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The Spinoff
15 hours ago
- Politics
- The Spinoff
Echo Chamber: The interminable rage of Chlöe Swarbrick
The exasperated Greens co-leader reached the end of her tether as parliament debated nurses' pay, homelessness, Palestinian statehood and voting rights. Echo Chamber is The Spinoff's dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Wellington editor Joel MacManus. No one could ever accuse Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick of not caring about her job. The Auckland Central MP, who was first elected to parliament at the age of 23, has always had a passionate sense of justice. In many ways, that's her superpower. But also… damn, try not to give yourself a heart attack. Caring deeply about things is hard work, and Swarbrick cares about a lot of things. It looks exhausting. No MP puts more energetic fury into question time than Swarbrick – and she reached peak exasperation in Wednesday's session. She shouted constant commentary at government ministers, righteous outrage boiling in her blood and steaming out of her ears. Things kicked off with Marama Davidson asking the prime minister why Te Whatu Ora hired only 45% of nursing graduates, even though 16 health districts were understaffed. 'Well, I'd just say they are all understaffed today,' Christopher Luxon replied. 'Excuse me??' Swarbrick interjected. Luxon continued, emphasising that nurses' pay had increased by 74% since 2011. 'But what have you done?' Swarbrick shouted. Davidson asked when the government would recognise Palestinian statehood, and Luxon replied with some generic words about diplomacy and dialogue and making sure Hamas releases hostages. 'You know the hostages have been offered back,' Swarbrick chirped, leaning back against the keffiyeh on her chair. When it was Swarbrick's turn to take the stand, she grilled Luxon on Auckland Council data that showed a 90% increase in rough sleeping since the government's changes to emergency housing. She asked whether he could come to Auckland Central and 'meet the people that he has made homeless'. Luxon pivoted to blaming the 'previous Labour-Greens government [when] homelessness went up 37%'. When Luxon finds himself stuck or short-circuiting into NatGPT mode, ministers will often try to dig him out with a friendly question. Winston Peters took the first crack: 'Could the prime minister name just one thing the local MP in Auckland Central is doing about homelessness?' Government MPs giggled, and Swarbrick's rage grew. Her head almost looked like it was vibrating. Before Luxon had a chance to respond, she jumped to her feet in indignation and sought leave of the house to answer the question. Multiple National MPs objected, and speaker Gerry Brownlee dropped it. Tama Potaka took a second crack, asking the prime minister to confirm a housing report that found that 'the increase in homelessness cannot be attributed just to changes in the emergency housing gateway and they may actually be reflective of broader economic and social contexts'. 'Yeah, you!' Swarbrick gestured at the government benches, 'they blame you!' Brownlee gave her a wee telling-off – 'you cannot yell out across the House like that. If it continues, it'll be an early afternoon' – but nothing was stopping the Swarbrick rage train. Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer asked Luxon about whether he would expel the Israeli ambassador. Luxon gave a bland answer about the importance of maintaining diplomatic relationships. Swarbrick heckled 'just words' and 'you heard of Russia?' (While in opposition, National called for the government to expel the Russian ambassador over the invasion of Ukraine.) Ngarewa-Packer turned her focus to the government's proposed electoral reforms that would end on-the-day voting enrolment. Luxon defended the policy, saying people would merely have to enrol 13 days before the election, which is half of the 26-day deadline in Australia. 'They have compulsory voting!' Swarbrick yelled, 'Who do you work for?' Ngarewa-Packer raised allegations that hundreds of Māori voters appeared to have been removed from the voting roll in the past 24 hours. Luxon again insisted that anyone, Māori or non-Māori, just needs to register 13 days before the election. 'Did you listen to the question?' Swarbrick asked. Once again, Luxon referenced the shorter enrolment period in Australia, and Swarbrick, even louder, yelled, 'They have compulsory voting!' With the final question, Ngarewa-Packed asked if Luxon would commit to delaying the reforms until he could ensure 'that he will not disenfranchise hundreds of thousands more Māori and Pasifika voters who have followed all the correct procedures?' Luxon dismissed her concern. 'I reject outright the characterisation of that question.' Across the room, on the verge of pulling out her hair, Swarbrick harrumphed: 'You don't care.'
