Louise Upston
Employment Minister responds to govt public service targets
The Prime Minister has outlined nine measureable goals or so called Better Public Service Targets. Among them; An aim to get 95% of people elective treamtments within four months. Getting 95% of… Audio
Employment minister responds to hundreds of job losses in public sector
The axe is falling on hundreds of jobs in the public sector, with the latest losses looming at Oranga Tamariki and The Ministry of Health. Ministries have been ordered to find between 6.5 and 7.5% in… Audio
Welfare and immigration set for a 'reset'
The PM’s State of the Nation speech got the media’s attention when he said welfare needs reform. He didn't mention record-level immigration but that’s also been deemed unsustainable and set for a… Video, Audio
New approach needed to reduce child poverty: Minister Louise Upston
Child advocates have criticised the government saying it doesn't have any specific strategy to fight child poverty.
They say changes to benefit indexing and tax cut policies won't help families that… Audio
Welfare Minister defends benefit crackdown
The government's directive to ramp up welfare sanctions to stop what it calls the surge in benefit dependency under Labour, is being slammed by parties on the left.
The coalition has told officials… Audio
Benefit sanctions cop criticism
The government is being accused of ignoring evidence, as it orders the increased use of benefit sanctions.
It has directed the Ministry of Social Development to ramp up the use of penalties on… Audio
Governments crack down on beneficiaries has started
MSD has officially been instructed to "actively" use all levers available to encourage people off the benefit and into work and that includes sanctions. In a letter outlining her expectations Minister… Video, Audio
National says traffic light policy for beneficiaries driven by 'love'
Cruel, dehumanising and out of touch. That's one description of National's policy to get more beneficiaries into work. But party leader Christopher Luxon's reckons it's a policy driven by love. If in… Video, Audio
Lento, presto, repeat: Louise Upston’s member’s bill
Louise Upston’s been working on a victims rights member’s bill for more than a decade. After a long gestation and a troubled passage this week it suddenly raced to the finish line. Audio
The oral salsa: Parliament goes fast, slow, fast
Parliament had a fast-slow-fast week of debating. Phil Smith looks at why the rhythm changes like an oral salsa dance. Audio
Conversion practices & debate therapy
We look at the first outing of the conversion therapy ban bill, and whether MPs could need therapy for first reading confusion. Audio
Louisa & Louise: How to member’s bill
Louisa Wall and Louise Upston discuss how MPs choose, devise, draft, and champion their own member's bills. Audio
Nearly 3000 emergency housing requests denied in 2020
Nearly 3000 requests for emergency housing were rejected by the government in 2020 - a figure the opposition National Party says represents a genuine crisis.
Social Development Minister Carmel… Audio
The ministerial sprint: how to manage multiple jobs
Most government ministers do four or more different jobs, so Phil Smith asks Chris Hipkins for advice on juggling, sprinting and wearing multiple hats. Audio
Mobility scooter seizure, verdicts of insanity and waka jumping before Parliament
Non-government bills changing laws around mobility device seizures, the wording of verdicts for insane offenders, and waka-jumping MPs have been worked on at Parliament. Audio
Shovel-ready job numbers fall short
The National Party has hit out against the government's shovel-ready scheme, saying the number of new jobs it's created is inadequate. The spend up was announced in July last year, saying it would… Audio
Election 2020: Morning Report social policy debate
About 50,000 people who've lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic are now on the jobseeker benefit.
Treasury projections show unemployment is expected to peak at 7.7 percent next year before… Audio
Members' bills: Defying sad odds
The life of a Member's Bill usually involves years of languishing, minutes of fame and a swift and brutal end. But not always. Audio
Checking the estimates
Select Committees are in estimates season, quizzing ministers on their budget areas; and everything from Defence spending to girls in sport. Audio
National Party calls on Greens to vote Covid-19 benefit down
The Opposition has sought to drive a wedge between the Greens and their government partners, saying they've once again been forced to swallow a dead rat.
The Government pushed a proposed law through… Audio