Election 2023

An education researcher says some of ACT's education policies would be a radical change while others are no brainers.   The party wants to implement standardised testing, with University Entrance replacing NCEA Level Three.   The B4 School Check would be extended to include education progress, and Early Childhood Education providers that don't contribute to child development risk losing funding or...

National's Nicola Willis is satisfied with her party pulling ahead of the competition in another poll. The latest One News-Verian poll puts the National Party on 37 percent - down 2 points - and Labour on 27, down one. NZ First has crossed the 5 percent threshold again- meaning the party could join National and ACT in Parliament. Nicola Willis says this poll shows voters are in the mood for change...

National's support has slipped, but a poll shows it's still miles ahead of the competition. The latest One News-Verian poll puts the National Party on 37 percent - down 2 points - and Labour on 27, down one. The Greens and ACT are both up two points - neck-in-neck on 12 percent - and NZ First is steady on 5. Only the centre-right bloc could form a Government- but Hipkins and Luxon are tied as pref...

The alarm is being sounded about a future drop off in Pharmac funding. A boost for the drug buying agency announced in Budget 2022- ends in 2024. Medicines NZ Chief Executive Graeme Jarvis wants the major parties to commit to continuing the money. He says if the gap isn't filled, Treasury is warning there will be years where it won't be possible to keep funding the same medicines. "So in other wor...

Help and support for exploited migrants will be delivered in a new Government scheme. The Government has confirmed a package of basic financial support, for accommodation and essential living costs. It plans to stop 90-day trial periods for employers using the Accredited Employer Work Visa. Immigration Minister Andrew Little says they're tightening the scheme meant to fill gaps by letting business...

Another snapshot of how political parties are faring in the polls is out at 6pm - in another One News -Verian poll. Its figures last week had National leaps and bounds ahead of Labour, which have been on stubbornly low 20s for weeks. Newstalk ZB chief political reporter Aaron Dahmen says even a one percent bump would help Labour. National has been criticised for not releasing costings for its mult...

Chris Hipkins revealed an unexpected policy announcement in last night's debate. During last night's event, Hipkins said the wanted to ban sugary drinks in secondary schools- claiming they already were in primary schools. Today, he claimed he'd misremembered banning sugary drinks from primary schools, but had consulted on this issue as Education Minister. Health Coalition Aotearoa co-chair Boyd Sw...

In today’s Election Fix, Chief Political Reporter Aaron Dahmen has been with Chris Hipkins on the East Coast – where he’s announced more funding for cyclone recovery. He also gives us an insight into the Labour leader’s gaming skills. Political reporter Sophie Trigger talks through Christopher Luxon’s visit to a goat farm and his continued reaction to last night’s debate. Plus, the key Election 20...

Last night’s leaders’ debate on TV was a brilliant advertisement for the minor parties.   In fact, I reckon Labour and National could make some money out of it because, as far as I’m concerned, I thought it provided 90 minutes of reasons not to go with the traditional red and blue parties.  So what I reckon Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon should be doing today, is writing out some invoices and...

I know people are complaining that last night's debate between the leaders of Labour and National was boring. But seriously, give me a ‘let's get on with business, steady as she goes’ Prime Minister any day.    I am sick and tired of 'rockstar razzle-dazzle' prime ministers who give up when the going gets tough, be they ‘ponytail pulling, catwalk modeling’ Prime ministers or ‘unicorn riding, fairy...

Today on Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings John MacDonald was joined by ACT Leader, David Seymour. John asked him if he felt that voters would now look to the smaller parties after last night's Leaders' Debate. They also talked about why his party is against co-governance, and how his policies on law and order will bring crime under control in New Zealand.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener...

So, the debate. Firstly, I fear I may be wasting your time if you didn't see it. If you didn't, you didn't miss much. If you did see it you will have been, I assume, bored witless. If you were a Chris Hipkins fan going in I don't think he did anything to put you off. Chris Luxon did well because it was his to lose. In fact, given the build up about him being new and so on, he did very well. He loo...

