AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for May 13, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Radio New Zealand

Opposition MPs say former TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman was “hounded” into resigning, after a “witch hunt” all while public broadcasters are under “immense pressure” from the coalition.

There has also been an outpouring of reaction from other broadcasters and commentators.

Many were grieving the loss to political journalism, some questioning the support TVNZ gave its reporter and others stating it should not have been a sackable offence.

Others have argued the scrutiny and pressure applied by the media should also apply to its own reporters.

Sherman resigned on Friday following a period of scrutiny over an incident during pre-Budget drinks in Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ office a year ago.

She had used a homophobic slur against Stuff journalist Lloyd Burr in response to “deeply personal and inappropriate remarks”, she said. She apologised at the time and informed her manager.

The resignation also came after a suspension from Parliament due to breaching parliamentary rules by pursuing an interview with National’s chief whip Stuart Smith, during a period of scrutiny on Luxon’s leadership.

Prior to her resignation, veteran journalists Richard Harman and Audrey Young had both written in support.

Harman told The Post there was a “bit of a public beat-up of Maiki going on at the moment” and that TVNZ should back its reporter.

Young wrote in her column on the NZ Herald at the end of April the level of hate against Sherman was “just incredible” and “clearly goes well beyond journalistic critique”.

The day the story about the incident in Willis’ office broke in a blog written by Ani O’Brien, Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour told reporters if the content was accurately reported, “it’s absolutely disgraceful”.

“But the fact that it hasn’t been a story for nearly a year is in itself a disgraceful double standard, and I think we should all just be glad that one woman with a substack actually made it a story, because we all know that in the same circumstances, a member of Parliament would have got wall to wall coverage night after night after night, don’t we?”

At the time, he suggested Parliament’s speaker should consider Sherman’s access to Parliament.

Opposition politicians speak out

Labour MP Willie Jackson said Sherman had been hounded into resignation after she made a mistake.

He acknowledged her as a “trailblazing” wahine Māori broadcaster, and despite a “number of run ins with her over the years” was very proud of her.

“It’s a shame TVNZ let her down so badly, deciding obviously with pressure from this government, that her position was untenable.”

Green MPs Hūhana Lyndon and Steve Abel also spoke out.

Lyndon said the right “came out hard to hunt her down” and suggested considering the context where public broadcasters under “immense pressure and threats” from ministers of the coalition government created a “chilling effect”.

Abel called it a “witch-hunt” and said something was “rotten” in New Zealand with right wing politicians targeting journalists.

He also said TVNZ bosses needed to be questioned, because Sherman’s statement implied she no longer had the backing of her employer.

“Why would the bosses in a public media institution whose duty is upholding the principle of free and independent media not be backing a journalist who has clearly been targeted for political reasons.”

Te Pāti Māori MP, and former broadcaster, Oriini Kaipara also took to social media, calling Sherman’s treatment “deeply upsetting to witness”.

“Maiki is one of the sharpest political journalists in the country. Intelligent, fearless, composed, and uncompromising in holding power to account.

“Her rise mattered. Not just professionally, but culturally.

“So many Māori, especially wāhine and rangatahi, saw themselves in her. Many only turned the news on or anticipated any political story because of Maiki.”

Kaipara said it felt “personal” and reeked of “foul play”.

Voices from outside Parliament

There had also been an outpouring of support, including from Māori broadcasters, and questions about double standards.

Scotty Morrison gave a mihi during Te Karere’s show the day the news broke, acknowledging the loss for TVNZ and the brilliance of Sherman’s work.

Miriama Kamo wrote on social media, acknowledging the pressure of the high-profile job while Sherman juggled being a mother to six kids as well. Kamo also questioned how TVNZ had supported its reporter, and how it planned to “address the vacuum her departure has left”.

Moana Maniapoto said “somewhere someone is raising a glass,” and the resignation was not good news for the public in election year.

Former Māori Party chief of staff Helen Leahy wrote the relationship between the press gallery and politicians was never an easy one.

“But you don’t get the breaking news by sitting noho puku [sitting still]. You don’t get a leader opening up and being vulnerable without mutual respect. Maiki would persevere.”

Political commentator Liam Hehir queried a double standard, asking why comments of a prominent journalist at a work-function were “inherently off limits”.

On X, pollster David Farrar wrote the resignation was “sad”.

