But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and a former detective disagree.

Speaking with AM co-host Melissa Chan-Green, Jacinda Ardern said accusations from the Opposition and others the Government is soft on crime are unfair.

"Let's just look at the bare facts. None of the penalties, none of the consequences for these crimes have changed. So this idea that somehow there is this weakening is just wrong," Ardern told AM on Monday.

"In fact what you've got to consider is that what we are doing differently is not just dealing with the consequences, if you offend in this country you must be held to account.

"So that's what Operation Tauwhiro and Operation Cobalt. They're all about an approach that is really focused on cracking down on organised crime and some of the reason you see that focus is because we've invested in additional police, including an extra 700 to work on those areas. We've seen over 1000 arrests, forfeiture of assets and so on.

"At the same time, we also need to prevent people from entering organised crime in the first place so you have to do both."

It is a sentiment shared by Australian-based police lecturer and former detective Michael Kennedy, who told AM on Monday that New Zealand's approach to policing is right.

"New Zealand has got an excellent reputation worldwide in terms of its policing. It doesn't overreact, there are no knee jerk responses, they're usually really responsible and New Zealand, generally speaking, has a good reputation within the criminal justice area of dealing with people."

Kennedy said internationally nobody considers New Zealand as being soft on crime.

"It seems to me New Zealand beats itself up a little bit but you're doing a really good job over there," he said. "I don't think anyone considers you a soft touch, I think there's a big balance here in social justice.

"We've moved in the last few years where everyone talks about the victims but social justice is about victims, it's about witnesses and it's about ensuring people get a fair trial And New Zealand has got the right formula there."

It comes after the Government announced on Sunday a $600 million package aimed at addressing the spate of crimes currently ripping through New Zealand. The Government said it will see an increase in police numbers, nearly $100m to tackle gang violence and an extension to rehabilitation programmes.

More than $562m over four years will be invested in the police, the Government said.

Police are also planning to launch a dedicated operation across Auckland, with smaller teams across Aotearoa, to tackle growing gang violence and intimidating behaviour. It's been dubbed 'Operation Cobalt' and will begin in June.

That follows Operation Tauwhiro, which was extended by six months late last year. Operation Tauwhiro focussed on disrupting firearms-related violence by gangs.

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PM Jacinda Ardern says soft on crime claims 'just wrong' as former detective hails NZ Police's international reputation - Newshub

Kahu

10 May, 2022 05:00 PM2 minutes to read

The Mori leadership group who met with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern over Oranga Tamariki. Photo / Supplied

OPINION:

When Oranga Tamariki's new operating brief is finally completed, much of the heavy lifting that forced changes to its antiquated and barbaric care and protection system of uplifting Mori babies from young mums and its non-engagement with Mori can be put squarely on the shoulders of this outstanding group of leaders.

Kahurangi Iritana Twhiwhirangi, Lady Tureiti Moxon, Kahurangi Areta Koopu, T Mason Durie, Kahurangi Tariana Turia, Kahurangi Naida Glavish, Merepeka Raukawa-Tait - the magnificent Mori seven.

Each of them has their own mana and needs no introduction.

However, collectively, they are a force to be major reckoned with, as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern learned during the 2020 Oranga Tamariki debate, and Waitangi Tribunal Claim and ruling.

OT CEO Grainne Moss and her department were running roughshod over Mori, and that forced this team to come together and stand up to the state tyranny.

On behalf of the National Mori Urban Authority (NUMA) of which Lady Tureiti is the Chair, this group supported the Waitangi Claim against Oranga Tamariki practices towards Mori and Moss.

They wanted Moss gone and some OT powers devolved to Mori and community organisations that work with Mori whnau on a daily basis.

Initially, there was reluctance from the Prime Minister's Office to acknowledge or even meet with the group. But through a political intermediary, Ardern agreed to meet over dinner with the Mori leadership team at Government House, Wellington.

"The last thing the PM wanted was Dame Naida and the other dames coming after her," a source told the Herald.

The hui was arranged and the PM wanted to bring senior Mori MPs for support.

On the day of the dinner, Ardern and her then deputy Kelvin Davis made the short walk from the Beehive to Government House.

But the group would not meet with the PM unless she was on her own - leaders to leader.

They met with the PM behind closed doors, outlined their concerns and the rest is history.

Moss was moved to another Government Department and Oranga Tamariki would start to rewrite its charter - this time with Mori input and oversight.

Read more:

The Magnificent Seven: The Knight and Dames Jacinda Ardern didn't want to mess with - New Zealand Herald

Politics

11 May, 2022 03:25 AM3 minutes to read

Which Member of Parliament has declared an interest in a research group dedicated to the resurrection of the Moa, Jurassic Park-style? Photo / Mark Mitchell

MPs have lifted the lid on ... themselves with their annual disclosure of how many homes they own, gifts they have received, and any other financial interests they may have.

One MP even declared an interest in a research group dedicated to the resurrection of the Moa, Jurassic Park-style.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has not declared any further property interests from last year - she still owns her single home in Sandringham, Auckland.

As in previous years, Ardern declared gifts and loans of clothing from well-known New Zealand designers. She was given three garments by Emilia Wickstead, as well as loans from Juliette Hogan and Zoe and Morgan.

She was also given a Christmas gift basket by the Embassy of Cuba.

National leader Christopher Luxon continues to be one of the most propertied MPs in Parliament. He owns two residential properties in Auckland, one in Wellington and four investment properties in Auckland.

He did not declare any mortgage, suggesting those properties are owned outright.

Luxon declared no gifts in the register, which was current as of January 31, 2022, when he had been leader for two months. He was also given a telling off by the registrar for submitting his return late - the only MP to do so.

Several MPs declared interesting gifts. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta declared a "Hajj Box and Al-Jazeera Perfumes gift box" from the Government of Qatar.

Her Labour caucus colleague Ingrid Leary as also the recipient of gifts from abroad. She received a Pakistani office rug from Ashraf Janjua, the high commissioner from Pakistan.

Perhaps betraying the age of the current Parliament, three MPs have declared themselves in debt to the Government they want to be a part of.

Poor James McDowall of Act, and Labour's Naisi Chen, and Gurav Sharma declared they have outstanding student loans to IRD. Last Parliament, only Labour's Kieran McAnulty had a student loan.

Our MPs have been dabbling in the media. National's Paul Goldsmith, Simon Bridges (since retired), and Judith Collins all declared revenue from their book publishing endeavours, as did the Greens' Golriz Ghahraman and Labour's Duncan Webb.

Bridges also declared the income he received from appearing on Paula Bennett's TV show, Give us a Clue.

Bridges donated that to the Homes of Hope charity.

Labour's Tamati Coffey also appeared on Give us a Clue, but he appears not to have donated his fee.

Labour's Anahila Kanongata'a-Suisuiki declared a free vehicle service she got from Mahindra in Papatoetoe.

Which MP declared an interest in reviving the Moa? That would be Speaker Trevor Mallard who sits on The Moa Revival Project Advisory Board, and has done for some time.

More here:

Rugs, perfume, couture: What PM and other MPs declared - New Zealand Herald

NZ has just passed a million Covid cases but University of Auckland Senior Lecturer Dr David Welch says the real number of infections could be more than double. Video / NZ Herald

There are 9392 new community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today.

A further nine deaths have been reported, including eight people who died over the past two days and one person who has died since May 5.

Today's case numbers were revealed by the Ministry of Health in a statement at 1pm.

There are 398 cases in hospital, including seven people in ICU.

The locations of today's cases are: Northland (243), Auckland (3388), Waikato (664), Bay of Plenty (261), Lakes (144), Hawke's Bay (269), MidCentral (289), Whanganui (89), Taranaki (232), Tairwhiti (84), Wairarapa (96), Capital and Coast (635), Hutt Valley (213), Nelson Marlborough (272), Canterbury (1364), South Canterbury (138), Southern (920) and the West Coast (83).

The location of eight cases is unknown.

Four of the people whose deaths were reported today were from Auckland, and five were from Canterbury.

One person was in their 70s, two people were in their 80s and six people were aged over 90. Four were women and five were men.

Today's seven-day rolling average of community case numbers is 7533, while last Thursday it was 7684.

Meanwhile, 84 Covid-19 cases have been detected at the border.

The people with Covid-19 who are in hospital are in: Northland (11), Waitemat (54), Counties Manukau (32), Auckland: (89), Waikato (42), Bay of Plenty (12), Lakes (four), Hawke's Bay (14), Taranaki (10), MidCentral (23), Wairarapa (two), Hutt Valley (six), Capital and Coast (10), Nelson Marlborough (seven), Canterbury (57), South Canterbury (three), West Coast (five) and Southern (17).

The average age of cases hospitalised in the Northern Region is 60.

