AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 21, 2026 – Full Text

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

The prime minister says he has the full support of his caucus, as National MPs gather in Wellington for the first time in nearly three weeks.

Parliament’s first sitting day since 2 April comes after a 1News-Verian poll showing the government would be out of power, and a New Zealand Herald report the prime minister had evaded National’s chief whip, who was trying to tell him that caucus support was flagging.

Christopher Luxon has denied he was avoiding Stuart Smith, and was unaware he had been trying to get in touch.

“He hasn’t reached out to me. There has been no engagement with Stuart Smith from my office or with him,” Luxon said.

The pair were together in North Canterbury last Tuesday and Luxon said it was not raised, and he had not spoken with Smith over the weekend either.

“If there’s any issues that he had, he would have raised them with me,” Luxon said.

“I talk to my backbenchers all the time. I was with a number of them over the course of the weekend at a number of events. I reassure you, I have the confidence of my caucus, period.”

As they arrived at Wellington Airport ahead of a Cabinet meeting on Monday, ministers Mark Mitchell, Simeon Brown, Chris Penk, and Paul Goldsmith all defended Luxon.

Chris Bishop, Todd McClay, and Nicola Willis have also put their support behind Luxon in interviews in recent days, while Erica Stanford, stood next to Luxon at the post-Cabinet media conference, said she had not had any conversations with caucus colleagues about whether Luxon should stay on as prime minister.

“I think he’s doing an exceptional…” she began to say, before Luxon cut her off to ask if anyone had any other questions.

On Monday morning, Luxon told Newstalk ZB there were “probably five people” that were “moaning and frustrated”, a number he later walked back on by Monday afternoon.

The number, Luxon insisted, was in response to media reports he had seen.

“My comment was just in reaction to your media reporting quoting a number of sources that you said you had.”

Responding to the polling numbers and his personal approval ratings, Luxon was “absolutely” confident he would still be prime minister after the caucus meeting.

“I appreciate I’m not going to be the person that everyone wants to go to a beer with, but they know that I’m actually leading a government that is a great custodian of this economy. And in difficult and tough times, that’s what’s needed now: strong economic management and stable coalition government, and that’s what we’re delivering.”

Asked whether the matter would be raised at the caucus meeting, Luxon said there would be “pretty good” conversations, given the media interest that had been “sparked” over the last few days.

He would not expand on what would be talked about in caucus, but said the party had a good culture, and it had been “rebuilt and unified” over the last two-and-a-half years.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government’s attempts to shake up the supermarket sector have so far failed and something has to be done, Consumer advocates say.

New Zealand First said at the weekend that it was going into the election with a policy of ending the supermarket duopoly.

New Zealand’s grocery industry is dominated by Australian-owned Woolworths, and New Zealand co-operative Foodstuffs, which operates New World, Pak’n Save and Four Square.

NZ First said it would introduce legislation to break up Foodstuffs into two co-operatives, one for New World and Four Square and the other for Pak’n Save.

It also wanted tougher penalties and powers for the Commerce Commission and to address the supermarkets’ control over which products were stocked on shelves.

A potential break-up of the supermarket duopoly was raised as a prospect after the Commerce Commission’s 2022 market study into the supermarket sector, which found they were earning $1 million a day in excess profits.

After the 2023 election, ministries examined structural reform options, but the bulk of the policy effort focused instead on smaller regulatory fixes and market-led solutions, including work to understand what hurdles were in the way of another competitor entering the New Zealand market.

Officials warned that structural separation was more likely to be effective but was riskier.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has said stronger intervention is possible if reforms are unsuccessful.

As of last year, a cost-benefit analysis was underway, she said. But similar work commissioned under the previous government found the economics of a break-up were far from straightforward.

A 2023 MBIE analysis suggested forced divestment could deliver competition benefits but also carried the risk of a $3.8 billion net cost over 20 years, largely due to the loss of economies of scale.

Consumer NZ spokesperson Gemma Rasmussen said since the Commerce Commission report, there had been a lot of tinkering around the edges of what was required.

