Category: Politics

Source: Radio New Zealand

The United States has invited New Zealand to join forces with a number of other countries to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The vital shipping route has beenlargely shut since the beginning of the Middle East war.

The Wall Street Journal reported the Trump administration had called on US embassies to encourage foreign governments to join a coalition that would restore access to the strait.

A spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said New Zealand had received “initial and preliminary information” on a US proposal.

“We are in the process of asking questions and seeking more information about this preliminary proposal. Accordingly, we are not close to a point where the New Zealand Government would be making any decisions about it.”

The spokesperson said New Zealand had also been in meetings with “a broad range of partners” to understand the UK and France-led military planning for a potential multinational mission to re-open the passage. Those meetings would inform any future advice to ministers on potentially contributing to a multinational coalition, they said.

The minister’s office said New Zealand would only consider participating in any mission related to the strait if there was a sustainable ceasefire agreement.

“Our potential participation would also be a matter for Cabinet consideration at the appropriate future time.”

The US Embassy has been approached for comment.

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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 former high-ranking National Cabinet minister has doubts the coalition will last until the election, urging his former party to “extricate themselves from this grisly coalition and declare war on New Zealand First”.

And Chris Finlayson has doubts the coalition, made up of National, NZ First and ACT, will make it to the election campaign intact.

Tensions between NZ First and National have risen this week, after NZ First leader Winston Peters’ office released internal emails regarding New Zealand’s stance on the US strikes against Iran. They showed Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s preference was to support the US action. New Zealand ultimately did not express support, after Peters intervened.

Peters on Thursday said it was a mistake to release the emails without first speaking to Luxon’s office. National accused Peters of putting “ahead of the national interest”, and National deputy leader Nicola Willis called Peters “very, very confused”.

Former National Cabinet minister and Attorney-General Chris Finlayson told Morning Report while he had no reason to doubt Peters that it was a “mistake”, it was a “peculiar set of events”.

“These are the sorts of exchanges that you would not expect to be released under the OIA because there’s a carve-out for this kind of sensitive material.

“And also as to the process, well, it was appalling where you’ve got multiple ministers involved in the creation of emails and documents, you would expect their officers to be consulted. So he says it’s a mistake. And there we have it.”

He said he had “no time” for NZ First, calling the party “an excrescence”.

“Every time any political party, any major political party deals with them, you get that sort of nonsense.”

He said he agreed with former Labour Party Prime Minister Helen Clark that [National and NZ First were “eating one another for votes”].

“I have long maintained that when you’re dealing with New Zealand First, things can go sour very quickly. They are, I think sometimes you refer to people as frenemies, but I wouldn’t even go that far. I think they’re the enemy. And I think the best thing the National Party can do is try and extricate themselves from this grisly coalition and declare war on New Zealand First…

“I wonder whether this thing will go full term. It just seems to me every time New Zealand First is in government, you get these kinds of sideshows. Are they acting in the public good, in the national interest? Well, I don’t think they ever have.

“I think that people are sick of it… Are people interested in this sort of low-level stupidity? They’re more interested in the cost of living, in airfares and questions like that.”

Finlayson declined to comment on what the pros and cons a snap election would hold for National.

“Well, you see, I’m what you call a FIP, a formerly important person, totally washed up on those sorts of major strategic questions, you need really to talk to those who are actively involved in the arena at the present time.”

‘Caught napping’

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark, who had Peters as her foreign minister for a few years, believed his approach of being prudent and not weighing in on the US side was the right judgement.

But Clark said typically anyone who was a subject of material in an Official Information Act request – as Luxon was in this case – would be told.

“So sometimes it can be stuff up rather than conspiracy,” [ https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/593898/winston-peters-didn-t-release-iran-war-stance-emails-to-embarrass-pm-helen-clark she told] RNZ’s Nights.

But she questioned where the prime minister’s department was in it all.

“It’s a bit hard to believe that no one in [Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet] knew that this request had been made,” Clark said. “Why weren’t they following up?”

“I think … people have been caught napping here.”

Willis had confidence in the coalition’s stability – but it came with a caveat: “As long as people uphold the principles of the coalition agreement.”

