AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for September 30, 2026 – Full Text

Source: New Zealand Government

Tougher penalties and new offences agreed by Cabinet will help tackle the illicit tobacco trade, Associate Minister of Health Costello says.

“Cheap illegal cigarettes are connected to organised crime; they hit legitimate businesses and tax revenue – and they undermine our efforts to stop people smoking,” Ms Costello says.

“The current regulatory regime stretches across various agencies and doesn’t recognise the seriousness of the issue or provide enforcement agencies the tools required. 

“Cabinet has now approved two sets of legislative changes that will support Health New Zealand, the Ministry of Health, Customs and Police to better address black-market tobacco.

“Unlawful packaging of tobacco is a clear indicator that tobacco has been illicitly imported,” Ms Costello says.

New offences and penalties relating to breaches of packaging regulations include:

• a new infringement offence of a $2,000 fine for a breach of packaging regulations 
• a strict liability offence for a breach of packaging regulations of up to $200,000 for manufacturers, importers and distributors  
• increasing the maximum penalty for the existing knowledge-based offence for a breach of packaging regulations from $50,000 to $100,000  
• aligning the offence structure and maximum penalties for the sale of small quantities of tobacco with those for packaging 
• strengthening the consequences for the approval of a specialist vape retailer that breaches regulations.

Changes to fines and offences will require amendments to the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990 before they come into effect.

The Customs and Excise (Border Security) Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament last week also contains a significant related change with maximum prison term for tobacco smuggling and excise evasion increasing from six months to seven years.

“The annual increase in the tobacco excise has been a useful tool to discourage smoking, as well as providing important government revenue. Australia’s experience with a huge slump in excise collection connected to illicit tobacco shows that we need to stop this black market as soon as we can,” Ms Costello says.

“Taken together, these changes will strengthen the Government’s cross-agency response by making it easier to identify, disrupt and penalise illicit activity.” 

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/29/tougher-penalties-to-stop-illicit-tobacco/

Source: NZCTU

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi welcomes Labour’s commitment to reverse the Government’s gutting of pay equity within its first 100 days in office, and to put care and support workers at the front of the queue for a settlement.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins made the commitment at a public meeting in Christchurch on Monday night.

“This is the commitment working women have been waiting for since the day this Government ripped away their right to fair pay,” says Melissa Ansell-Bridges, Secretary of NZCTU.

“One of the most despicable things this Government has done to working people was when in May last year, with no warning and no consultation, they rushed a law through Parliament under urgency that cancelled all 33 pay equity claims in progress – affecting more than 180,000 working people.

“Nurses, care and support workers, teachers, librarians, and administrators who had spent years building their cases were told to start again under rules designed to make sure they fail.

“Care and support workers have waited far too long, and we’re pleased Labour has committed to prioritising them first.

“Restoring pay equity within the first 100 days was one of the core priorities in our Briefing to the Incoming Government. It’s good to see Labour step up and make this commitment for working women. Now we want every other party that hopes to form the next government to make the same commitment – along with a clear plan to fund it.

“Pay equity isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s about fixing the historic undervaluation of work done mostly by women. On 7 November, voters have a clear choice between a government that took pay equity away and parties that will give it back.”

“We can’t risk three more years of Luxon and his anti-worker government,” says Ansell-Bridges. “It’s time to vote for change. It’s time to vote for pay equity. Working women can’t afford six years of Luxon.”

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/29/nzctu-welcomes-labour-pledge-to-restore-pay-equity/

Source: New Zealand Government

Today’s pre-election update forecasts healthy economic growth and a distinct improvement in the government’s books, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.

“I’m pleased that New Zealanders’ hard work, resilience and adaptability through tough economic times is bearing fruit.

“Today’s numbers show that the deficit in the year ending July this year was $3.4 billion smaller than forecast in the Budget in May, reflecting stronger economic momentum. 

Treasury’s forecasts also show:

significantly smaller deficits this year and next year
bigger surpluses in the following years
less debt
lower debt servicing costs
the economy growing at an average of 2.6 per cent 
220,000 more jobs being created; and
wages rising faster than prices.

“The positive outlook reflects hard work by households and businesses, backed by a government focused on restoring fiscal discipline and driving economic growth. 

“The upgraded forecast is driven to a large extent by actual improved performance. Businesses have been doing better than anticipated, which feeds into the government’s bottom line through increased tax revenue.

“Treasury’s Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update shows the operating balance deficit shrinking from the $11.4 billion forecast at the Budget to $6.8 billion this financial year and to less than $1 billion next year. 

