Podcast appearances and mentions of sam uffindell

Questions to Ministers CAMERON BREWER to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the Government's fiscal position? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? CATHERINE WEDD to the Minister for Infrastructure: What recent reports has he seen about New Zealand's Infrastructure Pipeline? JENNY MARCROFT to the Minister for Rail: What recent announcements has the Government made regarding rail? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she agree with Hon Brooke van Velden that "the Government, under Minister Nicola Willis' pay equity reset, suggested that the funded sector would not be funded by the Government for pay equity"; if so, how much was set aside in Budget 2024 for the funded sector pay equity claims? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made on delivering new and improved urgent and after-hours services? Hon JAN TINETTI to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she stand by her statement that "the Government, under Minister Nicola Willis' pay equity reset, suggested that the funded sector would not be funded by the Government for pay equity"; if not, why not? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by all her statements and actions relating to pay equity? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? DANA KIRKPATRICK to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about building social housing?

Questions to Ministers DANA KIRKPATRICK to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the Government's fiscal position? LAURA McCLURE to the Associate Minister of Education: What recent announcements has he made regarding school attendance? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Transport: What announcements has he made regarding the Government's crackdown on drunk drivers? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she agree with Christopher Luxon, when describing FamilyBoost, that "Our view is it doesn't cost much more to administer"; if so, how much has been spent on administering the scheme relative to the amount paid out? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? RAWIRI WAITITI to the Minister for Maori Development: Does he stand by his statement that "Over the past 50 years, the Tribunal has made significant contributions to the Maori Crown relationship and informed the settlement of both historical and contemporary Treaty claims impacting generations of whanau across the country"? Hon JAN TINETTI to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she agree with Andrea Vance, who said about the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, "It is a curious feminist moment, isn't it? Six girlbosses - Willis, her hype-squad Judith Collins, Erica Stanford, Louise Upston, Nicola Grigg, and Brooke van Velden - all united in a historic act of economic backhanding other women"; if not, how is unilaterally stopping 33 pay equity claims not a historic act of economic backhanding other women? Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL to the Minister of Immigration: What update can she provide about the recent changes to the Active Investor Plus Visa to attract more global investment to New Zealand? CAMILLA BELICH to the Minister for the Public Service: What impact will recent changes to the Equal Pay Act 1972 have on public sector workers, particularly women? TIM VAN DE MOLEN to the Minister for Veterans: What investments is the Government making to support veterans in Budget 2025? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions?

Questions to Ministers Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Minister for Women: Does she stand by her answer to oral question No. 4 yesterday, in relation to the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, that "I always advocate for women, and I have been consulted on and advised on this legislation from the outset"; if so, on what date was she first consulted regarding the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety's Cabinet paper reviewing pay equity policy settings? SUZE REDMAYNE to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the Government's fiscal position? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: When did she first consider the pay equity changes for inclusion in Budget 2025, and what modelling did she receive, if any, on the number of workers likely to be affected by the Equal Pay Amendment Bill? KAHURANGI CARTER to the Minister for Children: E tautoko ana ia i ana korero me ana mahi katoa? Does she stand by all of her statements and actions? LAURA McCLURE to the Minister for Children: What recent announcements has she made regarding key performance indicators for Oranga Tamariki? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by all of her answers to oral question No. 11 on 6 May 2025? GRANT McCALLUM to the Minister of Education: What recent announcements has she made? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she stand by her statement, "our priority is building a strong economy to reduce the cost of living, support more people into work and lift incomes for women to help them and their families out of hardship"; if so, how does the Equal Pay Amendment Bill contribute to lifting the incomes of women? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality: What recent announcements has she made to boost New Zealand as an international travel destination? LAN PHAM to the Minister for the Environment: Does she consider that she has been a strong advocate for environmental protection in the Government's decisions? RYAN HAMILTON to the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage: What updates can he provide on New Zealand Music Month? Hon JAN TINETTI to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she stand by her statement that "women should be paid for their work"; if so, does she consider that the Equal Pay Amendment Bill will make it harder for hundreds of thousands of women to be paid fairly for their work?

Questions to Ministers RYAN HAMILTON to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the economy? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Minister responsible for RMA Reform: What is his reaction, if any, to the Kaiwhakahaere for Ngati Ruanui's statement regarding proposed changes to the RMA that "This move breaches both our settlement and the Government's obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi"? CATHERINE WEDD to the Minister of Justice: How is the Government progressing with its plan to restore stronger consequences for crime? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she agree that the Treasury is the Government's lead economic and financial adviser; if so, does she have confidence in advice from the Treasury? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon WILLIE JACKSON to the Minister for Maori Development: Is he across everything in his portfolio; if not, why not? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What recent announcement has she made about the Annual General Adjustment? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister for Children: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? Dr CARLOS CHEUNG to the Minister of Police: What recent reports has he seen on the effectiveness of the community beat teams? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Police: Does he stand by his statement regarding record levels of methamphetamine in waste-water testing, "Well, I don't know whether that's dealers dumping methamphetamine"; if not, why not? SCOTT WILLIS to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statement that "Our Government is focused on delivering timely, quality healthcare for all New Zealanders"; if so, has he contracted the build of the inpatient building for the Dunedin Hospital yet? Question to Member Hon Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Chairperson of the Justice Committee: Will he report the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill to the House before all submissions have been processed and considered by members?

