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Politics headlines with summaries.
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Kiwis putting cost of living ahead of environment, ministry boss says
5 Dec 2025The Ministry for the Environment boss believes New Zealanders are more concerned about immediate pressures on households, than the environment.
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KiwiRail chair warns director's conflicts of interest are affecting board efficiency
4 Dec 2025During a scrutiny week hearing, Suzanne Tindal said management of the issues resulted in O'Donnell having to recuse himself from "a number of items on the board agenda".
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'Deeply disappointing': Former climate commissioner on govt's rejection of emission targets
4 Dec 2025Critics say the government has placed short-term economic growth ahead of the long-term consequences. Audio
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Govt deficit $700m worse than expected as tax take falls short
Treasury says the overall financial outlook is mixed, continuing trends from recent months.
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Gang patch ban 'likely' behind increase in drug possession charges - Justice Ministry
4 Dec 2025Under scrutiny week questioning, ministry CEO Andrew Kibblewhite said it was a hypothesis, but that more investigation was needed.
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Analysis: Can Andrew Coster come back from this?
4 Dec 2025Analysis - Writers had their fun calling it 'Coster's Last Stand', and like the general's doomed battle, it ended with a crushing fall, writes Craig McCulloch.
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Ministers were warned against removing schools' Treaty obligations
4 Dec 2025The Education Ministry advice preceded the decision to delete a clause in the Education and Training Act that required schools to give effect to the Treaty of Waitangi.
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Scrutiny Week: A cascade of diminishing attention
4 Dec 2025Parliament's biannual Scrutiny Weeks involve a sudden glut of oversight, but what reaches the public is only a glimpse behind the curtain.
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Ousted Te Pāti Māori MP challenges 'purported expulsion' in court
4 Dec 2025Mariameno Kapa-Kingi has applied for a temporary court order to reinstate her into the party and remove its president John Tamihere.
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Thumbs up for 'robust' complaints system to ease 'niggles' in retirement villages
4 Dec 2025The government's planned rule changes strike a balance between residents' and operators' needs, the retirement commissioner says.
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Rates cap puts future infrastructure projects at risk ‒ Marlborough mayor
4 Dec 2025Local government inflation was 3.3 percent this year, meaning almost all of a 4 percent rates cap would have been used to cover inflation, Nadine Taylor said.
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Rotokākahi pipeline planning grievances aired in High Court
4 Dec 2025The Rotokākahi Board of Control has aired its grievances at the High Court in Rotorua about the process to install a sewerage pipeline near a sacred lake. Rotorua Lakes Council's...
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Schools left to foot the bill for asbestos sand clean-up
4 Dec 2025The Ministry of Education says childcare centres and schools are legally responsible for funding asbestos-contaminated sand removal. Audio
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NZTA halts millions in funding to police over breath test saga
4 Dec 2025The New Zealand Transport Agency says it is holding back the $6m until it's satisfied police have met their targets.
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Government rejects all emissions target recommendations
4 Dec 2025It comes despite a Climate Change Commission warning that New Zealand is being hit sooner and more severely than expected.
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'Give it a rest, jerk': MPs clash over school lunches
4 Dec 2025Labour MPs have hit back at David Seymour as he joked they were chasing Oscars. Audio
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Process to register stillbirths to be changed
4 Dec 2025The minister for mental health is looking into changing the process of registering a stillbirth for grieving parents.
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No free lunch on meeting Paris Agreement - climate analysts
4 Dec 2025The government's claim it can meet emissions targets without writing "billion-dollar cheques" is implausible, experts say.
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Govt puts $15m towards weapons and equipment for Ukraine
4 Dec 2025The amount brings New Zealand's total monetary contributions for the country's war efforts to more than $53m, more than half of it for weapons and ammunition. Audio
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I would have sacked Coster if he hadn't quit, Sir Brian Roche says
3 Dec 2025The Public Service Commissioner says Coster's role would have been "very, very challenging" if he'd stayed on. Audio
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'Negotiate with your landlord' - Housing Minister's message to renters
3 Dec 2025Housing Minister Chris Bishop said renters should be taking advantage of the market.
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Casey Costello back in firing line over big tobacco's influence
3 Dec 2025Costello assured MPs she remained focused on achieving the Smokefree 2025 goals.
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Benefit advance declines double for clothing, electricity
3 Dec 2025The Social Development minister said there's been no policy change and she's not concerned because "advances create greater hardship down the track".
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Ousted Te Pāti Māori MP taking president to court
3 Dec 2025Kapa-Kingi was expelled from the party, alongside Tākuta Ferris, in early November after a period of internal conflict.
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