This week saw the first 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton poll for 2021.
It came with new collection methodology - instead of a 60/40 split between mobile phones and landlines, it used a 50/50 split between mobile and online.
The poll wasn’t great news for National leader Judith Collins – who for the first time since becoming leader, slipped into single digits for preferred PM at eight per cent.
Collins said she thought she could do better. “The last year was an extraordinarily debilitating year, with having three leaders in four months and the Covid lockdowns," she said.
Simon Bridges, who hasn’t been seen on the poll since he was rolled as leader by Todd Muller, also popped his head up at one per cent.
It wasn't the best poll for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern - down 15 per cent, as preferred PM - but she still sits at a very comfortable 43 per cent.
Labour was on 49 per cent support, with National at 27 per cent.
The Government was made to take urgent action to fix a 2016 botch-up that saw hundreds of people taken off the Child Sex Offender Register earlier this year.
The Government is introducing urgent law change today to fix the blunder made in the 2016 law.
The 2016 law change that created the Child Sex Offender Register, which every party (except the Green Party) at the time voted in favour of, had a flaw which meant police were made to take hundreds of names off the list after a Supreme Court decision last month.
The Government has already pledged to back the next America's Cup , signalling $5 million to Team New Zealand's defence of the Auld Mug, although it's widely anticipated any final taxpayer funding will would be much higher.
The Trans-Tasman bubble looks like it is progressing, with multiple media outlets understanding a time in April was a reasonable timeframe to expect a bubble .
However, there were issues been raised around what would happen if flights were cancelled and Kiwis became stuck in Australia or Australians were stuck in New Zealand - or if those stuck needed to isolate.
Previous Trans-Tasman timeframes have not been met. The Government had agreed in principle in December to establish a travel bubble with Australia by the end of March, but that was quashed after a recent Sydney Covid-19 outbreak.
The Government was forced to answer questions around Australia deporting a 15-year-old to New Zealand .
It’s understood the minor arrived in New Zealand last week with a group of deportees.
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta had known for weeks about the 15-year-old in Australia destined for deportation to New Zealand, but the Prime Minister was only made aware recently of the situation.
It was also revealed the minor, who arrived last week, has two Oranga Tamariki staffers staying in an adjacent room in an MIQ facility.
It's understood New Zealand's spat with Australia over deportations won't get in the way of any bubble.
Ardern said she was not the right person to make judgements on if it was ethical for her MPs to be charging taxpayers four times what they paid for their rent and keeping the difference for the Labour Party.
Andersen has terminated a subletting deal which saw Labour’s Hutt South wing pocketing thousands of dollars of taxpayer’s money each year.
Labour MPs in Hutt South had been renting their office in Petone for $1500, but charging taxpayers $6000 a year and keeping the difference for the Labour Party.
SHARE ME