This week on the Tuesday Wire... For Dear Science this week, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman, chatted with us about seal blood oxygen levels, phrases boosting citations, and an Australian man importing plutonium. In our weekly catchup with the National Party's Tom Rutherford, I ask about Sam Uffindell's new private members bill and Winston Peters' war on woke.  They also speak to Senior lecturer at the University of Auckland, Dr. Charlotte Oyston, about a proposal to increase the maternity hospital stay period.  And producer Amani spoke with former NZ Herald editor Dr Gavin Ellis on why he believes a digital-only strategy could shatter the future of the NZ Herald, and how he feels about the recent board-overhaul

Questions to Ministers MIKE BUTTERICK to the Minister of Finance: What are the Government's priorities for Budget 2025? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made on improving access to timely, quality healthcare for all New Zealanders? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by her statement that she is looking at "changes to strengthen transparency and fiscal responsibility"; if so, is she confident that the fiscal risks in Budget 2024 are manageable? KATIE NIMON to the Minister of Education: What steps have been taken to improve the delivery of school property for students across the country? KAHURANGI CARTER to the Minister for Children: What changes, if any, does she intend to make in response to the Aroturuki Tamariki Independent Children's Monitor's Experience of Care in Aotearoa 2023/24 report that found that Oranga Tamariki social workers are under significant pressure? HANA-RAWHITI MAIPI-CLARKE to the Minister of Education: Is she confident that her actions will improve education achievement for all rangatahi? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statement, "my focus is and always will be on improving patient outcomes. Patients will be my number one priority", and what is the role of health workers in achieving those outcomes for patients? CAMERON BREWER to the Minister of Police: What recent announcements has he made about Police's work to tackle gangs? MARK CAMERON to the Associate Minister of Justice: How are firearms prohibition orders intended to make New Zealand safer? Hon Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Minister of Justice: Does he stand by his statements and actions in respect of extended powers of arrest and detention for ordinary citizens?

Questions to Ministers Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in all his Ministers? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the cost of living? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? CATHERINE WEDD to the Minister for Infrastructure: What recent milestones have been reached in the new fast-track consenting scheme? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i ana korero me ana mahi katoa? Does he stand by all his statements and actions? Hon KIERAN McANULTY to the Minister of Housing: Does he agree with Chris Bishop, National spokesperson for Housing's statement on 27 September 2022 that "We will build enough state and social houses so that there is no social housing waitlist"; if so, is the Government on track to eliminate the social housing waitlist? Dr CARLOS CHEUNG to the Minister of Immigration: What recent announcements has she made about attracting more global investment to New Zealand? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i ana korero me ana mahi katoa? Does he stand by all of his statements and actions? MARK CAMERON to the Minister for Biosecurity: What recent announcements has he made in his portfolio? Hon PHIL TWYFORD to the Minister of Immigration: What projections, if any, has she seen on the amount of money expected to be invested through each category of her Active Investor Plus visa for the next three years, and what is the projected cost of these new residents using the public health system over the same three years? DAVID MacLEOD to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about Maori housing? Questions to Members Hon JO LUXTON to the Chairperson of the Health Committee: How many submissions, if any, have been received on the Gene Technology Bill? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee: How many submissions, if any, have been received on the Oranga Tamariki (Responding to Serious Youth Offending) Amendment Bill? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee: How many submissions, if any, have been received on the Social Security Amendment Bill?

Questions to Ministers Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has she made on banking? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by her statement that "We have a responsibility to ensure the public gets value for its money"; if so, is she confident that the Government's alternative ferries will be less than the $551 million contract with Hyundai that was cancelled? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister for Children: Does she stand by all her statements and actions in relation to the Military-Style Academy Pilot and youth offending; if so, why? CAMERON BREWER to the Minister of Transport: What recent announcements has he made on restoring democratic accountability to transport in Auckland? SCOTT WILLIS to the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology: Is she comfortable with her decision to cut social sciences and humanities research from the Marsden Fund; if so, why? Dr VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What recent announcements has the Government made regarding new work-focused support for people on jobseeker benefits? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Police: Does he stand by his statement, "Having considered my performance over the last year in Government, I believe that I have delivered on my promise for New Zealanders to see change in my first 12 months as Police Minister"; if so, why? DAVID MacLEOD to the Minister for Building and Construction: What announcements has he made around reducing the cost of building? JENNY MARCROFT to the Associate Minister for Energy: What recent announcements has he made regarding fuel security?