National’s campaign chair Simeon Brown [ https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/593899/national-insists-coalition-is-stable-even-as-cracks-begin-to-show said the coalition was in a good space], “but ultimately our message is that Mr Peters should not be putting politics ahead of the national interest. That’s very clear.”

Former National campaign chair Chris Bishop said the coalition was “a very stable thing, everyone said it would fall apart within a year and here we are six months out from the election and we’re getting things done for New Zealand”.

Former Foreign Minister Phil Goff told Midday Report on Thursday he believed Winston Peters was undermining National, calling the emails’ release [ https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/593847/winston-peters-release-of-iran-war-emails-no-mistake-former-foreign-minister-phil-goff “no mistake”].

“The fact Luxon [won’t fire Peters] shows his weakness in relation to his coalition partner,” Goff 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

Analysis – National MPs say the coalition is stable, even as they criticise Foreign Minister Winston Peters for releasing emails without notifying the prime minister.

It is the latest in a series of fractures between the coalition parties that have been slowly expanding into cracks.

The question is whether those widening divisions can be sustained right up until the election, even as the parties jostle for dominance in a worsening global economic environment and against an opposition making gains in the polls.

Finance Minister and National deputy Nicola Willis had confidence in the coalition’s stability – but it came with a caveat: “As long as people uphold the principles of the coalition agreement.”

National’s campaign chair Simeon Brown said the coalition was in a good space, “but ultimately our message is that Mr Peters should not be putting politics ahead of the national interest. That’s very clear”.

Former National campaign chair Chris Bishop said the coalition was “a very stable thing, everyone said it would fall apart within a year and here we are six months out from the election and we’re getting things done for New Zealand”.

Mark Mitchell chuckled, saying the coalition was “fine”. Tama Potaka called it “solid”.

But with the cracks spreading, that solidity has been called into question with increasing frequency.

Here’s a look back at the last two weeks where it became clear the election had well and truly begun.

Communications breakdown: Emails and the national interest

Luxon’s office on Thursday said he had told Peters he expected better political judgement from him during a meeting in Peters’ Beehive office the night before.

In an extraordinary slapdown, Luxon said Peters “acknowledged he had made a mistake” by releasing emails showing foreign affairs staff pushing back against the idea of expressing “explicit public support” for the US attack on Iran.

Peters’ office believed doing so would be “imprudent” and “counter to New Zealand’s national interests”, but Luxon’s office said this mischaracterised the views of the prime minister, who was seeking to test New Zealand’s stance against those of Australia and Canada.

By releasing the emails without consulting the prime minister’s office, Peters had “clearly put politics ahead of the national interest”, Luxon’s office said.

Peters admits he should have consulted the PM about the release, but has pushed back on suggestions the emails should not have been released – arguing transparency is, you guessed it, in the national interest.

“In the end, I made the mistake,” Peters said in the afternoon. “We carry the can in our office, we don’t blame others, but funnily enough a couple of my staff are going to be in a training session this afternoon on the matter.”

Willis said releasing the emails without consulting was inconsistent with the no surprises principle and a breach of good faith, calling Peters “very, very confused”, and raising the prospect of that happening again in coalition negotiations.

“The problem with Winston Peters is you never know what you’re going to get.”

Despite his own confidence in the coalition’s stability, Brown said Peters “considers himself a statesman – well the reality is he should operate in a way that respects the office of the prime minister”.

Confidence in caucus and in coalition

It all follows another stain on the coalition agreement, with Peters claiming Luxon’s decision to call a vote of confidence in himself was a breach of that same ‘no surprises’ principle.

National MPs met for more than two hours last Tuesday after poor polling and increasing instances of National MPs leaking anonymously to the media.

Asked on Morning Report if Luxon should have warned him, Peters said it “would have been wise to – yes, of course”.

He said it was an “unprecedented” move from a sitting prime minister, and there would be “consequences”. It didn’t take long for his coalition partners from National to hit back.

Within the hour, Willis launched a broadside, saying Peters was “mischief-making” and he had a “track record of picking Labour over National, and that’s the risk you run with him”.

