October 5, 2025 • 12 mins
Azaria Howell joins Nick Mills for Beehive Buzz this week discussing the changes to the job seeker benefit.
We also talk on the latest news in Te Pati Māori and the latest protest - at Winston Peters home - and the consideration of a change to protest law in New Zealand. Also, the lowering of free bowel cancer screening age, and how we compare to the rest of the world.
For the latest insight into parliament, it's Beehive Buzz with Azaria Howell.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Said B.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Direct from News Talks Edb's team at doloments the bee Hive.
Buzz Hi Bos.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
It's that time of a Monday morning we go to
the Beehiven Nizaria how news Talk, said Be, senior political
reporter is at work.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Good morning, Good morning, good to be with you, Nick.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Good to have you on everything right at the Beehi
Back to business.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, back to business and I'm very excited as I
always am.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Okay, talk to me about the benefit changes. What we've
been talking about the job seeker benefit changes. What's happening
at parliament with this change? What's the word?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
The government has announced that young people aged eighteen and
nineteen will no longer be eligible for job seeker payments.
That's if their parents are allowed or able rather to
support them. So these changes come in in November next year.
But get this, it's bringing forward plan that was signaled.
It was being implemented in twenty twenty seven in June
(01:11):
according to this year's budget, so it was meant to
come in then it is coming in from November twenty
twenty six, so that's next year, all people aged eighteen
or nineteen who do not have dependent children will have
to pass a parental assistance test in order to access
the job seeker support. So what's in that test? Well,
first of all, it looks at parental income. The current
(01:33):
threshold for both parents is sixty five thousand, five hundred
and twenty nine dollars, so that's expected to be adjusted
every year. The Minister for Social Development and Employment, Louise Upston,
says that the limit will ensure that young people from
very low income families will still be able to access
that support if required. So sixty five thousand or just
(01:56):
a little bit over that in terms of where that
cutoff will be.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
But Bnasari, that's a combined income. I mean that's pathetically low.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, it is. It is. You could say it's really
not a lot. I mean the Prime Minister has spoken
about this a little bit as well.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
We know it's quite low, but the reality is it
puts the pressure.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Back on parents to say get those young people into
worker education. So Chris lux In, they're admitting he knows
it is quite low as well. I mean sixty five
thousand dollars for two parents supporting at least one child,
you'd have to think that is not a very high threshold.
The Prime Minister, though, is also saying it's really about
setting expectations for young people that they need to go
(02:38):
out get an education, get a job and to work.
But also in this as we may have been seeing,
a new incentive has been launched as well. So the
government's announced that young people who are in MSD's Community
Job Coaching service are able to apply for a thousand
dollars bonus payment if they get a job and stay
(02:58):
off the benefit for a year, so that payment will
be eligible a year on from October twenty twenty six.
Still a bit more time to go a one thousand
dollar payout there, but the overall move from the government
has prompted quite a bit of backlash as you'd expect
from opposition parties, and we're also expecting a bit more
talk about this as well when we talk to people
(03:21):
in Labor and the Greens and to Patimordi about their thoughts.
Labor so far has been quite critical of this. One
Social Development spokesperson Willie Jackson says in a quote, Chris
Luxon is shutting young people out of the future they deserve,
so Meanwhile, the PM has spoken about why this is
being brought forward. He's basically saying it takes a while
(03:41):
to get the legislation through, they want to bring it forward. Also,
as I've said, it's about setting those expectations for younger
people asari.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Will this earn some kind of respect for the government
or more hate for them?
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Well?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Is? It does remain to be seen. I mean, as
you say, the sixty five thousand dollars threshold, I originally
actually saw that and thought that was for one parent.
It is for both, so that was quite eye opening
for me. But it does remain to be seen. I mean,
a lot of people have been supporting changes to allow
more young people to get into work, but really, I mean,
(04:18):
we'll have to see what the actual impact is it
does come into force November twenty twenty six next year.
I mean, if there is potentially a change of government,
that may not be the case. So it is one
to keep an eye on. But there has been quite
a bit of backlash from the likes of the opposition
parties in this one.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Okay, there's been a bit of chaos around the Tapati maory.
