Greens go after groceries, Helen Clark goes after Qiulae Wong and Christopher Luxon holds firm on failed leadership challenge

Parliament is back after recess and policies are coming in thick and fast. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon continues to push back on the fallout from last week's leadership challenge, ACT and the Public Service Association go toe-to-toe on the 'good employer' provision in the public service, and former PM Helen Clark gives her thoughts on the Opportunity Party.

Greens and groceries

The Green Party is targeting supermarket prices, following Australia’s recent move to ban “excessive pricing.”

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick announced a policy to restrict supermarkets to charging prices that are not in excess relative to the cost of supplying the products, plus a fair margin. Green Party consumer affairs spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March also lodged a member’s bill on the policy.

Supermarkets would be required to record prices so to be able to provide to the Commerce Commission when requested.

"Breaches would carry penalties of up to $10 million, three times the value of the commercial gain, or 10% of turnover,” he said.

The coup hangover

A sense of fatigue has hit Parliament this week. Journalists and (some) politicians alike waded into Parliament in dire need of caffeine - usually the state at the end of a particularly hectic sitting block. However, the recess week, where everyone usually takes a deep breath to catch up on work or go on holiday, was met with early starts and late nights after the will he-won’t he National leadership tangle.

National Minister Erica Stanford told media on Sunday she was not involved in any potential challenge, did not ask anyone to challenge Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and supported him “100%”.

It follows the snap departure of National MP Chris Penk, who Luxon said launched a leadership challenge against him, swiftly stripping Penk of his ministerial portfolios followed by the announcement of Penk’s retirement at November's election.

Public Service - good or bad employer?

ACT leader David Seymour announced his intention to remove the ‘good employer’ section of the Public Service Act in a bid to “end race-based hiring requirements”.

That section requires chief executives to - among other requirements such as ensuring safe working conditions - recognise the “aims and aspirations of Māori; the employment requirements of Māori; and the need for greater involvement of Māori in the public service”.

“The public service should have the same employment rules as any other business,” Seymour said. “Health and safety, non-discrimination and and disability rights are already covered elsewhere in the law.”

The Public Service Associate said this policy indicated ACT wanted the public service to be a “bad employer”.

"The policy behind the good employer provisions is that the Government should be an exemplar employer. It's supposed to show the country what good looks like, not race to the bottom.”

ACT also wanted to legally enforce need before race in the delivery of public services and separate spiritual practices from public service work.

“ACT will prohibit public service employers from initiating or resourcing cultural or spiritual practices as part of the workplace,” Seymour said.

“Public servants will remain free to practise their own religion, culture, or traditions in their own time, with reasonable accommodation where appropriate.”

PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said removing the ability for public servants to observe cultural and spiritual practices, “on top of pushing 'need not race' into law, is part of the continued attack on Māori in the public service and the policies to improve outcomes for Māori”.

Helen Clark v Qiulae Wong

Following the Opportunity Party leader’s interview on TVNZ's Q+A over the weekend, former Prime Minister Helen Clark took to X, calling it a “trainwreck” interview.

“Simplistic responses trying to defend land tax, higher income tax, & job cuts in public sector. Fantasy posing as policy.”

Asked to elaborate on her concerns with the policies, Clark said, “lots about the land tax, the limits on UBI [universal basic income] and the consequences of that, and on public service job cuts….”

It followed Opportunity receiving 8% support in the latest 1News Verian Poll last week.