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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has brushed off criticisms of his government after days of heated speculation about his leadership.

In a media standup at HamiltonJet Global in Christchurch on Friday morning, Luxon brushed off businesses’ concerns about a lack of funding to bring SailGP back to Auckland.

He has also joked about losing votes in Auckland as a result of his support for the Crusaders, and avoided saying much about a National Party dinner where guests could pay $10,000 to sit next to him.

Auckland events boss Nick Hill told Morning Report he was “very disappointed” at the loss of SailGP, saying it was “significant loss” for the City of Sails and blaming a lack of buy-in from the government.

Luxon said the proposal for funding Sail GP in Auckland did not stack up, but distanced himself from it – acknowledging he was not across the details.

“Yeah, look, um, you know, we’ll continue our conversations with Auckland Council and SailGP but the proposal we received just frankly didn’t stack up,” he said.

He was unsure how much money the government was being asked to provide.

“I can’t remember what the proposal specifics was but when we run it through our evaluation criteria, just didn’t stack up.”

He said Tourism Minister Louise Upston would know about the specifics.

“I’m just well aware that when we looked at the cost-benefit ratio, it didn’t meet the criteria … it just didn’t meet the criteria, is all I know.”

He rejected the suggestion from Auckland businesses the government was working against them.

“Ah absolute rubbish. This is a government that’s backed State of Origin into Auckland, it’s a government that’s put a whole bunch of major events into Auckland, it’s invested in the New Zealand International Convention Centre, invested in the CRL, and we’ve made big investments and big support programmes into Auckland.”

He was in Christchurch [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/593268/christchurch-stadium-opening-te-kaha-opens-after-15-year-wait ahead of the first Super Round at the city’s new stadium Te Kaha, when 10 of the Super Rugby Pacific’s 11 teams would all play at the same venue.

Having grown up in the city, he said it was “tough” to say whether Te Kaha had overtaken Eden Park as the national stadium.

“I gotta say, it’s a world class stadium. It was a pleasure to open it three or four weeks ago. I’ll be there tonight,” he said.

Leadership woes

Luxon has been under pressure in recent weeks over poor polling numbers and leaks from who he has described as disgruntled MPs.

Coalition tensions turned up a notch this week too, as New Zealand First’s Winston Peters criticised Luxon’s decision to call a confidence vote in himself without informing coalition partners, saying that was unwise and would lead to instability.

Luxon and his deputy Nicola Willis in turn criticised Peters in the media – the first time they have been willing to do so directly and publicly.

Despite all that, he joked about losing support in Auckland, where he holds the seat of Botany.

“I’ll be in my Crusaders kit, I’ll lose 5000 votes in Auckland – but that’s okay, because I’m a Crusaders guy through and through.

“If I’m honest with you, in terms of scale and size, Eden Park’s obviously large and can accommodate certain activity, but I can tell you, I’m going to be coming to Christchurch a lot to see a lot of things down here.”

He said it was important to draw international events like Robbie Williams to New Zealand, as every dollar spent on attracting them was “getting $3.20 back into the local economy here”.

“So it’s fantastic, so exciting and it’s honestly – I don’t know whether you guys have been inside it – but it’s amazing. It’s incredible. It’s covered. We’re so close to the action, you’ll be able to hear the lineout calls, it’s just going to be brilliant.”

Christchurch ‘a role model’

He said Christchurch was a “real role model for how we want New Zealand to ultimately look and feel like”.

“You’ve got incredibly modern, reliable infrastructure. You’ve got a fantastic airport, awesome university, great schools, fantastic infrastructure now with the stadium and the redevelopment that’s taking place, and it’s growing very quickly.

“It’s an affordable city, more affordable city than many other parts of New Zealand, and so things like our planning laws are changing in order to be able to increase the supply of housing across the rest of New Zealand.”

In the four years after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes devastated the city centre, the John Key-led government provided an estimated $16.5 billion, with about half coming from insurance payouts from the then-Earthquake Commission.

