Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Latest Politics Headlines
David Seymour's Hapū Requests He Not Attend Waitangi Day Commemorations
Friday, 24 January 2025, 8:51 pm | RNZ
In a letter sent to the ACT Party Leader, Ngāti Rēhia said the Treaty Principles Bill was "divisive." More >>
Something Old, New, Borrowed, And Blue In PM's Growth Plan
Friday, 24 January 2025, 8:46 pm | RNZ
Analysis - At first glance Christopher Luxon's plan to inject growth in the economy is a hark back to pre-Covid days and the last National government. More >>
Treaty Referendum Ruled Out Under Luxon's Watch
Friday, 24 January 2025, 8:01 pm | RNZ
The Treaty Principles Bill continues to dog the National Party despite Luxon's repeated efforts to communicate the legislation will not go beyond second reading. More >>
Government Tone Deaf On Mining Public Conservation Land
Friday, 24 January 2025, 3:52 pm | Forest And Bird
Forest & Bird will continue to support New Zealanders to oppose these destructive activities and reminds the Prime Minister that in 2010, 40,000 people marched down Queen Street, demanding that high-value conservation land be protected from mining. More >>
Privatisation And Asset Sales Puts Profits Ahead Of People’s Needs
Friday, 24 January 2025, 2:17 pm | PSA
Acting PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says the ACT proposals would take money from public services and funnel it towards private providers. Privatisation will inevitably mean syphoning money off from providing services for all to pay profits ... More >>
New Zealand Political Leaders Congratulate Trump
Friday, 24 January 2025, 9:13 am | Socialist Equality Group
Following the obscene spectacle of Trump’s inauguration, in which he enunciated his far-right agenda including mass deportations and imperialist expansionism, New Zealand’s politicians are pitching to “work with” Washington as closely as ... More >>
New Science Minister Must Guarantee No Further Cuts To Science Jobs
Friday, 24 January 2025, 8:27 am | PSA
The country can’t afford to lose any more skilled workers - the reforms Minister Reti will now drive will only succeed if the Government properly respects and values the existing workforce who now face more uncertainty on top of a year of restructuring. More >>
Politics Of Kindness To Be Tackled In Ardern's Tell-All Memoir
Thursday, 23 January 2025, 4:21 pm | RNZ
The former prime minister will reveal why she stepped down in a new book out later this year. More >>
Labour Pivots Focus To National's Stomping Grounds Of Economy And Crime
Thursday, 23 January 2025, 4:19 pm | RNZ
As the party begins its year, leader Chris Hipkins says it needs to up its game on the cost of living, crime and the economy. More >>
Taxpayers’ Union Criticism Of Governor-General Unwarranted
Thursday, 23 January 2025, 4:11 pm | New Zealand Republic
The NZTU's OIA request shows that across the Governor-General's six trips to London between June 2022 and May 2023, the Office of Governor-General incurred just over £10000 / $20000 NZ on VIP services for the Governor-General and those travelling ... More >>
Luxon’s ‘Going For Growth’ Just Grows The Government Bureaucracy
Thursday, 23 January 2025, 3:06 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Taxpayers' Union Spokesman, Jordan Williams, said “the speech was more about feels and repeating old announcements than concrete policy changes to improve New Zealand’s prosperity.” More >>
Taxpayer Victory! Callaghan Innovation Finally For The Scrapheap
Thursday, 23 January 2025, 3:05 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Callaghan Innovation has shown itself to be a toxic organisation, with a culture that leads to waste on a wallet-shattering scale, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James Ross said. More >>
PM Flags Mining As Critical To Economic Growth
Thursday, 23 January 2025, 2:58 pm | Straterra Inc
"It is great to see this Government listening to the mining sector and showing a clear understanding of its value to the economy in terms of jobs and investment in communities, as well as export earnings," Vidal says. More >>
Axing Of Callaghan Innovation, Loss Of 500 Jobs Already Makes Mockery Of Latest Reform
Thursday, 23 January 2025, 2:41 pm | PSA
The long overdue science reform strategy promises another huge restructure on top of the restructure endured by science agencies to date, creating more uncertainty and worry for thousands of science workers. More >>
Luxon’s Speech An Exercise In Smoke And Mirrors
Thursday, 23 January 2025, 2:30 pm | NZCTU
We are also alarmed at the Prime Minister's signal that workplace health and safety is a cost rather than an investment in workers' lives. Safe workplaces are productive workplaces. More >>
