Live stream: Christopher Luxon speaks Post Cabinet and takes questions
Last week was a busy one in politics, with road-user charges foreshadowed for all light vehicles to replace petrol tax and criticism of the Government over unemployment figures.
This afternoon, Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced the Government was weighing up its position on the recognition of Palestine as a state.
At the weekend, Luxon also met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Queenstown. The two leaders spoke about "geopolitical tensions, issues of trade and economic relationships, and conflict in the world", Albanese said.
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RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
'It's a matter of when not if' New Zealand recognises a Palestinian state, David Seymour says
David Seymour says there would be some hope of a discussion about recognising Palestine as state if Hamas released the Israeli hostages and demilitarised. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour says recognising Palestine as a state is a complex decision that should not be rushed, but "it's a matter of when not if" New Zealand does so. Seymour said there would be some hope of starting a discussion about recognising a Palestinian state if Hamas released the Israeli hostages and demilitarised. "New Zealand's government position remains the same as it always has been, it's a matter of when not if we recognise a two state solution and we will be having discussions over the next fortnight or so over whether there should be any change on that position." France, the United Kingdom, Canada and now Australia , have all declared an intention to recognise a Palestinian state at a United Nations summit next month. Asked why New Zealand was delaying this decision, Seymour said "we shouldn't assume that other countries are right". It was a very complex situation and it was important to take time to come to a sound decision, he said. "It's not just a question of what are you actually recognising, what conditions do you place around that, it's also a question of okay so after you've done this what happens next?" It was easy to by horrified by the violence in the Palestinian territories shown on television and social media and to be driven to want to take action, he said. "It doesn't mean that any old solution is the correct one." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
4 hours ago
- Scoop
Govt's Empty Words Do Nothing To Stop Genocide In Gaza
The Government's announcement that it will 'formally consider' Palestinian statehood in September simply continues to delay any meaningful action. 'If the Government believes what it says about a two-state solution, it can and must recognise Palestine statehood, immediately,' says Green Party co-leader, Chlöe Swarbrick. 'Palestinians cannot eat empty statements. 'Aotearoa has a proud history of standing up for human rights and justice, even when powerful allies disagree. Most UN member states already recognise Palestine. 'The Greens put forward a motion in Parliament to do this in 2021. National and ACT voted it down. Four years later, those same parties are tying their own hands to do the most basic things. 'The bare minimum New Zealanders should expect from their representatives is to put substance behind words. Last September, Aotearoa stood with 123 UN Member States to support a resolution calling for sanctions against those responsible for 'unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in relation to settler violence.' 'The Greens have drafted a Bill to sanction Israel. The only thing in the way of this law passing, right now, is identifying just six out of 68 Government members willing to stand on the right side of history. 'Palestine needs our action. The people of this country have been mobilising every week for two years demanding it. Luxon's Government can and must act - they are the only thing standing in their own way,' says Chlöe Swarbrick.
RNZ News
5 hours ago
- RNZ News
Government accused of 'fence-sitting' on Palestinian statehood
Christopher Luxon and Winston Peters. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone An academic is accusing the coalition of sitting on the fence during the Gaza conflict so they don't upset the United States. New Zealand has fallen out of step with Australia, Canada, France and the UK in its positioning on Palestinian statehood. Australia confirmed it would make the formal recognition at next month's UN General Assembly on Monday afternoon. Minutes beforehand, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters put out a statement saying he had raised the issue in Cabinet . "Cabinet will take a formal decision in September over whether New Zealand should recognise a state of Palestine at this juncture - and if so, when and how," his statement said. Fronting questions in his post-Cabinet media conference, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon would not elaborate on what factors Cabinet was considering, what his colleagues views were, what his view was or what the decision-making process would look like, other than "ongoing conversations" among Cabinet members. Auckland University law professor Treasa Dunworth said the statements put out by countries like Australia weren't without their problems. "It's conditional on Hamas not being part of the post war governance structures in Palestine but the whole idea of state recognition is that the state gets to choose. That's what self determination is," Dunworth said. However, Dunworth said "the time for action was some time ago" and New Zealand had fallen behind many other countries in its position on Palestinian statehood. "I don't accept that they haven't been thinking about this because that's just not credible. They do know and therefore they're fence-sitting because they're not entirely sure which way the wind is blowing," Dunworth said. "We have to raise questions about whether this is all about our diplomatic relationship with the United States and looming above that is the question of the tariffs being imposed by Donald Trump. "If they want to sell New Zealand out on the basis of trade advantage or disadvantage then so be it, at least say that honestly, rather than hiding behind, 'oh it's complicated'." Luxon has denied the coalition's position has anything to do with the United States, reiterating New Zealand has an independent foreign policy. "We'll make our own decisions that are right for New Zealand and consistent with our values," he told reporters on Monday. Labour leader Chris Hipkins said a move to recognise Palestinian statehood was well overdue. "What's really concerning is that New Zealand doesn't appear to have a coherent position on Palestine, doesn't seem to be able to articulate why we're not recognising Palestine as a state or what the criteria might be for us to recognise Palestine as a state," Hipkins said. "It's well and truly time for the government to put this issue to bed. Recognise Palestine. It's the right thing to do." Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick - who's put forward a members bill to sanction Israel - said the whole situation was baffling. "It's just honestly mind-blowing. This government for the better part of two years has said that is is doing everything it can while it sits on its hands. Palestinians can't eat empty statements." RNZ asked voters hurrying home in the wintry weather on Monday night what they thought the government's position should be. "If they're considering it they've probably got their reasons for and against," one Wellington woman said. "It's a very complicated situation," another woman said. "I really don't know. In a way it's none of our business, in another way it's a humanitarian crisis," a Wellington man said. "The least we should be doing is recognising a Palestinian state," another Wellington man said. "There's people starving there, there's people dying there every day. It's stupid not to recognise Palestine," an Auckland woman said. "I think it's the only pathway to peace really... the sooner the better," an Auckland man said. Peters will travel to New York in late September to represent New Zealand at the UN General Assembly. Asked if the public would know Cabinet's decision on recognising a Palestinian state before Peters heads to the US, Luxon said he suspected so. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
