AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for May 24, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Radio New Zealand

The opposition says the government’s social housing shake-up is “cruel” and will lead to more evictions of public housing tenants who will be “driven deeper into poverty”.

But the finance minister has defended the move, saying it’s about fixing an unfairness where those in social housing have “won the lottery” compared to others doing it tough who do not have access.

The government has announced a major shake-up of social housing beginning in this year’s Budget – which will boost weekly support for 110,000 families by almost $15 but leave another 80,000 families worse off by $30 a week.

The change will be paired with more stringent criteria for getting a social house – and possibly new tenancy duration limits and regular check-ins.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the government was “cruel and mean” to hike rents during a cost-of-living crisis.

“Make no bones about it. This is a government that does not care about people on low incomes … the people who benefit from an increase in the accommodation supplement are private sector landlords.”

He refused to say if Labour would reverse it until after next week’s Budget, but said those losing out would include 34,000 people with children, 30,000 pensioners, and 27,000 people with disabilities.

“If Winston Peters wants to boot out pensioners from social housing, he should say so. I’m astounded that Winston Peters, who claims to be a champion for super annuitants, is now basically condoning a hike in rent for the lowest income pensioners,” he said.

Many of those people would be unable to change their circumstances, he said.

“Increasing their rents by another 5 percent relative to their income is a massive blow to them. They already can’t make their ends meet … this is going to be an absolute body blow to people who already can’t keep their head above water.”

He said the answer was to build more public housing.

“We built about 18,000 new houses during the time we were in government, some of those finished after the election … by contrast, this government’s selling them off.”

Labour’s housing spokesperson, Kieran McAnulty, said it was nothing more than a plan to remove support from struggling New Zealanders to save money.

“Christopher Luxon and Chris Bishop are trying to dress up rent hikes and benefit cuts as ‘independence’,” he said, “you do not help families into independence by making them poorer”.

The Greens’ housing spokesperson Tamatha Paul said the reform “cuts costs” at the expense of “our most vulnerable”.

“The reason that people are in Kāinga Ora housing is because they can’t afford the private rental market, so it’s a stupid argument to make,” she said.

She said increasing rents by 20 percent on top of unaffordable food costs, power bills and medical bills was “simply cruel”.

“It’s totally out of touch with reality, and out of touch with the fact that there are thousands of people on the public housing wait list who can’t access a private flat, who need a Kāinga Ora flat, and that’s the only option for them.”

She said she had asked Bishop in recent weeks if he was considering adjusting accommodation supplements or the Income-Related Rent Subsidy.

“He said no – and look what they’ve done.”

Green social development spokesperson Ricardo Menendez March said the government wanted to make social housing tenants and those in poverty “pay the price for their austerity”.

“If the government is concerned about the high cost of accommodation for people in private housing, they need to build more public housing.

“They need to maybe not strip support from the accommodation supplement from those very same people. This is a government that is taking away from our poorest at a time of a cost-of-living crisis, and then turns their back on them and blames them for the very same crisis that they manufactured.”

The party warned the government’s changes would lead to more public housing tenants evicted and driven deeper into poverty.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis argued the changes were not about cutting costs, but reducing unfairness.

“If you’re in a state home and you compare how much income you have with someone in a private rental who’s got exactly the same income as you, you’re $110 a week better off,” she said.

“These changes are about making the system fairer. At the moment, people in social housing effectively have won the lotto, they get so much more support than a family with just as lower income in a private rental. That’s not fair, and our changes are about fixing it.”

She did not think social housing tenants would necessarily feel like lotto winners, but said it was unfair on the families who did not have access to social housing.

“Most social housing tenants, after the changes the government’s putting forward, will still be better off than households with similar income levels and private rentals, and in fact, 110,000 families in private rentals will be better off as a result of the budget.”

She pushed back on the suggestions the money would just go into landlords’ pockets, and said it was a different situation to when she had attacked an increase in student allowances for that reason when in opposition.

“That was quite different, because what happened there was that you had students in one fell swoop get a significant increase in income at a time in the rental market when there were simply not enough houses.

“[Social housing tenants’] income each week will be … on average $15 higher a week as a result of the government’s changes. That will not be a prompt for landlords to increase their rents, because actually what our government is doing at the same time is we are working very hard to increase the supply of housing in this country, including by fast tracking housing developments.”

She said social housing was needed in New Zealand for supporting vulnerable people, but “actually, we need it focused on those who are most vulnerable”.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/21/labour-and-greens-say-social-housing-shake-up-will-see-public-housing-tenants-evicted/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A retired major general says New Zealand is “tinkering” with military drones while other countries forge ahead.

