AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 27, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Radio New Zealand

Debate in Parliament reveals a patchwork of roles and purposes: representational and legislative; government and governance; personal and political. The political weight of everything rises incrementally in an election year.

The variations are most prominently on display in the weekly Wednesday General Debate – the only regular event that has no set agenda, topic or outcome.

It’s like open mic night at Parliament. Every speech can be different, and things may change markedly from week to week.

It’s not first-come-first-rant though. The parties are rostered slots by proportion and choose who will speak.

Sometimes the General Debate includes some genuinely funny political stand-up. More often, MPs’ attempts at humour fail horribly. This week had neither, but there was still plenty to note, especially regarding treaty clause edits, party leadership, rest home exits, the India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and of course, the election.

Defence and attack from minor governing parties

ACT’s Parmjeet Parmar spent her time promoting the benefits of the India FTA, specifically, and immigration generally. It was a pretty traditional, straightforward rhetorical policy defence.

“Migrants are not on the sidelines of our economy; they are part of our economy. This ‘butter chicken tsunami’ [attack by Shane Jones] is just a slogan. It’s a slogan that has been created to do two things. One is to create fear, and the second is to grab attention. I say this to New Zealanders: don’t fall in that trap.”

The India FTA has been a point of discord within the governing coalition, and Parmar’s speech may have been themed to counter an expected General Debate attack from New Zealand First’s Shane Jones, who has been throwing grenades into the FTA debate.

But Jones avoided the topic entirely. His very individual approach to speechifying had a drill-baby-drill energy.

“Now, it was a fateful and very bleak day when Jacinda Ardern made her captain’s call and condemned the oil and gas industry to a deep-freeze virtual type of termination. It took our government to come, change the law, reverse that juvenile climate-riddled type of analysis, and provide an opportunity for investors,” he said.

An unexpected display of potential National leaders

The National Party provided five of the twelve General Debate speakers. Unusually, most were Cabinet ministers. The sole backbencher who spoke was Dan Bidois, whose speech was electoral, but also felt like a plea for internal unity among a list of most of the presumed main party faction contenders (missing only Mark Mitchell).

“Resource Management Act reform, which Minister Chris Bishop is doing a great job with. We’ve got education reform-isn’t Erica Stanford doing a great job… We’ve got Nicola Willis making sure we actually get back to surplus… We’ve got Minister Simeon Brown, who is doing a great job of turning our healthcare system around.

“And at the helm of this is our Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, who’s knitting together three different coalition partners, knitting together a broad coalition of National MPs, getting us moving in one simple direction.”

National Party minister Simeon Brown spent all of his speech time attacking the Labour Party.

“Labour has learnt nothing in Opposition and nothing from their time in government. If they are elected in November, they will go back to their same old policies of tax, borrow, spend. New Zealanders know better, and that’s why they’ll re-elect National in November.”

Nicola Willis also spent almost all of her time attacking the Labour Party. A core theme of attacks was that Labour wasn’t yet revealing its own election policy, but was instead focused on government policy.

Ironically, both these speeches were equally focused on the opposition.

Paul Goldsmith also attacked the opposition, but unlike Brown and Willis, remembered to praise the prime minister. Goldsmith also praised his own and Mark Mitchell’s work within the Justice and Police portfolios.

Mark Mitchell was the odd man out among National’s ministers (and purported leadership options). As Emergency Management and Recovery Minister, he has a role that allows a less political, less divisive approach.

If the General Debate were an election debate, you might call him the unity candidate. He praised the work of the related spokesperson from every single party – quite a sharp change in tone from the other ministers who spent most or all of their time raging against the Opposition.

Policy-oriented debate from the opposition

On the Opposition side of the House, Labour’s Ingrid Leary used the General Debate to pressure the government on a specific policy – capital repayments to residents exiting rest home properties.

“The government is proposing to change this after enormous pressure… But… the proposed time is 12 months, which is ludicrous, as has been said by Consumer NZ, and, perhaps even more unfairly, will not apply to existing residents.”

