/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. Wed, 03 Dec 2025 03:41:29 Z en /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 /news/politics/police-commissioner-richard-chambers-asks-for-time-amid-call-from-jevon-mcskimming-victim-for-stronger-inquiry-into-police-culture/ /news/politics/police-commissioner-richard-chambers-asks-for-time-amid-call-from-jevon-mcskimming-victim-for-stronger-inquiry-into-police-culture/ Police Commissioner Richard Chambers says he wants time to implement changes within NZ Police as he responds to calls for a stronger inquiry into police culture from the woman at the centre of the Jevon McSkimming scandal.  The woman, dubbed Ms Z due to suppression orders, spoke exclusively to the Herald about the “ongoing nightmare” she had suffered at the hands of the former Deputy Police Commissioner.  She had sent hundreds of anonymous emails over years, alleging McSkimming was a sexual predator who had groomed her.  While McSkimming had admitted a consensual affair with the much younger woman – she was 21 at the time, he was 42 – he denied the allegations and claimed she was motivated by revenge.  For years, this narrative was accepted by McSkimming’s supervisors, who instead used the emails as evidence to prosecute Ms Z amid McSkimming’s intention to replace outgoing Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.  But the failure of the highest-ranking police officers in New Zealand to investigate her repeated allegations against McSkimming was condemned in a scathing report by the Independent Police Conduct Authority in November.  Jevon McSkimming is the former Deputy Police Commissioner. Photo / Mark Mitchell  Current Police Commissioner Richard Chambers, who has stated he was not aware of McSkimming’s actions or the allegations until two days before becoming commissioner last year, has apologised publicly and denounced the “unacceptable” treatment Ms Z received.  He has also supported the Government’s decision to implement all recommendations from the IPCA report and endorsed the introduction of an Inspector-General watchdog for NZ Police.  However, Ms Z told the Herald she felt a more powerful inquiry into police culture was warranted.  “I saw at the recent Police College graduation, Richard Chambers effectively said ‘I just want to move on’, repeatedly,” she said.  “But there is some concerning behaviour in the wider police which needs more scrutiny. The police need to change their attitudes.”  Chambers, speaking to the Herald this morning, explained his comments reflected his eagerness to implement new practices to ensure such an experience didn’t occur again.  “In terms of her reflection in this morning’s article, that is not about me saying, ‘Oh come on, let’s just get on with it this’ ... I would be uncomfortable if she felt that that suggested that.  “It’s not that, quite the opposite.  “What she has experienced, it’s atrocious and I hope that I have that opportunity to apologise, but I’d like her to also realise that we’ve got a lot of work to do.”  The “work” included audits and investigations regarding officers’ use of police devices to access inappropriate material, triggered after McSkimming was found to have used work devices to view objectionable publications, including child sexual exploitation and bestiality.  Police Commissioner Richard Chambers believes the changes he is implementing will make a difference. Photo / Mark Mitchell  Chambers was also hiring new members to NZ Police’s executive team, including two deputy police commissioners.  “We’ve got to move on from the situation ... it’s a chapter that we will not be proud of in our history,” he said.  “I’d like [Ms Z] to be reassured about how seriously I take this whole situation and the things that we need to do, and that’s what I want to get on with.”  Asked about Ms Z’s call for a wider inquiry, Chambers said that decision sat with the Government.  Pressed for his personal view, Chambers said he hoped to have the opportunity to show progress through changes he was enacting.  “I’d like some time to be able to demonstrate that I’m putting things in place that are going to be helpful to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”  The Herald has requested comment from Police Minister Mark Mitchell and the Labour Party about whether they would support a wider inquiry.  Upon the IPCA report becoming public, Chambers contacted Ms Z’s legal representative to apologise on behalf of NZ Police and expressed his desire to convey that apology in person in the future.  Chambers said he hoped to have that meeting next year.  “One thing I would like to talk to her about is what I have done as commissioner.  “I was not personally a part of this whole situation, in fact, I never knew anything about it, so she can have confidence in me in that I’m going to do my best for her.  “I want her to have confidence in what me and my new leadership team [are] doing for her and that’s the sort of conversation I’d like to have with her probably in the new year ... just give us the opportunity and see what I can do between now and then and see how she accepts the work that we’ll be putting in and we’ve already started.”  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.  Mon, 01 Dec 2025 23:23:52 Z /news/politics/pm-confirms-action-plan-on-auckland-cbd-homeless-move-on-orders-after-mayor-minister-meet/ /news/politics/pm-confirms-action-plan-on-auckland-cbd-homeless-move-on-orders-after-mayor-minister-meet/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed an action plan has been created for “move on orders” after a meeting between Auckland Minister Simeon Brown and mayor Wayne Brown. “Move on orders” would enable police or maybe a council officer to order a rough sleeper to leave for a period of time because of “anti-social behaviour”. With a new convention centre, the City Rail Link set to open and cruise ships arriving over summer, Luxon told 九一星空无限talk ZB’s Mike Hosking he wants the CBD to be seen as a safe place. Luxon confirmed a meeting took place last week between the Auckland mayor and the minister to create an action plan on what happens to the rough sleepers once they are moved on. He said he expected an announcement to be made by Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith before Christmas. Additionally, Luxon laughed at Hosking’s claims that they both would not be alive to see the CRL open, reaffirming his commitment to opening it next year. “Well, we’ve got a New Zealand International Convention Centre that’s kicking off at the beginning of the year. That’s going to be blooming brilliant, and we need the CRL to be the accompaniment piece to that, and the sooner they get it done and open, the better.” Luxon was not asked about the text sent to him by Anna Mowbray to express disappointment about National’s announcement of legislation to ban social media for under-16s. The text was sent just days before an event to launch a campaign on the issue. The text followed weeks of lobbying by members of B416, a group calling for tighter control on youth access to social media. . Emails and text messages obtained by the Herald under the Official Information Act (OIA) reveal B416’s advocacy attempts as well as efforts to get Luxon to attend an event where the group planned to launch their campaign to ban social media for those under 16 years old. Meanwhile, the National Party has yet to make any pledges since its announcement to lift the default KiwiSaver contribution rate if it were to be elected next year. Luxon said that the changes would allow savers to contribute 12% of their earnings to KiwiSaver, a level to match Australia’s superannuation contribution rate, although in Australia, the whole contribution comes from the employer. The figure would come from hiking the default contribution rate from 3%, where it is today, to 4%, as it is set to go following decisions in this year’s Budget, to 6% by 2032. The employer contribution would also rise to 6%, achieving a combined rate of 12% by 2032. Luxon said under the changes, a 21-year-old earning $65,000 a year today would retire with a KiwiSaver balance of about $1.4 million, about $400,000 more than they would earn under the settings as at the most recent Budget. Sun, 30 Nov 2025 20:38:04 Z /news/politics/labour-promises-loan-scheme-for-family-gps-and-nurse-practitioners/ /news/politics/labour-promises-loan-scheme-for-family-gps-and-nurse-practitioners/ A future Labour Government would offer doctors and nurse practitioners low-interest loans to set up new practices or buy into existing ones. New Zealand currently has a GP shortage, which is expected to worsen as GPs retire without being replaced. A recent survey found two-thirds of GPs are expected to retire in the next decade. Some in the sector have also warned of an emerging duopoly, with large primary healthcare providers buying up practices from retiring independent owners. Labour leader Chris Hipkins announced the promise on Sunday at his party’s conference in Auckland. this weekend. His speech and media stand-up is being livestreamed at the top of this article. “This is a practical, targeted way to boost locally-owned clinics across New Zealand and strengthen the ones we already have. More doctors in our communities means shorter waits for patients,” he said. Labour will initially offer up to 50 loans a year, prioritising areas that have no GPs or practices with closed or partially closed books. They will only be available for owner and community-operated general practices and be repaid over 10 years. The loans will be interest-free for the first two years. Labour has put affordable healthcare at the heart of its emerging pitch to voters at next year’s election. The party has promised to spend the majority of money raised from its capital gains tax to fund three free GP visits a year. That policy came under fire from National and the coalition Government for being likely to put pressure on the already stretched primary care workforce. Hipkins said the policy would help Labour achieve its promise of freeing up 4.5 million doctor’s appointments every year. “The number of doctor-owned practices is falling, as is the number of doctors who work in doctor-owned practices. It’s expensive to start a new practice or buy into an existing one, so our low-interest loans will give doctors the kick start they need to get established. “Two-thirds of practice owners and partners are intending to retire in the next 10 years, so it’s vital we can support the next generation to keep the doors and books open.” Labour leader Chris Hipkins at his party’s conference in Auckland on November 30, 2025. NZ Herald photo by Michael Craig. Labour members gathered in Auckland this weekend for their party conference. On Saturday, two members of the caucus, Cushla Tangaere-Manuel and Barbara Edmonds, addressed the conference. Tangaere-Manuel laid out an ambitious platform for retaking all seven Māori electorates at the next election. Te Pāti Māori won six of the seven in 2023, although two of those MPs have subsequently left the party. One of those expelled MPs, Tākuta Ferris, put out a press statement last week suggesting Labour voters should split their votes, creating an overhang that would make it easier to topple the coalition from office. Labour does not appear particularly moved by that strategy and has continued to talk up its chances of retaking all the seats next year. Edmonds’ speech contained a dose of realism, warning Labour could not afford to say “yes” to everything its supporters may want. She also put some distance between herself and the last Labour Government, in which she briefly served as a minister. “We’ve heard the lesson of last term: too much, too fast, and not enough finished,” Edmonds said. “People heard the promises – and often supported the intent – but didn’t always see the change in their lives,” she said. Edmonds promised “fiscal responsibility” if Labour is elected next year. Act Leader David Seymour pre-emptively questioned that commitment, rushing out a press release as the conference got going questioning how Labour would fund its commitment to reverse the coalition’s pay equity reforms, which saved $12.8 billion. “Even just reinstating Labour’s pay‑equity regime will leave a $13b hole in the books, so you can practically hear Hipkins’ new taxes rolling into the station. His capital gains tax doesn’t save him, it will take years to raise a single billion and Hipkins needs 13," Seymour said. Sun, 30 Nov 2025 02:34:57 Z /news/politics/expelled-mp-urges-labour-restraint-in-m%C4%81ori-seats-to-prompt-overhang/ /news/politics/expelled-mp-urges-labour-restraint-in-m%C4%81ori-seats-to-prompt-overhang/ Expelled Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris is urging Labour to show “strategic restraint” in the Māori electorates as he claims an electoral overhang is the “only mechanism” to unseat the coalition Government. Ferris, now an independent after being expelled from Te Pāti Māori on November 10, is the MP for South Island Māori electorate Te Tai Tonga. He was one of six Te Pāti Māori MPs to win a Māori electorate in the 2023 election. Only Labour’s Cushla Tangaere-Manuel bucked the trend, emerging the victor in Ikaroa-Rāwhiti. Voting in Māori electorates in 2023 reflected some strategic intent, with Labour getting a larger share of the party vote but candidate votes going to Te Pāti Māori. Labour had long been successful in the Māori seats. In 2020, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi claimed the Waiariki seat before the party won five other electorates in 2023. While the party won six seats, it received just 3% of the party vote. That created a two-seat overhang in Parliament, meaning a larger share of seats would be required to form a Government. Labour leader Chris Hipkins has repeatedly stated his commitment to campaign strongly in the Māori seats in next year’s election. Labour leader Chris Hipkins says he wants to win back the Māori electorates. Photo / Mark Mitchell In a statement today that featured Te Pāti Māori branding, Ferris maintained a similar outcome through “Te Pāti Māori or independent Māori MPs winning electorate seats” was the “only mechanism that materially changes who governs”. “That increases the size of Parliament, lifts the threshold to form a Government, and forces a reset of the political equation. “In short, Labour winning the Māori seats helps the Government survive. It does not unseat it,” Ferris said, adding Labour should show “strategic restraint”. Ferris’ statement referenced his expulsion alongside Mariameno Kapa-Kingi in acknowledging how the “recent political noise has created uncertainty for many Māori voters”. “Whilst Labour are simply being opportunistic, I acknowledge that recent noise is not helpful. My message to Māori voters is this: kia ū, kia mau. This is a moment of recalibration.” “If the objective is a one-term Government, as echoed across Te Tai Tonga and the rest of the country, then the pathway is clear: Māori electorate victories must create an overhang, or the Government will remain untouched.” Hipkins, speaking in Auckland, restated Labour would be “going all out” to win all Māori seats. “The Māori Party have shown that they are in no state to contribute constructively to the leadership that New Zealand so desperately needs, so my message to all Māori voters: if you want a change of Government at the next election, the best way of securing that is to vote Labour.” 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, 28 Nov 2025 02:49:26 Z /news/politics/nicola-willis-suggests-national-may-join-other-parties-campaigning-to-repeal-regulatory-standards-act/ /news/politics/nicola-willis-suggests-national-may-join-other-parties-campaigning-to-repeal-regulatory-standards-act/ The National Party could join coalition partner NZ First and campaign on repealing the Regulatory Standards Act at the next election, deputy leader Nicola Willis says. This is despite the law, which was pushed by the Act Party during coalition talks, being less than a month old, and having been passed into law with votes from both National and NZ First. Speaking to Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills on 九一星空无限talk ZB, Willis said National had not “come up with what our party position will be after the election”. “We haven’t ruled out repealing it either. We haven’t taken a position yet, but it’s not impossible that we would go to the campaign trail saying, ‘yes, we met our coalition commitment, we supported that into law, but actually we agree with the concerns of some people, it hasn’t operated as we’d hoped and we want to repeal it’. “We haven’t come to a position yet, but we haven’t ruled it out.” NZ First leader Winston Peters shocked the coalition last week when he said his party would campaign on repealing the law it had just helped to pass. His position is that the coalition obliged his party to pass the law, but his party is free to repeal it in the next Parliament. Willis said she was “comfortable” with this position. “They joined the Cabinet, they used their votes to ensure it is passed into law – they did their bit,” Willis said. Willis is not the only National MP to float repealing the law. Last week, when her colleague Chris Bishop was asked what the party was thinking, he replied, “you’ll see our policy going into the election”. “I’m not going to give you a commitment on National policy,” he said. All three opposition parties say they will repeal the law if they have the numbers next term. Labour MP Duncan Webb has even submitted a member’s bill to the ballot which, if drawn, would give NZ First the opportunity to repeal the law this term of parliament. Peters, however, described this as game-playing and said he would not be supporting the effort. Act leader David Seymour attacked Peters’ about-turn on the law, saying it looked as though Peters was gearing up to join another Labour-led coalition, something Peters has said he would not do while Chris Hipkins was leader of the party. The Regulatory Standards Act is designed to improve the quality of government regulation by establishing a set of principles for what constitutes “good regulation”. Part of the controversy surrounding the law is the fact these principles are closely aligned to Act’s political worldview and do not constitute more universally recognised principles of good regulation. The act is also controversial for the creation of a regulations board that acts as an assessor of compliance against these principles, although power to act on what the board says ultimately still rests with ministers and Parliament. Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:34:14 Z /news/politics/billions-being-used-to-fix-flood-prone-mouldy-defence-estate-4b-for-devonport-naval-base-upgrade/ /news/politics/billions-being-used-to-fix-flood-prone-mouldy-defence-estate-4b-for-devonport-naval-base-upgrade/ Up to $4 billion will be spent upgrading New Zealand’s sole naval base in Auckland’s Devonport while about $2.5b is going towards fixing ageing defence infrastructure that is “prone to failure”.  Associate Defence Minister Chris Penk today confirmed investment priorities for the $2.5b of funding devoted to the Defence Estate Portfolio Plan 2025-2040.  The funding, drawn from the $12b Defence Capability Plan announced in April, would be prioritised for “compliance, resolving health, safety and security concerns, and maintaining asset usefulness as far as practicable, especially of assets critical to military outputs”.  Initiatives included upgrading infrastructure at Ōhakea near Palmerston North, modernising facilities at Waiōuru and the Future Naval Base Programme at Devonport.  The upgrade of the Auckland navy base, projected to conclude by 2060, was estimated to cost up to $4b. Funding would also come from the Defence Capability Plan up until 2030.  The Defence Force’s plan, released this morning, outlined the grim reality of the estate’s quality and maintenance needs, declaring “the condition of service critical assets ... is well below requirements”.  “Parts of the Estate are vulnerable to shocks such as seismic events, flooding from sea level rise, opportunistic or premeditated sabotage, or the impacts of urban development.  “It requires consistent and committed long-term funding to maintain or regenerate it just to a satisfactory standard.”  It also admitted to the Defence Force’s “culture of acceptance” or use of short-term fixes, which didn’t address underlying issues.  Several examples were included, such as how a 90-bed barrack block at the Papakura Military Camp was closed because roof leaks caused black mould.  It detailed how the Sea Safety Training School at the Devonport base was out of commission up to six weeks a year due to flooding, leading to a potential 20% loss of crew.  Devonport also suffered from “frequent water main bursts”, limiting firefighting capacity and restricting water supply to ships.  “Much of [the infrastructure] is aged, fragile and prone to failure, with more than 70% of New Zealand Defence Force infrastructure now having less than 20 years of useful life remaining,” Penk said.  “Failure to act will result in facility closures, degraded training that undermines operational capability, and increased risks to personnel. Regenerating the estate is essential to maintain a high level of operational readiness.”  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, 25 Nov 2025 21:38:11 Z /news/politics/political-games-winston-peters-hits-back-at-labour-over-regulatory-standards-repeal-attacks-spelling-mistake/ /news/politics/political-games-winston-peters-hits-back-at-labour-over-regulatory-standards-repeal-attacks-spelling-mistake/ NZ First Leader Winston Peters has spurned an opportunity extended by the Labour Party to join forces to repeal the Act Party’s Regulatory Standards Act. In a missive posted in transit on his way to Hanoi, Vietnam, Peters turned accused Labour MP Duncan Webb of playing political games and mocked a spelling mistake in a Labour press release. NZ First supported the Regulatory Standards Bill through the House, honouring a pledge it made during coalition talks to pass the law, which was demanded by the Act Party. However, last week, Peters said he would campaign on repealing the bill at the 2026 election. On Tuesday, Labour MP Duncan Webb offered Peters and NZ First the chance to fulfil that pledge early, introducing a members’ bill to the ballot which would repeal the law, and writing to Peters asking his party to support it. “Winston, are you in?‚” read Webb’s press release on the bill. “Labour has committed to scraping [SIC] the Regulatory Standards Act in its first 100 days - but we don’t need to wait. We can do it right now, if Winston Peters is willing to walk the walk,” Webb said. Peters had a crack at the spelling of “scrapping”, writing, “[n]ext time “scrapping” is with two ‘P’s. Not one. Unless you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel". We have always said from the start that the people should decide this issue. We first proposed a referendum. In the absence of that, we will now be seeking a mandate from New Zealanders at next year’s election for the next government to undertake repeal. Peters accused Webb of playing political games, writing to NZ First to support the bill only 50 minutes before going to the media. “Mr Webb might want to use this serious issue as a political football but we don’t. “NEWSFLASH: We in NZFirst stick by our word and our coalition agreements. Labour doesn’t know what commitment and integrity means.,” Peters said. All three opposition parties have said they would repeal the law if they form a government at the next election. Their combined 55 votes are not enough to repeal it this term. The addition of NZ First’s eight votes would tip the balance, however. The situation has echoes of the Green Party’s decision to support a National Party member’s bill to repeal the waka jumping law in the 2017-2020 Parliament, despite having helped the government pass the law that same Parliament. The argument of the Greens at the time was that while their confidence and supply agreement to support the Labour-NZ First coalition required them to pass the law, it did not prohibit them from voting to repeal it. NZ First’s ministerial positions mean the opposition does not have enough votes to bypass the member’s ballot and introduce the repeal bill directly to Parliament. The bill would still need to be drawn from the ballot. NZ First would also have to put up with the Act Party’s taunts that it is gearing up to support a Labour-led government at the next election. Act Leader David Seymour said Peters’ decision to campaign on repealing the law suggested he was “getting ready to go with Labour again”. “Even though it’s been obvious to everyone from the start, Winston Peters has finally admitted that this law is a bad idea, despite his party voting for it in Parliament,” Webb said. “Today I’m giving him the chance to fix that mistake. I have contacted New Zealand First and asked for their support – let’s see if they will back their words with action." Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:25:52 Z /news/politics/watch-christopher-luxon-to-speak-after-kiwisaver-announcement/ /news/politics/watch-christopher-luxon-to-speak-after-kiwisaver-announcement/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will speak to the press in Auckland this afternoon. It comes after announcing his party’s first election policy over the weekend: A promise to lift the default KiwiSaver contribution to 6%, which, when matched with the employer contribution, will mean the default contribution to KiwiSaver is 12%. This contribution matches the rate of Australian superannuation, although there the employer picks up the full tab. The change will be phased-in, hiking the 3% default rate by 0.5 percentage points a year until it reaches 6% in 2032. The contribution increase will overtake the rise to 4% as set out in this year’s Budget. The employer contribution would also rise to 6%, achieving a combined rate of 12% by 2032. Luxon said under the changes, a 21-year-old earning $65,000 a year today would retire with a KiwiSaver balance of about $1.4 million, about $400,000 more than they would earn under the settings outlined in the most recent Budget. “If you’re a New Zealander who does the right thing by working hard and saving for the future, you deserve to get ahead. National backs you every step of the way,” Luxon said. The changes will come at a cost to the government. As the government is the largest employer in the country, it would be on the hook for an additional $90m a year for each of the 0.5-percentage-point increases in contribution rates. National says government departments would need to find this money from their existing baselines, which would put further pressure on public service funding. The party said some funding for the cost pressures would be “met from future Budget allowances, if required”. People will still be able to opt out of KiwiSaver if they choose, or to contribute at a lower rate if they wish. The bottom 3% rate will remain, if people choose it. Mon, 24 Nov 2025 02:35:19 Z /news/politics/capital-gains-tax-new-poll-shows-most-labour-supporters-want-inflation-adjusted-gains-taxed/ /news/politics/capital-gains-tax-new-poll-shows-most-labour-supporters-want-inflation-adjusted-gains-taxed/ Almost two-thirds of New Zealanders would want any capital gains tax to apply only to real, inflation-adjusted gains, not nominal increases as Labour’s plan is currently proposing. That’s according to new Taxpayers’ Union-Curia polling, conducted November 2-6, roughly a month after Labour unveiled its policy on taxing gains made on commercial and residential property by 28%. The family home, KiwiSaver and other commercial assets are excluded. If Labour were elected at the 2026 general election – and a capital gains tax (CGT) enacted – 61% of respondents would want that policy based only on real, inflation-adjusted gains rather than (nominal profit (not adjusted for inflation, 39%). It comes a week after a NZ Herald-Kantar poll showed the country was split down the middle on the idea of a CGT policy overall. Both sides had 39% of respondents behind them. Labour says “every dollar raised” from the policy, which applies from July 2027, would go to the country’s struggling health system, including funding three free GP visits for all New Zealanders. Labour ran on a CGT policy at the 2011 and 2014 elections, losing both times. Running on it again was widely seen to be a political risk. This latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll, released exclusively to the Herald today, shows if a policy were enacted, support for taxing real gains was highest among Labour supporters. Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the party had not considered accounting for inflation. “What we’re doing is only making it prospective; it will only apply to gains made in the future, not any gains that have already been made.” Hipkins would not comment on the results of the poll directly as he had not seen the question at the time the Herald sought comment from him. “Depending on how you ask the question would very much depend on the nature of the answers that you get. The National Party has been scaremongering about Labour’s capital gains tax, telling outright lies about it.” (Respondents were asked: Do you think any capital gains tax should levy tax on the nominal gain made by selling an asset, or levy it on the inflation-adjusted real gain?) Some 69% said a CGT should apply only to real gains, compared to 31% who say it should also apply to nominal gains. This compares to 55% of Green voters, 55% of Act voters and 48% of New Zealand First voters who supported a CGT based on real, not nominal gains. This trend was somewhat similar between genders and age brackets. Across the regions, all groups preferred taxing real over nominal gains but the difference was the narrowest in Auckland, where 52% said real gains versus 48% wanting nominal gains taxed if a policy were enacted. Taxpayers’ Union spokesman James Ross said more than half of the capital gains on housing over the past 10 years had just been inflation, largely caused by Government overspending. “After a year of workshopping, Labour have somehow produced a new tax that even their own voters know is wildly unfair. “Most people can clearly see that causing inflation, then taxing people for it, simply isn’t fair.” Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:55:15 Z /news/politics/election-2026-national-promises-to-lift-default-kiwisaver-contribution-to-12/ /news/politics/election-2026-national-promises-to-lift-default-kiwisaver-contribution-to-12/ National Leader Christopher Luxon has made his party’s first election promise: a lift to default KiwiSaver contribution rates. Eventually, the changes would allow savers to contribute 12% of their earnings to KiwiSaver, a level to match Australia’s superannuation contribution rate, although in Australia the whole contribution comes from the employer. The figure would come from hiking the default contribution rate from 3%, where it is today, to 4%, as it is set to go following decisions in this year’s Budget, to 6% by 2032. The employer contribution would also rise to 6%, achieving a combined rate of 12% by 2032. Luxon said under the changes, a 21-year-old earning $65,000 a year today would retire with a KiwiSaver balance of about $1.4 million, about $400,000 more than they would earn under the settings as at the most recent Budget. The change would be phased in, going up 0.5 percentage points a year a year from 2029. “If you’re a New Zealander who does the right thing by working hard and saving for the future, you deserve to get ahead. National backs you every step of the way,” Luxon said. Employer contributions would also go up. As the Government is the largest employer in the country, it would be on the hook for an additional $90 million a year for each of the 0.5 percentage point increases in contribution rates. National says departments would need to find this money from their existing baselines, which would put further pressure on public service funding. The party said some funding for the cost pressures would be “met from future Budget allowances if required”. People will still be able to opt-out of KiwiSaver if they choose, or to contribute at a lower rate if they wish. The bottom 3% rate will remain, if people choose it. The Budget this year also included a halving of the KiwiSaver Government contribution rate, which, compounding over time, will reduce balances from where they would have been. National has also campaigned on lifting the age of eligibility for superannuation from 65 and may do so again at the next election. Luxon made the announcement at a Christmas function for National’s Lower North Island region. The policy announcement was not heavily anticipated, with Luxon as recently as this month downplaying the likelihood of a policy announcement. Luxon’s speech was billed as a reset, following several gloomy polls and rumours of a leadership change. He appeared at a lectern with a new slogan, “Fixing the Basics, Building the Future”. The second part of the slogan mimics the slogan used by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in his successful campaign for reeletion earlier this year. National is not the only party to look across the ditch for ideas: Labour’s Medicare card has echoes of card of the same name which was central to Albanese’s campaign. Luxon’s speech, well received by party faithful, included an acknowledgment that the economic turnaround had been slow to come and that the past few years had been tough. He trailed an attack on Labour’s borrowing record, saying the Government’s interest bill was nearly $10 billion a year, “which is more than the total cost of Police, Corrections, the Ministry of Justice, Customs and Defence added together”. “Or put another way that’s the equivalent of five Dunedin hospitals that could be built each and every year,” Luxon said. A member of the audience audibly mumbled “s**t” He called Labour’s record of stimulatory responses to economic shocks “sugar-rush economics”. “The country can’t afford another cost-of-living payment, or another surge and crash in house prices,” he said. Luxon also gave the clearest acknowledgment that the economy had been through a challenging time under his leadership. “I understand that it’s hard going for some right now, as we experience a challenging, but ultimately healthy and essential pivot in the New Zealand economy,” Luxon said. He also talked warmly of a return to rising house prices, which had been a contentious topic in National, with Luxon speaking warmly of “modest, consistent” price rises, while Housing Minister Chris Bishop has talked warmly about falling house prices in the interest of improving affordability. “Most economists are picking house prices will pick up a little in the next 12 months as interest rates continue to fall, providing some relief to those homeowners pushed into negative equity in recent years,” Luxon told members. Sun, 23 Nov 2025 00:56:31 Z /news/politics/ng%C4%81i-tahu-takes-government-to-court-over-conservation-law-changes/ /news/politics/ng%C4%81i-tahu-takes-government-to-court-over-conservation-law-changes/ One of the country’s largest iwi is taking the Government to court over proposed changes to conservation law that it says violate the iwi’s Treaty settlement with the Crown.  Whenua – land – is a central part of all iwi settlements. Ngāi Tahu’s area of interest covers most of the South Island, including two-thirds of the country’s conservation estate. This estate includes a wide range of culturally significant sites, species and landmarks that are significant to many New Zealanders, such as Aoraki/Mt Cook.  Conservation provisions were a core part of the iwi’s 1998 settlement, including guarantees the iwi would be able to participate in environmental area management plans and assurances its conservation estate would be protected.  New Zealand’s tallest peak Aoraki/Mt Cook is part of Ngāi Tahu’s area of interest. Photo / George Heard  Ngāi Tahu leader Justin Tipa said the proposed changes to the Conservation Act undermined these assurances. The proposals include making more than 60% of public conservation land eligible to be sold or exchanged if it is deemed surplus or required to support other Government agendas.  The concession process, which is when permissions are given for activities on conservation land, is expected to be streamlined as part of the Government’s plan to “unleash economic growth on conservation land”.  Planned changes include removing some concession requirements from the pipeline completely by providing exemptions or pre-approvals for certain activities. Concession allocations are also expected to become more competitive by shifting away from the current “first in, first served” approach.  Under the proposal, the New Zealand Conservation Authority’s decision-making powers would be given to the Conservation Minister – essentially providing Tama Potaka with sole decision-making powers over the conservation estate.  Potaka said he had been advised Ngāi Tahu was undertaking litigation around the proposed conservation reform.  “I am not aware of the details and will find out more in due course,” Potaka said.  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Māori/Crown Relations Minister and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka at Tūrangawaewae Marae. Photo / Kīngitanga  “This Government is focused on driving clear, decisive conservation reform and ensure strengthened biodiversity and simpler, faster decision-making especially around concessions and greater revenue generation to reinvest into the environment.”  Tipa said the iwi wants the High Court to make a declaration that required the Crown to act in a manner that was consistent with the iwi’s settlement and an acknowledgment the proposed reforms were inconsistent with those obligations.  “It’s about that concentration of power that the minister will have,” Tipa told the Herald.  “Our settlement guaranteed dedicated seats on the Conservation Authority ... these seats are not window-dressing but play a key role in decision-making about conservation lands. To diminish the role the authority plays removes not only Ngāi Tahu from the decision-making table but the public voice.”  A Department of Conservation consultation document on the changes states “Treaty settlements will be upheld” but “decisions on how specifically this will occur are yet to be made”.  Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Justin Tipa. Photo / Supplied  Tipa said the legal action was “not a step that we take lightly”. He highlighted a statement in the Ngāi Tahu settlement deed that the iwi and the Crown agreed to enter into “a new age of co-operation”.  He said under the coalition Government, “in fact, we’re regressing”.  “If I am really honest and share my frustrations, we do have reasonably good engagements [with the Government] but then it doesn’t go anywhere and that’s when I really have to question the integrity of this Government.  “We’ve offered our teams, we stand at the ready to help shape the legislation and offer thinking. We don’t have our heads in the sand here, we’re not closed to progress and we’re not closed to new ways of doing things but anything that’s to be changed, it must be done in partnership and it must be done with good faith and integrity.”  Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.  Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:21:35 Z /news/politics/we-ll-get-rid-of-it-nz-first-leader-winston-peters-promises-to-repeal-two-day-old-regulatory-standards-act/ /news/politics/we-ll-get-rid-of-it-nz-first-leader-winston-peters-promises-to-repeal-two-day-old-regulatory-standards-act/ Act leader David Seymour says Winston Peters’ promise to repeal the Regulatory Standards Act “sounds like he’s getting ready to go with Labour again”. Peters has vowed to “get rid” of the legislation, which only passed its royal assent and became law two days ago, if elected at the 2026 general election. The NZ First leader says the bill, which creates a Regulatory Standards Board, was a degree of intervention “not fit for a modern democracy”. “I’m making it very clear where we stand. We believe in the fundamental principles of democracy and the paramountcy of Parliament – not an unelected committee." The legislation was a coalition agreement between Act and National. Seymour, who shepherded the bill through Parliament, said Peters’ revolt against it indicated he “he seems to be lining up for a different kind of coalition”. “What’s clear is that this is a landmark piece of legislation that Act would never vote to get rid of,” Seymour said. “So if he wants to do this, he’s got to go with Labour. If his goal is to get rid of the Regulatory Standards Act, he’s not going to get votes from us to do that so he’d have to go with Labour.” Put to him that Seymour suggested it sounds like he was getting ready to try form a coalition with Labour, Peters said: “Don’t make me laugh.” He said Labour had “no position on anything”, despite it having a position to repeal the legislation. Peters earlier told Waatea 九一星空无限’ Dale Husband his party was opposed to the bill from “the word go”. “You’ve only got so many cards. We did our best to neutralise its adverse effects, and we will campaign at the next election to repeal it.” The act sets out “principles” for “good” regulation and would see the establishment of the Regulatory Standards Board, an entity to consider the consistency of legislation with the proposed principles. Peters called the powers that would be given to the new board a “terrible overreach”. “For example, Parliament and ministers and others are all working on projects and they come under the surveillance of one group of people not elected who have a sort of Star Chamber quality about it,” he said. “The next election we will be campaigning against it, and we’ll get rid of it.” Peters said the party had done its best to “neutralise” the act’s impacts. One of the amendments made after the select committee process related to the Regulatory Standards Board, which would be the entity to consider the consistency of legislation with the proposed principles. Act leader David Seymour has defended his legislation. Photo / Sylvie Whinray The legislation’s steward, Seymour, told the Herald at the time that the changes to the board were made at the request of NZ First to “increase its independence and effectiveness”. Seymour has said the legislation is about improving transparency. He said it ensures future bills are assessed against the proposed principles, but any findings about their consistency are non-binding. Previously, members of the board would have been appointed by the Minister for Regulation, raising questions about the degree of independence the board would have. To address this concern, the committee said the bill should include a clause stating “the board must act independently (and is not responsible to a minister) in relation to performing its functions”. Under the committee’s proposed change, the Regulation Minister would also no longer make appointments. That power would instead be transferred to the Governor-General on the recommendation of the minister. The legislation has been contentious for a list of reasons, including concerns that it prioritises private property rights, is unnecessary, and doesn’t properly account for Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It is part of the National-Act coalition agreement, which says the parties commit to “legislate to improve the quality of regulation, ensuring that regulatory decisions are based on principles of good law-making and economic efficiency, by passing the Regulatory Standards Act as soon as practicable”. The “principles” it sets out for regulation don’t have legal effect – meaning not following them isn’t unlawful – but are intended as a guide for lawmakers and officials as to what is considered responsible regulatory practice. Legislation would be assessed as to its consistency with the principles, though any findings would not be binding on Parliament. Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:53:07 Z /news/politics/new-zealand-citizenship-fees-to-increase-to-meet-rising-costs/ /news/politics/new-zealand-citizenship-fees-to-increase-to-meet-rising-costs/ The cost of applying to become a New Zealand citizen is about to increase by nearly $100 for adults.  The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) today announced that from tomorrow all New Zealand citizenship application and product fees will increase, the first rise in 22 years.  The price of applying for New Zealand citizenship by grant for an adult will rise from $470.20 to $560, while the price for a child (under 16 years old) will increase from $235.10 to $280. The fee for registering New Zealand citizenship by descent will rise from $204.40 to $243.  The DIA said citizenship fees hadn’t changed for 22 years and the 19% increase would ensure the fees covered the full cost of delivering the citizenship services in a “sustainable way”.  Citizenship services are funded by the fees, not taxpayers, so the DIA said the increase will not affect the general coffers.  “Updating fees is essential to maintain high-quality services and meet rising costs,” said Adrian Jarvis, general manager services and access at DIA.  “New Zealand citizenship fees continue to be among the lowest fees internationally following this change.”  In May, the price of an adult passport jumped from $215 to $247, while a child passport went from $125 to $144.  Last year, the Government hiked the international visitor levy (IVL), which is charged to most visitors to New Zealand, from $35 to $100.  “A $100 IVL would generally make up less than 3% of the total spending for an international visitor while in New Zealand, meaning it is unlikely to have a significant impact on visitor numbers,” then-Tourism Minister Matt Doocey said.  “Increasing the IVL means we can continue to grow international tourism to support economic growth while ensuring international visitors contribute to high-value conservation areas and projects, such as supporting biodiversity in national parks and other highly visited areas and improving visitor experiences on public conservation land.”  Jamie Ensor is a senior political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team 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.  Wed, 19 Nov 2025 22:59:12 Z /news/politics/new-cook-strait-interislander-ferries-contract-signed-winston-peters-touts-23b-savings/ /news/politics/new-cook-strait-interislander-ferries-contract-signed-winston-peters-touts-23b-savings/ The Government has officially signed a contract for two new Cook Strait ferries to replace the ageing Interislander fleet. Rail Minister Winston Peters announced today the new rail-enabled ferries will cost $596 million under a fixed-price contract with Chinese shipbuilder Guangzhou Shipyard International. Supporting infrastructure to be built at Picton and Wellington ports, as well as programme management and contingencies, will cost an additional $1.27 billion. “Spending less than $1.7 billion means the taxpayer has saved $2.3 billion while still getting the ferries and infrastructure they want, because we have done away with the expensive consultants who hijacked the project by adding more and more infrastructure until Treasury warned the project would cost $4 billion,” Peters said. The long-awaited contract was signed on Monday and comes nearly two years after the Government cancelled the previous iReX mega-ferry project, after costs ballooned to nearly $3b. The termination of the contract with iRex shipbuilder Hyundai Mipo Dockyard cost taxpayers $144m in break fees, it was announced in August. The new ferries will have a 30-year lifespan, with Peters saying Interislander will be expected to accumulate sufficient financial reserves to buy new ferries by their end of life, and they would need to be “put simply, structured like a normal business”. The two new rail-enabled ferries will be hybrid, able to run off diesel and electricity. Photo / Ferry Holdings Ltd Each ferry will be 200m long and 28m wide with capacity for 1530 passengers. The ships will have capacity for 2.4km of lanes for trucks and 40 rail wagons, an increase in freight capacity compared to the current fleet. They will also be hybrids, being able to switch between using diesel and electric power, a design that Ferry Holdings Limited said will allow the vessels to be more environmentally friendly. Diesel engines, which will also be able to use biofuel, will generate electricity for main propulsion and onboard services. The new ferries will also be equipped with electric batteries to store energy and to supplement power for the ship. These batteries have the capability to be recharged at sea and by using power from the shore, which helps save fuel and is better for the environment. The ships will have capacity for 2.4 kilometres of lanes for trucks and 40 rail wagons, a increase in freight capacity compared to the current fleet. Photo / Ferry Holdings Ltd Port infrastructure in Picton will have to be rebuilt to accommodate the larger ferries, while much of the Wellington side infrastructure can be reused and upgraded. Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) is largely state-owned but partially publicly listed, and describes itself as a “national-level military enterprise”. The choice of shipbuilder has previously raised questions, with critics warning foreign deals with the builder could indirectly fund China’s military expansion, and concerns from New Zealand’s spy agency over Chinese espionage targeting our critical infrastructure. Interislander’s Cook Strait fleet is currently down to only two ships, after the Aratere was retired early and sold to scrap in India. Construction of the new ferries is set to begin at GSI in 2027, and Peters plans to travel to the shipyard next week with Ferry Holdings representatives to “acknowledge the significant agreement, not just between the shipyard and Ferry Holdings but also as a contribution to economic relations with China”, he said. The new ferries are expected to replace the current fleet by the end of 2029. Ethan Manera is a Wellington-based journalist covering Wellington issues, local politics and business in the capital. He can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz. Wed, 19 Nov 2025 02:37:51 Z /news/politics/labour-mp-ingrid-leary-deletes-post-complaining-government-didn-t-invite-her-to-event-despite-invite-from-organiser/ /news/politics/labour-mp-ingrid-leary-deletes-post-complaining-government-didn-t-invite-her-to-event-despite-invite-from-organiser/ Labour MP Ingrid Leary has removed a Facebook post complaining it was “pretty rude of this government not to invite me” to an event on a cycle trail planned to span Mosgiel to Dunedin, despite her being invited by locals. When the Herald questioned Leary on Tuesday morning, the Taieri representative said she was “grateful” to get an invite from the local organisers, but took issue with not receiving an invitation directly from the Government, which is funding an extension to the tunnel trail. Asked whether her post was misleading for suggesting she wasn’t invited, Leary responded: “My Facebook post mentioned the Government not inviting local MPs. That’s as far as it went”. However, the social media post has now been removed. Leary later told the Herald she wanted to “keep this hard-won success... celebratory”. Tourism Minister Louise Upston announced on Friday the Government would invest $2 million to extend the Dunedin Tunnels Trail to Fairfield, Abbotsford and Green Island. Two further stages are then planned and, once complete, the cycle and walking trail will span 15km from Mosgiel to Dunedin. It will traverse various tunnels, including two historic railway tunnels. Upston and other members of the community, including Dunedin Tunnels Trail Trust trustees, met on part of the trail on Friday to celebrate the funding. Ingrid Leary's Facebook post has been deleted. Photo / Facebook In a Facebook post on Monday, Leary wrote it was “pretty rude of this government not to invite me as the local MP as a way of National trying to take the credit for something that [Trust chair] Brent Irving and locals have worked so hard for!” However, emails seen by the Herald appear to show Leary’s office responding to information about the event, saying she couldn’t attend. An email sent by one of the organisers from the trust last Tuesday said the event was being rescheduled from Thursday to Friday afternoon, and asked recipients to respond if they could attend. An adviser for Leary replied on Thursday evening, saying Leary “unfortunately will not be able to attend” and wished best of luck for the event. Leary told the Herald on Tuesday that she had been “invited by the cycleway organisers but not by the Government, which is the usual protocol”. She said ministers “normally invite local MPs” to major announcements. She was “very grateful to get an invitation from the local organisers”. After the Facebook post was deleted, Leary told the Herald: “It’s usual for Ministers to invite all local MPs for major announcements in their electorate and it was unusual in this case for that not to happen”. “Nevertheless, I am sensitive to keep this hard-won success for our local community and the Trust celebratory, and therefore chose to take it down.” Upston said it was a “great announcement for Dunedin and for an outstanding community group” and a “shame” that Leary and her office had declined the “official invitation”. “As a local MP, Ingrid was invited in the usual way and I would have welcomed seeing her there.” She said last week that the Government was proud to fund projects “that deliver real economic impact and can get under way immediately”. “There’s a real sense of momentum building across our cycling network and tourism sector. It’s great to see rising visitor numbers and regional spending but there’s still more to do to get our tourism sector cranking.” 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. Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:43:08 Z /news/politics/press-conference-pm-christopher-luxon-to-respond-to-dire-poll-on-issues/ /news/politics/press-conference-pm-christopher-luxon-to-respond-to-dire-poll-on-issues/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is set to address a dire poll showing Labour is trusted by more voters to manage the country’s top issues over National. The latest Ipsos Issues Monitor survey, released this morning, had Labour considered the most capable party on 15 of the country’s top 20 issues. They included the cost of living, the economy, health, housing and unemployment. National was considered more capable on just two issues: crime and defence/foreign affairs. Luxon is set to be asked about the poll during his post-Cabinet press conference from 4pm. A livestream will be played at the top of this article. This morning’s poll, first reported by RNZ and conducted between October 21 and 30, asked 1004 New Zealanders what were the top three most important issues facing the country today, and which party was best able to manage them. PM Christopher Luxon's Government received a low rating in the survey. Photo / Mark Mitchell Cost of living maintained its position as the top-rated issue. Labour increased its lead over National on the cost of living, 36% of respondents trusting Labour over 24% backing National. Healthcare decreased two points but remains the second-highest concern, with Labour also increasing its lead over National on that issue - 40% of New Zealanders rating it most able, compared to National’s 21%. Healthcare remained the top concern for those aged 65 and up. The poll also measured people’s rating of the Government, which came in at the lowest level since the survey began in September 2017, Luxon’s Government given a 3.9 out of 10. About 45% of respondents gave a rating between 0 and 3, another 3% gave a rating of 4-6, while 23% gave 7-10, and 2% said they didn’t know. The Government dipped to 4.2 in the February survey, hovering around the same level in May and August. The government performance rating was polled between November 5-10. Results for the survey are weighted by age, gender and region, and the survey has a maximum margin of error of +/-3.1% at a 95% confidence level. Govt rushes urgent changes to Clean Vehicle Standard Also during today’s press conference, Luxon and Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced urgent changes to the Clean Vehicle Standard in the hope they avoid more than $250 million being passed on to people purchasing cars. The standard, also known as the Clean Car Standard, was introduced in 2023 and imposes annual CO₂ targets for vehicle importers, who must balance higher-emitting models with enough low-emission vehicles to meet their overall target. Importers faced charges if they fell short but earned credits if they exceeded it. Bishop acknowledged the standard had lifted fuel efficiency but explained there was a shortage of cleaner used vehicles and demand for electric vehicles had dropped. “Most importers are now unable to meet the passenger-vehicle targets. In fact, right now, 86% of importers are facing a net charge rather than net savings from credits,” he said. “The scheme is so out-of-whack with reality that even some hybrid vehicles will attract charges rather than credits.” The proposed changes included cutting the top rate for new vehicles from $67.50 to $15 per gram of CO₂ and the top rate for used vehicles from $33.75 to $7.50 for 2026 and 2027. The Government would also ensure any credits wouldn’t expire before December 2028. A review would also be launched with recommendations given to Cabinet by June 2026. “In total, it is estimated that the changes will avoid $264 million in net charges that could have been passed onto consumers through higher vehicle prices,” Bishop said. The changes would be introduced into law by the end of the week through amendments to the Land Transport Amendment Bill which has just come back from select committee. 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. Mon, 17 Nov 2025 02:50:26 Z /news/politics/labour-leader-chris-hipkins-reveals-engagement-to-partner-toni-grace/ /news/politics/labour-leader-chris-hipkins-reveals-engagement-to-partner-toni-grace/ Labour leader and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is engaged to his partner Toni Grace. In a post on Instagram on Monday afternoon, Hipkins said he hadn’t won the mega $55 million Lotto Powerball over the weekend “but I did hit the jackpot”, adding a ring emoji. “Toni, everyday with you is incredible,” he wrote. “Through the ups and downs of politics, parenthood and life you are always so calm, optimistic and caring. You’re my rock, and I’m so excited about our life together. There simply aren’t enough words to express how much I love you and how lucky I am you’ve agreed to marry me.” The post featured the happy couple showing off Toni’s engagement ring. The relationship went public on election night in 2023, when Hipkins was thanking his parents and children for their support during the campaign. “There is someone else I want to thank tonight, someone that most of you won’t know, and that is my partner, Toni,” he said. The announcement initially caused some confusion, with many questioning whether it was Toni or Tony (Hipkins later clarified she was a woman). He went on to say in October 2023 he had not meant to “trigger that set of rumours”. “It’s Toni with an ‘i’,” he chuckled. “We’ve known each other for a long time, we met some time ago and our lives sort of went in different directions – there was a period where we didn’t have any contact with each other and then we got back in touch this year.” He said he had talked with her before he revealed the relationship to the country. Earlier that year, after becoming Prime Minister, Hipkins publicly revealed he had separated from his then-wife, the mother of his two children. Hipkins said he and his then-wife had decided about a year prior to “live separately” in a decision he described as being “in the best interest of our family”. He stated at the time she was “still my best friend” and the pair remained “incredibly close”. The explanation, which he characterised as his “final comment on the matter”, formed part of his plea to New Zealanders to respect the privacy of his wife and two children. “As a member of Parliament and as a public figure, I’ve worked really hard in the time that I’ve been in politics to keep my family out of the public limelight,” Hipkins said. “I want [my children] to grow up with a typical, Kiwi-kid life. I want them to be able to make mistakes, I want them to be able to learn and to grow without five million people looking over their shoulder, so I intend to keep them out of the public limelight. “I know that putting my name forward to be a minister, to be an MP, to be the Prime Minister, I make myself public property. I absolutely accept that, but my family aren’t and I ask that people do respect that.” Mon, 17 Nov 2025 02:11:03 Z /news/politics/the-opportunities-party-launches-new-leader-qiulae-wong-and-policies-for-2026-election/ /news/politics/the-opportunities-party-launches-new-leader-qiulae-wong-and-policies-for-2026-election/ The Opportunity Party, a rebrand of The Opportunities Party, has revealed Auckland businesswoman Qiulae Wong will lead it into the 2026 election. The 37-year-old will be the party’s fifth leader since it was founded by economist and philanthropist Gareth Morgan in 2016. Earlier this year, the party took to the job site Seek to search for a leader. Wong didn’t apply this way, rather, she put her hat in the ring after seeing the position available in a party newsletter. She was most recently an associate director at KPMG New Zealand, where she helped major corporations transition to climate-friendly practices. Wong previously worked in the UK, founding and supporting start-ups in the fashion sector, before moving back to New Zealand in 2020. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Auckland and said now felt like a good time to have a go at The Opportunity Party (Top) leadership. “It feels like politics at the moment just feels so divisive and people feel really frustrated at the state of things, the fact that we keep going back and forth on major issues instead of actually making progress,” she told 九一星空无限talk ZB. The party has also relaunched under a slightly different name, becoming The Opportunity Party after being The Opportunities Party since 2016. Wong called that subtle change in name important. “Now is the time for New Zealand to take this opportunity to do something different, to build the next economy, which is going to look different from the way that, you know, our businesses and our economy works today, and to make those bold tax changes that we so desperately need.” The party has never made it to Parliament, failing to reach the 5% party vote threshold since its inception. Former Leader Raf Manji finished second behind National’s Hamish Campbell in the race for the Ilam seat in 2023. Wong hopes that string of results will soon be over for her party. “Our number one goal is party vote, getting over 5%, that is the number one strategy.” Since it was founded in 2016, the party has participated in three elections, peaking at 2.6% of the vote in 2017. It dropped to 1.5% in 2020 and rose to 2.2% in 2023. Top is launching what it describes as a “central” policy for the next election, proposing a tax reset, with Top’s Universal Basic Income again making an appearance – this time called a “Citizens Income”. It’s attempting to provide an alternative to Labour’s Capital Gains Tax by proposing a Land Value Tax, which Wong said would be simpler to administer. The party is also eyeing up a flat income tax, which it claims would again simplify the system and would see most low- and middle-income working Kiwis get a tax cut. Wong wants the party to focus on connecting with New Zealanders. She admits there’s been a “fair criticism in the past that the party’s been too focused on policies”. The party will reveal further policy details and candidates next year. Troy Matich is a political reporter with 九一星空无限talk ZB, working from Parliament’s press gallery. She joined 九一星空无限 in 2025, previously working for RNZ as a producer for Morning Report. Sun, 16 Nov 2025 02:48:38 Z /news/politics/jevon-mcskimming-department-of-internal-affairs-says-interference-with-police-minister-s-emails-was-inappropriate/ /news/politics/jevon-mcskimming-department-of-internal-affairs-says-interference-with-police-minister-s-emails-was-inappropriate/ The Department of Internal Affairs says it was inappropriate for information about disgraced former top cop Jevon McSkimming to be withheld from Police Minister Mark Mitchell. The Herald revealed on Wednesday that Mitchell’s office had received 36 emails containing allegations against McSkimming since December 2023. However, Mitchell said the then Police Commissioner Andrew Coster directed police staff in the ministerial office to send the emails directly to his own office and not share them with the minister or his political staff. “It is not appropriate for departments to withhold information from ministerial staff or Ministers,” Department of Internal Affairs chief executive Paul James said. “We will be reminding agency Chief Executives of this, as well as reminding our staff of existing policies and guidance on dealing with incoming correspondence.” James said there was no indication other public sector agencies had been given the same instructions. Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster. Photo / Sylvie Whinray It follows a Herald investigation which revealed how the country’s highest ranking police officers ignored complaints that McSkimming was a sexual predator. Instead of investigating whether the sex claims could be substantiated, the emails sent by a young woman were used by police to prosecute her for a harassment campaign against the former top cop. McSkimming has since admitted to having a sexual relationship with the woman, who was more than 20 years younger than him, which ended in 2018. While this charge against the woman was eventually dropped, police went on to prosecute her for emails sent to the detective who had initially arrested her and his wife. They have since defended this decision. McSkimming missed out on the top police commissioner job after the sex claims were inadvertently discovered during the vetting process, and the police belatedly investigated the woman’s allegations at the end of last year. During that investigation, detectives discovered McSkimming had used his work devices to search for pornography, including bestiality and child sex exploitation material, for at least five years. The 52-year-old later resigned in disgrace and was later charged with possession of objectionable material. He pleaded guilty last week and will be sentenced next month. Former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming (left) who resigned after objectionable material found on his work devices, and Police Commissioner Richard Chambers. Photo / Supplied Mitchell has relentlessly defended his staff members who dealt with the emails, saying they were put in an incredibly difficult position and were just doing their job. Mitchell said he would not have expected the staff who managed the emails to his office containing the allegations against McSkimming with him because they would have never read them. When the emails arrived in his inbox, a staff member would identify which portfolio they related to and forward them to an appropriate employee. They don’t sit reading through each email, Mitchell said. “There is a massive amount of correspondence that comes through. It’s quite simply their job to look what portfolio that relates to, not to go through and read every email,” he told the Herald. “You just physically would not be able to do that, triage it through to the [private secretary] and then deal with it.” Current Police Commissioner Richard Chambers held a press conference alongside Mitchell and Public Service Minister Judith Collins after a landmark report from the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) revealed the scale of the scandal. All three figures were scathing, categorically condemning McSkimming, Coster and the executive staff and processes that allowed the failure to happen. They called the report extremely concerning and disappointing. Public Service Minister Judith Collins, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers and Police Minister Mark Mitchell arriving for their press conference after the damning IPCA report into Police handling of complaints against former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. Photo / Mark Mitchell “At the centre of this is a woman who has been let down by the former Police executive and the system. I cannot express how frustrated and disappointed I have been since becoming aware of the situation,” Mitchell said. “The report highlights significant flaws in the decision making, judgement and actions of a group of individuals, including those at the top of the previous Police executive. Their actions have raised serious concerns about integrity and culture within the then executive.” Chambers, as the current Police Commissioner, apologised to the woman for how the previous police leadership mishandled her original sex allegations. He said he would do his utmost to ensure something like this never happened again, he said. “It’s an absolute disgrace. It’s lacking in leadership, its lacking integrity,” he told Mike Hosking on 九一星空无限talk ZB soon after the report’s release. Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Fri, 14 Nov 2025 02:47:25 Z /news/politics/poll-results-labour-jumps-to-38-after-capital-gains-tax-announcement-national-also-up/ /news/politics/poll-results-labour-jumps-to-38-after-capital-gains-tax-announcement-national-also-up/ Labour has jumped to 38% in a new poll after its announcement that it will campaign on a capital gains tax, the revenue of which will fund three free GP visits. The Talbot Mills/Anacta poll was conducted between November 1 and 10, for corporate clients, so it began in the days after Labour’s policy announcement. Talbot Mills/Anacta also does internal polling for Labour. The results show Labour has risen from 35% in the previous poll in October to 38%, while National has lifted from 29% to 33%. NZ First support has fallen from 12% to 8%, while Act has slipped from 8% to 7%. The Greens have the support of 9% of people, a shift from 10% last month, while Te Pāti Māori is down from 3.6% to 2.4%. Te Pāti Māori has experienced significant internal division in the past month, with it announcing the expulsion of two MPs on Monday. Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Takuta Ferris became independent MPs. While Te Pāti Māori is below the 5% threshold, it has representation in Parliament because its four MPs each won their electorate seats. Labour leader Chris Hipkins announced the tax policy in late October. Photo / Mark Mitchell In terms of seats in the House, assuming Te Pāti Māori wins an electorate seat, the centre-left would be in a position to govern. Labour would receive 47 seats, the Greens 11, and Te Pāti Māori would have three. If Te Pāti Māori were to hold all its seats, there would be a single seat overhang. There would be an overhang of three seats if the independents also won their electorates. On the right, National would get 40 seats, NZ First 10, and Act nine. In a situation where Te Pāti Māori lost all of its seats, the centre-right parties would have enough to form a Government. Labour’s Chris Hipkins is the preferred Prime Minister of 26% of participants, compared with National’s Christopher Luxon’s 22%. The pollster also asked questions about Labour’s capital gains tax (CGT) policy, which 57% of people either strongly or somewhat approved of, compared with 33% who strongly or somewhat disapproved. The rest were unsure. In a Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll released yesterday, Labour rose 2.1 points to 33.3%. National was up 0.6 points to 30.2%, the Greens fell 2.8 points to 9.2%, NZ First was down 1.5 points to 9.1%, Act was up 2 points to 8.6% and Te Pāti Māori was down 1.1 points to 3.3%. That gave National 39 seats, Act 11 seats and NZ First 12 seats – a total of 62 seats and enough to govern. Labour would get 42 seats and the Greens would get 12 seats. The poll assumed Te Pāti Māori or ex-Te Pāti Māori MPs retained their seats, giving that group six seats. Thu, 13 Nov 2025 04:24:49 Z /news/politics/controversial-regulatory-standards-bill-passes-third-reading/ /news/politics/controversial-regulatory-standards-bill-passes-third-reading/ By RNZ The Government’s controversial Regulatory Standards Bill has passed its third reading. The legislation sets down principles for lawmaking which - if a piece of law would breach them - politicians would need to explain. Its critics say the principles are ideological, could favour big corporations, and would add delays and cost to lawmaking. ACT leader David Seymour says it’s about avoiding costs, and the many critics of the bill have been poorly informed. The bill passed its third reading with the backing of the coalition parties. More to come. - RNZ Thu, 13 Nov 2025 03:32:06 Z /news/politics/jevon-mcskimming-case-louise-nicholas-says-nz-should-be-extremely-grateful-for-complainant-s-bravery/ /news/politics/jevon-mcskimming-case-louise-nicholas-says-nz-should-be-extremely-grateful-for-complainant-s-bravery/ A prominent sexual violence survivor and advocate says New Zealand should be “extremely grateful” for the actions of a young woman that sparked the downfall of one of the country’s top cops. A bombshell report released this week from the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) criticises some of the most senior police officers in New Zealand for failing to properly investigate the woman’s complaints that former deputy commissioner Jevon McSkimming was a sexual predator. Louise Nicholas, a survivor and sexual violence advocate, gained a public profile after she alleged police officers raped her when she was in her teens. While four men were later acquitted, her case sparked an inquiry into how police treated victims of sexual violence. More than three decades after her case, which was also marred with allegations of a police cover-up, Nicholas said the police response to the current case was “a breath of fresh air”. So much so she does not believe further ministerial inquiries are warranted as the IPCA report was so thorough. Police commissioner Richard Chambers says the police will implement all 13 of the report’s recommendations. Sexual violence advocate Louise Nicholas. Photo / Mark Mitchell “I remember the chain being dragged [during reviews prompted by her allegations in the 1990s] and it was so frustrating,” Nicholas said. “But this time around, it’s so good to hear that the police leadership team are on it, that they are not dragging anything, that they are implementing what the IPCA showed.” The highest-ranking police officers in New Zealand ignored allegations that McSkimming was a sexual predator. Instead of investigating whether the sex claims could be corroborated or not, police used emails sent by the young woman as evidence to prosecute her for a harassment campaign against McSkimming. Former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. Photo / Mark Mitchell That charge has since been withdrawn by the Crown. Nicholas said her email inbox had been overloaded with messages from people who had experienced sexual harm, including historically by the police, since the news around McSkimming broke. Nicholas urged survivors of sexual harm, including by the police, to come forward. She recommended they contact an agency or support group first so that if they do take their complaint to the police they do not have to do it alone. She said Chambers’ public statements since the release of the IPCA report had been comforting, and was “reassured everybody that this time around [things are different] ... it’s a breath of fresh air and things are changing”. ‘Time for action’ Green Party police spokesperson Tamatha Paul was pleased with the depth and scope of the IPCA report, and said “now was the time for action” rather than further inquiries. “I think the purpose of the IPCA [report] is really to show the depth and scope and the magnitude of this one incident ... [it has] shown there is a real problem with people in positions [of] power.” Green MP for Wellington Central MP Tamatha Paul. Photo / Mark Mitchell Paul welcomed the establishment of an Inspector-General of Police – the strongest statutory oversight mechanism available that sits above the Police Commissioner. Paul said she had contacted Police Minister Mark Mitchell and wants all parties in Parliament to work together to understand how to prevent the situation from ever happening again. “Are the safeguards that they’re going to put in place [from the IPCA report] appropriate enough, or is this going to happen again?” Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Thu, 13 Nov 2025 01:17:42 Z /news/politics/jevon-mcskimming-and-police-s-serious-misconduct-a-timeline-of-who-knew-what-about-the-allegations-and-when-they-knew-it/ /news/politics/jevon-mcskimming-and-police-s-serious-misconduct-a-timeline-of-who-knew-what-about-the-allegations-and-when-they-knew-it/ The way in which police ignored rather than investigated allegations about Jevon McSkimming, at time one of the country’s highest-ranking officers, will shake public trust in our authorities and has raised serious questions about police leadership. The Herald looks at who knew what, and when they knew it. How and when did key events play out? Early 2016: Jevon McSkimming began an affair with the woman who would go on to indirectly expose him for having child sex abuse and bestiality material on his work devices. April 2016: He was promoted to Assistant Commissioner in April that year, and in June he sent an email in this role to propose the woman, Ms Z, be employed in a casual position in New Zealand Police. Late 2017-mid 2018: The affair ended in either December 2017, as McSkimming said, or early 2018, as Ms Z said, and her casual employment with police stopped in January 2018. In May that year, McSkimming told his wife about the affair, and said it was at this time Ms Z began sending harassing emails, the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report into the matter said. 2023 April: Tania Kura and McSkimming announced as the new statutory Deputy Commissioners. The role of the deputy is the second most powerful in the police, and involves managing demand and maximising policing resources and performance. May: Police became aware of a comment on a LinkedIn page containing allegations about McSkimming’s conduct. The IPCA were notified of the post and received an explanation from Kura of the “context as she perceived it”, the report said. Mid 2023: Coster informed IPCA chairman Judge Kenneth Johnston KC that McSkimming had had an affair, shortly after the LinkedIn post came to their attention. December 2023-January 2024: Ms Z began sending a large number of anonymous emails to McSkimming and others, including the IPCA. The IPCA replied to one of these, telling her how to make a complaint. A case was opened, but later closed after the IPCA received an email requesting as much. December 2023-onwards: Police Minister Mark Mitchell’s office received 36 emails containing allegations about McSkimming. Mitchell told the Herald this week that he was blocked from seeing these emails on an order from Coster, who directed police staff in Mitchell’s office to refer the emails to Coster’s office, and not to share or discuss them with anyone else. Police Minister Mark Mitchell (right) said the then-Commissioner Andrew Coster directed that emails sent to Mitchell's office should be redirected. Photo / Mark Mitchell 2024 15 January: The IPCA contacted Officer U, the director of Integrity and Conduct, seeking further information and what actions police were taking about the emails and the allegations within. This was the first time Officer U had heard about the matter. 25 January: Coster emailed Kura asking her to engage with the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (FTAC), a cross-agency collaboration focused on managing threats from fixated people. Kura emailed FTAC that day to seek advice on the emails. 31 January: Officer O, a detective from FTAC, emailed his supervisor a draft review of his analysis of the emails dating from July 2023, identifying allegations of behaviour that might raise criminal and/or employment concerns. 13 February: Officers N, the manager of Security Intelligence, and O from FATC met with Kura to discuss the report, which included extracts of emails containing allegations, and a recommendation for the matter to be referred to the IPCA and the National Integrity Unit. Kura later briefed Coster on the report. 18 February: Kura sent the report to Officer B, the acting Assistant Commissioner of Investigations, seeking advice on the best way to make the emails stop. He recommended Wellington District Police carry out a criminal investigation into Ms Z. The next day, Officer C, tasked with this criminal investigation, asked Officer B to meet to better understand what outcomes were sought and whether an IPCA complaint had been made or any other investigations begun. Late February: Officer N from Security Intelligence met Officer B in a lift and reiterated the need to not only investigate Ms Z, but also the wrongdoing by McSkimming alleged in the emails. March: IPCA texted Officer U (the director of integrity and conduct) and asked who to speak to about the emails. No reply was received. IPCA then emailed Coster, concerned about the number and nature of the emails. A few days later they received a call from Coster’s office with assurance Ms Z’s safety was being taken care of. Late April: Three reports were made to the police 105 online reporting portal. Officer L from the integrity and conduct department emailed FTAC for advice on the reports, then contacted the team investigating Ms Z asking for details to enter in the Integrity and Conduct database. The same day Officer C - who was running the criminal investigation - emailed Officer L (Integrity and Conduct) and others, saying “I don’t expect there’s a requirement for Integrity and Conduct to be actively involved.” C asked L to call “to confirm this”. Officer M, then acting Director of Integrity and Conduct, phoned the IPCA that same day to ask to meet about the McSkimming matter. May 3: Officer M met with the IPCA and expressed her concerns with the way police were handling the matter. Then-Police Commissioner Andrew Coster did not disclose allegations against McSkimming. File photo / Sylvie Whinray May 8: Police arrested and charged Ms Z with offences under the Harmful Digital Communications Act. May 9: Officer M (Integrity and Conduct) forwarded Officer C’s email about Integrity and Conduct not needing to be involved to Officer B (acting Assistant Commissioner of Investigations), asking him to call her. May 10-13: Officer B called Officer M and said they had arrested Ms Z. Officer M expressed concern that nobody was treating Ms Z as a complainant, saying it should be a National Integrity Unit matter. Officer M rang the Deputy Commissioner of People, Leadership and Culture after this conversation. Officer B (acting Assistant Commissioner of Investigations) then emailed Kura and Assistant Commissioner A (the offical Assistant Commissioner of Investigations) saying there was a “need for us to have a quick roundtable”. May 27: Officer B (acting Assistant Commissioner of Investigations) emailed senior investigator Officer D, informing her of a planned investigation into the veracity of the allegations against McSkimming, which would later be dubbed Operation Herb. June: Officer D was tasked with conducting Operation Herb. July 11: The Crown indicated to Ms Z’s lawyer that diversion was an option for her criminal charges. Officer B (acting Assistant Commissioner of Investigations) emailed Ms Z’s investigation team to advise that McSkimming only wanted her to receive diversion if she admitted her allegations were false. July 15: The Crown advised police diversion was no longer an option. July 26: Coster publicly announced he would be leaving the top job. August: IPCA emailed Officer M (Integrity and Conduct) asking for the matter to be referred. Officer M forwarded the email to the Deputy Commissioner of People, Leadership and Culture with an expression of concern about the way the matter was being handled. The deputy commissioner responded two days later saying the situation did not seem to be “as it was relayed”. September 12: Officer D (the senior investigator running the case) filed a memorandum recommending no further action on Operation Herb. September 16: Coster called Officer M (Integrity and Conduct) and asked if there were any open investigations into McSkimming, and M expressed her knowledge and concern about Officer D’s investigation being conducted outside usual processes and separate from Integrity and Conduct. Former Deputy Police Commissioner Tania Kura was also involved in the case. File photo / Warren Buckland September 24: Assistant Commissioner A (Investigations) closed Operation Herb and directed that steps be taken to finalise matters in the relevant databases. This prompted emails about a lack of any record of the investigation in the Integrity and Conduct database. Advertising for Coster’s role began the same day. October 8: Coster and Ms G, an executive director within police, provided verbal references for McSkimming in the interim Commissioner appointment process. Neither shared relevant information relating to the allegations against him. October 10: Officer M (Integrity and Conduct) referred the issue to the IPCA and told the Deputy Commissioner of People, Leadership and Culture she had opened an IAPro file, which is a file in a system used for tracking internal affairs and professional standards matters. She shared her view the matter should not be closed yet, despite Assistant Commissioner A’s (Investigations) directive. October 14: IPCA sent a letter to police informing them that the matter had been made a Category A independent investigation. The Deputy Commissioner of People, Leadership and Culture called Officer M (Integrity and Conduct) and told her Coster was not happy about the referral to the IPCA and the subsequent categorisation. October 18: IPCA met with Ms Z and recommended to Officer M that the National Integrity Unit conduct the investigation with IPCA oversight. October 22: Coster wrote to Judge Johnston KC, trying to persuade the IPCA to expedite its investigation. October 25: Amid various investigations and Commissioner appointment processes, McSkimming makes his last recorded search on his work devices for objectionable material. October 30: McSkimming was interviewed for the Commissioner position. Coster held a meeting with Kura, the Deputy Commissioner of People, Leadership and Culture the Director, Police Legal Services, Officer M (Integrity and Conduct) and Officer K (National Integrity Unit) at which he tried to direct that an investigation into McSkimming be conducted as quickly as possible so it would not impact on the commissioner selection process. November 1: The National Integrity Unit did the first forensic interview with Ms Z. November 4: Coster called another meeting with the same attendees. Coster said he was focused on the issue of “natural justice” for McSkimming. That week, Assistant Commissioner A asked Officer V, a Territorial Detective Superintendent to lead the new criminal investigation into McSkimming. Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said he was informed about the McSkimming investigation two days before assuming the top job. File photo / Mike Scott November 20: Richard Chambers appointed the new Commissioner. Chambers told 九一星空无限 he was briefed on the matter by a senior detective a mere two days before he took up the top role on November 25. November 25: Chambers commences Commissioner role, and the terms of reference for the criminal investigation into McSkimming were finalised. December: Investigators detected concerning searches on McSkimming’s work devices, and he was stood down on full pay. 2025 January: McSkimming’s lawyers advised he was cooperating with the investigation and expected to resume his duties once he was cleared of wrongdoing. March: McSkimming was made aware of the police internet investigation and contacted a colleague to admit accessing pornography on his work laptop. May: Police Minister Mark Mitchell announced McSkimming had resigned before potentially being removed from the job. 九一星空无限 and other media reported he had been found to have potential objectionable material on his work devices. Lawyer Linda Clark took out an interim injunction preventing media from revealing the nature of the material, and a “super injunction” stopping reporting of the existence of the injunction. May 19: The super injunction was lifted, but McSkimming continued to pursue an injunction over the nature of the material. Justice Karen Grau heard arguments in the High Court at Wellington and reserved her decision. Late June: While awaiting the injunction decision, McSkimming was arrested and charged with eight counts of possessing objectionable material. He was immediately granted interim name suppression ahead of his first appearance in court. The suppression extended to reporting of the charges he was facing. July: Justice Grau released her decision lifting the injunction, and media were able to report for the first time the materials found on McSkimming’s work devices were child exploitation and bestiality images. August: McSkimming did not pursue name suppression and was able to be identified as a prominent New Zealander who had been arrested in June. November 6: He pleaded guilty to three representative charges of possessing objectionable material. November 11: Judge Andy Nicholls lifted heavy suppressions on Ms Z’s case, allowing reporting about her emails and the subsequent police response. The IPCA released a report condemning the police’s handling of the matter and the Herald released its investigation into the case. November 11: Minister for the Public Service revealed that Andrew Coster is on agreed leave. She called the IPCA findings “extremely concerning and disappointing”. November 12: Chambers said his predecessor had “never spoken to me about it at all” and called the police executive’s conduct “appalling”. He said the entire controversy “shocked” him and impacted the reputation of all police. Wed, 12 Nov 2025 03:29:09 Z /news/politics/watch-parliament-to-debate-police-failings-at-heart-of-jevon-mcskimming-scandal/ /news/politics/watch-parliament-to-debate-police-failings-at-heart-of-jevon-mcskimming-scandal/ MPs will delay the start of Question Time today to hold a debate on revelations police covered up for disgraced former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming, who pleaded guilty last week to possessing child sexual exploitation and bestiality material. The debate will commence after 2pm. It follows suppression lifting on key details of how the police failed to investigate McSkimming, despite multiple complaints being made against him. The police executive at the time, led by the then Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, tried to shape the resulting inquiry, hurrying it up so it would not reduce McSkimming’s chances of succeeding Coster as commissioner. On Tuesday, ministers delivered damning verdicts on Coster’s leadership. Their comments cast doubt on the ability of Coster to stay on at his new role as chief executive of the Social Investment Agency. Public Service Minister Judith Collins said: “If this was me being named in this report, I would be ashamed of myself. And I think that’s what I can say. I would be deeply ashamed.” Police Minister Mark Mitchell, speaking at the same press conference, noted that the report was damning of the police executive that Coster led. “He should be held to account for that, because of what we’re dealing with,” he said. Coster’s responsible minister, Nicola Willis, said she was “shocked and appalled” by the report. “I have conveyed my views to Public Service Commissioner [Sir] Brian Roche. The matter now sits with him as Mr Coster’s employer,” she said. Coster is on leave from his role at the Social Investment Agency while Roche undertakes an employment process. Wed, 12 Nov 2025 01:16:26 Z /news/politics/ellen-macgregor-reid-confirmed-as-ministry-of-education-secretary-and-chief-executive/ /news/politics/ellen-macgregor-reid-confirmed-as-ministry-of-education-secretary-and-chief-executive/ After more than a year, the Ministry of Education has finally filled its top position permanently. It comes after a lengthy recruitment process, since October 2024, making it one of the longest vacancies in the public service in recent history. At present, Ellen MacGregor-Reid is the acting Ministry of Education secretary and chief executive. The Public Service Commission has now announced that her tenure in both roles will become permanent. MacGregor-Reid has held senior leadership roles at the Ministry of Education since 2015, including deputy secretary positions responsible for curriculum, early learning and policy. Deputy Public Service Commissioner Heather Baggott said MacGregor-Reid had shown she was a leader who could deliver on the Government’s priorities and lead significant change across the education system. “MacGregor-Reid has led and progressed the Government’s education priorities, including major reform to the curriculum and NCEA,” Baggott said. “MacGregor-Reid has earned the trust of successive ministers to lead changes that make a real difference for students. “Her leadership, credibility within the sector, and focus on high-performance make her well placed to lead the ministry through its next phase.” MacGregor-Reid held a Master of Arts with First Class Honours in human geography from the University of Auckland, Baggott said. She has been appointed for four-and-a-half years from November 25. The ministry’s long-term boss, Iona Holsted, left in October 2024 after eight years in the role. At the time, RNZ said Holsted had left the post two months early for family reasons. Since then, MacGregor-Reid has been acting secretary for education. Education Minister Erica Stanford welcomed MacGregor-Reid’s appointment, saying she had so far played a “crucial role” in driving the Government’s education agenda. “Our reforms are about ambition, raising achievement and delivering better outcomes for our young people,” Stanford said. “I look forward to continuing to work with her to ensure every student, regardless of background, has the chance to reach their potential at school.” Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:52:49 Z /news/politics/labour-gains-support-after-capital-gains-tax-announcement-but-not-enough-to-form-government/ /news/politics/labour-gains-support-after-capital-gains-tax-announcement-but-not-enough-to-form-government/ Labour has gained support in the latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll, rising 2.1 points on last month’s poll to 33.3%. The poll is the first public poll to be published since Labour announced its capital gains tax policy, which has led the party to several election defeats. However, Labour’s surge is not enough to offset declines on the left, meaning the current Government would retain office if an election were held today. National is up 0.6 points to 30.2%, the Greens fell 2.8 points to 9.2%, NZ First is down 1.5 points to 9.1%, Act is up 2 points to 8.6% and Te Pāti Māori is down 1.1 point to 3.3%. This would give National 39 seats, Act 11 seats and NZ First 12 seats – a total of 62 seats and enough to govern. Labour would get 42 seats and the Greens would get 12 seats. The poll assumes Te Pāti Māori or ex-Te Pāti Māori MPs retain their seats, giving that group six seats. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has gained support as preferred Prime Minister, rising 1 point to 20.8%. Labour leader Chris Hipkins has dropped marginally, falling 0.3 points to 20.6%. NZ First leader Winston Peters is down 1.4 points to 8.5%, Act leader David Seymour is up 3.7 points to 7.7% and Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick is down 2.2 points to 4.1%. Hipkins has favourability of -2%%, unchanged from the last poll. Luxon’s favourability has lifted 4 points to -10%. The poll has a margin of error on 3.1% and was conducted between Sunday 02 and Thursday 06 November 2025. Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:33:57 Z /news/politics/watch-police-minister-mark-mitchell-and-police-commissioner-richard-chambers-to-speak-after-bombshell-jevon-mcskimming-report/ /news/politics/watch-police-minister-mark-mitchell-and-police-commissioner-richard-chambers-to-speak-after-bombshell-jevon-mcskimming-report/ Police Minister Mark Mitchell, Public Service Minister Judith Collins and Police Commissioner Richard Chambers are fronting media from Parliament after the release of damning details on how Police botched whistleblower complaints against disgraced former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. Media can now report the highest-ranking police officers in New Zealand ignored anonymous allegations that McSkimming was a sexual predator. Instead of investigating whether the sex claims could be corroborated, or not, the emails alleging misconduct were used as evidence to prosecute the complainant, a young woman, for an alleged harassment campaign against McSkimming. She was arrested and charged under the Harmful Digital Communications Act, placed under restrictive bail conditions, and silenced by wide-ranging suppression orders. The gagging orders were put in place ostensibly to protect the reputation of McSkimming, who was one of the top candidates to replace the outgoing Police Commissioner Andrew Coster. The New Zealand Herald successfully opposed the non-publication orders in the Wellington District Court, which allows new details of the case to be reported for the first time. It also paves the way for the release of a report from the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA), the Police watchdog. The case will reverberate through the Beehive and is likely to put pressure on the position of Coster, who has become the chief executive of the Social Investment Agency since leaving the Police. Asked whether he, as a taxpayer, would have confidence in Coster heading a public agency, Chambers said “that’s not a decision for me, that’s a decision for his employer”. Speaking at the standup, Collins said Coster has agreed to go on leave from his current role as chief executive of the Social Investment Agency. He agreed the leave with the Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche, who is Coster’s employer as a public service chief executive. What we know about McSkimming’s offending McSkimming’s offending spanned from 2020 to the end of 2024, a period that includes both the current Government and the former Labour government. There will be questions about whether any of the complaints were flagged with ministers about the complaints under the “no surprises” convention. The Herald can reveal that McSkimming had previously disclosed to Coster that he had been in a sexual relationship with the woman who made the complaints. She had been in her early 20s at the time and McSkimming later helped her get a job in the police as a non-sworn employee. McSkimming, who was in his early 40s at the time, had described the relationship as an extramarital affair which ended in 2018. But as he rose through the ranks towards the top job last year, the woman sent dozens of vitriolic emails accusing McSkimming of being a predator who groomed women for sex. Anonymous allegations were sent to politicians, senior police officers, government officials and journalists. She also repeated the allegations in an anonymous phone call to the police 105 reporting line for non-emergencies. In his defence, McSkimming maintained the sexual relationship was consensual and the email allegations were motivated by revenge to destroy his career. But the police never properly investigated the allegations. The young woman 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. Despite no investigation into the veracity of the sex claims made by the woman, police described the emails she sent as containing “false” allegations according to documents which underpinned the prosecution against her. Tue, 11 Nov 2025 04:59:06 Z /news/politics/government-outlines-4-drugs-that-drivers-will-be-tested-for-the-plan-for-rollout-across-new-zealand/ /news/politics/government-outlines-4-drugs-that-drivers-will-be-tested-for-the-plan-for-rollout-across-new-zealand/ The Government has confirmed police will soon begin checking drivers for THC (cannabis), methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy) and cocaine as part of the new drug-driving testing regime. Police previously put out a tender for equipment capable of testing those four drugs. The Government today said new oral-fluid testing devices had been secured to screen for them. Testing will start in Wellington next month, before beginning to scale up from April until coverage is nationwide by mid-year. The test will involve taking a quick tongue swab from the motorist. If it’s positive for one of the four drugs, a saliva sample will be taken for laboratory analysis. This analysis can detect up to 25 other substances as well. A second roadside test will also be conducted. If that is positive, the motorist won’t be allowed to drive for 12 hours. If the laboratory result comes back positive, an infringement notice will be issued. Drivers who don’t comply with the roadside drug test will also receive an infringement notice. The Government expects most drivers will be free to go about five minutes after a negative test. “Drug-impaired drivers are a menace on New Zealand roads,” Transport Minister Chris Bishop said. “Around 30% of all road deaths now involve an impairing drug. If you take drugs and drive, you’re putting innocent lives at risk – and we will not tolerate it. “Our Government is committed to improving road safety, and that includes holding dangerous, drugged-up drivers to account. Rolling out roadside drug testing is a practical step towards safer roads and fewer tragedies.” Transport Minister Chris Bishop said roadside drug testing is "a practical step towards safer roads and fewer tragedies". Photo / Mark Mitchell Police Minister Mark Mitchell said this was a welcome tool to police’s “enforcement toolbox” and he believed it would strengthen police’s ability to keep roads safe. This is the latest effort by New Zealand’s politicians to implement a drug-driving regime. The previous Government introduced legislation allowing for a random roadside drug testing regime, but no oral fluid testing devices were found that met the specified evidentiary standards. That led the coalition Government to propose a bill with a different standard. The latest legislation passed its third reading in Parliament in March. It received the support of National, Labour, Act and NZ First. The Greens and Te Pāti Māori voted against it. At the select committee stage, it was argued the tests prove the presence of drugs, but not that the driver is impaired. “There is a problem in terms of the science here. Unlike with alcohol, the presence of a substance in a sample does not equal impairment,” said Sarah Helm, executive director of the NZ Drug Foundation. “We would love to have a method that’s as accurate as breathalysing for detecting impairment, but unfortunately the science isn’t there.” But Karen Dow, the mother of Matthew Dow, who was killed on New Year’s Eve 2017 near Nelson by a driver who had been drinking and used methamphetamine and cannabis, told the committee a line needs to be drawn in the sand. “I think arguing the degree of impairment is like arguing the length of a piece of string, there’s never going to be an end to it,” she said. ‘But I think morally any government has responsibility when there is a known cause for one-third of all road deaths being caused by a factor that we have the tools and we have the manpower to be able to reduce this factor significantly.” 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. Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:24:52 Z