Great news that the Govt's introduced a bill to make English an official language. I trust we'll now have an interpreter at press conferences to translate Luxonese business jargon into plain English.

Bishop to slash 400,000 dwellings from Auckland's 2m capacity requirement The reduced number will get the headlines – but the real issue is likely to be caveats imposed on the council about where it may up-zone or down-zone housing, writes Jonathan Milne.

Last month, I reported @newsroom.co.nz the PM would slash the 2m requirement for housing capacity in Auckland. This morning, I'm told the number should settle at 1.6m. So 400,000 dwellings that were never, realistically, going to be build, will still never be built. newsroom.co.nz/2026/02/19/b...

Top-level meeting on Chathams' future as chastened CEO Paul Eagle quits The islands' mayor and minister Shane Jones must now talk turkey – but instead they're hurling epithets/criticism at each other

On Thursday, Paul Eagle told me he didn’t know the conclusions of an audit inquiry into spending on his Chatham Islands Council house. Two hours later, the new mayor announced the chief executive’s “agreed” resignation. Now the epithets begin to fly... @newsroom.co.nz newsroom.co.nz/2026/02/13/t...

We can't bear Wellington on a bad day – and there's a lot of those Comment: Which is NZ's worst town to live in – Tokoroa or Wellington? Renounced Wellingtonian Jonathan Milne mischievously runs some numbers.

Tokoroa once grew to just nearly 20,000 residents, nearly a city. The council bought fancy mayoral chains in preparation. Similarly Wellington when I lived there had aspirations to be a global city. But as with Tokoroa, so too with Wellington. Which is NZ's worst town? newsroom.co.nz/2026/02/12/w...

Little-known Reefton gold-mining firm looks to list on NZX, hire 200 Coasters 'There are a lot of bad eggs in the mining industry,' says Rua Gold CEO. 'Our past successes speak to the actual lasting community impact of our mines that are all still operating today.' Jonathan Mil...

Gold made Reefton one of NZ’s richest towns; it even had its own stock exchange. Now a Canadian firm says it’s struck gold – history is repeating as Rua Gold reveals to list on the NZX. I talked with CEO Robert Eckford, and with locals anticipating the next goldrush. newsroom.co.nz/2026/02/10/l...

Cash-strapped Clutha resorts to a little Think Big The large district with a small population is stuck between a rates rock and a hard debt ceiling, and its foray into property development won't provide an escape path.

The name Clutha is synonymous with the 100m dam that epitomised Muldoon’s Think Big strategy. Today, Clutha District has its own challenge: it’s stuck between a rates rock and a hard debt ceiling. Clutha has run up debt that’s high even by NZ standards. @newsroom.co.nz newsroom.co.nz/2026/02/09/c...

Luxon visits Brown; Auckland mayor rallies councils against PM's rates cap His election year advice on winning the decisive vote of the country's biggest city? 'Most Aucklanders are fed up with listening to the residents of a failing village'. Jonathan Milne reports.

Wayne Brown’s election year advice on Wellington politicians seeking votes in NZ’s biggest city? ‘Most Aucklanders are fed up with listening to the residents of a failing village’.
At @newsroom.co.nz, I report on the PM's after-hours visit to the mayor yesterday. newsroom.co.nz/2026/02/03/l...

The devil's in the detail. At the heart of the probe into Chatham Islands Council and its boss, former MP Paul Eagle, are two fridge-freezers – a high-end German-made Miele in the kitchen, and another fridge that's been relegated to the garage. @newsroom.co.nz newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/22/a...

PM gives management masterclass in the lexicology of Luxonese Comment: From 'A' for afflicting his ministers through to 'Z' for Coke Zero, Jonathan Milne argues that this is a politician with an extraordinary ability to obscure the substance of his message – or ...

Chris Hipkins calls the state of the nation speech “management-speak mumbo jumbo”, but the PM's media trainer Mary Lambie hails it as calm and measured. So what was it? From afflicting his ministers, to Coke Zero diplomacy, here's an A-to-Z of Luxonese. @newsroom.co.nz newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/20/p...

Luxon butters up business for a very different bread-and-butter election Analysis: In pegging his campaign to retirement reforms, the PM has created a KiwiSaver conundrum, writes Jonathan Milner. Workers will be, to adopt his words, "waiting for a future that may never arr...