“We have more regulation in the market, and more formal protections, but it’s fair to say that consumers aren’t really seeing any major changes at the supermarket. We’ve got the Grocery Industry Competition Act and the Grocery Commissioner has been created.

“There’s been work put in place to try and help suppliers, like the Grocery Supply Code of Conduct, and obviously there’s been the land covenant ban, which is to try and make things easier for a new entrant to come in, as well as some wholesale supply reforms. But what we’ve found, and what we’ve seen, is it seems like National has placed all of their chips on an international third party coming in, and that’s something that doesn’t seem to be a gamble that’s paid off. We’re a country with a really small population.”

She said the geographic isolation of New Zealand increased supply chain costs and made it harder for international players to expand here.

She said there were things in NZ First’s proposal that Consumer would support but there was no one solution that would fix the sector’s problems.

“When you potentially work to break up Pak’n Save and New World, you could potentially see an increase in operational costs which could drive up the price of food.

“There could be unintended consequences of the price of food going up ion the short term, or potentially the long term.”

She said there was also a risk that Woolworths could leave the country if it was no longer viable.

“Then we’d be back to square one with two small players.”

Rasmussen said a third player would also not necessarily guarantee lower prices.

In Australia, even with Aldi, the government had to introduce intervention to try to improve competition.

From July, the Australian government will introduce a law that bans large supermarkets from charging excessive prices.

This carries a penalty of up to A$10 million or 10 percent of turnover, or three times the gain from unjustified prices.

“This is something that would potentially be less risky. It would send a warning shot across the industry that when there have been these examples of extremely high mark-ups that they can’t be doing that.”

She said Consumer wanted to see more heat on supermarkets and more drastic measures taken. A move similar to Australia’s on excessive pricing could help, she said.

“If that wasn’t to work, then potentially to break them up. However, we do support what [NZ First] is proposing in terms of stronger powers for the Commerce Commission and the Grocery Commissioner, and we think it’s really great that they’re looking at that farm-to-shelf pathway.

“With what’s happening, it is a concern for us if that local grower market continues to diminish, New Zealand could be in a place where we’re actually really vulnerable to what’s happening in overseas markets.

“Right now, there’s a fuel crisis. If we are primarily importing our food and fuel prices go up, that’s something else that’s just going to continue to drive prices up. So really looking to ensure that our local growers are thriving is a great call and more resourcing there is welcomed by us.”

She said the public was frustrated that millions had been spent on a market study that found excessive prices but little had happened.

Tim Hazledine, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Auckland, said he would support the supermarkets being broken up.

But he said Foodstuffs should be split into New World on one side and Pak’n Save and Four Square on the other so they were competing against each other in every market from the outset.

He agreed that what the Commerce Commission had done so far had not made a difference.

“There may be people who don’t do certain bad things because they’re afraid the Commerce Commission would act, and I hope that’s true, but they haven’t said, right, we really want the minister to give us powers to step in here and break up the duopoly.”

He said the commission had seemed not to want to be given significant powers at all.

‘They said, ‘please don’t, we’re not very brave here, so please don’t send us into battle. We don’t want any weapons. Thank you very much’.”

A spokesperson for Foodstuffs said there was no evidence to suggest breaking up its business would lead to lower grocery prices.

“The Foodstuffs North Island and Foodstuffs South Island co-operatives are made up of more than 500 locally owned and operated supermarkets, each store individually owned by a New Zealand family that is deeply embedded in the communities they serve. Profits are retained locally.

“It is a distinctly New Zealand business model, with members working together, buying together, and collectively owning their supply chain, support functions, and technology systems. This creates the scale needed to deliver the best possible value to their local communities no matter how remote they might be.”

The spokesperson said the model allows it to keep costs down and compete effectively against larger overseas-owned competitors – as well as New Zealand-owned operators.

“We are also a major partner to thousands of suppliers across New Zealand. We place strong emphasis on supporting supplier growth and innovation, and small New Zealand suppliers are among the fastest growing parts of our supplier base.”

