Category: Politics

Source: Radio New Zealand

Shane Jones is continuing to make a case for why the Marsden Point refinery should have been saved, but his coalition partner David Seymour says the economics don’t stack up.

The debate over whether the now-defunct refinery would have left New Zealand less vulnerable to supply chain issues played out extensively in Parliament on Thursday.

It comes after government ministers met on Wednesday night to discuss the country’s fuel security as the ongoing war in Iran puts pressure on supply.

Currently the country has about 52 days worth of fuel supply either in country or en route.

Jones, the associate energy minister, first blamed the previous Labour government for allowing oil companies to give up storing fuel here in favour of a ‘just-in-time’ model relying on multiple import sources, in an interview with RNZ’s Morning Report on Thursday.

Responding to that criticism, Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Jones is being dishonest by blaming the previous government for current fuel resilience woes.

Hipkins told RNZ the closure of Marsden Point was a business decision, made by its private owners, and not a government decision.

“Ultimately Shane Jones is being very dishonest in the way he’s presenting that.

“Marsden Point refinery was processing oil that was imported from offshore. To say by importing the oil already processed, that somehow fuel security in New Zealand is less because of that, is just wrong.”

But Jones has doubled down saying the previous government fatally wounded the country’s fuel security in its decisions around Marsden Point, and says a 2021 Cabinet paper proves it.

The paper, which RNZ has a copy of, shows the Labour government considered providing a loan to Marsden Point but ultimately the then-Minister of Energy Megan Woods said there was not a strong case.

Hipkins says if Marsden Point would be useful as a storage option then “the tanks are still there and [the coalition] can have that conversation”.

It’s unlikely to get wide support at the coalition cabinet table however, with Act leader David Seymour declaring it a bad idea.

Seymour used to work at the refinery and his grandad helped build it in 1962.

“Let’s get a few things straight, first of all the shareholders chose to close it down. It was a commercial decision because it was costing more to refine there than elsewhere.”

To justify subsidising the refinery now to have it open would require a public benefit, he said.

“Once you go through the arguments it doesn’t actually stack up.”

When RNZ put to Seymour that it was his coalition partner, Jones, who was making the arugments to keep it open, he responded: “Well look, economics is not a gift given to everybody”.

Jones, however, has pointed to the 700 million litres of storage capacity at the refinery and the benefits that would bring if it was available today.

On Seymour’s criticism of his economic credibility, Jones said, “the leader of the Act party can say what he likes”.

“Sadly I was unemployed when that decision was made for the closure, and it would never have happened if me and my leader were around.”

Finance Minister Nicola Willis, who is chairing the ministerial group overseeing fuel security, said there was no question if Marsden Point was up and running today it would make the country more resilient.

“That’s a simple fact.

“Now the circumstances under which it closed is for the previous government to answer to, they were in the hotseats at the time,” she said.

Recommissioning it now isn’t an option, according to Willis.

“I’m focussed on what we can do here and now, not looking back in anger, but of course those who observe we’d be more resilient if it was still up and running, they’re right.”

‘Hard to say’ – fuel supply expert

Consultant Andreas Heuser, a fuel supply expert at Heuser Whittington, helped author a fuel security study last year, which found reestablishing the refinery would bring only a little more resilience at a very high cost.

“The study did conclude that re-establishing Marsden Point was by far and away the most costly option, and the resilience benefits that it did offer were relatively small compared to other resilience options, such as increasing tankage, transitioning to EVs, improving the fleet of fuel trucks that drive around the country.”

Heuser told RNZ it was “hard to say” whether it would help much now even had it remained open, given the refinery processed Middle Eastern crude.

“It might be marginally more secure. But also, given that it processed a lot of Middle Eastern crude, there’s definitely a case to say we’d be less resilient.”

Heuser said Jones did have a point that the refinery would have given New Zealand a “larger crude storage buffer”.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/12/should-marsden-point-refinery-have-been-saved-shane-jones-and-david-seymour-cant-agree/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi says she is still waiting to learn what her reinstatement to Te Pāti Māori will look like in practice, and there are still questions over whether the party can be trusted by her rohe.