Questions to Ministers TAMATHA PAUL to the Acting Prime Minister: What commitments, if any, will the Government make to ensuring the 44 recommendations from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mosques continue to be implemented? LAURA TRASK to the Associate Minister of Justice: What changes has she announced to reform the anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism system? Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS to the Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing: Is the complainant worker who he called a loser correct that the Minister had a total of three interactions with him; if not, how many interactions did he have? RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Will her money management sanction leave people financially worse off; if so, how is money management a "non-financial sanction"? JAMIE ARBUCKLE to the Acting Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions? Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS to the Minister for Energy: Does he agree with the Prime Minister when he said offshore wind and seabed mining companies in Taranaki "need to get together and work out how they can co-exist"? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on FamilyBoost? Hon WILLIE JACKSON to the Minister for Maori Development: Is he committed to a meaningful solution to Ihumatao; if not, why not? Dr CARLOS CHEUNG to the Minister of Justice: How is the Government progressing with its plan to restore stronger consequences for crime? Hon JAN TINETTI to the Associate Minister of Education: Does he agree with ACT leader David Seymour, who said the free school lunches programme was "wasteful" and urged National to abandon the programme; if so, are his recent changes setting it up to fail? RIMA NAKHLE to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent reports has he received regarding the Government's target to reduce households in emergency housing by 75 percent by 2030? INGRID LEARY to the Minister for Mental Health: Does he stand by his statement that Police changes to 111 calls for mental health crisis situations coming in next week is using a "careful and measured approach ... to ensure the transition is planned and managed safely", and is he satisfied it won't compromise the safety of first responders and mental health workers?

Questions to Ministers CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Finance: What are the elements of New Zealand's public finance system? MARK CAMERON to the Associate Minister of Agriculture: What recent reports has he seen about the welfare of farm animals in Southland? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by her statement, "On this side of the House, we take economic management extremely seriously"; if so, do her decisions to date reflect this? MIKE BUTTERICK to the Minister of Education: What recent announcements has she made about supporting the teaching of maths? MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI to the Minister for Maori Development: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Police: Does he stand by his commitment that if Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee brings an option to Cabinet that proposes to scrap the firearms registry then he will block it; if not, why not? MILES ANDERSON to the Minister of Justice: What actions is the Government taking to reduce the number of victims of crime? Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER to the Minister of Transport: Would the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits (2024) require councils to raise speed limits even where it may increase the risk of severe injury and death? Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN to the Minister for Disability Issues: Does she stand by her statement, "That is why we are prioritising disabled people, their families, and carers"; if so, why? SUZE REDMAYNE to the Minister of Corrections: How is the Department of Corrections delivering on his priorities?

Questions to Ministers DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Acting Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Acting Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? GRANT McCALLUM to the Minister for the Public Service: What recent reports has she seen about public sector pay increases? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Acting Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Health: What progress has been made in lifting immunisation rates for New Zealanders, particularly high-needs communities? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she agree with Nicola Willis, who, prior to the 2023 election, said, "For many people, things feel so bleak that they are looking at opportunities overseas and voting with their feet, with almost 40,000 Kiwis permanently leaving the country last year"; if so, why did 80,000 Kiwis move overseas in the year up to June 2024? LAURA TRASK to the Minister of Internal Affairs: What recent announcements has she made about phase 2 of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons? Dr CARLOS CHEUNG to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What recent changes has she made to support people on the jobseeker benefit into work? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Police: Does he stand by his response to being asked what is the biggest thing he's done since he took office, "Oh, I think probably, the letter of expectation that I put out there for the commissioner"; if so, why? TEANAU TUIONO to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she believe employees are ever wrongly categorised as contractors; if so, what remedy do they have to change their employment status? Dr VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister of Transport: What recent announcements has he made on speed limits in Christchurch? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Associate Minister of Health: Does she stand by her statement to Radio New Zealand that "The document you have referred to was not generated or collated by any members of my office, was not left on my desk by any member of my office, and was only received as a hard copy on 6 December 2023"; if so, was the document received by her directly or another member of her office?

Questions to Ministers Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she stand by her statement that "We are focused on lifting New Zealand families out of hardship and giving them more opportunities to get ahead by helping all who can work into jobs"? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Finance: Why were tax thresholds increased yesterday? KAHURANGI CARTER to the Minister for Children: Does she stand by her statement regarding cuts to Oranga Tamariki that "There will be no financial impact and there'[ll] be no impact on the frontline services. This is a guarantee"? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by her statement, "It's my view that the board [of Health New Zealand] didn't even know what questions to ask"; if so, does she agree with the Prime Minister that they lacked financial literacy? TAKUTA FERRIS to the Minister of Education: Does she consider the Waitangi Tribunal's report Kei Ahotea Te Aho Matua, regarding the urgent claim made by Te Runanga Nui o Nga Kura Kaupapa Maori, is of critical importance to the educational success and achievement of tamariki and rangatahi Maori? CARL BATES to the Minister for Infrastructure: What announcements has he made about the Quarterly Investment Report? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: Does he agree with the Prime Minister's statement in reply to a supplementary to oral question No. 3 yesterday that "there is no hiring freeze", and what advice has he given the Prime Minister on this matter? TIM COSTLEY to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What recent announcements has the Government made about supporting young people on the jobseeker benefit into work? LAN PHAM to the Minister responsible for RMA Reform: Does he agree with the Minister who responded on behalf of the Minister responsible for RMA Reform that "there is no licence to desecrate the taiao in this process" and "within the Fast-track Approvals Bill you see various protections for the taiao"? Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister for Children: Does she stand by her statement about cuts to Oranga Tamariki that there will be no financial impact and no impact on front-line services and that this is a guarantee? Dr VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality: What announcements has he made regarding the Regional Events Promotion Fund? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Police: Does he stand by his statement, regarding leaving the Police force in a better position than he found it in terms of morale, culture, pay, job satisfaction, and safety, "that is what I'm here for, and that is what I spend most of my waking hours working hard to do"?

