Election 2023

All right, we need to talk about a news story that has been written in such a way that you're supposed to be alarmed by the fact that nearly half of all Year 12 students might fail Erica Stanford's NCEA replacement. The story is this - at the moment, 15 percent of Year 12 students fail NCEA Level 2. But modelling suggests that once Erica Stanford replaces NCEA with her new secondary school qualifi...

Auckland businessman Jim Jackson is a big supporter of the National Party, but he's raised concerns over a stalled project. The proposed East West Link has been on hold for over a decade, and Jackson recently put up a billboard condemning Luxon for not getting the project done. He says he's been involved with the development of the expressway for the past 19 years, and he's not happy with the pros...

National's Education Spokesperson is brushing off concerns over previously unseen modelling suggesting the NCEA level two replacement could make pass rates plummet.  Ministry of Education documents released to the PPTA show Year 12 attainment could fall 27 percent under the New Zealand Certificate of Education. Erica Stanford says it's an old paper produced at the beginning of the curriculum...

Labour and National are regaining a little ground in the latest The Post/Freshwater Strategy poll, but both major parties remain well below 30 percent. The poll has Labour up to 28.7 and National up to 27.6, the Greens are unchanged on 14.3, New Zealand First is down to 11.8, ACT is unchanged on 9, and Opportunity is down to 5.4. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says Hipkins...

In light of the Green and Te Pāti Māori MPs' visit to the Mongrel Mob pad and their stated determination to restore the mana of the mob, I read Jamie Ensor's piece in the Herald with interest. According to Jamie, Labour hasn't proposed any specific new law and order policies with just days to go until the election.  Law and order was a big flashpoint at the last election. The cost of living w...

Does Labour really think Facebook and all the other social media platforms are going to be paying any attention to its threat to crack down on them? Yesterday, the party’s social media spokesperson Reuben Davidson warned “they will pay the price” if they don’t make the kinds of changes Labour will demand if it forms the next Government. Which, essentially, is letting people decide whether they wan...

A school leader says it's fantastic both major parties are backing a crackdown on children's social media use.  Labour says if elected, an under-16 social media ban will go before a select committee within 100 days, alongside a new digital duty of care law.  National introduced a similar bill to Parliament in August.  Secondary Principals Association Chair and B416 expert advisory p...

Only good thing about Oriini Kaipara and her gang video, which spent the better part of the day front and centre, starting with us yesterday morning as we played you the cringe-inducing audio, to be followed by the rest of the media, was that Oriini is from the Māori Party, not the Greens.   If it had been Marama, it would have been well and truly over. Not that Marama wouldn't agree with her...

The Dairy Companies Association has laid out its priorities for the next government.  The five points include biosecurity, bipartisan infrastructure and energy, streamlined food regulation, and food and nutrition policy based on science and clear labelling.   It also calls for an ambitious trade agenda, saying 43% of global dairy consumption remains outside of our FTA coverage.   Ch...

Both major parties are backing tougher rules on children's social media use, with questions now turning to how they'll be enforced.  Labour's promising an under-16 social media ban will go before a select committee within 100 days if elected, while National introduced its own bill to Parliament in August.  Makes Sense campaign co-founder Holly Brooker told Mike Hosking the focus now need...

National is open to expanding its proposed ban on the right to silence for child killers, depending on legal advice.  The party's proposing a law change that would send witnesses of child killings to prison for up to 10 years, if they don't reveal who was responsible.  National's Nicola Willis has voiced support for this policy and says it's 'unlikely' this will result in false testimoni...

Unbelievably, the Mongrel Mob drama is still rolling on. It's been six days. A video has emerged from the hui at the gang pad in which Te Pāti Māori MP Oriini Kaipara tells the Mongrel Mob that Te Pāti Māori's policies would reinstate what should have existed all along. Depending on how you interpret that statement and the context of what she had been discussing beforehand, she was either suggesti...

Labour's Technology spokesperson says the party could get a social media ban for under-16s legislated in one year.  It's promising to progress the ban to select committee stage within its first 100 days of Government, if elected, alongside new law on digital duty of care. Reuben Davidson says National's not done it in a thousand days - but Labour will give it priority. "There's nothing to sto...