Luxon also lashed out, using his weekly interview on Newstalk ZB’s The Country to call his foreign minister out for installing Jacinda Ardern as prime minister.

He said had not needed to inform Peters of his confidence vote, because it was not important enough.

That afternoon, ministers on their way to Question Time declared the coalition as strong as ever – with Peters claiming it was as stable as a “three-legged stool”.

Free trade disagreement

Luxon’s criticisms of Peters on The Country also came with a sting in the tail, saying he was trying to “scaremonger” with “anti-immigrant” rhetoric – a reference to Peters’ stance on the free trade agreement with India.

The foreign minister in October had announced New Zealand First’s opposition to the deal just minutes before Luxon and Trade Minister Todd McClay were set to announce it had been finalised.

He has continued to rail against the deal’s investment and immigration provisions, with his deputy Shane Jones in April going further – warning he and his party were “never going to agree with a butter chicken tsunami coming to New Zealand”.

Questioned directly about whether that was racist, Luxon refused to say – only going so far as calling it “unhelpful” and that was certainly true for McClay, who was questioned about it by Indian media when he went to New Delhi to sign the deal this week.

With Peters’ criticisms of the confidence vote still fresh, Willis – in her weekly head-to-head with Labour on Morning Report – denounced the comment and said that was who Labour was “choosing to get into bed” with.

Never mind Labour having gone further than Luxon by calling it racist, and National being currently in coalition with NZ First, Willis has continued with this line – using her general debate speech on Wednesday to talk up the deal, and talk down New Zealand First.

“New Zealand First are on the wrong side of history on this one,” she said. “What we really need to call out in this House – and I want to acknowledge Marama Davidson for doing the same – is the race-based scaremongering that New Zealand First have indulged in.”

She went on to quote Jones, warning in a long preamble that it “will offend this House, it offended me … it has offended New Zealanders of Indian descent up and down this country”.

“Shame on you, Shane Jones. I enjoy working with you around the Cabinet table, but that kind of race-based rhetoric has no place in New Zealand politics,” she said.

Crossing the floor when the Cabinet room won’t do

Wednesday night also brought policy disputes into sharp relief, with a series of opposition party member’s bills that managed to find support from some in the government benches – but not others.

First among them was the Modern Slavery Bill, a joint effort between Labour’s Camilla Belich and National’s Greg Fleming, who said the ACT Party had stopped it going through Cabinet and becoming a government bill.

The topic was identified by Luxon in 2022 as something he would “march in the streets” for.

Another bill – from Labour’s Arena Williams – aimed to make transferring money overseas cheaper by requiring banks to be transparent about fees, got both ACT and NZ First on board.

National was the only party to oppose it, saying there was no need for it because other reforms were making progress on opening up the financial system.

And Green MP Kahurangi Carter’s bill aiming to prevent overdoses by giving amnesty for low-level drug offences to those who call in a suspected overdose or adverse drug reaction passed with ACT’s support – but not National or NZ First.

There was another member’s bill that was on the list for Wednesday but the House did not have time to get to which would ban social media for under-16s, in line with Australia’s approach.

It’s not something the coalition is progressing, with ACT opposing the idea and its MP Parmjeet Parmar complaining a select committee inquiry on it was “predetermined”.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark does not think Winston Peters released emails revealing a clash over New Zealand’s Iran war stance to embarrass the prime minister.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met with the foreign minister on Wednesday night following a political spat between the two leaders which broke out over the release of emails that show Luxon wanting to move the government’s position to showing “explicit public support” for the United States within days of the US-Israel war in Iran starting.

Clark told RNZ Nights the documents were subject to an Official Information Act (OIA) request.

“Winston Peters has made comments to the extent that he thought that the PM’s office was also in on the release.”

She said he had also taken responsibility that he should have checked this.

But Clark said typically anyone who was a subject of material in an OIA request would be told.

“So sometimes it can be stuff up rather than conspiracy,” she said.

But she questioned where the prime minister’s department was in it all.