Luxon said there was “plenty of cash around” from private capital, but “whether the government needs to be involved, government doesn’t need to be involved in everything. It’s quite good if we’re not in many cases”.

The ongoing fuel crisis that has resulted from the US and Israel conflict with Iran has been putting additional pressure on government finances after high spending under Labour that aimed to keep the economy growing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Support for businesses and those struggling with high fuel prices has been limited to “targeted, timely and temporary” spending, with the main component being a $50-a-week increase for working families earning tax credits.

Luxon said New Zealand had managed to secure supplies and there was no disruption there, “but, you know, the world needs peace to be breaking out there”.

He said rhetoric like US President Donald Trump’s was not needed.

“We don’t need escalation.”

More weather concerns

Luxon’s comments were made shortly before news of more heavy rain lashing the country – causing landslips in Auckland and prompting people to evacuate their homes.

He was asked about a new report out from the Climate Change Commission pointing to a risk before 2030 of a shortfall of Emissions Trading Scheme units possibly resulting in volatile price spikes, but said his main concern was “growth over and above everything else”.

He said the country was “determined to deliver on our climate change commitments, net zero 2050 … and we’re on track to do exactly that”.

“Last quarter this country generated less emissions than we’ve ever had, ever since we started recording in 2010 – and that’s because we’ve got a government that doesn’t just do bumper stickers and slogans and words, we actually do action and investment, as illustrated by our big investments in the renewables energy boom that’s taking place.”

The government’s push towards renewable energy has largely been focused on planning changes.

Luxon was also questioned about a National Party fundraising dinner, where property developer Matthew Horncastle paid $10,000 for a ticket to sit next to the prime minister and his wife, Amanda.

When Luxon was asked about how things had gone at the dinner on Thursday, he initially said “with who?”

After the name was repeated, he said “oh, there was a National Party event I was at last night, yeah. But yesterday I was also at a company called Zethos, which was pretty exciting because that’s a startup that’s come out of the engineering school that’s recycling critical minerals here in Christchurch”.

Horncastle has previously said that if he entered politics he would aim to be a National Party prime minister by winning the Christchurch Central seat – which has been a Labour stronghold, with just one National MP holding it since 1946.

Asked if Horncastle was the kind of person he wanted in National, Luxon only said it was a “broad church, and if people want to support us from all sorts of work, as it does for every political party, uh, it was just a party event last night”.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has called on the Netherlands to stop selling arms to Indonesia.

Representatives of the ULMWP were this week at the Dutch Parliament for a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the human rights situation in West Papua.

In a video relayed to the Dutch from ULMWP members in Papua, the pro-independence group called on the Netherlands to stop selling weapons to Indonesia.

“We, the people of West Papua, urge the Dutch government to stop cooperation and the supply of weapons to Indonesia, because these transactions between Indonesia and the Netherlands, especially weapons, are being bought and used to carry out killings against us.”

This comes amid a recent escalation of violent conflict between Indonesia’s military and Papuan pro-independence fighters.

Indonesia’s Human Rights Commission this week said it was investigating the deaths of a dozen West Papuan civilians last week as the result of a military operation in Central Papua.

Former colonial power

The Netherlands was the former colonial power in West Papua and the rest of Indonesia. As such, the Liberation Movement said the Dutch had a responsibility to respond to ongoing human rights violations and conflict in Papua.

Current and recent Dutch military exports are largely tied to the Indonesian Navy and concentrated on naval vessels, ship systems and supporting weapons.

A spokesperson for the Dutch Embassy in Indonesia said all license applications for the export of military goods from the Netherlands were examined carefully and on a case‑by‑case basis, within the framework of the Arms Trade Treaty and the EU Common Position on arms export controls.

“Central to this assessment are the end user of the goods, the intended end use, and the situation in the country of destination.

“In conducting these assessments, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs systematically takes into account all relevant information, including political, security and human rights developments.

“Licence applications are refused where the assessment identifies an overriding risk that the military goods in question could be misused by the end user. The Ministry does not exclude any end users in advance,” the spokesperson said.

