AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 8, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Family First

New Zealand First has proposed a Definitions of Woman and Man Amendment Bill, a Private Member’s Bill drawn for debate in April 2026, aimed at formally defining “woman” as “an adult human biological female” and “man” as “an adult human biological male” within the Legislation Act 2019. Now we find out once and for all whether MPs can define Truth and biology – or whether they’re wokesters captured by ideology and fear.

Independent polling commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research last May (2025) found majority support for a Member’s Bill that would ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law according to biology.

The Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill will provide clarity and consistency in New Zealand law by defining “woman” as “an adult human biological female” and “man” as “an adult human biological male” in the Legislation Act 2019.

It will soon have its 1st reading.

52% of respondents said they support the proposed law and only 29% oppose it. (A further 19% were unsure).

Women net support was +4% with a further 27% unsure, but men were strongly in favour with net support +42%. Net support by age is +19% for under 40s, +22% for 40-59 year olds, and +26% for over 60s.

In terms of party vote, ACT voters were most supportive (72%) followed by NZ First (68%) and National (64%). Undecided voters were 54% in favour. Labour were 35% for and 44% against, Greens -15% net support and TPM -13%.

Family First have a history of advocating on the need to ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law according to biology…

“What is a woman?” 23,500+ Petition Presented to Parliament

A Family First petition calling for ‘woman’ to be defined as ‘an adult human female’ in all our laws, public policies and regulations and signed by more than 23,500 people was presented to Parliament in August 2024. It was received by then Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of NZ First Winston Peters and NZ First MP Tanya Unkovich.

Government Doesn’t Want To Define Woman

familyfirst.org.nz/government-doesnt-want-to-define-woman/

The Government’s response to a 23,532-strong petition asking for ‘woman’ to be clearly defined in all laws, public policies and regulations has been issued, and is being labelled as weak, confused, and shows both a clear lack of understanding around what a woman is and any desire to protect women in society.

“The sad irony is that the Minister for Women in her response refused to define what a woman is.  Alongside this, she is also clearly indicating the irrelevancy of her role because she will not actually stand up for the recognition and protection of women” says Bob McCoskrie, CEO of Family First.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

The prime minister is reluctant to say whether there will be any further support for New Zealanders during the fuel crisis, but believes New Zealanders will “understand.”

Ministers will meet with major businesses later in the week to get their perspectives on what may be required, should fuel supply become disrupted further.

The government has so far temporarily boosted the in-work tax credit to $50 a week for around 143,000 lower-income families, while also expanding eligibility to a further 14,000 families, to receive the credit at a reduced rate.

It has also temporarily increased mileage rates by 30 percent for home and community support workers.

Over the last few weeks, the government has repeated that any support would be “timely, temporary, and targeted”.

On Monday, Christopher Luxon would not commit to expanding support, saying while it “will look” for support for those that are “most vulnerable,” the government could not afford to do “everything for everyone,” and that most New Zealanders would understand.

“We cannot alleviate the pressure for everybody, but we do have a framework around timely, targeted, temporary support, which I think most New Zealanders would understand and appreciate. And they also appreciate and understand that we have a job to do to protect their long-term interests and that of the economy too.”

Luxon said the support offered so far was about protecting the the most vulnerable, without driving up inflation.

“I have to protect the long-term future of New Zealanders as well, and actually making sure that we actually aren’t running up inflation and interest rates.”

The government is unlikely to take measures similar to Australia, and cut the fuel excise tax or road user charges for heavy vehicles.

While saying diesel was the “lifeblood” of the economy, and sectors like farming and construction relied on it, Luxon stopped short of saying whether there would be any support, but pointed to meetings the government was having and would be having with high diesel users.

“It is understandable that diesel users want relief from rising prices, and we are acutely aware of the pressure that all Kiwis are feeling. But seeking to alleviate that pressure for everyone would be unaffordable and irresponsible.”

One thing the government is likely to do is abandon plans to raise the fuel excise tax. A 12 cent increase is due to come in January, but the transport minister, finance minister, and prime minister are signalling it will be postponed, or dropped altogether.

Luxon said while legislation would need to be passed, Cabinet had not made a decision.

“We recognise that there’s going to be elevated fuel prices for some time, and it just seems like stalling that or deferring that will be probably the wisest course of action,” he said, while acknowledging a deferral would cause challenges to the National Land Transport Fund.

“If there is a fall-off in revenue that’s being raised, the reality is we have to be straight with New Zealanders and say we might have to make some choices and trade-offs, and I think that’s OK to do that.”