Questions to Ministers RYAN HAMILTON to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has she made? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What feedback, if any, have social service providers given her on their ability to meet current hardship demands in their communities? Dr CARLOS CHEUNG to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What recent announcements, if any, has she made about earlier interventions for those on the jobseeker support benefit? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions in relation to Budget 2024? LAN PHAM to the Minister responsible for RMA Reform: Does he agree with the Prime Minister's statement that this is "a Government that believes in localism and devolution"; if so, why is the fast-track consenting process concentrating so much power in three Ministers? Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS to the Minister for Energy: Does he stand by his statement in relation to fossil gas that "the reality in terms of storage is we don't have significant storage in New Zealand"? TANYA UNKOVICH to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent announcements has she made regarding the repeal of the Therapeutic Products Act 2023? DANA KIRKPATRICK to the Minister for Trade: What actions has the Government taken to support New Zealand trade? Hon Dr DEBORAH RUSSELL to the Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills: Does she stand by all of her answers to oral question No. 5 on Wednesday, 8 May; if so, why? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Local Government: What announcements has he made on restoring democracy in Tauranga? SCOTT WILLIS to the Minister of Climate Change: How exactly does the Government plan to meet its pledge at the COP28 Climate Change Conference to triple renewable energy generation and double energy efficiency by 2030? RACHEL BOYACK to the Minister of Health: Why has Te Whatu Ora signalled a scaled-back project for the Nelson Hospital rebuild?

Questions to Ministers Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by her statement, "We have gone line by line through our savings program to ensure that we have cut the chaff but not wheat"? NANCY LU to the Minister of Finance: What are the Government's fiscal intentions and objectives? Hon Dr DEBORAH RUSSELL to the Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills: Does she stand by all her answers to oral question No. 8 on Thursday, 2 May 2024? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Education: What recent reports by the OECD and the Education Review Office has she seen on the New Zealand education sector? INGRID LEARY to the Minister for Mental Health: Does he stand by his statement that the full-time equivalent roles of the Suicide Prevention Office will increase by one full-time equivalent role to 6.5 roles; if not, why not? RIMA NAKHLE to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What proposals has she announced regarding the oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system? TEANAU TUIONO to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries: What strategies, if any, are being implemented to protect marine wildlife from harmful fishing practices? Hon Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Minister of Justice: Does he agree with Paul Goldsmith that "One of the pillars of democracy is that every adult has an equal say in who governs them, and through that vote, an equal say in important government decisions affecting their lives", and is he committed to an electoral system in which the franchise is as accessible and broad-based as possible? MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI to the Minister of Health: When he committed to providing "timely access to quality healthcare for all New Zealanders", did he consider the implications of this generalisation for Maori women, who suffer disproportionate rates of maternal and infant inequities compared to non-Maori women? DAVID MacLEOD to the Minister of Corrections: What reports has he seen about his recent announcement of a $1.9 billion investment in Corrections?

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in the Minister for Disability Issues? RIMA NAKHLE to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has she made on the Budget? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his Government's policies and actions? Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN to the Minister for Disability Issues: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? Dr CARLOS CHEUNG to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has the Government made about assisting New Zealanders who need to travel to receive health treatment? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? GRANT McCALLUM to the Minister of Transport: What recent reports has he seen on the Brynderwyn Hills? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? CAMILLA BELICH to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister for Space: What recent announcement has she made in her Space portfolio? STEVE ABEL to the Minister for Regional Development: Does he stand by his statement that "Seabed mining has a legitimate place in New Zealand's regional economy"; if not, why not? REUBEN DAVIDSON to the Minister of Statistics: Does he stand by all his statements and actions?

Questions to Ministers RT HON CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? STUART SMITH to the Minister of Finance: By how much has Government debt increased in recent years? CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement, "I think everyone agrees that the state must always provide a safety net for New Zealanders who have fallen on hard times ... and state houses will always play a very important part of that safety net"? HON BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? KATIE NIMON to the Minister of Housing: What actions has he taken setting out his expectations for Kainga Ora-Homes and Communities? HON GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Police: Does he stand by all his statements and actions? HON MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his Government's policies and actions? DR VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister of Health: What steps has the Government taken to deliver better health outcomes for all New Zealanders? LAN PHAM to the Associate Minister for the Environment: Does he stand by his statement, "For now, the Government has agreed to suspend the obligation to impose SNAs under the NPS Indigenous Biodiversity, and we're sending a clear message that it would be unwise to bother"? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Police: What recent results has he seen from Operation Emerald? HON PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN to the Minister for Disability Issues: Does she stand by her statement regarding changes to purchasing rules and equipment and modification services, "These changes are happening from 18 March and are intended to be temporary changes until later this year"; if so, will she commit to restoring flexibility of funding as was available to the disability communities prior to 18 March 2024? TODD STEPHENSON to the Associate Minister of Health (Pharmac): What recent announcements has he made about improving New Zealanders' access to medicines?