“It’s a bit hard to believe that no one in DPMC [Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet] knew that this request had been made,” Clark said. “Why weren’t they following up?”

“I think … people have been caught napping here,” she said.

Luxon’s office said it was surprised to see Peters’ office release the internal discussions to the media, as it was not consulted.

“These emails mischaracterise the PM’s position. As you’d expect, it is the PM’s job to always challenge the advice he receives and, in this case, he sought to test New Zealand’s position against that of Canada and Australia,” a spokesperson for Luxon said.

“The public statements made by the Government reflect the PM’s position. If they didn’t, they would not have been made.

“The decision to release these discussions to the media clearly put politics ahead of the national interest.

“The PM would expect Mr Peters to show better judgement after more than 40 years in politics.”

Clark, who has previously worked with Peters while he was a foreign minster, believed his approach of being prudent and not weighing in on the US side was the right judgement.

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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 member’s bill seeking to ban virginity testing in New Zealand has been drawn from Parliament’s ballot, clearing the way for it to be introduced to the House.

Labour list MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan’s bill would make both virginity testing and hymenoplasty criminal offences, addressing what she says is a gap in current law.

Members’ bills are introduced by MPs who are not ministers and are selected through a ballot process.

“Every second Wednesday the House gives precedence to local, private and members’ bills. On these days members’ bills are debated,” according to the parliamentary website.

“At least eight members’ bills awaiting first reading must be on the Order Paper on each members’ day. When a space on the Order Paper becomes available, a ballot is held to decide which members’ bill(s) will be introduced.

“Members enter bills in the ballot by lodging notices of proposal with the House Office and providing a copy of the proposed bill.

“The proposed bill is then posted on the website and members can publicly indicate their support for the bill prior to the ballot.”

If 61 or more non-executive members indicate support for a member’s bill, the bill will be introduced without needing to be selected through the ballot, according to parliamentary rules and procedure.

“Virginity testing and hymenoplasty are invasive, harmful practices that violate a woman’s human rights and must be formally recognised as a crime,” Radhakrishnan said.

“”There is no cultural basis for this practice. It’s a patriarchal act of violence forced upon women that has harmful effects on their physical and emotional wellbeing.”

She said that the World Health Organisation and UN Women were part of a global call to ban these practices.

The United Kingdom banned virginity testing in 2022.

In 2025, researchers found the practice was occurring in New Zealand and harming women.

A report by the Helen Clark Foundation called for it to be eradicated.

“This bill fills a gap in our current laws, that allow for such practices to happen and they do happen here in New Zealand,” Radhakrishnan said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Winston Peters is “very, very confused” over the handling of official information relating to the Iran war, National’s deputy leader Nicola Willis said.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters said it was a “process mistake”, while National said he was putting politics ahead of the country.

The Prime Minister’s office in a statement, said Peters had admitted to Christopher Luxon in a private meeting his mistake in releasing emails about the official stance on the United States’ attack on Iran.

Peters publicly acknowledged his error on Thursday afternoon.

“In the end, I made the mistake. We carry the can in our office, we don’t blame others, but funnily enough a couple of my staff are going to be in a training session this afternoon on the matter,” he told reporters.

The emails suggested Luxon had been considering expressing “explicit public support” for the US assault, but Peters’ office believed that would be “imprudent” and “counter to New Zealand’s national interests”.

In the end, the government’s stance walked a more cautious line with no explicit support for the US but Luxon said in a post-Cabinet briefing this was no different to Australia’s stance – which was more supportive -prompted further questions about what the official position was.

However, Luxon’s office had since issued a statement saying the email release mischaracterised Luxon’s view, and claiming his doing so without consulting the prime minister’s office “clearly put politics ahead of the national interest”.

His office said the prime minister’s job was to challenge advice he received and he was merely seeking to test New Zealand’s stance against those of Australia and Canada.

Peters said it was a “process mistake” – but pushed back on suggestions releasing the information was an error.

“The assumption was that the prime minister’s office were doing the same thing, and we should have checked that first,” he said.

“I’ve been around a long time, longer than anybody else here, and I can recall even under the Muldoon government… the view was if it should be disclosed, disclose it if there’s no good reason not to.

