/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, 19 Apr 2025 14:03:46 Z en /news/politics/benefit-numbers-show-big-year-on-year-rise-more-jobseekers-than-when-government-formed/ /news/politics/benefit-numbers-show-big-year-on-year-rise-more-jobseekers-than-when-government-formed/ There continues to be many more New Zealanders on the Jobseeker benefit than when the Government took office, with the coalition’s target remaining far off. The number of people remaining on a benefit for longer than a year also remains high, while there’s been a significant increase in the number of sanctions being handed out to beneficiaries not fulfilling their obligations. Social Development Minister Louise Upston is, however, pointing out some green shoots. Though there are more people on the benefit than this time last year, the number who exited into employment over the past three months is higher than in the March quarter last year. Upston said she was “encouraged” by some of the figures, but stressed she was taking a “cautious approach as our Government continues to drive for economic and job growth in a challenging global and domestic environment”. The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) this week released its March-quarter snapshot of benefit figures, revealing the number of New Zealanders on a main benefit is 398,163, up 27,912 or 7.5% compared with this time last year. That is the most people on a main benefit in the March quarter in at least five years, but is down from the December quarter when there were 409,665 people on a benefit. It’s common for people to drop off the benefit between December and March, with the Government noting the decrease in the past quarter was driven by students returning to study. Upston highlighted that over the past three months, 23,268 people left a benefit to enter work. That is 2421 or 11.6% more than what was seen in the March 2024 quarter. The Government has a target for Jobseeker benefit numbers. Photo / Mark Mitchell However, Jobseeker Support numbers remain high. At the end of March, 209,838 people were on the Jobseeker benefit, up 21,852 or 11.6% on this time last year. It has dropped slightly from the December quarter (when it was 213,321 people), but again, a decrease between December and March is common. The Jobseeker Support figure is one the Government is tracking carefully as one of its nine public service targets is to reduce the number of people on the Jobseeker Support benefit by 50,000 by 2030 when compared with December 2023. In the December 2023 quarter, during which the present Government was formed, there were about 190,000 people on the Jobseeker benefit, meaning its goal was to get that down to 140,000 people by 2030. Last month, the Government published its latest quarterly report on its public service targets. That captured the December benefit numbers and highlighted this target as being “at risk”. The report blamed “prolonged economic conditions” for increases to Jobseeker numbers, but expected these to decrease “as economic conditions improve” and new “welfare system interventions are embedded in 2025”. When the targets were first published in April last year, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said they “are not going to be easy to achieve”. Addressing the welfare target, he said “excuses have to stop”. Among the Government’s changes to the welfare system is the new traffic light system to make clear beneficiaries’ obligations, more work seminars, and a new phone-based case management service. More sanctions are also being added via legislation in Parliament, including money management and requiring more job search activity and upskilling. Some of these are expected to be active from the end of May. Prolonged poor economic conditions have been blamed for the increases in benefit numbers. Photo / 123rf Upston said she was “particularly encouraged by the work of MSD staff over recent months”. “One of the drivers behind the increased number of people moving into work is MSD’s heightened focus on employment,” the minister said. “MSD frontline staff are doing a great job engaging proactively with Jobseekers, informing them not only of the obligations and sanctions we’ve introduced under the traffic light system, but also the supports available to help New Zealanders find work. This one-on-one intensive prep for the job market can only help more people back into work.” However, while Upston said the faster beneficiaries found employment, the better, the number of people staying on a benefit continuously for more than a year has hit a high. In the March 2025 quarter, there were 291,429 beneficiaries who had spent more than 12 months on a benefit. That’s up from 267,186 when the Government was formed. As a percentage of the overall number of beneficiaries, it’s remained fairly stable. Reducing beneficiary dependency was a key promise by National in the 2023 election, with the party saying a lack of “clear consequences” under Labour had led it to worsen. This was one of the reasons National promised to introduce more sanctions. Though many of the new sanctions the Government has announced are yet to come into effect, there has been a sharp rise in the number of sanctions handed out over the past year. MSD’s document shows 13,485 sanctions were issued over the past three months, an increase of 5976 or 79.6% compared with the number in the March 2024 quarter. “During the March 2025 quarter, the main reasons for unfulfilled work obligation sanctions were clients not attending appointments, including seminar appointments (9042 sanctions) and failing to prepare for work (3291 sanctions),” it says. In February last year, Upston wrote to the chief executive of MSD making clear the Government wanted to see all obligations and sanctions applied. “If jobseekers fail to attend job interviews, to complete their pre-employment tasks, or to take work that is available, then there needs to be consequences,” she said at the time. The traffic light system is now in use. Beneficiaries fulfilling their obligations sit at “green”, those who have failed to meet an obligation and are in a five-working-day dispute period are at"‘orange", while those with an active sanction are at “red”. “At the end of March 2025, in the traffic light system there were 334,305 clients at green, 2232 clients at orange and 4041 clients at red,” MSD says. The Child Poverty Action Group doesn’t want the Government to treat “people on benefits as a spreadsheet to be cleared” and said there could be reasons people missed their appointments. “These are people doing their best in tough circumstances,” spokesman Isaac Gunson said. “They may not have access to childcare, a working phone or may simply be confused by the system. When every dollar counts, even a short trip to the local office can be unaffordable. Buses don’t always run on time. Sometimes they don’t run at all. We’ve all missed meetings before. Now imagine doing that while trying to survive on the bare minimum.” Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the 九一星空无限hub Press Gallery office. Fri, 18 Apr 2025 03:26:35 Z /news/politics/how-mp-hana-r%C4%81whiti-maipi-clarke-ended-up-in-stan-walker-s-latest-music-video/ /news/politics/how-mp-hana-r%C4%81whiti-maipi-clarke-ended-up-in-stan-walker-s-latest-music-video/ By Serena Solomon of RNZ Stan Walker’s new single Mō Āke Tonu features Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, highlighting Māori history and protest. The music video, filmed near Rangiriri Pā, symbolises Māori resilience and commemorates the 1863 battle. Walker aimed to create an anthem for Indigenous peoples, blending traditional instruments and cultural symbolism. The vocals and the words that open Stan Walker’s new single Mō Āke Tonu might be familiar to many New Zealanders and others around the world. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, New Zealand’s youngest MP and Te Pāti Māori member, sings the same pao [poem] that preceded a haka she led in Parliament to protest the Treaty Principles Bill last year. Footage from the moment went viral. The bill, aimed at redefining the Treaty of Waitangi, was defeated in Parliament last week. In the video for the single, which dropped over the weekend, Maipi-Clarke is draped in a white gown and sings the pao Taku kupu ki a koe manuwhiri [My Words to you, Visitor] in front of a lake near Rangiriri Pā. In 1863, more than 100 Māori women and children perished there during the battle between Māori and British forces. Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke wears Māori designer Kiri Nathan in the music video for Stan Walker's "Mō Āke Tonu". Even though Maipi-Clarke is a politician, she doesn’t see her role in the single and music video as a political strategy. The vocals of Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi were featured in a Tipene music video earlier this year. Waititi and Maipi-Clarke have a strong history of kapa haka involvement. “It’s about how we can tell, how we can just snapshot this moment in time, because it’s been such an emotional rollercoaster – not just the Treaty Principles Bill, but various legislation that impacts [Māori],” says 22-year-old Maipi-Clarke. “That sometimes a waiata [song], or as we normally see most times, is what really encapsulates that all, and it’s basically like photographing a moment.” Many in Maipi-Clarke’s generation have long taken inspiration from the 34-year-old musician’s work and “his ability to express the kaupapa [cause] of the day,” she says. A scene from the "Mō Āke Tonu" filmed at Rangiriri Pā. While Walker and Maipi-Clarke were not connected through whakapapa [family], Walker said he was good friends with her cousins. “I asked her because I felt like the story that I wanted to tell, she was very much a part of the story today, in terms of the narrative of our people and where we’ve come from.” That narrative is about the generations of Māori who have fought or marched or protested for “our rights, for our language, for our land, for our people, for equality ... ” “We’re still doing it ... it looks a bit different these days, but nonetheless.” Walker picked Maipi-Clarke’s white gown from leading Māori fashion designer Kiri Nathan. It’s a symbol of purity and bucks a tendency for Māori to wear black for mourning, which Walker believes is not a traditional colour for Māori. “[Maipi-Clarke] also represents a fair maiden. She is calling on her people. She is the representative of who has been gone. She is calling us back into that space.” Those physical locations in the music video are around Rangiriri Pā, the location of the Waikato War’s fiercest battles. Mō Āke Tonu is partly a history lesson, something Walker dug deeper into as he mapped out the music video’s concept. He grew up visiting the pā with his whānau each year to commemorate the battle and didn’t give it too much thought. “But just the connections, the deep whakapapa within there is crazy, and if it wasn’t for those people back then, we wouldn’t even be here. I wouldn’t exist.” “So like, you best believe I’ve got to learn my history.” An image from Stan Walker's music video for Mō Āke Tonu. Throughout the music video, Walker wears various greenstone and bone taonga [treasured jewellery]. Much of it is his or connected to him. However, it isn’t his taonga that went missing at a music festival in 2024. That “priceless” taonga has not been returned, despite his numerous public appeals. Walker also wears numerous rugs and fabrics that reflect not just Māori but other Indigenous populations globally, including Africa and the Middle East. The track blends traditional indigenous instruments. Didgeridoo is played by Australian First Nations artist Walter Stewart and boomerangs from Nooky, a First Nations hip-hop artist. Stan Walker in his music video for Mō Āke Tonu. Walker is positioning Mō Āke Tonu as an anthem for other Indigenous people, “people groups that have been colonised and marginalised and we have shared histories and shared stories and similar shared histories”. “There’s meaning behind everything from what I was wearing to how we were dressed – to everything, to what Hana was wearing, to just everything.” – RNZ Wed, 16 Apr 2025 03:44:26 Z /news/politics/ed-upgrades-more-carparks-20b-price-tag-the-government-s-new-health-infrastructure-plan/ /news/politics/ed-upgrades-more-carparks-20b-price-tag-the-government-s-new-health-infrastructure-plan/ The Government has released a major new 10-year plan for reviving the country’s health infrastructure. Health Minister Simeon Brown said $20 billion in funding would be needed to bring New Zealand’s ageing health infrastructure up to scratch, but this would not necessarily be funded by the Crown only. The state of the country’s health infrastructure has long been a pressing issue. The plan, released today, lists significant planned work for 10 hospitals around the country to be carried out as smaller projects spread across three or four stages. This includes emergency department upgrades for five of the hospitals, ICU upgrades at Waitakere Hospital and an outpatient community hub at Gisborne Hospital. Specific timelines and dates for the upgrades were not included in the plan. But Labour Party says the Government is “all talk” and it wants to see some action. “We know we need to invest in our hospitals,” leader Chris Hipkins said. “So far, all they have done is slow down action to rebuild our hospitals, instead we should be looking at how we can speed that up.” Infrastructure New Zealand, a member’s association, largely supports the Government’s plans, but wants to see greater use of private investment to cover that $20b infrastructure price tag. “We see this as an opportunity for the Government to expand its approach to using private capital in the provision of health infrastructure, while still ensuring ownership of the assets remains with the Crown.” Indicative stages of significant builds across the infrastructure portfolio. Photo / Health NZ Te Whatu Ora Brown says the plan is the first of its kind for New Zealand. It envisions a new approach to building and upgrading health infrastructure by doing it in smaller stages rather than single, large-scale structures, he says. “Our health system is under significant pressure from ageing infrastructure that hasn’t kept pace with the needs of a growing and ageing population,” Brown says. “The average age of our public health estate – 1274 buildings across 86 campuses – is around 47 years. This is creating some significant challenges." The plan focuses on major remedial work to avoid service disruption, facilities with poor seismic ratings or serious compliance risks and outdated infrastructure that cannot support modern health practices. “The state of our health infrastructure is not a new challenge; it is a problem that has developed over multiple decades. Addressing it requires a long-term plan to both renew existing capacity, and invest in new facilities, to meet future demand.” Health Minister Simeon Brown. Photo / Mark Mitchell More carparks The plan proposes 11 projects to expand or upgrade hospital car parking sites, including 1100 more parking spaces at Wellington Hospital. Health NZ Te Whatu Ora says as hospital demand has grown, car parking supply has tended to remain static. Insufficient spaces to park can lead to people missing their appointments, it said. Proposed car park upgrades and new builds included in the Government's national infrastructure plan. Photo / Health NZ Te Whatu Ora Urban hubs The plan includes building and expanding “urban ambulatory hubs” – facilities of sufficient scale that would be operated by Health NZ for ambulatory care and treatments. Health NZ Te Whatu Ora says this means people can access care closer to home and decongests hospital sites. New facilities have been earmarked for Kaitāia, Gisborne, Warkworth, Tauranga, Kerikeri, north Waikato and Wellington. Mental health care The plan also targets in-patient public health mental health care services, rather than residential, out-patient or community care. It includes upgrades at Auckland City Hospital, Hillmorton and Waitematā, and a new facility at Taranaki Hospital. The plan focus on inpatient mental health and addiction services provided by Health NZ. Photo / Health NZ Te Whatu Ora Dunedin Hospital Brown also announced the next steps for the new Dunedin Hospital. A tender process had begun for the next stage of construction of the inpatient building, with works to recommence on the former Cadbury site from mid-year. This would cover work on the substructure of the building while commercial commercial negotiations for the main construction continued, he said. Read the Government’s Infrastructure Plan here. Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Wed, 16 Apr 2025 01:48:47 Z /news/politics/reserve-bank-loses-millions-in-funding-under-new-deal-with-government/ /news/politics/reserve-bank-loses-millions-in-funding-under-new-deal-with-government/ The Reserve Bank will have its funding dramatically reduced over the next five years after reaching a new funding deal with the Government.  In a statement, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said the deal worked out at about $150 million in annual operating spending - 25% less than the $200m budgeted for this year.  