Three different MPs from three different parties attacked the government over recently revealed efforts to water down Treaty provisions in existing legislation. Debbie Ngarewa Packer for Te Pāti Māori tied the plan to the politics of distraction.

“We’ve got a climate crisis… We literally have seen cars on fences…What does it do?… It starts a culture war, because that is exactly what the playbook of Trumpism does… Epstein files. What does he do? Start a war. What does this government do? Start a war on Te Tiriti-slyly, quietly, without integrity.”

Green Co-leader Marama Davidson took a gentler approach, but also tied the Treaty clause project to the regular marae role in responding to disasters; “In the face of all of that example of Te Tiriti beauty, this government is choosing to create hate.”

For Labour, the MP who focused on legislative Treaty provisions was Camilla Belich, with “National members are too busy fighting with themselves and doing covert, secret operations to remove Treaty clauses, to actually focus on what matters to New Zealanders”.

Most speeches were in some way an election speech, most obviously the all-attack speeches from National’s Simeon Brown and Nicola Willis. Labour leader Chris Hipkins’ speech was very election-oriented but also drew on National’s recent issues.

“New Zealanders are looking for some reassurance that the government has a plan… They’re getting slogans, blame, and excuses. A government more obsessed with their own jobs than obsessed with the jobs of New Zealanders who are losing theirs.”

The Sunday edition of the House is available from the link above.

*RNZ’s The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament’s Office of the Clerk. Enjoy our articles or podcast at RNZ.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Councils are calling on the government to foot more of the bill for improving New Zealand’s disaster resilience in the wake of last week’s devastating storms.

Advice from the Ministry for the Environment and Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet reveals this country spends on average 0.6 percent of its annual gross domestic product (GDP) on responding to natural hazards, nearly twice as much as the OECD country average.

“Since 2010, New Zealand has spent $64 billion on hazard-related costs. Of that, 97 percent was spent on response and recovery and only 3 percent on reducing risk,” the briefing document said.

• Homes gutted and businesses closed as Wellingtonians count the cost of floods

Gisborne mayor and president of Local Government New Zealand Rehette Stoltz said severe storms, floods, landslides, and coastal hazards were increasingly frequent and damaging.

“It’s becoming a national issue, with a reported 46 storms in the past 12 months alone. Previously it was a more localised issue, now we’re seeing it happen everywhere across Aotearoa,” she said.

“Our infrastructure is getting battered and as a nation we need to stop and plan.”

• ‘A storm every eight days’ – country’s biggest insurer calls for systemic response

Stoltz said research suggested more than 750,000 New Zealanders live in flood prone areas, and that meant $235b worth of residential buildings were at risk.

“Every dollar spent on disaster preparedness saves at least $4 in response and recovery,” Stoltz said.

She said policies and plans for responding to climate risks were taking years to progress and councils wanted clarity from the government on who was responsible for doing – and paying for – what.

“We are operating in a system where everyone is looking at keeping rates as low as possible. The Government has made it a real priority to try and make sure that councils focus on core infrastructure. What we are saying is that lots of these issues are not local issues, these are national issues, so we don’t want all of that cost to be borne by ratepayers.”

Clear, durable co‑funding arrangements between central and local government were critical, Stoltz said.

“Doing nothing not only puts undue pressure on public finances in the long run but comes with significant risk to New Zealanders.”

Minister of Local Government Simon Watts said the government remained committed to working with councils and local communities to determine the best way forward for people living in areas exposed to climate risks.

”I want to acknowledge everyone who has been impacted by the extreme weather, not only this week but the weeks prior, and recognise the disruption and damage these events cause,” he said.

“Decisions of this nature are best made at the local level, and councils have a leading role. I encourage communities to work with their local councils, and we know that is already happening in some areas.”

Watts said changes the government was planning to make to the Climate Change Response Act 2002 would build stronger consistency across the country when it came to adaptation planning.

”These changes will ensure councils are preparing adaptation plans for priority areas, which will help build resilience,” he said.

