AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for November 9, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Green Party

Half a million dollars going to National in a week and a half, in an attempt to drive influence just before the election, shows why we need to get big money out of politics to make democracy work for all of us, says the Green Party.

From 2-13 October 2026, National received $499,000 in large donations, more than some parties have received the entire year, including the Opportunity Party ($491,660), nearly as much as the Green Party ($594,208), and almost 3.5 times more than Te Pati Māori ($144,000).

“Government is supposed to work for New Zealanders, not lobbyists and the super rich. It’s clear who the super rich are backing, and which party represents their interests,” says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson.

“Though this is just pocket change to the super rich, they wouldn’t donate millions if it didn’t deliver something in return. This year, ACT received $2.4M and National received $2.8M in large donations. Both parties have received more than Labour, the Greens, Te Pati Māori and Opportunity combined, who received $2.1M total. That right there is 5.2 million examples showing the wealthy believe political influence is worth paying for.”

“This term, Luxon’s Government has been brazen in its goal to weaken donation laws, make voting harder, and strip thousands of people of their human right to vote. Now they’re reaping the benefits.”

“What we do with our democracy matters. Who we afford special privileges shapes the decisions made in Parliament and the direction this country takes.”

“Our democracy should work for everyone, not just the wealthy few. The Green Party will bring the power back to all New Zealanders by getting big money and influence out of politics, capping political donations at $30,000, stopping companies from donating, and setting up a public register of lobbyists.”

“Because the power should be held by the 99.3%, not the 0.7%,” says Marama Davidson.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/11/08/big-donors-hand-national-500k-in-11-days-eclipsing-some-parties-entire-2026-donation-total/

Source: National Party of New Zealand

Government’s books show National’s plan working

The continuing improvement in the government’s books highlights the importance of sticking with the plan that is working, National’s Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis says.

“The financial statements for the first three months of the year, released today, show the operating balance deficit was $1.3 billion lower than forecast in the Pre-election Fiscal and Economic Update.

“This positive news shows that National’s plan is working and three years of responsible economic management is paying off.

“The improvement in the government’s books is due to higher-than-forecast revenue and lower-than-forecast expenditure, reflecting National’s work to grow the economy and stop wasteful spending.

“It reinforces recent surveys showing economic optimism and hiring intentions are increasing, and backs up other evidence that proves our economy is gaining strength.

“Exports are booming, the manufacturing sector is on a tear, and economic growth is outpacing countries like Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.  

“New Zealand is navigating its way through global uncertainty better than most of its international counterparts and Kiwis can look forward to the benefits flowing through to households if we stay the course.

“By sticking to National’s plan, there will be a brighter future for Kiwis, with a growing economy, less debt, more jobs, higher wages, and no new taxes. 

“A Labour coalition, propped up by the Greens, Te Pati Maori and Opportunity, with Chloe Swarbrick as Finance Minister, would undo all this progress by spending recklessly, meaning more borrowing and higher taxes saddled on Kiwis.

“Borrowing and taxing more is not the way to create opportunity. It is the way to slow investment, stall growth and drive enterprising people out of the country.

“Just yesterday, experts warned that a Labour Government would risk a run on the New Zealand Dollar, pushing up costs for Kiwis.

“Don’t risk it. Stick with the plan and Party Vote National this Saturday.”

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/11/08/governments-books-show-nationals-plan-working/

Source: Green Party

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/11/08/greens-call-for-investment-in-jobs-to-keep-young-people-in-new-zealand/

Source: National Party of New Zealand

National’s manifesto to secure NZ’s future

National has the positive long-term plan to keep growing the economy, lift incomes, pay down government debt and set New Zealand up for a more secure future.

“This Saturday, New Zealanders will choose the next government. The election will be tight, and Kiwis have a clear choice,” National Leader Christopher Luxon says.

“It’s between sticking with National’s plan for a more secure future with a growing economy and no new taxes, or going back to Labour’s high-spending, high-taxing approach that drove up the cost of living and weakened the economy.

“New Zealand has made great progress over the last three years to rebuild an economy damaged by Labour’s reckless spending. Despite bumps along the way, including trade wars, real wars and an oil crisis, New Zealand is turning the corner.

“Inflation and interest rates are down from the record highs reached under Labour, kids are back in school and learning the basics, and our streets are safer.

“Our economy is now growing faster than Australia and the UK. We’re forecast to create 220,000 new jobs over the next four years, with wages rising faster than prices. But those forecasts depend on New Zealand sticking with National’s plan.

