Labour's Carmel Sepuloni

Climate Change Minister Simon Watts has announced a new climate strategy. The strategy is based on five core pillars, including:

• Infrastructure is resilient and communities are well prepared
• Credible markets support the climate transition
• Clean energy is abundant and affordable
• World-leading climate innovation boosts the economy
• And nature-based solutions address climate change.

This strategy has been met with controversy, with Greenpeace describing it as being “as useful as teats on a bull.”

Wire Host Caeden asked Labour Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about this new climate strategy as well as about the recent controversy surrounding former Green MP Darleen Tana.

They started by asking for her thoughts on the government’s new Climate strategy.

The Government is reintroducing the Three Strike laws which were repealed by Labour during their last term. These laws set out mandatory, lengthy sentences for some repeat offenders.

The laws have been controversial, with experts stating that there is no evidence that they work in preventing serious crime. 

The Government has also announced a reduction in support to community food providers. Auckland City Mission has stated they may need to cut their food packages by half. 

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden asks Labour Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about both of these topics.

23 MPs made the news last weekend for using their accommodation supplement to rent back their own homes. The accommodation supplement is an entitlement for out-of-Wellington-based MPs to have the place they stay when in Wellington covered under their employment. In some cases MPs used the supplement to pay off the mortgage of a second or third home.

Other recent political news includes the opposition to the proposed fast track legislation, and criticism of how the recently announced budget will negatively impact already marginalised groups. Caeden chat about all these topics with Labour’s Arena Williams for our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party.

They started by asking if she thinks it’s ok for MP’s to be enabled to become multiple homeowners as a result of the supplement they claim?

Labour Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni has come out against Louise Upston’s comments on welfare, calling her out for leaving out context or blatantly lying about facts.

Some of Minister Upston’s comments include conflating those who are on Job Seeker who are “work ready” and those who are on it for health conditions, as well as stating that young people who go on the benefit could stay on it for 24 years without mentioning this only applies to 0.5% of people. 

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party Wire Host Caeden asks about National’s comments on welfare, as well as the civil unrest we are currently seeing in New Caledonia.

They started by asking about her comparison between what National is doing to benefits today to what Ruth Richardson did 30 years ago.