RNZ Pacific has sought comment from the Indonesian government. Previously, Jakarta has refused to acknowledge the ULMWP has any legitimacy.

At the parliament hearing in the Hague, the president of ULMWP’s provisional government, Benny Wenda met with some Dutch lawmakers from parties including the Christian Union and the Progressive Party.

Also in attendance was the British Labour MP Alex Sobel, the chair person of International Parliamentarians for West Papua.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has cancelled his regular weekly interviews with TVNZ’s Breakfast programme while also lodging a complaint about the conduct of its press gallery team.

Luxon’s office notifed the broadcaster of the decision on Friday afternoon.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the PM said “we have decided to update our approach” to regular media engagements following a review late last year.

“Kiwis get their news in different ways – across radio, television, podcasts and digital platforms, and from next month, there will be three separate morning TV news shows.

“The PM will continue to be available to media, including Breakfast on a case-by-case basis.”

The spokesperson also noted National’s separate concerns about the “inappropriate conduct” of TVNZ staff

“New Zealanders want a fair, balanced and accurate media talking to the issues that matter to them. We respect the role of media, but there are standards, and those standards matter.”

Luxon’s Monday interview slot on RNZ’s Morning Report and NewstalkZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast will continue.

In 2021, former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern provided similar reasoning when she cancelled her weekly interview on NewstalkZB.

Luxon’s withdrawal comes not long after the appointment of former Newshub political editor Tova O’Brien as Breakfast co-host.

Asked for a response, a TVNZ spokesperson said: “Our news team is committed to providing accurate, impartial, comprehensive and in-depth news coverage.

“Editorial independence is fundamental to this and critical for a free and democratic society. Part of this is holding those in positions of power to account.”

Political complaint lodged

National has also lodged a complaint with TVNZ, claiming members of its Press Gallery team broke Parliament’s rules in their pursuit of an interview with chief whip Stuart Smith.

But TVNZ disputes National’s version of events and says the correct avenue for complaints is with the Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee.

In a statement to RNZ, a spokesperson for Brownlee said he was aware of the alleged events but had no further involvement with the complaint.

The incident is alleged to have occurred at the end of a frenetic Tuesday in which Luxon called and won a vote of confidence in his own leadership.

A key element of the story was the absence of the party’s chief whip from the critical caucus meeting. Smith had avoided speaking to reporters for five days despite his prominent role in a NZ Herald story about flagging caucus support for Luxon.

In a post on social media, National’s campaign chair Simeon Brown said TVNZ staff followed Smith into a corridor where media interviews were not permitted without express permission.

He said staff then “aggressively” knocked on Smith’s office door for several minutes and pressured him by suggesting how he might be portrayed on TVNZ’s Breakfast programme the following morning if he did not agree to speak.

This week, National has made a complaint to TVNZ about the conduct of its staff.

TVNZ staff:

• followed National Whip Stuart Smith into his corridor, an area where media interviews are not allowed without express permission;

• aggressively banged on his door for several…

— Simeon Brown (@SimeonBrownMP) April 24, 2026

In response to questions from RNZ, a TVNZ spokesperson said the news outlet had a “different view of what took place”.

“Our journalist was asking questions on behalf of the public, as they do every day. This story came to light due to leaking from National Party MPs. It was a legitimate story to follow. We look forward to Stuart Smith making himself available to explain his absence from caucus.”

The TVNZ spokesperson said the correct place for such complaints was with Parliament’s Speaker, not with TVNZ or on social media.

“Simeon Brown is well aware of this,” the spokesperson said.

In his post on X, Brown said the behaviour of TVNZ was “unacceptable” and a “clear breach” of Parliament’s rules governing media access.

“We respect the role of media, but there are standards, and those standards matter,” he said.

He said New Zealanders expected fair, balanced and accurate reporting, rather than what he characterised as “a media-driven soap opera”.

Smith finally addressed media at Parliament on Wednesday, where he flatly denied the earlier Herald report which claimed Smith had tried to alert the prime minister to discontent in the ranks.

