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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Is New Zealand about to get its own version of a law that caused uproar in New South Wales, clashes in Sydney’s streets and that has now been thrown out?

The Law Society here is worried the Policing Amendment Bill which is making its way through Parliament with strong police backing will clamp down on political protest.

“It’s a clear parallel,” said Timothy Roberts, president of the New South Wales Council of Civil Liberties.

There is evidence behind the concern – the Independent Police Conduct Authority last year found police exhibited a lot of uncertainty and inconsistency about the limits of lawful protest and what the restrictions should be, and called for explicit laws to protect protesters’ rights.

But the government on Wednesday said: “Our police have a strong, long-standing track record of upholding civil liberties and human rights.”

Last month New South Wales’ top court threw out a law enacted after the Bondi Beach terror attack.

The public assembly restriction declaration or PARD scheme expanded police powers to restrict protests in certain areas.

In such a zone in Sydney in February, police clashed with people protesting the visit of Israel’s president.

The city’s mayor Clover Moore said, “Seeing the unrestrained force used to impose those demarcations was disturbing.”

Roberts said the new law had a lot to do with it.

“The police were completely inflexible. So they could have released the crowd to march on from the area peaceably. But because of the political pressure, the legislative framework, they didn’t.

“And that inflexibility led to some really serious violence,” Roberts told RNZ.

Like Roberts, Samantha Lee saw parallels between the PARD and the New Zealand bill. Lee is assistant principal lawyer at Redfern Legal Centre which is working to get criminal charges against Sydney protesters dismissed.

“What the court found is that this executive power is a breach of the constitution in terms of the political freedom of communication and that what it was really doing is stopping the right to protest,” Lee said.

“Protesting has a long history in Australia, as it does there in New Zealand. And the court did say a lot about that, that police should not remove a person’s ability to bring governments to account, even if they’re protesting against against matters that the police don’t like,” Lee said.

The NSW law was rushed in. The New Zealand bill was hurriedly drafted without public consultation.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell said he was open to feedback on any bill, “which is exactly why it goes through the select committee process so New Zealanders can have their say and ensure that it’s fit for purpose”.

The bill’s first part would expand police intelligence-gathering powers; its second part would expand their powers to declare areas off-limits ahead of time in case of imminent public disorder. It would extend the power beyond roads to many public places, and add an instant $1000 infringement fee for someone who entered or did not leave a zone, plus adding a new offence of failing to give police identifying details.

Most reporting has focused on the first part.

The Law Society is pushing the select committee to amend both parts of the bill.

“The difficulties in enforcement and the desirability of ‘closing’ a space are acknowledged, as is the prospect that disturbances may involve other areas (parks etc, other public spaces such as river beds) which are not roads,” it said.

“Against this, however, there are also valid concerns regarding the risks of undue expansion, in that political protests involving disorder may lead to closure of roads and accessible places, and thus prohibitions on entry and potential arrests.”

The bill made “vague” references to “public safety objectives” that could trigger closure, risking “creep in their use into the field of legitimate protest”, the society said.

Paul Rishworth KC helped write its submission.

“It needs to be reconsidered as to how it all applies to public protest,” Rishworth said.

“An example would be that if a protest of some sort is happening or is planned for the following day, and there is either actual counter-protest or the threat of counter-protest, that might be seen as producing disorder or likely to produce disorder, then that might be a reason for closing it down.”

There were existing powers police had to deal with boy racers, he added.

The bill was not a direct parallel with PARD but was in the same universe, and at the very least should be amended to require regular reporting back by police on how they were using the new powers, Rishworth said.

Also, the Law Society wanted preconditions on closures to be added, and the infringement offences removed since the offence of obstruction already existed.

However, Police Association president Steve Watt rejected that part two went too far.

“What it’s aimed to do is increase public safety around those public places where disorder and other events like boy racers might tend to congregate,” said Watt.

“The police are, you know, extremely well-versed when it comes to lawful protests from members of the public.

“I can’t see police using this law as a method of shutting down lawful protests.”

Mitchell said the bill as a whole was about “reinstating police’s ability to lawfully collect and record information to keep communities safe, not introducing new powers”.

“I’ve seen the concerns raised and will consider any sensible changes which improve clarity, but my focus is on restoring the tools police need to keep Kiwis safe.”

Police consulted about part one of the bill with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, but not about part two.

The bill’s regulatory impact statement talked about police working through the issues as they implemented it.