Seizures Of Black Market Tobacco Show Strong Policy Action Needed From Government
Thursday, 23 January 2025, 11:58 am | Imperial Brands
According to official Customs information, total interceptions of illegal cigarettes and cigars grew 31.4%, from 4.94 million in 2019–2020 to 6.5 million in 2023–2024. More >>
Local Dolphin Defenders’ Nelson Port Protest Tomorrow 24/01/25
Thursday, 23 January 2025, 11:45 am | Maui and Hector's Dolphin Defenders
The charity Māui and Hector’s Dolphin Defenders, is calling on Luxon's National-led coalition government for more protection for the dolphins throughout their rang More >>
Be Bold, Mr Luxon
Thursday, 23 January 2025, 11:39 am | Taxpayers' Union
National cannot fall into the habit of simply naming a new Ministerial portfolio and trying to jaw-bone public policy outcomes, says Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams. More >>
Luxon’s Bonfire Of Natural Capital Leaves New Zealand Poorer
Thursday, 23 January 2025, 11:09 am | Greenpeace
Luxon is due to give his State of the Nation speech today which will once again prioritise the War On Nature. These destructive policies, including the fast track law, have become one of the trademarks of his first year in office. More >>
Financial Statements Of The Government Of New Zealand For The Five Months Ended 30 November 2024
Thursday, 23 January 2025, 10:47 am | The Treasury
The November results are reported against forecasts based on the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2024 (HYEFU 2024), published on 17 December 2024, and the results for the same period for the previous year. More >>
NZ Political Parties Gear Up For A Busy 2025
Wednesday, 22 January 2025, 7:25 pm | RNZ
Analysis - Coalition parties looks set to try to differentiate themselves, opposition parties may get closer, and Nicola Willis tries to kickstart the economy. More >>
REVEALED: $4 Million To Subsidise Whale-oil Is Outrageous
Wednesday, 22 January 2025, 4:08 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Research methods in this project included healing Kauri trees through using "sonic samples of healthy whales to construct a tapestry of rejuvenation and wellbeing.” More >>
New Zealand Government Moves To Scrap Regulations That Constrain Corporate Profit
Wednesday, 22 January 2025, 8:42 am | Socialist Equality Group
The government last year created a new Ministry for Regulation, with ACT leader David Seymour in charge, to review regulations and, in Seymour’s words, “to look for red tape to cut.” More >>
PM's Portfolio Reshuffle Leaves Cabinet Top Heavy
Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 8:52 pm | RNZ
Analysis - The prime minister has taken a close hard look at the varying skills of his ministers, resulting in a portfolio allocation imbalance following Sunday's reshuffle, Jo Moir writes. More >>
MPs Won't Be On Stage At Auckland's Big Gay Out This Year
Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 8:48 pm | RNZ
Organisers say politicians are still welcome to attend the February event. More >>
Green hydrogen: Is it time to switch off the taxpayer tap?
Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 8:23 pm | RNZ
Green hydrogen - which has been described by fans as the "swiss army knife" of clean energy - has enjoyed a wave of private investment and government subsidies. More >>
Significant Challenges Ahead For New Minister For Economic Growth
Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 8:03 pm | RNZ
A recovering economy is likely to give the new Minister for Economic Growth some momentum through 2025, but there are concerns about the longer-term outlook. More >>
Treaty Principles Bill Cannot Proceed – NZCER
Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 2:59 pm | NZCER
The proposed principles are inconsistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi, they are unsupported by the text of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and seriously breach Te Tiriti o Waitangi with implications for the education sector, adds Tumuaki Graeme Cosslett. More >>
Trump Exit From Paris Agreement Means NZ Must Rally With World To Save Climate
Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 2:34 pm | Greenpeace New Zealand
Greenpeace is calling on the Government to significantly strengthen its climate target, in particular the goal to cut methane emissions. This is what the independent Climate Change Commission advised in its report at the end of last year. More >>
High-flying Governor-General Rolling Out The Royal Treatment
Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 2:02 pm | Taxpayers' Union
The Governor-General is already taking home $447,900 a year, plus an allowance of $40,551. Totalling almost seven times the median wage, no one can accuse Dame Cindy Kiro of being underpaid, Taxpayers’ Union Spokesman James Ross said. More >>
