Giles Dexter

2 weeks ago | radionz.co.nz | Giles Dexter

The ACT Party has joined the war on "woke" banks with a member's bill to repeal legislation which requires banks and other financial institutions to submit climate disclosures. It could be set to join New Zealand First on the order paper in having a member's bill aimed at preventing banks from denying services, with New Zealand First's bill drawn from the ballot in February.

2 weeks ago | rnz.co.nz | Giles Dexter

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has announced she is no longer running for a second term. Whanau, who won the mayoralty in 2022 as an independent and had secured the Green Party's backing for re-election, has now changed her tune, saying she did not want a Green vs Labour battle. On Monday night, former Labour MP Andrew Little confirmed he had Labour's backing to contest the mayoralty.

3 weeks ago | rnz.co.nz | Giles Dexter

China's embassy in New Zealand has expressed its "strong dissatisfaction" over a visit to Taiwan by a cross-parliamentary group of MPs.A lengthy statement posted by the embassy accused the MPs of "wrongdoings" and that they "insisted on colluding with 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces" during their trip. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan was established in 2023 and is jointly led by National's Stuart Smith and Labour's Tangi Utikere.

3 weeks ago | radionz.co.nz | Giles Dexter

Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, along with MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, have again declined to turn up to a privileges hearing over their haka protest in Parliament, but this time they have lodged a written submission in their absence. The three, along with Labour's Peeni Henare, were referred to the committee for their involvement in a haka and protests in the House in November, at the first reading of the contentious Treaty Principles Bill.

3 weeks ago | rnz.co.nz | Soumya Bhamidipati |Giles Dexter

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says people are getting "hung up on terms" over whether New Zealand is part of the coalition of the willing on Ukraine. The group consists of more than 30 countries which have pledged strengthened support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, including an agreement to be part of a peacekeeping force.