main benefit is 398,163, up 27,912 or 7.5% compared with this time last year. That is the most people on a main benefit in the March quarter in at least five years, but is down from the December quarter when there were 409,665 people on a benefit. It’s common for people to drop off the benefit between December and March, with the Government noting the decrease in the past quarter was driven by students returning to study. Upston highlighted that over the past three months, 23,268 people left a benefit to enter work. That is 2421 or 11.6% more than what was seen in the March 2024 quarter. The Government has a target for Jobseeker benefit numbers. Photo / Mark Mitchell However, Jobseeker Support numbers remain high. At the end of March, 209,838 people were on the Jobseeker benefit, up 21,852 or 11.6% on this time last year. It has dropped slightly from the December quarter (when it was 213,321 people), but again, a decrease between December and March is common. The Jobseeker Support figure is one the Government is tracking carefully as one of its nine public service targets is to reduce the number of people on the Jobseeker Support benefit by 50,000 by 2030 when compared with December 2023. In the December 2023 quarter, during which the present Government was formed, there were about 190,000 people on the Jobseeker benefit, meaning its goal was to get that down to 140,000 people by 2030. Last month, the Government published its latest quarterly report on its public service targets. That captured the December benefit numbers and highlighted this target as being “at risk”. The report blamed “prolonged economic conditions” for increases to Jobseeker numbers, but expected these to decrease “as economic conditions improve” and new “welfare system interventions are embedded in 2025”. When the targets were first published in April last year, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said they “are not going to be easy to achieve”. Addressing the welfare target, he said “excuses have to stop”. Among the Government’s changes to the welfare system is the new traffic light system to make clear beneficiaries’ obligations, more work seminars, and a new phone-based case management service. More sanctions are also being added via legislation in Parliament, including money management and requiring more job search activity and upskilling. Some of these are expected to be active from the end of May. Prolonged poor economic conditions have been blamed for the increases in benefit numbers. Photo / 123rf Upston said she was “particularly encouraged by the work of MSD staff over recent months”. “One of the drivers behind the increased number of people moving into work is MSD’s heightened focus on employment,” the minister said. “MSD frontline staff are doing a great job engaging proactively with Jobseekers, informing them not only of the obligations and sanctions we’ve introduced under the traffic light system, but also the supports available to help New Zealanders find work. This one-on-one intensive prep for the job market can only help more people back into work.” However, while Upston said the faster beneficiaries found employment, the better, the number of people staying on a benefit continuously for more than a year has hit a high. In the March 2025 quarter, there were 291,429 beneficiaries who had spent more than 12 months on a benefit. That’s up from 267,186 when the Government was formed. As a percentage of the overall number of beneficiaries, it’s remained fairly stable. Reducing beneficiary dependency was a key promise by National in the 2023 election, with the party saying a lack of “clear consequences” under Labour had led it to worsen. This was one of the reasons National promised to introduce more sanctions. Though many of the new sanctions the Government has announced are yet to come into effect, there has been a sharp rise in the number of sanctions handed out over the past year. MSD’s document shows 13,485 sanctions were issued over the past three months, an increase of 5976 or 79.6% compared with the number in the March 2024 quarter. “During the March 2025 quarter, the main reasons for unfulfilled work obligation sanctions were clients not attending appointments, including seminar appointments (9042 sanctions) and failing to prepare for work (3291 sanctions),” it says. In February last year, Upston wrote to the chief executive of MSD making clear the Government wanted to see all obligations and sanctions applied. “If jobseekers fail to attend job interviews, to complete their pre-employment tasks, or to take work that is available, then there needs to be consequences,” she said at the time. The traffic light system is now in use. Beneficiaries fulfilling their obligations sit at “green”, those who have failed to meet an obligation and are in a five-working-day dispute period are at"‘orange", while those with an active sanction are at “red”. “At the end of March 2025, in the traffic light system there were 334,305 clients at green, 2232 clients at orange and 4041 clients at red,” MSD says. The Child Poverty Action Group doesn’t want the Government to treat “people on benefits as a spreadsheet to be cleared” and said there could be reasons people missed their appointments. “These are people doing their best in tough circumstances,” spokesman Isaac Gunson said. “They may not have access to childcare, a working phone or may simply be confused by the system. When every dollar counts, even a short trip to the local office can be unaffordable. Buses don’t always run on time. Sometimes they don’t run at all. We’ve all missed meetings before. Now imagine doing that while trying to survive on the bare minimum.” Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub Press Gallery office. Fri, 18 Apr 2025 03:26:35 Z /news/politics/how-mp-hana-r%C4%81whiti-maipi-clarke-ended-up-in-stan-walker-s-latest-music-video/ /news/politics/how-mp-hana-r%C4%81whiti-maipi-clarke-ended-up-in-stan-walker-s-latest-music-video/ By Serena Solomon of RNZ Stan Walker’s new single Mō Āke Tonu features Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, highlighting Māori history and protest. The music video, filmed near Rangiriri Pā, symbolises Māori resilience and commemorates the 1863 battle. Walker aimed to create an anthem for Indigenous peoples, blending traditional instruments and cultural symbolism. The vocals and the words that open Stan Walker’s new single Mō Āke Tonu might be familiar to many New Zealanders and others around the world. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand’s youngest MP and Te Pāti Māori member, sings the same pao [poem] that preceded a haka she led in Parliament to protest the Treaty Principles Bill last year. Footage from the moment went viral. The bill, aimed at redefining the Treaty of Waitangi, was defeated in Parliament last week. In the video for the single, which dropped over the weekend, Maipi-Clarke is draped in a white gown and sings the pao Taku kupu ki a koe manuwhiri [My Words to you, Visitor] in front of a lake near Rangiriri Pā. In 1863, more than 100 Māori women and children perished there during the battle between Māori and British forces. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke wears Māori designer Kiri Nathan in the music video for Stan Walker's "Mō Āke Tonu". Even though Maipi-Clarke is a politician, she doesn’t see her role in the single and music video as a political strategy. The vocals of Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi were featured in a Tipene music video earlier this year. Waititi and Maipi-Clarke have a strong history of kapa haka involvement. “It’s about how we can tell, how we can just snapshot this moment in time, because it’s been such an emotional rollercoaster – not just the Treaty Principles Bill, but various legislation that impacts [Māori],” says 22-year-old Maipi-Clarke. “That sometimes a waiata [song], or as we normally see most times, is what really encapsulates that all, and it’s basically like photographing a moment.” Many in Maipi-Clarke’s generation have long taken inspiration from the 34-year-old musician’s work and “his ability to express the kaupapa [cause] of the day,” she says. A scene from the "Mō Āke Tonu" filmed at Rangiriri Pā. While Walker and Maipi-Clarke were not connected through whakapapa [family], Walker said he was good friends with her cousins. “I asked her because I felt like the story that I wanted to tell, she was very much a part of the story today, in terms of the narrative of our people and where we’ve come from.” That narrative is about the generations of Māori who have fought or marched or protested for “our rights, for our language, for our land, for our people, for equality ... ” “We’re still doing it ... it looks a bit different these days, but nonetheless.” Walker picked Maipi-Clarke’s white gown from leading Māori fashion designer Kiri Nathan. It’s a symbol of purity and bucks a tendency for Māori to wear black for mourning, which Walker believes is not a traditional colour for Māori. “[Maipi-Clarke] also represents a fair maiden. She is calling on her people. She is the representative of who has been gone. She is calling us back into that space.” Those physical locations in the music video are around Rangiriri Pā, the location of the Waikato War’s fiercest battles. Mō Āke Tonu is partly a history lesson, something Walker dug deeper into as he mapped out the music video’s concept. He grew up visiting the pā with his whānau each year to commemorate the battle and didn’t give it too much thought. “But just the connections, the deep whakapapa within there is crazy, and if it wasn’t for those people back then, we wouldn’t even be here. I wouldn’t exist.” “So like, you best believe I’ve got to learn my history.” An image from Stan Walker's music video for Mō Āke Tonu. Throughout the music video, Walker wears various greenstone and bone taonga [treasured jewellery]. Much of it is his or connected to him. However, it