The spokesperson said breaking up the co-operatives would reduce efficiencies, require duplication across supply chains and infrastructure and increase costs.

“New Zealand grocery prices are broadly in line with comparable international markets, particularly when factors such as GST on food and the cost of operating in small, geographically remote markets are taken into account.

“We support efforts to improve competition and regulation that deliver better outcomes for customers. In our view, the most effective way to achieve that is by improving efficiency and lowering the cost of doing business, including enabling greater scale across the Foodstuffs co-operatives-owned business model.”

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

Source: Green Party

This Government has cut flood protection spending by 41 per cent compared to the last Government, even as climate-change-charged extreme weather events become more frequent and severe.

“Luxon’s Government gets up after each extreme weather event to talk about much they’re spending on flood protection – spending that they’ve almost halved in comparison to the last Government,” says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.  

Documents OIA’d by the Green Party confirm Budget 2020 committed $217 million, Budget 2023 committed $122.9 million, and $647.5 million for North Island Weather Events Category 2 risk mitigation was confirmed and signed under the previous government.  

This Government’s contribution has been $200 million through the Regional Infrastructure Fund.  

The previous Government committed $340 million over three years to flood resilience, excluding one-off disaster recovery funding. This Government has committed $200 million total across three years, spread across 74 projects nationwide. That is a decrease of $140 million.  

“Every other week we’re experiencing yet another ‘one in one hundred year weather event.’ We need climate resilience now. Luxon’s Government has not only poured fossil fuels on the fire, but cut flood protection funding and last year decided to kick any meaningful decisions on climate adaptation funding til after the next election.” 

“Treasury is telling us there’s an 80 per cent chance of another Gabrielle-scale event in the next 50 years, as Luxon’s Government quietly delays and defunds any real work on resilience.”  

“Every dollar we fail to invest in flood protection now is a dollar communities pay back many times over when the next event hits.” 

“New Zealanders are sick of being told the Government is investing in keeping them safe when the reality is the opposite. They deserve an honest Government who does the real work to fix the entangled climate and cost-of-living crises; a Government that works for regular people, not the profit of mega corporations,” says Swarbrick. 

MIL OSI

Source: Green Party

The Green Party are calling on the Government to immediately activate the Civil Defence Payment across the Wellington region, after a regional state of emergency was declared this afternoon. 

“A state of emergency has now been declared across the region. The Civil Defence Payment exists for exactly this situation,” says Green Party MP for Wellington Central, Tamatha Paul. 

“The Government needs to activate it now, and it needs to be available in every community affected, including those outside the declared emergency area who have still lost belongings.” 

“MSD should take a high-trust approach. People who have just been evacuated shouldn’t have to produce paperwork to prove they need help replacing their food or their bedding.” 

Green MP for Rongotai, Julie Anne Genter, says people across the region need to know support is on the way today. 

“Communities across Wellington are in the middle of a civil defence emergency right now. People need practical support, and they need it today,” says Genter. 

“Activating the Civil Defence Payment is the most immediate thing the Government can do to help people cover the basics: food, bedding and clothing, while they work out their next steps.” 

“We’re calling on the Government to activate the payment across the entire affected region without delay, and to make sure support reaches people quickly and without unnecessary barriers,” says Genter. 

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has blamed leaks about his leadership on a “small handful of dissatisfied MPs” and says he will address the matter with his caucus at a meeting tomorrow.

In a round of interviews with morning media on Monday, Luxon insisted there was “no risk” of him standing down or being rolled from the top job.

“That’s not going to happen,” he told Morning Report. “I have the backing of my caucus.”

Asked whether he would put his MPs’ loyalty to the test and call a confidence vote, Luxon refused to say: “What we do in caucus is up to us, but we’ll have a good conversation.”

He said he did not know which MPs had been leaking to the media.

“In every political party, there’ll be a small handful of people who either are disappointed they weren’t made ministers, or are concerned about being in marginal seats.