The vaccination status of those in Northern region hospitals is:

Unvaccinated or not eligible: 31 cases / 13 per cent Partially immunised Double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case: 58 cases / 24 per cent Received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case: 138 cases / 58 per cent Unknown: Five cases / 2 per cent

The Ministry of Health said today's number of community cases was an important reminder to remain vigilant.

There were three things everyone could do to protect themselves and others from the virus.

They were: ensure you were up to date with vaccinations and boosters; wear a mask and remember they are still required in many indoor settings; and stay home and avoid others if you're unwell, isolating or waiting for the results of a Covid-19 test.

"A good rule of thumb is to wear a mask in indoor public settings as we know that mask use halves the risk of spread of Covid-19."

To date, 95.2 per cent of eligible New Zealanders have had two doses of Covid-19 vaccine and 70.8 per cent have been boosted.

The release comes as cases, thought to be plateauing, are increasing in some parts of the country - including Auckland - and also on the same day as it was announced New Zealand's borders will fully reopen two months earlier than the Government initially planned.

Yesterday there were 7970 new cases in the community and 28 Covid-19 related deaths were reported.

The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers was 7420, down from 7746 last Tuesday.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the full border reopening date would be bought forward from October to July 31, while speaking to a Business NZ lunch in Auckland.

The final part of the staged border reopening will open the country to all visa categories - including tourists, workers, families and students.

Ardern also said pre-departure testing would be removed from the July 31 reopening.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins says international students will be welcome back across the country's schools and tertiary institutions from July 31, with new criteria he says will close a "backdoor to residency" loophole.

New Zealand closed its borders in March 2020 when Covid-19 began to spread and a reopening plan only got under way this year.

Cases then declined to the seven-day moving average low point on April 19 of 1569.

Go here to read the rest:

Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: 9392 new Covid cases and 9 deaths, 7 in ICU - New Zealand Herald

An organisation fighting for migrant workers' rights against injustice and exploitation in the workplace, says new rules as part of upcoming border reopening are discriminatory.

Migrant Workers Association NZ spokesperson Anu Kaloti. Photo: Supplied/Anu Kaloti

Migrant Workers Association spokesperson Anu Kaloti said the new visa requirements were unlikely to solve severe skills gaps in the workforce.

With the green light for the border, announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday, came a new Green List which is good news to high-skilled occupations on the fast-track to residence list.

But the Migrant Workers Association had raised concerns for those who do not qualify for the high-skilled Green List, and said visas would be harder to come by for migrants in other categories.

The Green List includes roles in sectors like construction, engineering, trades, health workers and tech.

"It kind of seems like the more you earn, the higher privileges you already have, the higher rights you will get," Kaloti told Morning Report.

"It should never be like that."

She said the rules disadvantaged people who were stranded off shore trying to get back into the country, who could have been given auto-extensions on their visas.

The Migrant Workers Association would have liked to see the government include these migrants in the 2021 one-off residence visa - but now they were at the back of the queue.

"That should have been extended to people who still remain stranded off shore and we would have had thousands more come in and fill those skill shortages and those jobs," she said.

"The government is going to just push them further down the chain and make it even difficult for them to be on the pathway to residence.

"Those so-called low-skill, low-wage workers have been essential and critical in the last two years.

"This is a kick in the guts."

She said there was more work to be done by policy makers around making visas equitable.

"The fundamental issues that are causing the skill shortages are not being addressed," she said.

"This seems like a very ill-thought-out plan."

New Zealand's borders will fully open to visitors, workers and students from the end of July - much earlier than expected.

The government is hoping to attract migrants in 85 hard-to-fill roles with the Green List, which includes high-skilled healthcare, engineers, trade and tech sector workers.

Eligible migrants can work here from July and apply for residency in October.

There is a second pathway requiring two years in the job before migrants become eligible for residency. This would also apply to specific roles in health, education, trades, teachers in particular specialisations like science and maths, early childhood teachers, and registered plumbers.

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Meanwhile, Immigration NZ head Alison McDonald said the department was aiming to process the new visas in 20 working days. Ramping up the number of employees may be required to take on an expected influx of applications.

"While the borders have been closed we have still been recruiting," she told Morning Report.

"We've got 231 more staff on shore."

Visitor visas would be processed online to cut down on red tape, she said.

"Visitor visas will be on there, so they will be quicker, and the new accredited work employer visa will be on there too.

"There are no extra checks needs other than the usual health and character check, and we're aiming for 20 working days."

Read more:

Two-tier visa system a 'kick in the guts' - RNZ

Budget 2022: Thisgovernment has shown it can quickly shift tack to deal with the unexpected. To have any chance of regaining the upper hand from the opposition, it must draw on that experience to come up with some bold, clear policy.

In August last year, when finance minister Grant Robertson and other senior ministers sat down to begin planning this years budget, things were very different than they are today.

Delta had just arrived in New Zealand, but vaccines were coming, too. Treasury and the Reserve Bank were projecting that, by mid-2022, the economy would be returning to normal, and the government finances were improving. Inflation had ticked up above 3%, but the Reserve Bank projected it would peak at a reasonable 4.1% in December before easing off.

With those projections in hand, Covid under control, and with the opposition an irrelevancy under Judith Collins, the government could turn its focus to long-term issues. Health, including clearing the DHBs debt, and climate change would be the priorities.

What a difference 10 months make. Inflation is now nearly 7%. Cost of living, which had been a relatively minor issue for voters in 2021, according to the Ipsos Issues Monitor, is now far and away the dominant issue. And, whereas voters rated Labour best to deal with cost-of-living last year (42% vs 25%), they now think National is better (36% vs 29%).

Its pretty clear that this turn, both in facts on the ground and voter opinion, caught Labour by surprise as they focused on the delta, then omicron, outbreaks. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern initially refused to label it a crisis when asked. This risked making herself look out of touch and undermining her core attribute her empathy.

National, however, had seen the political possibilities early. Late last year, they were already talking up the cost of living as an issue. Although they have yet to present any solutions that would lower inflation and have actively opposed measures to increase incomes, being in tune with the public (and having a credible leader) has seen National regain centre-right voters who voted for Labour in 2020, to the point the parties are neck and neck.

Having been in Covid response mode for two years, Labour switched its political radar back on in March, moving quickly to cut excise on fuel and public transport costs, and packaging the (either already announced or automatic) April 1 income boosts as a cost-of-living package. These moves may have arrested Labours polling slide, but the Newshub poll has shown voters overwhelmingly want more from them.

It doesnt matter that record low unemployment and rapidly rising wages mean that the workers total weekly wage packet is up 10.5% compared to a year ago. The 6.9% inflation is more evident we see those higher prices, we feel them, and we turn to the government to fix the problem.

The budget is an opportunity for Labour to seize back the narrative on cost of living, with some bold, clear policy. But will they?

Usually, major decisions on the budget are taken early in the year and it is all but locked in by late March. But this government has experience in quickly shifting tack to deal with the unexpected. In 2020, they had to throw out the budget they had worked on for half a year and write a new one to confront Covid and reignite the economy.

Now, you might think this is a simple decision: politicians are cynical, theyll do what it takes to win votes. Well, part of my job for Labour in opposition was trying to get our policies to not only be good but also be popular. You would be surprised how little the popularity of policies entered discussion. More often, it was a case of MPs deciding this is the policy we think will do good and as an after-thought, can we get someone to work out how to communicate this? Which is very principled, but its no surprise Labour had so many policy disasters that ended up costing them votes.

All of which is to say, Labour will not easily give up on doing all the investments they think are important like the money for tackling domestic violence and police, the extra funding for apprenticeships, and replacing coal boilers in schools. By the time theyve done those investments and invested over $3 billion in health and education just to keep up with costs, theres not going to be a lot left for a cost-of-living policy. Big-ticket items like taking GST off food ($3bn a year) are off the table.

Fortunately, the buoyant economy is producing more tax than expected for the government. It might not last, so Labour couldnt use this windfall for new permanent spending increases or tax cuts, but right now, its deficit is $4bn less than expected that gives them options.

Theres plenty Labour could do cheap dental visits, free public transport, tax cuts. The problem with all of these, apart from the fact theyre ongoing costs and the extra money is one-off, is that they risk just disappearing from public awareness. Seeing that my bus trip now only costs 87c is nice but it doesnt feel like major government action. Most people couldnt tell you their net pay accurately enough to notice a few dollars a week in tax cuts.

No, if I was still advising Labour, I would be looking at the success of the wage subsidy for inspiration. Quick and easy to implement, money in the pocket gives people confidence, and lets them choose to use it on the cost pressures most affecting their families.

