Bold policy moves urgently needed for NZ's future
New Zealand faces a financial storm without radical policy change, writes Matthew Hooton. Could KiwiSaver subsidies be the next target for cuts?
In ordinary times, Act deputy leader Brooke van Velden's pay-equity legislation would be an outrage.
The amendments remove rights previously recognised by Parliament and retrospectively scuttle existing legal
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New Poll: Labour Becomes Largest Party, Economy Top Concern
Bad news for National in the latest Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll as Labour would now be the largest party in Parliament, gaining three seats to 44. The Coalition would still just about cling on to power on these numbers. The poll, conducted between 07 and 09 June shows National drop 1.1 points on last month to 33.5 percent, while Labour are up 1.6 points to 34.8 percent. ACT is down 0.4 points to 9.1 percent, whilst the Greens are down 0.9 points to 8.2 percent. New Zealand First also drops 1.3 points to 6.1 percent, while Te Pāti Māori is down 0.6 points to 3.3 percent. Headline results and more information about the methodology can be found on the Taxpayers' Union's website at For the minor parties, TOP is on 1.8 percent (+1.3 point), Outdoors and Freedom is on 1.1 percent (+0.7 points), New Conservatives are on 0.7 percent (+0.7 points) and Vision NZ on 0.6 percent (+0.2 points). This month's results are compared to the last Taxpayers' Union-Curia Poll conducted in May 2025, available here at The combined projected seats for the Centre-Right of 62 is down 1 seat from last month. The combined seats for the Centre-Left is up 2 seats to 60. On these numbers, the Centre-Right bloc could still form a Government. National remains on 42 seats again this month, whilst Labour is up 3 seats to 44. ACT is unchanged on 12 seats, whilst the Greens are down 1 seat to 10. New Zealand First drops 1 seat to 8 seats, while Te Pāti Māori remains on 6. For the first time since October 2024, Cost of Living has been replaced as voters' top issue. The Economy more generally is the most important issue to voters at 20.2 percent (+3.7 points), followed by the Cost of Living at 18.1 percent (-8.3 points), Health at 11.9 percent (-5.0 points) and Employment at 5.8 percent. Commenting on the results, Taxpayers' Union Spokesman James Ross said: "Labour taking the lead and growing concern over the economy should be a worrying sign for the Government in the first Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll since the Budget. Voters are losing faith in the managed decline on offer." "With inflation finally under heel, cost of living has slipped off the top spot for the first time in over three years. But lower interest rates don't make a sound economy on their own." "The so-called Growth Budget's only pro-growth policy offered a 1 percent boost to GDP over 20 years, spiralling debt and no credible pathway back to surplus." "Growth wins votes, stagnation doesn't."
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ACT Launches Petition To Dump Te Mana o te Wai
ACT is at Fieldays this week, garnering farmers' support for the campaign to scrap the vague, spiritual concept of Te Mana o te Wai and allow regional councils to set their own freshwater standards by scrapping national bottom lines. The party has launched a petition at and is collecting signatures on the ground. 'All Te Mana o te Wai achieves is to drive up costs on users and add uncertainty and ambiguity to consenting. ACT believes the Government should scrap Te Mana o te Wai and national bottom lines, allowing regional councils to set their own standards,' says ACT Agriculture spokesperson Mark Cameron. 'The vague concept of 'Te Mana o te Wai' replaces scientific benchmarks with a subjective idea of the mana of the water that leads to co-governance and unequal treatment based on who someone's ancestors were. 'Instead of clear metrics like nitrate levels or sedimentation rates, councils are being asked to assess spiritual values that cannot be measured or contested. 'Kiwi farmers are the best in the world. They're forecast to return $59.9 billion in export revenue and make up 10% of GDP. We simply can't afford to burden them with spiritual malarky dreamed up in Wellington. 'It means iwi have a right of veto over how water is used. The National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management 2020 requires Te Mana o te Wai to apply to the consenting of all projects involving freshwater management. Consenting is now subject to consideration of mauri, or the 'life-force' of water. 'It has led to water users making large one-off and on-going payments for 'cultural monitoring' services which do nothing for the environment but add costs to consumer and business power bills. 'Is requiring farmers to comply with a spiritual concept going to make them farm better? Of course not. It means they'll have to employ a cultural consultant and waste time and money that could instead be spent improving their farming practices. That's what happens when we regulate water quality based on superstition not science. 'Farmers just want to grow food and look after their land, incorporating spiritual concepts isn't necessary for them to do that. 'ACT is dedicated to real change. We cannot continue with a policy that burdens our farmers unnecessarily. We campaigned on a complete overhaul of the NPS-FM to remove subjective concepts and ensure that our freshwater management is scientifically sound and adapted to the needs of local communities. 'New Zealanders never voted for co-governance. Yet under Te Mana o te Wai, it's being imposed on every dam, drain, and ditch. We need to bring common sense back and let farmers farm.'