The focaccia at the PM's speech was excellent. Salt-crusted, slightly crispy around the edges, warm and soft in the centre, absorbing the butter like a business audience hungry for political substance. Not, as Luxon would put it, “sugar rush economics”. @newsroom.co.nz newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/20/l...

$2.79. The price of a can of Wattie’s baked beans. That’s how much the Govt’s planned rates rises caps is worth in forecast monthly savings to the average household. Is it worth the shemozzle? “Yes, all savings are worthwhile,” Simon Watts tells me. @newsroom.co.nz newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/15/r...

Oi Guv! Peters unusually plain-spoken on Trump crisis Analysis: The foreign affairs minister has issued a personally-pointed public statement regarding the threat to criminally indict the independent chair of the US Federal Reserve – but it's not what so...

The foreign affairs minister has issued a personally-pointed public statement re the threat to criminally indict the independent chair of the US Federal Reserve – but it’s not what some might expect
I'll bring my AM editorial out from the @newsroom.co.nz Pro paywall. newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/15/o...

Call for entries: Rod Oram Memorial Essay Prize 2026 Two years on from Rod's death, young writers are invited to describe what we must do now to ensure future generations live well in Aotearoa NZ.

All of us who knew and worked with Rod Oram will remember his infectious joy in encouraging younger people to step up and contribute their ideas. His 'stubborn optimism'. Continuing his legacy, we are proud to call for entries to the Rod Oram Memorial Essay Prize 2026.
newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/01/c...

'A deep love that helps me keep fighting against all odds' NZ's greatest pole vaulter Eliza McCartney is often asked how she's not been broken by injury and failure. She has two answers.

I really enjoyed talking with Olympic medallist pole vaulter Eliza McCartney, an environmental scientist, as she honed her thinking for this @newsroom.co.nz piece on her hopes for 2026 – trust me, they go far beyond the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. I share her optimism. newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/02/a...

'Significant' breach of privacy of Lake Alice survivors, by Crown abuse office A 'furious' Erica Stanford has referred the privacy breach to the Public Service Commissioner, write Jonathan Milne and Laura Walters.

Crown abuse response minister Erica Stanford is 'furious' and tells me she's referred this breach of vulnerable Lake Alice abuse survivors' privacy to the Public Service Commissioner. Laura Walters and I reveal the breach at @newsroom.co.nz. newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/27/s...

The developer who inadvertently demolished the regional councils The Government wants to carve up the 11 regional councils' assets, liabilities and responsibilities between central govt, local councils, multi-council companies and the private sector. 'Fantastic,' s...

Developer Stu Adams didn’t know what he was starting, when he pushed back against a Greater Wellington Regional Council decision on his proposed housing project. He didn't just overturn the decision; he helped overturn regional councils, as I report at @newsroom.co.nz. newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/26/t...

Govt answers fishing chief's billion dollar question on climate disclosures There are just a handful of corporates that stand to benefit from Commerce Minister Scott Simpson's unexpected call to dramatically loosen climate reporting requirements; some are political donors. Jo...

Sanford’s execs are finalising the annual report. The HR bosses are dealing with a strike by mussel crews. The new CEO has got rid of the PR staff because, “I literally don’t know what they were doing”. So David Mair is taking @newsroom.co.nz’s call himself, in Japan. newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/05/g...

I saw David Seymour's announcement, sending Compass off to the four winds and replacing it with 10 regional school lunch providers. Looks like Subway must be back in the frame, if they're now pricing school lunches according to roll size? 6 inch, 12 inch... 😁

Settlement gets Z Energy out of court – not 'out of the petrol business' After a long legal fight the fuel giant, consumer and environmental groups find one thing to agree on: the Govt must step up to ensure NZ's emissions targets are achieved, they say. Jonathan Milne rep...

After a long legal fight the fuel giant Z, consumer and enviro groups find one thing to agree on: Govt must step up to ensure NZ’s emissions targets are achieved, they say, in a joint call. I ask CEO Lindis Jones when the firm will get out of petrol, at @newsroom.co.nz newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/02/s...

Smallest company looks to build biggest dammed hydro lake NZ has seen Ex-minister David Parker, electricity sector leader Keith Turner and acting Reserve Bank chair Rodger Finlay go where the Govt feared to tread: they want to finance and fast-track the multi-billion-do...

Ex-minister David Parker, electricity sector leader Keith Turner and acting Reserve Bank chair Rodger Finlay go where the Govt feared to tread: they tell me they want to finance and fast-track the multi-billion-dollar Lake Onslow pumped hydro project. @newsroom.co.nz newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/24/s...

