/news/politics/rss 九一星空无限 Get the latest political and government news from 九一星空无限talk ZB's Beehive team. Sat, 17 Jan 2026 09:15:56 Z en /news/politics/public-service-boss-s-spotted-at-coffee-meeting-with-andrew-coster/ /news/politics/public-service-boss-s-spotted-at-coffee-meeting-with-andrew-coster/ Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche met former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster at a public cafe overlooking the Beehive yesterday. It comes just a month and a half after Roche said he would have sacked Coster, had he not resigned his role as Social Investment Agency boss himself. The pair met at Mojo Cafe inside Defence House, an office complex directly behind Parliament. The Public Service Commission didn’t address questions on the meeting, describing it only as “a general catch-up”. Questions to Coster went unanswered. 九一星空无限talk ZB understands the pair had agreed last year to have a catch-up in the future. Coster, the former Police Commissioner, resigned from his Social Investment Agency role in December, after the fallout from the Independent Police Conduct Authority report into Jevon McSkimming. The report found the highest-ranking police officers in New Zealand ignored anonymous allegations that former deputy commissioner Jevon McSkimming was a sexual predator. Instead of investigating the serious allegations against McSkimming, the emails were used by police as evidence to prosecute her under the Harmful Digital Communications Act. Coster was placed on leave shortly after the report was made public, and resigned on December 3. In a statement, Coster said his decision to resign was a result of his “acceptance of full responsibility for the shortcomings identified in the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s review of the handling of complaints against  Jevon McSkimming during my tenure as Commissioner of Police”. Speaking to the Herald soon after, Roche said if Coster hadn’t resigned, he would have sacked him.“All options were on the table. If I’d had to [sack him], I would have. I didn’t have to because he made the right professional decision.” “I’m not of the view that he has committed anything personally and the IPCA were very clear that they didn’t find issues of corruption or, in my language, collusion of officers,” Roche said. “But there were a series of events which cumulatively painted a story and he was accountable for that organisation.”Coster received three months salary on his exit. Coster’s base salary was $495,825, meaning three months would be worth just shy of $124,000. Ethan Griffiths is a political reporter with 九一星空无限talk ZB, based in the Parliamentary Press Gallery. He joined 九一星空无限 as a print journalist in 2020, previously working as an Open Justice reporter in the Bay of Plenty and Wellington, and as a general reporter in Whanganui. Thu, 15 Jan 2026 16:00:13 Z /news/politics/election-2026-business-leaders-upbeat-about-election-year-ahead/ /news/politics/election-2026-business-leaders-upbeat-about-election-year-ahead/ Many business leaders are giving the economy and coalition Government a positive report card heading into election year, but most see room for improvement. Curia polling of 200 leaders, commissioned by technology firm Datacom, has found 43% believe the Government has been doing a good job supporting local businesses. Respondents are becoming more optimistic, with 65% expecting economic conditions to improve over the next 12 months, and 35% identifying growth as their top priority this year. The survey’s found 71% of surveyed leaders believe the Government needs more time to deliver on its promises and 58% would like to see the Government focus more on modernising the way it delivers services. The “brain drain” remains a big concern with 43% of respondents saying they’re worried about the recent surge of skilled workers moving to Australia and elsewhere offshore. Datacom New Zealand managing director Peter Nelson said the results signal a “change in gear” and “a move to a growth mindset” compared to results from the same survey in previous years. “People will naturally be a little cautious after some good signs early on in 2025 that didn’t translate into the growth we were expecting. I understand a bit of nervousness but at least people are being positive.” The increased positivity is also evident in NZIER’s latest Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion, which found business confidence had reached a nearly 14-year high. NZIER deputy chief executive Christina Leung said while manufacturing was the most optimistic sector, the survey found confidence was improving across every sector and region, pointing to a broad--based recovery. “With lower interest rates supporting stronger demand, firms are finally starting to see this come through when it comes through to activity in their own business, and that’s supporting the expectation that things will continue to improve over the coming year.” Leeann Watson, the chief executive of the Business Canterbury chamber of commerce, said businesses will be hoping for more certainty through the election year, including a good pipeline of infrastructure projects and strong consumer confidence. She said she’d received good signals from the political parties Business Canterbury had been speaking to, including the potential for bipartisan agreements. “We certainly don’t want to see that pendulum swing if we do happen to see a change of government. We don’t want a pendulum swing to take us back three years. “We want to make sure that we continue to invest ahead of demand so that we can keep up with that growth, make sure that we’ve got the right infrastructure to support that growth, and make sure that regulations keep up with innovation.” Viv Beck, the chief executive of Auckland’s Heart of the City business association, said she hoped this year’s opening of the City Rail Link and International Convention Centre would mark the start of a “new era” after what had been a “long hard haul” for many businesses. “The big thing we want to see here is growth. Coming to the end of the mass of construction in the mid-town area is positive and to see the economy growing again will be so good to bring some optimism back. “We think the long-term prognosis here is very positive once we get more people living here, the infrastructure in place, the transport options improved, and improved accessibility. Mark Knoff-Thomas, the chief executive of Newmarket Business Association, said confidence had been continuously building in the past few months and foot traffic had been increasing in the latter part of last year. “Hospitality and retail are setting themselves up very well. I think we can all look forward to positive growth and a bit more happiness in the country in the year ahead.” Michael Sergel is 九一星空无限talk ZB’s business reporter, covering the daily life of business and the business of daily life. He’s been covering business, politics, local government and consumer affairs for over a decade. Wed, 14 Jan 2026 16:00:51 Z /news/politics/trade-minister-todd-mcclay-tells-nz-officials-in-us-to-monitor-situation-after-donald-trump-s-iran-tariff-warning-for-businesses/ /news/politics/trade-minister-todd-mcclay-tells-nz-officials-in-us-to-monitor-situation-after-donald-trump-s-iran-tariff-warning-for-businesses/ The Trade Minister has instructed New Zealand officials in Washington DC to monitor developments stemming from a social media post by US President Donald Trump claiming any country doing business with Iran would pay a hefty tariff on trade with the US. Trump’s comments haven’t been followed by any detail by the White House, including what specific countries will be impacted, whether the tariffs would apply on top of those already enforced by the US Administration, or how they would be implemented. Todd McClay, New Zealand’s Trade and Investment Minister, told the Herald there was little information available other than what the US President had said on social media. “I have instructed officials in Washington to monitor the situation closely; however, it seems unlikely NZ would be captured by any US measures given our goods trade with Iran is near non-existent at 0.0019% of our exports.” According to Statistics NZ, in the year to September 2025, New Zealand exported $30.62 million worth of goods and services to Iran and imported $16.89m. The $47.52m total trade value would rank Iran as 98th among New Zealand’s trading partners. Trade Minister Todd McClay has told officials to monitor the situation. Photo / Marty Melville New Zealand last year reimposed sanctions on Iran in response to “non-compliance with its nuclear obligations”. The United Nations Sanctions (Iran) Regulations 2025 puts obligations on people in New Zealand when engaging with Iran, including prohibiting dealing with some individuals and keeping business records for at least seven years. There are import, export and procurement bans relating to nuclear weapons, missiles, enrichment-related goods and arms. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade advises anyone looking to do business with Iran to obtain independent legal advice due to the scope of the regulations. From February this year, anyone intending to do business with Iran will be required to register. “The compulsory registration scheme is designed to ensure that legitimate trade with Iran can continue, and that those engaging in such trade exercise the necessary degree of vigilance.” In his social media post, Trump said: “Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America”. “This Order is final and conclusive. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” China, which is Iran’s largest trading partner, reacted severely to the comments of tariffs by Trump. An official at its Washington DC embassy said Beijing would “take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests”. Demonstrations have been ongoing for weeks. Photo / Getty Images Trump has been attempting to increase pressure on the Iranian regime as nationwide rallies there engulf the Middle Eastern country. According to human rights groups, hundreds have been killed amid a violent crackdown by authorities. The protests, sparked by economic woes, have been encouraged by Trump. He wrote on social media that “Iranian Patriots” should continue demonstrating and “help is on the way”. He has previously threatened military action if authorities used lethal force. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters last week said New Zealand was “gravely concerned by reported killing of protestors in Iran” and called on the Iranian security forces “to refrain from violence”. He stressed that Government advice was not to travel to Iran. Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s Chief Political Reporter, based in the Press Gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the 九一星空无限hub Press Gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards. Wed, 14 Jan 2026 03:36:33 Z /news/politics/winston-peters-takes-aim-at-reserve-bank-governor-anna-breman-for-comments-on-us-federal-reserve-chair-jerome-powell/ /news/politics/winston-peters-takes-aim-at-reserve-bank-governor-anna-breman-for-comments-on-us-federal-reserve-chair-jerome-powell/ The Foreign Affairs Minister has rebuked Reserve Bank Governor Dr Anna Breman for signing a statement expressing “full solidarity” with US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell after the US Justice Department launched an investigation into him. In a social media post on Wednesday afternoon, Winston Peters said the Reserve Bank was “statutorily independent” of the central Government on monetary policy but has “no role, nor should it involve itself in US domestic politics”. “We remind the Governor to stay in her New Zealand lane and stick to domestic monetary policy. That would have been the advice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade if the Governor had sought its advice, which she did not.” The Herald has contacted the Reserve Bank for reaction. Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ office would not comment when approached. In a statement issued this week, several heads of central banks said they stood “in full solidarity with the Federal Reserve system and its chair Jerome H. Powell”. “The independence of central banks is a cornerstone of price, financial and economic stability in the interest of the citizens that we serve,” they said. “It is therefore critical to preserve that independence, with full respect for the rule of law and democratic accountability. “Chair Powell has served with integrity, focused on his mandate and an unwavering commitment to the public interest. To us, he is a respected colleague who is held in the highest regard by all who have worked with him.” Among those who signed the letter are Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, Michele Bullock of the Reserve Bank of Australia and Breman. It comes after the US Justice Department launched a probe into Powell relating to the renovation of Federal Reserve office buildings. Jerome Powell says the investigation is because of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates independently and not in response to US President Donald Trump's wishes. Photo / Saul Loeb Powell has said the threat of criminal charges were a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates “based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President”. “This unprecedented action should be seen in the broader context of the administration’s threats and ongoing pressure.” US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Powell was a “jerk” and a “lousy Fed chairman”. The investigation has been viewed by some in the US as retaliation for the Federal Reserve not bringing interest rates down as quickly as the President wished, though Trump has denied any connection to the probe. A Reserve Bank spokesperson was reported by RNZ as saying earlier on Wednesday that Breman believed strongly in the independence of central banks. “Dr Breman’s signature on the statement indicates the support of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, which is statutorily independent from the New Zealand Government,” they said. Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s Chief Political Reporter, based in the Press Gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the 九一星空无限hub Press Gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards. Wed, 14 Jan 2026 02:07:34 Z /news/politics/tim-shadbolt-obituary-new-zealand-s-longest-serving-mayor-dies-at-78-after-long-illness/ /news/politics/tim-shadbolt-obituary-new-zealand-s-longest-serving-mayor-dies-at-78-after-long-illness/ Sir Tim Shadbolt, the former Mayor of Invercargill, former Mayor of Waitemata City, former student radical, serial candidate, larrikin and risk-taker has died, aged 78. At his best, he was a gregarious and charismatic leader with an almost perpetual smile on his face and a distinctive drawl. But he was a magnet for trouble and his final years in office were marked by bitterness and infighting over his competence as Mayor of Invercargill. He was voted out of office in 2022. All up, he was Invercargill mayor for 27 years in two separate stints. Sir Tim Shadbolt in April 2019 with Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy after receiving his knighthood. Photo / Govt House Shadbolt was knighted in the New Year’s Honours in 2019 as New Zealand longest serving mayor at the time and during his eighth and final term as Invercargill’s mayor. He first served as Invercargill mayor from 1993 to 1995 but while he was mayor, he contested the parliamentary byelection in Selwyn, Canterbury, for New Zealand First. He then fought his 1995 campaign for re-election from Paris which he was visiting as part of an anti-nuclear testing protest trip. Unsurprisingly, Invercargill dumped him at the 1995 election. “I’ll never try to organise a mayoral election from Paris again as long as I live,” he wrote in the book “A Mayor of Two Cities” (Hodder Moa 2008). He claimed that his motivation for standing in Selwyn was to win the seat vacated by Ruth Richardson and hold the balance of power to acquire a new hospital for Invercargill. But instead, “it was seen as a rampant act of opportunism, disloyalty and desertion – the locals were not impressed.” His fortunes turned and in 1998, Shadbolt was re-elected as Invercargill mayor. He met his long-term partner, Asha Dutt, not long after he first became Mayor of Invercargill and she has been especially supportive in his declining years. They have a son. In 2006, his former wife, Miriam Cameron, detailed several serious episodes of violence at his hands in the 1970s and 80s including an assault that required medical treatment. They had two sons, and Shadbolt had another son from a previous marriage. In his book, he wrote that it may not look good but he considered himself to be a very lucky man all his life in terms of wives, fiancees and girlfriends. “Admittedly things haven’t always worked out in the long term but I’ve enjoyed so much romance and adventure and have always been sheltered and looked after.” Not long after becoming mayor, the then head of Southland Institute of Technology and later National MP Penny Simmonds proposed a zero fees scheme to help rejuvenate the city and to keep and attract people to the region. Shadbolt promoted it and enrolments increased from 1000 to 4000, although some others believed it was “cheating.” He was a champion for Invercargill and Southland and in 2008 he campaigned in Auckland to promote Southland as a place that offered a better lifestyle. Tim Shadbolt walked around the Skywalk on the Auckland Sky Tower towing a Southland flag in 2008 as part of a campaign to woo Aucklanders to Southland for a better lifestyle. Photo / Martin Sykes. Shadbolt served 24 consecutive years as Mayor of Invercargill. But his last two terms were dogged by a defamation suit taken out against him by a fellow councillor, Karen Arnold, and an investigation by the Department of Internal Affairs into conflicts at the council. In an interview with the Herald on Sunday in 2020, he said one of the reasons he would be seeking re-election in 2022 was because he needed the money. “I just can’t believe this has happened to me when I have ... transformed this city from a bit of a rural backwater to an exciting place with movies and events,” he said. “I’ve just been destroyed - a bit of a tragic ending for a comedian really. “I owe lawyers bills of $350,000, and there is just no way I can pay it, so what I am staring down for my retirement is bankruptcy.” A jury in 2018 found no defamation had occurred and Arnold was ordered to pay costs. However, Arnold could not pay and was eventually made bankrupt. When Shadbolt first won in Invercargill, he had previously served two terms as Mayor of Waitemata from 1983 to 1989 when he lived in Auckland. Shadbolt was born in Auckland in 1947. His great-grandfather, Benjamin, had been a convicted criminal and was sent to Australia and then Norfolk Island for 17 years of hard labour before arriving in New Zealand. Shadbolt’s father Donald (also known as Tim) was raised in West Auckland and attended Mt Albert Grammar. He trained as a pilot in the Second World War and fought for the British Navy in the Fleet Air Arm. When he returned to New Zealand after the war he took up teaching near Whakatane but not for long. He answered the call to retrain in Britain for the Korean War but was killed during a training flight when Shadbolt was aged five and his brother Rod aged two. Shadbolt’s mother, Josien (Poppy), was of Dutch heritage and had arrived in New Zealand aged 18. She had been raised in Indonesia and attended school in the Netherlands and after her husband was killed, took her sons to Holland. She decided to return to New Zealand, where Shadbolt attended Blockhouse Bay School and became a foundation pupil at Rutherford College. Shadbolt said he first got back to New Zealand, he had to go to speech classes to be taught how to speak. And there he had learned oratory which had changed his life. “Because I was taught to be a public speaker, I could stand up,” he wrote in “A Mayor of Two Cities.” “I stood for election to become the milk monitor and won; then I stood for election to become the bus monitor and won that too. When I got to high school I stood for election to become a prefect and won, mainly because I could speak with confidence. I could present my case.” Shadbolt’s mother remarried a refugee from Czechoslovakia, whom Shadbolt loathed - although he loved his half-brother, Peter - but he credited his step-father for teaching him to work hard. Shadbolt spent a year in 1967 working on the Manapouri power project. He then went to Sydney where he got a job as a plasterer’s labourer in a building gang. But it was to end in tragedy in 1968 when the concrete first floor of a shop they had been working on in Cronulla collapsed. Shadbolt bolted for the door and threw himself onto the road. Four other workmates who had been working on the ground floor were killed, including his boss, and seven others were injured. Sir Tim Shadbolt said in 2020 it had been a bit of a tragic end for a comedian. Photo / Getty Images for NZ Herald. Shadbolt helped the police to identify the victims and after informing the families at the hospital which men had died, he rang his mother and asked for an airfare home to New Zealand. Shadbolt developed a national profile as a student radical in the 1960s and 70s and had been especially active in the movement against the Vietnam War. He had been president of a group he called the Auckland University Society for the Active Prevention of Cruelty to Politically Apathetic Humans. He had been active in the Progressive Youth Movement, a former editor of the Auckland University student newspaper, Craccum, and had been arrested 33 times, including twice for using the word “bullshit” in a speech. Those arrests were referenced in “Bullshit and Jellybeans,” his first book, published in 1971 by Alister Taylor. In the book, he details the first incident which took place outside Mt Albert Grammar School on Alberton Ave. He had been invited to speak by a senior student to the liberal studies class. The headmaster banned him when he found out, so the students asked Shadbolt to speak from the back of a truck over the school wall. He estimated about 200 boys and 10 teachers gathered to listen. Afterwards, Shadbolt was arrested for indecent language in a public place, to which he pleaded guilty and told the court exactly what he had said: “The official reason for New Zealand’s involvement in the Vietnam War is based on a firm foundation of solid bullshit.” Shadbolt was fined $50 which he refused to pay and so was sent to Mt Eden prison for 25 days. There he made friends with the famous folk hero and burglar George Wilder who had escaped from prison five times, and Trevor Nash, a convicted robber who escaped from Mt Eden. Shadbolt wrote that he had spent a lot of time with Wilder “who turned out to be a tremendous guy.” “I never met a guy who was such an honest, natural disliker of authority.” Shadbolt was charged again in 1971 for using “bullshit” at a “teach-in” at Albert Park in Auckland about prison conditions following a riot at Mt Eden prison the previous day. Tim Shadbolt dancing the Foxtrot with Rebecca Nicholson on "Dancing With The Stars" at Avalon TV studios in 2005. Photo / Neil Mackenzie. One of Shadbolt’s witnesses in the ensuing trial was a science student, Maurice Williamson, who went on to become a National Party cabinet minister. Williamson testified that he thought Albert Park was a free-speech area, and many others besides Shadbolt had used the same language. In the book, Shadbolt was scathing about the news media, especially the New Zealand Herald, which he believed was biased against protestors. He said that when he and Miriam had their first son, the Herald rejected the birth notice he had tried to get published. It had read: “Shadbolt to Tim and Miriam Oct 7. A young revolutionary son. 8 and a half lbs (allowing for exaggeration). National Womens. Our thanks to the Welfare State and those who man her. Both well.” In 1970, Shadbolt set up a commune in Huia in the Waitakere ranges and set up a concreting contracting business as well. He lived in the commune for five years. Soon after being elected Waitemata mayor, Shadbolt got the mayoral Daimler to tow his concrete mixer in the Henderson Christmas parade. He also lost the mayoral chains twice, once stolen from a bag in his car outside the Gluepot in Ponsonby where he had been performing with Gary McCormick and Bruno Lawrence, and the second time, permanently. Shadbolt was re-elected to Waitemata in 1986 in a landslide and with a “Tim’s Team” ticket but his management skills were highly controversial. In 1988 his deputy mayor, Gary Taylor who went on to form the Environmental Defence Society, resigned citing mismanagement by Shadbolt. Shadbolt stood as mayor of the new Waitakere City in 1989 but lost to Assid Corban. In the next few years that followed, he became a serial candidate, nearly always unsuccessful. He stood in the byelection for Auckland Mayor when Dame Cath Tizard resigned to become Governor-General. He stood for the Auckland mayoralty again in 1992 at the same time as standing for the Dunedin mayoralty. He stood for Parliament as an independent in 1990 and in the Wellington Central byelection in December 1992 to replace Fran Wilde who had resigned to become Wellington mayor. His election manifesto was titled “Absolutely Positively Full of Shit.” He finally found success for one term in a byelection for the Invercargill mayoralty in 1993 following the death of Eve Poole. After being voted out, he stood unsuccessfully for Parliament again in 1996 for the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party in Christchurch East and became the party’s deputy leader before regaining Invercargill in 1998. He gave lots of things a go, especially if they involved publicity. He appeared as a celebrity guest on the quiz show The Weakest Link. He took part in “Dancing with the Stars”, he had a small part in the movie “The World’s Fastest Indian” based on the life of Invercargill motorcycling legend Burt Munro, he was a guest on the comedy show 7 Days, and went to Borneo for an episode of “Intrepid Journeys.” He even helped to advertise cheese with the famous slogan “I don’t care where, as long as I’m mayor.” Thu, 08 Jan 2026 04:39:12 Z /news/politics/nz-first-says-it-will-not-support-legislation-for-trade-deal-with-india/ /news/politics/nz-first-says-it-will-not-support-legislation-for-trade-deal-with-india/ The Government has agreed a comprehensive free trade deal which eliminates or reduces tariffs on 95% of New Zealand’s exports to India. But NZ First says that the access is not enough and has told the rest of Cabinet that it will vote against any enabling legislation if and when it comes to Parliament - that puts the deal’s success in the hands of the opposition, likely Labour. “When Cabinet approval for the India deal was sought last week, New Zealand First exercised the agree to disagree provision of its coalition arrangements – while making clear that it would vote against enabling legislation if and when it is introduced to Parliament," NZ First leader Winston Peters said in a statement. Peters said the deal was “neither free nor fair”. “It gives too much away, especially on immigration, and does not get enough in return for New Zealanders, including on dairy,” Peters said. Advertisement Advertise with 九一星空无限.Advertisement Advertise with 九一星空无限.He said the deal’s dairy access was bad and also criticised the visa access. It is not the first time Peters has deployed this tactic. During the Clark Government, in which Peters also served as foreign minister, Peters opposed Trade Minister Phil Goff’s trade deal with China. He told the Herald earlier this year he stands by that criticism. The rest of the Government says the deal gives the best access of any Indian FTA, with recent Australian and United Kingdom deals including lower access. The deal was finalised earlier this month but had to wait for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to return to the country last week to hold a special Cabinet meeting to agree the deal. Trade Minister Todd McClay said the deal was “historic” and puts NZ exporters on an equal or better footing to competitors across a range of sectors, and opens the door to India’s rapidly expanding middle class. Almost 57% of exports are duty-free from day one of the deal coming into force, increasing to 82% once it is fully implemented. The remaining 13% are “subject to sharp tariff cuts”, the Government says. However, there are questions with how well the deal will land with the dairy sector. India is notoriously protective of its domestic dairy sector and the deal has not managed to significantly increase access to NZ dairy exports. This deal liberalises access in some areas: dairy that is imported in order to be re-exported gets in tariff free under this deal; infant formula will see the current 33% tariff eliminated over seven years. Dairy access to India is not significantly increased. Photo / Mark Mitchell Some of NZ’s higher value dairy exports, worth about US$15,000-$16,000 ($26,000–$28,000) a tonne would see tariffs reduced. However, there is no change to some of the cheaper milk powder exports that NZ excels at, which tends to be priced at US$3000-$4000 ($5200–$6900) a tonne, which faces such high tariffs that it makes NZ milk products uncompetitive in India. The deal includes a provision that means if India concludes a deal that offers better dairy access to a comparable economy, NZ can ask for the dairy access to be renegotiated. The Government has conceded greater visa access to India, something to which NZ First had been resistant. New Zealand will offer three-year visas to occupations on tiers one and two of the green list of skill shortages. The Government will offer 1667 visas a year, which will be non-renewable and not offer a right to remain. The Government will also expand the post-study work rights of some visas. Getting a trade deal with India over the line this Parliamentary term was a key commitment of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on the campaign trail in 2023. He’d accused the then-Labour Government of neglecting India. The last National Government had begun trade talks with India, but they fell apart. India is among the most protectionist economies in the world and NZ’s is among the most liberal - the two sides had very little on which they could agree. Labour never restarted those talks, believing that a trade deal that had so little on offer for the dairy sector was not really worth it for a country whose exports were as heavily weighted towards dairy as NZ’s. Announcing the deal, Luxon paid tribute to his trade minister. “Since the election, Todd McClay has visited India seven times. “The Foreign Minister has visited India twice. Earlier this year, I led NZ’s largest-ever trade mission to India. And NZ has hosted India’s President and two Ministerial visits from India. “The result is a high-quality trade agreement with a trusted partner that will deliver deep and lasting benefits for NZ,” he said. Trade deal highlights: Tariff elimination or reduction on 95% of our exports. Duty-free access on almost 57% of NZ exports from day one, increasing to 82% when fully implemented, with the remaining 13% being subject to sharp tariff cuts. Immediate tariff elimination on sheep meat, wool, coal and over 95% of forestry and wood exports. Duty-free access on most seafood exports, including mussels and salmon, over seven years. Duty-free access on most iron, steel and scrap aluminium, over 10 years or less. Duty-free access for most industrial products, over five to 10 years 50% tariff cut for large quota of apples – nearly double recent average exports. Duty-free access for kiwifruit within a quota almost four times our recent average exports, and tariff halved for exports outside of quota. Duty-free access for cherries, avocados, persimmons and blueberries, over 10 years. Tariffs on wine reduced from 150% to either 25 or 50% (depending on the value of the wine) over 10 years plus Most Favoured Nations (MFN) commitment. Tariffs on mānuka honey cut from 66% to 16.5% over five years. MFN status and liberalisation across services exports.  Duty-free access for dairy and other food ingredients for re-export from day one. Duty-free access for bulk infant formula and other high-value dairy preparations over seven years. 50% tariff cut for high value milk albumins within a NZ-specific quota equal to current export volumes. Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:51:26 Z /news/politics/nicola-willis-to-run-as-list-only-mp-at-next-election/ /news/politics/nicola-willis-to-run-as-list-only-mp-at-next-election/ By Russell Palmer of RNZ Finance Minister Nicola Willis will not stand for an electorate seat at the next election. At the last election, Willis campaigned for the Wellington electorate of Ōhāriu, which was narrowly won by Labour’s Greg O’Connor with 17,565 votes to Willis’ 16,305. The electorate will next year be split into the new seats of Kenepuru and Kāpiti, which replace Mana and Ōtaki. Willis – who is also National’s deputy leader and has been confirmed as a list-only candidate – said she would campaign across New Zealand to re-elect a National government. “I am honoured to have the support of the National Party Board to campaign across New Zealand to help re-elect a National Government focused on fixing the basics and building the future.” Willis said the economy was growing again and inflation had come down as a result of the Government’s plan. “We cannot take our recovery for granted. Labour have been clear - their plan is to tax more, borrow more, and spend more, leaving us worse off and jeopardising what all Kiwis have worked so hard for. Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Photo / Mark Mitchell “With the economy recovering, exports at a record high and a new planning system on the way, New Zealand is in safe hands under a National Government. “I’m looking forward to supporting Christopher Luxon and National MPs and candidates around NZ to campaign for and win the party vote at next year’s general election.” O’Connor has said he intends to continue his political career, but will not challenge Labour colleague Barbara Edmonds. -RNZ Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:46:12 Z /news/politics/te-p%C4%81ti-m%C4%81ori-confident-of-a-comeback-ahead-of-2026-general-election/ /news/politics/te-p%C4%81ti-m%C4%81ori-confident-of-a-comeback-ahead-of-2026-general-election/ It has been a rollercoaster term for Te Pāti Māori. The highs were remarkable: growing from two to six electorate MPs at the last election, a stunning landslide victory in the Tāmaki Makaurau byelection against political stalwart Peeni Henare, a haka that became a global sensation and their key role rousing hundreds of thousands of frustrated New Zealanders to protest in the streets in what would become the largest hīkoi the country had ever seen. At times, they were polling at 7% – just one point behind the Act Party. From outside, it is unclear when things started to unravel but as this year draws to a close, the party has polled as low as 1%. “I think we are in a place where there is only one way you can go now,” party co-leader Rawiri Waititi says. “1% – what’s less? Is there a 0%?” In June, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, who held the Tāmaki Makaurau Māori seat for the party, died after a battle with kidney disease. Veteran broadcaster Oriini Kaipara now holds the Auckland area seat for the party. Eru Kapa-Kingi, a high-profile member of protest group Toitū te Tiriti, which was once closely aligned with Te Pāti Māori, accused the party of running a dictatorial leadership model. MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi (Eru’s mother) and Tākuta Ferris were kicked out of the party for “serious breaches” of the constitution – allegations they dispute. Kapa-Kingi’s membership was recently reinstated by a judge and, in an interview with RNZ’s Mata programme, Ferris hit back with allegations bullying and “despicable” treatment of Kemp in the months leading up to her death. Expelled Te Pāti Māori MPs Tākuta Ferris and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi in the House as independents for Question Time in November. Photo / Mark Mitchell Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer regrets how the internal riffs spilled into public view. “The minute it’s gone too wide and you can’t contain it, then it’s gone beyond us scrapping behind closed doors. It’s gone to the electorates, it’s gone to executives, it’s gone for public opinion.” Iwi leaders intervened, playing mediators between the divided factions of the party, and there were calls for the party’s leadership to be reconsidered, including the role of president John Tamihere. Cutting two MPs from the party was difficult because they had “not only friendships or relationships, but there is whakapapa”, Waititi said. “[This] is also difficult because we will see each other at the next kaupapa on the marae and we will see each other at all the kaupapas that we go to, Waitangi, Coronation, Ratana, so we have to be mature enough about how we do that. “I’ve had scraps with many whānau before, and we’ve got through them and some of them [have been] more vicious than what we see in this House.” Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi pictured while sitting on Parliament's finance and expenditure committee. Photo / Mark Mitchell It’s been a few weeks since Ferris and Kapa-Kingi moved to their new offices as independents, a few floors away from Te Pāti Māori. In this pre-Christmas interview with the Herald, the co-leaders acknowledge the party needs to find a way back to the highs of just a few months ago, saying the 2026 general election year “will be the battle of our lives”. They say the ordeal has made them grow as leaders, and they felt “huge support” from their voter base at their recent AGM in Rotorua. “I’m really proud of where we are,” Waititi said. “Yes, we’re in a bloody hole at the moment but, you know, you can get out of a hole.” Reflecting on the year, Ngarewa-Packer compares the party to a car “just making it across the line with all the tread on the tyres missing”. “Like Cool Runnings!” Waititi says, talking about the classic 1993 movie based on a Jamaican bobsled team whose sled falls apart during a race. The team pick it up and carry it across the finish line. The party is known for being prolific on social media – it has almost twice as many followers on Instagram as National. But after this ordeal, Ngarewa-Packer implies the party will step back slightly from social media and put more fuel into on-the-ground campaigning. “The humbling part is actually remembering how we got back in [into Parliament] in 2020, which was offline, on the ground,” she said. Ngarewa-Packer said the pair were “really conscious that actually what we have to do is rebuild from the ground up”. “But the difference is it’s not as hard as it was in 2020 when there was just no ground support.” Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer at Koroneihana at Tūrangawaewae Marae in August. Photo / Mike Scott Waititi said: “I’m confident we can do it again – we’ve got another year,” referencing the party’s swift growth from a “flatline” state in 2017 to having six MPs after the 2023 election. “Our message [to supporters] is about belief. Don’t lose the belief because if it’s not us, then who else is going to be the voice for our people. Nobody else can advocate in this House like us. “Today we’re in a place where every T-shirt, every song, every kapa haka group, every speech made at Manu Kōrero [high school speech competition], has an element of what we’ve done in the last five years – an element of belief, an element of pride, an element of magic,” Waititi said. Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:13:33 Z /news/politics/parliament-s-year-by-the-numbers-including-the-most-talkative-mps-and-leaders/ /news/politics/parliament-s-year-by-the-numbers-including-the-most-talkative-mps-and-leaders/ By Phil Smith of RNZ The 2025 parliamentary year has ended and it was a monster. In the MPs’ final hurrah – the adjournment debate – David Seymour announced that “this Government has passed more legislation in the first two years of its three than any MMP Parliament has passed in its whole three years”. Previous to this 54th Parliament, experts have said New Zealand passed too many laws; heaven knows what those folk would think now. Parliament is breaking records both for bills passed and for a lack of careful process. Here are a few numbers from this completed year and this Parliament (so far). Where possible the current numbers are compared to previous years or Parliaments. The fun stuff The vast throughput has chemical drivers and consolations. In his own summary of the year, Speaker Gerry Brownlee revealed that the Beehive’s in-house cafeteria, Copperfields, sold “60,000 hot drinks – mainly coffee”. Chris Bishop responded, “I think I’ve taken quite a few thousand”, and Nicola Willis piped up, “half of them were for me”. In a depressant mirror to the Beehive’s stimulants, the in-house bar has moved from the Beehive to Parliament House. It is now further away from the ministers causing the workload and closer to the backbenchers suffering under it. The golden throat lozenge awards Working with Hansard data for the whole Parliament (up until mid-October 2025), I have squeezed out some very rough numbers to find who has done all the talking. These numbers are for House debates but not question time. Note though: Hansard’s data is not well structured for careful statistical torture, so take the results with a pinch of numerical salt. The easy winner of the Golden Throat Lozenge Award (for time on their feet) is Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan who spoke 396 times, uttering roughly 194,000 words. He won the gong despite joining this Parliament a few months late (arriving in March 2024 after the sad death of Efeso Collins). Xu-Nan’s tactical pleonasm explains the following from Parliament’s final day: Xu-Nan: “Thank you, Mr Speaker. It’s actually not that common that I get two speeches back-to-back – what a treat!” Speaker: “Well, why don’t you give us a treat and make it short.” He didn’t. Brownlee spoke twice more than Xu-Nan (398 times), but presiding officers are brief. Opposition MPs use their full 10 minutes every call if at all possible. Winner of the Golden Throat Lozenge Award for most words spoken, Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan. Photo / RNZ The top 10 MPs for words spoken are all from the opposition (see below). Government backbenchers say very little to defend their own bills (to save time), while those in the opposition are wordy to slow things down (and give bills the fullest possible consideration), especially when bills skip select committees or are being considered under urgency. MPs who have done the most talking in Parliament this year. Image / RNZ / The House - Phil Smith MPs at the ‘vow of silence’ end of the list are mostly from National. Other than recent arrivals the most taciturn were Melissa Lee (just 15 speeches) and Shane Reti (20). Both offered between 6000-7000 words. The quietest opposition MPs are 13 and 15 places from the bottom. They were Adrian Rurawhe (25 speeches for nearly 14,000 words) and Jenny Salesa (30 speeches for a little over 12,281 words). Major party leaders spend little time in the House, other than for question time and set-piece debates like the Budget. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon managed just 18 speeches, but some were very long so his total words spoken (27,000) raises him to 78th of 123 MPs. Labour leader Chris Hipkins beats him with 47 speeches for 38,000 words. Minor leaders appear more often. David Seymour made 68 calls for 64,000 words, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer 87 for 62,000, Chloe Swarbrick 82 or 54,000, Winston Peters 47 for 36,000 and Rawiri Waititi 48 for 31,000 words. Green co-leader Marama Davidson is not included, as multiple MPs named Davidson muddy the waters. The most loquacious of the Government ministers was Chris Bishop (208 speeches and 86,000 words). He has had a number of complex bills spend lengthy periods in the Committee of the Whole, and is a minister happy to answer questions and engage in that stage of deliberation. As well as fronting a number of portfolios, Chris Bishop is Leader of the House, which can involve negotiating with other parties and fronting government actions like urgency motions. Photo / Mark Mitchell Party speaking time The largest parties get more allocated speaking slots, but only the opposition make full use of theirs. As noted, the opposition also speak a lot during the unallocated Committee of the Whole stage. Whole days can go by when government backbenchers offer nothing except repeating “I move that debate on this question now close”, which is parliamentese for ‘please stop already’. Image / RNZ / The House - Phil Smith Public engagement Brownlee reports: “73,000 people went through Parliament in tours this year – quite a large number. If you include visitors who came here for various meetings, that number goes up to 122,000. When you think about the number of people visiting here, it means that, I think, we have a strong democracy, and we’ve got to make sure that this place remains as open as it possibly can.” The public have been visiting electronically as well. The bills under debate have attracted an avalanche of public feedback that stretched Parliament’s secretariat until the poor clerks drowned in e-paper. Committees even found it necessary to restrict the extent of some of their reports back to the House (a core function). It has been suggested to me that the quality of ministerial officials’ advice to committees (and presumably also to Government) has degraded with so many different legislative plans for departments to consider. Clerk of the House of Representatives David Wilson told the Standing Orders Committee, “two Parliaments ago there were 95,000 submissions which we thought was a lot. Now there are over 600,000 in this one”. The most written submissions for this Parliament (or any Parliament) was the massive new record of 295,670 written submissions on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. Legislative process and urgency The table below outlines the process of non-budgetary government bills over six Parliaments (most recent on the left). Each Parliament’s figures are truncated at a matching point in the Parliament’s progress. None are for a full three years. Image / RNZ / The House - Phil Smith The current Government has introduced far more bills and skipped more select committees than any of the previous five. The bills that did go through committees had their committee consideration time curtailed more than in any parliament except during John Key’s first government. For more granular detail on the use of urgency by stage, the chart below is data from the 九一星空无限room’s journalist Marc Daalder. In this case, numbers for previous Parliaments are truncated to match the same number of calendar days as the current term has taken. Data from 九一星空无限room's Marc Daalder. Image / RNZ / The House - Phil Smith The 2025 sitting year included 87 sitting days and two weeks of fulltime committee scrutiny of Government in lieu of the House sitting. Of the 87 sitting days, 13 did not start afresh, but were just continuations of the previous day. The 87 days broke down to: Image / RNZ / The House - Phil Smith Oversight of Government One of any Parliament’s core roles is keeping a check on the Government that is a subset of itself. This is possible because, constitutionally, governments are subservient to Parliaments, though governments often try to eschew this relationship. Oversight happens in various ways in the House and committees. Most are hard to measure, except the asking of formal questions of ministers. Oral questions can be a key tool, but when ministers are allowed by Speakers to avoid answering questions they lose all potency, and written questions (which are harder to ignore) gain importance. Formal questions put to ministers, during 2025. Image / RNZ / The House - Phil Smith Thanks to the Office of the Clerk, Hansard and Marc Daalder for data. Sun, 21 Dec 2025 01:19:55 Z /news/politics/supreme-court-finds-government-must-consider-climate-change-when-offering-oil-and-gas-tenders/ /news/politics/supreme-court-finds-government-must-consider-climate-change-when-offering-oil-and-gas-tenders/ By Kate Newton of RNZ  The country’s highest court has found governments must consider climate change when deciding whether to offer oil and gas blocks for tender.  The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal on Friday that former Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods was required to take climate change into account when she granted on-shore exploration permits to two companies in 2021.  However, the court found climate change is a mandatory consideration at the earlier stage of offering blocks for tender.  Climate change was “so obviously relevant” to a decision that could lead to the extraction and consumption of fossil fuels that it must be considered, the panel of five Supreme Court justices ruled.  “Climate change is a matter of pressing concern for New Zealand and its wellbeing both in the near and long term,” the justices wrote in their decision.  “Moreover, the Crown has entered into binding obligations on New Zealand’s behalf in connection with reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  “Petroleum extraction and consumption are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand and internationally.”  