On Tuesday, Kapa-Kingi was officially reinstated to Te Pāti Māori after the High Court ruled her suspension and subsequent expulsion was unlawful.

Speaking to media for the first time since her reinstatement, Kapa-Kingi said the court’s decision was an important first step, but it would not heal the hurt carried by her people.

“This moment is not about personal vindication, it is about mokopuna. Mokopuna in the sense that every decision I make is measured by whether our mokopuna will inherit a better situation than the one we have today.”

Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris, who was also expelled but haD not been reinstated, said Te Pāti Māori had a “huge job” to repair its reputational damage.

Kapa-Kingi said her legal challenge was to ensure the voices of the people who elected her were shown respect.

“Te Pāti Māori’s kawa exists for a reason. They ensure respect for the authority and mana motuhake of our individual electorates – that respect was not afforded to the thousands of whānau in Te Tai Tokerau who entrusted me with the responsibility to represent them.

“The question remains whether Te Pāti Māori can be trusted by my rohe, while no changes have been made in the capability of the party beyond this term is debated amongst te iwi Māori,” she said.

Kapa-Kingi said there was no evidence she had misused funds or brought the party into disrepute.

“Utu pursued with ill intent can only attach where ill intent exists.”

She was determined to stand again in Te Tai Tokerau, and said running as an independent was possible despite her reinstatement.

“There is a world that has that potential possibility in it, yes.”

Asked whether she had rejoined the party, she said she was “in the early stages of what the detail of that actually looks like”.

In his judgement, Justice Paul Radich said the process had breached the party’s “kawa” – rules, requirements and protocols.

“To convene a meeting which would play a fundamental part in determining Kapa-Kingi’s future with the pāti without involving her, without giving any indication that a resolution to suspend her was on the table, without allowing her an opportunity for a substantive response, and in the absence of the members of her electorate council, could not on any view be seen, for example, as elevating and enhancing relationships, as working together with respect, as promoting whanaungatanga, as working for unity, as developing an environment that nourishes wairua or that reflects the attributes of rangatira,” Radich wrote.

Kapa-Kingi had also sought to challenge the re-appointment of John Tamihere as the party’s president, but Justice Radich did not uphold that, saying there was “no invalidity” in the process of Tamihere’s re-election.

She said she had received contact to “get together” with Tamihere and have a discussion, but she had not had a chance as she was focused on nephew Peeni Henare’s valedictory.

After Justice Radich had released his decision, Kapa-Kingi posted on social media that he had “brought justice” to Te Tai Tokerau voters.

“Pursuing a legal pathway in the courts was never my first choice. My intention in bringing this case throughout was not to incite division, but seek clarity and ensure that the processes we hold ourselves to – particularly those grounded in tikanga, are honoured,” she wrote.

Following Kapa-Kingi’s reinstatement, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said the party was looking forward to “repatriating” Kapa-Kingi back in.

Te Tai Tonga MP Tākuta Ferris, who was also expelled from Te Pāti Māori, has not been reinstated as he did not challenge the party’s decision. He will remain an independent MP for the rest of the term, and intends to stand again in the seat as an independent.

Speaking after Kapa-Kingi, Ferris said the court had “put the truth out there” and iwi Māori would be waiting to see how the party responded.

“The truth is on display for everyone to see. The kaupapa of Te Pāti Māori is a people movement, and it’s here to ensure that the Māori view and Māori rights are looked after and respected well in this House, and that’s the thing that draws me to here.”

Ferris did not see a need to pursue legal action, as Te Tai Tonga was happy with what he had done and supported him.

“Te Tai Tonga invited Te Pāti Māori to a hui, it wasn’t taken up, so the kaumatua of Te Tai Tonga are clear about how Te Tai Tonga will move.”

He said trust and confidence had been “eroded” and the party’s reputational damage had been “sustained, and it is going to be a huge job to rebuild it.”