“Over the following three years the surplus is forecast to grow from $4 billion to almost $12 billion.

“Debt is forecast to start declining as a proportion of the economy in 2028/29 and to fall in dollar terms in 2030/31. That will be the first such fall since 2017/18. 

“The improved forecast means the Government will borrow $15 billion less over the next four years through reduced bond issuance. This is on top of the $6 billion reduction in forecast borrowings at the Budget and means borrowing costs will be lower.

“That is welcome news. The amount New Zealand spends servicing our debt each year is significant, equivalent to the cost of building more than four Dunedin Hospitals every single year. 

“Ultimately, this frees up more money for the things New Zealanders care about and ensures we are in a stronger position to weather the next global conflict or major weather event.

“The same applies to households and businesses. Wages rising faster than prices means Kiwis will have more of their own money in the bank and more choices about how to use it, whether that’s taking the kids on holiday, saving for a house deposit, or investing more in their business or KiwiSaver.

“A stronger fiscal position cannot be taken for granted and treated as a green light to open the chequebook, because Kiwis know from bitter experience that things can always change and global instability is not going away.

“There is still a lot of work to do to turn the forecasts into reality and there are clear risks to the forecasts from ongoing instability in the Middle East. That is why we need to stay the course.

“The pre-election forecasts are based on the work done to restore fiscal discipline to government spending and an ongoing commitment by our government to maintaining that discipline. 

“The last government’s irresponsible spending, combined with the Reserve Bank’s over-stimulus of the economy, caused unnecessary hardship that many Kiwis are still feeling the effects of.

“The lesson of the past 10 years is that governments must manage the public’s money as carefully as people manage their own finances.

“The pre-election update confirms that is what this government has been doing.

“Our plan to prioritise responsible economic management, underpinned by careful spending and a consistent focus on growing the economy, is working. Now is the time to stick with the plan and secure a stronger financial future for every New Zealander.”

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/29/economy-strengthening-books-getting-better/

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Funding of $1.7 million for three projects to reduce food waste across the country has been announced today by Environment Minister Nicola Grigg.

“Reducing food waste is one of the most practical ways of reducing methane emissions, and supporting wider emissions reduction objectives,” Ms Grigg says.

“Funding from the National Food Waste Reduction Programme will support three initiatives across the food supply chain over the next three years, reducing waste from households, food production, hospitality and other businesses.”

“Of the 30 million tonnes of food that enters New Zealand’s supply chain each year, an estimated 1.2 million tonnes is lost or wasted, and a third of that waste occurs in our homes. The Government is backing projects to address this significant and costly waste,” Ms Grigg says.

The projects receiving funding are:

WasteMINZ will receive $800,000 over two years to extend its household food waste reduction work, building on the successful Love Food Hate Waste campaign through national multimedia campaigns and partnerships with councils.

The NZ Food Waste Champions 12.3 Trust will receive $750,000 over three years to continue a voluntary national agreement supporting food production and other businesses to measure, manage and reduce food waste across the supply chain.

The Restaurant Association of New Zealand will receive $150,000 to expand the Kai Keepers programme for one year, helping hospitality businesses reduce food waste, improve diversion of organic waste from landfill.

“These projects align with the Government’s priorities to reduce the volume of organic waste reaching our landfills. They have demonstrated that they actively support businesses and households to measure and manage food waste, set targets, and put waste reduction plans in place.

“This investment will help the initiatives expand their impact and strengthen food waste reduction practices across New Zealand,” Ms Grigg says. 

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/29/funding-boost-to-cut-food-waste-and-emissions/

Source: New Zealand Government

Families across the country can now access free, trusted parenting information through Tākai, the national parenting platform, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. 

“Raising children is one of the most important jobs any of us will do, and it’s important that parents can easily get useful, timely information they can trust,” Louise Upston says. 

“Tākai provides evidence-based, accessible information for parents, grandparents and everyone else playing a part in raising a child. 

“We know that what happens for a child in their early years shapes how they develop and how well they do throughout their life.  

“By sharing trusted, practical information, Tākai gives parents and those supporting children access to free resources grounded in child development evidence, neuroscience and mātauranga Māori, to help our children thrive. 

“Tākai helps deliver on two of the three priorities in the Government’s Child and Youth Strategy – supporting children and their families and whānau in the first 2000 days of a child’s life and preventing against harm.” 

Tākai is funded through the Government’s $20 million investment in parenting initiatives from a Budget 2025 contingency fund. The same funding is also expanding two evidence-based parenting programmes, Triple P Positive Parenting and Mellow Parenting/Hoki ki te Rito and supporting a new initiative for families with the highest needs through the Social Investment Fund. 

