Latest news with #Hipkins
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Left bloc could turf coalition out of power: poll
By Russell Palmer of RNZ After the Budget and pay equity changes the left bloc would have the support to turf the coalition out of power, the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll shows. The preferred prime minister and leadership ratings are also bad news for the government, with the exception of Winston Peters who has seen his highest result since 2017 - and ratings of the government's general performance have also continued to slide. With Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori all gaining compared to the previous poll taken in March, they would have a majority with 63 seats between them, compared to the coalition's 57 - again, New Zealand First was the only coalition party to see a boost. The poll was taken in the seven days following the release of the Budget and in the wake of the $12.8 billion pay equity changes - which RNZ's polling also shows attracting more opposition than support. National continued a downward trend from the March survey, dropping 2.2 percentage points to 30.7 percent of the party vote - and overtaken by Labour, which gained 0.9 percentage points to 33.2 percent. The Greens' 1.6 percent increase brings them back to their election-night result of 11.6 percent, while Te Pāti Māori's 0.5 percentage point boost lifts them clear of the 5 percent threshold and - presuming they held all Māori seats - nets them a list MP. ACT dropped 2.8 points to 6.6 percent - the largest shift in party polling - while New Zealand First gained 1.9 points to 9.1 percent, upending the trend facing their coalition partners. Undecided or non-voters made up 6.5 percent of those polled - up from 6.1 in the previous poll. For parties outside Parliament, TOP (The Opportunities Party) gained 0.4 points to 2.2 percent, New Conservatives fell 0.3 points to 0.8, and all others combined were at 0.3 points, a 0.1 point increase on the last survey. More New Zealanders polled say the country is going in the wrong direction (46.6 percent) than in the right direction (37.8 percent), giving a net negative result of -8.8, a substantial decrease on March's 2.9 result. Little surprise then to see National leader Christopher Luxon's net favourability ratings drop further into the negative, from -3.9 percent in March to -9.8 percent, with significantly more respondents (45.5 percent) saying he performed poorly or very poorly, than said he performed well or very well (35.7 percent). That compared to Labour's Chris Hipkins on net 5.1 percent rating (34 percent negative, 39.1 percent positive) - though Hipkins also saw a steeper fall of 7.1 percentage points. The survey shows New Zealanders' preferred prime minister as Hipkins (23.2 percent, up 2.3), taking the lead over Luxon (18.8 percent, down 3.1). NZ First leader Winston Peters at 8.9 percent (up 1 point) recorded his highest result since 2017. Chlöe Swarbrick in fourth was at 6.9 percent (up 0.8) - a personal best and just ahead of ACT's David Seymour on 6.4 percent (down 0.4). The next highest ratings were former PM Jacinda Ardern (3.7 percent, up 0.1), Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke (1.7 percent, up 0.5), Finance Minister Nicola Willis (1.1, up 0.3) and Education/Immigration Minister Erica Stanford making her first appearance at 1 percent. 'I don't recognise the numbers' - Coalition plays down poll Luxon simply rejected the poll results. "Look, I mean, I don't recognise the numbers. There's lots of different polls and frankly I'm just not going to comment or focus on the polls. Frankly what we're focused on is we were elected in '23 and people get to decide again in 2026. "We've done a good job, and that's why we've got to focus on the economy, law and order, and health and education." He said New Zealanders had "responded really positively" to the government's Budget, and saw the economy turning a corner. "There's a sense of optimism that, you know, we actually have had to manage some very difficult things economically to get our books back in order. But we're doing that job, and it's all about growth, growth, growth." Seymour said the numbers would continue to "bounce around" but it was still a tough time for New Zealanders - and the numbers were not a reflection on the Budget. "Different voters will have different reasons for their choices ... so long as people are voting for the economy, it's going to be tough for parties that are tied closely to economic management," he said. It was possible the pay equity changes were changing some voters' minds, he said, "but I also think doing what is right is what is politically popular in the long term, and even if I'm wrong about that, good policy is worth it anyway". "The fact that ACT is close to where it was on election night 18 months into a government with 18 months to go is a good foundation. We have to prove ourselves on election night, and we've got lots of time to do that." Peters refused to comment on whether his coalition partners were suffering from the handling of the pay equity changes. The next 18 months leading up to the election would show the "critical need for stability", he said, and having ruled out working with Chris Hipkins he was "comfortable and confident in our prospects" because the Greens and Te Pāti Māori in government would be "a nightmare". The 80-year-old Peters said economies internationally were in trouble as a result of "unprecedented times for the last, say, 80 years", and the party was looking at New Zealand's fundamentals: asset values, and the need to increase wages and decrease business tax. "We're out there to ensure over the next few months that we can show enough improvement in the economy from what we're doing to make the prospects of an improved tomorrow possible." 