“I want every one of my MPs back in Parliament, and to do that, the party needs to do better, and that’s what our focus is going to be between now and the election.”

Over on NewstalkZB, Luxon suggested the caucus discontent was confined to “probably five people that are, you know, moaning and frustrated”.

The comments came after a shocker 1News-Verian poll published on Sunday, showing National crashing to 30 percent – seven points behind Labour – and without a pathway to power.

Luxon questioned the findings on Morning Report, saying it was “quite different” from other polling which showed the coalition’s re-election.

“Frankly, I just don’t believe that New Zealanders want a Labour-Greens-Te Pāti Māori coalition.”

On his personal popularity, Luxon acknowledged “not everybody… wants to invite me over for a barbecue”, but he said New Zealanders understood the coalition – under his leadership – was the “best custodian of the economy” during tough times.

National ministers stress unity and discipline

Arriving at Wellington airport on Monday morning, National campaign chair Simeon Brown declined to speculate on how many of his colleagues were leaking to the media, but he said Luxon had his full support.

“We have a great leader,” he told reporters. “As a caucus, we must come together and work as a team, back our leader and deliver for New Zealanders.”

Brown dismissed the findings of “one poll”, saying National was focused on the 7 November election.

“As the leader has said, we all want to do better. We’re very focused on supporting him and making sure we’re focused on the issues that matter to New Zealanders.”

Senior National MP Mark Mitchell said the party would only hurt itself by changing leader by demonstrating a lack of discipline, focus and unity.

He “absolutely” ruled out putting himself forward to take over as prime minister and said he had no idea which MPs were speaking out of school.

“I’m not going to speculate on disgruntled back benches,” he said. “There is no witch-hunt going on.”

Mitchell went on: “Quite simply, there will be a talk, I’m sure, on Tuesday around the importance of unity and discipline.”

He insisted nobody had called him over the weekend about leadership.

“I haven’t had MPs ringing me saying that they’re frustrated or they’re upset, or they’re doing numbers, or there’s a coup, or there’s anything like that happening at all.”

His colleague Paul Goldsmith told reporters he was “absolutely not” one of the MPs moaning about the prime minister and had “no idea” who they were.

“If you’re a caucus of 49, there will always be one or two discontented people, but we’re absolutely rock solid behind the prime minister.”

Asked about the five or so MPs allegedly leaking, newly appointed Cabinet minister Chris Penk said the perfect number would be zero.

“Anything more than that shows that people aren’t focused on what they should be doing, which is, you know, working hard for New Zealand.”

Penk said all National MPs needed to do better in talking about the important issues “as opposed to ourselves”.

“I hope we’ll have a discussion about caucus discipline [on Tuesday], because clearly at least one colleague and maybe a few need to be reminded of that.”

ACT leader and deputy prime minister David Seymour told reporters he was not worried about National’s polling.

“There’s been four polls this week, and one of them is bad, and three of them are good. So I guess we’ll just keep working, huh?“

Asked whether the coalition could collapse if Luxon was ousted as prime minister, Seymour said that was just “mindless media speculation”.

“It’s not on the table right now.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A Northland iwi leader says some form of ongoing support is needed in order for marae to continue responding effectively to severe weather events.

The Government says it won’t set up another dedicated fund to reimburse marae for their work leading up to Cyclone Vaianu, but is encouraging marae to keep in touch with officials on the ground in case they need support.

In the wake of the deadly weather that struck the North Island in January the government announced that a $1 million fund, administered by Te Puni Kōkiri, would go to marae who supported communities in need.

Ngātiwai Trust Board Chairman Aperahama Kerepeti-Edwards told Morning Report seeing those efforts recognised was heartening.

“It wasn’t so much the fund primarily it was the fact that there was recognition of the important role our marae play, recognition of the responsiveness of our communities, our hapū, especially in some of our remote rural areas who naturally and consistently respond in these times of crisis.”

There’s a sense of duty and obligation that runs deep which leads marae to swing into action time and time again, he said.