A $250 a month cost-of-living payment to the three-quarters of households on under $12,500 a month would be a nice, visible boost. It would be progressive, because it would make the most difference to low-income families, but it also reaches middle-income families who decide elections without giving anything to high-income households. Its also simple for voters to understand and people would notice receiving the money. At a cheeky $300m a month, the government could run it through the rest of the year with the tax windfall its had in recent months. (Would it be inflationary? Maybe a little, but its a minor bump in the $10bn a month of retail sales, and the income boost would outweigh any inflation, particularly for low-income families.)

Im not expecting anything so out of left-field from the budget. For starters, Treasury would have kittens. And Labours thinking was probably already too locked in to develop something in time for the budget close-off.

But, if they dont regain the initiative at the budget, theyll have to act soon after and roll out a series of cost-of-living policies. Labour cannot remain on the back foot on the major issue of the day for long, letting National continue to chip away at them.

Cost of living was not the battle Labour wanted to be fighting right now. They want to be focused on health and climate change. But if theres one thing Jacinda Arderns prime ministership has proved, its that governing isnt just about fulfilling your plans, its also about dealing with crises as they emerge. If Labour wants to enter 2023 in an election-winning position, they need to show voters they are on their side by tackling the cost-of-living crisis head-on, and soon.

Clint Smith was a policy and communications adviser to the Labour and Green parties, working on three alternative budgets, and the 2018 budget. He now runs Victor Strategy and Communications.

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On budget day, will Labour be bold enough to seize back the cost-of-living narrative? - The Spinoff

Defence force Hercules takes off, Ruapehu in its most active state in roughly 15-years and borders open to Australians, all in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald

The Prime Minister was exposed to Covid-19 when she personally thanked police officers during the Parliament protests in February, internal emails have revealed.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern publicly distanced herself from the operational matters of police activity throughout the Parliament protest, which came to a fiery end last month after a 23-day occupation.

Emails provided to the Herald under the Official Information Act state that a group of police officers were visited by the Prime Minister in their allocated "muster" room in Parliament, while she was "doing the rounds of Police contingents to thank them for their work."

The information was provided to public health officials because five of the police officers later tested positive for Covid-19, and had been infectious on February 16 when they were visited by the Prime Minister.

The exposure was later deemed to be a "casual contact".

A police spokesperson confirmed 92 police staff involved in work relating to the protest tested positive for Covid-19 during this period, although it is not possible to determine exactly where they contracted the virus.

An email on behalf of the Covid-IMT response manager on February 20 said Ardern was in the muster room with the infectious police officers for around 15 minutes, and "the extent of her interaction with the cases is being confirmed."

He also stressed the need for "keeping an air of calm about this event, especially re the nature of the contact with the PM".

The email read that positive test results were returned on February 19 for five police staff, with a sixth awaiting PCR results after a positive RAT.

The officers were part of a contingent that had flown from Auckland to Wellington to assist with the protest on February 14.

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Inquiries had indicated three of the staff were infectious prior to departing Auckland and two others had likely been infected by their colleagues.

The email also stated "the group interacted with crowds at the protest during their infectious period."

A earlier email from Regional Public Health Response manager Scott Martin said there had been no specific QR code for the room that could identify officers exposed, and there had been "initial reports of intermittent mask use".

"Mask use has since been reinforced and QR codes will be created for each room (in addition to entry to Parliament buildings)," the email read.

But he said when the Prime Minister visited, "mask use was adhered to and no case had close contact with the officials present."

An email later that afternoon from Regional Public Health said interviews with the positive cases had determined them only to be "casual contacts" with the Prime Minister.

A police spokesperson said staff associated with the protests were tested at approximately 72-hour intervals, or before returning to their usual districts.

"While a sustainable supply of RATs for all Police staff was secured, the distribution of RATs was prioritised for staff delivering priority essential work functions, major event staff and close contacts for critical workers," they said.

Throughout the 23-day occupation, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern disassociated herself from the police operation to manage protest activity.

On February 14, she said told Morning Report police "ultimately need to be able to make all of those operational decisions."

"It is absolutely for the police to determine how they manage any form of occupation or protests. And you can understand why that is a convention we will hold strongly to.

"I would hate to see in the future a situation where you have politicians seen to be instructing the police on how to manage any type of protest - and that extends to not passing judgement on operational decisions that are for them."

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister told the Herald Ardern had thanked frontline police twice during the parliamentary occupation once on February 16 and again on March 3, the day after the operation ended.

"On both occasions the purpose of the visit was to pass on her appreciation for their service and to check in with how police were holding up."

"Her comments were in line with that."

After the protest the Prime minister and Labour team bought blocks of Whittaker's chocolate as a thank you for police, but Ardern did not distribute this to them directly.

The spokesperson said thanking frontline officers for their service in no way impacts on the operational independence of Police.

"It is not uncommon for the Prime Minister, or other Members of Parliament, to thank and acknowledge frontline Police, for example she did so after the March 15 terrorist attack and post Whakaari/White Island as well."

Ardern was also deemed a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case and forced to self-isolate after an exposure event during a flight from Kerikeri to Auckland in January.

More here:

Parliament protest: Jacinda Ardern came into contact with Covid-infected cops while thanking them - New Zealand Herald

Ukrainian foreign minister makes a plea for support before attacks, retailers hike prices after most fail to meet targets and the number of vehicles towed from Parliament protest revealed in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald

Nearly four years ago, a successful chief executive partnered with the Prime Minister to help solve some of New Zealand's economic problems like infrastructure, training and excessive regulation.

The Prime Minister was "delighted" with the executive's appointment, and the pair appeared to get on well. Four years later, that chief executive, Air New Zealand's Christopher Luxon, is vying for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's job, while she tries to argue the advice she once welcomed would, in fact, be bad for the country.

Luxon and Ardern corresponded regularly before he became a politician. In 2018, he was appointed to lead the Prime Minister's Business Advisory Council, a post he resigned when he left Air New Zealand a year later, expressing an interest to enter politics.

Two years of that correspondence has been released to the Herald under the Official Information Act.

The result is mostly what you'd expect. Ardern's correspondence is warm and occasionally effusive in its praise. Luxon's is dry and to the point - at one point he attaches a 68-page report from management consultancy McKinsey on "harnessing automation for a more productive and skilled New Zealand".

Writing to Luxon in October 2018, appointing him to the council, Ardern praised him for offering his "time and energy", writing "I look forward to exchanging ideas and working together on policies that will help us transform the New Zealand economy."

Less than a year later, after Luxon left the council, Ardern wrote again, addressing Luxon with a more familiar "Dear Chris", having previously written to him as "Christopher" (a small mistake on her part, Luxon expresses no public preference against "Chris" but he's "Christopher" to his family and those close to him).

"I would like to thank you and your colleagues from Air New Zealand for the enormous effort you have put into establishing and chairing the Prime Minister's Business Advisory Council in its first year of operation.

"I have very much appreciated the enthusiasm and engagement of Council members on policy issues affecting businesses both small and large in New Zealand," Ardern wrote.

She added a handwritten "Thanks again, Chris!" to her letter.

The council's concerns ran the gamut of business concerns with government, from excessive regulation to New Zealand's infrastructure deficit.

As chairman, Luxon was responsible for feeding these concerns back to the Government (writing to Ardern, he adopted the more formal "Dear Prime Minister").

On infrastructure, Luxon said the system that "sits beneath effective and sustainable infrastructure development in our country is fundamentally broken".

"We also have a proclivity as a nation to focus on the short term and on individual projects as a means of addressing our challenges rather than addressing the system itself".

Luxon told Ardern the country was at an "infrastructure crisis point", but said it "is not ... the fault of the current Government".

"These issues are multi-generational and systemic. However, we believe your Government has the opportunity to begin resetting our systems and to address this crisis."

As for fixes, Luxon said he wanted to encourage the Government to "be bolder and think bigger".

Luxon, who has been critical of growing the size of the public service since becoming leader (he told the Herald he has a "major issue with the cost that's going into our civil service at the moment. I think we're adding a huge amount of centralisation, a massive amount of bureaucracy and we're not getting better outcomes"), proposed to create a whole new ministry for planning and cities.

"New Zealand should establish a Ministry of Cities, Urban Development and Population," Luxon wrote.

"This new portfolio could incentivise locally developed, long-term and tangible strategies and execution through to the administration of City Deals. This would include allowing local authorities to capture part of the value created through their own successful strategies and initiatives," Luxon told Ardern.

He also suggested the establishment of "a civil service academy for local and central government" to build "needed capacity in commissioning and managing projects of national significance".

Luxon said the Government should review the Resource Management Act (RMA), the Local Government Act (LGA) and the Land Transport Act (LTA), perhaps through a commission of inquiry. The Government did review the RMA, and has proposed rolling functions of the LGA and LTA into legislation that will replace the RMA.

When it came to just how these infrastructure projects should be paid for, Luxon hewed to the centre. His advice noted there would be a need for "debt-funded" infrastructure, but also urged a "philosophical shift" to embrace "public private partnerships" (PPPs).