'Nice to be popular' - Opposition Hipkins was also not counting his electoral chickens, but was happy to point out the effect of the Budget, saying New Zealanders were "disillusioned" with the government overall. "New Zealanders can increasingly see that this government is taking the country backwards," he said. "I don't think anyone expected the government to cancel pay equity as a way of balancing its books. Nicola Willis and Christopher Luxon told New Zealanders before the election that they knew their numbers, that everything all added up. It's clear that their numbers didn't add up." He said he did not pay much attention to small shifts from the minor parties or his personal ratings in the polls. "It's nice to be popular, but I'm really focused on making sure I win as many votes as possible for Labour at the next election." Swarbrick said New Zealanders wanted a sense of hope. "Things are feeling pretty bloody bleak. You know, we've got 191 New Zealanders leaving every single day, three quarters of them between the ages of 18 to 45, it's not a recipe for a flourishing country. "We had dozens and dozens of folks turn out to talk to us about our Green budget and the sense of hope that they feel that they need - the kind of building blocks that we can have for a fairer society." She said polls did not mean the writing was on the wall, but she was hearing from people that they were exhausted and fatigued - something she suggested was a deliberate strategy from the coalition. Te Pāti Māori's co-leader Rawiri Waititi said the poll numbers showed the party's policies and rhetoric around the government's actions were appealing to new supporters. "The kind of anti-Māori, anti-wāhine, anti-woman, anti-worker, anti-climate, anti-rainbow, anti-woke type agenda that this government is pushing at the moment also is not appealing to the people who are trying to find a place to put their political support and trying to support those who fiercely advocate for them." He said their internal polling showed even higher support for the party and its style of politics - but the decreased support for ACT and increase for NZ First was a zero-sum game. "You've got a hard-right type voter ... I think they think that National is a little bit weak, which I agree [with] because they're allowing ACT to kind of run the show ... they will use Te Pāti Māori as their political football to kick us in the guts the hardest to garner the support of their voters, but at the end of the day the enemy for ACT is New Zealand First, and the enemy for New Zealand First is ACT." Explore the full results with RNZ's interactive charts. This poll of 1008 people was conducted by Reid Research, using quota sampling and weighting to ensure a representative cross section by age, gender and geography. The poll was conducted through online interviews between 21-27 March 2025 and has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. The report is available here.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Luxon And Hipkins Talk Coalition Dynamics, People Skills And Direction For The 2026 Election
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has revealed his biggest surprise since entering politics: how many politicians lack people skills. As Parliament reaches the mid-point of the political term – and the handover of the deputy prime ministership from Winston Peters to David Seymour – RNZ sat down with both Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins to reflect on the past 18 months. And Luxon wasn't the only one taking aim at his colleagues, with Hipkins observing he did not think Te Pāti Māori had done a good job of speaking up for Māori wāhine on pay equity in recent weeks, instead concentrating on its own 'song and dance around the privileges committee'. Luxon on coalition dynamics Luxon told RNZ the skills required to pull National out of its opposition 'dysfunction' were similar to what was now needed when leading a three-party coalition government. While compromise was required in a coalition, Luxon said the starting point for him was New Zealand First and ACT signing up to National's platform. 'And then, okay, there's also things that were peculiar or particular to both New Zealand First and ACT that are in those agreements that maybe National didn't agree with.' Luxon stressed the importance of relationships: 'You've got to know each person, you've got to understand what drives them, motivates them, and actually build a relationship, build a rapport.' He said he spoke daily with one or both coalition partners and valued face-to-face meetings or 'physical time together'. Asked to pick a favourite, he first laughed, before saying NZ First leader Winston Peters and ACT leader David Seymour were 'both different and equally special to me'. 