Australia and the US last month ramped up their drone rollout plans. But observers and industry players doubt that next week’s Budget will deliver any significant gear change here.

“I do not expect to see that in this Budget,” said John Howard, who has also held high-level intelligence posts and writes analyses on how to speed up defence acquisitions.

“I don’t expect it to grow,” said Philip Solaris of drone-maker Obsidian Systems, adding what was key was less the size than the spending smarts.

Howard said defence was stuck in an old, slow approach to fast-moving new tech, an opinion reinforced by a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) meeting he was at in Wellington last week that he said left tech companies guessing how emerging tech would move from plans to reality.

“We’re going to trial drones in 2026? It’s a little bit like saying, ‘I’d like to trial a Toyota Corolla.’ These things are out there and they’ve been going for 20 years.

“So let’s have a different think about it. [Instead] you’d put them on ops, use them and destroy them.”

24,000 percent

The NZDF spent under $3 million on drone experiments in its science and tech unit in the last two years, according to documents released under the Official Information Act (OIA) to ex-army officer Graeme Doull.

A second OIA response said that as of March, NZDF had not developed any strategic documentation around drone projects.

“That wouldn’t surprise me given the nature of how government agencies in our small capital think about strategy,” Howard said.

NZDF told RNZ on Wednesday that it put out a strategic statement about drones and counter-drones in March. This and the Defence Industry Strategy augmented “the direction for uncrewed systems outlined in the Defence Capability Plan”, it said.

“Uncrewed systems is an important area and will remain a high priority for DST [Defence Science and Technology] going forwards.”

Asked in a second OIA request for “any documentation” outlining the priority put on drone research, NZDF released a single page about 10 “science programmes” with two or three lines about each.

Those programmes pick their priorities from the Defence Capability Plan compiled well over a year ago. It envisaged in 2024-25 spending up to half a billion on autonomous systems by 2029. The government said last month that was the right level – though it added that was a floor, not a ceiling.

The Pentagon in its biggest shift on autonomous warfare last month announced it was seeking a 24,000 percent rise in spending on the DAWG (Defence Autonomous Warfare Group), from just half-a-billion dollars to $90 billion (all $NZ).

That is inside a record $2.5 trillion defence budget request that is encountering opposition.

Around the same time, Canberra doubled its counter-drone and drone spending for the next decade. In Taiwan, however, opposition parties worked to cut the defence budget, including domestic drone manufacturing investment.

‘If it’s not spent wisely, then it will never be enough’

The Trump-driven push to expand defence budgets was never going to be enough on its own, said several experts RNZ talked to, including Solaris.

“I think the question’s not really about how much, but how that money is spent, to be honest,” said Solaris. “If it’s spent very wisely, I think we can get real momentum and change happening.

“If it’s not spent wisely, then it will never be enough.”

Old systems were now struggling to cope with dispensing the new defence money and, according to geopolitical analyst Dr Del Carlini, were further handicapped by defaulting to old ideas of what worked.

“Warfare has fundamentally changed in Ukraine,” Carlini said.

“Instead of requiring big expensive tanks, naval vessels, aircraft, a smaller country is outfighting a much larger country by using cheaper weapons that are produced in the millions and cleverly procured and networked for maximum effect. Our country can play in that game.”

But the capability plan sent signals for Budget 2026 and other Budgets that were “pretty clear that they were going to spend on lots of the normal assets of war”, Carlini said. “Drones featured, but not in the scale that I believe they need to be.

“Our defence establishment is proving that it cannot see beyond its Wellington office windows.”

Doull wrote an op-ed last month titled ‘Enough tinkering’, calling for drones to be front and centre.

He illustrated the problem with a deal done by NZDF to this year test 14 various types of drones from Mt Maunganui firm Syos.

“The deal offers no solution for fixed-wing surveillance… no low-cost long range strike… no subsurface platforms… and, critically, it does not provide for the relatively unsophisticated low-cost systems capable of being fielded in massive volumes,” said Doull.

Counter-drone plans had alarming gaps too, with Doull noting how an Iranian-designed Shahed drone could hit Auckland’s Wiri fuel terminal, launched from well beyond the country’s defensive reach.

Defence scientists needed to get in beside military units and industry partners in a programme dominated by drones, he said. “Fighting both sides of the drone battle. Learning. Breaking things.

“For a small force such as the NZDF – limited in scale and operating under persistent fiscal constraint – drones represent a disproportionately important opportunity.”