"Government needs to ask itself whether there is any great social benefit in the state owning certain assets, especially when that comes at the expense of other government priorities and responsibilities," Luxon wrote.

Labour is open to the use of PPPs in transport (but not in health or education), however its experience with Transmission Gully has meant no transport PPPs have been greenlit under its watch.

Luxon suggested the Government should immediately greenlight the 12 road projects, known as Roads of National Significance the Government had iced when it shifted transport funding away from highways in 2018.

Luxon said that projects should be "opened to private investment" and progressed.

"New Zealand cannot simply rely on the market to deliver projects of scale that are of national significance," Luxon wrote, suggesting the Government should draw up a "national master plan", or "New Zealand Prospectus", of what it wanted to build.

Despite being critical of the cancelled roads, Luxon was supportive of the idea of multi-modal transport, which is where the Government decided to direct its attention after axing those 12 roads.

"... our transport infrastructure solution is not a binary choice between rail or roads, but a comprehensive scaled-up solution of rail and roads and coastal shipping and other modes," Luxon wrote.

"Our system must be totally integrated and agnostic as to mode of transport as each region will have different needs."

He suggested the Government amalgamate the way it funded road, rail, and shipping - which the Government has subsequently done in part.

He said the fund that pays for transport projects with fuel tax and road user charge revenue should be supplemented with general tax revenue "to pay for social and environmental outcomes from investment in rail, walking and cycling".

A list of ten policy priorities from Infrastructure NZ was attached to that letter. One of the priorities included was to establish national three waters entities, taking water services from councils - a policy National now firmly opposes. It is not clear from the correspondence, whether Luxon endorsed every part of the Infrastructure NZ advice he was sending to Ardern.

It is not clear either, whether the Prime Minister ever had the time to drill into the 68 page McKinsey report, however one person who did was then-Economic Development Minister David Parker, whose passion for dry economic literature, particularly Thomas Piketty, is well-known in Parliament.

In June of 2019, he wrote back to Luxon saying the Government was developing an "Industry Strategy" for 10 different sectors of the economy.

He said this was in part thanks to the advice of the Council and the McKinsey report it had sent the Government.

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Jacinda Ardern and Christopher Luxon's letters to each other revealed - New Zealand Herald

Life under the orange traffic light setting, the big test for Wellington's Transmission Gully & major road closure for Easter all in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald

Labour member of parliament Louisa Wall did not go quietly.

The media blitz after her resignation carried claims that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern did not want Wall in her cabinet or caucus.

These were quickly picked up in the media cycle, spreading across news publications.

Speaking to The Front Page podcast today, NZ Herald political editor Claire Trevett says that neither Wall nor the Prime Minister have come out of this situation looking great.

Follow the Front Page podcast here.

"In the short term it does reflect badly, but I don't necessarily think it will last," says Trevett.

Given that Wall presented her disappointment without resorting to vicious personal attacks, Trevett believes this uproar won't be a lasting stain on the Ardern or the outgoing politician.

Trevett also said that Wall likely wouldn't take things further when giving her valedictory speech this evening, with the politician earlier saying that she'd prefer to focus on her electorate and the work she'd done.

Asked whether the fallout would affect Ardern's perception as a leader who prioritises the idea of kindness, Trevett explained that this balance is always tricky for a Prime Minister.

"The kindness thing is a rod that the Prime Minister made for her own back," says Trevett.

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"It can't always apply in politics or in any workplace when you're the boss. There are always decisions you have to make that aren't kind to people.

"She sacked Iain Lees-Galloway, for example, because of a workplace affair. Not many ministers would get sacked for that. They'd get told off. She's demoted ministers for what wouldn't be considered major underperformance. I don't think it's a matter of being unkind. It's just a part of being PM."

The fallout from the Wall saga did, however, carry a lesson in the value of dealing with disgruntled employees quietly and not allowing it to play out in the public.

"John Key was a master at it," says Trevett.

"He dispatched his ministers very quietly and the reason is that when you're a dominant Prime Minister in the polls, then there's no way a single MP can buck that. The rest of the caucus is always going to take the Prime Minister's side and MPs learn that they either accept that or go out looking like an egg."

On the topic of Key's party, it is notable that the opposition has been relatively quiet as Wall's story has run its course.

"There's been a little bit of commentary on social media by some MPs. I think Chris Bishop has tweeted a couple of things, but not really getting into the stoush around it.

"It's mainly about Louisa because they all worked quite well with her. There's certainly the element of the personal relationship with Louisa.

"But also, remember when National was going through all its troubles, Labour kept their noses out of it. The Prime Minister made a decision and instructed her MPs not to wade in and kick them while they're going through all this because we've been through it ourselves in the past and we know how horrible it is."

Another interesting observation to be gleaned from Wall's departure is that maverick politicians with fierce convictions tend to face challenges operating within the structures of large political parties.

"We are definitely better off having MPs who want to rock the boat and stand up for their communities, but we can't have too many rocking the boat that would be slightly perilous," says Trevett.

"I don't know how a Government would function if there were too many of them because stability in Government is very important and you can't just have MPs willy-nilly refusing to vote for something because they think it goes against their principles."

Trevett said there are very few MPs who are genuinely and totally principle-driven.

"Wall is one and the others are former Greens MP Sue Bradford and the former Mori Party co-leader Tariana Turia, who crossed the floor, left the Labour Party and set up the Mori Party.

"They all put their principles above personal and career gain and New Zealand is better off for all of them having done it."

The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am.

You can follow the podcast at nzherald.co.nz, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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The Front Page: Why neither Louisa Wall nor Jacinda Ardern look good in departure drama - New Zealand Herald

OPINION: Its 18 months in and, as we near the likely halfway point for this majority Labour Government, the issues of the election are tentatively taking shape as parties begin to jostle for position.

The Government has now almost cleared the decks of its major Covid-19 policies. Mondays announcement that the traffic light settings would remain in red seemed a bit out-of-step with where the country was at. You can argue over whether the settings should already have changed, but the likelihood is that they will near the end of the coming week.

Besides, a mixture of the big sick and self-imposed restrictions are hitting business activity. Ask anyone in a central city.

Ministerial staffers who previously spent their days doing Covid-related work are now finding that, all of a sudden, they are back to doing what they were previously getting on with work that their bosses are actually in charge of. This as director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield announced that he was leaving.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

David Seymours ACT is pushing National from the right, claiming to have been the more effective opposition party over the past year.

READ MORE:* Green Party co-leaders keen to stay on through next election* Election 2020: Crunch time as referendum results come in and Labour concludes talks with the Greens * Election 2020: Decision on Government to come on Friday, with Greens given one chance to agree on deal

One of the more interesting dynamics playing out now is the relationship between the two major parties and their smaller, more ideologically pure, fellow travellers.

So, while Labour was busy making diesel vehicles cheaper to run this week by reducing road-user charges following on from petrol tax cuts a couple of weeks ago the Greens have been aggressively accusing Labour of subsidising fossil fuels, something on which it spent a fair bit of its Apec agenda trying to reach a deal.

Of course, reducing road-user charges isnt a subsidy for diesel, but it does make the fossil fuel cheaper.

Similarly, the Greens are also now pushing hard on rent controls. Its a good retail politics issue for the Greens: superficially, rent controls look like a good idea especially to those paying through the nose for often dank accommodation.

Under co-leaders Marama Davidson and James Shaw, the Greens hit a remarkable political achievement in 2020 increasing the partys vote at the same time that Labour massively increased its. The centre-left vote was grown, rather than Labour or the Greens cannibalising each other for the same votes.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stops to answer questions from reporters in the halls of Parliament.

But now the Greens see renewed opportunity. Despite being sort of in government with Labour, providing two ministers in Shaw and Davidson, they are chafing against what they view as Labour arrogance and high-handedness.

Jacinda Ardern came to power promising that she was going to sort housing, poverty, inequality and climate change. The issues remain decidedly unsorted. For those on the left who would like to see Labour crank out a fiscal cannon and spray the joint with money, the Government has been a disappointment. There have been big increases in spending, but not the sorts of direct intervention in the economy the Greens favour. Next election, you would expect the far-left party to pick off some of Labours vote.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Greens co-leader Marama Davidson is pushing the Government hard from the left about rent controls, while the party is also accusing it of subsidising fossil fuels.

Meanwhile, on the right, a quite different thing is going on. In the House this week, National shifted from talking about the cost of living to lack of delivery. The party thinks there is fertile ground here, in the same way that the cost of living crisis seemed little more than just a repetitive and slightly quixotic campaign before inflation ticked up and it really took off.

