[Speech delivered 12:30pm, Friday 17 July 2026, Legislative Council Chamber, Parliament, Wellington]

Thank you all for being here today.

We’d like to acknowledge Ferry Holdings, KiwiRail, CentrePort, Port Marlborough, the local councils in Marlborough and Wellington, and officials who have worked to get this programme to this point. We further acknowledge the unions, Interislander customers, iwi, and advocacy groups for freight, infrastructure and tourism.

Specific thanks are due to Ferry Holdings. Chris Mackenzie, Heather Simpson, Greg Lowe, Katherine Rich, and Captain Iain MacLeod, together with their chief executive Sandip Ranchod and his team. They have delivered.

We will take questions after the speech, and representatives of the various groups gathered today will be available for comment afterwards, if they wish.

Today, we are making two important announcements.

First, KiwiRail will operate New Zealand’s two new Cook Strait rail ferries. Second, KiwiRail will pay commercial fees to the ports and Ferry Holdings for the infrastructure and assets that make this service possible.

Together, these decisions secure a practical, affordable, and enduring ferry service across Cook Strait. They preserve rail across the Strait, support freight and passenger resilience, and set up the country for the next generation of service.

As background, iReX was a mess.

The politics around this programme has been immense. After the 2023 election, the cancellation of Project iReX became an example of what this Government was elected to fix.

It had departed far from the simple ferry purchase and wharf upgrade we established in 2020: two rail ferries, necessary infrastructure, and a reasonable budget.

By December 2023, it had blown out to $3.1 billion according to KiwiRail, while Treasury had already warned the previous Government it was on course for $4 billion.

That happened because the project became over-scoped, over-complicated, and untethered from the practical job that needed to be done.

The then Ministers simply furrowed their brows, but then topped it up anyway. And the public was told next to nothing.

They allocated another $750 million ‘in principle’, which was not disclosed to anybody in the pre-election update. Worse, because it was only half the funding KiwiRail requested, this was a cynical decision to snooker the KiwiRail board – enough that meant they could not cancel the project and embarrass the Government, but not enough to proceed.

And all of this prevaricating happened over 12 months of build time. New Zealand experienced an extreme taxpayer blowout and the certainty of a Tasmanian-devil mistake: ferries with the wrong hull construction, arriving with nowhere to berth.

That would have happened here under iReX. Unfinished infrastructure, with ferries idling in the Wellington harbour for years.

They made it our problem. Well, we have fixed their problem.

There is real-world, good honest ballast in our approach: build what is needed, not what is desired. Do what works, not what dazzles. Trust the experts, not the yes-men.

If they aren’t prepared to endorse our solution, then it will show they have learned nothing. 

Indeed, we appointed the experts and have got on with it.

In March 2025, Cabinet agreed to purchase rail ferries supported by new marine infrastructure in Picton and modified marine infrastructure in Wellington.

In November 2025, following a three-stage commercial tender process, Ferry Holdings entered a fixed-price contract for two new rail ferries to arrive in 2029. 

These ferries are being built by Guangzhou Shipyard International, the same shipyard building for the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy currently.

We also announced that the taxpayer will spend no more than $1.7 billion, and we reconfirm that today. For the benefit of the “misleading and inaccurate” Andrea Vance at The Post, that means we are still within budget. That also means this programme remains $2.3 billion cheaper than the project we inherited.

The first announcement: KiwiRail will operate the ferries.

In its various guises from New Zealand Railways, to TranzRail, to Toll, and now KiwiRail, it has managed the Interislander for 64 years. In our book, experience counts.

KiwiRail also operates rail freight services on the critical route between Auckland and Christchurch. We want the system to work as a whole, and splitting it up would be anathema to that outcome.

This is also a company now witnessing a turnaround. Reliability is up. Earnings are up. Revenue is up. 

Pending final audit, KiwiRail has achieved its $160 million earnings target to 30 June 2026, and Interislander reliability now sits at 98 percent. This is a vast improvement on 81 percent in 2021 and 83 percent in 2022.

KiwiRail will be the operator for the 30-year life of the assets. To keep them on their toes, that arrangement will be reviewed in 2039, after the first ten years.

The second announcement: KiwiRail will pay fees to the ports and Ferry Holdings.

This is no gift. In exchange for being the operator, KiwiRail will pay commercially priced port fees.

CentrePort will earn a reasonable profit on its $100 million contribution for assets CentrePort will own. Port Marlborough will earn a reasonable profit on its $110 million contribution for assets Port Marlborough will own.

Because more complex new infrastructure is being built in Picton, with $373 million to be paid by Ferry Holdings, we are establishing a special purpose vehicle to co-own assets between Port Marlborough and Ferry Holdings.

