The Coalition Government’s pledge to introduce a Treaty Principles Bill is insupportable, opponents say. Describing the proposed Bill as “radical”, former National Party minister Chris Finlayson and political commentator Matthew Hooten say the bills should not have the National-led Government’s support. Former National Party attorney general and minister for Treaty negotiations under Sir John Key’s Read more
National leader Christopher Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins faced off in Newshub’s Decision 2023 Leaders Debate on Wednesday. When asked by debate host, Paddy Gower whether charities should pay tax, Hipkins responded with a definite “yes”, while Luxon said he was “open to it”. In August, there was speculation that the National Party plan Read more
Three parties on Saturday announced policies that would see the road for parents of migrants to New Zealand made easier. Labour, National and ACT all made similar announcements that they would overhaul the current visa system, while Labour also opened up the door for a one-off regularisation for Pacific and other migrants who have been Read more
An ACT Party bill for Easter trading law reform was doomed before its first reading last Wednesday. The private member’s bill came from small business spokesman Chris Baillee. It sought to give retailers more choice over whether they operate during the religious holiday. Baillie said his bill would also look after workers by keeping existing Read more
Asked what drives his values, when pressed the National Party’s new leader, Christopher Luxon (pictured) identifies the Christian religion. The apparent media anxiety over Luxon’s Christianity is incoherent; his four immediate predecessors Judith Collins, Todd Muller, Simon Bridges and Bill English all professed a form of Christian faith. Then adding to the incoherence is that Read more
How excited they were when it was announced. On October 19, Housing Minister Megan Woods and National leader Judith Collins jointly declared their support for the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. This bill, they said, would allow “at least 48,200 and as many as 105,500 new homes” to be built Read more
Todd Muller the new leader of the National Party says while he identifies himself as Catholic, his religious beliefs do not inform his politics on issues such as euthanasia, abortion and the LGBT+ community. That has not satisfied the kind of people who go on twitter says Ryan Bridge in an opinion piece on Newshub. Read more
The New Zealand Parliament has passed legislation which has removed abortion from the Crimes Act. It also removes the legal test for the procedure up until 20 weeks. The New Zealand Catholic Bishops are deeply disappointed with the abortion law changes. “This Bill totally ignores the fact that there are always at least two human Read more
The Exclusive Brethren has included in its prayer agenda a request to its members to pray for a National Party victory in the coming general election. The prayer agenda, a confidential document, is distributed world-wide. The actual words in the prayer agenda are for the “right Government which maintains Christian principles” to win the New Read more
Prime Minister John Key spoke to more than 500 members of South Auckland’s Pasifika community on Tuesday. The meeting, with Pacific church leaders at the Samoan Independent Seventh Day Adventist Church in Mangere, was also a platform to promote National’s candidate for Mangere, Misa Fia Turner. Key says there had been a shift in support Read more