Asked why it took him so long to issue a denial, Smith told reporters: “I didn’t feel it was appropriate [to do so earlier].”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Building water infrastructure over the next decade will be a “mammoth challenge” according to Local Government Minister Simon Watts.

Speaking to Morning Report, Watts said one of the key points the government wanted to achieve with Local Water Done Well reform “is making sure that the entities that deliver these water services are in an essence match fit, are financially sustainable and they have the ability to deliver.”

Watts also said there are “significant challenges around infrastructure investment deficit.”

On Thursday, Independent Infrastructure Commission – Te Waihanga, chief executive Geoff Cooper told Morning Report there’s been huge under-investment in the water system, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s.

“The number that we have here from the water service delivery plans is about $49 billion over the next 10 years.

“To put that into perspective, that’s about on par with what New Zealand has spent on water services in the 125 years since 1885,” Cooper said.

Watts highlighted one challenge with estimating the costs for the infrastructure in some areas is due to the pipes being 50-to-80-years-old.

Watts also said there are issues with forecasting costs, but said it was likely to be “in the region of $4 billion per annum over the next 10 years.”

“WaterCare [currently] spends $4 million per day on infrastructure investment.”

When asked who will be paying for the infrastructure, Watts said it will come from ratepayers “first and foremost”.

Watts said the government is changing the way the new water entities are funded and financed.

“What I mean by that is, we’re making sure that these assets last for a long time, 50, 100 years in some cases. We want to make sure that the borrowings of these entities match the asset life, and that hasn’t been the case in the past.”

Watts said the government “has flesh in the game,” because it is “putting in place a structure that works for communities”, and more regions could see water charging.

“Some parts of the country do pay water charges, Auckland, for example, and the regulator is looking across the country and going, well, you know, at the end of the day, we do need to be considering water charges because, you know, it is a cost of infrastructure.”

Watts acknowledged some councils will be paying for the infrastructure using debt, but said this wasn’t always a bad thing.

“Having debt is not a bad thing in the context of how we build this infrastructure. The challenge is we have to fund and finance the massive deficit of infrastructure we have inherited.

“It’s not fair that only today’s population fund for something 100 years from today.”

Watts stressed the importance of the water entities throughout the country being “financially sustainable… that the revenue that these entities collect covers their costs, and they have enough income to be able to pay their debt.”

Watts said this wasn’t the case under the prior model, and the “independent Commerce Commission will make that assessment [on financial sustainability], not some politician.”

Watts acknowledged in some parts of New Zealand, the infrastructure deficit is bigger than other areas.

“But we’ve got a model that can deliver the reform required and the infrastructure investment. It’s going to be hard and challenging, but we’re already making some good steps.”

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

Source: New Zealand Government

Good afternoon.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you, Sue Tindal, Peter Reidy and KiwiRail for hosting us all today. 

It is good to be in Christchurch, where the first rail in New Zealand was laid. Indeed, the South Island was home to former Premier Julius Vogel, who started New Zealand’s rail system. He built more rail in ten years during the 1870s than the entire 130 years that followed. Now that’s fast-track infrastructure.

Our acknowledgements to KiwiRail’s workers, unions, and customers; to the companies involved in building this precinct; to Mainland Rail; and to local leaders including Ngāi Tahu, Mayors Phil Mauger and Lydia Gliddon, Deputy Mayor, Regional Council Chair Deon Swiggs, councillors, and local Members of Parliament.

We offer a special acknowledgement to the Ambassadors of Switzerland and Spain who join us today, reflecting the fact that the new fleet of locomotives are built by Swiss company Stadler at their manufacturing base in Valencia, Spain.

When last responsible for rail, we committed $75 million to build a new rail maintenance facility here in Christchurch, supporting around 150 construction jobs and resetting rail for a strong future in the South Island. A final $35 million investment capped off the programme some years ago for the full precinct upgrade.

If anybody is confused, “we” means Shane Jones and yours truly. 