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Green shoots ahead for party: Swarbrick
After a turbulent beginning to this Parliament, Greens co-leader Chloe Swarbrick tells ODT political editor Mike Houlahan it is only up from here. "Forged in fire, mate," a chipper Chloe Swarbrick says as she summarises the first half of the parliamentary term from a Green Party perspective. And then some. For a start, she is sitting in the ODT offices speaking as her party's co-leader — a role she did not have at the start of the current Parliament, although many expected she would eventually rise to it. However, Ms Swarbrick replacing the now retired James Shaw was the least troublesome of the many travails which have beset the Greens. The sudden death of Fa'anānā Efeso Collins last February was followed soon after by the prolonged and messy expulsion of former MP Darleen Tana. Then her replacement, Benjamin Doyle, was placed under the blowtorch by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. And last but not least, for much of this Ms Swarbrick was the solo leader of her party; Marama Davidson requiring time off for breast cancer treatment. "That, unfortunately, is part of being in such a snow globe of public pressure, with the spotlights on. It's not unusual to have circumstances in workplaces where things go awry, but you add to that the level of public scrutiny, which is absolutely due," Ms Swarbrick said. "I knew that, sitting around the caucus table, we had a group of people who were dedicated to a cause that was bigger than something that any one of us could create by ourselves, so I always felt like the team was working together and prioritising that bigger picture. "But in terms of the personal reflections on it all, I mean, like, I didn't really intend to be a politician, I protested so hard, I raged against the machine so hard, but I got inside the machine somehow, right? "What I take from that is, yeah, the way that we tend to conceptualise of leadership is, you know, putting somebody at the top of the pecking order and going, 'That person's going to make all the decisions and have all the glory and all the other things', and the responsibility, obviously, is on the flip side of that coin. "But I've always felt really grounded in a team that I know has my back." It is not unusual for the Green Party to feel out of step with its parliamentary colleagues — an accusation the governing parties are happy to widen out to include the entire country. It has felt more stark than usual this term though, as its MPs have been assailed as being luddite opponents of progress for questioning the need for economic growth and the requirement for natural resources to be dug up to fuel it. While many of those attacks have come from National, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's gentle urging that the Greens back the fast-track legislation are nowhere near as stinging as Mr Peters adorning the Greens' recently released alternative budget with a Soviet-era hammer and sickle or his NZ First colleague Shane Jones' exhortations to the Greens to not worry about moths or Freddy the Frog and push ahead with mining. If there is such a thing as a philosophic debate in the New Zealand Parliament, these two parties are having it. It can even be intellectual listening once the sloganeering is stripped away from it. "What they are saying is pretty boring, and it misses the mark in terms of the real debate that New Zealanders expect of the people who occupy positions of power to be having," Ms Swarbrick said. "That's part of the reason that we are currently all across the country touring the Green budget and talking to people directly about the things that matter to them, as opposed to waiting for it to be mediated, whether that be through the headlines that we manage to grab or otherwise. "Honestly, the experience of sitting in our chamber of Parliament, particularly under the tenor of toxicity that this government is ushered in, is so far removed from the reality that you experience and you talk to with New Zealanders up and down this country when you're actually on the ground and outside of those walls." The building blocks at the foundation of what will be the Green policy platform for the 2026 election are contained within that alternative budget. It is a beguiling document, opening with pledges of free community healthcare and dental treatment, full funding a new Dunedin hospital, publicly funded early childhood education, free school lunches, a guaranteed income for all, climate action, healthy oceans, a resurgent Jobs for Nature scheme, and a green jobs industrial strategy. But then comes the method of paying for it all — essentially making corporations, and those individuals at the apex of the existing progressive tax system, pay more through introducing a wealth tax (a long-standing Greens policy), an extra tax band at the top end, and hiking business tax. Despite Ms Swarbrick's immediate assertion that 91% of New Zealanders would pay less income tax under her party's plan, it is these revenue-gathering methods that stand her party accused of promoting communism. "Yes, the top 3%, the wealthiest 3% in this country, will pay the wealth tax," she said. "But in doing so, that unlocks the resources which are currently being bound up in unproductive uses, i.e., the likes of property speculation. It also addresses some of the unfairness in our tax system, which the 2023 IRD High Wealth Individuals Report showcased, where the wealthiest 311 households pay an effective tax rate less than half of the average New Zealander. "We currently have a situation where half a million New Zealanders are using food banks every single month; 191 New Zealanders, the majority of them of working age, are leaving the country every single day. "We do not arrest that issue with half measures." The next election is about a year away and, unlike some previous electoral cycles, the Greens have cause to be optimistic. The Greens' polling has held relatively steady — from a record election result high of 11.6%, its current average rating across all public polls is 10.4% — and its caucus now has a more settled look about it. Its southern rookie MPs, Scott Willis and Francisco Hernandez, have performed well and are helping to give the Greens a wider geographic representation than in recent years. It is also doing well in the House, thanks in no small part to the work of the impressively forensic Lawrence Xu-Nan. With three electorate seats and 15 MPs, Ms Swarbrick is adamant the Greens have great potential to grow that vote still further. "I think you're seeing the rise of meaningful progressive platforms like, for example, Zohran Mamdani in New York, who has unified people on the basis of material needs being met," she said. "That stuff is winning. That is a winning formula. And that is the formula that we are going to consistently keep rolling out. "We are talking to people about what really matters, not just poking holes and critiquing, but putting forward those productive solutions, but also mobilising people. "We do things a little bit differently and we are a little bit different, and we try and reflect what modern Aotearoa New Zealand looks like. "Hopefully that means that more people can see themselves in that so-called House of Representatives by virtue of us being there."
