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henrycooke.bsky.social
henry cooke
@henrycooke.bsky.social
1.9K followers 280 following 280 posts
deputy political editor at the post, wellington tragic

send me gossip or stories: 📞021 241 1398 📧henry.cooke@thepost.co.nz 📧henry.cooke.post@proton.me
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henrycooke.bsky.social
National and Labour MPs are teaming up for a modern slavery bill, using a new and never-before-used rule that allows them to skip the biscuit tin for a members' bill with enough support.
January 28, 2026 at 9:11 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Nicky Hager says Judith Collins is “clearly and demonstrably not” fit for the Law Commission role

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Nicky Hager: Judith Collins not fit for Law Commission role
The journalist behind Dirty Politics has questioned Collins’ appointment.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 28, 2026 at 6:39 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Is Judith Collins about to resign from politics? www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Is Judith Collins about to leave politics?
Sources say the long-serving National MP and Attorney-General could be in line to take over as president of the Law Commission in April.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 27, 2026 at 10:05 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Cabinet will sit on Tuesday for the first time this year on the same day Parliament returns from its summer break.

Preview of another mega-week of politics here:

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Parliament returns under shadow of deadly weather
Parliament and Cabinet will meet for the first time on Tuesday as the country reels from another storm.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 25, 2026 at 8:18 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
NEW: Paul Goldsmith and the Electoral Commission are in open disagreement about the 20 day wait for the special vote this year, with Goldsmith arguing the vote counters can count faster
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Minister and commission’s stoush over 20-day wait for special votes
The Electoral Commission says it will still take 20 days to count votes this year, despite a law change - but Paul Goldsmith is adamant they can go faster.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 25, 2026 at 8:08 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Chris Hipkins is dipping his toes into proper class politics, but it’s an awkward fit

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
January 22, 2026 at 5:29 AM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Chris Hipkins paints Labour as an underdog in his first rally of the campaign. Says Labour are up against history and wealthy donors who are doing well under the current Government.

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Hipkins paints Labour as underdog
In his first public speech of the election year, Chris Hipkins said Labour was up against history and wealthy donors behind the Government.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 21, 2026 at 11:14 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Column this morning on why Christopher Luxon pushed the election date about as late he realistically could:

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
PM gives himself the maximum runway to show the country it’s back on track
ANALYSIS: November 7 is about the latest day Christopher Luxon could have gone without risking a Christmas without a Government, while also dodging a minefield of tricky dates towards the year end.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 21, 2026 at 9:41 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Chris Hipkins would not describe the United States as a "rogue nation" when asked. Said it was "pushing the boundaries in ways that New Zealand should be principled about calling out."
January 21, 2026 at 1:26 AM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Chris Hipkins says 'job creation' is the Government's job in his first speech of election year www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Labour targets jobs and investment as Hipkins opens election year
Chris Hipkins used his first major speech of 2026 to promote Labour’s proposed future fund and criticise the Government for ignoring job creation amid rising unemployment.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 20, 2026 at 8:55 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Column today on how tough it will be for Chris Bishop to dismantle a NIMBY lightning rod in Auckland while retaining credibility with those who want to build things in this country:
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Bishop’s second blink on housing will be tough
OPINION: Chris Bishop has to carefully dismantle a housing policy he personally backs for the second time. It won’t be easy.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 20, 2026 at 7:56 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Christopher Luxon kicked the political year off with a flat speech focused on what NZ can and can't control: www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
PM warns voters not to expect big spending ‒ or ‘sexy’ policy
OPINION: Christopher Luxon’s comment was likely more a pre-emptive shot against Labour than a real promise to not put anything popular in the Budget, but it certainly came across as a reminder to the ...
www.thepost.co.nz
January 19, 2026 at 7:06 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Christopher Luxon refused yday to say whether the abduction of Maduro was illegal or if he had a problem with the attempted annexation of Greenland.