“‘Planning for how we will share the costs of adapting to climate change over time is an important part of the work we are doing. It is a complex area and one where it is important to take the time to get things right. This is why we plan to make further decisions about this in the next term of Government.”

Watts said it was important that the government took time to work through all of those issues to ensure the framework could endure.

”We are moving as quickly as we can, but speed cannot come at a cost of quality and accuracy,” he said.

“A key part of this work is the New Zealand Flood Map. This map will ensure that people have good information about flood risks. It will allow people and businesses to plan ahead and make decisions about where to build that lower risk and boost resilience.”

• National Flood Map will show areas likely to flood due to climate change

“‘We plan to share the first version of the map with the public next year, with some early releases of data before the end of this year,” Watts said.

“‘While we build the framework, officials are actively looking for areas that should be accelerated to support the recovery.”

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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 Climate Change Commission said the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is on track to fail without reform.

In its annual advice to the government, the commission warned that the scheme faces huge future volatility and would fail without reform by the 2030s.

The ETS is a market in which the government sets a price for greenhouse gas that polluters must pay to emit. The price of units rises over time, incentivising firms to emit less.

The commission has advised the government this year to keep auction unit pricing and volumes the same to prevent price instability.

However, chief executive Jo Hendy said a unit shortfall as early as 2028 could see price spikes and significant economic harm.

She said that could result in factory closures to reduce emissions, rather than investment in decarbonisation.

The government could get ahead of the shortfall by publicly consulting on options to address it, she said.

Forest and Bird fears the scheme will soon be unfit for purpose.

Climate spokesperson Scott Burnett said the market had lost confidence in it, due to recent volatility in prices and recent government policy announcements, such as rolling back action on agricultural emissions.

He said it urgently needed reform and stability to allow businesses to make good investment decisions on decarbonisation.

The Climate Change Commission had been sounding the alarm on the fragile state of the ETS for years, he said.

Climate minister Simon Watts told RNZ in a statement that the government welcomed the commission’s advice, and it would carefully consider that before developing proposals for the ETS auction and unit settings.

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

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is investing more than $800,000 to repair three of New Zealand’s Great Ride cycle trails following significant storm damage, plus marketing funding to aid regional tourism recovery, says Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston. 

“Repairing these trails ensures they can continue to drive regional tourism, support local businesses, and provide high‑quality outdoor recreation experiences,” Louise Upston says.  

“An initial $300,000 is going toward immediate safety work on the Hauraki Rail Trail which is enabling it to reopen to cyclists in time to enjoy the changing autumn landscapes, following storm damage in January.   

“The Waikato River Trail will receive $110,000 to help repair significant damage that occurred in February across 50 kilometres of the trail.   

“Further south, Tasman’s Great Taste Trail will receive almost $427,000 to reinstate the track between Wai‑iti Reserve and Quail Valley Road, subject to final route confirmation. This adds to support provided last year and brings total Government investment in extreme‑weather repairs on the trail to just over $2 million.  

“The trail contributes around $34 million to the local economy each year, and this work will help ensure it continues to play that vital role.  

“As regions recover from summer storms, it’s important we support tourism businesses to welcome visitors back. 

 “Alongside infrastructure repairs, targeted marketing funding has also been approved to help affected regions rebuild visitor confidence and support tourism recovery following the January 2026 severe weather events in the upper North Island.  This includes $55,000 for domestic and international marketing in Hauraki Coromandel and $10,000 for an autumn business‑events marketing campaign in the Bay of Plenty.  

“More than 2 million people enjoy the 23 Great Rides of Ngā Haerenga New Zealand Cycle Trails each year, contributing an estimated $1.28 billion to regional economies, and today’s support helps regions keep welcoming visitors as they recover from severe weather.  

“These trails are a long‑standing partnership between central and local government and the communities that host them. Today’s investment reinforces that commitment.” 

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Defence Minister Chris Penk will travel to Australia today to undertake a range of engagements to further strengthen defence cooperation with New Zealand’s military ally. 

