News Briefing: 12 May 2026

TE PĀTI MĀORI SPLIT
Giles Dexter (RNZ): Te Pāti Māori splits as MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi announces new Te Tai Tokerau Party
Māni Dunlop (Te Ao Māori News): Mariameno Kapa-Kingi leaves Te Pāti Māori, announces new political party
Anneke Smith (Post): Mariameno Kapa-Kingi launches her own party (paywalled)
Justin Hu (1News): Kapa-Kingi splits from Te Pāti Māori, launches new party
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Another Te Pāti Māori MP confirms she’s considering leaving the party
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Oriini Kaipara confirms loyalty to Te Pāti Māori after comms advisor issues incorrect statement
Dale Husband (Waatea News): Te Pāti Māori Pushes Ahead With Candidate Selections Amid Cost of Living Battle

PARLIAMENT, ELECTION AND GOVERNMENT
Chris Trotter (Interest): You can’t take the politics out of politics
Andrew Geddis (Spinoff): The ‘grand coalition’ idea is gaining traction. Here’s why it wouldn’t work
Jenna Lynch (Stuff): ‘That would be insanity’: Luxon rules out forming grand coalition with Labour
Chelsea Daniels (Herald): How Winston Peters could be recrowned kingmaker this election – The Front Page
Herald: Editorial – Main parties face a tricky dynamic holding their top spot amid fragmentation (paywalled)
Joel Maxwell (Stuff): Is the National-led coalition Government the laziest we’ve ever seen?
Ani O’Brien: The importance of a unifying story
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Vale Judith
John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): Poll of Polls no comfort for National
Henry Cooke (Post): ‘This will not change’: Winston Peters confirms no Government NZ First is part of will touch superannuation (paywalled)
Herald: Prime Minister Chris Luxon pans NZ First, Labour for ‘dishonest’ stance on raising age for NZ Super
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): The superannuation debate has become boring
Karl du Fresne: Mallard in Fantasyland?
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): No no no
Dale Husband (Waatea News): Fast-Track Fears: Coalition Accused of Undermining NZ’s Clean Green Reputation
Roger Partridge (LawNews): From legal realism to legal radicalism: breaking faith with the constitutional order
Michael Swanson: Populism vs Pragmatism: Navigating Policy in New Zealand’s 2026 Election
Monique Steele (RNZ): Political parties negotiate controversial Gene Technology Bill, as progress stalls

MEDIA
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Coalition parties ramp up criticism of media
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Opposition MPs say former TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman ‘hounded’ into resigning
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): Maiki Sherman’s resignation sparks questions over Māori representation at TVNZ
Shayne Currie (Herald): Ex-TVNZ Sunday host Miriama Kamo questions broadcaster’s support of former political editor Maiki Sherman (paywalled)
Catrin Owen (Stuff): ‘Outrageous’: Hipkins calls out David Seymour’s comments about RNZ and Maiki Sherman
David Harvey: The Demise of the Broadcasting Standards Authority?
Nick Agar (Post): Big Tech isn’t slowing down: The time to act on social media harm is now (paywalled)
Yvonne Van Dongen: Human Remains

FEES-FREE SCHEME SCRAPPED
Henry Cooke (Post): Farewell fees-free: Labour won’t commit to reinstating policy yet (paywalled)
Derek Cheng (Herald): Fees-free is being scrapped: Here’s why the last Govt’s tertiary programme failed (paywalled)
RNZ: ‘It will be very disruptive’: Grant Robertson on scrapping of fees-free policy
Pretoria Gordon (RNZ): Students question university affordability after government scraps fees-free scheme
Madeleine Chapman (Spinoff): The troubled life and death of the fees-free tertiary scheme
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): I’d like to take some credit for the end of fees-free
Lauren Crimp (RNZ): PM Christopher Luxon ‘very relaxed’ about Winston Peters’ fees-free Budget ‘leak’
Ruby Shaw (ODT): Students face ‘uncertain’ future (paywalled)
ODT Editorial (ODT): If not fees free, then what? (paywalled)

FUEL CRISIS
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Government announces who gets prioritised in event of major fuel crisis (paywalled)
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Retailers, truckers back government’s simplified fuel rationing, Labour unconvinced
RNZ: Significant fuel rationing only to be considered in severe crisis
Nick James (Post): Government would use ‘transaction limits’ at petrol pumps at level 4 of fuel plan (paywalled)
Henry Cooke (Post): US Energy Secretary welcomed Government’s commitment to fossil fuels, document reveals (paywalled)
RNZ: Fuel stocks for diesel, jet fuel down, petrol stocks show slight increase
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): Government sticks with LNG despite Iran war price surge (paywalled)

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