'Winston's someone I've got to know and respect, and we've been able to build a good relationship and a good understanding of each other.' That did not mean he and Peters agreed on everything, he said, and it was a different relationship compared with Seymour, who he simply described as someone he had known as his neighbour in Auckland for years before entering politics. With next year's election looming, Luxon said it was important to him to look for and develop new talent to run for National. He said he came to politics four years ago 'realising that we're actually in the people business', but found 'people in politics don't have very good people skills'. 'There's often very poor professional and leadership development for these folk,' he said. 'A 35-year-old can show up here, and then you look forward at the age of 55, and they're not that much different from what they were at 35.' Hipkins on Labour's lessons Hipkins said National's 'instability and infighting' in opposition had served as 'a cautionary tale' for Labour MPs, as well as his own past experience in the political wilderness. That had taught him when a party lacked 'a good, trusting, robust internal culture', it led to instability. 'Politics is full of big personalities, it's full of passionate people and politics is fuelled on disagreement, so if you want to have a really unified, cohesive team, you have to create space where people can disagree with each other and argue that out constructively.' He pointed to his reported rift with colleague David Parker over tax: 'I still regard him as a friend, and we still get on very well on a personal level … you can disagree with someone without it becoming personal.' Like Luxon, Hipkins is aware of the importance of maintaining open dialogue with his potential coalition partners, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori. 'We are happy to continue to do that but we are separate parties, and ultimately we're each responsible for our own decisions.' But that did not stop him criticising the prime minister, saying Luxon's reluctance to establish National's dominance in the coalition set him apart from predecessors like Helen Clark, Sir Bill English and Sir John Key. He pointed to Te Pāti Māori's recent priorities as a point of difference with Labour. 'I think there are a lot of Māori women up and down the country who would like to have seen the Māori Party talking about the fact the government's cut their pay, rather than the song and dance around the privileges committee.' Hipkins intends to make it clear in the lead-up to the next election what are 'no-go zones' for Labour when it comes to any potential coalition partners or their policies. Peters this week 'permanently' ruled out forming a coalition with Labour under Hipkins ' leadership. Hipkins said he ruled out working with NZ First and Winston Peters ahead of the last election and that was unlikely to change 'even if the political landscape suggests that might mean another three years in opposition'. 'New Zealanders have had a gutsful of having David Seymour and Winston Peters holding the country to ransom, and I don't want to do anything that gives them more power to do that.' As opposition leader, he said he had made a point of applying one basic rule. 'I won't criticise the government for doing something that I would do in the same circumstances. 'I've seen other leaders of the opposition do that, where basically they get into a mould where anything the government does is bad and therefore needs to be criticised.' Looking ahead to 2026 The term's half-way point also signals a shift in parties' priorities as next year's election creeps closer. Hipkins told RNZ he wanted another shot as prime minister, arguing his first turn was not on his own terms, and rejected suggestions his track record could hurt his chances. He did not believe his time as prime minister or lead minister for the Covid response had tarnished his reputation, saying he felt most New Zealanders understood the conditions he was working under. 'Actually, I think it would make me a better prime minister the second time around, because I've had eight months of figuring out the job, and I know what to expect, and therefore I know how to prepare for it.' Luxon, meanwhile, said he would remain laser-focused on New Zealanders over the next 18 months and would not be distracted by so-called culture wars, which he says he does his best to avoid responding to when other political parties have pushed narratives around gender, diversity and inclusion. He said the New Zealand public was 'over the platitudes'. 'They're over the high language, they're over the process stories, they're over the beltway conversations that often happen here in Wellington and other capitals around the world,' he said. 'They want their politicians to freakin' deliver, and that's what it's about … that's what New Zealanders care about, that's the only thing they care about, outcomes.'
