national party new zealand

This morning's call by National that they will deal with New Zealand First, if they have to, is exactly the sort of thing they should have been able to avoid if they took the advice of people like me weeks ago. 

The poll last week showing 82 percent of us wanted to know one way or the other shows how shockingly National misread the mood. 

By spending all that time and energy the way Chris Luxon did sticking his fingers in his ears, telling us he wasn't even thinking of it, he didn't want to talk about it, he wasn't above the threshold, he wasn't in parliament, it wasn't an issue, has all led to this.   

It's turned into a victory for Winston Peters and a break for Labour. 

The line that National had about the Greens and the Maori Party and the coalition of chaos is now null and void, as you look at the prospect of National and Act and Peters, with the latter two openly hating each other. 

I still maintain they should have ruled Peters out day one, which would have made him irrelevant. But even if they had said they could work with him, at least you would know where they stood. 

It was made worse by Hipkins when he ruled New Zealand First out, one of the few clever things he has managed to achieve in the campaign so far. 

The irony was he got full headlines for ruling out a party who had already ruled them out. He wasn't going to work with a party that had already said they weren't working with him but most people forgot that and he got the upper ground he was after. 

Cue Luxon, bumbling and stumbling his way through question after question, refusing to deal with an elephant in the room that was getting more and more embarrassing.   

So, this morning you get the back down where Luxon is forced to admit he will have to deal with him if necessary. 

My guess is it won't come to that. My guess remains that National and Act on the night will in fact have plenty to do it by themselves. 

But as you will also see today, the other prediction I made last week is already coming to pass; National will start to run the line about complacency. "Don't think it's over, don't take a National win for granted, you've got to vote". 

What National want at this stage of the campaign is ongoing momentum, they want to be controlling the narrative. By failing to deal with Peters early, they have strategically failed. 

It isn't the end of the world, but they never needed to be here if they had had a proper plan from day one.

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National leader Chris Luxon says working with New Zealand First isn't their first preference, but they will if they have to.  

After weeks of questions, Luxon's confirmed this morning he would work with them.  

He's also suggested Chris Hipkins would do the same, despite Labour and NZ First both ruling each other out.  

Luxon told Mike Hosking the election isn't done and dusted – it'll be extremely close. 

He says his strong preference is for a National Act coalition. 

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National's deputy has confirmed the party would work with New Zealand First - if it came to it.  

It's understood leader Chris Luxon will confirm in a social media video today that he's willing to work with Winston Peters if necessary.  

It comes after weeks of questions.  

Nicola Willis told Tim Dower their preference is to form a two-party coalition government of National and ACT. 

“Realistically, if New Zealand First is to return to Parliament and we need to pick up the phone to Mr Peters to keep Labour out, to keep the coalition of chaos of Te Pati Maori and the Greens out.” 

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National's deputy has confirmed the party would work with New Zealand First - if it came to it.  

It's understood leader Chris Luxon will confirm in a social media video today that he's willing to work with Winston Peters if necessary.  

It comes after weeks of questions.  

Nicola Willis told Tim Dower their preference is to form a two-party coalition government of National and ACT. 

“Realistically, if New Zealand First is to return to Parliament and we need to pick up the phone to Mr Peters to keep Labour out, to keep the coalition of chaos of Te Pati Maori and the Greens out.” 

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National's released more of its education policy today.

If it wins the election, it will require primary schools to teach every single child how to reach using structured literacy.

It's basically a return to phonics, instead of the whole language approach used for the last 50 years.

Education spokesperson Erica Stanford joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.

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National's released more of its education policy today.

If it wins the election, it will require primary schools to teach every single child how to reach using structured literacy.

It's basically a return to phonics, instead of the whole language approach used for the last 50 years.

Education spokesperson Erica Stanford joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you are a parent or a grandparent worried about whether our schooling will teach your child to read properly – you need to listen to this.

Good education announcement from National today. I have been waiting for anyone to announce this for a couple of years now. So I'm pleased someone’s finally done it.

If the Nats win the election, they will require all primary schools to teach little ones to read using structured literacy – which is basically going back to phonics. 

Now let me explain to you why this is potentially a game changer.

For the last 50 years, our schools have not been teaching phonics. They have been teaching what’s called whole language. 

And basically what that does is assumes that kids will naturally learn to read just like they learn to talk.

If you leave books with pictures lying around for them and if the book has the word apple next to a picture of an apple – that will teach them to read. 

It is rubbish. It does not. 

It is such a fail that 36 percent of our 14-year-olds failed the NCEA pilot reading exam last year.

The reading ability of our 10-year-olds is the worst it’s ever been and is apparently the worst in the English-speaking world.

So what's been going on is that a lot of schools have been spending thousands of dollars of their own money to pay consultants to come in and help them teach in another way, which is called structured literacy. And as I say – basically goes back to phonics.

And they have been getting amazing results, the kids are learning to read again.

Here's an example: 

Kaiapoi North School in Canterbury spent $20,000 and the principal said it was worth every cent. 

After two years: the principal said 68 of their 72 kids learning it were at or above the curriculum standards and scoring not around 70 percent – but in the 90 percents. 

