Listen to The Country online: Political roundup with Steve Maharey
Today on The Country radio show, host Jamie Mackay catches up with former Labour cabinet minister Steve Maharey for a political update at home and abroad.
On with the show:
Toby Williams:
Federated Farmers' meat and wool chairman welcomes the Government's commitment to halt the locking up of high-quality farmland in carbon forest.
However, he says loopholes remain.
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Otago Daily Times
9 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Luxon secures Xi Jinping meeting in China
As he faces criticism at home for weakening ties with Beijing, Prime Minister Chris Luxon has booked a meeting with China President Xi Jinping next week. The National Party leader has announced the longest international trip of his tenure, spending four days in China and five in Europe in a stretch also taking in the NATO Summit in the Netherlands. Since taking office in late 2023, Mr Luxon has also continued a shift in New Zealand's foreign outlook - begun by Jacinda Ardern's Labour government in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine - to more closely align with Australia and the United States. This has not been uncontroversial. Last week, former prime ministers Helen Clark and Geoffrey Palmer headed an open letter arguing New Zealand was" risking its sovereignty" by strategic alignment and integration with Australia, and it should not antagonise Beijing, for fear of losing a critical trade relationship. "We do believe that a military relationship with the United States directed against China has many risks for New Zealand," the letter stated. "That is especially true in a situation where the United States itself has recently become more ambivalent about its defence relationships with traditional partners. "Your forthcoming visit to Beijing is a vital opportunity to make it clear at the highest level that New Zealand retains its bipartisan commitment to its strategic partnership with China in the interests of a peaceful and prosperous region and world." Foreign Minister Winston Peters has dismissed their arguments, saying the letter was written by "various former politicians/officials who appear to be suffering from relevance deprivation syndrome". In a statement announcing his travel, Mr Luxon said time spent in Shanghai and Beijing would be focused on bilateral trade, measured at $NZ37 billion last year, calling China "a vital part of our economic story". "New Zealand is a trusted supplier of safe, high-quality food and beverage products to Chinese consumers. It is an important market, and I look forward to doing what I can to support Kiwi businesses to thrive," Mr Luxon said. A key promise of the National-led coalition has been to double the value of Kiwi exports in the next decade. Coaxing Chinese students back to New Zealand's education system is also likely to be feature in government-to-government discussions, with enrolments running at just over half their pre-pandemic peak. Accompanying Mr Luxon will be a delegation of business leaders, and a group of Maori performers. National kapa haka champions Te Kapa Haka o Ngati Whakaue will travel on the NZDF plane to China, despite the government's troubled relationship with Maoridom. On the second leg of his trip, Mr Luxon will broaden his focus to include security, meeting with EU leaders in Brussels, and then NATO nations in The Hague. "Prosperity is only possible with security, and our discussions will focus on connections between the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security environments," he said. Like Australia, New Zealand is invited to annual NATO gatherings as part of the "Indo-Pacific Four" grouping, which also includes Japan and South Korea.
Scoop
10 hours ago
- Scoop
$33 Million Into More Classrooms For Central North Island Schools
Press Release – New Zealand Government Construction on these projects will begin over the next 12 months, which means schools, families, and communities can start experiencing the benefits as soon as possible, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. Minister of Education The Government is delivering 32 more safe, warm and dry classrooms and a major school redevelopment for Kiwi kids living in the Central North Island. 'As communities continue to grow, we remain committed to future-proofing our education system so parents have certainty about where to send their child to school. We're not only building more classrooms, but we are also building more opportunities for children to thrive. 'This package is about making sure our schools can keep up with the needs of their communities so more students have access to fit-for-purpose learning environments,' Education Minister Erica Stanford says. It includes: 4 classrooms at Hamilton East School in Hamilton, 2 classrooms at Waipawa School in Hawke's Bay, 3 classrooms at Maungatapu School in Tauranga, 2 classrooms at Te Kauwhata Primary School in Waikato, and 2 Classrooms at Kawerau South School in the Bay of Plenty. Further to this, Taihape Area School will benefit from a major redevelopment, getting 19 new classrooms, including a hard technology classroom, and the multipurpose hall and gym space will be strengthened to improve its seismic performance. This project will meet the needs of the school, taking a standardised and value for money approach to address long-overdue seismic and weathertightness issues. 'The Taihape community has been loud and clear for almost a decade that their school property is not fit-for-purpose. Students and staff have been teaching and learning in sub-standard classrooms for too long. This investment will make sure children are set up for success in the classroom.' 'Construction on these projects will begin over the next 12 months, which means schools, families, and communities can start experiencing the benefits as soon as possible,' said Ms. Stanford. 'We are powering up efficiencies in school property delivery so more schools, communities and children benefit sooner. The use of standardised building designs, offsite manufacturing, and streamlining procurement have lowered the average cost of a classroom by 28%, allowing 30% more classrooms to be delivered last year compared to 2023. We will continue to drive this down so more Kiwi kids can thrive,' Ms Stanford says.
RNZ News
11 hours ago
- RNZ News
After years of leaks and delays, Taihape Area School gets rebuild green light
Taihape Area School is getting a rebuild. a decade after flaws were exposed. Photo: Google Maps Taihape Area School is in line to get a long-awaited makeover and 19 new classrooms. The 15-year-old Taihape Area School has been plagued by leaks, cold rooms and bad plumbing since the start. But officials have flip-flopped for a decade between a repair or rebuild. Now, the government said work on a new hard technology classroom, multipurpose hall and gym, and the other classrooms will begin within a year. "The Taihape community has been loud and clear for almost a decade that their school property is not fit-for-purpose," Education Minister Erica Stanford said in a statement. "Students and staff have been teaching and learning in sub-standard classrooms for too long." Taihape is the major recipient of a rollout announced on Friday of 32 new classrooms in all, across Waikato and the central North Island. Hamilton East (four classrooms), Waipawa (two), Maungatapu School in Tauranga (three), Te Kauwhata Primary (two) and Kawerau South (two classrooms) would also get several classrooms each. "Construction on these projects will begin over the next 12 months," Stanford said. The average cost of building a classroom had been cut 28 percent by using standardised designs, offsite manufacturing and streamlining procurement, almost a third more classrooms had been delivered in 2024 compared to 2023, she added. Taihape Area School board member Melissa Lawrence said the move marked a "significant and long-awaited step forward for our kura and community". "This is about more than buildings - it's about creating the conditions for our tamariki to thrive," she said in a statement on Friday. "This investment reflects the shared voice of our community over many years and represents a collective step into a stronger future." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