National figures reckon that this will become a weak point for Labour, because of its tendency to present inputs (money) as an outcome or achievement. On this basis, National thinks it will be able to identify a lot of waste where the Government has announced money for something that doesn't seem to have delivered much by way of outcomes. Mental health is a good example: despite more money being announced, little has been achieved and, in some cases, there is little evidence the money has even been spent.

Time will tell.

National is also firmly getting back into law and order, specifically crime in Auckland. Police Minister Poto Williams is certainly a weak link in the Governments front bench, and National is honing in on her. Crime is an issue, like inflation, where politics usually follows real life: if there is a problem with crime, voters know it they also know if there isnt. Gangs are a slightly different issue, but law and order is potent.

ACT, meanwhile, is doing its best to hold up its vote by putting daylight between itself and National on key issues. Climate and co-governance are two on which it is trying to win votes by having a clearer, more free-market and less costly position than National. Its policy on co-governance is simple: it is against it.

The party released a poll it conducted in Tauranga, showing that half of all voters think ACT, not National, has been the most effective opposition party over the past year. For ACT, retaining its vote in the 8 per cent to 10 per cent range into the next election is about cementing itself as a consistent and credible party to the right of National.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

The Budget is fast approaching.

The Government keeps on. A Budget is fast approaching on May 19, when we will get a sense of what is coming over the next few months. It will be what sets Labour up for next year and reveals how politically bold it is including on climate change.

There are a bunch of changes still to come this term: fair pay agreements, the new Three Waters legislation and reform, the emissions reduction plan, centralising the health system, and possibly reforming the Resource Management Act.

Whether a National/ACT government would repeal some, all, or any of these changes is an open question. When it comes to Three Waters, just about every opposition party professes to be into localism before it gets into government.

Balancing the politics of the now, while successfully clearing the decks of the big changes, will be crucial to Labours re-election chances.

The rest is here:

Nearly halfway through the term, parties start to stake out territory - Stuff

When we look back at 2022, it should be remembered as the year that business took the reins of the Covid-19 response.

In March, it is the virus second birthday and this year marks the third year of the response in New Zealand.

The first year, 2020, was the emergency response.

Working out how to deal with the immediate impacts on the health system, and then once it was eliminated, keep it at bay.

Last year was the year of learning to live with it, getting vaccinated and trying to reduce the spread of Delta in the community.

This year, 2022, should be the year the Government sits at the table with the business sector to hear what it has to offer.

There is a real opportunity for businesses, especially Otagos technology and science companies, to take advantage of the next step in the fight against Covid-19.

Testing options and dropping the managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) system for self-isolation are big holes in the Governments response. That is where business steps in.

But for that to happen it will have to be a two-way street.

Businesses will have to want to step up to the mark and the Government will have to want to sit down and genuinely listen to the solutions and technology on offer.

Dunedins Sir Ian Taylor was a big advocate for that last year.

He flew to the United States and undertook his own self-isolation trial in Auckland using New Zealand-designed tools.

He wrote many open letters to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern before, during and after his trip highlighting valid issues with the broken MIQ system and how New Zealands business sector could help fix that.

But at the time he wrote those, the Government was dealing with New Zealands largest Covid-19 outbreak, peaking around 200.

Ms Ardern had a pretty good excuse for not getting back to him.

Now that Aucklands borders have reopened and New Zealands average daily cases are in the double digits, meaning the outbreak is largely under control, its time for her and members of the Cabinet to listen.

And it needs to happen before there is an outbreak of Omicron.

Admittedly, Sir Ian did get a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Grant Robertson just before Christmas, but that was only one.

Those need to continue.

A Dunedin academic has already designed a simple-to-use and fast saliva Covid-19 test.

The system, called Spitfire6830, has been designed by a University of Otago professor and United States-headquartered MicroGEM, at its Princes St lab.

Those are the types of tools the Government needs to pick up and utilise to its advantage.

Because if it does not, what message and incentive does it give those sorts of companies looking to set up in New Zealand, and even Dunedin?

Nothing.

While it is up to the Government to listen, some responsibility does fall on the business sector to encourage the Government to the table.

The sector will have to send a positive signal to Ms Ardern and the Cabinet that it knows how to go about responding to the economic impacts of Covid-19.

Business NZ, and its associated regional members like Business South, will have to start highlighting the MicroGEMs in their patches to show the public how they could be of real benefit to not only the Covid response, but also the wider economy.

The sector did not do that last year, but much like the Government, it was busy dealing with a Delta outbreak.

Its priority this year should be highlighting businesses throughout the country that can take New Zealand into a post-Covid environment.

All of this comes down to trust.

The Government and the Ministry of Health, have to step back and trust that the business sector knows what it is talking about and is going to get the job done.

And businesses need to trust that the Government is going to listen to them and take it all on board.

But if they are not going to trust each other, there seems little point in trying.

Originally posted here:

Government needs to work with businesses - Otago Daily Times

March 2020 seems like an age ago. And also like it was yesterday. The month begun more or less like any other March in New Zealand. The weather was typically warm and dry, most people were back in the office or on site, and parliament was sitting after its generous summer recess. In most respects you could mistake March 2020 for March 2019. Except, on 4 March, the country recorded its second coronavirus case after a woman returning from northern Italy, where this strange virus had taken hold, presented with the infection at the border. The number of infections increased again and again as the month unfolded with 647 come 1 April.

In the early days of March, government advisers and prime minister Jacinda Ardern were aiming, like the rest of the world, for either herd immunity or flattening the curve. But when the governments chief science adviser presented advice on precisely what this meant for the health system a quick collapse, essentially Ardern went for the approach her advisers at the universities of Otago and Auckland were advocating: elimination. On 25 March the prime minister made her way to parliaments debating chamber and in a historic speech announced a national state of emergency and a move to an alert level 4 lockdown. The speech helped generate unprecedented national solidarity.

More importantly, the lockdown announced didnt just flatten the curve. It absolutely smashed it.

But in 2022, as Omicron threatens to wreak as much, if not more, damage than any previous Covid-19 variant ever could have, the lockdown course of action is probably off the table. That seems counterintuitive. But 2022 is (obviously) a different year. Shortsighted business owners in Auckland are unlikely to tolerate another round of restricted trading or slightly slower supply chains. Pathetic anti-vaxxer activists are more organised than ever before, corralling the tiny rump of unvaccinated New Zealanders in a way that makes them appear more significant than their numbers justify. And some segments of the media continue to platform anti-science, anti-lockdown views.

With the lockdown option probably off the table, New Zealand is likely to catch up with the rest of the world. When the Omicron outbreak happens, the health system will begin buckling under the pressure of Covid-19 admissions and politics will become increasingly polarised after two years of near consensus. When the first lockdown happened, activists and political commentators were arguing that things couldnt go back to how they were. The prime minister had implemented a successful wage subsidy, helping keep thousands of people in work, a freeze on rent increases was implemented, and the government brought forward millions in infrastructure investment. This was a social democratic programme that many people wanted to stay.

Why? Because it worked. New Zealand enjoyed exceptional GDP growth, historically low unemployment levels, and a year like any other. Schools and businesses were open, concerts and mass gatherings were happening, and people were generally happy with their lot. But underneath this apparent success story were the same inequalities as before. House prices were still through the roof, defying policies aimed at slowing their growth. The house market is now worth far more than the countrys annual GDP with that wealth accumulating overwhelmingly in the hands of baby boomers. Uncharacteristically high inflation is also eating away at the purchasing power (and the already minimal savings) of the working and middle classes.

This brings us to perhaps the good news for 2022. The government can no longer ignore the inequality crisis. The prime minister, who in one of her historic mistakes, ruled out a capital gains tax in 2019, must now implement other policies to arrest house price rises. The central bank must grab inflation by the neck. And historically low unemployment must translate to wage growth, perhaps with the assistance of the governments Fair Pay Agreement (FPA) legislation. Under FPAs, an industry-wide floor will be set for wages and conditions meaning, for example, that supermarket or security workers must be paid at a minimum level.

When this legislation passes in late 2022 it will have wide reaching effects, including making housing more affordable for previously underpaid workers and helping offset some of the worst impacts of relatively high inflation. And so in a social and political sense, 2022 has much to commend it. But in a health sense it is, of course, scary. Its difficult to predict what an Omicron outbreak might bring. But we can take some comfort in that the government and New Zealanders have eliminated outbreaks before. Were tantalisingly close to eliminating the recent Delta outbreak. And because of this, were more cognisant of the inequalities each outbreak exposes. Now, we must tackle those inequalities before Omicron makes them any worse.

See more here:

New Zealands successful Covid policies hid inequality the government cant ignore it this year - The Guardian

It's no secret that governments worldwide are increasingly hostile to scrutiny of their conduct. But, at a moment when too many media outlets see their role as working with the state to reinforce official narratives, one advocate of press freedom reminds us that the struggle isn't over the "disinformation" and "misinformation" called out by opportunistic politicians, it's over control of information. Will people be free in the future to decide for themselves what's truth and what's BS? Or will we be spoon-fed whatever the powers-that-be endorse?

