Luxon snaps back at 'frickin' Chris Hipkins' over National's FamilyBoost 'flop'
RNZ
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has challenged Labour to front up with any policy at all as he comes under pressure over National's struggling childcare support scheme.
It comes after Labour revealed just 153 families had received the maximum FamilyBoost rebate, well short of National's pre-election promise that 21,000 families would be eligible for the full amount.
Speaking on his way into a Tuesday morning caucus meeting, Luxon rejected Labour's characterisation of the policy as a failure.
"I'm not taking any any lectures from frickin' Chris Hipkins or the Labour Party," he told reporters. "They have no idea what to do. They put us in this mess.
"You can stand on the other side and criticise as much as you like, but I don't see any policy from Labour."
Luxon said 60,000 families had received some support from the FamilyBoost policy and another 20,000 would soon be eligible due to
recent tweaks to the eligibility settings
.
"Isn't that great?" he said. "We have put a programme in place which Labour didn't support, didn't vote, don't back, because they don't back low-and-middle-income working New Zealanders."
The former Labour government extended cheaper childcare to parents of two-year-olds, giving them access to 20 hours a week of free ECE. On taking office, the coalition reversed that policy and instead rolled out its more targeted FamilyBoost scheme - a weekly rebate on childcare costs.
Responding to Luxon's comments, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said National's refusal to admit the FamilyBoost scheme was "an absolute flop" showed it was completely out-of-touch.
"They're getting really desperate. On a daily basis, they're attacking me and attacking the Labour Party rather than talking about their own track record."
Hipkins defended Labour's lack of public policy and said that would all be laid out in full before next year's election.
"We're not even close to an election campaign at the moment," he said. "But unlike him, when we go into the election campaign next year, I will make sure that the policies that we have, add up."
Labour wanted to see the government's next Budget before it outlined significant policies which would cost money, Hipkins said, and suggested a lot of policy work was underway in the background.
"The National Party desperately wants to talk about the Labour Party's policy at the moment, because their own policies are turning into an absolute disaster zone."
National also came under criticism when it was in opposition for a
paucity of policy heading into the 2023 election year
, but it had released elements of its tax plan and several discussion documents indicating a direction of travel.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
2 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Prime Minister says "catastrophe" in Gaza has got to stop
The Prime Minister has addressed what he called the "catastrophe" in Gaza, and said it has got to stop. New Zealand is among 25 countries calling for an an end to the war criticising what they describe as the inhumane killing of Palestinians, and the drip feeding of aid. With our foreign minister joining allies like the UK, France and Australia in signing the statement. In response, Israel's foreign ministry said the statement is 'disconnected from reality' and will send the wrong message to Hamas. Lillian Hanly reports. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
32 minutes ago
- RNZ News
'Gaza is not a religious issue': Advocates split on government harmony accord
Ethnic communities minister Mark Mitchell. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii New Zealand's Muslim and Jewish leaders have signed a harmony and peace accord, but not everyone's happy with the idea. The government-led initiative sets out a shared commitment to peace, solidarity, and social cohesion and will create a joint council between the two communities. Governor-general Dame Cindy Kiro said it was not just symbolic, but would lead to action against discrimination and isolation. "This accord is a powerful statement of unity, courage, and compassion. It reminds us that dialogue, even when difficult, is the foundation of a peaceful and inclusive nation." Ethnic communities minister Mark Mitchell said it was important that global conflicts were not imported into New Zealand, and the accord signalled the beginning of work to support social cohesion. The signed accord was presented at government House in Auckland today. About 70 people attended, including representatives of the New Zealand Jewish Council, His Highness the Aga Khan Council for Australia and New Zealand and the Jewish Community Security Group. The Holocaust Centre of New Zealand said it was an historic accord that was a call to action for communities to support each other in the face of antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and bigotry. "We owe it to our communities, and to future generations, to do the hard work of listening, understanding, and standing together against all forms of hate, including antisemitism and Islamophobia," said chair Deborah Hart. "At a time of heightened tensions and a huge increase in antisemitism, we know that peaceful coexistence isn't always easy, but it is always worth striving for." She declined to say whether the Israeli attacks on Gaza amounted to genocide, saying the Holocaust Centre does not make general statements on international conflicts. Mitchell did not mention Gaza in his speech, saying afterwards that was because there were many other conflicts in the world at the moment. "The focus obviously on our Muslim and our Jewish communities here is quite simply we're seeing a rise in Islamophobia and anti-Semitism around the world, our communities back here feel exposed. We don't want to import that conflict into our country. We still retain the ability to engage in peaceful protest, freedom of speech, but not to weaponise those things and use them in a violent or intimidatory way." Asked if anyone from the Palestinian community had been invited to the event, he said the accord is a living document and any faith or ethnic leader would be welcome to sign it. Co-convenor of Jewish group Dayenu Philippa Yasbek said there had been deep disagreements between the communities over foreign policy, and allegations of betrayal on both sides. "I hope that this will repair the rift between part of the Jewish Community and the Muslim community - since the tragic events of 7th of October 2023 and the horrible fallout of the genocide in Gaza there been a lot of tensions between the Muslim and Jewish communities in New Zealand. But I don't think that that disagreement about overseas affairs should impact how we interact with each other in New Zealand. "There is a lot that unites the communities so in the wake of international events and the rising tide of both Islamophobia and anti-Semitism - and the roots of that are often very similar - I think the two communities can work together very effectively to combat hatred." Federation of Islamic Associations' spokesperson Abdur Razzaq said it was a good start and he wanted other faith groups and tangata whenua to be brought in. "Nothing has been formalised in terms of the work programme, nothing has been formalised in terms of the membership or the terms of reference. This is the start of the conversation. And in the start of the conversation, we have to consult widely with our community." Police data on hate crimes showed an increase since 2023, and about 60 percent of reported faith-based incidents were against Muslims, he