Giles Dexter

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

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has changed his diary in order to speak at the second reading of the Treaty Principles Bill, and says the Prime Minister should do the same. The bill will be debated on Thursday, with National and New Zealand First set to vote against it. Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins are usually away from Parliament on Thursdays, doing visits elsewhere in New Zealand. Hipkins said he moved his diary on Monday night so he would be able to speak at Thursday's debate.

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

Billboards attacking Green Party MPs Chlöe Swarbrick and Tamatha Paul have appeared in Auckland and Wellington, with the group responsible saying the party has an "anti-victim mentality."The billboards, which resemble Green Party campaign hoardings, contain the slogans "Defund the Police" and "Vote Green". A second set said "Woop Woop! Defund da Police," a reference to KRS-One's track Sound of da Police, which Paul played during her DJ Set at Cuba Dupa last month.

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

Parliament's Justice Committee has released its report into the Treaty Principles Bill, and recommended it does not proceed. Sending the bill to the committee stage was part of the National-ACT coalition agreement. ACT's policy was to take the bill to a referendum, but the compromise it reached with National was to take it to select committee. National and New Zealand First have committed to voting down the bill at its second reading, which could come as soon as next week.

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

Parliament's Justice Committee has released its report into the Treaty Principles Bill, and recommended it does not proceed. Sending the bill to the committee stage was part of the National-ACT coalition agreement. ACT's policy was to take the bill to a referendum, but the 'compromise' it reached with National was to take it to select committee. National and New Zealand First have committed to voting down the bill at its second reading, which could come as soon as next week.

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

Only about a quarter of New Zealanders feel safer than they did 12 months ago, according to the RNZ-Reid Research Poll. Since entering office, the government has passed a suite of law and order legislation, including banning gang patches and giving police the power to issue dispersal notices, granting police more search powers, restoring Three Strikes legislation and bringing in caps to sentence reductions.