Sectors such as farming, construction, and aviation have been warning of the impacts of the fuel crisis on their businesses.

Asked whether there would be support for businesses affected by the crisis, particularly any that were facing going under, Luxon said many businesses and households were doing it tough, but the government would not be spraying around money “in a cash bazooka.”

Ministers to meet with major businesses this week

Luxon said there had already been lots of industry engagement, and there would be more over the coming week.

The government had been talking to the aviation sector over jet fuel, as well as high diesel users, and the finance minister has spoken to banking chief executives with an expectation they “stand by” companies that may be high consumers of diesel in the short term.

Ministers would also be talking to the Major Companies Group (MCG), which RNZ understands will happen on Thursday.

The Major Companies Group is an advocacy group, under the BusinessNZ umbrella.

It represents over 170 companies, including the likes of Spark, Foodstuffs, Vector, Zespri, and Fonterra, as well as ports, airports, construction firms, fuel companies, and major banks and insurance companies.

“We don’t want to repeat the mistake where we happen to industry. We want to work with industry, because in many ways we see them being quite critical for actually solving some of the challenges we may incur should we get a fuel disruption in the future,” Luxon said.

“It’s just about making sure that we all have a common understanding of what’s required. We know it’s incredibly difficult, particularly for our diesel users, in particular. That means that many of them, frankly, are having to put fuel surcharges in place and pass those costs on to their customers.”

BusinessNZ’s chief executive Katherine Rich said the “situation update” between ministers and the MCG would provide an opportunity to ask questions and share direct business perspectives.

Rich said businesses wanted to see a level playing field when it came to timely and accurate information from the government.

“It has been positive to see early planning, strong consultation with relevant firms, clear phases, and a continued reliance on market settings and supply chain expertise before intervention. That discipline matters, particularly for business continuity and economic stability,” she said.

BusinessNZ’s fuel company members were working closely with suppliers, and Rich said they currently did not see it as a supply problem, but a price issue.

“Many have been reluctant to pass on higher costs in the short term, in the expectation that the situation may stabilise,” she said.

Under Phase Three of the government’s National Fuel Plan, critical transport services like road freight for supermarket and grocery supply chains sit in Band B of the priority bands.

Phases Three and Four are still under consultation, with the finance minister on Monday saying she would make further announcements in the next few weeks.

Rich suggested the fuel plan would be strengthened further if the food and grocery sector was elevated to the ‘life-supporting’ Band A, recognising its “critical role in maintaining continuity of supply for households.”

BusinessNZ’s director of advocacy Catherine Beard has also been seconded into the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment’s response team, which Rich said would “contribute real-time business insight and supply chain expertise” to ensure operational realities were well understood as decisions were made.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Finance Minister says she’s “alarmed” at “unprecedented” rhetoric by the US President Donald Trump, while the Foreign Minister says concern would occur if “people keep on heightening the effect of a comment like that”.

Early on Wednesday morning, Trump warned “a whole civilization will die” in Iran if the country does not heed his cutoff time to open the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran reported US-Israeli attacks on its infrastructure were already underway.

Peters met with his counterpart, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio just hours after Trump posted on social media, but Peters wouldn’t be drawn on Trump’s comments.

“I don’t comment on what presidents and prime ministers and secretaries of state and other people say, which are not part of the conversation that I was in,” Peters told RNZ.

He said there had been numerous comments in the past that have “changed dramatically” within one or 24 hours.

“So it’s time to be experienced. It’s time for cool heads and to not make a rush to judgment that we will regret. That’s what’s important now.”

But speaking on Morning Report’s Political Panel a short time after, Nicola Willis said the comments were “alarming for the whole world”.

“We are all very concerned with the trajectory of this conflict, and it is really unprecedented to see a US president using that sort of rhetoric, which obviously would have massive implications for the people of the Middle East and for the world,” she said.

She called for de-escalation saying New Zealand wanted to see the “basics of humanitarian law upheld, and that does not include endorsing attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure”.

“I don’t like waking up in a world where what the US president says on Twitter will actually affect the fortunes of billions of people,” Willis said.

She did however acknowledge Peters’ comments around not rushing to a judgment.

“As Winston Peters said, we do need to see whether there’s any bite behind these tweets today. We won’t know till midday whether these are words or threats or actually will result in actions.”

Labour’s deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni said the government needed to be calling out the comments made by the US president.

“They are outrageous” and would “further inflame” what was already a “horrific situation”, she said.