isn’t his taonga that went missing at a music festival in 2024. That “priceless” taonga has not been returned, despite his numerous public appeals. Walker also wears numerous rugs and fabrics that reflect not just Māori but other Indigenous populations globally, including Africa and the Middle East. The track blends traditional indigenous instruments. Didgeridoo is played by Australian First Nations artist Walter Stewart and boomerangs from Nooky, a First Nations hip-hop artist. Stan Walker in his music video for Mō Āke Tonu. Walker is positioning Mō Āke Tonu as an anthem for other Indigenous people, “people groups that have been colonised and marginalised and we have shared histories and shared stories and similar shared histories”. “There’s meaning behind everything from what I was wearing to how we were dressed – to everything, to what Hana was wearing, to just everything.” – RNZ Wed, 16 Apr 2025 03:44:26 Z /news/politics/ed-upgrades-more-carparks-20b-price-tag-the-government-s-new-health-infrastructure-plan/ /news/politics/ed-upgrades-more-carparks-20b-price-tag-the-government-s-new-health-infrastructure-plan/ The Government has released a major new 10-year plan for reviving the country’s health infrastructure. Health Minister Simeon Brown said $20 billion in funding would be needed to bring New Zealand’s ageing health infrastructure up to scratch, but this would not necessarily be funded by the Crown only. The state of the country’s health infrastructure has long been a pressing issue. The plan, released today, lists significant planned work for 10 hospitals around the country to be carried out as smaller projects spread across three or four stages. This includes emergency department upgrades for five of the hospitals, ICU upgrades at Waitakere Hospital and an outpatient community hub at Gisborne Hospital. Specific timelines and dates for the upgrades were not included in the plan. But Labour Party says the Government is “all talk” and it wants to see some action. “We know we need to invest in our hospitals,” leader Chris Hipkins said. “So far, all they have done is slow down action to rebuild our hospitals, instead we should be looking at how we can speed that up.” Infrastructure New Zealand, a member’s association, largely supports the Government’s plans, but wants to see greater use of private investment to cover that $20b infrastructure price tag. “We see this as an opportunity for the Government to expand its approach to using private capital in the provision of health infrastructure, while still ensuring ownership of the assets remains with the Crown.” Indicative stages of significant builds across the infrastructure portfolio. Photo / Health NZ Te Whatu Ora Brown says the plan is the first of its kind for New Zealand. It envisions a new approach to building and upgrading health infrastructure by doing it in smaller stages rather than single, large-scale structures, he says. “Our health system is under significant pressure from ageing infrastructure that hasn’t kept pace with the needs of a growing and ageing population,” Brown says. “The average age of our public health estate – 1274 buildings across 86 campuses – is around 47 years. This is creating some significant challenges." The plan focuses on major remedial work to avoid service disruption, facilities with poor seismic ratings or serious compliance risks and outdated infrastructure that cannot support modern health practices. “The state of our health infrastructure is not a new challenge; it is a problem that has developed over multiple decades. Addressing it requires a long-term plan to both renew existing capacity, and invest in new facilities, to meet future demand.” Health Minister Simeon Brown. Photo / Mark Mitchell More carparks The plan proposes 11 projects to expand or upgrade hospital car parking sites, including 1100 more parking spaces at Wellington Hospital. Health NZ Te Whatu Ora says as hospital demand has grown, car parking supply has tended to remain static. Insufficient spaces to park can lead to people missing their appointments, it said. Proposed car park upgrades and new builds included in the Government's national infrastructure plan. Photo / Health NZ Te Whatu Ora Urban hubs The plan includes building and expanding “urban ambulatory hubs” – facilities of sufficient scale that would be operated by Health NZ for ambulatory care and treatments. Health NZ Te Whatu Ora says this means people can access care closer to home and decongests hospital sites. New facilities have been earmarked for Kaitāia, Gisborne, Warkworth, Tauranga, Kerikeri, north Waikato and Wellington. Mental health care The plan also targets in-patient public health mental health care services, rather than residential, out-patient or community care. It includes upgrades at Auckland City Hospital, Hillmorton and Waitematā, and a new facility at Taranaki Hospital. The plan focus on inpatient mental health and addiction services provided by Health NZ. Photo / Health NZ Te Whatu Ora Dunedin Hospital Brown also announced the next steps for the new Dunedin Hospital. A tender process had begun for the next stage of construction of the inpatient building, with works to recommence on the former Cadbury site from mid-year. This would cover work on the substructure of the building while commercial commercial negotiations for the main construction continued, he said. Read the Government’s Infrastructure Plan here. Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Wed, 16 Apr 2025 01:48:47 Z /news/politics/reserve-bank-loses-millions-in-funding-under-new-deal-with-government/ /news/politics/reserve-bank-loses-millions-in-funding-under-new-deal-with-government/ The Reserve Bank will have its funding dramatically reduced over the next five years after reaching a new funding deal with the Government.  In a statement, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said the deal worked out at about $150 million in annual operating spending - 25% less than the $200m budgeted for this year.  In order to preserve its independence, the Reserve Bank is kept out of the annual government budget cycle. Instead, its board negotiates five year funding agreements with the finance minister.  Willis said that the bank had initially requested $1.03b over the next five years.  “Treasury advised me that that amount did not represent good value for money,” Willis said.  Instead, the bank will get operating funding of $750m and capital funding of $25.6m for the period.  The bank’s spending has grown dramatically in recent years - partly as it took on new functions. The 2015 funding agreement had the bank receiving about $50m a year in operating spending - a quarter of what is budgeted for the current year.  “The Reserve Bank has grown hugely in recent years. Fulltime equivalent staff numbers increased from 255 in the 2017/18 year to 660 in January this year,” Willis said.  “Benchmarking analysis performed by the Treasury shows that several of the Reserve Bank’s non-legislative functions, particularly in the People and Communications teams, appear overstaffed,” she said.  Negotiations over the funding agreement had been one of two sore points between Willis and former Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr, who abruptly quit in March, the other being the Government’s desire to see capital requirements for retail banks made less onerous.  A recent Official Information Act release, which covered Willis’ talking points after Orr’s resignation, said the funding fight was not the cause of Orr’s resignation, which remains a mystery.  Thomas Coughlan is the NZ Herald political editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.  Tue, 15 Apr 2025 23:40:37 Z /news/politics/watch-live-minister-simeon-brown-announces-new-zealand-s-first-ever-health-infrastructure-plan/ /news/politics/watch-live-minister-simeon-brown-announces-new-zealand-s-first-ever-health-infrastructure-plan/ Health Minister Simeon Brown is today announcing what the Government has described as “New Zealand’s first-ever Health Infrastructure Plan” to provide a long-term approach to renewing and expanding public health facilities.  Brown is holding a press conference in Auckland this morning from Manukau Superclinic in South Auckland. It will be livestreamed from the top of this article.  He said the Health Infrastructure Plan has identified more than $20 billion investment required to meet future health needs.  The condition of the country’s public health facilities - spanning 1,274 buildings across 86 campuses and with an average age of 47 years - have been “creating some significant challenges”, Brown said.  “This is a first for New Zealand – a single, long-term plan that lays out a clear pipeline for health infrastructure,” Mr Brown says.  “Our health system is under significant pressure from ageing infrastructure that hasn’t kept pace with the needs of a growing and ageing population.”  The minister outlined the priorities of the plan as updating:  Buildings that require major remedial work to avoid service disruption.  Facilities with poor seismic ratings or serious compliance risks.  Outdated infrastructure that is unable to support modern models of care.  “The state of our health infrastructure is not a new challenge; it is a problem that has developed over multiple decades. Addressing it requires a long-term plan to both renew existing capacity, and invest in new facilities, to meet future demand and ensure New Zealanders continue to receive high-quality care,” Brown said.  “The Health Infrastructure Plan identifies the more than $20 billion investment required to meet future health needs and introduces a more efficient way of delivering large hospital projects, called ‘Building Hospitals Better’.  “Instead of building single, large-scale structures, the plan proposes a staged approach – delivering smaller, more manageable facilities in phases. This will mean patients benefit from modern healthcare environments sooner, while providing greater certainty around delivery timeframes and costs.  