Gone By Lunchtime: House of C****
Reflections on haka-triggered bans and column-propelled C-bombs, and a couple of thoughts about the budget.
A last-minute adjournment has kicked the debate around the punishments imposed upon Te Pāti Māori MPs down the road and past the budget, avoiding a possible burst of filibuster activity. All of that follows a controversial Privileges Committee decision to serve up suspensions that go well beyond anything seen before in an episode stemming from an extraordinary day in parliament six months ago.
The air in parliament was already thick after a newspaper column used the C-word to describe several senior MPs and their decision to change pay equity rules. Act MP Brooke Van Velden, who'd been on the defensive over the reforms, pushed through under urgency, found a new, powerful voice, and spoke without asterisks.
It all prompted such disarray in the debating chamber that Winston Peters, doyen of parliamentary decorum, denounced a 'House of Chaos' (an accidental allusion to the popular monthly techno night at Firecrackers nightclub in Ashburton).
All of that is on the slate for Toby Manhire, Annabelle Lee-Mather and Ben Thomas in this latest episode of the Spinoff politics podcast Gone By Lunchtime. Plus: we exclusively read the full text of the Budget Policy Statement and Estimates of appropriations that are scheduled for publication tomorrow.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
1News
2 hours ago
- 1News
Govt announces $16m in new Ukraine support ahead of NATO Summit
The New Zealand Government has announced $16 million in additional support for Ukraine, revealed just before Prime Minister Christopher Luxon takes part in a NATO Summit in the Netherlands. The Prime Minister said the country "stands in solidarity with Ukraine". "Its war of self-defence is well into its fourth year and our condemnation of Russia's illegal full-scale invasion remains undiminished," Luxon said. The support will go towards two $4 million contributions to funds for lethal and non-lethal military support, including the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine fund, and the UK and Latvia-led Drone Coalition for Ukraine. New Zealand will also provide $7 million in further humanitarian aid for conflict-affected communities in Ukraine, and $1 million for Ukrainians displaced in neighbouring countries. ADVERTISEMENT Ahead of attending a NATO Summit in The Hague this week, Luxon said he expected Ukraine to be on the agenda alongside the ongoing US and Israeli conflict with Iran. "There'll be a lot of conversation, obviously, about the Middle East, but there'll also be a lot of conversation about Ukraine as well," he told media in Brussels. "We may be a long way from these conflicts, but it's important, if you've got values, that you stand up for them, you articulate them, and, where you can, put support to them." Foreign Minister Winston Peters said it's "vital" countries keep pressure on Russia and work to "achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine." Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins. (Source: 1News) "The defence of Ukraine has significant implications not only for the security of the Euro-Atlantic, but also for the Indo-Pacific," Peters said in a media release. "We must continue to work with others in the international community to uphold a rules-based order that serves all our interests." ADVERTISEMENT New Zealand's total support since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 totals over $168 million and includes a deployment of up to 100 Defence Force personnel who are providing military training. Luxon's European visit continues On the second day of Luxon's five-day trip in Europe, he visited war memorials in Belgium's Ypres, an area where several key battles took place in World War I. This included the Battle of Passchendaele, where more New Zealanders were killed than on any other day since the start of the war, with around 960 soldiers killed according to Parliament. The event is known as the darkest days in New Zealand's history. Luxon also visited the only Māori war memorial in Europe, Pou Maumahara, as well as Passchendaele Museum, Tyne Cot Cemetery and the New Zealand Battlefield Memorial at Messines Ridge. The PM said the day had been 'quite sobering.' Around 18,000 New Zealanders died during World War I or because of it, and 41,000 instances of wounding or illness were recorded. More than one in ten New Zealanders served in the Expeditionary Forces, with the country's population approximately 1.1 million at the time.
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
NZ may help Pacific Islanders in the Middle East 'where feasible' says Peters spokesperson
A C-130J Hercules at Whenuapai RNZAF base. Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel A spokesperson for New Zealand's minister of foreign affairs says where feasible, they may assist Pacific Islanders in the Middle East. The Defence Force is sending a plane to the Middle East to assist any New Zealanders stranded in Iran or Israel. This was decided before the US A spokesperson for Winston Peters said in a statement that New Zealand is working with partner countries and will be coordinating with other consular operations. "The Minister has said New Zealand will play its part as a good international citizen, and where feasible, that may involve assisting other nationals including those from the Pacific Islands." The foreign affairs ministry (MFAT) is providing SafeTravel advice on overland evacuation and border routes, the spokesperson said. This includes how MFAT will support New Zealanders to receive travel authorisation for border crossing from Iran. "It is important to note that nationals of the Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue have the rights of New Zealand citizens - and if nationals from those countries are in Iran or Israel, they're urged to follow the advice from MFAT to all New Zealanders to depart overland, if it is safe to do so." New Zealanders in Iran and Israel needing urgent consular assistance should call the Ministry's Emergency Consular Call Centre on +64 99 20 20 20. The C-130J Hercules, along with government personnel, left Auckland on Monday morning but will take a few days to reach the region. Its exact destination in the Middle East was not disclosed for security reasons. Airspace is still closed in the region, but New Zealand's defence minister Judith Collins said on Sunday the deployment was part of New Zealand's contingency plans. The government was also in discussions with commercial airlines to see what they could do to assist, although it was uncertain when airspace would reopen. Foreign minister Winston Peters has reiterated New Zealand's call for diplomacy and dialogue. World leaders have reacted to the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites . Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump in a recorded statement. "History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime the world's most dangerous weapons." Iran's foreign minister Araghchi wrote on X that the US had "committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations". "In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest and people." Meanwhile, US bombers sent into the Pacific on the weekend were a decoy, a US official said. International media had reported that B-2 bombers had been deployed to a US military base on the Pacific island of Guam. In a press conference at the Pentagon, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said the strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities involved sending B2 bombers to the Pacific as a decoy. The Marianas Press reported General Caine saying this 'deception effort' was known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders.