Conservative Party Update
Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 9:45 am | Conservative Party
The New Conservative Party will now be campaigning under the name Conservative Party, dropping the "New." This change reflects our confidence in the enduring strength of our Conservative values – principles that speak for themselves without the need ... More >>
Action On Puberty Blockers Too Little; Too Late, Women's Rights Party Says
Monday, 20 January 2025, 6:54 pm | Women's Rights Party
Women’s Rights Party Co-leader Jill Ovens says the questions are odd, given there are no safety measures currently in place, and the use of puberty blockers (GnRH) to treat conditions related to “gender distress” is not a registered use of the ... More >>
Fears High Country Land Could Be Planted In Pine Under Government's Climate Plan
Monday, 20 January 2025, 9:05 am | RNZ
Critics say it is a half-baked scheme that will not work - and could undo the millions spent removing wilding pines. More >>
LGNZ Welcomes New Local Government Minister
Monday, 20 January 2025, 8:47 am | Local Government NZ
"I'm looking forward to sitting down with Minister Watts to work through how best we collaborate and build an authentic and enduring partnership - to make a positive difference for all New Zealanders," LGNZ President Sam Broughton said. More >>
Former Minister Russell Marshall Dies Aged 88
Monday, 20 January 2025, 8:43 am | RNZ
The Methodist minister who became a Cabinet minister is being remembered as a "principled voice". More >>
Shuffling Ministers Ignores Need To Increase Funding For Health And The Public Service
Sunday, 19 January 2025, 3:18 pm | PSA
We wish the new Ministers well, but their success will depend on their ability to secure increased funding for health and the public service, not more irresponsible cuts. More >>
NZTU Welcome Govt Reshuffle – Looks Forward To Working With New Ministry To Deliver Growth & More Efficient Local Govt
Sunday, 19 January 2025, 3:15 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Taxpayers’ Union Co-founder, Jordan Williams, said “Economic growth isn’t everything, but it is almost everything. Our ability to afford a world-class health, education, and social safety system depends on having a first-world economy. Nothing is more ... More >>
NEW POLL: Labour Leapfrogs National In Taxpayers' Union–Curia Poll For First Time Since April 2023
Friday, 17 January 2025, 1:18 pm | Taxpayers' Union
The poll, conducted between 9-13 January, shows National down 4.6 points to 29.6%, while Labour have risen 4.0 points from last month, overtaking them with30.9%. More >>
Hearings on Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill to start on Monday, 27 January 2025
Thursday, 16 January 2025, 7:11 pm | Justice Committee
The committee has agreed to split into two sub-committees to increase the number of people it can hear from in the time available. Each sub-committee will meet for 30 hours total, together making up 60 of the 80 planned hours of hearings. More >>
‘Unreasonably Secretive’ – Otago Regional Council Refuses To Release Potentially Damning Correspondence
Thursday, 16 January 2025, 10:56 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Requests for official information involving potentially damning correspondence are totally legitimate – but have been put in the ‘too hard basket' by officials refusing to properly follow the Local Government Official Information and Meetings ... More >>
'A Good Direction': Departing US Ambassador Talks Trade, AUKUS, And Climate
Wednesday, 15 January 2025, 8:54 pm | RNZ
Ambassador Tom Udall has been in New Zealand since 2021. More >>
The Regulatory Standards Bill: What You Need To Know
Wednesday, 15 January 2025, 8:52 pm | RNZ
About 23,000 submissions have been received on the bill which is set to pass under National and ACT's coalition deal. More >>
Government Prepares New Anti-strike Law
Wednesday, 15 January 2025, 8:51 am | Socialist Equality Group
The only way forward is for workers to build a new party that fights for the socialist reorganisation of society, on the basis of human need, not private profit. This is the program of the Socialist Equality Group in New Zealand and the International ... More >>
Revealed: Ministry Of Regulation Senior Managers’ $260k Golden Payslips
Monday, 13 January 2025, 3:42 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Every story about the Ministry of Regulation seems to be about staffing cost blow-outs. The red tape slashing Ministry needs teeth, sure, but all we seem to hear about are teething problems, says axpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager James ... More >>
Regulatory Standards Bill Slammed As 'Dangerous' Call For 'Alarm Bells'