“New Zealand and Australia share a close bond, and our military alliance is going from strength to strength. It is therefore appropriate that I am making my first overseas trip as Minister of Defence to Australia. I look forward to having the opportunity to further discussions on developing an increasingly integrated ‘Anzac’ force,” Mr Penk says. 

While in Sydney, Mr Penk will meet with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles, visit New Zealand Defence Force personnel working in Australia and take part in Anzac commemorations.  

“This year we celebrate 75 years of our alliance, which is built upon the courage of the Australian and New Zealand forces who landed at Gallipoli in 1915,” Mr Penk says. 

“Today our militaries work hand in hand, sharing expertise, personnel and often procuring the same platforms. But we can do more to operationalise our alliance, as recently reaffirmed by both nations through the Anzac 2035: Closer Defence Relations Statement.” 

Minister Penk will return to New Zealand on 25 April, in time to participate in Anzac Day commemorations in Auckland.  

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than twenty animal welfare charges have been laid against four shearers after an animal rights group gathered undercover footage showing graphic abuse of sheep.

The charges are part of an ongoing investigation by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), and stemmed from video footage from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as part of an exposé into more than 30 farms and shearing sheds.

The footage showed workers standing on a sheep’s neck, dragging sheep across the floor, sewing up bloody wounds without painkillers, tackling and hitting sheep with blunt objects and the bodies of dead sheep scattered around the properties, the group said.

PETA Asia-Pacific President Jason Baker said the charges were historic, marking just the third time members of a shearing crew had faced animal cruelty charges – the other two instances were in Australia in 2014 and 2017.

“We are elated four people are charged,” Baker told RNZ.

“But this is just 32 sheds. There’s a thousand other sheds out there that we weren’t in and this is standard industry practice.”

PETA’s investigators spent a total of five months inside woolsheds across New Zealand, eventually handing authorities more than 230 video files.

Baker said they deliberately delayed reporting to build a picture of systemic behaviour rather than isolated incidents.

“People have sometimes asked why we didn’t report it in the first shed we were in, but we had to document to show that it was standard industry practice.”

Among the 32 sheds investigated, 11 held ZQ accreditation – a New Zealand certification intended to assure ethical wool production which describes itself as the “world’s leading ethical wool brand”.

The footage showed no difference in treatment between accredited and non-accredited operations, Baker said.

“When you look behind the curtain, you see the same thing in ZQ sheds as you see in other sheds – punching, kicking, stomping, animals cut up, animals dead.”

In a statement, MPI’s director of investigations and compliance support Gary Orr said the ministry had identified eight individuals for further investigation, four of whom have already been charged.

“A warrant to arrest one of the four charged individuals has been issued. We are continuing our enquires into other related animal welfare matters,” he said.

The footage PETA provided fell short of the standard expected of those responsible for animals, Orr said.

“People in charge of animals have a responsibility to make sure they are being cared for properly.”

In December, the government and shearing industry announced a $75,000 programme to improve animal welfare in the industry.

The programme supports targeted training initiatives to build knowledge, skills and best practice in animal care and welfare compliance in the shearing industry, MPI said.

Baker was dismissive of the move.

“You don’t need $75,000 to be kind to animals. You really don’t.”

He said if the government wanted to put its money where its mouth was, it should mandate cameras inside woolsheds and place veterinarians on site.

At the time of the announcement, New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association chief executive Phil Holden said the idea of cameras in sharing sheds was a “…naive response to what’s a more complicated issue”.

“The reality is we’ve got nothing to hide. The industry is in a real solid place and this animal welfare initiative is another step on the journey,” Holden said.

The SPCA has also backed calls for camera surveillance in shearing sheds.

Chief scientific officer Dr Arnja Dale said at the time that she would be “really disappointed” if the welfare training was the government’s only response to the damning exposé.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Plans for a new social housing complex are sparking concerns in Kawakawa, with some residents saying it’s wrong to put vulnerable people in a known flood zone next door to a pub and pokies.

