NZ Must Help Pacific Nations Repay Debt to China

The Pacific is our backyard, and it’s under pressure. Tonga, a proud Polynesian nation, is drowning in debt to China, with over USD $120 million, roughly a quarter of its GDP, tied up in loans from Beijing’s EXIM Bank. This debt, stemming from post-2006 riot rebuilding and projects like the Tungi Colonnade, is strangling Tonga’s budget, forcing it to prioritise repayments over health and education. Australia and New Zealand, as Pacific heavyweights, have a moral and strategic duty to step in, help Tonga repay this debt, fund sustainable infrastructure, and curb China’s growing soft power in our region.


On Wednesday, RNZ reported:

 

Lowy report finds Pacific nations 'grappling with a tidal wave of debt repayments' to China

New research shows that China has emerged as the world's largest creditor for developing nations, which are due to pay back at least $54 billion to Beijing this year.

Australian foreign policy think tank the Lowy Institute has crunched data from the World Bank and found some of the world's poorest countries are now facing "record high debt payments" to China.

China rapidly boosted investments in infrastructure last decade, funding railways, ports and roads across the developing world under its sprawling Belt and Road Initiative - projects which have often been welcomed by governments across Latin America, Africa, Central Asia and South-East Asia.

But the lending has also placed pressure on government balance sheets around the world.

 

Tonga’s debt crisis is a microcosm of China’s loan strategy across the Pacific. Since 2006, China has lent USD $1.3 billion to nations like Vanuatu and Samoa, often for flashy infrastructure projects with questionable economic returns. In Tonga, repayments eat up 3.5% of GDP annually, diverting funds from critical services. The 2022 volcanic eruption, which wrecked 36% of Tonga’s economy, only deepened this vulnerability. Meanwhile, China’s refusal to forgive these loans, despite Tonga’s pleas in 2013, 2018, and 2020, raises red flags about Beijing’s intentions. Is this “bilateral friendship” or debt-trap diplomacy to secure influence in a geopolitically sensitive region?

 

In April, RNZ reported:

China defends Tonga loans amid rising debt concerns: A call for fair representation

China's embassy in Tonga has taken to Facebook to defend its loans to the Kingdom, following fresh media coverage and concerns about the country's rising debt.

The Facebook post, shared on 24 April, says China gave the loans to help Tonga during a difficult time.

"Recently, there were news reports on the loans provided by China to Tonga many years ago," the post says.

"China offered concessional loans to Tonga based on the principles of bilateral friendship and equal cooperation.

Australia and New Zealand can break the debt cycle. Australia’s AUD $45 million budget support in 2022/23 gave Tonga breathing room, while New Zealand’s NZD $4 million grants and post-disaster aid show what’s possible. Together, they could provide targeted grants or low-interest loans to clear Tonga, and other Pacific nation's Chinese debt, freeing up fiscal space for them to build the schools and hospitals they require, plus increase their climate resilience.

Beyond debt relief, both nations should fund infrastructure that meet needs without any strings attached. Unlike China’s opaque loans, Aussie and Kiwi aid is transparent, grant-based, and aligned with Pacific values of community and sovereignty.

This isn’t just charity; it’s strategy. China’s loans come with soft power perks, UN votes, potential military access, and leverage over Pacific leaders. By stepping up, Australia and New Zealand can reinforce the Pacific as a region of democratic resilience, not a pawn in Beijing’s game. The next Pacific Islands Forum, to be held in September 2025 in Honiara, Solomon Islands, offers a platform to coordinate a repayment plan to help Pacific nations escape their crippling debts. But let’s be clear: our aid budgets are dwarfed by China’s deep pockets. Australia and New Zealand must prioritise smart, sustainable investments over token gestures. They must get Pacific leaders onboard with a debt reduction plan that will work.

Critics might argue this risks escalating tensions with China, which ignores the problems the current debts cause. But let’s stop pointing fingers. Tonga turned to China when we were slow to act post-2006. But that’s exactly why we must act now, not with arrogance but with partnership, respecting the agency of Pacific nations. If we don’t, we risk losing our political influence in the Pacific to Beijing’s chequebook.

Chris Bishop’s Drunken and Racist Tirade at AMA

The National Party’s Chris Bishop has shown his true colours again, this time stumbling into the spotlight at the Aotearoa Music Awards (AMA) with a bottle in hand and a mouth full of vitriol. Caught on video ranting during Stan Walker’s performance, which included a Haka and Tino Rangatiratanga flag-waving, Bishop couldn’t contain his disdain for a cultural moment led by a musician who had picked up Best Māori Artist and the Mana Reo Award at the 2025 AMAs.

Yesterday, RNZ reported:

 

'What a load of crap': Chris Bishop caught 'ranting' during Stan Walker's Aotearoa Music Awards performance

Cabinet minister Chris Bishop says he should have kept his comments to himself after saying "what a load of crap" during a performance at Thursday night's Aotearoa Music Awards in Auckland.

Video footage shows Bishop seated, with a bottle in his hand during pop singer Stan Walker's segment.

Some people in front of him were on their feet dancing and waving tino rangatiratanga, or self-determination, flags.

In a statement to RNZ, Bishop admitted he said something about performative acclaim and said, what a lot of crap. He said it referred to what he called the overtly political branding on display.

 

Bishop’s boorish behaviour isn’t just an embarrassment, it’s a window into a troubling pattern of arrogance and cultural insensitivity that should have New Zealanders questioning his fitness for office.

While Stan Walker’s performance was being enjoyed by the vast majority of the audience, Bishop was there openly disparaging the celebration of Māori culture, dismissing the moment as “performative acclaim” and “a load of crap”. He reportedly told everyone to “sit down” because “the hīkoi was ages ago”. Talk about an idiot! There was a Hīkoi for Health earlier this month.

The disrespect wafting out of Bishop’s rotten mouth was disgusting, and people within his vicinity felt compelled to speak out. Veteran musician Don McGlashan told Bishop off, echoing the thoughts of many within the audience. They were there to celebrate New Zealand music, and an arrogant Chris Bishop was doing his best to ruin the night.

Chris Bishop goes mask off with his racism.

How long before Luxon announces he's "very relaxed" about his MP's comments? https://t.co/if9br0izbN pic.twitter.com/fBurC8mpHT

— Nick (@StrayDogNZ) May 30, 2025

Here’s a Cabinet minister, supposedly a leader, unable to hold his liquor or his tongue, openly sneering at a well-respected award winning musician and his crew because they’re Māori.

This latest episode isn’t just a personal failing, it’s a stain on the National-led government’s credibility. Bishop’s drunken outbust at the AMA demands accountability. If Luxon doesn’t act swiftly to address this misconduct, we know that he has no moral backbone at all.