Tākai offers more than 900 pages of plain-language articles, activities, songs, workshop ideas, and other resources covering pregnancy through to age five. It also provides a programme of webinars and short online lessons for people supporting young children. 

Among the new online lessons are videos fronted by Kiwi parenting and child development specialists, such as Brainwave Trust, covering the importance of early experiences and positive parenting approaches. 

“A platform like Tākai doesn’t replace the specialist support some families need, but it means many more parents and caregivers can get good information early, helping set their children on a positive path to a healthy, fulfilling life,” Louise Upston says. 

Tākai resources are available at www.tākai.nz.

Note to editor:

Tākai was named following extensive community engagement. The term refers to the practice of wrapping pēpi and tamariki to create warmth, closeness, security, and safety. 

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/29/free-parenting-advice-for-families-with-takai/

Source: New Zealand Government

Construction is set to begin on the first new specialist school in Drury the first to be built in New Zealand in 50 years while the region is also getting land for a future primary school, Education Minister Erica Stanford announced today.

The school located in Drury is one of three new specialist schools being delivered, alongside schools in Gisborne and Palmerston North. The new school is planned to open in Term 1, 2028.

The school will have six off-site-manufactured classrooms for up to 54 students with high and complex needs

This forms part of the Government’s wider investment in specialist education infrastructure and learning environments across New Zealand. Since mid-2024, about $320 million has been committed to projects including new schools, additional classrooms, redevelopments, accessibility improvements and maintenance upgrades

“Every child deserves an education setting that meets their needs and helps them learn, grow and succeed,” Ms Stanford says.

“For too long, demand for specialist education has exceeded available places, leaving many families with long waits and limited options. Significant waiting lists remain across Auckland’s specialist schools, so we needed to act.”

“We are giving families more choice by expanding access to specialist education and enabling more students to learn in environments designed for their needs.

As construction begins on Drury Specialist School and we work towards its 2028 opening, families can be confident we are strengthening the specialist school network and delivering the infrastructure students need now and in the future.”

The Government is also supporting Auckland’s fast-growing southern communities by progressing plans to secure land for a future primary school in Drury East.

Residential growth in Drury is accelerating. Auckland Council forecasts more than 25,000 new homes over time, supporting a future population of about 60,000.

To meet this growth, the Ministry of Education has been working to include future education provision in residential development planning for Drury East.

A 3.2-hectare site has been identified for a future primary school, with funding allocated for the land purchase. Acquisition is underway and expected to be completed in the coming months.

  Editors Note the Dury specialist school will have:

• Six off-site-manufactured classrooms for up to 54 students with high and complex needs
• Whānau and therapy spaces
• Outdoor learning areas and a hard court
• Dedicated pick-up and drop-off facilities

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/29/drury-gets-new-specialist-school-and-land-for-a-new-primary-school/

Source: New Zealand Government

Rail Minister Winston Peters welcomed State Owned Enterprise KiwiRail’s annual result today and issued congratulations to every rail worker, including Board Chair Suzanne Tindal, the newest apprentices, and everyone in between.

“KiwiRail reported a $162 million operating surplus and an 11 percent growth in rail freight revenues in the financial year to 30 June 2026,” Mr Peters says.

“Rail freight volumes increased by three percent and total freight added up to 3.5 billion net tonne kilometres – meaning we ‘got our country back on track’.

“New Zealand was built by railways but it was left to rot on the roadside, and thankfully it is once again contributing to the economy as it should.

“KiwiRail moves around a quarter of New Zealand’s exports, connects the North and South Islands, adds $3.3 billion of value to New Zealand annually, and supports more than 24 million passenger journeys each year.

“The naysayers said results like we expected could not be achieved, but they should never have doubted Thomas the Tank Engine – they were wrong but at least they were consistent.

“KiwiRail will shortly have one of the youngest fleets of any rail freight company in the world thanks to our investment – underpinning higher reliability and lower costs.

“Network infrastructure is getting better by the day because we changed the law to fund rail like state highways – and rail sets the asset management example for the infrastructure sector as 66 cents in every network dollar goes to maintenance and renewals.

“Despite the moaning backseat admirals, Interislander continues to sail past the poor reliability recorded under the previous Government by recording 99 percent reliability in the last financial year and 100 percent so far this year.