The Education Ministry knows this.

There have been campaigns for years to get them to go back to phonics. 

New South Wales has just gone back to phonics, and yet our Education Ministry has dragged their heels. 

And now finally, the Nats have seen the light.

And they say if they win in October, teachers will all be teaching structured literacy to kids, and the way it’s phrased – they will not have the option of doing anything else.

There will be tests on Year 2s to make sure it’s working, and every new teacher will be taught it too.

And that is brilliant. 

I tell you what: this could be a game changer.

It could genuinely be the thing that lifts our reading rates again and turns our education system around, because if you can’t read... you can’t do any education. 

Good, simple, practical announcement.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you are a parent or a grandparent worried about whether our schooling will teach your child to read properly – you need to listen to this.

Good education announcement from National today. I have been waiting for anyone to announce this for a couple of years now. So I'm pleased someone’s finally done it.

If the Nats win the election, they will require all primary schools to teach little ones to read using structured literacy – which is basically going back to phonics. 

Now let me explain to you why this is potentially a game changer.

For the last 50 years, our schools have not been teaching phonics. They have been teaching what’s called whole language. 

And basically what that does is assumes that kids will naturally learn to read just like they learn to talk.

If you leave books with pictures lying around for them and if the book has the word apple next to a picture of an apple – that will teach them to read. 

It is rubbish. It does not. 

It is such a fail that 36 percent of our 14-year-olds failed the NCEA pilot reading exam last year.

The reading ability of our 10-year-olds is the worst it’s ever been and is apparently the worst in the English-speaking world.

So what's been going on is that a lot of schools have been spending thousands of dollars of their own money to pay consultants to come in and help them teach in another way, which is called structured literacy. And as I say – basically goes back to phonics.

And they have been getting amazing results, the kids are learning to read again.

Here's an example: 

Kaiapoi North School in Canterbury spent $20,000 and the principal said it was worth every cent. 

After two years: the principal said 68 of their 72 kids learning it were at or above the curriculum standards and scoring not around 70 percent – but in the 90 percents. 

The Education Ministry knows this.

There have been campaigns for years to get them to go back to phonics. 

New South Wales has just gone back to phonics, and yet our Education Ministry has dragged their heels. 

And now finally, the Nats have seen the light.

And they say if they win in October, teachers will all be teaching structured literacy to kids, and the way it’s phrased – they will not have the option of doing anything else.

There will be tests on Year 2s to make sure it’s working, and every new teacher will be taught it too.

And that is brilliant. 

I tell you what this could be a game changer.

It could genuinely be the thing that lifts our reading rates again and turns our education system around, because if you can’t read... you can’t do any education. 

Good, simple, practical announcement.

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19 percent of Auckland's speed limits are about to be reduced. 

Auckland Transport made this announcement earlier today, without much fanfare. 

Simeon Brown, National's Transport Spokeperson is here to voice his thought on the matter, and highlight his disapproval of the decision.

"The reality is, that's going to have a huge impact on people getting around our biggest city. People are finding it hard enough already, this is only going to make it worse." 

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Te Pati Maori and the National Party are demanding an immediate independent inquiry into Rotorua's emergency housing.

National says Rotorua is now full of appalling scenes of intimidation, violence, misery and crime as a result.

Chris Bishop, National's spokesperson for housing says

“We had a situation where a woman went into labour and had to spend the night in her car because they wouldn’t let her back into her motel room. The scenes of squalor, crime, deprivation… frankly, it’s incredibly depressing. We need to know exactly what monitoring is going on.”

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National MP Sam Uffindell has been stood down from the party's caucus, pending an investigation into further "very concerning accusations" about his past behaviour.

Party Leader Christopher Luxon says he's been made aware of new allegations about Uffindell's behaviour toward a female flatmate while Uffindell was at university in 2003.

The woman has told RNZ Uffindell was an aggressive bully who once pounded on her bedroom door, screaming obscenities, until she fled through her window.

Uffindell has denied any accusations he was involved in bullying or intimidatory behaviour while at university.

The new allegations came after revelations the new Tauranga MP was involved in an attack on a younger boy while he was at boarding school.

Political Editor Barry Soper joined Heather du Plessis Allan to discuss Sam Uffindell's investigation and more. 

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EasyBuild Homes managing director Mike Fox and Wellington Gold Awards director John Dow join Nick Mills on the Business Panel.

Together they discuss National MP Sam Uffindell being stood down, the effects cost of living is having on the market, the flu season, National's new welfare policy and spending within central Wellington.

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All eyes will be on Chris Luxon going into his first National Party Conference as party leader.

However, it hasn't been a good week for the National Party, with doubts from commentators on his leadership.

And the Party President role is up for grabs, with Peter Goodfellow stepping down.

It also wasn't a good week for James Shaw.

Shaw was the only candidate named for their leadership contest, there are questions over whether he will get past the 75 percent threshold to retain his leadership.

Rotorua locals are standing up to their council.

More than 3600 submissions have been received on the issue of using motels for emergency housing.

Newstalk ZB Political Editor Barry Soper joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.

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