Allowing a Cabinet minister to undermine New Zealand’s cultural values and embarrass the nation on a public stage is unacceptable. If Bishop cannot uphold the dignity of his office, Luxon should show some leadership and remove him. New Zealand deserves ministers who respect our award winning musicians, not those who slur their way to infamy with racist ranting.

Leaked Memo Reveals Police Ignore Numerous Crimes

The recent leak of a New Zealand Police memo, directing officers to ignore retail crimes below specific value thresholds (general theft under $200, petrol drive-offs under $150, shoplifting under $500, online fraud under $1,000, and all other fraud under $500) has ignited widespread public condemnation, and justifiably so.

Despite many right-wing propagandists calling for their head, the whistleblower who exposed this directive deserves praise for shining a light on a policy that undermines public trust and incorrectly prioritises resource allocation over justice. This isn’t just a bureaucratic misstep; it’s a betrayal of communities and retail outlets already grappling with high crime rates.

Last week, RNZ reported:

Confusion over how police investigate crimes like shoplifting after secret memo

RNZ has seen a directive that was recently sent to staff relating to police's File Management Centre (FMC) titled 'Assignment Changes - Theft and Fraud'.

The directive said that from 26 March the FMC was applying "nationally standardised value thresholds" when assessing theft and fraud files.

The value thresholds are - general theft $200, petrol drive off $150, shoplifting $500, fraud (paywave, online, scam etc) $1000, and all other fraud $500.

"When assessing files with these offences, you will apply the relevant value threshold and file any file under that threshold regardless of any lines of enquiry or IFA score."

The memo clearly instructed police to file away low-value theft cases regardless of investigative leads or solvability scores. Anything Police Commissioner Richard Chambers says after that fact to try and save face is pointless. This approach dismisses victims, particularly private citizens and small business owners, who face growing levels of crime especially since the unchecked cost-of-living crisis has increased crimes of survival.

The New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey (NZCVS) reveals the scale of the issue: 2.47 million crime incidents were reported in a 12-month period, with only about 25% reported to police, likely because victims already know that the police won't bother to attend.

The whistleblower, whoever they may be, didn’t just leak a memo; they exposed a justice system failing those it swore to protect and a government content to let police ignore numerous crimes because they predominantly affect poorer communities, whom they largely view as expendable.

Burglaries (288,000 incidents) and fraud (510,000 incidents) are rampant, yet the memo suggests police are systematically ignoring a large chunk of these. Data from policedata.nz shows that in 2022, only 10-15% of reported thefts led to prosecutions, with many cases closed early due to “resource constraints.” This isn’t policing; it’s selective abandonment.


On Tuesday, 1 News reported:

Top cop says retail crime memo 'confusing and unhelpful'

In a release earlier today, Chambers said the wrong message had been sent to the retail community and the public about police's approach to retail crime.

"I have made retail crime one of the priorities for the police executive and that means increasing the focus on it.

"The memo has been confusing and unhelpful and does not meet my expectations on retail crime or the expectations of the retail community."

He said he had asked for a reminder to be issued to all district commanders that they should continue focusing on apprehending offenders wherever possible and upholding the law regardless of the thresholds set out in the memo.

When the leak hit, Chambers and Police Minister Mark Mitchell scrambled into damage control, calling the memo “confusing and unhelpful” and insisting investigations are triaged, not ignored. Their back-pedaling reeks of disingenuous spin. Chambers claimed the directive wasn’t a “firm rule,” yet the memo’s language was unequivocal, directing staff to sideline cases below certain thresholds regardless of evidence.

Mitchell’s radio appearance on Newstalk ZB to “clarify” the memo felt like a desperate attempt to dodge accountability. Their assurances that police remain committed to “law and order” ring hollow when the New Zealand Crime & Victims Survey shows fraud and deception offences surged from 288,000 to 510,000 in a year, with Māori communities and LGBT+ people disproportionately victimised.

Today, RNZ reported:

Police launch review after controversial retail crime directive

On Friday, a police spokesperson confirmed to RNZ the national value threshold applied to the prioritisation of lower-level theft and fraud offences was being removed.

"A review is being completed on any cases that may have been impacted by those thresholds to assess whether they should be assigned to districts for follow-up," the spokesperson said.

The review will be done by police's data quality team.

"Police want to reassure that cases will continue to be managed locally balancing demand, resources and priorities to ensure the best possible service to victims in those communities."

Why would the national value thresholds applied to lower-level theft and fraud offences need to be removed if it wasn’t a directive in the first place, as Chambers initially claimed?

Despite many on the right pontificating about all leaking being bad, the whistleblower’s actions were justified because they exposed a policy that prioritises cost cutting measures over outcomes. By revealing the truth, they forced a public reckoning, compelling police to confront their own data: victimisations are under-reported, and police attendance is patchy at best.

The minister’s claim that police are “hunting down crime” is laughable when officers are instructed to let low-value theft slide. This isn’t just about the police not having enough resources; it’s about priorities. The public deserves transparency, not excuses from a Minister who is once again trying to sidestep his responsibilities.

RBNZ Cuts OCR as Mortgage Defaults Loom

I’m unsure if you’re aware, but the New Zealand housing market is currently teetering on a knife-edge, and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) knows it. With mortgage stress and arrears creeping up, compounded by sluggish sales and stagnant wages, the spectre of defaults threatens to drag house prices down. Despite the government claiming that the RBNZ’s latest Official Cash Rate (OCR) cut to 3.25% is because of their good economic management, it's really a desperate bid to keep the economy, reliant on people joining the ponzi scheme of a overinflated house prices, from tanking.

First, mortgage stress is real and growing. Back in November 2023, the RBNZ’s Financial Stability Report warned that non-performing housing loans, those over 90 days past due or impaired, would nearly double from 0.4% to 0.7% by March 2025. That’s $1.3 billion in troubled loans already. Centrix data from March 2025 confirms arrears are at their highest since 2017, with a 12% year-on-year increase in mortgage delinquencies. Borrowers who took out hefty loans in 2020-2021, often exceeding seven times their income, are spending half their gross earnings on repayments.

If these borrowers start defaulting en masse, house prices could take a hit. The logic is simple: defaults force sales, flooding the market with properties and driving prices down, which is exactly what the RBNZ and government doesn’t want to happen. CoreLogic’s December 2024 Housing Chart Pack shows house prices already fell 5% since February 2024, with listings 25% above the five-year average.

Economists like those at Squirrel predict a flat market in 2024 but warn prices could dip further in less desirable areas. A 20% peak-to-trough drop, as forecasted by Capital Economics in 2022, isn’t off the table if defaults spike. Yet, the RBNZ claims the financial system is robust, based on outdated data showing arrears still below the 1.2% seen during the 2009 GFC, as if this is a good benchmark.

On Wednesday, RNZ reported:

 

Reserve Bank drops OCR by 25 basis points to 3.25 percent

Finance Minister Nicola Willis said their economic decisions had contributed to the cut, opposed to the last Labour-led government.

