Labour's Shanan Halbert

A select committee report has recommended going ahead with a referendum on four-year Parliament terms.

Māori health providers have brought a case to the High Court asking for a declaration of inconsistency between the Government's disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

And the Public Service Commissioner, Sir Brian Roche, is currently considering a “major shakeup” of several ministries, including those for Women, Pacific Peoples, Disabled People, and Māori Development.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, regular Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about all of these topics.

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark recently visited the border of Gaza with Egypt. She told media there was “no reason” why Aotearoa New Zealand shouldn’t take the step to recognise a Palestinian state.

The latest Taxpayers Union-Curia poll has predicted a hung parliament next election. Labour has overtaken National, with both National leader Christopher Luxon and Labour Leader Chris Hipkins up in the preferred Prime Minister poll.

And the independent “Representation Commission” has announced the changes to electorates in time for the next generation election. While the changes focus on adjusting boundaries, the electorate of “Rongotai” was also renamed to “Wellington Bays.”

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Shanan Halbert about all of these issues.

According to outreach providers, Auckland has had a 90% increase in homelessness since September last year.

Auckland Council’s Community Committee Chair Angela Dalton says government policy changes have “made it harder for people to access emergency housing.”

The committee has called for the government to work with frontline agencies to address the issue.

Yesterday, nearly 36,000 nurses, midwives, and healthcare workers went on strike for 24 hours.

This followed the breakdown of mediation talks between the nurses' union and Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand.

The union says they are striking because of the ‘dire’ staffing situation.

And the government has announced a series of electoral law changes, including the end to same-day voter enrollment. 

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about all of these issues.

They started by asking about the increase in homelessness in Auckland.

The government has announced that Te Pūkenga is set to return to ‘regional governance,’ re-establishing 10 polytechnics that were merged under the previous Labour-led government.

In 2020 under the previous Labour-led government, 16 polytechnics and nine industry training organisations were merged into the mega-institute Te Pūkenga, as a “head office”. Despite this, the polytechnics were allowed to maintain their unique images and continue operating.

Vocational Education Minister, Penny Simmonds, announced the move, to establish a vocational education system that is “locally led, regionally responsible, and future-focused”.

The move has faced backlash. The Tertiary Education Union’s national secretary, Sandra Grey, says the move would be a disaster for regional education and that the sector is being treated as a “political football”.

For our weekly catchup with the Labour Party, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke with MP Shanon Halbert, about this move from the government.

They also discussed Te Pāti Māori members expressing concerns over Labour’s choice of running MP Peeni Henare in the upcoming Tāmaki Makaurau by-election.

Te Pāti Māori media liaison, Kiri Tamihere-Waititi, says a vote for Henare would be “wasted,” as Henare already has a seat in Parliament. She has called for people to vote for Te Pāti Māori’s candidate, Oriini Kaipara, so that there would be two Tāmaki Makaurau-based Māori MPs in Parliament.

But first, they discussed vocational education.