Category: Politics

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police Minister Mark Mitchell has showered the police commissioner Richard Chambers with praise, saying a few “minor infractions” should not detract from his “phenomenal” performance in the job.

On Tuesday morning, RNZ revealed Chambers took a “very brief dip” at Oriental Bay on 1 August despite a tsunami advisory being in place. He was with FBI Director Kash Patel at the time after an early morning run.

Chambers last week also admitted he had recently been ticketed for going 112km/h in a 100km/h zone.

Speaking at Parliament on Tuesday, Mitchell acknowledged the swimming incident was “not good enough” but stressed Chambers thought the warning had been lifted.

“Yes, he shouldn’t have been in the water, and that’s why he called me and apologised and said, you know, that was an oversight on his part.”

Mitchell said Chambers was the “best guy, without a doubt, to be leading” the police service, and he had great admiration and respect for him.

“These were minor infractions, and he rang me and informed me of both of them straight away and made an apology,” Mitchell said.

“He is a man packed full of integrity. He is deeply engaged with his front line and understands what they need and how to support them. And he’s also got a very good strategic mind on him.”

Chuckling, Mitchell said he had endowed Chambers with a new nickname – “Speedy Gonzales” – following his speeding ticket.

Chambers earlier told RNZ he went for the mid-winter swim just after 7am believing the tsunami advisory had been lifted. He said he apologised to Mitchell after later discovering the advisory had not been lifted until about 8.30am.

“It is not usual for me to ignore such warnings,” Chambers said.

The advisory was issued the day before by the National Emergency Management Agency after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s remote east coast.

Mitchell said the advisory was necessary and extremely serious.

“Every morning, at about six o’clock, there are a whole lot of people that come down to the beaches to enjoy nature, to go for a walk, take their dogs for a walk.

“And at that stage, we still weren’t 100% sure that we weren’t going to have… massive tidal movements on the beaches, and had we had one of those, then people could die.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Labour has been gaining ground in opinion polls, leading on issues from the economy and healthcare, but a new survey suggests voters are split on its capital gains tax proposals.

Leader Chris Hipkins announced last month the party would campaign on the tax covering just property – excluding the family home and farms – to help fund three free doctor visits for everyone.

The party overtook National on perceptions of its ability to manage the economy in Monday’s Ipsos poll, putting it on top for 15 of the top 20 issues for New Zealanders.

And a Curia-Taxpayers Union poll on 12 November had the coalition holding on to power but Labour gaining two points following its capital gains tax announcement.

A NZ-Herald-Kantar poll of 1000 potential voters published on Tuesday showed an equal split between supporters and opponents of the party’s capital gains tax policy, though with Aucklanders more likely to oppose it.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Labour has been gaining ground in opinion polls, leading on issues from the economy and healthcare, but a new survey suggests voters are split on its capital gains tax proposals.

Leader Chris Hipkins announced last month the party would campaign on the tax covering just property – excluding the family home and farms – to help fund three free doctor visits for everyone.

The party overtook National on perceptions of its ability to manage the economy in Monday’s Ipsos poll, putting it on top for 15 of the top 20 issues for New Zealanders.

And a Curia-Taxpayers Union poll on 12 November had the coalition holding on to power but Labour gaining two points following its capital gains tax announcement.

A NZ-Herald-Kantar poll of 1000 potential voters published on Tuesday showed an equal split between supporters and opponents of the party’s capital gains tax policy, though with Aucklanders more likely to oppose it.

Listen to Chris Hipkins on Morning Report in the link at the top of this page.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

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.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– 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

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– 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.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

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.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

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.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

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.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– 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.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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