Politics Central

The Government is legislating health targets to 'lock in accountability'. It's part of a slue of changes to the health system, with the aim of refocusing on outcomes rather than bureaucracy. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister is on his way to China next week to meet with Xi Jinping. New Zealand's relationship with the country has been a hot topic recently, with many saying we need to stop cosying up to the United States. This past week, prominent New Zealand leaders signed an open letter to express concern about our closeness with the States, and how it could be impacting our relationship with China. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has announced a new Parent Boost Visa that will allow the parents of New Zealand citizens multi entry access for up to five years. The sponsor has to earn 1.5 times the median wage, or the parent must bring $16,000 - along with other insurance and health requirements. The Government says they are trying to make the country more attractive for skilled workers, without straining public services. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest 1News/Verian poll has both National and Labour down, while an RNZ-Reid poll done in the same week has National down and Labour up, and a Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll had both up. You see the same with overlapping polls by different agencies showing significantly different results in preferred Prime Minister. So why are polls done this far out from an election? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a Parliamentary first, Act MP Laura McClure displayed a naked image of herself to highlight the need for her proposed bill. The image wasn't truly her, it was an AI-generated deepfake - made in just minutes with technology that can be found on the first page of a Google search. Laura's Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill would restrict the creation of non consensual deepfakes, as well as expanding revenge porn laws. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Boy racers took over Levin and Palmerston North on Friday night, leaving seven injured and ten arrested. The meet-up brought together around 1,000 boy racers, becoming so chaotic that police were deployed in full riot gear. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been a big week in politics - we're still managing the aftershocks from the Budget on Thursday. It's also Winston Peters' final week as Deputy Prime Minister, before he'll be forced to pass the torch to David Seymour on Saturday. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Budget didn't bring any changes to the pension - but Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has doubled down on his support for raising the age. Luxon and his soon-to-be Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, are on the same page when it comes to raising the pension age to 67, but Seymour says Winston Peters is standing in the way of changes. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is introducing tougher penalties for boy racers and other, what Chris Bishop called, "idiot drivers". The changes include a crushed or forfeited car for fleeing drivers, boy racers, and those taking part in intimidating convoys. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is cracking down on illegal drugs entering the country, starting with Customs. Customs will get an additional $35 million to help combat the rising rate of organised crime groups bringing illicit drugs into the country. It will provide Customs with the funding needed for 60 more roles. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony Albanese's Labor government had a landslide victory overnight, marking the first re-election in Australia since 2004. It's seen a mix of reactions, with some analysts even saying Albanese has Donald Trump to thank for his win. Australia correspondent Sam Emery joins with the latest. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has announce $2 billion from the upcoming Budget has been set aside for new Defence Force helicopters, alongside an additional $957 million in funding. The current Seasprite helicopters were built in the 1960s and 1970s, and were overdue replacement. The announcement is part of a bigger plan to improve Defence capabilities. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Physician associates will soon be a regulated profession working in primary care and hospitals. These are health professionals who have been trained overseas, who have the function of a GP but have to work under the supervision of a doctor. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has set aside $68.5 million for an interest free EV charger loan scheme. The private sector will be able to apply for a loan to increase the number of chargers in New Zealand. It's committed to 10,000 public chargers by 2030, up from around 1,400 currently available. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Almost all of our local government representatives have had a public persona before they went forward for the role. Is that really all it takes? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon had a spree of phone calls with world leaders this week regarding the ongoing U.S. trade war, but Winston Peters says he should have been consulted beforehand. Political commentator Peter Dunne says the Prime Minister was completely in his right to make calls without speaking to the Foreign Minister first. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The previously announced 60 square metre granny flats that property owners will be able to build without building or resource consent - will now be 70sqm. Recent changes to the RMA will also help make it easier for these flats to be built as well as more affordable. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Republican Party's 'Liberation Day', President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs internationally. New Zealand was caught in the crossfire with a 10% tariff, but we got off easy compared to other countries. But how is it impacting our global relationships? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greens MP Tamatha Paul has come under fire this week after comments about beat patrol police. She said a lot of people feel less safe with the increase in police on the beat, and claimed that these officers had even been throwing away the belongings of homeless people. Paul was also in a discussion about what steps could be taken to achieve "radical police abolition", and alternatives to the police. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government wants to make it easier for a third major supermarket to come in and break up the duopoly. Nicola Willis announced today that she has issued a Request for Information, asking supermarkets what changes are needed to help them compete with the big two. These include local supermarkets upping the ante enough to compete, or overseas companies launching in New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters gave his State of the Nation speech this afternoon, featuring a significant group of protesters. He called for the re-evaluation of New Zealand's Paris Climate commitments, and a local focus rather than international. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ACT Party is call for more powers for Kāinga Ora to terminate tenancies. It was triggered by a recent ruling by the Tenancy Tribunal, where a tenant with 25 complaints, 6 warnings and police call outs, and even an alleged shooting, will not have their tenancy terminated. There was an overhaul just last year which made it easier for Kāinga Ora to evict tenants, but ACT says more is needed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trade Minister Todd McClay has met with his United States counterpart, Jamieson Greer, to discuss the trade relationship between New Zealand and the U.S. In the 45 minute meeting, McClay stressed the importance of an open market between the countries, and Greer agreed to continue dialogue throughout the changing trade policies. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has done it's best to impress investors over the Investment Summit - and economists are hopeful it has worked. Multiple projects have already been proposed, and Italian tunnelling company Ghella, who had been planning to leave New Zealand due to lack of work, have confirmed it will keep workers and machinery here after hearing the outlined infrastructure pipeline. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government wants to speed up land acquisitions for critical infrastructure projects. Private landowners will be offered a premium payment to help the process run smoothly. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health Minister Simeon Brown wants to introduce wait time targets for general practices. GenPro Chair Angus Chambers says GPs want to reduce wait times, and understand very well how bad it can be, but they don't have enough doctors to improve it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laws to keep firearms out of the wrong hands come into effect today. The Government is expanding firearms prohibition orders to cover gangs and other high-risk offenders. Courts are now allowed to grant and FPO on the basis of gang affiliation to a crime, keeping guns out of the hands of guns. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House yesterday. Things turned fiery when Vance began to question whether Zelenskyy was grateful for U.S. support. Geoffrey Miller says if Ukraine was asking of New Zealand what they are asking of the United States, we wouldn't be happy either. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government today has announced plans to overhaul the Overseas Investment Act. Among the reforms announced, it will fast track overseas investment for decisions to be made within 15 days, and empower the Government to intervene if a transaction is not in the country's best interest. The overhaul would make it easier for New Zealand businesses to get new investment from overseas, as well as pay higher wages. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More calls for Destiny Church to be struck off the charities list and lose their tax deductibility status; but as the conversation around charity status goes on, questions are being raised on whether other organisations should lose their status. Sanitarium is just one of the giants that are tax exempt in New Zealand, and with more than 28,000 registered charities with an annual income of over $21 billion, a change would bring the country an influx of cash. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT's David Seymour believes the opposition has drifted too far to the left - and it's dragged the party down. Seymour has fired back at Labour after a full week of scrutiny and calls to resign following his letter advocating for Philip Polkinghorne and the Land Rover on Parliament's steps incident. He says Labour used to stand for equality and democracy and fairness, but they've gone adrift over the years. "They've given up on the idea of one person, one vote. If you take Willie Jackson, one of their most prominent ministers, who says - oh democracy has changed now, one person, one vote's not that important . Actually, one person, one vote is the whole point of democracy." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's leader has labelled anti-LGBTQ protests 'pathetic'. People linked to Destiny Church stormed a children's drag event at a west Auckland library, leading to some 30 people had being barricaded inside. Later, police intervened when a group disrupted Pride Parade festivities on Ponsonby Road with a haka. Chris Hipkins says we have free speech in New Zealand, but it's not that. He says that sort of behaviour isn't an exercise in free speech - it's shouting other people down and stopping them from what they're free to do in a democratic country. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This afternoon the Prime Minister announced New Zealand will be relaxing immigration settings for investors. Two new immigration categories will be created to encourage wealthy foreigners to invest in Kiwi businesses. Investors will need to invest a minimum of $5 million over three years, or $10 million over five years. The visa's English language requirement will also be stripped, which Luxon claimed had scared off potential investors. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winston Peters has hinted at relaxing the foreign buyers ban for those who are willing to bring over the big bucks. The NZ First leader said plans to lift the ban are a work in progress. He says if foreign investors are willing to pump millions of dollars into other parts of the country , he is open to allowing them to buy property. Williams Corporation Managing Director, Matthew Horncastle, joins to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After saying he would prefer not to have to impose tariffs on China, Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China. China came out the best of the three, with 10% rate on all imports, while Mexico and Canada were hit with a 25% rate across most imports. This will likely mean an increase in prices for U.S. consumers, and a potential for New Zealand to step up exports. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The government has announced plans to double New Zealand's mineral exports to $3 billion in the next ten years. The Critical Minerals List now includes 37 minerals, after the addition of gold and metallurgical coal. NZ First's Shane Jones also took aim at big banks limiting lending to the fossil fuels industry, noting his support for the Australian Liberal-National Opposition's attempts to force banks to back the sector. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ACT Party leader David Seymour gave his State of the Nation speech this week, hot on the heels of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's. He covered everything from tax cuts to the End of Life Choice Act - but a key point stuck out to many of those listening... If the soon-to-be Deputy Prime Minister is hardly on the same page as the rest of the coalition, how can we trust that they are operating efficiently? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll has the Labour Party up 4.0 points at 30.9%, while National sinks 4.6 points to 29.6%. Although dropping 2.2 points, ACT is still ahead of the Greens, at 10.8% and 9.5% respectively. Perhaps the most concerning for the National Party, 39% said the country was moving in the right direction, while 53% said it was moving in the wrong direction. Regardless, Christopher Luxon still leads significantly as preferred prime minister. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2024 marks this coalition Government's first year in power, and will be one to remember. They got straight to work repealing and introducing legislation, some being so controversial they triggered unprecedented responses in the way of protests. Gang patches were banned, the first youth offender bootcamp trial was completed; this year truly had a bit of everything. Former Speaker of the House and National MP, Lockwood Smith, and former Prime Minister Helen Clark join Tim Beveridge to wrap the year in politics. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Politics Central, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts opens up about the Government's new action plan set to increase the use of hydrogen energy Later, Fleur Fitzsimmons from the PSA addresses the backlash towards the Government's new working-from-home policies. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Greens have today unveiled their new Emissions Reduction Plan, and taking a hit at the current Government's plan while they're at it. They claim their plan would reduce carbon emissions more than five times the Government's draft Emissions Reduction plan by 2030. Some of the proposed policies include the reintroduction of the clean car discount, clean heating subsidies for rooftop solar, and reinstating the oil and gas ban. Green Party MP Steve Abel joins with more. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two participants of the youth offender bootcamp were missing after attending a tangi. Police were responding to a carjacking in Hamilton when they found the two teens, who now look to be in some legal trouble. The first youth to go missing was on bail following a court hearing, and was to be accompanied by two Oranga Tamariki stadd. The Labour Party's Police Spokesperson Ginny Andersen joins with her take. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.