Latest news with #TakutaiTarshKemp
RNZ News
14-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Watch live: Christopher Luxon on the the disestablishment of Te Pūkenga
In his post-Cabinet press stand-up Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is expected to update on the latest on the disestablishment of the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, Te Pūkenga. He is also set to announce the date of the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election, following the sudden death of Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Tarsh Kemp. Te Pūkenga, the mega-institute that combined polytechnic and workplace training and education, is due to be disestablished by 31 December 2026, and be replace with 10 stand-alone polytechnics and a new system for work-based industry training. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
The Bill and the trees
Something which often surprises those whose only glimpse of Parliament is a few seconds on the TV news of MPs shouting at each other, is that most politicians — just like most people — actually get along fairly well. In my experience, very few MPs are malevolent figures: they genuinely are in the job to make New Zealand a better place (as they see things) and it is not at all unusual to see friendships made across the aisle. Parliament is a workplace, albeit a very unusual one, and like most workers MPs just want to get on with their colleagues and get the job done. Hence the genuine expressions of shock and grief in the House on Thursday when the news of the death of Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp was announced. She is the second MP to have died during this term: both she and the Green MP Fa'anānā Efeso Collins were young, first-term MPs with their abundant potential unfulfilled. The unexpected adjournment was a reminder that while politics is proposition and opposition, those advancing their ideas are real people with genuine human concerns. Before Parliament came to a shuddering halt the House did get through the first reading of the snappily entitled Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme — Forestry Conversion) Amendment Bill, one of those rare pieces of legislation where Labour and National — mostly — see eye to eye. In 2002 the then Labour government passed the well-intentioned Climate Change Response Act 2002 which — among many initiatives — allowed farmers who swapped their entire property over from tending cows and sheep to tending trees, to register for the emissions trading scheme. Farmers, like most businesspeople, are practical. Once it eventuated that there was more money in lumber than livestock, pines started proliferating and productive farmland stopped generating food. New Zealand First Taieri list MP Mark Patterson offered the Bill his full-throated endorsement. Advancing this law change is part of the National-NZ First coalition agreement and is an issue close to Mr Patterson's heart: he has seen many properties in the vicinity of his Lawrence farm given over to trees. "This is the most consequential Bill to come before this House in this term of Parliament for our rural communities," he said. "Whole-of-farm conversions of some of our most productive land, if left unchecked, are in the process of shuttering large swathes of rural New Zealand. Action is both necessary and overdue." Beef and sheep farms were doing decent business at the moment, but the current price for carbon credits meant trees were far more profitable. What's more, on current trends trees were about to become competitive with dairy farming — the backbone of New Zealand's economy. "I know: I planted some myself; I've taken advantage of this scheme," he confessed. "Why would I not? It would be looking a gift horse in the mouth." Mr Patterson said he came not to damn forestry — a $6 billion export sector in its own right — but to encourage the right trees being planted in the right place. "It does create opportunities to integrate forestry in with sheep and beef farming primarily, in a mosaic-type approach, and it can help cash-flow farm succession. It's not all down side, by any means, for our rural communities." Dunedin Labour MP Rachel Brooking said while Labour thought it was slightly ambitious to hope this Bill could solve the woes of rural communities, we could all (well, apart from the Greens and Te Pāti Māori, who voted no) agree there was a problem. "We think that some more fixing will be needed in addition to this Bill," she said. "We heard the Hon Mark Patterson speak before about a piece of farmland that he owns where he planted some trees because that is what the economics were telling him to do. "He didn't have to do it, but it made good financial sense, and people will follow the incentives." Ms Brooking noted the issue was not trees per se, but how to disincentivise carbon forests on good food-producing farmland. "These are pine trees that are planted to stay put. They might be harvested once, but then they're going to stay in the ground. "It's different from plantation forestry whereby foresters are out there planting the trees and then planning to cut them down." While broadly backing the stated intent of the Bill, Ms Brooking took issue — as the opposition has with other pieces of legislation — with the short time the environment select committee will have to consider the legislation. "The report back is only August 20, which is not much time, but it is better than all stages under urgency, which, of course, this government likes to do." Not quite peace in our time, but it was a start.