The plan outlines a phased programme of hospital and facility developments across the country to be delivered in three to four stages. This includes major new builds and expansions across the country, featuring new acute services buildings, inpatient units, expanded emergency departments and wards, and upgraded facilities.  It also includes the planning and initial build of the recently announced new hospital in South Auckland. The plan is underpinned by the National Clinical Service and Campus Plan, which seeks to deliver more health services in the community and reduce demand on hospitals.  Each project in the pipeline will require a business case and will go through normal funding approval processes by Cabinet.  “While the infrastructure deficit will take time to address, this plan is a critical step forward. It outlines what needs to be done, and how we will do it – ensuring New Zealanders have access to modern, safe, and reliable health infrastructure across the country,” Brown said.  Tue, 15 Apr 2025 21:11:25 Z /news/politics/government-claims-to-have-already-surpassed-key-crime-target/ /news/politics/government-claims-to-have-already-surpassed-key-crime-target/ The Government is claiming it has already surpassed its target to reduce the number of victims of violent crime, though it admits the data is “volatile” and there is more work to do. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is expected to speak about the data alongside Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Police Minister Mark Mitchell at a press conference this afternoon. A livestream will be available above at roughly 1.45pm. The official New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey, carried out by Ipsos on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, has not officially released its latest report. But ministers are regularly provided with topline results, and a statement from Goldsmith on Tuesday said that for the year to February, there were 157,000 victims of violent crime. The Government has a target to reduce the number of victims of violent crime by 20,000 by 2029 compared with an October 2023 baseline of 185,000. Using the figure the minister has given, it would show the Government has surpassed that target. The Government says it has surpassed the target already. Photo / Dean Purcell “The latest quarterly results for all Government targets will not be released until early June. However, given the significance of these results we are releasing them early, as we believe they are robust and in the public interest,” Goldsmith said. “We do, however, expect the data to remain volatile, and there’s still more work to do to continue driving these numbers down.” Both Goldsmith and Mitchell said the Government’s actions to “restore law and order” was “paying off”, citing extra tools given to police to crack down on gangs, reviving the three strikes regime, and making changes to sentencing. “I want to acknowledge and thank our Police Commissioner and Corrections chief executive, our entire Police and Corrections teams, both sworn and non-sworn, who are working hard with their Justice sector colleagues to implement the Government’s policies and direction on public safety,” Mitchell said. “I am very proud of the work they are doing every day to make our country safer.” Tue, 15 Apr 2025 01:24:11 Z /news/politics/christopher-luxon-faces-media-amid-questions-over-winston-peters-trade-comments/ /news/politics/christopher-luxon-faces-media-amid-questions-over-winston-peters-trade-comments/ The Government is pumping $13.5 million into Tourism New Zealand to encourage more international visitors to travel to Aotearoa. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is expected to discuss the announcement at the SkyCity Convention Centre in Auckland this afternoon. The press conference will be livestreamed above at about 3.45pm. The Government says the injection is forecast to result in more than 23,000 additional international visitors, who would spend an extra $100 million across the country. The investment will have a focus on encouraging visitors from China, Australia, the United States, India, Germany and South Korea. “We know international marketing works, with around 14% of international holiday visitors already being directly influenced by Tourism NZ’s marketing activity,” said Tourism Minister Louise Upston. “We want to grow that influence. Our international visitor spending and visitor numbers have been rebuilding strongly, and we must make the most of that momentum.” Earlier this year, the Government announced the ‘Everyone Must Go!’ campaign focused on Australia. “2025 is our chance to reinforce the value of tourism and show what our humming, vibrant country has on show. New Zealand tourism is open for business,” said Upston. “We already know our country has so much going for it. Now we need the global marketing to push that story even wider.” It comes as Luxon denies there is disagreement between him and his Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, over language used in response to US President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs.Speaking at the East-West Centre in Hawaii, Peters said it was an “uncertain and anxious” time in world affairs and there was often an urge to “react too quickly and too stridently”. “In recent weeks, the tendency to hype up a debate about how international trade works into a black-and-white, polarising issue has been unfortunate and misguided. “The use of military language – of a ‘trade war’, of the need to ‘fight’, of the imperative to form alliances in order to oppose the actions of one country – has at times come across as hysterical and short-sighted.” Those terms are ones Luxon has recently used in reference to the trade tariffs and his desire to advocate internationally for free trade. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (left) and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters. Photo / Mark Mitchell In a speech on Thursday, Luxon concluded by stating free trade was “worth fighting for – and I’m up for that fight”. Speaking to Newstalk ob体育接口 on Monday morning, Luxon said any suggestion he and Peters were on a different page was a “media beat-up”. “Winston and I are actually saying the same thing – that we’ve been cool, calm, and collected in our response.” Luxon last week discussed international trade with several world leaders, including Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos jnr, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and European Union Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. In Luxon’s conversation with von der Leyen, the pair discussed the prospects for closer co-operation between the European Union and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), of which New Zealand was a member. Peters, in his speech, cautioned against actions intended to “pick sides” or “form teams” amid an evolving trade landscape, advocating to “wait for the dust to settle before making choices we may later regret”. He ended his address by promising he would “promote careful, pragmatic, quiet dialogue – aimed at de-escalation and practical problem-solving, rather than premature posturing”. Mon, 14 Apr 2025 03:12:24 Z /news/politics/advertising-standards-authority-assessing-complaints-about-billboards-attacking-green-party/ /news/politics/advertising-standards-authority-assessing-complaints-about-billboards-attacking-green-party/ The Advertising Standards Authority is assessing complaints it has received regarding a billboard campaign attacking Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick and MP Tamatha Paul. Billboards targeting the two Green Party members popped up in central Auckland and central Wellington last week as part of a campaign led by the Sensible Sentencing Trust. One in Wellington displayed a picture of Paul, also the Wellington Central MP, next to the words “Defund the Police” – a reference to Paul’s recent comments speculating whether some police functions could be taken over by other entities. It also used a “Vote Green” slogan that was very similar to the party’s election campaign slogans. The second was almost identical but had “Woop Woop! DEFUND DA POLICE” written on it. It’s likely the billboard was a nod to Paul’s use of Sound of da Police by rapper KRS-One during a DJ set at CubaDupa late last month. The same billboards with Swarbrick’s profile could be seen in Auckland Central, where Swarbrick is also the local MP. The billboards initially featured photos of Paul that were used during the 2023 election campaign. The images were later changed after the party and photographer raised concerns about a copyright breach. Advertising Standards Authority chief executive Hilary Souter acknowledged the agency had received complaints but couldn’t comment further, given its assessment process was ongoing. The organisation behind the billboards, the Sensible Sentencing Trust, often advocated for harsher crime policy, such as Three Strikes. Spokeswoman Louise Parsons said the campaign was intended to convince the public that Green Party policies didn’t sufficiently support crime victims. Swarbrick, in a statement last week, said her party advocated for “real, evidence-based debate on policy”. “Are we willing to have a rational, calm discussion about how to genuinely make our communities safer, or will we stay stuck in the knee-jerk shock politics? “It’s clear right-wing organisations and political parties are keen to shut down any civil discussion about where things have gone wrong and how we could improve – so much for being free speech advocates.” Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for ob体育接口 since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland. Mon, 14 Apr 2025 01:47:48 Z /news/politics/winston-peters-condemns-hysterical-language-used-by-pm-luxon-in-us-tariff-talks/ /news/politics/winston-peters-condemns-hysterical-language-used-by-pm-luxon-in-us-tariff-talks/ Foreign Minister Winston Peters is condemning the use of “military language” while discussing the international trade environment, the kind of words that have been used by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. It is the latest example of the pair being at odds about New Zealand’s response to the fallout from United States President Donald Trump’s unpredictable tariff implementation regime. Speaking at the East-West Centre in Hawaii, Peters acknowledged it was an “uncertain and anxious” time in world affairs – a nod to instability in global markets fuelled by Trump’s tariffs. However, he dismissed the suggestions the developments were unprecedented. “This, coupled with the hyperactive social media age we live in, can generate an urge to react too quickly and too stridently,” Peters said. “In recent weeks, the tendency to hype up a debate about how international trade works into a black-and-white, polarising issue has been unfortunate and misguided. “The use of military language – of a ‘trade war’, of the need to ‘fight’, of the imperative to form alliances in order to oppose the actions of one country – has at times come across as hysterical and short-sighted.” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says a "trade war" will bring consequences for New Zealand. Photo / Mark Mitchell Peters’ critique could apply to Luxon, who had regularly spoken of the consequences New Zealand would suffer from a “trade war”. In a speech on Thursday, Luxon concluded by stating free trade was “worth fighting for – and I’m up for that fight”. Luxon also spent the end of last week discussing international trade with several world leaders, including Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos jnr, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In Luxon’s conversation with von der Leyen, the pair discussed the prospects for closer co-operation between the European Union and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), of which New Zealand was a member. Peters, in his speech, cautioned against actions intended to “pick sides” or “form teams” amid an evolving trade landscape, advocating to “wait for the dust to settle before making choices we may later regret”. He ended his address by promising he would “promote careful, pragmatic, quiet dialogue – aimed at de-escalation and practical problem-solving, rather than premature posturing”. Peters to Luxon: ‘Call me next time’ On Friday while in Tonga, Peters encouraged markets and politicians to “not lose their nerve” as the US retaliated against China by hiking tariffs, while placing a 90-day pause on retaliatory tariffs for other countries. “There’s no need to react at this point in time. Let’s first find out what we’re dealing with, let the dust settle in,” Peters told RNZ. “My advocacy from the day this matter came up with the Trump tariffs - our job is to be ultra careful, ultra forward thinking in the interest of, guess what, the New Zealand economy, that’s what matters, not our egos. “So my advice to politicians is tone down, wait til you see and know what’s going on.” Peters said the pair hadn’t discussed Luxon’s speech or his calls with world leaders ahead of time: “So I hope that he’ll get my message and he’ll call me next time”. Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for ob体育接口 since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime. Sun, 13 Apr 2025 01:55:48 Z /news/politics/winston-peters-disparages-christopher-luxon-s-tariff-talks-with-world-leaders-call-me-next-time/ /news/politics/winston-peters-disparages-christopher-luxon-s-tariff-talks-with-world-leaders-call-me-next-time/ By Lillian Hanly of RNZ Winston Peters has chastised the Prime Minister for his spree of phone calls with world leaders about the US trade war, and advised politicians to “tone down”. The foreign minister told RNZ Christopher Luxon had not consulted with him before the calls, adding: “I hope that he’ll get my message and he’ll call me next time.” Luxon made a speech to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce on Thursday morning and proposed the European Commission work more closely with countries signed up to the Trans-Pacific trade pact - known as the CPTPP - to champion the rules-based trade order and provide some stability and certainty. It came after the United States retaliated against China by hiking tariffs to 125%, while placing a 90-day pause on retaliatory tariffs for other countries. The US has since upped the China tariff to 145%. Luxon followed his Wellington speech with a series of phone calls that night with Indo-Pacific leaders and the European Union to gauge how they are interpreting the tit-for-tat trade war and the implications it might have for their economies. Speaking from Tonga on Friday, Peters offered some advice to the Prime Minister. “Markets lose their nerve. Share market speculators lose their nerve. Politicians should not lose their nerve, and that’s my advice,” he told RNZ. “There’s no need to react at this point in time. Let’s first find out what we’re dealing with, let the dust settle in. “My advocacy from the day this matter came up with the Trump tariffs - our job is to be ultra careful, ultra forward thinking in the interest of, guess what, the New Zealand economy, that’s what matters, not our egos,” he said. “So my advice to politicians is tone down, wait ‘til you see and know what’s going on.” Asked if he had spoken with the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the matter, Peters said: “No, he didn’t check it out when he made that speech and made those phone calls.” Foreign Minister Winston Peters advises politicians to play the waiting game amid Donald Trump's tariff turmoil. Photo / Samuel Rillstone, RNZ ‘Premature’ calls - Winston Peters On Thursday afternoon, Peters was asked about the developing tariff hikes, to which he said it was “what we expected, actually”. “Everybody was overreacting, everybody was talking too fast, everybody should have kept their counsel, kept their patience, and it’s starting to unfold far less serious than people thought.” Asked about Luxon’s idea to get CPTPP countries together with Europe and building a “trading bloc”, Peters said it was “all very premature”. “We’re trying to sort out this other thing with America and China’s trade war, and we’re rushing off with solutions - let’s find out what happened there first.” He would not comment when asked if he was consulted by the Prime Minister before the speech. Peters was asked again later if Luxon had discussed the idea of getting those countries together “to formulate some sort of joint response to the US action” with him, to which Peters replied “no”. When asked if he would expect to have that discussed given he is Foreign Minister, Peters said he’d taken the stance that “experience matters”. “In this case, wait until we see what emerges with the tariff war that’s going on.” He said it will come to a resolution, “much quicker than people think”. “So let’s not panic here.” When asked what was wrong with the idea of engaging with other leaders regarding the CPTPP, Peters asked “what would you talk about?” “What’s the tariff regime going to be in the end? Do we know what that’s going to be? No. If we don’t know what that’s going to be, what would you actually talk about? Think about it.” When asked if it was naivety by the Prime Minister, Peters suggested that question be put to Luxon. Christopher Luxon reached out to several world leaders this week over trade concerns. Photo / Marika Khabazi, RNZ Luxon dodges Peters’ ‘premature’ comments On Friday, before Peters’ interview in Tonga, Luxon took questions from the media in Hamilton. He was asked by RNZ what he made of Peters describing his calls with world leaders as “premature”. Luxon disputed that characterisation and moved on. “I gave a pretty broad-ranging speech yesterday on trade, which was appropriate given the week we’ve been experiencing.” Luxon said he was doing three things “over the course of yesterday”. Firstly, was to reach out to “key bilateral partners for New Zealand to say, what more could we be doing together in a world where we have a like-minded approach to trade?” Secondly, he said, was to understand “how they’ve been interpreting the events of the last week, and what that means for them and their economies”. Thirdly, “making the case that we should be reaffirming the principles of free trade together”, whether that was in an Asean or CPTPP bloc. - RNZ Fri, 11 Apr 2025 06:02:24 Z /news/politics/watch-pm-christopher-luxon-to-respond-to-treaty-principles-bill-demise/ /news/politics/watch-pm-christopher-luxon-to-respond-to-treaty-principles-bill-demise/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will soon make his first public comments about the demise of the Treaty Principles Bill after it was voted down in the House yesterday.  Luxon, who will be speaking to media from Hamilton, will hold a stand-up about 2pm. A livestream will be available at the top of this article.  Luxon was absent from Parliament yesterday as MPs debated the bill, which had hung over the coalition parties since it was agreed as part of their legislative agenda after coalition negotiations following the 2023 election.  The bill, which proposed a referendum on redefined Treaty principles, caused an uproar within Māori communities who feared a dilution of rights afforded under the Treaty of Waitangi. Tens of thousands marched to Wellington in protest last year, understood to be the biggest protest Parliament has yet seen.  Act leader David Seymour supporting the Treaty Principles Bill in the House yesterday during its second reading. Photo / Mark Mitchell  In their coalition agreement, National and NZ First agreed to support Act’s bill through to the select committee stage. Amid the strong public backlash, National’s position on the bill morphed from not guaranteeing further support to promising to vote it down when it returned to the House for its second reading.  