“As these events become more and more consistent I suppose the toll of that comes to the fore but, you know, you never hear grumbles, you never hear moans, our whānau just do what they do.”

As of April 10 $951,565 of the Marae Emergency Response Fund has been has been distributed to marae across Te Tai Tokerau, Tāmaki Makaurau, Waikato-Waiariki, Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, Te Tai Hauāuru and Te Waipounamu, to help reimburse costs incurred, according to Te Puni Kōkiri.

In a statement Te Puni Kōkiri said in areas such as Te Tai Tokerau and Ikaroa-Rāwhiti – where geographic isolation and weather-damaged infrastructure significantly constrained access – marae became central hubs for wider community response efforts.

“Many provided support not only for their own whānau, but for the broader community, including coordination of supplies, hosting displaced families, and supporting kaumātua and vulnerable people in remote locations.

“Funding payments have been made to individual marae and to umbrella organisations that coordinated response efforts across multiple marae. This approach recognises the collective, networked way in which Māori organisations mobilised during the emergency, particularly in regions where access challenges required local leadership and rapid decision-making.”

Kerepeti-Edwards said given there has been recognition of marae efforts there should be some form of ongoing support.

That said, marae will spring into action regardless, but that shouldn’t be taken for granted, he said.

“For a lot of our remote, rural and isolated communities, but even our communities in general the marae are some of the most significant infrastructure that are equipped to be able to look after the masses in times of need, from ablutions, to bedding, to the dining facilities it’s all the there. And the policy at the marae is nobody is left out.”

Every time there is a severe weather event there are costs incurred to marae, but with the contribution of the entire community that’s how they make it work, he said.

“If there was a, you know, a dedicated means of ensuring that the load that’s being carried voluntarily by those communities to support and strengthen the wider community [that] would be reasonable.”

Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka said the Marae Emergency Response Fund was designed to provide practical, immediate support.

It was a targeted, time-limited fund focused on the January events, and it has delivered support quickly where it was needed, he said.

“We know the pressure doesn’t stop after one event. Communities in parts of the North Island are continuously preparing for further severe weather, and marae continue to play a critical role in those local responses. Officials are actively monitoring impacts on the ground and working alongside Civil Defence and other agencies to ensure communities are connected to the support available.

“Marae can continue to access support through Civil Defence and emergency management channels, as well as working directly with Te Puni Kōkiri and other agencies to identify the right support for their circumstances.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Scott O’Donnell would have been paid tens of thousands of dollars to be on KiwiRail’s board. But he missed large chunks of its meetings and quit after only eight months.

When Scott O’Donnell was appointed to KiwiRail’s board in July last year, a substantial conflict of interest plan was required.

Some of the 10 companies O’Donnell is involved with supply services to KiwiRail.

Board chair Suzanne Tindal expressed concern about O’Donnell’s numerous business interests before his appointment.

The three-year appointment, by Rail Minister Winston Peters, went ahead regardless. But O’Donnell’s conflicts would see him excluded from 15 agenda items over six board meetings. He was absent for a further 19 items for other reasons, such as travel, bringing the total number of agenda items he was not present for to 34.

In March, O’Donnell resigned to spend more time on a new business venture in Australia.

In a brief resignation note, he told Tindal he was sad to leave but would be happy to assist KiwiRail from outside the board – “just call”.

It marked the abrupt end of an appointment dogged by speculation about his ability to perform his board duties while managing so many conflicts of interest.

‘Frankly unmanageable’ conflicts of interest

Victoria University of Wellington senior research fellow Max Rashbrooke said O’Donnell’s appointment was the most egregious example of someone with significant conflicts of interest being appointed to a public board he was aware of.

“It seems very wasteful to go through all the administrative hassle of appointing someone and then the even more enormous hassle of trying to deal with their frankly unmanageable conflicts of interest, only for them to step down in very short order.”

Rashbrooke said considering how extensive O’Donnell’s conflicts were, it was debatable he was able to perform his duties in a manner the public would expect.