"What we know for a fact is that the last government's extremely high spending levels added fuel on the inflation fire and let inflation get up over 7 percent" she said.

"We now have inflation back in band and that's partly because we've taken such a more responsible approach to spending."

She said the government's operating allowance was the lowest in a decade, which showed a prudent approach.

"Governments can make things a lot worse when it comes to inflation in interest rates, and we've taken it upon ourselves to make things better," she said.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis is trying to remain calm while scrambling to prop up the housing market. She’s also brazenly taking credit for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s independent decision to slash the OCR. This move, driven by the RBNZ’s concern over a potential housing bubble burst, has little to do with coalition policy and everything to do with shielding the economy from a deluge of forced sales.

Now don't get me wrong. House prices do need to come down. But the government’s not willing to let that happen in a controlled manner. Instead they're loosening planning regulations, as touted in their 2024 housing agenda, which risks inflating prices further rather than addressing affordability, with the 2025 Demographia report showing New Zealand’s housing remains among the world’s least affordable. This is only going to make things worse, with estimates showing 24,000-36,000 households were already under significant mortgage stress in 2024, with numbers likely higher in 2025 due to persistent affordability pressures and softening labor markets.

Obviously the government putting pressure on wages while prices remain overinflated, causing fewer sales, isn’t helping to get New Zealand back on track. House sales are at their lowest since 2011, down to under 60,000 annually in February 2023, per Infometrics. CoreLogic notes a 10% drop below typical seasonal sales in November 2024. Meanwhile, net migration boosts demand but also suppresses wage growth by expanding the labour pool, as ANZ pointed out in April 2025. Budget 2025 projects a 1.5% wage rise over the long term, but that’s cold comfort when households saving for or paying off mortgages are already financially stretched.

In March, RNZ reported:

Number of people behind on mortages at 8-year high

The number of people falling behind in mortgage payments has hit levels not seen since 2017, according to credit agency Centrix.

Its January credit report indicates mortgage arrears were at an eight-year high, with personal loans, buy-now-pay-later (BNPL), retail energy and telco arrears on the rise.

Consumer credit defaults also increased by 42 percent on the year earlier, while personal insolvencies showed signs of an uptick, but remained below historical levels.

The RBNZ’s OCR cuts, down from 5.5% in August 2024 to 3.25% now, are a response to this grim reality. They’re banking on lower rates (one-year fixed at 5.31%, per Canstar) to ease borrower pain and stimulate sales. But with global uncertainties like U.S. trade tariffs looming, more companies closing their doors and lower wages biting, the RBNZ’s path to a “neutral” 3% OCR by mid-2025 might not be enough to stop the slide. The housing market’s not collapsing just yet, but without real wage growth and with thousands of defaults lurking, the RBNZ and government are playing a very dangerous game.

PM Claims Suppressing Wages Will Bring Kiwis Home

If you happened to have seen the Herald NOW Christopher Luxon’s interview with Ryan Bridge yesterday, you'd agree that it was an exercise in spin, whereby our PM was allowed to dodge New Zealand’s real problems with his numerous empty platitudes. Boasting an “awesome plan” to bring back the 70,000 Kiwis fleeing our low-wage economy, Luxon bizarrely implied that his pay equity cuts, costing low-waged workers $12.8 billion, would lure people home. This is utter nonsense. The National-led coalition’s wage-crushing policies, token minimum wage hikes, and slashed budgets are actually driving New Zealanders away.


Yesterday, the NZ Herald reported:

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says a ‘productivity problem’ is driving skilled Kiwis offshore

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he has a plan to build a country where Kiwis want to stay, but healthcare, safety and productivity are holding us back. Luxon told Herald Now’s Ryan Bridge that we have a serious productivity problem in New Zealand.

The problem is that keeping wages low isn't going to increase productivity. Luxon’s pay equity overhaul, rammed through under urgency, trashes 33 claims for 150,000 workers, mostly women in underpaid sectors like health and education. By raising the bar for proving gender-based undervaluation, National’s slammed the door shut on fair pay, leaving many New Zealand workers to continue scraping by. Luxon claims this has saved $12.8 billion from ballooning debt, but National’s borrowing has soared regardless. Delaying pay equity hikes isn’t progress, it’s a deliberate wage freeze that pushes skilled Kiwis to better salaries in places like Australia.

Luxon has further eroded wages by ignoring MBIE’s recommended minimum wage increase to $23.60 per hour. Instead, the adult minimum wage crawled from $23.15 to $23.50 in April 2025, a pathetic 35-cent rise. Workers who are starting out or training get a measly bump from $18.52 to $18.80. That’s $14 extra per week before tax for a full-time worker, worthless against years of inflation eroding real wages. Under Labour, minimum wages jumped 7.3% annually; Luxon’s coalition delivers a stingy 2% in 2024 and now 1.5% in 2025. There is no question that the coalition of chaos funnels pay equity savings into tax breaks for landlords and corporates, not workers’ pockets, and not towards paying of government debt.

Luxon’s claim that he’s building “a country where Kiwis want to stay” is pure fiction. Real-term education cuts have gutted schools, with plummeting attendance and achievement. “The key to his plan was ensuring the education of young people,” Luxon said, yet his government starves the system needed to deliver even edible school lunches. How does this entice back the 70,000 Kiwis who’ve bolted over the past year? It doesn’t…it screams a future of low-wages and dead-end prospects that Chris Luxon’s word salad cannot dress up.

Ryan Bridge let Luxon’s propaganda slide, his matey banter failing to probe the 70,000-strong exodus or the wage-killing reality of pay equity cuts. Where were the questions about families crushed by low wages, high rents and the soaring cost of living in New Zealand? Bridge’s softball approach let Luxon peddle his “long-term plan” rubbish unchecked, leaving viewers clueless about the true extent of National’s failures. Luxon’s claim that “in recessionary times, people will go overseas” glosses over how his own policies have fuelled that flight.

This coalition of chaos isn’t bringing Kiwis home; it’s shoving them out the door. With wages frozen, education slashed, and $12.8 billion redirected to the wealthy, Luxon’s out-of-touch government betrays everyday New Zealanders. To stem the exodus, we need fair pay and real investment in people, not austerity and corporate handouts dressed up as progress. And for that we need a change of government.

The National Party's Broken Promises

It’s been a year and a half since the National-led coalition, headed by Christopher Luxon, attained power with a slick eight-point pledge card, promising to “get New Zealand back on track.”

But as we approach mid-2025, it’s clear this government is failing spectacularly on every front. From economic mismanagement to climate change denial, the coalition’s record is a litany of half truths and broken promises. New Zealanders deserve better, and this lot doesn’t deserve another minute, let alone another term.

