Category: Politics

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand leaving the World Health Organization (WHO) – a possibility hinted at by Foreign Minister Winston Peters – would be “incredibly stupid”, according to one of his predecessors in the role.

Peters says the country needs to take a serious look at whether taxpayers’ money is being spent responsibly on the WHO. His comment, made on his personal X account, came after the United States withdrew from the organisation.

In his post on Friday, Peters said: “This is what happens when a bunch of unelected globalist bureaucrats are not accountable or responsible with worldwide taxpayers’ money.

“With the US withdrawing its membership it puts into question the current state of the WHO, its effectiveness, and if our taxpayers money is being responsibly spent overseas instead of here at home.”

Peters told Morning Report on Monday the WHO was a bloated organisation and not performing the way it should.

“They’ve forgotten what their original mandate was, they’ve forgotten the original parameters and boundaries they were given.

“I think we’ve got a right to question the issue of funding.

“We need to have a serious conversation in terms of accountability to the New Zealand people.”

Peters said it cost New Zealand millions of dollars to be part of the WHO.

“There have been countless occasions when they’ve sought to make rulings or decisions without any reference to the democratic nations that comprise it,” he said.

“Their job is to ensure they are efficiently the servants of the taxpayers worldwide that subscribe and sustain them.”

Washington formally withdrew from the WHO last week accusing it of numerous “failures during the Covid-19 pandemic” and of acting “repeatedly against the interests of the United States”.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the withdrawal made “the US and the world less safe”and the reasons cited for the US decision were “untrue.”

Speaking to Midday Report, Phil Goff – foreign minister between 1999 and 2005 under Helen Clark – said it appeared Peters wanted to “become a mini-Trump”, referring to US President Donald Trump.

“The WHO has done some incredible things in the world. It’s been responsible for the eradication of smallpox, the near-eradication of polio, fighting pandemics. You can’t fight pandemics on a national basis because diseases don’t respect national borders.

“But also [it brings] the advantage of health care to those countries that desperately need it, the underdeveloped countries. So we spend, I think there’s an annual assessment of about $2.25 million from New Zealand plus a voluntary contribution – it’s not huge money and it’s vitally important.”

Goff was sacked as New Zealand’s high commissioner to the UK by Peters last year after making comments critical of Trump.

‘Gutless’ not to stand up – Goff

Goff said it was “gutless” Luxon had not ruled out joining Trump’s proposed ‘Board of Peace’, which the US president wants to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza and had suggested might one day replace the UN. Trump has invited the likes of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman.

Goff said by not immediately declining the invite, the government was appeasing a bully.

“When you stand up to a bully, they often have to back off. When you appease them, you just encourage them to keep on doing what they’re doing.

“And we know that what Trump is doing is destroying the fundamental basis of New Zealand foreign policy, which is to have an international rules-based order, not one based on personality and might being right. That is totally against what New Zealand has always stood for.

“And for us to suck up to Trump, to fail to criticise him, even when he says that our soldiers and NATO soldiers in Afghanistan didn’t go near the front line – deeply insulting, deeply hurtful to veterans – that’s a disgrace. And surely our foreign minister and prime minister should have felt it necessary to speak out and criticise Trump for saying that, as Starmer did, as Macron did, as Donald Tusk in Poland did.

“We have been gutless in this area, and I really feel that as a person proud of my country and proud of it standing up for the values that we have stood for so often in the past.”

Ten New Zealanders lost their lives during the War in Afghanistan.

WHO, UN need to be more effective – Luxon

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said global institutions needed to be more effective and renew themselves to stay relevant – but there was no question over New Zealand’s membership.

“The WHO plays an incredible role strengthening our healthcare systems, and national healthcare systems throughout the Pacific.

“New Zealand continues to benefit from the World Health Organization, but that doesn’t preclude it from continuing to improve its effectiveness and efficiency in delivery.

“I feel the same about the UN frankly – its relevance, its effectiveness needs serious overhauling.”

Luxon said New Zealand’s membership of the WHO and other global organisations was not in question, but they needed to be renewed and strengthened.

“Our challenge is to make them function better,” he said.

They were stuck in a way of working that’s “not relevant to where we are today”.

After the US withdrawal announcement, Tedros told staff in a memo the WHO would cut costs and review which health programmes to prioritise, Reuters reported. A spokesperson confirmed the memo was authentic but declined to comment further.

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

NZ First leader Winston Peters is questioning whether New Zealand should continue to fund the World Health Organization.

His comment, made on his personal X account, came after the United States withdrew from the organisation.

In his post on Friday Peters said: “This is what happens when a bunch of unelected globalist bureaucrats are not accountable or responsible with worldwide taxpayers’ money.