“If you can release it, release it… I’m simply just saying I should have made sure that the prime minister’s on the same wavelength.”

National’s deputy leader Nicola Willis said the emails should not have been released by Peters’ office.

“No. Under the no surprises policy you consult before you release emails. If consultation had occurred it may well have been the case that they were released – the problem here is that the coalition agreement sets out very clearly that we will act in good faith.

“He now seems very confused. Very, very confused. One minute it was a mistake, next minute it wasn’t a mistake. Now I understand it’s a mistake again – and the problem with Winston Peters is you never know what you’re going to get.”

That was a reference to Peters telling Pacific Media Network various parts of the reporting of the matter were wrong.

“The claim that it was in the prime minister’s office was wrong, I mean how can you get that fact wrong? And then there’s other parts about it that are seriously wrong as well.

“I was under the understanding that things that should have happened had not happened, and I found out this morning in my office that those things did happen. Now I’m not going to make a big song and dance about it – but the truth will out and I intend to make sure it does.

“I acknowledged that I’d made a mistake and I found out this morning that I didn’t make a mistake,” he had said, but soon was admitting his mistake to reporters at Parliament.

Willis said Peters’ actions were inconsistent with the no surprises principle and were not in good faith.

“This is the problem with Winston Peters. What’s to say he won’t have a bout of similar confusion in coalition talks?

“Judge him by his actions. This is the man who put Jacinda Ardern into the prime ministership,” she said. “He has said that he won’t support a Labour, Green, Te Pāti Māori government, what if he gets confused”.

She suggested Peters’ actions could put coalition stability at risk.

“It’s really important to him that we ensure strong, stable government. And as I’ve said the actions of Winston Peters’ office were inconsistent with achieving that, and the prime minister has a duty to serve New Zealanders and we cannot do that as an executive if some political parties are off pursuing political gamesmanship rather than the national interest,” she said.

“When you release emails that characterise someone else’s position you consult with them. This is how the Official Information Act works… that doesn’t mean you’re always happy about the results of the consultation but you consult.”

National’s campaign chairperson Simeon Brown said the coalition was in a good space “but ultimately our message is that Mr Peters should not be putting politics ahead of the national interest. That’s very clear”.

“He’s been in parliament longer than I’ve been alive and he should know better,” he said.

“It’s standard practice when it comes to these matters that there’s consultation between offices. That didn’t happen … he considers himself a statesman well the reality is he should operate in a way that respects the office of the prime minister.”

Brown said Luxon had been wanting to test the foreign ministry’s advice in relation to what the Australians and the Canadians were saying at the time, but “our position’s very clear, he’s made that position very clear, and it still stands”.

The third coalition partner, David Seymour, played down the dispute.

“The coalition has had a joined up and consistent approach throughout this, I know what you want to talk about but people have discussions behind closed doors before we come to a position. I’d be much more worried if there wasn’t a discussion,” he said.

He diverted from questions about Luxon wanting to express explicit support for the war.

“I think the most important thing that’s happening in New Zealand today as far as the government goes is anti-money laundering legislation … I don’t even understand what your question’s about, most people won’t understand it or care, but actually this government is fixing what matters.”

He said the reporting of the dispute was “one person’s view of another person’s view of something that happened months ago, and the government had a united support position on it.

“The situation has changed so much since that time it’s kind of academic. All I’d say is that Australia and Canada, two of our best friends, came out with a certain position. We tossed up that position, we ended up taking a more moderate one.”

Seymour dismissed questions about whose office the meeting between Peters and Luxon was in.

“I know that there are people who argue about who’s meeting in whose office on which floor. Look, sometimes I meet with people in their office, sometimes I go and meet with them, sometimes I’m technically higher ranked than them, sometimes they’re technically higher ranked than me – well technically it’s only one time – but you know, I don’t think that’s really what matters to most Kiwis.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Foreign Minister Phil Goff says he believes Winston Peters is undermining coalition partner National, with the release of discussions between Peters and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon over New Zealand’s stance on the Iran war.