Monday, 13 January 2025, 11:13 am | RNZ
But proponents of the proposal say it is about better regulation and more transparent lawmaking. More >>
Regulatory Standards Bill Should Be Stopped In Its Tracks
Monday, 13 January 2025, 10:50 am | Environmental Defence Society
The proposed Bill cuts across existing and soon-to-be-implemented frameworks, including Part 4 of the Legislation Act 2019, which is slated to come into force next year, and will make sensible improvements to regulation-making. More >>
Foreign Interference Bill Prepares New Attacks On Democratic Rights
Sunday, 12 January 2025, 2:27 pm | Socialist Equality Group
The bipartisan support in parliament for the Foreign Interference Bill is a warning that there is no constituency in the New Zealand ruling class for the maintenance of basic democratic rights. There has been no critical reporting on the bill in the ... More >>
Act Now On The Proposed Regulatory Standards Bill
Friday, 10 January 2025, 4:18 pm | Melanie Nelson
The proposed RSB would make the ACT Party’s libertarian values central to our laws, give power to the Minister for Regulation, currently David Seymour, and a Regulatory Standards Board, while ignoring te Tiriti o Waitangi and broadly held values. More >>
The Bill For Individualism, Corporations And Neoliberalism
Friday, 10 January 2025, 10:57 am | Climate Justice Taranaki
Driven by a minor party’s libertarian ideology, the Regulatory Standards Bill, alongside the Treaty Principles Bill, would have sweeping constitutional implications, if enacted. More >>
Three Hundred Leaders Gather - Plan Pan-Māori Assembly To Challenge Government
Friday, 10 January 2025, 10:24 am | RNZ
They are meeting today at Omāhu near Hastings to discuss the creation of a new pan-Māori assembly. More >>
New Zealand Still Considering Sharing Criminal Offending Info With Five Eyes Nations
Thursday, 9 January 2025, 6:23 pm | RNZ
They already work together on broad issues, but may even share details of their citizens' criminal offending. More >>
Parliament Website Issues Could Be Cost-cutting - Tech Experts
Thursday, 9 January 2025, 6:19 pm | RNZ
People have expressed frustration and outrage this week, after persisent technical issues stopped them from submitting on the Treaty Principles Bill. More >>
Justice Committee Reopens Submissions For Principles Of The Treaty Of Waitangi Bill To Tuesday 14 January
Thursday, 9 January 2025, 3:15 pm | Justice Committee
The Justice Committee has reopened submissions on the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. The new deadline for submissions is 1.00pm, Tuesday, 14 January 2025. The committee unanimously agreed to reopen submissions due to the technical issues ... More >>
Hate Speech Masquerades As Free Speech
Wednesday, 8 January 2025, 5:58 pm | Media Matters NZ
Freedom of Speech is not a license to say anything you like. More >>
What The Trump Administration Might Mean For New Zealand Trade
Wednesday, 8 January 2025, 3:43 pm | RNZ
What the return of Donald Trump to the White House might mean for New Zealanders. More >>
Large Scale Public Engagement Should Be Celebrated, Not Seen As A Hindrance By Select Committee
Wednesday, 8 January 2025, 3:20 pm | Hobson's Pledge
The large number of New Zealanders sharing their thoughts on the Bill means that the select committee needs to take the appropriate time to process all submissions and not be tempted to arbitrarily dismiss submissions that have come via a third ... More >>
PETA To Minister McClay: Mandate Webcams In All Shearing Sheds
Wednesday, 8 January 2025, 3:03 pm | PETA Asia Pacific
Despite recent footage revealing extreme cruelty and violence, the wool industry has failed to stop this rampant abuse, even on so-called “sustainable” and “responsible” farms. More >>
MBIE’s Spine-Chilling $500k Bill For Spine-Straightening Consultants
Wednesday, 8 January 2025, 1:26 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Over half a million dollars has been wasted by one government department alone teaching bureaucrats how to use a desk and chair, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager James Ross said. More >>
New Zealand Government, Opposition Parties Glorify Deceased Māori Party Founder
Wednesday, 8 January 2025, 8:43 am | Socialist Equality Group
The chorus of praise for Turia underscores the fact that TPM does not represent any real alternative to the political establishment. It is a right-wing party that for the past two decades has represented the interests of indigenous capitalists, who ... More >>
Dame Tariana Turia Laid To Rest At Her Marae Near Whanganui
Tuesday, 7 January 2025, 8:18 pm | RNZ
The founder of Te Pāti Māori and champion of te ao Māori is being buried at her marae at Whangaehu. More >>