“I don’t think one regrettable moment should cost you your job. We need less cancel culture, not more.”

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark wrote that at a party in the Minister of Finance’s office, “where one assumes alcohol flowed”, there was an exchange between journalists.

“The aftermath – one was later hounded from her job. The other wasn’t. All in the context of public media being undermined. Shameful.”

Former political editor Duncan Garner wrote after nearly 20 years inside Parliament, he knew how the place worked.

“The rules were broken all the time. By journalists. By MPs. By ministers. By people who later got promoted, protected, forgiven, knighted and sent off to cushy jobs.

“So why Maiki?”

And O’Brien – who posted the original blog breaking the story said for years journalists and commentators – including Sherman – had “enthusiastically participated in a culture where politicians and public figures were subjected to career-ending moral scrutiny for comments or conduct less severe than this”.

“The modern media class has normalised the idea that professional ruin is an acceptable and even righteous outcome for personal failings.

“It is difficult now to object when that same standard is turned inward.”

Politik blog writer Richard Harman posted online saying this was the “most hostile environment within which to be a political journalist I have known in my 55 years as a journo”.

“The mob is ruling at the moment. They have tasted blood. Who will they turn on next?”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Proposed changes to climate legislation are an attack on the rule of law, the Environmental Defence Society says.

The government announced on Tuesday it would amend climate law to prevent companies from being sued over damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

But Environmental Defence Society chief executive Gary Taylor told RNZ that the fact it was about climate law was incidental.

“It’s actually an attack on the rule of law,” he said.

In 2024, iwi leader and activist Mike Smith was granted permission by the Supreme Court to sue Fonterra and other major dairy and fossil fuel companies.

He argued the companies, which collectively contributed about a third of New Zealand’s emissions, had a legal duty to him and others in communities that are being damaged by the effects of greenhouse gas emissions.

The hearing, which was sent back to the High Court, was due to start in April next year.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said the change would apply to current and future cases.

Taylor said there were two things wrong with the proposal.

“The first is that the government is proposing to limit New Zealanders’ rights to sue in civil proceedings, and the second is that it’s doing it when there’s an active case, Mr Smith’s case, before the courts that the Supreme Court has ruled should be heard.”

Taylor said Goldsmith should be ashamed of himself “for bringing a bill of this kind to Parliament”.

“I think his colleague, the Attorney General, should be investigating it for lack of consistency with the Bill of Rights Act.

“It’s pretty outrageous, and it raises issues that go far beyond climate change into the so-called comity between the different arms of government – the executive, the Parliament, and the courts – and here we’ve got a prime example of executive overreach, where they’re wanting to intervene in a judicial process and take someone’s legitimate rights away from them.”

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

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is clarifying climate change laws to provide businesses with certainty around their obligations, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. 

“Ongoing litigation in the High Court, where an applicant has brought civil claims against six major businesses for their greenhouse gas emissions, is creating uncertainty in business confidence and investment that the Government must address.

“The Government is acting now to provide legal clarity and certainty and to remove the possible development of a new regime that contradicts the framework Parliament has already enacted to respond to climate change.

“Our government is committed to fixing the basics, and certainty of law is essential for businesses to operate, attracting overseas investment, and stimulating economic growth.

“Therefore, the Government will amend the Climate Change Response Act 2002 to prevent findings of liability for tort for climate change damage or harm caused by greenhouse gas emissions in both current and future proceedings before the courts. 

“Our response to climate change is best managed by the Government at a national level and not through piece-meal litigation in the courts. New Zealand already has a legal framework to manage greenhouse gas emissions set through Parliament through the Climate Change Response Act 2002 and the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). 

“It is essential to maintain the coherence of the regulatory system and to deliver consistent obligations for greenhouse gas emitters.

“The courts are not the right place to resolve claims of harm from climate change, and tort law is not well-suited to respond to a problem like climate change which involves a range of complex environmental, economic and social factors.

“This law change will not alter the Government’s responsibilities under the Climate Change Response Act and businesses that have obligations under the ETS will still be required to meet them.”

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has dismissed the OECD’s warnings about the government’s LNG plans as “a load of rubbish” and says he remains “very interested” in setting up an import facility.

In its annual economic survey of New Zealand published last week, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said the LNG proposal locking in fossil dependence and instead recommended investment in non-gas generation like biomass or pumped hydro.

