Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks to Newstalk ZB's Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills
Christopher Luxon is joining Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills live in studio as he reaches the halfway point of his three-year term as leader.
The Prime Minister will be live on air from 10am. You can listen here:
Luxon was sworn in as Prime Minister in November 2023, after National secured 38% of the vote at the general election. He negotiated a three-way coalition agreement with New Zealand First and ACT.
As part of that agreement, the leaders of the two parties, Winston Peters and David Seymour, are sharing the deputy prime minister role for half of the parliamentary term each.
This week marks the midpoint for the three-year parliamentary term.
Mills is expected to ask Luxon how he feels he's tracking in the top job, as well as how his government is addressing Wellington-specific issues.
The pair will also discuss the recent death of Palmerston North teenager Ryan Satterthwaite, who died after taking part in a private 'run it straight' game on Sunday.
The 19-year-old was taken to Palmerston North Hospital with severe head injuries. His life support was turned off on Monday.
Satterthwaite's grieving family say his death was an 'accident waiting to happen' and have urged others to stop taking part in the social media-driven trend.
Speaking to the Herald, his uncle Peter Satterthwaite said Ryan was a 'top kid' who loved his mates, enjoyed playing rugby, and 'would do anything for anybody.'
He said 'run it straight' was simply a 'stupid idea'.
'Just don't do it. A little bit of fun has lifelong consequences.'
Satterthwaite said it was 'disgraceful' the events are being promoted as a sport, and is calling on the All Blacks, Warriors, and other high-profile sportspeople to publicly speak out against it.
'People don't listen to us, we're just Joe Bloggs, but they [the public] idolise our sportspeople.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
Porirua Residents To Decide On Super-Council, Pacific Leaders Urge Protection Of Local Representation
Porirua voters can express their opinion on the potential creation of a Wellington-wide super-council. But Pacific leaders have voiced concerns that the model could dilute local representation unless equity and cultural voices are prioritised. In this year's local elections, Porirua residents will be able to participate in a non-binding referendum that asks whether the city should investigate amalgamating with Wellington, the Hutt Valley, and the Wellington Regional Council into a single entity, while retaining local decision-making. Porirua Mayor Anita Baker says the timing is right for this issue to be brought to voters, adding that the last formal proposal for amalgamation was in 2013 and that the local government landscape has changed significantly since then. Pacific leaders are worried that the move could weaken representation, especially if equity is not prioritised and voter turnout remains low. Councillor Izzy Ford, one of only three Pacific representatives on the Porirua Council, supports the initiative but emphasises the need to respond to community feedback to maintain trust, even though the referendum is non-binding. According to the council's official report, voter turnout in areas of Wellington City, including Mount Cook East, dropped below 30 per cent in 2022. In Porirua, turnout was slightly higher at 37 per cent. Ford hopes the referendum will provide clear guidance, but she stresses the importance of the council committing to listening to the community. Representation remains a major concern for Ford. She questioned how the council would ensure that all voices in Porirua, particularly those from underrepresented communities, are heard in this process. Ford hopes the referendum will lead to a definitive direction from the people of Porirua. 'If they give us a total yes and we don't act on it, then that's going to build more mistrust,' she says. 'There's always that concern, because our people don't always turn out to vote. 'That's a glaring concern, is the underrepresentation of Pasifika around the table.' Engagement with Pasifika communities is important, according to Ford. 'Having things translated into Pasifika languages, so that it's a bit easier for people to digest, and going into spaces like the churches, where a lot of our Pacific people are, and then it's non-threatening sort of spaces as well, and using our common faces in those common spaces, so that people can see them as non-threatening.' Gabriel Tupou, Councillor for Hutt City, is concerned that the amalgamation could reduce Pacific representation. As the only Pasifika councillor in the Hutt Valley, Tupou says the issue must be openly discussed with communities. 'In a super-city model, we risk less representation. Currently, we have 12 city councillors and the mayor. That will be greatly reduced. 'With the large Pasifika demographic we have, they must have input, just like every other community.' Tupou also raised concerns about the referendum regarding Māori ward running alongside the amalgamation question. Tupou highlighted that Hutt City Mayor Campbell Barry plans to present a similar referendum proposal next month. 'I think it's important to keep the Māori ward question clean and on its own." Tupou says that from a Pasifika perspective, the challenges of running for election are already significant, as candidates need to have broad appeal. He is also cautious about the financial implications. "We're looking at possibly a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars to carry out the amalgamation. 'South Auckland enjoys a larger Pasifika community, and they're able to mobilise their voice and voting power to elect Pasifika councillors,' Tupou says. 'But we don't have those same concentrations here.' Auimatagai Ken Ah Kuoi, community leader and Kilbirnie-based lawyer, warns that centralising governance could reduce the influence of smaller communities like Porirua, which has a large Pacific population. He says regional solutions may overlook local contexts, adding that a unified council model could offer benefits, but emphasises the need for safeguards. 