Category: Politics

Source: Radio New Zealand

The coalition is being warned New Zealand will become a dumping ground for high-emission vehicles as it slashes the Clean Car Standard.

The standard – an effective penalty set up to incentivise the uptake of low or no emission vehicles – will drop by nearly 80 percent at the end of this week.

Importers will be charged $15 per gram of CO₂ for new imports instead of $67.50, and $7.50 per gram of CO₂ for used imports instead of $33.75.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop has made a strong case for urgent change to save consumers hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars when buying a new car.

“If we don’t act there will be $264 million in net charges that could have and likely will be passed on to New Zealanders through higher vehicle prices,” he said.

It’s come as a relief to sector groups like the Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association, whose chair Greig Epps said importers were doing it tough.

“This is really good for for our business. We had people closing up shop this year. We’ve lost several members this year. Businesses have just decided that it’s too hard to keep going and next year the penalties would have increased, the targets tightened, so that was just not looking good for the industry.”

Drive Electric’s board chair Kirsten Corson described the change as “really disappointing” and “embarassing”.

“If you look at us compared to Australia, in Australia you’re paying $100 as a penalty and now we’ve just slashed that to $15 in New Zealand.

“So we are going to become a dumping ground for high emission vehicles.”

Corson also questioned Bishop’s statement that “the impact is so negligible this didn’t get a climate impact assessment”.

“I’m not sure which data he’s looking at but it’s far from negligible when you think our transport emissions [are] our best hope of hitting our Paris Agreement targets,” Corson said.

“We keep our vehicles on our road for two decades. The average car is 15 years old in New Zealand so the decisions they’re making today is going to impact our transport emissions for the next three decades.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the coalition was responding to a problem of its own making, having scrapped the Clean Car Discount.

“It was ironic to see Chris Bishop and the Prime Minister complaining that there aren’t enough electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles on the used car market.

“That’s because they collapsed the importation of electric vehicles when they canceled the Clean Car Discount.

“They made it much more expensive for New Zealanders to buy electric vehicles and to buy low emissions hybrid vehicles and now they’re complaining there aren’t enough used versions of those on the market.”

The government is reviewing the Clean Car Standard with a plan to report recommendations back to Cabinet in June next year.

The ACT party is already advocating – as it has for some time – for the entire scheme to be scrapped.

The slashed standard will be passed into law by the end of the week.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government is tinkering with the Clean Car Standard – again – saying most importers are unable to meet the targets under the scheme as it currently stands.

It will also fully review the scheme, with recommendations to Cabinet due by June 2026.

The government last year watered down the standard to align CO₂ emissions standards with Australia – saying that change would strike the right balance between reducing transport emissions and ensuring vehicles would be affordable.

The standard charges importers for vehicles that have CO₂ emissions-to-weight ratios above a certain target, with credits for vehicles with ratios below that target.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop said it had helped lift fuel efficiency, but now the market conditions had changed, with a supply shortage of cleaner used vehicles, and a drop in demand for new EVs.

“Most importers are now unable to meet the passenger-vehicle targets. In fact, right now, 86 per cent of importers are facing a net charge rather than net savings from credits. The scheme is so out-of-whack with reality that even some hybrid vehicles will attract charges rather than credits,” he said.

The targets were set to decrease each year until 2029, while the charges for exceeding them would increase.

Under the new changes, the charges will be slashed by nearly 80 percent – from $67.50 to $15 per gram of CO₂ for new vehicles, and from a top rate of $33.75 to $7.50 for used vehicles, for 2026 and 2027.

Credits will also be protected so that none expire before 31 December 2028, while the standard is reviewed.

Bishop estimated the changes would avoid $264 million in net charges, which could have been passed onto consumers through higher vehicle prices.

The changes will made through an amendment paper to the Land Transport (Clean Vehicle Standard) Amendment Bill (No 2), with the aim of passing it this week and coming into effect on 1 January.

One of the first actions taken by the government upon coming into office was to repeal the Clean Car Discount, which charged fees to buyers of newly imported combustion engine vehicles, with the money going towards rebates for electric cars or plug-in hybrids.