That means the taxpayer will receive the benefit of every cent of its investment in infrastructure. 

This would not have been possible under iReX. Recovering $3 billion in investment would have led to vast increases in Interislander fares, making the business uncompetitive, or leading to one of the largest write-offs in history. 

KiwiRail will also pay Ferry Holdings to lease the ferries and will be required to build up a reserve over the next 30 years so it can directly purchase new ferries in 2059.

This is not just a deal to secure the Strait for another generation. It secures it for the next two generations.

For KiwiRail’s workers, that means a steady future awaits you. For freighters and families using the Cook Strait, that means we have put your interests first.

While no commercial entity can detail exactly the share of fares the port fees will reflect, we can say they will be similar to what is paid today. 

We thank Sue Tindal, KiwiRail’s chair, for advocating her company’s position in a manner that respects the fiscal reality this Government faces.

These agreements set the basis for main works contracts to be entered later this year.

Ferry Holdings, Port Marlborough, CentrePort and KiwiRail have already brought construction partners in through early contractor involvement, engineering and design, demolition, and to build staging zones.

For example, KiwiRail is well underway already having appointed the builder for the Dublin Street overbridge in Picton, CentrePort has built a staging zone for loading gear and equipment onto the barge, and Port Marlborough is demolishing the old rail wharf for the new one to replace it.

We welcome their construction partners – HEB and Vinci in Picton and Brian Perry Civil in Wellington – but this comes with a message: this ship already has a master. You will be their expert crew following orders, and if seas ever get rough, we expect all hands on deck. 

And we know this is a desirable job for your sector too. These are meaty contracts in the hundreds of millions, with good programme life to give meaningful work to construction workers and to make use of your plant and equipment.

You will look back on this project with pride.

Of course, this programme is not without risk, but unlike the last lot we are grown-ups who deal with risk.

There will be no cost-plus construction contracts. Construction firms can expect to make a reasonable profit, with incentives to be on-time and on-budget. But the scope is set.

Ferry Holdings retains the major rights in controlling the programme, while working closely with KiwiRail, CentrePort, and Port Marlborough to sequence work around their operations and construction programmes.

The port agreements mean CentrePort, Port Marlborough, and KiwiRail all stand to gain from on-time, on-budget delivery. Each party has a healthy contingency built into its funding caps, and the project is funded to manage normal infrastructure risk.

Likewise, if they want to pay for additional works using their own money, then so long as it does not delay our delivery then that is their business. As a shareholder of KiwiRail, we retain the right to approve any additional scope paid for by KiwiRail, and will only do so where there is evidence of incremental commercial return. 

That is how infrastructure should be done in this country. Commercial deals where, yes, everyone stands to gain but equally, all parties carry risk. 

You are not looking at a repeat of Transmission Gully, where the lowest bidder gets the contract then litigates their way to higher pricing. 

You are not looking at the wastrels who spent $228 million on Auckland light rail without a single metre of track built either.

You are looking at the people who put taxpayers first, who deal respectfully with council-owned ports to get a good deal for ratepayers, and who keep the conversation focused on the only question that matters: ‘does New Zealand need this?’ If yes, do it. If no, stop.

As a result, we have served freighters and families, taxpayers and ratepayers, and we have preserved rail.

Now, let us look to the future with positive recognition of the past.

The Interislander has crossed Cook Strait since 1962. It was established as a rail ferry service on the recommendation of Parliament in 1958.

That was a time when leaders in this country understood something very simple: New Zealand is an island nation. And a country that cannot connect its own islands is a country that has forgotten the basics.

The first ferry was named Aramoana, meaning sea-path, and every rail ferry since has carried that “Ara” prefix. We respect that tradition, and in particular the role that iwi and Māori railway workers played in their naming.

Sixty-four years on, these ferries have come to represent New Zealand itself. They are more than the connector of our people and our goods, they are part of our tourism offer to the world.

And as such, in honour of the Cook Strait itself, of New Zealand’s history, and in recognition of the service these ferries will provide for generations to come, Ferry Holdings has legally registered the following names:

The first ferry will be named Kupe.
The second ferry will be named Cook.

These are proper names. Historic names. New Zealand names.

They are names that speak to our maritime inheritance, to exploration, to courage, to seamanship, and to the long story of how this country came to be.

Kupe and Cook each left an indelible mark on these islands, and on Cook Strait in particular. Their relevance to this waterway is not some abstract theory. It is obvious. It is historical. It is real.

Kupe named Mātiu Island. Cook named the Queen Charlotte Sound. 