Ferris believed Tamihere had too much control over the party, however, and suggested more distribution of power across a broader base of rohe representation.

Asked whether he wanted to be back in the party, Ferris said the ball was “firmly in the court” of Te Pāti Māori, and nobody wanted to be stuck in a to-and-fro forever.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/12/mariameno-kapa-kingi-unsure-if-future-lies-with-te-pati-maori-or-as-independent/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Four of the government’s nine key targets risk not being met, the latest update shows.

People receiving Jobseeker benefits have increased significantly to 223,500 and education targets remain elusive.

A target to reduce the number of households in emergency accommodation has been met well ahead of schedule, as has a goal to reduce the number of victims of assault or robbery.

RNZ is tracking progress towards each of the government’s nine targets, which were announced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in April 2024. The targets were chosen to focus the public sector on priorities, and progress is updated each quarter.

Employment and education goals – in reading, writing and mathematics – are classified as “at risk” of not being met. Two health targets are considered “feasible”: still possible, but behind schedule and facing “major risks and/or issues”.

Targets considered “on track” include reducing the number of households in emergency housing, cutting crime and youth offending, and meeting near-term greenhouse gas emission targets. Officials also say lifting school attendance is “probable”.

Each responsible agency assigns a status to progress, ranging from “on track” to “unachievable”. Progress toward reaching a target can still be classed as “feasible”, even if there are major risks or issues in meeting it, as long as the agency in charge believes these can be resolved.

The nine targets are set to be delivered by 2030, beyond the current political term.

Health

Achieving the goal for 95 percent of patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred from an emergency department within six hours remains far adrift.

The latest update shows 68.9 percent of patients are seen within that timeframe – a drop from 73.9 percent in the last quarter, and only 0.9 percent better than the September 2023 baseline figure of 68 percent.

The government’s update notes that the drop is in line with winter patterns from previous years.

When setting this target, officials warned there was a risk it would not be achievable in the short term.

“Most ED [emergency departments] nationwide are over capacity most of the time,” a briefing to ministers read.

It said wait times were affected by resourcing, community services, bed availability and seasonal changes, such as increased demand during flu season.

Attempting to reduce wait times would require significant system-wide change in hospitals, primary care and aged care, the briefing said.

“There would be a risk the target is achieved by focusing resources intensively in ED at the expense of other areas of the health system. This may result in improved ED wait times in the short term, but – through reduction in the quality of care elsewhere – would likely result in worse health outcomes and ultimately higher ED presentations in the medium to long term.”

This update noted there was a $20 million boost to emergency departments to increase frontline staffing as well as $164m over four years for new and improved urgent and after-hours care.

Palmerston North Hospital’s emergency department was being updated and 140 new inpatient wards have been fast-tracked across Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, Middlemore, Wellington Regional and Waikato hospitals.

Reaching the 95 percent goal by 2030 is considered feasible, meaning there are major risks to achievement.

The second health target for 95 percent of people to receive elective treatment within four months is a long way away from being achieved, although tracking in the right direction.

At the moment 65.9 percent of people needing elective treatments, such as hip or cataract surgeries, are seen within four months. This is higher than the 63.9 percent reported in the last quarter. This is the best result since September 2021.

The private sector is being used to tackle the waitlist, with 18 percent of treatments in the 2025/2026 year planned to be delivered by private providers. The latest report says 21,000 procedures will be funded through an Elective Boost programme.

The latest update says that at the end of June 2025 there were no patients waiting longer than two years that didn’t have a plan in place.

Delivery of this target is considered feasible, indicating there are still major risks.

Crime

The number of serious and persistent youth offenders has decreased to 856 and has now reached the target of 900 or fewer well ahead of 2030.

For a youth offender to be classed as a serious or persistent offender they must have committed three or more offences in the past 12 months, with at least one of them having a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment or more.

Bootcamps, improving response teams and locally-led initiatives and increased school attendance are listed as areas the government is focused on to reach the target.