Speaking to reporters at Parliament on Tuesday, Luxon said he was “not interested” in the OECD’s findings or recommendations.

“The report’s a load of rubbish,” he said.

Luxon said the coalition government was not going to tolerate “bumper sticker” policies or the sort of “kumbaya and mush” that Labour pursued while it was in power.

“We’re the ones that are dealing with a failed energy policy from the last administration.”

In February, the government announced a “definitive decision” to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility in Taranaki, designed to reduce price spikes in dry years and the associated risk premium built into power bills. The whole-of-life cost was to be spread across all electricity users through a new levy.

Luxon later softened his rhetoric, after conflict flared up in the Middle East, and said no final decisions had been made on the proposal: “If it doesn’t stack up, we won’t be doing it.”

On Tuesday, however, Luxon said the government remained “very interested” in the plan.

“We’re continuing our procurement process. We said that we’d come back in the middle of the year having looked at the business case for it. We are very interested in it,” he said. “It’s just making sure the commercials stack up.”

Luxon said the government was pursuing an “and-and-and” strategy by also encouraging a “renewables boom” and strategic reserves in Huntly and Marsden Point.

Speaking separately, Energy Minister Simeon Brown said the government would take into account the situation in the Middle East when making final decisions on its plan of action.

But, asked about the OECD’s findings, Brown said the government had considered all the alternatives and had identified the LNG facility as its “preferred option”.

He then turned his sights on the Labour Party, accusing its leader Chris Hipkins of being “the man without a plan”. He said Labour’s Lake Onslow hydro proposal was a “boondoggle” which would not have delivered any energy till 2037.

“We cannot stand by and wait till 2037 to resolve this issue. It needs to be resolved much faster than that,” Brown said.

“Look, there will be alternatives that companies continue to invest in – more renewable energy generation, geothermal and others. But we need to solve the dry year risk.”

Hipkins told reporters the LNG import facility was a “gold-plated bad idea” which would cost New Zealanders more through a new gas tax.

“It’s going to cost every New Zealand household more money in their power bills. It’s going to raise the price of power in New Zealand, and it’s going to make us more dependent on highly volatile fossil fuels.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Judith Collins has made her final speech to Parliament as an MP this afternoon, ahead of her exit from politics.

Her departure brings to an end a 24-year career as an MP, which has seen her hold 18 Ministerial portfolios – some of them twice – as well as leading National in opposition for the 2020 election.

She subsequently remained an MP for National under Christopher Luxon, and became a key minister in the current government.

Collins is set to take up a role as president of the Law Commission.

Her resignation will not trigger a by-election in her electorate of Papakura because of its proximity to the election.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Judith Collins is making her final speech to Parliament as an MP this afternoon, ahead of her exit from politics.

Her departure brings to an end a 24-year career as an MP, which has seen her hold 18 Ministerial portfolios – some of them twice – as well as leading National in opposition for the 2020 election.

She subsequently remained an MP for National under Christopher Luxon, and became a key minister in the current government.

Collins is set to take up a role as president of the Law Commission.

Her resignation will not trigger a by-election in her electorate of Papakura because of its proximity to the election.

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

Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has welcomed the passage of two major Anti–Money Laundering (AML) reform Bills through their final readings in Parliament today, cutting red tape and fixing what matters for thousands of businesses.

“Once these Bills receive Royal Assent in the next couple of days, Kiwis will immediately begin experiencing faster and less duplicative AML requirements, saving them time and money,” says Mrs McKee.

Additional changes come into force on July 1 this year.

“The Bills cut red tape, improve clarity, and ensure requirements on businesses and the customers are proportionate to risk. For example, low-risk trusts won’t be treated the same as high-risk entities, and businesses will face fewer repetitive reporting requirements.

“The current AML regime has drifted into costly box-ticking that frustrates businesses and everyday New Zealanders, without doing enough to stop serious criminals.

“These Bills refocus the system on genuine risk – reducing pointless paperwork for low-risk customers while improving the detection and disruption of real financial crime.”

The Anti–Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (Supervisor, Levy, and Other Matters) Amendment Bill streamlines oversight by establishing a single AML supervisor, improving consistency and responsiveness across the system.

“At the moment, there are three different AML supervisors. That creates confusion, delays, and inconsistent guidance. A single supervisor will provide clarity and faster, more reliable support,” says Mrs McKee.

