AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for May 16, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government has confirmed legislation aiming to ban under-16s from social media is now on hold.

Parliament debated the matter on Wednesday after a select committee inquiry into the harms the online platforms cause.

Labour agreed to support National’s proposal for a ban – while the Greens and ACT were opposed to the idea, saying it would be too easy to get around the rules, that at-risk groups could become more isolated as a result, and that social media harms more than just young people.

National’s Catherine Wedd’s bill – which would impose the under-16s ban in line with Australia’s – was drawn from the biscuit-tin ballot in October, having been lodged last May.

When RNZ sought an update on how the committee’s findings would affect the legislation, Education Minister Erica Stanford – who had been tasked with reviewing legislation to reduce those harms – said it was on hold.

“The government is undertaking a wider programme of work in this area and Wedd’s bill is on hold for the moment. We are continuing to work through the process and will have more to say soon,” Stanford said.

“Papers are still working their way through Cabinet and we are aiming to introduce legislation this year.”

National had pushed ahead with the member’s bill rather than bringing the ban to Parliament as a government bill due to ACT’s refusal to support it.

On Thursday, Wedd’s bill remained at third among the member’s bills on Parliament’s order paper.

Stanford did not respond to requests for further clarification.

Wedd did not respond to requests for comment.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in November reiterated he was “deeply supportive” of a ban for under-16s, suggesting one would be introduced before the election.

“Certainly before the term, yes we’ll have our first go at making sure we can put the ban for under-16s in place. And then I suspect it will be one of those issues that require ongoing work as well.”

Australia’s ban, which came into force this month, requires specified social media platforms to take “reasonable steps” to ensure under-16s do not access them, with fines of up to $AU49.5m for serious or repeated breaches.

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

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is condemning the Government’s decision to weaken te Tiriti o Waitangi references across 19 acts of Parliament, calling it the Stealth Treaty Principles Bill.

“New Zealanders didn’t want the Treaty Principles Bill, and they sure don’t want it by stealth,” says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson.

“Stripping te Tiriti out of seven acts entirely and dragging the Crown’s obligations in another ten down to the weakest possible standard, is a deliberate diminishment of the founding document of this country.

“Treaty references in legislation are how the Crown’s word gets translated into the decisions that shape whānau lives. The changes set the lowest standard the Crown can give itself. Weakening them weakens the protections people rely on every day.

“The Waitangi Tribunal has warned this Government, repeatedly, about its approach to te Tiriti. Those warnings are being ignored, along with the evidence, the history, and the weight of the agreement that founded this country.

“New Zealanders have already had their say on the Treaty Principles Bill. They submitted in record numbers, they marched in numbers this country has not seen in a generation. The Government should abandon this new Treaty Principles Bill,” says Davidson.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Waitangi Tribunal has recommended an immediate halt to draft legislation weakening government obligations to the Treaty in education, which it says is as bad as the Treaty Principles Bill in its attempt to erase the Crown’s duty to the Treaty.

In its stage one report, the Tribunal found the Crown breached the principles of partnership and good government when it planned to either weaken or entirely erase the Treaty clauses in the Education and Training Act (ETA).

In her letter addressed to Ministers Paul Goldsmith, Erica Standford, David Seymour, Tama Potaka and Shane Jones, presiding officer Rachel Mullins said the Tribunal only found out about the Crown plans the night before their inquiry was due to start.

“On the eve of hearing, Crown counsel filed a memorandum revealing your intention, as agreed by Cabinet on 23 February 2026, to downgrade the treaty standard in multiple sections of the Act to no higher than ‘take into account’, to amend or repeal section 536A(1), and to replace references to te Tiriti with a reference to both texts.”

“Cabinet’s decisions were new to us and had been made without any consultation or engagement with Māori,” she said.

The report found the Crown failed to meaningfully engage with the Māori on the proposed changes by only reaching out to one national Māori body, the National Iwi Chairs Forum, after “substantive decisions” had been made.

“We found Minister Goldsmith’s view that the select committee would otherwise provide a sufficient opportunity for others to provide input to be manifestly inadequate and an insult to Māori.

“We considered that the Crown acted contrary to officials’ advice and demonstrated a reckless disregard for the (likely and advised) harm to the Māori-Crown relationship that would result from its approach,” Mullins said.

The inquiry was filed by Ngāti Hine, Te Kapotai and education union NZEI Te Riu Roa and was originally set to look into the removal of school boards’ legal obligation to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and plans to reset the national curriculum.