“Above all, the result is thanks to all the railway workers for pitching in and listening to their customers, turning up on time, and lowering costs – and we have shown what can happen when we shunt the economy in the right direction,” Mr Peters says.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/30/kiwirail-steamrolls-the-naysayers-again/

Source: New Zealand Government

Good morning. Thank you for having me to open this year’s conference. It’s good to be in a room with the people who grow it, process it and sell it to the world. Farmers, processors, exporters and the people who back them.

I want to talk about one idea this morning. Grow more and sell more. That’s the job. For you and for us.

Where we are

Let’s start with where we’ve come from.

When we came into office in late 2023, rural confidence was at minus 66 per cent. An all-time low. Farmers felt like they were under attack. Rules came thick and fast. Many of them made no sense on the farm. We said we’d end that. And we did.

Two years later confidence was at plus 37. Farmers were allowed to farm again. Today farmers are more confident about profitability than at any time since records began. You can see it in the numbers. Red meat and wool exports hit $14.8 billion in the year to June. Up 20 per cent on the year before. Average sheep and beef farm profit is forecast to nearly double this season, to around $287,600 a farm. Good prices helped. Lower interest costs helped. But none of that counts unless someone does the work. That’s you. Well done.

What we’ve done together

Those results didn’t happen by chance. We’ve worked on them together. First, we opened and protected markets. We concluded free trade deals with the UAE, the Gulf states and India. And we brought the EU deal into force many months early. We fought for you in Washington. When the US put new tariffs on, government and industry lobbied hard together. Beef is now back to normal tariff rates, or zero.

When China investigated beef imports, we made our case together. Our quota is bigger than what we normally send, and bigger than Australia’s. That means no limit on our beef trade to China. And we took on the EU’s deforestation rules. New Zealand farmers don’t clear forests to raise cattle. We held those rules off. And we’re now moving towards a form of exemption for New Zealand.

Second, we backed the value of what you produce.

We created a grass-fed standard for our exports, backed by government assurance. Most of our competitors can’t say their animals live outside on grass all year. Buyers want proof. Now we can give it to them, and they’ll pay more for it. 

In China, government put $8 million alongside the sector behind Taste Pure Nature. It tells Chinese families the New Zealand story. Grass-fed. Free range. Safe. And we set a goal together. Make New Zealand lamb their first choice.

We backed the Dairy Beef Opportunities programme, with more than $10 million of government funding matched by the sector. It turns dairy calves into good beef, and more income for dairy and beef farmers alike.

Third, we fixed the rules.

We made freshwater farm plans simpler and cheaper for sheep and beef farmers. We made the winter grazing and stock exclusion rules sensible and workable. Rules written for flat dairy land never made sense on hill country. We stopped whole farms being turned into pine trees for carbon credits. Good sheep and beef country was being lost, and rural towns with it. Productive land should stay productive. And we replaced the RMA. The final laws passed last week. That removes the need for up to 22,000 consents. That’s billions of dollars back in your businesses instead of in consultants’ fees.

That’s what working together looks like.

A good problem to have

Here’s where we are now. We have more market access than we can supply. That’s a good problem. But it’s still a problem. Buyers around the world want what we produce. But if we can’t fill the orders, someone else will. The Government wants to double the value of our exports by 2034. You want to reach $24 billion by 2035. 

Some of that will come from better prices. But not all of it. We won’t get there standing still. We have to grow more and sell more. 

Grow more: land use flexibility

That’s why, at Fieldays this year, I announced National’s land use flexibility policy. It starts with a simple belief. The people who own and farm the land are the best people to decide how it’s used. Not officials in Wellington. Not a council plan written ten years ago. You.

Markets change. Prices change. Seasons change. Farmers need room to change with them. Right now too many farmers are stuck. They see a better use for their land but the rules say no. Or the consent takes so long the chance has gone.

Land use flexibility gives you that room. It lets you put land to its best use and produce more. And it does that while still meeting our environmental and climate commitments.

This isn’t about lowering standards. Our exports sell on trust. Our trading partners expect high standards and we’ll keep meeting them. What changes is how we get there. Focus on real risk. Use the evidence. Back good practice. Write rules people on the ground can follow. And trust farmers to meet them in the way that works on their farm.

Grow more: more from every hectare

Growing more also means getting more from the land we already farm. At Fieldays we put $3.55 million into the LIFT programme. It aims to lift hill-country pasture use by around 20 per cent and feed conversion by up to 30 per cent. That’s more meat off the same hills.

