The Government need to start talking realistically about possibility of fuel shortages – Audrey Young

Willis and New Zealand First’s Shane Jones last night convened the new economic security and supply chain group of ministers and chief executives responsible for energy, transport, trade, economic security and internal affairs.

Willis said she would communicate any changes to the public swiftly. The group would provide strategic direction during any potential disruptions, enabling swift, evidence-based decisions to protect essential services, support industry, and maintain public confidence.

Jones, who is responsible for fuel security, says: “There is no need for panic or overreaction.”

Perhaps not, but there is a need to start talking realistically about the possibility of fuel shortages.

Shane Jones is using the Iran crisis to ram home the failure of the last Labour Government to keep the Marsden Point refinery open. But Andreas Heuser, a fuel supply expert at Heuser Whittington, told NewstalkZB’s Mike Hosking that keeping it open would have improved resilience by only a small amount because the crude oil that it refined (all of it imported) came from the same choke points being affected right now. He said the buffer of fuel that New Zealand currently has in reserves and in ships on the way “buys us time but not immunity”. Most of New Zealand’s fuel comes from refineries in Singapore and South Korea.

The reserves of diesel are a concern, given its ubiquitous use to transport goods within the country. Jones has already overseen increases of the minimum stock obligation from 21 days for importers of diesel with more than 10% of market share to 28 days. But that does not come into effect until July 2028.

Shane Jones and his leader, Winston Peters, are taking the war against the former Labour Government to a new level. They made the extreme claim that the Royal Commission into lessons learned from the Covid-19 crisis showed that leader Chris Hipkins had endangered the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people.

“Chris Hipkins either concealed advice or the level of ineptitude was so spectacular he has endangered the long-term health of hundreds of thousands of New Zealand children,” Jones told reporters this week, a message repeated in Parliament by Peters.

Jones and Peters are pushing for the health select committee to run an inquiry into the issue of what advice the Labour Government was given on double-vaccinations for 12 to 17-year-olds. National will hold the casting vote on the decision.

But as Health Minister Simeon Brown noted in Parliament, it was the ministry, not ministers, who were singled out by the commission: “The report makes the finding that there was a significant failure on behalf of the Ministry of Health in not being clearer in terms of the advice that it provided on that point to Ministers.”

Labour may be hoping there is not yet another inquiry that shows that things could have been done better. However, if National insisted it was a short, sharp science-based inquiry and not a star chamber for New Zealand First and its anti-vaccine supporters, it could be doing everyone a service.

Chris Hipkins’ reshuffled Labour front-bencher Willow-Jean Prime out of education this week, a harsh but necessary decision. And in some ways it can be seen as a victory for Education Minister Erica Stanford. Prime has not been able to land a single blow on Stanford, such is her dominance over the education reform agenda. Prime will be better placed in Social Development, which has been held by Willie Jackson, also with little effect against Louise Upston. Hipkins will be hoping that the more feisty Ginny Andersen will make more progress with Stanford. And former human rights lawyer Vanushi Walters has been given foreign affairs, which was held by retiring MP Peeni Henare.

• What’s in a name? Spare a thought for Green MP Francisco Hernandez, who is often mistakenly called “Fernando” in Parliament. It happened again this week when Greg O’Connor was in the chair. O’Connor has done it at least three times. Maureen Pugh has done it at least twice from the chair, although she has offered the best apology: “I must apologise to the member – it’s a flashback to my Abba days,” she said in December last year. And it happened so often during debate on the Regulatory Standards Bill that Hernandez suggested he should set up a tip jug for offenders to pay into. At one point, David Seymour was doing it so often that Hernandez emitted a “yay!” when he got his name right. Hernandez told me yesterday that it has happened about 20 times and that the song has become his theme tune.

• Tying the knot: Police Minister Mark Mitchell and partner Sarah Mattson are getting married next week in Coromandel.

• Pacific trip: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to Samoa and Tonga next week for an official visit.

“I think at the end of it, all Māori want the progression of Māori interests, and the only failure is our lack to unite over those matters.” Labour’s Peeni Henare in his exit interview.

Retiring Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb held which portfolio in Opposition? (Answer at the bottom of this article.)

Goes to minister Tama Potaka for declining to rule out a run at the National leadership and Catherine Wedd for telling Stuff: “I think that Christopher Luxon is the perfect Prime Minister at the moment.” Wrong lines.

Goes to Health Minister Simeon Brown, whose publicly disclosed appointment diary shows he was hard at work on January 1 this year (on the ManageMyHealth hack).

Fuel tax: Government open to scrapping 12 cent fuel tax hike next year if conditions worsen

Covid-19 inquiry: Commission criticises length of Auckland lockdown and Government spending; Dame Jacinda Ardern responds

Exit interview: Peeni Henare’s advice for Labour, favourite National MP as he leaves politics after 12 years

PM’s diary: Christopher Luxon’s diary blank for first three weeks of 2026, PM says he was working ‘intensely’

Election 2026: Labour Party announces caucus reshuffle, Willow-Jean Prime loses education

Opinion: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon survives gruelling days at Parliament – Thomas Coughlan

Election poll: Erica Stanford admits ‘a bad week for the National Party’ as MPs meet after dire poll

Te Pāti Māori stoush: Expelled MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi reinstated after winning court case against Te Pāti Māori

Lake Alice data breach: Minister Erica Stanford ‘frustrated’ over delays in completing investigation

Ambassador: US President Donald Trump’s pick for New Zealand Ambassador reveals priorities, interested in expanding defence partnership

Quiz answer: Webb was justice spokesman - picked up in the reshuffle by Camilla Belich. Labour has selected former UN climate official George Hampton to contest Christchurch Central.

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