The Greens have officially signed on the dotted line to form the next Government with Labour – but not all their party faithful are happy about it.
The cooperation agreement gives Marama Davidson and James Shaw ministerial portfolios outside Cabinet, however three former Green MPs told 1 NEWS they’re disappointed with the deal, saying it leaves the party weak and essentially gags its leaders.
But Shaw says the agreement is a “win-win” for both parties , while Labour’s Jacinda Ardern says it means the two parties can agree to disagree on some issues, including the Greens’ continued push for a wealth tax .
The full cooperation agreement can be found here , but if you don’t want to sift through its pages, political reporter Anna Whyte has summarised the deal here .
And with two ministerial roles confirmed for Davidson and Shaw, all eyes now turn to who will snap up the remaining portfolios , with Ardern due to reveal her new Cabinet today.
This week will also see the final results delivered for both the general election and the referendums.
The gap between the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ votes on the recreational cannabis referendum is currently much narrower than it is in the euthanasia one, however Justice Minister Andrew Little says it's "highly unlikely" special votes will overturn either result.
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Asking prices climb ever higher
Property owners appear to be swooping on international interest in the housing market with asking prices reaching record highs in six North Island regions.
New data from realestate.co.nz shows the increase in asking prices has been as high as 20 per cent year-on-year in some areas.
Auckland’s average asking price has climbed a little further above the $1 million mark, while the national average sits at $772,000. Asking prices rose in every region except Central Otago/Lakes District.
UK prepares for lockdown 2.0
A top government minister says England's new month-long lockdown might extend beyond November .
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told the BBC he hopes the country’s second lockdown will end on December 2 but says ministers will be “guided by the facts”.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new month-long lockdown for England over the weekend, saying that tough action was needed to stem their Covid-19 outbreak and prevent hospitals becoming overwhelmed in the coming weeks.
Trump goes on blitz
The battle for the White House has reached its final stages with just two days to go until the US election.
President Donald Trump is on a campaign blitz, speaking at five rallies in five key battleground states today, with plans to hold seven more rallies tomorrow. His rival, Joe Biden, is campaigning in Pennsylvania today.
It comes as one of Trump’s most strident critics told Q+A’s Jack Tame the president’s election prospects are “grim” .
David Frum, a former senior adviser to President George W. Bush, says Trump has been “the most consistently unpopular first-term president in the history of polling” and worries what his presidency has meant for “America’s standing in the world”.
Trump has certainly upset a few relationships with previously strong US allies during his presidency – something that’s highlighted in this new BBC feature that lets readers look up what Trump has said about their country over the past four years.
Fireworks back on shelves
Fireworks go on sale across the country this morning ahead of Guy Fawkes on Thursday.
Authorities are calling for a “safer” and “less eventful” day this year after Fire and Emergency responded to more than 230 firework-related incidents last year.
The organisation is asking people to keep a bucket of water on hand for their amateur fireworks displays and to shut away any pets.
Wellington Zoo is also asking those who live close to them not to take part in Guy Fawkes after the death of one of their animals last year.
Other news of note this morning:
- The Bay of Plenty Times reports Tauranga mayor Tenby Powell is taking medical leave after being diagnosed with cancer.
- Rescue workers have extricated a 70-year-old man from a collapsed building in western Turkey, some 34 hours after a strong earthquake struck the area.
- Treasury has confirmed the $11.7 million the Green School in Taranaki received will now be a 100 per cent loan.
- There are calls for more funding to help Kiwis with diabetes as a survey reveals the stress the condition can cause.
- New Zealand's first purpose-built cruise ship berth in Lyttelton Harbour is just days from its official opening but with no ships for it to welcome, there are hopes local tourism will fill the gap.
- Staff at Wellington Hospital are furious at what they call blatant profiteering , as their parking charges look set to double.
- And stars including Hugh Jackman and Sam Neill have taken to social media to pay tribute to Sean Connery , who died yesterday aged 90.
And finally...
An Air Force firefighter has fallen a few seconds short of breaking a world record in yesterday’s Auckland Marathon.
Simon Trye took part in the event wearing an extra 25kg of breathing gear and hoped to set a new world record for a half marathon in full firefighting kit.
He finished an agonising six seconds short of that mark – but his sweltering three-and-a-half-hour run still managed to raise more than $13,000 for the KidsCan charity.
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