Questions to Ministers Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? MARK CAMERON to the Associate Minister of Justice (Firearms): What law changes is the Government proposing in relation to firearms? Hon JAMES SHAW to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions? RIMA NAKHLE to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has she seen on the New Zealand economy? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: What advice from Treasury, if any, has she seen on the amount of revenue that will be gained by the Government from the enactment of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill? MILES ANDERSON to the Minister of Housing: What announcements has he made about the Government's work programme in housing? Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER to the Minister of Housing: Does he stand by his statement that "The evidence is as plain as day: cities that make it difficult to build more housing have housing affordability problems"; if so, what advice, if any, has he seen on the impact on affordability of allowing councils to opt out of medium-density residential standards? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Associate Minister of Health: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? RAWIRI WAITITI to the Minister of Justice: Does he stand by all of his statements and policies? Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL to the Minister of Health: What steps has he taken to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders, including Maori? Hon Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Associate Minister of Justice (Firearms): Does she stand by all her statements in respect of firearms reform? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Education: What reports has she seen about her recent announcement on the ministerial inquiry into school property?

Questions to Ministers Hon CARMEL SEPULONI to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? CATHERINE WEDD to the Minister of Finance: Has she seen any recent reports on income growth in New Zealand? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: Does he stand by his statement that "My focus in government is upon fixing the bad outcomes of colonisation and building on the good ones"? Hon GRANT ROBERTSON to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by the statement in the National Party and ACT Party coalition agreement, "The concepts of ACT's income tax policy are considered as a pathway to delivering National's promised tax relief, subject to no earner being worse off than they would be under National's plan"? SAM UFFINDELL to the Minister of Health: What recent announcements has he made about improving the safety and security of our health workforce? TAKUTAI TARSH KEMP to the Minister for Children: Does she stand by all of her statements and policies? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Associate Minister of Health: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? MIKE BUTTERICK to the Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery: What recent announcements has he made on flood resilience? Hon GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Police: Is it the Government's policy to train "no fewer than 500 new frontline police within the first two years", as per the National and New Zealand First coalition agreement? Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER to the Minister of Transport: Does he consider the proposed road user charges for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids fair, compared with road user charges and fuel excise duty for similarly sized vehicles; if so, why? Hon JAN TINETTI to the Minister of Education: Does she stand by all her statements and actions? NANCY LU to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: What proposals has he made to streamline and simplify the conduct requirements for financial institutions in New Zealand?

