New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has announced a policy to restrict voting rights to only those with New Zealand citizenship.

Peters announced the policy at a public meeting in Warkworth on Sunday afternoon.

Currently, legal residents living in New Zealand continuously for a year or more, and whose visa does not require them to leave within a certain time are eligible to vote.

This includes work or study visas, and permanent residents.

Announcing his new policy on Sunday, party leader Peters said voting "should be a privilege of those who have sworn allegiance to New Zealand, and who have made the commitment to make New Zealand their home and their future"

"If you haven't made that commitment or sworn that allegiance, we are happy to let you live here permanently, but why should you get a say in how this country is run or governed?" he said.

"New Zealand First will restore the basic democratic principle that the right to decide New Zealand's future belongs to New Zealand citizens."

Peters said permanent residence granted rights to live, work, study and build a life in New Zealand, but citizenship "is the formal bond of allegiance, belonging, responsibility, and democratic authority".

He said the distinction "should matter again".

According to his speech notes, Peters said it was a problem that any permanent resident who had been living in New Zealand via the normal application process could vote after two years.

"They can vote on who the government is, they can vote on who the local council is, they can even vote in referendums that would fundamentally change the social fabric of our society. Is this what we really mean by democracy in our country?"

Peters has also opposed the India free trade agreement, warning that it would allow significantly more immigration.

El Niño is officially underway - and could develop into one of the strongest on record.

Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ) has followed counterparts in Australia, Japan and the US in declaring an El Niño event, in its seasonal climate outlook released today.

It said the climate phenomenon would strongly influence New Zealand's weather during spring and into summer, with "spiky" temperatures in some places.

The agency expected drier than usual conditions in the north and east, while some parts of the south and west South Island would likely be wetter than normal.

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Brandolino said this year's El Niño would, at the very least rival the intensity of the five strongest El Niño events already on the modern record.

"There are compelling reasons to believe it will exceed that, and it has all the makings to be an historically strong event ... based on what we're seeing in the observations in the ocean as well as the modelling."

That did not necessarily translate into equally profound effects on New Zealand but it did increase those odds, he said.

"When we have these strong or very strong so-called Super El Niños, we tend to find stronger impacts or more profound impacts."

Alarm bells are ringing over the coalition's school lunch programme, with the Auditor-General warning the government has not been able to clearly show the scheme is delivering its aims.

A report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday afternoon finds the programme is saving money compared to Labour's approach, but says its performance is not being properly monitored or tracked.

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The findings were part of a final report from the Auditor-General's investigation begun last year after concerns were raised about the programme - in the media and with the Office directly - over quality, timeliness, appropriateness of the food provided, how costs were determined and how providers were selected.

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In a statement, Seymour rebuffed the criticisms, saying the report "favours process over outcomes, and the disgruntled over reality".

"The report is driven by former suppliers and former employees of the Ministry of Education," he said.

"By making the programme more efficient I have saved the taxpayer $360m and counting. The Auditor-General should be happy about this outcome. Reading the report, it feels like the Auditor-General would be happy if we spent another $360m to get the same outcome, so long as we followed his preferred process.

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More at link

RNZ is tracking the money flowing to the parties this election year and where it is coming from.

Here's where things stand.

ACT $1,529,044

• 28 donations from 26 donors
• Largest donors: Nicholas Mowbray ($200,000)
• Donor mix: 30% organisations / 70% individuals

National $823,670

• 17 donations from 16 donors
• Largest donors: Craig and / or Shayne Greenlees, GMP Environmental Ltd, Michael Grant Sullivan, Stewart Capital Partners Ltd (each $100,000)
• Donor mix: 56% organisations / 44% individuals

NZ First $500,000

• 8 donations from 8 donors
• Largest donors: Sir Peter Vela ($150,000)
• Donor mix: 35% organisations / 65% individuals

Labour $401,511

• 4 donations from 4 donors
• Largest donors: Estate of Murray George Jones ($219,178)
• Donor mix: 0% organisations / 100% individuals