Last year, after a two-year investigation, the Independent Police Conduct Authority found both the law, and police practices and understanding, were lacking around protesters’ rights.

It called for explicit legislation to protect them.

“Without such a legislative regime, the preservation of fundamental rights is likely to come under increasing threat,” it said.

Documents attached to the policing bill did not mention the IPCA investigation. The authority declined to comment while the bill was before Parliament.

The bill sees the IPCA and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner as the main watchdogs over how police used it.

However, the authority recently told MPs it lacked resources, and the Commissioner has put out several statements opposing the bill, saying the level of oversight was inadequate.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman has resigned, posting on social media that Friday was her last day at TVNZ.

The broadcaster confirmed Maiki Sherman had resigned from her role.

“As the first wahine Māori to lead 1News’ political team, Maiki has made a significant contribution to our journalism,” TVNZ said in a statement.

“Her reporting – from presenting our polls, to covering general elections and bringing breaking news out of the Beehive – has helped keep audiences across Aotearoa informed and engaged with the decisions being made on their behalf.

“Maiki’s nomination in this year’s media awards for Political Journalist of the Year is a testament to the calibre of her work. Today, Friday 8 May is Maiki’s last day.”

She confirmed Friday was her last day at TVNZ in a post on social media, saying her position had become “untenable”.

“The level of scrutiny on me this past week has been unprecedented, and this has placed enormous pressure on me. My role has become untenable and so I am finishing up with TVNZ today. I wish the team well,” she said.

Sherman had used a homophobic slur against Stuff journalist Lloyd Burr during pre-Budget drinks in Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ office last May.

In her post, Sherman acknowledged the offensive comment had been made and said there was “no excuse for the language I used,” but went on to say she had apologised to Burr and Willis the next morning, and informed her manager.

“From my own perspective and for context, my comment was made in response to deeply personal and inappropriate remarks made to me that evening. This does not excuse my actions, I took responsibility for that a year ago, it is merely to help others understand why I reacted in the way that I did.”

The event had come to public attention in a column by right-leaning political commentator Ani O’Brien last Tuesday.

In a statement, Stuff said the company “stands by its previous comments on the matter”, which included saying it would respect Burr’s wishes not to comment further.

She was also suspended from Parliament last week for five days for breaching parliamentary rules by pursuing an interview with National’s chief whip Stuart Smith.

National’s campaign chair Simeon Brown had complained about TVNZ’s pursuit of Smith, saying the team had followed Smith into his corridor, “aggressively” banged on his door for several minutes, refused to accept Smith declining to comment further, and pressured Smith about how his refusal would be portrayed the following morning if he did not speak.

Brown publicised his complaint on social media, but TVNZ disputed the details of his account and said the appropriate place for such complaints was with Parliament’s Speaker.

Brown’s subsequent complaint to Speaker Gerry Brownlee resulted in the suspension.

Smith had been a central figure in speculation about a potential spill in National, with several MPs having leaked anonymously to the media – including questioning the leadership of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in the wake of poor polling and ahead of a reshuffle of Cabinet.

Reports suggested Smith had sought to speak to Luxon over Easter weekend about MPs’ concerns about his leadership, and Smith had largely refused to comment on the story for four days, finally denying it in a written statement sent by the prime minister’s office.

That denial followed Luxon calling a vote of confidence in himself at a caucus meeting, after which Luxon was heavily critical of the media, saying he would not engage “if the media want to keep focusing on speculation and rumour”.

He subsequently cancelled his weekly slot on Breakfast with host Tova O’Brien, who was one of those who broke the story about Smith.

Luxon had faced criticism over his three interviews with O’Brien who started as host in late March. He said his job was “the CEO” in their first face-off – with O’Brien interrupting to say his job was prime minister – and the following week he struggled to name a Māori MP in his Cabinet.

In a message to staff, TVNZ’s chief news and content officer Nadia Tolich said the past few weeks had been challenging for Sherman, and she respected the decision to resign.

She thanked staff for supporting each other and “keeping the mahi front of mind”, saying she wished Sherman well in what she chose to do next.

Tolich noted Sherman was a nominee in this year’s media awards for Political Journalist of the Year and said this was a “testament to the calibre of her work”.

Plans for who would fill the role would be shared to staff in due course, the message said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington’s harbourmaster says there’s still a critical risk to people’s lives and the environment without an emergency tug boat in the Cook Strait.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) released its report into the Kaitaki ferry stranding on Thursday, saying a marine disaster was only narrowly avoided in January 2023 when the ship shut down and drifted dangerously close to rocks near Wellington harbour.