In order to preserve its independence, the Reserve Bank is kept out of the annual government budget cycle. Instead, its board negotiates five year funding agreements with the finance minister.  Willis said that the bank had initially requested $1.03b over the next five years.  “Treasury advised me that that amount did not represent good value for money,” Willis said.  Instead, the bank will get operating funding of $750m and capital funding of $25.6m for the period.  The bank’s spending has grown dramatically in recent years - partly as it took on new functions. The 2015 funding agreement had the bank receiving about $50m a year in operating spending - a quarter of what is budgeted for the current year.  “The Reserve Bank has grown hugely in recent years. Fulltime equivalent staff numbers increased from 255 in the 2017/18 year to 660 in January this year,” Willis said.  “Benchmarking analysis performed by the Treasury shows that several of the Reserve Bank’s non-legislative functions, particularly in the People and Communications teams, appear overstaffed,” she said.  Negotiations over the funding agreement had been one of two sore points between Willis and former Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr, who abruptly quit in March, the other being the Government’s desire to see capital requirements for retail banks made less onerous.  A recent Official Information Act release, which covered Willis’ talking points after Orr’s resignation, said the funding fight was not the cause of Orr’s resignation, which remains a mystery.  Thomas Coughlan is the NZ Herald political editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.  Tue, 15 Apr 2025 23:40:37 Z /news/politics/watch-live-minister-simeon-brown-announces-new-zealand-s-first-ever-health-infrastructure-plan/ /news/politics/watch-live-minister-simeon-brown-announces-new-zealand-s-first-ever-health-infrastructure-plan/ Health Minister Simeon Brown is today announcing what the Government has described as “New Zealand’s first-ever Health Infrastructure Plan” to provide a long-term approach to renewing and expanding public health facilities.  Brown is holding a press conference in Auckland this morning from Manukau Superclinic in South Auckland. It will be livestreamed from the top of this article.  He said the Health Infrastructure Plan has identified more than $20 billion investment required to meet future health needs.  The condition of the country’s public health facilities - spanning 1,274 buildings across 86 campuses and with an average age of 47 years - have been “creating some significant challenges”, Brown said.  “This is a first for New Zealand – a single, long-term plan that lays out a clear pipeline for health infrastructure,” Mr Brown says.  “Our health system is under significant pressure from ageing infrastructure that hasn’t kept pace with the needs of a growing and ageing population.”  The minister outlined the priorities of the plan as updating:  Buildings that require major remedial work to avoid service disruption.  Facilities with poor seismic ratings or serious compliance risks.  Outdated infrastructure that is unable to support modern models of care.  “The state of our health infrastructure is not a new challenge; it is a problem that has developed over multiple decades. Addressing it requires a long-term plan to both renew existing capacity, and invest in new facilities, to meet future demand and ensure New Zealanders continue to receive high-quality care,” Brown said.  “The Health Infrastructure Plan identifies the more than $20 billion investment required to meet future health needs and introduces a more efficient way of delivering large hospital projects, called ‘Building Hospitals Better’.  “Instead of building single, large-scale structures, the plan proposes a staged approach – delivering smaller, more manageable facilities in phases. This will mean patients benefit from modern healthcare environments sooner, while providing greater certainty around delivery timeframes and costs.  The plan outlines a phased programme of hospital and facility developments across the country to be delivered in three to four stages. This includes major new builds and expansions across the country, featuring new acute services buildings, inpatient units, expanded emergency departments and wards, and upgraded facilities.  It also includes the planning and initial build of the recently announced new hospital in South Auckland. The plan is underpinned by the National Clinical Service and Campus Plan, which seeks to deliver more health services in the community and reduce demand on hospitals.  Each project in the pipeline will require a business case and will go through normal funding approval processes by Cabinet.  “While the infrastructure deficit will take time to address, this plan is a critical step forward. It outlines what needs to be done, and how we will do it – ensuring New Zealanders have access to modern, safe, and reliable health infrastructure across the country,” Brown said.  Tue, 15 Apr 2025 21:11:25 Z /news/politics/government-claims-to-have-already-surpassed-key-crime-target/ /news/politics/government-claims-to-have-already-surpassed-key-crime-target/ The Government is claiming it has already surpassed its target to reduce the number of victims of violent crime, though it admits the data is “volatile” and there is more work to do. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is expected to speak about the data alongside Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Police Minister Mark Mitchell at a press conference this afternoon. A livestream will be available above at roughly 1.45pm. The official New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey, carried out by Ipsos on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, has not officially released its latest report. But ministers are regularly provided with topline results, and a statement from Goldsmith on Tuesday said that for the year to February, there were 157,000 victims of violent crime. The Government has a target to reduce the number of victims of violent crime by 20,000 by 2029 compared with an October 2023 baseline of 185,000. Using the figure the minister has given, it would show the Government has surpassed that target. The Government says it has surpassed the target already. Photo / Dean Purcell “The latest quarterly results for all Government targets will not be released until early June. However, given the significance of these results we are releasing them early, as we believe they are robust and in the public interest,” Goldsmith said. “We do, however, expect the data to remain volatile, and there’s still more work to do to continue driving these numbers down.” Both Goldsmith and Mitchell said the Government’s actions to “restore law and order” was “paying off”, citing extra tools given to police to crack down on gangs, reviving the three strikes regime, and making changes to sentencing. “I want to acknowledge and thank our Police Commissioner and Corrections chief executive, our entire Police and Corrections teams, both sworn and non-sworn, who are working hard with their Justice sector colleagues to implement the Government’s policies and direction on public safety,” Mitchell said. “I am very proud of the work they are doing every day to make our country safer.” Tue, 15 Apr 2025 01:24:11 Z /news/politics/christopher-luxon-faces-media-amid-questions-over-winston-peters-trade-comments/ /news/politics/christopher-luxon-faces-media-amid-questions-over-winston-peters-trade-comments/ The Government is pumping $13.5 million into Tourism New Zealand to encourage more international visitors to travel to Aotearoa. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is expected to discuss the announcement at the SkyCity Convention Centre in Auckland this afternoon. The press conference will be livestreamed above at about 3.45pm. The Government says the injection is forecast to result in more than 23,000 additional international visitors, who would spend an extra $100 million across the country. The investment will have a focus on encouraging visitors from China, Australia, the United States, India, Germany and South Korea. “We know international marketing works, with around 14% of international holiday visitors already being directly influenced by Tourism NZ’s marketing activity,” said Tourism Minister Louise Upston. “We want to grow that influence. Our international visitor spending and visitor numbers have been rebuilding strongly, and we must make the most of that momentum.” Earlier this year, the Government announced the ‘Everyone Must Go!’ campaign focused on Australia. “2025 is our chance to reinforce the value of tourism and show what our humming, vibrant country has on show. New Zealand tourism is open for business,” said Upston. “We already know our country has so much going for it. Now we need the global marketing to push that story even wider.” It comes as Luxon denies there is disagreement between him and his Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, over language used in response to US President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs.Speaking at the East-West Centre in Hawaii, Peters said it was an “uncertain and anxious” time in world affairs and there was often an urge to “react too quickly and too stridently”. “In recent weeks, the tendency to hype up a debate about how international trade works into a black-and-white, polarising issue has been unfortunate and misguided. “The use of military language – of a ‘trade war’, of the need to ‘fight’, of the imperative to form alliances in order to oppose the actions of one country – has at times come across as hysterical and short-sighted.” Those terms are ones Luxon has recently used in reference to the trade tariffs and his desire to advocate internationally for free trade. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (left) and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters. Photo / Mark Mitchell In a speech on Thursday, Luxon concluded by stating free trade was “worth fighting for – and I’m up for that fight”. Speaking to 九一星空无限talk ZB on Monday morning, Luxon said any suggestion he and Peters were on a different page was a “media beat-up”. “Winston and I are actually saying the same thing – that we’ve been cool, calm, and collected in our response.” Luxon last week discussed international trade with several world leaders, including Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos jnr, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and European Union Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. In Luxon’s conversation with von der Leyen, the pair discussed the prospects for closer co-operation between the European Union and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), of which New Zealand was a member. Peters, in his speech, cautioned against actions intended to “pick sides” or “form teams” amid an evolving trade landscape, advocating to “wait for the dust to settle before making choices we may later regret”. He ended his address by promising he would “promote careful, pragmatic, quiet dialogue – aimed at de-escalation and practical problem-solving, rather than premature posturing”. Mon, 14 Apr 2025 03:12:24 Z /news/politics/advertising-standards-authority-assessing-complaints-about-billboards-attacking-green-party/ /news/politics/advertising-standards-authority-assessing-complaints-about-billboards-attacking-green-party/ The Advertising Standards Authority is assessing complaints it has received regarding a billboard campaign attacking Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick and MP Tamatha Paul. Billboards targeting the two Green Party members popped up in central Auckland and central Wellington last week as part of a campaign led by the Sensible Sentencing Trust. One in Wellington displayed a picture of Paul, also the Wellington Central MP, next to the words “Defund the Police” – a reference to Paul’s recent comments speculating whether some police functions could be taken over by other entities. It also used a “Vote Green” slogan that was very similar to the party’s election campaign slogans. The second was almost identical but had “Woop Woop! DEFUND DA POLICE” written on it. It’s likely the billboard was a nod to Paul’s use of Sound of da Police by rapper KRS-One during a DJ set at CubaDupa late last month. The same billboards with Swarbrick’s profile could be seen in Auckland Central, where Swarbrick is also the local MP. The billboards initially featured photos of Paul that were used during the 2023 election campaign. The images were later changed after the party and photographer raised concerns about a copyright breach. Advertising Standards Authority chief executive Hilary Souter acknowledged the agency had received complaints but couldn’t comment further, given its assessment process was ongoing. The organisation behind the billboards, the Sensible Sentencing Trust, often advocated for harsher crime policy, such as Three Strikes. Spokeswoman Louise Parsons said the campaign was intended to convince the public that Green Party policies didn’t sufficiently support crime victims. Swarbrick, in a statement last week, said her party advocated for “real, evidence-based debate on policy”. “Are we willing to have a rational, calm discussion about how to genuinely make our communities safer, or will we stay stuck in the knee-jerk shock politics? “It’s clear right-wing organisations and political parties are keen to shut down any civil discussion about where things have gone wrong and how we could improve – so much for being free speech advocates.” Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for 九一星空无限 since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland. Mon, 14 Apr 2025 01:47:48 Z /news/politics/winston-peters-condemns-hysterical-language-used-by-pm-luxon-in-us-tariff-talks/ /news/politics/winston-peters-condemns-hysterical-language-used-by-pm-luxon-in-us-tariff-talks/ Foreign Minister Winston Peters is condemning the use of “military language” while discussing the international trade environment, the kind of words that have been used by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. It is the latest example of the pair being at odds about New Zealand’s response to the fallout from United States President Donald Trump’s unpredictable tariff implementation regime. Speaking at the East-West Centre in Hawaii, Peters acknowledged it was an “uncertain and anxious” time in world affairs – a nod to instability in global markets fuelled by Trump’s tariffs. However, he dismissed the suggestions the developments were unprecedented. “This, coupled with the hyperactive social media age we live in, can generate an urge to react too quickly and too stridently,” Peters said. “In recent weeks, the tendency to hype up a debate about how international trade works into a black-and-white, polarising issue has been unfortunate and misguided. “The use of military language – of a ‘trade war’, of the need to ‘fight’, of the imperative to form alliances in order to oppose the actions of one country – has at times come across as hysterical and short-sighted.” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says a "trade war" will bring consequences for New Zealand. Photo / Mark Mitchell Peters’ critique could apply to Luxon, who had regularly spoken of the consequences New Zealand would suffer from a “trade war”. In a speech on Thursday, Luxon concluded by stating free trade was “worth fighting for – and I’m up for that fight”. Luxon also spent the end of last week discussing international trade with several world leaders, including Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos jnr, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In Luxon’s conversation with von der Leyen, the pair discussed the prospects for closer co-operation between the European Union and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), of which New Zealand was a member. Peters, in his speech, cautioned against actions intended to “pick sides” or “form teams” amid an evolving trade landscape, advocating to “wait for the dust to settle before making choices we may later regret”. He ended his address by promising he would “promote careful, pragmatic, quiet dialogue – aimed at de-escalation and practical problem-solving, rather than premature posturing”. Peters to Luxon: ‘Call me next time’ On Friday while in Tonga, Peters encouraged markets and politicians to “not lose their nerve” as the US retaliated against China by hiking tariffs, while placing a 90-day pause on retaliatory tariffs for other countries. “There’s no need to react at this point in time. Let’s first find out what we’re dealing with, let the dust settle in,” Peters told RNZ. “My advocacy from the day this matter came up with the Trump tariffs - our job is to be ultra careful, ultra forward thinking in the interest of, guess what, the New Zealand economy, that’s what matters, not our egos. “So my advice to politicians is tone down, wait til you see and know what’s going on.” Peters said the pair hadn’t discussed Luxon’s speech or his calls with world leaders ahead of time: “So I hope that he’ll get my message and he’ll call me next time”. Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for 九一星空无限 since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime. Sun, 13 Apr 2025 01:55:48 Z /news/politics/winston-peters-disparages-christopher-luxon-s-tariff-talks-with-world-leaders-call-me-next-time/ /news/politics/winston-peters-disparages-christopher-luxon-s-tariff-talks-with-world-leaders-call-me-next-time/ By Lillian Hanly of RNZ Winston Peters has chastised the Prime Minister for his spree of phone calls with world leaders about the US trade war, and advised politicians to “tone down”. The foreign minister told RNZ Christopher Luxon had not consulted with him before the calls, adding: “I hope that he’ll get my message and he’ll call me next time.” Luxon made a speech to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce on Thursday morning and proposed the European Commission work more closely with countries signed up to the Trans-Pacific trade pact - known as the CPTPP - to champion the rules-based trade order and provide some stability and certainty. It came after the United States retaliated against China by hiking tariffs to 125%, while placing a 90-day pause on retaliatory tariffs for other countries. The US has since upped the China tariff to 145%. Luxon followed his Wellington speech with a series of phone calls that night with Indo-Pacific leaders and the European Union to gauge how they are interpreting the tit-for-tat trade war and the implications it might have for their economies. Speaking from Tonga on Friday, Peters offered some advice to the Prime Minister. “Markets lose their nerve. Share market speculators lose their nerve. Politicians should not lose their nerve, and that’s my advice,” he told RNZ. “There’s no need to react at this point in time. Let’s first find out what we’re dealing with, let the dust settle in. “My advocacy from the day this matter came up with the Trump tariffs - our job is to be ultra careful, ultra forward thinking in the interest of, guess what, the New Zealand economy, that’s what matters, not our egos,” he said. “So my advice to politicians is tone down, wait ‘til you see and know what’s going on.” Asked if he had spoken with the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the matter, Peters said: “No, he didn’t check it out when he made that speech and made those phone calls.” Foreign Minister Winston Peters advises politicians to play the waiting game amid Donald Trump's tariff turmoil. Photo / Samuel Rillstone, RNZ ‘Premature’ calls - Winston Peters On Thursday afternoon, Peters was asked about the developing tariff hikes, to which he said it was “what we expected, actually”. “Everybody was overreacting, everybody was talking too fast, everybody should have kept their counsel, kept their patience, and it’s starting to unfold far less serious than people thought.” Asked about Luxon’s idea to get CPTPP countries together with Europe and building a “trading bloc”, Peters said it was “all very premature”. “We’re trying to sort out this other thing with America and China’s trade war, and we’re rushing off with solutions - let’s find out what happened there first.” He would not comment when asked if he was consulted by the Prime Minister before the speech. Peters was asked again later if Luxon had discussed the idea of getting those countries together “to formulate some sort of joint response to the US action” with him, to which Peters replied “no”. When asked if he would expect to have that discussed given he is Foreign Minister, Peters said he’d taken the stance that “experience matters”. “In this case, wait until we see what emerges with the tariff war that’s going on.” He said it will come to a resolution, “much quicker than people think”. “So let’s not panic here.” When asked what was wrong with the idea of engaging with other leaders regarding the CPTPP, Peters asked “what would you talk about?” “What’s the tariff regime going to be in the end? Do we know what that’s going to be? No. If we don’t know what that’s going to be, what would you actually talk about? Think about it.” When asked if it was naivety by the Prime Minister, Peters suggested that question be put to Luxon. Christopher Luxon reached out to several world leaders this week over trade concerns. Photo / Marika Khabazi, RNZ Luxon dodges Peters’ ‘premature’ comments On Friday, before Peters’ interview in Tonga, Luxon took questions from the media in Hamilton. He was asked by RNZ what he made of Peters describing his calls with world leaders as “premature”. Luxon disputed that characterisation and moved on. “I gave a pretty broad-ranging speech yesterday on trade, which was appropriate given the week we’ve been experiencing.” Luxon said he was doing three things “over the course of yesterday”. Firstly, was to reach out to “key bilateral partners for New Zealand to say, what more could we be doing together in a world where we have a like-minded approach to trade?” Secondly, he said, was to understand “how they’ve been interpreting the events of the last week, and what that means for them and their economies”. Thirdly, “making the case that we should be reaffirming the principles of free trade together”, whether that was in an Asean or CPTPP bloc. - RNZ Fri, 11 Apr 2025 06:02:24 Z /news/politics/watch-pm-christopher-luxon-to-respond-to-treaty-principles-bill-demise/ /news/politics/watch-pm-christopher-luxon-to-respond-to-treaty-principles-bill-demise/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will soon make his first public comments about the demise of the Treaty Principles Bill after it was voted down in the House yesterday.  Luxon, who will be speaking to media from Hamilton, will hold a stand-up about 2pm. A livestream will be available at the top of this article.  Luxon was absent from Parliament yesterday as MPs debated the bill, which had hung over the coalition parties since it was agreed as part of their legislative agenda after coalition negotiations following the 2023 election.  The bill, which proposed a referendum on redefined Treaty principles, caused an uproar within Māori communities who feared a dilution of rights afforded under the Treaty of Waitangi. Tens of thousands marched to Wellington in protest last year, understood to be the biggest protest Parliament has yet seen.  Act leader David Seymour supporting the Treaty Principles Bill in the House yesterday during its second reading. Photo / Mark Mitchell  In their coalition agreement, National and NZ First agreed to support Act’s bill through to the select committee stage. Amid the strong public backlash, National’s position on the bill morphed from not guaranteeing further support to promising to vote it down when it returned to the House for its second reading.  As expected, Act was the only party to vote in favour of the bill yesterday afternoon. Party leader David Seymour later promised Act was likely to take another Treaty-related policy to the 2026 election.  Luxon said his absence from the House yesterday was caused by a scheduling conflict, claiming he needed to be in Auckland yesterday for a series of engagements.  He spent his time speaking to world leaders about the global trading environment in the light of United States President Donald Trump’s tariff scheme that caused chaos in financial markets this week.  Luxon made calls to leaders including Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos jnr, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.  Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for 九一星空无限 since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.  Fri, 11 Apr 2025 01:45:59 Z /news/politics/govt-to-expand-definition-of-veteran-and-create-new-national-tribute-day/ /news/politics/govt-to-expand-definition-of-veteran-and-create-new-national-tribute-day/ A new national day will be created and the definition of veteran expanded to capture tens of thousands of former soldiers, sailors and aviators through a new bill the Government will propose.  It follows New Zealand’s most decorated living war hero, Sir Willie Apiata, gifting Veterans Minister Chris Penk his New Zealand Victoria Cross medal last month in the hope Parliament could change the definition  Penk today announced the Government would introduce the Veterans’ Recognition Bill in response to concerns from the military community the present definition of a veteran created an “unnecessary divide” and caused some to feel “invisible”.  “Under the Veterans’ Support Act, the term ‘veteran’ is currently reserved for New Zealand Defence Force personnel who were injured as a result of Qualifying Service, either in deployments where there has been a significant risk of harm to those deployed, or in routine service before ACC was introduced in 1974,” Penk said.  “While that definition remains appropriate for determining eligibility for support entitlements, it has unfortunately left many who have loyally served our nation feeling excluded, given that they fall outside the current narrow legal scope of the ‘veteran’ definition.”  Veterans Minister Chris Penk today announced the Government would introduce the Veterans’ Recognition Bill in response to concerns from the military community. Photo / Mark Mitchell  The bill would establish a broader definition that would apply to all NZDF personnel who had received the following medals or awards:  the New Zealand Defence Service Medal, which recognises NZDF service of at least three years, including reserve force personnel;  operational service or campaign medals;  honours or decorations awarded through the royal honours system; and  medals for bravery or excellence awarded by the New Zealand government.  It was unclear how many of the estimated 140,000 people who have previously served in the NZDF would be covered by the bill. About 40,000 of those are deemed veterans. More than half of the remaining 100,000 people would earn the title through the new bill.  The bill would also include a covenant that would formalise the relationship between the Government and veterans, acting as a “national promise to treat veterans with respect and dignity”.  A new national day honouring veterans would also be created, marked annually with a Veterans’ Service Awards ceremony.  The date for the national day, which would not be a public holiday, had not yet been decided, but would be chosen following consultation with the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association (RSA) and the independent Veterans’ Advisory Board.  “The Government acknowledges that some New Zealanders have historically felt invisible after leaving service – and we agree that this must change,” Penk said.  Whakatāne RSA Padre Raharuhi Koia provides a prayer as Warrant Officer Willie Apiata bestows his Victoria Cross medal on Minister for Veterans Chris Penk. Photo / Diane McCarthy  Penk was gifted Apiata’s medal on March 28 while attending a function at the Whakatāne RSA.  Apiata earned the prestigious honour for carrying a wounded fellow soldier to safety under heavy fire in Afghanistan in 2004. He has campaigned for more than five years for changes to the Veterans Support Act 2014.  “There are many versions of the definition of a veteran,” Apiata said last month.  “The definition that resides within our country at the moment splits us into two peoples when we should be one. Because we all gave one service.”  He said he had spoken to previous Ministers for Veterans Affairs Peeni Henare, Meka Whaitiri and Ron Mark about the issue.  “As I said five years ago, I cannot carry this until we are all under the same umbrella,” he said of the medal.  Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He has worked for 九一星空无限 since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.  Thu, 10 Apr 2025 23:28:12 Z /news/politics/treaty-principles-bill-timeline-the-controversial-policy-s-rocky-road-to-rejection/ /news/politics/treaty-principles-bill-timeline-the-controversial-policy-s-rocky-road-to-rejection/ Te Pāti Māori urges vigilance after the Treaty Principles Bill was voted down, calling it “one battle won”.  David Seymour remains defiant, exploring options to keep the bill’s vision alive before the next election.  All parties except Act voted against the bill, with eleven votes in favour and 112 against.  Te Pāti Māori is urging people to remain vigilant for other Government policies it believes are harmful, saying Thursday’s voting down of the Treaty Principles Bill is only “one battle won”.  The bill’s architect David Seymour said there will be more to come in this space as the Act Party considers its options before the next general election to keep the vision behind the controversial bill alive.  Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said, “we have spent the last year and a half in defence mode”.  “What we would like to do now, aside as tangata whenua, tangta Tiriti, is focus on ... what it is we need to do to not only protect Te Tiriti but to entrench, to make sure the rest of the nation enjoy learning [about] the absolute taonga [treasure] we have in Te Tiriti.”  The party’s other co-leader Rawiri Waititi said more needed to be done to increase education around Te Titiri before a national conversation or any referendum on such an issue was held.  “If we are going to have a conversation, let’s make sure we have an informed conversation, get educated and ensure people have access to the education so we can have a conversation.  “If it goes to a referendum, at least everybody is informed and knows what they are talking about. The country is not ready for that because I believe we have not had the education everybody deserves to have.”  Opposition MPs celebrate as Act leader David Seymour leaves the House after the Treaty Principles Bill was voted down. Photo / Mark Mitchell  It was a raucous and passionate second reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. Te Pāti Māori’s Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke sang, Labour’s Willie Jackson was kicked out of the House for once again calling Seymour a liar and a member of the public did a haka from the gallery.  The volatility of the House during the second reading was typical of the bill’s whole process. Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee came close to clearing the public gallery and ejecting heckling MPs as his patience for those flouting his orders ran thin.  The Opposition took aim at National and NZ First for not doing more to stop the Treaty Principles Bill, which Labour’s Chris Hipkins said had a “colossal” impact on society and will forever be a stain on New Zealand.  “This is a grubby little bill, born of a grubby little deal,” Hipkins said.  Act leader David Seymour during the second reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. Photo / Mark Mitchell  “National and New Zealand First join the opposition to this bill, but they can claim no victory, no virtue, and no principle. They get no credit for finally starting to fight the fire they helped to ignite.”  Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith defended the Government’s position, saying neither National or Act got what they wanted from their coalition agreement on the issue and “that is life under MMP [the voting system].”  “Our country is not so fragile that we can’t withstand a debate about the role of the Treaty. National opposes this bill but we do not oppose the open and frank discussion about the role of the Treaty of Waitangi in our laws and within the context of a modern democracy.”  Goldsmith acknowledged those who had made the effort to submit to the Justice Select Committee, saying some of those submissions were “truly remarkable”.  During his address, Seymour said his bill would have finally defined the principles to give “all Kiwis equal rights” if it had become law. He used his address to remind MPs they could still change their minds and send the bill to a referendum.  In the end, all political parties except Act voted against the bill with 11 votes in favour and 112 against. This outcome was expected as National and NZ First had said in the lead up to the second reading they would vote against it.  But Seymour remained defiant, refusing to concede the bill had failed and indicating he is considering different options to try to keep his vision alive.  “For the purposes of this conversation, putting the same thing right back is a possibility, amending another law is a possibility. There are lots of options,” he told reporters outside the debating chamber.  More details about what Act plan to propose next would be revealed before the next general election, he said.  Hikoi mo te Tiriti marches through Wellington to reach Parliament. Photo / 九一星空无限  “We realise people probably want to focus on a few other things but they will come back to this issue because it is one of the defining issues of New Zealand. Does our Treaty unite us with equal rights, or divide us, as partnership between races? That question hasn’t gone away.”  Meanwhile, Te Pāti Māori and other critics of the Treaty Principles Bill are celebrating the end to what they have called a long and exhausting campaign. Opposition MPs stood up and cheered as the final vote was announced.  “This campaign that iwi had to drive has been exhausting, it’s been unnecessary but it has also been a great time for us as Te Pāti Māori to reflect on what it is we have learnt from this as we determine as a nation what we do next,” Ngarewa-Packer said.  