You know what's going on. What's the latest I've got
a new member coming in this weekt they do.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
So Tapati Maldi MP will soon to be MP and
former news Hub journalist or any Kaipitter has her maiden
speech to Parliament, that is her first speech on Thursday
about four four point thirty pm, so we'll be keeping
an eye on that and seeing what she is saying
after that. We're expecting get this. Tapati Marti is calling
a reset plan. So this comes after quite a bit
(05:10):
of tension in the party. A Malori activist who led
the massive Hikoi more Te titdit which had thousands and
thousands of people, has spoken publicly about kind of a
split with Tapati Maldi. So Edu Kappakini has spoken to
Tao Maldi News saying his group Toytu Te tit t
is not a lobby group for any political party. The
(05:32):
spokesperson has been claiming Tapati Mardi want to control the Kopappa,
also suggesting that they have a dictatorship style of decision making.
So also interestingly, Edu Kappakingi, who's the person who's said this,
is the son of Tepati Marti and p Marti. Ameno
Kappa Kingi, who was recently demoted as the whip of
(05:52):
Tepati Maldi. She's also said in a recent interview with
Tehiku Media that she remains a member of the party
despite the dysfunction at times. An interesting choice of words
there from her, but although saying this to tear Titt
has put out a statement saying it's committed to allyship
with all who uphold tair TITDT and it's also said
(06:14):
get this, it's said quote. As we move toward the
general election, we remain focused on this key mission, changing
this anti TITDT government. Labor leader Chris Hopkins has also
responded to the goings on in Ta Patti Maldi. He says,
Tepati Maldi look like they're a long way away from
being able to play a constructive role in any future government.
(06:38):
That is a huge call from Chris Hopkins. That is
a big thing to say, because obviously it is suggested
Labor may very well need Tapatti Mali for a potential
coalition deal.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Do you reckon? They're going to try and clean themselves
up and try and sort of be more respected so
that people compare you and this this Eero Kappa Kingi
thing is is that just a family gripe.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Yeah, I mean it's he's saying that it is not
because of the situations going on with the family, and
that it's a state and he's wanted to make for
quite some time. I mean, I suppose it is fair
to put a distance between groups like that sort of
protest and action groups and political parties. I mean they
need to. As a lobby group, you'd expect them to
(07:21):
call out every political party at some point, and this
sort of allows them to do so. But yeah, I mean,
all eyes will really be on Thursday for that reset plan.
I mean, it does remain to be seen what happens,
but I mean calling it a reset implies that it's
got to be something big and quite a massive change
to come for that party.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
The government is lowering the threshold for free bow cancer screenings.
What's the thoughts of the beehive with this announcement, remembering
that it doesn't go anywhere near what their pre election
campaign was to equal Australias.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
That's correct, So Australia, I believe is forty five. So
we'll just go into the story. The government's agreed to
lower the bowel cancer screen rate from sixty five to
fifty eight but as we say, Australia is still a
lot lower than this. It comes into effect today for Northland,
Auckland and the South Island and it will be rolled
out across the rest of the North Island, including Wellington
(08:21):
next March. It is a really important one. Bowel cancer
is the country's second deadliest cancer. The government's also committed
to rolling out screening kits, so at home tests that
can detect the cancer early. But a big point of
this policy, a pilot program that would allow Maldi and
Pacifica to access a screening at age fifty is coming
(08:44):
to an end, so that is no more. David Seymour
from ACT has reacted to this. He says the government's
move to lower the eligibility age for free bowel cancer
screening to fifty eight is another victory for the principle
of need not race and he says it will save
lives well. Also on that commitment to Australia, Minister of
Health Simeon Brown has said the government is committed to
(09:05):
lowering the age to match that of Australia. Well, it's
being lower to fifty eight, there's still a bit more
to go there, however, lowering this starting age to fifty eight.
That's expected to see about one hundred and twenty two
thousand people become eligible for screening in the first year alone.
