Finalists Announced For 2025 Quote Of The Year Competition

Politicians under pressure, our most successful high jumper, an award-winning film maker and some frustrated and frank conservationists are among the finalists in Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University’s annual Quote of the Year competition.

After the initial round of public nominations, the top 10 quotes have been chosen by a panel of communications experts, and voting is now underway! The public has until midnight Monday 15 December to vote for their favourite quote, and the winner will be announced later that week.

From marmite sandwiches to adult nappies

Politicians from across the spectrum dominated this year’s list – and the quick quips did not disappoint.

In March, exasperation over the school lunches saga drove Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to respond with: “If you are unhappy with it, for God's sake, go make a Marmite sandwich and put an apple in a bag just like you and I had” while speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking.

Later in the year, debate about New Zealand’s stance on Palestinian statehood led to two of this year’s top ten quotes. Green party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick told Parliament in August: "If we find six of 68 Government MPs with a spine, we can stand on the right side of history."

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Radio New Zealand in September she would not be meeting with the six Anglican and Catholic priests who chained themselves together outside her Johnsonville office in solidarity with Palestinians: "I will not be setting a precedent that the way to get a meeting with me is to don an adult nappy and chain yourself to a door."

Aiming for new heights

New Zealand’s first Olympic gold medal winning high jumper Hamish Kerr continued to make the country proud with his achievements on the field, and his humility off it. In February, he told broadcaster Paddy Gower: “The next goal is to jump 2.40m as that's quite a key height, and also because it'd be kind of cool to be able to jump over a ceiling.” In September, he came achingly close to that lofty goal, winning the gold medal at the World Athletic Championships with a personal best of 2.36 metres.

In award winning film maker Taika Waititi’s acceptance speech for the Norman Lear Achievement Award at the Producers Guild of America in February, he continued his career-long mission for deeper understanding and acknowledgement for Indigenous cultures, saying: "Thank you so much for believing in Indigenous stories and believing they could be more than just brown people standing on a mountain playing a flute talking to ancestors."

The top 10 quotes:

"If you are unhappy with it, for God's sake, go make a Marmite sandwich and put an apple in a bag just like you and I had.” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, in response to media coverage about the school lunches programme.

"If it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, it's not looking good, is it?” Public Service Minister Judith Collins, in response to the Independent Police Conduct Authority report into the Police handling of complaints against former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

"They're killing our native birds and not shagging them.” Matt Bailey, organiser of the North Canterbury Hunting Competition, when asked if trapping, neutering, and releasing feral cats would be better than culling them.

"The next goal is to jump 2.40m as that's quite a key height, and also because it'd be kind of cool to be able to jump over a ceiling.” Olympic gold medallist Hamish Kerr on Paddy Gower’s podcast The F#$%ing News.

"If we find six of 68 Government MPs with a spine, we can stand on the right side of history.” Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick speaking at Parliament in August during a debate on Palestinian Statehood, leading to her being ejected from the house.

"I know he's the Prime Minister, I made him the Prime Minister.” Foreign Minister and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, when questioned by reporters over why he didn’t consult with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon over the sacking of former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Phil Goff, following his comments about United States President Donald Trump.

"Thank you so much for believing in Indigenous stories and believing they could be more than just brown people standing on a mountain playing a flute talking to ancestors.” Film maker and actor Taika Waititi during his acceptance speech for receiving the Producers Guild of America (PGA) Norman Lear Achievement Award.

"Turns out you can have it all. So long as you're prepared to be a c…t to the women who birth your kids, school your offspring and wipe the arse of your elderly parents while you stand on their shoulders to earn your six-figure, taxpayer-funded pay packet.” Senior Journalist Andrea Vance in a Sunday Star Times column skewering the Government's abolishment of ongoing pay equity claims, which inspired Brooke Van Velden to be the first person in New Zealand's history to say c*nt in Parliament.

"Wildlife doesn't have brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers to call the police if something happens.” Department of Conservation prosecutor Mike Bodie at a court hearing for a South Korean man who was caught trying to smuggle rare geckos out of New Zealand.

"I will not be setting a precedent that the way to get a meeting with me is to don an adult nappy and chain yourself to a door.” Finance Minister Nicola Willis after a group of six priests chained themselves together outside her office, calling for sanctions on Israel.

The panel said this year’s selection of quotes are snapshots of the national mood, reflecting bigger conversations happening in Aotearoa New Zealand during 2025.

“They are a mirror of the issues we discussed and read about, like equity, identity and leadership. They are also unfiltered. Many of these quotes were not polished soundbites, but raw, emotional moments, that got people talking. Whether it was humour, outrage, or ambition, the power of these quotes lies in their ability to spark debate,” the panel said.

The 2025 Quote of the Year panel is:

• Former broadcast journalist, and current media consultant and Massey University journalism lecturer Charlotte Shipman;
• Award-winning journalist, publisher and broadcaster and current New Zealand editor of The Conversation Finlay Macdonald;
• And former broadcast journalist, communications specialist and Massey University Corporate Communications Manager Jenna Nichols.

Voting now open

Vote for your favourite quote here. Voting closes midnight Monday 15 December, with the winner announced later that week.

The Quote of the Year competition, now in its 14th year, was founded by the late Dr Heather Kavan, who passed away in December 2024. She was a valued Massey University staff member, specialising in speechwriting, extreme religions and media law, and was recognised for her speechwriting, her teaching and for treating her students with genuine care.

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