“Turning around Labour’s mess was never going to be a three-year job and we can’t leave it half done. We need more time to finish it, and our manifesto sets out exactly how we will build on the progress Kiwis have worked so hard for.

“National will get the books back to surplus in 2028/29 and bring debt down, with no new taxes. We will grow KiwiSaver balances, extend paid parental leave, help more first home buyers with five per cent deposits, cap rates, boost funding for cancer and life-changing medicines, finish replacing the RMA, cut red tape for farmers and businesses, open up new export markets and stay tough on crime.

“We haven’t come this far to let Labour send us all backwards again. Hard-won gains are easily lost.

“Every party vote that doesn’t go to National risks Labour finishing as the largest party, opening the door to Chris Hipkins to form a coalition with Chloe Swarbrick as Finance Minister, and undoing all the gains we’ve made together. 

“The choice is clear. National has a positive plan to grow the economy, with less debt, more jobs, higher wages and no new taxes. Labour, propped up by the Greens, Te Pāti Māori and Opportunity, would wreck the economy all over again by spending more, borrowing more and hitting Kiwis with nine new taxes.

“Don’t risk waking up on November 8 to a Labour-Greens-Te Pāti Māori-Opportunity Government. If you want a National Government to keep delivering on our plan, don’t leave it to chance – get out and vote for it.

“Stick with the plan that’s working and party vote National.”

Read the full Manifesto HERE

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/11/08/nationals-manifesto-to-secure-nzs-future/

Source: National Party of New Zealand

New Zealand a bright spot in global economy

New Zealand’s economy is a bright spot in a difficult global environment, growing faster than other advanced economies while interest rates rise overseas, National’s Finance and Economic Growth spokesperson Nicola Willis says.

“Overnight the Bank of England raised its interest rate to 4 per cent, its first increase in more than three years. That follows the Reserve Bank of Australia lifting its cash rate to 4.85 per cent this week, marking its fifth rise this year and the highest level since 2008.

“In comparison, New Zealand’s interest rate is 2.75 per cent – well below the UK and Australia, and half what it was under the previous Labour Government.

“That’s no accident. National’s disciplined spending and economic management has helped bring the OCR down from the 5.5 per cent Labour left behind.

“A family with a $500,000 mortgage is about $250 a fortnight, or almost $6600 a year, better off than it would have been three years ago under Labour.

“By stopping wasteful spending and getting the books back in order, the National-led Government has eased pressure on inflation and interest rates, while delivering tax relief so Kiwis keep more of what they earn.

“The global environment is volatile and the situation in the Middle East in particular is putting pressure on economies around the world. But while our government can’t control international wars or oil prices, we can control how we respond.

“The choices National has made in government means that New Zealand is weathering the global storm better than others.

“Yesterday’s government financial statements show our deficit is $1.3 billion smaller than forecast. Our economy is growing faster than Australia, the UK and the US. Treasury expects 220,000 new jobs over the next four years, with wages rising faster than prices. And we’re on track to return to surplus and start paying down debt.

“But these forecasts all depend on New Zealand sticking with National’s plan, and Labour would undo all of it. Its reckless spending last time saw inflation hit 7.3 per cent, the OCR rise 12 times in a row, and mortgage rates skyrocket.

“This time, it would be worse. A Labour coalition, with Chloe Swarbrick as Finance Minister, would spend recklessly, borrow more and hit Kiwis with nine new taxes – the same recipe that is driving up interest rates and slowing growth overseas.

“New Zealanders have worked too hard to go backwards now. Don’t let Labour undo the progress we’ve made together.

“Kiwis have less than two days left to choose the next government. If you want a National Government to keep delivering on our plan, don’t leave it to chance – you need to get out and vote for it today.

“Stick with the plan that’s working and party vote National.”

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/11/08/new-zealand-a-bright-spot-in-global-economy/

Source: National Party of New Zealand

Jobs data shows why Kiwis can’t risk Labour

Today’s labour market statistics reflect the impact of uncertainty on the economy and the need to stick with the plan that is working to rebuild the economy, National’s Finance spokesperson Nicola Willis says.

“The economy is strengthening but businesses have been understandably cautious about employing more people while oil prices remain high and the outcome of the New Zealand election remains unknown.

“We can’t control events in the Middle East, but we can control what happens here in New Zealand.