“With the US withdrawing its membership it puts into question the current state of the WHO, its effectiveness, and if our taxpayers money is being responsibly spent overseas instead of here at home.”

Peters told Morning Report the WHO was a bloated organisation and not performing the way it should.

“They’ve forgotten what their original mandate was, they’ve forgotten the original parameters and boundaries they were given.

“I think we’ve got a right to question the issue of funding.

“We need to have a serious conversation interms of accountability to the New Zealand people.”

Washington formally withdrew from the WHO last week accusing it of numerous “failures during the Covid-19 pandemic” and of acting “repeatedly against the interests of the United States”.

The agency’s head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu said the withdrawal made “the US and the world less safe”and the reasons cited for the US decision were “untrue.”

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

Schools can open for the 2026 school year from today through to Monday 9 February.

Among their number will be two entirely new state schools and a number of new charter schools.

The new state schools would be in Rolleston and Flat Bush where rolls at existing schools had been pushed to the limit by population growth.

Meanwhile, seven new charter schools were expected to open their doors in term 1.

They include an online school, a school based on classical European education, and a specialist sports school.

School rolls have been growing fast in some areas, reaching an all-time July-high of 856,412 nationally last year.

The Education Ministry expected secondary school enrolments would peak this year before declining next year, while primary school rolls should continue a decline that began last year.

Primary schools begin the year with collective agreements for most of their staff still under negotiation.

Though one group of primary principals settled their agreement last year, principals and teachers belonging to the Educational Institute Te Riu Roa rejected government offers at the end of last year and further talks were expected in February.

Primary schools must open for at least 382 half-days this year and secondaries for 380, but they could subtract four half-days as teacher-only days for work on the curriculum.

Schools must use new maths and English curriculums for students in Years 0-10 this year.

Draft curriculums for other subject areas were out for consultation until mid-April.

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

Phil Goff has accused Foreign Minister Winston Peters of failing to stand up for New Zealand soldiers after US President Donald Trump said allied troops “stayed a little back” during the war in Afghanistan.

In a sharply worded Facebook post on Saturday, the former high commissioner to the United Kingdom said Peters’ silence in response to Trump’s remarks was “deafening”.

Trump’s comments came last week in an interview with Fox News in Davos, Switzerland, when questioned whether NATO allies would support the US if it were attacked.

“‘Will they be there, if we ever needed them?’ And that’s really the ultimate test. And I’m not sure of that,” he said.

“You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that. And they did – they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”

The remarks sparked outrage among US allies, including the UK, whose prime minister, Keir Starmer, described them as “insulting and frankly appalling”.

Goff contrasted those responses with what he said was silence from New Zealand’s leadership, singling out Peters and his role as foreign minister, for not defending that record.

“No comment has come from any government leader,” he wrote.

“Peters, who claims to lead the patriotic party in NZ, has been typically silent as he has whenever Trump has lied outrageously,” Goff wrote.

Goff said the comments were an affront to New Zealand’s sacrifice in the 20-year conflict.

“For Trump, a man who dodged the draft five times, to belittle the efforts of those who came to the assistance of the US after 9/11, and sacrificed their lives is disgraceful.”

New Zealand lost 10 service personnel in Afghanistan.

Goff, a former foreign affairs and defence minister, said Trump’s remarks were deeply personal.

“Ten New Zealanders died in the war. I attended the funerals of several of them, including my nephew Matt, and saw the grief and pain of their loved ones,” he said.

He also pointed to the actions of Willie Apiata, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery during a 2004 operation in Afghanistan.

“Willie Apiata was behind the front line when he won his VC, deep in enemy territory,” Goff wrote, rejecting Trump’s claim that allied forces avoided combat.

He urged ministers to follow the example of countries such as Canada, which have taken a firmer public line with the US president.

While New Zealand is not a full NATO member, it holds the position of highly valued partner under the Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme (IPCP).

In March of last year, Peters removed Goff from his role as high commissioner to the UK after the former Labour MP criticised the US president, questioning whether he “really understands history”.

Comments disrespectful to the fallen – NZRSA

The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association (NZRSA) has also condemned Trump’s remarks.

In a statement, the organisation said Kiwi troops served and died with NATO forces in Afghanistan and any suggestion that allied soldiers “avoided frontline combat was incorrect and deeply hurtful to veterans and the families of those killed”.

“New Zealanders who have been killed or injured in service in recent decades were doing so in support of multinational operations.”

Veteran: Claims ‘ill-informed’

Former army major Simon Strombom, who served in Afghanistan, described Trump’s comments as ill-informed and sensationalist.