Will all the good polling in the world make up for the lampooning of Labour's big policy on GST and fruit and vegetables? Will Ben Thomas's coconut with a straw be exempt? Ben, Annabelle Lee-Mather and Toby Manhire discuss Chris Hipkins' launch into campaign mode, Grant Robertson's Damascene moment, and whether the initiative was seized back with a kindergarten launch of paid partner parental leave. Plus: Are we on the cusp of something special (in 2026)? Has Act revealed its worry about NZ First with a weird Winston Peters attack ad? Does the Robertson-Willis "liar" stuff point to a relentlessly belligerent campaign? How about those Greens? How about National's pledge to ban cellphones in schools? And should Sam Uffindell be appointed groceries commissioner? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Wednesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Not a Great Campaign Slogan/Cancelled Again/Famous Last Words... and Laughs/Bloody Queued Out the DoorSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Projects Director at Still, Sam Johnson, and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day- and more! The National Party has promised they will ban mobile phones from schools if they get elected. Is this a good idea? The Public Service Commission has told off the Ministry of Pacific Peoples for spending $40,000 on their chief executive's farewell. Is this an inappropriate use of taxpayer money? A new Essential poll has Labour at 29 percent, National at 34.5 percent, the Greens on 8.5 percent, Act on 11.6 percent, The Maori Party on 2.5 percent and NZ First on 5.3 percent. Does this sound par for the course? What does this mean for election night? The Crown are trying to appeal a $450,000 compensation pay-out for the 'Cuba St kisser'- the man who was sent to jail for seven years for indecent assault under the three strikes law. What do we think of this? National's Sam Uffindell's copping heat for sharing his sporadic supermarket shopping habits - saying he tries to 'take the shopping list off his wife' once a month. Is this sexism or poor taste? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prediction time for tomorrow in Hamilton-West. The biggest loser will be Gaurav Sharma who will barely register, thus telling him a couple of things. The first is that the noise he made about Labour amounts and counts for nothing. He was a nobody, he is a nobody, he will go back to being a nobody and a Government that wins with the numbers Labour did in 2020 brings in a lot of nobodies, who essentially hang out for three years making no impression whatsoever and basically wait for the tide to sweep them back out three years later. The idea that people would latch onto his narrative and make him some sort of hero was always delusional, although I am sure at least part of what he said was true. But essentially no one cares, it was classic belt way. The same way Sam Uffindell was belt way. It's a few days' worth of headlines for the Wellington wonks but beyond that it barely registered. The second biggest loser will be Labour, given they hold the seat. It is true to say by elections don't favour the incumbent. A Labour loss though is a double blow, given it's the last decisive democratic act before Christmas, which is before election year. Secondly, it comes on top of all the other problems this Government has. It's a sort of a nail in an annus horribilis coffin. The opposite applies of course, should Labour win. Should Labour win, it would be an astonishing gift heading into next year. It would be all the oxygen and hope you would ever have needed to go to Christmas, stop, breathe, reset and start afresh in January. If that unfolds all predictions for next year are off. As for National, they are sort of stuck. They have to win and they should win. They should win because they deserve to win. They have formed themselves into a proper opposition, the bitching is gone, the leaking is gone, they are winning in the house, they have their act together and they look credible. Put them up against a haphazard Government and you have no excuse not to win. Which is why they have to win. If you can't beat this lot in a bell weather seat - well, that is a nightmare they don't want to even begin to comprehend. What about ACT? ACT need to turn out a vote that broadly represents their national number, somewhere between 10-12 percent. They need to carry on looking credible. Although the poll we saw was only 400 people, and other small polls in things like mayoral races have proven ropey, the numbers we saw this week feel about right - National winning by a comfortable margin. Add their vote and ACT's vote and look how close to 50 percent you get. And that is why they call Hamilton West bellwether. Where it goes, the country goes. Saturday's result is most likely next year's result.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben, Annabelle and Toby huddle around the new TVNZ/Kantar numbers to warm their frostbitten fingers. What does it mean for the year to election day, who will be happiest, and, for the first time ever in political punditry they ask: Can Winston Peters be written off? Plus: Is Christopher Luxon onto a winner on tax attack, was the Sam Uffindell report sufficiently transparent, and is the Public Service Commissioner's investigation into potential Nanaia Mahuta conflicts necessary – or even overdue? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition Party Nicola Willis has her monthly chat on the show, touching on the Sam Uffindell report, emergency housing, and National's thoughts on New Zealand becoming a Republic. Whakarongo mai nei. 

It's time now for the Friday feature on Morning Report in which we dissect, discuss and analyse the political stories of the week. They might be big issues, they might be small, nothing is off limits in the next ten minutes. RNZ political editor Jane Patterson, and New Zealand Herald Political Editor Claire Trevett.

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Karyn Hay about the deluge of coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth  - and the not exactly full and frank release of an investigation into National MP Sam Uffindell's past misdemeanours.

National MP Sam Uffindell's former flatmate and her father would be happy for the party to publicly release a redacted copy of its bullying investigation. The Tauranga MP was reinstated to caucus following Maria Dew's inquiry into allegations he behaved aggressively, forcing her to flee the flat. National says the report found Sam Uffindell did not engage in the behaviour his former flatmate detailed on RNZ last month - which prompted the inquiry. That includes dismissing her claims he bashed on her door yelling obscenities. But she and her father stand firmly by her account about what happened at the flat, and are deeply unhappy Mr Uffindell's word was taken over hers. The National Party's leader, Christopher Luxon, spoke to Susie Fergusson.

  This week on the Tuesday Wire Joel Rindelaub joined Casper and Christina in studio to talk science news for the Dear Science segment. Casper spoke to Dr Shane Reti from the National party, as he does each week, this time discussing engagement in local body elections as well as the independent electoral review now under consultation. Christina spoke to Dr Lara Greaves, a political commentator from the university of Auckland about the outcome of the Sam Uffindell bullying investigation. She also had a chat with UoA student Layba Zubair about her petition to reform consent legislation in Aotearoa. And Casper talked to Dr Tanisha Jowsey about a petition being read to parliament about officially classifying Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a disability.

Will the Labour caucus kick Gaurav Sharma out this week - and have his accusations caused lasting damage to the party? Should National's leader Christopher Luxon release the detail of an inquiry into Sam Uffindell? And are this year's local body elections at risk of being overrun by conspiracy theorists? Neale Jones was Chief of Staff to Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern, and prior to that was Chief of Staff to Andrew Little. He is the director of public affairs firm Capital. Tim Hurdle is a former National party advisor and was campaign director for National at the 2020 election.

Two junior MPs, one new and the other very new, have become the centre of political attention in the last 10 days. Both have been suspended from their party caucus. Ben Thomas, Annabelle Lee-Mather and Toby Manhire examine the allegations by Labour's Sharma, the extraordinary way it played out and Jacinda Ardern's response. And what of National's Uffindell? Should he be punished for an assault more than 20 years ago, has he atoned and how did Christopher Luxon deal with it? Plus: what do the cases together tell us about the culture in the parties and the strange workplace of parliament? Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Political party presidents tend to stay out of the spotlight - but just how influential is their role?