While the first reading was “deeply painful and traumatic”, the second was a celebration, she said  In her address to the House, Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke of Te Pāti Māori said the real issue was not the bill but that Parliament had only ever recognised “one partner, one culture, one language from one Treaty”.  She urged Parliament to acknowledge tikanga and te tiriti o Waitangi.  “That is the real question of privilege here. At our darkest hour we could have chosen to fight this, but we chose to survive this. This bill hasn’t been stopped, this bill has been absolutely annihilated.”  Hīkoi participants march in Hamilton on day four of a journey to Wellington to protest various issues impacting Māori. Photo / Mike Scott  The Treaty Principles Bill through the years  March 24, 2022: Act announces referendum campaign  Act announces it will campaign for a referendum on Māori co-governance and for legislation defining the Principles of the Treaty, in particular their effect on democratic institutions. Seymour tells 1九一星空无限 the issue would be a bottom line if forming a Government.  November 25, 2023: Coalition agreements revealed  The coalition agreements between National, Act and NZ First are unveiled. In them, National and NZ First agree to support a Treaty Principles Bill based on existing Act policy to the select committee stage, but no further.  NZ First leader Winston Peters, National leader Christopher Luxon and Act leader David Seymour after signing their coalition agreement. Photo / Mark Mitchell  August 16, 2024: Scathing Waitangi Tribunal report released  A 189-page Waitangi Tribunal report describes the bill as unfair, discriminatory and “a solution to a problem that does not exist”.  September 9, 2024: 400 church leaders condemn bill  More than 400 church leaders – including all three Anglican archbishops, the Catholic Archbishop and a Catholic Cardinal, the Methodist Church president and the Salvation Army commissioner – sign an open letter to MPs calling on them to vote down the Treaty Principles Bill.  September 11, 2024: Cabinet agrees on principles  The principles agreed on by Cabinet are released. They are:  1) Civil Government: The Government of New Zealand has full power to govern, and Parliament has full power to make laws. They do so in the best interests of everyone, and in accordance with the rule of law and the maintenance of a free and democratic society.  2) Rights of hapū and iwi Māori: The Crown recognises the rights that hapū and iwi had when they signed the Treaty. The Crown will respect and protect those rights. Those rights differ from the rights everyone has a reasonable expectation to enjoy only when they are specified in legislation, Treaty settlements, or other agreements with the Crown.  3) Right to equality: Everyone is equal before the law and is entitled to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination. Everyone is entitled to the equal enjoyment of the same fundamental human rights without discrimination.  October 8, 2024: Seymour debates iwi leader Helmut Modlik  Seymour takes part in his first public debate on the Treaty Principles Bill, going head-to-head with Helmut Modlik, tumu Whakarae (chief executive) of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira.  November 14, 2024: First reading & the world-famous haka  Labour MP Willie Jackson is sent out of the House during the first reading for the Treaty Principles Bill. Voting on the bill is interrupted by a Te Pāti Māori-led haka, which was viewed hundreds of millions of times on social media. Several Government MPs complained about it and Brownlee [Speaker of the House] called it “appalling” and “disrespectful”, deeming such pre-meditated behaviour as “grossly disorderly”.  The only tweet by @actparty that’s ever gone viral. https://t.co/eMAaGlaOXQ— Willie Jackson (@WillieJLabour) November 15, 2024 November 18, 2024: Historic hīkoi arrives at Parliament  Tens of thousands of people descend on Wellington in a historic day of mass protest. People are protesting Government policies they consider to be anti-Māori, including the Treaty Principles Bill  January 24, 2025: Winston Peters says bill ‘dead in the water’  NZ First leader Winston Peters says at Rātana the bill is “dead in the water”. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon tries to reassure those gathered that the bill “will not become law”.  January 27, 2025: Oral submissions begin  Seymour kicks off oral submissions before Parliament’s Justice Select Committee. He tells the committee he believes the Treaty Principles Bill, or a bill similar to it, will eventually pass at some point in the future.  “What we have witnessed in recent decades is how the courts and the Waitangi Tribunal have sought to define the principles of the Treaty is incompatible with freedom under the law, a free society, where each of us have equal rights.”  The Hīkoi mō te Tiriti outside Parliament in Wellington in November 2024. Photo / Mark Mitchell  April 4, 2025: Justice Select Committee releases report  Report states committee received more than 300,000 written submissions and requests for 16,000 oral submissions. Of the written submissions, 90% opposed the legislation, 8% were in support and 2% had not clearly stated their position. Of the oral submissions, 85% were opposed, 10% were in support and 5% were unstated.  April 10, 2025: Second and final reading  All political parties except Act vote against the bill with 11 votes in favour and 112 against.  Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.  Thu, 10 Apr 2025 19:06:32 Z /news/politics/auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-questions-why-cabinet-ministers-get-limos-but-he-doesn-t-after-driving-offence/ /news/politics/auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-questions-why-cabinet-ministers-get-limos-but-he-doesn-t-after-driving-offence/ Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown apologised for making a video call while driving, admitting the offence. Police are investigating the incident, which carries a $150 fine and 20 demerit points. Brown compared his situation to ministers with chauffeurs, saying he lacks similar transport perks. A day after being caught out making a video call while driving, Auckland’s mayor has questioned why lowly Cabinet ministers get Crown limousines but not him. Wayne Brown told the Herald today: “The real story you should have asked is [why] ministers you have never heard of get a BMW and a driver. “The most important mayor in New Zealand doesn’t get any of those things.” The Herald reported yesterday police are investigating Brown for making a video call to last Thursday’s transport committee meeting on his mobile phone while driving. Brown has admitted the offence, which carries a fine of $150 plus 20 demerit points, and apologised for the error in judgement. When the Herald told him former mayor Len Brown had a chauffeur-driven car, Brown said he was never offered any such perk. Cabinet ministers travel around in BMW limousines. “Everyone wants to talk to me all day long, and I have to get myself around,” he said. Brown’s predecessor, Phil Goff, did away with Len Brown’s gas-guzzling V6 Calais and used an electric car from the council’s fleet for mayoral duties. Asked if he was driving in Auckland or Northland, where he has a home, when he made the video call on his phone, Brown said he did not want to get into that. Asked if he had been contacted yet by police or fined, Brown said he hadn’t heard anything, and claimed police did not follow up when he was threatened by individuals associated with the speedway. Last month, an unmarked security car was stationed outside the mayor’s apartment in Auckland, and new CCTV cameras were installed after Brown was the target of online threats. Security was provided outside the mayor's apartment after threats were made over the council's decision to move speedway from Western Springs. Photo / Greg Bowker “The police don’t show up for bloody burglaries these days,” Brown told the Herald. “It would look bloody stupid if they got tangled up in this one [using his phone while driving], wouldn’t it?” Yesterday, police said they are in the early stages of inquiries to establish the circumstances of the video. “We are in the process of collating this information and making inquiries, which will determine the next appropriate steps.” Today, police said inquiries were ongoing. Both police and the Government have in recent months signalled a tougher crackdown on drivers using their mobile phones. In February, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he was willing to consider higher penalties for motorists. Thu, 10 Apr 2025 02:25:59 Z /news/politics/treaty-principles-bill-second-reading-of-controversial-policy-scheduled-for-this-afternoon/ /news/politics/treaty-principles-bill-second-reading-of-controversial-policy-scheduled-for-this-afternoon/ Every party except Act is expected to vote down the controversial Treaty Principles Bill this afternoon on a occasion one senior minister has described as “cremation day.” Parliament will hold the second and most likely last reading of the legislation as the enormous majority of MPs are expected to vote against it. The reading will begin around 3pm. It will be live-streamed at the top of this article. MPs from all parties will speak on the bill, which has been the subject of many debates and oral questions in the House over the past yea Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka has celebrated the impending defeat of the bill, telling a room full of Māori business leaders recently: “Thank goodness that is coming to cremation day.” “Nehu [burial] day is coming, folks. Nehu day is coming for the Treaty Principles Bill. Can’t wait to see that nehu day.” David Seymour’s two coalition partners – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy PM Winston Peters – are not expected to be in the House for the second reading this afternoon. Luxon, who is keen to move on from the lengthy debates that have surrounded the contentious legislation in the past, says he is not avoiding the second reading but is unable to attend because of his schedule. He says he needs to “get on and run this country”. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (left) and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters. Photo / Mark Mitchell “It’s just a function of schedule,” Luxon told reporters at his weekly post-Cabinet press conference. “Frankly, it’s more important that it comes to the House and is voted down than me having to be there or not.” Peters, the NZ First Leader, is unlikely to make it due to overseas travel plans. Labour, the Greens, Te Pāti Māori and Act have confirmed their leaders will attend. Act’s bill has been a source of major tension during its time on Parliament’s books as critics consider it to be anti-Māori and fear it will degrade the Treaty of Waitangi and weaken Māori rights. Seymour’s proposal to replace the many Treaty principles developed over decades with three new ones determined by Cabinet partly fuelled the massive hīkoi to Parliament in November, attended by tens of thousands of people. Around the same time, the bill’s fiery first reading ended with several MPs going against Parliament’s rules and performing an impassioned haka on the floor of the House in front of Seymour as MPs tried to vote on the bill. The bill also received an unprecedented 300,000 written submissions (the previous record was just over 100,000). Of these, 90% opposed the legislation, 8% supported it and 2% had not clearly stated their position. The bill is expected to be voted down by an enormous majority this afternoon. Act is the only party in Parliament that supports the proposed legislation. National and NZ First supported it at the first reading as per their coalition agreements with Act. Māori/Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka (left) and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia to pay their respects to the late Kīngi Tūheitia. Photo / Kīngitanga But Seymour has defended the policy throughout. Responding to the vast majority of submissions being opposed, he argued that high-profile bills like this often resulted in “spam” and responses that are disproportionate to genuine public opinion. He said the bill was needed because although the Treaty principles were mentioned in legislation, Parliament has never defined what those principles are. Doing so would provide clarity, he said. “Parliament’s silence has been filled by court findings, Waitangi Tribunal reports and government departments attempting to define the principles. “The resulting principles afford Māori different rights from other New Zealanders.” Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Thu, 10 Apr 2025 02:02:03 Z /news/politics/christopher-luxon-to-hit-the-phone-to-defend-global-trading-system/ /news/politics/christopher-luxon-to-hit-the-phone-to-defend-global-trading-system/ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will speak to media after announcing this morning that he plans an all-out push to protect free and fair trade. In a speech this morning, Luxon announced he would jump on a phone call with other world leaders later today in a bid to save what is left of the rules-based trading system after it was tested to breaking point in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. He also announced that he will travel to the United Kingdom later in the month to talk “trade, security, and the geopolitical backdrop in Europe and the Indo-Pacific” with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Speaking to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce breakfast this morning, Luxon spoke of the virtues of free trade for New Zealand, not just because it opened up markets for exports, but because it made imports cheaper at the same time, lifting overall living standards. Luxon said he would be testing what leaders “can do together to buttress the rules-based trading system”. He said that while some commentators have “declared an end of an era to free markets”, he was not ready to “throw in the towel quite yet”. “Kiwis have worked too hard and for too long, to give up on the values and institutions which have seen our country and the region we live in thrive.” Luxon said he would explore whether there was a way to use one of New Zealand’s largest trade agreements, the CPTPP, as a springboard to a better global trading system. New Zealand was one of the original P3 countries that began negotiating the deal, which grew into one of the world’s most important trade deals, which is still growing, with the ascension of the UK recently. “I expect they won’t be the last,” Luxon said. “New Zealand will continue to work with like-minded countries to promote free trade as a path to prosperity and explore the role of the CPTPP in strengthening that vision. “One possibility is that members of the CPTPP and the European Union [EU] work together to champion rules-based trade and make specific commitments on how that support plays out in practice.” Labour’s outgoing foreign affairs spokesman David Parker recently floated the idea of getting the EU to join the CPTPP as a way of bolstering the rules-based trading system, which has been under strain for nearly a decade thanks to dysfunction at the World Trade Organisation. He suggested building on the CPTPP might be a way around that impasse. Labour's foreign affairs spokesman David Parker backed approaching the EU to join CPTPP. Photo / Mark Mitchell  Luxon told a potted history of Prime Minister Robert Muldoon’s economics of the 1970s as a parable for insulating a country from the global economy.  In those years, when cars and TVs were assembled domestically, New Zealand suffered “spiralling prices” and a heavily subsidised but “much less productive, much less diverse” agricultural sector.  Luxon described these policies, while being “foolish economics” also “reflected the best efforts of political leaders to insulate New Zealand from an era of major social and geopolitical change”.  “History shows those best efforts were a mistake, that required years of difficult choices and careful recovery,” he said.  “New Zealanders paid the price then.  “I don’t intend for them to do so again.”  Thomas Coughlan is deputy political editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.  