The Supreme Court decision emphasises climate change's relevance to fossil fuel extraction and New Zealand's emissions obligations. Photo / Paul Estcourt  The Crown Minerals Act’s aim was to “promote” prospecting, exploration and mining “for the benefit of New Zealand”.  The court found that “benefit” was “not simply a recognition of the benefits that flow from mining”.  “Climate change is therefore a mandatory relevant consideration ... when deciding whether to offer petroleum exploration permits for tender,” the decision said.  “This is because climate change is so obviously relevant to a decision to commence a process which is intended, if successful, to progress through to extraction of petroleum.”  The case against the Energy and Resources Minister was taken to the Supreme Court by a group of Victoria University law students.  Students for Climate Solutions, now called Climate Clinic Aotearoa, first took the case in 2021.  The group argued that when then-Energy Minister Woods made her decision to grant the permits, she did not properly consider the impacts of climate change, despite advice from the Climate Change Commission the Government should avoid locking in new fossil fuel assets.  The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal against how Megan Woods made decisions, stating climate change consideration is not required at the permitting stage. Photo / 九一星空无限  The students argued climate change should be considered at the point when a minister is deciding whether to grant a permit.  Friday’s judgment dismissed the students’ case, but on the basis that once a tender process had already been completed, going on to refuse a permit would undermine the intent of offering a block for tender.  The proper place to consider climate change and other mandatory considerations was at the earlier stage of offering blocks for tender, the court ruled.  The judgment found that even though Woods was not required to consider climate change at the permitting stage, she had adequately done so anyway.  She had received detailed advice from officials and was aware of other relevant matters, including policy work on a National Energy Strategy and a broader climate change work programme.  The High Court earlier found against the students’ case, ruling that while no one could doubt the importance of climate change issues, the purpose of the Crown Minerals Act was to promote mining for fossil fuels.  “Such activity may be at the expense of climate change, but that is what the act seeks to advance,” Justice Francis Cooke found.  On that account, the Energy Minister had acted in line with the law, he said. Current projections show New Zealand is on track to meet its emissions budgets for 2022-25 and 2026-2030. Photo / File  The Court of Appeal also dismissed the students’ appeal, with a panel of three judges finding there was no requirement for the minister to consider climate change when making permitting decisions.  However, one of the three appeal judges, Justice Jillian Mallon, found climate change was a “permissive” consideration – in other words, the minister could factor it into her decision if she chose to.  That was because the Climate Change Response Act, more widely known as the Zero Carbon Act, allows ministers and public agencies to take New Zealand’s emissions targets and budgets into account when carrying out their duties.  Justice Mallon said in her judgment: “Given the accepted climate emergency, and that the combustion of fossil fuels is the main cause of climate change, it would be odd if the minister responsible for petroleum exploration was precluded from taking into account these key components of New Zealand’s response to climate change, when Parliament has said in the Climate Change Response Act that those exercising powers may do so.”  As an example, she said if the country was on course to exceed one of its emissions budgets, “it would be odd (and potentially contrary to the benefit of New Zealand) if the minister was precluded from taking into account any published advice from the Climate Change Commission about this in determining whether to grant a permit in furtherance of the purpose of the act to promote further exploration or prospecting of petroleum ‘for the benefit of NZ”.  At the time Woods granted the two permits, the Climate Change Commission had advised the Government it was not on track to meet its emissions targets.  Current projections show New Zealand is on track to meet its emissions budgets for 2022-25 and 2026-2030, but not the budget for 2031-35.  – RNZ  Fri, 19 Dec 2025 03:20:21 Z /news/politics/shane-jones-opens-200m-gas-security-fund-for-proposals-next-month/ /news/politics/shane-jones-opens-200m-gas-security-fund-for-proposals-next-month/ Resources Minister Shane Jones says a $200 million fund aimed at increasing the availability of natural gas will open next month. The Government was looking for proposals that would accelerate or increase the volume of gas, or which would enable gas to be stored, so that it was available when most needed for industry and homes, he said. Natural gas remained critical to the energy system while New Zealand transitioned to more renewable energy sources. “Until then, it’s needed to get us through periods of high demand and for industries that require consistent, high-temperature energy. “Declining gas production is pushing up costs for businesses and households and constraining economic growth.” A gas advisory panel is being established to ensure decisions are informed by deep commercial and technical expertise, particularly given the complexities of gas exploration and market conditions in New Zealand. The panel would provide expert technical advice to the decision-making ministers, who are Jones and Associate Finance Minister Chris Bishop. The fund’s opening date for expressions of interest is January 12. Jones said the Government was moving “at pace” to restore confidence in the gas sector, which was affected by the previous Labour-led Government’s ban on new offshore exploration in 2018. In May, as part of the Budget, the Government set aside $200m of tagged contingency over four years for a Gas Security Fund, which was aimed at addressing the waning gas supply and restoring investor confidence. Last month, the Government announced the fund’s scope was to be expanded to enable a broader range of investments to accelerate or increase gas supply in the short, medium and long term. Last year, the faster-than-expected run-down of offshore gas reserves helped to drive a spike in wholesale power prices to $820 a megawatt hour (MWh) compared with a previous winter average of about $150MWh. Gas accounts for about 8% of New Zealand’s electricity generation. Thu, 18 Dec 2025 01:38:39 Z /news/politics/parliamentary-leaders-including-christopher-luxon-chris-hipkins-deliver-final-speeches-of-2025/ /news/politics/parliamentary-leaders-including-christopher-luxon-chris-hipkins-deliver-final-speeches-of-2025/ The leaders of New Zealand’s parliamentary political parties are delivering their final speeches of the year. The parliamentary year is expected to shortly wrap up, capping off the final sitting bloc which has primarily been under urgency as the Government pushes through a large number of pieces of legislation. A livestream of the debate will be found above from about 4.30pm. We’ll update this article with some of the memorable quotes afterwards. It’s expected Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will begin the contributions. The speeches are used to reflect on the year that’s been and set expectations for what is to come. They are often full of light-hearted barbs, though Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick last year made a point of making no jokes and instead attacked the Government. Luxon in 2024 described a fictional Air NZ safety video to needle Labour leader Chris Hipkins. He said the flight attendants were forced to take a life jacket from Hipkins during the pre-flight safety demonstration after he “instantly started blowing into the mouthpiece for more inflation”. Hipkins, in his speech, said comparing Luxon to the captain of the Titanic was overly generous. “The captain of the Titanic had a ship, this Government doesn’t. The captain of the Titanic had a crew who followed orders,” Hipkins said. According to the recommended sitting programme for 2026, Parliament is expected to resume on January 27, before taking a short break for celebrations over the Waitangi long weekend, and then returning again on February 10. Wed, 17 Dec 2025 03:29:30 Z /news/politics/ruth-richardson-backs-out-of-debate-with-nicola-willis/ /news/politics/ruth-richardson-backs-out-of-debate-with-nicola-willis/ Taxpayers’ Union chairwoman and former Finance Minister Ruth Richardson is backing out of the much-hyped debate with Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Richardson had accepted Willis’ challenge to debate after the Taxpayers’ Union’s campaign accusing Willis of fudging promises on debt and spending. After much back and forth over who would moderate the debate and how it would be run, Richardson this afternoon released a statement saying she would not be “party to a circus or a sideshow” in light of today’s Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update, which showed a surplus out of reach within the forecast period. “Rather than a genuine, good-faith round table discussion in a Wellington studio, the minister instead pushed for a circus at Parliament chaired by Winston Peters,” Richardson said of Willis. “In the face of the level of fiscal failure revealed today, it is clear why she wanted such a distraction. “The outlook delivered today is the worst in 30 years. It gets lost in the billions, but no one was expecting the books to be anywhere near this bad.” Richardson argued the debate was intended to discuss a “credible pathway back to surplus”, but she claimed today’s data release proved Willis was ”walking the wrong way". “I will not be party to a circus or a sideshow designed to distract from fiscal failure.” Richardson and the union had initially demanded the debate be held in Auckland, hosted by 九一星空无限talk ZB. After giving a deadline for Willis to accept their offer, the union backed down and agreed to a Wellington-based discussion moderated by prominent economist Cameron Bagrie. Willis had remained supportive of debating Richardson but had preferred opening the discussion to all media and moderated by either Peters or The Spinoff’s Toby Manhire. In a statement, Willis said she had made herself available, booked a venue and endorsed choosing “any independent moderator”. “If Ruth doesn’t want to explain her policy proposals, that’s up to her. No further tweets need be entered into. I wish Ruth and all her team at the Taxpayers’ Union a very merry Christmas.” 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 九一星空无限 since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland. Tue, 16 Dec 2025 05:06:15 Z /news/politics/watch-pm-holds-post-cabinet-press-conference-following-sydney-mass-shooting/ /news/politics/watch-pm-holds-post-cabinet-press-conference-following-sydney-mass-shooting/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will hold a post-Cabinet press conference this afternoon, where he is set to address the tragic mass shooting in Sydney. At least 15 innocent people have died, including a 10-year-old child, and around 40 people are in hospital after two gunmen opened fire at the Jewish Hanukkah festival, Chanukah by the Sea, in the suburb of Bondi last night. More than 1000 people were believed to have attended the event, which marks the first night of Chanukah. Luxon is set to address the attack at around 2.40pm. The press conference will be live-streamed from the top of this article. The ages of those who have died range from 10 to 87. Two police officers are among those injured and being treated across hospitals in Sydney. Reports of horror and heroism have since emerged, including footage of a brave civilian who tackled and disarmed one of the Bondi gunmen. In other media reports, people have described being shot in the back, scrambling to find their children and seeing “bodies all over the floor”. Meanwhile, in New Zealand armed police are standing guard at Jewish sites around the country. Two officers could be seen holding rifles outside the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand in Wellington this morning. Meanwhile in Auckland, about five armed police could be seen outside Kadimah School in Remuera. Armed police were standing guard outside Wellington's Holocaust Centre of New Zealand on Monday 15 December, 2025, following a terrorist attack at Bondi Beach. Photo / Ethan Manera Acting Deputy Commissioner Tusha Penny said NZ Police’s “sincere and heartfelt condolences” went out to the families of the victims. “This week is an important week for the Jewish faith, and we are working directly with the Jewish Council to ensure everybody can celebrate safely,” Penny said. “The public can expect to see an increased visible police presence nationally, and for reassurance, additional patrols have been enacted at significant sites of Jewish worship around New Zealand.” In a statement earlier this morning, Luxon said he was shocked by the distressing scenes in Bondi, “a place that Kiwis visit every day”. “Australia and New Zealand are closer than friends, we’re family. My thoughts, and the thoughts of all New Zealanders, are with those affected.” Australian Prime Minister Albanese described the attack as an act of “evil anti-Semitism”. The mass shooting has been deemed an act of terrorism. “Australians have had their lives cruelly stolen.” Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Mon, 15 Dec 2025 01:43:04 Z /news/politics/election-2026-labour-candidate-for-napier-electorate-in-next-year-s-general-election-named/ /news/politics/election-2026-labour-candidate-for-napier-electorate-in-next-year-s-general-election-named/ Public health doctor Alex Hedley has been named as the Labour Party candidate for Napier next year’s general election. A former Napier Boys’ High School student of Ngāti Porou descent and with strong Wairoa links, Hedley’s selection was announced by the party on Monday. “Napier is my home,” he said in a statement issued by the party. “I went to Napier Boys’ and through a combination of excellent education and the support of my family, I became the first in my family to attend university.” After completing training in medicine, he returned to Hawke’s Bay and worked at the Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital in Hastings as a junior doctor, advocating for patients while working in the public health system in both Hawke’s Bay and in Northland. “Life is getting tougher for people because of the choices this Government is making,” Hedley said. “In Napier, it’s difficult to find GP practices taking new patient enrolments and in Wairoa, there is no permanent dentist or aged-care facility.” In 2014, he led a campaign to restore student loan funding so medical students could complete their training. “It took three years of constant work, but eventually Steven Joyce, then Minister for Tertiary Education, changed his student loans policy to avoid disrupting the medical training pipeline,” Hedley said. He says choices made by the current Government are making life harder for people in Hawke’s Bay. Hedley cites unemployment increasing faster in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti than anywhere else in the country and an increasing homeless population, while social housing projects have been axed and the cost of living is “forcing” some whānau to choose between putting food on the table or heating their homes. “It doesn’t need to be this way,” he said. “I am running for Labour because I believe we can provide a stable alternative to the chaotic leadership we are currently experiencing, that cares about people and makes change for the better.” The last Labour MP for Napier was Stuart Nash, who, after three terms as electorate MP, did not seek re-election in 2023, when new Labour candidate Mark Hutchinson was beaten by National’s Katie Nimon. Mon, 15 Dec 2025 01:01:51 Z /news/politics/former-cabinet-minister-maurice-williamson-warns-auckland-housing-plan-could-cost-national-votes/ /news/politics/former-cabinet-minister-maurice-williamson-warns-auckland-housing-plan-could-cost-national-votes/ Former National Cabinet Minister Maurice Williamson is urging the Government to pull back from its mandated intensification plans for Auckland, warning it is leading to public anger that will cost the party votes at next year’s election.  And in the first sign that sitting Auckland-based National MPs are uneasy about political fallout from Plan Change 120 - which allows for up to two million homes - Pakūranga MP and Minister for Auckland Simeon Brown said some of the proposals make no sense.  The two National Party stalwarts were speaking after a packed public meeting in Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s Botany electorate on Tuesday.  The meeting focused on Plan Change 120, prepared by the Auckland Council under legislation overseen by Resource Management Act Minister Chris Bishop  “I came out of Tuesday’s meeting with quite strong anger at the Government for being so arrogant, for not listening, and I can tell you if Chris Bishop sticks with the two million dwelling number, and I don’t think he will, it will heavily cost National Party votes at the next election,” Williamson told the Weekend Herald.  About 450 people packed a public meeting on Plan Change 120 in the Prime Minister's Botany electorate on Tuesday.  He said some at the meeting had voted National all their lives, but they had warned: “You can forget us voting for this lot again if they stick with this ridiculous number”.  Williamson, who is now one of two Auckland councillors for the Howick ward, said nearly everyone at the meeting was okay with more intensification along major transport corridors and town centres, but expressed anger at extending intensification into suburban streets.  He warned this would produce one-off monstrosities without car parks, forcing cars onto the street and eroding the value of existing homes. Inevitably, future plan changes might pull the rules back, but the damage would already be done.  Meanwhile, Brown said plans for a new transport corridor between Howick Village and Meadowlands, zoned for apartments under Plan Change 120, “make no sense at all”.  He described the route as “quiet suburban streets far from major transport links”.  Christopher Luxon's office: - "we will politely decline your request for comment. Photo / Mark Mitchell  He encouraged everyone in East Auckland to make a submission before the December 19 deadline, saying he expected Plan Change 120 would change as a result of the submissions received.  Williamson said there was no reason for the two million dwelling figure, saying it came from Labour enabling three homes of up to three storeys on most residential sites in Auckland.  He wants the two million figure reduced to 1.5 million, arguing that Bishop would still secure necessary intensification along transport corridors and town centres, without further encroaching on property values already undermined by poor-quality developments.  Williamson noted that National secured 45% of the party vote in Auckland at the 2023 election, compared with 35% across the rest of the country. He warned that unless Bishop pulled back, the party risked losing support in blue-ribbon seats at next year’s election.  A statement from Bishop’s office gave no sign of the minister reducing the two million dwellings figure to 1.5 million.  RMA Minister Chris Bishop is showing no signs of pulling back the two million figure. Photo / Mark Mitchell  “There is no requirement in the legislation to build two million dwellings. The statutory obligation is for Auckland Council to enable the same level of capacity as Plan Change 78 … that provided capacity for roughly two million homes.”  The statement said Plan Change 120 provided the same overall capacity as Plan Change 78, but gave the council greater flexibility in deciding where and how that capacity was delivered, while significantly down-zoning suburban areas compared with Plan Change 78.  Bishop, who is running National’s campaign at next year’s election, did not comment on concerns Plan Change 120 could cost National party votes.  Bo Burns, the other councillor in Howick, supports Williamson’s call to roll back the two million housing figure to 1.5 million.  Howick councillor Bo Burns, pictured at Tuesday's meeting, said there are whispers within the National Party that Plan Change 120 is not going ahead.  She said it was becoming clear to people that the two million figure was a Government directive. It was not just upsetting people in East Auckland, but in other National strongholds like Ōrākei, Mt Eden and Franklin, she said.  “Someone rang me the other day and said they had been a big financial supporter of the National Party for many years, and had resigned over the two million directive in Plan Change 120.”  Burns said she had heard whispers within the National Party of “don’t worry, it’s not going ahead”, and questioned why, if that were true, the next 12 months should be wasted on hearings.  “It’s messy … somebody needs to say something. That would be a good Christmas present for East Auckland,” Burns said.  East Aucklanders want the target dropped for Christmas.  A statement from Luxon’s office said: “We understand Bishop’s office has provided a response. We will leave it with them and politely decline your request for the Prime Minister to comment”.  Plan Change 120 has drawn a mixed response with progressive groups like the Coalition For More Homes “stoked” to see more homes planned for Auckland, saying it would help with affordability, the environment, and people having close connections to the city centre.  On the other hand, the Character Coalition is upset at the loss of many villas and bungalows, and up-zoning for apartments in long-established suburbs like St Marys Bay, Parnell, Remuera, Kingsland, and Mt Eden.  Around the council table, Labour councillor Shane Henderson is excited about the benefits, such as improved affordability, that will come from housing intensification, while former National Minister Christine Fletcher is opposed to “radical rezoning” and believes a more reasonable target would be to allow for 1.2 to 1.4 million new homes.  Fri, 12 Dec 2025 20:37:42 Z /news/politics/minimum-wage-to-increase-from-april-next-year-govt-commits-to-bigger-rise-than-last-year/ /news/politics/minimum-wage-to-increase-from-april-next-year-govt-commits-to-bigger-rise-than-last-year/ The Government will increase the minimum wage by 2% from April next year.  Workplace Relations Minister Brooke Van Velden announced the hourly wage would move from the current $23.50 to $23.95 in line with advice from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.  “Moderate” increases of the minimum wage formed part of NZ First’s coalition agreement with National.  Van Velden says the new rate, which would impact around 122,500 New Zealand workers, strikes a right balance between keeping up with the cost of living – the Reserve Bank expects inflation to fall to around 2% by mid-2026 – and no adding more pressure to the costs of running a business.  The starting out and training minimum wage would be move to $19.16 to remain at 80% of the adult minimum wage.  The minimum wage was last increased on April 1 this year. That 1.5% increased to $23.50, affecting between 80,000 and 145,000 workers, was not at the time in line with inflation which sat around 2.5% in March.  “I know those pressures have made it a tough time to do business, which is why we have taken this balanced approach. With responsible economic management, recovery and relief is coming,” Van Velden said.  “I am pleased to deliver this moderate increase to the minimum wage that reflects this Government’s commitment to growing the economy, boosting incomes and supporting Kiwis in jobs throughout New Zealand.”  Official documents from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) show the department provided the Minister with seven options for the minimum wage, ranging from maintaining the current rate or increasing by 3% up to $24.20 per hour.  A 2% increase was recommended, the Ministry said, as this was ”considered to best balance the two limbs of the objective - protecting the real income of low-paid workers and minimising job losses."  “CPI inflation forecasts suggest annual inflation will ease to be within the 2–2.5% range in the first half of 2026 and remain relatively stable at around 2% from June 2026 through to 2028.  “These forecasts indicate that a 2% increase would largely maintain the real income of minimum wage workers relative to the level of the minimum wage when it last increased on 1 April 2025.”  Officials said a 2% increase wouldn’t have significant employment restraint effects.  But given recent economic data, including a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contraction and elevated unemployment, MBIE said it favoured a “cautious approach”.  “A 2% increase to the adult minimum wage is expected to affect approximately 122,500 workers, including those currently earning at or below the minimum wage, or between the current rate and $23.95.”  The key groups that would be impacted include youth, part-time, female, and Māori workers, as well as sectors like tourism, horticulture, agriculture, cleaning, hospitality, and retail.  “While these workers would benefit from a wage increase, they may also be more exposed to employer responses to increased labour costs such as reduced hours or adjustments to non-wage benefits,” the ministry said  “The estimated fiscal cost to government from this increase is relatively modest, at $17.5 million annually, consistent with the small cost estimates across all rate options.”  Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.  Thu, 11 Dec 2025 22:52:28 Z /news/politics/clowns-to-the-left-of-me-jokers-to-the-right-nicola-willis-hits-back-as-debate-reaches-deadlock/ /news/politics/clowns-to-the-left-of-me-jokers-to-the-right-nicola-willis-hits-back-as-debate-reaches-deadlock/ Finance Minister Nicola Willis is unfazed by a pincer movement against her fiscal reputation, as the Public Service Association moved to attack a debate scheduled between Willis and former Finance Minister Ruth Richardson as a “false flag”. Willis challenged Richardson to a debate earlier this week as news emerged the Taxpayers’ Union, a small-government campaign group chaired by Richardson, was launching a campaign targeting Willis for not reducing spending and debt fast enough. Public Service Association (PSA) national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons called the debate a “false flag operation” designed to make Willis look more moderate than she actually is. Asked what she thought of that allegation, Willis responded with a play on the famous Stealers Wheel song: “Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, I’m stuck in the middle, and that’s where New Zealand is too”. The Taxpayers Union launched its anti-Willis campaign on Thursday: boxes of fudge, punningly accusing Willis of fudging promises on debt and spending. Neither Willis nor Richardson can agree on a forum for the debate. In a statement, Richardson said she favoured a debate hosted by 九一星空无限talk ZB (a station owned by 九一星空无限, which also owns the Herald). “Enough with the dilly-dallying. You laid down the gauntlet with ‘anytime, any place’ and we have come back with the offer. Take it or leave it,” Richardson said. Willis favours a debate in Parliament’s Legislative Council Chamber, the old Upper House, which all media could livestream and report on. The debate would be moderated by Toby Manhire, editor-at-large at The Spinoff. Manhire recently released Juggernaut 2, a podcast detailing the history of the Fourth National Government, in which Richardson served as Minister of Finance. Richardson participated in that podcast. “We’ve had huge interest from virtually all mainstream media platforms. I want everyone to get a fair shot, so our proposal is he hold it here next week so members of the press gallery can attend,” Willis said. She said she wanted the debate to be held after the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update (Hyefu), the latest Treasury forecasts, which will be released on Tuesday. “Hopefully we can get on and make the debate happen,” Willis said. Richardson said she will not agree to this option. “We know you’re trying to negotiate with a taxpayer-funded, left-wing website, when the offer on the table is the largest broadcast audience in New Zealand, 九一星空无限talk ZB Breakfast,” she said. The Spinoff is not taxpayer-funded, but has received funding from taxpayer-funded journalism programmes. 九一星空无限, the owner of 九一星空无限talk ZB, also received money from those programmes. “Spending as a proportion of GDP [gross domestic product] has been lower under our Government than under the last,” Willis said. Core Crown expenses were 31.8% of GDP in the year to June 2023. However, Labour’s last Budget was for the year ended June 2024, when the same figure was 33%. This falls to 32.7% for expenses in the year to June 2025, Willis’ first Budget, and is forecast to rise slightly in the coming year to 32.9% before falling to 32.1% in 2027, which would be the last Budget of this Parliament. Thu, 11 Dec 2025 02:34:33 Z /news/politics/taxpayers-union-releases-fudge-taking-swipe-at-finance-minister-nicola-willis/ /news/politics/taxpayers-union-releases-fudge-taking-swipe-at-finance-minister-nicola-willis/ By RNZ The Taxpayers’ Union has launched a campaign targeting Finance Minister Nicola Willis and calling out what it says is the Government’s “growing habit of sugar-coating fiscal truths”. The organisation released packaged fudge branded with an image of Willis with the slogan “A treat today – A tax tomorrow”. One union is describing the fudge and debate as a “shameless right-wing stunt”. Taxpayers’ Union chairwoman and former National MP and Finance Minister Ruth Richardson said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had condemned the previous Government’s “sugar-rush economics” but that this Government had “reached for the same lolly jar”. “Government spending has actually increased – both in real terms and as a proportion of the economy – since [former Finance Minister and Labour MP] Grant Robertson left office,” she said. Speaking to RNZ, Richardson called the situation “deadly serious” and said the country could not continue on its current debt track. She said New Zealand needed to get in good financial shape or it would end up “with the worst of all worlds” – high inflation and low growth. “Are we anywhere near a surplus? No, is debt coming down? No. The level of public spending is not coming down and the number of public servants ... has scarcely been touched,” Richardson said. The Taxpayers' Union released packaged fudge branded "Nicola's Fudge", with an image of Nicola Willis and the slogan "A treat today – a tax tomorrow". Photo / RNZ “The books unfortunately are not in the shape that [Willis] would claim, it’s no use shifting the goal posts and pretending when we look at surpluses that we shouldn’t count certain expenditures, and it’s no use continuing to say ‘I’m saving money’ but I’m just repurposing it and spending it elsewhere. “We’re all vulnerable if we are fuelling public spending in a way that’s going to fuel inflation ... that’s why we’re running a campaign to say ‘get a grip on the figures, get a grip on what’s out of control, and ensure that we now have the kind of budgeting that we’ve not had under the previous Labour Government.” Richardson said the Taxpayers’ Union was being “very constructive” and said there was $35 billion worth of “proper, sensible savings” to be made. Nicola Willis defended her record, calling the campaign a "silly stunt" and emphasising reprioritised spending. Photo / Michael Craig “Those are the paths to recovery,” she said. In anticipation of the campaign, Willis threw down the gauntlet on Tuesday, challenging Richardson to “come out of the shadows” and debate the substance of the issue. Richardson initially laughed it off. But the Taxpayers’ Union later issued a media release, saying Richardson was “more than happy” to debate. An opinion article from 九一星空无限talk ZB host Heather du Plessis-Allan claimed to have heard Willis’ office “would prefer to do it next year”. In response, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams said Richardson had picked next Thursday on ZB and Herald NOW after Willis said she would debate Richardson “anytime, anywhere”. Willis’ office said she had not pulled out of anything and was just sorting out the details. On Wednesday, Willis said she was proud of her Government’s record of reprioritising spending. “I really want the chance to defend our Government." Last year, debt as a percentage of GDP remained level for the first time in six years. Spending as a percentage of GDP fell. "Nicola's Fudge", released by the Taxpayers' Union targeting Finance Minister Nicola Willis, who called the group's approach "silly stunts". Photo / RNZ Taxpayers’ Union head of communications Tory Relf told RNZ the