Opportunity $315,520

• 7 donations from 6 donors
• Largest donors: Brian Cartmell, Phillip Mills (each $100,000)
• Donor mix: 6% organisations / 94% individuals

Green $163,315

• 4 donations from 4 donors
• Largest donors: Michael Lookman, Phillip Mills (each $50,000)
• Donor mix: 0% organisations / 100% individuals

Te Pāti Māori $40,000

• 1 donation from 1 donor
• Largest donors: John Tamihere ($40,000)
• Donor mix: 0% organisations / 100% individuals

Bunch more information, infographic etc. in the article.

Labour would reset the Apprenticeship Boost scheme back to two years from 2028, if re-elected.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has announced the election policy to supporters at the party congress in Wellington.

Started in 2020, the scheme pays employers $500 a month for one year to take on apprentices, helping pay for things like wages and ensuring apprentices can keep earning while training.

In 2025, the scheme was pegged back from a two-year subsidy to instead focus on first-year apprentices in targeted occupations.

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More at link

The ACT Party has announced Nicole McKee as their new deputy leader, taking over from Brooke van Velden, at a party rally in Auckland today.

McKee, who currently serves as the Minister for Courts and Associate Justice Minister, entered Parliament in 2020 and was outspoken on gun reforms enacted by the Labour government in the wake of the Christchurch shootings.

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Out-going deputy leader and Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden announced she would retire from politics at the November election to pursue a career in the private sector.

Labour Party candidates and members are rallying in Wellington, with leader Chris Hipkins saying it is a chance for the party to get "fired up" ahead of the election.

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"We'll get our members all fired up, we'll be talking about the campaign ahead, and it'll be an opportunity for us to talk about some of the new talent that we've got standing for us, showcase some of our new candidates who are going to make a huge contribution here in Parliament, and basically get onto the election year footing that we're all heading towards."

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On Sunday, Hipkins will address the party faithful, and is expected to announce a policy.

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Labour has now made a series of announcements in health, including free doctor's visits, free prescriptions, free cervical screening and free maternity scans. These would be funded through the party's capital gains tax.

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The ACT Party is also holding its rally on Sunday in Auckland, with the party expected to unveil its new deputy leader. Current deputy leader Brooke van Velden is stepping down at the election.

National held its annual general meeting (AGM) last week, with the party announcing its KiwiSaver policy while also taking a dig at its coalition partners.

New Zealand First and the Green Party are expected to hold their AGMs next month.

Explainer: Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says the Conservation Amendment Bill doesn't include a plan to sell great swathes of conservation land.

But conservation groups say he's missing the point, because the bill creates a legal framework that could allow just that.

Here's what the bill says.

What does the bill actually do?

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There are several key changes.

The biggest is the addition of a new, overarching consideration the Department of Conservation (DOC) has to account for when making decisions. It must put economic opportunities front and centre.

What land does it make available for sale?

Currently, only land classed as 'stewardship land' is allowed to be sold. The bill changes this.

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What's the test for selling?

At present, the Department of Conservation says stewardship land can be sold only if it has no or very low conservation value.

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The new tests allow land in these areas to be exchanged or "disposed" by selling off, as long as it's not important for threatened species and it doesn't contain the best examples of wildlife or plants of its type in the area.

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More at link...

Housing Minister Chris Bishop has acknowledged the increase in rent for social housing tenants was based on "no particular science", merely what the government "felt was appropriate".

He says he is frustrated over a lack of progress in housing the vulnerable, highlighting an "unfairness" that nearly a third of tenants could afford private rents but had not left social housing.

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Opposition MPs in Wednesday's select committee scrutiny hearing were more frustrated by one specific solution: the government's increased rental charges for social housing tenants.

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He said about 29 percent of social housing tenants earned enough to be able to afford a "lower quartile rent in the private market".

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Changes already made included increases to the Accommodation Supplement, alongside hiking tenants' social housing costs from 25 percent of their income to 30 percent, while the government was yet to finalise changes like more stringent criteria for accessing social housing, limits on tenancy duration, and check-ins.