"Governments realize that they are in an existential battle over who controls information, who controls the narrative, and they are waging a frontal assault against independent journalism around the world," Joel Simon, the exiting head of the Committee to Protects Journalists (CPJ), told CNN's Brian Stelter.

"This is the information age, and we are in a kind of millennial battle over who controls information," he added. "Who controls it? That's the power struggle. And so, governments recognizerepressive governments, but even democratic governmentsthat this is an essential tool that they need to maintain power and journalists are their adversaries."

Simon spoke after the release of a CPJ report warning of escalating attacks on journalists, demonstrating that the stakes for those who offend government officials are very high. The report found 293 reporters jailed for their work around the world, and at least 24 killed because of their efforts.

CPJ isn't the only organization recognizing that independent sources of information are under attack. Last October, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their coverage of government conduct in the Philippines and Russia "in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions."

"Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propaganda," the committee added.

Unfortunately, the award illustrated the extent to which journalists can be co-opted as gatekeepers. Ressa sniffed in 2019 that "the wholesale dumping of Wikileaks actually isn't journalism," distinguishing her efforts from those of the organization's founder, Julian Assange, who languishes in prison, awaiting his fate after exposing abuse of power, lies, and war propaganda by the U.S. government. Too many journalists are open to cultivation by politicians as a separate class from purveyors of alleged "misinformation," disinformation," or "extremism" depending on what's convenient at the moment.

Before the pandemic, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern joined with French President Emmanuel Macron to develop the Christchurch Call targeting "extremist content" online. Since then, New Zealand in particular has moved to emphasize "freedom from misinformation" especially with regard to efforts against COVID-19.

Similarly, the British government commissioned a 2021 report from RAND Europe promoting practices by "civil society, government, media and social-media-company actors in terms of reducing the spread of false information and building societal resilience" with regard to "hateful extremism within society during COVID-19." The report highlights Germany's notorious NetzDG Act as an example that "levying large fines on tech companies that do not remove false information and hateful extremist content in a timely way can increase companies' responsiveness in removing this content from their platforms."

Despite robust First Amendment protections for free speech rights, the U.S. is not immune to powerful people's desire to control information.

"We're going to have to figure out how we rein in our media environment so that you can't just spew disinformation and misinformation," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) insisted last year.

In July, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called on social media companies to act as government proxies by removing what the administration flags as "narratives dangerous to public health."

Interestingly, CPJ's Joel Simon predicted the pandemic would empower efforts to control information.

"[W]e must be mindful that when we get to the other side of the pandemic, we may be left with a narrative, being written by China, that government control over information was essential to combating the crisis," he warned in March 2020. "That would be a devastating blow to the global information system, one that could endure even as the memories of the terrible pandemic we are currently facing slowly fade."

Since then, he's been proven painfully prescient as politicians' concerns have morphed from fighting "extremism" to suppressing "disinformation" to a weird amalgam of the two, unified by the alleged need to control what the public says, reads, and shares.

That's not to say, by the way, that material tagged as extremism isn't extreme, or that posts called out as disinformation aren't false. To open a web browser is to encounter a wide world of bigotry, bogus concerns about vaccine safety, nonsensical charges about election integrity, and fact-free arguments over whether or not COVID-19 even exists. But bullshit isn't a recent invention.

Free societies recognize that it's a lot more dangerous to let government officials designate what constitutes capital-T Truth than it is to respect people's rights to decide for themselves. When officialdom makes the call, legitimate news outlets get called "fake," as former President Trump often smeared his critics, extremists get conflated with opponents of school policies, as the Justice Department did last fall, and claims that COVID-19 originated in a lab leak in China are suppressed as conspiracy theories before later earning respectful treatment.

Truthful information doesn't require a government seal of approval because government officials are as flawed and biased as anybody else. They're prone to declaring debates over for convenient reasons of their own even as new evidence emerges and disagreements remain unresolved not necessarily because of rejection of facts, but often over fundamental differences in values and preferences. Powerful figures are in no position to save us from bad information because they're a major source of the stuff themselves and, if allowed, can use force to impose their versions of reality on dissenters.

We really are in an existential battle over who controls information, just as Joel Simon warned. It's not a battle over what constitutes truth, which remains as hard as ever to determine. Instead, this battle over control of information is a struggle over our freedom to decide for ourselves without having other people's decisions crammed down our throats.

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It's Dangerous to Allow Politicians and Officials to Decide What Constitutes 'Truth' - Reason

Omicron, or B.1.1.529, has more mutations than the highly transmissible Delta variant - the strain that's been circulating in New Zealand since August and prompted months of lockdown in Auckland. It's prompted countries around the world to slap travel restrictions on southern African nations.

Ardern's Government on Saturday announced South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Seychelles, Malawi and Mozambique would be listed as "very high risk" - meaning only New Zealand citizens can travel from those countries and must spend a full two weeks in managed isolation.

It comes after the Government last week said it would reopen the border to fully vaccinated international travellers in April - though people will still need to self-isolate for a week.

New Zealanders in Australia will be able to enter the country from next month.

When asked on Monday if that reopening could still go ahead with Omicron, Ardern said New Zealand has "always made decisions based on the evidence we have".

"Let's get the evidence in before we make calls on that either way."

Ardern also noted the South African doctor who was one of the first to suspect the new coronavirus strain among patients has said symptoms of the Omicron variant were so far mild and could be treated at home.

"We need to be prepared for it either to be possibly more severe, possibly milder - we just don't know yet and so I'm confident we will get that information well in advance of any wider adjustments at our border," Ardern said.

"As always, we will be cautious because that has served us well and it's serving us well now."

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COVID-19: No reason to cancel Christmas over Omicron variant - Jacinda Ardern - Newshub

November 25 2021PM Jacinda Ardern said Auckland will start at the red traffic light setting next week to make sure restrictions were eased in a careful way so case numbers don't balloon.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is back in Auckland to meet members of the business and social sector communities as well as to visit Western Springs College in the city's inner west.

Speaking with media, Ardern said Auckland will start at the red traffic light setting next week to make sure restrictions were eased in a careful way so case numbers don't balloon.

Once restrictions had been eased, the situation could be reassessed. "We do want to ease carefully so we will see the impact of those changes," she said.

Ardern said she understood the pandemic made the ability for businesses to plan difficult, but the Government wanted to get the domestic settings right so there wasn't an increase in cases and a further escalation of restrictions.

On the issue of rushing the traffic light system legislation through parliament, Ardern said while the Government was moving quickly there was still scrutiny.

"Had we not done what we have done, Auckland would face ongoing restrictions, and I don't think anyone would agree with that," she added.

The Government wouldn't make the change to the traffic light framework if it wasn't safe to do, Ardern said. The new system would offer better protection for the public and the country's high vaccination coverage offered the ability to manage Covid from a good position.

"Aucklanders have made all the difference. They've stayed home; they've got vaccinated; they have literally saved lives," she said.

Questioned on the turmoil ensnaring the National Party, Ardern said the country was in the middle of pandemic and she was not concentrating on issues relating to the opposition.

"The most important thing is ... to focus on the issues important to the New Zealand people, and that is the pandemic," she said. "I see this as a matter for the National Party."

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On rapid antigen testing, Ardern said the cost was still to be determined but it was "a lot cheaper".

She said the tests were between $30 to $60 each. The Government would still use PCR testing in its response.

Ardern's visit comes as a raft of new Covid announcements have been made in recent days and weeks.

Auckland hairdressers today opened for the first time in more than three months while the rest of the country is now about a week away from moving into the new traffic light system to manage Covid.

Kiwis have also recently found out that from next year they will be able to return to the country and complete seven days isolation at home rather than in a managed isolation facility, provided they have been fully vaccinated and recently tested negative for the virus.

Her visit also comes as Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins today revealed New Zealand would revert to the alert level system if a new vaccine-resistant variant overwhelmed the country and the traffic light framework couldn't contain it.

Speaking to The AM Show, Hipkins said while the Government was absolutely committed to the traffic light system, a back-up plan would be reinstating the alert level system which is set to be dismantled next week.

The Government would have to revert to the alert level plan if it had a variant of the virus that was resistant to the vaccine, he said.

It was a possibility, but it's not what they thought would happen, he added.

Hipkins also said tens of thousands of people would be coming across the border each week when it reopened to Australia in January.

He said it was difficult to model how many positive cases would come into New Zealand from international travellers.

"We have to accept the reality that the risk of Covid-19 around international travel is going to be progressively increasing over the next three to four months."