Wed, 09 Apr 2025 20:51:27 Z /news/politics/green-party-mp-benjamin-doyle-speaks-to-media-following-return-to-parliament/ /news/politics/green-party-mp-benjamin-doyle-speaks-to-media-following-return-to-parliament/ Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle is taking aim at the “poisonous transphobic hate” they faced over social media posts and admits they were politically naive in not deleting them when told to do so by the party. However, it appears questions over Doyle’s future have been answered as the MP says they “refuse to be disappeared by hate”. Doyle, who goes by they/them pronouns, has today revealed the Green Party advised them to delete their private Instagram page before they came to office, but they “chose not to”.”I can admit that I was politically naive, and we have paid a huge price for this naivety. None of this means I deserved the barrage of abuse and vitriol I have experienced.” The MP says they expected “prejudice and homophobia” when they entered Parliament, as well as scrutiny as is appropriate towards those with the “privilege of this position”. ”But I could never imagine or prepare myself to be attacked in such a baseless, personal, and violent way. That my life and that of my child would be threatened. ”That poisonous transphobic hate and imported culture wars would be levelled against me and my community - not just by extremists online, but by individuals who hold the highest level of authority in this institution.” Green MP Benjamin Doyle entered Parliament from the list last year. Photo / Supplied. Doyle said they had been advised not to leave their house or appear in public due to concerns about security. As for the terms used in the posts, Doyle said “context is key” and something they believed had “been deliberately ignored and twisted by some incredibly bad faith actors looking for an excuse to punch down on someone who represents something they don’t agree with”. ”The post at the centre of these baseless attacks includes 10 images from a range of activities and moments in my life, with a pop culture pun in the caption. ‘Bussy galore’ is an in-joke and a nickname. The translation here is “me at large living my best life”. They said that referring to them like that on Instagram was an “expression of my queer identity, and it acts as a persona, much like a drag performer or comedian might use”. ”The caption – which references me – is an example of the way marginalised communities often reclaim or subvert language in order to exist apologetically. I recognise that Bussy is not a term all rainbow people use or like, but it is one that is commonly understood and appreciated by my friends and community. ”For me, this term is wordplay, and represents the combination of my masculine and feminine qualities as a non-binary person – someone whose gender doesn’t fit into a strict category. “It’s also a satirical in-joke with references to pop music, drag culture, Bond novels and 1960s cinema, made about myself with people who know me in mind.” Doyle stands by comments, says they did nothing wrong Taking questions from journalists, Doyle said they didn’t think they had done anything wrong. “No I don’t.” Doyle said their personal social media account were made in reference to themself, and shouldn’t have been taken out of context. Among several posts of Doyle’s that received attention was an image of them and their child which was contained within an Instagram carousel of various images of a family event - that carousel was captioned with the phrase “bussy galore”. Bussy is a portmanteau of “boy” and “pussy” and is slang used by some to refer to a male’s anus. The appropriateness of the posts has been questioned by some, including Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters, who has said they need investigating. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the term used was “inappropriate”, but believed it was a matter for the Greens to deal with. Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick responded to criticisms by saying members of minority communities, like the rainbow community, were “accustomed to using and co-opting terms that may not be well understood by external groups, often times with irreverence and absurdity”. She said that “context is critical” and when asked by reporters what that context was, said: “Benjamin had a title of a private account which was related to terminology that is used within the queer community”. “There are a number of far-right conspiratorial actors who are imputing meaning to that and the long bow that they seem to be drawing is that by virtue of use of that terminology that the rainbow community poses a real-world threat to children.” As the Herald has reported, one source who knows Doyle said “bussy galore” was not a caption for a single image, but for a selection of family photos posted to Instagram. The source said “bussy” refers to Doyle themself and that the caption therefore referred to multiple photos of Doyle. Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the 九一星空无限hub press gallery office. Wed, 09 Apr 2025 03:19:48 Z /news/politics/green-mp-tamatha-paul-fires-back-at-labour-says-expectations-of-party-s-law-and-order-policies-were-already-low/ /news/politics/green-mp-tamatha-paul-fires-back-at-labour-says-expectations-of-party-s-law-and-order-policies-were-already-low/ Green MP Tamatha Paul is not backing down after her comments criticising the police sparked outrage, including from potential future coalition partner Labour. She has now fired back at the party – saying her expectations of Labour’s law and order policies was “already low”. Paul has come under fire for her recent comments about the police, including saying there were reports of police throwing homeless people’s belongings in bins, that police beat patrols made some people feel less safe, and that the majority of people in prison were there for non-violent offences. The comments have triggered a trading of amped-up political rhetoric between parties, even between Labour and the Greens who tend to be quite close. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Paul’s comments were “quite outrageous and insane” and that she was in “la la land”. Labour leader and former Police Minister Chris Hipkins said Paul’s comments were “ill-informed, were unwise, in fact were stupid”. “I don’t think that responsible Members of Parliament should be undermining police in that way.” But Paul remains defiant. Speaking on a recent episode of the BHN podcast, the Green MP said she felt frustrated reading Hipkins’ comments. She had thought about responding at the time but let it slide because people would not want to see the Greens and Labour “scrapping with each other”. Host Pat Brittenden asked Paul how it felt “having to be the grown-ups in the room all the time?”. “The thing with law and order, and Labour, is my expectations were already low,” she said, referencing Labour’s Ram Raid Bill which she viewed as punishing children. “It’s not like my expectations of Labour’s criminal justice policies were high in the first place so I wasn’t even surprised when I read Chippy’s [Chris Hipkins] comments.” Green MP for Wellington Central Tamatha Paul. Photo / Georgina Campbell Paul criticised current Police Minister Mark Mitchell, saying he “never has anything intelligent to say”. In response to a question from Brittenden about how she would differ from Mitchell if she were Police Minister, Paul said: “Well, I would be far more intelligent than Mark Mitchell”. “I mean the guy doesn’t even know what systemic bias is. All these questions being wasted in the House and he just says the same thing over and over again.” She told the podcast she would reduce the amount of power and discretion police held if she were in charge. “I think it is that space that lies within that discretion that is where you are getting all the bad outcomes because you are leaving it to regular people to make judgments about other human beings which I don’t think they are capable of making – that is why you see an over-representation with the police with some people, and others not.” Mitchell responded to the comments in a post on his Facebook page. He said in the 18 months he had been in the ministerial role, Labour and the Greens had made “deeply personal attacks” on him. “I am proud of the work that this coalition Government is doing on public safety. I have personally dedicated most of my adult life to service to my country and public safety. “New Zealanders should be very concerned by the prospect of a Labour-Green government that wants to defund and remove the discretion of our police force, at the same time as letting violent criminals out of prison.” He rejected Paul’s assertions that people felt less safe with police out on the beat. “In fact there is overwhelming evidence that the opposite is true. It is complete nonsense to claim that all our beat police do is persecute homeless people - in fact the complete opposite is true, our frontline police officers are always looking for ways to support and help rough sleepers.” Billboards could ‘backfire’, Paul says Paul also responded to the popping-up of billboards funded by the Sensible Sentencing Trust to attack attack co-leader Chloe Swarbrick and herself. The billboards, which were visible from Whitmore Street in the capital, included a picture of Paul that was used in her successful Wellington Central electorate campaign in 2023. Billboards with a picture of Green MP Tamatha Paul, seemingly paid for by the Sensible Sentencing Trust, have appeared in Wellington. Photo / Adam Pearse One displays her picture next to the words “Defund the Police” - likely a reference to Paul’s other recent comments speculating whether some police functions could be taken over by other entities. Paul told the podcast she thought the Sensible Sentencing Trust were “a bunch of idiots”. “I think it just also shows they have no understanding of Wellington City, either. If they think putting this up in Wellington City is going to be some kind of a hit-job, we’ll see how that goes next year. “I don’t think they understand how these kinds of things backfire. But for me, I was like ‘mean, free promo, shot’.” In an earlier statement, trust spokesperson Louise Parsons said the trust believed both central cities faced “significant challenges in relation to public safety” and argued Green Party policy wouldn’t address concerns. “The objective of this campaign is to highlight what and who the Green Party stand for. Because it certainly is not victims.” Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Wed, 09 Apr 2025 02:35:30 Z /news/politics/andrew-little-actively-considering-wellington-mayoralty/ /news/politics/andrew-little-actively-considering-wellington-mayoralty/ Former Labour leader Andrew Little is considering running for Wellington mayor. Little previously ruled it out but now says the city needs a change. Confirmed candidates include Tory Whanau, Ray Chung, Karl Tiefenbacher, Kelvin Hastie, Graham Bloxham, and Rob Goulden. Former Labour leader Andrew Little has confirmed he is considering a tilt at the Wellington mayoralty. It was reported in December that Little had ruled it out. Since then Labour has struggled to find a candidate after no one put their name forward. It extended nominations which close later this month. Little retired from politics in 2023 but now says he's considering the Wellington mayoralty. Photo / Mark Mitchell. “I’m actively considering it,” Little told the Herald in a statement. “The city needs change and I have been approached by a wide range of people asking me to run”. “I’ll have more to say at a later date,” he said. He entered Parliament in 2011 and was leader of the Labour Party and leader of the Opposition from 2014 to 2017. Little served as a senior minister in Governments led by Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins. He currently works as a consultant at Wellington law firm Gibson Sheat Lawyers. Little says he's been approached by a wide range of people to run for the city's top job. Photo / Mark Mitchell Little lives in Island Bay with his family. The confirmed candidates for the mayoralty are incumbent Tory Whanau, city councillor Ray Chung, businessman Karl Tiefenbacher, predator-free champion Kelvin Hastie, Wellington Live owner Graham Bloxham, and former city councillor Rob Goulden. Whanau yesterday secured the Green party’s endorsement. The local election will be held on October 11. Candidate nominations open on July 4 and close on August 1. Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined 九一星空无限 in 2023 and is interested in local issues, politics and property in the capital. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz. Tue, 08 Apr 2025 02:46:17 Z /news/politics/labour-mp-david-parker-to-resign-from-politics/ /news/politics/labour-mp-david-parker-to-resign-from-politics/ Labour MP David Parker will resign from politics in the coming weeks. In a statement just released, Parker said he left Parliament “enthusiastic” for New Zealand and the Labour Party. “I want to thank my parliamentary colleagues and wish them well for the hard work ahead,” he said. “I was a serial entrepreneur before coming to Parliament and have been an agent for change while here. I will return to the private sector and continue building a prosperous and egalitarian nation.” Parker will give his valedictory speech in early May. A former Cabinet minister, Parker held several portfolios while in government including trade, revenue, transport, energy and climate change. He also occupied the role of Attorney General. More recently, Parker had been vocal as Labour’s foreign affairs spokesman as the Government grappled with several complex geopolitical issues, including Russia’s war with Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict. In the months ahead of the 2023 election, Parker stepped down as Revenue Minister after then-Prime Minister Chris Hipkins ruled out introducing a wealth tax or capital gains tax under his leadership. Parker, one of the chief architects of Labour’s tax proposals, had publicly expressed his disappointment following Hipkins’ decision not to progress work on a potential wealth tax and CGT as part of a tax switch in Budget 2023. Parker first entered Parliament in 2002 when he was elected the MP for Otago, beginning a 23-year career in Wellington that stretched eight consecutive Parliaments. “It has been a privilege to be elected by the people of New Zealand to represent their interests in Parliament for the last 23 years,” Parker said. Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for 九一星空无限 since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime. Tue, 08 Apr 2025 00:36:11 Z /news/politics/watch-nicola-willis-tariff-briefing-warning-of-profound-implications-for-nz/ /news/politics/watch-nicola-willis-tariff-briefing-warning-of-profound-implications-for-nz/ Finance Minister Nicola Wills will brief the country on the state of the economy this morning, following a global stock market rout triggered by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Last night she told 九一星空无限talk ZB the tariffs would have “profound implications for New Zealand”.  The briefing will be livestreamed at the top of this story.  Luxon said there are no plans to change the Budget at this stage. A social media post suggested the Government’s response will be, in the first instance, to advocate for the rules-based order on the world stage.  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, speaking on his way into National’s weekly caucus meeting, said this past week had seen “a profound shift in the global economic landscape and the way that countries respond to these events has the potential to have significant impacts on New Zealand”.  The impact of the slump, which the Wall Street Journal called a “US stock meltown” is being felt in New Zealand, with KiwiSaver balances tanking and local stocks falling too. Two billion dollars was wiped off the value of New Zealand’s share market between last week and the end of Monday as the rout of global financial markets caused by the US tariff policy finally caught up with the local market.  The NZX 50 benchmark fell 3.68% to 11,775.88 points on Monday, taking year-to-date losses to 9.89%.  Luxon said that while New Zealand had got off relatively lightly from the tariffs, receiving just 10%, the lowest rate applied to most countries (with some exceptions), overall the tariff war would harm global growth prospects which would be bad for New Zealand.  Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaking to media about the Government's tariff response. Photo / Mark Mitchell  “Yes, we’re not as badly affected as many other countries that face up to 50% extra tariffs on exports into the United States, but what actually is concerning me is the shift away from agreed rules and the risks of actually backsliding into a global trade war.  “A trade war is frankly in nobody’s interests. It will slow global growth, it will hurt jobs, and it will reduce the amount of money we have in our wallets,” Luxon said.  Luxon said New Zealand has a “strong history of advocating for an open, rules-based trading system. I will work with like-minded countries to promote free trade as a path to prosperity for New Zealanders and for those that we trade with.”  No recession forecast, no change to Budget -yet  Willis spoke to Ryan Bridge on Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Monday night, saying she had been receiving briefings from officials on the impact of the tariffs.  “I have been getting ongoing updates from officials - situation updates from officials because obviously this is a significant global economic event. It has uncertain implications but undoubtedly profound implications for New Zealand.”  These implications are probably bad news for the Budget. Low global growth forecasts will very likely hurt New Zealand’s growth outlook. This will reduce tax revenue, putting pressure on the Government come Budget time.  “We will finalise our economic forecasts which then feed into the Budget in the next few days - I expect to be briefed on them soon,” Willis said.  “The estimate that global growth is going to be lower than had been predicted - that has a run-on effect for New Zealand’s growth projections and so you will expect that to be reflected in our Budget updates,” Willis said.  “I intend to keep New Zealanders updated on the significant material developments for the economy,” she said.  