We’ve sped up approvals for vet medicines and other farm products. You’ll get the tools your overseas competitors already use. And we’re backing new tools to cut methane, with $437 million over four years. With Beef + Lamb, we’re breeding lower-methane animals through Cool Sheep and now Cool Beef. The first methane bolus for beef cattle is close to a decision.

We’ll cut emissions with science, not by cutting production. More food. Smaller footprint. That’s how we compete.

Sell more: open more doors

Growing more only pays if we can sell it. And free trade deals work. Look at the European Union. In the first two years of our free trade agreement, exports to the EU grew by $3 billion. The primary sector led the charge. And red meat was out in front. That’s what happens when we open a door and you walk through it.

Now take India. Today our sheepmeat faces a 33 per cent tariff there. At current prices that’s about $4 a kilo. On 20 October, that tariff goes. In 2022 we supplied 85 per cent of India’s sheepmeat imports. Then Australia got tariff-free access. Our share fell to just 9 per cent. From next month we’re back on a level playing field with Australia. And India’s middle class is expected to reach around 700 million people by 2030.

Think about the size of that market. Around a billion people in India eat meat. If every one of them had just one New Zealand lamb chop a year, that’s more than our entire annual lamb chop production.

Now imagine they had two.

That’s the scale of the opportunity in the years ahead. India won’t be the last. We’ll keep opening doors, because every new market gives you more options and more pricing power.

The headwinds

I won’t pretend it’s all easy.

The conflict in the Middle East is pushing up fuel, freight and fertiliser costs. We know rural families are spending more of their income on fuel. And the longer it goes on, the harder it bites. Fertiliser companies tell us they have enough product and are locking in future supply. We’re watching closely so we can act early if we need to.

And on the US lamb investigation, our case is simple: New Zealand lamb isn’t hurting American farmers. It fills gaps in their supply. We’ll make that case firmly, just as we did on beef.

Rural communities

Strong farms need strong communities around them. Our $4 million Rural Wellbeing Fund backs groups like Young Farmers, Farmstrong and Whatever with Wiggy. Farming is hard work. People need to know there’s support when they need it.

Closing

So that’s the plan.

Give farmers the freedom to use their land. Get more from every hectare. Prove our quality to the world. And keep opening doors. Grow more. Sell more. The future for this sector is full of opportunity. I’m confident that working together we can make the most of it.

Thank you for all you do for our regions and our economy.

I’m pleased to open the 2026 Red Meat Sector Conference.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/29/speech-opening-red-meat-conference-2026/

Source: NZCTU

Treasury’s Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) forecasts show ongoing pain for working people and declining public services if the fiscal approach doesn’t change. The election provides an opportunity for a reset.

“The Luxon Government’s fiscal choices have made life harder for working people. There are now almost 50,000 more Kiwis unemployed than when it took office,” says Sandra Grey, President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi.

“Treasury is now forecasting the unemployment rate will stay above 5 percent through most of 2027.

“Jobseeker numbers have also climbed under this Government, up 15 percent from when it came to power. The number of people on Jobseeker Support and the Emergency Benefit is forecast to stay above 200,000 through the entire forecast period – way above the Government’s target,” says Grey.

“Real wages have been squeezed in recent years and are forecast to fall further through the rest of 2026 and into 2027. Many Kiwi households are already unable to afford the basics. More real-terms wage cuts will be devastating.”

Treasury is forecasting an upturn in growth, but this is heavily reliant on net migration and ongoing favourable terms of trade. Treasury’s forecasts were completed before oil prices spiked again. Higher oil prices will mean higher inflation, higher interest rates, and reduced household spending, all of which drag on growth.

“The Luxon Government has continually promised an economic recovery, and it has continually failed to deliver it. The reality is the long-promised recovery looks as shaky as ever,” says Grey.

Government expenditure is forecast to fall as a percentage of GDP. Core Crown expenses fall below 30 percent of GDP by 2031, and more than half of the annual Budget Operating Allowances are needed just for health cost-pressure funding. That money doesn’t improve services or close funding gaps – it just keeps services running at current levels.

“Given the stress our public services are already under, and the large funding gaps, this reduction in Government spending is simply irresponsible,” says Grey. “Health services are underfunded by more than $6 billion a year, according to Kaitiaki Hauora. The PREFU forecasts show this gap won’t be closed under a second term of Luxon.”

“The election provides an opportunity for a reset. The next Government needs to invest at scale in the things New Zealanders need: good jobs, stronger public services, and modern infrastructure. This is affordable if the Government makes the right choices, including tax reform,” says Grey.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/29/prefu-shows-jobs-pain-and-service-cuts-locked-in-under-luxon/