Scoop
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Greens Call For Safe Passage Of Madleen And Government To Sanction Israel
Press Release – Green Party Weaponising critical humanitarian aid must stop. Shooting at innocent people lining up for kai must stop. Aotearoa New Zealand cannot remain a bystander to the slaughter of innocent people in Gaza. The Green Party is calling for the safe passage of the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel on course to Gaza, following the Freedom Flotilla being seized by the Israeli Military and urging the New Zealand Government to sanction Israel for its illegal occupation of Palestine. 'The Green Party is calling for the safe passage of the Madleen and for the New Zealand Government to step up and sanction Israel for its violent occupation of Palestine and continued disregard for international law,' says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. 'The Madleen was trying to get much-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza, and has been intercepted by the Israeli Military in international waters. This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the International Court of Justice's binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. 'Weaponising critical humanitarian aid must stop. Shooting at innocent people lining up for kai must stop. Aotearoa New Zealand cannot remain a bystander to the slaughter of innocent people in Gaza. 'I was on a peace flotilla for Gaza almost ten years ago and it pains me to still see the need for one all these years later. 'If we stand for human rights and peace and justice, our Parliament must act. The New Zealand Government must sanction Israel and can do so by supporting Chlöe Swarbrick's Member's Bill. All we need is the support of six Government MPs to make this happen. 'In September, Aotearoa joined 123 UN Member States to support a resolution calling for sanctions against those responsible for Israel's 'unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in relation to settler violence.' 'Our Government has since done nothing to fulfil that commitment. Our Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill starts that very basic process. 'The Green Party stands with the Madleen and will continue to fight for the people of Palestine,' says Marama Davidson. Notes: In 2016, Marama Davidson was a part of the Women's Boat to Gaza which brought awareness to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and highlighted the crucial role of women in keeping their communities afloat, particularly in post-conflict situations. Standing Order 288 outlines the process for Member's Bills to bypass the member's bill ballot (colloquially known as the 'biscuit tin'), with the support of 61 non-executive members. With 55 Opposition members now officially in support of Swarbrick's Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill, the support of just 6 Government MPs are necessary to get the Bill onto the floor of Parliament. On 10th December 2024, Swarbrick wrote to all Members of Parliament asking their support for the Bill to bypass the ballot, and later asked the Prime Minister in the House if there would be any Government policy or position preventing MPs from exercising their democratic right to support the Bill bypassing the ballot. He said that he would have a 'good look at the Bill'. In the tenth emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly on 18 September 2024, NZ joined 123 other member states in supporting United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/24 'Advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences arising from Israel's policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and from the illegality of Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory'. This resolution affirmed the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding Israel's actions and presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, called upon all states to comply with their obligations under international law, and, amongst other actions, called upon all States to implement sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, against natural and legal persons engaged in the maintenance of Israel's unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in relation to settler violence. This Bill implements a sanctions framework, duplicating the Russia Sanctions Act, to allow sanctions to be imposed by the Government against Israel in response to Israel's unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Bill implements some initial sanctions against Israeli Ministers, Israeli MPs who have supported the occupation, and military leadership, as well as sanctions on assets and services relating to arms and assets and services that are of economic or strategic importance to Israel.
