CoveragePost
December 22, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand Prime Minster Christopher Luxon and Trade Minister Todd McClay are holding a media conference regarding a free trade deal with India. RNZ understands the government has struck a free trade deal with India. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon promised to do so in his first term, and negotiations were formally launched in ... <a title="Watch live: Prime Minister and Trade Minister on deal with India" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/22/watch-live-prime-minister-and-trade-minister-on-deal-with-india/" aria-label="Read more about Watch live: Prime Minister and Trade Minister on deal with India">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 22, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand The government planned to redirect $1.7 million from various contracts with sexual abuse services from January. Supplied/123RF Sexual abuse support services facing cuts in the new year have been given an extra six months, but are being told not to expect any more than that. The government planned to redirect $1.7 ... <a title="Sexual abuse support services facing cuts have contracts extended" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/22/sexual-abuse-support-services-facing-cuts-have-contracts-extended/" aria-label="Read more about Sexual abuse support services facing cuts have contracts extended">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 22, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Finance Minister Nicola Willis will not be standing for an electorate seat at the next election. At the last election, Willis campaigned for the Wellington electorate of Ōhāriu, which was narrowly won by Labour’s Greg O’Connor with 17,565 votes to Willis’ 16,305. The electorate will next year ... <a title="Finance Minister Nicola Willis not standing for electorate seat at election" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/22/finance-minister-nicola-willis-not-standing-for-electorate-seat-at-election/" aria-label="Read more about Finance Minister Nicola Willis not standing for electorate seat at election">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 22, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi earlier in the year. RNZ / Marika Khabazi RNZ understands the government has struck a Free Trade deal with India. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon promised to do so in his first term, and ... <a title="Government strikes Free Trade deal with India, RNZ understands" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/22/government-strikes-free-trade-deal-with-india-rnz-understands/" aria-label="Read more about Government strikes Free Trade deal with India, RNZ understands">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 22, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has reversed his previous opposition to the Chorus debt sell-off, saying it is “monetisation” rather than an asset sale. Finance Minister Nicola Willis last week confirmed the government would sell about $650m in interest-free loans ... <a title="Winston Peters makes u-turn on Chorus debt sell-off" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/22/winston-peters-makes-u-turn-on-chorus-debt-sell-off/" aria-label="Read more about Winston Peters makes u-turn on Chorus debt sell-off">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 19, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand The minister appointmented Derby and Rainbow in August 2014. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The High Court has ruled Human Rights Commissioner Stephen Rainbow and Race Relations Commissioner Melissa Derby were appointed unlawfully by the Minister of Justice Paul Goldsmith. Goldsmith says he’s taking advice on the judgment and considering “next steps”, ... <a title="Goldsmith unlawfully appointed Human Rights Commissioner and Race Relations Commissioner" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/19/goldsmith-unlawfully-appointed-human-rights-commissioner-and-race-relations-commissioner/" aria-label="Read more about Goldsmith unlawfully appointed Human Rights Commissioner and Race Relations Commissioner">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 19, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Marika Khabazi The Green Party is targeting “private interests and corporate greed” as it gears up for an election the co-leaders expect to be filled with vitriol and personal attacks. Swarbrick – facing her first campaign as co-leader – is calling for fundamental economic change, and laid down a ... <a title="‘Public good over corporate greed’: Greens challenge Willis to debate them instead" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/19/public-good-over-corporate-greed-greens-challenge-willis-to-debate-them-instead/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Public good over corporate greed’: Greens challenge Willis to debate them instead">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 17, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand Labour leader Chris Hipkins is preferred prime minister on 45 percent, while Christopher Luxon is at 39 percent, according to the latest poll. RNZ Labour has an eight-point lead over National in the latest The Post/Freshwater Strategy poll, but neither the coalition nor the opposition parties have the numbers to govern. ... <a title="Labour has eight-point lead over National in latest poll" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/17/labour-has-eight-point-lead-over-national-in-latest-poll/" aria-label="Read more about Labour has eight-point lead over National in latest poll">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 17, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand Finance Minister Nicola Willis speaking at the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update. RNZ Economists say the government is stuck between a rock and a hard place off the back of Treasury’s latest economic forecasts. Tuesday’s Half-Year Fiscal and Economic Update (HYEFU) saw a budget surplus stretch further out of reach, ... <a title="Economists forecast tough calls to get books back to black" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/17/economists-forecast-tough-calls-to-get-books-back-to-black/" aria-label="Read more about Economists forecast tough calls to get books back to black">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 16, 2025
Analysis by Keith Rankin, 16 December 2025 RNZ news item, 12pm 9 Dec 2025: “Finance Minister Nicola Willis has challenged one of her predecessors Ruth Richardson to debate her on how to best manage the country’s finances. Our political reporter Anneke Smith has more: ‘The taxpayers union is poised to launch a pressure campaign targeting ... <a title="Keith Rankin Analysis – Fire! Fire! Today’s Vestiges of Ruthenasia and Classical Austerity" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/16/keith-rankin-analysis-fire-fire-todays-vestiges-of-ruthenasia-and-classical-austerity/" aria-label="Read more about Keith Rankin Analysis – Fire! Fire! Today’s Vestiges of Ruthenasia and Classical Austerity">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 16, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand Current Finance Minister Nicola Willis and former minister Ruth Richardson. RNZ/Reece Baker/Supplied The debate between Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Taxpayers Union chair Ruth Richardson seems unlikely to go ahead, with Richardson saying she won’t be part of a “circus or sideshow”. Willis last week challenged Richardson – the former National ... <a title="Willis v Richardson debate unlikely to go ahead" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/16/willis-v-richardson-debate-unlikely-to-go-ahead/" aria-label="Read more about Willis v Richardson debate unlikely to go ahead">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 16, 2025
Source: Radio New Zealand Finance Minster Nicola Willis says going harder could hurt lower income families, while going softer was “reckless and irresponsible”. RNZ / Mark Papalii Both Labour and the Taxpayers’ Union have hit back at criticism levelled at them by Finance Minister Nicola Willis, saying she must take responsibility for the state of ... <a title="Finance minister must take responsibility for state of books, say Labour, Taxpayer Union" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/12/16/finance-minister-must-take-responsibility-for-state-of-books-say-labour-taxpayer-union/" aria-label="Read more about Finance minister must take responsibility for state of books, say Labour, Taxpayer Union">Read more</a>