ACC has also increased levies for electric cars.

– more to come

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has announced his engagement to partner Toni Grace, saying he feels like he has hit the jackpot.

Hipkins first confirmed the relationship during his concession speech on the evening of the 2023 election.

Announcing the engagement on Instagram, Hipkins said “I didn’t win the Powerball over the weekend but I did hit the jackpot.”

Hipkins, who has often been reluctant to talk about his personal life, said Grace had remained calm, optimistic, and caring through the ups and downs of politics, parenthood, and life.

“You’re my rock, and I’m so excited about our life together. There simply aren’t enough words to express how much I love you and how lucky I am you’ve agreed to marry me,” he said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A high-profile emergency doctor has been selected to stand for the Labour Party against the incumbent Whāngarei MP, former Health Minister Dr Shane Reti.

Dr Gary Payinda said he felt compelled to do something about what he saw as the government’s ongoing attack on essential public services.

“I’ve been working in the public health sector 18 years, and understaffing and infrastructure problems come and go – but an assault on a broader array of public services is a new thing.

“We’ve got a government that’s bent on tearing up the social structure.”

Payinda said it was a wrench to consider leaving medicine.

“But there are some things that are more important than even treating one patient at a time – and that’s trying to protect thousands of patients, and tens of thousands of people, if I can get a chance to do that.”

Labour’s plans for three free GP visits a year would be “a game-changer” in healthcare, helping people before their conditions worsened and they ended up in hospital, he said.

“It’s a privilege to live and work in Northland, but over the past two years I’ve watched the National government drive inequity, undercut public health and make visiting the doctor more expensive and out of reach for many people.

“I believe in equity for all and in the social good that Labour has always stood for – policies that benefit every New Zealander, regular Kiwis, the regular person, not just those at the top.

“I understand how government policies and public services can literally transform lives.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Green Party is pledging to revoke consents for any coal, hardrock gold, or seabed mining projects granted under the fast-track regime, if it forms part of a government at the next election.

“Today, we are putting the Seabed mining, hardrock gold mining and coal mining industries – and their investors – on notice. Your fast-track consents are not safe, and they are not secure,” Green Party-co-leader Marama Davidson said.

The Greens have been warning they would revoke consents as far back as December 2024, when the initial fast-track bill passed its third reading.

Then, it was a pledge to revoke consents that “short-cut our democracy, side-step environmental protections and degrade te taiao.”

Now, it has named seven specific projects it would revoke consents or permits, even though they are yet to be issued.

Davidson said the Greens were making the announcement before consents were issued to “ensure complete transparency”.

Panels are currently considering the Taranaki VTM project by Trans Tasman Resources, which would extract up to 50 million tonnes of seabed a year in the South Taranaki Bight, and the Waihi North project by Oceana Gold, which would expand gold and silver mining operations in Waihi.

Four of the remaining five projects (Macraes Phase Four, Buller Plateaux Continuation, Rotowaro Mine Continuation, and Bream Bay Sand Extraction Project) are listed on the fast-track website, while the fifth (Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project) has applied.

While the Greens singled the seven specific projects out, they said any new applications through fast-track that fell into the coal, hardrock gold, or seabed mining categories would be captured by their position.

The government is currently in the process of [. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/579045/fast-track-law-final-approvals-still-in-hands-of-expert-panels-government-says amending the fast-track legislation further], with an aim of passing it by the end of the year.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Explainer – How will firearms proposals change access to guns in New Zealand? Here’s what you need to know.

New Zealand is planning its biggest overhaul of gun regulations in more than 40 years.

The proposal announced last week would repeal and replace the 1983 Arms Act in legislation Associate Justice Minister (Firearms) Nicole McKee said would be “written in plain English, structured logically and with public safety at its core.”

Among the changes are a new firearms regulator removing police from oversight duties, tough restrictions for gang members and a host of new penalties and offences being introduced.

Here’s a round-up of the changes being proposed.

What changes are being made to gun laws?