Peters and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon needed to be “much stronger and resolute” on what New Zealand’s position was and “what we deem acceptable and what we deem to be absolutely unacceptable”.

“I don’t think we’ve seen that strength of voice so far,” Sepuloni said.

She hoped Peters was “being a bit stronger” in his language “behind the scenes”.

The call for de-escalation from Willis echoed the Prime Minister’s comments in his post-cabinet media conference on Tuesday, in which he said the US and Israel had undertaken “unilateral, independent action without engaging any of their partners”.

“New Zealand’s position is clear, this is not a time for escalating rhetoric or actions. It is critical that the parties find a way to de escalate and come to a negotiated solution quickly,” Luxon said.

“New Zealand expects all parties to comply with international law and international humanitarian law, which includes the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure,” he said on Tuesday.

No response to PM’s views from Peters

On Wednesday morning, Peters wouldn’t be drawn on Luxon’s previous comments, in which he stated New Zealand had the same position as Australia in regards to the attack that started the war.

“If you’re talking to the Prime Minister, please question him about his comments,” Peters told RNZ, “I’m not going to respond to what the Prime Minister said.”

He said he was responding to what he knows as the Foreign Minister, and the information he was briefed with “by a seriously good team”.

“That’s what drives my answers, not what some other person said, dare I say it was the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, or anybody else.”

During the meeting between Peters and Rubio, there was no discussion about the legality of the United States and Israel’s strike on Iran, which began the war.

Peters told RNZ New Zealand had never expressed support for the war.

The purpose of his trip to Washington DC was not to declare support in any way. The US did not seek for New Zealand to express support, and made no requests for rhetorical or material support for its actions.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Minister for Social Investment says her “enduring expectation” is that all government agencies comply with relevant procurement rules and policies.

It comes after RNZ revealed the Social Investment Agency (SIA) was commissioning an independent external review of its procurement practices for contracts over $100,000.

The announcement followed the resignation of the Agency’s Deputy Chief Executive Kylie Reiri in February while under investigation in relation to allegations of bullying and harassment.

It also followed the resignation of former SIA chief executive Andrew Coster who quit in December following a scathing Independent Police Conduct Authority report.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

In response to questions from RNZ, a spokesperson for the Minister of Social Investment Nicola Willis said she had been advised by the SIA that it had made an “operational decision” to review its procurement practices.

“It is the Minister’s enduring expectation that all government agencies comply with relevant procurement rules and policies.

“The Minister can’t offer a view on the potential findings of this review as it is ongoing. She expects she will be briefed on any findings once the review has been completed.”

The review

The SIA confirmed to RNZ as part of an Official Information Act request on Thursday that they had commissioned an independent external review of its procurement practices for contracts valued over $100,000.

“The review is intended to provide assurance that procurement activity complies with the Government Rules of Sourcing and is appropriate for the scale and complexity of the agency’s work. This review is ongoing.

“While the review is underway, SIA continues to apply contract and work management practices to ensure that procurements support delivery of the agency’s work programme and provide value for money.

“This includes ongoing oversight of supplier performance and alignment of contracted work to evolving agency priorities.”

As the review had not been completed, SIA was not in a position to confirm whether any procurement activity breached the Government Rules of Sourcing, required an exception to those rules, or whether proper procurement processes were followed in all cases during the period in question.

RNZ also asked for a copy of all briefings, correspondence and reports in relation to investigations into Reiri.

“SIA has identified 63 documents within scope of your request. These documents relate to employment‑related processes and the internal consideration of allegations, including terms of reference, correspondence, and one email relating to alleged financial and procurement matters.

“The documents concern sensitive employment and internal matters and contain personal information. It is necessary for SIA to be able to manage employment issues and assess allegations effectively, including by enabling staff and other parties to communicate freely and candidly in the course of such processes.”

SIA provided a table setting out all contracts with a value of over $100,000 that were initiated or maintained during the relevant period.

“Ten of these contracts related to work within the scope of the Deputy Chief Executive – Strategy and Performance and/or the Deputy Chief Executive – Technology, Transformation and Enabling Services roles.

“While this includes all contracts within those functional areas, not all of the contracts listed involved work commissioned or directed by the former Deputy Chief Executive.”

The OIA said that while Reiri held “certain budget delegations”, responsibility for budgets “ultimately rested with the former Chief Executive”.

Lawyers acting for Reiri earlier told RNZ in response to questions that she was not aware of any allegations relating to financial and procurement irregularities concerning herself or any other person.

“To the extent there are any allegations of this nature, these are false and denied.”