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Luxon And Hipkins Talk Coalition Dynamics, People Skills And Direction For The 2026 Election
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has revealed his biggest surprise since entering politics: how many politicians lack people skills. As Parliament reaches the mid-point of the political term - and the handover of the deputy prime ministership from Winston Peters to David Seymour - RNZ sat down with both Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins to reflect on the past 18 months. And Luxon wasn't the only one taking aim at his colleagues, with Hipkins observing he did not think Te Pāti Māori had done a good job of speaking up for Māori wāhine on pay equity in recent weeks, instead concentrating on its own "song and dance around the privileges committee". Luxon on coalition dynamics Luxon told RNZ the skills required to pull National out of its opposition "dysfunction" were similar to what was now needed when leading a three-party coalition government. While compromise was required in a coalition, Luxon said the starting point for him was New Zealand First and ACT signing up to National's platform. "And then, okay, there's also things that were peculiar or particular to both New Zealand First and ACT that are in those agreements that maybe National didn't agree with." Luxon stressed the importance of relationships: "You've got to know each person, you've got to understand what drives them, motivates them, and actually build a relationship, build a rapport." He said he spoke daily with one or both coalition partners and valued face-to-face meetings or "physical time together". Asked to pick a favourite, he first laughed, before saying NZ First leader Winston Peters and ACT leader David Seymour were "both different and equally special to me". "Winston's someone I've got to know and respect, and we've been able to build a good relationship and a good understanding of each other." That did not mean he and Peters agreed on everything, he said, and it was a different relationship compared with Seymour, who he simply described as someone he had known as his neighbour in Auckland for years before entering politics. With next year's election looming, Luxon said it was important to him to look for and develop new talent to run for National. He said he came to politics four years ago "realising that we're actually in the people business", but found "people in politics don't have very good people skills". "There's often very poor professional and leadership development for these folk," he said. "A 35-year-old can show up here, and then you look forward at the age of 55, and they're not that much different from what they were at 35." Hipkins on Labour's lessons Hipkins said National's "instability and infighting" in opposition had served as "a cautionary tale" for Labour MPs, as well as his own past experience in the political wilderness. That had taught him when a party lacked "a good, trusting, robust internal culture", it led to instability. "Politics is full of big personalities, it's full of passionate people and politics is fuelled on disagreement, so if you want to have a really unified, cohesive team, you have to create space where people can disagree with each other and argue that out constructively." He pointed to his reported rift with colleague David Parker over tax: "I still regard him as a friend, and we still get on very well on a personal level ... you can disagree with someone without it becoming personal." Like Luxon, Hipkins is aware of the importance of maintaining open dialogue with his potential coalition partners, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori. "We are happy to continue to do that but we are separate parties, and ultimately we're each responsible for our own decisions." But that did not stop him criticising the prime minister, saying Luxon's reluctance to establish National's dominance in the coalition set him apart from predecessors like Helen Clark, Sir Bill English and Sir John Key. He pointed to Te Pāti Māori's recent priorities as a point of difference with Labour. "I think there are a lot of Māori women up and down the country who would like to have seen the Māori Party talking about the fact the government's cut their pay, rather than the song and dance around the privileges committee." Hipkins intends to make it clear in the lead-up to the next election what are "no-go zones" for Labour when it comes to any potential coalition partners or their policies. Peters this week "permanently" ruled out forming a coalition with Labour under Hipkins ' leadership. Hipkins said he ruled out working with NZ First and Winston Peters ahead of the last election and that was unlikely to change "even if the political