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More at link, including dialogue between Chris Bishop and Tamatha Paul (Greens)

Former minister Peter Dunne says Children's Minister Karen Chhour's explanation for spending nearly $17,000 on airport parking leaves many questions unanswered and highlights the "cavalier" attitude of some MPs towards taxpayer-funded expenses at a time when New Zealanders are under financial pressure.

Newly released expense records, first reported by The Press, show Chhour spent $16,686 on parking at Auckland Airport between February 2024 and February 2026, with her vehicle parked there for a combined eight-and-a-half months.

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A quirk in ministerial expense reporting has exposed nearly $17,000 in airport parking costs incurred by Children's Minister Karen Chhour, offering a rare glimpse into a category of parliamentary spending that is usually hidden from public view.

Expense records show Chhour's vehicle was parked at Auckland Airport for a combined eight and a half months between February 2024 and February 2026, generating parking charges of $16,686 paid for by taxpayers.

The Press (Paywalled) : What one minister's airport parking bill reveals about MP spending

Opportunity, a minor party with a new leader, is accusing NZ First of "playing the left and the right off each other" and criticising its relationship with commercial fishing.

In an interview for RNZ's 30 with Guyon Espiner, party leader Qiulae Wong positioned Opportunity as an alternative for the kingmaker role filled by NZ First at previous elections. That party's leader, Winston Peters, "has done extraordinarily well for himself and for his party" to be in government so many times.

"But then it raises the question, what has he really done for New Zealand when we're still really struggling with some of these big issues?" Wong said.

"I think that he has played both the left and the right off of each other, and I don't think that's serving New Zealanders."

Whereas NZ First was "a handbrake on progress," her party would be "an accelerator to the future" by keeping Labour and National accountable for "moving forward".

More at link

Labour has vowed to cap public transport fares at $20 a week in main centres and $10 everywhere else if elected.

Its fare cap policy announced on Wednesday would put money back into New Zealanders' back pockets, said leader Chris Hipkins.

"This is real cost-of-living relief. It means cheaper commutes, more money left at the end of the week, and a public transport system that works for everyone."

The cap, which would be introduced on 1 July 2027, is $20 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and $10 everywhere else.

The party said it was higher in main centres because they offered more services, that cost more.

The policy would cost about $65 million each year, using about 1 percent of the National Land Transport Fund, Labour said.

A former top Beehive staffer used his personal email account to conduct official business - meaning at least one document was not released under the Official Information Act when it should have been.

That document - which lobbied for changes to climate change legislation - was sent by Fonterra to Matt Burgess, who was the prime minister's chief policy adviser at the time.

The revelation has drawn a stronger reaction from the Prime Minister than his response following reporting by RNZ last month the same document was given in hard copy format to the same staffer, which Christopher Luxon's office had no record of.

Luxon now says it does not meet the standards expected of staff in the Beehive and undermines public trust and transparency.

The Leader of the Opposition says it "stinks to high heaven".

The Department of Internal Affairs and the Ombudsman are now both investigating the lack of records kept in regards to the document.

So what happened and who knew what, when? RNZ takes a look back at the timeline of events.

More at link.

Explainer - Parliament is currently considering a bill that would officially define what a man and woman are in New Zealand law.

The Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill, a member's bill introduced by New Zealand First MP Jenny Marcroft, passed its first reading last month.

The bill is open for public submission through 2 July. (emphasis mine)

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The bill would legally define the terms "woman" and "man" in New Zealand law.

It's a short bill, which would amend the Legislation Act 2019, which outlines the overall principles for drafting and interpreting new statute laws made in New Zealand.

It would insert clauses that state "In any legislation, regardless of gender identity, woman means an adult human biological female; and female means a human biological female" and "in any legislation, regardless of gender identity, man means an adult human biological male; and male means a human biological male." (The bold words are part of the bill.)