In an earlier OIA released to RNZ, the SIA confirmed there had been two employment investigations over the last 12 months.

“I am also able to confirm that there has been one investigation in response to four formal reports of bullying and harassment. In the interest of privacy, we cannot provide a breakdown as to what each allegation was concerning.”

RNZ understands the investigation, which is ongoing, relates to Reiri.

“As a responsible employer, SIA takes these matters seriously and all complaints are investigated and followed through to the end. We have robust policies and procedures to manage disclosure of any allegations including protected disclosures (speak safe) and bullying and harassment policies, which provide informal and formal options for staff to raise concerns of serious wrongdoing and bullying and harassment.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Finance Minister says she’s “alarmed” at “unprecedented” rhetoric by the US President Donald Trump, while the Foreign Minister says concern would occur if “people keep on heightening the effect of a comment like that”.

Early on Wednesday morning, Trump warned “a whole civilization will die” in Iran if the country does not heed his cutoff time to open the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran reported US-Israeli attacks on its infrastructure were already underway.

Peters met with his counterpart, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio just hours after Trump posted on social media, but Peters wouldn’t be drawn on Trump’s comments.

“I don’t comment on what presidents and prime ministers and secretaries of state and other people say, which are not part of the conversation that I was in,” Peters told RNZ.

He said there had been numerous comments in the past that have “changed dramatically” within one or 24 hours.

“So it’s time to be experienced. It’s time for cool heads and to not make a rush to judgment that we will regret. That’s what’s important now.”

But speaking on Morning Report’s Political Panel a short time after, Nicola Willis said the comments were “alarming for the whole world”.

“We are all very concerned with the trajectory of this conflict, and it is really unprecedented to see a US president using that sort of rhetoric, which obviously would have massive implications for the people of the Middle East and for the world,” she said.

She called for de-escalation saying New Zealand wanted to see the “basics of humanitarian law upheld, and that does not include endorsing attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure”.

“I don’t like waking up in a world where what the US president says on Twitter will actually affect the fortunes of billions of people,” Willis said.

She did however acknowledge Peters’ comments around not rushing to a judgment.

“As Winston Peters said, we do need to see whether there’s any bite behind these tweets today. We won’t know till midday whether these are words or threats or actually will result in actions.”

Labour’s deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni said the government needed to be calling out the comments made by the US president.

“They are outrageous” and would “further inflame” what was already a “horrific situation”, she said.

Peters and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon needed to be “much stronger and resolute” on what New Zealand’s position was and “what we deem acceptable and what we deem to be absolutely unacceptable”.

“I don’t think we’ve seen that strength of voice so far,” Sepuloni said.

She hoped Peters was “being a bit stronger” in his language “behind the scenes”.

The call for de-escalation from Willis echoed the Prime Minister’s comments in his post-cabinet media conference on Tuesday, in which he said the US and Israel had undertaken “unilateral, independent action without engaging any of their partners”.

“New Zealand’s position is clear, this is not a time for escalating rhetoric or actions. It is critical that the parties find a way to de escalate and come to a negotiated solution quickly,” Luxon said.

“New Zealand expects all parties to comply with international law and international humanitarian law, which includes the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure,” he said on Tuesday.

No response to PM’s views from Peters

On Wednesday morning, Peters wouldn’t be drawn on Luxon’s previous comments, in which he stated New Zealand had the same position as Australia in regards to the attack that started the war.

“If you’re talking to the Prime Minister, please question him about his comments,” Peters told RNZ, “I’m not going to respond to what the Prime Minister said.”

He said he was responding to what he knows as the Foreign Minister, and the information he was briefed with “by a seriously good team”.

“That’s what drives my answers, not what some other person said, dare I say it was the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, or anybody else.”

During the meeting between Peters and Rubio, there was no discussion about the legality of the United States and Israel’s strike on Iran, which began the war.

Peters told RNZ New Zealand had never expressed support for the war.

The purpose of his trip to Washington DC was not to declare support in any way. The US did not seek for New Zealand to express support, and made no requests for rhetorical or material support for its actions.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A government funding loan of 18 million dollars for a controversial dam in Central Hawke’s Bay has its opponents vowing to halt the project yet again.

The Tukituiki Water Security Project, formerly known as the Ruataniwha Dam, was scuppered in 2017 by the Supreme Court, when it deemed a land swap unlawful.

But under the government’s fast track legislation it could go ahead, which would make it the largest dam built since the Clyde was constructed over 30 years ago.