“What businesses need is certainty about tax settings and regulatory reform, and certainty that the Government will continue to pursue a sensible fiscal course.

“That is why a party vote for National is so important at this election.

“Good intentions are not a substitute for competence. Unemployment will rise if a Labour, Greens, Te Pāti Māori, Opportunity government gets the chance to increase borrowing and taxation and put more obstacles in the path of Kiwi businesses.

“Recent business surveys have shown optimism and hiring intentions increasing and Treasury says 220,000 jobs are on the way. But that optimism and those jobs are predicated on National’s economic plan.

“Fast-track is a big part of that plan. The 37 projects approved so far are expected to support around 70,000 jobs. Alongside Investment Boost and new trade deals, it’s giving employers the confidence to invest and hire.

“Labour would put all of that at risk. It tried to remove 19 of those Fast-track projects and the 50,000 jobs they support. It would scrap Investment Boost and hike taxes on business. And it doesn’t have a plan on trade, previously saying a trade deal with India wasn’t a priority – a deal National secured within this term.

“On top of that, a Labour coalition with Chlöe Swarbrick as Finance Minister would spend and borrow more, pushing up inflation and interest rates, and hit Kiwis with nine new taxes. That’s the surest way to stall the recovery.

“We haven’t come this far to let Labour send us backwards again. A party vote for anyone other than National risks Labour finishing as the largest party and forming coalition government that would undo all the gains we’ve worked so hard for.

“Don’t take the risk that you wake up on November 8 to a Labour-Greens-Te Pāti Māori-Opportunity Government. If you want a National Government to keep delivering on our plan, don’t leave it to chance – get out and vote for it today.

“Stick with the plan that’s working and party vote National.”

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/11/08/jobs-data-shows-why-kiwis-cant-risk-labour/

Source: Green Party

The Green Party says the latest Stats NZ release today shows the Government’s economic mismanagement is clearly taking the country in the wrong direction.  

“Unemployment is at an 11-year high. The extra number of New Zealanders made unemployed under Luxon’s three years can fill Mt Smart Stadium twice over,” says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.

“After National chose to run a campaign almost exclusively on attacking the Greens’ fully costed plans, New Zealanders just don’t believe anything they say anymore. People are watching our country and economy deteriorate because of the very ‘plan’ they are asking New Zealanders to stick with.”

“That’ll be why record numbers are turning out to vote. New Zealanders should know that if they choose it, they will resign this shocking one-term Government to the history books.”

“The number of New Zealanders who have been unemployed for 6-months or longer is the worst it has been since the mid-1990s. And the National Government has left us even more exposed to imported fossil fuel inflation.”

“This Government chose to make ordinary New Zealanders poorer, while the super-rich have added $27 billion to their wallets in the last year alone.”  

“The Greens have a real plan to develop the economy, fix the tax system and support 64,000 new jobs. We will invest in innovation, research and development, transport, and energy infrastructure,” says Swarbrick.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/11/08/unemployment-shows-luxon-asleep-at-the-wheel/

Source: Green Party

The Green Party says all its environment policies are now on the table for New Zealanders to see, while today also releasing a list of a dozen laws and actions it says will accelerate environmental destruction, if National, Act and NZ First are allowed to progress them.

“I am asking New Zealanders to vote for those without a voice, including our threatened wildlife and wild places, while keeping their eyes wide open to the alternative which will devastate entire species and ecosystems,” says Green Party Co-leader Hon Marama Davidson. 

“All of the Greens’ policies this election are now on the table, including our commitments to end mining on public conservation land, to protect our oceans and end bottom trawling, to restore our wetlands, rivers, and to limit the influence of big money that has corrupted our environmental laws.” 

“By contrast, this has been the most environmentally destructive government Aotearoa has seen in a generation, and as Luxon, Jones and Seymour tell New Zealand every day, they have only just begun on their anti-nature programme. There will be much worse to come,” says Davidson. 

“This year, New Zealanders marched in their tens of thousands against the Fast Track Act and anti-nature laws, while maps showing public conservation land at risk of being sold off went viral around the world.”

“At a time when half of our rivers are too polluted to swim in, fish populations are collapsing and over 4,000 native species are threatened with extinction, this Government could not be more out of touch with what New Zealanders want,” Davidson says.