With 864 people on board, the commission said deaths, a total loss of the ship or severe damage to the environment would have been virtually certain if the anchors had failed to hold.

Chief Commissioner David Clarke said New Zealand lacked the capability to tow or rescue large ships – and this was a vital safety issue that Maritime NZ and the Ministry of Transport needed to sort out.

The government ditched plans last year to station an open-ocean tug in the Cook Strait, saying the costs outweighed the benefits. It ended the contract for an emergency tug vessel, the MMA Vision, early in March.

Wellington harbourmaster Grant Nalder said the lack of an emergency tug was still a risk which needed to be addressed, and he wanted the government to consider re-instating one.

“It’s unlikely we’ll need it, but if we don’t have it and it goes bad, there’s significant consequence.”

Nalder said Wellington’s coastline was very unforgiving, and it was best to avoid evacuating people off a ship in a marine emergency if possible.

“You’ve got a lot of people on these ships – both the ferries and cruise ships in Cook Strait. If there is a calamity with them, in bad weather, you don’t want to be in a life-boat or a life-raft…the potential for significant injuries is very high.

“Outside of the people factor, if you get a shipwrecked on the South Coast there’s going to be significant environmental consequences to that as well.”

Nalder said the MMA Vision was in Taranaki because it had work in the oil and gas industry, and the next nearest emergency tug was in Bass Strait in Australia.

He said in an emergency where a ferry’s anchors didn’t hold, that’s too far away.

“When you’ve got a ship getting pushed ashore, there is a quite small window of being able to do anything, and then it becomes recovery and salvage and rescue of those on board if it does go aground.”

Maritime Union National Secretary Carl Findlay said he was also calling on the government to immediately reinstate funding for emergency response vessels.

TAIC’s report highlighted the need for “national towage and salvage capability, and the government was “actively stripping that capability away”, Findlay said.

“Health and safety is not a budget item to be cut for political expediency. If the Government does not act now, they will be held responsible if something goes badly wrong.”

Emergency tug only one tool – minister

In a release in November 2025, Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the government had considered a detailed business case for procuring two separate emergency tug vessels. One based in the Cook Strait which could stabilise a stricken vessel, and a larger emergency tug that could then tow that vessel to safe harbour.

Bishop said at the time costs had escalated for this proposal, from about $80 million over 10 years to over $259 million over 10 years.

Bishop said in a statement today that while the government carefully considered the proposal, the costs were “large” and outweighed the benefits.

“I encourage people to read the analysis that has been undertaken.”

He said there were 23 maritime incidents over the last five years where an emergency ocean tug may have helped – most of which occurred outside the Cook Strait.

“All of these incidents were resolved without government procured towing capability.”

Bishop said it was not clear whether weather conditions would have allowed an emergency vessel to make a connection during Kaitaki’s stranding, or whether it would have arrived in time.

He said emergency response boats were “only one tool” to help with maritime safety.

“There are a range of international conventions in place to ensure that the standard of shipping is kept high, and a regulatory regime in place to monitor and enforce against those standards.”

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

Source: Auckland Council

Consultation with staff at Auckland Council and Auckland Transport has opened today, marking an important milestone in progressing changes to the way transport is planned, governed, and delivered in Tāmaki Makaurau. 

CCO reform was first signalled in 2024 and has subsequently seen the functions of Eke Panuku Development Auckland and the economic development function of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited moved into Auckland Council. Auckland Transport, however, is created by legislation, which meant structural changes required new legislation. 

Parliament last week passed the Local Government (Auckland Council) (Transport Governance) Amendment Act 2026, making three core changes: 

Transport governance and planning arrangements will move to Auckland Council, including the establishment of a new Auckland Regional Transport Committee, jointly governed by Auckland Council and central government. 
Auckland Transport will solely focus on the delivery of public transport services. 

All other transport functions, including Road Controlling Authority status, will move from Auckland Transport into Auckland Council. 

Auckland Council Chief Executive Phil Wilson says today’s proposal for staff follows months of work by teams at both organisations to understand the opportunity that exists and create proposed structures for each organisation that sets them up for success. 

“Auckland Transport has made strong progress for Aucklanders in the last 15 years, and the current model has delivered many benefits for the Auckland region and our communities” 

“We now have six months to transition to our new model that will build on those successes but will fundamentally change both organisations. In doing so, we’ll create clearer accountability, better integration of land use, transport and infrastructure planning, a stronger partnership with Government, improved delivery and efficiency and a more co-ordinated approach to customer and stakeholder engagement.” 