The Tribunal expanded the scope of the inquiry in light of last minute revelations and has granted urgency to a separate inquiry into proposed changes to Treaty clauses across eight other Acts.

‘Ripple effects’

The report also found the Cabinet agreed to the proposals despite “clear and repeated” advice from its own officials that not enough was known about the potential impacts of the proposals.

“What was known, however, was the proposals carried a risk of harm to the Māori-Crown relationship and, as treaty provisions can act as safeguards for Māori interests, reducing or repealing obligations therein could disproportionately impact Māori. We agreed with officials that downgrading treaty standards in the Act to as low as ‘take into account’ would signal a shift in the Crown’s commitment to the treaty as it applies to education.”

“Minister Goldsmith is yet to make decisions on changes to the purpose provisions in the Act, which refer to giving effect to and honouring the treaty. He seems likely to downgrade those commitments too, the potential impact of which would send ripple effects across the Act.”

Mullins wrote that the decision to diminish the Crown’s treaty obligations in the Education and Training Act to one of the lowest standards of ‘take into account’ – despite the lack of engagement and the strongly worded official advice not to do so – represents a major breach of the treaty and its principles.

“It is as bad as the Treaty Principles Bill in its attempt to erase the Crown’s duty to comply with the agreement made between Māori and the Crown in 1840. It may even be worse, because the Treaty Principles Bill in theory was never going to be enacted.

“It is, as we put it, an attempt by the Crown to takahi the mana of the treaty and its place in the laws of Aotearoa. We do not have jurisdiction to discuss the amendments intended for other pieces of legislation, but we would be surprised if our findings did not apply equally to those as well.”

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

Source: New Zealand Government

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has announced $1 million from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) to upgrade tracks and campgrounds around Tarawera and Ōkataina.

The investment will help reopen the Eastern Ōkataina Walkway and support upgrades across more than 22 kilometres of tracks and three campgrounds.

“Tarawera and Ōkataina are some of Rotorua’s most iconic visitor destinations, attracting thousands of people every year and supporting local tourism and jobs,” Mr Potaka says.

“This funding will improve tracks, campgrounds, toilets, and visitor facilities, while also helping address safety and resilience issues following the 2021 rockfall event that closed the Eastern Ōkataina Walkway.”

The upgrades will include work on the Eastern Ōkataina Walkway, Northern Tarawera Track, Tarawera Falls Track, Humphries Bay Campsite, and Te Tapahoro Campground.

“Ngāti Rangitihi, Tūhourangi, Ngāti Tarāwhai, Ruawahia 2B Trust, and the Lake Ōkataina Scenic Reserve Board all play an important role in the future of this area and the experiences it offers visitors.”

The project will also support wallaby control and wider biodiversity work across the area.

“This announcement also shows why the Government is reforming conservation legislation.”

“The Conservation Amendment Bill currently before Parliament is about making it easier to deliver practical upgrades like this in the future.

“For too long, outdated processes have slowed investment into tracks, huts, campgrounds, and visitor infrastructure on conservation land.

“Our reforms will help cut unnecessary delays while maintaining strong environmental protections and reinvesting back into conservation.”

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Source: Green Party

The Green Party is urging Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to abandon amendments to the Education and Training Act following the Waitangi Tribunal’s scathing report on the proposed changes.

“The Waitangi Tribunal has been clear: Luxon’s Government has breached its Tiriti obligations. It can no longer mask the racism in its education reforms,” says Green Party Co-leader, Marama Davidson. 

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a promise to take the best possible care of each other. Its place in the education of our tamariki, our taonga, our tomorrow, is not up for debate.

“Our Tribunal mātanga, our experts, have found that the failure of Luxon’s Government to engage meaningfully with Māori represents an affront to the mana of Māori.

“They have also found that these reforms have a similar purpose to the Treaty Principles Bill. If this doesn’t tell Luxon’s Government what it needs to know to immediately halt its changes, we don’t know what else can.

“The Green Party is committed to reinstating te Tiriti o Waitangi in section 127 of the Education and Training Act, re-centring Te Mātaiaho to its original intent and direction, and halting any changes to the curriculum until there has been meaningful consultation with the sector and engagement with Māori.

“In short: The Green Party is committed to upholding its obligations to te Tiriti and to our tamariki.