New Zealand’s islands were settled by two great seafaring traditions: Polynesian first, European second. And these names honour that history.

Of course, in between them were the Dutch in 1642 – but they did not make landing. Our ferries will.

Now, we know exactly what will happen. The snivelling wokesters will work themselves into a lather over the name Cook, while offering only passing approval for Kupe. That is how shallow this has become.

It is fashionable now in certain circles to treat Captain Cook as nothing more than a symbol to be condemned, cancelled, and cast out. A harbinger of colonisation, they say. A figure of division, they say. A relic to be erased.

Well, we say this: a mature country does not run from its history. A serious country does not vandalise its memory to satisfy the latest fashion in whinger politics.

Because New Zealand’s history is not simple. It is not tidy. It is not a slogan on a placard. It is deep, difficult, proud, painful, ambitious, and unfinished.

We will not pretend one part of our history exists and another does not. And we will not allow a noisy minority to dictate what the rest of this country is allowed to remember.

These names – Kupe and Cook – reflect New Zealand as it actually is: a country shaped by the sea, by settlement, by risk, by enterprise, and by people who crossed dangerous waters in search of a future.

They also mark a new chapter for the proud men and women of the Interislander, who have kept this country moving across Cook Strait for decades.

So let others sneer. Let them lecture. We are getting on with the job.

We are naming these ferries for the history that made us, for the people who serve us, and for the country we are still building.

And we are saving them $2.3 billion, while getting the rail ferries and infrastructure New Zealanders expect. 

Because, once again, we are charting the practical course on new tides, with new vessels, and with common sense back at the helm.

Thank you.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/07/17/common-sense-back-at-the-helm/

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By Qiulae Wong

The spending accusations have been flying this week – National’s dramatic AI-generated movie trailer about Labour’s alleged fiscal hole, Winston basking in the glory of a typo in a Greens press release that referred to billions instead of millions, a travel budget blow-out for Shane Jones’ trip to Canada to schmooze global mining companies.

And while everyone shakes down each others’ money trees, the one expense they’re silent on is the generous MP allowances and remuneration packages that help them grow their personal property portfolios. Every dollar matters – until it doesn’t. 

At Opportunity we don’t believe politicians should be able to use their accommodation and office allowances to pay rent on property they already own, nor should they be able to direct private superannuation funds to invest in property that they’ll ultimately own. 

That’s why we’ve made a clear statement that, if elected, we will not use these allowances in this way. Opportunity MPs will be able to use relevant allowances to meet actual and reasonable accommodation costs and office expenses, but not to feather their own nest. 

The case for an independent referee

Thankfully come Thursday we saw a very sensible shift to the topic of an independent costings unit. 

Opportunity called on National and Labour to come together on this back in July 2025. 

The case for it today is exactly as it was back then. Bring greater trust and integrity to our election debates. Stop the mudslinging over phantom ‘fiscal holes’ and actually have a serious conversation about what’s affordable, what’s fair, and what trade-offs are involved.

This isn’t a radical idea. Democracies around the world already do it. A practical, independent costing unit that focuses on transparency and credibility would be a significant improvement on what we have today.

Both National and Labour think it’s a good idea, albeit with some differences in opinion over exactly how it should work. But the biggest handbrakes here are ACT and NZ First. 

If Opportunity were a coalition partner for either a National or Labour-led government, we would be urging them to find common ground, instead of dragging them further away from consensus. 

The same applies to infrastructure

Another encouraging development this week was the growing cross-party consensus around the need for a long-term national infrastructure plan.

Infrastructure projects take decades to plan and build while political cycles last three years.

Every government promises certainty. Every opposition promises to review projects. Every election creates the possibility that priorities change again.

The result is higher costs, lower productivity, and less confidence from the private sector.

Presumably, the report showing that $11.8 billion has been wasted from infrastructure flip flopping over the past 25 years has played a role in getting our political leaders to the table on this. 

The risk, however, is that when things get tough someone reneges on the position, just like we’ve seen with the Zero Carbon Act. 

That’s why Opportunity will push for stronger independent institutions like the Infrastructure Commission and clearer decision-making frameworks to ensure these commitments survive. 

If we want infrastructure decisions to last longer than election cycles, we need structures that sit above day-to-day politics.

What we’re not costing: nature’s balance sheet

Meanwhile, there’s one gaping balance sheet hole that isn’t getting much attention at all. 

We’ve been blowing the budget on nature for decades. 

The Conservation Amendment Bill looks to make up to 60% of public conservation land available for disposal, exchange, or development.

