Introducing the Who Benefits project – a spotlight on lobbying, influence and power
It's a new way for Newsroom readers to experience some of the country's best reporting, on politics and public policy. In a series of stories, we will get behind decisions that affect us all but benefit certain sectors, groups or companies above others.
Who's getting what they want from our decision makers, how are they organising and what have they achieved? In short, who benefits, or 'cui bono'.
We begin on Thursday with a look at the farming lobby, given Government links to the Agri sector and a veritable flood of policy changes, including a consultation on freshwater that finishes this weekend.
There's much the public doesn't know, much policy agitation that has come to fruition or is about to, all brought together in one news feature.
Then, new sectors and new policy lobbying will be examined over the next 12 months with substantive reports published here on Newsroom.co.nz.
Who's getting their message through to those in power, and getting results? Illustration: Getty Images.
This project is a different way of working for us, but our same principles apply. Newsroom often stands back and takes time to analyse, investigate, and explain. With Who Benefits, we've got more time to delve, and breathing room to piece together the puzzle.
Our aim is to inform, reveal but never bore – although we will ensure we provide the detail; the receipts.
Hang on, though. Isn't Newsroom the subject of influence by accepting a grant from The Integrity Institute?
Well, the institute partnership has provided funding, has suggested some places to look, but Newsroom has developed the subject areas, will be led by what we uncover and will retain full editorial control. Our team – Fox Meyer and me, David Williams – are reporting to Newsroom's co-editors, not the institute, and we aim to show influence from all sides of policies.
There's pressure on us to perform. While the narrative about the media is one of commercial woe and decline, great journalism is being done every day. Our best moments, as journalists, come when we can ask questions to which we already know the answer.
We can't do this alone. We can do even better with your help. If you know where influence is being brought to bear, let us know and we'll take a look.
You can email me in total confidence: trublenzOIA@protonmail.com
Find out more information about The Integrity Institute and its mission, here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
1News
3 hours ago
- 1News
'Many' link Govt's emergency housing policy to homelessness rise
Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka has acknowledged reports of rising homelessness but says it's "not just down to one thing" as he defends the Government's tougher rules for emergency housing. Potaka was grilled on the issue on Q+A, where he conceded the changes to increase scrutiny for emergency housing support applicants have been "reported by many" as contributing to making more people homeless. When asked directly whether the policy changes had contributed to leaving more people homeless, the minister said: "That's a very strong view that many people have." But Potaka refused to make that connection himself, instead attributing claims of a link to "anecdotal" reports and what others had reported. Person helps person up (file image). (Source: ADVERTISEMENT "There's a range of factors that influence [homelessness], and the changes to the emergency housing policy have been reported by many people as being a contributor." The Government introduced tougher eligibility for emergency housing last year, including scrutiny of whether people had "unreasonably contributed" to their own housing need. When interviewer Jack Tame suggested the policy could've "put more people on the street", Potaka said: "Those are the things that we have acknowledged that there are some challenges, and we are responding to those with agility." His office later clarified to Q+A this did not mean the Government was actively considering changing emergency housing settings. Reacting to the minister's interview, the Greens said he was "refusing to take any accountability" for the outcomes of the harsher policies. Govt's policies 'very, very harsh', providers tell minister Speaking to Q+A, the minister confirmed an updated briefing on homelessness from the Housing and Urban Development Ministry had found rough sleeping had increased "in some areas". He insisted the rises may be down to a range of factors. ADVERTISEMENT Tougher emergency housing rules and two-strike warning policy for tenants has meant more young people on the streets, says charities. (Source: 1News) Potaka said the latest insights briefing he had received showed "there's a whole range of potential causes, including that, but a whole range of other things", such as mental health, addiction, cost of living, and other physical health issues. "It does recognise, throughout the country, there are community housing providers [and] councils who are saying, hey, there's a big, big challenge with homelessness." Some providers had described the emergency housing policy as "harsh", Potaka said. "They report that the emergency housing policy is very, very harsh. That's what some of the anecdotal reports are saying." The associate minister said he would release the homelessness insights report "soon", but did not provide a specific timeframe. Potaka maintained there were multiple factors behind rising homelessness: "What they're saying is we've got a whole range of causes." Labour has been pressuring the Government over the report earlier this week. ADVERTISEMENT The senior minister spoke to Q+A's Jack Tame. (Source: Q and A) Housing Minister Chris Bishop denied that homelessness and rough sleeping were rising as a result of the Government's changes in a Q+A interview in March. 