The council-owned company behind the plan, however, says the Far North desperately needs more affordable housing and the flood risk will be addressed by building up the land.

Complicating the picture is a government grant to upgrade Kawakawa’s failing water and sewage systems – but the Far North District Council can only claim the $25 million subsidy if enough new homes get the go-ahead.

The plan, if approved, would involve building 18 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom units on vacant land between the Hunter Star Hotel, on Kawakawa’s main street, and the Waiomio Stream.

Earlier this month RNZ revealed Northlanders had by far the longest waiting time in the country – more than 800 days – for help under the government’s Housing First scheme.

Kawakawa Business Association chairman Malcolm Francis said the town “definitely” needed more social housing, but the Far North Holdings and Ngāti Hine Health Trust proposal was in the wrong place.

“Why would you put people in harm’s way, given that it’s a flood plain? These guys are going through protocol and saying it’s the best site that they’ve got, but there’s got to be other sites.”

Northland Regional Council hazard maps showed much of the land was a one-in-10-year flood zone.

Francis said raising the land might protect the residents, but it increased the risk to neighbouring businesses.

“They’re going to build a two-metre bund and house these people on top, but that’s going to bring more water onto the existing businesses there. They’re saying it’s only going to raise flood levels by 5 millimetres, but given the sort of weather events we’ve got coming down on us at the moment, can you guarantee it’s 5mm? I guarantee it’s not a guarantee at all.”

Francis was also concerned the homes would be built directly behind a pub.

“They’re sticking people that could be dependent or solo mothers or whatever behind the hotel. And, you know, there’s gambling and drinking and all this sort of stuff going on.”

Kawakawa Engineering owner Kevin Davidson said he was concerned about the effects on the 50-year-old business, which is across Old Whangae Road from the proposed housing complex.

“We employ a lot of people and this is going to really constrain our business,” he said.

“I do worry about these people that are going to be installed across the road from us because we’re a very noisy outfit. We run lights day and night. There’s forklifts operating so it’s dangerous. I’m also concerned that we’re putting vulnerable people behind a hotel. And I don’t see that as right.”

Davidson said flooding was a major problem on Old Whangae Road.

A new stopbank was keeping smaller floods at bay but he was worried about the next big one.

“The business has been flooded for the last 30-odd years up to six times a year. This issue is not going away. It seems to be getting worse, if anything, with the climate changing to be warmer and heavier rainfalls.”

He said a rethink was needed.

“There’s miles better places to build these houses. We have vacant land by the hospital, we have a huge area of domain land within the town boundaries. Why they’re focusing on a scrap of land that floods behind a hotel and putting vulnerable people in it is beyond belief.”

Far North Holdings chief executive Andy Nock said the units, in six two-storey blocks, would be a mix of affordable rentals aimed at low-income workers and kaumātua and kuia flats.

They would ease a critical housing shortage, and help the council secure $25.6m from the government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund to upgrade Kawakawa infrastructure he said was “bursting at the seams”.

To claim the full amount, 180 new homes would have to be built in Kawakawa by 2030.

Nock said the flood risk would be addressed by raising the land by 1.8m, above the one-in-100-year flood level.

Many urban areas in Northland, including Whangārei’s city centre, were in one-in-100-year flood zones.

“It’s simply a matter of adapting to those changing circumstances, which is why we’re raising the site. If you think back a few years we had to do the same when we built the library in Kawakawa. We raised it up and have no issues at all with flooding.”

As for proximity to the hotel, Nock said Kawakawa was a small town, so any flat land near the town centre would be close to a pub.

“We thought that was outweighed by the benefits. You’ve got some lovely views over the fields, you’re right on a parkland setting, you can walk into town. And that’s what you need for kaumātua and kuia and affordable housing, you need that proximity to services.”

Nock said a resource consent application had been lodged. It would be up to the council to decide whether it would be notified.

Ngāti Hine was pursuing a separate project to build more than 100 units on hospital land up the hill, he said.