1. Lower Inflation and Grow the Economy

The coalition crowed about taming inflation, and yes, it’s back within the Reserve Bank’s 1-3% target band after peaking in 2023. But this was a global trend, not a National victory. Inflation is actually higher in 2025 than treasury forecast. Meanwhile, the economy is limping along, real GDP contracted by 0.5% in 2024, with only a projected 1.4% growth in 2025. Unemployment has climbed to 5.4%, up from 3.4% in 2022, and a 1News Verian poll shows 60% of voters think the country’s in worse shape. The coalition’s austerity for the poor and tax cuts for the wealthy haven’t delivered the promised prosperity, they’ve deepened the recession.

2. Let You Keep More of What You Earn

Tax cuts were the coalition’s flagship promise, but the reality is a skewed deal. The 2024 tax package gave high earners thousands while low-income households got crumbs, just $10-$20 a week for many. Restoring interest deductibility for landlords, opposed by 46% of voters, prioritises property speculators over workers. There's been no downward pressure on rents. This isn’t relief; it’s a handout to the rich.

3. Build Infrastructure

The pledge for 13 new Roads of National Significance is a mirage. Only a few projects have broken ground, hampered by funding disputes and global cost pressures. The fast-track consenting regime, meant to speed things up, has been mired in controversy, with environmentalists and iwi slamming its lack of transparency. Infrastructure spending as a share of GDP dropped to 4.8% in 2024, below Labour’s 5.2%. Where’s the promised boom?

4. Restore Law and Order

Tough talk on crime, gang patch bans, 500 new police...hasn’t translated into results. Violent crime rates rose 3% in 2024, and youth offending targets are unmet, with boot camps criticised as ineffective. Only 30% of Kiwis feel safer, per a 2024 NZ Police survey. The coalition’s obsession with punitive measures ignores root causes like poverty, leaving communities exposed.

5. Lift School Achievement

Mandating an hour of reading, writing, and math daily sounds good, but student attendance is down 5% since 2023, and only 45% of Year 8 students meet curriculum levels, far from the 80% target. Charter schools are back, but evidence of their efficacy is thin. Banning cellphones hasn’t fixed truancy or underfunding. Education is stagnating.

6. Cut Health Waiting Times

Health promises are crumbling. Only 62% of elective patients waited less than four months in 2023, and 2024 data shows no significant improvement. Workforce shortages persist, despite immigration tweaks, only 200 of 1,000 promised nurses arrived by mid-2025. Health NZ’s budget cuts have slashed services, not wait times. Kiwis in need are suffering.

7. Support Seniors

Keeping superannuation at 65 (for now) and the Winter Energy Payment is bare minimum, not progress. Only 500 of 2,000 promised residential care beds are funded, and aged-care providers report a $200 million funding gap. With 15% of seniors in rental stress, the coalition’s housing inaction hits hard. This isn’t support, it’s neglect.

8. Deliver Net Zero by 2050

The coalition’s environmental record is a disgrace. Lifting bans on oil and gas exploration and delaying agricultural emissions pricing to 2030 undermine the 290-megatonne 2022-2025 target. Air NZ’s scrapping of its 2030 emissions goal reflects the government’s retreat. Experts warn NZ is off track for 2050 net zero, betraying future generations.

This coalition’s failures: economic stagnation, skewed tax policies, stalled infrastructure, rising crime, struggling schools, failing health services, neglected seniors, and environmental sabotage, show they’re out of their depth. With 64% of voters approving Labour’s prior performance, it’s clear New Zealanders want competence, not excuses. The National-led government has had their time, and they have failed to deliver.

David Seymour Wanted Civil War in New Zealand

David Seymour has built a career on stirring up resentments, but his latest antics are a step too far. The Mata Reports documentary, aired earlier this month, lays bare Seymour’s calculated brand of divisive politics, exposing a man who seems to relish the chaos his policies could unleash. Worse, it shows he’s fully aware that his divisive policies, particularly in regards to the Treaty Principles Bill, could push New Zealand toward civil war. Despite this, Seymour barrels forward anyway with his anti-Maori legislation. This isn’t just reckless; it’s a betrayal of the unity NZ was founded on that politicians should be promoting.

Seymour’s campaign against co-governance, a lightning rod in the 2023 election, was less about principle and more about political point-scoring. Mata’s investigation, through the eyes of a former ACT insider, reveals Seymour’s deep ties to the libertarian Atlas Network, a global outfit with a track record of sowing discord under the guise of “freedom.”

His Treaty Principles Bill, which sought to erase Māori partnership rights from legal frameworks, wasn’t just a policy, it was a racist dog whistle, designed to inflame tensions and rally an anti-Māori voter base. Former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley warned in 2023 that this bill was “inviting civil war,” a sentiment ignored by current National MP Chris Luxon, but echoed in Mihingarangi Forbes' chilling footage where Seymour appears to shrug off the prospect of violent unrest and his previous statements acknowledging that he wanted the Treaty Principles Bill to cause a civil war.


In November 2024, RNZ reported:

 

Treaty Principles Bill 'inviting civil war', Jenny Shipley says

Dame Jenny said past attempts to codify Treaty principles in law had failed.

"While there have been principles leaked into individual statutes, we have never attempted to - in a formal sense - put principles in or over top of the Treaty as a collective. And I caution New Zealand - the minute you put the Treaty into a political framework in its totality, you are inviting civil war.

"I would fight against it. Māori have every reason to fight against it.

"This is a relationship we committed to where we would try and find a way to govern forward. We would respect each other's land and interests rights, and we would try and be citizens together - and actually, we are making outstanding progress, and this sort of malicious,politically motivated, fundraising-motivated attempt to politicise the Treaty in a new way should raise people's voices, because it is not in New Zealand's immediate interest.

The hypocrisy is staggering. Seymour cloaks his agenda in calls for “equality,” preaching that all New Zealanders deserve the same rights. Yet, his actions, like scrapping the Māori Health Authority or joking about bombing the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, target marginalised communities with surgical precision.

Mata shows him lying on camera, dodging accountability when confronted with evidence of his inflammatory rhetoric. His dismissal of Canada’s residential school genocide as overblown further exposes a callous disregard for historical trauma, aligning him with Atlas Network’s playbook.

Here's a Canadian-accented David Seymour arguing against funding public transport on behalf of Atlas Network partner & climate change denialists, Frontier Centre for Public Policy. https://t.co/w7pzpwkzeD pic.twitter.com/o0bNDbVbO9

— Nick (@StrayDogNZ) February 26, 2024

This isn’t new for Seymour. Back in January 2023, his campaign launch was an excercise in negative campaigning, using Māori and beneficiaries as political punching bags. Some journalists called it “disruption and division,” and they weren’t wrong. Seymour denied he was race-baiting, but his rhetoric, painting co-governance as undemocratic, deepened mistrust.