Because here are the facts:

Rail in this country was degraded and in a state of managed decline. While many were fast on the lip but slow on the hip, we stepped up and committed to a wholesale rebuild of the industry. 

We changed the law to fund the rail network like we fund the state highway network. Since then, sleeper by sleeper, bridge by bridge, year by year, we are rebuilding the rail network.

A decade ago, the network would shut often due to slips and washouts. This year, with so many major storms, only one washout near Te Puke has stopped the network for just days, not weeks like the old days.

We funded the replacement of old locomotives and wagons, so they can spend less time in the workshop being fixed and more time serving our nation by hauling heavy goods across the country. 

We rebuilt workshops like this one in Christchurch and Hillside in Dunedin, upgraded them in Auckland and Lower Hutt, and built a new one in Hamilton because we wanted safer, more efficient, more productive working environments for skilled workers to maintain railway rolling stock.

These investments—ongoing for the network, one-off for the commercial assets—achieve one thing: reliability.

If trains turn up on time, customers use them. In transport, schedule reliability is everything. As the network and rolling stock reliability improves, so too does KiwiRail’s profitability and the share of rail moving New Zealand’s goods.

KiwiRail’s half-year result shows the evidence: it earned $73 million in profit, exceeding its target, and lifted volumes by 7 percent versus road lifting by 2 percent. That shows freight is moving from road to rail.

This is an industry that is regaining its purpose and its confidence.

And more importantly, it is doing so in service of our country.

And the best is yet to come: the 66 new DM locomotives will be a major advance for rail performance in New Zealand.

The entire DX locomotive fleet will complete their service, after forty and fifty years running, replaced by DM locomotives with greater hauling power and cabs at both ends to simplify yard movements.

What’s more: rail is already 2.5 times more fuel efficient than trucks on average, and the fuel economy of the DMs are vastly superior. As we see when fuel prices spike, it is rail that proves its worth. We saw this in the 1970s, and we are seeing it again today.

It proves once again that being green is an economic choice; requiring none of the eyerolling, virtue signalling nonsense seen by some of our opponents in Parliament.

But thankfully, we are not at Parliament. We are in Christchurch, with people who know how to get things done.

You have in your midst the team running Mainland Rail, a private company that bought the old Capital Connection carriages from Wellington and diesel units from Auckland Transport.

This evening, they are running the very first major events excursion train to the first Crusaders match at the brand-new Christchurch Stadium. We have the honour of catching that train, although I hasten to add: as Minister for Rail, not as a rugby supporter.

Would any of this have happened had we not set a course to rebuild the rail infrastructure, giving confidence to people like Mainland Rail to put their money at risk by giving the rail business a go?

They have great ambitions to use the rail network within and around Christchurch for public transport services.

So to the local body officials in the room wanting passenger rail services here in Christchurch, listen up: you can be like Auckland was and waste time on light rail waiting for hand-outs from the taxpayer, or you can be like Waikato and use the existing rail infrastructure and back it by funding half like every public transport service in this country.

To be clear, that is not an endorsement of any new service, of Mainland Rail, or even KiwiRail. It is a statement of commonsense to those with grand ideas: put in the work to build a viable proposition for your community.

Because as you have seen today with this building, these locomotives, and the performance of KiwiRail when delivering our strategy: we deliver good ideas.

And with that it is a pleasure, as Minister for Rail, to at last launch the Waltham Maintenance Hub and the first four of many DM Class locomotives.

Thank you.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

The new Defence Minister says he has not seen anything in the Iran war that would lead him to reconsider New Zealand’s defence relationship with the United States.

Chris Penk also said the country was not going too slowly on acquiring military drones even though other countries were accelerating by up to 400 percent.

Penk has just taken over the defence, space and spy agency portfolios from Judith Collins.

“It’s exciting and intimidating,” he told RNZ in an interview this week.

He was not setting a different course from his predecessor. “I think we’re on the right path.”

Pope or president?

Penk was less well known than ‘Crusher’ Collins – was he a hawk or dove? He responded only that he would represent government policy “faithfully”.