'Refusing to take responsibility' - Greens on interview Reacting to Potaka's interview, the Greens' housing spokesperson Tamatha Paul said the Government needed to "admit" that its policy was increasing homelessness. "This Government has cut back on public housing, slashed emergency housing access, and is refusing to take any accountability or responsibility for the impact this is having on the rising rates of people being forced to live on the streets, in tents and in cars." The coalition rolled out changes for emergency housing eligibility in early to mid-last year, including a tougher approach to allowing people into homes in the first place. People seeking support would face greater scrutiny, more requirements for information, and to prove they hadn't themselves "contributed" to their needs for emergency housing. ADVERTISEMENT At the time, officials warned the Government that the changes risked putting more people into situations of rough sleeping. Q+A's Whena Owen takes a look at changes to emergency housing and public housing policy. (Source: 1News) "Making these changes ahead of significant increases to the supply of affordable housing and more preventative wraparound supports does create a risk of increased levels of rough sleeping, people living in cars and overcrowding," they told ministers at the time. Target met but concerns remain Potaka defended the policy changes, saying the Government had also met its target to reduce emergency housing numbers by 75%. The policy intended to move people from emergency housing facilities, such as motels, to more stable housing. "We set up a target. That target was to reduce the number of whānau and households living in emergency housing. We've reached the target, but we've also recognised there are still some challenges and some issues," he said. The associate minister said tracking of people leaving emergency housing had improved, with the Government now knowing where "85-86%" of people went. ADVERTISEMENT "When we came into administration, the teams knew where around 50% of people were going. Now we know that there is about 85-86% of where people are going. In my view, that's actually good progress," he said. Govt not actively considering changes to tougher rules In a subsequent statement, the associate minister clarified to Q+A that this did not mean changes were coming to the Government's policy on emergency housing. "Emergency housing remains available for those in genuine need, and the causes of homelessness are not just about housing," a spokesperson for Potaka said. "A long-term response to the complexities requires consideration across multiple portfolios, for example helping people to face physical or mental health and addictions challenges, they might need help learning financial skills like budgeting, or help connecting and working with support services. "In the housing portfolio, $500 million in funding goes into programmes to help people, for example through the Housing First programme. "To help increase the amount of affordable housing, Budget 2024 allocated $140 million for 1500 new social housing places to be operated by community housing providers. ADVERTISEMENT "The Government has also accelerated $200 million into Māori housing projects across the country that will enable the delivery of 400 affordable rentals in high-need areas." In his Q+A interview, Potaka was also questioned about his conservation portfolio and how changes to smoking laws would affect Māori. For the full interview, watch the video above Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
NZ Herald
5 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Government report shows homelessness ‘appears' to be outstripping population growth
The report comes around halfway through this Government's term, which has included tightening emergency housing rules, and social and transitional housing initiatives. Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka said although accurate numbers on homelessness were difficult to find, it was 'clear we have a real problem'. 'The Government takes this seriously. All New Zealanders deserve a warm, dry place to stay, and the Government is determined to make progress on this long-running challenge for New Zealand.' Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says it is clear New Zealand has a real problem with homelessness. Photo / Mark Mitchell Potaka said the Government was seeking advice from officials on further interventions to help rough sleepers, saying 'we are also open to new ideas that will make an enduring difference'. Officials defined homelessness as living situations where people have no way of accessing safe and secure housing. This could include having no shelter at all, living in temporary or uninhabitable accommodation, or staying in a house with others, such as couch surfing. The report estimates people living without shelter are more likely to be older, with more than a quarter aged over 65. Twelve per cent were under 15 years old. Concerns from groups, collated in the report, included people and families sleeping rough, in cars, garages or uninhabitable conditions, or couch surfing during winter. They told researchers there were increasing levels of hopelessness and complex needs because of methamphetamine use, anti-social behaviour and severe mental health concerns. Emergency housing The portion of applications for emergency housing that were declined increased from 4% in March 2024 to 32% in March 2025, the report found. This statistic comes after Potaka's emergency housing policy changes in August 2024, which included limiting discretion and tightening rules to ensure it was only accessed 'where absolutely necessary'. Reasons people were declined included that they could meet their needs another way (34.3%), their circumstances could have been 'reasonably foreseen' (22.5%), they were not eligible for a grant (16.7%) or their situation was not considered an emergency (14.7%). Labour leader Chris Hipkins says the Government has no plan for where people go when they are removed from emergency accommodation. Photo / Mark Mitchell Potaka said more than $550 million was being spent annually across a range of programmes run by multiple agencies, including Transitional Housing, Housing First, Rapid Rehousing and many other support services. The minister argued there was a 37% increase in people living in shelters between 2018 and 2023 when the previous Labour Government was in power and that the Government was also dealing with the large-scale emergency housing 'social disaster' it had inherited from Labour. In January, the Government celebrated reaching its target for reducing the number of people in emergency motels by 75% five years early. But it raised questions over where people went when they left emergency housing. Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka (left) and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon say the Government has spent half a billion dollars helping people in homeless situations. Photo / Mark Mitchell Labour leader Chris Hipkins accused the Government of kicking 'everybody out of emergency accommodation' without having a plan for where they were to go. 'I think every New Zealander living in a main city can walk down the street and see there are more people living on the street, in cars, and that the Government's actions have contributed to that,' he said. 'When you boot everybody out of emergency accommodation ... this is what happens.' The report said for around 14% of people who left emergency housing, officials were not sure where they went. Others went into a mix of social and transitional housing, or received housing support supplements. 'We do know where 85% [of people] have gone and we're really happy that a lot of kids have come out of emergency housing. Those 14% we don't know where they've gone, but they don't have to tell us where they are going,' Potaka said. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told reporters his Government had spent half a billion dollars helping people in these situations. 'Homelessness is a really complex issue. People often come with a complex set of needs, whether its mental health or addiction. No Kiwi wants to see homelessness.' Luxon said he was proud of 'the fact that we have taken 6000 people off the social state housing list'. 'I'm also really proud that we've got 2100 kids out of motels and into really good homes by prioritising those families.' Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.
Scoop
8 hours ago
- Scoop
PPTA Rejects Government's Collective Agreement Offer
Secondary teachers are looking for a collective agreement settlement that reflects teachers' value, skills, and the pressures of the cost of living, says Chris Abercrombie, PPTA Te Wehengarua president. 'The Government's initial offer in no way addresses the core issues of teacher recruitment and retention and unmet student need, and has been rejected by our national executive.' The offer included a pay rise of 1% per year for three years, and a $2,500 annual payment, with no time allowance, for principal's nominees - teachers responsible for ensuring the school meets all NZQA requirements for assessment and reporting. Chris Abercrombie said the Government did not make any offers on PPTA's other claims that included pastoral care allowances, professional learning and development funding and an increase to the value of management units and allowances. 'To receive an initial offer such as this is insulting and frustrating. The feedback I'm already getting from teachers is that they feel very under valued. They are doing amazing work in the midst of relentless curriculum and assessment change, and are managing increasingly complex needs of students.' Chris Abercrombie said PPTA Te Wehengarua members would be consulted over the next week or so about exactly how they want to respond to this disappointing offer.