The latest update also said the second reading of the Oranga Tamariki (Responding to Serious Youth Offending) Amendment Bill, is due to occur and this will strengthen the Government’s response to youth offenders.

The goal to reduce crime is classed as on track and has been reached ahead of the 2030 deadline, falling to 135,797, an improvement on the target of 165,000.

This target was kept as one of the nine government targets, despite officials suggesting it would be difficult to achieve and should be replaced with something easier to reach.

The goal is based on data from the New Zealand Crime and Victims’ Survey. Officials warned the survey data had a high margin of error and was more suitable for showing long-term trends.

The survey asks respondents about their experience of reported and unreported crime over the past 12 months. The latest figures represent the survey’s annual results. Quarterly data is potentially more volatile and may fluctuate.

Initiatives to reach the target include the Three Strikes sentencing reform, gang harm legislation, improving security at targeted locations and breaking the cycle of violence with expanded drug and alcohol interventions for in remand custody.

Employment

The number of people receiving Jobseeker support has risen by 5700 to 223,500 since the September report. This target remains classified as “at risk”. It is 83,500 away from the overall goal of 140,000 or fewer people receiving support by 2030.

The government’s update suggested the flow of people receiving the Jobseeker benefit will decrease as economic conditions improve. Measures to reduce the number of people on Jobseeker benefit include community job coaches, and placing 4000 Jobseeker Support Health Condition or Disability clients with case management with a view to a graduated return to work.

A test for Jobseeker eligibility for 18 and 19-year-olds was announced in October, which will mean applicants whose parents have a combined income above $65,529 will be ineligible for the benefit. It’s estimated 4300 young people will be affected by this.

Education

At 50.3 percent, Term 2’s attendance rate is well below the target of 80 percent of students present for more than 90 percent of the term. This means students should take no more than five days off a term.

Absence is classed as either “justified” or “unjustified”. Justified absences include illnesses, and other reasons which fall under school policy, such as suspensions. Unjustified absences include truancy, or taking holidays in term time. The government target of 80 percent makes no distinction between the two.

Attendance management plans have been implemented from 2026, these are now mandatory. They include attendance targets for schools, and a process to identify and manage absences.

Since 2011, the highest percentage of students attending 90 percent of a school term was 72.8 percent, in Term 1 of 2019. The average over that time was 59.4 percent.

Reaching this target is deemed “probable”.

Currently 47 percent of students are at the expected level in reading, 24 percent in writing and 23 percent in mathematics. It remains unchanged from previous reports due to the current reporting cycle. New twice-yearly assessments will commence in Term 2, along with a new tool to monitor and assess students.

A structured literacy programme has been rolled out, along with a refreshed curriculum. Mathematics and writing action plans have been launched to raise achievement.

This target is considered to be “at risk” of not being met.

Housing

Driving down the number of households in emergency housing is one target where progress leapt ahead of estimates.

From a baseline of 3141 households, the goal was to reduce the number by 75 percent, to 800 or fewer.

The current number is 444, well below the 800 which was the 2030 goal. Although it is three higher than the September update.

Part of the plan to reach the target includes improving access to other forms of housing for emergency housing residents. As of December, 1095 households (with 2340 children), have been housed in a social housing tenancy.

This is an increase of 11 households and 12 children since September’s report.

Climate

There are two targets New Zealand has committed to meeting as part of its net zero climate change goal.

The first target is for total greenhouse gas emissions between 2022 and 2025 to be below 290 megatonnes. The second target is for total emissions to be less than 305 megatonnes.

This latest government report says this target is on track, with a smaller buffer than previously reported due to a data error.

A decision on whether savings made in the first budget period being counted toward hitting the 2026 to 2030 period will be decided in 2028.

Among the work listed to ensure the target is reached was the announcement by the end of March of loans to expand electric vehicle charging stations. However, the government is considering scrapping the clean car standard.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/12/the-governments-targets-in-charts-employment-target-remains-elusive/