Chris Lynch: Opportunity Party wanted to raise youth justice age to 25....

Opportunity Party wanted to raise youth justice age to 25, now can’t say what the limit should be

The Opportunity Party has scrubbed the age of 25 from a policy proposing a major expansion of New Zealand’s youth justice system.

An archived version of the party’s “Smart on Crime” policy, captured on March 5, explicitly promised to “raise the age of the youth court jurisdiction to 25, in line with developmental science”.

Chris Lynch: South Island mayors divided over Government’s council reforms

South Island mayors have given chrislynchmedia.com sharply differing views on the Government’s local reforms, with some backing mergers, others still weighing their options, and several warning the process was moving too quickly.

Nelson and Waitaki have settled on preferred options, Canterbury and Otago councils are still testing theirs, while some West Coast leaders say communities have not had enough time to properly consider the changes.

Seymour vows to scrap iwi agreements after ECan backdown

Chris Lynch chats to David Seymour about Environment Canterbury, Resource Management Act, Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreement and more.


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Chris Lynch: Unelected council members to lose voting powers

The Government has moved to stop unelected appointees from voting on council committees, saying decision making should rest with representatives chosen by voters.

Local Government Minister Simon Watts announced changes to the Local Government Act 2002 that would mean voting rights on council committees would be made only for elected councillors.

Chris Lynch: Stalking becomes criminal offence

Stalkers will face up to 5 years in prison from midnight [25/5/26] as new anti stalking laws come into force across New Zealand.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said the Government was sending a clear message that stalking behaviour would no longer be tolerated.

Chris Lynch: Canterbury Basin bid signals renewed push for oil and gas exploration

A new application to prospect for oil and gas off the Canterbury coast has triggered a competitive process, with the Government saying it reflects growing confidence in the sector.

New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals has opened a three month process after receiving an application from CBX Energy Limited to explore frontier acreage in the offshore Canterbury Basin.

Chris Lynch: Peters vows to ‘break up power companies’ and blasts ‘woke agenda’

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has used his State of the Nation address in Tauranga to lay out a hard edged election pitch, promising to restructure the electricity market, reject global influence, and take direct aim at Labour, the Greens, unions and what he called a growing “woke agenda”.

Speaking at the Atrium Conference Centre on Sunday afternoon, Peters said New Zealand was facing a period of global instability not seen in generations.

Chris Lynch: Seymour rules out GST on fuel, dismisses focus on Hipkins’ private life

Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour has defended the Government’s response to rising fuel prices, warning against intervention and rejecting calls to cut GST, during an extended interview in Christchurch.

Speaking to chrislynchmedia.com while visiting the city, Seymour said global supply disruptions were behind rising prices, despite assurances from officials fuel supplies remained stable.

Chris Lynch: Government books beat forecast as deficit narrows

The Government’s latest financial statements have shown the country’s books were tracking better than forecast, even though the main operating measure remained in deficit.

Treasury released the Interim Financial Statements for the 7 months to 31 January 2026 on Thursday, comparing results against forecasts from the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2025.

Chris Lynch: Seymour defends Treaty stance, backs removal of Māori seats

Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour has dismissed criticism from former Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel over his comments on the teaching of colonisation, saying New Zealand should focus on equal rights rather than what he calls inherited divisions.

Dalziel wrote in an opinion piece that Seymour’s characterisation of how colonisation is taught suggests it “casts children as victims or villains by birth,” describing that view as “disgraceful.”

Chris Lynch: Nearly 40,000 more building products approved for use in New Zealand

Nearly 40,000 additional plumbing and drainage products already widely used in Australia have been approved for use in New Zealand, in a move the Government says will reduce costs, cut red tape, and improve building productivity.

Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said the approval of the second tranche of overseas certified products would make it easier and more affordable to deliver new homes and public buildings.

Chris Lynch: Parents to get clearer picture of children’s learning under national school reporting changes

Parents will receive clearer and more consistent information about how their children are progressing at school under a new national assessment and reporting system being introduced this year.

The changes apply to primary and intermediate schools across New Zealand and mean parents will receive the same type of learning information regardless of which school their child attends.

Chris Lynch: Web series gives voice to New Zealanders suffering Covid 19 vaccine injuries

A new web series is set to launch this week giving a platform to New Zealanders who say they suffered serious and lasting injuries after receiving Covid 19 vaccines.

The series called The Tribute, co-produced by award winning film maker Gaylene Barnes, will release its first episode on Thursday and focuses on the experience of Tauranga woman Ange, a former yoga teacher and rest home healthcare worker.

Chris Lynch: New Zealand’s longest serving mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt dies

Former Invercargill mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt has died in the early hours of Thursday.

In a public statement, his family said “It is with heavy hearts, the Shadbolt family announce the passing of our ‘one of a kind’ and beloved Tim, whom passed away in the early hours of Thursday.

Chris Lynch: Christchurch mouldy lunches investigation traced to meals left at school says investigation

A New Zealand Food Safety full investigation into the mouldy lunch scandal at Haeata Community Campus has found the problem has come from meals left onsite rather than any wider failure in the School Lunch Collective.

Chris Lynch: Haeata school named in audit concerns over $18,500 leadership team trip to Queenstown

A Christchurch school has been named in a national audit that has uncovered concerns about how public money was spent in schools, including cases where principals used funding tagged for coaching and wellbeing on overseas trips, family travel, tourist activities, and premium flights.

Chris Lynch: Food Safety pushes back again after principal disputed cause of mouldy lunches

New Zealand Food Safety has issued a new statement on the mouldy lunches at Haeata Community Campus, reiterating that the evidence points to a human error at the school as the most likely cause.

New Zealand Food Safety is a unit of the Ministry for Primary Industries.

The follow up statement has been released after the school’s principal continued to publicly suggest the problem lay with the provider, appearing on multiple media outlets this morning.

Chris Lynch: Government moves to cap rates and curb cost pressures on ratepayers

The Government has announced plans to introduce a national rates cap, saying the move has been designed to help councils control rates increases and reduce pressure on household budgets.

Local Government Minister Simon Watts said rising rates were becoming unsustainable for many residents, with some communities facing repeated double digit increases.

Chris Lynch: Government moves to abolish regional councils in landmark local government overhaul

The Government has unveiled plans it says will simplify how cities and regions are run, with proposals that include abolishing elected regional councillors and replacing them with new boards made up of mayors.

Ministers Chris Bishop and Simon Watts said the changes have been designed to cut duplication, reduce costs, and make it easier to plan for growth.

Chris Lynch: Digital overhaul promises faster care and an end to repeated patient histories

The Government has released a ten year plan to modernise New Zealand’s health technology, with Health Minister Simeon Brown saying the changes have been designed to give patients faster access to care and end the need to repeat medical histories at every appointment.

Brown said the health system is being held back by outdated and disconnected technology.