AM Edition: Here are the top 10 politics articles on LiveNews.co.nz for May 17, 2026 – Full Text
1. Government Cuts – RespectEd Aotearoa: ten years of prevention work ends, but a future worth fighting for
May 17, 2026
Source: RespectEd Aotearoa
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2. Health – GenPro calls for major investment in General Practice ahead of Election 2026
May 17, 2026
GenPro has today (May 18) released its Election 2026 Policy Agenda, calling on all political parties to commit to strengthening general practice as the cornerstone of a high-performing and sustainable health system in New Zealand.
The manifesto sets out a comprehensive package of evidence-based reforms designed to improve patient access, reduce hospital pressure, support the healthcare workforce, and restore financial sustainability to general practice.
“General practice is the foundation of an effective health system,” says GenPro chair Dr Angus Chambers. “When patients can access timely care from a trusted GP, outcomes improve, pressure on hospitals reduces, and public health funding is used more efficiently.”
The policy agenda aligns closely with the Government’s five national health priorities: Access, Timeliness, Quality, Workforce, and Infrastructure. Key recommendations are:
A minimum cumulative 30 percent increase in general practice funding over three years to restore financial sustainability across the sector.
Increased investment in primary care from the current 6% of Vote Health toward international WHO/OECD benchmarks of approximately 14% of total health expenditure.
An improved independent cost pressure adjustment mechanism to prevent real term erosion of practice income.
Separation between the funder and provider of health services – currently Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand – to ensure impartial allocation of health budget across the sector.
Mandatory consultation with general practice representatives on major health funding and service design decisions.
Workforce initiatives to attract and retain GPs and nurses, including support for recruitment, ownership pathways, and overseas clinician integration.
Increased investment in rural healthcare, after-hours services, digital infrastructure, and clinician support.
Dr Chambers says the manifesto is not simply about supporting one part of the healthcare sector, but about protecting the long-term sustainability of the entire health system.
“For too long, general practice has been expected to absorb rising costs and growing patient demand without adequate investment,” he says. “If we want affordable, accessible healthcare for New Zealanders, we must strengthen the frontline of the system.”
Changes are required to restore general practice – a New Zealand Medical Students’ Association survey foundthat only 14% of students are interested in becoming GPs; experienced GPs are no longer recommending the specialty to trainee doctors; and general practices are struggling to recruit enough doctors as nine out of 10 are increasing patient fees to stay afloat.
Dr Chambers added that continuity of care and independent community-based practices remain essential to achieving better patient outcomes.
“Patients value ongoing relationships with their GP. Continuity of care saves lives, reduces hospital admissions, and improves the quality of healthcare delivery. This must remain central to future policy decisions.”
GenPro is urging all political parties contesting the November election to adopt policies that prioritise frontline primary healthcare and ensure New Zealanders continue to have access to affordable, high-quality general practice care.
“Investing in general practice is the most effective way to improve health outcomes while controlling costs across the wider system,” Dr Chambers says. “This is not just a sector issue — it is a national priority.”
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3. Communities to lead targeted social support
May 14, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
Communities will have more power to decide how social services funding is spent locally under a new approach being delivered through the Government’s Social Investment Fund, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says.
“Expressions of interest are now open for Community-led Commissioning, which will give trusted local leaders and organisations with a proven track record more say over how funding is used in their communities, while holding them accountable for delivering measurable results,” Nicola Willis says.
“The Social Investment Fund is driving this new approach to social services which is focused on improving outcomes for New Zealanders and ensuring taxpayer funding is directed towards what works.
“Every year, the Government commissions more than $8 billion worth of social services – choosing who delivers support, what is delivered, and where funding goes – from non-government organisations, iwi and community providers, in addition to core health and education services.
“Too often, the current way of commissioning means that funding is tied up in siloed contracts, duplicated reporting requirements and Wellington-designed processes that do not reflect local needs.
“This new approach is about giving communities the flexibility to design solutions that work for their people, while maintaining a strong focus on outcomes including; fewer people on the Jobseeker Support benefit, higher educational achievement, better health outcomes, and fewer victims and offenders of crime.
“Following the expression of interest process, shortlisted groups will work with the Social Investment Agency to agree shared objectives, outcomes and accountability measures. A request for proposals process will then follow.
“Ultimately, we want community led commissioning to become the norm – moving away from fragmented government contracts and backing communities to deliver better outcomes for the people they serve.”
The Social Investment Fund is supporting reforms including consolidating NGO contracts, commissioning new outcomes-based contracts, enabling Community-led Commissioning, and developing future funding partnerships with philanthropists.