The Associate Minister for Regional Development, Mark Patterson, visited a Central Hawke’s Bay orchard on Tuesday to announce new funding for the project.

“Giving you the fiscal firepower, giving you the tools with the fast-track legislation to blow through the barriers we’ve seen in the past with this project.

“Hawke’s Bay – the ball is now in your court,” he told the crowd of local leaders, farmers and growers.

Tukituki Water Security Project chair Mike Petersen is thrilled. He said by 2040 the region could be 25 million cubic metres short of water.

“This is a region that is running out of water and we shouldn’t sugarcoat it. It’s desperately needed – we know we have to our water efficiency measures.. recycling.. and all the other tools at our disposal to make sure we do have wise water use.

“But we also need to make sure we capture some of that water that is flowing out to sea in peak flow periods and utilise it smartly,” he said.

That’s what Craigmore Sustainables is planning to do; it’s invested in the dam’s feasibility study.

Viticulture business manager Emma Taylor told RNZ its large apple and grape growing operation needs water security because its water consent expires in nine years with no certainty of it being renewed.

“So this development here cost $19 million to put in place. The land was purchased in 1999 and the development finished last year. That’s a lot of investment and with no security past 2035 that’s actually quite a lot of risk,” she said.

However, not everyone is welcoming the dam funding. Opponents Wise Water Use have been campaigning against it for years.

Spokesperson Trevor Le Lievre is gobsmacked.

“We down in Central Hawke’s Bay haven’t even got bridges repaired from Cyclone Gabrielle and yet this government are prepared to pour another $18 million into this zombie project – they’ve really misread the room on this,” said Le Lievre.

But the minister disagrees, and isn’t expecting any criticism over the spending.

“Hawke’s Bay is prone to dry… there’s huge potential here with 22,000 hectares potentially being brought into much higher value land uses.

“This is a wise investment. This is not spending, this is investment,” said Patterson.

“We’ll stop it again”

Greenpeace is also outraged, saying it is ‘Government-subsidised environmental destruction’.

“Luxon has just given millions of dollars in taxpayer money to an illegal dirty dairy dam which will flood precious conservation land.

“The Government is funding this ‘zombie project’ before it’s even got permission to proceed under the fast-track. But we’ve stopped this dam before, and we’ll stop it again,” said freshwater campaigner Will Appelbe.

Although none of this is deterring Mike Petersen.

“We understand everyone has a view, and everyone should have a view. We are perfectly happy to sit down and have a discussion about that,” he said.

Petersen said he’e been talking to young people in the region who are planning for their futures.

“They’re all saying to me – ‘this thing needs to happen’.

“We need to make sure this region is future proofed, and water security has to be at the heart of that,” said Petersen.

Local mayor Will Foley told RNZ it is good news for the regional economy – especially with high fuel prices and the closure of McCain’s vegetable processing plant.

“I see it as giving us some certainty – that’s what we’ve been lacking particularly in the past month. We’ve obviously had some things go against us, and I think as a district and region we just need some certainty going forward,” he said.

Until the feasibility study is completed at the end of the year, there is no detail on what the dam will cost and how it will be funded. If it does proceed then water could be available from 2037.

Wise Water Use is worried the build cost of the dam will blow out, and hit taxpayers and ratepayers in the pocket.

“Just look at the Waimea dam, which blew its budget by almost threefold from a budgeted $78 million to $211 million.

“The company wanting to build Ruataniwha has hired the same CE, Mike Scott, to oversee their project. It now looks like Waimea was a dress rehearsal for Ruataniwha,” said Le Lievre.

With the new $18m loan from the Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund, the next phase of work will include detailed engineering and design, financing and commercial work, with a final investment decision expected in 2028.

Petersen said he is under no illusion about the significance of the project proposal, and while water storage is not new to New Zealand, it is new to Hawke’s Bay.

“This will be a game changer for our region, improving water security and the environment, supporting livelihoods, creating jobs and acting as a catalyst for long-term prosperity in Hawke’s Bay.

“With that much at stake, we are committed to doing this work carefully, honestly, and in partnership,” he said.

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

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government’s new newest ministers have been sworn in at Government House in Wellington.

Both first term National MPs, Cameron Brewer and Mike Butterick were made ministers outside of Cabinet.

Brewer, the MP for Upper Harbour, has been made minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs and minister for Small Business and Manufacturing, as well as an associate Immigration minister.

He was most recently chairing the Finance and Expenditure committee, sometimes seen as a proving ground for potential future ministers.