Strombom, now managing director of the NZ Remembrance Army, said he worked closely with British, Canadian and other NATO forces and saw firsthand their professionalism and exposure to danger.

“The majority of the weight of the coalition headquarters was not American,” he previously told RNZ. “There were 48 countries involved, and the rest were predominantly NATO.”

Strombom said the comments would be especially painful for families who lost loved ones in the conflict.

“It’d be pretty hard for a family to have suffered such a loss and then hear comments like that, undermining the actual sacrifice,” he said.

Defence Minister Judith Collins previously said the country took great pride in the professionalism, courage, and commitment of all who served in Afghanistan.

Peters’ office has been approached for comment.

Trump has since partially walked back his remarks, praising British troops on his Truth Social platform as “great and very brave”.

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

Analysis – Whether it was the prime minister’s absence, the demise of the Treaty Principles Bill, or the coming election, rhetoric at Rātana was cooler this year.

The weather was out to match, with thunder and heavy rain pouring down on what had been a sunny day before the politicians spoke.

The annual event sees political parties, other than ACT, make an appearance at the small settlement south of Whanganui in a pilgrimage to honour the birthday of the church’s founder Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana, who was known for his political mission as well as his spiritual one.

The past four years have led to fiery exchanges.

In 2023, Jacinda Ardern had just announced her resignation and Christopher Luxon was on the warpath – criticising Labour over co-governance for what he said was a “a “divisive and immature” debate.

Some would no doubt argue Luxon’s coalition deals later that year opened the door to yet more division and immaturity by allowing ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill to progress.

Having been named prime minister just the previous month, his reappearance at Rātana in 2024 saw him directly warned that Māori would fight any attempts to meddle with Te Tiriti.

That promise came to fruition that November with the hīkoi mō te Tiriti – believed to be New Zealand’s largest protest – for the bill’s first reading.

It was no surprise, then, that Luxon faced more anger when appearing at Rātana in 2025.

Kiingitanga representative Rahui Papa at the time warned Luxon Te Tiriti was “sacrosanct” and the Māori nation was “at the highest level of concern that it has been for a number of years”.

The anger was such that Luxon chose not to attend Waitangi that year.

The bill was then defeated in April, although its main proponent David Seymour had vowed to continue campaigning for it in the coming election.

In a move supported by opponents like Chris Hipkins and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Luxon chose to survey storm-damaged regions instead of returning to Rātana this year.

Doubtless that took some of the heat out of the exchanges at the pae, where Papa committed to working with any political party but that there were some times politicians should not get involved.

Another Kiingitanga representative, Tukoroirangi Morgan, said Māori had realised in response to the coalition that they had to stand on their own two feet.

“We can’t rely on the Crown to do everything for us… our people know that’s our reality,” he said.

“When you’re pushed into a corner and when you’re marginalised and minimised the way we have been – for all the pieces of legislation that have been demolished by this government – it makes us much more united… so that we can survive in the long term.”

He said if the election resulted in “more of the same” it would be challenging, but that this also reflected a maturation of the relationship between Crown and Māori.

That said, the relationship was not healthy.

“It’s pretty fractured right now,” Morgan said. “There’s a lot of separation. There’s huge division… we have a far greater desire to do things for ourselves.”

A separation; a relationship grown frosty. With all Seymour’s railing against the idea of the Treaty as a partnership, the Kiingitanga seems to have got that message.

The stance may be led by Kuini Arikinui Nga Wai hono i te po whose name signifies a connecting of peoples, and whose coronation in late 2024 has been followed by economic initiatives including a summit and a seed investment fund.

It points to a more independent Māoridom cutting any government purse strings that could lead to potential entanglement.

Or it may also show an inclination to turn over a new leaf, to turn the page, to draw a line under the divide – or simply to wait out the election to see how the chips fall.

“If you’re strong in your spirit and you’re strong in your wairua, then your physical ailments can be overcome,” Papa said.

The 7 November election date would also have been weighing on the minds of all those at Rātana, not least because of Papa pointing out that the following day, was the date Rātana received his vision.

But with nearly a full year of campaigning ahead, political parties are keeping some of their rhetorical gunpowder dry – and Papa knows this.

“Over the next wee while, we are expecting to hear your strategies, your procedures and your processes to be able to bolster, support te ao Māori – because when it’s good for Māori, it’s good for everybody,” he said.

“We want to go into a better tomorrow, and we can only do that when we sit down and talk with each other.”

Whether it’s Luxon sitting down for talks as prime minister again in a year’s time is anybody’s guess with the polls this close.