A new specialist firearms regulatory agency will be created, replacing the current Firearms Safety Authority now operated by police. It’ll be headed by an independent chief executive appointed by the governor-general. That chief executive would report solely to the firearms minister, currently McKee. The new regulator will sit within police but without sworn police officers involved.

“There will be no blue shirts in the Firearms Safety Authority,” McKee said, referring to police uniforms.

A new Firearms Licensing Review Committee will also be created, which McKee called “essential for ensuring there is trust in the licencing system, improving compliance, and ensuring applicants or firearms owners renewing their licence are treated fairly.”

Being a gang member will now automatically disqualify anyone from holding a firearms licence.

A new ‘red flag’ system will be established to clarify information sharing so police and other agencies can review whether a legal firearms owner “remains a fit and proper person”.

There will be more flexibility around gun storage, which currently is allowed only at a firearms owner’s “primary place of residence”, but now will be allowed at any premises approved by the regulator.

There will also be multiple new penalties and new firearms offences introduced.

So what are the new firearms offences?

Penalties for more than 60 Arms Act offences will be increased, McKee said, and eight new offences will be created.

It would become an offence for failure to notify the regulator of a lost or stolen licence, unsafe storage of firearms, possession of firearms with intentionally removed serial numbers, possession of files or blueprints with the intent to unlawfully manufacture arms items, intentional diversion of firearms, manufacturing ammunition without a licence, not providing locations of a restricted firearm for pest controllers with multi-user agreements, or a business licence holder failing to provide information to the arms regulator about changes of staff.

The “files and blueprints” offence is aimed to plug a gap in the rise of 3D-printed “ghost guns” where people now have the ability to simply make their own weapons.

Why are these changes being made?

The Arms Act 1983 is more than 40 years old, and has been modified many times.

McKee has said it leaves “a complex, confusing and bureaucratic patchwork” and that the new law will make compliance easier for firearm owners “through sensible changes that reduce regulatory burdens.”

The new bill – which is still being drafted – will define gun laws in New Zealand.

Last year, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said, “We are going to rewrite the Arms Act because it’s an outdated piece of legislation, it’s an old piece of legislation.”

Luxon also said then there would be “no new guns added into New Zealand”.

Are semi-automatic weapons being brought back?

No.

After the 15 March 2019 terror attacks, a ban on semi-automatic weapons was introduced.

Regulations around those high-powered military-style firearms won’t be relaxed, despite fears that McKee would seek a change.

There are no changes to the limited number of people who can legally hold those guns – ‘endorsed’ pest controllers and collectors.

Collectors who own prohibited firearms will have the option of storing vital parts of a gun (that when removed, disables it) at the address of any licensed firearm owner, not just someone who has the same endorsement.

McKee’s ACT party, which also opposed the 2019 changes, invoked the “agree to disagree” clause in the coalition agreement with National and New Zealand First over ongoing restrictions on semi-automatic firearms.

McKee has also opposed the firearms registry implemented after the attacks, but it will remain. However, the reform proposal would tighten the amount of data allowed to be gathered for the register beyond what is explicitly required.

McKee said on social media that “ACT faced a choice on firearms: die in a ditch over the registry and semi autos and get no improvements at all – or take 95 percent of the win, fix a broken law, and lay the foundation for future change.”

Police Minster Mark Mitchell has told RNZ that National did not want to widen access to semi-automatic guns, even for competitive shooting.

“It is a public safety issue and we don’t see that there needs to be a wider or a broader availability around military-style semi-automatic weapons.”

Wasn’t Nicole McKee involved with the gun industry?

Yes. The firearms minister entered politics to advocate for firearms users and was a critic of the gun laws passed after the March 15 attacks.

“Five years ago, I put my hand up for Parliament because I was tired of seeing responsible, law-abiding New Zealanders treated as the problem,” McKee said in a statement on the ACT party website.

A New Zealand shooting champion, before politics she ran her own gun safety education business, was coordinator of the nation’s volunteer firearms safety instructors for the Mountain Safety Council and the spokesperson for the Council of Licenced Firearms Owners.

