Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager has confirmed four new appointments to the Game Animal Council, including a new Chair. Matthew (Matt) Clarke has been appointed Chair for a two-year term from 1 July 2026. He is a current Council member and has extensive governance and leadership experience, as well as a strong background in hunting and the outdoor sector. “Mr Clarke has already made a valuable contribution to the Council and brings strong governance capability, sector knowledge, and continuity to the role,” Mr Meager says. Hon Paula Bennett, Emeritus Professor Bruce McKenzie, and J…

Good afternoon everyone. It’s my pleasure to join Business North Harbour once again and to speak with you about this year’s Government Budget. Let me acknowledge my colleague, Paul Goldsmith, the Minister for the Public Service and Digitising Government. Most importantly, let me acknowledge the business leaders, employers, entrepreneurs and Kiwi battlers represented in this room today. I know you work hard for a living, that you take seriously the people who depend on you for their jobs, and that many of you have been through a hard slog these past few years. First there was Covid, then the…

We’d like to start by acknowledging distinguished guests here today – parliamentary colleagues, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Honorary advisors to the Asia New Zealand Foundation, and the outgoing, and newly appointed board of trustees for the Asia New Zealand Foundation. It’s our pleasure to be in your company. Let’s also acknowledge the leadership of two individuals in the audience today. First, Dame Fran Wilde, who recently completed her term as Chair of the Asia New Zealand Foundation. As Chair of the foundation, you have worked tirelessly to enhance New Zealanders’ understanding of …

Good morning to you all. It’s my pleasure to attend your cornerstone event of the year, and to do so in my capacity as the newly minted Minister for the Environment. I’d like to begin by acknowledging WasteMINZ Chair Parul, and the board, CEO Nic and team, and all the delegates here today. Since taking on the Environment portfolio a little over a month ago, I have been focused on what we need to do to ensure New Zealand’s environmental management is practical, effective, and grounded in real-world outcomes. I am not a career politician. I am an old-school pragmatist with deep rural roots and…

Good morning, thank you for coming along. We’ve got you here to show you something that has never been done before by a New Zealand Government. What we’re going to show you goes to the heart of one of the things that has been identified as holding New Zealand back economically. I’m sure many of you will have noted the excellent speech in March by the Reserve Bank’s Chief Economist Paul Conway. I’m pleased Paul has been able to join us here today. That speech should be compulsory reading for an informed fourth estate and those who offer commentary on the state of our economy. Titled Purch…

Well, a very good morning, everyone. It is wonderful to be here, and thank you so much to Simon Bridges and the Auckland Business Chamber for hosting this event. And thank you so much to everyone who is taking the time to be here. I am pleased to share today some of my perspective as the Minister for Energy, and to set out how the government is working to make New Zealand a country where electricity is abundant, affordable, and reliable. Everyone here appreciates the role reliable energy plays in an economy. It fuels the businesses and industries on which jobs depend, and it keeps our houses …

[Speech to the Upper North Island Strategic Alliance, Whangarei] Thank you to our hosts at Whangārei District Council, and to Mayor Ken Couper, Mayor Mahe Drysdale, and Chair Pita Tipene for inviting us to be with you today. Warm acknowledgments to everyone here today, including Mr Reidy from KiwiRail. Here we are with the leaders of Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Tauranga. We do have some form in your arena, having represented Hunua, Tauranga and Northland, but who’s counting. You asked for our views on freight, rail, and how they align with the Upper North Island Strategic Alliance. It…

I move that the Appropriation (2026/27 Estimates) Bill be now read a second time. E te Māngai, ngā Mema Pāremata o ngā rohe pōti me ngā Mema o ngā Rōpū Tōrangapū. Anei te Tahua Rua Mano Rua Tekau mā Ono. To the home tribes of Wellington. To the Speaker, electorate and party list MPs. The Government is responding to an increasingly uncertain world with an economic plan and sensible choices that will make New Zealanders more secure in the years ahead. The documents I have tabled in Parliament today show that New Zealanders can look forward to growth, higher wages and rising employment. Th…

I’d like to thank Murray Pugh and the team at Apōpō for hosting this event and inviting me to speak. I’d also like to acknowledge our international friends from the Global Forum for Maintenance and Asset Management, and World Partners in Asset Management including members from Japan, France, Canada, the UK, and South Africa. It’s great to be speaking with you. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there in person – last minute plane changes. I remember dialling into Apōpō’s annual conference in Christchurch last year. Now, I’m not trying to make this a tradition/habit, and if I’m still around next year, …