RNZ News
27-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
MPs pay tribute to Takutai Tarsh Kemp
Wreaths on the House seat of Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith MPs woke on Thursday morning to the sad news that one of their contemporaries, the MP for Tāmaki Makarau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp had died on Wednesday evening aged just 50. The first term MP for Te Pāti Māori had taken leave from her Parliamentary duties last year after being diagnosed with kidney disease, but had been back at Parliament just a week prior to her death. As a mark of respect, the sitting day on Thursday adjourned early for the week. Before adjourning, the House was able to hear tributes from colleagues, who offered memories, condolences, reflections, and eulogies. The first three speeches - from National's Tama Potaka, Labour's Peeni Henare, and The Green's Teanau Tuiono - were almost entirely in te reo Māori. Labour Party MP, Peeni Henare during Parliament's obituaries for fallen Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Tuiono, chose to split his call with his colleague, Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick, who said. "That smile and sense of humour and the warmth of Takutai Moana Tarsh Kemp will never leave us. She was a thoughtful, kind person who lived her values through her service. …In moments like this, I think that we are all gravely reminded of how fragile life is, but how the great stabiliser can indeed be love and integrity. Moe mai rā e te tuahine." Act Leader and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour was next to speak. "She was a true representative, and in her brief time in Parliament, she made a firm impression. She left no doubt about what she was here to do and who she was here to serve, and she did that even while facing and battling a chronic illness." New Zealand First MP, Shane Jones during Parliament's obituaries for fallen Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith This is the second death of an MP in as many years, with the Greens' Efeso Collins passing away in February of last year. New Zealand First's Shane Jones, acknowledged this and shared his perspective that in sobering moments such as a death, we're reminded what politics is ultimately about. "Yes, politics is a contest, but at the base of politics is the pursuit of humanity, and today we respect the contribution that this woman has made to our nation in the various pathways her life has taken her down. Perhaps, as reflective of her personality, I can say nothing better than what is outlined in Romans: 'Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.' Farewell, Takutai." Labour's Willie Jackson was the last to speak before the House adjourned early, perhaps lifting spirits a bit with lighthearted anecdotes that were also quite genuine reflections about how, in Māori politics, an enduring whanaungatanga or connection remains, even through political disagreement. "She was such a vivacious, passionate woman ... I was listening to Tama Potaka and that last committee we did - Tama was fronting it, and we were giving it to Tama Potaka at the Select Committee, and she had the last kōrero," he said. Labour Party MP, Willie Jackson during Parliament's obituaries for fallen Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith "It was very, very clear what she felt about her relation Tama, in the National Government, and Audrey Young put that in the Herald this morning. I thought that was fabulous ... because in many ways, as the minister knows, that sort of sums up Māori politics. We just can go to war sometimes. Tama can be terrible to myself and Peeni Henare, you know-terrible-and Shane Jones, and particularly Winston Peters. You know, we can destroy each other. We can destroy each other, and then, you wouldn't think it was the same people-we'll be having a cup of tea and a kai out the back at the marae. It's the nature of Māori politics. "When I look at Manurewa and I look at my brother Peeni Henare over here, who has almost been traumatised by this, you would not have believed that a war went on in South Auckland for that Tāmaki-makau-rau seat. You would not believe how tough it was-the different sides-how passionate people were, and people would have thought that they would have been enemies for ever. But their whanaungatanga ties them for ever and a day. "I think that's the difference with Māori politics. We will always be tied by our toto, by our whakapapa, and by our identity, and Peeni Henare and Tarsh Kemp couldn't have been any closer. He's shed a few tears for Tarsh today. We all have shed a few tears for Tarsh-a passionate, vivacious, magnificent woman-and it's only right that we honour her today." At the conclusion of the speeches, all MPs stood to sing the waiata Whakaaria Mai, before the House was adjourned until Tuesday, 15 July. You can listen to the audio version of this story by clicking the link at the top of the page. *RNZ's The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament's Office of the Clerk.
1News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- 1News
Five Big Things That Happened Today: Thursday, June 26
Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp has died, charges are laid for an alleged hit-and-run, and authorities bust an 'insider threat' smuggling drugs at Auckland Airport. 1 Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp dies Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp has died at 50 after revealing last year she was battling kidney disease. Her party said it was "heartbroken" to confirm news of the death of "our sister" in the early hours of this morning. Leaders across the political spectrum joined in paying tribute. ADVERTISEMENT Read More 2 Second man charged after Rotorua man's death in alleged hit-and-run A second man has been charged after a fatal alleged hit-and-run in Hamilton last week. A motorcyclist allegedly overtook a stationary vehicle and struck Paige Johnson as he was crossing Edmund Rd in Mangakakahi at around 2.15pm on June 15. Johnson, who was sight- and hearing-impaired, died in hospital on June 19. Read More 3 Auckland Airport drug syndicate: $24m meth, cocaine seized — 18 arrests ADVERTISEMENT Eighteen people were arrested following an investigation into drug smuggling at Auckland Airport with ten of those staff at the airport. Ten of those arrested worked at Auckland Airport, including nine baggage handlers. Read More 4 'Close to home': Divers disable WWII mines in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf Mines that were laid to protect Waitematā Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf from threats posed by the Japanese and German navies have been disabled. Divers used low-level explosive charges to crack the mine casings, allowing seawater to disarm the mines permanently. Read More ADVERTISEMENT 5 NATO chief Mark Rutte refers to Donald Trump as 'daddy' The leaders of NATO met in the Netherlands amidst the backdrop of war in the Middle East, with the US president recently dropping the F-bomb after lashing out at Israel and Iran's post-ceasefire strikes. The NATO Secretary General said at the military alliance meeting that "daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get [them to] stop". Read More Watch: Severe weather warnings as school holidays approach 1News meteorologist Dan Corbett said for some places the heavy rain will be "almost off the scale" as some "nasty" weather moves in. Watch Here ADVERTISEMENT ONE STUNNING PHOTO A seventeen-year-old's photo of a white-faced heron has crowned him as Tūhura Otago Museum's photographer of the year. There were more than 4450 entries from around the world, but Sam McGee's photo stood out due to its 'excellent composition and moody, almost monochromatic tones,' the judging panel said. The exhibition, Otago's Lens on the Wild World, opens from June 26 until October 12 at Tūhura Otago Museum. Entry is free. Read More
RNZ News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
The Panel with Jennie Moreton and Mike Williams Part 1
Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Jennie Moreton and Mike Williams. They note the passing of Te Pati Maori MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp before tackling the subject of legal aid and how it's becoming harder to access for some parts of society. They also discuss the growing abuse of politicians and the measures being taken to curb harrasment. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