Mr Wilson says moving more than 1350 people from one organisation to another is a huge effort, and making these changes is about setting ourselves up to deliver better outcomes for Aucklanders. 

“We have deliberately set out to organise the functions transferring to council in line with the council’s existing organisational strategy.  At the same time, we have taken the opportunity to make improvements within and between directorates given the impact that the transport functions will have on the organisation,” says Mr Wilson. 

“We have proposed new Transport and Infrastructure Delivery directorate where transport, stormwater, development, engineering, assets and technical advisory will be grouped together as well as proposed changes throughout the council’s organisation in areas such as strategy, policy, urban development, property and shared services.” 

Mr Wilson says that for the public transport CCO to be successful, the proposal ensures that the organisation has the skills, expertise and resources to fulfil its critical role in delivering reliable public transport services to Auckland, while making more use of shared services across the council group and increasing the level of integration between the two organisations. 

The proposal will be open for consultation with staff until Monday 25 May. Final structural decisions are likely to be made around July, with the new structure to be in place around October.

Throughout this process, transport operations and public transport services continue as usual.  

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is ensuring homes delivered after the West Coast floods continue to support Westport for the long term, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka and South Island Minister James Meager say.

The Government will transfer 20 homes at Paparoa Way into local ownership for $1.2 million, keeping them in use as part of Westport’s ongoing housing supply.

“Following the 2021 floods, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Temporary Accommodation Service put these homes in place quickly to support families when they needed it most,” Mr Potaka says.

“The emergency response was critical, and our Government is focused on making sure those short-term solutions continue to deliver long-term outcomes.”

Delivered in partnership with the Buller District Council, the homes are already fully occupied and supporting people who have moved to Westport for work.

“These are modern, near-new homes. Keeping them in the community means they will continue to support families, enable workers to stay, and back the region’s recovery and growth.” 

“We are turning an emergency response into a lasting asset for Westport,” Mr Meager says.

“This is a common-sense, forward-thinking initiative that supports a steady, long-term supply of high-quality housing for the West Coast.

“It is also a practical step to increase Westport’s resilience for future events.”

“This is a strong example of central and local government working together to deliver for communities, ensuring good housing remains available where it’s needed, both now and into the future,” Mr Potaka says.

“The sale reflects a balanced approach, supporting ongoing social and economic use of the homes while making the transition workable for a small district.”

The Temporary Accommodation Service will continue to maintain a flexible supply of housing to respond to future emergencies.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A Canterbury-based GP says he no longer recommends the speciality to trainee doctors.

Dr Dermot Coffey is one of many GPs who have been in touch with Morning Report this week to talk about the state of primary health care.

On Thursday, a Whangārei doctor said the funding model in general practice was “beyond broken”, with many quitting to take up higher-paid jobs with less paperwork and stress. And a survey completed last year showed GPs were doing about 46 percent of their work unpaid – often after hours and on weekends.

Just 14 percent of medical students in a recent poll reported by NZ Doctor said they were considering becoming GPs.

Coffey, a GP of nearly two decades after moving to New Zealand in the 2000s, told Morning Report on Friday he had always recommended to students and colleagues back in Ireland that “general practice in New Zealand always had been a good option”.

“Now I would, particularly for medical students, I unfortunately would do the opposite… It’s not an attractive job and they have choices. And if we’re asked, is it something that we would recommend to them? I think we have to say that at the moment it is not.”

He said listening to politicians on both sides gave him “a sense of hopelessness that nothing is going to change”.

“They’re tinkering at the edges. Some of the policies will make the working conditions worse, potentially,” singling out Labour’s promise of three annual free GP consults, if it came without “other changes”.

The government has talked up the establishment of a new medical school in Waikato as helping with the workforce shortage, as well as leaning more on pharmacists and nurses.

“I’m a simple GP, I don’t have the answers, but I can’t sort of point out things that are not going to work,” Coffey said.

“What they’re trying to do is to squeeze us more and more. without putting the supports in place. And ultimately, that all comes back not to funding, but to the system, the capitation system as it stands. The problems we’re having now are inherent to that system. It’s been there from the start. It was always going to happen. It just has been accelerated by things like Covd and things like this.

“But it is predicated on a 10- to 15-minute appointment system, which is just incompatible with the way people live and with the realities of healthcare.”

GP practices are funded based on the number of people enrolled and various demographic markers, such as age, gender and ethnicity.

