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Focus on Politics headlines with summaries.
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A year of political turmoil comes to an end
22 Dec 2023Three prime ministers, four ministerial scandals, one general election and a three-way coalition: New Zealand's political landscape has been well and truly shaken up in 2023.
In this week's Focus on…
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Māori dissent sets the scene as Parliament returns
8 Dec 2023The resumption of Parliament this week has been underlined by outcry from Māori, soon matched by fury within the debating chamber.
With just two weeks before the Christmas break and Waitangi Day fast…
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Distractions assail coalition as it lays out ambitious agenda
1 Dec 2023The new government's first week in office saw it get straight to work, setting high expectations and unveiling its 100-day plan - but it's not exactly been smooth sailing.
Fixing the economy and…
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Coalition deals signed and sealed, now it's time to deliver
24 Nov 2023It took 40 days and 40 nights - but at long last, the country knows what its new government will look like.
New Zealand's first-ever three-way coalition: National, ACT and New Zealand First finally…
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Te Pāti Māori plans for future as it reflects on success in Māori seats
18 Nov 2023After its most successful election - taking all but one of the Māori seats - Te Pāti Māori is amping up for the next three years as "the only true opposition".
It's a dramatic turnaround for a party…
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Coalition talks pick up pace behind closed doors
10 Nov 2023With National's potential partners ACT and NZ First finally getting together in Wellington this week, a sense of momentum is building for the trio to form a government.
Labour's Chris…
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Peters' stock rises on final vote count, how much will Luxon pay?
3 Nov 2023The final act of the 2023 election has reset the calculus, blowing apart National's dream scenario and driving up the price for forming government.
With NZ First's support now a requirement, Winston…
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Labour faces vexed reset and return to opposition
28 Oct 2023After a devastating collapse in their vote on election night, the Labour Party is examining what went so wrong and who is best to lead them from the opposition benches.
Current and former MPs alike…
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Election results in a clear winner, a clear loser, a complex path to power
21 Oct 2023The battle for the hearts, minds and votes of New Zealanders is over - nearly - with the preliminary results on Saturday putting National in a position to form the next government and Labour consigned…
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On the campaign trail, final week: The highs and lows
13 Oct 2023It has been a rollercoaster campaign, fiscal fights, feisty debates - all with the aim of taking the government benches.
In Focus on Politics this week, a look at the campaign as it all comes down to…
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On the campaign trail, week five: Luxon grapples with his 'last resort'
7 Oct 2023TVNZ's multi-party debate this week illustrated key features of this election campaign: the minor parties' rising popularity, and the complicated role of NZ First.
With polls they would need Winston…
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On the campaign trail, week four: The week of Winston Peters
30 Sep 2023Call this the week of Winston Peters - with the New Zealand First leader, riding a wave of renewed relevancy.
In not one, but two TV polls, New Zealand First featured above that critical 5 percent…
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On the campaign trail, week three: Debates, polls, sausage and cheese rolls
22 Sep 2023The minor parties gave glimpses of their own cooperation styles at the Newshub Nation Powerbrokers' debate, while polls continued to signal Labour on the downturn.
GDP numbers also showed no…
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On the campaign trail, week two: Tax plans and spending
16 Sep 2023The second week of the election campaign has been all about the economy.
There was the pre-election opening of the books, with National's tax plans and Labour's spending coming under fire.
This…
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On the campaign trail, week one: False claims and ad campaigns
9 Sep 2023One week into the official election campaign and the hyperbole is flying thick and fast.
Distractions persisted throughout the week, with protesters at the major parties' campaign launches, outrage…
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Political parties talk strategy as campaigning begins in earnest
1 Sep 2023The Parliamentary term came to an end this week after a tumultuous term, and Labour and National's election campaigns are launching this weekend - with just six weeks remaining before the big day.
…
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Labour sells its vaping crackdown - but is it too late?
26 Aug 2023The government's pointed to vapes as a key weapon in the war against cigarettes.
In the rush to reach its smokefree targets, however, there are fears the horse has bolted - with children exposed to…
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Labour's GST-free fruit and vege strategy falls foul of the experts
18 Aug 2023Set the table for bread and butter - or in this case, fruit and veg: Labour fired its opening election campaign salvo on Sunday with a starkly populist pitch for tax-free produce.
The party is…
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ACT's top six candidates share their history and priorities
11 Aug 2023ACT has not only held onto the 10-fold increase in voter support it enjoyed last election, it's maintained a stable caucus and gained further traction.
With polls anticipating an even bigger stable…
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Polls and fiscal holes put major parties on notice
With recent polling giving both major parties cause for concern and the election less than three months away, the countdown is on - and the policies are starting to roll out.
Labour has launched…
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Labour grapples with Kiri Allan's resignation, leak claims
28 Jul 2023Tragic circumstances putting a halt to the political career of one of Labour's rising stars, East Coast MP Kiri Allan, was just the start of the party's headaches this week.
Along with speculation…
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Green co-leader Davidson touts party's 'healing' ahead of AGM
7 Jul 2023Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson says this election is the final chance to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, curb environmental degradation, and reduce inequality.
Following bruising…
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Hipkins passes diplomatic test with China's Xi
1 Jul 2023Prime Minister Chris Hipkins' week-long trip to China centred on a meeting with China's President Xi Jinping, one of the world's most powerful men.
Amid tense geostrategic conditions and with a trip…
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