And also Minister of Health Simian Brown he says the
(09:26):
government is committed to further lowering the bowel screening starting
age as quickly as possible.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
But this was a pre election promise that they would
equal Australia. I saw Christopher Laxon make this promise in
front of a lady that was dying and she was
a hell of a lot younger than forty five of
bow cancer. This is just a blatant lie.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Then if they're not going to do it, well they
do say they will. They're committed to furthering further lowering
it rather as soon as possible. I mean seeing it
lower from sixty five to fifty eight does not put
New Zealand on part with Australia. But there is still
a lot more to go and the Health Minister has
kind of admitted that in saying that the government is
(10:10):
committed to lowering this further. So you would hope and
expect that there is still a lot more to go
in terms of putting New Zealand on part with Australia.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Now Zaria, the Prime Minister, said this morning on the
My cost Can show that they were going to introduce
law that prevents people from protesting outside political leaders homes.
Is that the first you've heard of that or has
that been a little bit of a rumblings round the
beehive since what we saw with Winston Peter's home.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Yeah, so this has been sort of playing in the
background a bit. It was announced, i want to say,
a couple of months ago, but it has come up
again because pro Palestine protesters were protesting outside Winston Peters,
the Foreign Affairs Minister's house, and Winston Peters has actually
put on Twitter or acts as it's called now that
protesting outside of politician's home at night is not a protest.
(11:01):
He says, it's disgraceful and blatant harassment. But in this
law which is proposed now, so it has not become
law yet, it would be politicians' houses but also judges,
which is another kind of interesting thing to look at.
So the law has not yet come in well, it's
expected to go through that select committee stage, so we'll
(11:22):
see potentially some scrutiny in people giving their thoughts on
what it actually means, but it has come up quite
a bit because of that protest outside Winston Peter's house
in the past few days.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Azaria, when you're wandering through the Beehive and talking to
the people that you talk to, the very powerful politicians,
maybe slipping in the air that I suggested it should
be anybody's home. You might make a statement one time
and they might pray toaste outside your house. That should
be illegal as well. Your home is your home. You
can't shouldn't be able to protest, So maybe just slip
that into the air of a couple of the high
(11:55):
movers that you associate with. Azariah, how always good to
talk to you. Thank you have a great busy week
at the Beehive. I'm sure there's going to be story
after story after story on newstalks be as the politicians
go back to work.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Said B.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Direct from News Talks Edb's team at doloments the bee Hive.
Buzz Hi Bos.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
It's that time of a Monday morning we go to
the Beehiven Nizaria how news Talk, said Be, senior political
reporter is at work.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Good morning, Good morning, good to be with you, Nick.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Good to have you on everything right at the Beehi
Back to business.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, back to business and I'm very excited as I
always am.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Okay, talk to me about the benefit changes. What we've
been talking about the job seeker benefit changes. What's happening
at parliament with this change? What's the word?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
The government has announced that young people aged eighteen and
nineteen will no longer be eligible for job seeker payments.
That's if their parents are allowed or able rather to
support them. So these changes come in in November next year.
But get this, it's bringing forward plan that was signaled.
It was being implemented in twenty twenty seven in June
(01:11):
according to this year's budget, so it was meant to
come in then it is coming in from November twenty
twenty six, so that's next year, all people aged eighteen
or nineteen who do not have dependent children will have
to pass a parental assistance test in order to access
the job seeker support. So what's in that test? Well,
first of all, it looks at parental income. The current
(01:33):
threshold for both parents is sixty five thousand, five hundred
and twenty nine dollars, so that's expected to be adjusted
every year. The Minister for Social Development and Employment, Louise Upston,
says that the limit will ensure that young people from
very low income families will still be able to access
that support if required. So sixty five thousand or just
(01:56):
a little bit over that in terms of where that
cutoff will be.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
But Bnasari, that's a combined income. I mean that's pathetically low.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, it is. It is. You could say it's really
not a lot. I mean the Prime Minister has spoken
about this a little bit as well.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
We know it's quite low, but the reality is it
puts the pressure.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Back on parents to say get those young people into
worker education. So Chris lux In, they're admitting he knows
it is quite low as well. I mean sixty five
thousand dollars for two parents supporting at least one child,
you'd have to think that is not a very high threshold.