“The minister will probably talk about today bringing in new capitation funding… which would not be predicated on things like ethnicity, which is another problem that we have with the government at the moment.

He said tinkering with the system – his view of both major parties’ proposals so far – was “just going to perpetuate and exacerbate the problem as it stands”.

Health Minister Simeon Brown told Morning Report the problem did not emerge overnight, and there was no “single simple solution” that would solve it.

He said the new Waikato Medical School would focus on would-be doctors who actually wanted to be GPs, particularly in rural areas.

“So that’s about the long-term. In the short-term, last year we announced as part of the Budget a number of workforce measures for primary care – including funding 100 placements for overseas trained doctors to be able to start their careers here in New Zealand in primary care, 120 places for nurses to become nurse practitioners each year for the next five years in primary care, 120 nurses to become nurse prescribers in primary care – that actually was oversubscribed. We’ve got 235 doing that training this year…

“And this year, we’re currently working with primary care sector leadership around changing the funding model for primary care to include rurality, comorbidity, and also other factors which impact on patients, which haven’t been recognised for a very long time.”

He said the new Waikato school would be based on a successful initiative in Wollongong, Australia, and rejected criticism it would just end up training new doctors who end up moving across the ditch for better pay and conditions.

“What you’ve done is you’ve just put to me a line from the University of Auckland and the University of Otago, rather than talking to the University of Waikato,” Brown told Morning Report co-host John Campbell.

“I’m not sure if you’ve had them on your show this week, but I would’ve suggested if you’re having a whole week focused on rural medicine, you might’ve wanted to talk to the actual new medical school with a focus on rural medicine and actually put those challenges to them and listen to all of the work that they’re doing up and down the country right now, engaging with rural primary care practices, to establish clinical placements.

“They’ll be making further announcements soon around that.

“There’s no single simple solution to this problem. There are many solutions that are needed. That’s what we as a government are focused on because we believe that primary care must be at the heart of our health care system. It is an area which I’m incredibly focused on as a minister, and we will continue to be focused on as a government.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Customs, police and the health sector are combining forces to crack down on illicit tobacco, with a new “action group” the government announced Friday.

Minister for Customs Casey Costello said increasing numbers of black-market cigarettes and tobacco were being seized at the border, and there was been more widespread and blatant retail sales of the illegal products.

RNZ has been investigating the issue over the last month, uncovering multiple shops operating in Auckland selling the cheap tobacco products.

An East Auckland store was charging just $13 for a pack – less than half the excise duty required by law.

Importing cigarettes without paying the excise duty is illegal, and offenders can be charged with defrauding customs revenue.

It was also illegal for retailers to sell illicit cigarettes, with offenders facing a six-month prison sentence, a $20,000 fine or both.

Retail NZ released its report on the illegal sale of cigarettes in April, calling for a dedicated taskforce of health, customs, and police to address the issue.

The report estimated that more than 27 percent of tobacco smoked in 2024 was illicit.

On Friday, Costello said an organised response was required to get on top of the issue.

“The individual agencies are doing their roles well and there is good cooperation around operations and local initiatives, but we need to bring all of these powers and resources together as effectively as we can to stop this black market,” she said.

The government has established the action group with improved planning and joint operations to combat the illegal trade.

“A key shift, given the involvement of criminal gangs in the illicit trade, is formalising the role of police in supporting other enforcement activity,” Costello said.

“Customs and police have also stepped up their engagement with overseas counterparts. As with other illegal trade, New Zealand benefits from stopping supply before it gets to our country.”

Officials in the health sector were also working to improve tobacco control legislation.

Costello was also calling on the public to do their part.

“Buying cheap cigarettes isn’t a harmless crime. Money from the sale of these cigarettes funds gangs and overseas cartels and leads to violent crime, intimidation, and extortion in our communities.”

Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young, said the increased pressure on the illicit market was a good first step, but wanted the government to go further.

“We would like for further investment in customs to enhance our border protections and intelligence, tougher penalties for those caught importing and selling illicit tobacco, and banning online tobacco sales,” she said.

“We also believe establishing an independent panel of experts to consider what tobacco controls, enforcement tools, and enhanced public messaging could make a meaningful difference in this space would be hugely beneficial in finding a way to stamp out the market for good.”

A Growing Concern

RNZ has spoken to a number of experts on the issue as part of its investigation into illicit tobacco.

One such expert was retired Australian homicide detective Charlie Bezzina, who said the genie was out of the bottle across the Tasman.