“ACT respects the vital role of licenced firearms owners, hunters, and shooting sports enthusiasts in New Zealand’s culture, economy, and conservation efforts,” McKee has said. “Hunting and shooting are legitimate pastimes, essential pest-control tools, and part of our rural way of life – and we’ll always back you.”

What do gun control advocates think?

Gun Control co-founder Philippa Yasbek earlier told RNZ that the effective ban on military-style semi-automatic firearms wasn’t being touched was a relief.

“McKee has built her entire political career on wanting to get rid of the registry and bring back semi-automatic firearms and she’s basically failed on both of those goals.

“So this is quite a big relief and I don’t think there’s any chance of her ever managing to change it again. Souffles don’t rise twice.”

What about gun users?

Council of Licenced Firearms Owners spokesperson Hugh Devereux-Mack said it was disappointing the effective ban on semi-automatics remained intact, though he backed the minister’s efforts.

“When it comes to semi-automatics, we can understand that there’s no need for the wider New Zealand firearms community to have those but some exceptions for competitive sport shooters or individuals who use firearms for pest control but are not professionals…would be very helpful.”

Fish & Game New Zealand called the changes “pragmatic and sensible.”

“We’re pleased to see the government taking a balanced approach to firearms regulation that recognises the long-standing traditions around hunting and food gathering that many New Zealanders undertake,” said Fish & Game Chief Executive Corina Jordan.

What’s next?

The draft bill could be introduced by year’s end. Once submitted, the bill will go through a six-month select committee process where the public will be allowed to have their say about the changes.

After that process and possible revisions it would be considered by Parliament.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Public ratings of government performance have reached another new low in the latest IPSOS Issues Monitor survey.

The government rating of 3.9 out of 10 is the lowest since the survey began in September 2017, and reflects about 45 percent of respondents giving between 0 and 3.

Another 31 percent gave a rating of 4-6, while 23 percent gave 7-10, and 2 percent said they didn’t know.

The government previously dipped to 4.2 in the February survey, hovering around the same level in May and August.

Read the full report: here

The Ipsos New Zealand survey released to RNZ was carried out between 21 to 30 October, although the rating of government performance was taken separately from 5 to 10 November.

The survey asked 1004 New Zealanders what they thought were the top three most important issues facing the country today, and which party was best able to manage them.

Labour was rated best able to handle 15 of the top 20 concerns. National was rated best able on two: Crime/Law and order (5th equal), and Defence/Foreign affairs (20th).

Labour continued to increase its lead over National as the party considered most able to handle inflation/cost of living, which remains the top-rated issue at 61 percent, a 1 percentage point increase over the previous survey in August.

Healthcare decreased two points but remains the second-highest concern, with Labour also increasing its lead over National on that issue – 40 percent of New Zealanders rating it most able, compared to National’s 21 percent. Healthcare remained the top concern for those aged 65 and up.

Labour also overtook National (33 percent vs 29 percent) on the economy, which remains the third-placed concern, rising two points to 32 percent.

Housing dropped four points as a concern, from 26 to 22 percent, Labour again increasing its lead over National (32 percent vs 21 percent).

Three issues took out the fifth-equal rated concern, with crime/law and order dropping 3 points to 19 percent, putting it in line with unemployment and poverty/inequality (both steady at 19 percent).

Labour was rated best able to handle unemployment (39 percent vs 22 percent) and poverty/inequality (41 percent vs 16 percent), while National retained pole position on crime/law and order (30 percent vs 25 percent).

Labour gained 2 percentage points in handling unemployment and 6 points in handling poverty, while National dropped 1 point in handling crime.

The Greens rated best on climate change (6th-highest rated issue) and environmental/pollution/water (10th), while Te Pāti Māori rated best on issues facing Māori (9th).

The gap between those who think the country on the wrong track (63 percent) versus the right track (37 percent) narrowed by two percentage points.

Results for the survey are weighted by age, gender and region, and the survey has a maximum margin of error of +/-3.1% at a 95 percent confidence level.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The political party founded by businessman Gareth Morgan almost 10 years ago has unveiled a new leader and new look.