Notes to editors:
The Government allocated $190 million in Budget 2025 for the Social Investment Fund.
Social Investment Fund Ministers will consider recommendations for up to two community commissioning design partners. Expressions of interest will be assessed on their potential to support improved outcomes for their target cohort. Following the design phase, Social Investment Fund Ministers will consider formal Community-led Commissioning proposals for implementation.
Accountability for Community-led Commissioning will be achieved through reporting on progress against the measures and requirements set out in the outcome agreement between the Community-led Commissioning entity and the Social Investment Agency.
More information on criteria and specifics of applying can be found here.
Social Investment Fund FAQs can be found here.
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4. New gas data supports action to keep lights on
May 14, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
New Zealand’s natural gas reserves have fallen sharply over the past year, and the latest figures show why the Government is working hard to secure the country’s energy supply, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.
“MBIE’s annual Petroleum Reserves report shows gas reserves have dropped 23 per cent in the past year, down to 731 petajoules,” Mr Brown says.
“About half of that fall is gas used during 2025. The other half is gas that operators have realised was previously over estimated, with the Pohokura field being the biggest reason for these downgrades.
“The report also shows production is falling faster than expected. The Maui field, one of New Zealand’s biggest, is set to stop producing this year. In total, eight gas fields are expected to close between now and 2036.”
Mr Brown says falling gas supply is a real problem for Kiwi households and businesses.
“Gas is used to generate the electricity that keeps the lights on when the sun’s not shining, the wind’s not blowing, and the lakes are low. Without enough gas to back up renewable generation, power bills go up, factories shut down, and Kiwis lose their jobs.
“That’s exactly what happened in 2024, when New Zealand had a dry year. Wholesale power prices soared above $800 per megawatt hour, the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter cut production, some businesses closed for good and Kiwis lost their jobs.
“Following the Labour Government’s ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, higher energy prices have had a significant impact on the New Zealand economy, leading to a $5.2 billion loss in GDP in 2025 alone. Kiwis are paying the price in higher power bills, lost jobs, and a weaker economy.
“When gas runs short, firms turn to coal. Coal produces around twice the carbon emissions of gas for the same amount of energy, so a shortage of gas is bad for our economy and bad for our climate.”
The Government is taking several actions to keep the lights on and ensure affordable power bills:
- Reversed Labour’s ban on oil and gas exploration to bring investment back, get more gas out of the ground, and put downward pressure on power bills.
- Backing new domestic gas with a $200 million Gas Security Fund, partnering with industry to get more gas to market sooner.
- Undertaking a procurement process for an LNG import facility, as part of our focus on keeping the lights on and ensuring power bills are affordable when dry years hit.
- Enabling Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage, a technology already used overseas that makes it easier and cheaper to keep producing domestic gas.
“Every other comparable country in the OECD has access to secure, diversified gas supplies. New Zealand is the outlier, and we need to secure affordable energy.
“This Government’s focus is on delivering secure, affordable energy for households and businesses. That’s why we are fixing the basics and building the future by rebuilding New Zealand’s energy security after the Labour Government’s neglect.
“Kiwis deserve power they can afford, an economy backed by reliable energy, and jobs protected from avoidable shocks.”
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5. Government to spend $15.5m on palliative care for children
May 14, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
The government will spend $15.5m over four years to set up a national paediatric palliative care service, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced.
The care would be delivered by dedicated specialist teams in both the North and South islands.
At the moment, Health New Zealand funds just one specialist paediatric palliative care physician based at Starship Children’s Hospital.
Health Minister Simeon Brown made the announcement on Thursday morning and said it would mean children with serious illnesses and their families would be better supported with compassionate, specialist paediatric palliative care closer to home.
The new services would roll out from the middle of next year.
Brown said about 300 New Zealand children die each year from life-threatening or life-limiting conditions, and up to 3000 may require paediatric palliative care support.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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6. Focus on Jobseekers leaves youth falling through cracks and harder to place once 18 – Mayors’ Taskforce
May 13, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
RNZ
Young people who could have been helped into work are instead stuck “in a void” due to government policy changes, says the head of the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs.
It comes as StatsNZ data points to rising youth unemployment, with 14.4 percent of 15 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) in the March quarter – up from 13.3 percent in December.
The Mayors’ Taskforce is a partnership between Local Government NZ and the Ministry of Social Development, helping young people find work across 36 council jurisdictions.
Its chair, Gore mayor Ben Bell, told a select committee on Wednesday it works best by supporting 16 to 18 year-olds who are “NEET” – before they’re eligible for the Jobseeker benefit.