“Given the fact that we’ve let this ferment, and it’s fermented, it’s grown, it’s spread, it’s like a cancer, and then to try and then start implementing resources is quite difficult,” he said.

“If it’s in its infancy in New Zealand, you have to learn by our mistakes.”

Bezzina said New Zealand law enforcement should speak with Australian law enforcement, who possessed a wealth of information on the issue.

He said Victoria’s state government had been slow to respond to the organised crime element.

Chief executive of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, Letitia Harding, also raised concerns about the lack of health warnings featured on the illicit packets of smokes.

Of the 15 different packs of cigarettes at the store RNZ visited, only one carried the mandated health warnings.

“They do deter people,” she said.

“I think it’s a reminder that cigarettes do have a long lasting negative impact on your health and can cause death.”

Market Numbers Questioned

Amid the unease over the country’s budding black market for illicit tobacco, concerns were also raised that the issue was being overblown by interest groups.

The director of Action for Smokefree Aotearoa NZ, Ben Youdan, said when it came to tracking and researching the black market, transparency was key.

“The tobacco industry’s got a long history of exploiting a lot of different people and voices in their own commercial interests,” he said.

“I think there’s definitely some genuine concerns for especially small retailers around some of those issues around tobacco, the tobacco industry always has another interest in telling this story, but there’s definitely an issue in there that we shouldn’t just be dismissing.”

Youdan urged leaders to think critically about what they were being told.

“Really kind of asking those questions about whose arguments are they, who’s setting the playbook on this, and really making sure it’s as legitimate as possible.”

“I think that’s incredibly challenging given the long history that industry has had in this debate and stoking the fire around illicit tobacco.”

The 27 percent consumption figure used in the Retail NZ report was originally sourced from a separate 2025 report which was prepared for the exclusive benefit and use of Imperial Tobacco New Zealand and British American Tobacco New Zealand.

However, Retail NZ said while its paid-up members include those companies, the report it released was researched and written independently by Retail NZ staff.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Explainer – New Zealand has announced would-be citizens will have to pass a test about starting next year. What might that look like and how do other countries do similar tests?

The test on various topics around New Zealand life and government would be required for many applying for citizenship from next year.

“Becoming a New Zealand citizen is a significant milestone in a person’s life and a great honour,” Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden said in announcing the change.

“This change reinforces the value of New Zealand citizenship, and what it means to obtain it.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Morning Report on Thursday that New Zealand was following similar tests in other nations.

“I just don’t think there’s any harm,” Luxon said of introducing the tests.

The exact date the test will launch hasn’t been set, but the announcement said late 2027.

While it will be new to New Zealand, tests like this aren’t uncommon – they’re already in use in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States among others.

Here’s what we know so far about citizenship tests and what we can learn from other countries.

Who has to take the test?

If you’re applying for citizenship by grant from late 2027, you’ll have to take it in addition to any other application requirements.

There are three ways to become a citizen – by birth, by descent (being born overseas but having at least one parent who was a NZ citizen when you were born), or by grant – which means you’re a foreign national who has usually been a permanent resident of NZ for at least five years.

Most people who apply by grant will have to take the new test, but there are some exceptions – you don’t have to sit the test if you:

• are under 16 years old
• are aged 65 or over
• have been granted a waiver for the English language requirement for citizenship
• are not of full capacity
• have a severe medical condition that would prevent completing the test
• have unique personal circumstances that would prevent completing the test
• are a New Zealand citizen by descent applying for citizenship by grant
• are applying from overseas but meet the presence requirement – for example, if they live in Niue, the Cook Islands or Tokelau, or are working overseas for the NZ government.

“Exemptions from the test are intended to ensure the approach is proportionate, fair, and in line with approaches taken in comparable countries,” van Velden said.

Van Velden also told RNZ’s Checkpoint there would be no exemptions based on income levels.

How’s test taking going to work?

The test will consist of 20 multiple-choice questions and applicants must get 15 answers, or 75 percent, correct to pass.

The test will be only offered in person, at locations throughout New Zealand.

The aim is not to just have testing spots in main centres, the announcement said. Service accessibility to all will be a key consideration, van Velden said.

“I did consider an online test, however, with rapid development of AI and ability for individuals to have help at home, I considered this a less robust test than an in-person test,” van Velden said.

What’s it going to cost?

There will be a fee to take the test in addition to existing citizenship application fees, but a specific amount hasn’t been chosen yet.

“The cost itself hasn’t been borne out yet,” van Velden told Checkpoint.