Touted as a builder of sustainable businesses, Aucklander Qiulae Wong will lead Opportunity – formerly The Opportunities Party – into the 2026 election.

The party has been leaderless since 2023 and the announcement follows a nationwide search for the role.

To date, it is yet to reach the five percent threshold to enter parliament.

In 2023, it scooped 2.2 percent of the vote – 0.2 percent shy of its best election result of 2.4 percent in 2017 – under Morgan.

The party says Wong has founded and supported several start-ups in the fashion sector in London, “working to build ethical and sustainable practices into global brands like Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney”.

She returned to New Zealand in 2022 and has most recently worked at financial consultancy firm KPMG.

Wong said the party stands for transformative system change and would break the gridlock of left-right bloc politics.

Opportunity has also revealed its “tax reset” policy, which includes a Citizen’s Income, a Land Value Tax and Flat Income tax.

Wong said New Zealand needed a tax reset.

“We can’t keep patching and tinkering with the foundations that hold up this country,” Wong said.

“Our addiction to high house prices is robbing young Kiwis of security, and locking capital away from the innovators and community champions, who are building our future.

“It’s time to modernise tax.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Palau’s leader says the world needs to be working toward reducing emissions and “not dropping targets”, in response to New Zealand slashing its methane reduction goals.

Last month, the New Zealand government announced it would cut biogenic methane reduction targets to 14-24 percent below 2017 levels by 2050. The previous target was a reduction of 24-47 percent.

Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr, who is in Brazil for the annual United Nations climate change conference, COP30, said more work needed to go into finding solutions.

“[It’s] unfortunate because we all need to be working toward reduction, not dropping targets,” Whipps said.

“Countries struggle because it’s about making sure that their people have their jobs and maintain their industry. I can see the reason why maybe those targets were dropped, but that means we just need to work harder.”

Whipps said it probably meant the government needed to “step up” and help farmers reduce emissions.

Read more:

• Climate change minister defends weakened methane emissions target ahead of COP30
• COP30: NZ must commit to buying offshore credits to meet Paris target, climate experts say
• Pacific leaders to push 100% renewable energy plan at COP30 in Belém

Tuvalu’s climate minister also told RNZ Pacific he was disheartened by the new goal.

New Zealand Climate Minister Simon Watts previously told RNZ Pacific in a statement that methane reduction was limited by technology and the only alternative would have been to cut agriculture production.

“New Zealand has some of the most emissions-efficient farmers in the world, and we export to meet global demand,” Watts said.

“If we cut production to meet targets, we risk shifting production to countries who are not as emissions-efficient, which would add to global warming and have a greater impact on the Pacific.”

NZ ‘don’t care about the Pacific’ – campaigner

Pacific Islands Climate Action Network campaigner Sindra Sharma said she wanted to know what scientists Watts spoke with.

“I’d like to see what the data is behind New Zealand having the most emissions-efficient farmers. It blows my mind that that is something he would say.”

Sharma said it’s especially disappointing given New Zealand is a member of the Pacific Islands Forum.

“I think the signal that sends is extremely harmful. It shows we don’t care about the Pacific.”

Speaking to Morning Report on Thursday, Watts said the country had not weakened its ambitions on climate change.

“We’ve actually delivered upon what has been asked of us. We’ve submitted our NDC (Nationally Determined Contributions) plan for 2035 on time,” he said.

“We’ve done what we believe is possible in the context of our unique circumstances.

“We’ve taken a position around ensuring that we are ambitious with balancing that with economic challenges.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Last week, much of the political focus was on the ongoing tensions within Te Pāti Māori. This week has been much the same, with the addition of the release of a report by the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

While these sagas dominated headlines Parliament continued to consider legislation, with four government bills completing their legislative journeys this week. Two of the four enjoyed relative consensus across the House – the other two not so much.

Third readings this week

A third reading is the last stage of debate that a bill undergoes in the House before it heads off to be confirmed as law.