The Iran war had not made him reconsider the US-NZ defence relationship.

“No, I think we need to understand clearly where our ideals and interests lie. So in that sense, nothing’s changed.

“It’s not to say that we would commit to a particular operation because of US involvement or despite it. We will make decisions on a case-by-case basis in accordance with our long-standing independent foreign policy.”

Did US President Donald Trump’s threat to wipe out Iran’s civilisation discomfort him?

“It’s not language or a policy aim that’s held by the New Zealand government,” said Penk. “So, clearly it’s not something that I am personally, you know, comfortable with in that sense.”

Had the way US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth characterised the war or how the US saw its role in the world prompted any rethink?

“I think we should consider that any interaction or involvement that New Zealand has militarily anywhere in the globe should be on a case-by-case basis according to whether it aligns with our interests and ideals as determined from time to time by our independent foreign policy.”

The Pope’s comments on war had drawn Trump’s ire in recent days. Where did Penk’s sympathies lie?

“I don’t think I should express a view between those two gentlemen, but I think more importantly from New Zealand’s point of view, we’ve got a government position that is that clearly we’re affected by the war in the Middle East and it would be better if it were to cease.”

Hegseth has invoked Christian language to justify the war against Iran.

Penk said his meetings could include one with Hegseth though Australia was the most important relationship, and he would be meeting its Defence Minister Richard Marles shortly in person. Penk was set to meet Marles in Sydney on Thursday, saying “we can do more to operationalise our alliance”.

More drones for some

Marles said last week the Iran and Ukraine wars had in the last two years shown up the need to focus more on drones. Under Canberra’s new national defence strategy, $2.5 billion of new or redirected spending was also going into drones.

Also, the Albanese government on Tuesday said it would more than double investment in counter-drones to up to $9 billion over a decade.

France had just put out a new plan to quadruple its stocks of kamikaze drones by 2030, incentivised by the two wars showing up how fast munitions got drained.

The Pentagon meantime had announced plans to triple US spending on drones and related technology to more than NZ$125 billion.

Was New Zealand moving too slowly?

“I wouldn’t say we’re going too slowly, but we need to keep moving quickly so that we don’t fall behind,” said Penk.

The year-old defence capability plan (DCP) envisaged spending up to about half a billion dollars on air and sea drones by 2029.

What about doubling the drone spend like Australia?

“I think the DCP has the right level of ambition, including that it’s a huge step up from historic New Zealand government investment in defence and security matters.”

Penk added the figures in the plan were a “floor” not a ceiling, the plan would be reviewed every two years and the drone spend could be sped up.

“The relative priority of different technology types, for example, drones as compared with the other needs that we have, is going to be part of the Cabinet’s decision-making in terms of procurement that we make over the next months and years.”

AI and where to get it

Another Cabinet choice would be around military AI.

The Pentagon’s deployment of that in Iran had sped up strikes on targets like never before. When its Department of Defence fell out with AI whiz company Anthropic, it turned instead to the rival Open AI to take over the targeting tech’s development alongside data-king Palantir whose platforms “specialise in integrating vast, siloed sources of data with all elements of decision-making”.

The NZDF is under orders to increase its lethal strike capability. But the country has no local equivalent of Palantir, Anthropic or Open AI.

So how would Penk ensure defence got the AI it might think it needed?

“The important thing with AI is clearly it’s developing very quickly. So we need to be agile,” he said.

“And that means not closing off any options if there are allies, partners, and others whom we work with closely and we trust who are developing this technology.

“If we’re in the space that we’re able to share that in a way that reflects our values and doesn’t breach any international or our own domestic law, then of course we should be open to that.”

He was more interested in understanding how systems and procurement could let defence move quickly rather than any specific AI platforms.

Integration

Speed had been one emphasis; integration had been another especially in US-led military alliances, frameworks and exercises.

Pentagon statements and strategies put great emphasis on integration with companies and with allies; its Space Force had dubbed 2026 the year of integration.

Had Penk sought to understand what the US meant by “integration”?