It was possible Australia would see surges as it reopened its borders internally. Hipkins said the fact they were double vaccinated didn't mean they couldn't be carrying Covid-19.

The Government had been looking at other highly vaccinated countries and some were still experiencing a lot of difficulty at the moment. "We want to try and do this in a way that's sustainable."

The Government's decision to finally set the dates when fully vaccinated Kiwis can fly home from overseas without entering MIQ was as much about a "groaning" administrative system as it was health risk, says one expert.

From January 17, fully vaccinated New Zealanders can travel from Australia without traversing MIQ, Hipkins announced at yesterday's 1pm Beehive briefing.

Fully vaccinated Kiwis from all other countries can arrive and bypass MIQ as of February 14.

These fully vaccinated international arrivals will still need to self-isolate for seven days at home in New Zealand, register a negative Covid-19 test on arrival and another before entering the community.

And all fully vaccinated foreign nationals can start arriving from April 30. But Hipkins said that date might change, or the overseas influx could be tailored by visa category.

Hipkins said the plan balanced the demands of multiple groups with the need to prevent a Covid-19 surge.

But the complexity and challenge of managing pandemic prevention systems explained much of the decision, public health expert Professor Michael Baker said.

"It's a mixture of a genuine desire to protect New Zealand from the ravages of the pandemic, and an element of administrative capacity."

It was logistically impossible to open up New Zealand before Christmas, Baker said, with recent challenges showing multiple systems under strain.

He said the pandemic prevention systems were "groaning" with the volume of demands, including on MIQ and vaccine passes.

All overseas arrivals not required to go into MIQ will need a negative pre-departure test, proof of full vaccination, and passenger declaration about travel history.

Opposition parties blasted the three-step travel announcement.

"This timetable to open New Zealand to the world is truly pathetic," National's Covid-19 response spokesman Chris Bishop said.

He said Hipkins had already admitted no fully vaccinated travellers from Australia for months tested positive for Covid, so there was no reason the transtasman bubble should not reopen now.

Act said Labour was "the Grinch who stole Christmas for no reason", depriving Kiwis overseas of a chance to come home.

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Covid 19 Delta outbreak: PM Jacinda Ardern on Covid, visit to Auckland, and National Party turmoil - New Zealand Herald

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the focus now is on getting New Zealand's new Covid protection settings right domestically.

Watch it here:

Ardern confirmed that Auckland will start at the red light of the new traffic light alert level system on 3 December. Future changes to that level will depend on the rest of the country's status, she said.

"It will matter for Auckland what is happening with the outbreak and the impact of eased restrictions on the outbreak's growth."

The impact on health systems will also be important in determining alert level changes under the traffic lights.

"Now that we're easing restrictions we do need to see what impact that has on the growth of the outbreak."

Ardern did not want to weigh in on the leadership changes in the National Party today.

"I see this as an issue for the National Party."

She said her focus is on the pandemic.

"The most important lesson I've had in politics is on focusing on what's best for the New Zealand people," she said.

"I don't see this as a matter for Parliament. I see this as a matter for the National Party Caucus to deal with. I'll be continuing to focus on the pandemic and they can manage any leadership issues they have."

The government has announced todaythat rapid antigen testing will be rolled out widely soon.

Ardern said rapid antigen testing is a lot cheaper than the current PCR testing that is being used for clinics.

"They are very low cost relative to what we've been using. We will still use PCR testing as a tool in our response, in addition to rapid antigen testing."

Pricing and so forth will be determined by pharmacies and the Ministry of Health.

With the gradual end of MIQ announced and the opening of New Zealand's borders in 2022, Ardern said the focus is on giving NZ citizens abroad certainty, as they will be the first to return home without quarantine.

Those in Australia can return in mid-January and in most other countries in mid-February.

"We do want to ease carefully though," she said and New Zealand will see the impact made by those changes and take into account as the border opens.

"Throughout this pandemic one of the hardest things to do has been to plan," Ardern said.

"Our focus now is on getting the settings right domestically."

Hospitality opens on 3 December, and early openings by hairdressers and others using the new vaccine pass will make it easier for them to be rolled out in more places.

With the Auckland border, she says the strict requirements for transit have kept case numbers from being worse than they could have.

Legislation that will replace the current alert levels with the traffic light system passed its final reading in the House, with opposition parties criticising it as divisive and unduly rushed.

Ardern defended that passage and said the legislation still has checks and balances.

"We are still making sure that whilst we need to move quickly, we still have scrutiny as well."

"The orders still go through Parliamentary Select Committee. They are scrutinized by the opposition and we still maintain debate in the New Zealand Parliament on all these changes."

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PM Jacinda Ardern: 'Throughout this pandemic one of the hardest things to do has been to plan' - RNZ

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses supporters at a Labour Party event in Wellington, New Zealand, October 11, 2020. REUTERS/Praveen Menon/File Photo

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Nov 26 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern expressed support on Friday for its Five Eyes alliance with Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States, but said her country would also consider other economic alliances in the Pacific region.

New Zealand has faced increasing pressure from some elements among Western allies over its reluctance to use the Five Eyes intelligence and security alliance to criticise its top trading partner, China.

"We do have important alliances we are part of and we consider fit for purpose and we consider need to be used for the functions for which they were originally established," Ardern said in an interview for the upcoming Reuters Next conference.

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"Beyond that, we consider that there's benefit to seeing a range of other actors in our region showing greater interest, not just in the strategic environment but the economic architecture for example of our region," she added.

"We welcome other countries becoming more closely aligned through multilateral trade agreements, through bilateral trade agreements."

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta raised eyebrows earlier this year when she said she was uncomfortable about expanding the role of Five Eyes beyond a security and intelligence framework.

Mahuta also said New Zealand needed to maintain and respect China's "particular customs, traditions and values."

China, which takes almost one-third of New Zealand's exports, has accused Five Eyes of ganging up on it by issuing statements on Hong Kong and the treatment of ethnic Muslim Uyhgurs in Xinjiang.

Ardern, who earlier this year said that differences with China were "becoming harder to reconcile", said on Friday there was "no question that China's posture has changed in many ways."

"Over the last decade, I do think that we've seen a different dynamic, and a different range of leaders with a strategic interest in our region and that does pose challenges," she said.

"New Zealand, though, has been utterly consistent. We've always jealously guarded our foreign policy independent positions and continue to do so."

To watch the Reuters Next conference please register here https://reutersevents.com/events/next/

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Reporting By Jane Wardell; Editing by William Mallard

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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New Zealand PM Ardern backs Five Eyes, open to other alliances - Reuters

OPINION: Assuming you have the required skills, would you want to be Prime Minister or All Black rugby coach? Really?

Its a wonder they can find anyone to do either job, given leadership means abuse, insinuations, and accusations. Opposition leader is said to be even worse.

PM Jacinda Ardern and Ian Foster must wonder what they were thinking when they stuck their heads above the parapet; two Waikato kids now being widely compared with a by-product from the back end of cows.

Neither will be having a great time, both are likely to be cursing Covid. OK, Ardern had Whakaari/White Island and the mosque shootings to deal with as well, but for two years Covid has stalked their every move.

READ MORE:* New political puppets unveiled at Wellington's Backbencher pub* Which prime ministers oversaw the biggest house price increases?* Limited travel bubble gives All Blacks extra hope to be home by Christmas but one massive hurdle remains

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All Blacks head coach Ian Foster, dejected after losing to France.

Public doubts are rising. Ardern is maintaining her smile as she slips in the polls, and a potpourri of disaffected Kiwis protest in the streets.

Foster has never won a popularity poll, even before consecutive losses to Ireland and France. You wouldnt rule out an anti-Fozzie march, the way things are going in Aotearoa.

Why lump Ardern and Foster together, you ask? Stints as a Press Gallery and sports reporter have revealed they have more parallels, than differences.

In Australia, its said the cricket captain is the second-most important person, after prime minister. Former PM John Howard even put it the other way around.

Rachael Kelly/Stuff

Werner Marx and Phil Gerritson of Tapanui were at Groundswell's Mother Of All Protests in Gore.

And so it is in Godzone, where rugby is the national game and politics has five sides on the Parliamentary pitch at the same time.

A PM must manage the unmanageable, whether the country or her own MPs, as does the All Blacks coach, harnessing an array of talents and mindsets into a cohesive whole.

After an election, one political team is given the ball, while the others complain about how they want it, how unfair the rules are, and what they would do if they only had the ball (always much better).

And just like Super Rugby, political parties have fans who will go nowhere else, or even see any merit in their rivals. A small percent of voters might switch, but only to the next-door party on the political spectrum.

No-one is going from the Greens to ACT, or vice versa, that would be like a Crusaders fan switching to the Blues. A decade after Foster left the Chiefs, there are still accusations of bias, with every selection seen through a Chiefs filter.