The spat between the two leaders broke out over the release of emails that show Luxon, within days of the US-Israel war in Iran starting, wanted to move the government’s position to showing “explicit public support” for the US and Israeli strikes, which included allegedly hitting a girls’ school, killing scores of children.

Peters had been travelling in Latin America when he was alerted to the prime minister’s “wish” to express explicit support for the US-led military strikes.

“The minister considered this suggestion to be an imprudent course of action, which would run counter to New Zealand’s national interests,” a spokesperson for Peters said. “Experience matters in foreign policy.”

Speaking to Midday Report on Thursday, Goff – who served as foreign minister under Helen Clark – said usually a foreign minister that “deliberately sought to undermine the prime minister would be immediately sacked”.

“The fact Luxon won’t do that shows his weakness in relation to his coalition partner,” Goff said.

As leader of NZ First, Peters’ support is crucial for the ongoing viability of the coalition government. Goff said the “extraordinary” disagreement between Peters and Luxon raised questions about whether the coalition would last until the election, scheduled for November.

Luxon’s office said the released emails – released after a request via the Official Information Act – misrepresented his position, and said Peters acknowledged he made a mistake, the NZ Herald reported. Goff called that “nonsense”.

“There was no mistake about Winston Peters’ comments at all. He knew that exposing Luxon’s view would be damaging to Luxon and he wanted it to be. So this was quite deliberate.

“I’ve been in government long enough to know that if the first thing, a foreign minister would contact the prime minister and say, ‘Look, I’ve been asked for this email, what do you think? They would.'”

Goff said polls showed the New Zealand public was against the war, “which shows that the New Zealand public are somewhat smarter than Luxon and his Cabinet and his caucus”.

“But look, it’s not surprising that Luxon held that view. This is the same view that both Don Brash and John Key had over the Iraq War, when New Zealand sensibly decided not to be part of the invasion in 2003. Both Brash and Key were saying we should be in there, we should be supporting our allies. The same thing over the nuclear-free New Zealand policy and the Vietnam War.

“National has always had a track record of following the United States in every instance, rather than independently expressing New Zealand’s values and interests.”

Goff said National was losing votes to New Zealand First, and Peters’ party was happy to “cannibalise more of them” by associating Luxon with support of the US attack on Iran.

“You can get differences between the prime minister and the foreign minister, but normally they are handled appropriately and are sorted out. In this case, they have been deliberately exposed to public scrutiny and international scrutiny.”

Goff was sacked from his last formal government role last year, by Peters, after criticising US President Donald Trump.

‘Isn’t the most relevant thing’ – Seymour

Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, who heads the third party in the coalition, ACT, called the clash a “storm in a teacup, sensationalised by headline writers”.

“You can report on it, but I wouldn’t,” he told Midday Report. “I mean, you can report whatever you like, by the way. I believe in press freedom.

“But I just make the comment that in terms of things that will make the boat go faster and improve New Zealanders’ lives, this isn’t the most relevant thing today.”

He said Peters should have given Luxon’s office a heads-up before releasing the emails.

“If he’s bound by the Official Information Act to release information, then he has to follow the law. Usually, for example, if I get an Official Information Act request, of course I can comply with the law and release the information that’s legally required.

“But if it concerns another minister either because it affects their area of responsibility or indeed it might be documentation or correspondence that wholly or partly originated from them, then of course you’ve got to be a team player and be collegial.”

Asked if Peters put politics ahead of the national interest, Seymour said: “That’s something that they can have out between them.”

Luxon declined an interview with RNZ on Thursday morning.

In a statement to RNZ, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Luxon “blamed this war for our current fuel woes, when all along he backed it”.

“At first he said ‘all actions are justified’ which he claimed was a mistake, when clearly it was his view all along.”

Luxon’s actual line was “any actions”. He later said he misspoke.

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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 Prime Minister says he called Winston Peters to his Beehive office on Wednesday night where he told him he expected better political judgement from his foreign minister.

Christopher Luxon said his coalition partner “acknowledged he had made a mistake” during that meeting after Peters’ office released discussions between the pair to the NZ Herald following an Official Information Act request.