O’Donnell is one of the four directors of Dynes Transport Tapanui, which donated $20,000 to NZ First in July 2024.

At the time he was appointed to KiwiRail’s board, Peters said O’Donnell would be effective in his role and that the donation played no part in the appointment.

While KiwiRail confirmed the number of agenda items O’Donnell missed during his tenure, they could not immediately say how many he was present for. This would need to be addressed as an Official Information Act (OIA) request, it said, which can take up to 20 working days for a response.

It also could not immediately say what O’Donnell was paid. KiwiRail’s most recent annual report shows board members received between $57,000 and $62,000 for a full year’s tenure. However, Newsroom reported board member fees were set to increase to more than $86,000 for 2026.

RNZ’s request to KiwiRail for an interview with Tindal was declined.

Tindal has, however, previously expressed concern about the impact of O’Donnell’s conflicts.

During Parliament’s ‘scrutiny week’ in December last year, where MPs publicly examine public agency performance, she said O’Donnell’s conflicts of interest affected the board’s capability and efficiency.

Tindal said “importantly” that directors needed to consider whether they could discharge their duties as required in accordance with the Companies Act.

She reminded the MPs present that she wasn’t responsible for selecting board members.

“Just for clarity, as you all know, I do not appoint directors.”

Documents released under the OIA to RNZ show Tindal went as far as checking publicly available information on the Companies Office register and hand-drawing what she described as an “interests diagram”.

The conflict of interest management plan set up for O’Donnell by the Treasury included seven mitigations.

ACT MP Simon Court, who raised questions about the impact of O’Donnell’s conflicts during scrutiny week, said Tindal’s response had shown O’Donnell’s appointment was unworkable.

“While I was surprised at her answer, I think, based on what Radio New Zealand has since uncovered, that it’s quite clear that the board was struggling.”

Due to the small talent pool of experienced people in New Zealand, conflicts can arise, Court said, but it was obvious the board had made every effort to work around them.

“In the end, it’s up to the minister proposing an appointment to be satisfied. I understand the minister was satisfied at the time, but, as things have worked out, it’s proven to be unworkable.”

A spokesperson for Peters said despite the high number of agenda items O’Donnell was absent for, he was effective in his role.

“We remind you that Mr O’Donnell would still be a KiwiRail director if he did not need to allocate more time to an Australian venture.”

Rashbrooke said an overhaul of the rules around appointments was needed with a focus on avoiding conflicts of interest by selecting different candidates rather than managing conflicts.

“Sometimes the talent pools will be shallow, that is absolutely true, but they’re not so shallow that they contain only one person.”

Scott O’Donnell was approached for comment.

The conflict of interest management plan included the 10 companies outlined below.

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Source: New Zealand Government

Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the appointment of the Regulatory Standards Board (the Board), established by the Regulatory Standard Act 2025 (the Act). 

“The Board will provide expert oversight and advice on new and existing regulation. It will assess laws against principles of good regulatory practice, including necessity, proportionality, transparency, and consistency with the rule of law,” says Mr Seymour. 

“The Board will be a strong watchdog. It will make sure the costs of regulations are made clear to voters. 

“The Board will review the quality of Consistency Accountability Statements (CAS), which show whether a Bill is consistent with the principles of good regulation. It ensures the public know who is putting costs onto them, how, and why, so they can judge.  

“The Board can also review existing laws. This can be to respond to complaints, or on its own initiative. Its assessments will be published, and the public can pass their own judgement. 

“New Zealanders are invited to submit their complaints about inconsistent legislation to the Board, via the Ministry for Regulation website.” 

Mr Paul Ridley-Smith has been appointed as Chairperson of the Board. 

“Mr Ridley-Smith has a strong understanding of regulation and will bring an impartial and balanced perspective as Chair of the Board. His background includes customer and consumer relations, government relations, regulatory risk, commercial law, financing, investment banking, real estate development, and aged care provision,” Mr Seymour says. 