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 has announced $10 million for Ringatū marae in Bay of Plenty.

Making the announcement at Rātana, regional development minister Shane Jones said the funding would boost resilience in the Wainui Marae infrastructure near Ōhope.

It followed similar previous investments at Waitangi, Rātana and Parihaka.

Jones said the build would create 71 jobs, and afterwards the marae complex would include a wharenui, wharekai, wharetāonga, wharepaku, and a modern safe space for worship, cultural events and learning.

“I acknowledge our Finance Minister [Nicola Willis] because we are short of putea, but she supported this,” he said.

“And no, this is not an attempt to get votes. If I was going to get votes, Waikato would have voted for me when I gave them $30 million for the Ruakura infrastructure.”

Earlier, Winston Peters also pushed back on the idea such funding could constitute a political bribe.

“No… you should understand that when we’ve come here, we’ve always left a gift. It’s the Māori way and we’ve done it for decades in successive governments,” 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

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has praised the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organisation, and has questioned whether it is worth New Zealand continuing to put money towards it.

The United States has officially exited the WHO, a year since President Donald Trump gave notice via executive order.

The US still owes the WHO US$260 million (approximately NZ$442m) in fees, but the US State Department has said the American people have paid more than enough.

In a post on X, Peters commented on the US’ withdrawal.

“This is what happens when a bunch of unelected globalist bureaucrats are not accountable or responsible with worldwide taxpayers money,” he said.

Peters, who is also Foreign Affairs Minister, sent the post from his personal social media account, rather than from his ministerial account.

He questioned whether membership continued to represent value for money.

“With the US withdrawing its membership it puts into question the current state of the WHO, its effectiveness, and if our taxpayers money is being responsibly spent overseas instead of here at home,” 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

The Green Party has put forward a member’s bill to entrench Māori seats into law, arguing the electoral settings are undemocratic.

The party announced the bill, in the name of its Māori Development spokesperson Hūhana Lyndon, at Rātana celebrations this afternoon.

“This bill aims to correct a constitutional imbalance of the treatment of Māori seats,” Lyndon said.

“General electorate seats are currently entrenched. Māori seats are not. That’s not democracy; it is constitutionally flawed, and prejudices Māori in the electoral system.”

Māori seats can currently be abolished by a simple majority.

Lyndon’s member’s bill proposes a law change to increase this threshold to a supermajority of 75 percent.

This change has been sought before through a member’s bill in the name of former Labour MP Rino Tirikatene, who represented Te Tai Tonga.

His Electoral (Entrenchment of Māori Seats) Amendment Bill proposed a 75 percent threshold but was voted down at second reading in late 2019.

Lyndon said her member’s bill also included proposals to allow Māori voters to switch rolls at any time and to vote on a different roll for local elections, as recommended by the Independent Electoral Review 2023.

As always with members’ bills, they must be drawn from the biscuit tin to be read a first time in the House.

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 New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) and the Council of Deans of Education say messages obtained under the Official Information Act show a conflict of interest between the head of the Teaching Council, David Ferguson and Education Minister Erica Stanford.

The messages show Ferguson asked Stanford for advice and support about government funding for a teacher training institute he was helping set up before Stanford appointed him to the council.

They included Ferguson thanking the minister after the Teachers Institute, an organisation founded by several Auckland schools to provide in-school teacher education, received confirmation of the government funding it would receive in 2025.

Stanford’s office told RNZ she did not provide any ministerial assistance and Ferguson said he had sought clarification about funding.

The Educational Institute Te Riu Roa, obtained the messages and provided RNZ with a copy.

Most were texts sent in 2024 when Ferguson was principal of Westlake Boys’ High School but involved in setting up the Teachers’ Institute.

Ferguson formally took up his role as chief executive of the institute in 2025 and Stanford appointed him to the Teaching Council in July that year, initially as deputy chair but with the understanding he would chair the council from late August 2025.

The messages showed Ferguson asked for meetings and phone conversations with the minister about school onsite teacher training and advice or support related to the institute’s bid for tertiary education subsidies.

The messages were first published online by Brie Elliot, a student who made frequent social media posts critical of the government.

She told RNZ she asked the Ombudsman to investigate.

Elliott said the messages combined with a recent investigation into the handling of conflicts of interest at the Teaching Council and the council’s decision to appoint one of its members as interim chief executive raised concerns about preferential access to ministers and the council’s independence.

NZEI national secretary Stephanie Mills said the documents showed Ferguson received personal support from Stanford for successful bids for government funding for a private tertiary institute.