The political spat between the two leaders broke out over the release of emails that show Luxon within days of the US-Israel war in Iran starting, wanting to move the Government’s position to showing “explicit public support” for the US.

But Luxon’s office said the emails released only show Peters’ office’s characterisation of the Prime Minister’s views.

“These emails mischaracterise the PM’s position. As you’d expect, it is the PM’s job to always challenge the advice he receives and, in this case, he sought to test New Zealand’s position against that of Canada and Australia,” a spokesperson for Luxon said in a statement to RNZ.

“The public statements made by the Government reflect the PM’s position. If they didn’t, they would not have been made.

“We were surprised to see Winston Peters’ office release internal discussions like these to the media, as our office was not consulted on this.

“The decision to release these discussions to the media clearly put politics ahead of the national interest.

“The PM would expect Mr Peters to show better judgement after more than 40 years in politics.

The Prime Minister met with the Foreign Minister on Wednesday night “to make that point and Mr Peters acknowledged he made a mistake”, the spokesperson said.

On Thursday morning RNZ contacted Peters for an interview, but a spokesperson said he had nothing further to add.

In late February the United States and Israel launched its attack on Iran, and just a few days later, on March 2, Luxon was on RNZ’s Morning Report for his weekly interview.

He was asked whether New Zealand supported the strikes, but Luxon would only go as far as to say the strikes were acknowledged.

In a public written statement, the same word was used by both Luxon and Peters, prompting questions about why New Zealand hadn’t joined other like-minded countries, such as Canada and Australia, in using the word “support”.

In the documents first released to the NZ Herald there are emails from staff in Peters’ office detailing it’s the foreign minister’s view that New Zealand does not “move towards explicit support, like Australia/Canada have expressed”.

“He sees value, from a foreign policy perspective, in walking the careful line we established yesterday via the written statement and in his stand up – which neither condemns nor gives explicit support to the US action”, the email stated.

“I think we’re going to need to try and come up with a drafting solution – which gives the PM clearer lines to use” but ultimately doesn’t substantively change the government position, the staffer wrote.

The email exchange and suggestion New Zealand shift its position came the day after the RNZ interview and a post-Cabinet press conference where Luxon, in both instances, struggled to clearly articulate the government’s position on the US-led war in Iran.

The Prime Minister declined an interview with RNZ on Thursday morning.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Legislation requiring boarding house landlords to sign onto a register has passed its first reading with unanimous support.

It is unknown how many boarding houses – which provide basic shelter for some of the most vulnerable – exist in New Zealand.

The member’s bill from Labour MP Jenny Salesa would set up a public register of the houses and their landlords, and set out what would disqualify someone.

Landlords must also provide basic information about tenants which will not be made public.

The legislation comes three years after the Loafer’s Lodge fire in Wellington which left five dead and 20 injured.

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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 Greens are calling out what they see as a double standard on strict English tests for immigrant bus drivers, but zero language requirements for wealthy migrants.

To get a skilled migrant visa, drivers needed to score at least 6.5 out of nine in the International English Language Testing System.

The government removed English fluency requirements for those investing $5 million to $10 million dollars in New Zealand for an Active Investor Plus Visa, known as the Golden Visa.

MP Ricardo Menéndez March said the English test was onerous and elitist.

“We’re putting countless bus drivers’ livelihoods on the line at the time of the fossil fuel crisis when public transport is more important than ever, and treating these drivers as disposable as opposed to essential,” Menéndez March told Checkpoint

He said the English test included writing an essay under time pressure, and had nothing to do with the work that drivers do.

“The requirements for migrant bus drivers are effectively higher than an international student wanting to go into tertiary education. It makes no sense.”

Menéndez March accepted there needed to be a level of proficiency in English – and said the bus drivers he had spoken to were all able to hold conversations in English.

He said the requirements needed to be lowered, or there would be hundreds of bus drivers with their jobs on the line.

The MP said there needed to be consistency across the board for migrants.

“When you create these onerous requirements for essential workers like migrant bus drivers and have no English test for multi-millionaires, it does smack of double standards.”

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