organisation is all about “good policy” and did not mind which party it came from. “We will work with whoever it is to deliver that good policy and right now, minister Willis is not delivering it.” Relf said it was not about attacking Willis as a person. “She is Minister of Finance, the same way they did ‘Robbo’s Removals’ when he was Minister of Finance. “Whoever was in that role, there would be a play on words or a gimmick to draw attention to the issue.” In response to the campaign, Willis told RNZ the Government was putting the books back in order. “I’m not going to comment on silly stunts. I want a debate on the substantive policy issues.” The Taxpayers’ Union would not disclose how much the campaign cost, but said it had been done internally. In a statement, the Public Service Association (PSA) union described the debate and the associated fudge as a “shameless right-wing stunt”. National secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the expensive boxes of fudge were a “deliberate false-flag operation to make Willis seem more moderate than she really is”. The Labour Party had earlier said the “public duel” was being used as a distraction from what really matters to New Zealanders. “Nicola Willis is no moderate,” Fitzsimons said. “It’s her decisions that have seen $20 billion given away in tax cuts and handouts to landlords, big tobacco and businesses. It’s her decisions that led to our health system being underfunded and under strain. It’s her decisions that cancelled pay equity for over 150,000 women to prop up her Budget. It’s her decisions that have seen thousands of public servants laid off, including over 600 scientists and researchers.” She said the “Taxpayers’ (not-a-) Union” was “trying to shift the Overton Window – to make this prescription for austerity appear mainstream and normalised so it doesn’t cost votes. “New Zealanders won’t be fooled by this gaslighting ... the PSA will not be eating the tainted fudge we received.” – RNZ Thu, 11 Dec 2025 02:06:59 Z /news/politics/prime-minister-christopher-luxon-finance-minister-nicola-willis-react-as-westpac-hikes-mortgage-rates/ /news/politics/prime-minister-christopher-luxon-finance-minister-nicola-willis-react-as-westpac-hikes-mortgage-rates/ Finance Minister Nicola Willis is suggesting New Zealanders “shop around” after Westpac hiked some fixed-term mortgage rates, while Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is reminding people of the numerous Official Cash Rate cuts while his party has been in power. The bank announced on Tuesday it was lifting its two to five-year fixed rates by 30 basis points after what it described as “significant increases in wholesale interest rates” after November’s OCR announcement. It cut its six-month rate by 20 basis points. In making that OCR announcement, the tone of the Reserve Bank’s commentary suggested to the market another cut was unlikely. The wholesale rates, which affect long-term mortgage rates, subsequently increased. Ministers have boasted about mortgage rate cuts in the past, often holding press conferences following OCR decisions by the independent Reserve Bank. National frequently posts on its social media pages about the savings Kiwis may receive as a result. Asked for his view on the rates increasing, the Prime Minister noted there had been nine cuts to the OCR since the Government came to office and it was for the individual banks to make their own decisions. Luxon said the new Reserve Bank Governor Dr Anna Breman had said she would monitor conditions. “What’s important is we’ve seen rates come down, which has been really good,” he said. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has highlighted the number of OCR cuts during his Government's time in power. Photo / Mark Mitchell On the increasing wholesale rates, the Prime Minister said what he wanted to see was “that New Zealanders get the best deal they can”. “Each bank will make its own decision about its assessment of the long-term and the medium-term.” Luxon said interest rates were relatively low internationally, inflation was “under control” and there were signs of growth in the economy. Inflation was at the top of the target range at 3% in September, but economists expect it to track down. Willis said her message to New Zealand was “shop around”. “Westpac have made that choice [to lift some rates]. Other banks have not. I really want to see New Zealanders seeing that they have some power when it comes to where they take their mortgage and don’t just look at the headline rates. “Go and hold your bank’s feet to the fire. See if another bank will give you a better rate and make them compete with each other. Don’t just accept that you’re getting the best deal right now. Let’s make them compete.” While Westpac is the only bank to have moved so far in raising some of its rates, wholesale rates affect all banks and commentators suggest others are likely to move as well. Finance Minister Nicola Willis recommends Kiwis should shop around. Photo / Mark Mitchell Later, while expressing this message again in the House, Labour leader Chris Hipkins sarcastically said: “Switching banks is so easy”. “How out of touch can you be?” Act leader David Seymour, the Deputy Prime Minister, echoed Luxon in saying mortgage rates are a matter for individual banks but believed the Government was “carefully managing” its own spending to take pressure off inflation. “Everyone would like to be able to borrow cheaper, that frees up cash in the economy, means that people have more to spend going into Christmas, and that’s been a positive thing for most people. “However, you can see banks have to make their judgment and I would never interfere in a bank’s ability to choose its own policies. It’s up to them and their customers to work out what they want to do.” Hipkins said the interest rate hike “highlights the problem with the Government’s overall economic strategy here”. “They’re waiting for the Reserve Bank to save them because they haven’t got a plan to tackle the cost of living or to grow the economy.” Wed, 10 Dec 2025 03:16:08 Z /news/politics/should-nz-have-a-social-media-regulator-and-ban-alcohol-advertising-for-teens-parliament-ponders-options-as-australia-starts-ban-for-under-16s/ /news/politics/should-nz-have-a-social-media-regulator-and-ban-alcohol-advertising-for-teens-parliament-ponders-options-as-australia-starts-ban-for-under-16s/ A parliamentary select committee tasked with researching how New Zealand could reduce social media harm among kids says the Government should consider installing a social media regulator. The committee’s interim report, released today, also urges the Government to consider whether online advertising for things like alcohol should be restricted for teens. The long-standing issue is politically pertinent, with two members’ bills addressing social media harms before the House and Australia today introducing a world-first social media ban for kids under 16. New Zealand will be watching closely the roll-out of the ban across the Tasman, which includes a hefty fine ($56.8 million) for firms that don’t weed out ineligible users. Australia’s ban captures popular apps Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and some elements of YouTube. Education Minister Erica Stanford said the select committee’s interim report and findings appeared, at least at first glance, to align with her own views. That report recommends the Government look at: Restricting access to social media platforms for under-16s; Regulating deepfake tools (which can be used to produce fake sexualised images using a person’s likeness) in New Zealand; Whether current legislation is fit for purpose; Introducing a national regulator – this could introduce additional requirements for firms and address non-compliance or complaints among firms and parents; What role the Government should play in designing online platforms; Whether there is a need to restrict online advertising of harmful products, such as alcohol, tobacco, and gambling, for under-18-year-olds; The level of responsibility parents should have in protecting their kids from online harm; The level of liability online platforms should have for harmful content hosted through their services. The report’s recommendations were based on the majority support from the nine-person cross-party panel. Although in agreement that something needed to be done about the real and significant harm young people faced online, the Act Party said New Zealand needed to avoid a “knee-jerk” response that could push young internet users to unregulated corners of the internet. The committee’s inquiry was initiated by Act MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar. The party said the report leaned “heavily into recommendations on policy options”, which it said was “premature and risks compromising the quality and integrity of the final report”. The party raised concerns about the report’s “premature signalling of strong support for significant new interventions, such as the establishment of a national regulator or an age-based social media ban”. The committee’s inquiry was initiated by Act MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar. Photo / Alex Burton This analytical gap was made more concerning by the report’s premature signalling of strong support for significant new interventions, such as the establishment of a national regulator or an age-based social media ban, Act said. Labour broadcasting and media spokesman Reuben Davidson has drafted an alternative social media safety bill to what has been proposed by Government MPs. He said some of the report’s recommendations were “excellent” and were also features of his own bill, such as creating a regulator to monitor social media and improve safety, and making it easy for users to see the details of the algorithms behind their social media platforms. “We should be doing all we can to make online platforms safer for everyone.” Labour's Reuben Davidson says New Zealand "should be doing all we can to make online platforms safer for everyone". Stanford, the Education Minister, told reporters at Parliament today that New Zealand was in the “fortunate position” of being able to watch and learn from Australia’s roll-out. “We watch very closely what happens in Australia ... but we have nothing. We don’t have an online child protection act, we don’t have a regulator, we have nothing. So it’s a good place to be and a bad place to be,” she said. These mechanisms would help change the behaviour of social media companies rather than an outright ban, she said. “What are you doing to protect our kids’ data, what are you doing about algorithms, what are you doing about harmful material?” Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Wed, 10 Dec 2025 03:09:54 Z /news/politics/coalition-wins-thin-majority-as-labour-and-national-support-drops-poll/ /news/politics/coalition-wins-thin-majority-as-labour-and-national-support-drops-poll/ The coalition would hold on to office if an election were held today, according to the latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll - although the poll could show a hung Parliament if it assumed Te Pāti Māori won back its six electorates, an assumption made by other pollsters. The poll shows Labour as the largest party on 31.6%, down 1.7 points, while National dropped 0.2 points to 30%. The Greens were up 1.6 points to 10.8%, Act was up 0.3 points to 8.9% and NZ First dropped a point to 8.1%. Te Pāti Māori dropped 0.2 points to 3.1%. The poll will have heads scratching in Parliament because it shows many parties’ support heading in the opposite direction to the recent 1 九一星空无限-Kantar poll, which showed both National and Labour up and the Greens down. The polls, however, compared different periods. The coalition would win 61 seats with National on 39, Act on 11 and NZ First on 11. The opposition would have 59 seats with Labour on 41 seats, the Greens on 14 and Te Pāti Māori on 4. Curia has recently changed its methodology to assume no overhangs, meaning seats in Parliament are determined purely by the party vote. In the case of Te Pāti Māori, this means the poll assumes at least one electorate seat and brings in three MPs from the list. Some pollsters, like Kantar, include dissident MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris’ seats in the tally, which would bring the tally up to 6 seats. If that approach were taken with these numbers, it would show a hung Parliament. National leader Christopher Luxon’s preferred prime minister rating dropped 1.1 points to 19.7%. Labour leader Chris Hipkins also fell, dropping 2.8 points to 17.8%. Winston Peters was on 8.5%, Chlöe Swarbrick was on 7.6% and David Seymour was on 6%. The cost of living was the most important issue for voters up 4.1 points to 32.6%. The economy more generally was on 14.8%, falling 2.8 points. Wed, 10 Dec 2025 01:04:39 Z /news/politics/government-bins-rma-promises-new-planning-laws-will-slash-consents-add-3b-a-year-to-economy/ /news/politics/government-bins-rma-promises-new-planning-laws-will-slash-consents-add-3b-a-year-to-economy/ The Government will repeal the Resource Management Act (RMA) and replace it with a Planning Act and a Natural Environment Act.  The two laws will usher in a vastly more permissive regime, cutting consent and permit numbers by 46% and slashing the number of plans from more than 100 to just 17.  An economic analysis by Infometrics said the changes would boost GDP by 0.56% a year by the year 2050, worth up to $3.1 billion annually. A cost-benefit analysis reckoned the reduction in administrative and compliance costs.  RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop described the changes as the “single largest economic reform in a generation”, saying it would pivot the country towards a system that embraced “choice, freedom and opportunity”.  The changes are not without controversy; the changes include “regulatory relief” provisions.  These provisions will mean that if a person or company’s property is negatively by a council’s planning decisions, they may be able to claim relief from the council for that impact.  The relief could come in the form of cash transfers or lower rates and could apply if a council declares a property a Significant Natural Area (SNA) or a heritage area.  Act’s Simon Court, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister for Infrastructure said the changes may encourage councils not to pass these types of regulations in the first place, forcing them to “right-size” their regulations by forcing them to “confront the real cost”.  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the reforms would mean “less ‘no’ and a lot more ‘yes’, while Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour channelled Labour Prime Minister Norman Kirk’s famous misquote, saying the reforms would deliver a place to work, a place to live, and something to hope for “as was promised so long ago”.  Bishop and Parliamentary Undersecretary Simon Court with a copy of the RMA. Photo / Mark Mitchell  What’s changing  The Resource Management Act dictates what New Zealanders can do with almost every part of the environment: from your house and section, to streets, rivers, parks, public spaces - even the air you breathe is touched on by the RMA.  It determines what can be built, where it can be built, and in some cases, how it must be built. It determines how and if we are allowed to use and abuse the environment.  The Government is overhauling the approach the RMA takes, which puts all of this into one law, and breaks it up into two different laws - an approach taken in Scotland and South Australia.  The planning law will dictate how councils set out the plans for what is allowed to happen in their regions.  The environment law will set national environmental standards that dictate, in clear terms, environmental limits and rules, which will inform councils plans.  The planning law will set out regulations and national policy directions for councils - including the different zones councils can use for their plans.  Councils currently take a bespoke approach to zoning, meaning there are more than 1000 types of zone in New Zealand, compared to 13 in Japan. This system reduces the number of zones to a figure in the tens.  Bishop said this would make life easier for developers because they would not have to deal with bespoke zones in different councils.  Councils will take these national directions, including nationally standardised zones, and incorporate them into 17 region-wide plans.  Each territorial authority will have its own chapter in these plans. The plans will look 30-years into the future, setting aside corridors for infrastructure investment and growth.  