'There's a risk Pacific voices could be diluted in a larger, more bureaucratic system,' he says. 'What works for Wellington might not suit Porirua or Wainuiomata. Pacific communities often have specific cultural needs that may get overlooked. 'A unified council model could benefit Pacific people by improving access to resources and regional influence. But it also carries risks - disconnection, loss of local control, and inequity if not managed carefully. 'To ensure Pacific communities benefit, any move toward amalgamation would need guaranteed local representation, strong community consultation, cultural competency across the new structure, and equity-focused service delivery.' Petone Community Board member Semi Kuresa says fair representation must be a non-negotiable starting point. Kuresa says while Pasifika make up more than nine per cent of Wellington's population, their enrolment and eligibility rates are much lower. He highlighted three key concerns: representation, cost, and the geographic boundaries of a new council. 'While amalgamation might seem practical to some, it raises serious questions about representation, particularly for Pacific communities,' he says. 'The contribution of our Pacific community isn't something that should be reduced to slogans or soundbites. A strong Pacific voice at the table matters. 'As someone intending to stand for Hutt City Council, I'm focused on ensuring communities too often overlooked are part of every stage of decision-making. We can't afford to dilute the voices we need to hear more of.' Voting for the 2025 local elections in Porirua, Wellington, and the Hutt Valley will take place from 9 September to 11 October. Each council will have its own ballot papers. Porirua will include a non-binding referendum on amalgamation and a binding vote on whether to retain the city's Māori ward.
Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
'I've Had A Wonderful Life': 90 Years Of Jim Bolger
Jim Bolger, who was the prime minister between 1990 and 1997, turned 90 on Saturday. He reflected on the last nine decades of his life on Sunday Morning - after having celebrated with a "big gathering" of family, friends, and neighbours. On his political career, Bolger said the biggest issue was to get Pākehā to "face up to the reality that we owed Māori". "We took big steps in the economy, and got the economy going, and all the rest, but the country and society is more than the economy," he said. "Māori ... had been badly, badly treated by the early settlers, we owed Māori redress and change. "I put that higher than managing the books, as it were, with the help of others, and of course you're always helped by others, but the Treaty principles and recognition that the early European settlers did not treat Māori fairly, I think was hugely important." Bolger said he did not understand those, such as David Seymour - who had also been sworn in as deputy prime minister on Saturday - who "want to diminish the role of Māori in New Zealand". "They were here first, they were here very much before everybody else, and they have been part of our history from that time on." He said the current prime minister, Christopher Luxon, needed to tell Seymour "to shut up with his anti-Māori rhetoric" - and to thank Winston Peters for what he's doing in foreign affairs - "because I think he's doing that job well". "Winston's a very interesting political figure, there's no question about it. He's certainly left his mark on politics in New Zealand." Bolger said his Irish ancestry helped him engage emotionally and attitudinally with Māori. "I sort of instinctively knew what it was like to be treated as second-class citizens, and Māori were treated as second-class citizens. And some people still want to do that." Bolger grew up in coastal Taranaki, and said he was not taught "a single word" about the invasion of a pacifist settlement at Parihaka, but was taught about War of the Roses in England. Reflecting on his life outside of his political career, he could not say what he was most proud of - "I think it'd be foolish to try and select one over another." He began as a farmer - from helping his neighbour to milk cows at nine, to leaving Ōpunake High School at 15 to work on the family dairy farm, and owning his own near Rahotu at 27. He got married and moved to a sheep and beef farm in Te Kūiti two years later. Bolger then joined the National Party and was an MP, the leader of the opposition, and then the prime minister after National won the 1990 general election. He later became New Zealand's Ambassador to the United States, was elected Chancellor of the University of Waikato, and has been the chairman of a number of state-owned enterprises and other organisations. Bolger was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977, the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal, the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal in 1993, and was appointed a Member of the Order of New Zealand in 1998. He also has nine children and 18 grandchildren. "They were all important and very interesting positions to have, and I enjoyed it," Bolger said. "When you get to 90, and reflecting back over my variety of positions I've had across the world, and the countries I've visited, which are without number, there's so many, that it's just been very fortunate. "I've had a wonderful life with a wonderful wife and family, and it's all been good." As for advice he would give to New Zealanders, Bolger said the main thing would be to listen to others. "Don't try and dictate to them, listen to them, see what they're saying, see what their issues are, see what their concerns are, and then you might be able to make a sensible suggestion to help their lives. "And if you approach it from that direction, you know, how can I help this person or that person, then I'm sure you'll be much more satisfied with your life, and hopefully, they will be better off."
