Summertime in Aotearoa

What are the politicians up to?

It's a long white cloud for you, baby; staying together always
Summertime in Aotearoa
Where the sunshine kisses the water, we will find it always
Summertime in Aotearoa

Yeah, it′s Summertime
It's Summertime

Writers: Codi Wehi Ngatai, Moresby Kainuku, Pipiwharauroa Campbell, Taulutoa Michael Schuster, Rebekah Jane Brady, Te Naawe Jordan Muturangi Tupe, Thomas Edward Scrase.

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Many of you are back at work just as summer arrives; the politicians, on the other hand, are just getting warmed up. The next time the House meets is two weeks from today, on January 28th.

Can you imagine what certain political parties would have to say if anyone else paid from the public purse took holidays that long?

Today, I thought we’d check in with the politicians and see what they’re up to, starting with…

ACT

Since New Year, David Seymour and the party ACT have mostly been posting about two things:

1. They’ve been gloating about the fact that the number of notices to disruptive Kāinga Ora tenants increased to 553, up from 41 the previous year. As if that somehow represented success on the part of the government. I guess for these folks, nothing celebrates the spirit of the season like social housing tenants being a step closer to homelessness.

2. Continuing to disinform people about the Treaty Principles Bill by telling people it’s a choice for or against having equal rights. Um - which one should we choose? This image they’ve been posting is as nuanced as their argument gets:

Weirdly, the image ACT has chosen to represent equal rights is one we might associate with feudalism. Undoubtedly, it is a fabulous land where the rich guy always gets the Princess.

Perhaps the right-hand side should be labelled “Honour the treaty.” As for the words on the left, you might have a few thoughts. To me it looks like it says a pakeha’s home is his castle, and we face an imaginary fork in the road leading us to ruin if we deviate by holding our current course. It’s just nonsense.

But if getting a reaction was the goal, it is certainly achieving that:

Te Pāti Māori

Debbie Ngarewa Packer has been busy letting people know how to build submissions and when they need to be submitted. Meanwhile, co-leader Rawiri Waititi has been singing up a storm for the kids at the Boot Scoot Boogie ki Apanui e Tū 2025 in Te Kaha, as you can see here:

New Zealand First

It’s pretty quiet from these guys. To be honest, they only really wake up in the six months leading up to an election anyway. Winston managed to tweet a respectful message about the passing of Dame Tariana Turia.

Shane Jones couldn’t let an opportunity to cause upset pass, saying of the tangi, it was “a disgrace that speakers were blocked from speaking English.”

It wasn’t readily apparent who, if anyone, had been prevented from speaking, but Jones had clearly taken offence on behalf of someone. My guess is it was for the keen-to-be-offended, which seems to be his target demographic.

Apart from that, in the words of the fabulous Sharon Murdoch, “Winston Peters is spending his holidays messing about in boats.”

Labour

Things have been quite quiet from the leader and the party, although there have been a number of posts encouraging people to make submissions for you know what.

Dr Ayesha Verrall has been busy, posting from our walking tracks and the coast, enjoying the native birdlife, and Franz Josef commenting on the stark reality of climate change.

When Casey Costello announced free vaping kits for smoking cessation services, Dr Verrall posted a Media Release from Vape-Free Kids NZ, which is “a grassroots group of parents and whānau wanting to reduce harm to rangatahi from vaping”.

The release concludes with the following:

“…Vape-Free Kids NZ would like to know if any safeguards are being put in place to stop these free vapes getting into the hands of children.

We thought this kind of behaviour would be left behind in 2024 and Christopher Luxon’s Government who gave a $216 million tax break to big tobacco would stop working in the interests of the very companies that are desperate to addict as many new customers to nicotine as possible.

Yet here we are on the first day of 2025 and the Government is announcing how they are teaming up with the very industry responsible for so much addiction and harm.”

Dr Verrall said of Costello, “Perhaps the Minister thought nobody would be asking tough questions if she made her announcement over the holidays?” Good luck with that Casey. It’s hard to think of a more determined and passionate advocate for the health of Kiwis than Dr Ayesha Verrall.

National

Christopher Luxon has been busy on social media, which I’m sure is no surprise. Photos of the menfolk on boats or at the tennis with his wife, it seems this summer has been a sequence of photo opportunities for Christopher.

This has led to a surge in popularity, but not quite “second prize in a beauty contest” Christopher isn’t allowed to play Monopoly anymore after Nicola caught him exchanging his houses with David for ice cream. However, he did win the top supporting actor award at the Pakeha Awards for 2024, held in Orewa*

* Please note this part is made up.

The Prime Minister is in the UAE to witness the signing of a trade deal begun by Labour. He will cut his trip short to return to Aotearoa for the funeral of Sr. Sergeant Lyn Fleming.

Luxon hasn’t spoken to Fleming’s family yet and said he was waiting to do so in person. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t seem right to me. I reckon in a small country like ours, the Prime Minister should pick up the phone when a Police Officer is killed on duty - maybe that’s just me.

Curiously, considering they claim not to support the Treaty Principles Bill, there were no posts from the party or MPs suggesting that people make submissions.

It’s almost as if they wanted to pretend it isn’t happening. Perhaps next time Luxon claims he doesn’t support the bill, someone might ask why he and his party have done nothing to suggest that people have their say on it and, in fact, oppose it.

Green Party of Aotearoa, New Zealand

Still, the Greens more than compensated for that with wall-to-wall posts asking people to make submissions opposing that bill, the Regulatory Standards Bill, and the Social Security Amendment Bill.

The latter bill introduces, among other things, a 26-week expiry for jobseeker support. This is at a time when the coalition plans to continue with large-scale redundancies in 2025 amid considerable economic uncertainty for businesses. Brilliant.

Submissions have now closed.

Yesterday, co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick made the following post:

“Solid planning morning with Marama Davidson. 2024 showed us the raw power of turning up. 2025 will be the year of organising: channelling that energy into changing our world.

That organising will require building relationships, seeing the best in our fellow human beings, accountability and shared growth, and, perhaps most importantly, sustainable steps forward.

That means no more activist burnout. That means sharing the burden and the solutions. That means realising no one person changes the world alone and that we all really, truly do need each other.”

A good message, and it was lovely to see the accompanying photo of the co-leaders:

So there you go—a brief summary of what politicians do on their summer holidays. Whatever you’re up to, take care, all you lovely people. Enjoy the sunshine, wear the sunscreen, and get ready for the year ahead. 🙂