Bishop said these plans would be shorter and simpler than current plans, which can run to thousands of pages.  The funnel  The Government compares the new system to a funnel, which starts with the two laws at the wide mouth of the funnel and consents and permits which come out of the narrow bottom.  The two laws at the top of the funnel determine everything that the new resource management system controls. If something is not specified in the two laws, or provided for in the documents they enable, the new planning system does not substantially regulate it.  In plain English, that means that the Government has decided it has no business regulating the aesthetic quality of your balcony, whether you should or shouldn’t have a balcony, or the internal layout of your apartment.  Councils will no longer be able to stick their noses into this type of business. The ability of others to be consulted on a consent will be severely curtailed.  The Government says “in most cases only affected people” can take part in the consent process. A new planning tribunal will resolve disputes “at low cost”.  This means that the days of a large numbers of people submitting on consents that don’t affect them are over.  Some prescriptions are preserved however. Councils will still be able to consider the impacts of development on traffic, meaning a large development in an area with poor infrastructure might have difficulty getting consented. Likewise, some viewshafts will be protected.  Court suggested that these viewshafts would be more directly applied than currently. The view from Mt. Eden to Rangitoto would probably be protected. The view of other maunga from the road, however, may not be - Court joked the only view people needed while driving was of the road itself.  Many Treaty settlements have a component that councils give effect to via that RMA. Bishop said it was a “bottom line” that the new laws do not breach these settlements.  The legislation carries these over to the new system “in an equivalent way”. However, if there is an area that cannot be carried  States that obligations that relate to RMA will be carried over “in an equivalent way”.  Where to…  The laws will go to a full select committee, meaning they will take roughly six months to become law.  In the interim, the Government will introduce Parliament will pass a law under urgency to extend the expiry date on currents on consents to two years after a likely three-year transition period to the new system.  That means most consents will be extended to about 2031.  New consents can be made during the transition period.  Bishop did not give a definitive answer when asked about well-known plans for his mega-ministry, a merger of the Ministry for the Environment, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, and Ministry of Transport.  He did say that a problem with the current scheme is that councils both set rules and enforce them and suggested a new regulator, separate from councils may be required.  Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:20:52 Z /news/politics/increasingly-volatile-international-economists-think-new-zealand-politics-is-becoming-more-unstable/ /news/politics/increasingly-volatile-international-economists-think-new-zealand-politics-is-becoming-more-unstable/ International economics firm BMI has upgraded New Zealand’s political volatility score, warning of the country’s “increasingly volatile” politics and that the Government’s cohesion was under “severe strain”.  BMI measures countries’ political risk using a Political Risk Index, which is designed to indicate whether a country has more or less volatile politics.  In mid-2023, New Zealand’s score on this index was 16. It rose to 18.3 in November of this year. The scores are out of 100, with 100 indicating a high level of political risk. This means that while New Zealand’s political risk has increased, the country is still viewed as stable.  The Ardern Government also had moments of higher political risk, according to this measure.  In a note, BMI cited a recent Ipsos poll that showed Government confidence ratings at record lows and rumours of a coup against Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.  “New Zealand’s political environment has become increasingly volatile,” the note said.    BMI's measurement of political risk. Chart / BMI  “While this tripartite arrangement delivered a strong mandate in the 2023 general election, managing ideological divergences has proven more challenging than we anticipated.”  BMI is owned by Fitch, the global credit ratings agency, but is separate from the ratings team. BMI’s analysis does not impact on the Government’s credit rating with Fitch.  The analysis said the coalition’s “broad ideological mix” had produced a “contradictory policy agenda”.  It cited tensions over the Regulatory Standards Act, which the Act Party promoted but NZ First has said it will campaign to repeal.  This, it said, underscored “deep fractures within the coalition”.  “Our baseline view remains that the coalition will serve its full term through to 2026, but its cohesion is under severe strain.  “The clash over regulatory reform, persistent Treaty debates and deteriorating public confidence signal a turbulent road ahead,” the note said.  “With polls tightening and economic headwinds persisting, the Luxon Government faces a pivotal period that will shape its survival – and the trajectory of New Zealand politics – heading into the next elections.”  Mon, 08 Dec 2025 03:28:14 Z /news/politics/shane-jones-hits-back-at-northland-critics-over-marlin-rules-and-fishing-reforms/ /news/politics/shane-jones-hits-back-at-northland-critics-over-marlin-rules-and-fishing-reforms/ Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has accused opponents of proposed marine reforms of “catastrophising” the changes.  Critics, including television fishing personality and Northlander Matt Watson, say the changes could reshape New Zealand’s marine management and threaten the country’s world-class big game fishing industry on which Northland economies rely.  Public submissions on Fisheries NZ’s (FNZ) 19 proposed regulatory amendments closed on November 28, drawing more than 22,000 responses and sparking LegaSea’s huge One Ocean protest in Auckland.  Among the most contentious changes were:  Allowing commercial fishers to keep and sell dead marlin.  Removing protections for 19 reef fish species, including red moki, boarfish, and red pigfish.  Easing gear restrictions such as set-net lengths and Danish seine limits.  Recreational fishing bans in parts of the Hauraki Gulf where commercial fishing remains permitted.  Watson claimed those were only some of the changes with many more concerning ones still to come.  He has used his popular online platforms to warn the reforms are “being forced through on us” and are “only pro-industry”.  Watson said in designing the reforms, Jones had stood shoulder to shoulder with fisheries companies and failed to consult with environmentalists or recreational fishers.  There was nothing to address big issues such as quota management or habitat destruction, he said.  “Our fishery is being mismanaged, we’ve got depleted stocks happening, and now some absolutely outrageous decisions are happening like highly protected areas that allow commercial fishing where you and I can’t go and fish."  Fishing celebrity Matt Watson.  Watson criticised destructive fishing methods and the irony of Kiwis paying high prices for fish while “our fish are being scooped up and sent overseas where people can get it cheaper than we can get it here at home”.  Currently, marlin caught by commercial fishers in NZ waters must be released - even if dead - as they are a non-commercial species.  Reef fish have also been protected for decades because of their vulnerability to depletion and cultural significance.  Watson believed lifting these protections would incentivise commercial operators to target species that have long been reserved for public enjoyment and on which Northland’s big game fishing industry relies.  “None of this makes sense — it doesn’t make economic sense. Fish are a public resource; our ocean and our right to have access to it, are really under threat,” he said.  Watson and others point to history as a warning: in the 1990s, the Government allowed the commercial sale of dead broadbill swordfish caught as bycatch - a move that led to full commercialisation of the species and its entry into the Quota Management System (QMS) by 2004.    Fisheries Minister Shane Jones addresses public concerns about proposed changes to fishing regulations. Photo / File  Starting a public Primary Production Committee meeting in Parliament on Friday, with an eye roll over the need for it, Jones said the backlash over marlin rules and Highly Protected Areas (HPAs) in the Hauraki Gulf was disproportionate.  “A number of the people that have been blighting your social media feeds, don’t understand it and they’ve perhaps catastrophised it,” Jones said.  “We are not changing the purpose of the Fisheries Act and diminishing the importance of sustainability.  “What we think we’re doing is improving productivity and stripping out of the system obstacles to productivity that have been floating around since the 1990s.  “But we are not undermining or destroying the purpose - the kaupapa - of the statute.”  HPAs were developed over 15 years and cover about 12% of the Hauraki Gulf, with only a small seasonal concession for “a handful” of mullet fishers around Kawau Island and another location, Jones said.  In Watson’s opinion, Jones was minimising what remains a commercial fishing enterprise, capable of hauling in tonnes of fish and bycatch with gill nets, in an area where any fishing should be prohibited.  On marlin, Jones rejected claims he was trying to bring the species into the Quota Management System (QMS).  “That is wrong. There is no paper evidence that I’m doing that,” he said.  “All I’ve done is initiate some consultation, should the three or 400 marlin that are caught through the commercial guys incidentally be left in the ocean or brought back to land.”  Jones noted current rules differ by coast — East Coast fish must be discarded, while West Coast fish can be landed.  “Morally, it just doesn’t sit right with me that we leave all this kai back in the ocean,” he said.  Jones wanted a uniform approach and said onboard cameras would ensure compliance and deter deliberate targeting if rules change.  Jones acknowledged fears of a “slippery slope”, after the broadbill swordfish precedent.  “The allegation is that somehow I’ve bumbled marlin and created an opportunity for that to happen again. I have never had advice … to head in the direction of commercialising marlin.”  Jones said changes to bycatch rules were also necessary as warming seas were changing species distribution, and the system needed to consider how to manage fish that move south of their traditional management areas.  Jones said Fisheries NZ was considering the submissions, with an announcement likely in the new year.  He was open to exploring ways for sports fishing clubs to have more say in managing the marlin fishery but said they “should be careful what they ask for”.  Jones warned that greater influence would come with greater responsibility, as it had for acclimatisation societies that evolved into modern Fish and Game councils.  He confirmed a separate Fisheries Amendment Bill is expected in February or March next year, introducing broader reforms around issues such as onboard cameras, multi-year catch settings, and faster decision making.  Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.  Mon, 08 Dec 2025 03:15:44 Z /news/politics/andrew-coster-denies-knowing-of-protocol-to-divert-jevon-mcskimming-emails-mark-mitchell-calls-that-unfathomable/ /news/politics/andrew-coster-denies-knowing-of-protocol-to-divert-jevon-mcskimming-emails-mark-mitchell-calls-that-unfathomable/ Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has denied knowledge of an email protocol that Police Minister Mark Mitchell said meant allegations about Jevon McSkimming weren’t raised with him. Coster doesn’t believe it stacks up that a protocol led police staff stationed in Mitchell’s Beehive office to intercept emails making allegations against McSkimming and to prevent the minister or his political staff from seeing them. Mitchell has responded by saying Coster’s claim is “unfathomable” and that the protocol came from Coster’s office, making it his responsibility. The Herald revealed last month that Mitchell’s parliamentary email account had received 36 emails since December 2023 making allegations against McSkimming, the former Deputy Police Commissioner. At the time, Mitchell told the Herald the “then-Police Commissioner directed” police staff based in the Beehive office to “refer emails relating to McSkimming directly to his office and not share or discuss them with anyone else in the office”. This meant the emails weren’t raised with him, Mitchell said. He said he only became aware of an Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) investigation into McSkimming on November 6 last year. A memo, seen by the Herald, from the police’s ministerial services team to the Police Minister’s office last month outlined the process, including that police staff were to treat correspondence about McSkimming “in confidence and not circulate to it others [sic] in the minister’s office or police generally”. Correspondence would be referred to the director of Coster’s office and managed in consultation with then Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura, the memo said. The Herald contacted Coster on the night of the IPCA report release, asking for comment on Mitchell’s claims about the email protocol, as well as the next day. However, Coster’s office said at the time he would not comment while an employment process was under way with the Public Service Commission. Coster resigned this week as the head of the Social Investment Agency. Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has denied knowing of the email protocol during his time in office. Photo / Sylvie Whinray This morning, Coster told TVNZ’s Q+A programme the first he had heard that police staff had been told to redirect emails about McSkimming was the day following the release of the IPCA report into the handling of complaints about McSkimming. “I had absolutely no knowledge of that whatsoever. I can’t validate whether that was in fact a protocol that was in place,” he said. “But what I can say is there’s no way in the world that agency-employed staff in a minister’s office are able to prevent the minister or the minister’s staff from seeing emails coming in on the minister’s email address. “The role of the agency’s staff is to have emails given to them by the minister’s own staff to prepare responses for the minister through the agency. There’s just no way that police staff in the minister’s office could somehow intercept and prevent those emails.” Mitchell today said Coster’s claim that “he was not aware about the system instituted to redirect emails is unfathomable”. “The protocol around the emails has been repeatedly verified by several police employees who were given the instruction by Coster’s office. It came from his office and most senior direct reports and, as he already accepts, as commissioner, all things ultimately fell to his responsibility.” The Herald in November asked the minister whether Coster was aware of the protocol put in place by the then commissioner’s office. Mitchell said that they were “one and the same thing”. Police Minister Mark Mitchell has rejected Andrew Coster's claims. Photo / Mark Mitchell In several interviews, Mitchell has explained that emails sent to him are categorised into portfolios – such as police or corrections – by a receptionist and then forwarded to staff in his office with responsibility for the portfolio. These are private secretaries who are seconded from their agencies to the ministerial office. Mitchell said the office receives a “massive amount of correspondence” and the receptionist wouldn’t have read through the emails, other than to identify where they should be forwarded. Once received by the private secretary, in this case the police staff member, emails about McSkimming would have been sent off to police headquarters without anyone else in the office becoming aware, Mitchell said. He said that put the police staff member in an “awful situation”, but the woman would have believed the allegations were being investigated as they were being sent to the Police Commissioner’s office. Of the 36 emails, 17 were also sent to Mitchell’s Whangaparāoa electorate office email. According to Mitchell, those emails were then forwarded to his ministerial office, which he said was the “correct process”, with electorate staff not meant to deal with ministerial correspondence. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers (from left), Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Public Service Minister Judith Collins fronted a press conference about the IPCA report. Photo / Mark Mitchell Coster told Q+A he had seen a file note prepared by the police in recent weeks saying there had been a conversation between the police’s ministerial services and the director of his office about what to do with the emails. He said the “retrospective” file note said that the emails were to be sent to Kura, who was handling them. “I imagine there will have been some concern across more than one minister’s office about where did all these emails go and who saw them and I assume this paperwork was created in response to those conversations.” Police told Q+A the file note was created on November 11 but based on notes from January 2024, which was when some of the emails were being sent. Elsewhere in the interview, Coster claimed both former Police Minister Chris Hipkins and Mitchell had been briefed by him about an affair McSkimming had. Hipkins responded by saying he was “never briefed” on McSkimming’s relationship while either Police Minister or Prime Minister. Coster said Mitchell had been briefed on the matter earlier than the minister had said. But Mitchell maintained the first time Coster briefed him, formally or informally, was on November 6, 2024. Mitchell said Coster was “trying to deflect and relitigate matters” and the former Police Commissioner’s “recollections of disclosures in the IPCA report were often found to be inconsistent and unreliable”. The IPCA report made several findings critical of Coster and others. However, it didn’t make any finding of collusion or that they had set out to undermine the integrity of the organisation. Jamie Ensor is a senior political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the 九一星空无限hub press gallery office. He was a finalist this year for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards. Sun, 07 Dec 2025 00:20:42 Z /news/politics/m%C4%81ori-party-expulsion-judge-reinstates-mariameno-kapa-kingi-s-te-p%C4%81ti-m%C4%81ori-membership/ /news/politics/m%C4%81ori-party-expulsion-judge-reinstates-mariameno-kapa-kingi-s-te-p%C4%81ti-m%C4%81ori-membership/ Mariameno Kapa-Kingi’s membership of Te Pāti Māori has been reinstated after taking her expulsion from the party to court.  The decision from Justice Paul Radich, seen by the Herald, has found in Kapa-Kingi’s favour.  The ruling means she should be able to participate in the party’s annual meeting this weekend. Te Pāti Māori had opposed her participation after expelling the Te Tai Tokerau MP last month.  The decision is an interim measure ahead of a substantive hearing on February 2.  Kapa-Kingi had launched the legal action against Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere after maintaining her expulsion did not comply with the party’s constitution.  Kapa-Kingi and Tamihere have been contacted for comment.  Radich, who heard the case in Wellington’s High Court yesterday, wrote in his judgment there were “serious questions to be tried” regarding Kapa-Kingi’s expulsion.  “I have found, on that issue, Ms Kapa-Kingi has a position that is necessary to preserve.”  “I have found that the need to protect her position pending a substantive decision on the issues outweighs the difficulties the respondents perceive as arising if an order is made requiring her return.”  Radich referenced the “extreme tension” Tamihere’s lawyer Davey Salmon KC has claimed would be caused by Kapa-Kingi being reinstated.  However, he found Kapa-Kingi should be able to serve in the interim in her electorate on the basis upon which she was elected as a Te Pāti Māori MP.  Radich added there would be “irretrievable prejudice” to Kapa-Kingi if she was not reinstated in the interim but was successful in February’s hearing.  “While there would be prejudice to the respondents [Tamihere] in the event that the substantive decision comes out the other way, it would in my view be less.”  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 九一星空无限 since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.  Fri, 05 Dec 2025 04:14:31 Z /news/politics/government-rejects-all-of-climate-change-commission-s-emissions-target-recommendations/ /news/politics/government-rejects-all-of-climate-change-commission-s-emissions-target-recommendations/ By Kate Newton of RNZ  The Government has rejected all of the Climate Change Commission’s recommendations to strengthen New Zealand’s emissions targets.  The move comes despite the commission warning the effects of climate change are hitting New Zealand sooner and more severely than expected, and that New Zealand can and should be doing more.  The Government had already indicated it would reject recommendations to strengthen the 2050 targets for methane and carbon emissions.  Earlier this year, it announced it would amend the law to set a weakened methane target, down from a 24-47% reduction by 2050 to a 14-24% reduction instead.  It indicated it had also rejected the commission’s advice to strengthen the target for carbon dioxide and other long-lived gases from a 2050 net zero target to a 2050 net-negative target.  Thursday’s formal response confirmed both decisions and rejected a recommendation to include international shipping and aviation emissions in New Zealand’s targets.  It also dismissed the commission’s advice to keep lowering emissions after 2050.  The Government acknowledged strengthened targets would help with efforts to limit global warming.  There also would have been co-benefits from a stronger target, including greater energy security and improved health outcomes, the response said. However, its analysis showed that would come at an economic cost to New Zealand.  The Climate Change Commission warned of severe climate impacts and urged faster emissions reductions to prevent future costs. Photo / Getty Images  “Modelling indicates that GDP would be 0.4% lower than the status quo in 2035 and 2.2% lower in 2050.”  In its advice to the Government in November last year, the commission said since the 2050 targets were first set, the global outlook had worsened.  “The impacts of global warming are greater in both severity and scale than was understood in 2019. Research has found that greater impacts are being felt at lower temperature levels than previously expected.”  The country could and should do more, the commission advised.  “Significant changes since 2019 all point to Aotearoa New Zealand moving further and faster to reduce emissions than the current 2050 target provides for.”  Doing so “would reduce the risk of a harsher and costlier future transition” that would push the costs of both climate change and the transition on to future generations.  “Not only are they likely to face more severe climate impacts, it is likely they will also have to do more to reduce emissions.”  The commission said that although there were upfront costs from faster decarbonisation, its recommended targets were “compatible with ongoing economic growth”. Many of the changes would deliver cost savings over time.  The Government’s response rejected that, saying shifting to stronger targets “would entail economic costs and is substantially less feasible than alternative pathways”.  “Implementing the commission’s recommended target would also require major policy reform and private sector action.”  The Government said it took into account concern from rural communities about land-use change and food production loss if it strengthened the methane target.  “We considered the views of industry to ensure a practical target was developed that protects food production while also reducing emissions.”  That was despite the commission pointing out the lower end of a strengthened target could already be achieved with implementation of existing technologies and farm management systems.  The commission said international shipping and aviation represented 9% of New Zealand’s emissions and that should be included in targets.  Most submitters on its consultation around the targets supported doing so, it said.  However, the Government said that was “likely to involve higher economic costs than the status quo”.  Emissions from international shipping and aviation would continue to be addressed through global co-operation mechanisms instead, it said.  In rejecting the advice to continue decreasing emissions after 2050, the Government said: “It is our view that a detailed framework for post-2050 reductions and removals is best developed closer to 2050.”  – RNZ  Thu, 04 Dec 2025 01:43:54 Z /news/politics/former-police-commissioner-andrew-coster-resigns-from-social-investment-agency-after-damning-ipca-report-herald-understands/ /news/politics/former-police-commissioner-andrew-coster-resigns-from-social-investment-agency-after-damning-ipca-report-herald-understands/ Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has resigned from his role as the chief executive of the Social Investment Agency, the Herald understands.  A formal announcement is imminent.  It follows a damning Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report into the way police handled complaints against former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming, published last month.  Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche, Coster’s employer, and Coster agreed that he go on leave while an employment process was undertaken.  Earlier this week, Roche appeared before the select committee and confirmed Coster was being paid about $1500 a day while on leave.  “I think so,” Roche told 九一星空无限talk ZB when asked whether Coster was still being paid $1500 a day since going on leave three weeks ago.  Former Police Commissioner and now Social Investment Agency chief executive Andrew Coster. Photo / Mark Mitchell  Last month, when the IPCA report was released, Public Service Minister Judith Collins said that had a report made similar findings about her own leadership, she would be “ashamed” of herself.  The minister in charge of the agency, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis, said she read the report on Sunday and was “shocked and appalled by its findings”.  “I have conveyed my views to Public Service Commissioner Brian Roche. The matter now sits with him as Mr Coster’s employer.”  Collins, along with Police Minister Mark Mitchell and new Police Commissioner Richard Chambers, fronted media on Tuesday evening after suppression lapsed on damning details on how police botched whistleblower complaints against McSkimming.  The Independent Police Conduct Authority has released a damning report into the way police handled complaints against former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. Photo / Mark Mitchell  Mitchell echoed Collins’ criticism, saying Coster “should be held to account” for what had been uncovered.  The lifting of suppression was accompanied by the release of a report from the IPCA that found the highest levels of police ignored complaints against McSkimming.  The allegations were made by a woman, with whom McSkimming had an affair, over a number of years.  McSkimming maintained the sexual relationship was consensual and the email allegations were motivated by revenge to destroy his career.  Senior police did not investigate the allegations, which continued as McSkimming sought the role of Police Commissioner, the most senior role at police. The IPCA report noted the former police executive prioritised McSkimming’s ambitions in the force above investigating the complaints.  The young complainant was never contacted, or asked whether she wanted to make a formal complaint. Instead, McSkimming lodged a complaint under the Harmful Digital Communications Act against the woman and she was arrested in July 2024.  Chambers said the report was “thorough and convincing” and set out “troubling departures” from proper protocols for investigating complaints.  “There was interference from the highest levels,” Chambers said.  He said what the report revealed had “angered him” and shown a failure of leadership.  Police Commissioner Richard Chambers says what the IPCA report revealed had "angered him". Photo / Mike Scott  Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the failings of police were “inexcusable” and “a complete failure of duty”.  The Government has announced changes to create an Inspector-General of Police along the lines of the Inspector-General of Defence to provide greater accountability. Hipkins said Labour would support those changes.  Much of the period covered in the IPCA report covered the period of the last Labour Government.  “Nothing was ever raised about any of this during my time as Police Minister or Prime Minister, or during the vetting process for the Deputy Commissioner role, and if it had, he would never have been appointed and further action would have been taken,” Hipkins said.  “I am extremely disappointed in police leadership.”  Tue, 02 Dec 2025 23:18:39 Z /news/politics/principal-of-school-at-centre-of-mouldy-school-lunch-fiasco-hurt-by-david-seymour-s-comments/ /news/politics/principal-of-school-at-centre-of-mouldy-school-lunch-fiasco-hurt-by-david-seymour-s-comments/ By RNZ Online of RNZ  The principal of a school which served up a contaminated meal from the Government’s free school lunches programmes says she’s hurt by David Seymour’s comments against her.  The School Lunch Collective told RNZ it was investigating a “food quality issue” after mouldy mince was served to students at Haeata Community Campus on Monday.  The Collective represents Compass Group, which was contracted to provide government-funded lunches for the Christchurch school.  David Seymour, who is the Associate Education Minister, spoke to First Up about the lunches on Tuesday morning, and accused the school’s principal Peggy Burrows, of being a “media frequent flyer”.  “It will be investigated but I also note this particular principal is a frequent flyer in the media complaining about quite a range of government policies... I think people need that context.”  In response, Burrows said she refused to get involved in a public stoush but added: “I am an educationist, not a politician. I am here to advocate for this community”.  “I must admit I was a little bit hurt to be described in that matter from a person who holds a significant portfolio in education and is, at the moment, the Deputy Prime Minister,” she said.  “I don’t think I’ve ever met Mr Seymour personally or had a conversation with him.”  Haeata Community Campus cafe staff member Elise Darbyshire (left) and principal Peggy Burrows (right). Photo / RNZ, Adam Burns  MPI involved  The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI), confirmed it would carry out checks of lunches at the school on Tuesday.  Food safety said it was working with the Ministry of Education and the National Public Health Service to establish the facts.  It said there was no evidence of any wider food safety issue at this stage.  Child unwell  The mother of a girl who ate one of the mouldy lunches said she was “appalled” by the situation and her daughter was now unwell.  Rebecca McKenzie, told Morning Report, her 12-year-old daughter Aurora, ate one of the meals on Monday and was now unwell.  “She is not looking good at the moment. She has a very queasy tummy and a temperature of 39, looking really quite sick, I’ll be ringing my doctor once it’s open.”  Rebecca says David Seymour wanted to cut the budget back and give us these not-so-nice meals. Photo / Mark Mitchell  McKenzie said her daughter had eaten just over half of the meal before throwing it out.  “She said her one didn’t look mouldy but it tasted very disgusting. She said it looked very undercooked which is quite normal with what they get served there.  “We rely on these meals and to have this is absolutely appalling, but unfortunately David Seymour wanted to cut the budget back and give us these not-so-nice meals.”  Earlier this year, the principal of the Christchurch school asked to get out of a contract with Compass Group following several weeks of problems and “disappointing” service, but this was denied by the Government.  Compass was not included on a list of providers chosen by the government to provide primary school lunches in 2026, but associate education minister David Seymour told First Up Compass would continue to provide lunches to high schools, intermediate schools and comprehensive schools.  - RNZ  Tue, 02 Dec 2025 03:47:15 Z