The Prime Minister, though, is also saying it's really about
setting expectations for young people that they need to go
(02:38):
out get an education, get a job and to work.
But also in this as we may have been seeing,
a new incentive has been launched as well. So the
government's announced that young people who are in MSD's Community
Job Coaching service are able to apply for a thousand
dollars bonus payment if they get a job and stay
(02:58):
off the benefit for a year, so that payment will
be eligible a year on from October twenty twenty six.
Still a bit more time to go a one thousand
dollar payout there, but the overall move from the government
has prompted quite a bit of backlash as you'd expect
from opposition parties, and we're also expecting a bit more
talk about this as well when we talk to people
(03:21):
in Labor and the Greens and to Patimordi about their thoughts.
Labor so far has been quite critical of this. One
Social Development spokesperson Willie Jackson says in a quote, Chris
Luxon is shutting young people out of the future they deserve,
so Meanwhile, the PM has spoken about why this is
being brought forward. He's basically saying it takes a while
(03:41):
to get the legislation through, they want to bring it forward. Also,
as I've said, it's about setting those expectations for younger
people asari.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
Will this earn some kind of respect for the government
or more hate for them?
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Well?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Is? It does remain to be seen. I mean, as
you say, the sixty five thousand dollars threshold, I originally
actually saw that and thought that was for one parent.
It is for both, so that was quite eye opening
for me. But it does remain to be seen. I mean,
a lot of people have been supporting changes to allow
more young people to get into work, but really, I mean,
(04:18):
we'll have to see what the actual impact is it
does come into force November twenty twenty six next year.
I mean, if there is potentially a change of government,
that may not be the case. So it is one
to keep an eye on. But there has been quite
a bit of backlash from the likes of the opposition
parties in this one.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Okay, there's been a bit of chaos around the Tapati maory.
You know what's going on. What's the latest I've got
a new member coming in this weekt they do.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
So Tapati Maldi MP will soon to be MP and
former news Hub journalist or any Kaipitter has her maiden
speech to Parliament, that is her first speech on Thursday
about four four point thirty pm, so we'll be keeping
an eye on that and seeing what she is saying
after that. We're expecting get this. Tapati Marti is calling
a reset plan. So this comes after quite a bit
(05:10):
of tension in the party. A Malori activist who led
the massive Hikoi more Te titdit which had thousands and
thousands of people, has spoken publicly about kind of a
split with Tapati Maldi. So Edu Kappakini has spoken to
Tao Maldi News saying his group Toytu Te tit t
is not a lobby group for any political party. The
(05:32):
spokesperson has been claiming Tapati Mardi want to control the Kopappa,
also suggesting that they have a dictatorship style of decision making.
So also interestingly, Edu Kappakingi, who's the person who's said this,
is the son of Tepati Marti and p Marti. Ameno
Kappa Kingi, who was recently demoted as the whip of
(05:52):
Tepati Maldi. She's also said in a recent interview with
Tehiku Media that she remains a member of the party
despite the dysfunction at times. An interesting choice of words
there from her, but although saying this to tear Titt
has put out a statement saying it's committed to allyship
with all who uphold tair TITDT and it's also said
(06:14):
get this, it's said quote. As we move toward the
general election, we remain focused on this key mission, changing
this anti TITDT government. Labor leader Chris Hopkins has also
responded to the goings on in Ta Patti Maldi. He says,
Tepati Maldi look like they're a long way away from
being able to play a constructive role in any future government.
(06:38):
That is a huge call from Chris Hopkins. That is
a big thing to say, because obviously it is suggested
Labor may very well need Tapatti Mali for a potential
coalition deal.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Do you reckon? They're going to try and clean themselves
up and try and sort of be more respected so
that people compare you and this this Eero Kappa Kingi
thing is is that just a family gripe.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Yeah, I mean it's he's saying that it is not
because of the situations going on with the family, and
that it's a state and he's wanted to make for
quite some time. I mean, I suppose it is fair
to put a distance between groups like that sort of
protest and action groups and political parties. I mean they
need to. As a lobby group, you'd expect them to
(07:21):
call out every political party at some point, and this
sort of allows them to do so. But yeah, I mean,
all eyes will really be on Thursday for that reset plan.
