Election 2026

New Zealand First is promising more regulation in combat sports - but an MMA coach advises caution.

The party wants to set up a Combat Sports Commission, to oversee licensing, and require medical professionals at events. 

It also wants penalties to crack down on gangs hosting unsanctioned events. 

City Kickboxing trainer Mike Angove says for some, these sports are rehabilitative. 

"While you want to have the ability ...

A lifelong gang member says Green Party decisions around gangs this week have a bad look.

Greens and  Te Pāti Māori MPs this week visited the Mongrel Mob HQ, posing for photos.

The Greens say they'd consider dumping the patch ban, and are open to mob-delivered drug-rehab work.

Denis O'Reilly says the patch bans reduced aggressive behaviour. 

He says gangs mightn't be the best to lead anti-meth programmes. 

"It's prob...

Candidates from Te Pāti Māori and the Greens were recently spotted meeting with the Mongrel Mob on social media, and it's prompted some backlash.

Chris Hipkins and Labour have since ruled out any MP from those parties holding the Justice or Police portfolios.

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper has labelled this as 'absurd' and that Luxon should have drawn more attention to this issue in last night's debate.

LIST...

Sweet mercy. I don't know about you, but the sight of Green and Te Pāti Māori MPs posturing and posing with members of the Mongrel Mob brought back very bad memories of the bad old days. Remember when gang members were given funding for dubious rehab programs? And when they took over the roads and the streets as they were going to tangihanga or just, you know, going from point A to point B and wanted to put on a show?  

Rememb...

Christopher Luxon says National's delivered a lot of what it wanted to this term.  

While taking talkback with Kerre Woodham, a supporter asked why he allowed ACT and New Zealand First to veto National promises after the 2023 election. 

She pointed out although Luxon had expressed support for capping vape stores at 600, in Coalition negotiations he handed NZ First responsibility for regulation of smoking and cessation too...

Is there a clear winner in the wake of the second major leaders debate? 

Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins went head-to-head in the NZ Herald's Leaders Debate last night, clashing on education, geopolitics, and wages, amid other things.  

Political Commentator Brigitte Morten told Ryan Bridge the real competition wasn't just between the two leaders, but rather whether or not they could sell to the people watching why th...

Chris Hipkins is lambasting Greens and Te Pāti Māori for engaging with gangs. 

MPs from those parties met and posted photos with members of the Mongrel Mob in South Auckland this week, surrounded by patches. 

It's led to the Labour leader ruling out any MP from the Greens or Te Pāti Māori holding the Justice or Police portfolios in any government he leads. 

Hipkins told Mike Hosking he doesn't want to be seen alongsi...

Tonight's leaders' debate between Luxon and Hipkins isn't the only big political face-off happening tonight. 

The ‘ASB Great Finance Debate’ will take place in Queenstown this evening, and the finance spokespeople from all the major parties will outline their campaign announcements.   

NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny was there - and she unpacked the mood of the room.

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See ...

Labour's now saying it won't scrap a requirement that kids be taught an hour of reading, writing, and maths a day.

The party's copping criticism from National after Labour leader Chris Hipkins suggested it should be up to schools to make that call.

A Curia poll shows 74 percent of people support the mandated learning.

Labour's finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds says she's been told teachers currently decide how they split up thos...

National's transport spokesperson says cars are clogging small suburban streets.

The party is promising if elected to let councils require car parks for new suburban builds. 

It was announced as part of its plan for Auckland - but Chris Bishop says this will apply to all councils. 

He says in some parts of cities, parking isn't needed. 

"You can't do it near train stations, you can't do it in the city centre - that d...

I think we might have the first significant own goal of the election campaign. It's the Mongrel Mob photos.

If you haven't caught up on this yet, you should take a look. It's blown up online. Photos have emerged showing a group of Māori Party and Green Party MPs and candidates meeting the Mongrel Mob at one of their gang pads.

In the photos, you've got Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke of the Māori Party posing with her arms around a coupl...

A victims' advocate says she's furious MPs from the Greens and Te Pāti Māori had a photo op with the Mongrel Mob.

The Greens' Huhana Lyndon and Te Pati Maori's Oriini Kaipara and Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke posed with gang boss, Harry Tam, surrounded by paraphernalia.

The Greens' leaders aren't apologising - saying engagement is better than radicalising people by pushing them away.

Claire Buckley claims they'd rather engage with the ...

National's taking aim at clogged suburban streets with a pledge to reverse a ban on requiring car parking spaces for new builds. 

Councils will be able to require parking spaces in suburban areas outside city centres, and areas without rapid or frequent transport. 

The plan was unveiled as part of its Auckland policy - aiming to tackle crime, build infrastructure and support economic growth.

NZ Herald political editor unp...

Qiulae Wong’s night couldn’t have gone better last night.

Just before the Opportunity leader joined the other leaders for the minor parties TV debate, a new poll came out putting her party well and truly in the position of kingmaker.

According to the 1News-Verian poll, Opportunity is sitting on 8 percent - which equates to 10 MPs in Parliament.

And, not just that, the parties on the left and the right would need it to f...

So, if Qiulae Wong is generally considered to be the best thing in last night's debate, how did she do it and how is her fringe party keeping popular enough to perhaps enter Parliament? 

Her greatest strength last night was acting like a normal person. 

It struck me that she was the only person on our screen that was not a career politician. 

That includes the panel who were full of broadcasters who make their living...

New Zealand First has confirmed it's not putting out a fiscal plan this election that would detail funding for its promises. 

The plans also allocate extra spending during the term. 

So far, they've been released by Labour, National, and ACT.  

Costly NZ First policies this election include buying the Bank of New Zealand. 

Winston Peters says that could cost as much as $15 billion, but he told Kerre Woodham Gove...

In podcast 349 we continue our series featuring long-serving politicians who know the game inside out, and have a real contribution to make.

This week we chat with political veteran John Banks on politics and principles for living.

He has dedicated most of his life to politics, devoting a lengthy term to Parliament in Wellington and to the Mayoralty of Auckland.

His contribution this week includes some of his personal political adv...