Shane, Brigitte and Kathryn will talk about how the Prime Minister has responded to the latest developments in Labour MP Gaurav Sharma's allegations of bullying at Parliament, and also the case of a senior parliamentary staffer who worked with Labour MP Anna Lorck who has spoken of being the victim of bullying, Also what's happening with the latest polling numbers and the struggle for candidates in some parts of the country ahead of October's local body elections. And iss the Sam Uffindell saga over until Maria Dew QC reports back? Brigitte Morten is a director with public and commercial law firm Franks & Ogilvie and a former senior ministerial advisor for the previous National-led government. Shane Te Pou is a former candidate, campaign manager and executive member of the Labour Party, and a former union official. He is no longer a member of any political party. He is a Director and HR Manager for IT Company Mega.

A staff member in Christopher Luxon's office was told about Sam Uffindell's antics as a school bully during the Tauranga by-election campaign, but failed to flag it with the leader.  Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell was stood down from National's caucus late last night after RNZ revealed further allegations of aggressive and bullying behavior from a former flatmate.  Mr Luxon has ordered an investigation into the claims but has not committed to bringing him back in the fold at its conclusion. Here's our political reporter, Katie Scotcher.

Professor Jennifer Curtin unpacks what's currently unfolding in the National Party regarding Sam Uffindell, and the upcoming local elections. Whakarongo mai nei! 

An independent investigation into the past conduct of National Party MP Sam Uffindell could come up empty handed. Otago University law professor Andrew Geddis says Maria Dew, a Queen's Counsel, has been appointed to provide legitimacy to the investigation, but she has no ability to force potential witnesses to speak to the inquiry. He says the investigation will rely on people being willing to come forward. Geddis spoke to Guyon Espiner.

National leader Christopher Luxon says he feels for the victim of Sam Uffindell's attack while at Kings College in the past.  He told Checkpoint he believes Uffindell is genuinely contrite, but said it is disappointing Uffindell did not disclose the event to the public before being elected MP for Tauranga.  On the selection process, Luxon said "in hindsight we got that wrong, and it should have been made public."  When asked if further revelations could mean Uffindell is gone, Luxon said he has been assured the worst incident in Uffindell's past has been disclosed. Luxon said he would not speculate on hypotheticals.   

While the shock revelations of Sam Uffindell's high school bullying have prompted calls for his resignation from some, his constituents in Tauranga appear to be - for the most part - ready to forgive and forget. Katie Todd and camera operator Marika Khabazi spoke to his constituents today.  

National's newest MP has admitted he physically and mentally hurt other students while he was at school. Sam Uffindell was kicked out of King's College 22 years ago after beating a 13-year-old in a dormitory. The incident has followed him to Parliament this week and has flung the National Party into damage control. RNZ political reporter Katie Scotcher has the story.

National MP Sam Uffindell has been stood down from the party's caucus while an investigation is carried out into further allegations of bullying raised by RNZ. A woman who flatted with the Tauranga MP at university in 2003 has told RNZ's Morning Report Uffindell was an aggressive bully who once pounded on her bedroom door, screaming obscenities, until she fled through her window. In a statement issued late Tuesday night, Uffindell denied claims he engaged in "intimidatory or bullying" behaviour, but said there was a falling-out between flatmates. The allegations follow revelations that Uffindell, as a teenager, beat up a younger boy at Auckland's prestigious King's College boarding school and was asked to leave. National Party leader Christopher Luxon spoke to Guyon Espiner.

National MP Sam Uffindell has been stood down from the party's caucus while an investigation is carried out into further allegations of bullying raised by RNZ. A woman who flatted with the Tauranga MP at university in 2003 has told RNZ's Morning Report Uffindell was an aggressive bully who once pounded on her bedroom door, screaming obscenities, until she fled through her window. In a statement issued late Tuesday night, Uffindell denied claims he engaged in "intimidatory or bullying" behaviour, but said there was a falling-out between flatmates. The allegations follow revelations that Uffindell, as a teenager, beat up a younger boy at Auckland's prestigious King's College boarding school and was asked to leave. RNZ political editor Jane Patterson spoke to Guyon Espiner.

National MP Sam Uffindell has been stood down from the party's caucus while an investigation is done into further allegations of bullying raised by RNZ. A woman who flatted with the Tauranga MP at university in 2003 says Uffindell was an aggressive bully who once pounded on her bedroom door, screaming obscenities, until she fled through her window. In a statement issued late last night, Uffindell denied claims he engaged in "intimidatory or bullying" behaviour, but said there was a falling-out between flatmates. The allegations follow revelations that Uffindell, as a teenager, beat up a younger boy at Auckland's prestigious King's College boarding school and was asked to leave. The MP yesterday described himself as a 16-year-old thug but said he was now a changed person. RNZ has spoken to his former flatmate and her father. They did not want to be named. National Party leader Christopher Luxon released a statement late on Tuesday night. "This evening my office became aware of very concerning accusations made to RNZ about behaviour shown by Mr Uffindell toward a female flatmate in 2003 while at university," he said. "Mr Uffindell disputes the allegations and in the interests of natural justice, an independent investigation will now be undertaken to determine the facts. While this process is underway, Mr Uffindell will be stood down from caucus. "The investigation will be conducted by Maria Dew QC and I expect it to take two weeks. "However, as these allegations have only come to me in the last few hours, the finer details of the investigation, including the terms of reference, are yet to be confirmed and will be finalised over the next couple of days." Uffindell has also responded and said when he was a student at Otago he enjoyed a student lifestyle, which included drinking and, at times, smoking marijuana. While in second year a number of flatmates fell out - and two of the flatmates left midway through the year. He rejects any accusation that he was engaged in behaviour that was intimidatory or bullying. he says it simply did not happen. Uffindell said while there is an investigation into these accusations he will not make further comment.