landscape suggests that might mean another three years in opposition". "New Zealanders have had a gutsful of having David Seymour and Winston Peters holding the country to ransom, and I don't want to do anything that gives them more power to do that." As opposition leader, he said he had made a point of applying one basic rule. "I won't criticise the government for doing something that I would do in the same circumstances. "I've seen other leaders of the opposition do that, where basically they get into a mould where anything the government does is bad and therefore needs to be criticised." Looking ahead to 2026 The term's half-way point also signals a shift in parties' priorities as next year's election creeps closer. Hipkins told RNZ he wanted another shot as prime minister, arguing his first turn was not on his own terms, and rejected suggestions his track record could hurt his chances. He did not believe his time as prime minister or lead minister for the Covid response had tarnished his reputation, saying he felt most New Zealanders understood the conditions he was working under. "Actually, I think it would make me a better prime minister the second time around, because I've had eight months of figuring out the job, and I know what to expect, and therefore I know how to prepare for it." Luxon, meanwhile, said he would remain laser-focused on New Zealanders over the next 18 months and would not be distracted by so-called culture wars, which he says he does his best to avoid responding to when other political parties have pushed narratives around gender, diversity and inclusion. He said the New Zealand public was "over the platitudes". "They're over the high language, they're over the process stories, they're over the beltway conversations that often happen here in Wellington and other capitals around the world," he said. "They want their politicians to freakin' deliver, and that's what it's about ... that's what New Zealanders care about, that's the only thing they care about, outcomes." On Friday on deputy political editor Craig McCulloch sits down with David Seymour and Winston Peters.
Otago Daily Times
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Letters to the Editor: Campaign spend, pay equity, rabbits and rail
Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including campaign spending, pay equity, rabbits and KiwiRail. Meaningful ideas beat enormous ad budgets In response to Mr Bill Southworth's letter (ODT 26.6.25) suggesting that both I and Future Dunedin hold an unfair advantage in the upcoming Dunedin City Council local body elections due to our ability to run a campaign. While the current rules permit each candidate to spend up to $55,000 on campaigning, Future Dunedin's actual budget is well below that limit. What sets us apart is not the scale of our spending, but the strength of our vision - a vision grounded in genuine change, practical ambition, and a deep commitment to the future of our city. We look forward to sharing that vision with the people of Dunedin and inviting their support. Mr Southworth may find reassurance in the fact that, in 2022, the candidate who invested the most in their campaign was ultimately unsuccessful. This underscores a fundamental truth in local democracy: meaningful ideas resonate more deeply than advertising budgets. Future Dunedin has also made a principled decision not to accept any external donations. We are not aligned with any political party, nor are we funded by outside interests. Should we be elected, our councillors will answer only to the people of Dunedin. Andrew Simms Mayoral and council candidate for Future Dunedin Pearl clutching ''Hipkins said he had changed his position on the appropriateness of the column because of the distraction it was causing, which was 'taking away from what is a very fair issue'.'' (RNZ 15.5.25). This was the moment Chris Hipkins showed his complete inability to lead and be the next prime minister. Instead of recognising the juicy open goal presented by the most outrageous egregious pearl-clutching episode ever seen in Parliament and treating it with the kind of derision that Helen Clark would have revelled in, he bottled it, conceding weakly to the disingenuous framing of Brooke van Velden and certain media commentators, and threw Jan Tinetti under the bus. The late Bob Jones once called Bill Rowling the ''shiver in search of a spine'': Hipkins owns this now. Pay equity was and is the issue. Andrew Nichols Kew Freight hub What I consider very good news is the proposed freight hub is to be located at Milburn. This is an ideal location and must result in fewer heavy vehicles coming through Dunedin and using SH88 to and from Port Chalmers. The CEO of Port Otago, Kevin Winders, is very supportive and has indicated