NZDF said on Wednesday: “Defence also continues to invest in uncrewed systems and the recent announcement of the contract with Syos Aerospace (Feb 2026) is an example of this.”

‘Change will happen’ or ‘Missed opportunity’?

Though the Budget might not budge, Solaris saw signs the procurement system would change.

“That change will happen when the political will is there… I’ve seen the political will… I do think I’ve seen very strong signs of it being there.”

But Howard emerged from the NZDF-tech company meeting much more sceptical.

“Defence acquisition… remains unchanged,” he said.

Defence had hammered promises to work faster and smarter with companies over its seven-month-old industry strategy, that followed the $12 billion Defence Capability Plan’s debut over a year ago. The plan was cemented in a four-to-15-year future of large and rising sums of tax money for defence – most imminently, in Budget 2026 next week.

Howard said he spoke after the meeting to various firms that had come wanting to understand funding and engagement with NZDF’s information tech arm.

“It was a missed opportunity… What it didn’t deliver was a clear and immediate pathway to engage.”

No senior officers who could have provided “clarity” were there.

“We’re still tinkering around the edges.”

Ukraine made an offer last December to New Zealand to set up a drone-building joint venture, RNZ revealed on Monday. Officials were still considering it, the government said.

It would require a bilateral security arrangement to be signed first.

Carlini is a fan of a drone joint venture with Ukraine.

“We spend a billion dollars… we would be in the game straight away.”

Solaris is not a fan, arguing local technical talent was good enough, but what mattered was how they and defence collaborated.

“To the government’s credit, they have recognised the key issue of national logistical certainty and have encouraged international primes to partner with NZ companies to develop [this].”

Howard warned that done wrong, a Ukraine joint venture would send capital offshore: “Then it’s a double loss for New Zealand.”

A New Zealander of Ukrainian origin, Kate Turska, recently wrote in the Kyiv Post that smart countries were moving beyond supporting Ukraine to partnering with it as it built “one of the most advanced and fast-moving defense and security innovation ecosystems in the world”.

NZDF, asked by RNZ how it was assessing Ukraine’s offer, did not say.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/21/is-new-zealand-falling-behind-in-the-drone-arms-race/

MIL OSI

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Construction of the long-awaited second Ashburton Bridge has begun, Transport Minister Chris Bishop and South Island Minister James Meager have announced.

“A second crossing over the Ashburton River is going to be a game changer for residents moving around and through the Mid Canterbury town. It will also be important for economic growth as traffic volumes ease for commuters, tourists and freight operators on the existing crossing via State Highway 1,” Mr Bishop says.

“The second Ashburton Bridge project is one of the Government’s Roads of Regional Significance being delivered by the NZ Transport Agency in partnership with the Ashburton District Council.”

Mr Meager says the second bridge and new connection road will be 2.46km long and will include two traffic lanes, on-road cycle facilities, and a shared path.

“About 24,000 vehicles use the current bridge daily. This is a key route for ensuring our people and goods can get up and down the South Island and needs to be future proofed.

“Having a second crossing connecting Tinwald to Ashburton provides a critical back-up and lifeline in the event of crashes, emergencies or severe weather events that may impact SH1, which has occurred in recent years,” Mr Meager says.

“I’m proud to be delivering on the National Party’s 2023 campaign promise to start construction of the bridge in our first term. This crucial project has been accelerated because of its importance to the community and the Government. 

“Fletcher Construction is able to hit the ground running after helping to develop the detailed design for the project over the last few months.

“The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2027, with an estimated total project cost of between $134 to $144 million.”

Notes to Editor: 

• The Second Ashburton Bridge project will provide access across the 650m wide Ashburton/Hakatere riverbed, about 700m east (downstream) of the existing SH1 bridge. 

• On the north side of the river, the bridge extends from Chalmers Avenue across the river to Carters Terrace. On the south side of the river, a new road will connect Carters Terrace to Grahams Road. 

• The project also includes two new roundabouts (at Chalmers Avenue/South Street and Grahams Road), new intersections and provision for people walking and cycling.

• Geotechnical investigations have been completed to better understand the ground conditions in and around Ashburton/Hakatere River for the new bridge. Early work has also been underway, including ecological work, removal of trees, creation of access roads, and establishing placement areas for heavy equipment.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/22/work-on-second-ashburton-bridge-underway/

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is investing in drone systems, critical ship maintenance and work to replace our aging naval fleet as it bolsters New Zealand’s maritime defensive and offensive capability, Defence and Veterans Minister Chris Penk says.