But he said the government last year directed it to target support at jobseekers – “80 percent jobseekers, 20 percent NEETs” – which meant the younger jobless cohort fell through the cracks.
“If a young person leaves school at 16 and has no social interaction until they hit Jobseeker at 18, they are significantly harder to place than if we picked them up at 16 and then got them a job immediately,” he said.
“The 16 to 18 year-old group is the critical window of where we can take them from education, put them back into education, or into training or into employment. But if they sit in this void, that’s where it becomes really challenging.”
Bell acknowledged politicians’ arguments that those people were not costing the government anything.
“Our opinion, on the ground, is that that makes things worse in the long term, rather than the short term gain of not putting them on a welfare system,” he said.
“We honestly think that we can do the Jobseeker work and also the NEET work as well. We just need a little bit of the funding to do it … we’re investing in what works.”
Social development minister Louise Upston indicated the focus would not change.
“It doesn’t prevent them from working with 16 to 18 year olds, it’s just a proportion issue,” she said.
“I accept they want to work with a different age bracket, but we are paying welfare to Jobseeker recipients, and it’s really important that our employment initiatives that are funded by taxpayers are going to those who are already on welfare.”
The government is standing by its target of 50,000 fewer people on the Jobseeker benefit, despite the numbers heading in the wrong direction and a predicted rise in unemployment.
Bell said the programme had supported more than 1000 people in the last financial year – exceeding its target of 900 – with $8 million in government funding.
Upston said some mayors were achieving “outstanding results” and she applauded their success.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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7. Details of NCEA replacement confirmed
May 16, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
New Zealand’s new senior secondary qualifications will provide clearer, more credible recognition of student achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.
“We want young people leaving school with qualifications that are clear, rigorous and widely understood by parents, employers, tertiary providers and students themselves,” Ms Stanford says.
“In March, we confirmed that NCEA would be replaced by a new subject-based qualification over two years. The new qualification will be the New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) at Year 12 and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE) at Year 13.
“Today we are confirming how students will achieve the qualifications, the new grading scale, compulsory subjects, and assessment requirements. These changes are designed to provide clearer pathways, stronger foundations and greater confidence in what student achievement means.
“Under the new system, students in Years 12 and 13 will study at least five subjects each year, with a minimum of three subjects required to achieve each qualification. Obtaining the new literacy and numeracy Foundational Award, benchmarked at Year 11, will be will be a requirement to gain the new qualification.”
Certificates will clearly show how many subjects a student has passed, along with the grade achieved in each subject, creating incentives for students to work hard and achieve success across more subjects.
Students who achieve excellent results across all five subjects will also be eligible for endorsement awards, recognising outstanding academic and vocational performance.
“The new qualifications will introduce a six-point grading scale from A+ to E for every subject, making achievement easier to understand for parents, employers, tertiary providers and students themselves.”
Every subject will include internal assessments and an examination, with the weighting of the examination varying depending on the curriculum area and the nature of the subject. The qualification changes are being developed alongside the new knowledge-rich senior secondary curriculum so that what students learn and how they are assessed are properly aligned.
From 2028, Science | Pūtaiao will also become a compulsory subject in Year 11 alongside English | Te Reo Rangatira and Mathematics | Pāngarau.
“Science gives young people important foundational knowledge in today’s modern world, paving the way for our future scientists, problem-solvers and innovators.
“In 2025 we confirmed the subject list being developed by the Ministry of Education. Examples of exciting new subjects that have been confirmed for the curriculum are ‘Civics, Politics and Philosophy’, ‘Journalism, Media and Communications’ and ‘Advanced Mathematics’.
“Also included are industry-led subjects being developed by Industry Skills Boards that will be included in the qualification with parity of esteem alongside the Ministry subjects. These include subjects like Building and Construction, Outdoor Education and Primary Industries.
“This qualification rewards hard work and is designed to encourage young people to strive to do their very best, and ultimately to feel proud of what they achieved.
“Today’s Year 9 students will be the first cohort to progress through these changes, supported by a clearer curriculum and qualifications that properly recognise achievement and prepare them for the future.
“This is about ensuring every young New Zealander leaves school with qualifications that are credible, internationally comparable, and set them up for success.”
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8. Accommodation supplement change raises concern
May 14, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand
Social Development Minister Louise Upston said the accommodation supplement calculation had not changed for 33 years RNZ / Mark Papalii
A critic says a change to the accommodation supplement rules is expected to push some households further into poverty.
The Social Security Amendment Bill was introduced in Parliament on Thursday.
It introduces changes that were signalled in the 2025 Budget, which the government said were designed to better target financial assistance and ensure the sustainability of the welfare system.