“I haven’t had that discussion directly, and I don’t know if officials have, in the light of the most recent proclamations by them, but I think in general terms, integration is a good thing to the extent that we can understand and work with those we’ve got good relationships.”

It did not mean being subservient.

“It means that we integrate in a number of different ways as a starting point to understand your intentions, as a helpful way for us to know if there are ways that we can usefully contribute to aims that we share, and where we don’t share aims, then clearly we won’t.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

SailGP will not be going ahead in Auckland next year as the government has rejected funding.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill said it was disappointed with the outcome.

“Auckland did everything to get this event across the line including resolving date issues, committing funds and meeting land and infrastructure requirements.

“We worked incredibly hard to try and make this happen and are committed to SailGP returning to the Waitematā Harbour in future years.”

Auckland’s host city offer was contingent on a two-way funding partnership between Auckland Council and central government, Hill said.

However, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston defended the decision not to fund the event.

In a letter to Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, Upston said it did not meet the Major Events Fund (MEF) criteria.

“SailGP’s application was assessed under the MEF’s Focus Area One, which requires events to deliver net national economic benefits to New Zealand, primarily through the attraction of international visitors and/or direct event delivery expenditure.

“Given the timeframes involved and the information available, investment in the 2027 event was declined as it did not meet MEF criteria.”

A previous offer of $5 million had been accepted in principal last year, provided an agreement could be reached on dates with SailGP.

But it failed to do so, and a higher amount was requested in February.

Upston said the government remained open to “considering investment in the 2028 and 2029 SailGP events, and remains open to discussing the 2027 event if timing allows”.

In a statement, SailGP co-founder and CEO Russell Coutts confirmed the Sail Grand Prix in Auckland would not feature on the 2027 calendar because an agreement was unable to be finalised.

“SailGP has enjoyed four hugely successful events in New Zealand – with spectacular racing and incredible energy on-shore,” he said.

“We’re especially grateful to the New Zealand fans, who have shown up in force year after year, and to our partners in Auckland for their support.

“We remain in dialogue with the New Zealand Government, Auckland Council, and their respective agencies, as we look ahead to a possible return from 2028 and beyond.”

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Source: New Zealand Government

Hundreds of Canterbury teens at risk of disengaging from education are among the first to benefit from a new Government initiative to double the value of investment for both recipients and the taxpayer, Youth and South Island Minister James Meager says.

Christchurch-based Te Ora Hou Ōtautahi has received $750,000 from taxpayers to deliver a 26-week minimum early intervention programme for 300+ young people.

As the first recipient of the new Youth Development Partnership and Innovation Fund (YDPIF), the Government is investing alongside matched co-funding of $750,000 from the Rātā Foundation and Wayne Francis Charitable Trust, for a $1.5 million investment total.

“By co-funding alongside other organisations, we are doubling the amount of financial support being brought into the youth sector. This provides twice the opportunity for young people to benefit from these initiatives at no additional taxpayer cost,” Mr Meager says.

“Te Ora Hou Ōtautahi’s programme, delivered across three years for those aged 12-18, will support school transitions (primary to secondary school), and promote positive, sustained engagement in education for at-risk students.

“Students will be supported to set goals and plan education pathways, have access to one-to-one mentoring, and take part in group activities that build skills and confidence.

“The provider will act as a support liaison between the young person, their family, and school. It will also make connections with other community organisations where necessary, enabling a cohesive wraparound approach.

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

“This investment also represents the first step in our new direction for all Ministry of Youth Development funding to only go to programmes that can demonstrate successful outcomes which align with key government targets.

“The YDPIF is focused on early intervention programmes which support young people to develop skills and capabilities, contribute to their communities and the economy, and reach their highest potential.

“The Government continues to seek co-investors for this fund. I encourage any interested business or organisation to get in touch, as I want to see a wide variety of outcomes-based innovative services supported which enable young Kiwis to thrive.”