The Mata documentary pulls no punches, exposing a “culture of fear” within ACT and allegations of sexism and whistleblower suppression. Seymour’s authoritarian streak, masked by his libertarian posturing, is a warning sign. He knows his policies could fracture New Zealand, potentially to the point of violence, yet he persists, gambling with our social fabric for his political gain. This isn’t leadership; it’s political opportunism that could destroy our country.

New Zealand deserves better. We need leaders who bridge divides, not widen them. Seymour’s gamble with civil unrest isn’t just a policy misstep, it’s an unacceptable moral failure. Voters should reject his divisive playbook and demand policies that unite us, not ones that risks tearing us apart.

Coalition Cuts Education Budget by 2.2%

The National-led coalition’s Budget 2025 is a performance in sleight of hand, dressing up austerity as progress while our schools crumble under the weight of underfunding. Education Minister Erica Stanford boasts of a “seismic shift” in education spending, but the numbers tell a different story, a grim tale of slashed budgets, neglected infrastructure, and a growing population left to fend for itself.

Budget 2025 allocates $2.5 billion over four years for education, with $613.5 million reprioritised from “underperforming” initiatives like the Kāhui Ako scheme, which supported teacher collaboration across schools. Sounds strategic, until you realise this “reprioritisation” is a fancy word for cuts.

The coalition’s total spend on early childhood and school education creeps up to $19.85 billion in 2025-26, but drops to $19 billion and $18.9 billion in subsequent years. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s population is growing at 1.5-2% annually, and inflation is hovering around 2.5%. A nominal increase of just 1.12% in education spending for 2024-25 translates to a real-terms cut of 1.09% when adjusted for inflation. Add population growth, and the per-student funding is effectively gutted. Schools are once again being asked to do more with less.

Last Friday, RNZ reported:

Budget 2025: 'Underperforming' areas cut to pay for 'seismic shift' in education

The Budget included a myriad of cuts to redirect funding to other education initiatives.

"We have assessed underspends and reprioritised initiatives that are underperforming or lack clear evidence that they're delivering intended outcomes," Stanford said.

The biggest cut was ending the Kahui Ako scheme, which paid about 4000 teachers extra to lead improvements in groups of schools, resulting in a reprioritisation of $375m over four years.

The 2025 education budget, when adjusted for inflation and 0.8% child population growth, reflects a 2.18% real-terms cut per student. This shortfall, alongside declining capital funding, leaves schools and early childhood providers struggling to maintain standards in a growing, inflation-pressured environment.

Our schools are already on their knees. Decades of underinvestment have left classrooms leaking, heating systems failing, and resources stretched thin. The National Education Growth Plan, meant to address roll growth, is a band-aid on a broken system. Budget 2025 throws $711.9 million at school property, but this barely scratches the surface when you consider the $455.39 million allocated in 2023 was already insufficient for new classrooms and repairs. With student numbers rising, schools in high-growth areas like Auckland and Tauranga are bursting at the seams, yet the coalition’s capital funding drops by $600 million by 2027-28. This isn’t investment; it’s managed decline.

The coalition’s priorities are telling. While they scrounge $5.3 billion in savings across the public sector, they’ve found $15.7 million to subsidise private schools, because apparently, elite institutions need the cash more than state schools with mouldy walls. The Ka Ora, Ka Ako school lunch programme, vital for kids facing food insecurity, is only funded until 2026, leaving its future uncertain. Meanwhile, $12.8 billion is slashed from pay equity negotiations, hitting teachers and support staff hard. These are the people holding our education system together, yet they’re being told to tighten their belts. The $2.9 billion for landlords and $6.6 billion for business owners alone totals $9.5 billion, dwarfing the $2.5 billion over four years for education.

The coalition’s rhetoric about “economic growth” and “fiscal discipline” rings hollow when our kids are crammed into dilapidated classrooms with overworked teachers. Inflation and population growth demand at least a 4-5% funding increase just to maintain current service levels, yet they're getting crumbs. This budget isn’t about building a brighter future; it’s about short-changing our tamariki while dressing it up as reform. If National thinks this will go unnoticed, they’re in for a rude awakening come the next election.

Erica Stanford’s Racism Jeopardises FTA with India

New Zealand’s Immigration Minister, Erica Stanford, has stumbled into a diplomatic quagmire with her brainless remarks in Parliament, likening emails from Indian nationals seeking immigration advice to “spam.” This isn’t just a slip; it’s a diplomatic disaster that’s blown up in India, where media and the public are rightly slamming her remarks as racist. With New Zealand currently chasing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India, Stanford’s blunder could derail negotiations, potentially costing the country billions of dollars in lost trade.

On Tuesday, The Indian Express reported:

 

New Zealand minister Erica Stanford under fire for calling emails from Indians ‘akin to spam’

New Zealand Immigration Minister Erica Stanford has come under intense criticism for remarks made during a recent parliamentary session, where she likened emails from Indian nationals seeking immigration advice to spam.

While defending her use of a personal Gmail account for official communication during a session on May 6, Stanford remarked, “I receive a lot of unsolicited emails like, for example, things from people in India asking for immigration advice, which I never respond to. I almost regard those as being akin to spam.”

On May 6, while defending her dodgy use of a personal Gmail for official work, Stanford casually said she gets “a lot of unsolicited emails, like, for example, things from people in India asking for immigration advice, which I never respond to,” calling them “akin to spam.” Really, Erica? Singling out an entire ethnic group as spammers in a parliamentary session? That’s not just careless; it’s racist stereotyping.

This isn’t the first brush with racial insensitivity by coalition MPs. Remember when National’s Gerry Brownlee in 2009, mocked Finland’s economy by calling it a place that “eats reindeer and lingers in darkness,” prompting a formal apology after Helsinki’s outrage. Think back to 2017, when NZ First’s Winston Peters, now Foreign Minister, ranted about “Chinese money” flooding New Zealand’s housing market, fuelling anti-Asian sentiment. Even further back there was former National Party leader Don Brash who ranted about “Māori privilege” in his 2004 Orewa speech, alienating Māori communities. Then there’s the time when MP Shane Reti downplayed systemic racism in healthcare, despite overwhelming evidence. The coalition of chaos has a track record of MPs spouting divisive nonsense, and Stanford’s just the latest to keep the tradition alive. Her comments have ignited a firestorm in India, with India Today and The Indian Express running scathing reports.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, ever the spin doctor, claims he’s “relaxed” about the comments, insisting Stanford “meant no offence” and was just talking about “unsolicited emails.” Nice try, Chris, but you can’t dismiss away Stanford's obvious inherent racist beliefs. With Foreign Minister Winston Peters in India for FTA talks, Stanford’s timing couldn’t be worse. The India FTA, which could push bilateral trade past $1 billion, is now at risk. Why would India trust a nation whose Immigration Minister publicly disrespects and racially abuses its people? Stanford’s half-baked clarification, that her words were “misinterpreted”, is laughable.