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More at link

The film, which features home footage shot by husband Clarke Gayford, has won the top prize for best documentary at the 2026 News & Documentary Emmy Awards.

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A documentary about former New Zealand Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern has won the top prize for best documentary at the 2026 News & Documentary Emmy Awards.

The production also took home the award for outstanding politics and government documentary at Thursday's event in the US, Variety reported.

Prime Minister followed the story of how the world's then-youngest female head of government balanced motherhood with leadership, and navigated crises like the Covid-19 lockdowns and the Christchurch terror attack.

A proposed new law would allow the Ministry of Social Development to use AI to make decisions about people's benefits.

A change to the Social Security Act is being debated under urgency in Parliament - meaning it avoids the select committee process which includes public consultation and scrutiny.

The Act already allowed for the "targeted" use of "automated decision making", and that would widen if the Bill passed.

It would enable MSD to "approve the use of an automated electronic system by a specified person to make any decision, exercise any power, comply with any obligation, or take any other related action under any specified provision, with appropriate safeguards."

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The ACT Party has received $600,000 in new donations in the last 20 days, more than doubling its tally in election year so far to $1.2m raised.

The donations surge puts ACT well ahead of its coalition partners National ($728,071), and NZ First ($500,000).

Opposition parties have far lower totals. Labour has raised $182,333 to date, roughly one seventh of ACT's total.

The Green Party has $93,015 and Te Pāti Māori $40,000, which is a single donation from party president John Tamihere.

Raising more than opposition parties is Opportunity, which has so far received $240,500.

These totals only include large donations of more than $20,000, which must be declared publicly within 20 days of receipt in election years.

Information on donations less than $20,000 will be made public in 2027 when parties are required to submit a full record of donations.

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There is some charts / infographics at the link, suggest going there and having a look.

The Treasury: Budget 2026
https://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/budgets/budget-2026

Significant investment in social and affordable housing is crucial to solving New Zealand's housing crisis and ending homelessness, a new report says.

The report by Community Housing Aotearoa warns homelessness has reached its highest level ever, with a shortage of affordable housing compounding the problem.

Chief executive Paul Gilberd said New Zealand had the "programmes and the capacity" to end homelessness if there was political will to do so.

"We can solve it as a nation here in New Zealand. It really is a political choice," he said.

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The report said 28.8 percent of people experiencing homelessness in Aotearoa were Māori despite Māori making up 17.1 percent of the total population.

Pacific people made up 22.6 percent of those experiencing homelessness, despite being only around 8 percent of the population.

Women made up just over half of those experiencing severe housing deprivation.

The report also highlighted the number of young people experiencing homelessness with more than half of all people under the age of 24.

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Concern about fuel prices has surged 17 points to become the fourth-biggest issue for New Zealanders, with Labour rated best able to tackle the problem.

The Ipsos Issues Monitor survey showed Labour rated most capable of managing seven of the top 10 concerns, despite a dearth of policy proposals - including on fuel.

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Labour still leads on 9 of the top 20 concerns, while National leads on four - and they are equal on two (drug/alcohol abuse; population/overcrowding).

Ratings of the government remained at 4.2 out of 10 - the same rating achieved in February and just three points up from the record-low 3.9 reported in November.

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#	Issue	Party
1	Inflation / cost of living	Labour
2	Healthcare / hospitals	Labour
3	The economy	National
4	Petrol prices / Fuel	Labour
5	Housing / Price of housing	Labour
6	Unemployment	Labour
7	Poverty / inequality	Labour
8	Crime / Law order	National
9	Climate	Green
10	Education	Labour
=11	Household debt / Personal debt	Labour
=11	Transport / Public transport / Infrastructure	National
13	Immigration	Labour
=14	Taxation	Labour
=14	Drug / Alcohol abuse	Labour / National
=16	Environmental pollution / Water concerns	Green
=16	Race relations / Racism	Labour
=16	Issues facing Māori	Te Pati Māori
=19	Population / overpopulation	Labour / National
=19	Defence / foreign affairs / terrorism	National