The Department of Internal Affairs plans to look for a potential third-party provider to provide the test and the cost would be determined then, she said.

“I do believe it is important that there is a cost to the test because we do want people to study for it, and when there’s a user-pays component … people do take that seriously and if there wasn’t a cost, it is possible that people might sit multiple times without looking at the guidance that DIA provide.”

Currently, applying for citizenship by grant costs $560 for adults and $280 for children aged 15 and under.

If you fail the test, you can take it again but the government says applicants “will likely” have to pay a new fee each time they sit the test.

If you fail to pass the test three times, you have to wait 30 days. You’ll only get six tries in total to pass the test, however, and then you’ll be “provided options” including withdrawing your citizenship application and getting a partial refund of application fees.

What kind of questions will they be asking?

In the announcement, van Velden said the topics will include the Bill of Rights Act, human rights, voting rights and democratic principles, New Zealand’s system of government, some criminal offences and questions about travelling overseas on a New Zealand passport.

Notably, there was no mention of Te Tiriti o Waitangi or Māori tikanga in the announcement.

However, there will be a Treaty of Waitangi question in the test, van Velden confirmed to RNZ.

She said the questions themselves have yet to be decided.

“I won’t go into any particular question itself because we won’t be releasing those, but the questions are revolving around freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of association, the fact that men and women have equal rights, that we have protection from discrimination, that we have free elections … all the things that have made our country good.”

The Department of Internal Affairs is handling the details of how the test will be implemented. There will be guides and other resources ahead of the test introduction to allow people to prepare and pass.

“On balance, it’s very, very similar to what the UK and Australia have been doing for years,” Luxon told RNZ.

“It’s probably not a bad thing to remind people that things like freedom of expression, freedom of speech and women having equal rights, all those kind of things, to have them positively affirmed is probably a good thing.”

Will the test remain even if the government changes before 2027?

Of course, there’s also an election this year, so will that have an impact?

When asked by RNZ if he supported the exam, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he was open to strengthening citizenship rules, but expressed concern about no mention of the Treaty of Waitangi in the original announcement.

“Do we want those who are gaining New Zealand citizenship to basically be signing up to adhering to New Zealand’s rules and so on? Yes, of course, that’s inherent in the citizenship process, but excluding a big part of our own history from that seems to undermine what they’re trying to do.”

As noted, van Velden has since indicated there will be one question on the Treaty.

How do tests work in other countries?

As mentioned, Australia, the US and UK all have some form of test most applicants for citizenship must take.

“New Zealand has looked at approaches used in comparable countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada when developing the test,” van Velden said.

“This includes elements like the number of questions, passing rates, exemption categories, and delivery approach.”

Sample questions available online in training sites and apps show these tests have a wide spectrum of possible questions would-be citizens might be asked – and perhaps a guidepost for how New Zealand’s test might work.

Australia requires a test and has a 20-question multiple choice exam that asks questions about Australian values and history. A practice test is also available online where questions such as “Who can deliver a Welcome to Country?” and what Anzac Day commemorates can be found.

In the United Kingdom, most applicants must take the “Life in the UK” test with 24 multiple-choice questions about British traditions and customs and show English language proficiency. Practice tests on an unofficial test preparation website ask questions such as who William Shakespeare was and whether pool and darts are traditional pub games, plus somewhat harder questions such as “Who was reigning in England when Wales became formally united with England by the Act for the Government of Wales?” (If you answered Henry VII, you’re correct!)

Over in the United States, a two-part test covering English language skills and civics is required for many applicants. The civics test is conducted as an oral test of 20 questions from a possible 128. Sample questions for that one cover how the three branches of American government work, who wrote the Declaration of Independence and why America entered the Vietnam war.

There’s also a few freebies such as “What is the name of the President of the United States now,” in case the applicant hasn’t been paying attention to, well, anything, the last 10 years or so.

Sometimes questions on a test can be controversial. For instance, The Washington Post reported many took issue with a question that asked “When did all women get the vote?” The test’s answer was in 1920 – after the US Constitution was amended to allow women to vote – but many pointed out that Black and Native American women voters actually faced barriers to voting for decades after 1920 and the wording of the question to say “all women” was misleading.

It goes to show that the questions – and how they’re phrased, especially around touchy issues – could be a tricky road to navigate in putting together New Zealand’s future citizenship test.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Some mayors say council reforms will help communities gain their voice, while others fear they’ll lose their identity.

Ministers on Tuesday gave councils an ultimatum: come up with plans within three months or the government will do it for you.