Willis said officials were telling her that it is “likely that the tariffs are going to reduce overall estimates of global growth and that will therefore reduce our forecast growth in the economy, which as you can work out means potentially less revenue for New Zealand which is a significant economic effect that we need to be prepared for”.  She said it was important to back exporters.  Willis said she had not seen advice suggesting the slump would tip New Zealand back into recession.  Labour leader Chris Hipkins said stimulus may be justified  Labour leader Chris Hipkins said there may need to be more spending in the Budget to stimulate the economy.  “I think there’d certainly be a justified case for that,” Hipkins said.  “I think it will very much depend on where you did that extra spending, so if it’s investment spending, rather than short term spending, there is absolutely a case for that at the moment, because investment spending is something that we have underdone as a country for the last three or four decades and as a result, we’ve got a lot of catch up to do,” he said.  Hipkins noted that Willis had criticised Labour for breaking pre-election spending promises during the last Government. Labour at the time blamed those broken promises on the changing economic climate.  He said the pre-election spending promise of Willis was “a stupid promise for her to make”.  He said Labour would “highlight the hypocrisy”.  Thomas Coughlan is deputy political editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.  Mon, 07 Apr 2025 23:24:38 Z /news/politics/new-poll-shows-coalition-govt-trumping-opposition-amid-high-nz-first-support/ /news/politics/new-poll-shows-coalition-govt-trumping-opposition-amid-high-nz-first-support/ Support for the coalition Government parties is growing after polls earlier in the year suggested the Opposition was gaining momentum, new polling suggests. The 1九一星空无限 Verian poll, released tonight, has National on 36%, up two percentage points compared to the outfit’s last poll in February. Act is steady on 9% while New Zealand First is up two points to 7, its highest result in the poll in nearly eight years. Meanwhile, Labour has dropped 1 point to 32%, the Green Party remains steady on 10 and Te Pāti Māori has dropped 1 to 3%. On those numbers, National, Act and NZ First would get 64 seats and be able to form a Government. The three Opposition parties could only compile 58 seats. In the preferred Prime Minister stakes, National leader Christopher Luxon is up 1 point to 23%, while Labour’s Chris Hipkins has jumped 3 points to 20%. NZ First leader Winston Peters has increased 2 points to 7%, while both Act’s David Seymour and Chlöe Swarbrick suffered poorer results. One thousand people were surveyed between March 29 and April 2. The poll had a 3.1% margin of error. As the Government announced its $12 billion plan for future defence investment today, the poll also found 39% of respondents support spending more on defence. About the same (38%) are unsure, while 23% disapprove. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Defence Minister Judith Collins during the post-Cabinet press conference today. Photo / Mark Mitchell Two of the latest polls have shown an uptick in support for the three coalition parties after months of positive returns for the Opposition. A Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll, conducted from March 29 to April 1, found National, Act and NZ First had enough support to form a Government, with the two minor parties up 2.3 points each to 10% and 7.4% respectively, when compared to the pollster’s last poll in early March. National was down slightly, falling 0.1 points to 33.5%. Labour had fallen 4.3 points to 29.8%, while Te Pāti Māori dropped 2.2 points to 4.3%. The Green Party rose 1 point to 11%. In preferred Prime Minister, Luxon had increased 1.6 points to 21.9%, overtaking Hipkins, who fell 1.8 points to 18.9%. Peters rose a massive 4.2 points to 12.8% — the first time he had polled over 8%. Act leader David Seymour was also up, rising 3 points to 8%. Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick was on 4.2%, falling 0.6 points. The poll followed a similar set of findings from the first RNZ-Reid Research Poll released this month that also gave the Government parties a slim lead over the Opposition. Conducted from March 21 to 27, the poll found an election based on its data would return National, Act and NZ First to power with 62 seats out of 120, down from their existing 67 of 123. Both polls fielded views from 1000 respondents and had the same 3.1% margin of error. Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for 九一星空无限 since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime. Mon, 07 Apr 2025 06:39:44 Z /news/politics/live-the-12b-spend-on-defence-when-will-we-hit-2-of-gdp/ /news/politics/live-the-12b-spend-on-defence-when-will-we-hit-2-of-gdp/ The Government’s defence spending will hit more than 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) within the next eight years, with a long-awaited plan released today revealing $12 billion in funding over the next four years, $9 billion of which is “new”. In a statement, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Defence Minister Judith Collins said the plan would deliver “enhanced lethality” and “deterrent effects”. Luxon will provide further details at the post-Cabinet press conference at 4pm, which is being livestreamed. There are several major investments expected between this year and 2028 highlighted within the Defence Capability Plan (DCP). This includes replacing the Boeing 757 fleet (expected at $600m to $1b), enhanced strike capabilities ($100m to $300m), and a new fleet of maritime helicopters to operate from Navy ships ($300m to $600m).$12b in four years $12b in four years The plan breaks down investments to those between now and 2028 and “indicative” investments, which are foreshadowed from 2029 onwards. The plan is not explicitly funded – the funding must be agreed by Cabinet for each individual investment must go to Cabinet for agreement and funding must be appropriated in the Budget. This means that while the near-term investments are likely to be funded, given the Government that put them in the plan is the same Government that sits around the Cabinet table deciding funding, investments further into the future will be funded by the Government of the day. In the near-term, the Government has decided not to immediately replace the country’s ageing Anzac frigates HMNZS Te Kaha and Te Mana, but instead provide additional maintenance to extend their lives into the early 2030s. This will cost between $300m and $600m. “Extending the life of the frigates will retain Defence’s combat capable ships and the skilled workforce required to operate combat vessels until the ships are replaced,” the plan says. “This ensures retaining a critical combat capability able to operate at home, in our region, and globally. Rather than removing the frigates from service for an extended period, the maintenance work is planned to progress incrementally, aiming to ensure the frigates are available for training, operations and contingencies.” Looking further forward, between 2029 and 2039, the plan says the Anzac frigates will be replaced with comparable contemporary frigates as well as offshore patrol vessels. The recently-sunk HMNZS Manawanui will not be replaced with a new vessel, with dive and hydrographic tasks to be undertaken from other platforms rather than a dedicated one. There had been speculation ahead of the plan that it would include replacing the frigates as part of a joint procurement project with Australia – much like the 1990s joint procurement of the current frigates. This idea has been scrapped in favour of getting more life from the current frigates, which have recently undergone a system upgrade. The Defence Force is in the midst of a much wider review of navy capability, the Maritime Fleet Review, which will inform the shape of its assets into the 2030s. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaking in the 九一星空无限talk ZB studio this morning. Photo / Michael Craig When will New Zealand hit 2% of GDP defence spending? Luxon said in a statement that the DCP contained $12 billion of funding over the next four years, including $9 billion of new spending and $3 billion from depreciation. That is expected to raise the country’s defence spending from just over 1% of GDP to more than 2% in the next eight years. The Government’s used a GDP forecast from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which it says allows for international comparison and has been recommended by Treasury. Spending 2% of GDP is significant. This spending level is set as a target for members of the NATO alliance. While New Zealand is not a member of NATO, the 2% target is often cited as an unofficial benchmark for the optimum level of spend – although there are sceptics who note that a lower level of spending, invested well, is better than a larger amount that is wasted. The United States has been putting pressure on allies and partners like New Zealand to lift spending levels. Within New Zealand this has been criticised for eroding the independence of New Zealand’s foreign policy and aligning the security policy more closely with the United States. The plan will not dispel these fears, explicitly citing the “ANZUS alliance with Australia” and the “wider Five Eyes partnership”. The Government repeated the “force multiplier” language that had recently copped criticism and said the plan would be enable New Zealand to be more interoperable with partners. Interoperability – the ability of a defence force to seamlessly operate with that of another country – has long been a goal of the relatively small NZDF. The plan promised enhanced strikes capabilities. These will be for the maritime domain and allow for longer range strikes. “Options include arming existing air and maritime platforms with missiles such as the P-8A Poseidon fleet and the Anzac frigates or exploring other options, including land-based strike,” the plan says. The two Boeing 757 fleet will be replaced. They are “used to support New Zealand’s presence in Antarctica, evacuate New Zealanders from conflict and disaster areas, and carry civilians and Ministers for trade, diplomatic and consular missions”. As for replacing maritime helicopters, the plan says the current Super Seasprite maritime helicopters that operate from frigates are reaching their end of life. In future years, the plan says there could be consideration of acquiring uncrewed systems to increase the number of deployable aircraft and provide longer endurance. ‘The floor, not the ceiling’ Luxon said: “This blueprint has been designed with a 15-year horizon but deliberately focuses on critical investments needed in the next four years to ensure our Defence Force can adapt as the world around us changes.” “The Government has committed to reviewing the plan every two years. Put simply, this is the floor, not the ceiling, of funding of our Defence Force.” Luxon noted the support of New Zealand First and Act for their “unwavering support in advancing this plan”, and made a special mention of NZ First for previously driving the procurement of the P-8A and Hercules Aircraft. Defence Minister Judith Collins said the New Zealand Defence Force needed the right equipment and conditions to do their jobs. She believed the plan would ensure the NZDF was combat capable with “enhanced lethality” and a deterrent effect, would be a “force multiplier with Australia and interoperable with partners”, would be “innovative” and have “situational awareness”. The minister also paid tribute to those who serve in the NZDF. As she has repeatedly before, Collins highlighted that many personnel had left the force in recent years, including after having to patrol Managed Isolation Facilities during the Covid period. That included members of New Zealand’s most elite military force. “That has left us with a hollowed-out middle in our personnel and this plan allows us to address that. Already our attrition has fallen from 15.8% in December 2022 to 7.5% in February 2025,” Collins said. “We know we need to rebuild the core of the NZDF so we can fully utilise the ships, aircraft, vehicles and weapons we already have, while looking to what is needed in the future.” Major investments planned for 2025-2028: Enhanced strikes capabilities Frigate sustainment programme Persistent surveillance (uncrewed autonomous vessels) Replacing the maritime helicopters Javelin anti-tank missile upgrade Network Enabled Army Special Operations sustainment Vehicles for the NZDF Counter uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) Long-range remotely piloted aircraft Replacing the Boeing 757 fleet Space capabilities Enhancing cyber security capabilities Enterprise resource planning Improved intelligence functions Updating classified digitial services Accommodation, messing and dining modernisation Defence estate regeneration Defence housing programme Future Devonport naval base design Ohakea infrastructure programme Defence, Science & Technology uplift Technology accelerator Information Management Digital modernisation Logistics resilience Consolidated Logistics Project infrastructure Implementing a workforce strategy Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for 九一星空无限 since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime. Mon, 07 Apr 2025 03:51:39 Z /news/politics/billboards-attacking-green-mps-chloee-swarbrick-and-tamatha-paul-appear-in-auckland-wellington/ /news/politics/billboards-attacking-green-mps-chloee-swarbrick-and-tamatha-paul-appear-in-auckland-wellington/ Billboards attacking Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick and MP Tamatha Paul are being displayed in central Auckland and central Wellington as part of an attack campaign co-ordinated by the Sensible Sentencing Trust. A picture of Paul, who is also the Wellington Central MP, features in two billboards playing on a loop that can be seen from Whitmore St in the capital. One displays her picture next to the words “Defund the Police” - likely a reference to Paul’s recent comments speculating whether some police functions could be taken over by other entities. It also uses a “Vote Green” slogan, very similar to the party’s election campaign slogans. Billboards with a picture of Green MP Tamatha Paul, seemingly paid for by the Sensible Sentencing Trust, have appeared in Wellington. Photo / Adam Pearse The second is almost identical but has “Woop Woop! DEFUND DA POLICE” written on it. It’s likely this billboard is a nod to Paul’s use of Sound of da Police by rapper KRS-One during a DJ set at CubaDupa late last month. Both billboards state they were authorised by Louise Parsons of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, an organisation that advocated for harsher crime policy, such as Three Strikes. In a statement, Parsons confirmed similar billboards targeting Swarbrick were running in central Auckland, where Swarbrick is also the local MP. Parsons believed both central cities faced “significant challenges in relation to public safety” and argued Green Party policy wouldn’t address concerns. “The objective of this campaign is to highlight what and who the Green Party stand for. Because it certainly is not victims.” The Green Party has been contacted for comment. The Act Party has noticed the billboards, pointing to them in a video posted to its social media accounts. Spotted in Wellington 👀 pic.twitter.com/eIiJsh0XsO— ACT New Zealand (@actparty) April 7, 2025 Stephen Franks, a lawyer who acted as a spokesman for the trust when it was calling for the Government to strengthen its reformed Three Strikes proposal, said he didn’t know about the billboards but found them entertaining. Speaking from a legal perspective, Franks said it was important to determine if the billboards were a genuine attempt to win votes or an attack. Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for 九一星空无限 since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime. Mon, 07 Apr 2025 02:31:56 Z /news/politics/wellington-local-election-green-party-endorses-tory-whanau-for-mayoralty/ /news/politics/wellington-local-election-green-party-endorses-tory-whanau-for-mayoralty/ The Green Party has announced it is supporting Tory Whanau as its candidate for October’s Wellington City Council election. Whanau previously ran as an independent, but has now aligned herself more closely with the Greens in her bid for a second term. Other confirmed mayoral candidates include Ray Chung, Karl Tiefenbacher, Kelvin Hastie, Graham Bloxham, and Rob Goulden. The Green Party has thrown its support behind Tory Whanau as she seeks a second term as Wellington mayor. The party has announced its list of candidates for October’s local body elections. “Tory Whanau, Wellington’s first Mayor of Māori descent, is leading the charge for positive change in Pōneke”, the party said in an announcement to members today. Although being endorsed by the party in the 2022 election, Whanau ran as an independent candidate, which allowed her to break from the party line and support a range of policies. Whanau admitted in February she “wasn’t being Green” by supporting some controversial policies and was rebuilding relationships with the party. She also revealed that she wavered on whether to run again towards the end of 2024. “I am the right person to keep delivering for our city,” Whanau said in regard to this morning’s announcement. As a Green Party candidate, Whanau will have access to the party's resources and her campaign material will feature the party's branding. Photo / greens.org.nz “We’ve worked hard to deliver for Wellington, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve achieved in the last two years in water infrastructure, housing, and climate resilience.” Whanau, who was previously the Green Party’s chief of staff in Parliament, has had an at-times strained relationship with the party over her term. She put her party membership on holdin an attempt to bring the council together and build trust. In April last year, the Herald revealed Whanau rejoined the Green Party. Late last year Whanau acknowledged she had upset her base and “wasn’t being Green”. She sparked controversy within the local branch by championing major policies she never campaigned on like a proposed sale of the council’s airport shares and the controversial Reading deal. It’s understood Whanau was the only mayoral candidate in the Green’s pool. Wellington mayor Tory Whanau with friends and supporters after her win in 2022. Photo / Mark Mitchell “I want to see our city thrive with affordable housing and transformational projects that delivers efficient public transport, a full cycleway network and pedestrian-friendly streets. A place where our nature and creativity continue to flourish. A community that celebrates diversity and looks after its most vulnerable,” Whanau said. She pointed to achievements such as fixing 4400 water leaks, providing 183 affordable rental properties, planting 110 thousand trees, building an additional17km to the cycleway network, starting construction on sludge minimisation facility, and passing the District Plan to allow for more housing. By running as a Green candidate on the party’s ticket, Whanau will have access to the Green’s resources, including campaign volunteers, and is asking for donations through the party. Her campaign material will also feature Green Party branding. A donation page on the Greens website states a $3 donation will help towards social media, $50 will feed a team of doorknockers or phone callers, and $100 will buy “valuable billboards”. Other Green candidates include two-term councillor and Deputy Mayor Laurie Foon running again for Paekawakawa Southern General Ward, Geordie Rogers, who narrowly won a February 2024 byelection for the Pukehīnau Lambton General Ward, and newcomer Jonny Osborne, running for Motukairangi Eastern General Ward. Wellington City Councillors meeting last year. Photo / Mark Mitchell. Yadana Saw, a current Greater Wellington Regional councillor is running again alongside newcomer Henry Peach, after Thomas Nash announced he wouldn’t run again. A decision on Wellington City Council’s Māori Ward is yet to be made by the Green Party’s Māori membership group. Nīkau Wi Neera, a Green Party councillor, currently holds the seat. The Labour Party’s local branch has announced its final candidates for the council, but has still not found anyone to challenge Whanau for the top job. Nominations remain open for Labour’s mayoralty spot after no one put their hand up. Both Labour and the Greens have indicated they will campaign to retain the Māori ward. A referendum will be held at this election in line with the law passed by the coalition Government last year. Last week, businessman Karl Tiefenbacher announced he was also running for the city’s mayoralty. He has yet to announce any policies but said his core priorities include changing the culture of Wellington City Council, keeping rates down, and stopping wasteful spending. Candidate Karl Tiefenbacher has previously run for a council seat twice unsuccessfully. Photo / Mark Mitchell. The confirmed candidates for the mayoralty are incumbent Tory Whanau, city councillor Ray Chung, businessman Karl Tiefenbacher, predator-free champion Kelvin Hastie, Wellington Live owner Graham Bloxham, and former city councillor Rob Goulden. The local election will be held on October 11. Candidate nominations open on July 4 and close on August 1. Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined 九一星空无限 in 2023 and is interested in local issues, politics and property in the capital. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz. Sun, 06 Apr 2025 22:14:20 Z /news/politics/road-user-charges-waikeria-prison-foreign-investment-christopher-luxon-reveals-new-quarterly-action-plan/ /news/politics/road-user-charges-waikeria-prison-foreign-investment-christopher-luxon-reveals-new-quarterly-action-plan/ The Government is expected to shortly take decisions on transitioning the country’s fleet to Road User Charges, pass legislation allowing businesses to deduct pay in response to partial strikes, and open the 600-bed extension at Waikeria Prison. These are among 38 actions the Government has announced it will take over the next quarter. It’s part of a plan Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says will boost the economy and help New Zealanders. “There are positive signs of the economic turnaround this Government was elected to deliver, and our latest quarterly plan lays out more of the actions we will take to rebuild the economy, reduce the cost of living, and make Kiwis better off,” he said. Luxon added that “growth doesn’t just miraculously happen” and he made “no excuse for keeping the public service focused on delivery with these quarterly action plans”. There are few surprises on the quarter two plan. Many of the actions are to simply “take Cabinet decisions” or “pass legislation” that is already close to finishing in the House. One action is to deliver a Budget, something that happens annually. The full list of 38 actions can be found below, but they include introducing legislation to ratify the recently signed New Zealand-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Trade Minister Todd McClay announced on Sunday that he would travel to Abu Dhabi this week to attend an investment conference and strength ties with UAE, which has two-way trade with New Zealand currently valued at $1.3 billion. “Foreign direct investment is vital for New Zealand’s economic growth and UAE investors are seeking high-growth opportunities. New Zealand offers world-class prospects in energy, infrastructure, cleantech, fintech, transport, manufacturing, aquaculture, and many more sectors,” McClay said. “Building on the recent Infrastructure Investment Summit, we’re now presenting these opportunities directly to top-tier investors offshore.” The action plan includes introducing legislation to establish Invest NZ, the new agency that will help attract foreign direct investment. Legislation will also be introduced to amend the Overseas Investment Act, reforms which David Seymour has been pursuing to simplify getting investment into Kiwi business. A new tourism growth roadmap is expected to be launched as well as a plan to boost export education earnings. Cabinet decisions are also expected on the Parent Visa Boost, which would make it easier for migrants to have their parents or grandparents enter the country. One promise the Government has fulfilled is to pass legislation removing barriers to the use of overseas building products. That passed its third reading last week. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk want to break down barriers to overseas products coming here. Photo / Mark Mitchell. Cabinet is expected to consider decisions on the fleetwide transition to Road User Charges (RUCs). The Government has previously spoken about transitioning the light vehicle fleet to RUCs by as early as 2027 to ensure the system for funding transport investment remainsviable. With vehicles becoming more fuel-efficient, the Government has said excise tax on petrol is no longer sustainable. The plan also includes passing legislation that would allow for pay deductions in response to partial strikes. This involves workers turning up to their workplace but not completing key tasks. Speaking in Parliament last year, Seymour said this would “provide a far more effective and efficient bargaining environment where rights and consequences are more balanced and which minimises potential disruption to public services”. Labour’s Camilla Belich said all it did was “attack workers’ rights” and “take working New Zealanders backwards”. There’s a number of law and order actions, like opening a 600-bed extension at Waikeria Prison and taking decisions on proposals from an advisory group about strengthening trespass law. The Government also plans a pilot attendance programme to set expectations for students and outline the action schools should take for any student who reaches a threshold of days absent. That could include the prosecution of parents. But just because the Government is committing to doing something this quarter, doesn’t mean it will be able to follow through. A checklist of the 40 actions it promised to undertake between January and March this year shows it missed completing three. The quarter one plan said Cabinet would take decisions on the Regulatory Standards Bill, which would outline principles for responsible regulation. A paper was completed but Cabinet has not yet considered it. The quarter two plan promises the legislation will be introduced shortly. Cabinet did consider a Health Infrastructure Investment Plan, but it’s not yet been published as the quarter one action plan said. A promise to take Cabinet decisions on legislation to improve the regulation of medical devices has been pushed out to allow for more industry consultation. The full action plan for quarter two: Deliver a Budget focused on boosting economic growth, improving social outcomes, controlling government spending, and investing in long-term infrastructure. Introduce legislation to ratify the New Zealand–United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Introduce legislation to establish Invest NZ to position New Zealand as a premier destination for the foreign direct investment that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. Introduce legislation amending the Overseas Investment Act to make it easier, quicker, and more transparent for foreign investors to invest in and grow New Zealand businesses. Take Cabinet decisions on the Parent Visa Boost, to enable migrants to sponsor their parents or grandparents to enter the country. Launch the Tourism Growth Roadmap, the second phase of the Government’s plan to boost tourist numbers and drive economic growth Deliver a plan to boost export education earnings. Introduce the Regulatory Standards Bill to improve the quality of regulation by ensuring regulatory decisions are based on principles of good law-making and economic efficiency. Begin public consultation on changes to the Driver Licencing system. Take Cabinet decisions on the fleetwide transition to Road User Charges. Begin public consultation on National Direction to the Resource Management Act to unlock development in infrastructure, housing, and our primary industries. Begin public consultation on the 30-year National Infrastructure Plan. Pass legislation to remove barriers to the use of overseas building products to increase competition and reduce costs. Take Cabinet decisions on self-certification for low-risk work and reducing inspection wait times to reduce building costs. Introduce legislation to make targeted improvements to the Public Works Act to make it faster and fairer to acquire land for building infrastructure. Agree the first Regional Deal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to drive economic growth and improve the supply of housing and infrastructure. Take Cabinet decisions on reforms to the Commerce Act to improve competition settings. Take Cabinet decisions on capital markets settings to remove barriers to listing, reduce costs to firms and enable greater investment in private assets from KiwiSaver providers. Pass legislation to allow businesses to make pay deductions in response to partial strikes. Take Cabinet decisions to refocus WorkSafe and the WorkSafe New Zealand Act to reduce unnecessary compliance costs for business while enhancing worker safety. Introduce legislation to establish a regulatory system for online gambling to reduce gambling harm. Pass legislation to extend TAB’s monopoly to online racing and sports betting, keeping revenue in New Zealand to support local industries and strengthening gambling harm protections. Publish the first Government AI strategy to help drive adoption of AI to boost productivity and grow the economy. Introduce legislation to limit farm-to-forestry conversions from entering the Emissions Trading Scheme to protect productive land. Introduce legislation to enable the designation of herds of special interest to raise our international profile as a hunting destination and help support an increase in hunting tourism. Open the 600-bed extension at Waikeria Prison to support the Government’s efforts to keep criminals off the streets. Pass legislation that empowers victims of sexual violence to determine whether their attackers receive name suppression. Take Cabinet decisions on proposals from the Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime to strengthen trespass law. Take Cabinet decisions to further strengthen consequences for crime by reforming the Crimes Act. Take Cabinet decisions on AML/CFT reform to improve the supervisory and funding model; and to reduce the burden on business while enhancing access to financial services for everyday Kiwis. Deliver 10,500 additional elective procedures through the Health NZ electives boost. Complete the Year 7-8 maths tutoring trial and begin evaluation. Complete sector consultation on the Year 11-13 maths, English, Pāngarau and Te Reo Rangatira curricula. Introduce legislation to strengthen the performance of the education system. Pilot the Stepped Attendance Response with select schools to raise student attendance. Pass legislation to expand the Traffic Light System to add more tools to support people off welfare into work. Introduce legislation to require freedom of expression in universities. Take Cabinet decisions on scaling up the New Zealand biodiversity credit market to incentivise the protection and restoration of native wildlife. Sun, 06 Apr 2025 19:02:40 Z /news/politics/shane-jones-and-wife-dot-say-she-was-grabbed-after-altercation-at-auckland-airport/ /news/politics/shane-jones-and-wife-dot-say-she-was-grabbed-after-altercation-at-auckland-airport/ Cabinet minister’s wife says she was allegedly grabbed by a man after an altercation. Shane Jones claims the man was ‘incandescent’ with rage. Dot Jones says she wants other MPs’ spouses to know about the risk. The wife of Cabinet minister Shane Jones says she was grabbed on the shoulder at Auckland Airport by a man who had shouted angry slurs at her husband. Dot Jones says she has laid a police complaint, saying politicians and their families should not be accosted while going about their lives. She said she decided, when approached by the Herald, to speak publicly in part to highlight the risk MPs faced but also as a warning to other MPs’ spouses. Shane Jones has also spoken about the incident and his wife’s decision to make a police complaint. “If we allow these small infractions to go unchecked it feeds a momentum of malevolence that all MPs and their families are fair game. “It’s a horrible experience for the spouse of an MP.” Shane and Dot Jones dressed up to host their 'Great Gatsby'-themed Waitangi party this year. The altercation follows a week in which Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle was targeted in an online campaign that resulted in an “immense” number of death threats. It comes after research showed threats against MPs had surged, with 98% of the 54 MPs surveyed saying they had suffered harassment, 40% receiving threats of violence and 19% threats against family members. The Herald had learned the altercation took place after Shane and Dot Jones arrived at Auckland Airport’s domestic terminal to catch the scheduled 8.25am flight home to Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands. Shane Jones is a member of the NZ First Party and a Cabinet minister with responsibilities for fisheries, regional development and resources. Cabinet minister Shane Jones and wife Dot at the NZ First election night party in 2023. Photo / Mike Cunningham Dot Jones told the Herald the couple had left their luggage at the regional airport check-in at around 7.30am and were making their way to the main food court area for breakfast when a man started shouting loudly at Jones. Much of the abuse involved offensive language and personal slurs. As airport workers and other travellers watched, the man continued to shout abuse at Jones along with profane descriptions of NZ First leader and deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters. “It got so aggressive. We thought he was joking then realised quite quickly he was serious.” Shane Jones said: “I turned around and said ‘what did you say, mate’ and he came right up in my face and it was a full-throated spray. Then I realised he was addressing his vulgarity at me, that Winston and I would be dog tucker real soon.” Shane Jones said he thought the man was Australian and asked: “Are you a Kiwi?” The response from the balding Pākehā man in