Ngāti Hine Health Trust chief executive Tamati Shepherd-Wipiiti said the units would be aimed mainly at low-income workers who struggled to pay market rents, along with some families, solo parents and kaumātua and kuia.

Changes to government funding made it financially difficult to build social housing so the new units would be affordable rentals, with rents set at about 80 percent of market rates.

The tenants would not be taken from the social housing list with categories A or B, who had the most complex needs.

There would still be plenty of support available at the health trust’s offices located straight across the road.

Shepherd-Wipiiti said the trust’s first 35 homes were built a year ago at Marohapa, in nearby Moerewa, with a wellbeing services centre in the middle.

That meant residents had access to social workers, people who could help mums with babies, health practitioners, mental health and addiction staff, and kuia and kaumātua who could help kids with homework.

“We never just build a housing development,” he said.

Unlike the planed Kawakawa complex, Marohapa was social housing – but so far there had not been a single eviction or serious social issue.

Shepherd-Wipiiti said the need for housing in the Far North was “massive”.

In Kawakawa and Moerewa it was a straight supply problem with not enough homes available, and the health trust was the only organisation doing any building, he said.

Apart from the 35 already built in Moerewa and 30 proposed for Old Whangae Road in Kawakawa, the trust was planning to build another 120 on the Kawakawa Hospital site and 30 on Mill Road.

As well as the $25.6m for Kawakawa, in 2022 the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund granted the Far North District Council $23m for infrastructure upgrades in Kaikohe on the proviso a certain number of new homes were built.

There, Far North Holdings and Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi had already completed a major social housing development on the former RSA site on Broadway, and Te Hau Ora o Ngāpuhi was building 100 affordable homes on Bisset Road aimed at low-income workers locked out of the housing market.

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

Source: New Zealand Government

Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay departs for New Delhi today to sign the New Zealand – India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), leading a cross-party delegation including MPs and more than 30 Kiwi business representatives.

“This landmark agreement provides huge opportunities for New Zealand exporters in one of the world’s largest and fastest growing economies,” Mr McClay says.

“The signing of this FTA is the latest example of the Government delivering on its promise to strengthen our relationship with India and supports New Zealand’s ambitious goal of doubling the value of exports in 10 years.”

Negotiations concluded in December 2025.

In India, Mr McClay will mark Anzac Day in a dawn service where he will recognise New Zealanders, Australians and Indians who fought for their country.

He will also host a joint New Zealand-India business summit with Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.

Mr McClay will also stop in Singapore where he will undertake trade and investment promotion activities.

“A trade agreement with India has been a long ambition for New Zealand. The signature of the NZ-India FTA is an occasion to celebrate.”

Note to editor:

Key outcomes for New Zealand include:   

• Tariff elimination or reduction on 95 per cent of our exports.
• Duty-free access on almost 57 per cent of New Zealand’s exports from day one, increasing to 82 per cent when fully implemented, with the remaining 13 per cent being subject to sharp tariff cuts.
• Immediate tariff elimination on sheep meat, wool, coal and over 95 per cent of forestry and wood exports.
• Duty-free access on most seafood exports, including mussels and salmon, over seven years. 
• Duty-free access on most iron, steel and scrap aluminium, over 10 years or less. 
• Duty-free access for most industrial products, over five to 10 years 
• 50 per cent tariff cut for large quota of apples – nearly double recent average exports.
• Duty-free access for kiwifruit within a quota almost four times our recent average exports, and tariff halved for exports outside of quota. 
• Duty-free access for cherries, avocados, persimmons and blueberries, over 10 years. 
• Tariffs on wine reduced from 150 per cent to either 25 or 50 per cent (depending on the value of the wine) over 10 years plus a Most Favoured Nation (MFN) commitment. 
• Tariffs on mānuka honey cut from 66 per cent to 16.5 per cent over five years. 
• MFN status and liberalisation across services exports. 
• Duty-free access for dairy and other food ingredients for re-export from day one. 
• Duty-free access for bulk infant formula and other high-value dairy preparations over seven years.
• 50 per cent tariff cut for high value milk albumins within a NZ-specific quota equal to current export volumes.      