“The Minister then appointed him as chair of the Teaching Council, which has responsibility for approving teacher training programmes. Together with her proposed legislative changes in the Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill currently before Parliament, this raises significant questions about the Minister’s management of potential conflicts of interest and risks eroding trust in her judgement,” Mills said.

The Council of Deans of Education, which represented the leaders of university teacher education programmes, said the messages indicated a conflict of interest that the minister must explain.

“Ms Stanford has some explaining to do about how a private teacher education provider came to have such a ‘cosy’ relationship with the Minister in setting up their business”, the council’s Chair, Professor Joce Nuttall said.

“This appalling conflict of interest is even more shocking given that Mr Ferguson is now Chair of the Teaching Council, the very body that approves the Teaching Institute’s programmes.”

In a statement, Ferguson told RNZ he contacted Stanford to seek clarity on funding for initial teacher education providers.

“I had committed to leading a new ITE provider; staff had been employed and students enrolled for January 2025. The ITE provider is a charitable trust; certainty of funding was important. The Minister was unable to provide clarification. Later, I followed up as a courtesy to let her know the situation was resolved,” he said.

Stanford’s office said in a statement she did not help the institute get additional funding.

“No, the Minister did not help with securing any additional support or funding for the Teachers’ Institute, and did not provide any ministerial assistance.

“David Ferguson sent a text message about TEC funding to the Minister – in a phone call, she explained she was not aware of how TEC funding worked and would have to seek more information. The Minister had a brief conversation with Hon Penny Simmonds about how, in general, TEC funding works, and overall timeframes. The Teachers’ Institute and David Ferguson were not discussed. The Minister did not call or contact Ferguson again regarding this.”

What the messages say

On 2 May 2024 Ferguson sent a text message to Stanford asking for a five-minute phone conversation about the institute’s new school-based teacher training programme.

“A conversation with you would potentially save us an enormous amount of time and energy,” he wrote.

Stanford responded early the next day suggesting a call later that morning.

On 23 May 2024 Stanford asked Ferguson in a text: “Do you have the figures on how oversubscribed the in service teacher training program was this year?”

Ferguson responded on 24 May: “We had 100 places available this year. Impossible to say how many we turned down without asking all schools but conservatively at least 120. Obviously many of these would be because schools felt they weren’t in an area where they were needed or possibly they had concerns about suitability.”

Later that month Stanford offered to put Ferguson in touch with news media including RNZ following her announcement of extra funding for school-based teacher education programmes.

Ferguson next contacted Stanford on 18 July 2024.

“Hello Erica. Hope you’re good. Would it be possible to speak to you or someone from your office at some point this week or early next week please? I had a meeting with the ministry yesterday regarding school onsite teacher training yesterday and wanted to check a couple of things with you,” he wrote.

The minister responded: “How’s now?”

On 30 October 2024 Ferguson messaged Stanford for help with its application for funding from the Tertiary Education Commission.

“The big thing now is TEC funding which is worth $750k to us. We won’t hear the outcome there until late November. I’ve been in touch with Tim Fowler. Any advice or support would be welcomed.”

Stanford responded on 1 November asking Ferguson to call her over the weekend.

On 8 November 2024 Ferguson wrote: “Morning Erica. I wondered if you’d managed to speak to Penny Simmonds about TEC funding for us.”

On 15 November he messaged: “Morning Erica. TEC funding confirmed yesterday, thank you.”

13 March 2025 Ferguson told RNZ the institute had more interest from potential students than it was being funded for.

“…. The only handbrake to us making the progress we are capable of is the ministry not giving us the funding we need. It would be a shame if we got to the stage of turning great people away who really wanted to be teachers… I’m not asking for anything – I just wanted to let you know that we’ve made a good start start.”

He provided an update on the number of schools involved and inquiries from potential students on 4 April 2025.

“We’re aiming for 150 (100 secondary and 50 primary). Hopefully the Ministry will support us with the requisite funding,” Ferguson wrote.

On 8 April 2025 Ferguson requested a five-minute conversation about the institute and its future in 2026 and on 22 May 2025 he thanked Stanford for a Budget day funding boost for school-based teacher education programmes generally.

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

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has pulled out of Rātana celebrations on Friday to visit regions hard hit by this week’s weather bomb.

A spokesperson from his office confirmed Luxon was making arrangements to travel to East Cape and Bay of Plenty instead.

They said the Prime Minister had spoken to Rātana church leaders on Thursday afternoon who asked he pass on their well wishes to those affected by the storm.

The National Party will still be represented at Rātana by Nicola Willis and Tama Potaka.

Labour, the Greens, New Zealand First and Te Pāti Māori are expected to be at the event.

The ACT Party doesn’t typically attend Rātana.

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