glasses, who Shane Jones estimated was in his 50s, was to say: “I’m just as Kiwi, in fact I’m more Kiwi than you are”. Dot Jones said when suddenly confronted with the man moving so close to her husband while shouting in his face - “at hongi distance” - she became aware of phone cameras being directed their way and the potential for the incident to spiral out of control. She said she was aware that her husband was protective of her wellbeing and was concerned his instinctive response would not be long restrained if abuse continued at such a high-level in such close proximity to his face. “If there was a fist-fight, that would have been in the news.” She said she moved to place her hand between the men’s faces telling the man “enough is enough” and to go away. “His nose hit my palm and he said I assaulted him and he wanted my name.” Shane Jones said the man, at that point, began berating him: “So fat boy needs a woman to protect him”. He said: “There was nothing I could say to placate the guy. He was incandescent.” Dot Jones said she turned to her husband and indicated they should go, turning and walking towards the food court for breakfast. “My back was turned and he came up behind me and grabbed me. He grabbed my shoulder. It was all so quick.” Shane Jones, who was a few steps behind, said he saw the man suddenly step past him and grab Dot Jones by the shoulder, turning her so as to cause a loss of balance. “He had raced ahead to grab her and demand to know her name and for her to show him some identification. He came up from behind - she didn’t see him coming.” He said his wife had recently recovered from a serious ankle injury and seeing her turn and attempt - successfully - to regain her balance caused concern she would fall and inflame the old injury. “I saw her stumble.” As Dot Jones recovered her balance, Shane Jones said the man’s wife emerged to intervene, apologising profusely. In October, police arrested two people after protesters accosted Winston Peters and pushed Shane Jones at NZ First's national conference. Photo / Mike Scott “I said, ‘if that’s your husband, he’s a threat to himself’. Another place, another MP, it might not have ended like this. “I think the most telling remark was [needing] ‘a woman to look after him’. I think the average Kiwi bloke can imagine how that could have gone horribly wrong. “Bad enough he’s giving me a verbal spray. Manhandling your wife, that’s another level. The bloke, in my view, has committed an offence.” Dot Jones, who is a NZ First board member, said Air New Zealand and security staff moved in to check on the couple. When told the police would be informed, she was asked if she wanted to lay a complaint. She said she told those present that she did not want to. “I said ‘no’ because I know Shane doesn’t like to cause a fuss.” However, having returned home to Northland, she said she thought “he just grabbed me - what the hell just happened here?”. She said the adrenaline of the moment had passed and been replaced by shock. “While I said (initially) I don’t want to lay charges, I thought I will do something about it. It’s just not fair on these MPs to be treated this way. I’m just not going to tolerate that.” On that basis, she said she contacted police again and told officers she did want to lay a complaint. As the couple had been boarding their flight, they spotted the man who they say accosted them being spoken to by an Auckland Airport-based police officer. On occasion, Dot Jones said she had accompanied her husband to political events at which there were protests and abuse hurled. In this instance, though, she said the couple were trying to return home and simply making their way through the airport in search of breakfast. Benjamin Doyle, Green Party List MP, based in Hamilton, received 'immense' numbers of death threats last week. Photo / Green Party “It’s just some random person attacking you. It’s something you don’t assume will happen when you’re just getting on with your day. It’s so unfair these politicians are getting this. When it’s after hours, they’re just normal people. They are just normal people doing their jobs.” Shane Jones said it was not unfamiliar to have people direct abuse at him because of his political roles. “I don’t go to the pub and the reason I don’t go to the pub is because you encounter Dutch courage.” A spokesperson for Auckland Airport said its security staff were on site after the incident and the company was “supporting a police investigation into an incident that took place yesterday at the Domestic Terminal”. “Auckland Airport has zero tolerance for abuse of any kind and takes matters like this seriously.” A police spokesperson said: “I’m advised that police dealt with a confrontation between individuals at Auckland Airport on Saturday morning, no injuries are reported”. Members of Parliament have faced aggression in recent years with complaints about harassment and stalker-like behaviour increasing. In 2019, a new agency called the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre was set up with experts from the Ministry of Health and police to identify people seeking to harm politicians or parliamentary staff. The issue became even more tense after Covid-19 restrictions proved divisive across the community as the number of threats soared - in the year to October 2022, 93 threats were recorded against MPs including 64 against then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The change of government and the move onward from Covid-19 issues took some of the heat out of the politically focused environment with the year to October 2024 resulting in 25 recorded threats against MPs, including nine against Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Last week, the Green Party said Doyle was staying away from Parliament after a surge in threats that followed a highly personalised and targeted online campaign. 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 first joined the Herald in 2004. Sun, 06 Apr 2025 02:05:37 Z /news/politics/larger-granny-flats-to-be-built-without-consents-after-govt-changes-coalition-promise/ /news/politics/larger-granny-flats-to-be-built-without-consents-after-govt-changes-coalition-promise/ The Government will allow granny flats up to 70sq m to be built without consents.  The decision followed public consultation and aims to ease barriers for building simple dwellings.  Legislative changes are expected by the end of the year, with further standards by 2025.  Larger granny flats will be able to be built without consents after the Government decided to change its coalition promises after public consultation.  The Government has today confirmed it will change its planned amendments to building and resource consent legislation to allow minor residential units, more commonly known as granny flats, to be built up to 70sq m, more than the originally mooted 60sq m.  The policy, agreed between National and New Zealand First, was aimed at addressing barriers to building simple dwellings, often preferred by people who lived with older family members or children who wanted their own living space.  The decision to increase by 10sq m came after consultation led by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, reinforced by Government officials.  “It was the public submissions asking, ‘Why not a bit bigger?‘, and I mean, it’s a fair question, where you draw the line,” Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said.  “[It’s] allied to official advice which was along the lines that you actually don’t have any greater risk at a slightly larger footprint of the building.”  Asked why the Government had stopped at 70sq m, Penk said: “You’ve got to draw the line somewhere.”  Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk is glad to see the coalition promise expanded. Photo / Mike Scott  However, he also pointed to the value in aligning with an established set of designs for buildings sized from 60-70sq m.  Given the lack of added risk, Penk acknowledged the Government’s policy could have started at the 70sq m threshold, but said it showed the benefits of consultation.  “The whole point about consulting is that you can arrive at the best policy.”  Penk confirmed building consents would not be necessary if the granny flat had a simple design, it met the Building Code, the construction was done by authorised builders and if homeowners notified their councils at the beginning and end of construction.  The necessary legislative changes were expected to make it through the House by the end of the year.  National minister Chris Bishop, responsible for Resource Management Act reform, said a new National Environmental Standard (NES) under the RMA would be developed and in place by the end of 2025 to align with the required amendments to the Building Act.  NZ First minister Shane Jones spoke of how the policy would accommodate whānau living arrangements that were common in his area in Northland’s Far North.  “Changing the rules to make it easier to build more family accommodation allows generational living at an affordable price.”  Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for 九一星空无限 since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.  Sat, 05 Apr 2025 02:45:42 Z /news/politics/cremation-day-govt-minister-celebrates-defeat-of-treaty-principles-bill/ /news/politics/cremation-day-govt-minister-celebrates-defeat-of-treaty-principles-bill/ Senior minister Tama Potaka is celebrating the impending defeat of Act’s controversial Treaty Principles Bill after a Parliamentary committee advised against the policy and National and NZ First are set to vote the bill down. It came after NZ First minister Shane Jones told Māori leaders they needed to make “trade-offs” for economic growth and to address steep energy prices before hinting at a major upcoming geothermal announcement. The developments at the Federation of Māori Authorities Business Summit in Hamilton today put the spotlight once again on the frayed Māori-Crown relationship. At the same time, news broke in Wellington that the overwhelming number of submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill were in opposition, and the Justice Select Committee recommended the policy not proceed. The bill is now set to return to the House for its second reading, where Act’s coalition partners, National and NZ First, have stressed they will vote it down. “Thank goodness that is coming to cremation day,” Potaka, the Māori Development Minister, said. “Nehu (burial) day is coming, folks. Nehu day is coming for the Treaty Principles Bill. Can’t wait to see that nehu day.” Jones referred to the bill as “wretched”. The Regional Development Minister spent much of his address urging Māori landowners to accept there needs to be “trade-offs” for economic development amid fears the Government’s thirst for growth will come at the price of Treaty rights and the environment. “Your nephews, your brothers and sisters, my nieces, our relations” risk losing their jobs and moving to Australia because “New Zealand has become too expensive to do business in”, he said. “I sort of feel I am the only Māori politician of my generation that has been willing to put it all on the line in terms of the trade-offs you have to make. “So, I say to you, who are business-focused, economic kaitiaki (guardians), we’ve got to make trade-offs. And if you are not comfortable making them, subject to election outcomes, know that I am going to make them on your behalf. And if you don’t like them, then meet me at the ballot box.” He said the Government’s $60 million investment to explore geothermal energy should be of interest to Māori landowners, adding that how they responded to the challenges and trade-offs was up to them. “If you find it too risky to tap into the geo(thermal) on your own whenua (land), I don’t want to make that decision for you but if there is a bald-head owner with a farm next door, I’m going to him rather than sitting around arguing with you all day because the cost of energy is so crippling in New Zealand we can no longer allow our Māori-Pakeha debates to cripple our economy.” Jones alluded to a “major announcement” coming up that would turn New Zealand into “geothermal central” in the coming years, including “probably taking the authority for geothermal off the regional council and restoring it back to the Crown”. “That, however, represents a part of my upcoming manifesto.” NZ First MP Shane Jones during his speech at Rātana Pā near Whanganui in January. Photo / Mark Mitchell Jones also addressed water ownership, following questions from people in the crowd seeking clarity on who held authority. An unprecedented case — Ngāi Tahu is suing the Crown in a bid to share control of water management in its tribal area — is in the High Court. This case is not about the ownership of water but turning the concept of rangatiratanga — guaranteed under the Treaty of Waitangi — into an enforceable legal right. “For as long as Shane Jones is around in politics, I will never agree that tangata whenua own water. “Where I think our debate should go is not into an insoluble issue (of) who owns the rain (but) on what basis are rights allocated to use the water we have by dint of mother nature.” Jones said he did not think there was enough support from the New Zealand public to solve the issue. “I am pleading with you, unless you see a different political future than I see … I do not see a large enough constituency in New Zealand, and I don’t even see it on the left wing of politics to deal with — are there exclusive ownership rights to the water? Maybe a new generation of politicians will solve that issue.” Annette Sykes Among the leaders watching Jones’ speech was Treaty lawyer Annette Sykes, who proposed an alternative to Jones’ pathway forward for Māori development. “To listen to Mr Jones’ this morning, it was disappointing because he was trying to say he as a politician will determine the rangatiratanga of Māori land and that will never happen because kawanatanga (the Government) was never created to subsume us within the constraints of a capitalist model that wasn’t developed in this land.” Sykes said Māori had an obligation to protect the environment for future generations and ensuring longevity and survival amid climate change was going to require “genius.” “If we are just going to continue to measure ourselves against performance measures of capitalist gain, we actually, I think, overlook the most fundamental thing. “We are the ones that are the barriers or the preventers of climate change exploitation to ensure that we survive. We are the people who are the tourism operators that will actually make this (country) attractive to international visitors. We are the genius that are emerging.” Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism. Fri, 04 Apr 2025 02:26:12 Z /news/politics/coalition-back-on-track-in-polling-after-months-behind-labour/ /news/politics/coalition-back-on-track-in-polling-after-months-behind-labour/ The coalition is back in front in the Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll after several polls placed it behind the Opposition.  The change is mostly due to Labour falling 4.3 points to 29.8% after a difficult week in which Leader Chris Hipkins was forced to distance himself from the anti-Police comments of Green MP Tamatha Paul.  Those remarks did not harm the Greens, however, who rose 1 point to 11%. Te Pāti Māori fell 2.2 points to 4.3%.  On the Government side, the big winners were minor parties New Zealand First, up 2.3 points to 7.4% and Act, up 2.3 points to 10%. The poll was taken a week after NZ First leader Winston Peters tore strips of Labour in his State of the Nation speech and launched a renewed attack on all things “woke”.  National was down slightly, falling 0.1 points to 33.5%.  The combined tally of seats for the centre-right would be 64 on those numbers, compared to 57 for the centre-left. On these numbers, National and Act could form a government with the support of NZ First.  Voters are sending a slightly conflicting message in the two measures of personal popularity.  In the preferred Prime Minister poll, National leader Christopher Luxon is up 1.6 points to 21.9%, overtaking Hipkins, who fell 1.8 points to 18.9%.  Peters rose a massive 4.2 points to 12.8% – the first time he has polled over 8%. Act leader David Seymour was also up, rising 3 points to 8%. Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick was on 4.2%, falling -0.6 points.  Luxon’s net favourability was -6%, lower than Hipkins’, which was 2%, meaning Hipkins is still more liked by this measure than Luxon. Luxon is both less liked and more disliked than Hipkins in this poll.  However, the direction of this measure moved in the same direction as the preferred Prime Minister poll, with Hipkins falling 2 points and Luxon rising 4 points.  The coalition has been punished in most polls conducted in 2025, most of which have shown it losing office. This is the second recent poll to show a reversal, the first, an RNZ-Reid Research Poll, was published earlier this week.  The sample size was 1000 and the poll was conducted over landlines, mobile phones and online from March 29 to April 1. It has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1%.  Thomas Coughlan is deputy political editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.  Fri, 04 Apr 2025 01:18:01 Z