said. Not present were two advocacy groups which disagreed with the accord's focus. Islamic Council of New Zealand (ICONZ) represents some Shia Muslims, and its president Dr Muhammad Sajjad Naqvi said the accord misframed the problem as being between religions. "Advocacy that comes from faith can be a powerful force. We already work with numerous interfaith community initiatives, some formed at government initiative and waiting to really find their purpose. Those existing channels include more of the parties needed to address local threats, including Christian nationalism like that of Destiny Church. Perhaps government should resource those rather than starting something new." Co-founder of Alternative Jewish Voices Marilyn Garson said the government should be more focused on the legal actions it should take than creating another multi-faith organisation. Gaza was not among the council's priorities and signatories are not required to acknowledge universal human rights, she said. "It has broad implications to overlook our rights and international humanitarian law. As currently formulated, the council includes no direct Palestinian representation. That's not good enough. How can there be credible discussion of Aotearoa's ethnic safety - let alone advocacy for international action - without Palestinians?" Both groups said there was no disharmony between the two groups in New Zealand, and it was a political conflict between Israel and Gaza. "Gaza is not a religious issue, and this has never been a conflict between our faiths," said ICONZ co-founder Dr Abdul Monem. "In Gaza we see a massive violation of international law with horrifying humanitarian consequences. We place Israel's annihilating campaign against Gaza, the complicity of states and economies at the centre of our understanding - not religion. The first action to address the suffering in Gaza and ameliorate its effects here in Aotearoa must be government action. Our government needs to comply with international courts and act on this humanitarian calamity. That does not require a new council." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Peters on Gaza: 'The only way forward is an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire'
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says the world continues to be "confronted by horrifying scenes playing out in Gaza". Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii The foreign minister has called for a ceasefire in Gaza in a statement delivered in Parliament, but the opposition says more action is needed. Winston Peters stopped short of promising further aid funding for Gaza, or promising to join efforts to prevents weapons being sold to Israel, or to recognise Palestine as an independent country until there is a representative to negotiate it with. But he did promise a "considered answer" on whether New Zealand would support South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice, which claims Israel has committed genocide. He concluded the debate in Parliament by noting "just how difficult it is to achieve an outcome, the control of which is not in our hands". Peters' speech followed New Zealand supporting a joint statement with 27 other countries calling for a ceasefire, and condemning the "drip-feeding of aid, and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children". He told the House the international community was united in its revulsion to the events in Gaza , saying too many lives had been lost. He said the overwhelming majority of Israelis and Palestinians also wanted an immediate ceasefire. "We continue to be confronted by horrifying scenes playing out in Gaza. We have the horror of innocent Israeli families, robbed of their loved ones in October 2023 by Hamas' heinous and immoral hostage taking, still yearning and demanding for them to be freed. "And we have the horror of more and more innocent Palestinian civilians starving, being deprived of their basic needs and being killed every day because Israel's military response to the events of October 7, 2023, long ago ceased to be proportionate, reasonable or moral; and because Hamas continues to act with complete disregard for civilian life." Peters pointed to the actions the government has taken so far, including designating the political wing of Hamas as a terrorist entity, and placing travel bans on two Israeli ministers. "The only way forward is an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. Human suffering is indiscriminate. In this conflict it has been inflicted in vast quantities on Israelis and Palestinians; Jews, Muslims and Christians. Further bloodshed serves absolutely no purpose. It must stop." He pointed to the joint statement, saying "hopefully, in time, that level of pressure will prevail". The opposition parties took the opportunity to give their own statements on the matter, all broadly saying they supported the statement, but action needed to follow the words. Labour's Peeni Henare said the party supported the call for a ceasefire and denounced the actions of Hamas but Israel's ongoing military campaign and blockade had "created one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent memory" with more than 58,000 Palestinians killed in 19 months. "Ninety percent of Gaza's population has been displaced, infrastructure, homes, hospitals and schools have been decimated. Nearly half a million people are facing catastrophic hunger, approximately 71,000 children under 5 are expected to be acutely malnourished, pregnant and breastfeeding women are starving." However, he said there was "more that New Zealand can do and must do", urging more aid and for New Zealand to support South Africa's ICJ case. The Green Party's Teanau Tuiono shared the story of a family he was helping to get their grandmother to New Zealand from Palestine. "They had come from Gaza and she was here for one week before the bombs dropped on her apartment, destroying the apartment that she lived in ... I want members around the house to remember that, that when they look overseas and see their grandmothers, their daughters, their grandfathers, their brothers and sisters dying, that this is something that the house should take account." He called for further sanctions against Israel, and for New Zealand to join the efforts of South Africa and 12 other countries on preventing the provision of weapons to Israel and urgently review public contracts to prevent public funds supporting Israel. Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said millions of children were being deliberately starved with no access to food and water. "It's not a food crisis. If food is waiting at the border, it's deliberately starving of children and wiping out of people ... we do not accept this government pathetic lip service calling for a ceasefire, it's your fifth time in two years. We must end this human crisis. Sanction Israel. Sanction everyone supporting them." He also called for the Israeli ambassador to be expelled. Under questioning from his opposition colleagues, Peters said the ICJ case against Israel had not yet been decided, and it would be wrong to prejudge the court's decisions. Asked why New Zealand had not also frozen assets when it imposed travel bans on the Israeli ministers, Peters said the justification for that had not yet been established. He said to recognise Palestinian statehood would be "lowering the standards of statehood" because "we need to establish who it is we're going to negotiate with before we recognise" but Palestinian statehood was a question of when, not if. National and ACT did not speak in the debate. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
