Politics

The Labour Party has released its first climate manifesto that outlines how the party will progress its emissions reduction goals.

The National Party is promising to revive international education by improving visa processing and expanding work rights if it becomes the government following the 14 October election.

The finance spokespeople from the four major parties stake out their positions on the proposal.

Labour and National’s tourism priorities have received a mixed reception from the sector with more detail top of the wishlist for stakeholder groups.

The country’s major political parties are making ambiguous tourism promises but Labour’s fixation on ‘high value’ could be detrimental to the youth and hostel sector, writes BYATA chair Haydn Marriner.

The Labour Party has pledged to boost New Zealand’s premium tourism offering in its economic plan for the country.

The National Party has promised a new Great Walk in Canterbury, longer Department of Conservation concessions, and more flexible working visas with faster processing.

Tackling visa delays and creating more sustainable funding for tourism were among the issues explored by a panel of politicians.

The party says a ‘Huts of Recreational Importance’ initiative will help maintain accommodation on the DOC estate.

Kiri Allan has resigned from all her ministerial positions after being charged with reckless driving and resisting arrest.

New Zealand’s major political parties will take the hot seat to discuss tourism in a new forum by Tourism Industry Aotearoa and Wellington Airport.

A minister of hospitality is among the requests to the government elected on 14 October in Hospitality New Zealand’s election manifesto.

Tourism Minister Peeni Henare on what drives his politics and his priorities for the portfolio.

The National Party says Tourism Minister Peeni Henare is undermining tourism operators for suggesting they should lower their prices for domestic visitors and charge internationals more.

The National Party’s Joseph Mooney has taken over the tourism portfolio following a reshuffle caused by Todd Muller’s decision to not stand at the general election in October.

Tourism spokesperson Todd McClay says the Nats will ease immigration rules and scrap median wage requirements to help operators.

The associate tourism minister takes charge of the portfolio, replacing Stuart Nash.

Chris Hipkins has taken over as New Zealand’s 41st prime minister after being sworn in today by Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro.

Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has stepped in as acting Minister of Police and Jan Tinetti as acting Minister of Education.

Tourism stakeholders praise Jacinda Ardern’s contribution to New Zealand’s profile on the world stage.

The 2023 General Election will be held on Saturday 14 October and advance voting will start on Monday 2 October.

McClay now holds the opposition tourism, trade, and hunting and fishing portfolios.

New Zealand Māori Tourism chair Dale Stephens will run as the Christchurch Central candidate for the National Party in the 2023 general election after being selected by local members.

Labour’s inaction has left the tourism and hospitality sectors facing a critical shortage of workers and risks leaving struggling business poorer, McClay says.

The Royal Commission will start considering evidence in February and conclude in mid-2024, with a report to follow.

Shadow tourism spokesperson Todd McClay calls it “little more than hot air” that does not help struggling operators.

National’s tourism spokesperson Todd McClay has criticised the length of time the government is taking to launch the $54m Innovation Programme for Tourism Recovery.

Fiordland businesses are suffering at the hands of the government’s changes to the working holiday visa and skilled migrant categories, says National Party Southland MP Joseph Mooney.

McClay said the wait time for visitor visas is now so bad that INZ has removed the standard processing times from its website.

ACT Party leader David Seymour is calling for the government to remove all vaccination requirements because he believes they are preventing visitors from returning to New Zealand.

A new national register of self-contained vehicles accessible by the public will be established, says Tourism Minister Stuart Nash.

The National Party has criticised the government’s Industry Transformation Plan for tourism as having little impact on the current staff shortages the sector is facing.

The National Party is calling on Stuart Nash to rescind his “damaging” comments about backpackers, who the tourism minister has implied are not valuable visitors for New Zealand.

The National Party is calling on the government to add a six-month extension to all working holiday visas that are due to expire this year.

Immigration Minister Michael Woods must listen to businesses that are struggling to find labour and urgently address the country’s critical worker shortages, says National Party immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford.

Poto Williams has been appointed conservation minister, with Kiri Allan moving to justice.

National Party Covid-19 response spokesperson Chris Bishop is calling on the government to drop pre-departure testing requirements for incoming visitors “right now”.

The government and Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi have put a “handbrake” on the tourism industry because of their failure to attract skilled workers from overseas, according to the National Party.

ACT party leader David Seymour is calling on the government to explain why it has chosen to stagger the border reopening.

The Auditor General’s Report on the Strategic Tourism Asset Protection Programme confirmed that this Labour government has been biased and unfair, says National tourism spokesperson Todd McClay.

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The government needs to bring forward isolation-free travel for vaccinated and tested visitors before more tourism businesses close, says National’s tourism spokesperson, Todd McClay.

National Party’s tourism spokesperson says the minister won’t decide how the sector is shaped in the recovery – industry will.

The government is abandoning the NZ tourism industry, says the National Party’s Todd McClay.

The ACT Party is calling on the Government to make changes to restrictions for outdoor events, saying the same rules should not be applied for indoor and outdoor events at venues of different sizes.

Kiwis need to know what support is available for struggling industries, when gathering limits on hospitality will be removed, and when vaccine passes will no longer be required, says the National Party.

The National Party has criticised the government’s Omicron response, saying New Zealand needs to reopen to the world.

ACT leader David Seymour says the events sector should be given the wage subsidy to compensate for losses after the shift into the red setting.

The ACT Party is calling on the Government to end its “ban on travel” to New Zealand.