“The Tribunal ruled that Luxon’s Government’s Tiriti-inconsistency is calculated. We can’t let our tamariki pay the price for political games,” says Marama.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Ngāti Ruanui is demanding an apology from Resources Minister Shane Jones for suggesting the iwi lacks intelligence during a Parliament debate this week.

Its tumu whakahaere (leader), Haimona Maruera Jnr said Jones’ comments were “shameful” and “an attack on the mana of our entire iwi”.

Jones was thrown out of the House on Wednesday after taking jabs at Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and the iwi.

He was arguing that some “luddites” and “troublemakers” did not see the importance or economic value in mining for critical minerals.

Ngarewa-Packer interrupted Jones to point out he’d “failed” after a mining company withdrew its fast-track application to mine the Taranaki seabed. Ngāti Ruanui had opposed the application.

Jones said it was important that the $1.4 billion sector be enabled to grow.

“Whether it’s through the fast-track legislation … and I accept … that in some areas, the growth in intellect and the growth in intelligence will take a lot longer, and I fear that the longest period of time it will take will be around Ngāti Ruanui and Taranaki.”

Ngarewa-Packer labelled Jones “insecure” because “that little iwi took you on and won” in their battle against mining the Taranaki seabed.

After more back and forth between the pair, the Speaker Gerry Brownlee told Jones to “haere rā … off you go”, and he left the House.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust said on Friday it had lodged a formal complaint with Brownlee and wanted Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro to encourage the minister to apologise.

Its tumu whakahaere, Haimona Maruera Jnr said Jones’ comments were “shameful” and “an attack on the mana of our entire iwi”.

“This is not the first time the Minister has made disparaging comments referencing Ngāti Ruanui in the New Zealand Parliament,” he said.

“When a minister of the crown uses the debating chamber to insult a Treaty Partner, and does so while hiding behind legal immunity, the relationship risks being fundamentally fractured.”

Maruera Jnr said Jones had attacked the iwi because it holds a different view on mining, which showed “a shocking display of arrogance”.

The comments were an affront to the Ngāti Ruanui Claims Settlement Act which was built on a foundation of mutual respect and a formal Crown apology, he said.

Jones, the Speaker’s office, and the Governor-General’s office have been approached for comment.

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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 Minister for Regulation and the Attorney‑General have today issued joint statutory guidance to support consistent application of the Regulatory Standards Act 2025 (the Act) across government.

“We’re showing voters who is responsible for putting costs on them and why. Better information means more informed choices at the voting booth. That’s important for the future of New Zealand,” Mr Seymour says. 

“Statutory guidance issued today will show government agencies how to comply with the Act’s new transparency requirements. From July any Minister introducing a Bill to the house must also provide a Consistency Accountability Statement (CAS), which will published. The CAS will show whether proposed laws are consistent with the principles of good regulation in the Act, and if not, Ministers must explain why not.”

The guidance outlines expectations and best practice in relation to:

• how the principles of responsible regulation should be applied
• how to review proposed or existing legislation for consistency with the principles of responsible regulation
• the content and presentation of consistency accountability statements
• how to prepare, publish, carry out, and report on plans for review of existing legislation.

“From July we are also replacing Regulatory Impact Statements (RIS) with shorter and sharper Regulatory Analysis Summaries (RAS). RISs could be over 100 pages of fluff. RASs will be less than 20 pages and more focussed on cost benefit analysis. To ensure the quality of the analyses, RASs will be quality assured by an independent panel,” Mr Seymour says. 

“Bad regulations have real consequences for real people. People work hard to earn their livelihood. Now there is scrutiny for people who ruin it with bad regulations.”

“The guidance was developed in close cooperation with the Parliamentary Counsel Office and the Crown Law Office. It reflects the Crown’s understanding of the legal effect of the principles of responsible regulation as set out in the Act,” Attorney‑General Chris Bishop says.

“Good regulation should be necessary, proportionate, and effective. The guidance helps agencies apply those principles in practice.” 

The full guidance can be found here: https://www.regulation.govt.nz/about-us/our-publications/guidance-issued-under-section-26-of-the-regulatory-standards-act-2025/

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is strengthening plant variety rights (PVR) to protect investments underpinning high‑value exports, regional jobs and global demand for New Zealand produce, Trade and Investment and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer say.

“High‑value horticulture relies on years, often decades, of breeding, testing and commercialisation. Strengthening the Plant Variety Rights Act 2022 gives New Zealand the intellectual property settings it needs to compete internationally, protect our investment and grow export returns,” Mr Brewer says.