In many cases, the changes seem aimed at making it easier to deal with small, low-value parcels of land that happen to sit within the conservation estate – old quarries, village halls, access strips. These might be legitimate cases for DOC to dispose of the land, but the public needs to be assured that land with actual ecological, heritage or cultural value is suitably protected and not disposed of. 

If Opportunity were in government, we would support strong and transparent disposal tests. We would also start from the principle that conservation land should remain owned by New Zealanders wherever possible. There may be circumstances where exchanges or disposals make sense, but the burden of proof should be high and the public benefit clear.

At the same time, we shouldn’t assume that every hectare of land administered by DOC must remain permanently locked into its current classification. Good stewardship requires judgment, not ideology.

The bigger issue this raises is that New Zealand still struggles to account for natural capital in the same way we account for financial capital.

When a road, factory or housing development generates economic activity, we can estimate the value fairly easily. When a wetland filters water, a forest stores carbon, or a landscape supports biodiversity and tourism, those benefits are often treated as free.

Imagine running a business that carefully tracked revenue while ignoring the deterioration of its machinery, buildings, and equipment.

Eventually the bill arrives.

We are consuming environmental assets that underpin our economy while often failing to account for their long-term value. If we’re serious about proper costing, then nature needs to be part of the conversation too.

The same principle applies to climate policy.

This week ACT suggested once again that New Zealand should leave the Paris Agreement. 

Whether or not you believe New Zealand’s emissions reductions make a difference on the world’s stage (I would argue they do – because of our leadership role and the fact that a third of global emissions come from small countries like ours), the reality is our exporters must compete in an international economy that is moving toward lower-carbon products and services.

Our farmers, manufacturers, and tech businesses don’t compete solely on price anymore. They compete on market access, standards, and credibility.

International customers increasingly expect evidence that products are produced sustainably.

That trend is unlikely to reverse and ignoring that transition doesn’t eliminate the cost. It simply pushes it onto future governments, future businesses, and future New Zealanders.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/07/07/when-the-bill-comes-due/

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/07/02/canterbury-leaders-gather-to-discuss-future-of-local-government/

The newly established Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Forum will hold its first public meeting on Monday 8 June 2026 at the Arataki Visitor Centre, marking the beginning of a new phase of collaboration for the long-term care and protection of Te Wao Nui ā Tiriwa – the Waitākere Ranges.

The Forum was established by Auckland Council following the signing of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Deed of Acknowledgement in October 2025, and brings together representatives from Te Kawerau ā Maki, Auckland Council Governing Body, the Waitākere Ranges Local Board and the Crown.

The Forum is a joint committee established under the Local Government Act 2002 with a role is to support implementation of the Deed of Acknowledgement and promote the objectives of the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Act 2008.

Over the years ahead it will provide a collaborative space for long-term planning, coordination and shared thinking around the future of the Heritage Area. The Forum will make recommendations and provide advice, rather than be a decision-making body. Ownership and statutory decision-making over public land remains with Auckland Council and the Crown.

Forum members are:
•    Mark Allen (Auckland Council, Waitākere Ranges Local Board)
•    Edward Ashby (Te Kawerau ā Maki)
•    Cr Shane Henderson (Auckland Council, Waitākere Ward)
•    Ashleigh McDonald (Te Kawerau ā Maki)
•    Greg Presland (Auckland Council, Waitākere Ranges Local Board)
•    Alex Rogers (Department of Conservation | Te Papa Atawhai)
•    Hannah Slade (Auckland Council, Waitākere Ranges Local Board)
•    Rewi Spraggon (Te Kawerau ā Maki)
•    Tame Taratu (Te Kawerau ā Maki)
•    Cr Ken Turner (Auckland Council, Waitākere Ward)
•    Josie Wall (Te Kawerau ā Maki)

Forum member Rewi Spraggon says the first public meeting is an opportunity to begin building a long-term relationship with the wider community.

“Te Wao Nui ā Tiriwa, the Waitākere Ranges, are the lungs of this great city and an ancient presence within the landscape of Tāmaki Makaurau since time immemorial. We Te Kawerau ā Maki have been guardians of this taonga for centuries, and this Forum creates space for us to share our knowledge and history with the wider community while progressing the enhancement of the area’s heritage features and values, including the re-establishment of our marae at Te Henga.”

Te Kawerau Iwi Tiaki Trust Chief Executive Edward Ashby says the Forum reflects a shared commitment to protecting one of Tāmaki Makaurau’s most significant natural and cultural landscapes.

“Our priority has always been the long-term wellbeing of Te Wao Nui ā Tiriwa, while recognising that it is treasured and enjoyed by many people. The Forum gives us a way to work more closely with our partners and communities, and to put kaitiakitanga into action in a practical and constructive way.