MPs Megan Woods and Mark Mitchell joined the Mike Hosking Breakfast to wrap the week's political news. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last night saw the first leaders’ debate between Labour’s Chris Hipkins and National’s Chris Luxon.   Most seem to agree that it was a lacklustre affair, with Luxon perhaps winning by a hair.   Political Commentator Brigitte Morten told Mike Hosking that in the past, audiences would see politicians under pressure when it came to live debates.   She said that since every press conference is now str...

Labour says it's taking a long-term approach to reducing youth crime.   In Auckland, a 16-year-old boy has been charged over Monday's fatal bus station attack, the victim's family revealing he was a 24-year-old alleged 501 deportee from Australia.   And in Christchurch, an 18-year-old learner driver is facing charges over Sunday's fatal Rangiora crash, with new figures revealing Canterbury has bee...

How over all the violence are we right now?   I can’t tell you how over it I am. I’m sure you are too. It’s actually getting ridiculous and what I’m worried about now is that not even a change of government is going to stop it.   A stabbing murder at an Albany bus stop in Auckland Monday, another knife incident 30 minutes later in Auckland’s Waterview, the next day, Tuesday, a person taken into cu...

Some are picking Chris Luxon as narrowly taking the crown in last night's leaders’ debate.   The National Party Leader went head to head with Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins in the first of three debates ahead of the election.   Newstalk ZB Political Editor, Jason Walls, told Kate Hawkesby who he thought came out on top.   He says Luxon was more passionate and had a better plan on law and order,...

Tonight on The Huddle, Neale Jones from PR firm Capital and Paddy Gower from Paddy Gower Has Issues joined in on a discussion about the following topics- and more! Labour appears to have quietly scrapped their prison reduction target- is this a big deal? They had achieved a 30 percent drop in the last two terms but it's since climbed again to 20 percent. Does it seem to you also that Hipkins accid...

A leading economist believes New Zealand's economy is at the "bottom edge" when compared to other developed countries. This follows the Government laying out their Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update and revealing a surplus has been pushed out an extra year amid a lower tax take. HSBC's Paul Bloxham says inflation isn't coming down fast enough, when compared to other countries. LISTEN ABOVE Se...

Last week, political parties polling above five percent squared off at Hamilton's Mystery Creek Events Centre. Labour's Damien O’Connor, National's Todd McClay and others faced off in the Rural Issues debate, hosted by ZB's Heather du Plessis-Allan. The Country's Jamie Mackay recapped the highs and lows of the debate. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour and National are facing scrutiny as they promote their respective tax policies ahead of the election. Both parties will also have the additional challenge of getting New Zealand back to budget surplus by 2027. BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie explains why both parties should release a pre-Christmas budget ahead of the election. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Chris Hipkins has just confirmed Labour is dropping its plan to get people out of jails . When they first took over six years ago , Labour set a target of reducing the prison population by 30 percent in 15 years . That target is now gone . Hipkins was asked about it today, and says there is no target for the next term . This is massive, because Labour was celebrated for this . On November 29, 2018...

The countdown is on to this election's first Leaders' Debate. Labour's Chris Hipkins and National's Chris Luxon go head-to-head on TVNZ from 7pm. Former National Prime Minister, Sir John Key, says Luxon's the under-dog - and may have the tougher job. "There are actually a lot of people who want to vote for him and want to vote for National- so they will just be making sure he's the real deal. So t...

A u-turn from Labour. The Party says it'll dump its 2018 target of reducing the prison population by 30 percent within 15 years. It says the crisis has been averted and a target's no longer needed. National Party Corrections spokesperson Mark Mitchell says it's an extraordinary change. He says it's been Labour's core justice policy for the past 6 years. "At the same time, they had no plans to keep...

Prison population targets will be no more if Labour gets back in Government, because it says they've served their purpose. In 2018, the Labour Government promised to reduce the prison population by 30 percent within 15 years. Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says the target was set because prisons were bursting at the seams when Labour took office, describing scenes of triple bunks and mattresses...