There’s really no excuse for such a boneheaded statement. National’s history of racial gaffes should’ve been a warning, yet here we are. If Stanford remains an MP, India might just look elsewhere for trade partners. Meaning that Stanford’s stupidity will cost New Zealand billions.

UPDATED: Health Crisis Looms as Budget 2025 Cuts Billions

The National-led government’s 2025 Budget has been underwhelming to say the least. But it’s an especially grim read for anyone who values a functioning public health system. Despite the glossy spin from Health Minister Simeon Brown, the numbers don’t lie: New Zealand’s health sector is being short-changed. The much-touted $1.783 billion in new health spending sounds impressive until you scratch the surface and realise it’s barely enough to keep the lights on, let alone deliver the world-class care New Zealanders deserve. Once again, National’s obsession with fiscal restraint is strangling our hospitals, General Practitioners, and other frontline health workers.


Last week, the NZCTU reported:

Billions missing from health budget

“We have examined the spending decisions and announcements of the Minister of Health over the past few months. These demonstrate a pattern of making a new service promise but not providing any new funding for that new service,” said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney.

“That means the commitments have to be paid out of the existing budget, which is already under huge pressure. These sneaky cuts add up to $1.2bn across 4 years.

“At Budget 2024 the government provided $1.370bn for cost pressures. This has been calculated by the Treasury as simply covering the cost of existing services. The $1.2bn of new spending are all new services on top. If they come from the ‘cost pressure’ payment above, that acts as a direct cut to existing health services.

“Assuming the Treasury cost pressure costs are right, health needs $1.713bn just to stand still at Budget 2025 in direct new funding – and likely a figure closer to $2bn once the unknown costs are added.

Let’s break down the funding shortfalls even further. Budget 2025 boasts a 4.8% increase in Vote Health, bringing the total to $31.052 billion. Sounds decent, right? Wrong! When you factor in inflation and population growth (driven by immigration and an ageing demographic), the real per capita health funding is declining by around 1% each year over the forecast period.

 

Health NZ’s cost pressure uplift of 6.2% might outpace CPI inflation, but it’s nowhere near enough to cover the actual costs of delivering services in a country where demand is skyrocketing. The NZCTU estimates a shortfall of $1.2 to $2 billion just to maintain existing services, let alone address the backlog from COVID-19 or workforce shortages.

Despite these obvious funding shortfalls, Simeon Brown has gone on the attack:

Ginny Andersen tried rewriting history on ZB this morning, claiming there was no new health funding in the Budget. We already know Labour is economically illiterate, but for Ginny to think Kiwis are too is an insult. 🧵

— Simeon Brown (@SimeonBrownMP) May 27, 2025

 

National’s track record on health funding is a masterclass in deceptive cost-cutting. During their 2008–2017 tenure, per capita health funding eroded as they consistently failed to match inflation and immigration-driven demand, resulting in a real per capita spending drop of around 3%. The fallout was brutal: overworked nurses, understaffed hospitals, and patients languishing on wait lists for months. Fast forward to 2025, and National’s back at it, dressing up a bare-bones budget as “record investment” while frontline services buckle under the pressure.

The kicker? National’s priorities are wildly out of touch. While they’ve funnelled $164 million into after-hours care, a move Labour’s Ayesha Verrall rightly calls a drop in the bucket, they’ve slashed $381 million from digital health infrastructure and $35 million from Primary Care teams. Along with the Te Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health Authority) cuts in Budget 2024 of over NZ$100 million, these represent significant cuts to frontline services that are not being replaced. Instead of investing in training doctors and Nurses or modernising systems, they’re pouring billions into tax cuts for the wealthy and subsidies for tech giants and landlords. It’s a slap in the face to health workers and patients alike.

National’s failure to invest in the sevices that are required while claiming there's “no lolly scramble” in Budget 2025 is laughable when you see where the money’s actually going. Health NZ is still $1.1 billion in the red, and this budget does nothing to plug that gap.

Today, RNZ reported:

 

 

Government's health boost less than claimed, expert says

However, Auckland University health policy Professor Tim Tenbensel said, according to his calculations, the $31 billion allocated for health in the Budget was only 3.6 percent more than what was actually spent last year.

"So, we're pretty much treading water at best, or rather sinking a little, in this budget," Prof Tenbensel said.

Furthermore, operational funding last year only increased about 1.2 percent in real terms.

…

The trick was to keep adding on the previous year's increase as "new money", ignoring the fact that it would have been eaten up by inflation.

"It's a very creative ploy that one, so I think we need to see it for what it is," he said.

"All governments do this sort of thing, but in the scheme of things, this one is pretty brazen."

 

Kiwis deserve better than this neoliberal penny-pinching. National’s refusal to properly fund health isn’t just a budget failure...it’s a betrayal of every New Zealander waiting for a hospital bed or a specialist appointment. If they keep robbing Peter to pay Paul, our health system won’t just stagnate; it’ll collapse. Time to call it what it is: a deliberate choice to prioritise profits over people.

Committee to Challenge The Coalition’s Pay Equity Debacle

By ramming through divisive pay equity reforms under urgency without a whisper of public consultation, the National-led Coalition of Chaos has exposed its contempt for democratic process. The coalition’s pattern of bypassing scrutiny, seen also in their “Kiwi Killing Bill” and Regulatory Standards Bill shenanigans, reveals a government allergic to accountability. This isn’t governance; it’s arrogance personified. But thankfully, former National MP Dame Marilyn Waring has stepped up, assembling a “People’s Select Committee” to do what this government refused: hear the voices of New Zealanders on the gutting of pay equity laws. This move is a bold rebuke to a coalition that has little concern for democratic fairness.

Waring, a trailblazing feminist economist and former MP who once stared down Robert Muldoon’s authoritarian tendencies, is no stranger to fighting entrenched power. Her committee, comprising a cross-section of seasoned ex-MPs like Nanaia Mahuta, Sue Bradford, and Jo Hayes, brings over a century of parliamentary experience to scrutinise the coalition’s hasty changes to the Equal Pay Act. These reforms, spearheaded by ACT’s Brooke van Velden, extinguished 33 existing pay equity claims and raised the threshold for female-dominated professions, making it harder for women to seek fair pay. Passed under urgency, the changes dodged select committee scrutiny, leaving workers, mostly women in undervalued sectors, silenced. As Waring pointedly asks, “Where was the evidence?”