The following anti-environmental laws and actions will be passed or progressed if a Luxon-led government is re-elected:

The Dirty Dozen

1. Conservation Amendment Bill. If passed, this bill has proposed changing the primary focus of conservation land management to ‘enable use and development to the greatest extent practicable,’ rather than manage for conservation.
2. Mining on public conservation land and other important and rare places, including coal mining on Denniston Plateau, Bream Bay sand mining, sea bed mining, industrial gold mining in central Otago drylands at the proposed Bendigo gold mine.
3. Fisheries Amendment Bill. If passed, this bill will hand unprecedented control over to the fishing industry. It includes the proposal to fine anyone sharing cameras footage from fishing boats up to $50,000, reduce public consultation, and incentivise trawling over more selective fishing methods, as well as reduce penalties for exceeding catch limits.
4. Failure to meet climate targets. International assessments of this government’s actions on climate put us in the league with Donald Trump at reversing climate action. We are putting international agreements at risk through our failure to meet climate commitments.
5. LNG fossil fuel facility. The Luxon government plans to use $1 billion of taxpayer money to underwrite an liquid gas import facility, locking New Zealand into more expensive power bills, and more climate heating emissions.
6. Gene Technology Bill. If passed this bill will radically deregulate genetic engineering and would allow genetically modified organisms to be released into the environment with inadequate risk assessments, oversight , tracking, and accountability. It would even allow GE experiments to be done outside of labs, with no expert supervision.
7. Environmental Reporting Amendment Bill. If passed, this bill will weaken environmental reporting and public accountability by changing the frequency  of comprehensive State of the Environment from three to six years.
8. Natural Environment Act has been passed but has not yet taken effect. This bill embeds climate denialism and environmental exploitation into law by removing or weakening environmental protections.
9. Planning Act has been passed but has not yet taken effect. The controversial ‘regulatory relief’ rules force councils to pay or compensate landowners to not destroy biodiversity. Councils and experts made clear they can not meet these costs and this Act risks unprecedented biodiversity loss.
10. Wildlife (Authorisations) Amendment Act allows the Department of Conservation (DOC) to authorize the killing of protected wildlife where they stand in the way of development.
11. Re-opening offshore oil and gas exploration.  While the law change has passed, the climate impact hasn’t happened yet. New permits, exploration, production and combustion will all play out over the next coming years, locking in climate heating emissions.
12. Possible withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Act and New Zaland First have said the support removing NZ from our international obligations under the Paris Agreement, risking trade agreements and international credibility.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/11/08/greens-say-all-its-enviro-policies-are-on-the-table-warn-against-coalitions-dirty-dozen/

Source: Auckland University of Technology

AUT Professor Tracy Berno, expert in resilient and sustainable food systems, answers questions about the food system, health, the environment and waste.

[embedded content]

Q: What is wrong with the food system?

Food is a human right, but the current food system is driven by profit rather than ethics. Agriculture, manufacturing, distribution and land are largely privatised, and multinational corporations hold considerable power. Their imperative is to make money, not necessarily to prioritise health, the environment or consumers.

Chocolate illustrates the consequences. Around 60% of the world’s chocolate is produced in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Pressure to keep production costs low is associated with child labour and appalling working conditions in the cocoa industry. The price and size of a chocolate bar do not reveal the human costs behind it.

Q: Are big companies controlling what we eat?

To a great extent, yes. A small number of multinational companies control much of the processed food sold in grocery stores. In New Zealand, two major corporate groups dominate grocery retail, limiting what reaches store shelves. By the time shoppers arrive, retailers and suppliers have already made many of the choices about what is available. A handful of international companies also control a large share of the seeds available to agriculture. Because so much food begins with a seed, this concentration of power matters.

Marketing adds another layer. Product placement, packaging, displays and music in grocery stores are informed by research into consumer behaviour and designed to encourage spending. Our decisions are shaped by more than individual preference.

Q: Why is healthy food so expensive?

First, we need to ask what counts as healthy food. Manufacturers may present ultra-processed products as healthy options, although many are not. Processing creates opportunities for businesses throughout the supply chain to earn revenue. For example, at the time of recording, a kilogram of potatoes and a 150-gram bag of potato chips each cost about $3.50 at Professor Berno’s local grocery store. The chips involve additional processing, oil, packaging and transport, among other inputs.

Price is not the only barrier. Preparing less-processed ingredients takes time and food literacy: the skills to turn them into a meal. Prepared products offer convenience to people who do not have those skills or the time to use them, even if they cost more.

Q: Why is it hard to identify a healthy option from food labels?