As expected, Act was the only party to vote in favour of the bill yesterday afternoon. Party leader David Seymour later promised Act was likely to take another Treaty-related policy to the 2026 election.  Luxon said his absence from the House yesterday was caused by a scheduling conflict, claiming he needed to be in Auckland yesterday for a series of engagements.  He spent his time speaking to world leaders about the global trading environment in the light of United States President Donald Trump’s tariff scheme that caused chaos in financial markets this week.  Luxon made calls to leaders including Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos jnr, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.  Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for ob体育接口 since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.  Fri, 11 Apr 2025 01:45:59 Z /news/politics/govt-to-expand-definition-of-veteran-and-create-new-national-tribute-day/ /news/politics/govt-to-expand-definition-of-veteran-and-create-new-national-tribute-day/ A new national day will be created and the definition of veteran expanded to capture tens of thousands of former soldiers, sailors and aviators through a new bill the Government will propose.  It follows New Zealand’s most decorated living war hero, Sir Willie Apiata, gifting Veterans Minister Chris Penk his New Zealand Victoria Cross medal last month in the hope Parliament could change the definition  Penk today announced the Government would introduce the Veterans’ Recognition Bill in response to concerns from the military community the present definition of a veteran created an “unnecessary divide” and caused some to feel “invisible”.  “Under the Veterans’ Support Act, the term ‘veteran’ is currently reserved for New Zealand Defence Force personnel who were injured as a result of Qualifying Service, either in deployments where there has been a significant risk of harm to those deployed, or in routine service before ACC was introduced in 1974,” Penk said.  “While that definition remains appropriate for determining eligibility for support entitlements, it has unfortunately left many who have loyally served our nation feeling excluded, given that they fall outside the current narrow legal scope of the ‘veteran’ definition.”  Veterans Minister Chris Penk today announced the Government would introduce the Veterans’ Recognition Bill in response to concerns from the military community. Photo / Mark Mitchell  The bill would establish a broader definition that would apply to all NZDF personnel who had received the following medals or awards:  the New Zealand Defence Service Medal, which recognises NZDF service of at least three years, including reserve force personnel;  operational service or campaign medals;  honours or decorations awarded through the royal honours system; and  medals for bravery or excellence awarded by the New Zealand government.  It was unclear how many of the estimated 140,000 people who have previously served in the NZDF would be covered by the bill. About 40,000 of those are deemed veterans. More than half of the remaining 100,000 people would earn the title through the new bill.  The bill would also include a covenant that would formalise the relationship between the Government and veterans, acting as a “national promise to treat veterans with respect and dignity”.  A new national day honouring veterans would also be created, marked annually with a Veterans’ Service Awards ceremony.  The date for the national day, which would not be a public holiday, had not yet been decided, but would be chosen following consultation with the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association (RSA) and the independent Veterans’ Advisory Board.  “The Government acknowledges that some New Zealanders have historically felt invisible after leaving service – and we agree that this must change,” Penk said.  Whakatāne RSA Padre Raharuhi Koia provides a prayer as Warrant Officer Willie Apiata bestows his Victoria Cross medal on Minister for Veterans Chris Penk. Photo / Diane McCarthy  Penk was gifted Apiata’s medal on March 28 while attending a function at the Whakatāne RSA.  Apiata earned the prestigious honour for carrying a wounded fellow soldier to safety under heavy fire in Afghanistan in 2004. He has campaigned for more than five years for changes to the Veterans Support Act 2014.  “There are many versions of the definition of a veteran,” Apiata said last month.  “The definition that resides within our country at the moment splits us into two peoples when we should be one. Because we all gave one service.”  He said he had spoken to previous Ministers for Veterans Affairs Peeni Henare, Meka Whaitiri and Ron Mark about the issue.  “As I said five years ago, I cannot carry this until we are all under the same umbrella,” he said of the medal.  Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He has worked for ob体育接口 since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.  Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:28:12 Z /news/politics/treaty-principles-bill-timeline-the-controversial-policy-s-rocky-road-to-rejection/ /news/politics/treaty-principles-bill-timeline-the-controversial-policy-s-rocky-road-to-rejection/ Te Pāti Māori urges vigilance after the Treaty Principles Bill was voted down, calling it “one battle won”.  David Seymour remains defiant, exploring options to keep the bill’s vision alive before the next election.  All parties except Act voted against the bill, with eleven votes in favour and 112 against.  Te Pāti Māori is urging people to remain vigilant for other Government policies it believes are harmful, saying Thursday’s voting down of the Treaty Principles Bill is only “one battle won”.  The bill’s architect David Seymour said there will be more to come in this space as the Act Party considers its options before the next general election to keep the vision behind the controversial bill alive.  Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said, “we have spent the last year and a half in defence mode”.  “What we would like to do now, aside as tangata whenua, tangta Tiriti, is focus on ... what it is we need to do to not only protect Te Tiriti but to entrench, to make sure the rest of the nation enjoy learning [about] the absolute taonga [treasure] we have in Te Tiriti.”  The party’s other co-leader Rawiri Waititi said more needed to be done to increase education around Te Titiri before a national conversation or any referendum on such an issue was held.  “If we are going to have a conversation, let’s make sure we have an informed conversation, get educated and ensure people have access to the education so we can have a conversation.  “If it goes to a referendum, at least everybody is informed and knows what they are talking about. The country is not ready for that because I believe we have not had the education everybody deserves to have.”  Opposition MPs celebrate as Act leader David Seymour leaves the House after the Treaty Principles Bill was voted down. Photo / Mark Mitchell  It was a raucous and passionate second reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. Te Pāti Māori’s Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke sang, Labour’s Willie Jackson was kicked out of the House for once again calling Seymour a liar and a member of the public did a haka from the gallery.  The volatility of the House during the second reading was typical of the bill’s whole process. Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee came close to clearing the public gallery and ejecting heckling MPs as his patience for those flouting his orders ran thin.  The Opposition took aim at National and NZ First for not doing more to stop the Treaty Principles Bill, which Labour’s Chris Hipkins said had a “colossal” impact on society and will forever be a stain on New Zealand.  “This is a grubby little bill, born of a grubby little deal,” Hipkins said.  Act leader David Seymour during the second reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. Photo / Mark Mitchell  “National and New Zealand First join the opposition to this bill, but they can claim no victory, no virtue, and no principle. They get no credit for finally starting to fight the fire they helped to ignite.”  Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith defended the Government’s position, saying neither National or Act got what they wanted from their coalition agreement on the issue and “that is life under MMP [the voting system].”  “Our country is not so fragile that we can’t withstand a debate about the role of the Treaty. National opposes this bill but we do not oppose the open and frank discussion about the role of the Treaty of Waitangi in our laws and within the context of a modern democracy.”  Goldsmith acknowledged those who had made the effort to submit to the Justice Select Committee, saying some of those submissions were “truly remarkable”.  During his address, Seymour said his bill would have finally defined the principles to give “all Kiwis equal rights” if it had become law. He used his address to remind MPs they could still change their minds and send the bill to a referendum.  In the end, all political parties except Act voted against the bill with 11 votes in favour and 112 against. This outcome was expected as National and NZ First had said in the lead up to the second reading they would vote against it.  But Seymour remained defiant, refusing to concede the bill had failed and indicating he is considering different options to try to keep his vision alive.  “For the purposes of this conversation, putting the same thing right back is a possibility, amending another law is a possibility. There are lots of options,” he told reporters outside the debating chamber.  More details about what Act plan to propose next would be revealed before the next general election, he said.  