The Medicines Amendment Bill passed its third reading on Wednesday morning during an extended sitting. It seeks to increase the accessibility of medicines to New Zealanders by (among other changes) employing “the rule of two”, whereby if a medication is approved for use in two recognised overseas jurisdictions it can be fast-tracked for approval here.

In charge of the bill was Associate Minister of Health David Seymour, who in giving the bill a sort of farewell to the House, noted that it was a rare instance in which parties were in agreement.

“This has been a collaborative effort,” the ACT leader said. “I note that the rule of two was campaigned on by all three coalition parties and so far has had support from every party in this Parliament. It’s a very good example of how politicians can actually hear people’s concerns in the community, formulate a solution, stay the course, implement it confidently, and make New Zealand a better place to live, one step at a time.”

Another third reading this week was the Land Transport Management Amendment Bill, which may be better known as the congestion charging bill. Like the Medicines Amendment Bill, it enjoyed relatively smooth sailing through the House, with Labour calling it a “very good bill”.

Differences emerge

That sense of legislative kumbaya wasn’t to last though as the House got to another two third readings, which this time made for fiery debate between government and Opposition.

The first of those two bills was the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No. 2) which gives effect to new government education policy in the form of putting educational achievement at the centre of decision-making. It was the amendments added in the committee stage though that had the Opposition riled up.

In that committee stage, Minister of Education Erica Stanford tabled Amendment Paper 428, which made further changes to section 127 of the bill, which pertained to schools upholding the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Stanford had her Cabinet colleague Minister for Vocational Education Penny Simmonds filling in for her during the third reading.

“This government considers that it is unreasonable to expect elected parents, who volunteer their time, to discharge the Crown’s legal responsibilities in respect of the Treaty. Instead, the government believes that it is the Crown’s responsibility to support Māori educational success,” Simmonds explained.

Amendments are put forward during the committee stage, which is a bill’s penultimate hurdle in the House before royal assent (when it is signed into law). Labour’s Willow Jean-Prime argued that making these further changes after the time for engagement with the public (select committee submissions) had been and gone was “a travesty”.

“The two amendment papers tabled by the minister last week in the committee of the whole House stage of this bill did not go through a select committee process, so the public did not have an opportunity to make submissions on the proposed changes to remove the section regarding Te Tiriti o Waitangi for boards or the changes to the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand,” Prime said.

“Now this is a travesty, because what we have here are two really significant changes which, as I just said, have had no consultation, no select committee process, and, actually, very little debate.”

The last third reading of the week was David Seymour’s Regulatory Standards Bill, which is probably the most contentious of the four bills to finish up their legislative journey this week.

It seeks to limit future lawmakers from introducing what Seymour considers unnecessary red tape into legislation, prioritising private property rights.

A version of the Regulatory Standards Bill has been something ACT had been keen on for over a decade, so when getting up to speak on it, Seymour may have been pinching himself at finally seeing shepherding it through its last hurdle in Parliament.

“The Regulatory Standards Act means that politicians need to at least be open and honest about the impacts that they have on individuals when they pursue their goals,” Seymour declared.

“That is what we need to be doing in this Parliament. It is a movement towards a more civilised society where adults treat each other respectfully. That is something that I look forward to implementing over the next six months as this bill comes into force. I am very proud to stand behind it.”

While Seymour celebrated its inevitable passage into law, The Greens’ Tamatha Paul lamented it, comparing the bill to a cockroach.

“The danger of this bill is how eye-wateringly boring and technical it is, so that most of the general public aren’t necessarily paying attention to the consequences of this bill,” Paul told the House on Thursday.

“They’d be forgiven for thinking that it was just a boring old bill, because the ACT Party can’t get it by standing on what they really want, so they couch it in legal and technical and constitutional terms to try and get their foot in the door-just like a cockroach. That’s how a cockroach lives, isn’t it? In the dark, in the night-not in broad daylight, being clear about the intentions of what they hope to achieve.”

The Regulatory Standards Bill now just awaits royal assent, which is the process whereby the governor-general signs a bill into law. This is likely to happen next week.

To listen to the audio version of this story, click the link near the top of the page.

RNZ’s The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament’s Office of the Clerk.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand