/news/politics/rss 九一星空无限 Get the latest political and government news from 九一星空无限talk ZB's Beehive team. Sat, 23 Aug 2025 07:06:05 Z en /news/politics/labour-s-peeni-henare-mistaken-to-claim-party-would-repeal-gang-patch-ban-says-deputy-leader/ /news/politics/labour-s-peeni-henare-mistaken-to-claim-party-would-repeal-gang-patch-ban-says-deputy-leader/ Labour MP Peeni Henare, the party’s candidate in the Tāmaki Makaurau byelection, was “mistaken” to claim Labour would repeal the gang patch ban, according to the party’s deputy leader. Henare appeared to confirm Labour would repeal the ban, which removed the ability to legally wear gang patches in public, during a candidate debate this week with Te Pāti Māori candidate Orini Kaipara. The commitment came as a surprise, given Labour leader Chris Hipkins had previously indicated he didn’t support a repeal and had long said he would assess its value if Labour returned to Government. Labour deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni today affirmed to reporters at Parliament that her party would not repeal the ban and wondered whether Labour’s initial opposition to the ban before it became law could have influenced Henare’s comments. “Certainly no need for a telling off. I think he’s mistaken and, you know, these things happen.” She maintained the caucus was not confused over its position on the ban and denied the caucus was split over whether to retain it. Labour deputy Carmel Sepuloni and leader Chris Hipkins have said they would not repeal the patch ban. Photo / Mark Mitchell Henare has been approached for comment. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith, who led the ban becoming law, initially reacted with disbelief when told Labour would not repeal the ban. “It shows what [Henare] really thinks, and I wouldn’t trust him for a moment. I think they probably will [repeal it].” Goldsmith then said Sepuloni should inform Henare of the party’s position and Labour’s justice spokesperson: “I don’t know who that is. Roger somebody, I think his name is.” Labour’s justice spokesperson is Duncan Webb. Labour has no MPs named Roger. Asked what Labour MP he was referring to, Goldsmith said: “I can’t remember.” 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. Thu, 21 Aug 2025 03:13:19 Z /news/politics/new-planes-helicopters-with-hellfire-missiles-precision-kill-weapon-system-on-investment-list/ /news/politics/new-planes-helicopters-with-hellfire-missiles-precision-kill-weapon-system-on-investment-list/ The Government’s breakdown-prone 757 fleet will be replaced with two extra-long range Airbus planes as part of a $2.7 billion defence investment. Five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters with weapon systems for anti-submarine torpedoes, hellfire missiles, and machine guns are also the preferred option to replace existing marine helicopters. Following on from the release of the Defence Capability Plan (DCP) earlier this year, Defence Minister Judith Collins has today announced investment decisions valued at $2.7 billion that she expects will ensure New Zealand has a “critical combat capable, interoperable and dependable fleet”. A livestream of the announcement can be found at the top of this article. The two new Airbus A321XLR aircraft will be acquired on a six-year lease to buy arrangement, Collins said, with capital costs of $620 million and four-year operating costs of nearly $81 million. These will replace the current 757s. “New Zealand needs reliable aircraft to deploy our personnel, deliver military equipment and humanitarian aid, support the evacuation of civilians, and transport government trade and diplomatic delegations quickly, over long distances, and often at short notice.” She said acquiring extra range aircraft reflects the importance of having plans capable of undertaking operations like “returning safely from Antarctica if it is unable to land due to conditions on the ice”. The planes are more than 44 metres in length, have a range of 8,700km, and can accommodate 122 passengers. The Government’s also indicated its preferred option for replacing the current maritime helicopters is the MH-60R Seahawks. This is a $2 billion plus investment. “The MH-60R Seahawk is a great aircraft for what New Zealand needs and fulfils our objective of having a more integrated Anzac force, and the new planes will give us reliable aircraft to deploy personnel and respond to international events,” said Collins. She said five Seahawks will “increase the offensive and defensive capability and surveillance range of New Zealand’s frigates and ensure we are interoperable with our ally Australia and other partner defence forces”. These are expected to be procured directly through the United States’ Foreign Military Sales programme, instead of going to a wider tender. A final business case will likely be considered by Cabinet next year. According to specifications provided by the Defence Minister’s office, these helicopters have weapon systems including Mk 54 anti-submarine torpedo, AGM-114 Hellfire air-surface missiles, crew-served machine guns; and Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS). Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said the investment decisions show how the Government is responding to what he described as a sharply deteriorating security environment. “Global tensions are increasing rapidly, and we must invest in our national security to ensure our economic prosperity,” he said. “The DCP provides the foundation for our uplift in defence spending, and two-yearly reviews of the plan will allow us to adapt to an ever-changing security environment.” Defence officials told a parliamentary select committee a few hours ago a stronger focus had been placed on progressing major projects at a faster pace, referencing efforts to replace the two Boeing 757s used by the Prime Minister for international trips as well as transporting Defence Force personnel. The 757s had become renowned for breaking down and causing delays during trips abroad for several Prime Ministers, including Christopher Luxon. The Government confirmed the two planes would be replaced as part of its $12 billion Defence Capability Plan, announced before Budget 2025, which would eventually push New Zealand’s defence spending to above 2% of GDP. Replacing the 757s had an expected cost of between $600 million and $1b. Also in the plan was a spend of between $100m and $300m for enhanced strike capabilities and $300m to $600m for a new fleet of maritime helicopters. Ministry of Defence capability delivery deputy secretary Sarah Minson today told MPs the process of replacing the 757s was a good example of how the ministry and the Defence Force were working to improve their business case development. She noted an indicative business case had been provided to the Government in December, while an implementation business case had landed in the middle of this year. Adam Pearse is the deputy political editor and part of the NZ Herald’s press gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for 九一星空无限 since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland. Thu, 21 Aug 2025 01:11:33 Z /news/politics/helen-clark-on-abuse-of-female-politicians-and-how-losing-jacinda-ardern-was-devastating/ /news/politics/helen-clark-on-abuse-of-female-politicians-and-how-losing-jacinda-ardern-was-devastating/ Former Prime Minister Helen Clark has described the departure of former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern from politics as “devastating for women around the world”.  In an interview with the Herald she said women in politics need to develop strong networks to withstand abusive sexism amplified in an age of social media.  She said the environment where Ardern and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin exited politics was hostile to them, and those who direct that abuse should consider the impact it would have if it was aimed at the women in their lives.  The comments follow Herald’s revelations female councillors in Auckland sought out a meeting with council managers because of what has been called a “boys’ club” environment there.  Wellington mayor Tory Whanau was subjected to orgy claims by Wellington mayoral candidate Ray Chung, which he later admitted were gossip.  The Auckland claims also included the revelation that mayor Wayne Brown had made a crass orgasm joke about a fellow councillor in front of multiple colleagues.  The Herald has also obtained and published a withheld recording of councillor Maurice Williamson sharing lewd gossip about Wellington mayor Tory Whanau.  Those revelations followed the exposure of Wellington mayoral candidate Ray Chung as having written and distributed an email in which he alleged Whanau had enjoyed a hedonistic sex-and-drugs romp she said never happened.  In 1999 Clark became the first woman to win Prime Ministerial office in a New Zealand general election, serving until 2008. Before that, she was the first woman to serve as deputy prime minister and the first to lead a major political party in New Zealand.  She went from New Zealand politics to be the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (2009-2017) and has since been appointed co-chair of the World Health Organisation’s Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.  Clark said the nature of the abuse against women was not new but “the age of social media enables the false allegations to be magnified beyond what was possible in the past”.  Female politicians of an earlier generation, such as herself, were familiar with the nature of such abuse, Clark said.  But she said the use of automated bots and “keyboard warrior”-types attacking behind a “veil of anonymity” meant abuse and rumour on social media was amplified and found traction in a way it would not have in the past.  First woman Prime Minister of New Zealand Jenny Shipley with fellow former Prime Ministers Jacinda Ardern and Helen Clark, photographed together to mark 125 years of women's suffrage in 2018. Photo / Babiche Martens  Clark described such behaviour as “deplorable” - she said she was concerned to read the Herald’s reporting about female politicians at Auckland Council - and believed attacks on women went far beyond what men experienced.  It was her hope, she said, people focused on the issues and what people stood for and believed in “and keep the personal stuff out of it”.  “There’s been high-profile withdrawals from politics here and elsewhere in this very pressured environment. Not only Tory Whanau but Jacinda’s withdrawal was devastating for women around the world.”  Ardern has said that the abuse directed at her was not the basis for her withdrawal from politics but acknowledged it had an impact.  The Hate & Extremism Insights Aotearoa research group at the University of Auckland found Ardern was the target of 93% of the most toxic posts aimed at seven high-profile politicians and officials in New Zealand between 2019 and 2022.  It described the level of abuse as “constant” and “incessant” with “anger and toxicity” actually increasing towards the end of 2022 as the Covid-19 era began to fade.  Clark said another high-profile loss was Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin, another young and female world leader. Marin was targeted with gendered abuse and faced such a level of unsubstantiated rumour after video of her dancing at a party that she took a voluntary drug test.  Sanna Marin in Auckland. Photo / Michael Craig  Clark said: “So people are saying well if these women can’t do it how could I? And I think we definitely need messaging that says women have to stick at it, we have to develop the skills and strength to withstand this.  “We can’t stand alone. We need networks. We need others supporting us because it is a tough environment… even though the content of what is being said hasn’t changed so much.”  To those who found joy in the impact they had on women in politics, Clark had this message: “Would you like your daughter, your sister, your wife, your mother in public life to be subjected to this?”.  She said the answer from any rational person would be “no”.  “It’s unacceptable behaviour and no one would want a female member of their family subjected to this.”  Brown and Williamson have been approached by the Herald for comment. Brown has dismissed talk of a boys’ club atmosphere at council and has not made any comment about his orgasm joke about the noise made by a councillor who stubbed his toe. Williamson has also not responded.  David Fisher is based in Northland and has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years, winning multiple journalism awards including being twice named Reporter of the Year and being selected as one of a small number of Wolfson Press Fellows to Wolfson College, Cambridge. He joined the Herald in 2004.  Tue, 19 Aug 2025 19:06:24 Z /news/politics/winston-peters-celebrates-trevor-mallard-s-replacement-as-irish-ambassador/ /news/politics/winston-peters-celebrates-trevor-mallard-s-replacement-as-irish-ambassador/ By Russell Palmer of RNZ Foreign Minister Winston Peters is celebrating former Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard being replaced as Ambassador to Ireland. Peters named Angela Hassan-Sharp for the role in a statement about 1pm on Tuesday. Asked about Mallard, he said “you know that famous song from the Seekers? Carnival’s over”. He said Mallard was “coming home and he’s coming home early”. Asked if he had a reason to bring Mallard home, he said “yes, I do”. Trevor Mallard faced criticism from Peters over his appointment by Jacinda Ardern, with Peters arguing that politicians should not hold diplomatic roles. Photo / Mark Mitchell “It’s a circus where instead of looking at the national interest, you’ve got people like Jacinda Ardern appointing politicians to important jobs, and that should not be happening. “Their performance will never be up to scratch for goodness sake. You people surely understand that you train people, you give them decades of experience to get into important jobs, and all of a sudden you put a politician there with no training at all.” He said no politicians should ever be assigned to diplomatic roles. “I’m saying, that we should not be having politicians in diplomatic jobs, full stop. “I cannot believe that Jacinda Ardern sent somebody like him after the way he behaved with respect to the protesters out here, turning up the noise, putting cold water over young children at night. This is a disgrace, and you guys should have been calling it out, not me,” he told reporters. RNZ has sought comment from Trevor Mallard. -RNZ Tue, 19 Aug 2025 03:37:30 Z /news/politics/david-seymour-winston-peters-distance-themselves-from-christopher-luxon-s-benjamin-netanyahu-lost-the-plot-remarks/ /news/politics/david-seymour-winston-peters-distance-themselves-from-christopher-luxon-s-benjamin-netanyahu-lost-the-plot-remarks/ Act’s David Seymour and New Zealand First’s Winston Peters have distanced themselves from comments Prime Minister Christopher Luxon made last week when he said Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu had “lost the plot”. Seymour, Luxon’s Deputy Prime Minister, told the Herald it’s “better just to keep your thoughts to yourself” when dealing with most international leaders, while Peters, the Foreign Affairs Minister, said “it’s not language I use”. Neither of the politicians would comment last week, wanting to verifying Luxon’s remarks first and understand their context. Israeli Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Sharren Haskel fired back at the New Zealand leader, saying he wouldn’t comprehend “the challenges that come with facing Hamas” and suggesting New Zealand’s “most deadly enemy is a possum or a cat”. The Prime Minister made the comment last week after the Herald asked whether he agreed with Labour leader Chris Hipkins that an “unfolding genocide” was occurring in Gaza. “I think Netanyahu has gone way too far. I think he has lost the plot. What we are seeing overnight, the attack on Gaza City, is utterly, utterly unacceptable,” Luxon said. He said Netanyahu wasn’t “listening to the international community”, but Luxon believed he had been “consistent” with his language and New Zealand had “stood up for values”. The Prime Minister said the comment that Netanyahu had “lost the plot” was his “personal view”. “As a human being, looking at the situation, that is how I feel about it,” Luxon said. Seymour on Tuesday said they were Luxon’s “personal comments”. “I just take the view that when you’re dealing with any other leader, unless it’s someone like Vladimir Putin, then it’s better just to keep your thoughts to yourself, which is what I do. But I respect his right to express his opinion, as he said,” the Act leader said. Seymour said he didn’t think using those terms helped the situation. “What we have is a world with a lot of pain, a lot of suffering. We want the conflict to end, and we want human rights to be upheld, and so I just say, it doesn’t really help. If you’re making fun of Kim Jong-un, then maybe, but I don’t think it helps.” Act leader David Seymour said he didn't think those terms helped. Photo / Mark Mitchell Asked about Haskel’s response, Seymour replied: “Once you get into a war of words, you’re not really solving any problems.” “I respect the Prime Minister’s right to make a personal comment, which now that I’ve looked at his comments, that was the context. But personally, I don’t generally get into that.” Peters said it was “not language I use” and “I didn’t say it”. The Foreign Affairs Minister said “I am the most experienced guy you’ve met on this matter”. Asked if the Prime Minister had shown a lack of experience, Peters said: “Next question.” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (left) and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, pictured during Question Time in Parliament in April. Photo / Mark Mitchell Luxon didn’t back down from his comments following Haskel’s social media post, saying “they’re entitled to their view, we’re entitled to ours”. He disputed that he played down the horrors of the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel, saying that when he speaks on the issue, “the first thing out of my mouth is the abhorrence of what we saw on October 7″. But Luxon said he followed those remarks by saying he expected Israel to provide “unfettered” humanitarian aid and support. “We expect Israel to comply and make sure they’re protecting civilians as well. Go back and look at the record of my consistency in my statements.” Luxon said he was the Prime Minister who designated the entirety of Hamas as a terrorist organisation. “It’s one of the first things I did,” he said, speaking of his February 2024 decision a couple of months after forming the Government. Last week, the Government announced it would formally weigh up New Zealand’s position on the recognition of Palestine over the next month. Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in theNZ Heraldpress 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. In 2025, he was a finalist for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards. Tue, 19 Aug 2025 03:18:41 Z /news/politics/labour-mp-says-minister-s-error-over-secondary-school-teachers-pay-will-be-harmful/ /news/politics/labour-mp-says-minister-s-error-over-secondary-school-teachers-pay-will-be-harmful/ Labour’s education spokeswoman Willow-Jean Prime says incorrect claims by a Government minister over secondary school teachers’ pay are harmful and “hugely disrespectful”. On Monday, Public Service Minister Judith Collins apologised for “mixing the message” when previously claiming that secondary school teachers with 10 years’ experience get paid $147,000. Data provided by Collins’ own office shows just 1.8% of teachers earned more than $140,000. Collins apologised but stressed “the key point remains that teachers are not underpaid.” It comes as teachers prepare to strike tomorrow after rejecting the Government’s latest offer of a 1% annual increase over three years. Prime said these were “really sensitive times” and “misleading” statements damaged the sense of trust the public held in teachers. Labour list MP and education spokeswoman Willow-Jean Prime during Question Time in Parliament on August 12. Photo / Mark Mitchell “I think that it was really harmful, her comments, in the lead-up to the strikes ... to be spreading such misinformation about what teachers are actually earning. “It’s hugely disrespectful, and the teachers are really upset about it,” Prime said. In the hours after the union announced plans to strike, Collins and Stanford held a press conference at Parliament. Collins (incorrectly) said she thought on average a teacher with 10 years’ experience was paid about $140,000. She has since apologised for these verbal mixed messages. A press statement sent out around the same time stated the correct figures. Prime said that press conference “felt like a lot of gaslighting”. “I think that they are trying to create division between the teachers and the public. “And that’s why when there are figures that are used that are misleading, it is misinformation, it does a lot of damage to the trust and confidence that the teachers have, with government, but also that the public have.” ‘Stop having little tantrums’, Collins says of unions Speaking to reporters today, Collins reiterated that she had “mixed up her messages a bit” but the written statements were correct. It was “pretty clear” high school teachers were paid well, she said. “People can get after 10 years’ experience in picking up all the allowances available, up to $147,000 a year. That’s very clear,” Collins said. “I think what’s really upset the unions is that we’re actually putting some facts out there and they’d much rather just go straight to strike and not go to the bargaining table, and my comments are very clear – get to the bargaining table. Stop having little tantrums as the unions decide to do." Collins said the PPTA striking after only six days of bargaining without taking the offer of 1% a year for three years to members was appalling, disingenuous and a “political stunt” that would disrupt students as they prepared for important exams. The union said it did not take the offer to members because it was so far below their expectations and “what’s disingenuous – and deliberately disinformative – are the minister’s false claims about what teachers earn”. Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Tue, 19 Aug 2025 01:32:21 Z /news/politics/watch-live-education-minister-erica-stanford-releases-alarmingly-poor-literacy-data-for-kiwi-kids-as-writing-action-plan-launched/ /news/politics/watch-live-education-minister-erica-stanford-releases-alarmingly-poor-literacy-data-for-kiwi-kids-as-writing-action-plan-launched/ Less than a quarter of Year 8 students have a writing ability that meets the government benchmark, with just 24% at the expected standard and 61% of Year 8 students more than a Year behind, according to alarming new data published today. The baseline data collected in 2024 - prior to this year’s introduction of the new English curriculum and structured literacy supports - showed writing achievement declines as a child progresses through school. Education Minister Erica Stanford cited this new data this morning as she launched a “writing action plan” dubbed “make it write” to improve flagging scores in New Zealand schools. The Government announcement is due at 12.30pm today and will be livestreamed at the top of this article. At Year 3, 41% of students are at the expected benchmark, this falls to 33% by Year 6 and just 24% in Year 8. The data comes from the Curriculum Insights and Progress Study, established to monitor Year 3, 6 and 8 student progress against the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum. It is run by the University of Otago and the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. “Writing is a critical skill for learning, thinking, and communicating. We’ve already mandated the teaching of at least an hour a day of the basics, we’ve mandated structured literacy and introduced a world-leading English curriculum,” Stanford said. “From Term 1 next year, a new Writing Acceleration Tool will be available to support 120,000 Years 6–8 students who are below expected writing levels and won’t have the benefit of structured literacy from Year 1. “Teachers will be supported to deliver explicit teaching and will be able to monitor student progress in real time, adjusting how their teaching based on individual needs and responses to intervention,” Stanford said. Stanford said every Intermediate and Secondary School will be funded to train their own structured literacy intervention teacher. “This training will be tailored for older students and extends what is already available for those teaching in Years 0-6. “As requested by the sector, teachers will gain the skills needed to work with small groups of students who need targeted support, using structured, evidence-based approaches,” Stanford said. Education Minister Erica Stanford Brooklyn School, Wellington, as she launches the Government’s “Writing Action Plan” on August 19, 2025. NZ Herald photograph by Mark Mitchell There will also be new handwriting teacher guidance which will support explicit teaching from Years 0–8, aligned with the refreshed English curriculum. “This guidance will support cognitive development and memory retention at an early age, so students are fluent and confident when they write,” she said. Stanford said that the results out today give a snapshot of how we were doing before the reforms were in place. “What they show us, firstly, is that our maths results have stabilised, which is pleasing to see, but there is so much more to do. “So that’s why today I want to tell parents that when I see and when this government sees results like this, like we did with mathematics, like we did with reading, we act. “When we saw the poor reading results over many decades, that was our literacy guarantee at the election, and that’s all being rolled out with force this year.” NCEA abolished  Education appears to have led the Government’s agenda this month, with Stanford earlier revealing NCEA would be abolished and replaced with two new qualifications at Years 12 and 13.  The NCEA proposal, which is open for consultation until September before final decisions are made, represents the most significant update to secondary school assessments since NCEA was introduced more than two decades ago.  Under the new scheme, Year 11 students will face what is being called a “Foundational Skills Award” with a focus on literacy and numeracy. English and mathematics will be required subjects for students at this year level.  Year 12 and 13 students will seek to attain the New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE) respectively.  This will replace the current standards-based assessment system with a structured approach that requires students to take five subjects and pass at least four to receive the Year 12 and 13 certificates.  The assessments will have a clear “out of 100” marking system alongside A to E letter grades that the Government hopes will make sense to parents and students.  The Government will seek to implement the changes over the next five years alongside a refreshed curriculum. The Year 11 foundational award will be introduced from 2028, the Year 12 certificate in 2029, and the Year 13 certificate in 2030.  A discussion document about the change notes that the proposed moves do trade off some of the flexibility purposefully designed into NCEA “to address the credibility issues”.  “For example, there will be required subjects that students need to participate in at Year 11, and so schools will need to make sure students are doing these subjects. Students will also generally be required to take at least five subjects,” Stanford said earlier this month.  “Feedback is important to make sure the implications of reduced flexibility are understood, and so that the positive benefits of NCEA can be retained and strengthened.”  Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.  Tue, 19 Aug 2025 00:34:58 Z /news/politics/watch-prime-minister-christopher-luxon-and-minister-chris-penk-announce-construction-changes/ /news/politics/watch-prime-minister-christopher-luxon-and-minister-chris-penk-announce-construction-changes/ The Government wants to protect ratepayers by changing building liability settings so councils aren’t burdened with picking up the cost of defective work others are responsible for. It’s believed this change will help address “risk-aversion” amongst councils, which the Government says are “hesitant to sign off on building consents and inspections because they could be held liable for all defects, leaving ratepayers to foot the bill”. This is part of what is being described by Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk as the biggest change to the building consent regime since it came into force in 2004 and an attempt to clear “blockages” in the current system. Penk also announced councils will be able to voluntarily consolidate their Building Consent Authorities’ (BCAs) functions to streamline paperwork and share resources. The Government’s also exploring home warranty schemes for buildings. “New Zealand’s sluggish consenting system is delaying projects and driving up costs, making the average standalone house here 50% more expensive to build than in Australia,” he said. “We must eliminate system blockages to speed up the delivery of new homes and infrastructure.” Under the current liability scheme, councils could be held liable for defects if one of the parties responsible cannot pay for repairs, such as when a business goes bust. “Currently, building owners can claim full compensation from any responsible party – and it’s often councils, with the deepest pockets and no option to walk away, that end up paying out.” He said this “risk-aversion” leads to delays and extra cost. “A case in Queenstown shows the scale of this issue. In 2015, the Oaks Shores body corporate filed a $160 million claim for weathertight defects. The developer had been placed into voluntary liquidation and was not sued, leaving ratepayers exposed to the entire claim. “If the case hadn’t been settled privately, ratepayers could have faced rates increases of $300 a year for 30 years.” To address this, the Government will scrap the current framework – known as joint or several liability – and replace it with what it says is proportionate liability. “Under this new model, each party will only be responsible for the share of work they carried out,” he said. “Building owners will be protected if things go wrong and we’re exploring options such as requiring professional indemnity insurance and home warranties, similar to arrangements in Australia.” The Government is set to make the biggest changes to the Building Act in two decades. Photo / Bevan Conley The Government is investigating whether to require home warranties for certain building projects – with an option to opt out – or potentially requiring professional indemnity insurance. It doesn’t believe this lets the council off the hook completely, but simply means they won’t be accountable for others’ mistakes. For example, they will still carry the same share of responsibility for processing consent applications, carrying out inspections and issuing Code Compliance Certificates. Also confirmed today is that councils will be able to voluntarily consolidate their BCAs’ functions with each other, an idea that has been previously mooted. “It is ridiculous builders, designers and homeowners must navigate 66 different interpretations of the Building Code, because of the number of council BCAs across the country,” Penk said. “Builders can be rejected on paperwork that would be accepted by a neighbouring authority simply because each BCA applies the rules differently.” Penk believed councils will “seize the opportunity”, allowing them to “share resources like building inspectors and IT systems, and pass the savings on to ratepayers”. “Clearing blockages in the building consent system to make it easier and more affordable to build is an important part of this Government’s economic growth plan. “We know the sector is behind us. New Zealand Certified Builders have said that this is the most significant change for the building industry in a generation, that it has been a long time coming and the change is welcomed by the industry.” These changes will be made by amending the Building Act 2004. A bill is expected to be introduced to Parliament early next year. Mon, 18 Aug 2025 03:50:56 Z /news/politics/trying-to-gaslight-nz-prime-minister-says-chris-hipkins-should-be-accountable-attend-inquiry/ /news/politics/trying-to-gaslight-nz-prime-minister-says-chris-hipkins-should-be-accountable-attend-inquiry/ Christopher Luxon has claimed Labour leader Chris Hipkins is trying to “politically gaslight” New Zealanders by not appearing at the Covid-19 Inquiry. The Prime Minister faced questions on 九一星空无限talk ZB this morning after an eventful week in which he registered one of his worst polls as Prime Minister. It also comes as the previous government ministers refused to give evidence in a public session as part of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of the ministers have already given information privately. Luxon told 九一星空无限talk ZB’s Mike Hosking that he would appear at the Covid-19 inquiry if he was called. “I think New Zealanders have gone through a huge amount of suffering. Those former ministers [and] Prime Ministers should show up at that inquiry. “I get what they’re trying to do. If you’re Hipkins, you’re trying to politically gaslight the country and say you had nothing to do with that record.” Hosking asked Luxon whether he agreed with former Minister of Finance Grant Robertson, who called the inquiry “a show trial”. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon during a recent media standup. Photo / Mark Mitchell “I disagree. I think it’s something called accountability, and I think showing up and actually giving the justification for why you took the actions you did that ultimately, I think, made the cost of living worse.” A minute from the commission last week confirmed Dame Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson and Dr Ayesha Verrall had refused to front up publicly. “Politically, if you’re Chris Hipkins, you want to get out from under the rock, which is your last record when you were in government, where the economy got worse, law and order got worse, health and education got worse. “Hipkins and Verrall are making a case they want to lead the country again, and I think it’ll be a disaster, but I think they should at least show up, and actually front.” Hosking also asked Luxon about Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s “bed tax” idea. Brown recently said introducing a bed night levy would deliver immediate stimulus by boosting tourism and attracting major events to Auckland. “There’s no reason the Government couldn’t make a bed night levy an urgent priority and have it in place by next year,” Brown said. “The sector supports it and so do most Aucklanders.” Luxon said a bed tax is “an interesting idea”, but wouldn’t be considered for the near future. “I’m more worried about just adding a new tax. Now is not the time for a tax, we have to get the show growing and growth is really where we’ve got to focus on. “It’s not something we’re going to look at this term, it’s not something we’re considering at all.” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown, during a recent Auckland City Rail Link train test. Photo / Michael Craig Auckland Business Chamber chief executive Simon Bridges urged the Government to take stronger action to stimulate the economy in the Super City and beyond, amid rising unemployment. According to the latest Stats NZ data released last week, Auckland’s 6.1% unemployment rate for the June 2025 quarter was the highest of any region and above the national rate of 5.2%, which has climbed to a near five-year high. “It’s pretty grim... it’s very, very tough in Auckland,” said Bridges, who is also a former National Party leader. The bleak state of Auckland’s economy was underscored by a Herald story this month showing a 6.6% drop in card spending in the central city between April and May 2024 and the same period in 2025. The picture was even starker on Karangahape Rd, where spending plunged by 22.5%. Sun, 17 Aug 2025 22:11:44 Z /news/politics/exclusive-seymour-asked-ministry-to-look-into-removing-bike-helmet-requirements/ /news/politics/exclusive-seymour-asked-ministry-to-look-into-removing-bike-helmet-requirements/ Minister for Regulation David Seymour asked his ministry for advice about the benefits of removing cycling helmet requirements, 九一星空无限talk ZB can confirm. The Ministry for Regulation told Seymour the risks of removing the requirements would outweigh any benefits, and it was determined no further action was taken. Documents on the matter have been released to 九一星空无限talk ZB under the Official Information Act, including advice which warned removing the helmet mandate would lead to more deaths. A regulatory response issue, sent to Seymour’s senior ministerial advisor from the Ministry for Regulation, went in depth about the current requirements. It confirmed his office asked for advice about “the potential risks and benefits of removing the requirement for helmets to be worn on bicycles.” Bike helmets have been mandatory in New Zealand since 1994. Not wearing one carries a fine of $55. Data quoted by the Ministry for Regulation found following that mandate, adult helmet use in New Zealand rose from 43% in 1993 to 92% the year after. Initial analysis undertaken by the ministry recommended the risks outweigh any benefits of removing bike helmet requirements, with Seymour provided numerous reasons as to why. Ministry officials first pointed out it did not believe there would be a material increase in the uptake of cycling by removing the bike helmet mandate. The document stated while cycling has declined since the 1990s, several factors including increased car ownership, urban planning, and a lack of cycling infrastructure contributed to this. Officials noted many countries did not have mandates for helmets in place, including countries with high rates of bike use and strong safety records, such as the Netherlands. It was determined the Netherlands’ example could not be a direct comparison to New Zealand, as the Ministry for Regulation noted they “invest significantly” in cycling infrastructure and other safety measures. The response to Seymour’s office also added while there would be health benefits to increasing cycling, and fewer congestion problems, the increase would not be “significant enough” to have a material impact on either. The issue of fatalities and severe head injuries was also raised by the Ministry for Regulation, which stated helmets are “generally low cost and highly effective at preventing serious injury and death from cycling accidents.” “There has been a significant decline in serious injuries and fatalities since a regulatory helmet mandate was introduced in New Zealand,” advice read. “The Ministry considers that removing the helmet mandate would likely lead to an increase in serious injuries and fatalities as a result of cycling accidents. As well as personal, family and societal costs, this would lead to increased health care and long-term ACC scheme costs. As outlined above, we do not think there would be any material benefits‚” officials said. Data was provided which proved cycling helmets had been “consistently shown to be effective” in reducing the severity of head injuries. Since helmets were mandated in New Zealand, it was found the number of serious injuries and fatalities both decreased markedly. Officials added a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the topic would’ve taken 12 weeks, and would divert resources from other areas of work. Advice deemed the cost of the bike itself, rather than a helmet, was deemed the main cost barrier for people cycling. The regulatory response ended saying: “based on this initial analysis, the Ministry considers that further work on this issue carries risks.” It expected any further analysis would find the benefits of mandating helmets outweigh the costs. When asked to comment on the matter, David Seymour told 九一星空无限talk ZB his office asked the ministry to provide some quick advice into the effectiveness of the regulations, saying “this is an issue raised with me from time to time.” “In any case, the Ministry advised bike helmet regulations are appropriate, and having considered the advice, I agree. No further action was or will be taken,” Seymour confirmed. Azaria Howell is a multimedia reporter working from Parliament’s press gallery. She joined 九一星空无限 in 2022 and became a 九一星空无限talk ZB political reporter in late 2024, with a keen interest in public service agency reform and government spending. Sun, 17 Aug 2025 17:00:34 Z /news/politics/covid-19-inquiry-kiwis-disagree-with-jacinda-ardern-chris-hipkins-not-fronting-public-hearing-poll-results-show/ /news/politics/covid-19-inquiry-kiwis-disagree-with-jacinda-ardern-chris-hipkins-not-fronting-public-hearing-poll-results-show/ New Zealanders disagree with former Labour ministers refusing to give evidence in a public session as part of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic.  A minute from the commission this week confirmed Dame Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson and Dr Ayesha Verrall had refused to front up publicly.  The Herald has obtained the results of a snap poll by Curia Market Research for the Taxpayers’ Union on the issue.  The poll was undertaken on Thursday and Friday, with 500 respondents who were contactable through an online panel. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4%, higher than normal political polls that measure party support.  Participants were told that the former ministers had refused to give evidence in a public session as part of the commission’s inquiry.  “They have said they will only give evidence at sessions which are not open to the public. Do you agree or disagree with the decision of the former ministers to refuse to give evidence in a public session to the royal commission?” the pollster asked.  The results show more than half – 53% – of respondents disagreed, 28% agreed and 19% were unsure.  A report on the results goes into detail about the demographics of those who agreed, disagreed and didn’t know. However, these have a higher margin of error.  A majority of National, Act, NZ First and Te Pāti Māori voters disagreed with the decision.  Of Labour voters, 43% agreed, 36% disagreed and 21% were unsure. The report emphasises a “large” margin of error for these subgroups.  Taxpayers’ Union head of communications Victoria Relf said the inquiry relates to “the most significant public policy decisions of our lifetime”.  “Very clearly New Zealanders expect those decision-makers to justify those decisions in a public hearing, as many world leaders in other democracies have already done. Accountability is mute when it’s behind closed doors.”  Former Prime Ministers Dame Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins say they won't give evidence publicly. Photo / Jed Bradley  This is the second phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry and relates to the period of February 2021 to October 2022. It has a focus on vaccines, including the use of mandates and vaccine safety, lockdowns such as the one in Auckland in late 2021, and the use of public health tools.  It had scheduled a public hearing this month to hear from so-called “decision-makers”, such as Government ministers, public servants and advisers.  The commission summarised three reasons for Ardern, Hipkins, Robertson and Verrall declining the invitation to appear publicly.  These concerns included a convention former ministers are interviewed privately and to depart from this may undermine public confidence, that the foursome had already attended interviews and answered questions, and the recording of public hearings could be “manipulated”.  The royal commission considered going forward with the hearing without them, using its legal powers to compel the Labour figures to appear, or not proceeding with the hearings and using other means to gather evidence.  In making its determination, the minute notes the commission believed the public being able to see the former ministers questioned “would significantly enhance public confidence in our processes”.  The commission also did not accept the argument that having former ministers appear publicly would undermine public confidence, noting this has happened before commissions of inquiry in New Zealand and overseas.  “Looking at the options now before us, however, we consider that proceeding with a ‘decision-makers’ hearing in the absence of the central decision-makers could undermine the public confidence that would otherwise be achieved by hearing evidence in public.”  The commission said the former ministers had provided a “significant amount of information” privately, answered a wide array of questions and had agreed to answer more.  “There is additional information we need from former ministers and from other witnesses we invited to the hearing, including about the reasoning and advice behind several key decisions, not specifically covered in interviews to date.”  It did not believe proceeding without the former ministers would be an efficient process to obtain that remaining evidence.  “We also consider that compelling the former ministers to attend a hearing would risk a more adversarial situation than putting the remaining questions to them at further interviews. Our terms of reference direct us to operate in a way that does not take a legalistic and adversarial approach.”  The commission also dismissed concerns about recordings being manipulated, saying this reflected risks within a modern communications environment.  “Few public hearings are immune to misrepresentation or misuse by those intent on it. It is also relevant that the former ministers are public figures whose images widely appear in the media in other contexts. In our view, these risks do not, on their own, outweigh the benefits of having a public hearing.”  The commission in the end decided proceeding without the Labour figures was not justified and said it was not hampered to obtain information in other ways.  “We need to be clear that the refusal of former ministers in this case to attend the public hearing is not a refusal to provide information, just to answer questions at a public hearing.”  The Labour foursome who have refused to front the public hearings. Photo / Mark Mitchell  Hipkins, the current Labour leader, has done numerous media interviews in the past few days since the minute was published. Verrall has also spoken to 九一星空无限talk ZB and defended her decision along similar lines to her boss.  Hipkins said he answered every question put before him and believed he was not hiding from scrutiny.  “I have provided written evidence to the inquiry, I answered every question they had and I attended the interview they scheduled for me. They asked for two hours, but they ran out of questions after an hour.”  Also the former Covid-19 Response Minister, Hipkins said he speaks with media most days and is always open to answering questions about his actions during the pandemic.  Hipkins denied any suggestion of collusion with Ardern.  “She is still a very close friend of mine. We have people representing us in common, but any suggestion we colluded with this is wrong.”  The governing parties, which set up this phase of the inquiry, have been critical of the public no-show.  “Hipkins and co loved the limelight at 1pm every day,” said Act’s David Seymour. “They wielded extraordinary powers over citizens’ lives, dismissing those who questioned them as uncaring. Now they’re refusing to even show up, what a contrast.”  NZ First leader Winston Peters said: “These former ministers do not want to sit in a public hearing and answer the hard questions that every New Zealander deserves to know.”  Judith Collins, who was National Party leader for much of the pandemic response, was also critical.  “I think it’d be a little bit rude to say entirely gutless and hypocritical, but maybe not. I mean, honestly ... 1pm podium of truth. Well, where the hell are they now?  “I just imagine what would be being said if the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon tried to pull that stunt. And all this nonsense about ‘people might be mean to us on social media’. Oh, well, you know, have a look at what people do to the rest of us.”  Hipkins has previously taken issue with this phase of the inquiry excluding the period in which NZ First was in power with Labour.  “I think the terms of reference have been deliberately constructed to achieve a particular outcome, particularly around providing a platform for those who have conspiracy theorist views.”  A spokesperson for Ardern told RNZ she had co-operated fully by providing extensive evidence, including through a three-hour interview.  “The commission’s work is important and she will continue supporting them in reaching their terms of reference.”  Robertson, who was Finance Minister at the time, said he had given more than two hours of testimony but was concerned about the precedent appearing in public may create.  “I feel we have been accountable: I have given extensive evidence to both phases of the inquiry,” he told the Otago Daily Times.  The inquiry is due to report back at the end of February 2026. The decision not to proceed with a hearing is not expected to impact that timeline.  Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the 九一星空无限hub press gallery office. In 2025, he was a finalist for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.  Fri, 15 Aug 2025 20:19:38 Z /news/politics/top-seeks-new-leader-in-public-job-ad-for-2026-election-bid/ /news/politics/top-seeks-new-leader-in-public-job-ad-for-2026-election-bid/ The Opportunities Party (Top) is seeking a new party leader, according to a recent public job ad. Uploaded to the job search site Seek late last night, the ad, entitled “Political Party Leader”, gives a taste of what candidates could expect from the role. “Feeling like everyday Kiwis get a raw deal from politics-as-usual?” the ad asks. Whether a PhD holder, a builder, or a nurse, the party is seeking someone who can “handle the heat without melting”. The prospective leader will need to be open-minded, considering different opinions “without taking disagreement personally”. According to a Stuff report, Top’s campaign manager, Iain Lees-Galloway, emailed party members to announce the search. “We’re looking for someone who is comfortable being front and centre without making everything about themselves.” The job ad for the vacant position of Top leader was put up this week. Image / Seek A spokesperson for Top told Stuff the ad’s humorous wording is "absolutely intentional”. “We’re a different party, nothing like the ones in Parliament, and we want to attract different people to apply for the role.” Top was founded by Kiwi philanthropist Gareth Morgan in 2016, a fairly controversial figure in New Zealand politics. A self-declared cat hater, he campaigned for the extermination of domestic cats before becoming a politician. He failed to win an electorate seat in his time as party leader and was at the centre of several contentious incidents. During his 2017 electoral campaign, Morgan tweeted that Labour leader and eventual Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern should prove she is “more than lipstick on a pig”. The tweet caused internal tensions in the party, leading to Dr Jenny Condie’s resignation. After Morgan eventually quit the party in 2019, Geoff Simmons led a similarly unsuccessful 2020 electoral campaign. The last known Top leader is Raf Manji, who stepped down after the 2023 election. The ad makes it clear the party plans to return in the upcoming 2026 election. Top has never made it into Parliament, receiving less than the MMP threshold of 5% in the 2017, 2020, and 2023 elections. The party won one local seat in 2022, when John Dennison was elected to the Featherston Community Board. Fri, 15 Aug 2025 04:23:42 Z /news/politics/intrusive-behaviour-govt-outlawing-disruptive-protests-outside-people-s-homes/ /news/politics/intrusive-behaviour-govt-outlawing-disruptive-protests-outside-people-s-homes/ The Government is introducing a new offence for disruptively protesting outside people’s homes. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said there had been a recent increase in reports of disruptive demonstrations outside private residences, particularly the homes of MPs, judges and other public officials. “We intend to stop this intrusive behaviour, while protecting the public’s right to demonstrate in a reasonable manner.” The new law would consider factors such as the time of day, duration, the actions of protesters, noise levels and distance to the premises. “The public’s ability to demonstrate is a cornerstone of our free and democratic society. It is a key way for citizens to express themselves and engage in political activity,” Goldsmith said. However, people should also be able to expect peace and privacy in their own home, regardless of their daytime job, he said. “The ability to protest is protected under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and that will not change. “All rights are subject to reasonable limitations. This new offence is such a reasonable limitation and provides a good balance of the interests involved.” He said the new law would be “tightly targeted” and prohibit unreasonable disruptions for residents. It would only apply to demonstrations directed at a person in their home. “Just as we value the right to protest, privacy is also a key value of our society. Unreasonable intrusions into people’s privacy are simply unacceptable.” The maximum penalty for breaking the new law is three months in jail or a fine of up to $2000 Fri, 15 Aug 2025 03:19:39 Z /news/politics/kiwirail-settles-with-hyundai-over-cancelled-ferries-with-144-million-payment/ /news/politics/kiwirail-settles-with-hyundai-over-cancelled-ferries-with-144-million-payment/ KiwiRail has settled with Hyundai Mipo Dockyard with a $144 million final payment following the cancellation of the Project iRex ferries.  In a press statement, Rail Minister Winston Peters was highly critical of previous media reporting that predicted a much larger figure for cancelling the contract for two large ships.  The decision to ditch Project iRex was among the first made by the Government after its formation in late 2023.  A procurement process has been under way for new ferries to be delivered by 2029, led by the Government’s new Ferry Holdings company.  “Doomsayers said cancelling the contract would cost the taxpayer the full $551m contract value,” he said.  “But these are some of the same people who accepted Project iReX ballooning from $1.45 billion when approved in 2021 to Treasury warning it was on course to $4b in 2023 thanks to eyes-bigger-than-their-mouths ambitions and absentee management. Even their criticisms blew out.”  He said the net $144m payment covered costs incurred by Hyundai and its global suppliers, and was fair given the decision to cancel Project iRex “was never a reflection on Hyundai”.  “As $300m was originally provisioned to cover the potential cost of exiting iReX commitments, including settling the contract with Hyundai, more funding is now available for other government projects.”  Rail Minister Winston Peters said the cancellation was not a reflection on Hyundai. Photo / Mark Mitchell  Ferry Holdings’ engagement with shipbuilders for new ferries is “progressing well”, said Peters, as is work on infrastructure at Picton and Wellington.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis said the forecast cost of the previous project had increased significantly by the time it was cancelled in December 2023. This was largely down to increases in the landside infrastructure costs.  “No government should be advised of billion-dollar blowouts in a major infrastructure programme upon being elected, as was the case after the 2023 general election.  “I am pleased that a more pragmatic solution is now in place that will ensure a safe, reliable Cook Strait service at an affordable price.”  Last month, Peters announced agreements had been met with CentrePort, Port Marlborough and KiwiRail on the infrastructure scope.  “This is not our first regatta, as this no-nonsense infrastructure focus is what was supposed to happen in 2020 until poor management and a lack of oversight allowed iReX to blow out. We will save the taxpayer billions through our disciplined approach.  “The agreements entered into effectively mean the ports and KiwiRail are in, boots and all, with Cabinet’s preferred low-cost option.  “The focus of the agreements is primarily about the marine infrastructure. In Picton, new wharves and linkspans will be built while in Wellington we will be maximising the use of the existing Aratere infrastructure by modifying and strengthening the existing wharf to suit new ferries for the next 30 years and building a new linkspan.”  He said there was minimal scope for improvements to the yards.  Thu, 14 Aug 2025 23:59:21 Z /news/politics/contract-for-wellington-s-golden-mile-work-won-t-be-signed-before-election/ /news/politics/contract-for-wellington-s-golden-mile-work-won-t-be-signed-before-election/ The future of Wellington’s controversial $116 million Golden Mile project is uncertain after revelations that the key contract is not expected to be signed until after October’s election. Wellington City councillors have been updated on the work at a briefing this morning. The long-debated project is shaping up to be a key election issue, with many of the mayoral candidates campaigning on scrapping or pausing the work. Council transport and infrastructure manager Brad Singh said this morning that the contract was expected to be signed in November. He also revealed that, when the final costing and design were completed in February this year, the project was $20m over budget. Wellington City Council's design for the Golden Mile on Courtenay Place. Image / WCC It has since been worked through and scoped back, with changes to pavement design, underground works, and reducing traffic management costs, but the final cost has yet to be established with the contractor. The project’s current price for the full work is $116m, but the council has budgeted for a potential rise to $139m, which includes contingency. The cost will be shared by the New Zealand Transport Agency and the council paying 51% and 49% respectively, but control of the project has been brought in-house. Singh told councillors the budget was initially locked in when the design was only 60% completed, but the council did not realise how far off the design was when it was handed over from Let’s Get Wellington Moving in December 2023. Asked by outgoing councillor Iona Pannett whether the project could still be scrapped by a future council, Singh said “that is always a possibility”. Wellington City Council transport and infrastructure manager Brad Singh. File photo / Mark Mitchell He also noted the challenges faced by his staff working on contract negotiations throughout the many failed attempts by councillors to pause the project. “It has not been easy for council officers to run a project like this in the environment where there’s a stop-start,” he said. “Our contractors are very astute, they know what they’re doing, and at times it feels like you’re in the boxing ring with one hand tied behind your back and facing Mike Tyson.” The work on the Courtenay Place phase of the project is planned to be completed in 2029 if implemented without delays, at a cost of about $43m. The current work being undertaken at the Kent and Cambridge Terrace intersection with Courtenay Place is on track to be completed in November and on budget at only $4m. Many of the candidates running for the mayoralty, including current councillor Ray Chung and Courtenay Place business owner Karl Tiefenbacher, say that, if elected, they would scrap the project. Labour candidate Andrew Little said that, while he believed the project was a “good idea”, he was concerned about the cost and potential disruption to businesses. “If elected in October, I’ll want to run my ruler over the budgets and the construction work programme.” Flyover footage was released in February, showing what the final design could bring to Courtenay Place. It includes removing private vehicles during daytime, a cycleway running down one side of the street, widened footpaths, new public seating and outdoor dining spaces. There would be more trees and rain gardens that did not need watering and which were designed to filter rainwater before it entered the harbour. Wellington City Council has released its design for the Golden Mile on Courtenay Place. Image / WCC The Golden Mile runs from Lambton Quay to Willis St, Manners St and eventually Courtenay Place. Wellingtonians have been consulted on the future of this part of the city five times in the past decade. The project was initially part of the ill-fated $7.4 billion Let’s Get Wellington Moving (LGWM) transport plan. The entire stretch of the Golden Mile was to be revamped under LGWM. The National Party promised during its last election campaign to scrap LGWM. After the election, there was much anticipation over whether a contract for the Golden Mile could be signed before coalition talks concluded. A contract was never signed, and the new Government scrapped LGWM. However, the council managed to salvage the Golden Mile project by bringing it in-house. It then had to compete with other projects funded by the council’s strained budget and survive further attempts to kill it. To save money, councillors agreed to go ahead with work on Courtenay Place and to defer work on the rest. Singh is leaving Wellington City Council next week after six years for a job on the executive leadership team of the Western Bay of Plenty District Council as infrastructure manager. At the end of the briefing, councillors thanked him for all his work on the project to date, with some applauding and giving him a standing ovation. Ethan Manera is a New Zealand Herald journalist based in Wellington. He joined 九一星空无限 in 2023 as a broadcast journalist with 九一星空无限talk ZB and is interested in local issues, politics, and property in the capital. He can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz. Thu, 14 Aug 2025 02:52:34 Z /news/politics/chris-hipkins-defends-decision-to-skip-covid-19-royal-commission-inquiry-public-hearings/ /news/politics/chris-hipkins-defends-decision-to-skip-covid-19-royal-commission-inquiry-public-hearings/ Labour leader and former Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says appearing at the second set of public hearings for the Covid-19 Royal Commission would be an unprecedented move that risks subjecting him and other witnesses to a torrent of abuse.  National minister Judith Collins has slammed the decision by former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern not to front as “gutless and hypocritical”.  In an interview this morning, 九一星空无限talk ZB’s Mike Hosking asked Hipkins about his and Ardern’s decision not to attend the hearings. Hipkins revealed global law firm Dentons had advised the former Labour leadership there were two issues with appearing.  “One was that no ministers had previously done this, and that it would create a precedent if we did so,” Hipkins said.  “The second thing they raised was concerns about the fact that people who had already appeared publicly before the Royal Commission had been the subject of significant abuse.  “And that is a concern that the... Royal Commission themselves, have acknowledged in the decision that they took yesterday.”  Hipkins said it’s never been past practice for ministers to stand before public hearings, citing the Christchurch earthquake and 2019 mosque shootings as examples.  Labour Leader Chris Hipkins discussed his decision not to attend Covid hearings. Photo / Dean Purcell  “The practice the current Royal Commission are following is the practice every Royal Commission in New Zealand’s history has followed.”  While Hipkins said he’s already “answered every question” the Royal Commission had, Hosking questioned whether this meant he and the other key witnesses had heeded Dentons’ “spin”.  “I just set out what their advice to me was,” replied Hipkins.  Hosking pressed Hipkins for clarity over whether Dentons’ advice was that appearing at the hearings publicly “might not go well” for him, but he said he was not in a position to comment on the matter.  “There are issues relating to the safety of individuals around the Covid-19 response and public commentary on it that the courts have indicated I cannot comment on or anyone, including you, cannot comment on.”  With Hipkins refusing to share more, Hosking asked whether the public deserves to hear Ardern speak, which Hipkins rebutted as a question for Ardern, not him.  “She doesn’t talk to New Zealand media anymore apart from when she’s promoting a book,” Hosking replied.  Speaking to Ryan Bridge this morning on Herald NOW, National minister Judith Collins was scathing about Ardern refusing to front.  “I think it’d be a little bit rude to say entirely gutless and hypocritical, but maybe not. I mean, honestly ... 1pm podium of truth. Well, where the hell are they now?  “I just imagine what would be being said if the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon tried to pull that stunt.  “And all this nonsense about ‘people might be mean to us on social media’. Oh, well, you know, have a look at what people do to the rest of us.”  The second tranche of hearings was called off after key witnesses, including Ardern, refused to appear.  Witnesses, including Hipkins and former ministers Grant Robertson and Ayesha Verrall, are still co-operating with the inquiry.  In June last year, a “phase two” of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Covid-19 Lessons was established by the National-led coalition Government.  It was scheduled to take place after the original inquiry set up under the previous Labour Government, which ministers have already appeared before in private.  Chairman Grant Illingworth has the power to summon people to appear before the inquiry, but said he would not use it on Ardern and the other ministers as there weren’t any grounds for it.  “On balance, we are of the view that a summons is undesirable, given that the former ministers continue to co-operate with the evidence-gathering of the inquiry.  “It is our opinion that the use of summonses to achieve their participation at a public hearing would be legalistic and adversarial, which our terms of reference prohibit,” Illingworth said.  He said he still believed public hearings would enhance public confidence in the inquiry’s processes by enabling the public to see former ministers, who have critical insights into the pandemic response, questioned in public.  Hipkins, appearing on Herald NOW last month, said he had issues with the way the second phase of the Royal Commission had been set up, particularly the decision to exclude from consideration the years that NZ First was governing with Labour.  “The fact that the [Royal Commission] terms of reference specifically exclude decisions made when NZ First were part of the [Labour-led coalition] Government … I think the terms of reference have been deliberately constructed to achieve a particular outcome, particularly around providing a platform for those who have conspiracy theorist views.  “That seems to have been specifically written into the terms of reference that they get maximum airtime.”  Grant Illingworth, KC, chairman of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic response, is leading the investigation into how the Government managed the crisis. Photo / Covid-19 inquiry via RNZ  Objections of Ardern and the other ministers, published in a minute of the inquiry, included the convention that ministers and former ministers are interviewed by inquiries in private, and departing from that convention would undermine confidence.  They were also concerned that the livestreaming and publication of recordings of the hearing creates a risk of those recordings being “tampered with, manipulated or otherwise misused”, a risk the inquiry “ought to have foreseen and planned for”.  Other witnesses raised concerns that providing evidence at public hearings might bring risks of abuse being directed at them and their families.  Hipkins is standing firm on the witnesses’ decision.  “We have shown up to the inquiry, I have shown up to the inquiry. I have been interviewed by them twice,” he told reporters yesterday.  “I have provided written evidence to the inquiry, I answered every question they had and I attended the interview they scheduled for me.  “They asked for two hours, but they ran out of questions after an hour.”  Hipkins said he did not co-ordinate his approach with Ardern and would not speak on behalf of her.  “She is still a very close friend of mine. We have people representing us in common, but any suggestion we colluded with this is wrong.”  Wed, 13 Aug 2025 21:01:46 Z /news/politics/former-prime-minister-dame-jacinda-ardern-and-other-ministers-refuse-to-appear-in-public-before-royal-commission-but-continue-to-co-operate/ /news/politics/former-prime-minister-dame-jacinda-ardern-and-other-ministers-refuse-to-appear-in-public-before-royal-commission-but-continue-to-co-operate/ The second set of public hearings for the Covid-19 Royal Commission has been axed after key witnesses, including former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern, refused to appear. Those witnesses, including Labour leader Chris Hipkins and former ministers Grant Robertson and Ayesha Verrall, continue to co-operate with the inquiry. The National-led coalition Government decided in June last year to establish a “phase two” of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Covid-19 Lessons, to take place after the completion of the original inquiry set up under the previous Labour Government. Chair Grant Illingworth has the power to summons people to appear before the inquiry, but said he would not use it on Ardern and the other ministers. “On balance we are of the view that a summons is undesirable, given that the former ministers continue to co-operate with the evidence-gathering of the inquiry. Grant Illingworth KC, chair of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic response, is leading the investigation into how the government managed the crisis. Photo / Covid 19 inquiry via RNZ “It is our opinion that the use of summonses to achieve their participation at a public hearing would be legalistic and adversarial, which our terms of reference prohibit,” Illingworth said. He said he still believed public hearings would enhance public confidence in the inquiry’s processes by enabling the public to see former ministers – who have critical insights into the pandemic response – questioned in public. A minute, published by the inquiry, recorded the objections of Ardern and the other ministers. These objections included the convention that ministers and former ministers are interviewed by inquiries in private, and departing from that convention would undermine confidence. They were also concerned that the livestreaming and publication of recordings of the hearing creates a risk of those recordings being “tampered with, manipulated or otherwise misused”, a risk which the inquiry “ought to have foreseen and planned for”. Other witnesses raised concerns that providing evidence at public hearings might bring risks of abuse being directed at them and their families. This afternoon, Hipkins affirmed he was not hiding from the hearings. “We have shown up to the enquiry, I have shown up to the enquiry. I have been interviewed by them twice,” he told reporters during a standup. “I have provided written evidence to the enquiry, I answered every question they had and I attended the interview they scheduled for me. “They asked for two hours, but they ran out of questions after an hour.” Hipkins said he did not coordinate his approach with Ardern. “She is still a very close friend of mine. We have people representing us in common, but any suggestion we colluded with this is wrong.” He said it was inappropriate for him to speak on behalf of Ardern. ‘Deserve the basic respect of accountability’ National MP Chris Bishop accuses Hipkins of running from his record. “Fresh from fobbing off Treasury’s report into Labour’s spending, [he] is avoiding accountability by refusing to front up to the Royal Commission,” he said. “By first dismissing Treasury’s report and now refusing to front, Chris Hipkins is telling New Zealanders he does not care about the effects his decisions have had on Kiwis.” Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said Ardern, Verrall and Hipkins’ refusal to publicly appear before the commission was a change from “invading our living rooms daily”. “Hipkins and co loved the limelight at 1pm every day. They wielded extraordinary powers over citizens’ lives, dismissing those who questioned them as uncaring. Now they’re refusing to even show up, what a contrast,” he said. “Tens of thousands of New Zealanders have already engaged with the inquiry, sharing experiences of how their lives were upended. “They deserve the basic respect of accountability,” Seymour said. ‘Conspiracy theorist views’ Last month, in a brief statement, a spokesperson said Ardern will provide evidence to assist the commission “in meeting its terms of reference”. “We are in discussions about the best way for this to occur. “She is also happy for the commission to access her previous testimony from RC1 [Commission of Inquiry first stage].” Hipkins, appearing on Herald NOW last month, said he had issues with the way the second phase of the Royal Commission had been set up, particularly the decision to exclude from consideration the years that NZ First was governing with Labour. “The fact that the [Royal Commission] terms of reference specifically exclude decisions made when NZ First were part of the [Labour-led coalition] Government … I think the terms of reference have been deliberately constructed to achieve a particular outcome, particularly around providing a platform for those who have conspiracy theorist views. “That seems to have been specifically written into the terms of reference that they get maximum airtime.” Wed, 13 Aug 2025 03:18:32 Z /news/politics/prime-minister-christopher-luxon-condemns-israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-says-he-s-lost-the-plot/ /news/politics/prime-minister-christopher-luxon-condemns-israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-says-he-s-lost-the-plot/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost the plot” and has condemned attacks on Gaza. It is among the strongest language the New Zealand leader has made against Netanyahu and comes amid reports of intense aerial attacks on Gaza following Israel’s decision to launch a fresh military operation. A statement this week from The Elders, an independent group of global leaders including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, said there is an “unfolding genocide” occurring in Gaza. Clark and former Irish President Mary Robinson have just visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Palestinian territory. Labour leader Chris Hipkins told the Herald “unfolding genocide” was a “good description” of the situation. He explained that politicians shouldn’t appoint themselves “judge and jury”, but there was a case to be answered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Asked by the Herald whether he agreed with that description, Luxon said what is happening in Gaza is “utterly, utterly appalling”. “I think Netanyahu has gone way too far. I think he has lost the plot. What we are seeing overnight, the attack on Gaza City, is utterly, utterly unacceptable,” he said. Luxon said the Israeli Prime Minister is “not listening to the international community”. He said he had been “consistent” in his language and said the current military actions was “driving more human catastrophe across Gaza”. New Zealand had limited trade to Israel and connection there, but “we have stood up for values”. Luxon reiterated that any attempt by Israel at annexation would likely breach international law. When he was pressed on the gravity of saying another leader had lost the plot, Luxon said: “I am telling you what my personal view is.” “As a human being, looking at the situation, that is how I feel about it.” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was extremely critical of Netanyahu. Photo / Mark Mitchell Act leader David Seymour said it was up to the ICJ to decide about claims of genocide. “They have said it may be likely, but they haven’t said that it is. Unless Chris Hipkins knows something more than the ICJ, I am not sure,” he said. He questioned what you actually do about that. Seymour emphasised the Government was wanting to make a “sane, sober” decision on the question of Palestinian statehood “in full knowledge of the facts”. Labour’s Hipkins said “we have an obligation to prevent genocide, and I don’t think you can do that if you don’t name an unfolding genocide”. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this week said Netanyahu was “in denial”. “I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu. He, again, reiterated to me what he has said publicly as well – which is to be in denial about the consequences that are occurring for innocent people," he told the ABC. According to the Times of Israel, Netanyahu on Sunday rejected allegations of a genocide, saying if Israel had wanted to commit genocide, “it would have taken exactly one afternoon”. Over the weekend, following a meeting between Luxon and Albanese, the Prime Ministers said there was a “catastrophic humanitarian situation” happening in Gaza. “Any attempt by Israel to escalate hostilities, including by taking control of Gaza City, would be wrong, risk violating international law and exacerbate the human catastrophe already unfolding inside the Gaza Strip. We urge the Israeli Government to reconsider before it is too late.” On Monday, the Government announced it would formally weigh up New Zealand’s position on the recognition of Palestine over the next month. A statement issued by several countries’ Foreign Ministers over the weekend, including New Zealand’s Winston Peters, rejected Israel’s decision to launch a fresh military operation in Gaza. “It will aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages and further risk the mass displacement of civilians. The plans that the Government of Israel has announced risk violating international humanitarian law. Any attempts at annexation or of settlement extension violate international law.” It said the countries were “united in our commitment to the implementation of a negotiated two-state solution as the only way to guarantee that both Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace, security, and dignity”. “A political resolution based on a negotiated two-state solution requires the total demilitarisation of Hamas and its complete exclusion from any form of governance in the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian Authority must have a central role.” Netanyahu told reporters on Monday that any decision by foreign leaders to recognise Palestine was ”rewarding terror”, according to reports. “It defies imagination or understanding how intelligent people around the world, including seasoned diplomats, government leaders, and respected journalists, fall for this absurdity.” He also said Israel’s goal was not to occupy Gaza, but instead to “free it from Hamas terrorists”. Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the 九一星空无限hub press gallery office. In 2025, he was a finalist for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards. Wed, 13 Aug 2025 03:15:05 Z /news/politics/former-pm-helen-clark-accuses-israel-of-obstructing-gaza-aid/ /news/politics/former-pm-helen-clark-accuses-israel-of-obstructing-gaza-aid/ By Niva Chittock of RNZ Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark says she’s witnessed Israel deliberately obstructing life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza. Together with former Irish President Mary Robinson, Clark visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Palestinian territory this week. The two former world leaders were part of The Elders, an independent, non-government organisation of global leaders working together for peace, justice, human rights and sustainability. The group had regularly spoken out about the situation in Gaza since Israel announced war on Hamas in October 2023. Their joint statement said they saw evidence of food and medical aid being denied entry to Gaza, “causing mass starvation to spread”. “What we saw and heard underlines our personal conviction that there is not only an unfolding, human-caused famine in Gaza, there is an unfolding genocide,” the statement said. “The deliberate destruction of health facilities in Gaza means children facing acute malnutrition cannot be treated effectively.” At least 36 Palestinian children starved to death last month, they said. Israel has repeatedly denied famine and genocide were happening in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week said if his army had a policy of starvation “no one would be alive two years into the war”. Israel also disputed the figures provided by authorities in the Palestinian territory, but had not provided its own. No shelter materials had entered Gaza since March this year, the statement said, leaving families already displaced multiple times without protection. Former Irish President Mary Robinson and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark have visited the Rafah border crossing. Photo / Elder “Many new mothers are unable to feed themselves or their new-born babies adequately, and the health system is collapsing,” Clark said. “All of this threatens the very survival of an entire generation,” she said. Truth mattered, their joint statement said. “The uncomfortable truth is that many states are prioritising their own economic and security interests, even as the world is reeling from the images of Gazan children starving to death,” Robinson said. “Political leaders have the power and the legal obligation to apply measures to pressure this Israeli government to end its atrocity crimes.” “This is all the more urgent in light of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Gaza City takeover plan. President Trump has the leverage to compel a change of course. He must use it now,” she said. Hamas authorities said Israeli air attacks had increased in recent days as the Israel Defence Force prepared to take over Gaza City, home to some one million Palestinians. Netanyahu had defended his plan, saying the best option to defeat Hamas was to take the city by force. The plan had been heavily criticised by Israelis, Palestinians, international organisations and other countries. Israel has repeatedly denied famine and genocide were happening in Gaza. Photo / Elder Robinson and Clark urged Hamas and Israel to re-engage in ceasefire talks and immediately release Israeli hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinian prisoners, and for Israel to immediately open all border crossings into Gaza. They also called for states to suspend existing and future trade agreements with Israel, as well as the transfer of arms and weapons to Israel, urging the world to follow the lead of Germany and Norway. Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund divested from Israeli firms linked to violations of international law this week, while Germany’s Chancellor suspended exports of arms to Israel. “We call for recognition of the State of Palestine by at least 20 more states by September, including G7 members, EU member states and others,” their joint statement said. Australia was the latest to announce it would make the decree at a UN General Assembly next month if its conditions were met, following in the footsteps of Canada, France and the UK. At least 20 countries had on Wednesday called for aid to urgently be released into Gaza, saying suffering in the Palestinian territory had reached “unimaginable” levels. New Zealand was not among them, and had not yet made any pledge to recognise a Palestinian state, but the Government said it was a matter of “when not if” it would. – RNZ Wed, 13 Aug 2025 03:10:11 Z /news/politics/watch-live-chloee-swarbrick-not-planning-to-apologise-to-speaker-as-parliament-meets-again/ /news/politics/watch-live-chloee-swarbrick-not-planning-to-apologise-to-speaker-as-parliament-meets-again/ (function(n){function c(t,i){n[e](h,function(n){var r,u;if(n&&(r=n[n.message?"message":"data"]+"",r&&r.substr&&r.substr(0,3)==="nc:")&&(u=r.split(":"),u[1]===i))switch(u[2]){case"h":t.style.height=u[3]+"px";return;case"scrolltotop":t.scrollIntoView();return}},!1)}for(var t,u,f,i,s,e=n.addEventListener?"addEventListener":"attachEvent",h=e==="attachEvent"?"onmessage":"message",o=n.document.querySelectorAll(".live-center-embed"),r=0;r',c(t.firstChild,i)))})(window); Wed, 13 Aug 2025 02:10:13 Z /news/politics/chloee-swarbrick-booted-from-house-during-palestine-speech/ /news/politics/chloee-swarbrick-booted-from-house-during-palestine-speech/ Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has been booted from Parliament for the rest of the week during a fiery debate over Palestine. During a speech following the Government saying it would consider the recognition of Palestine over the next month, she called on Government MPs to back a Green Party bill sanctioning Israel “for its war crimes”. Swarbrick said she wanted six MPs “with a spine”, to allow her call for further sanctions to be debated. Speaker Gerry Brownlee said her statements were “completely unacceptable” and demanded Swarbrick withdraw and apologise. Swarbrick refused and was then told to leave the House for the rest of the week, to which she said “happily”. Speaking afterwards, Swarbrick told reporters that she had publicly said the comments that got her kicked out of the House many times before. “As far as robust debate goes in that place, I think that was pretty mild in the context of the war crimes that are currently unfolding.” Brownlee later clarified Swarbrick could return on Wednesday if she would withdraw and apologise. “If she doesn’t, then she’ll be leaving the House again,” he said. “I’m not going to sit in this chair and tolerate a member standing on her feet... and saying that other members of this House are spineless.” Swarbrick attacks ‘ridiculous ruling’ Asked outside the House if the government was “spineless”, she said, “I think the facts speak for themselves.” She said her party would see if they could get Brownlee to reflect on “what I think was kind of a ridiculous ruling”. A reporter pointed out to Swarbrick that she seemed more exasperated than normal when speaking about this particular topic. She said: “Guys, I’m tired. I’m angry. Human beings, your colleagues, journalists are being massacred. What the hell is the point of everything that we do ... if people in my place don’t do their job? “... if we allow other human beings to be just mercilessly slaughtered, to be shot while waiting for food aid. What hope is there for humanity?” Swarbrick said New Zealanders “just want something to be done”. “I have stood at rallies for two years now and spoken to New Zealanders from all walks of life who desperately want our Parliament to get on with it.” Swarbrick said former Prime Ministers and Opposition leaders had made comments to the effect of telling another MP to “get some guts” and her comments in the context of the history of the debating chamber were “pretty mild”. Tue, 12 Aug 2025 03:53:43 Z /news/politics/christopher-luxon-won-t-discuss-poor-polls-with-caucus-labour-not-saying-anything-about-tax-policy/ /news/politics/christopher-luxon-won-t-discuss-poor-polls-with-caucus-labour-not-saying-anything-about-tax-policy/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon does not plan to discuss Monday’s gloomy polls in today’s caucus meeting. Luxon was hit by two unflattering polls yesterday: the first, from the Taxpayers’ Union-Curia showed National fall 2.1 points to 31.8%, meaning Labour is now ahead. The poll showed a hung Parliament overall. The 1 九一星空无限-Verian poll had slightly better news for the coalition, which would still be re-elected on those numbers. However, Labour rose 4 points to 33%, just one point behind National, which was unchanged on 34%. Luxon’s preferred prime minister score fell 3 points to 20, one point ahead of Labour leader Chris Hipkins on 19%. That is the lowest score for an incumbent Prime Minister since Jim Bolger in the 1990s, according to the pollster. Luxon said: “We discuss our internal polling from time to time with our caucus, which is very normal practice, but I’m not focused or polls or talking about myself, I’m focused on New Zealanders and making sure we have the right long-term plan in place.” Luxon said. Luxon confirmed caucus was still receiving internal polls. “New Zealanders understand we’ve gone through the biggest recession in the last 30 years. We’ve got a big Covid hangover as we’ve seen from the Treasury report last week, we’ve had some difficult challenging circumstances particularly since April with respect to the tariff situation. “I think you’re seeing across New Zealand - get out of Wellington, you go to the South Island, the primary industries, go to Hawke’s Bay, you are seeing good recovery in those parts, but I acknowledge in places like Auckland and Wellington and urban environments it is still pretty tough,” Luxon said. He said things like the InvestmentBoost tax credit and the infrastructure pipeline would lead to a recovery. Chris Bishop said talk of a leadership change was silly. Photo / Mark Mitchell Talk of leadership change ‘just silly’ - Chris Bishop Senior Minister Chris Bishop said despite the grim polling there was “no talk” of changing the leader. “That’s just silly. What we’re doing as a Government - New Zealand’s first three-way coalition government - is working hard to get the economy growing again after years of high inflation, high government spending and high debt,” Bishop said. He said he would “not even entertain” the idea of a polling threshold at which point National would need to roll its leader. Bishop was one of the National MPs at the heart of a bid to replace then-leader Simon Bridges with Todd Muller in 2020. Like Luxon, Bishop said that the economy had struggled to lift off since US President Donald Trump’s announcement of tariffs on Liberation Day in April. Treasury had been forecasting a decent economic recovery before April, but since then, it revised its growth forecasts downwards. The economy is still set to grow, but not as fast. Live GDP estimates from the Reserve Bank suggest the next GDP print will show a quarter of contraction. The threat of tariffs had caused businesses to hold back investment. Bishop said the Government would not make “reactionary one-off decisions” to pump the polls. “What we need to do is stick to the course of a long-term economic plan that would set New Zealand up for growth,” he said. He suggested that some of the polling slump was because Labour had no real policy, beyond a promise to repeal things like Three Strikes, the reinstatement of oil and gas exploration, and the future Regulatory Standards Bill. “It’s all easy for Chris Hipkins and the Labour Party to sit off to the side and say life should be better, [but] in their own words, they do not have any policy. “Life’s easy in opposition when you have the luxury of not having any policy... they do not have any policy and they are not planning to release any any time soon,” Bishop said, referring to an admission from Labour finance spokeswoman Barbara Edmonds that the party did not have any substantive cost of living policy. Labour leader Chris Hipkins on his way into his weekly caucus meeting. Photo / Mark Mitchell Hipkins keeps mum on tax policy Labour leader Chris Hipkins was happy with the polls, saying Labour’s numbers had “grown significantly since the last election. “We were at 26% at the last election, we’re now polling comfortably across the polls in the mid-30s,” Hipkins said. Asked about Labour’s lack of policy, Hipkins said, “they [National] would definitely like more things to attack us on - that’s true”. Hipkins said policy would be announced before the election, but he wanted to make sure he could deliver on it. A column by Vernon Small, a former staffer for Labour Revenue Minister David Parker, in the Sunday Star-Times reported Labour’s policy council had resolved to support a Capital Gains Tax as the preferred policy for the next election, beating out the other favoured tax, a wealth tax. It now rests with Labour’s governing council and the Parliamentary side of the party to decide what to do with the decision as the party puts its 2026 election policy together. Hipkins has committed to campaigning on progressive tax reform, but said the tax policy was “not yet resolved”. He said he “would not discuss the internal machinations of the Labour Party”, but said a “consensus is emerging”. He said a wealth tax and a capital gains tax were “on the table”, but would not commit to Labour’s traditional policy of excluding taxing any capital gains accrued on the family home. “When we have a tax policy to announce we will announce it,” Hipkins said. When asked again he said, “I’m not getting into that because we haven’t announced a tax policy”. Eventually, Hipkins said, “I’ve always said taxing the family home shouldn’t be taxed, but I’m not announcing a policy that we haven’t announced”. Hipkins has been reluctant to shape his party’s tax discussions by ruling various things in or out. Labour’s 2017 commitment to kick its tax policy to a tax working group was guided by the fact that any capital gains tax would exclude the family home. In an earlier press conference, Hipkins would not rule out the Greens’ inheritance tax proposal, although he conceded it would be very unlikely Labour would agree to it. Hipkins got into trouble with his party in 2023 and 2024 for his “captain’s call” to kill the wealth tax proposal, a call some members believed was against party rules - although Hipkins and the party leadership dispute this. Hipkins denied his reluctance to personally shape the tax discussion this time around is because he is being extra scrupulous in light of his previous troubles over captain’s calls. “No,” he said, when asked. “We’ll announce a tax policy when we’re ready to announce it, not because you keep asking questions about it,” Hipkins said. Minister of Defence Judith Collins said this is the best Cabinet she has served in. Photo / Sylvie Whinray (file) The most enjoyable Cabinet - Judith Collins Former National leader Judith Collins said she “didn’t even see” the polls. “I’m just too busy doing my job,” she said. Collins said this was “a really good coalition Government, I love being part of it”. “I’ve been in a few Cabinets, let me tell you, and this is the most enjoyable for me,” she said. “I find the Prime Minister’s leadership excellent, he just lets me get on and do the job,” she said. Collins said Luxon was “absolutely” the right person to lead the Government. Tue, 12 Aug 2025 01:38:06 Z /news/politics/new-political-poll-christopher-luxon-s-popularity-drops-to-lowest-in-two-years-labour-sees-party-vote-rise/ /news/politics/new-political-poll-christopher-luxon-s-popularity-drops-to-lowest-in-two-years-labour-sees-party-vote-rise/ NZ First Minister Shane Jones has popped up in the preferred Prime Minister ranks for the first time in more than a decade, the latest figures from the 1 九一星空无限-Verian poll shows. At the same time, although current Prime Minister Christopher Luxon remains at the top of the ranking at 20%, he has taken a 3% hit since the last 1 九一星空无限-Verian poll – his worst result since taking office. A point behind Luxon is Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who remains steady on 19%. NZ First leader Winston Peters got a 1% boost, sitting on 7%. Greens leader Chlöe Swarbrick is down 1%, sitting on 4%. Act leader David Seymour is steady on 4%. And Jones has joined the preferred PM leaderboard, sitting on 1%. For the party vote, National is on 34%, only a point ahead of the opposition. Labour gained 4% in the latest poll, sitting at 33%. The Green Party is down 2% to 10% while NZ First continues its upward trajectory, gaining 1% in the party vote to 9%. No movement for Act and Te Pāti Māori who both sit on 8% and 4%, respectively. It comes after the Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll this morning showed the race between the centre-left and centre-right were neck-and-neck. On those results, Labour had the most support on 33.6% (up 2 points), National was on 31.8% (down 2.1) and the Greens were up 0.4 to 9.8%. Act dropped 0.5 to 8.6%, New Zealand First was down 2 points to 7.8% and Te Pāti Māori fell 0.3 to 3.2%. Just over 6% were undecided. Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. Photo / Mark Mitchell Converting those results into seats in the House, Labour would have 43, National would have 40, the Greens would have 12, Act would have 11, New Zealand First would have 10 and Te Pāti Māori would get six (presuming they kept their electorate seats). This would put both the centre-left and the centre-right on 61 seats, meaning no side would have a majority to govern. Looking at the Preferred Prime Minister stakes, National’s Christopher Luxon was up 0.5 to 20.2%, matched by Labour’s Chris Hipkins (who was up 0.6). NZ First leader Winston Peters was down 1.1 points to 8.2%, the Greens’ Chlöe Swarbrick was up 1 point to 8%, and Act leader David Seymour was up 0.5 to 6.2%. Lara Greaves, associate professor in politics at Victoria University of Wellington, told Herald Now this morning that a first-term government would be expected to be polling better, but Labour also had work to do, with it yet to release any policies. The latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll was taken between August 3-5. The poll, conducted by phone and online, had a margin of error of +/- 3.1%. Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Mon, 11 Aug 2025 06:29:36 Z /news/politics/new-zealand-considering-recognition-of-palestinian-state-sets-out-timeline/ /news/politics/new-zealand-considering-recognition-of-palestinian-state-sets-out-timeline/ The Government will formally weigh up New Zealand’s position on the recognition of Palestine over the next month, says Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters. But he’s acknowledged it is “not a straightforward, clear-cut issue” and there are a “range of strongly held views within our Government, Parliament and indeed New Zealand society over the question of recognition of a Palestinian state”. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will front media this afternoon. That will be livestreamed above at 4pm. Peters on Monday took an oral item to Cabinet about the recognition of the state of Palestine ahead of a formal consideration in September. “Some of New Zealand’s close partners have opted to recognise a Palestinian state, and some have not,” Peters said. “Ultimately, New Zealand has an independent foreign policy, and on this issue, we intend to weigh up the issue carefully and then act according to New Zealand’s principles, values and national interest. “New Zealand has been clear for some time that our recognition of a Palestinian state is a matter of when, not if.” His comments come after the Herald asked Peters on Monday afternoon if Cabinet had considered recognition. He replied: “You’re gonna have to ask the Prime Minister.” When asked if the Prime Minister would make an announcement at 4pm, he said: “You’re gonna have to ask the Prime Minister... one more time, can you wait and ask the Prime Minister. He’s got a post-Cabinet conference.” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters. Photo / Mark Mitchell In his later statement, Peters said it was not a straightforward or clear-cut issue. “New Zealand has long asked whether the pre-requisites for a viable and legitimate Palestinian state – in security, political, diplomatic and economic terms – exist. “Fundamentally, we will need to weigh up whether sufficient progress is being made against these benchmarks in order to warrant New Zealand recognising a Palestinian state at this juncture. “New Zealand has been giving this issue careful, methodical and deliberate attention. We will be taking heed of the facts on the ground deteriorating rapidly, our close partners being divided on the issue of recognition, and a range of Arab states making clear Hamas must disarm and must have no future role in Palestinian governance. “Cabinet will take a formal decision in September over whether New Zealand should recognise a state of Palestine at this juncture – and if so, when and how." He said there was a “broad range of strongly held views within our Government, Parliament and indeed New Zealand society over the question of recognition of a Palestinian state”. “It is only right that this complicated issue be approached calmly, cautiously and judiciously. Over the next month, we look forward to canvassing this broad range of views before taking a proposal to Cabinet.” Peters will travel to New York in late September for the United Nations Leaders’ Week, where he will present the Government’s approach to this issue. The announcement comes as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his country will recognise the Palestinian state at next month’s UN General Assembly. The crisis in Gaza was among topics discussed by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Albanese during their annual meeting in Queenstown over the weekend. Both Prime Ministers have said it is a matter of “when, not if”, but stressed the countries will make their own sovereign decisions. “I think overwhelmingly Australians want to see two things,” Albanese said. “One is they want to see a ceasefire. They want to see the killings stop. They want to see hostages released. They want to see peace in the region. The second thing they want is they don’t want conflict brought to Australia either.” Luxon said New Zealand wanted to see hostages released, unfettered humanitarian aid going into Gaza and a ceasefire. “Military action that we’ve seen is not the way to solve this problem. It requires diplomacy. It requires dialogue. I think all New Zealanders, all Australians, will be horrified by what they see on the news.” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Queenstown for annual transtasman talks. Photo / Derek Cheng A statement issued by several countries’ foreign ministers over the weekend, including New Zealand’s Peters, rejected Israel’s decision to launch a fresh military operation in Gaza. “It will aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages, and further risk the mass displacement of civilians. The plans that the Government of Israel has announced risk violating international humanitarian law. Any attempts at annexation or of settlement extension violate international law.” It said the countries were “united in our commitment to the implementation of a negotiated two-state solution as the only way to guarantee that both Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace, security, and dignity”. “A political resolution based on a negotiated two-state solution requires the total demilitarisation of Hamas and its complete exclusion from any form of governance in the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian Authority must have a central role.” In Parliament last month, Peters was asked about New Zealand’s stance on recognising Palestine. “We steadfastly support the establishment of a Palestinian State and the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. We have done so for decades,” he said. Asked by Act’s Simon Court whether recognising Palestine before Hamas was to return hostages constituted a reward for terrorism, Peters said: “That’s most likely how it’ll be interpreted.” He said Hamas needed to “give back the hostages”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Monday that any decision by foreign leaders to recognise Palestine was ”rewarding terror”, according to reports. “It defies imagination or understanding how intelligent people around the world, including seasoned diplomats, government leaders, and respected journalists, fall for this absurdity.” He also said Israel’s goal was not to occupy Gaza, but instead to “free it from Hamas terrorists”. Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the 九一星空无限hub press gallery office. In 2025, he was a finalist for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards. Mon, 11 Aug 2025 03:21:05 Z /news/politics/first-term-government-should-be-doing-better-as-labour-overtakes-in-new-poll/ /news/politics/first-term-government-should-be-doing-better-as-labour-overtakes-in-new-poll/ A first-term government should be performing better, a political scientist has said, as a new poll shows next year’s election could result in a hung parliament. Lara Greaves, associate professor in politics at Victoria University of Wellington, also said she expects the next election to be “really exciting”, as the country awaits any announcement from Labour on its campaign against the current government. The latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll released this morning shows Labour as having overtaken National as the largest party, gaining 2 points to 33.6%, while National drops 2.1 points to 31.8%. The Greens are up 0.4 points to 9.8%, Act is down 0.5 points to 8.6%, New Zealand First is down 2 points to 7.8% and Te Pāti Māori is down 0.3 points to 3.2%. In preferred prime minister ratings, Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins are level on 20.2%. Greaves said she would expect a first-term government to be polling better than this. She also said that Labour still had work to do to “get it together”, with the party yet to announce its team or policies. Associate professor in politics at Victoria University Lara Greaves. Photo / Michael Craig She said the big decider will be the economy – not just where it is at, but how people feel about the state of it this time next year and who they blame for it. “[It’s about] their evaluations of the economy and who caused what and who’s at fault for what and, you know, Trump’s the other thing that’s concerning for any government. “We can see anecdotally the Canadian and Australian elections affected by Trump, but political science research is starting to come out to show that, yes, Trump does have a huge effect on other democracies.”  On why Labour is remaining tight-lipped, Greaves said she believed they had internalised the idea that “timing is everything”. “The longer that the current government have knowing what that policy is going to be, the longer they can test and figure out how to peg something on them. “But they’re going to think of some way to really phrase the capital gains tax as affecting the middle class, as affecting New Zealanders and affecting the economy and paint Labour a certain way.” Greaves believed it was “quite unusual” for Chlöe Swarbrick to raise her hand for the Finance Minister’s job. She believed the Greens were trying to take up as much airspace as possible before a capital gains tax announcement. “Because I think once there is some kind of capital gains tax policy announcement from Labour, that’s all we’re really going to be talking about for a while.” Speaking to 九一星空无限talk ZB’s Mike Hosking this morning, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon dismissed the latest poll results, saying he does not want to speak about himself, and all Kiwis want is for National to fix the economy. “I mean, I don’t go into polls because every time there is a different poll every week in this country, and people don’t want me to talk about myself or polls,” he told Hosking. “I think the big trend is pretty obvious. People expect us to fix the economy. It’s as simple as that. So fix it, and then in 2026, they’ll make their call.” Sun, 10 Aug 2025 21:50:24 Z /news/politics/new-political-poll-predicts-hung-parliament-for-nz-election-2026/ /news/politics/new-political-poll-predicts-hung-parliament-for-nz-election-2026/ By Anneke Smith of RNZ The race for Election 2026 appears to be on a knife-edge, with a new political poll predicting a hung Parliament. The latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll – taken between August 3-5 – comes after a string of negative headlines about the economy. Labour has overtaken National as the largest party, gaining 2 points to 33.6%, while National drops 2.1 points to 31.8%. The Greens are up 0.4 points to 9.8%, Act is down 0.5 points to 8.6%, New Zealand First is down 2 points to 7.8% and Te Pāti Māori down 0.3 points to 3.2%. If an election were held today, the centre-right bloc would lose four MPs for a total 61 seats, while the centre-left bloc would gain four MPs and also reach a total 61 seats. With neither bloc having the upper hand, it would be a hung Parliament. The last Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll showed the coalition parties reasserting their lead with enough support for 65 seats, driven by a surge in support for New Zealand First. Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has gained a point in the preferred prime minister stakes. Photo / Mark Mitchell Party vote:Labour 33.6%, up 2 percentage points (43 seats)National 31.8%, down 2.1 (40 seats)Greens: 9.8%, up 0.5 (12 seats)ACT: 8.6%, down 0.5 (11 seats)NZ First: 7.8%, down 2 (10 seats)Te Pāti Māori: 3.2%, down 0.3 points (6 seats)For the minor parties, Top is up 1.4 points to 2.6%, Outdoors and Freedom is up 1 point to 1.1% and Vision NZ is up 0.4 points on 0.4%. Cost of living remains voters’ most important issue at 24.4% (+2.8 points), closely followed by the economy more generally at 20.7% (+1.6 points). Health is the next largest issue on 10%, followed by employment on 6%. Preferred prime minister:Christopher Luxon: 20.2%, up 0.5Chris Hipkins: 20.2%, up 0.6Winston Peters: 8.2%, down 1.1Chlöe Swarbrick: 8%, up 1David Seymour: 6.2%, up 0.5In preferred Prime Minister ratings, Christopher Luxon is up 0.5 points to 20.2% while Chris Hipkins is up 0.6 points to also sit at 20.2%. Winston Peters is down 1.1 points to 8.2%, Chlöe Swarbrick is up 1 point to 8%, and David Seymour is up 0.5 points to 6.2%. The poll was conducted by Curia Market Research Ltd for the Taxpayers’ Union. It is a random poll of 1000 adult New Zealanders and is weighted to the overall adult population. It was conducted by phone (landlines and mobile) and online, has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1% and 6.2% were undecided on the party vote question. Curia is a long-running and established pollster in New Zealand, which has resigned its membership from the Research Association New Zealand (Ranz) industry body. Polls compare to the most recent poll by the same polling company, as different polls can use different methodologies. They are intended to track trends in voting preferences, showing a snapshot in time, rather than be a completely accurate predictor of the final election result. Sun, 10 Aug 2025 21:03:04 Z /news/politics/greens-want-to-lead-government-chris-hipkins-not-interested-in-arguing-with-them/ /news/politics/greens-want-to-lead-government-chris-hipkins-not-interested-in-arguing-with-them/ The Greens have expressed their desire to lead the next Government, with the political party’s co-leaders this weekend calling for “transformational change” and a future driven by Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The party’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Wellington this weekend included speeches from Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick, both of whom implored members to take action and make change. Davidson on Saturday spoke of the importance of Te Tiriti to the party and how it was a “blueprint for bringing us together”. “We have seen this play out on the ground in real ways. We can see it in the multi generations that have carried the growing movement for Tiriti justice,” she said. Davidson said New Zealanders had the ability to “take back control” and build “the most progressive Government Aotearoa has ever seen”. “We’re not here to just lead the Opposition, we are here because we want to lead the next Government,” she said. That followed comments Swarbrick made to the Herald this week, in which she suggested the Greens were leading the Opposition. Labour leader Chris Hipkins responded to that on Sunday morning, saying he was more interested in what the Government was doing than “arguing with the Greens”. “They’re hardly going to show up and say, look we’re just a junior version of Labour, are they? I mean, they’re gonna want to differentiate themselves. That’s what political parties do in election campaigns. “But I think we need some fresh thinking. We can’t just reheat things that Labour and the Greens were doing when we were in Government last time. We’ve actually got to have some new ideas.” Greens co-leaders Chlöe Swarbrick (left) and Marama Davidson are aiming to lead the next Government. Photo / Mark Mitchell In her speech on Sunday afternoon, Swarbrick repeatedly reminded those in attendance to “take a breath”, acknowledging people are “angry”. “There’s a lot going on in our world. Genocide. Exploitation. Harm and hurt and pain. There’s a lot going on at home.” she said. “But every breath can remind us that all human beings, ultimately, are built of the same stuff. We all come from the same planet, and to that planet we will ultimately return.” She said it’s common for people to accuse “the other side and people who vote for the other side” of being “idiots”, and “we can’t blame regular people for switching off from that”. “If we can’t understand why people do the things that they do, then the logic tends to flow [that] they’re wrong and they just don’t get it. That’s clearly not a winning formula. “For most people, forced to fight for daily survival – for a spot on the GP waitlist, for a decent job and a faint hope that one day you might be able to take the kids on holiday – where’s the energy left for the whole politics thing? “Most New Zealanders lament politics. They straight-up hate it.” Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has asked members to consider where they place their energy. Photo / Mark Mitchell Swarbrick said politics was “designed to outrage” and if “regular people are fighting each other, it’s propping up this system”. “The Green Party is a vehicle for political change – the big ideas factory – inside of our current electoral system. We don’t pretend to be entitled to anything. We invite people into this movement because we want them to own it as much as we do.” She asked people to consider where to “invest your valuable energy and focus”. “On winning debates or changing our world? On being right, or building relationships? On being comfortable, or growing? “How do we get a mass of exhausted regular people, fed up with politics, to engage and organise with a bunch of earnest nerds – that’s us, guys – to win power against some of the most well-funded and unscrupulous industries and political actors?” By practicing “our values, every day, in ways big and small”, Swarbrick said people can help “create the most progressive Government Aotearoa has ever seen”. Labour leader Chris Hipkins is more interested in what the Government's doing than "arguing with the Greens". Photo / Mark Mitchell If the Greens want to lead the next left-leaning Government, they will have to make up ground against Labour, which is by far the biggest party on the left. The July Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll showed Labour was on 31.6%, compared to the Greens 9.4%. On that poll, the centre-right parties could still govern. However, despite that polling chasm, Swarbrick told the Herald this week that the Greens were leading the Opposition in driving the political agenda. The party has recently produced an alternative Budget, a fiscal strategy, identified a “hole” in the Government’s books and commissioned legal advice finding that gas field contingency funding could breach an international trade agreement (the latter two have both been disputed by ministers). “I’m stoked with the mahi [work] that we have done to show people the issues that this Government is creating for us, but also how we would solve those issues,” Swarbrick said. “I’m proud of the work that we’ve done. That can only be a positive thing. We are setting the agenda, we are contributing positively to the debate, and that is exciting people. That’s a good thing.” She said the Greens had held a consistent position on tax, pointing to its wealth-tax proposal at the 2020 and 2023 election, which is also in its alternative Budget. Hipkins on Sunday, however, spoke of the importance of “fresh ideas”. Labour is mostly keeping tight-lipped on any policy proposals, wanting to leave that to closer to the election to ensure its ideas reflect the latest circumstances. A tax policy is expected sometime nearer the end of the year, but Hipkins said that’s just one part of the picture. “We’ve actually got to look at the broader picture of how do we make sure that New Zealanders who go out and work hard every day can actually get ahead and create a better life for themselves,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of Kiwis out there working really hard, flogging their guts out of the moment to feel like they’re going backwards all of the time. That is what motivates me to get out of bed every morning. I think we can do better.” Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the 九一星空无限hub press gallery office. In 2025, he was a finalist for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards. Sun, 10 Aug 2025 02:08:27 Z /news/politics/ncea-changes-labour-s-chris-hipkins-told-willow-jean-prime-she-should-have-responded-to-briefing-offers/ /news/politics/ncea-changes-labour-s-chris-hipkins-told-willow-jean-prime-she-should-have-responded-to-briefing-offers/ Labour leader Chris Hipkins told his party’s education spokeswoman Willow-Jean Prime she should have responded to attempts the Government was making to brief her on the NCEA change process. But he doesn’t believe it was unreasonable for Prime to wait to speak with teachers and parents before meeting Education Minister Erica Stanford. Prime is, for the most part, standing by her actions but has acknowledged she could have explained to the minister why she wasn’t initially taking up her offer. She also responded to Act leader David Seymour saying he would have sacked her, by saying, “I’m glad he’s not my leader, and he isn’t my leader”. It comes after revelations from the Herald this morning that Stanford and her office wrote to Prime on multiple occasions over several months inviting her to be briefed on the NCEA work programme and meet with officials, but the Labour MP initially didn’t respond. More than three months after the initial invitation, Prime wrote back and declined the invitation. But that was only after Stanford went around her and straight to Hipkins. A few weeks later, as the Herald was reporting that NCEA changes were coming soon, Prime sought a meeting with Stanford. This couldn’t happen before the reforms were publicly announced this week but a meeting is now in the works. Labour's Willow-Jean Prime didn't initially respond to Government invitations to be briefed on NCEA changes. Photo / Michael Cunningham Hipkins last month spoke about the importance of cross-party consultation. He told the Herald how he reached out to the then-Opposition when he was the minister in charge of reforms and called for the current Government to do the same. Asked on Friday whether Labour was being hypocritical by not initially engaging, Hipkins said he believed “consultation involves more than just having a meeting where you tell people what you’re going to do”. “It actually does involve involving them in the process,” he said before noting he included the likes of National’s Nikki Kaye in his work. “It was actually quite extensive involvement. It wasn’t just a courtesy meeting.” A text message obtained by the Herald from March shows Stanford did reach out to Prime after she became the party’s education spokeswoman and offered not only to “get you up to speed with the NCEA change process”, but a meeting with officials and an advisory group. Emails show Stanford’s office offered for officials to “address any questions you may have” and allow for “cross-party collaboration”. Hipkins said it wasn’t “unreasonable” for Prime to meet stakeholders before the minister, but he indicated to her “it would have been better if she’d gone back to the minister and told her that that was what she was doing”. He said he “became aware that she hadn’t replied to Erica Stanford in July and made it clear to her that she did need to reply to her”. The Labour Party, led by Chris Hipkins (centre), fronted questions at its caucus retreat on Friday. Photo / Jazlyn Whales Prime on Friday acknowledged she could have responded to Stanford earlier. “I probably could have said, this is why I need to take my time and please assure me that I can have the time that I need to do this. “But I was not given any time frames from the minister that we have only this amount of time to engage because I’m going to announce and there’s only six weeks subsequent to that.” She also elaborated on the rationale behind not meeting with the minister. “I was doing that due diligence and had done that engagement and wanted to bring that to the minister for her consideration because it’s not what I think. What I think is most important here is what does the sector think?” Prime said she got the impression from her engagement that the sector had been unsure what was happening. She questioned whether the current six-week consultation process was genuine. Stanford has said the change process was informed by an advisory group with a number of school principals represented. She believes the six-week period balances a need to get feedback, while also getting moving with any changes. Prime and Hipkins dismissed Seymour’s suggestion that he would have sacked her. “If David Seymour was a member of the Labour caucus, I would have sacked him a long time ago,” the Labour leader said. Education Minister Erica Stanford announced an overhaul of the NCEA programme on August 4. Photo / Alyse Wright While Prime responded to Stanford and declined the invitation after Hipkins’ intervention, she did appear to later have a change of heart. On July 20, the Herald revealed an NZQA briefing warned Stanford that NCEA faced a credibility crisis because of “over-used flexibility”. That story also reported that Stanford was preparing an announcement on the future of the qualification. Five days later, Prime sent Stanford a letter asking to meet “to discuss national primary and secondary education curricula and assessment”. She listed seven questions she wanted to discuss with Stanford about matters such as how to best link curriculum and assessment, options to improve NCEA and how the sector had been involved in proposals. On August 3, the day before the public announcement of the changes, Stanford responded to Prime’s letter, thanking her for her interest. The minister outlined how she had reached out to her, her office and Hipkins on multiple occasions. “I particularly sought your engagement on the curriculum and NCEA work programmes, both have progressed substantially since my initial message to you. Key decisions have now been taken to formulate proposals for consultation. “These decisions have been informed by months of evidence-based advice and professional input from the Professional Advisory Group.” Stanford said she initially received no response to her invitation and then Prime declined. Any opportunity to influence the direction of the proposal had now passed, the minister wrote. “Work has continued and we are now ready for broader sector consultation. I am committed to working constructively, and I would like to arrange for you to receive an official briefing on the NCEA proposal and our curriculum work programme, as has been previously offered.” She said she would be willing to meet with Prime to hear her feedback. “As you will know, both the education sector and the public have expectations of cross-party collaboration with something as important as our national qualification which is why I reached out so many times.” Further emails show Prime accepting the offer of a briefing and the respective offices attempting to find a date for this to happen. Stanford told the Herald she was “glad” Labour had “recognised the significance of these proposals and the clear public mandate for us to work together”. “It’s been really good to see positive comments from the Leader of the Opposition indicating that he is broadly supportive of the plan that’s been laid out. “Of course, it will be disappointing for the public to see Willow-Jean Prime refused to engage earlier in the process, but I’m so pleased that this has now changed and I look forward to her engagement.” – additional reporting by Rosie Leishman Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the 九一星空无限hub press gallery office. In 2025, he was a finalist for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards. Fri, 08 Aug 2025 05:24:25 Z /news/politics/ncea-changes-erica-stanford-offered-labour-invitations-to-briefing-willow-jean-prime-didn-t-respond-and-then-declined/ /news/politics/ncea-changes-erica-stanford-offered-labour-invitations-to-briefing-willow-jean-prime-didn-t-respond-and-then-declined/ The Government offered Labour multiple opportunities to be briefed on the NCEA change process, but the party’s education spokeswoman Willow-Jean Prime initially didn’t respond to these invitations and then flat-out declined them. It was only in late July, as the Herald was revealing changes to NCEA were coming and about a week before the reforms were announced, that Prime got in touch with Education Minister Erica Stanford. By that stage, Stanford said key decisions had already been made and therefore “the opportunity to influence the substantial direction of the proposal is no longer available”. The revelations come despite Labour’s leader Chris Hipkins speaking of the importance of cross-party consultation. “As Minister of Education, I went to great lengths to make sure that the then-Opposition were extensively involved in the review of NCEA. I think the current Government should do the same,” Hipkins told the Herald last month. Associate Education Minister David Seymour told 九一星空无限talk ZB’s Mike Hosking he would “sack” Prime if he was the Labour leader. "Well I would [sack her] because of course there’s lots of other acting MPs I could put into her place, but if I was Jacinda’s little helper, who by the way is returning to the scene of the crime with extra petrol this weekend, then I don’t know what I’d do because she could be the best option that Labour has." Asked why she didn’t initially take up Stanford’s offers, Prime told the Herald she chose to meet teachers, parents and others before the minister. “When we do meet, I’ll be making sure the views of people I’ve been meeting with are central to the conversation we have,” she said. Labour's Willow-Jean Prime, pictured left with party leader Chris Hipkins, didn't initially respond to invitations from the Government to discuss NCEA changes. Photo / Sylvie Whinray  The Herald has obtained correspondence from Stanford and her office to Prime and Hipkins over recent months that shows the minister attempting to brief the Opposition on the NCEA change process. A text message appears to show Stanford reached out to Prime about NCEA after the Labour MP took over the education portfolio from Jan Tinetti in March. “Hey Willow-Jean, congrats on the new role! Will need to get you up to speed with the NCEA change process. Jan and I had started working cross-party on this given the importance of our national qualification,” Stanford wrote, according to a screenshot provided. “Would be good if we could meet first and I can run you through where we are at and what the process is. There is a policy advisory group of principals who are working on the details and you can have access to them when they meet as well as my officials and also NZQA.” The minister said her office would get in touch with Prime’s “if that’s ok?” Education Minister Erica Stanford announced the NCEA changes this week. Photo / Mark Mitchell  An email sent from Stanford’s office to Prime’s two months later in May says there was no response to that text. “Our office has not been able to identify any incoming correspondence from Hon Prime responding to the message,” said Stanford’s senior private secretary. “Hon Stanford was grateful for the productive engagement with Hon Jan Tinetti on curriculum reform matters and would like to ensure cross-party engagement can continue. “Our office would like to co-ordinate a meeting for education officials to brief Hon Prime on NCEA and other curriculum reform matters and respond to any questions she may have.” In mid-June, the minister personally followed up with an email. “I am eager to maintain cross-party collaboration on these crucial issues and would like to schedule a meeting for education officials to brief you and address any questions you may have,” Stanford said. “I look forward to your response and to continuing our joint efforts on education reform.” Erica Stanford went around Willow-Jean Prime to Labour's leader Chris Hipkins. Photo / Supplied  After what appears to be no response, Stanford decided to go around the Labour education spokeswoman and contacted Labour’s leader. “I’ve sought on multiple occasions to get input from your education spokesperson on NCEA curriculum reform, with no response,” Stanford wrote to Hipkins on July 1. “It is important to have cross-party collaboration regarding a national qualification, and the offer remains open to arrange a briefing from officials or from the Professional Advisory Group.” The next day, an adviser for Prime emailed Stanford: “I acknowledge your email regarding NCEA curriculum reform. “Willow-Jean has considered your email and declines the invitation.” When Willow-Jean Prime did respond to the Education Minister, she declined her invitation. Photo / Supplied  But it appears there was a change of heart from Labour in late July. On July 20, the Herald revealed an NZQA briefing warned Stanford that NCEA faced a credibility crisis because of “over-used flexibility”. That story also reported that Stanford was preparing an announcement on the future of the qualification. Five days later, Prime sent Stanford a letter asking to meet “to discuss national primary and secondary education curricula and assessment”. She listed seven questions she wanted to discuss with Stanford about matters such as how to best link curriculum and assessment, options to improve NCEA and how the sector had been involved in proposals. On August 3, the day before the public announcement of the changes, Stanford responded to Prime’s letter, thanking her for her interest. The minister outlined how she had reached out to her, her office and Hipkins on multiple occasions. “I particularly sought your engagement on the curriculum and NCEA work programmes, both have progressed substantially since my initial message to you. Key decisions have now been taken to formulate proposals for consultation. “These decisions have been informed by months of evidence-based advice and professional input from the Professional Advisory Group.” Stanford said she initially received no response to her invitation and then Prime declined. Any opportunity to influence the direction of the proposal had now passed, the minister wrote. “Work has continued and we are now ready for broader sector consultation. I am committed to working constructively, and I would like to arrange for you to receive an official briefing on the NCEA proposal and our curriculum work programme, as has been previously offered.” She said she would be willing to meet with Prime to hear her feedback. “As you will know, both the education sector and the public have expectations of cross-party collaboration with something as important as our national qualification which is why I reached out so many times.” The Government's proposal, outlined by Education Minister Erica Stanford and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, replaces NCEA with a new qualification. Photo / Mark Mitchell  Further emails show Prime accepting the offer of a briefing and the respective offices attempting to find a date for this to happen. Stanford told the Herald she was “glad” Labour had “recognised the significance of these proposals and the clear public mandate for us to work together”. “It’s been really good to see positive comments from the Leader of the Opposition indicating that he is broadly supportive of the plan that’s been laid out. “Of course, it will be disappointing for the public to see Willow-Jean Prime refused to engage earlier in the process, but I’m so pleased that this has now changed and I look forward to her engagement.” Hipkins said on Wednesday the Government was “heading in broadly the right direction, but we need to see the detail of that”, while Prime has questioned the amount of time being provided to the education sector for consultation. In comments to the Herald in July, Hipkins spoke of how he attempted to gain bipartisan support for reforms when he was Education Minister. He didn’t want issues around the qualification to become “unnecessarily political”. He said the Labour Government consulted with the then-Opposition to ensure changes were “going to be enduring” and expressed a desire for the current Government to do the same. Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the 九一星空无限hub press gallery office. In 2025, he was a finalist for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.  Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:42:54 Z /news/politics/prime-minister-christopher-luxon-education-minister-erica-stanford-hold-press-conference/ /news/politics/prime-minister-christopher-luxon-education-minister-erica-stanford-hold-press-conference/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford will hold a press conference at an Auckland school this afternoon, days after revealing plans to significantly shake up the country’s main secondary school assessments. The stand-up will be around 2.45pm. On Monday, Stanford announced NCEA would be abolished and replaced with two new qualifications at Years 12 and 13. The proposal, which is open for consultation until September before final decisions are made, represents the most significant update to secondary school assessments since NCEA was introduced more than two decades ago. Under the new scheme, Year 11 students will face what is being called a “Foundational Skills Award” with a focus on literacy and numeracy. English and mathematics will be required subjects for students at this year level. It comes after a series of damning reports on the state of the qualification, including from the Education Review Office (ERO), which found despite a recent overhaul, NCEA Level 1 remained “difficult to understand” and was not preparing students for future achievement. The Herald also revealed two ministerial briefings from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) warning NCEA faced a credibility crisis over its “overused” flexibility, a lack of coherent vocational education pathways, students gaming the system to accumulate credits and an over-reliance on internal assessments. Universities New Zealand and education union the PPTA broadly supported the direction of the changes signalled but wanted to see more detail. The Labour Party is taking a wait-and-see approach while the Green Party is opposed to the changes, saying scrapping the decades-long scheme is “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”. Labour’s education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said “rushing changes through now for political expediency isn’t the answer”. She said schools and parents told her they were concerned about “how hasty” the proposed changes were. “Previous rushed overhauls have led to students being the guinea pigs for failed change – like national standards – so we must get this right." The Green Party’s education spokesperson Lawrence Xu-Nan said NCEA was not perfect but it recognised learning took place in different ways. “[The] announcement is another classic case of the Government favouring one-size-fits-all approaches. Our education system is too important to be reduced to a single, rigid framework that will leave many behind.” Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Thu, 07 Aug 2025 02:55:12 Z