“From drought-resistant grass seed that benefits pastoral farmers, to higher-yielding and better-tasting produce for New Zealanders and our export markets, these changes will provide vital support for growers,” Mr McClay says.

“In 2024, 75 per cent of the $3.5 billion in export returns from kiwifruit and an estimated 55 per cent of the $979 million in export returns from apples came from plant variety rights‑protected varieties. This shows the vital contribution that new plant varieties make to growing export earnings and taking us closer to New Zealand’s ambitious goal of doubling the value of exports in 10 years.

“A successful sector means thriving communities, economic growth, secure jobs and a prosperous economy.”

“Zespri’s projections show that extending the PVR term by five years for SunGold Kiwifruit alone would mean additional revenue of around $1.8 billion over five years from the time of the extension, to the kiwifruit industry and the Biosecurity Science Institute,” Mr Brewer says.

“Growers will also benefit from additional returns as PVR varieties maintain their market value for longer, allowing growers to continue to build high value demand ahead of supply.

“Directly and indirectly we all benefit when our domestic growers are thriving. 

“Breeding and importing new varieties can be a long, expensive and uncertain process. Breeders and importers take a significant risk, and we need to ensure they are supported in this process.”

The Government is also restoring provisional protection, so breeders are covered from day one of their rights application instead of when it is granted.

“This means plant breeders can take immediate legal action if new varieties are stolen and commercially exploited during the application process, which can take up to five years and sometimes much longer,” Mr Brewer says.

“By providing greater certainty and support, we are empowering plant breeders to keep innovating – driving economic growth and ensuring New Zealand remains competitive on the world stage,” Mr McClay says.

“The National-led Government is fixing the basics and building the future by making common-sense changes for industry that help support more opportunities for New Zealanders.” Mr Brewer says.

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will continue delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme (the Programme) in 2027, saving taxpayers another $122 million. 

“When schools open in 2027, the programme will offer nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day, at a cost affordable to the taxpayer,” Mr Seymour says.

“Since the beginning of Term 1 2025, the Programme has delivered over 48 million meals to over 1,000 schools. By the end of 2027 the Programme is expected to save about $360 million compared to how Labour funded it.

“The Programme continues to improve. After fixing some teething issues, the Programme now delivers a good service. On time delivery is almost 100 per cent every day and complaints have fallen by over 92 per cent. We are getting the same results as the old programme, but cheaper.

“Under the Labour-led government, lunches cost up to $8.68 per student. Under this Government the weighted average meal cost across all suppliers is $3.58. Through innovation and embracing commercial expertise, we’re delivering a better programme.”

Budget 2026 provides $212.4 million of funding to extend the Healthy School Lunches and ECE Food programmes for another year. 

“The Healthy School Lunch programme is expected realise taxpayer savings of $122 million in 2027. $4.8 million of those savings each year will go to ensuring up to 10,000 children in early learning services receive a taxpayer funded lunch every day,” Mr Seymour says. 

“The ECE Food programme will continue in 2027. The Ministry of Education is going to market to strengthen this important programme. We need to be sure the best quality lunches are delivered in the way that works best for ECE services.

“$2.9 million from Budget 2026 will go towards exploring new approaches to make the Programme better. For example, the equity index based eligibility of the Programme means that some students who need taxpayer funded lunches don’t get them, because they are at an ineligible school. Funding will go towards piloting ways to best understand who should get taxpayer funded lunches, and how to get lunches to those children,” Mr Seymour says. 

“When the Government manages its accounts like families and businesses have to, money goes a lot further.”

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Nearly $12 million seized from criminals will be used to help combat methamphetamine and gang-related harm, the government has announced.

Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee and Associate Police Minister Casey Costello said $11.9 million would be funnelled from the Proceeds of Crime Fund, to the Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities (ROCC) programme.

“We are taking money off criminals and putting it straight back into stopping gangs from recruiting, reducing meth harm, and supporting practical frontline initiatives that work,” said McKee.

The ROCC programme involves government agencies, community organisations, service providers, and local leaders across seven regions.

Alongside police, they help communities recover after gang and methamphetamine operations, prevent young people from being pulled into organised crime, and support offenders to move away from “criminal lifestyles”, they said.

“When police crack down on gangs and drug networks, communities are often left dealing with the fallout,” said McKee.

“ROCC helps provide immediate support on the ground so gangs cannot simply move back in and regain influence.”

The Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act allows police to seize cash and assets that have been obtained through crime, and put it towards programmes that reduce violent crime.

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