The Bill also enables more flexible rule-making through secondary legislation and introduces an industry levy to ensure the system is properly resourced.

Alongside this, the Anti–Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill delivers targeted, practical changes to reduce compliance burdens.

“I’d like to thank Parliament’s Business Committee for agreeing to associate these Bills so they could be debated together. That has helped deliver regulatory relief sooner.

“The Supervisor, Levy and Other Matters Bill will be effective on 1 July 2026, while the other Amendment Bill will be effective the day after Royal Assent. A final ‘Omnibus’ Bill, that will provide further regulatory relief for businesses, is expected to be introduced to the House in the current term of Government.      

“These reforms preserve New Zealand’s access to global financial markets while making the system far more workable at home.

“For years, AML compliance has meant higher costs, slower transactions, and endless frustration. These changes deliver the most meaningful reduction in AML red tape since the regime was introduced.”

Notes to editors:

• Once passed into law, DIA will update guidance to reflect changes in the AML/CFT Amendment Bill that will be effective immediately. Updated guidelines will be published on DIA’s website.
• Planning for the transition to the Department of Internal Affairs as the single AML supervisor (regulator) is on track to go live on 1 July 2026. DIA is working in partnership with the FMA and RBNZ to ensure a co-ordinated and seamless transition and minimal disruption for the sector.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

National’s partners ACT and New Zealand First have taken a tumble in support in the latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll, but the coalition bloc is still holding its lead.

Under the results, released on Tuesday, the government bloc would receive 62 seats, down three since April, compared to the opposition bloc on 58, up three.

Labour remained the most popular party on 31.9 percent, but took a sizeable knock since the last survey, dropping 1.5 points.

National edged up 0.2 points to hit 30 percent. New Zealand First was down 1.9 points to 11.7 percent.

The Green Party was in fourth spot on 9.7 percent, also down 1.9 points, while ACT took the biggest hit, down 2.5 points to 6.5 percent.

Te Pāti Māori came in at 4.1 percent, up 1.5 points.

On those numbers, National would bring 39 MPs into Parliament. They would be joined by 15 MPs from New Zealand First and eight from ACT, to make a 62-strong coalition.

Labour would pick up 41 MPs but would not have a pathway to power, even with the 12 Green MPs and five from Te Pāti Māori.

On the preferred prime minister measure, National’s Christopher Luxon retook the lead, climbing 1 point to 21.5 percent. Labour’s Chris Hipkins dropped 2.7 points to 19 percent.

New Zealand First’s Winston Peters is in third spot, on 11.6 percent, down 0.5 points.

The poll was conducted by Curia Market Research Ltd for the NZ Taxpayers’ Union. It is a random poll of 1,000 adult New Zealanders and is weighted to the overall adult population. It was conducted by phone (landlines and mobile) and online between Sunday 03 May and Thursday 07 May 2026. It has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1%. The number of decided voters on the vote questions was 914. There were 49 (4.9 percent) undecided voters and 37 (3.7 percent) who refused the vote question.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Retailers and truckers back the government’s more simplified, high-trust fuel rationing system, but Labour says it is simply not credible.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Fuel Security Minister Shane Jones unveiled what happens at the higher-level Phases Three and Four of the national fuel plan on Monday.

Where the earlier approach had rationing at both levels, the updated plan would have Phase Three focus on voluntary limiting of supply, with additional diesel reserves able to be released.

Rationing would be limited Phase Four – the highest level – with sectors qualifying for different levels of usage depending on sector.

Critical users would face no limitations, while the next level down – food and freight – would need to come up with plans on how to reduce usage.

Road Carriers Association chief executive Justin Tighe-Umbers told RNZ that would carry some complexity – with fuel use being quite seasonal in some industries – but overall would be “fairly straightforward”.

“A fuel plan for a freight operator, if we did enter Phase Four, would be to look at their fuel consumption over the last 12 months, and the government would give a tasking on that fuel consumption.

“So depending on what the situation was, they might say right there’s a 10 percent reduction on your fuel use, you now need to move to a model where you’re using 10 percent less fuel.

“Yes, there’s work involved, but it should be fairly straightforward.”

It was an improvement over the government’s earlier plan.