This term, he had also been a member of the Justice committee, and the deputy chair of the Governance and Administration committee.

Butterick, meanwhile, has become minister for Land Information and associate Agriculture.

The Wairarapa MP spent some time as deputy chair of the Environment committee, was a member of the Education committee, and was most recently a member of the Primary Production committee.

Brewer and Butterick’s move into the Executive was part of last week’s reshuffle, which was prompted by the retirements of Judith Collins and Dr Shane Reti.

With Chris Penk and Penny Simmonds moving into Cabinet, it opened up two spots for ministers outside Cabinet.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

An Auckland mum has been picking up parcels from a foodbank with an e-scooter amidst the fuel crisis as charities see more people unable to afford travel to get help, and volunteers reducing their hours.

Gigi Joyce, who lives with her partner and three children in Mount Albert – including a 15-months old daughter- said she’s sold her car after the spike in fuel costs made it unaffordable for her family.

She’s been picking up food parcels from a social food pantry in Mount Roskill on an e-scooter, and uses a metal chain to secure multiple bags of groceries onto the scooter, while hanging additional bags onto the handles.

It’s a precarious balance, but Joyce said it’s more efficient than carrying the many bags while transferring buses.

Louise Garbett, coordinator at Communities feeding Communities – a social pantry run by Presbyterian Support Northern in Mount Roskill – said they’re seeing higher demand, with food requests also coming from people who are working, and families where both parents are working.

She said more people are unable to travel to their hub.

“I’m getting called all day long from people asking if we can deliver food parcels, which is unfortunately something we can offer, but it’s problematic for people to drive here because they have to pay for fuel to pick up food, so we are worried about people,” she said.

Garbett said public transport can be challenging for people carrying a large load.

“We have had more people coming on the bus to pick up their food parcels, which is all very well, but it’s very difficult to carry a week’s worth of groceries on the bus, particularly if you have a disability or you’re pregnant, or you have a bunch of kids with you,” she said.

Garbett said two volunteers haven’t been coming for the past two weeks due to the cost of fuel.

She’s also worried that companies would start to put up the cost on their food orders if the conflict in the Middle East continues, and that they won’t be able to help as many people.

Garbett said she hopes the government can consider extending the $50 per week fuel subsidy, currently only for low-to-middle-income workers who have children, to more groups in society – particularly people with disabilities who may not be able to take public transport.

Agnes Magele from Auckland Action Against Poverty said people on benefits who were previously barely able to afford petrol to get to their office, are now unable to come.

Magele is also calling on the government to provide the $50 fuel subsidy to beneficiaries and working people who may not fit the current criteria.

Tyla Nasmith, who runs Nurturing Families in West Auckland, said they’ve been seeing more referrals and longer lists of requested items.

“In the past weeks or months, we might’ve been providing a couple of things for families – but now they’re in such crisis that we’re providing everything for a newborn, or clothing, and school supplies for older kids as well,

Nasmith said some of their volunteers are reducing the number of times they come each week due to the petrol costs.

“If we can’t get volunteers here, because the cost of gas is so expensive, we aren’t gonna be able to get the support out to families as quick as possible, it’s kind of like a really big knock on effect, and I guess there’s so much uncertainty over this time period,” she said.

Mount Roskill woman Safiya used to volunteer with the NZ Ethnic Women’s Trust to drive migrant women and refugees to their appointments and errands.

She said she’s stopped doing that for a month now due to the high cost of petrol.

Safiya, who’s disabled and has been on crutches since the age of 14, said rising fuel prices have restricted her everyday activities.

“It’s very hard for me, the only thing I can do is drop off and pick up the kids from school, and I’m much more stuck at home now because the petrol fee is very high,

“I used to go socialization, the community places to chat and all that, but now I’m stuck and that’s not good for my health and my memory, so I hope the things get sorted and the war stops, and we can just get our normal petrol budget,” she said.

Willis stands firm on current fuel subsidy

Asked whether the government would consider extending $50 per week fuel subsidy to more groups, the finance minister Nicola Willis said in a statement that the government has acted to support those most impacted by the conflict in the Middle East with the subsidy to the low-to-middle income working families with children.

“People experiencing particular difficulties should talk to the Ministry of Social Development to check what they may be eligible for,

“However, the Government is not in the position of being able to mitigate the impact on all New Zealanders of a conflict that is making people all over the world poorer,” she said.

Willis said New Zealand’s fiscal buffers were eroded in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, and any additional funding has to come from savings elsewhere, or be borrowed.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

‘Deeply regrettable’

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