Councils were to form voluntary groups and present their ideas to government about how they wanted to reorganise.

Local Government Minister Simon Watts and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said there was broad support from councils, and some had already made headway on plans.

Others with a history of disagreement on the matter told RNZ three months was not a lot of time.

Nelson mayor Nick Smith has long held the view that merging with Tasman was “the right answer” for his city, citing common interests and unnecessary duplication.

Nelson voted in favour of amalgamation in 2012 – but Tasman voted against.

“I think time has moved on,” Smith said.

“I hope my Tasman colleagues recognise that the ‘do nothing’ option is not going to be consistent with the direction of government.”

But Tasman mayor Tim King was leaning towards waiting for the government’s “backstop” process which would force reform before the 2028 local elections.

He would have preferred central government just decide on the country’s local government model, “rather than the divisive argument that inevitably comes with communities trying to thrash out these sort of governance arrangements for themselves”.

The biggest problem councils faced was financial pressure, and amalgamation “doesn’t necessarily save money and it doesn’t necessarily make everything magically better,” King said.

Bespoke, different structures around the country were not the most efficient or effective system, he said.

The rural – urban divide

Southland mayor Rob Scott is ready to go, having already proposed creating two unitary authorities – one for Invercargill, and for the rural areas of Southland District and Gore District.

“Trying to run them under one council … you’d end up with a very city-centric kind of approach,” he said.

Fewer, bigger councils, with community boards, was “the right way to go”, Scott said.

“It’s actually decentralising … and putting a whole lot of power into our community boards and getting that real localised decision-making happening, which I believe is the actual blueprint for how we should run local government in New Zealand.”

But Gore mayor Ben Bell was less convinced, saying it would be “incredibly complicated” to effectively split the regional council in two.

A single council would probably make the most sense, he said: “not that I necessarily support it”.

“If the numbers stack up, and it’s the right thing for our ratepayers, and that’s what they want, then absolutely … I do what the ratepayers want me to do,” he said.

“But there is also a real big call from … the rural part of our communities, that they want to keep their rural identity, and that merging with the city would make it more of an urban identity.”

Timaru mayor Nigel Bowen looked forward to teaming up with smaller councils, escaping the influence of bigger cities.

“We’ve long had the complaint … that you’ve got that urban voice seat sitting in Christchurch that can dominate a regional council table, and effectively they’re making regional policy decisions for rural communities, and that’s been a real concern of ours for some time,” he said.

The “obvious” option was to join the other two South Canterbury councils – Mackenzie and Waimate – and potentially Ashburton and Waitaki which would offer even more scale, he said.

Bowen said rural councils might be worried they’d be swallowed up by bigger councils, but said there were ways to ensure local voices were heard – like having more local boards.

“I would hope that councils see this as an opportunity to lead their own destiny, rather than have it done to them.”

Councils press on with plans already underway

The three Wairarapa councils had already been discussing either merging themselves, or going even wider and joining up with the Wellington region.

South Wairarapa mayor Dame Fran Wilde was pleased the reform announcement seemed to leave room for “bespoke arrangements” so new entities would not be forced to follow Auckland’s model.

Auckland has 21 local boards responsible for local decision-making, and Wilde said while they were big, they did not have much power.

“My view has always been that that is the wrong model, that if they want more unitaries, big unitaries, they need to give more power to the local authorities,” she said.

“I get the impression from what the government has said that this is a possibility if we ask for it.”

Whangārei mayor Ken Couper said despite Northland already being well into amalgamation talks, the three-month timeframe would be “quite a challenge”.

“But … I guess what they’re clearly saying to us is, if we want to have a ‘for Northland, by Northland’ solution, then this is our opportunity.

“So that should be enough impetus for us to take it really seriously, rather than wait around and have something imposed on us that we may not like.”

The announcement strengthened the process that was already started, he said.

Taranaki councils were also “early adopters”, having already begun conversations, said New Plymouth Mayor Max Brough.

Whether or not they would be able to agree on a plan within three months was the “billion dollar question”, he said.

“I guess if we don’t, we can sit back and find out what’s going to happen to us,” he said.

Some may be concerned that local voices would be lost, Brough said.

“You’ve got to make sure you get the representation right around the district, that’s probably one of the biggest hurdles to the whole thing.

“The rest of it’s just meat and three vege stuff.”

Officials will evaluate councils’ ideas and Cabinet will make final decisions next year, with the reforms set to be in place before the 2028 local elections.

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