One expert I spoke to thinks our Govt just lacks the language for a world where the US is like this:

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
PM defends quiet approach to Trump’s actions in Venezuela and Greenland
Christopher Luxon says New Zealand must “control what it can control”, but can still be champion of rules-based order.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 19, 2026 at 7:04 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Cabinet set a climate reporting threshold four times higher than officials recommended - and almost double what the minister himself had suggested:

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Climate reporting threshold set four times higher than officials advised
Cabinet’s decision to raise the bar has removed many firms from the regime, sparking concern about weakened oversight and international perceptions.
www.thepost.co.nz
January 12, 2026 at 6:43 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
📚📚📚2026 book thread📚📚📚
January 7, 2026 at 9:46 AM
henrycooke.bsky.social
NEW: The High Court has ruled that Paul Goldsmith's appointment of Dr. Stephen Rainbow as Human Rights Commissioner was unlawful

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Minister unlawfully appointed human rights and race relations commissioners
The High Court has found Paul Goldsmith’s controversial appointment of Stephen Rainbow and that of Melissa Derby were unlawful.
www.thepost.co.nz
December 18, 2025 at 1:40 AM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Chris Hipkins has a big decision to make over the summer: Try to destroy TPM entirely, or keep them in play?

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Hipkins’ big decision this summer: Destroy TPM or work with them?
OPINION: Potential for wasted vote on the left means Hipkins needs to either eradicate TPM or keep them in relative strength.
www.thepost.co.nz
December 16, 2025 at 7:38 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
MINISTRY MEGA MERGER: Government are combining the ministries for Transport, Environment, and Housing and Urban Development with the local Govt functions from DIA, to create the Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT).

Fully operational by July 2026.
December 15, 2025 at 10:19 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
NEW: All we learned from the hundreds of pages from Te Pāti Māori court docs, including:
- The full timeline of the budgetary blowup
- Mariameno Kapa-Kingi calling John Tamihere a "fucking cunt"
- The rules for who MPs can drink with

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
How Te Pāti Māori fell apart: Court documents reveal backstory to civil war
ANALYSIS: Hundreds of pages of court files expose what really happened inside TPM - from strict rules of media engagement to sweary meetings.
www.thepost.co.nz
December 12, 2025 at 3:34 AM
henrycooke.bsky.social
The RMA reform will make building things faster and cheaper. But if we really want to stop costs spiralling out of control for everything we may need to go far further back than 1991.

Column today on how the common law tradition holds our infrastructure back:

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
New Zealand's culture of 'no' won't end until we start saying 'oui'
OPINION: The Government’s RMA reforms will allow us to build more, but our common law tradition will hold us back from really super-charging things.
www.thepost.co.nz
December 9, 2025 at 6:37 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
I’ll be on RNZ at about 8.10pm to talk Ruth V Nicola
henrycooke.bsky.social henry cooke @henrycooke.bsky.social · Dec 8
Nicola Willis going thermonuclear on Ruth Richardson and TPU's upcoming campaign against her.

She says she wants Ruth Richardson to stop "lurking in the shadows with secretly funded ads in the paper" and debate her directly on her "tolerance for human misery".

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Nicola Willis challenges Ruth Richardson to debate on ‘tolerance for human misery’
The Finance Minister hits back at her National Party predecessor - but Richardson is not interested in “pistols at dawn”.
www.thepost.co.nz
December 9, 2025 at 6:49 AM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Nicola Willis going thermonuclear on Ruth Richardson and TPU's upcoming campaign against her.

She says she wants Ruth Richardson to stop "lurking in the shadows with secretly funded ads in the paper" and debate her directly on her "tolerance for human misery".

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Nicola Willis challenges Ruth Richardson to debate on ‘tolerance for human misery’
The Finance Minister hits back at her National Party predecessor - but Richardson is not interested in “pistols at dawn”.
www.thepost.co.nz
December 8, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Reposted by henry cooke
acgeddis.bsky.social
Henry (@henrycooke.bsky.social) references a couple of past cases in this (very good) piece on the issue of what natural justice requirements apply to political party decisions. Worth noting the slightly different context for these precedents ...
TPM case asks: What exactly is a political party?
ANALYSIS: TPM case forces court to consider if a political party is more like an employer, a social gathering, or an omelette.
www.thepost.co.nz
December 4, 2025 at 8:49 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Column today on the big question the Te Pāti Māori case is forcing on the courts: What exactly is a political party? Can you force yourself back into one?
December 4, 2025 at 8:23 PM
henrycooke.bsky.social
Chris Bishop: Ask your landlords for cheaper rent www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Chris Bishop: Ask your landlord for lower rent
The Housing Minister says tenants have more power now than they have for decades ‒ and should use it.
www.thepost.co.nz
December 3, 2025 at 6:56 AM