Otago Daily Times
9 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
'I've had a wonderful life': Former PM turns 90
Jim Bolger, who was the prime minister between 1990 and 1997, turned 90 on Saturday. He reflected on the last nine decades of his life on Sunday morning - after having celebrated with a "big gathering" of family, friends, and neighbours. On his political career, Bolger said the biggest issue was to get Pākehā to "face up to the reality that we owed Māori". "We took big steps in the economy, and got the economy going, and all the rest, but the country and society is more than the economy," he said. "Māori ... had been badly, badly treated by the early settlers, we owed Māori redress and change. "I put that higher than managing the books, as it were, with the help of others, and of course you're always helped by others, but the Treaty principles and recognition that the early European settlers did not treat Māori fairly, I think was hugely important." Bolger said he did not understand those, such as David Seymour - who had also been sworn in as deputy prime minister on Saturday - who "want to diminish the role of Māori in New Zealand". "They were here first, they were here very much before everybody else, and they have been part of our history from that time on." He said the current prime minister, Christopher Luxon, needed to tell Seymour "to shut up with his anti-Māori rhetoric" - and to thank Winston Peters for what he's doing in foreign affairs - "because I think he's doing that job well". "Winston's a very interesting political figure, there's no question about it. He's certainly left his mark on politics in New Zealand." Bolger said his Irish ancestry helped him engage emotionally and attitudinally with Māori. "I sort of instinctively knew what it was like to be treated as second-class citizens, and Māori were treated as second-class citizens. And some people still want to do that." Bolger grew up in coastal Taranaki, and said he was not taught "a single word" about the invasion of a pacifist settlement at Parihaka, but was taught about War of the Roses in England. Reflecting on his life outside of his political career, he could not say what he was most proud of - "I think it'd be foolish to try and select one over another." He began as a farmer - from helping his neighbour to milk cows at nine, to leaving Ōpunake High School at 15 to work on the family dairy farm, and owning his own near Rahotu at 27. He got married and moved to a sheep and beef farm in Te Kūiti two years later. Bolger then joined the National Party and was an MP, the leader of the opposition, and then the prime minister after National won the 1990 general election. He later became New Zealand's Ambassador to the United States, was elected Chancellor of the University of Waikato, and has been the chairman of a number of state-owned enterprises and other organisations. Bolger was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977, the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal, the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal in 1993, and was appointed a Member of the Order of New Zealand in 1998. He also has nine children and 18 grandchildren. "They were all important and very interesting positions to have, and I enjoyed it," Bolger said. "When you get to 90, and reflecting back over my variety of positions I've had across the world, and the countries I've visited, which are without number, there's so many, that it's just been very fortunate. "I've had a wonderful life with a wonderful wife and family, and it's all been good." As for advice he would give to New Zealanders, Bolger said the main thing would be to listen to others. "Don't try and dictate to them, listen to them, see what they're saying, see what their issues are, see what their concerns are, and then you might be able to make a sensible suggestion to help their lives. "And if you approach it from that direction, you know, how can I help this person or that person, then I'm sure you'll be much more satisfied with your life, and hopefully, they will be better off."