Scoop
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Greens Call For Safe Passage Of Madleen And Government To Sanction Israel
The Green Party is calling for the safe passage of the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel on course to Gaza, following the Freedom Flotilla being seized by the Israeli Military and urging the New Zealand Government to sanction Israel for its illegal occupation of Palestine. 'The Green Party is calling for the safe passage of the Madleen and for the New Zealand Government to step up and sanction Israel for its violent occupation of Palestine and continued disregard for international law," says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. 'The Madleen was trying to get much-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza, and has been intercepted by the Israeli Military in international waters. This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the International Court of Justice's binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. 'Weaponising critical humanitarian aid must stop. Shooting at innocent people lining up for kai must stop. Aotearoa New Zealand cannot remain a bystander to the slaughter of innocent people in Gaza. 'I was on a peace flotilla for Gaza almost ten years ago and it pains me to still see the need for one all these years later. 'If we stand for human rights and peace and justice, our Parliament must act. The New Zealand Government must sanction Israel and can do so by supporting Chlöe Swarbrick's Member's Bill. All we need is the support of six Government MPs to make this happen. 'In September, Aotearoa joined 123 UN Member States to support a resolution calling for sanctions against those responsible for Israel's 'unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in relation to settler violence.' 'Our Government has since done nothing to fulfil that commitment. Our Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill starts that very basic process. 'The Green Party stands with the Madleen and will continue to fight for the people of Palestine,' says Marama Davidson. Notes: In 2016, Marama Davidson was a part of the Women's Boat to Gaza which brought awareness to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and highlighted the crucial role of women in keeping their communities afloat, particularly in post-conflict situations. Standing Order 288 outlines the process for Member's Bills to bypass the member's bill ballot (colloquially known as the 'biscuit tin'), with the support of 61 non-executive members. With 55 Opposition members now officially in support of Swarbrick's Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill, the support of just 6 Government MPs are necessary to get the Bill onto the floor of Parliament. On 10th December 2024, Swarbrick wrote to all Members of Parliament asking their support for the Bill to bypass the ballot, and later asked the Prime Minister in the House if there would be any Government policy or position preventing MPs from exercising their democratic right to support the Bill bypassing the ballot. He said that he would have a 'good look at the Bill'. In the tenth emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly on 18 September 2024, NZ joined 123 other member states in supporting United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/24 'Advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences arising from Israel's policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and from the illegality of Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory'. This resolution affirmed the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding Israel's actions and presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, called upon all states to comply with their obligations under international law, and, amongst other actions, called upon all States to implement sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, against natural and legal persons engaged in the maintenance of Israel's unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in relation to settler violence. This Bill implements a sanctions framework, duplicating the Russia Sanctions Act, to allow sanctions to be imposed by the Government against Israel in response to Israel's unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Bill implements some initial sanctions against Israeli Ministers, Israeli MPs who have supported the occupation, and military leadership, as well as sanctions on assets and services relating to arms and assets and services that are of economic or strategic importance to Israel.
NZ Herald
26-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Finance Minister Nicola Willis to speak post-Budget in Auckland
'I think there are some benefits with universal superannuation … and if you are to make any change to that area we have to phase it in over a large period of time," she said. National previously campaigned on increasing the superannuation age gradually over many years, but the party's policy platform for the 2026 election has not yet been decided. Willis also confirmed yesterday that government departments and agencies were assessing the potential cost of the decision to phase in increased employer contributions to KiwiSaver. The default rate will reach 4% by 2028. She told RNZ any cost could be met with new spending in next year's budget, or be covered through cuts. Her comments came after the Green Party claimed the additional cost of potentially $700 million had not been accounted for in this year's Budget, which Willis deemed 'ludicrous'. Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick claimed the Government had failed to account for what could be $633m-$714m in additional costs. 'If she's honest with New Zealanders, that means the Government has intentionally hidden more than half a billion dollars extra in public service cuts to come,' Swarbrick said of Willis. The potential financial burden for the Government is referenced in the Treasury's Budget Economic and Fiscal Update, but it did not come with a cost estimate. Willis claimed Swarbrick's numbers were 'out of whack' and 'quite ludicrous' but acknowledged Crown agencies were currently assessing the 'potential implications'. 'They'll then provide advice to the Government. If additional funding is required, I expect it would have to take the form of a pre-commitment against next year's budget operating allowance,' Willis said. However, she later told RNZ it was possible any costs could be satisfied by cuts, while noting it was 'far too soon to say'. 'It may be that we say this needs to be met with additional funding, it may be that we say there's something we can reprioritise elsewhere.' Willis said she expected all government contractual obligations, including those regarding KiwiSaver, to be met and suspected employer contributions would form part of future pay round negotiations. She acknowledged the Government had 'limited visibility' of what its KiwiSaver obligations were. Swarbrick predicted the Government would cut spending from essential public services to make up the extra cost. 'If the Government doesn't front up with the funds between now and April next year when the first set of changes come into force, Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis will be forcing immediate cuts directly to frontline services in health, education and social services to pay for their fiscal hole.'