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Term 1 2026 school attendance data shows attendance rates were higher than any Term 1 since 2022, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. 

Data shows that in Term 1 2026, 68.6% of students attended school regularly. This was an increase from 65.9% in Term 1 2025 (a 2.7 percentage point increase). A student attends school ‘regularly’ when they are in class for more than 90 per cent of the term.

“This data shows attendance rates continue to rise under this Government. We are focussed on fixing what matters, and few things are as important as school attendance,” Mr Seymour says.

“In Term 1 2022 regular attendance was at 46.5 per cent. That means that in Term 1 2026 about 176,000 more students attended school regularly than in 2022. Kiwi students are showing up to school more, and parents are pushing them to attend. Those students and parents should be proud.

“When the Government takes attendance seriously, so do schools, parents, and students. It’s important we continue to drive the change in attitude towards attendance.”

The data indicates that Central and East Auckland region again has the highest regular attendance rate at 75.5%. This was followed by North and West Auckland at 73.5% and Otago/Southland at 72.6%. 

“School attendance rates continue to improve year on year, but there is still work to be done. I expect attendance to continue rising as our attendance initiative have only just come into force,” Mr Seymour says.

“Every school is now required to have implemented their own attendance management plan (AMP). It means there are escalating responses for declining attendance.”

Some examples of how interventions could work are:

5 days absent: The school to get in touch with parents/guardians to determine reasons for absence and set expectations.
10 days absent: School leadership meets with parents/guardian and the student to identify barriers to attendance and develop plans to address this.
15 days absent: Escalating the response to an Attendance Service Provider. If absence escalates beyond this point (or for cases of non-enrolment) prosecution of parents becomes a possibility.

“Frontline attendance services are now also more accountable, better at effectively managing cases, and data-driven in their responses. They have access to a new case management system, better data monitoring, and their contracts will be more closely monitored. Budget 2025 included $140 million of additional funding to improve attendance over the next four years.

“Attending school is the first step towards achieving positive educational outcomes. Positive educational outcomes lead to better health, higher incomes, better job stability and greater participation within communities. These are opportunities that every student deserves.”

Data is provisional and could change slightly. The full data breakdown can be found here: Attendance | Education Counts

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Moody’s decision to revise New Zealand’s Aaa outlook from stable to negative reinforces that the Government’s response to the current fuel crisis and its wider economic plan is the right one, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.

“Moody’s choice to put New Zealand on negative watch is another warning that we can’t afford to simply spend more and borrow more, or we risk higher interest rates, higher borrowing costs and more pressure on Kiwi families,” Nicola Willis says.

“Global economic and geopolitical uncertainty and inflation pressures including fuel price increases have contributed to the revision. While these are outside our control, Moody’s are clear that improving our rating requires disciplined spending, a clear path to balanced books and reducing debt.

“Moody’s warns that if deficits remain and debt keeps rising, our outlook will worsen – increasing the costs of servicing the debt, squeezing businesses and leaving less funding for the public services New Zealanders rely on.

“Debt servicing is now the fourth-largest cost to taxpayers, exceeding the combined costs of the police and defence forces, corrections, customs and the justice system. With global interest rates rising, we must keep our books in order to ensure New Zealand remains strong in a more unstable world.

“The revision also confirms the need for any support delivered in response to the Middle East conflict to be temporary and targeted. If we were to start clocking up the credit card like the previous government, every New Zealander would pay the price – with more of every taxpayer dollar going on interest, instead of hospitals, schools and roads.

“Though our outlook has weakened, New Zealand retains our Aaa rating, the highest possible level, alongside 10 other countries. This recognises the resilient nature of our economy and strong commitment to fiscal discipline.

“Economic growth is essential to improving our outlook and building the future. By growing the economy, we create jobs, lift incomes, reduce our reliance on debt and most importantly, enable all kiwis to thrive.”

MIL OSI