Hikoi mo te Tiriti marches through Wellington to reach Parliament. Photo / ob体育接口  “We realise people probably want to focus on a few other things but they will come back to this issue because it is one of the defining issues of New Zealand. Does our Treaty unite us with equal rights, or divide us, as partnership between races? That question hasn’t gone away.”  Meanwhile, Te Pāti Māori and other critics of the Treaty Principles Bill are celebrating the end to what they have called a long and exhausting campaign. Opposition MPs stood up and cheered as the final vote was announced.  “This campaign that iwi had to drive has been exhausting, it’s been unnecessary but it has also been a great time for us as Te Pāti Māori to reflect on what it is we have learnt from this as we determine as a nation what we do next,” Ngarewa-Packer said.  While the first reading was “deeply painful and traumatic”, the second was a celebration, she said  In her address to the House, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke of Te Pāti Māori said the real issue was not the bill but that Parliament had only ever recognised “one partner, one culture, one language from one Treaty”.  She urged Parliament to acknowledge tikanga and te tiriti o Waitangi.  “That is the real question of privilege here. At our darkest hour we could have chosen to fight this, but we chose to survive this. This bill hasn’t been stopped, this bill has been absolutely annihilated.”  Hīkoi participants march in Hamilton on day four of a journey to Wellington to protest various issues impacting Māori. Photo / Mike Scott  The Treaty Principles Bill through the years  March 24, 2022: Act announces referendum campaign  Act announces it will campaign for a referendum on Māori co-governance and for legislation defining the Principles of the Treaty, in particular their effect on democratic institutions. Seymour tells 1News the issue would be a bottom line if forming a Government.  November 25, 2023: Coalition agreements revealed  The coalition agreements between National, Act and NZ First are unveiled. In them, National and NZ First agree to support a Treaty Principles Bill based on existing Act policy to the select committee stage, but no further.  NZ First leader Winston Peters, National leader Christopher Luxon and Act leader David Seymour after signing their coalition agreement. Photo / Mark Mitchell  August 16, 2024: Scathing Waitangi Tribunal report released  A 189-page Waitangi Tribunal report describes the bill as unfair, discriminatory and “a solution to a problem that does not exist”.  September 9, 2024: 400 church leaders condemn bill  More than 400 church leaders – including all three Anglican archbishops, the Catholic Archbishop and a Catholic Cardinal, the Methodist Church president and the Salvation Army commissioner – sign an open letter to MPs calling on them to vote down the Treaty Principles Bill.  September 11, 2024: Cabinet agrees on principles  The principles agreed on by Cabinet are released. They are:  1) Civil Government: The Government of New Zealand has full power to govern, and Parliament has full power to make laws. They do so in the best interests of everyone, and in accordance with the rule of law and the maintenance of a free and democratic society.  2) Rights of hapū and iwi Māori: The Crown recognises the rights that hapū and iwi had when they signed the Treaty. The Crown will respect and protect those rights. Those rights differ from the rights everyone has a reasonable expectation to enjoy only when they are specified in legislation, Treaty settlements, or other agreements with the Crown.  3) Right to equality: Everyone is equal before the law and is entitled to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination. Everyone is entitled to the equal enjoyment of the same fundamental human rights without discrimination.  October 8, 2024: Seymour debates iwi leader Helmut Modlik  Seymour takes part in his first public debate on the Treaty Principles Bill, going head-to-head with Helmut Modlik, tumu Whakarae (chief executive) of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira.  November 14, 2024: First reading & the world-famous haka  Labour MP Willie Jackson is sent out of the House during the first reading for the Treaty Principles Bill. Voting on the bill is interrupted by a Te Pāti Māori-led haka, which was viewed hundreds of millions of times on social media. Several Government MPs complained about it and Brownlee [Speaker of the House] called it “appalling” and “disrespectful”, deeming such pre-meditated behaviour as “grossly disorderly”.  The only tweet by @actparty that’s ever gone viral. https://t.co/eMAaGlaOXQ— Willie Jackson (@WillieJLabour) November 15, 2024 November 18, 2024: Historic hīkoi arrives at Parliament  Tens of thousands of people descend on Wellington in a historic day of mass protest. People are protesting Government policies they consider to be anti-Māori, including the Treaty Principles Bill  January 24, 2025: Winston Peters says bill ‘dead in the water’  NZ First leader Winston Peters says at Rātana the bill is “dead in the water”. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon tries to reassure those gathered that the bill “will not become law”.  January 27, 2025: Oral submissions begin  Seymour kicks off oral submissions before Parliament’s Justice Select Committee. He tells the committee he believes the Treaty Principles Bill, or a bill similar to it, will eventually pass at some point in the future.  “What we have witnessed in recent decades is how the courts and the Waitangi Tribunal have sought to define the principles of the Treaty is incompatible with freedom under the law, a free society, where each of us have equal rights.”  The Hīkoi mō te Tiriti outside Parliament in Wellington in November 2024. Photo / Mark Mitchell  April 4, 2025: Justice Select Committee releases report  Report states committee received more than 300,000 written submissions and requests for 16,000 oral submissions. Of the written submissions, 90% opposed the legislation, 8% were in support and 2% had not clearly stated their position. Of the oral submissions, 85% were opposed, 10% were in support and 5% were unstated.  April 10, 2025: Second and final reading  All political parties except Act vote against the bill with 11 votes in favour and 112 against.  Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.  Thu, 10 Apr 2025 19:06:32 Z /news/politics/auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-questions-why-cabinet-ministers-get-limos-but-he-doesn-t-after-driving-offence/ /news/politics/auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-questions-why-cabinet-ministers-get-limos-but-he-doesn-t-after-driving-offence/ Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown apologised for making a video call while driving, admitting the offence. Police are investigating the incident, which carries a $150 fine and 20 demerit points. Brown compared his situation to ministers with chauffeurs, saying he lacks similar transport perks. A day after being caught out making a video call while driving, Auckland’s mayor has questioned why lowly Cabinet ministers get Crown limousines but not him. Wayne Brown told the Herald today: “The real story you should have asked is [why] ministers you have never heard of get a BMW and a driver. “The most important mayor in New Zealand doesn’t get any of those things.” The Herald reported yesterday police are investigating Brown for making a video call to last Thursday’s transport committee meeting on his mobile phone while driving. Brown has admitted the offence, which carries a fine of $150 plus 20 demerit points, and apologised for the error in judgement. When the Herald told him former mayor Len Brown had a chauffeur-driven car, Brown said he was never offered any such perk. Cabinet ministers travel around in BMW limousines. “Everyone wants to talk to me all day long, and I have to get myself around,” he said. Brown’s predecessor, Phil Goff, did away with Len Brown’s gas-guzzling V6 Calais and used an electric car from the council’s fleet for mayoral duties. Asked if he was driving in Auckland or Northland, where he has a home, when he made the video call on his phone, Brown said he did not want to get into that. Asked if he had been contacted yet by police or fined, Brown said he hadn’t heard anything, and claimed police did not follow up when he was threatened by individuals associated with the speedway. Last month, an unmarked security car was stationed outside the mayor’s apartment in Auckland, and new CCTV cameras were installed after Brown was the target of online threats. Security was provided outside the mayor's apartment after threats were made over the council's decision to move speedway from Western Springs. Photo / Greg Bowker “The police don’t show up for bloody burglaries these days,” Brown told the Herald. “It would look bloody stupid if they got tangled up in this one [using his phone while driving], wouldn’t it?” Yesterday, police said they are in the early stages of inquiries to establish the circumstances of the video. “We are in the process of collating this information and making inquiries, which will determine the next appropriate steps.” Today, police said inquiries were ongoing. Both police and the Government have in recent months signalled a tougher crackdown on drivers using their mobile phones. In February, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was willing to consider higher penalties for motorists. Thu, 10 Apr 2025 02:25:59 Z /news/politics/treaty-principles-bill-second-reading-of-controversial-policy-scheduled-for-this-afternoon/ /news/politics/treaty-principles-bill-second-reading-of-controversial-policy-scheduled-for-this-afternoon/ Every party except Act is expected to vote down the controversial Treaty Principles Bill this afternoon on a occasion one senior minister has described as “cremation day.” Parliament will hold the second and most likely last reading of the legislation as the enormous majority of MPs are expected to vote against it. The reading will begin around 3pm. It will be live-streamed at the top of this article. MPs from all parties will speak on the bill, which has been the subject of many debates and oral questions in the House over the past yea Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka has celebrated the impending defeat of the bill, telling a room full of Māori business leaders recently: “Thank goodness that is coming to cremation day.” “Nehu [burial] day is coming, folks. Nehu day is coming for the Treaty Principles Bill. Can’t wait to see that nehu day.” David Seymour’s two coalition partners – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy PM Winston Peters – are not expected to be in the House for the second reading this afternoon. Luxon, who is keen to move on from the lengthy debates that have surrounded the contentious legislation in the past, says he is not avoiding the second reading but is unable to attend because of his schedule. He says he needs to “get on and run this country”. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (left) and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters. Photo / Mark Mitchell “It’s just a function of schedule,” Luxon told reporters at his weekly post-Cabinet press conference. “Frankly, it’s more important that it comes to the House and is voted down than me having to be there or not.” Peters, the NZ First Leader, is unlikely to make it due to overseas travel plans. Labour, the Greens, Te Pāti Māori and Act have confirmed their leaders will attend. Act’s bill has been a source of major tension during its time on Parliament’s books as critics consider it to be anti-Māori and fear it will degrade the Treaty of Waitangi and weaken Māori rights. Seymour’s proposal to replace the many Treaty principles developed over decades with three new ones determined by Cabinet partly fuelled the massive hīkoi to Parliament in November, attended by tens of thousands of people. Around the same time, the bill’s fiery first reading ended with several MPs going against Parliament’s rules and performing an impassioned haka on the floor of the House in front of Seymour as MPs tried to vote on the bill. The bill also received an unprecedented 300,000 written submissions (the previous record was just over 100,000). Of these, 90% opposed the legislation, 8% supported it and 2% had not clearly stated their position. The bill is expected to be voted down by an enormous majority this afternoon. Act is the only party in Parliament that supports the proposed legislation. National and NZ First supported it at the first reading as per their coalition agreements with Act. Māori/Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka (left) and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia to pay their respects to the late Kīngi Tūheitia. Photo / Kīngitanga But Seymour has defended the policy throughout. Responding to the vast majority of submissions being opposed, he argued that high-profile bills like this often resulted in “spam” and responses that are disproportionate to genuine public opinion. He said the bill was needed because although the Treaty principles were mentioned in legislation, Parliament has never defined what those principles are. Doing so would provide clarity, he said. “Parliament’s silence has been filled by court findings, Waitangi Tribunal reports and government departments attempting to define the principles. “The resulting principles afford Māori different rights from other New Zealanders.” Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Thu, 10 Apr 2025 02:02:03 Z /news/politics/christopher-luxon-to-hit-the-phone-to-defend-global-trading-system/ /news/politics/christopher-luxon-to-hit-the-phone-to-defend-global-trading-system/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will speak to media after announcing this morning that he plans an all-out push to protect free and fair trade. In a speech this morning, Luxon announced he would jump on a phone call with other world leaders later today in a bid to save what is left of the rules-based trading system after it was tested to breaking point in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. He also announced that he will travel to the United Kingdom later in the month to talk “trade, security, and the geopolitical backdrop in Europe and the Indo-Pacific” with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Speaking to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce breakfast this morning, Luxon spoke of the virtues of free trade for New Zealand, not just because it opened up markets for exports, but because it made imports cheaper at the same time, lifting overall living standards. Luxon said he would be testing what leaders “can do together to buttress the rules-based trading system”. He said that while some commentators have “declared an end of an era to free markets”, he was not ready to “throw in the towel quite yet”. “Kiwis have worked too hard and for too long, to give up on the values and institutions which have seen our country and the region we live in thrive.” Luxon said he would explore whether there was a way to use one of New Zealand’s largest trade agreements, the CPTPP, as a springboard to a better global trading system. New Zealand was one of the original P3 countries that began negotiating the deal, which grew into one of the world’s most important trade deals, which is still growing, with the ascension of the UK recently. “I expect they won’t be the last,” Luxon said. “New Zealand will continue to work with like-minded countries to promote free trade as a path to prosperity and explore the role of the CPTPP in strengthening that vision. “One possibility is that members of the CPTPP and the European Union [EU] work together to champion rules-based trade and make specific commitments on how that support plays out in practice.” Labour’s outgoing foreign affairs spokesman David Parker recently floated the idea of getting the EU to join the CPTPP as a way of bolstering the rules-based trading system, which has been under strain for nearly a decade thanks to dysfunction at the World Trade Organisation. He suggested building on the CPTPP might be a way around that impasse. Labour's foreign affairs spokesman David Parker backed approaching the EU to join CPTPP. Photo / Mark Mitchell  Luxon told a potted history of Prime Minister Robert Muldoon’s economics of the 1970s as a parable for insulating a country from the global economy.  In those years, when cars and TVs were assembled domestically, New Zealand suffered “spiralling prices” and a heavily subsidised but “much less productive, much less diverse” agricultural sector.  Luxon described these policies, while being “foolish economics” also “reflected the best efforts of political leaders to insulate New Zealand from an era of major social and geopolitical change”.  “History shows those best efforts were a mistake, that required years of difficult choices and careful recovery,” he said.  “New Zealanders paid the price then.  “I don’t intend for them to do so again.”  Thomas Coughlan is deputy political editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.  Wed, 09 Apr 2025 20:51:27 Z /news/politics/green-party-mp-benjamin-doyle-speaks-to-media-following-return-to-parliament/ /news/politics/green-party-mp-benjamin-doyle-speaks-to-media-following-return-to-parliament/ Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle is taking aim at the “poisonous transphobic hate” they faced over social media posts and admits they were politically naive in not deleting them when told to do so by the party. However, it appears questions over Doyle’s future have been answered as the MP says they “refuse to be disappeared by hate”. Doyle, who goes by they/them pronouns, has today revealed the Green Party advised them to delete their private Instagram page before they came to office, but they “chose not to”.”I can admit that I was politically naive, and we have paid a huge price for this naivety. None of this means I deserved the barrage of abuse and vitriol I have experienced.” The MP says they expected “prejudice and homophobia” when they entered Parliament, as well as scrutiny as is appropriate towards those with the “privilege of this position”. ”But I could never imagine or prepare myself to be attacked in such a baseless, personal, and violent way. That my life and that of my child would be threatened. ”That poisonous transphobic hate and imported culture wars would be levelled against me and my community - not just by extremists online, but by individuals who hold the highest level of authority in this institution.” Green MP Benjamin Doyle entered Parliament from the list last year. Photo / Supplied. Doyle said they had been advised not to leave their house or appear in public due to concerns about security. As for the terms used in the posts, Doyle said “context is key” and something they believed had “been deliberately ignored and twisted by some incredibly bad faith actors looking for an excuse to punch down on someone who represents something they don’t agree with”. ”The post at the centre of these baseless attacks includes 10 images from a range of activities and moments in my life, with a pop culture pun in the caption. ‘Bussy galore’ is an in-joke and a nickname. The translation here is “me at large living my best life”. They said that referring to them like that on Instagram was an “expression of my queer identity, and it acts as a persona, much like a drag performer or comedian might use”. ”The caption – which references me – is an example of the way marginalised communities often reclaim or subvert language in order to exist apologetically. I recognise that Bussy is not a term all rainbow people use or like, but it is one that is commonly understood and appreciated by my friends and community. ”For me, this term is wordplay, and represents the combination of my masculine and feminine qualities as a non-binary person – someone whose gender doesn’t fit into a strict category. “It’s also a satirical in-joke with references to pop music, drag culture, Bond novels and 1960s cinema, made about myself with people who know me in mind.” Doyle stands by comments, says they did nothing wrong Taking questions from journalists, Doyle said they didn’t think they had done anything wrong. “No I don’t.” Doyle said their personal social media account were made in reference to themself, and shouldn’t have been taken out of context. Among several posts of Doyle’s that received attention was an image of them and their child which was contained within an Instagram carousel of various images of a family event - that carousel was captioned with the phrase “bussy galore”. Bussy is a portmanteau of “boy” and “pussy” and is slang used by some to refer to a male’s anus. The appropriateness of the posts has been questioned by some, including Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, who has said they need investigating. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the term used was “inappropriate”, but believed it was a matter for the Greens to deal with. Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick responded to criticisms by saying members of minority communities, like the rainbow community, were “accustomed to using and co-opting terms that may not be well understood by external groups, often times with irreverence and absurdity”. She said that “context is critical” and when asked by reporters what that context was, said: “Benjamin had a title of a private account which was related to terminology that is used within the queer community”. “There are a number of far-right conspiratorial actors who are imputing meaning to that and the long bow that they seem to be drawing is that by virtue of use of that terminology that the rainbow community poses a real-world threat to children.” As the Herald has reported, one source who knows Doyle said “bussy galore” was not a caption for a single image, but for a selection of family photos posted to Instagram. The source said “bussy” refers to Doyle themself and that the caption therefore referred to multiple photos of Doyle. Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. Wed, 09 Apr 2025 03:19:48 Z /news/politics/green-mp-tamatha-paul-fires-back-at-labour-says-expectations-of-party-s-law-and-order-policies-were-already-low/ /news/politics/green-mp-tamatha-paul-fires-back-at-labour-says-expectations-of-party-s-law-and-order-policies-were-already-low/ Green MP Tamatha Paul is not backing down after her comments criticising the police sparked outrage, including from potential future coalition partner Labour. She has now fired back at the party – saying her expectations of Labour’s law and order policies was “already low”. Paul has come under fire for her recent comments about the police, including saying there were reports of police throwing homeless people’s belongings in bins, that police beat patrols made some people feel less safe, and that the majority of people in prison were there for non-violent offences. The comments have triggered a trading of amped-up political rhetoric between parties, even between Labour and the Greens who tend to be quite close. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Paul’s comments were “quite outrageous and insane” and that she was in “la la land”. Labour leader and former Police Minister Chris Hipkins said Paul’s comments were “ill-informed, were unwise, in fact were stupid”. “I don’t think that responsible Members of Parliament should be undermining police in that way.” But Paul remains defiant. Speaking on a recent episode of the BHN podcast, the Green MP said she felt frustrated reading Hipkins’ comments. She had thought about responding at the time but let it slide because people would not want to see the Greens and Labour “scrapping with each other”. Host Pat Brittenden asked Paul how it felt “having to be the grown-ups in the room all the time?”. “The thing with law and order, and Labour, is my expectations were already low,” she said, referencing Labour’s Ram Raid Bill which she viewed as punishing children. “It’s not like my expectations of Labour’s criminal justice policies were high in the first place so I wasn’t even surprised when I read Chippy’s [Chris Hipkins] comments.” Green MP for Wellington Central Tamatha Paul. Photo / Georgina Campbell Paul criticised current Police Minister Mark Mitchell, saying he “never has anything intelligent to say”. In response to a question from Brittenden about how she would differ from Mitchell if she were Police Minister, Paul said: “Well, I would be far more intelligent than Mark Mitchell”. “I mean the guy doesn’t even know what systemic bias is. All these questions being wasted in the House and he just says the same thing over and over again.” She told the podcast she would reduce the amount of power and discretion police held if she were in charge. “I think it is that space that lies within that discretion that is where you are getting all the bad outcomes because you are leaving it to regular people to make judgments about other human beings which I don’t think they are capable of making – that is why you see an over-representation with the police with some people, and others not.” Mitchell responded to the comments in a post on his Facebook page. He said in the 18 months he had been in the ministerial role, Labour and the Greens had made “deeply personal attacks” on him. “I am proud of the work that this coalition Government is doing on public safety. I have personally dedicated most of my adult life to service to my country and public safety. “New Zealanders should be very concerned by the prospect of a Labour-Green government that wants to defund and remove the discretion of our police force, at the same time as letting violent criminals out of prison.” He rejected Paul’s assertions that people felt less safe with police out on the beat. “In fact there is overwhelming evidence that the opposite is true. It is complete nonsense to claim that all our beat police do is persecute homeless people - in fact the complete opposite is true, our frontline police officers are always looking for ways to support and help rough sleepers.” Billboards could ‘backfire’, Paul says Paul also responded to the popping-up of billboards funded by the Sensible Sentencing Trust to attack attack co-leader Chloe Swarbrick and herself. The billboards, which were visible from Whitmore Street in the capital, included a picture of Paul that was used in her successful Wellington Central electorate campaign in 2023. Billboards with a picture of Green MP Tamatha Paul, seemingly paid for by the Sensible Sentencing Trust, have appeared in Wellington. Photo / Adam Pearse One displays her picture next to the words “Defund the Police” - likely a reference to Paul’s other recent comments speculating whether some police functions could be taken over by other entities. Paul told the podcast she thought the Sensible Sentencing Trust were “a bunch of idiots”. “I think it just also shows they have no understanding of Wellington City, either. If they think putting this up in Wellington City is going to be some kind of a hit-job, we’ll see how that goes next year. “I don’t think they understand how these kinds of things backfire. But for me, I was like ‘mean, free promo, shot’.” In an earlier statement, trust spokesperson Louise Parsons said the trust believed both central cities faced “significant challenges in relation to public safety” and argued Green Party policy wouldn’t address concerns. “The objective of this campaign is to highlight what and who the Green Party stand for. Because it certainly is not victims.” Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Wed, 09 Apr 2025 02:35:30 Z /news/politics/andrew-little-actively-considering-wellington-mayoralty/ /news/politics/andrew-little-actively-considering-wellington-mayoralty/ Former Labour leader Andrew Little is considering running for Wellington mayor. Little previously ruled it out but now says the city needs a change. Confirmed candidates include Tory Whanau, Ray Chung, Karl Tiefenbacher, Kelvin Hastie, Graham Bloxham, and Rob Goulden. Former Labour leader Andrew Little has confirmed he is considering a tilt at the Wellington mayoralty. It was reported in December that Little had ruled it out. Since then Labour has struggled to find a candidate after no one put their name forward. It extended nominations which close later this month. Little retired from politics in 2023 but now says he's considering the Wellington mayoralty. Photo / Mark Mitchell. “I’m actively considering it,” Little told the Herald in a statement. “The city needs change and I have been approached by a wide range of people asking me to run”. “I’ll have more to say at a later date,” he said. He entered Parliament in 2011 and was leader of the Labour Party and leader of the Opposition from 2014 to 2017. Little served as a senior minister in Governments led by Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins. He currently works as a consultant at Wellington law firm Gibson Sheat Lawyers. Little says he's been approached by a wide range of people to run for the city's top job. Photo / Mark Mitchell Little lives in Island Bay with his family. The confirmed candidates for the mayoralty are incumbent Tory Whanau, city councillor Ray Chung, businessman Karl Tiefenbacher, predator-free champion Kelvin Hastie, Wellington Live owner Graham Bloxham, and former city councillor Rob Goulden. Whanau yesterday secured the Green party’s endorsement. The local election will be held on October 11. Candidate nominations open on July 4 and close on August 1. Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined ob体育接口 in 2023 and is interested in local issues, politics and property in the capital. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz. Tue, 08 Apr 2025 02:46:17 Z