Didnt you get the memo ⁦@NicolaWillisMP⁩.
I saw you falling over your words to say it wasnt needed to balance the budget but little Snapchat davey says otherwise. Looks like brooke van velden has single-handedly saved your budget. You must be eternally grateful to her. pic.twitter.com/fd3giKdQPF

— Catherine (@MrsMacNZ) May 7, 2025

The coalition’s justification? Van Velden claims the reforms make the system “simpler and more robust,” but without a regulatory impact statement or public input, this smells like a cost-cutting exercise dressed up as policy. The $13 billion reportedly saved smells more like wage theft than fiscal prudence, especially when Finance Minister Nicola Willis’s budget required these savings just to balance the books. This is the Coalition of Chaos at its worst, promising tax cuts for the wealthy and handouts to landlords while slashing equity for low-paid women, effectively sacrificing decades of progress for short-term political wins.

Waring’s initiative isn’t just grassroots resistance. Her committee, backed by the PSA and CTU, will hold public hearings starting August 11, 2025, in Wellington, with Zoom sessions to ensure nationwide access. They’re inviting submissions until July 31, giving voice to the 33 claimant groups and others sidelined by the coalition’s “constitutional vandalism,” as PSA’s Fleur Fitzsimons aptly calls it. This isn’t just about gathering evidence; it’s about exposing the coalition’s disregard for democratic processes which are the foundation of a functioning democracy.

As the Coalition of Chaos barrels forward, trampling democratic norms with reckless abandon, Marilyn Waring’s People’s Select Committee stands as a beacon of hope and defiance. Her fight isn’t just for pay equity...it’s for the soul of New Zealand’s democracy, a reminder that power unchecked is power abused. With only 42.5% of women backing this government, as per the April 2025 Roy Morgan Poll, the coalition’s mandate is shaky at best. Waring’s hearings, amplifying the silenced voices of low-paid women, are a rallying cry for every Kiwi who values fairness over expediency. Let this be the moment we reclaim our democracy, proving that when the powerful turn their backs on the people, the people will rise up, louder and stronger than ever before.

David Seymour Shouldn't Be Deputy PM

As David Seymour prepares to assume the Deputy Prime Minister role again on May 31, New Zealand faces the prospect of leadership marked by questionable judgment and divisive policies from the ACT Party leader. Seymour’s track record suggests he’s ill-equipped to steer New Zealand through troubled waters, especially when acting as Prime Minister in Christopher Luxon’s absence.

A History of Missteps

Seymour’s handling of complex issues has often been dismissive and polarizing. Take the Treaty Principles Bill: 90% of written submissions opposed it, and the largest Hīkoi in New Zealand’s history protested its implications. Yet, Seymour claimed the Hīkoi didn’t represent New Zealanders, while his party, with just 8.64% of the party vote in 2023, somehow does. This disconnect highlights his struggle to acknowledge reality and his inability to engage with public sentiment.

The Atlas Network operative's disregard for public opposition to his policies is equally troubling. Despite only 0.3% of submissions supporting his Regulatory Standards Bill, Seymour dismissed critics as influenced by “off-topic” social media, pushing forward with a policy many political commentators have correctly labeled “unpopular” and “out of touch.” Similarly, his sarcastic suggestion that the Green Party report death threats to the Mongrel Mob escalated tensions rather than defusing them, showcasing a reckless approach to sensitive issues...Parliamentary standards be damned!

Seymour’s cultural missteps also raise concerns. His claim that Jesus would support ACT was rebuked by Christian leaders for oversimplifying complex theological issues, alienating faith communities. Additionally, his proposal to slash ministerial portfolios, including those created by Luxon, risks coalition stability and reflects an ideological drive that prioritises cuts over collaboration. These actions paint a picture of a leader more focused on provocation and personal agenda than on uniting New Zealand.

In November 2024, RNZ quoted Seymour on the Hīkoi:

Hīkoi not representative of New Zealand, David Seymour says

"There will always be people who are out there making a lot of noise.

"I think at the end of the day the overwhelming majority of New Zealanders are at work, going to school, and they'll be able to engage in this debate in their own way.

"So you wouldn't want to take this hikoi as being representative of New Zealand."

Seymour’s history of inflammatory comments further undermines his suitability for high office. In 2023, he “joked” about bombing the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, raising again the prospect of having an openly racist Politician in charge of New Zealand. More recently, he hysterically suggested China might "bomb" New Zealand during their 2025 Navy drills in the Tasman Sea…a reckless claim showing his diplomatic inexperience. Seymour has since deleted his idiotic anti-Chinese tweets that could have soured our international relation with our largest trading partner.

These gaffes aren’t just embarrassing; they signal a leader prone to impulsive, divisive rhetoric rather than measured and thought out solutions. His policies often reflect libertarian ideals that prioritise corporate interests over everyday Kiwis. His statements regularly bring Parliament in disrepute and alienate voters.

A Weak Mandate

ACT’s 8.64% vote share in 2023 translates to roughly 246,000 votes. That’s just 6.86% out of 3.58 million enrolled voters. Compared to larger parties’ broader mandates, Seymour’s elevation to Deputy PM feels less like merit and more like a byproduct of opaque coalition deals. Luxon may call the role “ceremonial,” but when Seymour acts as PM, his influence is far from trivial. His push for deregulation and ACT’s controversial stance on Māori issues risk escalating tensions and undermining New Zealand’s international reputation.

Tone-Deaf Leadership

Seymour’s recent X post exemplifies his approach:

.@chrishipkins may have forgotten his performance as Minister for COVID-19 Response, but we haven’t. pic.twitter.com/evc1DYkQlc

— David Seymour (@dbseymour) May 26, 2025

This tweet ignores the Labour government’s globally praised COVID-19 response, which saved thousands of lives. Such tone-deaf attacks further erode Seymour’s credibility as a unifying leader who is willing to let bygones be bygones. Instead, he's still trying to inflame anti-vax protestors to march on Parliament and burn playgrounds to the ground.

Why New Zealand Deserves Better

Handing Seymour the Deputy PM role, despite ACT’s limited support, raises questions about democratic fairness. New Zealand needs a deputy who can unite, not divide, and who commands a mandate reflecting broad public interests. Seymour’s tenure risks more chaos in an already fragile coalition, with statements and policies that inflame tensions and prioritise narrow interests over the common good.

As Seymour steps into the Deputy PM role again, New Zealanders should brace for more divisive stunts and questionable decisions. We can only hope that there is no emergency situation that requires a level headed approach while Seymour's in charge. New Zealand deserves better...a deputy who can unite, not divide, and who commands a mandate reflecting real public support. Seymour’s not that leader, and his tenure as Deputy PM will likely bring more chaos to a government that's already highly dysfunctional.

Cutting Budgets Won’t Fix New Zealand’s Economy

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has sold New Zealand a shiny austerity package, wrapped in promises of fiscal prudence and surplus dreams. Her latest move, a $1.1 billion budget cut for 2025, which has been spun as the tough medicine needed to cure our economic woes. But let’s cut through the spin: this isn’t a cure; it’s a poison pill. Willis’ austerity obsession is dragging New Zealand deeper into recession, and the evidence is stacking up like unpaid bills. Treasury’s downgraded GDP growth forecasts and a $6 billion borrowing hike expose the cracks in her strategy, while her government’s mismanagement, like the Kiwirail ferry debacle, makes you wonder if the coalition of chaos even has a calculator at all?