this hub will not be in competition with the one to be fully developed in Mosgiel. I suggest Calder Stewart start doing it immediately before all the naysayers get together and act against this plan. John Neilson Ravensbourne Oi. Shhh. Southland Hospital's ban on its staff chatting to each other for more than 5 minutes a day, and never in the afternoon, is brilliant. The management is well aware that talking about the performance of the All Blacks, the Kardashians or Meghan and Harry takes up far too many valuable minutes, and patients may die as a consequence. To have a taciturn but kindly and efficient staff is clearly the aim, and will surely save the taxpayer many millions. Mark Stocker Christchurch We are making rabbits run run run - KiwiRail I was surprised to read comments highlighting issues with feral rabbits in the rail corridor in Otago, and suggesting that land occupiers and Otago Regional Council staff have had limited success engaging with public agencies to enable effective control of rabbits (ODT 21.5.25). KiwiRail is committed to controlling rabbits on its land and has been carrying out targeted rabbit control annually since 2019 throughout sections of the rail corridor in Balclutha, Moeraki, Waihola, Milton and Henley. This has been undertaken in collaboration with both the ORC and the local community. Pests do not respect boundaries, so pest control is a responsibility of all landowners. KiwiRail is absolutely playing its part. Ruth Brittain National vegetation contract manager, KiwiRail Recognition sought Please could the current government at the very least acknowledge the economic cost that the Labour government had to bear with the four disasters it had to finance during its terms. Kay Hannan Weston Somehow not sighting the causal nexus If the Otago University Staff for Palestine group (Letters ODT 26.5.25) are so blinkered by their prejudice against Israel that they do not see the significant causal nexus between the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 and the present situation in Gaza, then there is little hope that the group's efforts can actually make any contribution towards their ostensible aims of improving the plight for Palestinians. Before October 2023, 18,000 Palestinians from Gaza held work permits allowing them to cross the controlled border between Gaza and Israel for work each day. After October 2023, all of these permits were revoked. Before October 2023, there were no settlers, settlements, or permanent Israeli forces within Gaza, although Israel still controlled the borders. After October 2023, the idea that Israel should not continue to control its borders is ridiculous. Malcolm Moncrief-SpittleDunedin [Abridged - editor.]
The Spinoff
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Spinoff
Echo Chamber, Budget 2025 edition: Who is Mr Bo-Jandals?
It may not have been a lolly scramble budget, but there were plenty of lollies in parliament during the debate – plus a curious new nickname for one MP. Our Budget 2025 coverage is thanks to The Spinoff Members. The Spinoff is not backed by billion-dollar budgets or billionaires, we're backed by you. To meet our current goal, we need 500 new members by the end of June. Please donate now. The debate in parliament on budget day usually hits the same beats. The finance minister gives a long, dry speech listing everything they want to emphasise from their budget and patting themselves on the back for being so clever. The leader of the opposition pre-writes half of their attack lines before the budget comes out. The prime minister delivers a smug self-congratulation. Then, the leaders of the minor parties have their turn, which can be raucously entertaining or veer way off topic. When it's a controversial budget, it can be the best debate of the year. When it's a so-so budget, like this one, it can be a bit underwhelming. Nicola Willis laid out her budget soberly, the only identifiable joke a reheated line about 'defunding da police' ('woop woop' sang Tim van de Molen, who is apparently not tired of this yet). She gave a shoutout to her kids in the public gallery, and got a kiss on the cheek from Chris Luxon as she finished. For his response, Chris Hipkins dialled his outrage as high as he could muster, lashing the government's pay equity change. It was 'the budget that left women out', he said. 'The country that was first to allow women the vote has nothing to be proud of today when it comes to advancing the cause of women.' Carmel Sepuloni, Megan Woods and Barbara Edmonds formed a chorus of 'shame', 'shocking', and 'that's right' after every second sentence. 'You don't even know what a woman is,' Winston Peters heckled. Hipkins claimed an 18-year-old would be $66,000 worse off by retirement due to the government's KiwiSaver changes. 