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Ursula Keay

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Jamie Ensor

Jamie Ensor is the Chief Political Reporter for the New Zealand Herald based in Wellington's Parliamentary Press Gallery. Email: jamie.ensor@nzme.co.nz // Twitter: @JamieEnsor

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Latest Articles

Exclusive: How Christopher Luxon quietly empowered Mark Mitchell - and delegated national security responsibilities

Freshly released documents show how Prime Minister Christopher Luxon empowered senior minister Mark Mitchell by delegating him various national security responsibilities after his April reshuffle.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

Labour ‘confident’ in capital gains tax revenue, won’t say what it’ll do if it makes less than expected

Labour won’t say how it plans to pay for three health policies if its proposed capital gains tax (CGT) generates less revenue than expected, saying it will “cross that bridge later if we have to”.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

Exclusive: NZ First's Winston Peters takes on National, own Government policy at Fieldays; would ditch Paris climate agreement, questions rates cap

Winston Peters is dialling up his attacks on National and his own Government at Fieldays, distancing himself from the Prime Minister on climate issues, questioning the coalition’s rates cap policy, and suggesting farmers change their voting habits.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

Exclusive: Concern raised about minister’s chainsaw use in social media video

A minister’s technique for starting a chainsaw in a social media video has prompted concern to be raised with WorkSafe, while a forestry industry group is calling out “unsafe practice”.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

Exclusive: NZ diplomat suggested $10k donation to Samoa amid Luxon matai title discussions

New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Samoa suggested giving thousands of dollars to an undetermined project in Apia as officials explored koha arrangements ahead of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon being bestowed with a matai title.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

Exclusive: Inside NZ-US work on critical minerals deal - Why ministry told Herald to destroy sensitive info

Ministerial briefings reveal how a proposed arrangement with the United States on critical minerals came about, what a draft version included, and its potential risks. But within documents obtained by the Herald was also information that wasn’t meant to be released. Jamie Ensor reports.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

How emerging NZ designers want to change the way you dress

Then, a sudden gust ripped through the pitch-black room. Heads whipped to meet it. Gasps. Invisible doors cracked open on the other side of the runway. Behind it, a neon-green garden was aglow. Jojo Ross’ first model wandered through and crossed the threshold – the embossed, mossy dress seemed to …
By Madeleine Crutchley
• NZ Herald

Inside the booming business of bomb shelters for billionaires

A basic backyard bunker housing four people underground for up to a week while shielding them from bomb blasts and radiation costs around US$25,000 ($43,000).More sophisticated models, designed for years-long stays, can cost millions of dollars depending on how much food, energy and water they are stocked with.“It depends if …
By Moises Avila Roldan
• NZ Herald

Inside the booming business of bomb shelters for billionaires

A basic backyard bunker housing four people underground for up to a week while shielding them from bomb blasts and radiation costs around US$25,000 ($43,000).More sophisticated models, designed for years-long stays, can cost millions of dollars depending on how much food, energy and water they are stocked with.“It depends if …
By Moises Avila Roldan
• NZ Herald

Analysis: Inside the day the question of Luxon’s exit moved from ‘if’ and closer to ‘when’

National’s disastrous performance in the Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll today shifted the needle on the likelihood of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s premature departure from an “if” question to something closer to a “when and how” question.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

Hipkins reignites criticism of $12.8 billion pay equity figure as Treasury stands firm

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has doubled down on his criticism that the Treasury engaged in guesswork in calculating the savings produced as a result of the Government’s controversial pay equity changes.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

Exclusive: ‘She’s not a trained lawyer’: Winston Peters hits out at India’s top diplomat in NZ over FTA comments

The outgoing Indian High Commissioner says it is an “aspiration” for New Zealand’s private sector to invest US$20 billion in India under the proposed free trade agreement, the same language National ministers have deployed to allay concerns over the clause.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

Forest’s Plabita Florence on pivoting her top Auckland restaurant to an ice cream parlour

The pivot by chef and owner Florence was unexpected for some customers. A restaurant many consider to be at the top of its game transforming into an ice cream parlour. Why? Florence, wearing house colours (a tree-green T-shirt) and socks covered in sweetcorn, sitting beneath tumbling plants in her dining …
By Madeleine Crutchley
• NZ Herald

Exclusive: Driver’s licence fees could be hiked next year despite Government celebrating 'initially' cutting them

The Government trumpeted an $80 reduction to the total cost of getting a full driver’s licence, but a close look at the Cabinet documents and officials’ advice suggests more changes - possibly an increase - to the fees could come afterwards.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

Analysis: Pole position for Peters - Why NZ First has momentum heading into election 2026

There has been a question swirling around Parliament for the past year or so, over whether New Zealand First can successfully follow the path of Nigel Farage’s Reform in galvanising support behind a populist alternative to the two main political parties.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

Analysis - Christopher Luxon’s election-year opener: What to expect from PM's State of the Nation speech

The Prime Minister’s election-year opener will see Christopher Luxon attempt to wrestle New Zealanders’ attention away from turbulent affairs overseas and remind them of what the Government sees as steady, promised progress in key areas such as law and order, education and cutting red tape.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

'We believe in this city and we want to be part of it': Why local designer is backing NZ fashion

“Kristine really took a chance on me – when I think back, I was really underqualified and she was so open. She was always really supportive and I think that gave me a chance to explore and try it out. I was so naive ... I’m so grateful for that …
By Madeleine Crutchley
• NZ Herald

Exclusive: Claims of bribery, AI content, 'shaming' in Youth MPs' speeches before controversial review

Several cases of potentially defamatory comments, breaches of privacy and unsupported assertions were found in Youth MPs’ draft speeches by officials tasked with reviewing them before delivery during a Youth Parliament overshadowed by censorship claims earlier this year.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

Exclusive: Mowbray’s personal text to PM amid social media lobbying

A member of the high-profile Mowbray family personally messaged the Prime Minister to express disappointment about National announcing legislation to ban social media for under-16s just days before an event to launch a campaign on the issue.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

Analysis: The growing connections between NZ First and Labour

While the differences between NZ First and Labour may be stark, over the past month or so, several issues have come to the fore on which there seems to be greater similarity between those two parties than NZ First and its current partners.
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald

Exclusive: Police Minister says 36 emails about Jevon McSkimming weren’t shared with him at Police Commissioner order

Police Minister Mark Mitchell’s office received 36 emails containing allegations against former deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming since December 2023. However, Mitchell has told the Herald then-Police Commissioner Andrew Coster directed police staff in the ministerial office to send the emails directly to his own office and not share them
By Jamie Ensor
• NZ Herald