“It was overly complicated,” he said. “If you’ve got a food manufacturer who on a processing plant needs a part delivered, is that part considered essential freight? Is it part of an operator who’s allowed to deliver essential freight? How does that actually work?”

He noted if New Zealand reached Phase 4, diesel prices would be expected to be very high – which would curb demand.

Under the third category, which includes retail, companies and community groups would also develop plans but with bigger reductions.

Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young had previously called for food to be at the highest priority, but was not disappointed with the changes.

She said freight and food being in the higher priority would help those relying on their supply chains – and agreed the new system was an improvement.

“I think it would be fair to say that hospitals, ambulances, fire service, police – they are in a different category.

“Freight and food … we know that everyone needs to buy groceries … and to eat to be able to survive. So it’s not that you’re not going to get groceries delivered across the country, but there might be, you know, maybe there’s one less variety on the shelves or something.

“We don’t want to bring the whole country to a halt and for families that have got children that are growing and they’ve got needs – new clothes or you’ve got to get a heater for the house or whatever it might be – you want to know that you can go and get those products.

“If those businesses [are] not allowed to have freight going to their sites, it will mean that, you know, the public will start to panic.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the plan was “simply not credible”.

“Their fuel plan amounts to: do nothing; do nothing; do not very much; panic,” he said.

“I think the bones of it are there, but the idea that it’ll just run on goodwill without really clear detail about how it’s supposed to operate is just very naive.

“Families are having to make some really tough choices between going to the supermarket or going to the petrol station, and this government’s message is very clear to those families: you’re on your own.”

He refused to say what Labour would do differently, saying the plan was “what this government is supposed to have been working through, and they don’t seem to have answers”.

Tighe-Umbers, however, had high hopes a self-managed approach could work.

“If we’ve got to Phase Four, Kiwis have shown that we’re good at pulling together and doing the right thing in those times – you only have to look at our response in the Christchurch earthquake and responses to cyclones.”

He contrasted that with the Covid-19 response, which he said tried to control things to a high degree.

“Fuel station workers or transport operators to actually be involved in policing, that’s never a good move … we learned it’s actually very difficult and just introduces a whole lot of complexity.

“If there was a lot of people or operators not doing the right thing, then government would have to get more aggressive … but I think this is the right approach to start with.”

Young was not so sure.

“I’m not sure how cohesive we are as a community at the moment, and whether we consider each other or we’re just considering ourselves,” she said.

“That would be the caution I would have around whether we would really legitimately pull together as a community and say ‘yep, for the better, this is what I’ll do, and I’m going to comply to all of these things’, knowing that it’s not necessarily going to be enforced.

“I guess as long as everyone’s playing by the rules, then we’re all good with it, and it will just be a matter of making sure that there is really clear direction given to businesses and households.”

Regardless, Hipkins said agreed Phase Four was unlikely to be needed.

Willis on Monday pointed to the government’s modelling showing the probability of moving to Phase Four was in the single digits.

She indicated the measures imposed by Phase Three – which could include releasing some of the 90 million litres of reserve diesel set to be held at Marsden Point by the end of June – would ideally preclude the need to move to Phase Four.

“In just about all of the scenarios that they mapped out, they said actually with your additional reserve and your minimum stockholding obligation and a bit of fuel restraint you should be covered.”

Willis said the government was open to releasing the modelling publicly.

Luxon said with the Southeast Asian refineries that supplied New Zealand having secured supplies of crude through July and August, further reductions were not expected.

“We should know many weeks in advance of any increased likelihood of New Zealand bound orders or shipments being disrupted.”

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

Source: New Zealand Government

Agriculture Minister Todd McClay today confirmed new Associate Agriculture Minister Mike Butterick’s key areas of delegated responsibility across the primary sector.

“Mike Butterick brings a deep understanding of farming and rural communities to his new role,” Mr McClay says.

Mr Butterick has delegated responsibility for:

• The organics sector
• Water security and storage
• The arable sector
• Māori agribusiness
• Catchment groups

“His appointments strengthen the coalition Government’s team of Ministers focused on backing New Zealand’s food and fibre sector,” Mr McClay says.

Mr McClay says Mr Butterick, as a sheep and beef farmer from the Wairarapa, has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing rural communities.

“He will support the Government’s work cutting red tape for farmers and growers and driving productivity growth.”

Mr McClay has assumed responsibility for horticulture matters.
 

MIL OSI