'Boring,' Shane Jones moaned. 'Yeah, you're boring,' Katie Nimon echoed.'I thought he was finished, he's still talking,' David Seymour said. Mark Mitchell had a packet of M&Ms on his desk and looked very pleased about it. He ate them methodically, one at a time, every three seconds, like a pendulum of candy-coated chocolate. He offered them to Todd McClay and Scott Simpson, each time with a cheeky grin as if to say 'haha, look at me, I'm eating M&Ms in parliament'. Andy Foster and Jamie Arbuckle shared some Mackintosh's Toffees (an on-brand lolly for New Zealand First). Winston Peters scrolled through a group chat that seemed to be entirely people sending context-free GIFs. As Luxon stood, Tama Potaka pumped his fist and whooped, 'leshgo'. Luxon was in full attack dog mode; he was so preoccupied with Labour that it took him 22 minutes to mention any positives about his government's budget. He was particularly proud of a new nickname he'd invented for Hipkins: 'Mr Bo-Jandals', which he repeated four times throughout his speech. It meant absolutely nothing to me, but it is apparently a mashup of Mr Bojangles, a song about a travelling entertainer who hides their true identity (it peaked at number two on the New Zealand Music charts in 1971) and the word 'jandals', alternatively known as flip-flops. It was a convoluted way to call Hipkins a flip-flopper who hasn't taken a clear position on some key issues. It might not make the annals of political attack lines, but Simeon Brown loved it. Every mediocre joke from his leader's mouth looked like it might kill him with laughter. After Luxon said Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori 'couldn't run a pub', Brown slapped his desk and repeated the line to himself. 'Can't run a pub,' he muttered, shaking his head as if it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. The writing left much to be desired, but Luxon's delivery was impassioned, and his MPs responded to his energy. He finished with the same line he used last year – 'Get New Zealand back on track' – and the government benches erupted in applause. Chlöe Swarbrick had had a few too many Weetbix and was feeling extra excitable and/or frustrated. She started yelling into her microphone, causing government MPs to moan 'shut up' and 'too loud'. Winston Peters walked out of the chambers, plugging his ears with his fingers. She dubbed it the 'let them eat cake budget' and called the decision to cut jobseeker benefits for 18 and 19-year-olds 'a cruel and callous decision to punch down on young people'. Chris Penk wandered around the back benches until he found a container of Fruit Bursts in an empty desk. He picked out three grape ones and ate them with his head down, like he was trying to hide. I saw you, Chris, and I'm going to tell your F45 instructor. David Seymour spent half of his speech attacking the opposition, and half promoting the Regulatory Standards Bill. 'You know, you can always tell when a politician's speechwriter doesn't like her very much, and that was certainly one of those circumstances,' he began, following Swarbrick. 'She wrote it herself,' James Meager said. 'That's not very nice,' Seymour replied, deadpan. He hit Labour with the same attack line as Luxon but landed a much better joke: 'Their whole electoral strategy is kind of the opposite of the Kama Sutra; they don't have a position on anything.' Shane Jones was a last-minute call-up to give New Zealand First's speech. For unknown reasons, Winston Peters subbed his deputy in with 45 minutes' notice. In typical Jones fashion, he delivered a soliloquy to fossil fuels, praising the $200m in new funding for new gas fields. He held up a small bottle of Māui-1 crude oil, 1969. 'I'd like to take the lid off and invite the Green Party to sniff it,' he said. 'We don't want your mung bean, pronoun version.' Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngārewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi were notably absent for the entire debate. In fact, no one stuck around long. Both Labour and National's front benches cleared out after their leaders' speeches. Tākuta Ferris rounded out the debate on his leaders' behalf with a sermon about how no budget had ever given an appropriate proportion of funding or focus to Māori and a history lesson about the harms of colonisation. It was a generic Te Pāti Māori budget response, almost identical to Waititi's speech last year, and it didn't seem like his heart was really in it. Certainly, no one else in the chamber was paying much attention. Three hours of debate ended with a whimper, and Chris Bishop moved to enter urgency for the first reading of the Regulatory Standards Bill. The wheels of parliament keep on turning, and MPs keep on snacking.
