Azaria Howell: Newstalk ZB political reporter on Winston Peters campaigning against the Regulatory Standards Bill

New Zealand First is denying claims the party's lining up to work with Labour next election, despite David Seymour suggesting the idea.

Seymour made the claim after New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters announced he'd campaign on repealing the Regulatory Standards Bill.

Newstalk ZB political reporter Azaria Howell says it's unclear where this will go from here, given how Seymour championed the bill.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Do you know any mean now? As Newstalk ZDB senior
political reporter Azaria Howe, Good morning, Azaria.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
Good morning. Good to be with you.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Right, it seems like the campaign is on, doesn't it.
Take Winston Peter's seal his intention to campaign against against
the Regulatory Standards Bill.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
This has been such a big talking point for the
week and it's probably going to continue to be for
weeks ahead, at least days ahead. Winston Peters, as you say,
has confirmed New Zealand First will campaign against the Regulatory
Standards Bill, which is now actually the Regulatory Standards Act,
particularly because New Zealand First voted in favor of it
at its third reading. In fact, at the time, Casey Costello,

(00:53):
who is in New Zealand First MP, said that they
had no hesitation commending the bill to the House. But
since Winston Peter's made those comments, there's been reaction from
David Seymour, who's been behind the Regulatory Standards Bill. He
says it pretty worrying, but also he says it seems
New Zealand First is gearing up to work with Labor
in a potential coalition. I mean that's a big call.

(01:15):
They still have more time and coalition together in terms
of New Zealand First and Act in National and still
a bit more time before the election. I mean we
don't have a date yet, but that is a massive
thing for David Seymour to say. It also does bag
the question though, I mean, how much of the coalition
deals to individual parties disagree with? I mean David Seymour

(01:37):
also said though keeping the Regulatory Standards Act was a
bottom line for him, and it seems Winston Peters is
now quite strong in his opposition for that as well.
So it is really interesting to see where this goes
from here. I mean, if it's a bottom line for
David Seymour and Winston Peters doesn't like it, what does
that really mean going forward? I mean, could the coalition

(01:58):
have another term with that in mind?

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Tomorrow I think marks two years since this coalition has
been in powered. They've got another year, Azariah. I mean
there's time to We expect them to kind of get
on and do what they said they were going to
do and deliver, don't we. I mean, it's it feels
a little early really to kind of be, you know,
stepping out as an individual.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
Yeah, it seems like the campaign is just really really
heating up. And as you say, it's been two years
of the coalition government in power. We understand there'll be
a campaign event for National this weekend where they might
also announce policy, and that comes after a sort of
a poor performance for National in the latest EPSOSCE monitor pole.
The big talking point from that poll as well being

(02:42):
that Labor was more trusted than National on the economy. Now,
that was a really important one in terms of those
that polling. And one of the big things as well
though that the government is pleased about and that they
are celebrating is a drop in victims of violent crime.
That's something everyone in the coalition is really applauding. It's
been about a year since the gang laws came into

(03:04):
force and the police and justice ministers seemed very pleased
with how that policy is progressing. But this National Party event,
as I say, it'll be an interesting one to keep
an eye on. I mean that two year mark is
really significant. Basically, it means there's about a year left
I mean less than a year really until we find
out who the next government is and if it is

(03:25):
this coalition again. I mean you'll remember the coalition talks
from last time took quite some time. So it does
mean that things are really heating up and it'll be
about a year if that, until we see who our
next government is.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
Chris Bishop has just released the new Social Housing Investment Plan.
What are the details around this? It involves a housing
this Housing Investment Plan. Is it a new approach?

Speaker 3 (03:53):
Yeah, well, I think what's new about it is sort
of just the scale of the investment. I mean, the
government's launched that Housing Investment Plan. One of the big
things in it really is how much investment it's calling for.
Something that really stood out to me was it set
around half of kayga Otto's state housing stock is expected
to need renewing within the next thirty years, so that

(04:15):
is a lot of work ahead. The government's State Housing
Investment Plan also talked about the Social Housing Agency undertaking
sort of a redevelopment program. And this is the big one.
It says kayga Outos identified about forty thousand renewals needed
across the country over the next three decades. Forty thousand.
I mean, it seems like a lot of work to do,

(04:36):
but also really important to make sure that our state
houses are fit for purpose. The government's also promising sales
of unsuitable homes, things like a multi million dollar one recently,
and that money will be reinvested back into social housing.
The Minister of Housing, Chris Bishop, he also wants to
sort of level the playing field for those community housing

(04:57):
providers in terms of them and Kayga ottos, saying it
really incentivizes everyone to deliver cost effective housing as well.
At where the funding is going to, it's targeted first
to the high need locations. It's got a less of
the Far North, South Auckland, Eastern Bay of Plenty, Gisbone
and Hastings. But yeah, I mean if we look at

(05:19):
the next three decades, I mean it's a big call
for investment.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
Zaria Hell, thank you so much for your time. This
morning is always very much appreciated.

Speaker 1 (05:28):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
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