It introduces a parental assistance test for 18- and 19-year-old JobSeeker applicants and adjusts the calculation for the accommodation supplement.
Homeowners will be assessed based on contributing 40 percent – not 30 percent – of their income to housing costs before they are eligible for a subsidy.
Child Poverty Action Group spokesperson Isaac Gunson said even households that could meet that threshold would experience “deeper after-housing-cost poverty”.
He said they would probably have to defer things like home maintenance, which could have a flow-on effect to worse health outcomes.
Social Development Minister Louise Upston said the accommodation supplement calculation had not changed for 33 years, and those with unsubsidised housing costs now generally paid a higher proportion of their income towards housing.
“This rebalances that. This will target the accommodation supplement to those with the greatest need, while continuing to support the most vulnerable groups.”
The amount that people are allowed to have in assets and still qualify for the supplement has also not been changed in more than 30 years. A couple or a sole parent could have cash assets up to $16,200.
She said she did not have the details of how many people would be affected or how much it would save.
“The bill has been tabled, they are Budget ’25 measures so there won’t be any surprise there.”
The change does not apply to renters and boarders, nor homeowners who are likely to require longer-term social assistance, including those on superannuation, veteran’s pension, supported living payment, or emergency benefit equivalent of supported living payment.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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9. Foreign Minister welcomes Deputy PM of Lao PDR to New Zealand
May 14, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has welcomed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), His Excellency Thongsavan Phomvihane, on his first official visit to New Zealand.
“New Zealand’s relationship with Lao PDR is grounded in a long-standing development partnership, with support focused on unexploded ordnance clearance, inclusive economic growth, and education, alongside wider regional and multilateral cooperation,” Mr Peters says.
To coincide with the visit, Mr Peters announced support for rural communities through the Partnering for Impact programme. In partnership with Save the Children New Zealand, World Vision New Zealand, and Christian Blind Mission, the initiatives will support livelihoods, economic outcomes, and food security for vulnerable populations.
“These partnerships are about practical delivery – improving people’s lives, strengthening communities and supporting long‑term resilience,” Mr Peters says.
In their formal talks, Mr Peters and Deputy Prime Minister Phomvihane discussed engagement in regional institutions such as ASEAN, and New Zealand’s ongoing development cooperation, education, trade, and people-to-people links with Laos.
Deputy Prime Minister Phomvihane is the first high-level visitor to New Zealand from Lao PDR since 2016.
“This visit builds on over 60 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Laos and reflects our long‑standing commitment to increased engagement with Southeast Asia,” Mr Peters says.
Deputy Prime Minister Thongsavan Phomvihane departs New Zealand on Friday.
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10. Bill to enable digital drivers licences passes third reading
May 13, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
Legislation to make New Zealand’s transport regulatory system fit for purpose has passed its third reading today, Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Transport Minister James Meager say.
“The changes bring transport legislation up to date by allowing digital options instead of paper documents, improving online service delivery, and strengthening rail and maritime enforcement through clearer responsibilities and appropriate penalties,” Mr Bishop says.
The Bill modernises transport legislation by shifting paper-based and physical processes to digital service delivery, including:
• enabling the future use of digital driver licences as an optional alternative to physical cards
• enabling digital alternatives to the requirement to display warrants of fitness and registration labels
• enhancing the New Zealand Transport Agency’s ability to deliver regulatory notices electronically
“Transport legislation relied heavily on hard copy letters to be posted instead of being sent electronically. Last year alone, this resulted in 14 million letters, reminders, and labels being sent at a cost of $16.8 million to taxpayers. While some mail will still be required, these changes will allow many services to move to modern digital delivery,” Mr Bishop says.
“Privacy and security safeguards have been a key focus throughout the Bill’s passage. Strong protections remain in place, with statutory obligations under the Privacy Act continuing to apply and existing contractual requirements protecting personal information.”
“The Bill is underpinned by three core themes: equipping regulators with effective tools, improving system efficiency, and addressing duplication and inconsistencies in transport legislation,” Mr Meager says.
“These changes complement recent reforms to Warrant of Fitness and Certificate of Fitness requirements, which reduce unnecessary compliance and better align inspection rules with modern vehicles and real-world risk.”
In addition to enabling digital licences and modernising service delivery, the Bill includes a range of other amendments to transport legislation, including:
• introducing clear duties on rail participants and personnel to support rail accident and incident investigations, reinforced by appropriate offences and penalties
• strengthening maritime enforcement by increasing and clarifying infringement fees for breaches of navigation bylaws
“Ultimately, these changes will make the system simpler to use, easier to enforce, and better for all transport users,” Mr Meager says.
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