Category: Politics

Source: Radio New Zealand

A petition calling for the government to urgently fix the health system – which organisers estimate is New Zealand’s longest petition ever – has been delivered to Parliament.

Unfurled across Parliament’s lawn, the petition stretched down the steps, and past the Cenotaph.

Patient Voice Aotearoa spokesperson Malcolm Mulholland estimated it was 276 metres long, stretching a few metres beyond the length of the Suffrage Petition.

Mulholland said it weighed somewhere between 150 and 200 kilograms, and said it “quite literally” felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

“I can’t lift it myself, I need more help. But for me, the first part of the journey feels over.”

The 90,000 signatories were signing up to what Mulholland called the Buller Declaration – an assertion that the health system is in crisis, that Māori, rural, and low-income populations are disproportionately impacted, that the government must act urgently to address the crisis and meet its Treaty of Waitangi obligations to protect Māori health, and that it must allocated additional resources to train, recruit, and retain more nurses, doctors, and specialists.

“The call was made that our health system is broken, and because it is broken, people in Buller are missing out on the health care that they need, and in today’s age that is just unacceptable,” Mulholland said.

“It should be the priority of any government, regardless of colour, be they blue or red, that they look after the health of their people.”

Mulholland said his travels around the country had made him realise that what he at first thought was just a Buller problem was then a rural problem, then a Māori problem, then everyone’s problem.

The petition was also supported by groups such as the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, and the New Zealand College of Midwives.

It was accepted by MPs from the Greens, Labour, and ACT.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters watched from a distance, but the Health Minister was absent.

Simeon Brown said he had a Cabinet committee meeting and so could not attend the petition handover, but he accepted there were “significant” challenges in the health system.

“I accept that too many people are waiting too long to be able to get the care they need. I hear the concerns of New Zealanders every single day, I meet with staff on the front-line when I’m visiting hospitals on a regular basis, and I’m focused on making sure we address these issues,” he said.

“We’re investing record funding into our health system, we are hiring more doctors, more nurses, and we’re focused on reducing those wait-lists which is why we reintroduced those health targets.”

Mulholland was not disappointed with Brown’s absence, saying it was more important that “the people” were present.

For now, the petition will stay in Green MP Hūhana Lyndon’s office.

But Lyndon was keen to get the petition into Te Papa, to serve as a constant reminder to whoever is in power of the importance of the health system.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Senior minister Chris Bishop is rejecting criticism over a funding decision shifting Kāinga Ora money to a walking and cycling bridge in his electorate that he campaigned on, which the government cancelled.

Bishop – the minister for housing and transport, and Hutt South MP – agreed in March this year to Lower Hutt City Council’s request to reallocate funds earmarked for stormwater upgrades for the CityLink Bridge, a project he campaigned on.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins criticised the move, saying it did not pass the “sniff test” and was a “questionable and unaccountable” shifting of money.

The bridge between Melling Railway Station and Lower Hutt city centre was part of the wider RiverLink project.

The money was part of Kāinga Ora’s Infrastructure Acceleration Funding agreement with Lower Hutt City Council, designed to support housing developments by upgrading water infrastructure in the city.

Bishop said shifting the funds was a “pragmatic decision” driven by Lower Hutt City Council.

He said the council had come to him having identified an “underspend” with the infrastructure money and asked to transfer that to the CityLink Bridge.

“It’s actually pretty straightforward – the council asked for it, we agreed.”

He said the government had agreed to a similar request Hamilton City Council made last year, asking if money allocated for a cycleway could be put into water infrastructure instead.

Asked whether he should have recused himself from the Lower Hutt decision, Bishop said it was not unusual to make decisions impacting multiple portfolios and electorates.

“I don’t think there’s a conflict there.”

But Hipkins slammed the move as a “very questionable process”.

“It certainly doesn’t pass the sniff test in terms of having one minister, moving money from one portfolio that he’s responsible for, to another portfolio that he’s responsible for, for a project which he campaigned on in his own electorate, which his government cancelled.”

He said the government should not be re-allocating money away from stormwater upgrades to “prop up” a project it cancelled.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he backed Bishop’s decision as “pragmatic”.

“Also he took advice from the Cabinet Office and acted accordingly on that advice.”

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

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.”

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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 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.

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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 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.

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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 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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– 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.”

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