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ComCom Prosecutes Unregistered Lender Who Targeted Vulnerable Consumers
The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges in the Auckland District Court against an unregistered and uncertified lender, Ilaisaane Malupo, trading as Nane Easy Loan Finance Services NZ (Nane Loans). The Commission alleges Ms Malupo provided personal loans illegally to members of the Tongan community in South Auckland from March 2024. Associate Commissioner Joseph Liava'a says when lenders are identified operating outside of the law, the Commission will act swiftly to shutdown these operations to ensure that consumers are protected when borrowing money or buying goods on credit. Under the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act and the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA), all lenders must be registered and certified in order to provide consumer credit. 'Often these kinds of lenders are a last resort for people who are struggling to borrow from reputable lenders. Many people who borrowed from Ms Malupo were already under financial pressure and on low incomes, so irresponsible lending could have had a big impact on borrowers and their families,' Mr Liava'a says. 'Some of the borrowers indicated they needed to borrow money to buy food or pay off other loans,' Mr Liava'a says. Alongside the lack of certification, the Commission alleges Ms Malupo's terms included high interest rates of up to 15 per cent charged on a weekly basis, which would double if borrowers failed to repay the loans within 28 days; and late payment fees of up to $10 per day. 'In order to keep up with payments some borrowers resorted to selling their sentimental possessions or missing rent payments,' Mr Liava'a says. Ms Malupo operated her business on social media and in some cases threatened that borrowers who failed to repay their debt would be 'named and shamed' on Facebook or other Tongan media sites until repayment was made. 'Public shaming is never ok and could put borrowers in a vulnerable position to avoid being called out for their friends and family to see,' Mr Liava'a says. The Commission has prioritised enforcement action against lenders who have not met their obligations under the CCCFA. The Commission is particularly focussed on lenders who provide credit to vulnerable consumers in New Zealand. Background The Commission launched an investigation into Ilaisaane Malupo after receiving enquiries, including from a financial mentor about Ms Malupo's lending practices which were causing harm to borrowers. Whilst the Commission is continuing its investigation into further breaches of the CCCFA which are likely to have occurred, the Commission's immediate priority was to stop Ms Malupo from entering new loans or enforcing any existing loans. Ms Malupo has been charged (4 June 2025) with: Criminal charges under section 11 of the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act 2008 for providing a financial service without being registered, the penalty of which is 12 months' imprisonment or a fine not exceeding $100,000; and Criminal charges under section 103(2) of the Commerce Act 1986 for attempting to deceive or knowingly mislead the Commission on any matter before it, the penalty of which is a fine not exceeding $100,000. All lenders must be certified under Part 5A of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 by the Commerce Commission. To gain certification, lenders must satisfy the Commission that those operating the business are financially sound, honest, reputable, reliable and competent to do the job. An up-to-date database of certified lenders can be found here: The Commission has released a 'quick guide to borrowing money' to assist borrowers on what to expect from a lender here:
