Articles from ‘elocal magazine’ in ‘Central Government’

At the end of the year, commentators across the spectrum have crowned Chris Bishop as 2025’s “Politician of the Year”. It’s an almost unprecedented honour for someone who isn’t even a party leader, but he spent the year at the centre of most big political stories. He was, as The Post put it today, “the main character of New Zealand politics”, often making more headlines than the Prime Minister and driving the Government’s most ambitious reforms.

New Zealand First is regrettably opposed to the India Free Trade Agreement announced today, Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says. · “We consider the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement to be neither free nor fair,” Mr Peters says. “Regrettably, this is a bad deal for New Zealand. It gives too much away, especially on immigration, and does not get enough in return for New Zealanders, including on dairy." “New Zealand First urged its coalition…

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says voters will see a very different Labour Party at the 2026 election, arguing the country has “moved on” and claims that the party’s policies have shifted accordingly. His flagship economic pitch centres on a capital gains tax targeted at investment and commercial property, a long-debated Labour policy. Labour claims the proposed tax would fund three GP visits a year, a Future Fund, cervical screening and other…

New documents released by Cam Slater of The Good Oil have intensified scrutiny of Willie Jackson’s handling of staff disputes inside the Manukau Urban Māori Authority, where his wife serves as CEO. The materials, which appear to support key parts of Matt McCarten’s complaint to Parliament, emerged after several days of silence from major news outlets. · Slater, who first published the documents, said he released them because the public…