The other members of the board are: 

• Mr Ian Chamberlain
• Ms Julie Hardaker
• Professor Ananish Chaudhuri
• Mr Carl Hansen
• Dr Nicola Swain 

The Board will begin operating when Part 2 of the Regulatory Standards Act 2025 comes into force on 1 July 2026. 

Mr Paul Ridley-Smith (Chair) has a background in law and business and has held senior leadership roles at HRL Morrison & Co/Infratil, Contact Energy Limited, Buddle Findlay, and Linklaters in Hong Kong and New York. He has extensive governance experience including as the Chair of Manawa Energy Limited (previously Trustpower Limited), Snapper Services Limited and iSite Media Limited. 

Mr Ian Chamberlain is currently a member of the P3604 Timber Framed Buildings Review Committee at Standards New Zealand and has served in various capacities at the Building Officials Institute of NZ. He is a member of several professional organisations, including the Institute of Directors, Building Officials Institute of NZ, and Passive House Institute NZ.

Ms Julie Hardaker currently holds several board roles, including Director at Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai, Deputy Chair at Bay Venues Limited, and member of the Charities Registration Board. She was previously the Deputy Chair at Auckland Transport, Chair of Governance New Zealand Inc and Chair of the Environmental Protection Authority. Ms Hardaker is a Chartered Fellow of the global Chartered Governance Institute and holds an MMS (Hons) 1st Class and an LLB (Hons) 1st Class from the University of Waikato.

Professor Ananish Chaudhuri is a leading inter-disciplinary researcher with an extensive record of policy engagement, and public commentator. He has published articles in leading scholarly journals and is the author of four critically acclaimed books including two textbooks, one in economics principles and another in experimental economics that are used globally. He is a member of various professional organisations and has been involved in significant service roles, including consulting for MinterEllisonRuddWatts and testifying in the New Zealand High Court. Professor Chaudhuri has a Ph. D. and M.A. in Economics from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, an M.A. in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, and a B.Sc, in Economics from Presidency College, Calcutta University. 

Mr Carl Hansen is an experienced leader in organisational change, his previous roles include Chief Executive of the Electricity Authority and various positions at M-co New Zealand Limited. He holds a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Social Sciences with First Class Honours in Economics from the University of Waikato.

Dr Nicola Swain is an Associate Professor at the University of Otago, she has a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and a PhD. Dr Swain has over 15 years of governance experience in regulatory, tribunal, and ethics decision-making frameworks. She has served as a lay member and Deputy Chair of the Medical Sciences Council and a member of the Human Rights Review Tribunal, hearing claims under the Human Rights Act, Privacy Act, and Health and Disability Commissioner Act.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government has made a deal to store additional diesel at Marsden Point.

Channel Infrastructure was contracted to increase diesel storage capacity by 93 million litres, which was the equivalent of about nine additional days of diesel demand.

Chief executive Rob Buchanan said work was already underway to upgrade the storage facilities, which were expected to be ready to receive the additional diesel from 31 May.

Channel expected to generate additional revenue from the increased capacity, in the order $1.2 million a month over the short-term agreement, which runs until 31 December 2027.

“We applaud the government’s decisive action to secure the critical fuels New Zealand needs to keep the economy moving and look forward to playing our part to help make New Zealand’s fuel supply chain more resilient,” Buchanan said.

Upgrade works involved tank cleaning, the construction of linework to connect the tanks into Channel’s diesel infrastructure and the installation of instrumentation and pumping systems.

Buchanan said the required work was significantly less than for a full tank refurbishment, which would typically take between 18 to 24 months, and the cost was therefore able to be funded within Channel’s existing debt facility headroom.

The agreement with government provided for reimbursement of Channel’s costs if the government elects to not proceed with the additional storage capacity prior to the capacity availability date.

The new storage contract was expected to deliver additional revenue of about $8m in 2026, though uncertainty remained around fuel demand.

Channel underlying profit guidance for the full year ending in December 2026 of between $95m – $100m was unchanged.

Guidance would be updated again at Channel’s annual shareholders meeting on 6 May.

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