“New Zealand’s prosperity and security depend on the sea. For many years, New Zealand’s geographic distance has been seen as a shield from instability elsewhere in the world,” Mr Penk says. 

“However, recent events have served as a reminder of how quickly disruptions to international shipping routes can affect economies and supply chains across the globe. The oceans are not a barrier to danger, but a vital national interest that must be actively secured. 

“Budget 2026 provides an additional $880 million of operating funding and $700 million of new capital funding for activities and operations as well as priority projects identified in the Defence Capability Plan (DCP), with a strong focus on maritime security. 

“The Maritime Fleet Renewal programme will receive funding for the ongoing work of delivering a modern and combat capable navy, as well as for two types of drones. 

“One will be used in the South-West Pacific to provide long-duration intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, while the other is polar-capable and can conduct missions from Royal New Zealand Navy vessels in the Southern Ocean.

“The Budget will also allow for critical maintenance on the Anzac-class frigates and HMNZS Canterbury, to extend the life of the existing ships until they are replaced. 

“Further major projects will deliver new and upgraded training facilities and continue the long-term Homes for Families programme; building modern, healthy houses for personnel and their whānau. 

“This Budget also includes investment in our national economy through construction, maintenance and sustainment projects with New Zealand-based businesses, and $1.5 million of capital funding alongside $16 million of operating funding to begin work on the Technology Accelerator programme. This pilot programme focuses on connecting industry with Defence to solve specific military challenges.

“More than 80 percent of the New Zealand Defence Force’s $2.6 billion operating and personnel budget is spent within New Zealand, bolstering the economy while serving the dual benefit of ensuring we have a strong Defence Force.  

“Just over a year ago, the Government committed to investing in a combat capable New Zealand Defence Force that pulls its weight internationally and domestically through the Defence Capability Plan (DCP). 

“This year’s Budget once again delivers on that promise with $1.6 billion of new funding to support essential Defence activities and priority projects, bringing the total new investment in Defence to $5.8 billion since the DCP was released. 

“Budget 2026 provides an essential investment in the ongoing defence of New Zealand and its interests at a time when New Zealand personnel and equipment are expected to be called upon more often, in challenging circumstances. 

“Whether it be providing support during severe weather events at home or deploying with trusted partners overseas, New Zealand’s personnel undertake vital work and deserve unwavering support.” 

Notes to editors: 

Attached: Budget 2026 Defence Funding Factsheet

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/23/budget-2026-shores-up-maritime-security/

Source: New Zealand Government

The development of an important North Canterbury roading link in its largest town has hit a major milestone, with the Government confirming support for the project’s initial stages, Associate Transport and South Island Minister James Meager says.

The NZ Transport Agency Board has approved $4.5m in funding for the Rangiora Eastern Link, as a 51 per cent contribution towards property acquisition and the project’s detailed design.

“This Government support paves the way for construction of a 3km road to complete a 6km connection from east Rangiora to State Highway 71/Lineside Road, which will provide a much-needed alternative access route in and out of town,” Mr Meager says.

“With about 5000 new dwellings expected by 2048, including two major developments starting from 2028, further pressure will go on the area’s existing roads. The Rangiora Eastern Link is a common-sense project 25 years in the making and will be hugely significant for the town and wider North Canterbury region.

“The link will also relieve pressure on Southbrook Road, which is currently the primary access into Rangiora and has become increasingly busy in recent years. It now carries more than 23,000 vehicles a day, with peak travel times for freight and residents forecast to further deteriorate with additional housing development and population growth.”

The Waimakariri District Council is paying the remaining costs of detailed design and property acquisition, expected to be $8.8m total.

“This is a great example of our dedication to fixing the basics and building the future. It also strongly aligns with the Government Policy Statement on land transport’s expectations to have development supporting infrastructure growth,” Mr Meager says.

“The Council have been clear to me that this project is one of its key district priorities. I’m pleased to be able to deliver this significant development following those discussions.”

“I’ve always said Waimakariri has the growing pains of growth so it’s important to me as local MP to fight for vital roading funding to ensure reliable travel times,” MP for Waimakariri Matt Doocey says.

“Residents have been raising with me the issue of congestion at Southbrook so it’s a real win their voices have been heard by the National Government.”

“The NZTA Board has also endorsed the Waimakariri District Council’s business case for the project, which is estimated to have a total cost of $65.5m to $78.8m. The Council will seek NZTA’s contribution to its remaining costs following the completion of the detailed design and property acquisition stages,” Mr Meager says.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/21/milestone-for-major-north-canterbury-roading-project/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A petition with 13,000 signatures calling for an autistic 5-year-old to be allowed to stay in New Zealand has been presented to Parliament.