National MP Sam Uffindell has been stood down from the party's caucus while an investigation is done into further allegations of bullying raised by RNZ . A woman has come forward claiming Uffindell bullied and intimidated her so badly at a student flat in Dunedin in the early 2000s she was forced to flee for her own safety. In a statement issued late last night, Uffindell denied claims he engaged in "intimidatory or bullying" behaviour, but said there was a falling-out between flatmates. The allegations follow revelations that the new Tauranga MP, as a teenager, beat up a younger boy at Auckland's prestigious King's College boarding school and was asked to leave. The MP yesterday described himself as a 16-year-old thug but said he was now a changed person. RNZ has spoken to his former flatmate and her father. They did not want to be named. She said Uffindell engaged in a pattern of bullying fuelled by excessive drinking and would trash the house.

The National MP Sam Uffindell has been stood down from the party's caucus while further allegations of bullying raised by RNZ are investigated.  A female flatmate of Uffindell's from his University days, in 2003, says she was bullied and intimidated so badly she was forced to flee for her own safety. Uffindell denies the allegations, saying a number of flatmates fell out during his second year at university, but he rejects accusations his behaviour was intimidatory or bullying. National Party leader Christopher Luxon says an independent inquiry will be done by Maria Dew QC, over the next two weeks. Terms of reference for the inquiry will be decided today. Political commentator Brigitte Morten spoke to Guyon Espiner.

The National party leader Christopher Luxon has just fronted media over the revelations about the Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell. Sam Uffindell was kicked out of Auckland's King's College when he was 16, for taking part in a violent assault of a 13-year-old. Mr Uffindell told the National Party about the incident before he was selected. But Mr Luxon has told media that as leader, he should have been told about it , and so should voters in the Tauranga by-election. Susie speaks with RNZ Political Editor Jane Patterson.

The National MP Sam Uffindell says boarding schools in the 90s were a “rough and tumble” environment but the incident which saw him expelled from Kings College was the most serious he was involved in. Uffindell has admitted he was asked to leave the school when he was 16 after a physical assault on a younger student. He told Morning Report students would punch and tackle each other. But his attack on a third former on the last day of term was the only event he mentioned to the National Party selection committee. He says he regrets the incident. Uffindell denies that his apology to the victim last year was in preparation for his political career.

Another MP and another headache for the National Party over its candidate selection. It's newest MP in Tauranga, Sam Uffindell, has admitted he was kicked out of his boarding school as a teenager for beating a younger student. Deputy leader, Nicola Willis, says neither she, nor leader Christopher Luxon, were told by the party about Uffindell's admission before he was selected. In fact, she only found out yesterday. She spoke to First Up's Nick Truebridge.

National Party MP Sam Uffindell was kicked out of King's College after beating up a younger pupil at the exclusive school. Uffindell was sixteen at the time, while the boy he hit was aged thirteen. It all happened decades ago. Should people in general, and politicians in particular, be held accountable for historical wrongdoing of this kind? Veteran media educator and former University of Canterbury School of Political Science and Communications head Jim Tully spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Tauranga's new MP is calling on the Port of Tauranga and local iwi to come to an agreement on how the port can expand. Sam Uffindell wants the expansion to happen urgently saying the port has two years of capacity left. But the neighbouring Marae says doing so would be cultural genocide to its community.  As Ashleigh McCaull reports, Ngāi Te Rangi aren't backing down.

Kathryn, Ben and Shane discuss the Cabinet reshuffle and the expectations on Ministers in their new portfolios. Also, Parliament's getting a new Speaker in Adrian Rurawhe, could there be an opportunity for The Maori Party if he becomes a list MP?. Then there's the result in the Tauranga by-election with Sam Uffindell retaining the seat for National. Shane Te Pou is a former candidate, campaign manager and executive member of the Labour Party, and a former union official. He is no longer a member of any political party. Ben Thomas is a PR consultant and a former National Government press secretary.

The country's fastest growing city - Tauranga - will go to the polls tomorrow. Twelve candidates have entered the by-election to replace former National leader Simon Bridges who retired from Parliament last month. Candidates Jan Tinetti from the Labour Party and Sam Uffindell from the National Party spoke to Corin Dann.   ACT's Cameron Luxton was offered a spot in the debate but his party declined the opportunity.