A former Te Pāti Māori co-leader is defending current MPs chatting with the Mongrel Mob.  MP Oriini Kaipara went to the gang's South Auckland HQ last week, and today defended the visit. Leaders of other parties have criticised the two Te Pāti Māori MPs at the meeting, joined by Greens candidates. But Te Ururoa Flavell says this politicians of all stripes have done this for decades.  "Rob...

Every Monday until the election The Front Bench will take on the biggest talking points of the election campaign. Heather du Plessis-Allan, Newstalk ZB Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper, Sherson Willis' Trish Sherson and Childfund CEO Josie Pagani have the insight and analysis as the campaign rolls on.  This week on The Front Bench, Heather asks the panel about the potential fallout...

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn’t been appalled by the cases here in New Zealand where a child has been killed and the people who know full well what has happened have kept their mouths shut. They’re able to do that because of the right to remain silent, which National has announced it wants to get rid of in cases where a child under the age of 12 has been killed. I’m one of those pe...

One of Opportunity's polices is to stop you from using your KiwiSaver for first home purchases.  The big question around that policy is - did you know that?  Everyone, and I mean everyone, I have talked to that is even contemplating supporting Opportunity can't name a single one of their policies out side of land tax and universal incomes, which ironically, although they were the ideas t...

The ACT party is promising to commit an extra $400 million over four years to boost GP numbers and appointments, with 35% of GPs intending to retire within five years.  The party claims a $100 million annual boost could help increase patient numbers by at least 6%.  Doctor Angus Chambers Chair of GenPro told Mike Hosking the investment could provide more capacity in the system for appoin...

A criminal defence lawyer warns a new National policy is tackling a very vexed area of law.  The party is campaigning on removing the right to remain silent when a child under 12 is killed.   The party suggests this is an exceptional circumstance that justifies breaching the Bill of Rights Act.  Barrister John Munro told Mike Hosking there is likely a low number of cases where someo...

Christopher Luxon isn't worried that removing the right to silence in exceptional cases would clash with the Bill of Rights Act. Under the policy, people who witness a child's murder could face up to 10 years in prison, if they don't reveal to Police who was responsible.  Luxon told Mike Hosking he expects law groups will warn it's a bill of rights issue. He says the same thing happened with...

The split voting thing.  In the weekend papers were full of full-page ads paid for by RCR.   This appears to be the vessel for Don Brash and Nick Mowbray to promote their tactical voting tactic to create an overhang that benefits the centre right.  I don't like it the same way Don Brash doesn't like John Key telling people how to vote and of course their platform benefits in that th...

The Greens say their trades policy will end up providing a boost to the local economy.  If elected, the party will abolish the training wage, and introduce a $2000 equipment grant to help cover tools, uniforms and course materials. Newstalk ZB political reporter Ethan Griffiths says this is in contrast to ACT's plan to reduce the training wage and freeze the minimum wage. LISTEN ABOVE See omn...

GPs hope a $400-million-dollar political pledge results in more competitive pay packets. The ACT Party is promising the funding boost if elected, which is designed to help practices offer competitive remuneration and retain staff. It's worth about six percent of GPs budgets.   Royal College of General Practitioners President Dr Luke Bradford says it shines a light on the issues they face righ...

It is about now in an election campaign when you start weighing up the benefits of a 4-year term, right?   Attack ads? Tick. Scare tactics? Tick. MPs in a Gang furore? Tick. The release of basic, sensible and unspectacular policies? Tick. Debates in which no one shines? Tick.   It’s hardly been an inspirational election campaign has it. Too many familiar faces with the same unconvincing...

Right, so the question is whether the Taxpayers' Union has gone too far with its AI advert about Chris Hipkins. If you haven't seen the ad yet, let me explain it. It's a short video that starts with a ginger-haired man in a suit and red tie sprinting down a suburban street. He kicks in a door and runs into a house where a family is having dinner. He grabs all their wallets from the table and runs...