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
How would an escalation in conflict in the Middle East impact New Zealand
As the US entered the Iran/Israel conflict on the weekend, New Zealanders are bracing for the global impact. Photo: ASIF HASSAN / AFP Explainer - America jumped into the war between Israel and Iran over the weekend, as US President Donald Trump announced air strikes on Iran's three principal nuclear sites. The intervention of the US in the conflict has raised concerns worldwide about what's next, including how it might affect New Zealand, from citizens overseas to the price of petrol. Here's a look at what you need to know so far. New Zealand has maintained a cautious stance politically as the conflict between Iran and Israel has ramped up in recent weeks. That remains the case today, with the prime minister urging that diplomatic talks resume. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who is overseas for a NATO summit, told RNZ's Morning Report that New Zealand wanted to see a peaceful stable and secure Middle East . "The way to get there is a political solution rather than military action, it's actually through dialogue and diplomacy." As a small country that is thousands of miles away from the conflict, all New Zealand could do was to advocate for what it thought should happen, he said. "What we don't need is more military action, we need a political solution to all of these issues in the Middle East." On Sunday, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said ongoing military action in the Middle East was "extremely worrying". Peters previously said before the weekend escalation that the provocative behaviour by both Israel and Iran was to be criticised , and New Zealand would not take sides in a conflict of this nature. "There are no innocent parties in this conflict," he said. Winston Peters and Judith Collins at the announcement that the Defence Force was sending a plane to the Middle East to assist any New Zealanders stranded in Iran or Israel on 22 June, 2025. Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel The escalation poses a major threat to New Zealand's economy, RNZ's Susan Edmunds reports. Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said if there were attacks on US shipping, or attempts to limit access through the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices could spike. Iran's parliament reportedly voted on Monday morning (NZ time) to close the Strait of Hormuz, which around 20 percent of the world's oil travels through. "If [Iran] do ratchet up the tension further, if this starts to broaden out into shipping attacks, I think market expectations and worries about oil supply will increase substantially. The question is, just to what degree do you price this and how do markets look at that?" Koura KiwiSaver founder Rupert Carlyon said the biggest risk was to inflation. "If it does turn into a broader Middle East war and potentially shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, then we are likely to see higher oil prices, which will flow through to everything and shipping delays making it harder and more expensive to import things here in New Zealand." The Defence Force announced on Sunday it is sending a plane to the Middle East to assist any New Zealanders stranded in Iran or Israel . The plane is not part of any military combat operations. The C-130J Hercules, along with government personnel, left Auckland on Monday morning. Peters said New Zealanders should do everything they can to leave now, if they can find a safe route. "We know it will not be safe for everyone to leave Iran or Israel, and many people may not have access to transport or fuel supplies," he said. "If you are in this situation, you should shelter in place, follow appropriate advice from local authorities and stay in touch with family and friends where possible." Peters said the number of New Zealanders registered in Iran had jumped since the escalation of the crisis. "We thought, at a certain time, we had them all counted out at 46," he said. "It's far more closer to 80 now, because they're coming out of the woodwork, despite the fact that, for months, we said, 'look, this is a danger zone', and for a number of days we've said, 'get out if you possibly can'." There were 101 New Zealanders registered in Israel. Again, Peters said the figure had risen recently. New Zealanders in Iran and Israel needing urgent consular assistance should call the Ministry's Emergency Consular Call Centre on +64 99 20 20 20. Elham Salari, an Iranian in New Zealand told RNZ on Sunday she was deeply worried for her family members back home. "I'm so scared. I'm so stressed... all I'm thinking is 'What's going to happen next?' Trump said he wants peace... but Iran's regime will not let it go easily. There will be a bigger war. It's going to destroy our country and our people are going to die." Salari said she had woken up to messages from her family on Sunday who confirmed they were safe, but she had not been able to get back in contact with them since. Meanwhile, New Zealand Jewish Council spokesperson Ben Kepes said people should not conflate the actions of the Israeli government and the Israeli military with Jews worldwide. Iran has said multiple times that it does not believe Israel has a right to exist, he said. "Most New Zealanders when they understand the issues would say that regardless of whether they support the actions of the Israeli government, that Israel has a right to exist as a sovereign nation." Kepes said he was a Jew in New Zealand and did not hold an Israeli passport, nor vote for the government in Israel. "I have zero control over Israel, so holding me responsible of the actions of the government is not only absurd, but it's a stereotype that is really dangerous." According to the 2023 Census, about 2700 people living in New Zealand are of Israeli or Jewish background , while about 5600 identify with the Iranian ethnic group . Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