Notes to Editor: 

• The Ministry of Youth Development continues to seek to co-invest with businesses, iwi, trusts, charities, other philanthropic organisations, as well as government agencies through the YDPIF, which is focused on funding outcomes-based, early intervention and prevention programmes that contribute to supporting Government targets and priorities. This includes:
• Fewer people on the Jobseeker Support Benefit.
• Increased student attendance.
• Supporting young parents, aged 12-24 years, with children in their first 2,000 days (aligned with the Child and Youth Strategy).
• Further information on the fund can be found here.
• An Expression of Interest for the YDPIF is available on the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS) website.

Attached: An image of Minister James Meager visiting Te Ora Hou Ōtautahi today is attached, with local MP Hamish Campbell with representatives of Te Ora Hou Ōtautahi, Rata Foundation and Wayne Francis Charitable Trust.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

National has lodged a complaint with TVNZ, claiming members of its Press Gallery team broke Parliament’s rules in their pursuit of an interview with chief whip Stuart Smith.

But TVNZ disputes National’s version of events and says the correct avenue for complaints is with the Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee.

In a statement to RNZ, a spokesperson for Brownlee said he was aware of the alleged events but had no further involvement with the complaint.

The incident is alleged to have occurred at the end of a frenetic Tuesday in which Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called and won a vote of confidence in his own leadership.

A key element of the story was the absence of the party’s chief whip from the critical caucus meeting. Smith had avoided speaking to reporters for five days despite his prominent role in a NZ Herald story about flagging caucus support for Luxon.

In a post on social media, National’s campaign chair Simeon Brown said TVNZ staff followed Smith into a corridor where media interviews were not permitted without express permission.

He said staff then “aggressively” knocked on Smith’s office door for several minutes and pressured him by suggesting how he might be portrayed on TVNZ’s Breakfast programme the following morning if he did not agree to speak.

In response to questions from RNZ, a TVNZ spokesperson said the news outlet had a “different view of what took place”.

“Our journalist was asking questions on behalf of the public, as they do every day. This story came to light due to leaking from National Party MPs. It was a legitimate story to follow. We look forward to Stuart Smith making himself available to explain his absence from caucus.”

The TVNZ spokesperson said the correct place for such complaints was with Parliament’s Speaker, not with TVNZ or on social media.

“Simeon Brown is well aware of this,” the spokesperson said.

In his post on X, Brown said the behaviour of TVNZ was “unacceptable” and a “clear breach” of Parliament’s rules governing media access.

“We respect the role of media, but there are standards, and those standards matter,” he said.

He said New Zealanders expected fair, balanced and accurate reporting, rather than what he characterised as “a media-driven soap opera”.

Smith finally addressed media at Parliament on Wednesday, where he flatly denied the earlier Herald report which claimed Smith had tried to alert the prime minister to discontent in the ranks.

Asked why it took him so long to issue a denial, Smith told reporters: “I didn’t feel it was appropriate [to do so earlier].”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

SailGP will not be going ahead in Auckland next year as the government has rejected funding.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill said they were disappointed with the outcome.

“Auckland did everything to get this event across the line including resolving date issues, committing funds and meeting land and infrastructure requirements.

“We worked incredibly hard to try and make this happen and are committed to SailGP returning to the Waitematā Harbour in future years,” Hill said in a written response.

Auckland’s host city offer was contingent on a two-way funding partnership between Auckland Council and central government, Hill said.

However, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston has defended that decision.

In a letter to Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, Upston said the event did not meet the Major Events Fund (MEF) criteria.

“SailGP’s application was assessed under the MEF’s Focus Area One, which requires events to deliver net national economic benefits to New Zealand, primarily through the attraction of international visitors and/or direct event delivery expenditure.

“Given the timeframes involved and the information available, investment in the 2027 event was declined as it did not meet MEF criteria.”

A previous offer of $5 million had been accepted in principal last year, provided an agreement could be reached on dates with SailGP.

But they failed to do so, and a higher amount was requested in February.

Upston said the government remained open to “considering investment in the 2028 and 2029 SailGP events, and remains open to discussing the 2027 event if timing allows”.

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