Immigration NZ last year refused to allow Aidhan Nithin to live in New Zealand, after finding he was likely to impose significant costs or demands on health and education services.

His parents are residents and work in the health sector.

His father Nithin Mankeel said he was living in fear his family would be separated and had pleaded with officials not to let that happen.

Mankeel moved to New Zealand from India in January 2024, followed by his wife and son later that year.

He works as an elder care nurse and his wife is a senior healthcare assistant.

A petition was presented to MPs Rachel Boyack and Ricardo Menéndez March on Wednesday.

Boyack and National Party MP Carl Bates had written to former Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk asking him to intervene in the case – but their requests were refused.

Boyack escalated the case to Immigration Minister Erica Stanford, who could act outside policy to look at the case on its merits, but that was also refused.

Boyack said that was disappointing and she planned to write to new Associate Immigration Minister Cameron Brewer about Nithin’s case.

She had been supporting the family for the past year and they had widespread support in the community.

“Nearly every week I have people ask me what’s happening to Nithin, the nurse and his family,” Boyack said.

“These are two critical healthcare workers that we need in Nelson. We have an ageing population, they both work in the health sector supporting our older communities and it’s just not okay that you can recruit healthcare workers to come and work in New Zealand and then deport the child.”

Nithin had been granted an exemption to start school while his parents awaited a decision, Boyack said.

“What I’ve heard from kindergarten teachers and people who’ve worked with him is that he’s a wonderful young boy. He’s thriving in the education environment. He’s happy here in New Zealand and so sending him away from New Zealand would be harmful to him.”

She had letters from residents and their family members at the aged care provider where Mankeel worked, saying he was the best nurse ever.

“[Mankeel] was the only person that was able to comfort people in their final days. When you get references like that about someone that’s where a minister actually should be looking at the merits of the case and saying this one sits outside policy and I’m going to overturn the decision,” Boyack said

Menéndez March, who had also written to Penk, said Brewer now had the opportunity to do the right thing.

“This is one of those unusual cases where the three largest political parties clearly can see that we have a migrant family who’s in distress and deserves certainty and so we hope that Cameron Brewer does the right thing by them, heeds the calls from his own colleagues and intervenes so that Aidhan can stay in the country in the community that he belongs to and is growing up in.”

Mankeel said his son would turn six next week and was thriving but the ordeal had been heartbreaking with “so many days of tears”.

“Aidhan is not aware of the situation, he’s really small,” Mankeel said.

“We don’t have any other family relatives here. So [me and my wife] are supporting each other and we are holding each other because we need to live together as a small family until our death. That’s all we need.”

Brewer has been contacted for comment.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/20/thousands-sign-petition-to-allow-autistic-5-year-old-to-stay-in-nz/

Source: New Zealand Government

More than 80 Wairoa youth will be supported to re-engage with education or embark on the pathway to employment, through a joint Government and community funding initiative, Youth Minister James Meager has confirmed.

The Wairoa Young Achievers Trust has received $100,000 from the Youth Development Partnership and Innovation Fund, to deliver a minimum ten-week ‘Pathways 2 Potential’ programme for those aged 12 to 18 years, over one year.

That investment has been doubled through co-funding from the New Zealand Police, Eastern and Central Community Trust, and First Light Community Foundation for a total of $200,000.

“This partnership focuses on improving young people’s education through and additional learning opportunities and increased school attendance, with an end goal of attaining NCEA or starting, continuing, or completing tertiary qualifications,” Mr Meager says.

“Participants will get involved in hands-on tailored workshops covering crucial topics, like financial literacy, employability skills, teamwork and communication skills, discipline and decision-making and social media awareness.

“They will be supported to plan for key transitions, like between primary and high school or high school and tertiary education or work, and will have access to individual and group mentoring. They will also have opportunities to be involved in community volunteering.

“I’d like to acknowledge the strong advocacy for Wairoa’s young people from MP Katie Nimon, who spends a significant amount of time in the area supporting the community.

“This investment is part of our new direction for all Ministry of Youth Development funding to only go to programmes that can demonstrate successful outcomes, which align with key government targets.

“Through this community-led support we expect to see an increase in school attendance and improved academic performance, which is a key Government priority as we continue to fix the basics and build the future of New Zealand’s education system.”

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/21/wairoa-youth-benefit-from-new-funding-partnerships/

MIL OSI