I mean, it does remain to be seen what happens,
but I mean calling it a reset implies that it's
got to be something big and quite a massive change
to come for that party.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
The government is lowering the threshold for free bow cancer screenings.
What's the thoughts of the beehive with this announcement, remembering
that it doesn't go anywhere near what their pre election
campaign was to equal Australias.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
That's correct, So Australia, I believe is forty five. So
we'll just go into the story. The government's agreed to
lower the bowel cancer screen rate from sixty five to
fifty eight but as we say, Australia is still a
lot lower than this. It comes into effect today for Northland,
Auckland and the South Island and it will be rolled
out across the rest of the North Island, including Wellington
(08:21):
next March. It is a really important one. Bowel cancer
is the country's second deadliest cancer. The government's also committed
to rolling out screening kits, so at home tests that
can detect the cancer early. But a big point of
this policy, a pilot program that would allow Maldi and
Pacifica to access a screening at age fifty is coming
(08:44):
to an end, so that is no more. David Seymour
from ACT has reacted to this. He says the government's
move to lower the eligibility age for free bowel cancer
screening to fifty eight is another victory for the principle
of need not race and he says it will save
lives well. Also on that commitment to Australia, Minister of
Health Simeon Brown has said the government is committed to
(09:05):
lowering the age to match that of Australia. Well, it's
being lower to fifty eight, there's still a bit more
to go there, however, lowering this starting age to fifty eight.
That's expected to see about one hundred and twenty two
thousand people become eligible for screening in the first year alone.
And also Minister of Health Simian Brown he says the
(09:26):
government is committed to further lowering the bowel screening starting
age as quickly as possible.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
But this was a pre election promise that they would
equal Australia. I saw Christopher Laxon make this promise in
front of a lady that was dying and she was
a hell of a lot younger than forty five of
bow cancer. This is just a blatant lie.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Then if they're not going to do it, well they
do say they will. They're committed to furthering further lowering
it rather as soon as possible. I mean seeing it
lower from sixty five to fifty eight does not put
New Zealand on part with Australia. But there is still
a lot more to go and the Health Minister has
kind of admitted that in saying that the government is
(10:10):
committed to lowering this further. So you would hope and
expect that there is still a lot more to go
in terms of putting New Zealand on part with Australia.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Now Zaria, the Prime Minister, said this morning on the
My cost Can show that they were going to introduce
law that prevents people from protesting outside political leaders homes.
Is that the first you've heard of that or has
that been a little bit of a rumblings round the
beehive since what we saw with Winston Peter's home.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Yeah, so this has been sort of playing in the
background a bit. It was announced, i want to say,
a couple of months ago, but it has come up
again because pro Palestine protesters were protesting outside Winston Peters,
the Foreign Affairs Minister's house, and Winston Peters has actually
put on Twitter or acts as it's called now that
protesting outside of politician's home at night is not a protest.
(11:01):
He says, it's disgraceful and blatant harassment. But in this
law which is proposed now, so it has not become
law yet, it would be politicians' houses but also judges,
which is another kind of interesting thing to look at.
So the law has not yet come in well, it's
expected to go through that select committee stage, so we'll
(11:22):
see potentially some scrutiny in people giving their thoughts on
what it actually means, but it has come up quite
a bit because of that protest outside Winston Peter's house
in the past few days.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Azaria, when you're wandering through the Beehive and talking to
the people that you talk to, the very powerful politicians,
maybe slipping in the air that I suggested it should
be anybody's home. You might make a statement one time
and they might pray toaste outside your house. That should
be illegal as well. Your home is your home. You
can't shouldn't be able to protest, So maybe just slip
that into the air of a couple of the high
(11:55):
movers that you associate with. Azariah, how always good to
talk to you. Thank you have a great busy week
at the Beehive. I'm sure there's going to be story
after story after story on newstalks be as the politicians
go back to work.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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