Labels can be difficult to interpret and require food literacy. Some packages use wording that implies a product is healthy, a practice Professor Berno calls “health washing”. The Health Star Rating system was intended to help shoppers compare products, but its ratings can be confusing without context.

Professor Berno points to a historical example in which Milo powder displayed a 4.5-star rating based on being prepared with trim milk, while the powder alone rated 1.5 stars. She also notes that olive oil can receive fewer stars than some margarines. A front-of-pack rating does not, by itself, tell the whole story about a food.

Q: Is the way we eat damaging the planet?

Yes. The way the agrifood industry currently operates contributes to environmental damage, biodiversity loss, climate change and declining water quality, alongside social harms. These impacts are connected to how food is produced, processed and distributed.

Q: Would eating more plant-based food help?

Substantial research suggests that moving towards a more plant-based diet can benefit both the environment and human health. That does not mean every meat-free or dairy-free product is necessarily better: some plant-based substitutes are ultra-processed. Food also has deep personal and cultural importance, and people may resist being told what to eat. Those factors need to be considered alongside the evidence.

Q: Does it matter if my rubbish bin is full of uneaten food?

Personal food waste matters, but it is only one part of a larger problem. Around 30% of food produced globally is wasted across production, processing, retail and households. Wasting food also wastes the soil, water, labour and money used to produce it. Professor Berno describes food waste as a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Q: What can I do to reduce food waste?

Start by buying what you need, even when a grocery store encourages you to buy more. Store food appropriately so it lasts longer, and find ways to use leftovers. Parts commonly discarded may also be useful: potato peelings can be baked into crispy chips, while chicken bones can be made into stock.

Understand date labels, too. A “use by” date concerns food safety; food past that date should not be eaten. A “best before” date concerns quality, and food may still be suitable to eat afterwards if it has been stored correctly. If food cannot be eaten and you are able to compost it, do that rather than putting it in the rubbish. Disposal should be the last resort.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/11/08/qa-food-politics-matters/

Source: National Party of New Zealand

Hipkins’ pledge can’t survive Greens negotiations

Chris Hipkins’ claim to resign rather than introduce any new tax beyond his capital gains tax is a promise he won’t be able to keep, National’s Campaign Chair Simeon Brown says.

“Yesterday Chris Hipkins claimed he would rather resign than bring in new taxes beyond his capital gains tax. This is a promise he can’t possibly make given the potential size of the Green Party and their resulting negotiating leverage.

“The Greens have been crystal clear about their bottom lines – higher spending, more taxes and more borrowing.

“Chlöe Swarbrick has called Labour’s capital gains tax a ‘starting point’, and said additional taxes would be her ‘first cab off the rank’ in the first 100 days of a new government. Marama Davidson has said no politician will be able to ignore the Greens’ mandate.

“Something has to give. If Chris Hipkins really won’t agree to the Greens’ taxes or the portfolios that they want, then they must be planning to grant huge concessions when it comes to increased spending and borrowing. Kiwis deserve answers before they vote on Saturday.”

Chris Hipkins needs to answer these simple questions:

• If the Greens’ taxes are off the table, will Chris Hipkins agree to higher borrowing instead to pay for the Greens’ spending demands?
• Will Chris Hipkins also resign if he increases borrowing beyond Labour’s fiscal plan to pay for anything he agrees to in coalition negotiations?

“Chris Hipkins and Labour have tried to play this game on tax before but history shows they can’t be trusted.

“In 2020 Labour said they would only make one tax change after the election but instead made four by putting in place a higher income tax rate, removing interest deductibility on rental properties, introducing the ute tax and extending the bright line test. This was when they were in coalition with themselves and didn’t have to rely on any other parties.

“In 2023 Chris Hipkins ruled out a capital gains tax using exactly those words. Now he’s campaigning on one. He’s simply saying what he thinks he needs to say in order to get elected, and he’ll find a way to spin it after the election.

“This election is tight and the choice is clear. Kiwis can stick with National’s plan for a more secure future, a growing economy, paying down debt and getting back to surplus with no new taxes. Or they can risk going back to Labour, in coalition with the Greens, which would spend more, tax more and borrow more.

“A party vote for anyone other than National risks Labour finishing as the largest party and forming a coalition with the Greens, which would send us all backwards.

“Don’t risk it. Only a party vote for National keeps the plan that’s working – so get out and vote today to secure your future.”

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/11/08/hipkins-pledge-cant-survive-greens-negotiations/