When the All Blacks get rucked over, the coach is a target of frustrated fans, powerless to vote him out, and with employer New Zealand Rugby usually as supportive as an international front-row forward.

My point is (yes, I know it has been a long wait) no normal person could handle either job, and both Ardern and Foster are more talented than normal people; which is not to say they are flawless, or even the best.

Yes, there is the money - the prime minister gets $471,049 and annual allowances for travel and lodging, and a lifetime annuity.

DAVID WHITE/Stuff

John Key was one prime minister who got to choose the timing of his own exit.

For that, prime ministers work endlessly, irrespective of the colour of their rosettes. I say this as someone who has been phoned by a PM after 11pm, and before 7.30am. Exhausting.

Fosters salary is a state secret. Top All Blacks earn more than a million.

So there is the money, but when did money ever make you less tired, or less stressed? Your body doesnt know how much youre being paid. It just knows it is exhausted, and youre not looking after it. The same goes for your brain.

And at the end of it all it can (and usually does) end in tears; Helen Clark, Jenny Shipley, Laurie Mains, John Hart, Grizz Wyllie, Bill English, John Mitchell, Jim Bolger, Mike Moore - did any stop being top gun on their own terms?

Or maybe they did. Maybe they (and their families) were simply relieved the war was over.

Whod blame them?

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Leadership in the time of Covid is a thankless job, in politics and in sport - Stuff.co.nz

OPINION: I know some people would be rolling their eyes at the thought of the National Party embracing the kindness brand.

These are the same people who continually and openly mock Jacinda Ardern for her advocacy for kindness, seeing it as virtue-signalling and a coy attempt at garnering domestic and international popularity.

I dont buy these criticisms because they are simply not consistent with the inner character and behaviour of the prime minister, whose propensity for empathy seems as natural as Donald Trumps propensity for self-adulation.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Donna Miles says interim National Party leader Shane Reti is an obvious permanent choice as a leader who displays, communicates and prioritises the values of decency and kindness, rather than domination and power.

But there are other criticisms of Labours kindness brand worth mentioning. It is said that Kiwis living in poor neighbourhoods of South Auckland, with large Mori and Pasifika populations, whose problems have been exacerbated by Covid and lockdowns, have not felt much kindness.

READ MORE:* Populism from the Brexit and Trump playbooks enters the New Zealand election campaign but its a risky strategy* Boochani and Collins raise unsettling questions about refugees* Iranian writer Behrouz Boochani granted refugee status in NZ* We are lucky Behrouz Boochani is here to tell his story * Celebrated author Behrouz Boochani, detained on Manus Island for six years, arrives in New Zealand

The housing crisis, child poverty and rising inequality have also left many New Zealanders feeling neglected and uncared for.

But these are not arguments against kindness - if anything, these are good reasons for thinking deeper about what a kind New Zealand should really look like, and how a healthy, empathetic society can ensure no-one is left behind.

People who belittle kindness as a value in politics and business often do so to justify their own selfishness and cruelty. But times are changing and even businesses are thinking and committing to kindness, wanting it to become an everyday thought and a consistent part of their mindset and communication.

It all makes sense. Kindness, its argued, is highly recognisable, especially when it happens directly to us - and all of us, bar sociopaths, are capable of exhibiting kindness.

To my Iranian mum, whose English is not good enough to follow New Zealand politics in great detail, the kindness of Jacinda Ardern has always been too obvious to miss. It is in her mannerism and countenance, Mum says of the way the PM conducts and carries herself.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Donna Miles: Even I cannot help but like our PM for her decorum and decency.

She also openly says that she loves Jacinda Ardern. I firmly believe political leaders should not be idolised in any way, lest they be exempt from scrutiny and accountability, but even I cannot help but like our PM for her decorum and decency. I think it is a human condition to be more forgiving of people that we like, and to be overly critical of people we don't like.

This brings me to the National Partys current leadership crisis. As I write this, there is no clear indication of whom the future leader of the party will be.

But I do hope that this new change will bring with it a discontinuation of past practices and a departure from the party's current image. From dirty politics to wanting to appear tough on important issues such as crime and asylum response to these issues should be guided by evidence, not fleeting populism the National Partys anti-kindness approach has not only been detrimental to ordinary Kiwis, it clearly has also led to continual division and spite within the party.

I will never forget how the National Party behaved after high-profile Kurdish refugee author Behrouz Boochani was granted asylum in New Zealand. When Boochani arrived in Christchurch for a speaking engagement at the Word festival, he called the Christchurch welcome a reminder of kindness.

joseph johnson/Stuff

Donna Miles says she will never forget the National Partys treatment of Kurdish-Iranian refugee and journalist Behrouz Boochani after his arrival in New Zealand last year.

But soon after he was granted asylum, the National Party suggested political interference because, they said, the author had connections in the Greens and the Labour Party. All of it was untrue, of course, and the allegations seemed to many, including some National supporters, entirely pointless and mean-spirited.

National, having underestimated Boochanis support, quietly changed tack. If National had kindness as its guiding principle, it would have not made those allegations without any evidence, or consideration of their impact on Boochani, who had already suffered prolonged cruelty in Australian offshore detention centres on Manus Island.

Almost all modern crises faced by humanity require a departure from a selfish approach, which prioritises the individual, to an approach which considers the collective interest as paramount.

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Donna Miles: Almost all modern crises faced by humanity require a departure from a selfish approach, which prioritises the individual ...

The hard reality is that without a great deal of altruism and self-sacrifice, serious issues such as the climate change crisis, housing crisis, refugee crisis, inequality crisis and even the pandemic will not be resolved. But there is another just as urgent reason for more politicians to embrace the kindness brand and that is the growing mental health crisis.

Constant nastiness and bickering in politics is disengaging for voters and detrimental to everyones mental wellbeing, including the politicians themselves.

National now has a chance to appoint a leader who displays, communicates and prioritises the values of decency and kindness, rather than domination and power.

There is an obvious choice in Dr Shane Reti. The question is, will the National Party take it?

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Time for the National Party to embrace kindness - Stuff.co.nz

If you are not vaccinated, there will be everyday things you will miss out on, the prime minister says.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the framework will provide people with greater clarity moving forward. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

A new Covid-19 response framework is being finalised and will be released on Friday, providing people with greater clarity, Jacinda Ardern said.

"It will become very clear to people that if you are not vaccinated there will be things that you miss out on, everyday things that you will miss out on," Ardern told Morning Report.

"It's about both rewarding people who have gone out and done the right thing but also keeping away people who are less safe."

She said by the time the framework is ready to move to, the government is confident vaccine certificates will be ready.

It's like an alert level system, she said.

"We've always said once we're vaccinated it will be different, so we need to therefore design what that looks like."

Ardern said the government is drawing some distinctions though, they don't want an environment where people can't access necessary goods and services to maintain their lives.

"We can't say someone can't get health services, medical needs, pharmacies, food."

The government is supporting providers who are providing incentives for people to get vaccinated, she said.

"Anything that they identify will work for their community has our backing."

Ardern said domestic travel is being looked at separately from the framework to be announced Friday, and work is being down to see if there is a way to safely allow movement.

"But that would have a number of checks around it - is there a way that we can use vaccine certificates but also acknowledge that even if you're vaccinated it is still possible for you to have asymptotic Covid."

The border is putting a lot of strain on Auckland the more time is it needed, she said.

"At the same time, the rest of New Zealand wants to remain... Covid free or be in the position to extinguish Covid cases as they arrive. So we've got to balance those two needs."

Epidemiologist Rod Jackson told Morning Report the government needs to go hard on those who just haven't yet got around to getting a vaccine - "With no jab, no job, no fun".

The second group of people who aren't vaccinated however, don't trust the system, he said.

"And for those we have to find the people that they trust.

"The only game in town is to buy time until we get everyone vaccinated."

The government has signalled a vaccination target will be part of the soon to be announced framework.

Jackson says if 95 percent of the population is vaccinated, there will be death, disease and hospitalisations for the last five percent.

"Those were the 5 percent who were the first to get Covid in Europe last year, those are where most of the deaths are, those are where most of the hospitalisations are...For the rest of us, we're all going to get Covid again.

He said people don't realise that.

"There's two ways to get vaccinated. You either get vaccinated by the virus, and that's brutal, one in 10 hospitalisations in this latest outbreak. If you get Covid after you've been vaccinated it will happen slowly because the vaccine is fantastic for dealing with severe disease but it only slows down infection."

Slowing down infection is the key problem a vaccinated population faces, he said.

"Because Covid spreads so rapidly, even if the vaccine has reduced your risk of going to hospital from one in 10 to one in 100. That is still one in 100 of a lot of people if Covid is spreading rapidly."

A flexible approach is needed, he said.

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Everyday activities won't be available to the unvaccinated - Jacinda Ardern - RNZ