Finance minister urges education and health to 'recycle' redundant properties With grim admissions about the dire state of Health NZ and Ministry of Education asset management, Nicola Willis is urging them to speed up the divestment of unwanted schools and clinics to free up ca...

I asked Nicola Willis if she's encouraging agencies to speed up asset recycling – selling unwanted schools and clinics to free up capital. “Yes, in short, because I want to see us building the new schools and classrooms that are needed to deliver for today’s students.” newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/15/f...

Who invented the mince and cheese pie? Newsroom's Jonathan Milne has been investigating, and he joins Emile Donovan to answer this question and more.

I talk to @emiledonovan.bsky.social on RNZ Nights about the mystery of NZ’s famous mince and cheese pie. “Because it’s so ubiquitous today, boomers and Gen Xers have extrapolated it onto their childhoods.” @newsroom.co.nz newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/08/t... www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

Photo by the very good journo Daniel Perese from Te Ao Māori News.

Kaipara's embarrassing mayor, his heir and the spare Opinion: 'He's clinging on to his last day in power. I am hoping that after today, he will be consigned to the dustbin of history.' – Peter Linnell, local resident

And after all the huffing and puffing, mayor Craig Jepson’s heir apparent Jonathan Larsen is declared elected by 21 vote margin over Snow Tane. Will council still go through with Jepson’s complaint about ‘voting irregularities’?https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/17/kaiparas-mayor-his-heir-and-the-spare/

Kaipara's embarrassing mayor, his heir and the spare Opinion: 'He's clinging on to his last day in power. I am hoping that after today, he will be consigned to the dustbin of history.' – Peter Linnell, local resident

Tick, tick, tick. 6pm and still no final results for Kaipara District Council, which had been promised by late afternoon. A cynic might think council leadership was delaying the declaration of results it doesn’t like. @newsroom.co.nz newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/17/k...

Kaipara's embarrassing mayor, his heir and the spare Opinion: 'He's clinging on to his last day in power. I am hoping that after today, he will be consigned to the dustbin of history.' – Peter Linnell, local resident

‘He’s clinging on to his last day in power,' says Peter Linnell, a Kaipara resident who provoked the outgoing mayor's outburst. 'I am hoping that after today, he will be consigned to the dustbin of history.’ My editorial is out from the @newsroom.co.nz paywall. newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/17/k...

Finance minister urges education and health to 'recycle' redundant properties With grim admissions about the dire state of Health NZ and Ministry of Education asset management, Nicola Willis is urging them to speed up the divestment of unwanted schools and clinics to free up ca...

With grim admissions about the dire state of Health NZ and Ministry of Education asset management, Nicola Willis tells me she's encouraging them to speed up the divestment of unwanted schools and clinics, to free up capital for new ones. Article at @newsroom.co.nz newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/15/f...

The mystery of NZ's world-famous mince and cheese pie Who created our quintessential cuisine? Credit for first putting cheese in a pastry-topped beef pie is hotly contested – but one thing seems certain, it was a Kiwi. Jonathan Milne investigates.

I'll be on RNZ Nights this evening talking with host @emiledonovan.bsky.social about the origins of the mince and cheese pie, a definitive Kiwi kai. Turns out those midnight munchies forays to the Riccarton Shell station, as a uni student, were my real education! newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/08/t...

Kaipara mayor seeks judicial review into alleged voting irregularities Iwi leader Snow Tane could roll heir apparent Jonathan Larsen on special votes; mayor calls emergency meeting claiming the Māori party 'co-opted' polling booths. Jonathan Milne reports.

Iwi leader Snow Tane could roll Kaipara's conservative heir apparent Jonathan Larsen on special votes, I understand. Outgoing mayor Craig Jepson has called an emergency meeting claiming the Māori party ‘co-opted’ polling booths. Exclusive report is at @newsroom.co.nz. newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/16/k...

'Even in the darkest times, he understood the need to build our nation' Comment: Friends and friendly foes alike recall Jim Bolger as a leader who confounded expectations. He was warm and always open-minded. He listened to experts, he asked questions, he challenged receiv...

Friends and friendly foes recall Jim Bolger as a leader who confounded expectations. He was warm and open-minded. He listened to experts, he asked questions, he challenged received wisdom.
There will be many words said in his memory; here are mine at @newsroom.co.nz. newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/16/e...