“This is a step-change in ensuring the national significance of this place is advocated for, that we have a plan for how to implement the Act, and that we are coordinated in our efforts to uplift the mana of the land and all people that live here and visit.”

Chair of the Waitākere Ranges Local Board Mark Allen says the Forum fills a long-standing gap.

“Our local board has advocated for a forum like this for many years, for a place where issues affecting the Heritage Area can be discussed by the people and organisations who can actually make a difference. This Forum strengthens tangata whenua participation and gives our community clearer pathways to be part of the conversation.”

Department of Conservation representative Alex Rogers welcomes the opportunity for a more joined-up approach.

“Te Wao Nui ā Tiriwa is a biodiversity and ecological treasure not just for Tāmaki Makaurau, but for Aotearoa as a whole. Challenges like pests and climate change do not respect boundaries. This Forum creates a more coordinated way of working together to protect and enhance the Heritage Area for future generations.”

Waitākere Ward Councillor Ken Turner says the establishment of the Forum provides a shared structure that fosters better collaboration among all those who hold Waitākere Ranges heritage.

“All of us hold the Waitākere Ranges in our hearts. Since the establishment of the Super City, the Ranges have slipped from the spotlight, and by working beside each other in a smarter, collaborative way through this forum, we will reestablish the Waitākere Ranges’ mana for all those who live, love and visit them.”

The Forum has already begun early discussions around a long-term strategic framework for the Heritage Area, alongside future work programmes and approaches to monitoring environmental and community outcomes under the Act.

Early conversations will also explore the Forum’s potential role in supporting:
•    track re-opening in the Heritage Area
•    environmental restoration and biodiversity protection
•    climate resilience and adaptation
•    sustainable tourism and visitor management
•    smarter long-term access and transport thinking
•    local economic and educational opportunities
•    protection of the natural and cultural values of the Heritage Area.

The first business meeting will cover:
•    establishment matters including appointment of a Chair and Deputy Chair
•    opportunities for public input
•    discussion of future strategic planning
•    presentations and discussion on current issues affecting the Heritage Area.

Meetings will be open to the public, and Forum members have expressed a strong desire to remain grounded in the ngahere (forest/bush) and local communities, with Arataki Visitor Centre selected as an important place to begin that journey.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/29/new-forum-begins-long-term-collaboration-for-waitkere-ranges-heritage-area/

The government has updated its official branding to give greater prominence to English over te reo Māori, following a directive from new Public Service Minister Paul Goldsmith.

The Public Service Commission sent the new logo to all ministries and departments this week, telling them to update their websites by the end of June, in line with the coalition’s English-first policy.

The redesigned branding – which must be displayed on all agencies’ homepages – places “New Zealand Government” in bold above “Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa”, reversing the previous order.

In a brief statement to RNZ, Goldsmith said: “This was a coalition commitment that hadn’t yet been achieved. Now we’re doing it.”

The English-first directive was won by NZ First during its negotiations with National in 2023. Their eventual coalition agreement stated that all public service departments – excluding those specifically related to Māori – would have their primary name in English and communicate primarily in English.

Goldsmith took over responsibility for the public service from Judith Collins in early April in advance of her retirement.

Shortly before the handover, Collins suggested the government’s logo design was not a key priority, telling reporters she was focused on the fuel crisis, “not style guides”.

But NZ First leader Winston Peters, at the time, said the public service would be “called to account very shortly”.

The ACT Party also weighed in on the conversation, with its MP Todd Stephenson writing to Collins in March to draw attention to the government logo and warning of “growing concern” that the English-first policy was not being “visibly implemented” across the public service.

Stephenson told RNZ he was pleased that the commission had taken note of his concerns and updated its guidelines.

“ACT has always been clear that we do not support costly rebrands involving consultants or flash new signage. But as Brooke van Velden proved at the Department of Internal Affairs with a digital-first rebrand for just $741, this can be done efficiently. The commission has now followed that example.

“The English-first policy is not one of ACT’s coalition commitments, but I pursued this because it’s supported by many of ACT’s supporters. More to the point, we expect coalition agreements to be held. It’s a matter keeping promises made to New Zealanders.”

Green Party public service spokesperson Francisco Hernandez told RNZ the directive was a “pointless distraction” from an “out of touch” government.

“Aotearoa has moved on to embrace Te Tiriti, but this government is intent on clinging on to the past. That they are obsessing over this instead of tackling the fossil fuel cost of living crisis shows what their focus is.”

RNZ has approached the Public Service Commission and NZ First for comment.

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

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/20/government-updates-official-branding-to-highlight-english-over-te-reo-maori/