Willis’ budget cuts, announced in April 2025, slashed the operating allowance from $2.4 billion to $1.3 billion, one of the tightest budgets in a decade. She claims this will deliver a surplus by 2029, despite Treasury warning that global trade turmoil, particularly Trump’s tariffs, will slow growth. Treasury’s Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) in December 2024 already painted a grim picture: a deeper recession than expected, with nominal GDP $19.8 billion lower over the forecast period, leading to $13 billion less in tax revenue. Net core Crown debt is now projected to hit $234 billion by 2029, a whopping 46% of GDP. Willis’ response? Hack away at public spending while borrowing even more. So much for fiscal restraint.

Economic analyses shows that austerity is a wrecking ball for growth. The Kaka points out that Willis’ cuts risk an “austerity doom loop,” where reduced government spending chokes demand, stalls private sector recovery, and deepens the downturn. IMF research supports this: a 1% GDP increase in public investment boosts output by 0.2% in the same year and 1.2% over four years. Yet Willis prioritises cuts over investments in productivity, education, or infrastructure...sectors that could lift New Zealand out of its economic slump.

Contrast this with past governments. During the Global Financial Crisis, National under John Key invested in infrastructure to cushion the blow. The COVID-19 response saw Labour borrow heavily to fund wage subsidies, keeping businesses afloat. Willis, however, seems to think austerity is a one-size-fits-all fix, ignoring how it amplifies unemployment (forecast to peak at 5.4% in 2025) and stifles recovery. Her cuts target “non-essential” spending, but as Bernard Hickey at the Kaka warns, defunding public services to failure often leads to privatisation, shifting even more costs onto ordinary Kiwis.

Then there’s the Kiwirail ferry debacle, an example of the coalition government overreacting without a proper replacement plan. The Interislander ferry project, meant to modernise transport infrastructure, spiraled into an additional $1.5 billion mess under Willis’ watch. The government scrapped plans for new ferries, opting for a cheaper, smaller version, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for delays and cancellations. Mountain Tūī called it a “fiscal own-goal,” highlighting how Willis’ penny-pinching undermined a critical economic lifeline. If this is her idea of competence, we’re in for a very bumpy ride.

Willis’ austerity myth assumes cutting budgets magically balances the books, but it’s a gamble that’s backfiring. The Conversation correctly argues that New Zealand needs productivity-focused investments, not a “rush towards austerity” that risks our long-term prosperity. It's questionable whether the $6.6 billion business tax incentive will spark any growth, but it’s dwarfed by $21.4 billion in cuts, including $12.8 billion from pay equity reforms, a move that most economists have slammed as short-sighted. Meanwhile, her refusal to transparently detail these cuts and the Kiwisaver mistake fuels even more distrust in her ability to manage the books.

Kiwis deserve better than Willis’ austerity experiment. The economy isn’t a spreadsheet to be trimmed into submission; it’s people, businesses, and communities needing support to thrive. Readers, it’s time to demand transparency on where these cuts hit hardest and why. If Willis wants to play fiscal hero, she needs to show her work...not just wave a red pen and hope for applause. Write to your MP, question their priorities, and let’s hold this government accountable before austerity and it's economic aftermath puts us in a debt cycle that we may never escape from.

Budget 2025: National Fails to Lift Children Out of Poverty

The National-led government’s Budget 2025 a glossy package of half-measures that does nothing to shift the dial on child poverty in Aotearoa. Despite their rhetoric about economic growth and "social investment," the reality is stark: this Budget fails to deliver for our most vulnerable children trapped in hardship. Worse, it doubles down on policies that have already deepened inequality, leaving thousands of kids to bear the brunt of National’s obsession with austerity and benefit sanctions.

Today, RNZ reported:

 

Budget 2025: None of year's child poverty targets met

Since 2018, the government has had to report on progress towards child poverty targets and whether the Budget will help to address child poverty rates.

The latest figures, for the year ending in June 2024, were released in February this year. The rates, which did not significantly change from the previous year, showed:

13.4 percent of children suffered from material hardship
12.7 percent lived in poor households before housing costs were taken into account
17.7 percent lived in poor households after housing costs were taken into account

None of the target rates for 2023/24 were met. This was "at least in part" because of the effect of inflation on the cost of living. the report said.

Treasury forecasts show the targets for 2026/27 and 2027/28 are also seriously in doubt, with poverty rates set to remain roughly at their current levels until at least 2029.

The Child Poverty Report 2025, mandated by the Public Finance Act, shows no significant progress toward the 2028 child poverty reduction targets. In fact the National-led coalition has largely undone all of Jacinda Ardern's work to reduce child poverty rates in New Zealand. Around 27% of kids still live in households where food runs out sometimes or often, and New Zealand ranks a shameful 32 out of 36 wealthy nations for child wellbeing. National’s response? Tinkering with Working for Families thresholds and Accommodation Supplement boundaries, woefully inadequate tweaks that won’t lift the 119,000 children still in material hardship out of poverty.

National’s track record tells a grim story. Their previous policies, like tax cuts skewed toward the wealthy and slashing public service funding, have squeezed low-income families, driving up food insecurity and housing stress. The reinstatement of punitive benefit sanctions in Budget 2025 is a cruel twist of the knife. These sanctions, targeting those on Jobseeker Support, punish parents for minor bureaucratic slip-ups, pulling income from households already struggling to afford basics like food and power.

The Salvation Army rightly notes that this approach undermines the government’s own Child and Youth Strategy, ignoring the evidence that sanctions do little to boost employment but plenty to deepen poverty. Kids don’t choose their parents’ circumstances, yet National’s policies ensure they pay the price.

Then there’s the neglect of our health system. Budget 2025 throws crumbs at health infrastructure but fails to address the crippling doctor shortage, particularly in general practice. Rural and low-income communities, where child poverty is most acute, are left scrambling for access to GPs. National’s also ignored calls to incentivise clinics to boost immunisation rates, despite a worrying drop to 77.3% for 8-month-olds in high-deprivation areas, down from 91.3%. This isn’t just a statistic, it’s a recipe for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable third-world diseases, condemning more kids to grow up unwell in a system that’s failing them.

National’s Budget 2025 is a betrayal of Aotearoa’s kids. Instead of bold investment to break the cycle of poverty, we get sanctions that entrench hardship and a health system left to limp along with barely enough to keep the lights on. Chief Children’s Commissioner Dr. Claire Achmad said it best: the government must make ending child poverty a national priority. Until National stops procrastinating and starts investing in families, health, and equity, our kids will continue to pay for their failures.